cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Present and future directions in the management of motor complications in patients with advanced PD.

Current medical therapies for PD are extremely effective in managing the early stages of the disorder. However, the management of advanced PD is complex, and important unmet medical needs remain. Despite the many benefits of dopaminergic therapy, long-term treatment is associated with motor complications in the majority of patients. Advances in the ability to prevent and treat these problems are the major focus of this review. Other important unmet medical needs in the management of advanced PD, including neuropsychiatric problems, dementia, freezing, postural instability, autonomic dysfunction, and other nonmotor problems, are also important sources of disability for many PD patients. These issues, however, are beyond the scope of this article and are extensively reviewed elsewhere.1 The vast majority of PD patients who receive l-dopa treatment for more than 10 years experience motor complications in the form of fluctuating motor responses and dyskinesia (table 1). This is particularly problematic for patients less than 60 years of age, who ultimately develop these problems in almost every case. In the extreme, patients can experience disabling dyskinesia during the l-dopa “on” period and severe akinesia during the l-dopa “off” phase. For these patients, periods of good motor function without dyskinesia may be difficult to achieve. Therefore, despite the proven antiparkinsonian benefits of l-dopa, patients with advanced PD may cycle between disabling “on” and “off” states for the majority of each day. Current medical approaches to the treatment of l-dopa-induced motor complications include manipulation of the levodopa dose and frequency, dopamine agonists (DAs), long-acting formulations of levodopa, catechol- O -methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors, monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitors, and N -methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonists. These treatments can provide benefit to individual patients, particularly when motor complications are relatively mild, but they are often ineffective for patients with …
Practical and Reproducible Mapping of Strains in Si Devices Using Geometric Phase Analysis of Annular Dark-Field Images From Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

This letter reports that geometric phase analysis of high-resolution images acquired in the high-angle annular darkfield scanning transmission electron microscopy can map strains at levels of accuracy and reproducibility needed for strained-silicon-device development. Two-dimensional strain maps were reconstructed for a p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor device which was strain-engineered using a recessed source and drain. This metrology provides sufficiently practical and reproducible local-strain tensors which can be measured on a routine basis. The techniques demonstrated here are informative for process development and failure analysis in the semiconductor industry.
High quality InGaAs/InP and InAlAs/InP heterostructures beyond the Matthews-Blakeslee critical layer thickness

Mismatched epitaxial layers of InGaAs and InAlAs were grown on InP by molecular beam epitaxy. Double-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements show that the crystalline quality of the layers consistently remains unperturbed to thicknesses up to 3-8 times the Matthews-Blakeslee critical layer thickness. The findings are applied to the growth of high-performance mismatched InAlAs/InGaAs/InP heterostructure field-effect transistors. >
The Challenges of Improving the Economic Analysis of Pending Regulations: The Experience of OMB Circular A-4

Federal regulatory policy and the evaluation of regulations using benefit-cost analysis continue to be quite contentious. Advocates for more regulation claim that benefit-cost analysis loses information and impedes our understanding of the real beneficial consequences of regulatory action. Against this backdrop, economists and advocates of economic analysis have sought to improve the quality and technical content of benefit-cost analysis. This article examines key changes made by the 2003 guidelines in Circular A-4 for regulatory analysis issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in an effort to strengthen such analysis. We discuss the motivation and basis for these changes—the treatment of discount rates and uncertainty and the cost-effectiveness analysis for rules affecting health and safety—and evaluate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's response to the A-4 changes in its analysis of environmental rules.
The interplay of attention and emotion: top-down attention modulates amygdala activation in psychopathy

Psychopathic behavior has long been attributed to a fundamental deficit in fear that arises from impaired amygdala function. Growing evidence has demonstrated that fear- potentiated startle (FPS) and other psychopathy-related deficits are moderated by focus of attention, but to date, no work on adult psychopathy has examined attentional modulation of the amygdala or concomitant recruitment of relevant attention- related circuitry. Consistent with previous FPS findings, here we report that psychopathy-related differences in amygdala activation appear and disappear as a function of goal-directed attention. Specifically, decreased amygdala activity was ob- served in psychopathic offenders only when attention was engaged in an alternative goal-relevant task prior to presenting threat-relevant information. Under this condition, psychopaths also exhibited greater activation in selective-attention regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) than did nonpsychopaths, and this increased LPFC activation mediated psychopathy's association with decreased amygdala activation. In contrast, when explicitly attending to threat, amygdala activation did not differ in psychopaths and nonpsychopaths. This pattern of amygdala activation highlights the potential role of LPFC in mediating the failure of psychopathic individuals to process fear and other important information when it is peripheral to the primary focus of goal-directed attention.
Counterexamples to a Method for Identifying Hopf Bifurcations Without Eigenvalue Calculation

We give counterexamples to the numerical method for detecting Hopf bifurcations in electric power systems by singularity of a symmetrized Jacobian in Y. Zhou, V. Ajjarapu," A fast algorithm for identification and tracing of voltage and oscillatory stability margin boundaries", IEEE Proceedings, vol.93, no.5, May 2005, p.934-46. The counterexamples include some simple matrix examples and a single machine infinite bus power system
Infrastructure Hardening: A Competitive Coevolutionary Methodology Inspired by Neo-Darwinian Arms Races

The world is increasingly dependent on critical infrastructures such as the electric power grid, water, gas, and oil transport systems, which are susceptible to cascading failures that can result from a few faults. Due to the combinatorial complexity in the search spaces involved, most traditional search techniques are inappropriate for identifying these faults and potential protections against them. This paper provides a computational methodology employing competitive coevolution to simultaneously identify low-effort, high-impact faults and corresponding means of hardening infrastructures against them. A power system case study provides empirical evidence that our proposed methodology is capable of identifying cost effective modifications to substantially improve the fault tolerance of critical infrastructures.
Identification Numbers and Modular Arithmetic

The first topic we will investigate is the mathematics of identification numbers. Many familiar things are described by a code of digits; zip codes, items in a grocery store, and books, to name three. One feature to all of these codes is the inclusion of an extra numerical digit, called a check digit, designed to detect errors in reading the code. When a machine (or a human) reads information, there is always the possibility of the information being read incorrectly. For example, moisture or dirt on the scanner used by a grocery store clerk can prevent an item’s code from being read correctly. It would be unacceptable if, because of a scanning error, customers were charged for caviar when they are buying tuna fish. The use of the check digit allows for the detection of some scanning errors. If an error is detected, the item is re-scanned until the correct code is read.
Inhibition of Notch signaling ameliorates insulin resistance in a FoxO1-dependent manner

Transcription factor FoxO1 promotes hepatic glucose production. Genetic inhibition of FoxO1 function prevents diabetes in experimental animal models, providing impetus to identify pharmacological approaches to modulate this function. Altered Notch signaling is evident in tumorigenesis, and Notch antagonists are in clinical testing for application in cancer. Here we report that FoxO1 and Notch coordinately regulate hepatic glucose metabolism. Combined haploinsufficiency of FoxO1 and Notch1 markedly raises insulin sensitivity in diet-induced insulin resistance, as does liver-specific knockout of the Notch transcriptional effector Rbp-Jκ. Conversely, Notch1 gain-of-function promotes insulin resistance in a FoxO1-dependent manner and induces glucose-6-phosphatase expression. Pharmacological blockade of Notch signaling with γ-secretase inhibitors raises insulin sensitivity after in vivo administration in lean mice and in obese, insulin-resistant mice. The data identify a heretofore unknown metabolic function of Notch and suggest that Notch inhibition is beneficial in diabetes treatment, in part by helping to offset excessive FoxO1-driven hepatic glucose production.
Near term climate projections for invasive species distributions

Climate change and invasive species pose important conservation issues separately, and should be examined together. We used existing long term climate datasets for the US to project potential climate change into the future at a finer spatial and temporal resolution than the climate change scenarios generally available. These fine scale projections, along with new species distribution modeling techniques to forecast the potential extent of invasive species, can provide useful information to aide conservation and invasive species management efforts. We created habitat suitability maps for Pueraria montana (kudzu) under current climatic conditions and potential average conditions up to 30 years in the future. We examined how the potential distribution of this species will be affected by changing climate, and the management implications associated with these changes. Our models indicated that P. montana may increase its distribution particularly in the Northeast with climate change and may decrease in other areas.
The evolution of humans in Australasia from an environmental perspective

Abstract Attempts to understand the evolution within the genus Homo in Australasia have relied on two main theories. The Multiregional scenario suggests that cranial morphology reveals a long-standing continuity between fossil and recent hominids in the region. Out of Africa theorist have favoured the idea that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa, migrated outward, and replaced archaic hominids, such as Homo erectus in Australasia. Neither Multiregionalists nor Out of Africans have seriously factored in the unique geographic and ecological context in which variation in Australasian members of the genus Homo evolved. Nonetheless, the mammalian faunas of this region have been strongly shaped by the existence of zoogeographic barriers and different ecological zones. Taking an environmental perspective on the evolutionary history of the human lineage in this region leads to scenario in which both local evolution and replacement play a role. Wallacea, as a water-barrier, has been a tremendously important geographic barrier influencing the distribution and evolutionary course of many mammals, including that of the genus Homo. Regional continuity may be assumed for Homo erectus in Southeast Asia, from earlier Javanese forms like Trinil and Sangiran to later forms like Ngandong. There is no evidence that Homo erectus crossed Wallacea and reached the Sahul. As between 126 and 81 ka the tropical rainforest spread as far as East Java, a number of archaic species, including Homo erectus, were replaced by modern species better adapted to survive in a more humid environment. In contrast to Homo erectus, Homo sapiens was capable of crossing Wallacea. Once Homo sapiens reached the Sahul, Wallacea was an important factor for its further evolutionary course. Interestingly, regional continuity may be assumed for Homo sapiens on both sides of Wallacea. Looking at the cranial morphology of recent humans, it is obvious that there are two clearly distinguishable cranial patterns, an East Asian (Sunda) and an Australian (Sahul) one.
The relationship between recumbent rest and masturbation in stallions

Summary The night time behavior (1900-0700) of 12 stallions was observed using videorecording. All of the stallions masturbated sometime during the night for an average of 3.3 bouts lasting 3.0 + 0.4 min. Ten of the 12 stallions lay down during the night for bouts lasting 14.5 + 2.1 min. Both lying and masturbation occurred most frequently in the early morning hours. Forty percent of the bouts of lying were followed within 5 min by bouts of masturbation indicating that there may be association between REM sleep, which occurs only during recumbent rest in horses, and masturbation. These results suggest that nocturnal bouts of masturbation may be used to distinguish psychogenic from physical causes of impotence in horses.
Improving entry to methadone maintenance among out-of-treatment injection drug users

This study of 577 out-of-treatment drug injectors was designed to assess predictors of methadone maintenance treatment entry, including offering free treatment coupons. Using targeted sampling methods, participants were recruited through street outreach; randomly, they were either assigned a coupon for 90 days of free treatment or required to pay for their treatment. Regardless of assignment, all subjects who desired treatment were provided transportation, rapid intake, and a waiver of the treatment entry fee. Overall, 33% entered treatment, including 66% of those who received a free coupon. Other factors associated with treatment entry included desire for treatment, heroin use, prior treatment experience, associating with fewer drug-using friends, and injecting with a previously used unsterile needle/syringe. Injecting cocaine and smoking crack reduced the probability of treatment entry. Findings lend support to street outreach efforts designed to increase rates of treatment entry among chronic out-of-treatment drug injectors. Additional treatment options are required for those abusing cocaine.
Ginger-derived nanoparticles protect against alcohol-induced liver damage

Daily exposure of humans to nanoparticles from edible plants is inevitable, but significant advances are required to determine whether edible plant nanoparticles are beneficial to our health. Additionally, strategies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying any beneficial effects. Here, as a proof of concept, we used a mouse model to show that orally given nanoparticles isolated from ginger extracts using a sucrose gradient centrifugation procedure resulted in protecting mice against alcohol-induced liver damage. The ginger-derived nanoparticle (GDN)-mediated activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) led to the expression of a group of liver detoxifying/antioxidant genes and inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species, which partially contributes to the liver protection. Using lipid knock-out and knock-in strategies, we further identified that shogaol in the GDN plays a role in the induction of Nrf2 in a TLR4/TRIF-dependent manner. Given the critical role of Nrf2 in modulating numerous cellular processes, including hepatocyte homeostasis, drug metabolism, antioxidant defenses, and cell-cycle progression of liver, this finding not only opens up a new avenue for investigating GDN as a means to protect against the development of liver-related diseases such as alcohol-induced liver damage but sheds light on studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying interspecies communication in the liver via edible plant-derived nanoparticles.
Distal Femur Fractures

AC is a 71-year-old male who presents to the emergency department with a chief complaint of right knee pain after falling down a flight of stairs. There are no other injuries, no loss of consciousness, and his GCS is 15. On primary survey, the exam is consistent with an injury about the right knee, the airway is patent, and he is hemodynamically stable. The secondary survey provides no additional findings.
Optimization of the Deposition Conditions for High-Gap a-Si,Ge:H,F Alloys

We report the deposition parameters for optimized a-Si,Ge:H,F alloys in the range of optical (Taue) gap 1.5 leV to 1.62eV. These deposition parameters were optimized using the saturated defect density as a figure of merit. We report initial defect densities at or below 2.5—1016 cm-3, saturated defect densities below 9—1016 cm-3, photoconductivities (at G = 1021 cm-3s-1) between 8.7x—10-6 Scm-1 and 7x—10-5 Scm-land photosensitivities between 104 and 105 for alloys in this range of optical gap.
The Crystal and Molecular Structure of Bis-[μ-2-(p-nitrophenyliminomethyl)phenolato-N,O]-bis(ethanol)bis(nitrato-O,O')dinickel(II), [Ni(slno)NO3(C2H5OH)]2, a Binuclear Ferromagnetic Salicylaldimine Derivative of Nickel Nitrate

The crystal and molecular structure of the complex bis-[μ-2-(p-nitrophenyliminomethyl)phenolato- N,O]-bis(ethanol)bis(nitrato-O,O')dinickel(11) and its magnetic properties are reported. Crystal data: space group PI, Z 1, a 8.882(2), b 9.332(3), c 12.533(4) A, α 94.40(2),B 109.99(2), γ 111.61(2)o, U 883 A3, R 2.8%, Rw 3.3% for 2154 reflections. The compound is prepared from the reaction of bis(N-p-nitrophenylsalicylaldimine)nickel(II) with nickel nitrate in hot triethoxymethane, and on cooling the solution deposited pale green transparent crystals. The structure contains neutral dimeric units with bridging through the phenolic oxygen atoms and has distorted octahedral geometry about each crystallographically identical nickel atom. The six donor atoms are made up of two oxygen atoms from the bidentate nitrate, oxygen from ethanol, nitrogen from the imine group and two bridging phenolic oxygen atoms. The Ni2O2 group is strictly planar possessing a crystallographic centre of symmetry. The angles subtended at the bridging oxygen atoms indicate a tetrahedral geometry and it is demonstrated that this is important in explaining the ferromagnetic intradimer interaction. The presence of hydrogen bonding between the ethanol hydrogen and the nitrate group of an adjacent molecule appears to be an important stabilizing factor in determining the structure and provides a possible pathway for the antiferromagnetic interdimer exchange interaction.
Supervising Counseling Center Trainees in the Era of Evidence-Based Practice.

The role of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is increasing in importance for professional psychologists working in university counseling center contexts. As a result, providing training and supervision in EBP will be essential to the ability of college-based counselors to meet minimal standards of care. The focus of this paper is to provide a framework to foster critical thinking, to discuss the pedagogical assumptions of supervisors, and to provide suggestions for college counseling center supervisors to incorporate training in EBP into the expected competencies to be gained by interns and other trainees.
The Role of Status Differentials and Homophily in the Formation of Social Support Networks of a Voluntary Organization

Given the important implications of social support on managing volunteers and their organizational commitment, we investigated how members of a Korean immigrant church (N = 178) exchanged two distinctive kinds of social support (i.e., informational and tangible). We used theories of centrality and homophily to hypothesize patterns of social connections among organizational members. Employing exponential random graph modeling (ERGM), the current study estimated the likelihood of age and gender homophily/heterophily in forming supportive ties while considering structural parameters. The results of analysis of variance showed that members with higher socioeconomic status and in official staff positions in the church were more central in the informational support exchange. However, ERGM for both types of support networks did not show hypothesized gender and age homophily/heterophily of Korean immigrants’ support exchange, suggesting the importance of other potential organizational and cultural influences. The...
The Scope of the Participants of China's Administrative Reconsideration System

Administrative reconsideration system is a relief system,by which the legitimate rights and interests of administrative counterpart can be relatively protected.It is important for safeguarding the interests of the relative citizens,legal persons and other organs to clear the scope of administrative reconsideration participants and the administrative reconsideration organs.
Patient perspectives on fluticasone-vilanterol versus other corticosteroid combination products for the treatment of asthma.

Objective Fluticasone furoate (FF), an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), and vilanterol (VI), a long-acting beta2 receptor agonist (LABA), is a new combination used in an Ellipta® device. This article compares FF–VI to other ICS–LABA combinations available, particularly emphasizing product selection from the patient perspective.
Cyclotron Resonance in GaAs/AlGaAs Heterojunctions

The Generalized Quantum Langevin Equation approach is extended to study the cyclotron resonance (CR) of interacting two-dimensional electronic systems. Analytical forms for the memory functions, which are free from the divergences encountered in conventional theories, are obtained from first principles. The elimination of the divergence is achieved by the inclusion of the effects of the fluctuation of the center of mass. In our theory there exists two resonance peaks in the CR absorption spectrum: the conventional magnetoplasmon absorption peak at the frequency ω ≥ ωc and another peak at ω ≤ ωc due to the fluctuation effect. The positios, amplitudes, and the relatve spacing of these two peaks depend mainly on the magnetic field B, the electron density ns, the mobility of the sample and the temperature. Our results for the CR spectrum are consistent with the experiments of Schlesinger et al. In addition, using only one parameter (diffusion constant), our theory gives a very good fit to the experimental line shape results of Muro et al. on GaAs heterojunctions, including its dependence on B and ns.
A Nonlinear Regression Technique for Manifold Valued Data with Applications to Medical Image Analysis

Regression is an essential tool in Statistical analysis of data with many applications in Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Medical Imaging and various disciplines of Science and Engineering. Linear and nonlinear regression in a vector space setting has been well studied in literature. However, generalizations to manifold-valued data are only recently gaining popularity. With the exception of a few, most existing methods of regression for manifold valued data are limited to geodesic regression which is a generalization of the linear regression in vector-spaces. In this paper, we present a novel nonlinear kernel-based regression method that is applicable to manifold valued data. Our method is applicable to cases when the independent and dependent variables in the regression model are both manifold-valued or one is manifold-valued and the other is vector or scalar valued. Further, unlike most methods, our method does not require any imposed ordering on the manifold-valued data. The performance of our model is tested on a large number of real data sets acquired from Alzhiemers and movement disorder (Parkinsons and Essential Tremor) patients. We present an extensive set of results along with statistical validation and comparisons.
The Purpose and Three Propositions

To function efficiently, the global economy must both ensure the absence of major financial crisis and maintain adequate aggregate demand at the global level. There is substantial evidence that the existing system is vulnerable in both the financial and the “real” sectors. This systemic vulnerability and its potentially very large adverse consequences for global macrofinancial efficiency are the foci of this monograph.
Genetic and Biochemical Analysis of Cyanobacteria Defective in Photosynthetic Oxygen Evolution

The cyanobacteria are unique among photosynthetic prokaryotes in that, like higher plants, they perform oxygenic photosynthesis. However, unlike higher plants, these organisms present a number of advantages for studying the molecular biology of photosynthesis — photosynthetic mutants may be generated, the organisms have relatively short generation times, and certain cyanobacterial strains are genetically transformable. One particularly useful strain that has recently received much attention is Synechocystis 6803. This strain is transformable (1) and is also capable of photoheterotrophic growth in dextrose-supplemented media (2). Our goal in studying this organism has been the identification of genes and gene products which are essential to the photosynthetic process. Towards this end we have isolated mutants of Synechocystis 6803 that are photosynthetically defective and we are in the process of analyzing these mutants both biochemically and genetically. A preliminary account of this work is given below. In addition we wish to utilize this system as a means to study genes encoding proteins of known function. Such genes can be isolated, modified, and reintroduced into the genome in order to study the function of the protein. For example, putative clones for the cyanobacterial plastocyanin gene have been obtained. The factors which regulate the expression of the gene can be studied as well.
Engineering the α-factor in quantum dot-in-a-well lasers

The linewidth enhancement factor in quantum dot (QD) in a quantum well (QW) lasers was observed to decrease from 2.5 to 1 as result of controlling the QD shape and the composition of the QW.
HPV31 utilizes the ATR-Chk1 pathway to maintain elevated RRM2 levels and a replication-competent environment in differentiating Keratinocytes

Productive replication of human papillomaviruses (HPV) is restricted to the uppermost layers of the differentiating epithelia. How HPV ensures an adequate supply of cellular substrates for viral DNA synthesis in a differentiating environment is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that HPV31 positive cells exhibit increased dNTP pools and levels of RRM2, a component of the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) complex, which is required for de novo synthesis of dNTPs. RRM2 depletion blocks productive replication, suggesting RRM2 provides dNTPs for viral DNA synthesis in differentiating cells. We demonstrate that HPV31 regulates RRM2 levels through expression of E7 and activation of the ATR-Chk1-E2F1 DNA damage response, which is essential to combat replication stress upon entry into S-phase, as well as for productive replication. Our findings suggest a novel way in which viral DNA synthesis is regulated through activation of ATR and Chk1 and highlight an intriguing new virus/host interaction utilized for viral replication.
Short-Lived Antigen Recognition but Not Viral Infection at a Defined Checkpoint Programs Effector CD4 T Cells To Become Protective Memory

Although memory CD4 T cells are critical for effective immunity to pathogens, the mechanisms underlying their generation are still poorly defined. We find that following murine influenza infection, most effector CD4 T cells undergo apoptosis unless they encounter cognate Ag at a defined stage near the peak of effector generation. Ag recognition at this memory checkpoint blocks default apoptosis and programs their transition to long-lived memory. Strikingly, we find that viral infection is not required, because memory formation can be restored by the addition of short-lived, Ag-pulsed APC at this checkpoint. The resulting memory CD4 T cells express an enhanced memory phenotype, have increased cytokine production, and provide protection against lethal influenza infection. Finally, we find that memory CD4 T cell formation following cold-adapted influenza vaccination is boosted when Ag is administered during this checkpoint. These findings imply that persistence of viral Ag presentation into the effector phase is the key factor that determines the efficiency of memory generation. We also suggest that administering Ag at this checkpoint may improve vaccine efficacy.
L-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Investigation of {FeNO}6: Delocalization vs Antiferromagnetic Coupling.

NO is a classic non-innocent ligand, and iron nitrosyls can have different electronic structure descriptions depending on their spin state and coordination environment. These highly covalent ligands are found in metalloproteins and are also used as models for Fe–O2 systems. This study utilizes iron L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), interpreted using a valence bond configuration interaction multiplet model, to directly experimentally probe the electronic structure of the S = 0 {FeNO}6 compound [Fe(PaPy3)NO]2+ (PaPy3 = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-pyridine-2-carboxamide) and the S = 0 [Fe(PaPy3)CO]+ reference compound. This method allows separation of the σ-donation and π-acceptor interactions of the ligand through ligand-to-metal and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer mixing pathways. The analysis shows that the {FeNO}6 electronic structure is best described as FeIII–NO(neutral), with no localized electron in an NO π* orbital or electron hole in an Fe dπ orbital. This delocalization comes...
Nitric oxide and choroidal blood flow regulation.

PURPOSE: Nitric oxide (NO) has been found to be an endothelial-derived relaxing factor mediating the vasodilatation that results from the stimulation of muscarinic endothelial receptors. It also has been identified as a putative neurotransmitter of parasympathetic origin in choroidal perivascular autonomic fibers. The authors investigated a potential role of NO in choroidal blood flow (ChBF) regulation. METHODS: Local ChBF in the tapetal region of 26 anesthetized cats was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. Cats were infused through the femoral vein with increasing dosages of acetylcholine (ACh); N omega-nitro-L-arginine (NNL-A), a specific inhibitor of NO synthesis; L-arginine; and D-arginine. ChBF and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were continuously recorded. RESULTS: Infusion of 20 micrograms/minute ACh induced a 68% increase in ChBF despite a 9% decrease in MAP. Infusion of 16 mg/minute NNL-A attenuated the ACh-induced increase in ChBF by 46% and increased MAP by 40%. Infusion of different dosages of NNL-A without prior administration of ACh caused ChBF to fall below and MAP to rise above baseline in a dose-dependent fashion. Infusion of L-arginine prior to ACh infusion enhanced by 27% the ACh-induced increase in ChBF, whereas D-arginine had no effect on this increase. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the presence of a local vasodilatory cholinergic mechanism in the choroid, inducing the release of NO. They also suggest that release of NO in the choroid may maintain basal blood flow to this tissue.
Traditional Risk Indices as Predictors of Future Utilization and Charges in the Context of Population Health for an Uninsured Cohort.

Introduction: The uninsured population presents unique challenges to the application of an integrated approach to population health. Our objective is to compare and test population risk indices for identifying a cohort of uninsured patients at high-risk for avoidable healthcare utilization and costs. Methods: Patients who had a least one visit at a safety-net clinic, had a primary address in Mecklenburg County, were aged 18-74, and had the most recent healthcare visit coded as ‘uninsured’ were identified in the baseline period. The five risk indices used were: the HHS Hierarchical Conditions Category (HCC), the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Total Cost Index, Total Inpatient Visits Index, and Total Emergency Department Visits Index. First, agreement across the five indices was analyzed. Then, the accuracy of the five risk indices was tested in predicting future utilization and costs for the subsequent 12-month follow-up period. Results: Kappa statistics and percent overlap values showed below average to poor agreement between indices when comparing scorers. The strongest predictors of being in the 90 th percentile of total cost during the 12 months follow-up period were the Total Cost Index at baseline (C statistic=0.75) and the HCC (C-statistic=0.73). The CCI and Total Inpatient Visit Index’s demonstrated the lowest accuracy for predicting an unnecessary ED visit (C-statistic=0.51, for both) Discussion/Conclusion: Prior cost and ED utilization were key in predicting their corresponding 12-month metrics. In contrast, the Total Inpatient Visit Index had the worst predictive performance for future hospitalization rates. Some indices were similarly predictive as compared to insured cohorts but others showed contrasting results.
Nitrogen-Rich Polyacrylonitrile-Based Graphitic Carbons for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

Catalytic substrate, which is devoid of expensive noble metals and enzymes for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), reduction reactions can be obtained via nitrogen doping of graphite. Here, we report a facile fabrication method for obtaining such nitrogen doped graphitized carbon using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) mats and its use in H₂O₂ sensing. A high degree of graphitization was obtained with a mechanical treatment of the PAN fibers embedded with carbon nanotubes (CNT) prior to the pyrolysis step. The electrochemical testing showed a limit of detection (LOD) 0.609 µM and sensitivity of 2.54 µA cm-2 mM-1. The promising sensing performance of the developed carbon electrodes can be attributed to the presence of high content of pyridinic and graphitic nitrogens in the pyrolytic carbons, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The reported results suggest that, despite their simple fabrication, the hydrogen peroxide sensors developed from pyrolytic carbon nanofibers are comparable with their sophisticated nitrogen-doped graphene counterparts.
Effects of 12-month, double-blind N-acetyl cysteine on symptoms, cognition and brain morphology in early phase schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Abstract Background Currently approved medications for schizophrenia are relatively ineffective for negative symptoms and cognitive impairment. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is a neuroprotective agent that improved general symptoms, cognitive impairment and negative symptoms in some but not all studies, but failed to improve positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Progressive brain mass loss (PBML) has been consistently observed in early phase schizophrenia. NAC mitigates the deleterious effects oxidative stress, inflammation and glutamatergic excitotoxicity and these three pathological processes are hypothesized to contribute to PBML. Methods In this study, we assessed the effects NAC (3600 mg/day) in a 52-week, double-blind, placebo controlled trial on symptoms, and cognition in early phase schizophrenia spectrum disorders (N = 60). In the context of the clinical trial, we explored the effects of NAC on brain morphology. Results NAC significantly improved (time × group) PANSS total (F = 14.7, p Conclusions These results replicate some but not all previous findings of NAC efficacy. Preliminary results suggest that NAC's symptom effects may be related to structural integrity, but NAC failed to demonstrate treatment effects on longitudinal measures of brain morphology. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01339858
Z-Directed Component (ZDC) Technology for Power Integrity Applications

An important aspect of ensuring the power integrity of a power distribution network (PDN) design is to determine the layout, value, package size, and number of decoupling capacitors. To solve the limitation of the vertical connection of the surface-mounting-type capacitor to the power net area fill, a new concept of a capacitor denoted the Z-directed component (ZDC) is proposed in this paper. There are many applications possible with the ZDC with the first implementation as a decoupling capacitor. The ZDC capacitors can be integrated within the printed circuit board (PCB) substrate directly below the package ball and eliminate the integrated circuit (IC) to decoupling capacitor horizontal distance across the power net area fill. Furthermore, the inductance associated with the vertical current paths on the vias from the IC package to the horizontal power net area fill and similarly for the surface-mounted technology decoupling capacitors is eliminated. Since only the inductance of the ZDC capacitor itself remains, there is the possibility of using far fewer capacitors to achieve a high-frequency target impedance specification. The ZDC is a promising technology that gives the PCB designer the opportunity to integrate low equivalent series inductance decoupling capacitors much closer to the noise source than traditional surface-mount capacitors. In addition, in this paper, a high-order model is introduced for the ZDC capacitor to better understand the high-frequency characteristics of the component and is verified with measurements.
Robust Sub-nanomolar Library Preparation for High Throughput Next Generation Sequencing.

Current library preparation protocols for Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq DNA sequencers require ≥2 nM initial library for subsequent loading of denatured cDNA onto flow cells. Such amounts are not always attainable from samples having a relatively low DNA or RNA input; or those for which a limited number of PCR amplification cycles is preferred (less PCR bias and/or more even coverage). A well-tested sub-nanomolar library preparation protocol for Illumina sequencers has however not been reported. The aim of this study is to provide a much needed working protocol for sub-nanomolar libraries to achieve outcomes as informative as those obtained with the higher library input (≥ 2 nM) recommended by Illumina’s protocols. Extensive studies were conducted to validate a robust sub-nanomolar (initial library of 100 pM) protocol using PhiX DNA (as a control), genomic DNA (Bordetella bronchiseptica and microbial mock community B for 16S rRNA gene sequencing), messenger RNA, microRNA, and other small noncoding RNA samples. The utility of our protocol was further explored for PhiX library concentrations as low as 25 pM, which generated only slightly fewer than 50% of the reads achieved under the standard Illumina protocol starting with > 2 nM. A sub-nanomolar library preparation protocol (100 pM) could generate next generation sequencing (NGS) results as robust as the standard Illumina protocol. Following the sub-nanomolar protocol, libraries with initial concentrations as low as 25 pM could also be sequenced to yield satisfactory and reproducible sequencing results.
Infant brain development prediction with latent partial multi-view representation learning

The early postnatal period witnesses rapid and dynamic brain development. Understanding the cognitive development patterns can help identify various disorders at early ages of life and is essential for the health and well-being of children. This inspires us to investigate the relation between cognitive ability and the cerebral cortex by exploiting brain images in a longitudinal study. Specifically, we aim to predict the infant brain development status based on the morphological features of the cerebral cortex. For this goal, we introduce a multi-view multi-task learning approach to dexterously explore complementary information from different time points and handle the missing data simultaneously. Specifically, we establish a novel model termed as Latent Partial Multi-view Representation Learning. The approach regards data of different time points as different views, and constructs a latent representation to capture the complementary underlying information from different and even incomplete time points. It uncovers the latent representation that can be jointly used to learn the prediction model. This formulation elegantly explores the complementarity, effectively reduces the redundancy of different views, and improves the accuracy of prediction. The minimization problem is solved by the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). Experimental results on real data validate the proposed method.
Liver lesions in hepatitis B viral infection.

Abstract A review is made of the various histological lesions observed in hepatitis B virus-related liver diseases, including different forms of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The elementary lesions discussed include acidophil necrosis (apoptosis), confluent lytic necrosis in its different patterns, piecemeal necrosis, focal necrosis, and dysplastic hepatocytes. Their pathogenesis is explained in the framework of recent developments in the immunopathology of hepatitis B viral infections.
More than One Way to Invade: Lessons from Genetic Studies of Carcinus Shore Crabs

The European green crab Carcinus maenas is one of the world’s most widely recognized marine invaders. The success of this species has provided opportunities to explore genetic patterns associated with establishment and population expansion following independent introduction events to widely different recipient ecosystems. Recent studies have revealed an extraordinary diversity of such patterns. Globally, genetic reconstruction of invasion histories suggests complicated scenarios comprising multiple introductions to some regions as well as secondary introductions deriving from previously established invasive populations. In addition, detailed genetic analyses of several introduced populations indicate that successful invasion may involve rapid expansion from single low diversity founder populations, multiple introductions from genetically distinct sources with subsequent intraspecific admixture, or even interspecific hybridization between C. maenas and its sibling species C. aestuarii. The complexity of this global picture highlights the contingent nature of individual biological invasion events. Nevertheless, genetic study of non-native Carcinus populations provides crucial insights into invasion dynamics relevant to green crab management and control, and offers an unusually rich system within which to explore the genetic consequences of colonizations and range expansions in coastal marine ecosystems.
Students apply research methods to consumer decisions about cognitive enhancing drinks.

The goal of this class project was to provide students with a hands-on research experience that allowed autonomy, but eliminated duplication of effort and could be completed within one semester. Our resources were limited to a small supply budget and an introductory psychology subject pool. Six students from a behavioral neuroscience class tested claims made by a drink company that their product improves cognitive function. The students each chose a cognitive task for their part of the project. The tasks included the Donders Reaction Time Task, the Stroop Task, the Raven’s Progressive Matrices, a short-term memory span test, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test and a simple measure of prefrontal EEG activity. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or control drink. The experimental group received the putative cognitive enhancing drink and the control group received a placebo drink that was very similar in color and taste. The two drinks shared no active ingredients. Results suggest that the putative cognitive enhancing drink did not improve performance on any of the tasks and decreased performance on the short-term memory task. These findings are discussed in regard to implications for consumers as well as further research into supplements and their ability to improve cognitive performance. Each student presented his/her results at a university-wide research conference. This project provided a rich experience in which students had the opportunity to carry out a research project from conception to presentation.
Tropical arboreal ants form dominance hierarchies over nesting resources in agroecosystems

Interspecific dominance hierarchies have been widely reported across animal systems. While some dominant individuals (winners) get to monopolize resources, during dyadic interactions, they can increase their relative fitness as compared to subdominant individuals (losers). In some ant species, dominance hierarchies have been used to explain species coexistence and community structure. However, it remains unclear whether or in what contexts dominance hierarchies occur in tropical ant communities. Furthermore, it can be challenging to infer and quantify reliable dominance hierarchies from observed interactions. This study seeks to examine whether arboreal twig-nesting ants competing for nesting resources in a Mexican coffee agricultural ecosystem are arranged in a dominance hierarchy. Using network analysis, we quantified interactions between ten species by measuring the uncertainty and steepness in the dominance hierarchy. We also assessed the orderliness of the hierarchy by considering species interactions at the network level. Based on the Elo-ranking method, we found that the twig-nesting ant species Myrmelachista mexicana ranked highest in the ranking, while Pseudomyrmex ejectus was ranked as the lowest in the hierarchy. We quantified the uncertainty in the dominance hierarchy and found that the hierarchy was intermediate in its steepness, suggesting that the probability of higher ranked individuals winning contests against lower ranked individuals was fairly high. Motif analysis and significant excess of triads further revealed that the species networks were largely transitive. This study highlights that some tropical arboreal ant communities self-organize into dominance hierarchies.
Performance of the CMS ECAL data acquisition system at LHC Run II

Abstract During 2017, the Large Hadron Collider provided proton–proton collisions up to an integrated luminosity of 50/fb and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment was able to record 90.3% of this data. The electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) of CMS was able to achieve excellent data collection efficiency owing to its reliable data acquisition (DAQ) system. The modular and scalar schema followed by the ECAL DAQ system means that ECAL crystals are divided in sectors, each of which is controlled by three interconnected boards. A multi-machine distributed software configures the electronic boards and follows the life cycle of the acquisition process. The increase in instantaneous luminosity during Run II has resulted in an increase in the number of occasional errors due to radiation effects. To combat this, ECAL DAQ has been equipped with automatic recovery procedures and monitoring services.
Creativity, Acceptance, and the Pause: A Case Example of Mindfulness and Art in Therapy with an Adolescent

Mindfulness, defined as nonjudgmental awareness, has been integrated into a variety of therapeutic approaches. The benefits of mindfulness for adults have been demonstrated, and mindful interventio...