cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Case of Trigger-Point Injection-Induced Hypokalemic Paralysis

BACKGROUND Trigger-point injection (TPI) therapy is an effective modality for symptomatic treatment of myofascial pain. Serious adverse effects are rarely observed. In this report, we present the case of a 39-year-old man who experienced severe, transient hypokalemic paralysis in the context of TPI therapy with methylprednisolone, bupivacaine, and epinephrine. He was successfully treated with electrolyte replacement in a closely monitored setting. CASE REPORT A 39-year-old man with no past medical history except for chronic left hip pain from a work-related injury received a TPI with methylprednisolone and bupivacaine. The TPI targeted the left iliopsoas tendon and was administered using ultrasound guidance. There were no immediately perceived complications, but within 12 h he presented with severe hypokalemic paralysis with a serum potassium 1.7 mmol/L. Judicious potassium repletion was initiated. Repeated tests after 6 h consistently showed normal potassium levels of 4.5 mmol/L. CONCLUSIONS Severe hypokalemic paralysis in the context of trigger-point injection is an incredibly rare occurrence and this is the first case report in English literature. A high index of clinical suspicion and a systematic approach are therefore required for prompt diagnosis and management of this obscure iatrogenic entity. Clinicians can enhance patient safety by allowing the primary pathology to guide them.
Neurophysiological Processing of an Emotional Task is Sensitive to Time-of-Day.

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that a measure of attention to emotionally-charged stimuli, the late positive potential (LPP) event related potential (ERP), distinguished neutral from emotional pictures on a baseline day, but not after sleep deprivation. Here we sought to extend these findings and address the uncertainty about the effect of time-of-day on emotion processing by testing a morning group (8:00–10:00 a.m., n = 30) and an evening group (8:00–10:00 p.m., n = 30). We also examined the extent of diurnal changes in cortisol related to the emotion processing task. Results from this study mirrored those found after one night of sleep deprivation. Compared to the morning group, the LPP generated by the evening group (who had a greater homeostatic sleep drive) did not distinguish neutral from emotionally-charged stimuli. New to this study, we also found that there was a time-of-day effect on positive, but not negative pictures. While, as expected, cortisol levels were higher in the morning relative to the evening group, there was no relationship between cortisol and the LPP ERP emotion measure. In addition, neither time-of-day preference nor sleep quality was related to the LPP measure. These findings show that, similar to what occurs after sleep deprivation, increased sleep pressure throughout the day interferes with attention processing to emotional stimuli.
Recent Advances in Nanodisc Technology for Membrane Protein Studies (2012-2017)

Historically, the main barrier to membrane protein investigations has been the tendency of membrane proteins to aggregate (due to their hydrophobic nature), in aqueous solution as well as on surfaces. The introduction of biomembrane mimetics has since stimulated momentum in the field. One such mimetic, the nanodisc (ND) system, has proved to be an exceptional system for solubilizing membrane proteins. Herein, we critically evaluate the advantages and imperfections of employing nanodiscs in biophysical and biochemical studies. Specifically, we examine the techniques that have been modified to study membrane proteins in nanodiscs. Techniques discussed here include fluorescence microscopy, solution-state/solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and several mass spectroscopy methods. Newer techniques such as SPR, charge-sensitive optical detection, and scintillation proximity assays are also reviewed. Lastly, we cover how nanodiscs are advancing nanotechnology through nanoplasmonic biosensing, lipoprotein-nanoplatelets, and sortase-mediated labeling of nanodiscs.
Human lung injury following exposure to humic substances and humic-like substances.

Among the myriad particles the human respiratory tract is exposed to, a significant number are distinctive in that they include humic substances (HS) and humic-like substances (HULIS) as organic components. HS are heterogeneous, amorphous, organic materials which are ubiquitous occurring in all terrestrial and aqueous environments. HULIS are a complex class of organic, macromolecular compounds initially extracted from atmospheric aerosol particles which share some features with HS including an aromatic, polyacidic nature. As a result of having a variety of oxygen-containing functional groups, both HS and HULIS complex metal cations, especially iron. Following particle uptake by cells resident in the lung, host iron will be sequestered by HS- and HULIS-containing particles initiating pathways of inflammation and subsequent fibrosis. It is proposed that (1) human exposures to HS and HULIS of respirable size (<10 µm diameter) are associated with inflammatory and fibrotic lung disease and (2) following retention of particles which include HS and HULIS, the mechanism of cell and tissue injury involves complexation of host iron. Human inflammatory and fibrotic lung injuries following HS and HULIS exposures may include coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, sarcoidosis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as well as diseases associated with cigarette smoking and exposures to emission and ambient air pollution particles.
The optimality of A* revisited

This paper examines the optimality of A*, in the sense of expanding the least number of distinct nodes, over three classes of algorithms which return solutions of comparable costs to that found by A*. We first show that A* is optimal over those algorithms guaranteed to find a solution at least as good as A*'s for every heuristic assignment h. Second, we consider a wider class of algorithms which, like A*, are guaranteed to find an optimal solution. (i.e., admissible) if all cost estimates are optimistic (i.e., h≤h*). On this class we show that A* is not optimal and that no optimal algorithm exists unless h is also consistent, in which case A* is optimal. Finally we show that A* is optimal over the subclass of best-first algorithms which are admissible whenever h≤h*.
Tumor Biology Predicts Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients Presenting With Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is used to convert patients with inoperable locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) to operability, but has not traditionally been used to avoid mastectomy or axillary dissection in this subset. The purpose of this study was to determine the rates of pathologic complete response (pCR) in LABC patients, and identify factors predictive of pCR to determine if responding patients might be suitable for limited surgery. From 2006 to 2016, 1522 patients received NAC followed by surgery; 321 had advanced disease in the breast (cT4) and/or in the nodes (cN2/N3). pCR rates were assessed by T and N stage, and receptor subtype. Of 321 LABC patients, 223 were cT4, 77 were cN2, and 82 were cN3. Forty-three percent were hormone receptor (HR) positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative (HR+/HER2−), 23% were triple negative, and 34% were HER2+. The overall pCR rate was 25% and differed by receptor subtype (HR+/HER2− 7%, triple negative 23%, HER2+ 48%; p < 0.001). Breast pCR occurred in 27% of patients and was similar in T4 versus non-T4 disease (29% vs. 22%; p = 0.26). Nodal pCR was achieved in 38% of cN+ patients and did not differ by nodal stage (cN1 43%, cN2 36%, cN3 32%; p = 0.23). Nodal pCR was significantly more common than breast pCR (p = 0.014) across all tumor subtypes. Receptor subtype was the only predictor of overall pCR (p < 0.001). In patients with LABC, pCR after NAC was seen in 25%, and did not differ by T or N stage. Tumor biology, but not extent of disease, predicted pCR. Studies assessing the feasibility of surgical downstaging with NAC in LABC patients are warranted.
The Predictability of Idealized Tropical Cyclones in Environments With Time‐Varying Vertical Wind Shear

This study describes ensembles of idealized tropical cyclone (TC) simulations conducted within a new modeling framework that allows for time-varying environments. These simulations are used to examine the predictability implications of exposing a TC to environmental wind profiles with different structures and magnitudes of vertical wind shear. In moderate shear magnitudes, the TCs exposed to more deeply distributed shear are weaker and exhibit a more uncertain intensity evolution than TCs exposed to shallow upper-level shear. The weaker mean intensity and higher uncertainty is found to be associated with a bifurcation in the vortex tilt response. Structural predictability timescales, computed as the time it takes for errors in the amplitude and phase of azimuthal asymmetries of radar reflectivity to saturate, are generally between two and three days for low-wavenumber asymmetries. These asymmetries are slightly more predictable in deeply distributed shear and in the rainband region due to the larger vortex tilt magnitudes of many ensemble members providing more robust forcing for a quasi-stationary rainband feature. Once the magnitude of vertical wind shear increases to universally destructive levels at the end of the simulations, intensity errors begin to decrease and low-wavenumber structural errors desaturate as the quasi-stationary rainband becomes a consistent feature in members of both ensembles. The most significant error desaturation occurs in TCs previously exposed to shallow upper-level shear. These results suggest that the intensity and precipitation structure are more difficult to forecast when a TC is exposed to moderate and deeply-distributed vertical wind shear.
IL33 – A Biomarker for Clinically Isolated Syndrome (S11.001)

OBJECTIVE: To define sero-markers which will predict the progression of MS from clinically isolated syndrome to clinically definite MS. BACKGROUND: MS is a clinically diagnosed disease and there are no sero- markers which will provide the clinician assistance in making the diagnosis or in predicting long term outcomes. Our preliminary studies performed using micro-arrays showed that the expression profile between MS patients at different stages of disease evolution was different. While the target profile within each clinical category of MS patients were similar, they however differed substantially between clinical subtypes. We explored this further by examining the expression profile of a panel of cytokine and interferon related genes in MS patients and healthy controls. DESIGN/METHODS: Blood samples were collected in PaxGene tubes. RNA was purified and cDNA synthesized using oligo-dT primers. Transcript levels were determined using TaqMan® gene expression assays by quantitative RT-PCR. Transcript levels were normalized to GAPDH. RESULTS: Among the 43 cytokines and interferon mRNAs examined, IL33 was elevated in patients with CIS. The mean IL33 expression among 45 patients with CIS was 3000 percent greater than controls (p CONCLUSIONS: In the cross-sectional study, levels of IL-33 correlate with first onset of first demyelinating event. Progression to established RRMS is associated with decrease in IL33 levels when compared to the CIS group. Since IL33 belongs to the IL1 family, increased levels of IL33 may be an initial response of an innate immunity signal to a “danger signal”. Disclosure: Dr. Tossberg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Spurlock has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sriram has nothing to disclose. Dr. Aune has nothing to disclose.
Beyond Rogers’ Non-constructively Computable Function

On page 9 of Rogers’ computability book he presents two functions each based on eventual, currently unknown patterns in the decimal expansion of π. One of them is easily (classically) seen to be computable, but the proof is highly non-constructive and, conceptually interestingly, there is no known example algorithm for it. For the other, it is unknown as to whether it is computable. In the future, though, these unknown patterns in the decimal expansion of π may be sufficiently resolved, so that, for the one, we shall know a particular algorithm for it, and/or, for the other whether it’s computable. The present paper provides a “safer” real to replace π so that the associated one function retains its trivial computability but has unprovability of the correctness of any particular program for it. Re the other function, a real r to replace π is given with each bit of this r uniformly linear time computable in the length of its position and so that the Rogers’ other function associated with r is provably uncomputable.
Overdispersed Spatial Patterning of Dominant Bunchgrasses in Southeastern Pine Savannas.

AbstractSpatial patterning is a key natural history attribute of sessile organisms that frequently emerges from and dictates potential for interactions among organisms. We tested whether bunchgrasses, the dominant plant functional group in longleaf pine savanna groundcover communities, are nonrandomly patterned by characterizing the spatial dispersion of three bunchgrass species across six sites in Louisiana and Florida. We mapped bunchgrass tussocks of >5.0 cm basal diameter in three 3×3-m plots at each site. We modeled tussocks as two-dimensional objects to analyze their spatial relationships while preserving sizes and shapes of individual tussocks. Tussocks were overdispersed (more regularly spaced than random) for all species and sites at the local interaction scale (<0.3 m). This general pattern likely arises from a tussock-centered, distance-dependent mechanism, for example, intertussock competition. Nonrandom spatial patterns of dominant species have implications for community assembly and ecosyste...
Resource quality in a soil food web

Numerous factors affect the resource quality of detritus, including N content, lignin content, C lability, and concentrations of tannins or phenols. Although many studies have examined the responses of detrital food webs to resources of differing quality, few have independently varied different components of resource quality. I measured the response of soil nematodes to artificial substrates in which two components of resource quality were manipulated. Two different N concentrations (2% and 1%, corresponding to C/N ratios of 21 and 41) were crossed with two different C labilities (sugar/cellulose/lignin ratios of 1.6:5.2:1 and 0.6:2.4:1). The responses of nematodes from a coastal prairie soil to the artificial substrates were measured over 2 months in two separate experiments. Effects of resource quality were more pronounced in the first experiment, in which a larger quantity of substrate was added to microcosms. Bacterivorous nematodes were 3.4 and 1.2 times more abundant in high N treatments than low N treatments in the first and second experiments, respectively. Carbon lability had a smaller effect on bacterivores in the first experiment and no effect in the second. Fungivorous nematodes were more abundant in high labile C treatments in the first experiment, but not the second. Fungivores did not respond to different N levels. Despite previous findings that soil bacteria are primarily C limited, N appears more limiting than labile C for the bacterial channel of this soil food web, but other aspects of resource quality that correlate with N content may have driven treatment differences.
Personal Narratives of African American Students with Learning Disabilities: Challenging "Privileged" Patterns?.

Overrepresentation of African American students in special education has been related to the unfavorable academic outcomes and achievement gap for these students. In a search for a comprehensive account of the roots of these perpetuating concerns, narrative skills are of importance because of their relation to reading achievement and school engagement. Research on narrative performance of African American students with learning disabilities is scarce and possibly preventive of in depth understanding of these students’ unique, often culture-based, language and academic strengths and needs. This study compares personal narratives of African American and European American students with learning disabilities using two approaches: one traditionally favored in schools and one in accord with narrative styles of some African American communities. The participants were 41 school-identified students with learning disabilities in 4-7 grades from 15 urban and suburban schools. The results indicate that two groups are equally capable of producing personal narratives using the majority of narrative patterns of both narrative approaches. The minimal differences between the groups may be attributed to the culture-based preferences well documented in students without disabilities. Implications of recognizing the unique narrative profile of African American students with learning disabilities are discussed. Subscribe to LDMJ
Learning from Jesus to live in the manner Jesus would if he were I: biblical grounding for Willard's proposal regarding Jesus' humanity.

“How would Jesus live your life, with your personality, with your talents, with your life experiences, within your life context, if he were you?” is a question posed by Dallas Willard in The Divine...
Prophylactic Central Compartment Neck Dissection in Papillary Thyroid Cancer and Effect on Locoregional Recurrence

Prophylactic central compartment neck dissection (pCCND) in addition to total thyroidectomy (TT) includes removal of central compartment lymph nodes in the absence of clinical involvement on preoperative and intraoperative evaluation. The data regarding the influence of pCCND on oncologic outcomes and surgical complication rates is mixed and, therefore, is the focus of this analysis. A systematic review of the literature on total thyroidectomy with prophylactic central compartment neck dissection (TT + pCCND) from January 1990 to October 2017 identified 221 abstracts of which 17 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed (1 randomized-control trial, 13 retrospective cohort studies, and 3 meta-analyses). TT + pCCND was found to detect occult lymph node metastasis in approximately 50% of patients who had no clinical evidence of lymph node metastasis on preoperative imaging. Permanent hypoparathyroidism occurs more frequently following TT + pCCND (TT = 1.55% vs. TT + pCCND = 3.45%), but the rates of permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve dysfunction are similar (TT = 0.89% vs. TT + pCCND = 0.96%). The locoregional recurrence rates across all 14 studies included in this analysis was 6.75% for TT alone and 4.55% for TT + pCCND. The rate of locoregional recurrence was significantly lower in patients who underwent pCCND in a few studies and one meta-analysis, but were not significantly different in the majority of studies. TT + pCCND in clinically node-negative papillary thyroid cancer will detect occult lymph node metastasis in approximately half of patients. This may change their postoperative management with regard to adjuvant radioiodine therapy. There is a higher risk of hypoparathyroidism with pCCND, and the effect on rates of locoregional recurrence remains uncertain.
Steroid binding by mouse salivary proteins.

The goals of this study were to determine thesteroid-binding specificity of the mouse salivaryandrogen-binding protein (ABP) family and to ascertainwhether there might be other proteins in mouse saliva capable of binding steroids. The optimalconditions for testosterone binding by mouse salivaryproteins were determined using a small-scalechromatography system to separate bound from unboundsteroid. Testosterone binding appeared to be biphasicbut was directly proportional to saliva concentration,with an optimum temperature of 37 C in the second phase.These results were used to develop a steroid-binding protocol to study the steroid specificity ofsalivary proteins separated by electrophoresis. The ABPfamily bound testosterone and progesterone well andHO-progesterone and DHT to a lesser extent but did not bind either cholesterol or estradiol.Steroid structural comparisons suggest that binding byABP is governed by the A ring of the steroid. Anotherprotein that is not a member of the ABP family bound cholesterol specifically but no protein thatspecifically bound estradiol was observed.
Induction of clonal monocyte/macrophage tumors in vivo by a mouse c-myc retrovirus: evidence for secondary transforming events.

Activation of the c-myc proto-oncogene, in the form of DNA rearrangements that lead to constitutive expression, has been implicated in the genesis of a wide range of tumors. It is therefore of great interest to determine the influence of c-myc oncogene activation on cellular growth control, especially in primary cells. To facilitate the efficient transfer of an activated c-myc oncogene, we have developed a mouse retrovirus that contains the c-myc protein coding sequences and which can be transmitted in the presence of a Mo-MuLV helper virus or established as a helper-free stock using a retroviral packaging cell line. Infection of bone marrow cells gave rise to partially transformed mononuclear phagocytes which were entirely dependent on an exogenous supply of the monocyte specific-growth factor CSF-1 for proliferation. Infection in vivo induced monocyte/macrophage tumors with a latency period of 8–10 wks.
Temporal and Spatial Resolution Requirements for Regional-Scale Dispersion Models

Today the atmospheric regional scale is the meeting place of two very different groups of numerical modelers: atmospheric dispersion modelers and meteorological modelers (plus a third group — atmospheric chemistry modelers). This is a relatively recent development, and the two groups have arrived by different paths. Twenty years ago, with the notable exception of studies of the continental- and planetary-scale transport of fallout-derived radionuclides, most studies of atmospheric dispersion focussed on the local dispersion of air pollutants over travel distances and travel times of at most 10 to 20 km and several hours, respectively. Such spatial and temporal scales correspond to Orlanski’s micro-a-scale (0.2–2 km) and meso-γ-scale (2–20 km) (Orlanski, 1975; Fujita, 1986). The development of larger-scale dispersion models, variously termed regional-scale dispersion models (RSDMs), ‘long-range’ transport models, and mesoscale dispersion models, to study the transport and diffusion of air pollutants over travel distances of 20 to 2000 km and travel times of several hours to several days (meso-β-scale and meso-α-scale) was spurred by the surge of concern and interest in the late 1970s in transboundary acidic deposition and regional oxidant episodes.
A Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming Approach to the Optimal Planning of Offshore Oilfield Infrastructures

A multiperiod Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) model for offshore oilfield infrastructure planning is presented where nonlinear reservoir behavior is incorporated directly into the formulation. Discrete decisions include the selection of production platforms, well platforms and wells to be installed/drilled, as well as the drilling schedule for the wells over the planning horizon. Continuous decisions include the capacities of the platforms, as well as the production profile for each well in each time period.
Cyclic Crack Growth under Repeated Rolling Contact

This paper exploits a new technique for installing cracks below the rim of a cylinder to measure the cyclic crack growth produced by rolling contact in 7075-T6 aluminum alloy and AISI-4140 steel. Measurements of crack initiation are also described. The measurements of growth are compared with fracture mechanics predictions based on calculated values of ΔKII, the Mode II crack driving force, and the remotely measured ΔKII-da/dN relation. Various elements of the problem such as: (i) the threshold driving force and flaw size; (ii) crack face friction; (iii) roughness and crack branching; and (iv) the predictability of crack growth are examined.
Grouping iso-velocity points for ego-motion recovery

The instantaneous image motion field due to a camera moving through a static environment encodes information about ego-motion and environmental layout. For pure translational motion, the motion field has a unique point termed focus of expansion/contraction where. the image velocity vanishes. We reveal the fact that for an arbitrary 3D motion the zero-velocity points, whose number can be large, have the regularity of being approximately cocircular. More generally, all the image points with the same velocity u are located approximately on a circle (termed the isovelocity circle (IVC)) determined solely by u and the ego-motion, except for the pathological cases in which the circle degenerates into a straight line. While IVCs can be recovered from 3 or more pairs of iso-velocity points in the motion field using a linear method, estimating ego-motion reduces. to solving systems of linear equations constraining iso-velocity point pairs (Yang 1992).
Rapid Randomized Restarts for Multi-Agent Path Finding: Preliminary Results

Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF) is an NP-hard problem with many real-world applications. However, existing MAPF solvers are deterministic and perform poorly on MAPF instances where many agents interfere with each other in a small region of space. In this paper, we enhance MAPF solvers with randomization and observe that their runtimes can exhibit heavy-tailed distributions. This insight leads us to develop simple Rapid Randomized Restart (RRR) strategies with the intuition that multiple short runs will have a better chance of solving such MAPF instances than one long run with the same runtime limit. Our contribution is to show experimentally that the same RRR strategy indeed boosts the performance of two state-of-the-art MAPF solvers, namely M* and ECBS.
Outdoor Recreation Self-Efficacy: Scale Development, Reliability and Validity

Outdoor Recreation Self-Efficacy: Scale Development and Reliability Bandura's theory of self-efficacy holds much promise for understanding the value of participation in outdoor recreation. This study evaluated the factor structure and internal consistency of a new outdoor recreation self-efficacy measure. Factor analysis revealed two subscales; Enjoyment/Accomplishment (61.84%) and Skills/Competence (12.71%) accounting for 74.54% of the explained variance in outdoor recreation self-efficacy. Reliabilities for the Enjoyment / Accomplishment (I±=.95) and Skills/Competence (I± =.94) subscales, and 17- item scale (I± =.96) show a high degree of internal consistency. A significant relationship exists between ORSE scores and participation in outdoor recreation (r = .52; p < .001). Results indicated having fun and enjoying oneself during outdoor recreation activities contributed more to a woman's self-efficacy than feeling skilled or competent, confirming Bandura's thoughts about the nature of self-efficacy. Researchers can use this instrument with confidence; it provides a reliable and valid measure for assessing the self-efficacy of women who participate in outdoor recreation activities.
Properties of nucleic acid amphiphiles and their biomedical applications

Nucleic acid-based amphiphiles, which consist of nucleic acids covalently linked to lipophilic lipid molecules, have demonstrated unique physicochemical and biological properties and are emerging as new types of materials in biomedical applications. These types of hybrid materials combine the functions and properties from both hydrophilic nucleic acids and hydrophobic lipid tails and thus are developed to carry therapeutic drugs, to penetrate cell membranes, to decorate the cell surface, and to interact with endogenous proteins. These functional amphiphiles have demonstrated potentials in extending the usage of traditional nucleic acids. In this chapter, we highlight the recent advances with an emphasis on their synthesis, self-assemble properties, and biomedical applications. Specifically, we focus on illustrating the structure–function relationship which provides the foundation for rational design of nucleic acid amphiphiles in future applications in the biomedical field.
Firm Commitment Underwriting Risk and the Over-Allotment Option: Do We Need Further Legal Regulation?

This article examines firm-commitment initial public offerings, exploring the ways underwriters use and abuse the over-allotment option to affect legal prices stabilization in after-market trading. After illustrating that underwriters always profit when they make full use of the over-allotment option, the authors suggest that the NASD reexamine the size of the over-allotment option and require disclosures concerning the use of the option be included in the prospectus distributed to potential buyers of newly issued securities.
Measurement and modeling of the gas permeability of high burnup pressurized water reactor fuel rods

Abstract In this work, the transmissibility of gas through the pellet stack of full-length pressurized water reactor (PWR) high burnup (HBU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods is measured at room temperature and correlated to a permeability. Gas transmission and depressurization testing of eight high burn-up fuel rods revealed that gas communication from one end of the pellet stack to the other is unobstructed, but slow, at room temperature. Two traditional flow models, Darcy's Law and Muskat's application of Poiseuille's Law to compressible gas flow through porous media are explored. The derived permeability values for the two methods are compared and are considered in conjunction with rod cladding type and various indicators of rod operation such as burnup, High Duty Core Index (HDCI), and average fuel temperature. The derived permeability appears to be correlated to fuel temperature and maximum HDCI, but not to rod average burnup. Three of the HBU rods were heat-treated to simulate dry storage vacuum drying conditions prior to the measurements and the heat-treatments may have resulted in increased permeability.
Process Optimization in IMD Deposition: A Sucessful Application of Isothermal Fast Wafer-Level Electromigration

In this work, we explore the effect of different IMD deposition tools on the occurrence of early electromigration (EM) failure. The failure is revealed by the fast Wafer Level Reliability (fWLR) method. It is found that under the same embedded IMD scheme (i.e. HDP FSG and then TEOS USG), the initial HDP FSG film deposition condition is the main cause for fWLR-EM early failure. It deteriorates subsequent USG film stress and imposes the stress on metal layers. This is also confirmed by Package Level Reliability EM (PLR-EM). Moreover, by understanding reliability risk caused by initial FSG film quality, we performed recipe improvement experiments and obtained better EM performance. The fWLR method proves its fast and accurate characterization capabilities in process development and monitoring.
Taking neurogenesis out of the lab and into the world with MAP Train My Brain

Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus was rediscovered in the 1990's after being reported in the 1960's. Since then, thousands upon thousands of laboratories have reported on the characteristics and presumed functional significance of new neurons in the adult brain. In 1999, we reported that mental training with effortful learning could extend the survival of these new cells and in the same year, others reported that physical training with exercise could increase their proliferation. Based on these studies and others, we developed MAP Train My Brain™, which is a brain fitness program for humans. The program combines mental and physical (MAP) training through 30-min of effortful meditation followed by 30-min of aerobic exercise. This program, when practiced twice a week for eight weeks reduced depressive symptoms and ruminative thoughts in men and women with major depressive disorder (MDD) while increasing synchronized brain activity during cognitive control. It also reduced anxiety and depression and increased oxygen consumption in young mothers who had been homeless. Moreover, engaging in the program reduced trauma-related cognitions and ruminative thoughts while increasing self-worth in adult women with a history of sexual trauma. And finally, the combination of mental and physical training together was more effective than either activity alone. Albeit effortful, this program does not require inordinate amounts of time or money to practice and can be easily adopted into everyday life. MAP Training exemplifies how we as neuroscientists can take discoveries made in the laboratory out into the world for the benefit of others.
Arrhythmia Surgery and Epicardial Pacemaker Strategies

Concomitant arrhythmia surgery in association with initial or repeat congenital heart repairs in adults has assumed an important role in the treatment of congenital heart disease. The most common long-term complications after congenital heart repairs are arrhythmias and heart failure and can lead to decreased functional class, multiple readmissions to the hospital, and sudden death. Every adult patient who presents for repair of congenital heart disease with concomitant arrhythmias should be approached with an opportunity to treat both entities, as many reports have documented the efficacy and utility of this approach. This chapter is organized by type of arrhythmia, mechanism, and treatment options.
Protecting Cultural Heritage During Disasters: Prevention, Mitigation, and Response

Natural and human-induced disasters have harmed cultural heritage spurring advances to protect cultural heritage through prevention, mitigation, and response. This article defines cultural heritage, analyzes why cultural heritage is important and briefly discusses the different considerations for moveable and immoveable cultural heritage. The article reviews the key parties involved, risks implicated in cultural heritage disasters and the differences between preventing, mitigating, and responding to disasters. Then the article explores advances and resources in preventing, mitigating, and responding to disasters in cultural heritage. Finally, this article distills this information into key points to prevent, mitigate, and respond to disasters that affect cultural heritage.
Differential influence on antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis by different glycoforms on therapeutic Monoclonal antibodies

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), particularly of the IgG1 subclass, are capable of effector function activities that may be important for their mechanism of action. One such effector function activity is Antibody Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis (ADCP), which has been shown to be mediated primarily through the activating FcγR, FcγRIIa, on macrophages and neutrophils. The critical quality attributes that are the most impactful and predictive of ADCP activity, and therefore most suitable to monitor during IgG1 antibody manufacturing, are not well established. Primary cell assays for ADCP are often laborious and subject to donor to donor variability, making such assays less desirable for product characterization. By developing and employing an ADCP reporter gene assay, we have been able to determine with high sensitivity the glycan structures that can impact FcγRIIa mediated ADCP across multiple different IgG1 antibodies. Interestingly we observed that some IgG1 antibodies are very potent mediators of ADCP while others do not mediate ADCP even though they possess other effector function activities (ADCC and CDC). Additionally, we find that ADCP by different IgG1 antibodies has markedly different sensitivity to glycan species, with one antibody demonstrating a surprisingly strong influence of β-galactosylation and high mannose levels.
Boundary layer transition near actuated deformable membranes (Conference Presentation)

Marine animals are known to have developed adaptations to minimize drag and energy expenditure. Among these are passive material properties, such as the streamwise-aligned riblets found on shark skin, as well as the active modulation of the viscoelastic skin layer, which is thought to give dolphins their hydrodynamic edge. These adaptations serve to delay the transition from laminar to turbulent flow in the boundary layer around the body, minimize boundary layer turbulence, and reduce frictional drag. Transition to turbulence in the boundary layer happens via the development of two-dimensional instabilities, so-called Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves, which break down into fully developed turbulence. One mechanism to delay transition, is to counteract TS waves, reduce their amplitude, and delay their breakdown. This can be achieved by actively modulating a deformable membrane as part of the boundary near which the instabilities develop. We investigate boundary layer flow and transition to turbulence, and the effect of actuated boundaries, in a laminar to turbulent flow tank. To test the impact of a deformable boundary on the flow, a hydrofoil is outfitted with fluid chambers overlaid by an optical quality PDMS membrane, which can be actuated in response to the flow. Flow over the hydrofoil is visualized with dye experiments and quantified with Particle Image Velocimetry. The impact of boundary actuation, as well as different boundary materials, on the flow is characterized. Achieving a reduction of boundary layer turbulence on operational scales would have profound implications for platform energy efficiency, as well as signature and acoustic noise reduction.
Full-range space-division multiplexing optical coherence tomography angiography

In this study, we demonstrated a full-range space-division multiplexing optical coherence tomography (FR-SDM-OCT) system. Utilizing the galvanometer-based phase modulation full-range technique, the total imaging range of FR-SDM-OCT can be extended to >20 mm in tissue, with a digitizer sampling rate of 500 MS/s and a laser sweeping rate of 100 kHz. Complex conjugate terms were suppressed in FR-SDM-OCT images with a measured rejection ratio of up to ∼46 dB at ∼1.4 mm depth and ∼30 dB at ∼19.4 mm depth. The feasibility of FR-SDM-OCT was validated by imaging Scotch tapes and human fingernails. Furthermore, we demonstrated the feasibility of FR-SDM-OCT angiography (FR-SDM-OCTA) to perform simultaneous acquisition of human fingernail angiograms from four positions, with a total field-of-view of ∼1.7 mm × ∼7.5 mm. Employing the full-range technique in SDM-OCT can effectively alleviate hardware requirements to achieve the long depth measurement range, which is required by SDM-OCT to separate multiple images at different sample locations. FR-SDM-OCTA creates new opportunities to apply SDM-OCT to obtain wide-field angiography of in vivo tissue samples free of labeling.
The central melanocortin system mediates the benefits of time-restricted feeding on energy balance

Abstract Objective Recent decades have seen a marked increase in the prevalence of obesity and its associated comorbidities. This increase correlates with greater access to calorie-dense food that is often consumed later in the active phase of the day. Studies in high-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mice indicate that restricting food access to their active (dark) phase is sufficient to reduce obesity. However, the specific mechanisms mediating these beneficial metabolic effects of dark restricted feeding (DRF) remain unknown. Methods We examined the impact of DRF on the response to peripheral signals regulating the central melanocortin system of DIO mice and on Mc4r−/− mice. Results The body weight loss following DRF has an acute onset that is sustained over time. This effect is contributed by a reduction on food intake that requires a functional central melanocortin system. Specifically, DRF impacts the circadian expression of melanocortin system genes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC). Consistent with this, DRF significantly increases the effectiveness of the fasting-feeding signals ghrelin and leptin that interact with the melanocortin system to regulate energy balance. Importantly, DRF did not reduce or prevent obesity in Mc4r−/− mice. Conclusions Taken together, our data reveal a critical role of brain melanocortin signaling in mediating the beneficial effects of timed feeding on metabolic control, supporting potential meaningful benefits in combining timed feeding with pharmacological targeting of the melanocortin signaling for the treatment of obesity.
LARGE SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH FILAMENT ERUPTIONS OUTSIDE ACTIVE REGIONS

We report on four large filament eruptions (FEs) from solar cycles 23 and 24 that were associated with large solar energetic particle (SEP) events and interplanetary type II radio bursts. The post-eruption arcades corresponded mostly to C-class soft X-ray enhancements, but an M1.0 flare was associated with one event. However, the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were fast (speeds ~ 1000 km s−1) and appeared as halo CMEs in the coronagraph field of view. The interplanetary type II radio bursts occurred over a wide wavelength range, indicating the existence of strong shocks throughout the inner heliosphere. No metric type II bursts were present in three events, indicating that the shocks formed beyond 2–3 Rs. In one case, there was a metric type II burst with low starting frequency, indicating a shock formation height of ~2 Rs. The FE-associated SEP events did have softer spectra (spectral index >4) in the 10–100 MeV range, but there were other low-intensity SEP events with spectral indices ≥4. Some of these events are likely FE-SEP events, but were not classified as such in the literature because they occurred close to active regions. Some were definitely associated with large active region flares, but the shock formation height was large. We definitely find a diminished role for flares and complex type III burst durations in these large SEP events. Fast CMEs and shock formation at larger distances from the Sun seem to be the primary characteristics of the FE-associated SEP events.
Current State of the First COVID-19 Vaccines

SARS CoV-2 and its associated disease COVID-19 has devastated the world during 2020. Masks and social distancing could be efficient if done by large proportions of the population, but pandemic fatigue has decreased their efficacy. Economic shut downs come with large price tags and cannot be a long term solution either. The announcements by three vaccine manufacturers in November that their vaccines are 90% or more effective has given hope to at least those in the population who plan to get vaccinated as soon as a scientifically and medically sound vaccine becomes available. This review summarizes the underlying design strategies and current status of development of the nine vaccines that were in phase III trial on 8 November 2020. Contracts between vaccine manufacturing companies and governments aim at distributing the vaccine to a large part of the world population. Questions remain how the temperature sensitive mRNA vaccines will be transported and/or stored and how vaccination will be prioritized within each country. Additionally, current contracts do not cover all countries, with a serious gap in Africa and South America. The second part of this review will detail current distribution plans and remaining challenges with vaccine accessibility and acceptance.
Generalizing the over operator for parallelization and order-independency

Abstract The o v e r operator is commonly used for α -blending in various visualization techniques. In the current form, it is a binary operator and must strictly follow a specific composition order of all participating operands, hence posing a significant performance limit. In this paper, we derive a set of generic formulas for the o v e r operator that work with any number of operands and completely remove the restriction on the composition order. We prove the correctness of these formulas and provide a step-by-step illustration in a blending context. We implement both a sequential and a parallel version of the improved o v e r operator and apply them to the image composition process where operands are received out of order with different arrival time intervals. The performance superiority of the improved o v e r operator over the original one is established by rigorous theoretical analyses and further validated by extensive experimental results.
Task-General Efficiency of Evidence Accumulation as a Computationally Defined Neurocognitive Trait: Implications for Clinical Neuroscience

Abstract Quantifying individual differences in higher-order cognitive functions is a foundational area of cognitive science that also has profound implications for research on psychopathology. For the past 2 decades, the dominant approach in these fields has been to attempt to fractionate higher-order functions into hypothesized components (e.g., inhibition, updating) through a combination of experimental manipulation and factor analysis. However, the putative constructs obtained through this paradigm have recently been met with substantial criticism on both theoretical and empirical grounds. Concurrently, an alternative approach has emerged focusing on parameters of formal computational models of cognition that have been developed in mathematical psychology. These models posit biologically plausible and experimentally validated explanations of the data-generating process for cognitive tasks, allowing them to be used to measure the latent mechanisms that underlie performance. One of the primary insights provided by recent applications of this approach is that individual and clinical differences in performance on a wide variety of cognitive tasks, ranging from simple choice tasks to complex executive paradigms, are largely driven by efficiency of evidence accumulation, a computational mechanism defined by sequential sampling models. This review assembles evidence for the hypothesis that efficiency of evidence accumulation is a central individual difference dimension that explains neurocognitive deficits in multiple clinical disorders and identifies ways in which this insight can advance clinical neuroscience research. We propose that recognition of efficiency of evidence accumulation as a major driver of neurocognitive differences will allow the field to make clearer inferences about cognitive abnormalities in psychopathology and their links to neurobiology.