cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of independent and cumulative fission product yields with gamma spectrometry

Fission product yields are critical data for a variety of nuclear science and engineering applications; however, independent yields have not been extensively measured to date. We have previously documented a methodology to measure the cumulative and independent fission product yields using gamma spectrometry and nuclide buildup and decay modeling, and numerical optimization. We have produced fission products by bombarding 235U with 14.1 MeV neutrons and made measurements of fission product yields. In this paper, we summarize our approach, describe initial experiments, and present preliminary results where we have determined nine fission product yields for long-lived nuclides.
Detecting Natural Selection in Human Populations: Models, Methods, and Data

Patterns of DNA sequence variation in the genome contain a record of past selective events. The ability to collect increasingly large data sets of polymorphisms has allowed investigators to perform hypothesis-driven studies of candidate genes as well as genome-wide scans for signatures of adaptations. This genetic approach to the study of natural selection has identified many signals consistent with predictions from anthropological studies. Selective pressures related to variation in climate, diet and pathogen exposure have left strong marks on patterns of human variation. Additional signals of adaptations are observed in genes involved in chemosensory perception and reproduction. Several ongoing projects aim at sequencing the complete genome of 1000 individuals from different human populations. These large-scale projects will provide data for more complete genome scans of selection, but more focused studies aimed at testing specific hypotheses will continue to hold an important place in elucidating the history of adaptations in humans.
Decentering Motherhood: Reentry Strategies for Women on Parole and Probation

As the population of mothers under state supervision rapidly increases, it is necessary to document and analyze their experiences. This research contributes to the literature by exploring the experiences of such mothers, highlighting narratives from mothers who transitioned to a halfway house as part of their reintegration. We analyze how such mothers define good mothering and how they construct and manage their own mothering in light of their histories of drug use and criminal justice involvement, which often lead to prolonged absences from their children. The discourses of priority and presence dominate the mothers’ narratives, supported by expectations from both probation/parole and the halfway house. Collectively our data suggest that mothers engage in a complex negotiation between state supervision and motherhood that reimagines the nature and practice of good mothering and adapts strategies for fulfilling state obligations.
HISTOPATHOLOGIC EVALUATION OF H3K27ME3 IS A PROGNOSTIC BIOMARKER FOR PEDIATRIC GLIOBLASTOMAS

BACKGROUND: Up to 30% of pediatric glioblastomas (GB) demonstrate mutations in H3F3A, a gene variant encoding histone H3.3. Global reduction in H3K27me3 is associated with H3F3A K27M mutation. METHODS: We evaluated the utility of histopathological detection of this reduction in H3K27me3 as a prognostic biomarker. H3K27me3 expression was established by immunohistochemistry in 160 (118 pediatric and 42 adult) brain tumors of various subtypes and grades and 45 non-neoplastic reactive brain tissues. RESULTS: Global reduction in H3K27me3 was specific to GB cases with the H3F3A K27M mutantion, and was not observed in all other cases examined. In addition, H3F3A K27M mutant GB with reduced H3K27me3 exhibited a poor prognosis compared to H3F3A wild type tumors with preserved H3K27me3 (Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test hazards ratio = 2.9, p = 0.0021). CONCLUSIONS: Global reduction in H3K27me3 is a histopathologically detectable surrogate for H3F3A K27M mutant GB that defines a poor prognosis subset of pediatric GB. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Pediatrics.
Basic Studies of Non-Diffusive Transport in Plasmas

The project expanded and developed mathematical descriptions, and corresponding numerical modeling, of non-diffusive transport to incorporate new perspectives derived from basic transport experiments performed in the LAPD device at UCLA, and at fusion devices throughout the world. By non-diffusive it is meant that the transport of fundamental macroscopic parameters of a system, such as temperature and density, does not follow the standard diffusive behavior predicted by a classical Fokker-Planck equation. The appearance of non-diffusive behavior is often related to underlying microscopic processes that cause the value of a system parameter, at one spatial position, to be linked to distant events, i.e., non-locality. In the LAPD experiments the underlying process was traced to large amplitude, coherent drift-waves that give rise to chaotic trajectories. Significant advances were made in this project. The results have lead to a new perspective about the fundamentals of edge transport in magnetically confined plasmas; the insight has important consequences for worldwide studies in fusion devices. Progress was also made in advancing the mathematical techniques used to describe fractional diffusion.
The Stability of Internalizing Problem and Its Relation to Maternal Parenting during Early Adolescence

Early adolescence is a particularly vulnerable period of internalizing problem. Internalizing problem during early adolescence frequently would persist into the whole adolescence and adulthood,resulting in poor prognosis and increasing the risk of education,unemployment and other antisocial behaviors in the future. Existing researches reported that internalizing problem in early adolescence were associated with maternal parenting,and many researchers have found that adolescents' previous developmental characteristics could influence the manner in which mother treated them.This longitudinal study was to examine the stability of adolescent's internalizing problem and the prediction of maternal parenting,on one hand,and gender differences,on the other hand. A total of 502 young adolescents( 252 for boys and 250 for girls),11-year-olds filled out the Youth Self-Report about internalizing problem subscale and their mothers finished questionnaire about their parenting style at two times( T1 / T2) within a 1-year interval.Results were as follows: Young adolescents tended to maintain a high level of stability of internalizing problem,and girls reported higher level of internalizing problem than boys. Maternal parenting of supervisiondiscipline at T1 could predict a significant increase in adolescents' internalizing problem at T2 for boys,but this wasn't the case for girls. Previous level of early adolescents' internalizing problem could moderate the prediction of maternal warmth-conduct and supervision-discipline on the following internalizing problem. Specifically,as for boys with higher level of internalizing problem,their mothers' warmth-conduct and supervision-discipline could predict a significant increase in internalizing problem one year later. Conversely,for girls with higher level of internalizing problem,their mothers' warmth-conduct could predict a significant decrease. When it comes to those adolescents with lower level of internalizing problem,their mothers' warmth-conduct and supervision-discipline couldn't predict significantly the following outcome. Based on self-report and mother-report data,the shared method variance could be avoided. But our sample was a bit homogenous,consisting of mostly adolescents from high level of family socioeconomic status. So the results should be re-tested in other samples with different family context.
A longitudinal study of iron status during pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes: findings from a prospective, multiracial cohort

Aims/hypothesis The aim of this study was to prospectively and longitudinally investigate maternal iron status during early to mid-pregnancy, and subsequent risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), using a comprehensive panel of conventional and novel iron biomarkers.
Packaging of Beef Loin Steaks in 75% O2 Plus 25% CO2. II. Microbiological Properties.

Numbers and types of bacteria were determined on steaks after refrigerated storage (1 ± 1 C) in 75% O2 plus 25% CO2 for 9 days in the dark plus display at 2 ± 2 C for 4 days under simulated retail conditions. Steaks were prepared from strip loins (IMPS #180) as received from the supplier (trial 1) and also from the same or similar loins that were vacuum-packaged at day 0 (trial 1) and then stored under refrigeration for 14 (trial 2) or 28 days (trial 3). Initially (day 0, trial 1), the microflora of steaks consisted primarily of Micrococcus and Moraxella-Acinetobacter sp. Following refrigerated storage in vacuum packages for either 14 or 28 days, Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc sp. became dominant. Refrigerated storage and display of steaks in 75%O2 plus 25% CO2 shifted the microbial population in favor of Leuconostoc sp. Initial log counts of steaks (day 0, trial 1) ranged from 0.88 to 2.02. Counts of steaks stored for 9 or 13 days in 75% O2 plus 25% CO2 nearly always exceeded 106 per cm2 when steaks were prepared from loins which had been stored in vacuum packages for either 14 or 28 days. The pH values of steaks prepared from loins which had been stored under refrigeration for 14 days were lower (0.27-0.56) than those of steaks prepared from comparable loins as they were received from the supplier (day 0, trial 1). Refrigerated storage of vacuum-packaged loins for an additional 14 days did not cause marked changes in pH of the steaks. No consistent differences in microbial flora were detected between green- and normal-pigmented areas of steaks prepared from vacuum-packaged loins which had been stored refrigerated for 14-28 days.
Root traits explain observed tundra vegetation nitrogen uptake patterns: Implications for trait-based land models

Ongoing climate warming will likely perturb vertical distributions of nitrogen availability in tundra soils through enhancing nitrogen mineralization and releasing previously inaccessible nitrogen from frozen permafrost soil. However, arctic tundra responses to such changes are uncertain, because of a lack of vertically explicit nitrogen tracer experiments and untested hypotheses of root nitrogen uptake under the stress of microbial competition implemented in land models. We conducted a vertically explicit 15N tracer experiment for three dominant tundra species to quantify plant N uptake profiles. Then we applied a nutrient competition model (N-COM), which is being integrated into the ACME Land Model, to explain the observations. Observations using an 15N tracer showed that plant N uptake profiles were not consistently related to root biomass density profiles, which challenges the prevailing hypothesis that root density always exerts first-order control on N uptake. By considering essential root traits (e.g., biomass distribution and nutrient uptake kinetics) with an appropriate plant-microbe nutrient competition framework, our model reasonably reproduced the observed patterns of plant N uptake. In addition, we show that previously applied nutrient competition hypotheses in Earth System Land Models fail to explain the diverse plant N uptake profiles we observed. Our results cast doubt on current climate-scale model predictions of arctic plant responses to elevated nitrogen supply under a changing climate and highlight the importance of considering essential root traits in large-scale land models. Finally, we provided suggestions and a short synthesis of data availability for future trait-based land model development.
Sofosbuvir-based regimens for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in severe renal dysfunction.

Sofosbuvir (SOF) is a nonstructural 5B polymerase inhibitor with activity in all hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and is the backbone of many anti-HCV drug regimens. SOF is converted into inactive metabolites that undergo renal excretion. Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/minute/1.73 m2 may experience increased drug exposure and thus potential toxicities along with decreased efficacy due to dose reduction or drug discontinuation. This is a single-center study evaluating safety and effectiveness of SOF-based regimens in patients with severe renal dysfunction, defined as eGFR <30 mL/minute/1.73 m2, including those receiving concurrent hemodialysis. Data were collected from patients with HCV and severe renal dysfunction who started full-dose (400 mg) SOF-based antiviral therapy ± ribavirin between April 2014 and February 2016. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, medical history, laboratory, radiologic imaging, echocardiography, transplant status, and liver pathologic findings. Twenty-nine patients were identified; 12 had cirrhosis and 4 of those had decompensated cirrhosis. Fourteen patients had undergone transplantation of liver and/or kidney and were on calcineurin inhibitors, with 42% requiring dose increases or decreases while on therapy. All patients attained viral suppression on treatment, and 97% had a sustained viral response at 12 weeks posttreatment. There were no early treatment discontinuations. One death occurred posttreatment from a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in a patient with a history of coronary artery disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy. Conclusion: SOF-based regimens appear safe in a broad range of patients with severe renal dysfunction, including those with decompensated cirrhosis and liver transplant. To confirm these retrospective findings, prospective studies that include SOF and SOF metabolite measurements coupled with prospective serial monitoring of electrocardiograms and echocardiograms are needed. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:248-255)
Enforcing Incentives in Multilevel Leader-Follower Sliding Mode Strategies

Abstract For a single follower with a convex cost it has been shown that an affine incentive can he used to influence the follower into accepting the leader's global optimal solution as the team solution. This paper extends those results to systems with multiple followers by outlining conditions under which a set of affine incentives can be enforced simultaneously. Tests are given for the static case to check if the leader can enforce incentives based either on hypersurfaces or half-spaces, and the hypersurface test is extended into the dynamic case. The choice of sliding surfaces for the dynamic case is also discussed.
The virtual house call: A 21st-century innovation in the care of patients with Parkinson disease.

As the debate on health care reform rages in the United States, one thing is exceedingly clear: chronic disease accounts for a growing majority of American health care costs.1 Many chronic diseases, particularly Parkinson disease (PD), can benefit from specialty care. Patients with PD show more improvements in motor symptoms and less frequently receive inappropriate medications when treated by a specialist.2,3 However, reduced mobility due to PD, combined with the physical distance to the specialist's office, poses substantial travel burdens and may limit access to care. Telemedicine, utilizing video and audio conferencing technology to connect patients and clinicians, can mitigate this problem. However, Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) currently only covers telemedicine encounters under specific criteria: the patient lives in a rural area seen in a covered entity by a consulting physician licensed in the state in which the patient resides.4 Even if the rural designation were removed, requiring travel to a center that offers telemedicine consultation may preclude many patients from using this approach. Modern Internet-based technologies, utilizing Health Information Portability and Accountability Act–compliant software, allow physicians to perform virtual house calls, thus minimizing travel. This has the potential to increase access to care for patients with a debilitating disease dramatically. While remote examiners cannot perform rigidity and balance testing, they can perform a modified motor examination of similar clinical utility without these components.5
Single-institutional outcomes of adjuvant brachytherapy for Stage I endometrial cancer-Are outcomes consistent with randomized studies?

Abstract Purpose Vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) alone has been shown to be a viable adjuvant treatment strategy for most patients with Stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer. We sought to examine our institutional data following practice pattern changes resulting from the publications of GOG-99 and PORTEC-2. Methods and Materials We retrospectively analyzed women who underwent adjuvant VBT after surgical staging for Stage 1 endometrioid endometrial cancer at our institution from 2007 to 2014. Results We identified 297 women. Median time to last followup or death was 52.3 months (interquartile range: 32.3–72.3 months). By International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 staging, 162 patients (54.5%) had Stage IA and 128 (43.1%) had Stage IB disease. Ninety-nine (33.3%) patients had Grade 1, 153 (51.5%) had Grade 2, and 45 (15.2%) had Grade 3 disease. According to GOG-249 and PORTEC-2 criteria, 167 (56.2%) and 127 (42.7%) patients were with high–intermediate–risk disease. Two women had Stage IB Grade 3 disease. The most common high-dose-rate–VBT regimen was 2100 cGy/three fractions to a depth of 5 mm. Four (two acute and two late) (1.3%) Grade 3 genitourinary toxicities were reported: three episodes of vaginal dehiscence (after second course of VBT, 2 months after completion of VBT, and 1 year after completion of VBT) and one episode of radiation necrosis. Twenty-one (7%) women recurred: three recurred in the vagina, two recurred in the pelvic lymph nodes, and 16 recurred distantly. Conclusions Outcomes appear consistent with published randomized data in women with high–intermediate–risk endometrial cancer who are treated with brachytherapy alone. Recurrence and complication rates were minimal.
Using multi-response models to investigate pathogen coinfections across scales: insights from emerging diseases of amphibians.

Summary 1.Associations among parasites affect many aspects of host-parasite dynamics, but a lack of analytical tools has limited investigations of parasite correlations in observational data that are often nested across spatial and biological scales. 2.Here we illustrate how hierarchical, multiresponse modeling can characterize parasite associations by allowing for hierarchical structuring, offering estimates of uncertainty, and incorporating correlational model structures. After introducing the general approach, we apply this framework to investigate coinfections among four amphibian parasites (the trematodes Ribeiroia ondatrae and Echinostoma spp., the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and ranaviruses) and among >2000 individual hosts, 90 study sites, and five amphibian host species. 3.Ninety-two percent of sites and 80% of hosts supported two or more pathogen species. Our results revealed strong correlations between parasite pairs that varied by scale (from among hosts to among sites) and classification (microparasite versus macroparasite), but were broadly consistent across taxonomically diverse host species. At the host-scale, infection by the trematode R. ondatrae correlated positively with the microparasites, B. dendrobatidis and ranavirus, which were themselves positively associated. However, infection by a second trematode (Echinostoma spp.) correlated negatively with B. dendrobatidis and ranavirus, both at the host- and site-level scales, highlighting the importance of differential relationships between micro- and macroparasites. 4.Given the extensive number of coinfecting symbiont combinations inherent to natural systems, particularly across multiple host species, multiresponse modeling of cross-sectional field data offers a valuable tool to identify a tractable number of hypothesized interactions for experimental testing while accounting for uncertainty and potential sources of co-exposure. For amphibians specifically, the high frequency of co-occurrence and coinfection among these pathogens – each of which is known to impair host fitness or survival – highlights the urgency of understanding parasite associations for conservation and disease management. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Empowering Courts in Corporate Law

Fiduciary duties in corporate law are pervasive, but courts tend to be very deferential to directors. Courts are right to be reluctant to make substantive business decisions, but they would be wrong to refuse to decide cases when the circumstances require. In this address, I offer two proposals to help empower the courts to review directors’ decisions when necessary. First, I suggest that courts should consider being more liberal with injunctive and declaratory relief. In this way, courts could more clearly set forth the law without the risk of ruinous liability. Second, I suggest that courts should pay more attention to the larger issues involved rather than focus on the specific facts of the case. Because courts are extremely reluctant to accuse directors of bad faith, too great an emphasis on the facts of the case causes courts to search sympathetically for justifications of director behavior. By comparison, a greater emphasis on the rule will allow courts to find that the behavior in question is unacceptable without necessarily labeling the directors as bad actors. In other words, we can empower the courts by allowing them to say, "no—this is a bad idea,” rather than requiring them to say, “no—you are a bad person.”
Functional Materials through Surfaces and Interfaces

In most materials, surfaces and interfaces present a significant portion of the workable area, but this area has often been erroneously perceived as a challenge in processing and thus, largely ignored. Surfaces and interfaces, however, present a network of energetically mismatched (sometimes metastable) molecules that can be exploited to either control surface reactions, engineer bulk stability or reveal new fundamental details of otherwise not well understood processes or systems as described herein. This perspective captures the role of i) structure, ii) chemistry and iii) thermodynamics at the interface in fabricating functional materials. Engineering substrate morphology enables tunable wettability either through the substrate or an adsorbed self-assembled monolayer (SAM), the latter being largely due to effect of sub-nanoscale roughness on conformational defects and overall order in the SAM. Surface roughness and chemistry also dictates the nature and amount of adventitious contaminants on a surface, and this was used to control volume of adsorbed water leading to controlled and tunable step-growth polymerization. The chemical treatment renders the paper amphiphobic, which could be used for self-cleaning surfaces and nucleation of water microdroplets for water harvesting. Finally, creating a self-passivating polished thin (∼0.7-2 nm) shell on a molten metal microdroplet kinetically frustrates solidification leading to significant undercooling. The ambient undercooled liquid metal is used for mechanically-triggered heat-free solder and smart composites. These three cases demonstrate key aspects of surface and interface engineering in integrating well-known concepts for the development of functional materials.
Quadratic Polynomials and Equations

The equation 2x + 4 = 7 is called a “linear” equation. This type of problem arose repeatedly in Chapter 4.
Multi-Agent Negotiation Models for Power System Applications

Motivated by the need to coordinate decisions among competing power system stakeholders, we describe multi-agent negotiation systems to perform negotiated decision-making. The negotiation theory is reviewed. Two multi-agent negotiation models are described. A multi-agent negotiation system is implemented and some illustrative power industry applications are presented.
Electron-impact excitation of Al2+

Detailed calculations of the electron-impact excitation of the sodiumlike ion ${\mathrm{Al}}^{2+}$ were performed using both the unitarized Coulomb-Born approximation and the close-coupling approach. Calculations were undertaken at both the five-state (3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, and 4p) and nine-state (+4d\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}, 4f\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}, 5s\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}, and 5p\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}) levels of approximation. Calculations using Hamiltonians both with and without (semiempirical) core-polarization potentials were completed. Particular attention was paid to the resonance (3s-3p) excitation. The inclusion of core-polarization potentials resulted in cross sections for the resonance excitation that are 10% smaller in magnitude. As an additional check on the calculations, binding energies of ${\mathrm{Al}}^{+}$ bound states, and oscillator strengths for ${\mathrm{Al}}^{2+}$ transitions, were also computed and compared with the results of measurements and other calculations.
From Adolescence to Adulthood: The Rediscovery of Reality in a Postconventional World

The formally operational adolescent lives in a world of possibility. Between the concrete and traditional structures that anchored his childhood world and the choices that will define his adulthood lies the expansive universe of the hypothetical. Fascination turns from what is to what might or could be, and as the alternatives proliferate, it becomes clear that formal operations can lead from adolescence to infinity or, perhaps, to adolescence infinitely. Standing at this peak of cognitive assimilation, the adolescent has been proclaimed both metaphysician and philosopher; no longer a child, he is not yet an adult, and our interest lies in the nature of the transition from adolescence to adulthood as it occurs in the moral realm. We begin at that place in development where the hypothetico-deductive mind of the adolescent turns to morality and questions not only the content but also the premises of a conventional moral philosophy. Our concern is with the nature of these questions and with the various forms of their resolution.
Uterine infections in the postpartum cow: II. Possible synergistic effect of Fusobacteriumnecrophorum and Corynebacteriumpyogenes☆☆☆★

Abstract Clinical conditions, which were observed in primiparous Angus and Hereford heifers with postpartum uterine infections are reported. Forty-three of sixty-four cows (67%) had uterine infections. Corynebacterium pyogenes and Fusobacterium necrophorum were the most frequently isolated aerobe and anaerobe, respectively. Twelve of the sixty-four cows (18.8%) had infections that involved these species. Three of these twelve cows were infected only with C. pyogenes , two were infected only with F. necrophorum , and seven were infected with both organisms. All five of the cows which were infected with either C. pyogenes or F. necrophorum showed signs of estrus and four of the five cows conceived by 110 days postpartum. The single cow that did not conceive was infected with C. pyogenes . Three of the seven cows which were infected with both organisms showed signs of estrus and none of the seven cows conceived by 110 days postpartum. In addition, when only C. pyogenes or F. necrophorum was isolated from the uterus, cows had either mild or no clinical signs of infection. In contrast, the seven cows which were infected with both organisms had severe clinical signs of infection that included excessive vulvar discharge, uterine abscesses and pelvic adhesions. These observations suggested that a pathogenic synergism between C. pyogenes and F. necrophorum might have caused the increased severity of postpartum uterine infections, and the subsequent detrimental effect on return to estrus and conception.
A Skeletal Theory of Filtering

The article gives a brief survey of some recent developments in nonlinear filtering theory based on the use of finitely additive white noise in the observation model. The relationship with “skeletons” in other parts of stochastic analysis is clarified.
Advances in pathological understanding of high-grade B cell lymphomas.

Introduction: The designation high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) has been incorporated into the 2016 Revision of the WHO classification of lymphoid neoplasms and includes two types: (1) HGBL, not ot...
Process–Structure–Property Relationships for Porous Membranes Formed by Polymerization of Solid Monomer by a Vapor-Phase Initiator

We determine the mechanism that governs polymerization during a process in which solid monomer is polymerized with a vapor-phase initiator. Gel permeation chromatography data show a bimodal molecular weight distribution at all processing conditions which can be attributed to two different polymerization mechanisms. Smaller chains form by polymerization at the vapor–solid interface, and larger chains form by polymerization within the solid. The monomer mobility and sublimation rate affect the polymerization rate and thereby affect the membrane structure. The molecular weight of the larger chains can be increased by increasing the polymerization temperature and the polymerization time. The ability to vary the polymerization time allows for tuning the solubility of the membranes. The process–structure–property relationships elucidated in this study can enable the fabrication of porous polymer membranes for applications in filtration, textiles, and sensors.
Correction for Cadena-Nava et al., "Self-Assembly of Viral Capsid Protein and RNA Molecules of Different Sizes: Requirement for a Specific High Protein/RNA Mass Ratio".

Volume 86, no. 6, p. 3318–3326, 2012, [https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.06566-11][1]. We recently uncovered a systematic error in the calculation of the weights of capsid protein used in the experiments. In all cases, the weights must be divided by a factor of 1.39. Thus, the “magic ratio,” the
MoS2 Nanoclusters Grown on TiO2: Evidence for New Adsorption Sites at Edges and Sulfur Vacancies

MoS2 clusters have been grown on a TiO2(110) substrate to provide a model surface for better understanding the adsorbate interactions and chemical activity on titania-supported MoS2 clusters. Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments show that clusters with elongated shapes and flat tops are formed, and the long axes of the clusters have specific orientations with respect to the [001] direction on TiO2(110). In contrast, deposition of Mo in the absence of H2S results in a high density of smaller, round clusters that cover the majority of the surface. The morphologies of the MoS2 clusters do not change after exposure to various gases (D2, CO, O2, H2O, and methanol) in ultrahigh vacuum. However, exposure to higher pressures of O2, H2O, or methanol (10 Torr), as well as exposure to air, causes the clusters to disintegrate as Mo in the clusters becomes oxidized. Temperature-programmed desorption studies with CO on the MoS2 clusters show a distinct desorption peak at 280 K, which is not observed on metallic Mo...
Structure and Function of GTP-Binding Proteins in Neutrophil Signal Transduction

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the structure and function of GTP-binding proteins in neutrophil signal transduction. Neutrophils and macrophages play a major role in the body's defense against harmful foreign pathogens. In the course of serving this function, phagocytes respond to a variety of inflammatory stimulants, including N-formylated peptides, complement component C5a, leukotriene B4, platelet-activating factor, and interleukin 8. Phagocytes have specific cell surface receptors that are coupled to the intracellular environment through oligomeric GTP-binding (G) proteins. Protein purification and molecular cloning have revealed the existence of multiple additional G proteins that bear homology with the ras oncogene products. The role of oligomeric G proteins in signal transduction in neutrophils has been well established, and recent work has demonstrated that they are physically coupled to their cognate receptors.
Causal compressive sensing for gene network inference

We propose a novel framework for studying causal inference of gene interactions using a combination of compressive sensing and Granger causality techniques. The gist of the approach is to discover sparse linear dependencies between time series of gene expressions via a Granger-type elimination method. The method is tested on the Gardner dataset for the SOS network in E. coli, for which both known and unknown causal relationships are discovered.
Essential tremor: diagnosis and management

Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders in adults and can affect both children and adults. An updated consensus statement in 2018 redefined essential tremor as an isolated action tremor present in bilateral upper extremities for at least three years. Tremor may also be present in other locations, commonly the neck or the vocal cords. Patients with additional neurologic symptoms are now categorized as "essential tremor plus." Additional clinical features associated with the condition include but are not limited to cognitive impairment, psychiatric disorders, and hearing loss. When treatment is needed, propranolol and primidone are considered first line treatments. Patients who are severely affected are often offered deep brain stimulation. Although the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus is the traditional surgical target, the caudal zona incerta is also being studied as a possible superior alternative. Magnetic resonance imaging guided high intensity focused ultrasound is a newer surgical alternative that may be ideal for patients with substantial medical comorbidities. Current research explores novel oral treatments, chemodenervation, and noninvasive neuromodulation for treatment of essential tremor.
Core concepts and milestones in the development of solid-phase extraction

Abstract The evolution of materials, apparatus, and techniques for the solid-phase extraction of gas and liquid samples is described and their virtues placed in a modern context of the requirement for streamlined, efficient, low-cost, and automated sample preparation methods. For gas-solid extraction methods include cartridge- and needle-based packed beds with thermal desorption to recover target compounds and typically gas chromatography for analysis. For liquid-solid extraction cartridge-based, membrane-based (disk), and thin-film based sorbents are used with a wide range of inorganic oxide, low-specificity, and high-specificity sorbents. Second generation formats include microextraction by packed sorbent, solid-phase microextraction, in-tube solid-phase extraction, stir bar sorptive extraction, coated magnetic nanoparticles, nanofibers, and monoliths. Low-specificity sorbent chemistries include silica-based chemically bonded sorbents, macroreticular porous polymers, carbon (activated, graphitized, and carbon nanotubes). High-specificity sorbents include mixed-mode, immunosorbents, aptamers, molecularly printed polymers, metal-organic frameworks, and restricted access media. A general theory of sample processing for cartridge and disk devices is presented for the estimation of breakthrough volumes, rinse solvent conditions, and recovery of target compounds by solvent or thermal desorption.
Aptamer-Equipped Protamine Nanomedicine for Precision Lymphoma Therapy

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is the most common T-cell lymphoma in children. ALCL cells characteristically express surface CD30 molecules and carry the pathogenic ALK oncogene, both of which are diagnostic biomarkers and are also potential therapeutic targets. For precision therapy, we report herein a protamine nanomedicine incorporated with oligonucleotide aptamers to selectively target lymphoma cells, a dsDNA/drug payload to efficiently kill targeted cells, and an siRNA to specifically silence ALK oncogenes. The aptamer-equipped protamine nanomedicine was simply fabricated through a non-covalent charge-force reaction. The products had uniform structure morphology under an electron microscope and a peak diameter of 103 nm by dynamic light scattering measurement. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that under CD30 aptamer guidance, the protamine nanomedicine specifically bound to lymphoma cells, but did not react to off-target cells in control experiments. Moreover, specific cell targeting and intracellular delivery of the nanomedicine were also validated by electron and confocal microscopy. Finally, functional studies demonstrated that, through combined cell-selective chemotherapy using a drug payload and oncogene-specific gene therapy using an siRNA, the protamine nanomedicine effectively killed lymphoma cells with little toxicity to off-target cells, indicating its potential for precision therapy.
P068 STD screening and diagnosis among 15–24 year old diagnosed with prescription opioid related disorder

Background Many injection drug users have elevated STD/HIV risks, such as sexual-trade for drugs, risky condom-less sex, or multiple sex partners. STD diagnosis and screening among opioid users has not been examined. Methods Using 2016 MarketScan commercial claims data, men and women aged 15–24 with opioid prescriptions were identified. We have assessed STD diagnosis and screenings, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV, as well as heroin use using ICD-10 and CPT codes. Women were identified as sexually-active using HEDIS criteria whereas no other criteria used for men. Results We identified 10% (0.4 million) patients aged 15–24 who had opioid use in 2016. Among sexually-active women aged 15–24 years, screening and diagnosis was 48.1% and 2.3% for chlamydia, 56.0% and 4.1% for gonorrhea, 16.6% and 3.8% for syphilis, and 16.0% and 0.3% for HIV among 154,960 women who had opioid use and 51.6% and 2.0% for chlamydia, 55.5% and 4.1% for gonorrhea, 15.1% and 3.8% for syphilis, and 14.7% and 0.4% for HIV among 812,005 women who had no opioid use. Among 332 male and 159 female opioid plus heroin users, screening was 21.2% and 56.6% for chlamydia, 25.9% and 62.3% for gonorrhea, 36.5% and 44.7% for syphilis, and 35.8%, 47.8% for HIV, respectively. Conclusion STD screening among patients with opioids was not significantly different from the enrollees without opioids. STD diagnosis and screening among heroin users are much higher than patients who had not used heroin. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Benefits of intensive agricultural intercropping

The need for increased crop yields has led to growing interest and research in agricultural intensification, which has a myriad of environmental impacts. Intercropping can bring the benefits of intensification within a reasonable footprint.
Benefits and Risks of Bariatric Surgery in Adults: A Review.

Importance Severe obesity and its related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea, are very common in the United States, but currently very few patients with these conditions choose to undergo bariatric surgery. Summaries of the expanding evidence for both the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery are needed to better guide shared decision-making conversations. Observations There are approximately 252 000 bariatric procedures (per 2018 numbers) performed each year in the US, of which an estimated 15% are revisions. The 1991 National Institutes of Health guidelines recommended consideration of bariatric surgery in patients with a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 40 or higher or 35 or higher with serious obesity-related comorbidities. These guidelines are still widely used; however, there is increasing evidence that bariatric procedures should also be considered for patients with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index of 30 to 35 if hyperglycemia is inadequately controlled despite optimal medical treatment for type 2 diabetes. Substantial evidence indicates that surgery results in greater improvements in weight loss and type 2 diabetes outcomes, compared with nonsurgical interventions, regardless of the type of procedures used. The 2 most common procedures used currently, the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, have similar effects on weight loss and diabetes outcomes and similar safety through at least 5-year follow-up. However, emerging evidence suggests that the sleeve procedure is associated with fewer reoperations, and the bypass procedure may lead to more durable weight loss and glycemic control. Although safety is a concern, current data indicate that the perioperative mortality rates range from 0.03% to 0.2%, which has substantially improved since early 2000s. More long-term randomized studies are needed to assess the effect of bariatric procedures on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health outcomes and to evaluate emerging newer procedures. Conclusions and Relevance Modern bariatric procedures have strong evidence of efficacy and safety. All patients with severe obesity—and especially those with type 2 diabetes—should be engaged in a shared decision-making conversation about the risks and benefits of surgery compared with continuing usual medical and lifestyle treatment, and the decision about surgery should be driven primarily by informed patient preferences.
Fluid dynamics and efficiency of colonial swimming via multijet propulsion at intermediate Reynolds numbers

Colonial physonect siphonophores swim via laterally distributed multijet propulsion. Here, computational fluid dynamics is employed to investigate the underlying fluid mechanics and adaptive values of this unique way of propulsion. It is found that colonial swimming achieves energetic benefits for jetting individuals within the colony because they require significantly lower per-module power than that required by a lone jet module swimming at the same speed.
Association between early childhood lower respiratory tract infections and subsequent asthma.

OBJECTIVE We examined the relationship between recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in young children and subsequent childhood asthma outcomes. METHODS Retrospective cohort study using 2009-2017 Colorado All Payer Claims Database to assess 0- to 2-year-old children with visits due to LRTI and acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The primary exposure was number of LRTI visits prior to 2 years of age. Children with AGE served as the no LRTI comparator group. The primary outcome was incident asthma, defined by ICD-9 (490.XX) or ICD-10 (J45.9XX) codes, in the same children between 3 and 9 years of age. Multivariable accelerated failure time (AFT) models were used to estimate the effect of LRTI visits on median time to asthma diagnosis. Sensitivity analyses were performed using more conservative asthma diagnostic criteria and with hospitalized children only. RESULTS Of 38,441 eligible subjects, 32,729 had ≥1 LRTI and 5,712 had AGE (no LRTI) between 0 and 2 years of age. Children with ≥3 LRTI visits had an 80% decrease in median time to asthma diagnosis relative to those with AGE visits only (time ratio [TR] 0.2; 95% CI 0.16, 0.24). Children with ≥3 LRTI hospitalizations had a 98% reduction in median time to asthma diagnosis relative to those with AGE hospitalizations only (TR 0.02; 95% CI 0.01, 0.07). History of atopy, wheezing, and family history of asthma documented prior to 2 years of age were also associated with earlier asthma diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Recurrent LRTIs, especially LRTI hospitalizations, before 2 years of age are associated with earlier diagnosis of pediatric asthma.
Characterizing Opioid Overdoses Using Emergency Medical Services Data: A Case Definition Algorithm Enhanced by Machine Learning

ObjectivesTracking nonfatal overdoses in the escalating opioid overdose epidemic is important but challenging. The objective of this study was to create an innovative case definition of opioid over...
Britten's Musical Language

Blending insights from linguistic and social theories of speech, ritual and narrative with music-analytic and historical criticism, Britten's Musical Language offers interesting perspectives on the composer's fusion of verbal and musical utterance in opera and song. It provides close interpretative studies of the major scores (including Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw, War Requiem, Curlew River and Death in Venice) and explores Britten's ability to fashion complex and mysterious symbolic dramas from the interplay of texted song and a wordless discourse of motives and themes. Focusing on the performative and social basis of language, Philip Rupprecht replaces traditional notions of textual 'expression' in opera with the interpretation of topics such as the role of naming and hate speech in Peter Grimes; the disturbance of ritual certainty in the War Requiem; and the codes by which childish 'innocence' is enacted in The Turn of the Screw.
Möbiusband aus Papier

Das Mobiusband ist ein ungemein beliebtes geometrisches Objekt. Sogar kleine Kinder konnen es schon basteln: Wir nehmen einen Papierstreifen, verdrehen ihn um 180 Grad (durch eine halbe Wendung) und verbinden dann seine Enden mit Leim oder Klebeband. Einer von uns ist ubrigens noch immer seinem Analysis-Professor dafur dankbar, dass er seinen Studenten beibrachte, wie man ein Mobiusband zeichnet. Und das geht so: Zeichnen Sie zuerst ein normales Kleeblatt, fugen Sie drei Doppeltangenten hinzu und radieren Sie dann drei Segmente der Kurve zwischen den Selbstschnittpunkten und Beruhrungspunkten aus (siehe Abbildung 14.1). Sie sehen die Zeichnung, sie ist schon.
Chances of Survival

CALVIN WAS AGAINST MOVING to Arizona from the start. In Idaho, he made his father stop the car, got out, and announced he was walking back to Montana. Dad let him go. He let Cal walk one, maybe two miles, gave him time to think and get hungry, time to figure out that if he kept a steady pace and didn't sleep, he could be home in two and a half days. Cal had the opportunity to review his resources: after rooting through all four pockets and fingering every fold, he came up with half a ticket to a movie, a key to a metal box he no longer had, a stick of gum that had gone through the washer, and twenty-seven cents. That might be enough for six candy bars if some lady behind the counter of a family gro cery store in Sandpoint felt sorry for him and gave him two for seven. But even six candy bars wouldn't get him home. He knew he'd end up trying to steal a can of sardines or a package of hot dogs, and the fat lady would step in front of him as he tried to dart through the doorway. He saw the woman, just like she was somebody he already knew. He saw her flabby arms quiver as she put her hands on her hips, and he saw the outline of her huge thighs through her dress as she stood with her back to the sun. No way she was going to take pity on a kid she didn't know who claimed he was walking to Montana. By the time Calvin heard the car slow down behind him, he felt he didn't have a chance. Arms swinging, he kept pumping like he meant to march all the way. His pants worked their way down his butt, and every twenty steps or so, he had to reach back and give them a yank. Cal wished his parents would make him get in the car. He imagined his mother sitting there saying, "Why won't that boy wear a belt?" Finally, Dad pulled up beside him and Mom rolled down her window. In the back seat, his two sisters pressed their faces to the window, flatten ing their lips and noses against the glass. Mom said, "Cal, it's almost two hundred miles to Bigfork, and once you get there you're going to find an other family living in our house." Cal squinted to keep from blinking and said, "I know that. Don't you think I know that?" When he got back in the car, he made himself a cave on the floor by wedging a suitcase between the front and back seats. That's where he rode