cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
4B-6 A Novel Method for Direct Localized Sound Speed Measurement Using the Virtual Source Paradigm

Accurate sound speed estimates are desirable in a number of fields, particularly adaptive imaging, and tissue and phantom characterization. In an effort to increase the spatial resolution of sound speed estimates, a new method is proposed for direct measurement of sound speed between arbitrary spatial locations. The method utilizes the sound speed estimator developed by Anderson and Trahey. Their least-squares fit of the received waveform's curvature provides the wave's point of origin. The point of origin and the delay profile calculated from the fit are used to arrive at a spatially registered virtual detector. Between a pair of registered virtual detectors a spherical wave is propagated. By beamforming the received data the time of flight between the two virtual sources can be calculated. From this information the local sound speed can be estimated. Validation of the estimator used both phantom and simulation results. The phantom consisted of two wire targets located near the transducer's axis at depths of 17 and 28 mm. Using this phantom the sound speed between the wires was measured for a homogeneous (water) medium and for two inhomogeneous (DB-grade castor oil and water) mediums. The inhomogeneous mediums were arranged as an oil layer, one 6 mm thick and the other 11 mm thick, on top of a water layer. To complement the phantom studies, sources of error for spatial registration of virtual detectors were simulated. The sources of error presented here are multiple sound speed layers, and signal-to-noise-ratio. Results are shown for 3 different media. The local sound speed estimates had mean relative errors and standard deviations of 0.0991% plusmn0.655% for a homogeneous medium, and -0.0673%plusmn0.279% and -0.0343%plusmn0.119% for inhomogeneous media with an oil layer of 6 mm and 11 mm respectively. Simulations are shown as well.
Psychologists in China: National Transformation and Humanistic Psychology:

Psychology in the People’s Republic of China is experiencing rapid growth and redefinition in response to dramatic changes in economic, cultural, and political conditions. This article discusses the common points of agreement and opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between western humanistic psychology, Chinese psychology and the philosophical and religious traditions of Daoism and Mencian humanistic Confucianism. This article provides an historical and contemporary context for Chinese psychology. It discusses aspects of Chinese culture that interact with the development of a uniquely Chinese psychology. The emergent discipline of psychology in China and humanistic psychological approaches have much to offer each other in the understanding and solution of human and global dilemmas.
Microinjection of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor into the anteroventral preoptic region attenuates LPS fever

Considerable evidence supports the role of prostaglandins in fever production, but the neuroanatomic sites of prostaglandin synthesis that produce fever remain unknown. With the use of a novel microinjection technique, we injected the cyclooxygenase inhibitor ketorolac into the preoptic area (POA) to determine which preoptic regions produce the prostaglandins required for fever. Initial experiments demonstrated that intravenous ketorolac blocked the fever normally produced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 5 μg/kg iv. Microinjection of ketorolac into the POA had no effect on body temperature, and injection of artificial cerebrospinal fluid into the POA did not alter LPS fever. Injection of ketorolac into the anteroventral POA markedly decreased the fever produced by LPS, compared with injections into more rostral, caudal, or dorsal locations. These observations indicate that prostaglandin synthesis in the anteroventral preoptic region is necessary for the production of fever.
Concise, diastereoconvergent synthesis of endiandric-type tetracycles by iterative cross coupling

Abstract Both fused and bridged tetracyclic scaffolds characteristic of endiandric acid-type natural products have been prepared in just seven steps each (longest linear sequence) from Burke's commercial cis-2-bromovinylboronic acid MIDA ester. Three iterative Suzuki–Miyaura couplings using MIDA boronates, including the first such example of a Z–Z coupling, trigger an 8π/6π-electrocyclization cascade. The mixture of endo and exo bicycles thus formed are elaborated into tetracycles via Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons and Diels–Alder reactions. In the process, the endo and exo diastereomers interconvert to ultimately deliver the desired products.
Benzodiazepine toxicity with profound suppression of the electroencephalogram

The authors report the case of a 60-year-old man with respiratory distress secondary to exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, right lower lobe pneumonia, and severe bronchospasm. High doses of lorazepam were given intravenously after failure to control bronchospasm and agitation with bronchodilators and mucolytic agents; the patient was unresponsive to all stimuli while receiving lorazepam. Electroencephalography revealed a profoundly suppressed pattern without accompanying low-voltage fast activity--this was reversible following withdrawal of the lorazepam.
Cognition and Physiological Response Towards a Model of Validated Physiological Measurement

Complex tasks in large and error-prone environments require unobtrusive, unbiased and real-time measurement of cognitive variables to promote safety and to achieve optimal performance. Despite the prevalence of physiological measurement of cognitive constructs and cognitive performance, such as workload, little has been done to justify the inference of cognitive states from physiological measures. We develop a framework based on the extant literature to provide the groundwork for further validation of physiological measurement. Specifically, we leverage theoretically-grounded conditions of measurement to aid in investigating the logical sampling and construct validity for use of such metrics. Further meta-analytic investigation is warranted to validate the model and justify use of physiological measures.
Implementation of Sequential Sampling Plans for Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Egg Masses In Eastern Hardwood Forests

Sample units (timed walks and fixed-radius plots) used for determining gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., egg mass density were evaluated for use in area-wide IPM programs in southeastern Appalachian hardwood forests. Timed walks, a measure of egg masses per unit time, were significantly related to egg masses per unit ground area, but the relationship was inconsistent among habitats and individuals. Normalized residuals from the regression of timed-walk estimate on egg mass densities from fixed-radius plots showed a spatial dependence. This spatial dependence demonstrated that the regression was inconsistent among participating government agencies within an IPM demonstration project. Egg mass counts from fixed-radius plots were fit to a negative binomial frequency distribution. A computer spreadsheet was developed and used interactively to create sequential sample plans using this distribution and inputs of thresholds and acceptable error rates from managers. Validation studies were conducted on two sequential sampling plans within 132 l-km2 cells. The sequential sampling plans gave the same pest management decision as fixed-sample size plans in 79-84% of the cells, recommended additional samples in 7-19% of the cells, and gave incorrect pest management decisions in 2-3% of the cells.
Invariance (?) of mutational parameters for relative fitness over 400 generations of mutation accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Evidence is accumulating that individuals in poor physiologic condition may accumulate mutational damage faster than individuals in good condition. If poor condition results from pre-existing deleterious mutations, the result is “fitness-dependent mutation rate,” which has interesting theoretical implications. Here we report a study in which 10 mutation accumulation (MA) lines of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that had previously accumulated mutations for 250 generations under relaxed selection were expanded into sets of “second-order” MA lines and allowed to accumulate mutations for an additional 150 generations. The 10 lines were chosen on the basis of the relative change in fitness over the first 250 generations of MA, five high-fitness lines and five low-fitness lines. On average, the mutational properties (per-generation change in mean relative fitness, mutational variance, and Bateman-Mukai estimates of genomic mutation rate and average mutational effect) of the high-fitness and low-fitness did not differ significantly, and averaged over all lines, the point estimates were extremely close to those of the first-order MA experiment after 200 generations of MA. However, several nonsignificant trends indicate that low-fitness lines may in fact be more likely to suffer mutational damage than high-fitness lines.
Heterogeneity of Human Whole Blood Platelet Subpopulations. I. Relationship Between Buoyant Density, Cell Volume, and Ultrastructure

A quantitative high yield method utilizing isosmotic arabino-galactan (Stractan) solutions and isopycnic centrifugation was developed to isolate and to fractionate total human platelet populations into density-dependent subpopulations. Isolated platelets were free of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor and other plasma proteins. They responded to ADP, epinephrine, and collagen with a sensitivity equal to platelet-rich plasma platelets. The correlation of platelet density with volume and ultrastructure was examined for normal subjects. Recovery of total platelet populations averaged 92.76%+/-3.64% (SD). Normal individuals exhibited a narrow range of platelet buoyant density distribution. Computerized probability plot analysis of platelet volume distribution for 15 normal subjects' total platelet populations showed a mean volume of 5.17+/-0.46 cu mum (SD). Platelets with buoyant density less than or equal to 1.062 g/ml had a mean volume of 4.50+/-0.48 cu mum, while platelets with buoyant density greater than 1.071 g/ml, but less than or equal to 1.084 g/ml, had a mean volume of 5.32+/-0.63 cu mum (SD). The volume difference by paired t test was significant, p less than 0.001. Thin-section electron microscopy demonstrated a significant reduction of granule content in light platelets, as compared to heavy platelets, but an equal number of mitochondria for both groups. These differences of platelet volume and structure between light and heavy platelets suggested that aging may be a determinant of platelet heterogeneity.
Bioremediation of Crude Oil Contaminated Soil with Immobilized Microorganism in Yellow River Delta

Efficient hydrocarbon degrading consortium isolated from crude oil contaminated soil was immobilized with sodium alginate and diatomite.Degradation rate of crude oil,microorganism activity and number changes in the soil microcosms were compared between the soils inoculated with immobilized and free degrading consortium.Results showed that the indigenous hydrocarbon degrading consortium had a higher tolerance and environmental adaptability after being naturalized and cultivated,and the immobilized consortium produced higher degradation rate than free consortium of the equal amount.After 20days of inoculation,the degradation rates of crude oil in the microcosms inoculated with low,mid and high amount of immobilized consortium were higher than those with the same amount of free consortium by 12.4%,10.1% and 6.4% respectively.The microcosms with low amount of immobilized consortium inoculation reflected higher degradation rate than those with high amount of free consortium inoculation.After 30days of inoculation,the microorganism activity and numbers in all microcosms tended to remain stable,and the corresponding degradation rate of crude oil tended to slow down.The immobilization carrier would not disrupt the soil structure,which is suitable for on-site bioremediation of long-term large scale petroleum contaminated soil.
Click: From interalia to interaction

The term social interaction is used so commonly, to the point of obscureness, often without defining or setting limits to it. In-depth micro visual-ethnographic analysis of sleepers’ awakenings in public places offers a list of typical bodily behaviors which may indicate when interactions start/end. This becomes evident by video analysis of NYC subway commuters’ awakenings in natural settings. While awake, individuals’ bodies point-out specific situational directions. However, while snoozing, corporeal directions lay off and sleepers’ body-idioms, self-presentations, and pointing-acts mute. Consequently, dozers become relatively directionless, relaxing bodily boldness. Following this understanding of public physical patterns, I argue that, contrary to conventional microstudies’ understandings, even in public places interactions have clear corporeal-experiential limits that can be operationalized and defined. I suggest naming this other (non-interactional) family of social behaviors interalia (from Latin, ...
QUASI-ELASTIC PROCESSES IN NI-58-INDUCED AND NI-64-INDUCED REACTIONS ON SN ISOTOPES

Quasi-elastic reactions were studied for /sup 58/Ni beams at 330 MeV and /sup 64/Ni beams at 341 and 380 MeV incident energy, respectively, on even-A Sn isotopes. Angular distributions were measured in the range 20/sup 0/less than or equal totheta/sub lab/less than or equal to55/sup 0/ using a magnetic spectrograph with a gas-filled focal-plane detector yielding single mass and charge resolution; generally individual states were not resolved. Cross sections for quasi-elastic one-neutron pickup and stripping reactions vary smoothly with the ground-state Q value. Total quasi-elastic transfer cross sections range from 340 to 640 mb, corresponding to 20--40 % of the total reaction cross section determined from the elastic scattering angular distributions. The distribution of the total cross section into the various reaction channels is discussed.
The origin of the methyl group in mesaconate formed from glutamate by extracts of Clostridium tetanomorphum.

SUMMARY Cell-free extracts of Clostridium tetanomorphum convert glutamate-4-Cl4 to mesaconate-Cl4 which is labeled exclusively in the carbon atom adjacent to the methyl group. This and other tracer evidence prove, first, that the methyl carbon atom of mesaconate is derived from carbon atom 3 of gluta- mate and, second, that the formation of the branched chain structure of mesaconate results from cleavage of the bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3 of glutamate, or a straight chain compound derived thereof, and forma- tion of a new bond between carbon atoms 2 and 4. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Wachsman, J. T., J. Biol. Chem., 223, 19 (1956). 2. Flavin, M., Ortia, P. J., and Ochoa, S., Nature, 176, 823 (1955). 3. McIlwain, H., J. Gen. Microbial., 2, 288 (1948). 4. Tabor, H., and Hayaishi, O., J. Biol. Chem., 194, 171 (1952). 5. Mosbach, E. H., Phares, E. F., and Carson, S. F., Arch. Biochem. and Biophys., 33, 179 (1951). 6. Tabor, H., in McElroy, W. D., and Glass, B., Amino acid metabolism, Balti- more, 373 (1955). 7. Jones, A. R., Dowling, E. J., and Skraba, W. J., Anal. Chem., 25, 394 (1953). 8. Ginger, L. G., J. BioZ. Chem., 166, 453 (1944). 9. Katz, J., Abraham, S., and Chaikoff, I. L., Anal. Chem., 27, 155 (1955). 10. Wachsman, J. T., and Barker, H. A., J. BioZ. Chem., 217, 695 (1955). 11. Barker, H. A., Wilson, R. M., and Munch-Petersen, A., Federation Proc., 16, 151 (1967).
Recent Trends in Income, Racial, and Ethnic School Readiness Gaps at Kindergarten Entry:

Academic achievement gaps between high- and low-income students born in the 1990s were much larger than between cohorts born two decades earlier. Racial/ethnic achievement gaps declined during the ...
Neutron vibrational spectroscopic studies of novel tire-derived carbon materials.

Sulfonated tire-derived carbons have been demonstrated to be high value-added carbon products of tire recycling in several energy storage system applications including lithium, sodium, potassium ion batteries and supercapacitors. In this communication, we compared different temperature pyrolyzed sulfonated tire-derived carbons with commercial graphite and unmodified/non-functionalized tire-derived carbon by studying the surface chemistry and properties, vibrational spectroscopy of the molecular structure, chemical bonding such as C–H bonding, and intermolecular interactions of the carbon materials. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption studies revealed the tailored micro and meso pore size distribution of the carbon during the sulfonation process. XPS and neutron vibrational spectra showed that the sulfonation of the initial raw tire powders could remove the aliphatic hydrogen containing groups (CH2 and –CH3 groups) and reduce the number of heteroatoms that connect to carbon. The absence of these functional groups could effectively improve the first cycle efficiency of the material in rechargeable batteries. Meanwhile, the introduced –SO3H functional group helped in producing terminal H at the edge of the sp2 bonded graphite-like layers. This study reveals the influence of the sulfonation process on the recovered hard carbon from used tires and provides a pathway to develop and improve advanced energy storage materials.
A Comparison of the Double-Half Bilobe Flap to the Traditional Bilobe Flap: Cohort Analysis of a Single Surgeon Experience.

The double-half bilobe flap was initially described by the senior author (S.P.M.) in 2012 to address defects of the midline nasal tip typically after ablative carcinoma resection. It is a unique reconstructive option for the nasal tip, as it does not depend on a unilateral tissue advancement vector, instead using bilateral and opposing vectors to maintain symmetry. In this retrospective cohort series, we evaluated patient- and physician-derived outcomes and baseline characteristics from a group of 17 patients that underwent reconstruction with the double-half bilobe flap. A control group of 65 patients that underwent traditional bilobe reconstruction for defects of one nasal subunit (tip, side wall, or dorsum) was used for comparison. Outcome measures included infection, symmetry, pin-cushioning, scarring, reoperation, and adjunct procedures. Also, patient satisfaction was evaluated by using frequency of follow-up as a surrogate for patient discontentment with aesthetic outcome. The double-half bilobe flap provides improved symmetry and otherwise similar overall outcomes compared with the traditional bilobe flap, and should be considered as a primary option for the reconstruction of midline nasal tip defects less than 15 mm in diameter.
Stochastic Nonlinear Model Predictive Control with Active Model Discrimination: A Closed-Loop Fault Diagnosis Application

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of model predictive control with multiple models for nonlinear systems subject to stochastic disturbances. The multiple models can represent various operating conditions such as system faults or failures, or arise from model structure uncertainty. The paper presents a stochastic nonlinear model predictive control (SNMPC) approach with endogenous learning for active discrimination between the competing models based on closed-loop system observations. The system learning is endogenized through explicit inclusion of a model discrimination measure into the stochastic optimal control problem, which facilitates probabilistic discrimination between the predictions of multiple models. The control approach uses a Bayesian estimation algorithm for recursive estimation of the probabilities that represent the degree to which each model predicts the online system observations. The performance of the proposed SNMPC approach with active model discrimination is demonstrated for closed-loop fault diagnosis.
Rule-free sewing pattern adjustment with precision and efficiency

Being able to customize sewing patterns for different human bodies without using any pre-defined adjustment rule will not only improve the realism of virtual humans in the entertainment industry, but also deeply affect the fashion industry by making fast fashion and made-to-measure garments more accessible. To meet the requirement set by the fashion industry, a sewing pattern adjustment system must be both efficient and precise, which unfortunately cannot be achieved by existing techniques. In this paper, we propose to solve sewing pattern adjustment as a nonlinear optimization problem immediately, rather than in two phases: a garment shape optimization phase and an inverse pattern design phase as in previous systems. This allows us to directly minimize the objective function that evaluates the fitting quality of the garment sewn from a pattern, without any compromise caused by the nonexistence of the solution to inverse pattern design. To improve the efficiency of our system, we carry out systematic research on a variety of optimization topics, including pattern parametrization, initialization, an inexact strategy, acceleration, and CPU-GPU implementation. We verify the usability of our system through automatic grading tests and made-to-measure tests. Designers and pattern makers confirm that our pattern results are able to preserve design details and their fitting qualities are acceptable. In our computational experiment, the system further demonstrates its efficiency, reliability, and flexibility of handling various pattern designs. While our current system still needs to overcome certain limitations, we believe it is a crucial step toward fully automatic pattern design and adjustment in the future.
Molecular Orbital Basis for Superconductivity with Applications to High-Tc Materials

In a paper published in 1983,1 a “real-space” molecular-orbital basis for superconductivity was proposed. There it was shown that the occurrence of superconductivity in a broad range of materials is correlated with the nature of the molecular-orbital topology at the Fermi energy. This topology leads to a formula for the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) which (1) depends on two chemical bond parameters at the Fermi energy, (2) reduces to the well known BCS2 formula for Tc at certain limits of these parameters, and (3) produces values of Tc in remarkable agreement with experiment. This molecular-orbited theory furthermore explains in simple chemical-bonding language why man/ materials are superconducting, why superconductivity and magnetism are generally complementary phenomena, and why some materials are neither superconducting nor magnetic. We will first review key features of this molecular-orbital model of superconductivity. Then it will be demonstrated that the theory accurately describes the recently discovered high-Tc superconductivity in La-Sr-Cu-O and Y-Ba-Cu-O oxides.
Discussion Leader Comments

In their theoretical article, "Toward an Integrated Model of Ethical Decision-Making in Marketing: The Role of Existentialism," authors Agarwal and Malloy provide a convincing argument to incorporate existentialism into a marketing ethical decision-making framework. As they espouse in their introduction, existentialism has not been an "active theory in the marketing or business ethics literature" (p. 1) pointing out that the very essence of existentialism, individual freedom is contrary to conventional business wisdom. Management practices tend to support what the authors claim is "clan-like behavior, strong organizational cultures and intense value-driven conformity" and indeed our business ethical models reflect this behavior.
Awarded Best Student Paper! -- A Framework for Building Unobtrusive Disk Maintenance Applications

This paper describes a programming framework for clean construction of disk maintenance applications. They can use it to expose the disk activity to be done, and then process completed requests as they are reported. The system ensures that these applications make steady forward progress without competing for disk access with a system's primary applications. It opportunistically completes maintenance requests by using disk idle time and freeblock scheduling. In this paper, three disk maintenance applications (backup, write-back cache destaging, and disk layout reorganization) are adapted to the system support and evaluated on a FreeBSD implementation. All are shown to successfully execute in busy systems with minimal (e.g., less than 2%) impact on foreground disk performance. In fact, by modifying FreeBSD's cache to write dirty blocks for free, the average read cache miss response time is decreased by 12-30%. For non-volatile caches, the reduction is almost 50%.
Security Maintenance Mediation: a technology for preventing unintended security breaches: Research Articles

Web-resident information is becoming ‘smarter’, in the sense that emerging technology will support the annotation of it with ontological terms, which will be used to locate and reuse information. This will pose a great security risk in the form of unintended breaches (as distinct from deliberate invasions). Web-resident information will be far more readily available and relevant, thus causing inadvertent releases of secure information to potentially cause it to be diffusely spread across the Internet. Then as this information is iteratively transformed and integrated with other information, it will become irretrievable and potentially used in a myriad of unpredictable ways. The problem is that ontological annotations, while making information more understandable in its original form, do not provide a means for easily capturing the complex semantics of information that has been transformed via abstraction, aggregation, and integration. This demands the development of a semantically rich way of specifying ‘views’ of Web information, to which security controls can be attached. Also needed is a way for users of secure information to easily and voluntarily blend—and thereby propagate—security controls as information is transformed. Information mediators designed by collaborative teams of experts are proposed as the vehicle for wrapping information, so that at each step of reuse, high-level views and their corresponding integrity controls can be made easily accessible to trusted users who will then be able to ensure their proper maintenance. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vascular Physiology and Pharmacology

The vascular wall is composed of three layers with three distinct functions. The innermost layer is the endothelium which is in direct contact with the blood and humoral factors. It acts as a barrier to blood-borne materials and as an endocrine organ producing both paracrine and endocrine substances. The function of the major products of the endothelium on vascular wall is discussed. The middle or medial layer is composed of vascular smooth muscle and the tone of this muscle is a major regulator of systemic blood pressure and flow. The major regulators of vascular smooth muscle tone are intracellular calcium and the degree of calcium sensitivity of the contractile elements. Endogenous regulators of these two parameters are discussed. The outermost layer of the vascular wall is the adventitia composed of adventitial fibroblasts and inert connective tissues. This layer provides structural support and acts as an endocrine organ producing various vasoactive factors including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and growth factors. The structure, function, and cellular composition of each layer are discussed.
TGF-β Availability: Latent TGF-β and Latent TGF-β Binding Proteins

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-βs are potent regulators of cellular proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation during development and in adult organisms. TGF-βs are secreted as latent complexes, unable to bind their receptors. Latent TGF-β is a dimer of the mature cytokine noncovalently bound to its propeptide, latency associated protein. In addition, latent TGF-βs are normally complexed with another protein, latent TGF-β-binding protein (LTBP). LTBPs are long extracellular molecules that covalently bind the latent form of TGF-β inside the cell, facilitate the cytokine’s secretion, direct its distribution and regulate its activation. LTBPs may be covalently linked to the extracellular matrix, thereby storing TGF-β for the future use. There are four distinct LTBP molecules: LTBP1–4, displaying different spatial and temporal distribution and affinity towards TGF-β-binding. Central to regulation of TGF-β activity in the extracellular space is the conversion of latent TGF-β to active TGF-β. TGF-β can be activated by a variety of molecules and environmental conditions. The temporal and spatial gap between TGF-β synthesis and action and the multitude of means to control and influence TGF-β activity, make the biology of this cytokine truly remarkable.
Unique BIR domain sets determine inhibitor of apoptosis protein–driven cell death and NOD2 complex signal specificity

The mammalian IAPs, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 and 2 (cIAP1 and cIAP2), play pivotal roles in innate immune signaling and inflammatory homeostasis, often working in parallel or in conjunction at a signaling complex. IAPs direct both nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing 2 (NOD2) signaling complexes and cell death mechanisms to appropriately regulate inflammation. Although it is known that XIAP is critical for NOD2 signaling and that the loss of cIAP1 and cIAP2 blunts NOD2 activity, it is unclear whether these three highly related proteins can compensate for one another in NOD2 signaling or in mechanisms governing apoptosis or necroptosis. This potential redundancy is critically important, given that genetic loss of XIAP causes both very early onset inflammatory bowel disease and X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome 2 (XLP-2) and that the overexpression of cIAP1 and cIAP2 is linked to both carcinogenesis and chemotherapeutic resistance. Given the therapeutic interest in IAP inhibition and the potential toxicities associated with disruption of inflammatory homeostasis, we used synthetic biology techniques to examine the functional redundancies of key domains in the IAPs. From this analysis, we defined the features of the IAPs that enable them to function at overlapping signaling complexes but remain independent and functionally exclusive in their roles as E3 ubiquitin ligases in innate immune and inflammatory signaling.
Photocrosslinking of G-Quadruplex-Forming Sequences found in Human Promoters.

While is it well known that human telomeric DNA sequences can adopt G-quadruplex structures, some promoters sequences have also been found to form G-quadruplexes, and over 40% of promoters contain putative G-quadruplex-forming sequences. Because UV light has been shown to crosslink human telomeric G-quadruplexes by cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) formation between T's on adjacent loops, UV light might also be able to photocrosslink G-quadruplexes in promoters. To investigate this possibility, 15 potentially UV-crosslinkable G-quadruplex-forming sequences found in a search of human DNA promoters were UVB irradiated in vitro, and three were confirmed to have formed nonadjacent CPDs by mass spectrometry. In addition to nonadjacent T=T CPDs found in human telomeric DNA, a nonadjacent T=U CPD was discovered that presumably arose from deamination of a nonadjacent T=C CPD. Analysis of the three sequences by circular dichroism, melting temperature analysis and chemical footprinting confirmed the presence of G-quadruplexes that could explain the formation of the nonadjacent CPDs. The formation of nonadjacent CPDs from the sequences in vitro suggests that they might be useful probes for the presence of non-B DNA structures, such as G-quadruplexes, in vivo, and if they were to form in vivo, might also have significant biological consequences.
Persistence of maternal antibodies to influenza A virus among captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)

Wild waterfowl are maintenance hosts of most influenza A virus (IAV) subtypes and are often the subjects of IAV surveillance and transmission models. While maternal antibodies have been detected in yolks and in nestlings for a variety of wild bird species and pathogens, the persistence of maternal antibodies to IAVs in mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) has not been previously investigated. Nonetheless, this information is important for a full understanding of IAV transmission dynamics because ducklings protected by maternal antibodies may not be susceptible to infection. In this study, we examined the transfer of IAV-specific maternal antibodies to ducklings. Blood samples were collected approximately every five days from ducklings hatched from hens previously infected with an H6 strain of IAV. Serum samples were tested for antibodies to IAV by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The median persistence of maternal antibodies in ducklings was 12.5 days (range: 4-33 days) post-hatch. The majority of ducklings (71%) had detectable maternal antibodies from 4 to 17 days post-hatch, while a small subset of individuals (29%) had detectable maternal antibodies for up to 21-33 days post-hatch. Antibody concentrations in hens near the time of egg laying were correlated with maternal antibody concentrations in the initial blood sample collected from ducklings (0-4 days post-hatch). Knowledge of the duration of maternal antibodies in ducklings will aid in the interpretation of IAV serological surveillance results and in the modeling of IAV transmission dynamics in waterfowl.
Health Services Research and Robotic Surgery

There is increasing awareness that surgeons must become experts on the systems necessary to achieve reliable, safe and high-quality surgical care and authorities on the “value” of different interventions for patients. The study of these issues—termed Health Services Research—is particularly relevant for robotic surgeons.
Evaluation of 3D Printed Temporal Bone Models in Preparation for Middle Cranial Fossa Surgery.

Hypothesis Patient-specific 3D printed models are useful presurgical planning tools because they accurately represent the anatomy and drilling characteristics of the middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach to the internal auditory canal (IAC). Background The MCF approach to the IAC can be challenging due to variability of the bony architecture along the floor of the middle fossa. Patient-specific 3D printed models may enhance surgeon knowledge of a given patient's anatomy when preparing for MCF surgery. Methods Six temporal bone models were printed from photoacrylic resin based on CT data obtained from cadaveric specimens using a desktop stereolithography 3D printer. Critical structures to avoid injuring, the facial nerve and membranous labyrinth, were modeled as hollow cavities and filled with indicator paint. Two neurotologists each drilled three 3D printed models and the corresponding cadaveric specimens, and then completed a 41-item visual analog scale questionnaire (score range of each item: 0-10) to assess the model's accuracy, utility, and potential as a training tool. Results Drilling the model was favorably rated (median score 9.2; range 7.3-9.6) for its ability to provide surgeons with an accurate mental image of the corresponding cadaveric anatomy. Overall similarity of feel of drilling the model in comparison to human bone was moderate (median 7.6; range 6.6-9.0). Surgeons would use this model to prepare for future cases (median 9.4; range 5.1-9.9) and felt it had excellent utility for training purposes (median 9.3; range 8.4-9.9). Conclusions Patient-specific 3D printed models provide an anatomically accurate and favorable tool for preparing for MCF surgery.
Ecological Consequences of Anomalies in Atmospheric Moisture and Snowpack

Although increased frequency of extreme-weather events is one of the most secure predictions associated with contemporary climate change, effects of such events on distribution and abundance of climate-sensitive species remain poorly understood. Montane ecosystems may be especially sensitive to extreme weather because of complex abiotic and biotic interactions that propagate from climate-driven reductions in snowpack. Snowpack not only protects subnivean biotas from extreme cold, but also influences forage availability through timing of melt-off and water availability. We related relative abundances of an alpine mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps), to measures of weather and snowpack dynamics over an 8-yr period that included before and after a year of record-low snowpack in Washington, USA. We sought to (1) quantify any change in pika abundance associated with the snowpack anomaly and (2) identify aspects of weather and snowpack that influenced abundance of pikas. Pikas showed a 1-yr lag response to the snowpack anomaly and exhibited marked declines in abundance at elevations below 1,400 m simultaneous with increased abundances at higher elevations. Atmospheric moisture, indexed by vapor pressure deficit (VPD), was especially important, evidenced by strong support for the top-ranked model that included the interaction of VPD with snowpack duration. Notably, our novel application of VPD from gridded climate data for analyses of animal abundances shows strong potential for improving species distribution models because VPD represents an important aspect of weather that influences the physiology and habitat of biota. Pikas were apparently affected by cold stress without snowpack at mid elevations, whereas changes to forage associated with snowpack and VPD were influential at high and low elevations. Our results reveal context dependency in pika responses to weather and illustrate how snow drought can lead to rapid change in the abundance of subnivean animals.
Guided Cognition Effects in Learning Mathematics

Abstract This chapter reports 11 experiments that were done to determine whether Guided Cognition-designed homework facilitates learning middle school mathematics, and if so, to determine how it helps and what is learned. Experiments were performed in two middle schools and included 8th graders in two experiments and 7th graders in nine experiments. Mathematics topics ranged from fractions to integers to geometry. As in the literature experiments, students were in their normal school environment following their regular curriculum and were unaware that their learning was being observed. Guided Cognition design was found to be effective for learning mathematics. Working story problems that were enriched with cognitive events such as role play, divergent thinking, visualizing and illustrating, and relating to prior experience raised scores on unexpected quizzes by about a letter grade. Another unexpected quiz found that the improvements in problem-solving performance persisted for 6 months. Guided Cognition homework was also found to be efficient in that students who worked eight problems and then performed four cognitive events performed as well on unexpected quizzes as students who worked 24 problems in the same time interval. Another pair of experiments determined that modest gains could be made from merely reading completed examples of cognitive events, but that these gains were not long lasting. Performing the cognitive events was found to be most effective for long-term performance. Another experiment found that experiencing cognitive events after working some mathematics problems can help consolidate knowledge of how to work such problems.
Structure determination protocol for transmembrane domain oligomers

The transmembrane (TM) anchors of cell surface proteins have been one of the 'blind spots' in structural biology because they are generally very hydrophobic, sometimes dynamic, and thus difficult targets for structural characterization. A plethora of examples show these membrane anchors are not merely anchors but can multimerize specifically to activate signaling receptors on the cell surface or to stabilize envelope proteins in viruses. Through a series of studies of the TM domains (TMDs) of immune receptors and viral membrane proteins, we have established a robust protocol for determining atomic-resolution structures of TM oligomers by NMR in bicelles that closely mimic a lipid bilayer. Our protocol overcomes hurdles typically encountered by structural biology techniques such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) when studying small TMDs. Here, we provide the details of the protocol, covering five major technical aspects: (i) a general method for producing isotopically labeled TM or membrane-proximal (MP) protein fragments that involves expression of the protein (which is fused to TrpLE) into inclusion bodies and releasing the target protein by cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage; (ii) determination of the oligomeric state of TMDs in bicelles; (iii) detection of intermolecular contacts using nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) experiments; (iv) structure determination; and (v) paramagnetic probe titration (PPT) to characterize the membrane partition of the TM oligomers. This protocol is broadly applicable for filling structural gaps of many type I/II membrane proteins. The procedures may take 3-6 months to complete, depending on the complexity and stability of the protein sample.
Inattention and Prices Over Time: Experimental Evidence from 'The Price Is Right' (1972-2019)

This paper uses nearly five decades of data from "The Price Is Right", the longest running gameshow in television history, as a natural experiment to understand how attention to prices has changed in recent decades. Using nearly 30,000 trials (120,000 bids) of the one-bid “Contestant’s Row” game from 1972 to 2019, contestants have increasingly underestimated the true price of the good over time with an increasingly greater magnitude, suggesting that individuals have become more inattentive to prices. These bid deviations are correlated with inflation expectations which could potentially be the result of sustained periods of low inflation or the introduction of new technology that diminish the benefit of acquiring and retaining such price information. These results have several implications for the formation of inflation expectations and price dynamics.
Variation in Bariatric Surgery Costs and Complication Rates in the Military Health System.

INTRODUCTION Within the Military Health System (MHS), facilities have struggled to meet minimum recommended volume thresholds for certain procedures. Understanding variations in complication rates and cost can help policymakers tailor policy to target improvement. Our objective was to quantify the variation in bariatric surgery complication rates and costs across a sample of military hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS We study a retrospective cohort of 38 military surgeons practicing in 21 military treatment facilities from 2007 to 2014 who performed 1,277 bariatric surgeries. Data from the Centralized Credentials and Quality Assurance System, which provides education and training characteristics of physicians, were linked to patient encounter data from the MHS Data Repository. Physicians were included if they performed at least five bariatric surgeries over the study period. Patients were included if they had a diagnosis of obesity (body mass index > 30) and underwent a bariatric weight loss surgery. We calculated and summarized inpatient costs and complication rates across both surgeons and facilities using multivariable mixed-effects linear or logistic models. We used these models to calculate adjusted complication rates and average costs across both providers and hospitals to characterize variation in bariatric outcomes within the MHS. This study was considered exempt by the Uniformed Services University Institutional Review Board. RESULTS We find evidence of large variations in both complication rates and costs per admission. Overall, we found a 15.5% complication rate across the sample. When comparing averages across facilities, we find large variation in complications (49.4% coefficient of variation [CV]) and procedure costs (25.9% CV). Controlling for patient comorbidities, BMI, and year attenuates much of the variation (12.6% CV complications, 4.4% CV cost), but cannot completely explain differences across facilities. Our model suggests that complications cost 32% more than complication-free surgeries on average suggesting that quality improvement efforts could potentially yield large savings. CONCLUSIONS We find large variations in complication rates even after controlling for patient health. Furthermore, surgical complications are a significant determinant of cost. Policymakers should target efforts to improve surgical quality across facilities and physicians. Surgical quality improvement initiatives could produce savings to the MHS through reduced complications and improved surgical readiness.
Dissecting the mechanisms of immune checkpoint therapy

Immune checkpoint therapy with antibodies targeting CTLA4 or PD1/PDL1 has led to durable regression of disease and cures for a subset of patients with cancer, which has led to increased efforts to develop combination immunotherapy strategies to benefit an even greater number of patients. However, questions remain as to which combinations should be used and in which population of patients. In 2019, several studies reported on the differential impact of targeting CTLA4 and/or PD1 on T cell responses, with clear evidence that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses are needed. These data highlight the complementary nature of targeting CTLA4 and PD1 to drive both CD4+ and CD8+ effector T cell responses, which should be considered in future treatment strategies. Furthermore, reverse translational studies, which provide immune response data from patients receiving immune checkpoint therapy, have revealed resistance mechanisms that indicate relevant targets for combination strategies. Taken together, future treatments will likely consist of anti-CTLA4 plus anti-PD1 with addition of individualized therapy on the basis of tumour type and site of metastatic disease. Studies of immune checkpoint therapy for cancer in 2019 uncovered critical insights into the differences between targeting CTLA4 versus PD1 and the role of particular T cell subsets in immune responses to cancer. Moreover, reverse translational studies are informing our understanding of resistance and response mechanisms in patients.
Liver-on-a-Chip Models of Fatty Liver Disease.

As a consequence of the obesity epidemic and increasing incidence of metabolic syndrome fatty liver disease now affects a large portion of the world’s population. Left untreated, fatty liver disease can progress to more severe pathologic conditions such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. In an effort to probe the pathophysiology of fatty liver disease and its progression, research over the last decade has led to the engineering of in vitro models of the liver to aid in drug discovery and study of liver pathophysiology. In this review, we discuss advances in modeling liver tissue and the latest developments in understanding disease etiology and treatment from the perspective of engineered in vitro models spanning from conventional planar, static monolayer cultures to those based on the more recently developed bioprinted and liver-on-a-chip platforms. These technologies promise to transform basic biological research, the pharmaceutical industry, and clinical medicine of the liver.