cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biofeedback-regulated asymmetries in facial skin temperature.

Summary.-Although 5 of 7 subjects regulated asymmetries in skin temperature, differences between right and left temperatures were small. No relationship between hemisphere-specialized cognitions and asymmetries in facial skin temperature was demonstrated. The two hemispheres of the brain are somewhat specialized in function (Milner, 1975). There are also asymmetries in relative cortical activation of the hemispheres (Doyle, Ornstein, & Galin, 1974). These EEG asymmetries can be self-regulated using EEG biofeedback (Schwartz, Davidson, & Pugash, 1976). Lateral EEG asymmetries are accompanied by lateral blood flow asymmetries, an increase in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) to the more active hemisphere (Jacquy, Piraux, Jocquet, Lhoas, & Noel, 1977). This rCBF asymmetry is probably accompanied by a parallel asymmetry in blood flow between the left and right internal carotid arteries. The asymmetry in internal carotid blood flow may be reflected in external carotid asymmetry. Monitoring of rCBF is invasive and requires elaborate instrumentation; however, skin temperature over the external carotids, indirectly measuring blood flow, may be more practical. There is some evidence for the above rationale, suggesting that skin-temperature asymmetries between the external carotid areas may develop during hemisphere-specialized cognition (Suter, Beatty, & Strickler, 1977). Through self-regulation of asymmetry in skin temperature over the external carotids it may be possible to study regulation of hemisphere-specialized cerebral function. Seven right-handed participants completed the study, a habituation session followed by nine biofeedback sessions. In each biofeedback session were a stabilization segment and four 8-min. biofeedback training segments, during which the participant alternated crying to make the left side warmer than the right and the right side warmer than the left. The thermistors were attached to each cheek directly in front of the ear, over the external carotid arteries, located by pulse. Feedback was a tone whose pitch reflected the difference in skin temperature between the two sides and the experimenter announcing every change of .03"C. The cognitive strategies used in each segment were assessed with bipolar scales. Five of the seven participants regulated skin temperature asymmetries (all Fs~,~~ > 9.06, $S < .01); however, the right-left temperature differences were small. For these five participants, the right minus left temperature difference
Aliskiren Alone or in Combination for the Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate Hypertension: Current Role and Future Perspectives

Objective: To evaluate the current role of aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, in the pharmacologic treatment of essential hypertension. Data Sources: A literature search of OVID MEDLINE and PubMed (both from 1950 through November 1, 2011) using the terms aliskiren and efficacy was conducted. In addition, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All articles in English comparing aliskiren or an aliskiren-based regimen with another antihypertensive pharmacotherapy regimen in humans were identified. Articles were selected if they were on randomized controlled trials with blood pressure reduction as their primary objective. Trials included over 100 patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. Data Synthesis: Aliskiren has been studied against or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide, amlodipine, ramipril, losartan, irbesartan, valsartan, and atenolol. It is statistically superior to hydrochlorothiazide and ramipril at lowering blood pressure, and equally as effective as losartan, irbesartan, and atenolol, with a similar safety profile. Aliskiren is an effective add-on agent to valsartan, amlodipine, and atenolol therapy. Although aliskiren is beneficial, alternative agents exist that can be used with similar efficacy for lower cost. Conclusions: Aliskiren is an effective antihypertensive agent, used either as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive medications. The lack of evidence for long-term morbidity and mortality benefits makes it difficult to consider aliskiren a primary agent for the treatment of hypertension. The completion of the ASPIRE HIGHER program, a collection of trials whose aim is to demonstrate short- and long-term benefits of aliskiren on end-organ damage, is needed to justify the use of aliskiren other than as a last-line antihypertensive agent.
A Digest of Additional Experiments in the Application of Paradichlorobenzene in Solution Against the Peach Borer

Additional experiments with paradichlorobenzene dissolved in high-test gasoline and applied around the bases of the peach trees were conducted in the spring and fall of 1927. Results of the tests appear to indicate that the solution form of treatment, even without preparation of the soil before treatment and without banking with soil following the application, is as effective as the application of the crystals made in the usual way. The use of varying proportions of the solvent in excess of 50 c.c. to 1 ounce of paradichlorobenzene apparently decreases the efficiency of the treatment.
Distribution and drug resistance of 229 strains of Enterobacter cloacae

Objective To learn the specimen distribution and drug resistance of Enterobacter cloacae in the hospital,and provide basis for,reasonable choice for antibiotics.Methods VITEK 60 automatic micro-analyzer and the supporting GNI,GNS-143 and GNI-448 were used for the isolation,identification and susceptibility test of the 229 strains of Enterobacter cloacae.Sensitivity results were analyzed by using WHONET5.5 software.Results Of the total 229 isolates of Enterobacter cloacae,59.0% was from respiratory specimens,13.5% from urine,and 12.7% from wound secretions/pus.The resistance rates of Enterobacter cloacae to meropenem,imipenem,and cefoperazone/sulbactam were 0.0%,0.4% and 2.5%,respectively,while to ampicillin,cefazolin and cefoxitin,the resistance rates were 98.7%,96.9% and 97.5%,respectively.Conclusion Enterobacter cloacae has multiple resistance with complex mechanisms.Reasonable use of antimicrobial drugs is important for reducing the emergence of resistant Enterobacter cloacae and its prevalence in the hospital.
Limit on the decay D0-->e micro+/-

We have searched for the lepton-flavor-violating decay D/sup 0/..-->..e/sup +- /..mu../sup minus-or-plus/ in 204 pb/sup -1/ of e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilation data at E/sub c.m./ = 29 GeV from the Mark II detector. No candidates were found; we estimate an upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio of sigma(e/sup +/e/sup -/..-->..D/sup 0/,D-bar/sup 0/; inclusive)B(D/sup 0/..-->..e/sup +- /..mu../sup minus-or-plus/) ..e/sup +- /..mu../sup minus-or-plus/)<2.1 x 10/sup -3/. AE.
AMD-like retinopathy associated with intravenous iron.

Abstract Iron accumulation in the retina is associated with the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). IV iron is a common method to treat iron deficiency anemia in adults, and its retinal manifestations have not hitherto been identified. To assess whether IV iron formulations can be retina-toxic, we generated a mouse model for iron-induced retinal damage. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into groups receiving IV iron-sucrose (+Fe) or 30% sucrose (−Fe). Iron levels in neurosensory retina (NSR), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and choroid were assessed using immunofluorescence, quantitative PCR, and the Perls' iron stain. Iron levels were most increased in the RPE and choroid while levels in the NSR did not differ significantly in +Fe mice compared to controls. Eyes from +Fe mice shared histological features with AMD, including Bruch's membrane (BrM) thickening with complement C3 deposition, as well as RPE hypertrophy and vacuolization. This focal degeneration correlated with areas of high choroidal iron levels. Ultrastructural analysis provided further detail of the RPE/photoreceptor outer segment vacuolization and Bruch's membrane thickening. Findings were correlated with a clinical case of a 43-year-old patient who developed numerous retinal drusen, the hallmark of AMD, within 11 months of IV iron therapy. Our results suggest that IV iron therapy may have the potential to induce or exacerbate a form of retinal degeneration. This retinal degeneration shares features with AMD, indicating the need for further study of AMD risk in patients receiving IV iron treatment.
Short-wavelength lasers get smaller

The demonstration of a compact short-wavelength source of laser light based on electrically-discharged plasma by a team of US researchers marks a significant step on the path to finding efficient extreme ultraviolet lasers. Making lasers work at short wavelengths – in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray regimes – is hard, particularly since dense plasmas and highly ionized ions are involved. The basic problem is that it takes lots of energy (hundreds of eV per atom) to remove a number of electrons from neutral atoms, and even more energy is needed to excite the upper laser states. This energy must be provided in a time comparable with the relevant relaxation times, which are very short in dense plasmas. Short-wavelength plasma lasers therefore require very high power densities.
An energy harvesting solution based on the post-buckling response of non-prismatic slender beams

Systems based on post-buckled structural elements have been extensively used in many applications such as actuation, remote sensing and energy harvesting thanks to their efficiency enhancement. The post-buckling snap- through behavior of bilaterally constrained beams has been used to create an efficient energy harvesting mechanism under quasi-static excitations. The conversion mechanism has been used to transform low-rate and low-frequency excitations into high-rate motions. Electric energy can be generated from such high-rate motions using piezoelectric transducers. However, lack of control over the post-buckling behavior severely limits the mechanism’s efficiency. This study aims to maximize the levels of the harvestable power by controlling the location of the snapping point along the beam at different buckling transitions. Since the snap-through location cannot be controlled by tuning the geometry properties of a uniform cross-section beam, non-uniform cross sections are examined. An energy-based theoretical model is herein developed to predict the post-buckling response of non-uniform cross-section beams. The total potential energy is minimized under constraints that represent the physical confinement of the beam between the lateral boundaries. Experimentally validated results show that changing the shape and geometry dimensions of non- uniform cross-section beams allows for the accurate control of the snap-through location at different buckling transitions. A 78.59% increase in harvested energy levels is achieved by optimizing the beam’s shape.
External Form of the Embryo and Developmental Stages

Prenatal morphogenesis covers a period starting with fertilization and ending with parturition — expulsion of the fetus from the uterus. At the beginning of this period, the unique genetic system of an individual is established by the union of the male and female germ cells (fertilization). Subsequent development of the fertilized oocyte gives rise to the conceptus: embryo, fetus, newborn, and fetal envelopes. The role of genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors are largely unknown.
Dietary High-Oleic Acid Soybean Oil Dose Dependently Attenuates Egg Yolk Content of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Laying Hens Fed Supplemental Flaxseed Oil.

Chickens can hepatically synthesize eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3) from α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3 n-3); however, the process is inefficient and competitively inhibited by dietary linoleic acid (LNA; 18:2 n-6). In the present study, the influence of dietary high-oleic acid (OLA; 18:1 n-9) soybean oil (HOSO) on egg and tissue deposition of ALA and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) synthesized from dietary ALA was investigated in laying hens fed a reduced-LNA base diet supplemented with high-ALA flaxseed oil (FLAX). We hypothesized that reducing the dietary level of LNA would promote greater hepatic conversion of ALA to very long-chain (VLC; >20C) n-3 PUFA, while supplemental dietary HOSO would simultaneously further enrich eggs with OLA without influencing egg n-3 PUFA contents. Nine 51-week-old hens each were fed 0, 10, 20, or 40 g HOSO/kg diet for 12 weeks. Within each group, supplemental dietary FLAX was increased every 3 weeks from 0 to 10 to 20 to 40 g/kg diet. Compared to controls, dietary FLAX maximally enriched the total n-3 and VLC n-3 PUFA contents in egg yolk by 9.4-fold and 2.2-fold, respectively, while feeding hens 40 g HOSO/kg diet maximally attenuated the yolk deposition of ALA, VLC n-3 PUFA, and total n-3 PUFA by 37, 15, and 32%, respectively. These results suggest that dietary OLA is not neutral with regard to the overall process by which dietary ALA is absorbed, metabolized, and deposited into egg yolk, either intact or in the form of longer-chain/more unsaturated n-3 PUFA derivatives.
lncRNA epigenetic landscape analysis identifies EPIC1 as an oncogenic lncRNA that interacts with MYC and promotes cell-cycle progression in cancer

We characterized the epigenetic landscape of genes encoding long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) across 6,475 tumors and 455 cancer cell lines. In stark contrast to the CpG island hypermethylation phenotype in cancer, we observed a recurrent hypomethylation of 1,006 lncRNA genes in cancer, including EPIC1 (epigenetically-induced lncRNA1). Overexpression of EPIC1 is associated with poor prognosis in luminal B breast cancer patients and enhances tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, EPIC1 promotes cell-cycle progression by interacting with MYC through EPIC1's 129-283 nt region. EPIC1 knockdown reduces the occupancy of MYC to its target genes (e.g., CDKN1A, CCNA2, CDC20, and CDC45). MYC depletion abolishes EPIC1's regulation of MYC target and luminal breast cancer tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo.
Performance Optimization Strategies for WRF Physics Schemes Used in Weather Modeling

Performance optimization in the petascale era and beyond in the exascale era has and will require modifications of legacy codes to take advantage of new architectures with large core counts and SIMD units. The Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) physics codes considered here are optimized using thread-local structures of arrays (SOA). High-level and low-level optimization strategies are applied to the WRF Single-Moment 6-Class Microphysics Scheme (WSM6) and Global Forecast System (GFS) physics codes used in the NEPTUNE forecast code. By building on previous work optimizing WSM6 on the Intel Knights Landing (KNL), it is shown how to further optimize WMS6 and GFS physics, and GFS radiation on Intel KNL, Haswell, and potentially on future micro-architectures with many cores and SIMD vector units. The optimization techniques used herein employ thread-local structures of arrays (SOA), an OpenMP directive, OMP SIMD, and minor code transformations to enable better utilization of SIMD units, increase parallelism, improve locality, and reduce memory traffic. The optimized versions of WSM6, GFS physics, GFS radiation run 70, 27, and 23 faster (respectively) on KNL and 26, 18 and 30 faster (respectively) on Haswell than their respective original serial versions. Although this work targets WRF physics schemes, the findings are transferable to other performance optimization contexts and provide insight into the optimization of codes with complex physical models for present and near-future architectures with many core and vector units.
Natural Antisense Transcripts Mediate Regulation of Gene Expression

Mammalian genomes encode numerous natural antisense transcripts, but the function of these transcripts is not well understood. Functional validation studies indicate that antisense transcripts are not a uniform group of regulatory RNAs but instead belong to multiple categories with some common features. Recent evidence indicates that antisense transcripts are frequently functional and use diverse transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene regulatory mechanisms to carry out a wide variety of biological roles.
Endothelial Cell Function in Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Endothelial cells play a pivotal role in hemostasis and thrombosis. They produce a myriad of factors either associated with the membrane or released into the blood stream and the subendothelial matrix which are involved in various steps of hemostasis. The endothelial cell function is modulated by a diversified group of biologically active molecules, notably thrombin, vasoactive amines and cytokines. Mechanism and selectivity of the effects of these molecules differ and the difference may have important physiological implications. Most of the information is gathered through experiments performed in cultured endothelial cells. Availability of the cultured cells has greatly facilitated the understanding of endothelial cell biology. In vivo models, however, are still needed to understand how the endothelial cell function is modulated. Furthermore, as the cultured endothelial cells exhibit nor only species differences but also vascular origin difference in behavior and function, these factors should be carefully considered when designing experiments involving the use of cultured endothelial cells.
Neural Control of Balance During Walking.

Neural control of standing balance has been extensively studied. However, most falls occur during walking rather than standing, and findings from standing balance research do not necessarily carry over to walking. This is primarily due to the constraints of the gait cycle: Body configuration changes dramatically over the gait cycle, necessitating different responses as this configuration changes. Notably, certain responses can only be initiated at specific points in the gait cycle, leading to onset times ranging from 350-600 ms, much longer than what is observed during standing (50-200 ms). Here, we investigated the neural control of upright balance during walking. Specifically, how the brain transforms sensory information related to upright balance into corrective motor responses. We used visual disturbances of 20 healthy young subjects walking in a virtual reality cave to induce the perception of a fall to the side and analyzed the muscular responses, changes in ground reaction forces and body kinematics. Our results showed changes in swing leg foot placement and stance leg ankle roll that accelerate the body in the direction opposite of the visually induced fall stimulus, consistent with previous results. Surprisingly, ankle musculature activity changed rapidly in response to the stimulus, suggesting the presence of a direct reflexive pathway from the visual system to the spinal cord, similar to the vestibulospinal pathway. We also observed systematic modulation of the ankle push-off, indicating the discovery of a previously unobserved balance mechanism. Such modulation has implications not only for balance but plays a role in modulation of step width and length as well as cadence. These results indicated a temporally-coordinated series of balance responses over the gait cycle that insures flexible control of upright balance during walking.
Outcomes of Newborns with Prenatal Ventricular Asymmetry not Requiring Neonatal Surgical Intervention: a 22-Year Retrospective Single-Center Study

To assess the outcomes of neonates prenatally diagnosed with ventricular asymmetry and not operated on within the neonatal period and to determine the risk factors for left heart obstruction occurrence at follow-up. All neonates with prenatal asymmetry of the ventricles, diagnosed from August 1993 to July 2015, not operated on within the neonatal period, were retrospectively included in the study. Left heart echocardiographic measurements at birth and at last follow-up were collected and compared. Left heart anomaly included isthmus and/or aortic valve and/or mitral valve obstruction. There were a total of 34 newborns included in the study. The median follow-up was 2 years. There was no death. Eleven patients were operated on at a median age of three months; seven of them had an obstruction of the left heart (five coarctations of the aorta, one sub-aortic and aortic valve stenosis, and one mitral stenosis). Estimated freedom of left heart surgery was 80% at 6 months and 75% at 10 years. The main risk factor for progression to a left heart anomaly was a hypoplasia of the aortic isthmus (p = 0.0003), while the presence of a left superior vena cava was more frequent in these patients although the difference was not significant. Patients with an aortic isthmus z-score below − 2 at the closure of arterial duct are at risk of later coarctation and therefore follow-up should be extended to at least 3 months. Furthermore, the prenatal ventricular asymmetry does not only identify patients at risk of coarctation but also of other left heart anomalies. This last point should be a better approach with future parents to improve prenatal counseling on a more complex postnatal diagnostic than a simple isolated coarctation.
Contemplating Bureaucracies: A Tale of Identities – Essay 4

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness” (Dickens, 1859/1940, p. 1), it was the age of wave-particle duality, the age of the un...
Distress intolerance and withdrawal severity among daily smokers: The role of smoking abstinence expectancies.

Abstract Background Distress intolerance (DI), the perceived inability to withstand distress, is implicated in cigarette smoking maintenance. Greater DI may contribute to anticipation of negative outcomes from smoking abstinence, which in turn could contribute to withdrawal symptom severity. The current study aimed to evaluate (1) the association between DI and acute abstinence expectancies and (2) the potential mediating role of abstinence expectancies in the relationship between DI and withdrawal symptom severity. Method Participants (n = 444) were daily smokers who reported at least one prior quit attempt, participating in a larger online study on distress and smoking. DI, subjective nicotine withdrawal, and smoking abstinence expectancies were assessed using the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS), and Smoking Abstinence Expectancies Questionnaire (SAEQ). Results DTS was significantly negatively associated with SAEQ, specifically Negative Mood (r = −0.37, p Discussion DI is related to more negative abstinence expectancies, particularly affective aspects of abstinence, which may contribute to the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This study provides initial evidence of a specific cognitive process that may explain why DI contributes to heightened subjective experience of nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Analysis of the Effect of Soluble Transferrin Receptor 1 (sTfR1) on Iron Metabolism in Mice.

Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) is a cell surface-expressed protein that mediates cellular uptake of iron. The TfR1 molecule may be shed from cells by proteolytic cleavage at Arg100 - Leu101, resulting in a cleaved form called soluble transferrin receptor 1 (sTfR1), which circulates in the blood as a 74 kDa monomer bound to transferrin. Measurement of soluble transferrin receptor has been widely used for the diagnosis of iron deficiency, but the levels of the receptor are also increased in patients with ineffective erythropoiesis, because the amount of circulating sTfR1 is directly proportional to the total amount of cell-associated TfR1. The key factors that stimulate increased sTfR1 levels are the integrated effects of reduced iron availability and increased erythropoietic stimulation. It is notable that both in iron deficiency and in diseases such as thalassemia, in which there is active ineffective erthropoiesis, iron absorption is increased This raises the question of whether sTfR1 is merely an intermediate in the degradation of the protein or whether it is a physiological regulator of iron absorption. To investigate this potential signaling function of sTfR1, a hydrodynamic gene transfer technique was established to express transfected plasmid constructs of human sTfR1 (hsTfR1, aa89–759) and murine sTfR1 (MsTfR1, 86–763) from the livers of C57Bl6 mice. To assess the effect that hsTfR1 and MsTfR1 might have on iron metabolism, iron absorption, serum iron and gene expression of hepcidin was measured in hydrodynamically transfected mice. The efficacy of the hydrodynamic technique was demonstrated by sustained expression of hsTfR1 in mice, at a level six fold higher than the normal level of hsTfR1 in humans (Fig. 1). Iron absorption was determined in transfected mice by measuring the retention of gavage fed 59Fe in a carrier iron solution, using a whole animal counting technique. Repeated experiments showed neither hsTfR1 nor MsTfR1 had any effect on the amount of iron absorbed. In agreement with these data, hepcidin levels were found by real time PCR to be unaltered in the same transfected mice. When serum iron levels were measured, expression of either hsTfR1 or MsTfR1 in mice resulted in significantly higher serum iron levels versus control mice (P=0.0141 and P=0.0192 respectively by t -test). We conclude that despite its attractiveness as a potential modifier of iron absorption, sTfR1 does not have any effect on hepcidin expression or iron absorption in mice. Mice transfected with hsTfR1 or MsTfR1 do have significantly higher serum iron levels, which may reflect an increased capability of these mice to retain transferrin in the serum. We have found that hydrodynamic transfection is a useful method to increase the levels of putative biologically active compounds in mice; this technique can be valuable in investigating the roles of serum or liver specific proteins in mice. ![Fig. 1 ][1] Fig. 1 Sustained Expression of hsTfR1 in Mice [1]: pending:yes
Application of Trust Assessment Techniques to IoBT Systems

Continued advances in IoT technology have prompted new investigation into its usage for military operations, both to augment and complement existing military sensing assets and support next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. Under the emerging Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) paradigm, current operational conditions necessitate the development of novel security techniques, centered on establishment of trust for individual assets and supporting resilience of broader systems. To advance current IoBT efforts, a collection of prior-developed cybersecurity techniques is reviewed for applicability to conditions presented by IoBT operational environments (e.g., diverse asset ownership, degraded networking infrastructure, adversary activities) through use of supporting case study examples. The research techniques covered focus on two themes: (1) Supporting trust assessment for known/unknown IoT assets; (2) ensuring continued trust of known IoT assets and IoBT systems.
Chapter 5.14 – A comparison of multicontinuum theory based failure simulation with experimental results

Publisher Summary This chapter is part of a broader exercise to determine the predictive capability of several currently accepted composite failure criteria. A finite element based analysis is used to simulate progressive failure of the various composite laminates under uniaxial and multiaxial loading. Under the assumption of the composite acting as a multicontinuum, fiber and matrix constituent stress and strain states are derived. This information forms the input to quadratic, stress-interactive constituent-based failure criteria to predict damage at the composite level. Two-dimensional failure envelopes and stress–strain curves for the composite are developed. The experimental results are made available for comparison against analytical failure simulations. These analytical predictions are in good agreement with experimental results. Failure simulations with the experimentally generated data are compared for each of the 14 cases and the correlation between them is discussed. The presence of simultaneous normal and shear stresses in a composite laminate is found to significantly enhance shear strength, which is not accounted for in the proposed failure criteria. The multicontinuum theory (MCT) approach to conduct composite failure analysis is intended from the beginning to be used as a mainstream design tool. The method is implemented into the finite element frame work, formulated to minimize user input, be computationally fast, completely three dimensional, and produce conservative failure values.
“Heavy Lifters of the University”: Non-Tenure Track Faculty Teaching Required Diversity Courses

Higher education institutions have adopted diversity course requirements while hiring more faculty members off the tenure track. Non-tenure track faculty members’ experiences teaching required diversity courses while navigating their precarious employment status has not been sufficiently explored. Addressing this need, the present study examined the experiences of non-tenure track instructors teaching diversity courses as part of general education programs at five colleges and how they understood their relationships to the diversity course requirement and the institution. Instructors perceived themselves as institutional “heavy lifters,” yet emphasized that their precarious status left them disconnected from the diversity requirement and the larger campus.
Dense Recurrent Neural Networks for Accelerated MRI: History-Cognizant Unrolling of Optimization Algorithms

Inverse problems for accelerated MRI typically incorporate domain-specific knowledge about the forward encoding operator in a regularized reconstruction framework. Recently physics-driven deep learning (DL) methods have been proposed to use neural networks for data-driven regularization. These methods unroll iterative optimization algorithms to solve the inverse problem objective function, by alternating between domain-specific data consistency and data-driven regularization via neural networks. The whole unrolled network is then trained end-to-end to learn the parameters of the network. Due to simplicity of data consistency updates with gradient descent steps, proximal gradient descent (PGD) is a common approach to unroll physics-driven DL reconstruction methods. However, PGD methods have slow convergence rates, necessitating a higher number of unrolled iterations, leading to memory issues in training and slower reconstruction times in testing. Inspired by efficient variants of PGD methods that use a history of the previous iterates, in this article, we propose a history-cognizant unrolling of the optimization algorithm with dense connections across iterations for improved performance. In our approach, the gradient descent steps are calculated at a trainable combination of the outputs of all the previous regularization units. We also apply this idea to unrolling variable splitting methods with quadratic relaxation. Our results in reconstruction of the fastMRI knee dataset show that the proposed history-cognizant approach reduces residual aliasing artifacts compared to its conventional unrolled counterpart without requiring extra computational power or increasing reconstruction time.
Reply to "Taking a stand against the politicization of medical research: How 'winging the pendulum' poses a hazard to clinical trials, study participants, and the progress of science".

We appreciate the interest in our article concerning the timeline of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) related to COVID-19. In this communication, the authors comment on the impact of politicization on medi...
VixLSTM: Visual Explainable LSTM for Multivariate Time Series

Neural networks are known for their predictive capability, leading to vast applications in various domains. However, the explainability of a neural network model remains enigmatic, especially when the model comes short in learning a particular pattern or features. This work introduces a visual explainable LSTM network framework focusing on temporal prediction. The hindrance to the training process is highlighted by the irregular instances throughout the entire architecture, from input to intermediate layers and output. The framework provides interactive features to support users in customizing and rearranging the structure to obtain different network representations and perform what-if analysis. To evaluate the usefulness of our approach, we demonstrate the application of VixLSTM on the various datasets generated from different domains.
Deep Learning in Manufacturing

Deep learning is presently receiving a lot of attention. It is a subset of machine learning, based on multi-layer neural networks or deep neural networks. It is a novel, data-hungry, and high-accuracy analytics approach. This paper discusses deep learning algorithms and their applications in manufacturing.
Using residence time distribution in pharmaceutical solid dose manufacturing - A critical review.

Abstract While continuous manufacturing (CM) of pharmaceutical solid-based drug products has been shown to be advantageous for improving the product quality and process efficiency in alignment with FDA’s support of the quality-by-design paradigm (Lee, 2015; Ierapetritou et al., 2016; Plumb, 2005; Schaber, 2011), it is critical to enable full utilization of CM technology for robust production and commercialization (Schaber, 2011; Byrn, 2015 ). To do so, an important prerequisite is to obtain a detailed understanding of overall process characteristics to develop cost-effective and accurate predictive models for unit operations and process flowsheets. These models are utilized to predict product quality and maintain desired manufacturing efficiency (Ierapetritou et al., 2016). Residence time distribution (RTD) has been a widely used tool to characterize the extent of mixing in pharmaceutical unit operations ( Vanhoorne, 2020 , Rogers and Ierapetritou, 2015 , Tezyk et al., 2015 ) and manufacturing lines and develop computationally cheap predictive models. These models developed using RTD have been demonstrated to be crucial for various flowsheet applications ( Kruisz, 2017 , Martinetz, 2018 , Tian, 2021 ). Though extensively used in the literature (Gao et al., 2012), the implementation, execution, evaluation, and assessment of RTD studies has not been standardized by regulatory agencies and can thus lead to ambiguity regarding their accurate implementation. To address this issue and subsequently prevent unforeseen errors in RTD implementation, the presented article aims to aid in developing standardized guidelines through a detailed review and critical discussion of RTD studies in the pharmaceutical manufacturing literature. The review article is divided into two main sections – 1) determination of RTD including different steps for RTD evaluation including experimental approach, data acquisition and pre-treatment, RTD modeling, and RTD metrics and, 2) applications of RTD for solid dose manufacturing. Critical considerations, pertaining to the limitations of RTDs for solid dose manufacturing, are also examined along with a perspective discussion of future avenues of improvement.
Volatility transmission between stock market and foreign exchange returns : evidence from Botswana, Kenya and South Africa

This paper utilizes the bivariate EGARCH (p,q) model to examine the relationship between foreign exchange and stock market returns for three emerging African countries including, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa. In addition, the study implements the modified augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root tests (DF-GLS) to examine the time series properties of the return series for the sample countries. The results from the DF-GLS unit root tests indicate that the foreign exchange and stock market return series are level stationary. The results from the bivariate EGARCH(1,1) provide evidence of significant relationship between stock market returns and foreign exchange returns for the sample countries. The results also indicate the existence of significant volatility spillover effects between foreign exchange and stock market returns for Botswana, Kenya and South Africa.
Demonstration of a slow conformational change in liver glucokinase by fluorescence spectroscopy.

A slow interconversion between two enzyme forms of rat liver glucokinase has been previously inferred from kinetic assay studies. Two different conformations of the enzyme-substrate complex have now been directly demonstrated by an intrinsic fluorescence enhancement in glucokinase upon addition of glucose. The transition between these two conformations upon glucose addition is measurably slow in the presence of glycerol, with a glucose-dependent half-life of 0.5 to more than 10 min. In the presence of 5% glycerol, the forward and reverse isomerization rate constants are 2.6 x 10(-2) s-1 and 8.5 x 10(-4) s-1, respectively. Correspondingly, the overall equilibrium dissociation constant (0.13 mM) is more than 30-fold lower than the first binding step, i.e. the affinity for glucose is greatly increased. This result was also verified by equilibrium titration of the enzyme with glucose. A similar slow transition was analyzed in the presence of 30% glycerol and observed without glycerol. The dilution of stock glucokinase to promote glucose dissociation from the enzyme showed an exponential fluorescence decay, exactly the reverse phenomenon of glucose addition. The deduced rate constant for the reverse reaction coincided with that calculated from the association results. The conformational change is specific for glucose and responsible for the generation of the kinetic cooperativity of this monomeric enzyme, thus playing a regulatory role in the uptake of glucose in liver.
H diffusion for impurity and defect passivation: a physical model for solar cell processing

We propose a physical model for diffusion of H in Si containing impurities and defects. The diffusion occurs via several parallel mechanisms, involving complex formation (trapping) and dissociation (detrapping) at impurities and defects, hopping in lattice interstitial sites, and charge-state conversion. The role of bulk and process-induced traps is considered to explain observations from plasma, ion implantation, and PECVD-nitridation processes.
Trends in Outcomes for Young People with Disabilities: Are We Making Progress?

This paper uses the Current Population Survey (CPS) from 1981-2000 to compare long term trends in socio-economic outcomes for youth (aged 15-21) and young adults (aged 22-29) with work limitations to those for youth and young adults without work limitations. We focus on the years 1988 and 1999: years that roughly correspond to the peaks of successive business cycles. We find that prevalence of work limitations declined for males but increased for females, mostly accounted for by growth for African American females. Despite a substantial reduction in the educational attainment gap between young adults with and without disabilities, gaps in employment, earnings, dependency on public programs and poverty widened substantially. These trends could be due to factors that determine whether individuals report themselves to be work-limited, factors that affect individual outcomes regardless of self-reported work limitation status, or both sets of factors.
A comparison of microscopic ink characteristics of 35 commercially available surgical margin inks.

Objective To compare microscopic characteristics of commercially available surgical margin inks used for surgical pathology specimens. Study Design Prospective in vitro study. Sample Population Thirty-five different surgical margin inks (black, blue, green, orange, red, violet, and yellow from 5 different manufacturers). Methods Inks were applied to uniform, single-source, canine cadaveric full-thickness ventral abdominal tissue blocks. Tissue blocks and ink manufacturers were randomly paired and each color was applied to a length of the cut tissue margin. After drying, tissues were fixed in formalin, and 3 radial slices were obtained from each color section and processed for routine histologic evaluation, yielding 105 randomly numbered slides with each manufacturer's color represented in triplicate. Slides were evaluated by 5 blinded, board-certified veterinary anatomic pathologists using a standardized scoring scheme. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate for ink manufacturer effects on scores, correlation among different subjective variables, and pathologist agreement. Results Black and blue had the most consistently high scores whereas red and violet had the most consistently low overall scores, across all manufacturers. All colors tested, except yellow, had statistically significant differences in overall scores among individual manufacturers. Overall score was significantly correlated to all other subjective microscopic scores evaluated. The average Spearman correlation coefficient among the 10 pairwise pathologists overall ink scores was 0.60. Conclusions There are statistically significant differences in microscopic ink characteristics among manufacturers, with a notable degree of inter-pathologist agreement.
Problem of Revision of Major Lower Extremity Amputation

Should one consider a primary above-the-knee (AK) amputation ignoring the benefits of rehabilitation of a below-the-knee (BK) amputation if there is a chance the BK amputation may fail? This is a retrospective study of 112 patients (42% women, 58% men) with an average age of fifty-seven years who under went conversion of a BK to AK amputation. A total of 3,731 BK amputations were performed during the same time period; thus 3% of the total required revisions. Of 29 deaths, 17 patients died of myocardial infarction and 7 second ary to cerebrovascular accident. Of the patients who died, 59% had diabetes and 100% had heart disease: 100% of the patients who died with cardiac causes had hypertension, 83% smoked, and 5% had a history of cerebrovascular acci dent. Thirty-six of the 112 (32%) patients had had a vascular reconstructive procedure previously. The mortality rate of 26% (29/112) reported in this series of patients undergoing revision of BK to AK amputation is similar to that in the reported literature ...
Capsule commentary on Edelman et al., Nurse-led behavioral management of diabetes and hypertension in community practices: a randomized trial.

Edelman and colleagues report on a randomized control trial to test the effectiveness of a telephone-based nurse behavioral management intervention for patients with diabetes and hypertension.1 Patients who received the intervention showed no improvement in primary endpoints of systolic blood pressure or HbA1c compared to patients in the control group. Additionally, the two groups were similar for all secondary outcomes, including diastolic blood pressure, weight, and physical activity. The negative findings from this well-designed study are notable, and lead to the question of why the intervention was not effective. The authors suggest a number of important possibilities, including the use of an active control, inclusion of patients at blood pressure goal, and a study that may have been underpowered. The authors propose that setting may play a key role, as they have shown similar interventions to be effective in academic centers and were interested in testing whether such positive results could be extended to a community setting. We believe differences in settings may play a lesser role in the observed lack of effectiveness of a patient-level intervention conducted by a nurse with extensive experience with the intervention. The study results may point more to a lack of potency of nurse-led telephonic interventions that solely feature behavioral counseling.2 The most efficacious nurse-led interventions to control blood pressure to date have included 1) a stepped treatment algorithm to attain desired targets and/or 2) a self-monitoring (i.e., home blood pressure monitoring) component.3,4 The intervention under study did not include either of these components, and relied solely on nurse-delivered health education and behavioral counseling. Nurse-led telephone behavioral management is likely being increasingly used in practice settings for both blood pressure and diabetes management. The current study suggests that counseling-only interventions may not be effective. We believe the growing trend towards nurse-led behavioral management can be valuable, but further research is needed to determine how to best augment behavioral counseling interventions to be most successful in multiple practice settings.
Expert Opinion and Controversies in Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Spondylolysis in Adolescent Athletes

Although spondylolysis is relatively common in adolescent athletes, there are substantial disagreements in the literature concerning the best methods for diagnosing and treating the condition. Controversy particularly arises regarding the optimal use of available imaging modalities in the diagnosis of athletes with suspected pars defects and the extent of activity restriction or brace use required for appropriate treatment. Because there have been no controlled trials on the treatment of spondylolysis and only a very limited number of studies addressing potential imaging strategies, it is difficult to develop true evidence-based guidelines for this condition. Given the current state of the literature, it is our impression that nuclear imaging with single photon emission computed tomography followed by computed tomography, with a limited role for plain radiography, remains the standard for appropriately diagnosing a symptomatic pars lesion. Treatment hinges on activity restriction for an amount of time adequate to allow for symptom resolution and, when possible, potential bony healing followed by a progressive sport-specific rehabilitation program. The biomechanic effects of brace use in this population are not well understood, but there may be some detrimental effects to the use of a brace and there currently is no evidence that the routine use of a rigid brace results in any significant improvement in radiographic or functional outcome.
Kinesin: world's tiniest biped

Kinesin, an essential motor protein that moves intracellular cargo along microtubules, walks like a person. When we walk, our feet exchange roles with each step, one moving and one remaining stationary. The moving foot travels twice as far as our torso during a single step, and our body alternates between two configurations (left vs. right leg leading). Recent work shows that kinesin shares all three of these hallmarks of bipedal walking. The challenge now is to determine how the gait of this lilliputian biped is coordinated.
Heaving modes in the world oceans

Part of climate changes on decadal time scales can be interpreted as the result of adiabatic motions associated with the adjustment of wind-driven circulation, i.e., the heaving of the isopycnal surfaces. Heat content changes in the ocean, including hiatus of global surface temperature and other phenomena, can be interpreted in terms of heaving associated with adjustment of wind-driven circulation induced by decadal variability of wind. A simple reduced gravity model is used to examine the consequence of adiabatic adjustment of the wind-driven circulation. Decadal changes in wind stress forcing can induce three-dimensional redistribution of warm water in the upper ocean. In particular, wind stress change can generate baroclinic modes of heat content anomaly in the vertical direction; in fact, changes in stratification observed in the ocean may be induced by wind stress change at local or in the remote parts of the world oceans. Intensification of the equatorial easterly can induce cooling in the upper layer and warming in the subsurface layer. The combination of this kind of heat content anomaly with the general trend of warming of the whole water column under the increasing greenhouse effect may offer an explanation for the hiatus of global surface temperature and the accelerating subsurface warming over the past 10–15 years. Furthermore, the meridional transport of warm water in the upper ocean can lead to sizeable transient meridional overturning circulation, poleward heat flux and vertical heat flux. Thus, heaving plays a key role in the oceanic circulation and climate.