cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-medication and homeostatic behaviour in herbivores: learning about the benefits of nature's pharmacy.

Traditional production systems have viewed animals as homogeneous ‘machines’ whose nutritional and medicinal needs must be provided in a prescribed manner. This view arose from the lack of belief in the wisdom of the body to meet its physiological needs. Is it possible for herbivores to select diets that meet their needs for nutrients and to write their own prescriptions? Our research suggests it is. Herbivores adapt to the variability of the external environment and to their changing internal needs not only by generating homeostatic physiological responses, but also by operating in the external environment. Under this view, food selection is interpreted as the quest for substances in the external environment that provide homeostatic utility to the internal environment. Most natural landscapes are diverse mixes of plant species that are literally nutrition centres and pharmacies with vast arrays of primary (nutrient) and secondary (pharmaceutical) compounds vital in the nutrition and health of plants and herbivores. Plant-derived alkaloids, terpenes, sesquiterpene lactones and phenolics can benefit herbivores by, for instance, combating internal parasites, controlling populations of fungi and bacteria, and enhancing nutrition. Regrettably, the simplification of agricultural systems to accommodate inexpensive, rapid livestock production, coupled with a view of secondary compounds as toxins, has resulted in selecting for a biochemical balance in forages favouring primary (mainly energy) and nearly eliminating secondary compounds. There is a global need to create a more sustainable agriculture, with less dependence on external finite resources, such as fossil fuels and their environmentally detrimental derivatives. Self-medication has the potential to facilitate the design of sustainable grazing systems to improve the quality of land as well as the health and welfare of animals. Understanding foraging as the dynamic quest to achieve homeostasis will lead to implementing management programs where herbivores have access not only to diverse and nutritious foods but also to arrays of medicinal plants.
Analysis of a Standing Order Inventory System with Emergency Orders

The advent of relatively sophisticated information systems has made it possible for many businesses that keep inventories to know their needs very rapidly. However, the producers of these inventories have not all made comparable advances in scheduling production to meet the rapidly changing orders placed by their increasingly sophisticated customers. As a result, leadtimes have been growing rather than decreasing. Since in most cases the company needing the inventory cannot control the leadtime, it must either accept it or look for ways to mitigate its effect. This paper evaluates one way to cope with the problem of large or growing leadtimes.
Selective enumeration strategies for Brevundimonas diminuta from drinking water

Brevundimonas diminuta is used as a control organism for validating the efficiency of water filtration systems. Since these protocols use nonselective growth media, heterotrophic plate count bacteria (HPCs) indigenous to the water distribution system may interfere with B. diminuta enumeration, thus leading to inaccurate assessment of the filter’s microbial reduction capability. This could negatively impact public health as unsafe drinking water may be produced. This study was conducted to evaluate different potential routes for selective enumeration of B. diminuta in drinking water. B. diminuta’s biochemical and molecular relationships to HPCs recovered from a laboratory drinking-water system were investigated. Of the 24 HPC morphotypes recovered, members of the Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria were most commonly identified. Based on comparisons of catabolic profiles (generated by the Biolog system) using principal component analysis, B. diminuta possessed similar metabolic patterns to several of the Alphaproteobacteria (Sphingomonas and Caulobacter), indicating that development of a selective medium based solely on carbon source was not feasible. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles revealed that the HPCs were least resistant to kanamycin, making it a candidate for future selective applications. Sequence comparisons of partial 16S rRNA sequences did not reveal any distinct similarities. However, basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) alignments of the gyrB and rpoD sequences for B. diminuta did show uniqueness, with the next closest match being to Caulobacter (88% and 79% similarity, respectively). Future investigation will focus on applying molecular assays, such as fluorescent in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and incorporating an antibiotic marker or expressed fluorescent protein into the wild-type strain of B. diminuta for selective enumeration of B. diminuta.
Correlation of heart size with clinical and hemodynamic findings in patients with coronary artery disease.

Summary The clinical, hemodynamic, and angiographic findings were correlated with the heart size in 207 patients with proved coronary artery disease. Cardiomegaly was noted in 34 patients and normal heart size in 173. In these two groups, the patients' age range, duration of disease, and history of myocardial infarction were similar. There was no statistical difference in incidence of shortness of breath, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, or abnormal glucose tolerance. Patients with cardiomegaly had a significantly higher incidence of congestive heart failure (26 per cent) as compared to patients with normal heart size (2.9 per cent) (P Double and triple coronary artery disease was more frequent in patients with cardiomegaly and total coronary score was also higher in this group (P The group of patients with cardiomegaly and documented congestive heart failure had ejection fractions less than 0.30. Cardiac catheterization is probably not advisable in these patients in the absence of associated significant mitral regurgitation, ventricular septal defect, or ventricular aneurysm.
A simulation study of using active traffic management strategies on congested freeways

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using active traffic management (ATM) strategies on freeways in terms of the driver’s behavior and operational impacts. A few test beds were selected to evaluate the impacts of ATM such as speed harmonization, shoulder utilization, and ramp metering. Test beds used in this study were at places where an ATM is either proposed or previously implemented, i.e., where data exists for conditions prior to and after the implementation of ATM. Data collected from the test beds were used in a simulation model to evaluate the impacts of each ATM strategy on speed, travel time, and crash rates. Simulation results indicated that the implementation of speed harmonization on US 90 showed a 14% reduction in crashes and a 2%–3% increase in freeway speed; the implementation of hard shoulders on US 90 showed a 39% increase in travel time, 22% increase in freeway capacity and 60% decrease in delays; and the implementation of ramp metering on US 59 between Bissonnet St. and Fondern road showed a decrease of 23 % in freeway travel time, a 14% increase in freeway speed and 11% decrease in accident rates.
Oxygen protection of bacteriophage T1 against ionizing radiations.

Bacteriophage T1 was suspended in distilled water and in phosphate buffer, saturated with oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide, and irradiated with gamma rays and x-rays. Under the same conditions phage was exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen acted as a protective agent against both irradiation and hydrogen peroxide inactivation. As a protective agent against irradiation, oxygen was more efficient in distilled water than in buffer. The phage was much more sensitive to irradiation in the presence of hydrogen or nitrogen than in the presence of oxygen. Survivals of phage irradiated in suspensions saturated with hydrogen and with nitrogen did not differ significantly. From this it was concluded that oxygen did not protect T1 by removing atomic hydrogen from the irradiated medium, since the hydrogen-saturated medium increased the yield of atomic hydrogen but did not increase the yield of inactivated phage. It was presumed, therefore, that phage is sensitive to OH radicals and this was confirmed by irradiating phage with UV in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and comparing this survival with the survivals obtained from hydrogen peroxide alone and from UV alone. The combined effect of hydrogen peroxide and UV acting simultaneously was greater than the effect attributable to hydrogen peroxide and UV acting separately. Evidence for sensitivity to HO2 radicals was considered, and the effect was attributed chiefly to an oxidizing action since phage sensitivity is greater at higher hydrogen ion concentrations, which favor oxidation by HO2 radicals. Since the OH radical is a more efficient oxidizing agent than O-, the former being favored in an acid medium, the latter in an alkaline medium, and since the phage is more sensitive in the first situation than in the second, the present tests proved the importance of oxidation as the mechanism of inactivation. Since some inactivation was encountered when phage was exposed to reducing agents, independently of irradiation, it was concluded that phage is somewhat sensitive to reducing agents, but the inactivation attributable to ionizing radiations is due chiefly to oxidation, against which these reducing agents are very efficient protectors. Under no circumstances did hydrogen peroxide protect T1, whether produced by irradiation in the medium or added beforehand to the medium to be irradiated. The first point was investigated by irradiating T1 in the presence of hydrogen and oxygen combined; this produced a higher yield of hydrogen peroxide but a lower survival of T1. In all these tests phage survival under irradiation was directly correlated with oxygen content of the medium rather than with production of hydrogen peroxide. It is proposed that the protective effect of oxygen is due to a reaction between the phage and oxygen, and this complex confers stability upon the phage.
Effect of Ca2+ on morphology and division of Yersinia pestis.

Wild-type cells of Yersinia pestis are known to exhibit a nutritional requirement for physiological levels of Ca2+ (∼2.5 mM) at 37 but not 26 C. Upon shift of Ca2+-deficient cultures from 26 (permissive condition) to 37 C (restrictive condition), bacterial mass quadrupled as the organisms doubled in number and then became elongated to about twice their normal size. As shown in thin sections, the resulting static cells contained axial filaments which differed from the typical irregularly lobate nucleoids of normal yersiniae grown under the permissive condition. Following prolonged cultivation under the restrictive condition (12 h), the organisms generally exhibited apparent degenerative changes, including separation or infolding of the cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane, degeneration of deoxyribonucleic acid, and appearance of vacuoles within the cytoplasm. At this time, the cells were unable to reinitiate cell division at 37 C upon addition of Ca2+ but divided in partial synchrony after return to 26 C. This observation indicated that, at 37 C, continuous exposure to Ca2+ is necessary for yersiniae to maintain normal morphology and the ability to divide. Images
Responses of spinothalamic tract cells in the cat cervical spinal cord to innocuous and graded noxious stimuli.

The response properties of spinothalamic tract (STT) cells in the dorsal horn of the cervical spinal cord were examined in chloralose-anesthetized cats. The activity of 56 STT cells located in laminae IV-VI was studied, with most activity isolated in the lateral part of the dorsal horn. The level of background activity in STT cells was low (mean = 1.2 impulses/sec; n = 26). Conduction velocity estimates for STT axons ranged from 9 to 76 m/sec (mean = 38 m/sec; n = 56) and were not correlated with the recording site in the spinal cord. Most cells were antidromically activated from an electrode in the medial part of the posterior group of nuclei in the thalamus. Excitatory receptive fields were ipsilateral to the recording site, and for 38 of 40 neurons were confined to the forelimb. Although receptive fields were often restricted to part of the paw, they did not include glabrous skin.Among 31 cells classified, four groups were identified: low-threshold (LT) cells (13%) responded to pressure and brushing of...
Quantum physics: Photons paired with phonons.

The force exerted by light on an object has been used to pair photons with quantum units of mechanical vibration. This paves the way for mechanical oscillators to act as interfaces between photons and other quantum systems. See Letter p.313 Most quantum communication, quantum storage and quantum transduction protocols require an optical interface to single mechanical quanta of motion — that is, to single photons and phonons. Here Simon Groblacher and colleagues demonstrate a quantum interface between non-classically correlated pairs of single photons and phonons, generated and read-out from a nanomechanical resonator. This proof-of-principle experiment implies the practicality of on-chip solid-state mechanical resonators as light–matter quantum interfaces.
An integer programming approach for solving the p-dispersion problem

Abstract Given a collection of n items (elements) and an associated symmetric distance dij between each pair of items i and j, we seek a subset P of these items (with a given cardinality p) so that the minimum pairwise distance among the selected items is maximized. This problem is known as the max–min diversity problem or the p-dispersion problem, and it is shown to be np-hard. We define a collection of node packing problems associated with each instance of this problem and employ a binary search among these node packing problems to devise an effective procedure for solving the original problem. We employ existing integer programming techniques, i.e., branch-and-bound and strong valid inequalities, to solve these node packing problems. Through a computational experiment we show that this approach can be used to solve relatively large instances of the p-dispersion problem, i.e., instances with more than 1000 items. We also discuss an application of this problem in the context of locating traffic sensors in a highway network.
Making Technology Work: Solar Thermal, Windpower, and Photovoltaic Technologies

Many experts believe that nonrenewable fuels, in particular oil and gas, will eventually become so scarce and therefore so expensive that they will no longer be practical large-scale energy sources. Moreover, the use of coal and other fossil fuels imposes major environmental burdens. Therefore, it is prudent to develop energy technologies based on renewable energy sources and introduce them commercially if and when they become economically competitive. There are many renewable energy technologies to consider. First are those that rely on natural terrestrial forces: wind, geothermal, hydropower, and tidal power. Second, there are technologies that rely directly on solar energy. These include solar hot water heating, solar thermal electric conversion (either in solar “power towers” or in the more exotic form of solar power satellites), and photovoltaics. Some terrestrial energy sources can be regarded as indirect forms of solar energy. For example, solar ponds and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) rely on solar-heating-induced temperature gradients. Similarly, solar heating of the atmosphere drives the winds. Biomass, another important renewable energy source, can also be regarded as an indirect form of solar energy. We shall not analyze all these technologies in this chapter. Rather our purpose is to describe a process for evaluating and comparing competing technologies. We consider three important renewable energy technologies in some detail: solar hot water heating, wind energy, and photovoltaics. In each case the task is to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of substituting the renewable technology for traditional energy sources.
Ligand-induced fate of embryonic species in the shape-controlled synthesis of rhodium nanoparticles.

The shapes of noble metal nanoparticles directly impact their properties and applications, including in catalysis and plasmonics, and it is therefore important to understand how multiple distinct morphologies can be controllably synthesized. Solution routes offer powerful capabilities for shape-controlled nanoparticle synthesis, but the earliest stages of the reaction are difficult to interrogate experimentally and much remains unknown about how metal nanoparticle morphologies emerge and evolve. Here, we use a well-established polyol process to synthesize uniform rhodium nanoparticle cubes, icosahedra, and triangular plates using bromide, trifluoroacetate, and chloride ligands, respectively. In all of these systems, we identified rhodium clusters with diameters of 1–2 nm that form early in the reactions. The colloidally stable metal cluster intermediates served as a stock solution of embryonic species that could be transformed predictably into each type of nanoparticle morphology. The anionic ligands that...
Optimization of Optical Forces in Nanoscale Photonic Waveguides via Dispersion Engineering

By relating the response theory of optical forces to waveguide dispersion, we are able to employ dispersion engineering to optimize radiation pressure forces at the nanoscale in W1 photonic crystal waveguides.
Growth and observation of low-field giant magnetoresistance in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/ZnO superlattice structures.

We report the growth of a new class of superlattice structure, consisting of alternate layers of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO) and ZnO, which exhibits giant magnetoresistance at low fields. These super-lattices were fabricated using a novel pulsed-laser deposition technique with a specially designed target assembly. Giant magnetoresistance of >250% has been observed in these structures in current-in-plane configuration on the application of just ∼400 Gauss of magnetic field over the broad temperature range 15-200 K. Observation of giant magnetoresistance at such low magnetic fields is a groundbreaking step in the field of novel magnetic materials and devices.
Autoimmune dermatologic toxicities from immune checkpoint blockade with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy: a report on bullous skin eruptions

Monoclonal antibodies against the immune checkpoint programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) improve the hosts' antitumor immune response and have showed tremendous promise in the treatment of advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Reports of serious autoimmune dermatologic toxicities from immune checkpoint blockade therapy, however, are emerging. We report our experience with five patients who presented with pruritic vesicles and blisters on the skin while treated with anti-PD-1 antibody immunotherapy with either nivolumab or pembrolizumab. Four of the patients' skin biopsies revealed subepidermal bullae with immunohistochemical study for type IV collagen labeling the floor of the blister cavity and direct immunofluorescence studies (in three of the four patients tested) decorated linear IgG and C3 immune deposits on the blister roof, diagnostic of bullous pemphigoid. One patient developed bullous erythema multiforme. All patients had partial or complete resolution of skin lesions following treatment with systemic corticosteroid and cessation of checkpoint blockade. Recognition and treatment of rare immune-related bullous dermatologic toxicities will become increasingly important as more patients are treated with effective and newer immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
Genetic Characteristics of Enterovirus Group A Type 71 isolated from Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Cases in Fengtai District of Beijing Municipal

Objective To determine genetic characteristics of the enterovirus Group A Type 71( EVA71) in Fengtai district of Beijing Municipal. Methods We obtained virus isolated from Oropharyngeal swabs that were collected in Fengtai district of Beijing Municipal from March to September of 2013. Nucleic acid was detected by fluorescence quantitative reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction( FQ RT- r PCR). RT-PCR positive samples virus were cultivated in human rhabdomyosarcoma cells,and the VP1 coding region from the isolated viruses was amplified to detect sequences. Results Six EVA71 strains were isolated from 26 positive specimens out of 81 oropharyngeal swab specimens. There were six scattered genomic sites( 43,58,164,184,240,and 249) in the VP1 coding region that showed the same variation: the amino acid portfolio model was Lysine-Alanine-Aspartic acid-Serine-Theronine-Valine. In detail,the nt170 sites of 6 EVA71 strains' VP1 encoding regions were alanine; in the nt145 sites were glutamate. The homogeneity of VP1 nucleotide sequence of the 6 EVA71 strains was 94. 3%-100%. Moreover,compared with C4 a subgenotypes,the homogeneity was90%-97. 6%. Phylogenetic tree results indicated that the Fengtai district of Beijing Municipal EVA71 strains belonged to subgenotype C4,cluster C4 a. Conclusions The EVA71 strains of Fengtai district of Beijing Municipal belonged to subgenotype C4,cluster C4 a.
Cardiac Consultation In Patients With Neuropsychiatry Problems

Patients with mitral valve prolapse, chest pain with normal coronary arteries, and neurologic syndromes following cardiac surgery constitute a group that may present atypically, thus posing problems in management. The management of patients with cardiac disease receiving electroconvulsive therapy and of those on psychotropic drugs is also different from that of the usual cardiology patient seen in the hospital. Clinical approaches are suggested for the evaluation and treatment of each of these specific conditions.
Totalitarianism and the Survival of Democracy

The Paris peace conference was convened on January 18, 1919, and lasted until June 28, when a peace treaty with Germany was signed at the Versailles palace. Aspects of the peace were extremely harsh toward Germany, but some of the arrangements for the postwar world reflected the Wilsonian vision. It is not strange that, even given Wilson's well-known interest in the economic foundations of world order, he gave so little thought to this aspect of the Versailles peace. Perhaps he was too preoccupied with the more immediate political and military issues to give due attention to the question of transnational migration raised by China and Japan. Because the globalizing of America has been a major historical event of the past several decades, Wilsonianism should be seen not as a transient phenomenon, a reflection of some abstract idealism, but as a potent definer of contemporary history.
Exclusion Restrictions and Identification of Returns to Schooling

The paper presents exclusion restrictions that allow identification of returns to schooling using data from the National Survey of Young Men (1966) (NLSYM66). The approach does not use instrumental variables (IV) or control function approaches. Instead, a non-parametric finite mixture model is used to estimate the distribution of latent types. This approach requires two exclusion restrictions to identify the causal effect of attending college on wages. The model identifies two latent types. For the latent type with a low propensity for attending college, receiving 13 or more years of education leads to higher income than having 12 years or fewer years. However, the estimated returns to education for this group is approximately one half of the observed difference and one third of the IV estimates presented in Card (1995) and Kling (2001) using the same data. The difference is due to the difference in the mix of latent types associated with proximity to college and the impact of the college proximity instrument on respondents with a high propensity to attend college.
Renting Higher Office: Firm-Level Returns from Connections to Elected Politicians

Do firms benefit from political connections? In recent years, a substantial literature has uncovered a positive correlation between political connections and a wide range of firm performance indica...
Uncertainty in medicine.

Patients, doctors, and the wider public need a better understanding of medicine’s limitations
Impact of sex on short term in-hospital outcomes with transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair.

Abstract Background and aim of the study Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair with the mitraclip device for treatment of severe mitral regurgitation has been shown to be an effective treatment. However, the impact of sex on in-hospital outcomes has not been studied on a large scale with “real-world” patients. The aim of this study was to assess for disparities of sex in patients treated with mitraclip. Materials and methods Data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (2012 through 2014) using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) procedure code 35.97 for transcatheter mitral valve repair was analyzed for this study. SAS 9.4 (SAS institute, Cary, NC) was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was used to adjust for various confounders. Results A total of 521 patients were identified that were treated with MitraClip, with 57.97% males (n = 302) and 42.03% females (n = 219). There was no significant difference in the primary outcome, in-hospital mortality between two sex [2.6% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.43, Odds Ratio 1.62 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.50–5.28)]. After performing multivariate analysis, no difference in any secondary outcomes existed. Additionally, length of stay and median hospitalization cost was similar regardless of sex. Conclusions Analysis of this large database of patients undergoing treatment with MitraClip suggests that MitraClip in females is not associated with increased in-hospital mortality, morbidity, length of stay or cost. A prospective registry with excluded patients from the clinical trials needed to be fully access if sex disparities in patients being treated with MitraClip exist.
Six Provocations for Big Data

The era of Big Data has begun. Computer scientists, physicists, economists, mathematicians, political scientists, bio-informaticists, sociologists, and many others are clamoring for access to the massive quantities of information produced by and about people, things, and their interactions. Diverse groups argue about the potential benefits and costs of analyzing information from Twitter, Google, Verizon, 23andMe, Facebook, Wikipedia, and every space where large groups of people leave digital traces and deposit data. Significant questions emerge. Will large-scale analysis of DNA help cure diseases? Or will it usher in a new wave of medical inequality? Will data analytics help make people’s access to information more efficient and effective? Or will it be used to track protesters in the streets of major cities? Will it transform how we study human communication and culture, or narrow the palette of research options and alter what ‘research’ means? Some or all of the above?This essay offers six provocations that we hope can spark conversations about the issues of Big Data. Given the rise of Big Data as both a phenomenon and a methodological persuasion, we believe that it is time to start critically interrogating this phenomenon, its assumptions, and its biases.(This paper was presented at Oxford Internet Institute’s “A Decade in Internet Time: Symposium on the Dynamics of the Internet and Society” on September 21, 2011.)
The Emergence of the World Economy

In the waning years of the Second Millennium it is natural that our thoughts should turn to reflections of a longer-term nature than we normally engage in. Indeed we already have at least one extraordinarily imaginative and stimulating book, by the Oxford historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (1995), that has viewed the past thousand years of the planet’s history from the vantage point of a future ‘galactic museum-keeper’, displaying vivid exhibits from a wide variety of the empires, civilizations and economic systems that have risen and fallen over that stretch of time. The theme of this and most other such reflections, implicitly or explicitly, is the role of ‘the West’. How did it rise, expand and sustain itself for so long? Is its day now over, with the lead passing to the Far Eastern economies of the Pacific Rim? Connected to this is the question of the prospects for developing countries. Are their present economic problems a consequence of past exploitation and colonial status, or of current misguided policies of state intervention? Is the spread of prosperity and democracy to them from the West inevitable? What of the former Communist countries? Was their attempt to get a jump on history by adopting socialism and central planning a fatal error, or can they eventually escape from that blind alley? Are there alternative systems of organization and belief that different societies will strive for, or have we reached an ‘end of history’ as Fukuyama (1992), perhaps rashly, predicted?
Dynamic Interplay Between Sleep and Family Life: Review and Directions for Future Research

As a conclusion to this volume, we synthesize recent sleep research presented at Penn State’s 2016 Family Symposium and present key directions for future research on sleep in the family context. Four lines of research are summarized as a foundation for family scholars interested in incorporating examination of sleep into their research: (1) evolutionary and biological perspectives on sleep, (2) sleep and individual development across the life course, (3) sleep and family relationships, and (4) social and structural influences on sleep. We complete our discussion by proposing three key directions for sleep research in a family context: examine how families influence sleep as well as how sleep influences families over the life course, to further illuminate the dynamic interplay between family contexts and the health and well-being of family members; apply new research designs and methods for examining sleep within the family system; and develop family-focused interventions to improve families’ sleep.
Cannulated Self-Drilling, Self-Tapping Pins for Displaced Extra-articular Distal Radius Fractures.

Displaced unstable extra-articular radius fractures are common and frequently treated with open reduction and internal fixation with a fixed-angle volar plate. Although this treatment yields good results, it might be more invasive than necessary for management of this often relatively simple fracture. In this article, we present the technique of using a cannulated self-drilling, self-tapping (CSDT) construct that can be employed in a minimally invasive fashion. The CSDT offers a minimally invasive alternative to volar fixed-angle plating for unstable extra-articular distal radius fractures. It also can be useful in isolated displaced radial styloid fractures. Placed appropriately, implants rarely have to be removed. The CSDT also allows for early motion and rapid return to activities with anticipated satisfactory range of motion and function.
Intracellular GPCRs Play Key Roles in Synaptic Plasticity.

The trillions of synaptic connections within the human brain are shaped by experience and neuronal activity, both of which underlie synaptic plasticity and ultimately learning and memory. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play key roles in synaptic plasticity by strengthening or weakening synapses and/or shaping dendritic spines. While most studies of synaptic plasticity have focused on cell surface receptors and their downstream signaling partners, emerging data point to a critical new role for the very same receptors to signal from inside the cell. Intracellular receptors have been localized to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosome, and mitochondria. From these intracellular positions, such receptors may couple to different signaling systems, display unique desensitization patterns, and/or show distinct patterns of subcellular distribution. Intracellular GPCRs can be activated at the cell surface, endocytosed, and transported to an intracellular site or simply activated in situ by de novo ligan...
Communicating Effectively in Pediatric Cancer Care: Translating Evidence into Practice

Effective communication is essential to the practice of pediatric oncology. Clear and empathic delivery of diagnostic and prognostic information positively impacts the ways in which patients and families cope. Honest, compassionate discussions regarding goals of care and hopes for patients approaching end of life can provide healing when other therapies have failed. Effective communication and the positive relationships it fosters also can provide comfort to families grieving the loss of a child. A robust body of evidence demonstrates the benefits of optimal communication for patients, families, and healthcare providers. This review aims to identify key communication skills that healthcare providers can employ throughout the illness journey to provide information, encourage shared decision-making, promote therapeutic alliance, and empathically address end-of-life concerns. By reviewing the relevant evidence and providing practical tips for skill development, we strive to help healthcare providers understand the value of effective communication and master these critical skills.
Analysis of Chromatin Interactions Mediated by Specific Architectural Proteins in Drosophila Cells

Chromosome conformation capture assays have been established, modified, and enhanced for over a decade with the purpose of studying nuclear organization. A recently published method uses in situ Hi-C followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (HiChIP) to enrich the overall yield of significant genome-wide interactions mediated by a specific protein. Here we applied a modified version of the HiChIP protocol to retrieve the significant contacts mediated by architectural protein CP190 in D. melanogaster cells.
Introduction to Scientific Computing

This chapter introduces five basic steps in scientific computing applied to an initial value problem. The first step constructs a mathematical model, consisting of an ordinary differential equation and an initial value. The second step examines the mathematical well-posedness of the model problem, to see if the a solution exists, is unique, and depends continuously on the data. In the third step, we construct a simple numerical method for this problem, and in the fourth step we develop computer programs to execute this method. In the final step, we perform a mathematical analysis of the numerical method to determine its stability and convergence properties, even in the presence of computer roundoff errors. This analysis helps us to choose appropriate parameters for the numerical method, such as the time step size, and to compare the relative efficiency of competing methods.
Catharsis and Change

In the first chapter, Sophie’s emotional outburst was credited with helping her stay out of a hospital and permitting her to work. How could this emotionality bring about such positive changes? More generally, how could the emotional distress found in any cathartic experience help bring about emotional health? This chapter will seek answers to these questions and discuss various explanations for the healing power of catharsis.
Moment Equations: Itô Calculus

This chapter describes the yield and application of Ito calculus. It is applicable to a set of stochastic differential equations. It yields a system of ordinary differential equations from which different moments may be determined. Using Ito calculus, a set of ordinary differential equations may be determined that will describe the moments of a random process. In the Ito calculus, there are two different types of differential elements. There are dt terms, which are small; and there are dβ terms (Brownian motion terms), which are random. Brownian motion is the integral of white noise when n ( s ) is white noise. This relation is different from the result in the classical calculus by the inclusion of the last term. This relationship may be used to determine moment equations for a random process.
Grid Voltage Control Using Hybrid Control Technologies during Changing Weather Conditions

Residential customers with roof-top smart inverter Photovoltaics (PV) are gradually increasing the penetration levels of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) within secondary systems. Distribution planning and operations engineers wouldn’t want to compromise the system integrity and reliability due to high DER penetration. Smart inverters have the capability of maintaining the distribution system integrity, if it is optimally configured with the existing distribution system control device(s). The use case that will be explained in this paper describes the results of combining traditional distribution system control devices such as line voltage regulators, switched capacitors, Integrated Volt-Var Control (IVVC) with varying smart inverter control functionalities to regulate feeder voltages and reduce line regulator tap operations. Changing weather conditions exacerbates the dynamic nature of the distribution system. Hence, varying load profiles, load shapes and solar conditions is needed to clearly analyze secondary systems. A time-series analysis was performed using EPRI developed OpenDSS and OpenDSS-PM tools to determine the overall impact to the distribution feeder as solar PV and load vary independently. The aim of this project was to utilize hybrid control technologies to check the technical impacts of changing the settings of roof top PV with smart inverters connected to secondary systems. Additionally, unconventional metrics to better estimate the overall performance of the distribution power system is introduced in this paper.
Critical Care Management of the Adult with Aortic Coarctation

Coarctation of the aorta while usually first recognized and treated in infancy and childhood is one of the more common congenital lesions that may be recognized for the first time in adulthood. For those treated as children, recurrent coarctation of the aorta may be encountered in the adult age group along with other complications of repair including aortic aneurysm. Unrepaired coarctation of the aorta or repaired coarctation with residual stenosis leads to premature atherosclerotic disease of the carotid and coronary arteries and early left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Because of these issues, significant coarctation or recoarctation of the aorta presenting in adulthood is treated with surgery or with transcatheter stenting. Aortic aneurysms are usually addressed with transcatheter covered stents. Patients who undergo intervention for coarctation of the aorta are managed in an intensive care unit periprocedurally. Because of the relatively uncommon nature of this disease in the adult population, few ICUs have extensive experience in managing the adult with coarctation of the aorta. A multidisciplinary approach with congenital cardiologists, congenital cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, and intensive care physicians usually provides the best care.
M31, M33 and the Milky Way: Similarities and Differences

The large galaxies in the Local Group, while all disk galaxies, have diverse stellar populations. A better understanding of these differences, and a physical understanding of the causes, requires more detailed study of the older populations. This presents a significant challenge to GAIA but the scientific returns are also significant.
6 Essential Bariatric Equipment: Making Your Facility More Accommodating to Bariatric Surgical Patients

Bariatric surgery patients require unique equipment and furniture to safely and comfortably accommodate them and their family members. Attention to all aspects of care for the obese patient is important, and bariatric programs should lead their institutions in developing equipment and furniture policies. Careful planning and institutional support can avoid injury or embarrassment for the obese patient anywhere in the clinic or hospital.
A Game Theoretic Four-Stage Model Predictive Controller for Highway Driving

We develop a game theoretic model predictive controller (GTMPC) for autonomous driving in highway traffic. The hierarchical GTMPC uses game theory as the basis for its high-level controller by continuously playing games with the surrounding vehicles, which we call game candidate vehicles (GCV), to evaluate options. We pose the lane change situation in highway driving as Stackelberg game, where subject vehicle's (SV) strategies are the proper times to initiate/complete a lane change and the corresponding trajectories, and GCV's strategies are defined as accelerations and lane decisions. To capture SV's actual on-road benefit, we define SV's payoff as the negative of the cost function of the model predictive controller (MPC). GCV's payoff considers three factors including her position, headway and speed. A four-stage hybrid MPC is established as the low-level controller that controls both SV's longitudinal position and lane decision. To validate the effect of the controller, we implemented it into a virtual highway environment built in MATLAB SIMULINK. We first tested the controller's performance in a normal driving scenario against programmed traffic vehicles. Then we conducted a human-in-the-loop simulation in a mandatory lane change (MLC) scenario. The simulations showed that GTMPC is able to well predict surrounding vehicle's behavior during the interaction and make reasonable decisions in different situations even at the presence of human driver.
FusionMapping: Learning Depth Prediction with Monocular Images and 2D Laser Scans.

Acquiring accurate three-dimensional depth information conventionally requires expensive multibeam LiDAR devices. Recently, researchers have developed a less expensive option by predicting depth information from two-dimensional color imagery. However, there still exists a substantial gap in accuracy between depth information estimated from two-dimensional images and real LiDAR point-cloud. In this paper, we introduce a fusion-based depth prediction method, called FusionMapping. This is the first method that fuses colored imagery and two-dimensional laser scan to estimate depth in-formation. More specifically, we propose an autoencoder-based depth prediction network and a novel point-cloud refinement network for depth estimation. We analyze the performance of our FusionMapping approach on the KITTI LiDAR odometry dataset and an indoor mobile robot system. The results show that our introduced approach estimates depth with better accuracy when compared to existing methods.
Antibody, but not B-cell-dependent antigen presentation, plays an essential role in preventing Chlamydia systemic dissemination in mice

The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. CD4 T cells play a central role in the protective immunity against Chlamydia female reproductive tract (FRT) infection, while B cells are thought to be dispensable for resolution of primary Chlamydia infection in mouse models. We recently reported an unexpected requirement of B cells in local Chlamydia-specific CD4 T-cell priming and bacterial containment within the FRT. Here, we sought to tackle the precise effector function of B cells during Chlamydia primary infection. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras that lack B-cell-dependent Ag presentation (MHCIIB - / - ) or devoid of circulating antibodies (AID-/- × μS-/- ), we show that Chlamydia-specific CD4 T-cell expansion does not rely on Ag presentation by B cells. Importantly, we demonstrate that antibody, but not B-cell-dependent Ag presentation, is required for preventing systemic bacterial dissemination following Chlamydia FRT infection.
Contests between web spiders: patience as a strategy for successful invasion

When a species moves into a new area, direct contests with functionally similar residents may determine whether they can establish themselves. In recent years, the web-building cellar spider, Pholcus manueli, has largely displaced its larger well-established congener, Pholcus phalangioides, in SW Ohio. The relationship between these two species is interesting both because they are congeners and because both are invasive; the resident, P. phalangioides, had robust populations in the area for more than 100 years. We hypothesized that this example of over-invasion was related to interactions over web sites or webs. We first staged interspecific contests between adult females over empty web sites and existing webs in the laboratory. The smaller P. manueli never won but many encounters ended as ties with little active engagement between the spiders. We then staged contests with juvenile spiders that were close in size. We introduced well-fed or food-limited P. manueli into webs of P. phalangioides. In these matches, the relative size difference, a proxy for resource holding potential, determined the outcome. However, fights involving well-fed P. manueli were shorter and more aggressive than contests with hungry individuals. Additionally, well-fed invaders were more likely to take over webs whilst hungry P. manueli were less likely to engage in contests, thus allowing coexistence. We posited that newly introduced individuals, immersed in a population of P. phalangioides, persisted on the sidelines of the resident’s webs, and engaged in interspecific aggression only when the dynamics of the interaction were in their favor.
Youth and Young Adult Convenience Store Behaviors: Findings From Intercept Surveys.

INTRODUCTION To inform tobacco policy and prevention efforts, we examined youth and young adult behaviors at gas-station-convenience stores and whether these behaviors varied by demographics or tobacco use. AIMS AND METHODS Between June and July 2017, we conducted 990 intercept surveys at convenience stores in North Carolina among 16- to 25-year olds who were susceptible to or used tobacco. We used logistic regression to examine whether demographics or tobacco use predicted pumping gas, entering the store, or purchasing tobacco, gas, food, lottery tickets, or other items inside the store. RESULTS Most participants (85.3%) reported ever using tobacco. Most visited that store at least once per week (40.3%) or once within the past month (41.2%). Just over half (55.0%) reported pumping gas at the store. Of those who went or planned to go inside (68.8%), 43.2% purchased food, 39.2% purchased gas, 33.1% purchased tobacco, and 6.8% purchased lottery tickets. Those who were aged 21-25, visited the store two to three times a week, and went inside already were more likely to purchase tobacco (all p < .05). Past 30-day cigarette, cigar, smokeless, and other tobacco uses were positively associated with purchasing tobacco (all p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Our sample of young people who were susceptible to or ever used tobacco regularly visited gas-station-convenience stores, and one-third purchased or planned to purchase tobacco during their visit. Convenience stores appear to be an important access point for young people. Practitioners and policy makers should consider a comprehensive set of strategies to reduce access among youth and young adults. IMPLICATIONS We conducted 990 intercept surveys among youth and young adults at gas-station-convenience stores. Among our sample of those who had ever used tobacco or were susceptible to use, most visited the store frequently and one-third purchased tobacco, particularly those who used cigarettes and cigars. Tobacco companies heavily market in convenience stores, and our results show tobacco is a product often purchased by susceptible young adults. Practitioners and policy makers should consider prioritizing efforts at convenience stores to reduce product purchase and use.