cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of REM and slow wave sleep in the rat

Active sleep (AS) in the neonate has been considered to be an immature form of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Quiet sleep (QS) has been thought to represent an immature form of slow wave sleep (SWS). To determine the relationship between the behaviorally determined states of AS and QS and electrographically determined REM sleep and SWS, we examined sleep ontogeny in the developing rat using an experimental routine that permitted long-term recordings and minimized the effects of maternal separation. Under these conditions, a transient state that included electroencephalographic slow wave activity and phasic motor activity was eventually replaced with the mature SWS pattern. Our work suggests that neonatal QS is not an immature form of SWS and that AS is best considered as an undifferentiated behavioral state from which both SWS and REM sleep develop.
Regulation of Endogenous Melanocortin-4 Receptor Expression and Signaling by Glucocorticoids

The melanocortin-4 (MC4) receptor plays a pivotal role in regulating food intake and energy expenditure, and obesity results from mutations that interfere with the MC4 receptor pathway. We investigated the effect of glucocorticoids on endogenous MC4 receptors expressed in GT1-1 cells, an immortalized hypothalamic neuronal cell line. Dexamethasone (Dex) caused a 5- to 10-fold increase in the cAMP response to the MC4 receptor agonist, NDP-αMSH. The stimulatory effect of Dex reached a maximum within 24 h and was blocked by the glucocorticoid antagonist RU486. This glucocorticoid effect was specific for the MC4 receptor and not a result of up-regulation of another component of the cAMP cascade, because the response to endogenous β-adrenergic receptor stimulation was not altered by Dex. Dex also potentiated NDP-αMSH-mediated ERK1/2 activation. After 12 h, Dex caused a 3- to 5-fold increase in [125I]NDP-αMSH binding, which was maintained for at least 48 h and prevented by RU486. Dex withdrawal caused a rapid re...
Standards and Variation in Urban Speech: Examples from Lowland Scots

Standards and Variation in Urban Speech is an examination and exploration of the aims and methods of sociolinguistic investigation, based on studies of Scottish urban speech. It criticially examines the implications of the notions ‘vernacular’, ‘standard language’, ‘Received Pronunciation’, ‘social class’, and ‘linguistic insecurity’. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods using examples from comedians’ jokes, dialect poetry, formal and informal interviews, and personal narratives, the work illustrates the actual norms that speakers exemplify in various ways.
Intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of muchnones with acetylenic dipolarophiles: Sorting out the regioselectivity

Abstract A series of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of munchnones with acetylenic dipolarophiles was studied, wherein factors related to regioselectivity were investigated. The results from munchnones with electronically divergent thioaryl substituents compared with others bearing alkyl substituents suggest that an unsymmetrical transition state structure, rather than FMO perturbation, plays a significant role in regioselection. If eclipsing interactions preclude a highly unsymmetrical transition state however, then minimizing steric interactions becomes important. A pair of complementarily substituted munchnones, differing only in the position of isotopic labels, establishes an inherently symmetrical electronic nature of the mesoionic heterocycle.
Newborn screening and the relaxation of one-child policy in mainland China

• In light of the relaxation of the one-child policy, the Chinese government would need to be ready to cover screening costs for potentially 400 million newborns in the next 30 years.
Medication Nonadherence in Diabetes: Longitudinal effects on costs and potential cost savings from improvement

OBJECTIVE To examine the longitudinal effects of medication nonadherence (MNA) on key costs and estimate potential savings from increased adherence using a novel methodology that accounts for shared correlation among cost categories. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Veterans with type 2 diabetes (740,195) were followed from January 2002 until death, loss to follow-up, or December 2006. A novel multivariate, generalized, linear, mixed modeling approach was used to assess the differential effect of MNA, defined as medication possession ratio (MPR) ≥0.8 on healthcare costs. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess potential cost savings at different MNA levels using the Consumer Price Index to adjust estimates to 2012 dollar value. RESULTS Mean MPR for the full sample over 5 years was 0.78, with a mean of 0.93 for the adherent group and 0.58 for the MNA group. In fully adjusted models, all annual cost categories increased ∼3% per year ( P = 0.001) during the 5-year study time period. MNA was associated with a 37% lower pharmacy cost, 7% lower outpatient cost, and 41% higher inpatient cost. Based on sensitivity analyses, improving adherence in the MNA group would result in annual estimated cost savings ranging from ∼$661 million (MPR CONCLUSIONS Aggressive strategies and policies are needed to achieve optimal medication adherence in diabetes. Such approaches may further the so-called “triple aim” of achieving better health, better quality care, and lower cost.
A scaling approach to find order parameters quantifying the effects of dopaminergic agents on unconditioned motor activity in rats.

1. Three experiments were conducted in the Behavioral Pattern Monitor (BPM) to assess the effects of the D1 agonist SKF-38393, the D2 agonist quinpirole, and the interaction of the D2 antagonists haloperidol with amphetamine or cocaine on the amount, the structure, and the unpredictability of micro-events of rat exploratory behavior. 2. SKF-38393 (0.3, 1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) did not change the amount of motor behavior indicated by the temporal scaling exponent alpha, a descriptor of the local degree of acting, during a 60 min exposure in the BPM. However, SKF-38393 (3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) significantly increased the spatial scaling exponent d, indicating an increased component of local circumscribed movements. 3. Quinpirole (0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg) produced a biphasic dose response with respect to the amount of motor behavior. Low doses (0.03, 0.1) significantly decreased the local degree of acting, whereas alpha returned to control group levels for higher doses (0.3, 1.0 mg/kg). The change in activity was accompanied by a significant increase of local movements, i.e. d was increased for the lower doses. 4. Haloperidol (15.0 micrograms/kg) reduced a slightly increased d measure for amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) treated animals and increased a significantly reduced d for cocaine (20.0 mg/kg) treated animals, without affecting the increases of motor activity induced by both treatments. 5. It is concluded that the structure of motor activity provides an important measure of unconditioned motor behavior, which can be affected independently of the typically measured amount of motor activity.
Education and Children with Down Syndrome: Neuroscience, Development, and Intervention.

Of the recent advances in education-related research in Down syndrome, the characterization of the Down syndrome behavioral phenotype has become a potentially critical tool for shaping education and intervention in this population. This article briefly reviews the literature on brain-behavior connections in Down syndrome and identifies aspects of the Down syndrome behavioral phenotype that are potentially relevant to educators. Potential challenges to etiologically informed educational planning are discussed.
Autopoiesis and Cognition in the Game of Life

Maturana and Varela's notion of autopoiesis has the potential to transform the conceptual foundation of biology as well as the cognitive, behavioral, and brain sciences. In order to fully realize this potential, however, the concept of autopoiesis and its many consequences require significant further theoretical and empirical development. A crucial step in this direction is the formulation and analysis of models of autopoietic systems. This article sketches the beginnings of such a project by examining a glider from Conway's game of life in autopoietic terms. Such analyses can clarify some of the key ideas underlying autopoiesis and draw attention to some of the central open issues. This article also examines the relationship between an autopoietic perspective on cognition and recent work on dynamical approaches to the behavior and cognition of situated, embodied agents.
Motivating smokers in the hospital pulmonary function laboratory to quit smoking by use of the lung age concept.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of lung age to motivate a quit attempt among smokers presenting to a hospital pulmonary function testing (PFT) laboratory. Methods: Participants were randomized to receive a lung age- based motivational strategy (intervention group) versus standard care (control group). At 1 month, all participants were inter- viewed by telephone to determine whether they made a quit attempt. Results: A total of 67 participants were enrolled, and 51 com- pleted the study. Baseline mean data included age = 52 years, 70% women, 40 pack-years of smoking, FEV 1 = 69% predicted, and lung age = 83 years. The quit attempt rates were not differ- ent between the intervention and control groups (32% vs. 24%, respectively, p = .59). There was a near significant interaction between lung age and intervention strategy (p = .089), with quit attempt rates among those with normal lung age of 18% in the intervention group versus 33% in the control group and among those with high (worse) lung age of 39% in the intervention group versus 17% in the control group; p = .38. Conclusions: Using lung age to motivate smokers presenting to the PFT laboratory to quit may succeed in patients with high lung age but may undermine motivation in smokers with nor- mal lung age. Further work is needed to refine the approach to smokers with normal lung age.
A semiempirical SCF–LCAO–MO treatment of some oxygen‐ and nitrogen‐containing heterocyclic molecules

The π-electronic properties of furan, oxazole, benzofuran, benzoxazole, anthranil, and dibenzofuran are calculated by the semiempirical self-consistent-field molecular orbital method. A single set of parameters is found which satisfactorily reproduces the π π* electronic transition energies and other π-electronic properties.
Mantle discontinuities beneath Southern Africa

[1] Seismic velocity discontinuities within the top 1000 km of the Earth beneath southern Africa are imaged by stacking about 1300 source-normalized broadband seismograms recorded by the Southern African Seismic Experiment. The Moho, 410, and 660 kilometer discontinuities are clearly detected. The mean mantle transition zone thickness is 245 km, essentially the same as the global average, suggesting that the transition zone is not anomalously warm. Thus, the lower-mantle ‘African Superplume’ beneath our study area has no discernible effect on transition zone temperature and is consequently confined to the lower mantle. Variations in transition zone thickness appear to be related to the presence or absence of thick lithosphere. We do not detect several previously-reported discontinuities beneath continents, such as the Hales or Lehmann discontinuities, and find no evidence for a 520 km discontinuity, nor do we detect a previously proposed low-velocity zone just above the transition zone.
Engineering nanophase self-assembly with elastic field

A binary monolayer on an elastic substrate may separate into two phases, which self-assemble into ordered nanoscale patterns. We apply an elastic field to the substrate to guide the self-assembly process. The effect of arbitrary three-dimensional external loading is found to be characterized by a single two-dimensional parameter – a surface stain field of the substrate. A non-uniform strain field significantly influences the size, shape and orientation of self-assembled features, and may induce the formation of pattern colonies. It is shown that a pattern orientates normal to the strain gradient direction. An applied load anchors the position of a selfassembled pattern relative to the substrate, where a colony boundary resides on the strain gradient region. The work suggests a method of strain field design to make various monolayer patterns for nanofabrication.
Papr Reduction for Beamforming Ofdm Transmitters

A high peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR) is a primary drawback of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). Many methods have been proposed to reduce the OFDM PAPR for single-antenna and for MIMO systems. Some systems, however, use multiple antennas for frequency-selective transmit beamforming either to a single or multiple simultaneous receivers. This paper presents a new method for PAPR reduction that minimizes the peak power across all antennas while preserving the maximal ratio transmission (MRT) gain and zero-crosstalk criteria at the receivers. Because the gain and zero crosstalk is preserved at the receivers, no performance loss is seen by the receivers when using the PAPR-reduced transmit vector. With eight transmit antennas, the algorithm demonstrates an average of 5.5 dB PAPR reduction for single-user beamforming and about 4.5 dB PAPR reduction for four-user transmit spatial division multiple access (Tx-SDMA)
Effects of an ad libitum low-glycemic load diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors in obese young adults

Background: The optimal nutritional approach for the prevention of cardiovascular disease among obese persons remains a topic of intense controversy. Available approaches range from conventional low-fat to very-low-carbohydrate diets. Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of an ad libitum low-glycemic load diet, without strict limitation on carbohydrate intake, as an alternative to a conventional low-fat diet. Design: A randomized controlled trial compared 2 dietary treatments in obese young adults (n = 23) over 12 mo. The experimental treatment emphasized ad libitum consumption of low-glycemic-index foods, with 45-50% of energy from carbohydrates and 30-35% from fat. The conventional treatment was restricted in energy (250-500 kcal/d deficit) and fat (<30% of energy), with 55-60% of energy from carbohydrate. We compared changes in study outcomes by repeated-measures analysis of log-transformed data and expressed the results as mean percentage change. Results: Body weight decreased significantly over a 6-mo intensive intervention in both the experimental and conventional diet groups (-8.4% and -7.8%, respectively) and remained below baseline at 12 mo (-7.8% and -6.1%, respectively). The experimental diet group showed a significantly greater mean decline in plasma triacylglycerols than did the conventional diet group (-37.2% and - 19.1%, respectively; P = 0.005). Mean plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 concentrations decreased (-39.0%) in the experimental diet group but increased (33.1 %) in the conventional diet group (P = 0.004). Changes in cholesterol concentrations, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusion: An ad libitum low-glycemic load diet may be more efficacious than a conventional, energy-restricted, low-fat diet in reducing cardiovascular disease risk.
Flavoenzyme-based biosensors with redox polymer electron relays

A description is given of the design and testing of a class of amperometric bioanalytical sensor in which electrical communication between the flavin redox centers of an oxidase and a conventional electrode is achieved by means of a network of donor-acceptor relays chemically bound to a flexible siloxane polymer. Electrochemical results demonstrating this mediated electrical communication are discussed for several polymer/enzyme systems. The molecular weight range for these redox-containing polymeric materials is approximately 2000-10000. Purification of the polymers was achieved by reprecipitation from chloroform solution by dropwise addition to a large excess amount of acetonitrile at room temperature. This reprecipitation was repeated two to three times to ensure that no low-molecular-weight species (which could act as freely diffusing electron transfer mediators) were present. Redox-polymer/glucose-oxidase/carbon-paste electrodes were tested and found to be sensitive to small changes in glucose concentration over a clinically useful range of concentrations. >
Matching Neural Models to Experiment

Methods of quantitatively fitting single compartment neuron models to experimentally observed neuron behavior in current clamp are investigated. Standard minimization techniques relying on gradient information are not useful for matching Hodgkin and Huxley style models to current clamp data. It is, however, possible to fit current clamp data with minimal experimental information by making use of channel kinetics descriptions taken from the literature. The fitting procedure uses random search and an appropriately defined metric. This approach eases the task of creating neuron models for use in network simulations. The resulting fits to experiment are not unique and therefore the utility of the models must be judged in terms of their ability to represent important aspects of observed neuronal behavior for relevant inputs.
Notoraja hirticauda, a new species of skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajoidei) from the south-eastern Indian Ocean

Last P.R. and McEachran J.D. 2006. Notoraja hirticauda, a new species of skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajoidei) from the south-eastern Indian Ocean. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63(1): 65–75. A new skate, Notoraja hirticauda sp. nov., is described from off central Western Australia in the south-eastern Indian Ocean. It is distinguished from its congeners in some proportional measurements, the distributions of dermal denticles and bristle-like thorns, the absence of oronasal pits, and several skeletal structures. The new species has a relatively long snout, multiple irregular rows of short thorns on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the tail, and dermal denticles on the ventral surface of the tail. Its rostral cartilage, which is longer than the nasobasal length, has appendices that are subtriangular in cross-section posteriorly and abut the rostral shaft. Within Notoraja, N. hirticauda most closely resembles N. subtilispinosa Stehmann from the Philippines and Indonesia.
The Flag Variety: Geometric and Representation Theoretic Aspects

In this chapter, we discuss how some of the previous results on the Grassmannian apply to the flag variety. We do not provide proofs for all statements included here. For details, the reader may refer to [45].
Past perspective is related to present relationships: Past-positive and negative time perspectives differentially predict rejection sensitivity

Rejection sensitivity (RS) is a trait that may affect the quality of social relationships. Individuals high in RS exhibit maladaptive behaviors and poor interpersonal skills. RS develops from early childhood experiences of rejection. We examined whether one’s past time perspective (positive or negative) predicted RS regardless of reported past social experiences. Two studies measuring demographics, Big Five personality factors (Study 1) as well as childhood rejection experiences (Study 2), and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory found that even after controlling for such variables, more past-negative time perspective led to higher RS while more past-positive time perspective led to lower RS. We discuss how past social rejections and time perspective may interact and discuss future work on the two constructs.
Hyperpolarized xenon-based molecular sensors for label-free detection of analytes.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can reveal the chemical constituents of a complex mixture without resorting to chemical modification, separation, or other perturbation. Recently, we and others have developed magnetic resonance agents that report on the presence of dilute analytes by proportionately altering the response of a more abundant or easily detected species, a form of amplification. One example of such a sensing medium is xenon gas, which is chemically inert and can be optically hyperpolarized, a process that enhances its NMR signal by up to 5 orders of magnitude. Here, we use a combinatorial synthetic approach to produce xenon magnetic resonance sensors that respond to small molecule analytes. The sensor responds to the ligand by producing a small chemical shift change in the Xe NMR spectrum. We demonstrate this technique for the dye, Rhodamine 6G, for which we have an independent optical assay to verify binding. We thus demonstrate that specific binding of a small molecule can produce a xenon c...
Sugars Collected by Honey Bees from Honeydew of the Scale, Toumeyella mirabilis (Cockerell), on Mesquite

Honey bees foraged on exudate of scales feeding on mesquite. Although mesquite gum has been a source of arabinose (which is toxic to honey bees), thin-layer chromatography did not detect arabinose in this food chain.
Studies on the crystalline lens. XII. Turnover of glycine and glutamic acid in glutathione and ophthalmic acid in the rabbit.

The rates of incorporation of ^C-labeled glycine and glutamic acid into glutathione and ophthalmic acid have been determined in cultured rabbit lenses. The average turnover rate of glycine and glutamic acid in glutathione, and of glutamic acid in ophthalmic acid teas found to be 1.8 per cent per hour throughout the 24 hour period of culture; the incorporation of glycine in ophthalmic acid also occurred at this rate for the first 9 hours but appeared to decrease thereafter. While the possibility of exchange reactions cannot be ruled out, the similarity of the rates of turnover of both amino acids in each peptide strongly suggest that glutathione and ophthalmic acid are continually being broken down and resynthesized in the lens. The rate of formation of glutathione and ophthalmic acid, assuming incorporation of amino acids represents synthesis, is 21.6 and 0.52 pinoles per 100 Gin. lens per hour, respectively.
Socioeconomic status (SES) and psychiatric disorders. Are the issues still compelling

One of the most consistent findings in psychiatric epidemiology prior to 1980 has been that socioeconomic status (SES) was inversely related to the recent prevalence of a variety of important types of disorder. The findings raised and re-raised major issues about the role of adversity in these disorders. In recent years, however, research interest in these issues has been declining. At the same time, marked changes have been taking place in the case identification and diagnostic procedures available for epidemiological research. In this paper, I inquire into whether these changes in diagnostic concepts and methods have led to a change in the "facts" that gave rise to the issues about the role of SES. I rely particularly on results from our on-going epidemiological research in Israel and from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiological. Catchment Area (ECA) studies in the United States, reevaluate the shift away from research on the role of SES, and offer suggestions for future research.
Populations and communities

Chapter summary This chapter continues the discussion of the preceding chapter, focusing on the arrangement of individual plants in populations and multiple species in communities. The concept of a niche is central to the understanding of the organization of species across the landscape. A niche represents the components of the environment to which a species is adapted. Evolutionary pressures have led to niche differentiation in which species differ in preferences for resources and have different functional roles in communities. This is seen in the dispersion of species along resource gradients. Though vegetation can be classified into distinct communities of species, most communities intergrade continuously and exist within a continuum of populations. Species are not grouped along environmental gradients in distinct natural associations, but rather are distributed individualistically according to their own physiology and life history patterns. The manner in which plant populations are arranged into recognizable communities is critical to understanding the response of vegetation to climate change. A plant community that exists today may have no analog under different climate. Particular species enter and dominate a given locale based on prevailing climate and other environmental conditions, the occurrence of disturbance such as fire, and their own life history patterns. Niche and species abundance The environment is spatially heterogeneous, varying in light, temperature, soil water, nutrients, and other conditions. Just as physiological processes vary depending on the specific environmental conditions encountered by a plant, so too do plant species thrive over a specific range of environmental conditions.
A comparison of perspectives on costs in emergency care among emergency department patients and residents.

Background Costs of care are increasingly important in healthcare policy and, more recently, in clinical care in the emergency department (ED). We compare ED resident and patient perspectives surrounding costs in emergency care. Methods We conducted a mixed methods study using surveys and qualitative interviews at a single, academic ED in the United States. The two study populations were a convenience sample of adult ED patients (>17 years of age) and ED residents training at the same institution. Participants answered open- and closed-ended questions on costs, medical decision making, cost-related compliance, and communication about costs. Closed-ended data were tabulated and described using standard statistics while open-ended responses were analyzed using grounded theory. Results Thirty ED patients and 24 ED residents participated in the study. Both patients and residents generally did not have knowledge of medical costs. Patients were comfortable discussing costs while residents were less comfortable. Residents agreed that doctors should consider costs when making medical decisions whereas patients somewhat disagreed. Additionally, residents generally took costs into consideration during clinical decision-making, yet nearly all residents agreed that they had too little education on costs. Conclusion There were several notable differences in ED patient and resident perspectives on costs in this U.S. sample. While patients somewhat disagree that cost should factor into decision making, generally they are comfortable discussing costs yet report having insufficient knowledge of what care costs. Conversely, ED residents view costs as important and agree that cost should factor into decision making but lack education on what emergency care costs.
A phase II trial of erlotinib for EGFR mutant NSCLC to prospectively assess biopsy feasibility and acquired resistance at disease progression.

8076 Background: Erlotinib is a first-line therapy for patients (pts) with advanced EGFR mutant non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, tumors develop acquired resistance; choice of further...
Impact of PIK3CA tumor mutation on the association of aspirin or NSAID use and time to breast cancer recurrence.

1521Background: Aspirin or NSAID (A/N) use post diagnosis is associated with lower risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality in cohort studies. A potential mechanism is that A/Ns may suppress ...
Autonomy, Trust, and Transportation

Automation in transportation (rail, air, road, etc.) is becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. Ensuring that these sophisticated non-deterministic software systems can be trusted and remain resilient is a community concern. As technology evolves, systems are moving increasingly towards autonomy where the “machine” is intelligent: perceiving, deciding, learning, etc. often without human engagement. Our current mechanisms and policies for oversight and certification of these systems to ensure they operate robustly in safety-critical situations are not keeping pace with technology advancements. How is an autonomous system different than an advanced automatic system? How is trust different for an autonomous system? What are different perspectives on trust? Is it appropriate to apply the techniques used to establish trust in a today’s transportation systems to establishing trust in an autonomous system? This paper will examine these questions and propose a framework for discussing autonomy assurance and trust in transportation applications. We will explore further with two examples: 1) the notion of a self-driving taxi-cab; and 2) the evolution of a two-pilot flight deck, to single-pilot operations.
Green Streets: Urban Green and Birth Outcomes

Recent scholarship points to a protective association between green space and birth outcomes as well a positive relationship between blue space and wellbeing. We add to this body of literature by exploring the relationship between expectant mothers’ exposure to green and blue spaces and adverse birth outcomes in New York City. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the NYC Street Tree Census, and access to major green spaces served as measures of greenness, while proximity to waterfront areas represented access to blue space. Associations between these factors and adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, term birthweight, term low birthweight, and small for gestational age, were evaluated via mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models. The analyses were conducted separately for women living in deprived neighborhoods to test for differential effects on mothers in these areas. The results indicate that women in deprived neighborhoods suffer from higher rates adverse birth outcomes and lower levels of residential greenness. In adjusted models, a significant inverse association between nearby street trees and the odds of preterm birth was found for all women. However, we did not identify a consistent significant relationship between adverse birth outcomes and NDVI, access to major green spaces, or waterfront access when individual covariates were taken into account.
447 IN UTERO EYE DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTED BY FETAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING.

Introduction In utero eye development as seen by fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not been well described. Fetal MRIs are becoming a more frequently used modality to complement the findings of prenatal sonograms when an abnormality of the fetus is suspected. To date, very little attention has been given to ocular abnormalities that may be detected by fetal MRI. Our objective in this preliminary study was to document normal eye development in the human fetus. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 27 fetal MRIs (54 eyes) and recorded the transverse diameter of each globe, the intraocular distance, and the lens diameters and calculated the volume of each globe. Means and standard deviations for each measurement were stratified by gestational age. All fetal MRIs at our institution were eligible for inclusion in the study. Images were reviewed randomly. All gestational ages were included. Patients were not excluded if they had congenital anomalies. Films that included artifact so severe to distort the orbital images were excluded. Using a 1.5-Tesla magnet, a body coil was placed over the mother9s abdomen and multiple single-shot T2 fast spin echo images were obtained using 3 mm collimation. The images were of axial, sagittal, and coronal planes of the fetus. Quantitative measurements were performed on a Synapse PACS. Results The transverse diameter of the globe appears to follow a linear growth curve, ranging from averages of 7.35 mm at 17 weeks9 gestation to 16.67 mm at 37 weeks9 gestation. The growth curve for intraocular distance is similar, with a range of 9.95 mm at 17 weeks9 gestation to 17.44 mm at 37 weeks9 gestation. It appears that lens growth increases more rapidly toward the latter part of gestation, with little change between 17 and 28 weeks9 gestation (2.65-2.71 mm) compared with the measurement at 37 weeks of 5 mm. Orbital volume increases dramatically between 24 and 28 weeks9 gestation (average volume 388 mm3 at 17 weeks, 661 mm3 at 23 weeks, and 1,610 mm3 at 28 weeks). Conclusion These data provide baseline establishment of growth curves for eye globe transverse diameter, intraocular distance, lens diameter, and globe volume. These measurements may be useful in cases with suspected congenital orbital abnormalities.
Optimization of charge-carrier generation in amorphous-silicon thin-film tandem solar cell backed by two-dimensional metallic surface-relief grating

The rigorous coupled-wave approach was implemented in a three-dimensional setting to calculate the chargecarrier-generation rate in a thin-film solar cell with multiple amorphous-silicon p-i-n junctions. The solar cell comprised a front antireflection window; three electrically isolated p-i-n junctions in tandem; and a periodically corrugated silver back-reflector with hillock-shaped corrugations arranged on a hexagonal lattice. The differential evolution algorithm (DEA) was used to maximize the charge-carrier-generation rate over a set of selected optical and electrical parameters. This optimization exercise minimized the bandgap of the topmost i–layer but all other parameters turned out to be uninfluential. More importantly, the exercise led to a configuration that would very likely render the solar cell inefficient. Therefore, another optimization exercise was conducted to maximize power density. The resulting configuration was optimal over all parameters.
Similar survival of patients with multiple versus single primary melanomas based on Utah Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data (1973-2011)

Background Survival data are mixed comparing patients with multiple primary melanomas (MPM) to those with single primary melanomas (SPM). Objectives We compared MPM versus SPM patient survival using a matching method that avoids potential biases associated with other analytic approaches. Methods Records of 14,138 individuals obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry of all melanomas diagnosed or treated in Utah between 1973 and 2011 were reviewed. A single matched control patient was selected randomly from the SPM cohort for each MPM patient, with the restriction that they survived at least as long as the interval between the first and second diagnoses for the matched MPM patient. Results Survival curves (n = 887 for both MPM and SPM groups) without covariates showed a significant survival disadvantage for MPM patients (chi-squared 39.29, P P = .55). Restricting the multivariate analysis to invasive melanomas also showed no significant survival difference (hazard ratio 0.99, P = .96). Limitations Breslow depth, ulceration status, and specific cause of death were not available for all patients. Conclusions Patients with MPM had similar survival times as patients with SPM.
Interactive effects of crop variety, insecticide seed treatment, and planting date on population dynamics of sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) and their predators in late-colonized sorghum

Abstract Sugarcane aphids Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) have recently become an eruptive and costly pest of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L). In contrast to its southern range in the United States, sugarcane aphid colonizes sorghum at flowering or just post-bloom in the central High Plains. Thus the goal of this work was to quantify how sorghum resistance (commercially available hybrid DKS37-07), timing of planting (early or conventional plant date), and insecticide seed treatment (clothianidin) affected population dynamics of sugarcane aphids in late-colonized sorghum in the central High Plains. The impacts of these factors on sugarcane aphid densities were measured over two growing seasons, and the numbers of natural enemies of the aphids were quantified as well. Host plant resistance emerged as the main driver of sugarcane aphid population dynamics while planting date and seed treatment had a variable impact on M. sacchari and their predators. Host plant resistance also affected predators of sugarcane aphids and, while not directly explored in this study, potentially altered predator-aphid interactions as well. Diverse natural enemies including Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, Chrysophidae, and Anthocoridae were readily recruited by sugarcane aphid infestations, and predators were strongly correlated with populations of M. sacchari regardless of the seed treatment application or sorghum variety and across planting dates. This research demonstrates that a commercially available resistant sorghum variety provides the most robust protection against this pest in the central High Plains. Further, an already present assemblage of aphid predators recruits readily to aphid-infested sorghum and is likely to provide important biological control services particularly in resistant sorghum.
Compiling for a Vector Machine

Machines that can execute several arithmetic operations in parallel have existed for many years. Nevertheless, the software needed to make effective use of this ability has been slow in developing. Most current high-level languages, of the Algol-Fortran-Pascal variety, are not designed for the expression of parallelism. Thus, the attempt to use parallelism has taken two general approaches. The first approach is to analyze source code statically in an attempt to recognize operations (such as loops) that could potentially be executed in parallel. As might be expected, this task is very difficult and has met with only limited success. A second approach is to develop new programming languages with explicit parallel instructions. The acceptance of new languages is slow, however, and this has the drawback of producing yet another programming language that is available on only a limited number of machines in a limited number of locations.
Applications of Time Series Analysis

This paper illustrates two of the recently developed time series techniques. In the first, a canonical analysis is made on a five-variate time series on U.S. hog supply, hog price, corn supply, corn price, and farm wages. The analysis shows that the five original series can be decomposed into (i) a nonstationary component; (ii) two serially correlated stationary components, and (iii) two white noise components. The white noise components can reflect contemporaneous relationships among the original variables while the nonstationary component characterizes the overall growth pattern of the series. In the second, intervention methods are applied to determine the effects of control measures and changes in measurement techniques on carbon monoxide pollution data in Los Angeles county. In addition, a brief survey of other recent works on time series is also presented.
Detection of Cervical Neoplasia by Human Papillomavirus Testing in an Atypical Squamous Cells-Undetermined Significance Population: Results of the Becton Dickinson Onclarity Trial.

Objectives To determine clinical utility of Onclarity human papillomavirus (HPV) assay for atypical squamous cells-undetermined significance (ASC-US) triage, and the value of HPV genotyping within ASC-US. Methods Women (n = 33,858; 21 years or older) had HPV testing using Onclarity and Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2). ASC-US individuals (n = 1,960, 5.8%) were referred to colposcopy. Results Of ASC-US, 39.1% were HPV positive by Onclarity; HPV 16 was the most prevalent genotype (7.4%). Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN 2) and CIN 3+ prevalences were 4.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Onclarity had sensitivity for CIN 2+ (85.7%) and CIN 3+ (91.4%), and specificities for CIN 2+ (64.1%) and CIN 3+ (62.0%), similar to HC2. Risks for CIN 3+ were 16.1%, 2.8%, 2.5%, and 2.7% with HPV 16, 18, 45, and 11 other genotypes, respectively. Conclusions Onclarity is clinically validated for ASC-US triage. Through risk stratification, genotyping could help identify women at highest risk for CIN 3+.
Programmed Delayed Splicing: A Mechanism for Timed Inflammatory Gene Expression

Inflammation involves timed gene expression, suggesting that the fine-tuned onset, amplitude, and termination of expression of hundreds of genes is of critical importance to organismal homeostasis. Recent study of post-transcriptional regulation of inflammatory gene expression led to the suggestion of a regulatory role for pre-mRNA splicing. Here, using a hybrid capture approach to purify incompletely spliced, chromatin-associated pre-mRNAs, we use deep sequencing to study pre-mRNA splicing of the NF-kB transcriptome. By freezing transcription and examining subsequent splicing of complete transcripts, we find many introns splice tens to hundreds of times slower than average. In many cases, this is attributable to poor splice donor sequences that are evolutionarily conserved. When these introns were altered by ~2 base pairs to yield stronger splice donors, gene expression levels increased markedly for several genes in the context of a reporter system. We propose that such splice sites represent a regulatory mechanism that determines the timing of production of the mRNAs from certain inflammatory genes and may also limit mRNA expression from these genes. Further work will be needed to understand the roles of this regulation in the inflammatory response. The suggestion of extensive temporal regulation of pre-mRNA splicing as a regulatory process in inflammation raises the question of where else in biology there may be timed processes with a similar underlying cause.
Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

What are the clinical effectiveness and harms of cell-based therapies, oral glucosamine and/or chondroitin, physical treatment interventions, weight loss, and home-based and self-management therapies for knee osteoarthritis?
The South China Sea Disputes

This chapter provides an overview of the territorial claims made by China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. It focuses on the historical trajectory of the competing claims, their legal basis, and their congruence with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Additionally, the chapter addresses the legal challenge presented by the Philippines against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the results of the arbitration, and the response by the affected parties. It concludes that despite China’s inconsistent application of UNCLOS in the South China Sea, confirmed by the PCA ruling, Beijing has not changed its approach to the disputes, thus heightening tensions in the region. The first is that China’s claims in the SCS and its increasing assertiveness toward the disputes have played a key role in the growing tensions in the region. The second is that the Philippines and Vietnam, as the most geographically proximate claimants to China, have borne the brunt of China’s assertive policies in recent years. As a result, the Philippines and Vietnam have been at the vanguard of contesting China’s claims and internationalizing the disputes in order to hedge against China.
Isorhapontigenin (ISO) inhibits stem cell-like properties and invasion of bladder cancer cell by attenuating CD44 expression

Cancer stem cells (CSC) are highly associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. Our previous studies report that isorhapontigenin (ISO) down-regulates SOX2-mediated cyclin D1 induction and stem-like cell properties in glioma stem-like cells. The present study revealed that ISO could inhibit stem cell-like phenotypes and invasivity of human bladder cancer (BC) by specific attenuation of expression of CD44 but not SOX-2, at both the protein transcription and degradation levels. On one hand, ISO inhibited cd44 mRNA expression through decreases in Sp1 direct binding to its promoter region-binding site, resulting in attenuation of its transcription. On the other hand, ISO also down-regulated USP28 expression, which in turn reduced CD44 protein stability. Further studies showed that ISO treatment induced miR-4295, which specific bound to 3'-UTR activity of usp28 mRNA and inhibited its translation and expression, while miR-4295 induction was mediated by increased Dicer protein to enhance miR-4295 maturation upon ISO treatment. Our results provide the first evidence that ISO has a profound inhibitory effect on human BC stem cell-like phenotypes and invasivity through the mechanisms distinct from those previously noted in glioma stem-like cells.
Detoxification of mustard gas surrogate on ZnO2/g-C3N4 composites: Effect of surface features’ synergy and day-night photocatalysis

Abstract Porous zinc peroxide/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites were synthesized and characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption, SEM, DRUV-Vis spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. The affinity of the samples to reactively adsorb and decompose vapors of chemical warfare agent surrogate of mustard gas, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), was evaluated. The synergy of the composite formation resulted in the development of a porosity and in a marked improvement in the activity to detoxify CEES, as compared to the composite components. The CEES degradation efficiencies under visible light and in the dark wre similar, with a conversion over 90 %. This was linked to day-light catalysis where graphitic carbon nitride worked as a photoactive phase and ZnO2- as energy storage component. In the dark, stored electrons participated in radicals-involved reactions. The porosity was found as an important factor since it enhanced the adsorption energy of CEES and the efficiency of electron transfer processes.
Prevalence and management of constipation in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in U.S. children's hospitals.

BACKGROUND Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) suffer from a litany of chemotherapy-induced side effects. Constipation secondary to vinca alkaloids, environmental changes, and opioid use is a common issue for children newly diagnosed with leukemia. PROCEDURE We analyzed data from 48 children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System, extracting patients 1-21 years of age with ALL hospitalized from October 2015 through September 2019. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of constipation in hospitalized children with ALL. RESULTS We identified 4647 unique patients with an ALL induction admission. Constipation was the most common gastrointestinal diagnosis with 1576 (33.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 32.6%-35.3%) patients diagnosed during induction admission and 19.8% in post-induction admissions. The most commonly administered constipation medications were poly-ethyl glycol (n = 3385, 89.6%), followed by senna (n = 1240, 32.8%), lactulose (n = 916, 24.2%), and docusate (n = 914, 24.2%). Multivariate logistic regression revealed the following variables to be significantly associated with the presence of a constipation diagnosis: age 2 days (OR = 1.53 [95% CI: 1.19-1.95]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A large portion of hospitalized children with ALL experience constipation and required medications. Increased attention should be paid to constipation prophylaxis and treatment in ALL patients, particularly at the start of induction therapy.
Honeysuckle: Annotation-Guided Code Generation of In-App Privacy Notices

In-app privacy notices can help smartphone users make informed privacy decisions. However, they are rarely used in real-world apps, since developers often lack the knowledge, time, and resources to design and implement them well. We present Honeysuckle, a programming tool that helps Android developers build in-app privacy notices using an annotation-based code generation approach facilitated by an IDE plugin, a build system plugin, and a library. We conducted a within-subjects study with 12 Android developers to evaluate Honeysuckle. Each participant was asked to implement privacy notices for two popular open-source apps using the Honeysuckle library as a baseline as well as the annotation-based approach. Our results show that the annotation-based approach helps developers accomplish the task faster with significantly lower cognitive load. Developers preferred the annotation-based approach over the library approach because it was much easier to learn and use and allowed developers to achieve various types of privacy notices using a unified code format, which can enhance code readability and benefit team collaboration.