cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organic contaminants in Great Lakes tributaries: Prevalence and potential aquatic toxicity.

Organic compounds used in agriculture, industry, and households make their way into surface waters through runoff, leaking septic-conveyance systems, regulated and unregulated discharges, and combined sewer overflows, among other sources. Concentrations of these organic waste compounds (OWCs) in some Great Lakes tributaries indicate a high potential for adverse impacts on aquatic organisms. During 2010-13, 709 water samples were collected at 57 tributaries, together representing approximately 41% of the total inflow to the lakes. Samples were collected during runoff and low-flow conditions and analyzed for 69 OWCs, including herbicides, insecticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, plasticizers, antioxidants, detergent metabolites, fire retardants, non-prescription human drugs, flavors/fragrances, and dyes. Urban-related land cover characteristics were the most important explanatory variables of concentrations of many OWCs. Compared to samples from nonurban watersheds ( 15% urban land cover) had nearly four times the number of detected compounds and four times the total sample concentration, on average. Concentration differences between runoff and low-flow conditions were not observed, but seasonal differences were observed in atrazine, metolachlor, DEET, and HHCB concentrations. Water quality benchmarks for individual OWCs were exceeded at 20 sites, and at 7 sites benchmarks were exceeded by a factor of 10 or more. The compounds with the most frequent water quality benchmark exceedances were the PAHs benzo[a]pyrene, pyrene, fluoranthene, and anthracene, the detergent metabolite 4-nonylphenol, and the herbicide atrazine. Computed estradiol equivalency quotients (EEQs) using only nonsteroidal endocrine-active compounds indicated medium to high risk of estrogenic effects (intersex or vitellogenin induction) at 10 sites. EEQs at 3 sites were comparable to values reported in effluent. This multifaceted study is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of the occurrence and potential effects of OWCs in the Great Lakes Basin to date.
Effects of Ouabain on Impaired Left Ventricular Function in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract The effects of intravenous ouabain were assessed in 16 patients with a recent acute myocardial infarction. The mean ± S.E.M. of the values, before and one hour after ouabain, were as follows: left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, 24.8 ± 2.1 and 16.1 ± 2.5 mm Hg; left ventricular stroke work, 65.8 ± 9.5 and 80.9 ± 14.3 g-m per beat; peak first derivative of left ventricular pressure, 1798 ± 150, and 2081 ± 150 mm Hg per second; maximum velocity of contractile element shortening, 1.20 ± 0.04 and 1.41 ± 0.06 muscle lengths per second; and pre-ejection period corrected for heart rate, 135.0 ± 5.0, and 128.8 ± 3.6 msec. These changes were significant (p less than 0.05 for paired determinations). There were no significant changes in cardiac index, heart rate and mean arterial pressure. Although ouabain does not change cardiac output in patients with acute myocardial infarction, it causes significant improvement in other indexes of left ventricular performance.
Phase Separation of β-SN in Strained, Compositionally Metastable Ge1-xSnx Alloys

Using rf sputtering and post-deposition annealing in a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), we manufactured bulk (4000 nm) films of crystalline Ge 0.83 Sn 0.17 . This Sn concentration is much greater than the solid solubility limit of Sn in Ge (x ≤ 0.01). Continued annealing thermally induces Sn phase separation from the alloy, limiting the ultimate attainable grain size in the metastable crystals. We examine, here, the mechanisms and kinetics of the processes limiting the size of the Ge 0.83 Sn 0 . 17 polycrystals. From a combination of DSC, electron microprobe, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, we propose phase transformation mechanisms corresponding to crystallization of amorphous Ge 0.83 Sn 0.17 , crystallization of an as-yet unidentified phase of Sn, and phase separation of Sn from the Ge 1-x Sn x crystals. We were unable to observe the unidentified phase of Sn in XRD, but the phase must be present in the material to account for the quantitative discrepancies (as much as 8 at.%) in Sn percentages determined from each of the DSC, XRD, and electron microprobe measurements. Our models for the various transformation kinetics were corroborated by the subsequent phase-separated Sn melting behavior observed in the DSC: two Sn melting endotherms, one of which was 20–100°C lower than the bulk melting temperature of Sn. This depressed temperature endotherm we speculate represents liquefaction of nanometer-sized (β–Sn clusters.
Another Kind of Love in Education: Whatever Love

Educational theorists ranging from Plato, to Freire, to bell hooks, to Peter McLaren have theorized love as an essential factor in education. Whereas, typically, a particular kind of love (erotic love, caring love, etc.) is argued to be especially relevant for educational practice, what we do in this paper is to look at kinds of love that are constitutive for the relationship between teacher and student. Specifically, we outline four types of love that one might find in a classroom. We argue that from the perspective of Italian critical theorist Giorgio Agamben, the first three are problematic as they are not attentive to the potentiality of students to be whatever, and thus sacrifice potentiality of the child as such in the name of what must be or what is. The fourth type of love, on the other hand, embraces the potentiality of the child as a pure means rather than a means to another end. We further argue that there is an educational practice, what we are calling “Philosophy for Infancy” (P4I), that enables us to love our students’ potentiality. In contrast to Philosophy for Children, P4I exposes children to their potentiality rather than orienting specific potentialities towards determined outcomes. As such, P4I has its own, distinctive take on love in the classroom that differentiates it from other forms of love. It is our intention to develop this theory of love.
Is the Tail Wagging the Dog? What is the Risk of Catastrophic Terrorism?

This paper models the stochastic behavior of large-scale terrorist events using extreme value methods. We utilize a unique dataset composed of roughly 24,000 observations. These data provide a rich description of domestic and international terrorism between 1968 and 2005. Currently a credible worst-case scenario involves the loss of between 5,000 and 10,000 lives. However, the return time for events of this magnitude is shortening every year. Today the primary threat is from conventional weapons rather than from chemical, biological and/or radionuclear (CBRN) weapons. However, pronounced tails in the distribution of CBRN incidents suggests that this threat cannot be dismissed.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc proteins in normal CD34+ progenitor cells and leukemic cells.

To the Editor: After the Shc gene was identified, biological function studies have focused on the oncogenic potentials of Shc proteins, especially their role in the Ras-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.[1][1] [2][2] Jucker et al[3][3] reported in Blood that Shc proteins are
Spintronics and Security: Prospects, Vulnerabilities, Attack Models, and Preventions

The experimental demonstration of current-driven spin-transfer torque (STT) for switching magnets and push domain walls (DWs) in magnetic nanowires have opened up new avenues for spintronic computations. These devices have shown great promise for logic and memory applications due to superior energy efficiency and nonvolatility. It has been noted that the nonlinear dynamics of DWs in the physical magnetic system is an untapped source of entropy that can be leveraged for hardware security. The inherent noise, spatial, and temporal randomness in the magnetic system can be employed in conjunction with microscopic and macroscopic properties to realize novel hardware security primitives. Due to simplicity of integration, the spintronic circuits can be an add-on to the silicon substrate to complement the existing CMOS-based security and trust infrastructures. This paper investigates the prospects of spintronics in hardware security by exploring the security-specific properties and novel security primitives realized using spintronic building blocks. As spintronic elements enter the mainstream computing platforms, they are exposed to emerging attacks that were infeasible before. This paper covers the security vulnerabilities, security and privacy attack models, and possible countermeasures to enable safe computing environment using spintronics.
Toward a Mechanistic Understanding of Epileptic Networks

Focal epileptic seizures have long been considered to arise from a small susceptible brain area and spread through uninvolved regions. In the past decade, the idea that focal seizures instead arise from coordinated activity across large-scale epileptic networks has become widely accepted. Understanding the network model’s applicability is critical, due to its increasing influence on clinical research and surgical treatment paradigms. In this review, we examine the origins of the concept of epileptic networks as the nidus for recurring seizures. We summarize analytical and methodological elements of epileptic network studies and discuss findings from recent detailed electrophysiological investigations. Our review highlights the strengths and limitations of the epileptic network theory as a metaphor for the complex interactions that occur during seizures. We present lines of investigation that may usefully probe these interactions and thus serve to advance our understanding of the long-range effects of epileptiform activity.
Adaptations of the Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis to Long Distance Migration: Energy Stores and Substrate Concentrations in Plasma

-The major body components (water, lean dry, and fat) were measured in the carcasses of Gray Catbirds from which the flight muscles had been removed. Birds were collected from May through October near Ann Arbor, Michigan and during September and October near Gainesville, Florida. Additionally, the glycogen content of muscle and liver and the concentrations of glucose and triglycerides in plasma were determined in catbirds sampled during fall migration in Florida. Catbirds attained maximum body masses of -50 g in Florida, largely due to the addition of fat. Relatively lean birds (-3-4% body fat) in spring through fall weighed approximately 35 g. Thirteen percent of the birds sampled were estimated to have had sufficient reserves of fat to cross the Gulf of Mexico, although a larger proportion of the population probably makes this crossing. The lean dry mass of the carcass (without the flight muscles) is related significantly to structural body size and time of day, but is not related to molt, sex, or carcass fat content. Plasma glucose and triglycerides in free-living fall migrants do not vary diurnally. Liver glycogen, however, is four times higher in the evening than in the morning (77 and 19 mg/g, respectively), and muscle glycogen is five times higher in the evening (20 and 4 mg/g, respectively). Evening concentrations of glycogen are among the highest values reported for birds and do not confirm the reduction in glycogen reported for some other migrants. Received 16 February 1982, accepted 30 June
Reversible vector ratchets for skyrmion systems

We show that ac driven skyrmions interacting with an asymmetric substrate provide a realization of a class of ratchet system which we call a vector ratchet that arises due to the effect of the Magnus term on the skyrmion dynamics. In a vector ratchet, the dc motion induced by the ac drive can be described as a vector that can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the substrate asymmetry direction. Up to a full ${360}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ rotation is possible for varied ac amplitudes or skyrmion densities. In contrast to overdamped systems, in which ratchet motion is always parallel to the substrate asymmetry direction, vector ratchets allow the ratchet motion to be in any direction relative to the substrate asymmetry. It is also possible to obtain a reversal in the direction of rotation of the vector ratchet, permitting the creation of a reversible vector ratchet. We examine vector ratchets for ac drives applied parallel or perpendicular to the substrate asymmetry direction, and show that reverse ratchet motion can be produced by collective effects. No reversals occur for an isolated skyrmion on an asymmetric substrate. Since a vector ratchet can produce motion in any direction, it could represent a method for controlling skyrmion motion for spintronic applications.
Bacterial quorum sensing for coordination of targeted malware

Bacterial Quorum Sensing is a process that bacteria use to determine their local population density. Based on this determination, individual bacterial cells may alter their survival strategies to those strategies which benefit the cell the most [1, 5, 12]. For example, bacteria utilize quorum sensing to determine if the cell would benefit more from either asocial or social strategies. Alone, a single cell is vulnerable, but in a community they represent a threat capable of overwhelming a host's immune system. Most importantly, most quorum sensing approaches use commonly-encountered chemicals for sensing; due to their ubiquity, these quorum signals do not become useful for determining if an object is a bacterium; rather, they speak to the local population density. Similarly, malware has demonstrated a variety of techniques to communicate and to evade detection, and like bacteria, survival strategies can also depend on population density. As such, malware could utilize the bacterial quorum sensing system as a method of communication which has the potential to allow targeted malware to communicate and coordinate activities. Furthermore, inspired by bacterial quorum sensing, malware could use signals that are already common in the computing environment in a way that does not provide actionable remediation intelligence to network defenders. Thus, the use of a bacterial quorum sensing mechanism instead of another distributed algorithm allows the malware to leverage self-organizing properties that are based to the number of infected hosts on a network without exposing individually infected hosts to targeted remediation. This paper demonstrates and implements a digital version of the quorum sensing system through a timing covert channel [9], and uses statistical tests to determine if a signal is present. We argue that just as for bacteria, the digital quorum sensing signal is not useful for determining if a particular host is infected; as such, it is an attractive choice for malware authors.
Papillary Muscle Arrhythmias: To Freeze or to Burn, That Is the Question.

Technological advances during the past decade have significantly enhanced our ability to successfully map and ablate ventricular arrhythmias in patients with a structurally normal heart, as well as various forms of underlying cardiac disease. Increased recognition of the deleterious effects of ventricular arrhythmias, such as the potential of frequent premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) to induce cardiomyopathy, has increased indications for ablation. Successful outcomes of catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias are subject to many potential challenges and reported with variable rates of success. See Article by Rivera et al Patient selection for ablation of ventricular arrhythmias should reflect symptom severity, effect of the ventricular arrhythmia on underlying cardiac substrate, effectiveness and side effects of medical therapy, and expected safety and efficacy of ablation. Challenges to a successful ablation include lack of inducibility of the arrhythmia, inability to effectively access the ablation target (ie, intramural or epicardial location), and risk of collateral damage with ablation (ie, the coronary arteries or the conduction system). The papillary muscles create a unique challenge by presenting a target on a mobile and intracavitary structure. In a recent large-scale multicenter outcomes analysis of ablation of idiopathic PVCs, the significant predictors of procedure failure included number of PVC morphologies and PVC location. Epicardial and papillary muscle sites of origin represented the locations with lowest acute procedural success (67% and 80%, respectively). At follow-up, patients with papillary muscle PVCs had among the highest recurrence rate with only 60% of patients maintaining a successful outcome of 80% reduction in PVC burden without the use of …
OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY AFTER PHOTOCOAGULATION OF TYPE 2 NEOVASCULARIZATION.

PURPOSE To illustrate errors in the automated segmentation image analysis of optical coherence tomography angiography after laser photocoagulation therapy for Type 2 neovascularization. METHODS This case report describes a patient with extrafoveal Type 2 neovascularization treated with argon laser photocoagulation evaluated before and after treatment by optical coherence tomography angiography. RESULTS Disrupted retinal layers after laser photocoagulation therapy lead to segmentation errors. CONCLUSION Images of optical coherence tomography angiography are prone to degradation by artifacts in cases in which there is disruption of the retinal layers. Clinicians must be aware of these errors because they can be misinterpreted as active Type 2 neovascularization. Improvement in optical coherence tomography angiography image analysis to minimize automated segmentation errors needs to be further explored.
An Augmented Reality-Based Approach for Surgical Telementoring in Austere Environments

Telementoring can improve treatment of combat trauma injuries by connecting remote experienced surgeons with local less-experienced surgeons in an austere environment. Current surgical telementoring systems force the local surgeon to regularly shift focus away from the operating field to receive expert guidance, which can lead to surgery delays or even errors. The System for Telementoring with Augmented Reality (STAR) integrates expert-created annotations directly into the local surgeon's field of view. The local surgeon views the operating field by looking at a tablet display suspended between the patient and the surgeon that captures video of the surgical field. The remote surgeon remotely adds graphical annotations to the video. The annotations are sent back and displayed to the local surgeon while being automatically anchored to the operating field elements they describe. A technical evaluation demonstrates that STAR robustly anchors annotations despite tablet repositioning and occlusions. In a user study, participants used either STAR or a conventional telementoring system to precisely mark locations on a surgical simulator under a remote surgeon's guidance. Participants who used STAR completed the task with fewer focus shifts and with greater accuracy. The STAR reduces the local surgeon's need to shift attention during surgery, allowing him or her to continuously work while looking "through" the tablet screen.
A testing and demonstration mission for an automated spacecraft repair system

Most spacecraft will encounter an error at some point in their flight and that error needs to be addressed for the spacecraft to function as it was originally intended. The goal of this paper is to create a possible system capable of detecting errors and fixing them. To do this, the system must first detect the errors. On-board software will detect the logical faults stemming from errors in the electrical components, and imaging will be able to detect the physical faults. The system will have a memory of many possible errors and how to fix them so that when it detects an error, it can repair the problem using the knowledge pre-programmed into it. During the repair, the system will have sensors to find and repair the fault.
Review of Daniel Colucciello Barber, On Diaspora: Christianity, Religion, and Secularity

The growing influence of the late French philosopher Gilles Deleuze in Christian theology is nowhere more apparent than in this impressive work by Daniel Colucciello Barber. Here diaspora is explored not as a sociological phenomenon but as a concept, a composition of thought that reveals the differential nature of the origins of Christianity and its others, religion and secularism. What seems to be at stake in the concept of diaspora, for Barber, is its ability to destabilize the logic of domination that has been identified with much of the history of Christianity, and which arguably carries over into secularism as it is historically conceived. According to Barber’s view of the gospels, the Christian declaration—understood as the injunction to love one’s enemies and imitate divine perfection—provides a liberatory opening out of this logic of dominion and into the construction of new possibilities of human relatedness. How is it, then, that Christianity has historically been allied with domination and, as such, can be seen to have failed to enact its own declaration? Barber explicitly refuses the temptation to invoke this failure as either the basis for a rejection of Christianity or a rescue of Christianity through a return to the originary purity of its declaration. Rather, he invites us to think the conditions that allow us to contrast declaration with history. To do this, he suggests, is to think Christianity through the paradigm of a Deleuzian-Spinozist immanence, diasporically, that is, as a ‘serially produced fiction [or “fabulation”], one that can never be traced back to its origin, one that can only be produced again and again’ (34). Historically, Christianity has denied the political nature of its declaration in favor of an affirmation of being or of transcendence; the antagonism toward the world as it is lived is expressed not politically, but ontologically. To approach the Christian declaration through the paradigm of immanence, however, is to acknowledge that the gospel has no transcendent referent. Rather, Christian declaration is problematic in form; it problematizes that to which it is antagonistic (i.e., the world) without positioning itself as being opposed to the world. SOPHIA (2014) 53:413–415 DOI 10.1007/s11841-014-0443-z
Management of Innovation, Equity Carve-Outs, and Negative Stub Values under Heterogeneous Beliefs

We develop a theory of the management of innovation and equity carve-outs under heterogeneous beliefs among investors in the equity market. We consider a setting where an employee of a firm generates an idea for a new project (“innovation”) which can be financed either by issuing equity against the future cash flows of the entire firm, i.e., both assets in place and the new project (“integration”), or by undertaking an equity carve-out of the new project (“non-integration”). The patent underlying the new project is owned by the firm. However, the employee generating the idea needs to be motivated to exert optimal effort for the project to be successful. The most important ingredient driving the firm's choice between integration and non-integration is heterogeneity in beliefs among outside investors (each of whom has limited wealth to invest in the equity market) and between firm insiders and outsiders. If outsider beliefs are such that the marginal outsider financing the innovation is more optimistic about the prospects of the new project than firm insiders, and this incremental optimism of the marginal outsider over firm insiders is greater regarding the new project than about the firm’s assets in place, then the firm will implement the project under non-integration rather than integration. Two other ingredients driving the choice between integration and non-integration are the cost of motivating the employee to exert optimal effort for project implementation, and the synergy between the new project and the firm's assets in place, which is eliminated under non-integration. We derive a number of testable predictions regarding a firm's equilibrium choice between integration and non-integration. We also provide a rationale for the “negative stub values” documented in the equity carve-outs of certain firms (e.g., the carve-out of Palm from 3Com) and develop predictions for the magnitude of these stub values.
Diabetes and the Pancreatobiliary Diseases.

Purpose of Review The emphasis of this review article is to bring to the forefront the spectrum of pancreatobiliary disorders and their association with diabetes. We hope to systematically discuss the link between diabetes and disorders of the pancreas including acute and chronic pancreatitis, as well as pancreatic cancer. We also hope to review and highlight the literature with respect to other cancers of the biliary tree including gallbladder and cholangiocarcinoma. Lastly, we discuss diabetes and biliary dyskinesia.
Diamonds in the Rough: Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning in Facebook Pollshare.com Comments:

This article studies the argumentative content of online comments posted in response to the Pollshare.com survey, “How satisfied are you with Trump as President?” Positioned within the body of rese...
Chemical stability and reaction kinetics of two thiamine salts (thiamine mononitrate and thiamine chloride hydrochloride) in solution.

Abstract Two types of thiamine (vitamin B1) salts, thiamine mononitrate (TMN) and thiamine chloride hydrochloride (TClHCl), are used to enrich and fortify food products. Both of these thiamine salt forms are sensitive to heat, alkali, oxygen, and radiation, but differences in stability between them have been noted. It was hypothesized that stability differences between the two thiamine salts could be explained by differences in solubility, solution pH, and activation energies for degradation. This study directly compared the stabilities of TMN and TClHCl in solution over time by documenting the impact of concentration and storage temperature on thiamine degradation and calculating reaction kinetics. Solutions were prepared containing five concentrations of each thiamine salt (1, 5, 10, 20, and 27 mg/mL), and three additional concentrations of TClHCl: 100, 300, and 500 mg/mL. Samples were stored at 25, 40, 60, 70, and 80 °C for up to 6 months. Degradation was quantified over time by high-performance liquid chromatography, and percent thiamine remaining was used to calculate reaction kinetics. First-order reaction kinetics were found for both TMN and TClHCl. TMN degraded significantly faster than TClHCl at all concentrations and temperatures. For example, in 27 mg/mL solutions after 5 days at 80 °C, only 32% of TMN remained compared to 94% of TClHCl. Activation energies and solution pHs were 21–25 kcal/mol and pH 5.36–6.96 for TMN and 21–32 kcal/mol and pH 1.12–3.59 for TClHCl. TClHCl degradation products had much greater sensory contributions than TMN degradation products, including intense color change and potent aromas, even with considerably less measured vitamin loss. Different peak patterns were present in HPLC chromatograms between TMN and TClHCl, indicating different degradation pathways and products. The stability of essential vitamins in foods is important, even more so when degradation contributes to sensory changes, and this study provides a direct comparison of the stability of the two thiamine salts used to fortify foods in environments relevant to the processing and shelf-life of many foods.
Interventions Promoting Educators’ Use of Data: Research Insights and Gaps:

Background/ContextIn recent years, states, districts, schools, and external partners have recognized the need to proactively foster the use of data to guide educational decision-making and practice...
What is the risk of diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography before cholecystectomy

Many surgeons prefer to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) before cholecystectomy, specifically in patients at significant risk of having biliary pathology. However, a preoperative diagnostic ERCP, without the use of an endoscopic ultrasound or magnetic retrograde cholangiopancreatoscopy, remains controversial. This is the result of the risk of either performing an unnecessary procedure and/or the development of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). We performed a retrospective review of all surgeon-performed ERCPs at our institution between July 2011 and May 2013. This was done to examine patients who had pericholecystectomy ERCP. We had 550 ERCPs performed at our institution during this time period, 169 of which were pericholecystectomy procedures. We divided the 169 patients who had a diagnostic procedure (Diagnostic group) from those who had known biliary pathology before intervention (Therapeutic group). As a result, 34 patients (20.1%) were placed in the Diagnostic group and 135 patients (79.9%) in the Therapeutic group. Of the 34 Diagnostic patients, four (11.8%) developed PEP. Fifteen (44.1%) had unnecessary procedures, two of which had PEP (2.9%). Of the 135 ERCPs in the Therapeutic group, 18 patients (13.4%) developed PEP. Five of the 11 who had unnecessary procedures developed PEP. Based on the low incidence of complications, diagnostic ERCP has an acceptable rate of pancreatitis and/or unnecessary procedures when performed in highly selected patients and before cholecystectomy when compared with patients undergoing therapeutic ERCP. However, more aggressive use of diagnostic imaging before ERCP should be adopted given the number of unnecessary procedures performed.
Crossover in temperature dependence of penetration depth lambda (T) in superconducting YBa2Cu3O7- delta films.

The [ital ab]-plane penetration depth [lambda]([ital T]) in twinned YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] films exhibits a crossover in its [ital T] dependence at 25 K. Below 25 K, [delta][lambda][equivalent to][lambda]([ital T])[minus][lambda](0)[proportional to][ital T][sup 2]. This differs from recent measurements on a crystal which find [delta][lambda][proportional to][ital T] below 40 K. Above 25 K, the normalized data [lambda]([ital T]/[ital T][sub [ital c]])/[lambda](0) vs [ital T]/[ital T][sub [ital c]] for our films agree extremely well with the crystal data, including quasilinear behavior between 25 and 40 K. Differences and similarities of films and crystals agree well with a theory of slightly disordered [ital d]-wave superconductors.
A 150 µW −57.5 dBm-Sensitivity Bluetooth Low-Energy Back-Channel Receiver with LO Frequency Hopping

A low power backchannel BLE wake-up receiver is presented. The receiver monitors the BLE advertising channels for a pre-programmed pattern. As in the BLE standard, frequency shift modulation (FSK) is chosen to be the modulation scheme of the signal that will be received. This makes the wake-up algorithm compatible with the standard, and hence, it can be generated by a commercial off-the-shelf device. The proposed receiver uses a dual-mixer to down-convert the RF input to reduce the LO power consumption by operating it at half the RF frequency. The receiver has a −57.5 dBm sensitivity while consuming 150 µW.
Probabilistic Method for Assessing the System-wide Impact of Electric Vehicle Charging on Distribution System Assets

Electric vehicle charging represents a significant step increase in customer demand, which may impact the thermal loading of distribution system assets. Research up to this point has mainly focused on advanced detailed analysis and various control schemes to help mitigate the effect of electric vehicle charging on distribution systems. Many of these efforts are based on probabilistic models and methods that can be difficult to apply to a large number of system assets such as a utility's fleet of distribution transformers, which can number in the hundreds of thousands. This work provides a novel and simple closed-form, therefore fast, method for determining demand probability of electric vehicle charging for a given point in time. The likelihood of impact can then be quickly assigned to each asset in the system, based on specific customer and loading information, and aggregated to examine the impacts across the fleet of distribution system assets. The overall impact to system assets can then be readily evaluated as a function of changes in electric vehicle adoption, changing customer behaviors, or other considerations.
Interpolated FFT Harmonic Analyzer for Power Systems, and System on a Chip (SOC) for It

This paper presents a System on a Chip based new harmonic analyzer (HA) for the power grid. As is increasingly evident, the power grid - comprising the traditional system and the emerging renewable systems, presents great opportunities for SOC research and applications in terms of sensing, control, and estimation of key parameters. All for massively distributed deployment in order to enhance the reliability and restoration capability of the future grid. We present a new algorithm from the power systems perspective and the realization from an SOC perspective. The algorithm pertains to a Harmonic Analyzer, based on Interpolated FFT, which performs well under a variety of conditions including steady-state, faulted power lines, sudden change in amplitude, sudden change in frequency, interharmonics, and low frequency hidden signal - all with high accuracy and relatively simple calculations. Moreover it enables the estimation of all three types of parameters of interest: frequency, phase, and amplitude, while also eliminating the need for pre-filtering. Simulations demonstrate success for all of the above mentioned important scenarios. In some applications where only the fundamental frequency parameters are of interest, a complete FFT is not warranted; only the Fourier series coefficients at two or three frequencies suffice. The SOC would perform three functions: sensing, computing, and outputting the results. The paper discusses the algorithm, its performance comparison with other approaches, and the SOC architecture.
Sleep disturbances are common in patients with autoimmune encephalitis.

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of subacute cognitive decline, seizures, and encephalopathy, with an ever-broadening clinical phenotype. Sleep disturbances are reported in AE patients, including rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, hypersomnia, fragmented sleep, and sleep-disordered breathing; however, the prevalence of sleep disturbances and contributions to outcomes in AE patients remain unknown. There is a need to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbances in AE patients, and to clarify the relationship between specific autoantibodies and disruptions in sleep. Clinical history, results of serum and cerebrospinal fluid testing, electroencephalography, and neuroimaging were reviewed from 26 AE patients diagnosed and managed at our tertiary care hospital. Polysomnography was performed in patients with clinical indications, yielding data from 12 patients. The median age of AE patients was 53 years (range 18–83). Autoantibodies against intracellular antigens (including Ma and Hu autoantibodies) were identified in 6/26 (23%) patients, while autoantibodies against cell-surface neuronal antigens (including NMDAR and LGI1) were identified in 20/26 (77%) patients. New sleep complaints were reported by 19/26 (73%) AE patients, including gasping or snoring (9/19, 47%), dream enactment behavior (6/19, 32%), insomnia (5/19, 29%), hypersomnia (4/19, 21%), other parasomnias (4/19, 21%), and dream-wake confusional states (2/19, 11%). Dream enactment behaviors were particularly common in AE associated with LGI1 autoantibodies, reported in 4/7 (57%) patients. Polysomnography showed reduced total sleep time, stage 3 and rapid eye movement sleep, and prominent sleep fragmentation. Sleep disturbances are common in AE, warranting active surveillance in affected patients. Improved identification and treatment of sleep disorders may reduce morbidity associated with AE and improve long-term outcomes.
Role of Nuclear Medicine in Imaging

Nuclear medicine (NM) plays a unique role in the detection of infection and inflammation. This review looks at different methods that are used for detection of infections and explains how they differ from cross-sectional imaging such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Images are provided to aid understanding and interpretation of NM scans. There is also a brief discussion of future techniques that can alter the use of NM for infection work up.
Sleep/Wake Regularity Associated with Default Mode Network Structure among Healthy Adolescents and Young Adults.

Sleep deprivation and disorders are linked to reduced DMN connectivity. Less is known about how naturalistic sleep patterns – specifically sleep irregularity - relate to the DMN, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Additionally, no studies have utilized graph theory analysis to clarify whether sleep-related decreases in connectivity reflect global or local DMN changes. Twenty-five healthy adolescents and young adults (age range = 12–22; mean = 18.08; SD = 2.64, 56% female) completed 7 days of actigraphy and resting-state fMRI. Sleep regularity was captured by the Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) and the relationship between the SRI and DMN was examined using graph theory analysis. Analogous analyses explored relationships between the SRI and additional resting-state networks. Greater sleep regularity related to decreased path length (increased network connectivity) in DMN regions, particularly the right and left lateral parietal lobule, and the Language Network, including the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left posterior superior frontal gyrus. Findings were robust to covariates including sex and age. Sleep and DMN function may be tightly linked during adolescence and young adulthood, and reduced DMN connectivity may reflect local changes within the network. Future studies should assess how this relationship impacts cognitive development and neuropsychiatric outcomes in this age group.
Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Sex Differences in Human Meniscal Cell Response to Estrogen Based on Dosing Kinetics

Osteoarthritis is a disease marked by progressive and irreversible hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage breakdown that affects the lives of millions of patients worldwide. Female sex and menopause are both risk factors for knee osteoarthritis, indicating that estrogen could play a role in this disease. In this study, RNA sequencing was used to determine the effects of estrogen treatment on human meniscal cells. Differences in the number and type of differentially expressed genes were seen based on donor sex, estrogen dose, and dosing kinetics. Significantly more differentially expressed genes were seen from male meniscal cells in response to all dosing conditions compared to female cells. Importantly, more genes were differentially expressed in cells treated with continuous dosing of estrogen, which has been shown to stimulate genomic estrogen signaling, as compared to pulsed dosing. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis revealed that many genes of the extracellular matrix, which is important for joint health and injury repair, were differentially expressed. Overall, this initial study lays the groundwork for future avenues to pursue the effect of estrogen delivery on regenerative pathways. This critical analysis will then inform the design and implementation of estrogen replacement therapies to promote meniscal health and reduce the onset of osteoarthritis.
5-FU, Irinotecan, Nab-Paclitaxel in Gastrointestinal Cancers-Response.

We would like to thank Maeda and colleagues for their letter regarding our article. They suggest that the dose of irinotecan should be escalated above 180 mg/m2 in patients with the UGT1A1 \*1/\*1 and \*1/\*28 genotypes. To support their view, they cited two studies that explored the safety and
Non-Pharmacologic Management of Splenomegaly for Patients with Myelofibrosis: Is There Any Role for Splenectomy or Splenic Radiation in 2020?

Myelofibrosis is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm which can lead to massive splenomegaly. Currently approved medical therapies do not improve splenomegaly in all patients and effects are not sustained. Thus, spleen-directed therapies (i.e., splenectomy and splenic irradiation) have been used in some cases to palliate the signs and symptoms of the disease. Here, we critically review the literature regarding palliative splenectomy and splenic irradiation in myelofibrosis, and discuss their position in the current treatment landscape. Retrospective studies have demonstrated that splenectomy improves symptoms of splenomegaly, decreases complications of portal hypertension, and decreases transfusion dependence. However, it carries a significant peri-operative and long-term morbidity and mortality rate. Splenic irradiation reduces splenic size but is limited by duration of response and myelosuppression. Spleen-directed therapies in myelofibrosis may be considered for refractory symptoms and complications of massive splenomegaly after carefully weighing the associated risks, though overall survival may not be impacted. Development of medical therapies that target and reverse the underlying disease pathophysiology is required in order to have a significant impact on the natural history of the disease process.
Dynamos in Asymptotic-Giant-Branch Stars As the Origin of Magnetic Fields Shaping Planetary Nebulale

Planetary nebulae are thought to be formed when a slow wind from the progenitor giant star is overtaken by a subsequent fast wind generated as the star enters its white dwarf stage$^{1}$. A shock forms near the boundary between the winds, which creates a relatively dense shell that provides the characteristic appearance of a planetary nebula. A spherically symmetric wind will produce a spherically symmetric shell, yet over half of known planetary nebulae are not spherical; rather, they are elliptical or bipolar in shape$^{2}$. While a magnetic field could launch and collimate a bipolar outflow, the origin of such a field has hitherto been unclear, as previous work suggested that a field could not be generated${^3}$. Here we show that an asymptotic-giant-branch (AGB) star can indeed generate a strong magnetic field, in a dynamo at the interface between a rapidly rotating core and the more slowly rotating envelope of the star. The field is strong enough to shape the bipolar outflows that produce the observed bipolar planetary nebulae. Magnetic braking of the stellar core during this process may also explain the puzzlingly$^{4}$ slow rotation of most white dwarf stars.
A conserved strategy for inducing appendage regeneration

Can limb regeneration be induced? Few have pursued this question, and an evolutionarily conserved strategy has yet to emerge. This study reports a strategy for inducing regenerative response in appendages, which works across three species that span the animal phylogeny. In Cnidaria, the frequency of appendage regeneration in the moon jellyfish Aurelia was increased by feeding with the amino acid L-leucine and the growth hormone insulin. In insects, the same strategy induced tibia regeneration in adult Drosophila. Finally, in mammals, L-leucine and sucrose administration induced digit regeneration in adult mice, including dramatically from mid- phalangeal amputation. The conserved effect of L-leucine and insulin/sugar suggests a key role for energetic parameters in regeneration induction. The simplicity by which nutrient supplementation can induce appendage regeneration provides a testable hypothesis across animals.
Anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty for primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis is associated with excellent outcomes and low revision rates in the elderly.

Background The relative indications of anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) continue to evolve. Some surgeons favor RSA over TSA for elderly patients with primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis (GHOA) and an intact rotator cuff due to fear of a postoperative (secondary) rotator cuff tear in this age group. However, RSA is associated with unique complications and a worse functional arc of motion compared with TSA. Therefore, it is important to understand the clinical outcomes and rates of revision surgery and secondary rotator cuff tears in elderly patients undergoing TSA. Methods Between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017, 377 consecutive TSAs were performed for primary GHOA in 340 patients 70 years of age or older. The mean age at surgery was 76.2 years (standard deviation [SD], 4.9). Clinical evaluation included pain, motion, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score. Radiographs were reviewed for preoperative morphology and postoperative complications. All complications and reoperations were recorded. The average clinical follow-up time was 3.3 years (SD, 2.0). Statistical analyses were performed, and Kaplan-Meier implant survival estimates were calculated. For all analyses, a P value Results The mean pain visual analog scale and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score at the final follow-up were 1.6 (SD, 2.2) and 78.0 (SD, 17.8), respectively. Forward elevation and external rotation increased from 96° (SD, 30°) and 26° (SD, 20°) preoperatively to 160° (SD, 32°) and 64° (SD, 26°) postoperatively (P Conclusion Elderly patients with primary GHOA and an intact rotator cuff have excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes after anatomic TSA, with high implant survival rates and a low incidence of secondary rotator cuff tears in the first 5 postoperative years. Age greater than 70 by itself should not be considered an indication for RSA over TSA.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive tumor of neuroendocrine ­derivation mostly seen in elderly and immunosuppressed individuals. MCC has a propensity for local recurrence and regional and distant metastases. Because of the rarity of MCC, no evidenced-based unified treatment algorithm exists. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for localized MCC. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) may be a tissue-sparing alternative to wide local excision. Radiation of the primary tumor site and/or regional lymph node basin may favorably improve recurrence rates. Chemotherapy is an option for inoperable or widespread disease. Prognosis is generally poor, especially if regional and distant metastases are present.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of aerosolized (“vaped”) THC in adolescent male and female rats

Adolescent exposure to ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychotropic constituent of cannabis, might affect brain development, and in rodent models leads to long-term behavioral and physiological alterations. Yet, the basic pharmacology of this drug in adolescent rodents, especially when ingested via ecologically relevant routes like aerosol inhalation, commonly referred to as “vaping,” is still poorly characterized. Moreover, sex differences exist in THC metabolism, kinetics, and behavioral effects, but these have not been rigorously examined after vapor dosing in adolescents. We investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of aerosolized THC (30 min inhalation exposure, 25 or 100 mg/ml) in adolescent Wistar rats of both sexes. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of THC and its major metabolites was conducted on blood plasma and brain tissue at 5, 30, 60, and 120 min following a 30-min aerosol dosing session. Effects on activity in a novel environment for 120 min after aerosol, and temperature, were measured in separate rats. We found sex-dependent differences in the pharmacokinetics of THC and its active (11-OH-THC) and inactive (11-COOH-THC) metabolites in the blood and brain, along with dose- and sex-dependent effects on anxiety-like and exploratory behaviors; namely, greater 11-OH-THC levels accompanied by greater behavioral effects in females at the low dose but similar hypothermic effects in both sexes at the high dose. These results provide a benchmark for dosing adolescent rats with aerosolized (or “vaped”) THC, which could facilitate adoption by other labs of this potentially human-relevant THC exposure model to understand cannabis effects on the developing brain.