cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epimerase and Reductase Activities of Polyketide Synthase Ketoreductase Domains Utilize the Same Conserved Tyrosine and Serine Residues

The role of the conserved active site tyrosine and serine residues in epimerization catalyzed by polyketide synthase ketoreductase (PKS KR) domains has been investigated. Both mutant and wild-type forms of epimerase-active KR domains, including the intrinsically redox-inactive EryKR3° and PicKR3° as well as redox-inactive mutants of EryKR1, were incubated with [2-2H]-(2R,3S)-2-methyl-3-hydroxypentanoyl-SACP ([2-2H]-2) and 0.05 equiv of NADP+ in the presence of the redox-active, epimerase-inactive EryKR6 domain. The residual epimerase activity of each mutant was determined by tandem equilibrium isotope exchange, in which the first-order, time-dependent washout of isotope from 2 was monitored by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry with quantitation of the deuterium content of the diagnostic pantetheinate ejection fragment (4). Replacement of the active site Tyr or Ser residues, alone or together, significantly reduced the observed epimerase activity of each KR domain with minimal effect on substr...
Clinical chemistry alterations in pregnancy and oral contraceptive use.

In this study the effects of pregnancy and oral contraceptive (OC) use on plasma glucose concentrations hepatic renal and thyroid function tests and their relationships to plasma lipoprotein lipids after an overnight fast are compared. Observations were made in 546 pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation 56 women using OC hormones and 77 women not using sex hormones. All subjects were randomly selected from defined populations. Compared with nonpregnant women not using hormones median plasma glucose concentrations are 3% lower with OC use and 17% lower in pregnancy. Plasma total bilirubin concentrations are lowered by similar amounts in OC users (29%) and in pregnancy (32%). Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase is slightly lower among hormone users (9%) but is significantly higher (27%) in pregnancy. Alkaline phosphatase is significantly lower in OC users (23%) but is higher in pregnancy (86%). Serum globulin concentrations are unaffected by pregnancy or OC use. Compared with nonusers thyroxine is 30% higher in OC users and 100% higher during pregnancy. Serum creatinine is unaffected by sex steroid use but is 28% lower in pregnancy. Associations of these test results with plasma hormone concentrations corroborate hormonal mechanisms and suggest that some alkaline phosphatase and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase come from the placenta. Relationship of these clinical measurements to lipoprotein lipids in pregnancy are generally weak and do not point to important controlling relationships but effects similar to those seen in nonpregnant subjects are seen with hyperglycemia (associated with elevated triglyceride) and elevated thyroxine levels (associated with lower cholesterol and triglyceride). Percentile distributions of these clinical chemistry measurements are presented for reference and clinical use. (authors)
Spore Germination in the Myxomycete Fuligo Septica: Evidence for the Existence of a Soluble Autocatalytic Factor

Fuligo septica spores in mass suspensions germinate with logarithmic kinetics, indicating that spore germination is a complex, controlled phenomenon and not random. Spores germinate at higher rates...
Ultra-Violet Photomicrography of Muscle

SummaryBy means of an improved technic of ultra-violet light microscopy described in an earlier communication, it has been possible to obtain photomicrographs of muscle which reveal structures heretofore not seen by technics which employed stained sections and photography in visible light. The photomicrographs have been produced from sections of muscle fixed and embedded in the manner usually employed by cytologists and pathologists for microscopy of stained tissue, and cut at 5 μ on an ordinary laboratory microtome.
Enterprise mobility: Researching a new paradigm

The proliferation of mobile information and communication technologies has led to a profound change in the way people work, communicate, and collaborate and conduct business. However, businesses today are just beginning to recognize the importance and potentially transformative impact of enterprise mobility. While the concept of enterprise mobility continues to emerge in the management and technology literatures, it is still not well understood. This special issue brings together global, multi-disciplinary perspectives from leading scholars and practitioners on the value and transformative impact of enterprise mobility on work, technology, and organizations, discusses critical enablers and strategies, and provides case study insights.
Islet cell tumors.

Although quite rare, the islet cell tumors present an important challenge to the clinician because of their protean manifestations and potential lethality. Early diagnosis is essential and depends on recognition of the classic and variant clinical syndromes followed by confirmation of elevated peptide levels by radioimmunoassay. Medical control of the hormonal syndrome with agents such as diazoxide for insulinoma, omeprazole for gastrinoma, and octreotide for vipoma and glucagonoma allows an orderly and thorough investigation for associated endocrinopathies and comorbid medical conditions. Localization and staging of the tumors are important because they may be small and occult, widely metastatic, or multifocal in the context of multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN I) syndrome. Computed tomography, visceral angiography, endoscopic ultrasonography, and indium-labeled octreotide scanning are the most useful preoperative imaging techniques. Surgical exploration that includes intraoperative ultrasonography remains an essential localization technique for occult tumors, particularly insulinomas and gastrinomas. For all patients other than some with advanced metastatic disease or MEN I syndrome, an aggressive surgical approach with the intent of complete and curative tumor excision is indicated. Surgical cure is possible in most insulinomas, a substantial proportion of gastrinomas, and some patients with the other more rare and malignant islet cell tumors. At present, adjuvant medical therapies for unresectable malignant disease have limited efficacy. However, a variety of newer and innovative tumor localization techniques, operative strategies, and nonoperative treatment modalities hold considerable promise for the attainment of higher cure rates and improved palliation.
Getting Ready for the Dance: FANCJ Irons Out DNA Wrinkles

Mounting evidence indicates that alternate DNA structures, which deviate from normal double helical DNA, form in vivo and influence cellular processes such as replication and transcription. However, our understanding of how the cellular machinery deals with unusual DNA structures such as G-quadruplexes (G4), triplexes, or hairpins is only beginning to emerge. New advances in the field implicate a direct role of the Fanconi Anemia Group J (FANCJ) helicase, which is linked to a hereditary chromosomal instability disorder and important for cancer suppression, in replication past unusual DNA obstacles. This work sets the stage for significant progress in dissecting the molecular mechanisms whereby replication perturbation by abnormal DNA structures leads to genomic instability. In this review, we focus on FANCJ and its role to enable efficient DNA replication when the fork encounters vastly abundant naturally occurring DNA obstacles, which may have implications for targeting rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Risk Factors for Removal or Revision of Penile Prostheses in the Veteran Population.

Objective To identify comorbid conditions that may increase the likelihood of revision surgery after primary penile prosthesis implantation. To evaluate trends in utilization of prostheses and selection of device within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. Methods A retrospective review of the VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure database was performed using Current Procedural Technology codes to identify any Veteran who underwent penile prosthesis surgery between January 2000 and December 2013. Age, race, procedure type, and relevant comorbidities were identified and compared between groups. Results A total of 6586 patients underwent primary penile prosthesis placement with at least 1 year of follow-up. Peripheral vascular disease ( P P P = .012), and history of prostate cancer ( P = .043) were each associated with a significant increased risk of revision or removal surgery. There was an increase in overall number of implants placed during the study and increased durability with malleable penile prosthesis (MPP), but there was a downward trend in the number of MPP placed relative to inflatable penile prosthesis ( P P P = .06). Conclusion Peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, smoking, and history of prostate cancer are associated with increased risk for secondary surgery. This raises a provocative question of how vascular insufficiency may play a role in the likelihood of secondary surgery after penile prosthesis placement. Utilization of penile prosthesis placement in the VA system is steadily increasing, most notably with increased numbers of inflatable penile prosthesis placement.
SU-G-JeP2-12: Quantification of 3D Geometric Distortion for 1.5T and 3T MRI Scanners Used for Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To quantify the magnitude of geometric distortion for MRI scanners and provide recommendations for MRI imaging for radiation therapy Methods: A novel phantom, QUASAR MRID3D [Modus Medical Devices Inc.], was scanned to evaluate the level of 3D geometric distortion present in five MRI scanners used for radiation therapy in our department. The phantom was scanned using the body coil with 1mm image slice thickness to acquire 3D images of the phantom body. The phantom was aligned to its geometric center for each scan, and the field of view was set to visualize the entire phantom. The dependence of distortion magnitude with distance from imaging isocenter and with magnetic field strength (1.5T and 3T) was investigated. Additionally, the characteristics of distortion for Siemens and GE machines were compared. The image distortion for each scanner was quantified in terms of mean, standard deviation (STD), maximum distortion, and skewness. Results: The 3T and 1.5T scans show a similar absolute distortion with a mean of 1.38mm (0.33mm STD) for 3T and 1.39mm (0.34mm STD) for 1.5T for a 100mm radius distance from isocenter. Some machines can have a distortion larger than 10mm at a distance of 200mm from the isocenter. The distortions are presented with plots of the x, y, and z directional components. Conclusion: The results indicate that quantification of MRI image distortion is crucial in radiation oncology for target and organ delineation and treatment planning. The magnitude of geometric distortion determines the margin needed for target contouring which is usually neglected in treatment planning process, especially for SRS/SBRT treatments. Understanding the 3D distribution of the MRI image distortion will improve the accuracy of target delineation and, hence, treatment efficacy. MRI imaging with proper patient alignment to the isocenter is vital to reducing the effects of MRI distortion in treatment planning.
Sociospatial Modeling for Climate-Based Emergencies: Extreme Heat Vulnerability Index

Heat Waves and extreme heat are frequently not considered to be severe or adverse weather conditions. However, they are the leading cause of weather-related fatalities throughout the world. The misconception of heat is often due to the lack of visual evidence caused by destruction or risk, a commonly reported metric for hurricanes or similar forces. Heat Waves can be visualized through the Urban Heat Island, a phenomenon which exaggerates thermal impact within the built environment. This chapter explores and describes the Extreme Heat Vulnerability Index (EHVI), a local-area model designed for advance warning and mitigation practices related to extreme heat and socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods, through example data from Chicago, IL. The disadvantages and shortcomings of previous weather warnings are discussed, as well as how better vulnerability models can improve mitigation strategies to reduce loss of life and improve resource management. Mitigation practices from Chicago, Phoenix, Arizona, and other cities will be discussed to provide examples of the benefit of implementing vulnerability warnings.
Survival and cost‐effectiveness of sorafenib therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: An analysis of the SEER–Medicare database

Sorafenib is the only chemotherapeutic approved for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its effectiveness in patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis and any moderating effects of health system characteristics are unclear. We examined the survival and cost-effectiveness associated with sorafenib in elderly patients with advanced HCC. We performed an analysis of Medicare beneficiaries with HCC diagnoses from 2007 to 2009. We compared advanced stage patients with HCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III/IV) who received sorafenib within 6 months of diagnosis (and were otherwise untreated) to advanced stage patients with HCC who received no therapy (control). We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to identify predictors of survival. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for sorafenib-treated and control patients. We included 228 sorafenib-treated patients and 870 control patients. The median survival of the sorafenib-treated patients was 150.5 days versus 62 days for control patients. On multivariate analysis, significant predictors of improved survival were treatment with sorafenib (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-0.77), being seen at a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62-0.97), and being seen at a transplantation center (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.93). Predictors of worse survival included stage IV disease (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.24-1.58), decompensated cirrhosis (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.30-1.70), and treatment in an urban setting (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.21-1.73.) Although sorafenib use was associated with a survival benefit (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47-0.79) among patients with decompensated cirrhosis, the median survival benefit was 31 days, and it was not cost-effective (ICER, $224,914 per life year gained). Conclusion: Sorafenib is associated with improved survival in elderly patients with advanced HCC; however, it is not cost-effective among those with hepatic decompensation. (Hepatology 2017;65:122-133).
Rare cause of acute hepatitis: a common energy drink

A previously healthy man aged 50 years presented with malaise, anorexia, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, generalised jaundice, scleral icterus and dark urine. He was not on any prescription or over-the-counter medications, but reported drinking 4–5 energy drinks daily for 3 weeks prior to presentation. Physical examination revealed jaundice and right upper quadrant abdominal tenderness. Laboratory studies were remarkable for transaminitis and evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection. Ultrasound scan demonstrated an echogenic liver and diffuse gallbladder wall thickening. Liver biopsy showed severe acute hepatitis with bridging necrosis and marked cholestasis. The patient was treated supportively with complete resolution of his symptoms and marked improvement in his laboratory abnormalities. The development of acute hepatitis in this patient was likely secondary to excessive energy drink consumption. Energy drinks as well as other herbal/over-the-counter supplements should be considered by clinicians in the workup of patients with acute hepatitis, particularly once other aetiologies have been excluded.
Assessing Intra-arterial Complications of Planning and Treatment Angiograms for Y-90 Radioembolization

Purpose To report hepatic arterial-related complications encountered during planning and treatment angiograms for radioembolization and understand any potential-associated risk factors.
Incidence of delivery wire recapture failure with the Pipeline Flex device

Background The Pipeline Flex embolization device has several advantages over the first-generation Pipeline embolization device (Covidien, Dublin, Republic of Ireland). Despite these advantages, we have observed frequent difficulty in recapturing the device9s delivery wire. Objective To prospectively document the incidence of failure to recapture the delivery wire. Methods We tracked our experience in patients undergoing endovascular treatment with a flow-diverting stent for cerebral aneurysms between 1 May and 30 September 2016. Patient and lesion characteristics, device dimensions, and technical outcomes of delivery wire recapture were prospectively recorded for each device. Results Eighteen devices were deployed in 15 patients by the senior author (FCA) during this period. Failure to recapture the delivery wire occurred in 10 of 18 (56%) cases. No adverse outcomes of delivery wire recapture failure were encountered in this series. Conclusions The incidence of delivery wire recapture failure with the Pipeline Flex device is high. Failure to recapture the delivery wire carries a theoretical risk of stent displacement when re-navigating across the device, and endovascular surgeons should be aware of this limitation. Authors are encouraged to report delivery wire recapture failure rates in future clinical series in which the Pipeline Flex device is used.
What makes hope hopeful? The relationship between hope and self-regulation

In his target article, Snyder presents a compelling set of theoretical postulates and empirical findings about hope. Hope, as conceptualized by Snyder in the target article, consists of cognitive processes designed to motivate behavior to reach a desired goal. To that end, we see hope as being closely related to self-regulation, with its emphasis on goal structures, motivational mechanisms, and strategies used to meet standards and obtain goals. There are strong similarities between hope and self-regulation, as Snyder himself points out in the target article. Snyder (target article) outlines the trilogy of goals, pathways, and agency that together make up hope and, in doing so, defines hope in regulatory terms. Broadly construed, self-regulation encompasses any goal-directed activity. In the target article, Snyder does recognize the interplay between hope and self-regulation, referring to calling goal-directed thoughts as the "anchor" of hope theory, but we think perhaps Snyder underutilizes self-regulation research in analyzing the processes underlying hopeful thinking. We view high hope as being similar to good self-regulation, which is, from our perspective, a function of possessing ample self-regulatory resources, high-trait self-control abilities, or both. Indeed, Snyder's (target article) conceptualization of hope as both state and trait is similar to our approach in studying self-regulation and self-control. In our commentary, we highlight the interrelations between these two constructs, hope and self-regulation, with the intent of illuminating the places where they do and do not overlap.
The Dignity of Old Age

It is important to complement our general account of human dignity with accounts of the specific dignity of particular phases of human life. In this paper I address the dignity of old age--the aspects of elderly life that command our respect. An account of this kind is particularly important for a balanced view of the assisted suicide debate. For even if we favor a right to die, we need also to be able to make sense of the dignity of a life lived to the end without a chosen procedure to bring it to an end. The account given in this paper addresses the approach of death and, for the purposes of dignitarians analysis, ranges around it other aspects of old age, such as wisdom, authority, debilitation, suffering, and issues about self-presentation and personal autonomy.
How the news media activate public expression and influence national agendas.

We demonstrate that exposure to the news media causes Americans to take public stands on specific issues, join national policy conversations, and express themselves publicly—all key components of democratic politics—more often than they would otherwise. After recruiting 48 mostly small media outlets, we chose groups of these outlets to write and publish articles on subjects we approved, on dates we randomly assigned. We estimated the causal effect on proximal measures, such as website pageviews and Twitter discussion of the articles’ specific subjects, and distal ones, such as national Twitter conversation in broad policy areas. Our intervention increased discussion in each broad policy area by ~62.7% (relative to a day’s volume), accounting for 13,166 additional posts over the treatment week, with similar effects across population subgroups.
A Microdischarge-Based Pressure Sensor Fabricated Using Through-Wafer Isolated Bulk-Silicon Lead Transfer

This paper presents a microfabricated sensor that uses electrical microdischarges to sense the deflection of a diaphragm under applied pressure. The sensor responds by redistributing electron current of pulsed microdischarges between one cathode ( $K$ ), a reference anode ( A1 ), and a deflecting anode ( A2 ), all of which are located in a cavity under the diaphragm; the differential anode current indicates the applied pressure. In this paper, the sensor is monolithically fabricated from a single silicon wafer, using a combination of surface micromachining and through-wafer isolated bulk-silicon lead transfer (TWIST) technology. The TWIST technology provides lead transfer into the sealed cavity as well as backside contacts, allowing miniaturization of the device footprint and surface mount assembly within systems. The active footprint of the complete sensor measures $300\times 300 \,\,\mu \text {m}^{2}$ in size, making it the smallest sealed microdischarge-based pressure sensor reported to date. The normalized differential current from the anodes monotonically increases from −0.7 to 0.2 as the external pressure increases from 1 to 8 atm. [2017–0274]
Assessing topology and surface orientation of an antimicrobial peptide magainin 2 using mechanically aligned bilayers and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Abstract Aligned CW-EPR membrane protein samples provide additional topology interactions that are absent from conventional randomly dispersed samples. These samples are aptly suited to studying antimicrobial peptides because of their dynamic peripheral topology. In this study, four consecutive substitutions of the model antimicrobial peptide magainin 2 were synthesized and labeled with the rigid TOAC spin label. The results revealed the helical tilts to be 66° ± 5°, 76° ± 5°, 70° ± 5°, and 72° ± 5° for the TOAC substitutions H7, S8, A9, and K10 respectively. These results are consistent with previously published literature. Using the EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) mechanical alignment technique, these substitutions were used to critically assess the topology and surface orientation of the peptide with respect to the membrane. This methodology offers a rapid and simple approach to investigate the structural topology of antimicrobial peptides.
Nitrosyl Myoglobins and Their Nitrite Precursors: Crystal Structural and Quantum Mechanics and Molecular Mechanics Theoretical Investigations of Preferred Fe -NO Ligand Orientations in Myoglobin Distal Pockets.

The globular dioxygen binding heme protein myoglobin (Mb) is present in several species. Its interactions with the simple nitrogen oxides, namely, nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite, have been known for decades, but the physiological relevance has only recently become more fully appreciated. We previously reported the O-nitrito mode of binding of nitrite to ferric horse heart wild-type (wt) MbIII and human hemoglobin. We have expanded on this work and report the interactions of nitrite with wt sperm whale (sw) MbIII and its H64A, H64Q, and V68A/I107Y mutants whose dissociation constants increase in the following order: H64Q < wt < V68A/I107Y < H64A. We also report their X-ray crystal structures that reveal the O-nitrito mode of binding of nitrite to these derivatives. The MbII-mediated reductions of nitrite to NO and structural data for the wt and mutant MbII–NOs are described. We show that their FeNO orientations vary with distal pocket identity, with the FeNO moieties pointing toward the hydrophobic interior...
How should resource‐rich countries diversify? Estimating forward‐linkage effects of mining on productivity growth

Resource‐rich countries willing to diversify their economies are faced with dual policy options; to either develop resource‐based industries, or diversify their economies as a whole and invest into new activities that are not necessarily resource dependent. Not only does the economic theory fail to provide a consensual guidance on this issue but empirical evidence is also lacking. This paper empirically assesses which of these two patterns of diversification is associated with higher productivity growth outcomes for resource‐rich countries. Using panel data for 50 resource‐abundant countries over the period 1970–2010, I find that stronger downstream linkages to mining and extractives do not lead to productivity enhancements. Broadening and diversifying the production structure as a whole offers potential for productivity growth at higher levels of income.
Reinventing the wheel

I was astounded to read the selected highlight ‘Relationship between failure of passive transfer and mortality in calves’ by Cuttance and others ( VR , 1 September, …
Cofactors are essential constituents of stable and seeding-active tau fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are cross-β–rich aggregates that are exceptionally stable forms of protein assembly. Accumulation of tau amyloid fibrils is involved in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Heparin-induced aggregates have been widely used and assumed to be a good tau amyloid fibril model for most biophysical studies. Here we show that mature fibrils made of 4R tau variants, prepared with heparin or RNA, spontaneously depolymerize and release monomers when their cofactors are removed. We demonstrate that the cross-β-sheet assembly formed in vitro with polyanion addition is unstable at room temperature. We furthermore demonstrate high seeding capacity with transgenic AD mouse brain-extracted tau fibrils in vitro that, however, is exhausted after one generation, while supplementation with RNA cofactors resulted in sustained seeding over multiple generations. We suggest that tau fibrils formed in brains are supported by unknown cofactors and inhere higher-quality packing, as reflected in a more distinct conformational arrangement in the mouse fibril-seeded, compared with heparin-induced, tau fibrils. Our study suggests that the role of cofactors in tauopathies is a worthy focus of future studies, as they may be viable targets for diagnosis and therapeutics.
Changing Perceptions of Harm of e-Cigarette vs Cigarette Use Among Adults in 2 US National Surveys From 2012 to 2017.

Importance Debate is ongoing about whether the scientific evidence of the health risks of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) compared with combustible cigarettes (hereinafter referred to as cigarettes) has been accurately communicated to the public. Large representative surveys are needed to examine how the public perceives the health risk of e-cigarettes and how their perceptions change over time. Objective To examine how US adults perceived the harm of e-cigarettes relative to cigarettes and how their perception has changed from 2012 to 2017. Design, Setting, and Participants Survey study using data from 2 multiyear cross-sectional nationally representative surveys—the Tobacco Products and Risk Perceptions Surveys (TPRPS) and the Health Information National Trends Surveys (HINTS)—to assess perceived harm of e-cigarettes relative to cigarettes among US adults in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Respondents were selected via address-based sampling or random-digit dialing and consisted of adults 18 years or older. Analyses were conducted from February through April 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported perceived harm of e-cigarettes relative to cigarettes. Results The analytical samples of TPRPS consisted of 2800 adults in 2012 (cumulative response rate, 7.3%), 5668 in 2014 (cumulative response rate, 6.6%), 5372 in 2015 (cumulative response rate, 6.8%), 5245 in 2016 (cumulative response rate, 6.4%), and 5357 in 2017 (cumulative response rate, 5.8%). The analytical samples of HINTS consisted of 2609 adults in 2012 (response rate, 39.9%), 3301 in 2014 (response rate, 34.4%), 2224 in 2015 (response rate, 33.0%), and 2683 in 2017 (response rate, 32.4%). The proportion of adults who perceived e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes decreased from 39.4% (95% CI, 36.9%-41.9%) in 2012 to 33.9% (95% CI, 32.7%-35.2%) in 2017 in TPRPS and decreased from 50.7% (95% CI, 48.8%-52.7%) in 2012 to 34.5% (95% CI, 32.7%-36.3%) in 2017 in HINTS. During the same period, the proportion of adults who perceived e-cigarettes to be as harmful as cigarettes increased from 11.5% (95% CI, 10.0%-13.2%) in 2012 to 36.4% (95% CI, 35.1%-37.7%) in 2017 (TPRPS) and from 46.4% (95% CI, 44.5%-48.3%) in 2012 to 55.6% (95% CI, 53.7%-57.5%) in 2017 (HINTS). Those who perceived e-cigarettes to be more harmful than cigarettes increased from 1.3% (95% CI, 0.8%-2.2%) in 2012 to 4.3% (95% CI, 3.8%-4.9%) in 2017 (TPRPS) and from 2.8% (95% CI, 2.2%-3.5%) in 2012 to 9.9% (95% CI, 8.8%-11.1%) in 2017 (HINTS). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, the proportion of US adults who perceived e-cigarettes to be as harmful as or more harmful than cigarettes increased substantially from 2012 to 2017. The findings of this study underscore the urgent need to accurately communicate the risks of e-cigarettes to the public, which should clearly differentiate the absolute from the relative harms of e-cigarettes.
Scalable Conjugation and Characterization of Immunoglobulins with Stable Mass Isotope Reporters for Single-Cell Mass Cytometry Analysis.

The advent of mass cytometry (CyTOF®) has permitted simultaneous detection of more than 40 antibody parameters at the single-cell level, although a limited number of metal-labeled antibodies are commercially available. Here we present optimized and scalable protocols for conjugation of lanthanide as well as bismuth ions to immunoglobulin (Ig) using a maleimide-functionalized chelating polymer and for characterization of the conjugate. The maleimide functional group is reactive with cysteine sulfhydryl groups generated through partial reduction of the Ig Fc region. Incubation of Ig with polymer pre-loaded with lanthanide ions produces metal-labeled Ig without disrupting antigen specificity. Antibody recovery rates can be determined by UV spectrophotometry and frequently exceeds 60%. Each custom-conjugated antibody is validated using positive and negative cellular control populations and is titrated for optimal staining at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 μg/mL. The preparation of metal-labeled antibodies can be completed in 4.5 h, and titration requires an additional 3-5 h.
Aquila: diploid personal genome assembly and comprehensive variant detection based on linked reads

Abstract Variant discovery in personal, whole genome sequence data is critical for uncovering the genetic contributions to health and disease. We introduce a new approach, Aquila, that uses linked-read data for generating a high quality diploid genome assembly, from which it then comprehensively detects and phases personal genetic variation. Aquila achieves contiguity for both haplotypes on a genome-wide scale, and its phasing nature guarantees a real haplotype-resolved assembly instead of a haploid consensus assembly. Over 98% of a human Aquila-assembled genome is diploid, facilitating detection of the most prevalent types of human genetic variation, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), small insertions and deletions (small indels), and structural variants (SVs), in all but the most difficult regions. All heterozygous variants are phased in blocks that can approach arm-level length. The final output of Aquila is a diploid and phased personal genome sequence, and a phased VCF file that also contains homozygous and a few unphased heterozygous variants. Aquila represents a cost-effective evolution of whole-genome reconstruction that can be applied to cohorts for variation discovery or association studies, or to single individuals with rare phenotypes that could be caused by SVs or compound heterozygosity.
Coded multiple chirp spread spectrum system and overlay service

An asynchronous spread spectrum system called coded multiple chirp is proposed, and the possible spread spectrum overlay over an analog FM-TV signal is investigated by computer simulation. Multiple single-sloped up and down chirps are encoded by a pseudonoise code and decoded by dechirpers (pulse compression filters) followed by a digital code correlator. The performance of the proposed system, expressed in probability of bit error and code miss probability, is similar to that of FSK (frequency shift keying) using codewords if sufficient compression gain is used. When chirp is used to overlay an FM-TV channel, two chirp signals with data rate up to 25 kb/s could be overlaid in a 36 MHz satellite transponder without significant mutual interference. Performance estimates for a VSAT (very small aperture terminal) Earth station operating at C-band show that a 2.4 m antenna and 300 mW transmitter could send a 2.4 kb/s signal to a large central Earth station over an occupied channel. >
Evaluating the impact of agroecology

As agroecology has grown into a global movement, by integrating science, social movements, and practice, the need for ways to evaluate and assess the actual impact of agroecology on the sustainabil...
Association of a pediatric palliative oncology clinic on palliative care access, timing and location of care for children with cancer

Most pediatric palliative care (PPC) services are inpatient consultation services and do not reach patients and families in the outpatient and home settings, where a vast majority of oncology care occurs. We explored whether an embedded pediatric palliative oncology (PPO) clinic is associated with receipt and timing of PPC and hospital days in the last 90 days of life. Oncology patients (ages 0–25) with a high-risk event (death, relapse/progression, and/or phase I/II clinical trial enrollment) between 07/01/2015 and 06/30/2018 were included. PPO clinic started July 2017. Two cohorts were defined: pre-PPO (high-risk event(s) occurring 07/01/2015–06/30/2017) and post-PPO (high-risk event(s) occurring 07/01/2017–06/30/2018). Descriptive statistics were performed; demographic, disease course, and outcomes variables across cohorts were compared. A total of 426 patients were included (pre-PPO n = 235; post-PPO n = 191). Forty-seven patients with events in both pre- and post-PPO cohorts were included in the post-PPO cohort. Mean age at diagnosis was 8 years. Diagnoses were evenly distributed among solid tumors, brain tumors, and leukemia/lymphoma. Post-PPO cohort patients received PPC more often (45.6% vs. 21.3%, p < 0.0001), for a longer time before death than the pre-PPO cohort (median 88 vs. 32 days, p = 0.027), and spent fewer days hospitalized in the last 90 days of life (median 3 vs. 8 days, p = 0.0084). A limited-day, embedded PPO clinic was associated with receipt of PPC and spending more time at home in patients with cancer who had high-risk events. Continued improvements to these outcomes would be expected with additional oncology provider education and PPO personnel.
Defining the Boundaries of Polycomb Domains in Drosophila.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are an important group of transcriptional repressors that act by modifying chromatin. PcG target genes are covered by the repressive chromatin mark H3K27me3. Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is a multiprotein complex that is responsible for generating H3K27me3. In Drosophila, PRC2 is recruited by Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) and then trimethylates flanking nucleosomes, spreading the H3K27me3 mark over large regions of the genome, the “Polycomb domains.” What defines the boundary of a Polycomb domain? There is experimental evidence that insulators, PolII, and active transcription can all form the boundaries of Polycomb domains. Here we divide the boundaries of larval Polycomb domains into six different categories. In one category, genes are transcribed toward the Polycomb domain, where active transcription is thought to stop the spreading of H3K27me3. In agreement with this, we show that introducing a transcriptional terminator into such a transcription unit causes an extension of the Polycomb domain. Additional data suggest that active transcription of a boundary gene may restrict the range of enhancer activity of a Polycomb-regulated gene.
Effects of Infrastructure Service Disruptions Following Hurricane Irma: Multilevel Analysis of Postdisaster Recovery Outcomes

AbstractWidespread power outages and related critical infrastructure disruptions after major storms can thwart household and community recovery by limiting access to critical facilities and service...
Left Atrial Mechanics Associates With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Light-Chain Amyloidosis Following Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) during high-dose melphalan and autologous stem-cell transplantation (HDM/SCT) for light-chain (AL) amyloidosis confers significant morbidity. Traditiona...
Asymptotic Expansions for λ d of the Dimer and Monomer-Dimer Problems

In the past few years we have derived asymptotic expansions for λd of the dimer problem and λd(p) of the monomer-dimer problem. The many expansions so far computed are collected herein. We shine a light on results in two dimensions inspired by the work of M.E. Fisher. Much of the work reported here was joint with Shmuel Friedland.
Analyzing Socioeconomic Factors and Health Disparity of COVID-19 Spatiotemporal Spread Patterns at Neighborhood Levels in San Diego County

This study analyzed spatiotemporal spread patterns of COVID-19 confirmed cases at the zip code level in the County of San Diego and compared them to neighborhood social and economic factors. We used correlation analysis, regression models, and geographic weighted regression to identify important factors and spatial patterns. We broke down the temporal confirmed case patterns into four stages from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak hotspots in San Diego County are South Bay, El Cajon, Escondido, and rural areas. The spatial patterns among different stages may represent fundamental health disparity issues in neighborhoods. We also identified important variables with strong positive or negative correlations in these categories: ethnic groups, languages, economics, and education. The highest association variables were Pop5andOlderSpanish (Spanish-speaking) in Stage 4 (0.79) and Pop25OlderLess9grade (Less than 9th grade education) in Stage 4 (0.79). We also observed a clear pattern that regions with more well-educated people have negative associations with COVID-19. Additionally, our OLS regression models suggested that more affluent populations have a negative relationship with COVID-19 cases. Therefore, the COVID-19 outbreak is not only a medical disease but a social inequality and health disparity problem.
Do Warning Message Design Recommendations Address Why Non-Experts Do Not Protect Themselves from Cybersecurity Threats? A Review

We aimed to understand whether warning message design recommendations address the reasons why non-experts choose to not protect themselves from cybersecurity threats. Toward that end, we synthesize...
Spoke and Wheel: Turning toward Pediatric Social Workers for Family-Based Bereavement Support.

A pediatric palliative social worker follows a child and family through their weeks or years of disease-directed treatments. The social worker often sits with parents in the surgery waiting room, c...
Social media brand posts and customer engagement

Driving consumer brand engagement is essential for firms. With continual disruptions in traditional consumer brand communications and increased demand upon consumer attention and noise, firms utilize increased engagement to drive brand loyalty and resonance. However, mechanisms by which consumers engage with brands, particularly through social media, are less clear. This study sheds light on customer engagement by proposing a model that tests determinants influencing customers' engagement with a brand page as well as its contribution to future purchases and overall brand evaluation. This research supports that brand page post characteristics and content perceived by customers have positive impacts on attitudes and engagement. This research further validates and applies consumer brand engagement in the context of social media brand pages with multiple brands. I also raise the need for managers to treat attitudes toward the post and attitudes toward the brand differently.
Rayleigh to Lamb wave conversion at a delamination-like crack

Abstract Composite structures require careful monitoring to detect and characterize hidden defects at an early stage of their development so that preventive measures can be taken before the structure loses its load carrying capacity and suffers from catastrophic failure. Ultrasonic guided waves offer an attractive tool for inspecting relatively large plate-like structural components due to the waves׳ large propagation range and sensitivity to defects in their propagation path. Since such waves are affected by geometrical structural features (e.g. stringers) as well as defects (e.g. delaminations), the application of guided waves in real structures requires a good understanding of their interaction with the aforementioned discontinuities. In this paper, a detailed study of the interaction of Rayleigh surface waves with defects in a thick aluminum plate is carried out using numerical simulations and laboratory experiments. The simple aluminum plate is used to demonstrate and analyze the basic characteristics of the interaction phenomena, which are shown to partially result in Lamb wave conversion. Furthermore, the agreement between simulated waveforms and those obtained from experiments are shown, indicating the possibility of applying the techniques to more realistic structures and their use in damage detection systems.
Neutral details associated with emotional events are encoded: evidence from a cued recall paradigm

ABSTRACTEnhanced emotional memory often comes at the cost of memory for surrounding background information. Narrowed-encoding theories suggest that this is due to narrowed attention for emotional information at encoding, leading to impaired encoding of background information. Recent work has suggested that an encoding-based theory may be insufficient. Here, we examined whether cued recall—instead of previously used recognition memory tasks—would reveal evidence that non-emotional information associated with emotional information was effectively encoded. Participants encoded positive, negative, or neutral objects on neutral backgrounds. At retrieval, they were given either the item or the background as a memory cue and were asked to recall the associated scene element. Counter to narrowed-encoding theories, emotional items were more likely than neutral items to trigger recall of the associated background. This finding suggests that there is a memory trace of this contextual information and that emotional c...
Cognitive dissonance and utility maximization: A general framework

Abstract Neoclassical theory of utility maximization assumes irrational behavior to be unsystematic and therefore impossible to model. Recent advances in behavioral decision theory suggests irrationality may be systematic. In line with these and earlier findings from the theory of cognitive dissonance, a simple descriptive model of utility maximization is developed with the added feature of an information filter. The model is then used to explain a few ‘irrational’ micro and macro behaviors.
The Sensitivity of Secondary Sovereign Loan Market Returns to Macroeconomic Fundamentals

The sensitivity of secondary sovereign loan market returns to three classes of economic news is estimated in the arbitrage pricing theory framework. Returns are characterized by a limited response to unexpected changes in procyclical U.S. aggregates. Shocks to country-specific balance of payment indicators do not impact debt prices. Announcements of policy changes by creditors and third parties that presage changes in future lending induce large debt price changes. The failure of the data to meet the empirical arbitrage pricing theory restrictions and the large proportion of return variance unexplained by macroeconomic fundamentals highlight the differences between corporate and sovereign securities.
L-carnitine protection in ammonia intoxication. Effect of aminocarnitine on carnitine-dependent metabolism and acute ammonia toxicity.

Intraperitoneal administration of l-carnitine (16 mmol/kg) was reported by O'Connor et al. (FEBS Lett166: 331–334, 1984) to fully protect mice from ammonium acetate given at a dose that kills 100% of untreated controls. Other investigators either have failed to observe protection by l-carnitine or have attributed the increased survival to a nonspecific “osmoprotective effect” of quaternary ammonium compounds. In the present studies we have confirmed the protective effect of l-carnitine in acute ammonia intoxication and have shown that d-carnitine and deoxycarnitine, close structural analogs of l-carnitine, are without protective effect. Although d-carnitine and deoxycarnitine do not support l-carnitine-dependent metabolisms, they are transported into tissues and their solutions are osmotically identical to those of l-carnitine; lack of protection by d-carnitine and deoxycarnitine suggests that metabolic rather than nonspecific osmotic effects account for l-carnitine-mediated protection. Further supporting the importance of l-carnitine-dependent metabolisms, we found that mice exhibited increased sensitivity to ammonium acetate when pretreated with dl-aminocarnitine, acetyl-dl-aminocarnitine or palmitoyl-dl-aminocarnitine, potent inhibitors of the carnitine acyltransferases. Interestingly, intra-peritoneal injection of hyperosmotic solutions of sodium chloride or sucrose did afford significant protection against subsequently administered ammonium acetate. This phenomenon, which may be due to interference with ammonium acetate uptake from the peritoneal cavity or to reduction of cerebral edema by increased plasma osmolarity, apparently does not play a major role in l-carnitine-mediated protection since, as noted, hyperosmotic d-carnitine and deoxycarnitine solutions were not protective.
Split Spectrum Processing with Computationally Efficient Sinusoidal Fir Filters

Split spectrum processing (SSP) is the process of reducing material noise based on the decomposition of ultrasonic signals by multiple narrow band bandpass filtering and statistical compounding. Conventionally, the filter bank utilized to perform the splitting of the spectrum of the signal is made up of equally spaced Gaussian filters of constant bandwidth. In the frequency domain, the processing time of the technique depends primarily on the number of filters in the bank required for a desired SNR performance. A feasible way to reduce the size of the filter bank (relative to the Gaussian filter bank) is to increase the energy confined within the half-power bandwidth of the filter without substantially increasing the correlation between adjacent or neighboring filters, that is to say, increase the number of effectively uncorrelated filters such that the corresponding increase in correlation is more than offset by the increase of target-signal energy. This paper presents a new filtering scheme or rather a modification to the old scheme that may, under certain conditions, require less filters for a desired SNR enhancement performance than its Gaussian counterpart. The rational for the selection of the processing parameters is established and experimental results from computer-simulated ultrasonic signals are presented.