cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between admission serum sodium concentration and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure: an analysis from the OPTIMIZE-HF registry.

Aims Hyponatraemia has been shown to be an independent predictor of mortality in selected patients with heart failure enrolled in clinical trials. The predictive value of hyponatraemia has not been evaluated in unselected patients hospitalized with heart failure. Methods and results OPTIMIZE-HF is a registry and performance-improvement programme for patients hospitalized with heart failure and includes a subgroup with 60–90 day follow-up data. The relationship between admission serum sodium concentration and clinical outcomes was analysed in 48 612 patients from 259 hospitals. Admission serum sodium levels were analysed both as a continuous variable and by grouping patients with admission Na <135 and Na ≥ 135 mmol/L. Patients with hyponatraemia (Na <135 mmol/L) at the time of hospital admission had modest differences in baseline clinical characteristics and management during hospitalization compared with patients who had serum sodium ≥135 mmol/L. Patients with hyponatraemia were more likely to be Caucasian, have lower admission systolic blood pressure, and receive intravenous inotropes during hospitalization. Patients with hyponatraemia had significantly higher rates of in-hospital and follow-up mortality and longer hospital stays, although no difference in re-admission rates was observed. After adjusting for differences with multivariable analysis, the risk of in-hospital death increased by 19.5%, the risk of follow-up mortality by 10%, and the risk of death or rehospitalization by 8% for each 3 mmol/L decrease in admission serum sodium below 140 mmol/L. Conclusion Hyponatraemia in hospitalized patients with heart failure is relatively common and is associated with longer hospital stays and higher in-hospital and early post-discharge mortality. Re-admission rates were equally high in patients with or without hyponatraemia.
Estuarine fish communities respond to climate variability over both river and ocean basins

Estuaries are dynamic environments at the land-sea interface that are strongly affected by interannual climate variability. Ocean-atmosphere processes propagate into estuaries from the sea, and atmospheric processes over land propagate into estuaries from watersheds. We examined the effects of these two separate climate-driven processes on pelagic and demersal fish community structure along the salinity gradient in the San Francisco Estuary, California, USA. A 33-year data set (1980-2012) on pelagic and demersal fishes spanning the freshwater to marine regions of the estuary suggested the existence of five estuarine salinity fish guilds: limnetic (salinity = 0-1), oligohaline (salinity = 1-12), mesohaline (salinity = 6-19), polyhaline (salinity = 19-28), and euhaline (salinity = 29-32). Climatic effects propagating from the adjacent Pacific Ocean, indexed by the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), affected demersal and pelagic fish community structure in the euhaline and polyhaline guilds. Climatic effects propagating over land, indexed as freshwater outflow from the watershed (OUT), affected demersal and pelagic fish community structure in the oligohaline, mesohaline, polyhaline, and euhaline guilds. The effects of OUT propagated further down the estuary salinity gradient than the effects of NPGO that propagated up the estuary salinity gradient, exemplifying the role of variable freshwater outflow as an important driver of biotic communities in river-dominated estuaries. These results illustrate how unique sources of climate variability interact to drive biotic communities and, therefore, that climate change is likely to be an important driver in shaping the future trajectory of biotic communities in estuaries and other transitional habitats.
Nano-stratification of local field and atomic bistability in low-dimensional structures

Nano-scale strata due to broken uniformity of local field in strongly self-interacting low-dimensional structures are predicted. They result in giant field resonances and atomic optical bistability, including ultimate case of two coupled atoms.
The role of the frontal lobes in memory: evidence from unilateral frontal resections for relief of intractable epilepsy

The current investigation explored processes associated with memory deficits in patients with frontal lobe dysfunction. Specifically, we examined deficits associated with the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of information in memory in 53 patients who underwent either a unilateral frontal (N=13) or temporal (N=40) lobe resection for relief of intractable epilepsy. Post-surgical memory scores indicated that the frontal group and the temporal group did not differ in consolidation of information, as defined by the information forgotten between immediate and delayed recall. Instead, the temporal group evidenced significantly poorer recall of verbal information at both immediate and delayed recall. This effect was especially strong in the left temporal group for the recall of verbal information. Although no group differences were observed in the degree to which patients semantically organized information or made recency discriminations, the frontal group exhibited significantly weaker release from proactive interference than the temporal group, suggesting some impairment in encoding and retrieval processes associated with frontal lobe dysfunction.
Design and field-of-view calibration of 114-660-GHz optics of the Earth observing system microwave limb sounder

This paper describes the optics design and field-of-view (FOV) calibration for five radiometers covering 114-660 GHz which share a common antenna in the Microwave Limb Sounder instrument on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Aura satellite. Details of near-field pattern measurements are presented. Estimated systematic scaling uncertainties (3/spl sigma/) on calibrated limb emissions, due to FOV calibration uncertainties, are below 0.4%. 3/spl sigma/ uncertainties in beamwidth and relative pointing of radiometer boresights are 0.006/spl deg/ and 0.003/spl deg/, respectively. The uncertainty in modeled instrument response, due to the scan dependence of FOV patterns, is less than /spl plusmn/0.24 K equivalent black-body temperature. Refinements to the calibration using in-flight data are presented.
The illuminated surface areas of high-intensity discharge and tungsten halogen headlamps in the USA

This study was designed to compare the illuminated surface areas of high-intensity discharge (HID) and tungsten halogen low-beam headlamps in the USA. A sample of 20 tungsten halogen lamps and 17 HID lamps for model year 2000 vehicles in the US was examined. The illuminated surface area was determined using a modified version of an Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) method for evaluating the illuminated surface of signalling devices. The main finding is that the HID low (passing) beams generally have smaller illuminated surface areas than do the tungsten halogen low beams. Because smaller light sources result in more discomfort glare (presumably via greater luminance), the present finding suggests that the smaller illuminated area is one reason for drivers reporting more discomfort from HID lamps. An implication is that the increased discomfort from HID lamps could be reduced by increasing their illuminated surface area. (A)
Integration and Test for Small Shuttle Payloads

Recommended approaches for small space shuttle payload integration and test (IT flight hardware handling practices; documentation and configuration management; IT IT prelaunch operations, transfer, orbiter integration and interface testing; and postflight operations. This paper is of special interest to those payload projects that have small budgets and few resources: that is, the truly "faster, cheaper, better" projects. All shuttle small payload developers are strongly encouraged to apply these guidelines during I&T planning and ground operations to take full advantage of today's limited resources and to help ensure mission success.
Simulations of the Kirkendall-Effect-Induced Deformation of Thermodynamically Ideal Binary Diffusion Couples with General Geometries

The Kirkendall effect stems from the imbalance of atomic diffusion fluxes in a crystalline solid. Vacancy generation and annihilation, which compensate for the unbalanced fluxes, result in deformation that is experimentally observed as the motion of fiducial markers in a diffusion couple that can be approximated as a one-dimensional system. In multiple dimensions, such deformation occurs along both the directions parallel to and normal to the primary diffusion direction. In this article, we present a model that couples unbalanced interdiffusion and the resulting plastic deformation. One- and two-dimensional simulations are conducted with the analytically calculated diffusion coefficients of a thermodynamically ideal random alloy; the result shows that the ratio of the diffusion fluxes of the atomic species equals the ratio of atomic hop frequencies, which leads to the final volume ratio also given approximately by the hop frequency ratio if the initial volume ratio is equal. Moreover, the result also demonstrates that the conventional interdiffusion model fails to describe the Kirkendall void growth dynamics. For numerical implementation, we reformulate the diffusion equation to the smoothed boundary form and solve it within the deforming body governed by steady-state Navier-Stokes equation. This work demonstrates that the presented method can be a useful tool for studying Kirkendall-effect-induced deformation.
The Kalman Filter for the Equalization of a Digital Communications Channel

Consideration is given to the use of the discrete Kalman filter as an equalizer for digital binary transmission in the presence of noise and intersymbol interference. When the channel is modeled as an n -tap transversal filter, the Kalman filter assumes a similar form with "feed forward and feedback." It is shown how the Kalman filter can be used to estimate both the tap weights and the binary signal. Computer results on a fixed 6-tap channel show that use of the 6-tap Kalman filter yields a considerably smaller error probability than when a conventional transversal equalizer with 15 taps is used. Limited computer studies on the same channel, assumed to be initially unknown, suggest that the Kalman filter is capable of converging rapidly in the adaptive mode. Though these results are very encouraging, much work remains in the study and optimization of performance in the adaptive mode.
Calibration method for texel images created from fused flash lidar and digital camera images

The fusion of imaging lidar information and digital imagery results in 2.5-dimensional surfaces covered with texture information, called texel images. These data sets, when taken from different viewpoints, can be combined to create three-dimensional (3-D) images of buildings, vehicles, or other objects. This paper presents a procedure for calibration, error correction, and fusing of flash lidar and digital camera information from a single sensor configuration to create accurate texel images. A brief description of a prototype sensor is given, along with a calibration technique used with the sensor, which is applicable to other flash lidar/digital image sensor systems. The method combines systematic error correction of the flash lidar data, correction for lens distortion of the digital camera and flash lidar images, and fusion of the lidar to the camera data in a single process. The result is a texel image acquired directly from the sensor. Examples of the resulting images, with improvements from the proposed algorithm, are presented. Results with the prototype sensor show very good match between 3-D points and the digital image (<2.8 image pixels), with a 3-D object measurement error of <0.5% , compared to a noncalibrated error of ∼3% .
Characterization and modeling time dependent behavior in PZT fibers and active fiber composites

Active fiber composites (AFC) are comprised of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fibers embedded in a polymer. This paper presents an experimental characterization of the PZT fibers and a constitutive model focused on their time-dependent, nonlinear response. The experiments herein focus on characterizing time dependence of various properties by conducting creep, relaxation, mechanical and electric field-cyclic loading at different frequencies. The constitutive model is a time-dependent polarization model that predicts nonlinear polarization and electro-mechanical strain responses of the fibers. The model of PZT fibers is used in the FEM simulation of AFCs and results of the model are compared to experiments for validation.
A longitudinal view of blood pressure during childhood: The muscatine study

Four thousand three hundred and thirteen children beginning at five to fourteen years of age have been examined on three to six occasions in Muscatine, Iowa, on alternate years. To compare blood pressures throughout the period of observation each value was expressed as a percentile rank. For each subject the average percentile rank (level), the trend in rank and the variability over time were calculated. Values for height, weight, relative weight and triceps skinfold thickness measurements were expressed in the same fashion. There is a relationship between average rank of blood pressure and average rank of body size as well as between trend of blood pressure and trend of body size percentiles. These observations indicate the importance of relative rate of growth in the establishment of the rank order of blood pressure during childhood.
A Highly Effective Dominant Negative αs Construct Containing Mutations That Affect Distinct Functions Inhibits Multiple Gs-coupled Receptor Signaling Pathways

To investigate the subcellular organization of receptor-G protein signaling pathways, a robust dominant negative alpha(s) mutant containing substitutions that alter distinct functions was produced and tested for its effects on G(s)-coupled receptor activity in HEK-293 cells. Mutations in the alpha3beta5 loop region, which increase receptor affinity, decrease receptor-mediated activation, and impair activation of adenylyl cyclase, were combined with G226A, which increases affinity for betagamma, and A366S, which decreases affinity for GDP. This triple alpha(s) mutant can inhibit signaling to G(s) from the luteinizing hormone receptor by 97% and from the calcitonin receptor by 100%. In addition, this alpha(s) mutant blocks all signaling from the calcitonin receptor to G(q). These results lead to two conclusions about receptor-G protein signaling. First, individual receptors have access to multiple types of G proteins in HEK-293 cell membranes. Second, different G protein alpha subunits can compete with each other for binding to the same receptor. This dominant negative alpha(s) construct will be useful for determining interrelationships among distinct receptor-G protein interactions in a wide variety of cells and tissues.
Proteome Analysis of the Surface of Trichomonas vaginalis Reveals Novel Proteins and Strain-dependent Differential Expression

The identification of surface proteins on the plasma membrane of pathogens is of fundamental importance in understanding host-pathogen interactions. Surface proteins of the extracellular parasite Trichomonas are implicated in the initial adherence to mucosal tissue and are likely to play a critical role in the long term survival of this pathogen in the urogenital tract. In this study, we used cell surface biotinylation and multidimensional protein identification technology to identify the surface proteome of six strains of Trichomonas vaginalis with differing adherence capacities to vaginal epithelial cells. A combined total of 411 proteins were identified, and of these, 11 were found to be more abundant in adherent strains relative to less adherent parasites. The mRNA levels of five differentially expressed proteins selected for quantitative RT-PCR analysis mirrored their observed protein levels, confirming their up-regulation in highly adherent strains. As proof of principle and to investigate a possible role in pathogenesis for differentially expressed proteins, gain of function experiments were performed using two novel proteins that were among the most highly expressed surface proteins in adherent strains. Overexpression of either of these proteins, TVAG_244130 or TVAG_166850, in a relatively non-adherent strain increased attachment of transfected parasites to vaginal epithelial cells ∼2.2-fold. These data support a role in adhesion for these abundant surface proteins. Our analyses demonstrate that comprehensive profiling of the cell surface proteome of different parasite strains is an effective approach to identify potential new adhesion factors as well as other surface molecules that may participate in establishing and maintaining infection by this extracellular pathogen.
Asymmetric Price Adjustment: Are IPO Prices too "Sticky"?

The study of IPO mispricing is salient because it raises important questions concerning market efficiency and the existence of systematic stock patterns that can be employed by investors to generate excess market returns. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the informational efficiency of IPO market prices with respect to the first 3 trading day’s return and to examine the effect of varying investor sentiment on this information efficiency. Under traditional definitions of market efficiency, asset prices, including IPO prices should fully reflect all available and relevant information (Fama 1970). An increasing body of empirical evidence, however, suggests that IPO prices are not efficient as evidenced both in the short run and the long run. The speed of incorporation of new information into stock prices is critical to many central issues in financial research, such as market efficiency, arbitrage, and market structure. This paper analyzes the speed of price adjustment to information events for IPOs. The setting of the immediate aftermarket presents an opportunity to investigate the issue when little or no trading history exists. In such a setting, investors are more exposed to new information because they cannot observe the stock price behavior or the reactions to previous information signals.
Multiple Sclerosis: New Insights and Trends

The past few years have witnessed major advancements in our ability to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) and begin treatments that can favorably modify the course of the disease. In addition, there is now a much better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and an increasing interest in “
The Neuroendocrinology of Anhedonia

One of the more fascinating developments in neuroscience is the recognition of endocrine influences on brain regions unrelated to reproductive and basic homeostatic functions. It is now clear that hormones impact both normal function and dysfunction, including the experience of pleasure and the anhedonia accompanying a number of psychiatric disorders, most notably depression. Brain regions contributing to these functions are rich in receptors for the peptides and steroids of the hypothalamic – pituitary – gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic – pituitary – adrenal (HPA) axes. Indeed, the brain has evolved new functions for ancient hormones. Examples include the brain adaptive uses of steroid precursors and metabolites for non-reproductive functions and the brain co-opting or “hijacking” peptides of the two axes to serve as neuromodulators and neurotransmitters. The result is that HPA and HPG hormones and their interactions have profound influences on opioids and monoamines, especially dopamine and serotonin. These are the same neurotransmitter pathways underlying activation of the brain reward pathway stretching from midbrain to the prefrontal cortex.
Very Thin 2D GaAs Films on Si During the Early Stages of Growth by MBE

GaAs samples deposited on Si by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with a graded thickness of 0–3 nm initially show the presence of a metastable two dimensional (2D) layer containing Ga and As. In the thicker regions of the wedge samples, islands (3D topography) form in the presence of the 2D sea, i.e., Stranski – Krastanov growth. Compositional profiles of these wedges were made with in situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) which has allowed the identification of at least four regimes of growth. Lattice images from cross – sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) are consistent with the AES profiles. Substrate temperature during deposition of the films has a strong effect on film topography, as does the beam – flux ratio on film stoichiometry.
Retarded and Prolonged Action of Insulin Precipitated by Safranin

SummaryIt has lieen shown that the addition of a weakly alkaline, buffered solution of safranin to a solution of commercial insulin yields an insulin-containing precipitate which, when injected in suspension into animals, causes hypoglycemia of gradual onset and extended duration. The blood sugar curve so produced is similar to, but not quite so depressed as, that given by the injection of an equal amount of protamine insulin suspension. The redissolved precipitates of safranin and protamine insulin are considerably inferior to the suspensions in retarding the fall of the blood sugar and/or prolonging the period of hypoglycemia.
The School Food Environment and Obesity Prevention: Progress Over the Last Decade

The school food environment-including when and where children obtain food and the types of options available during the school day-plays an important role in children's consumption patterns. Thus, childhood obesity prevention efforts often focus on altering the school food environment as a mechanism for improving student dietary intake. This review examines the role school food programs and policies play in improving children's diet, weight, and health. Overall, research suggests that significant improvements have been made in school nutrition policies and programs. Due to the recent program changes made as a result of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, an emphasis was placed on research conducted over the past decade and especially on the evaluation of foods and beverages served and sold since implementation of this national law. This review also examines remaining gaps in the literature and opportunities for further improvements in school food programs and policies.
Abstract LB-281: The role of POU5F1B in prostate cancer.

POU5F1B is the one of the pseudogenes of POU5F1 (also known as Oct3, Oct4) with protein-coding potential. It is localized on chromosome 8q24.21, inside of the 1.2 Mb “gene desert” between the FAM84B and the c-MYC gene, which is closely associated with prostate cancer risk. Recent studies showed that POU5F1B, but not POU5F1, is expressed in prostate tissue and is overexpressed in prostatic carcinoma, compared to normal prostatic tissue surrounding the carcinoma. However, the role of POU5F1B in prostate cancer is still unknown. Through in silico analysis of dataset HG-U95A, we found that POU5F1B expression is increased in prostate tumor and markedly increased in metastatic tumors. Western blot analysis revealed a marked increase in POU5F1B expression in prostate cancer cells when compared to non-tumorigenic RWPE-1 cells. To study the role of POU5F1B in prostate cancer, we cloned POU5F1B from prostate cancer cells, sequenced the amplicons, and found several polymorphism. We made pCDH-myc-POU5F1B constructs and expressed POU5F1B in prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP, DU145, and PC-3. Overexpression of POU5F1B in LNCaP, DU145 and PC3 cells can increase cell invasion using Boyden chamber assay. Overexpression of POU5F1B in LNCaP cells also promotes colony formation in soft agar. We also found that DU145 cells with POU5F1B overexpression lost cell-cell contact, compared to DU145-pCDH vector cells, and further found that CDH1 expression is downregulated in DU145-POU5F1B cells. Depletion of POU5F1B reduced the tumor forming ability of LNCaP cells in vivo. The data collectively suggest an important role of POU5F1B in prostate tumor formation and progression. Citation Format: Hongmei Jiang, Man-Tzu Wang, Daotai Nie. The role of POU5F1B in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-281. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-281
High Resolution Lens System For Submicron Photolithography

AbstractNew technology in the field of integrated circuits has created a demand forphotolithographic projection lenses capable of producing submicron line structures.Tropel has introduced a series of UV Micro Tropar objectives for this specificapplication.These lenses achieve their superior performance by utilizing the 365nm lineand increasing the numerical aperture to 0.40. Optical design considerations in thedevelopment of these lenses included appropriate materials selection, field vs. aperturetradeoffs, telecentricity constraints, and partial coherence effects due to underfill ofthe lens pupil. Manufacturing problems are accentuated by the extremely tight toleranceson all of the construction parameters of the lens system. Special interferometric testequipment, used to provide precise measurements of each lens element, has proven to beindispensable in the fabrication of these objectives. Mounting of these elements on acommon optical axis is an absolute necessity if the ultimate resolution of the design isto be achieved. Testing of these lenses is also a challenge due to the high spatialfrequencies involved and limitations on visual examination of the image. Methods ofcircumventing these difficulties will be discussed. Typical MTF test results andperformance data will be presented.IntroductionIn recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in the design and manufactureof high resolution projection lenses for optical lithography in the semi -conductor
Inter-laboratory comparison tests in detecting capability of L.monocytohenes and result evaluation

Objective:To improve grass-roots laboratories'capability in detecting L.monocytohenes(hence referred as LMO),insure the reliability of test results,and know about operating skills and quality control management of the labs.Methods:The labs involved are distributed 3 semisolid blood bacterial cultures as blind samples along with task guidelines,and required to perform tests according to specified procedures.Results:The correctness rate of 12 involving labs is 91%,among which outstanding rate is 25%,pass rate is 66%,and nonconformity rate is 8%.Conclusion:By the series of comparison tests,we have come to understand the existing problems among grass-roots units and acquired confronting strategies,thus have improved the detecting skills and management levels of microorganism labs.
Tethered anthracene pair as molecular tweezers for post-production separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract As-produced single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are metallic and semiconducting mixtures. An anthracene mono-derivative with a long alkyl tail and a molecule with a tethered pair of anthracene species (bis-anthracene) in a “molecular tweezers”-like configuration were synthesized and evaluated for the separation of SWNTs. While the mono-derivative was incapable of the noncovalent functionalization–solubilization, the bis-anthracene was found to be very effective. The results suggest that molecular tweezers of a tethered pair of planar aromatic species can be coupled with the selection of a suitable solvent or solvent mixture for effective and efficient post-production separation of metallic and semiconducting SWNTs.
Dickens and the Daughter of the House: In the shadow of Satis House: the woman's story in Great Expectations

After the various experiments in narrative form and perspective in the novels that directly precede it, Great Expectations might seem a return to more conventional narrative gestures for Dickens, a return to the boy's autobiography (and its requisite story of identity) that we seemed to leave behind after David Copperfield with the immersion in the widerranging social fiction and novelistic experiments of the 1850s. Adept Dickens readers might note the specifics of the reprise: the return of Dora and Agnes in Estella and Biddy; the splitting of the bosom friend, Steerforth, into Herbert Pocket and Bentley Drummle; the careful regret and hard-won wisdom of the first-person narrator and the romance of maturity. Where, after the intervening years, is Bleak House's pain of self-creation; Amy Dorrit's searing self-renunciation; the return to history and self-annihilation in A Tale of Two Cities , the novel that precedes Great Expectations , and whose terrors and fantasies the novel of identity might seem to elide? But note the other returns that Great Expectations makes: to the violence of coming to consciousness that Oliver Twist and other novels suggested; the darkness of the prison fiction and the revision of the Newgate story; the snaky convulsions of the inheritance plot, of the dead father's will and the mother's seeming perversion of the son's story.
High density multilayer optical circuit board for unprecedented connectivity at board scales

We present a new optical interconnect platform consisting of a multilayer integrated optical circuit board which provides unprecedented communications capacity with minimal signal loss at circuit board scales. The enhancement in spatial communication density could reduce the size of large distributed systems by up to two orders of magnitude (and hence reduce latency and power) and could enable supercomputers which fit on a single circuit board.
Tunability of Atomic Layer Deposition of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconium Oxide for use in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Thin films of yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide (YSZ) were successfully deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). YSZ was deposited on p-Si(100) by ALD using Tris(isopropyl-cyclopentadienyl)yttrium [(iPrCp)3Y] and tris(dimethylamino)cyclopentadienylzirconim [ZyALD] as metal precursors and ozone as oxidant. The normalized ALD cycle ratio of yttria cycles / total cycles used in making these films was varied to investigate the tunability of this process. Spectral ellipsometry was used to measure the thickness of the films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were used to evaluate the composition and binding environments of as-deposited YSZ films. The normalized cycle ratio and the yttrium atomic percentage (Y atoms / metal atoms) have a linear relationship with a strong correlation, implying excellent tunability for this process. The binding environment analyses determine the oxidation state of the metals and show that decreasing the cycle ratio decreases the extent of yttrium hydroxidation.
Better Semiconductor-Catalyst Interfaces Using Light

Searching for stable and high-performing photoanode materials is a key challenge for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In this issue of Joule , He and coworkers report a novel interface between Ta 3 N 5 and Co(OH) 2 that forms under photoelectrochemical conditions. A synergistic interaction between semiconductor and water oxidation catalyst gives rise to improved performances in both photovoltage and stability.
Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Children Born With High-Risk Congenital Lung Lesions.

Background This study sought to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcome in survivors of high-risk congenital lung lesions (CLLs) who underwent prenatal intervention or postnatal surgery within the first month of life. Methods Forty-five high-risk CLL survivors underwent assessment using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd Edition between July 2004 and December 2016. Scores were grouped as average, at-risk, and delayed based on SD intervals. Correlations between outcome and risk factors were analyzed by Fisher's exact test or two-sided t test as appropriate, with significant p values Results Open prenatal intervention was required in 13 (28.9%) children (fetal surgical resection, n = 4 , ex utero intrapartum treatment, n = 9), whereas 32 (71.1%) children had respiratory distress postnatally and required resection within the first month of life. Mean age at follow-up was 19.3 ± 10.3 months. Mean composite scores were within the expected average range. A total of 62.2% scored within the average range for all domains. At-risk scores were found in 26.7% of children in at least one domain, and 11.1% had delays in at least one domain. Neurodevelopmental outcome was similar between treatment groups. Prolonged ventilator support and neonatal intensive care unit stay, need for supplemental oxygen at day of life 30, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and delayed enteral feeding were associated with neurologic delays (all p Conclusions Neurodevelopmental scores for high-risk CLL survivors in infancy and toddlerhood are age appropriate. Neither fetal intervention nor the need for postnatal resection within the first month of life increases the risk of delays. Surrogate markers of a complicated neonatal course are predictive of adverse outcome.
Overexpression of Type 3 Iodothyronine Deiodinase Reduces Cone Death in the Leber Congenital Amaurosis Model Mice.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a devastating pediatric retinal degenerative disease, accounting for 20% of blindness in children attending schools for the blind. Mutations in the RPE65 gene, which encodes the retinal pigment epithelium-specific isomerohydrolase RPE65, account for 16% of all LCA cases. Recent findings have linked cone photoreceptor viability to thyroid hormone (TH) signaling. TH signaling regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. At the cellular level, TH action is regulated by the two iodothyronine deiodinases, DIO2 and DIO3. DIO2 converts the prohormone thyroxine (T4) to the bioactive hormone triiodothyronine (T3), and DIO3 inactivates T3 and T4. The present work investigates the effects of overexpression of DIO3 to suppress TH signaling and thereby modulate cone death/survival. Subretinal delivery of AAV5-IRBP/GNAT2-hDIO3 induced robust expression of DIO3 in the mouse retina and significantly reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the cone-dominant LCA model Rpe65 −/− /Nrl −/− mice. Our work shows that suppressing TH signaling by overexpression of DIO3 preserves cones, supporting that suppressing TH signaling locally in the retina may represent a treatment strategy for LCA management.
Multi-modal Predicate Identification using Dynamically Learned Robot Controllers

Intelligent robots frequently need to explore the objects in their working environments. Modern sensors have enabled robots to learn object properties via perception of multiple modalities. However, object exploration in the real world poses a challenging trade-off between information gains and exploration action costs. Mixed observability Markov decision process (MOMDP) is a framework for planning under uncertainty, while accounting for both fully and partially observable components of the state. Robot perception frequently has to face such mixed observability. This work enables a robot equipped with an arm to dynamically construct query-oriented MOMDPs for multi-modal predicate identification (MPI) of objects. The robot's behavioral policy is learned from two datasets collected using real robots. Our approach enables a robot to explore object properties in a way that is significantly faster while improving accuracies in comparison to existing methods that rely on hand-coded exploration strategies.
History of Carotid Artery Surgery

Over the last century, advances in vascular surgery and surgical technology have changed both our understanding and treatment of cerebrovascular disease. The diagnosis and management of extracranial carotid artery disease have undergone a tremendous evolution of thought and technique. From the days of frequently lethal attempts at carotid artery ligation to current precise surgical techniques, this chapter will describe the most significant events and landmark discoveries that have led to the current standards of care in carotid artery surgery.
Exploiting WiFi Guard Band for Safeguarded ZigBee

Cross-technology interference (CTI) from dense and prevalent wireless has become a primary threat to low-power IoT. This paper presents G-Bee, a CTI avoidance technique that uniquely places ZigBee packet on the guard band of ongoing WiFi traffic, which effectively safeguards the packet from WiFi interference. Such design ensures reliable ZigBee communication even under saturated WiFi traffic where traditional ZigBee is considered inoperable. Technical highlight is in lighweight WiFi guard band capture mechanism using ZigBee PHY layer samples directly accessible in various commercial ZigBee chip. Another exclusive feature of G-Bee is spectrum-synchronized low duty cycling - by utilizing guard bands of periodic WiFi beacons, active slots are effectively synchronized to spectrum availability (i.e., guard band) for significant delay improvement. Extensive evaluations on our prototype system demonstrates G-Bee PRR over 95% where legacy ZigBee drops to below 15% under significant interference with hundreds WiFi users and reduction of low duty cycle delay by 87.5%, all of which are achieved with a light computational overhead of 0.3%.
U.S. Regulators: Requiring Behavioral Risk Teams

While U.S. regulators have done much to use their convening powers to further the discussion and thinking on conduct and culture, more needs to be done. As there is a natural hesitancy in prescribing rules, the author argues that the Federal Reserve should take the lead and require the largest U.S. banks—Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBS)—to develop internal behavioral risk teams. Taking a page from the RBS example, the banks should be allowed to develop such units as they see fit, but that the Fed and other regulators—possibly, the DNB—could work with banks in a collaborative process to help develop such groups. Evidence is cited of collaboration between the DNB and Irish Central Bank in conduct and culture reviews among retail banks. The author also highlights the growing importance of business school education on ethics and culture. A formalized program between the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, business schools and financial firms in 2019 is cited as a potential forum for further work on behavioral science.
The Timing Hypothesis: Hormone Therapy for Treating Symptomatic Women During Menopause and Its Relationship to Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract The risks and benefits of menopausal hormonal therapy (HT) have been evaluated extensively over the past three decades. While the efficacy of HT for management of menopausal symptoms, incl...
Bariatric Surgery Outcomes in Appalachia Influenced by Surgery Type, Diabetes, and Depression

Most effective treatment for morbid obesity and its comorbidities is bariatric surgery. However, research is limited on weight loss and associated outcomes among patients in Appalachia. The objective of this study was to examine demographic and comorbidity influence on surgical outcomes of this population including age, sex, race, state of residence, education, marital status, body mass index (BMI kg/m2), excess body weight (EBW), percent excess weight loss (%EWL), blood pressure, diagnosed depression, diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and laboratory values (i.e., hemoglobin A1c). A retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) data extraction was performed on N = 582 patients receiving bariatric surgery (laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB] and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy [SG]) between 10/2013 and 2/2017. Patient population was 92.5% Caucasian, 79.3% female, 62.8% married, 45 ± 11.1 years, 75.8% received RYGB, and 24.2% received SG. Average %EWL from baseline to 1-year follow-up was 68.5 ± 18.4% (n = 224). In final descriptive models, surgery type, diagnosed T2D, HbA1c, and depressive symptoms were significant covariates associated with lower %EWL. Findings suggest patients completing surgery within an Appalachian region have successful surgical outcomes at 1-year post-surgery, as indicated by significant reductions of > 50% EWL, regardless of other covariates. Results suggest that bariatric programs should consider paying special consideration to patients with T2D or depressive symptoms to improve outcomes. Results have potential to inform future prospective studies and aid in guiding specific interventions tailored to address needs of this unique population.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Conquering King of Saturday Morning

In this chapter, O’Melia addresses what Yu-Gi-Oh! is and how, unlike with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Pokemon, it was able to be popular while not having to reflect traditional Saturday Morning conventions. Instead, it reflected the conventions of its predecessors and introduced new, foreign ones of its own. From this point, she further explores Yu-Gi-Oh’s influence and the reaction of the networks at the time by analyzing Dragonball Z Kai, a Japanese program, and Teen Titans, a popular American production, that were both previously successful on cable and referenced the same source material as Yu-Gi-Oh!, in order to see how Japanese integration appeared in this third stage of the cultural transition and Japanese integration on Saturday Morning.
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNDERSTANDING FATIGUE FRACTURE FROM STUDIES OF CYCLIC DEFORMATION

ABSTRACT Rather than -giving a formal review of cyclic deformation as a topic in its own right, the authors have chosen to review certain investigations concerning cyclic deformation which have produced unique insights into the mechanisms of fatigue fracture. Examples are taken from damage assessment in variable loading, discriminating the causes of transgranular and intergranular crack initiation in wavy slip metals and from determining the mechanisms of stage I crack propagation.
Rethinking Why and How Organizations Acquire Information Technologies, Part 1

The purpose of this essay is to examine how a comfortable paradigm for explaining the spread of a major technology began cracking, shaken by new findings. I do this by, first, summarizing familiar explanations for the diffusion of computing, as much recently historical research still depends on it. Then I describe problems-cracks-appearing in these assumptions, followed by a proposed modification of how to view IT's diffusion-the why and how-an an update more in line with current historiography. The conclusion of this essay identifies implications for research on other technologies, especially those that emerged during the Second Industrial Revolution still unfolding, many of which are morphing into quasi-computers themselves.
Examining broad intellectual abilities obtained within an mTurk internet sample

Widely used in social science research, samples of participants obtained via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) tend to be representative across many sociodemographic variables. However, to date, no research has investigated and reported the global cognitive ability level (i.e., intelligence) of samples obtained via mTurk. The present study contributes to the literature by investigating a previously well-validated, public domain measure of cognitive ability in a sample of American adults recruited via mTurk. As part of a larger cross-sectional, survey-based study, four hundred thirty-four (434) Americans (M age = 37.86; 35.7% men) completed a demographic questionnaire and the 16-item International Cognitive Ability Resource, Sample Test (ICAR-16). Results revealed a normal distribution of ICAR-16 scores across the current sample. Additionally, total scores were positively correlated with participants’ level of education, income, and self-estimated intelligence, but did not significantly correlate with participant age. No gender differences were identified on ICAR-16 total scores. Finally, ICAR-16 scores did not significantly differ from normative data derived from its validation study. These results suggested that American mTurk samples may be representative of the broader population in terms of global cognitive ability, and that the ICAR-16 is likely a reasonable, psychometrically sound, and inexpensive measure of global cognitive ability appropriate for use in mTurk samples.
Protecting Youth From Tobacco Around the Globe: Evidence to Practice

* Abbreviations: AAP — : American Academy of Pediatrics CDC — : US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CRC — : Convention on the Rights of the Child e-cigarette — : electronic cigarette GYTS — : Global Youth Tobacco Survey SHS — : secondhand smoke THS — : thirdhand smoke WNTD — : World No Tobacco Day Tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are harmful to development and have significant health risks across the life span, including asthma, respiratory infections, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.1 Most adults begin smoking during adolescence, highlighting the importance of clinical and public health interventions to prevent tobacco use and encourage youth cessation. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (GYTS) from 61 countries reveal that a substantial number of youth report current cigarette smoking (mean prevalence: 10.7%, range: 1.7%–35%), and >50% of young smokers wish to quit.2 Globally, GYTS data indicate that youth who have never used tobacco products are susceptible to begin using them (Fig 1). In the United States, 5.8% of high schoolers currently smoke cigarettes, 58% of young smokers want to quit, and nearly half are susceptible to using cigarettes or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).3 Thus, global efforts to protect youth against such vulnerabilities are critical to ensure future tobacco-free generations. In this report, we describe a partnership between CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that highlights how strategic relationships can foster change. FIGURE 1 Prevalence of susceptibility to tobacco use among never tobacco users aged 13–15 years, GYTS, 2012–2018. Percentage of never tobacco users who are susceptible to using tobacco in the future by answering (1) ”definitely yes,” “probably yes,” or “probably not” to using tobacco if one of their best friends … Address correspondence to Julie Gorzkowski, MSW, Director, Adolescent Health Promotion, American Academy of Pediatrics, 345 Park Blvd, Itasca, IL 60143. E-mail: jgorzkowski{at}aap.org
Vaping in today’s pandemic: E-cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury mimicking COVID-19 in teenagers presenting with respiratory distress

The clinical presentation of children and adolescents infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can range from asymptomatic to mild or moderate manifestations. We present a case series of three adolescents who presented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with symptoms concerning for COVID-19, including fever, abdominal symptoms, cough, respiratory distress, and hypoxemia. Their laboratory results showed elevated inflammatory markers that are also commonly seen in COVID-19. The chest imaging studies mimicked COVID-19 with non-specific ground glass opacities and interstitial prominence patterns. However, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 testing was negative and further questioning of these adolescents and their parents revealed a history of vaping marijuana-related products leading to the eventual diagnosis of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury. Our patients were successfully treated with corticosteroids. The providers caring for pediatric patients, especially adolescents, should continue to have a high index of suspicion for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury in patients presenting with unexplained respiratory failure, while ruling out COVID-19.