cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term metreleptin treatment increases bone mineral density and content at the lumbar spine of lean hypoleptinemic women

Strenuously exercising young women with hypothalamic amenorrhea are hypoleptinemic and have low bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC), which predispose them to increased fracture risk. Short-term leptin replacement in these women corrects many neuroendocrine abnormalities and increases circulating levels of bone formation markers. Whether treatment with recombinant methionyl human leptin (metreleptin) for a long period improves BMD and BMC remains unknown. We studied 20 strenuously exercising young women with hypoleptinemia (leptin concentration <5 ng/mL) and hypothalamic amenorrhea of at least 6 months' duration. Eleven were randomized to metreleptin (initial dose, 0.08 mg/[kg·d] for 3 months; altered thereafter to 0.12 mg/kg for lack of efficacy or 0.04 mg/[kg d] for more than 5% weight loss) and 9 were randomized to placebo for 9 months. After a 3-month washout period, subjects were reexamined at the 1-year time point. Six subjects elected to continue on open-label metreleptin treatment for another 12 months. Two subjects dropped out after 18 months, and 4 completed the entire 2-year study. The BMD and BMC of the total body, lumbar spine (L1-L4), hip, and radius were assessed by using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of treatment. Metabolic and hormonal parameters and bone markers were measured in blood and urine. Metreleptin significantly increased BMC (P = .034) and tended to increase BMD (P = .069) at the lumbar spine at 9 months in the entire study group (intention-to-treat analysis). In subjects who completed the entire 2-year study (n = 4), metreleptin significantly increased BMD (P = .024) and BMC (P = .049) at the lumbar spine by 4% to 6%. Changes were not significant at the whole body, hip, and radius. Changes in hormonal and metabolic parameters and bone markers were moderate during the first year of treatment, but metreleptin further increased insulin-like growth factor 1 and decreased cortisol and cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen concentrations in serum during the second year of treatment (P < .05). The incremental area under the estradiol concentration curve over the 2-year course of the study correlated positively with the corresponding increase in lumbar spine BMD (ρ = 0.42, P = .039). Long-term metreleptin administration in strenuously exercising young women with hypothalamic amenorrhea and hypoleptinemia increases lumbar spine BMD and BMC and alters bone remodeling milieu to favor bone accretion. Results from this pilot study should be confirmed by future, larger clinical trials and need to be extended by studying bone microarchitecture and fracture risk.
Ferroelectric nonvolatile memories for embedded applications

Ferroelectric nonvolatile memories offer low voltage operation and fast write speeds that makes them attractive for embedded applications. The fundamentals of ferroelectric materials and ferroelectric memory operation are reviewed. Also discussed is the process integration of ferroelectric capacitors into a CMOS flow. A test circuit which embedded an 8 Kbit ferroelectric memory into a Motorola HC 11E9 microcontroller is reported.
Overview of ligand versus metal centered redox reactions in tetraaza macrocyclic complexes of nickel with a focus on electron paramagnetic resonance studies

Copper(II) (3d9, S = 1/2) complexes are stable and widely investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In contrast, isoelectronic nickel(I) is much less common and much less investigated. Nickel(I), however, is of biological interest as the active site of methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR) contains a tetraaza macrocyclic ligand, F430, which coordinates NiI in its active form, MCRred1. As result, the redox behavior and spectroscopy of tetraaza macrocyclic complexes of nickel is of importance in biomimetic chemistry. Such efforts are complicated by the difficulty in generating NiI from their stable, NiII, precursors. Reduction of NiII macrocyclic complexes can afford NiI in certain cases, but in many other cases can lead instead to reduction of the macrocycle to generate an organic radical anion. Previous studies on the formation of tetraaza macrocyclic complexes of NiI are discussed in terms of the competition between metal-centered and ligand-centered reduction. EPR results are particularly important in making the distinction between these two reduction processes, as formation of NiI gives characteristic EPR spectra similar to those for CuII, while ligand-centered reduction gives narrow EPR spectra at g = 2.00, typical of organic radicals. Even if metal-centered reduction occurs, the geometry of the resulting NiI macrocyclic complex is highly variable and, as a result, the EPR spectral appearance is highly variable. In this case, the comparison is between the extremes of spectra typical for tetragonally distorted complexes ( ground state, which includes tetragonally distorted octahedral, square pyramidal and square planar geometries) and those for trigonal bipyramidal complexes ( ground state). Previous work on CuII was related to the situation for NiI. The different types of EPR spectra for such systems are specifically discussed using previously unpublished examples of several tetraaza macrocyclic complexes of nickel, including F430 and MCR itself.
Dynamic economic dispatch in deregulated systems

Abstract Scheduling of power transactions in deregulated environments was studied as a static problem, in which transactions in successive temporal intervals were presented as exclusive events (i.e. transactions at a specific temporal interval were a function of the state of the system at that particular interval). However, if we consider dynamic scheduling constraints such as minimum up/down times, minimum/maximum generating capacity, ramping constraints, crew constraints, fuel constraints and so on, the marker transaction in one temporal interval will be a function of decisions in other intervals. In this paper, we analyse the effect of dynamic constraints on power transactions in deregulated environments. We calculate transition states using successive dynamic programming, and apply the Newton method to calculate optimal states within a utility for a given set of transactions. Network flow constraints are considered by using a DC load flow model. The results for a three utility system are presented with an optimization horizon of 24 hours.
Evidence of Alcohol‐Related Efficiency Deficits in an Episodic Learning Task

Using a component processes model, the current study examined the cognitive processes of alcoholic and community control subjects engaged in the acquisition of new context-bound (e.g., episodic) information. Of particular interest was whether alcoholics were inferior to controls in the efficiency with which information was acquired and whether there was a gender x group interaction in cognitive efficiency. Alcoholic (n = 16 females ; n = 22 males) and community control (n = 21 females ; n = 21 males) subjects participated in a serial learning task that consisted of three 12-item word lists. Standard administration protocols for serial learning tasks were used. On efficiency measures, there were significant differences between groups [F(1,75) = 8.51, p = 0.005] and sexes [F(1,75) = 4.05, p = 0.048]. There was also a group x sex interaction [F(1,75) = 7.73, p = 0.007]. Duncan multiple-range comparisons revealed alcoholic females to be significantly inferior to control females, but equivalent to male controls and alcoholics. These data are consistent with other studies revealing the sensitivity of cognitive efficiency to alcohol-related effects and extend previous findings to tasks involving episodic learning tasks.
Relativistic molecular spinors by generalized multiple scattering theory

A molecular one-electron Dirac equation is derived by variation of a total energy density functional, whereby the one-electron energies are ascribed a physical meaning. The multiple scattering formalism for molecular systems is relativistically generalized for the determination of molecular four-component spinors. Optimal spinors and one-electron energies for a finite basis set are derived by variation of a functional. The form of the secular equation is very similar to the nonrelativistic form. Using scattering theory, the quantities appearing in the secular equation are interpreted.
Automated synthesis of Time-Triggered Architecture-based TrueTime models for platform effects simulation and analysis

The TrueTime toolbox simulates real-time control systems, including platform-specific details like process scheduling, task execution and network communications. Analysis using these models provides insight into platform-induced timing effects, such as jitter and delay. For safety-critical applications, the Time-Triggered Architecture (TTA) has been shown to provide the necessary services to create robust, fault-tolerant control systems. Communication induced timing effects still need to be simulated and analyzed even for TTA-compliant models. The process of adapting time-invariant control system models, through the inclusion of platform specifics, into TTA-based TrueTime models requires significant manual effort and detailed knowledge of the desired platform's execution semantics. In this paper, we present an extension of the Embedded Systems Modeling Language (ESMoL) tool chain that automatically synthesizes TTA-based TrueTime models. In our tools, timeinvariant Simulink models are imported into the ESMoL modeling environment where they are annotated with details of the desired deployment platforms. A constraint-based offline scheduler then generates the static TTA execution schedules. Finally, we synthesize new TrueTime models that encapsulate all of the TTA execution semantics. Using this approach it is possible to rapidly prototype, evaluate, and modify controller designs and their hardware platforms to better understand deployment induced performance and timing effects.
Doping properties of C, Si, and Ge impurities in GaN and AlN

Doping properties of substitutional C, Si, and Ge impurities in wurtzite GaN and AlN were studied by quantum molecular dynamics. We considered incorporation of impurities on both cation and anion sublattices. When substituting for cations, Si and Ge are shallow donors in GaN, while Ge becomes a deep donor in AlN. Both impurities are deep acceptors on the N site. Substitutional C${}_{\mathrm{cation}}$ is a shallow donor in GaN, but a deep one in AlN; C${}_{\mathrm{N}}$ is a relatively shallow acceptor in both materials. Two effects that potentially quench doping efficiency were investigated. The first one is the transition of a donor from a substitutional position to a $\mathrm{DX}$-like configuration. In crystals with a wurtzite symmetry, there are two possible variants of a $\mathrm{DX}$-like state, and they have substantially different properties. In GaN, ${\mathrm{DX}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states of both Si and Ge are unstable, or metastable, and thus they do not affect doping efficiency. In contrast, they are stable in AlN, and therefore neither Si nor Ge is a dopant in this material. Estimates obtained for Al${}_{x}$Ga${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$N alloys show that the crossover composition for $\mathrm{DX}$ stability is much lower for Ge $(x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.3)$ than for Si $(x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.6)$. The second effect quenching the doping efficiency is self-compensation, i.e., simultaneous incorporation of impurity atoms on both cation and anion sublattice. This effect may be enhanced by the formation of nearest-neighbor donor-acceptor pairs. The calculated binding energies of such pairs are large, about 1 eV, influencing self-compensation in some cases. Finally, the computed formation energies are used to identify growth conditions under which all these impurities may be efficient dopants in wide-band-gap nitrides.
Sexual dysfunction and erectile impotence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

We studied 20 men (ages 46 to 69, mean 45 years) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (FEV 1 of 0.55 to 2.1 L), to determine the relative importance of pulmonary impairment vs other occult physical or psychologic factors in the genesis of sexual dysfunction. Seven subjects had ceased sexual activity concomitant with worsening of their pulmonary symptoms; six because of erectile impotence and one due to dyspnea. Frequency of intercourse for the remaining 13 was 16 percent of prelung disease levels, and libido was decreased to 25 percent of premorbid levels. Nocturnal penile tumescence monitoring disclosed that six subjects had organogenic erectile impotence (OEI). None of the subjects showed signs of peripheral vascular disease as assessed by Doppler examination of peripheral pulses (including penile). The mean bulbocavernosus reflex latency (BCRL) for the OEI group (N = 5) was 40.2 msec, while that for the group with full nocturnal erections (N = 10) was 34.5 msec (P 0.05), respectively. Subjects with OEI tended to have the worst pulmonary function test results and the highest T-scores on the hypochondriasis, depression, and hysteria scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Data suggest that sexual dysfunction worsens as lung disease worsens and that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be associated with male impotence in the absence of other commonly known causes.
Coupled flow and reaction during natural convection PCR

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a microfluidic Rayleigh–Benard convection cell represents a promising route towards portable PCR for point-of-care uses. In the present contribution, the coupled fluid mechanics and heat transport processes are solved numerically for a 2-D flow cell. The resultant velocity and temperature fields serve as the inputs to a convection-diffusion-reaction model for the DNA amplification, wherein the reaction kinetics are modeled by Gaussian distributions around the conventional bulk PCR reaction temperatures. These evolution equations are integrated to determine the exponential growth rate of the double-stranded DNA concentration. The predicted doubling time is approximately 10–25 s, increasing with the Peclet number. This effect is attributed to low velocity, slow kinetics “dead zones” located at the center of the reactor. The latter observation provides an alternative rationalization for the use of loop-based natural convection PCR systems.
Neural substrates mediating context-dependent sensitization to psychostimulants

Exposure to a context previously associated with psychostimulants administration can elicit behavioral activation that partially mimics the psychostimulant-induced response or augments psychostimulant-induced motor activity. This interaction between the environment and the behavioral effect of psychostimulants is known as context-dependent sensitization or drug-induced conditioned locomotor activity. Although the neural substrates underlying context-dependent sensitization remain unknown, recent studies have suggested that behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants may be mediated, in part, by a context-conditioned augmentation in glutamate transmission in the projection from the prefrontal cortex and/or amygdala to the nucleus accumbens. In contrast, while dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens is clearly involved in the unconditioned response to the acute or repeated administration of psychostimulants, it seems less likely that it mediates the context-dependent effects of cocaine.
The alcohol withdrawal syndrome: theory and practice.

Alcoholism is a serious matter, especially when alcoholics stop drinking. Within six to eight hours, they may have withdrawal symptoms, which may progress to delirium tremens from 48 to 96 hours af...
Critically Assessing the Predictive Power of QSAR Models for Human Liver Microsomal Stability

To lower the possibility of late-stage failures in the drug development process, an up-front assessment of absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity is commonly implemented through a battery of in silico and in vitro assays. As in vitro data is accumulated, in silico quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models can be trained and used to assess compounds even before they are synthesized. Even though it is generally recognized that QSAR model performance deteriorates over time, rigorous independent studies of model performance deterioration is typically hindered by the lack of publicly available large data sets of structurally diverse compounds. Here, we investigated predictive properties of QSAR models derived from an assembly of publicly available human liver microsomal (HLM) stability data using variable nearest neighbor (v-NN) and random forest (RF) methods. In particular, we evaluated the degree of time-dependent model performance deterioration. Our results show that when evaluated by 10-fold cross-validation with all available HLM data randomly distributed among 10 equal-sized validation groups, we achieved high-quality model performance from both machine-learning methods. However, when we developed HLM models based on when the data appeared and tried to predict data published later, we found that neither method produced predictive models and that their applicability was dramatically reduced. On the other hand, when a small percentage of randomly selected compounds from data published later were included in the training set, performance of both machine-learning methods improved significantly. The implication is that 1) QSAR model quality should be analyzed in a time-dependent manner to assess their true predictive power and 2) it is imperative to retrain models with any up-to-date experimental data to ensure maximum applicability.
A CASE OF OBSTRUCTED HERNIA ASSOCIATED WITH HIRSCHSPRUNG'S DISEASE IN A CHILD

Hirschsprung病に合併した閉塞性鼠径ヘルニアの小児例を報告する.先天性魚鱗癬を伴った未熟児の男児が紹介された.生後4日目から腹満が続きHirschsprung病と診断した.生後20日,両側鼠径ヘルニアを認めた. 9カ月時,重篤な便秘と両側陰嚢の腫脹を認め再入院した.注腸透視にて左側陰嚢内に極めて硬い糞塊を含んだS状結腸が存在していることが判明した.硬い糞塊を含んだS状結腸の整復を試みたが糞塊が硬く疼痛を訴えできなかった.緊急鼠径ヘルニア手術時, S状結腸内の硬い糞塊は小さい糞塊に分割して連続する腹腔内の結腸に整復した.最終的に閉塞性ヘルニアと診断した.術後経過は異常なかった. 22カ月時, Duhamel変法にてHirschsprung病の根治術を施行した. 29カ月時,原因不明で自宅で死亡した.剖検はできなかった.
On the Printing sharpness of News Print Paper and the Measuring Method for Smoothness of It

The study was done that by which of Bekk method and Chapman method, the testing methods for smoothness of paper, we could estimate more exactly the printing sharpness of news print paper. Results obtained were as follows. (1) Comparing the sample B which indicated low smoothness in Bekk method but high smoothness in Chapman method with the sample D which indicated high smoothness in Bekk method but low smoothness in Chapman method, it was recognized that the sample B was more exellent in the printing sharpness than the sample D. (2) The sample B had higher compressibility and lower density than the sample D, therefore it was supposed that the difference in the smoothness data between both methods was due to the difference in used pressure. (In Bekk method low pressure is used and in Chapman method high pressure is used.) However, even if we used as high pressure as Chapman method in Bekk method, we could not gain equivalent data to those in Chapman method. Consequantly, it seemed that the difference between data in both methods was not caused by the difference in force to press the specimen, but caused by the difference in the measuring principle of the used methods. (3) Through above mentioned, as to the testing method for smoothness in order to estimate the printing sharpness of news print paper, Chapman method was more suitable than Bekk method, at least on the printing conditions in authors' experiments.
Noninvasive Ultrasound Measurements of Temperature Distribution and Heat Fluxes in Solids

A method for noninvasive ultrasound measurements of temperature distribution in solids is described and experimentally demonstrated in the estimation of an axial distribution of the temperature and the heat flux along a cementitious sample. It is further shown that by supplementing the ultrasound measurement with the surface temperature measurements, the entire volumetric distribution of the internal temperature inside of the solid sample and the corresponding heat fluxes can be reconstructed noninvasively. The unique capability for noninvasive characterization of the temperature and heat flux distributions in solids makes the developed approach particularly appealing for thermal characterization of solid components, structures, and containments of energy conversion processes, subsurface and nuclear applications, and other extreme environments, in which conventional sensors degrade quickly or their insertion is undesirable, difficult, or impossible.
Off-Resonance Photosensitization of a Photorefractive Polymer Composite Using PbS Nanocrystals

The photosensitization of photorefractive polymeric composites for operation at 633 nm is accomplished through the inclusion of narrow band gap semiconductor nanocrystals composed of PbS. Unlike previous studies involving photosensitization of photorefractive polymer composites with inorganic nanocrystals, we employ an off-resonance approach where the first excitonic transition associated with the PbS nanocrystals lies at ∼1220 nm and not the wavelength of operation. Using this methodology, internal diffraction efficiencies exceeding 82%, two-beam-coupling gain coefficients of 211 cm–1, and response times of 34 ms have been observed, representing some of the best figures of merit reported for this class of materials. These data demonstrate the ability of semiconductor nanocrystals to compete effectively with traditional organic photosensitizers. In addition to superior performance, this approach also offers an inexpensive and easy means by which to photosensitize composite materials. The photoconductive c...
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Do We Have the Evidence?

Decades have passed since studies comparing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with medical therapy for multivessel coronary disease indicated a survival advantage of surgery in the subset of patients with significant left ventricular impairment.1–3 These investigations changed the prevailing clinical impression such that severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction might be an indication for revascularization as opposed to a relative contraindication. Although the studies might currently be deemed obsolete by many measures, they continue to inform societal guidelines with regard to CABG and LV dysfunction.4,5 Recently, the long-term outcomes after the Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial have reinforced the potential benefits of surgical revascularization in patients with congestive heart failure and an ejection fraction of <35%.6 Over the intervening period, numerous trials have compared percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with CABG in patients with stable angina and multivessel disease. Aside from diabetes mellitus, the trials by and large have demonstrated equivalence in the end points of death and myocardial infarction. So can one extrapolate equivalence for PCI with CABG in patients with LV dysfunction? The short answer is no. There is scant direct evidence from randomized trials comparing the 2 methods of revascularization because patients with congestive heart failure or severe LV dysfunction have typically been underrepresented or excluded.7–9 Article, see p 2132 Acknowledging the lack of a large randomized evidence base, there are theoretical reasons why PCI might perform less well than CABG in patients with LV dysfunction. PCI, by its nature, addresses short segments of severe stenosis. However surgery will also address the intervening disease that might progress to become culprit lesions in the future.10 This disadvantage of PCI is likely to be particularly important in patients with limited LV reserve who over the longer term …
The effective detection time limit and variation of nitrate in drinking water

Objective To investigate the effective detection time limit and variation rule of nitrate in drinking water by monitoring different concentrations of water samples for many days. Methods The repeatitive measurement data of nitrate in water samples was analyzed by the SAS statistical method to investigate the influencing factors of nitrate detection in the drinking water. Results Time and acid were main factors in detection of nitrate in drinking water in this experiment. There was significant statistical difference between nitrate content in water samples on the first day and that on the other days( P 0. 05),indicating time can influence the nitrate content in drinking water. The average changing rate of nitrate in 24 h was about 0. 074 in the experimental group,while that was about 0. 146 in the control group. Taking time as the invariant and acid as variant,it was found that acid showed no statistical diffference both in experiment group and control group( P 0. 05). Conclusion The most effective placed time of water sample is 1 day( 24 h),and the detection time is negatively correlated with the detection efficiency. The control group had poorer stability compared to the experiment group. The preservation solution( 98. 08% fuming sulphuric acid) had certain protection effect on nitrate in drinking water,but no statistical significance in nitrate content in drinking water. The changing rate of nitrate in drinking water samples in 24 h showed that the concentration of nitrate was positively correlated to the stability.
Whren's Flawed Assumptions Regarding Race, History, and Unconscious Bias

This article is adapted from remarks presented at CWRU Law School's symposium marking the 20th anniversary of Whren v. United States. The article critiques Whren’s constitutional methodology and evident willful blindness to issues of social psychology, unconscious bias, and the lengthy American history of racialized conceptions of crime and criminalized conceptions of race. The article concludes by suggesting a possible path forward: reconceptualizing racially motivated pretextual police encounters as a badge or incident of slavery under the Thirteenth Amendment issue rather than as abstract Fourth or Fourteenth Amendment issues.
How They Search, How They Feel, and How to Serve Them? Information Needs and Seeking Behaviors of Chinese Students Using Academic Libraries

ABSTRACTAmerica has become a choice for international students to study abroad because of its advanced education system and environment. Libraries become a way for international students to access resources and experience campus life, while Chinese students are increasing gradually as the biggest component of international students. This article investigates how Chinese students use American academic libraries and their information needs and seeking behaviors, as well as Chinese students' satisfaction with library facilities, resources, and services, and their expectation for other services. The article aims to better understand Chinese students, analyze their search strategies, and better provide relevant library services for them.
Costly search and consideration sets in storable goods markets

Costly search can result in consumers restricting their attention to a subset of products–the consideration set–before making a final purchase decision. The search process is usually not observed, which creates econometric challenges. I show that inventory and the availability of different package sizes create new sources of variation to identify search costs in storable goods markets. To evaluate the importance of costly search in these markets, I estimate a dynamic choice model with search frictions using data on purchases of laundry detergent. My estimates show that consumers incur significant search costs, and ignoring costly search overestimates the own-price elasticity for products more often present in consideration sets and underestimates the elasticity of frequently excluded products. Firms employ marketing devices, such as product displays and advertising, to influence consideration sets. These devices have direct and strategic effects, which I explore using the estimates of the model. I find that using marketing devices to reduce a product’s search cost during a price promotion has modest effects on the overall category revenues, and decreases the revenues of some products.
Tensile strengths of polyamide based 3D printed polymers in liquid nitrogen

Advances in additive manufacturing technology have made 3D printing a viable solution for many industries, allowing for the manufacture of designs that could not be made through traditional subtractive methods. Applicability of additive manufacturing in cryogenic applications is hindered, however, by a lack of accurate material properties information. Nylon is available for printing using fused deposition modeling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS). We selected 5 SLS (DuraForm® EX, DuraForm® HST, DuraForm® PA, PA 640-GSL, and PA 840-GSL) and 2 FDM (Nylon 12, ULTEM) nylon variants based on the bulk material properties and printed properties at room temperature. Tensile tests were performed on five samples of each material while immersed in liquid nitrogen at approximately 77 Kelvin. Samples were tested in XY and, where available, Z printing directions to determine influence on material properties. Results show typical SLS and FDM nylon ultimate strength retention at 77 K, when compared to (extruded or molded) nylon ultimate strength.
Magnesium: Basic Nutritional Aspects

Abstract After brief overviews of historical nutritional aspects of magnesium and its biological roles, the roles of absorption, cellular transport, excretion, tissue storage, and sweat in body magnesium homeostasis are described. Recent balance data indicate that magnesium dietary reference intakes established for the United States and Canada need updating with consideration that requirements vary with body weight. Subclinical magnesium deficiency, also called chronic latent magnesium deficiency, resulting from an inadequate intake of magnesium, is common throughout the world where unrefined foods of plant origin are not major components of the diet. Both animal experiments and human epidemiological and supplementation studies indicate that chronic latent magnesium deficiency is a predisposing or risk factor for chronic inflammatory stress and thus contributes to the risk for pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Serum or plasma magnesium remains as the method of choice for determining magnesium status with concentrations below 0.75 mmol/L indicating deficiency. Whole grains, pulses, nuts, and green vegetables are rich sources of magnesium.
Multi-Hypothesis Tracking of charged particles through drift tube arrays

We report on the application of techniques from the target tracking literature to the experimental study of the distribution of charged particles. In the experiment we have multiple planes of position-sensitive detectors able to detect locations of particle hits in each sensitive plane. The problem we address here is determining how to combine a series of particular hits into a particle trajectory. This simple task is complicated by the specifics of the measurements, missed hits and background. In the target tracking literature, the challenge of associating hits in different images is called the association problem, and current best practice is Multi-Hypothesis Tracking or MHT. Recent work has investigated the possibility of using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for addressing the multi-hypothesis challenge. In our study we report on results from both approaches and on the trade off between computational budget and accuracy. We extend the usual MHT formalism to select tracks with certain qualities and set quality flags as required by the experiment. In our presentation we describe in more detail our approach and preliminary results of its application to the experimental data.
EUS-guided fine-needle injection of gemcitabine for locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Background and Aims Among the greatest hurdles to pancreatic cancer (PC) therapy is the limited tissue penetration of systemic chemotherapy because of tumor desmoplasia. The primary study aim was to determine the toxicity profile of EUS-guided fine-needle injection (EUS-FNI) with gemcitabine. Secondary endpoints included the ability to disease downstage leading to an R0 resection and overall survival (OS) at 6 months, 12 months, and 5 years after therapy. Methods In a prospective study from a tertiary referral center, gemcitabine (38 mg/mL) EUS-FNI was performed in patients with PC before conventional therapy. Initial and delayed adverse events (AEs) were assessed within 72 hours and 4 to 14 days after EUS-FNI, respectively. Patients were followed for ≥5 years or until death. Results Thirty-six patients with stage II (n = 3), stage III (n = 20), or stage IV (n = 13) disease underwent gemcitabine EUS-FNI with 2.5 mL (.7-7.0 mg) total volume of injectate per patient. There were no initial or delayed AEs reported. Thirty-five patients (97.2%) were deceased at the time of analysis with a median 10.3 months of follow-up (range, 3.1-63.9). OS at 6 months and 12 months was 78% and 44%, respectively. The median OS was 10.4 months (range, 2.7-68). Among patients with stage III unresectable disease, 4 (20%) were downstaged and underwent an R0 resection. Conclusions Our study suggests the feasibility, safety, and potential efficacy of gemcitabine EUS-FNI for PC. Additional data are needed to verify these observations and to determine the potential role relative to conventional multimodality therapy.
Encysted cyathostomin larvae in foals - progression of stages and the effect of seasonality.

Abstract Cyathostomins (small strongyles) are ubiquitous in grazing horses and are known pathogens as cause of larval cyathostominosis. As part of their life cycle, cyathostomin larvae invade the mucosal walls of the large intestines and undergo encystment. Newly ingested third stage larvae are known to undergo arrested development and this can lead to an accumulation of encysted burdens over the course of a grazing season. It is believed that the host immune system plays a significant role in triggering this arrestment. Little is known about the development and progression of larval stages in foals that are not expected to mount a pronounced immune response to ingested cyathostomin larvae. This study evaluated counts of encysted larvae measured in 37 foals. The foals were born in 2013, 2014, and 2015 into a parasitology research herd kept without anthelmintic intervention and were humanely euthanatized between 50 and 293 days of age as part of an ongoing parasite transmission study. A mucosal digestion technique was performed to enumerate encysted early third stage (EL3) and late third stage/fourth stage (LL3/L4) larvae in the cecum, ventral colon and dorsal colon. Counts were analyzed statistically to evaluate the influence of foal age, sex, and seasonality on the counts. Total counts as well as LL3/L4 counts were significantly higher during the grazing season (March–November). Three defined age groups (>100, 100–200, >200 days) did not have statistically different counts. Male foals had significantly higher total counts compared to females, and this has not been reported before. The study found that 41% of the recovered larvae were EL3s, but no indication of arrested development of these was observed. This indicates that cyathostomin infection in foals progresses in a manner substantially different from mature horses.
Tracking with Consistent Converted Measurements vs the EKF

Abstract In tracking applications target motion is usually best modeled in a simple fashion using Cartesian coordinates. However, in most systems the target position measurements are provided in terms of range and azimuth (bearing) with respect to the sensor location. This situation requires either converting the measurements 10 a Cartesian frame of reference and working directly on converted measurements or using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) in mixed coordinates. An accurate means of tracking with debiased consistent converted measurements is presented which accurately accounts for the sensor inaccuracies over all practical geometries and accuracies. This method is compared to the mixed coordinate EKF approach as well as the standard converted measurement approach discussed in [1] and [4] which is an acceptable approximation only for moderate cross range errors. This new approach is shown 10 be more accurate in terms of position and velocity errors and provides consistent estimates (i.e. compatible with the filter calculated covariances) for all practical situations. The combination of parameters (range, range accuracy, and azimuth accuracy) for which debiasing is needed is presented in explicit form.
Topology by Design in Magnetic Nano-materials: Artificial Spin Ice

Artificial Spin Ices are two dimensional arrays of magnetic, interacting nano-structures whose geometry can be chosen at will, and whose elementary degrees of freedom can be characterized directly. They were introduced at first to study frustration in a controllable setting, to mimic the behavior of spin ice rare earth pyrochlores, but at more useful temperature and field ranges and with direct characterization, and to provide practical implementation to celebrated, exactly solvable models of statistical mechanics previously devised to gain an understanding of degenerate ensembles with residual entropy. With the evolution of nano–fabrication and of experimental protocols it is now possible to characterize the material in real-time, real-space, and to realize virtually any geometry, for direct control over the collective dynamics. This has recently opened a path toward the deliberate design of novel, exotic states, not found in natural materials, and often characterized by topological properties. Without any pretense of exhaustiveness, we will provide an introduction to the material, the early works, and then, by reporting on more recent results, we will proceed to describe the new direction, which includes the design of desired topological states and their implications to kinetics.
Analysis of focused ultrasound with microbubbles induced BBB disruption on tight junction morphology

Focused ultrasound (FUS) with systemically delivered microbubbles has been established to locally, reversibly and non-invasively increase the permeability of the blood brain barrier to facilitate targeted drug delivery to the brain. Despite FUS constituting a promising therapeutic technique, the cellular mechanism of FUS-mediated BBB opening has yet to be fully described. Immunoelectron microscopy of vessels has reported the removal of tight junction (TJ) proteins from the junctional cleft, yet no study has examined the structural integrity of the entire length of the TJ strand following FUS with microbubbles. Furthermore, permeability studies have identified differences in the rate of leakage between large and small vessels, but it remains to be studied if TJ strand morphology differs among vessel types. The aim of the current study is to investigate TJ strand morphology for structural abnormalities in different vessel types following FUS-induced BBB opening.
Natural killer cells from epithelial ovarian cancer patients exhibit an altered phenotype and bind to MUC16

5120 Natural killer (NK) cells are important components of innate immunity and are vital in anti-tumor responses. They are regulated through a delicate balance of cell-surface activating and inhibitory receptors. NK cells in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have not been exhaustively studied. In our previous studies, we have shown that MUC16, a high molecular weight mucin overexpressed by ovarian tumors, inhibits NK cell cytolytic function and downregulates CD16, an activating receptor present on NK cells. We hypothesized, therefore, that MUC16 and other factors could be affecting the phenotype of NK cells in cancer patients. In order to study this further, we obtained peritoneal fluid (PF) and peripheral blood (PB) from nine cancer patients and PB from three healthy donors. Lymphocytes were isolated from these three sample types and stained with a panel of antibodies against numerous activating and inhibitory NK cell receptors. Multi-color flow cytometry was performed on the LSR II (Beckton Dickenson), and the data was analyzed using FlowJo (TreeStar) software. Normally, the majority of circulating peripheral blood (PB) human NK cells carry the CD56dim/CD16bright phenotype, which is capable of cytolytic activity. Small numbers of PBNK cells in healthy donors have a CD56bright/CD16dim phenotype, which do not exhibit high cytolytic responses. PBNK cells from EOC patients also carry the normal CD56dim/CD16bright phenotype. However, we have found that a subset of NK cells in the PF of patients with EOC show a 28% increase (p
Coase Lecture – The Glass Ceiling

Despite decades of progress, women remain underrepresented in the upper part of the earnings distribution. We review the recent research trying to explain this phenomenon. After briefly revisiting gender differences in education, we turn our attention to a body of work that has argued that gender differences in psychological attributes are holding back women's earnings. We then review another active area of research focused on the challenges that women may face when trying to juggle competing demands on their time in the workplace and the home, particularly when the home includes children. We discuss recent work documenting women's greater demand for flexibility in the workplace, as well as work measuring the labour market penalties associated with such demand for flexibility, particularly in the higher paying occupations in the economy. We highlight possible countervailing forces (both at work and at home) that may explain why these work–family considerations may remain highly relevant to today's glass ceiling despite reduced time spent in non‐market work and a trend towards a more equal division of non‐market work between men and women. Finally, we discuss the role that public policy and human resource practices may play in adding more cracks to the glass ceiling.
International Approach to Environmental and Lung Health. A Perspective from the Fogarty International Center

The global burden of lung disease is substantial, accounting for an estimated 7.5 million deaths per year, approximately 14% of annual deaths worldwide. The prime illnesses include, in descending order, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections, asthma, and interstitial lung fibrosis. Key risk factors include smoking, both indoor and outdoor air pollution, and occupational exposures. Although the distribution of both the diseases and the risk factors varies greatly by age, geography, and setting, the greatest burden falls on populations living in low- and middle-income countries. Improvements in these metrics will require major public health interventions to curb smoking; improving air quality both in the community and the household; addressing the ever-present burden of infections, including tuberculosis, flu, and the many agents that cause acute respiratory disease; and identifying and protecting workers from the hazards of exposure to toxic substances. Although research over the years has identified many ways to reduce or prevent the enormous burden of disease, a huge gap exists between what we know and what we can do. This "implementation gap" is the greatest challenge we face in this field today. Research on how best to address and implement the changes needed will require not only biomedical advances to improve treatment but also social, economic, and policy research. We still need to elaborate more effective evidence-based policies and interventions to control tobacco use, address ambient and household air pollution, and improve the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and acute respiratory infections with vaccines and drugs and reduce exposures to environmental and occupational hazards. Until these efforts receive greater prioritization, the burden of disease is unlikely to diminish a great deal more.
Change in VO2max and time trial performance in response to high-intensity interval training prescribed using ventilatory threshold

Completion of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) leads to significant increases in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and oxidative capacity. However, individual responses to HIIT have been identified as approximately 20–40% of individuals show no change in VO2max, which may be due to the relatively homogeneous approach to implementing HIIT. Purpose: This study tested the effects of HIIT prescribed using ventilatory threshold (VT) on changes in VO2max and cycling performance. Methods: Fourteen active men and women (age and VO2max = 27 ± 8 year and 38 ± 4 mL/kg/min) underwent nine sessions of HIIT, and 14 additional men and women (age and VO2max = 22 ± 3 year and 40 ± 5 mL/kg/min) served as controls. Training was performed on a cycle ergometer at a work rate equal to 130%VT and consisted of eight to ten 1 min bouts interspersed with 75 s of recovery. At baseline and post-testing, they completed progressive cycling to exhaustion to determine VO2max, and on a separate day, a 5 mile cycling time trial. Results: Compared to the control group, HIIT led to significant increases in VO2max (6%, p = 0.007), cycling performance (2.5%, p = 0.003), and absolute VT (9 W, p = 0.005). However, only 57% of participants revealed meaningful increases in VO2max and cycling performance in response to training, and two showed no change in either outcome. Conclusions: A greater volume of HIIT may be needed to maximize the training response for all individuals.
Feasibility of oats (Avena sativa L.) as an oilseed crop

Raising the energy content of the oat (Avena sativa L.) groats by increasing their oil percentage could improve the economic value of oats as ci feed grain and as a source of culinary oil for human con­ sumption. Relative importance of genotype x environment interaction for groat-oil content and grain yield and the correlations of oil con­ tent with yield and maturity were evaluated for ten cultivars grown in three Iowa locations in each of two years. Cultivar x location mean squares were significant for both traits but were much smaller, relative to cultivar mean squares, for groat-oil content than for grain yield. Ranking of oat cultivars for groat-oil content was similar in all environments. Oil content was positively correlated with grain yield in both years (r = 0.62* and 0.63*) and negatively but nonsignificantly associated with maturity (r = -0.28 and -0.48). These relationships are favorable for the development of highyielding, high-groat oil cultivars. They are in agreement with previous reports and may apply generally within A. sativa.