cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Coupling between Foot Pronation and Tibial Internal Rotation Continuously Using Vector Coding

Excessive pronation, because of its coupling with tibial internal rotation (TIR), has been implicated as a risk factor in the development of anterior knee pain (AKP). Traditionally, this coupling has been expressed as a ratio between the eversion range of motion and the TIR range of motion (Ev/TIR) that occurs during stance. Currently, this technique has not been used to evaluate specific injuries or the effects of sex. In addition, Ev/TIR is incapable of detecting coupling changes that occur throughout stance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the coupling between eversion and TIR in runners with (n = 19) and without AKP (n = 17) and across sex using the Ev/TIR ratio, and more continuously using vector coding. When using vector coding, significant coupling differences were noted in runners with AKP (34% to 38% stance), with runners with AKP showing relatively more TIR than eversion. Similarly significant differences were noted across sex (14%-25% and 36%-47% stance), with males transitioning from a loading to propulsive coordination pattern using a proximal to distal strategy, and female runners using a distal to proximal strategy. These differences were only detected when evaluating this coupling relationship using a continuous technique such as vector coding.
Enuresis: Focus on a challenging problem in primary care

Enuresis is the most common chronic condition seen in general pediatric practice. Current medical literature contains more articles about entiresis than about infantile diarrhea or child abuse, and approximately the same number as are written about childhood malnutrition or infant nutrition. Enuresis is encountered in all societies. When I visited the Peoples9 Republic of China, I encountered in every outpatient clinic at least one child, supine and sporting an acupuncture needle 7.6 cm(3 in) below the umbilicus. Physicians with whom I spoke said the rate of cure was "about 40% with most others improved," which is similar to the cure rate in the United States.
Responses of young adults to graphic warning labels for cigarette packages

Background In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a series of 36 graphic warning labels for cigarette packages. We sought to evaluate the effects of the labels on fear-related emotions about health consequences of smoking and smoking motivations of young adults. Methods We conducted an experimental study in 2010–2011 with 325 smokers and non-smokers ages 18–30 years whom we recruited through community distribution lists in North Carolina and through a national survey company. Each participant viewed 27 labels (18 of the proposed labels with graphic images and text warnings and 9 with text-only warnings) in a random order, evaluating each label on understandability and its effects on fear-related reactions and discouragement from wanting to smoke. Results Respondents found most of the proposed labels easy to understand. Of the 36 labels, 64% induced greater fear-related reactions and 58% discouraged respondents from wanting to smoke more than the corresponding text-only labels did. Labels with the greatest effects had photographs (as compared with drawings or other art graphics) or depicted diseased body parts or suffering or dead people. In almost every comparison, smokers reported lower fear-related reactions and feeling less discouraged from wanting to smoke relative to non-smokers. Conclusions Most of the proposed labels enhanced fear-related reactions about health consequences of smoking and reduced motivations to smoke relative to text-only labels, although some had larger effects than others. All but one of the nine warning labels recently adopted by the FDA enhanced fear-related reactions and reduced smoking motivations.
Effect of process conditions on the weld‐line strength and microstructure of microcellular injection molded parts

This study was aimed at understanding how the process conditions affect the weld-line strength and microstructure of injection molded microcellular parts. A design of experiments (DOE) was performed and polycarbonate tensile test specimens were produced for tensile tests and microscopic analysis. Injection molding trials were performed by systematically adjusting four process parameters (i.e., melt temperature, shot size, supercritical fluid (SCF) level, and injection speed). For comparison, conventional solid specimens were also produced. The tensile strength was measured at the weld line and away from the weld line. The weld-line strength of injection molded microcellular parts was lower than that of its solid counterparts. It increased with increasing shot size, melt temperature, and injection speed, and was weakly dependent on the supercritical fluid level. The microstructure of the molded specimens at various cross sections were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a light microscope to study the variation of cell size and density with different process conditions.
The Mind Argument and Libertarianism

Many critics of libertarian freedom have charged that freedom is incompatible with indeterminism. We show that the strongest argument that has been provided for this claim is invalid. The invalidity of the argument in question, however, implies the invalidity of the standard Consequence argument for the incompatibility of freedom and determinism. We show how to repair the Consequence argument and argue that no similar improvement will revive the worry about the compatibility of indeterminism and freedom. Libertarians believe that free will exists and is incompatible with determinism. Among the many problems facing libertarians is the problem of the alleged incompatibility of free will and indeterminism. If free will is, as many have suggested, incompatible with indeterminism then libertarianism is false. Libertarians have not adequately addressed this issue to date. It is this gap in the libertarian program that we seek to fill. We will show that the strongest argument for the incompatibility of indeterminism and free will, the so called Mind argument, 1 is a failure. We will also, in providing an improvement on Peter van Inwagen’s well known Consequence argument, show that the failure of the Mind argument does not threaten the strongest libertarian argument for the incompatibility of free will and determinism. In his widely influential book An Essay on Free Will (1983), Peter van Inwagen presented, among other arguments, his Consequence argument. This argument is, we think, the strongest argument to date for incompatibilism, the thesis that free will and causal determinism are incompatible. Unfortunately, as van Inwagen saw and as we will discuss below, an argument quite similar to van Inwagen’s Consequence argument, the Mind argument, seems to show that free will is also incompatible with causal indeterminism. If both van Inwagen’s argument and the Mind argument are sound then there is no such thing as free will and libertarianism is false.
Synthesis of low-melting metal oxide and sulfide nanowires and nanobelts

The bulk nucleation and basal growth of semiconducting nanowires from molten Ga pools has been demonstrated earlier using oxygen/hydrogen plasma over molten Ga pools. Herein, we extend the above concept for bulk synthesis of oxide and sulfide nanowires of low-melting metal melts such as Sn and In. Specifically, nanowires of β-Ga_2O_3, β-In_2O_3, SnO_2, α-Ga_2S_3, and β-In_2S_3 were synthesized using direct reactions between respective molten metal pools and the gases such as oxygen/hydrogen mixture for oxides and H_2S for sulfides. In the case of β-Ga_2O_3 and SnO_2, a change in the morphology from nanowires to nanobelts was observed with an increase in the synthesis temperature. No such behavior was observed in the case of β-In_2O_3. Furthermore, we present evidence for α-Ga_2S_3 nanowires, which to our knowledge is being reported for the first time in the literature. Our studies with the sulfide nanowires suggest that H_2S reacts directly at the molten metal surface to form gallium sulfide. Finally, we discuss the role of chamber pressure and hydrogen on the size distribution of nanostructured β-Ga_2O_3 and SnO_2.
Effects of larval movement behavior and density on emergence success and adult body size in a commensal midge

Changes in larval density and movement behavior of a commensal midge, Nanocladius (Plecopteracoluthus) sp. #4, were monitored for 26 weeks in recirculating laboratory streams. Adults were captured at emergence, sexed, and weighed to assess the effect of larval density and movement behavior on emergence success and adult size. The density of midges on hosts declined with time and coincided with a springtime increase in larval movement frequency. Midges residing on hosts with high spring densities emerged significantly less than midges on hosts with low densities. Resident midge density on hosts did not influence the likelihood of successful colonization by commensals and colonizers showed no preference for initial attachment site on hosts. However, colonizing midges emerged significantly less than resident midges. Similarly, successful emergers changed tube positions significantly less often as larvae relative to non-emergers. There was no difference in adult body weight of resident midges and colonists/movers, but adult males which emerged from commensal-laden (high density) hosts were significantly smaller than males from low density hosts. These data indicate larval density and movement behavior may have strong fitness consequences for commensal midges.
ψ-epistemic theories: The role of symmetry

Formalizing an old desire of Einstein, “ψ-epistemic theories” try to reproduce the predictions of quantum mechanics, while viewing quantum states as ordinary probability distributions over underlying objects called “ontic states.” Regardless of one’s philosophical views about such theories, the question arises of whether one can cleanly rule them out, by proving no-go theorems analogous to the Bell Inequality. In the 1960s, Kochen and Specker (who first studied these theories) constructed an elegant ψ-epistemic theory for Hilbert space dimension d = 2, but also showed that any deterministic ψ-epistemic theory must be “measurement contextual” in dimensions 3 and higher. Last year, the topic attracted renewed attention, when Pusey, Barrett, and Rudolph (PBR) showed that any ψ-epistemic theory must “behave badly under tensor product.” In this paper, we prove that even without the Kochen-Specker or PBR assumptions, there are no ψ-epistemic theories in dimensions d ≥ 3 that satisfy two reasonable conditions: (1) symmetry under unitary transformations, and (2) “maximum nontriviality” (meaning that the probability distributions corresponding to any two non-orthogonal states overlap). This no-go theorem holds if the ontic space is either the set of quantum states or the set of unitaries. The proof of this result, in the general case, uses some measure theory and differential geometry. On the other hand, we also show the surprising result that without the symmetry restriction, one can construct maximally-nontrivial ψ-epistemic theories in every finite dimension d.
Erratum to “Temperature Dependence of the Elastic Constants of Doped Silicon”

There is an error in one set of values listed in Table III, page 735. The cell in the 4th row from the bottom (Ring ) and rightmost column (P6.6) should read “-3.05 / -58.10 / 19.46”, not “-58.10 / -30.99 / 19.46”.
Sensitivity analysis and diagnostic accuracy of the Brief Smell Identification Test in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background The Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) is an abbreviated version of the Smell Identification Test (SIT) used to assess olfactory function. Although the BSIT can be efficiently administered in under 5 minutes, the accuracy of the BSIT in relation to the SIT in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is unknown. Methods Patients with CRS were recruited as part of an ongoing multi-institutional observational cohort study. A total of 183 participants provided both BSIT and SIT olfactory function scores during initial enrollment. Linear associations between BSIT and SIT scores were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficients (rp). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of BSIT scores were determined using SIT scores as the “gold standard.” Results A strong bivariate linear association was found between BSIT and SIT scores (rp = 0.893; p < 0.001) for all participants. A significantly lower proportion of patients were identified as having abnormal olfaction using the BSIT compared to the SIT (47% vs 68%, respectively; p < 0.001). Using the currently defined score of ≤8 as a cut-point for abnormal olfactory function, the BSIT demonstrated a sensitivity of 63% and specificity of 88% with an overall accuracy of 71%. Increasing the cut-point to ≤9 resulted in an increased sensitivity of 86%, a specificity of 76%, and an improved overall accuracy of 83%. Conclusion In patients with CRS, BSIT scores strongly correlate with SIT scores; however, the BSIT underestimates olfactory dysfunction as defined by the suggested cut-point of ≤8. Increasing the cut-point to ≤9 increased the sensitivity and accuracy of the BSIT.
A reply to Barrett (2016).

Barrett [[1][1]] makes three observations relevant to IIT 3.0 as discussed by Tononi & Koch [[2][2]]. Firstly, for many systems, Φ —as outlined in IIT 3.0—may not be computable as it may never be practical to carry out all possible discrete grainings in space, time and relevant functional
Atomic fluorescence spectrometry: A review of advances in instrumentation and novel applications

ABSTRACTAtomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) is a commonly employed method for elemental analysis employed with chemical vapor generation procedures due to its low cost and high sensitivity. Advances in AFS are reviewed for 2014 and 2015 involving instrumentation and novel applications. Major advances include novel applications of diffusive gradients in thin films, photochemical vaporization, and novel atom cells. Significant applications were reported in the fields of food, bioanalytical, materials, and environmental analysis. Atomic fluorescence was employed for elemental speciation, with emphasis on the determination of mercury and arsenic.
Motor activity during asymptomatic nocturnal hypoglycemia in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Nocturnal hypoglycemia is reported in 13%–56% of adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. It may be asymptomatic in more than 50% of patients. No noninvasive method for detecting asymptomatic nocturnal hypoglycemia (ANH) has so far proven successful. The aim of the present study was to evaluate quantitative changes of motor activity by actigraphy during episodes of ANH in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. A total of 18 patients aged 10–16 years with a history of ANH were investigated. Blood was sampled at half-hourly intervals between 22.30 and 06.00 hours with a micropump, and an actigraph was fastened to the right wrist. Blood glucose concentrations were measured and compared to motor activity. Nocturnal hypoglycemia was recorded in 10 patients (55%), with blood glucose during periods of hypoglycemia of 3.00+0.17 mmol/l (range, 1.2–3.4 mmol/l), and duration of hypoglycemia of 1.95+1.34 hours (range, 0.5–5.0 hours). All periods of hypoglycemia were clinically asymptomatic. Regression analysis revealed a statistically significant linear correlation (p=0.03) between blood glucose concentration and the respective 30-min activity counts. Activity counts in patients with nocturnal hypoglycemia were significantly (ANOVA, p<0.02) higher than in patients with normoglycemia. We conclude that low blood glucose was significantly correlated with an increase in motor activity as detected by actigraphy. This implies the possibility of noninvasive screening of asymptomatic nocturnal hypoglycemia.
Development of Resistance to DDT by the Apple Maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella

Tests in dosage series were conducted comparing" population of apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh)) flies from a sprayed orchard with one from unsprayed trees. The tests showed a difference in the two populations, with the flies from the sprayed orchard less susceptible to DDT. The degree of difference was not large. However, both populations exhibited an ability to recover from tremors induced by DDT. More flies from the sprayed orchard were able to recover, but since this recovery also occurred in the population from unsprayed trees, it is suggested that genetic mixture has occurred between populations. Since the susceptibility to DDT of the "original population" of the apple maggot is not known, the level of resistance brought about by the ability to recover from DDT-poisoning cannot be determined. The possible effect of the recovery mechanism in the field is theorized. The increased tremors may cause the insect to leave the sprayed surfaces. If the affected insect reaches a surface uncontaminated with DDT, recovery is possible.
Decontamination of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence datasets based on bacterial load assessment by qPCR

Background Identification of unexpected taxa in 16S rRNA surveys of low-density microbiota, diluted mock communities and cultures demonstrated that a variable fraction of sequence reads originated from exogenous DNA. The sources of these contaminants are reagents used in DNA extraction, PCR, and next-generation sequencing library preparation, and human (skin, oral and respiratory) microbiota from the investigators.
Perimeter-based Fourier analysis; a new morphometric method applied to the trilobite cranidium

A new Fourier method is presented to quantify shapes too complex to be described by conventional polar Fourier analysis. The length along a closed curve serves as the independent variable. The centroid of the curve is determined and for each point on the curve two different dependent variables are defined, based on: 1) the angle defined by the starting point, the centroid, and the point on the curve; and 2) the radial distance from the centroid to the point on the curve. The method is used to describe the trilobite cranidium, and 12 harmonic coefficients are found to summarize 99 percent of the shape information contained in the cranidial outline. In an application to trilobite evolution during the Cambrian and Ordovician, it is found that higher taxa of trilobites become progressively more distinct morphologically. This result is in agreement with previous qualitative observations, and is attributable to an increase in morphologic dispersion among higher taxa, but not to a decrease in morphologic dispersion within higher taxa.
Cluster allocation schemes for target tracking in multiple radar architecture

There is growing interest in multiple, widely separated, radar systems that employ mobile stations such as ground surveillance radars (GSRs). These are usually portable light-weight systems that may be carried by one person or mounted on a vehicle and may be employed in large numbers. In a resource-aware operation, only a subset of the existing transmit and receive antennas may be used to accomplish a given target localization accuracy. Commonly, multiple target localization is performed by scanning a given area cell-by-cell. In this paper, clustering of the multiple radar system is proposed, such that each cluster/subset covers a different search cell with the same accuracy threshold. For a specified number of search cells and accuracy threshold, the overall number of active radars is minimized. Fast approximation algorithms are proposed and evaluated.
National Quality Improvement: Federal Regulation, Public Reporting, and the Surgeon

A paradigm shift in the structure and delivery of healthcare in the United States occurred on March 23, 2010 when President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA), which was subsequently upheld against challenges in the United States Supreme Court in June 2012. Now in the post-ACA era as the various provisions of the law move through stages of implementation, it is critical for surgeons to understand the moving pieces. A central tenet of the ACA is to foster quality in healthcare by holding healthcare providers, both at the institutional and physician levels, accountable for the care they provide to patients. To this end, the Secretary of the Department and Health and Human Services (HHS) developed the United States National Quality Strategy (NQS) with a core aim to “measure care delivery and outcomes using consistent, nationally-endorsed measures to provide information that is timely, actionable, and meaningful to both providers and patients.” Fostering surgical quality, as discussed in this book, has been a doctrine of the surgical profession long before the enactment of the ACA. Nevertheless, these regulatory changes and additions are likely here to stay, and surgeons must understand the impact of these national healthcare quality initiatives.
You've got mail—an audit of consultant email practice

Aims Communication via email is increasing in the medical workplace and is often used as the preferred means of communication relating to both clinical and non-clinical matters. The aims of this audit were to review consultant email usage and in particular to investigate the amount of time spent on email correspondence per day and if this time was incorporated into job plans. Methods A short questionnaire was distributed by internal post to all consultants at a large paediatric secondary and tertiary care hospital (n=149). Questionnaires investigated demographic information, hours contracted to work, time spent on emails, number of emails received per day, access offsite, time at home reading emails, email access on annual leave and extended role within trust. Results 94 (64%) of consultants replied, 57% were male and 43% were female. 18% were age 30–40 years, 57% age 41–50 years, 19% age 51–60 years and 5% >60 years. 84% were working full time and 16% were part time. 36% worked as medical subspecialists. Time spent per day on email: 3% did not spend any time, 4% 3 h. 54% of consultants received 15 or more emails per day in their inbox. 26% of consultants access emails at home with 10% of these spending 1–3 h per day. 22% access emails while on annual leave. 16% of consultants have one or more work email account. 71% thought time for emails was included in their job plan, 27% did not feel this time was included and 2% were unsure. Conclusion On an average day, consultants spend a high proportion of time answering emails. Initiatives are required to reduce volume of emails, including departmental home pages to post messages and limiting use of reply to all. Incorporation of emails into allocated administration time within job plans would decrease the time used accessing emails from home and on leave.
Cases of public emetic events caused by foodborne viruses and potential issues for fresh produce

Abstract: Gastrointestinal illnesses, specifically those caused by foodborne viruses, may strike at any time. Contaminated food can be consumed hours or even days before onset of symptoms. Human norovirus is a leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide, and may be spread by food, water, person-to-person contact or even aerosolized vomitus droplets. Because of this airborne transmission and sudden onset of symptoms, public emetic events lead to other subsequent infections. Such events are common in places where large numbers of people are housed in close proximity. Several real-life situations are described in this chapter, and while fresh produce may not be named specifically, concerns for norovirus contamination exist as described in this chapter.
Non-metro versus metro poverty in the transition to adulthood in the United States: (1980–2009)

Abstract Between 1980 and 2009 young adults in non-metro areas of the United States faced unfavorable structural changes in the global macroeconomy, spatial concentrations of poverty in non-metro areas, and shifts in family and household structure; however, little existing scholarship explores poverty specifically with reference to non-metro or rural young adults. We argue that young adulthood provides a strategic window in which to examine the intersection of these varied risk factors for economic hardship since young adults are especially vulnerable to poverty and are the most likely to experience changes in family or household structure. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) this paper examines non-metro versus metro variation in the risk of falling into poverty between the ages 25–30. Time-varying covariates are utilized in order to accurately model changes in residential status and family structure over time. Results indicate that, while poverty is unevenly distributed across non-metro and metro areas, residence itself is not a significant predictor of poverty when family background and individual-level characteristics are taken into account. Family socioeconomic status, service-sector occupation, and living in a single-parent household with children are found to be the most significant risk factors for poverty in the transition to adulthood.
Elucidating the Formation Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticles, from a Comprehensive Simulation Based on First-Principles Calculations

The nucleation and growth of silver nanoparticles are modeled and simulated based on first-principles calculations. The formation energy of single-crystal and multiply twinned particles is calculated to elucidate the thermodynamic properties of particles and modeled as a function of geometric parameters. On the basis of the calculated formation energy and the molecular collision theory, Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are performed to trace the formation process of silver nanoparticles. In particular, the temporal change of size distribution and morphology are obtained and used to elucidate the governing mechanism in each stage of the formation process. It is demonstrated that the formation process is separated into four phases depending on the power-law time dependence of the particle formation and they are characterized by the size difference between coalescent particles. The temperature dependence of size distribution and morphology is also studied to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The findings a...
Ultrafast Four-Dimensional Coherent Spectroscopy by Projection Reconstruction

Multidimensional coherent spectroscopy provides insights into the vibronic structure and dynamics of complex systems. In general, the higher the dimensionality, the better the spectral discrimination and the more information that may be extracted about the system. A major impediment to widespread implementation of these methods, however, is that the acquisition time generally increases exponentially with dimensionality, prohibiting practical implementation. We demonstrate the use of nonuniform sampling based on the projection-slice theorem and inverse Radon transform within the context of a fifth-order, 4D technique (GAMERS) designed to correlate the vibrational contributions to different electronic states. Projection–reconstruction (PRO GAMERS) greatly reduces the data sampling requirements without sacrificing frequency resolution. The sensitivity of this technique is demonstrated to surpass conventional uniform sampling by orders of magnitude. The incorporation of projection–reconstruction into multidim...
Genetic encoding of 2-aryl-5-carboxytetrazole-based protein photo-cross-linkers

Three γ-heteroatom-substituted N-methylpyrroletetrazole-lysines (mPyTXKs) were synthesized and subsequently incorporated into proteins site-specifically via genetic code expansion. The γ-seleno-substituted derivative, mPyTSeK, showed excellent incorporation efficiency in Escherichia coli and allowed site-selective photo-cross-linking of the GST dimer. Furthermore, the mPyTSeK-cross-linked GST dimer can be cleaved under mild oxidative conditions. The incorporation of mPyTXKs into proteins in mammalian cells was also demonstrated. Lastly, the recombinantly expressed mPyTSeK-encoded Grb2 was shown to covalently capture its interaction partner, EGFR, in mammalian cell lysate, which was subsequently released after treatment with H2O2.
Acute and Chronic Photodamage from Phototherapy, Photochemotherapy, and Solar Radiation

› Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is responsible for various acute and chronic effects on the skin.
Transformation of a Pharmacy Department: Impact on Pharmacist Interventions, Error Prevention, and Cost

Article-at-a-Glance Background Current medical literature supports the unit-based (UB) pharmacy concept as a best practice. In an effort to determine its feasibility, Huntsville Hospital (Huntsville, Alabama) conducted a pilot study to compare the central-based (CB) model with the UB model and then implemented the new model. Implementing the pilot study Data were collected for two high-volume nursing units for 10 days for each model. Pharmacists practicing in the UB setting documented more interventions than the CB pharmacist by a factor of three to one, resulting in an 85% increase in cost avoidance. Implementing the UB model Converting the pharmacy services to a UB model entailed creating 16 new pharmacist positions. Extrapolation of the savings for the UB model ($520 per day) and the CB model ($280) for 1 year suggested that adoption of the UB model would generate an additional $87,600 in cost avoidance for these two nursing units. Each new pharmacist was trained for at least 3 months before being scheduled to work independently as a UB pharmacist. Clinical interventions by pharmacists greatly increased after implementation of the UB model. The baseline monthly average of interventions for the 6 months before implementation was 239, and the monthly cost avoidance was $21,300. In October 2001, the first full month of implementation, there were 1,315 interventions and a monthly cost avoidance of $130,192. Summary Converting to the UB model has required a considerable increase in the number of pharmacist positions, yet there has been a dramatic increase in clinical pharmacy interventions, with a corresponding decrease in drug expenditures.
Market Symmetry and the Tax Efficiency of Equity Compensation

At first blush, the deferral of employee income recognition associated with equity compensation appears to provide a tax advantage in a rising market but an offsetting disadvantage in a declining market. Merton Miller and Myron Scholes argued, however, that this apparent symmetry is misleading and that employees can hedge to ensure tax efficiency despite market uncertainty. This article demonstrates that the effect of employee hedging is fairly small, but that a combination of factors, including capital loss limitations, the possibility of employee-favorable ex post adjustments to equity compensation arrangements, and employee hedging, do cause compensatory stock grants and nonqualified options to be tax advantaged on an expected value basis.
Manganese as a Potential Modulator of Second Messenger Pathways

Manganese deficiency and toxicity are not common in humans, and the mechanisms by which manganese exerts its effects are unknown. In the pancreatic acinar cell manganese regulates protein synthesis, modulates calcium fluxes, inhibits cholecystokinin-activated phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, and participates in the regulation of protein phosphorylation. It is suggested that manganese may act, in part, by modulating hormonally activated second messenger pathways.
Time for a New Look at the Relationship Between Bt Plants and Insect Natural Enemies

Insect-resistant Genetically Modified (IRGM) plants have become an important component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs worldwide. The currently available IRGM plants express insecticidal proteins from Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), however additional insecticidal molecules are being investigated. In 2008, Bt crops were grown on 46 million ha, up from 42.1 million ha in 2007. However, the ecological safety of Bt crops continues to be debated. Much of the debate has focused on non-target organisms, especially predators and parasitoids that help control populations of pest insects in many crops. Thirteen years of commercial use of Bt plants in different parts of the world has documented their effectiveness in controlling target insects and delaying resistance development. The existing “high dose/refuge” insecticide resistance management (IRM) practices certainly contributed to delaying resistance development. However, natural enemies may have played an important role in diminishing the likelihood of resistance development, but this is an area that has not been explored to a great degree. Numerous individual case studies and recent meta-analysis studies of Bt plants and natural enemies indicate that the existing Bt plants have little or no adverse effects on predators, especially compared with conventional insecticides. However, negative effects were found on parasitoids in a few studies but such effects were most likely caused by poor prey/host quality. Using a unique system consisting of a strain of the insect pest, Plutella xylostella (herbivore), resistant to Cry1C that was allowed to feed on Cry1C broccoli plants and then become parasitized by Diadegma insulare, an important endoparasitoid of P. xylostella, our results indicated the parasitoid was exposed to toxic insecticidal protein residues while in the host but was not harmed by such exposure. Parallel studies conducted with several commonly used insecticides indicated they significantly reduced parasitism rates on strains of P. xylostella resistant to these insecticides. These results provide the first clear evidence of the lack of hazard to a parasitoid by Bt plants, compared to traditional insecticides, and help provide new insight on how to rigorously evaluate the ecological risks of Bt plants. Furthermore, these results also suggest that it is time to take a new look at the relationship be tween Bt plants and insect natural enemies. Bt plants can be a friend to natural enemies, rather than a foe. The potential role of natural enemies in regulating insect resistance development to Bt plants is discussed.
Organizing for Public Policy Effect: Aggregate Affiliated Interests in the American States*

Recent advances in the study of organizations suggest that various environmental characteristics should affect the structural characteristics of interest groups. We explore this thesis using a data set of lobbying in the American states. We use OLS regression to determine the effect of variables to measure the concepts of societal system, political culture, lobbyist registration, and state expenditures. We find that the most important variable is the total number of state lobbying efforts. In addition, as the number of lobbying increases among the states we found that a larger proportion of lobbying has been conducted by interest groups acting on their own, instead of creating affiliated aggregates. In addition, adding more variables does not increase the explanative value of the model.
Performance analysis of fixed wing space drones in different solar system bodies

Abstract The aerodynamic coefficients, forces, sizing parameters, and performance of fixed wing drones in different solar system bodies are investigated. Before carrying out the aerodynamic analysis and study of the performance of fixed wing drones, the physical and atmospheric features of various solar system bodies are first determined. Two drones are considered, namely, a fixed wing micro air vehicle with Inverse Zimmerman planform and a tilt-rotor unmanned air vehicle. The effects of Reynolds number on the performance of these drones from an aerodynamic point of view are determined. Furthermore, a parametric study for sizing of fixed wing drones are also investigated. These analyses ultimately lead to the optimum sizing process of fixed wing drones to be used in solar system bodies with different physical and atmospheric features. The comparison between different atmospheric characteristics on the performance of drones is needed to design efficient fixed wing drones which are capable of flight in other planets.
Establishing a Current Good Manufacturing Practice Facility for Biomaterials and Biomolecules in an Academic Medical Center.

A major hurdle in translating biomaterial-based products is moving from the laboratory into first-in-human trials. For many investigators, this is difficult to achieve without industry assistance. ...
Single Cell and Open Chromatin Analysis Reveals Molecular Origin of Epidermal Cells of the Skin.

Summary How embryonic progenitors coordinate cell fate specification and establish transcriptional and signaling competence is a fundamental question in developmental biology. Here, we show that transcription factor ΔNp63 profoundly changes the transcriptome and remodels thousands of open chromatin regions of Krt8+ progenitors during epidermal fate specification. ATAC-seq and single-cell RNA-seq reveal that ΔNp63-dependent programs govern epidermal lineage formation, and ΔNp63-independent programs, mediated by AP2 and AP1 transcription factors, promote epidermal differentiation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. ΔNp63 promotes Wnt signaling by directly upregulating Wnt ligands, Frizzled receptors, and transcription factors. Deletion of β-catenin in Krt8+ progenitors delays their maturation into Krt5+ progenitors. The lack of epidermal Wnt production in the absence of ΔNp63 also incapacitates Wnt activation in the underlying dermal cells. These findings reveal the remarkable changes of the transcriptome, open chromatin, and signaling pathways at the onset of skin development and uncover the molecular cascade for epidermal lineage formation.
Analysis of the retrograde tibial artery approach in lower extremity revascularization in an office endovascular center

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a retrograde tibial approach in revascularization of lower extremities for treatment of ischemia in anatomically challenging patients. Methods This is a retrospective study of 57 procedures performed between 2012 and 2016 using the retrograde approach to treat patients with flush occlusion, inability to cross the lesion, failed bypass, or hostile groin. Demographic data, Rutherford classes, vessels treated, and approach were noted. Type of procedure, complications, amputations, deaths, and patency of access tibial vessels and treated vessels were recorded. Ultrasound-guided tibial access was achieved through the anterior tibial artery, posterior tibial artery, or peroneal artery. Technical success was defined as residual stenosis of Results In 53 patients (32 men) with an average age of 67 ± 10.6 years, Rutherford categories were as follows: class 2, n = 1; class 3, n = 37; class 4, n = 5; class 5, n = 12; and class 6, n = 2. Tibial arteries were successfully accessed in all limbs. Lesions were crossed in 56 of 57 limbs. One procedure was terminated because of local arterial dissection. Revascularization was achieved in 55 of 57 limbs. Within 30 days of the procedure, 2 of 2 Rutherford class 6 patients and 1 of 12 class 5 patients needed major amputation because of pre-existing disease. There was no 30-day mortality. Of 103 vessels treated, technical success was achieved in 97 (94%). Secondary patency for 103 vessels was 79% with mean follow-up of 6.66 ± 5.4 months. The primary patency was 90% compared with a primary assisted patency of 51%. There was no statistically significant difference in access vessel primary patency in follow-up: 86% (30/35) for anterior tibial artery, 80% (16/20) for posterior tibial artery, and 100% (2/2) for peroneal artery. In addition, in follow-up, there was no significant difference in incidence of occlusion of target vessels based on choice of access vessel used (P = .109). Conclusions In this group of anatomically challenging patients, a retrograde tibial approach was safely used. Accessing the tibial artery does not usually cause access vessel occlusion and resulted in no adverse outcomes. The majority of access vessels remained patent for future bypass if necessary.
Quantum information processing in the neighborhood of a black hole

Using an imperfectly prepared state, we show that in relativistic settings, the evolution of a massive spin-1/2 particle violates many standard assumptions made in quantum information theory, including complete positivity. Unlike other recent endeavors in relativistic quantum information, we are able to quantify and maximize how much information can be transferred through such a quantum process by calculating its scope. We show that, surprisingly, relativistic noise can increase the amount of information that can be transferred, and in fact, even if the initial state is arbitrarily close to the completely mixed state, information can still be transferred perfectly. Additionally, we explore the relativistic effects of velocity and gravity on quantum information processing, and we briefly discuss how quantum computation is affected by general relativity. In particular, we show that the large Wigner rotation caused by a black hole as described in the Schwarzchild metric can greatly increase the informatic content of a qubit.
Lexical bias in word recognition by cochlear implant listeners.

When hearing an ambiguous speech sound, listeners show a tendency to perceive it as a phoneme that would complete a real word, rather than completing a nonsense/fake word. For example, a sound that could be heard as either /b/ or /ɡ/ is perceived as /b/ when followed by _ack but perceived as /ɡ/ when followed by “_ap.” Because the target sound is acoustically identical across both environments, this effect demonstrates the influence of top-down lexical processing in speech perception. Degradations in the auditory signal were hypothesized to render speech stimuli more ambiguous, and therefore promote increased lexical bias. Stimuli included three speech continua that varied by spectral cues of varying speeds, including stop formant transitions (fast), fricative spectra (medium), and vowel formants (slow). Stimuli were presented to listeners with cochlear implants (CIs), and also to listeners with normal hearing with clear spectral quality, or with varying amounts of spectral degradation using a noise vocoder. Results indicated an increased lexical bias effect with degraded speech and for CI listeners, for whom the effect size was related to segment duration. This method can probe an individual's reliance on top-down processing even at the level of simple lexical/phonetic perception.When hearing an ambiguous speech sound, listeners show a tendency to perceive it as a phoneme that would complete a real word, rather than completing a nonsense/fake word. For example, a sound that could be heard as either /b/ or /ɡ/ is perceived as /b/ when followed by _ack but perceived as /ɡ/ when followed by “_ap.” Because the target sound is acoustically identical across both environments, this effect demonstrates the influence of top-down lexical processing in speech perception. Degradations in the auditory signal were hypothesized to render speech stimuli more ambiguous, and therefore promote increased lexical bias. Stimuli included three speech continua that varied by spectral cues of varying speeds, including stop formant transitions (fast), fricative spectra (medium), and vowel formants (slow). Stimuli were presented to listeners with cochlear implants (CIs), and also to listeners with normal hearing with clear spectral quality, or with varying amounts of spectral degradation using a noise vocod...
Single-Cell Gene Expression Analyses Reveal Distinct Self-Renewing and Proliferating Subsets in the Leukemia Stem Cell Compartment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Standard chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) targets proliferative cells and efficiently induces complete remission; however, many patients relapse and die of their disease. Relapse is caused by leukemia stem cells (LSC), the cells with self-renewal capacity. Self-renewal and proliferation are separate functions in normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in steady-state conditions. If these functions are also separate functions in LSCs, then antiproliferative therapies may fail to target self-renewal, allowing for relapse. We investigated whether proliferation and self-renewal are separate functions in LSCs as they often are in HSCs. Distinct transcriptional profiles within LSCs of Mll-AF9/NRASG12V murine AML were identified using single-cell RNA sequencing. Single-cell qPCR revealed that these genes were also differentially expressed in primary human LSCs and normal human HSPCs. A smaller subset of these genes was upregulated in LSCs relative to HSPCs; this subset of genes constitutes "LSC-specific" genes in human AML. To assess the differences between these profiles, we identified cell surface markers, CD69 and CD36, whose genes were differentially expressed between these profiles. In vivo mouse reconstitution assays resealed that only CD69High LSCs were capable of self-renewal and were poorly proliferative. In contrast, CD36High LSCs were unable to transplant leukemia but were highly proliferative. These data demonstrate that the transcriptional foundations of self-renewal and proliferation are distinct in LSCs as they often are in normal stem cells and suggest that therapeutic strategies that target self-renewal, in addition to proliferation, are critical to prevent relapse and improve survival in AML. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings define and functionally validate a self-renewal gene profile of leukemia stem cells at the single-cell level and demonstrate that self-renewal and proliferation are distinct in AML. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/80/3/458/F1.large.jpg.
CSF1R inhibition by a small molecule inhibitor affects hematopoiesis and the function of macrophages.

Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibition has been proposed to specifically deplete microglia without affecting peripheral immune cells. Here, we show that CSF1R inhibition by PLX5622 causes changes in the myeloid and lymphoid compartments and long-term functional impairment of bone marrow-derived macrophages by suppressing their IL-1β expression, phagocytosis, and M1, but not M2 phenotype. Thus, CSF1R inhibition with small molecule inhibitors is not restricted to microglia only, but rather causes strong effects on peripheral macrophages that perdure long after cessation of the treatment. These changes may have significant implications on the interpretation of relevant experimental data.