cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of visual acuity between emmetropes and myopes in different contrast level in bright and dark background

Objective To explore the difference of visual acuity between emmetropes and myopes in difference contrast level in bright and dark background.Methods One hundred and thirty-four volunteers were enrolled and tested.They were divided into four groups according to power of refraction(emmetropes,low myopes,moderate myopes and high myopes).After conducting subjective refraction and testing dominant eyes by using the simplified hole-in-the hand method,visual acuity of dominant eyes was measured in bright and dark background in different contrast level with multi-functional visual acuity tester.Results Visual acuity of high myopes in difference contrast level in bright and dark background were worst among four groups,and the difference in high myopes and emmetropes was statistically significant (P0.05).With refractive power increasing,visual acuity in different contrast level in bright and dark background gradually decreased.At the same contrast level,visual acuity in bright background was better than that in dark background.At the same room illumination,with contrast level decreasing,visual acuity was reduced.Conclusion Visual quality of high myopes wearing spectacle was worst among emmetropes,low myopes,medium myopes.Visual acuity was influenced by environment illumination and contrast level.
BAY 41-2272 inhibits PDE activity in rat primary VSMCs

BAY 41-2272 (BAY) is a potent stimulator of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC); however, its mechanism of action is not well defined. We previously demonstrated in rat A7R5 vascular smooth muscle cells...
Patients with multiple sclerosis presenting to psychiatric hospitals.

Background : Although many neuropsychiatric syndromes are associated with multiple sclerosis, few recent studies have examined the clinical features of psychiatric illness in inpatients with multiple sclerosis. Florid psychopathology can obscure neurologic symptoms in multiple sclerosis. It is therefore important to consider the range of severe psychiatric states that can occur in multiple sclerosis and the frequency with which multiple sclerosis patients are seen in inpatient facilities. Method : We examined records for 2720 consecutive admissions to three psychiatric units and conducted a chart review comparing the DSM-III psychiatric diagnoses of patients with multiple sclerosis with those of the inpatient population as a whole. Results : The 10 patients with multiple sclerosis were significantly more likely to present with histories of mania and manic psychosis than the inpatient population as a whole. Further, 7 of the 10 patients had psychiatric hospitalizations before the multiple sclerosis diagnosis. In 4 of these 7 patients, a review of the medical record documented neurologic symptoms that were not recognized as typical of multiple sclerosis. Three of these 4 patients were psychotic and the fourth was catatonic at the time of their admissions. Conclusion : While multiple sclerosis patients account for a small proportion of all psychiatric admissions, clinicians should consider the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in patients exhibiting manic symptoms in tandem with unexplained neurologic findings.
A new standard for HIV-associated lymphoma

In this issue of Blood , Alvarnas et al report a prospective multicenter clinical trial demonstrating that autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) can be performed safely and effectively in patients with HIV-associated lymphomas, with success rates comparable to those in the HIV-negative population. 1
Proteomic analysis of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and identification of heme oxygenase 1 as a potential plasma biomarker of liver injury

Purpose Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) is a major cause of acute liver failure. This study was aimed to identify pathways related to hepatotoxicity and potential biomarkers of liver injury. Experimental design Rats were treated with low (100 mg/kg) and high (1250 mg/kg) doses of APAP, and liver tissues at 6 and 24 h post-treatment were analyzed using a proteomic approach of 16O/18O labeling and 2D-LC-MS/MS. Results Molecular pathways evolved progressively from scattered and less significant perturbations to more focused and significant alterations in a dose- and time-dependent manner upon APAP treatment. Imbalanced expression of hemeoxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and biliverdin reductase A (BLVRA) was associated with hepatotoxicity. Protein abundance changes of a total of 31 proteins were uniquely correlated to liver damage, among which a dramatic increase of HMOX1 levels in plasma was observed. Liver injury-associated significant elevation of plasma HMOX1 was further validated in mice treated with APAP. Conclusions and clinical relevance This study unveiled molecular changes associated with APAP-induced liver toxicity at the pathway levels and identified HMOX1 as a potential plasma biomarker of liver injury.
Ultra-wideband arrays

There is a need for ultra-wideband phased arrays for military applications such as multifunction, EW, and ESM systems. This need was addressed on the DARPA reconfigurable aperture (RECAP) program, with a goal of a 10:1 bandwidth array aperture. Previous aperture designs covered 3 or 5:1 bandwidths [Hemmi, C, et al., March 1999, Chio, T.H., et al., Sept. 1999 and June 2000]. On this program we designed array radiating apertures tunable over a 10:1 bandwidth, using RF micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches. Design trades addressed multiple tunable approaches, but ultimately a 10:1 instantaneous-bandwidth approach, requiring no tuning, was selected for further development. An array aperture operating from 1.8 to 18 GHz (10:1), with dual polarization and wide-angle scan capability, was designed and demonstrated with hardware measurement.
Etiology of and Associations with Early Death in Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease At a Single Referral Institution.

Abstract Abstract 2117 Sickle cell disease (SCD) causes significant morbidity and early mortality. The largest study to date reported in 1994 a median survival of 42 years for men and 48 years for women with homozygous SCD1. One third died during a vaso-occlusive crisis, and 18% died of acute organ failure. Circumstances of death were unknown in 18% of patients. With improved patient care in the current era including hydroxyurea (HU) therapy, we sought to identify age and causes of death and associated clinical variables in adults with SCD at a single referral institution. We first reviewed death certificates and assigned one or more causes of death based on all listed data. We studied autopsy reports and medical records and communicated with medical providers when available to identify further causes of death. We then performed a cross sectional analysis of clinical features obtained at initial enrollment and compared those variables in patients who are now living versus deceased using univariate t-test or Chi-squared analysis in order to determine which factors may be associated with death. 528 patients with SCD evaluated at the National Institutes of Health between 2001 and 2010 were included. Out of 511 patients with known genotypes, 391 patients had homozygous SCD. 85 of 528 (16%) died at a median age of 43 years for men and 44 years for women. Death certificates were available for 55 (65%) patients. SCD and infection were the most common listed cause of death (12% each), followed by pulmonary hypertension and/or cor pulmonale (9%), cardiac etiology (8%), narcotic toxicity (7%), and other (31%). Cause of death was unavailable in 18 (21%) cases. Deceased patients were significantly older at the time of first enrollment compared to living patients (41.5 vs. 34.1 years, p 1 Platt OS et al. NEJM, 1994. 330(23): 1639–1644. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet in Clinical Practice: A Review

Recently, there has been an increase in the research regarding the impact of acute and chronic inflammation on health and disease. Specific foods are now known to exert strong effects on inflammatory pathways within the body. Carefully selecting foods that are anti-inflammatory in nature while avoiding foods that are proinflammatory is central to an anti-inflammatory diet plan. Ultimately, the plan models a pattern of eating that (1) focuses on eating whole, plant-based foods that are rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients and (2) maintains a stable glycemic response.
Media, Method, and Anytown’s Instructional Design

The majority of pieces written about learning games fail to explain how and why students are expected to learn through interactions with either the media or the instructional method employed. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the complex relationships among media, method, and the specific design of learning activities in the Anytown educational game as an example of the kinds of thinking designers should employ when building educational games. We explain the broad development process with specific examples used to match narrative and learning activity to provide meaningful play to students, along with some notes about our own challenges stemming from available technology tools at that time.
On the DP/NP status of nominal projections in Bangla: Consequences for the theory of phases

This paper examines the status of nominal projections in Bangla from the point of view of Boskovic’s (2008, 2009) generalizations on NP vs. DP languages, and argues that although Bangla is an article-less language, it is not an NP language and projects a range of functional categories above NP , including a DP level. Such a conclusion is shown to have an important consequence for cross-linguistic assumptions relating to the phasal architecture of nominal projections, building on work on nominal-internal phases initiated in Simpson and Syed (2016): it is suggested that the extended projection of noun phrases may contain two separate phases, in a way that resembles the occurrence of two phasal levels within clauses.
Moderate temperature-dependent surface and volume resistivity and low-frequency dielectric constant measurements of pure and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) doped polyvinyl alcohol thin films

Previously, we have reported measurements of temperature-dependent surface resistivity of pure and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNCT) doped amorphous Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) thin films. In the temperature range from 22 °C to 40 °C with humidity-controlled environment, we found the surface resistivity to decrease initially, but to rise steadily as the temperature continued to increase. Moreover, electric surface current density (Js) was measured on the surface of pure and MWCNT doped PVA thin films. In this regard, the surface current density and electric field relationship follow Ohm’s law at low electric fields. Unlike Ohmic conduction in metals where free electrons exist, selected captive electrons are freed or provided from impurities and dopants to become conduction electrons from increased thermal vibration of constituent atoms in amorphous thin films. Additionally, a mechanism exists that seemingly decreases the surface resistivity at higher temperatures, suggesting a blocking effect for conducting electrons. Volume resistivity measurements also follow Ohm’s law at low voltages (low electric fields), and they continue to decrease as temperatures increase in this temperature range, differing from surface resistivity behavior. Moreover, we report measurements of dielectric constant and dielectric loss as a function of temperature and frequency. Both the dielectric constant and dielectric loss were observed to be highest for MWCNT doped PVA compared to pure PVA and commercial paper, and with frequency and temperature for all samples.
Placing care: embodying architecture in hospital clinics for immigrant and refugee patients

This article is part of a hospital ethnography that investigates healthcare architecture as an aspect of an increasingly large, complex, and urgent global health issue: caring for refugees and other immigrants. It argues that hospitals are nodes in transnational social networks of immigrant and refugee patients that form assemblages of human and non-human objects. These assemblages co-produce place-specific hospital care in different hospital spaces. Place-specific tensions and power dynamics arise when refugees and immigrants come into contact with these biomedical spaces. The argument is developed by analysing waiting rooms and exam rooms in two outpatient clinics in one US hospital. The article draws its analysis from 9 months of fieldwork in 2012 that included following 69 adult immigrant and refugee patients and observing their encounters with interpreters and clinic staff. Its inclusion of a transnational dimension for understanding place-specific hospital care adds conceptual and empirical depth to the study of how place matters in 21st century hospitals.
Democracy in the State of Israel

Addressing the anguished, or often openly hostile, discovery of a deep incoherence at the heart of the idea that a modern state can be both Jewish and democratic, this essay surveys the norms and practice of the modern state of Israel – the rights of its citizens, including its Arab and non-Jewish citizens, the secular foundation of its organically evolving constitution, the role of Jewish values in its handling of human rights and civil entitlements, the dynamic of educational opportunity and universal service in socio-economic mobility and national integration, and (given the frequent charges of “disproportion”), the practice of its humane ideals in the conduct of asymmetrical war.
Acid-Catalyzed Conversion Of Caryolan-1-ol To Isoclovene: A Computational Investigation Of The Multi-Step Carbocation Rearrangement

Abstract Acid-catalyzed conversion of caryolan-1-ol to isoclovene involves a multi-step carbocation rearrangement. Electronic structure calculations show that the pathway proceeds through an initial 3° carbocation, as well as a series of three other 3° carbocations. The key stage in which the ring structure is rearranged occurs not as might initially be imagined, in two separate steps with the intermediacy of a 2° carbocation, but rather in a single, concerted but highly asynchronous dyotropic rearrangement. The transition structure for this dyotropic rearrangement strongly resembles the 2° carbocation that would be involved in a stepwise mechanism. However, the dyotropic rearrangement is stereochemically unusual. While one of the bond migrations is suprafacial, as expected, the other is effectively antarafacial. This unusual stereochemical outcome is enforced by the geometric constraints of the polycyclic structure.
Personal Stories, Critical Moments, and Playback Theater

From the micro context of a personal history to the story of the family to the macro context of the saga of a people, constructed narratives remind us of who we are, how we came to be here, and our primary purpose in life. Narratives are evocative rather than precise; emotional rather than logical; personal rather than objective. In this chapter, we explore uses of story (narrative) to enhance creative imagination, to examine values that impact one's ability to nurture creativity, to explore uses of symbolic models through unpacking the creative ways in which they dealt with critical life moments, and to describe a method for integrating theatre techniques with narratives that open pathways to new perspectives in everyday life.
POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF CREMAINS RECOVERED FROM AN AUTOMOBILE BASED ON PRESENCE OF AN INTERNAL FIXATION DEVICE

We report on the use of a surgically implanted device, an EBI osteostimulator, as a means of establishing the identification of a homicide victim. The use of such an appliance for securing positive identification has not been previously reported. Additionally we stress the importance of intensive and accurate excavation at scenes involving intense burning where the potential for non-skeletal contaminants is high.
Can science be a business? Lessons from biotech.

In 1976, Genentech, the first biotechnology company, was founded by a young venture capitalist and a university professor to exploit recombinant DNA technology. Thirty years and more than 300 billion dollars in investments later, only a handful of biotech firms have matched Genentech's success or even shown a profit. No avalanche of new drugs has hit the market, and the long-awaited breakthrough in RD the need for the diverse disciplines involved in drug discovery to work together in an integrated fashion; and barriers to learning, including tacit knowledge and murky intellectual property rights, which can slow the pace of scientific advance. A more suitable anatomy would include increased vertical integration; a smaller number of closer, longer collaborations; an emphasis by universities on sharing rather than patenting scientific discoveries; more cross-disciplinary academic research; and more federal and private funding for translational research, which bridges basic and applied science. With such modifications, science can be a business.
The Effects of Passive Ankle-Foot Orthotic Devices’ Stiffness – Application and Limitation of 2D Inverted Pendulum Gait Model

This paper presents a pilot study for the development of a lumped parameter model that can facilitate the interpretation of gait data and design AFOs. A 2-D kinematic link model was constructed first and then adapted into a lumped parameter model with inverted pendulum approach. A patient with ankle disability was recruited and performed three walks with different ankle stiffness support: no AFO, medium-stiff (3.6 N·m/deg) AFOs, and stiff (4.5 N·m/deg) AFOs. An inertia measurement unit (IMU) system was used to measure the sagittal kinematics of the impaired and unimpaired limbs, and the data collected was used as inputs for the proposed gait model. Good agreement between observed and predicted swing time of the unimpaired side based on given AFO stiffness was achieved.
An Adaptive Green Zone Strategy for Hybrid Electric Vehicle Control

Fine particulate matter exposure is a leading cause of death and disease globally. The transportation sector is responsible for over 50% of fine particulate matter emissions. Governments and vehicle manufacturers are looking to curtail this problem through policy reform and technological development. In this work, we present a new strategy to displace emissions from Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) called Adaptive Green Zone (AGZ) control. When operating in AGZ mode, vehicle controllers optimize for emissions in high-sensitivity areas and optimize for performance and range elsewhere. The vehicle interprets data from local pollution monitors in real-time to determine which driving mode is appropriate for a given location. We developed computational simulations to evaluate the performance of a Honda CR-V that was modified to operate as a PHEV. With AGZ control, vehicle emissions in Green Zones were eliminated with a minimal impact on fuel economy. Future work will continue to expand this concept by studying the effect of AGZ control from multiple vehicles and through physical implementation of AGZ control.
Langmuir probe characterisation of an Ar–H2 non-thermal plasma loaded with carbon nanoparticles

In this contribution, we describe the development of a test-bed for the characterisation of non-thermal dusty plasmas via Langmuir probe. This technique, while allowing the precise determination of plasma parameters and electron energy distribution function (EEDF), is notoriously difficult to apply in dust-forming chemistries. We overcome this limitation by utilising a two-plasmas system in which the particle precursor, in this case acetylene, is fully consumed and converted into nanoparticles in a first plasma reactor, followed by the injection of the dust into a second plasma reactor where the Langmuir probe measurement is performed. This approach allows studying the influence of the variation of process parameters on the dusty plasma properties, all while leaving the nucleation and growth phase of the particles unaffected and fully decoupled from the discharge in which the measurement takes place. We have applied this approach to the case of graphitic carbon nanoparticles dispersed in an argon–hydrogen mixture. We have monitored the quality of the Langmuir probe measurement, and found that it is minimally affected by the presence of the graphitic particles even after several EEDF measurements. Our measurements confirm the unipolar charging of nanoparticles in non-thermal plasmas, consistent with previous observations and theoretical predictions. We also observe an unexpected trend with plasma input power: the charge carried by the particles does not monotonically increase with increased power, instead starts decreasing at sufficiently high input power levels.
Unsupervised Video Object Segmentation with Motion-based Bilateral Networks

In this work, we study the unsupervised video object segmentation problem where moving objects are segmented without prior knowledge of these objects. First, we propose a motion-based bilateral network to estimate the background based on the motion pattern of non-object regions. The bilateral network reduces false positive regions by accurately identifying background objects. Then, we integrate the background estimate from the bilateral network with instance embeddings into a graph, which allows multiple frame reasoning with graph edges linking pixels from different frames. We classify graph nodes by defining and minimizing a cost function, and segment the video frames based on the node labels. The proposed method outperforms previous state-of-the-art unsupervised video object segmentation methods against the DAVIS 2016 and the FBMS-59 datasets.
Looking backward, looking forward

January derives its name from the Roman god Janus, whose two faces look backward into the past and forward into the future.As we look back at the first two years of Toxicology Communications, we se...
Lipoprotein(a) and Risk of Ischemic Stroke in the REGARDS Study.

Objective— Increased Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] is associated with coronary heart disease risk, but links with stroke are less consistent. Blacks have higher Lp(a) levels and stroke incidence than whit...
Robust optimization-based energy management of DC microgrids

Abstract In the restructured power systems, power price in the market can change under different operating conditions of the system, which may impose difficulties for system operators to get optimal scheduling of the system. In order to investigate pernicious effects of any uncertain parameter in the system under study, especially power price, the robust optimization method can be an important tool. In this chapter, the optimal energy management problem of the DC microgrid (MG) is investigated in the presence of power price uncertainty under the demand response (DR) program. To show the impact of the DR program, the problem has been solved in two cases: without- and with-DR cases. The problem has been formulated as the mixed-integer linear programming method and solved using the CPLEX solver in GAMS optimization software. According to obtained results, DC MG is robust against the power price uncertainty.
Epidemiology of Hand and Wrist Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Players from 2009 to 2014: Incidence and Injury Patterns:

Objectives:Participation in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football is at an all-time high. This population experiences a substantial injury burden with many of these injuries affe...
Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of Bioactive Azaspirocycles

Abstract A collection of novel azaspirocyclic β-arylethylamines was prepared in good yield and excellent diastereoselectivity by an expedient strategy that features condensation of a cyclic ketone with an amino allylsilane and a tandem aza-Sakurai cyclization to generate several different spirocyclic N-heterocycles. Subsequent elaboration of the spirocyclic scaffold was achieved via Pictet-Spengler cyclizations, Suzuki cross-coupling reactions, N-functionalizations, and olefin refunctionalization reactions to create a diverse library of compounds, several of which have nanomolar affinity for the sigma 1 receptor and transmembrane protein 97 (TMEM97).
Organizing for collective feminist killjoy geographies in a US university

Amid broader discussions of the continuities of racism and sexism on campuses in the United States, we bring together Sara Ahmed’s notion of the ‘feminist killjoy’ with intersectional feminist geog...
Burn weather and three-dimensional fuel structure determine post-fire tree mortality

Post-fire tree mortality is a spatially structured process driven by interacting factors across multiple scales. However, empirical models of fire-caused tree mortality are generally not spatially explicit, do not differentiate among scales, and do not differentiate immediate from delayed mortality. We aimed to quantify cross-scale linkages between forest structure—including spatial patterns of trees—and the progression of mortality 1–4 years post-fire in terms of rates, causes, and underlying demography. We used data from a long-term study site in the Sierra Nevada, California to build a post-fire tree mortality model predicted by lidar-measured estimates of structure. We calculated structural metrics at scales from individual trees to 90 × 90 m neighborhoods and combined them with metrics for topography, site water balance, and burn weather to predict immediate and delayed post-fire tree mortality. Mortality rates decreased while average diameter of newly killed trees increased each year post-fire. Burn weather predictors as well as interactive terms across scales improved model fit and parsimony. Including landscape-scale information improved finer-scale predictions but not vice versa. The amount of fuel, fuel configuration, and burning conditions predicted total mortality at broader scales while tree group-scale fuel connectivity, tree species fire tolerance, and local stresses predicted the fine-scale distribution, timing, and agents of mortality. Landscape-scale conditions provide the template upon which finer-scale variation in post-fire tree mortality is arranged. Post-fire forest structure is associated with the etiologies of different mortality agents, and so landscape-level heterogeneity is a key part of ecosystem stability and resilience.
Evaluation of Hemodialysis Effect on Pharmacokinetics of Meropenem/Vaborbactam in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Using Modeling and Simulation

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of hemodialysis (HD) on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of meropenem/vaborbactam, an approved beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, and provide the rationale for the recommended timing of meropenem/vaborbactam administration relative to HD in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Population PK models were developed separately for meropenem and vaborbactam in subjects with normal renal function and different degrees of renal impairment, including those receiving HD. Simulations were performed to evaluate the exposure of meropenem and vaborbactam in ESRD patients who received a fixed dose of 0.5 g/0.5 g meropenem/vaborbactam every 12 hours as a 3-hour intravenous infusion under various drug administration schedules relative to HD. The probability of target attainment (PTA) analyses were conducted with pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) targets of meropenem and vaborbactam. Simulations showed that HD reduces the accumulation of vaborbactam, but the exposure of vaborbactam is still above the PK/PD target regardless of whether meropenem/vaborbactam is administered predialysis or postdialysis. For meropenem, drug infusion completed right prior to initiation of HD may substantially reduce exposure leading to poor PTA results. In contrast, drug infusion completed at least 2 hours prior to initiation of HD is not predicted to result in efficacy loss based on PTA analysis. The results of simulation indicate that meropenem/vaborbactam infusion completed at least 2 hours prior to initiation of HD or administered immediately after the end of HD can avoid potential efficacy loss in ESRD patients.
The capacity of the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment to integrate inflammation signaling conveys a shorter disease-free interval

Ovarian cancer has one of the highest deaths to incidence ratios across all cancers. Initial chemotherapy is typically effective, but most patients will develop chemo-resistant disease. Mechanisms driving clinical chemo-response and -resistance in ovarian cancer are not well understood. However, achieving optimal surgical cytoreduction improves survival, and cytoreduction is improved by neoadjuvant platinum/taxane-based chemotherapy (NACT). NACT offers a window to profile pre- versus post-therapy tumor specimens, which we used to identify chemotherapy-induced changes to the tumor microenvironment. We hypothesized changes in the immune microenvironment correlate with tumor chemo-response and disease progression. We obtained matched pre- and post-NACT archival tumor tissues from patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (patient n=6). We measured mRNA levels of 770 genes (NanoString) and performed reverse phase protein array (RPPA) on a subset of matched tumors. We examined cytokine levels in additional pre-NACT ascites samples (n=39) by multiplex ELISA. A tissue microarray with 128 annotated ovarian tumors expanded the transcriptional, RPPA, and cytokine data by multi-spectral immunohistochemistry. In NanoString analyses, transcriptional profiles segregated based on pre- and post-NACT status. The most upregulated gene post-NACT was IL6 (17.1-fold, adjusted p = 0.045). RPPA data were highly concordant with mRNA, consistent with elevated immune infiltration. Elevated IL-6 in pre-NACT ascites specimens correlated with a shorter time to recurrence. Integrating NanoString, RPPA, and cytokine studies identified an activated inflammatory signaling network and induced IL6 and IER3 (Immediate Early Response 3) post-NACT, associated with poor chemo-response and decreased time to recurrence. Taken together, multi-omic profiling of ovarian tumor samples before and after NACT provides unique insight into chemo-induced changes to the tumor and microenvironment. We integrated transcriptional, proteomic, and cytokine data and identified a novel IL-6/IER3 signaling axis through increased inflammatory signaling which may drive ovarian cancer chemo-resistance.
Recent progress in dynamic covalent chemistries for liquid crystal elastomers

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have recently shown great potential in the applications of soft robotics, biomedical devices, active morphing structures, self-regulating systems and biomimetic demonstrations. Physical properties of LCEs highly depend on their crosslinking and the alignment of mesogens in the polymer network. Different strategies have been adopted to control and program the alignment of mesogens in LCEs over the recent decades, including stretching a loosely crosslinked LCE during its second-step crosslinking reaction, application of a strong magnetic or electrical field onto an LCE during its crosslinking process, and crosslinking a LCE thin film on the top of a surface with predesigned molecular texture. In the most recent decade, dynamic covalent bonds, which can undergo exchange reactions with or without external stimuli, have been introduced into LCEs to enable facile programing of mesogen orientation in the elastomer. In addition to the programmability, the LCEs with dynamic covalent bonds have also shown great recyclability, self-healing abilities and reprogrammability. In this article, we will review the recent progress in the synthesis, programming and application of LCEs with dynamic covalent bonds. We will also discuss the challenges and research opportunities in the field.
Guided relaxation-based virtual reality versus distraction-based virtual reality or passive control for postoperative pain management in children and adolescents undergoing Nuss repair of pectus excavatum: protocol for a prospective, randomized, controlled trial (FOREVR Peds trial)

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) offers an innovative method to deliver nonpharmacological pain management. Distraction-based VR (VR-D) using immersive games to redirect attention has shown short-term pain reductions in various settings. To create lasting pain reduction, VR-based strategies must go beyond distraction. Guided relaxation-based VR (VR-GR) integrates pain-relieving mind-body based guided relaxation with VR, a novel therapy delivery mechanism. The primary aim of this study is to assess the impact of daily VR-GR, VR-D, and 360 video (passive control) on pain intensity and opioid consumption. We will also assess the impact of these interventions on pain unpleasantness, anxiety, and benzodiazepine consumption. The secondary aim of this study will assess the impact of psychological factors (anxiety sensitivity, pain catastrophizing) on pain following VR. Methods and analysis: This is a single center, prospective, randomized, clinical trial. Ninety children/adolescents, ages 8 to 18 years, presenting for Nuss repair of pectus excavatum will be randomized to 1 of 3 study arms (VR-GR, VR-D, 360 video). Patients will use the Starlight Xperience (Google Daydream) VR suite for 10-minutes. Patients randomized to VR-GR (n=30) will engage in guided relaxation/mindfulness with the Aurora application. Patients randomized to VR-D (n=30) will play 1 of 3 distraction-based games, and those randomized to the 360 video (n=30) will watch the Aurora application without audio instructions or sound. Primary outcomes are pain intensity and opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes include pain unpleasantness, anxiety, and benzodiazepine consumption. Ethics and dissemination: This study follows SPIRIT guidelines. The protocol was approved by the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center Institutional Review Board. The trial has not yet begun recruiting (recruitment to begin July 2020). Written informed consent will be obtained for all participants. All information acquired will be disseminated via scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04351776, registered April 3, 2020.
The Surveillance Society and the Third-Party Privacy Problem

This Article examines a question that has become increasingly important in the emerging surveillance society: Should the law treat information as private even though others know about it? This is the third-party privacy problem. Part II explores two competing conceptions of privacy — the binary and contextual conceptions. Part III describes two features of the emerging surveillance society that should change the way we address the third-party privacy problem. One feature, “surveillance on demand,” results from exponential increases in data collection and aggregation. The other feature, “uploaded lives,” reflects a revolution in the type and amount of information that we share digitally. Part IV argues that the binary conception cannot protect privacy in the surveillance society because it fails to account for the new realities of surveillance on demand and uploaded lives. Finally, Part V illustrates how courts and legislators can implement the contextual conception to deal with two emerging surveillance society problems — facial recognition technology and geolocation data.
Diverse Functional Autoantibodies in Patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 manifests with a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes that are characterized by exaggerated and misdirected host immune responses1-6. Although pathological innate immune activation is well-documented in severe disease1, the effect of autoantibodies on disease progression is less well-defined. Here we use a high-throughput autoantibody discovery technique known as rapid extracellular antigen profiling7 to screen a cohort of 194 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, comprising 172 patients with COVID-19 and 22 healthcare workers with mild disease or asymptomatic infection, for autoantibodies against 2,770 extracellular and secreted proteins (members of the exoproteome). We found that patients with COVID-19 exhibit marked increases in autoantibody reactivities as compared to uninfected individuals, and show a high prevalence of autoantibodies against immunomodulatory proteins (including cytokines, chemokines, complement components and cell-surface proteins). We established that these autoantibodies perturb immune function and impair virological control by inhibiting immunoreceptor signalling and by altering peripheral immune cell composition, and found that mouse surrogates of these autoantibodies increase disease severity in a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our analysis of autoantibodies against tissue-associated antigens revealed associations with specific clinical characteristics. Our findings suggest a pathological role for exoproteome-directed autoantibodies in COVID-19, with diverse effects on immune functionality and associations with clinical outcomes.
Does the Structure and Composition of the Board Matter? The Case of Nonprofit Organizations

This article discusses some of the key differences in board behavior between nonprofit organizations and for-profit firms using a relatively new dataset from New York City nonprofits. We provide evidence on the broader role that nonprofit boards play for their organizations and then give some suggestive results on the relationship between board structure and composition, and individual board member performance. The results provide some evidence that the executive directors of nonprofits may use their power to push boards toward fundraising in place of monitoring activity. Using a fixed-effects framework, we also find no systematic relationship between board personal demographics and performance, although both tenure on a board and multiple board service do seem In the last few years there has been considerable work in the area of governance, focusing principally on the relationship between board composition and the performance of for-profit, publicly traded corporations. In contrast, the empirical economics literature has given little attention to governance among nonprofits, though it is well known that within this sector, governance has a heightened role (see, e.g., Fama and Jensen, 1983; Hansmann, 1980; and Ben-Ner and Van Hoomissen, 1994). This article uses data from a rich new survey on New York City nonprofits to lay out some of the key structural and behavioral differences in the for-profit and nonprofit board, and then provides some preliminary empirical results focusing on the relationship between board structure and individual director characteristics, and specific board behavior.
Urinary arsenic and relative telomere length in 5-7 year old children in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND Telomere length has been associated with the occurrence and progression of common chronic and age-related diseases, and in younger populations, may represent a biomarker of disease susceptibility. Early childhood is a critical period for telomere biology as this period is characterized by a rapid decline in telomere length due to a large turnover of highly proliferative cells and may represent a period of unique sensitivity to environmental insults. Arsenic (As) exposure has been associated with both telomere lengthening and shortening in adults and children and some evidence suggests the effects may differ by level and timing of exposure. OBJECTIVES Given the lack of clarity across studies, we investigated the association between urinary As and leukocyte telomere length among 476 five- to seven-year-old children enrolled in the Bangladesh Environmental Research in Children's Health (BiRCH) cohort. METHODS In a series of multivariable models, adjusted for key covariates, we examined associations between urinary As and relative telomere length (RTL) of whole blood DNA. RESULTS We observed small but consistent, negative associations between urinary As and RTL, such that a doubling of urinary As was associated with a -0.017 (95% CI: -0.030, -0.005; p = 0.0056) decrease in RTL, in fully adjusted models. We also observed a somewhat stronger inverse relationship between urinary As concentration and RTL among children born to fathers ≥ 30 years of age at the time of birth, than those < 30 years; however, we did not observe a statistically significant interaction. DISCUSSION Our study suggests that As influences RTL, with detectable associations in early to mid-childhood. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and investigate the potential long-term impacts of telomere shortening in childhood on later life health outcomes. Additional studies exploring how dose and timing of exposure may relate to RTL are critical to understanding As's relationship to telomere length.
The applications of meshfree particle methods at the nanoscale

Since meshfree particle methods are beneficial in simulating the problems involving extremely large deformations, fractures, etc., these methods become attractive options in multiscale modeling, especially when approaching a large number of atoms. In this paper, we propose preliminary research on applying meshfree particle methods to solve nanoscale problems. A quasicontinuum technique, i.e. the Cauchy-Born rule, is implemented into the meshfree particle methods so continuum approaches for large deformation problems or fracture problems at the nanoscale can be performed. Furthermore, the meshfree particle methods can be coupled with molecular dynamics via the bridging domain coupling technique. The examples show that the meshfree particle methods can benefit either hierarchical or concurrent multiscale modeling at the nanoscale.
Three-dimensional studies of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat. 3. Specialized neuronal contacts in the neuropil.

Interneuronal contact relationships were investigated by electron microscopy in the neuropil of the rat lateral geniculate nucleus, partly utilizing three-dimensional analysis technique. Specialized contacts composed of (a) V and no-V processes, (b) spines, V, no-V processes and glia and (c) spines, two V processes, one no-V process and glia were described and discussed in relation to morphological features. Morphological characteristics were found distinct for each of the two V process components participating in the most complex type of interneuronal contact. A symmetrical membrane specialization and intracellular content was found to differ for all three components. Contents of V and no-V processes were described and related to previously published data. Also, the ultrastructure of nodes of Ranvier was established using this technique of preparation. Extracellular space at the nodal region was consistently observed. Glia investment was found to be sparser on thinner no-V processes as compared with that on perikarya.
Long-term follow-up of changing practice patterns in breast reconstruction due to increased use of tissue expanders and perforator flaps

Background As the science of breast reconstruction evolves, significant changes in reconstruction strategies and outcomes are expected. The purpose of this study is to determine the changes in breast reconstruction trends and outcomes that occurred at a multidisciplinary academic institution during the last decade. Methods We compared 265 patients over two distinct 6-month intervals separated by 5 years (2002 vs. 2007) and performed long-term follow-up (4.75 ± 3.38 years 2002, 2.99 ± 2.25 years 2007). We studied patients seeking prophylactic mastectomy, patients with early breast cancer, and patients with locally advanced disease. We analyzed demographic data, breast cancer history and treatment, type and timing of reconstruction, and complications. Results Implant to flap reconstruction ratio was 48:49 in 2002 and 76:102 in 2007. Use of transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap declined from 57 to 4%; conversely, deep inferior epigastric perforator flap increased from 27 to 91% (P < 0.001). Correspondingly, donor site chronic pain (4 vs. 0, P = 0.012) and postoperative abdominal wall bulge (9 vs. 3, P = 0.004) rates decreased. Timing of reconstruction showed increased staged cases in 2007 compared to 2002 (P = 0.045). Post-final reconstruction radiation therapy was reduced in 2007 (P = 0.016), with subsequent lower rates of implant rupture (P < 0.001). Conclusions At our institution and over the last decade, increasing staged reconstructions have successfully reduced the rates of post-final reconstruction radiotherapy with optimized outcomes. Contrary to national trends, the rates of autologous flap reconstructions have increased with reduced donor site morbidity. This suggests that academic breast reconstruction trends are independent from national trends. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 34:595–601, 2014.
CLAM: Composition Language for Autonomous Megamodules

Advances in computer networks that support the invocation of remote services in heterogeneous environments enable new levels of software composition. In order to manage composition at such a high level we envision a need for purely compositional languages. We introduce the CLAM composition language, a megaprogramming language. By breaking up the traditional CALL statement the CLAM language focuses on the asynchronous composition of large-scale, autonomous modules. Furthermore the language has the capability to support various optimizations that are specific to software composition.
Silent celiac disease activated by pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Diarrhea and weight loss are common after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and arise from varying etiologies. An uncommon but important cause for these symptoms is the postoperative activation of silent celiac disease. We sought to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of a series of patients with silent celiac disease unmasked after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and to summarize the existing case reports on this association. A search of the electronic medical record at our institution was performed cross-referencing terms associated with celiac disease and pancreaticoduodenectomy for the years 1976–2004. Cases were then reviewed to ensure that no signs or symptoms attributable to celiac disease were present preoperatively. Seven patients were identified; five were male, and the median age was 56. All patients underwent surgery for a presumed pancreatic or ampullary malignancy. Six patients developed symptoms ultimately attributable to celiac disease immediately after pancreaticoduodenectomy, most commonly diarrhea and weight loss. A single patient had silent celiac disease incidentally diagnosed at pancreaticoduodenectomy that remained silent postoperatively on an unrestricted diet. Symptoms completely resolved in 4 of 6 patients after initiation of a gluten-free diet, with partial improvement in the remaining 2 patients. The median delay from pancreaticoduodenectomy to diagnosis of celiac disease in the 6 symptomatic patients was 6 months. Clinicians should consider celiac disease as a potential diagnosis in patients with failure to thrive and diarrhea after pancreaticoduodenectomy. This entity is uncommon, but may be underrecognized. The underlying mechanism may relate to an increased antigenic load secondary to postsurgical changes in intestinal physiology.
Prostate cancer: Molecular approaches for detection and prognosis, and angiogenic therapeutic targets

Abstract Molecular approaches to early detection and prognostic determination of prostate cancer aggressiveness using proteomic, genomic, and immunomic arrays, as well as systemic anti-angiogenic therapy, in those patients with high-risk prostate cancer is discussed in this special issue. Recent translational advances and clinical outcomes are discussed in this issue, which will hopefully help in the development of better, more specific treatment options for those patients with currently incurable hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Molecular tumor assessment in combination with anti-angiogenic therapies in prostate cancer has come of age.
Equilibrium shape of a buoyant particle

The equilibrium shape of a small particle on a substrate where the particle can sink into the substrate is evaluated.