cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Locomotion and contraction in an asconoid calcareous sponge

Various large-scale behaviors (e.g., locomotion, shape changes, contractions) have been documented numerous times in intact sponges of the class Demospongiae. However, little is known about such motile events in calcareous sponges (Class Calcarea). Here, we report on whole-sponge behaviors of the calcareous asconoid sponge Leucosolenia botryoides, as revealed by time-lapse videos. These behaviors included locomotion and contraction. Locomotion in these sponges appeared as an outward movement (25–130 μm h−1) of the asconoid tubes away from the sponge's center; such translocations were always accompanied by extensive movements of protruding spicules, which appear to act as anchoring hooks for the sponge's translocations. This is the first report of whole-sponge locomotion in the Calcarea. Contractile waves also were propagated in these sponges at speeds of 50–150 μm h−1, and they involved systemic contraction, then re-extension of the asconoid tubes. The observations suggest that, like the more complex demosponges, these simple calcareous sponges are capable of adaptive whole-animal behaviors (changes in flow, shape, and location), which occur in response to environmental stimuli such as crawling intruders.
Aquagenic Syringeal Acrokeratoderma

A 24 year-old man with a 3-year history of hyperhidrosis presented with intermittent bilateral, burning, whitish translucent patches with excessive wrinkling of the palms. These symptoms occurred within minutes of exposure to water or sweat. He complained of pain with hand flexion during flares. Symptoms usually resolved within an hour of drying. Soles were spared. No relationship to pressure or trauma existed. He had no history of atopy, other skin disease, or family history of a similar disorder. Physical examination revealed several macerated patches in the center of the palms. After immersion in water for several minutes, the palms and lateral fingers became whitish, translucent, edematous, thickened, intensely wrinkled, and painful. There was no response to topical emollients and aluminum chloride. Biopsy revealed hyperkeratosis; the epidermis was otherwise unremarkable. Eccrine ostia were unremarkable. No significant inflammation was present. The eccrine epithelium was distinctively hyperplastic and papillated, with focal stratification. Glandular cells were enlarged with abundant, granular cytoplasm. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of aquagenic syringeal acrokeratoderma in a male patient. All other reported cases have been in women from 9 to 33 years old. The histologic features of the present case are also unique.
Hyaluronan-mediated CD44 interaction with RhoGEF and Rho kinase promotes Grb2-associated binder-1 phosphorylation and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling leading to cytokine (macrophage-colony stimulating factor) production and breast tumor progression.

In this study we have examined CD44 (a hyaluronan (HA) receptor) interaction with a RhoA-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (p115RhoGEF) in human metastatic breast tumor cells (MDA-MB-231 cell line). Immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analyses indicate that both CD44 and p115RhoGEF are expressed in MDA-MB-231 cells and that these two proteins are physically associated as a complex in vivo. The binding of HA to MDA-MB-231 cells stimulates p115RhoGEF-mediated RhoA signaling and Rho kinase (ROK) activity, which, in turn, increases serine/threonine phosphorylation of the adaptor protein, Gab-1 (Grb2-associated binder-1). Phosphorylated Gab-1 promotes PI 3-kinase recruitment to CD44v3. Subsequently, PI 3-kinase is activated (in particular, α, β, γ forms but not the δ form of the p110 catalytic subunit), AKT signaling occurs, the cytokine (macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF)) is produced, and tumor cell-specific phenotypes (e.g. tumor cell growth, survival and invasion) are up-regulated. Our results also demonstrate that HA/CD44-mediated oncogenic events (e.g. AKT activation, M-CSF production and breast tumor cell-specific phenotypes) can be effectively blocked by a PI 3-kinase inhibitor (LY294002). Finally, we have found that overexpression of a dominant-negative form of ROK (by transfection of MBA-MD-231 cells with the Rho-binding domain cDNA of ROK) not only inhibits HA/CD44-mediated RhoA-ROK activation and Gab-1 phosphorylation but also down-regulates oncogenic signaling events (e.g. Gab-1·PI 3-kinase-CD44v3 association, PI 3-kinase-mediated AKT activation, and M-CSF production) and tumor cell behaviors (e.g. cell growth, survival, and invasion). Taken together, these findings strongly suggest that CD44 interaction with p115RhoGEF and ROK plays a pivotal role in promoting Gab-1 phosphorylation leading to Gab-1·PI 3-kinase membrane localization, AKT signaling, and cytokine (M-CSF) production during HA-mediated breast cancer progression.
Anchor Effectiveness as a Function of Stimulus Variation on an Incidental Dimension.

(1966). Anchor Effectiveness as a Function of Stimulus Variation on an Incidental Dimension. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 245-251.
Importance of basal glucagon in maintaining hepatic glucose production during a prolonged fast in conscious dogs.

We undertook studies in conscious dogs to assess the role of basal glucagon in stimulating glucose production after a 7-day fast. Two protocols consisting of a 40-min basal period (-40 to 0 min), and a 180-min test period (0-180 min) were used. During the test period of the first protocol (hormone replacement; n = 4), somatostatin was infused (0.8 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) along with basal intraportal replacement amounts of insulin and glucagon, whereas in the second protocol (glucagon deficiency; n = 5), somatostatin plus insulin alone were infused. Glucose production and gluconeogenesis were measured using tracer and arteriovenous difference techniques. Plasma insulin levels were similar during the test period in both protocols (6 +/- 1 microU/ml). The plasma immunoreactive glucagon level in the control protocol averaged 50 +/- 8 pg/ml, whereas in the glucagon-deficiency protocol the level fell from 50 +/- 8 to 29 +/- 8 pg/ml (P less than 0.05). The plasma glucose level and the rate of glucose production were unchanged during bihormonal replacement. During glucagon deficiency the plasma glucose level was held constant at 100 +/- 4 mg/dl by glucose infusion. Tracer-determined endogenous glucose production fell from 1.8 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.1 mg.kg-1.min-1 by 30 min (P less than 0.05). After 3 h of glucagon deficiency, gluconeogenic conversion of alanine to glucagon was reduced 40% and the hepatic fractional extraction of alanine was reduced by 45%. The efficiency of the gluconeogenic process within the liver was not altered by glucagon deficiency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Association between Databases for Indexing Studies Intended for an Exercise Meta-Analysis of Arthritis Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the database indexing of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for a meta-analysis addressing the effects of exercise on pain and physical function in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (AORD). Methods. The number, percentage, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for included articles at initial and follow-up periods were calculated from PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and DAO databases. The number needed to review (NNR) was also calculated along with the number of articles retrieved by expert review. Cross-referencing from reviews and included articles also occurred. Results. Thirty-four of 36 articles (94.4%, 95% CI, 81.3–99.3) were located by database searching. PubMed and CENTRAL yielded 32 of 36 articles (88.9%, 73.9–96.9). Two articles not identified in any of the other databases were found in either CINAHL or SPORTDicsus. Two other articles were located by scanning the reference lists of review articles. The NNR ranged from 2 (CINAHL) to 118 (SPORTDiscus). More articles were identified in EMBASE at follow-up (36%, 12.1–42.2 versus 86.1%, 70.5–95.3). Conclusions. Searching multiple databases and cross-referencing from reviews was important for identifying RCTs addressing the effects of exercise on pain and physical function in adults with AORD.
Multiple major increases and decreases in mitochondrial substitution rates in the plant family Geraniaceae

Rates of synonymous nucleotide substitutions are, in general, exceptionally low in plant mitochondrial genomes, several times lower than in chloroplast genomes, 10–20 times lower than in plant nuclear genomes, and 50–100 times lower than in many animal mitochondrial genomes. Several cases of moderate variation in mitochondrial substitution rates have been reported in plants, but these mostly involve correlated changes in chloroplast and/or nuclear substitution rates and are therefore thought to reflect whole-organism forces rather than ones impinging directly on the mitochondrial mutation rate. Only a single case of extensive, mitochondrial-specific rate changes has been described, in the angiosperm genus Plantago. We explored a second potential case of highly accelerated mitochondrial sequence evolution in plants. This case was first suggested by relatively poor hybridization of mitochondrial gene probes to DNA of Pelargonium hortorum (the common geranium). We found that all eight mitochondrial genes sequenced from P. hortorum are exceptionally divergent, whereas chloroplast and nuclear divergence is unexceptional in P. hortorum. Two mitochondrial genes were sequenced from a broad range of taxa of variable relatedness to P. hortorum, and absolute rates of mitochondrial synonymous substitutions were calculated on each branch of a phylogenetic tree of these taxa. We infer one major, ~10-fold increase in the mitochondrial synonymous substitution rate at the base of the Pelargonium family Geraniaceae, and a subsequent ~10-fold rate increase early in the evolution of Pelargonium. We also infer several moderate to major rate decreases following these initial rate increases, such that the mitochondrial substitution rate has returned to normally low levels in many members of the Geraniaceae. Finally, we find unusually little RNA editing of Geraniaceae mitochondrial genes, suggesting high levels of retroprocessing in their history. The existence of major, mitochondrial-specific changes in rates of synonymous substitutions in the Geraniaceae implies major and reversible underlying changes in the mitochondrial mutation rate in this family. Together with the recent report of a similar pattern of rate heterogeneity in Plantago, these findings indicate that the mitochondrial mutation rate is a more plastic character in plants than previously realized. Many molecular factors could be responsible for these dramatic changes in the mitochondrial mutation rate, including nuclear gene mutations affecting the fidelity and efficacy of mitochondrial DNA replication and/or repair and – consistent with the lack of RNA editing – exceptionally high levels of "mutagenic" retroprocessing. That the mitochondrial mutation rate has returned to normally low levels in many Geraniaceae raises the possibility that, akin to the ephemerality of mutator strains in bacteria, selection favors a low mutation rate in plant mitochondria.
Instrumental Limitations upon the Measurement of Temperature and Rate of Energy Production by Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Instrumental time constants for rate of energy production response, temperature-programming response and temperature-averaging network response, time constants for a wide variety of conditions for interfacial conductivity between the sample and the calorimeter cup, and for the thermal conductivity of the sample are catalogued for the differential scanning calorimeter. Assessment of the effects of these factors upon the net rate of power production sensitivity and the temperature calibration results in the establishment of limits of precision in the measurement of temperature, specific heat and heats and rates of enthalpy change during chemical and physical transformations. The vulnerability of these calibrations to instrumental readjustment and variation in experimental techniques is also quantitatively evaluated.
Current Challenges in Autonomous Vehicle Development

The field of autonomous vehicles is a rapidly growing one, with significant interest from both government and industry sectors. Autonomous vehicles represent the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, combining decision-making with real-time control. Autonomous vehicles are desired for use in search and rescue, urban reconnaissance, mine detonation, supply convoys, and more. The general adage is to use robots for anything dull, dirty, dangerous or dumb. While a great deal of research has been done on autonomous systems, there are only a handful of fielded examples incorporating machine autonomy beyond the level of teleoperation, especially in outdoor/complex environments. In an attempt to assess and understand the current state of the art in autonomous vehicle development, a few areas where unsolved problems remain became clear. This paper outlines those areas and provides suggestions for the focus of science and technology research. The first step in evaluating the current state of autonomous vehicle development was to develop a definition of autonomy. A number of autonomy level classification systems were reviewed. The resulting working definitions and classification schemes used by the authors are summarized in the opening sections of the paper. The remainder of the report discusses current approaches and challenges in decision-making and real-time control for autonomous vehicles. Suggested research focus areas for near-, mid-, and long-term development are also presented.
High-energy density nanofiber-based solid-state supercapacitors

We have developed binder-free solid-state electric double layer supercapacitors using freestanding porous carbon nanofiber electrodes fabricated using electrospinning and silica-based ionic liquid gel electrolytes. To ensure close electrode/electrolyte contact and efficient transport of ions for high power operation, we fabricated our electrodes by uniformly filling freestanding samples of porous carbon nanofiber mats with a blend of silica sol–gel precursor and ionic liquid electrolyte, which were then appropriately dried/gelled to form all-solid supercapacitors. Two different carbon nanofiber samples have been investigated with high specific surface areas of 1218 m2 g−1 and 2282 m2 g−1. The resulting solid-state supercapacitor can operate in a large voltage window of 3.5 V. We achieved specific capacitance (Csp) and specific energy (Ecell, based on the mass of the two electrodes) of up to 144 F g−1 and 61 W h kg−1 respectively, rivaling that of lead-acid batteries, with a high active material (carbon only) loading of 3–5 mg cm−2.
The Human Microbiome during Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most commonly reported microbiological syndrome among women of childbearing age. BV is characterized by a shift in the vaginal flora from the dominant Lactobacillus to a polymicrobial flora. BV has been associated with a wide array of health issues, including preterm births, pelvic inflammatory disease, increased susceptibility to HIV infection, and other chronic health problems. A number of potential microbial pathogens, singly and in combinations, have been implicated in the disease process. The list of possible agents continues to expand and includes members of a number of genera, including Gardnerella, Atopobium, Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus, Mobiluncus, Sneathia, Leptotrichia, Mycoplasma, and BV-associated bacterium 1 (BVAB1) to BVAB3. Efforts to characterize BV using epidemiological, microscopic, microbiological culture, and sequenced-based methods have all failed to reveal an etiology that can be consistently documented in all women with BV. A careful analysis of the available data suggests that what we term BV is, in fact, a set of common clinical signs and symptoms that can be provoked by a plethora of bacterial species with proinflammatory characteristics, coupled to an immune response driven by variability in host immune function.
MIMO link scheduling for interference suppression in dense wireless networks

This paper addresses the problem of fair scheduling of MIMO links in dense wireless network deployments where interference suppression is carried out via linear MIMO processing to optimize network performance. We formulate and solve an optimal MIMO link scheduling problem, where the goal is to maximize aggregate throughput while meeting a specified fairness criterion. Evaluations in a modified version of ns-3 show that our MIMO link scheduler more than doubles the performance of 802.11n, while achieving a fairness index of 90–95%.
The Commuter Tax and the Fiscal Cost of Commuters to New York City

The authors look at the fiscal cost of commuters to New York City and suggest that the city should reimpose a tax on commuters. The elimination of the commuter tax unfairly worsened the fiscal condition of the city and made regional tax systems mroe regressive, the authors write.
The depressant effect of fatty acids on the isolated rabbit heart.

SummaryThe toxic effects of stearic and oleic acids on the rabbit myocardium were investigated in a plasma-free system using a modified Langendorf isolated heart preparation. A 0.1% stearic acid or 0.1% oleic acid solution was added to the solution which perfused the coronary vessels. The coronary flow, and the rate and amplitude of contractions progressively deteriorated until there was death of the heart. Equimolar albumin incubated with the fatty acid solutions prevented this toxic effect. The time of incubation was important to the blocking of toxicity for stearic acid but not for oleic acid. No incubation period was required to prevent the toxicity of the oleic acid when combined with albumin. This suggested a difference in the rate of albumin-fatty acid binding for different fatty acids. Unbound fatty acids, saturated or unsaturated, were extremely toxic to the heart.
Optimal Capacity Decisions for Production Facilities

Abstract As a firm experiences growth, it requires increased capacity to meet the larger demand for its products or services. Also, old equipment may have to be replaced for economic reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to provide appropriate capacity for both replacement and expansion purposes. In this article, the capacity decision is considered as a multistage problem, which derives its multistage nature from the time factor. It is viewed as a time-phased sequence of decision problems, and, to analyze the problem, a stochastic linear programming formulation is considered. Using a technique developed by Szwarc, the problem is reduced to the standard linear programming format in order to determine the optimal capacity schedule.
Recurrence of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations Following Resection in Adults: Does Preoperative Embolization Increase the Risk?

BACKGROUND Complete surgical resection of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), documented by postoperative angiography, is generally felt to represent cure, obviating the need for long-term follow-up imaging. Although AVM recurrence has been reported in the pediatric population, this phenomenon has only rarely been documented in adults. Recurrence after treatment solely with embolization, however, has been reported more frequently. Thus, patients undergoing multimodal therapy with surgery following preoperative embolization may also be at higher risk for recurrence. OBJECTIVE To determine if preoperative embolization contributes to recurrences of AVMs after complete surgical resection. METHODS A retrospective study of patients undergoing AVM resection was performed. Those with complete surgical AVM resection, confirmed by negative early postoperative cerebral angiography and with available follow-up angiographic imaging >6 months postoperatively were included. RESULTS Two hundred three patients underwent AVM resection between 1995 and 2012. Seventy-two patients met eligibility criteria. There were 3 recurrences (4%). Deep venous drainage and diffuse type of AVM nidus were significantly associated with recurrence. Although preoperative embolization did not reach statistical significance as an independent risk factor, radiographic data supported its role in every case, with the site of recurrence correlating with deep regions of nidus previously obliterated by embolization. CONCLUSION AVM recurrences in the adult population may have a multifactorial origin. Although deep venous drainage and diffuse nidus are clearly risk factors, preoperative embolization may also be a contributing factor with the potential for recurrence of unresected but embolized portions of the AVM. Follow-up angiography at 1 to 3 years appears to be warranted.
Analysis on microbial contamination testing results of market foods in a county

Objective To investigate the microbial contamination status of market foods in Luchuan county and to provide the scientific basis for the prevention of foodborne diseases.Methods The detected samples were collected,analyzed and evaluated according to the national standard test.Results 128 samples in 2011 were detected.The qualified rate was 47.66%.The qualified rate of cooked meat products,instant non-fermented soy products,fresh fruit and vegetable juices,rice and lunch,cakes and biscuits,egg products,infant formula powder and infant cereal-based complementary food,frozen cooked rice and flour products were 6.25%,12.50%,12.50%,12.50%,50.00%,93.75%,93.75% and 100.00%,respectively.Conclusion The microbial contamination of market foods in Luchuan county is serious,which needs to adopt the effective measure for strengthening the supervision and management.
A COMPARISON OF STATISTICAL AND RULE-BASED MODELS FOR STYLE-SPECIFIC HARMONIZATION

The process of generating chords for harmonizing a melody with the goal of mimicking an artist’s style is investigated in this paper. We compared and tested three different approaches, including a rule-based model, a statistical model, and a hybrid system of the two, for such tasks. Experiments were conducted using songs from seven stylistically identifiable pop/rock bands, and the chords generated by the systems were compared to the ones in the artists’ original work. Evaluations were performed on multiple aspects, including calculating the average percentage of chords that were the same and those that were related, studying the manner in which the size of the training set affects the output harmonization, and examining a system’s behaviors in terms of the ability of generating unseen chords and the number of unique chords produced per song. We observed that the rule-based system performs comparably well while the result of the system with learning capability varies as the training set grows.
Vulnerability of transportation networks to traffic-signal tampering

Traffic signals were originally standalone hardware devices running on fixed schedules, but by now, they have evolved into complex networked systems. As a consequence, traffic signals have become susceptible to attacks through wireless interfaces or even remote attacks through the Internet. Indeed, recent studies have shown that many traffic lights deployed in practice have easily exploitable vulnerabilities, which allow an attacker to tamper with the configuration of the signal. Due to hardware-based failsafes, these vulnerabilities cannot be used to cause accidents. However, they may be used to cause disastrous traffic congestions. Building on Daganzo's well- known traffic model, we introduce an approach for evaluating vulnerabilities of transportation networks, identifying traffic signals that have the greatest impact on congestion and which, therefore, make natural targets for attacks. While we prove that finding an attack that maximally impacts congestion is NP-hard, we also exhibit a polynomial-time heuristic algorithm for computing approximately optimal attacks. We then use numerical experiments to show that our algorithm is extremely efficient in practice. Finally, we also evaluate our approach using the SUMO traffic simulator with a real-world transportation network, demonstrating vulnerabilities of this network. These simulation results extend the numerical experiments by showing that our algorithm is extremely efficient in a microsimulation model as well.
Dopamine D2 Receptor Regulation of the Dopamine Transporter Expressed in Xenopus laevis Oocytes Is Voltage-Independent

Presynaptic dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) regulate dopamine transporter (DAT) activity in the brain. A potential mechanism was suggested by the observations that somatodendritic D2R activation produces hyperpolarization and the velocity of DAT expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes varies with changes in membrane potential. To investigate whether D2R regulation of DAT function is voltage-dependent, we coexpressed the long isoform of the human (h) D2R and the hDAT in oocytes. Most DAT substrates fully activate D2Rs at concentrations used to measure uptake. Thus, DAT function was compared under conditions of maximal D2R activation (0.1–10 μM DA) or maximal D2R blockade (DA + 1 μM (−)-sulpiride). D2R activation significantly increased [3H]DA uptake into unclamped oocytes expressing relatively lower velocities. Uptake measured with a saturating concentration of DA suggested a D2R-induced increase in V max. The D2R-mediated enhancement of DA uptake was not associated with changes in resting membrane potential and was abolished by pertussis toxin pretreatment. Furthermore, in voltage-clamped oocytes, D2R activation enhanced both DA uptake and DAT-mediated steady-state currents by as much as 70%. Activation of D2Rs resulted in a 59% increase in cell surface binding of the cocaine analog [3H]WIN 35,428; this effect was also abolished by pertussis toxin pretreatment. Saturation experiments confirmed that D2R activation was associated with an increased B max and unchanged K i for [3H]WIN 35,428. These results suggest that D2R-induced up-regulation of DAT activity occurs via a voltage-independent mechanism that depends on Gi/o activation and a rapid increase in expression of functional DAT molecules at the cell surface.
Stabilization and Transport of Severely Ill Infants

A discussion of newest methods and a presentation of case material constitute this report on the specialized intensive care transport of critically ill infants to regional medical centers.
Sobolev estimates for the Cauchy–Riemann complex on C1 pseudoconvex domains

Let $${\Omega\subset\mathbb{C}^n}$$ be a bounded pseudoconvex domain with C k boundary, k ≥ 1. In this paper, we will prove that the Cauchy–Riemann operator $$\overline \partial$$ has a bounded solution operator in the Sobolev space $${W^s_{(p,q)}(\Omega)}$$ for all $${0 \leq s < k-\frac{1}{2}}$$ .
How Much May Religious Accommodations Burden Others

In considering contemporary conflicts between religious freedom and equality law, a mediating principle has proved to be important, namely the rule that governments granting religious accommodations to some citizens should avoid harm to others. Normally, when government lifts regulatory burdens on religious actors, any associated costs are covered by the government itself, or by the public. But sometimes, the costs of religious accommodations are shifted to other private citizens. And when that happens, constitutional concerns arise. Recently, the rule against third party harms has come up in conflicts over reproductive freedom for women, marriage equality, and civil rights for LGBT citizens. Critics of the rule against harm to others have argued, among other things, that third-party harms cannot always render religious accommodations unconstitutional, because many exemptions have negative effects on others. An absolute bar on third party harms would generate absurd results, cutting against both established precedents and our considered convictions. In this chapter, we acknowledge that there are some situations where the interference with religious freedom is so significant, and the countervailing burden on others so slight, that accommodations ought to be upheld despite some harm to third parties. But if the principle of avoiding harm to others is not absolute, that raises a crucial question: How much burden-shifting to third parties is constitutionally permissible? Our answer is that a promising model can be found in employment discrimination law. Title VII, the main federal statute prohibiting discrimination against workers, contains a provision that requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious observances of their employees. But there are limits. Title VII does not require employers to accommodate religious employees if that would impose “undue hardship” on the employer.We think the undue hardship standard provides an attractive model for limiting the principle against shifting harm to third parties. First, federal courts have interpreted the standard against the background of serious Establishment Clause concerns. Second, lower courts have applied the standard over many decades to reach results that are sensible, overall. Although the undue hardship standard has been confined to employment law, we suggest that it could provide useful guidance in other contexts involving claims for religious accommodations that have harmful effects on others.
Estimated GFR Before and After Bariatric Surgery in CKD

Background Several reviews have recently detailed the beneficial effects of weight loss surgery for kidney function. However, these studies have a number of limitations, including small sample size, few done in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 and 4, and many not including the main bariatric surgery procedures used in the United States today. Study Design This was an observational retrospective cohort study comparing propensity score−matched bariatric surgery patients and nonsurgery control patients who were referred for, but did not have, surgery. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy were also compared using propensity matching. Setting & Participants Patients (714 surgery patients; 714 controls) were from a large integrated health care system, a mean of 58±8 (SD) years old, and mostly women (77%) and non-Hispanic whites (56%) and had diabetes mellitus (66%) and/or hypertension (91%). Predictor Predictors at the time of surgery or referral to surgery were age, sex, race/ethnicity, weight, and presence of diabetes and/or hypertension. Outcomes The primary outcome for this study was change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from serum creatinine level over a median 3-year follow-up period. Measurements Serum creatinine was used to calculate eGFR using the CKD-EPI (CKD Epidemiology Collaboration) creatinine equation. Results Surgery patients had 9.84 (95% CI, 8.05-11.62) mL/min/1.73m2 greater eGFRs than controls at a median 3 years' follow-up and RYGB patients had 6.60 (95% CI, 3.42-9.78) mL/min/1.73m2 greater eGFRs than sleeve gastrectomy patients during the same period. Limitations This study is limited by its nonrandomized observational study design, estimation of GFR, and large changes in muscle mass, which may affect serum creatinine level independent of changes in kidney function. Conclusions Bariatric surgery, especially the RYGB procedure, results in significant improvements for up to 3 years in eGFRs for patients with CKD stages 3 and 4.
Unidirectional Cloaking Based on Metasurfaces with Balanced Loss and Gain

Rendering things invisible has turned out to be in the domain of science, not magic. The authors offer an approach to cloaking based on a simple conformal surface wrapped around the object of interest. Their theory shows that by covering the object with a stealth surface on the illuminated side, and a time-reversed version of the same surface on the shadowed side, one can realize ideal cloaking, independent of the size of the object, in a robust, broadband, ultrathin, and lossless technology.
A Public Choice Exploration of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

Recent bankruptcies in the coal industry have stoked concerns regarding the efficacy of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). We review the history of SMCRA through a public choice lens focusing on bonding and the Abandoned Mine Land fund (AML). Overall, SMCRA can be considered a success, but important problems persist that demand attention. For example, bond valuation is improperly handled and the AML is used for political purposes by state governments. We propose these problems could be mitigated with binding guidelines for bond release and by putting valuation in the hands of independent third parties.
Insertional Mutagenesis for Generating Mouse Models of Cancer

Methods for modeling cancer in mice are extremely varied. Exposure to chemicals, radiation, or viruses, and the use of transgenic technologies have been employed, sometimes in combinations, to generate models of nearly every type of cancer that afflicts people. In some cases, scientists have sought information about the cancer causing capabilities of specific agents, including specific types and doses of radiation, chemicals or specific genes or mutant genes. In other studies, specific genes that can cause cancer were sought. Some approaches start with specific candidate genes. We can consider these approaches “reverse cancer genetics,” that is, studies that start with one or more specific genes whose biological activities will be studied in a mouse. In many cases, the genes studied came from those suspected to contribute to human cancer when mutated or misexpressed in some way. A completely different type of approach for modeling cancer asks “what genes, when mutated, can cause cancer?” These “forward cancer genetics” approaches frequently use random, somatic insertional mutagenesis to induce or accelerate cancer in mice. Thus, cancer genes can be discovered by looking for somatically acquired, tumor-specific insertion mutations near or within genes in tumor genomic DNA. By studying a whole panel of tumors induced this way, one can find genes that are altered by insertion mutation in multiple, independent tumors and thus discover excellent cancer gene candidates and cancer pathways. This chapter reviews available approaches for modeling cancer by insertional mutagenesis in mice. Details about setting up such a screen, identifying insertion sites, interpreting the results and leveraging the information gained to better understand tumor progression and human cancer are described.
Advanced technique for ultra-thin residue inspection with sub-10nm thickness using high-energy back-scattered electrons

Recently the aspect ratio of capacitor and via hole of memory semiconductor device has been dramatically increasing in order to store more information in a limited area. A small amount of remained residues after etch process on the bottom of the high aspect ratio structure can make a critical failure in device operation. Back-scattered electrons (BSE) are mainly used for inspecting the defect located at the bottom of the high aspect ratio structure or analyzing the overlay of the multi-layer structure because these electrons have a high linearity with the direction of emission and a high kinetic energy above 50eV. However, there is a limitation on that it cannot detect ultra-thin residue material having a thickness of several nanometers because the surface sensitivity is extremely low. We studied the characteristics of BSE spectra using Monte Carlo simulations for several cases which the high aspect ratio structures have extreme microscopic residues. Based on the assumption that most of the electrons emitted without energy loss are localized on the surface, we selected the detection energy window which has a range of 20eV below the maximum energy of the BSE. This window section is named as the high-energy BSE region. As a result of comparing the detection sensitivity of the conventional and the high-energy BSE detection mode, we found that the detection sensitivity for the residuals which have 2nm thickness is improved by more than 10 times in the high-energy BSE mode. This BSE technology is a new inspection method that can greatly be improved the inspection sensitivity for the ultra-thin residual material presented in the high aspect ratio structure, and its application will be expanded.
The Itching Palm: The Crimes of Bribery and Extortion

Two days before Christinas in 1939, while the United States was deeply immersed in a wrenching decade-long depression, the city of Philadelphia hosted a joint meeting of the American Sociological Society and the American Economic Association. The presidential address to the Society was delivered by Edwin H. Sutherland, a 56-year-old professor from Indiana University. His topic, “White Collar Criminality,” would in time significantly affect the way in which the study of crime would be conducted throughout the world. Sutherland began his talk by noting that economists, while well acquainted with the methods of business, rarely looked at these methods in tenns of crime, while sociologists, though sometimes students of crime, rarely considered it as an ingredient of business. Sutherland disingenuously, in keeping with the scientific ethos of the time, maintained that his only interest was to shore up theoretical understanding, but his clearly was a muckraking attack on the law-breaking activities of persons in the business world and in politics. “White-collar criminality is found in every occupation,” he proclaimed, “as can be discovered readily in casual conversation with a representative of an occupation by asking him, ’What crooked practices are found in your occupation?’”1
Combinatorial compressive sampling with applications

We simplify and improve the deterministic Compressed Sensing (CS) results of Cormode and Muthukrishnan (CM). A simple relaxation of our deterministic CS technique then generates a new randomized CS result similar to those derived by CM. Finally, our CS techniques are applied to two computational problems of wide interest: The calculation of a periodic function's Fourier transform, and matrix multiplication. Short descriptions of our results follow. (i) Sublinear-time sparse Fourier transforms. Suppose f : [0, 2π] C is k-sparse in frequency (e.g., f is an exact superposition of k sinusoids with frequencies in [1 – N2,N2 ]). Then we may recover f in O( k2 · log4(N)) time by deterministically sampling it at O(k 2 · log3(N)) points. If succeeding with high probability is sufficient, we may sample f at O(k · log4 (N)) points and then reconstruct it in O(k · log 5(N)) time via a randomized version of our deterministic Fourier algorithm. If N is much larger than k, both algorithms run in sublinear-time in the sense that they will outrun any procedure which samples f at least N times (e.g., both algorithms are faster than a fast Fourier transform). In addition to developing new sublinear-time Fourier methods we have implemented previously existing sublinear-time Fourier algorithms. The resulting implementations, called AAFFT 0.5/0.9, are empirically evaluated. The results are promising: AAFFT 0.9 outperforms standard FFTs (e.g., FFTW 3.1) on signals containing about 102 energetic frequencies spread over a bandwidth of 106 or more. Furthermore, AAFFT utilizes significantly less memory than a standard FFT on large signals since it only needs to sample a fraction of the input signal's entries. (ii) Fast matrix multiplication. Suppose both A and B are dense N × N matrices. It is conjectured that A · B can be computed in O(N2+e)-time. If A · B is known to be O( N2.9462)-sparse/compressible in each column (e.g., each column of A · B contains only a few non-zero entries) we show that A · B may be calculated in O(N2+e)-time. Thus, we generalize previous rapid rectangular matrix multiplication results due to D. Coppersmith.
Regulation of Anti-Hapten Antibody Secretion by Carrier-Specific Suppressor T Cells

Carrier-primed T lymphocytes can suppress high avidity IgG anti-hapten antibody secretion within 90 min. in vitro if the suppressor and target cells are primed with the same carrier determinants. Suppression seems to be directed to the antibody secreting cell since the effect is rapid and does not depend on macrophages or T cells in the target cell population. Suppression can be blocked by inclusion of soluble carrier in the cell mixture or by treatment of the target cells with anti-carrier antibody or pro-nase. Moreover, suppression can be augmented by PFC exposure to the soluble hapten-carrier conjugate.
Impact of complex congenital heart disease on the prevalence of arterial hypertension after aortic coarctation repair.

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to evaluate the difference in the prevalence of long-term arterial hypertension among patients with corrected aortic coarctation according to the existence of associated cardiac congenital lesions. METHODS We identified 235 patients who had undergone surgery for aortic coarctation and classified them into 2 groups: patients with isolated coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and patients with aortic coarctation associated with complex congenital heart disease. Data were retrospectively analysed. RESULTS There were 148 subjects with isolated CoA and 87 with complex CoA (CoA-c). Patients were defined as hypertensive if they required antihypertensive treatment and/or when blood pressure was above 95th percentile. Patients with isolated aortic coarctation were significantly younger than patients with CoA-c (P < 0.001) and a markedly higher prevalence of arterial hypertension (44% vs 24%) was documented in the isolated coarctation group. The difference in the prevalence of hypertension in the 2 groups was still significant after correcting for differences in age (P < 0.001), confirming that the prevalence of arterial hypertension in patients with CoA-c was half of that of patients with isolated CoA. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that complex congenital heart disease in patients who have undergone surgical correction for aortic coarctation results in a significantly lower prevalence of late-onset hypertension. Reduced systemic flow and pressure before surgery in patients with CoA-c might be associated with a lower rate of arterial hypertension.
The Relationship of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder to End-of-life Care Received by Dying Veterans: a Secondary Data Analysis.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be exacerbated by subsequent trauma, but it is unclear if symptoms are worsened by impending death. PTSD symptoms, including hyperarousal, negative mood and thoughts, and traumatic re-experiencing, can impact end-of-life symptoms, including pain, mood, and poor sleep. Thus, increased symptoms may lead to increased end-of-life healthcare utilization. To determine if veterans with PTSD have increased end-of-life healthcare utilization or medication use and to examine predictors of medication administration. Secondary analysis of a stepped-wedge design implementation trial to improve end-of-life care for Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatients. Outcome variables were collected via direct chart review. Analyses included hierarchical, generalized estimating equation models, clustered by medical center. Veterans, inpatient at one of six VA facilities, dying between 2005 and 2011. Emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and medication administration in the last 7 days of life. Of 5341 veterans, 468 (8.76%) had PTSD. Of those, 21.4% (100/468) had major depression and 36.5% (171/468) had anxiety. Veterans with PTSD were younger (mean age 65.4 PTSD, 70.5 no PTSD, p < 0.0001) and had more VA hospitalizations and ER visits in the last 12 months of life (admissions: PTSD 2.8, no PTSD 2.4, p < 0.0001; ER visits: 3.2 vs 2.5, p < 0.0001). PTSD was associated with antipsychotic administration (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.06–2.18). Major depression (333/5341, 6.2%) was associated with opioid administration (OR 1.348, 95% CI 1.129–1.609) and benzodiazepines (OR 1.489, 95% CI 1.141–1.943). Anxiety disorders (778/5341, 14.6%) were only associated with benzodiazepines (OR 1.598, 95% CI 1.194–2.138). PTSD’s association with increased end-of-life healthcare utilization and increased antipsychotic administration in the final days of life suggests increased symptom burden and potential for terminal delirium in individuals with PTSD. Understanding the burden of psychiatric illness and potential risks for delirium may facilitate the end-of-life care for these patients. NCT00234286
Defining indices of ecosystem variability using biological samples of fish communities: A generalization of empirical orthogonal functions

Abstract Multivariate data reduction techniques are widely used to describe modes of variability in atmospheric and oceanographic conditions for the world’s oceans. Dominant modes of variability such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are typically defined as a statistical summary of physical measurements, and include both principle components representing modes of variability over time, and an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) giving the spatial pattern associated with a positive or negative phase for each mode. Typically, these indices are compared with biological conditions to describe or predict physical drivers of ecological dynamics. In some circumstances, however, it may instead be useful to apply EOF analysis directly to biological measurements, estimating indices of biological variability as well as maps of biological response associated with each index. We therefore develop a generalization of EOF analysis that can be applied directly to multispecies biological samples using a multivariate spatio-temporal model. These biologically derived indices can then be compared with relevant indices derived from physical data, or used as covariates in spatially-varying coefficient models. We first show that a spatio-temporal model can replicate previous EOF estimates of the PDO and North Pacific Gyre Oscillation. We then identify three axes of variability in the eastern Bering Sea using biomass-sampling data for fourteen bottom-associated fishes and decapod crustaceans from 1982 to 2017. The first axis represents habitat preferences that are stable over time, and the second represents a multi-decadal trend in distribution for most species; for example, showing an increasing density for Alaska skate and arrowtooth flounder in the middle and inner domain. Finally, the third axis shows high interannual variability from 1982 to 1998 switching to multiyear stanzas from 1999 to 2017 and is highly correlated (0.87) with the extent of the cold bottom temperatures in this region and associated impacts on Alaska pollock and Pacific cod. These axes represent ecological dynamics for adult fishes and therefore integrate the impact of bottom-up and top-down processes, and they also confirm the importance of cold-pool extent for fish distribution in the Bering Sea while visualizing its varied impact on individual species. Moreover, this spatio-temporal approach allows oceanographers to define annual indices representing modes of variability in diverse biological communities from widely available field-sampling data.