cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seamless Insertion of Pulmonary Nodules in Chest CT Images

The availability of large medical image datasets is critical in many applications, such as training and testing of computer-aided diagnosis systems, evaluation of segmentation algorithms, and conducting perceptual studies. However, collection of data and establishment of ground truth for medical images are both costly and difficult. To address this problem, we are developing an image blending tool that allows users to modify or supplement existing datasets by seamlessly inserting a lesion extracted from a source image into a target image. In this study, we focus on the application of this tool to pulmonary nodules in chest CT exams. We minimize the impact of user skill on the perceived quality of the composite image by limiting user involvement to two simple steps: the user first draws a casual boundary around a nodule in the source, and, then, selects the center of desired insertion area in the target. We demonstrate the performance of our system on clinical samples, and report the results of a reader study evaluating the realism of inserted nodules compared to clinical nodules. We further evaluate our image blending techniques using phantoms simulated under different noise levels and reconstruction filters. Specifically, we compute the area under the ROC curve of the Hotelling observer (HO) and noise power spectrum of regions of interest enclosing native and inserted nodules, and compare the detectability, noise texture, and noise magnitude of inserted and native nodules. Our results indicate the viability of our approach for insertion of pulmonary nodules in clinical CT images.
Conversion to an Elastogenic Phenotype by Fetal Hyaline Chondrocytes Is Accompanied by Altered Expression of Elastin-Related Macromolecules

Elastic fibers are produced during fetal and neonatal periods, and by maturity elastin expression has ceased. Fetal bovine hyaline chondrocytes acquired an elastogenic phenotype within 24 hr after isolation from the tissue, even though the tissue does not produce elastic fibers or tropoelastin mRNA in vivo. By multiple parameters, hyaline chondrocytes produced elastic fibers that were indistinguishable from those made by elastic chondrocytes derived from fetal elastic ear cartilage. The levels of tropoelastin mRNA, secreted protein, and elastic fiber crosslinks as well as the immunostaining and ultrastructural appearance of elastic fibers produced by cultured hyaline chondrocytes were similar if not identical to those of cultured elastic chondrocytes. We also examined the expression of elastin-associated microfibrillar proteins. In intact hyaline cartilage, we did not detect mRNA for fibrillin 5 mRNA and saw only a relatively weak signal for fibrillin 15 mRNA. These microfibrillar products were expressed with tropoelastin in cultured hyaline chondrocytes as well as in intact elastic cartilage and cultured elastic chondrocytes, suggesting that fibrillin 5 and fibrillin 15 are required for elastic fiber formation. In contrast, the levels of microfibrillar-associated glycoprotein mRNA were decreased in both cell types relative to the high expression seen in vivo. These data indicate that conversion to the elastin phenotype includes induction or modulation of all known components of elastic fibers.
The Relationship Between Tree-Growths And Stream-Runoff In The Truckee River Basin, California-Nevada

During the past 20 years a decline in the precipitation on the headwaters of the streams has occurred. Because the drought-years in this interval have been accompanied and intermixed with so many good seasons, the change was not, until recently, recognized as a definite trend. The possibility that the present drought might be due to a definite downward trend in precipitation has stimulated interest in the subject of the weather, and especially in the possible presence of cycles in precipitation. This interest is particularly keen in the areas dependent upon the annual flow of streams for irrigation-water.
Using physical and simulated fault injection to evaluate error detection mechanisms

Effective error detection is paramount for building highly dependable computing systems. A new methodology, based on physical and simulated fault injection, is developed for evaluating error detection mechanisms. Our approach consists of two steps. First, transient faults are physically injected at the IC pin level of a prototype server. Experiments are carried our in a three dimensional space of events, the location, time of occurrence and duration of the fault being randomly selected. Improved detection circuitry is devised for decreasing signal sensitivity to transients. Second, simulated fault injection is performed to asses the effectiveness of the new detection mechanisms, without using expensive silicon implementations. Physical fault injection experiments, carried out on the server, and simulated fault injection, performed on protocol checker, are presented. Detection effectiveness is measured by the error detection coverage, defined as the conditional probability that an error is detected given that an error occurs. Fault injection reveals that coverage probability is a function of fault duration. The protocol checker significantly improves error detection. Although, further research is required to increase detection coverage of the errors induced by short transient faults.
In South Asian people with cardiac disease, strong patient–professional relationships may increase treatment compliance

Commentary on: Ens TA, Seneviratne CC, Jones C, et al. Factors influencing medication adherence in South Asian people with cardiac disorders: an ethnographic study. Int J Nurs Stud 2014; 51:1472–81.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] The authors make the point that cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Individuals from South Asian countries have higher rates of cardiovascular disease and medication non-adherence may be contributing to the problem. The … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DInt%2BJ%2BNurs%2BStud%26rft.volume%253D51%26rft.spage%253D1472%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.ijnurstu.2014.02.015%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24647054%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.02.015&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24647054&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F19%2F1%2F19.atom
Rays of light from the LHC

We consider models for the di-photon resonance observed at ATLAS (with 3.6 fb-1) and CMS (with 2.6 fb-1). We find there is no conflict between the signal reported at 13 TeV and the constraints from both experiments at 8 TeV with 20.3 fb-1. We make a simple argument for why the decay to the γγ mode must be generated by additional, beyond the standard model (SM) states. We explore four viable options: (i) resonance production and decay through loops of messenger fermions or scalars, (ii) a resonant messenger which decays to the di-photon resonance+X, (iii) an edge configuration where A→Bγ→Cγγ, and (iv) Hidden Valley-like models where the resonance decays to a pair of very light (sub-GeV) states, each of which in turn decays to a pair of collimated photons that cannot be distinguished from a single photon. Since in each case multiple new states have been introduced, a wealth of signatures is expected to ensue at run 2 of the LHC.
Na+ current in presynaptic terminals of the crayfish opener cannot initiate action potentials.

Action potential (AP) propagation in presynaptic axons of the crayfish opener neuromuscular junction (NMJ) was investigated by simultaneously recording from a terminal varicosity and a proximal bra...
Overlapping cell population expression profiling and regulatory inference in C. elegans

Understanding gene expression across the diverse metazoan cell types during development is critical to understanding their function and regulation. However, most cell types have not been assayed for expression genome-wide. We applied a novel approach we term “Profiling of Overlapping Populations of cells (POP-Seq)” to assay differential expression across all embryonic cells in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this approach, we use RNA-seq to define the transcriptome of diverse partially overlapping FACS-sorted cell populations. This identified thousands of transcripts differentially expressed across embryonic cells. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified over 100 sets of coexpressed genes corresponding to distinct patterns of cell type specific expression. We identified thousands of candidate regulators of these clusters based on enrichment of transcription factor motifs and experimentally determined binding sites. Our analysis provides new insight into embryonic gene regulation, and provides a resource for improving our knowledge of tissue-specific expression and its regulation throughout C. elegans development.
Dialkylaminofluorophosphines and Their Coordination Chemistry with Transition Metals

First reference to a dialkylaminofluorophosphine, (C2H5)2NPF2, was made 25 years ago, but it was not until recently when this class of compounds of the composition (R2N)nPF3-n (n = 1,2) attracted further interest. The compound (CH3)2NPF2 has been prepared by the dimethylaminolysis of PF3, and some of its reactions have been studied (1–3).
Effect of Interior Loop Length on the Thermal Stability and pKa of i-Motif DNA

The four-stranded i-motif (iM) conformation of cytosine-rich DNA is important in a wide variety of biochemical systems ranging from its use in nanomaterials to a potential role in oncogene regulation. An iM is stabilized by acidic pH that allows hemiprotonated cytidines to form a C·C(+) base pair. Fundamental studies that aim to understand how the lengths of loops connecting the protonated C·C(+) pairs affect intramolecular iM physical properties are described here. We characterized both the thermal stability and the pK(a) of intramolecular iMs with differing loop lengths, in both dilute solutions and solutions containing molecular crowding agents. Our results showed that intramolecular iMs with longer central loops form at pHs and temperatures higher than those of iMs with longer outer loops. Our studies also showed that increases in thermal stability of iMs when molecular crowding agents are present are dependent on the loop that is lengthened. However, the increase in pK(a) for iMs when molecular crowding agents are present is insensitive to loop length. Importantly, we also determined the proton activity of solutions containing high concentrations of molecular crowding agents to ascertain whether the increase in pK(a) of an iM is caused by alteration of this activity in buffered solutions. We determined that crowding agents alone increase the apparent pK(a) of a number of small molecules as well as iMs but that increases to iM pK(a) were greater than that expected from a shift in proton activity.
On the Ph.D. in Mathematics

(1969). On the Ph.D. in Mathematics. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 76, No. 7, pp. 818-824.
Orbital and periorbital dog bites.

Although periorbital and orbital dog bites are rare, they most frequently occur in young children and commonly involve significant associated adnexal injuries. In most cases, the dog is either the family pet or is otherwise known to the victim. The exact precipitating event is usually unknown. Most victims are treated by a physician soon after injury, and can be reconstructed primarily following meticulous local wound care, including adequate irrigation. Infection is rare, but because of its potentially disastrous consequences, prophylactic treatment with penicillinase-resistant penicillin or cephalosporin seems indicated. Serious, potentially fatal consequences due to underlying intracranial injury in children under aged 2 years, fatal septicemia in splenectomized individuals, tetanus, and rabies must be considered by ophthalmologists who treat such patients. Language: en
Structural Changes in the Demand for Labour

This paper investigates why labor demand has shifted away from low-skilled toward high-skilled labor in The Netherlands. We focus on the role of changes in relative wages and technological progress. A flexible functional form, proposed by Diewert and Wales, the Symmetric Generalized McFadden cost function, is estimated for the exposed and sheltered sectors. The estimates are based on time-series data for the period 1972–1993, which recently became available. Labor-saving technological change explains most of the displacement of low-skilled workers. The computed elasticities suggest that substitution between labor as a whole and capital is small. However, substitution plays a modest role in the shift from low-skilled toward high-skilled labor, especially in the sheltered sector. Skill-capital complementarity seems relevant in both sectors.
Spatial model of convective solute transport in brain extracellular space does not support a “glymphatic” mechanism

A "glymphatic system," which involves convective fluid transport from para-arterial to paravenous cerebrospinal fluid through brain extracellular space (ECS), has been proposed to account for solute clearance in brain, and aquaporin-4 water channels in astrocyte endfeet may have a role in this process. Here, we investigate the major predictions of the glymphatic mechanism by modeling diffusive and convective transport in brain ECS and by solving the Navier-Stokes and convection-diffusion equations, using realistic ECS geometry for short-range transport between para-arterial and paravenous spaces. Major model parameters include para-arterial and paravenous pressures, ECS volume fraction, solute diffusion coefficient, and astrocyte foot-process water permeability. The model predicts solute accumulation and clearance from the ECS after a step change in solute concentration in para-arterial fluid. The principal and robust conclusions of the model are as follows: (a) significant convective transport requires a sustained pressure difference of several mmHg between the para-arterial and paravenous fluid and is not affected by pulsatile pressure fluctuations; (b) astrocyte endfoot water permeability does not substantially alter the rate of convective transport in ECS as the resistance to flow across endfeet is far greater than in the gaps surrounding them; and (c) diffusion (without convection) in the ECS is adequate to account for experimental transport studies in brain parenchyma. Therefore, our modeling results do not support a physiologically important role for local parenchymal convective flow in solute transport through brain ECS.
Towards a sweat-based wireless and wearable electrochemical sensor

The analysis of biomarkers within sweat is advantageous for both being a non-invasive diagnostic method as well as the physiological relevance of the present biomarkers. Due to these advantages, having a wearable system that can continually perform sweat analytics holds potential for various applications. In order to create a wearable system that operates efficiently, both the electrochemical sensor and the front-end electronic system need to be optimized. In this paper, we present our work on the electronic interface portion for use with skin adhered biosensors. For proof of concept, we focused on the sensing of lactate; the conjugate base of lactic acid. Our system was shown to calibrate itself using cyclic voltammetry and measure concentrations of lactate from 0.1 mM to 0.75 mM. The system can wirelessly transmit readings to a peripheral smart-phone data aggregator, and continuously operate for over 36 hours.
Computed Tomography in the Management of Electrophysiology Procedures

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is an established noninvasive imaging technique which provides essential anatomic and functional appraisal prior to electrophysiology procedures in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF) undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Modern technological advances have allowed cardiac CT to have a role in pre-procedural planning for invasive electrophysiology procedures such as pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion devices in patients with AF, coronary venous imaging in patients undergoing CRT, and myocardial scar detection in patients undergoing substrate mapping for ventricular tachycardia ablation with contraindications to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for scar imaging. This chapter addresses the applications of cardiac CT as a pre-procedural guide to facilitate a variety of electrophysiology procedures in (1) AF patients to anatomically assess the left atrium (LA), LAA, and pulmonary veins (PV) for co-registration with electro-anatomical mapping (EAM), (2) end-stage HF patients who are being considered for CRT to anatomically assess for the coronary venous tree, and (3) VT patients who have contradictions to MRI for myocardial scar assessment but may benefit from CT myocardial scar detection for substrate mapping for VT ablation.
Prognosis of women with apparent stage I endometrial cancer who had supracervical hysterectomy.

Abstract Objective To examine characteristics and survival outcomes of women with apparent early-stage endometrial cancer who had a supracervical hysterectomy. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was used to identify women with presumed stage I endometrial cancer who underwent supracervical hysterectomy between 1983 and 2012. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust background difference between supracervical hysterectomy ( n =1,339) and total hysterectomy ( n =110,523) cases. Endometrial cancer-specific survival (CSS) was examined by multivariable analysis expressed with adjusted-hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]. Results Supracervical hysterectomy was independently associated with younger age, low-grade disease, and small tumor size on multivariable analysis (all, P versus 94.9%, adjusted-HR 1.72, 95%CI 1.20–2.47, P =0.003). Among women who received postoperative radiotherapy, 10-year CSS rates were similar between supracervical and total hysterectomy cases (84.7% versus 80.3%, P =0.40). Contrary, in the absence of postoperative radiotherapy, women undergoing supracervical hysterectomy had a significantly lower 10-year CSS rate compared to those undergoing total hysterectomy (92.1% versus 97.2%, P versus 94.3%, P =0.018) but had similar CSS rates with lymphadenectomy (92.7% versus 91.8%, P =0.91). Conclusion Although rarely performed, supracervical hysterectomy is associated with decreased survival outcome among women with apparent stage I endometrial cancer supporting the importance of avoiding this procedure in women with or at risk of endometrial cancer.
Antepartum management and obstetric outcomes among pregnancies with Down syndrome from diagnosis to delivery.

Objective Little is known about the obstetric care of an ongoing pregnancy with trisomy 21. We sought to ascertain an obstetric profile for pregnancies with Down syndrome to help guide prenatal management. Method Pregnancies managed for delivery with trisomy 21 between 2003 and 2014 were analyzed. We reviewed demographic data, diagnostic testing, prenatal surveillance, obstetric outcomes, and placental pathology. T-test, chi-squared test, and Fisher correction were used as indicated. Results Sixty-eight pregnancies were identified, and four women (5.9%) experienced a loss during the pregnancy. Among the remaining 64 pregnancies, the average gestational age at delivery was 36.9 weeks, growth restriction was present in 12 (17.5%), and major anomalies were present in 51 (75.0%). Delivery was undertaken for non-reassuring fetal surveillance in 35.9% of the pregnancies; 93% of which represented a change from prior reassuring surveillance and 52.6% of which demonstrated histopathologic evidence of placental insufficiency. None among increased maternal age, the presence of an anomaly, or growth restriction were significantly more common in the group with non-reassuring surveillance. Conclusion There are high rates of fetal growth restriction, delivery for non-reassuring fetal status, and evidence of placental insufficiency among affected pregnancies, suggesting a role for antepartum surveillance. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Taking our seat at the advocacy table

ABSTRACTThe Policy–Advocacy–Leadership (PAL) column is developed to initiate and facilitate important dialogue about health care and educational policy, and develop and share the knowledge, tools, and resources that enable all of us to be effective advocates for our clients and our practice and leaders in our practice settings and profession. In this column, we discuss key strategies that will enable us to meet the requirements of the recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and step confidently into the advocacy role on behalf of our students, families, schools, and profession.
Carotid Body Tumor With Malignant Behavior in a Patient in His Eighth Decade

Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are rare neoplasms with rare malignant potential. These tumors are usually parasympathetic ganglia-derived lesions which located in the neck at the bifurcation of the external and internal carotid arteries. In contrary to sympathetic-derived tumors, they are often non-secretory. However, about 5% of these tumors may still secrete some of the catecholamine-related compounds. Most of these lesions are diagnosed in the third to fifth decades of life, with more cases revealed during autopsy examinations. Although it is considered a disease of middle age, elderly people are not immune. We report a case of an elderly patient in his eighth decade, who presented with a mass-like lesion in the right side of his neck during routine medical examination. Imaging study showed an enhancing mass in the carotid artery bifurcation with pressure effect and lymphadenopathy. The patient underwent surgery and tumor was removed uneventfully. The pathology report later confirmed oval-shaped cells with positive neuroendocrine markers consistent with carotid body paraganglioma. We believe these tumors are overlooked and yet may be missed without proper medical examination. We report this case for two reasons, being a very rare tumor with malignant potential in an elderly patient and to raise the awareness among medical practitioners. J Med Cases. 2017;8(10):311-314 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2906w
Taiwan and the Waning Dream of Reunification

China and Taiwan constitute one of the four nations divided by the Cold War. This division was intended to be only temporary, but became frozen into the bipolar Cold War structure. Yet reunification has been implanted into the vision of national self-realization in post-Liberation China and to some extent in Taiwan as well. Since the end of the Cold War mutual interest revived on both sides, but as the PRC overtook the island economically and militarily, the dream of reunification has begun to fade. This concluding chapter focuses on the question why.
Long-term outcomes of APBI via multicatheter interstitial HDR brachytherapy: Results of a prospective single-institutional registry.

Abstract Purpose Long-term outcome reports of accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) are limited. Here, we report the 10-year outcomes of APBI delivered using multicatheter interstitial implant (ISI) brachytherapy. Methods and materials Patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with APBI via ISI brachytherapy were enrolled in a prospective registry. Selection criteria included age ≥40 years, ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive tumor ≤3 cm, negative margins (≥2 mm), and negative axillary nodes. 34 Gy in 10 twice-daily fractions was administered to 2 cm of breast tissue surrounding the surgical bed. Toxicity and cosmetic outcomes were collected prospectively. Results A total of 175 patients were included. The median followup time was 10.0 years. Ten-year ipsilateral breast tumor control, regional control, freedom from distant metastasis, breast cancer–specific survival, and overall survival were 92.1%, 96.9%, 97.4%, 97.1%, and 81.2%, respectively. High-grade disease was correlated with increase in the rate of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. Grade 1 or 2 skin toxicity was present in 44 patients, and Grade 3 skin toxicity was present in only 1 patient. There were no Grade 4 or higher toxicities observed. Thirty-seven patients developed fat necrosis. Dose Homogeneity Index of ≤0.85 and integrated reference air-kerma of >3400 cGycm2/h correlated with higher rates of fat necrosis. There were 115 (66%), 51 (29%), 8 (5%), and 0 (0%) patients having excellent, good, fair, and poor cosmetic outcomes, respectively. Conclusions APBI using ISI brachytherapy offers excellent clinical outcomes in appropriately selected patients with excellent cosmetic outcomes and low rates of toxicities such as symptomatic fat necrosis.
4.16 Mechanical Forces in Mitosis

Mitosis, the process by which the genome is segregated equally during cell division, is an intrinsically mechanical process. Although we now have a nearly complete list of molecules essential to cell division, how these molecules generate the emergent mechanical behavior remains a frontier. We begin by reviewing the basic architecture and dynamics of the mitotic spindle, the cellular assembly that segregates chromosomes in eukaryotes. We then review elementary force producing mechanisms in the spindle, and models for emergent mechanical behavior. We then discuss two processes that epitomize the complex mechanics of mitosis emerging from integration of simpler molecular functions. First, we focus on the problem of spindle length determination. How do nanometer-size building blocks assemble to form a spindle structure several microns in length to segregate genome copies far apart? Second, we focus on the mechanical architecture of the interface between chromosomes and spindle microtubules. The kinetochore is the macromolecular machine linking chromosomes to microtubules. How does it hold on to dynamic microtubules, and how does the kinetochore-microtubule interface generate force to move chromosomes? Throughout this chapter, we emphasize key missing data that notably includes quantitative values of forces, and how they vary as a function of position, within the spindle and kinetochore.
Implementation of a single-shot receiver for quaternary phase-shift keyed coherent states

We experimentally investigate a strategy to discriminate between quaternary phase-shift keyed coherent states based on single-shot measurements that is compatible with high-bandwidth communications. We extend previous theoretical work in single-shot measurements to include critical experimental parameters affecting the performance of practical implementations. Specifically, we investigate how the visibility of the optical displacement operations required in the strategy impacts the achievable discrimination error probability, and identify the experimental requirements to outperform an ideal heterodyne measurement. Our experimental implementation is optimized based on the experimental parameters and allows for the investigation of realistic single-shot measurements for multistate discrimination.
Using Root Cause Analysis to Improve Patient Safety in the Outpatient Neurology Setting (P1.068)

Objective: To demonstrate use of root cause analysis to improve patient care in the outpatient neurology setting. Background: Root cause analysis (RCA) is a problem-solving method that identifies multiple and intersecting factors underlying problems in a complicated system such as health care. The RCA goal is to ascertain where and how a problem occurred. Determining the cause(s) of error allows system modifications to prevent future errors. Extending RCA to outpatient neurology is a novel use of this tool. Design/Methods: Presented is the case of an 80-year-old woman with a history of left-sided breast cancer with mastectomy in 1998, and new complaints of left arm weakness and paresthesias, slowly progressive since November 2014. In August 2015 the patient presented for a 3 rd opinion to the Neurology Senior Ambulatory Resident (SAR) clinic, where senior residents see interesting outpatients and urgent referrals under supervision. Metastatic disease was suspected. Cervical-spine and brachial plexus MRIs and repeat EMG were ordered. However, multiple successive delays occurred. In February 2016, biopsy showed recurrent breast cancer involving the upper and middle trunks of the brachial plexus. Results: An RCA to identify the causes of this 6-month diagnostic delay occurred within the residency training Quality and Patient Safety course. The RCA revealed delays in follow-up appointment scheduling, duplicative MRIs and EMG, poor communication between Radiology and Neurology leading to ordering errors with delays in correction, and delay in obtaining the biopsy once it was requested. Based on these root causes, our department developed procedures and policies to prevent similar problems. Interventions to date include designating a nurse to monitor test completion in critical cases and generating a SAR patient list to track high-acuity patient flow. Conclusions: RCA is a powerful tool in quality improvement endeavors related to patient safety in the clinic. Disclosure: Dr. Shah has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cherukuri has nothing to disclose. Dr. Izadyar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bradshaw has received research support from Cytokinetics. Dr. Sanders has nothing to disclose.
Salivary kynurenic acid response to psychological stress: inverse relationship to cortical glutamate in schizophrenia

Frontal glutamatergic synapses are thought to be critical for adaptive, long-term stress responses. Prefrontal cortices, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contribute to stress perception and regulation, and are involved in top-down regulation of peripheral glucocorticoid and inflammatory responses to stress. Levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA) in saliva increase in response to psychological stress, and this stress-induced effect may be abnormal in people with schizophrenia. Here we test the hypothesis that ACC glutamatergic functioning may contribute to the stress-induced salivary KYNA response in schizophrenia. In 56 patients with schizophrenia and 58 healthy controls, our results confirm that levels of KYNA in saliva increase following psychological stress. The magnitude of the effect correlated negatively with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) glutamate + glutamine (r = −.31, p = .017) and glutamate (r = −0.27, p = .047) levels in the ACC in patients but not in the controls (all p ≥ .45). Although, a causal relationship cannot be ascertained in this cross-sectional study, these findings suggest a potentially meaningful link between central glutamate levels and kynurenine pathway response to stress in individuals with schizophrenia.
Transgenics for Biofuel Crops

Fossil fuels, like petroleum and coal, are fast-depleting, nonrenewable sources that were produced over million years ago, when the higherand lower-order plants were buried under the surface of the earth by volcanic activities and sedimentation. These were further acted upon by microorganisms leading to the formation of nonrenewable fuels. There is an urgent need to find alternative sources of energy in order to cope with the energy demands of the human race and the much-debated global climate change in the coming years. So intense is the problem that the world has been divided into energy-independent producers and energy-dependent consumer economies, triggering trade war and political unrest, leading to monopoly over production and pricing issues. In such a scenario, there is a greater urge for the fossil-fuel-dependent economies to look for alternative sources of energy to become more self-reliant when it comes to their own energy needs (Hill et al. 2006). Several alternative energy sources, which exist and are being exploited today, include wind, solar, hydroelectric, nuclear energy and possibly methane gas reserves entrapped in the underground seabed. These may provide a part of the solution. There are practical problems associated with harnessing, storage and transport of these new renewable resources compared with other popular nonrenewable sources. Biofuels or agrofuels are basically carbon-derived fuels (solid, liquid or gaseous state) where the source of carbon is either plants or animals, and are therefore indirectly solar energy sources. They can be derived from animal fats, vegetable oils (biodiesel), or from agro-residues (bioethanol, biomethanol, or biobutanol), or can be derived from solid forms (like refuse fuels, pellets, wood, sewage, and
Substance Use Outcomes

What are the main explanations for alcohol and drug abuse among Hispanics? How do we operationalize and measure alcohol extent and patterns of use, drinking problems, and drug use? How do background factors relate to substance use outcomes?
Performance Evaluation of Spatial and Time Averaging of Ultrasonic Grain Signal

The ultrasonic backscattered grain signal consists of interfering multiple echoes with random amplitude and phase corresponding to a highly complex grain structure. Among the various inherent features of the grain signal, attenuation is a measurable feature resulting from the effect of scattering and absorption. The concept of ergodicity of the ultrasonic backscattered grain signal and its usefulness for measuring attenuation is presented in this report. A mathematical model of the grain signal describing both spatial and temporal averaging is developed. Experimental results using steel samples with different grain sizes along with the discussion of reproducbility and sensitivity of spatial and temporal averaging for measuring attenuation is presented.
Randomized controlled trial of weight loss versus usual care on telomere length in women with breast cancer: the lifestyle, exercise, and nutrition (LEAN) study

Some studies suggest that telomere shortening may be associated with increased breast cancer risk and mortality. Obesity is also associated with increased breast cancer risk and mortality. Few studies have examined changes in telomere length in overweight or obese breast cancer survivors. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of a 6-month diet- and exercise-induced weight loss intervention versus usual care on telomere length in breast cancer survivors. 151 breast cancer survivors with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to a 6-month weight loss intervention (n = 93) or to usual care (n = 58). Fasting blood samples, height, weight, physical activity, and diet were measured at baseline and 6-months. Relative telomere length (RTL) was measured by quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) done on buffy coat-extracted genomic DNA. Mean baseline to 6-month changes were compared between groups (intention-to-treat) using generalized estimating equations. Complete telomere data were available in 125 participants. Women were 58 ± 8 years, with BMI 33.0 ± 6.2 kg/m2 and were 2.9 ± 2.5 years from diagnosis; 90% were non-Hispanic white, and 76% had stage 0/I breast cancer. After 6 months, women randomized to weight loss had 3% telomere lengthening compared to 5% shortening in the usual care group (p = 0.12). Among women with stage 0/I, the intervention group experienced 7% telomere lengthening compared to 8% shortening in the usual care group (p = 0.01). No intervention effect was observed in women with stage II/III breast cancer. Our findings suggest a weight loss intervention in stage 0 and 1 breast cancer survivors may lead to telomere lengthening, compared to a shortening in their usual care counterparts.
BCL: A Cross-Platform Distributed Container Library

One-sided communication is a useful paradigm for irregular parallel applications, but most one-sided programming environments, including MPI's one-sided interface and PGAS programming languages, lack application level libraries to support these applications. We present the Berkeley Container Library, a set of generic, cross-platform, high-performance data structures for irregular applications, including queues, hash tables, Bloom filters and more. BCL is written in C++ using an internal DSL called the BCL Core that provides one-sided communication primitives such as remote get and remote put operations. The BCL Core has backends for MPI, OpenSHMEM, GASNet-EX, and UPC++, allowing BCL data structures to be used natively in programs written using any of these programming environments. Along with our internal DSL, we present the BCL ObjectContainer abstraction, which allows BCL data structures to transparently serialize complex data types while maintaining efficiency for primitive types. We also introduce the set of BCL data structures and evaluate their performance across a number of high-performance computing systems, demonstrating that BCL programs are competitive with hand-optimized code, even while hiding many of the underlying details of message aggregation, serialization, and synchronization.
The Social Construction of Organizational Learning

This is a phenomenological study of the communication processes around quality in a symphony chorus, addressing the research question, How do the communication processes in which organizational mem...
Phonon transport at the nanoscale with applications to batteries and advanced thermal insulation

It has been almost three decades since Nanoscale Thermal Science and Engineering became a well-established research field. Various major breakthroughs in fundamental understanding of thermal transport (phonons, photons, and electrons) at the nanoscale have been achieved in these three decades; however, the impact of these fundamental insights has been primarily targeted toward microelectronics and thermoelectrics applications. In this paper we provide examples of other applications such as Lithium ion battery thermal management and building thermal insulation, where nanoscale thermal science has a significant role to play. We have used time domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) to measure thermal conductivity of Lithium ion battery cathode material. To understand the fundamentals of thermal transport in the cathode material we created a model cathode system as compared engineered samples using pulsed laser deposition technique. We also used 3-omega technique for the engineered system. We have also made highly insulating material using functionalized nanoparticles for building applications. Results show that surface functionalization has a huge impact on thermal conductivity of an assembly of nanoparticle.
Depression and inflammation among epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant nonsmall cell lung cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE Depression is highly prevalent in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is associated with elevated inflammation. However, certain subtypes of driver mutation-associated NSCLC such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated NSCLC may be associated with less depression given the differences in their underlying biology and disease trajectories. Biological variables such as inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP), may provide insight into depression variability in EGFR mutant NSCLC. METHODS Patients with EGFR mutant and wild-type metastatic NSCLC were evaluated for depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) on a continuous scale and meeting depression screening criteria (HADS ≥ 8). Inflammation was measured using CRP. A mediation model was created to understand how inflammation mediates EGFR wild-type associated depression. RESULTS One hundred out of 120 patients with NSCLC were recruited (83.3% response rate). The 20 participants with EGFR mutant NSCLC had less depression (HADS-D 3.0 versus 5.4) (P < .001), met depression screening criteria less often (P = .047), and exhibited less inflammation (CRP = 0.23 mg/mL versus 2.71 mg/mL) (P < .001) in comparison with EGFR wild-type NSCLC. Multivariate linear regression model revealed that only CRP predicted depression (P = .015) while controlling for age and sex. Mediation analysis found that lower CRP partially mediated less depression in EGFR mutant NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS EGFR mutant NSCLC is associated with less depression but the relationship is partially mediated by lower CRP-related inflammation, which is a stronger predictor of depression than EGFR status. Depression in lung cancer varies by subtype and is significantly related to inflammation.
Introducing efficient palladium catalyzed cross coupling reaction of tertiary alcohols and aroyl chlorides for the synthesis of highly substituted esters

Abstract Esters are chemical compounds with many practical uses. The common type of esterification is called the Fischer esterification. Another one is by the action of acid chlorides on alcohols but not with tertiary alcohols. The stable carbenium ions formed from tertiary alcohols favor elimination and the byproduct, hydrogen chloride prevents ester formation. In this new report, palladium inserted ArCOPdCl species reacts with tertiary alcohols and cross-coupling under microwave heating, minimizes the formation of probable carbenium ion, and promotes successful production of highly substituted esters in good to high yields.
Study of Spatio-Temporal Character of Frequency Combs Generated by Quantum Cascade Lasers

Free-running quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) show a natural tendency to operate in the multimode regime as a result of both spatial and spectral hole burning. While multimode operation by itself is far from unusual, what distinguishes QCLs from other lasers is that the phases of the individual modes in them can be locked in the absence of any additional intracavity elements, thus forming frequency combs (FCs) that have many practical applications. Unlike typical FCs produced in mode-locked lasers or microcavities, the temporal shape of a QCL FC is not a short pulse but rather a combination of frequency and (to a lesser extent) amplitude modulated signals, the origin of which is not obvious. In this paper, we develop a theory aimed at explicating the most recent experimental measurements of temporal characteristics of QCL FCs. We identify spatial hole burning as the root cause of frequency modulation and show that, in addition to previously analyzed rapid, pseudo-random frequency modulation, the experimentally observed long linearly chirped signal can also alleviate spatial hole burning efficiently. We find that in the absence of spectral hole burning, a linearly chirped regime has the lowest threshold. Furthermore, we show that for relatively weak frequency modulation, amplitude modulation should also arise as confirmed experimentally. The result of this paper is a first step toward reliably engineering FCs with specified characteristics in mid IR and THz regions.
Quantitative characterization of gene regulation by Rho dependent transcription termination

Abstract Rho factor dependent transcription termination (RTT) is common within the coding sequences of bacterial genes and it acts to couple transcription and translation levels. Despite the importance of RTT for gene regulation, its effects on mRNA and protein concentrations have not been quantitatively characterized. Here we demonstrate that the exogenous cfp gene encoding the cyan fluorescent protein can serve as a model for gene regulation by RTT. This was confirmed by showing that Psu and bicyclomycin decrease RTT and increase full length cfp mRNAs (but remarkably they have little effect on protein production). We then use cfp to characterize the relationship between its protein and full length mRNA concentrations when the translation initiation rate is varied by sequence modifications of the translation initiation region (TIR). These experiments reveal that the fold change in protein concentration (RP) and the fold change in full length mRNA concentration (Rm) have the relationship RP ≈ Rmb, where b is a constant. The average value of b was determined from three separate data sets to be ~ 3.6. We demonstrate that the above power law function can predict how altering the translation initiation rate of a gene in an operon will affect the mRNA concentrations of downstream genes and specify a lower bound for the associated changes in protein concentrations. In summary, this study defines a simple phenomenological model to help program expression from single genes and operons that are regulated by RTT, and to guide molecular models of RTT.
A Behavior Tree Cognitive Assistant System for Emergency Medical Services

This paper presents a cognitive assistant system for emergency medical services (EMS) that can serve as a rescue robot or virtual assistant, helping with improving situational awareness of the first responders through automated collection and analysis of data from the incident scene and providing suggestions to them. The proposed system relies on a Behavior Tree (BT) framework that combines the knowledge of EMS protocol guidelines with speech recognition, natural language processing, and machine learning methods to (i) extract critical information from responders’ conversations and verbalized observations, (ii) infer the incident context, and (iii) decide on safe and effective response interventions to perform. We use a data-set of 8302 real EMS call records from an urban, high volume regional ambulance agency in the U.S. to evaluate the responsiveness and cognitive ability of the system and assess the safety of the suggestions provided to the responders. The experimental results show that the developed cognitive assistant achieves an average top-3 accuracy of 89% in selecting the correct EMS protocols and an average F1-score of 71% in suggesting the protocol specific interventions while providing transparency and evidence for the suggestions.
Narratives of Executive Downfall: Recall, Impeachment, or Coup?

Are recall elections more legitimate than other procedures employed to dismiss elected executives? The first part of this chapter develops a typology of mechanisms employed to remove chief executives from office. This conceptual map includes constitutional mechanisms (recall elections, votes of no-confidence, and impeachments) as well as non-constitutional ones (popular revolts and coups). The typology suggests that recall elections are the constitutional procedure with greater potential for democratic legitimacy, while presidential impeachments are the constitutional procedure with the weakest democratic credentials. As a result, narratives of de-legitimation can be particularly effective when leveraged against impeachments. The second part of the chapter articulates three normative criteria to assess the removal of executives: legality, fairness, and due process. While these criteria occasionally matter for recall referendums and votes of no-confidence, they are crucial to assess the validity of impeachments.
COVID-19: Coronavirus replication, pathogenesis, and therapeutic strategies.

Human coronaviruses, along with influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus, are endemic and cause approximately 15% to 30% of annual respiratory tract infections. Coronavirus infections are generally mild in healthy adults, obviating any urgent need to
Envisioning the Aesthetic Firm

This paper draws on the work of Alain Badiou and Martin Heidegger to construct a postructural theory of the firm. The ideal firm is conceived as a technology that facilitates a technology-free void/site of potential. For actors within this firm to be ethical requires their achievement of human subjecthood through aesthetic fidelity to the site-induced events. Heidegger’s concerns regarding the enframing effects of technology and his recognition of the truth-revealing qualities of art, are incorporated here into a theory of the firm as an idealized, technology facilitated, aesthetic void-of-potential revealing. Authentic human being thus implies that firms-as-technology ‘get out of the way’. This theory of the firm is further revealed through Badiou’s concept of event-driven human flourishing. We embrace Badiou’s ‘ethics-of-truths’ in which fidelity to the trace of an event creates human subjecthood. We consider implications of our theory-of-the-firm for social media firms such as Alphabet and Facebook.
Harold C. Conklin: 1926-2016

This is a biographical memoir of the pioneering 20th century ecological anthropologist Harold C. Conklin, 1926-2016.