cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hookworm-Induced Persistent Changes to the Immunological Environment of the Lung

A number of important helminth parasites of humans have incorporated short-term residence in the lungs as an obligate phase of their life cycles. The significance of this transient pulmonary exposure to the infection and immunity is not clear. Employing a rodent model of infection with hookworm (Nippostrongylus brasiliensis), we characterized the long-term changes in the immunological status of the lungs induced by parasite infection. At 36 days after infection, alterations included a sustained increase in the transcription of both Th2 and Th1 cytokines as well as a significant increase in the number and frequency of alveolar macrophages displaying an alternatively activated phenotype. While N. brasiliensis did not induce alternate activation of lung macrophages in STAT6−/− animals, the parasite did induce a robust Th17 response in the pulmonary environment, suggesting that STAT6 signaling plays a role in modulating Th17 immunity and pathology in the lungs. In the context of the cellular and molecular changes induced by N. brasiliensis infection, there was a significant reduction in overall airway responsiveness and lung inflammation in response to allergen. In addition, the N. brasiliensis-altered pulmonary environment showed dramatic alterations in the nature and number of genes that were up- and downregulated in the lung in response to allergen challenge. The results demonstrate that even a transient exposure to a helminth parasite can effect significant and protracted changes in the immunological environment of the lung and that these complex molecular and cellular changes are likely to play a role in modulating a subsequent allergen-induced inflammatory response.
The Environment and Performance of Real Estate Investment Trusts

Executive Summary. Researchers have been interested in investigating the role of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in institutional portfolios since their debut in the financial market over fou...
Efficient distribution of Triggered Synchronous Block Diagrams on asynchronous platforms

As the complexity of embedded systems rapidly increases in terms of both scale and functionality, there has been a strong interest in design languages and methodologies that facilitate the use of formal methods. These languages and methodologies are mostly based on a synchronous paradigm that, while satisfies the need for formalization, often results in an inefficient implementation requiring substantial overhead when compared to approaches that do not enforce synchronicity on the execution platform. Therefore, the interest is high for techniques that on one hand, maintain the formal properties of synchronous models, and on the other hand, enable the use of asynchronous and distributed execution platforms with little overhead. In this paper, we propose an approach for efficient distribution of Triggered Synchronous Block Diagrams (SBDs) on asynchronous platforms while preserving the correct semantics. Compared to previous work that utilizes trigger elimination, our approach aims to reduce the unnecessary communication overhead and thus improve the efficiency of the implementation. We consider both general Triggered SBDs where the values of triggers are dynamically computed, as well as Timed SBDs where triggers are statically known and usually specified by (period, initial phase) pairs.
The Deculturalization of Hissuh and her Children

Theories and ideologies that characterize the objectives of American schooling shift from conservative views to liberal views and varying degrees in between. Yet, the basic ideology of modern schooling in America is reminiscent of the 19th century common school movement. Early school reformers believed that children from diverse religions, social class, and ethnic backgrounds could be educated together to create a common culture that would reduce social class conflict.
Ruptured Membrane of the Left Atrial Appendage.

A 75-year-old woman with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation was referred for cardioversion. She was a smoker and had hypertension that she controlled with medications. Her renal function, electrolyte levels (including potassium and magnesium), and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were within normal limits. The results of a recent transthoracic echocardiogram, which she had undergone as an outpatient, were within normal limits. We started her on a regimen of anticoagulation with dabigatran and performed transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), with plans for electrical cardioversion if no left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus was found. The TEE showed no evidence of an LAA thombus, but there was a thin membrane extending across the ostium of the LAA, with a hypermobile, hyperechoic structure attached to it (Fig. 1). We considered that this lesion could be a dehisced segment of the membrane itself or an attached thrombus. Color-Doppler mode showed blood flow through the apparently ruptured membrane (Fig. 2). However, we aborted electrical cardioversion for fear that a thrombus was attached to the membrane. Fig. 1 Transesophageal echocardiogram (mid-esophageal short-axis view at the level of the aortic valve) shows a dehisced membrane (arrow) with a mobile component extending across the ostium of the left atrial appendage. Fig. 2 Transesophageal echocardiogram in color-flow Doppler mode (mid-esophageal short-axis view at the level of the aortic valve) shows flow across the dehisced membrane of the left atrial appendage.
Everyday memory in individuals with Down syndrome: Validation of the Observer Memory Questionnaire - Parent Form.

ABSTRACTThe memory profile of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) has mainly been examined through traditional laboratory tasks, often revealing substantial deficits in episodic and declarative memory. Little is known about the relation between memory abilities as measured in the laboratory versus naturalistic settings in this population, and no questionnaire assessments of everyday memory have been formally validated for this group. The current study’s aims were twofold: 1) to describe the psychometric characteristics of a parent-reported everyday memory measure (the Observer Memory Questionnaire – Parent Form, OMQ-PF) in this population with known hippocampal and memory impairment (i.e., DS, ages 7–35 years), and 2) to determine if the measure has the sensitivity to detect impairments, thus providing some of the first data to document parent reports of everyday memory in individuals with DS. The results indicate that this scale is a reliable instrument for detecting and tracking memory deficits over tim...
The effect of colchicine on the release of rat anterior pituitary hormones in vitro.

Summary1. Colchicine significantly increased the basal rate of release of growth hormone while it did not effect the basal rate of release of LH, FSH or TSH from anterior pituitaries incubated in vitro.2. Colchicine significantly enhanced the action of LRF and FRF by increasing the rate of release of LH and FSH. This effect was magnified by preincubating the pituitaries in colchicine for 2 hr.3. Colchicine at 1 × 10-3M significantly potentiated potassium-stimulated LH and FSH release only when the colchicine-treated glands were preincubated with the drug for 2 hr prior to incubation.
New adaptive equalization method for PRML system using sequenced amplitude margin

A new adaptive equalization method for partial response maximum likelihood system using sequenced amplitude margin was developed, which could improve tangential tilt margin remarkably.
Locating the Tangut Military Establishment: Uraqai (Wulahai) and the Heishui Zhenyan Army

(1992). Locating the Tangut Military Establishment: Uraqai (Wulahai) and the Heishui Zhenyan Army. Monumenta Serica: Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 219-234.
Study of Lightning Performance of Substation Connecting to Higher Voltage Transmission Line

Taking a typical 220 kV switchgear station connecting to 750 kV transmission line as example, the lightning impinging surge overvoltage level is calculated by using EMTP. The installation scheme of surge arresters in substation is determined and the insulation levels of equipment are selected.
Applications of NMR-Based PRE and EPR-Based DEER Spectroscopy to Homodimer Chain Exchange Characterization and Structure Determination

The success of homodimer structure determination by conventional solution NMR spectroscopy relies greatly on interchain distance restraints (less than 6 A) derived from nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) obtained from (13)C-edited, (12)C-filtered NOESY experiments. However, these experiments may fail when the mixed (13)C-/(12)C-homodimer is never significantly populated due to slow homodimer chain exchange. Thus, knowledge of the homodimer chain exchange kinetics can be put to practical use in preparing samples using the traditional NMR method. Here, we described detailed procedures for using paramagnetic resonance enhancements (PREs) and EPR spectroscopy to measure homodimer chain exchange kinetics. In addition, PRE and EPR methods can be combined to provide mid-range (<30 A) and long-range (17-80 A) interchain distance restraints for homodimer structure determination as a supplement to short-range intrachain and interchain distance restraints (less than 6 A) typically obtained from (1)H-(1)H NOESY experiments. We present a summary of how to measure these distances using NMR-based PREs and EPR-based double electron electron resonance (DEER) measurements and how to include them in homodimer structure calculations.
Neurovascular manifestations of connective-tissue diseases: A review:

Patients with connective tissue diseases are thought to be at a higher risk for a number of cerebrovascular diseases such as intracranial aneurysms, dissections, and acute ischemic strokes. In this report, we aim to understand the prevalence and occurrences of such neurovascular manifestations in four heritable connective tissue disorders: Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Neurofibromatosis Type 1, and Loeys-Dietz syndrome. We discuss the fact that although there are various case studies reporting neurovascular findings in these connective tissue diseases, there is a general lack of case-control and prospective studies investigating the true prevalence of these findings in these patient populations. Furthermore, the differences observed in the manifestations and histology of such disease pathologies encourages future multi-center registries and studies in better characterizing the pathophysiology, prevalence, and ideal treatment options of neurovascular lesions in patents with connective tissue diseases.
Triboelectric Nanogenerator: Freestanding Triboelectric-Layer Mode

In this chapter, the freestanding triboelectric-layer mode of TENG (F-TENG or FT mode TENG) is presented. In this mode, a moving object is naturally charged due to its contact with air or another object. The charges remain on the surface for a long period of time, and a periodic contact or friction is unnecessary within this period of time because the charge density reaches saturation. A pair of symmetric electrodes is then fabricated underneath a dielectric layer, the motion of the freestanding layer between the two electrodes creates an asymmetric charge distribution in the media, which causes the electrons to flow between the two electrodes to balance the local potential distribution. This working mode enables many different device architectures like the sliding structure, the contact structure, the linear grating structure, the rotation disk structure, and so on. In this working mode, the linear-sliding structure and the rolling structure have been developed to deliver excellent total and instantaneous energy conversion efficiency of 85 and 55 %, respectively. This design is ideal for harvesting energy from a moving object without contacting a wire or even without direct physical contact, such as walking on floor and a moving automobile.
Dynamic Differential Privacy for ADMM-Based Distributed Classification Learning

Privacy-preserving distributed machine learning becomes increasingly important due to the recent rapid growth of data. This paper focuses on a class of regularized empirical risk minimization machine learning problems, and develops two methods to provide differential privacy to distributed learning algorithms over a network. We first decentralize the learning algorithm using the alternating direction method of multipliers, and propose the methods of dual variable perturbation and primal variable perturbation to provide dynamic differential privacy. The two mechanisms lead to algorithms that can provide privacy guarantees under mild conditions of the convexity and differentiability of the loss function and the regularizer. We study the performance of the algorithms, and show that the dual variable perturbation outperforms its primal counterpart. To design an optimal privacy mechanism, we analyze the fundamental tradeoff between privacy and accuracy, and provide guidelines to choose privacy parameters. Numerical experiments using customer information database are performed to corroborate the results on privacy and utility tradeoffs and design.
Siglec-F is a novel intestinal M cell marker

Intestinal microfold (M) cells are epithelial cells primarily present on Peyer's patches (PPs) in the small intestine. The ability of M cells to shuttle antigens into the PP for appropriate immune responses makes M cells a target for next-generation oral vaccine delivery. In this regard, discovery of M cell-specific receptors are of great interest, which could act as molecular tags for targeted delivery of cargo to M cells. Here, using a monoclonal antibody we generated to the Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin F (Siglec-F), we show that Siglec-F is expressed on mouse M cells in the small intestine. Immunohistochemical analysis of the PP tissue sections shows that Siglec-F is expressed on the surface of the M cell membrane exposed to the intestinal lumen. Anti-Siglec-F antibody injected into the mouse small intestine bound to M cells, demonstrating the potential to target M cells via Siglec-F.
Spanning Strong to Weak Normal Mode Coupling between Vibrational and Fabry–Pérot Cavity Modes through Tuning of Vibrational Absorption Strength

Designing coupled vibrational-cavity polariton systems to modify chemical reaction rates and paths requires an understanding of how this coupling depends on system parameters (i.e., absorber strength, modal distribution, and vibrational absorber and cavity line widths). Here, we evaluate the impact of absorption coefficient and cavity design on normal mode coupling between a Fabry–Perot cavity and a molecular vibration. For a vibrational band of urethane in a polymer matrix, the coupling strength increases with its concentration so that the system spans the weak and strong coupling regimes. The experimentally determined Rabi splitting values are in excellent agreement with an analytical expression derived for classical coupled oscillators that includes no fitting parameters. Also, the cavity mode profile is altered through choice of mirror type, with metal mirrors resulting in stronger confinement and thus coupling, while dielectric stack mirrors provide higher transmission for a given cavity quality fact...
The Whole (Cell) Is Less Than the Sum of Its Parts

Despite advances in metabolite profiling, a full picture of the metabolic landscape of the cell has been limited by sub-cellular compartmentalization, which segregates distinct nutrient pools into membrane-bound organelles. Now, Chen et al. describe methods for overcoming this hurdle and provide a new quantitative picture of the mitochondrial metabolome.
Perceiving the World Through Hierarchy-Shaped Glasses: On the Need to Embed Social Identity Effects on Perception Within the Broader Context of Intergroup Hierarchy

Our tendency to attach to, identify with, and favor social groups is one of the defining features of the human experience. As Y. Jenny Xiao, Geraldine Coppin, and Jay J. Van Bavel (this issue) note...
Empowering biomedical engineering undergraduates to help teach design

We report on our experience empowering upperclassmen and seniors to help teach design courses in biomedical engineering. Initiated in the fall of 1998, these courses are a projects-based set, where teams of students from freshmen level to senior level converge to solve practical problems in biomedical engineering. One goal in these courses is to teach the design process by providing experiences that mimic it. Student teams solve practical projects solicited from faculty, industry and the local community. To hone skills and have a metric for grading, written documentation, posters and oral presentations are required over the two-semester sequence. By requiring a mock design and build exercise in the fall, students appreciate the manufacturing process, the difficulties unforeseen in the design stage and the importance of testing. A Web-based, searchable design repository captures reporting information from each project since its inception. This serves as a resource for future projects, in addition to traditional ones such as library, outside experts and lab facilities. Based on results to date, we conclude that characteristics about our design program help students experience design and learn aspects about teamwork and mentoring useful in their profession or graduate education.
Managing Complexity of Large-Scale Cyber-Physical Systems

Cyber-physical systems are now ubiquitous and their undeniable complexity is caused by a set of factors reviewed in the first sections of the chapter, which also discusses how software has pushed the limits of system composability, as well as challenges specific to large-scale, cyber-physical systems. Autonomic computing and scalable system organizations are the topics of the next sections. The discussion of virtualization by aggregation and coalition formation is followed by a survey of cooperative games for coalition formation. An indepth analysis of a self-organization protocol for very large sensor networks concludes the chapter.
A Longitudinal Examination of Preservice Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Context of Undergraduate Teacher Education

This study used longitudinal data to investigate the development of preservice teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) throughout their initial teacher education program in th...
Transferable Potentials for Chloroethenes: Insights into Nonideal Solution Behavior of Environmental Contaminants

Predicting the nonideal phase behavior of binary and multicomponent systems remains a significant challenge for particle-based simulations. Here, we develop a transferable force field for chloroethenes, common environmental contaminants, that can accurately model the vapor liquid phase equilibria including azeotrope formation. The new all-atom force field reproduces saturated liquid densities, saturated vapor pressures, boiling points, and critical properties within 1, 10, 1, and 1% of the experiment data, respectively. Furthermore, the vapor liquid equilibria of trichloroethylene and 1-propanol binary mixture, which forms a minimum boiling point azeotrope, is predicted with a reasonable accuracy. The microstructure of neat and binary systems is explored using pair correlation functions and spatial distribution functions. As the new force field is consistent with transferable potentials for phase equilibria (TraPPE) force field, it expands the applicability of TraPPE force field to chloroethenes.
Green’s Functions

This chapter is devoted to the solution of Poisson’s Equation using a Green’s Function. We have already solved Poisson’s equation in Sect. 4.4 (see (4.8)). That solution was the last of a set of theorems for Poisson’s Equation, which we proved in Appendix F. Since the solution to Poisson’s equation is unique, the solutions we obtain here will be identical to those that we would have obtained from (4.8). The difference will only be in approach.
Algorithms for Non-Periodic Functions

In Chapter 3, the basic algorithms needed to compute Chebyshev and Legendre spectral approximations to PDEs are developed, starting with how to compute the Legendre and Chebyshev polynomials themselves. Those algorithms are then used to compute the Gauss quadrature nodes and weights that are needed in turn to compute interpolants and discrete inner products. The chapter ends with algorithms used to approximate the derivatives that appear in PDEs with non-periodic boundary conditions.
Factors regulating naive T cell homeostasis.

The mature T cells in the peripheral secondary lymphoid tissues are controlled by homeostatic mechanisms that regulate their survival and the overall cell counts. Such regulation applies to populations of naive and memory T cells. The prevailing view in the past was that the signals essential for regulating T cell homeostasis were thought to be largely derived from contact with foreign antigens. However, recent work from several groups has strongly indicated that homeostasis of naive T cells is crucially dependent on interaction with two self-ligands — self-MHC/peptide complexes and the cytokine IL-7. This article will present our recent work supporting the revised view on the regulation of naive T cell homeostasis.
The Importance of the Person in the Role of Teacher

This article illuminates the importance of the person who occupies the role of teacher by focusing on three experienced, well-regarded teachers who work in urban schools. Ms. Smith teaches sixth grade social studies in an independent school, Mr. Peters teaches religious studies in a Catholic high school for boys, and Ms. Walsh teaches English and Public Speaking in a public high school. Despite noteworthy differences in setting, in subject matter, and more, all three teachers reveal that good teaching is at once both an intellectual and a moral endeavor. They show how important it is for teachers to develop a sense of community and of trust in the classroom. Finally, their work sheds light on why a teacher's intellectual and moral sensibility plays a significant role in his or her influence on students.
Shock in Acute Pancreatitis

Shock in human acute pancreatitis is a serious prognostic sign. The average mortality of 14% in the cases of acute pancreatitis increases to 71% when features of shock are present in the early stages of the disease (4, 5, 6, 10).
Energy-limited Massive Random Access via Noisy Group Testing

We consider a random access scheme with a massive number of low-energy wireless devices, where a small but arbitrary subset of them can be active at a given time. We develop a solution to this problem via the noisy group testing framework, where the goal is to identify with high probability a small set of defectives in a large set of items with minimum number of noisy binary tests. We translate the power constraint for the wireless devices to a constraint on the number of tests each item can participate in the group testing problem. We present fundamental upper and lower bounds on the length of the codewords in terms of the total number of devices, the number of active devices, the error probability, the noise and the power constraint. We conclude with a scheme that enjoys low decoding complexity under this model.
Electrochemical behavior of a gold nanoring electrode microfabricated on a silicon micropillar

Abstract We report on the microfabrication and characterization of a gold nanoring electrode (Au NRE) patterned on top of a silicon (Si) micropillar. An NRE of 165 ± 10 nm in width was micropatterned on 4.6 ± 1 μm diameter × 17.5 ± 2.5 μm long Si micropillar with an intervening 50 nm thick hafnium oxide insulating layer. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy data confirmed excellent cylindricality of the micropillar with vertical sidewalls and a completely intact layer of Au NRE encompassing the entire micropillar perimeter. The electrochemical behavior of the Au NRE was characterized by a steady-state cyclic voltammogram with extremely high signal-to-noise ratios of 2500 and charging currents as small as 1.5 ± 0.3 pA. A “semicircle spectrum” from the Nyquist plot indicates a kinetically-controlled voltammetric current response, which is unique to nanoscale electrodes. The variations in the exchange current values, which are dependent on the NRE area and standard rate constant, place a greater emphasis on the isotropic gold wet etching process that defined the geometry of the Au NRE. Circuit fitting of the electrochemical impedance spectra suggests that the NRE geometry can be varied from inlaid to nanotrench with depths controllable by the etching process. This resulted in differing stead-state voltammetric currents and interfacial properties in terms of charge transfer resistance, constant phase element and trench resistance values. The applicability of Au NREs to electrochemical sensing is demonstrated by detecting lead, a neurotoxin at 100 ppb levels. Also, by surface-modification with multi-walled carbon nanotubes, dopamine, a neurochemical implicated in various brain disorders, is detected at a sensitivity as low as 100 nM with 1000-fold selectivity versus common interferents. The flexibility of the microfabrication approach allows for the creation of multiple NREs of controllable width and nanometer spacing on a single micropillar. This capability and in particular where the NRE is micropatterned on three-dimensional microstructures as will be reported herein, facilitates unique electroanalytical capabilities such as intracellular electrochemistry and highly multiplexed detection for emerging biological applications.
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Relative Role of T Cell Subsets

Leishmanias are protozoan parasites which are transmitted to their mammalian host by the bite of a sandfly vector (1). Upon entering the host, the flagellated promastigote form of the parasite which is injected by the sandfly is phagocytized by mononuclear phagocytic cells in which it transforms into the aflagellate amastigote form. Following infection of man by Leishmania several different forms of disease can ensue which depend upon the species of Leishmania carried by the sandfly. For example, a cutaneous form of leishmaniasis can be caused by L. major, L. mexicana or L. braziliensis a mucocutaneous form by L. braziliensis and a visceral form by L. donovani In addition, a spectrum of clinical manifestations can be observed in patients suffering from each of these forms of the disease which suggests that the pathologic changes observed in leishmaniasis are due to both the species of the infecting parasite and to the host response to the parasite.
Orbiting of Flagellated Bacteria within a Thin Fluid Film around Micrometer-Sized Particles.

Abstract Bacterial motility under confinement is relevant to both environmental control and the spread of infection. Here, we report observations on Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis when they are confined within a thin layer of water around dispersed micrometer-sized particles sprinkled over a semisolid agar gel. In this setting, E. coli and Enterobacteria orbit around the dispersed particles. The liquid layer is shaped like a shallow tent with its height at the center set by the seeding particle, and the meniscus profile set by the strong surface tension of water. The tent-shaped confinement and the left handedness of the flagellar filaments result in exclusively clockwise circular trajectories. The thin fluid layer is resilient because of a balance between evaporation and reinforcement of fluid that permeated out of the agar. The latter is driven by the Laplace pressure caused by the concave meniscus. In short, we explain the physical mechanism of a convenient method to entrap bacteria within localized thin fluid film near a permeable surface.
Environmental chemicals and public sociology: engaged scholarship on highly fluorinated compounds

We report here on a multifaceted body of research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals that have become a well-known group of 'emerging contaminants' in recent years. Our PFAS Project team of over 10 researchers - faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates - has been working since 2015 to study the extent and health effects of PFAS contamination through a broad model of engaged public sociology. Our model of research combines organic public sociology with elements of community-based participatory research, a related but distinct research form most widely used in the environmental health sciences. Based on long-term, place-based relationships, our engaged public sociology has led to numerous academic, regulatory, and social movement effects. We argue that this form of engaged, intervention-oriented public sociology is appropriate and beneficial for research in many areas of environmental sociology given the social and ecological stakes in the current moment. Engaged public sociology involves collaborative, reflexive research with broadly-conceived communities or publics. It facilitates the creation of previously undone science by addressing research topics of interest to community members, and allows researchers to directly contribute to environmental and social justice movements by acting as reflexive, observant participants.
Who has the power? A reflection on teaching drama improvisation with young children:

The following study reflects and explores the dynamics of aesthetic experiences within drama improvisations. This arts-based research was carried out in Hong Kong with six Cantonese children who we...
Perspective on “Transgranular Stress Corrosion Cracking of High-Pressure Pipelines in Contact with Solutions of Near Neutral pH,” R.N. Parkins, W.K. Blanchard Jr., B.S. Delanty, Corrosion 50, 5 (1994): p. 394-408

Abstract:This paper provides a perspective on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of buried pipelines based on a paper by R.N. Parkins, et al., and associated works. The paper by Parkins, et al., i...
Relation of Transthoracic Echocardiographic Aortic Regurgitation to Pressure Half-time and All-Cause Mortality

To evaluate the relation of aortic regurgitation (AR) pressure half-time (PHT) on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and all-cause mortality, we screened 118,647 baseline TTE reports from 2000 to 2017, to identify patients with any AR and PHT data. Patients with infective endocarditis or previous aortic valve replacement were excluded. The relation of baseline PHT on time to all-cause mortality was evaluated using Cox regression. A total of 2,653 patients were included (73.1 ± 14.3 years; 53.8% female; PHT, 530 ± 162 ms). Patients with shorter PHTs more frequently had 3-4+ AR (PHT ≤ 200 ms vs > 500 ms, 17.9% vs 0.6%, p 750 ms was significantly related to increased mortality, even amongst those with nonsevere AR. After multivariable adjustment (in particular for E/e’), PHT was no longer significantly related to death. In conclusion, in this large, single center, retrospective study, AR PHT was not independently related to mortality. While a PHT ≤ 320 ms was associated with increased mortality in patients without severe AR, this relation was no longer significant after adjusting for diastolic functional variables. Thus, a PHT ≤ 320 ms in patients without significant AR may indicate prognostically-relevant diastolic dysfunction.
Social Bonds and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Retrospective and prospective studies consistently show that individuals exposed to human-generated traumatic events carry a higher risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than those exposed to other kinds of events. These studies also consistently identify perceptions of social support both before and after a traumatic event as an important factor in the determining vulnerability to the development of PTSD. We review the literature on interpersonal traumas, social support and risk for PTSD and integrate findings with recent advances in developmental psychopathology, attachment theory and social neuroscience. We propose and gather evidence for what we term the social ecology of PTSD, a conceptual framework for understanding how both PTSD risk and recovery are highly dependent on social phenomena. We explore clinical implications of this conceptual framework.
Comparison of Adverse Outcomes Following Placement of Superion Interspinous Spacer Device Versus Laminectomy and Laminotomy.

ABSTRACT Background: Current evidence suggests placement of the Superion interspinous spacer (SISS) device compared with laminectomy or laminotomy surgery offers an effective, less invasive treatment option for patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. Both SISS placement and laminectomy or laminotomy have risks of complications and a direct comparison of complications between the 2 procedures has not been previously studied. The purpose of this study is to compare the short-term complications of the SISS with laminectomy or laminotomy and highlight device-specific long-term outcomes with SISS. Methods: Via retrospective review, 189 patients who received lumbar level SISSs were compared with 378 matched controls who underwent primary lumbar spine laminectomy or laminotomy; data were collected from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Complications analyzed included rates of wound infection, pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, urinary tract infection, sepsis, septic shock, cardiac arrest, death, and reoperation within 30 days of index surgery. Differences between groups were analyzed using the χ2test. Device-specific complication (DSC) rates included device malfunction or misplacement (DM), device explantation (DE), spinous process fracture (SPF), and subsequent spinal surgery (SSS). Results: No differences in demographics or comorbidities existed between groups. There was no significant difference in rates of complications between groups. A total of 44.4% of patients in the SISS group experienced DSCs with 11.1% of patients experiencing DM, 21.1% experiencing an SPF, 20.1% requiring DE, and 24.3% requiring SSS. Having at least 1 DSC significantly increased odds of SSS, odds ratio >120, P Conclusion: Rates of 30-day complications in the SISS group were not significantly different from patients undergoing laminectomy or laminotomy. Rates of 2-year DSC within SISS and cumulative risk associated with these complications should be considered further as they likely represent need for additional procedures for patients and substantial cost to the healthcare system. Level of Evidence: 4. Clinical Relevance: Having no differences in adverse events between laminectomies or laminotomies and SISS plus evidence of substantial device-specific long-term adverse outcomes and reoperation should be given consideration when deciding on surgical intervention of 1-2 level lumbar spinal stenosis.
Herd Mastitis Problems Caused by Unusual Pathogens

Until recently most mastitis was caused by two species of bacteria-Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus. Today, these two bacteria are controllable in most herds by combined regimens of teat dipping and dry cow treatment. However, these control methods are less efficacious against other pathogens which may become, or appear to become, more important as the prevalence of Str. agalactiae and S. aureus is reduced. Usually such problems are caused by bacteria endemic in the cows environment, the so-called environmental pathogens. Occasionally a point source of infection may develop that leads to an outbreak of disease caused by a single unusual organism. In this paper, we will consider current thinking about environmental mastitis and then discuss herd mastitis problems caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens.
Comparison of Whey Versus Almond Protein Powder on Nitrogen Balance in Female College Students; The California Almond Protein Powder Project (CAlmond-P3).

Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular in the past decade, with approximately 11% of Americans self-identifying as vegan or vegetarian and many others trying to reduce meat consumption. Due to increasing interest, the plant-based food market has significantly expanded, with several innovative products serving as alternatives to animal-based products. One such example is almond protein powder, a new protein supplement created as an alternative to whey protein. Due to the novelty of almond protein products, little is known regarding how well the protein supplement supports nitrogen metabolism. The effects of both an almond-based protein beverage and a whey-based protein beverage on nitrogen balance are investigated in the work presented herein. Twenty female college students aged 20–25 years were randomly assigned to consume either an almond- or whey-based protein drink twice daily for one week; 24-h urine collection was performed at the baseline and endpoint of the 7-day treatment period and nitrogen balance was assessed. Body composition and hydration status were also assessed. Both protein sources (almond and whey) were able to notably improve nitrogen balance, thus indicating that almond protein powder may be a functional plant-based alternative to whey protein powder and may be of interest in future research regarding muscle mass and body composition improvement.
Risk preferences, uncertainty, and war

In the game-theoretic literature on international conflict, risk-acceptance leads to war if it is severe enough to eliminate the bargaining range, in which case war occurs even under complete infor...
Distance ADaptive (DAD) broadcasting for ad hoc networks

In mobile ad hoc networks, it is often necessary to broadcast control information to all the constituent nodes in the network. Possible applications include searching for a destination node (as a part of routing) or a particular service such as DNS look-up. Flooding, which is often deployed to achieve the above objective, is expensive in terms of overhead and wastes valuable resources such as bandwidth and power. An improvement to flooding is to choose probabilistically a subset of nodes to rebroadcast. In this paper, we propose to use the signal-strength to improve the efficiency of broadcasting. We propose a protocol to select a set of nodes for rebroadcasting on the basis of their relative distance from the previous broadcast. We show how we can use the signal strength as an estimate of the relative node distance. Our simulations indicate that our approach can increase the efficiency of broadcasting significantly. Our simulations show that we can achieve the same coverage with approximately 20% less rebroadcasts. In addition, the time taken by the global broadcast is also reduced by more than 20%.
New strategies for effective treatment of vitamin K antagonist-associated bleeding.

Summary Vitamin K antagonists have been used as oral anticoagulants in the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic events for over half a century. Although vitamin K antagonists are effective in the management of thromboembolic events, the need for routine monitoring and the associated risk of bleeding has resulted in the development and licensing of direct oral anticoagulants for specific clinical indications. Despite these developments, vitamin K antagonists remain the oral anticoagulants of choice in many clinical conditions. Severe bleeding associated with oral anticoagulation requires urgent reversal. Several options for the reversal of vitamin K antagonist exist, including vitamin K, prothrombin complex concentrates and plasma. In this manuscript, we review current evidence and provide physicians with treatment strategies for more effective management of vitamin K antagonist-associated bleeding.
The Optical Properties of Ice and Snow in the Arctic Basin

Measurements of light transmission and reflection were carried out on first-year sea ice near Point Barrow, Alaska, and on multi-year ice near Fletcher’s Ice Island in the Beaufort Sea (lat. 84° N., long. 77°W.). Spectral albedos (400-1 000 nm) and extinction coefficients (400-800 nm) were determined for melt ponds, snow, and various types of bare ice. Albedos were largest in the 400-600 nm range, decreasing toward longer wavelengths at a rate which appeared to be related to the liquid-water content of the near-surface layers. Extinction coefficients remained nearly constant between 400 and 550 nm, but increased rapidly above 600 nm. At 500 nm, albedos ranged from 0.25 over mature melt ponds to 0.93 over dense dry snow, while the corresponding extinction coefficients ranged from 0.6 to 16 m-1. Intensity profiles taken in the upper 50 cm of the ice indicated that the extinction coefficient at a particular wavelength was nearly constant with depth below 15 cm, although the bulk extinction coefficient decreased with depth because of the strong attenuation in the red. Near the surface it was found that multi-year ice absorbed slightly more energy than did first-year blue ice, but at depths below 10 cm the flux divergence in the first-year ice was three to four times larger than that in the multi-year ice. A simple procedure is described for estimating light transmission and absorption within the ice under clear or cloudy skies from total flux measurements at the surface. Methods by which satellite data could be used to estimate regional albedos, melt-pond fraction, and lead area are also presented.
Cell lineage relationships in the development of the mammalian CNS: I. The facial nerve nucleus

Genetically mosaic animals are valuable tools in the study of cell lineage relationships during development. The work described here is a quantitative analysis of large motor neurons of the facial nerve nucleus of the mouse. Aggregation chimeric mice were made from embryos which differed at the structural locus for the enzyme beta-glucuronidase. This difference is an intrinsic property of each cell and is easily detected by histochemical means. The numbers of cells in each of 10 facial nuclei from six glucuronidase chimeras were determined and each cell was scored for its embryo of origin using the glucuronidase marker. Unlike cerebellar Purkinje cells, this analysis revealed no evidence of numerical quanta of invariant size in the facial nucleus. Determination of the fraction of the total cells comprised by the descendants of each embryo, however, revealed evidence of quanta. These values suggest that the neurons of each facial nucleus descend from 12 progenitors. In agreement with similar calculations performed on Purkinje cells, the facial nucleus progenitors appear to be selected as the sole source of the facial nucleus neurons some time during the neural plate to neural groove stage of development. The absence of rigidly specified numerical quanta in the nucleus suggests that factors extrinsic to these cells contribute to the final adult number of neurons.
Less than Equal: A Former Urban Schoolteacher Examines the Causes of Educational Disadvantagement

After reviewing competing explanations for the disproportionate rates of school failure experienced by poor and nonwhite populations advanced in recent decades, the author, a former urban alternative high school teacher, advances what he calls a culture-centered interactionist framework. This framework blames neither the impoverishment of students nor the ethnocentricity of middle-class educators alone for educational disadvantagement, but rather locates the problem in a more complex interaction between nonmainstream students and mainstream schools. Many poor children arrive at school well behind their more fortunate peers academically, but chronic school-based inequities such as low teacher expectations and unexamined ability-grouping practices clearly exacerbate these differences. The minority view that racial differences in academic performance are hereditary in nature is also addressed and critiqued.
The supine hypertensive test as a predictor of incipient pre-eclampsia

The supine hypertensive test was performed on 178 primigravidas. This prospective study demonstrated that the test is a true predictor of patients at risk of developing pre-eclampsia-eclampsia.
B-10 (n, alpha) Li-7, Li*7 differential cross section measurements between 0.2 and 1.25 MeV

$\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle yields from the $^{10}\mathrm{B}(n,\ensuremath{\alpha})^{7}\mathrm{Li}$, $^{7}\mathrm{Li}^{*}$ reactions have been measured at eight angles between 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} for neutron energies between 200 and 1250 keV. A thick natural lithium target bombarded by a polsed proton beam provided a neutron-energy continuum. $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles from the two reactions were distinguished by measuring the sum of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle and neutron flight times as well as $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle energies. Yield data were converted to c.m. differential cross sections and each angular distribution was fitted with a series of Legendre polynomials. Coefficients of the ${P}_{0}$ terms are compared with other measurements. The coefficients of the higher order terms are qualitatively interpreted in terms of the level structure of $^{11}\mathrm{B}$.
Implications of MODIS bow-tie distortion on aerosol optical depth retrievals, and techniques for mitigation

Abstract. The scan geometry of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors, combined with the Earth's curvature, results in a pixel shape distortion known as the "bow-tie effect". Specifically, sensor pixels near the edge of the swath are elongated along-track and across-track compared to pixels near the centre of the swath, resulting in an increase of pixel area by up to a factor of ∼ 9 and, additionally, the overlap of pixels acquired from consecutive scans. The Deep Blue and Dark Target aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval algorithms aggregate sensor pixels and provide level 2 (L2) AOD at a nominal horizontal pixel size of 10 km, but the bow-tie distortion means that they also suffer from this size increase and overlap. This means that the spatial characteristics of the data vary as a function of satellite viewing zenith angle (VZA) and, for VZA > 30°, corresponding to approximately 50 % of the data, are areally enlarged by a factor of 50 % or more compared to this nominal pixel area and are not spatially independent of each other. This has implications for retrieval uncertainty and aggregated statistics, causing a narrowing of AOD distributions near the edge of the swath, as well as for data comparability from the application of similar algorithms to sensors without this level of bow-tie distortion. Additionally, the pixel overlap is not obvious to users of the L2 aerosol products because only pixel centres, not boundaries, are provided within the L2 products. A two-step procedure is proposed to mitigate the effects of this distortion on the MODIS aerosol products. The first (simple) step involves changing the order in which pixels are aggregated in L2 processing to reflect geographical location rather than scan order, which removes the bulk of the overlap between L2 pixels and slows the rate of growth of L2 pixel size vs. VZA. This can be achieved without significant changes to existing MODIS processing algorithms. The second step involves additionally changing the number of sensor pixels aggregated across-track as a function of VZA, which preserves L2 pixel size at around 10 km × 10 km across the whole swath but would require algorithmic quality assurance tests to be re-evaluated. Both of these steps also improve the extent to which the pixel locations a user would infer from the L2 data products represent the actual spatial extent of the L2 pixels.
Multi-resolution cellular automata for real computation

This paper introduces multi-resolution cellular automata (MRCA), a multi-resolution variant of cellular automata. Cells in an MRCA are allowed to "fission" one or more times during the course of execution. At any given time, the MRCA may thus be carrying out computations on a variety of spatial scales. Our main theorem uses the MRCA model to give a natural characterization of the computability of sets in Euclidean space, provided that their boundaries are computably nowhere dense.