cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of glucagon on gluconeogenesis from lactate and propionate in the perfused rat liver.

Quinolinic acid (Q.A.) which inhibits gluconeogenesis at the site of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) synthesis, reduced the content of PEP while elevating that of aspartate and malate in rat livers perfused with a medium containing 10 mM L-lactate. Glucagon at 10(-9) M did not affect Q.A. inhibition of lactate gluconeogenesis nor the depression of PEP level, but further elevated malate and aspartate accumulation. Exogenous butyrate had the same effect as glucagon on these parameters. Butylmalonate (BM), an inhibitor of mitochondrial malate transport, inhibited lactate and propionate gluconeogenesis to similar extents. The addition of 10(-9) M glucagon had no effect on BM inhibition of lactate gluconeogenesis, but almost completely reversed BM inhibition of propionate gluconeogenesis. These results suggest that glucagon may act on at least two sites, resulting in elevated hepatic gluconeogenesis. First, it may stimulate dicarboxylic acid synthesis (malate and oxaloacetate, specifically) through activation of pyruvate carboxylation. Secondly, it may stimulate synthesis of other dicarboxylic acids (fumarate, for example) by activating certain steps of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The stimulatory effect of glucagon on gluconeogenesis in the perfused rat liver is well documented (1, 2). Exton et al., who earlier located the site of stimulation between pyruvate and PEP synthesis (3), proposed that glucagon stimulated PEP synthesis in the perfused rat liver (4), while reports from Williamson et al. (5) suggested the pyruvate-carboxylase reaction as the site of glucagon action. Stimulation at sites above PEP formation and of portions of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (4) by glucagon have also been suggested (6). In the present experiments, we have used substrates entering at different parts of the gluconeogenic pathway, and specific inhibitors to further resolve the action of glucagon.
Eradication of Wound Biofilms by Electrical Stimulation

Chronic wounds are a major clinical health problem, costing billions of dollars and plaguing millions of people worldwide with increased morbidity and mortality. Treatment of these wound infections is complex and can take months to years. The length and difficulty of treating these wounds are largely attributed to the presence of biofilms created by common microbiological contaminants in the wounded area. Since multidrug-resistant bacterial biofilms persist in these wounds, the biofilms are able to dodge the “magic” antibiotic bullet. Without the aid of antimicrobials to fight off these infections, novel antimicrobials are essential. Recently, the physical sciences have been mined for alternatives to antibiotics. One such promising alternative therapy is the use of electrical stimulation devices to speed the wound healing process. There are three forms of electrical stimulation predominately utilized to treat chronic wound infections: low-intensity direct current, high-voltage pulsed current, and alternating current. The use of these various forms of electrical stimulation is proposed to enhance wound healing via the stimulation of host cells and by inhibiting bacterial biofilm growth. This chapter focuses on studies examining electrical stimulation in conjunction with host and bacterial cells, along with relevant clinical trial studies.
Detection of Bridge-Deck Delamination Using Full Ultrasonic Waveform Tomography

AbstractA two-dimensional (2D) time-domain waveform tomography technique is presented for detection of delamination in concrete bridge decks. Measured ultrasonic surface wave fields were inverted u...
Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry as a reference method for silicon estimation by near infrared spectroscopy and potential application to global-scale studies of plant chemistry

Abstract Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) is used to produce reference calibration samples for Si determination in plants by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). A certified reference material (CRM) of hay was used to validate the ICP OES reference procedure, which is based on strong base digestion in an autoclave. No statistically significant difference was observed between certified and ICP OES-determined values at a 95% confidence level ( t -test). The limit of detection (LOD) for this procedure was calculated as 10 μg/L (0.05% m/m). A calibration dataset with 346 plant samples (including grass, forbs, legumes, woody plants, and bryophytes) was analyzed by the reference procedure and the results were used to create a partial least squares (PLS) regression model to determine Si in dried, ground plant samples by NIRS. We explored options for optimizing NIRS predictive strength, and excluding bryophytes from the calibration set resulted in a PLS model with a validation R 2 of 0.83. The optimal NIRS model was then used to determine Si concentrations in more than 800 samples. Plant functional types exhibited significant variation in their Si concentration, with most legumes and woody plants presenting values below the method's LOD. Silicon concentrations in the 0.05–4.46, 0.07–1.00, and 0.11–4.67% range were found for forbs ( n = 179), legumes ( n = 23), and graminoids ( n = 398), respectively. NIRS is non-destructive and requires virtually no sample preparation and almost no training prior to instrument operation. The rapid determination of Si by NIRS is a powerful strategy for global-scale analyses of plants. It is a simple, effective and relatively low-cost approach, with important implications on food crop, livestock forage and ecological theory research.
Linear Data Structures

The first phase of the Ada Generic Library, Linear Data Structures, can be described in terms of the different data structures that are implemented or planned, most of which are relatively simple and familiar structures such as linked lists, vectors (one dimensional arrays), stacks, queues, deques, etc. However, a highly unifying way to organize one’s understanding of these structures and the algorithms associated with them is in terms of the mathematical notion of (finite) sequences. A future version may include a Sequences package of generic algorithms, but for now we discuss sequences just as a way of understanding many aspects of linked-list and vector representations.
The Effect of Agent Reasoning Transparency on Automation Bias: An Analysis of Response Performance

We examined how the transparency of an agent’s reasoning affected the human operator’s complacent behavior in a military route selection task. Participants guided a three-vehicle convoy through a simulated environment in which they had a limited amount of information about their surroundings, all this while maintaining communication with command and monitoring their surroundings for threats. The intelligent route-planning agent, RoboLeader, assessed potential threats and offered changes to the planned route as necessary. RoboLeader reliability was 66 %, and the participant had to correctly reject RoboLeader’s suggestion when incorrect. Access to RoboLeader’s reasoning was varied across three conditions (no reasoning, reasoning present, and increased reasoning transparency), and each participant was assigned to one of the three conditions. Access to agent reasoning improved performance and decreased automation bias. However, when reasoning transparency increased, performance decreased while automation bias increased. Implications for presentation of reasoning information in operational settings are discussed in light of these findings.
Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen Suction Dip and Slosh Wave Excitation during Draining in Microgravity

The dynamical behavior of vapor ingestion, liquid residual at the incipience of suction dip, the critical liquid residual at the initiation of the liquid-vapor interface dip formed, and slosh wave excitation under normal and various reduced gravity environments and different flow rates of liquid have been investigated during the courses of liquid hydrogen draining. It shows that the liquid residual at the incipience of suction dip, and the critical liquid residual at the initiation of the liquid-vapor interface dip formed increases as the values of gravity environment decreases from normal gravity to lower reduced gravity, and also that the liquid residual increases as the flow rates of liquid increase during the courses of liquid hydrogen draining. In the slosh wave excitation, it shows that slosh waves are unable to excite for flow fields with a lower ratio of Bond number to Weber number. Results indicate that flow fields with lower flow rates of liquid draining and higher restoring force fields of gravity are responsible for the excitation of lower frequencies (higher wave periods) and higher wave amplitude slosh waves.
Does the Organization of Instruction Differ in Charter Schools? Ability Grouping and Students' Mathematics Gains.

BackgroundAlthough we have learned a good deal from lottery-based and quasi-experimental studies of charter schools, much of what goes on inside of charter schools remains a “black box” to be unpac...
Mononuclear cell-derived interleukin 1 beta increases chemo-resistance in pancreatic cancer cells by stimulating COX-2 expression

790 The tumor microenvironment is increasingly recognized as a pivotal modulator of the cancer phenotype. Tumor-host interactions may thereby render cancer cells resistant to common chemotherapeutic agents. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) may be a critical regulatory molecule in this process as it causes resistance to cell death in various cell models and its expression can be induced by inflammatory stimuli. In the present study we sought to determine whether mononuclear inflammatory cells enhance the resistance of human pancreatic cancer cells to apoptotic cell death and to evaluate the possible involvement of COX-2 in this process. The human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937 terminally differentiated with phorbol ester and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (U937diff) served as a human monocyte/macrophage model. Human pancreatic cancer cells (Capan-2) were incubated with U937diff-conditioned culture medium (CM) for 24 hours and the effect on camptothecin (DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor)-induced DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, was measured by ELISA. U937diff-CM significantly reduced camptothecin-induced DNA fragmentation (30±5% reduction). This effect was largely abrogated by pre-incubation with an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1-RA, 500ng/ml). The presence of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in U937diff-CM was confirmed by ELISA. U937diff-CM and recombinant IL-1β dose (0-10ng/ml)- and time (0-24 hours)-dependently increased COX-2 expression in Capan-2 cells. This effect was mediated by activation of the p44/42 MAPK signaling cascade, as IL-1β dose- and time-dependently stimulates p44/42 MAPK phosphorylation and the MEK-1 inhibitor PD98059 dose-dependently inhibited the IL-1β-induced increase in COX-2 expression. To study whether COX-2 expression is sufficient for conferring chemo-resistance, MIA PaCa-2 cells (COX-2 negative) were transiently transfected with COX-2. Successful transfection was confirmed by immunoblotting. COX-2 transfected MIA PaCa-2 cells showed enhanced resistance to camptothecin-induced DNA fragmentation, which was reversed by the selective COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide. The selective COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide also reversed the U937diff-CM-mediated resistance to camptothecin-induced apoptotic cell death in Capan-2 cells. Taken together we found that mononuclear inflammatory cells increase the resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to apoptotic cell death. This effect is mediated by binding of mononuclear cell-secreted IL-1β to the IL-1 receptor on pancreatic cancer cells and subsequent up-regulation of COX-2 protein levels by activation of the p44/42 MAPK signaling cascade. Targeting the IL-1β-induced COX-2 expression may provide a useful tool to sensitize pancreatic cancer to common chemotherapeutic agents.
The subcompleteness of Magidor forcing

It is shown that the Magidor forcing to collapse the cofinality of a measurable cardinal that carries a length $$\omega _1$$ sequence of normal ultrafilters, increasing in the Mitchell order, to $$\omega _1$$ , is subcomplete.
Modafinil improves attentional performance in healthy, non-sleep deprived humans at doses not inducing hyperarousal across species.

The wake-promoting drug modafinil is frequently used off-label to improve cognition in psychiatric and academic populations alike. The domain-specific attentional benefits of modafinil have yet to be quantified objectively in healthy human volunteers using tasks validated for comparison across species. Further, given that modafinil is a low-affinity inhibitor for the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters (DAT/NET respectively) it is unclear if any effects are attributable to a non-specific increase in arousal, a feature of many catecholamine reuptake inhibitors (e.g., cocaine, amphetamine). These experiments were designed to test for domain-specific enhancement of attention and cognitive control by modafinil (200 and 400 mg) in healthy volunteers using the 5-choice continuous performance task (5C-CPT) and Wisconsin Card Sort Task (WCST). An additional cross-species assessment of arousal and hyperactivity was performed in this group and in mice (3.2, 10, or 32 mg/kg) using species-specific versions of the behavioral pattern monitor (BPM). Modafinil significantly enhanced attention (d prime) in humans performing the 5C-CPT at doses that did not affect WCST performance or induce hyperactivity in the BPM. In mice, only the highest dose elicited increased activity in the BPM. These results indicate that modafinil produces domain-specific enhancement of attention in humans not driven by hyperarousal, unlike other drugs in this class, and higher equivalent doses were required for hyperarousal in mice. Further, these data support the utility of using the 5C-CPT across species to more precisely determine the mechanism(s) underlying the pro-cognitive effects of modafinil and potentially other pharmacological treatments.
"Should We Carry Our Passports with Us?": Resisting Violence against Latin@s in Light of Political Rhetoric.

The day the news broke in August 2015 about two White men in Boston who beat and urinated on a Mexican immigrant and who also supported Donald Trump in his presidential run as the Republican candid...
Phenotypic Variation Among Invasive Phragmites australis Populations Does Not Influence Salinity Tolerance

Phenotypic variation within species can have community- and ecosystem-level effects. Such variation may be particularly important in ecosystem engineers, including many invasive species, because of the strong influence of these species on their surrounding communities and environment. We combined field surveys and glasshouse experiments to investigate phenotypic variation within the invasive common reed, Phragmites australis, among four estuarine source sites along the east coast of North America. Field surveys revealed variation in P. australis height and stem density among source sites. In a glasshouse environment, percent germination of P. australis seeds also varied across source sites. To test the degree to which phenotypic variation in P. australis reflected genetic or environmental differences, we conducted a glasshouse common garden experiment assessing the performance of P. australis seedlings from the four source sites across a salinity gradient. Populations maintained differences in morphology and growth in a common glasshouse environment, indicating a genetic component to the observed phenotypic variation. Despite this variation, experimentally increased porewater salinity consistently reduced P. australis stem density, height, and biomass. Differences in these morphological metrics are important because they are correlated with the impacts of invasive P. australis on the ecological communities it invades. Our results indicate that both colonization and spread of invasive P. australis will be dependent on the environmental and genetic context. Additional research on intraspecific variation in invasive species, particularly ecosystem engineers, will improve assessments of invasion impacts and guide management decisions in estuarine ecosystems.
China-Based Air Pollution and Epistemic Community Building in the Northeast Asian Region

New technologies are driven principally by need, and paramount among such needs are those which are framed by environmental disasters. In Northeast Asia, trade winds blow west to east, so anything airborne in China remains airborne in some fashion in Korea, Japan, parts of Russia, and beyond. Thus, the increase of Chinese air pollution as well as the yellow sand/dust which exacerbates the transfer of pollutants is both a domestic and international concern. This paper assesses the effects of the East Asian Acid Deposition Monitoring Network (EANET) to mitigate pollution blowing out of mainland China, focusing especially on the creation and fostering of an epistemic community of scientists and engineers. All of the affected countries are high-technology producers, and the cross-national connections which are fostered through R&D efforts are a crucial complement to multilateral agreements such as EANET. The primary research questions to be considered, thus, are as follows: How are scientists and researchers across the region constrained in their efforts to address the increasingly devastating effects of China-based air pollution? To what extent are domestic political factors thwarting efforts to establish an epistemic community? At the same time, and to provide a truly complete picture of international R&D beyond scientist and researcher connections, what policies – in China, in neighboring countries, and across countries in the region – will incentivize R&D to address China-based air pollution? This study employs a mixed methods approach to answer these questions, integrating patent data, publication data, and interview-based data which draws upon the experiences of scientists and researchers, a group that has typically been considered tangential to institutions of international relations related to the environment.
For us, by us: Exploring constructions of student activism and university support

Across the country, identity-based activist movements have impacted the mobilization of student activists on college campuses. This article focuses on students’ construction of activism and their perceptions of support from administration, faculty, and staff. The researchers employed a constructivist framework and revealed four domains highlighting student’s experiences with activism on campus. Our recommendations describe ways campus stakeholders can better support student efforts for social change.
Regulation of Smoothened ubiquitylation and cell surface expression through a Cul4-DDB1-Gβ E3 ubiquitin ligase complex.

Hedgehog (Hh) transduces signal by promoting cell surface accumulation and activation of the G protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-family protein Smoothened (Smo) in Drosophila , but the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of Smo trafficking has remained poorly understood. Here we identify a Cul4-DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex as essential for Smo ubiquitination and cell surface clearance. We find that the C-terminal intracellular domain of Smo recruits Cul4-DDB1 through the β subunit of trimeric G protein (Gβ), and that Cul4-DDB1-Gβ promotes the ubiquitination of both Smo and its binding partner G-protein-coupled-receptor-kinase 2 (Gprk2) and induces the internalization and degradation of Smo. Hh dissociates Cul4-DDB1 from Smo by recruiting the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA) to phosphorylate DDB1, which disrupts its interaction with Gβ. Inactivation of the Cul4-DDB1 complex resulted in elevated Smo cell surface expression whereas excessive Cul4-DDB1 blocked Smo accumulation and attenuated Hh pathway activation. Taken together, our study identifies an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex targeting Smo for ubiquitination and provides new insight into how Hh signaling regulates Smo trafficking and cell surface expression.
Oxidative phosphorylation in extracts of Rhodospirillum rubrum.

SUMMARY 1. Cell-free extracts of aerobically grown R. rubrum catalyzed phosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate associated with the oxidation of a variety of substrates in the dark. The P:O ratios varied from below 1 with a variety of citric acid cycle intermediates to a maximum of less than 2 with glucose and related sugar phosphates. 2. The oxidative phosphorylation system consisted of a mix- ture of soluble dehydrogenases and a particulate system. The particles contained reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide oxi- dase, succinoxidase, and transhydrogenase activities. Soluble components were not required for the phosphorylation carried out by the particles oxidizing DPNH or succinate. 3. The oxidative phosphorylation differed markedly from the anaerobic photophosphorylation catalyzed by extracts of light- grown R. rubrum. The former was not affected by antimycin A, Compound SN5949, and 2-n-nonyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide, whereas the latter was strongly inhibited. Further- more, Amytal, which inhibited DPNH oxidation and associated phosphorylation, did not appreciably affect photophosphoryla- tion. Finally, phenazine methosulfate, which stimulated photo- phosphorylation, inhibited oxidative phosphorylation. 4. Oxidative phosphorylation was carried out by extracts of light-grown R. rubrum and appeared to be associated with the “chromatophore” system which catalyzed photophosphoryla- tion. The oxidative phosphorylation of anaerobically light- grown and aerobically dark-grown R. rubrum were affected in the same manner by inhibitors. 5. An analysis of extracts indicated that preparations from dark-grown and light-grown R. rubrum contained approximately the same amounts of cytochromes b and ~2; on the other hand, the latter extracts contained more than 10 times as much co- enzyme Q and Rhodospirillum heme protein as the former. Acknowledgments-The author is deeply indebted to Dr. Howard Gest for helpful advice during this investigation and for penetrating criticism during the preparation of this report. He also wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Bernard Shore in the ultracentrifuge analyses. REFERENCES 1. FRENEEL, A.,
Fitting 3D curves to unorganized data points using deformable curves

Many articles have addressed the problem of fitting curves to data points. However, most of them are subject to a restriction that the data points must be ordered. Here, we discuss the problem of generating a piecewise continuous parametric curve which provides a “good” fit of a “smooth” curve to a set of unorganized data points. The concept of an elastically deformable curve attracted toward data points by spring-like forces is used to seek the optimal shape which strikes a balance between fit and fairness.
Nucleophilic ring opening of trans-2,3-disubstituted epoxides to β-amino alcohols with catalyst-controlled regioselectivity.

We report the nucleophilic ring opening of unsymmetrical trans-epoxides to β-amino alcohols with catalyst-controlled regioselectivity. This cationic aluminum salen catalyst, which contains bulky mesityl groups in the ortho-position of the phenoxide and a 2,2′-diamino-1,1′-binaphthalene backbone, transforms a variety of epoxides with high regioselectivity using nitrogen-containing nucleophiles. Unlike most reports, in which regioselectivity is substrate controlled, the regioselectivity in this system is catalyst controlled and allows selective nucleophilic ring opening of unbiased trans-epoxides.
Diabetic Pharmacotherapies in Kidney Disease

The pharmacokinetics of antihyperglycemic medications are altered in chronic kidney disease (CKD) in several ways including reduced renal clearance, uremic alterations of hepatic and GI drug metabolism, and increased levels of unbound drug in hypoalbuminemia. These alterations predispose to hypoglycemic events. Unfortunately, patients with CKD are less able to compensate for hypoglycemic events because of reduced renal gluconeogenesis as well as decreased food intake due to poor appetite and dietary restrictions. This can be a dangerous combination. For this reason, treatment of diabetes in CKD requires attention to drug interactions, cautious dose titration, and close glucose monitoring. As renal disease progresses, patients often require dose reductions of insulin and/or oral antihyperglycemic medications to avoid hypoglycemic events. Once patients initiate dialysis therapy, drug pharmacokinetics are altered again with increased drug and urea clearance. As a result, treatment of diabetes in CKD requires frequent reassessment to meet the patient’s changing drug response and needs.
Real-Time Sensor Anomaly Detection and Identification in Automated Vehicles

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) are expected to revolutionize the transportation industry, mainly through allowing for a real-time and seamless exchange of information between vehicles and roadside infrastructure. Although connectivity and automation are projected to bring about a vast number of benefits, they can give rise to new challenges in terms of safety, security, and privacy. To navigate roadways, CAVs need to heavily rely on their sensor readings and the information received from other vehicles and roadside units. Hence, anomalous sensor readings caused by either malicious cyber attacks or faulty vehicle sensors can result in disruptive consequences and possibly lead to fatal crashes. As a result, before the mass implementation of CAVs, it is important to develop methodologies that can detect anomalies and identify their sources seamlessly and in real time. In this paper, we develop an anomaly detection approach through combining a deep learning method, namely convolutional neural network (CNN), with a well-established anomaly detection method, and Kalman filtering with a $\chi ^{2}$ -detector, to detect and identify anomalous behavior in CAVs. Our numerical experiments demonstrate that the developed approach can detect anomalies and identify their sources with high accuracy, sensitivity, and F1 score. In addition, this developed approach outperforms the anomaly detection and identification capabilities of both CNNs and Kalman filtering with a $\chi ^{2}$ -detector method alone. It is envisioned that this research will contribute to the development of safer and more resilient CAV systems that implement a holistic view toward intelligent transportation system (ITS) concepts.
Ultrafast trans → cis Photoisomerization Dynamics of Alkyl-Substituted Stilbenes in a Supramolecular Capsule

Ultrafast spectroscopy reveals the effects of confinement on the excited-state photoisomerization dynamics for a series of alkyl-substituted trans-stilbenes encapsulated in the hydrophobic cavity of an aqueous supramolecular organic host-guest complex. Compared with the solvated compounds, encapsulated trans-stilbenes have broader excited-state absorption spectra, excited-state lifetimes that are 3-4 times longer, and photoisomerization quantum yields that are 1.7-6.5 times lower in the restricted environment. The organic capsule disrupts the equilibrium structure and restricts torsional rotation around the central C═C double bond in the excited state, which is an important motion for the relaxation of trans-stilbene from S1 to S0. The location and identity of alkyl substituents play a significant role in determining the excited-state dynamics and photoisomerization quantum yields by tuning the relative crowding inside the capsule. The results are discussed in terms of distortions of the ground- and excited-state potential energy surfaces, including the topology of the S1-S0 conical intersection.
Gender and Math Performance: Does Biology Have Implications for Educational Policy?

The use of new biological theories of human behavior to inform educational policy is criticized. Authors who suggest that detecting a biological basis for a particular human ability indicates the unchangeable nature of that ability are committing the fallacy of biological determinism. One study is chosen to illustrate the problems inherent in attempts to link a biological substrate with human achievement. The study by Benbow and Stanley on differential math performance between boys and girls is analyzed in terms of the assumptions which underlie it. An unstated assumption of the Benbow-Stanley study is that socialization factors , in particular those that cannot be quantified , are not important in the development of math test performance. The authors also commit the error of reification, attributing to a test score a physical meaning. Evidence is described indicating the strong influence of environmental factors on SATf IQ, and other tests. Finally , the appearance of this study and the publicity it received are seen as a reaction to the emergence of the women's movement in this country in the last 15 years.
Patient Experiences With Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy: Results of a Patient Survey Comparing Skilled Nursing Facilities and Home Infusion.

Objective This work compares overall patient satisfaction with outpatient parenteral antibiotic therarpy (OPAT) care across the skilled nursing facility (SNF) and home healthcare company (HHC) settings; identifies barriers to patient satisfaction in OPAT; and develops a model for OPAT patient satisfaction that can help programs improve the patient experience across both sites of care. Method We developed and administered a patient experience survey to 100 patients returning to a single clinic for follow up. The survey consisted of 15 items (Likert scale, multiple choice, and free text responses). Patient characteristics and responses to the survey for patients who received care at home and at SNFs were analyzed and compared. Results Of the 100 patients surveyed, 98 completed the survey. Overall, HHC patients were satisfied more with their care than patients in SNFs, with a greater proportion stating they would recommend the site to others (71.7% for HHC and 32.7% for SNFs, P < .01). Patients in SNFs had a larger number of complaints about lapses in medical care, infection prevention, and the physical environment than HHC patients. Conclusions Patient satisfaction in OPAT is higher for home infusion than SNFs. In order to improve the patient experience, OPAT programs need to engage stakeholders in HHCs and SNFs to improve communication and care delivery.
Colorectal cancer statistics, 2020.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Every 3 years, the American Cancer Society provides an update of CRC occurrence based on incidence data (available through 2016) from population-based cancer registries and mortality data (through 2017) from the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2020, approximately 147,950 individuals will be diagnosed with CRC and 53,200 will die from the disease, including 17,930 cases and 3,640 deaths in individuals aged younger than 50 years. The incidence rate during 2012 through 2016 ranged from 30 (per 100,000 persons) in Asian/Pacific Islanders to 45.7 in blacks and 89 in Alaska Natives. Rapid declines in incidence among screening-aged individuals during the 2000s continued during 2011 through 2016 in those aged 65 years and older (by 3.3% annually) but reversed in those aged 50 to 64 years, among whom rates increased by 1% annually. Among individuals aged younger than 50 years, the incidence rate increased by approximately 2% annually for tumors in the proximal and distal colon, as well as the rectum, driven by trends in non-Hispanic whites. CRC death rates during 2008 through 2017 declined by 3% annually in individuals aged 65 years and older and by 0.6% annually in individuals aged 50 to 64 years while increasing by 1.3% annually in those aged younger than 50 years. Mortality declines among individuals aged 50 years and older were steepest among blacks, who also had the only decreasing trend among those aged younger than 50 years, and excluded American Indians/Alaska Natives, among whom rates remained stable. Progress against CRC can be accelerated by increasing access to guideline-recommended screening and high-quality treatment, particularly among Alaska Natives, and elucidating causes for rising incidence in young and middle-aged adults.
Predictors of High Grade and Other Clinically Significant Placental Findings by Indication for Submission in Singleton Placentas From Term Births.

Indications for placental submission are variable. Established guidelines are largely based on expert opinion, and there is a need for more evidence-based criteria. A 10-year database of term place...
Effect of L-thyroxine on pregnancy outcome, fetal and serum levels of hCG and SOD in pregnant women with hypothyroidism

Objective To investigate the effect of L-thyroid hormone on pregnancy outcome, fetal and serum human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in pregnant women with hypothyroidism. Methods From December 2015 to October 2016, 86 pregnant women with hypothyroidism in the Women's and Children's Hospital of Dongyang were divided into observation group(n=41)and control group(n=45)according to the treatment method.The control group was treated routinely.The observation group was treated with L-thyroxine sodium tablets on the basis of the control group.The levels of serum thyrotropin(TSH), thyroxine demand, serum hCG, SOD level, pregnancy outcome, neonatal growth, complications and clinical efficacy were observed and compared. Results The levels of TSH in pregnant women at the second trimester of pregnancy, the end of pregnancy and 1 week after birth were(1.85±0.64)mU/L, (1.32±0.36)mU/L, (0.41±0.33)mU/L, respectively, which was lower than that in the early pregnancy[(2.47±0.58)mU/L](t=3.210, 8.154, 14.479, all P 0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum hCG and SOD in the control group were(34 587.81±8 301.72)mU/L, (151.46±24.58)U/mL, respectively, which in the observation group were(43 014.37±7 879.43)mU/L, (174.53±31.66)U/mL, respectively, the differences were statistically significant(t=4.816, 3.792, all P<0.05). The rate of spontaneous delivery in the observation group(80.49%)was higher than that in the control group(22.22%), and the incidence rates of cesarean section, early spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia and stillbirth were lower than those in the control group, the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(χ2=29.132, 4.051, 4.398, 5.386, 4.836, all P<0.05). The scores of BSID, MDI and PDI of the observation group were(121.15±8.55)points, (120.89±11.68)points and(118.57±6.52)points, respectively, which were higher than those of the control group[(103.76±7.49)points, (106.15±9.73)points, (104.14±5.27)points](t=10.052, 6.378, 11.331, all P<0.05). The incidence rate of complication in the observation group was 4.88%, which was lower than 57.78% in the control group, the effective rate in the observation group was 95.12%, which was significantly higher than that 57.78%in the control group, the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(χ2=27.341, 16.210, all P<0.05). Conclusion L-thyroid hormone can effectively improve the serum hCG and SOD levels in pregnant women, improve the pregnancy outcome of pregnant women with hypothyroidism, reduce the incidence rate of complications and promote the healthy growth of newborns. Key words: Hypothyroidism; Pregnancy complications; Pregnancy outcome; Chorionic gonadotropin; Superoxide dismutase; Levothyroxine sodium
National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) - capabilities and recent measurements

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) located at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is home to four critical assemblies which are used to support of range of missions, including nuclear criticality safety and nuclear nonproliferation. Additionally, subcritical systems can also be assembled at NCERC. NCERC is providing critical and subcritical experiments valuable to the nuclear data community and experiments performed at NCERC are often published as benchmarks in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Handbook. This manuscript will give a broad overview of recent experiments performed at NCERC, upcoming experiments, and why integral measurements are important and useful to the nuclear data community.The four critical assemblies are GODIVA IV, FLATTOP, COMET, and PLANET. GODIVA IV is a cylindrical metal fast burst reactor, the fourth in the GODIVA series that dates back to the 1950’s. FLATTOP is an highly enriched uranium (HEU) or Pu core reflected by natural uranium. COMET and PLANET are vertical lift assemblies, where one half of the reactor can be lifted to the upper half of the reactor to create a critical system. Some recent experiments include various critical intermediate energy assemblies with lead, and subcritical measurements of plutonium reflected by copper, tungsten, and nickel. Work is also underway to make a better measurement of the critical mass of neptunium, using a neptunium sphere surrounded by nickel shells. Additionally, measurements will be performed next year with HEU shells from Rocky Flats. These HEU shells will be stacked together to make larger systems, allowing for a large range of criticality (from subcritical to delayed critical). Other upcoming measurements include an HEU critical assembly sensitive to intermediate energy neutrons.
A multilevel secure information communication model for healthcare systems

The emerging demand for sharing medical digital images amid specialists and hospitals for enhanced and precise analysis necessitates protecting patients’ privacy. The communication of such information over available channels is very much susceptible to numerous security threats. The contemporary defence level is not strong enough for maintaining the protection and integrity of information in a required field like the human healthcare sector. There is a stern need for a robust safety mechanism. In this paper, a model is created by harmonizing various cryptography and steganography techniques to secure secret diagnostic information. This proposal provides multi-level security by utilizing a blend of Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman (RSA) and Quantum Chaos (QC) for Encryption mechanism as the first level and the Improved BPCS (IBPCS) steganography as the next step to conceal the resultant cipher in a cover image. Both image formats, Grayscale, and colored are employed as the cover images to hide various volumes of the confidential data. The proposed framework is implemented in MATLAB and assessed using different performance metrics like mean square error (MSE), Peak Signal to noise ratio (PSNR), bit error rate (BER), structural component (SC), structural similarity (SSIM), and so forth that are referenced in writing. Appraisal and comparison with state-of-art methods are also made after applying the different attacks (geometric, Gaussian, salt and pepper, flipping, etc.) on the stego image. Result analysis illustrates that the proposed model reveals its capacity to conceal the confidential patient’s information into a transmitted cover image with high imperceptibility and robustness in the presence and absence of attacks.
Tunable perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in GdFeCo amorphous films

Abstract We report the compositional and temperature dependence of magnetic compensation in amorphous ferrimagnetic Gd x Fe 93− x Co 7 alloy films. Magnetic compensation is attributed to the competition between antiferromagnetic coupling of rare-earth (RE) with transition-metal (TM) ions and ferromagnetic interaction between the TM ions. The low-Gd region of x between 20 and 34 was found to exhibit compensation phenomena characterized by a low saturation magnetization and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) near the compensation temperature. Compensation temperature was not observed in previously unreported high-Gd region of x =52–59, in qualitative agreement with results from recent model calculations. However, low magnetization was achieved at room temperature, accompanied by a large PMA with coercivity reaching ~6.6 kOe. The observed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of amorphous GdFeCo films probably has a structural origin consistent with certain aspects of the atomic-scale anisotropy. Our findings have broadened the composition range of transition metal-rare earth alloys for designing PMA films, making it attractive for tunable magnetic anisotropy in nanoscale devices.
Tachyon – A Non-Existent Particle

In a 1967 paper [1], G. Feinberg conjectured about the possibility of “faster-than-light” particles. In the current note we prove his conjecture to be false by showing that he missed several key counter-arguments to their existence. We explain why the existence of tachyons contradicts both relativistic kinematics and relativistic dynamics. Our paper is divided in two sections: the kinematic counter-arguments and the dynamics counter-arguments.
Structurally Driven Environmental Degradation of Friction in MoS2 Films

We report an investigation of the friction mechanisms of MoS2 thin films under changing environments and contact conditions using a variety of computational and experimental techniques. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the effects of water and molecular oxygen on friction and bonding of MoS2 lamellae during initial sliding. Characterization via photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) were used to determine work function changes in shear modified material within the top few nanometers of MoS2 wear scars. The work function was shown to change with contact conditions and environment, and shown by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and literature reports to be correlated with lamellae size and thickness of the basally oriented surface layer. Results from nanoscale simulations and macroscale experiments suggest that the evolution of the friction behavior of MoS2 is linked primarily to the formation or inhibition of a basally oriented, molecularly thin surface film with long-range order.
A Hölder-continuous Extended State Observer for Model-free Position Tracking Control

Position tracking control in three spatial dimensions in the presence of unknown or uncertain dynamics, is applicable to unmanned aerial, ground, (under)water and space vehicles. This work gives a new approach to model-free position tracking control by designing an extended state observer to estimate the states and the uncertain dynamics, with guaranteed accuracy of estimates. The estimated states and uncertainties can be used in a control scheme in real-time for position tracking control. The uncertainty (disturbance input) estimate is provided by an extended state observer (ESO) that is finite-time stable (FTS), to provide accuracy and robustness. The ideas of homogeneous vector fields and real-valued functions are utilized for the ESO design and to prove FTS. The estimated disturbance is then utilized for compensation of this uncertainty in real-time, and to enhance the stability and robustness of the feedback tracking control scheme.
Apoptosis in an Interleukin-2-dependent Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Cell Line Is Associated with Intracellular Acidification ROLE OF THE Na/H-ANTIPORT

Apoptosis is a form of cell death associated with DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation. We recently established that intracellular acidification occurred during apoptosis following cytotoxic insult. The current studies were designed to determine whether intracellular acidification was more generally associated with apoptosis, specifically in a model of growth factor withdrawal. Upon withdrawal of interleukin-2, CTLL-2 cells accumulated in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and started to fragment their DNA around 12 h concurrent with both decreased pH and increased Ca2. Chelation of Ca2+ did not inhibit DNA digestion, whereas incubation with a calcium ionophore prevented both acidification and DNA digestion. Hence, acidification rather than increased Ca2+ was associated with apoptosis. The acidified cells represented a discrete population up to 0.7 pH units below normal. The extent of acidification depended upon the extracellular pH; above pH 6.3, intracellular pH was significantly below extracellular pH, whereas below pH 6.3, the cells still regulated their pH. Inhibition of the Na+/H(+)-antiport prevented the apoptotic cells from regulating their intracellular pH under these acidic conditions. These intracellular pH under these acidic conditions. These results demonstrate that apoptotic cells retain a functional antiport but that its set-point has changed. Many survival factors are known to phosphorylate and activate the antiport, hence apoptosis is likely to be associated with dephosphorylation. Although acidification always occurred during apoptosis, maintaining intracellular pH above 7.2 did not prevent apoptosis, suggesting that an acid pH is not essential for apoptosis. We hypothesize that other critical regulators of apoptosis must be subject to dephosphorylation.
Smoking and reproduction: The oviduct as a target of cigarette smoke

The oviduct is an exquisitely designed organ that functions in picking-up ovulated oocytes, transporting gametes in opposite directions to the site of fertilization, providing a suitable environment for fertilization and early development, and transporting preimplantation embryos to the uterus. A variety of biological processes can be studied in oviducts making them an excellent model for toxicological studies. This review considers the role of the oviduct in oocyte pick-up and embryo transport and the evidence that chemicals in both mainstream and sidestream cigarette smoke impair these oviductal functions. Epidemiological data have repeatedly shown that women who smoke are at increased risk for a variety of reproductive problems, including ectopic pregnancy, delay to conception, and infertility. In vivo and in vitro studies indicate the oviduct is targeted by smoke components in a manner that could explain some of the epidemiological data. Comparisons between the toxicity of smoke from different types of cigarettes, including harm reduction cigarettes, are discussed, and the chemicals in smoke that impair oviductal functioning are reviewed.
Antiserum from a patient with cerebellar degeneration identifies a novel protein in Purkinje cells, cortical neurons, and neuroectodermal tumors.

The serum and cerebrospinal fluid of a patient (NB) with subacute cerebellar degeneration were found to contain a novel antineuronal autoantibody (anti-Nb). Using this antibody, we have identified and characterized antigens present in a subset of neurons in the CNS and in some neuroectodermal tumor lines. Anti-Nb antibody bound to antigens of Mr 150, 120, and 65 kDa in Western blots using extracts of human cerebellar Purkinje cells or human cerebral cortical neurons. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated relatively specific binding of anti- Nb IgG to Purkinje cells in sections of human cerebellum and to some neocortical neurons, especially those in layer VI. Because of the association of cerebellar degeneration with occult malignancies, we screened a number of tumor cell lines for immunoreactivity to anti-Nb antibody; only tumor lines of neuroectodermal origin (melanoma, small- cell lung cancer, and neuroblastoma) expressed the Nb antigen. Anti-Nb antibody thus identifies neuronal and tumor cell antigens that appear to be unique in size and distribution of expression.
Marxist and Soviet Law

This chapter addresses both the Marxist critique of law before the Russian Revolution and the development of the Soviet Law Structure. It discusses the three main trends in Soviet Criminal Law before elucidating how these trends affected the General Part and the Special Part of Soviet Criminal Codes and overall Soviet criminal policy.