cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vapor-based polymer coatings for potential biomedical applications

Over the last decade, biology and biotechnology have witnessed an extraordinary development spanning genomics, proteomics, and metabolics. This progress was so rapid and definite that it not only changed the face of modern biology, but indeed altered the way day-to-day business is done in biology and related fields. This scientific advancement came with a need for concurrent technological advances. In this context, the ability to interface sophisticated devices with relevant biological microenvironments has emerged as a critical challenge. Already, novel biomaterials are on the horizon that promise to fulfill the rigid criteria of being both biocompatible under the conditions of a versatile range of biological applications and compatible with the increasing demands for miniaturization, integration, and throughput of future device architectures. As currently employed solvent-based polymer coatings are increasingly reaching their limits, a range of unconventional materials, such as vapor-based polymer coatings, are discussed as attractive alternatives. One of the main features of vapor-based polyreactions is their versatility in synthesizing both simple and complex polymers with relative ease and at generally low temperatures. The advantages of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique also include control of the composition and architecture of the resulting materials, high accuracy, solvent-free environments, excellent adhesion, and the ability to accommodate custom-tailored surface modifications. For further illustration, selected examples of polymer-based surface engineering approaches using vapor-based polyreactions are discussed in this review. For instance, reactive coating technology uses CVD polymerization to deposit a wide range of chemically functionalized polymer coatings on various substrate materials. Its simplicity in providing chemically reactive groups and its applicability to three-dimensional geometries (e.g. for microfluidics) enables exact tailoring of surface properties and the preparation of biologically relevant microenvironments. CVD-based reactive coatings are compatible with soft lithographic processes allowing for patterning of proteins, DNA, cytokines, and mammalian cells.  2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Properties of a sarcoma-growth-factor-like peptide from cells transformed by a temperature-sensitive sarcoma virus

Serum-free conditioned media was collected from three sarcoma virus-transformed cell lines and an untransformed cell line. All three virally transformed lines produced and released growth factors into their serum-free media. The major activity in all cases, whether the cells were transformed by Moloney sarcoma virus (MSV) or Kirsten sarcoma virus (KiSV), or whether they were mouse or rat, was a sarcoma-growth-factor (SGF)-like activity with an apparent molecular weight of 10,000. The SGF-like pools from a Moloney sarcoma virus-transformed mouse 3T3 cell and a Kirsten sarcoma virus-transformed NRK cell were further purified by carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography. The elution profiles of these peptides were very similar. The serum-free conditioned media from the untransformed cells showed no detectable growth stimulating activity. The temperature sensitivity of an SGF-like growth factor from the supernate of a NRK cell transformed by a wild-type Kirsten sarcoma virus (KiSV) was compared with that of the SGF-like activity from the supernates of a NRK cell transformed by a ts-mutant of KiSV that is temperature sensitive with respect to transformation (ts-371 Cl 5). Neither the cells transformed by the wild-type sarcoma virus nor those transformed by the temperature sensitive virus released a SGF-like activity that was temperature sensitive under the conditions of the assays.
Distribution models of recirculating lymphocytes

Linear time-invariant, linear time-variant, and linear time-delay models are compared to a more accurate nonlinear model for the distribution of recirculating lymphocytes to various relevant organs of the immune process. The models are based on various degrees of approximation to the complex nonNewtonian tubule flow and tissue diffusion phenomena. From the measured data, it is apparent that the basic premise of cel-population conservation is not valid within the organs measured. In other words, counts are lost due to nonrecirculation and removal, natural death, and migration to organs not measured. The analysis does successfully decouple the recirculating (passive) lymphocyte dynamics from the dynamic response (and active migration) which is due to antigenic (alien substance) stimulation. >
Resident Black Fathers’ Involvement A Comparative Analysis of Married and Unwed, Cohabitating Fathers

Increasing fathers’ involvement with their children has become a priority in recent years. Marriage promotion programs have been offered as the primary vehicles for increasing paternal involvement. Although marriage is likely to provide fathers with increased access and opportunity for paternal involvement, much less is known about the ways in which cohabitation, an increasingly popular coresident family formation, serves to facilitate paternal involvement. Therefore, this study examined Black fathers’ involvement with their children among men in coresident family formations. The data for this study were drawn from a sample of 617 Black fathers participating in the 5-year follow-up data collection wave of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study. The results revealed that although Black married fathers and Black unwed cohabitating fathers report similar levels of involvement, regression analyses indicate that there are distinct predictors for each family formation. Implications for fatherhood resea...
Instructors' and classroom characteristics associated with exercise enjoyment by females

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between exercise enjoyment and participant's perceptions of selected characteristics of the exercise instructor and exercise class. Women (N = 296) attending aerobics classes at a university fitness center were surveyed. Analysis yielded significant correlations among exercise enjoyment and the four characteristics of instructor and five for classroom. Correlations ranged from .16 to .32. Stepwise regression analysis was also conducted. Three of the nine characteristics entered into the model: (1) instructor's personal fitness, (2) instructor's ability to communicate instruction, and (3) liking of other participants in the class. The three variables combined accounted for only 17% of the variability for enjoyment of exercise.
Rebuilding the Temple: James Pilkington, Aggeus and Early Elizabethan Puritanism

This article examines the development of Protestant thought in early Elizabethan England by analysing James Pilkington's 1560 commentary on the Old Testament book of Aggeus (Haggai). Pilkington's commentary contained ideas about the Church and its reform that had deep affinities with radical Marian Protestant thought about purity, separation and resistance to ungodly monarchs. The way in which Pilkington transformed these ideas in a time of Protestant political ascendancy provides valuable insights into the nature and development of English Puritanism.
Transfer Equity for "Minoritized" Students: A Critical Policy Analysis of Seven States

Using critical policy analysis focused on racial-ethnic equity, this study analyses state policy documents and accountability instruments governing transfer from 2-year colleges to 4-year instituti...
Genetic factors affecting susceptibility to alcoholic liver disease in an Indian population.

Introduction. Indians are more likely to develop alcoholic cirrhosis compared to Caucasians, though the cause remains obscure. North Indians tend to consume more alcohol than other parts of the country. Genetic factors are likely to play a major role in these observations. This study investigated whether 10 different polymorphisms were associated with alcohol dependence and/or cirrhosis in North Indians. These were in ADH2*2 (rs1229984), ADH3*2 (rs698), CYP2E1*1D, CYP2E1*5 (rs3813867 and rs2031920), TNF-α (rs1800629), TNF-α (rs361525), IL-1β (rs3087258), CD-14 (rs2569190), IL-10 (rs1800872) and PNPLA3 (rs738409). Material and methods. Hundred healthy controls and 120 chronic alcoholics (60 alcoholic noncirrhotics and 60 alcoholic cirrhotics) attending various departments of PGIMER, Chandigarh were genotyped using PCR-RFLP methods. Results. Alcoholic cirrhotics compared to healthy individuals demonstrated a statistically significant increase in PNPLA3 (10109G) allele (p = 0.037, OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.29-3.4). Rest of the associations were not significant after correction for multiple testing. Conclusion. PNPLA3 10109G predisposed North Indian subjects to alcoholic cirrhosis.
How patients view probiotics: findings from a multicenter study of patients with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome

Background—Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have access to a growing number of probiotic products marketed to improve digestive health. It is unclear how patients make decisions about probiotics and what role they expect their gastroenterologists to play as they consider using probiotics. Understanding patients’ knowledge, attitudes and expectations of probiotics may help gastroenterologists engage patients in collaborative discussions about probiotics.
Hypothalamic Regulation of Sleep

The recent discovery linking narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by very short REM sleep latency, with a neuropeptide that regulates feeding and energy metabolism, provides a way to understand how several behaviors may be disrupted as a result of a defect in this peptide. In this chapter we review the evidence linking hypocretin and sleep, including our own studies, and propose that a defect in the lateral hypothalamus that also involves the hypocretin neurons is likely to produce a disturbance in sleep, mood, appetite, and rhythms.
Two-level types and parameterized modules

In this paper, we describe two techniques for the efficient, modularized implementation of a large class of algorithms. We illustrate these techniques using several examples, including efficient generic unification algorithms that use reference cells to encode substitutions, and highly modular language implementations. We chose these examples to illustrate the following important techniques that we believe many functional programmers would find useful. First, defining recursive data types by splitting them into two levels: a structure defining level, and a recursive knot-tying level. Second, the use of rank-2 polymorphism inside Haskell's record types to implement a kind of type-parameterized modules. Finally, we explore techniques that allow us to combine already existing recursive Haskell data-types with the highly modular style of programming proposed here.
Is Low-Heat Shock Protein 70 a Primary or a Secondary Event in the Development of Atherosclerosis?

Letter to the Editor: Pockley et al’s landmark observation that serum heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 levels predict the development of atherosclerosis1 prompts the question whether Hsp 70 is low as a result of atherosclerosis or the primary event leading to atherosclerosis. We believe an argument can be made for either a primary or a secondary event, or even a combination of both. First, low Hsp 70, itself, should add to the vulnerability of the artery to stress because, indeed, Hsp 70 protects cellular elements from injury by reducing oxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis and by refolding damaged proteins.2 As a secondary event, Hsp 70 may be low as a result of decreased release of nitric oxide into the circulation caused by endothelial dysfunction. Nitric oxide normally has an oxidizing effect that increases Hsp 70 expression, additionally, studies show that blocking nitric oxide release reduces Hsp expression.3 Thus, low levels of Hsp 70 in subjects with …
Perfect q-ary sequences from multiplicative characters over GF(p)

A new coding rule based on multiplicative characteristics over GF (p) is identified for the construction of perfect q-ary sequences. A subset of these sequences achieves the maximum possible efficiency less than unity. The new coding rule is illustrated by demonstrating that the perfect ternary Ipatov sequences are incorporated in these perfect q-ary sequences.
Anesthetic Interactions Following Bolus Injections

Abstract The article presents two main principles of anesthetic interactions: (1) In contrast to the interactions of inhalational anesthetics (when deviations from additivity are debatable), profound synergistic and antagonistic anesthetic interactions between different classes of intravenous drugs are possible due to the difference in the mechanism of their action. (2) A combination of intravenous anesthetics may provide different outcomes (addition, synergism, or antagonism) regarding different components of anesthesia (eg, unconsciousness or movement to noxious stimulation) because the components, even if induced by one anesthetic drug, have different underlying mechanisms.
Remarks on large solutions of a class of semilinear elliptic equations

Abstract In this paper, we show existence, uniqueness and exact asymptotic behavior of solutions near the boundary to a class of semilinear elliptic equations − Δ u = λ g ( u ) − b ( x ) f ( u ) in Ω, where λ is a real number, b ( x ) > 0 in Ω and vanishes on ∂Ω. The special feature is to consider g ( u ) and f ( u ) to be regularly varying at infinity and b ( x ) is vanishing on the boundary with a more general rate function. The vanishing rate of b ( x ) determines the exact blow-up rate of the large solutions. And the exact blow-up rate allows us to obtain the uniqueness result.
FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON UPTAKE OF S35-LABELLED SULFATE BY RENAL TISSUE IN VITRO

Additional studies have been made of the accumulation of S35 by renal cortical tissue incubated in media containing radiosulfate. This process was found to occur in several mammalian species in addition to the rat, but was not observed as a significant occurrence in three species of lower vertebrates. In the case of rat renal tissue, S35 uptake was found to be sensitive to the pH and osmolar concentration of the medium. The character of the anions present in conjunction with K+ affected it as well. Various factors known to be related to in vitro accumulative processes, as well as to renal sulfate reabsorption by the intact dog, were tested on rat kidney cortex to assess the effect on radiosulfate uptake. In general, all substances tested (amino acids, metabolic intermediates, ATP, metabolic inhibitors, competitive inhibitors for PAH accumulation in vitro) were found to lessen S35 uptake, or to be without effect upon it. The one striking exception was phlorhizin, which enhanced markedly S35 uptake in vitro, as it does sulfate reabsorption in vivo. Some implications of these findings have been discussed.
Bovine viral diarrhea virus antigen detection across whole cattle hides using two antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays

Bovine viral diarrhea virus is a costly disease of cattle that can be controlled by vaccination, biosecurity, and removal of persistently infected cattle. Development and proficiency testing of assays to identify persistently infected cattle requires substantial quantities of known positive- and negative-sample material. The objective of this study was to determine what sections of bovine skin contained Bovine viral diarrhea virus antigen. Two commercially available antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunoassays were used to test subsamples representing the entire skin of 3 persistently infected calves. Both assays detected Bovine viral diarrhea virus antigen in the samples indicated for use by assay protocol. However, one assay identified all subsamples as positive, while the second assay identified 64.4% of subsamples as positive. These results show that use of samples other than those specified by the assay protocol must be validated for each individual assay. In this study, alternative sample sites and use of the entire hide for proficiency testing would be acceptable for only one of the assays tested.
National Historic Preservation Act Initiatives Affecting the Natural Resources Industry

During the late 1990s and early 21st century, regulators sought to heighten protection for historic resources. New initiatives had a significant impact on natural resources' exploration, development, and extraction. As a result, litigation of course ensued. This article examines the recent changes in regulation, the legal challenges associated therewith, and the ultimate consequences. It examines the legal challenges to historic preservation regulation, and the concomitant effects on mineral development and property rights in general.
Future higher performance O2/H2 engine combustion cycle alternatives

The status of current and projected advanced O2/H2 rocket engine configurations for high-efficiency engine designs is examined. Particular attention is given to engine cycle configurations, operating pressures, and performance characteristics which can be foreseen for the engine configurations past the 1980 era for single-stage-to-orbit boosters and advanced space engines. The discussion covers potential O2/H2 performance gains achievable, engine cycle improvements, and projected O2/H2 engine component efficiency, weight, and other improvements foreseen through future development.
Titration of free hydroxyl and strained siloxane sites on silicon dioxide with fluorescent probes.

A technique enabling the detection and quantification of low density sites on planar SiO2 surfaces is demonstrated. Fluorescent probes are used to titrate free hydroxyl and strained siloxane sites on the surface of amorphous SiO2 substrates in vacuum. The titration of free hydroxyl sites was performed to validate the method and to provide a reference for the measurement of the strained siloxane site density. Perylene derivatives with different functional groups are chemisorbed onto the surface sites, enabling in situ photoluminescence (PL) measurements of the bound fluorophores. An amine functional group is used to selectively titrate strained siloxane sites, while an alcohol group is used for the titration of free hydroxyl sites. Emission intensity was found to be nonlinear with coverage for bound fluorophore densities greater than 0.1 nm–2, necessitating the removal of molecules from the surface into a solution to obtain accurate density measurements. For lower densities, the coverage of bound fluoropho...
Clinical application of radiofrequency ablation in knee arthroscopic surgery

Objective To study the technique and result of radiofrequency ablation in knee arthroscopic surgery.Methods 78 cases of different knee problems were treated arthroscopically with radiofrequency ablation,including 18 for partial meniscectomy,7 for total meniscectomy,13 discoid meniscus for partial meniscectomy,21 for cartilage or ligament trimming,6 for partial synovectomy,5 for lateral retinaculum release,6 fractures of tibial intercondylar eminence for internal fixation,and 2 ACL reconstruction.Results The knees were mild swelled,without significant intraarticular effusion or hematoma.75 cases were comfortable postoperatively with pain-free and no swelling knees.3 cases underwent total knee arthroplasty because of symptoms of osteoarthritis were not relieved.The clinical followed-up period lasting 3～12 months showed the results were excellent in 46 cases,good in 29,and poor in 3.The excellent and good rate was 96.2% based on the score of knee joint function.Conclusions The radiofrequency ablation is useful for increasing of efficiency and healing effect of arthroscopic surgery for knee disease.
Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery

Anomalous origin of a coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a relatively rare congenital anomaly which almost exclusively involves the left coronary artery. A previously healthy 25-year-old woman had a cardiopulmonary arrest. Following resuscitation, investigations revealed an even rarer anomaly, an anomalous right coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery. Successful surgical repair was accomplished by reimplanting the right coronary artery into the aortic root. The patient is currently asymptomatic 2 years postoperatively. The pertinent literature is reviewed.
The influence of dyadic symptom distress on threat appraisals and self-efficacy in advanced cancer and caregiving.

Physical and psychological symptoms experienced by patients with advanced cancer influence their well-being; how patient and family caregiver symptom distress influence each other’s well-being is less understood. This study examined the influence of patient and caregiver symptom distress on their threat appraisals and self-efficacy to cope with cancer. We conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from an RCT that enrolled patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers (N = 484 dyads). Structural equation modeling and the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) were used to examine two models: threat appraisals as a mediator of the relationship between symptom distress and individual and family-related self-efficacy; and, self-efficacy (individual and family dimensions) as mediators of the relationship between symptom distress and threat appraisals. Data suggest the self-efficacy mediation model was the preferred model. More patient and caregiver symptom distress was directly associated with their own lower self-efficacy and more threatening appraisals. Patient and caregiver individual self-efficacy also mediated the relationship between their own symptom distress and threat appraisals. There were also significant interdependent effects. More patient symptom distress was associated with less caregiver family-related self-efficacy, and more caregiver symptom distress was directly associated with more threatening patient appraisals. Patient and caregiver symptom distress influenced their own and in some cases each other’s cognitive appraisals. Limitations of this study include the use of cross-sectional data and assessments of individually-focused (vs. family-focused) threat appraisals. These findings highlight the need to consider the management of patient and caregiver symptoms during advanced cancer.
Cost Effectiveness of the Earned Income Tax Credit as a Health Policy Investment.

Introduction Lower-income Americans are suffering from declines in income, health, and longevity over time. Income and employment policies have been proposed as a potential non-medical solution to this problem. Methods An interrupted time series analysis of state-level incremental supplements to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program was performed using data from 1993 to 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys and state-level life expectancy. The cost effectiveness of state EITC supplements was estimated using a microsimulation model, which was run in 2015. Results Supplemental EITC programs increased health-related quality of life and longevity among the poor. The program costs about $7,786/quality-adjusted life-year gained (95% CI=$4,100, $13,400) for the average recipient. This ratio increases with larger family sizes, costing roughly $14,261 (95% CI=$8,735, $19,716) for a family of three. Conclusions State supplements to EITC appear to be highly cost effective, but randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Utility of the Three-Part Leukocyte Differential Count

The utility of the automated three-part leukocyte differential count was evaluated in an acute care hospital setting. The manual method was specified in 92 of 223 (41%) requests for differentials on one day. For the others, 79 three-part differentials (60%) were completed; 19 (15%) were rejected for histogram abnormalities (“R-flags”) or could not be computed; and 33 (25%) were rejected for out-of-range values that were later verified by slide review. The automated method missed 4 of 39 (10%) band elevations and 2 of 2 (100%) cases of eosinophilia reported on manual differentials, but those results had no apparent influence on patient management. In 98 cases of septicemia, automated and manual methods showed similar overall sensitivity (87% and 83%, respectively). Selectively combined with a qualitative slide review, the three-part differential was applicable to 84% of all specimens submitted for a differential count, with acceptable sensitivity and accuracy and substantial savings in personnel time.
Associations of Cooking With Dietary Intake and Obesity Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participants

Introduction Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may help ease economic and time constraints of cooking, helping low-income households prepare healthier meals. Therefore, frequent cooking may be more strongly associated with improved dietary outcomes among SNAP recipients than among income-eligible non-recipients. Alternately, increased frequency of home-cooked meals among SNAP participants may be beneficial simply by replacing fast food intake. This study quantified the association between home cooking and fast food with diet intake and weight status among SNAP recipients. Methods In 2016, data from low-income adults aged 19–65 years from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2007–2010 (N=2,578) were used to examine associations of daily home-cooked dinner and weekly fast food intake with diet intake, including calories from solid fat and added sugar and key food groups (sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit, and vegetables), and prevalence of overweight/obesity. Differences in these associations for SNAP recipients versus income-eligible non-recipients were analyzed, as well as whether associations were attenuated when controlling for fast food intake. Results Daily home-cooked dinners were associated with small improvements in dietary intake for SNAP recipients but not for non-recipients, including lower sugar-sweetened beverage intake (–54 kcal/day), and reduced prevalence of overweight/obesity (–6%) ( p p Conclusions Strategies to improve dietary intake among SNAP recipients should consider both increasing home cooking and reducing fast food intake.
Balancing Eating With Breathing: Community-Dwelling Older Adults’ Experiences of Dysphagia and Texture-Modified Diets

Purpose Although many older adults suffer from dysphagia and are required to eat texture-modified diets, little is known about the experiences and challenges faced in doing so at home. In this study, we explored the perspectives of community-dwelling older adults as they struggled to balance dysphagia symptoms and recommended diet modifications with their preferred lifestyles. Design and methods Using an interpretive descriptive design, we conducted 37 in-home semi-structured interviews and 5 member-checking interviews, participant observations during a meal, and reviewed the medical charts of 20 participants recruited through maximum variation purposeful sampling. Meaning units and codes were identified and synthesized into 4 themes. Results Participants faced a frightening choice between eating and breathing. Hiding dysphagia symptoms from the public eye was important to preserve self-identity. Following the recommended diet created a feeling that life was "falling apart." We also found that adhering to the diet was not an "all or none" phenomenon. Implications Given that correct adherence to the restrictive diet is rare, to effectively manage dysphagia symptoms, clinicians must appreciate the full range of impact of dysphagia and texture-modified diets on the lives of older adults.
Stromal signaling pathways as targets for prevention

ED09-02 Accumulating data indicate that the stroma can play a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. TGF-beta signaling in both epithelial and stromal cells appears to be a key regulator of the stromal microenvironment. There is now compelling evidence from transgenic mouse studies and analyses of mutations in human carcinomas indicating that the TGF-beta signal transduction pathway is tumor suppressive. Studies of human tumors have demonstrated inactivating mutations in human tumors of genes encoding proteins involved in TGF-beta signal transduction, including DPC4/Smad4, Smad2, and the type I and type II TGF-beta receptor (TBRI and TBRII, respectively). However, there is some evidence that TGF-beta signaling can promote tumor progression in the later stages. In order to examine the roles of TGF-beta signaling in cancer more closely, we have generated mice with loxP sites flanking exon 2 of the type II receptor gene, Tgfbr2, and crossed them with mice expressing Cre driven by different epithelial specific promoters. Loss of TGF-beta signaling in six different epithelial cells gave a minimal phenotype. However, when challenged with oncogene expression or tumor suppressor gene impairment, there was rapid development of invasive and metastatic carcinomas supporting the hypothesis that epithelial cell autonomous TGF-beta signaling is tumor suppressive in both early and late stages of carcinogenesis. One mechanism appears to be enhanced expression of chemokines by Tgfbr2 null carcinoma cells with resultant recruitment of bone marrow derived cells that express abundant TGF-beta and MMPs in the tumor microenvironment. In contrast to the epithelial cell knockouts that gave a minimal phenotype, knockout of Tgfbr2 in stromal fibroblasts gave a striking epithelial phenotype in the mammary gland, prostate and forestomach, including epithelial pre-neoplasia and invasive carcinomas. One mechanism identified was paracrine stimulation of carcinoma cells by HGF, MSP and TGF-alpha. Another mechanism appeared to be over expression of chemokines by the knockout fibroblasts with recruitment of bone marrow derived cells. Thus, TGF-beta signaling in fibroblasts modulates the growth and oncogenic potential of adjacent epithelia in selected tissues. The data indicate that targeting pathways that inhibit bone marrow cell differentiation or chemokine receptors may be useful in both therapy and prevention of cancer.
Plasmid DNA analysis of pristine groundwater microbial communities reveal extensive presence of metal resistance genes

Native plasmids constitute a major category of extrachromosomal DNA elements responsible for harboring and transferring genes important in survival and fitness. A focused evaluation of plasmidomes can reveal unique adaptations required by microbial communities. We examined the plasmid DNA from two pristine wells at the Oak Ridge Field Research Center. Using a cultivation-free method that targets plasmid DNA, a total of 42,440 and 32,232 (including 67 and 548 complete circular units) scaffolds > 2 kb were obtained from the two wells. The taxonomic distribution of bacteria in the two wells showed greater similarity based on their plasmidome sequence, relative to 16S rRNA sequence comparison. This similarity is also evident in the plasmid encoded functional genes. Among functionally annotated genes, candidates providing resistance to copper, zinc, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury were particularly abundant and common to the plasmidome of both wells. The primary function encoded by the most abundant circularized plasmid, common to both wells, was mercury resistance, even though the current ground water does not contain detectable levels of mercury. This study reveals that the plasmidome can have a unique ecological role in maintaining the latent capacity of a microbiome and being important for rapid adaptation to environmental stresses.
Mixed higher-order flow harmonics and nonlinear response coefficients in PbPb collisions at 2.76 and 5.02 TeV with CMS

Abstract The mixed higher-order flow harmonics and nonlinear response coefficients of charged particles are presented as a function of p T and centrality in PbPb collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV and 5.02 TeV with the CMS detector. The results are obtained using the scalar product method, and cover a p T range from 0.3 GeV/ c to 8.0 GeV/ c , pseudorapidity | η | 2.4 , and a centrality range of 0-60%. The mixed harmonic results at 5.02 TeV are compared to the matching higher-order flow harmonics from two-particle correlations, which measure v n values with respect to the n -th order event plane. It is observed that the nonlinear response coefficients of the odd harmonics are larger than the even harmonics ones. The results are compared with hydrodynamic predictions using different shear viscosity to entropy density ratios and different initial conditions.
Modal-Structural Mathematics

Few, if any, would dispute Gauss’s metaphor for mathematics as queen of the sciences. Controversy arises only when concrete imagery is suggested. One might imagine the queen as in classical Chinese Tang dynasty representations of Guanyin—erect, robes flowing in regal splendor, isolated in heaven but, notably, lacking any foundational support.
Disruptive non-disruptive applications of CRISPR/Cas9

The bacterial type II Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR Associated (Cas) systems, and in particular Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR-Cas9, have been broadly applied to edit the genome of bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Cas9, which is an RNA-guided programmable nuclease, is a powerful tool for disrupting protein-coding genes. Cas9 cleaves target sites to generate a double-strand break (DSB) that is repaired via an error-prone repair process, leading to insertion/deletion mutations and gene knockouts. However, Cas9 can also be used to modulate genome function without gene disruption, enabling base editing, transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming, genome imaging, cellular barcoding, genetic recording, and genetic computation.
Traditional Software Development

Large projects from the past must already have had some sort of project management, such the Pyramid of Giza or Pyramid of Cheops, which were built more than 2,500 years BC. We cannot believe that those types of projects were possible without some sort of project management. But at least we are not aware of the project management practices that were used back then. The 1950s mark the beginning of project management in the modern sense. Before that, projects were already using Gantt charts (developed by Charles Gantt), but during the 1950s more formal project management techniques were developed, documented, and made available to the community (Fig. 2.1). PERT, Program Evaluation and Review Technique, one of the first project management scheduling techniques, was developed by Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. as part of the Polaris submarine missile project. It was developed to schedule and coordinate large projects. What you see in Fig. 2.2 is a CPM Network chart created with Microsoft Project. In this flavor the nodes represent tasks; in the original PERT chart the nodes represent events or milestones. Around the same time, the Critical Path Method (CPM) was developed at DuPont, originally to plan the shutdown and start-up of chemical factories before and after maintenance. CPM is very similar to PERT. In CPM, the nodes represent activities or events (an event is an activity with duration of zero) and dependencies are represented by arrows between two nodes. Using Earliest Start- and Finish-time as well as Latest Start- and Finish-Time, one can calculate the critical path in a CPM network diagram.
A high-power-density low-profile DC-DC converter for cellphone battery charging applications

This paper introduces a high-power-density low-profile dc-dc converter for cellphone battery charging applications. The converter delivers 40 W across a 4:1 input voltage range with a nominal input voltage of 12 V and a nominal output voltage of 4 V. The PCB area of the converter is limited to 80 mm2 and the component height is limited to 1 mm. Three alternative topologies — a zero-voltage switching quasi-square-wave (ZVS-QSW) buck converter, a three-level buck converter, and a resonant switched capacitor converter are analyzed and compared in terms of efficiency and power density in this application. The magnetic components of the converters are designed and optimized as planar structures with custom-shaped ferrite cores. The ZVS-QSW buck converter is predicted to achieve the highest efficiency under the area and height constraints. A prototype 1-MHz ZVS-QSW buck converter with a PCB area of 79.6 mm2 and component height of 1 mm, designed for an input voltage range of 5 V–20 V, an output voltage range of 3 V–4.2 V, and a maximum output current of 10 A is built and tested. The prototype converter achieves a peak efficiency of 96.7% and a power density of 3230 W/in3.
The Turbulent Boundary Layer in a Conical Diffuser

Method for predicting behavior of turbulent boundary layer in smooth walled diffuser based on analysis in two distinct regions as suggested by Ross, involving only solution of algebraic equations; two tests conducted on 10° total angle diffuser with different thicknesses of initial boundary layer; data given to test applicability of method for boundary layer calculations.
Ophthalmic imaging of ocular circulation for detecting disease

Abstract: Evaluation of ocular blood flow in humans offers great promise in detecting ocular pathology. However, a gold standard for assessment of ocular blood flow does not exist. The assorted techniques utilized to evaluate ocular blood flow possess inherent limitations and assess different aspects of ocular circulation. In this chapter, up-to-date techniques for measuring the retrobulbar, choroidal and retinal circulation are described. The text then covers retinal oximetry methods for determining oxygen saturation in the major retinal vessels. Finally, the association of the ocular circulation to a number of ophthalmic diseases is described.
Polyanionic Glycans in Development and Aging of Vertebrate Cartilage

The principle of paleogenesis - that descendent ontogenies tend to recapitulate ancestral ontogenies - is clearly revealed in the vertebrates, where developmental sequences tend to be conservative (SMITH, 1960). If the assumption of a molecular counterpart to this morphogenetic principle is valid, as suggested by WALD (1960) and by COHEN (1966), then developmental data may indicate the nature of ancestral biochemistry.
Asynchronous machines exhibiting concurrency

This paper proceeds from a simple analogy between the Huffman primitive flow table for asynchronous sequential machines and Petri nets. This analogy is used to generalize the Huffman flow table as a special form of Petri net, called an m-net, which allows one to design asynchronous machines which exhibit concurrent behavior with respect to their inputs, outputs, and (total) internal state. The problem of "simultaneous" input changes is identified as requiring either arbitration or concurrency. A design example is given, which illustrates some of the advantages and nearly all the difficulties of this technique.
Muscle Dysfunction After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture and Reconstruction: Implications for Successful Recovery

Lower extremity kinetic chain neuromuscular control and kinematics are of utmost importance of consideration to both prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and rehabilitate athletes after ACL reconstruction. This chapter investigates the associated muscle dysfunction experienced in the lower limb after ACL injury and reconstruction. In addition, the most recent literature is presented regarding the importance of proper lower limb objective evaluation before return to sports following ACL injury and reconstruction.
Understanding Information Technology: What do Graduates from Business-oriented IS Curricula Need to Know?

This paper describes the results of a study designed to assess the practical relevance of learning objectives for a course that corresponds to the IS 2002.4 recommended guidelines for an information technology hardware and systems software course. This study represents the first step in identifying the baseline technical knowledge that IS majors should possess upon entering practice. The survey reveals a general consensus among survey participants, consisting of experienced IT academics and practitioners, that learning objectives associated with systems thinking, systems administration functions, and information assurance practices are useful. However, the survey revealed that study participants had notably different perceptions concerning the value of learning objectives associated with achieving a deeper understanding of technical concepts concerning the design and functioning of hardware and systems software. The identification of these systematically differing perceptions among IT professionals is provocative and warrants further investigation.
A 59-Year-Old Woman with Subacute Lower Limb Weakness and Painful Paresthesia

Vasculitic neuropathy is a rare debilitating but treatable peripheral neuropathy. The classic manifestation is a mononeuropathy multiplex pattern of sensorimotor disturbances, but it can also present as a symmetric length-dependent polyneuropathy. Nerve and muscle biopsies are important in the diagnostic workup, with the combination increasing the diagnostic yield. Specific pathologic findings include fibrinoid necrosis and transmural inflammation. Long-term combined immunosuppressive therapy is often required. We present a case of a woman who presented with a subacute onset of progressive painful sensory and motor disturbances without systemic manifestations. Laboratory and pathological findings were confirmatory for a lupus-associated vasculitic neuropathy.
Device-aware Circuit Design for Robust Memristive Neuromorphic Systems with STDP-based Learning

In the past decade, complementary metal oxide semiconductor-memristor hybrid neuromorphic systems have gained importance owing to the advantages of memristors such as nano-scale size, non-volatility, and low-power operation. However, they are often accompanied by non-ideal properties that can impact the system’s performance. This article presents device-aware circuit design to mitigate such effects. A bi-memristor synapse with a robust spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) is designed. A mixed-mode neuron is presented whose accumulation rate is tunable on-chip and can be used with a variety of memristors without needing a re-design. The proposed designs are employed together in an example pattern recognition system. A scalable winner-takes-all circuit is presented for the output stage. A pattern recognition task based on a simple STDP-based learning is demonstrated such that the recognition rate is directly dependent on the learnt weights. Device-level issues such as switching speed/threshold asymmetry, limited switching resolution, endurance, and varying resistance range (across devices) are shown to adversely affect learning at the system level and it is demonstrated that the proposed circuits can mitigate them. Last, the area and energy costs of the proposed designs are evaluated and compared against other implementations in the literature.
Atypical case of Miller-Fisher syndrome presenting with severe dysphagia and weight loss.

A 71-year-old man developed dysphagia, bilateral lower extremity muscle weakness and weight loss. He was admitted to the hospital after a failed formal swallow evaluation, nearly 3 weeks after symptom onset. In addition to dysphagia and weakness, physical examination was notable for hypophonia, dysarthria, diplopia, horizontal ophthalmoparesis, ptosis, ataxia and hyporeflexia. Cerebrospinal fluid was notable for albuminocytological dissociation and serum anti-GQ1b antibody titre was elevated (1:200). A diagnosis of Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) was made, and the patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (0.4 g/kg/day) for 5 days, which resulted in resolution of symptoms. This is an atypical case of MFS, in that the presenting symptom was progressive dysphagia rather than the ophthalmoplegia and ataxia that are normally seen in MFS. Patients who present with dysphagia should receive a thorough neurological examination, with particular attention to extraocular movements, reflexes and gait stability, to rule out MFS as a potential cause.
The Effects of Postoperative Neurological Deficits on Survival in Patients With Single Brain Metastasis.

Background The prognosis for brain metastasis is poor, and surgical resection is part of the standard of care for these patients as it has been shown to improve median overall survival. Development of neurological deficits after surgical resection has been associated with worsened outcomes in patients with glioblastoma. The effect of postoperative neurological deficits on survival in patients with single brain metastasis has not been studied to date. Objective To evaluate the association between postoperative neurological deficits and median overall survival. Methods A single-institution retrospective cohort study was performed on all patients with single brain metastasis undergoing surgical resection by a single neurosurgeon. Results A total of 121 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. Among them 61% of patients presented with a preoperative deficit, and 26% of patients had a new postoperative deficit. However, most postoperative deficits resolved and only 3.3% of patients developed a new permanent postoperative deficit. Median overall survival in patients with a new postoperative deficit was 2.4 mo, whereas mOS in patients without a postoperative deficit was 12.6 mo (P Conclusion This study suggests that a new neurological deficit is associated with worsened outcomes after surgical resection of a single brain metastasis. This finding has potential implications for patient selection and counseling as the patients most likely to benefit from surgical resection are the patients who are most likely to have resolution of a preoperative deficit.
Leveraging an Innovative Teaching Strategy to Identify Use of Biostatistics by Advanced Practice Nurses

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) have a responsibility to translate research evidence into their clinical practice (i.e., evidence-based practice) for the promotion of patient and population health. A precursor to the adoption of evidence-based practice is APNs having sufficient knowledge and understanding of biostatistics. To promote APN students’ motivation to learn biostatistics, nursing faculty teaching biostatistics need to know how biostatistics are used by APNs in their clinical practice. A teaching innovation was incorporated in a biostatistics course to describe the use of biostatistics by APNs. For this study, 118 students conducted interviews with APNs determining their use of biostatistics in clinical practice. Students posted interview summaries to Flipgrid, a video web-based blog. Blog posts were qualitatively analyzed; derived themes were Consuming the Literature, Translating the Evidence, and Conducting Biostatistical Analyses. The APN interview as implemented was an active learning strategy effective for generating the scientific premise to inform students of the need to learn biostatistics.