cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bias and Synthesis in History

In 1938 C. Vann Woodward, a young historian, accepted an invitation to write a volume of the History of the South series and set out to subvert the southern historical establishment's apology for the South's prevailing social order. Modestly underestimating the scholarly soundness of his synthesis, Onzgins of the New South: 1877-1913, Woodward later ascribed the book's longevity to its congruence with events, notably the civil rights movement, which had affirmed his concentration on conflict and discontinuity., I would add that events also invalidated earlier histories that had assumed the rightness and perpetuity of white supremacy. Woodward's experience suggests that discovering bias in historical writing did not begin in the 1960s, that events can reduce the acceptability of historical verities, and that a rebellious impulse can produce synthesis. In a more recent cycle of events, the civil rights, feminist, and New Left movements laid bare the racism, sexism, and middle-class bias prevalent in American life and in the writing of American history. Noting the existence of real discrimination and actual oppression, historians writing in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s undertook the remaking of history, embarking on research that would analyze, rather than justify, the status quo. The result has been an outpouring of monographs, the raw material of a new synthesis. In the meanwhile, all the new findings have produced in some a sense of confusion and a counteracting impulse, expressed in demands for a new synthesis, which Thomas Bender called for in these pages a year ago.2 Bender's appeal presents Louis Hartz and Richard Hofstadter as positive examples of the syntheses now lacking. Admitting that we cannot return to the older modes of historical writing that they practiced, Bender would welcome syntheses focused on "public culture" and relations of power in public life. I agree with him on the fundamentals: that much of the new historical writing has proven inaccessible to the informed layman for whom we were trained to write and that we need histories that are coherent and comprehensive. I also recognize the need for histories of whole communities, including nation states. But Bender omits mention of exactly what discredited historical synthesis in the first place. Any lament over the desuetude into
The Influence of Polyphosphate Ions on the Precipitation of Calcium Oxalate

AbstractWe studied the growth of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals in stirred suspensions by following the changes in ionic conductivity of supersaturated solutions at 25 ± 0.02C. At a pH of 6.9–7.2, in the presence of polyphosphate ion, crystallization proceeded by an initial rapid step followed by a markedly reduced growth rate as compared with that in pure supersaturated solution. The initial surge was reduced as the polyphosphate concentration reached 1.6 × 10–6 M, which can be interpreted as evidence of either surface nucleation or the incomplete adsorption of inhibitor at the active growth sites. In spontaneous precipitation experiments made in the presence of polyphosphate ions, the formation of calcium oxalate dihydrate and trihydrate is favored together with appreciable coprecipitation of additive ions.
Why Lifestyle Medicine

The question ‘Why Lifestyle Medicine?’ is answered by discussing the concept of chronic diseases and their increased prevalence rates that are resistant to current care models. The great burden of this problem is described and the need for a new chronic disease care model is proposed. Epidemiological dimensions as well as issues with health messaging and campaigns that are scalable to address this problem are presented. A new lifestyle medicine paradigm that incorporates the facets of preventive medicine, wellness, and health promotion, and disease complexity and residual risk is proposed and involves novel tools and metrics, such as the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and the quality-adjusted life year (QALY). In short, the need for lifestyle medicine is based on persistent drivers of chronic disease and inadequacy of current care models to address complexity, residual risk, and challenging health-care socioeconomics.
Cardiac troponin as a novel tool for cardiovascular risk prediction in ambulatory populations

Assays for cardiac troponin have become increasingly sensitive, and are now able to detect very low concentrations of circulating cardiac troponin in a substantial proportion of stable patients who are not suspected of having an acute myocardial infarction. These low concentrations of cardiac troponin are frequently well within the range of what is considered normal but are nonetheless associated with a significant increase in the risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, and death in patients with and without established cardiovascular disease. The strength and consistency of these associations, and the fact that adding cardiac troponin to traditional risk factors improves the accuracy of existing cardiovascular risk prediction algorithms, raises the possibility of using cardiac troponin for therapeutic decision-making in ambulatory populations. Cardiac troponin is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular risk on the population level, but a specific intervention that can mitigate cardiac troponin-associated risk has not been identified. Thus, the therapeutic implications of cardiac troponin elevations for individual patients remain unclear. Ongoing research seeks to better understand the underlying cause of cardiac troponin release and to identify therapeutic interventions that can effectively mitigate cardiac troponin-associated cardiovascular risk. The development of high-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponin offers the opportunity to gain tremendous insight into the causes and consequences of chronic myocardial injury, and may, in the future, help guide therapy directed at improving the outcomes of ambulatory patients at high risk for cardiovascular events.
Controlling the kinetics of thiol-maleimide Michael-type addition gelation kinetics for the generation of homogenous poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels.

The development of synthetic hydrogels analogs for the extracellular matrix has proven a useful and important tool to study the role of specific signals on biological outcomes in vitro and to serve as scaffolds for tissue repair. Although the importance of physical properties (e.g. microstructure and stiffness) in the micro and nano scale on cell fate has been widely reported, bulk modulus measurements are typically used to characterize hydrogels. Thus, the physical properties of hydrogels have not been widely tested for their controlled physical properties in the nano and micron scales. In this report, we show that although fast Michael-type addition crosslinked hydrogels appear uniform by bulk modulus readings and visual inspection, they are non-uniform in the micron scale, with high and low crosslinking regions. Further, we show that these regions of high and low crosslinking result in differences in cellular behavior. Since these regions are random in density and shape, this leads to misleading cellular responses. These inconsistences are most widely observed when the gel forms faster than the material can be mixed. This study slows the gelation rate of thiol-maleimide cross-linked hydrogels in order to overcome the cellular response variability between batches.
The response of the rat urinary bladder microcirculation to photodynamic therapy.

Abstract Light activation of dihematoporphyrin ether (photofrin II) has been used in the treatment of bladder tumors, yet the effects of this treatment on the normal urinary bladder microcirculation have not been determined. This study involved the use of in vivo television microscopy to observe the effects of light activation (530 to 560 nm., 175 mW/cm.2) on the urinary bladder microcirculation of female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals pretreated with dihematoporphyrin ether 30 minutes prior to light activation had high serum and low tissue concentrations of the photosensitizer and activation resulted in a statistically significant reduction of red blood cell column diameter in both arterioles and venules. The reduction was primarily due to mural thrombus formation with the occlusion remaining 60 minutes after activation. Animals pretreated 48 hours before activation had low serum and high tissue concentrations of dihematoporphyrin ether and activation had no microcirculatory effects apart from occasional platelet aggregation. These results suggest that the photodynamic effect on normal (non-neoplastic) tissue treated more than 48 hours after administration of dihematoporphyrin ether is probably due to a direct effect of light and the sensitizer on the smooth muscle of the bladder rather than an effect on the microcirculation. (J. Urol, 142: 865–868, 1989)
Hunting Our Bad Selves: Projective Identification and the Case of the West Memphis Three

When studying discursive structures of othering, rhetorical critics often turn to Kenneth Burke and his work on scapegoating as a phenomenon of projection and collective identity formation. In this essay we argue that Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic concept of projective identification offers a necessary extension of Burke’s theory of scapegoating that better addresses the primary unconscious mechanism through which communities define themselves against an enemy other. Through an analysis of the infamous West Memphis Three case and its aftermath, we show how a rhetorical-psychoanalytical approach grounded in Kleinian projective identification offers critics a more thorough understanding of persecutory othering.
Slow Magnetic Relaxation in a Lanthanide-[1]Metallocenophane Complex

The first example of a lanthanide metallocenophane complex has been isolated as [Li(THF)4][DyFc3Li2(THF)2] (1). The molecular structure of complex 1 differs dramatically from those of main group and transition metal ferrocenophane complexes and features a distorted trigonal prismatic geometry around the Dy(III) ion and close intramolecular Dy···Fe distances. Furthermore, complex 1 exhibits all characteristics of a soft single-molecule magnet.
Targeting Voters on Television: Does Candidate Gender Lead to Strategic Voter Targeting?

The literature on gender and campaigns is rich and has evolved rapidly. The most persistent topic in gender and campaigning has to do with media coverage of candidate campaigns. Next, studies of the content of political advertising emerged with a heavy emphasis on the imagery and issues contained in the ads. This line of research has been expanded to include data on the frequency of ad airings in a campaign. We add to this line of inquiry by incorporating the data on particular networks and shows selected for airing these ads and include measures of audience demographics, allowing us to test whether candidates offer their advertising themes to similar or disparate audiences. The sense of prior research findings is that candidate gender matters less and less in terms of how candidates present themselves to the electorate. We contend that such a conclusion cannot be fairly reached until we look at the expected audiences for the ads, not stopping at the coding of ad images or the frequency of ad airings on broadcast television. We hypothesize that audience demographics are matched with ad content intentionally by candidate campaigns precisely to motivate different sectors of the electorate (here, along gender lines) to distinguish between the candidates on the issues and images most welcome to that voter.
3.4M Pixel TDI Image Sensor for Confocal Scanning Microscopy

Recently, confocal microscopy has been attracting attention of various inspection system designers who wish to capture 3D images with the information of depth of the image relief. We have developed a large scale, 3.4M pixel, high-speed, 680MHz data rate, TDI (Time Delay Integration) image sensor suitable for the use of confocal microscope applications. Since the confocal optics has a pinhole aperture that restricts the light intensity, TDI scanning has an advantage in collecting more photons. In this paper we describe the architecture and the operation of the confocal TDI CCD image sensor including its detail performance characteristics
Losing supramolecular orientational memory via self-organization of a misfolded secondary structure

Supramolecular orientational memory (SOM) provides a route to otherwise inaccessible nanoscale architectures for certain molecules. In these privileged cases, columnar domains organized from self-assembling dendrons undergo reorientation during heating to, and subsequent cooling from, a 3D phase composed of “spheres”, such as a body-centered cubic phase or a Pmn cubic phase, known also as Frank-Kasper A15. The directions of the reoriented columns preserve key interactions from the preceding cubic phase. However, SOM was observed so far in a very limited number of assemblies. The molecular determinants enabling SOM, and its generality, remain poorly understood. Here we report the synthesis and structural and retrostructural analysis of a perylene bisimide (PBI) with two self-assembling benzyl ether dendrons, 3,5-G2-PBI, and compare its assemblies with those of a previously reported PBI, 3,4,5-G2-PBI, which exhibits SOM and has an additional minidendritic building block in its dendrons. The removal of this minidendron in 3,5-G2-PBI eliminates its ability to self-assemble into supramolecular spheres and organize into a cubic phase, thereby precluding 3,5-G2-PBI from exhibiting SOM. This finding demonstrates hierarchical transfer of structural information from primary structure to material function, analogous to the misfolding of proteins into toxic structures such as those implicated in Alzheimer's and Prion diseases. The concepts exemplified here provide new insights into the hierarchical basis for SOM and will aid in the translation of the SOM concept to a broader diversity of soft matter such as block copolymers and surfactants.
Sleep apnea during NREM but not REM inversely correlates with CSF amyloid beta 42 but not Tau levels (S49.004)

Objective: Determine if indices of sleep-disordered breathing are associated with CSF markers for Alzheimer’s disease in patients of Johns Hopkins CSF disorders clinic. Background: Emerging evidence links disturbed sleep to the production of Amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42). In flies, mice, and humans, sleep deprivation promotes Aβ42 production and plaque accumulation. In human cross-sectional studies, reduced sleep amount and quality were associated with greater brain amyloid plaque accumulation measured by positron emission tomography with Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB PET), and measurements of sleep apnea (SA) were linearly correlated with PiB PET signal. Another study showed that after 24 hours of sleep deprivation, healthy middle-aged humans have elevated CSF levels of Aβ42. Recently, Ju et al compared CSF Aβ42 and tau levels in subjects with and without SA. SA subjects had lower CSF Aβ than controls, however tau was not affected. Design/Methods: We determined the cross-sectional association of apena-hypopnea index (AHI) with CSF neurodegenerative biomarker proteins in 52 patients. Subjects were recruited during admission for clinically-indicated CSF drainage and/or intracranial pressure monitoring for suspected idiopathic intracranial hypertension and normal pressure hydrocephalus (25% of the population). CSF samples were collected the morning after overnight polysomnography. Aβ42, tau, and p181-tau were quantitated utilizing Alzbio3 (Fujirebio, Malvern, PA). Bootstrap analysis of linear correlations between apnea hypopnea index and CSF levels of Aβ42 was performed utilizing R studio computing environment (Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Results: OSA patients (AHI≥15) had significantly lower CSF Aβ42 (346.6±151.5) than controls (521.5±232.5) p =0.008. Further, we found AHI was inversely correlated with CSF Aβ42, but not CSF tau. Interestingly, this correlation only existed when comparing apnea events that occurred during non-REM sleep. Conclusions: Non-REM SA is inversely associated with CSF Aβ42, suggesting that SA may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease. Study Supported by: Owens Foundation Disclosure: Dr. Werner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Abeson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rao has nothing to disclose. Dr. Solomon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Petrusky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Spira has received personal compensation for activiteis with Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Associates. Dr. Moghekar has received research support from GE Healthcare.
Dynamics of Knee Malalignment

The dynamics of malalignment are based on the combination of the static limb alignment and the dynamics of loading at the knee during walking and other activities of daily living. Dynamic loading at the knee can be influenced by subconscious control of limb position such as foot placement, active muscle contraction, passive soft-tissue stability, as well as the speed of walking. The loads that are generated during these dynamic activities are substantially greater than the loads that can be generated during static postures. Therefore, limb alignment based on static radiographic measurements provides one component to the complete analysis of the factors influencing loading at the knee joint. Loading at the knee joint is an important consideration in the progression of degenerative processes at the knee, as well as in the planning and selection of certain treatment modalities. Dynamic malalignment that occurs during activities such as gait should be considered in evaluating the progression of disease processes as well as the selection of appropriate treatment modalities.
Spectral reflectivity crossover at the metamagnetic transition in FeRh thin films

Metamagnetic transition in FeRh has been subject to many investigations. Several methods have been employed to address various characteristics as they change across this transition, such as SQUID magnetometry, neutron scattering, electrical transport, synchrotron X-rays, scanning tunneling microscopy, magneto-optic Kerr effect, etc. In this paper we investigate the frequency dependent reflectance, which is a fast and easy probe, to find clear and distinct signatures of this transition. To this end, our first principle calculations reveal that the dramatic difference in electronic structure between the ferro- and antiferromagnetic phases of FeRh leads to a characteristic crossover in the energy dependence whereby the reflectivity difference between the two phases changes sign at E=∼0.79 eV (1400 nm). To verify these predictions, we have measured the optical reflectance of FeRh thin films across the metamagnetic transition, and found a close agreement with the predicted effect. These measurements not only confirm the calculated electronic structure of FeRh, but also reveal an effect that can be used for a fast and easy direct detection of the transition by probing the crossover optically in energy space, without resorting to complicated magneto optical probes which only show a signature of the surface magnetism. This also may be used as a unique probe of the dynamics of carriers by temporal studies in different regions, (from energies near the relaxation frequency to those above the plasma frequency).
Phase II study of Dovitinib in recurrent glioblastoma

Dovitinib is an oral, potent inhibitor of FGFR and VEGFR, and can be a promising strategy in patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma (GBM). This was an open label phase II study of two arms: Arm 1 included anti-angiogenic naive patients with recurrent GBM and Arm 2 included patients with recurrent GBM that had progressed on prior anti-angiogenic therapy. Nineteen subjects were enrolled in Arm 1 and 14 subjects in Arm 2. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS-6) in Arm 1 and time to progression (TTP) in Arm 2. The secondary endpoints were toxicity, objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival. Patients in Arm 2 (compared to Arm 1) tended to have longer intervals from diagnosis to study entry (median 26.9 vs. 8.9 months, p = 0.002), experienced more recurrences (64%, had 3–4 prior recurrences compared to 0, p < 0.0001) and tended to be heavily pretreated (71% vs. 26–32% p = 0.04 or 0.02). 6-month PFS was 12% ± 6% for the Arm 1 and 0% for Arm 2. TTP was similar in both treatment arms (median 1.8 months Arm 1 and 0.7–1.8 months Arm 2, p = 0.36). Five patients (15%) had grade 4 toxicities and 22 patients (67%) had grade 3 toxicities. There were no significant differences between the two arms with respect to the amount of change in the levels of biomarkers from baseline. Dovitinib was not efficacious in prolonging the PFS in patients with recurrent GBM irrespective of prior treatment with anti-angiogenic therapy (including bevacizumab).
Time-varying linear quadratic Gaussian optimal control for three-degree-of-freedom wave energy converters

Abstract This paper presents a time-varying linear quadratic control for a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DoF) wave energy converter (WEC). The dynamic model for a heave-surge-pitch WEC has a linear coupling between pitch and surge modes, as well as a nonlinear coupling between the heave and pitch modes that affect the pitch motion. It is observed, however, that the heave motion is decoupled from the other two modes, and that the heave effect on the pitch motion can be recognized as a time-varying stiffness. Hence it is proposed in this paper to design a time-varying linear quadratic control for the coupled pitch-surge modes. The goal is to maximize the energy harvested over a receding time horizon. Prediction of the excitation forces is needed and is obtained based an estimate of the excitation force at the current time. The latter is obtained using an extended Kalman filter. The WEC motion is assumed constrained in this study. The results show that the energy harvested using this 3-DoF WEC is about three-fold higher than the energy extracted in heave mode, depending on the sea state. The paper also shows, with proper design of the control, it is possible to exploit this coupling to harvest more energy.
Between Learning and Opportunity: A Study of African American Coders’ Networks of Support

This study examines how African American adults attending a code bootcamp continue to learn coding literacy despite life challenges associated with racial oppression. Eleven out of twelve study participants drew maps of their support and discussed in one-on-one interviews how the people, objects, and animals in their drawings assisted their approaching learning computer programming. Applying ego network analysis, these interviews and drawings suggest that participants use various clusters of support in their network to provide the personal resources coders need to code and what is hard to come by in situations of racial injustice. These resources may have helped participants manage the risks of losing access to coding literacy. Instead of a universal approach to accessing technology, different kinds of networks and resources can lead to continuous access. This study furthers research on racially marginalized adults’ digital literacies and demonstrates how ego network analysis maybe useful for qualitative research on theories of ecological writing.
Trends in Glaucoma Surgeries Performed by Glaucoma Subspecialists versus Nonsubspecialists on Medicare Beneficiaries from 2008 through 2016.

Purpose To characterize the use of laser and incisional glaucoma surgeries among Medicare beneficiaries from 2008 through 2016 and to compare the use of these surgeries by glaucoma subspecialists versus nonsubspecialists. Design Retrospective, observational analysis. Participants Medicare beneficiaries (n = 1 468 035) undergoing ≥1 laser or incisional glaucoma surgery procedure during 2008 through 2016. Methods Claims data from a 20% sample of enrollees in fee-for-service Medicare throughout the United States were analyzed to identify all laser and incisional glaucoma surgeries performed from 2008 through 2016. We assessed use of traditional incisional glaucoma surgery techniques (trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage implant [GDI] procedure) and microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). Enrollee and procedure counts were multiplied by 5 to estimate use throughout all of Medicare. Linear regression was used to compare trends in use of glaucoma surgeries between ophthalmologists who could be characterized as glaucoma subspecialists versus nonsubspecialists. Main Outcome Measures Numbers of laser and incisional glaucoma surgeries performed overall and stratified by glaucoma subspecialist status. Results The number of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing any glaucoma therapeutic procedure increased by 10.6%, from 218 375 in 2008 to 241 565 in 2016. The total number of traditional incisional glaucoma surgeries decreased by 11.7%, from 37 225 to 32 885 (P = 0.02). The total number of MIGS procedures increased by 426% from 13 705 in 2012 (the first year MIGS codes were available) to 58 345 in 2016 (P = 0.001). Throughout the study period, glaucoma subspecialists performed most of the trabeculectomies (76.7% in 2008, 83.1% in 2016) and GDI procedures (77.7% in 2008, 80.6% in 2016). Many MIGS procedures were performed by nonsubspecialists. The proportions of endocyclophotocoagulations, iStent (Glaukos; San Clemente, CA) insertions, goniotomies, and canaloplasties performed by glaucoma subspecialists in 2016 were 22.0%, 25.2%, 56.9%, and 62.8%, respectively. Conclusions From 2008 through 2016, a large shift in practice from traditional incisional glaucoma surgeries to MIGS procedures was observed. Although glaucoma subspecialists continue to perform most traditional incisional glaucoma surgeries, many MIGS procedures are performed by nonsubspecialists. These results highlight the importance of training residents in performing MIGS procedures and managing these patients perioperatively. Future studies should explore the impact of this shift in care on outcomes and costs.
Addressing Racial Disparities in Live Donor Kidney Transplantation Through Education and Advocacy Training.

Background The Live Donor Champion (LDC) program trains kidney transplant (KT) candidates and their family/friends ("champions") as educator-advocates for live donor KT (LDKT). This program was created to empower patients and champions, particularly African American (AA) waitlist candidates that historically had lower access to LDKT. We assessed changes in knowledge about and comfort discussing live donation and donor referral associated with LDC participation, both overall and by participant race. Methods We compared 163 adult KT candidates who were LDC participants from October 2013 to May 2016 with 489 matched controls, both overall and by race. We compared changes in comfort and knowledge post-LDC using rank-sum tests among participants by race. We compared time to first live donor referral for participants versus controls, by race, using Cox regression. Results Post-LDC versus pre-LDC, participants had higher median knowledge (83% versus 63% on 12-question quiz; P 0.9) as non-AAs but higher final comfort (2 versus 1.4; P = 0.005) than non-AAs. LDC participants were 5.8 times as likely as controls to have a live donor referral (aHR 3.765.788.89; P < 0.001); the impact of LDC participation was similar among non-AAs and AAs (p-interaction = 0.6). Conclusions The LDC program increased knowledge, comfort, and live donor referral for non-AA and AA participants, underscoring the effectiveness in the program in promoting LDKT in a population with historically lower access to LDKT.
Substance Use Screening Protocol: Implementation of a system for patients with cancer

Background Substance use by patients with a cancer diagnosis may have a detrimental effect on short- and long-term outcomes. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has been recommended for all patients in primary care and emergency medicine. Objectives The purpose of this quality improvement project was to train clinical providers and to implement an effective SBIRT program in a radiation oncology clinic in a comprehensive cancer center. Methods An interprofessional task force developed a staff training protocol that incorporated oncology-specific content. The team then piloted an SBIRT program in the outpatient clinic. Findings Staff training results were mixed, with only a few evaluation items showing significant improvement. Despite these results, staff training and the implementation of an SBIRT may be valuable in improving substance use screening in this vulnerable population.
Application of scaling methods to foster ground development of active shielding concepts for space exploration

Abstract Space radiation in the form of Solar Energetic Protons (SEPs) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) poses a substantial risk for long-duration space exploration. Active shielding concepts, i.e. shielding a spacecraft with electric and or magnetic fields, has been a topic of interest for more than 50 years. Mass and power requirements have yet to be fulfilled to enable active shielding technology. We present results for a single electric dipole to show the utility of scale-invariance and universal scaling for advancing active shielding concepts. Scattering patterns downstream from the dipole of 2 MeV to 6 MeV electrons and protons show a semi-circular region devoid of incident particles that increases in size with increasing dipole voltage. In particular, results are presented that show how scale-invariant approaches can be leveraged to enable small-scale shields to be built and tested on the ground and then scaled up for in-space use.
Relative Deficiency in Albumin Methionine Content is Associated With Decreased Antioxidant Capacity of Equine Plasma

Abstract Relative to other species, horses seem particularly susceptible to oxidative stress. Plasma albumin plays an important role in preventing oxidative damage, in part due to its methionine (MET) content. Equine albumin is highly unusual in that it contains no MET residues. Whether or not this causes deficient antioxidant capacity in equine plasma relative to that of other species has not yet been explored. The objective of this study was to compare the redox status of equine (no MET) to that of bovine (moderate amount of MET) plasma. Plasma was collected from healthy, nonpregnant Quarter Horse mares (n = 10) and adult, healthy, nonpregnant, dried Holstein cows (n = 15). Measures of total antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress were assessed for each plasma sample using multiple commercially available assays: total antioxidant capacity, thiol detection, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and advanced oxidation protein products. Plasma from horses had significantly (P
Advances in supramolecular host-mediated reactivity

Since the trailblazing discoveries of Lehn, Cram and Pedersen, supramolecular chemistry has established itself as a cornerstone of organic chemistry. Supramolecular hosts offer defined microenvironments that mimic the active sites of enzymes, utilizing specific host–guest interactions to enable remarkable rate enhancements and product selectivity. The development of a diverse array of self-assembled hosts, coupled with the increased demand for shorter and greener synthetic routes, have spurred significant progress in the field of supramolecular catalysis. This Review Article covers recent advances in the field, ranging from novel organic reactivity aided by supramolecular hosts to catalytic cooperation between hosts and organometallic compounds or metal nanoparticles. Strides have also been made in the synthetic application of these hosts in site-selective substrate modifications and challenging photochemical reactions. These efforts have enabled the incorporation of non-covalent macromolecular catalysis in natural product syntheses, evidencing their unique advantages as a synthetic tool, and their powerful potential for practical applications. Supramolecular hosts can readily self-assemble from simple components and allow remarkable chemical rate enhancements and product selectivity utilising defined microenvironments and specific host–guest interactions. This Review Article describes recent conceptual and catalytic advances made in this field.
Thermal equilibrium spin torque: Near-field radiative angular momentum transfer in magneto-optical media

Spin and orbital angular momentum of light plays a central role in quantum nanophotonics as well as topological electrodynamics. Here, we show that the thermal radiation from finite-size bodies comprising nonreciprocal magneto-optical materials can exert a spin torque even in global thermal equilibrium. Moving beyond the paradigm of near-field heat transfer, we calculate near-field radiative angular momentum transfer between finite-size nonreciprocal objects by combining Rytov's fluctuational electrodynamics with the theory of optical angular momentum. We prove that a single magneto-optical cubic particle in nonequilibrium with its surroundings experiences a torque in the presence of an applied magnetic field ($T$-symmetry breaking). Furthermore, even in global thermal equilibrium, two particles with misaligned gyrotropy axes experience equal-magnitude torques with opposite signs which tend to align their gyrotropy axes parallel to each other. Our results are universally applicable to semiconductors like InSb (magnetoplasmas) as well as Weyl semimetals which exhibit the anomalous Hall effect (gyrotropic) at infrared frequencies. Our work paves the way towards near-field angular momentum transfer mediated by thermal fluctuations for nanoscale devices.
Neural anatomy and optical microscopy (NAOMi) simulation for evaluating calcium imaging methods.

Abstract Background The past decade has seen a multitude of new in vivo functional imaging methodologies. However, the lack of ground-truth comparisons or evaluation metrics makes the large-scale, systematic validation vital to the continued development and use of optical microscopy impossible. New-method We provide a new framework for evaluating two-photon microscopy methods via in silico Neural Anatomy and Optical Microscopy (NAOMi) simulation. Our computationally efficient model generates large anatomical volumes of mouse cortex, simulates neural activity, and incorporates optical propagation and scanning to create realistic calcium imaging datasets. Results We verify NAOMi simulations against in vivo two-photon recordings from mouse cortex. We leverage this in silico ground truth to directly compare different segmentation algorithms and optical designs. We find modern segmentation algorithms extract strong neural time-courses comparable to estimation using oracle spatial information, but with an increase in the false positive rate. Comparison between optical setups demonstrate improved resilience to motion artifacts in sparsely labeled samples using Bessel beams, increased signal-to-noise ratio and cell-count using low numerical aperture Gaussian beams and nuclear GCaMP, and more uniform spatial sampling with temporal focusing versus multi-plane imaging. Comparison with existing methods NAOMi is a first-of-its kind framework for assessing optical imaging modalities. Existing methods are either anatomical simulations or do not address functional imaging. Thus there is no competing method for simulating realistic functional optical microscopy data. Conclusions By leveraging the rich accumulated knowledge of neural anatomy and optical physics, we provide a powerful new tool to assess and develop important methods in neural imaging.
Imparting Scientific Literacy through an Online Materials Chemistry General Education Course

This study details the design and implementation of an online materials chemistry general education (GE) course during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many pedagogical techniques involving active learning have been established in STEM major courses, their use within STEM general education courses for non-majors are not as well-established. The recently developed GE course at UCLA (termed Chemistry 3: Material World) utilized high-impact practices to introduce students to the scientific process and impart skills of critical thinking and scientific communication through its flexible activities and assignments. Emphasis was placed on collaborative learning, problem-solving, and interpreting scientific information from published reports. Additionally, content focused on social justice and community engagement was introduced throughout several topics (e.g., underrepresentation in science, war on drugs, nuclear proliferation, pollution, and global climate change) to showcase that chemistry is intricately related to bigger societal challenges. This article details our efforts in achieving the course learning outcomes and shares tangible results regarding the assessment of our teaching strategies from student feedback and reflections. We envision that this work will assist faculty in designing inclusive chemistry GE courses that focus on process versus content and adopting our teaching strategies in both in-person and online classrooms.
Role of sildenafil in a neonate with double outlet left ventricle and pulmonary hypertension: Sildenafil use in DOLV

Abstract Double outlet left ventricle (DOLV) is a rare congenital heart defect where the aorta and the pulmonary trunk arise predominantly from the morphologic left ventricle. The clinical manifestations depend upon the location of the ventricular septal defect in relation to the great arteries, degree of pulmonary and aortic outflow tract obstruction, and other associated cardiac defects. We describe a neonate with DOLV, sub-aortic ventricular septal defect, and side-by-side great vessels who continued to require oxygen for desaturation to 60% in the neonatal period. His clinical symptoms were suggestive of persistent pulmonary hypertension, with 5-8% higher saturations in the leg compared to arm. He was started on oral sildenafil and his oxygen requirement decreased from 2 L/min to 0.1 L/min within 24 hours of initiating sildenafil.
Monitoring for Infectious Disease in Cattle Operations

Infectious diseases are among the most important problems in all types of livestock production. Costs can be tremendous to a single operation for diagnosing and treating sick animals, or associated with death losses. However, these probably are far outweighed by such hidden costs as associated with decreased production efficiency or lost production opportunities. Less-immediate losses that also must be considered include those linked to the inability to market stock because of the potential spread of infection.
The oestrous cycle and skeletal muscle atrophy: Investigations in rodent models of muscle loss

NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Is the oestrous cycle affected during disuse atrophies and, if so, how are oestrous cycle changes related to musculoskeletal outcomes? What is the main finding and its importance? Rodent oestrous cycles were altered during disuse atrophy, which was correlated with musculoskeletal outcomes. However, the oestrous cycle did not appear to be changed by Lewis lung carcinoma, which resulted in no differences in muscle size in comparison to healthy control animals. These findings suggest a relationship between the oestrous cycle and muscle size during atrophic pathologies. ABSTRACT Recent efforts have focused on improving our understanding of female muscle physiology during exposure to muscle atrophic stimuli. A key feature of female rodent physiology is the oestrous cycle. However, it is not known how such stimuli interact with the oestrous cycle to influence muscle health. In this study, we investigated the impact of muscle atrophic stimuli on the oestrous cycle and how these alterations are correlated with musculoskeletal outcomes. A series of experiments were performed in female rodents, including hindlimb unloading (HU), HU followed by 24 h of reloading, HU combined with dexamethasone treatment, and Lewis lung carcinoma. The oestrous cycle phase was assessed throughout each intervention and correlated with musculoskeletal outcomes. Seven or 14 days of HU increased the duration in dioestrus or metoestrus (D/M; low hormones) and was negatively correlated with gastrocnemius mass. Time spent in D/M was also negatively correlated with changes in grip strength and bone density after HU, and with muscle recovery 24 h after the cessation of HU. The addition of dexamethasone strengthened these relationships between time in D/M and reduced musculoskeletal outcomes. However, in animals with Lewis lung carcinoma, oestrous cyclicity did not differ from that of control animals, and time spent in D/M was not correlated with either gastrocnemius mass or tumour burden. In vitro experiments suggested that enhanced protein synthesis induced by estrogen might protect against muscle atrophy. In conclusion, muscle atrophic insults are correlated with changes in the oestrous cycle, which are associated with deterioration in musculoskeletal outcomes. The magnitude of oestrous cycle alterations depends on the atrophic stimuli.
Power and Fear: Explaining the Authoritarian Personality

As the ghost of Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself. And also me.” Truer words were never spoken. Actually, these words were never spoken, but were lifted from an article in The Onion, in which the deceased Roosevelt advises Americans to lay aside all other fears and come together in mutual terror of his haunting specter. Sadly, many Americans pay no heed to this sage advice, and continue to be scared stiff by gays, foreigners, taxes, global climate change, and anything else that threatens to interrupt the flow of their life. Bob Altemeyer’s article, “The Other Authoritarian Personality,” describes these fears as part of a larger personality predisposition, which he calls right-wing authoritarianism. Most of the time, authoritarians blend in with society; they do not usually go about expressing their extreme level of respect for authority or their intolerance of individuality. However, as Karen Stenner relates in “The Authoritarian Dynamic,” when authoritarians feel anxious or threatened, their true beliefs emerge. From there, Jack Levy’s explanation of prospect theory and Redlawsk, Civettini, and Lau’s discussion on ‘affect’ contribute to an understanding of why authoritarians cannot tolerate change and why they feel especially threatened by information contrary to their established beliefs. Each of these four works separately speaks to important components of attitude and behavior, but synthesized they reveal that the essential emotional ingredient of the authoritarian personality is fear. This article is available in Res Publica Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol18/iss1/6
A Modeling Study of Glutamate Release of NMDA Receptors

In this chapter we will use a mathematical model to simulate spontaneous and evoked neurotransmission to determine how receptor location on presynaptic density can activate distinct sets of NMDA receptors and signal independently to the postsynaptic side. We will also examine how the release rate of the neurotransmitter Glutamate will affect post-synaptic currents by varying the fusion pore size at the presynaptic side.
Market share and the illusion of power. Can Blue Cross force hospitals to discount

Researchers in health care financing have claimed that large private insurers like Blue Cross frequently exercise monopsony power to obtain discounts from normal hospital charges. They claim that the monopsony power derives from a large Blue Cross share of a given hospital 'cost shifting', whereby hospitals offset the discount by raising charges to less powerful customers. This paper re-examines both theoretically and empirically the conditions necessary for a private insurer to extract discounts from a hospital. We demonstrate that the theoretical conditions necessary for Blue Cross to force a discount do not exist in the Indiana market. Using revenue data from 110 Indiana hospitals we reject the traditional claim that Blue Cross pays less than other insurers as a function of market share.
Automating failure modes and effects analysis

This paper presents the current results of a multiyear effort to automate failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) and its associated reliability analysis. A modular approach to modeling the system failure behavior is described. A component module definition contains a declarative part (inputs, outputs and mode variables) and a behavioral part (mode logic). A system is defined as a block diagram of the component modules and their interconnects. The FMEA is produced through a simulation of the failure propagation process. An actuator control system is analyzed and examples of automatically generated FMEA output are given. For each failure mode, the automated FMEA report lists all resulting component mode changes, declares a single point failure if appropriate, traces multiple failure effects, declares degraded modes of operation and provides the probability of the failure mode occurring. It is believed that robust automated FMEA has been demonstrated. The modular approach unifies FMEA and associated analyses with other system behavior methodologies (such as performance analysis). This brings FMEA analysis closer to the system designer at the risk of alienating classical FMEA analysts. >
Small scale contributions to CMB: A coherent analysis

We reanalyse Cosmic Microwave Background data from experiments probing both large and small scales. We assume that measured anisotropies are due not only to primary fluctuations but also, especially at small scales, to secondary effects (namely the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect) and possible point source contaminations. We first consider primary and secondary anisotropies only. For the first time in such analyses, the cosmological dependence of secondary fluctuations is fully taken into account. We show in that case that a higher value of the normalisation $\sigma\_8$ is preferred, as found by previous studies, but also higher values of the optical depth $\tau$ and power spectrum index $n\_s$ are needed. In the second part of our analysis, we further include possible contaminations from unresolved and unremoved point sources. Under these considerations, we discuss the effects on the cosmological parameters. We further obtain the best combination of relative contributions of the three kinds of sources to the measured microwave power on small scales at each frequency. Our method allows us to simultaneously obtain cosmological parameters and explain the so-called small scale power excess in a consistent way.
Effects of activation peptide bond cleavage and fragment 2 interactions on the pathway of exosite I expression during activation of human prethrombin 1 to thrombin.

Abstract Activation of prothrombin (Pro) by factor Xa to form thrombin occurs by proteolysis of Arg271-Thr272 and Arg320-Ile321, resulting in expression of regulatory exosites I and II. Cleavage of Pro by thrombin liberates fragment 1 and generates the zymogen analog, prethrombin 1 (Pre 1). The properties of exosite I on Pre 1 and its factor Xa activation intermediates were characterized in spectroscopic and equilibrium binding studies using the fluorescein-labeled probe, hirudin54–65 (). Prethrombin 2 (Pre 2), formed by factor Xa cleavage of Pre 1 at Arg271-Thr272, had the same affinity for hirudin54–65 peptides as Pre 1 in the absence or presence of near-saturating fragment 2 (F2). Pre 2 and thrombin also had indistinguishable affinities for F2. By contrast, cleavage of Pre 1 at Arg320-Ile321, to form active meizothrombin des-fragment 1 MzT(-F1), showed a 11- to 20-fold increase in affinity for hirudin54–65, indistinguishable from the 13- to 20-fold increase seen for conversion of Pre 2 to thrombin. Thus, factor Xa cleavage of Pre 1 at Arg271-Thr272 does not effect exosite I expression, whereas cleavage at Arg320-Ile321 results in concomitant activation of the catalytic site and exosite I. Furthermore, expression of exosite I on the Pre 1 activation intermediates is not modulated by F2, and exosite II is not activated conformationally. The differential expression of exosite I affinity on the Pre 1 activation intermediates and the previously demonstrated role of (pro)exosite I in factor Va-dependent substrate recognition suggest that changes in exosite I expression may regulate the rate and direction of the Pre 1 activation pathway.