cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pronase method for isolation of viable cells from Necturus gastric mucosa.

Isolated cells of Necturus gastric mucosa were prepared with a simple method using pronase digestion and shaking. In dye exclusion tests cell suspensions containing more than 80% of oxyntic cells were more than 90% viable. Isolated cells had respiration rates of 0.411 ± 0.043 microatom O2 per mg of protein per hr (mean ± se ). Na and K concentrations in cell water were 44.2 ± 1.8 mEq per liter, and 66.7 ± 2.2 mEq per liter respectively. The transmembranal potential of isolated cells was 44 ± 3 mv. similar to that obtained for intact mucosa.
Academic library Web sites: From public relations to information gateway

Evolution depuis le style relations publiques a la passerelle d'information, geree par une equipe
Parking lot delineation and object detection using a localized Convolutional Neural Network

Satellite imagery analysis is becoming increasingly important in a variety of fields. Automation of analysts' workflows has the potential to greatly increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Specifically, developing automatic parking lot extraction from overhead imagery has huge importance to predicting stores future sales. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no prior work for the development of an end-to-end pipeline for this task. This paper outlines a method for automating parking lot extraction from overhead imagery. We address this challenge using the combination of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and various morphological tools of analysis. Our pilot end-to-end pipeline has been shown to be effective even in complex environments, and exhibits promising results for the automation of imagery analysis.
Global Brands and Shareholder Value

Accountability is a watchword in today’s corporations. Senior marketing executives must be able to show how their investments in building strong global brands create shareholder value rather than waste profits. The ability to justify marketing expenditures in terms of shareholder value and to present evidence of results gives senior marketing executives a strong voice in the C-suite. So how do you make the case? By taking a closer look at how your brand creates shareholder value. I will do this from four different angles through the eyes of your finance and accounting colleagues. These insights will help CMOs to keep their seats at the executive table.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care

A health disparity is defined as an increased burden of an adverse health outcome or health determinant within a specific subset of the population. There are well-documented racial and ethnic disparities throughout health care at the patient, provider, and health care system levels. As the minority populations within the United States grow to record numbers, it is increasingly important to invest in efforts to characterize, understand, and end racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Inequities in health outcomes and care pose real threats to the entire nation's well-being. Eliminating health disparities is fundamental to the well-being, productivity, and viability of the entire nation.
Retrieval and radiographic analysis of the Contour antiprotrusio cage.

IntroductionAcetabular reconstruction in the setting of severe bone loss or pelvic discontinuity remains a challenging problem. Multiple methods of treatment have been described including antiprotr...
Towards Selective-Alignment: Producing Accurate And Sensitive Alignments Using Quasi-Mapping

We introduce a novel algorithm for selectively aligning high-throughput sequencing reads to a transcriptome. This algorithm attempts to bridge the gap between fast “mapping” algorithms and more traditional alignment procedures. The former of these simply provide the transcripts, loci and orientations that likely generated a read (or, perhaps, simply the transcripts that are “compatible” with a read), while the latter produces the optimal edit distance and nucleotide-level correspondence between the read and reference sequences. We adopt a hybrid approach that is able to produce accurate alignments while still retaining much of the efficiency of fast mapping algorithms. To achieve this, we make fundamental modifications to an existing mapping algorithm, quasi-mapping, which increases the sensitivity of the procedure. Additionally, unlike the strategies adopted in most aligners which first align the ends of paired-end reads independently, we introduce a notion of co-mapping. This procedure exploits relevant information between the “hits” from the left and right ends of paired-end reads before full alignments or mappings for each are generated, which improves the efficiency of filtering likely-spurious alignments. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of selective alignment in improving the accuracy of efficient transcript-level quantification from RNA-seq reads. Specifically, we show that selective-alignment is able to resolve certain complex mapping scenarios that can confound existing fast mapping procedures, while simultaneously eliminating spurious alignments that fast mapping approaches can produce. Availability and implementation: Selective-alignment is implemented in C++11 as a part of RapMap, and is available as open source software, under GPL v3, at https://github.com/COMBINE-lab/RapMap/tree/selective-alignment.
Lipoprotein particle number and size predict vascular structure and function better than traditional lipids in adolescents and young adults

Background In adults, dyslipidemia is associated with higher carotid thickness and arterial stiffness, predictors of cardiovascular events. In young subjects, lipid concentrations have not been consistently associated with vascular measures. Objective The objective of the study was to compare nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measures of lipoprotein particle number (low-density lipoprotein [LDL] particle, low-density lipoprotein [HDL] particle, very low-density lipoprotein [VLDL] particle) and size (LDL size, HDL size, and VLDL size) to determine if they were associated with vascular measures more strongly than lipid concentrations (LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride [TG]). Methods We evaluated 214 lean (L), 228 obese (O), and 214 diabetic (T2DM) subjects aged 10 to 24 years (33% male and 39% Caucasian). Cardiovascular risk factors, vascular structure, and arterial stiffness were measured. General linear models were constructed including demographics, risk factors, and traditional or NMR lipid parameters. A composite vascular function score was developed as the outcome in receiver operator characteristic scores for determining which lipid parameter was superior in predicting vascular damage. Results Risk factors worsened from L to O to T. However, LDL cholesterol was similar in O and T, whereas LDL size differentiated the 3 groups (T > O > L, P ≤ .0001). Models demonstrated the superiority of NMR values, which entered for all but 1 vascular outcome and explained more of the variance than traditional lipid concentrations. Receiver operator characteristic curves demonstrated that NMR values were superior in predicting vascular outcomes. Models stratified by race were similar but cutpoints predicting vascular outcomes differed by race for TG, TG/HDL, and VLDL. Conclusion Lipoprotein particle number and size are more strongly related to vascular structure and function than traditional lipid values. NMR lipid measures may be a better indicator of risk for target organ damage than traditional lipid measures in adolescents and young adults.
Using Phoenix++ MapReduce to introduce undergraduate students to parallel computing

With the release of CS2013, departments around the country are injecting more parallelism into their core computer science courses. MapReduce is an attractive option for introducing undergraduate students to parallelism. However, most approaches to teaching MapReduce require students to access a Hadoop cluster. This is often too costly to be a viable option at many institutions, especially if MapReduce represents a minor topic in a course. In this paper, we discuss the use of Phoenix++ MapReduce for introducing undergraduate students to parallel computing and the MapReduce paradigm. We publish an open-source module on Phoenix++, enabling instructors at other institutions to rapidly adopt Phoenix++ MapReduce for use in their own curricula.
Paradoxical enhancement of chemoreceptor detection sensitivity by a sensory adaptation enzyme

A sensory adaptation system that tunes chemoreceptor sensitivity enables motile Escherichia coli cells to track chemical gradients with high sensitivity over a wide dynamic range. Sensory adaptation involves feedback control of covalent receptor modifications by two enzymes: CheR, a methyltransferase, and CheB, a methylesterase. This study describes a CheR function that opposes the signaling consequences of its catalytic activity. In the presence of CheR, a variety of mutant serine chemoreceptors displayed up to 40-fold enhanced detection sensitivity to chemoeffector stimuli. This response enhancement effect did not require the known catalytic activity of CheR, but did involve a binding interaction between CheR and receptor molecules. Response enhancement was maximal at low CheR:receptor stoichiometry and quantitative analyses argued against a reversible binding interaction that simply shifts the ON-OFF equilibrium of receptor signaling complexes. Rather, a short-lived CheR binding interaction appears to promote a long-lasting change in receptor molecules, either a covalent modification or conformation that enhances their response to attractant ligands.
A pairwise likelihood augmented Cox estimator for left‐truncated data

Survival data collected from a prevalent cohort are subject to left truncation and the analysis is challenging. Conditional approaches for left-truncated data could be inefficient as they ignore the information in the marginal likelihood of the truncation times. Length-biased sampling methods may improve the estimation efficiency but only when the underlying truncation time is uniform; otherwise, they may generate biased estimates. We propose a semiparametric method for left-truncated data under the Cox model with no parametric distributional assumption about the truncation times. Our approach is to make inference based on the conditional likelihood augmented with a pairwise likelihood, which eliminates the truncation distribution, yet retains the information about the regression coefficients and the baseline hazard function in the marginal likelihood. An iterative algorithm is provided to solve for the regression coefficients and the baseline hazard function simultaneously. By empirical process and U-process theories, it has been shown that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal with a closed-form consistent variance estimator. Simulation studies show substantial efficiency gain of our estimator in both the regression coefficients and the cumulative baseline hazard function over the conditional approach estimator. When the uniform truncation assumption holds, our estimator enjoys smaller biases and efficiency comparable to that of the full maximum likelihood estimator. An application to the analysis of a chronic kidney disease cohort study illustrates the utility of the method.
Excellent Pathologic Response and Atypical Clinical Course of High-Grade Extremity Sarcoma to Neoadjuvant Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy

Neoadjuvant radiation therapy, followed by definitive surgical resection, remains the standard of care for resectable high-grade and unresectable soft tissue sarcomas. Proton therapy offers the promise of highly conformal dose distributions with improved sparing of neighboring normal tissues as compared with conformal and intensity modulated photon techniques. It is unclear whether proton therapy may offer an improved tumoral response, especially with dose escalation, in this relatively radio-insensitive tumor type. We, herein, present a patient with an excellent pathologic response to preoperative pencil beam scanning proton therapy despite a complex treatment course.
Flow, Transport, and Reaction in Porous Media: Percolation Scaling, Critical‐Path Analysis, and Effective Medium Approximation

We describe the most important developments in the application of three theoretical tools to modeling of the morphology of porous media and flow and transport processes in them. One tool is percolation theory. Although it was over 40 years ago that the possibility of using percolation theory to describe flow and transport processes in porous media was first raised, new models and concepts, as well as new variants of the original percolation model are still being developed for various applications to flow phenomena in porous media. The other two approaches, closely related to percolation theory, are the critical-path analysis, which is applicable when porous media are highly heterogeneous, and the effective-medium approximation - poor man's percolation - which provides a simple and, under certain conditions, quantitatively correct description of transport in porous media in which percolation-type disorder is relevant. Applications to topics in geosciences include predictions of the hydraulic conductivity and air permeability, solute and gas diffusion that are particularly important in ecohydrological applications and land-surface interactions, and multiphase flow in porous media, as well as non-Gaussian solute transport, and flow morphologies associated with imbibition into unsaturated fractures. We describe new applications of percolation theory of solute transport to chemical weathering and soil formation, geomorphology, and elemental cycling through the terrestrial Earth surface. Wherever quantitatively accurate predictions of such quantities are relevant, so are the techniques presented here. Whenever possible, the theoretical predictions are compared with the relevant experimental data. In practically all the cases, the agreement between the theoretical predictions and the data is excellent. Also discussed are possible future directions in the application of such concepts to many other phenomena in geosciences.
Polyelectrolyte microcapsules built on CaCO 3 scaffolds for the integration, encapsulation, and controlled release of copigmented anthocyanins.

The all-polysaccharide based polyelectrolyte microcapsules combining copigmentation for anthocyanin encapsulation and stabilization were fabricated. Copigmented complexes of chondroitin sulfate and anthocyanin were preloaded in CaCO3 scaffold, and then microcapsules were created by coating the sacrificial CaCO3 using layer-by-layer technique. It was observed that the preloading of copigmented complex affected the precipitation reaction of CaCO3 and the subsequent entrapment of anthocyanin. With addition of anthocyanin from 0.125 to 0.75 mg, copigmentation can significantly increase the encapsulation efficiency of anthocyanin in CaCO3, whereas such effect was not obvious at higher loadings. The leakage of anthocyanin during CaCO3 core dissolution and storage was also inhibited by two polysaccharide layers coupled with copigmentation, which may be related to the formation of interconnecting networks. Additionally, a higher anthocyanin antioxidant activity was provided by carbohydrate matrix. These findings may allow for the encapsulation of large amounts of water-soluble components; particularly natural colorant by copigmented complex-polyelectrolyte structures.
ENGAGEMENT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION

A lack of a consensus regarding what constitutes engagement in the context of social media has made it difficult for scholars to generate theory in this area and has created challenges for managers...
School-based social work and family therapy.

This paper discusses the importance of family therapy as part of the armamentarium of school-based social work. It provides a rationale for school-based intervention, noting that the school represents for the child the one fixed point (i.e., constant experience) in an endlessly changing world. The author believes that family therapy should be emphasized in school because school social workers are in a strategic position to thoroughly assess family dysfunction. Further, he notes that unless adolescents' problems are understood in the context of improperly functioning families, any help provided will be impermanent at best.
Determination of d-myo-inositol phosphates in 'activated' raw almonds using anion-exchange chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Author(s): Lee, Lianna Y; Mitchell, Alyson E | Abstract: BACKGROUND:Activated almonds are raw almonds that have been soaked in water for 12-24 h at room temperature, sometimes followed by a 24 h drying period at low temperature (50 ± 5 °C). This treatment is thought to enhance the nutrient bioavailability of almonds by degrading nutrient inhibitors, such as phytic acid or d-myo-inositol hexaphosphate (InsP6 ), through the release of phytase or passive diffusion of InsP6 into the soaking water. Over a wide pH range, InsP6 is a negatively charged compound that limits the absorption of essential nutrients by forming insoluble complexes with minerals such as iron and zinc. It is hypothesized that hydrating the seed during soaking triggers InsP6 degradation into lower myo-inositol phosphates with less binding capacity. RESULTS:Anion-exchange chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify myo-inositol mono-, di-, tris-, tetra-, penta-, and hexaphosphates (InsP1-6 ) in raw pasteurized activated almonds. At least 24 h of soaking at ambient temperature was required to reduce InsP6 content from 14.71 to 14.01 µmol g-1 . CONCLUSIONS:The reduction in InsP6 is statistically significant (P l 0.05) after 24 h of activation, but only represents a 4.75% decrease from the unsoaked almonds. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Objective scoring of animal handling and stunning practices at slaughter plants.

Objective To develop objective methods for monitoring animal welfare at slaughter plants to ensure compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Design Survey of existing procedures. Sample population 24 federally inspected slaughter plants. Procedure 6 variables evaluated at each plant were stunning efficacy, insensibility of animals hanging on the bleeding rail, vocalization, electric prod use, number of animals slipping, and number of animals falling. Results Of 11 beef plants, only 4 were able to render 95% of cattle insensible with a single shot from a captive-bolt stunner. Personnel at 7 of 11 plants placed the stunning wand correctly on 99% or more of pigs and sheep. At 4 beef plants, percentage of cattle prodded with an electric prod ranged from 5% at a plant at which handlers only prodded cattle that refused to move to 90% at another plant. Use of electric prods at 6 pork plants scored for prod use ranged from 15 to almost 100% of pigs. Percentage of cattle that vocalized during stunning and handling ranged from 1.1% at a plant at which electric prods were only used on cattle that refused to move to 32% at another plant at which electric prods were used on 90% of cattle and a restraint device was inappropriately used to apply excessive pressure. Clinical implications To obtain the most accurate assessment of animal welfare at slaughter plants, it is important to score all of the aforementioned variables.
Lipid Peroxidation Adds Fuel to Pyr(optosis)

Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is an antioxidant enzyme that protects cells from lipid peroxidation. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Kang et al. (2018) report that GPX4 is a negative regulator of the pyroptotic cell death pathway and plays an important role in inhibiting lethal inflammation associated with sepsis.
Critical Processes in CNS Development and the Pathogenesis of Early Injuries

Though mercury and lead exposure are known to be more injurious to developing CNS than mature CNS, the nature of the difference is not understood. If the only difference is in accumulation or retention of the toxic agents, then it should be possible to apply the same tests of toxicity, no matter when exposure occurs. On the other hand, if developing tissue responds to metals in ways that mature tissue does not, then the nature of the injury may be different in subjects exposed at different times. In this case, the measures best suited to detect adult toxicity might be inappropriate to detect toxicity after early exposure. One way to evaluate whether metals interfere with development is to test the integrity of processes which occur only in developing CNS. There is already some evidence that mercury and/or lead alter several such processes. Neuron proliferation, formation of glia and myelin, cell migration, development of connections, and differentiation of transmitter characteristics all have been reported to be affected by early exposure to metals. Interruption of these developmental events by other teratogens has been shown to cause permanent alterations in nervous system form and function. The experimental paradigms necessary to demonstrate failures in developmental processes are not necessarily the same as those used in general toxicity testing. Therefore, it would be useful to apply more varied experimental approaches to the questions surrounding metal effects on developing nervous system.
Burning mouth syndrome: a diagnostic challenge

Objectives The aim of this study was to characterize the diagnostic process that patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) undergo and to identify the potential pitfalls encountered in the workup and management of BMS. Study Design A retrospective chart review of patients with BMS seen at the Oral Medicine clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) was conducted from January 2014 to April 2017. Abstracted data focused on the period from onset of symptoms to referral to the Oral Medicine clinic for definitive diagnosis and included providers consulted, symptom characteristics, diagnostic tests performed, and provisional diagnoses and treatments offered. Results One hundred and two patients (86.3% females) were included (median age 60 years). Median time from onset of symptoms to referral to the Oral Medicine clinic was 12 months (range 4-370 months). Patients saw a median of 3 providers (range 1-7); 30.4% had undergone a diagnostic test; 63.7% had been given a provisional diagnosis; and 78.4% had received treatment. Candidiasis was the most common misdiagnosis (25.5%), and antifungal medication was the most frequently prescribed therapy (27.5%). Conclusions Patients with BMS experience delay in diagnosis and management despite seeking and receiving professional care. Many undergo unnecessary tests and tend to be misdiagnosed or receive no diagnosis at all. Even those correctly diagnosed with BMS often receive inappropriate or ineffective treatment.
Meta-Analysis of Finfish Abundance at Offshore Wind Farms

Offshore wind farms are becoming increasingly common in the coastal margins of marine ecosystems worldwide. Yet, the effects that wind farm structures have on fish populations remain unclear. To ex...
Judged by Physicians

A 36-year-old Caucasian female with a past history including recurrent major depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD, unspecified mood disorder, tobacco abuse, and previous rupture of a brain aneurysm (post-surgery with middle cerebral artery stenting in 2012) presented to the office to newly establish care.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Copper(II) Chelates of 1,11-Dithia-4,8-diazacyclotetradecane.

Synthesis of 1,11-dithia-4,8-diazacyclotetradecane (L1), a constitutional isomer of the macrocyclic [14]aneN2S2 series, is accompanied with reaction and method optimization. Chelation of L1 with co...
Cellular and Neural Responses to Sour Stimuli Require the Proton Channel Otop1

The sense of taste allows animals to sample chemicals in the environment prior to ingestion. Of the five basic tastes, sour, the taste of acids, had remained among the most mysterious. Acids are detected by type III taste receptor cells (TRCs), located in taste buds across the tongue and palate epithelium. The first step in sour taste transduction is believed to be entry of protons into the cell cytosol, which leads to cytosolic acidification and the generation of action potentials. The proton-selective ion channel Otop1 is expressed in type III TRCs and is a candidate sour receptor. Here, we tested the contribution of Otop1 to taste cell and gustatory nerve responses to acids in mice in which Otop1 was genetically inactivated (Otop1-KO mice). We first show that Otop1 is required for the inward proton current in type III TRCs from different parts of the tongue that are otherwise molecularly heterogeneous. We next show that in type III TRCs from Otop1-KO mice, intracellular pH does not track with extracellular pH and that moderately acidic stimuli do not elicit trains of action potentials, as they do in type III TRCs from wild-type mice. Moreover, gustatory nerve responses in Otop1-KO mice were severely and selectively attenuated for acidic stimuli, including citric acid and HCl. These results establish that the Otop1 proton channel plays a critical role in acid detection in the mouse gustatory system, evidence that it is a bona fide sour taste receptor.
Topological Data Analysis for Genomics and Evolution: Topology in Biology

Biology has entered the age of Big Data. A technical revolution has transformed the field, and extracting meaningful information from large biological data sets is now a central methodological challenge. Algebraic topology is a well-established branch of pure mathematics that studies qualitative descriptors of the shape of geometric objects. It aims to reduce comparisons of shape to a comparison of algebraic invariants, such as numbers, which are typically easier to work with. Topological data analysis is a rapidly developing subfield that leverages the tools of algebraic topology to provide robust multiscale analysis of data sets. This book introduces the central ideas and techniques of topological data analysis and its specific applications to biology, including the evolution of viruses, bacteria and humans, genomics of cancer, and single cell characterization of developmental processes. Bridging two disciplines, the book is for researchers and graduate students in genomics and evolutionary biology as well as mathematicians interested in applied topology.
Examining How Types of Object Distractors Distinctly Compete for Facial Attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Eye Tracking

Social motivation theory states that individuals with ASD find social stimuli less rewarding (Chevallier et al. in Trends Cognit Sci 16(4):231–239, 2012). An alternative theory suggests that competition from circumscribed interests (CIs) may better account for diminished social attention (Sasson et al. in Autism Res 1(1):31–42, 2008). This study evaluated both theories in children diagnosed with ASD (n = 16) and a group of TD children (n = 20) using eye tracking and demonstrated that distractor type only impacted the proportion of dwell time on faces in the TD group, but not the ASD group. These results provide support for the social motivation theory because gaze duration for faces among children with ASD was diminished regardless of whether the non-social stimuli presented was a CI or control object.
Facets of Mindfulness and Health Among a Predominantly Low-Income Community Sample

Low-income populations are at a disproportionately high risk for various physical and emotional disorders. One factor that has received little attention in its link to health among low-income groups is dispositional mindfulness. Dispositional mindfulness has been associated with better health in college undergraduate and predominantly higher-income Caucasian samples. Understanding the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and health among low-income populations may be helpful for developing effective programs. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between the facets of mindfulness and various health domains in a low-income community sample. Participants were 256 community members (55.9% female) from a small town in Upstate New York, and 51.6% of the sample had a household income of less than $20,000 a year. After informed consent was obtained, participants completed the following questionnaires: The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey, Perceived Stress Scale, Lubben Social Network Scale-Revised, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and a demographic and health behavior questionnaire. After controlling for health and psychosocial variables, there was a significant effect of the non-judging and non-reactivity facets of mindfulness on emotional health. The acting with awareness facet of mindfulness was associated with social functioning. However, dispositional mindfulness was not associated with physical health. Dispositional mindfulness plays a significant role in emotional health and social functioning among low-income adults. Mindfulness-based programs may be beneficial for this demographic if focused on the enhancement of non-judgment, non-reactivity, and acting with awareness.
CHAPTER 9 – SPECIAL TESTS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the special tests of flight. It is useful when conducting stability and control tests to know the values of the side-slip angle and the angle of attack with some degree of precision. Knowledge of these parameters is also of importance when evaluating the performance of the airplane armament as well as take-off and landing characteristics under critical operating conditions. For research work and for developmental flight testing, it is sometimes mandatory to investigate the actual local airflow conditions existing about a given airplane to establish the causes of buffeting, control malfunctioning, and flow breakaway. Measurements of pressures and velocities have always been among the chief methods of study but as provisions are seldom made in a given airplane design for such measurements, the long established method of studying the airflow visually with light streamers has been much used in flight test work.
Macrocyclization of a Ligand Targeting a Toxic RNA Dramatically Improves Potency

RNA molecules both contribute to and are causative of many human diseases. One method to perturb RNA function is to target its structure with small molecules. However, discovering bioactive ligands for RNA targets is challenging. Here, we show that the bioactivity of a linear dimeric ligand that inactivates the RNA trinucleotide repeat expansion that causes myotonic dystrophy type 1 [DM1; r(CUG)exp ] can be improved by macrocyclization. Indeed, the macrocyclic compound is ten times more potent than the linear compound for improving DM1-associated defects in cells, including in patient-derived myotubes (muscle cells). This enhancement in potency is due to the macrocycle's increased affinity and selectively for the target, which inhibit r(CUG)exp 's toxic interaction with muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1), and its superior cell permeability. Macrocyclization could prove to be an effective way to enhance the bioactivity of modularly assembled ligands targeting RNA.
Evaluating the advantages of treating acute cholecystitis by following the Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18): a study emphasizing clinical outcomes and medical expenditures

Acute cholecystitis (AC) is a common surgical emergency. The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) provides a reliable algorithm for the treatment of AC patients to achieve optimal outcomes. However, the economic benefits have not been validated. We hypothesize that good outcomes and cost savings can both be achieved if patients are treated according to the TG18. This retrospective study included 275 patients who underwent cholecystectomy in a 15-month span. Patients were divided into three groups (group 1: mild AC; group 2: moderate AC with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class ≤ 2 and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score ≤ 5; and group 3: moderate AC with ASA class ≥ 3, CCI score ≥ 6, or severe AC). Each group was further divided into two subgroups according to management (followed or deviated from the TG18). Patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and hospital costs were compared. For group 1 patients, 77 (81%) were treated according to the TG18 and had a significantly higher successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) rate (100%), lower hospital cost ($1896 vs $2388), and shorter hospital stay (2.9 vs 8 days) than those whose treatment deviated from the TG18. For group 2 patients, 50 (67%) were treated according to the TG18 and had a significantly lower hospital cost ($1926 vs $2856), shorter hospital stay (3.9 vs 9.9 days), and lower complication rate (0% vs 12.5%). For group 3 patients, 62 (58%) were treated according to the TG18 and had a significantly lower intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (9.7% vs 25%), but a longer hospital stay (12.6 vs 7.8 days). However, their hospital costs were similar. Early LC in group 3 patients did not have economic benefits over gallbladder drainage and delayed LC. The TG18 are the state-of-the-art guidelines for the treatment of AC, achieving both satisfactory outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
Conversational gambits: talking points to a better future

I am immensely grateful to Kathe Newman and James DeFilippis for organizing this discussion and to my colleagues for their astute, generous, and challenging engagement with my work. Their willingne...
Passivity-Based Pose Regulation and Jacobian-Based Force Distribution of a Cable-Driven Parallel Robot

This paper investigates the set-point pose regulation of a six degree-of-freedom cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) from a passivity perspective. The proposed control method makes use of the existence of a passive input-output mapping from a modified control input in task space to the velocity and angular velocity of the payload. A pose regulation control law that does not require an attitude parameterization and instead directly uses the direction cosine matrix is presented and shown to achieve asymptotic closed-loop stability. An additional contribution of this work is the development of a novel Jacobian-based force distribution method to account for the redundantly-actuated nature of CDPRs. An optimal linear programming formulation of this method is shown to match the performance of existing approaches in the literature. A numerical CDPR example is presented to illustrate the implementation of the proposed pose regulation control law and force distribution method.
Novel Psychoactive Substances: Synthetic Cathinones and Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists

The synthesis of “designer drugs” intended to mimic the effects of chemically similar controlled substances while circumventing existing drug laws has grown exponentially since the turn of the century. These novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) have been introduced into the market with some regularity over the previous century in response to regulations which outlaw the use of existing agents, but more recently the Internet has allowed for worldwide distribution and encouraged NPS production on a global scale. These synthetic compounds contain modified molecular structures similar enough to controlled or illegal substances so as to produce a similar effect in the user but different enough so as to not fall under the same restrictions placed on the production, distribution, possession, and use of the parent compound. These drugs are often produced clandestinely with little or no quality control processes, and there is a wide variation in chemical content among commercial preparations purported to be the same product. Typically, the existence of a new NPS comes to the attention of law enforcement or the medical community only after users begin to die in large numbers or present to hospitals for treatment with heretofore unseen symptoms.
A Focus on Medication Error

A medication error is any avoidable adverse incident that happens due to negligence or incorrect administration of the medication to the patients that lead to an erroneous or imperfect diagnosis of a disease, injury, syndrome, behaviour, infection or other illness. The cause of medication error can be associated to healthcare professionals’ careless practice, outdated health care products, improper follow-ups of the procedures and systems. There are various factors involved that promote such events to happen, for example, an error in dosage or route of administration, incorrect prescription, problem in reading handwritten prescription, failure to administer the correct formulation for a particular disease, use of expired drugs, incorrect timing for administration of the drug, lack of awareness of adverse effects of certain drug combinations, shortage of information about a patient's drug allergies or sensitivities, problem with product labelling, packaging, compounding, dispensing, distribution, monitoring, administration and nomenclature, that is, confusion about different drugs with similar names.
Social and Personal Disclosure in a Location-Based Real Time Dating App

Users of location-based real time dating (LBRTD) apps must decide what to disclose in their profiles. Based on 25,365 profiles from one app, our study explores users whose profile photos disclose a face, a personal disclosure that identifies them as an individual, in relation to available social disclosures, those that do not identify them as an individual. Using logistic regression models with face disclosure as the outcome, we find: older users, and users who share race are less likely to disclose a face, and higher body mass index (BMI) users, users who disclose relationship status, and users who are seeking friends or relationships are more likely to disclose a face. We frame and discuss these results in relation to literature on location norms, body image, race relations, and social stigma, and propose future work to investigate these findings, particularly those of race, relationship status, and goals, in qualitative depth.
The Suckling Hills Fault, Kayak Island Zone, and accretion of the Yakutat microplate, Alaska

[1] The Suckling Hills and Kayak Island are isolated mountain blocks located along strike from each other within the foreland of the St. Elias orogen in southern Alaska. These blocks preserve an erosional surface that was deformed by slip on northwest-dipping reverse faults in the Pleistocene. We suggest that the Suckling Hills Fault and Kayak Island Zone form a segmented fault network that links with the Bering Glacier structure to the north. This fault network separates the central Yakataga fold and thrust belt from complex, multiply deformed structures in the western syntaxis. Ongoing accretion of the Yakutat microplate to North America results in translation of structures of the fold and thrust belt into the western syntaxis. The composite Suckling Hills Fault, Kayak Island Zone, and Bering Glacier structure may have formed because the older structures of the fold and thrust belt were unfavorably oriented within the western syntaxis region. This pattern of deformation provides a template for understanding the complex deformation within the core of the western syntaxis and predicts refolding and straightening of the western syntaxis margin with continued accretion. This study provides an analog for structural overprinting and changing deformation patterns through time in orogenic corners.
Morphology offers no clues to asexual vs. sexual origin of small Acropora cervicornis (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) colonies

Sexual recruitment of the staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, is accepted to be very rare. Instead, these branching corals proliferate through fragmentation leading to dense mono-specific and possibly monoclonal stands. For acroporid corals, which have suffered drastic population declines, dominance of asexual reproduction results in low levels of genotypic diversity and limited ability to re-colonize extirpated areas. Small colonies with a single encrusting, symmetrical base, and few incipient branches are frequently presumed to be the result of a settled planula (i.e. sexual reproduction). Here, we show that colonies fitting this description (i.e., presumed sexual recruits) can result from asexual fragmentation. Acropora cervicornis colonies (~20 cm diameter) were tagged and observed over eighteen months. In several cases, colony offshoots fused with the adjacent substrate forming secondary disc-like attachment points. Following natural fragmentation, these discs of tissue became separated from the original colony, and were observed to heal and give rise to smaller colonies with striking similarity to the expected morphology of a sexual recruit. Thus, presuming a colony is a sexual recruit based on appearance is unreliable and may lead to inflated expectations of genetic diversity among populations. The accurate assessment of recruitment and genetic diversity is crucial to predicting the recovery potential of these imperiled and ecologically irreplaceable reef corals. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54 (Suppl. 3): 145-151. Epub 2007 Jan. 15.
New extremely broadband ferroelectric polymer ultrasound transducers

Custom immersible ultrasound transducers have been developed for an application requiring -6 dB fractional bandwidths in excess of 150%, spanning a frequency range of approximately 5-100 MHz. The copolymer transducers were optimally designed for maximum bandwidth and efficiency for operation in water. The design is also custom optimized for the specific dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the P(VDF-TrFE) poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymer used. The design, fabrication, and testing, of these transducers are described. The transducers have shown excellent broadband performance, capable of extending beyond 1.5 decades of frequency, with improvements in insertion loss still desirable. >
Teamwork in Psychiatric Settings

A study designed to examine factors that contribute to effective team functioning in inpatient psychiatric facilities showed that most respondents, who were all members of such teams, agreed that teamwork helped to improve treatment plans for individual clients. Using data from the study, roles that social workers take as team members are examined and important issues about team functioning are raised.
Amino Acid Oxidase in Leukocytes: Evidence Against a Major Role in Phagocytosis

The addition of either d- or l-amino acids fails to increase hexose monophosphate shunt activity of resting or phagocytizing neutrophils. This is presumptive evidence against a major role for amino acid oxidase in the bactericidal activity of the cell.
Electron-beam lithography simulation for mask making: VI. Comparison of 10- and 50-kV GHOST proximity effect correction

GHOST uses two exposures, the primary dose and its complement, in an attempt to equalize the effects of backscattering and reduce proximity effects. Unfortunately, image contrast is reduced compared to exposures done without GHOST. A simplified raster scan theory is developed in order to examine the effects of backscattering and GHOST proximity correction on the quality of the images produced. Electron beam lithography simulation is used to examine the effect of spot size and voltage on the spot image generated in 400 nm of ZEP 7000 resist, and the effects of GHOST on proximity effects and process latitude.
Structured light interference due to multiple reflections in a spiral phase plate device and its propagation

When light travels through a spiral phase plate (SPP) device, it acquires structured wavefronts, i.e. a vortex containing orbital angular momentum. For an SPP device, which has a surface reflectivity, there will be multiple reflections in the device causing an azimuthal interference pattern. In this paper, the propagation of structured light is discussed after it has undergone multiple reflections in an SPP device under the thick-plate approximation.
The Effects of Line Length on Children and Adults' Perceived and Actual Online Reading Performance

This study examined reading time, reading efficiency, perceived reading efficiency, and preference for three online-text length conditions, narrow, medium, and full, for both adults and children. N...
A molecular modeling study on the enantioselectivity of aryl alkyl ketone reductions by a NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase

Automated structural analysis of Sporobolomyces salmonicolor carbonyl reductase (SSCR) indicates that the two largest potential receptor sites are in the vicinity of the nicotinamide reductant. The largest receptor site is a scalene triangle with sides of approximately 8 A by 9 A by 13 A, which is narrow in width; one corner is surrounded by hydrophilic residues that can favorably bond with the ketone oxygen. Docking aryl alkyl ketones shows a distinct preference for binding to the largest receptor site, and for conformations that place the carbonyl oxygen of the substrate in the hydrophilic corner of the largest receptor site. Favorable docking conformations for aryl alkyl ketones fall into two low-energy ensembles. These conformational ensembles are distinguished by the positions of the substituents, presenting either the Si- or Re-face of the ketone to the nicotinamide reductant. For the ketones investigated here, there is a correspondence between the major enantiomer of the alcohol obtained from the reduction of the ketone and the conformer found to have the most stable interaction energy with the receptor site in all cases. The receptor site modeling, docking simulations, molecular dynamics, and enzyme-substrate geometry optimizations lead to a model for understanding the enantioselectivity of this NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase.
Cumulant versus jet-like three-particle correlations

Two-particle jet-like azimuthal correlations have revealed intriguing modifications to the away-side of high ${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ trigger particles in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Three-particle jet-like azimuthal correlation and three-particle azimuthal cumulant have been analyzed in experiments in attempt to distinguish conical emission of jet-correlated particles from other physics mechanisms. We investigate the difference between three-particle jet-like correlation and three-particle cumulant in azimuth. We show, under the circumstance where the away-side two-particle correlation is relatively flat in azimuth and similar in magnitude to the azimuthal average of the two-particle correlation signal, that the three-particle cumulant cannot distinguish conical emission from other physics mechanisms. The three-particle jet-like correlation, on the other hand, retains its discrimination power.
Ballistic-carrier spectroscopy of the CoSi2/Si interface.

Ballistic-electron-emission microscopy and related ballistic-hole and carrier-scattering spectroscopies were used to investigate carrier transport in the epitaxial CoSi2/Si system. An unexpected degree of variation in interface transmission was observed despite the high crystal quality of the epitaxial silicide layer. Furthermore, clear evidence of the CoSi2 band structure was observed, which has a dramatic effect on interface transport. The major effect of the silicide band structure is to increase the interfacial barrier to electron transmission to a value in excess of the Schottky barrier height.
Competing symmetries, the logarithmic HLS inequality and Onofri's inequality on sn

The sharp version of the logarithmic Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev inequality including the cases of equality is established. We then show that this implies Beckner's generalization of Onofri's inequality to arbitrary dimensions and determines the cases of equality.