cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solid-phase Synthesis of Fusaricidin/LI-F Class of Cyclic Lipopeptides: Guanidinylation of Resin-bound Peptidyl Amines

Fusaricidins/LI-Fs and related cyclic lipopeptides represent an interesting new class of antibacterial peptides with the potential to meet the challenge of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Our previous study (Bionda et al. ChemMedChem 2012, 7, 871-882) revealed the significance of the guanidinium group located at the termini of the lipidic tails of these cyclic lipopeptides for their antibacterial activities. Therefore, devising a synthetic strategy that will allow incorporation of guanidinium functionality into their structure is of particular practical importance. Since appropriately protected guanidino fatty acid building blocks are not commercially available, our strategy toward guanidinylated fusaricidin/LI-F analogs include solid-phase synthesis of a cyclic lipopeptide precursor possessing a lipidic tail with a terminal amino group followed by its conversion into corresponding guanidine. To find the optimal method for this conversion, we have examined commonly used guanidinylation reagents under the conditions compatible with standard solid-phase peptide synthesis. Described experimental results demonstrated superiority of N,N'-di-Boc-N″-triflylguanidine in solid-phase preparation of fusaricidin/LI-F class of cyclic lipopeptides. The triflylguanidine reagent gave a single monoguanidinylated product in excellent yield independently of the type of solid-support.
Rural–urban migration and mental and sexual health: a case study in Southwestern China

Massive rural–urban temporary migration has taken place amid China's rapid economic growth and development. Much has been written about the economic causes and consequences of this massive migration; less studied are the potential health and behavioral impacts of migration on migrants. Using data from a population-based sample survey conducted in southwestern China, this paper examines the potential impact of rural–urban migration and post-migration urban living on migrants' mental health and sexual risk behavior. The results suggest that regardless of places of origin and destination temporary migrants had on average poorer mental health and riskier sexual behavior than non-migrants. Compared to living in rural areas, living in urban areas does not make statistical difference in residents' mental health; it is only marginally associated with riskier sexual behavior. Rural–urban temporary migrants' mental health and health risk sexual behavior deserve more immediate research attention. Both selectivity of...
Promoting correct car seat use in parents of young children: challenges, recommendations, and implications for health communication

Injuries involving motor vehicles continue to be the biggest threat to the safety of children. Although child safety seats (CSS) have been established as a central countermeasure in decreasing injury risk, the majority of parents do not use the correct car seat correctly. There are many challenges in promoting correct car seat use, which itself is a complex behavior. To advance this critical protective behavior, the public health community would benefit from clarifying CSS messaging, communicating clearly, and addressing the conflicting recommendations of product use. In this article, we present current challenges in promoting CSS use and draw on health communication and other fields to offer recommendations for future work in this area.
Effects of cold stress and heat stress on coral fluorescence in reef-building corals

Widespread temperature stress has caused catastrophic coral bleaching events that have been devastating for coral reefs. Here, we evaluate whether coral fluorescence could be utilized as a noninvasive assessment for coral health. We conducted cold and heat stress treatments on the branching coral Acropora yongei, and found that green fluorescent protein (GFP) concentration and fluorescence decreased with declining coral health, prior to initiation of bleaching. Ultimately, cold-treated corals acclimated and GFP concentration and fluorescence recovered. In contrast, heat-treated corals eventually bleached but showed strong fluorescence despite reduced GFP concentration, likely resulting from the large reduction in shading from decreased dinoflagellate density. Consequently, GFP concentration and fluorescence showed distinct correlations in non-bleached and bleached corals. Green fluorescence was positively correlated with dinoflagellate photobiology, but its closest correlation was with coral growth suggesting that green fluorescence could be used as a physiological proxy for health in some corals.
Induction Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck: Evolution of the Sequential Treatment Approach

Cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (PF regimen) induction chemotherapy (IC) has been studied over the last two decades and has proven to be a durable and effective therapy for patients with locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN). Although randomized trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated that PF-based IC improves survival, reduces systemic metastases, and permits organ preservation, the effect on overall survival has been less robust than the results seen with cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) regimens. Differences in trial design, scheduling, and surgical interventions account for some of the variation in results. As studies have evolved, it has become evident that there are advantages to both approaches. This perception has led to the concept of sequential therapy (ST), the combination of IC, CRT, and surgery. ST programs are being studied intently in many centers. Phase II and III trials of ST regimens have reported unprecedented survival results in patients with locally advanced disease. In addition, the hypothesis that PF plus a taxane may result in an improved survival, compared to PF alone, for patients with locally advanced SCCHN on ST treatments is being tested in phase III trials. Although ST has not been compared head to head with CRT, early results support the use of this treatment paradigm in patients with poor prognosis SCCHN and should lead to definitive phase III trials in the near future. ST may represent the cutting edge of therapy for patients with curable, locally advanced SCCHN
An Overview of Twenty-Five Years of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in the Proceedings of the IEEE, 1963-1987

The article presents a survey of the history of electrical and electronics engineering as seen in the 136 special issues and special sections of the Proceedings of the IEEE, from 1963 to 1987, in seven areas: Circuits and Devices(microelectronics and lasers and electrooptics); Computers; Communications; Signals, Systems, and Control; Electromagnetics; Energy, Power, and Industry and Engineering and Human Environment. Special attention is paid to the incremental nature of technological change, the relationship between electrophysics and electrotechnology, and the role of government funding in supporting electronics R & D. It is hoped that setting the "snapshots" of the special issues and special sections in an historical framework will assist future researchers seeking to reach a better understanding of the electronics "revolution" of the post-Sputnik period.
Theory for Roll-Ratchet Phenomenon in High-Performance Aircraft

Roll-ratchet refers to a high frequency oscillation which can occur in pilot-in-the-loop control of roll attitude in high performance aircraft. The frequencies of oscillation are typically well beyond those associated with the more familiar pilot-induced oscillation. A structural model of the human pilot which has been employed to provide a unified theory for aircraft handling qualities and pilot-induced oscillations is employed here to provide a theory for the existence of roll-ratchet. It is hypothesized and demonstrated using the structural model that the pilot's inappropriate use of vestibular acceleration feedback can cause this phenomenon, a possibility which has been discussed previously by other researchers. The possible influence of biodynamic feedback on roll ratchet is also discussed.
Comparison of a Label-Free Quantitative Proteomic Method Based on Peptide Ion Current Area to the Isotope Coded Affinity Tag Method

Recently, several research groups have published methods for the determination of proteomic expression profiling by mass spectrometry without the use of exogenously added stable isotopes or stable isotope dilution theory. These so-called label-free, methods have the advantage of allowing data on each sample to be acquired independently from all other samples to which they can later be compared in silico for the purpose of measuring changes in protein expression between various biological states. We developed label free software based on direct measurement of peptide ion current area (PICA) and compared it to two other methods, a simpler label free method known as spectral counting and the isotope coded affinity tag (ICAT) method. Data analysis by these methods of a standard mixture containing proteins of known, but varying, concentrations showed that they performed similarly with a mean squared error of 0.09. Additionally, complex bacterial protein mixtures spiked with known concentrations of standard proteins were analyzed using the PICA label-free method. These results indicated that the PICA method detected all levels of standard spiked proteins at the 90% confidence level in this complex biological sample. This finding confirms that label-free methods, based on direct measurement of the area under a single ion current trace, performed as well as the standard ICAT method. Given the fact that the label-free methods provide ease in experimental design well beyond pair-wise comparison, label-free methods such as our PICA method are well suited for proteomic expression profiling of large numbers of samples as is needed in clinical analysis.
Nonlinear system identification using a Hammerstein model and a cumulant-based Steiglitz-McBride algorithm

In this paper, we address the problem of estimating the parameters of a Hammerstein model. Hammerstein models, which consist of a nonlinear memoryless gain followed by a linear time-invariant system, have been used to identify nonlinear systems. We assume that the gain is in polynomial form, and that the system is an ARMA filter. The input and output are available, and the output is assumed to be corrupted by additive Gaussian noise of unknown covariance. Transforming the problem into the cumulant domain, we suppress the effect of the noise and estimate the model parameters using a linear, iterative method. Simulations are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed method. >
Haemophilus ducreyi Infection Causes Basal Keratinocyte Cytotoxicity and Elicits a Unique Cytokine Induction Pattern in an In Vitro Human Skin Model

Haemophilus ducreyi is the etiologic agent of the sexually transmitted genital ulcer disease chancroid. Predominantly a cutaneous pathogen, H. ducreyi is present in chancroid ulcers that are characterized by extensive neutrophil accumulation in intraepidermal lesions accompanied by a mononuclear infiltrate in the dermis. We used an in vitro human skin model composed of foreskin fibroblasts and keratinocytes to examine host skin cell interactions with H. ducreyi 35000. Bacteria replicated and persisted in artificial skin for at least 14 days. We observed H. ducreyi inside suprabasal keratinocytes using transmission electron microscopy. Although no bacteria were seen in the basal keratinocyte region, these cells were disrupted in infected cocultures. H. ducreyi infection stimulated increased secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 by skin cells. Conversely, tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-1α levels were not elevated. IL-8 produced in response to H. ducreyi infection may be involved in recruiting polymorphonuclear leukocytes and other inflammatory cells, thereby contributing to the tissue necrosis and ulcer formation characteristic of chancroid.
Comparison of brain---computer interface decoding algorithms in open-loop and closed-loop control

Neuroprosthetic devices such as a computer cursor can be controlled by the activity of cortical neurons when an appropriate algorithm is used to decode motor intention. Algorithms which have been proposed for this purpose range from the simple population vector algorithm (PVA) and optimal linear estimator (OLE) to various versions of Bayesian decoders. Although Bayesian decoders typically provide the most accurate off-line reconstructions, it is not known which model assumptions in these algorithms are critical for improving decoding performance. Furthermore, it is not necessarily true that improvements (or deficits) in off-line reconstruction will translate into improvements (or deficits) in on-line control, as the subject might compensate for the specifics of the decoder in use at the time. Here we show that by comparing the performance of nine decoders, assumptions about uniformly distributed preferred directions and the way the cursor trajectories are smoothed have the most impact on decoder performance in off-line reconstruction, while assumptions about tuning curve linearity and spike count variance play relatively minor roles. In on-line control, subjects compensate for directional biases caused by non-uniformly distributed preferred directions, leaving cursor smoothing differences as the largest single algorithmic difference driving decoder performance.
A metaphor-enriched social cognition.

Social cognition is the scientific study of the cognitive events underlying social thought and attitudes. Currently, the field’s prevailing theoretical perspectives are the traditional schema view and embodied cognition theories. Despite important differences, these perspectives share the seemingly uncontroversial notion that people interpret and evaluate a given social stimulus using knowledge about similar stimuli. However, research in cognitive linguistics (e.g., Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) suggests that people construe the world in large part through conceptual metaphors, which enable them to understand abstract concepts using knowledge of superficially dissimilar, typically more concrete concepts. Drawing on these perspectives, we propose that social cognition can and should be enriched by an explicit recognition that conceptual metaphor is a unique cognitive mechanism that shapes social thought and attitudes. To advance this metaphor-enriched perspective, we introduce the metaphoric transfer strategy as a means of empirically assessing whether metaphors influence social information processing in ways that are distinct from the operation of schemas alone. We then distinguish conceptual metaphor from embodied simulation—the mechanism posited by embodied cognition theories—and introduce the alternate source strategy as a means of empirically teasing apart these mechanisms. Throughout, we buttress our claims with empirical evidence of the influence of metaphors on a wide range of social psychological phenomena. We outline directions for future research on the strength and direction of metaphor use in social information processing. Finally, we mention specific benefits of a metaphor-enriched perspective for integrating and generating social cognitive research and for bridging social cognition with neighboring fields.
The Need for a 7-day Therapy Service on an Emergency Assessment Unit

This practice analysis acknowledges the changing nature of healthcare, recognizing the need for a 7-day therapy service on an Emergency Assessment Unit within the acute sector. A critical reflectio...
Growth Response of Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae on Meridic Diets Containing Fresh and Lyophilized Corn Silk

Fresh and lyophilized silks of a susceptible corn, Zea mays (L.), ‘Stowell’s Evergreen’ (SEG), and a resistant line, ‘Zapalote Chico 2451# (PC3)’ (ZC), were incorporated as base-plant materials into standard and substandard corn/soy/milk solids(CSM) and pinto bean (PB) diets and used to measure corn earworm (CEW), Heliothis zea (Boddie), larval growth and development. Eighty grams of fresh ZC silks had to be mixed into 300 ml of the standard CSM diet to reduce CEW larval weights as much as on those reared on fresh ZC silks. When added to the CSM diet, ZC silks held in the laboratory or left on the ear in the field for 5 days did not have the resistance that was shown by silks blended immediately or refrigerated or frozen for 5 days. Significant weight differences were detected between larvae fed on lyophilized SEG and those fed on ZC silk powder mixed in 300 ml of diet. All concentration levels (2, 4, 8, and 16 g per diet) of ZC silk powder added to PB diets produced significantly smaller larvae than did the SEG silk powder added to those diets. Results from the CSM diets were more variable, but ZC resistance was shown at higher concentration levels. Weights of larvae fed for 10 days and longer indicated that the resistance factor was more effective in the PB diets than in the CSM diets.
Variations in Single Ascospore Isolates of Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum

The study of heterothallism in the genus Sclerotinia has received recent and intensive investigation by Drayton (1) and Gregory (4) and in some instances they have demonstrated certain species to be homothallic whereas other species are heterothallic. Keay (7) has shown Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) Massee, S. Trifoliorum Erik. and S. minor Jagger capable of the production of normal apothecia from single ascospore isolates which confirmed Henson's report (6) of apothecial production from similar isolates of S. sclerotiorum and S. Trifoliorum. Godfrey (3) has also demonstrated homothallism in S. Ricini Godfrey, and more recently a self-fertile, homothallic condition has been reported for S. sativa Drayton and Groves (2). This paper is to report the results of certain preliminary studies with single ascospore isolates of S. sclerotiorum in which self-fertility and homothallism for sex is again demonstrated and also wherein a segregation for cultural and other characters was encountered. Variation in cultural characters of single ascospore isolates of an unnamed Sclerotinia which is the perfect stage of Botrytis cinerea has already been reported by Groves & Drayton (5).
Digital Processing in Performance: Rerebong and Electricity

In the 6 years since I first called the Forest Service I have taken my drawings and poetry to many meetings. I perform poems I have written to help protect the flowers and the people in my area who live tightly interlocked upon these still wild lands. I try when I speak with government officials and politicians about the rare flora and fauna of my region to mention the people whose livelihoods depend upon intact forests and clean free-flowing water. I endeavor to seek a common future that would allow local people the economic freedom to employ their talents and resources to nurture this special land. The flowers I draw are caught on "the border of fate." I work to ensure that it
Frequency of Synaptic Autoantibody Accompaniments and Neurological Manifestations of Thymoma

Importance Thymoma is commonly recognized in association with paraneoplastic autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG), an IgG–mediated impairment of synaptic transmission targeting the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of muscle. Newly identified synaptic autoantibodies may expand the serological profile of thymoma. Objective To investigate the frequency of potentially pathogenic neural synaptic autoantibodies in patients with thymoma. Design, Setting, and Participants We retrospectively identified patients with histopathologically confirmed thymoma and serum available to test for synaptic autoantibodies (collected 1986-2014) at the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory. We identified and classified 193 patients with thymoma into 4 groups: (1) lacking neurological autoimmunity (n = 43); (2) isolated MG (n = 98); (3) MG plus additional autoimmune neurological manifestations (n = 26); and (4) neurological autoimmunity other than MG (n = 26). Main Outcomes and Measures Clinical presentation and serum profile of autoantibodies reactive with molecularly defined synaptic plasma membrane proteins of muscle, peripheral, and central nervous systems. Results Of the 193 patients with thymoma, mean patient age was 52 years and did not significantly differ by sex (106 women) or group. Myasthenia gravis was the most prevalent clinical manifestation (64%) followed by dysautonomia (16 patients [8%]) and encephalopathy (15 patients [8%]); 164 patients (85%) had at least 1 synaptic autoantibody, and 63 of these patients (38%) had at least 1 more. Muscle acetylcholine receptor was most frequent (78%), followed by ganglionic acetylcholine receptor (20%), voltage-gated Kv1 potassium channel-complex (13%), and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (5%). Less frequent were aquaporin-4, voltage-gated Kv1 potassium channel-complex related proteins (leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 and contactin-associated protein-like 2), glycine receptor, and γ-aminobutyric acid-A receptor. Synaptic autoantibodies were significantly more frequent in patients with neurological autoimmunity than in those without and were most frequent in patients with neurological manifestations other than or in addition to MG. Conclusions and Relevance Synaptic autoantibodies, particularly those reactive with ion channels of the ligand-gated nicotinic acetylcholine receptor superfamily (namely α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, glycine, and γ-aminobutyric acid-A receptors), were prevalent in patients with thymoma. Autoantibodies of this extended spectrum may enhance autoimmune serological testing as an aid to preoperative thymoma diagnosis. Detection of currently known synaptic autoantibody specificities absent from this profile have potential algorithmic usefulness as negative predictors for thymoma (as recognized for neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel autoantibodies).
Feeding and drinking behavior of mares and foals with free access to pasture and water.

The feeding and drinking behavior of 11 mares and 15 foals living on pasture with free access to water was recorded during 2,340 15-min focal samples taken over 2 yr. Lactating mares on pasture spent about 70% of the day feeding. Foals began feeding on their first day of life. As they grew older, they spent progressively more time feeding, but still spent only 47 +/- 6% of the time feeding by 21 wk of age. Foals fed primarily during the early morning and evening. While grass formed the major proportion of the diet of both foals and mares, they also ate clay, humus, feces, bark, leaves and twigs. Almost all feeding by foals was done while their mothers were feeding. Movement to water sources was frequently, but not invariably, carried out by an entire herd. Frequency (P = .005) but not duration (P greater than .05) of drinking bouts by mares increased as the temperature increased. Frequency was greatest at 30 to 35 C, at which temperature mares drank once every 1.8 h. Frequency of drinking varied with the time of day (P less than .01), being rarest during the early morning (0500 to 0900 h eastern daylight time) and most frequent during the afternoon (1300 to 1700 h). Drinking by foals was very rare. The youngest age at which a foal was observed to drink was 3 wk, and 8 of 15 foals were never observed to drink before weaning.
Pathology Informatics Essentials for Residents: A Flexible Informatics Curriculum Linked to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones (a secondary publication).

Context:Recognition of the importance of informatics to the practice of pathology has surged. Training residents in pathology informatics has been a daunting task for most residency programs in the...
RECENT ADVANCES IN THE FIELD OF ALIPHATIC POLYNITRO COMPOUNDS

The advances in the field of aliphatic polynitro compounds (excluding the chemistry of trinitromethane) during the last fifteen years are presented.
A comparison of student clerkship experiences in community practices and residency-based clinics.

BACKGROUND In our required family medicine clerkship, we used data from student logbook records of clinical experience to compare the learning experiences of students in community practices and residency-based clinics. METHODS Sixty-eight University of Washington students collected data on patients seen during the final two weeks of their family medicine clerkships. We compared patient demographics, location of patient encounters, and clinical problems seen at nine residency and eight community locations in a four-state area. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data were used to compare student experiences to national practices. RESULTS Log data documented that both community practices and residency sites met the course curriculum goals. Some variations occurred between the two types of clerkship sites, however. Students at community practices saw a higher mean number of patients and did more procedures than students at residency sites. Students at residencies were more likely to see patients for health maintenance and pregnancy care and less likely to see lacerations, sprains or strains, and some chronic diseases. CONCLUSION Episodic log data were successfully used to monitor the objective educational strategies for residency- and community-based student clerkship sites. Although all students met clerkship objectives, there were significant differences in certain aspects of students' clinical experiences at the two types of clerkship sites.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder characterized by increased intracranial pressure of unknown cause. It most commonly affects young, obese females of childbearing age. Progressive visual field loss from papilledema is the most severe morbidity, and formal visual fields must be used to monitor patients. Some patients, particularly those who are male, black, or very obese, appear to have a higher risk of visual loss. Weight loss is a key treatment. Acetazolamide is commonly used, but its efficacy is uncertain. Cerebrospinal fluid diversion and optic nerve sheath fenestration are used for surgical management in progressive and fulminant cases.
Evaluation and Management of the Patient With Suspected Inflammatory Spine Disease

Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by inflammatory back pain (IBP) that manifests in childhood, late adolescence, or early adulthood. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic AxSpA represent 2 ends of the AxSpA spectrum. Diagnosis can be challenging because patients develop IBP that may not be associated with radiographic changes in the sacroiliac joints. Patients early in the course of disease are estimated to have at least the same level of disease activity and pain as patients with established disease; thus, they could benefit substantially from earlier diagnosis. Although the recent use of magnetic resonance imaging and its inclusion in diagnostic criteria has enhanced the identification of early AxSpA, improvement in early diagnosis has not been consistently reported across all studies. Limited knowledge of the continuum of AxSpA disease manifestations and lack of recognition of IBP in primary practice may contribute to this. Implementing a referral strategy that identifies patients with IBP for additional testing and assessment may lead to better recognition of early signs and symptoms of AxSpA, thereby offering the potential for improved patient outcomes. This review presents an overview of the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and burdens of AxSpA, followed by a case presentation outlining approaches to the evaluation and management of a patient with suspected inflammatory spine disease.
Analysis of Outcomes Using Hypofractionated Tumor Bed Boost Combined With Hypofractionated Whole Breast Irradiation for Early-stage Breast Cancer.

Abstract Introduction Tumor bed boost improves local control and is an important part of breast-conserving therapy. Data on the use of a hypofractioned tumor bed boost are needed. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients treated with hypofractionated whole breast irradiation (WBI) and hypofractionated boost to examine acute and delayed outcomes. Materials and Methods We examined the records of patients treated with hypofractionated WBI and tumor bed boost after lumpectomy for Stage 0 to II breast cancer. Local control, toxicity, and cosmetic outcome were evaluated. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were evaluated including excision volume, surgical technique, surgical complications, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy administration, radiation dose, fractionation, and technique. Results A total of 143 patients received hypofractionated WBI with hypofractionated boost between 2010 and 2015. The median follow-up was 16.8 months. The median patient age was 65 years. Patient stage was 0, I, and II in 25%, 68%, and 7%, respectively. All patients received hypofractionated WBI with 42.5 Gy in 16 fractions. Sixty-one percent of women received a boost regimen of 2.66 Gy/fraction for 3 fractions. Boost techniques included noninvasive breast brachytherapy, electrons, 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, or a combination of techniques. Acute skin reaction was grade 1 in 65% and grade 2 in 32%. Good or excellent cosmetic outcome was achieved in 94% of patients. Subcutaneous fibrosis was the most common delayed toxicity in 19%, of which 86% was grade 1. There were no local recurrences. Conclusions Hypofractionated tumor bed boost is well-tolerated with a low rate of toxicity and high rate of good-to-excellent cosmetic outcome.
Atomic Layer Deposited Al2O3 Film on Si 100 as Buffer Layer for HfxTi1-xO2 Deposition

Ultra-thin films of Al 2 O 3 were deposited on Si(100) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using tris(diethylamino)aluminium (TDEAA) with water vapor as the oxidizer. It is planned to deposit nano-laminated composite films of Hf x Ti 1-x O 2 on top of this ultra-thin Al 2 O 3 buffer layer using tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium (TDEAT) and tetrakis(diethylamino)hafnium (TDEAH). The introduction of the Al 2 O 3 buffer layer will improve the interfacial quality and help to retain amorphous structure of Hf x Ti 1-x O 2 /Al 2 O 3 /Si. Discussion of the addition of the new precursor, TDEAA, to the existing ALD system is discussed along with the optimization of process parameters for ALD of Al 2 O 3 films. An Al 2 O 3 film growth rate of 1 cycle was achieved in the ALD temperature window of 200-275 o C.
Observation of Atomic Wannier-Stark Ladders

We report the first observation of atomic Wannier-Stark ladders in a potential formed by an accelerating standing wave of light.1 This is a fundamental effect of quantum transport in optical lattices. Wannier-Stark ladder resonances were predicted to occur in the band structure of an electron moving in a periodic lattice with a dc electric field, and have been recently observed in superlattices. Our work is the first spectroscopic study of Wannier-Stark ladders free from complications such as the impurities, lattice vibrations, and multi-particle interactions present in solids.
Mechanistic Investigations of the Pd(0)-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,1-Diarylation of Benzyl Acrylates

A mechanistic study of the Pd-catalyzed enantioselective 1,1-diarylation of benzyl acrylates that is facilitated by a chiral anion phase transfer (CAPT) process is presented. Kinetic analysis, labeling, competition, and nonlinear effect experiments confirm the hypothesized general mechanism and reveal the role of the phosphate counterion in the CAPT catalysis. The phosphate was found to be involved in the phase transfer step and in the stereoinduction process, as expected, but also in the unproductive reaction that provides the traditional Heck byproduct. Multivariate correlations revealed the CAPT catalyst's structural features, affecting the production of this undesired byproduct, as well as weak interactions responsible for enantioselectivity. Such putative interactions include π-stacking and a CH···O electrostatic attraction between the substrate benzyl moiety and the phosphate. Analysis of the computed density functional theory transition structures for the stereodetermining step of the reaction supports the multivariate model obtained. The presented work provides the first comprehensive study of the combined use of CAPT and transition metal catalysis, setting the foundation for future applications.
Brief Report: Patient Activation Among Urban Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure.

Abstract Background Patient activation influences patients' ability to meaningfully engage in critical heart failure self-care. The purpose of this study was to identify whether patient activation is associated with patient-reported health outcomes in an urban and racially diverse inpatient sample of patients with heart failure. Methods We prospectively recruited patients with heart failure hospitalized at an urban academic medical center from October 2016 to May 2017 and measured patient activation, physical and affective symptoms, physical function, self-care, perceived control, and self-efficacy. Differences in patient-reported health outcomes between low and high activation groups were compared with the use of linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, education, left ventricular ejection fraction, and New York Heart Association functional classification. Results A total of 96 patients completed the study (mean age 57 ± 12.4 y); 39% identified as black and 35% as Latino, 35% were female, and 50% reported not having enough income to make ends meet. Based on the 4 levels of activation defined by the Patient Activation Measure–13, 22% of patients reported being “disengaged and overwhelmed,” 14% were “becoming aware, but still struggling,” 39% were “taking action,” and 26% were “maintaining behaviors and pushing further.” Higher patient activation was associated with better applied cognitive abilities, self-care behaviors, perceived control, and self-efficacy. Conclusion Patient activation can be easily measured in hospitalized patients with heart failure and is associated with clinically meaningful patient-reported health outcomes.
A Hands-On Activity to Demonstrate the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology Via a Simulated VDJ Recombination Activity

Essential or enduring understandings are often defined as the underlying core concepts or “big ideas” we’d like our students to remember when much of the course content has been forgotten. The central dogma of molecular biology and how cellular information is stored, used, and conveyed is one of the essential understandings students should retain after a course or unit in molecular biology or genetics. An additional enduring understanding is the relationships between DNA sequence, RNA sequence, mRNA production and processing, and the resulting polypeptide/protein product. A final big idea in molecular biology is the relationship between DNA mutation and polypeptide change. To engage students in these essential understandings in a Genetics course, I have developed a hands-on activity to simulate VDJ recombination. Students use a foldable type activity to splice out regions of a mock kappa light chain gene to generate a DNA sequence for transcription and translation. Students fold the activity several different times in multiple ways to “recombine” and generate several different DNA sequences. They then are asked to construct the corresponding mRNA and polypeptide sequence of each “recombined” DNA sequence and reflect on the products in a write-to-learn activity.
Data Assimilation as Artificial Perception and Supermodeling as Artificial Consciousness

Data assimilation is naturally conceived as the synchronization of two systems, “truth” and “model”, coupled through a limited exchange of information (observed data) in one direction. Though investigated most thoroughly in meteorology, the task of data assimilation arises in any situation where a predictive computational model is updated in run time by new observations of the target system, including the case where that model is a perceiving biological mind. In accordance with a view of a semi-autonomous mind evolving in synchrony with the material world, but not slaved to it, the goal is to prescribe a coupling between truth and model for maximal synchronization. It is shown that optimization leads to the usual algorithms for assimilation via Kalman Filtering under a weak linearity assumption. For nonlinear systems with model error and sampling error, the synchronization view gives a recipe for calculating covariance inflation factors that are usually introduced on an ad hoc basis. Consciousness can be framed as self-perception, and represented as a collection of models that assimilate data from one another and collectively synchronize. The combination of internal and external synchronization is examined in an array of models of spiking neurons, coupled to each other and to a stimulus, so as to segment a visual field. The inter-neuron coupling appears to enhance the overall synchronization of the model with reality.
Concentrations of a PGF2α metabolite during pregnancy on the days that luteolysis occurs in nonbred heifers.

Concentrations of a metabolite of PGF2α (PGFM) were compared between nonbred (n = 6) and pregnant (n = 8) heifers on days 16, 17, and 18 postovulation. On each day, an 8-h session of hourly blood sampling was done. Averaged over the 8-h sessions, mean concentration of PGFM was less (P < 0.0009) in the pregnant group (45.2 ± 3.2 pg/mL) than that in the nonbred group (65.6 ± 7.9 pg/mL), but the minimal concentration per session was not significantly different between groups. Pulses of PGFM (identified by coefficient of variance) were similar in frequency between groups but were less (P < 0.03) prominent at the peak in the pregnant group (60.0 ± 5.3 pg/mL) than that in the nonbred group (92.8 ± 10.7 pg/mL). These results indicated similarity between groups in frequency and initial development of a PGFM pulse but without later development and a reduction in prominence in the pregnant group. The progesterone response to a PGFM pulse of similar prominence was made before the beginning of luteolysis in individuals in the nonbred group and during the hourly sessions on days 16 to 18 in the pregnant group. Progesterone concentration in the nonbred group decreased (P < 0.05) during 2 h before the PGFM peak (8.8 ± 1.6 to 5.6 ± 1.0 ng/mL) and rebounded (P < 0.05) completely during the 2 h after the peak (5.6 ± 1.0 to 9.6 ± 2.2 ng/mL). A transient progesterone decrease during a similar PGFM pulse and similar initial progesterone concentration did not occur in the pregnant group. Results supported the hypotheses that (1) pregnant heifers have identifiable but less prominent PGFM pulses during the days that luteolysis occurs in nonbred heifers and (2) the corpus luteum locally resists the luteolytic effect of PGF2α in pregnant heifers before the days of onset of luteolysis in nonbred heifers.
Breastfeeding Duration Predicts Greater Maternal Sensitivity Over the Next Decade

The current study represents the first longitudinal investigation of the potential effects of breastfeeding duration on maternal sensitivity over the following decade. This study also examined whether infant attachment security at 24 months would mediate longitudinal relations between breastfeeding duration and changes in maternal sensitivity over time. Using data from 1,272 families from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we found that longer breastfeeding duration (assessed up to age 3) predicted increases in observed maternal sensitivity up to child age 11, after accounting for maternal neuroticism, parenting attitudes, ethnicity, maternal years of education, and presence of a romantic partner. Additionally, secure attachment at 24 months was predicted by breastfeeding duration, but it did not act as a mediator of the link from breastfeeding duration to maternal sensitivity in this study. Generating a more specific understanding of how breastfeeding impacts the mother-child dyad beyond infancy will inform recommendations for best practices regarding breastfeeding. (PsycINFO Database Record
Effects of opioid medications on cognitive skills among Emergency Department patients.

Abstract Introduction Treatment for pain and related conditions has been identified as the most common reason for Emergency Department (ED) visits. Concerns exist regarding the effects of opioid pain medications on cognition and patient ability to consent for procedures, hospital admission, or to refuse recommended medical interventions. This study was undertaken to identify cognitive skills before and after opioid pain medication in the ED setting. Methods This was a prospective study comparing performance on the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) before and after administration of opioid pain medications. Eligible participants included ED patients with pain, who received opioid treatment. Participants were randomized to receive either the MMSE before pain medication and the MoCA after medication, or the reverse. MoCA scores were converted to MMSE equivalent scores for comparison. Results Among 65 participants, the median age was 36 and median triage pain score was 8. 35% of patients were considered cognitively impaired based on their MMSE score prior to any opioid medication (MMSE Conclusions There is an association between opioid pain medication and decrease in cognitive performance on the MMSE. Because of the wide range of cognitive performance following opioid pain medication, assessment of individual patients' cognitive function is indicated.
(Un)Disciplining Virtue: Autonomy as Attunement and Relation

Discussing autonomy as an educational goal has a rich history within educational theory. Each decade since the 1960s has seen reformulations of its definition, educational and political justifications for its promotion, and explorations of the ethical problems it provokes. Recent liberal education theorists continue to build upon prior work, arguing again that an education for personal autonomy promotes liberal democratic ends. I agree with them, but in this paper I argue that a key thesis emerging in contemporary arguments, that autonomy is a virtue of character, suffers from two essential flaws. First, it continues to focus autonomy theory upon the agent as an isolated individual, and second it encourages rigid “technologies of the self” to reinforce that isolation. I draw upon recent ethnographic research on the relationship between social class and education to situate my concerns about autonomy as a virtue. I conclude that we should reject the identification of autonomy with individual virtue, and, drawing upon Heesoon Bai’s notion of autonomy as “attunement,” I suggest that autonomy is better conceived as an intrinsically relational concept.
Minimum threshold for establishment and dispersal of Lilioceris cheni (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): a biological control agent of Dioscorea bulbifera

The successful establishment or failure of a new population is often attributed to propagule pressure, the combination of the number of independent introduction events, and the number of individual...
Psychotherapy Training and Marital Stress

To test the psychodynamic premise that psychotherapy training induces emotional depletion and detracts from marital intimacy, 29 married mental health trainees completed the Jourard Self-Disclosure Questionnaire, the Marital Attitudes Evaluation, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and an abbreviated version of the Sexual Interaction Inventory. Contrary to expectation, marital distress was not greater among psychiatric residents and psychology interns more deeply involved in psychotherapy training than among their less invested counterparts. The failure to confirm is discussed in relation to alternative theoretical formulations and methodological limitations.
Arthroscopic Primary Repair of Proximal Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears: With or Without Additional Suture Augmentation?

Objectives:Over the last years, arthroscopic primary repair of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears has shown excellent results owing to appropriate patient selection (only repairing proximal ACL...
Preoperative Imaging Techniques in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Review.

Importance Successful minimally invasive parathyroidectomy requires confident and accurate preoperative localization. Several noninvasive imaging techniques are well established for preoperative localization, and others are emerging. Observations Ultrasonography and sestamibi imaging are established preoperative localization techniques with good sensitivity and positive predictive value. Multiphase 4-dimensional computed tomography is a newer technique with arguably superior performance, particularly in the setting of negative or discordant ultrasonography and sestamibi imaging, residual or recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism following a previous surgical operation, and multiglandular disease. Emerging techniques that may further facilitate confident and accurate preoperative localization include ultrasonography, elastography, positron emission tomography, and 4-D magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions and Relevance The optimal imaging localization algorithm for hyperparathyroidism remains undetermined, but a combination of techniques tailored to the specific scenario will likely yield the best outcomes. An algorithm is proposed that considers test performance, surgeon confidence, patient-specific factors, cost, local radiologic expertise, and patient radiation exposure.
Abstract TMP36: Sex Differences in Neutrophil-T Cell Immune Responses and Outcome After Ischemic Stroke in Aged Mice

Introduction: Sex differences in ischemic stroke are seen in clinical and experimental studies. Men have a higher risk of stroke throughout most of the life-span. Women have greater stroke mortalit...
Identifying Active Methanotrophs and Mitigation of CH 4 Emissions in Landfill Cover Soil

In the USA, municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills constitute one of the major anthropogenic sources of methane emissions. In the landfill cover soils employed at MSW landfills, aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) convert CH4 to CO2, thereby partially mitigating the CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. In this study, culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques were employed to evaluate methane oxidation capacity and to characterize the microbial community in landfill cover soil. Microcosms with synthetic landfill gas headspace were used to measure potential methane oxidation rates in landfill cover soil and in methanotrophs-enriched microbial consortia. The results demonstrate that the enriched landfill cover soil supported the growth of a diverse group of methanotrophic and methylotrophic microorganisms, and were dominated by Type I methanotrophs showing positive correlation with CH4 oxidation rates.