cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The molecular ancestry of segmentation mechanisms.

In 1830 a very important debate on natural history took place in the French Academy of Sciences. As retold in enjoyable detail by T. A. Appel (1), the adversaries were Georges Cuvier and Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. These were pre-Darwinian times—the Origin of Species was published in 1859—so their arguments sound antiquated today, but their reverberations among biological ideas have continued to the present day. Cuvier, the discoverer of extinction, held the view that animal anatomy was determined by the functional purpose of each organ, which he called the “conditions of existence.” Geoffroy, the discoverer of “analogies” (now called homologies), held that animal anatomy had a “unity of plan” upon which thousands of variations were imposed. He compared vertebrates to arthropods, arguing that they shared antero–posterior (A–P) characteristics, such as head, thorax, and abdomen, as well as dorsal–ventral (D–V) landmarks such as a CNS, gastrointestinal tract, and heart, except that a D-V inversion of the body plan had occurred. Geoffroy even had the temerity of comparing the segmentation of arthropods to that of vertebrates. Cuvier presented the better arguments and was considered the victor of the debate. However, modern evolution and development studies have discovered that common genetic networks pattern the A–P and D–V axes of very distantly related bilateral animals (2, 3). This realization has provided a measure of molecular support for Geoffroy's unity of plan hypothesis and for the idea that the last common ancestor of the invertebrate and vertebrate lineages was a rather complex animal, called Urbilateria (which means primeval bilateral animal), which predated the Cambrian explosion that took place 535–525 million years ago (3). In this issue of PNAS, Pueyo et al. (4) make an important contribution to the question of whether common mechanisms of segmentation are shared by insects and vertebrates (5, 6).
The Associations Among Pediatricians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception

Objectives. To quantify practitioner administration of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) among adolescent patients, and to determine if such administration is associated with physician knowledge and attitudes regarding efficacy, side effects, and appropriate use. Design. Survey of pediatricians. Setting. The survey address list was generated from a database of active Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Main Outcomes Measures. Prescription of the ECP in the previous 12 months, or counseling of an adolescent patient about the ECP. Results. Of the 236 questionnaires distributed, 143 (61%) were returned and 121 (51%) were usable. Twenty-four pediatricians (20%) reported prescribing the ECP, and 29 (24%) had counseled adolescent patients about the ECP. Of the practice-related variables surveyed, both the number of adolescents seen per week and the practice setting were significantly associated with these outcomes. Of the knowledge-related variables surveyed, knowledge of the timing and the Food and Drug Administration-labeled status of the ECP were significantly associated with outcomes. None of the attitude-related variables surveyed were associated with outcomes. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that knowledge deficits, not attitude-related variables, are significantly associated with the low level of ECP administration and counseling among District of Columbia pediatricians. Because knowledge deficits are amenable to educational interventions, our data suggest that informing pediatricians about the ECP may increase its administration among their adolescent patients.emergency contraceptive pill, pediatricians, adolescents.
Application of First-Order Renormalization Method to Scattering from a Vegetation-Like Half-Space

A general theory is developed for scattering from an inhomogeneous half-space with strong permittivity fluctuations. Closed form bistatic scattering coefficients are obtained using the method of field renormalization for a vegetation-like medium characterized by a random permittivity function with a large variance and a cylindrically symmetric, fast-decaying correlation function. Multiple-scattering effects are accounted for to the same extent as in the first-order renormalization approach. Behaviors of the scatter model are illustrated by computing sample cases using Carlson's permittivity model for leaves. Cursory comparison between this theory and some recent data shows general agreements in both level and angular trends, indicating promise in the use of the developed scatter model for explaining vegetation scatter.
Active kernel monitoring to combat scheduler gaming in reconfigurable computing systems

Effective reconfigurable hardware (RH) allocation plays a critical role in multi-tasking systems. Past RH scheduling research has focused on how to allocate RH based on the area and performance of competing hardware kernels. However, these approaches generally assume that the metrics associated with those hardware kernels are pre-determined. However, design-time estimates may not always be accurate or even stable. If the scheduler uses incorrect information, performance of one or more applications will suffer. In this paper, we adapt common performance-monitoring techniques to reconfigurable computing and quantify the importance of active performance monitoring of reconfigurable applications.
Symposium on Hydrology of Volcanic Rocks

The International Symposium on the Hydrology of Volcanic Rocks was held on the island of Lanzarote, under the sponsorship of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), and the Spanish Government (Geological Survey of the Ministry of Public Works and the Center for Hydrographic Studies). About 150 scientists from some two dozen countries were in attendance.
BRAIN LESIONS OF THE DOMESTIC RABBIT

Lesions of meningoencephalitis were found in 55 per cent of 372 rabbits comprising the laboratory stock regarded as healthy, others with snuffles or dying from different affections while being kept under observation, and still others which were employed for experimental purposes, such as tumor transplantation and Treponema pallidum inoculation. None was injected intracerebrally. The lesions consist in the main of infiltration with mononuclear cells occurring around the blood vessels, in the meninges, in the cortex, and under the ependyma of the lateral ventricles, together with particular focal necrotic areas in the cortex. The incidence of these histopathological changes varies in different series of animals; in those supposedly normal and in rabbits inoculated with a transplantable tumor or with Treponema pallidum material, the percentage of positives was from 40 to 60; in those suffering from miscellaneous diseases, such as pneumonia, septicemia, etc., the percentage was 70, and in rabbits ill with snuffles, as many as 76 per cent were affected. Marked lesions were observed in 47.5 per cent of the total. The histopathological picture observed in these rabbits corresponds to those offered by a number of investigators as evidence of the transmission of certain nervous diseases of man to this animal. The accidental cerebral lesions in the rabbit, of a wide variety, and of frequent occurrence, are to be regarded as existing before any experimental procedure is begun. Their recognition is of the utmost importance in the interpretation of experimental results based on the presence of similar changes in this animal.
Clinical Application of Pharmacogenomics

The purpose of this review is to discuss the clinical application of pharmacogenomics for select drug therapies (eg, proton pump inhibitors [PPIs], codeine, and carbamazepine) and to highlight limitations and challenges that preclude implementation of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice. Genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and the presence of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*1502 allele influence drug disposition and/or response. A portion of PPI pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability can be explained by CYP2C19 genotype. However, conflicting evidence exists related to Helicobacter pylori cure rates based on CYP2C19 genotype. For codeine, adverse drug reactions in neonates through breast-feeding from CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolizers have been reported. However, there is lack of conclusive evidence regarding the overall influence of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on codeine efficacy and toxicity. Although CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 genotyping tests are available, clinical utility remains lo...
Estimating the influence of maternal height on under-five mortality in Nigeria.

This study uses a nationally representative data sample to assess the effect of maternal height as an intergenerational influence on under-five mortality. Data from the 2003 and 2008 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) (n=41,005) selecting women aged 15 to 49yrs whose most recent births were within 5 years (n=23,568), were analyzed. The outcome measure was under-five mortality. Independent variables included maternal height categorized as ≥63inch, 61-62.9inch, 59.1-60.9inch, <59.1inch. Confounding factors were controlled for. A multivariable logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratio estimates along with their respective confidence interval. After adjusting for confounding factors, we found that each 1inch increase in maternal height, was associated with a decreased odds of mortality OR 0.98(95%CI 0.97-0.99). The OR of under-five mortality when comparing women ≥63inch versus women <59.1inch was 1.13(95%CI 0.98-1.31). The population attributable fraction of child death due to maternal short stature was 0.36. (Afr J Reprod Health 2014; 18[1]: 54-60). Keywords : Under-Five Mortality, Maternal height, Intergenerational Influences. Resume utilise un echantillon representatif echantillon de donnees pour evaluer l'effet de hauteur maternelle comme une influence intergenerationnelle de mortalite des enfants de moins de cinq ans. Les donnees de l'annee 2003 et 2008 nigerian Enquete demographique et de sante (NDHS) (n=41 005 ) la selection de femmes âgees de 15 a 49 ans dont les plus recentes naissances etaient en 5 ans (n=23 568 ), ont ete analyses. La mesure des resultats etait mortalite des moins de cinq ans. Variables independantes comprises hauteur maternelle classes comme ≥63pouces, 61 -62.9pouces, 59,1 pouces -60.9, < 59.1pouces. Facteurs de confusion ont ete controlees. Plusieurs variables de regression logistique a ete utilisee pour obtenir odds ratio estimations avec leur intervalle de confiance. Apres le reglage des facteurs de confusion, nous avons constate que chaque 1pouce augmentation de hauteur maternelle, a ete associee a une diminution des chances mortalite ou 0,98 (95 %CI 0.97 -0.99). Les ou de mortalite des moins de cinq ans lorsque l'on compare les femmes ≥63pouces versus les femmes < 59.1pouces etait 1.13 (95 %CI 0.98 -1.31). La population fraction attribuable de deces d'enfants dus a maternelle petite stature etait de 0,36. (Afr J Reprod Health 2014; 18[1]: 54-60 ). Mots-cles: mortalite des enfants maternelle, hauteur, influences intergenerationnelles.
Hydroxy Interlayers in Expansible Layer Silicates

Vermiculites and smectites in soils and sediments are frequently partially interlayered or “chloritized”. Dioctahedral expansible layer silicates are those most frequently interlayered, and hydroxy-Al appears to be the principal component of the non-exchangeable interlayer material. The most favorable soil conditions for interlayer formation appear to be: moderate pH (4·6–5·8), frequent wetting and drying cycles, and low organic matter content. In marine sediments, hydroxy-Mg interlayering may be significant. Soil-derived clays containing partially filled hydroxy-Al “brucite” sheets may be filled out with hydroxy-Mg. Under reducing conditions, hydroxy-Fe interlayers may be important. Depending on the OH/Al ratio and Al content of hydroxy-Al interlayers, expansible layer silicate may either promote or retard the formation of gibbsite. Interlayered expansible layer silicates also may be precursors to kaolinite.
Radiation loss in tapered waveguides

The eikonal or local-normal-mode (LNM) approximation method is presented and applied to the investigation of the radiation loss of a TE guided mode that is due to a narrowing linear taper in slab geometry using a weak-coupling approximation. An exact expression for the total radiation loss is given within the limits of the theory, these limits being small refractive-index changes per wavelength. An approximation to the loss expression is evaluated numerically, indicating that the total radiative loss is roughly exponentially dependent on mode number and on taper step size, at least for weak tapers. The method developed here is not restricted to tapered structures but can be readily adapted to any type of longitudinal disturbance.
Breeding Birds of Desert Riparian Habitat in Southern Nevada

Few studies of bird populations have been undertaken in desert communities. Previous studies in North American warm deserts were conducted by Hutchinson and Hutchinson (1941, 1942), Robert (1967), and Sheppard (1968) in California; Hensley (1954) and Tainter (1965) in Arizona; Raitt and Maze (1968) in New Mexico; and Dixon (1959) in Texas. Davis (1963) and Webster (1964) censused desert areas in Mexico. No study has been conducted in the northern Mohave
Moving Metadata Forward with BIBFRAME: An Interview with Rebecca Guenther

ABSTRACTIn November 2015, Margaret Dull interviewed Rebecca Guenther, metadata consultant, educator, and former senior networking and standards specialist at the Library of Congress. Guenther shares her views on developing metadata standards in a rapidly changing environment, focusing particularly on the development and emergence of BIBFRAME. She also shares her thoughts on her work as a metadata consultant and teaching emerging library and information professionals.
The Trouble with Networks: Implications for the Practice of Help Documentation:

This article considers why users of popular software packages choose to find answers to their task problems on user forums rather than in official documentation. The author concludes that traditional documentation is developed around an antiquated notion of “task,” which leads to restrictive ways of thinking about problems that users encounter and the solutions that might be appropriate. The author argues, instead, that tasks and problems arise from networked rhetorical situations and networked contexts for rhetorical action. The influence of networks requires a redefinition of rhetorical situation and context, from which we derive a networked picture of tasks and problems as emergent and uncertain phenomenon, best addressed in the uncertain and sometimes-chaotic setting of user forums. Forum threads are studied using discourse analytic techniques to determine what they can reveal about qualities making tasks and problems uncertain.
Numerical simulation of vanadium redox flow battery flow field

Vanadium redox flow battery(VRB) has been widely applied in various fields attributed to its excellent properties,however,its electrical performance is greatly influenced by its fluid behavior.Therefore,the flow field of VRB was investigated based on Fluent 6.3.26.The influence of branch tube diameter on electrolyte distribution was specifically discussed,and the deviation between theoretical velocity and simulated velocity was comparatively analyzed.The results show that the branch tube diameter impacts the electrolyte distribution significantly,and the simulated velocity fits quite well with theoretical velocity,indicating that the proposed simulation strategy is suitable for flow field modeling of VRB.
Visual System Applied to Error Proofing in Engine Assembly Line

It focuses on the engine assembly line in one automobile manufacturing enterprise to introduce its visual system and its parts.The specific application of visual system in engine assembly includes its hardware,application principles and main operating procedures,which demonstrates the superiority of visual system applied to error proofing in engine assembly line,and its internal relationship with enterprise efficiency.
Alterations in systemic arterial mechanical properties during septic shock: role of fluid resuscitation

The effects of septic shock (endotoxin; EDTX) on arterial mechanical properties were studied in anesthetized rabbits, both in the absence (EDTX alone) and presence (EDTX + fluids) of fluid resuscit...
Nodding Scribe and Heavy Thumb: The Scribal Errors in Cat 1.14 III 52–V 8

All of those who work with the Ugaritic tablets are quite aware of the fact that the scribes occasionally made errors as they produced their texts. There are three common categories of errors found in the Ugaritic tablets: (1) haplography; (2) dittography; or (3) the simple writing of a mistaken letter. The author looks at the scribal practices evident on the large literary texts produced by the scribe Ilimalku. Two of the tablets, CAT 1.14 and 1.19, however, stand out with exceptional numbers of errors. In working on the tablets of the Kirta Epic, however, the author focuses on a particularly unusual section of CAT 1.14 in which the number of scribal errors unexpectedly soars and is accompanied by an unparalleled number of corrections and erasures undertaken in order to remedy this situation. Keywords: Cat 1.14; scribal errors; Ugaritic tablets
Pebble Nanosensors for Real Time Intracellular Chemical Imaging

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the probes encapsulated by biologically localized embedding (PEBBLE) nanosensors and their application in real-time intracellular imaging. PEBBLE nanosensors are submicron-sized optical sensors designed specifically for minimally invasive analyte monitoring in viable single cells with applications for real-time analysis of drug, toxin, and environmental effects on cell function. PEBBLE nanosensor is a general term that describes a family of matrices and nano-fabrication techniques used to miniaturize many existing optical sensing technologies. The main classes of PEBBLE nano-sensors are based on matrices of cross-linked polyacrylamide, cross-linked decyl methacrylate, and sol-gel silica. These matrices have been used to fabricate sensors for H + Ca 2+ , K + , Na + , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cl - , NO 2 , O 2 , NO, and glucose that range from 20 nm to 600 nm in size. A host of delivery techniques have been used successfully to deliver PEBBLE nanosensors into mouse oocytes, rat alveolar macrophages, rat C6-glioma, and human neuroblastoma cells.
Data Processing Systems and Optoelectronics

Publisher Summary This chapter starts with an overview of data processing systems and ties in the requirements for an optical link design. Optical link design philosophy, concepts, and implementation are reviewed with an emphasis on ESCON. The chapter also reviews various present and emerging industry standards for optical communication, including FDDI, Fiber Channel Series (ECS), and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)/synchronous optical network (SONET). It presents a review of potential future intra-connection and interconnection data communications applications.
Grid and Geometry Techniques for Multi-Layer Process Simulation

A robust grid generation and evolution technique for process simulation is presented. A quadtree approach is used to decimate the geometry and final triangulation is performed using templates. Warping is used to improve the grid quality near boundaries. The quadtree depends only on the structure’s spatial extent and not on the specific vertices. This allows independent manipulation of the geometry and grid by various process simulation tools.
Henry reaction (nitroaldol reaction)

The nitroaldol condensation reaction involving aldehydes and nitronates, derived from deprotonation of nitroalkanes by bases.
Regulators’ and stakeholders’ perspectives in a framework for bioenergy development

In this study, ten bioenergy crop rotations (corn, corn-stover, sorghum, soybean, corn-soybean, corn-soybean-canola, corn-stover-soybean, miscanthus, switchgrass, and sorghum-soybean) were selected based on local stakeholder (economically motivated) and regulator (environmentally motivated) preferences. These crops were implemented on diverse landscapes (agricultural, marginal, and agricultural plus marginal lands) one at time for 17 years using a SWAT model of the Saginaw River Watershed in Michigan. The bioenergy crops were evaluated based on 100 percent, 50 percent, and zero percent weight assigned to both stakeholders’ and regulators’ preferences using analytic hierarchy process (AHP), an optimization and decision-making technique that aims to satisfy multiple conflicting objectives. The corn-soybean-canola rotation was selected in all landscapes based on economic benefits (stakeholders’ preferences). Meanwhile, perennial grasses (miscanthus and switchgrass) were selected based on environmental benefits (regulators’ preferences), because they maintain permanent cover, require fewer inputs than traditional row crops, and are less management intensive. When implementing bioenergy crops on marginal lands, pollution generation greatly increased at the field level, indicating that these lands are likely not viable for bioenergy crop production to meet potential future renewable energy demand.
Scalable Data Analytics Using R: Single Machines to Hadoop Spark Clusters

R is one of the most popular languages in the data science, statistical and machine learning (ML) community. However, when it comes to scalable data analysis and ML using R, many data scientists are blocked or hindered by (a) its limitations of available functions to handle large datasets efficiently, and (b) knowledge about the appropriate computing environments to scale R scripts from desktop exploratory analysis to elastic and distributed cloud services. In this tutorial we will discuss solutions that demonstrate the use of distributed compute environments and end to end solutions for R. We will present the topics through presentations and worked-out examples with sample code. In addition, we will provide a public code repository that attendees will be able to access and adapt to their own practice. We believe this tutorial will be of strong interest to a large and growing community of data scientists and developers using R for data analysis and modeling.
Cerebral Vasculitis in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

A 16-year-old girl who developed a stroke after a 5-year history of polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is reported from Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Vocalization Subsystem Responses to a Temporarily Induced Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to quantify the interactions of the 3 vocalization subsystems of respiration, phonation, and resonance before, during, and after a perturbation to the larynx (t...
Editorial and Book Reviews

This is our last issue as Editor of Optical Engineering. We end our brief term with a sense of satisfaction at having introduced several mechanical changes in the Journal which we think improve it, but we are saddened by the fact that SPIE and the Optical Society of America have not yet agreed to merge.
A tesselation-based model for intensity estimation and laser plasma interactions calculations in three dimensions

A three-dimensional laser propagation model for computation of laser-plasma interactions is presented. It is focused on indirect drive geometries in inertial confinement fusion and formulated for use at large temporal and spatial scales. A modified tesselation-based estimator and a relaxation scheme are used to estimate the intensity distribution in plasma from geometrical optics rays. Comparisons with reference solutions show that this approach is well-suited to reproduce realistic 3D intensity field distributions of beams smoothed by phase plates. It is shown that the method requires a reduced number of rays compared to traditional rigid-scale intensity estimation. Using this field estimator, we have implemented laser refraction, inverse-bremsstrahlung absorption, and steady-state crossed-beam energy transfer with a linear kinetic model in the numerical code Vampire. Probe beam amplification and laser spot shapes are compared with experimental results and pf3d paraxial simulations. These results are promising for the efficient and accurate computation of laser intensity distributions in holhraums, which is of importance for determining the capsule implosion shape and risks of laser-plasma instabilities such as hot electron generation and backscatter in multi-beam configurations.
Evolution of sausage and helical modes in magnetized thin-foil cylindrical liners driven by a Z-pinch

In this paper, we present experimental results on axially magnetized (Bz = 0.5 – 2.0 T), thin-foil (400 nm-thick) cylindrical liner-plasmas driven with ∼600 kA by the Michigan Accelerator for Inductive Z-Pinch Experiments, which is a linear transformer driver at the University of Michigan. We show that: (1) the applied axial magnetic field, irrespective of its direction (e.g., parallel or anti-parallel to the flow of current), reduces the instability amplitude for pure magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes [defined as modes devoid of the acceleration-driven magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability]; (2) axially magnetized, imploding liners (where MHD modes couple to MRT) generate m = 1 or m = 2 helical modes that persist from the implosion to the subsequent explosion stage; (3) the merging of instability structures is a mechanism that enables the appearance of an exponential instability growth rate for a longer than expected time-period; and (4) an inverse cascade in both the axial and azimuthal wavenumbers, k...
Characteristic mode analysis of nano-antennas with different materials

Characteristic Mode Analysis (CMA) has been recently proposed for the design and optimization of antennas. In this work, we propose to use CMA to quantify how the electromagnetic response of nano-antennas with complex shapes vary with different material properties. The results show that the modal significance depend significantly on the material of the nano-antenna. However, the current distribution of the modes is mainly dependent on the shape of the nano-antenna and not its material. Moreover, the study show that CMA can be used as a useful tool for the design and optimization of nano-antennas and sensors.
Barriers and Sentiment of the American Tourists Toward Travel to China

This interdisciplinary research deals with attractiveness of China as a tourist destination for American pleasure travelers, barriers that American tourists perceive as preventing their travel to the destination, and their sentiments toward travel to China. The data were obtained through an online panel survey aiming at understanding American leisure travelers’ international travel experiences and their perceptions of China. The obtained sample included 3,263 responses and was balanced on region, gender, age, and household income. First, the study applies content analysis to textual responses to identify the main categories of risks and barriers associated with travel to China. Second, it compares three sentiment analysis algorithms, namely, Deeply Moving, Pattern, and SentiStrength, against the manual classification of textual responses and applies the best performing software Deeply Moving to quantify the respondents’ sentiments toward travel to China. Finally, the study compares socio-demographic groups of survey respondents on attitudes expressed toward travel to China.
Joint Channel Coding

Multichannel audio signals or programs, including the most widely used stereo and 5.1 surround sounds, are considered as consisting of discrete channels. Since a multichannel signal is intended for reproduction of coherent sound field, there is strong correlation between its discrete channels. This inter-channel correlation can obviously be exploited to reduce bit rate.
Discovering Gene–Gene and Gene–Environment Causal Interactions Using Bioinformatics Approaches

The exponential growth of molecular biology data led to an intense focus on the study of interactions among DNA, RNA, protein biosynthesis, and environment. Using advanced genomics revolution tools, large datasets generated by the gene expression profiling experiments and next generation sequences technologies enable us to link molecular states and environmental effects to physiological states through the reverse engineering of gene–gene and gene–environment interaction networks that sense DNA and environmental perturbations. This will ultimately let us understand variations in physiological states associated with disease. In this chapter we review different mathematical and statistical bioinformatics approaches to discover and model gene–gene and gene–environment causal interactions. We also present new additional modeling methods in probabilistic networks to incorporate various interventions to perturb the system.
Use of dd-cfDNA in Real World Practice: Single Center Experience

Purpose Gene expression profiling testing (GEP; AlloMap) and donor-derived cell free DNA (dd-cfDNA; AlloSure) each provide non-invasive means to detect possible heart allograft rejection, including acute cellular rejection (ACR). This report describes the largest single center use of dd-cfDNA to date. Methods Post heart transplant (HT) management is standardized at our center such that endomyocardial biopsy is used for rejection surveillance in the early period with crossover to GEP testing at day 56. Elevated GEP (≥34) prompts biopsy. dd-cfDNA was utilized in conjunction with biopsy or in lieu of biopsy (barrier to biopsy). A cohort of 26 HT patients underwent dd-cfDNA testing, including 3 multiorgan (same donor) and 5 retransplant patients. The dd-cfDNA (%, AlloSure) and GEP (AlloMap, score 0-40) results were correlated patient survival. Results Among 26 HT patients there was a total 70 dd-cfDNA tests (mean 2.7 per pt). dd-cfDNA usage was due to inability to biopsy (33%), anticoagulation (22%), elevated GEP (26%), with graft dysfunction, prior rejection, biopsy refusal, tricuspid regurgitation and critically ill status comprising 4% each. Mean day post HT for first dd-cfDNA test was 201 (IQR 90-517), with earliest at day 7 post HT. Mean dd-cfDNA was 0.3 ± 0.5%. Mean GEP score was 32.8 ± 5.3. There were no deaths in this cohort. One patient had confirmed AMR2 (dd-cfDNA 0.25%). Mean LVEF 54% ± 5. Conclusion In surveillance of heart allograft recipients for rejection, consideration of dd-cfDNA levels may improve patient management decisions particularly when endomyocardial biopsy may not be feasible.
Exercise and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis: a special focus on acute cortisol and growth hormone responses

Abstract The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is stimulated by acute exercise and will initiate numerous neuroendocrine cascades. Specifically, both cortisol and growth hormone concentrations are affected by exercise-induced homeostatic disruptions. The nature of these changes has previously been demonstrated to be a function of the type of exercise and the relative intensity and duration of the activity. Recent studies (past 2–3 years) concur with classic hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis studies reporting growth hormone concentrations typically increasing with acute exercise — especially high-intensity exercise — and cortisol concentrations increasing or decreasing in response to acute exercise, in accordance with the known intensity threshold effect. Future investigations should consider the synchronicity between these neuroendocrine cascades and other physiological systems.
Geography’s blind spot: the age-old urban question

Aging is one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century. Older populations dramatically shape cities and urbanization, yet remain largely overlooked within geography...
Voice localization using nearby wall reflections

Voice assistants such as Amazon Echo (Alexa) and Google Home use microphone arrays to estimate the angle of arrival (AoA) of the human voice. This paper focuses on adding user localization as a new capability to voice assistants. For any voice command, we desire Alexa to be able to localize the user inside the home. The core challenge is two-fold: (1) accurately estimating the AoAs of multipath echoes without the knowledge of the source signal, and (2) tracing back these AoAs to reverse triangulate the user's location. We develop VoLoc, a system that proposes an iterative align-and-cancel algorithm for improved multipath AoA estimation, followed by an error-minimization technique to estimate the geometry of a nearby wall reflection. The AoAs and geometric parameters of the nearby wall are then fused to reveal the user's location. Under modest assumptions, we report localization accuracy of 0.44 m across different rooms, clutter, and user/microphone locations. VoLoc runs in near real-time but needs to hear around 15 voice commands before becoming operational.
Shared Emotion: The Social Amplification of Partisan News on Twitter

As people increasingly rely on social media for news, it is important to understand what types of news media they are likely to come across in their social media environment. Exposure to news conte...
Hybrid Absorption–Crystallization Strategies for the Direct Air Capture of CO2 Using Phase-Changing Guanidium Bases: Insights from in Operando X-ray Scattering and Infrared Spectroscopy Measurements

Efforts to limit rising concentrations of CO2 have motivated the development of negative emission technologies. Direct air capture (DAC) of CO2 is one of the negative emissions technologies that ha...
Assessing managed flood retreat and community relocation in the Midwest USA

Managed retreat involves the relocation of structures or abandonment of land to manage natural-hazard risk. In the USA, a number of towns have completed or are planning partial or complete relocations. This study focuses on a subset of these towns located in the US Midwest, each relocated out of FEMA designated flood zones to mitigate riverine flooding risk. Past community relocations hold hard-won lessons for future managed retreat projects. Three pragmatic and preliminary metrics were developed here: (1) flood losses avoided, (2) population trends, and (3) trends in home sales prices. Flood-loss modeling shows that community relocation can be cost-effective, reducing economic flood exposure by over 95%. Analysis of population data and residential real-estate sales shows that Midwestern floodplain towns have lagged non- floodplain towns, and homes on mapped floodplains have sold at a discount to non-floodplain homes since at least the early 1990s. Relocation off the floodplain removed the stigma of flooding and quantifiably reenergized those communities. Relocation projects cost more than buyouts without relocation but maintain social bonds and represent a tangible investment in future resilience. Future relocation projects, including retreat from both floodplains and coasts, should draw from the wealth of empirical data and lessons learned from past retreat efforts.
Antibodies to LRP4 and Agrin Are Pathogenic in Myasthenia Gravis: At the Junction Where It Happens

Autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) is a T-cell–dependent, B-cell/antibody–mediated disease. The clinical symptoms and signs, as well as the clinical neurophysiologic and pharmacologic dysfunction, are due to abnormalities at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). In the large majority of patients with generalized MG and ≈50% of patients with ocular MG, antibodies to the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) are present in the serum.1 The presence of these antibodies has proved to be a useful test to aid in the diagnosis of autoimmune MG.2 A large number of in vitro, in vivo, and in situ studies, including immunization of experimental animals with AChR and passive transfer of AChR antibodies to animals to reproduce the disease, have demonstrated that AChR immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are pathogenic. They mediate disease through several mechanisms, including activating the classic complement cascade, increasing the rate of normal endocytosis of AChR (modulating antibodies) at the muscle membrane, and blocking the binding site for acetylcholine on the α peptide of AChR via steric hindrance. All these result in less available AChR to bind acetylcholine released from the presynaptic nerve terminal (reviewed by Ruff and Lisak3). The identity of the other pathogenic antibodies was unknown for almost 3 decades until the demonstration of antibodies to muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) in 50% of patients with AChR-seronegative generalized MG.4 Antibodies to MuSK, a protein at the NMJ critical for the development and maintenance of NMJ and the proper positioning and anchoring of AChR, are pathogenic.3 More recently, antibodies to other important constituents of the NMJ, including low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 4 (LRP4) and agrin, have been described. Agrin activates LRP4 to interact with MuSK, which, as noted, is critical for proper expression of AChR, allowing normal neuromuscular transmission. The usefulness of these antibodies in the diagnosis of MG in patients without AChR or MuSK antibodies, so-called double-seronegative (DSN) MG, is still under investigation, but only a small percentage of patients with DSN MG have LRP4 and/or agrin antibodies.5
Right Heart Catheterization in Cardiogenic Shock Is Associated With Improved Outcomes: Insights From the Nationwide Readmissions Database.

Background The usefulness of right heart catherization (RHC) has long been debated, and thus, we aimed to study the real‐world impact of the use of RHC in cardiogenic shock. Methods and Results In ...
Associations of immune cell homing gene signatures and infiltrates of lymphocyte subsets in human melanomas: discordance with CD163+ myeloid cell infiltrates.

Background Immune cells in the tumor microenvironment have prognostic value. In preclinical models, recruitment and infiltration of these cells depends on immune cell homing (ICH) genes such as chemokines, cell adhesion molecules, and integrins. We hypothesized ICH ligands CXCL9-11 and CCL2-5 would be associated with intratumoral T-cells, while CXCL13 would be more associated with B-cell infiltrates. Methods Samples of human melanoma were submitted for gene expression analysis and immune cells identified by immunohistochemistry. Associations between the two were evaluated with unsupervised hierarchical clustering using correlation matrices from Spearman rank tests. Univariate analysis performed Mann-Whitney tests. Results For 119 melanoma specimens, analysis of 78 ICH genes revealed association among genes with nonspecific increase of multiple immune cell subsets: CD45+, CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells, CD20+ B-cells, CD138+ plasma cells, and CD56+ NK-cells. ICH genes most associated with these infiltrates included ITGB2, ITGAL, CCL19, CXCL13, plus receptor/ligand pairs CXCL9 and CXCL10 with CXCR3; CCL4 and CCL5 with CCR5. This top ICH gene expression signature was also associated with genes representing immune-activation and effector function. In contrast, CD163+ M2-macrophages was weakly associated with a different ICH gene signature. Conclusion These data do not support our hypothesis that each immune cell subset is uniquely associated with specific ICH genes. Instead, a larger set of ICH genes identifies melanomas with concordant infiltration of B-cell and T-cell lineages, while CD163+ M2-macrophage infiltration suggesting alternate mechanisms for their recruitment. Future studies should explore the extent ICH gene signature contributes to tertiary lymphoid structures or cross-talk between homing pathways.
Variability of track selection approaches and progress for a new etching protocol for apatite-fission tracks

We report a new series of step-etch experiments to reveal the influence of microscopy technique on track selection bias. Two different aliquots of induced tracks in Durango apatite were etched for ...
Discrete-Time Domain Analysis and Synthesis of Repetitive Controllers

Repetitive control is formulated and analyzed in the discrete-time domain. Sufficiency conditions for the asymptotic convergence of a class of repetitive controllers are given. The "plug-in" repetitive controller is introduced and applied to track-following in a disk-file actuator system. Inter-sample ripples in the tracking error were present when the "plug-in" repetitive controller was installed. The performance is enhanced, however, when the zero-holding device is followed by a low-pass filter or replaced by a delayed first-order hold.
Analytics Underlying the Ag Metallgesellschaft Hedge: Short Term Forwards in a Multi-Period Environment

In a highly publicized example, a marketing and refining subsidiary of AG Metallgesellschaft controlled short term forward positions reportedly equivalent to 160 million barrels of oil, 60 times the daily output of Kuwait. Presumably, the short term positions were taken to hedge oil contracts to customers over an extended period. This paper develops the analytics underlying the hedging of long term flow commitments with short term forward contracts. Its contributions include the determination of minimum variance hedging paths for multi-period flow portfolios and theevaluation of both period-by-period and end-of-horizon volatilities under various hedging schemes. The analysis allows for basis risk, non-zero cost-of-carry, and spot diffusion processes that have a non-zero market price of risk. The results are developed in the context of an efficient market and standard equilibrium pricing models.
Significance of microstructural thermal stability in an Al-2219 alloy processed by severe plastic deformation

A commercial Al-2219 alloy was subjected to severe plastic deformation by processing through equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) at room temperature. Ultrafine grains having an average size of about 0.2 ?m were present after totals of 8 and 12 passes through the ECAP die. Tensile testing of the as-pressed samples revealed no evidence for superplasticity at temperatures from 573 to 673 K. Careful microstructural examination showed that, although ?? or ? precipitates are present in the microstructure of the Al-2219 alloy, these precipitates are not sufficiently strong to prevent extensive grain growth at these elevated temperatures. It is concluded that thermal stability of the microstructure following severe plastic deformation is an important requirement in achieving superplastic ductilities at elevated temperatures.
Chapter 7.5 Sulphur on the Early Earth

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the origin of sulfur on the early Earth. The elemental inventory of the planets was determined by the composition of the nebular gas and dust from which the solar system formed. In stars greater than 8 times the solar mass, and at temperatures near 1.5 × 10 9 K, oxygen fusion begins as a result of the slow fusion of neutrons, protons, and 4 He nuclei to a variety of seed nuclei. In this scenario, the various sulfur isotopes can be produced from the oxygen-burning nuclear reaction. Mass-independent fractionation behavior of stable isotopes was found in the oxygen isotopic compositions of carbonaceous meteorites. The majority of meteoritic materials that have been analyzed for the minor sulfur isotopes indicate that inhomogeneities in S isotope compositions possibly related to nucleosynthetic, spallation reactions on Fe, or gas-phase photolytic reactions in space were mixed in for the most part in the early solar system. An increasingly large body of multiple sulfur isotope data have been collected for several of the key metasedimentary units in Western Australia and West Greenland. The differences in pyrite and barite multiple sulfur isotope compositions from the Dresser rocks show that the deposition of MIF sulfur as pyrite and barite was swift once aerosols reached the water column.
High-frequency homologous recombination between duplicate chromosomal immunoglobulin mu heavy-chain constant regions.

Abstract Homologous recombination was used in a previous study to correct a 2-base-pair deletion in the third constant domain (Cmu3) of the haploid chromosomal mu gene in a mutant hybridoma cell line by transfer of a pSV2neo vector bearing a subfragment of the normal Cmu region (M.D. Baker, N. Pennell, L. Bosnoyan, and M.J. Shulman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:6432-6436, 1988). In these experiments, both gene replacement and single reciprocal crossover events were found to restore normal, cytolytic 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-specific immunoglobulin M production to the mutant cells. In the cases of single reciprocal recombination, the structure of the recombinant mu gene is such that the normal Cmu region, in its correct position 3' of the expressed 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-specific heavy-chain variable region, is separated from the mutant Cmu region by the integrated vector sequences. I report here that homologous recombination occurs with high frequency between the duplicate Cmu regions in mitotically growing hybridoma cells. The homologous recombination events were easily detected since they generated hybridomas that were phenotypically different from the parental cells. Analysis of the recombinant cells suggests that gene conversion is the most frequent event, occurring between 60 and 73% of the time. The remaining events consisted of single reciprocal crossovers. Intrachromatid double reciprocal recombination was not detected. The high frequency of recombination, the ability to isolate and analyze the participants in the recombination reactions, and the capacity to generate specific modifications in the immunoglobulin Cmu regions by gene targeting suggest that this system will be useful for studying mammalian chromosomal homologous recombination. Moreover, the ability to specifically modify the chromosomal immunoglobulin genes by homologous recombination should facilitate studies of immunoglobulin gene regulation and expression and provide a more convenient of engineering specifically modified antibody.
Self-Organization and Sense-Making in Architect–Engineer Design Teams: Leveraging Health Care’s Approach to Managing Complex Adaptive Systems

AbstractTraditional management-led risk-mitigation and performance-improvement procedures tend to ignore the relationship dynamics of Architect–Engineer design teams, and instead focus on the credentials of the designers and the process for inspecting and controlling the quality of the team’s output. Management may acknowledge the complex nature of the design process, but the notion of design teams as complex systems, or more precisely, complex adaptive systems (CAS), with their inherently unpredictable behaviors, is not typically considered.
Implementation of condition-dependent probabilistic risk assessment using surveillance data on passive components

Abstract A great deal of surveillance data are collected for a nuclear power plant that reflect the changing condition of the plant as it ages. Although surveillance data are used to determine failure probabilities of active components for the plant’s probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and to indicate the need for maintenance activities, they are not used in a structured manner to characterize the evolving risk of the plant. The present study explores the feasibility of using a condition-dependent PRA framework that takes a first principles approach to modeling the progression of degradation mechanisms to characterize evolving risk, periodically adapting the model to account for surveillance results. A case study is described involving a potential containment bypass accident sequence due to the progression of flow-accelerated corrosion in secondary system piping and stress corrosion cracking of steam generator tubes. In this sequence, a steam line break accompanied by failure to close of a main steam isolation valve results in depressurization of the steam generator and induces the rupture of one or more faulted steam generator tubes. The case study indicates that a condition-dependent PRA framework might be capable of providing early identification of degradation mechanisms important to plant risk.