cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The burden of adverse mental health outcomes in critical illness survivors

Survivors of critical illnesses are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression. In the present issue of Critical Care, Myhren and colleagues report on an investigation of predictors of posttraumatic stress, general anxiety, and depressive symptoms up to 1 year following intensive care unit admission for critical illnesses. The present study found that an endogenous patient characteristic, the personality trait pessimism, was associated with posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms. Myhren and colleagues' study sheds light on potential predictors of psychopathology in critical illness survivors as well as stimulating directions for future research to address these complex problems.
Adolescent Suicide A Comparison of Attempters and Nonattempters in an Emergency Room Population

Forty-six adolescent suicide attempters and their parents were compared with 46 adolescent nonattempters and their parents using various measures of family conflict, family cohesion, and parental maladaptive behavior. Data analysis in dicated several significant differences between these two family groups in these dependent measures of family functioning, suggesting that the family milieu plays an important role in the etiology of adolescent suicidal behavior.
Biological CO oxidation in the Sargasso Sea and in Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts

In situ dissolved carbon monoxide (CO) in oligotrophic waters follows a diel cycle varying from 0.3 to 0.5 nmol L 21 before dawn to 2.5 to 3 nmol L 21 in early afternoon, when photo-production of CO exceeds biological CO oxidation and other sinks. Coastal waters may contain up to 15 nmol L 21 [CO] in the daytime. Assays to measure the rate of CO bio-oxidation typically involve the addition of labeled CO to sealed samples, resulting in CO concentrations that are above ambient levels during incubation (up to 9 nmol L 21 CO). We find that biological oxidation of CO obeys first-order kinetics when incubated with up to 4 nmol L 21 [CO] in coastal water samples and up to between 4 and 10.8 nmol L 21 in oligotrophic waters. At higher [CO], kinetic behavior transitions to zeroorder or saturation kinetics. CO‐oxidation rate coefficients obtained in dark incubations were not representative of the entire diurnal period, as others have assumed. Biological CO‐oxidation rate coefficients kco measured in dark incubations of Sargasso Sea surface water in summer were 0.020 6 0.002 h 21 (mean 6 standard deviation) and an order of magnitude greater than those measured in situ during daylight hours (0.002 6 0.001 h 21 ). Dark and in situ rate coefficients in early spring were 0.006 6 0.004 h 21 and 0.003 6 0.001 h 21 , respectively. In dark incubations
Inhibitory mechanism analysis of complexity O(N) MOS winner-take-all networks

Circuits that perform the winner-take-all (WTA) function are essential building blocks in analog parallel signal processors. We observe that VLSI implementations of the WTA function rely almost invariably on voltage-follower (VF) circuits for the transmission of the inhibitory signal over the network. Basic VF circuits present low resolution, however, and several modifications have been proposed in order to enhance the system performance. These modifications add local feedback to the system, being the global feedback still transmitted by a nested VF circuit. In this paper, we examine the role of MOS/VF circuits in hardware realizations of the WTA function and derive a general method for estimating the resolution gain attained when such modifications are introduced onto a basic VF system. We also examine implementations that do not make use of this kind of inhibitory channel, often presenting lower resolution and/or bigger circuit size. >
Candida glabrata colonizes but does not often disseminate from the mouse caecum.

Candida glabrata is the second or third most frequent cause of candidaemia. The gastrointestinal tract is considered to be a major portal of entry for systemic candidiasis, but relatively few studies have investigated the pathogenesis of C. glabrata. Experiments were designed to clarify the ability of C. glabrata to disseminate from the mouse intestinal tract. Following oral inoculation, C. glabrata readily colonized the caeca [approx. 107 cells (g caecum)−1] of antibiotic-treated mice, but extraintestinal dissemination was not detected. Superimposing several mouse models of trauma and/or immunosuppression known to induce dissemination of Candida albicans and other intestinal microbes did not cause C. glabrata to disseminate often, although one exception was mice given high doses of dexamethasone for 4 days. These data support the hypothesis that the antibiotic-treated mouse intestine may be an epidemiological reservoir for C. glabrata and that this yeast tends to disseminate under specific clinical conditions.
Quantum transduction via frequency upconversion (Invited)

We describe a method for efficiently and coherently converting photons from one wavelength to another through the process of nonlinear upconversion. By using an intense 1064 nm escort laser pulse and a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal, we demonstrate upconversion efficiency of 99% and coherence of 95% for 1550 to 631 nm light at the single-photon level, thereby qualifying it for use in manipulation of photonic qubits. We then show how to create photons in arbitrary superpositions of different energy states, thereby enlarging the accessible Hilbert space for quantum information applications.
Note On Mutual Information and Orthogonal Space-Time Codes

Bit-error probability and mutual information rate have both been used as performance criteria for space-time codes for wireless communication. We use mutual information as the performance criterion because it determines the possible rate of communication when using an outer code. In this context, linear dispersion codes, first proposed by Hassibi and Hochwald, are appealing because of the high mutual information they provide, as well as their simplicity. Because complexity increases with the number of symbols, it may be sensible in some settings to fix the number of symbols sent per data bit. In the dissertation of Y. Jiang, it was conjectured that among linear dispersion codes with independent, binary symbols, orthogonal space-time codes are optimal in the following sense: they maximize mutual information subject to an average power constraint on each symbol. We prove the conjecture for a fixed number of real symbols with arbitrary distributions.
Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency: diagnosis and treatment.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AT) deficiency was first described in the late 1960s byLaurell and Eriksson [1] in patients with severe pulmonary emphysema. Therecognition of AT deficiency as a cause of emphysema then led to what is stillthe prevailing theory for the pathogenesis of emphysema, the protease-anti-protease theory [2]. This theory is based on the concept that a lack of antipro-tease allows protease activity to destroy the connective tissue matrix of thelung. The lack of antiprotease could be genetic, as is the case for AT deficiency,or due to functional inactivation of AT by active oxygen intermediates that arereleased by phagocytes of smokers. Several years after AT deficiency was firstrecognized, Sharp and colleagues [3] discovered AT deficiency in an infant withneonatal liver disease. Soon it was found that AT deficiency accounted for a sig-nificant number of cases of neonatal liver disease that were previously cate-gorized as idiopathic [4]. We now know that AT deficiency is the most commongenetic cause of neonatal liver disease and the most frequent diagnosis ne-cessitating liver transplantation. It has also been shown to cause chronic liverdisease, cryptogenic cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma in adults neverpreviously known to have liver disease in infancy or childhood [5]. The incidenceof the classical form of AT deficiency is 1 in 1600 to 1 in 2000 live births inmost populations [6], but prospective screening studies in Sweden indicate that
Integrating crop and livestock production in Inland Northwest farming systems

The demand for more ecologically and economically sustainable agriculture arises because we currently integrate products economically in a fashion that distorts ecologica I relationships. Earfy farms were ecologically integrated through feeding of forage crops and crop residues to livestock, with livestock contributing draft power and manure for crops. Today we have almost entirely uncoupled plant and animal production, eliminating the contribution that each can make to the productivity of the other. Barriers to integrating farming systems include the large volume of information needed for sophisticated production systems and the lack of infrastructure. Also, many chemicals used on crops have not been evaluated for their safety in food animals. Winter feeding and calving may conflict with crop production cycles; balancing year-round forage supplies is another obstacle. Opportunities include using the Conservation Reserve Program to shift land to livestock production. Domestic demand for meat is changing, and range livestock production is seen by some people as more humane than confinement. Animals fed less grain may be more acceptable in some markets. As agriculture responds to changes in society, ecologica I integration may become more compatible with economic integration.
Peel Fluorescence as a Means to Identify Freeze-damaged Navel Oranges

SUMMARY. The use of ultraviolet fluorescence to identify freeze-damaged navel oranges (Citrus sinensis) was evaluated using fruit harvested following a natural freeze that occurred in California in Jan. 2007. Navel oranges were harvested after the freeze from 14sites that were previously determined to have a slight to moderate amount of freeze damage. The fruit were evaluated for the presence of small yellow spots characteristic of freeze damage that fluoresce when viewed under a ultravioletA(365nm)sourceandwerethencutandratedusingamethodcurrentlyusedbythe California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to determine the presence of internal freeze damage. The percentage of freeze-damaged fruit in each lot as determined by the CDFA method ranged from 0% to 89%. The accuracy of classifying fruit as freeze damaged in each lot by peel fluorescence averaged 44%, with the fruit lots containing the greatest amount of freeze damage having the highest classification percentages. False-positives occurred at a lower rate than falsenegatives among the lots. Although some fading was evident, the fluorescence persisted and was readily visible for at least 9 weeks after the freeze event. Removal of fruit with ultraviolet peel fluorescence was ineffective in reducing the percentage of damaged fruit within the examined lots. In the second part of the test, eighteen lots of potentially freeze-damaged fruit were obtained from a packing house, immediately evaluated for freeze damage using ultraviolet light, and then after 4 weeks of storage, were evaluated again using the CDFA method. Fruit that had a slight to moderate degree of freeze damage were tasted and evaluated for sensory characteristics. Both methods of freeze damage detection were poorly related to the sensory characteristics.
Mechanisms of Nicotine Regulation of Dopamine Release in Neostriatum

The mechanism(s) of the evoked release of dopamine from rat striatal slices by nicotine and the nicotinic agonist dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP) has been studied. Release of dopamine was assessed by three separate procedures: 1) release of [3H]dopamine from slices preincubated with the labeled amine (newly taken up dopamine); 2) release of endogenous transmitter measured by high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection (endogenous dopamine), and 3) release of [3H]dopamine continuously formed by superfusion of slices with [3H]tyrosine (newly synthesized dopamine). Both nicotinic agonists were observed to cause a release of dopamine from rat striatal slices. The results obtained are consistent with the interpretation that these agents release dopamine by two mechanisms, one seen at low and the other seen at high concentrations of the drugs.
Structure and Oxidizing Power of Single Layer α-V2O5

Vanadium pentoxide is a layered compound in which V2O5 monolayers are held together by van der Waals forces. It is therefore possible, in principle, to exfoliate the material and form two-dimensional monolayers. Density functional theory is used to calculate the structure and the energy of vacancy formation for hypothetical, two-dimensional V2O5 systems and compare them to the same properties of V2O5 slabs. We study a two-dimensional sheet (infinite in two directions) and two ribbons (infinite in one direction) whose edges are perpendicular to the [100] or [001] directions. These edges undergo a substantial reconstruction. When an oxygen vacancy is formed, the formal charge of two vanadium atoms is reduced from 5+ to 4+. The energy of oxygen vacancy formation is higher for the two-dimensional structures than for the corresponding slabs (i.e. it is more difficult to remove oxygen from the edge of a ribbon perpendicular to [001] than from the (001) surface of a slab). Therefore, the two-dimensional structures are less aggressive oxidants than vanadium pentoxide powders.
PALEONTOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY THEORY.

In the introduction to the recently published collection Models in Paleobiology, Schopf (1972, p. 4) says, "We look with awe at the results which have followed the application of fundamental chemistry in a geochemical context, and the use of cartesian methodology in molecular biology. Our fossils are amenable to more than the traditional methods of analysis. We wanted to write a book which would take as its goal the self-conscious use of models in paleontological research." This kind of lament may have a familiar ring, particularly for those paleontologists who lived through the movement of the nineteen fifties in which the "new systematics" was applied to paleontology. There were then and there are now paleontologists who wish to escape "pure description" and establish paleontology once and for all on an equal footing with such disciplines as geochemistry and molecular biology. The accomplishment of this task depends upon an understanding of the relationship between paleontology and biological theory. It is this critical relationship that I shall examine in this paper.
Reported Wandering Behavior among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Intellectual Disability

Objective To characterize wandering, or elopement, among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. Study design Questions on wandering in the previous year were asked of parents of children with ASD with and without intellectual disability and children with intellectual disability without ASD as part of the 2011 Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services. The Pathways study sample was drawn from the much larger National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs conducted in 2009-2010. Results For children with special healthcare needs diagnosed with either ASD, intellectual disability, or both, wandering or becoming lost during the previous year was reported for more than 1 in 4 children. Wandering was highest among children with ASD with intellectual disability (37.7%) followed by children with ASD without intellectual disability (32.7%), and then children with intellectual disability without ASD (23.7%), though the differences between these groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions This study affirms that wandering among children with ASD, regardless of intellectual disability status, is relatively common. However, wandering or becoming lost in the past year was also reported for many children with intellectual disability, indicating the need to broaden our understanding of this safety issue to other developmental disabilities.
Analysis on Modular Navigation Ability of Coupling GPS/INS

is formed by Combining long-term high-accuracy GPS with short-term high-accuracy INS into GPS/INS modular navigation system becomes the navigation technology tendency of large-scale ships,submarines,aircrafts and missile.According to the mechanism of GPS/INS modular navigation,the paper analyzed its navigation ability.
Investigation of Knowledge,Attitude and Behavior on AIDS/STD of the Flowing Workers in Building Sites in Jiading District

OBJECTIVE Learning about the knowledge, attitude and behavior characteristic on AIDS/ STD of flowing workers in building sites, providing the scientific basis for conducting AIDS/STD health education in the flowing workers further. METHOD The questionnaire investigation was conducted in flowing workers of 4 building sites in Jiading district, working for 6 months and above. And the clustering sampling are applied. RESULTS The flowing workers acquaint themselves with the basic knowledge, the transmission roads, preventive measures, and so on. But they are short of knowledge about the non-transmission roads and some important knowledge. And they are afraid of AIDS. Television, magazine and broadcast are considered the important routes of gaining the knowledge. The attitude on AIDS is negative, and some flowing workers have open concepts of on sex. CONCLUSIONS The health education of AIDS/ STD for flowing workers should be strengthened in order to improve their health consciousness. They should treat the AIDS properly, and adopt the health life style, so as to prevent and control the transmission of AIDS/ STD.
Vulvar And Vaginal Reconstruction After Surgical Treatment For Gynecologic Cancer

The goal of postablative reconstructive surgery of the vulva and vagina is to restore anatomy and function. Maintenance or restoration of sexual activity is an important criterion for reconstruction. Wound healing, postoperative rehabilitation, and a positive self-image also can be enhanced with the creation of a neovagina or neovulva.
The role of perceived threat in the emergence of PTSD and depression symptoms during warzone deployment.

Objective Numerous studies have shown that level of exposure to combat-related stressors is a robust risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among military personnel deployed to a warzone. Threat perception of warzone experiences assessed retrospectively has been consistently linked to increased risk for PTSD and depression months or even years after returning from deployment. However, little is known about concurrent relations between perceived threat, deployment stress, and stress-related symptoms during deployment. Using a novel in-theater web-based assessment system, we investigated the unique and joint contribution of threat perception and deployment stressors in predicting the emergence of PTSD and depression symptoms during deployment. Method Soldiers (N = 150) completed assessments of deployment stressors, perceived threat, PTSD symptoms, and depression symptoms throughout deployment to Iraq. Results Results revealed that perceived threat potentiated the increase in PTSD symptoms as a result of increases in deployment stressors. In contrast, perceived threat, but not warzone stressors, uniquely predicted depression symptoms. Conclusions Results highlight the important role of threat perception as a risk marker for the acute experience of depression and PTSD symptoms during deployment. (PsycINFO Database Record
Abstract 4462: Cytotoxic effects of a novel BRD4 inhibitor in uveal melanoma cells with Gnaq/11 mutations

Uveal melanoma (UM) is an aggressive intraocular malignancy with high tendency to metastasize to the liver. The majority of UM harbor activating mutations in the G proteins Gnaq/11, and amplification of the oncogene c-Myc. Currently available drugs have shown limited response in patients with UM and there is an urgent need for new effective therapies. Recent findings from our laboratory demonstrated that UM cells with Gnaq/11 mutations are dependent on BRD4 activity. BET proteins are epigenetic readers involved in chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. BRD4 inhibitors consist of small molecules that competitively displace BRD4 from acetylated histones, resulting in the suppression of the MYC transcriptome and other BRD4-dependent genes. Here, we report that a novel clinical BRD4 inhibitor from Plexxikon (Berkeley, CA), PLX51107, induces high cytotoxic activity in UM cell lines at nanomolar concentrations. In cells with Gnaq/11 mutations, PLX51107 showed an IC50 of 250nM, similar to the pre-clinical compound JQ1. In contrast, PLX51107 did not have a significant effect (IC50>3000nM) in cells without the mutations. PLX51107 induced marked apoptosis in Gnaq/11 mutant cells, as detected by Annexin V staining and induction of cleaved PARP. It also suppressed the expression of BRD4 targets, i.e c-Myc, Rad51, and induced the pro-apoptotic protein Bim. In mouse xenograft models of UM PLX51107 significantly inhibited tumor growth. Since the MAPK pathway plays a major role in UM, we explored the combination of PLX51107 with a MEK inhibitor, and found increased activity in vitro and in vivo. All together, these observations support the idea that this clinical BRD4 inhibitor represents a novel therapeutic intervention against UM with Gnaq/11 mutations, and clinical development is planned. Citation Format: Grazia Ambrosini, Gary K. Schwartz. Cytotoxic effects of a novel BRD4 inhibitor in uveal melanoma cells with Gnaq/11 mutations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4462.
Impact of nitrogen and carbon on defect equilibrium in ZrO2

Abstract We investigate the electronic properties of nitrogen and carbon impurities in ZrO2 using density functional theory with a hybrid functional. It is commonly accepted that N substitutes on the O site and is stable in the −1 charge state ( N O − ). The N O − acceptors are then compensated by donor defects such as O vacancies in the +2 charge state. We test the validity of this assumption by determining the formation energies of all relevant charge states of nitrogen and oxygen vacancies as a function of Fermi level. We also examine the effects of carbon, a common unintentional impurity in ZrO2. We find that carbon impurities have relatively low formation energies and would indeed incorporate easily during growth of ZrO2, but they do not affect the equilibrium between nitrogen and oxygen vacancies. Our results show that the Kroger-Vink picture is valid for common growth conditions and the dominant defects are N O − and V O + 2 .
American crime drops: Investigating the breaks, dips and drops in temporal homicide.

Abstract Objectives While a great deal of attention has been given to the 1990s crime drop, less is known about the more recent decline in homicide rates that occurred in several large U.S. cities. This paper aims to explore whether these represent two distinct drops via statistical evidence of structural breaks in longitudinal homicide trends and explore potentially differing explanations for the two declines. Methods: Using homicide data on a large sample of U.S. cities from 1990 to 2011, we test for structural breaks in temporal homicide rates. Combining census data and a time series approach, we also examine the role structural features, demographic shifts, and crime control strategies played in the changes in homicide rates over time. Results: Statistical evidence demonstrates two structural breaks in homicide trends, with one trend reflecting the 1990s crime drop (1994–2002) and another trend capturing a second decline (2007–2011). Time series analysis confirms previous research findings about the contributions of structural conditions (e.g., disadvantage) and crime control strategies (e.g., police force size) to the crime drop of the 1990s, but these factors cannot account for the more recent drop with the exception of police presence. Conclusions: Although both structural conditions and crime control strategies are critical to the longitudinal trends in homicide rates over the entire span from 1990 to 2011, different factors account for these two distinct temporal trends.
Significance of Residual Mitral Regurgitation After Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Abstract Objectives This study hypothesized that the presence of residual mitral regurgitation (MR) post–continuous flow (CF) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation based on quantitative assessment would be negatively associated with right ventricular (RV) size and function and clinical outcomes. Background MR is associated with elevated left atrial pressure, secondary pulmonary hypertension and RV dysfunction. Implantation of a LVAD leads to mechanical unloading of the left ventricle and generally improves MR. The clinical significance of residual MR in patients supported with CF LVADs is uncertain. Most studies evaluating the presence of MR in LVAD patients have utilized predominantly qualitative assessments of MR. Methods We retrospectively identified patients implanted with CF LVADs at our institution from 2007 to 2013 who had a pre-operative transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) within 3 months of LVAD implant and who had a post-operative TTE at least 1 month post-LVAD. MR was assessed quantitatively using the ratio of MR color jet area (CJA)/left atrial area (LAA) in apical views. We also compared quantitative RV metrics, hospitalizations, and mortality in patients with and without significant residual MR (defined as MR CJA/LAA >0.2) on post-implantation TTE. Results Sixty-nine patients were included in this study. Post-LVAD implantation, 55 patients (80%) had mild or less MR (mean MR CJA/LAA 0.08) but 14 (20%) had significant residual MR (mean MR CJA/LAA 0.34). Patients with residual MR had significantly larger RV size (right ventricular end diastolic dimension 49 mm vs. 45 mm; p = 0.04) and worse RV function (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion 10 mm vs. 12 mm; p = 0.02; and right ventricular fractional area change 29% vs. 34%; p = 0.02). Post-implantation pulmonary artery pressures were higher in patients with residual MR (pulmonary artery systolic 43 mm Hg vs. 35 mm Hg; p = 0.05). In patients with residual MR there was slightly greater posterior displacement of the mitral coaptation point on pre-operative TTE (28 mm vs. 26 mm; p = 0.16) but this difference was not significant. Time from LVAD implantation to first hospitalization was shorter in patients with residual MR (62 days vs. 103 days; p = 0.05) as was time from LVAD implantation to death (80 days vs. 421 days; p = 0.03). Conclusions Significant residual MR post-LVAD implantation assessed by a quantitative measure is associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension, worse RV function, and significantly shorter time to hospitalization and death. MR post-LVAD implantation may serve as a surrogate for adverse outcomes post-LVAD implantation.
Surgically disconnected temporal pole exhibits resting functional connectivity with remote brain regions

Functional connectivity, as measured by resting-state fMRI, has proven a powerful method for studying brain systems in the context of behavior, development, and disease states. However, the relationship of functional connectivity to structural connectivity remains unclear. If functional connectivity relies on structural connectivity, then anatomical isolation of a brain region should eliminate functional connectivity with other brain regions. We tested this by measuring functional connectivity of the surgically disconnected temporal pole in resection patients (N=5; mean age 37; 2F, 3M). Functional connectivity was evaluated based on coactivation of whole-brain fMRI data with the average low-frequency BOLD signal from disconnected tissue in each patient. In sharp contrast to our prediction, we observed significant functional connectivity between the disconnected temporal pole and remote brain regions in each disconnection case. These findings raise important questions about the neural bases of functional connectivity measures derived from the fMRI BOLD signal.
In vivo and ex vivo confocal endomicroscopy of pancreatic cystic lesions: A prospective study

In vivo and ex vivo confocal endomicroscopy of pancreatic cystic lesions: A prospective study
The Mascot That Wouldn't Die: A Case Study of Fan Identification and Mascot Loyalty

AbstractThe issue of sports mascot loyalty, especially to those mascots considered offensive, was investigated through fan identification theory, and applied to the mascot controversy at a large university in the United States. Replicating a previous university survey on the mascot question, a survey of current university students (N = 3616) revealed a strong relationship between mascot loyalty and fan identification, particularly related to one’s perceptions of ‘belonging to the university sports family’, and ‘associating with sports fans’ of the university. Other important findings include age differences and the marginalization of Asian-American fans. The implications and applications of these findings were discussed.
Monitoring and Control of Unreliable Systems

The use of man’s adaptive characteristics as a controller has a long history of providing a cost-effective method of increasing system reliabiity, from well before the Wright brothers’ first flights to the present day aviation and space missions. The basic technology was a primary limitation in earlier times but is less of a constraint now, and consideration must be given to such items as operator motivation and job satisfaction as well as performance and reliability.
Diurnal and seasonal trends and source apportionment of redox-active metals in Los Angeles using a novel online metal monitor and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF)

Abstract In the present study, we identified the sources of four redox-active metals, including Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), Cupper (Cu), and Manganese (Mn) and quantified the contribution of these sources to PM2.5 concentrations in central Los Angeles, California, by employing time-resolved measurements (i.e., a time resolution of 2 h) with a recently developed online metal monitor and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Size distribution of ambient PM (14 nm–10 μm) was measured using the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and Optical Particle Sizer (OPS). Auxiliary variables were also collected, including elemental (EC) and organic carbon (OC), gaseous pollutants (NO2 and O3), meteorological parameters (including relative humidity (RH) and temperature), and traffic data (for heavy- (HDVs) and light-duty vehicles (LDVs)). A 4-factor solution was found to be optimum for the chemically-speciated dataset, whereas a 5-factor solution appeared to be most plausible for the size distribution data. The factors included fresh traffic, soil/road dust, urban background aerosol, secondary aerosol, and nucleation (only resolved for the size distribution data). Fresh traffic was the major contributor to Fe and Cu concentrations, whereas Cr was mostly found in the urban background aerosol (reflecting a mixture of small local sources as well as aged traffic emissions), and Mn mostly came from both soil/road dust and was to a lesser degree found in urban background aerosol. Secondary aerosol did not contribute to the concentrations of any of these metals, but was associated with very high loading of OC, as expected. Even though the urban background aerosol and secondary aerosol appeared to be characterized by “aged” particles and have a rather homogeneous spatial distribution, the reactions and processes involved in their formation are entirely different. Our results provide insights into the sources of redox-active metals in central Los Angeles. They also underscore the benefits of novel measurement techniques for PM-bound metals, which could enhance our understanding of the sources of atmospheric aerosols by providing us with measurements with finer time resolutions that otherwise would not have been possible using traditional filter-based measurement techniques.
Phase-field modeling of θ′ precipitation kinetics in 319 aluminum alloys

Abstract Understanding the morphological evolution of precipitates is critical for evaluating their hardening effects and therefore improving the yield strength of an alloy during aging. Here we present a three-dimensional phase-field model for capturing both the nucleation and the growth kinetics of the precipitates and apply it to modeling θ′ precipitates in 319 aluminum alloys. The model incorporates the relevant thermodynamic data, diffusion coefficients, and the anisotropic misfit strain from literature, together with the anisotropic interfacial energy from first-principles calculations. The modified classical nucleation theory is implemented to capture the nucleation kinetics. The model parameters are optimized by comparing the simulation results to the experimentally measured peak number density, average diameters, average thicknesses and volume fractions of precipitates during isothermal aging at 463 K (190 °C), 503 K (230 °C) and 533 K (260 °C). Further model improvements in terms of prediction accuracy of the precipitate kinetics in 319 alloys and the remaining challenges are discussed.
The Phantom Reliant Interest in Tort Damages

The theoretical incoherence of the reliance interest as a remedy for breach of contract has been clear for some time. Yet authors continue to exhibit considerable attraction to the reliance interest. This article seeks to probe one possible reason for this appeal: the superficial similarity between the reliance interest and tort remedies. The analysis reveals that tort law generally follows expectation principles, not reliance principles. In instances where expectation and reliance differ (such as misrepresentation), courts generally opt for expectation measures (the benefit of the bargain rule). In many other torts, the expectation interest and the reliance interest seem indistinguishable. The plaintiff's position if the wrong had not occurred does not divide readily into alternative questions about the position if the promise had been kept and the position if the promise had not been made. To the extent any division is possible, the reliance interest seems to seek the plaintiff's position if the duty had not existed ? analogous to the plaintiff's position if the promise had not been made ? a locution completely unknown to tort law. Tort's normal remedy ? the plaintiff's position if the duty had not been breached ? is more analogous to the plaintiff's position if the promise had been performed, the expectation interest. Thus, any desire to make contract remedies more closely analogous to tort remedies should produce support for the expectation interest, not the reliance interest.
Learning Composite Operators For Object Detection

In this paper, we learn to discover composite operators and features that are evolved from combinations of primitive image processing operations to extract regions-of-interest (ROIs) in images. Our approach is based on genetic programming (GP). The motivation for using GP is that there are a great many ways of combining these primitive operations and the human expert, limited by experience, knowledge and time, can only try a very small number of conventional ways of combination. Genetic programming, on the other hand, attempts many unconventional ways of combination that may never be imagined by human experts. In some cases, these unconventional combinations yield exceptionally good results. Our experimental results show that GP can find good composite operators, that consist of primitive operators designed in this paper, to effectively extract the regions of interest in images and the learned composite operators can be applied to extract ROIs in other similar images.
On the effects of tax-deferred saving accounts

This study investigates the quantitative impacts of tax-deferred saving accounts (TDAs) in a general equilibrium framework. These accounts implicitly provide consumption tax treatments on households’ retirement savings. In the U.S., the use of TDAs exhibits substantial heterogeneity: 401(k) has a much higher contribution limit than IRA, but only 50% of workers are eligibility for it. I developed an OLG model that captures the tax saving effects of TDAs and the heterogeneity in 401(k) eligibility in presence of nonlinear taxes. Results from this study show that providing universal 401(k) eligibility will increase the aggregate capital and the aggregate output are increased by 4.7% and 1.8% respectively. Also, the existence of TDAs substantially reduces the impacts of a flat tax reform. Compared to a model without TDAs, the increase in the aggregate output in the model with TDAs is lowered by 20.9%. JEL classification: H24, E21, E64.
Nicotine exposure of male mice produces behavioral impairment in multiple generations of descendants.

Use of tobacco products is injurious to health in men and women. However, tobacco use by pregnant women receives greater scrutiny because it can also compromise the health of future generations. More men smoke cigarettes than women. Yet the impact of nicotine use by men upon their descendants has not been as widely scrutinized. We exposed male C57BL/6 mice to nicotine (200 μg/mL in drinking water) for 12 wk and bred the mice with drug-naive females to produce the F1 generation. Male and female F1 mice were bred with drug-naive partners to produce the F2 generation. We analyzed spontaneous locomotor activity, working memory, attention, and reversal learning in male and female F1 and F2 mice. Both male and female F1 mice derived from the nicotine-exposed males showed significant increases in spontaneous locomotor activity and significant deficits in reversal learning. The male F1 mice also showed significant deficits in attention, brain monoamine content, and dopamine receptor mRNA expression. Examination of the F2 generation showed that male F2 mice derived from paternally nicotine-exposed female F1 mice had significant deficits in reversal learning. Analysis of epigenetic changes in the spermatozoa of the nicotine-exposed male founders (F0) showed significant changes in global DNA methylation and DNA methylation at promoter regions of the dopamine D2 receptor gene. Our findings show that nicotine exposure of male mice produces behavioral changes in multiple generations of descendants. Nicotine-induced changes in spermatozoal DNA methylation are a plausible mechanism for the transgenerational transmission of the phenotypes. These findings underscore the need to enlarge the current focus of research and public policy targeting nicotine exposure of pregnant mothers by a more equitable focus on nicotine exposure of the mother and the father.
Spicy Immunity: Pain to Gain.

The skin is densely innervated with nociceptive neurons specialized in detecting noxious and painful stimuli. In a recent issue of Cell, Cohen et al. report that activation of cutaneous nociceptive neurons leads to a nerve-reflex action that is sufficient to provide a danger signal that triggers regional immunity to fight a microbial challenge.
Abdominal vagotomy reveals majority of small intestinal mucosal afferents labeled in nav1.8cre‐rosa26tdTomato mice are vagal in origin

Vagal afferents innervating the small intestinal mucosa regulate feeding, gastrointestinal (GI) digestive, and immune functions. Their anatomical-functional characterization has been impeded by the inability to selectively label and manipulate them. Nav 1.8-Cre-tdTomato mice label 80% of nodose and dorsal root ganglia neurons. Here, the origin of these neuron's terminals and their distribution in the small intestinal mucosa were examined by quantitatively comparing tdTomato-labeled innervation in nonoperated (control), subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (VAGX), and sham-operated mice. Control mice exhibited a large proximal-to-distal decrease and a moderate mesentery-to-antimesentery decrease in villus innervation. VAGX reduced this innervation to a greater degree proximally (91-93%) than distally (65-72%), resulting in flat proximal-distal distributions. Therefore, estimates of vagal villus afferent distributions (control minus VAGX) paralleled control distributions, but were slightly reduced in magnitude. Compared with villus afferents, crypt innervation exhibited a muted proximal-to-distal decrease in control mice and a smaller loss after VAGX (45-48%). Sham-operated mice exhibited similar distributions of villus and crypt afferents as control mice, suggesting surgery did not contribute to the effects of VAGX. Most crypt and villus afferent terminals along the entire proximal-distal small intestinal axis had similar morphology to those previously reported in the proximal duodenum, but the density of terminal branches varied. Our findings suggest the majority of small intestinal mucosal innervation labeled in Nav 1.8-Cre-tdTomato mice is vagal in origin. Therefore, these mice will be valuable for studying vagal mucosal afferent morphology, interactions with other GI elements, plasticity, and function.
Targeting the epigenome of pancreatic cancer for therapy: Challenges and opportunities

In 2018, there was an estimated 55,440 new cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in the United States. Generally, most new cases are in an advanced stage, usually due to the lack of symptoms during the early stages of the disease. Currently, the vast majority of therapeutic regimens have shown only modest effects in this setting, and median survival ranges from 6 to 11 months. Indeed, better therapies for these patients are urgently needed. Epigenetics refers to the somatically heritable differences in gene expression not attributable to intrinsic alterations in the primary sequence of DNA. Core elements of the epigenetic regulation of gene expression include how DNA is packaged around nucleosomes, how chromatin and nucleosomes are modified by a complex series of enzymes and their subsequent interactions with proteins that recognize these modifications. The recognition of the essential role of epigenetic alterations in the development and progression of PDAC has revolutionized our knowledge of this disease and has immediate translational implications for targeting epigenetic abnormalities in PDAC for therapeutic purposes. Moreover, recent work with epigenetic modulatory drugs (EMDs) has shown that these agents may be capable of altering the immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment (TME), to reverse immune suppression and to ‘prime’ tumors for immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge of epigenetic alterations in PDAC with a focus on the translational application of targeting epigenetic-based events as new therapeutic approach for this disease.
Estimating the gas in place and reserves

Abstract Accurate determination of the initial gas-in-place (IGIP) in a CBM reservoir is a key step in evaluating a CBM prospect. The IGIP is commonly determined by the volumetric method. Most reservoir parameters necessary for calculating the IGIP are obtained from three essential data sources, including geological analysis, core measurements, and open-hole logs measurement. Large number of samples from different locations are necessary to adequately evaluate of the average in situ properties. The main parameters for determination of the initial gas-in-place (IGIP) in a CBM reservoir are average in situ gas content (Gc), reservoir thickness (h), average coal density (ρc), and the reservoir drainage area (A). The direct method is the most accurate to evaluate the average in situ gas content if proper sampling, testing, and data analysis methods are followed. Open-hole density logs generally provide the most reliable and cost-effective estimates of the thickness and the in situ density. The drainage area should be determined by a combination of geological, geophysical, and engineering methods. The reserves are IGIP multiplied by the estimated recovery factor at the economic limit. The recovery factor is estimated using the sorption isotherm and an estimate of abandonment pressure.
Opioid Use in Urologic Practice

The opioid epidemic has become a major public health crisis over the last two decades. The opioid-related deaths and economic costs have increased dramatically since opioid analgesics started to be prescribed regularly to help control cancer- and non-cancer-related pain in the late twentieth century. As a result of the worsening opioid crisis, various guidelines and government regulations have recently been implemented to cope with this opioid problem as it affects all fields of medicine, urology included. Many conditions in urology involve chronic pain medication, including neurogenic bladder. This review seeks to summarize the growing problem of opioid use and prescribing practices nationwide. Specifically to urology, there is a growing body of literature that could aid urologists in creating good practices and guidelines to improve safety for patients requiring narcotic medications to increase awareness of new legal requirements and utilization of multimodal and alternative therapies post-operative, acute pain as well as chronic pain. The CDC has published 12 guidelines that have been used to frame state-specific chronic opioid prescribing guidelines and laws nationwide. Moreover, many states have enacted laws regulating the use of opioids and in some cases penalizing physicians for non-compliance. Specific to urology, studies have demonstrated unfilled opioid prescriptions after urologic procedures, considerable variability in the prescribing habits, and low rates of opioid dependency after prescription for acute post-operative pain. Urologists and all physicians are increasingly under the microscope for opioid prescribing practices and need to understand current guidelines and literature.
MDO can help resolve the designer's dilemma

Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is presented as a rapidly growing body of methods, algorithms, and techniques that will provide a quantum jump in the effectiveness and efficiency of the quantitative side of design, and will turn that side into an environment in which the qualitative side can thrive. MDO borrows from CAD/CAM for graphic visualization of geometrical and numerical data, data base technology, and in computer software and hardware. Expected benefits from this methodology are a rational, mathematically consistent approach to hypersonic aircraft designs, designs pushed closer to the optimum, and a design process either shortened or leaving time available for different concepts to be explored.
Colorectal Surgery in the Elderly

This chapter aims to give the reader a succinct insight of the current state of the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal diseases and to outline individualized approach in the elderly. Age and frailty are defined, and the impact of geriatric assessment in colorectal surgery is discussed in this chapter. In addition, the body of current evidence on the impact of enhanced recovery after colorectal surgery in elderly population is summarized. Following colorectal diseases are discussed with the emphasis on the prevalence in elderly population and specifics of individualized approach: colon cancer, rectal cancer, complicated diverticular disease of the colon, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, pelvic floor disorders, and vascular diseases of the colon.
Deployment-related coping strategies in military couples: Associations with relationship satisfaction

Military deployments are known to be stressful for both military service members (SMs) and their romantic partners. Little is known about how coping strategies used during deployment may relate to ...