cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated annotation and quantitation of glycans by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis using the MultiGlycan‐ESI computational tool

RATIONALE Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is currently considered to be a conventional glycomics analysis strategy due to the high sensitivity and ability to handle complex biological samples. Interpretation of LC/MS data is a major bottleneck in high-throughput glycomics LC/MS-based analysis. The complexity of LC/MS data associated with biological samples prompts the needs to develop computational tools capable of facilitating automated data annotation and quantitation. METHODS An LC/MS-based automated data annotation and quantitation software, MultiGlycan-ESI, was developed and utilized for glycan quantitation. Data generated by the software from LC/MS analysis of permethylated N-glycans derived from fetuin were initially validated by manual integration to assess the performance of the software. The performance of MultiGlycan-ESI was then assessed for the quantitation of permethylated fetuin N-glycans analyzed at different concentrations or spiked with permethylated N-glycans derived from human blood serum. RESULTS The relative abundance differences between data generated by the software and those generated by manual integration were less than 5%, indicating the reliability of MultiGlycan-ESI in quantitation of permethylated glycans analyzed by LC/MS. Automated quantitation resulted in a linear relationship for all six N-glycans derived from 50 ng to 400 ng fetuin with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.93. Spiking of permethylated fetuin N-glycans at different concentrations in permethylated N-glycan samples derived from a 0.02 μL of HBS also exhibited linear agreement with R2 values greater than 0.9. CONCLUSIONS With a variety of options, including mass accuracy, merged adducts, and filtering criteria, MultiGlycan-ESI allows automated annotation and quantitation of LC/ESI-MS N-glycan data. The software allows the reliable quantitation of glycan LC/MS data. The software is reliable for automated glycan quantitation, thus facilitating rapid and reliable high-throughput glycomics studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optical Observation of Nitrogen Propagation in Argon Plasma

While the gas flow patterns in reactors can be visualized using models, it has proven that it is difficult to measure them. This paper shows that the gas flow pattern for pulsed injection of nitrogen gas into argon plasma can be readily seen in the optical emission intensity. As N2 enters the Ar plasma, N2 molecules cause increased optical emission intensity by the Penning effect. This allows one to measure the N2 propagation. In this paper, we present the pictures with the measurement details and analysis.
A strategy for autogeneration of space shuttle ground processing simulation models for project makespan estimation

Space Shuttle Processing is a complicated and highly variable project. The planning and scheduling problem, categorized as a Resource Constrained - Stochastic Project Scheduling Problem (RC-SPSP), has a great deal of variability in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) process flow from one flight to the next. Simulation Modeling is a useful tool in estimation of the makespan of the overall process. However, simulation requires a model to be developed, which itself is a labor and time consuming effort. With such a dynamic process, often the model would potentially be out of synchronization with the actual process, limiting the applicability of the simulation answers in solving the actual estimation problem. Integration of TEAMS model enabling software with our existing schedule program software is the basis of our solution. This paper explains the approach used to develop an auto-generated simulation model from planning and schedule efforts and available data.
Effect of long chain keto acids on encephalomalacia in chicks.

SummaryThe presence of oxidation products of long chain unsaturated fatty or“keto”acids, accelerated development of encephalomalacia in chicks kept on a diet containing corn oil. 12-Oxo-cis-9-octadecenoic acid was most potent keto acid tested to date and was most effective in presence of dietary source of unsaturated fatty acid such as corn oil. With basal diet containing 10% corn oil, clinical symptoms of encephalomalacia could be induced at end of 7 days by supplementing the diet with 0.25% of 12-oxo-cis-9-octadecenoic acid.
Refined Asymptotics of the Finite-Size Magnetization via a New Conditional Limit Theorem for the Spin

We study the fluctuations of the spin per site around the therm odynamic magnetization in the mean-field Blume-Capel model. Our main theorem genera lizes the main result in a previous paper [12] in which the first rigorous confirmation of the statistical mechanical theory of finite-size scaling for a mean-field model is given. In that paper our goal is to determine whether the thermodynamic magnetization is a physically relevant estimator of the finite-size magnetization. This is done by comparing t he asymptotic behaviors of these two quantities along parameter sequences converging to either a second-order point or the tricritical point in the mean-field Blume-Capel model . The main result is that the thermodynamic magnetization and the finite-size magnetiza tion are asymptotic when the . 
Blood Pressure in Children As Determined Under Office Conditions

From painstaking measurements of the supine blood pressure in 735 healthy boys and 738 healthy girls, this study done in St. Louis, Mo., establishes needed refer ence standards for both 80 and 90 per cent ranges of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
Globally optimal two channel FIR orthonormal filter banks adapted to the input signal statistics

We introduce a new approach to adapt a 2-channel FIR orthonormal filter bank to the input second order statistics. The problem is equivalent to optimizing the magnitude squared response F(e/sup jw/)=|H(e/sup jw/)|/sup 2/ of one of the subband filters for maximum energy compaction under the constraint that F(e/sup jw/) is Nyquist(2). The novel algorithm enjoys important advantages that are not present in previous work. First, we can ensure the positivity of F(e/sup jw/) over all frequencies simultaneously with the Nyquist constraint. Second, for a fixed input power spectrum, the resulting filter F/sub opt/(z) is guaranteed to be a global optimum due to the convexity of the new formulation. The optimization problem is expressed as a multi-objective semi-definite programming problem which can be solved efficiently and with great accuracy using interior point methods. Third, the new algorithm is extremely general in the sense that it works for any arbitrary filter order N and any given input power spectrum. Finally, obtaining H/sub opt/(e/sup jw/) from F/sub opt/(e/sup jw/) does not require an additional spectral factorization step.
Analysis of preparedness and recovery strategies for Virginia’s Transportation Systems

In the commonwealth of Virginia, essential transportation functions such as traffic flow monitoring and incident management are remotely managed via traffic management centers (TMCs). TMCs provide the vital support for meeting the Virginia department of transportationpsilas (VDOTpsilas) goals of sustaining safe and efficient workforce mobility, commodity flow, and accessibility to critical service providers. VDOTpsilas ability to accomplish these goals may be hindered by a number of TMC problems, including security breaches and disruptive events, among others. Failure to develop plans and practices to secure and optimize TMC operations will impair VDOTpsilas ability to efficiently respond to incidents and protect lives. In an effort to maintain and optimize TMC operations, the project team developed risk management plans and policies for three case studies: (i) IT security failures, (ii) recovery in the aftermath of a disaster event, and (iii) incident responses under routine conditions.
Measuring the Indirect Effect: Voter Initiatives and Legislative Production in the American States

Recent research has identified important policy differences between voter initiative states and pure representative states despite a lack of enough observable voter initiative campaigns to explain the policy differences. This article investigates the indirect effects of the voter initiative process on legislative production by estimating the number of bills enacted in the American states. The results indicate that legislators in voter initiative states enact more legislation as the difficulty in qualifying a voter initiative for the ballot decreases, as the legislature is less able to alter the effects of successful voter initiatives, and as the average number of voter initiatives that appear on the ballot increases. These results provide some statistical evidence of the indirect effect of the voter initiative and are consistent with the theory that policy differences in voter initiative states are the result of the indirect effect of the voter initiative process.
The timing and magnitude of mountain glaciation in the tropical Andes

The Andes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia host the majority of the world's tropical glaciers. In the tropical Andes, glaciers accumulate during the wet season (austral summer) and ablate year- round. Precipitation is delivered mainly by easterlies, and decreases both N-S and E-W. Chronological control for the timing of glacial advances in the tropical Andes varies. In Ecuador, six to seven advances have been identified; dating is based on radiocarbon ages. Timing of the local Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the existence of Younger Dryas advances remain controversial. In Peru, local variability in glaciation patterns is apparent. Surface exposure dating in the Cordillera Blanca and Junin Plain suggests that the local LGM may have been early (� 30 ka), although uncertainties in age calculations remain; the local LGM was followed by a Lateglacial readvance/stillstand and preceded by larger glaciations. In contrast, preliminary data from an intervening massif indicate that the largest moraines are Lateglacial. Chronologies from Bolivia also suggest local variability. In leeward Milluni and San Francisco Valleys, local LGM moraines descend to � 4300 m above sea level (a.s.l.), whereas in windward Zongo Valley Lateglacial moraines reach � 3400 m a.s.l. Atlantic and Pacific sea surface temperatures, El Nino-Southern Oscillation and insolation changes all likely play roles in mediating tropical Andean glacial cycles. Copyright # 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article.
CONODONTS FROM THE UPPER OLENTANGY SHALE (UPPER DEVONIAN, CENTRAL OHIO) AND STRATIGRAPHY ACROSS THE FRASNIAN–FAMENNIAN BOUNDARY

Abstract The Upper Olentangy Shale of Ohio, a green pyritic shale interbedded with thin dark gray shale beds, disconformably overlies the lithologically similar Middle Devonian Lower Olentangy Shale. The muds were deposited in a quiet offshore environment on the distal margin of the Appalachian Basin during the Late Frasnian through Early Famennian. The Upper Olentangy Shale contains abundant and diverse conodonts of MN Zone 13 and the Middle triangularis Zone. The Frasnian-Famennian boundary is 4–8 cm below the base of the Huron Shale at the Olentangy Shale type section in Delaware, Ohio. The boundary interval is a green shale containing a mixed highest Frasnian (e.g., Palmatolepis bogartensis, P. linguiformis) and lowest Famennian (e.g., P. delicatula, P. subperlobata, P. triangularis) conodont fauna. An ash horizon, pyritic bed, finely laminated dark shale, and a thin green-blue shale comprise the upper 3 cm of the Olentangy, and contain a conodont fauna indicative of the Middle triangularis Zone.
Discurso estético y modernidad en Gutiérrez Nájera

A partir del analisis de la cronica (reflexividad discursiva) y del cuento (fragmentacion discursiva) se estudia el discurso estetico de Manuel Gutierrez Najera, quien rechazaba abiertamente la escuela realista y proponia reemplazarla por una "regeneracion" que permitiera al artista la creacion o invencion, haciendo del impresionismo una caracteristica del modernismo najeraniano.
Somatic Myogenic Action in Embryos of Fundulus Heteroclitus

Five phases in the development of motility in this species can be recognized. (A) Localized spontaneous contractions within the trunk (part attached to the yolk-sac) only; tail-bud, immotile. (B) All movements spontaneous; integrated contractions throughout the trunk, but slow in execution and relaxation; localized contractions only in the proximal part of the tail; distal part, immotile. (C) The general integrated contractions are quick; involving about the proximal half of the tail with the trunk; localized contractions only in the most distal myotomes of the region involved in the general integrated contractions, or just behind it, the more distal myotomes being immotile. This phase is marked by the beginning of tactile sensitivity. (D) The general contractions involve the entire trunk and tail; localized spontaneous contraction only at the tip of the tail and in the pectoral fin. (E) Localized movement of the tail has ceased, and the pectoral fin, like the caudal fin, becomes integrated with the total...
Abstract PL06-04: Molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are present at extraordinarily low levels in the blood of patients with non-hematological cancers, but they provide a non-invasive source of cancer cells for potential diagnostic applications, as well as for understanding the process of blood-borne metastasis. We have developed and tested three generations of microfluidic devices for the isolation of CTCs, each with further improvements in automation, processing throughput, and downstream analytical capabilities. The CTC-iChip allows high throughput and high efficiency depletion of normal leukocytes through a microfluidic magnetophoresis device, revealing untagged CTCs. The unbiased isolation of CTCs irrespective of tumor epitopes, together with their presentation in a format where they can be readily manipulated, provides unique opportunities for their detailed molecular characterization. We have previously shown that rising or declining numbers of CTCs are well correlated with tumor progression or therapeutic response; that they can be used to monitor the prevalence of known clinically-relevant mutations; and that changes in their composition can be followed longitudinally during the course of targeted cancer therapies. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is evident among CTCs and evolves dynamically during the course of response or progression following cancer therapy. The heterogeneity of CTC populations is evident in single cell imaging analyses and sequencing studies, with implications for understanding the complexity of metastatic progression and therapeutic responses. Taken together, the application of novel bioengineering technologies to the isolation and analysis of CTCs across multiple different cancer types offers a unique window into the properties of cancer cells that invade into the bloodstream and give rise to metastases. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):PL06-04. Citation Format: Daniel A. Haber, Shyamala Maheswaran, Lecia Sequist, Min Yu, Emre Ozkumur, David Ting, David Miyamoto, Richard Lee, Ajay Shah, Aditya Bardia, Shannon Stott, Mehmet Toner. Molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PL06-04.
High Expression of Human Homologue of Murine Double Minute 4 and the Short Splicing Variant, HDM4-S, in Bone Marrow in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome

The human homologue of murine double minute 2 (HDM2) and HDM4 negatively regulate p53. HDM4 has not been assessed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We examined the expression of HDM4 and the short splicing variant, HDM4-S, in bone marrow samples obtained from 85 and 23 patients with AML and MDS, respectively, and 18 negative tumor staging bone marrow samples (used as the control). Immunohistochemical staining showed that HDM4 was overexpressed in 78 AML cases (92%) and 12 MDS cases (52%) compared with 1 stressed bone marrow sample (6%). Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of 8 AML and 11 low-grade (LG)-MDS cases confirmed that HDM4 and HDM4-S mRNA expression were also elevated in all AML cases. HDM4 and HDM4-S mRNA expression was elevated in 3 (27%) and 10 (91%) LG-MDS cases, respectively. HDM4 and HDM4-S mRNA levels were higher in those with AML than in those with LG-MDS. In leukemia cell lines, HEL and U937 predominantly expressed HDM4-S. In contrast, NALM6 expressed HDM4 and HDM4-S. Downregulation of HDM4 expression by treatment with small interfering RNA in NALM6 and HEL cells induced p21 expression but not increased apoptotic activity. Our results indicate that HDM4 is a potential therapeutic target in patients with AML or MDS.
Medication, diagnostic, and cost information as predictors of high-risk patients in need of care management

OBJECTIVE To contrast the advantages and limitations of using medication, diagnostic, and cost data to prospectively identify candidates for care management programs. METHODS Risk scores from prior-cost information and a set of clinically based predictive models (PMs) derived from diagnostic and medication data sources, as well as from a combination of all 3 data sources, were assigned to a national sample of commercially insured, non-elderly adults (n = 2,259,584). Clinical relevance of risk groups and statistical performance using future costs as the outcome were contrasted across the PMs. RESULTS Compared with prior cost, diagnostic and medication-based PMs identified high-risk groups with a higher burden of clinically actionable characteristics. Statistical performance was similar and in some cases better for the clinical PMs compared with prior cost. The best classification accuracy was obtained with a comprehensive model that united diagnostic, medication, and prior-cost risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Clinically based PMs are a better choice than prior cost alone for programs that seek to identify high-risk groups of patients who are amenable to care management services.
An Introduction to Rights: The Rights of Man

The concept of rights first became unmistakably prominent during the period of modern intellectual history known as the Enlightenment, which for our purposes had its beginnings in the early seventeenth century and ran to the end of the eighteenth. It was a period in which both the Church and the ancient Greek authorities (who had been rediscovered during the Renaissance) began to be questioned, and the order of the natural world began to be seen as capable of being understood by means very different from those that Renaissance scholars and church scholastics had hitherto been accustomed to using. Francis Bacon’s turning away from scholastic to experimental methods of investigating the world marks the beginning of this period, and we can think of it as ending with (if not culminating in) two political revolutions: the American and the French, which defined the first expansionary period. What began as a new, antidogmatic and inquisitive approach to the study of nature was applied to human affairs, and with consequences that are still unfolding. A subjective concept of rights – subjective in focusing in an important but as yet unspecified way upon the right- holder – had already emerged at least as early as the late Middle Ages, in disputes among Catholic clerics. It would be a mistake to regard this emergence as an unambiguous mark of moral progress, however. One of the more curious and least reputable chapters in the history of rights concerns the role of the concept of rights in the defense of human slavery. Rights in the sense we have called subjective had had a key role in the Dominican answer to Franciscan communism. That which we use we acquire a right to exclude others from using, and if we wish, we may transfer our right of exclusive use to another in gift or exchange. But implicit in the Dominican answer is the further question: If using things naturally gives the user property in them, does a person not then acquire property in his own body? And if a person has property in himself, why may he not give or trade it away, or put it at hazard? In other words, if people can naturally acquire property in what they use – which they may then trade or risk – why can they not naturally enslave themselves, by trading away or staking their persons and their liberty?
Surface plasmon resonance microscopy: Achieving a quantitative optical response

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging allows real-time label-free imaging based on index of refraction and changes in index of refraction at an interface. Optical parameter analysis is achieved by application of the Fresnel model to SPR data typically taken by an instrument in a prism based figuration. We carry out SPR imaging on a microscope by launching light into a sample and collecting reflected light through a high numerical aperture microscope objective. The SPR microscope enables spatial resolution that approaches the diffraction limit and has a dynamic range that allows detection of subnanometer to submicrometer changes in thickness of biological material at a surface. However, unambiguous quantitative interpretation of SPR changes using the microscope system could not be achieved using the Fresnel model because of polarization dependent attenuation and optical aberration that occurs in the high numerical aperture objective. To overcome this problem, we demonstrate a model to correct for polarization diattenuation and optical aberrations in the SPR data and develop a procedure to calibrate reflectivity to index of refraction values. The calibration and correction strategy for quantitative analysis was validated by comparing the known indices of refraction of bulk materials with corrected SPR data interpreted with the Fresnel model. Subsequently, we applied our SPR microscopy method to evaluate the index of refraction for a series of polymer microspheres in aqueous media and validated the quality of the measurement with quantitative phase microscopy.
Rethinking Academic Support: Improving the Academic Outcomes of Students in High-Risk STEM Courses With Synchronous Videoconferencing

This article presents findings of a study conducted to determine the impact of academic support provided through videoconferencing on the academic outcomes of Science, Technology, Engineering, and ...
Resource Productivity, Resource Use Efficiency and Return to Scale of Small, Medium and Large Rabi Jowar Growers in Marathwada Region

The study attempts to examine the resource productivity, resource use efficiency and return to scale of the small, medium and large sized Rabi jowar growers in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra state. A sample of 120 growers was selected through multistage sampling technique from Parbhani and Beed districts for Rab i jowar season 2009-10. Growers were categorized on the basis of land holding into small (30), medium (50) and large (40) growers. Cobb Douglas production function approach was used to measure the resource productivity, resource use efficiency and return to scale by calculating and comparing Marginal value products (MVPs) and MVP to factor price. Results depicted that on small farms only area (2.08 ∗∗ ) and machine labour (2.04 ∗∗ ) were found significant. On medium farms, area (2.161 ∗∗ ), human labour (2.13 ∗∗ ) and seed (2.067 ∗∗ ) were significant, and for large farms, area (2.51 ∗∗ ), machine labour (2.03 ∗∗ ) and human labour (2.10 ∗∗ ) were significant, whereas other inputs were insignificant for respective catagories. In regard to resource use efficiency of small farms, area (4.04) and machine labour (2.84) were underutilized. On medium farm, area (0.09) was over utilized, whereas seed (31.54) and human labour (1.24) were underutilized. On large farms, human labour (0.53) was over utilized, whereas area (1.99) and machine labour (1.86) were underutilized. The result also indicated that return to scale on small, medium and large Rabi jowar farms were decreasing (∑bi: 0.417), near to unity (∑bi: 1.103) and decreasing (∑bi: 0.797), respectively.
An optical flow-based approach for the interpolation of minimally divergent velocimetry data

Three-dimensional (3D) biomedical image sets often have in-plane resolutions that are exceedingly higher than the out-of-plane spacing between images. Image interpolation can be used to reduce the effective out-of-plane spacing. Optical flow and/or other registration-based interpolators have proven useful in interpolating this type of data in the past. When acquired images are comprised of signals that describe the flow velocity of incompressible fluids, additional information is available to guide the interpolation process. In this paper, we present an optical-flow based framework for image interpolation that also minimizes resultant divergence in the interpolated data.
WearETE: A Scalable Wearable E-Textile Triboelectric Energy Harvesting System for Human Motion Scavenging

In this paper, we report the design, experimental validation and application of a scalable, wearable e-textile triboelectric energy harvesting (WearETE) system for scavenging energy from activities of daily living. The WearETE system features ultra-low-cost material and manufacturing methods, high accessibility, and high feasibility for powering wearable sensors and electronics. The foam and e-textile are used as the two active tribomaterials for energy harvester design with the consideration of flexibility and wearability. A calibration platform is also developed to quantify the input mechanical power and power efficiency. The performance of the WearETE system for human motion scavenging is validated and calibrated through experiments. The results show that the wearable triboelectric energy harvester can generate over 70 V output voltage which is capable of powering over 52 LEDs simultaneously with a 9 × 9 cm² area. A larger version is able to lighten 190 LEDs during contact-separation process. The WearETE system can generate a maximum power of 4.8113 mW from hand clapping movements under the frequency of 4 Hz. The average power efficiency can be up to 24.94%. The output power harvested by the WearETE system during slow walking is 7.5248 µW. The results show the possibility of powering wearable electronics during human motion.
A CMOS Wideband Current-Mode Digital Polar Power Amplifier With Built-In AM–PM Distortion Self-Compensation

This paper presents a fully integrated wideband current-mode digital polar power amplifier (DPA) in CMOS with built-in AM–PM distortion self-compensation. Feedforward capacitors are implemented in each differential cascode digital power cell. These feedforward capacitors operate together with a proposed DPA biasing scheme to minimize the DPA output device capacitance $C_{d}$ variations over a wide output power range and a wide carrier frequency bandwidth, resulting in DPA AM–PM distortion reduction. A three-coil transformer-based DPA output passive network is implemented within a single transformer footprint (330 $\mu \text{m} \,\, \times $ 330 $\mu \text{m}$ ) and provides parallel power combining and load impedance transformation with a low loss, an octave bandwidth, and a large impedance transformation ratio. Moreover, this proposed power amplifier (PA) output passive network shows a desensitized phase response to $C_{d}$ variations and further suppresses the DPA AM–PM distortion. Both proposed AM–PM distortion self-compensation techniques are effective for a large carrier frequency range and a wide modulation bandwidth, and are independent of the DPA AM control codes. This results in a superior inherent DPA phase linearity and reduces or even eliminates the need for phase pre-distortion, which dramatically simplifies the DPA pre-distortion computations. As a proof-of-concept, a 2–4.3 GHz wideband DPA is implemented in a standard 28-nm bulk CMOS process. Operating with a low supply voltage of 1.4 V for enhanced reliability, the DPA demonstrates ±0.5 dB PA output power bandwidth from 2 to 4.3 GHz with +24.9 dBm peak output power at 3.1 GHz. The measured peak PA drain efficiency is 42.7% at 2.5 GHz and is more than 27% from 2 to 4.3 GHz. The measured PA AM–PM distortion is within 6.8° at 2.8 GHz over the PA output power dynamic range of 25 dB, achieving the lowest AM–PM distortion among recently reported current-mode DPAs in the same frequency range. Without any phase pre-distortion, modulation measurements with a 20-MHz 802.11n standard compliant signal demonstrate 2.95% rms error vector magnitude, −33.5 dBc adjacent channel leakage ratio, 15.6% PA drain efficiency, and +14.6 dBm PA average output power at 2.8 GHz.
The effects of alcohol on heartbeat perception: Implications for anxiety.

Abstract Introduction It is well established that some individuals self-medicate their anxiety with alcohol. Though much evidence exists that alcohol consumption can be negatively reinforcing, there remains uncertainty regarding what mediates the relationship between alcohol and anxiety. An unexplored possibility is that, for some, alcohol impairs interoceptive sensitivity (the ability to accurately perceive one's physiological state), thereby decreasing state anxiety. Consistent with this, highly accurate heartbeat perception is a risk factor both for elevated trait anxiety and anxiety disorders. However, the direct impact of alcohol on cardioceptive accuracy has not to our knowledge been previously examined. Methods Sixty-one social drinkers came to the lab in groups of 4–6 on two days spaced a week apart. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive alcoholic drinks targeting a BAC of 0.05% on one testing day and placebo drinks on the other, with the order counter-balanced. On both testing days, participants engaged in a Schandry heartbeat perception task on three occasions: at baseline, after an alcohol absorption period, and after physiological arousal was raised via exercise. Results For men only, alcohol significantly impaired cardioceptive accuracy relative to a placebo at both low and high levels of arousal, with medium to large effect sizes. Conclusions Though preliminary, this finding is consistent with the proposed hypothesis linking alcohol consumption and anxiety, at least for men. Future studies should directly examine whether, among individuals with anxiety disorders, cardioceptive sensitivity mediates the relationship between alcohol consumption and state anxiety.
Governing from the skies: a global history of aerial bombing

Thomas Hippler finds the origins of today’s interminable conflicts in the experimental use of air power by colonial armies in the Middle East and North Africa a century ago. His core argument is th...
Solute carrier family 9, subfamily A, member 3 (SLC9A3)/sodium-hydrogen exchanger member 3 (NHE3) dysregulation and dilated intercellular spaces in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is characterized by histopathologic modifications of esophageal tissue, including eosinophil-rich inflammation, basal zone hyperplasia, and dilated intercellular spaces (DIS). The underlying molecular processes that drive the histopathologic features of EoE remain largely unexplored. Objective We sought to investigate the involvement of solute carrier family 9, subfamily A, member 3 (SLC9A3) in esophageal epithelial intracellular pH (pHi) and DIS formation and the histopathologic features of EoE. Methods We examined expression of esophageal epithelial gene networks associated with regulation of pHi in the EoE transcriptome of primary esophageal epithelial cells and an in vitro esophageal epithelial 3-dimensional model system (EPC2-ALI). Molecular and cellular analyses and ion transport assays were used to evaluate the expression and function of SLC9A3. Results We identified altered expression of gene networks associated with regulation of pHi and acid-protective mechanisms in esophageal biopsy specimens from pediatric patients with EoE (healthy subjects, n = 6; patients with EoE, n = 10). The most dysregulated gene central to regulating pHi was SLC9A3. SLC9A3 expression was increased within the basal layer of esophageal biopsy specimens from patients with EoE, and expression positively correlated with disease severity (eosinophils/high-power field) and DIS (healthy subjects, n = 10; patients with EoE, n = 10). Analyses of esophageal epithelial cells revealed IL-13–induced, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6–dependent SLC9A3 expression and Na+-dependent proton secretion and that SLC9A3 activity correlated positively with DIS formation. Finally, we showed that IL-13–mediated, Na+-dependent proton secretion was the primary intracellular acid-protective mechanism within the esophageal epithelium and that blockade of SLC9A3 transport abrogated IL-13–induced DIS formation. Conclusions SLC9A3 plays a functional role in DIS formation, and pharmacologic interventions targeting SLC9A3 function may suppress the histopathologic manifestations in patients with EoE.
Effects of Prenatal Methylmercury Poisoning Upon Growth and Development of Fetal Central Nervous System

Analysis of neuropathological findings in human infants poisoned by maternal ingestion of methylmercury-contaminated food during pregnancy reveals that the principal histopathologic changes are represented by the outcome of disturbance in brain development, more specifically abnormal neuronal migration, deranged cortical differentiation and exuberant white matter astrocytosis. Although these changes are by no means specific, the striking similarity of the pathologic anatoiriy of the brain of all infants reported in Japan and Iraq and the detailed account of clinical and toxicological data is highly suggestive of a common pathogenetic link to methylmercury poisoning in utero. Thus, the critical periods of vulnerability of developing CNS for sublethal exposure to methylmercury appear to be the late embryonic and fetal periods when neuronal migration and histogenetic development of brain are taking place actively. In order to test this hypothesis, experimental studies using cultures of human fetal brain cells were carried out. Using time-lapse cinematography, phase and electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry, we have been able to observe the cessation of migratory activity of cultured human fetal neurons and astrocytes due to cytotoxic actions of methylmercury. Methylmercury not only caused rapid disruption and degeneration of membranes but also caused specific damage to microtubules in neurons and astrocytes in culture. We have also demonstrated inhibitory effect of methylmercury on DNA synthesis of human fetal astrocytes by radioautography and showed beneficial effect of meso–2,3- dimercaptosuccinic acid on methylmercury-damaged human fetal astrocytes by time-lapse cinematography. Studies of developing mouse brain revealed significant reduction in dendritic arborization of neurons (Jacobson, 1978)• However, there are still many uncertainties regarding the time of origin of different types of neurons and glial cells in various regions of the developing human CNS. Contrary to the general belief that neuronal development precedes glial development (Fujita, 1963, 1967), our studies (Choi, 1981) and those of others (Levitt et al., 1980, 1981) suggest the likelihood of concomitant generation of both types of cells in the early developing human embryo. Until these and other uncertainties regarding neurogenesis are resolved, therefore, it will be difficult to ascertain precisely the molecular mechanisms and stages of development that are applicable to methylmercury poisoning in utero.
Powder Rolling I

A short historical review of powder rolling is followed by the description of some experiments on the rolling of copper powder. The factors which are of greatest importance, such as the rolling mill (roll diameter, size of roll gap, surface finish of the rolls, rate of powder feed to the rolls, and the roll speed), the powder (grain size and particle shape), and sintering (temperature, time, protective atmosphere) are taken into account of which the first two variables are mainly considered. On the grounds of the experimental results, the theoretical aspects of powder rolling are discussed.
Policing Compliance: Digital Medicine and Criminal Justice-Involved Persons

Klugman et al. (2018) describe how new medical devices track treatment adherence more accurately than a clinician relying on his or her patient’s self-report. For example, these devices promise to ...
Histone Modifications: Insights into Their Influence on Gene Expression

This year's Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award honors David Allis and Michael Grunstein for their pioneering research that highlighted the importance of histones and their post-translational modifications in the direct control of gene expression.
New approach to electron microscopy imaging of gel nanocomposites in situ.

Abstract Characterization of Au-nanocomposites is routinely done with scattering techniques where the structure and ordering of nanoparticles can be analyzed. Imaging of Poloxamer gel-based Au-nanocomposites is usually limited to cryo-TEM imaging of cryo-microtomed thin sections of the specimen. While this approach is applicable for imaging of the individual nanoparticles and gauging their size distribution, it requires altering the state of the specimen and is prone to artifacts associated with preparation protocols. Use of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (S/TEM) with fluid cell in situ provides an opportunity to analysis of these complex materials in their hydrated state with nanometer resolution, yet dispensing dense gel-based samples onto electron-transparent substrates remains challenging. We show that Poloxamer gel-based Au nanocomposites exhibiting thermoreversible behavior can be imaged in a fully hydrated state using a commercially available fluid cell holder, and we describe a specimen preparation method for depositing femtoliter amounts of gel-based nanocomposites directly onto the 50 nm-thick SiN window membranes. Ultimately, fluid cell S/TEM in situ imaging approach offers a pathway to visualization of individual nanoparticles within a thick gel media while maintaining the hydrated state of the carrier polymeric matrix.
“Better to kill them off at once”: race, violence, and human rights in antebellum western state constitutional conventions

ABSTRACTMy paper argues that delegates to antebellum western state constitutional conventions, in both slave and free states, expressed violent, even homicidal ideas about free black people. They p...
Search-based energy testing of Android

The utility of a smartphone is limited by its battery capacity and the ability of its hardware and software to efficiently use the device's battery. To properly characterize the energy consumption of an app and identify energy defects, it is critical that apps are properly tested, i.e., analyzed dynamically to assess the app's energy properties. However, currently there is a lack of testing tools for evaluating the energy properties of apps. We present Cobweb, a search-based energy testing technique for Android. By leveraging a set of novel models, representing both the functional behavior of an app as well as the contextual conditions affecting the app's energy behavior, Cobweb generates a test suite that can effectively find energy defects. Our experimental results using real-world apps demonstrate not only its ability to effectively and efficiently test energy behavior of apps, but also its superiority over prior techniques by finding a wider and more diverse set of energy defects.
Provision of Social Services and Health Care Quality in US Community Health Centers, 2017

Objectives. To describe the types of social services provided at community health centers (CHCs), characteristics of CHCs providing these services, and the association between on-site provision and...
Introducing Middle School Students to Programmable Sensor Technologies Through an Immersive Experience

Integrating computational thinking into middle school science classes through the use of programmable sensor technologies requires that students are familiar with the sensors and how the sensors can help them figure out the answers to their scientific questions. However current best practice in science education integrates science content and scientific practices (i.e. planning an investigation using the sensors) instead of teaching the practices first. In addition, the goal is to have the students recognize that the sensors would be useful for answering their current questions. To address this issue, I collaboratively designed a week long sensor immersion experience with middle school science teachers as part of a larger design based implementation research project that creates middle school science units that integrate computational thinking using these sensors. Through our observations and reflections with teachers, the necessity of a unit that introduces the students to the sensors became apparent. Working with the teachers, we developed a sensor immersion experience centered around the investigation of a classroom data display that illustrates information about the classroom environment using lights and sound. The data display was constructed using the programmable sensor technologies available to the students and the unit involved them creating and refining a model of how the classroom data display worked. This unit was implemented during the first three months of the 2019/2020 school year and preliminary results suggest that students have a better sense of the capabilities of the sensors and how they can help them in their scientific inquiry.
Reduced expression of serotonin receptor(s) in the left colon of patients with colonic inertia.

PURPOSE: Serotonin regulates colonic motility via receptors expressed on neural fibers and smooth muscle. Colonic inertia is characterized by delayed colonic transit. Abnormalities in serotonin receptor protein, as judged by immunoreactivity levels, could contribute to the origin of colonic inertia. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of serotonin receptor(s) immunoreactivity in the left colon of patients with colonic inertia compared with controls. METHODS: Sixteen patients who underwent subtotal colectomy for colonic inertia were assessed. Colonic transit time was measured with the radiopaque marker technique and presented as the number of retained markers in the colon on Day 5. The control group consisted of 18 patients who underwent left hemicolectomy for colonic carcinoma; histologically normal tissues from the left colon were used. Immunohistochemical staining for serotonin receptor was performed with a rabbit anti-idiotypic antibody. The average positive area (square pixels) in the mucosa, muscularis mucosa, submucosa, and circular and longitudinal muscles per microscopic field (63×) was calculated based on measurement of the positively stained area in 20 randomly chosen microscopic fields in each related structure. The Scion Image computer analysis system was used. RESULTS: Serotonin receptor(s) immunoreactivity was mainly detected in the muscular mucosa, circular muscles, and longitudinal muscles and rarely in the mucosa and submucosa. In muscularis mucosa and circular muscle, the positive areas were significantly less in the colonic inertia group than in controls (muscularis mucosa: 29.1 ± 10.8 vs. 109.7 ± 28.2, P < 0.05; circular muscle: 25.6 ± 6.2 vs.90.2 ± 19.1, P < 0.01). There were significantly positive correlations in the control group in serotonin receptor(s) immunoreactivity levels between circular muscle and longitudinal muscle (r = 0.54, P < 0.05) and between muscular mucosa and longitudinal muscle (r = 0.57, P < 0.05) but not in colonic inertia patients. In addition, the positive areas in the circular muscle were positively correlated to the colonic transit time (Spearman’s rank correlation, 0.83; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In colonic inertia patients, the serotonin receptor(s) immunoreactivity level is lower in muscular mucosa and circular muscle. The absence of a correlation of serotonin receptor(s) immunoreactivity in the muscular mucosa and muscularis propria in the patient group implies that an uncoordinated expression of serotonin receptors may also contribute to colonic inertia. However, the positive correlation between serotonin receptor(s) immunoreactivity levels in the circular muscle and the transit time observed in colonic inertia patients suggests a decrease in stimulatory subtypes and at the same time an increase in inhibitory subtypes of serotonin receptors in this tissue.
Bioconversion of industrial hemp biomass for bioethanol production: A review

Abstract Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) with robust drought-resistant features has excellent agronomic and pharmaceutical characteristics. As the federal prohibition on hemp cultivation was lifted, its valorization in various aspects is highly required. This review aims to summarize the potential of hemp biomass for bioethanol production. Chemical compositions of hemp biomass were evaluated as compared with those of corn fiber, corn stover, and sorghum bagasse. Several representative pretreatment technologies used for hemp biomass were summarized in terms of sugar recoveries, lignin removal, and sugar and ethanol yields. This review presents numerous technical barriers attributed to insufficient fermentable sugar and ethanol concentration during the conversion processes. Also, innovative research approaches (pretreatment optimization, co-fermentation of hexose and pentose, increasing potential sugar loading) in overcoming these challenges were critically reviewed. This review would promote future research on the utilization of hemp biomass for biofuel applications.
Parasellar T2 dark sign on magnetic resonance imaging to differentiate lymphocytic hypophysitis from pituitary adenoma.

Background Pituitary adenomas are the most common sellar masses in adults with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) being the imaging modality of choice. Inflammatory pituitary lesions such as lymphocytic hypophysitis (LH) can mimic pituitary macroadenoma on imaging and are often misdiagnosed as such. Although the imaging appearance on most of the sequences on MRI has similar findings, LH has a characteristic dark signal on T2 images (called dark T2 sign) which can be very helpful to reliably differentiate the two conditions. Case description A 68-year-old woman diagnosed with a "pituitary mass" on the MR study done at an outside facility was referred to our neurosurgery department. The case was discussed at our multidisciplinary tumor board, where the possibility of an inflammatory condition mimicking tumor was considered, given the very dark signal on T2-weighted sequences. Transsphenoidal endoscopic biopsy revealed a firm rubbery mass, which histopathology demonstrated fibrous connective tissue with inflammatory cells consistent with LH. Conclusion Dark T2 signal on MR imaging can be very helpful in demarcating inflammatory pituitary conditions like LH from pituitary macroadenomas.
Liver Injuries: Techniques

The liver is the largest organ in the abdomen and is frequently injured. Although minor or moderate injuries may be managed with simple observation, the extensive vascular supply of the liver makes severe liver injuries extremely challenging. Frequently, patients who require liver-specific operations have exsanguinating hemorrhage. Despite improvements in resuscitation, mortality of operative liver injuries remains approximately 50%, with mortality of up to 80% for patients with juxtahepatic venous injuries. Morbidity rates following operation for high-grade liver injuries are as high as 30–80% depending on the grade of injury and types of complications.