cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability and characteristics of 3D HgI2 detectors at different cathode bias

This article presents our studies on the first fully pixelated 3-dimensional (3D) position-sensitive HgI2 detectors, manufactured by Constellation Technology Corporation. The radiation signals were read out using a VAS_UM3.2/TAT4 ASIC readout system. The performance of several detectors was investigated over a period of time and at different operational bias voltages. The resolution for single-pixel-triggered events was measured as good as 1.60% at 662 keV. 1.20% FWHM energy resolution was observed on the best anode pixel, demonstrating the potential to achieve better resolution on HgI2 detectors. It was found that the trapping of electrons is much lower in those HgI2 detectors. The resolution changes inside the detector bulk are minor. The stability of the detectors was examined and all detectors with the history of being biased up within one month show little variance of photopeak centroid and resolution. However, one detector unbiased for three months is found to have performance variance over time. Slight improvement of resolution with cathode bias raised from -3000 V to -4000 V is observed.
AB1052 Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis Appears as Severe as Inflammation in Contempary Care at One Site, Which May Explain in Part Limitations To Treat-To-Target

Background “Treat-to-target” should guide treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with intensification of therapy if an index indicates moderate/high disease activity. However, low activity or remission are unusual in even 50% of patients. One study suggests a partial explanation, as about 20% of patients with high index scores whose therapy is not intensified had clinically important joint damage 1 . However, a quantitative estimate of the extent of joint damage is not included in quantitaive assessments of patients with RA. Objectives To analyze quantitative physician estimates on visual analog scales (VAS) for inflammation and damage in routine care of patients with RA for the proportions of clinical management decisions which are attributable to either inflammation and/or damage. Methods All patients seen at a one academic site complete an MDHAQ/RAPID3 at each visit, and rheumatologists complete a RheuMetric physician checklist, which includes four 0–10 VAS, for overall global estimate, inflammation or reversible disease, damage or irreversible disease, and distress or fibromyalgia, etc., explained by neither inflammation nor damage. Physicians also estimate the proportion of decisions concerning management that is attributable to inflammation, damage, or distress, totaling 100%. Cross-tabulations here were performed to analyze the proportion of clinical decisions attributable to inflammation and/or damage (not including distress), classified as low ( 60%), using chi square tests for statistical significance. Results 110 RA patients were studied. Mean age was 56.2 (SD=17.5); 84.4% were female. Mean estimate of the physician VAS for inflammation was 2.3 (SD=2.2) and for damage was 3.1 (SD=2.2). Among the 110 patients, 29 (26%) were estimated to have clinical decisions based on high inflammation, while 39 (35%) were estimated to have high damage (Table). A high level of inflammation and low level of damage was estimated in 19 patients (22% of all patients), while a high level of damage and low level of inflammation was estimated in 27 patients (35% of all patients). Conclusions Damage appears to impact clinical decisions in current treatment of patients with RA as much as inflammation. Structural damage is unlikely to be ameliorated by aggressive medical therapy, and these data may explain in part why clinical trials of established patients indicate only 60% ACR20 responses with all 10 approved biological agents for RA. Moreover, the data may explain in part why fewer patients are in remission than might be expected using a “treat-to-target” strategy. Estimates of inflammation, damage and distress are feasibly completed by rheumatologists in busy clinical settings, and may help clarify and document decisions concerning therapies and outcomes. References Tymms K, et al. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2014;66:190–6. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Unilateral Neck Exploration for Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Conventional parathyroid surgery requires a large transverse cervical incision and bilateral neck exploration (BNE) with exposure of all four glands. While highly successful, this procedure results in a long scar, and the extensive dissection occasionally risks significant postoperative hypocalcemia. Though some conditions still require bilateral surgery, the majority of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) have a single hyperfunctional gland. Increased understanding of this pathophysiology, along with advances in preoperative imaging modalities and intraoperative adjuncts, have led to the development and successful implementation of minimally invasive, unilateral neck exploration (UNE). This approach improves the cosmetic and physiologic outcomes of parathyroidectomy without compromising the cure rate achieved by conventional surgery.
Recovering Memories of Trauma A View From the Laboratory

The controversy over the validity of repressed and recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been extraordinarily bitter. Yet data on cognitive functioning in people reporting repressed and recovered memories of trauma have been strikingly scarce. Recent laboratory studies have been designed to test hypotheses about cognitive mechanisms that ought to be operative if people can repress and recover memories of trauma or if they can form false memories of trauma. Contrary to clinical lore, these studies have shown that people reporting CSA histories are not characterized by a superior ability to forget trauma-related material. Other studies have shown that individuals reporting recovered memories of either CSA or abduction by space aliens are characterized by heightened proneness to form false memories in certain laboratory tasks. Although cognitive psychology methods cannot distinguish true memories from false ones, these methods can illuminate mechanisms for remembering and forgetting among pe...
Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis, and Their Impact on Fat Infiltration of the Trunk Musculature Using Unenhanced Computed Tomography.

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to assess whether hepatic steatosis predicts muscle fat content independent of body mass index (BMI).MethodsRegions of interest were drawn over several trunk muscles and over the right lobe of the liver to obtain the computed tomography (CT) density in 100 subjects
Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Treated with IV Beta-Lactam/Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations.

tudy Objective Increased acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence has been reported in patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ) therapy compared to other beta-lactams. This study sought to determine if the addition of beta-lactamase inhibitors impact AKI incidence by comparing patients treated with PTZ or ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Large academic tertiary care hospital. Patients Overall, 2,448 patients received PTZ (n=1,836) or SAM (n=612) for at least 48 hours between September 1, 2007 and September 30, 2015. Patients were excluded for pregnancy, cystic fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, and initial creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 30 mL/min. Patients were matched on Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), initial CrCl, hypotension exposure, various nephrotoxic drug exposures, history of diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. Measurements and Main results AKI occurred in 265 patients at similar rates for both groups (PTZ 11.4% vs SAM 9.2%; p=0.14). After stratifying by vancomycin exposure and controlling for confounders, there was no difference in the risk of AKI for SAM or PTZ (adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.59-1.25). The addition of vancomycin to PTZ increased the likelihood of AKI compared to PTZ alone (adjusted OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.26-2.46). Concomitant SAM and VAN therapy was not associated with a significant increase in AKI compared to SAM monotherapy (adjusted OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.48-1.97). Conclusion Rates of AKI were similar for PTZ and SAM in a matched cohort. The addition of a beta-lactamase inhibitor is not likely the mechanism in the observed increased rates of AKI in patients treated with vancomycin and PTZ. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Route-Level Transit Operational-Efficiency Assessment with a Bootstrap Super-Data-Envelopment Analysis Model

AbstractRoute-level operational efficiency assessment is an essential task for transit service providers to capture passenger demand trends, operational constraints, concerns of stakeholders, and c...
An Atlas of β-Glucuronidases in the Human Intestinal Microbiome.

Microbiome-encoded β-glucuronidase (GUS) enzymes play important roles in human health by metabolizing drugs in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The numbers, types, and diversity of these proteins in the human GI microbiome, however, remain undefined. We present an atlas of GUS enzymes comprehensive for the Human Microbiome Project GI database. We identify 3,013 total and 279 unique microbiome-encoded GUS proteins clustered into six unique structural categories. We assign their taxonomy, assess cellular localization, reveal the inter-individual variability within the 139 individuals sampled, and discover 112 novel microbial GUS enzymes. A representative in vitro panel of the most common GUS proteins by read abundances highlights structural and functional variabilities within the family, including their differential processing of smaller glucuronides and larger carbohydrates. These data provide a sequencing-to-molecular roadmap for examining microbiome-encoded enzymes essential to human health.
Logistic Regression: Modeling Dummy Dependent Variables

This note describes logistic regression, a modeling technique appropriate when the dependent variable is a dummy variable. It is intended for MBA students who have a working knowledge of linear regression. Excerpt UVA-QA-0691 Rev. Oct. 30, 2013 LOGISTIC REGRESSION: MODELING DUMMY DEPENDENT VARIABLES This note describes logistic regression, a modeling technique appropriate when the dependent variable is a dummy variable. Dummy variables (also known as binary or 0/1 variables) are used to represent the outcomes of either/or events. Bids either win or lose, automobile transmissions either fail under warranty or survive, credit card holders either pay or are late, and direct-mail solicitations either work (generate a response) or fail. The Charles Book Club Consider a practical example from “The Charles Book Club”: using the results from a test mailing to a random sample of 4,000 customers, the club wanted to see if it could predict who (among their remaining customers) was likely to purchase their new title, The Art History of Florence. The title had done remarkably well during the test as 338 of the 4,000 customers (8.45%) purchased it. Although a host of potential predictor variables were available, for the purposes of this note we consider only recency. “Recency” is defined as the number of months since the customer's last purchase. The club expected that more recent customers (those with lower values of recency) would be more likely to purchase a given title. If this were the case, the club might decide to save money by only mailing customers below a certain recency threshold. And once a full-blown model was built (using other predictor variables such as gender, total number of past purchases, and total number of art books purchased), the club might mail only those new customers whose predicted likelihood of purchasing met some minimum threshold. . . .
Characterization of Thermal Behavior of Commercial NCR 18650B Batteries under Varying Cycling Conditions

To better understand the condition of commercial batteries used in Tesla EVs and stationary applications under real performing situations, this article focuses on tracking the temperature of commercial batteries during varying cycling conditions. We have found evidence of significant impact of cycling methods on batteries in ionic conductivity, inner impedance development, and structural change in both cathode and anode electrodes, which will be further analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique in the following research.
The price of ‘one person, one vote’

I study the design of binary voting rules in environments where agents are heterogenous either in the stakes that they have in the decision or in the quality of information they possess regarding the correct course of action. The price of ‘one person, one vote’ is defined as the reduction in welfare resulting from constraining the voting rule to treat the agents symmetrically. I analyze how this price depends on the parameters of the environment, particularly on the level of heterogeneity in the society. The results shed light on the tradeoff between equality and efficiency in the context of constitutional design.
Marcuse Was Right: One-Dimensional Society in the Twenty-First Century

The concept of one-dimensionality identified oppressive characteristics of societies in the 1960s, suggesting that they could intensify over time until few people are able to imagine alternatives. This concept and its related body of work are largely forgotten today, associated with a time and set of circumstances that have passed. This article argues that instead of disappearing, onedimensionality has matured and become commonplace, fulfilling Marcuse's vision of a society that lacks reflexive knowledge and capacity to change. The article describes three aspects of a onedimensional society—work, aggressiveness, and public affairs— and asks whether we are trapped in one societal dimension.
Structural basis for high-affinity actin binding revealed by a β-III-spectrin SCA5 missense mutation

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 5 (SCA5) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the cytoskeletal protein β-III-spectrin. Previously, a SCA5 mutation resulting in a leucine-to-proline substitution (L253P) in the actin-binding domain (ABD) was shown to cause a 1000-fold increase in actin-binding affinity. However, the structural basis for this increase is unknown. Here, we report a 6.9 A cryo-EM structure of F-actin complexed with the L253P ABD. This structure, along with co-sedimentation and pulsed-EPR measurements, demonstrates that high-affinity binding caused by the CH2-localized mutation is due to opening of the two CH domains. This enables CH1 to bind actin aided by an unstructured N-terminal region that becomes α-helical upon binding. This helix is required for association with actin as truncation eliminates binding. Collectively, these results shed light on the mechanism by which β-III-spectrin, and likely similar actin-binding proteins, interact with actin, and how this mechanism can be perturbed to cause disease. The disease causing L253P mutation in the actin-binding domain (ABD) of β-III-spectrin drastically increases actin-binding affinity. Here, the authors present the cryo-EM structure of F-actin complexed with the ABD mutant and double electron–electron resonance measurements show how the mutation affects the ABD conformational state.
The timing of flowering in Douglas-fir is determined by cool-season temperatures and genetic variation

Abstract Trees have evolved to time flowering to maximize outcrossing, minimize exposure to damaging frosts, and synchronize development with soil moisture and nutrient availability. Understanding the environmental cues that influence the timing of reproductive budburst will be important for predicting how flowering phenology of trees will change with a changing climate, and aid in the time-sensitive management of seed orchards. We examined how temperature influenced the timing of female flowering of coastal Douglas-fir with over 4500 flowering observations of trees from 12 sites across western Oregon and Washington. We predicted flowering dates by modifying chilling and forcing effectiveness functions from a model of vegetative budburst of Douglas-fir. We also examined whether genetic variation in Douglas-fir influenced the relationships between chilling and forcing accumulations using flowering observations from two common-garden experiments with trees from 60 populations from a diverse range of climates. Our reproductive budburst model predicted the day of flowering within an average of five days of the observed flowering dates across all sites and years. Fewer hours of forcing temperatures were required for flowering on sites that had experienced high chilling. Warmer temperatures in the future will likely result in earlier flowering on sites which currently have high chilling; however, sites which currently experience low chilling may display no change or possibly even a delay in flowering. Douglas-fir genotypes from different geographic regions flowered in the same order from year to year in common gardens, indicating that both temperature and genetic variation influence flowering. Genetic variation in flowering dates was more strongly related to summer drought of seed source locations than to cold winters. Knowledge of the environmental cues and genetic variation in timing of flowering can help predict how future changes in temperature under various climate models could change flowering time across the range of coastal Douglas-fir.
Discriminative Ability for Adverse Outcomes After Surgical Management of Hip Fractures: A Comparison of the Charlson Comorbidity Index, Elixhauser Comorbidity Measure, and Modified Frailty Index.

Objectives The Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), Elixhauser comorbidity measure (ECM), and modified frailty index (mFI) have been associated with mortality after hip fracture. The present study compares the clinically informative discriminative ability of CCI, ECM, and mFI, as well as demographic characteristics for predicting in-hospital adverse outcomes after surgical management of hip fractures. Methods Patients undergoing hip fracture surgery were selected from the 2013 National Inpatient Sample. The discriminative ability of CCI, ECM, and mFI, as well as demographic factors for adverse outcomes were assessed using the area under the curve analysis from receiver operating characteristic curves. Outcomes included the occurrence of any adverse event, death, severe adverse events, minor adverse events, and extended hospital stay. Results In total, 49,738 patients were included (mean age: 82 years). In comparison with CCI and mFI, ECM had the significantly largest discriminative ability for the occurrence of all outcomes. Among demographic factors, age had the sole or shared the significantly largest discriminative ability for all adverse outcomes except extended hospital stay. The best performing comorbidity index (ECM) outperformed the best performing demographic factor (age) for all outcomes. Conclusion Among both comorbidity indices and demographic factors, the ECM had the best overall discriminative ability for adverse outcomes after surgical management of hip fractures. The use of this index in correctly identifying patients at risk for postoperative complications may help set appropriate patient expectations, assist in optimizing prophylaxis regimens for medical management, and adjust reimbursements. More widespread use of this measure for hip fracture studies may be appropriately considered. Level of evidence Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Predicting School Counselors’ Supports and Challenges When Implementing the ASCA National Model:

This study examined a national sample of school counselors and their ability to implement the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. Percentage of time spent in noncounseling ...
Pseudoaneurysm of the popliteal artery after hardware removal in a patient with Marfan syndrome.

Abstract The formation of pseudoaneuryms after orthopaedic procedures in the setting of connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome (MFS) is not well documented in the literature. We report the case of a seventy-one year old male with MFS who underwent uncomplicated distal interlocking screw removal from a femoral cephalomedullary nail for symptomatic hardware. Five weeks later, he presented with a popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm. The patient underwent successful open ligation and excision of the pseudoaneurysm. This is the first reported case of a popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm following orthopaedic hardware removal in a patient with MFS. MFS may predispose patients to peripheral vascular complications even in the most routine cases. A thorough understanding of the patient and complications associated with MFS is required prior to proceeding with elective orthopaedic surgery.
Factorization of the Numbers of the Form m3+c2m2+c1m+c0

We give an algorithm which can factor integers of the form m 3 + c 2 m 2 + c 1 m + c 0, where the c i are small integers. It is expected that the time required is L δ and the space required is L λ where \(L = \exp (\sqrt {\log {\text{ }}n{\text{ log log }}n} ){\text{ and }}\delta {\text{ = }}r/\sqrt {6(r - 1)} {\text{, }}\lambda = 2/\sqrt {6(r - 1)} ,\), where r is the elimination exponent.
Dependence of Cartilage Matrix Composition on Biosynthesis, Diffusion, and Reaction

The steady-state composition of articular cartilage has previously been described as a balance between the metabolism of matrix molecules and the loss of these components from the tissue. Single compartment kinetic models have previously been developed to describe the relationship between these processes and overall (spatially-averaged) concentration of matrix molecules. Here, we develop a continuum model to describe the relationship between spatially-varying matrix concentrations and the processes of matrix formation, binding, degradation, and molecular transport within and from the cartilage tissue. At steady-state, the resultant concentration profile, and also spatially-averaged concentration, are predicted to depend on the balance between diffusivity and binding rate, diffusivity and formation rate, and various rate processes, some of which depend on tissue thickness. The predicted concentration profile, for certain parameter values, exhibits similarities to that known to exist for the proteoglycan matrix component, suggesting that transport factors may play an important role in causing the spatial variation in this component. Under other conditions, the predicted concentration profile may have a large portion of bound components and be relatively constant, consistent with the known distribution of collagen in cartilage. Thus, the continuum model may provide insight into the biophysical mechanism underlying matrix distribution within different regions of articular cartilage.
Managing the educational dataset lifecycle with DataShop

An ideal scenario for educational research is to perform an experiment, report and publish results, make the results and data available for verification, and finally allow the data to be used in follow up experiments or for secondary analyses. Unfortunately, this scenario often fails after the results are published. Researchers move on to new data and the old data may linger on a legacy server for a short while before disappearing or becoming impossible to comprehend. Managing the dataset lifecycle is a way to address this problem. DataShop (http://pslcdatashop.org) is a central hub for data management of educational data, and in this paper we show how DataShop fits into the dataset lifecycle.
Concussion Mechanisms and Pathophysiology

Concussions are a frequent occurrence in athletic endeavors, its rate exceeding that occurring in the general population by 50 fold. The biomechanics and pathophysiology of concussion are still not well understood and may lead to potential significant sequelae from single or more commonly multiple concussions. Postconcussive symptoms, the second impact syndrome and the cumulative effects of concussions are all topics of interest in current concussion research in athletes and are leading to a more rational approach in determining policy aimed at returning athletes to their sport after a concussion. This chapter reviews current knowledge on the mechanisms, pathophysiology and sequelae of concussion in athletes.
Validation of the REGARDS Severe Sepsis Risk Score

There are no validated systems for characterizing long-term risk of severe sepsis in community-dwelling adults. We tested the ability of the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke-Severe Sepsis Risk Score (REGARDS-SSRS) to predict 10-year severe sepsis risk in separate cohorts of community-dwelling adults. We internally tested the REGARDS-SSRS on the REGARDS-Medicare subcohort. We then externally validated the REGARDS-SSRS using (1) the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) and (2) the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohorts. Participants included community-dwelling adults: REGARDS-Medicare, age ≥65 years, n = 9522; CHS, age ≥65 years, n = 5888; ARIC, age 45⁻64 years, n = 11,584. The primary exposure was 10-year severe sepsis risk, predicted by the REGARDS-SSRS from participant sociodemographics, health behaviors, chronic medical conditions and select biomarkers. The primary outcome was first severe sepsis hospitalizations, defined as the concurrent presence of ICD-9 discharge diagnoses for a serious infection and organ dysfunction. Median SSRS in the cohorts were: REGARDS-Medicare 11 points (IQR 7⁻16), CHS 10 (IQR 6⁻15), ARIC 7 (IQR 5⁻10). Severe sepsis incidence rates were: REGARDS-Medicare 30.7 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 29.2⁻32.2); CHS 11.9 (10.9⁻12.9); ARIC 6.8 (6.3⁻7.3). SSRS discrimination for first severe sepsis events were: REGARDS-Medicare C-statistic 0.704 (95% CI: 0.691⁻0.718), CHS 0.696 (0.675⁻0.716), ARIC 0.697 (0.677⁻0.716). The REGARDS-SRSS may potentially play a role in identifying community-dwelling adults at high severe sepsis risk.
Crime, Intimidation, and Whistleblowing: A Theory of Inference from Unverifiable Reports

We consider a game between a principal, an agent, and a monitor in which the principal would like to rely on messages by the monitor (the potential whistleblower) to target intervention against a misbehaving agent. The difficulty is that the agent can credibly threaten to retaliate against the monitor in the event of an intervention. In this setting, intervention policies that are responsive to the monitor’s message provide informative signals to the agent, which can be used to target threats efficiently. Principals that are too responsive to information shut down communication channels. Successful intervention policies must therefore garble the information provided by monitors and cannot be fully responsive. We show that policy evaluation on the basis of non-verifiable whistleblower messages is feasible under arbitrary incomplete information provided policy design takes into account that messages are endogenous.
Gibbs vector kinematics and inverse dynamics for decoupled spacecraft attitude maneuvers

By use of Gibbs vectors as kinematic variables, multi-axial spacecraft equations of rotational motion are shown to be globally and rationally feedback-equivalent to a set of unconstrained and decoupled harmonic oscillators, driven by generalized acceleration commands. Advantages over alternative formulations with Euler angles and quaternions are pointed out.
MetaFunPrimer: primer design for targeting genes observed in metagenomes

High throughput primer design is needed to simultaneously design primers for multiple genes of interest, such as a group of functional genes. We have developed MetaFunPrimer, a bioinformatic pipeline to design primer targets for genes of interests, with a prioritization based on ranking the presence of gene targets in references, such as metagenomes. MetaFunPrimer takes inputs of protein and nucleotide sequences for gene targets of interest accompanied by a set of reference metagenomes or genomes for determining genes of interest. Its output is a set of primers that may be used to amplify genes of interest. To demonstrate the usage and benefits of MetaFunPrimer, a total of 78 HT-qPCR primer pairs were designed to target observed ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) genes of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in 1,550 soil metagenomes. We demonstrate that these primers can significantly improve targeting of amoA-AOB genes in soil metagenomes compared to previously published primers. IMPORTANCEAmplification-based gene characterization allows for sensitive and specific quantification of functional genes. Often, there is a large diversity of genes represented for a function of interest, and multiple primers may be necessary to target associated genes. Current primer design tools are limited to designing primers for only a few genes of interest. MetaFunPrimer allows for high throughput primer design for functional genes of interest and also allows for ranking gene targets by their presence and abundance in environmental datasets. This tool enables high throughput qPCR approaches for characterizing functional genes.
MCU Overexpression Rescues Inotropy and Reverses Heart Failure by Reducing SR Ca 2+ Leak.

Rationale: In heart failure (HF), impaired sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release and cytosolic Na+ overload depress mitochondrial Ca2+ (mCa2+) signaling, resulting in a diminished ability to maintain matrix NAD(P)H redox potential, leading to increased oxidative stress when workload increases. Enhancing mCa2+ can reverse this defect but could potentially increase the likelihood of mitochondrial Ca2+ overload.Objective: To determine if moderate mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) overexpression has beneficial or detrimental effects on the development of HF and incident arrythmias in a guinea pig model (ACi) of HF and sudden cardiac death. Methods and Results: In vivo viral gene transfer was used to increase MCU levels by ~30% in ACi hearts. Left ventricular myocytes from hearts with MCU overexpression (ACi+MCU) displayed enhanced mCa2+ uptake, decreased oxidative stress, and increased β-adrenergic- and frequency-dependent augmentation of Ca2+ transients and contractions, compared to myocytes from ACi hearts. MCU overexpression decreased SR Ca2+ leak in the ACi group and mitigated the elevated ryanodine receptor disulfide crosslinks in HF. β-adrenergic responses were blunted in isolated perfused ACi hearts and these deficiencies were normalized in ACI+MCU hearts. To examine the in vivo effects of MCU overexpression, ACi hearts were transduced with the MCU virus 2 3w after aortic constriction, at the onset of cardiac decompensation. Two weeks later, cardiac function worsened in the untreated ACi group (fractional shortening: 39{plus minus}1% at 2w and 32{plus minus}1% at 4w), whereas MCU overexpression significantly improved cardiac function (36{plus minus}1% at 2w and 42{plus minus}2% at 4w). MCU overexpression in the decompensating ACi heart also attenuated pulmonary edema and interstitial fibrosis and prevented triggered arrhythmias. Conclusions: Moderate MCU overexpression in failing hearts enhances contractility and responses to β-adrenergic stimulation in isolated myocytes and perfused hearts by inhibiting mitochondrial oxidative stress-induced SR Ca2+ leak. MCU overexpression also reversed HF and inhibited ectopic ventricular arrhythmias.
150-LB: Changes in OGTT-Derived Biomarkers following Lifestyle Intervention among High-Risk Youth

Background: Previous studies have identified biomarkers derived from glucose concentrations during a 2-h Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) that differentiate type 2 diabetes risk phenotypes. Such markers include 1-h glucose concentrations (1hG), shape of the glucose response curve (GRC), and time to glucose peak (TGP). Lifestyle intervention is the first line approach to diabetes prevention, yet no studies have examined changes in OGTT-glucose phenotypes. Methods: Latino adolescents with obesity (n=48, age 15.4±1.0, BMI% 98.2±1.4, Girls 56.3%) completed a 12-week lifestyle intervention that included physical activity (3 d/wk) and nutrition education (1 d/wk). At baseline and 12 weeks, youth completed a 2-h OGTT with glucose concentrations assessed at 0’, 30’, 60’, 90’, and 120’ to derive the 3 biomarkers used to classify low and high risk phenotypes. For 1hG, ≥155mg/dL served as the threshold that classified 1hG Results: At baseline, there was substantial heterogeneity in the prevalence of OGTT-glucose phenotypes with 38% 1hG≥155mg/dL, 81% Monophasic, and 58% Late Peak. In response to the intervention, the prevalence of Monophasic decreased to 14% (p=0.048), while the prevalence of 1hG≥155mg/dL decreased to 28% (p=0.054). The decrease in prevalence of Late Peak phenotypes was not significant (-29%, p=0.200). Conclusion: Lifestyle intervention may improve OGTT-glucose phenotypes among high-risk youth populations. Whether changes in OGTT-glucose phenotypes are associated with changes in type 2 diabetes risk factors has yet to be established. Disclosure A. Pena: None. J. Kim: None. J. A. Reyes: None. K. B. Vander wyst: None. M. Olson: None. S. Ayers: None. A. Williams: None. G. Q. Shaibi: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (P20MD002316U54, MD002316R01, DK107579F31, DK125037)
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effect of Portion Size and Ingestive Frequency on Energy Intake and Body Weight among Adults in Randomized Controlled Feeding Trials.

Energy intake is the product of portion size (PS)-the energy content of an ingestive event-and ingestive frequency (IF)-the number of ingestive events per unit time. An uncompensated alteration in either PS or IF would result in a change in energy intake and body weight if maintained over time. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the independent effects of PS and IF on energy intake and body weight among healthy adults in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A total of 9708 articles were identified in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases. The articles were divided among 10 researchers; each article was screened for eligibility by 2-3 independent reviewers. Exclusion criteria included: populations 65 y, unhealthy populations (i.e. participants with an acute or chronic disease), assessments <24 h and <4 wk in duration for trials investigating energy intake or body weight, respectively. Controlled feeding trials (i.e. fixed energy intake) that manipulated IF and PS in the same study intervention (IF/PS) were evaluated separately and for the body weight outcome only. Twenty-two studies (IF = 4, PS = 14, IF/PS = 4) met the inclusion criteria. There was an insufficient number of studies to assess the effect of IF, PS, or IF/PS on body weight. There was heterogeneity in the effect sizes among all comparisons (I2 ≥75%). Consuming larger portion sizes was associated with higher daily energy intake [295 kcal (202, 388), n = 24; weighted mean differences (WMD) (95% CI), n = comparisons], and increased frequency of ingestive events was associated with higher energy intake [203 kcal (76, 330), n = 10]. Results from RCTs support that larger PS and greater IF are both associated with higher energy consumption. However, there is insufficient information to determine chronic effects on body weight. This protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) as CRD42018104757.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ybr004c and its human homologue are required for addition of the second mannose during glycosylphosphatidylinositol precursor assembly

Addition of the second mannose is the only obvious step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) precursor assembly for which a responsible gene has not been discovered. A bioinformatics-based strategy identified the essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ybr004c protein as a candidate for the second GPI alpha-mannosyltransferase (GPI-MT-II). S. cerevisiae cells depleted of Ybr004cp have weakened cell walls and abnormal morphology, are unable to incorporate [3H]inositol into proteins, and accumulate a GPI intermediate having a single mannose that is likely modified with ethanolamine phosphate. These data indicate that Ybr004cp-depleted yeast cells are defective in second mannose addition to GPIs, and suggest that Ybr004cp is GPI-MT-II or an essential subunit of that enzyme. Ybr004cp homologues are encoded in all sequenced eukaryotic genomes, and are predicted to have 8 transmembrane domains, but show no obvious resemblance to members of established glycosyltransferase families. The human Ybr004cp homologue can substitute for its S. cerevisiae counterpart in vivo.
Optimal Sorting Algorithms for Parallel Computers

The problem of sorting a sequence of n elements on a parallel computer with k processors is considered. The algorithms we present can all be run on a single instruction stream multiple data stream computer. For large n, each achieves an asymptotic speed-up ratio of k with respect to the best sequential algorithm, which is optimal in the number of processors used.
Clinical Outcomes Associated With a Collaborative Pharmacist-Endocrinologist Diabetes Intense Medical Management “Tune Up” Clinic in Complex Patients:

Background: No previous studies exist examining the impact of a short-term pharmacist-endocrinologist collaborative practice model on glycemic control in complex patients. Objective: Evaluate outcomes associated with a PharmD-Endocrinologist Diabetes Intense Medical Management (DIMM) “tune up” clinic for complex patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 99 patients referred to DIMM clinic versus a comparator group of 56 primary care provider (PCP) patients meeting the same criteria (adult type 2 diabetes patients, glycosylated hemoglobin [A1C] ≥ 8%, follow-up visit within 6 months) in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. DIMM clinic used a short-term model that coupled personalized clinical care with real-time, patient-specific diabetes education during two to four 60-minute visits over 6 months. PCP patients received usual care. Primary outcome was mean A1C change after 6 months. Secondary measures included fasting blood glucose, lipids, blood pressure, weight, body mass index, and percentage of p...
Alien vs. predator: Could biotic resistance by native generalist predators slow lady beetle invasions?

Interactions with native species often influence whether exotic species will become invasive. The lady beetles Coccinella septempunctata and Harmonia axyridis are broadly successful invaders, but they have failed to fully establish in some parts of western North America. One possibility is that the locally-abundant, generalist predatory bugs Nabis alternatus and Geocoris bullatus resist invasion by acting as intraguild predators. We investigated the relative likelihoods of (1) the invasive lady beetles falling prey to the native generalist bugs compared to two native lady beetles, Hippodamia convergens and Coccinella transversoguttata, and (2) the relative likelihood of these exotic vs. native lady beetles committing reciprocal intraguild predation and consuming the two native predatory bugs. A series of predation trials demonstrated that C. septempunctata exhibited similar susceptibility to predation by Nabis and Geocoris, and a similar likelihood to commit reciprocal intraguild predation on the two bugs, relative to its native congener C. transversoguttata. In contrast, among all species tested, the exotic species H. axyridis was the least susceptible to intraguild predation by the bugs and was the most likely to consume Nabis and Geocoris. Altogether, these results suggest that native predatory bugs would have similar effects on the native and exotic Coccinella species, conferring no particular harm or advantage to C. septempunctata during its invasion. However, H. axyridis enjoyed advantages over the native bugs by being a rare victim but common perpetrator of intraguild predation; all else being equal, this would tend to favor replacement of native species by H. axyridis.
Health effects of economic instability: a test of economic stress hypothesis.

Longitudinal survey data describing 6,190 subjects are analyzed using log-linear methods to determine which, if any, of three hypothesized links between short-term community economic change and illness or injury is correct. The first possible link assumes that economic contraction increases the incidence of undesirable job and financial events that, in turn, increase the incidence of illness and injury. The second possible connection assumes that economic change per se increases the incidence of undesirable job and financial events and, therefore, the incidence of illness and injury. The third connection assumes that economic change per se increases the incidence of all job and financial events and therefore the incidence of illness and injury. The data support the first hypothesized connection, but the process is observed only in middle socio-economic status respondents. While undesirable job and financial experiences increase the likelihood of illness or injury for high and low SES groups, high SES respondents are less likely to experience such events during periods of contraction of the local economy than during expansion. The risk of low SES respondents having undesirable job and financial events did not vary longitudinally with the performance of the local economy.
Assessing odor generalization in the rat: a sensitive technique.

Abstract In investigating the ability of the rat to discriminate among urine odors from mice of different genetic strains, we developed a technique for determining the extent of odor generalization. Trained rats performed a discrete trial, go/no-go procedure, touching a bar in the presence of an S+ odor for water reward. Rats easily learned this task and restricted their responding to trials with the S+ stimulus, even though there was no penalty for responding to S−. However, when presented with test stimuli that might be more similar to S+ or S−, some rats responded only to the S+, and not at all to S− or any generalization stimuli. We then created series of stimuli composed of different levels of adulteration of the S+ stimulus with generalization stimuli. With these stimuli, rats produced graded levels of responding, allowing comparisons of similarity among odorant stimuli. This technique can be applied to other types of odorant stimuli, particularly biological compounds of unknown concentration or purity, and should be of use in an operant laboratory studying odorant perception, or odorant characteristics.
Mechanical and tribological behavior of nanocomposite multilayered Cr/a-C thin films

Abstract The mechanical and wear behavior of Cr/ a -C multilayered nanocomposite films was studied. Two groups of multilayers were synthesized by e-beam physical vapor deposition. In the first group, the Cr and a -C layers had the same thickness ranging from 40 to 20 nm. In the second group, the layer thickness of the a -C phase was constant at 40 nm, while that of the Cr phase varied from 40 nm to 10 nm. The microstructure of the multilayers was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The Cr layers were found to be of a columnar bcc structure and the a -C layers amorphous. The hardness and elastic modulus of the multilayers were studied by conducting nanoindentation and Knoop microhardness experiments. The hardness response can be described as a function of the metal layer thickness by a Hall–Petch relationship. Hardness was found to increase down to the smallest modulation period tested (40 nm). Fracture toughness was assessed by Vickers indentation at a threshold load below which crack would not occur. It was found that the fracture toughness improved by increasing the Cr layer thickness. The total residual stress in all Cr/ a -C multilayers was significantly lower than the average value of the two monolithic components and found to decrease with reducing metal layer thickness. Friction coefficients were measured using a pin-on-disk tribometer. All multilayers had a low friction coefficient around 0.1, and both the Cr and a -C components were found to affect the wear behavior.
Stastical Estimation of the Intrinsic Dimensionality of a Noisy Signal Collection

Let W be an N-dimensional vector space and let the signal locus V be a K-dimensional topological hypersurface in W. The intrinsic dimensionality problem can be stated as follows. Given M randomly selected points (signals) v i , v i ? V, estimate K, which is the dimensionality of V and is called the intrinsic dimensionality of the points v i . A statistical method, which is developed from geometric considerations, is used to estimate the dimensionality. This ad hoc statistical method avoids the approximations and assumptions required by the maximum likelihood solution. The problem of estimating dimensionality in the presence of additive white noise is also considered. A pseudo, signal-to-noise ratio, which has meaning with respect to estimating the dimensionality of a noisy signal collection, is defined. A filtering method, based on this ratio, is used to estimate the dimensionality of a noisy signal collection. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated by estimating the dimensionality of a collection of pulsed signals which have four free parameters.
Warming and freshening of Baffin Bay, 1916-2003

[1] Regression analysis of historical hydrographic data is used to determine changes in temperature and salinity in Baffin Bay for the time period from 1916 to 2003. We find two distinct sets of changes in the Baffin: First, areas affected by the Atlantic inflow to Baffin Bay show substantial and statistically significant warming trends. In the more than 2000 m deep basin the warming peaks at 0.11 ± 0.06°C/decade at 700 m depth below the 640 m sill depth of Davis Strait connecting Baffin Bay to the North Atlantic Ocean. A vertical heat flux divergence of 0.25 W/m2 is required to warm Baffin Bay below 900 m by the amount observed. The required heat appears to be advected from the shelf and slope regions of the eastern Labrador Sea via Davis Strait along the west Greenland shelf break and diffuses vertically and horizontally into the deep central basin. The North Atlantic Oscillation index accounts for about 30% of the interannual variance of temperature fluctuations below the Davis Strait sill depth. Second, areas affected by Arctic inflow to Baffin Bay show a marginally significant freshening of up to about 0.086 ± 0.039 psu/decade. This freshening trend extends along the western margin of Baffin Island to Davis Strait and into the Labrador Sea. The freshening in the northern reaches of Baffin Bay is similar in size to that at its southern reaches. Temporal variability of annual composites between these locations appears to be in phase, suggesting a swift transition of Arctic waters at 76°N to Labrador Sea waters at 62°N.
The N300 ERP component reveals developmental changes in object and action identification.

Abstract Semantic mastery includes quickly identifying object and action referents in the environment. Given the relational nature of action verbs compared to object nouns, how do these processes differ in children and adults? To address this question the Event Related Potentials (EPRs) of 8–9 year olds and adults were recorded as they performed a picture-matching task in which a noun (chair) or verb (sit) was followed by a picture of an object and action (a man sitting in a chair). Adults and children displayed similar central N400 congruency effects in response to objects and actions. Developmental differences were revealed in the N300. Adults displayed N300 differences between congruent and incongruent items for both objects and actions. Children, however, exhibited an N300 congruency effect only for objects, indicating that although object noun representations may be adult-like, action verb representations continue to solidify through middle childhood. Surprisingly, adults also exhibited a posterior congruency effect that was not found in children. This is similar to the late positive component (LPC) reported by other studies of semantic picture processing, but the lack of such a response in children raises important questions about the development of semantic integration.