cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection and Assay of Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Utilizing UV/VIS Spectrophotometer and Citric Acid Buffer

Aims: Riboflavinis a B vitamin that is required for a wide variety of cellular processes. The absorbance spectrum of riboflavin was determined at different pH utilizing several buffers. The buffer at pH demon strating stable absorbance peaks with high numerical values of molar absorptivity is followed by accurate and sensitive assay of riboflavin by spectrophotometer. Study Design: The absorbance spectrum of riboflavin is determined in an aqueous buffer at various pH values. After identifying the absorbance peaks providing maximal molar absorptivity the assay of riboflavin in the identical buffer was undertaken.
Propagation and Primary Isolation of Mumps Virus in Tissue Culture.

SummaryStrains of mumps virus, which had been isolated in the chick embryo and maintained by up to 6 serial amniotic passages, were readily passed in series in cultures of human cancer cells (strain HeLa) and of monkey kidney epithelium. The lesions observed were dominantly cytolytic in nature. Primary isolations of mumps virus from the saliva of patients with acute parotitis have been achieved in both types of cultures with an efficiency and speed not matched by the chick embryo technic.
Effects of MeV Ions on Thermal Stability of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

The properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are closely dependent on their structures, and therefore may be tailored by controllably introducing defects in the nanotube systems. In this work, we have investigated the effects of energetic ions (H+ and He+) on the thermal stability of single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) against oxidation in air. SWNTs were irradiated with MeV ions to various doses in the range 1013-1016 cm−2. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the loss of CNT masses as a result of oxidation processes. As opposed to the case of pristine SWNTs for which the temperature (Tmax) corresponding to maximum oxidation rate was found to be ∼ 495 °C, ion beam processing significantly enhanced the thermal stability of nanotubes, e.g., Tmax increased by about 30 °C after H+ implantation (dosage: 1015 cm−2) and 17 °C after He+ implantation (dosage: 1013 cm−2). The activation energies for thermal oxidation under various conditions were also extracted from TGA data, with values ranging from 1.13 eV (for pristine SWNTs) to 1.37 eV, depending on ion doses and species. Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the characteristics of the G band (C-C stretching mode) and D band (disorder induced mode) in CNTs. The work suggests that the SWNTs modifies to more stable structure (may be cross-linked SWNTs) at small doses. Once the number of defects exceeds some critical value (depending on the type and dosage of bombarding ion) the bonding energy in CNTs weakens, leading to the reduced thermal stability of CNTs against oxidation.
Misdiagnosis of Graves' Disease with Apparent Severe Hyperthyroidism in a Patient Taking Biotin Megadoses

Background: Accurate immunoassays measuring minute quantities of hormones are the cornerstone of the practice of endocrinology. Despite tremendous advances in this field, novel pitfalls in these tests emerge from time to time. Oral biotin can interfere with immunoassays of several hormones. The purpose of this report is to relate an extreme case of such interference. Patient findings: A patient with progressive multiple sclerosis was found to have extremely elevated free thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and suppressed thyrotropin (TSH) levels. His TSH receptor binding inhibiting antibody level was also elevated. This constellation of laboratory findings suggested a diagnosis of severe Graves' disease. All of the assays yielding abnormal results employed the biotin–streptavidin affinity in their design. The patient had no symptoms of hyperthyroidism, and detailed review of his medications revealed intake of megadoses of biotin. Temporary discontinuation of biotin treatment resulted in complete resolution of th...
Using Two-Hybrid Interactions to Identify Separation-of-Function Mutations

Protein functions within cells frequently require they interact physically with a number of partner proteins to coordinate the appropriate biochemical processes. Mutational analysis has been quite useful for analyzing how the loss of a gene or protein impacts cell function or more specifically particular pathways. However, the genetics approach to studying gene function can be limited by not having the right mutations; for example because the mutant allele ablates all function, as is the case for deletion (null) alleles and most temperature-sensitive alleles. To dissect the relative contributions of a protein's interactions, the researcher needs mutations that specifically affect one but not all of the protein's interactions. In genetics parlance such mutations are called separation-of-function mutations. The yeast two-hybrid system has been exploited for two decades to identify protein-binding partners. Here we describe a fairly simple protocol, within reach of laboratories with molecular biology experience, for using the two-hybrid system to identify separation-of-function mutations.
Curvature-Based Ground Vehicle Control of Trailer Path Following Considering Sideslip and Limited Steering Actuation

In this paper, a curvature-based control method capable of both forward and backward path following is developed for off-axle hitching trailers. Compared with earlier methods, this controller handles varying path curvature better while also being easy to implement and tune. The controller also addresses two major issues that deteriorate tracking accuracy: limited steering actuation and sideslip. An active speed limiter brakes the vehicle when the steering angle error is too high and therefore allows the same set of control gains to work across a relatively large range of reference speeds without significantly increasing lateral error or losing stability, which further simplifies controller tuning. An extended Kalman filter (EKF) sideslip estimator is designed to allow sideslip compensation, which considers the varying noise magnitude in GPS measurements caused by varying vehicle speeds so that the braking maneuver will not significantly deteriorate the estimations. To our knowledge, this paper presents the first publication of these two algorithms with trailer control. This method is compared with results from two earlier hitch-angle-based control methods in simulation and experiment. The active speed limiter and the EKF are also implemented on these control methods for fair comparison, during which it is found that the two algorithms can directly work with other control methods and benefit their performance. The results show the curvature-based controller provides better maneuverability and reduced tracking error.
Restoring Soluble Amyloid Precursor Protein α Functions as a Potential Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease

Soluble amyloid precursor protein α (sAPPα), a secreted proteolytic fragment of nonamyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, is known for numerous neuroprotective functions. These functions include but are not limited to proliferation, neuroprotection, synaptic plasticity, memory formation, neurogenesis, and neuritogenesis in cell culture and animal models. In addition, sAPPα influences amyloid-β (Aβ) production by direct modulation of APP β-secretase proteolysis as well as Aβ-related or unrelated tau pathology, hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the restoration of sAPPα levels and functions in the brain by increasing nonamyloidogenic APP processing and/or manipulation of its signaling could reduce AD pathology and cognitive impairment. It is likely that identification and characterization of sAPPα receptors in the brain, downstream effectors, and signaling pathways will pave the way for an attractive therapeutic target for AD prevention or intervention. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Whole body heat stress attenuates the pressure response to muscle metaboreceptor stimulation in humans.

The effects of whole body heat stress on sympathetic and cardiovascular responses to stimulation of muscle metaboreceptors and mechanoreceptors remains unclear. We examined the muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), blood pressure, and heart rate in 14 young healthy subjects during fatiguing isometric handgrip exercise, postexercise circulatory occlusion (PECO), and passive muscle stretch during PECO. The protocol was performed under normothermic and whole body heat stress (increase internal temperature ~0.6°C via a heating suit) conditions. Heat stress increased the resting MSNA and heart rate. Heat stress did not alter the mean blood pressure (MAP), heart rate, and MSNA responses (i.e., changes) to fatiguing exercise. During PECO, whole body heat stress accentuated the heart rate response [change (Δ) of 5.8 ± 1.5 to Δ10.0 ± 2.1 beats/min, P = 0.03], did not alter the MSNA response (Δ16.4 ± 2.8 to Δ17.3 ± 3.8 bursts/min, P = 0.74), and lowered the MAP response (Δ20 ± 2 to Δ12 ± 1 mmHg, P 0.05). These data suggest that whole body heat stress attenuates the pressor response due to metaboreceptor stimulation, and the sympathetic nerve response due to mechanoreceptor stimulation.
Low power design with multi-Vdd and voltage islands (Abstract)

Summary form only given. Design for low power has become a key requirement in today's SoC design, especially for mobile applications. Multi-Vdd is an effective method to reduce both leakage and dynamic power, by assigning different supply voltages to cells according to their timing criticality. In a multi-Vdd design, cells of different supply voltage are often grouped into small number of voltage islands (each having a single supply voltage), in order to avoid complex power supply system and excessive amount of level shifters (as the former would cause increase in design cost and the latter would cause extra overhead in area, delay and power). In this talk, we present a low power design methodology which manages power, timing and design cost by using multi-Vdd and voltage islands. We first present an algorithm that in a multi-Vdd design with cells assigned different supply voltage according to their timing criticality, automatically group the cells into a set of voltage islands that balance the power versus design cost tradeoff under performance requirement. One prerequisite of the voltage island grouping algorithm, is an initial voltage assignment at the standard cell level that meets timing. In the second part of this talk, we present a method to produce an initial voltage assignment which not only meets timing but also forms good proximity of high voltage cells to provide the voltage island grouping algorithm with a smooth input. Although the voltage assignment algorithm tries to form good proximity of high voltage cells for better voltage island grouping, however, sometimes a few isolated critical cells (called outlier) may still exists in the resulting voltage assignment, causing disproportionately expensive penalty to the final voltage island grouping. In the last part of this talk, we propose an algorithm to improve the voltage assignment by automatic outlier detection followed by incremental placement. Experimental results on industrial circuits will be presented.
Impact of co-investigators on pharmacy resident research publication

Objective: To explore influences of co-investigators on the successful publication of a pharmacy residency project.Methods: We analyzed published and non-published research presented at a regional pharmacy conference. Abstracts were matched 1:1 based on state and abstract year. We assessed university affiliation, number, degree, and H-Index of co-investigators on the abstract. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to identify variables associated with resident publication.Results: University-affiliated programs (p=0.015), highest H-Index of a non-physician co-investigator (p=0.002), and positive H-Index (≥1) of a non-physician co-investigator (p=0.017) were significant predictors of resident publication on univariate analyses. There were no differences in the number of co-investigators (p=0.051), projects with physician co-investigators (p=1.000), or projects with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Master of Science (MS) co-investigators (p=0.536) between published and non-published projects. Multivariate analysis found that the highest H-index of non-physician co-investigator remained significant as a predictor to resident publication (odds ratio (OR) 1.09, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.01-1.17).Conclusions: The quality of co-investigators, as measured by an increasing H-Index, is associated with the successful publication of residency projects. More emphasis may need to be placed on resident research co-investigator selection and training to prepare pharmacy residents for research and scholarly activity.
Unexpectedly Fast Phonon-Assisted Exciton Hopping Between Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon-nanotube (CNT) aggregates are promising light-absorbing materials for photovoltaics. The hopping rate of excitons between CNTs directly affects the efficiency of these devices. We theoretically investigate phonon-assisted exciton hopping, where excitons scatter with phonons into a same-tube transition state, followed by intertube Coulomb scattering into the final state. Second-order hopping between bright excitonic states is as fast as the first-order process (∼1 ps). For perpendicular CNTs, the high rate stems from the high density of phononic states; for parallel CNTs, the reason lies in relaxed selection rules. Moreover, second-order exciton transfer between dark and bright states, facilitated by phonons with large angular momentum, has rates comparable to bright-to-bright transfer, so dark excitons provide an additional pathway for energy transfer in CNT composites. As dark excitons are difficult to probe in experiment, predictive theory is critical for understanding exciton dynamics in CNT com...
Regulatory Decision-Making and Economic Analysis

The economic analysis of regulation raises fundamental questions about how society assigns value to different outcomes and states of the world, how conflict over law and public policy is resolved, and how institutional realities affect –– in ways both planned and unplanned –– forms of societal decision-making that are meant to incorporate ideals of technical rigor, administrability, and responsiveness. In countries like the United States, the conduct of such analysis has implications for environmental protection, communications and technology policy, public health, immigration, national security, and other areas affecting risk and welfare in society. This paper covers only a portion of the territory necessary to understand those implications, focusing on the following essential topics: First, what do we mean by “economic analysis” and what do we mean by “regulation”? Second, why has this topic become an important one, not only the United States, but in most advanced democracies? Third, why is economic analysis and regulation a contested, even contentious, aspect of modern regulatory activity? Finally, and most important, how is economic analysis structured into regulatory decision-making, and how might existing arrangements evolve over time? As we address these questions, we explain why a familiarity with both the promise and the limits of economic analysis is crucial to any serious understanding of regulation –– whether prescriptive or descriptive –– in advanced economies. In practice, the aspirations of economic analysis in the regulatory state must be reconciled with various administrative and legal arrangements necessary to advance values, such as adjudicatory fairness or political responsiveness, that are often in tension with the technical rigor to which economic analysis of regulation aspires.
Polo-like-kinase 1 (PLK-1) and c-myc inhibition with the dual kinase-bromodomain inhibitor volasertib in aggressive lymphomas

Survival following anthracycline-based chemotherapy remains poor among patients with most T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. This may be attributed, at least in part, to cell-autonomous mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance observed in these lymphomas, including the loss of important tumor suppressors and the activation of signaling cascades that culminate in the expression and activation of transcription factors promoting cell growth and survival. Therefore, the identification of novel therapeutic targets is needed. In an effort to identify novel tumor dependencies, we performed a loss-of-function screen targeting ≈500 kinases and identified polo-like kinase 1 (PLK-1). This kinase has been implicated in the molecular cross-talk with important oncogenes, including c-Myc, which is itself an attractive therapeutic target in subsets of T-cell lymphomas and in high-grade ("double hit") diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. We demonstrate that PLK-1 expression is prevalent among these aggressive lymphomas and associated with c-myc expression. Importantly, PLK-1 inhibtion with the PLK-1 inhibitor volasertib significantly reduced downstream c-myc phosphorylation and impaired BRD4 binding to the c-myc gene, thus inhibiting c-myc transcription. Therefore, volasertib led to a nearly complete loss of c-myc expression in cell lines and tumor xenografts, induced apoptosis, and thus warrants further investigation in these aggressive lymphomas.
Comment on “Quirks of Stirling’s Approximation”

In the article “Quirks of Stirling’s Approximation” published in this Journal, Macrae and Allgeier appear to conclude erroneously that the exactness of Boltzmann’s entropy formula for the microcanonical ensemble depends on the ensemble size. This conclusion seems to originate from the adoption of an unnecessary approximation appearing in Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach by McQuarrie and Simon. This letter provides a simple derivation of the entropy of the microcanonical ensemble that leads to the exact Boltzmann expression. In addition, this letter aims to stress that the entropy of a system or an ensemble is truly maximized only when no constraint is imposed on the system or ensemble. In particular, when the entropy of a microcanonical ensemble is to be maximized, it is inappropriate to assume the most probable distribution of the systems in the ensemble because this assumption is an unnecessary and unjustified constraint.
Matching Protein Interfaces for Improved Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Production

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are key intermediates in the synthesis of medium-chain chemicals including α-olefins and dicarboxylic acids. In bacteria, microbial production of MCFAs is limited by the activity and product profile of fatty acyl-ACP thioesterases. Here, we engineer a heterologous bacterial medium-chain fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase for improved MCFA production in Escherichia coli. Electrostatically matching the interface between the heterologous medium-chain Acinetobacter baylyi fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase (AbTE) and the endogenous E. coli fatty acid ACP (E. coli AcpP) by replacing small nonpolar amino acids on the AbTE surface for positively charged ones increased secreted MCFA titers more than 3-fold. Nuclear magnetic resonance titration of E. coli 15N-octanoyl-AcpP with a single AbTE point mutant and the best double mutant showed a progressive and significant increase in the number of interactions when compared to AbTE wildtype. The best AbTE mutant produced 131 mg/L of MCFAs, with MCFAs...
Development and validation of a finite-rate model for carbon oxidation by atomic oxygen

Abstract Molecular beam experiments of hyperthermal oxygen atoms scattering from a vitreous carbon surface were simulated and analyzed using direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). The purpose of this study was to construct and validate a surface chemistry model in DSMC by matching observed features in experimental time-of-flight (TOF) and angular distribution data. A variety of reaction mechanisms including adsorption, desorption, and several types of Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) reactions are used to characterize the surface processes in the DSMC surface chemistry framework. This framework is used to numerically simulate the beam-surface scattering experiments of oxygen on vitreous carbon with surface temperatures ranging from 600 to 2000 K. Detailed analysis of the experimental data including TOF and angular distributions, and product fluxes derived from these data, is used to propose modifications to the carbon surface oxidation model developed by Poovathingal et al. This revised model successfully captures the important features in the experimental TOF distributions, including: (i) the impulsively scattered and thermally desorbed components in the oxygen (O) TOF distributions, and (ii) the relatively slow long-tail components in the carbon monoxide (CO) TOF distributions. Comparisons between the simulated (DSMC) and experimental TOF and angular distributions, as well as product fluxes, show excellent agreement.
Genetics and Inheritance

The nature vs. nurture debate has ended: genes and environments both influence behaviors and disorders in infancy and childhood. The hunt for specific gene candidates for behavioral traits and the environments under which gene expression may be modified is of current focus. In this article, genetic transmission, single-gene traits, complex traits, and methods to locate candidate genes such as linkage and association are outlined. Approaches that disentangle genetic and environmental influences are highlighted emphasizing the research methods and findings for a variety of psychologically relevant traits. Emerging research considering the interaction between genes and environments will clarify the complex etiologies of intellectual abilities and disabilities, temperament, and behavioral syndromes and disorders in childhood.
Texture Segmentation and Matching Using LBP Operator and GLCM Matrix

Image processing is a dynamic research area. Recently, a lot of works have been made, efficient approaches have been developed and good results have been obtained. In this work, we propose a new texture matching and segmenting approach based on a new decomposing architecture. This method starts with one main window MW. For each iteration, the MW is reduced and all possible windows with the same size of the MW are generated. The Local Binary Pattern LBP operator, which is gray-scale invariant texture measure, and the Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM), which is a second order statistics measure, have been applied independently to extract the features from each generated window. Synthetic images and test images generated randomly from Brodatz album have been used in the experimentation. Good performances have been obtained and some results will be shown in the test section of this chapter.
Circadian Systems: Evolution

A major factor in the evolution of circadian rhythms is the control of phase relationships – both among various rhythms and with respect to daily cycles of the immediate external environment. The daily light cycle is the environmental factor that most influences the circadian system. Therefore the photic environment of the organism, largely determined by behavioral strategies, is a major selective force in the evolution of circadian systems and provides a framework for interpretation of phylogenetic differences in the physiological and anatomical organization of circadian systems in the metazoa.
Disentangling seasonal and interannual legacies from inferred patterns of forest water and carbon cycling using tree‐ring stable isotopes

Tree-ring carbon and oxygen isotope ratios have been used to understand past dynamics in forest carbon and water cycling. Recently, this has been possible for different parts of single growing seasons by isolating anatomical sections within individual annual rings. Uncertainties in this approach are associated with correlated climate legacies that can occur at a higher frequency, such as across successive seasons, or a lower frequency, such as across years. The objective of this study was to gain insight into how legacies affect cross-correlation in the δ13 C and δ18 O isotope ratios in the earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) fractions of Pinus ponderosa trees at thirteen sites across a latitudinal gradient influenced by the North American Monsoon (NAM) climate system. We observed that δ13 C from EW and LW has significant positive cross-correlations at most sites, whereas EW and LW δ18 O values were cross-correlated at about half the sites. Using combined statistical and mechanistic models, we show that cross-correlations in both δ13 C and δ18 O can be largely explained by a low-frequency (multiple-year) mode that may be associated with long-term climate change. We isolated, and statistically removed, the low-frequency correlation, which resulted in greater geographical differentiation of the EW and LW isotope signals. The remaining higher-frequency (seasonal) cross-correlations between EW and LW isotope ratios were explored using a mechanistic isotope fractionation-climate model. This showed that lower atmospheric vapor pressure deficits associated with monsoon rain increase the EW-LW differentiation for both δ13 C and δ18 O at southern sites, compared to northern sites. Our results support the hypothesis that dominantly unimodal precipitation regimes, such as near the northern boundary of the NAM, are more likely to foster cross-correlations in the isotope signals of EW and LW, potentially due to greater sharing of common carbohydrate and soil water resource pools, compared to southerly sites with bimodal precipitation regimes.
Sample Resonators for Quasioptical EPR

A review of sample holders and sample cavities for application of quasioptical high field, high frequency electron paramagnetic resonance to biological samples.
Adolescent psychopathy, heart rate, and skin conductance

Researchers have advocated for a greater focus on measuring neurobiological underpinnings of serious psychological conditions such as psychopathy. This has become particularly important to investigate early in the life span, when intervention efforts for psychopathy-related behavior like conduct disorder (CD) are more successful. Given that psychopathy is a complex syndrome, it is also important to investigate physiological processes at a dimensional level. Using a sample of 56 adolescent male offenders (Mage = 15.92; SD = 1.31), this study explored the relationship between the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (Forth, Kosson, & Hare, 2003), heart rate (HR), and skin conductance (SC). A white noise countdown task was used to measure autonomic activity across a baseline, anticipatory (prenoise), and reactivity (postnoise) period. Findings revealed no significant associations between psychopathy and HR activity across the time intervals. However, results revealed a positive association between grandiose-manipulative traits and SC activity and a negative association between callous-unemotional traits and SC activity. The results indicate that autonomic processes may contribute to distinct psychopathic traits in different ways, implicating slightly differential brain functioning. The findings suggest that, in order to better understand and treat youth with CD, future research should continue to examine the biological correlates of psychopathy at the broader construct level but perhaps especially at the component level.
Quality characteristics and protein composition of durum wheat cultivars released in the last 50 years

Background and objectives: Despite the strong influence of proteins on quality, no research has been performed to determine the association between protein composition and quality improvements of durum wheat produced in North Dakota (ND). This research objected to identify improvements of quality traits and determine its association with variations in protein composition using 32 durum genotypes released between 1956 and 2013 in ND. Findings: Certain durum quality parameters, such as kernel weight, mixing properties, and pasta‐making characteristics, improved over the last 50 years of durum breeding. Total protein content showed nonsignificant variation; however, protein composition parameters varied significantly. Specifically, SDS extractable LMW polymeric proteins and gliadins decreased while unextractable polymeric proteins increased. These changes in protein composition parameters were significantly correlated with dough and pasta cooking quality traits. Conclusions: Enhancement of protein composition is primarily responsible for the improvement of mixing quality and cooked pasta firmness seen in durum cultivars released over the last 50 years. Significance and novelty: These findings demonstrate that genetic advancement of mixing and pasta quality traits can be attained by segregation of genotypes based on protein composition in durum wheat breeding.
AMP Phosphatase Activity in Human Term Placenta: Studies on Placental 5′-Nucleotidase

Measurement of the levels of AMP-metabolizing enzymes in homogenates of human term placenta showed the presence of strong AMP phosphatase activity at pH 7.2 (1). At this pH it was not possible to detect AMP deaminase, even in the presence of ATP to inhibit concomitant dephosphorylation of AMP by 5′-nucleotidase. Our recent studies used conditions selected to optimize AMP deaminase activity, i.e. increased K+ concentration, lower assay pH and inclusion of the potent 5′-nucleotidase inhibitor adenosine 5′Methylenediphosphonate, and resulted in measurement of 0.475 units of AMP deaminase per g placenta (Table 1). Even under these conditions the rate of adenosine formation was greater than the rate of formation of IMP. These findings substantiated the conclusion from our earlier study (1), that the preferred pathway of catabolism of AMP in human term placenta is via adenosine rather than via IMP. The levels of adenosine deaminase and adenosine kinase in the placenta are low compared to those AMP phosphatase and AMP deaminase (cf Table 1), indicating that under conditions which lead to accelerated AMP formation and breakdown, such as anoxia, adenosine may accumulate, and indeed 230 nmoles of adenosine per g tissue was isolated from post-labor term placentas (1). The dephosphorylation of AMP at pH 7.2 is catalyzed in part by heat-stable enzyme activity, presumably due to alkaline phosphatase, but more than 80% of the total phosphatase activity is mediated by heat-labile 5′-nucleotidase (Table 1). In order to study the regulation and role of human placental 5′-nucleotidase in the catabolism of AMP, the enzyme was purified from term placentas.
Picosecond Transient Grating Experiments on Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon: A Model for Surface Quenching

In this article we present a room temperature experimental study of the transport and surface quenching of optically generated charge carriers in thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). At low temperature (4.2 K), in high quality samples, the principal mechanism for carrier quenching is radiative recombination.l Nonradiative processes such as Auger recombination and tunneling to defects play only a minor role.1 However, it has been suggested2 that surface effects play an important role at higher temperatures (77 K). Rehm et al.2a examined the effects of sample thickness and wavelength (optical penetration depth) on the decay time of the luminescence. They found dramatic effects when the sample thickness or the optical penetration depth fell below 0.3 µm.
Ketogenic diet and adipose tissue inflammation—a simple story? Fat chance!

A new study in mice reveals time-dependent effects of a ketogenic diet on resident immune cells in visceral adipose tissue, which have consequences for whole-body metabolic homeostasis.
Multiscale simulations of electron and ion dynamics in self-irradiated silicon

The interaction of energetic ions with the electronic and ionic system of target materials is an interesting but challenging multiscale problem, and understanding of the early stages after impact of heavy, initially charged ions is particularly poor. At the same time, energy deposition during these early stages determines later formation of damage cascades. We address the multiscale character by combining real-time time-dependent density functional theory for electron dynamics with molecular dynamics simulations of damage cascades. Our first-principles simulations prove that core electrons affect electronic stopping and have an unexpected influence on the charge state of the projectile. We show that this effect is absent for light projectiles, but dominates the stopping physics for heavy projectiles. By parametrizing an inelastic energy loss friction term in the molecular dynamics simulations using our first-principles results, we also show a qualitative influence of electronic stopping physics on radiation-damage cascades.
Detecting changes in distortion product otoacoustic emission maps using statistical parametric mapping and random field theory

Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) maps collect DPOAE emissions over a broad range of frequencies and ratios. One application of DPOAE mapping could be monitoring changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) in space, where non-invasive measures of ICP are an area of interest. Data were collected in two experiments to statistically assess changes in DPOAE maps. A repeatability study where four maps per subject were collected across four weeks to establish "normal" variability in DPOAE data, and a posture study where subjects were measured supine and prone with lower body negative pressure, lower body positive pressure (LBPP), and at atmospheric pressure. DPOAE amplitude maps were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping and random field theory. Postural changes produced regional changes in the maps, specifically in the range of 5-7.5 kHz and between primary tone ratios of 1.13-1.24. These regional changes were most pronounced in the prone LBPP condition, where amplitudes were lower from baseline for the Postural Cohort than the Repeatability Cohort. Statistical parametric mapping provided a sensitive measure of regional DPOAE map changes, which may be useful clinically to monitor ICP noninvasively in individuals or for research to identify differences within in cohorts of people.
P126 Pediatric Feeding Disorder Seminar Impacts Students' Attitudes

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a seminar focusing on care for children with disability-related feeding issues. Use of Theory or Research Adult Learning Theory maintains that adults learn through experience. To gain experience in working with those with disabilities, nutrition majors established the Nutrition and Disability Club (NDC). Since club activities often focus on adults, faculty mentors and the NDC planned an event featuring feeding issues impacting nutritional status and growth of children with intellectual and physical disabilities. Undergraduate nutrition students have little exposure in providing care for this population or the team approach to treatment in coursework, so an extracurricular seminar can meet this need. Target Audience Undergraduate and graduate students in nutrition and health-related majors. Course/Curriculum Description A 1.5-hour evidence-based seminar featured presentations by a pediatric hospital's Feeding Team (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Physician, Speech Language Pathologist, and Psychologist). Each provider reviewed their discipline's role and approach to addressing feeding issues in children with autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Nutrition majors and students with health-related majors were invited. Evaluation Methods Immediately following the seminar, participants were sent an IRB-approved survey via email. Before distribution, the survey was tested for face validity and content. Results Of the 138 students who attended, about half (n = 76) completed the survey. Most respondents were undergraduate (n = 71), female (n = 70), and nutrition majors (n = 44). Most students (n = 48) strongly agreed their attitude about working with a child with disabilities improved due to the seminar. The majority (n = 55) responded the seminar had a strong positive impact on their ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team. Most (n = 59) strongly agreed their understanding of their role as a health care provider improved, and most (n = 59) grew in their awareness of the need for support from other professions. Conclusions An extracurricular seminar can be an effective way to expose students to treatment of pediatric disability-related feeding issues.
Characterization of interfacial failure in cemented total joint replacements via self-sensing bone cement, electrical impedance tomography, and machine learning

At an estimated cost of $8 billion annually in the United States, revision total joint replacement surgeries represent a substantial financial burden to the health care system. Fixation failures such as implant loosening and mechanical instability at the cement-to-bone interface are the main causes of long-term implant failure. Early and accurate diagnosis of cement-bone interface failure is critical to develop therapeutic strategies and reduce the risk of delayed revision surgery. Unfortunately, prevailing imaging modalities such as plain radiographs struggle to detect the precursors of implant failure and are often interpreted incorrectly. Our team has recently shown that modification of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement with low concentrations of conductive fillers makes it piezoresistive and therefore self-sensing. By electrical impedance tomography (EIT) it is possible to monitor load transfer across the PMMA using real-time electrical measurements, which are physiologically benign and would ultimately be cost-effective in a clinical setting. Herein, we demonstrate the use of machine learning with EIT in order to precisely characterize model failure events. In phantom tests, we introduce three defect types: loosening, vertical cracks, and horizontal cracks. We show that implant defect type can be classified with greater than 95% accuracy by combining principal component analysis (PCA) coupled with the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm and a two layer feed-forward neural network with three hidden neurons . These preliminary results show that the combination of smart materials, EIT, and machine learning may be a powerful tool for predicting and diagnosing failure in joint replacements.
Ternary alkali ion thiogallates, A5GaS4 (A = Li and Na), with isolated tetrahedral building units and their ionic conductivities

Two new ternary thiogallates in the A5GaS4 (A = Li (I) and Na (II)) series have been synthesized for the first time employing a gas passing route using oxide precursors and a high temperature solid state route using stoichiometric combinations of elements, respectively. Li5GaS4 crystallizes in the P21/m space group and the structure is built up of layers of corner sharing tetrahedra of LiS4 and GaS4 stacked along the a-axis and the octahedrally coordinated Li ions residing in the interlayer space. Na5GaS4 crystallizes in the Pbca space group and the structure consists of isolated (GaS4)5− tetrahedra held together by charge balancing sodium ions in distorted tetrahedral and octahedral coordination geometries. Measurements of ionic conductivity of the compounds showed room temperature ionic conductivities of 1.8 × 10−7 and 4.0 × 10−7 S cm−1 with activation energies of 0.54 and 0.28 eV, respectively, for I and II. Density functional theory calculations show close agreement in structural parameters with the measured data and predict band gaps of 2.75 eV (I) and 2.70 eV (II). Single point hybrid functional calculations result in band gaps of 3.95 and 3.65 eV correspondingly, in better agreement with the experimental value of ∼4.1 eV for both. Bond valence energy landscape maps suggest the absence of any suitable diffusion path for Li in Li5GaS4. On the other hand, BVEL maps of Na5GaS4 confirm that the tetrahedrally coordinated Na ions are responsible for ionic conduction, whereas the involvement of octahedrally coordinated Na ions in the conduction process could not be discerned.
NDS: an interactive, web-based system to visualize urban neighborhood dynamics in United States

NDS is an interactive, web-based system, for the visualization of multidimensional neighborhood dynamics across the 50 largest US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) from 1980 to 2010 (http://nei...
Multicenter Study Evaluating Nitrous Oxide Use for Labor Analgesia at High- and Low-Altitude Institutions.

BACKGROUND Nitrous oxide (N2O) has been used nationally as an analgesic in many clinical settings. While neuraxial analgesia is still the most commonly used labor analgesic in the United States, there is increasing use of N2O in labor. Given the reduction in the partial pressure of gases at a higher altitude, N2O has been reported to have reduced analgesic properties. However, there is no study to date evaluating the impact of altitude on labor analgesia and N2O. METHODS We conducted a multicenter retrospective data analysis of a N2O registry collected from 4 institutions over a 3-year period. We compared the impact of altitude on 50% N2O administration for labor analgesia, conversion rates to another analgesic modality, as well as collected side effect frequencies and conversion predictors. Multivariable regression models were used to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes between parturients at high and low altitudes, while adjusting for race, ethnicity, education, and age (logistic and linear regressions for categorical and quantitative outcomes, respectively). RESULTS A total of 1856 laboring parturients (age 18-50) were included in the analysis. The odds of converting from 50% N2O to another analgesic modality had no statistically significant difference between high- versus low-altitude institutions (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-1.42; P = .3). Yet, when parturients at low altitude converted from N2O, they were more likely (aOR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.59-5.88) to choose neuraxial analgesia instead of another analgesic modality when compared to high-altitude parturients. This is possibly due to higher epidural rates at the low-altitude institutions. When parturients at high altitude did convert into another modality, they were more likely (aOR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.14-4.21) to convert due to inadequate pain relief compared to low-altitude parturients; however, missing data may have affected this finding. Laboring individuals at low altitude were significantly more likely to experience side effects (aOR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.45-3.12). Those requiring labor augmentation, assisted vaginal, or cesarean delivery converted to neuraxial analgesia significantly more often than those that delivered via spontaneous vaginal delivery (P < .05) in both high- and low-altitude groups. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study evaluating 50% N2O as a labor analgesic at high altitude. As expected, we found lower side effects at high altitude, likely due to the lower partial pressure of N2O. However, there was not a statistically significant increase in conversion from N2O to another analgesic modality at high altitude and no clinically significant differences in neonatal outcomes.
Eosinophils, beyond IL-5.

New therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting the IL-5/IL-5 receptor pathway are extremely efficient in depleting blood eosinophils from subjects with asthma [...]
The Relationship between Organizational Structure and Power in the Buying Center

A congruency theory approach is utilized to examine power within the industrial buying center. A mail survey of 204 individual purchasing agents was utilized to explore their bases of power in the purchasing decision process. Findings indicate that the bases of power appear to be independent of dimensions of organization structure. These results have implications for both industrial marketing strategy and industrial marketing research.
Mercury and methylmercury incidence and bioaccumulation in plankton from the central Pacific Ocean

Abstract Open ocean samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton were collected from the central Pacific on board the R/V Kilo Moana in October of 2011. The cruise traveled from Hawaii to Samoa, progressing through a High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) zone, and an equatorial upwelling region. Phytoplankton samples were size fractioned into 0.2–5 μm, 5–20 μm, and > 20 μm samples. Methylmercury concentrations were 2.91 ± 2.58 pmol g − 1 (wet weight) for the overall 2.0 mm. Zooplankton abundance and MeHg concentrations both peaked at Stations 3 and 5 (upwelling region). The %MeHg in the organisms was highest in the > 2.0 mm size class, displaying MeHg bioaccumulation for increasing zooplankton sizes. Separate day and night net tows were collected at Stations 3 and 5 in order to investigate differences due to diurnal migration of zooplankton. There were higher concentrations of MeHg for all sizes in night collections of zooplankton at Station 5, but no discrepancy for Station 3. These results represent some of the few measurements of Hg and MeHg at the base of the open ocean food chain, and are significant as they represent the instigation of bioconcentration into the base of marine food webs.
Abstract P6-12-04: Targeting STAT3 with novel small molecule inhibitors to sensitize breast cancer cells to radiation therapy

Radiation therapy plays an important role in controlling the growth and progression of breast cancer. However, its efficacy is limited by the radiation-associated toxicity to normal tissue, and the intrinsic or acquired radioresistance developed in cancer cells. It was well documented that radiation onto cancer tissues cause complex changes in gene expression patterns. Thus, it may be possible to manipulate the expression of specific genes in cancer cells to increase radiosensitivity and reduce radioresistance. Accumulating studies strongly demonstrated that signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is involved in cell survival, proliferation, inflammation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and immune responses. Particularly, STAT3 is activated by ionizing radiation. We hypothesized that blocking STAT3 will increase sensitivity to irradiation in cancer cells. To this end, we synthesized a series of novel STAT3 inhibitors to address the challenge of radioresistance in breast cancer cells including metastatic and triple-negative lines. Among them, the compound HJC0152 and HJC0123 displayed significant inhibition of proliferation of MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and MCF-7/Adr in dose and time dependent manners. HJC0152 and HJC0123 also induced apoptosis and necrosis in comparison to the control cells. We also found that these STAT3 inhibitors induce apoptosis of MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and MCF-7/Adr cells by inhibiting anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression, increasing the expression of apoptotic effector protein caspase-3 and Bax. In addition, we found that HJC0152 and HJC0123 in combination with X-ray irradiation induce G2/M cell cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 andMCF-7/Adr cells. The new STAT3 inhibitors increased the radiosensitivity of MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and MCF-7/Adr cell lines, inhibited radiation-induced DNA damage repair, and promoted cells to enter mitosis, a phase more sensitive to irradiation. These changes were accompanied with decreased activation of STAT3 and decreased expression of the STAT3 downstream gene, Bcl-2. Our findings suggest that STAT3 blockade may represent an effective strategy to overcome radiation resistance, using STAT3 inhibitors as radiation sensitizers to restore the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation therapy. Citation Format: Lili Wang, Zhengduo Yang, Qing Xia, Haijun Chen, Guoshuai Cai, Christopher Wild, Jia Zhou, Qiang Shen. Targeting STAT3 with novel small molecule inhibitors to sensitize breast cancer cells to radiation therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-12-04.
Auroral implications of recent measurements on and formation in the reaction of N+ with O2

Abstract Recent flowing afterglow measurements have shown that the reaction of N+ with O2 produces 70 ± 30% of the oxygen atom product as O ( 1 D ) and O ( 1 S ) . These results indicate that this reaction does not contribute to the auroral green line emission (5577 A), but can account for ∼10% of the observed red line (6300 A) auroral emission.