cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biocontrol and Bioremediation: Two Areas of Endophytic Research Which Hold Great Promise

Research into the beneficial use of endophytic organisms has dramatically increased worldwide in recent years. Endophytes are typically bacteria or fungi which colonize the internal tissues of plant hosts without causing visible negative effects. Two areas in endophyte research, which hold tremendous positive economic and environmental potential, are biocontrol and bioremediation. Biocontrol, short for biological control is the intentional use of a specific organism or their metabolic by-products to limit the harmful impact of a plant pest. Endophytes due to their unique symbiotic relationships within their hosts have the potential to directly act antagonistically against plant pests. In addition endophytes may also act indirectly against pests, benefitting their hosts by enhancing general plant growth or plant-protection responses, such as in the case of induced systemic resistance. Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms to alter or reduce the toxic impact of pollutants through various forms of metabolic activity. Microorganisms, in part due to their short life spans, can adapt relatively fast to environmental pollutants. Endophytes with these adaptations can in some cases provide their hosts with the capability to remediate their surrounding microenvironments. In this review, we will explore recent advances made in the promising areas of biocontrol and bioremediation research.
Interrupted time series design to evaluate the effect of the ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM coding transition on injury hospitalization trends

Implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) in the U.S. on October 1, 2015 was a significant policy change with the potential to affect established injury morbidity trends. This study used data from a single state to demonstrate 1) the use of a statistical method to estimate the effect of this coding transition on injury hospitalization trends, and 2) interpretation of significant changes in injury trends in the context of the structural and conceptual differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM, the new ICD-10-CM-specific coding guidelines, and proposed ICD-10-CM-based framework for reporting of injuries by intent and mechanism. Segmented regression analysis was used for statistical modeling of interrupted time series monthly data to evaluate the effect of the transition to ICD-10-CM on Kentucky hospitalizations’ external-cause-of-injury completeness (percentage of records with principal injury diagnoses supplemented with external-cause-of-injury codes), as well as injury hospitalization trends by intent or mechanism, January 2012–December 2017. The segmented regression analysis showed an immediate significant drop in external-cause-of-injury completeness during the transition month, but returned to its pre-transition levels in November 2015. There was a significant immediate change in the percentage of injury hospitalizations coded for unintentional (3.34%) and undetermined intent (− 3.39%). There were immediate significant changes in the level of injury hospitalization rates due to poisoning, suffocation, struck by/against, other transportation, unspecified mechanism, and other specified not elsewhere classifiable mechanism. Significant change in slope after the transition (without immediate level change) was identified for assault, firearm, cut/pierce, and motor vehicle traffic injury rates. The observed trend changes reflected structural and conceptual features of ICD-10-CM coding (e.g., poisoning and suffocations are now captured via diagnosis codes only), new coding guidelines (e.g., requiring coding of injury intent as “accidental” if it is unknown or unspecified), and CDC proposed external-cause-of-injury code groupings by injury intent and mechanism. Researchers can replicate this methodology assessing trends in injuries or other ICD-10-CM-coded conditions using administrative billing data sets. The CDC ‘s Proposed Framework for Presenting Injury Data Using ICD-10-CM External Cause of Injury Codes provided a logical transition from the ICD-9-CM-based matrix on injury hospitalization trends by intent and mechanism. Our findings are intended to raise awareness that changes in the ICD-10-CM coding system must be understood to assure accurate interpretation of injury trends.
Uric Acid and Acute Kidney Injury in the Critically Ill

Rationale & Objective Uric acid is excreted by the kidney and accumulates in acute kidney injury (AKI). Whether higher plasma uric acid level predisposes to AKI or its complications is not known. Study Design Prospective observational cohort study. Setting & Participants 2 independent cohorts of critically ill patients: (1) 208 patients without AKI admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Brigham & Women's Hospital between October 2008 and December 2016; and (2) 250 participants with AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) who had not yet initiated RRT enrolled in the Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) Study. Exposure Plasma uric acid level upon ICU admission and before RRT initiation in the ICU and ATN Study cohorts, respectively. Outcomes Incident AKI and 60-day mortality in the ICU and ATN Study cohorts, respectively. Analytical Approach Logistic regression models were used to test the association of plasma uric acid level with incident AKI and 60-day mortality. Results In the ICU cohort, median plasma uric acid level was 4.7 (interquartile range [IQR], 3.6-6.4) mg/dL, and 40 patients (19.2%) developed AKI. Higher plasma uric acid levels associated with incident AKI, but this association was confounded by serum creatinine level and was not significant after multivariable adjustment (adjusted OR per doubling of uric acid, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.80-2.81). In the ATN Study cohort, median plasma uric acid level was 11.1 (IQR, 8.6–14.2) mg/dL, and 125 participants (50.0%) died within 60 days. There was no statistically significant association between plasma uric acid levels and 60-day mortality in either unadjusted models or after multivariable adjustment for demographic, severity-of-illness, and kidney-specific covariates (adjusted OR per doubling of uric acid, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.71-1.86). Limitations Heterogeneity of ICU patients. Conclusions Plasma uric acid levels upon ICU admission or before RRT initiation are not independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes in critically ill patients.
Relationship in Stepfamilies: An Examination of Alliances*

Stepfamily relationships described in terms of “alliances” between family members are examined through comparison of the family lives of stepfamilies with those of nonstepfamilies. The definition o...
Forecasting the Onset of Traffic Congestions on Circular Roads

Study of traffic flow dynamics has a long tradition. However, predicting traffic jams before they occur is still a challenge. In this paper, we introduce recently developed tools of tipping point forecasting in complex systems, namely early warning indicators and bifurcation forecasting methods, and investigate their application to predict traffic jams on a circular road. The main advantage of the proposed methods is that they are model-free. The methods are based on exploiting the phenomenon of critical slowing down which occurs in dynamical systems near certain types of bifurcations, such as traffic jams. One can forecast the onset of traffic jams and the dynamics of the traffic after the bifurcation by using a few traffic measurements before the tipping point occurs. The measurements required for forecasting are recorded dynamical features of the system such as headways between cars in traffic, velocity or accelerations of each car. Forecasting approaches are applied to several simulated and experimental traffic flow conditions. Results show that one can successfully predict the onset of traffic jams and the traffic dynamics after this critical point using the proposed approaches while no model of the system is required.
Comparison and Refinement of Integrated Pest Management Tactics for Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Management in Apple Orchards.

Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) has been managed primarily with broad-spectrum insecticides in orchard systems. Recently, IPM techniques have been developed specifically for managing H. halys in apple orchards to reduce insecticide inputs and take advantage of its perimeter-driven behavior. In 2015 and 2016, we compared these IPM tactics to one another and an untreated control to measure differences in overall crop protection and insecticide inputs. Tactics included trap-based threshold-triggered spray applications, perimeter-based attract-and-kill (AK) trees treated every 7- and 14-d, and perimeter spray applications applied every 7- and 14-d. All plots were monitored with baited black pyramid traps deployed in plot interiors. In both years, mean number of H. halys captured in untreated control plot traps was significantly greater than plots managed using IPM tactics. In 2015, significantly more insecticide applications were made in 7- and 14-d perimeter and AK plots compared with trap-based threshold plots. There was no significant difference in the percentage of injured fruit in plot interiors among IPM tactics; all were significantly lower than the control. In 2016, significantly more insecticide applications were made in 7-d perimeter spray and AK plots compared with all other treatments. Significantly less injury was detected in plot interiors for 7- and 14-d perimeter and trap-based threshold plots compared with the control and 7- and 14-d AK plots. Although all IPM tactics reduced H. halys injury in apples using a trap-based treatment threshold required fewer insecticide inputs and only during brief periods of the season, while all others required season-long maintenance.
Control of ovarian follicle development by TGF-β family signaling

The reproductive lifespan of female mammals is limited and ultimately depends on the production of a sufficient number of high quality oocytes from a pool of non-growing primordial follicles that are set aside during embryonic and perinatal development. Recent studies show multiple signaling pathways are responsible for maintaining primordial follicle arrest and regulation of activation. Identification of these pathways and their regulatory mechanisms is essential for developing novel treatments for female infertility, improving existing in vitro fertilization techniques, and more recently, restoring the function of cryopreserved ovarian tissue. This review focuses on recent developments in transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) family signaling in ovarian follicle development and its potential application to therapeutic design. Mouse models have been an essential tool for discovering genes critical for fertility, and recent advancements in human organ culture have additionally allowed for the translation of murine discoveries into human research and clinical settings.
Dysbiosis-Induced Secondary Bile Acid Deficiency Promotes Intestinal Inflammation

Few microbes are capable of converting primary bile acids (PBAs) to secondary bile acids (SBAs), which are some of the most common intestinal metabolites. To evaluate the role of bile acids in intestinal inflammation, we performed metabolomic, bacterial, and transcriptomic profiling of stool from pouches (surgically-created “rectums”) in colectomy-treated patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—namely ulcerative colitis (UC)—versus colectomy-treated controls without IBD. We show reductions in the most abundant gut SBAs, the expression of genes needed to perform conversion of PBAs to SBAs, and number of Ruminococcaceae (one of only a few taxa known to include select bacteria able to create SBAs) present in UC compared to control pouches. In a murine colitis model, we show that reconstitution with deficient SBAs reduced intestinal inflammation. These data suggest that dysbiosis induces a SBA deficiency that may promote a pro-inflammatory state and that their restoration may treat intestinal inflammation.
Italian uses of Orientalism from the Risorgimento to fascism

Italians, and particularly southern Italians, have often been on the receiving end of Orientalist and Orientalizing representations. Over the centuries, thousands of northern European travellers go...
Efficiency and Conservativism.

The concept of "efficiency" plays a central role in law and economics. Yet despite its centrality, some basic questions about the nature of this efficiency idea remain obscure. The argument of this article can be briefly stated. In Section I, it is argued that we need an efficiency norm to capture the fundamental idea of avoiding waste, or a sacrifice of one good thing that is not a necessary loss in the pursuit of another good thing. An anti-waste ideal is made important more by a plurality of plausible conceptions of distributive justice than by worries about the impracticability of interpersonal utility comparisons. Section II argues that efficiency can indeed be a pragmatically useful norm, if one expands the traditional Pareto criterion of efficiency not in the direction of Kaldor-Hicks efficiency but in the direction of ex ante efficiency. Adopting the rules that the parties rationally would have imposed upon themselves had transaction costs been lower is a procedure that is consonant with a broad array of reasonable views on distributive justice. Section III reconsiders the objections leveled against the idea of Kaldor-Hicks or wealth maximization, and argues that the objections are either invalid or inapplicable to the ex ante efficiency norm. Section IV argues that efficiency is a term that in itself has no particular political orientation, but that the concept nevertheless can serve as a component of a conservative political philosophy, whether one wishes to hold such a philosophy or merely understand it when held by others.
Becoming a Statue

One simple but relatively neglected solution to the notorious coincidence puzzle of the statue and the piece of clay claims that the property of being a statue is a phase sortal property that the p...
Understanding How Hospitals Use Social Media: An Exploratory Study of Facebook Posts

Healthcare organizations such as hospitals and clinics are increasingly embracing social media to communicate with their public audience. In line with this trend, we conducted an exploratory study to understand the major genres of posts that hospitals make on social media. We collected data on 159 Facebook posts made by five major hospitals in the U.S. Then, we thematically analyzed the content of the posts and developed a hierarchical thematic web of content. The results demonstrated that those hospitals primarily use their Facebook pages to announce and/or report on events (e.g., social, health information, charity) and organizational news, share health information, and recognize employees for their contributions and achievements. However, unlike the extant literature, we found little evidence that healthcare institutions utilize social media to recruit employees and volunteers. Our findings along with the thematic web developed in this study provide insights into the current use of social media in the health care context.
The role of contextual stimuli in the blocking paradigm

Two experiments used rats in a conditioned lick-suppression paradigm to investigate the role of contextual stimuli in a traditional blocking paradigm. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the blocking effect could be significantly attenuated by changing contexts between the simple and compound stimulus conditioning phases of the blocking procedure. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the blocking effect could also be attenuated when both phases occurred in the same context as long as substantial context-alone exposure (i.e., extinction) was given between the two training phases. Experiment 2 also showed that the attenuating effects produced by extinguishing the training context could be alleviated if additional footshocks were given in either the training or a novel context, suggesting that context extinction may result in both a weakening of direct context-unconditioned stimulus (US) associations and a degradation of the US memory representation. These findings indicate that contextual associations can play an important role in producing the blocking effect. The potential use of contextual manipulations to distinguish between explanations for blocking deficits shown by animals with hippocampal lesions is discussed.
WE-EF-210-00: Advances in Ultrasound Imaging Technology

Recent advances in ultrasound-related technologies have had a significant impact on enhancing image quality as well as offering new approaches for quantitative ultrasonic imaging and therapeutic applications. The presentations associated with this session will provide an overview of advances in ultrasound image formation, the development of using nanoparticles for therapeutic ultrasound applications, as well as approaches for assessing the intrinsic viscoelastic properties of tissue and methods for monitoring tissue response to therapy. Learning Objectives: 1. Develop a general understanding of new technologies associated with enhanced ultrasound image formation and volume imaging. 2. Develop an understanding of new ultrasound-based technologies for quantitative assessment of intrinsic tissue properties. 3. Develop an understanding of novel approaches for ultrasound-mediated non-invasive therapeutic applications. Dr. Rao is an employee of Siemens Ultrasound
On the Value of Shelf Reading: Exploring Methods Behind and Impact of Inventory Management

In this article the authors explore questions of collection management and consider what methods libraries can use to evaluate the retreivability of an item from a stored collection. A case scenario method is employed to identify potential evaluation scenarios and specific quantitative techniques are considered that fill the evaluative need presented in each case scenario.
Classification of states

In this section the continuous parameter analogues of the main developments of §§ I.3–7 will be given. The corresponding discrete parameter results in Part I will be used; on the other hand the content of this section is independent of §§ II.5–9 except for some casual references to the beginning of § 5.
Geothermal research at the Geo-Heat Center Oregon Institute of Technology

The Geo-Heat Center was established in 1974 to provide information and technical services for geothermal energy direct-use and development-mainly utilizing low- and moderate-temperature resources (<150/spl deg/C). The Center is funded by the Geothermal Division of USDOE. Its main functions are: (1) technical assistance; (2) resource information; (3) advising and referrals; (4) speaker's bureau; (5) tours of geothermal systems; (6) publications; (7) research; and (8) stocking a geothermal library. The Center has developed a "Geothermal direct use engineering and design guidebook" and publishes a free "Quarterly bulletin" on geothermal direct-use projects and research. The Geo-Heat center also has a website. Several of these direct-use research projects are discussed in the paper, including: (a) downhole heat exchangers; (b) a cost comparison of commercial ground-source heat pump systems; (c) a spreadsheet for geothermal energy cost evaluation; (d) utilization of silica waste from geothermal power production; (e) fossil fuel-fired peak heating for geothermal greenhouses; (f) selected cost considerations for the geothermal district heating in existing single-family residential areas; and (g) collocated resources inventory of wells and hot springs in the Western USA.
A Haskell Hosted DSL for Writing Transformation Systems

KURE is a Haskell hosted Domain Specific Language (DSL) for writing transformation systems based on rewrite strategies. When writing transformation systems, a significant amount of engineering effort goes into setting up plumbing to make sure that specific rewrite rules can fire. Systems like Stratego and Strafunski provide most of this plumbing as infrastructure, allowing the DSL user to focus on the rewrite rules. KURE is a strongly typed strategy control language in the tradition of Stratego and Strafunski. It is intended for writing reasonably efficient rewrite systems, makes use of type families to provide a delimited generic mechanism for tree rewriting, and provides support for efficient identity rewrite detection.
What Cascade Spreading Models Can Teach Us about the Brain

The precise relationship between functional and structural connectivity in the brain is not well understood. Research in this area has, so far, mostly remained descriptive. In this issue of Neuron, Misic et al. (2015) forge a promising new direction by modeling the propagation of information as it relates to spatially constrained network properties. From these preliminary results a glimmer of hope in uncovering deep principles of brain organization begins to emerge.
Time dependent gender differences in suicide risk among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.

Two recent studies reported an increased risk of suicide associated with military service in general, but not deployment specifically, among veterans who served during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) [1,2]. In both of these studies [1,2], the suicide rate among males was over three times that of females. This is consistent with suicide rates in the U.S. general population (2003e2009, 18e60 years), where the rate for males is almost four times that for females [3]. However, a recent study reported that female veterans have a larger excess of suicide deaths than male veterans when compared to their nonveteran counterparts [4]. Previous research has identified increased risk of suicide during the first three years after separation from active duty service [1]. Research to date has not addressed whether the pattern of suicide risk by time since separation differs by gender. Accordingly, this study examined gender-specific suicide risk in the period after separation from the military between 2002 and 2011.
Antibody to galactocerebroside alters organization of oligodendroglial membrane sheets in culture

Antibodies to galactocerebroside (GalC) cause major changes in the organization of the membrane sheets elaborated by murine oligodendroglia in culture. Exposure of oligodendroglia to rabbit anti- GalC IgG for 15 min followed by fluoresceinated second antibodies results in patches of surface GalC staining; when second antibodies are applied after 2 hr of anti-GalC, the pattern of staining on membrane sheets is solid and wrinkled. Anti-GalC exposure for 24 hr results in contracted membrane sheets. No membrane contraction is detected in cultures treated with anti-sulfatide IgM or anti-proteolipid protein IgG. In cultures exposed to anti-GalC continuously for 4–7 d, there is a marked decrease in numbers of extended membrane sheets with an accompanying increase in contracted sheets. This effect is reversible upon removal of anti-GalC from the culture media. By scanning electron microscopy, normally flat membrane sheets appear ruffled after 2 hr of anti-GalC treatment; by 24 hr, contracted membrane sheets consist entirely of bulbous protrusions. Oligodendrocyte membranes exposed to anti-sulfatide for 24 hr are not contracted but are covered with bulbous protrusions. The organization of underlying membrane structures was examined in relation to membrane patching and sheet contraction. In membranes with patching induced by exposure to anti-GalC for 15 min, the anti-GalC: GalC complexes are localized over cytoplasmic MBP domains, with the unstained areas located above cytoplasmic microtubular structures. Membrane sheets that are contracted in response to anti-GalC exposure for 6–24 hr show intense GalC staining over microtubular structures. Anti-GalC exposure does not change metabolism of GalC; in cultures incubated with 3H-galactose and anti- GalC for 24 hr, there are no alterations in GalC labeling compared with control cultures. In summary, these results provide direct evidence that interaction between surface glycolipids and external antibodies can initiate a sequence of events leading to dramatic changes within the oligodendrocyte.
Primary Care of Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection The Physician's Perspective

Settings: Community-based primary care practices in six moderate-sized cities in the northeastern United States with at least a moderate incidence or prevalence of reported acquired immunodeficiency syndrome cases. Participants: Thirty community-based primary care physicians who had cared for at least two patients with HIV during the previous 2 years. Main Outcome Measure: Qualitative study designed to provide rich descriptive data. Results: Care of patients with HIV was regarded as part of the scope of primary care, and was perceived to be similar to the care of patients with other chronic illnesses. Many physicians were motivated by personal rewards in taking care of patients, intellectual challenge, and desire to serve the underserved. Most believed that practicing physicians have an ethical obligation to care for all patients, regardless of diagnosis. No one "type" of physician could be identified who provides care to patients with HIV. Conclusions: Primary care physicians can apply their skills in the management of other chronic diseases to the care of patients with HIV. Practicing physicians can find caring for patients with HIV rewarding, stimulating, and enjoyable. Educational programs for physicians need to emphasize psychosocial aspects of HIV care. In addition, physicians need opportunities to recognize and deal effectively with their own emotional responses to the care of patients with HIV.
Adaptive mesh fluid simulations on GPU

Abstract We describe an implementation of compressible inviscid fluid solvers with block-structured adaptive mesh refinement on Graphics Processing Units using NVIDIA’s CUDA. We show that a class of high resolution shock capturing schemes can be mapped naturally on this architecture. Using the method of lines approach with the second order total variation diminishing Runge–Kutta time integration scheme, piecewise linear reconstruction, and a Harten–Lax–van Leer Riemann solver, we achieve an overall speedup of approximately 10 times faster execution on one graphics card as compared to a single core on the host computer. We attain this speedup in uniform grid runs as well as in problems with deep AMR hierarchies. Our framework can readily be applied to more general systems of conservation laws and extended to higher order shock capturing schemes. This is shown directly by an implementation of a magneto-hydrodynamic solver and comparing its performance to the pure hydrodynamic case. Finally, we also combined our CUDA parallel scheme with MPI to make the code run on GPU clusters. Close to ideal speedup is observed on up to four GPUs.
Ice-nucleating active bacteria reduce the cold-hardiness of the freeze-intolerant Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

In laboratory experiments, a freeze-dried concentrated form of the icenucleating active bacteria, Pseudomonas syringae , was used to decrease the supercooling capacity of field-collected diapausing Colorado potato beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). Application of the P. syringae to adult beetles increased their mean supercooling point values from −7.6 ± 0.2°C (untreated) to −3.7 ± 0.1°C (1,000 ppm). No beetles survived cooling to temperatures below their supercooling point, indicating that this species is freeze-intolerant. During tests conducted in 1991 and 1992, the increase in the supercooling point was directly dependent on the amount of P. syringae added to soil containing the beetles. Cumulative freezing distributions indicated that 80% of beetles treated with 100ppm of P. syringae would be expected to freeze and die when exposed to −5°C; in contrast, none or very few of the untreated control beetles would be expected to freeze at this temperature. Other experiments demonstrated that the capacity of P. syringae treatments to increase the supercooling point of the beetles decreased after 2 wk of exposure at 4°C and when experiments were done at 10°C. If delivery systems were developed that would expose adult beetles to ice nucleating agents and preserve their ice nucleating activity until critical low-temperature exposure occurs in mid-winter, these nucleating agents could be used in conjunction with cultural control strategies for increasing winter mortality.
[PSI+] Maintenance Is Dependent on the Composition, Not Primary Sequence, of the Oligopeptide Repeat Domain

[PSI+], the prion form of the yeast Sup35 protein, results from the structural conversion of Sup35 from a soluble form into an infectious amyloid form. The infectivity of prions is thought to result from chaperone-dependent fiber cleavage that breaks large prion fibers into smaller, inheritable propagons. Like the mammalian prion protein PrP, Sup35 contains an oligopeptide repeat domain. Deletion analysis indicates that the oligopeptide repeat domain is critical for [PSI+] propagation, while a distinct region of the prion domain is responsible for prion nucleation. The PrP oligopeptide repeat domain can substitute for the Sup35 oligopeptide repeat domain in supporting [PSI+] propagation, suggesting a common role for repeats in supporting prion maintenance. However, randomizing the order of the amino acids in the Sup35 prion domain does not block prion formation or propagation, suggesting that amino acid composition is the primary determinant of Sup35's prion propensity. Thus, it is unclear what role the oligopeptide repeats play in [PSI+] propagation: the repeats could simply act as a non-specific spacer separating the prion nucleation domain from the rest of the protein; the repeats could contain specific compositional elements that promote prion propagation; or the repeats, while not essential for prion propagation, might explain some unique features of [PSI+]. Here, we test these three hypotheses and show that the ability of the Sup35 and PrP repeats to support [PSI+] propagation stems from their amino acid composition, not their primary sequences. Furthermore, we demonstrate that compositional requirements for the repeat domain are distinct from those of the nucleation domain, indicating that prion nucleation and propagation are driven by distinct compositional features.
Synthesis and characterization of pulsed polymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodes for high-performance electrochemical capacitors

Abstract Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is electrochemically prepared as a film on flexible thin graphite substrate by short galvanic pulse method in organic media. For comparative studies, PEDOT films are also prepared by potentiostatic polymerization method. The nucleation and growth mechanism for PEDOT film polymerized by short current pulses is presented with morphological and structural studies. The growth of PEDOT is continuous during the pulse off period as confirmed by the deposited mass of PEDOT by these two different methods. The SEM studies of pulse polymerized PEDOT films with different pulse on time show the features of highly porous and ridge like structures which help in rapid migration of dopant ClO 4 − ions during the charge and discharge processes. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirm that in the pulse polymerized PEDOT films polymer chains are fully conjugated with the dopant ClO 4 − ions. The electrochemical characterization of PEDOT films show that pulse polymerized PEDOT films exhibited high specific capacitance (126.5 F g −1 ) with an improved energy density and rate kinetics as comparison to the potentiostatically deposited PEDOT films (100 F g −1 ) in aqueous electrolyte.
Dynamic measurement of microfilms and nanofilms of fluids using fluorescence microscopy

The noninvasive measurement of submicron liquid film thicknesses has been one of the greatest challenges in fluid mechanics experiments. Most applications require the time-dependent measurement of thin film thickness as it varies from macroscopic to microscopic dimensions. The current techniques lack resolution and range to capture the complete characteristics of these phenomena. Here, we use fluorescence microscopy as an optical technique to investigate the thickness of micro- and nanofilms as they evolve with time. We show that this technique is capable of measuring film thicknesses on the order of nanometers to millimeters with very high spatial resolution. Experimental examples are provided to demonstrate the various potential applications of this technique.
Computer characterization of tracé alternant and REM sleep patterns in the neonatal EEG by adaptive segmentation--an exploratory study.

The possible utility of the computer technique of adaptive segmentation in the comparative quantitative characterization of trace alternant (TA) and REM sleep in the neonatal EEG has been explored in a pilot study of the EEGs of 3 full-term infants of ages 1, 13 and 23 days. The technique of adaptive segmentation, originally developed by its authors for automatically delimiting and characterizing different types of patterns within the same EEG recording, had previously been found effective for this purpose for normal and abnormal adult EEGs. The same computer program parameter values that had been found to be optimal for segmentation of adult EEGs were also found to be optimal for the neonatal ones, as typified by segmentation or demarcation of the bursts and interburst periods in trace alternant. Adaptive segmentation, in conjunction with clustering of the resulting segments and computation of temporal profiles showing the times of occurrence of the different types of activity in a given phase of sleep together with the mean amplitude and mean frequency of each, supplemented by the respective power spectra, was found to be an effective way of characterizing these EEGs, including certain types of artifact. Further characterization was afforded by statistical summaries of segment durations.
The protective mechanism of thyroidectomy in a rat model of chronic renal failure.

Selective thyroidectomy (Tx) has been shown to attenuate proteinuria and disease progression in models of chronic renal failure (CRF). In this investigation, four groups of Munich-Wistar rats were studied to determine if glomerular dynamics or another renal metabolic consequence of Tx was responsible for the protective effect as measured by 24-hour protein excretion (U PROT ). The groups were TxT 4 , thyroxine-replaced Tx rats with five-sixths nephrectomy; Tx, Tx rats not receiving replacement thyroxine with five-sixths nephrectomy; Txl, Tx rats not receiving replacement thyroxine with five-sixths nephrectomy that were given continuous intraperitoneal isoproterenol to restore systemic and renal hemodynamics; and TxT 4 (C), two-kidney Tx rats receiving replacement thyroxine that served as normal controls. Five-sixths nephrectomy was carried out 2 weeks after Tx, and experiments were carried out 1 week later. Serum T 4 was profoundly reduced and there was failure to gain weight in Tx and Txl rats, despite similar protein intakes in all groups. Cardiac output was reduced in Tx, but was similar in Txl to levels in TxT 4 rats. Whole-kidney glomerular filtration rate was lower in Tx, at 0.145 ± 0.052 mL/min ( P 4 rats (0.317 ± 0.135 mLlmin). Twenty-four-hour urinary protein, which was 129 ± 57 mg in TxT 4 , was reduced in Tx to 9 ± 3 mg ( P 4 . The single-nephron glomerular filtration rates (SNGFR) were elevated in TxT4 and Txl and reduced in Tx, compared with TxT 4 (C). The glomerular plasma flow (QA) and transcapillary hydraulic pressure ( Δ P ¯ ) of 69 ± 16 nL/min and 34 ± 3 mmHg in Tx rats were less than the corresponding values of 141 ± 19 nL/min and 46 ± 6 mmHg in TxT 4 and 197 ± 97 nL/min and 43 ± 4 mmHg in Txl, respectively (both P Δ P ¯ was significantly higher in TxT 4 and Txl than in TxT 4 (C) ( P Δ P ¯ and the log of U PROT ( P A and log of UPROT ( P A was no higher in TxT 4 or Txl than in TxT 4 (C). Glomerular ultrafiltration coefficient was similarly reduced in all five-sixths nephrectomy groups. Proximal tubular fluid reabsorption (J v ), an index of tubular work, was reduced in Tx compared with TxT 4 and Txl ( P v in Txl was not different from that in TxT 4 (C) and there was no correlation between J v and the log of U PROT . It is concluded that both CRF progression and protection by Tx in the 1-week remnant kidney model, as indicated by respective increases and decreases in U PROT , were correlated with Δ P ¯ but not with other determinants of SNGFR or J v . However, another hypothyroid-related metabolic factor cannot be completely excluded in playing a secondary protective role.
Presentation, treatment, and outcome differences between men and women undergoing revascularization or amputation for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease

Objective Prior studies have suggested treatment and outcome disparities between men and women for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease after surgical bypass. Given the recent shift toward endovascular therapy, which has increasingly been used to treat claudication, we sought to analyze sex disparities in presentation, revascularization, amputation, and inpatient mortality. Methods We identified individuals with intermittent claudication and critical limb ischemia (CLI) using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1998 to 2009. We compared presentation at time of intervention (intermittent claudication vs CLI), procedure (open surgery vs percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or stenting vs major amputation), and in-hospital mortality for men and women. Regional and ambulatory trends were evaluated by performing a separate analysis of the State Inpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Databases from four geographically diverse states: California, Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey. Results From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified 1,797,885 patients (56% male) with intermittent claudication (26%) and CLI (74%), who underwent 1,865,999 procedures (41% open surgery, 20% percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or stenting, and 24% amputation). Women were older at the time of intervention by 3.5 years on average and more likely to present with CLI (75.9% vs 72.3%; odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.23; P P P P Conclusions There appears to be a preference to perform endovascular over surgical revascularization among women, who are older and have more advanced disease at presentation. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or stenting continues to be popular and is increasingly being performed in the outpatient setting. Amputation and in-hospital mortality rates have been declining, and women now have lower amputation but higher mortality rates than men. Recent improvements in outcomes are likely the result of a combination of improved medical management and risk factor reduction.
Abstract 30: The epidemiology of triple-negative breast cancer: A review.

Background: Molecular profiling of breast tumors has enhanced our knowledge of the heterogeneity of breast cancer, including the identification of subtypes associated with differences in prognosis. However, the etiology of these intrinsic subtypes remains unknown. The triple-negative subtype accounts for 10-25% of breast tumors and is most common among African-American and premenopausal women. The purpose of this review was to summarize the existing literature on the risk factors for triple-negative disease. Methods: Epidemiologic studies published between January 2000 and December 2011 that reported subtype-specific effect measure estimates for hormonal and other breast cancer risk factors in case-only or case-control analyses were included. A total of 20 studies from 17 populations met our pre-specified inclusion criteria. Results: Compared to luminal A, triple-negative cases were more likely to have younger age at menarche, higher parity, shorter duration of breastfeeding, and increased premenopausal body mass. Case-control data suggest that there may be positive associations between parity, premenopausal body mass and risk of triple-negative disease, while inverse associations were observed for age at first term full-term pregnancy. Conclusions: Our review confirms that risk factor profiles may vary by subtype; although we were unable to draw definitive conclusions regarding all hormonal risk factors and risk of triple-negative disease. Impact: Because this subtype represents a small proportion of tumors, collaborative efforts should be undertaken to precisely evaluate potential associations. In addition, future investigations should focus on enrolling a greater number of African-American participants, as this population is underrepresented in the majority of current studies. Citation Format: Lauren E. McCullough, Leila Family, Katie M. O'Brien, Hilda Razzaghi, Danielle M. Backes, Irina Mordukhovich, Paul L. Reiter, Andrew F. Olshan. The epidemiology of triple-negative breast cancer: A review. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Post-GWAS Horizons in Molecular Epidemiology: Digging Deeper into the Environment; 2012 Nov 11-14; Hollywood, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(11 Suppl):Abstract nr 30.
Subdifferential Calculus Using ϵ-Subdifferentials

In applications of convex analysis it is important to be able to calculate the subdifferentials of various combinations of (proper and lower semicontinuous) convex functions, such as the sum of two such functions, or their inf-convolution ("epi-sum"), as well as the pre-composition of a convex function with an affine map or the "marginal" function obtained from a convex function and a linear map. The classical formulas for such calculations all require additional hypotheses, same of which may be difficult to check or are not always satisfied in a given variational problem. In this paper we present formulas for the subdifferentials of such combinations without assuming any additional hypotheses, by utilizing ϵ-subdifferentials. This wider applicability comes at the price of somewhat more complicated formulas.
On preventing the extinction of the physician-scientist in pediatric pulmonology.

While the founders of Pediatric Pulmonology recognized the necessity of research as a vital part of the developing sub-specialty, the field has struggled to develop and maintain physician-scientists and investigators. The clinical growth in Pediatric Pulmonology has resulted in significant challenges in career development faced by physician-scientists who aim to establish or maintain independent investigative programs. Such challenges may only be overcome with changes in how both trainees and established physician-scientists in Pediatric Pulmonology are supported.
Cournot duopoly with two production periods

Abstract We modify the Cournot model by allowing for two production periods before the market clears. The firms choose outputs simultaneously in the first period. These outputs become common knowledge and then the firms choose how much more to produce in the second period before the market clears. Any outcome on the outer envelope of the best-response functions between and including the firms' smallest Stackelberg outcomes is sustainable as a subgame perfect Nash equilibrium.
Effects of age on patterns of enzyme adaptation in male and female rats.

Summary Age-dependent changes in the response patterns of serine dehydratase, ornithine aminotransferase, and glucose-6-phosphatase were studied in female and in male rats, by exposing these animals to dietary changes alone or in conjunction with glucocorticoid treatment. A general impairment of responsiveness in older animals was found. As an exception, serine dehydratase in older males showed a delayed response to glucocorticoid but ultimately attained the maximal enzyme level seen in younger animals. Patterns of age-dependent enzyme adaptation are more complex and diverse than was presumed previously. This diversity should be taken into consideration in the search for a molecular basis for the phenomenon of adaptive impairment with age.
Targeting single-walled carbon nanotubes for the treatment of breast cancer using photothermal therapy.

This paper focuses on the targeting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for the treatment of breast cancer with minimal side effects using photothermal therapy. The human protein annexin V (AV) binds specifically to anionic phospholipids expressed externally on the surface of tumour cells and endothelial cells that line the tumour vasculature. A 2 h incubation of the SWNT-AV conjugate with proliferating endothelial cells followed by washing and near-infrared (NIR) irradiation at a wavelength of 980 nm was enough to induce significant cell death; there was no significant cell death with irradiation or the conjugate alone. Administration of the same conjugate i.v. in BALB/c female mice with implanted 4T1 murine mammary at a dose of 0.8 mg SWNT kg(-1) and followed one day later by NIR irradiation of the tumour at a wavelength of 980 nm led to complete disappearance of implanted 4T1 mouse mammary tumours for the majority of the animals by 11 days since the irradiation. The combination of the photothermal therapy with the immunoadjuvant cyclophosphamide resulted in increased survival. The in vivo results suggest the SWNT-AV/NIR treatment is a promising approach to treat breast cancer.
Escherichia coli DNA adenine methyltransferase: intrasite processivity and substrate-induced dimerization and activation.

Methylation of GATC sites in Escherichia coli by DNA adenine methyltransferase (EcoDam) is essential for proper DNA replication timing, gene regulation, and mismatch repair. The low cellular concentration of EcoDam and the high number of GATC sites in the genome (∼20000) support the reliance on methylation efficiency-enhancing strategies such as extensive intersite processivity. Here, we present evidence that EcoDam has evolved other unique mechanisms of activation not commonly observed with restriction−modification methyltransferases. EcoDam dimerizes on short, synthetic DNA, resulting in enhanced catalysis; however, dimerization is not observed on large genomic DNA where the potential for intersite processive methylation precludes any dimerization-dependent activation. An activated form of the enzyme is apparent on large genomic DNA and can also be achieved with high concentrations of short, synthetic substrates. We suggest that this activation is inherent on polymeric DNA where either multiple GATC sit...
Stoichiometries of protein-protein/DNA binding and conformational changes for the transition-state regulator AbrB measured by pseudo cell-size exclusion chromatography-mass spectrometry.

We have developed on-line pseudo cell-size exclusion chromatography−mass spectrometry (PsC-SEC−MS) for the rapid, real time analyses of noncovalently bound protein complexes. The methodology can be used to determine constituent components of such complexes, as well as exact stoichiometries. Furthermore, it enables the efficient determination of gross conformational changes upon complexation. The power of the new approach is demonstrated in the analysis of the global transition-state regulator AbrB and its complex with a target DNA sequence from the promoter sinIR. Using PsC-SEC−MS, we confirm that AbrB is assembled as a homotetramer and not as a homohexamer as previously suggested. Additionally, we show that AbrB binds to the sinIR DNA target element as a homotetramer, affording a 4:1 protein:DNA stoichiometry. Finally, we demonstrate that when the complex binds to sinIR, the hydrodynamic volume (size) of the complex is notably reduced compared to that of the apoprotein, indicating a protein conformationa...
Nitrification in paleocene shale.

Exchangeable ammonium nitrogen is present in Paleocene (Fort Union) shale below a depth of 10 meters in North Dakota and eastern Montana. Above 10 meters, exchangeable ammonium nitrogen is nitrified in situ. The lack of viable nitrifying organisms and the probable lack of oxygen prevent in situ nitrification below 10 meters. Shale samples incubated at 27°C under nonsterile conditions or shales exposed to atmospheric contamination exhibited active nitrification without additional treatment.