cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Canine oral malignant melanoma: Prognostic utility of an alternative staging system

Reports of prognosis based on clinical staging of canine oral malignant melanoma consistently differ. To determine the prognostic utility of the World Health Organization (WHO) tumour, node, metastasis (TNM) system and a proposed alternative staging system, a retrospective study of 41 dogs with naturally occurring oral malignant melanoma was conducted. All the tumours were clinically staged, removed surgically and the tissues histologically reviewed. Treatment responses were correlated with the clinical and histological features reported to have prognostic utility. Dogs presenting with a tumour smaller than 8 cm3, located on the rostral mandible or caudal maxilla, and, or, having a tumour mitotic index of 3 or less had a significantly longer remission length and survival time than did other dogs, regardless of the treatment selected. Treatment by radical surgical excision (eg, hemimandibulectomy) resulted in longer remission lengths and survival times than any other type of treatment regardless of whether or not surgical margins were determined to be free of residual tumour. The WHO system failed to identify a prognostic difference between dogs of a differing clinical stage. An alternative system derived from significant features mentioned above did identify a prognostic difference and is recommended for further evaluation regarding its utility in the pre-treatment evaluation and clinical staging of other dogs with oral -malignant melanoma.
Charge Selectivity in Plgics: An Aspect of Channel Function that Remains Elusive Even When Multiple Structures are Known

The structural determinants of opposite charge selectivities in pentameric ligand-gated ion channels have been mapped to the first turn of the pore-lining M2 alpha-helices. There, the presence of a glutamate in the cation-selective members and the presence of an extra residue in the preceding M1-M2 linker of the anion-selective members are usually proposed to underlie these contrasting phenotypes. Although a number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain how these differences in primary sequence give rise to such pronounced permeation effects, none of them have found support from the structural models that have recently become available. To further our understanding of the relationship between primary sequence and charge selectivity, we studied in parallel the muscle AChR, the alpha1 GlyR, and the 5HT3AR. Permeability ratios of mutant channels were calculated from reversal potentials estimated under KCl-dilution conditions in whole-cell voltage-clamp mode. Also, we computed PMF profiles and KCl-dilution current-voltage relationships using Brownian-dynamics and molecular-dynamics simulations on some of the structural models. Some of the conclusions we have drawn are: a) Glutamates at position -1' are neither necessary nor sufficient for cation selectivity; b) A longer M1-M2 linker is neither necessary nor sufficient for anion selectivity; c) Identical sequences engineered in the first turn of the M2 alpha-helix of different receptors may give rise to channels with opposite charge selectivities; d) The effects of mutations on charge selectivity are not necessarily additive; e) Neither the peptide-unit dipoles of the M2 alpha-helix nor its “free” N-terminal backbone-amide -NH groups play a major role in charge selectivity; and f) The implied charge-selectivity of open-channel structural models and the effect of mutations on it are not always captured by molecular simulations.
Diagnostic Evaluation and Home Monitor Use in Late Preterm to Term Infants With Apnea, Bradycardia, and Desaturations:

Apnea, bradycardia, and oxygen desaturation events are a common in neonatal intensive care units, with relevant literature to date largely focusing on very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight infants. We conducted a retrospective review of infants born at ≥34 weeks gestational age at 2 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Boston, MA, between January 2009 and December 2013. Our objectives included (1) describing the diagnostic evaluations performed in late preterm to term infants with discharge-delaying apnea, bradycardia, or oxygen desaturation events and (2) identifying variables associated with home monitor use. Of the 741 eligible infants identified, diagnostic evaluations were variable and infrequent with blood culture, blood glucose, and head ultrasound performed most commonly. The likelihood of home monitor use was greater in infants with either a prolonged inpatient stay or greater gestational age at birth.
A Previously Unrecognized Material in Mammalian Spermatozoa as Revealed by Malachite Green and Pyronine

Fixation of rabbit spermatozoa with glutaraldehyde containing either malachite green or pyronine demonstrated a material which has not been previously described. In ejaculated spermatozoa, this malachite green and pyronine-affinity material (MOP-AM) appeared as a compact mass localized between the nuclear envelope and dense lamina of the posterior portion of the postacrosomal region. MOP-AM was absent in testicular spermatozoa and gradually accumulated during passage of spermatozoa through the epididymis, suggesting a possible correlation between the accumulation of this material and maturation of the spermatozoa. Among eighteen other cationic dyes tested, only methyl violet 2B could preserve this material. Similar MGP-AM was demonstrated in the spermatozoa of other species (human, rat, mouse, mongoose and hamster) within: subacrosomal space and nuclear vacuoles (human), redundant nuclear envelopes (human and mongoose), middle-piece mitochondria (human and hamster), and between nuclear envelope and dense lamina of the postacrosomal region (hamster, mouse and rat). The possible mechanisms by which MGP-AM is preserved by this technique are discussed.
Simulation of Supersonic Jet Controlled by Plasma Actuators Using the CESE Method

*† ‡ § ** This paper reports preliminary CFD of an ideally expanded supersonic jet controlled by localized arc filament plasma actuators. The space-time Conservation Element and Solution Element (CESE) method was employed to solve the three-dimensional Euler equations with and without the application of plasma actuators. A fully expanded Mach 1.3 jet from a 2.54 mm diameter round nozzle is used as the baseline jet. Four actuators evenly distributed around the perimeter of the nozzle are simulated by imposing energy pulses as a part of the upstream boundary conditions. Numerical results of four cases are reported: (i) the baseline jet without plasma actuator, (ii) simultaneous firings of four actuators at 9 kHz with the width (in the azimuthal direction) of each actuator of 3 mm, (iii) simultaneous firings of four actuators at 9 kHz with the width of each actuator of 1.5 mm, and (iv) simultaneous firings of four actuators at 4.5 kHz with the width of each actuator at 3 mm. In all cases, the thickness (in the radial direction) of the actuator is 1.5 mm and the power consumption of all actuators was less than 1% of the flow power. The two forcing frequencies of 4.5 and 9 kHz (StD = 0.3 and 0.59) are within the jet column instability range. For Cases (ii) to (iv), numerical results clearly showed robust vortical structures generated in the controlled jet leading to significant mixing enhancement. The density and pressure fluctuation profiles have been completely changed as compared with that of the baseline jet.
Marker-Free Registration of Forest Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data Pairs With Embedded Confidence Metrics

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has emerged as an effective tool for rapid comprehensive measurement of object structure. Registration of TLS data is an important prerequisite to overcome the limitations of occlusion. However, due to the high dissimilarity of point cloud data collected from disparate viewpoints in the forest environment, adequate marker-free registration approaches have not been developed. The majority of studies instead rely on the utilization of artificial tie points (e.g., reflective tooling balls) placed within a scene to aid in coordinate transformation. We present a technique for generating view-invariant feature descriptors that are intrinsic to the point cloud data and, thus, enable blind marker-free registration in forest environments. To overcome the limitation of initial pose estimation, we employ a voting method to blindly determine the optimal pairwise transformation parameters, without an a priori estimate of the initial sensor pose. To provide embedded error metrics, we developed a set theory framework in which a circular transformation is traversed between disjoint tie point subsets. This provides an upper estimate of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) confidence associated with each pairwise transformation. Output RMSE errors are commensurate with the RMSE of input tie points locations. Thus, while the mean output $\text{RMSE}=16.3\ \text{cm}$ , improved results could be achieved with a more precise laser scanning system. This study 1) quantifies the RMSE of the proposed marker-free registration approach, 2) assesses the validity of embedded confidence metrics using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, and 3) informs optimal sample spacing considerations for TLS data collection in New England forests. While the implications for rapid, accurate, and precise forest inventory are obvious, the conceptual framework outlined here could potentially be extended to built environments.
Effect of hydrochlorothiazide on preference threshold of rats for NaCl solutions.

SummaryWhen given choice between water and 0.15 M NaCl solution to drink, rats treated with the diuretic agent, hydrochlorothiazide (0.3 and 0.6 g/kg food), for days or weeks increased their salt intake 70 to 150% above the level of controls while simultaneous water and food intakes were unaffected by treatment. Chronic administration of hydrochlorothiazide (0.6 g/kg food, 4 months) lowered the preference threshold of rats for NaCl solution from 0.029 to 0.010 mole/liter. This lowering of NaCl preference threshold by hydrochlorothiazide may be an important factor influencing the increased spontaneous NaCl intake of treated rats.
Purification and sedimentation and electron micrographic characters of the mumps virus.

SummaryThe mumps virus has been purified by centrifugation of virus-infected chorio-allantoic fluid. Sedimentation diagrams indicate wide variation in particle size and a sedimentation rate of about 1330 × 10−13. The electron micrographs corroborate the centrifugal evidence of variation in particle size. The shape of the formolized virus was judged to be spherical and flattened electron micrograph images have a diameter of 190 ± 42 mμ.
Food safe risk analysis and application in food quality management

The basic connotation of food safety risk analysis was introduced,and the important in the establishment of food criterion,food quality control system and food early warning system was described in this paper.
Oscillating Flows with Nonvanishing Mean

This chapter may be considered a continuation of Chapter 4. It deals with an extension of the theory to flows with a nonvanishing mean. Most of the introductory remarks made in Section 4.1 of the previous chapter are therefore still valid. It is emphasized again that our interest is confined to the response of viscous flows to external disturbances, transient or periodic. No attempt is made to estimate possible interactions of the viscous flow with the external disturbing flow or with vibrations induced to solid surfaces.
Spectrum-splitting approach for Fermi-operator expansion in all-electron Kohn-Sham DFT calculations

We present a spectrum-splitting approach to conduct all-electron Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) calculations by employing Fermi-operator expansion of the Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian. The proposed approach splits the subspace containing the occupied eigenspace into a core subspace, spanned by the core eigenfunctions, and its complement, the valence subspace, and thereby enables an efficient computation of the Fermi-operator expansion by reducing the expansion to the valence-subspace projected Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian. The key ideas used in our approach are as follows: (i) employ Chebyshev filtering to compute a subspace containing the occupied states followed by a localization procedure to generate nonorthogonal localized functions spanning the Chebyshev-filtered subspace; (ii) compute the Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian projected onto the valence subspace; (iii) employ Fermi-operator expansion in terms of the valence-subspace projected Hamiltonian to compute the density matrix, electron density, and band energy. We demonstrate the accuracy and performance of the method on benchmark materials systems involving silicon nanoclusters up to 1330 electrons, a single gold atom, and a six-atom gold nanocluster. The benchmark studies on silicon nanoclusters revealed a staggering fivefold reduction in the Fermi-operator expansion polynomial degree by using the spectrum-splitting approach for accuracies in the ground-state energies of ∼10^(−4) Ha/atom with respect to reference calculations. Further, numerical investigations on gold suggest that spectrum splitting is indispensable to achieve meaningful accuracies, while employing Fermi-operator expansion.
Comparative DNA Methylation Profiling Reveals an Immunoepigenetic Signature of HIV-related Cognitive Impairment.

Monocytes/macrophages contribute to the neuropathogenesis of HIV-related cognitive impairment (CI); however, considerable gaps in our understanding of the precise mechanisms driving this relationship remain. Furthermore, whether a distinct biological profile associated with HIV-related CI resides in immune cell populations remains unknown. Here, we profiled DNA methylomes and transcriptomes of monocytes derived from HIV-infected individuals with and without CI using genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiling. We identified 1,032 CI-associated differentially methylated loci in monocytes. These loci related to gene networks linked to the central nervous system (CNS) and interactions with HIV. Most (70.6%) of these loci exhibited higher DNA methylation states in the CI group and were preferentially distributed over gene bodies and intergenic regions of the genome. CI-associated DNA methylation states at 12 CpG sites associated with neuropsychological testing performance scores. CI-associated DNA methylation also associated with gene expression differences including CNS genes CSRNP1 (P = 0.017), DISC1 (P = 0.012), and NR4A2 (P = 0.005); and a gene known to relate to HIV viremia, THBS1 (P = 0.003). This discovery cohort data unveils cell type-specific DNA methylation patterns related to HIV-associated CI and provide an immunoepigenetic DNA methylation “signature” potentially useful for corroborating clinical assessments, informing pathogenic mechanisms, and revealing new therapeutic targets against CI.
Multiple Queries as Bandit Arms

Existing retrieval systems rely on a single active query to pull documents from the index. Relevance feedback may be used to iteratively refine the query, but only one query is active at a time. If the user's information need has multiple aspects, the query must represent the union of these aspects. We consider a new paradigm of retrieval where multiple queries are kept ``active'' simultaneously. In the presence of rate limits, the active queries take turns accessing the index to retrieve another ``page'' of results. Turns are assigned by a multi-armed bandit based on user feedback. This allows the system to explore which queries return more relevant results and to exploit the best ones. In empirical tests, query pools outperform solo, combined queries. Significant improvement is observed both when the subtopic queries are known in advance and when the queries are generated in a user-interactive process.
Direct In-junction Characterization of Molecular Switching Devices Based on Self-Assembled Monolayer Embedded in Nanowire Junction

In this paper, we report the direct in-junction characterization of OAn SAM embedded in the crossed-wire junction structure which is more reliable and available for spectroscopic analysis to reveal the origin of switching characteristics. The crossed-wire junction is prepared with the Au nano wire (diameter: ~300nm) aligned on OAn SAM on Au bottom wire (width: ~1mum) with Electric-field assisted assembly technique. The OAn SAM on planar substrate prepared by same preparation procedure for the crossed-wire junction is characterized by infrared reflection spectroscopy (IRS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscope (AFM) to avoid the unfavorable contamination or side reaction during the device preparation process. Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) is applied to the electronically prepared high and low state of OAn junction to understand the molecular level phenomenon in the crossed-wire junction. The distinct spectra of high and low state of the junction are observed under temperature controlled condition (~4K). Surface Plasmon enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is utilized to the crossed-wire junction to reveal the chemical and conformational characteristics change in high and low state. According to obtained results, we believe that the origin of electrical conductance switching behavior is from conformation and redox state changes of embedded molecules.
Campylostelium (Ptychomitriaceae) In the Southwestern United States: Campylostelium laegerae sp. nov. and C. pitardii New To the Americas

Abstract Two species of the genus Campylostelium Bruch & Schimp. are reported for the southwestern United States. Campylostelium laegerae Brinda, D.R. Toren & Shevock, sp. nov. is described and illustrated. Campylostelium pitardii (Corb.) E. Maier is reported as new to the Americas. Additional notes about the genus are provided, including a species key.
Paleoproductivity in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during the Pliocene-Pleistocene climate transition (3.0–1.8 Ma)

Alkenone mass accumulation rates (MARs) provide a proxy for export productivity in the northwestern Pacific (Ocean Drilling Program Site 1208) spanning the late Pliocene through early Pleistocene (3.0-1.8 Ma). We investigate changes in productivity associated with global cooling during the onset and expansion of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (NHG). Alkenone MARs vary on obliquity time-scales throughout, but the amplitude increases at 2.75 Ma concurrent with the intensification of NHG and cooling of the sea surface by 3 °C. The obliquity-scale variations in alkenone MARs parallel shipboard measurements of sediment color reflectance (%) with higher MARs significantly correlated (>95%) with darker (opal-rich) intervals. Variations in both lead benthic foraminiferal δ18O values by 1.5-2 kyr, suggesting that export productivity may be a contributing factor, rather than a response, to the extent of continental glaciation. The biological pump is therefore a plausible mechanism for transferring atmospheric CO2 into the deep ocean during the onset of NHG and the ensuing obliquity dominated climate regime. Obliquity-scale correlation between productivity and magnetic susceptibility is consistent with a link via westerly winds delivering terrigenous sediments and mixing the upper water column. Alkenone MARs also contain a ~400 kyr modulation. Because this periodicity is a multiple of the residence time of carbon in the ocean, it may reflect inputs of new nutrients associated with eccentricity forced changes in the terrestrial biosphere and weathering. We ascribe these findings to interactions between the East Asian winter monsoon and productivity in the North Pacific Ocean, perhaps contributing to Plio-Pleistocene climate change.
Patient-reported Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Treated with Dulaglutide Added to Titrated Insulin Glargine (AWARD-9).

Abstract Purpose This 28-week, randomized, double-blind study compared a once-weekly injection of dulaglutide 1.5 mg to placebo, both added to titrated once-daily insulin glargine (with or without metformin), in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and inadequate glycemia control (control defined as hemoglobin A1c, ≥7% and ≤10.5%). Patient-reported outcomes were assessed as an exploratory objective to further understand patients' physical, psychological, and social aspects of well-being and injection-device experience. Methods Patients not naive to injectable therapy were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive dulaglutide/glargine or placebo/glargine; glargine was titrated to a fasting plasma glucose target of 71 to 99 mg/dL. The Impact of Weight on Self-Perceptions (IW-SP), the EQ-5D-5L (measure of health status), the 18-item Diabetes Health Profile (DHP-18), and the Medication Device Delivery Assessment (MDDAB) instruments for assessing the dulaglutide Single-Use Pen (SUP) and glargine-delivery device were administered at baseline and 28 weeks, and also at 6 or 12 weeks for some measures. A mixed model for repeated measures was used for analyzing changes from baseline scores. Findings At 28 weeks, improvements observed in the transformed total scores on the IW-SP and DHP-18 Disinhibited Eating domain were significantly greater with dulaglutide/glargine compared with placebo/glargine (least squares mean differences, +6.06 [P = 0.019] and –4.50 [P = 0.017], respectively). There were no significant overall between-treatment differences in quality of life as measured by the EQ-5D-5L or the Barriers to Activities and Psychological Distress domains of the DHP-18. Of all patients, 95% reported that overall, the dulaglutide SUP was “easy” or “very easy” to use at 28 weeks. Device-features scores showed that most patients liked the dulaglutide SUP features, with the 3 highest-rated items relating specifically to features of the needle (not having to touch the needle, not having to attach the needle, and automatic insertion). The majority of patients (~90%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they were satisfied with the overall dulaglutide SUP injection experience at 28 weeks. Implications Dulaglutide/glargine-treated patients had greater improvements in weight-related quality-of-life measures compared with placebo/glargine-treated patients, which may be clinically relevant when evaluating treatment options for insulin-requiring patients who often gain weight with insulin monotherapy. Results from the MDDAB indicated overall satisfaction with the dulaglutide SUP injection experience, which may be an important factor in some patients when initiating parenteral therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02152371.
Intravitreal chemotherapy and laser for newly visible subretinal seeds in retinoblastoma.

ABSTRACTBackground: There has been no effective method for treating newly visible (“new”) subretinal seeding in retinoblastoma except enucleation. The objective of this report is to determine whether intravitreal chemotherapy combined with 810 nm indirect laser can successfully treat retinoblastoma eyes with “new” subretinal seeding which appeared after intra-arterial chemotherapy (ophthalmic arterial chemosurgery: OAC).Material and Methods: Single center retrospective study from a tertiary cancer hospital of a case series of 14 eyes treated with combined intravitreal chemotherapy and laser from 2012 to 2017. Ocular salvage, patient survival, recurrence-free ocular survival, metastases, and extraocular extension were assessed.Results: A total of 14 eyes in 13 unilateral or bilateral retinoblastoma patients with “new” subretinal seeding after initial eye salvage therapy were treated with combined intravitreal injection of melphalan (30 ug) or melphalan (30 ug) and topotecan (20 ug) and with 810 nm indirect...
The Relevance of Victimization Experiences for Predicting the Development of Threat Symptoms During Adolescence and Early Adulthood

The “threat” portion of the threat/control override symptom constellation is characterized by the belief by an individual that others seek to do them harm. There has yet to be an examination of the link between perceived threat symptomatology and the experience of victimization, despite the fact that both constructs are linked to the perpetration of violent behavior. Furthermore, there has yet to be research which examines the heterogeneity in developmental patterns of threat symptomatology. The present research utilized the Pathways to Desistance data to model the developmental heterogeneity in perceived threat symptomatology across adolescence and early adulthood using group-based trajectory modeling. A series of multinomial logistic regression models were then estimated to examine the relevance of victimization experiences for predicting trajectory group assignment. A five-group model of development during adolescence and early adulthood best fit the threat symptom data. Victimization experienced prior...
Terahertz Emission from Hybrid Perovskites Driven by Ultrafast Charge Separation and Strong Electron–Phonon Coupling

Unusual photophysical properties of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have not only enabled exceptional performance in optoelectronic devices, but also led to debates on the nature of charge carriers in these materials. This study makes the first observation of intense terahertz (THz) emission from the hybrid perovskite methylammonium lead iodide (CH3 NH3 PbI3 ) following photoexcitation, enabling an ultrafast probe of charge separation, hot-carrier transport, and carrier-lattice coupling under 1-sun-equivalent illumination conditions. Using this approach, the initial charge separation/transport in the hybrid perovskites is shown to be driven by diffusion and not by surface fields or intrinsic ferroelectricity. Diffusivities of the hot and band-edge carriers along the surface normal direction are calculated by analyzing the emitted THz transients, with direct implications for hot-carrier device applications. Furthermore, photogenerated carriers are found to drive coherent terahertz-frequency lattice distortions, associated with reorganizations of the lead-iodide octahedra as well as coupled vibrations of the organic and inorganic sublattices. This strong and coherent carrier-lattice coupling is resolved on femtosecond timescales and found to be important both for resonant and far-above-gap photoexcitation. This study indicates that ultrafast lattice distortions play a key role in the initial processes associated with charge transport.
Recurrent Atrial Fibrillation After Initial Long-Term Ablation Success: Electrophysiological Findings and Outcomes of Repeat Ablation Procedures.

Background: Atrial fibrillation recurrence after initial long-term success of catheter ablation has been described, yet not well studied. We assessed the electrophysiological findings and outcomes of repeat ablation procedures in this setting. Methods and Results: Between 2000 and 2015, 10 378 patients underwent atrial fibrillation ablation and were enrolled in a prospectively maintained data registry. From this registry, we included all 137 consecutive patients who had initial long-term success, defined as freedom from recurrent arrhythmia for >36 months off antiarrhythmics, then underwent repeat ablation for recurrent atrial fibrillation. The median arrhythmia-free period that defined long-term success was 52 months (41–68 months). In redo ablations, reconnection along at least one of the pulmonary veins (PVs) was found in 111 (81%) patients. Reconnection along a left superior, left inferior, right superior, and right inferior PV was found in 64%, 62%, 50%, and 54% of patients, respectively, and were reisolated. Additional non-PV ablations were performed in 127 (92.7%) patients: posterior wall (46%), septal to right PVs (49%), superior vena cava (35%), roof lines (52%), and cavotricuspid isthmus (33%). After a median follow-up of 17 months (5–36.9 months), 103 patients (75%) were arrhythmia free (79 off antiarrhythmics, 24 on antiarrhythmics). Conclusions: PV reconnection is the most common electrophysiological finding in patients with atrial fibrillation recurrence after long-term success, but with lower rates than what had been reported for early recurrences. In our experience, repeat ablations in this setting involve complex ablation approaches to reisolate the PVs and modify the atrial substrate and are associated with good success rates.
Older Age Reduces Upper Esophageal Sphincter and Esophageal Body Responses to Simulated Slow and Ultraslow Reflux Events and Post-Reflux Residue.

Background & Aims It is not clear how age affects airway protective mechanisms. We investigated the effects of aging on upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and esophageal body pressure responses to slow and ultraslow simulated reflux events and post-reflux residue. Methods We performed a prospective study of 11 elderly (74 ± 9 years old) and 11 young (28 ± 7 years old) healthy volunteers. Participants were placed in a supine position and evaluated by concurrent high-resolution impedance manometry and an esophageal infusion technique. Potential conditions of gastroesophageal reflux were simulated, via infusion of 0.1 N HCl and saline. UES and esophageal pressure responses were measured during the following: slow infusion (1 mL/s) for 60 seconds, 60 seconds of postinfusion dwell period, ultraslow infusion (0.05 mL/s) for 60 seconds, and 60 seconds of a postinfusion dwell period. All infusions were repeated 3 times. We used the UES high-pressure zone contractile integral (UES-CI) to determine responses of the UES. Results Young and elderly subjects each had a significant increase in the UES-CI during slow infusions and during entire passive dwell intervals compared with baseline (P Conclusions UES and esophageal body pressure responses to low-volume ultraslow reflux and associated post-reflux residue are reduced in elderly individuals. This deterioration could have negative effects on airway protection for people in this age group.
Holistic Resource Allocation for Multicore Real-Time Systems

This paper presents CaM, a holistic cache and memory bandwidth resource allocation strategy for multicore real-time systems. CaM is designed for partitioned scheduling, where tasks are mapped onto cores, and the shared cache and memory bandwidth resources are partitioned among cores to reduce resource interferences due to concurrent accesses. Based on our extension of LITMUSRT with Intel's Cache Allocation Technology and MemGuard, we present an experimental evaluation of the relationship between the allocation of cache and memory bandwidth resources and a task's WCET. Our resource allocation strategy exploits this relationship to map tasks onto cores, and to compute the resource allocation for each core. By grouping tasks with similar characteristics (in terms of resource demands) to the same core, it enables tasks on each core to fully utilize the assigned resources. In addition, based on the tasks' execution time behaviors with respect to their assigned resources, we can determine a desirable allocation that maximizes schedulability under resource constraints. Extensive evaluations using real-world benchmarks show that CaM offers near optimal schedulability performance while being highly efficient, and that it substantially outperforms existing solutions.
The Protein Biochemistry of the Postsynaptic Density in Glutamatergic Synapses Mediates Learning in Neural Networks.

The strength of each excitatory synapse in the central nervous system is regulated by its prior activity in a process called synaptic plasticity. The initiation of synaptic plasticity occurs when calcium ions enter the postsynaptic compartment and encounter a subcellular structure called the postsynaptic density (PSD). The PSD is attached to the postsynaptic membrane just underneath the concentrated plaque of neurotransmitter receptors. It is comprised of a core set of 30–60 proteins, approximately 20 of which are scaffold proteins. The rest include protein kinases and phosphatases, some of which respond to calcium ion; small GTPases and their regulators; chaperones; ubiquitins; and proteases. The assembly of the PSD involves competitive binding among a variety of specific protein binding sites to form a dynamic network. A biochemical challenge for the future is to understand how the dynamic regulation of the structure, composition, and activity of the PSD mediates synaptic plasticity and how mutations in...
A primary role for RPE transplants in the inhibition and regression of neovascularization in the RCS rat.

PURPOSE Healthy retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell transplants in retinas of postnatal day 27 Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat are capable of preventing photoreceptor cell degeneration, inhibiting the degeneration of the retinal vascular bed and the subsequent neovascularization of the RPE that occurs in retinas injected with saline. In the present study, the authors have tested the hypothesis that RPE transplants might also prevent vascularization of the RPE layer in RCS retinas when photoreceptor cells either had just degenerated or, at 3 months, disappeared. METHOD Retinas of 3- and 6 month-old RCS rats were injected with either healthy neonatal RPE cells or vehicle and were examined at 6 and 8 months, respectively. These retinas were studied using horseradish peroxidase visualization of the vasculature in retinal wholemount preparations and by light microscopy. RESULTS The number of neovascular profiles in wholemount preparations of RCS retinas that had received healthy RPE transplants at 3 months and were analyzed at 6 months were significantly decreased when compared to sham-injected retinas of age-matched RCS rats, 2.09 +/- 0.94 and 15.28 +/- 1.34 profiles per mm2, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, when comparing retinas transplanted or sham injected at 6 months and examined at 8 months, significantly fewer neovascular profiles were found in the transplant group, 9.32 +/- 1.02 and 15.42 +/- 0.84 profiles per mm2, respectively (P < 0.002). CONCLUSION These data provide still further evidence for the role of healthy RPE in maintaining the homeostasis of the normal retinal vasculature in the retina of the RCS rat. The relationships between the RPE and the retinal vasculature are important when considering that alterations in the vascularization of the retina play a major role in some of the most sight-debilitating diseases, such as the wet form of age-related macular degeneration and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Oxygenation of Arachidonic Acid by Cyclooxygenases Generates Reactive Intermediates That Form Adducts with Proteins

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzes the oxygenation of arachidonic acid into the prostaglandin endoperoxide, PGH2. PGH2 is then processed by different isomerases into prostaglandins and thromboxane A2. PGH2 also undergoes rearrangement in aqueous solution into PGE2, PGD2 and into the levuglandins (LG) E2 and D2 1. LG’s are highly reactive γ-ketoaldehydes that have been shown to form adducts and cross-links with proteins 2, 3, primarily through their reaction with the e-amine of lysine. The potential that these levuglandin adducts of proteins could be biologically important may be inferred from the knowledge that lipid-modification of proteins is known to influence their function and cellular localization 4–7.
Excitations at High Momentum in Quantum Fluids

In this paper we evaluate the shape of the dynamic form factor S(Q,ω) for wave vectors Q in the interval 3 ≤ Q ≤ 12 A-1 in liquid 4He and 3He. The purpose is to see whether the observed oscillations in the width, W(Q), and the peak position, E Q , of the S(Q,ω) in liquid 4He can be reproduced beginning from the pair potential, V(r). We find these oscillations can be reproduced and they originate from oscillations in the 4He-4He atom scattering amplitude that is used in the present RPA model. Similar oscillations are found in the W(Q) of liquid 3He. However, their amplitude is much smaller and probably could not be observed.
The Isle of Hermaphrodites: Disorienting the place of intersex in the Middle Ages

What is the place of intersex in medieval studies? How have non-binary bodies been oriented and reoriented as marginal by medieval literature and history? Might medieval intersex studies disorient such mappings of power? To provide inroads to these questions, this article puts medieval studies and intersex studies into conversation. Affirming the premise that non-binary scholarship offers necessary insights to the history of non-binary bodies, this critical analysis of the intersexual bodies on the Hereford Mappa Mundi and in the Book of John Mandeville utilizes the theoretical frameworks of Cheryl Chase and Hilary Malatino. In so doing, the essay proceeds to first orient the place of intersex using medieval pilgrimage as an experienced and imagined practice, generating and using objects such as Mappa Mundi to position certain places and communities as spiritual centers, loca sancta, eschewing other locations and peoples to the margins. Second, this essay unpacks how the second half of the Book of John Mandeville reorients relations to the margins through a sort of “boundary-lust,” imaginatively embodied by the Isle of “Hermaphrodites;” a medieval conception of intersex invoking the ancient parentage of Hermes the God of Travel and Boundaries and Aphrodite the God of Lust and Sex. To conclude, the passages describing the intersex bodies in Mandeville’s Book are close read alongside intersex and queer studies to conceive of how non-binary bodies disoriented the universality and centrality of binary gender for medieval writers and readers in much the same way that intersex continues to de-centralize the flow of power in modern mappings of gender and sexuality.
Measuring students' attitudes toward information technology: conference tutorial

The workshop is designed to inform the audience about: 1) the importance of students' attitudes and how they influence their choice of majors in college; 2) how to use the Attitude toward Information Technology Scale that has been developed and published in a peer-reviewed journal (Gokhale, et al., 2013); 3) different strategies that have been implemented as part of our NSF-funded project to have a positive impact on students' attitudes toward computing; and 4) how to adapt the proven strategies for use at different institutions and conduct further research.
Situated Learning: A Theory for Learning Situation Awareness

In aviation, situation awareness is the accurate perception of the factors and conditions affecting the aircraft and flight crew. The pilot's situation awareness in the flight environment is recognized as an important factor in flight safety, yet no known training method exists for improving situation awareness in novice pilots. The educational theory of situated learning is based on the idea that learning takes place as an interaction between a novice, an expert, and their social and physical environment. This theory has many commonalities to flight training with the student as the novice, the instructor as the expert, and the flight training environment as the physical environment. Based on this theory, the theories of situated learning are related to the flight environment and the way in which these educational theories could be used as a foundation in developing instructional techniques to improve situation awareness.
Double-Chambered Right Ventricle (DCRV)

Double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) occurs in approximately 1% of patients with congenital heart disease. The right ventricle (RV) is divided by anomalous muscle bundles into a higher-pressure proximal chamber and lower-pressure distal chamber. The physiology is defined by right ventricular pressure overload of the RV inflow chamber. Depending on the degree of obstruction, the clinical course varies significantly in severity and clinical presentation.
Effect of Metacarpal Fixation Configuration on Strength and Fracture Gap Displacements in a Cadaveric Model of Externally Fixed Distal Radius Fractures

Background: The purpose of the study was to determine the biomechanical effect of distal pin configuration in unilateral external fixation of distal radius fracture in a cadaveric model. Methods: A...
Psychopathology among adult survivors of child pornography.

Abstract Background The majority of studies investigating child pornography have focused on conceptualizing the problem and the harm of the crime, evaluating the risk for child pornography offending, or discuss preventive measures. Little is known about survivors of this type of crime. Objective This research explores the relationship between child pornography victimization and psychopathology in adulthood. Specifically, we examined the contribution of emotional reactions at the time of the crime and shortly after (guilt, embarrassment and avoidance) on psychopathology among adult survivors of child pornography. Participants and setting The study was conducted among 107 child pornography adult survivors, aged 18–63 (M = 39.48, SD = 12.31). All participants were sexually molested during the crime. Methods An online survey was completed by a convenience sample of adult survivors of child pornography. Results Findings indicate survivor’s current age predicted current psychopathology symptoms. Survivor’s emotional reactions of guilt and embarrassment at the time of the crime and shortly after were significantly associated with elevated psychopathology, above and beyond demographic characteristics and features of the crime. Conclusions The present results suggest the way survivors of child pornography react to the crime might shape their mental health in the long term.
Chronic Effects of TBI in a Military Population

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects military service members during times of both war and peace [1]. Between 2000 and 2018 Q1, 383,947 service members have sustained at least one TBI. Of these TBI, 82.3% were classified as mild, 9.7% as moderate, 1.1% as severe, 1.4% as penetrating, and 5.6% as not further classified [2]. While data on the exact number of troops deployed or number of individual deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Enduring Freedom (OEF), New Dawn (OND), Inherent Resolve (OIR), and Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) is unclear, there are 4,398,000 living veterans who have served since 2001 [3]. Compared to civilians, active duty service members and reservists are more likely to sustain a TBI [1]. Through June 2014, there were approximately 2.65 million deployments. Of that number, 1.2 million individuals were deployed more than once. These combat deployments increase the risk of TBI among service members [4].
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM VIOLENCE IN SERBIA: CURRENT LEGAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS

Throughout the last several decades, the system of legal protection of children from violence in Serbia has been gradually improving, and its protection mechanisms have been harmonizing with international legal tendencies. Strategic and other documents support the systemic approach and, in conjunction with relevant regulations, represent the potential for more efficient solution of the problem of violence against children. However, adequate implementation of the existing legal norms, as well as strategic documents and plans in this field, has not yet been fully accomplished, including the continuous monitoring of the achievement of established goals and activities, which represents the major deficiency of current protection system. This paper analyzes characteristics of the development of family law and criminal law protection of children from violence, as well as the possibilities and pathways for its improvement, both in terms of normative and practical implementation of the existing solutions.
Care of Girls with Turner Syndrome: Beyond Growth and Hormones

Girls with Turner syndrome (TS) have been described as being at risk of moderate psychological and social difficulties, although there is a considerable variability and not all individuals have these difficulties. They often demonstrate a unique cognitive profile characterized by strength in verbal domains but weaknesses in visual-spatial and executive areas. Awareness of the psychological and psychosocial issues in TS is as important as the knowledge of medical treatments. In this chapter, we first reviewed the literature on the cognitive and psychosocial development and challenges of girls with TS and then introduced various age-appropriate diagnostics assessment and management recommendations. With this work, we aim to facilitate the integration of the important psychosocial care in treatment for girls with TS.
Understanding Verbosity: Funding Source and the Length of Consent Forms for Cancer Clinical Trials

Consent forms are an important educational tool that helps cancer patients decide on whether or not to enroll on a clinical trial, but wordiness potentially detracts from their educational value. This single-institution study examined word counts of consent forms for all phase I, II, and III solid tumor clinical trials between 2004 and 2010. Consent forms were categorized by trial funding source: (1) pharmaceutical company; (2) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN); (3) R01- or other non-government grants; and (4) mixed (funding from multiple sources). Three hundred fifteen consent forms were studied; these included 106 (34%) pharmaceutical company; 145 (46%) NCTN; 44 (14%) R01 type; and 20 (6%) mixed. The overall median word count was 5129 words per consent form (interquartile range (IQR) range, 4226 to 6695). The median word counts per consent form (IQR) were 5648 (4814, 6803), 5243 (4139, 6932), 4365 (3806, 5124), and 4319 (3862, 5944), respectively, based on the above funding sources, showing that pharmaceutical company trial consent forms had the highest median word count. Of note, phase of trial was associated with consent form length (phase III were wordier), and consent forms manifested a consistent increase in wordiness over time. These observations underscore a timely need to find ways to limit the verbosity of consent forms, particularly in those from pharmaceutical company trials.
Study on relationship between social support and quality of life of patients with coronary heart disease and nursing strategies for them

Objective To study the relationship between quality of life and social support in Patients with coronary heart disease, Methods 77 cases of coronary heart disease patients were investigated by using Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and the results were analyzed. Results Eight areas of quality of life in SF-36 of patients with coronary heart disease were lower than the China norm, and there were statistical significance (P<O.01); The relationship of physical function, bodily pain, energy, emotional function, mental health in SF-36 and social support were positively correlated (P<0.05). Conclusion It is meaningful for improving their quality of life to help patients withcoronary heart disease to establish an effective social support system. Key words: Coronary heart disease; Social support; Quality of life; Nursing strategies
Bomba: The Sound of Puerto Rico's African Heritage.

Bomba is an emblematic Puerto Rican musical genre that emerged 400 years ago from the colonial plantations where West African slaves and their descendants worked. It remains one of the most popular...
In-situ workflow auto-tuning through combining component models

In-situ parallel workflows couple multiple component applications via streaming data transfer to avoid data exchange via shared file systems. Such workflows are challenging to configure for optimal performance due to the huge space of possible configurations. Here, we propose an in-situ workflow auto-tuning method, ALIC, which integrates machine learning techniques with knowledge of in-situ workflow structures to enable automated workflow configuration with a limited number of performance measurements. Experiments with real applications show that ALIC identify better configurations than existing methods given a computer time budget.