cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diaporthe actinidiae, A new species causing stem-end rot of Chinese gooseberry fruits

(1975). Diaporthe Actinidiae, A New Species Causing Stem-End Rot of Chinese Gooseberry Fruits. Mycologia: Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 650-653.
Fixed-Lag Smoothing Algorithm for Markov Switching Systems

A suboptimal approach to the fixed-lag smoothing problem was proposed based on Markov switching system. By introducing state-augmented system in the interacting multiple model framework,which combined the current state with the past one,the state prediction was made synchronously with the smoothing for the original system. The fixed-lag mode probabilities were estimated by using the current observation data,which is a simple but effective method. The proposed smoothing algorithm was compared with that of the normal IMM-EKF filtering algorithm through the trajectory of a maneuvering target. The result shows that the performance of the fixed-lag IMM smoothing algorithm is great better than that of later,and the performance tends to get better with the increasing of the lag.
Post-Modernist Reconstruting Relationship between Teachers and Students in Colleges

In relationship of teachers and students,the utilitarian colleges have many problems such as teachers short of justness,teachers moral declining,teachers weighing teaching and despising fostering,teacher-student relation being indifferent,teachers strengthening research and disregarding teaching,teaching formalism,tuition increasing,service disimproving and so forth.According to post-modernist concepts of irrationalism,contrary basis,contrary clou,and thinking much of otherness,pluralism,allowance,randomicity,colleges should set up cooperative,dialogue and equal teacher-student relationship so as to improve respect and sensation of teachers and students one another.
Characteristics of fractal and percolation of rocks subjected to uniaxial compression during their failure process

The formation process of the cracks in the rocks,including the initiation,propagation and coalescence of the micro-cracks,was of statistical fractal features.It was considered that the failure of the elements would cause acoustic emission and micro-cracks which led to gradual damage of the rocks.The fractal model and percolation model were established by statistically analyzing the spatial distribution of the failure elements and AE event locations.The evolution of fractal dimensions and percolation were obtained by simulating the failure process of the heterogeneous rock samples with a numerical code RFPA3D.The fractal and percolation features of the micro-fractures were obviously influenced by heterogeneities.During the complete loading process,the fractal dimension decreased with the increase of the heterogeneity and the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock samples.There was an increase tendency of the number of failure clusters and fractal dimensions at the first loading stage.When the peak value of the loading was reached,the fractal dimensions increased to a certain value and the number of the failure clusters abruptly decreased due to the combination of the small failure clusters into large clusters.It was shown that the fractal and percolation features were formed due to the self-familiarity of the rock materials at different scale levels.
Laboratory experience with experimental endolymphatic hydrops.

Experimental endolymphatic hydrops refers to the creation of hydrops in the experimental animal and represents a histologic correlate for Meniere’s disease. Details of the surgical means to create this condition in guinea pigs are provided. Alterations in endolymph fluid composition and relative endolymph pressure occur with hydrops. Deterioration in auditory and vestibular function secondary to hydrops can develop.
Cyclin F-Mediated Degradation of SLBP Limits H2A.X Accumulation and Apoptosis upon Genotoxic Stress in G2

SLBP (stem-loop binding protein) is a highly conserved factor necessary for the processing, translation, and degradation of H2AFX and canonical histone mRNAs. We identified the F-box protein cyclin F, a substrate recognition subunit of an SCF (Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein) complex, as the G2 ubiquitin ligase for SLBP. SLBP interacts with cyclin F via an atypical CY motif, and mutation of this motif prevents SLBP degradation in G2. Expression of an SLBP stable mutant results in increased loading of H2AFX mRNA onto polyribosomes, resulting in increased expression of H2A.X (encoded by H2AFX). Upon genotoxic stress in G2, high levels of H2A.X lead to persistent γH2A.X signaling, high levels of H2A.X phosphorylated on Tyr142, high levels of p53, and induction of apoptosis. We propose that cyclin F co-evolved with the appearance of stem-loops in vertebrate H2AFX mRNA to mediate SLBP degradation, thereby limiting H2A.X synthesis and cell death upon genotoxic stress.
Cardiac Telemetry 2016: An Overview of Guidelines and Clinical Practice

The pervasive technology of cardiac monitoring has greatly advanced patient care for several decades. Since its advent, telemetry has been used in a variety of settings to guide medical management in patients who are acutely and non-acutely ill. Evidence from several studies indicates the benefits of the 2004 American Heart Association (AHA) telemetry guidelines in stratifying patients into 3 groups based on their individual cardiac event risk. It has been shown to reduce hospital costs without compromising patient care as well as eliminate overflow of telemetry units. This article reviews the 2004 AHA cardiac telemetry guidelines and evaluates the current status of its implementation, the general benefits, as well as its limitations
Indefinite scalability for living computation

In a question-and-answer format, this summary paper presents background material for the AAAI-16 Senior Member Presentation Track "Blue Sky Ideas" talk of the same name.
Evidence for photodynamic action by a naturally occurring hydrilla‐growth inhibitor

Abstract Evidence is presented that a naturally occurring hydrilla‐growth inhibitor also inhibits the germination of lettuce seeds. The effect is concentration dependent, and the development of both hypocotyledons and dicotyledons is retarded, though no morphological changes are noted in comparison with control samples. In addition, a photodynamic action is involved: the number of seeds developing cotyledons and hypocotyledons in a given time is significantly reduced in the samples exposed to light and the growth inhibitor in comparison to control samples exposed to inhibitor, but maintained in the dark. From experiments with sodium azide, it seems probable that the observed photodynamic action is mediated by singlet oxygen (O2 1Δg).
KRAS and EGFR mutations to distinguish adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix.

5011 Background: Cervical adenocarcinomas (AC) have higher rates of recurrence and distant metastasis, compared with squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and decreased survival in advanced disease. Yet,...
New media for the new electorate? Congressional outreach to Latinos on Twitter

ABSTRACTOver the last decade, Latinos have exercised rapidly growing influence in elections. This trend has coincided with the closing of the so-called digital divide between Anglos and Latinos and increased use of social media platforms for constituency outreach by members of Congress. Leveraging a battery of indicators associated with Latino outreach by U.S. representatives in communications via Twitter throughout the 112th Congress (the first “tweeting” Congress), we demonstrate that representatives pursue digital home styles oriented toward specific demographic constituencies, and, furthermore, reveal that representative ethnicity shapes Twitter outreach to Latinos in ways that have important implications for the substantive representation of Latinos. Our findings build on previous research which to date has largely presumed that Twitter outreach is characterized by relatively homogenous in-party communication patterns, and has identified only limited evidence that representative ethnicity impacts dig...
Microarray Differential Expression Analysis

Gene expression is the process by which mRNA, and eventually protein, is synthesized from the DNA template of each gene. The level of gene expression can be measured by a particular technology, called microarray technology (Schena et al. 1995), in which we can measure the expression of thousands of different RNA molecules at a given time point in the life of an organism, a tissue, or a cell. Comparisons of the levels of RNA molecules can be used to decipher the thousands of processes going on simultaneously in living organisms. Also, comparing healthy and diseased cells can yield vital information on the causes of the disease. The microarray technology has been successfully applied to several biological problems, and as arrays become more easily accessible to researchers, the popularity of these kinds of experiments will increase.
Associations of Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation with Body Fat in Premenopausal Women

Higher in vivo fatty acid (FA) oxidation rates have been reported in obese individuals compared to lean counterparts; however whether this reflects a shift in substrate-specific oxidative capacity at the level of the skeletal muscle mitochondria has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that in situ measures of skeletal muscle mitochondria FA oxidation would be positively associated with total body fat. Participants were 38 premenopausal women (BMI = 26.5 ± 4.3 kg/m2). Total and regional fat were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Mitochondrial FA oxidation was assessed in permeabilized myofibers using high-resolution respirometry and a palmitoyl carnitine substrate. We found positive associations of total fat mass with State 3 (ADP-stimulated respiration) (r = 0.379, p < 0.05) and the respiratory control ratio (RCR, measure of mitochondrial coupling) (r = 0.348, p < 0.05). When participants were dichotomized by high or low body fat percent, participants with high total body fat displayed a higher RCR compared to those with low body fat (p < 0.05). There were no associations between any measure of regional fat and mitochondrial FA oxidation independent of total fat mass. In conclusion, greater FA oxidation in obesity may reflect molecular processes that enhance FA oxidation capacity at the mitochondrial level.
Young sexual minority women's definition of community: Toward addressing health disparities in the LGBTQQ community

In accord with Healthy People 2020 goals, the elimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) health disparities will require community-level strategies to address stigma, discrimination, and prejudice linked to poor health. We explored how young sexual minority women (YSMW) define LGBTQQ community, community connection, community engagement, and community tensions because these concepts have implications for development and evaluation of health disparities interventions. A total of 30 YSMW (aged 18–24 years) from Michigan participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews. Participants varied by sexual identity, residency, and race/ethnicity. We analyzed transcribed interviews using thematic analysis and compared emergent themes across sexual identity, residency, and race/ethnicity. Women described community connection in terms of organizational involvement, participation in LGBTQQ spaces, and collective social identity. Participants noted how community connections were linked to stigma towards the LGBTQQ community. YSMW highlighted how divisive tensions exist within subgroups constituting the LGBTQQ community, hindering opportunities for social advocacy, unified policy priorities, and community-level interventions. The heterogeneity of YSMW's experiences identifying with the LGBTQQ community and engaging within LGBTQQ spaces suggest that researchers should attend to the role of community dynamics when developing health disparities interventions and policies. Efforts to reconcile tensions within the LGBTQQ community may strengthen and advance policymakers’ ability to address sexuality-related disparities.
YAP repression of the WNT3 gene controls hESC differentiation along the cardiac mesoderm lineage

Activin/SMAD signaling in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) ensures NANOG expression and stem cell pluripotency. In the presence of Wnt ligand, the Activin/SMAD transcription network switches to cooperate with Wnt/β-catenin and induce mesendodermal (ME) differentiation genes. We show here that the Hippo effector YAP binds to the WNT3 gene enhancer and prevents the gene from being induced by Activin in proliferating hESCs. ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP] combined with high-throughput sequencing) data show that YAP impairs SMAD recruitment and the accumulation of P-TEFb-associated RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) C-terminal domain (CTD)-Ser7 phosphorylation at the WNT3 gene. CRISPR/CAS9 knockout of YAP in hESCs enables Activin to induce Wnt3 expression and stabilize β-catenin, which then synergizes with Activin-induced SMADs to activate a subset of ME genes that is required to form cardiac mesoderm. Interestingly, exposure of YAP-/- hESCs to Activin induces cardiac mesoderm markers (BAF60c and HAND1) without activating Wnt-dependent cardiac inhibitor genes (CDX2 and MSX1). Moreover, canonical Wnt target genes are up-regulated only modestly, if at all, under these conditions. Consequently, YAP-null hESCs exposed to Activin differentiate precisely into beating cardiomyocytes without further treatment. We conclude that YAP maintains hESC pluripotency by preventing WNT3 expression in response to Activin, thereby blocking a direct route to embryonic cardiac mesoderm formation.
Undergraduate Students’ Quantitative Reasoning in Economic Contexts

Contributing to a growing body of research on undergraduate students’ quantitative reasoning, the study reported in this article used task-based interviews to investigate business calculus students...
Dermatologic Aspects of Aging

Skin diseases that are more prevalent in the elderly or run a more severe or protracted course are presented. Skin cancers are emphasized because they account for the majority of malignant lesions diagnosed annually in the United States and are especially common in the elderly.
Eleanor Flexner: Civil Rights and Feminist Activism and Writing

Eleanor Flexner’s Century of Struggle: The Woman’s Rights Movement in the United States appeared in 1959, at the height of the Cold War and a decade before women’s history was recognized in the academy. Century of Struggle focused on suffrage but, rather than examining political rights narrowly defined, it integrated the struggles of African-American and working-class women into the story of political reform. It was remarkable for its topic, for being unabashedly connected to women’s rights as a social movement, and for rooting its argument in what today is called the intersectionality of gender, race, and class. It linked Flexner’s experiences in left-wing union advocacy and civil rights during the 1930s and 1940s to movements that flourished in the decades after Century was published.
Design and Use of Enzyme Systems for Selective Product Release from Microbial Cells

This paper describes the characteristics, production and use of enzyme systems with lytic activity against yeast and bacterial cells. Factors affecting enzymatic lysis including the sequential protease and glucanase degradation of the two-layered yeast wall and the obtention of sufficiently high lytic activities are analyzed. The advantages of using enzyme systems as well as their design and actual processes for the controlled lysis and selective product release (concept of a “Biochemical Cell Refinery”) are discussed.
Time to collision and collision risk estimation from local scale and motion

Computer-vision based collision risk assessment is important in collision detection and obstacle avoidance tasks. We present an approach to determine both time to collision (TTC) and collision risk for semi-rigid obstacles from videos obtained with an uncalibrated camera. TTC for a body moving relative to the camera can be calculated using the ratio of its image size and its time derivative. In order to compute this ratio, we utilize the local scale change and motion information obtained from detection and tracking of feature points, wherein lies the chief novelty of our approach. Using the same local scale change and motion information, we also propose a measure of collision risk for obstacles moving along different trajectories relative to the camera optical axis. Using videos of pedestrians captured in a controlled experimental setup, in which ground truth can be established, we demonstrate the accuracy of our TTC and collision risk estimation approach for different walking trajectories.
Transgressive segregation and reciprocal effect for free folic acid content in a red beet (beta vulgaris L.) population

Folic acid is one of the ten essential vitamins in the human diet. Red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an excellent source of free folic acid among vegetable plants. Thirty-seven F3 families derived from the cross W364 × Nochowski, sixteen F3 families derived from the reciprocal cross, and the two parents were evaluated for free folic acid content (FFAC) in two locations in Wisconsin in 1994. Parental means of FFAC were 3.4 and 8.8 µg g-1 dry wt. for Nochowski and W364, respectively. The range of FFAC in F3 families was from 2.3 to 15.8 µg g-1 dry wt. The genetic variance among F3 families was large. Transgressive segregation for FFAC was observed in the F3 family distribution, suggesting multiple genes control this trait. FFAC means differed at the two locations. Overall means of the reciprocal crosses were significantly different in FFAC at both locations (P < 0.05), suggesting reciprocal effects on FFAC in this population. The broad sense heritability for FFAC in this population was estimated as 0.84.
Developing a Barriers Scale in the Context of Travel: TRIP.

Abstract Objective To develop an environmental-barriers scale, Travel Restrictions Influencing Participation (TRIP), in the context of travel for people living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design A mixed-method approach where, in the qualitative phase, items were developed and written based on results of interviewers with different stakeholder groups and, in the quantitative phase, survey data were collected to examine the psychometric properties of the scale. Setting Home, work, and community settings. Participants People living with SCI, caregivers/family members, therapists, and travel professionals (N=333). Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures A 19-item TRIP scale that measures the travel barriers encountered by people with SCI. Results Results from 83 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 4 stakeholder groups guided the writing of items in the TRIP scale. Seven cognitive interviews and an expert panel conducted reviews for content validity of the scale, and 19 items were included in the quantitative assessment of the scale. A total of 250 patients enrolled in the Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Injury System was systematically selected to report their experience with each travel barrier. Item-response theory–based Rasch analysis revealed that TRIP has acceptable psychometric properties. Conclusions The 19-item TRIP scale demonstrates promising psychometric properties for the scale to be used in clinical settings to quickly identify environmental barriers individuals with SCI encounter when traveling. It has the potential to assist with developing interventions that will improve the travel experience of individuals with SCI or to assist with strategies to overcome travel barriers.
Visual and anatomic outcomes of cataract surgery with intraoperative or postoperative complications in a teaching institution.

ABSTRACT Objective To review visual and anatomic outcomes after cataract surgery with complications in a teaching institution. Methods Consecutive case series. A chart review was conducted of patients who underwent phacoemulsification with intraoperative or postoperative complications, performed by ophthalmology residents under direct supervision of experienced ophthalmology attending physicians. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), OCT parameters, and postoperative treatments were reviewed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Results One hundred thirty-three eyes were analyzed. Mean BCVA was 50 ± 23 approximate Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters at the preoperative visit and improved by a mean of 8 letters (n = 128; p = 0.001), 16 letters (n = 117; p Conclusions After cataract surgery with intraoperative or postoperative complications, a majority of eyes experienced substantial visual gains and only mild retinal thickening while being managed with long-term anti-inflammatory drops and additional surgical procedures.
Human Fibrinogen for Maintenance and Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Two Dimensions and Three Dimensions

Human fibrin hydrogels are a popular choice for use as a biomaterial within tissue engineered constructs because they are biocompatible, nonxenogenic, autologous use compatible, and biodegradable. We have recently demonstrated the ability to culture induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium on fibrin hydrogels. However, iPSCs themselves have relatively few substrate options (e.g., laminin) for expansion in adherent cell culture for use in cell therapy. To address this, we investigated the potential of culturing iPSCs on fibrin hydrogels for three-dimensional applications and further examined the use of fibrinogen, the soluble precursor protein, as a coating substrate for traditional adherent cell culture. iPSCs successfully adhered to and proliferated on fibrin hydrogels. The two-dimensional culture with fibrinogen allows for immediate adaption of culture models to a nonxenogeneic model. Similarly, multiple commercially available iPSC lines adhered to and proliferated on fibrinogen coated surfaces. iPSCs cultured on fibrinogen expressed similar levels of the pluripotent stem cell markers SSea4 (98.7% ± 1.8%), Oct3/4 (97.3% ± 3.8%), TRA1-60 (92.2% ± 5.3%), and NANOG (96.0% ± 3.9%) compared with iPSCs on Geltrex. Using a trilineage differentiation assay, we found no difference in the ability of iPSCs grown on fibrinogen or Geltrex to differentiate to endoderm, mesoderm, or ectoderm. Finally, we demonstrated the ability to differentiate iPSCs to endothelial cells using only fibrinogen coated plates. On the basis of these data, we conclude that human fibrinogen provides a readily available and inexpensive alternative to laminin-based products for the growth, expansion, and differentiation of iPSCs for use in research and clinical cell therapy applications. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:512-521.
Social media and predictors of traditional citations: insights from the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery

In 1971, a patient with suspected left frontal lobe tumor underwent the first clinical CT scan. The prototype scanner was developed by Godfrey Hounsfield.1 Almost 10 years earlier, Allan Cormack had independently demonstrated that multiple measurements of radiographic attenuation could be reconstructed to form an image of the target tissue. While both Hounsfield and Cormack shared the Nobel Prize Physics and Medicine in 1979 for the discovery of the CT scan, Hounsfield and Cormack never met and furthermore Hounsfield was apparently not familiar with Cormack’s work.1 It is tempting to speculate whether earlier knowledge sharing and collaboration between the scientists would have accelerated the development of this revolutionary technology. Timely diffusion of medical knowledge has dramatically improved over recent decades and likely itself contributes to the pace at which advances are being made. Estimates suggest that the doubling time of medical knowledge in …
Jahier interventista: il ruolo di Claudel e Proudhon

Piero Jahier’s ‘interventismo’: the role of Claudel and Proudhon This essay addresses Piero Jahier’s interventionism within the broader context of Italian Modernism. Jahier’s works – from the early articles appeared on La Voce up to Con me e con gli alpini – is investigated through the lens of the religious background of the author. In doing so, the article emphasizes the role played by two French authors, Paul Claudel and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, in affecting Jahier’s stance on WWI. It argues that Jahier draws on Claudel’s and Proudhon’s work to shape the theoretical foundation of his interventionism. In Con me e con gli alpini, the echo of voices such as Claudel’s and Proudhon’s interacts with Jahier’s religious education, and gives a significant example of the interplay between Italian and French culture at the beginning of 20th century.
A Historical Perspective on Development of Systems Engineering Discipline: A Review and Analysis

Since its inception, Systems Engineering (SE) has developed as a distinctive discipline, and there has been significant progress in this field in the past two decades. Compared to other engineering disciplines, SE is not affirmed by a set of underlying fundamental propositions, instead it has emerged as a set of best practices to deal with intricacies stemming from the stochastic nature of engineering complex systems and addressing their problems. Since the existing methodologies and paradigms (dominant patterns of thought and concepts) of SE are very diverse and somewhat fragmented. This appears to create some confusion regarding the design, deployment, operation, and application of SE. The purpose of this paper is 1) to delineate the development of SE from 1926–2017 based on insights derived from a histogram analysis, 2) to discuss the different paradigms and school of thoughts related to SE, 3) to derive a set of fundamental attributes of SE using advanced coding techniques and analysis, and 4) to present a newly developed instrument that could assess the performance of systems engineers. More than Two hundred and fifty different sources have been reviewed in this research in order to demonstrate the development trajectory of the SE discipline based on the frequency of publication.
Our Younger Selves: QPOC Student Affairs Professionals Supporting QPOC Students.

Queer student affairs professionals of color serve as key institutional agents who support students with marginalized identities and backgrounds, especially queer students of color. While instituti...
Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney

Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is a nonfunctioning kidney that does not undergo normal differentiation and therefore has immature-appearing renal parenchyma with cystic dilations. MCDK is often diagnosed on antenatal ultrasound, where MCDK is the second most common urinary tract abnormality after hydronephrosis. MCDK is almost always unilateral and slightly more frequent in boys and on the left side. MCDK is an uncommon entity with an incidence of 1 in 4,300 births. However, knowledge of MCDK is important for diagnosing and managing these children.
Role of Rural Organizations in Water Resources Management: A Case Study in Pistachio Producing Areas in Kerman Province, Iran

Inappropriate water governance, which has been known as a variable to explain the water crisis in many parts of the world, needs to examine the institutional structures and required reforms. In the present study, the effectiveness and possibility of applying of five rural local organizations, as intermediate organizations for water resources protection in Anar and Rafsanjan areas, Kerman province, Iran, were investigated. These organizations are included as;village councils, Basij (non-governmental branch of Iranians military forces), agricultural production cooperatives, mosque board of trustees, and agricultural well curator. Here, in this research, we applied a survey method, and the research tool was two types of questionnaires which must be completed by farmers and organization managers. As the first step, the validity and reliability of questionnaires were determined. For first purpose, i.e., the determination of validity, the questionnaires were sent to a numbers of researchers, farmers, and organizations’ managers, and their received opinions were considered. For the second purpose, i.e., the determination of reliability of the questions, the Cronbach's alpha was calculated, which was about 0.83 (in a good and acceptable level). A sample of 1099 pistachio producers was selected. To measure the effects of socio-economic factors on rural local organizations efficiency, multivariate regression and the analysis of variances (ANOVA) were also applied. The final results indicated that none of these five organizations, solely, can be considered as an intermediate organization for water protection. Therefore, a formal or informal combination of the mentioned organizations might be enough efficient to improve the water resources protection factors.
Modulation of neural fMRI responses to visual food cues by overeating and fasting interventions: A preliminary study.

Neural processing of visual food stimuli is perturbated at extremes of weight. Human fMRI studies investigating diet effects on neural processing of food cues could aid in understanding altered brain activation in conditions of under- and overnutrition. In this preliminary study, we examined brain activity changes in response to 10 days of high-calorie-diet (HCD), followed by 10 days of fasting, hypothesizing that HCD would decrease activation in homeostatic and reward regions, while fasting would increase activation in homeostatic/reward regions and decrease activation of self-control regions. Seven adults completed fMRI scanning during a food-cue paradigm (high- and low-calorie food images and nonfood objects), pre- and post-10-day HCD. Six adults completed fMRI scanning pre- and post-10-day fasting. BOLD response changes for contrasts of interest pre- versus post-intervention in regions of interest were examined (peak-level significance set at p(FWE)<0.05). BMI increased by 6.8% and decreased by 8.1% following HCD and fasting, respectively. Following HCD, BOLD response in the hypothalamus (homeostatic control), was attenuated at trend level in response to high- versus low-calorie foods. Following fasting, BOLD response to food versus objects in inhibitory-control areas (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) was reduced, whereas the activation of homeostatic (hypothalamus), gustatory, and reward brain areas (anterior insula and orbitofrontal cortex) increased. Overfeeding and fasting for 10 days modulate brain activity in response to food stimuli, suggesting that in healthy adults, changes in energy balance affect saliency and reward value of food cues. Future studies are required to understand this interaction in states of unhealthy weight.
Information Dissemination by Insiders in Equilibrium

This paper generates an equilibrium explanation for partial disclosure of information by an insider to privileged associates. In our model, prices are set by competitive market makers in anticipation of trading volume, but are not affected by the actual number of trades realized. Liquidity demand is not perfectly inelastic, but rather liquidity traders are sensitive to trading costs through a reservation price. Because the profits from liquidity traders are bounded, the feasibility of an equilibrium depends on the balance between the number of associates, the precision of their information and the number of liquidity traders. Partially, rather than fully, disclosing information alters this balance by limiting the informational advantage of individual associates. If the number of associates is exogenous, this partial disclosure prevents market failure. If the insider chooses the number of associates, partial disclosure allows him to serve more associates and (potentially) increase total associate profits.
Laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension versus sacrospinous ligament fixation for apical prolapse: perioperative outcomes

Pelvic organ prolapse can be repaired vaginally or laparoscopically. Studies comparing vaginal repair with sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) or uterosacral ligament suspension (V-USLS) have found no difference in functional or adverse outcomes. Laparoscopic USLS (L-USLS) is becoming a popular treatment for pelvic organ prolapse because it has a low rate of ureteral compromise. To date, no studies have compared perioperative outcomes between L-USLS and SSLF. The objective of this study is to compare the rates of perioperative complications between these two methods. This was a retrospective chart review of 243 consecutive patients who underwent L-USLS or SSLF at one institution between March 2017 and August 2019 for apical pelvic organ prolapse. Descriptive data was analyzed as appropriate with Student’s t tests and chi-square. Univariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of perioperative complications. Preoperative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification Stage (POP-Q) was similar between the two cohorts (p = 0.23). After adjusting for confounding factors, L-USLS was associated with a longer operative time (118 vs 142 min, p < 0.01) and shorter length of hospitalization (0.68 vs 1.06 days, p < 0.01). The estimated blood loss between the procedures was not statistically significant after adjusting for confounding factors. There was no difference in perioperative complication rates between L-USLS and SSLF (5% vs 7%, p = 0.55). No clinical risk factors were significantly associated with perioperative complications. We did not find a difference in complications between L-USLS and SSLF.
Bispecific Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma: Present and Future.

Despite many recent advances in therapy, there is still no plateau in overall survival curves in multiple myeloma. Bispecific antibodies are a novel immunotherapeutic approach designed to bind antigens on malignant plasma cells and cytotoxic immune effector cells. Early-phase clinical trials targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), GPRC5D, and FcRH5 have demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with mainly low-grade cytokine release syndrome, cytopenias, and infections. Although dose escalation is ongoing in several studies, early efficacy data show response rates in the most active dose cohorts between 61% and 83% with many deep responses; however, durability remains to be established. Further clinical trial data are eagerly anticipated. Significance: Overall survival of triple-class refractory multiple myeloma remains poor. Bispecific antibodies are a novel immunotherapeutic modality with a favorable safety profile and impressive preliminary efficacy in heavily treated patients. Although more data are needed, bispecifics will likely become an integral part of the multiple myeloma treatment paradigm in the near future. Studies in earlier lines of therapy and in combination with other active anti–multiple myeloma agents will help further define the role of bispecifics in multiple myeloma.
Automated Admittance Spectroscopy of the Semiconductor/Molten Salt Electrolyte Interface

The efficacy of semiconductor/electrolyte junctions and, in particular, semiconductor/molten salt interfaces for photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical applications is critically dependent on how well processes at the interface (e.g., charge transfer, carrier recombination, specific ion adsorption) can be controlled. Use of the term “interface” herein is made with the implicit recognition that the boundary between the two phases is not sharp but several A thick. Development of measurement techniques and physical models for characterizing these interfacial processes, therefore, is of particular value in designing and optimizing an efficient solar conversion system. Equivalent circuit representations are useful in delineating each individual electrophysical (e.g., charge accumulation) or electrochemical (e.g., faradaic charge transfer) process in the system and their interrelationships in terms of an overall electrical network. Identification of individual circuit elements comprising the overall network is readily accomplished by impedance or admittance measurements. Such measurements have been traditionally employed in kinetics studies of electrochemical charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface (cf. Refs. 1 and 2). Less attention has been devoted to electrophysical aspects of the interface. In this chapter, models will be developed whereby individual circuit elements comprising a semiconductor/electrolyte junction may be resolved by automated admittance measurements. The treatment is specific to the molten salt electrolyte case, although extrapolation to aqueous electrolyte situations and the general case of electrode/electrolyte interfaces is fairly straightforward.
Requirement of B cells for generating CD4+ T cell memory.

B cells can influence T cell responses by directly presenting Ag or by secreting Ab that binds to Ag to form immunogenic complexes. Conflicting evidence suggests that persisting Ag-Ab complexes propagate long-term T cell memory; yet, other data indicate that memory cells can survive without specific Ag or MHC. In this study, the roles of B cells and Ag-Ab complexes in T cell responses to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection were investigated using B cell-deficient or B cell-competent mice. Despite normal lymphocyte expansion after acute infection, B cell-deficient mice rapidly lost CD4 + T cell memory, but not CD8 + T cell memory, during the contraction phase. To determine whether Ag-Ab complexes sustain CD4 + T cell memory, T cell responses were followed in B cell-transgenic (mIg-Tg) mice that have B cells but neither LCMV-specific Ab nor LCMV-immune complex deposition. In contrast to B cell-deficient mice, mIg-Tg mice retained functional Th cell memory, indicating that B cells selectively preserve CD4 + T cell memory independently of immune complex formation. An in vivo consequence of losing CD4 + T cell memory was that B cell-deficient mice were unable to resolve chronic virus infection. These data implicate a B cell function other than Ab production that induces long-term protective immunity.
CECH, Thomas R. (1947–)

This article has no abstract. Keywords: Cech, Thomas R. (“scientific approach and point of view into most every family discussion”); splicing of Tetrahymena ribosomal RNA
Electrochemistry: Applications in Inorganic Chemistry

Because of the redox versatility of many transition metal complexes, electrochemical methods are an important part of the inorganic chemist's experimental repertoire. This article centers mostly on the use of cyclic voltammetry, where current is measured as the potential is varied linearly with time. Cyclic voltammetry is the primary method used by inorganic chemists, but many pulsed voltammetric provide complementary, and often useful, information. Theoretical methods now offer the means to calculate redox potentials of metal complexes, which can be correlated with values determined by cyclic voltammetry. Digital simulation techniques also now provide the ability to determine mechanistic information from voltammograms by directly calculating expected responses based on input mechanisms. Frontier applications of electrochemistry in inorganic chemistry involve the application of redox cycling to molecular memory. Keywords: cyclic voltammetry; digital simulation; DNA oxidation; electron transfer; molecular memory; density functional theory; redox potentials
An Extension of the Theory for Neutral-Beam-Driven Currents in Tokamaks

A self-consistent theory is presented for the calculation of neutral beam driven currents in tokamaks, including for the first time the effects of radial transfer of toroidal momentum, background ion rotation, and fast beam ion pressure gradients. The new theory contains the beam current, electron return current with trapping effects, and the bootstrap current contributions of previous theories, but extended to be consistent with particle and momentum balance and ambipolarity in a rotating plasma with the radial transfer of toroidal momentum and a significant fast beam ion population. It is found that these new effects can be significant. TFTR model problem calculations indicate that the beam driven current can be reduced by as much as 30% and the bootstrap current can be increased by as much as 100%, relative to predictions based on the standard theory.
Psychological profiles and pain characteristics of older adults with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective To identify psychological profiles in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine the relationship between these profiles and specific pain and sensory characteristics, including temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation. Methods Individuals with knee OA (n = 194) completed psychological, health, and sensory assessments. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to derive psychological profiles that were compared across several clinical pain/disability and experimental pain responses. Results Cluster 1 had high optimism with low negative affect, pain vigilance, anger, and depression, along with the lowest self-reported pain/disability and the lowest sensitivity to mechanical, pressure, and thermal pain (P < 0.01 for all). Cluster 2 had low positive affect with high somatic reactivity, while cluster 3 showed high pain vigilance with low optimism. Clusters 2 and 3 had intermediate levels of self-reported pain/disability and cluster 3 experienced central sensitization to mechanical stimuli. Participants in cluster 3 also displayed significant pain facilitation (P < 0.05). Cluster 4 exhibited the highest pain vigilance, reactivity, negative affect, anger, and depression. These individuals experienced the highest self-reported pain/disability, including widespread pain (P < 0.001 for all). Cluster 4 was most sensitive to mechanical, pressure, and thermal stimuli, and showed significant central sensitization to mechanical and thermal stimuli (P < 0.001 for all). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate the existence of homogeneous psychological profiles displaying unique sets of clinical and somatosensory characteristics. Multidisciplinary treatment approaches consistent with the biopsychosocial model of pain should provide significant advantages if targeted to profiles such as those in our OA sample.
Modeling and capacity of realistic spatial MIMO channels

Accurate and tractable channel modeling is critical to realizing the full potential of antenna arrays in wireless communications. We propose a framework for modeling multi-antenna multipath channels based on the notion of virtual spatial angles. The virtual angles are fixed a priori and are determined by the number of antennas at the transmitter and receiver and the spacing between the antennas. The model essentially corresponds to a coordinate transformation via fixed spatial basis functions at the transmitter and receiver. The resulting linear virtual channel representation encompasses all existing models and provides a natural link between the physical propagation environment and the channel statistics induced by it. For any given scattering environment, the model facilitates realistic estimates of channel capacity and clearly reveals the two key parameters affecting capacity: the number of parallel channels and the level of diversity.
Understanding the rates of nonpolar organic chemical accumulation into passive samplers deployed in the environment: Guidance for passive sampler deployments

Polymeric passive samplers have become a common method for estimating freely dissolved concentrations in environmental media. However, this approach has not yet been adopted by investigators conducting remedial investigations of contaminated environmental sites. Successful adoption of this sampling methodology relies on an understanding of how passive samplers accumulate chemical mass as well as developing guidance for the design and deployment of passive samplers. Herein, we outline the development of a simple mathematical relationship of the environmental, polymer, and chemical properties that control the uptake rate. This relationship, called a timescale, is then used to illustrate how each property controls the rate of equilibration in samplers deployed in the water or in the sediment. Guidance is also given on how to use the timescales to select an appropriate polymer, deployment time, and suite of performance reference compounds. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:486-492. © 2015 SETAC.
Dependency of polyelectrolyte complex stoichiometry on the order of addition 2. Aluminum chloride and poly-vinylsulfate

In the first part of this series it was shown that the stoichiometry of complexation between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes became increasingly dependent on the order of addition as the concentrations of monovalent and divalent ions were increased. This study considers the effect of aluminum ions on titrations between solutions of a strong poly-acid and a strong poly-base. In addition, the titratable charge of aluminum ion itself was also investigated. It was found that aluminum ions can interfere with the results of charge titrations, in the sense that the titration results became unpredictable. Stoichiometric relationships between the amount of aluminum present and the amount of titrant required to achieve streaming current values of zero were obtained only at pH values associated with a maximum in the amount of titrant needed to neutralize a given concentration of dissolved aluminum. The results are consistent with complexation between the anionic titrant and polynuclear species of aluminum, where the relative proportion of such species depends strongly on the molar ratio of OH to Al. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Dual‐curable unsaturated polyester inorganic/organic hybrid films

An unsaturated polyester, based on maleic anhydride, 1,6-hexanediol, and trimethylol propane, was formulated with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) oligomers and a coupling agent to prepare inorganic/organic hybrid films. TEOS oligomers were prepared through the hydrolysis and condensation of TEOS with water, and 3-(triethoxysilyl)propylisocyanate was used as the coupling agent between the organic and inorganic phases. The hybrid materials were cured by moisture via sol–gel chemistry and by the UV curing of unsaturated polyesters. To compare the properties of the moisture-cured inorganic/organic hybrid films, a conventional 2K polyurethane system was also prepared. The tensile, adhesion, abrasion, and fracture toughness properties were investigated as functions of the coupling agent and relative amount of UV cure versus thermal cure. Although no difference could be observed in the tensile properties, the abrasion resistance, fracture toughness, and adhesion were enhanced by the incorporation of TEOS oligomers into polyurethane films. Also, the abrasion resistance, fracture toughness, and tensile properties were increased with both moisture and UV exposure. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 115–126, 2006
Determination of Relative Ordering of Activation Energies for Gas-Phase Ion Unimolecular Dissociation by Infrared Radiation for Gaseous Multiphoton Energy Transfer

We report the use of a continuous-wave (CW) CO2 laser for the determination of relative activation energy for unimolecular dissociation of large biomolecular ions. The [M + 5H]5+ and [M + 11H]11+ ions of bovine ubiquitin and the [M + H]+ ion of bradykinin are irradiated with a CW CO2 laser and the rate constant for dissociation at each of several laser intensities recorded. A plot of the natural logarithm of the first-order rate constant versus the natural logarithm of laser intensity yields a straight line whose slope provides an approximate measure of the activation energy (Ea) for dissociation. For dissociation of protonated bradykinin, the absolute Ea value from infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) agrees with that obtained by blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD), whereas the IRMPD-determined Eas for dissociation of the 5+ and 11+ charge states of bovine ubiquitin are lower than those obtained by BIRD. The relative Ea values for the 5+ and 11+ charge states of bovine ubiquitin from bo...