cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural Correlates of Impulse Control During Stop Signal Inhibition in Cocaine-Dependent Men

Altered impulse control is associated with substance use disorders, including cocaine dependence. We sought to identify the neural correlates of impulse control in abstinent male patients with cocaine dependence (PCD). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted during a stop signal task that allowed trial-by-trial evaluation of response inhibition. Fifteen male PCD and 15 healthy control (HC) subjects, matched in age and years of education, were compared. Stop signal reaction time (SSRT) was derived on the basis of a horse race model. By comparing PCD and HC co-varied for stop success rate, task-related frustration rating, and post-error slowing, we isolated the neural substrates of response inhibition, independent of attentional monitoring (of the stop signal) and post-response processes including affective responses and error monitoring. Using region of interest analysis, we found no differences between HC and PCD who were matched in stop signal performance in the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) previously shown to be associated with SSRT. However, compared with HC, PCD demonstrated less activation of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), an area thought to be involved in the control of stop signal inhibition. The magnitude of rACC activation also correlated negatively with the total score and the impulse control subscore of the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale in PCD. The current study thus identified the neural correlates of altered impulse control in PCD independent of other cognitive processes that may influence stop signal performance. Relative hypoactivation of the rACC during response inhibition may represent a useful neural marker of difficulties in impulse control in abstinent cocaine-dependent men who are at risk of relapse.
Long-Term Outcomes of Surgical Treatment for Hereditary Pheochromocytoma

Background The ideal surgical management of hereditary pheochromocytomas includes planning for a potential metachronous bilateral presentation and the possibility of lifelong steroid dependence if bilateral adrenalectomy is needed. An intact and viable cortical remnant after bilateral pheochromocytoma resection can eliminate the necessity for steroid dependency, but can increase the risk of pheochromocytoma recurrence. Study Design We retrospectively reviewed outcomes of all patients with a diagnosis of hereditary pheochromocytomas treated at our tertiary cancer institution from 1962–2011, with subset analysis of patients undergoing a cortical-sparing procedure in the setting of bilateral adrenalectomy. Results Of the ninety-six patients who underwent adrenalectomy for hereditary pheochromocytomas, 47 presented with bilateral disease. In 15 of the 49 patients (30%) who originally underwent unilateral adrenalectomy, pheochromocytoma developed in the contralateral gland at a median of 8.2 years (range 1 to 20 years) after the initial diagnosis. There were 4 recurrences in 55 cortical-sparing remnants (7%) and 3 recurrences in the adrenal bed after 101 intended total adrenal resections (3%) (p = 0.24). Total bilateral adrenalectomy was performed in 25 patients and acute adrenal insufficiency developed in 5 (20%) of those patients. An intended cortical-sparing adrenalectomy was performed in 39 patients and acute adrenal insufficiency developed in 1 (3%). Of these patients with adequate follow-up, 21 of 27 (78%) were steroid independent at 3-year follow-up. Sex, median age, adrenal vein preservation, metachronous adrenal resection, and bilateral cortical-sparing procedures did not predict steroid independence at 3 years. Conclusions Cortical-sparing adrenalectomy avoids long-term corticosteroid dependence in the majority of patients with hereditary pheochromocytoma with minimal risk of acute adrenal insufficiency. Recurrence occurs in approximately 7% of adrenal remnants.
Flask: staged functional programming for sensor networks

Severely resource-constrained devices present a confounding challenge to the functional programmer: we are used to having powerful abstraction facilities at our fingertips, but how can we make use of these tools on a device with an 8- or 16-bit CPU and at most tens of kilobytes of RAM? Motivated by this challenge, we have developed Flask, a domain specific language embedded in Haskell that brings the power of functional programming to sensor networks, collections of highly resource-constrained devices. Flask consists of a staging mechanism that cleanly separates node-level code from the meta-language used to generate node-level code fragments; syntactic support for embedding standard sensor network code; a restricted subset of Haskell that runs on sensor networks and constrains program space and time consumption; a higher-level "data stream" combinator library for quickly constructing sensor network programs; and an extensible runtime that provides commonly-used services.We demonstrate Flask through several small code examples as well as a compiler that generates node-level code to execute a network-wide query specified in a SQL-like language. We show how using Flask ensures constraints on space and time behavior. Through microbenchmarks and measurements on physical hardware, we demonstrate that Flask produces programs that are efficient in terms of CPU and memory usage and that can run effectively on existing sensor network hardware.
eNOS uncoupling and endothelial dysfunction in aged vessels

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling is a mechanism that leads to endothelial dysfunction. Previously, we reported that shear stress-induced release of nitric oxide in vessels of age...
Evidence-Based Cardiology in Hemodialysis Patients

Cardiac events are the major cause of death in hemodialysis patients. Because of the paucity of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in hemodialysis patients, most cardiovascular therapies in this population are based on observational studies or results extrapolated from studies that excluded hemodialysis patients. However, associations discovered in observational studies do not prove causality, and these studies often report surrogate outcomes rather than clinical end points. Furthermore, interventions that show effectiveness in the general population may have drastically different outcomes and side effect profiles in hemodialysis patients. This review discusses the results of RCTs undertaken recently to evaluate cardiovascular therapies in hemodialysis patients and emphasizes clinically relevant outcomes. Although some interventions have produced similar outcomes in hemodialysis patients and the general population, others have not, suggesting that the management of cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients may require strategies that differ from the best practice guidelines applied to general population.
Single-Voided Urine Metanephrine Assays in Screening for Pheochromocytoma

To facilitate the screening for pheochromocytoma, we have validated the use of single-voided, spot urine specimens for the determination of total metanephrines. Metanephrine excretion was found to be quite constant throughout the day and night in ten patients with essential hypertension and seven patients with pheochromocytoma. The levels in single-voided specimens were closely correlated to those in 24-hour specimens in 100 hypertensive subjects. The mean ± 2 SD metanephrine excretion in single-voided urine specimens from 500 hypertensive subjects was 0.351 ± 0.356 μg/mg of creatinine. (Arch Intern Med137:190-193, 1977)
Brief Papers on the Feasibility of Imaging Radar on Small Spacecraft

Considerable interest exists, especially within the geoscience community, in utilizing existing spacecraft as carriers for geoscience-oriented remote sensors. Consequently, effort is underway to select instruments suitable for different sizes of spacecraft and to determine operational constraints. This paper points out that imaging radar systems can be employed on a smaller spacecraft than many have thought possible.
¡Pobre Raza!: Violence, Justice, and Mobilization among México Lindo Immigrants, 1900-1936

* Acknowledgments * Introduction *1. The Mexican Revolution, Border Mexicans, and Anglos *2. Mexico Lindo Mobilization *3. The Consuls and Mexico Undo *4. Mexican Criminals in the United States *5. Police Treatment of Mexican Immigrants *6. Civilian Violence against Mexican Immigrants *7. Mexicans and Justice in the Courtroom *8. Capital Punishment and Mexicans in the United States *9. Doing Time for Mexicans in the United States *10. Extradition between Mexico and the United States * Conclusion * Appendix A. White and Black Civilian Violence against Mexicans * Appendix B. Mexican-on-Mexican Violence in Texas and the Chicago Area * Notes * Bibliography * Index
Properties of the Amylase from Halobacterium halobium

Abstract Halobacterium halobium amylase had optimal activity at pH 6.4 to 6.6 in sodium β-glycerophosphate buffer containing 0.05% NaCl at 55 C; Ca2+ was not required. End products from amylose were maltose, maltotriose, and glucose. The amylase, which was devoid of transglucosylase activity, had a multichain attack mechanism.
Overexcitability in Gifted Sexually Diverse Populations.

This study examined overexcitability in 100 gifted university students. Females scored higher on emotional and sensual over-excitability (OE), and males scored higher on intellectual, imaginational, and psychomotor OE. When examined by orientation within gender, however, nonheterosexual females scored higher than heterosexual females in psychomotor, significantly higher in intellectual, slightly higher in sensual, and slightly lower in emotional and imaginational OE. Heterosexual males scored significantly higher than nonheterosexual males in psychomotor, higher in sensual, slightly higher in imaginational, lower in intellectual, and slightly lower in emotional OE. Each population appears to be unique, and sexual diversity is one factor that seems to have a significant effect on the lives of gifted students.
Optimal active suspension control based on a half-car model

Simple yet, in practice, meaningful state-space formulations of the optimal suspension control problem for a half-car 2D vehicle model are considered. By using an efficient equivalent representation, a complete analytical solution of the related fourth-order linear quadratic problem is obtained. The problem structure and associated analytical results are used to deduce a number of important generic properties of the optimal solution, and these in turn form a basis for global, centralized, and decentralized optimal suspension performance studies. >
Modulations of soleus H-reflex excitability during gait initiation: central versus peripheral influences.

Soleus and tibialis anterior electromyogram (EMG) and soleus H-reflexes were recorded from the stance limb of an individual who suffered a traumatic peroneal nerve injury and of four nonimpaired individuals during gait initiation. The control subjects also initiated walking after swaying forward (sway-gait initiation), which eliminated the initial tibialis anterior activation. During the initial period of gait initiation, H-reflexes were depressed to 43% of standing values during normal-gait initiation and 86% during sway-gait initiation in the nonimpaired subjects. H-reflexes of the nerve-injured subject were depressed to 37%, even though no tibialis anterior EMG was observed. The findings support the view that reciprocal inhibition of the soleus during a task, which normally involves tibialis anterior activation, is due to a centrally mediated process.
HIV Testing among Outpatients with Medicaid and Commercial Insurance.

Objective To assess HIV testing and factors associated with receipt of testing among persons with Medicaid and commercial insurance during 2012. Methods Outpatient and laboratory claims were analyzed from two databases: all Medicaid claims from six states and all claims from Medicaid health plans from four other states and a large national convenience sample of patients with commercial insurance in the United States. We excluded those aged 64 years, enrolled <9 of the 12 months, pregnant females, and previously diagnosed with HIV. We identified patients with new HIV diagnoses that followed (did not precede) the HIV test, using HIV ICD-9 codes. HIV testing percentages were assessed by patient demographics and other tests or diagnoses that occurred during the same visit. Results During 2012, 89,242 of 2,069,536 patients (4.3%) with Medicaid had at least one HIV test, and 850 (1.0%) of those tested received a new HIV diagnosis. Among 27,206,804 patients with commercial insurance, 757,646 (2.8%) had at least one HIV test, and 5,884 (0.8%) of those tested received a new HIV diagnosis. During visits that included an HIV test, 80.2% of Medicaid and 83.0% of commercial insurance claims also included a test or diagnosis for a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and/or Hepatitis B or C virus at the same visit. Conclusions HIV testing primarily took place concurrently with screening or diagnoses for STIs or Hepatitis B or C. We found little evidence to suggest routine screening for HIV infection was widespread.
Genetic variation and population structure in a threatened species, the Utah prairie dog Cynomys parvidens: the use of genetic data to inform conservation actions.

The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens), listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act, was the subject of an extensive eradication program throughout its range during the 20th century. Eradication campaigns, habitat destruction/fragmentation/conversion, and epizootic outbreaks (e.g., sylvatic plague) have reduced prairie dog numbers from an estimated 95,000 individuals in the 1920s to approximately 14,000 (estimated adult spring count) today. As a result of these anthropogenic actions, the species is now found in small isolated sets of subpopulations. We characterized the levels of genetic diversity and population genetic structure using 10 neutral nuclear microsatellite loci for twelve populations (native and transplanted) representative of the three management designated “recovery units,” found in three distinct biogeographic regions, sampled across the species' range. The results indicate (1) low levels of genetic diversity within colonies (H e = 0.109–0.357; H o = 0.106‐ 0.313), (2) high levels of genetic differentiation among colonies (global F ST = 0.296), (3) very small genetic effective population sizes, and (4) evidence of genetic bottlenecks. The genetic data reveal additional subdivision such that colonies within recovery units do not form single genotype clusters consistent with recovery unit boundaries. Genotype cluster membership support historical gene flow among colonies in the easternmost West Desert Recovery Unit with the westernmost Pausaugunt colonies and among the eastern Pausaugunt colonies and the Awapa Recovery unit to the north. In order to maintain the long‐term viability of the species, there needs to be an increased focus on maintaining suitable habitat between groups of existing populations that can act as connective corridors. The location of future translocation sites should be located in areas that will maximize connectivity, leading to maintenance of genetic variation and evolutionary potential.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Obesity is a major health problem in the United States. The Framingham Heart Study group recently published that the incidence of obesity (BMI >30) in men increased from 5.8 % in the 1950s to 14.8% in the 1990s and the incidence in women has increased from 3.9 to 14% in the 1990s [1]. Obesity is a contributing factor in multiple health conditions including type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and some cancers. Morbid obesity is not only costly in terms of a patient’s overall quality of life, but also has important financial repercussions. A study of national costs attributed to an overweight body habitus (BMI 25-29.9) and obesity (BMI > 30) projected medical expenses due to these conditions to account for approximately 92.6 billion dollars in 2002 [2, 3].
County Planning Project—A Cooperative Approach to Agricultural Planning

Present planning activity of the Department of Agriculture and the Land-Grant Colleges, sometimes called the county planning project and more recently described as the county land-use planning project, is one of the latest chapters in the history of a long succession of cooperative efforts on the part of these institutions to promote a better rural life. More specifically defined, it is a cooperative effort on the part of the various agencies of the USDA, the Land-Grant Colleges, related State and local agencies, and representative farmers in each locality, State, and in the nation as a whole, to develop and currently revise agricultural plans and policies that will serve to coordinate various agricultural programs and related public activities, to increase their effectiveness in promoting long-time as well as emergency objectives, and to develop needed additional programs. The remainder of this paper will be an elaboration of this definition.
Animal Assisted Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Animal assisted intervention (AAI), which has been defined as the use of an animal to provide therapeutic benefit based on a positive relationship between the client and the animal, is a therapy option for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); therefore, it is beneficial to review studies that evaluated its effectiveness. A systematic search identified 20 studies that were assessed in terms of (a) participant characteristics, (b) independent variables, (c) dependent variables, (d) study outcomes, and (e) certainty of evidence. Although AAI studies reported either positive or mixed results, multiple methodological flaws were identified across the literature, which is cause for concern when determining intervention efficacy. Because of these contradictory findings and research design limitations, additional inquiry is needed. As such, caregivers and practitioners should exercise caution in selecting AAI as part of an intervention package for children with ASD.
Structure of Phoretic Mite Assemblages Across Subcortical Beetle Species at a Regional Scale

Mites associated with subcortical beetles feed and reproduce within habitats transformed by tree-killing herbivores. Mites lack the ability to independently disperse among these habitats, and thus have evolved characteristics that facilitate using insects as transport between resources. Studies on associations between mites and beetles have historically been beetle-centric, where an assemblage of mite species is characterized on a single beetle species. However, available evidence suggests there may be substantial overlap among mite species on various species of beetles utilizing similar host trees. We assessed the mite communities of multiple beetle species attracted to baited funnel traps in Pinus stands in southern Wisconsin, northern Arizona, and northern Georgia to better characterize mite dispersal and the formation of mite-beetle phoretic associations at multiple scales. We identified approximately 21 mite species totaling 10,575 individuals on 36 beetle species totaling 983 beetles. Of the mites collected, 97% were represented by eight species. Many species of mites were common across beetle species, likely owing to these beetles' common association with trees in the genus Pinus. Most mite species were found on at least three beetle species. Histiostoma spp., Iponemus confusus Lindquist, Histiogaster arborsignis Woodring and Trichouropoda australis Hirschmann were each found on at least seven species of beetles. While beetles had largely similar mite membership, the abundances of individual mite species were highly variable among beetle species within each sampling region. Phoretic mite communities also varied within beetle species between regions, notably for Ips pini (Say) and Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff).
Temperature and -ΔG° Dependence of the Electron Transfer to and from QA in Reaction Center Protein from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Photosynthetic reaction center proteins (RC) have provided an important system for the study of biological electron transfer mechanisms. Initially, the investigation focused simply on the oxidation-reduction of the cofactors that function as donor and accepter. As details of both the reaction pathways and protein structure emerge, attention can now turn toward the role of the protein matrix in electron transfer. This not only provides the scaffolding for the redox sites, but also a medium that should be energetically coupled to the electron transfer event. On a broader front, the reactions occurring in the RC, with its defined structure and characterized reactions, offer a unique opportunity to test current, general theoretical models for electron transfer.
From Mixtures to Binders: Can the Inverse Problem be Solved?

This paper investigates the inverse problem of obtaining asphalt binder properties from asphalt mixture properties. First, the forward problem of predicting the mixture properties from binder properties is investigated using several micromechanical and phenomenological models and asphalt binder and mixture creep stiffness data obtained with the Bending Beam Rheometer. Next, Hirsch model was selected as most promising and its capability in providing the binder properties from the mixture properties was evaluated. Digital Image Processing techniques are also used to obtain additional information on the microstructure of the mixture and to improve the performance of the models.
Cardiac dysfunction following brain death in children: prevalence, normalization, and transplantation.

OBJECTIVES Cardiac dysfunction has been reported to occur in as much as 42% of adults with brain death, and may limit cardiac donation after brain death. Knowledge of the prevalence and natural course of cardiac dysfunction after brain death may help to improve screening and transplant practices but adequately sized studies in pediatric brain death are lacking. The aims of our study are to describe the prevalence and course of cardiac dysfunction after pediatric brain death. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING/SUBJECTS We examined an organ procurement organization database (Life Center Northwest) of potential pediatric cardiac donors diagnosed with brain death between January 2011 and November 2013. INTERVENTION Transthoracic echocardiograms were reviewed for cardiac dysfunction (defined as ejection fraction <50% or the presence of regional wall motion abnormalities). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze clinical characteristics and describe longitudinal echocardiogram findings in a subgroup of patients. We examined for heterogeneity between cardiac dysfunction with respect to cause of brain death. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS We identified 60 potential pediatric cardiac donors (age ≤ 18 yr) with at least one transthoracic echocardiogram following brain death. Cardiac dysfunction was present in 23 patients (38%) with brain death. Mean ejection fraction (37.6% vs 62.2%) and proportion of procured hearts (56.5% vs 83.8%) differed significantly between the groups with and without cardiac dysfunction, respectively. Of the 11 subjects with serial transthoracic echocardiogram data, the majority of patients with cardiac dysfunction (73%) improved over time, leading to organ procurement. No heterogeneity between cardiac dysfunction and particular causes of brain death was observed. CONCLUSION The frequency of cardiac dysfunction in children with brain death is high. Serial transthoracic echocardiograms in patients with cardiac dysfunction showed improvement of cardiac function in most patients, suggesting that initial decisions to procure should not solely depend on the initial transthoracic echocardiogram examination results.
Investigation of HBsAb and HBsAg for children aged 0-6 in Anhui province in 2011

Objective To describe the HBsAb and HBsAg level in children aged 0-6 in Anhui province.Methods Multi-section random sampling method were used to collect 1 783 children aged 0-6 in 16 monitoring points of 16 counties(cities,districts) in Anhui Province.Questionnaires and 1-2 milliliter venous blood were collected from these subjects.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect HBsAg and HBsAb.Results Positive rate of HBsAb and HBsAg were 64.27% and 0.07% respectively among 0-6 years old children in Anhui province in 2011.The vaccination rate and the first dose coverage rate timely of hepatitis B vaccine among 0-6 years old children were 100.00% and 91.98% respectively.Conclusion The HBsAb level maintained a high level in children aged 0~,but the level declined with age increasing among 1-6 years old children in Anhui province.
Fractional expression of Gn and Gc protein of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus

Objective To fractional expression of Gn and Gc protein of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus(SFTSV).Methods Three overlapping fragments Gn1,Gn2,Gn3,Gc1,Gc2 and Gc3 of Gn and Gc gene of SFTSV were amplified by PCR.PCR products were cloned into the expression vector pET28a(+).The recombinant Plasmids pET28a-Gn(Gn1),pET28a-Gn(Gn2),pET28a-Gn(Gn3),pET28a-Gc(Gc1),pET28a-Gc(Gc2)and pET28a-Gc(Gc3)were identified by digestion,pcr and sequencing and then transformed into BL21 cell and were induced by IPTG,then were tested by Western Blot.Results The recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pET28a-Gn(Gn1),pET28a-Gn(Gn2),pET28a-Gn(Gn3),pET28a-Gc(Gc1),pET28a-Gc(Gc2)and pET28a-Gc(Gc3)were successfully constructed.The Gn1,Gn2,Gn3,Gc1,Gc2 and Gc3 protein were finally expressed.Conclusion The Gn and Gc Gene of SFTSV were expressed successfully.It laid a foundation of study on immune epitopes and Structure and function of Gn and Gc protein.
Patient perceptions of missed nursing care.

Article-at-a-Glance Background A series of studies involving nursing staff perception have shown that a significant amount of standard nursing care is being "missed"—that is, aspects of required patient care are omitted or significantly delayed. A study was conducted to (1) determine the elements of nursing care that patients are able to report on and (2) to gain insight into the extent and type of missed nursing care experienced by a group of patients. Methods In-depth, semistructured, face-to-face interviews, guided by open-ended and interactive questions, were conducted with 38 inpatients on seven different patient care units in an acute care hospital. Findings For Question 1, elements were categorized as fully reportable (for example, mouth care, bathing, and pain medication), partially reportable (hand washing, vital signs, and patient education), or not reportable (nursing assessment, skin assessment, intravenous site care). For Question 2, patients identified mouth care, ambulation, discharge planning, patient education, listening to them, and being kept informed as frequently missing. Patients sometimes missed response to call lights and alarms, meal assistance, pain medication and follow-up, other medication administration, and repositioning. Nursing care identified as rarely missed were bathing, vital signs, and hand washing. Conclusions There is a large area of care for which patients can give an account if they are cognizant of their surroundings and mentally able to do so. For certain aspects of care, patients' perceptions of missed care were similar to those of nursing staff. There is a need to link specific aspects of nursing care to patient outcomes to assist in determining how essential specific elements of nursing care are and the cost-benefit balance of completing them or not.
Bounded Rationality and Garbage Can Models of Policy-Making

In this chapter I review the orientations of two related policy frameworks: bounded rationality and multiple streams/garbage cans. I trace their foundations emphasize their strengths, and delineate their weakness. Both do not reject rational behavior but specify alternative models under explicit conditions that more closely approximate what analysts observe in the policy process. They stress computational, cognitive, and organizational limitations. Multiple streams add that greater ambiguity and contestation leads to more politicized, disjointed, and non-rational policy-making. Together they enhance the empirical validity of models of policy-making but also complicate them substantially.
Impediments to the American Railroads’ Achieving their Comparative Advantage for Long-distance Movement

It is generally agreed that railroad transportation has a comparative advantage for long-distance inland movements of freight. It is also generally agreed that the American railroads are not realising this comparative advantage, though the reasons for this are in some dispute.
Improving Course Coherence & Assessment Rigor: “Understanding by Design” in a Nonmajors Biology Course

Abstract Instructors in two- and four-year undergraduate institutions face a variety of challenges in designing and delivering high-quality courses for their students and in creating accurate assessments of student learning. Traditional course planning (a linear, start-to-finish process based on the knowledge and perspective of the instructor) can lead to lack of clarity of learning objectives for students, uncertainty about course priorities for both instructor and students, and poor alignment between course material and assessments. To address these issues, Understanding by Design (UbD), a course-planning protocol widely used in K—12 education, was implemented to redesign a one-semester, nonmajors “Sensation & Perception” course at a four-year liberal arts college. This implementation improved the instructor's understanding of desired student learning outcomes, allowed core concepts and science competencies to be prioritized as recommended by the “Vision and Change” reform initiative, and led to decreas...
Beyond the Hot Flashes: New Portrayals of Mature Women

On 20 May 2015, after 33 years on the small screen, CBS’s The Late Night with David Letterman aired for the last time. In the lead-up to his finale, the longest running late night host featured an array of memorable all-star guest appearances. One of the most memorable, perhaps, was Tina Fey’s visit to the show, which resulted in her doing a striptease in honor of the retiring icon. It probably sounds a bit more scandalous than it actually was. Despite the fact that the band did, in fact, play a few suggestive instrumental chords while she began to disrobe, the stunt was never meant to be arousing. Like much of Fey’s comedy, there was obvious social commentary involved. After the 42-year-old comedian joked that in honor of his departure she would never wear a fancy dress on a talk show again, she removed it to reveal an intricate assortment of full coverage underwear — two sets of Spanx and a supportive bra — none of which could be labeled provocative lingerie. Across her fully constricted abdomen were the words ‘Bye Dave.’1 But it was her comments after giving him her little blue dress as a keepsake that revealed the intent of her ‘tongue-in-cheek feminist performance art.’2 Noting that it was her last time ‘conforming to gender norms’ and then commenting on the extremes that women go to in order to achieve beauty ideals (mocking her ‘almost medical’ under attire), it’s clear Fey wanted to use the public platform to call attention to feminist issues, although some felt the stunt fell flat.3
Romantic Planet: Science and Literature within the Anthropocene

This article surveys recent scholarship in Romantic science and literature, exploring what such studies may offer the recent “planetary turn” in ecocriticism and postcolonial research on the Anthropocene. Situating these studies in a longer critical history, it explores their implications for how we engage modern climate science. The “Romantic century” 1750–1850 marks both the dawn of the Anthropocene and a formative stage in its sciences and technologies, from the industrial revolution to modern theories of climate change and ecology. Because ecocritical writing, including green Romanticism and ecofeminism, as well as research into colonialism, empire, and global capitalism were traditionally skeptical of Western science, their recent theorizations of “planetarity” do not adequately confront a new investment in the empirical claims of global warming. Positing that the traffic between science and social forms is asymmetric – two-way but uneven – the author argues that Romantic science and literature both furnishes a sophisticated historical epistemology for planetary studies and, in its concern for the technologies, genres, and social forms that produced the Anthropocene, an epistemology of the climate that may help us dig our way out.
Experimental characterization of a F/1.5 geometric-phase lens with high-achromatic efficiency and low aberration

We report on the properties of a fast F/1.5 geometric-phase lens with a focal length of 37 mm at 633 nm and a 24.5 mm diameter. This lens employs photo-aligned liquid crystal layers to implement the spatially varying Pancharatnam-Berry phase, leading to the expected polarization- and wavelength-dependent focusing. An achromatic spectrum is achieved using (chiral nematic) multi-twist retarder coatings, with high first-order (≥98%) and low zero-order (≤1%) transmittance across 450-700 nm. We measure traditional optical metrics of the GP lens including focused spot profile and modulation transfer function through knife edge testing and NBS 1963a resolution charts. This work includes a comparison to similar F/# conventional thick and thin lenses.
Transient absorption imaging of carrier dynamics in disordered semiconductors

To unravel the impact of defects in the local charge carrier dynamics of lead-halide perovskite thin films, we employ transient absorption microscopy, which couples ultrafast temporal resolution with ~200 nm spatial resolution, to locally interrogate charge carrier cooling, transport, and recombination in individual domains. Ultrafast imaging of charge carrier diffusion shows significant domain-to-domain variation in carrier mobility within a single thin film. Direct correlation of these spectroscopic measurements to scanning electron microscopies reveals a strong dependence on domain size and quality. We also examine the effects of surface states and carrier density on the effective mobility and discuss implications for photovoltaics and other optoelectronic devices.
A comparison of two low-calorie sweeteners and sugar in dark chocolate on sensory attributes and emotional conceptualisations

Reducing sugar consumption is an important aspect in the prevention of and fight against obesity. A broader understanding of consumers' perceptions of low-calorie sweeteners is needed. This study examined two low-calorie sweeteners, tagatose and stevia, in comparison to sugar in dark chocolate. A total of 219 consumers participated in this study and rated overall liking and sensory attributes. Participants also listed their emotional conceptualisations upon consumption and were assessed on emotional eating behaviour and health and taste attitudes. The chocolate with tagatose was perceived as more similar to the chocolate with sugar than with stevia on overall liking, texture, bitterness, duration of aftertaste and intensity of aftertaste. Furthermore, chocolate with sugar and chocolate with tagatose both elicited positive emotional conceptualisations whereas chocolate with stevia elicited negative emotional conceptualisations. In conclusion, dark chocolate with tagatose did not significantly differ from sugar in overall liking, most sensory attributes and emotional conceptualisation.
Reentrant Flow Shops

We introduce flow shops that revisit certain processors, and define the common patterns of flow: cyclic, chain, hub, and V-shaped. We show that even the simplest case, the (1,2,1)-reentrant shop, is NPhard, establish properties that facilitate a branch-and-bound algorithm, and present two simple but very effective heuristics. With m machines, we give for chain-reentrance simplifying properties, for hub-reentrance a DP based on simplifying assumptions that yet performs well, for Vreentrance a solvable special case. For cyclic production of a single product in the general m-machine reentrant shop, we give an algorithm for finding the efficient frontier between cycle time and flow time, and a heuristic for larger instances. For the hybrid reentrant system, if all jobs require the same time for each production step but have different due dates, dispatching rules are recommended and compared.
Drug Targets in Neurotrophin Signaling in the Central and Peripheral Nervous System

Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that play an important role in the regulation of the growth, survival, and differentiation of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system. Neurotrophins were earlier characterized by their role in early development, growth, maintenance, and the plasticity of the nervous system during development, but recent findings also indicate their complex role during normal physiology in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Therefore, it is important to recognize a deficiency in the expression of neurotrophins, a major factor driving the debilitating features of several neurologic and psychiatric diseases/disorders. On the other hand, overexpression of neurotrophins is well known to play a critical role in pathogenesis of chronic pain and afferent sensitization, underlying conditions such as lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/disorders and osteoarthritis. The existence of a redundant receptor system of high-and low-affinity receptors accounts for the diverse, often antagonistic, effects of neurotrophins in neurons and non-neuronal tissues in a spatial and temporal manner. In addition, studies looking at bladder dysfunction because of conditions such as spinal cord injury and diabetes mellitus have found alterations in the levels of these neurotrophins in the bladder, as well as in sensory afferent neurons, which further opens a new avenue for therapeutic targets. In this review, we will discuss the characteristics and roles of key neurotrophins and their involvement in the central and periphery nervous system in both normal and diseased conditions.
CHAPTER 7 – Conclusions

I have had an opportunity of seeing a Cape hyaena at Oxford. … I was enabled also to observe the animal's mode of proceeding in the destruction of bones: the shin bone of an ox being presented to this hyaena, he began to bite off with his molar teeth large fragments from its upper extremity, and swallowed them whole as fast as they were broken off. On his reaching the medullary cavity, the bone split into angular fragments … he went on cracking it till he had extracted all the marrow … this done, he left untouched the lower condyle, which contains no marrow, and is very hard. The state and form of this residuary fragment are precisely like those of similar bones at Kirkdale; the marks of teeth on it are very few … these few, however, entirely resemble the impressions we find on the bones at Kirkdale; the small splinters also in form and size, and manner of fracture, are not distinguishable from the fossil ones … there is absolutely no difference between them, except in point of age.
Lashley, Karl Spencer

American psychologist Karl Lashley (1890–1958) made influential contributions to the study of learning and memory. Lashley conducted a systematic search for the means by which memory traces are stored in the brain (the engram). To this end, Lashley measured behavior before and after carefully quantified cortical damage in rats. Unexpectedly, he found that amount rather than location of the cortical tissue removed influenced the ability to acquire and retain information. Lashley therefore concluded that memories are not localized but are instead widely distributed throughout the cortex. He proposed that the cerebral cortex acts holistically in many types of learning (principle of mass action) and that the locus of damage is not important (principle of equipotentiality). Lashley also famously contributed to the linkage of migrainous auras and cortical spreading depression.
Lesion Experiments: Some Anatomical Considerations

Until quite recently, the selective lesion technique was the principal tool for experimental neuroanatomy. This approach to the understanding of the structure and the neuronal connectivity of the nervous system has its foundation in clinical neurology. Thus, by carefully correlating functional and behavioral deficits in living patients with pathology in the nervous system examined after death, the “functions” subserved by many of the principal tracts were determined. Indeed, by these correlations the functional organization within several areas of the brain of man was determined (e.g., Jackson, 1958; Holmes, 1918).
Essentials of Hamiltonian Dynamics

1. Fundamentals of classical dynamics 2. Hamiltonian formalism 3. Integrable systems 4. Canonical perturbation theory 5. Order and chaos in Hamiltonian systems 6. The swing-spring Appendix: Mathematica(R) samples Index.
Therapeutic gardening: A counseling approach for bereavement from suicide

This article focuses on an innovative approach to treating people bereaved by the suicide of a loved one. Nature is powerful and restorative, and some research already supports the therapeutic use of nature to address grief. We outline a therapeutic gardening approach to use with survivors of suicide loss and present a case study. This approach can be used by counselors who work individually with people bereaved by suicide as a way of assisting and supporting them through their grief. Though we suggest that nature can be used as part of the therapeutic process, careful consideration should be made to ensure privacy and confidentiality. Implementing this approach requires planning and intentionality.
Scalable Distributed Memory Community Detection Using Vite

Graph clustering, popularly known as community detection, is a fundamental graph operation used in many applications related to network analysis and cybersecurity. The goal of community detection is to partition a network into “communities” such that each community consists of a tightly-knit group of nodes with relatively sparser connections to the rest of the nodes in the network. To compute clustering on large-scale networks, efficient parallel algorithms capable of fully exploiting features of modern architectures are needed. However, due to their irregular and inherently sequential nature, many of the current algorithms for community detection are challenging to parallelize. In response to the 2018 Streaming Graph Challenge, we present Vite—a distributed memory parallel implementation of the Louvain method, a widely used serial method for community detection. In addition to a baseline parallel implementation of the Louvain method, Vite also includes a number of heuristics that significantly improve performance while preserving solution quality. Using the datasets from the 2018 Graph Challenge (static and streaming), we demonstrate superior performance and high quality solutions.
Radiographic Soft Tissue Thickness Differentiating Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis From Other Finger Infections.

Purpose Characteristic swelling has been described as a differentiating sign of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) but has not been validated. We conducted a retrospective study of adults with finger infections to compare radiographic parameters of soft tissue dimensions. Our hypothesis was that in patients with digit infections, radiographic soft tissue thickness measurement would differ between PFT and non-PFT infected digits. Methods Patients with a finger infection and radiographic evaluation were identified retrospectively at a large academic medical center and divided into 2 groups: PFT (n = 31) and non-PFT infections (n = 31). We defined PFT as purulence in the tendon sheath or positive culture growth from the sheath at surgery. Non-PFT infections included all other finger infections such as abscesses and cellulitis . A total of 15 radiographic measurements were made on all included digits. Ratios and differences were calculated to characterize the pattern of swelling for each infected finger. Bivariate analysis was performed to identify potential predictor variables between the PFT and non-PFT groups. Logistic regression was performed to reduce confounding and model potential relationships. Results Neither presence of diffuse swelling nor the shape of finger swelling distinguished PFT from non-PFT infections. All finger infections resulted in diffuse swelling. Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis was distinguished by differential volar soft tissue thickness minus dorsal soft tissue thickness on radiographs at the proximal phalanx level (9 ± 1 mm for PFT vs 5 ± 1 mm for non-PFT). This was an independent predictor of PFT. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.73–0.94). A difference between volar and dorsal soft tissue swelling of 7 mm or greater had a positive predictive value of 82% with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 74%. A difference of 10 mm predicted PFT infection with 76% probability (95% confidence interval, 73% to 99%). Conclusions Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis may result in uniform finger swelling, but this does not appear to distinguish PFT from other finger infections. Acute PFT swelling is distinguished by differential volar versus dorsal radiographic soft tissue thickness at the level of the proximal phalanx. The term “fusiform swelling” is a misnomer for the appearance of acute PFT because the finger is not spindle-shaped. Type of study/level of evidence Diagnostic IV.
Abstract 3740: Ionizing radiation-induced transcriptomic changes in triple-negative breast cancer cells reveal putative mechanisms of treatment resistance

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in women. Of these, triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) remain the most difficult to treat. Unlike hormone-driven breast cancers, TNBCs that remain in remission past the five-year mark rarely relapse and are considered functionally cured. Thus, investigating mechanisms of treatment resistance in order to improve remission rates is of paramount importance. In this study, we use RNA-Seq to analyze global transcriptomic changes in TNBC cells in response to DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR). Applying gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we have identified a number of expression signatures that represent putative mechanisms of resistance to treatment. In prior work, we have demonstrated the role of the transcription factor Gli1, the terminal effector of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, in regulating the expression of DNA repair proteins in response to genotoxic damage with cisplatin. We have previously shown that Hh inhibition blunts the expected upregulation of specific proteins involved in single-strand DNA repair in ovarian cancer cells. Here, we expand on our earlier studies by examining TNBC cells with high levels of Hh activity and querying how global transcriptomic changes in response to IR are altered by Hh inhibition. Our data suggest that rational manipulation of these pathways may sensitize TNBCs to treatment and improve the functional cure rate of these tumors. Citation Format: Victor T. Lin, Tshering D. Lama-Sherpa, Rajeev S. Samant, Lalita A. Shevde. Ionizing radiation-induced transcriptomic changes in triple-negative breast cancer cells reveal putative mechanisms of treatment resistance [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 3740.