cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Adrenomedullin Gene Delivery Protects Against Cardiac Hypertrophy, Fibrosis and Renal Damage in Hypertensive Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats

73 Adrenomedullin (AM) is a potent vasodilator expressed in tissues relevant to cardiac and renal functions. Our previous study showed that delivery of the human AM gene in the form of naked DNA caused a prolonged reduction of blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats. In this study, we evaluated potential protective effects of adenovirus-mediated AM gene delivery in salt-induced cardiorenal lesions in hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats. Adenovirus carrying the human AM cDNA under the control of cytomegalovirus promoter/enhancer (Ad.CMV-hAM) was generated by homologous recombination. Expression of recombinant human AM was detected in the media of HEK 293A cells transfected with Ad.CMV-hAM. A single intravenous injection of Ad.CMV-hAM caused a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure for 4 weeks in DSS rats compared to control rats with or without injection of adenovirus carrying the green fluorescent protein gene. AM gene delivery significantly reduced left ventricular mass, urinary protein, and increased cAMP levels, as well as enhanced renal function as evidenced by increases in glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow. Morphological investigations showed that AM gene transfer reduced cardiomyocyte diameter and interstitial fibrosis in the heart as well as reduced glomerular sclerosis, tubular disruption and protein cast accumulation in the kidney. Expression of human AM mRNA was identified in rat heart, kidney, lung, liver and aorta, and immunoreactive human AM levels was measured in rat plasma and urine. These results indicate that human AM gene delivery protects against salt-induced hypertension, cardiac and renal lesions in DSS rats via activation of cAMP as a second messenger. These findings provide new insights into the role of AM in salt-induced hypertension and may have implications in therapeutic applications to salt-related cardiovascular and renal diseases.
Magnetization Transfer Imaging in Treatment-resistant Depression: Structural Evidence of a Functional Derangement That Might Help Guide Therapy?

The study by Jia et al represents work in the field of psychiatric neuroimaging to identify a potential biomarker that can be used to distinguish between treatment-resistant and non–treatment-resistant major depression.
Energetics of Breeding Dark-Rumped Petrels

The Dark-rumped Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis) is an endangered gadfly petrel that nests in the Hawaiian Islands and ranges throughout the central Pacific. The species was once common in Hawaii with large colonies on all of the main islands, but its numbers have recently been reduced to several small relict populations. Over 85% of the estimated 450 breeding pairs known today nest in and around Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui, the site of a three-year study begun in 1979 (Simons 1983). Like most Procellariiformes, the Dark-rumped Petrel exploits what is generally assumed to be a widely dispersed and unpredictable food resource (Lack, 1967; 1968). This food resource is thought to place important energetic constraints on these birds, and we wanted to examine how those constraints might have shaped the petrel’s breeding biology. In addition these birds breed at an elevation of almost 3000 m in one of the highest seabird nesting colonies in the world. We have described the adaptations of the Dark-rumped Petrel’s egg to high altitude nesting elsewhere (Whittow et al., 1983). In this paper we shall examine several aspects of the energetics of reproduction. Apart from a study of the much smaller Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) (Ricklefs et al., 1980a), the energetics of reproduction in these birds has received little attention.
Ancestry inference using principal component analysis and spatial analysis: a distance-based analysis to account for population substructure

Accurate inference of genetic ancestry is of fundamental interest to many biomedical, forensic, and anthropological research areas. Genetic ancestry memberships may relate to genetic disease risks. In a genome association study, failing to account for differences in genetic ancestry between cases and controls may also lead to false-positive results. Although a number of strategies for inferring and taking into account the confounding effects of genetic ancestry are available, applying them to large studies (tens thousands samples) is challenging. The goal of this study is to develop an approach for inferring genetic ancestry of samples with unknown ancestry among closely related populations and to provide accurate estimates of ancestry for application to large-scale studies. In this study we developed a novel distance-based approach, Ancestry Inference using Principal component analysis and Spatial analysis (AIPS) that incorporates an Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method from spatial analysis to assign individuals to population memberships. We demonstrate the benefits of AIPS in analyzing population substructure, specifically related to the four most commonly used tools EIGENSTRAT, STRUCTURE, fastSTRUCTURE, and ADMIXTURE using genotype data from various intra-European panels and European-Americans. While the aforementioned commonly used tools performed poorly in inferring ancestry from a large number of subpopulations, AIPS accurately distinguished variations between and within subpopulations. Our results show that AIPS can be applied to large-scale data sets to discriminate the modest variability among intra-continental populations as well as for characterizing inter-continental variation. The method we developed will protect against spurious associations when mapping the genetic basis of a disease. Our approach is more accurate and computationally efficient method for inferring genetic ancestry in the large-scale genetic studies.
"A less-than-total total war": Neutrality, invasion, and the stakes of war, 1914-1918

This chapter examines the concept of “war culture” as a set of beliefs that allowed the Belgians to countenance war as a necessary reality. A major contribution of this chapter is its account of King Albert’s Book, published by the Daily Telegraph for Christmas 1914, in which the “sacrifice” of Belgium was eulogized and Belgium’s status as a martyred nation established. De Schaepdrijver dismisses as a myth the widespread view of Belgian sufferings as a “sacrifice for the greater good”, and sees the reality of Belgium’s position as lying in its need to comply with international law in order to ensure its long-term survival as an independent, neutral nation.
Toward a Unified Psychotherapy

Single-school approaches dominated the practice of psychotherapy in the 1960s and 1970s. The majority of therapists identified with a particular school of thought (e.g., psychoanalytic, behavioral, or humanistic), tended to see their model as representing truth, and many engaged in vigorous—sometimes vitriolic—debates with practitioners from other perspectives. The 1980s saw the rise of eclecticism, which is the unsystematic blending of ideas and techniques from the various schools of thought. Eclecticism is noteworthy because it reflected an attitudinal shift from single-school approaches to more openness to looking at complementary aspects of treatment from different angles. In the 1990s and 2000s, psychotherapy integration became a genuine movement.
Massachusetts Children in Need of Services: Trapped by the Legacy of Isaac and Jeremy

In 1995, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts severely limited the power of courts to review Department of Social Services (DSS) decisions regarding children in its care, in companion cases Care and Protection of Isaac and Care and Protection of Jeremy. All Massachusetts children in DSS’ care are affected by these cases. Isaac and Jeremy may conflict with the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act, which mandates regular review of out-of-home placements for children. In addition, these decisions disproportionately affect children of color. To protect the interests of children in DSS care, the negative impact of Isaac and Jeremy must be addressed by judicially or legislatively overruling them. Other states provide useful statutory examples of addressing this problem.
Classical Nova Evolution: Clues from Soft X-ray Emission

Multi-wavelength observations have shown that, after optical decline, the stellar remnants of classical nova outbursts evolve at constant, near-Eddington, bolometric luminosity to high effective temperature (> 2105 K), before turning off. Here we briefly review the observations of classical novae in this phase of evolution, and discuss what the soft X-ray observations tell us about the mass of the underlying white dwarf and the rate of mass change due to stellar winds and accretion from the stellar companion.
Shocks or photoionization: direct temperature measurements of the low-ionization gas in quiescent galaxies

The ionization mechanism of the low-ionization gas in quiescent red sequence galaxies has been a long-standing puzzle. Direct temperature measurements would put strong constraints on this issue. We carefully selected a sample of quiescent red sequence galaxies from SDSS. We bin them into three bins with different [N II]/H{\alpha} and [N II]/[O II] ratios, and we measure the temperature-sensitive [O III] {\lambda}4363, [N II] {\lambda}5755, [S II] {\lambda}{\lambda}4068,4076, and [O II] {\lambda}{\lambda}7320,7330 lines in the stacked spectra. The [S II] doublet ratios indicate the line-emitting gas is in the low density regime (~10-100 cm$^{-3}$).We found the temperatures in the S+ zones to be around 8000K, the temperatures in the O+ zones to be around $1.1-1.5\times10^4$K, and the temperatures in the N+ zones to be around $1-1.4\times10^4$K. The [O III] {\lambda}4363 line is not robustly detected. We found that the extinction corrections derived from Balmer decrements would yield unphysical relationships between the temperatures of the S+ zones and O+ zones, indicating that the extinction is significantly overestimated by the measured Balmer decrements. We compared these line ratios with model predictions for three ionization mechanisms: photoionization by hot evolved stars, shocks, and turbulent mixing layers. For both the photoionization and shock models, the hot temperatures inferred from [S II] and [N II] coronal-to-strong line ratios require metallicities to be significantly subsolar. However, the [N II]/[O II] line ratios require them to be supersolar. None of the models could simultaneously explain all of the observed line ratios, neither could their combinations do.
A test of the DSM-5 severity specifier for bulimia nervosa in adolescents: Can we anticipate clinical treatment outcomes?

Author(s): Gorrell, Sasha; Hail, Lisa; Kinasz, Kathryn; Bruett, Lindsey; Forsberg, Sarah; Delucchi, Kevin; Lock, James; Le Grange, Daniel | Abstract: OBJECTIVE:This study tested clinical utility of the DSM-5 severity specifier for bulimia nervosa (BN) in predicting treatment response among adolescents (N = 110) within a randomized clinical trial of two psychosocial treatments. METHOD:Analyses grouped individuals meeting criteria for BN diagnosis by baseline severity, per DSM-5. Associations among baseline severity classification and BN behavior (i.e., binge eating and compensatory behavior) and eating disorder examination (EDE) Global scores at end-of-treatment (EOT), 6- and 12-month follow-up were examined. RESULTS:Associations between severity categories with BN symptoms were not significant at EOT, or follow-up. Test for linear trend in BN behavior was significant at EOT, F = 5.23, p = 0.02, without demonstrating a linear pattern. Relation between severity categories with EDE Global scores was significant at 6-month follow-up, F = 3.76, p = 0.01. Tests for linear trend in EDE Global scores were significant at EOT, F = 5.40, p = 0.02, and at 6 months, F = 10.73, p = 0.002, with the expected linear pattern. DISCUSSION:Findings suggest the DSM-5 BN severity specifier holds questionable utility in anticipating outpatient treatment response in adolescents with BN. The specifier may have improved ability to predict attitudinal rather than behavioral treatment outcomes.
A dibble fertilizer applicator for containers in nursery beds.

A machine to punch dibble holes in multiple filled containers and simultaneously to meter fertilizer has been designed, built and tested. The machine handles up to 12 containers at a time in beds 6 containers wide. Transported and powered by a tractor, this machine straddles the containers in a nursery bed. Alignment of the mechanism over the containers and the dibble operation itself are accomplished hydraulically. Force and speed of the dibbles are adjustable. Uniformity of metering is good, with coefficients of variation in the range of 2 to 30%.
Spatially resolved spectral 4pi optical scattering goniometry and experimental refractive index autocorrelations (Conference Presentation)

Optical scattering properties are important diagnostic indicators with sensitivity to sub-resolution tissue structure as well as being necessary parameters for modeling light transport. Improved understanding of scattering in tissue is essential for optimizing and interpreting image contrast, modeling optogenetics, and developing next-generation optical imaging approaches. Despite the importance of optical scattering properties, most measurement methods rely on approximations or assumptions about the shape of the angular distribution of scattered light (phase function) or lack the spatial resolution to characterize heterogeneous tissue. There is a need for a spatially resolved method to quantify the optical scattering properties including the shape of the phase function. This work presents a lens-based spectral goniometry system and spatially resolved measurement of 4pi optical scattering phase functions. Angle-space measurement of scattering is performed by imaging the Fourier plane of a high-NA microscope objective. By combining forward and backward images and varying the illumination beam angle, the entire 4pi phase function can be acquired. This method enables several capabilities: a) Spatially resolved measurement of properties combined with stage scanning provides mapping of layered or heterogeneous tissues with <100 micron sampling. b) By inverting the angular scattering measurements, this approach allows characterization of refractive index autocorrelation. c) As a camera and lens based measurement technique that collects large solid-angles of scattering in a single image, the non-axially symmetric scattering signature of fibrous or oriented tissue can be characterized. These applications as well as instrument design and analysis methodology will be presented.
Automated feature learning using deep convolutional auto-encoder neural network for clustering electroencephalograms into sleep stages

Deep neural networks have emerged as popular machine learning tools due to their ability to automatically learn feature representations from raw input data. An auto-encoder neural network is a special network that can be trained in an unsupervised manner for automated feature learning. Unsupervised analysis of EEG signals is highly desirable since supervised analysis requires manual labeling of EEG signals which can be labor intensive and time consuming given the large amount of EEG data collected. We present a deep convolutional auto-encoder neural network to automatically learn feature representations from raw EEG signals in an unsupervised manner. We use the features extracted from the auto-encoder neural network for clustering EEG signals into sleep stages. For clustering, we test two algorithms: K-means – which is a single-membership model, and the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic model – which is a mixed membership model. Results are presented demonstrating an improvement in clustering performance using auto-encoder features compared to standard manually extracted features.
Reduced-order precursors of rare events in unidirectional nonlinear water waves

We consider the problem of short-term prediction of rare, extreme water waves in irregular unidirectional fields, a critical topic for ocean structures and naval operations. One possible mechanism for the occurrence of such rare, unusually intense waves is nonlinear wave focusing. Recent results have demonstrated that random localizations of energy, induced by the linear dispersive mixing of different harmonics, can grow significantly due to modulation instability. Here we show how the interplay between (i) modulation instability properties of localized wave groups and (ii) statistical properties of wave groups that follow a given spectrum defines a critical length scale associated with the formation of extreme events. The energy that is locally concentrated over this length scale acts as the ‘trigger’ of nonlinear focusing for wave groups and the formation of subsequent rare events. We use this property to develop inexpensive, short-term predictors of large water waves, circumventing the need for solving the governing equations. Specifically, we show that by merely tracking the energy of the wave field over the critical length scale allows for the robust, inexpensive prediction of the location of intense waves with a prediction window of 25 wave periods. We demonstrate our results in numerical experiments of unidirectional water wave fields described by the modified nonlinear Schrodinger equation. The presented approach introduces a new paradigm for understanding and predicting intermittent and localized events in dynamical systems characterized by uncertainty and potentially strong nonlinear mechanisms.
Modeling and control of inherently safe robots with variable stiffness links

Abstract In this paper, the modeling, control design, and trajectory planning for inherently safe robots with variable stiffness links (VSL) are investigated. Firstly, a dynamic model of VSL robots is developed using the pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM). Based on PRBM, a feedback-linearization based controller is proposed. Extended state observer and deflection feedback are designed to improve the robustness and vibration suppression. To keep the inherent safety, a safe trajectory planning problem is formulated and the safety criterion is converted to a velocity constraint. With constraints on the jerk, acceleration, and velocity, the trajectory-planning problem is formulated as a time-optimal problem. The analytical solution of this problem is derived by optimal control theory. Experiments show the performances of motion control and vibration suppression of the proposed controller. The impact test results indicate the potential of VSL robots for applications with physical human–robot interaction.
Evaluation of size-based distribution of drug and excipient in amphotericin B liposomal formulation

Abstract Conventional quantitation of drug content in the liposome formulation involves the breakdown of bulk liposomes, which ignores details on the distribution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipients in liposomes of different sizes. The objective of this study is to develop an analytical method which can separate the liposomes into different sizes and obtain information of the drug and excipient distribution in the different sized liposomes. We developed an asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) method for size-based separation of AmBisome, an amphotericin B liposomal formulation, and a high-performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet-visible and charged aerosol detection (HPLC-UV-CAD) method for simultaneous quantitation of the API (Amphotericin B) and the lipid excipients [1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DSPG), hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC), and cholesterol]. The measured drug content in the bulk liposome formulation was consistent with the drug product labeling. Liposomes were separated using AF4 into eleven size fractions and the liposomes particles sizes of each fraction were measured with nanoparticle tracking analysis. The drug to total lipid ratios in fractionated liposomes increased from 0.1 to 0.45 when the liposome size increased from 75 nm to 124 nm, while the lipid composition remained constant throughout the fractioned size range (cholesterol:DSPG, 0.7 and HSPC:DSPG, 0.3). These study results suggest that, for liposomal formulations of Amphotericin B in liposomes, the drug to lipid ratio increases with the size of the liposomes. This new analytical method provided a more in-depth characterization of liposomes, i.e., determining drug and excipient distributions in different sizes of liposomes, in a more efficient manner with more specific size-based composition information.
How water affects mercury-halogen interaction in the atmosphere.

The solvation of mercury and halogens ions in water is essential for studying the reaction kinetics of various mercury depletion reactions in the atmosphere. Here, we use two approaches. The first one is the implementation of transition state theory to study the recombination reactions of Hg2+and Hal− with the introduction of a water molecule as a third body part. The inclusion of solvation corrections to the total energy enables one to localize the barrier for such diatomic systems with explicit water molecule participation. The second approach is the molecular modeling of three mercuric halide ion pairs in water complexes [HgHal(H2O)n]+ (Hal = Cl, Br, I) by using the semiempirical tight-binding molecular dynamics combined with density functional theory calculations. Various [Hg-Hal]+ ion pairs behave similarly when hydrated and tend to adopt clathrate-like configurations with a [Hg2+(H2O)6] central motif and halogen ions residing on the external surface of the water complex. Contact ion pairs are energetically favorable for all complexes up to 50 water molecules. Further increase in the level of hydration stabilized the solvent-separated forms of [Hg-Hal]+ ion pairs, which matches the water affinity rule. The balance between the contact and the solvated ion pairs was shown to be ion-pair specific and temperature dependent.
Jeffrey’s Rule

Section 7.1.3 introduced Jeffrey’s Rule as a special case of the Guiasu method. In this Chapter we will use Jeffrey’s Rule to produce a prediction of how democratic a country is based on the eight hypothetical causes introduced in Section 4.1. This chapter also introduces three popular indices of democratic consolidation; the Freedom House, Vanhanen, and Polity IV indexes. We contrast our results of applying Jeffrey’s Rule with the values produced by fuzzifying the indices of democratic consolidation.
Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) Patients Bridged with Enoxaparin in the Outpatient Setting: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Experience

Purpose MCS is a therapeutic option for end-stage heart failure patients. Due to inherent thrombotic risk associated with current MCS, success hinges on appropriate anticoagulation. Currently, unfractionated heparin (UFH) is used to bridge MCS patients with subtherapeutic INR in an inpatient setting, with limited outpatient experience. This study aims to assess the safety of bridging outpatient MCS patients with enoxaparin. Methods Medical records from 6/2015-7/2019 were retrospectively reviewed with IRB approval. Patients bridged with enoxaparin were screened and compared with non-bridged patients. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major bleeding or thrombosis events within the first 30 days of enoxaparin initiation. The secondary endpoint included freedom from events after the first 30 days of enoxaparin initiation and patient survivability until the last follow-up. The economic impact was also evaluated. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank statistical tests were used to compare groups. Results 62 MCS patients met the inclusion criteria and were bridged with enoxaparin and 117 bridging episodes were analyzed. 7 patients experienced 8 major bleeding events and 2 major thrombotic events during the first 30 days of enoxaparin bridge. 3-year survival was 78.1% in the enoxaparin bridged group compared to 55.0% in the non-bridged patients (p-value 0.001). In patients with no events, 3-year survival was 80.7% for enoxaparin bridged patients compared to 76.7% in non-bridged patients (p-value 0.001). In the patients with bleeding events, 3-year survival was 55.6% in enoxaparin bridged patients compared to 45.8% in non-bridged patients (p-value 0.001). At 1 year, freedom from bleeding in the enoxaparin bridged patients was 72.6% in those with no events within the 30 days of bridging compared with 0% in those with an event within the 30 days of bridging (p-value 0.001). Conclusion The use of enoxaparin bridging was associated with improved 3-year survival, even in patients with bleeding event within 30 days after initiation. Freedom from bleeding within the first 30 days after enoxaparin bridge was associated with a higher freedom from bleeding at one year. Enoxaparin bridging appears to be safe in MCS patients. The economic impact will be presented in the final report.
Fugitive modernities: Kisama and the politics of freedom

Fugitive Modernities traces the development of a political ideology of resistance to the slave trade in Kisama during the early period of the transatlantic traffic and its repercussions among neigh...
Light scattering reports early mitochondrial responses to photodynamic therapy (Invited paper)

Angularly-resolved light scattering is an established method of particle sizing. Scattering from intact cells provides information about the size distributions of intracellular scatterers. Mitochondria are important light scatterers, especially at forward angles. Nuclei play an important part in scattering light at extreme forward angles and in backscattering geometries. Because changes in mitochondrial morphology are among the early responses to photodynamic therapy (PDT) using mitochondrial-localizing sensitizers and because these changes may be important in determining the fate of the cell, it is interesting to consider light scattering as a means of assessing the response of cells and tissue to PDT. Simple transmission measurements in an absorption spectrophotometer report a rapid reduction in scattering in cells subjected to aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT. ALA-PDT with a fluence of 5 J cm-2 induces a change in the angularly-resolved light scattering from EMT6 cells in suspension within approximately 45 minutes of irradiation. At earlier times following this fluence, the scattering differs only slightly from that observed with control cells. Analysis of the post-treatment scattering data at forward angles is consistent with mitochondrial swelling. Qualitatively similar changes in scattering are observed immediately after a fluence of 10 J cm-2 in cells sensitized with Pc 4.
Movement of air bubbles under various liquids using bioinspired conical surfaces

Gas bubbles are of interest in various applications. The study of their movement is of importance. Gas bubbles are typically formed under liquids. Movement of liquid droplets on bioinspired conical surfaces is known to be facilitated by the Laplace pressure gradient. These conical surfaces, with various wettabilities and shapes, can also be used to move gas bubbles. In this study, effect of various liquids on movement of air bubble under liquid was studied. It was found that liquids with high surface tension and high density are more efficient in moving air bubbles. High surface tension and higher density increases the Laplace pressure gradient force and the buoyancy force, respectively, which drive under liquid air bubbles.
Pulse-Type Influence on the Micro-EDM Milling Machinability of Si3N4-TiN Workpieces.

In this paper, the effect of the micro-electro discharge machining (EDM) milling machinability of Si3N4–TiN workpieces was investigated. The material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR) were analyzed in relation to discharge pulse types in order to evaluate how the different pulse shapes impact on such micro-EDM performance indicators. Voltage and current pulse waveforms were acquired during micro-EDM trials, scheduled according to a Design of Experiment (DOE); then, a pulse discrimination algorithm was used to post-process the data off-line and discriminate the pulse types as short, arc, delayed, or normal. The analysis showed that, for the considered process parameter combinations, MRR was sensitive only to normal pulses, while the other pulse types had no remarkable effect on it. On the contrary, TWR was affected by normal pulses, but the occurrence of arcs and delayed pulses induced unexpected improvements in tool wear. Those results suggest that micro-EDM manufacturing of Si3N4–TiN workpiece is relevantly different from the micro-EDM process performed on metal workpieces such as steel. Additionally, the inspection of the Si3N4–TiN micro-EDM surface, performed by SEM and EDS analyses, showed the presence of re-solidified droplets and micro-cracks, which modified the chemical composition and the consequent surface quality of the machined micro-features.
Prevalence Estimates of Comorbid Eating Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Quantitative Synthesis

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among individuals with eating disorders (ED) including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED). Comorbidity preva...
Identifying and classifying medical jargon through analysis of recorded standardized patient encounters.

Abstract Introduction Learning effective communication, particularly jargon avoidance, is important for medical training. Standardized methods exist to identify jargon but there is room to further refine those methods to define medical jargon and expand categorization. This project aims to classify jargon words as having a plain language alternative or not, to both standardize the definition of jargon and as a foundation for teaching jargon avoidance. Methods We analyzed 123 transcribed encounters between standardized patients and medical students to quantify and categorize medical jargon using a stepwise process based on published literature. This process eliminated common words (based on New Dale-Chall list) without distinct medical meaning. Uncommon words and words with distinct medical meanings found in Stedman’s Medical Dictionary were considered jargon. Jargon words were cross-referenced with the Plain Language Thesaurus to identify plain language alternatives. Results This process identified 310 jargon words, 102 with plain language alternative from the 123 encounters. Conclusion We objectively classified jargon into distinct categories with a novel focus on jargon words with and without plain language alternatives. Practice implications This objective classification system serves as an important step in gaining a comprehensive understanding of jargon use which is essential to improving and teaching communication skills.
A Discussion of Ismail K. White and Chryl N. Laird’s Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior

Charge: As Ismail K. White and Chryl N. Laird note, collectively more than 80% of African Americans self-identify as Democrats according to surveys, and no Republican presidential candidate has won more than 13% of the Black vote since 1968. This is true despite the fact that at the individual level many African Americans are increasingly politically moderate and even conservative. Against this backdrop, what explains the enduring nature of African American support for the Democratic Party? In Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior, White and Laird answer this question by developing the concept of “racialized social constraint,” a unifying behavioral norm meant to empower African Americans as a group and developed through a shared history of struggle against oppression and for freedom and equality. White and Laird consider the historical development of this norm, how it is enforced, and its efficacy both in creating party loyalty and as a path to Black political power in the United States. On the cusp of perhaps the most consequential presidential election in American history, one for which African American turnout was crucial, we asked a range of leading political scientists to assess the relative strengths, weaknesses, and ramifications of this argument.
A nationwide analysis of maternal morbidity and acute postpartum readmissions in women with epilepsy.

Abstract Objective To compare maternal delivery hospitalization characteristics and postpartum outcomes in women with epilepsy (WWE) versus women without common neurological comorbidities. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of index characterizations and short-term postpartum rehospitalizations after viable delivery within the 2015–2017 National Readmissions Database using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes. Wald chi-squared testing compared baseline demographic, hospital and clinical characteristics and postpartum complications between WWE and controls. Multivariable logistic regression models examined odds of nonelective readmissions within 30 and 90 days for WWE compared to controls (alpha = 0.05). Results A total of 38,518 WWE and 8,136,335 controls had a qualifying index admission for delivery. Baseline differences were most pronounced in Medicare/Medicaid insurance (WWE: 58.2%, controls: 43%, p Interpretation Women with epilepsy experienced critical obstetric complications and a higher risk of severe maternal morbidity indicators at the time of delivery. Although relatively low, nonelective short-term readmissions after delivery were higher in WWE than women without epilepsy or other common neurological comorbidities. Further research is needed to address multidisciplinary care inconsistencies, improve maternal outcomes, and provide evidence-based guidelines.
Combining flavin photocatalysis with parallel synthesis: a general platform to optimize peptides with non-proteinogenic amino acids.

Most peptide drugs contain non-proteinogenic amino acids (NPAAs), born out through extensive structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies using solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Synthetically laborious and expensive to manufacture, NPAAs also can have poor coupling efficiencies allowing only a small fraction to be sampled by conventional SPPS. To gain general access to NPAA-containing peptides, we developed a first-generation platform that merges contemporary flavin photocatalysis with parallel synthesis to simultaneously make, purify, quantify, and even test up to 96 single-NPAA peptide variants via the unique combination of boronic acids and a dehydroalanine residue in a peptide. We showcase the power of our newly minted platform to introduce NPAAs of diverse chemotypes-aliphatic, aromatic, heteroaromatic-directly into peptides, including 15 entirely new residues, and to evolve a simple proteinogenic peptide into an unnatural inhibitor of thrombin by non-classical peptide SAR.
Jokes can fail to be funny because they are immoral: The incompatibility of emotions

Justin D’Arms and Daniel Jacobson have argued that to evaluate the funniness of a joke based on the consideration of whether it is morally appropriate to feel amused commits the “moralistic fallacy...
La suspensión como acto estético en las letras áureas

“?a quien no deja pasmado, a quien no hace salir de si?” (Gonzalo Suarez de Figueroa, El pasajero). Un lector medianamente cultivado puede reconocer en determinados textos literarios un estado identificable con la ataraxia, cuya manifestacion es evidente en la obra de autores contemporaneos como Franz Kafka. Este tipo de actitud, si bien bastante alejada de su raiz epicurea, es cada vez mas evidente en la literatura a partir de finales del siglo xix, cuando la conciencia se revela como protagonista de una extrana forma de personificacion que despliega estados que incluyen el aburrimiento existencial, la indiferencia y los procesos de percepcion automatica que encuentran respuesta en el arte como forma de combatirlos. Sin embargo, la ataraxia en sus varias formas no es privativa de los momentos posteriores a la revolucion industrial y la impronta freudiana. Las expresiones literarias posteriores a las vanguardias historicas nos han legado una gran variedad de obras donde la conciencia despliega sus numerosos estados, entre los que se cuenta su radical desvinculacion emancipadora del individuo, las personalidades multiples o su todavia mas inquietante ausencia. 1 El presente trabajo tiene como proposito establecer algunas coordenadas sobre el fenomeno del desprendimiento de uno mismo –de la propia conciencia, juicio y sentido– y sus trasuntos creativos en los Siglos de Oro que anticipan, entre otras manifestaciones, la explotacion de lo onirico por las vanguardias historicas. Nuestro trabajo tratara de perfilar las lineas maestras mediante las cuales la conciencia –bien deliberada, bien involuntariamente y de manera espontanea, como respuesta a determinadas circunstancias– es capaz de suspender el juicio y mantenerse en la duda, sin afirmar ni negar. Este proceso, que definimos como “acto barroco”, da lugar a manifestaciones literarias de un fenomeno que, lejos de extinguirse, representa el puente entre el pensamiento pagano y el asociado con la llamada “estetica existencialista”.
Geophysical constraints on the lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane

[1] The Moon's Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) is distinguished by unique geochemistry and extended volcanic history. Previous thermal-conduction models using enhanced radionuclide abundances in subcrustal potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus (KREEP) predicted the existence of a contemporary upper-mantle melt zone as well as heat flow consistent with Apollo measurements. Here I show that such models also predict large gravity or topography anomalies that are not observed. If the topography is suppressed by a rigid lithosphere, it is possible to eliminate the gravity anomaly and still match heat flow by completely fractionating the excess radionuclides into a thin crust. This implies that upper-mantle heat sources for mare volcanism were spatially discontinuous or transient and that radionuclides defining the PKT are not necessarily directly related to mare volcanic sources. However, the mantle temperature of a crustally fractionated PKT is insufficient to match the observed electrical conductivity: globally enhanced mantle heating or a thick megaregolith may be required. Alternatively, upper-mantle enrichment in iron, hydrogen, or aluminum can provide the requisite conductivity. Iron is the most plausible: the derived lower limit to the upper-mantle magnesium number 75–80% is consistent with seismic modeling. Regardless of the specific mechanism for electrical-conductivity enhancement, the overall excellent match to simple thermal-conduction models indicates that the lunar upper mantle is not convecting at present.
Assessment of Alzheimer's disease risk with functional magnetic resonance imaging: an arterial spin labeling study.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by virtue of their cognitive (i.e., mild cognitive impairment [MCI]) and/or genetic (i.e., apolipoprotein E [APOE] e4 allele) status demonstrate divergent brain response patterns during memory encoding across studies. Using arterial spin labeling MRI, we examined the influence of AD risk on resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) as well as the CBF and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal response to memory encoding in the medial temporal lobes (MTL) in 45 older adults (29 cognitively normal [14 APOE e4 carriers and 15 noncarriers]; 16 MCI [8 APOE e4 carriers, 8 noncarriers]). Risk groups were comparable in terms of mean age, years of education, gender distribution, and vascular risk burden. Individuals at genetic risk for AD by virtue of the APOE e4 allele demonstrated increased MTL resting state CBF relative to e4 noncarriers, whereas individuals characterized as MCI showed decreased MTL resting state CBF relative to their cognitively normal peers. For percent change CBF, there was a trend toward a cognitive status by genotype interaction. In the cognitively normal group, there was no difference in percent change CBF based on APOE genotype. In contrast, in the MCI group, APOE e4 carriers demonstrated significantly greater percent change in CBF relative to e4 noncarriers. No group differences were found for BOLD response. Findings suggest that abnormal resting state CBF and CBF response to memory encoding may be early indicators of brain dysfunction in individuals at risk for developing AD.
Law, loyalty and citizenship

The question whether to obey the law is not fundamentally different from the question whether to follow morality, or for that matter, the dictates of prudence. Morality, law, and prudence face the same normative challenge: they must confront and prevail over people’s occurrent psychological impulses. These three branches of ethics differ only in the level of abstraction at which they address or rather constitute us: respectively, as human beings, members of the human race; as citizens, members of a particular political community; and as unique individuals. Our autonomy consists in subjecting impulse to norm in these various capacities. What does distinguish law in this regard is therefore not its normative appeal, but the fact that this appeal comes armed with coercion, thus distancing us from our role as citizens and fracturing the autonomy that following the law could otherwise display.
Fuel cells and the world energy future

Summary form only given, as follows. The Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is developing fuel cells for various applications in partnership with the private sector. Fuel cell technologies-solid oxide fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and polymer electrolyte fuel cells-are being developed for the distributed generation market shortly after 2003. Some of the evolving fuel cell systems are incorporating gas turbines in hybrid configurations. The combination of the gas turbine with the fuel cell promises to lower system costs and increase efficiency to enhance market penetration. Hybrid efforts are underway at Honeywell, Fuel Cell Energy and Siemens Westinghouse. In the long term, solid state fuel cell technology with stack costs under $100/kilowatt (kW) promises deeper and wider market penetration in a range of applications including a residential, auxiliary power, and the mature distributed generation markets. The Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) with its vision for fuel cells in 2010 was recently formed to commercialize solid-state fuel cells and realize the full potential of the fuel cell technology. Ultimately, the SECA concept could lead to megawatt-size fuel cell systems for commercial and industrial applications and Vision 21 fuel cell turbine hybrid energy plants in 2015. Substantial new efforts in SECA are underway at Honeywell, McDermott and Delphi.
Assessing the efficacy of low-level image content descriptors for computer-based fluorescence microscopy image analysis

Summary The increasing prevalence of automated image acquisition systems and state-of-the-art information technology has enabled new types of microscopy experiments based on automatic processing of massive image data sets, and numerous methods of high-content screening using machine vision and pattern recognition methods have been proposed. However, as a relatively young discipline, it is important to validate these methods and ensure that the machine vision and pattern recognition techniques reliably reflect the actual morphology, and can be effectively used for finding and validating scientific discoveries. In this report we show that some of the previously reported experimental results using automatic microscopy image analysis might be biased, and discuss practices and methods that can be used to obtain objective and reliable automatic analysis of microscopy images.
Activation of muscarinic potassium currents by ATP gamma S in atrial cells

Intracellular perfusion of atrial myocytes with adenosine 5'-(gamma-thio) triphosphate (ATP gamma S), an ATP analog, elicits a progressive increase of the muscarinic potassium channel current, IK(M), in the absence of agonists. In this respect, ATP gamma S mimics the actions of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) analogs, which produce direct, persistent activation of the guanyl nucleotide-binding (G) protein controlling the K+(M) channel. The effect of ATP gamma S on IK(M), however, differs from that produced by GTP analogs in two aspects: it requires relatively large ATP gamma S concentrations, and it appears after a considerable delay, suggesting a rate-limiting step not present in similar experiments performed with guanosine 5'-(gamma-thio) triphosphate (GTP gamma S). Incubation of atrial homogenates with [35S]ATP gamma S leads to formation of significant amounts of [35S]GTP gamma S, suggesting that activation of IK(M) by ATP gamma S arises indirectly through its conversion into GTP gamma S by cellular enzymes. ATP gamma S is often used to demonstrate the involvement of protein phosphorylation in the control of various cellular processes. The finding that cytosolic application of ATP gamma S can also lead to G-protein activation implies that experiments with ATP gamma S must be interpreted with caution.
WISC-IV profiles in children with traumatic brain injury: similarities to and differences from the WISC-III

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; D. Wechsler, 2003a) is often utilized to assess children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), although little information is available regarding its psychometric properties in these children. The current study examined WISC-IV performance in a sample of 61 children with TBI. As compared to the standardization sample, results indicated that the TBI group exhibited relative deficits on all subtest and index scores, with the greatest deficits on the Processing Speed Index (PSI) and Coding subtest scores. However, the Perceptual Reasoning Index score was not uniquely sensitive to brain injury, and the Cognitive Processing Index score was less sensitive to TBI than the PSI score. Also, the PSI did not uniquely predict learning and memory abilities, as had been reported in previous studies of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; D. Wechsler, 1991). The present findings indicate substantive differences between the WISC-III and WISC-IV profiles of children with TBI.
Studies on the Inhibitor Resistant Respiration of the Fungus Myrothecium verrucaria.

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