cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient photoconductive terahertz generation using a radio frequency bias

An efficient photoconductive THz source is described that uses a rapidly oscillating, high voltage bias across electrodes insulated from the GaAs sample. The resulting uniform field enables excitation with a large laser spot.
Herpes Zoster-Related Deaths in the United States: Validity of Death Certificates and Mortality Rates 1979–2007

Background. Herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine was recommended in the United States to reduce HZ-associated morbidity. Vaccination may reduce HZ-associated mortality, but no strategy exists to monitor mortality trends. Methods. We validated HZ coding on death certificates from California, using hospital records as the gold standard, and applied the results to national-level data to estimate HZ mortality. Results. In the validation phase of the study, among 40 available hospital records listing HZ as the underlying cause of death, HZ was the underlying cause for 21 (52.5%) and a contributing cause for 5 (12.5%). Among the 21 hospital records listing HZ as the underlying cause of death, the median age of decedents was 84 years (range, 50–99); 60% had no contraindications for HZ vaccination. Of the 37 available records listing HZ as a contributing cause of death, HZ was a contributing cause for 2 (5.4%) and the underlying cause for 6 (16.2%). Nationally, in the 7 years preceding the HZ vaccination program, the average annual number of deaths in which HZ was reported as the underlying cause of death was 149; however, based on our validation study, we estimate the true number was 78 (range, 31–118).
Pseudo-QT Prolongation, Artifactual Electrocardiographic Patterns Produced by Transduction of Cardiovascular Motion

Four cases are presented in which focal electrocardiographic artifacts mimicked QT segmenl prolongation with giant T and U waves. Displacement of the recording electrode by a subjacent cardiovascular impulse was the cause of this distortion. The artifacts could be reproduced at the bedside by in ten tional changes in patient posture and electrode slability. Phasic variation in electrode contact with the electrolyte gel and skin, or intermittent contact between the heart and chest wall, causes shifts in the electrical properties of the recording system which may distort the recorded waveforms during the repolarizalion phase of the electrocardiogram.
Herpes zoster in patients with bullous pemphigoid: a population‐based case–control and cohort study

Herpes zoster in patients with bullous pemphigoid: A population-based case-control and cohort study Benjamin Barrick, DO, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Joshua Barrick, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, MO, United States; Chad Weaver, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Christine Lohse, MS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Carilyn Wieland, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Amer Kalaaji, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Julia Lehman, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
Motor Evoked Potentials

A complication resulting from surgery for spinal deformity and certain types of aortic aneurysms is a loss of spinal cord function. In order to detect the intraoperative occurrence of this event, techniques, that monitor spinal cord function are administered. These techniques include the Stagnara wakeup test, the Hoppenfeld clonus test, and the somatosensoy-evoked potential (SEP). Of these various techniques, the SEP is gaining increased use because it is noninvasive, does not require cessation of surgery to administer, and provides information continuously.
Tech support en français s’il vous plaît!? The Challenges of Becoming a New Global Outsourcing Hub

Outsourcing of IT, tech support and other business services has become a global trend. Watching India’s success in the outsourcing space, many developing countries now try to grow their own business service economy, including countries in Africa. But what does it really take to become a global outsourcing hub? Can any country with low-cost labor, a good IT infrastructure and favorable business climate join the club? Based on a comparison of Morocco and Kenya, this article argues that a country's potential to attract outsourcing projects depends on its ability to offer services that are commoditized enough to attract a large global or regional client base, but distinctive enough to lower global competition. This has important implications for regional economic policies, in particular in developing countries.
An approximation algorithm and price of anarchy for the binary-preference capacitated selfish replication game

We consider in this paper a simple model for human interactions as service providers of different resources over social networks, and study the dynamics of selfish behavior of such social entities using a game-theoretic model known as binary-preference capacitated selfish replication (CSR) game. It is known that such games have an associated ordinal potential function, and hence always admit a pure-strategy Nash equilibrium (NE). We study the price of anarchy of such games, and show that it is bounded above by 3; we further provide some instances for which the price of anarchy is at least 2. We also devise a quasi-polynomial algorithm O(n2+ln D) which can find, in a distributed manner, an allocation profile that is within a constant factor of the optimal allocation, and hence of any pure-strategy Nash equilibrium of the game, where the parameters n, and D denote, respectively, the number of players, and the diameter of the network. We further show that when the underlying network has a tree structure, every globally optimal allocation is a Nash equilibrium, which can be reached in only linear time.
Initial evidence for the buffering effect of physical activity on the relationship between workplace stressors and individual outcomes.

Workplace stressors can have a significant negative impact on employees’ well-being and on the financial well-being of their organizations. Many workplace stressors cannot be eliminated, meaning that individuals and organizations must seek ways to reduce negative outcomes associated with these stressors. One strategy that may help buffer the negative effects of workplace stressors is physical activity. The present study examined physical activity as a moderator of the stressor–strain relationship in an occupation known to be highly stressful: nursing. A sample of 152 registered nurses responded to a survey about their physical activity habits and frequently experienced stressors (patient stressors, staff demands, and workload) and psychological outcomes (depression, engagement, and life satisfaction) they experienced. All stressors related significantly to all outcomes, except for workload as relating to depression. After statistically controlling for the stressors, physical activity explained significant incremental variance in all
Effects of exposure to continuous light on the eye of the growing chick.

SummaryThe influence of continuous incandescent light on the eyes of young chicks has been investigated and a profound enlargement of the eyeball has been observed. The enlargement is associated with an accumulation of fluid in the vitreous body. Histological changes were evident in several layers of the eye with the most striking effect being a thinning of the retina. Exposure to continuous light reduced the thickness of the nerve fiber layer and the layer of rods and cones.
The young and the restless: Socializing trumps sleep, fear of missing out, and technological distractions in first-year college students

College students are a sleep-deprived population, with first-year students facing a number of specific challenges to sleep. As students transition into and through the first year of college, sleep ...
The Predictor as a Diagnostician

In order to really illuminate what is going on we shall introduce a variation on Game 1. We shall not be dealing with someone who gives even the slightest impression that he is a precognitor looking directly into the future or is a Laplacean Demon who knows all the laws of nature and initial conditions; but all that we shall postulate is an expert on the electric stimulation of the brain, who at t0 places a helmet, from which a number of electrodes are protruding, upon the head of the agent. The helmet is connected to a complicated electrical apparatus equipped with two buttons. If the experimenter pushes button 1 (i.e., does B1), then a complex pattern of electric current flows into the various parts of the agent’s brain and causes him to want to do C1 at t1, while if he presses button 2 (i.e., does B2) then a different pattern results which definitely causes him to do C2. As in the other game, if P1 results, the experimenter puts $M into box II and if P2 results, he puts nothing into box II. Let us assume that the experimenter has performed his experiment one million times, in 500 000 cases doing B1, in 500 000 doing B2. Now in all those cases which he did B1, the various agents involved here for all sorts of imaginable and different reasons decided to do C1, whereas in other cases, for thousands of different reasons, they did C2.
Reactivity of murine cytokine fusion toxin, diphtheria toxin390-murine interleukin-3 (DT390-mIL-3), with bone marrow progenitor cells.

Myeloid leukemias can express interleukin-3 receptors (IL-3R). Therefore, as an antileukemia drug, a fusion immunotoxin was synthesized consisting of the murine IL-3 (mIL-3) gene spliced to a truncated form of the diphtheria toxin (DT390) gene coding for a molecule that retained full enzymatic activity, but excluded the native binding domain. The DT390-mIL-3 hybrid gene was cloned into a vector under the control of an inducible promote. The fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and then purified from inclusion bodies. The fusion toxin was potent because it inhibited FDC-P1, an IL-3R- expressing murine myelomonocytic tumor line (IC50 = 0.025 nmol/L or 1.5 ng/mL). Kinetics were rapid and cell-free studies showed that DT390-mIL- 3 was as toxic as native DT. DT390-mIL-3 was selective because anti-mIL- 3 monoclonal antibody, but not irrelevant antibody, inhibited its ability to kill. Cell lines not expressing IL-3R were not inhibited by the fusion protein. Because the use of DT390-mIL-3 as an antileukemia agent could be restricted by its reactivity with committed and/or primitive progenitor cells, bone marrow (BM) progenitor assays were performed. DT390-mIL-3 selectively inhibited committed BM progenitor cells as measured by in vitro colony-forming unit-granulocyte- macrophage and in vivo colony-forming unit-spleen colony assays. To determine if this fusion protein was reactive against BM progenitor cells required to rescue lethally irradiated recipients, adoptive transfer experiments were performed. Eight million DT390-mIL-3-treated C57BL/6 Ly5.2 BM cells, but not 4 million, were able to rescue lethally irradiated congenic C57BL/6 Ly5.1 recipients, suggesting that progenitor cells might be heterogenous in their expression of IL-3R. This idea was supported in competitive repopulation experiments in which DT390-mIL-3 treated C57BL/6 Ly5.2 BM cells were mixed with nontreated C57BL/6 Ly5.1 BM cells and used to reconstitute C57BL/6 Ly5.1 mice. A significant reduction, but not elimination, of Ly5.2- expressing cells 95 days post-BM transplantation and secondary transfer experiments indicated that IL-3R is not uniformly expressed on all primitive progenitor cells. The fact that some early progenitor cells survived DT390-mIL-3 treatment indicates that this fusion toxin may be useful in the treatment of myeloid leukemias that express the IL-3R.
Civil Servant, Civil Society

What has sometimes been referred to as the ‘vexed question’ of French bourgeois identity has divided historians since the 1950s when Alfred Cobban proved that the leadership of the French Revolution was not in the hands of a ‘rising commercial, financial and industrial class'.1 The revisionist interpretation of the French Revolution that followed – in which politics rather than social change defined events – had little room for a ‘bourgeoisie’. Nonetheless, as more recent scholarship has noted, some of the tools used by historians of Revolutionary political culture, including the Habermasian theory of a ‘public sphere’, are still grounded in Marxist stories of the material and social rise of the bourgeoisie in early modern Europe.2 Revivifying the ‘bourgeoisie’, but doing so in a way that focuses on individual responses to the politics of the late-eighteenth century, is the challenge for the next generation of historians.3
Photovoltaics for Bulk Power Applications: Cost/Performance Targets and Technology Prospects

Photovoltaic (PV) power technology has shown steady progress over the past ten years toward its ultimate use in bulk — i.e., energy-significant — electric power applications, including demonstration of highly reliable performance with very low operating and maintenance costs. And at least a half dozen PV module technologies continue to show promise for success in bulk power use. Prospects for these technologies, relative to economic, technical and management considerations, are reviewed in this paper; and lead to two primary conclusions: continued technological advancement is still needed for all PV technologies in the running; and ultimate success is likely to be determined as much by progress in the market place as progress in research and engineering. PV’s key challenge today is to continue serving ever-expanding niche markets while sustaining focused RD for without strong utility involvement, PV may never evolve into a bulk power option for electric utility use.
Presentation and Outcomes of Localized Amyloidosis: The Mayo Clinic Experience

Introduction : Localized immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (LAL) is a rare disease. Systematic data regarding its presentation, management and patient outcomes are limited to small case series. Our objective was to systematically describe the Mayo clinic experience of patients with LAL. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of 403 patients with biopsy proven localized amyloidosis seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1969-2014. Median follow-up for survival and progression were 72 months and 39 months, respectively Results : OF 5551 patients with light chain amyloidosis seen at the Mayo clinic during the study period, 403 (7%) had LAL. Median age at diagnosis was 60 years (range, 13-93) and 51% of them were male. Sites involved included: urothelial (bladder, ureter, renal pelvis), 75 (19%), larynx, 51 (13%), lung parenchyma, 42 (11%), skin, 44 (11%), synovial tissue 36 (9%), tracheobronchial, 31 (8%), gastrointestinal tract, 30 (8%), seminal vesicles, 22 (6%), eyes, 23 (6%), pharynx 22 (6%) and other 24 (6%). Typing was performed in 178 (45%) cases. A monoclonal protein was detected in 23 of 351 (7%) evaluated cases, 5 of which had different light restriction from that of LAL. Thirty one (8%) patients had a co-existent autoimmune disease. No patients progressed to systemic AL. Of 403, 109 (27%) were observed or received supportive care only and 241 (60%) underwent local removal of the amyloid deposits. Sixty-four (16%) patients required repeated interventions (median 1, range 1-4, upper decile requiring 4 interventions) for progressive disease. The most common sites requiring repeated interventions were: urothelial (33%), laryngeal (19%) and tracheobronchial (8%). Ten year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival were 79% and 61%, respectively and there was no difference according to site of involvement. Of the 70 patients that died during the follow-up period, cause of death was known for 29 and death was attributed to LAL in only 2 cases. Conclusions : In the largest series of patients with LAL reported so far we demonstrated that LAL has an excellent prognosis but can sometimes be associated with significant morbidity. Although our study was limited by incomplete typing in 55% of cases, it appears that true LAL does not "progress" to systemic amyloidosis. However, systemic amyloidosis can frequently involve organs typical involved only in LAL;, therefore a complete work-up for systemic disease should be performed in all patients with LAL. Treatment usually involves local excision for symptom palliation. In 16% of cases, repeated interventions for relapse/progression were required and as a result, follow-up is recommended, especially for cases involving the urothelial and upper respiratory tract. Disclosures Kumar: Skyline, Noxxon: Honoraria; Celgene, Millennium, Onyx, Novartis, Janssen, Sanofi: Research Funding; Celgene, Millennium, Onyx, Janssen, Noxxon, Sanofi, BMS, Skyline: Consultancy.
School-Based Team Research to Address Grand Challenges Through P-12 Physical Education Programs.

One of the grand challenges of our time is to educate children and youth to live physically active and healthy lives today and into adulthood. To do so, we must first agree that the highest mission priority for physical education programs in schools is that of public health promotion through physical activity. Under that mission, school physical education programs from preschool to Grade 12 (P–12) would be designed, implemented, resourced, and evaluated to help children meet the recommended 60 min of daily physical activity. From there, the worth of those programs would be judged on their success in accomplishing that mission. This article outlines an agenda for conducting longitudinal, cross-disciplinary team research on exemplary physical education programs that have demonstrated the capacity to help more children achieve the recommended daily level for physical activity. Once those exemplars have been studied and documented, the final step in this agenda is for researchers to disseminate their findings...
Electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy predicts atrial fibrillation independent of left ventricular mass

Background Although left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) detected by electrocardiography (ECG-LVH) and echocardiography (echo-LVH) independently predict cardiovascular disease events, it is unclear if ECG-LVH and echo-LVH independently predict atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods This analysis included 4,904 participants (40% male; 85% white) from the Cardiovascular Health Study who were free of baseline AF and major intraventricular conduction delays. ECG-LVH was defined by Minnesota Code Classification from baseline ECG data. Echo-LVH was defined by sex-specific left ventricular mass values >95th sex-specific percentiles. Incident AF events were identified during the annual study ECGs and from hospitalization discharge data. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of ECG-LVH and echo-LVH with incident AF, separately. Results ECG-LVH was detected in 224 (4.6%) participants and echo-LVH was present in 231 (4.7%) participants. Over a median follow-up of 11.9 years, a total of 1,430 AF events were detected. In a multivariable Cox model adjusted for age, sex, race, education, income, smoking, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, body mass index, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspirin, antihypertensive medications, and cardiovascular disease, ECG-LVH (HR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.18, 1.90) and echo-LVH (HR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.09, 1.78) were independently associated with AF. When ECG-LVH (HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.16, 1.87) and echo-LVH (HR = 1.36, 1.07, 1.75) were included in the same model, both were predictive of incident AF. Conclusion The association of ECG-LVH with AF is not dependent on left ventricular mass detected by echocardiography, suggesting that abnormalities in cardiac electrophysiology provide a distinct profile in the prediction of AF.
Ultrasound based gesture recognition

In this study, we explore the possibility of recognizing hand gestures using ultrasonic depth imaging. The ultrasonic device consists of a single piezoelectric transducer and an 8 - element microphone array. Using carefully designed transmit pulse, and a combination of beamforming, matched filtering, and cross-correlation methods, we construct ultrasound images with depth and intensity pixels. Thereafter, we use a combined Convolutional (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network to recognize gestures from the ultrasound images. We report gesture recognition accuracies in the range 64.5–96.9%, based on the number of gestures to be recognized, and show that ultrasound sensors have the potential to become low power, low computation, and low cost alternatives to existing optical sensors.
Outcomes of Antegrade Stent Graft Deployment During Hybrid Aortic Arch Repair

Background Complex aortic arch disease can be a formidable challenge and is often treated with a two-stage elephant trunk technique. We examined our experience with hybrid arch repair with combined zone 0 stent graft deployment. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of all patients who underwent type 2 hybrid arch replacement and zone 0 antegrade endovascular stent graft deployments at a single university center from June 2010 to August 2015. Results The review included 48 patients, 25 (52%) elective and 23 (48%) nonelective, with a mean ± SD age of 64 ± 11 years. Overall in-hospital mortality was 17% (8 of 48). Age exceeding 65 years (odds ratio, 9.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 36), preoperative international normalized ratio exceeding 1.3 (odds ratio, 14.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 95.87), and postoperative acute kidney injury (odds ratio, 5.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 29) were associated with in-hospital death. Postoperative stroke occurred in 3 patients (6%) and permanent paraplegia in 1 patient (2%). One (2%) patient underwent reoperation due to bleeding, and 6 patients (13%) experienced respiratory failure/reintubation. Acute kidney injury developed in 12 patients (25%), according to Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria, with 7 (14.6%) at stage 1 and 5 (10.4%) at stage 3. At the 1-year follow-up, type II endoleak developed in 2 of the 40 patients (5%), and 2 others required reoperation due to progression of chronic aortic dissection. Median follow-up time was 17 months (range, 1 to 63 months). The overall survival rate was 92% ± 0.04% at 6 months and 89% ± 0.05% at 1 and at 3 years. Conclusions Hybrid repair of complex aortic arch pathology with antegrade stent graft deployment can be performed safely with high technical success while obviating the need for a second operation. Reasonable midterm survival can be anticipated; however, older age, preoperative coagulopathy, and postoperative acute kidney injury are factors associated with poor outcome.
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Requiring Hospitalization

BACKGROUND: Plain children often have lower immunization rates than non-Plain children. Penn State Health Children’s Hospital is a tertiary medical center with large nearby Plain (Amish and Mennonite) communities. We sought to describe the characteristics of children hospitalized with vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). We hypothesized that Amish children would have a higher risk of VPDs than non-Amish children. METHODS: International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes were used to identify patients RESULTS: There were 215 children with 221 VPDs. Most occurred in non-Plain children: 179 of 221 (81%). Except for pneumococcal infections, VPD occurred mostly in unvaccinated or immunocompromised children, regardless of Plain affiliation. There were 15 Haemophilus influenzae type b and 5 tetanus infections that occurred in children with an unvaccinated or unknown vaccination status. The risk of a VPD requiring hospitalization was greater for Amish than for non-Plain children (risk ratio: 2.67 [95% confidence interval: 1.87–3.82]). There was a strong correlation between Plain affiliation and lack of vaccination (r = −0.63, P CONCLUSIONS: Amish children had an increased risk of a VPD requiring hospitalization than non-Plain children. With the exception of those with pneumococcal disease, most vaccinated children hospitalized with a VPD were immunocompromised.
Abstract P179: Pulmonary Spinal Sympathetic Afferent Activation in Post-myocardial Infarction Rats

Recently, we reported activation of pulmonary spinal afferents by topical application of bradykinin (BK) to lung surfaces evokes a potent sympatho-excitatory reflex, including increased blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in urethane-α-chloralose anesthetized vagotomized rats. This finding suggests a new previously undocumented pulmonary sympathetic afferent reflex (PSAR). Preliminary data was reported in abstract form at the Association of University Anesthesiologists 64 th Annual meeting. Expanding this work, we examined the activation of the PSAR at different time points post myocardial infarction (1 month vs. 5 months post MI) and at different degrees of infarct size (15%-35% (moderate) vs. above 35% (large) of left ventricle). Following bilateral vagotomy, we applied filter paper (3 х 3 mm) saturated with BK (10 μg/ml) to the ventral lung surface to stimulate the PSAR in both urethane- α-chloralose anesthetized sham-operated and MI rats. Application of BK to the lungs resulted in increased BP, HR and RSNA in all sham and MI rats. Compared to sham rats, the BK-induced sympatho-excitatory response was significantly increased in 1-month moderate and 1-month large MI rats as well as in 5-month moderate MI rats. The BK-induced sympatho-excitatory response was significantly blunted in 5-month large MI rats (Table 1). These data suggest that the activation of pulmonary spinal afferents in the post-MI state may be an independent risk factor for sympatho-excitation. Further studies are needed to understand the differential effects of pulmonary spinal afferent activation at the transition from the post MI state to heart failure.
High-Throughput and Quantitative Approaches for Measuring Circadian Rhythms in Cyanobacteria Using Bioluminescence

The temporal measurement of a bioluminescent reporter has proven to be one of the most powerful tools for characterizing circadian rhythms in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. Primarily, two approaches have been used to automate this process: (1) detection of cell culture bioluminescence in 96-well plates by a photomultiplier tube-based plate-cycling luminometer (TopCount Microplate Scintillation and Luminescence Counter, Perkin Elmer) and (2) detection of individual colony bioluminescence by iteratively rotating a Petri dish under a cooled CCD camera using a computer-controlled turntable. Each approach has distinct advantages. The TopCount provides a more quantitative measurement of bioluminescence, enabling the direct comparison of clock output levels among strains. The computer-controlled turntable approach has a shorter set-up time and greater throughput, making it a more powerful phenotypic screening tool. While the latter approach is extremely useful, only a few labs have been able to build such an apparatus because of technical hurdles involved in coordinating and controlling both the camera and the turntable, and in processing the resulting images. This protocol provides instructions on how to construct, use, and process data from a computer-controlled turntable to measure the temporal changes in bioluminescence of individual cyanobacterial colonies. Furthermore, we describe how to prepare samples for use with the TopCount to minimize experimental noise and generate meaningful quantitative measurements of clock output levels for advanced analysis.
Dependence of H2 and CO2 selectivity on Cu oxidation state during partial oxidation of methanol on Cu/ZnO

Abstract Partial oxidation of methanol is a promising reaction for on-board production of high purity H2 streams for fuel cell applications. In the present work, the influence of Cu oxidation state on the selectivity of POM catalyzed by Cu/ZnO was investigated via the use of a microreactor and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A strong correlation between H2 selectivity and the metallic copper (Cu°) content of the catalyst was observed, while, surprisingly, the CO2 selectivity was not significantly affected by the catalyst oxidation state. Instead, CO2 selectivity showed a strong correlation with O2 partial pressure, which could be explained by differences in the energy barriers between CO desorption and CO2 formation from CO* on Cu2O surfaces calculated via first-principles calculations. Our results indicate that maintaining metallic Cu catalyst during methanol oxidation could maximize H2 production for use in fuel cells or other clean energy applications.
Neuropsychological Functioning and Treatment Outcomes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain.

Abstract Neuropsychological (NP) performance has been associated with psychosocial treatment outcomes in nonpain conditions, but has never been investigated in chronic pain. We performed a secondary analysis on the association of baseline NP performance with treatment outcomes among veterans with chronic pain (N = 117) undergoing an 8-week acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention. Participants completed measures of pain interference, pain severity, quality of life, activity levels, depression, and pain-related anxiety at baseline, midtreatment, and post-treatment. Executive functioning, working memory, processing speed, learning, and verbal memory were assessed at baseline. All study measures significantly improved from baseline to post-treatment. NP performance was related to changes in depression and pain-related anxiety during treatment. Specifically, relatively lower executive functioning and processing speed was associated with greater decreases in depressive symptoms, and relatively lower processing speed was associated with greater decreases in pain-related anxiety. Consistent with research in nonpain conditions, those with relatively lower NP functioning received greater benefit from psychosocial treatment, although most study outcomes did not differ as a function of NP performance. Our results suggest relatively lower NP functioning is not contraindicated for participation in psychosocial interventions like ACT but instead may be associated with greater relief. Perspective This study suggests that NP functioning is unrelated to changes in pain interference associated with ACT, and that those with relatively lower NP functioning may experience greater reductions in depressive symptoms and pain-related anxiety. This article contains important information for researchers and clinicians interested in cognition and chronic pain.
A 500‐Year Tree Ring‐Based Reconstruction of Extreme Cold‐Season Precipitation and Number of Atmospheric River Landfalls Across the Southwestern United States

This study develops a reconstruction of the frequency of extreme cold-season precipitation and the occurrence of landfalling atmospheric river (AR) storm tracks across the southwestern Unites States using a network of tree ring chronologies and the Living Blended Drought Atlas (LBDA), a 500-year tree ring based reconstruction of the summer Palmer Drought Severity Index. The first two rotated empirical orthogonal functions of the LBDA across the Southwest are shown to relate well to previously identified patterns of regional AR activity. Accordingly, the rotated empirical orthogonal functions also record patterns of extreme precipitation associated with those ARs, albeit with some uncertainty introduced by nonextreme precipitation. A network of chronologies sensitive to cold-season precipitation is then used to reconstruct the occurrence of landfalling ARs and extreme precipitation along the southern Californian coast, demonstrating for the first time the feasibility of reconstructing AR landfalls and extreme events in the Southwest based on spatial patterns in a network of dendroclimatic proxies.
Lipid accumulation from glucose and xylose in an engineered, naturally oleaginous strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a well-known industrial yeast for alcoholic fermentation, is not historically known to accumulate lipids. Four S. cerevisiae strains used in industrial applications were screened for their ability to accumulate neutral lipids. Only one, D5A, was found to accumulate up to 20% dry cell weight (dcw) lipids. This strain was further engineered by knocking out ADP-activated serine/threonine kinase (SNF1) which increased lipid accumulation to 35% dcw lipids. In addition, we engineered D5A to utilize xylose and found that D5A accumulates up to 37% dcw lipids from xylose as the sole carbon source. Further we over-expressed different diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGA1) genes and boosted lipid accumulation to 50%. Fatty acid speciation showed that 94% of the extracted lipids consisted of 5 fatty acid species, C16:0 (palmitic), C16:1n7 (palmitoleic), C18:0 (stearic), C18:1n7 (vaccenic), and C18:1n9 (oleic), while the relative distributions changed depending on growth conditions. In addition, this strain accumulated lipids concurrently with ethanol production.
A Rapid and Precise Mutation-Activated Fluorescence Reporter for Analyzing Acute Mutagenesis Frequency

Mutagenesis reporters are critical for quantifying genome stability. However, current methods rely on cell survival/death to report mutation, which takes weeks and prevents evaluation of acute or time-dependent changes. Existing methods also have other limitations, such as cell type restrictions. Using our discovery that mCherryFP fluorescence depends on residue Trp98, we replaced this codon with a stop codon to generate a mutation biosensor (termed CherryOFF), with a green fluorescence protein (GFP) as an internal control. We found that the red fluorescence of this biosensor is activated by a specific A/T-G/C nucleotide transition. Compared with the established hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase assay, our reporter has similar or better ability to detect changes of mutation frequency induced by physical/chemical mutagens or manipulation of mutation-related genes. Furthermore, CherryOFF-GFP can report mutagenesis independently of cell-death events, can be adapted to many cell types, and can generate readouts within 1 day for the measurement of acute or time-dependent events.
Upconverting nanoparticle-based multi-functional nanoplatform for enhanced photodynamic therapy: promises and perils

Abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive technique that selectively targets cancer cells. The photosensitizer absorbs light of a specific wavelength and generates highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen, from molecular oxygen in the surrounding tissue. However, PDT is limited by the penetration depth and scattering of the visible excitation light in tissue. Near infrared absorbing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are used to extend the penetration depth as most tissues absorb weakly in the infrared. UCNPs are anti-Stokes type materials in which rare earth atoms are embedded in a crystalline matrix. Upconversion emission occurs via a two-photon process that is efficiently excited by low-cost CW diode laser sources. In PDT, these nanoparticles are coupled to sensitizers that absorb the upconverted emission, resulting in singlet oxygen formation. We further discuss the benefits of using UCNPs in PDT, the potential challenges, and also the potential pitfalls of PDT in general.
FGF1 and VEGF mediated angiogenesis in KHT tumor-bearing mice.

Isotransplants of murine fibrosarcoma (KHT) cells were inoculated i.m. into the hind limbs of 6–8 week-old female C3H/HeJ mice. Intratumoral injection of FGF1 or VEGF proteins decreased hypoxic marker uptake in murine fibrosarcoma KHT. Reduction of tumor hypoxia did not correlate with mRNA expression of transcription factors in tumors. Likewise, there was no significant alteration in either apoptotic frequency or the mRNA levels of 10 apoptotic-related molecules in FGF1- or VEGF-treated tumors. mRNA expression for MCP-1, IL-ls, IL-18, and IL-1Ra, however, were decreased in the tumors following FGF1 or VEGF treatment. Among the normal tissues tested (brain, kidney, liver, spleen, and lung), basal mRNA levels for cytokines and chemokines varied. Intratumoral injection of FGF1 or VEGF (6 daily intra-tumor injections of 6µg/mouse) did not alter most cytokine or chemokine mRNA expression in spleen and lung. In summary, alteration of tumor oxygenation by local administration of angiogenic growth factors may be mediated by cytokine/chemokine production in the tumor.
Advancements in x-ray reflection gratings (Conference Presentation)

Many of the key science goals in X-ray astronomy require spectroscopy in the soft energy band, 0.2 - 2.0 keV. The performance requirements placed on spectrometers typically have spectral resolving powers in the thousands with effective areas in the hundreds of square centimeters. Obtaining both of these requirements in a single instrument is a challenge for a variety of reasons. Here, we discuss the development tasks specific to off-plane reflection gratings. We detail the requirements that drive our technical challenges such as fabrication, alignment, and integration. Finally, we summarize recent results of X-ray performance testing demonstrating very high diffraction efficiency and resolving power.
Summary of Glimpce Geophysical Investigations of the Midcontinent Rift System in the Lake Superior Region

The Great Lakes International Multidisciplinary Program on Crustal Evolution (GLIMPCE) was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada, and engaged participants from a broad spectrum of government and academic institutions in both the U.S. and Canada. Activities in the Lake Superior region included seismic reflection and refraction surveys conducted in 1986 and aeromagnetic surveys in 1987. These surveys provided new information on the character of the Midcontinent Rift System around and beneath Lake Superior.
Porous Stainless Steel - The Unique Filter Medium

The “Unique Filter Medium”… an imposing title for a product made from a handful of tiny stainless steel granules. However, when the properties of porous stainless steel are examined it will be seen that this statement is not presumptuous.
A Real-Time Online Data Product that Automatically Detects Easterly Gap-Flow Events and Precipitation Type in the Columbia River Gorge

AbstractA real-time, hourly updated, online graphical data product that displays the depth and strength of easterly gap flow in the Columbia River Gorge using a 915-MHz Doppler wind profiler is pre...
A randomized, proof-of-concept clinical trial on repurposing chlorcyclizine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract Background & aims Chlorcyclizine HCl (CCZ) is a piperazine-class antihistamine with anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity in vitro and in vivo. In a first-in-humans study for HCV, we evaluated the antiviral effects and safety of CCZ±ribavirin (RBV), characterized pharmacokinetic (PK) and viral kinetic (VK) patterns, and provide insights into CCZs mode of action against HCV. Methods Chronic HCV patients were randomized to CCZ (75 mg twice daily) or CCZ+weight-based RBV (1000/1200 mg daily) for 28 days. Therapy started with a loading dose of CCZ 150 mg ± RBV. Serial assessments of safety, liver tests, PK and VK markers were obtained. Results 24 HCV patients were treated; 54% male, median age 56 years, median HCV RNA 6.30 log IU/ml, without baseline differences between groups. At the end of therapy, subjects treated with CCZ monotherapy did not show any significant or sustained reduction in viremia (p = 0.69), whereas 7/12 (58%) subjects treated with CCZ+RBV had a >3-fold decline in HCV RNA. Subjects who responded demonstrated monophasic (n = 2), biphasic (n = 2) and triphasic (n = 3) VK responses. Contrary to historical RBV monotherapy response, CCZ+RBV demonstrated a continued viral decline suggesting a possible synergistic effect of CCZ+RBV. Mathematical modeling predicts a median effectiveness of CCZ+RBV in blocking viral production (e) of 59% (Interquartile range, IQR: 50%) and blocking infection (η) of 78% (IQR: 23%). Adverse events (AEs) were mild-moderate without treatment discontinuations for AEs. Conclusions In this human pilot study, CCZ demonstrated some anti-HCV effects, mostly in combination with RBV. More potent CCZ derivatives with optimal PK features may be more suitable for future therapeutic development. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02118012.
Symmetric All-Quinone Aqueous Battery

Here we report a symmetric all-quinone aqueous battery based entirely on earth-abundant elements that uses a naturally occurring dye as the redox-active material in both positive and negative elect...
Pre-Operative, Intra-Operative, and Post-Operative Factors Associated with Post-Discharge Venous Thromboembolism Following Colorectal Cancer Resection

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most common preventable cause of 30-day post-operative mortality, with many events occurring after hospital discharge. High-level evidence supports post-discharge VTE chemoprophylaxis following abdominal/pelvic cancer resection; however, some studies support a more tailored approach. Our objectives were to (1) identify risk factors associated with post-discharge VTE in a large cohort of patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection and (2) develop a post-discharge VTE risk calculator. Patients who underwent colorectal cancer resection from 2012 to 2016 were identified from ACS NSQIP colectomy and proctectomy procedure–targeted modules. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with post-discharge VTE. Incorporating pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative variables, a post-discharge VTE risk calculator was constructed and validated. Of 51,139 patients, 387 (0.76%) developed post-discharge VTE. Pre-operative factors associated with post-discharge VTE included BMI (e.g., morbidly obese OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.65–3.12 vs. normal BMI), and thrombocytosis (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.03–1.92). Intra-operative factors included operative time (4–6 h OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12–2.17; > 6 h, OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.21–2.84, vs. < 2 h), and type of operation (e.g., open partial colectomy OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.30–2.16 vs. laparoscopic partial colectomy). Post-operative factors included anastomotic leak (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.31–3.21) and post-operative ileus (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.07–1.79). Using the risk calculator, the predicted probability of post-discharge VTE ranged from 0.04 to 10.29%. On a 10-fold cross validation, the calculator’s mean C-Statistic was 0.65. Patient-specific factors are associated with varying rates of post-discharge VTE. We present the first post-discharge VTE risk calculator designed for use at the time of discharge following colorectal cancer resection.
Review of high-content screening applications in toxicology.

High-content screening (HCS) technology combining automated microscopy and quantitative image analysis can address biological questions in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. Various HCS experimental applications have been utilized in the research field of in vitro toxicology. In this review, we describe several HCS application approaches used for studying the mechanism of compound toxicity, highlight some challenges faced in the toxicological community, and discuss the future directions of HCS in regards to new models, new reagents, data management, and informatics. Many specialized areas of toxicology including developmental toxicity, genotoxicity, developmental neurotoxicity/neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity will be examined. In addition, several newly developed cellular assay models including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), three-dimensional (3D) cell models, and tissues-on-a-chip will be discussed. New genome-editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9), data analyzing tools for imaging, and coupling with high-content assays will be reviewed. Finally, the applications of machine learning to image processing will be explored. These new HCS approaches offer a huge step forward in dissecting biological processes, developing drugs, and making toxicology studies easier.
Ultrasound Evaluation of Radial Nerve Palsy Associated with Humeral Shaft Fractures to Guide Operative Versus Non-Operative Treatment.

Objective. To determine the effectiveness of diagnostic ultrasound (US) at evaluating the condition of the radial nerve in the setting of humeral shaft fractures. Materials and Methods. An observational study was performed of 18 patients with radial nerve palsy associated with humeral shaft fractures who underwent US examination to assess the condition of the radial nerve. Results. Six patients with humeral shaft fractures treated nonoperatively in a functional brace had US findings consistent with contusion or stretch radial nerve injury. Twelve patients ultimately underwent surgery either because US showed an entrapped or lacerated radial nerve, or for other operative indications. There was a 92% concordance (11/12 patients) between US and intraoperative findings with regards to the condition and location of the radial nerve, with the remaining case being complicated by delayed surgical treatment secondary to patient factors. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates that US is an effective diagnostic tool in evaluating radial nerve injuries in the setting of humeral shaft fractures and can aid in clinical decision making by differentiating between patients with nerve laceration or entrapment who may benefit from surgery from those with neurapraxia managed nonoperatively.
The effects of look-ahead algorithms in content functional robotic intelligence

The last three years have shown a tremendous surge in interest in intelligent robotic systems. Real-time intelligence is of critical importance in areas such as space exploration and military operations. The content functional method (CFM) has proven to be one of the major breakthroughs in the development of real-time intelligence in critical robotic domains. [1]This paper explores the results obtained by using look-ahead algorithms, utilizing the decision matrix, to predict the long-term outcomes of various actions. The CFM with look-ahead enhancements must maintain its real-time performance levels in order to remain effective. In order to achieve real-time performance, look-ahead must be performed during idle processing. This means that look-ahead must be balanced with processing of data in the learning engine (another task performed during idle time). This paper discusses methods for obtaining correct balance between look-ahead and processing learning data in different domains and scenarios within those domains. A software-based simulator was developed to test the look-ahead algorithm's performance. The results of various modifications to the algorithm are explored and compared to results from the original CFM in this paper. Several new complex critical scenarios have been simulated, producing new results and fascinating evidence of a "smarter" intelligence.