cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Study on Time-effect Relationship of Bisphenol A-induced Toxicity on the Embryo Development of Rats

Objective To explore the time-effect relationship of 4-nonylphenol(Bisphenol A)-induced rat embryonic toxicity in vitro.Methods 9.5-day isolated rat embryos were exposed at 100 mg/L Bisphenol A for 6,16,26,and 48 hours by means of whole embryo culture(WEC)technique.Results At the early 16 h stage of 48 h culture,the values of some parameters connected with embryo growth and morphogenesis were lower than those of control group(P0.05).After 26 h or 48 h exposure,most indexes of embryo growth and morphological differentiation were inhibited and the incidence rates of abnormal embryos were 22.2% and 100% respectively.Under light microscope,Bisphenol A could result in significant pathologic changes on VYS and brain of embryos only in 26 h or 48 h exposure groups.Conclusions There is an obvious exposure time-dependent embryotoxic effect of BPA on the developing rat embryos in vitro.The most sensitive stage might be at the first 26 h of 48 h culture in vitro,which is equivalent to the 10.5～11.5 d of rat embryonic organogenic period.Bisphenol A may cause chronic toxicity to rat embryos.
An intramolecular C-2 → C-1 hydrogen transfer during the acid-catalyzed conversion of d-xylose to d-threo-pentulose (d-xylulose)☆

Abstract Aldose-ketose isomerases are known to catalyze a partial and sometimes complete intramolecular hydrogen transfer between C-1 of the ketose and C-2 of the aldose. It was recently shown (Feather, M. S., and Harris, D. W. (1975) J. Amer. Chem. Soc.97, 178–181) that the same type of transfer occurs during the acid-catalyzed interconversion of d -fructose, d -glucose, and d -mannose. A similar transfer is demonstrated herein for the conversion of d -xylose to d -xylulose in acid solution. d -[2-3H]xylose was isomerized in aqueous sulfuric acid and the resulting d -[3H]xylulose was isolated in 6% yield. The ketose had 18.3% the activity of the starting aldose. Chemical degradation showed that all the carbon-bound tritium of the d -[3H]xylulose was located at C-1, thus indicating a C-2 → C-1 intramolecular hydrogen transfer. During the reaction, less than 1.2% of the total radiochemical activity was found in the solvent, and, the unreacted d -[2-3H]xylose was recovered, having an activity nearly the same as the starting material. The differences in activity, therefore, of the d -[2-3H]xylose and the d -[1-3H]xylulose are due to an isotope effect ( K H K T ) which is indicated to be 5.4. The data are discussed in terms of currently accepted models for isomerase mechanisms.
Aggregate temperament scores from multiple countries: Associations with aggregate personality traits, cultural dimensions, and allelic frequency

Abstract Aggregate temperament scores were calculated across 17 studies for 18 countries. These scores were analyzed in relation to aggregate personality scores, cultural orientation, and allelic distribution reported in prior studies. Cross-culture patterns were largely consistent with those previously reported for personality: countries high on Surgency (SUR) were high on Extraversion, high Negative Affectivity (NEG) was consistent with Neuroticism, and Regulatory Capacity (RC) with Agreeableness. Regarding cultural orientation, aggregate SUR was associated with low Power Distance and Long-Term Orientation; NEG with low Individualism and high Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance; and RC with low Power Distance and Masculinity. Higher proportion of MAOA-uVNTR low expression alleles was associated with low SUR and low RC; and A118G G-form allele proportion with low RC.
A Strategic Necessity: Building Senior Leadership's Fluency in Digital Technology

This chapter describes the opportunity for senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) to develop an increased digital fluency to meet the needs of various constituencies in the digital age. The authors explore what a digital fluency is, how it might impact SSAOs’ leadership potential, and the benefits for their respective divisions.
Cough physiology in elderly women with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections.

This study investigates the cough motor response and cough sensitivity in patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. In elderly white female pulmonary NTM subjects, we demonstrated ...
Asynchronous control of unmanned aerial vehicles using a steady-state visual evoked potential-based brain computer interface

AbstractThe goal of this study is to design an asynchronous steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) BCI system to enable control of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with multiple commands. An SSVEP-based BCI system with six different flickering frequencies was constructed to realize six actuation commands for UAV control. In addition, asynchronous control was achieved by including a detection of the ‘idle’ brain state using a novel likelihood ratio test and the hover command was implemented for the idle state. Offline recording was conducted to evaluate the detection accuracies and a game-like online experiment was also conducted to assess the online performance of the proposed system. Forty-two subjects participated in offline recordings to evaluate the detection accuracy of commands as well as detection of the ‘idle’ state. An average error rate of 15% was obtained for detecting the six commands, whereas an average error rate of 23.06% was obtained for differentiating commands from idle brain state...
Not all weeds are created equal: A database approach uncovers differences in the sexual system of native and introduced weeds

Weedy species provide excellent opportunities to examine the process of successful colonization of novel environments. Despite the influence of the sexual system on a variety of processes from reproduction to genetic structure, how the sexual system of species influences weediness has received only limited consideration. We examined the hypothesis that weedy plants have an increased likelihood of being self-compatible compared with nonweedy plants; this hypothesis is derived from Baker's law, which states that species that can reproduce uniparentally are more likely to successfully establish in a new habitat where mates are lacking. We combined a database of the weed (weedy/nonweedy) and introduction status (introduced/native) of plant species found in the USA with a database of plant sexual systems and determined whether native and introduced weeds varied in their sexual systems compared with native and introduced nonweeds. We found that introduced weeds are overrepresented by species with both male and female functions present within a single flower (hermaphrodites) whereas weeds native to the USA are overrepresented by species with male and female flowers present on a single plant (monoecious species). Overall, our results show that Baker's law is supported at the level of the sexual system, thus providing further evidence that uniparental reproduction is an important component of being either a native or introduced weed.
Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube- and Graphene-Based Nanocomposites

Carbon nanotube- and graphene-based polymer nanocomposites are known to have exceptional electrical conductivity even at very low filler loading. In this chapter we present a widely useful composite model for studying this property. This model has the capability of determining both the effective electrical conductivity and the percolation threshold of the nanocomposites. It also embodies several other important elements of the process of conduction, including filler loading, filler agglomeration, anisotropic property of carbon fillers, effect of imperfect interfaces, and the contribution of electron tunneling. The backbone of the model is the effective-medium theory with a perfect interface; it can demonstrate the percolation feature and can also comply with the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds. To study the influence of filler agglomeration, a two-scale approach is further proposed. The imperfect interface is incorporated into the model by the introduction of a thin, weak interface surrounding each inclusion. To account for the effect of electron tunneling, Cauchy’s statistical distribution function is further introduced to reflect the increased activity of electron tunneling at and after the percolation threshold. It is demonstrated that the theoretical predictions based on the developed model are in close agreement with available experimental data.
Program synthesis as a generative method

Generative methods (also known as procedural content generation) have been used to generate a variety of static artifacts such as game levels. One key property of a generative method for a particular domain is how effectively the approach allows a designer to express the properties and constraints they care about. Generative methods have been applied much less frequently to dynamic artifacts such as boss behaviors, in part because the complex representation required to describe boss morphology and behavior is not amenable to existing generative techniques. It is challenging to describe a generative space of varied yet valid behaviors. Expanding on previous work that introduced a programming language for representing boss behaviors, we illustrate how such a language can be used by a designer to describe desirable design properties and constraints for bosses. That is, we define a generative space of bosses as a space of well-formed programs. We present a constructive algorithm that extends generative grammars to efficiently generate well-formed programs, and we show a complete example of generating Mega-Man-like bosses with complex attack patterns. We conclude that designing a generative space of dynamic behaviors can be fruitfully framed as a programming-language design problem.
Graph-based multiple-line outage identification in power transmission systems

Fast and accurate detection and identification of power line outage is of paramount importance for the prevention of cascading failures in power systems, as well as prompt and effective restoration following the outage. Traditional approaches can only detect single and double line outages due to the combinatorial complexity challenges involved in the algorithms. A novel approach is to cast it to a sparse vector estimation problem, which can be solved efficiently by taking advantage of the recent progress in compressive sensing and variable selection. In this work, we adopt a similar approach to formulate the problem as a sparse binary-valued vector estimation problem, and leverage the cluster structure existing in most multiple-line outages to solve it. We propose two low-complexity graph-based algorithms to identify clustered line-outages. Simulated tests in IEEE-118 bus system confirm that the proposed algorithms can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of baseline algorithms that do not leverage the cluster structure of multiple-line outages.
Corrosion, oxidation, erosion and performance of Ag/W-based circuit breaker contacts: A review

Abstract Ag/W composite materials have been widely utilized as electrical contacts in low voltage circuit breakers. In this review, the corrosion, oxidation and erosion behavior of Ag/W contacts are examined with a special emphasis on the materials properties. For comparison, the oxidation/corrosion characteristics of the two main elemental constituents, Ag and W, are also reviewed. We limit ourselves to the effects of atmospheric corrosion and provide some examples for field and standard simulated laboratory tests that give insights into the long-term stability of contact materials. The effects of arcing and erosion on the performance of Ag/Refractory contacts are also discussed.
Circadian Rhythms and Reproductive Phenology Covary in a Natural Plant Population.

The circadian clock is a molecular timekeeper that matches endogenous rhythms in diverse traits with 24-h cycles in the external environment. Although a lack of clock resonance to the environment is detrimental to performance, clock phenotypes in wild populations nevertheless deviate substantially from the predicted optimal cycle length of 24 h, and significant genetic variation exists for circadian parameters. Here, we describe covariation between 2 traits considered to reflect adaptation to different aspects of temporal environmental heterogeneity, circadian rhythms (adaptation to daily environmental cycles) and flowering time (adaptation to seasonal cycles), in a Rocky Mountain population of the mustard Boechera stricta, a North American relative of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that 18 families that differ in circadian period in leaf movement by 3.5 h expressed genetic diversity in first-year growth, reproductive phenology, vegetative size at reproduction, and starch concentration following vernaliza...
Outcomes Using Cryoablation for Postoperative Pain Control in Children Following Minimally Invasive Pectus Excavatum Repair.

Abstract Purpose: Pain is the main factor that determines the postoperative course for patients undergoing pectus bar placement. Cryoablation of the intercostal nerves has been suggested to mitigat...
A 12-week evaluation of annatto tocotrienol supplementation for postmenopausal women: safety, quality of life, body composition, physical activity, and nutrient intake

Evidence suggests that tocotrienols may benefit bone health in osteopenic women. However, their safety in this population has never been investigated. This study was to evaluate the safety of a 12-week supplementation of annato tocotrienol in postmenopausal osteopenic women, along with effects of the supplementation on quality of life, body composition, physical activity, and nutrient intake in this population. Eighty nine postmenopausal osteopenic women were randomly assigned to 3 treatment arms: (1) Placebo (430 mg olive oil/day), (2) Low tocotrientol (Low TT) (430 mg tocotrienol/day from DeltaGold 70 containing 300 mg tocotrienol) and (3) High tocotrienol (High TT) (860 mg tocotrienol/day from DeltaGold 70 containing 600 mg tocotrienol) for 12 weeks. DeltaGold 70 is an extract from annatto seed with 70% tocotrienol consisting of 90% delta-tocotrienol and 10% gamma-tocotrienol. Safety was examined by assessing liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase), alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, kidney function (blood urea nitrogen and creatinine), electrolytes, glucose, protein, albumin, and globulin at 0, 6, and 12 weeks. Serum tocotrienol and tocopherol concentrations were assessed and pills counted at 0, 6, and 12 weeks. Quality of life, body composition, physical activity, and dietary macro- and micro-nutrient intake were evaluated at 0 and 12 weeks. A mixed model of repeated measures ANOVA was applied for analysis. Eighty seven subjects completed the study. Tocotrienol supplementation did not affect liver or kidney function parameters throughout the study. No adverse event due to treatments was reported by the participants. Tocotrienol supplementation for 6 weeks significantly increased serum delta-tocotrienol level and this high concentration was sustained to the end of study. There was no difference in serum delta-tocotrienol levels between the Low TT and the High TT groups. No effects of tocotrienol supplementation were observed on quality of life, body composition, physical activity, and nutrient intake. Annatto-derived tocotrienol up to 600 mg per day for 12 weeks appeared to be safe in postmenopausal osteopenic women, particularly in terms of liver and kidney functions. Tocotrienol supplementation for 12 weeks did not affect body composition, physical activity, quality of life, or intake of macro- and micro-nutrients in these subjects. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02058420 . Title: Tocotrienols and bone health of postmenopausal women.
Theoretical investigation of ultrasound-modulated Cerenkov luminescence imaging for higher-resolution imaging in turbid media.

Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) is an optical technique for imaging radiolabeled molecules in vivo. It has demonstrated utility in both the clinical and preclinical settings and can serve as a substitute for nuclear imaging instrumentation in some cases. However, optical scattering fundamentally limits the resolution and depth of imaging that can be achieved with this modality. In this Letter, we report the numerical results that support the potential for ultrasound-modulated Cerenkov luminescence imaging (USCLI), a new imaging modality that can mitigate optical scattering. The technique uses an acoustic field to modulate the refractive index of the medium and, thus, the intensity of Cerenkov luminescence in a spatially precise manner. This mechanism of contrast has not been reported previously. For a physiologically compatible ultrasound peak pressure of 1 MPa, ∼0.1% of the Cerenkov signal can be modulated. Furthermore, our simulations show that USCLI can overcome the scattering limit of resolution for CLI and provide higher-resolution imaging. For an F18 point source centered in a 1 cm3 simulated tissue phantom with a scattering coefficient of μs′=10 cm−1, <2 mm full width at half-maximum lateral spatial resolution is possible, a resolution three times finer than the same phantom imaged with CLI.
Doped hole transport layer for efficiency enhancement in planar heterojunction organolead trihalide perovskite solar cells

Abstract We demonstrated the efficiency of a solution-processed planar heterojunction organometallic trihalide perovskite solar cell can be increased to 17.5% through doping the hole transporting layer for reducing the resistivity. Doped Poly(triaryl amine) (PTAA) by 2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) reduced device series resistance by three-folds, increasing the device fill factor to 74%, open circuit voltage to 1.09 V without sacrificing the short circuit current. This study reveals that the high resistivity of currently broadly applied polymer hole transport layer limits the device efficiency, and points a new direction to improve the device efficiency.
The Mechanics of Spiral Flow: Enhanced Washout and Transport

Spiral/helical forms of blood flow have been observed in large arteries of the cardiovascular system, but their benefits remain underappreciated. Spiral flow has been postulated to improve near-wall washout, promoting anti-atherothrombotic conditions. This research aims to study the washout characteristics of spiral flow, specifically, its ability to increase velocity and wall shear stress (WSS) in atherothrombotic-prone regions. Using 1.2 cm diameter angled test-conduits (45°, 90°, 135°) with known recirculation/stasis regions at the bend corners, spiral flow washout potential was evaluated in terms of low velocity and low WSS. Two sub-studies were conducted: the first utilized a spiral flow-inducing device to enable qualitative analysis of washout-potential in both computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations and benchtop ultrasound visualization; the second used CFD to study the impact of several induced helical wavelengths on the conduit-dependent recirculation/stasis zones. Physical models of the angled conduits and spiral flow-inducer were 3D-printed to facilitate ultrasound visualization. Compared to straight flow, spiral flow generated by the flow-inducer significantly cleared the recirculation/stasis zones at the corners of the angled conduits. CFD simulations demonstrated that past a geometry-dependent threshold, increased helical content improved washout, denoted by decreased regions of low velocity and low WSS. Overall, spiral flow markedly improved washout in difficult to reach areas in the angled conduits. This has several important clinical implications: spiral flow shows great promise in reducing blood-transport-related complications and can be used to enhance the performance of future medical devices (eg grafts, mechanical circulatory support devices, hemodialysis access ports).
Endometriosis Pathogenesis and Management

Endometriosis has been described over 300 years ago [1-3]. It is a major cause of pain and infertility in 35-50% of women and chronic pelvic pain in 6-10% of women.
Hands-on Research Reaching across Disciplines

We describe an interdisciplinary research project for undergraduate students involving microbiology and public health. Students designed and carried out two research studies on hand hygiene and the use of gloves by mobile food vendors in New York City and in a New Jersey mall. Students received training in aseptic techniques and survey methodology to carry out the multifaceted study. We discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and research in the context of its value in preparing professionals in the fields of biology and public health.
E-Skins: Biomimetic Sensing and Encoding for Upper Limb Prostheses

Prosthetic hands, today, have anthropomorphic, multifinger design. A common control method uses pattern recognition of electromyogram signals. However, these prostheses do not capture the human hand’s sensory perception, which is critical for prosthesis embodiment and dexterous object manipulation. This problem can be solved by sensorized electronic skin (e-skin) composed of various sensors that transduce sensory percepts such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain, just as human skin does. This review will present the physiology of the receptors that encode tactile, thermal, nociceptive, and proprioceptive information. The e-skin is designed to mimic these receptors and their responses. We review each sensor subtype, and its design and performance when embedded in the e-skin. Next, we review the spiking response of the receptors, which are then relayed to sensory nerves and encoded by the brain as sensory percepts. The e-skin system is designed to produce neuromorphic or receptorlike spiking activity. Computational models to mimic these sensory nerve signals are presented and then various methods to interface with the nervous system are explored and compared. We conclude the review with the state of the art in e-skin design and deployment in closed-loop applications that demonstrate the benefits of sensory feedback for amputees.
Pain in the newborn.

This article reviews historic assumptions about newborns that have influenced the clinical management of pain in the newborn. These are discussed in light of more recent evidence that newborns not only experience pain but that their responses to pain may compromise their medical status and development. Currently available techniques for assessing newborn pain are considered with special emphasis on an objective clinical index of newborn pain.
CAN WE Predict Risk Factors of Venous Thromboembolism Among Cancer Inpatients

Abstract Introduction Increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been noted among cancer patients as compared to non-cancer. VTE identified as leading cause of death among those with cancer. Cancer associated thrombosis caused increased hospitalizations, increased inpatient/outpatient medical and prescription claims, and increased total health care costs per patient. Our objective was to study demographic, clinical and laboratory risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized cancer patients and built a predictive model for VTE risk. Methods Ours was a retrospective cohort study focused on patients with VTE and cancer from January 2013 - September 2015. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis using stepwise approach was performed. A final predictive model was derived using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves and concordance indices (c-statistics). Results N=3948 cancer inpatients were identified which was split into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort, each with 1957. Mean age 65.9±13.8 years; 52.6% were male; 85.6% Caucasian, 7% African Americans; 15.5% were obese; common comorbidities were hypertension (46%), pulmonary disease (34.5%), diabetes (22.9%), renal disease (20.9%) and congestive heart failure (10.4%). Overall, there was 152 (3.9%) events of VTE with 77 (3.9%) in derivation and 75 (3.8%) in validation cohort. On univariate analysis, comorbidities such as infection and renal diseases, laboratory findings such as low hemoglobin and low albumin was associated with high VTE risk. The derivation set had a c-statistic or AUC of 0.668 while the validation set had an AUC of 0.65. Conclusions Infection, renal disease (comorbidity) and low albumin levels were associated with a higher risk of VTE. Digestive and respiratory cancers were associated with higher VTE risk. We identified three clinical and laboratory variable that was associated with increased risk of VTE in addition to the cancer group. Future research could use this analysis as a basis for forming a risk score that could be used by clinicians to identify those cancer patients at risk for VTE. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Areas of a Total Eclipse

The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 was unique in many ways. A partial solar eclipse was visible throughout the United States, and a total eclipse could be observed in 14 states. Millions...
A Novel Bioengineered miR-127 Prodrug Suppresses the Growth and Metastatic Potential of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

miR-127 is downregulated in breast cancer, where it has been shown to suppress the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. In triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), miR-127 downregulation correlates with decreased disease-free and overall patient survival. Tumor suppressor miRNAs may hold therapeutic promise but progress has been limited by several factors, including the lability and high cost of miRNA mimics. Here, we take a novel approach to produce a miR-127 prodrug (miR-127PD), which we demonstrate is processed to mature, functional miR-127-3p in TNBC tumor cells. miR-127PD decreased the viability and motility of TNBC cells, sensitized TNBC cells to chemotherapy, and restricted the TNBC stem cell population. Furthermore, systemic delivery of miR-127PD suppressed tumor growth of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 TNBC cells and spontaneous metastasis of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, CERK, NANOS1, FOXO6, SOX11, SOX12, FASN, and SUSD2 were identified as novel, functionally important targets of miR-127. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that miR-127 functions as a tumor and metastasis suppressor in TNBC and that delivery of miR-127 may hold promise as a novel therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: Exogenous administration of miR-127, which is functionally activated in target cells, inhibits growth and spontaneous metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer.
Acute pediatric tracheitis: Distinguishing the disease by tracheostomy status.

Abstract Objectives Tracheitis is an upper airway infection that often presents in patients with tracheostomies and can potentially cause airway obstruction. This study aims to use a nationwide database to identify a large cohort of pediatric patients admitted with tracheitis to elucidate the management and resource utilization associated with the disease both with and without tracheostomies. Methods The Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) 2012 was used to identify 2394 weighted discharges with acute tracheitis, with or without obstruction, as the primary diagnosis. Data on prior tracheostomy status, demographics, hospital characteristics, management, and resource utilization were obtained. Two groups of interest, based on presence of prior tracheostomy, were studied. Linear regression was performed to determine independent predictors of total charges. Results The mean age was 5.52 years (SD: 5.54), mean length of stay (LOS) was 6.37 days (SD: 10.18), and mean total charges were $60,996.61 (SD: 107,798.41). Patients with prior tracheostomy had lower rates of endoscopy and endotracheal intubation than patients without (p Conclusion Pediatric tracheitis should be differentiated on the basis of tracheostomy status. We propose that tracheitis diagnosis codes should be distinguished by the presence of tracheostomy as “open” and the absence of tracheostomy as “closed.”
Differential considerations of TCD pulsatility (Gosling's) and resistance (Pourcelot) indices after AVM surgery.

A 29 year old man previously healthy described the worst headache of his life prior to admission where a CT scan was performed at the local emergency department (Figure 1A). This showed an acute intraparenchymal hemorrhage of 5.7cm x 3.4 x 5.7cm dimensions, or ~54 cm3 volume [1]. The patient had acute right-sided hemiplegia and aphasia and a NIHSS stroke of 16. The patient underwent an acute digital subtraction angiogram (DSA) which revealed a Spetzler Martin grade 3 arteriovenous malformation (AVM) Figure 1B [2]. The patient was transferred to our facility were he underwent acute left-sided craniotomy, hematoma evacuation, AVM resection and clipping. Due to the concerns about some blood being seen on the cortex and the theoretical concerns about arterial subarachnoid hemorrhage (Figure 1C) occurring from his AVM, transtemporal transcranial doppler imaging (TCDI) was performed to screen for large vessel vasospasm [3,4] which are shown in Figure 1D. While mean flow velocities (MFV) of the left MCA-M1 were not indicative of vasospasm (ie., > 120 -200cm/second) the pulsatility (Gosling's) index (PI) and resistance (Pourcelot) index (RI) were markedly abnormal on the left compared to the right and raised the question about downstream resistance or poor intracranial compliance (Table 1- Differential of Raised PI and RI) based on TCD differential) [5]. However, on careful review of the DSA, the patient’s AVM had a high-flow left MCA-M2 branch which after surgery (Figure 1E&F) was dramatically reduced in flow. This is demonstrated as the vessels flow in the artery had a very slow transit time as compared to other vessels and is seen during the venous phase and filling of other major cerebral veins. The following case illustrates the importance of the TCD as a means to gauge for vasospasm but taking into context of the interpretation of the elevated RI and PI with the entire clinical 'picture' such as the patient’s neurological exam, the CT scan findings (lack of major cerebral edema) and postoperative DSA which shows the relative ‘low flow’ of a prior high flow vessel. The patient's neurological outcome on postoperative day 3 was excellent with return of his speech and right sided extremity function (NIHSS = 9) and he was later discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation to work on speech and hemiparesis.
Factors that predict child welfare caseworker referrals to an evidence-based parenting program

Abstract Background and purpose Despite the increasing number of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children and families in child welfare, child welfare agencies continue to encounter barriers to implementation, including a lack of utilization that may be caused by a lack of caseworker referrals to EBPs. However, further research is needed to determine additional factors that impact caseworker referrals. Objective This study examined whether caseworker demographic factors, attitudes towards EBPs and organizational factors predict caseworker referrals. Relying upon tenets of the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study also examined whether intention to refer predicts caseworker referrals to an EBP. Participants and setting A convenience sample of 130 caseworkers and support staff was selected from two community-based agencies that provide child welfare services and were implementing an EBP, the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P). Methods Researchers used survey data from participants and caseworker referral data collected three to six months after survey completion. Binary logistic regression was used to measure the relationship between predictor variables and caseworker referrals. Results Results showed that agency of employment (OR = 3.31), age (OR = 0.12), race/ethnicity (OR = −4.303), and openness to EBPs (OR = 1.77) significantly (p Conclusions Intention to refer did not predict referral behavior, possibly due to intervening events that took precedence over parenting needs. Providing support to caseworkers in navigating well-being needs amidst emergent crises may mitigate this barrier. Findings underscore the need to explore organizational differences that may facilitate caseworker referrals including the impact of locating Triple P providers the same location as caseworkers and of differing agency referral norms.
Developing an Aggregator Mechanism for Late-Stage Clinical Trials of Neglected Disease Product Candidates (preprint)

There have been significant improvements in recent years in the early stage development of products for poverty-related and neglected diseases (PRNDs). However, there are still major challenges in the funding of late-stage clinical trials of candidate products for these diseases. For vaccine development specifically, Rappuoli and colleagues recently concluded that “these improvements in the early development process have revealed a new, and possibly more perilous, Valley of Death in the late vaccine development phase.” There are three major challenges in conducting phase III trials for PRND product development. First, such trials are expensive and companies often shy away from investing in them because there is no commercial market for most PRNDs. Second, there is poor coordination on late-stage trials across R&D initiatives. At present, there is no overarching global mechanism that is “steering the ship”—there is no universally agreed-upon process for prioritizing R&D investments for PRNDs, for selecting the most promising candidates, or for coordinating the multiple, overlapping research programs worldwide. The result is duplication, waste, and ultimately delays in the development of products. Third, current R&D efforts for PRNDs are “top-down”—they are controlled by high-income countries (HICs) and have generally done poorly at including decision-makers from high-burden countries. It is policymakers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) who are in the trenches when it comes to controlling PRNDs—yet they are often not at the table when it comes to deciding on what gets funded, where research is conducted, who gets access to intellectual property, and where and how the technologies end up being manufactured. All these steps need to be “globalized” if we are to develop and deploy new control tools.
The Online Social Movement of #NeverAgain: How Social Networks Build a Sense of Membership, Influence, Support and Emotional Connection on Twitter

The purpose of this research is to better understand the ways in which social media is utilized to further political and social causes. The research focuses on the aftermath of the 2018 shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida and the rise of the #NeverAgain movement. The study takes a social networks approach to look at a social movement that forms on and through the use of social media. As social and political movements develop, social networks form not as monolithic communities but rather operate in the guise of clusters and niches based on particular interests or the situational relevance of the issue. The research, based on an analysis of 100 thousand tweets that utilized the #NeverAgain hashtag, found four categories of tweets that ranged from spreading information to sharing personal stories. A sentiment analysis was conducted that indicated that language was contextual, meaning that an overtly negative term might be utilized in a more positive vein. Data visualizations demonstrate how social networks while lead by elite, non-elite and core moderators, also represent diffused groups that are comprised of weak ties.
Leveraging Shared and Divergent Facial Expression Behavior Between Genders in Deception Detection

While facial expression behavior has been understood as mostly universal between the genders, recent research has highlighted important differences, including the expression of smiles and surprise. Despite such gender differences, studies involving facial expression often have limited sample sizes such that splitting the data set in half to train separate male and female models has been untenable. In order to leverage gender divergent complexity in facial expression models while also using a full dataset to train shared behaviors, we developed GAHL: the Gender-Augmented Hyper-Linear model. GAHL selectively increases non-linear model complexity with regards to gender divergent features. Using both simulated data and data from a study of facial expressions during deception ($\mathrm{N}=80, \gt 6$ hours), we demonstrate that when the facial expression data set size is in the range of $\mathrm{N}\lt 75$, GAHL outperforms several mainstream machine learning models including logistic regression, decision tree, and SVM with polynomial and radial basis function kernels.
Skeletal muscle stiffness as measured by magnetic resonance elastography after chronic spinal cord injury: a cross-sectional pilot study

Skeletal muscle stiffness is altered after spinal cord injury (SCI). Assessing muscle stiffness is essential for rehabilitation and pharmaceutical interventions design after SCI. The study used magnetic resonance elastography to assess the changes in stiffness after chronic SCI compared to matched able-bodied controls and determine its association with muscle size, spasticity, and peak torque in persons with SCI. Previous studies examined the association between muscle stiffness and spasticity, however, we are unaware of other studies that examined the effects of muscle composition on stiffness after SCI. Ten participants (one female) with chronic SCI and eight (one female) matched able-bodied controls participated in this cross-sectional study. Magnetic resonance elastography was utilized to monitor stiffness derived from shear waves propagation. Modified Ashworth scale was used to evaluate spasticity scores in a blinded fashion. Peak isometric and isokinetic torques were measured using a biodex dynamometer. Stiffness values were non-significantly lower (12.5%; P = 0.3) in the SCI group compared to able-bodied controls. Moreover, stiffness was positively related to vastus lateralis whole muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) (r2 = 0.64, P < 0.005) and vastus lateralis absolute muscle CSA after accounting for intramuscular fat (r2 = 0.78, P < 0.0007). Stiffness was also positively correlated to both isometric (r2= 0.55-0.57, P < 0.05) and isokinetic peak (r2= 0.46-0.48, P < 0.05) torques. Our results suggest that larger clinical trial is warranted to confirm the preliminary findings that muscle stiffness is altered after SCI compared to healthy controls. Stiffness appeared to be influenced by infiltration of intramuscular fat and modestly by the spasticity of the paralyzed muscles. The preliminary data indicated that the relationship between muscle stiffness and peak torque is not altered with changing the frequency of pulses or angular velocities. All study procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, USA (IRB #: 02314) on May 3, 2017.
Subcellular three-dimensional imaging deep through multicellular thick samples by structured illumination microscopy and adaptive optics.

Structured Illumination Microscopy enables live imaging with sub-diffraction resolution. Unfortunately, optical aberrations can lead to loss of resolution and artifacts in Structured Illumination Microscopy rendering the technique unusable in samples thicker than a single cell. Here we report on the combination of Adaptive Optics and Structured Illumination Microscopy enabling imaging with 150 nm lateral and 570 nm axial resolution at a depth of 80 µm through Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrate that Adaptive Optics improves the three-dimensional resolution, especially along the axial direction, and reduces artifacts, successfully realizing 3D-Structured Illumination Microscopy in a variety of biological samples. Optical aberrations in Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) can lead to loss of resolution and artifacts making it unsuitable for thick samples. Here the authors combine Adaptive Optics and SIM (AO-3DSIM) to improve the 3D resolution and reduce artifacts, performing 3D-SIM in C.elegans.
Tonal Concept and Feel

This essay is part of the Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal’s symposium issue revisiting the Ninth Circuit's now fifty-year-old copyright decision in Roth Greeting Cards v. United Card Co. Roth famously pushed a holistic “total concept and feel” approach to assessing similarity between the parties’ works, as opposed to a dissective one that would analyze the works’ individual components. While Roth itself was a case about visual works, courts over the last two decades have imported its total concept and feel standard into music cases. That approach has become a common target for critics of today’s music-infringement litigation trends. I argue here, however, that Roth's effects in these cases is largely benign. Whatever problems the total concept and feel test creates in infringement doctrine generally, in music cases specifically it’s nowhere near as bad as it’s often portrayed. This part of the infringement test simply isn’t doing all that much in these cases to begin with. If we were designing the music-copyright system from scratch today, perhaps we wouldn’t affirmatively choose to include this standard in the infringement calculus. Yet the fact that it’s ended up there turns out to be surprisingly inconsequential. Instead, if you want to tinker with a doctrinal apparatus that’s likely to have a significant effect on case outcomes, look in the opposite direction. Not to lay observer–oriented concept and feel, but instead to experts’ finely grained technical analyses. Expert dissection is driving these music cases—particularly at the summary-judgment stage—more than the vagaries of feel are.
Not only how much, but also how to, when measuring epicardial adipose tissue

Epicardial Adipose Tissue (EAT) is drawing increasing attention. As a quantifiable, modifiable, and potentially new cardiovascular therapeutic target, its accurate measurement is particularly relevant. In Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) different methods can be used to assess EAT burden. We take advantage of CMR-studies of EMPATROPISM trial to assess EAT through three different methods, evaluate the effect of Empagliflozin and look for significant difference in the ability to detect changes in serial measurements. In some settings such as treatment-induced changes or patient follow-up, multi-slice method of EAT evaluation provides higher accuracy to detect significant differences, otherwise unnoticed by single-slice approaches.
Theoretical investigation of the B2N2 potential energy surface

Abstract The B2N2 potential energy surface has been studied at the MP2-level using the 6-311G(d) basis set. Thirty-two stationary points, including 18 energy minima and 14 transition states were characterized. The most stable isomer found on the B2N2 potential surface is the linear isomer NBBN, 22. The other linear isomers, BNNB, 24, BNBN, 25, and BBNN, 26, were 50.1, 110.6 and 124.6 kcal/mol less stable than 22, respectively, with 24 being the second most stable isomer found. The rhombus-shaped (D2h) four-membered ring isomers 9 and 10, with alternating nitrogen and boron atoms, are energy minima found at 89.6 and 67.7 kcal/mol, respectively, above 22. Isomer 9 has small NBN bond angles (84.4°) while the more stable isomer 10 has larger NBN angles (116.5°). The nitrogen–boron bond lengths in 9 and 10 are 1.460 and 1.414 A, respectively. Isomer 10 is the most stable cyclic structure (and the third most stable structure overall) lying 67.7 kcal/mol above 22. The boron–boron distance in 10 is only 1.488 A, indicating that it contains two fused three-membered BBN-rings. Thus, planar 10 escapes from having alternating ring bond lengths like cyclobutadiene. The butterfly-shaped cyclic isomer 7 is the most stable four-membered ring structure found for rings with boron atoms adjacent to each other (109.1 kcal/mol above 22). The planar analog of 7, 8, exhibiting alternating bond orders, was found to be the transition state for the ring inversion of 7. Transition state 21 connects the butterfly-shaped isomer 7 with the borene-substituted boradiazirine, 19. The bent acyclic isomer NBNB, 27 (110.2 kcal/mol above 22) is 16.4 kcal/mol more stable than bent acyclic BBNN, 32.
Methods to study lymphatic vessel integrins.

Abstract The lymphatic system plays a key role in the drainage of fluids and proteins from tissues and in the trafficking of immune cells throughout the body. Comprised of a network of capillaries, collecting vessels, and lymph nodes, the lymphatic system plays a role in the metastasis of tumor cells to distant parts of the body. Tumors induce lymphangiogenesis, the growth of new lymphatic vessels, in the peritumoral space and also within tumors and lymph nodes. Tumor lymphangiogenesis has been shown to play a role in promoting tumor metastasis. As mediators of lymphatic endothelial cell adhesion, migration, and survival, integrins play key roles in the regulation of lymphangiogenesis. Recent studies indicate that select integrins promote lymphangiogenesis during development and disease and that inhibitors or loss of expression of these integrins can block lymphangiogenesis. In this report, we describe methods to isolate and culture murine and human lymphatic endothelial cells as well as methods to analyze the expression of integrins on these cells. We also show how to assess integrin‐mediated adhesion, migration, and tube formation in vitro . We demonstrate how to evaluate integrin function during lymphangiogenesis in a variety of animal models in vivo . Additionally, we show how to study lymphangiogenesis using intravital microscopy.
The Biological Basis of Commitment: Does One Size Fit All?

Understanding the biological roots of intimate behavior is a complex undertaking that involves the integration of evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, anthropology and sociology. Evolutionary biology describes theories that explain the persistence of certain types of behavior in terms of presumed evolutionary pressures or advantages, focusing on the human mind. Evolutionary biologists assume that behavior that maximizes the presence of associated genes in the next generation is the behavior most likely to persist. In this paper, we take the growing insights that arise from the study of the biology of attachment to frame the emerging policy choices underlying the governance of adult relationships. We have chosen to focus on the idea of commitment because we see two developments operating in tandem: the biological understanding of attachment has been expanding exponentially at a time of reexamination of the importance of long-term family stability. We believe that putting the two together--integrating biological understandings with sociology - will lead to the conclusions that the tendency to form pair-bonds is a deeply ingrained part of the species, lifelong fidelity cannot be expected on a widespread basis absent substantial coercion, and long term partnership is a "compromise that children win." These conclusions, however, will always leave some questions unanswered so that they can do no more than frame the unfolding policy debates. The question of what policy choices work - and at what price - can never be answered by biology alone. A better understanding of the new scientific insights underscores the conclusion that the determination of what is "natural" produces complex and varied answers, and the most natural of human tendencies is the desire to reorder human society. Accordingly, in light of the developing understandings of human pair-bonds from both the biological and sociological perspectives, we suggest various strategies that support long-term commitment between adults.