cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Langmuir Monolayers of Siloxanes and Silsesquioxanes

Langmuir film formation at the air/water (A/W) interface by silicones has attracted research interest for more than sixty years. This chapter reviews the unique features of the surface pressure-area per repeat unit (Π-A) isotherm of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and discusses the changes in surface viscoelastic properties determined by surface light scattering (SLS) associated with these features. The effects molar mass, end groups and non-methyl substituents have on the isotherm are also considered. This discussion is then extended to another class of surface-active silicon-containing materials, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs). Trisilanolisobutyl-POSS and trisilanolcyclohexyl-POSS are discussed in terms of their Π-A isotherms and surface viscoelastic character and the review ends with a discussion of systems where POSS molecules are used as nanofillers within silicone monolayers.
Hemodynamics of Cerebrovascular Spasm

An understanding of the hemodynamics of cerebrovascular spasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage is important for the diagnosis and treatment of this potentially dangerous condition. An overview model is presented which includes the main elements determining the overall effect of vasospasm. The model included realistic pressureflow-velocity-diameter relationships encountered in a geometry resembling that of vasospasm of the middle cerebral artery. Viscosity was adjusted to that expected of human blood. Furthermore, a realistic model the cerebral autoregulation was included. The effects of induced hypertension as well as hypotension were studied.
Neuropil contraction in relation to Complement C4 gene copy numbers in independent cohorts of adolescent-onset and young adult-onset schizophrenia patients–a pilot study

A recent report suggested Complement 4 (C4A) gene copy numbers (GCN) as risk factors for schizophrenia. Rodent model showed association of C4 with synaptic pruning suggesting its pathophysiological significance (Sekar, A. et al. (2016)). We, therefore, predicted that C4A GCN would be positively correlated with neuropil contraction in the human brain among schizophrenia patients showing more prominent correlations in ventral regions among young adults and dorsal regions among adolescents since neuromaturation progresses dorsoventrally. Whole-brain, multi-voxel, in vivo phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) assessed neuropil changes by estimating levels of membrane phospholipid (MPL) precursors and catabolites. Increased MPL catabolites and/or decreased MPL precursors indexed neuropil contraction. Digital droplet PCR-based assay was used to estimate C4A and C4B GCN. We evaluated two independent cohorts (young adult-onset early-course schizophrenia (YASZ = 15) and adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOSZ = 12) patients), and controls matched for each group, n = 22 and 15, respectively. Separate forward stepwise linear regression models with Akaike information Criterion were built for MPL catabolites and precursors. YASZ cohort: Consistent with the rodent model (Sekar, A. et al. 2016)), C4A GCN positively correlated with neuropil contraction (increased pruning/decreased formation) in the inferior frontal cortex and inferior parietal lobule. AOSZ cohort: C4A GCN positively correlated with neuropil contraction in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and thalamus. Exploratory analysis of C4B GCN showed positive correlation with neuropil contraction in the cerebellum and superior temporal gyrus among YASZ while AOSZ showed neuropil contraction in the prefrontal and subcortical structures. Thus, C4A and C4B GCN are associated with neuropil contraction in regions often associated with schizophrenia, and may be neuromaturationally dependent.
High prevalence and seasonal variation of hypovitaminosis D in patients scheduled for lower extremity total joint arthroplasty

Background: High rates of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency have been demonstrated in various patient populations, including patients undergoing total joint arthroplasties (TJA). However, the risk factors associated with this condition and its seasonal variation is still to be determined in patients scheduled for elective TJA. Methods: We retrospectively identified 226 (116 hips, 120 knees) patients who underwent primary TJA, and had a vitamin D measurement, at a single institution (latitude, 41° 30' N) from 2006 to 2016. Demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative data were collected from electronic medical records. Patients were stratified into vitamin D sufficient (≥30 ng/mL), insufficient ( Results: There were 99/226 (43.8%) patients in the vitamin D sufficient group, 137/226 patients (60.6%) in the insufficient group, of which 61/226 (26.9%) were in the deficient group. On multivariate analysis, an American Society of Anesthesiologists’ (ASA) score ≥3 was a risk factor for vitamin D insufficiency (P Conclusions: There was an overall high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (60%) and deficiency (27%). Due to higher risk of hypovitaminosis D, particular attention should be placed in patients with an ASA score ≥3, and patients scheduled during winter season.
Social deficits following embryonic ethanol exposure arise in post-larval zebrafish.

Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of birth defects, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). In the United States and Canada, 1 in 100 children will be born with FASD. Some of the most commonly debilitating defects of FASD are in social behavior. Zebrafish are highly social animals, and embryonic ethanol exposure from 24 to 26 hours post-fertilization disrupts this social (shoaling) response in adult zebrafish. Recent findings have suggested that social behaviors are present in zebrafish larvae as young as 3 weeks, but how they relate to adult shoaling is unclear. We tested the same ethanol-exposed zebrafish for social impairments at 3 weeks then again at 16 weeks. At both ages, live conspecifics were used to elicit a social response. We did not find alcohol-induced differences in behavior in 3-week-old fish when they were able to see conspecifics. We do find evidence that control zebrafish are able to use nonvisual stimuli to detect conspecifics, and this behavior is disrupted in the alcohol-exposed fish. As adults, these fish displayed a significant decrease in social behavior when conspecifics are visible. This surprising finding demonstrates that the adult and larval social behaviors are, at least partly, separable. Future work will investigate the nature of these nonvisual cues and how the neurocircuitry differs between the larval and adult social behaviors.
The Challenges of Managing Legacy Phosphorus Losses from Manure - Impacted Agricultural Soils

Historical application of manure to agricultural land in areas of intensive animal production, like the Delmarva Peninsula, has led to soil test phosphorus (STP) concentrations that far exceed agronomic optimum. While natural soils would typically serve as a sink for newly applied P sources, soils with P accumulation from long-term manure applications often serve as a source of P via a gradual release of dissolved P in runoff or leaching events. These losses of “legacy P” from manure-impacted soils are difficult to control and are linked to water-quality degradation in sensitive water bodies, like the Chesapeake Bay. In this review, we examine how long-term application of manure impacts soil P dynamics under P-buildup and -drawdown scenarios to better understand the behavior of legacy P in soils. We also examine the reasons that traditional best management practices (BMPs) fail to control legacy P losses from soils and discuss potential promising management strategies using the Delmarva Peninsula as a case study.
Experimental determination of tissue turnover rates and trophic discrimination factors for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of Arctic Sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpioides): A common Arctic nearshore fish

Abstract Rapid environmental changes occurring in the Arctic nearshore are expected to have significant effects on food web structures. Land-fast ice cover limits the effectiveness of monitoring methods during winter months, precluding understanding of how seasonal Arctic nearshore food webs operate. Tissue-dependent stable isotope analysis (SIA) offers an efficient and cost-effective approach to monitoring changes in food webs during ice-covered months but requires controlled laboratory experiments to determine isotopic turnover rates and trophic discrimination factors (TDFs) of different tissues. We propose that Arctic Sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpioides) be used to investigate Arctic nearshore trophodynamics given its opportunistic feeding habits and consistent residence within nearshore Arctic habitats. We present the first tissue-dependent SIA experiment on an Arctic marine fish species and show that δ15N values of fin (or liver) and muscle of Arctic Sculpin may be used to identify shifts in low-trophic-level resource availability between 56 and 122 days before sacrifice. Furthermore, TDFs were determined for carbon isotopes (1.87‰), but results for nitrogen (1.23‰ to 3.23‰) suggest that TDFs in Arctic fish may be highly dependent on lipid content of their diet. We observed similar turnover rates between liver and fin tissues (56 and 58 days, respectively), and suggest it may not be necessary to sample both, making it possible to use Arctic Sculpin for tissue dependent analyses with potentially non-lethal sampling of fin and muscle tissues. The use of Arctic Sculpin as an indicator species can increase the understanding of food web structure and aid in monitoring changes to lower-trophic level prey availability as ecosystem dynamics are affected by climate change.
Identification of NtNIP2;1: an Lsi1 silicon transporter in Nicotiana tabacum

Foliar silicon (Si) concentrations vary significantly among plants, resulting in the classification of different species as either high or low-Si accumulators. While the uptake pathways have been identified in some high accumulators, those that operate in low accumulators have largely been overlooked. Using a bioinformatics approach, a putative NIP2-like Si transporter gene was discovered within the genome of the low-Si accumulator, Nicotiana tabacum. The predicted protein, termed NtNIP2;1, possesses all the molecular signatures expected of an NIP2 Si transporter. Furthermore, when NtNIP2;1 was expressed in Xenopus oocytes, Si transport across the plasma membrane was observed. Nicotiana tabacum NIP2;1 RNA levels in the roots of seedlings were down-regulated in response to Si, similar to the Si transporter, OsLsi1, in rice. Taken together, these data suggest that a functional NIP2 Si uptake mechanism is also present in plants that acquire low foliar Si levels.
Conceptualizing Diaspora: Tales of Jewish Travelers in Search of the Lost Tribes

I met Simcha Jacobovici in 1998 while doing my dissertation research in Uzbekistan. Long-haired, fair-skinned, and dressed in American garb, he was clearly an outsider like myself, and we introduced ourselves. I told him I was a cultural anthropologist doing fieldwork among the Bukharan Jews. He told me that he was a filmmaker collecting footage for a documentary about the ten lost tribes. I had heard the theory that the Bukharan Jews were among the lost Israelite tribes, but I considered it far-fetched and had trouble taking Simcha's enthusiasm about the possibility seriously.
Delivery of different genes into pre- and post-synaptic neocortical interneurons connected by GABAergic synapses.

Local neocortical circuits play critical roles in information processing, including synaptic plasticity, circuit physiology, and learning, and GABAergic inhibitory interneurons have key roles in these circuits. Moreover, specific neurological disorders, including schizophrenia and autism, are associated with deficits in GABAergic transmission in these circuits. GABAergic synapses represent a small fraction of neocortical synapses, and are embedded in complex local circuits that contain many neuron and synapse types. Thus, it is challenging to study the physiological roles of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons and their synapses, and to develop treatments for the specific disorders caused by dysfunction at these GABAergic synapses. To these ends, we report a novel technology that can deliver different genes into pre- and post-synaptic neocortical interneurons connected by a GABAergic synapse: First, standard gene transfer into the presynaptic neurons delivers a synthetic peptide neurotransmitter, containing three domains, a dense core vesicle sorting domain, a GABAA receptor-binding domain, a single-chain variable fragment anti-GABAA s2 or s3, and the His tag. Second, upon release, this synthetic peptide neurotransmitter binds to GABAA receptors on the postsynaptic neurons. Third, as the synthetic peptide neurotransmitter contains the His tag, antibody-mediated, targeted gene transfer using anti-His tag antibodies is selective for these neurons. We established this technology by expressing the synthetic peptide neurotransmitter in GABAergic neurons in the middle layers of postrhinal cortex, and the delivering the postsynaptic vector into connected GABAergic neurons in the upper neocortical layers. Targeted gene transfer was 61% specific for the connected neurons, but untargeted gene transfer was only 21% specific for these neurons. This technology may support studies on the roles of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons in circuit physiology and learning, and support gene therapy treatments for specific disorders associated with deficits at GABAergic synapses.
The politics of translation in the press: Siegfried Kracauer and cultural mediation in the periodicals of the Weimar Republic

Abstract Translations and translation reviews played a major part in furthering the political program of leftwing periodicals in Weimar Germany. However, this remains a relative blind spot in media studies of the period. By exploring the use of translations and their review for political ends in three major Weimar cultural periodicals and undertaking a specific examination of Siegfried Kracauer’s translation reviews, this article illustrates the ways in which both translations and their reviews were employed, directly and indirectly, as instruments of political polemic and ideological mediation.
Abstract 4366: Characterization of diacetylspermine as a metabolic urinary biomarker in breast cancer using patient-derived xenografts

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and is currently diagnosed using clinical biomarkers to classify tumors and guide therapy. However, drug resistance is a major cause of treatment failure and current methods can only detect resistance after several months following drug therapy. Thus, there is a need for novel biomarkers to track breast cancer prognosis, diagnosis, and to monitor therapeutic efficacy. Polyamines are polycations that support the production of nucleic acids and are necessary for transcription, DNA replication and cell cycle progression. The rate-liming step in polyamine catabolism is the acetylation of spermine and spermidine by spermine/spermidine acetyl-transferase (SAT1). Indeed, diacetylspermine has been identified as a clinical urinary biomarker of early and late stage breast cancer. Despite multiple clinical studies citing the potential for diacetylspermine as a cancer biomarker, the oncogenic events contributing to increased diacetylspermine production are largely unknown. To identify metabolic biomarkers of breast cancer progression and therapeutic efficacy, an untargeted metabolomics study was performed using urine samples from mice implanted with breast cancer patient derived xenografts (PDXs). NSG mice were engrafted with a doxorubicin sensitive (Dox-Sens) or a doxorubicin resistant (Dox-Res) PDX. When tumors reached 100-200 mm 3 , mice were administered intravenous doxorubicin (2 mg/kg) or vehicle control once weekly for three weeks. Mice were placed in metabolic cages for 24 hours after each treatment to collect urine. At 28 days, a final 24-hour urine collection was performed in the absence of drug treatment followed by euthanization (n = 9). Untargeted metabolomics revealed diacetylspermine as the most significantly altered metabolite in urine samples by two-way repeated measures ANOVA (p = 1.26x10 -11 , q = 4.82 x 10 -8 ). Urinary diacetylspermine was correlated with growth of the Dox-Sens tumors and undetectable in urine from mice with Dox-Res tumors. Remarkably, when Dox-Sens mice were treated with doxorubicin, there was a further increase in diacetylspermine despite the decrease in tumor size. These results demonstrate the potential utility of urinary diacetylspermine as a biomarker for monitoring tumor growth and doxorubicin treatment efficacy. Furthermore, these breast cancer PDX models have provided an opportunity to characterize the mechanism of oncogenic diacetylspermine production and response to drug treatment. Citation Format: Thomas J. Velenosi, Kristopher W. Krausz, Frank J. Gonzalez. Characterization of diacetylspermine as a metabolic urinary biomarker in breast cancer using patient-derived xenografts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4366.
CHARACTERIZATION OF WILD OAT (AVENA FATUA L.) POPULATIONS AND AN INBRED LINE WITH MULTIPLE HERBICIDE RESISTANCE

Repeated use of the preemergence herbicide triallate has selected for wild oat populations that are resistant (R) to field use rates. Field collections and an inbred R line were shown in greenhouse and petri dish dose response experiments to be 6- to 20-fold more tolerant to triallate than susceptible (S) lines. R populations and the inbred line were also resistant (8-fold) to the related thiocarbamate herbicide diallate, as well as to the chemically unrelated postemergence herbicide difenzoquat (60-fold). 14C-triallate uptake and translocation patterns were similar between R and S lines for the first 24 h after application. However, translocation of radioactivity was more rapid in S lines than R lines from 24 through 60 h after application. 14C-difenzoquat uptake was the same in R and S lines 12 h after application, but was 10 to 20% higher in R lines than S lines by 24 through 96 h after application. Similarly, translocation of radioactivity after 14C-difenzoquat application was 7 to 14% greater in R than S lines after 12 h, although translocated radioactivity amounts were not significantly different between R and S lines. The relatively minor differences in triallate and difenzoquat uptake and translocation patterns between R and S lines are most likely not of sufficient magnitude to explain the observed resistance levels.
Agni: An Efficient Dual-access File System over Object Storage

Object storage is a low-cost, scalable component of cloud ecosystems. However, interface incompatibilities and performance limitations inhibit its adoption for emerging cloud-based workloads. Users are compelled to either run their applications over expensive block storage-based file systems or use inefficient file connectors over object stores. Dual access, the ability to read and write the same data through file systems interfaces and object storage APIs, has promise to improve performance and eliminate storage sprawl. We design and implement Agni1, an efficient, distributed, dual-access object storage file system (OSFS), that uses standard object storage APIs and cloud microservices. Our system overcomes the performance shortcomings of existing approaches by implementing a multi-tier write aggregating data structure and by integrating with existing cloud-native services. Moreover, Agni provides distributed access and a coherent namespace. Our experiments demonstrate that for representative workloads Agni improves performance by 20%--60% when compared with existing approaches.
Tuning of self-renewing capacity in the Arabidopsis stomatal lineage by hormonal and nutrition regulation of asymmetric cell divisions

ABSTRACT Asymmetric and self-renewing divisions build and pattern tissues. In the Arabidopsis thaliana stomatal lineage, asymmetric cell divisions, guided by polarly localized cortical proteins, generate the majority of cells on the leaf surface. These divisions can be fine-tuned by systemic and environmental signals to modify tissue development, but the molecular mechanisms by which plants incorporate such cues to regulate asymmetric divisions are largely unknown. In a screen for modulators of cell polarity and asymmetric divisions, we identified a mutation in CONSTITIUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE 1, a negative regulator of ethylene signaling. We subsequently revealed antagonistic impacts of ethylene and glucose signaling on the self-renewing capacity of stomatal lineage stem cells. Quantitative analysis of the impacts of these signaling systems on cell polarity and fate dynamics showed that developmental information may be encoded in both the spatial and temporal asymmetries of polarity proteins. Taken together, our results provide a framework for a mechanistic understanding of how systemic information such as nutritional status and environmental factors tune stem cell behavior in the stomatal lineage, ultimately enabling optimization of leaf size and cell-type composition.
Electronic Medical Record-Based Pager Notification Reduces Excess Oxygen Exposure in Mechanically Ventilated Subjects.

BACKGROUND Liberal oxygenation during mechanical ventilation is harmful in critically ill patients and in certain subsets of patients, including those with stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest. Surveillance through electronic medical records improves safety of mechanical ventilation in the ICU. To date, this practice has not been used for oxygen titration ([Formula: see text]) in adults. We hypothesize that a surveillance system based on the electronic medical record to alert respiratory therapists to titrate [Formula: see text] is feasible, safe, and efficacious. METHODS In this pilot study, mechanically ventilated subjects were randomized to respiratory therapist-driven [Formula: see text] titration after an electronic alert versus standard of care (ie, titration based on physician order). An automated surveillance system utilizing a hyperoxemia-detection algorithm generated an electronic alert to a respiratory therapist's pager. Hyperoxemia was defined as [Formula: see text] > 0.5 and [Formula: see text] > 95% for > 30 min. No other aspects of treatment were changed. We assessed feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy. Primary outcome was duration of hyperoxemia during mechanical ventilation. An unsafe outcome was identified as hypoxemia ([Formula: see text] < 88%) within 1 h after titration per alert. Feasibility was assessed by a survey of respiratory therapists. RESULTS Of 226 randomized subjects, 31 were excluded (eg, programming errors of the electronic alerts, no consent, physician discretion). We included 195 subjects, of whom 86 were in the intervention arm. Alert accuracy was 78%, and respiratory therapists responded to 64% of the alerts. During mechanical ventilation, exposure to hyperoxemia significantly decreased in the intervention group (median 13.5 h [interquartile range 6.2-29.4] vs 18.8 h [interquartile range 9.6-37.4]). No episodes of significant hypoxemia were registered. Most respiratory therapists agreed that the alert was helpful in reducing excessive oxygen exposure. CONCLUSIONS Use of an electronic surveillance system to titrate [Formula: see text] was safe and feasible and showed preliminary efficacy in reducing hyperoxemia. Our study serves to justify larger randomized controlled trials for [Formula: see text] titration.
Virtual assessments of knee and wrist joint range motion have comparable reliability with face-to-face assessments.

Background There has been increased usage of virtual telerehabilitation approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is crucial to establish reliability of conducting virtual assessments for musculoskeletal conditions. Objectives This research determined the intra- and interrater reliability of measuring knee and wrist range of motion (ROM) assessed virtually and obtained face-to-face (F2F) using a goniometer (UG) for a student and an experienced examiner. Method Knee and wrist joint ROM for 54 healthy participants was assessed virtually and F2F by a student examiner and an experienced physical therapist. Intra- (virtual vs. UG assessment) and inter-rater (virtual or UG assessment between examiners) reliabilities were examined for all ROM using Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The ICC values were considered good (>0.75) or excellent (>0.90). Bland and Altman plots determined the limits of agreement (LOA) in assessing joint ROM. Results/findings Student examiner had good reliability in virtually estimating knee extension (ICC = 0.79), wrist flexion (ICC = 0.82) and wrist extension (ICC = 0.78), whereas the experienced examiner had excellent reliability in virtually estimating all knee and wrist ROM (ICC > 0.90). The LOA in assessing knee and wrist ROM for the student examiner were wider indicating higher disagreement between virtual and UG-obtained ROM in some cases. Conclusions Virtual estimation of knee and wrist ROM is a reliable technique, however experience level impacts the precision of measurement. It is suggested that the same examiner conducts all the ROM assessments throughout the clinical course of a patient receiving virtual interventions for knee or wrist pathologies.
Use of an automated anesthesia information system to determine reference limits for vital signs during cesarean section.

Introduction. We evaluated whether automated anesthesia information systems can be used to calculate reference limits (population-based “normal values”) for vital signs. We considered four populations of women undergoing cesarean section: healthy under spinal anesthesia, healthy under general anesthesia, pre-eclamptic/eclamptic under spinal anesthesia, and pre-eclamptic/eclamptic under general anesthesia. Methods. Reference limits were calculated for each of the study populations by determination of percentiles for: minimum heart rate, maximum heart rate, minimum arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2), minimum mean arterial pressure (MAP), maximum MAP, decrease in MAP, and increase in MAP. Results.There was one adverse anesthetic outcome among the 1,300 women in the study; the woman sustained a post-dural puncture headache. The 5th percentiles of SaO2 were at least 95% saturation under spinal versus90% under general. Under spinal anesthesia, 95th percentiles for decreases in MAP from baseline were 63 mmHg for healthy and 75 mmHg for pre-eclamptic/eclamptic women. Under general anesthesia, the 95th percentiles for maximum MAP were 161 and 177 mmHg, respectively. Two women of the 1,300 patients experienced simultaneously a minimum SaO2 <92% and minimum MAP <50 mmHg. Discussion. Automated anesthesia information systems can be used to determine reference limits for vital signs during anesthesia. Reference limits may play a role in malpractice cases when an expert claims that care by an anesthesiologist was sub-standard as shown by vital signs that were not maintained within the normal range during the critical portions of an anesthetic. Automated anesthesia information systems may enhance expert witnesses’ clinical judgment.
Overaccumulation, crisis, and the contradictions of household waste sorting:

This article builds on Marxist-feminist analyses of the links between the household, the economy, and the state through a discussion of recycling, pointing to the ways the unwaged work of household...
Evaluation of International Market Opportunities: A Creation Versus Discovery Perspective

In this article, I discuss two theories of opportunities—discovery and creation—as methods for entrepreneurs to evaluate international market opportunities under conditions of risk and uncertainty....
Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Growth and Grazing Rates Reduced by Microplastic Ingestion

Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in marine ecosystems worldwide, threatening fisheries production, food safety, and human health. Ingestion of microplastics by fish and large zooplankton has been documented, but there are few studies focusing on single-celled marine predators, including heterotrophic dinoflagellates. In laboratory experiments, the heterotrophic dinoflagellate species Oxyrrhis marina and Gyrodinium sp. readily ingested both algal prey and polystyrene microplastic spheres (2.5 - 4.5 µm), while Protoperidinium sp. did not ingest microplastics. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates that ingested microplastics had growth rates reduced by 25 to 35% over the course of 5 days. Reduced growth resulted in a 30 to 50% reduction of secondary production as measured as predator biomass. Ingestion rates of algal prey were also reduced in the microplastic treatments. When given a mixture of microplastics and algal prey, O. marina displayed a higher selectivity for algal prey than Gyrodinium sp. Observations in the coastal ocean showed that phylogenetically diverse taxa ingested microplastic beads, and thus heterotrophic dinoflagellates could contribute to trophic transfer of microplastics to higher trophic levels. The results of this study may suggest that continued increase in microplastic pollution in the ocean could lead to reduced secondary production of heterotrophic protists due to microplastic ingestion, altering the flow of energy and matter in marine microbial food webs.
Multiscale Simulation of an Influenza A M2 Channel Mutant Reveals Key Features of Its Markedly Different Proton Transport Behavior

The influenza A M2 channel, a prototype for the viroporin class of viral channels, is an acid-activated viroporin that conducts protons across the viral membrane, a critical step in the viral life cycle. As the protons enter from the viral exterior, four central His37 residues control the channel activation by binding subsequent protons, which opens the Trp41 gate and allows proton flux to the viral interior. Asp44 is essential for maintaining the Trp41 gate in a closed state at high pH, which results in asymmetric conduction. The prevalent D44N mutant disrupts this gate and opens the C-terminal end of the channel, resulting in overall increased conduction in the physiologically relevant pH range and a loss of this asymmetric conduction. Here, we use extensive Multiscale Reactive Molecular Dynamics (MS-RMD) and Quantum Mechanics/Molecular mechanics(QM/MM) simulations with an explicit, reactive excess proton to calculate the free energy of proton transport in the M2 mutant and to study the dynamic molecular-level behavior of D44N M2. We find that this mutation significantly lowers the barrier of His37 deprotonation in the activated state and shifts the barrier for entry up to the Val27 tetrad. These free energy changes are reflected in structural shifts. Additionally, we show that the increased hydration around the His37 tetrad diminishes the effect of the His37 charge on the channel&#39s water structure, facilitating proton transport and enabling activation from the viral interior. Altogether, this work provides key insight into the fundamental characteristics of PT in WT M2 and how the D44N mutation alters this PT mechanism, and it expands our understanding of the role of emergent mutations in viroporins.
Lactate Clearance Is Associated With Improved Survival in Cardiogenic Shock: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prognostic Factor Studies.

Abstract Objective Elevated blood lactate levels are strongly associated with mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock. Recent evidence suggests that the degree and rate at which blood lactate levels decrease after the initiation of treatment may be equally important in patient prognosis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the usefulness of lactate clearance as a prognostic factor in cardiogenic shock. Methods and Results We performed searches of Ovid MEDLINE, Elsevier EMBASE, EBM Reviews–Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science to identify studies comparing lactate clearance between survivors and nonsurvivors at one or more timepoints. Both prospective and retrospective studies were eligible for inclusion. Two study investigators independently screened, extracted data, and assessed the quality of all included studies. Twelve studies were included in the meta-analysis. The median lactate clearance at 6–8 hours was 21.9% (interquartile range [IQR] 14.6%–42.1%) in survivors and 0.6% (IQR –3.7% to 14.6%) in nonsurvivors. At 24 hours, the median lactate clearance was 60.7% (IQR 58.1%–76.3%) and 40.3% (IQR 30.2%–55.8%) in survivors and nonsurvivors, respectively. Accordingly, the pooled mean difference in lactate clearance between survivors and nonsurvivors at 6–8 hours was 17.3% (95% CI 11.6%–23.1%, P Conclusions Survivors had significantly greater lactate clearance at 6–8 hours and at 24 hours compared with nonsurvivors, suggesting that lactate clearance is an important prognostic marker in cardiogenic shock.
Frame Score, Grazing and Delayed Feedlot Entry Effect on Performance and Economics of Beef Steers from Small- and Large-Framed Cows in an Integrated Crop-Livestock System.

When selling small-framed steers at weaning, profitability is diminished. The hypothesis is that by using a vertically integrated business model that includes retained ownership, extended grazing, abbreviated feedlot finishing, and selling at slaughter, profitability would increase. Crossbred yearling steers (n = 288) from small size Aberdeen Angus (Lowline) × Red Angus × Angus × Angus cows and moderate to large size Red Angus × Angus × Simmental × Gelbvieh cows calved May−June were randomly assigned (complete randomized design), in a 3 y study, to feedlot control (FLT) and extended grazing (GRZ) frame score treatment groups. Mean frame score for FLT were small frame (SF) 3.82 and large frame (LF) 5.63, and for GRZ, SF: 3.77 and LF: 5.53. Least-square means were utilized to identify levels of effects and to control family-wise error adjusted with Tukey test. The FLT control steers were housed in the feedlot and fed growing diets and subsequently high energy corn-based diets for 218 days. The GRZ steers grazed a sequence of forages (native range, field pea-barley mix, and unharvested corn) for 212 days and then were transferred to the feedlot and fed high energy corn-based finishing diets for 82 days. The SF GRZ steers grew more slowly grazing native range and annual forages compared to GRZ LF steers, but SF steer grazing cost per kg of gain was reduced 7.80%. Grazing steers did not grow to their full genetic potential. Slower growth during grazing allowed LF and SF steers to grow structurally before feedlot entry creating a compensatory feedlot finishing growth response. Overall, grazing steer performance exceeded steer performance of the FLT control treatment and LF grazing steers had the highest rate of gain, and lowest feed cost per kg of gain. The GRZ steer feedlot days on feed were reduced 136 days and total feed intake was reduced resulting in LF and SF grazing steer feed cost reductions of 175.9 and 165.3%, respectively. Extended grazing also resulted in LF and SF grazing steer hot carcass weights to be greater than control LF and SF steers and SF grazing steers had greater dressing percent, and marbling score. Carcass quality grade, meat tenderness, and cooking losses were similar. System net returns were highest for LF (USD 911.58), and SF (USD 866.61) grazing steers. Managerial modification combining retained ownership, extended grazing, and delayed feedlot entry increased profitability and eliminated market bias.
An Algorithmic Theory of Metacognition in Minds and Machines.

Humans sometimes choose actions that they themselves can identify as sub-optimal, or wrong, even in the absence of additional information. How is this possible? We present an algorithmic theory of metacognition based on a well-understood trade-off in reinforcement learning (RL) between value-based RL and policy-based RL. To the cognitive (neuro)science community, our theory answers the outstanding question of why information can be used for error detection but not for action selection. To the machine learning community, our proposed theory creates a novel interaction between the Actor and Critic in Actor-Critic agents and notes a novel connection between RL and Bayesian Optimization. We call our proposed agent the Metacognitive Actor Critic (MAC). We conclude with showing how to create metacognition in machines by implementing a deep MAC and showing that it can detect (some of) its own suboptimal actions without external information or delay.
Weight Loss and Early Satiety

A 73-year-old Korean female presents to your office complaining of abdominal pain, weight loss, and early satiety. She states that she has been experiencing a “gnawing” pain in the mid-epigastrium. The pain originated one year ago, but she thought it was acid indigestion. She took a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) and some calcium carbonate (Tums), and the pain improved. The pain has progressively worsened and now she is experiencing dysphagia. Over the past 5 months, she has lost 25 lb, is easily fatigued, and unable to perform daily tasks around the house. The patient has a known medical history of coronary artery disease and a 50 pack-year history of smoking. She denies more than the occasional alcoholic beverage. She moved to the United States 10 years ago. Family history includes her father passing away of “some type of cancer.” Physical exam reveals tenderness to deep palpation in the mid-epigastrium as well as cachexia. Laboratory findings include anemia with a hemoglobin of 8.5 g/dL and hematocrit of 27 as well as a low MCV. All other lab findings were within normal limits. A fecal occult blood test is also positive.
Analyzing the environmental impacts of laptop enclosures using screening-level life cycle assessment to support sustainable consumer electronics

Abstract The market growth of consumer electronics makes it essential for industries and policy-makers to work together to develop sustainable products. The objective of this study is to better understand how to promote environmentally sustainable consumer electronics by examining the use of various materials in laptop enclosures (excluding mounting hardware, internal components, and insulation) using screening-level life cycle assessment. The baseline material, is a fossil plastic blend of polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Alternative materials include polylactic acid, bamboo, aluminum, and various combinations of these materials known to be currently used or being considered for use in laptops. The flame retardants considered in this study are bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate), triphenyl phosphate, 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide, and borax-boric acid-phosphorous acid. The Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts v2.1 was used for the assessment of impacts related to climate change, human and ecological health, and resource use. The assessment demonstrates that plastics, relative to the other materials, are currently some of the better performing materials in terms of having the lowest potential environmental impact for a greater number of impact categories based on product life cycle models developed in this study. For fossil plastics, the material performance increases with increasing post-consumer recycled content. To best characterize and improve the environmental sustainability of bio-based materials like polylactic acid, it will be necessary to better model end-of-life options for this application. The impacts of using pressed bamboo materials in laptop enclosures can be lessened by improving key sub-processes, such as strip gluing. The final issue highlighted by this study is the need to develop more sustainable alternatives for flame retardants and fillers because they can represent a significant portion of the cradle-to-grave life cycle impacts, even though they often constitute a small portion of the weight of the final product.
Blending Function Interpolation: A Survey and Some New Results

Blending function methods permit the exact interpolation of data given along curves and/or surfaces. Appropriate discretisations yield finite dimensional schemes. These methods are useful for Finite Element Analysis and for Computer Aided Geometric Design.
Systems analysis of spatial vision: An essay in honor of Professor L. H. Van Der Tweel

Abstract An overview is presented of the validity, the justification, the successes, the failures and the promise of the application of the systems approach to spatial vision.
Class II-restricted T cell responses in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelinating disease: III. Failure of neuroantigen-specific immune tolerance to affect the clinical course of demyelination☆

Intracerebral inoculation of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) into susceptible mouse strains produces a chronic demyelinating disease in which mononuclear cell-rich infiltrates in the central nervous system (CNS) are prominent. Current evidence strongly supports an immune-mediated basis for myelin breakdown, with an effector role proposed for TMEV-specific, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses in which lymphokine-activated macrophages mediate bystander demyelination. The present study examined the possibility that concomitant or later-appearing neuroantigen-specific autoimmune T cell responses, such as those demonstrated in chronic-relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (R-EAE), may contribute to the demyelinating process following TMEV infection. T cell responses against intact, purified major myelin proteins (myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP], and against altered myelin constituents were readily demonstrable in SJL/J mice with R-EAE, but were not detectable in SJL/J mice with TMEV-induced demyelinating disease. TMEV-infected mice also did not display T cell responses against the peptide fragments of MBP(91-104) and PLP(139-151) recently shown to be encephalitogenic in SJL/J mice. In addition, induction of neuroantigen-specific tolerance to a heterogeneous mixture of CNS antigens, via the i.v. injection of syngeneic SJL/J splenocytes covalently coupled with mouse spinal cord homogenate, resulted in significant suppression of clinical and histologic signs of R-EAE and the accompanying MBP- and PLP-specific DTH responses. In contrast, neuroantigen-specific tolerance failed to alter the development of clinical and histologic signs of TMEV-induced demyelinating disease or the accompanying virus-specific DTH and humoral immune responses. These findings demonstrate that TMEV-induced demyelinating disease can occur in the apparent absence of neuroantigen-specific autoimmune responses. The relationship of the present results to the immunopathology of multiple sclerosis is discussed.
Description of a theca-cell tumor in 1926.

Abstract 1. 1. An acknowledgment is made of a hitherto unpublished description of an ovarian tumor of theca-cell type by Drs. D. A. D'Esopo and W. Johnson in 1926. 2. 2. The case upon which the description of D'Esopo and Johnson is based is presented together with a photograph and photomicrographs.
Changes in Liver Lobule Glycogen Zonation During Prolonged Fasting of Rats Previously Fed a 30% Casein Diet and Adapted to a Controlled Feeding Schedule

Changes in the lobular distribution of liver glycogen were studied during the prolonged fasting of young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats that were previously adapted to a 30% casein diet and to the 2 + 22 controlled feeding and lighting schedule. The optical density of glycogen, revealed in fixed liver cryostat sections by the periodic acid-Schiff procedure, was determined in the periportal (P), midlobular (M), and centrilobular (C) regions of the liver lobule at various times during a 196-hour fasting period. The prolonged fast could be divided into 3 phases with respect to liver glycogen variation: initial glycogen depletion, glycogen resurgence, and final glycogen depletion. Glycogen was lost from all regions of the liver lobule during the initial glycogen depletion phase. During the glycogen resurgence phase, a lobular glycogen concentration gradient formed (P greater than M greater than C). The simultaneous occurrence of increasing liver glycogen, increasing liver tyrosine aminotransferase activity, and decreasing body fat during glycogen resurgence suggests that the young adult rat does not spare body protein during starvation. During the final glycogen depletion phase, liver glycogen was again present in a lobular gradient (P greater than M greater than C) but the absolute amount of glycogen in each region of the lobule was markedly reduced in comparison with rats killed during glycogen resurgence.
Monosyllabic Mandarin Tone Productions by 3-Year-Olds Growing Up in Taiwan and in the United States: Interjudge Reliability and Perceptual Results

Purpose The author compared monosyllabic Mandarin lexical tones produced by 3-year-old Mandarin-speaking children growing up in Taiwan and in the United States. Method Following the procedures in W...
Multimode dynamics in a free electron laser with energy shift

Abstract A one dimensional, multimode, self-consistent phenomenological theory for a free electron laser (FEL) oscillator is investigated numerically. The fundamental equations of an FEL are supplemented with a discontinuous decrease of the electron beam energy at each successive round trip in the cavity. We show that the laser power exhibits oscillations produced by the growth and decay of longitudinal modes evenly distributed in frequency. The model underlines the basic mechanism operating in the University of California, Santa Barbara free electron laser.
Effects of alloxan-induced diabetes on ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbit hearts

Hearts from rabbits with 8-16 weeks of alloxan-diabetes were compared with hearts from normal rabbits to determine whether diabetic myocardium is more sensitive to ischemic injury. In isolated buffer-perfused hearts, left ventricular developed pressure, diastolic pressure, time to peak pressure (TTPP), time to half-maximal relaxation (RT1/2), and positive and negative dP/dt were measured during generation of left ventricular filling curves before and after 90 minutes of low-flow ischemia. Hearts from diabetic rabbits (blood glucose, 384 +/- 28 mg/dl, mean +/- 95% confidence limits) had left ventricular developed and diastolic pressures similar to normal hearts but exhibited significant increases in TTPP and RT1/2 with decreased positive and negative dP/dt. Left ventricular chamber volume relative to heart mass was greater in diabetic than in normal hearts. Recovery of developed pressure after ischemia was similar in normal (41 +/- 16%) and diabetic hearts (47 +/- 13%). In diabetic hearts during recovery from ischemia, TTPP and R1/2 remained increased compared with normal hearts, with positive and negative dP/dt decreased compared with normal hearts, in proportion to the preischemic differences. After ischemia, high-energy phosphates were depleted to the same extent in normal and diabetic rabbits. In coronary ligation experiments, histochemically determined infarct size in diabetic rabbits after 30 minutes occlusion and 24 hours reperfusion was similar to that in normal rabbits when adjusted for a significantly smaller heart weight and a correspondingly smaller anatomic risk region in the diabetic animals. Thus, despite characteristic abnormalities of mechanical function in diabetic hearts, the severity of injury after ischemia with reperfusion was normal for diabetic hearts.