cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral glucose augments the counterregulatory hormone response during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in humans.

It has been suggested that the counterregulatory hormone (CRH) response to acute hypoglycemia is triggered via glucose sensors situated in either the hypothalamus or the portohepatic area. If the latter were critical during hypoglycemia, one would anticipate that ingestion of glucose, by raising glucose levels in the portal circulation, should attenuate CRH responses previously described in animal studies. To evaluate the effect of raising portal, but not peripheral, glucose levels during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, we performed hypoglycemic clamp studies in five healthy adult males on two occasions. On one occasion, subjects received oral glucose (OG) (25 g) during hypoglycemia; and on one occasion, noncarbohydrate-containing drink of equal volume, while maintaining plasma glucose at 55 ± 2 mg/dL (3.08 mmol/L). As a result, there were no significant differences in systemic plasma glucose levels between the two hypoglycemic clamp studies, and basal CRH concentrations were also similar. As expected, ther...
Skill deficiencies: Problems, policies, and prospects

What evidence points to a shortage of skills, a condition that keeps the U.S. economy off its “optimum” path? First, the literacy of job seekers, as surveyed by the Educational Testing Service, is inconsistent with acceptable alternative growth paths as projected inWorkforce 2000. Second, data on specific jobs show skill requirements increasing. Third, employers are paying more for higher education and workers with less education are being paid less. Integrating school and work, by applying the findings of the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), is a way to lessen the shortage, an opportunity likely to be favored by the new administration.
Ammonia abundances in comets

Abstract Spectra of comets Halley, Hartley-Good, Thiele and Borrelly were obtained with the 4-m telescopes at Cerro Tololo and Kitt Peak Observatories and with the Multiple Mirror Telescope. The emission band strengths of the NH 2 bands were measured to determine NH 2 column densities in all four comets. Production rates which were determined using two independent models (Haser and vectorial) agree within the observational errors and indicate that a simple two-step decay model approximates well the distribution of NH 2 in the comae of these four comets. If the observed NH 2 derives from a single parent with a point-source origin, the most likely parent is NH 3 which for the photolytic process, NH 3 + hν → NH 2 + H , has a branching ratio ∼95%. This branching ratio leads to ammonia-to-water abundance ratios ranging from 0.01% to 0.4% in the four comets, indicative of significant differences. Three independent determinations of the ratio in comet Halley give Q ( NH 3 )/ Q ( H 2 O ) = 0.002 ± 0.001. No significant difference in the ammonia abundance was found before and after perihelion in comet Halley, which indicates that the ice component of the nucleus is chemically homogeneous within the observational uncertainties. The ammonia abundance ratio determined for comet Halley 14 March 1986 is an order of magnitude smaller than that inferred from the spacecraft ion mass spectrometer data.
Antibodies to the β-amyloid peptide cross-react with conformational epitopes in human fibrinogen subunits from peripheral blood

Antibodies to the Alzheimer disease (AD) β-amyloid peptide (βAP) were used to identify βAP precursor fragments in blood. The antibodies detected 3 major polypeptides with apparent molecular weights (MW) of 47-64000 in Western blots of plasma derived clot proteins, but these proteins corresponded to human A-α, B-β and γ-fibrinogen since they reacted with 2 different anti-fibrinogen antisera, and the anti-βAP and anti-fibrinogen antibodies recognized purified fibrinogen and fibrin. These data are significant for efforts to develop immunochemical assays to diagnose and monitor the progression of AD.
Conditional Probabilities, Relative Operating Characteristics, and Relative Operating Levels

Abstract The relative operating characteristic (ROC) curve is a highly flexible method for representing the quality of dichotomous, categorical, continuous, and probabilistic forecasts. The method is based on ratios that measure the proportions of events and nonevents for which warnings were provided. These ratios provide estimates of the probabilities that an event will be forewarned and that an incorrect warning will be provided for a nonevent. Some guidelines for interpreting the ROC curve are provided. While the ROC curve is of direct interest to the user, the warning is provided in advance of the outcome and so there is additional value in knowing the probability of an event occurring contingent upon a warning being provided or not provided. An alternative method to the ROC curve is proposed that represents forecast quality when expressed in terms of probabilities of events occurring contingent upon the warnings provided. The ratios used provide estimates of the probability of an event occurring give...
Oregon Seismic Experiment

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), with support from the Geothermal and Hydropower Technologies Division of the U.S. Department of Energy, will be conducting an active seismic experiment in central Oregon using nine large explosions during the last week of August 1984. A major goal of this experiment is to detect kilometersize magma chambers in the upper crust below Newberry Volcano (Figure 1). The planned experiment is a small-scale version of one type of seismic-imaging experiment proposed by the Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCL). Because of the required density of the recording array, the USGS recording effort will be concentrated in and around the summit caldera and leave ample opportunity for additional recording of the large shots, by interested parties, to study the rest of the volcano and surrounding geologic provinces.
SALICORNIA VIRGINICA IN A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SALT MARSH: SEASONAL PATTERNS AND A NUTRIENT-ENRICHMENT EXPERIMENT

Salicornia virginica (common pickleweed) is the dominant vascular plant of many saline marshes of the US west coast, yet little is known about seasonal patterns or abiotic factors controlling it. In a southern California salt marsh, quarterly sampling revealed strong seasonal trends, with 2x greater S. virginica biomass in summer than in winter. Tissue nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations were highest in winter and lower in spring and summer, suggesting a dilution of nutrients as plants accumulated biomass during the growing season. Despite high sediment nutrient levels in this marsh, an experiment examining N and P effects still found strong S. virginica responses to N applied biweekly for > 1 year. Increases in succulent tissue biomass after N addition were first seen in April 1998 (after fertilization for 11 months); two-fold increases in biomass and the number of branches resulted by the end of the experiment in August 1998. Addition of N increased N concentration in the woody tissues when sampled in August. The N:P ratio increased with N addition beginning in winter (7 months after fertilization began) and continuing through the remainder of the experiment. Effects of P addition were less marked, as adding P did not result in biomass responses; however, it did influence tissue nutrient levels. These amendments increased P concentrations in the woody tissue in August 1998. In contrast to N amendments, which did not affect root nutrient concentrations, P addition led to increases in P content of root tissues in the latter portion of the growing season. These data suggest that increases in nutrients (especially N, but also P) can lead to large changes in S. virginica characteristics even in estuaries with high sediment nutrient levels.
Variable timing of developmental progression in the stomatal pathway in Arabidopsis cotyledons

Summary • Stomatal production depends on the rates of precursor cell formation (e.g. the formation of meristemoids by asymmetric division), and of developmental progression (e.g. the division of guard mother cells). It is not known whether these rates follow steady-state kinetics or are variable. • The timing of development was scored in Arabidopsis cotyledons in fixed and living tissue using the dental resin impression method. • Cotyledons exhibited much less of a longitudinal gradient in stomatal formation than leaves. The timing of the appearance of stomatal and precursor cells during cotyledon development varied between individual plants. Precursor cell formation ceased much earlier in the adaxial than in the abaxial epidermis. Meristemoids are precursors that form guard mother cells. The ratio of these cell types varied greatly in different plants as well as in the same epidermis through time. There was also considerable variability in the duration of the meristemoid stage between individual cell lineages. • Precursor cell production follows non-steady-state kinetics. Early steps in the pathway are not necessarily synchronized, but later steps, such as the conversion of meristemoids to guard mother cells, sometimes appear to be coordinated.
High fives motivate: the effects of gestural and ambiguous verbal praise on motivation.

The type of praise children receive influences whether children choose to persist after failure. One mechanism through which praise affects motivation is through the causal attributions inferred from language. For example, telling a child “You got an A on the test because you’re smart,” provides an explicit link between possessing a trait and an outcome, specifically that intelligence causes success. Nonetheless, most praise given to children is ambiguous, or lacks explicit attributions (e.g., “yea” or a thumbs-up). To investigate the effects of ambiguous praise on motivation, we randomly assigned 95 5-6-year-old children to a praise condition (verbal trait; verbal effort; verbal ambiguous; or gestural) and measured motivation using task persistence, self-evaluations, and eye fixations on errors. Ambiguous praise, similar to verbal effort praise, produced higher persistence and self-evaluations, and fewer fixations on error after failure compared to verbal trait praise. Interestingly, gestures produced the highest self-evaluations. Thus, praise without explicit attributions motivated as well or better than praise explicitly focused on effort.
Evaluation of the Safety of Amantadine. HCI and the Role of Respiratory Viral Infections in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Amantadine-HC1, an antiviral drug clinically effective against most strains of influenza A virus, was evaluated in a double-blind trial in 153 children with cystic fibrosis during the initial appearance of influenza A/England/42 virus in the New England area. Infection with this variant strain of influenza virus did not reach epidemic proportions during the study, so that the effectiveness of amantadine in this study population could not be fully assessed. However, the potential symptomatic and biochemical toxicity of amantadine was carefully monitored in a pediatric population. Serologic screening by complement fixation tests indicated that respiratory viruses may be important pathogens in exacerbations of respiratory disease in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Maternal genotype affects adult offspring lipid, obesity, and diabetes phenotypes in LGXSM recombinant inbred strains

Maternal effects on offspring phenotypes occur because mothers in many species provide an environment for their developing young. Although these factors are correctly "environmental" with respect to the offspring genome, their variance may have both a genetic and an environmental basis in the maternal generation. Here, reciprocal crosses between C57BL/6J and 10 LGXSM recombinant inbred (RI) strains were performed, and litters were divided at weaning into high-fat and low-fat dietary treatments. Differences between reciprocal litters were used to measure genetic maternal effects on offspring phenotypes. Nearly all traits, including weekly body weights and adult blood serum traits, show effects indicative of genetic variation in maternal effects across RI strains, allowing the quantitative trait loci involved to be mapped. Although much of the literature on maternal effects relates to early life traits, we detect strong and significant maternal effects on traits measured at adulthood (as much as 10% of the trait variance at 17 or more weeks after weaning). We also found an interaction affecting adult phenotype between the effects of maternal care between RI strain mothers and C57BL/6J mothers and a later environmental factor (dietary fat intake) for some age-specific weights.
ALX permanent polymer dielectrics for microelectronic packaging applications

In this paper we present the results of a study done to compare the new Asahi Glass ALX polymers with other microelectronic polymers in typical WLP structures. We present property data on ALX-211, including spin speed curves and resolution plots, planarization, thermal stability and stress data and adhesion as evaluated using polymer bump shear testing. We have examined the processing of ALX-211 and developed a standard process flow for these materials. We have used ALX-211 in a typical bump-on-polymer process flow, with eutectic Sn/Pb solder bumps, and compared its performance to that of BCB through solder bump shear testing.
Inner Core Strength of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones

Abstract The evolution of the wind field beyond the radius of maximum winds is studied for 18 Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) with 989 research and reconnaissance flight legs. Inner core strength, defined as the storm relative mean tangential wind from 65 to 140 km from the circulation center for a given flight leg, is shown to be linearly correlated with tropical cyclone intensity. Inner core strengthening coincides with deepening, but as a hurricane decays, the inner core may exhibit a wider range of behavior. During an eyewall replacement cycle inner core strength and intensity become out of phase. Inner core strength tends to be axisymmetric as no quadrant maintains a higher inner core strength than the other quadrants for more than a day. Increases of inner core strength occur throughout the entire 65–140-km radial distance and, thus, are not due to the higher winds found in rainbands alone. The authors speculate that inner core strength, being relatively close to the circulation center, responds ef...
A NEW SELF-EXPANDING LINED STENT-GRAFT IN THE DOG URETER: RADIOLOGICAL, GROSS, HISTOPATHOLOGICAL AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC FINDINGS

AbstractRecurrent or intractable ureteral strictures pose a significant problem for the practicing urologist. Metallic stents have been used sparingly for this problem with varying success. We investigated the use of a stent-graft consisting of a metal stent lined with a porous biocompatible polymer to determine if the liner would prevent urothelial ingrowth. One ureter of each of 11 dogs was treated with either a metallic woven stent or stent-graft inserted retrograde via a midline cystotomy. Six bare wire stents (controls) and five lined with a new, porous, biocompatible, polycarbonate elastomer liner (Corethane [registered sign]) were placed. The animals were followed radiographically with intravenous urography (IVP) at 6 weeks and just prior to sacrifice (12 to 22 weeks). Gross, histological, and electron microscopic analyses were performed. The results demonstrate that all of the bare metal stented animals developed moderate to severe hydroureteronephrosis with significant urothelial hyperplasia and ...
Minimum cost design of a multimodal fluidized reactor-heater system involving an exponential function inside an integral equation

A simple procedure for achieving the minimum cost design of a single reaction fluidized reactor system with feed and recycle heaters is presented and proven. The problem's mathematical interest stems from its multimodality, the handling of the exponential dependence of temperature, and the presence of an integral equation constraint. The proof technique is an extension of Lagrange's method, supplemented by ideas from geometric programming, extended to exponential and the integral functions.
SRR-loaded small dipole antenna with electromagnetic bandgap ground plane

A metamaterial resonator loaded small dipole antenna placed above the electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) surface is proposed. Two split ring resonators (SRRs) are loaded to the dipole. The dipole antenna, the SRRs, and the EBG are integrated in one dielectric using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) technique. The simulation results demonstrate that, by loading the SRR structure, a low profile and very small dipole (less than 0.15λ in length) antenna over an EBG can have a broad bandwidth. A bandwidth of 10% at 1.93 GHz is achieved. The simulated gain is greater than 6.1 dB and efficiency is 90%. Few EBG cells used in the present design reduce the overall size of the antenna structure. The volume of the antenna including the EBG structure is 0.51λ×0.42λ×0.05λ.
Optimal rate delay tradeoffs for multipath routed and network coded networks

Via multiterminal information theory, we present fundamental rate delay tradeoffs that delay mitigating codes must have when utilized over multipath routed and network coded networks. We formulate plotting the rate delay tradeoff as a calculus problem on a capacity region of a related abstracted broadcast channel. This calculus problem simplifies to an integer programming problem, which for small numbers of packets may be solved explicitly, or for larger values of packets, may be accurately approximated through the calculus of variations by relaxing the integer constraint. We prove the utility of our techniques by plotting the rate delay tradeoff for networks in which the packets experience independent exponentially distributed propagation and queuing delays while traversing the network.
Effect of CO2 supply and demand on zinc uptake and growth limitation in a coastal diatom

We conducted culture experiments with Thalassiosira pseudonanato determine the effect of CO2, photoperiod, and light intensity on cellular zinc concentrations and zinc requirements for growth. Cellular zinc requirements were dependent on the supply of CO2 relative to its photosynthetic demand. Decreasing the CO2 concentration (via an increase in pH from 8.2 to 9.0) increased the cellular zinc required to achieve a given growth rate or that needed for maximum growth. This increase is apparently linked to a greater demand for the zinc enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA), which is needed for cellular CO2 acquisition. A decrease in photoperiod had a similar effect. Based on the present and previous results, a decrease in photoperiod from 24 h d 21 (continuous light) t o7hd 21 was accompanied by an estimated 2.2-fold increase in the net specific rate of photosynthetic C fixation, which increased the cellular demand for CA. The higher cellular requirement for zinc under decreased CO2 or photoperiod was accentuated at high growth rates because of a disproportionate increase in the cellular demand for CA with increasing specific rate of C fixation. The increased demand for cellular zinc was largely met by a decrease in the daily specific growth rate, which increased cellular zinc concentrations by decreasing biodilution rates. In addition, there was an approximately twofold increase in cellular zinc uptake rates at high zinc concentrations (and high growth rates) for cells grown at low CO2 concentration. In contrast to the effects of decreased CO 2 or photoperiod, a tenfold decrease in light intensity reduced the cellular zinc requirement, apparently linked to a 2.8-fold decrease in the maximum specific growth rate, and resultant decreased demand for CA and other biosynthetic zinc enzymes. Other factors (e.g., iron limitation) that decrease specific growth rate should have a similar effect.
Multiple access protocols for multimedia ATM traffic

Multimedia application integrates a variety of media, namely, audio, video, images, graphics, text and data. The ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) technique has been recommended by the CCITT as the transport vehicle for BISDN (Broadband Integrated Service Digital networks) which is designed to provide multimedia traffic services. In this work we study some of the ATM-compatible multiple access MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) protocols, including DQDB (Distributed Queue Dual Bus, also known as IEEE 802.6), CRMA (Cyclic Reservation Multiple Access), DQMA (Distributed Queue Multiple Access), and FDQ (Fair Distributed Queue), and their performance for different kinds of multimedia application, including interactive education, on-line medical information system, and video conferences. We found that all four protocols achieve maximum throughput even at extremely high data rate, which make them suitable for carrying multimedia traffic in high speed networks.
Unpredictability and Life Style in a Migrant Labor Camp

A study of migrant farm workers suggests that the unpredictability of certain social contexts bears significantly on life style. Concepts of time in such a system are based on the assumption of an unpredictable social order where the pattern of expected events and the consequences of behavior cannot be systematically anticipated or controlled. The implications of unpredictability for life style are explored with respect to life in a migrant labor camp. The excessive drinking and gambling which takes place in a camp, the volatility of social relationships, the “anti-social” aspects of personal behavior, are discussed as adjustive within a context where events are perceived as arbitrary and beyond the control of the participants.
Competition under fixed prices: effects on patient selection and service strategies by hemodialysis providers.

Dialysis services for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are delivered by predominantly private providers competing in local markets. Because prices are fixed by Medicare, providers can only compete on product quality. Using 1990 data and multiple competition measures, this study examines how competition under fixed prices influences hemodialysis providers' strategies for patient selection and service levels. It finds that provider strategies vary with competition, but competitive effects are not dominant and they differ by provider type. Providers with greater competition accept more costly patients, suggesting that competition may be contributing to changes in the Medicare ESRD population to an older and sicker patient mix. Only hospital-based facilities use richer staffing in more competitive markets. For-profit, free-standing facilities in all markets have lean staffing. Rural facilities have higher staff productivity than facilities in concentrated urban markets.
Minimum Description Length (MDL) Regularization for Online Learning

An approach inspired by the Minimum Description Length (MDL) principle is proposed for adaptively selecting features during online learning based on their usefulness in improving the objective. The approach eliminates noisy or useless features from the optimization process, leading to improved loss. Several algorithmic variations on the approach are presented. They are based on using a Bayesian mixture in each of the dimensions of the feature space. By utilizing the MDL principle, the mixture reduces the dimensionality of the feature space to its subspace with the lowest loss. Bounds on the loss, derived, show that the loss for that subspace is essentially achieved. The approach can be tuned for trading o between model size and the loss incurred. Empirical results on large scale real-world systems demonstrate how it improves such tradeos. Huge model size reductions can be achieved with no loss in performance relative to standard techniques, while moderate loss improvements (translating to large regret improvements) are achieved with moderate size reductions. The results also demonstrate that overtting is eliminated by this approach.
Ordered mesoporous mixed metal oxides: remarkable effect of pore size on catalytic activity.

We report the synthesis of ordered mesoporous NiAl mixed metal oxides (MMOs) from NiAl-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) through a soft template method using pluronic-F127 as the structure-directing agent. Ordered mesopores were obtained by the thermal decomposition of as-synthesized LDHs at different temperatures. The effects of the pluronic-F127 amount and the calcination temperature on the pore size distribution of the MMO were investigated. NiAl MMOs exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with acidic methylene group-containing malononitrile. Finally, the dependence of the catalytic activity on the surface properties of NiAl MMOs was investigated. The pore diameter and the pore volume of NiAl MMOs were well correlated with the performance of the catalysts. MMO obtained from the calcination of NiAl-F1273%LDH at 750 °C for 5 h gave the highest conversion (>99%) in the Knoevenagel condensation in 30 min. The optimum pore diameter for the model reaction descri...
Powder coating of magnet wire

This report describes an apparatus and method for powder coating of wire without generation of overspray.
S13.3 Penile microbiota, inflammation, and hiv risk

Introduction The interplay between the genital microbiome and the host immune system may modify one’s susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections. We examined the impact of circumcision on the penile microbiome and how it affects local immune response and potentially modifies the host’s risk for HIV. Methods Using real-time PCR, DNA sequencing, and Luminex multiplex assays, we studied the penile microbiome and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the coronal sulcus of adult men who were randomized to immediate or delayed male circumcision in Rakai, Uganda. Results Uncircumcised men frequently had high abundances of anaerobic bacteria, including Prevotella , Porphyromonas , and species of Clostridiales Family XI. Penile anaerobes decreased after male circumcision, replaced by low abundances of skin-associated bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium . Among the pro-inflammatory cytokines measured, the level of IL-8 correlated significantly with penile anaerobe abundance, which remained persistently elevated in uncircumcised men but decreased after circumcised men. Discussion Our findings suggest that the penile microbiome may play a role in host susceptibility to HIV. Circumcision significantly decreased penile anaerobes and local production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may reduce HIV target cells recruitment and activation in the penile epithelium.
Optical emission spectroscopy measurements of atmospheric plasmas in cross flow created via dielectric barrier discharge actuators

Generating an atmospheric plasma as a form of flow control is a relatively novel technique for controlling boundary layer losses, reducing drag, and increasing overall airflow efficiency of immersed bodies in fluids. A method for achieving flow control is through the use of a pulsed-dc dielectric barrier (DBD) plasma actuator.
Incidence, Treatment, and Survival Patterns for Sacral Chordoma in the United States, 1974-2011.

Introduction Sacral chordomas represent one half of all chordomas, a rare neoplasm of notochordal remnants. Current NCCN guidelines recommend surgical resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy, or definitive radiation for unresectable cases. Recent advances in radiation for chordomas include conformal photon and proton beam radiation. We investigated incidence, treatment, and survival outcomes to observe any trends in response to improvements in surgical and radiation techniques over a near 40 year time period. Materials and Methods 345 microscopically confirmed cases of sacral chordoma were identified between 1974 and 2011 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute. Cases were divided into three cohorts by calendar year, 1974-1989, 1990-1999, and 2000-2011, as well as into two groups by age less than or equal to 65 versus greater than 65 to investigate trends over time and age via Chi-square analysis. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to determine effects of treatment on survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of overall survival. Results 5-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 60.0%. Overall survival correlated significantly with treatment modality, with 44% surviving at 5 years with no treatment, 52% with radiation alone, 82% surgery alone, and 78% surgery and radiation (p<.001). Age greater than 65 was significantly associated with non-surgical management with radiation alone or no treatment (p<.001). Relatively fewer patients received radiation between 2000 and 2011 compared to prior time periods (p=.03) versus surgery, for which rates which did not vary significantly over time (p=.55). However, 5-year overall survival was not significantly different by time period. Age group and treatment modality were predictive for overall survival on multivariate analysis (p<.001). Conclusion Surgery remains an important component in the treatment of sacral chordomas in current practice. Fewer patients were treated with radiation more recently despite advances in photon and proton beam radiation. Overall survival remains unchanged. Additional analyses of margin status, radiation modality, and local control in current practice are warranted.
Rising suicide rates: an under-recognized role for the Internet?

According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age‐adjusted suicide rate increased by 24% in the US from 1999 to 2014, after a period of consistent decline from 1986 to 19991. The increase, whose pace rose after 2006, occurred in males, females, and the entire 10 to 74 age range, but was more pronounced among females aged 10 to 14 and males aged 45 to 64. Several explanations have been proposed in the wide coverage that the data received: the black‐box warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 linking antidepressants and suicidality; the advancing age of puberty; inadequate health insurance coverage; stressors related to the Great Recession; the rising rate of divorce; and the increased use of heroin and opiate drugs. Another possible contributor has received much less attention: the Internet, which dominated the period covered by the data, may have played a facilitating role.
Rapid mesoscale multiphoton microscopy of human skin

We present a multiphoton microscope designed for mesoscale imaging of human skin. The system is based on two-photon excited fluorescence and second-harmonic generation, and images areas of ~0.8x0.8 mm2 at speeds of 0.8 fps (800x800 pixels; 12 frame averages) for high signal-to-noise ratio, with lateral and axial resolutions of 0.5µm and 3.3µm, respectively. The main novelty of this instrument is the design of the scan head, which includes a fast galvanometric scanner, optimized relay optics, a beam expander and high NA objective lens. Computed aberrations in focus are below the Marechal criterion of 0.07λ rms for diffraction-limited performance. We demonstrate the practical utility of this microscope by ex-vivo imaging of wide areas in normal human skin.
Axonal sprouting following incomplete spinal cord injury: an experimental model.

Recovery of function following incomplete spinal cord injury may in part result from growth of new connections by spared descending pathways. It has been difficult to demonstrate such anatomical re...
Transient translational quiescence in primordial germ cells

Stem cells in animals often exhibit a slow cell cycle and/or low transcriptional activity referred to as quiescence. Here, we report that the translational activity in the primordial germ cells (PGCs) of the sea urchin embryo (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) is quiescent. We measured new protein synthesis with O-propargyl-puromycin and L-homopropargylglycine Click-iT technologies, and determined that these cells synthesize protein at only 6% the level of their adjacent somatic cells. Knockdown of translation of the RNA-binding protein Nanos2 by morpholino antisense oligonucleotides, or knockout of the Nanos2 gene by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in a significant, but partial, increase (47%) in general translation specifically in the PGCs. We found that the mRNA of the translation factor eEF1A is excluded from the PGCs in a Nanos2-dependent manner, a consequence of a Nanos/Pumilio response element (PRE) in its 3'UTR. In addition to eEF1A, the cytoplasmic pH of the PGCs appears to repress translation and simply increasing the pH also significantly restores translation selectively in the PGCs. We conclude that the PGCs of this sea urchin institute parallel pathways to quiesce translation thoroughly but transiently.
Revised Ion/Substrate Coupling Stoichiometry of GABA Transporters

The purpose of this review is to highlight recent evidence in support of a 3 Na+: 1 Cl−: 1 GABA coupling stoichiometry for plasma membrane GABA transporters (SLC6A1, SLC6A11, SLC6A12, SLC6A13) and how the revised stoichiometry impacts our understanding of the contribution of GABA transporters to GABA homeostasis in synaptic and extrasynaptic regions in the brain under physiological and pathophysiological states. Recently, our laboratory probed the GABA transporter stoichiometry by analyzing the results of six independent measurements, which included the shifts in the thermodynamic transporter reversal potential caused by changes in the extracellular Na+, Cl−, and GABA concentrations, as well as the ratio of charge flux to substrate flux for Na+, Cl−, and GABA under voltage-clamp conditions. The shifts in the transporter reversal potential for a tenfold change in the external concentration of Na+, Cl−, and GABA were 84 ± 4, 30 ± 1, and 29 ± 1 mV, respectively. Charge flux to substrate flux ratios were 0.7 ± 0.1 charges/Na+, 2.0 ± 0.2 charges/Cl−, and 2.1 ± 0.1 charges/GABA. We then compared these experimental results with the predictions of 150 different transporter stoichiometry models, which included 1–5 Na+, 0–5 Cl−, and 1–5 GABA per transport cycle. Only the 3 Na+: 1 Cl−: 1 GABA stoichiometry model correctly predicts the results of all six experimental measurements. Using the revised 3 Na+: 1 Cl−: 1 GABA stoichiometry, we propose that the GABA transporters mediate GABA uptake under most physiological conditions. Transporter-mediated GABA release likely takes place under pathophysiological or extreme physiological conditions.
Social-Ecological Resilience in the Columbia River Basin: The Role of Law and Governance

The Columbia River is a complex water basin shared by 2 countries, 15 Native American Tribes, 15 First Nations, 7 US states, and 1 Canadian province. Dam construction during the twentieth century has engendered a basin economy that is dependent on low-cost electricity and irrigated agriculture. Yet, these dams are a major factor in the decline of populations of salmon and steelhead species that are critical to the culture of Indigenous peoples. Climate change scenarios predict a transformation from snow- to rain-dominated precipitation in the basin’s lower latitudes, greater extremes in flood and drought, and an increasing water deficit as a result of higher rates of evapotranspiration with increasing temperature. Reduced late summer flow may pose challenges for the sustainability of irrigation and fish. The basin provides a unique laboratory to explore resilience of a highly developed social-ecological system to changing climate and rising empowerment of Indigenous peoples. Review of the Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada that governs much of the operation of the river presents a window of opportunity for change. This window provides a moment in time to rethink environmental governance and to consider an approach which reflects neither top-down nor bottom-up control of resources but a third path in which each level of government plays a supporting role to a regional vision of the basin’s future governance.
The natural history of large renal masses followed on observation

Abstract Purpose The safety and feasibility of active surveillance in comorbid patients with renal masses ≥4.0 cm is uncertain. The aim of this study is to describe our institutional experience with the observation of large renal masses. Materials and methods One hundred patients were identified with renal masses ≥ 4.0 cm that were followed on observation for at least 6 months without surgical intervention between 1994 and 2016. Linear regression was conducted to determine predictors for renal mass growth and competing risk methods were used to estimate the probability of progression in the setting of death from other causes. Results Median age at diagnosis was 73 years and 73% of patients had a Charlson Comorbidity index ≥ 4. At presentation, the median mass size was 4.9 cm. The median growth rate was 0.4 cm/y and there were no significant predictors of growth. Surveillance was discontinued in 34 patients who underwent delayed intervention. Median follow up for metastasis-free survivors was 4 years. In total, 10 patients developed metastatic disease, 3 died from kidney cancer and 30 patients died from other causes. The 5-year probability of other cause mortality was 22% (95% CI: 14%–32%) compared to 6% (95% CI: 2%–13%) for metastatic progression of kidney cancer. Conclusion In highly comorbid patients, the observation of large renal masses has low likelihood for metastatic progression relative to the risk of nonkidney cancer related death. This data supports the use of surveillance as an acceptable strategy for highly selected patients with competing risks from other serious illnesses.
Molecular pathology of Luft disease and structure and function of mitochondria.

Luft disease, studied in detail by Luft et al. (1962) is characterized clinically by hypermetabolism and consequent abnormal transpiration. In their study, Luft and coworkers revealed that the hypermetabolism is caused by extensive uncoupling of mitochondrial respiration in skeletal muscle tissue. They also discovered that the muscle mitochondria had been structurally modified with the cristae assuming a zig-zag conformation. The mitochondrial enzymes functioned normally, the abnormality being confined to the extensive uncoupling of respiration. In an earlier study (Sjostrand et al., 1988) it was revealed that the zig-zag conformation is caused by removal of some tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes from the cristae, exposing the interior of the cristae to the matrix fluid. Applying a coupling theory proposed by Sjostrand (1990, 1991), leakage of protons from the cristae should impair coupling of respiration and ATP synthesis. The structural damage is conceived of to be caused by a genetic defect preventing proper aggregation of the enzyme molecules in the cristae. Luft disease may therefore be the first known disease caused primarily by a structural disorder at the molecular level. The symptoms of the disease reveal the importance of the compact and ordered aggregation of the enzyme molecules in the cristae for coupling of respiration.
HIV Incidence and CDC’s HIV Prevention Budget: An Exploratory Correlational Analysis

Background The central evaluative question about a national HIV prevention program is whether that program affects HIV incidence. Numerous factors may influence incidence, including public investment in HIV prevention. Few studies, however, have examined the relationship between public investment and the HIV epidemic in the United States. Methods This 2006 exploratory analysis examined the period from 1978 through 2006 using a quantitative, lagged, correlational analysis to capture the relationship between national HIV incidence and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV prevention budget in the United States over time. Results The analyses suggest that early HIV incidence rose in advance of the nation's HIV prevention investment until the mid-1980s (1-year lag correlation, r =0.972, df =2, p r =−0.905, df =18, p Conclusions This exploratory study provides correlational evidence of a relationship between U.S. HIV incidence and the federal HIV prevention budget over time, and calls for further analysis of the role of funding and other factors that may influence the direction of a nation's HIV epidemic.
Appropriate use criteria and the impact of stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging on management of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease

Background Stress-CMR provides important diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. However, in the current fiscal environment, use of a newer imaging modality like stress-CMR requires evidence for direct additive impact on clinical management. Appropriate use criteria (AUC) have recently been developed to provide guidance to physicians and payers regarding the appropriateness of this test in various clinical scenarios. However, these criteria were created by expert consensus and have never been systematically validated. The aims of this study were 1) to evaluate the impact of stress-CMR on clinical management; and 2) to determine the relationship of the AUC with active clinical impact.
The Extracellular Functional Sites on the α-Subunit of Acetylcholine Receptor and of the Receptor-Binding Sites on α-Neurotoxin

A comprehensive synthetic approach, previously developed in this laboratory, has been applied to systematically screen the entire extracellular part (residues 1–210) of the α subunit of human and Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptors (AChR) for the various functional sites. Consecutive uniform-sized peptides were designed with constant 5-residue overlaps and covered the entire extracellular domain (residue 1–210) of T. californica and human AChR a subunits. The peptide size was selected to be within the optimum size requirement for T-cell activation. These peptides were employed to localize the continuous regions recognized by anti-AChR antibodies, the regions recognized by AChR-primed T-lymphocytes and the regions that are involved in the binding of α-neurotoxins and of acetylcholine. We have also synthesized the two inter-transmembrane regions α262–276 and α-388–408 as well as the C-terminal segment α427–437 and have determined their ability to bind α-neurotoxins (BgTX and CbTX) and antibodies against free AChR and membrane-bound AChR and to stimulate the in vitro proliferation of AChR-primed T-lymphocytes. This permitted the selection of a model for subunit organization within the membrane. In addition, we have also localized the AChR-binding sites on α-bungarotoxin by synthetic peptides representing the exposed regions of each of the toxin loops.
First Test of a Photonic Band Gap Structure for HAYSTAC

Haloscopic axion searches require the tuning of a TM mode in a microwave cavity. Traditional cavities contain many unwanted modes which can result in mode crossings, ultimately reducing the effective tuning range of a cavity and slowing scan rates. Photonic band gap (PBG) structures have the potential to create resonators without TE modes, allowing for uninterrupted tuning. A tunable PBG structure has been designed for HAYSTAC. A prototype has been built and tested to validate simulations. Results of the fixed frequency case will be shown as well as details of the expected tuning.
Echocardiography in centenarians: characteristics, utility and follow-up.

Background Echocardiography has been shown to be a valuable resource in the diagnosis of many cardiac conditions, and can be used in all age groups, from the fetus to the oldest old. In the context of an increasingly aging population, the impact and utility of echocardiography in centenarians is largely unknown. This study is to determine whether echocardiography in centenarians aids in making clinical patient management decisions. Methods A retrospective review of echocardiograms from 1986 to 2014, at two affiliated tertiary centers, in individuals who were 100 years or older at the time of the examination. Patient and echocardiogram characteristics, management decisions based on echocardiography, and mortality were documented. Results 114 centenarians had echocardiograms, with ages ranging from 100 to 107 years (101 ± 1.4 years). In 82 of the centenarians evaluated (72%), no changes in management occurred as a consequence of the echocardiogram. From all management changes directly related to the echocardiogram, 81% (n = 26) of these corresponded to medication adjustments; interventional or surgical procedures followed the echocardiogram only in 4% (n = 5) of the total number of centenarians. Echocardiogram-based changes in management were only significant in patients that were referred for congestive heart failure (P = 0.02). After the echocardiogram was performed, 1-month and 1-year mortality were 15% and 47%, respectively. The median survival after the echocardiogram was obtained was 13 months (range 0.03 to 145 months), with no difference if there was a change or no change in management (P = 0.21). Conclusions Among centenarians undergoing echocardiography, despite additional diagnostic information, echocardiograms in centenarians influence management in a minority of cases, most commonly in the form of medication changes for treatment of heart failure. A significant proportion of centenarians are deceased within a year of undergoing echocardiographic assessment. These findings may question the overall utility of echocardiography in these late survivors.
Growth and Persistence of Place-Based Mortality in the United States: The Rural Mortality Penalty.

Objectives. To examine 47 years of US urban and rural mortality trends at the county level, controlling for effects of education, income, poverty, and race.Methods. We obtained (1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER (Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research) data (1970–2016) on 104 million deaths; (2) US Census data on education, poverty, and race; and (3) Bureau of Economic Analysis data on income. We calculated ordinary least square regression models, including interaction models, for each year. We graphed standardized parameter estimates for 47 years.Results. Rural–urban mortality disparities increased from the mid-1980s through 2016. We found education, race, and rurality to be strong predictors; we found strong interactions between percentage poverty and percentage rural, indicating that the largest penalty was in high-poverty, rural counties.Conclusions. The rural–urban mortality disparity was persistent, growing, and large when compared to other place-based disparities. Th...
“Both Sides Now”: Articulating Textiles and Fashioned Bodies in the Works of Joni Mitchell, 1968–1976:

The singer–songwriter–artist Joni Mitchell (nee Anderson, born on November 7, 1943) is recognized in the worlds of music and fashion alike for her creative influences since the late 1960s. In this ...