cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ritual Wailing in Amerindian Brazil

As a means of charting the complicated semiotic pathway leading from ceremonialized expressions of emotion to their underlying social motivations, this article undertakes a comparative investigation of the “ritual wailing” complex of Amerindian central Brazil. Based upon fine-grained analyses of tape-recorded instances of wailing, coupled with ethnographic descriptions of their social contexts, the article argues that ceremonialized affect is itself a sign vehicle, a form of “meta-affect,” designed to communicate a desire for sociability.
CAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUSTAIN US

This paper presents a review of Disasters by Design, the recent, influential second U.S. national assessment of research on natural and technological hazards that takes stock of the disciplinary knowledge and policy issues in the field of disasters. It identifies four analytical matters left unresolved in its central theme on the importance of sustainable development for disaster mitigation, having to do with the dual emphasis on the local and on the global, cultural change, the implicit assumptions that planners and social engineers know best, and the consensual model of politics. It also identifies some practical problems that the adoption of a sustainable development framework advocated by the report may pose for the specialty.
Theoretical and experimental study of plate acoustic waves in ZX-cut lithium niobate

In this work, we report theoretical and experimental results on the 8 lowest modes of plate acoustic waves (PAW) propagating along the x-axis in the Z-cut of LiNbO3 wafers (the "ZX-cut"). Dispersion curves are calculated by the method of partial waves and by the Finite Element Method (FEM); the curves are then measured experimentally. The spectra obtained by the 2 methods are in good agreement with each other and with the experimental results. The PAW modes are identified as components of the total acoustic displacements near cutoff frequencies. Electromechanical coupling efficiency of the 8 modes is described. The FEM work is verified by an application to the design and testing of a PAW delay line in a ZX-cut LiNbO3 wafer. These results may be useful for analysis of many devices fabricated in Z-cut wafers, such as acoustoelectric and acousto-optic components, ultrasonic motors and actuators, micro/nano-particle transporters, and other devices employing periodically poled ferroelectric waveguides.
Regulation of Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase by Protein Phosphorylation: A Plasma Membrane-Cytoskeletal Connection

The polyphosphorylated inositol phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PIP) and PI-4, 5-bisphosphate (PIP2), are important intermediates in transducing extracellular signals through the production of the second messengers, inositol-1, 4, 5trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (1). In addition, they can play a key role in regulating cell growth and development by directly affecting the activity of protein kinases (2), P-type ATPases (3–5), and actin-binding proteins (6–8).
Degradations due to both dispersion and SPM/CPM on dispersion-managed WDM long-distance systems

Summary form only given. In long-distance and high-speed wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) systems, fiber dispersion and nonlinearities degrade system performance and limit the distance and speed of data transmission. The most important nonlinear effects include stimulated Raman scattering, four-wave mixing (FWM) and self- and cross-phase modulation (SPM/CPM). Various dispersion-management techniques have been successfully used to simultaneously minimize dispersion and negate FWM effects.
Number theory and elementary arithmetic

Elementary arithmetic (also known as “elementary function arithmetic”) is a fragment of first-order arithmetic so weak that it cannot prove the totality of an iterated exponential function. Surprisingly, however, the theory turns out to be remarkably robust. I will discuss formal results that show that many theorems of number theory and combinatorics are derivable in elementary arithmetic, and try to place these results in a broader philosophical context.
Effect of Osmotic Dehydration and High Temperature Fluidized Bed Drying on Properties of Dehydrated Rabbiteye Blueberries

Rabbiteye blueberries were dried using an experimental high temperature fluidized bed (HTFB) dehydrator and the properties of the dried product were evaluated. 15 m/sec air velocity was required for fluidization and at 170°C the moisture content (MC in kg water/kg dry matter) of thawed blueberries was reduced from 5.8 to 0.7 after 8 min. After osmotic dehydration in sucrose, MC was 1.3, and 4 min in the HTFB drier at 150°C reduced MC to 0.28. Reduction of water activity to 0.5 after HTFB required cabinet drying at 60°C and 4 m/ set for 2.13 and 2.75 hr for the untreated and osmotically dehydrated berries, respectively. HTFB simultaneously dried and puffed the berries, resulting in reduced bulk density compared to berries produced using conventional drying. Osmotic dehydration prior to HTFB imparted a raisin-like texture to the product.
Activity before exercise influences recovery metabolism in the lizard Dipsosaurus dorsalis

During recovery from even a brief period of exercise, metabolic rate remains elevated above resting levels for extended periods. The intensity and duration of exercise as well as body temperature and hormone levels can influence this excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). We examined the influence of activity before exercise (ABE), commonly termed warm-up in endotherms, on EPOC in the desert iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis. The rate of oxygen consumption and blood lactate levels were measured in 11 female D. dorsalis (mass 41.1 +/- 3.0 g; mean +/- s.e.m.) during rest, after two types of ABE and after 5 min of exhaustive exercise followed by 60 min of recovery. ABE was either single (15 s of maximal activity followed by a 27 min pause) or intermittent (twelve 15 s periods of exercise separated by 2 min pauses). Our results indicate that both single and intermittent ABE reduced recovery metabolic rate. EPOC volumes decreased from 0.261 to 0.156 ml of oxygen consumed during 60 min of recovery when lizards were subjected to intermittent ABE. The average cost of activity (net V(O2) during exercise and 60 min of recovery per distance traveled) was almost 40 % greater in lizards that exercised without any prior activity than in lizards that underwent ABE. Blood lactate levels and removal rates were greatest in animals that underwent ABE. These findings may be of particular importance for terrestrial ectotherms that typically use burst locomotion and have a small aerobic scope and a long recovery period.
Assessing the comparative performance of banking branches

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure the performance and relative operating efficiency of mini branches of a commercial bank for internal benchmarking. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ data envelopment analysis (DEA) for measuring the relative efficiency of mini bank branches in a region of a state in the USA. In addition, the authors use Tobit regression analysis for finding determinants of the efficiency. Findings – The authors identified efficient and inefficient branches using pertinent variables along with potential improvements for the inefficient branches. Among the variables, the authors confirmed that number of full-time employees and service charges were statistically significant for explaining the efficiency of bank branches. Research limitations/implications – The major limitation of this study is the one time measure of efficiency using observations for a month and selected variables. To improve this study: first, the authors need to test other variables related t...
Naltrexone alters the processing of social and emotional stimuli in healthy adults.

Endogenous opioids have complex social effects that may depend on specific receptor actions and vary depending on the "stage" of social behavior (e.g., seeking vs. responding to social stimuli). We tested the effects of a nonspecific opioid antagonist, naltrexone (NTX), on social processing in humans. NTX is used to treat alcohol and opiate dependence, and may affect both mu and kappa-opioid systems. We assessed attention ("seeking"), and subjective and psychophysiological responses ("responding") to positive and negative social stimuli. Based on literature suggesting mu-opioid blockade impairs positive social responses, we hypothesized that NTX would decrease responses to positive social stimuli. We also tested responses to negative stimuli, which might be either increased by NTX's mu-opioid effects or decreased by its kappa-opioid effects. Thirty-four healthy volunteers received placebo, 25 mg, or 50 mg NTX across three sessions under double-blind conditions. At each session, participants completed measures of attention, identification, and emotional responses for emotional faces and scenes. NTX increased attention to emotional expressions, slowed identification of sadness and fear, and decreased ratings of arousal for social and nonsocial emotional scenes. These findings are more consistent with anxiolytic kappa-antagonist than mu-blocking effects, suggesting effects on kappa receptors may contribute to the clinical effects of NTX.
VI. Analysis of hayesine

(1853). VI. Analysis of hayesine. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 6, No. 36, pp. 50-51.
Computational Investigation of Selectivity in Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling of Secondary Alkyl Boranes

The Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction is an important route to forming carbon–carbon bonds. Suzuki coupling of secondary alkyls containing β-hydrogens is challenging, due in part to a competing and undesired β-hydride elimination. We perform density functional electronic structure calculations on model compounds to study the selectivity of Suzuki coupling of secondary alkyl boranes. Results indicate that the rate and selectivity of the desired reductive elimination are strongly influenced by how the reactants and ligand interact with a coordinatively unsaturated PdII intermediate. Agostic interactions between PdII and reactant β-hydrogens provide facile routes to β-hydride elimination, while coordination of electron-donating reactant groups to PdII slows the reductive elimination. The bulky ligands used in typical Suzuki couplings, such as the SPhos dialkylbiarylphosphine, appear to block both types of undesired interaction while stabilizing the reductive elimination transition state.
Direct determination of lead and its isotope ratio in childhood whole blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Objective:To develop a method for determination of lead and its isotope ratio in childhood whole blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.Methods: The samples were directly determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after 20-fold dilution.Results: As to lead determination,the precision was better than 1.1%,the detection limit was under 1 ng/ml,and the recovery was between 96.0%～102%.As to 207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb,the determination precision was 0.13%,the results were in consistency with the standard.Conclusion: This method is simple,sensitive and accuracy,and can determinte lead and its isotope ratio in childhood whole blood.
FINITE ANALYSIS OF PLUNGER - SEAL PAIR IN FRACTURING PUMP

Based on the finite element method, the contact stresses of the plunger-seal pair of OPI-1800AWS fracturing pump were discussed in detail. The paper presented distribution law of contacting stress between plunger and rubber seal ring, and also analyzed the relationships between contacting stress and working pressure. Under the action of working medium pressure, it indicates the “centripetal effect” in rubber seal ring exists. i.e., along the contacting length of seal ring, the lip of seal ring is extended, the root of seal ring is compressed, and the main sealing region is near the lip. At the same time, the position of the main seal region does not vary with the medium pressure, and the ratio of the maximum contacting pressure to the working medium pressure is 1.23. Finally it provides the theoretical support for the analysis of lubrication and seal mechanism.
Matters of Principal

Op Ed in NY Times; What the Obama administration should have done to staunch mortgage foreclosures -- reduce principal -- and why Obama plan will fail (it did).
Abstract 807: Polymorphisms in DNA-repair genes and its association with pain among breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant radiation therapy

Pain related to cancer or treatments is a critical quality of life (QOL) issue for breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the polymorphisms in DNA-repair genes and radiation therapy (RT)-associated pain among breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant RT. Pain score was assessed at pre- and post-RT as the mean of four pain severity items (i.e., pain at its worst, least, average, and now) from the Brief Pain Inventory with 11-point numeric rating scale (0-10) and RT-associated clinically relevant pain was considered present when pain score increased from Citation Format: Eunkyung Lee, Jean L. Wright, Cristiane Takita, Eden Martin, Susan Slifer, Jennifer J. Hu. Polymorphisms in DNA-repair genes and its association with pain among breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant radiation therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 807.
/s/ Aspiration in Masculine and Feminine speech of Limans in the United States

This pilot study analyzes (s) aspiration in the speech of men and women from Lima, Peru. Firstly, it seeks to determine if men aspirate more than women of the same social class. Secondly, it aims to ascertain if women prioritize careful speech more than men by suppressing (s) aspirations. Six sociolinguistic interviews were conducted, and the first and last five minutes of each interview were analyzed for non-sibilant (s). Regarding the first hypothesis, men aspirated more than women throughout the interview. For the second research question, women demonstrated a marked difference between percentage of aspiration at the beginning and end of the interview, while men did not. The female participants aspirated infrequently at the beginning, but, after becoming more comfortable, increased in aspiration in the final portion of the interview. Both results were statistically significant to p < .05. These results corroborate other investigations which associate informal speech patterns with male speakers. Furthermore, these findings suggest that female speakers are more conscious of stylistic variation and use linguistic tools to differentiate between careful and informal speech styles. Received: 2015-08-24 Accepted : 2016-03-14 How to reference this article: Bernate, E. (2016). La aspiracion de la /s/ en las hablas femenina y masculina de los limenos en los Estados Unidos. Ikala. Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 21 (3), 267-279. DOI: 10.17533/udea.ikala.v21n03a02
Prevalence and correlates of alcohol and tobacco use among pregnant women in the United States: Evidence from the NSDUH 2005–2014

Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy are among the strongest and most preventable risk factors for adverse neonatal health outcomes, but few developmentally sensitive, population-based studies of this phenomenon have been conducted. To address this gap, the present study examined the prevalence and correlates of alcohol and tobacco use among pregnant adolescents (aged 12-17) and adults (aged 18-44) in the United States. Data were derived from the population-based National Survey of Drug Use and Health (80,498 adolescent and 152,043 adult women) between 2005 and 2014. Findings show disconcerting levels of past-month use among pregnant women with 11.5% of adolescent and 8.7% of adult women using alcohol, and 23.0% of adolescent and 14.9% of adult women using tobacco. Compared to their non-pregnant counterparts, pregnant adolescents were less likely to report past 30-day alcohol use (AOR=0.52, 95% CI=0.36-0.76), but more likely to report past 30-day tobacco use (AOR=2.20, 95% CI=1.53-3.18). Compared to their non-pregnant adult counterparts, pregnant adults were less likely to report using alcohol (AOR=0.06, 95% CI=0.05-0.07) and tobacco (AOR=0.47, 95% CI=0.43-0.52). Compared to pregnant abstainers, pregnant women reporting alcohol/tobacco use were more likely to have had a major depressive episode in the past 12months, report criminal justice system involvement, and endorse comorbid alcohol/tobacco use. Given alcohol and tobacco's deleterious consequences during pregnancy, increased attention to reducing use is critical. Findings suggest that tobacco use is especially problematic for both adolescents and adults and is strongly linked with depression and criminal justice involvement, especially among adults.
Body-Brain Connections: The Effects of Obesity and Behavioral Interventions on Neurocognitive Aging.

Obesity is a growing public health problem in the United States, particularly in middle-aged and older adults. Although the key factors leading to a population increase in body weight are still under investigation, there is evidence that certain behavioral interventions can mitigate the negative cognitive and brain health (neurocognitive) consequences of obesity. The two primary behaviors most often targeted for weight loss are caloric intake and physical activity. These behaviors might have independent, as well as overlapping/synergistic effects on neurocognitive health. To date obesity is often described independently from behavioral interventions in regards to neurocognitive outcomes, yet there is conceptual and mechanistic overlap between these constructs. This review summarizes evidence linking obesity and modifiable behaviors, such as physical activity and diet, with brain morphology (e.g., gray and white matter volume and integrity), function (e.g., functional activation and connectivity), and cognitive functioning across the adult lifespan. In particular, we review evidence bearing on the following question: Are associations between obesity and brain health in aging adults modifiable by behavioral interventions?
Chance, Uncertainty, and Truth in Science

(1972). Chance, Uncertainty, and Truth in Science. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 7-10.
Confounding of Location and Dispersion Effects in Unreplicated Fractional Factorials

When studying both location and dispersion effects in unreplicated fractional factorial designs, a “standard” procedure is to identify location effects using ordinary least squares analysis, fit a ...
Gastric Glomus Tumor: An Uncommon Source for an Acute Upper GI Bleed.

Background. Glomus tumors are uncommon mesenchymal neoplasms originating from modified smooth muscle cells in the glomus body. They are generally small, solitary lesions found in the distal extremities. Rarely, involvement in the abdominal viscera can occur. In such cases, hematemesis/melena and epigastric discomfort are the most common initial symptoms. Although gastric glomus tumors can demonstrate malignant behavior, criteria for identifying malignant potential have yet to be established. Case Presentation. We present a rare case of gastric glomus tumor in an otherwise healthy 41-year-old female. The patient initially presented with a significant upper GI bleed requiring a 4 U PRBC transfusion for stabilization. An upper endoscopy with endoscopic ultrasound identified an ulcerated, submucosal mass thought to be consistent with GI stromal tumor (GIST). Once clinically stable, she was scheduled for elective resection. However, prior to resection she experienced a second hemodynamically significant upper GI bleed and underwent emergent laparotomy with distal gastrectomy. Pathologic examination revealed a 3 cm glomus tumor. Conclusion. Gastric glomus tumors are rare solitary submucosal tumors for which preoperative diagnosis is challenging and can be confused with a GIST. Local resection with negative margins is the preferred treatment and the exact diagnosis relies heavily on histopathological examinations. Currently, there are no clear guidelines regarding the staging and malignant potential of glomus tumors of the stomach.
Head Impact Kinematics Estimation With Network of Inertial Measurement Units

Wearable sensors embedded with inertial measurement units have become commonplace for the measurement of head impact biomechanics, but individual systems often suffer from a lack of measurement fidelity. While some researchers have focused on developing highly accurate, single sensor systems, we have taken a parallel approach in investigating optimal estimation techniques with multiple noisy sensors. In this work, we present a sensor network methodology that utilizes multiple skin patch sensors arranged on the head and combines their data to obtain a more accurate estimate than any individual sensor in the network. Our methodology visually localizes subject-specific sensor transformations, and based on rigid body assumptions, applies estimation algorithms to obtain a minimum mean squared error estimate. During mild soccer headers, individual skin patch sensors had over 100% error in peak angular velocity magnitude, angular acceleration magnitude, and linear acceleration magnitude. However, when properly networked using our visual localization and estimation methodology, we obtained kinematic estimates with median errors below 20%. While we demonstrate this methodology with skin patch sensors in mild soccer head impacts, the formulation can be generally applied to any dynamic scenario, such as measurement of cadaver head impact dynamics using arbitrarily placed sensors.
Repository-Heat-Driven Hydrothermal Flow at Yucca Mountain, Part I: Modeling and Analysis

To safely and permanently store high-level nuclear waste, the potential Yucca Mountain repository site must mitigate the release and transport of radionuclides for tens of thousands of years. In th...
Quantitation of Renal Function

This Continuing Education article is part of a series dealing with computerized quantitation of nuclear medicine studies. After reading and studying this paper the nuclear medicine technologist will be able to: 1) discuss the various methods used for differential functional analysis of the kidneys, and 2) compare methods for calculating effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
RESPONSES AND ADAPTATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT | General Principles of Biochemical Adaptations

The molecular machinery – the diverse array of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipid-containing structures such as membranes – that underpins physiological processes is vulnerable to perturbation from temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and osmotic challenges. Nonetheless, the functions of these environmentally sensitive processes are highly conserved under a species’ normal environmental conditions. This conservation is achieved by two primary mechanisms: adaptive change in the large molecular systems themselves (e.g., in protein sequence) and regulation of the milieu, notably the osmolyte pool and pH, in which these molecular systems function.
Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has seen a rapid increase in the past 20 years. Since autism was first introduced into the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM-III). Washington, DC, 1980), the prevalence has risen to roughly 1 in every 68 children based on a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Surveill Summ 63(2):1–21, 2014). This rapid change in prevalence strongly contrasts the prior rates of 6 per every 1000 children in the 1990s (Wing and Potter, Dev Disabil Res Rev 8(3):151–161, 2002). Although multiple theories exist regarding the cause of this rise in prevalence, the most hypothesized reason is an increased awareness for it. More pediatricians are screening patients, more parents are aware of ASD symptoms, and it is even becoming more prominent in the media.
Does This Patient Have a Severe Snake Envenomation?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review.

Importance Venomous snakebite severity ranges from an asymptomatic dry bite to severe envenomation and death. The clinical evaluation aids in prognosis and is essential to determine the risks and potential benefits of antivenom treatment. Objectives To identify historical features, clinical examination findings, basic laboratory testing, and clinical grading scales that will risk-stratify patients with pit viper snake envenomation for severe systemic envenomation, severe tissue injury, and/or severe hematologic venom effects. Data Sources We conducted a structured search of PubMed (1966-October 3, 2017) and Embase database (1980-October 3, 2017) to identify English-language studies that evaluated clinical features predictive of severe envenomation. Study Selection We included studies that evaluated the test performance of at least 1 clinical finding with an acceptable reference standard of severe envenomation for venomous snakes of the Western Hemisphere. Only studies involving the most common subfamily,Crotalinae(pit vipers), were evaluated. Seventeen studies with data were available for abstraction. Data Extraction and Synthesis The clinical features assessed and severity outcome measures were extracted from each original study. We assessed severity in 3 categories: systemic toxicity, tissue injury, and hematologic effects. Differences were resolved by author consensus. Results The pooled prevalence of severe systemic envenomation was 14% (95% CI, 9%-21%). The pooled prevalence of severe tissue injury and severe hematologic venom effects were 14% (95% CI, 12%-16%) and 18% (95% CI, 8%-27%), respectively. Factors increasing the likelihood of severe systemic envenomation included the time from bite to care of 6 or more hours (likelihood ratio [LR], 3.4 [95% CI, 1.1-6.4]), a patient younger than 12 years (LRs, 3.2 [95% CI, 1.5-7.1] and 2.9 [95% CI, 1.3-6.2]), large snake size (LR, 3.1 [95% CI, 1.5-5.7]), and ptosis (LRs, 1.4 [95% CI, 1.0-2.1] and 3.8 [95% CI, 1.8-8.3]). Envenomation by the genusAgkistrodon(copperhead and cottonmouth), as opposed to rattlesnakes, decreased the likelihood of severe systemic envenomation (LR, 0.28 [95% CI, 0.10-0.78]). Initial hypofibrinogenemia (LR, 5.1 [95% CI, 1.7-15.0]) and thrombocytopenia (LR, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.9-7.3]) increased the likelihood of severe hematologic venom effects. Other clinical features from history, physical examination, or normal laboratory values were not discriminative. Conclusions Clinical features can identify patients at increased risk of severe systemic envenomation and severe hematologic venom effects, but there are few features that are associated with severe tissue injury or can confidently exclude severe envenomation. Physicians should monitor patients closely and be wary of progression from nonsevere to a severe envenomation and have a low threshold to escalate therapy as needed.
Early Outcomes after Carotid Endarterectomy and Carotid Artery Stenting for Carotid Stenosis in the ACS-NSQIP Database.

Background Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) are both viable treatment options for carotid artery stenosis. We sought to compare perioperative outcomes after CEA and CAS for the management of carotid stenosis using a "real-world" sample. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to compare 30-day (periprocedural) outcomes in patients with carotid stenosis undergoing CEA versus CAS from 2005 to 2012. Baseline characteristics and periprocedural outcomes including stroke, myocardial infarction, mortality and combined outcome (composite of any stroke, myocardial infarction, or death) were compared. Results A total of 54,640 patients were identified who underwent CEA and 488 who underwent CAS. Patients undergoing CEA were more likely to be older and have symptomatic stenosis, and less likely to be white, have congestive heart failure, and have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There were no significant differences between CEA and CAS in periprocedural mortality (0.9% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.33), stroke (1.6% vs. 1.6 p = 0.93), myocardial infarction (0.9% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.08), or combined outcome (3.0% vs. 4.9%, p = 0.09). The interaction between symptomatic status and procedure type was not significant, indicating the association of symptomatic status with 30-day mortality (p = 0.29) or the combined periprocedural outcome (p = 0.57) were similar in cases receiving CEA and CAS. Conclusion Early outcomes after CEA and CAS for carotid artery stenosis appear to be similar in a "real-world" sample and comparable to clinical trials. Patients undergoing CAS were more likely to be younger and surgically have higher risk based on baseline characteristics likely reflecting clinical practice case selection.
AcidoCEST-UTE MRI for the Assessment of Extracellular pH of Joint Tissues at 3 T.

Author(s): Ma, Ya-Jun; High, Rachel A; Tang, Qingbo; Wan, Lidi; Jerban, Saeed; Du, Jiang; Chang, Eric Y | Abstract: ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to demonstrate feasibility of measuring extracellular pH in cartilage and meniscus using acidoCEST technique with a 3-dimensional ultrashort echo time readout (acidoCEST-UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Materials and methodsMagnetization transfer ratio asymmetry, radiofrequency (RF) power mismatch, and relative saturation transfer were evaluated in liquid phantoms for iopromide, iopamidol, and iohexol over a pH range of 6.2 to 7.8, at various agent concentrations, temperatures, and buffer concentrations. Tissue phantoms containing cartilage and meniscus were evaluated with the same considerations for iopamidol and iohexol. Phantoms were imaged with the acidoCEST-UTE MRI sequence at 3 T. Correlation coefficients and coefficients of variations were calculated. Paired Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to evaluate for statistically significant differences.ResultsThe RF power mismatch and relative saturation transfer analyses of liquid phantoms showed iopamidol and iohexol to be the most promising agents for this study. Both these agents appeared to be concentration independent and feasible for use with or without buffer and at physiologic temperature over a pH range of 6.2 to 7.8. Ultimately, RF power mismatch fitting of iohexol showed the strongest correlation coefficients between cartilage, meniscus, and fluid. In addition, ratiometric values for iohexol are similar among liquid as well as different tissue types.ConclusionsMeasuring extracellular pH in cartilage and meniscus using acidoCEST-UTE MRI is feasible.
Trends in Calories and Nutrients of Beverages in U.S. Chain Restaurants, 2012-2017.

Introduction Although beverages comprise one third of all menu items at large chain restaurants, no prior research has examined trends in their calorie and nutrient content. Methods Beverages (n=13,879) on the menus of 63 U.S. chain restaurants were the final analytic sample obtained from a restaurant nutrition database (MenuStat, 2012–2017). For each beverage type, cluster-bootstrapped mixed-effects regressions estimated changes in mean calories, sugar, and saturated fat for beverages available on menus in all years and for newly introduced beverages. Data were analyzed in 2018. Results Traditional sugar-sweetened beverages, sweetened teas, and blended milk-based beverages (e.g., milkshakes) were significantly higher in calories from 2012 to 2017 for newly introduced beverages (p-value for trend Conclusions Sweetened beverages available in large chain restaurants were consistently high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat and substantially increased in quantity and variety from 2012 to 2017.
Microsatellite variation in simulated and natural founder populations of the Laysan finch (Telespiza cantans)

Historical and demographic data were used in a computer model tosimulate neutral genetic change in populations of the Laysanfinch (Telespiza cantans), an insular passerine bird that hasundergone documented founder events at Pearl and Hermes reef(PHR). Measures of genetic variation in the natural PHRpopulations generally matched those in the simulated populations,except that heterozygosity on Southeast Island was lower than themodel predicted, and the heterozygote excess in the naturalpopulations had a low probability of occurrence in the simulatedpopulations. The estimate of effective population size (Ne) fromthe stochastic demographic model matched the estimate fromgenetic data for two populations, but the demographic estimatewas higher than the genetic estimate for Southeast Island. Smallfounder number was rejected as a possible explanation for thereduced genetic variation on Southeast. We suggest that Ne wasoverestimated in part because we assumed seasonal variance inreproductive success. Additional variance components need to bemeasured in the field and incorporated into the model. Accounting for the heterozygote excess also requires furthertheoretical and field investigations. Possible explanations forthe excess include inbreeding depression, incest avoidance, andthe effect of polygyny on heterozygote excess in smallpopulations. We concluded that the Pearl and Hermes reefpopulation will continue to lose genetic variation at a highrate, and translocations from the native population on Laysan maybe required to maintain a viable population on the reef.
Improved Protein Inference from Multiple Protease Bottom-Up Mass Spectrometry Data

Peptides detected by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in bottom-up proteomics serve as proxies for the proteins expressed in the sample. Protein inference is a process routinely applied to these peptides to generate a plausible list of candidate protein identifications. The use of multiple proteases for parallel protein digestions expands sequence coverage, provides additional peptide identifications, and increases the probability of identifying peptides that are unique to a single protein, which are all valuable for protein inference. We have developed and implemented a multi-protease protein inference algorithm in MetaMorpheus, a bottom-up search software program, which incorporates the calculation of protease-specific q-values and preserves the association of peptide sequences and their protease of origin. This integrated multi-protease protein inference algorithm provides more accurate results than either the aggregation of results from the separate analysis of the peptide identifications produced by each protease (separate approach) in MetaMorpheus, or results that are obtained using Fido, ProteinProphet, or DTASelect2. MetaMorpheus' integrated multi-protease data analysis decreases the ambiguity of the protein group list, reduces the frequency of erroneous identifications, and increases the number of post-translational modifications identified, while combining multi-protease search and protein inference into a single software program.
Inhaled Nitric Oxide Is Associated with Improved Oxygenation in a Subpopulation of Infants with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Objectives To determine which patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) benefit from inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) treatment by comparing characteristics and outcomes of iNO responders to nonresponders. Study design We performed a retrospective chart review of infants with CDH treated at our center between 2011 and 2016. In a subset of patients, iNO was initiated for hypoxemia or echocardiographic evidence of extrapulmonary right to left shunting. Initial post-treatment blood gases were reviewed, and patients were classified as responders (increased PaO2 >20 mm Hg) or nonresponders. Baseline characteristics, echocardiograms and outcomes were compared between groups with Fisher exact tests and Mann-Whitney t tests, as appropriate. Results During the study period, 95 of 131 patients with CDH (73%) were treated with iNO. All patients with pretreatment echocardiograms (n = 90) had echocardiographic evidence of PH. Thirty-eight (40%) patients met treatment response criteria. Responders had significant improvements in PaO2 (51 ± 3 vs 123 ± 7 mm Hg, P Conclusions iNO treatment is associated with improved oxygenation and reduced need for ECMO in a subpopulation of patients with CDH with PH and normal left ventricular systolic function.
Three-dimensional mortar models using real-shaped sand particles and uniform thickness interfacial transition zones: Artifacts seen in 2D slices

Abstract All scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examinations of mortars are based on 2D slices through the true 3D microstructure. There are many artifacts that can be seen in such 2D slices that are different from 3D reality, even if the sand were perfectly monosize and spherical. A mortar containing a size distribution of randomly-shaped sand grains, surrounded by interfacial transition zones (ITZs), is more complicated, so that the 2D artifacts are expected to be even more complex. Using the Anm model, we for the first time generate mortar models with measured sand particle size/shape distributions and realistic sand volume fractions, surrounded by rigorously uniform (in 3D) thickness ITZs, and then examine 2D slices and discuss the multiple types of artifacts that are generated. The Anm model shows the considerable variety of artifacts that can be observed in the 2D slices, including a wide thickness distribution of ITZ widths, isolated ITZ regions, apparently unconnected to any sand grain, and overlapping ITZ regions, which can be mistaken for real 3D features. It is shown that some, but probably not all, of the porous patches seen in SEM images are due to these apparently isolated (in 2D) ITZ regions.
Relationship between population characteristics, e-cigarette and tobacco-related perceptions, and likelihood of ever using e-cigarettes.

Introduction Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are a relatively new type of nicotine-containing product that has risen greatly in use within the past decade, displacing conventional tobacco products as the dominant source of nicotine exposure by many groups. Among those impacted are large sections of US youth. Though health outcomes associated with ENDS use are still being assessed, several potential harms have been noted in the extant literature. The purpose of this study is to examine which US youth subpopulations are at greatest risk for ENDS ever use and how perceptions pertaining to nicotine-containing products relate to this risk. Methods A nationwide online survey was administered to US youth ENDS users and non-users aged 13-18 years. A total weighted sample of 2501 participants was obtained. Statistical analyses included binomial logistic regression and a likelihood ratio test. Results Of these youth, 1346 (53.8%) reported having ever used an ENDS product. Those most likely to have used ENDS were White males in their late teens. Those who reported ever using a conventional tobacco product were much more likely to have reported ever using ENDS (AOR= 19.96; 95% CI: 15.30-26.05). A number of perceptions related to nicotine-containing products, including product safety and health effects, were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of ENDS use. Conclusions Certain sections of the US youth population have elevated odds of being ENDS ever users. As increasing evidence supports the need to combat ENDS use by youth, effectively targeted education and prevention campaigns will be necessary.
CPS analysis: Self-contained validation of biomedical data clustering

Motivation Cluster analysis is widely used to identify interesting subgroups in biomedical data. Since true class labels are unknown in the unsupervised setting, it is challenging to validate any cluster obtained computationally, an important problem barely addressed by the research community. Results We have developed a toolkit called covering point set (CPS) analysis to quantify uncertainty at the levels of individual clusters and overall partitions. Functions have been developed to effectively visualize the inherent variation in any cluster for data of high dimension, and provide more comprehensive view on potentially interesting subgroups in the data. Applying to three usage scenarios for biomedical data, we demonstrate that CPS analysis is more effective for evaluating uncertainty of clusters comparing to state-of-the-art measurements. We also showcase how to use CPS analysis to select data generation technologies or visualization methods. Availability and implementation The method is implemented in an R package called OTclust, available on CRAN. Contact lzz46@psu.edu or jiali@psu.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
180 Improvement of Sexual Function Observed During Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Adjunctive Pimavanserin

Study Objectives: Sexual dysfunction occurs in 40%-60% of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), due to either the illness itself and/or the effects of antidepressant treatment. The phase-2 CLARITY trial recently demonstrated the efficacy of adjunctive pimavanserin (PIM) for MDD when added to ongoing selective serotonin or serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI/SNRI) treatment. No new safety observations were reported in this study. This post-hoc analysis examines the potential impact of PIM treatment on sexual function. Method: Study methodology has been presented previously (APA 2019). Adult male and female patients with moderate-to-severe MDD were randomized to PIM 34 mg/day (n=51) or placebo (PBO, n=152) added to ongoing SSRI/SNRI treatment. Massachusetts General Hospital–Sexual Functioning Inventory (MGH-SFI) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-item version (HAMD-17) item 14 (sexual interest) scores were examined by analysis of covariance. Results: Adjunctive PIM resulted in significantly greater 5-week reduction (improvement) relative to SSRI/SNRI treatment plus placebo on mean MGH-SFI scores (difference –0.634, SE 0.167; P<0.001; effect size [ES], Cohen’s d 0.614). Similarly, PIM resulted in greater improvement compared with placebo on individual MGH-SFI items that applied to both males and females: Interest in Sex (P=0.006; ES=0.483), Ability to Get Sexually Aroused/Excited (P=0.001; ES=0.560), Ability to Achieve Orgasm (P<0.001; ES=0.609), Overall Sexual Satisfaction (P=0.003; ES=0.524). HAMD-17 item 14 scores were also significantly more reduced (improved) with PIM (P<0.001; ES=0.574). Conclusions: These results underscore the potential of adjunctive PIM for improving sexual function in patients with MDD and inadequate response to SSRIs/SNRIs. Potential benefits should be confirmed in further studies. Funding Acknowledgements: ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Semiclassical predictions regarding a preinflationary era and its effects on the power spectrum

An investigation is undertaken into the properties and effects of a preinflationary era during at least part of which semiclassical gravity was valid. It is argued that if the Universe (or our part of it) was approximately homogeneous and isotropic during that era, then the Universe was likely to have been radiation dominated. A simple model in which the Universe contains classical radiation and a cosmological constant is used to investigate potential effects of such a preinflationary era on the cosmic microwave background. The power spectrum is computed using the mode functions of a quantized massless minimally coupled scalar field. Various choices of state for this field are considered, including adiabatic vacuum states of various orders and the vacuum state that would naturally occur if the Universe made a sudden transition from being radiation dominated to de Sitter space. In all cases investigated, there is a suppression of the power spectrum at large angles, and, when plotted as a function of the momentum parameter, there are always oscillations with state-dependent amplitudes.
Molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of yeast thermotolerance

Many familiar traits in the natural world-from lions9 manes to the longevity of bristlecone pine trees-arose in the distant past, and have long since fixed in their respective species. A key challenge in evolutionary genetics is to figure out how and why species-defining traits have come to be. We used the thermotolerance growth advantage of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae over its sister species Saccharomyces paradoxus as a model for addressing these questions. Analyzing loci at which the S. cerevisiae allele promotes thermotolerance, we detected robust evidence for positive selection, including amino acid divergence between the species and conservation within S. cerevisiae populations. Since such signatures were particularly strong at the chromosome segregation gene ESP1, we used this locus as a case study for focused mechanistic follow-up. Experiments revealed that, in culture at high temperature, the S. paradoxus ESP1 allele conferred a qualitative defect in biomass accumulation and cell division relative to the S. cerevisiae allele. Only genetic divergence in the ESP1 coding region mattered phenotypically, with no functional impact detectable from the promoter. Together, these data support a model in which an ancient ancestor of S. cerevisiae, under selection to boost viability at high temperature, acquired amino acid variants at ESP1 and many other loci, which have been constrained since then. Complex adaptations of this type hold promise as a paradigm for interspecies genetics, especially in deeply diverged traits that may have taken millions of years to evolve.
GLAS: Global-to-Local Safe Autonomy Synthesis for Multi-Robot Motion Planning With End-to-End Learning

We present GLAS: G lobal-to- L ocal A utonomy S ynthesis, a provably-safe, automated distributed policy generation for multi-robot motion planning. Our approach combines the advantage of centralized planning of avoiding local minima with the advantage of decentralized controllers of scalability and distributed computation. In particular, our synthesized policies only require relative state information of nearby neighbors and obstacles, and compute a provably-safe action. Our approach has three major components: i) we generate demonstration trajectories using a global planner and extract local observations from them, ii) we use deep imitation learning to learn a decentralized policy that can run efficiently online, and iii) we introduce a novel differentiable safety module to ensure collision-free operation, thereby allowing for end-to-end policy training. Our numerical experiments demonstrate that our policies have a 20% higher success rate than optimal reciprocal collision avoidance, ORCA, across a wide range of robot and obstacle densities. We demonstrate our method on an aerial swarm, executing the policy on low-end microcontrollers in real-time.
What Is Lost in the Weismann Barrier

The Weismann barrier has long been regarded as a basic tenet of biology. However, upon close examination of its historical origins and August Weismann's own writings, questions arise as to whether such a status is warranted. As scientific research has advanced, the persistence of the concept of the barrier has left us with the same dichotomies Weismann contended with over 100 years ago: germ or soma, gene or environment, hard or soft inheritance. These dichotomies distract from the more important questions we need to address going forward. In this review, we will examine the theories that have shaped Weismann's thinking, how the concept of the Weismann barrier emerged, and the limitations that it carries. We will contrast the principles underlying the barrier with recent and less recent findings in developmental biology and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance that have profoundly eroded the oppositional view of germline vs. soma. Discarding the barrier allows us to examine the interactive processes and their response to environmental context that generate germ cells in the first place, determine the entirety of what is inherited through them, and set the trajectory for the health status of the progeny they bear.