cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Source Localization of EEG/MEG Data by Correlating Columns of ICA Solution with Lead Field Matrix

Independent component analysis is increasingly being used on EEG/MEG data as a preprocessor to source localization methods such as beamforming and dipole fitting. Here we show how ICA can be used to perform source localization directly. The proposed method consists of dimension reduction preprocessing, estimating and inverting the reduced-dimension demixing matrix, and then correlating the columns of the resulting mixing matrix estimate with the columns of the forward model. The results section shows a comparison of the proposed method and a scalar minimum variance beamformer, where it is shown that the proposed ICA-based method has less localization error.
Plasma Lipoproteins in Familial Lecithin:Cholesterol Acyltransferase Deficiency: Effects of Incubation with Lecithin: Cholesterol Acyltransferase in vitro

To study the effect of lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) on the plasma lipoproteins of patients with familial LCAT deficiency, whole plasma or the lipoprotein fraction of d < 1.006 g/ml (VLDL) was incubated in the presence of LCAT and subsequently examined by chemical, physical, and immunological techniques. The following occurred upon incubating either hyperlipemia or nonlipemic plasma: The concentrations of polar lipids decreased, particularly in the large molecular weight lipoprotein subfraction of d 1.019-1.063 g/ml (LDL2) and in the lipoprotein fraction of d 1.063-1.25 g/ml (HDL). The concentration of cholesteryl ester (CE) increased, particularly in the VLDL and in the lipoprotein fractions of d 1.006-1.019 g/ml (LDL1) and LDL2. The concentration of arginine-rich apolipoprotein decreased in the HDL and increased in the VLDL and LDLi. The concentrations of the C-apoliproteins appeared to change in the opposite direction. The concentration of apolipoprotein B in the LDL increased concomitan...
Global Care Work and Gendered Constraints: The Case of Puerto Rican Transmigrants

Through in-depth interviews with 41 middle-class Puerto Rican transmigrants, this research examines how gender constrains global care work. Migration compromises embeddedness in care networks, concurrently heightening its meaning. Women felt these effects more acutely than men given their primary responsibility for reproductive work. Migrants engaged in emotion work to cope with constraints, strategically rearticulating care work; yet unsuccessful strategies resulted in further emotional dislocation, particularly for women. Migration led to a dichotomy in which professional success was pitted against emotional fulfillment through care work. Gender, cultural, and geopolitical factors mediated this split, contributing to a permanently unsettled flow of migrants.
Petroclival tumors: A synthesis

This article focuses on petroclival tumors, which are rare lesions of the posterior fossa-an area that is difficult to access. Because of their location, rarity, insidious growth, and relentless natural progression toward a fatal outcome, petroclival tumors pose major management problems. With improved microsurgical techniques, however, these tumors can be approached and removed with preservation of vital neural and vascular structures.
Evaluating Singer Consistency and Uniqueness in Vocal Performances

Identifying consistent and unique aspects of performances is an important aspect of modeling performance style. This paper presents a detailed analysis of inter-singer differences and intra-singer similarities using support vector machines to predict singer identity of a performance from pitch, timing, and dynamics performance parameters. The analysis was performed on a dataset of 72 recordings of the first verse of Schubert’s “Ave Maria”, the dataset consists of 3 a cappella and 3 accompanied performances by 6 professional and 6 non-professional singers.
Immunochemical Prophylaxis against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Healthy people are rarely infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Consequently, serious P. aeruginosa infections are rarely community-acquired. However, in the hospital setting, P. aeruginosa causes about 7–15% of life-threatening bacterial infections such as bacteremia and pneumonia.1–5 In cystic fibrosis (CF), P. aeruginosa is the predominant pathogen.6,7 P. aeruginosa merits special attention as a common bacterial nosocomial pathogen, for the mortality rate is significantly higher than that seen in infections caused by other common gram-negative bacilli and staphylococci.8–10 Thus, in the host compromised by extreme youth or age, trauma, cancer, immunosuppressive therapy, or mechanical ventilation, P. aeruginosa can be a highly virulent pathogen.1,2,8–10 In the compromised patient P. aeruginosa has several attributes that contribute to its high virulence. P. aeruginosa is innately less sensitive than other common gram-negative bacilli to modern antimicrobials such as semisynthetic penicillins, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluorinated carboxyquinolones.11–15 Resistance can emerge during anti-microbial therapy, resulting in treatment failure.16–20 Also, it is insensitive to frequently used agents such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, and first-and second-generation cephalosporins. The use of theselatter oral antimicrobials for infection prophylaxis profoundly alters normal flora and can promote colonization of the host.21–23
Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America: Insights from GPS and late Holocene relative sea level data

The Atlantic Coast of North America is increasingly affected by flooding associated with tropical and extratropical storms, exacerbated by the combined effects of accelerated sea-level rise and land subsidence. The region includes the collapsing forebulge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. High-quality records of late Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) rise are now available, allowing separation of long-term glacial isostatic adjustment-induced displacement from modern vertical displacement measured by GPS. We compare geological records of late Holocene RSL to present-day vertical rates from GPS. For many coastal areas there is no significant difference between these independent data. Exceptions occur in areas of recent excessive groundwater extraction, between Virginia (38°N) and South Carolina (32.5°N). The present-day subsidence rates in these areas are approximately double the long-term geologic rates, which has important implications for flood mitigation. Tide gauge records, therefore, should be used with caution for studying sea-level rise in this region.
Lung Cancer in Never Smokers

Lung cancer is predominantly associated with cigarette smoking; however, a substantial minority of patients with the disease have never smoked. In the US it is estimated there are 17,000-26,000 annual deaths from lung cancer in never smokers, which as a separate entity would be the seventh leading cause of cancer mortality. Controversy surrounds the question of whether or not the incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers is increasing, with more data to support this observation in Asia. There are several factors associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer in never smokers including second hand smoke, indoor air pollution, occupational exposures, and genetic susceptibility among others. Adenocarcinoma is the most common histology of lung cancer in never smokers and in comparison to lung cancer in smokers appears less complex with a higher likelihood to have targetable driver mutations.
Adenocarcinoma arising from a strictureplasty site in Crohn's disease: Report of a case

The occurrence of small-bowel cancer in Crohn's disease (CD) is a rare event. The risk seems to be greatest in patients with long-standing disease. Strictureplasty has proved to be a valuable alternative in the management of Crohn's strictures of the small-bowel. Critics and proponents of strictureplasty for selected patients with smallbowel Crohn's disease have voiced their concerns about cancer risk in the strictured or strictureplasty site. To date, there has been no clear or detailed report of such an occurrence. The authors report the first case of small-bowel adenocarcinoma arising at the site of a previous strictureplasty. In this patient, biopsies of the strictures at the original operation confirmed CD and excluded both cancer and dysplasia. Malignancy occurred seven years later at a strictureplasty site. The main clinical sign associated with the adenocarcinoma was severe, persistent anemia. The authors conclude that the risk of adenocarcinoma developing at the site of a previous strictureplasty for CD, although small, is real.
Transplantation of cultured bursal epithelium: a histologic study.

AbstractPieces of bursa, taken from one-day-old line 6, subline 1 chicks, were cultured in vitro for 13 days. During culture, the fragments gradually lost follicular organization and immunoglobulin (Ig)-positive lymphocytes. The basement membrane associated epithelium proliferated and was later seen diffusely layered under intact plical or specific follicular layers. Cultured bursal epithelium (CBE) was transplanted into the wing web of 14-day-old surgically bursectomized syngeneic recipients. The CBE began to enlarge and become vascularized. Microscopic examination of the transplants 22 days after implantation revealed repopulation of lymphocytes which reorganized into follicle-like structures containing Ig-positive cells. Thus, transplantation of CBE into the wing web of bursectomized chickens may be a good model for simulating the naturally occurring events in avian B-cell development.
Control of Heterogeneity in Nanostructured Ce1–xZrxO2 Binary Oxides for Enhanced Thermal Stability and Water Splitting Activity

To enhance the kinetics and overall production of renewable H2 fuel through a two-step thermochemical water splitting cycle, three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) Ce1–xZrxO2 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) materials were synthesized via colloidal crystal templating. The interconnected macropore system in these materials facilitates ready access to a relatively large active surface area (tens of m2/g), which benefits the heterogeneous reaction. Two different synthetic routes were employed, a methanolic solution of metal chloride salts, and a Pechini-type gel. These routes produced significant differences in the compositional homogeneity of the resulting mixed oxide. 3DOM Ce1–xZrxO2 synthesized with methanolic precursors had distinct CeO2- and ZrO2-rich domains, whereas the Pechini samples contained only a single phase. At higher Zr content, heterogeneities present in the samples from the methanolic synthesis increased both the productivity and peak production rates of H2 compared to the singl...
Defect identification in high-purity semiconductors

The elemental semiconductors silicon and germanium can be purified to electrically active impurity concentrations as low as approx.10/sup 10/cm/sup -3/. Highly sensitive, energy dispersive analytical techniques have been developed to identify and measure the concentration of the residual elemental impurities. The application of these techniques to very pure materials has also resulted in the discovery of a large number of new levels which are due to impurity/defect complexes. Photothermal ionization spectroscopy using uniaxial stress or a magnetic field, electron paramagnetic resonance, and doping experiments using stable and radioactive elements have been used in combination to identify the composition and the structure of some of the new centers. 36 references, 8 figures, 1 table.
Comparative analysis of phenolic content and profile, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory bioactivity in wild Alaskan and commercial Vaccinium berries.

Wild Alaskan Vaccinium berries, V. vitis-idaea (lowbush cranberry) and V. uliginosum (bog blueberry), were investigated in parallel with their commercial berry counterparts, V. macrocarpon (cranberry) and V. angustifolium (lowbush blueberry). Lowbush cranberry accumulated about twice the total phenolics (624.4 mg/100 g FW) and proanthocyanidins (278.8 mg/100 g) content as commercial cranberries, but A-type proanthocyanidins were more prevalent in the latter. Bog blueberry anthocyanin and total phenolic contents of 220 and 504.5 mg/100 g, respectively, significantly exceeded those of the lowbush blueberry. Chlorogenic acid, however, was quite high in lowbush blueberry (83.1 mg/100 g), but undetected in bog blueberry, and the proanthocyanidins of lowbush blueberry had significantly higher levels of polymerization. Antioxidant capacity (DPPH, APTS, and FRAP) correlated with phenolic content for each berry. A polyphenol-rich fraction from lowbush cranberry exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of LPS-elicited i...
A Problem about Geodesics

Geodesics of a sphere are its great circles. This is quite obvious. As a matter of fact, in many books, the previous sentence is the proof of the proposition given in the first sentence. Sometimes a differential equation for the geodesics of a sphere is given without formal solution. In some books a few special great circles of the sphere are tried in the equation and then it is said, "Well! It isn't worth solving the equation." It is true. Proving an obvious fact as this is a waste of time. But techniques used in this note may be of some interest. Suppose we choose the sphere
Monoclonal Antibodies of Hybridomas

Among the most prominent biological advances of this century, the hybridoma technology stands out as providing the best tool for the analysis of complex antigens of pathogens and tumor cells. This technology will play a major role in the immunodiagnosis and treatment of infectious and malignant diseases. This review focuses on the most recent developments (1980-1981), with emphasis on human immunology.
INFLUENCE OF CRUSTAL UPLIFT TO PRESERVATION OF OIL OR GAS POOLS

Crust uplift, as an important geological phenomenon, can make oil or gas pools reach earth's surface and destroy. If crust uplift can't make oil or gas pools reach earth's surface,it will give an important influence to preservation of oil or gas pools. Crust uplift can increase the capillary sealing ability of caprock and decrease the pressure and hydrocarbon concentration of caprock. Crust uplift can decrease the sealing ability of faults and make them open. Crust can make water from earth's surface, oxygen in free phase and bacterium contact with oil or gas pool,make oil or gas pools take place water washing,oxidation and bacterial degradation. Crust uploft can make gas diffusion lose amount from gas pool increase,can't be favorable for oil or gas to preserve.
Electromagnetic Environment Complexity Metrics Algorithm Based on Directed Graph

A four-degree electromagnetic environment complexity metrics algorithm of radio-used network is defined based on the SNR parameters of radio receiver and availability of the network. On this base,an electromagnetic environment complexity metrics algorithm based on directed graph is proposed. The algorithm transforms radio-used network into directed graph and determines the electromagnetic environment complexity degree by adjacency matrix of the directed graph. The electromagnetic environment complexity of battlefield is calculated based on the above algorithm. The impact of electromagnetic environment in battlefield on combat operations is quantified by the calculated result,so as to provide the necessary conditions for decision-making in the complex electromagnetic environment.
Hybrid approach for automatic segmentation of fetal abdomen from ultrasound images using deep learning

In this paper, we propose a hybrid approach combining traditional texture analysis methods with deep learning for the automatic detection and measurement of abdominal contour from 2-D fetal ultrasound images. Following a learning-based procedure for region of interest (ROI) localization to segment the abdominal boundary, we show that convolutional neural networks (CNNs) outperform other state-of-the-art texture features and conventional classifiers, in addressing the binary classification problem of distinguishing between abdomen versus non-abdomen regions. However, we obtain significantly better segmentation results in identifying the best ROI containing fetal abdomen, when the predictions from CNN are combined with those from gradient boosting machine (GBM) using histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) features. We trained our method on a set of 70 images and tested them on another distinct set of 70 images. We obtained a mean DICE similarity coefficient of 0.90, which shows excellent overlap with the ground truth. We report that the mean computed gestational age difference between our segmentation results and the ground truth, is within two weeks for 90% (and within one week for 70%) of the testing cases.
Extreme Weight Loss Behaviors among Multi-ethnic Adolescents of Florida

Childhood overweight and obesity across the United States (US) have increased with one-third of Florida’s youth are either overweight or obese. While public health (PH) efforts must continue to address prevention, understanding the behavioral impact of overweight/obesity among adolescents is imperative. Using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the prevalence and the correlates of extreme weight loss behavior/practice among multi-ethnic adolescents of Florida were examined cross-sectionally. A representative sample from 75 public High School students in Grades 9 through 12 in 2005 (n=4,564) were included. Analysis accounted for the sampling design and non-response effects. Extreme weight loss behavior or extreme dieter (outcome) was defined as those who used at least one of the three unhealthy methods to lose weight. Prevalence of extreme weight loss behaviors included were (1) fasting for 24 hours or more (11.7%); (2) use of diet pills/powder/liquid without doctor’s advice (6.02%); and (3) use laxatives or purging (5.05%). About 15.1% (n=599) were using at least one of the three methods to lose weight. About 52.5% of extreme dieters were whites, with 25.8% blacks, 19.7% Hispanics, and 2.0% others. Compared to the boys (referent group), girls were 15 times (adjusted OR: 15.4; 95% CI: 9.3 – 25.5) likely to be extreme dieters. Over 52% of extreme dieters were in healthy weight as defined by age-sex-specific BMI percentile. Culturally sensitive and comprehensive health education programs addressing several health risk behaviors could be beneficial for adolescents.
Heat effects of hydrogen fluoride from two thermodynamic models

We examine two published thermodynamic models for their ability to describe the excess enthalpy and heat capacity of hydrogen fluoride (HF) over a range of temperatures. Emphasis is placed on the behavior away from the saturation curve and, thus, away from the conditions used to fit the models. The first model is the association + equation of state (AEOS) treatment of Anderko, which utilizes a biased yet unconstrained association scheme. The second model is due to Kao and co-workers and treats HF as a mixture of only monomers and hexamers. Both models are found to be effective in capturing important qualitative features of the HF heat effects. The AEOS describes well the location but not the magnitude of associated-induced maxima in the vapor-phase heat capacities, while the Kao model describes the magnitude well but is slightly off in characterizing the locations of these maxima.
Development and Applications of Transgenics in Biotechnology and Medicine

The possibility of expressing foreign genes in mammals and plants by gene transfer has opened new dimensions in the genetic manipulation of these organisms. The use of transgenic animals as an experimental system for the study of gene regulation, genetic modeling of diseases, and testing of novel therapies or as a way to produce important bioactive drugs has provided great advances in agriculture and medicine. Transgenic technology has been used successfully to generate animals exhibiting features associated with human diseases or genetic disorders such as hemoglobinopathies, diabetes, cystic fibrosis (CF), Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases providing significant advances in understanding the development and pathophysiological aspects of these diseases. Plants have been generated to produce therapeutic proteins such as antibodies, blood products, cytokines, growth factors, hormones, and a variety of human and veterinary vaccines. In this chapter, we discuss the technology associated with the generation of transgenic animals, the new developments, and applications where transgenics have proven invaluable and promising.
Muscle MRI at the time of questionable disease flares in Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM).

The course of JDM has improved substantially over the last 70 years with early and aggressive treatments. Yet it remains difficult to detect disease flares as symptoms may be mild; signs of rash and muscle weakness vary widely and are often equivocal; laboratory tests of muscle enzyme levels are often normal; electromyography and muscle biopsy are invasive. Alternative tools are needed to help decide if more aggressive treatment is needed. Our objective is to determine the effectiveness of muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in detecting JDM flares, and how an MRI affects physician’s decision-making regarding treatment. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. JDM patients were consulted between 1/2005 and 6/2015. MRIs were performed on both lower extremities without contrast sequentially: axial T1, axial T2 fat saturation, axial and coronal inversion recovery, and axial diffusion weighted. The physician decision that a JDM patient was in a flare was considered the gold standard. MRI results were compared with physician’s decisions on whether a relapse had occurred, and if there was a concordance between the assessment methods. Forty-five JDM patients were studied. Eighty percent had weakness at diagnosis, 100% typical rash, and 73% typical nail-fold capillary changes. At diagnosis, muscle enzymes were compatible with JDM generally (CK 52%, LDH 62%, aldolase 72%, AST 54% abnormal). EMG was abnormal in 3/8, muscle biopsy typical of JDM in 10/11, and MRI abnormal demonstrating myositis in 31/40. Thirteen patients had a repeat MRI for possible flares with differing indications. Three repeat MRI’s were abnormal, demonstrating myositis. There was moderate agreement about flares between MRI findings and physician’s treatment decisions (kappa = 0.59). In each abnormal MRI case the physician decided to increase treatment (100% probability for flares). MRI was negative for myositis in 10 patients, by which 7/10 the physicians chose to continue or to taper the medications (70% probability for non-flares). A muscle MRI would facilitate objective assessments of JDM flares. When an MRI shows myositis, physicians tend to treat 100% of the time. When an MRI shows no myositis, physicians continued the same medications or tapered medications 70% of the time. Further studies would help confirm the utility and cost-effectiveness of MRI to determine JDM flares.
Postdischarge growth failure among extremely low birth weight infants: Correlates and consequences.

Infants born preterm are at high risk for poor growth attainment (1-8). This is related to many factors, including intrauterine growth failure, poor neonatal nutrition, and chronic sequelae of prematurity such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (3,4,9,10). Once out of the neonatal period, preterm infants have improved growth velocity, but many fail to catch up in growth (1,4,10-13). Prevalence estimates of subnormal weight for corrected age (CA) among preterm children with very low birth weights range from 16% to 33% during the first two to three years of life (14-16). Little is known about the prevalence of growth failure after neonatal discharge, or the extent to which it hinders catch-up growth among preterm children. While a number of studies have reported on growth outcomes during childhood and adolescence (4,14,17), only two studies of children born in the 1980s have described the occurrence of growth failure after discharge from the neonatal nursery (5,16). In term-born children, growth failure, usually termed ‘failure to thrive’, is associated with social and environmental factors, as well as an increased risk of poor health, behavioural problems and suboptimal cognitive outcomes (18-21). However, individual variability in growth velocity, which presents as an upward or downward crossing of major growth percentiles, is common in normal populations of term-born infants and young children (22,23). In the present study, the authors sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of growth failure after neonatal discharge among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants, and its contribution to growth and developmental outcomes at 20 months CA. Based on the results of studies of term-born and premature infants that have demonstrated a negative impact of failure to thrive on growth and developmental outcomes (5,18-20), the authors hypothesized that infants who experienced an episode of growth failure after neonatal hospital discharge would have poorer growth, motor and cognitive outcomes at 20 months CA compared with infants who did not. The results of the present study can assist paediatricians and neonatologists in identifying growth patterns that place ELBW infants at risk for poor growth and developmental outcomes.
The complexity of Neanderthal technology.

A fundamental irony of Paleolithic (or “Old Stone” Age) archaeology is that it concerns a period of human history when most artifacts probably were made from wood. This is suggested by the heavy use of wood as raw material among recent or ethnographic hunter-gatherers (1) and supported by the repeated discovery of microscopic traces of wood-working on the edges of Paleolithic stone tools (2, 3). The technological significance of wood is further amplified in the Lower and Middle Paleolithic by limited use of bone, antler, and ivory (relative to the Upper Paleolithic and recent hunter-gatherers). Aranguren et al. (4) report a set of wooden artifacts from a 170,000-y-old Middle Paleolithic occupation in central Italy. The artifacts, which were preserved in calcareous mudstone deposited along a lake margin, include roughly 40 pieces of modified boxwood ( Buxus sempervirens ), interpreted as “digging sticks.” They are associated with some unmodified pieces of wood, about 200 stone artifacts, and the remains of large mammals, primarily an extinct elephant. No human remains were found at the site (Poggetti Vecchi), but it is confidently attributed to the Neanderthals based on the dating (electron spin resonance and U-series minimum dates). Until the 1990s, wooden artifacts recovered from Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites were so rare that they existed more as curiosities than objects of study. The most widely known examples were sharpened pieces of Taxus or yew from Clacton-on-Sea in southeast England and Lehringen in northern Germany, both interpreted as spears (5, 6), and several objects, including a possible digging stick, from Kalambo Falls in Zambia (7). In 1992, traces or “pseudomorphs” of wood fragments, including some possible modified pieces, were reported from a late Middle Paleolithic context at Abric Romani near Barcelona (8). Three years later, several remarkably well-preserved wooden spears were found at … [↵][1]1Email: John.Hoffecker{at}colorado.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Environmental Fate of Alachlor and Metolachlor

Recent revelations on ground water contamination by pesticides have caused public concern and emotion about the quality of drinking water, which have led to renewed pesticide monitoring and research and the call for stricter health advisories and water quality standards. The toxicological significance to humans and domestic, wild, and aquatic animals of such high use compounds as alachlor and atrazine is receiving close examination.
Mechanisms of Vasoconstriction in Hypertension and Chronic Congestive Heart Failure

Hypertension and chronic congestive heart failure are cardiovascular disorders that are quite different in their clinical expression, and their long term outcome, yet in many respects they share common characteristics that enable one to better understand the abnormalitites of cardiovascular adaptation in man. The most notable common characteristic is the fact that both disorders are characterized by excessive vasoconstriction that may alter both the structure and function of not only the heart, but additional target organs, during the chronic course of the illness. The similarities and contrasts of the two disorders are readily apparent from the hemodynamic equation: $$\text{MAP}\;\text{ = }\;\text{CI}\; \times \;\text{SVR}$$ where MAP = mean arterial pressure, CI = cardiac index, and SVR = systemic vascular resistance, the calculated estimate of arterial vasoconstriction. In hypertension, systemic vasoconstriction (increase of systemic vascular resistance) is typically the primary event in the genesis of hypertension, so that mean arterial pressure is increased, whereas cardiac index is generally normal or slightly decreased.
Susceptibility or Resilience to Maltreatment Can Be Explained by Specific Differences in Brain Network Architecture

Abstract Background Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for psychopathology. However, some maltreated individuals appear remarkably resilient to the psychiatric effects while manifesting the same array of brain abnormalities as maltreated individuals with psychopathology. Hence, a critical aim is to identify compensatory brain alterations that enable resilient individuals to maintain mental well-being despite alterations in stress-susceptible regions. Methods Network models were constructed from diffusion tensor imaging and tractography in physically healthy unmedicated 18- to 25-year-old participants (N = 342, n = 192 maltreated) to develop network-based explanatory models. Results First, we determined that susceptible and resilient individuals had the same alterations in global fiber stream network architecture using two different definitions of resilience: 1) no lifetime history of Axis I or II disorders, and 2) no clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, or somatization. Second, we confirmed an a priori hypothesis that right amygdala nodal efficiency was lower in asymptomatic resilient than in susceptible participants or control subjects. Third, we identified eight other nodes with reduced nodal efficiency in resilient individuals and showed that nodal efficiency moderated the relationship between maltreatment and psychopathology. Fourth, we found that models based on global network architecture and nodal efficiency could delineate group membership (control, susceptible, resilient) with 75%, 82%, and 80% cross-validated accuracy. Conclusions Together these findings suggest that sparse fiber networks with increased small-worldness following maltreatment render individuals vulnerable to psychopathology if abnormalities occur in specific nodes, but that decreased ability of certain nodes to propagate information throughout the network mitigates the effects and leads to resilience.
A CMOS Perimeter Gated SPAD Based Digital Silicon Photomultiplier with Asynchronous AER Readout for PET Applications

We present an architecture for a CMOS digital silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) based on an array of perimeter gated single photon avalanche diodes (PGSPADs). The designed digital SiPM is implemented in a standard 0.5 μm 2-poly, 3-metal CMOS process. In addition to preventing premature edge breakdown, PGSPADs have the capability to tune the noise floor, sensitivity, and dynamic range of the device. Each pixel includes data compression schemes and a single analog counter with a compact implementation to improve fill factor (FF). We implement a fully digital asynchronous address event representation (AER) readout. Simulation results show more than a factor of 10 temporal compression with an improvement of 25% in dead time at the microcell level of the pixel. The PGSPAD digital SiPM is designed for PET applications with an array-level dynamic range of 156 dB, and simulated worst case event readout speed of 20 MHz.
Acute Care Surgical Services: Return to Traditional Surgery as Backbone of the Modern Hospital

The acute care surgery (ACS), a distinctly different model for the provision of care to acutely injured or ill patients with surgical diseases, has shown great promise in streamlining care, reducing costs, and improving outcomes. This model arose initially from dissatisfaction within the trauma and surgical critical care community, culminating in a transformation of trauma surgery to increasingly nonoperative scope of management, and in the relegation of operative care to other “consultant” specialties. While the model may be seen as innovative, it is, in fact, simply a return to traditional surgeons performing traditional surgery, with added intensive care expertise. As such, this model has been quite successful. Still, more needs to be done to maintain the interest of young surgeons to join the ranks.
Displacement of the stapes differs across species—Implications for studies of auditory function

Sound is transferred to the cochlea via the middle ear. The anatomy and physiology of the middle ear varies significantly across species, and these differences impact both the stimulation provided to the inner ear, and the suitability of different animal models for use in various types of research. Studies of auditory trauma from blast, for example, require generation of intracochlear pressures with sufficiently high intensities to cause damage. In some species, e.g., mice and rats, it may not be possible to generate sufficiently high pressures through air conducted sound alone, whereas in humans sufficiently high pressures can readily be generated through air conduction. We hypothesize that this is due to limits on the displacement of the stapes by the stapedial annular ligament, which thereby constrains the energy transferred to the cochlea through the middle ear. To test this hypothesis, we made measurements of the motion of the middle ear bones in response to tones of varying intensities and frequencies in several different species commonly used in laboratory research. Our results reveal peak stapes displacements from ~150 um in humans to 10-20 um in mice and rats. We will discuss the implications of these findings for basic studies of auditory function.
Rethinking Accountability, Feedback, and Formative Assessment

A common concern instructors have about flipped learning is the issue of accountability. They worry that if students do not interact at all with content before class, they will be unprepared to engage in collaborative activities in class. Indeed, holding students accountable for completing work before class is even more important when instructors flip their classes. Instructors also need to ensure that they continue to assess students’ learning progress and provide feedback. In this chapter, we discuss key ideas related to accountability by exploring its relationship to motivation. We also consider the role of the instructor in designing assignments and increasing students’ motivation and discuss the nature of formative assessment and feedback within flipped learning. Finally, we provide one example of an online polling program to show how instructors can gather formative assessment on students’ learning progress in a fun way.
Acidic ionic liquid catalyzed liquefaction of untreated switchgrass biomass in acetone and Pd-La(OTf)3 catalyzed reduction of the products

Abstract The cellulosic fraction of untreated switchgrass was partially liquefied by using acidic ionic liquid catalysts and heating in acetone at 120 °C for 3.5 h. The Bronsted acidic ionic liquids 1-(3-propylsulfonic)-3-methylimidazolium chloride and 1-(4-butylsulfonic)-3-methylimidazolium as catalysts produced 39.5% and 31.75% w/w liquefactions of switchgrass biomass and the lignin fraction remains unaffected by the mild conditions used. Sixteen C5-C15 range products were observed in the switchgrass liquefied product and 13 compounds were identified using GC-MS, including three products arising from dimerization of acetone under acidic conditions used. The liquefied product could be partially reduced by catalytic hydrogenation using Pd-La(OTf)3 catalyst system in 50% aq. acetic acid at 200 °C, 1.38 MPa for 16 h. Thirteen, mainly alcohol and ketone products were identified in the catalytically reduced liquefied product.
Evoked potentials as a biomarker of remyelination

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common cause of neurologic disease in young adults that is primarily treated with disease-modifying therapies which target the immune and inflammatory responses. Promotion of remyelination has opened a new therapeutic avenue, but how best to determine efficacy of remyelinating drugs remains unresolved. Although prolongation and then shortening of visual evoked potential (VEP) latencies in optic neuritis in MS may identify demyelination and remyelination, this has not been directly confirmed. We recorded VEPs in a model in which there is complete demyelination of the optic nerve, with subsequent remyelination. We examined the optic nerves microscopically during active disease and recovery, and quantitated both demyelination and remyelination along the length of the nerves. Latencies of the main positive component of the control VEP demonstrated around 2-fold prolongation during active disease. VEP waveforms were nonrecordable in a few subjects or exhibited a broadened profile which precluded peak identification. As animals recovered neurologically, the VEP latencies decreased in association with complete remyelination of the optic nerve but remained prolonged relative to controls. Thus, it has been directly confirmed that VEP latencies reflect the myelin status of the optic nerve and will provide a surrogate marker in future remyelination clinical trials.
Analysis of zone-by-zone indoor environmental conditions and electricity savings from the use of a smart thermostat: A residential case study

Smart thermostats are becoming an important tool that saves Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system energy use by optimizing thermostat settings. This paper presents the results of...
Do We Have Reasons to Obey the Law

Instead of the question, ‘Do we have an obligation to obey the law?,’ we should first ask the easier question, ‘Do we have reasons to obey the law?.’ This paper offers a new account of the notion of what Hart called the content-independence of legal reasons in terms of the normative grounding relation. That account is then used to mount a defense of the claim that we do indeed have content-independent, genuinely normative reasons to obey the law (because it is the law), and that these reasons do sometimes amount to an obligation to so-act.
Leveraging the opportunities of mixed methods in research synthesis: Key decisions in systematic mixed studies review methodology

This article identifies and unpacks three key decision points in a systematic mixed research synthesis, a mixed methods approach to research synthesis. The research community has increasingly recognized the value of synthesis studies in expanding our understanding of phenomena. Mixed-methodology broadly has also gained ground as a pragmatic approach to research investigations. By leveraging mixed methods approaches in a synthesis review, systematic mixed studies review (SMSR) enables a broad and integrated summary of existing research on the topic. Yet SMSRs can be challenging to undertake given the complexity of working with research synthesis and mixed methods requirements. This methods guidance article presents information to assist novice researchers in navigating these critical decisions in SMSRs, and provides examples of how these were addressed by researchers in the two case studies provided. Implications of the SMSRs for the research community and future research directions are also discussed.
Lepidoptera: Female sex pheromone biosynthesis and its hormonal regulation

Abstract The first insect sex pheromone, bombykol (E10, Z12-hexadecadien-1ol) from the silkworm moth, Bombyx mori, was identified in 1959 and since then around 2000 species of moths have been investigated with regard to identification of their sex pheromone. The first moth sex pheromone biosynthetic pathway was described by Bjostad and Roelofs in 1983 and since then a number of biosynthetic pathways have been identified as modifications of fatty acid biosynthesis. The pathway in most moths uses a series of enzymes including desaturases, chain shortening enzymes, fatty acyl-CoA reductases, oxidases, and acetyltransferases. The genes encoding desaturases and reductases have been characterized providing a great deal of information not only about the specifics of pheromone biosynthesis but also the evolution of sex pheromones in Lepidoptera. Some moths also utilize hydrocarbons as sex pheromones and their production occurs in oenocyte cells and then subsequent transport to pheromone glands for release. Moth sex pheromones are usually produced following a circadian rhythm, being released from the pheromone gland during a certain time of the scotophose. The timing of biosynthesis and release indicates hormonal regulation and a neuropeptide termed pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) was identified in 1987 by the Raina lab. Since then research has shown that the peptide belongs to a large family of peptides conserved in insects. The G-protein coupled receptor for the neuropeptide has been identified as well as the signal transduction cascade in several species of moth pheromone glands. This chapter will provide an up to date review of pheromone biosynthesis and its hormonal regulation in moths.
The MDM2 inhibitor CGM097 combined with the BET inhibitor OTX015 induces cell death and inhibits tumor growth in models of neuroblastoma.

Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in infants and children, with amplification of the oncogene MYCN being a hallmark of high-risk disease and poor prognosis. Although less frequent, overexpression of MYC is similarly an indicator of poor prognosis. Most NB tumors initially respond to chemotherapy, however, most will relapse, resulting in chemoresistant disease. After relapse, there is growing evidence of p53 inactivation. MYC/MYCN and MDM2 have been shown to interact and contribute to NB growth and disease progression. MDM2 inhibitors and Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal domain (BET) inhibitors have both shown promise in treating NB by increasing the expression of p53 and decreasing MYC/MYCN expression, respectively. Our study focuses on the combined treatment of a MDM2 inhibitor (CGM097) with a BET inhibitor (OTX015) in neuroblastoma. Methods Two p53 wild-type and two p53 mutant established neuroblastoma cells lines were used to test this combination. Ray design assays were used to test whether this combination was synergistically cytotoxic to NB cells. Western blots were performed to check signaling pathways of interest after drug treatment. IncuCyte imaging and flow cytometry were utilized to quantify the apoptotic and cytostatic effects of these drugs on NB cells. In vivo studies were carried out to test the antitumor effect of this combination in a living host. Results The combination of CGM097 and OTX015 resulted in p53 activation, decreased expression of MYC family proteins and a subsequent synergistic increase in NB cell death. Conclusion This study warrants further investigation into the combination of MDM2 inhibitors and BET inhibitors for the treatment in NB.
Probing The Intergalactic Medium-Galaxy Connection At z < 0.5. I. A Galaxy Survey In Qso Fields And A Galaxy-Absorber Cross-Correlation Study

We present an imaging and spectroscopic survey of galaxies in fields around QSOs HE 0226-4110, PKS 0405-123, and PG 1216+069. The fields are selected to have ultraviolet echelle spectra available, which uncover 195 Ly{alpha} absorbers and 13 O{sub VI} absorbers along the three sightlines. We obtain robust redshifts for 1104 galaxies of rest-frame absolute magnitude M{sub R} - 5log h {approx} =}14 and O{sub VI} absorbers exhibit a comparable clustering amplitude as emission-line-dominated galaxies and a factor of {approx} 6 weaker amplitude than absorption-line-dominated galaxies on comoving projected distance scales of r{sub p} 70 mA.« less
Governance Challenges in Co-production

In recent years, co-production of public services involving collaboration between professionals and citizens has attracted increasing interest from policymakers, scholars and practitioners. Public service reform has thus fostered many different forms of co-production as well as substantial innovation and experimentation. While co-production offers the opportunity for improved effectiveness and greater citizen engagement, co-production can present complicated governance dilemmas related to equitable and sustainable community participation, accountability, transparency and appropriate programme design, especially for programmes with public funding. This chapter focuses on different types of co-production programmes involving nonprofit organisations and provides a detailed analysis of the governance challenges of co-production including the complex relationship between the formal and informal sectors. Finally, the chapter offers insights on strategies to enhance fairness, engagement and sound programme management.
Effects of robot viscous forces on arm movements in chronic stroke survivors: a randomized crossover study.

Our previous work showed that speed is linked to the ability to recover in chronic stroke survivors. Participants moving faster on the first day of a 3-week study had greater improvements on the Wolf Motor Function Test. We examined the effects of three candidate speed-modifying fields in a crossover design: negative viscosity, positive viscosity, and a “breakthrough” force that vanishes after speed exceeds an individualized threshold. Negative viscosity resulted in a significant speed increase when it was on. No lasting after effects on movement speed were observed from any of these treatments, however, training with negative viscosity led to significant improvements in movement accuracy and smoothness. Our results suggest that negative viscosity could be used as a treatment to augment the training process while still allowing participants to make their own volitional motions in practice. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Northwestern University (STU00206579) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (2018-1251).