cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology, mechanisms, and risks: American College of Chest Physicians guidelines for the prevention and management of postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most frequent complications of cardiac surgery, affecting more than one third of patients. The mechanism of this arrhythmia is believed to be reentry. The electrophysiologic substrate may be preexisting or may develop due to heterogeneity of refractoriness after surgery. Multiple perioperative factors have been proposed to contribute to the latter, including operative trauma, inflammation, elevations in atrial pressure (including that due to left ventricular diastolic dysfunction), autonomic nervous system imbalance, metabolic and electrolyte imbalances, or myocardial ischemic damage incurred during the operation. Whether ectopic beats originating in the pulmonary veins explain at least some episodes of postoperative AF, as has been shown for nonsurgical patients with the arrhythmia, is of current interest as such sites could easily be isolated at the time of surgery. The development of postoperative AF is associated with a higher risk of operative morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and increased hospital cost compared with that in patients remaining in sinus rhythm. Many factors have been identified as being associated with postoperative AF, but the most consistent variable across studies is increasing patient age. It is speculated that age-related pathologic changes in the atrium contribute to arrhythmia susceptibility. An important modifiable risk factor for postoperative AF is the failure to resume therapy with β-adrenergic receptor blockers after surgery. The stratification of patients who are at higher risk for AF would focus preventative strategies on patients who are most likely to benefit from such therapy. Nonetheless, since postoperative AF often develops in patients with comorbidities who are predisposed to other complications and prolonged hospitalization, it is presently unclear whether the prevention of postoperative AF will result in improved patient outcomes, particularly shorter hospitalizations.
Bio-terror Preparedness Exercise in a Mixed Reality Environment

The paper presents a dynamic data-driven mixed reality environment to complement a full-scale bio-terror preparedness exercise. The environment consists of a simulation of the virtual geographic locations involved in the exercise scenario, along with an artificially intelligent agent-based population. The crisis scenario, like the epidemiology of a disease or the plume of a chemical spill or radiological explosion, is then simulated in the virtual environment. The public health impact, the economic impact and the public approval rating impact is then calculated based on the sequence of events defined in the scenario, and the actions and decisions made during the full-scale exercise. The decisions made in the live exercise influence the outcome of the simulation, and the outcomes of the simulation influence the decisions being made during the exercise. The mixed reality environment provides the long-term and large-scale impact of the decisions made during the full-scale exercise.
Assessment of Pain in Dogs: Veterinary Clinical Studies

Hundreds of thousands of animals are presented to US veterinarians annually for surgery or for evaluation of painful disease. This large population offers the opportunity for clinical research of both acute and chronic pain syndromes. Although there is growing interest by veterinary clinical specialists to explore the nature of animal pain and how best to treat it, this resource is relatively unknown to the pain research community. Computer-assisted collection of behavioral data has created new opportunities for characterizing the pain experience in animal species for the benefit of both animals and humans. This review describes the current state of veterinary clinical pain studies in dogs and an application of computer-assisted behavioral analysis.
Microinverter and string inverter grid-connected photovoltaic system — A comprehensive study

This paper present a comparison between a string inverter based photovoltaic (PV) energy system and a microinverter based system. Reliability, environmental factors, inverter failure, and electrical safety of a test case 6kW residential PV system are thoroughly evaluated and compared using the two different approaches. The impact of all these features on the cost of the PV system is estimated. The results showed that when the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is considered the break-even cost can be reached by the microinverter more quickly than with a string inverter operating in the same environment Moreover, considering the replacement costs associated with the expected string inverter failure, the microinverter configuration is the more cost effective.
Persistence of ketosis despite suppression of lipolysis by 16,16-dimethylprostaglandin E2 in experimental diabetic ketoacidosis in rats.

We studied the effect of suppression of lipolysis on ketogenesis in rats with established diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) using 16, 16-dimethylprostaglandin E 2 (DMPGE 2 ) as an antilipolytic agent. DMPGE 2 produced a dose-related reduction in plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels and a reduction in plasma glycerol levels after an intravenous injection of up to 2 μg/kg body weight in animals with streptozotocin-induced DKA. In contrast, doses of PGE 2 varying from 2 to 500 μg/kg body weight intravenously failed to suppress lipolysis and some doses were lipolytic. In nondiabetic rats, DMPGE 2 produced a fall in the FFA and glycerol levels and a concomitant reduction in the plasma ketone levels. When DMPGE 2 , 2 μg/kg body weight, was administered intravenously every 30 min for 4 h to rats with DKA, the plasm FFA level fell from 2.86 ± 0.36 meq/L at time 0 to 0.78 ± 0.07 meq/L at 4 h; the final value was lower than that found in fed, nondiabetic, nonketotic rats studied under the same conditions. However, the plasma ketone levels remained elevated in response to DMPGE 2 (8.36 ± 0.46 mM at time 0; 7.19 ± 0.17 mM at 4 h). In contrast, insulin produced a rapid and marked fall in both the FFA and the ketone levels in comparable animals. When DMPGE 2 was administered together with insulin to rats with DKA, the plasma FFA level fell to the same low level achieved with insulin alone. Nevertheless, DMPGE 2 impaired the effect of insulin on the total plasma ketone level. When both agents were given concurrently, the total plasma ketone level fell from 10.26 ± 0.99 mM at time 0 to 5.32 ± 1.67 mM at 4 h; with insulin alone, the total plasma ketone level fell from 8.47 ± 0.84 mM at time 0 to 0.78 ± 0.23 mM at 4 h. DMPGE 2 also interfered with the response of the plasma glucose level to insulin. Conclusions: (1) DMPGE 2 is a potent antilipolytic agent in vivo, as well as in vitro. This efficacy contrasts with the absence of an antilipolytic effect of PGE 2 in vivo, although both substances suppress lipolysis in vitro. This discrepancy may be explained by the fact that DMPGE 2 , unlike PGE 2 , is not rapidly metabolized in the pulmonary circulation. (2) DMPGE 2 has an effect on ketogenesis, in addition to its antilipolytic effect, in animals with DKA but not in normal animals. This may be enhancement of hepatic ketogenesis, interference with the peripheral disposal Of ketones, or both.
Differential immunoreactivity of goat derived scrapie following in vitro misfolding versus mouse bioassay.

The protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay allows for detection of prion protein misfolding activity in tissues and fluids from sheep with scrapie where it was previously undetected by conventional western blot and immunohistochemistry assays. Studies of goats with scrapie have yet to take advantage of PMCA, which could aid in discerning the risk of transmission between goats and goats to sheep. The aim of the current study was to adapt PMCA for evaluation of scrapie derived from goats. Diluted brain homogenate from scrapie-infected goats (i.e., the scrapie seed, PrPSc) was subjected to PMCA using normal brain homogenate from ovinized transgenic mice (tg338) as the source of normal cellular prion protein (the substrate, PrPC). The assay end-point was detection of the proteinase K-resistant misfolded prion protein core (PrPres) by western blot. Protein misfolding activity was consistently observed in caprine brain homogenate diluted 10,000-fold after 5 PMCA rounds. Epitope mapping by western blot analyses demonstrated that PrPres post-PMCA was readily detected with an N-terminus anti-PrP monoclonal antibody (P4), similar to scrapie inoculum from goats. This was in contrast to limited detection of PrPres with P4 following mouse bioassay. The inverse was observed with a monoclonal antibody to the C-terminus (F99/97.6.1). Thus, brain homogenate prepared from uninoculated tg338 served as an appropriate substrate for serial PMCA of PrPSc derived from goats. These observations suggest that concurrent PMCA and bioassay with tg338 could improve characterization of goat derived scrapie.
AZF microdeletions of the Y chromosome and in vitro fertilization outcome.

Abstract Objective To determine whether the presence of a Y microdeletion confers any adverse effects on in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) outcome. Design Retrospective case–control study. Setting Academic infertility center. Patient(s) A total of 17 patients with Y microdeletions who attempted IVF/ICSI cycles at our center between March 1996 and March 2002 were studied. Study patients were analyzed in two groups: those who underwent testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and those for whom ejaculated sperm was used. Intervention(s) The two patient study groups were matched to controls treated at the same time who had either nonobstructive severe oligozoospermia or azoospermia with normal Y chromosomes. Controls were matched for age of the female partner, sperm concentration, and number of embryos transferred. Main outcome measure(s) Fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates. Result(s) Sperm was only obtained from patients with azoospermic factor (AZF)c microdeletions (and from one patient with a partial AZFb microdeletion). A trend toward lower fertilization rates in patients with Y microdeletions was noted, which did not reach statistical significance. Clinical pregnancy rates per cycle and per transfer were similar to those for controls. Conclusion(s) Patients with AZFc microdeletions seem to have IVF/ICSI outcomes comparable to those of controls with normal Y chromosomes.
PHALANX: a graph-theoretic framework for test case prioritization

Test case prioritization for regression testing can be performed using different metrics (e.g., statement coverage, path coverage) depending on the application context. Employing different metrics requires different prioritization schemes (e.g., maximum coverage, dissimilar paths covered). This results in significant algorithmic and implementation complexity in the testing process associated with various metrics and prioritization schemes. In this paper, we present a novel approach to the test case prioritization problem that addresses this limitation. We devise a framework, Phalanx, that identifies two distinct aspects of the problem. The first relates to metrics that define ordering relations among test cases; the second defines mechanisms that implement these metrics on test suites. We abstract the information into a test-case dissimilarity graph -- a weighted graph in which nodes specify test cases and weighted edges specify user-defined proximity measures between test cases. We argue that a declustered linearization of nodes in the graph results in a desirable prioritization of test cases, since it ensures that dissimilar test cases are applied first. We explore two mechanisms for declustering the test case dissimilarity graph -- Fiedler (spectral) ordering and a greedy approach. We implement these orderings in Phalanx, a highly flexible and customizable testbed, and demonstrate excellent performance for test-case prioritization. Our experiments on test suites available from the Subject Infrastructure Repository (SIR) show that a variety of user-defined metrics can be easily incorporated in Phalanx.
Digital ultrafast carrier recovery for interactive transmission systems

An ultrafast, all-digital method for phase synchronization and coherent carrier recovery is presented for time division multiple access (TDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA) burst data communication systems. A new adaptive phase tracking (APT) method, presented and analyzed in this paper, uses a hard-limited IF signal in a feed forward configuration for carrier phase detection and recovery. A novel new technique of phase window filtering is presented as a means to combat noise induced phase errors, and improved the performance of a digital controlled phase shift oscillator by 7 dB. Experimental measurements show APT provides robust bit error rate (BER) performance within 1 dB of the theoretical binary phase shift keyed (BPSK) and tenths of dBs of an ideal hard wired clock. APT achieves acquisition within one- to four-bits-5 to 10 times faster than present requirements. A low power, low cost single chip fast carrier synchronization and demodulation solution for QPSK, GMSK and GSM compatible OQPSK and Feher's quadrature phase shift keyed (FQPSK) and binary phase shift keyed (FBPSK) systems are also presented.
Organizational Diversity among Distinct Glycoprotein Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation Programs

Protein folding and quality control in the early secretory pathway function as posttranslational checkpoints in eukaryote gene expression. Herein, an aberrant form of the hepatic secretory protein alpha1-antitrypsin was stably expressed in a human embryonic kidney cell line to elucidate the mechanisms by which glycoprotein endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (GERAD) is administered in cells from higher eukaryotes. After biosynthesis, genetic variant PI Z underwent alternative phases of secretion and degradation, the latter of which was mediated by the proteasome. Degradation required release from calnexin- and asparagine-linked oligosaccharide modification by endoplasmic reticulum mannosidase I, the latter of which occurred as PI Z was bound to the molecular chaperone grp78/BiP. That a distinct GERAD program operates in human embryonic kidney cells was supported by the extent of PI Z secretion, apparent lack of polymerization, inability of calnexin to participate in the degradation process, and sequestration of the glycoprotein folding sensor UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase in the Golgi complex. Because UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase sustains calnexin binding, its altered distribution is consistent with a GERAD program that hinders the reentry of substrates into the calnexin cycle, allowing grp78/BiP to partner with a lectin, other than calnexin, in the recognition of a two-component GERAD signal to facilitate substrate recruitment. How the processing of a mutant protein, rather than the mutation itself, can contribute to disease pathogenesis, is discussed.
Quantum Fisher information for states in exponential form

We derive explicit expressions for the quantum Fisher information and the symmetric logarithmic derivative (SLD) of a quantum state in the exponential form $\ensuremath{\rho}=exp(G)$; the SLD is expressed in terms of the generator $G$. Applications include quantum-metrology problems with Gaussian states and general thermal states. Specifically, we give the SLD for a Gaussian state in two forms, in terms of its generator and its moments; the Fisher information is also calculated for both forms. Special cases are discussed, including pure, degenerate, and very noisy Gaussian states.
Suprachoroidal and Intrascleral Drug Delivery

Local drug delivery to the eye minimizes systemic side effects and targets specific ocular tissue. In preclinical studies, transscleral and suprachoroidal delivery appear to achieve therapeutic drug tissue levels that target specific tissues, such as the choroid and macula. These routes allow minimally invasive sustained delivery of drugs to the ocular posterior segment while minimizing systemic drug levels and the associated side effects.
A comparison of high and low achieving students on self-regulated learning variables

Abstract Prior research has established the importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) skills for academic achievement. However, efforts to identify and subsequently remediate students' SRL in classroom contexts are still in the early stages of development. This study sought to examine individual differences in low and high achieving college students ( N = 41) in a classroom-based context in order to begin to inform remediation and intervention efforts. Results indicated no initial differences between high and low achieving students on prior knowledge, general ability, or self-efficacy. However, important differences emerged on metacognitive monitoring, reported use of low-level study strategies, and self-efficacy over the duration of the course. Test performance measured early in the course, but not baseline measures of SRL components or prior knowledge, was predictive of summative course achievement. Self-report measures of SRL did not align with measures of achievement, monitoring judgments, or interview data, indicating that these measures should be used with caution when examining SRL skills in college classroom contexts. Implications related to the development SRL skills are discussed.
Simple Simulated Propagation Modeling and Experimentation within and around Buildings at 2700 MHz

There is a growing interest in understanding wave behavior in urban and suburban environment for 5th generation broadband applications. With the advent of using broadband technologies in buildings, office space and vehicle have become a necessity on a large scale. Models, predictions, and calculations for in-building, within a vehicle or near a reflective object with microscale details, are becoming highly classified in a competitive telecom environment. This paper provides an improved understanding of signal strength behavior within suburban residences with predictions prequalified using a vehicular scanner. Supporting predictions are provided by a ray tracing algorithm developed for dissertation. Results indicate signal strength variation of more than 50 dB from “strong signal” locations such as room centers and far corners to “weak signal” locations where shadowing and tunneling effects are evident. Based on this unique classification a scheme is proposed which indicates that specular scattering provides the major signal energy at more than 70% of the locations within the residences. Finally, an observed rake stabilizing effect is attributed to the proximity of strong scatterers.
Accurately estimating vessel volume from profile illustrations

Article portant sur la reconstitution des poteries par informatique. Grâce a cette methode, les ceramiques lacunaires n'ont pas besoin d'etre completement restituees pour obtenir des informations volumetriques
A comparison of methods for the quantitation of bacteria in burn wounds. II. Clinical evaluation.

This study compares two methods for evaluation both qualitatively and quantitatively of bacterial contamination of burn wounds, the gauze-capillarity technic of Brentano and associates1 and the moist-swab technic of the authors. The lack of a significant difference between the abilities of the two methods to recover bacteria or to give reproducible results in controlled laboratory experiments has been confirmed by the excellent qualitative agreement obtained in clinical comparisons. Clinical experiments, however, indicate that the moist-swab technic is significantly more efficient in recovering bacteria. Points for consideration in analyzing clinical quantitative data have been made.
Mammalian cell cultures for study of influenza virus. I. Preparation of monolayer cultures with collagenase.

SummaryPrimary monolayer cultures of human, rabbit and porcine fetal and adult lung were prepared conveniently by dispersion of tissue with commercially available collagenase in phosphate-free salt solution.
Dissociation of Verbal and Spatial Working Memory in the Fronto-Parietal Network (P07.186)

Objective: To examine hemispheric differences between verbal and spatial working memory in a fronto-parietal network using electrophysiologic (ERP) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) methods. Background Activity in the frontal and parietal cortex vary between working memory (WM) processing stage, load, and stimulus type. However, hemispheric specialization in the WM network is debated. This study aimed to observe hemispheric differences in both verbal and spatial working memory following a unilateral transient lesion. It was hypothesized that ERP would show temporally-specific hemispheric differences in both verbal and spatial WM tasks that could be disrupted with TMS to the prefrontal cortex. Design/Methods: Right-handed adults (n=32, 18 female, mean age 26.2) completed both a verbal and spatial variant of the 2-back task during electrophysiologic recording. Repetitive TMS was them administered (1 Hz) to either the left, right, or sham dorsolateral prefrontal cortex followed by repeat verbal and spatial n-back testing. Both pre and post stimulation visual evoked potentials (VEP) were examined for hemispheric differences and site (frontal/parietal). Results: Verbal WM exhibited rightward parietal hemispheric differences in VEP amplitude (p Conclusions: The observed dissociation between verbal and spatial working memory in the fronto-parietal network show that lateralization of VEPs can be exhibited and disrupted following unilateral TMS. Right stimulation caused an increase in the P3 during the spatial task, suggesting that there may be an increased allocation of frontal resources to complete the task. Additionally, the post-TMS change in laterality during the verbal task suggests a modulation of top-down control mechanisms within this network. Disclosure: Dr. Shields has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mock has nothing to disclose. Dr. Foundas has nothing to disclose.
Innovative cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator programs in schools: Results from the Student Program for Olympic Resuscitation Training in Schools (SPORTS) study

Abstract Background Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rates are low. Our study objective was to encourage Philadelphia high school students to develop CPR/AED (automated external defibrillator) training programs and to assess their efficacy. The focus was on developing innovative ways to learn the skills of CPR/AED use, increasing willingness to respond in an emergency, and retention of effective psychomotor resuscitation skills. Methods and results Health education classes in 15 Philadelphia School District high schools were selected, with one Control and one Study Class per school. Both completed CPR/AED pre- and post-tests to assess cognitive knowledge and psychomotor skills. After pre-tests, both were taught CPR skills and AED use by their health teacher. Study Classes developed innovative programs to learn, teach, and retain CPR/AED skills. The study culminated with Study Classes competing in multiple CPR/AED skills events at the CPR/AED Olympic event. Outcomes included post-tests, Mock Code, and presentation scores. All students' cognitive and psychomotor skills improved with standard classroom education ( p p Conclusion Students who developed creative and novel methods of teaching and learning resuscitation skills showed outstanding application of these skills in a Mock Code with remarkable psychomotor skill retention, potentially empowering a new generation of effectively trained CPR bystanders.
Wireless point inclinometer based on ZigBee technology

This paper describes a low-power-consumption wireless point inclinometer.The instrument is a new inclination sensor that integrates data acquisition and wireless data transmission.Based on ZigBee technology and low-power-consumption design,the instrument uses four common alkaline batteries as its power supply,and it can maintain working properly for more than one year,and its wireless communication distance is greater than 500 meters in practical application environment.Characterized by low power consumption,high accuracy,easy and flexible installation,low-cost establishment and maintenance,convenient networking,the instrument solves the problems of difficult laying, inconvenient installation,and high cost maintenance of power and communication cables for safety monitoring of high slopes and other works.
Healthy Start screens for depression among urban pregnant, postpartum and interconceptional women.

Objective: To examine perinatal depression in north and northeast Omaha, NE. A4efhods: The records of a sample of 119 randomly selected clients from Omaha Healthy Start (OHS) were reviewed. Three screening instruments were employed to identify women with depression: they were asked whether they were depressed (DQ); they received the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and/or the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The number of women with depressive symptoms identtfied by each technique varied from: DQ (16.8%), EPDS (16%) and BDI (7.6%). The three methods identified three subpopulations of women with different maternal and child health risk profiles reflected by their responses on an OHS-developed Maternal and Child Health Risk Assessment Tool (OHSMCH/RAT). Conclusion: In combination, these simple techniques identified depressed women wifh different risk profiles who would have been missed using a single approach exclusively.
Cannabinoids did not reduce muscle spasticity in stable multiple sclerosis.

Source Citation Zajicek J, Fox P, Sanders H, et al. Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study): multicentre randomised placebo-controlled...
Spermatogonial Stem Cell Functions in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

Sperm have a vital role in the continuity of a species by contributing genetic information to the next generation. Production of these specialized gametes in numbers sufficient to confer normal fertility occurs via cycling of the spermatogenic lineage, a process referred to as spermatogenesis. Continuity relies on the activities of a self-renewing reservoir of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) from which progenitors will arise that transiently amplify in number before committing to a pathway of terminal differentiation. A primary population of SSCs is established during neonatal development from a pool of quiescent gonocyte precursors that forms in embryogenesis. Disruption of this process has dire consequences on maintenance of a cycling spermatogenic lineage in adulthood. At present, the molecular mechanisms underlying initial formation of the SSC pool are largely undefined. However, several transcription factors and posttranscriptional regulators have been identified as important regulators of SSC self-renewal from studies with mutant mouse models and experimental manipulation within primary cultures of mouse SSCs. Importantly, loss of function of these self-renewal factors may be underlying causes of infertility. Furthermore, disruption in the establishment of the SSC state within gonocytes or misregulation of self-renewal may manifest as testicular germ cell tumors in postnatal life.
Passive polarimetrie multistatic radar for ground moving target

We consider a scene illuminated by a single stationary transmitter with unknown polarization and a set of spatially distributed receivers exhibiting polarization diversity. We present a model and detection framework to detect moving targets using a multistatic passive receivers with polarimetric diversity. We model the targets as a set of dipole antennas. The model captures the anisotropic nature of targets exhibited in multistatic configurations. We address the moving target detection problem in a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) framework. In addition, we introduce a method for estimating the dipole moments of the target derived from the GLRT formulation. We show, through a set of simulations, the efficacy of polarization diversity in both target detection and dipole estimation.
Originalism, Pragmatic Conservatism, and Living Document Judicial Philosophies: Explaining Variation in U.S. Supreme Court Votes in Criminal Procedure Cases for the 1994–2014 Terms of Court

Prior research on U.S. Supreme Court justice votes and case outcomes has examined a variety of hypotheses to explain variation in voting and case decisions in criminal procedure matters. Largely ignored by prior work, however, is the notion that the effects of the measures used to examine these prior hypotheses may vary for the justices based on the judicial philosophy espoused and followed by the justice. This article identifies three distinct overarching judicial philosophies of law interpretation that have guided the justices for much of the Rehnquist Court and the entirety of the Roberts Court: Originalism, Pragmatic Conservatism, and Living Document. It contextualizes the Information, Affected Groups, and Legal Issue hypotheses in a framework that considers their potential effects across Originalist, Pragmatic Conservative, and Living Document justices on the Court for the 1994 through 2014 terms. The study finds that enhanced activity by special interest organizations (the Affected Groups Hypothesis) in support of the non-government other party impacts vote direction among Pragmatic Conservative and Living Document justices but not for the Originalist justices. It also finds more case type (Legal Issue) effects for Originalist justices than for Pragmatic Conservative and Living Document justices in that for Originalist justices a vote for the government is less likely in cases that concern statutory meaning (relative to constitutional meaning). Implications are discussed.
Financial Structure, Asymmetric National Money Demand Functions and the Stability of European Money Demand

Differences in financial structure across the EMU member countries easily lead to asymmetric national money demand functions in Europe. The range of (near-money) assets offered by the national banking systems to the public and differences in the passthrough of central bank rates to deposit rates affect the portfolio allocation by the public. From the perspective of the ECB, these differences in national money demand functions are less important than the behavior of aggregate European money demand. The latter affects the choice of the monetary strategy by the ECB.
Furosemide Enhances the Sensitivity of Urinary Metabolomics for Assessment of Kidney Function

The ability of urinary metabolomics to detect meaningful, tissue-specific, biological effects (i.e., toxicity, disease) is compounded by high background variability. We hypothesize that sensitivity can be enhanced by imposing a tissue-targeted metabolic stressor. We tested whether the sensitivity of metabolomics to assess kidney function is improved under the diuretic stress of furosemide. To mildly compromise kidney, rats were given a sub-acute dose of d-serine. Then at 24 h postdose, we administered vehicle solution (control) or the diuretic drug, furosemide, and conducted NMR-based urinary metabolomics. Principal Components and OPLS discriminant analyses showed no effects on urinary profiles in rats receiving d-serine alone. However, the effects of d-serine were observable under furosemide-induced stress, as urinary profiles classified separately from rats receiving furosemide alone or vehicle-treated controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, this profile was uniquely different from a co-treatment effect observed following co-administration of d-serine + furosemide. We identified 24 metabolites to classify the effects of furosemide in normal rats vs. d-serine-compromised rats. Most notably, a furosemide-induced increase in urinary excretion of α-ketoglutarate, creatinine, trigonelline, and tryptophan in control rats, was significantly reduced in d-serine exposed rats (p < 0.05). Interestingly, increased tryptophan metabolism has been shown to correlate with the severity of kidney transplant failure and chronic kidney disease. We attribute these effects to differences in kidney function, which were only detectable under the stress imposed by furosemide. This technique may extend to other organ systems and may provide improved sensitivity for assessment of tissue function or early detection of disease.
An Alignment-Free Regression Approach for Estimating Allele-Specific Expression Using RNA-Seq Data

RNA-seq technology enables large-scale studies of allele-specific expression ASE, or the expression difference between maternal and paternal alleles. Here, we study ASE in animals for which parental RNA-seq data are available. While most methods for determining ASE rely on read alignment, read alignment either leads to reference bias or requires knowledge of genomic variants in each parental strain. When RNA-seq data are available for both parental strains of a hybrid animal, it is possible to infer ASE with minimal reference bias and without knowledge of parental genomic variants. Our approach first uses parental RNA-seq reads to discover maternal and paternal versions of transcript sequences. Using these alternative transcript sequences as features, we estimate abundance levels of transcripts in the hybrid animal using a modified lasso linear regression model. We tested our methods on synthetic data from the mouse transcriptome and compared our results with those of Trinity, a state-of-the-art de novo RNA-seq assembler. Our methods achieved high sensitivity and specificity in both identifying expressed transcripts and transcripts exhibiting ASE. We also ran our methods on real RNA-seq mouse data from two F1 samples with wild-derived parental strains and were able to validate known genes exhibiting ASE, as well as confirm the expected maternal contribution ratios in all genes and genes on the X chromosome.
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Treatment Response in Neuroendocrine Tumor Organoids

NAD(P)H and FAD fluorescence lifetime imaging is used to monitor cancer metabolism. Imaging of 3D primary gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine organoids reveals patient specific metabolic differences in response to treatment.
Continuous checkpointing of HTM transactions in NVM

This paper addresses the challenges of coupling byte addressable non-volatile memory (NVM) and hardware transaction memory (HTM) in high-performance transaction processing. We first show that HTM transactions can be ordered using existing processor instructions without any hardware changes. In contrast, existing solutions posit changes to HTM mechanisms in the form of special instructions or modified functionality. We exploit the ordering mechanism to design a novel persistence method that decouples HTM concurrency from back-end NVM operations. Failure atomicity is achieved using redo logging coupled with aliasing to guard against mistimed cache evictions. Our algorithm uses efficient lock-free mechanisms with bounded static memory requirements. We evaluated our approach using both micro-benchmarks, and, benchmarks in the STAMP suite, and showed that it compares well with standard (volatile) HTM transactions. We also showed that it yields significant gains in throughput and latency in comparison with persistent transactional locking.
Microbial Contamination and Immunologic Reactivity of Stored Oats

Workers in various agricultural environments, from farms to port grain terminals, are exposed to a myriad of respiratory insults during the planting, harvesting, transport, and processing of grains (Donham, 1986). Combined exposures to airborne allergens, toxins, bacteria, fungi, their metabolites and toxins, gases, vapors, and farm chemicals compound the health problems of farm operators and farm workers, many of whom are children and young adults. These types of exposures are not unique to agricultural workers in the United States, but rather, they are global in nature, both in developed and in developing countries.
Comment on “A genetic signature of the evolution of loss of flight in the Galapagos cormorant”

Burga et al. could not identify gene regulatory regions which might contribute to flightlessness in the Galapagos cormorant. Using a bird-specific alignment we discover 48 limb enhancers showing strong accelerated evolution in P. harrisi, including enhancers of key cilia development, hedgehog signaling, and planar cell polarity genes, such as Prickle1, Twist2 and Ndk1, extending Burga9s proposed mechanism into the non-coding genome.
Abstract 5101: Optimism, Hostility and Incident Coronary Heart Disease and Mortality in the Women’s Health Initiative

Background - Anger/hostility predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less is known about positive attributes such as trait optimism, which is the expectation that good things will happen, and CVD risk. Optimism and hostility have not been extensively studied in post-menopausal women. Methods - We analyzed data from 107,356 Women’s Health Initiative participants (98,378 white, 8978 black) free of chronic disease at baseline. Optimism was assessed by the Life Orientation Test-Revised and hostility was assessed by the Cook Medley Questionnaire (cynicism subscale). Chi-square analyses were used to determine the association of optimism and hostility with baseline risk factors, and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine whether optimism and hostility independently influenced incident coronary heard disease (CHD, composite endpoint of myocardial infarction, angina, or coronary artery bypass surgery) and total mortality over ~ 8 years of follow up. Results - Optimists were less likely, and hostile women more likely, to be hypertensive, diabetic, and smokers (p Conclusion - High optimism was associated with favorable health outcomes. High hostility was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. For mortality, results were more striking in blacks. Further research is needed to understand why and how optimism and hostility relate to CVD in women in order to develop targeted, efficacious interventions to modify these attitudes.
A Chinese Start-up's Midlife Crisis: 99Sushe.com

Now into their third year at the helm of an internet start-up in China, Ken Pao & Bill Li were managing a totally different company (with a new name) from the one they first founded in 2006. Having changed their business model from a social networking site to an online gaming business came with new challenges. They hired almost an entirely new staff, cultivated new partnerships, and most urgently sought new funding. However, with three years of experience, they were no longer a "start-up" and now faced the ramifications of mid-life. What would it take to remain a viable competitor in China in a new industry?
The Dynamics of Shelf Forcing in Greenlandic Fjords

AbstractThe fjords that connect Greenland’s glaciers to the ocean are gateways for importing heat to melt ice and for exporting meltwater into the ocean. The transport of heat and meltwater can be ...
The novel IgG-receptor FCRL5 is able to distinguish IgG2 disulfide isomers and displays increased affinity for heat-stressed IgG2

Human Fc receptor-like 5 (FCRL5) is a novel IgG receptor that senses the whole IgG molecule, including the Fc and F(ab′) 2 portions. Using surface plasmon resonance (Biacore) technology, we established that FCRL5 binds human IgG via a complex mechanism, where IgG isotype is just one determinant of the interaction. In particular, individual IgG2 samples were found to display a thousand-fold range of affinities as well as distinct kinetics, indicating that additional factors beyond the isotype affect binding. We further investigated two potential factors that may affect the interaction of IgG2 with FCRL5; structural heterogeneity related to IgG2 disulfide isoforms and charge variants mostly due to deamidation. We generated IgG2 samples enriched for either of the disulfide isoforms, IgG2-A and IgG2-B, and assessed their binding to FCRL5 using Biacore. We found that the IgG2-A isoform bound FCRL5 with up to 80-fold higher affinity than the IgG2-B isoform. IgG2 samples were also kept at 40°C for up to four weeks, a condition known to promote deamidation. We found that FCRL5 displayed higher affinity for heat-stressed IgG2, suggesting that the interaction is sensitive to deamidation of the IgG2. We conclude that FCRL5 is able to discriminate two independent changes in the IgG2 molecule, the disulfide isoform structure as well as charge variants likely related to deamidation. Of note, both conversion of disulfide isoforms and deamidation of the molecule are known to occur in vivo, on time scales comparable to the half-life of the IgG2 molecule. Therefore, our studies raise the possibility that FCRL5 discerns IgG2 variants produced in vivo in days or weeks, providing insight into the nature of the physiological FCRL5 ligand.
Redox activity goes organic.

Superoxide dismutase mimics can help regulate the levels of O2•− in the body, but typically rely on redox-active metals that are toxic in their free form. Now, a complex featuring a redox-active quinol moiety complexed to a redox-inactive zinc centre has been shown to catalyse O2•− dismutation.
A large-scale smartphone-based sociophonetic study of Taiwan Mandarin

Abstract This study aims to (i) identify patterns of sociophonetic variation in Taiwan Mandarin, and (ii) evaluate smartphone technologies as a tool for crowdsourcing sociophonetic data. Specifically, this study examines both phonological variables found in prior literature to be highly salient (deretroflexion, labiovelar glide deletion), and variables that are less likely to index social properties (merging of final /n, ŋ/, changes to Tones 2 and 3). Unlike past studies which have primarily relied on smaller sample sizes, I utilize a smartphone application to crowdsource audio recordings across Taiwan; subsequent Rbrul analysis of 292 recordings revealed robust patterns of sociolinguistic variation. Deretroflexion correlates strongly with gender and age, while glide deletion correlates with gender. Nasal final merging and tonal change exhibit less socio-indexical variation, but provide evidence of potential change in progress. These findings suggest that smartphone-based crowdsourcing can complement traditional sociolinguistic fieldwork, and reveal new knowledge about large-scale variation.
Fault Identification Technology for Overhead Transmission Lines

With large cross-domains and long distances, overhead transmission lines are easily affected by various natural disasters such as lightning strikes, external damage and bird trouble in complex terrains, resulting in line tripping fault. In this paper, fault characteristics of overhead transmission lines are studied and analyzed, and it is found that different fault types of overhead transmission lines have different characteristics in time, reclose and fault recording. A line tripping fault was analyzed, and it verified the effectiveness of the fault identification technology for overhead transmission lines. Based on the study on fault characteristics of overhead transmission lines, operation and maintenance personnel can quickly find the cause of fault tripping by using fault feature identification technology and it is good for improving the reliability of transmission line operation through targeted management and technical means.
Social anxiety, posterior insula activation, and autonomic response during self-initiated action in a Cyberball game.

Abstract Background An earlier study characterized the neural correlates of self-initiated actions in a Cyberball game in healthy individuals. It remains unclear how social anxiety may influence these neural processes. Methods We examined regional activations to self-initiated actions in 25 adults with low and 25 with high social anxiety (LA and HA, respectively). Skin conductance was recorded concurrently with fMRI. We followed published routines in the analyses of imaging and skin conductance data. Results We hypothesized that HA as compared to LA individuals would demonstrate increased cortical limbic activations during self-initiated actions (tossing or T > receiving or R trials, to control for motor activities) in social exclusion (EX) vs. fair game (FG) scenario. At a corrected threshold, HA as compared with LA group showed increases in bilateral posterior insula activation during T vs. R trials in EX as compared to FG. Further, HA as compared to LA showed higher skin conductance response to tossing trials during EX as compared to FG. Limitations With a limited sample size, we did not examine potential sex effects. Further, we cannot rule out the effects of depression on the findings. Conclusions Together, the results suggest that individuals with more severe social anxiety engaged the somatosensory insula to a greater extent and exhibited higher physiological arousal when initiating ball toss during social exclusion in the Cyberball game. Posterior insula response to self-initiated action may represent a biomarker of social anxiety. It remains to be investigated whether interventions to decrease physiological arousal may alleviate social anxiety.
Growth of cobalt films at room temperature using sequential exposures of cobalt tricarbonyl nitrosyl and low energy electrons

Cobalt thin films were grown at room temperature using sequential exposures of cobalt tricarbonyl nitrosyl (CTN, Co(CO)3NO) and low energy (75–175 eV) electrons. During this cyclic growth process, the CTN molecules were first adsorbed on the substrate. The electrons then induced the desorption of the carbonyl and nitrosyl ligands from the adsorbed CTN. The removal of CO and NO ligands produced new adsorption sites. Subsequent CTN exposures allowed CTN to react with these new adsorption sites on the substrate. In situ ellipsometry was utilized to monitor the film thickness during the electron enhanced growth. Co growth rates as high as 1.3 A/cycle were observed by in situ ellipsometry depending on the reaction conditions. The in situ ellipsometry also observed the CTN adsorption and the removal of the carbonyl and nitrosyl ligands. Quadrupole mass spectrometer measurements confirmed the desorption of CO and NO during electron exposures. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measured N XPS signals from the Co films deposited using electron exposures at 200 eV. The N/Co XPS signal ratio was consistent with the dissociation of 13% of the nitrosyl ligands on the CTN precursors that lead to Co deposition. In contrast, the negligible C XPS signals from the Co films indicated that the CO ligands were desorbed completely from CTN by the electron exposures at 200 eV. Under identical reaction conditions at lower incident electron currents, the maximum growth rate was obtained at an electron energy of 125 eV. Because the Co growth depends on the electron flux, the Co films were deposited only on the surface area irradiated by the electron beam. The spatial profile of the Co film deposited using long electron exposure times was mapped by ex situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. This spatial profile displayed a pronounced flat top that was consistent with the electron flux desorbing nearly all the CO and NO surface coverage in the central area of the electron beam during each reaction cycle. The spatial profile was used to calculate an electron induced desorption cross section of σ = 2 × 10−17 cm2 at 200 eV. This cross section was in approximate agreement with the cross sections for the electron impact dissociation of CTN in the gas phase.