cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-throughput cloning for proteomics research.

Author(s): Doyle, Sharon A. | Abstract: Many proteomics initiatives require the production of large collections of expression clones. While traditional methods of cloning, such as restriction enzyme-based cloning, have been well established on a small scale, they are not adaptable for a high-throughput environment. Methods that facilitate cloning in a high-throughput manner are vital to the success of these initiatives. This chapter describes ligation-independent cloning (LIC), an ideal cloning strategy for high-throughput proteomics. In this system, linear plasmid vector and insert DNA are treated to generate complementary single-stranded overhangs that anneal during a short incubation. In addition to the ease of LIC due to the speed and efficiency of the annealing reaction, other attributes make it an optimal system for cloning large numbers of cDNAs. Since restriction enzymes are not used, insert sequences do not need to be screened for internal sites or modified prior to cloning. Any vector can be made LIC compatible, allowing for the production of proteins with different affinity tags, often using the same insert PCR product. The additional amino acids added to the encoded protein by the LIC sequences are minimal and can be modified if necessary, which is often important when N- or C-terminal extensions affect protein function or stability.
The current status of therapy for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

An important advance in the management of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the recognition that there are discernable subgroups of patients that share clinical characteristics and for whom certain principles of therapy should be applied their management. The remainder of this manuscript will be devoted to briefly reviewing several of these important subgroups of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Human Re-identification in Crowd Videos Using Personal, Social and Environmental Constraints

This paper addresses the problem of human re-identification in videos of dense crowds. Re-identification in crowded scenes is a challenging problem due to large number of people and frequent occlusions, coupled with changes in their appearance due to different properties and exposure of cameras. To solve this problem, we model multiple Personal, Social and Environmental (PSE) constraints on human motion across cameras in crowded scenes. The personal constraints include appearance and preferred speed of each individual, while the social influences are modeled by grouping and collision avoidance. Finally, the environmental constraints model the transition probabilities between gates (entrances/exits). We incorporate these constraints into an energy minimization for solving human re-identification. Assigning 1–1 correspondence while modeling PSE constraints is NP-hard. We optimize using a greedy local neighborhood search algorithm to restrict the search space of hypotheses. We evaluated the proposed approach on several thousand frames of PRID and Grand Central datasets, and obtained significantly better results compared to existing methods.
Understanding thermal conductance across multi-wall carbon nanotube contacts: Role of nanotube curvature

Abstract Thermal energy transfer at the interconnects in carbon based nanoelectronic devices plays a crucial role towards their performance as well as their reliability. In this study, we investigate such thermal energy transfer across physically interacting multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a function of their diameter, length, number of walls, inter-layer chirality differences, and different angular orientation of the cross-contact. Using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations for phonon energy transfer, we predict that MWCNTs' curvature and their number of walls emerge as two critical factors, with each of them determining the limiting value of the thermal conductance across MWCNT contacts in different diameter regimes. For thinner MWCNTs, the curvature determines the limiting value of the conductance and leads to an interesting non-monotonic character, while the number of walls dominates the contact conductance for large diameter MWCNTs. We discuss their respective origins and distinguish their governing regimes using several arguments –focusing of phonons, and confinement of the phonon focusing cone, large mean free path of graphite– and how they modulate radial thermal transport, leading to observed trends of thermal conductance across MWCNT contacts.
Land Use Classification and Analysis Using Radar Data Mining in Ethiopia

Land use classification in tropical areas, is hindered by frequent cloud cover which limits the availability of optical satellite data. Satellite-borne radar is a possible alternative to optical data for land use classification in tropical areas. However, radar data is affected by noise (i.e., speckle) that must be minimized before its use in land classification. Median, Lee-Sigma, and Gamma-MAP de-speckling techniques were applied to Fine Beam, Dual polarization (FBD) PALSAR radar data acquired over central Ethiopia. Each of the de-speckled images were then subjected to supervised classification using Maximum Likelihood, C4.5, Multilayer Perceptron and Stacking techniques. Validation results indicated that de-speckling techniques improved classification accuracy by up to 25%, 20% and 16% using Gamma-MAP, Median and Lee-Sigma respectively. Gamma-MAP de-speckling in combination with the Multilayer perceptron classifier achieved the best overall classification accuracy at 91.2%. This study proved the importance of radar data as an alternative source of information for land use classification in the tropics. Further research should focus on the application of radar data for forest fire detection and crop classification. The use of fully polarized radar data has the potential to further improve the proposed land use classification in tropical countries.
In Touch But Out of Time: Aggressive Hospital Discharge and Readmissions After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

The first trial of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) demonstrated the utility of the procedure in infirm patients who were judged to have too high an operative risk to undergo open aortic valve replacement.[1][1] Since then, the rate of growth for valve technology as well as its clinical
Surface flashover of silicon

ABSTRACTWe present high-speed shutter and streak photographs synchronized with sample current measure- ments which show clearly that in surface flashover of silicon in a vacuum ambient the current flows pri-manly in the silicon, not in the ambient. We present S.E.M. photographs which show that this current is filamentary. Results obtained from samples with diffused p and n contacts show that the contacts exert a strong influence over the flashover characteristics.1. INTRODUCTION There has been considerable interest recently in the application of semiconductors to high voltage switching technology)11121 A primary problem is that in most cases the switches flashover at the surfaceunder average applied fields much less than the bulk breakdown field of the semiconductor. This prob-lem has plagued the development of high voltage solid state devices for more than 30 years,31 but thephysical basis for this flashover phenomenon is still not understood)2' ' 10] We present new empirical information about surface flashover of silicon in a vacuum ambient.When breakdown occurs we observe, as have other workers, visible emission from a plasma in the
Maslow’s Unacknowledged Contributions to Developmental Psychology:

Few readily identify Maslow as a developmental psychologist. On the other hand, Maslow’s call for holistic/systemic, phenomenological, and dynamic/relational developmental perspectives in psycholog...
Viral DNAemia and Immune Suppression in Pediatric Sepsis.

OBJECTIVES Demonstrate that DNA viremia is common in pediatric sepsis and quantitate its associations with host immune function and secondary infection risk. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study. PATIENTS Seventy-three children admitted with sepsis-induced organ failure. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS This study was performed as an ancillary investigation to a single-center prospective study of children with severe sepsis. Longitudinally collected, batched, frozen plasma was examined using real time-polymerase chain reaction for the presence of cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, human herpes virus-6, torque teno virus, and adenovirus DNA. Innate immune function was also measured longitudinally via quantification of ex vivo lipopolysaccharide -induced tumor necrosis factor-α production capacity. Viral DNAemia with a virus other than torque teno virus was detected in 28 of 73 subjects (38%) and included cytomegalovirus 5%, Epstein-Barr virus 11%, herpes simplex virus 4%, human herpes virus-6 8%, and adenovirus 26%. In addition, torque teno virus was detected in 89%. Epstein-Barr virus DNAemia was associated with preexisting immune suppression (p = 0.007) Viral DNAemia was associated with preexisting immune suppression and high risk for the subsequent development of secondary infection (p < 0.05 for both). Subjects with viral DNAemia had lower innate immune function over time compared with those who were virus negative (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS DNAemia from multiple viruses can be detected in septic children and is strongly associated with preexisting immune suppression and secondary infection risk. The role of DNA viruses in the perpetuation of impaired host defense in this setting should be the subject of prospective study.
Comparison of two methods for determination of intestinal villus to crypt ratios and documentation of early age-associated ratio changes in broiler chickens,,

Abstract The determination of intestinal villus to crypt ratios (VCR) is a common method utilized to evaluate effects of various diet regimens on gut microanatomy and for the histologic quantification of intestinal responses to disease processes. Two methods for the determination of small intestinal VCR were compared in early age chickens. A standard method for VCR determination based on 10 villus and crypt length measurements in the jejunal region of the small intestine was employed for the calculation of villus to crypt length ratio (VCLR). That method was compared to a new approach based on a single histomorphometric determination of the crypt and total mucosal areas using image analysis software. Subtraction of the crypt area from the total area provided the villus area and allowed for the subsequent calculation of villus to crypt area ratio (VCAR). At 4 and 18 h posthatch, VCLR was higher than that of VCAR, but there was no significant difference between VCLR and VCAR at 0 h (hatch) and at 168 h (d 7) posthatch. Nevertheless, the pattern of age-associated changes for VCLR and VCAR were comparable throughout the early posthatch period. Furthermore, the new method used in determining VCAR is subject to less human error, allows for an appreciable reduction in the number of measurements required, and facilitates a larger intestinal segment evaluation. Standard linear measurements require the selection of variable numbers of villi and crypts, whereas the area method only requires selection of a single region that incorporates numerous villi and crypts of variable sizes in providing a less subjective approach. This is particularly advantageous in studies on intestinal disease conditions resulting in marked multifocal variation in villus stature. This study further documented age-associated changes occurring in the VCR of the small intestine during the early posthatch period. Across the 2 methods used for VCR determination, a major and highly significant reduction in the VCR was observed to occur between 18 h and 168 h posthatch.
Terrestrial primary productivity indicators for inclusion in the National Climate Indicators System

The National Climate Indicators System (NCIS) aims to provide a suite of systematically updated, easily interpretable, and policy relevant national metrics of key physical, ecological, and societal conditions. The NCIS will distill and communicate complex scientific information to a broad audience as part of sustained National Climate Assessments. The current NCIS has made significant strides in defining its scope, providing an initial suite of indicators, and outlining its future development goals. In line with the scope and aims of the NCIS, we present a set of terrestrial primary productivity indicators that are scientifically defensible, scalable, directly related to climate, nationally important, built on existing agency efforts, and linked to the conceptual framework of the NCIS. The Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) indicators provide seasonal and annual metrics of the growth of all plant material across the contiguous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The GPP and NPP products used to produce the indicators have become key carbon measurements of environmental health and ecosystem services, including food, fiber, and fuels supporting national economies, human sustainability, and quality of life. We demonstrate how the proposed GPP and NPP indicators are relevant across indicator system sector topics of Forests, Grassland/Rangelands/Pastures, Agriculture, Wildfire, and Seasonal Timing and Phenology, can be used in concert with existing proposed indicators, and will aid to filling current gaps in the NCIS.
Histone deacetylases mediate GABAA receptor expression, physiology, and behavioral maladaptations in rat models of alcohol dependence.

Alcohol use disorders are chronic debilitating diseases characterized by severe withdrawal symptoms that contribute to morbidity and relapse. GABAA receptor (GABAAR) adaptations have long been implicated in the chronic effects of alcohol and contribute to many withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol dependence. In rodents, GABAAR hypofunction results from decreases in Gabra1 expression, although the underlying mechanism controlling Gabra1 expression after chronic ethanol exposure is still unknown. We found that chronic ethanol exposure using either ethanol gavage or two-bottle choice voluntary access paradigms decreased Gabra1 expression and increased Hdac2 and Hdac3 expression. Administration of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) after chronic ethanol exposure prevents the decrease in Gabra1 expression and function as well as the increase in Hdac2 and Hdac3 expression in both the cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal, but not acute ethanol exposure or acute withdrawal, cause a selective upregulation of HDAC2 and HDAC3 associated with the Gabra1 promoter that accompanies a decrease in H3 acetylation of the Gabra1 promoter and the reduction in GABAAR α1 subunit expression. TSA administration prevented each of these molecular events as well as behavioral manifestations of ethanol dependence, including tolerance to zolpidem-induced loss of righting reflex, reduced open-arm time in the elevated plus maze, reduced center-time and locomotor activity in the open-field assay, and TSA reduced voluntary ethanol consumption. The results show how chronic ethanol exposure regulates the highly prominent GABAAR α1 subunit by an epigenetic mechanism that represents a potential treatment modality for alcohol dependence.
T cell receptor-β J usage, in combination with particular HLA class II alleles, correlates with better cancer survival rates

T cell receptor (TCR) β V and J usage correlates with either the HLA class I or HLA class II major histocompatibility subtypes, and in both infectious diseases and autoimmune settings, the use of particular TCR-β V and J's, in persons with specific HLA alleles, represents either better outcomes or certain clinical features. However, the relationship of TCR V and J usage, HLA alleles, and clinical parameters in the cancer setting has been less well studied. Here, we have evaluated the relationship of what is likely dominant TCR-β V and J usage among tissue-resident lymphocytes for lung, head and neck, kidney, stomach, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, with patient HLA class II alleles. The most striking indication is that TCR-β J subgroup usage, in combination with particular patient HLA class II alleles, correlated with either better or worse outcomes for lung cancer. One combination, TCR-β J2 segment usage and the HLA-DRB1*1501 allele, correlated with a better survival rate for both lung and head and neck cancers. These results fill a gap in knowledge regarding the relevance of HLA typing to cancer and indicate that HLA typing, along with an indication of dominant TCR-β J usage among tissue-resident lymphocytes, can be useful for prognosis.
Robotic Incisional Hernia Repair

The surgical robot was approved for use in hernia repair in the United States in 2014. Since then there has been a rapid adoption of this tool for hernia repair. This chapter provides a step-by-step approach to its use for incisional hernia repair. Trocar placement, suturing, mesh placement, and fixation are described. Surgeons will find this chapter very helpful to develop their skills on the robot to repair incisional hernias.
Der Kupfferzell-abhängige Reperfusionsschaden nach Lebertransplantation: Neuer klinisch relevanter Einsatz von Glycin

Kupfferzellabhangiger Reperfusionsschaden fuhrt vor allem bei Fettlebern haufig zum primaren Transplantatversagen. Glycin, ein Bestandteil der Carolina Rinse Solution, blockt Kupfferzellaktivierung und verhindert primares Transplantatversagen. Vorsichtige Manipulation der Leber in situ reduziert das Transplantatuberleben ahnlich einer Spenderoperation in Standardtechnik. Dies wird ebenfalls durch Glycin verhindert. Proteolyse ist sowohl in Fettlebern als auch nach Manipulation erhoht. Die Zusammensetzung von Aminosauren im Effluat einer Spenderleber korreliert mit spaterer Transplantatfunktion. Wahrend Glycin primares Transplantatversagen verhindert, konnen vier bestimmte Aminosauren im Effluat die Transplantatfunktion vorhersagen.
The determination of the elastic modulus of microcantilever beams using atomic force microscopy

An investigation into the determination of the micromechanical properties of thin film materials has been performed. Thin metal and ceramic films are used extensively in the computer microprocessor industry and in the field of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The demand for miniaturization and increased performance has resulted in the use of materials without a clear understanding of their mechanical properties on this scale. Micromechanical properties are difficult to obtain due to the lack of adequate testing equipment. The atomic force microscope (AFM), most commonly used as an imaging tool, lends itself to mechanical interaction with the sample surface utilizing a cantilever probe. An array of aluminum microcantilever beams were fabricated using standard IC processing techniques. The microbeams were deflected by the AFM cantilever probe and from this, the micromechanical properties of stiffness and elastic modulus were determined. Initial results indicate that this technique reliably determines the micromechanical properties of thin films.
A rapid method for the production and characterization of recombinant insecticidal proteins in plants

Development and evaluation of transgenic plants containing genes that confer insecticidal activity can be a laborintensive and time-consuming process. Transformed plants require months of growth before they can be analyzed. Transient gene expression by plant viral vectors offers an alternative. Using this approach, infected plants can be screened after only two weeks. Genes coding for the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac toxin and a wound-induced (Kunitz-type) proteinase inhibitor from poplar (WIN3) were introduced into a potato virus X (PVX) expression vector, pPC2S. Infectious full-length RNA transcripts synthesized in vitro or infectious viral particles were used to inoculate plants. Western blots demonstrate expression of the proteins in Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Rutgers and Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Fluorescence microscopy was also used to monitor EGFP expression. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the PVX expression system, N. benthamiana expressing Cry1Ac or WIN3 was used and growth of Heliothis virescens, tobacco budworm was assayed. Leaves that expressed Cry1Ac were almost completely resistant to larval feeding. Tobacco budworm fed on leaves expressing WIN3 grew to only 77% of the weight of insects fed with leaves expressing PVX alone. These results illustrate that the PVX expression system allows rapid and reliable production of recombinant plant material for characterization of insecticidal genes in insect bioassays. Abbreviations :B t –Bacillus thuringiensis, PVX – potato virus X, tsp – total soluble protein, WIN3 – wound-induced protein 3
Parents’ future visions for their autistic transition-age youth: Hopes and expectations:

Researchers have documented that young adults with autism spectrum disorder have poor outcomes in employment, post-secondary education, social participation, independent living, and community participation. There is a need to further explore contributing factors to such outcomes to better support successful transitions to adulthood. Parents play a critical role in transition planning, and parental expectations appear to impact young adult outcomes for autistic individuals. The aim of this study was to explore how parents express their future visions (i.e. hopes and expectations) for their autistic transition-age youth. Data were collected through focus groups and individual interviews with 18 parents. Parents' hopes and expectations focused on eight primary domains. In addition, parents often qualified or tempered their stated hope with expressions of fears, uncertainty, realistic expectations, and the perceived lack of guidance. We discuss our conceptualization of the relations among these themes and implications for service providers and research.
Trends Over Time in Pap and Pap-HPV Cotesting for Cervical Cancer Screening.

Abstract Background: In 2012, updated cervical cancer screening recommendations were released with consensus on Papanicolaou (Pap) testing every 3 years for women age 21–65 years or Pap–human papil...
Sex-based differences in spawning behavior account for male-biased harvest in Lake Erie walleye (Sander vitreus)

Sex- and size-specific reproductive behaviors can increase the vulnerability of certain demographic components of fish populations to exploitation, potentially leading to unsustainable harvest. Lak...
Lysyl oxidase is essential for hypoxia-induced metastasis

2409 All solid tumors contain areas of hypoxia. Hypoxic cells are highly metastatic, though the underlying processes remain unclear. We have found lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression to be increased by hypoxia in a variety of human cancer cell types. LOX plays an essential role is the formation and maintenance of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and has previously been linked to increased in vitro invasion of breast cancer cells (Kirschmann et al, 2002). Statistical analysis of a previously published micro-array data set (Chang et al, 2005) revealed a strong association between LOX expression and hypoxic score, metastasis-free survival and overall survival of breast cancer patients. Similar results were obtained employing a tissue array from head&neck cancer patients stained for LOX protein. Mice bearing orthotopic tumors derived from MDA231 human breast cancer cells expressing LOX shRNA had significantly fewer and smaller lung and liver metastases, though the primary tumor growth rate was similar to control cells. To assess the therapeutic usefulness of targeting LOX, mice were treated daily with a chemical inhibitor of LOX (BAPN) or twice weekly with an antibody to LOX, after primary tumor formation. These mice displayed no metastases at all. Oxygen-deprived human cancer cells demonstrated enhanced in vitro invasion that could be blocked by transfection with LOX antisense oligonucleotides or shRNA, or BAPN, and restored through transfection with mature LOX but not a mutant lacking a catalytic domain. Oxygen-deprived cells demonstrated an invasive phenotype when grown in collagen which was completely prevented by LOX shRNA expression. Actin polymerization, stress fiber formation, focal adhesion formation, and FAK activation are all required for invasive cell migration. These were enhanced by hypoxia but prevented by LOX shRNA expression and could be restored through transfection with mature LOX. Furthermore, LOX shRNA cells demonstrated decreased adhesion to collagen/Matrigel that again could be restored through transfection with LOX. To examine the later stages of metastasis, tail vein injections were performed and the number of metastases formed after 4 weeks was assessed in mice housed either in air or hypoxia (10%O2). LOX shRNA cells formed dramatically fewer lung micro metastases, particularly those housed in hypoxic conditions. Although colony forming ability was similar to that of wild type cells, growth of the shRNA cells in Matrigel was severely impaired indicating a requirement of LOX for ECM interactions essential for abundant proliferation. These findings indicate that LOX increases the metastatic potential of human cancer cells in a hypoxic microenvironment, and that inhibition of LOX results in inhibition of metastasis. This is because LOX plays an essential role in cell-matrix adhesion interactions required for invasive migration and for ECM interactions necessary for metastatic growth.
Mortality Trends for Veterans Hospitalized With Heart Failure and Pneumonia Using Claims-Based vs Clinical Risk-Adjustment Variables.

Importance Prior studies have reported declines in mortality for patients admitted to Veterans Health Administration (VA) and non-VA hospitals using claims-based risk adjustment. These apparent mortality reductions may be influenced by changes in coding practices. Objective To compare trends in the VA for 30-day mortality following hospitalization for heart failure (HF) and pneumonia using claims-based and clinical risk-adjustment models. Design, Setting, and Participants This observational time-trend study analyzed admissions to a VA Medical Center with a principal diagnosis of HF, pneumonia, or sepsis/respiratory failure (RF) with a secondary diagnosis of pneumonia. Exclusion criteria included having less than 12 months of VA enrollment, being discharged alive within 24 hours, leaving against medical advice, and hospice utilization. Exposures Admission to a VA hospital from January 2009 through September 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was 30-day, all-cause mortality. All models included age and sex. Claims-based covariates included 22 (30) comorbidities for HF (pneumonia). Clinical covariates included vital signs, laboratory values, and ejection fraction. Results Among the 146 924 HF admissions, the mean (SD) age was 71.6 (11.4) years and 144 502 (98.4%) were men; among the 131 325 admissions for pneumonia, the mean (SD) age was 70.8 (12.3) years and 127 491 (97.1%) were men. Unadjusted 30-day mortality rates were 6.45% (HF) and 11.22% (pneumonia). Claims-based models showed an increased predicted risk of 30-day mortality over time (0.019 percentage points per quarter for HF [95% CI, 0.014 to 0.023]; 0.053 percentage points per quarter for pneumonia [95% CI, 0.043 to 0.063]). Clinical models showed declines or no change in predicted risk (−0.014 percentage points per quarter for HF [95% CI, −0.020 to −0.008]; −0.004 percentage points per quarter for pneumonia [95% CI, −0.017 to 0.008]). Claims-based risk adjustment yielded declines in 30-day mortality of 0.051 percentage points per quarter for HF (95% CI, −0.074 to −0.027) and 0.084 percentage points per quarter for pneumonia (95% CI, −0.111 to −0.056). Models adjusting for clinical covariates attenuated or eliminated these changes for HF (−0.017 percentage points per quarter; 95% CI, −0.039 to 0.006) and for pneumonia (−0.026 percentage points per quarter; 95% CI, −0.052 to 0.001). Compared with the claims-based models, the clinical models for HF and pneumonia more accurately differentiated between patients who died after 30 days and those who did not. Conclusions and Relevance Among HF and pneumonia hospitalizations, adjusting for clinical covariates attenuated declines in mortality rates identified using claims-based models. Assessments of temporal trends in 30-day mortality using claims-based risk adjustment should be interpreted with caution.
Textbook Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Resection.

BACKGROUND/AIM Recently, the concept of textbook outcome (TO) has emerged as a novel effort to develop a benchmark that reflects multiple domains of quality. The aims of the current study were to define TO for retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS), evaluate the relationship of TO with hospital volume and assess the association of TO with overall survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients who underwent resection for RPS diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were identified in the National Cancer Database. The primary outcome was TO that was defined as: hospital length of stay 90 days from surgery, no readmission within 30 days and grossly negative margins. RESULTS Of the 11,032 patients analyzed, 54.0% had a TO. Among patients who had a TO, 57.8% were treated in high-volume hospitals. Undergoing surgery at high-volume centers was associated with a higher probability of a TO (p=0.009). TO were associated with significantly longer overall survival (p<0.001). In a subgroup analysis with grossly negative margins and no 90-day mortality, the association of TO with improved survival persisted (p<0.001). CONCLUSION The concept of TO is a promising tool for measuring patient-level hospital performance and may be useful for identifying important variations in care for patients with RPS.
Non-parametric estimation of Stochastic Differential Equations from stationary time-series

We study efficiency of non-parametric estimation of diffusions (stochastic differential equations driven by Brownian motion) from long stationary trajectories. First, we introduce estimators based on conditional expectation which is motivated by the definition of drift and diffusion coefficients. These estimators involve time- and space-discretization parameters for computing expected values from discretely-sampled stationary data. Next, we analyze consistency and mean squared error of these estimators depending on computational parameters. We derive relationships between the number of observational points, time- and space-discretization parameters in order to achieve the optimal speed of convergence and minimize computational complexity. We illustrate our approach with numerical simulations.
Genetic parameters for egg production traits in crosses between local and exotic chickens estimated by Bayesian inference

Estimates of genetic parameters for economic traits are important to enable the breeder estimate the breeding value of individuals available for selection. Thus, this study was carried out to estimate genetic parameters namely heritability and genetic correlations among egg production traits in two strain crosses using bivariate animal model in Bayesian (MCMC) method. The egg production data were obtained from four generations which comprised the base population of two commercial egg strains and the local chicken, the inbred population derived from the base population, the F crossbred population obtained 1 from the crossing of the local and exotic inbred chickens and the backcross population obtained from the backcrossing of the crossbred to their parents. A total number of 1,138 daughters of 62 sires and 620 dams were used for the study. The autocorrelations among samples in the MCMC chain were less than 0.1 for all lag values indicating that all samples of the posterior distribution were independent. The estimated heritability for age at first egg, body weight at first egg, hen day egg number, weight of first egg, egg weight at thirty weekand egg weight at forty week were 0.62, 0.48, 0.47, 0.53, 0.54 and 0.56 for strain 1 crosses and 0.43, 0.48, 0.49, 0.52, 0.52 and 0.53 for strain 2 crosses. The corresponding highest posterior density interval ranged from 0.22 to 0.91 for strain 1 crosses and 0.07 to 0.83 for strain 2 crosses. The genetic correlations among egg production traits ranged from 0.06 to1.97 in strain 1 and 0.06 to 2.59 in strain 2 crosses. The estimates were within the range reported in literature for egg production traits in chicken and imply that appreciable amount of additive genes exist in the strain crosses which could be used for the selection of superior birds. The magnitude of genetic correlations implies that selection of one trait could lead to correlated response to the other traits.Keywords: Autocorrelations, egg production, genetic correlations, heritability, strain crosses.
Myocardial Substrate Oxidation and Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Intermediates During Hypothermic Machine Perfusion.

Abstract Background The optimal substrate for hypothermic machine perfusion preservation of donor hearts is unknown. Fatty acids, acetate, and ketones are preferred substrates of the heart during normothermic perfusion, but cannot replete the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle directly. Propionate, an anaplerotic substrate, can replenish TCA cycle intermediates and may affect cardiac metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine myocardial substrate preferences during hypothermic machine perfusion and to assess if an anaplerotic substrate was required to maintain the TCA cycle intermediate pool in perfused hearts. Methods Groups of rat hearts were perfused with carbon-13 (13C)-labeled substrates (acetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, octanoate, with and without propionate) at low and high concentrations. TCA cycle intermediate concentrations, substrate selection, and TCA cycle flux were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy and 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results Acetate and octanoate were preferentially oxidized, whereas β-hydroxybutyrate was a minor substrate. TCA cycle intermediate concentrations except fumarate were higher in substrate-containing perfusion groups compared with either the no-substrate perfusion group or the no-ischemia control group. Conclusions The presence of an exogenous, oxidizable substrate is required to support metabolism in the cold perfused heart. An anaplerotic substrate is not essential to maintain the TCA cycle intermediate pool and support oxidative metabolism under these conditions.
High Temperature Superfluorescence in Methyl Ammonium Lead Iodide

Light–matter interactions can create and manipulate collective many-body phases in solids1–3, which are promising for the realization of emerging quantum applications. However, in most cases, these collective quantum states are fragile, with a short decoherence and dephasing time, limiting their existence to precision tailored structures under delicate conditions such as cryogenic temperatures and/or high magnetic fields. In this work, we discovered that the archetypal hybrid perovskite, MAPbI3 thin film, exhibits such a collective coherent quantum many-body phase, namely superfluorescence, at 78 K and above. Pulsed laser excitation first creates a population of high-energy electron–hole pairs, which quickly relax to lower energy domains and then develop a macroscopic quantum coherence through spontaneous synchronization. The excitation fluence dependence of the spectroscopic features and the population kinetics in such films unambiguously confirm all the well-known characteristics of superfluorescence. These results show that the creation and manipulation of collective coherent states in hybrid perovskites can be used as the basic building blocks for quantum applications4,5. A collective coherent quantum many-body phase, namely superfluorescence, is observed in CH3NH3PbI3 at 78 K. The excitation fluence dependence of the spectroscopic features and the population kinetics confirm all its well-known characteristics.
Laryngeal fractures in professional and semiprofessional ice hockey players.

Objective Injuries in professional ice hockey players are common, however significant laryngeal trauma is rare. Here, we present a case series of professional and semiprofessional ice hockey players to demonstrate the mechanism and nature of laryngeal injuries they sustain during play, and to recommend best practices for treatment, prevention, and return to the ice. Methods A retrospective case review was done of hockey-related laryngeal injuries between 2016 and 2019 at a tertiary laryngology practice. Only semiprofessional and professional hockey players were included. Results In total, four cases were included. All cases involved trauma from a hockey puck to the neck. No cases were the result of punching, fighting, high sticks or routine checking. Notably, 1 of 4 presented with severe airway compromise, requiring urgent intubation, whereas most presented with pain or a significant voice complaint. Two patients required operative intervention with open reduction and internal fixation of significantly displaced fractures. One patient experienced significant mucosal disruption with cartilaginous exposure at the posterior vocal complex requiring microflap. The average return to ice was 6 weeks for those who required operative intervention and 4 weeks for those who were managed conservatively. One patient had persistent mild dysphonia and all others had a return to baseline phonation. None were wearing neck guards or other protective equipment at the time of injury. Conclusion Though voice and airway injuries are rarely sustained by ice hockey players, they may require urgent intervention. We recommend that protective equipment be worn and improved to prevent laryngeal trauma. Level of evidence 4.
Situating Institutional Responses to Latina Intimate Partner Violence Victims: An Argument for a LatCrit Lens:

Existing critical theoretical frameworks have been useful for understanding institutional responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) among victims of Color. The present theoretical paper extends ...
A comparison of two neighborhood-level socioeconomic indexes in the United States.

Abstract Summary socioeconomic indexes that capture information about wealth, education, employment, and housing are in wide use in public health. Here we compare the widely used Area Deprivation Index (ADI) to the Yost index. Though they are derived largely from the same data, there are substantial differences between the two. Examination of the geographic areas where the two indexes are most dissimilar suggest that the Yost index has greater face validity and that the ADI is highly sensitive to locations with incomplete census data and with census data containing outliers.
Development of framework of the predictive performance-engineered mix design procedure for asphalt mixtures

This paper presents a new asphalt mixture design framework for predictive performance-engineered mix design (PEMD) and the theory and procedures that underlie the proposed design method. This metho...
Depressor Anguli Oris Myectomy versus Transfer to Depressor Labii Inferioris for Facial Symmetry in Synkinetic Facial Paralysis.

Background Postparalytic synkinesis presents with a combination of hypo- and hypertonic muscles, leading to facial asynchrony with animation and at rest. One ubiquitous finding is a hypertonic depressor anguli oris (DAO) muscle and a weak depressor labii inferioris (DLI) muscle. The goal of this study was to evaluate the utility of DAO myectomy with or without its transfer to the weakened DLI in improving critical components of the dynamic smile. Methods From 2018 to 2020, this single-center, prospective study included of postparetic facial synkinetic patients with evidence of DAO hypertonicity who underwent DAO myectomy with or without transfer to DLI. Objective facial measurements were used to compare the effectiveness of DAO to DLI transfer to pure DAO myectomy in improving asymmetry of the synkinetic hemiface. Results Twenty-one patients with unilateral postparetic facial synkinesis with DAO hypertonicity were included; 11 underwent DAO myectomy, while 10 underwent DAO to DLI transfer. Baseline demographics and facial measurements were similar between the groups. DAO myectomy resulted in increased modiolus resting position, closed-mouth smile modiolus angle and excursion, open-mouth smile modiolus angle, excursion, dental show, and decreased lower lip height deviation. DAO to DLI transfer demonstrated similar findings but lacked significant increase in excursion and resulted in worsened lower lip height deviation. Conclusion These findings illustrate the utility of DAO myectomy in improving imbalance in the synkinetic patient and necessitate further technical refinements for DAO transfers or a different approach for improving lower lip depression in this subgroup of patients.
Inflation and Public Debt Reversals in the G7 Countries

This paper investigates the impact of low or high inflation on the public debt-to-GDP ratio in the G-7 countries. Our simulations suggest that if inflation were to fall to zero for five years, the average net debt-to-GDP ratio would increase by about 5 percentage points during that period. In contrast, raising inflation to 6 percent for the next five years would reduce the average net debtto-GDP ratio by about 11 percentage points under the full Fisher effect and about 14- percentage points under the partial Fisher effect. Thus higher inflation could help reduce the public debt-to-GDP ratio somewhat in advanced economies. However, it could hardly solve the debt problem on its own and would raise significant challenges and risks. First of all, it may be difficult to create higher inflation, as evidenced by Japans experience in the last few decades. In addition, an unanchoring of inflation expectations could increase long-term real interest rates, distort resource allocation, reduce economic growth, and hurt the lowerincome households.
Sexually transmitted infections in women.

AbstractSexually transmitted infections (STIs) are highly prevalent and cause a wide spectrum of disease. However, the majority of these infections may be unrecognized due to lack of overt signs or symptoms of infection. Asymptomatic infections remain significant as a result of the potential for long-term sequelae, predominately in women, and the risks of complications during pregnancy as well as mother-to-child transmission. Laboratory diagnostics play an important role in identifying infection and in public health efforts to reduce the prevalence of these diseases. Serologic diagnosis is appropriate for syphilis and, in some settings, for herpes infections. However, the organisms that cause discharge such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma genitalium are best diagnosed using molecular assays. Currently available molecular assays are suitable for use with non-invasively collected sample types, most notably vaginal swabs for women thus expanding the poten...
Rejoinder To Boettke On Coasean Economics And Communism

In the view of Boettke (1998), Coase (1960) casts lights of understanding in a myriad of fields, including, preeminently, property rights theory and the Soviet system of economics. The claim of the present author, in sharp contrast, is that this seminal article of Coase’s is a snare and a delusion. It has led economists down a mistaken path for lo this past half century, and Boettke (1998) is but one more unfortunate example of this.
Ventricular septum in right ventricular volume overload: an echocardiographic study.

Abstract This study investigated by echocardiography pre- and postoperative findings in patients with right ventricular volume overload, suggesting a mechanism for the abnormal ventricular septal motion. Twenty-one children with secundum atrial septal defect, ostium primum defect, sinus venosus defect or total anomalous pulmonary venous return were studied. Preoperatively, the expected normal posterior septal motion was reversed in 18 of the 21 patients. The mean right ventricular enddiastolic dimension index was increased in all patients and averaged 2.9 cm/m2 (range 1.9 to 3.7 cm/m2). Postoperatively, the septal motion reverted to normal in 12 patients, remained normal in 1, was reversed in 1 and became intermediate in 7. In 18 patients, the right ventricular end-diastolic dimension index was reduced, and in 3 was unchanged. The mean right ventricular end-diastolic dimension index after correction was 2.2 cm/m2. In most of the patients whose septal motion reverted to normal the right ventricular end-diastolic dimension index was reduced by 1 3 ; in patients with persistent abnormal septal motion it was reduced by less than 1 3 . Although several mechanisms may contribute to abnormal septal motion, it is most likely related to marked dilatation of the right ventricle and exaggerated anterior movement of the entire heart during systole, thus providing a net anterior motion in systole.
A novel transition based encoding scheme for planning as satisfiability

Planning as satisfiability is a principal approach to planning with many eminent advantages. The existing planning as satisfiability techniques usually use encodings compiled from the STRIPS formalism. We introduce a novel SAT encoding scheme based on the SAS+formalism. It exploits the structural information in the SAS+ formalism, resulting in more compact SAT instances and reducing the number of clauses by up to 50 fold. Our results show that this encoding scheme improves upon the STRIPS-based encoding, in terms of both time and memory efficiency.
Interactive Multimodal Learning Environments Special Issue on Interactive Learning Environments: Contemporary Issues and Trends

What are interactive multimodal learning environments and how should they be designed to promote students’ learning? In this paper, we offer a cognitive–affective theory of learning with media from which instructional design principles are derived. Then, we review a set of experimental studies in which we found empirical support for five design principles: guided activity, reflection, feedback, control, and pretraining. Finally, we offer directions for future instructional technology research.
Developing teamwork through experiential learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of various Experiential Learning activities in the development of teamwork for students studying Computer Information Systems (CIS) who work in teams to complete CIS projects or case studies. Empirical evidence was obtained from students after participation in Ropes Courses. Perceptions of satisfaction of the Ropes Courses were obtained from a survey on the extent participation helped build self-esteem, confidence, character, trust in others; and stimulated teamwork and cooperation with others. This was an exploratory study that presented descriptive statistics that showed a high extent of benefit from Ropes courses. In conclusion, this study is a springboard for further research to establish a conceptual model on CIS teamwork for students in a CIS curriculum who have participated in Ropes courses versus those who have not had similar team building experiences. The findings can also help firms who want to accelerate their teamwork training to enable their professionals to perform better and faster in teams by giving them a Ropes course experience.