cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and Synthesis of Near-Infrared Peptide for in Vivo Molecular Imaging of HER2

We report the development, characterization, and validation of a peptide specific for the extracellular domain of HER2. This probe chemistry was developed for molecular imaging by using a structural model to select an optimal combination of amino acids that maximize the likelihood for unique hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions with HER2 domain 3. The sequence KSPNPRF was identified and conjugated with either FITC or Cy5.5 via a GGGSK linker using Fmoc-mediated solid-phase synthesis to demonstrate flexibility for this chemical structure to be labeled with different fluorophores. A scrambled sequence was developed for control by altering the conformationally rigid spacer and moving both hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids on the C-terminus. We validated peptide specificity for HER2 in knockdown and competition experiments using human colorectal cancer cells in vitro, and measured a binding affinity of kd = 21 nM and time constant of k = 0.14 min–1 (7.14 min). We used this peptide with either topica...
The family APGAR and psychosocial problems in children: a report from ASPN and PROS.

BACKGROUND: Our study examined whether the lack of social support as measured by the Family APGAR was related to parents' and physicians' identification of child psychosocial problems and sociodemographic and symptom characteristics of the children screened. METHODS: The parents of 9626 children, ages 4 to 15 years, seen for outpatient medical visits participated in this national study. Parents completed the Family APGAR and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a measure of psychosocial dysfunction. Physicians rated the presence of a new or recurrent psychosocial problem in the child. RESULTS: Children from families with a lack of social support were 4.3 times as likely to receive scores indicating impairment on the PSC and 2.2 times as likely to be identified as having psychosocial problems by physician report. Families with low social support were significantly more likely to report low parental educational achievement, single parent status, and a history of mental health services for the child. Fifty percent of children from families with low social support were identified as having a psychosocial problem by either the PSC or physician rating, or both; however, only 21% of the children identified with psychosocial impairment by these two measures had scores indicating poor family functioning on the Family APGAR. CONCLUSIONS: A lack of family social support is associated with child psychosocial dysfunction as assessed by two different measures. However, the Family APGAR was not a sensitive measure of child psychosocial problems, and thus it supplements, but does not replace, information concerning the child's overall psychosocial functioning.
Revisiting the role of nanoparticles as modulators of drug resistance and metabolism in cancer.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Drug resistance is the major obstacle impeding the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Although numerous drug delivery techniques have been developed to combat drug resistance, their limitations of non-specific targeting and inconsistent bioavailability has led to the search of novel delivering strategies, such as nanoparticles.Areas covered: Nanoparticles for anti-cancer drug delivery are microscopic preparations encapsulating a chemotherapeutic and a chemosensitizer into a rationally designed drug delivery vehicle. Nano-strategies directed against multi-drug resistance (MDR) can be categorized into those inhibiting the drug efflux pumps, those effective against the cellular factors of drug resistance, and the combinational based strategies. Here, we review the most recent literature to reposition nanoparticles as chemotherapeutics and inhibitors of MDR.Expert Opinion: Novelty in anti-cancer drug delivery has led to the formulation of chemotherapeutics and MDR inhibitors as nano-pr...
Immunologic Evidence for Frequent Age-Related Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Seropositive Immunocompetent Individuals

Immunoblot analysis using mouse monoclonal antibody to human IgM detected IgM to cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific proteins (150, 42, 38, 32, and 28 kDa) in 74 (38%) of 197 seropositive serum samples from 197 individuals in three subject groups: 43 surgical patients, 31 patients with solid tumors, and 123 healthy individuals. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of IgM to CMV proteins was not associated with a specific subject group but was associated with age (P less than .0001), gender (P less than .005), and IgG titer (P less than .03). The rate of IgM positivity increased from 15% (8 of 54) for those less than 20 y to 63% (37 of 59) for those greater than 60 y. Twenty-three (29%) of 80 males were IgM-positive compared with 49 (44%) of 111 females. Immunoglobulin G titers to CMV were significantly associated with age, gender, and IgM positivity. These data suggest that CMV reactivation in immunocompetent seropositive individuals may occur frequently and increase with age.
Differential effects of nitric oxide synthesis inhibitors on vascular resistance and responses to acetylcholine in cats

The effects of dose and the duration of treatment with N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on vascular resistance and the vasodilator response to acetylcholine (ACh) were investigated in the hindquarters vascular bed of the cat under constant flow conditions. L-NNA and L-NAME increase perfusion pressure and reduce vasodilator responses to ACh in the hindquarters vascular bed; however, the dose and time of exposure required to produce these effects are different. When L-NNA (2.5-5 mg/min) was infused into the hindquarters vascular bed, the increase in perfusion pressure was observed 10 min after onset of the infusion, at which time responses to ACh were not changed. The time of exposure for 50% of the maximal change in hindquarters perfusion pressure was significantly less than the time of exposure for 50% of the maximal decrease in the vasodilator response to ACh during infusion of L-NNA. A similar pattern was observed after the intravenous administration of 3-300 mg/kg L-NAME, while 1 mg/kg L-NAME produced a large but submaximal pressor response and lesser decreases in responses to ACh. The arginine analogues did not completely inhibit the vasodilator response to ACh in the hindquarters vascular bed, with a 30-fold increase in dose producing no additional blockade; however, L-NNA completely inhibited the relaxant response to ACh in the isolated aorta of the cat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
PEPSINOGEN I IN SEMEN. CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF PEPSINOGEN I FROM HUMAN SEMEN.

SummaryFractionation of human semen on DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose has shown that the seminal proteolytic activity at low pH is eluted as a single peak of proteolytic activity. This peak of proteolytic activity exhibits no milk clotting activity unless it is first activated by acidificaton. The chro-matographic mobilities of the proteolytic activity at low pH of unacidified and acidified semen are similar to those of unacidified and acidified gastric mucosal pepsinogen I, respectively. The possible conversion of seminal pepsinogen to pepsin by weakly acidic vaginal secretions posed the question of a possible role for pepsin in human reproduction.
The Central Limit Theorem

This chapter discusses the central limit theorem. The central limit theorem refers to a body of theorems, each of which deals with conditions under which distribution functions of sums of random variables converge. The limit distributions have a special property, called infinite divisibility. The chapter discusses the infinitely divisible distribution functions. A distribution function F is said to be infinitely divisible, if for every positive integer n , there is a distribution function F n such that F is the n -fold convolution of F n with itself. There are the two important examples of infinitely divisible distribution functions: (1) the normal distribution and (2) the Poisson distribution. If F is an infinitely divisible distribution function, then its characteristic function f never vanishes. The chapter presents a derivation of the Levy–Khinchine representation of the characteristic function of an infinitely divisible distribution function.
Forensic Uses of Digital Imaging

From the Publisher: "Forensic Uses of Digital Imaging shows step-by-step how to use digital imaging to its best advantage. Written by the author of the best-selling Image Processing Handbook, it uses numerous examples to explore when and why some procedures are appropriate and what they can be expected to reveal. It demonstrates just what the advantages and shortcomings of digital imaging are and how computer image processing can be used to enhance the ability to access detail without compromising the truth of images." "Practitioners will learn how to testify about their procedures and results in simple, precise language. Counsel will discover appropriate avenues for questioning to bring forth such explanations, and how to challenge witnesses who may confuse or mislead juries with wrong information or opinions."--BOOK JACKET.
Polycaprolactone Microfibrous Scaffolds to Navigate Neural Stem Cells.

Fibrous scaffolds have shown promise in tissue engineering due to their ability to improve cell alignment and migration. In this paper, poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers are fabricated in different sizes using a microfluidic platform. By using this approach, we demonstrated considerable flexibility in ability to control the size of the fibers. It was shown that the average diameter of the fibers was obtained in the range of 2.6–36.5 μm by selecting the PCL solution flow rate from 1 to 5 μL min–1 and the sheath flow rate from 20 to 400 μL min–1 in the microfluidic channel. The microfibers were used to create 3D microenvironments in order to investigate growth and differentiation of adult hippocampal stem/progenitor cells (AHPCs) in vitro. The results indicated that the 3D topography of the PCL substrates, along with chemical (extracellular matrix) guidance cues supported the adhesion, survival, and differentiation of the AHPCs. Additionally, it was found that the cell deviation angle for 44–66% of cells on...
Quench Protection Using CLIQ of a MgB 2 0.5 T Persistent Mode Magnet

A protection system using the coupling loss induced quench (CLIQ) method has been simulated for an eight coil 0.5 T MRI main magnet designed with MgB 2 superconducting wire. The temperature rise was modeled in MATLAB using the Douglas-Gunn method to solve the three-dimensional heat equation and Heun's method was used to solve the circuit equations associated with the CLIQ electrical circuit. The wire's twist pitch and the voltage and capacitance of the CLIQ unit can be varied to study their impact on quench protection performance. Simulations of CLIQ protection were performed on the entire 0.5 T eight coil magnet. The peak temperature varied with the wire's twist pitch. The optimal twist pitch was around 3.5 and 5.5 cm assuming the lowest and highest transverse resistivity, respectively. For the entire main magnet using CLIQ protection, the peak temperature reaches 188 K with a 10 mF capacitor at 1.3 kV.
Residual stress driven cracking in superalloy weldments

Superalloy weldments are normally given post weld heat treatments to homogenize the weld metal microstructure, relieve residual stress, and precipitate strengthening phases. The relationship betwee...
Schinortriterpenoide: eine Fallstudie in Synthesedesign

Seit den Anfangen der Totalsynthese und der retrosynthetischen Analyse haben Chemiker vielfaltige Grundprinzipien fur die Planung von Syntheseansatzen fur komplexe Naturstoffe entwickelt. Durch diese wegweisenden Arbeiten wurde es moglich, immer komplexere Verbindungen zu synthetisieren, indem zuvor gewonnenes Wissen in neuen Szenarien angewendet wurde. Die kurzlich isolierten Naturstoffe aus der Familie der Schinortriterpenoide fanden grose Aufmerksamkeit und dienten als exzellente Fallstudien, um das beim Aufbau von komplexen polycyclischen Gerusten erworbene Wissen zu erproben. In diesem Kurzaufsatz werden die Ansatze zur Synthese dieser Naturstoffe detailliert diskutiert und einander gegenubergestellt, im Speziellen unter Berucksichtigung der sechs veroffentlichten Totalsynthesen.
Carolean Theatre and Drama

One of the first changes Charles II made shortly after reclaiming the English throne in May 1660 was to reopen the public theatres, closed in 1642 by Puritan edict. Although plays were performed surreptitiously during the Interregnum by a few severely impoverished and poorly patronised companies that stood in continual fear of arrest and imprisonment, as well as by William Davenant, who cleverly billed his operatic productions as ‘musical entertainments’ aimed at ‘instruction’ and produced them at his residence (Rutland House) to subvert Puritan objection to regular plays and public playhouses,1 Charles’s restoration signalled London’s liberation from the longstanding and repressive laws that had forbidden all forms of public entertainment, from plays and music to dancing and outdoor games. On 9 July 1660, less than two months after his return, Charles, eager to revive and personally sanction cultural activities as emblematic of a complete ‘restoration’ and shrewd enough to appreciate how his imprimatur on theatre could shape and effect public approval of him, granted two personal friends and courtiers — Sir William Davenant (Poet Laureate to Charles I) and Thomas Killigrew — hereditary patents which gave them equal and sole control of London’s theatrical productions, effectively instituting a system of stage monopoly that would last for 182 years.
Small Molecule Inhibition of microRNA-210 Reprograms an Oncogenic Hypoxic Circuit

A hypoxic state is critical to the metastatic and invasive characteristics of cancer. Numerous pathways play critical roles in cancer maintenance, many of which include noncoding RNAs such as microRNA (miR)-210 that regulates hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs). Herein, we describe the identification of a small molecule named Targapremir-210 that binds to the Dicer site of the miR-210 hairpin precursor. This interaction inhibits production of the mature miRNA, derepresses glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1-like enzyme (GPD1L), a hypoxia-associated protein negatively regulated by miR-210, decreases HIF-1α, and triggers apoptosis of triple negative breast cancer cells only under hypoxic conditions. Further, Targapremir-210 inhibits tumorigenesis in a mouse xenograft model of hypoxic triple negative breast cancer. Many factors govern molecular recognition of biological targets by small molecules. For protein, chemoproteomics and activity-based protein profiling are invaluable tools to study small molecule tar...
Total Factor Productivity and Outward Orientation in Taiwan: What is the Nature of the Relationship?

Recent applied literature finds a correlation between total factor productivity (TFP) growth and increased outward orientation, but the nature of the theoretical relationship remains controversial. In this paper, we test econometrically several specifications using time series for Taiwan to elucidate the question. We find strong support for the view that imports of technology, in a context of decreasing returns to imitation, and the removal of domestic distortions, through its impact on the labor market's allocative efficiency, have played a major role in Taiwan's TFP growth. Conversely, export promotion, per se, did not affect TFP growth significantly, but through its indirect contribution to financing imports.
Novel Linear Lipopeptide Paenipeptins with Potential for Eradicating Biofilms and Sensitizing Gram-Negative Bacteria to Rifampicin and Clarithromycin

We report the structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses of 17 linear lipopeptide paenipeptin analogues. Analogues 7, 12 and 17 were more potent than the lead compound. Analogue 17 was active against carbapenem-resistant and polymyxin-resistant pathogens. This compound at 40 μg/mL resulted in 3 log and 2.6 log reductions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, in catheter-associated biofilms in vitro. Analogue 17 showed little hemolysis at 32 µg/ml and lysed 11% of red blood cells at 64 µg/ml. Analogues 9 and 16 were non-hemolytic and retained potent P. aeruginosa-specific antimicrobial activity. These two analogues when used alone lacked activity against Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae; however, analogue 9 and 16 at 4 µg/mL decreased the MIC of rifampicin and clarithromycin against the same pathogens from 16-32 µg/mL to nanomolar levels (sensitization factor: 2,048-8,192). Therefore, paenipeptins, alone or in combination with rifampic...
Filtering Techniques for Regular Expression Matching in Strings

Matching a regular expression (regex) on a text is widely used in many applications, such as text editing, information extraction and instruction detection (IDS). Traditional algorithms generally compile an equivalent automaton from the regex query, then run it on the text to find all matching results. However, they have to scale linearly with the size of the text. Recent algorithms utilize various filtering techniques to quickly jump to candidate positions in a text where a matching result may appear, then only these candidate positions are verified by the automaton. In this paper, we give a full specification on filtering techniques for the regex matching problem, in which filters for the regex query can be classified into positive factor and negative factor. We review three typical positive factors, including prefix, suffix, and necessary factor and show that negative factors can collaborate with positive factors to significantly improve the filtering ability.
A retrospective analysis of adverse events among patients receiving daptomycin versus vancomycin during outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy.

ObjectiveOutpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a safe and effective alternative to prolonged inpatient stays for patients requiring long-term intravenous antimicrobials, but antimicrobial-associated adverse events remain a significant challenge. Thus, we sought to measure the association between choice of antimicrobial agent (vancomycin vs daptomycin) and incidence of adverse drug events (ADEs).MethodsPatients receiving OPAT treatment with vancomycin or daptomycin for skin and soft-tissue infections, bone and joint infections, endocarditis, and bacteremia or endovascular infections during the period from July 1, 2013, through September 30, 2016, were included. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from the medical record. Logistic regression was used to compare ADEs requiring a change in or early discontinuation of therapy, hospital readmission, and emergency room visits between groups. Time from OPAT enrollment to ADE was compared using the log-rank test.ResultsIn total, 417 patients were included: 312 (74·8%) received vancomycin and 105 (25·2%) received daptomycin. After adjusting for age, Charlson comorbidity index, location of OPAT treatment, receipt of combination therapy with either β-lactam or fluoroquinolone, renal function, and availability of safety labs, patients receiving vancomycin had significantly higher incidence of ADEs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3·71; 95% CI, 1·64–8·40). ADEs occurred later in the treatment course for patients treated with daptomycin (P<·01). Rates of readmission and emergency room visits were similar.ConclusionsIn the OPAT setting, vancomycin use was associated with higher incidence of ADEs than daptomycin use. This finding is an important policy consideration for programs aiming to optimize outcomes and minimize cost. Careful selection of gram-positive agents for prolonged treatment is necessary to limit toxicity.
Political Regimes, Trade and Labor Policies

Authoritarian systems that repress labor are more likely than democratic systems to adopt inefficient labor policies inimical to development. The more open the trade regime, the fewer distortions in the labor market. What, if any, is the link between labor market policies that benefit insiders - for example, regulations guaranteeing high minimum wages and strict job security - and political regimes? Is it true that in a democracy outsiders vote and impose limits on what insiders can achieve, whereas in a dictatorship the government need worry only about insiders who have real power? Or are democratic governments more likely to succumb to trade union pressure and use labor policies to give them special privileges? To test these competing hypotheses, Banerji and Ghanem designed a two-sector political economy model that demonstrates that labor market distortions depend directly on the trade regime: The more open the trade regime, the fewer distortions in the labor market. They use cross-country regressions to test the relationship between political and civil liberties and trade and labor policies. Using data for 90 developing countries, they apply existing indices of openness and political freedom and two different constructed measures of labor market distortion. Their conclusion, based on the regression results: Authoritarian systems that repress labor are more likely than democratic systems to adopt inefficient labor policies inimical to development. This paper - a product of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics - was prepared as a background paper for World Development Report 1995 on labor.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli: pre- and postharvest control measures to ensure safety of dairy cattle products.

The large number of cases of human illness caused by Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) worldwide has raised safety concerns for foods of bovine origin. These human illnesses include diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Severe cases end with chronic renal failure, chronic nervous system deficiencies, and death. Over 100 STEC serotypes, including E. coli O157:H7, are known to cause these illnesses and to be shed in cattle feces. Thus, cattle are considered reservoirs of these foodborne pathogens. Because beef and dairy products were responsible for a large number of STEC outbreaks, efforts have been devoted to developing and implementing control measures that assure safety of foods derived from dairy cattle. These efforts should reduce consumers' safety concerns and support a competitive dairy industry at the production and processing levels. The efficacy of control measures both before harvest (i.e., on-farm management practices) and...
A Theoretically-Correct Algorithm to Compensate for a Three-Dimensional Spatially-Variant Point Spread Function in Spect Imaging

Three factors which degrade positional information and the quantitative potential of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are finite detector size, Compton scatter, and the detector point spread function (PSF). We focus here on the PSF, which is modelled as a gaussian whose standard deviation depends on the perpendicular distance between the detector and the point being imaged. Thus the PSF is spatially-variant (SVPSF). The PSF is spatially-invariant, of course, within the plane of the detector for a fixed image point-detector distance.
The Quantum Response of Nonlinear Tunnel Junctions as Detectors and Mixers

Detectors and heterodyne receivers capable of approaching quantum-limited sensitivity in the millimeter wave region are currently being developed. This new class of quasiparticle mixer utilizes the extraordinary nonlinearities that occur for singleelectron tunneling into a superconductor forming one or both sides of a junction. These nonlinear tunneling devices perform the same detector functions as standard Schottky barrier diodes and other resistive mixers, but with an important physical difference. At frequencies where the photon energy exceeds the voltage scale of the dc I–V nonlinearity, a single-particle tunnel junction ceases to respond classically and becomes capable of detecting individual quanta. The results of this transformation are very dramatic, and appear certain to have a major impact on low-noise reciever technology.
In defense of appealing to emotions in media coverage of catastrophe.

Journalists must balance the need for information about disaster events against an individual’s right to privacy or the possible effects of disturbing images on the viewing population. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Enhancing the First-Year Experience for Business Students: Student Retention and Academic Success

This study examined the academic success and retention of first-year business students enrolled in a course designed to develop skills for academic success, provide a sense of community, ease the transition from high school to college, and provide a realistic preview of business school expectations. The course was designed to create the conditions regarded in the retention literature as critical in promoting academic success and persistence among first year students. Participating students were found to have lower academic disqualification rates, earn higher grade point averages, and continued their enrollment to the fall term of their second year at a higher rate.
Going Rogue: How I Became a Communication Specialist in an Engineering Department

Program location has been a key conversation piece in discussions concerning the technical communication profession. Less attention has been devoted toward location of individual faculty, particula...
CORRELATION BETWEEN DENGUE INCIDENCES AND POPULATION OF A. aegypti AND A. albopictus

This research aim to determine the correlation between dengue incidence and population dynamics of dengue vector ( A. aegypti and A. albopictus ) to explore the possibilities of using our findings to improve control of dengue. The most effective way to characterize the dengue risk - vector population association was to carry out prospective monthly field survey, i.e. mosquito density, dengue incidences and severity of diseases. The study design was limited to reported cases in Agra region only. Data of dengue cases collected from various hospitals where techniques for actively identifying diseases were available. To determine the correlation between dengue incidences and population of Aedes mosquitoes, Pearson’s Correlation Analysis was performed with the help of SPSS software. The value of Pearson's Correlation R = 0.091 with high level of significance that is P = 0.779. A low Pearson’s Correlation indicates a biological relationship between dengue incidence and population variation of Aedes species. It also shows that there are other factors also those influence the process. Similarly, the incidences of dengue were also highly related to the presence of A. albopictus. In this case the value of R = 0.685 and P = 0.014 which is also highly valuable. Results from study stated that the presence of Aedes aegypti was linearly related to incidences of dengue cases.
ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: Monitoring and patient education—2006

Purpose. Results of the 2006 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings that pertain to monitoring and patient education are presented. Methods. A stratified random sample of pharmacy directors at 1178 general and children’s medical–surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed by mail. SMG Marketing Group, Inc., supplied data on hospital characteristics; the survey sample was drawn from SMG’s hospital database. Results. The response rate was 39.0%. Virtually all hospitals (93.4%) had pharmacists regularly monitoring medication therapy in some capacity. Patient monitoring has improved since 2003; fewer respondents reported monitoring less than 25% of patients in the hospital. More than two thirds of hospitals had a process for routine monitoring of patient profiles by pharmacists, and 87.3% of hospitals provided pharmacists with computer access to laboratory data to facilitate this function. Nearly 60% of hospitals allowed the transfer of electronic information between inpatient and outpatient settings. Over 87% of hospitals routinely monitored serum medication levels or a surrogate marker. In these hospitals, pharmacists ordered serum medication levels (69.1%), adjusted dosages (73.2%), and were notified when a level was outside the therapeutic range (47.3%). The number of adverse drug events (ADEs) reported by hospitals internally and externally decreased from the numbers reported in 2003 (213 and 31 versus 271 and 45, respectively). Medication counseling by pharmacists continued to be infrequent, with only 7.6% of hospitals reporting that 26% or more of inpatients received medication counseling. Documentation of patient education decreased from 58.0% in 2003 to 51.7%. Medication reconciliation programs were implemented in 71.7% of hospitals. The vacancy rate for budgeted pharmacist positions increased from 4.3% in 2003 to 4.6%. Conclusion. Pharmacists have made significant strides to increase the number of patients whose drug therapy is monitored. Electronic access to laboratory data by pharmacists greatly increased, as did the availability of information transferred between the inpatient and outpatient settings. Therapeutic drug monitoring by pharmacists increased, as did pharmacists’ ability to order serum medication levels and adjust dosages. More pharmacists were notified when medication levels fell outside the therapeutic range. Internal and external reporting of ADEs has decreased. Documentation of patient education declined. A significant percentage of hospitals developed and implemented medication reconciliation programs. The number of pharmacists per 100 occupied beds has increased, and the number of pharmacist vacancies remained stable.
The impact of short sleep on food reward processes in adolescents

Short sleep has been linked to adolescent risk of obesity, but questions remain regarding the dietary mechanisms by which this occurs. We tested whether mildly shortening sleep influences how rewarding and appealing healthy adolescents find several kinds of foods. Eighty-eight healthy adolescents completed a within-subjects crossover sleep experiment comparing 5 days of Short Sleep (6.5 hr sleep opportunity) with 5 days of Healthy Sleep (9.5 hr sleep opportunity). Following each condition, adolescents completed measures of food appeal and reinforcing value of food across five food types: sweets/desserts, fruits/vegetables, lean meats/eggs, fast food and processed snacks. Adolescents averaged 2.2 hr/night longer sleep periods in Healthy Sleep versus Short Sleep. We observed a significant interaction of experimental order with sleep condition on three of four primary outcomes related to the appeal and reinforcing value of foods (p's .05). This study provides evidence that restricting adolescents' sleep opportunity to 6.5 hr (compared to sleeping a healthy amount) increases the appeal and reinforcing value of a variety of foods, but this may occur only under protracted short sleep. Increased food reward may be one mechanism linking chronically shortened sleep with risk of obesity in adolescence.
Understanding the Human Brain using Brain Organoids and a Structure-Function Theory

Abstract A basic neurobiology-clinical trial paradigm motivates our use of constrained mathematical models and analysis of personalized human-derived brain organoids toward predicting clinical outcomes and safely developing new therapeutics. Physical constraints imposed on the brain can guide the analyses an interpretation of experimental data and the construction of mathematical models that attempt to make sense of how the brain works and how cognitive functions emerge. Development of these mathematical models for human-derived brain organoids offer an opportunity for testing new hypotheses about the human brain. When it comes to testing ideas about the brain that require a careful balance between experimental accessibility, manipulation, and complexity, in order to connect neurobiological details with higher level cognitive properties and clinical considerations, we argue that fundamental structure-function constraints applied to models of brain organoids offer a path forward. Moreover, we show these constraints appear in canonical and novel math models of neural activity and learning, and we make the case that constraint-based modeling and use of representations can bridge to machine learning for powerful mutual benefit.
Chapter 16 – Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common idiopathic systemic vasculitis in people ≥50 years of age. Although vascular inflammation may be widespread among medium and large arteries, a tropism for the cranial branches of the aortic arch provides a distinct clinical presentation. Ischemic cranial symptoms in the context of systemic inflammation typically prompt medical evaluation, and biopsy of the superficial temporal artery is the preferred diagnostic modality. Advances in vascular imaging have allowed a greater understanding of the prevalence of extracranial arterial inflammation and its associated sequelae. Particularly concerning is the high morbidity and mortality from aortic aneurysm and dissection. While coronary artery vasculitis can occur in patients with GCA, this is distinctly uncommon. Accelerated atherosclerosis, more clearly defined in other autoimmune conditions, does not appear to be a major contributor to incident coronary artery disease in GCA. Glucocorticoids remain the current first-line treatment for remission induction and maintenance. Preliminary evidence shows promise for biologic medications as glucocorticoid-sparing agents and clinical trials are ongoing.
Treatment Outcomes of Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depressed Patients With and Without Borderline Personality Disorder: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the gold-standard treatment for refractory depression. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is generally considered a poor predictor of treatment response. We sought to assess symptom-severity outcomes among depressed patients with (BPD+) and without (BPD-) comorbid BPD undergoing acute phase ECT. Methods The study sample consisted of at least moderately depressed patients who received an acute course of ECT from January 2011 to December 2016 at an academic, freestanding psychiatric hospital. Participants completed a DSM-IV-validated BPD screening instrument at baseline. Measures of DSM-IV depressive symptom severity from the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDS-SR) were taken serially on 4 occasions. Outcomes of interest comprised total QIDS-SR score trajectory, QIDS-SR suicidality subscore, and symptom cluster subscores posited to differentiate response among antidepressant treatments. Results Of the 693 individuals who met study inclusion criteria, 145 (20.9%) screened positive for BPD. Overall, ECT was associated with significant improvement of depressive symptoms (χ²₁ = 504.8, P Conclusions Acute course ECT benefits depressed patients with or without comorbid BPD, although patients with BPD may exhibit less pronounced improvement over time.
Elevated serum thyrotropin levels and endothelial dysfunction in a prospective hemodialysis cohort.

Introduction Thyroid dysfunction is a highly prevalent yet under-recognized complication in hemodialysis patients. In the general population, hypothyroidism has been associated with endothelial dysfunction due to impaired vasodilator synthesis and activity. Little is known about the association of serum thyrotropin (TSH), the most sensitive and specific single biochemical metric of thyroid function, with endothelial function in hemodialysis patients. Methods In a secondary analysis of 99 patients from the Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative nutrition in hypoalbuminemic dialysis patients (AIONID) trial, we examined measurements of serum TSH and endothelial function ascertained by fingertip digital thermal monitoring (DTM), a novel method used to measure micro-vascular reactivity, collected within a 90-day period. DTM was used to measure changes in fingertip temperature during and after an ischemic stimulus (blood pressure cuff occlusion) as an indicator of changes in blood flow, and two DTM indices were assessed, namely adjusted (a) Temperature Rebound (TR), defined as the maximum temperature rebound post-cuff deflation, and adjusted (b) Area Under the Temperature Curve (TMP-AUC), defined as area under the curve between the maximum and minimum temperatures. We examined the relationship between serum TSH with impaired TR (separately) and TMP-AUC (both defined as less than the median level of observed values) using multivariable logistic regression. Findings In unadjusted and case-mix analyses, higher serum TSH levels (defined as the three highest quartiles) were associated with lower (worse) TR (ref: lowest TSH quartile): ORs (95% CI) 2.64 (1.01-6.88) and 2.85 (1.08-7.57), respectively. In unadjusted and case-mix analyses, higher TSH levels were associated with lower (worse) TMP-AUC: ORs (95% CI) 2.64 (1.01-6.88) and 2.79 (1.06-7.38), respectively. Discussion In HD patients, higher serum TSH levels were associated with worse micro-vascular reactivity measured by DTM. Further studies are needed to determine if thyroid hormone supplementation improves endothelial function in hemodialysis patients with lower levels of thyroid function.
Improving adaptive routing performance on large scale Megafly topology

The Megafly topology has recently been proposed as an efficient, hierarchical way to interconnect large-scale high performance computing systems. Megafly networks may be constructed in various group sizes and configurations, but it is challenging to maintain high throughput performance on all such variants. Therefore, a robust topology-specific adaptive routing scheme is needed to utilize the topological advantages of Megafly. Currently, Progressive Adaptive Routing (PAR) is the best known routing scheme for Megafly networks, but its performance is not fully known across all scales and configurations. In this work, we show that the current PAR scheme performs sub-optimally on Megafly networks with a large number of groups. As better alternatives, we propose a new practical adaptive routing schemes, KU-GCN, that can improve the communication performance of Megafly at any scale and configuration. With the use of trace-driven simulation experiments, we show that our new Megafly routing scheme performs well across a wide variety of topology-workload combinations and outperforms PAR by up to 43.5 percent on a topology with a large number of groups.
Past pedagogy

Si la arqueologia puede facilmente apoyar la violencia politica, debe haber una manera de prevenir esta situacion poniendo la arqueologia a trabajar promoviendo soluciones pacificas ante los conflictos politicos. La clave de revolucion en la arqueologia esta en reconocer los mensajes sublimes que perpetuamos con la sabiduria recibida y saber ensenar dentro de la nueva perspectiva ante-colonial.
Dimension and Entropy for Quasiperiodic and Chaotic Convection

High quality experimental data have been taken on a convection cell containing a dilute 3He−4He solution. We discuss some problems with the determination of dimension and entropy for experimental data, and compare the results to detailed Poincare sections. At the chaotic transition, we show the behavior of dimension and entropy as a function of Rayleigh number.
Practice-based learning can improve osteoporosis care.

Objectives: To examine physician engagement in practice-based learning using a self-evaluation module to assess and improve their care of individuals with or at risk of osteoporosis. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Internal medicine and subspecialty clinics. Participants: Eight hundred fifty U.S. physicians with time-limited certification in general internal medicine or a subspecialty. Measurements: Performance rates on 23 process measures and seven practice system domain scores were obtained from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Osteoporosis Practice Improvement Module (PIM), an Internet-based self-assessment module that physicians use to improve performance on one targeted measure. Physicians remeasured performance on their targeted measures by conducting another medical chart review. Results: Variability in performance on measures was found, with observed differences between general internists, geriatricians, and rheumatologists. Some practice system elements were modestly associated with measure performance; the largest association was between providing patient-centered self-care support and documentation of calcium intake and vitamin D estimation and counseling (correlation coefficients from 0.20 to 0.28, Ps < .002). For all practice types, the most commonly selected measure targeted for improvement was documentation of vitamin D level (38% of physicians). On average, physicians reported significant and large increases in performance on measures targeted for improvement. Conclusion: Gaps exist in the quality of osteoporosis care, and physicians can apply practice-based learning using the ABIM PIM to take action to improve the quality of care.
A performance interface for component-based applications

This work targets the emerging use of software component technology for high-performance scientific parallel and distributed computing. While component software engineering will benefit the construction of complex science applications, its use presents several challenges to performance optimization. A component application is composed of a set of components, thus, application performance depends on the interaction (possibly non-linear) of the component set. Furthermore, a component is a "binary unit of composition" and the only information users have is the interface the component provides to the outside world. An interface for component performance measurement and query is presented to address optimization issues. We describe the performance component design and an example demonstrating its use for runtime performance tuning.
Brain Uptake and Biodistribution of [11C]Toluene in Nonhuman Primates and Mice

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the brain uptake and biodistribution of [ 11 C]toluene in nonhuman primates and mice. Several methods for purification and formulation of this volatile tracer are also reported. Analysis of the chemical form of 11 C in plasma revealed fast metabolism of the tracer. Regional kinetic data from three baboon PET studies after [ 11 C]toluene injection are given in this chapter. The general pharmacokinetic parameters of [ 11 C]toluene were compared when administered in two different vehicles. Integrated uptake was higher in all studies for all five regions reported with cyclodextrin as a vehicle compared to the corresponding ones where DMA was used. Results from the brain dissection study demonstrated similar kinetics as the baboon studies, with rapid uptake and clearance of radioactivity from the brain. Data on extracerebral tissues are presented as a percentage of injected radioactivity per gram of tissue. Kidneys have the highest concentration consistent with the excretion of polar metabolites through kidneys and urine. The decay-corrected radioactivity was fully accounted for by the toluene extract layer at all-time points. The similarity of the integrated plasma values indicates that the increase in the integrated brain uptake observed in the studies with cyclodextrin is not due to an increased plasma input.
Sequence motif upstream of the Hendra virus fusion protein cleavage site is not sufficient to promote efficient proteolytic processing.

The Hendra virus fusion (HeV F) protein is synthesized as a precursor, F{sub 0}, and proteolytically cleaved into the mature F{sub 1} and F{sub 2} heterodimer, following an HDLVDGVK{sub 109} motif. This cleavage event is required for fusogenic activity. To determine the amino acid requirements for processing of the HeV F protein, we constructed multiple mutants. Individual and simultaneous alanine substitutions of the eight residues immediately upstream of the cleavage site did not eliminate processing. A chimeric SV5 F protein in which the furin site was substituted for the VDGVK{sub 109} motif of the HeV F protein was not processed but was expressed on the cell surface. Another chimeric SV5 F protein containing the HDLVDGVK{sub 109} motif of the HeV F protein underwent partial cleavage. These data indicate that the upstream region can play a role in protease recognition, but is neither absolutely required nor sufficient for efficient processing of the HeV F protein.
The surface cation densities of iron oxide-chromium oxide solid solutions

Abstract The surface cation densities of Fe x Cr 2 − x O 3 solid solutions were determined for x = 0.5, 1, and 1.5 using Auger Electron Spectroscopy on samples that had been equilibrated in air at 798 or 973 K. Cr(VI) was found to be present on the surface by iodometric titration. The results indicated that the Cr(VI) Cr(III) ratio was constant, independent of composition. Compared to the bulk densities, Fe was found to be enriched on the surface for x = 0.5 and 1, but depleted for x = 1.5.
Application of Variable Coefficient of Friction and Wear to Block Brakes and Clutches

A mathematical analysis correlates the coefficient of friction and the wear rate in terms of pressure, velocity, area, temperature, and so forth, over discrete experimental data ranges. The basic equations of total torque, total radial force, total tangential friction force, and ideal pivot for block brakes and clutches having the coefficient of friction initially a function of normal pressure and relative rubbing velocity have been developed for dry or slightly lubricated surfaces. Three conditions are analysed: uniform wear having the coefficient of friction a function of pressure and velocity, uniform wear having the coefficient of friction a function of velocity and mean pressure, and uniform pressure having the coefficient of friction a function of velocity.
A theory of local and global processes which affect solar wind electrons, 1. The origin of typical 1 AU velocity distribution functions—Steady state theory

A detailed first principle kinetic theory for electrons which is neither a classical fluid treatment nor an exospheric calculation is presented. This theory illustrates the global and local properties of the solar wind expansion that shape the observed features of the electron distribution function, such as its bifurcation, its skewness and the differential temperatures of the thermal and suprathermal subpopulations. Coulomb collisions are substantial mediators of the interplanetary electron velocity distribution function and they place a zone for a bifurcation of the electron distribution function deep in the corona. The local cause and effect precept which permeates the physics of denser media is modified for electrons in the solar wind. The local form of transport laws and equations of state which apply to collision dominated plasmas are replaced with global relations that explicitly depend on the relative position of the observer to the boundaries of the system.