cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Plasma Active Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Concentrations in Normal Horses and Those With Equine Metabolic Syndrome and in Horses Placed on a High-Grain Diet

Abstract Hyperinsulinemia is associated with laminitis in horses, and active glucagon-like peptide 1 (aGLP-1) stimulates insulin secretion. We hypothesized that plasma aGLP-1 concentrations measured during an oral sugar test (OST) would differ significantly between normal horses and those with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and that aGLP-1 concentrations would increase when EMS horses were placed on a high-grain diet. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for aGLP-1 was validated with equine plasma and six horses with EMS, and 10 healthy Quarter horse crossbred mares were compared. Eleven months later, the same horses with EMS were placed on a high-grain diet for 8 weeks and aGLP-1 concentrations were measured during an oral glucose tolerance test at 0 and 8 weeks. Frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests were also performed. The assay was validated with equine plasma and concentrations increased during the OST. Area under the aGLP-1 curve did not differ between normal and EMS horses. There was a weak trend ( P = .097) toward a higher maximum percentage increase in aGLP-1 concentrations during the OST in EMS horses compared with normal horses. Body weight increased ( P = .031) after 8 weeks when EMS horses were placed on a high-grain diet. Resting (fasted) insulin concentrations significantly increased ( P = .012), but plasma aGLP-1 concentrations did not change significantly. Our hypotheses were not supported because plasma aGLP-1 concentrations did not differ significantly between normal horses and those with EMS and did not increase when EMS horses were placed on a high-grain diet for 8 weeks. However, a trend toward higher percentage increases in aGLP-1 concentrations during the OST was detected in EMS horses, compared with normal horses, and this warrants further investigation.
Response to: ‘Effects of colchicine on risk of cardiovascular events among patients with gout: as evidence accrues, is it time for a randomized trial?’ by Giannopoulos and Deftereos

We appreciate the interest of Drs Giannopoulos and Deftereos1 in our recent paper;2 they have been focused on colchicine's potential effects in cardiovascular disease in the general population. They inquired about the dosage, duration and indication for colchicine in our cohort. The mean dosage was approximately 0.5 mg …
An examination on the direct concentration approach to simulating moisture diffusion in a multi-material system

Abstract In 2009, Xie et al. proposed a diffusion simulation method called direct concentration approach (DCA), which aimed at solving moisture diffusion problems in electronic packages under a transient temperature environment such as reflow process (“Direct Concentration Approach of Moisture Diffusion and Whole Field Vapor Pressure Modeling for Reflow Process: Part I — Theory and Numerical Implementation,” ASME J. Electron. Packag., 131, p. 031,010). However, our study shows that although the DCA may give reasonably accurate concentration results under several circumstances, its relative error in concentration result can be as high as 10% in one of our test cases. More importantly, the DCA generally leads to the discontinuity of diffusion flux at the bi-material interface, which means that the result may violate the law of mass conservation. A theoretical derivation based on a one-dimensional (1-D) diffusion case is presented to demonstrate the flaw of the DCA using the finite element formulation.
Glideslope capture in wind gust via fuzzy logic controller

Fuzzy logic based control system is developed for glideslope capture of an aircraft under gust. First, the design of a longitudinal control system for automatic landing is presented for a linear aircraft model. Then, the fuzzy controller parameters derived for the linear model are modified to obtain a robust control system for a six degree of freedom nonlinear aircraft model. It is shown that the simple tuning fuzzy controller, by altering scaling factors, is well suited for control of difficult aircraft maneuvers like landing in severe weather conditions which require continuous change in engine thrust and control surfaces.
Abstract 2327: Anti-angiogenic activity of a CovX bi-functional antibody conjugate targeting both activin-receptor like kinase type 1 (ALK-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis, and controlling tumor-associated angiogenesis is a proven therapeutic intervention to limit tumor progression. Several pathways have been involved in tumor-associated angiogenesis and the predominant target of current interventions is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. Recently, Activin-receptor like kinase type 1 (ALK-1) has been proven to be a novel and potent target of tumor angiogenesis. Our results indicate that inhibiting VEGF and ALK1 have different effects on tumor vasculature, suggesting that targeting both pathways could have a more potent effect than targeting either pathway alone. We have created a bi-functional antibody conjugate targeting both ALK-1 and VEGF by conjugating VEGF-trap peptides to an anti-ALK1 monoclonal antibody. We demonstrate that our bi-functional molecule binds both ALK-1 and VEGF with high affinity in vitro, blocks both ALK-1 and VEGF pathways in HUVEC primary human endothelial cells and has good pharmacokinetics properties in mice. Finally, in a MDA-MB-231 xenograft model in SCID mice, the ALK-1/VEGF bi-functional antibody conjugate slowed tumor growth and prolonged survival with greater efficacy than anti-VEGF therapy alone. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2327. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2327
STARTLE AS A PARADIGM OF MALPOSTURE.

Similarities between the postural changes that take place in startle and the postural changes that accompany aging and disease support the view that malposture is an active rather than a passive phenomenon.
Exchangeability and Continuum Limits of Discrete Random Structures

Exchangeable representations of complex random structures are useful in several ways, in particular providing a moderately general way to derive continuum limits of discrete random structures. I shall describe an old example (continuum random trees) and a more recent example (dense graph limits). Thinking this way about road routes suggests challenging new problems in the plane. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). Primary 60G09; Secondary 60C05. This write-up follows the style of the ICM talk, presented as 5 episodes in the development of a topic over the last 80 years. • Exchangeability and de Finetti’s theorem (1930s 50s) • Structure theory for partially exchangeable arrays (1980s) • A general program for continuum limits of discrete random structures, illustrated by trees (1990s) • 3 recent “pure math” developments (2000s) • Road routes from this viewpoint (2010s) An expanded version of the material in sections 1-4 appears as a longer survey article [4]. Section 5 is work in progress, in part with Wilfrid Kendall, not yet written up in more detail. ∗Research supported by N.S.F Grant DMS-0704159. Department of Statistics, 367 Evans Hall # 3860, U.C. Berkeley CA 94720. E-mail: aldous@stat.berkeley.edu
Labile cochlear tuning in the mustached bat. I. Concomitant shifts in biosonar emission frequency.

The cochlea of the mustached bat (Pteronotus parnellii) has sharp tuning characteristics and pronounced resonance within a narrow band near the second harmonic, constant frequency (CF2) component of the animal's biosonar signals. That fine frequency discrimination occurs within this narrow band is evident from Doppler-shift compensation, whereby bats in flight lower the frequency of emitted CF2s to maintain returning echoes within this band. This study examined various factors capable of producing shifts in both the cochlear resonance frequency (CRF) and CF2s emitted by stationary bats and bats actively Doppler-shift compensating on a pendulum. Each of three experimental factors shifted the CRF in a reversible manner. Changes in body temperature produced an average CRF shift of 39 ± 18 Hz/°C. The CRF increased with flight by 150 ± 100 Hz and returned to baseline values within 10 min after flight. Contralateral sound exposure produced smaller (100 ± 20 Hz), rapid shifts in the CRF, suggesting that a mechanism different from the temperature- and flight-related shifts was involved. Changes in the CRF induced by temperature and flight were accompanied by shifts in the emitted CF2 of stationary and moving bats. Coupled with a companion study of associated shifts in neural tuning, the concomitant changes in CRF and CF2 provide evidence of cochlear tuning lability in the mustached bat.
Functional capillary organization in striated muscle.

In striated muscle, capillaries occur as independent network groups. Network architecture was quantitated in cremaster muscle of pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized hamsters in three age groups [51 +...
Infectious Complications of HIV Disease

HIV disease is associated with a wide variety of infections caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Although some infections occur only in patients with very low CD4 cell counts, others require only mild to moderate immunosuppression. This article discusses the opportunistic infections associated with HIV disease and reviews their clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, with an emphasis on emergency department diagnosis and management.
High energy electron sintering of icy regoliths: Formation of the PacMan thermal anomalies on the icy Saturnian moons

Abstract The so-called ‘PacMan’ features on the leading hemispheres of the icy Saturnian moons of Mimas, Tethys and Dione were initially identified as anomalous optical discolorations and subsequently shown to have greater thermal inertia than the surrounding regions. The shape of these regions matches calculated deposition contours of high energy plasma electrons moving opposite to the moon’s orbital direction, thus suggesting that electron interactions with the grains produce the observed anomalies. Here, descriptions of radiation-induced diffusion processes are given, and various sintering models are considered to calculate the rate of increase in the contact volume between grains in an icy regolith. Estimates of the characteristic sintering timescale, i.e. the time necessary for the thermal inertia to increase from that measured outside the anomalous regions to that within, are given for each of the moons. Since interplanetary dust particle (IDP) impact gardening and E-ring grain infall would be expected to mix the regolith and obscure the effects of high energy electrons, sintering rates are compared to rough estimates of the impact-induced resurfacing rates. Estimates of the sintering timescale determined by extrapolating laboratory measurements are below ∼0.03 Myr, while the regolith renewal timescales are larger than ∼0.1 Myr, thus indicating that irradiation by the high energy electrons should be sufficient to form stable thermal anomalies. More detailed models developed for sintering of spherical grains are able to account for the radiation-induced anomalies on Mimas and Tethys only if the regoliths on those bodies are relatively compact and composed of small (≲ 5 µm) grains or grain aggregates, and/or the grains are highly non-spherical with surface defect densities in the inter-grain contact regions that are much higher than expected for crystalline water ice grains at thermal equilibrium. These results are consistent with regolith thermal conductivity models which can only be reconciled with spacecraft observations if the contacts between grains are assumed to have much lower thermal conductance than predicted for idealized grains. The strength of the anomalies on Tethys and Dione appear to be limited by E-ring grain infall, while on Mimas IDP gardening limits the strength of the anomaly. The smaller flux of more deeply penetrating high energy (>1 MeV) electrons on Dione can account for the small thermal inertia differences measured there. Determining regolith sintering rates and the corresponding effect on thermal conductivity can, in principle, provide an independent constraint on the regolith grain geometries and exposure timescales for icy bodies.
Altered Refractive Development in Mice With Reduced Levels of Retinal Dopamine

Purpose The neuromodulator dopamine (DA) has been implicated in the prevention of excessive ocular elongation and myopia in various animal models. This study used retina-specific DA knockout mice to investigate the role of retinal DA in refractive development and susceptibility to experimental myopia. Methods Measurements of refractive error, corneal curvature, and ocular biometrics were obtained as a function of age for both untreated and form-deprived (FD) groups of retina-specific tyrosine hydroxylase knockout (rTHKO) and control (Ctrl) mice. Retinas from each group were analyzed by HPLC for levels of DA and its primary metabolite (DOPAC). Results Under normal visual conditions, rTHKO mice showed significantly myopic refractions (F(1,188) = 7.602, P < 0.001) and steeper corneas (main effect of genotype F(1,180) = 5.1, P < 0.01) at 4 and 6 weeks of age compared with Ctrl mice. Retina-specific THKO mice also had thinner corneas (main effect of genotype F(1,181) = 37.17, P < 0.001), thinner retinas (F(6,181) = 6.07, P < 0.001), and shorter axial lengths (F(6,181) = 3.78, P < 0.01) than Ctrl mice. Retina-specific THKO retinas contained less than 15% of DA and DOPAC compared with Ctrl retinas, and the remaining DA had a significantly higher turnover, as indicated by DOPAC/DA ratios (Student's t-test, P < 0.05). Retina-specific THKO mice showed similar, yet more variable, responses to 6 weeks of FD compared with Ctrl mice. Conclusions Diminished retinal DA induced spontaneous myopia in mice raised under laboratory conditions without form deprivation. The relative myopic shift in rTHKO mice may be explained by steeper corneas, an unexpected finding. The chronic loss of DA did not significantly alter the FD myopia response in rTHKO mice.
The Microbiome in Neurogastroenterology

Gut microbes are essential to the normal development and function of the enteric nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. The simple microbiome of infancy gradually matures into a rich and diverse adult intestinal microbial ecosystem that supports the development of normal sensorimotor function. Microbial factors that modulate intestinal motility include secreted and intrinsic cell wall toxins, neurotransmitter and hormone analogs, short-chain fatty acids, and deconjugated bile acids. On the other hand, microbiome composition and function is affected by host factors including gastrointestinal transit time, physiologic stress, and diet. Gut microbes also activate neuronal pathways that transmit signals to the central nervous system that influence pain perception, stress response, and behavior. Adults and children with irritable bowel syndrome and other functional gastrointestinal disorders have altered gut microbial community composition, although it is not yet known whether these changes result from or contribute to pathology. Therapeutic trials of probiotics, prebiotics, antibiotics, or restriction of fermentable carbohydrates show promise to treat functional gastrointestinal disorders, although not enough evidence exists to recommend specific species, strains, or therapies for individual patients or disorders. As our knowledge regarding mechanisms of communication along the brain-gut-microbiome axis increases, the prospect of treating functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract by strategically manipulating the microbiome moves closer to reality.
Effect of postoperative radiotherapy on survival for surgically managed pT3N0 and pT4aN0 laryngeal cancer: Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Background The current study was conducted to determine the effect of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) on overall survival in patients with surgically managed pT3-T4aN0 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods A review of the National Cancer Data Base from 2004 through 2013 was performed. Patients with surgically managed pT3-4aN0 laryngeal SCC with negative surgical margins were included. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with survival. Results A total of 1460 patients were included, 46.2% of whom had pT3N0 disease (674 patients) and 53.8% of whom had pT4aN0 disease (786 patients). Approximately 72.0% of the patients with pT3N0 disease (485 patients) and 50.1% of the patients with pT4aN0 disease (394 patients) received PORT. PORT was not found to be associated with improved overall survival on univariable analysis for patients with pT3N0 disease (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.62-1.14), but was for patients with pT4aN0 disease (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.45-0.71). For patients with pT3N0 SCC of the larynx, in a multivariable Cox regression analysis adjusting for age >65 years, severity of comorbidities, larynx subsite, extent of laryngectomy, and number of lymph nodes removed, PORT was not found to be associated with improved survival (adjusted HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.64-1.21). For patients with pT4aN0 disease, the administration of PORT was associated with improved survival on multivariable analysis adjusting for age >65 years, severity of comorbidities, larynx subsite, number of lymph nodes removed, and type of hospital (adjusted HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.46-0.73). Conclusions For patients with surgically managed pT3N0 laryngeal SCC with negative margins, PORT does not appear to be associated with improved survival. Despite a survival benefit, nearly 50% of patients with pT4aN0 laryngeal SCC and negative surgical margins do not receive standard-of-care PORT. Cancer 2017;123:2248-2257. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Strategies for reducing particle defects in ALD TiN and RFPVD Ti processes

Generation of particle defects in semiconductor manufacturing is inevitable, but it has to be minimized for high IC yield. There are various causes for the generation of particle defects, depending upon semiconductor manufacturing processes. This work discusses various strategies, such as clean on go, idle paste, kit hardware selection that help to reduce the generation of defects in metal thin films processes, such as ALD TiN and RFPVD Ti. Using optimized periodic paste, ALD TiN particle failure rate was reduced from 20% to less than 5%. The median defect count was also reduced by half. It was also found that by implementing idle pasting, defect failure rate of RFPVD Ti processes can be reduced significantly. This work will also discuss hardware induced particle defect and solutions to reduce them.
The roles of stochasticity and biotic interactions in the spatial patterning of plant species in alpine communities

Questions Plant community composition can be influenced by multiple biotic, abiotic, and stochastic factors acting on the local species pool to determine their establishment success and abundance and subsequently the diversity of the community. We asked if the influences of biotic interactions on the composition of plant species in communities, as indicated by patterns of plant species spatial associations (independent, positive or negative), vary across a productivity gradient within a single ecosystem type. Do dominant species of communities show spatial patterning suggestive of competitive interactions with interspecific neighbors? Do species that span multiple community types exhibit the same heterospecific interactions with neighbours in each community? Location Three alpine communities in the southern Rocky Mountains. Methods We measured the occurrence of species in a 1-cm spatial grid within 2 m × 2 m plots to determine the spatial patterns of species pairs in the three communities. A null model of independent species spatial arrangements was used to determine whether species pairs were positively, negatively or independently associated, and how these patterns differed among the communities across the gradient of resource supply and environmental stress. Results Positive associations, indicative of facilitation between species, were most common in the most resource-poor and least productive community. However negative associations, suggestive of competitive interactions among species, were not more common in the two more resource-rich, productive communities. The dominant species of these communities did exhibit higher negative than positive associations with neighbours relative to positive patterning. Independent interspecific patterning was equally common relative to positive and negative patterns in all communities. Species that previously were shown to either facilitate other species or compete with neighbours exhibited spatial patterning consistent with the earlier experimental work. Conclusions A large number of species exhibit a lack of net biotic interactions, and stochastic factors appear to be as important as competition and facilitation in shaping the structure of the three alpine plant communities we studied.
P300 brain-computer interface: comparing faces to size matched non-face stimuli

Non-invasive brain–computer interface (BCI) technology can restore communication for those unable to communicate due to loss of muscle control. Nonetheless, compared to augmentative and alternative...
Investigating the Effect of System Reliability, Risk, and Role on Users' Emotions and Attitudes toward a Safety-Critical Drone System

ABSTRACTIn safety-critical systems, it is essential to communicate relevant information to facilitate decision-making, promote trust, and improve performance without overloading users. To explore the effect of system performance information on rational and emotional processing by users, we performed a between-subject experiment in which participants were asked to imagine themselves as a drone operator or system administrator in a high-, medium-, or low-risk scenario. Then, based on their imagined scenario and role, participants rated the relevance of four aspects of system reliability to decision-making with the system, as well as the expected intensity of the GREAT emotions. Results indicate that system performance information affected participants’ reasoning differently depending on risk level. Moreover, participants had different perspectives depending on their role in the system. Those in administrator roles indicated higher respect ratings for those with a similar role. These findings demonstrate tha...
Review of Hemophilia A and B and Perioperative Management in Dentistry

Hemophilia A (classic hemophilia) and hemophilia B (Christmas disease) are inherited disorders of coagulation that can produce life-threatening bleeding. Patients with hemophilia will require special management strategies in order to safely undergo dental treatment. Patient management is optimized when the dental professional has a basic understanding of how these diseases affect hemostasis, is familiar with medical/systemic treatment strategies available to the hematologist, and knows the principles of dental/local management of patients with bleeding risks. In order to help with these goals, this chapter reviews the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, patient evaluation, and basics of medical management of hemophilia. These reviews are presented with an emphasis given to the dental management of patients with hemophilia A and B.
Theoretical Basis for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment for children with disruptive behavior disorders and their parents. Given the versatility of PCIT and the high prevalence of disruptive behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recent evidence suggests potential benefits of using PCIT in children on the autism spectrum and their families. While applied behavior analysis (ABA) is often described as the gold standard treatment for children on the spectrum, PCIT shares many theoretical and conceptual similarities with ABA and other evidence-based treatments for ASD. This chapter highlights these overlapping elements and describes specific components of PCIT that may add to existing services for children with ASD. Although PCIT in its present form may not meet all the needs of children with ASD, it has some considerable strengths when compared to current treatments for autism. This chapter argues for the usefulness of PCIT as a gateway treatment prior to beginning a more intensive intervention and as an alternative intervention for those who may not have access to more intensive, ABA-based therapies. Limitations, caveats, and future directions are also addressed in this chapter.
New Measures of Vulnerability Within Supply Networks: A Comparison of Industries

Modern supply chains have become increasingly complex and interconnected, raising concerns as to the potential loss of system-wide resilience. One distinct element of supply chain risk is the potential for detrimental material to propagate through the supply chain undetected, eventually exposing unsuspecting consumers to defective products. In this chapter, based on methods inspired by epidemiology, we propose new measures for quantifying this risk. We then apply these measures to real-life supply networks from eight industries to compare their relative levels of risk across a 17-year time horizon. Our results indicate that while in aggregate supply chain risk has increased overtime, both the level and sources of risk differ markedly by industry.
Survival and clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer patients enrolled in phase I clinical trials.

5559Background: Ovarian cancer patients who enroll in Phase I clinical trials are typically platinum resistant, heavily pretreated patients with a poor prognosis. Historically, clinical benefit of ...
Sensing Creatures: Tools for Augmenting Our Sensory Awareness of Space

Architecture education has prioritized vision over the other senses and has been detached from the direct experience of space. To extend our sensory understanding of space, this paper proposes the use of computational tools for body-centered situated learning of space, and discusses precedents in sensory pedagogies and embodied learning. The paper demonstrates the pedagogical implications of the use of such tools by describing the method, procedure, and results of a narrative-based study that utilizes wearable devices in the role of “sensing creatures” limited to a particular sense. In the study, participants were asked to explore a physical space while being the host of a sensing creature. It was hypothesized that the sensing creatures can act as perceptual filters, allowing us to focus on each of our senses individually in order to expand our understanding of space. It was demonstrated that the sensing creatures augmented participants’ sensory awareness of space by engaging them in a sensory exploration, which, while stemming from the specific sense under study extended to the rest of the senses. The study suggests a new direction towards a sensory pedagogy of space based on the perceptual and psychological impact of wearable computational tools when used in the exploration of physical spaces.
LEI: A Novel Allele Frequency-Based Feature Selection Method for Multi-ancestry Admixed Populations

Next-generation sequencing technologies now make it possible to sequence and genotype hundreds of thousands of genetic markers across the human genome. Selection of informative markers for the comprehensive characterization of individual genomic makeup using a high dimensional genomics dataset has become a common practice in evolutionary biology and human genetics. Although several feature selection approaches exist to determine the ancestry proportion in two-way admixed populations including African Americans, there are limited statistical tools developed for the feature selection approaches in three-way admixed populations (including Latino populations). Herein, we present a new likelihood-based feature selection method called Lancaster Estimator of Independence (LEI) that utilizes allele frequency information to prioritize the most informative features useful to determine ancestry proportion from multiple ancestral populations in admixed individuals. The ability of LEI to leverage summary-level statistics from allele frequency data, thereby avoiding the many restrictions (and big data issues) that can accompany access to individual-level genotype data, is appealing to minimize the computation and time-consuming ancestry inference in an admixed population. We compared our allele-frequency based approach with genotype-based approach in estimating admixed proportions in three-way admixed population scenarios. Our results showed ancestry estimates using the top-ranked features from LEI were comparable with the estimates using features from genotype-based methods in three-way admixed population. We provide an easy-to-use R code to assist researchers in using the LEI tool to develop allele frequency-based informative features to conduct admixture mapping studies from mixed samples of multiple ancestry origin.
Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular mortality after prolonged androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.

11576Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plays a pivotal role in management of prostate cancer (PC), with prolonged ADT favored over short-term use in the definitive treatment of high ri...
Changes in Hemodynamic Response Function Resulting From Chronic Alcohol Consumption

Background Functional MRI (fMRI) task-related analyses rely on an estimate of the brain's hemodynamic response function (HRF) to model the brain's response to events. Although changes in the HRF have been found after acute alcohol administration, the effects of heavy chronic alcohol consumption on the HRF have not been explored, and the potential benefits or pitfalls of estimating each individual's HRF on fMRI analyses of chronic alcohol use disorder (AUD) are not known. Methods Participants with AUD and controls (CTL) received structural, functional, and vascular scans. During fMRI, participants were cued to tap their fingers, and averaged responses were extracted from the motor cortex. Curve fitting on these HRFs modeled them as a difference between 2 gamma distributions, and the temporal occurrence of the main peak and undershoot of the HRF was computed from the mean of the first and second gamma distributions, respectively. Results ANOVA and regression analyses found that the timing of the HRF undershoot increased significantly as a function of total lifetime drinking. Although gray matter volume in the motor cortex decreased with lifetime drinking, this was not sufficient to explain undershoot timing shifts, and vascular factors measured in the motor cortex did not differ among groups. Comparison of random-effects analyses using custom-fitted and canonical HRFs for CTL and AUD groups showed better results throughout the brain for custom-fitted versus canonical HRFs for CTL subjects. For AUD subjects, the same was true except for the basal ganglia. Conclusions These findings suggest that excessive alcohol consumption is associated with changes in the HRF undershoot. HRF changes could provide a possible biomarker for the effects of lifetime drinking on brain function. Changes in HRF topography affect fMRI activation measures, and subject-specific HRFs generally improve fMRI activation results.
Physical mechanisms for soil moisture effects on microbial carbon-use efficiency in a sandy loam soil in the western United States

Abstract Microbial carbon-use efficiency (CUE) is defined as the portion of carbon (C) incorporated into biomass relative to the total carbon consumed and plays a pivotal role in regulating microbially-mediated C and nutrient transformations in soil. However, little is understood about how CUE is impacted by edaphic properties, like soil moisture. Soil moisture physically regulates microbial activity through its effects on both water potential and water content. Low water potential can result in high, compensatory intracellular solute concentrations that may inhibit biochemical functions through cytoplasmic desiccation, whereas low soil water content results in thin water films that can limit substrate diffusion, reducing microbial access to dissolved substrates. Because these two aspects of soil moisture may affect microbial respiration differently than C assimilation, they may have different effects on CUE. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relative importance of water potential and water content in regulating CUE of soil microbial communities. Moist soil incubations of a sandy loam soil were used to determine the impact of both aspects of soil moisture on CUE, and soil slurries were used to determine the impact of water potential alone. Both 13C-acetate and 15N-ammonium were added to moist soils and slurries to quantify gross rates of C and N transformations. In moist soils, acetate assimilation and respiration rates and gross N mineralization and immobilization rates increased exponentially with increasing soil moisture (−3.0 to −0.03 MPa). In contrast, acetate assimilation and respiration and gross N transformation rates remained constant in soil slurries across a similar water potential gradient, created by modifying solute concentrations. Similarly, values of CUE in moist soils increased exponentially with increasing soil moisture, whereas slurry values of CUE remained constant across the soil water potential gradient. Because no changes in rates and CUE were observed in slurries, changes observed in moist soils were attributed to limited substrate diffusion associated with low water contents rather than to adverse physiological effects associated with low water potentials. Results of this study demonstrate that limited substrate diffusion is the primary physical mechanism through which soil moisture regulates microbially-mediated C and N transformation rates and CUE in this sandy loam soil.
Is It Time for Precision Dialysis

In 2015, President Obama announced funding for precision medicine to augment personalized medicine, which has been described as “the right treatment for the right patient in the right place at the right time.” Patients with ESKD experience high symptom burden and mortality, necessitating more
Dark matter interferometry

Author(s): Foster, JW; Kahn, Y; Nguyen, R; Rodd, NL; Safdi, BR | Abstract: The next generation of ultralight dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments, which could confirm sub-eV bosons as the dominant source of DM, will feature multiple detectors operating at various terrestrial locations. As a result of the wavelike nature of ultralight DM, spatially separated detectors will each measure a unique DM phase. When the separation between experiments is comparable to the DM coherence length, the spatially varying phase contains information beyond that which is accessible at a single detector. We introduce a formalism to extract this information, which performs interferometry directly on the DM wave. In particular, we develop a likelihood-based framework that combines data from multiple experiments to constrain directional information about the DM phase space distribution. We show that the signal in multiple detectors is subject to a daily modulation effect unique to wavelike DM. Leveraging daily modulation, we illustrate that within days of an initial discovery multiple detectors acting in unison could localize directional parameters of the DM velocity distribution such as the direction of the solar velocity to subdegree accuracy, or the direction of a putative cold DM stream to the subarcminute level. We outline how to optimize the locations of multiple detectors with either resonant cavity (such as ADMX or HAYSTAC) or quasistatic (such as ABRACADABRA or DM-Radio) readouts to have maximal sensitivity to the full three-dimensional DM velocity distribution.
Genetic Analysis of Methyl Anthranilate, Mesifurane, Linalool and Other Flavor Compounds in Cultivated Strawberry (Fragaria xananassa)

ABSTRACT The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) is an economically important fruit crop that is intensively bred for improved sensory qualities. The diversity of fruit flavors and aromas in strawberry result mainly from the interactions of sugars, acids, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are derived from diverse biochemical pathways influenced by the expression of many genes. This study integrates multi-omics analyses to identify QTL and candidate genes for multiple aroma compounds in a complex strawberry breeding population. Novel fruit volatile QTL were discovered for methyl anthranilate, methyl 2-hexenoate, methyl 2-methylbutyrate, mesifurane, and a shared QTL on Chr 3 was found for nine monoterpene and sesquiterpene compounds, including linalool, 3-carene, β-phellandrene, α-limonene, linalool oxide, nerolidol, α-caryophellene, α-farnesene, and β-farnesene. Fruit transcriptomes from a subset of sixty-four individuals were used to support candidate gene identification. For methyl esters including the grape-like methyl anthranilate, a novel ANTHANILIC ACID METHYL TRANSFERASE–like gene was identified. Two mesifurane QTL correspond with the known biosynthesis gene O-METHYL TRANSFERASE 1 and a novel FURANEOL GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASE. The shared terpene QTL contains multiple fruit-expressed terpenoid pathway-related genes including NEROLIDOL SYNTHASE 1 (FanNES1). The abundance of linalool and other monoterpenes is partially governed by a co-segregating expression-QTL (eQTL) for FanNES1 transcript variation, and there is additional evidence for quantitative effects from other terpenoid-pathway genes in this narrow genomic region. These QTL present new opportunities in breeding for improved flavor in commercial strawberry.
The Role of the Palliative Care Team in Keeping Pediatric Oncology Patients at Home

Compared with cancer in the adult patient population, pediatric cancer is rare. Children with cancer and their families tremendously suffer physically, psychosocially, and even spiritually. They also have unique needs and obstacles. The interdisciplinary palliative care team can support them through this journey, whether it ends in cure or unfortunately death. The resources offered by the palliative care team can allow these patients to remain at home when they might not have been able to do so otherwise.
The Factor Content of Bilateral Trade: An Empirical Test

The factor proportions model of international trade is one of the most influential theories in international economics. Its central standing in this field has appropriately prompted, particularly recently, intense empirical scrutiny. A substantial and growing body of empirical work has tested the predictions of the theory on the net factor content of a country's trade with the rest of the world, usually under the maintained assumptions of factor price equalization and identical homothetic preferences across trading countries (or under quite specific relaxations of these assumptions). In contrast, this paper uses OECD production and trade data to test the restrictions (derived by Helpman) on the factor content of trade flows that hold even under nonequalization of factor prices and in the absence of any assumptions regarding consumer preferences. In a further contrast with most of the existing literature, which has focused on the factor content of a country's multilateral trade, our tests concern bilateral trade flows, thereby enabling the examination of trade flows between only a subset of countries for which quality data (relatively speaking) are available. We find that restrictions implied by the theory cannot be rejected for the vast majority of country pairs considered in our analysis.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PATIENTS’ RECOMMENDATION OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS: AN ANALYSIS OF A POPULAR ONLINE RATING WEBSITE:

Background:In the modern digital age, patients are increasingly consulting online physician reviews prior to making healthcare decisions. Physician review websites are being used in many medical fi...
Hyperbolic Saturation

Several hyperbolically saturating empirical models, such as the Michaelis–Menten rate equation, Monod’s relative population growth rate, competitive inhibition, and Langmuir’s adsorption, are rederived from a simple queuing relation. The resulting derivations reveal and potentially explain the underlying structure and meaning of such empirical models. This view is proposed as a unifying heuristic.
The Impact of Donor Liver Fibrosis on Early Allograft Dysfunction and Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

We read with great interest the article by Hirao et al.[1] On the basis of the correlations of Sirius red-positive area (SRA) and the BARD score, with increased ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and early allograft dysfunction (EAD) in liver transplantation (LT) recipients, the authors concluded that the evaluation of donor liver fibrosis may help refine donor-recipient matching in LT. Although the authors should be congratulated on their substantial effort, we believe that several points warrant emphasis in order to interpret the authors' work in the proper context.
What Are the Relationships between Psychosocial Community Characteristics and Dietary Behaviors in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Urban Population in Los Angeles County?

To address existing gaps in public health practice, we used data from a 2014 internet panel survey of 954 Los Angeles County adults to investigate the relationships between psychosocial community characteristics (PCCs) and two key chronic disease-related dietary behaviors: fruit and vegetable (F+V) and soda consumption. Negative binomial regression models estimated the associations between ‘neighborhood risks and resources’ and ‘sense of community’ factors for each dietary outcome of interest. While high perceived neighborhood violence (p < 0.001) and perceived community-level collective efficacy (p < 0.001) were associated with higher F+V consumption, no PCCs were directly associated with soda consumption overall. However, moderation analyses by race/ethnicity showed a more varied pattern. High perceived violence was associated with lower F+V consumption among White and Asian/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (ANHOPI) groups (p < 0.01). Inadequate park access and walking as the primary mode of transportation to the grocery store were associated with higher soda consumption among the ANHOPI group only (p < 0.05). Study findings suggest that current and future chronic disease prevention efforts should consider how social and psychological dynamics of communities influence dietary behaviors, especially among racially/ethnically diverse groups in urban settings. Intervention design and implementation planning could benefit from and be optimized based on these considerations.
Digital design and fabrication

Fabrication and Technology. Memory and Storage. Design Techniques. Design for Low Power. Testing and Design for Testability.
The role of margin in link design and optimization

Link analysis is a system engineering process in the design, development, and operation of communication systems and networks. Link models that are mathematical abstractions representing the useful signal power and the undesirable noise and attenuation effects (including weather effects if the signal path transverses through the atmosphere) that are integrated into the link budget calculation that provides the estimates of signal power and noise power at the receiver. Then the link margin is applied which attempts to counteract the fluctuations of the signal and noise power to ensure reliable data delivery from transmitter to receiver. (Link margin is dictated by the link margin policy or requirements.)
Steroid pulse therapy for Kawasaki disease unresponsive to additional immunoglobulin therapy

Kawasaki disease (KD), the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed nations, is an acute systemic vasculitis of childhood, primarily affecting the coronary arteries. Approximately 10% to 20% of patients do not become afebrile after standard therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and oral acetylsalicylic acid, and are at an increased risk for the development of coronary artery lesions (CAL) (1–6). Such patients generally receive additional treatment with IVIG (1–5), which may prevent CAL if administered promptly (6); however, not all patients respond. Other treatment options, including corticosteroids, cyclosporine, plasma exchange and infliximab, have been reported to be effective in some cases (1–5,7). Although corticosteroids are widely used, the indications and dosage for patients with KD remain controversial. Some physicians avoid corticosteroids because of the potential risk of exacerbating CAL, but no study, including the classical work by Kato et al (8), has demonstrated a significant relationship between the use of corticosteroids and CAL. Intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) therapy rapidly resolves fever associated with refractory KD and is, thus, expected to prevent CAL. In small, open-label, randomized controlled studies performed by us (9) and Hashino et al (10), the prevalence of CAL was similar in patients with KD unresponsive to initial IVIG therapy who received IVMP and patients who received additional IVIG. In our study, IVMP induced faster resolution of fever, but caused more adverse effects, such as bradycardia, than did additional IVIG; however, the total antipyretic potency of these treatments was similar because fever recurred after the completion of IVMP therapy (9). In a double-blind, randomized controlled study, Newburger et al (11) reported that the addition of a single dose of IVMP to initial IVIG did not reduce the prevalence of CAL or the total length of the hospital stay; nonetheless, the initial period of hospitalization was shorter for all patients with KD who received IVMP, and the prevalence of CAL was significantly lower in patients unresponsive to IVIG who received IVMP, compared with patients who received placebo. These findings may reflect the prompt and short antipyretic activity of IVMP, and suggest that IVMP may prevent CAL in patients with severe KD. During the past five years, we treated KD patients who were unresponsive to additional IVIG with IVMP followed by oral prednisolone to prevent recurrent fever. We now report the extremely low prevalence of CAL among the approximately 400 patients with KD managed using this treatment regimen.
Cognitive Maps for Planetary Rovers

This essay explores the problem of providing both autonomy and safety for a planetary rover too far away for continuous teleoperated control. Evidence from animal and human spatial behavior suggests useful characteristics for the sensory system and cognitive map of a planetary rover. I then sketch a design for a mixed-initiative exploration strategy for a semi-intelligent rover with a remote human operator, and describe some questions to be resolved by further research.
The Art of Advocacy: The Thrill and Excitement of Impeachment by Contradiction

Impeachment by contradiction is a valuable part of an attorney’s advocacy arsenal that, when used effectively, can devastate the credibility of a witness. This is particularly true because the Military Rules of Evidence and the Federal Rules of Evidence allow impeachment by contradiction to be carried out through cross examination or by introducing extrinsic evidence, a combination that can prove deadly to witness credibility. This article discusses the legal basis for the common law rule of impeachment by contradiction, its relation to the rules of evidence, and how to properly set up such impeachment. The author provides a hypothetical that proves helpful to trial attorneys that want to learn what to listen for and how to prepare for impeachment by contradiction.