cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response to “Cryolipolysis: The Importance of Scientific Evaluation of a New Technique”

With great interest, I read Dr Swanson's Letter to the Editor.1 While I appreciate his efforts to stress the importance of scientific evaluation, I was surprised about the number of incorrect points he made in his commentary. The author took umbrage to my clinical and commercial overview of cryolipolysis2 being the second most viewed article published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal ( ASJ ). What he failed to point out is that the third most viewed publication in the esteemed ASJ is another cryolipolysis article.3,4 Clearly, the aesthetic surgery community is interested in cryolipolysis for non-surgical body contouring. And while safety, efficacy, and tolerability are of primary concern, plastic surgeons are also interested in growing their practices. My overview article did not purport to be a comprehensive investigation of a new technology. As stated in the title, it was a clinical and commercial overview, a retrospective study of the first 528 patients treated at a private practice. The article shed light on the patient population for a non-surgical body-contouring procedure and how it could help grow a plastic surgery practice. While it seems to offend the author's sensibilities to quantitate cross-selling, there are many ASJ readers interested in non-surgicals and eager to learn that 66% of the cryolipolysis patients were new to the practice, 62% were aesthetic neophytes, and 40% of the new “Freeze the Fat” patients have stayed with our practice and over the last two years, have enjoyed many other services and goods. I look forward to quantifying the secondary and tertiary revenue stream in the next year. The author's letter stated that liposuction reduces subcutaneous fat …
An active-set algorithm for nonlinear programming using parametric linear programming

This paper describes an active-set algorithm for nonlinear programming that solves a parametric linear programming subproblem at each iteration to generate an estimate of the active set. A step is then computed by solving an equality constrained quadratic program based on this active-set estimate. This approach represents an extension to standard sequential linear-quadratic programming (SLQP) algorithms. It can also be viewed as an attempt to implement a generalization of the gradient projection algorithm for nonlinear programming. To this effect, we explore the relation between the parametric method and the gradient projection method in the bound-constrained case. Numerical results compare the performance of this algorithm with SLQP and gradient projection, and indicate good performance and marked improvement on bound-constrained problems and quadratic programs.
Spatial ecology of white-tailed deer fawns in the northern Great Plains: Implications of loss of conservation reserve program grasslands

Few studies have evaluated how wildlife, and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus )i n particular, respond to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands. We conducted a 3-year study (2007- 2009) to determine the influence of CRP on fawn ecology during a time of declining CRP enrollment. We captured and radiocollared 81 fawn white-tailed deer during 15 May to 15 June 2007-2009 in north-central South Dakota, collected 6,505 locations, and documented 70 summer home ranges. Mean summer home ranges increased temporally during 2007-2009 (P < 0.001) and corresponded to a 41% loss of CRP grasslands in the area (2.3% loss in land cover and approx. 21% loss in cover habitat in the study area) over the duration of the study. Additionally, mean movement between daily locations increased (P < 0.001) from 2007 to 2009. Analysis of covariance models indicated that change in CRP influenced home-range size, and change in CRP and wheat influenced daily movement. Smaller home ranges and reduced movements were associated with greater quantity of CRP available to fawns, and increased movements were associated with more acreage of wheat available to fawns. Fawns shifted resource selection during the summer at a mean age ranging from 48.8 days to 58.6 days, and this shift was associated with height of corn (83-87 cm). During early summer, fawns consistently selected for CRP; selection of wheat progressed temporally from avoidance in 2007 to selection in 2009. During late summer, fawns consistently selected for corn habitat and used CRP at least in proportion to its availability. Reduction in CRP-grasslands seemed to increase fawn home-range size and daily movements and, influenced change in resource selection to wheat. Current legislation mandates continued decrease in CRP enrollment and concomitant increase in the planting of corn for ethanol production. Management of habitat throughout the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains that maximizes cover habitats would provide neonates with adequate cover for protection from predators. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Correlates of Converted and Native Nondaily Smoking.

OBJECTIVES Nondaily smokers represent a growing proportion of current smokers in the United States. However, little is known about which characteristics are important in distinguishing between nondaily smokers who are former daily smokers (converted nondaily) and nondaily smokers who never smoked daily (native nondaily). This study contrasts converted and native nondaily smokers on demographic, psychosocial, tobacco-related characteristics and quit intentions and behaviors in a tri-ethnic sample (Blacks, Whites, and Latinos) of smokers. METHODS Smokers were recruited for a web-based survey using an online panel survey company. Participants were 1,201 nondaily smokers (904 converted nondaily smokers and 297 native nondaily smokers). A multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the associations between demographic, smoking-related, and psychosocial variables with converted versus native nondaily smoking. RESULTS Logistic regression indicated that number of years smoking, years as a nondaily smoker, number of days smoked in a month, smoking dependence, identity as a smoker, and number of smoking cessation methods used were correlates of being converted nondaily smokers versus native nondaily smokers. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians and researchers should consider characteristic variations in nondaily smokers when designing and implementing intervention efforts targeting this smoking population.
On the performance of order-statistics CFAR detectors

The detection performance of order-statistics-based two-parameter CFAR (constant false alarm rate) algorithms is compared with that of the classical Goldstein (1973) two-parameter CFAR. The performance comparison uses polarimetrically processed, high-resolution (1-ft*1-ft) SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imagery of real targets in clutter. The detectors are shown to provide comparable performance for the case of a single target in clutter. The order-statistics CFAR detectors, however, provide the best performance when the scene contains two closely spaced targets. >
Increased pulmonary vascular contraction to serotonin after cardiopulmonary bypass: role of cyclooxygenase.

Background. Pulmonary vascular resistance is frequently elevated after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We examined if altered pulmonary microvascular reactivity to serotonin (5-HT) is due to altered expression of isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) or cyclooxygenase (COX). Materials and methods. Pigs (n = 8) were heparinized and placed on total CPB for 90 min and then perfused off CPB for 90 min. Noninstrumented pigs (n = 6) served as controls for vascular studies. Relaxation responses (% of precontraction) of microvessels (60–150 μm in diameter) were examined in vitro in a pressurized (20 mm Hg) no-flow state with video microscopic imaging. Expression of eNOS, iNOS, and inducible (COX-2) and constitutive (COX-1) cyclooxygenase was examined with Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) increased from 316 ± 39 mm Hg × s/cm5 at baseline to 495 ± 53 at 60 min and 565 ± 62 at 90 min after termination of CPB. 5-HT elicited a relaxation response (46.8 ± 11.8%) in precontracted control microvessels. This response was not affected by the NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine. After CPB, pulmonary microvessels contracted significantly to 5-HT (−29 ± 27%, P < 0.05 vs control). This response was partially inhibited (7 ± 20%, P = 0.06) in the presence of the COX-2 inhibitor NS398, but was unaffected by the thromboxane synthase inhibitor U63557A (−20 ± 19%). Expression of iNOS or COX-1 was not changed after CPB. Protein and mRNA expressions of COX-2 both increased significantly after CPB, while that of eNOS decreased by approximately 50%. Conclusions. PVR increased after CPB. This was associated with a hypercontractile response of isolated pulmonary microvessels to 5-HT that was in part mediated by the release of prostaglandins (but not thromboxane) and associated with increased expression of COX-2 and with decreased expression of eNOS.
Accountability School Reform in Comparative Perspective

School reform politics in England and the United States over the last quarter century has revolved largely around the question of performance-based accountability. Accountability school reform in b...
A Robotic Exoskeleton Device for Augmenting Wrist Movement and Grip Function in Debilitated Patients

Many diseases and conditions can cause reduced motor function in joints throughout the body. This paper identifies such health issues that affect the function of the wrist and hand in particular. After identifying these conditions, a concept three degree of freedom (two DOFs of the wrist plus cylindrical grip) robotic exoskeleton design is presented that is intended to augment a patient’s remaining function and strength while remaining portable and lightweight. With this in mind, the device is intended to allow a patient to use and operate it independently, without the presence of a therapist. The mechanical design of the exoskeleton is described in depth, along with details of potential actuation methods. The main idea for control of the device is to detect small torque values as a patient attempts a movement and in turn predict what the intended outcome would be if the patient were at full strength. After processing this information the robot would assist the patient in facilitating the anticipated movement. This is in contrast to alternate control methods, which rely primarily on electromyography (EMG) to detect signals to muscles that control certain movements. Electromyography can be unreliable because many of the conditions that cause debilitated function also cause an interruption or break in these signals.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Summarizing transactional databases with overlapped hyperrectangles

Transactional data are ubiquitous. Several methods, including frequent itemset mining and co-clustering, have been proposed to analyze transactional databases. In this work, we propose a new research problem to succinctly summarize transactional databases. Solving this problem requires linking the high level structure of the database to a potentially huge number of frequent itemsets. We formulate this problem as a set covering problem using overlapped hyperrectangles (a concept generally regarded as tile according to some existing papers); we then prove that this problem and its several variations are NP-hard, and we further reveal its relationship with the compact representation of a directed bipartite graph. We develop an approximation algorithm Hyper which can achieve a logarithmic approximation ratio in polynomial time. We propose a pruning strategy that can significantly speed up the processing of our algorithm, and we also propose an efficient algorithm Hyper+ to further summarize the set of hyperrectangles by allowing false positive conditions. Additionally, we show that hyperrectangles generated by our algorithms can be properly visualized. A detailed study using both real and synthetic datasets shows the effectiveness and efficiency of our approaches in summarizing transactional databases.
Pediatric Methylphenidate Exposures: 7-Year Experience of Poison Centers in the United States

This study was undertaken to evaluate trends and toxicity of pediatric methylphenidate exposures; 1993 to 1999 national poison center data were analyzed. There were 12,917 exposures, increasing from 927 in 1993 to 2,445 in 1999. The majority of children during the entire study period experienced no effect (60.3%) or minor effects (28.7%), with no fatalities. Most common reasons were unintentional general or therapeutic errors in children under 13 years and suicide attempt in adolescents. Adolescents were more likely to experience clinical toxicity, hospitalizations and more serious outcomes. The trend of increasing frequency of methylphenidate exposures reported to poison centers exactly parallels increasing therapeutic use.
A comparison of fungistatic properties of three aromatic diamidines.

Summary1. The in vitro sensitivity of 11 fungi have been found to differ appreciably in the presence of stilbamidine, propamidine, and pentamidine. 2. The 3 diamidines appeared to have no therapeutic effect upon sporotrichosis in mice under the conditions of the experiment.
Formation of Oxynitride as the Photocatalytic Enhancing Site in Nitrogen‐Doped Titania Nanocatalysts: Comparison to a Commercial Nanopowder

A nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanocolloid has been successfully prepared and its properties compared with the commercially available TiO2 nanomaterial, Degussa P25. Several characterization techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and UV-visible reflectance spectra, are combined in order to determine the crystal phase and grain size, shape, degree of nitrogen incorporation, and nature of the resultant oxynitride chemical bonding on the surface and in the bulk. The high relative photocatalytic activity of the nitrogen doped-TiO2 nanocolloid is evaluated through a study of the decomposition of methylene blue under visible light excitation. The ease and degree of substitutional-insertional nitrogen doping is held accountable for the significant increase in photocatalytic activity in the porous nanocolloid versus the nitrided commercial nanopowder. It is suggested that the nitrogen incorporation produces an NO bonding region as evidenced by the resulting XPS spectrum.
Preliminary Evidence Suggests Periureteral Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection Improves Ureteral Stone Passage in the Porcine Model

Abstract Purpose: We evaluated the use of periureteral injection of botulinum toxin type A (Botox®, BTX-A) to facilitate passage of ureteral stones in a porcine model. We believe that reducing detrusor muscle tone around the intramural ureter may facilitate passage of ureteral stones through the ureterovesical junction. Materials and Methods: With complete Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval, artificial stones (BegoStone plus) were placed by retrograde ureteroscopy into the proximal ureter using fluoroscopic guidance using an in-vivo porcine model. Six animals underwent periureteral BTX-A injection 30 U/mL to three locations around the ureteral orifice, and six animals were in the control group undergoing periureteral injection of physiologic saline. Results: There was a significant decrease in time to stone passage in the BTX-A group compared with the control group, 2.6 ± 1.3 vs 6.8 ± 2.9 days, respectively (p = 0.018). None of the animals had evidence of vesicoureteral reflux postproced...
Live demonstration: A tongue-operated multimodal human computer interface and robotic rehabilitation system

This demonstration features two systems showcasing different applications of the Tongue Drive System (TDS). The Multimodal Tongue Drive System (mTDS) serves as a comprehensive human computer interface (HCI) for individuals with severe physical disabilities, while the tongue-operated robotic rehabilitation system (TDS-HM) facilitates rehabilitation of stroke patients during their recovery.
A star-shaped ring network with high maintainability

Abstract Ring networks exhibit a number of desirable properties: they are simple in concept and in implementation; one-way point-to-point signal transmission minimizes analog circuitry and design problems; the cost of a small net is small; and transmission speed is not limited by propagation time. However, there are several potential reliability problems: all repeaters must be powered and operating reliably at all times; cutting of any transmission line in the ring will isrupt the entire network; and trouble-shooting may require visiting each node with test equipment. The advantages of ring networks are sufficiently attractive to merit careful attack onthe reliability and maintainability problems. This paper describes a physical organization of a ring network that we term a “star-shaped ring.” This organization addresses the reliability issues mentioned above by looping all internode links back through a central location so that broken lines or repeaters can be by passed. This approach allows automatic recovery if the ring is accidentally broken. In addition, it simplifies trouble-shooting and, because the lengths of transmission links can be normalized, permits the use of still simpler transmission circuitry. Finally, the “star-shaped ring” appears to be a satisfactory approach to installing a network that can grow to a large number of nodes in a typical office building.
Abstract 458: Obesity-related Alterations in Cardiac Lipid Profile During the Transition to Diastolic Dysfunction

Myocardial accumulation of fatty acids and lipid intermediates may contribute to cardiac dysfunction, but the interrelationship between different lipid species to diastolic dysfunction is not clearly understood. Herein, we examined changes in levels and composition of different lipid species during the progression to diastolic dysfunction in a clinically relevant model of obese insulin-resistant db/db mice at 12 and 15 wks of age. Obese db/db mice manifested loss of circadian BP dipping and diastolic dysfunction at 15 wks. Myocardial lipidomic analysis demonstrated elevated ceramides and fatty acids in db/db at 12 wks, but their levels were decreased at 15 wk and this was accompanied by increased fatty acid oxidation and enhanced production of reactive oxygen species. Triacylglyceride and diacylglyceride levels remained elevated at both 12 and 15 wk, but their composition changed to consist of more saturated and less unsaturated fatty acyl at 15 wks of age compared to 12 wk. Dysregulation of phospholipid metabolism persisted at 15 wk in db/db. Changes in triacylglyceride and diacylglyceride composition, phospholipid metabolism, β-oxidation, and oxidative stress that are temporally related to non-dipping of BP and diastolic dysfunction suggest a switch in metabolism of lipid intermediates contributes to the development of diastolic dysfunction in over-nutrition.
Structural Characterization of Dihydrofolate Reductase Complexes by Top-Down Ultraviolet Photodissociation Mass Spectrometry

The stepwise reduction of dihydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate entails significant conformational changes of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Binary and ternary complexes of DHFR containing cofactor NADPH, inhibitor methotrexate (MTX), or both NADPH and MTX were characterized by 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) mass spectrometry. UVPD yielded over 80% sequence coverage of DHFR and resulted in production of fragment ions that revealed the interactions between DHFR and each ligand. UVPD of the binary DHFR·NADPH and DHFR·MTX complexes led to an unprecedented number of fragment ions containing either an N- or C-terminal protein fragment still bound to the ligand via retention of noncovalent interactions. In addition, holo-fragments retaining both ligands were observed upon UVPD of the ternary DHFR·NADPH·MTX complex. The combination of extensive holo and apo fragment ions allowed the locations of the NADPH and MTX ligands to be mapped, with NADPH associated with the adenosine binding domain of DHFR and MTX interacting with the loop domain. These findings are consistent with previous crystallographic evidence. Comparison of the backbone cleavage propensities for apo DHFR and its holo counterparts revealed significant variations in UVPD fragmentation in the regions expected to experience conformational changes upon binding NADPH, MTX, or both ligands. In particular, the subdomain rotation and loop movements, which are believed to occur upon formation of the transition state of the ternary complex, are reflected in the UVPD mass spectra. The UVPD spectra indicate enhanced backbone cleavages in regions that become more flexible or show suppressed backbone cleavages for those regions either shielded by the ligand or involved in new intramolecular interactions. This study corroborates the versatility of 193 nm UVPD mass spectrometry as a sensitive technique to track enzymatic cycles that involve conformational rearrangements.
A novel automatic method to track the body and paws of running mice in high speed video

Examining locomotion has improved our basic understanding of motor control and aided in treating motor impairment. Mice are a premier model of human disease and increasingly the model system of choice for basic neuroscience. High frame rates (higher than 150 Hz) are needed to quantify the kinematics of running mice, due to their high stride frequency (up to 10 Hz). Thus manual tracking, especially for multiple markers, becomes time-consuming and impossible for large sample sizes. Therefore, an automated method is necessary. Several methods have been used to automatically or semi-automatically track mice, including commercially available systems (Digigait [1, 2], Motorater, Noldus Catwalk [3, 4]). These systems can be typically prohibitively expensive, and may only provide information about paws during the stand phase. In research and industry approaches to tracking mice have frequently relied on shaving fur and then drawing markers on the skin for subsequent tracking raw video [5], or on the attachment of retroreflective markers, and the use of optical motion capture systems. These methods have the drawback of requiring anesthesia and multiple handlings applications of markers, and the problem of animal removing the attached markers. Here, we develop methods to track and label the body and paws directly from high speed color video, without shaving fur or attaching markers. We analyse data from the C57BL/6 mouse, because it is the most widely used strain in basic research and biomedicine.
FT-NIR Comparative Quantitative Performance for Complex Samples

Quantification in routine near IR spectroscopy is based on mA differences requiring signal conservation and limitation of instrument noise to a few μA units. An FT-NIR bench equipped with a fiber optic sampling probe was used for quantitative analysis of clear liquid chemical mixtures, emulsions, and homogeneous and heterogeneous granular solids. The combination of hardware, sampling optics, and calibration equation produced analytical standard errors comparable to those obtained with both dispersive and acousto-optic NIR instruments. The sampling area of the probe required averaging of multiple probes for heterogeneous solids. Excellent wavelength reproduction of the FT-NIR enabled the use of spectral subtraction for both qualitative and quantitative purposes.
Evaluation of Passive Cooling Systems for Residential Buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In this paper, passive cooling strategies have been investigated to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing cooling thermal loads and air conditioning energy consumption for residential buildings in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Specifically, three passive cooling techniques have been evaluated including natural ventilation, downdraft evaporative cooling, and earth tube cooling. These passive cooling systems are applied to a prototypical KSA residential villa model with an improved building envelope. The analysis has been carried using detailed simulation tool for several cities representing different climate conditions throughout KSA. The impact of the passive cooling systems is evaluated on both energy consumption and electrical peak demand for residential villas with and without improved building envelope for five cities, representatives of various climate conditions in KSA. It is found that both natural ventilation and evaporative cooling provide a significant reduction in cooling energy use and electrical peak demand for the prototypical villa located in dry KSA climates such as that of Riyadh and Tabuk. Natural ventilation alone has reduced the cooling energy end-use by 22%, while the evaporative cooling system has resulted in 64% savings in cooling energy end-use. Moreover, the natural ventilation is found to have a high potential in all KSA climates, while evaporative cooling can be suitable only in hot and dry climates such as Riyadh and Tabuk. Finally, the analysis showed that natural ventilation provided the lowest electrical peak demand when applied into the improved envelope residential buildings in all five cities in KSA.
Integrated Space-Division Multiplexer for Application to Data Center Networks

The prospect of creating integrated space-division multiplexing (SDM) on a chip, utilizing the orthogonal degrees of freedom of numerous guided spatial modes in a multimode waveguide, promises a substantial reduction in the cost, complexity, and scalability of networking systems by augmenting or replacing the commonly used approach of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). As a demonstration of the SDM approach, we introduce and experimentally characterize a periodically nanostructured resonant coupler integrated with a multimode waveguide that selectively transfers energy between arbitrary waveguide modes. Compared to alternative schemes, this device possesses advantages in terms of packing density, control of operating bandwidth, tunability to operate with numerous orthogonal spatial modes, and support of a large number of switching ports.
Multiple and Concurrent Arrhythmia.

Given the unique interventional emphasis in our specialty, Teaching Rounds in Cardiac Electrophysiology has frequently centered on the pearls and pitfalls associated with electrogram analysis and complications of lead implant extraction or ablation and in mapping complex arrhythmia circuits. In this issue of Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology , Fabrizio et al,1 in a refreshing departure from this norm, take us to a more classic medical teaching rounds relevant to rhythm management. They present a patient with multiple changing malignant rhythm disorders resulting from caffeine toxicity. Their submission is replete with clinical diagnostic dilemmas, treatment difficulties, and also a succinct but comprehensive discussion of caffeine toxicity and the heart. See Article by Fabrizio et al Most often in the electrophysiology laboratory, we deal with one primary arrhythmia in a patient, some which occur in structurally normal hearts and others specifically related to structural cardiac disease. Occasionally, multiple disparate arrhythmias are related, and most of these are well recognized by electrophysiologists. Accessory pathway–related supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular (AV) node reentrant tachycardia, and outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (VT) are well-recognized examples. Multiple and changing tachycardias emerging in a relatively short time frame may also occur in the setting of myocarditis or other changing substrate. Less commonly, more than one unrelated rhythm disorder may be present at the same time, such as 2 different VTs producing a bidirectional pattern or the concurrent atrial tachycardias and VTs of digitalis toxicity. Fabrizio et al discuss the less well appreciated occurrences of multiple as well …
A 3-Year Comparison of Overdoses Treated in a Military Emergency Department-Complications, Admission Rates, and Health Care Resources Consumed.

ABSTRACTBackground: Drug overdose has become a leading cause of death in the United States and is a growing issue in civilian and military populations. Increasing prescription drug misuse and poisonings translate into greater utilization of medical resources. Our objective was to describe the incidences of overdoses and their associated events and outcomes following emergency department consult. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study on cases evaluated in 2 military hospital emergency departments over 3 years. Subjects were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes 960-970. Variables collected included demographics, military service, method of arrival, vital signs, clinical complications, and hospital admission, if overdose was documented as intentional or unintentional and drug ingested. Results: Over 3 years, 342 overdoses were treated. Mean age was 35 ± 19 and gender was 53% female. 47% were active duty and 32% were dependents. 21% of overdoses involved b...
Altered Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Blood After Ischemic Stroke and Proximity to Putative Stroke Risk Loci.

Background and Purpose— Although peripheral blood mRNA and micro-RNA change after ischemic stroke, any role for long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), which comprise most of the genome and have been implicated in various diseases, is unknown. Thus, we hypothesized that lncRNA expression also changes after stroke. Methods— lncRNA expression was assessed in 266 whole-blood RNA samples drawn once per individual from patients with ischemic stroke and matched with vascular risk factor controls. Differential lncRNA expression was assessed by ANCOVA ( P |1.2|), principal components analysis, and hierarchical clustering on a derivation set (n=176) and confirmed on a validation set (n=90). Poststroke temporal lncRNA expression changes were assessed using ANCOVA with confounding factor correction ( P |0.4|). Because sexual dimorphism exists in stroke, analyses were performed for each sex separately. Results— A total of 299 lncRNAs were differentially expressed between stroke and control males, whereas 97 lncRNAs were differentially expressed between stroke and control females. Significant changes of lncRNA expression with time after stroke were detected for 49 lncRNAs in men and 31 lncRNAs in women. Some differentially expressed lncRNAs mapped close to genomic locations of previously identified putative stroke-risk genes, including lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a)-like 2, ABO (transferase A, α1-3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; transferase B, α1-3-galactosyltransferase) blood group, prostaglandin 12 synthase, and α-adducins. Conclusions— This study provides evidence of altered and sexually dimorphic lncRNA expression in peripheral blood of patients with stroke compared with that of controls and suggests that lncRNAs have potential for stroke biomarker development. Some regulated lncRNA could regulate some previously identified putative stroke-risk genes.
Elimination of the Need for Urine Studies during Diagnostic Studies of Monoclonal Gammopathies by the Combined Use of Serum Immunofixation and Serum Free Light Chain Assays.

Abstract Due to the diagnostic sensitivity of serum free light chain quantitation for monoclonal light chain diseases, it has been suggested that urine assays no longer need be performed as part of the diagnostic algorithm for monoclonal proteins. We reviewed our experience to determine the relative diagnostic contribution of urine assays. Methods: Patients with a monoclonal gammopathy and monoclonal urinary protein at initial diagnosis who also had a serum immunofixation and serum free light chain quantitation within 30 days of diagnosis were identified (n = 428). The laboratory results for serum protein electrophoresis, serum immunofixation, serum free light chain, urine protein electrophoresis, and urine immunofixation were reviewed. Results: The patients in this cohort had diagnoses of multiple myeloma, primary amyloid, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, smoldering multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytomas, and other less frequently detected monoclonal gammopathies. By definition of the cohort, all 428 had a monoclonal urine protein. 86% had an abnormal serum free light chain K/L ratio, 81% had an abnormal serum protein electrophoresis, and 94% had an abnormal serum immunofixation. In only 2 patients, however, were all 3 serum assays normal. Both of these were patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (idiopathic Bence Jones proteinuria). Conclusion: Discontinuation of urine studies and reliance on a diagnostic algorithm using solely serum studies (protein electrophoresis, immunofixation, and free light chain quantitation), missed 2 of the 428 monoclonal gammopathies (0.5 %) with urinary monoclonal proteins, and these 2 cases required no medical intervention.
Marijuana protective behavioral strategies as a moderator of the effects of risk/protective factors on marijuana-related outcomes

Abstract Given that both marijuana use and cannabis use disorder peak among college students, it is imperative to determine the factors that may reduce risk of problematic marijuana use and/or the development of cannabis use disorder. From a harm reduction perspective, the present study examined whether the use of marijuana protective behavioral strategies (PBS) buffers or amplifies the effects of several distinct risk and protective factors that have been shown to relate to marijuana-related outcomes (i.e., use frequency and consequences). Specifically, we examined marijuana-PBS use as a moderator of the effects of impulsivity-like traits, marijuana use motives, gender, and marijuana use frequency on marijuana-related outcomes in a large sample of college students ( n = 2093 past month marijuana users across 11 universities). In all models PBS use was robustly related with use frequency and consequences (i.e., strongly negatively associated with marijuana outcomes). Among interactions, we found: 1) unique significant interactions between specific impulsivity-like traits (i.e., premeditation, perseverance, and sensation seeking) and marijuana-PBS use in predicting marijuana consequences, 2) unique significant interactions between each marijuana use motive and marijuana-PBS use in predicting marijuana use frequency and 3) marijuana-PBS use buffered the risk associated with male gender in predicting both marijuana outcomes. Our results suggest that marijuana-PBS use can buffer risk factors and enhance protective factors among marijuana using college students. Future research is needed to understand context-specific factors and individual-level factors that may make marijuana-PBS use more effective.
Simulations of Ion Thruster Plumes in Ground Facilities Using Adaptive Mesh Refinement

Ion thruster plumes are simulated under a recently developed computer framework inside a vacuum chamber at various background pressures for single- and triple-thruster configurations. Momentum and charge–exchange collisions occurring between neutral and ion species, as well as the induced electric field due to ions, are performed using multiple adaptive mesh refinement meshes to study the spatial variance of neutrals and ions while analyzing the effect of vacuum chamber conditions. Comparisons between vacuum chamber and space simulations show that the spatial distribution of the neutral densities are different in the far downstream region of the ion thruster. The change in the background density is also found to affect the spatial distributions of the charge–exchange ions in the domain. The triple-thruster cases show that the background density levels are approximately proportional to the number of thrusters being operated. The adaptive mesh refinement capability is shown to be able to capture the confine...
Inexpensive urinalysis test strips to screen for diabetes in developing countries

Sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly experiencing the double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Many of these diseases, including diabetes, remain prevalent despite the availability of viable treatment options. Lack of access to screening tools frequently prevents individuals from seeking a diagnosis or pursuing treatment. The development of alternative screening devices in the form of low cost test strips has the potential to surmount existing barriers to treatment, allowing earlier intervention in the progression of diabetes. This article presents a demonstration that modified published protocols for glucose and ketone detection in solution — two of the principal chemical signatures of diabetes — are reproducible on test strips manufactured using composite rubber-foam stamps to print chemical reagents on filter paper. These test strips contain specific chemicals which, in the presence of disease markers, cause a visible color change and defined intensity gradient that can be experimentally verified. The creation of an affordable and effective urinalysis test strip has the ability to make screening for disease more accessible in developing nations.
Insertion of proteins and lipopolysaccharide into the bacterial outer membrane

The bacterial outer membrane contains phospholipids in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet. Both proteins and LPS must be frequently inserted into the outer membrane to preserve its integrity. The protein complex that inserts LPS into the outer membrane is called LptDE, and consists of an integral membrane protein, LptD, with a separate globular lipoprotein, LptE, inserted in the barrel lumen. The protein complex that inserts newly synthesized outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) into the outer membrane is called the BAM complex, and consists of an integral membrane protein, BamA, plus four lipoproteins, BamB, C, D and E. Recent structural and functional analyses illustrate how these two complexes insert their substrates into the outer membrane by distorting the membrane component (BamA or LptD) to directly access the lipid bilayer.This article is part of the themed issue 'Membrane pores: from structure and assembly, to medicine and technology'.
Explaining Downward-Rigid CEO Compensation: An Information Asymmetry Perspective

CEO compensation rarely gets cut, and almost every component of it increased in early 2000. I consider a two-period contracting problem in which a board privately knows its CEO's matching quality with the firm that changes over time. The board faces a trade-off: Revealing good information makes the CEO work harder, but it is costly. To save the information revelation cost, the board commits to a back-loaded compensation plan that features only upward adjustments in fixed and performance-based pay. This paper also considers extensions in which CEOs have transferable skills and sheds light on bonus caps and compensation disclosure policies.
Scintillator-based measurement of off-axis neutron and photon dose rates during proton therapy

Dose rates, especially from photons and neutrons, inform safety procedures in any radioactive environment. A method for measuring dose rates from both particles with one device will simplify current methods for surveying dose fields. We have developed a technique using organic scintillators that is based on the definition of effective dose, extracted from energy deposited in the detector. Using pulse shape discrimination, energy deposited from either neutrons or photons can be separated. Radiation weighting factors are applied to obtain effective dose from neutrons and photons concurrently. This method was previously demonstrated for organic scintillators with a californium-252 source; this work presents measurements of off-axis secondary particle dose rates from a sub-clinical strength proton beam incident on various tissue-equivalent targets. The experiment was modeled using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX-PoliMi. Measured proton beam secondary neutron dose rates agree reasonably well with simulated results. The comprehensive analysis of this dose rate technique demonstrates the possibility for a dual particle dosimeter to be used in a variety of applications, including surveying, room monitoring, and shielding analysis. Enhancing and simplifying dose rate monitoring will allow for a safer and more productive radiation work environment.
Phenazines Regulate Nap-Dependent Denitrification in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Microbes in biofilms face the challenge of substrate limitation. In particular, oxygen often becomes limited for cells in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms growing in the laboratory or during host colonization. Previously we found that phenazines, antibiotics produced by P. aeruginosa, balance the intracellular redox state of cells in biofilms. Here, we show that genes involved in denitrification are induced in phenazine-null (Δphz) mutant biofilms grown under an aerobic atmosphere, even in the absence of nitrate. This finding suggests that resident cells employ a bet-hedging strategy to anticipate the potential availability of nitrate and counterbalance their highly reduced redox state. Consistent with our previous characterization of aerobically grown colonies supplemented with nitrate, we found that the pathway that is induced in Δphz mutant colonies combines the nitrate reductase activity of the periplasmic enzyme Nap with the downstream reduction of nitrite to nitrogen gas catalyzed by the enzymes Nir, Nor, and Nos. This regulatory relationship differs from the denitrification pathway that functions under anaerobic growth, with nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor, which depends on the membrane-associated nitrate reductase Nar. We identified the sequences in the promoter regions of the nap and nir operons that are required for the effects of phenazines on expression. We also show that specific phenazines have differential effects on nap gene expression. Finally, we provide evidence that individual steps of the denitrification pathway are catalyzed at different depths within aerobically grown biofilms, suggesting metabolic cross-feeding between community subpopulations.IMPORTANCE An understanding of the unique physiology of cells in biofilms is critical to our ability to treat fungal and bacterial infections. Colony biofilms of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown under an aerobic atmosphere but without nitrate express a denitrification pathway that differs from that used for anaerobic growth. We report that the components of this pathway are induced by electron acceptor limitation and that they are differentially expressed over the biofilm depth. These observations suggest that (i) P. aeruginosa exhibits "bet hedging," in that it expends energy and resources to prepare for nitrate availability when other electron acceptors are absent, and (ii) cells in distinct biofilm microniches may be able to exchange substrates to catalyze full denitrification.
Soluble Supercapacitors: Large and Reversible Charge Storage in Colloidal Iron-Doped ZnO Nanocrystals

Colloidal ZnO semiconductor nanocrystals have previously been shown to accumulate multiple delocalized conduction-band electrons under chemical, electrochemical, or photochemical reducing conditions, leading to emergent semimetallic characteristics such as quantum plasmon resonances and raising prospects for application in multielectron redox transformations. Here, we demonstrate a dramatic enhancement in the capacitance of colloidal ZnO nanocrystals through aliovalent Fe3+-doping. Very high areal and volumetric capacitances (33 μF cm–2, 233 F cm–3) are achieved in Zn0.99Fe0.01O nanocrystals that rival those of the best supercapacitors used in commercial energy-storage devices. The redox properties of these nanocrystals are probed by potentiometric titration and optical spectroscopy. These data indicate an equilibrium between electron localization by Fe3+ dopants and electron delocalization within the ZnO conduction band, allowing facile reversible charge storage and removal. As “soluble supercapacitors”,...
Robust Distributed Formation Control of Agents With Higher-Order Dynamics

We present a distributed control strategy for agents with a variety of holonomic dynamics to autonomously achieve a desired formation. The proposed control is fully distributed, and can be implemented locally on agents using the relative position measurements. Furthermore, agents do not need to communicate or have a common sense of orientation. Our strategy allows control gains designed for agents with single-integrator dynamics to be used directly for agents with higher-order linear (or linearizable) holonomic dynamics. We provide rigorous mathematical analysis to prove convergence of the agents to the desired formation. The proposed method is applied to quadrotors with linearized dynamics, and simulations are provided to typify the theoretical results.
Virtualization of SCADA testbeds for cybersecurity research: A modular approach

Abstract SCADA systems were made robust to sustain tough industrial environments, but little care was taken to raise defenses against potential cyber threats. With time, the threats started pouring in and eliciting major concerns in the research community. The extremely high cost and critical nature of SCADA Systems has made it nearly impossible for researchers to perform experiments with live cyber-attacks. Hence, replicating the behavior of these complicated systems by developing high-fidelity testbeds and testing the vulnerabilities on them provides researchers with the necessary workspace to combat the threats currently haunting these legacy systems. However, high-fidelity testbeds like Deter and NSTB are not portable and are hard to replicate. Even though it was possible to identify some portable testbeds, they all have poor support on the virtualization of the SCADA controller or use hardware-in-the-loop, which affects portability. In this research, a novel-modular framework is proposed to replicate complex SCADA Systems entirely on a virtual simulation, which makes them very low cost and portable. The process of virtualizing each major component is discussed. Finally, the success of this methodology is demonstrated by replicating real world critical infrastructures, which are presented as case studies as well as cyberattacks to demonstrate the use of the framework for cybersecurity research.