cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of acute and chronic losartan therapy on active and inactive renin and active renin glycoforms.

Plasma active renin consists of multiple glycoforms, which are differentially stored and secreted by the kidney, have varying plasma half-lives, and appear to have differing effects on renal sodium and water metabolism. Acute stimulation of renal renin secretion results in a disproportionate increase in plasma concentrations of the less negatively charged renin glycoforms and a decrease in the plasma half-life of active renin. The effects of chronic stimulation have not been well studied. We studied the effect of acute and chronic (42 days) stimulation of the renin angiotensin system with the AT1 selective angiotensin II receptor antagonist losartan on plasma active renin, active renin glycoforms separated by isoelectric focusing, and inactive renin in 11 essential hypertensive patients. A single 50 mg dose of losartan significantly increased plasma active renin concentration (ARC) from a pretreatment baseline of 3.2 ± 1.1 to 7.2 ± 2.3 ng AI/mL/h, 4 h postdose. This was primarily due to an increase in plasma concentrations of the less negatively charged active renin forms. After 42 days of losartan monotherapy, plasma ARC at losartan trough had increased significantly to 7.8 ± 3.1 ng AI/mL/h, although the proportions of active renin forms were identical to baseline. Plasma ARC also increased significantly from 7.8 ± 3.1 to 14.9 ± 6.0 ng AI/mL/h acutely after the losartan dose on day 42 primarily due to increased plasma concentrations of less negatively charged active renin forms. Although plasma inactive renin concentrations did not change acutely after losartan dosing on day 1 or 42 they did increase from 27.3 ± 7.8 before losartan day 1 to 37.0 ± 13.7 ng Al/ mL/h (P = .14) before losartan day 42. Thus, both acute and acute on chronic stimulation of renal renin secretion increased circulating ARC and shifted the profile of circulating renin toward the less negatively charged forms but did not change inactive renin concentrations. Chronic stimulation of renal renin secretion with losartan increased plasma concentrations of both active and inactive renin, but did not alter the proportions of active renin forms. Since the less negatively charged active renin forms have relatively short plasma half-lives, acute, but not chronic renal renin secretion is associated with a change in plasma renin half-life. Chronic stimulation of renal renin secretion with losartan presumably increased renin gene expression and resulted in increased constitutive secretion of inactive renin, increased constitutive secretion of negatively charged active renin forms, and increased renal storage of less negatively charged renin forms that were then available for acute regulated release.
Effects of wave-wave and wave-mean flow interactions on the evolution of a baroclinic wave

Abstract The weakly nonlinear evolution of a free baroclinic wave in the presence of slightly supercritical, vertically sheared zonal flow and a forced stationary wave field that consists of a single zonal scale and an arbitrary number of meridional harmonics is examined within the context of the conventional two-layer model. The presence of the (planetary-scale) stationary wave introduces zonal variations in the supercriticality and is shown to alter the growth rate and asymptotic equilibrium of the (synoptic-scale) baroclinic wave via two distinct mechanisms: The first is due to the direct interaction of the stationary wave with the shorter synoptic wave (wave-wave mechanism), and the second is due to the interaction of the synoptic wave with that portion of the mean field that is corrected by the zonally rectified stationary wave fluxes (wave-mean mechanism). These mechanisms can oppose or augment each other depending on the amplitude and spatial structure of the stationary wave field. If the stationar...
ΔNp63α Mediated Activation of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Governs Stem Cell Activity and Plasticity in Normal and Malignant Mammary Epithelial Cells

Genetic analysis of TP63 indicates that ΔNp63 isoforms are required for preservation of regenerative stasis within diverse epithelial tissues. In squamous carcinomas, TP63 is commonly amplified, and ΔNp63α confers a potent survival advantage. Genome-wide occupancy studies show that ΔNp63 promotes bidirectional target gene regulation by binding more than 5,000 sites throughout the genome; however, the subset of targets mediating discreet activities of TP63 remains unclear. We report that ΔNp63α activates bone morphogenic proteins (BMP) signaling by inducing the expression of BMP7. Immunohistochemical analysis indicates that hyperactivation of BMP signaling is common in human breast cancers, most notably in the basal molecular subtype, as well as in several mouse models of breast cancer. Suppression of BMP signaling in vitro with LDN193189, a small-molecule inhibitor of BMP type I receptor kinases, represses clonogenicity and diminishes the cancer stem cell–enriched ALDH1+ population. Importantly, LDN193189 blocks reconstitution of mixed ALDH1+/ALDH1− cultures indicating that BMP signaling may govern aspects of cellular plasticity within tumor hierarchies. These results show that BMP signaling enables reversion of committed populations to a stem-like state, potentially supporting progression and maintenance of tumorigenesis. Treatment of a mouse model of breast cancer with LDN193189 caused reduced expression of markers associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, in vivo limiting dilution analysis assays revealed that LDN193189 treatment suppressed tumor-initiating capacity and increased tumor latency. These studies support a model in which ΔNp63α-mediated activation of BMP signaling governs epithelial cell plasticity, EMT, and tumorigenicity during breast cancer initiation and progression. Cancer Res; 73(2); 1020–30. ©2012 AACR.
Experimental Anatomy of Packet Losses in Wireless Mesh Networks

Despite the increasing number of wireless mesh network deployments and research, there is a lack of understanding on how robust these networks are in practice. In this paper, we perform a systematic experimental study to investigate the impacts of different factors on the unreliability of a mesh network and the sources causing such unreliability.We use packet loss rate as a metric for defining reliability. The factors that we studied include traffic load, number of hops and flows, transmission rates, maximum retransmission limits and the RTS/CTS mechanism. Our results are based on measurements performed on our realworld mesh network testbed. In addition to performing the experiments on multiple hops, we include the results of one hop experiments for comparison. In identifying the sources of packet loss, we developed a tool, FlowPaC, to collect flow-based statistics at different points in the system to understand the effects of the MAC layer parameters and the traffic attributes. We also explore the potential remedies for the system configuration and thereby improve the reliability of wireless mesh networks.
Optimal Aspect Ratio under Vergence for 3D TV

In this paper we extend our earlier work on determining optimal aspect ratio of 3D display devices considering the vergence of the eyes of a viewer. We show that a small vergence angle modifies earlier results, without vergence, by a scaling factor on one of the error terms and also affects the viewing volume. Experimental results showing how the vergence angle influences the aspect ratio are outlined.
Increased Glucagon Receptors in Chronically Hypersomatotrophic and Hyperglucagonemic Rats

The effect of increased levels of growth hormone on glucagon binding by isolated hepatocytes and on the cellular cyclic AMP response to glucagon was evaluated in rats bearing growth hormone-secreting tumor (Mt-T-W15) and in rats treated with rat growth hormone. An increased binding, due to an increased number of receptors, was observed in both groups of animals. Glucagon binding did not correlate with plasma glucagon levels, suggesting a failure of down regulation, possibly due to an effect of growth hormone and insulin on the number of receptors. Tumor-bearing and growth hormone-treated rats had larger hepatocytes so that, when hormone binding was expressed in terms of square micrometer of membrane surface, it appeared decreased. When the tumor was removed the increase in the number of glucagon receptors per cell persisted, even though the average cell size returned toward normal. It is suggested that this retention of the receptors may have been the result of continuing hyperinsulinism. Basal cAMP levels were elevated in hepatocytes of tumor-bearing and growth hormone-treated animals, possibly due to cell hypertrophy. On the other hand, the maximum cAMP response to glucagon was not altered by the experimental procedures. A negative effect of insulin on cAMP accumulation may explain this apparent paradox. Indeed, hepatocytes isolated from rats following tumor removal, but with continuing hyperinsulinemia, had a lower maximum cAMP response, even though the glucagon binding per cell or per unit of cell surface was increased.
The Effect of Segment Length on Conductance Measurements in Lonicera fragrantissima

The effect of stem segment length on conductance measurements was determined by repeatedly shortening the transport distance in isolated stem segments of Lonicera fragrantissima. If vessel ends limit water flow, shorter segment lengths could readings of K h (hydraulic conductance per unit pressure gradient). The mean K h in the successively shortened segments showed no statistically significant change when shortened from 20 to 2 cm, even though maximum vessel lengths ranged from 6 to 14 cm
On Boundary Layer-Like Structures in Finite Thermoelasticity

In this paper inhomogeneous deformations are discussed within the context of finite thermoelasticity with a view toward describing the formation of boundary layer-like structures. Here, attention is confined to static problems and associated with the notion of a boundary layer is a narrow layer adjacent to a boundary wherein the strains are significantly higher than in the far field. The region of concentration of strains is also a region where the deformation is pronouncedly inhomogeneous. It can be shown that in dynamic problems, a boundary layer can also be associated with a region wherein the vorticity is confined, similar to the situation in fluids.
Integrating Science and English Proficiency for English Language Learners.

Despite the expectation that all students should achieve high academic standards, content area instruction and English for speakers of other languages instruction for English language learners (ELLs) have traditionally been conceptualized as separate domains, resulting in educational inequities for ELLs. This is because effective instruction to promote academic achievement for ELLs requires integration of content and language. Such inequities are more pronounced in urban schools where ELLs are disproportionately represented. In science education, research on instructional interventions to simultaneously promote science and English proficiency of ELLs has begun to emerge in recent years. Grounded in this emerging research literature, we offer specific instructional strategies to integrate science and English proficiency for ELLs in five domains: (a) literacy strategies with all students, (b) language support strategies with ELLs, (c) discourse strategies with ELLs, (d) home language support, and (e) home c...
Habitat Characteristics at Den Sites of the Point Arena Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is a federally listed endangered species, but has been the subject of few studies. Mountain beavers use burrows that include a single subterranean den. Foremost among the information needs for this subspecies is a description of the above-ground habitat features associated with dens. Using telemetry we located dens of 23 individuals in Manchester State Park, Mendocino County, California. We measured vegetation and topographic variables directly above the dens and at two available sites within the same burrow system. Alternative resource selection functions, based on multivariate expressions of important ecological characteristics, were developed to model features associated with dens. The best model contained three variables: MEANDENS (mean vegetation density), PAMBTOP4 (cover of the four plant species most frequently used), and COSASPECT (cosine aspect). Interestingly, PAMBTOP4 was negatively associated with dens, indicating that dens were not chosen for their proximity to important plant species. Topography plays an important role in that western and northern aspects were favored and SLOPE was included in the second-highest ranked model. Cross validation indicated moderate stability for the top model suggesting that potentially important predictors that were excluded from the analysis (e.g., soil characteristics, social context) may be influential. Nonetheless, we demonstrated that dense vegetation and aspect/slope considerations are more important predictors of Point Arena mountain beaver den selection than proximity to cover of important plant species. Our results apply to Point Arena mountain beaver populations in coastal shrub communities; den selection may be different farther inland, in forests.
Communication theory and multicellular biology

In this Perspective, we propose that communication theory—a field of mathematics concerned with the problems of signal transmission, reception and processing—provides a new quantitative lens for investigating multicellular biology, ancient and modern. What underpins the cohesive organisation and collective behaviour of multicellular ecosystems such as microbial colonies and communities (microbiomes) and multicellular organisms such as plants and animals, whether built of simple tissue layers (sponges) or of complex differentiated cells arranged in tissues and organs (members of the 35 or so phyla of the subkingdom Metazoa)? How do mammalian tissues and organs develop, maintain their architecture, become subverted in disease, and decline with age? How did single-celled organisms coalesce to produce many-celled forms that evolved and diversified into the varied multicellular organisms in existence today? Some answers can be found in the blueprints or recipes encoded in (epi)genomes, yet others lie in the generic physical properties of biological matter such as the ability of cell aggregates to attain a certain complexity in size, shape, and pattern. We suggest that Lasswell's maxim “Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect” provides a foundation for understanding not only the emergence and evolution of multicellularity, but also the assembly and sculpting of multicellular ecosystems and many-celled structures, whether of natural or human-engineered origin. We explore how the abstraction of communication theory as an organising principle for multicellular biology could be realised. We highlight the inherent ability of communication theory to be blind to molecular and/or genetic mechanisms. We describe selected applications that analyse the physics of communication and use energy efficiency as a central tenet. Whilst communication theory has and could contribute to understanding a myriad of problems in biology, investigations of multicellular biology could, in turn, lead to advances in communication theory, especially in the still immature field of network information theory.
Protein requirements of Coturnix quail to five weeks of age.

Abstract FEW studies of the protein requirement of Coturnix quail have been reported; however, the protein requirements of other experimental birds have been determined. Results of studies on the protein requirement of Bobwhite quail by Norris (1935), Nestler et al. (1942), Nestler (1949), Baldini et al. (1950) and Scott et al. (1963) suggested that a protein level of approximately 28 percent in a practical-type diet gave maximum growth. Lower protein levels of 20 to 24% were adequate for the Bobwhite quail provided supplemental lysine and methionine were fed, Baldini et al. (1953). Studies with young Ringnecked pheasants by Callenbach and Hiller (1953), Norris et al. (1936), Scott and Reynolds (1949) and Scott et al. (1954, 1963) indicated a dietary protein requirement of approximately 27% for maximum growth. The following experiments were designed to determine the dietary protein and energy requirements of immature Coturnix quail to five weeks of age. EXPERIMENTAL Day . . .
Thin-film fracture during nanoindentation of a titanium oxide film–titanium system

Nanoindentation testing of the titanium oxide/titanium system with electrochemically grown oxide films exhibits permanent deformation prior to a yield excusion, indicating that the occurrence of this suddent discontinuity is predominantly controlled by oxide film cracking rather than dislocaton nucleation and multiplication. Observations of circumferential cracking also lend support to this explanation. A model has been developed to predict the mechanical response prior to oxide fracture for the case of a hard coating on a soft substrate. During loading contact, the hard coating undergoes elastic deflection which may include both bending and membrane stretching effects, while the substrate is elastoplastically deformed. The model works well for surface films thicker than 20 nm. Additionally, the maximum radial tensile stress in anodically grown titanium oxide, which is responsible for film cracking at the critical load, is approximately 15 GPa.
The Relation of Career and Family Factors to the Expressed Minimum Percentage Pay Increase Required for Relocation

Employee willingness to relocate can have a major impact on individual career advancement as well as organizational human resource policies. The present study examines the relationship of career andfamily-relatedfactors to the lowest percentage pay increase required to relocate to another city or state for males andfemales. The results support previous studies concerning gender differences. However; gender does not remain as a significant predictor of willingness to relocate when controlling for other career andfamily-relatedfactors.
Autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa mutations in inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase type I disrupt nucleic acid binding

Two mutations of IMPDH1 (inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase type I), R224P and D226N, have recently been found to cause adRP (autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa). IMPDH1 catalyses the rate-limiting step in guanine nucleotide biosynthesis and also binds single-stranded nucleic acids. In the present paper, we report the biochemical characterization of the adRP-linked mutations, R224P and D226N, and a potentially pathogenic mutation, V268I. The adRP-linked mutations have no effect on enzyme activity, protein stability or protein aggregation. These results suggest strongly that the mutations do not affect enzyme activity in vivo and thus do not perturb the guanine nucleotide pool. The R224P mutation changes the distribution of enzyme between the nucleus and cytoplasm. This effect was not observed with the D226N mutation, so the relevance of this observation to disease is unclear. In contrast, both mutations decrease the affinity of nucleic acid binding and both fail to co-immunoprecipitate RNA. These observations suggest that nucleic acid binding provides a functional assay for adRP pathogenicity. The putative adRP-linked mutation V268I also disrupts nucleic acid binding, which suggests that this mutation is indeed pathogenic.
Data Management Methods; Data for Europe

There has been good progress in making climate data available. Selected data management strategies and trends as well as the changing cost of archival storage since 1960, are given. Some data organizations emphasize preparing data and making it available, others spend most time on the interactive display of data. Our activity at NCAR emphasizes the former. There is still a problem in obtaining climate datasets for all of Europe for long periods of time.
On the use of high-level taxonomic names

Asher & Helgen (2010) recently proposed some rules for naming animal taxa above the family level—names that are currently unregulated. They suggested that strict priority be used as a criterion for high-level names and that such priority be based on group content rather than the procedure used for low-level taxa, anchored to constituent taxa. Authorship of a high-level name thus may vary in a complex way depending on content. While it is true that taxonomic codes are always in need of improvement, the lack of regulation of high-level names has not caused major problems. Originality, priority, stability, and other common sense considerations usually come to play in a process that can be described as community consensus. Their proposed system would lead to less stability because names would lack both permanent anchors (e.g., types) and permanent authors, and would be based on something (group content) susceptible to change with time. Furthermore, name selection may frequently conflict with common usage, leading to confusion and
Trichotillomania: A Social Worker's Guide to Practice:

Trichotillomania is a behavioral disorder characterized by persons who are unable to resist pulling out their own hair. There has been a growing practice literature with such persons in disciplines other than social work during the last decade. Social workers need to become informed on how to assess and provide effective treatment for patients diagnosed with trichotillomania. This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the diagnosis, assessment, and empirically supported psychosocial methods of intervention that social workers can implement in practice.
Modeling Direct Exfoliation of Nanoscale Graphene Platelets

Direct ultrasonication of graphite particles dispersed in water, in the presence of a surfactant, is a promising way to produce pristine nanoscale graphene platelets (NGPs) without graphite intercalation or oxidation. We investigate possible exfoliation mechanisms, specifically those involving sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) surfactant, and compare their corresponding energies. The model includes interlayer van der Waals interactions and a force-field approach capable of treating charged surfactant and solvent. Our calculations reveal the significant role of SDBS in liquid-phase NGP production, through a locking mechanism that prevents restacking.
Calculation of merging turbulent wakes and boundary layers

The importance of the wake/boundary layer interaction to the design and optimization of high-lift multi-element airfoils has led many researchers to make detailed experimental and theoretical investigations of such flows. The present work was undertaken to develop a simple mathematical model for computation of merging turbulent wakes and boundary layers in two-dimensional flows at zero pressure gradient. An integral calculation method has been developed, and used to predict with reasonable success the mixing of an aerofoil wake with a flat plate boundary layer.
Delayed recovery of postexecise systolic blood pressure association with extent of coronary artery deseasa

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of delayed decline in systolic blood pressure(SBP) after positive electrocardiogram treadmill exercise test (ETT) in related to the extent of angiographic coronary artery disease(CAD).Method:Among adults who underwent symptom-limited ETT positive and who underwent coronary angiographic (CAG) within 30 days. A delayed decline in SBP during recovery was defined as a ratio of SBP at 3 min of recovery divided by that at 1 min of recovery exceeded or equale 1.0 (i.e.,rSBPR 3 min/1 min≥1.0).Angiographic severity of CAD was a assessed using the Duke CAD Prognostic Severity Index(on a scale of 0-100),with a score ≥42 considered to be indicative of severe CAD.Result:There were 164 subjects eligible for analyses (age 57±8 years,82 male),Severe angiographic coronary disease was noted 73(44).The increase value of rSBPR had a positive correlation with the extent of Duke CAD Prognostic Severity Index r=0.84,P0.001. In binary logistic regression analyses adjusting for SBP change during exercise and the potential confounders, a delayed decline in SBP during recovery remained predictive of severe angiographic coronary disease OR=2.43, 95CI 1.31-4.50,P=0.005.The rSBPR in patients with group CAG positive exceeded that of the angiographic negative subjects (P0.05), and independently of the presence of hypertension (P0.05).Conclusion:A delayed decline in SBP during recovery is associated with a greater likelihood of severe angiographic coronary disease.
A Simple Axiomatization of Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting

This paper provides a novel axiomatization of quasi-hyperbolic discounting, which imposes consistency restrictions directly on the intertemporal tradeo s. The experimental design proposed in this paper will be useful for experimental work since it renders the short-run discount factor elicitation independent of the utility function. This makes comparisons of impatience across a spectrum of different consumption goods possible within the same framework, thereby providing a valuable tool for empirically exploring this new dimension.
A comparison of cardiac index in normal term pregnancy using thoracic electrical bio-impedance and oxygen extraction (Fick) techniques.

OBJECTIVE: To correlate cardiac index in normal late third-trimester pregnancy using the thoracic electrical bio-impedance technique with that obtained from the oxygen extraction technique. METHODS: Eight carefully screened normal pregnant women underwent assessment of cardiac index using both the thoracic electrical bio-impedance technique and the oxygen extraction technique. Measurements were obtained in various positions. RESULTS: The correlation was good between the thoracic electrical bio-impedance and oxygen extraction techniques in the left lateral (r = 0.915) and right lateral (r = 0.863) positions, and the intercepts at the midpoints of the oxygen extraction data in these positions suggested good absolute correlation as well. Correlation between thoracic electrical bio-impedance and the Fick cardiac index was poor in all other positions. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic electrical bio-impedance cardiac index assessment is influenced by maternal position and must be used with caution in clinical research protocols. This technique appears to be inappropriate for general clinical use during pregnancy.
Structure classification and melting temperature prediction in octet AB solids via machine learning

Machine learning methods are being increasingly used in condensed matter physics and materials science to classify crystals structures and predict material properties. However, the reliability of these methods for a given problem, especially when large data sets are unavailable, has not been well studied. By addressing the tasks of classifying crystal structure and predicting melting temperatures of the octet subset of AB solids, we performed such a study and found potential problems with using machine learning methods on relatively small data sets. At the same time, however, we can reaffirm the potential power of such methods for these tasks. In particular, we uncovered an important new material feature, the excess Born effective charge, that significantly increased the accuracy of the predictions for the classification problem we defined. This discovery leads us to propose a new scale for the degree of ionicity and covalency in these solids. More specifically, we partitioned the crystal structures of a set of 75 octet solids into those that are ionic and covalent bonded and thus performed a binary classification task. We found that using the standard indices $({r}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}},{r}_{\ensuremath{\pi}})$, suggested by St. John and Bloch several decades ago, enabled an average success in classification of $92%$. Using just ${r}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}$ and the excess Born effective charge $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{Z}_{A}$ of the A atom enabled an average success of $97%$, but we also found relatively large variations about these averages that were dependent on how certain machine learning methods were used and for which a standard deviation was not a proper measure of the degree of confidence we can place in either average. Instead, we calculated and report with $95%$ confidence that the traditional classification pair predicts an accuracy in the interval $[89%,95%]$ and the accuracy of the new pair lies in the interval $[96%,99%]$. For melting temperature predictions, the size of our data set was 46. We estimate the root-mean-squared error of our resulting model to be $11%$ of the mean melting temperature of the data, but we note that if the accuracy of this predicted error is itself measured, our estimated fitting error itself has a root-mean-square error of $50%$. In short, what we illustrate is that classification and regression predictions can vary significantly, depending on the details of how machine learning methods are applied to small data sets. This variation makes it important, if not essential, to average the predictions and compute confidence intervals about these averages to report results meaningfully. However, when properly used, these statistical methods can advance our understanding and improve predictions of material properties even for small data sets.
Surfactant assisted synthesis of SrFe10Al2O19: Magnetic and Supercapacitor ferrite

The aluminum doped SrFe12O19 hexaferrite samples were prepared via co-precipitation method using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. The effects of CTAB content (x = 0, 1, 3, 6 and 9 wt. %) on the structure, morphology, and electrocapacitive behavior of the SrFe10Al2O19 nanoparticles were investigated. The use of CTAB was observed to be effective in eliminating α-Fe2O3 phase from samples. Morphological changes including grain and crystallite size was noticed with the increase in the CTAB content. With the increase in CTAB, powder particles grew in size and thickness. A concomitant increase in magnetization due to crystal growth was observed. Electrochemical performance of supercapacitors was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Highest power density of 368.09 WKg-1 and energy density of 0.916 WhKg-1 was observed for 3% and 1% CTAB samples, respectively.
Oxidation, Destruction, and Persistence of Multilayer Dimethyl Methylphosphonate Films during Exposure to O(3P) Atomic Oxygen

We present work detailing the oxidative reactivity of the nerve agent simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) with atomic oxygen using time-resolved in situ reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). When exposed to a supersonic beam containing O(3P) with average translational energy of 0.12 eV, thermally annealed DMMP films (less than 50 layers) on single-crystal Au(111) are observed to react, likely via hydrogen abstraction, and followed by various secondary reactions with resultant hydroxyl and DMMP-derived radicals. This reaction is accompanied by the appearance of hydrogen bonding interactions with the DMMP phosphoryl (P═O) groups on the film surface, and it is also observed to result in both a loss of carbon and an uptake of oxygen by the film. These trends, when considered with the additional thermal stability of reaction products left on the surface, suggest that the mechanism entails reaction with DMMP methyl groups and the formation of vari...
Chaos in collective health: Fractal dynamics of social learning.

Abstract Physiology often exhibits non-linear, fractal patterns of adaptation. I show that such patterns of adaptation also characterize collective health behavior in a model of collective health protection in which individuals use highest payoff biased social learning to decide whether or not to protect against a spreading disease, but benefits of health are shared locally. This model results in collectives of protectors with an exponential distribution of sizes, smaller ones being much more likely. This distribution of protecting collectives, in turn, results in incidence patterns often seen in infectious disease which, although they seem to fluctuate randomly, actually have an underlying order, a fractal time trend pattern. The time trace of infection incidence shows a self-similarity coefficient consistent with a fractal distribution and anti-persistence, reflecting the negative feedback created by health protective behavior responding to disease, when the benefit of health is high enough to stimulate health protection. When the benefit of health is too low to support any health protection, the self-similarity coefficient shows high persistence, reflecting positive feedback resulting the unmitigated spread of disease. Thus the self-similarity coefficient closely corresponds to the level of protection, demonstrating that what might otherwise be regarded as “noise” in incidence actually reflects the fact that protecting collectives form when the spreading disease is present locally but drop protection when disease subsides locally, mitigating disease intermittently. These results hold not only in a deterministic version of the model in a regular lattice network, but also in small-world networks with stochasticity in infection and efficacy of protection. The resulting non-linear and chaotic patterns of behavior and disease cannot be explained by traditional epidemiological methods but a simple agent-based model is sufficient to produce these results.
Maternal investment and delayed feeding in neonatal Lake Erie watersnakes: a life-history strategy

Neonatal growth can have lasting consequences on survival and reproduction. In many taxa, larger, faster growing neonates experience higher survival, reach sexual maturity more rapidly, and achieve higher lifetime fecundity. In contrast to their closest relatives, Lake Erie watersnakes grow slower, mature later, and may delay feeding until after their first hibernation. To determine if Lake Erie watersnakes do indeed delay feeding until after their first hibernation, we compared age class 0 (between birth and first hibernation) and age class 1 (emergence from hibernation and through the first full season) snakes in the field and in the laboratory. In the field, only 0.6% of pre-hibernation neonates were found to contain prey, while 11.9% of post-hibernation neonates contained prey. During captive feeding experiments, the probability of eating was positively correlated with age (binary logistic regression, Wald χ12 = 25.354, P < 0.001). To clarify the underlying mechanism for delayed feeding, we compared neonatal yolk and fat reserves among species with delayed feeding (Lake Erie watersnakes, Graham's crayfish-eating snakes), species that commence feeding immediately after birth (common gartersnakes, Dekay's brown snakes) and a species falling between these extremes (queen snakes). Like Lake Erie watersnakes, Graham's crayfish-eating snakes contained large energy reserves (yolk + fat body mass to carcass mass ratio = 0.39 and 0.24, respectively), common gartersnakes and Dekay's brown snakes lacked measurable reserves (0.00), and queen snakes contained intermediate reserves (0.17). Taken together, this evidence suggests that neonatal Lake Erie watersnakes do delay feeding until after their first hibernation and contain large energy reserves at birth to facilitate this behavior. While most snake life-history studies have focused on the trade-off between offspring size and number, Lake Erie watersnake females invest large amounts of energy in offspring condition.
Effects of Noise on Speech Recognition and Listening Effort in Children With Normal Hearing and Children With Mild Bilateral or Unilateral Hearing Loss.

Purpose This study examined the effects of stimulus type and hearing status on speech recognition and listening effort in children with normal hearing (NH) and children with mild bilateral hearing loss (MBHL) or unilateral hearing loss (UHL). Method Children (5–12 years of age) with NH (Experiment 1) and children (8–12 years of age) with MBHL, UHL, or NH (Experiment 2) performed consonant identification and word and sentence recognition in background noise. Percentage correct performance and verbal response time (VRT) were assessed (onset time, total duration). Results In general, speech recognition improved as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) increased both for children with NH and children with MBHL or UHL. The groups did not differ on measures of VRT. Onset times were longer for incorrect than for correct responses. For correct responses only, there was a general increase in VRT with decreasing SNR. Conclusions Findings indicate poorer sentence recognition in children with NH and MBHL or UHL as SNR decrease...
Exact Bayesian p-values for a test of independence in a 2 × 2 contingency table with missing data.

Altham (Altham PME. Exact Bayesian analysis of a 2 × 2 contingency table, and Fisher's "exact" significance test. J R Stat Soc B 1969; 31: 261-269) showed that a one-sided p-value from Fisher's exact test of independence in a 2 × 2 contingency table is equal to the posterior probability of negative association in the 2 × 2 contingency table under a Bayesian analysis using an improper prior. We derive an extension of Fisher's exact test p-value in the presence of missing data, assuming the missing data mechanism is ignorable (i.e., missing at random or completely at random). Further, we propose Bayesian p-values for a test of independence in a 2 × 2 contingency table with missing data using alternative priors; we also present results from a simulation study exploring the Type I error rate and power of the proposed exact test p-values. An example, using data on the association between blood pressure and a cardiac enzyme, is presented to illustrate the methods.
An Evaluation of the Present Status of Neutrophil Replacement Therapy

The replacement of shed blood by transfusion of stored, whole blood became practical over 25 years ago and has been widely used ever since. However, it has gradually become evident that in many clinical disorders only one specific component of blood is needed; e.g., erythrocytes in some of the anemias, plasma in burned patients, gamma globulin in agammaglobulinemics, etc. It also has become evident that the administration of unneeded blood components may be undesirable. Illustrative examples are the transfusion reactions due to leukocyte incompatibility, or even more serious, the high incidence of post-transfusion hepatitis due to virus particles transmitted in the often unneeded plasma.
In the Atkinson Tradition: The Motivational Function of Emotion

One might anticipate that the study of motivation and emotion would be intimately linked. In support of this expectation, a psychological journal exists with the title Motivation and Emotion, and psychology courses at times carry this label. But theories of motivation and thoughts about emotion have not been united. Most motivational theories only incorporate the pleasure-pain principle, postulating that individuals strive to increase pleasure and to decrease pain. This is most clearly associated with the conceptions of Freud and Hull, but applies as well to the cognitive theorists such as Tolman and Rotter.
Air Pollution Meteorology

Most air pollution phenomena occur in the lower part of the atmosphere called the planetary boundary layer, or PBL. The PBL (which is sometimes called the friction layer) is defined as “the region in which the atmosphere experiences surface effects through vertical exchanges of momentum, heat and moisture” (Panofsky and Dutton, 1984).
A Comprehensible World

The world is everything there was, is, and will be. The world has particular things, kinds, attributes, states, events, processes, functions, and other stuff I do not now imagine. In order to comprehend phenomena, we need to know what facts are true and why they are true. We need knowledge and understanding.
On the Shock-Bifurcation/Jet-Impingement Structure of Swept Interactions and Related Flow-Fields

Recent research has removed much of the mystery from swept shock wave/boundary-layer interactions. Firstly, insofar as many of these interactions are quasiconical, the powerful simplification arises that one need not necessarily treat them as inherently 3-D flows. Secondly, optical studies have shown the flowfield structure to be dominated by processes of shock-wave bifurcation and resulting jet impingement. The purpose of this note is mainly to point out the close relationship of such interaction structures with other problematic shock-bifurcation phenomena which have been regarded as separate issues in the past. These include leading-edge or shock-on-shock interactions, shock-interaction-induced test-gas contamination in shock tubes, and the so-called “airblast precursor” effect.
Early detection of prostate cancer. Role of prostate-specific antigen.

Abstract Pressure to request prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests for early detection of prostate cancer in middle-aged and older men is increasing. However, current scientific data suggest that such testing does more harm than good. Most professional groups do not advise routine screening for prostate cancer. This paper reviews the current status of PSA testing.
BUOYANCY, LOCOMOTION, AND MOVEMENT IN FISHES | Undulatory Swimming

Many fish transfer mechanical power to the surrounding water using lateral waves of body axis undulation. Waves of curvature progress along the axis in a rostrocaudal direction. These are produced by rostrocaudally progressing waves of muscle activity driving sequential contraction of the myotomal muscle blocks. Muscle activity is offset on opposite sides of the body. Regions of active muscle produce local shortening while active, contralateral muscle on the outside of the bend is stretched while inactive. Muscle force is transferred posteriorly to the axial skeleton and caudal fin by connective tissue and skeletal elements.
Endothelial-derived nitric oxide as a marker for healthy endothelium

In the past decade the importance of the vascular endothelium as a multi-functional regulator of vascular smooth muscle physiology and pathophysiology has been appreciated. Indeed, the endothelium responds to hemodynamic stimuli (pressure, shear stress and wall strain) and locally manufactured mediators (such as bradykinin, prostaglandins and angiotensin) and in turn can release factors that can influence the adhesion and aggregation of circulating cells to the endothelium and the tone of vascular smooth muscle. In many diseases, including cirrhosis, atherosclerosis or diabetes, endothelial dysfunction manifested as an impairment of nitric oxide (NO) production may be an early hallmark of disease and a treatable entity. In this chapter the importance of NO as a mediator of vascular function and potential mechanisms leading to endothelial dysfunction will be discussed.
Serial sodium values and adverse outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Abstract Objective The purpose of our study is to examine whether serial measurements of serum sodium values after diagnosis identify a higher-risk subset of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Methods We identified 50,932 subjects with HFpEF with 759,577 recorded sNa measurements (mean age 72 ± 11 years) using a validated algorithm in the VA national database from 2002 to 2012. We examined the association of repeated measures of sNa with mortality using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. Results After a median follow-up of 2.9 years (IQR: 1.2–5.4), 19,011 deaths occurred. After adjusting for age, sex, race, BMI, glomerular filtration rate, potassium, coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary disease, diabetes, anemia, and medications, we found J-shaped associations of serum sodium with mortality. HRs for all-cause mortality were 2.48 (95% CI: 2.38–2.60) for the sNA 115.00–133.99 category; and 1.40 (95% CI: 1.35–1.46) for the sNA 143.00–175.00 category compared to the 137.01–140.99 category (ref). We used generalized estimating equation-based negative binomial regression to compute the incidence density ratios (IDR) to examine days hospitalized for heart failure and for all causes. There were a total of 1,275,614 days of all-cause hospitalization and 104,006 days of heart-failure hospitalization. The IDRs for the lowest sNA group were 2.03 (95% CI: 1.90–2.18) for all-cause hospitalization and 1.73 (95% CI: 1.39–2.16) for heart-failure hospitalization. Conclusions Our findings suggest that monitoring of serum sodium values during longitudinal follow-up can identify HFpEF patients at risk of adverse outcomes.
Oocyte Cryopreservation at an Earlier Age

Is there a way to overcome diminished ovarian reserve, to possibly reduce the heartache a woman might encounter once she is ready for a pregnancy, after she has beaten cancer, or has found the man of her dreams? In this chapter, we will discuss oocyte cryopreservation, how it came about, and what its current indications are. Offering a woman oocyte cryopreservation comes along with the responsibility to discuss the shortcomings along with the promise of a possible pregnancy at a later date. There are limitations and nuances to the science that should be considered, including the patient’s age, current ovarian reserve status, and her goals, among other things. Educating the patient will help her to make an informed decision of whether or not to pursue oocyte cryopreservation.
Technical management of inguinal lymph-nodes in penile cancer: open versus minimal invasive

Inguinal lymphadenectomy (ILND) remains the standard of care for patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis, dictating patient prognosis, adjuvant therapies, and surveillance strategies. Importantly the performance of an ILND has been shown to improve cancer-specific outcomes, providing a modifiable factor for patients with an aggressive malignancy. Surprisingly, the procedure remains underutilized, mainly due to the high surgical morbidity associated with the procedure. The open lymphadenectomy technique has undergone several modifications over the last 30 years to minimize its associated surgical morbidity, but wound-related complications remain significant. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques have been recently introduced to help mitigate wound-related complications associated with open lymphadenectomy, with promising results. In this review, we highlight the importance of ILND, present a detail review of the surgical and oncological outcomes associated with open, laparoscopic and robotic ILND for patients with penile cancer.
Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the setting of the cytokine release syndrome.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can trigger a cytokine response storm (CRS) that is associated with high mortality but for which the underlying pathophysiology and diagnostics are not yet well chara...
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Specialized Curricula in Cyber Defense: Results from Interviews with Cyber Professionals

More specialized cybersecurity education programs are needed to address workforce needs, but it is unclear which knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) fulfil industry needs. We interviewed 48 professionals within four cyber defense specialty areas: (1) Cyber Network Defense Analysis, (2) Cyber Network Defense Infrastructure Support, (3) Incident Response, and (4) Vulnerability Assessment and Management. The professionals rated a number of specialized KSAs along two dimensions: how important the KSA was to their job and how difficult the KSA was to learn. Overall, communication and other non-technical skills were rated as being very important for all cyber defense jobs. Findings indicated that, for some specialty areas, technical knowledge and skills vary considerably between jobs and so the ability to teach oneself is more valuable than proficiency in any one KSA. Findings may be used to inform the development of general cybersecurity curricula, as well as curricula that focus on Cyber Network Defense Analysis, Cyber Network Defense Infrastructure Support, or Vulnerability Assessment and Management.