cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of phosphorylation in desensitization of acetylcholine receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is a pentameric complex made up of four types of subunits in the stoichiometry alpha 2 beta gamma delta. These subunits have been shown to be differentially phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) protein kinase C, and a protein tyrosine kinase. A variety of studies have suggested that phosphorylation of the AChR in vitro and in vivo regulates the rate of desensitization of the receptor. In this study we have used site- specific mutagenesis and patch-clamp techniques to examine the role of phosphorylation in the regulation of desensitization of the AChR expressed in Xenopus oocytes Expression of wild-type AChR in Xenopus oocytes results in the constitutive phosphorylation of the AChR on the gamma and delta subunits. This phosphorylation is apparently due to the high basal level of PKA in oocytes since a specific peptide inhibitor of PKA completely eliminated phosphorylation of the AChR by oocyte extracts in vitro. The phosphorylation of the AChR in oocytes was not significantly enhanced by forskolin or cAMP analogs or by coexpression with the catalytic subunit of PKA, suggesting that the basal activity of PKA in oocytes is sufficient to phosphorylate the receptor to a high stoichiometry. Using site-specific mutagenesis, the sites of phosphorylation were determined to be serines 353 and 354 on the gamma subunit and serines 361 and 362 on the delta subunit. To examine the functional properties of wild-type and mutant receptors lacking phosphorylation sites, we used patch-clamp techniques to measure the responses of out-side-out patches to repetitive pulses of ACh using a rapid perfusion system. Wild-type and mutant receptors showed rapid concentration-dependent activation and desensitization to applied agonist. The time constant of desensitization of ensemble mean currents ranged from several hundred milliseconds at low ACh concentrations to 100–200 msec at saturating concentrations. The desensitization time constants for mutant receptors lacking all phosphorylation sites were significantly slower than wild-type phosphorylated receptors at all concentrations of ACh tested. In addition, mutant receptors that had the serine residues changed to glutamate residues in order to mimic the negative charge of the phosphorylated serine residue produced receptors that had desensitization rates approaching those of the wild-type phosphorylated receptor. These results provide further support that phosphorylation of the nicotinic ACh receptor regulates rate of desensitization.
Impact of vaccination and birth rate on the epidemiology of pertussis: a comparative study in 64 countries.

Bordetella pertussis infection remains an important public health problem worldwide despite decades of routine vaccination. A key indicator of the impact of vaccination programmes is the inter-epidemic period, which is expected to increase with vaccine uptake if there is significant herd immunity. Based on empirical data from 64 countries across the five continents over the past 30–70 years, we document the observed relationship between the average inter-epidemic period, birth rate and vaccine coverage. We then use a mathematical model to explore the range of scenarios for duration of immunity and transmission resulting from repeat infections that are consistent with empirical evidence. Estimates of pertussis periodicity ranged between 2 and 4.6 years, with a strong association with susceptible recruitment rate, defined as birth rate × (1 − vaccine coverage). Periodicity increased by 1.27 years on average after the introduction of national vaccination programmes (95% CI: 1.13, 1.41 years), indicative of increased herd immunity. Mathematical models suggest that the observed patterns of pertussis periodicity are equally consistent with loss of immunity that is not as rapid as currently thought, or with negligible transmission generated by repeat infections. We conclude that both vaccine coverage and birth rate drive pertussis periodicity globally and that vaccination induces strong herd immunity effects. A better understanding of the role of repeat infections in pertussis transmission is critical to refine existing control strategies.
Structural, thermal and magnetic characterization of the manganese oxyhalide layered perovskite, (MnCl)LaNb2O7

Abstract Mn-Cl sheets were inserted into the perovskite blocks of a double-layered Dion–Jacobson compound by ion exchange at low temperature (390°C). The Rietveld structural analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data (P4/mmm) indicates that the product, (MnCl)LaNb2O7, has the manganese coordinated by two apical oxygens from the perovskite layers and four in-plane chlorines within the interlayer space. On heating, this compound exhibits an exothermic transition between 650°C and 750°C that is consistent with metastability. Magnetic characterization shows Curie–Weiss behavior at higher temperatures (>200 K) with a magnetic moment corresponding to the presence of high-spin Mn2+ ion (S=5/2). At lower temperatures, antiferromagnetic interactions become significant and the broad maximum at 63 K reveals the 2-D character of the magnetic behavior. The susceptibility data, fit with the high temperature expansion for a Heisenberg square planar system, show a negative exchange interaction of J/k=−3.77 K.
The study of geomagnetism in the late 19th century

Geomagnetic research in the late 19th century differed greatly from such research today. Geomagnetic observations were glaringly incomplete. The basic processes of geomagnetism were still far from being understood. Yet it was a time of much interest and some accomplishment in geomagnetic investigation.
Correspondence expansion for wide baseline stereo

We present a new method for generating large numbers of accurate point correspondences between two wide baseline images. This is important for structure-from-motion algorithms, which rely on many correct matches to reduce error in the derived geometric structure. Given a small initial correspondence set we iteratively expand the set with nearby points exhibiting strong affine correlation, and then we constrain the set to an epipolar geometry using RANSAC. A key point to our algorithm is to allow a high error tolerance in the constraint, allowing the correspondence set to expand into many areas of an image before applying a lower error tolerance constraint. We show that this method successfully expands a small set of initial matches, and we demonstrate it on a variety of image pairs.
On the Kinematic Analysis of Robotic Mechanisms

The kinematic analyses, of manipulators and other robotic devices composed of mechanical links, usually depend on the solution of sets of nonlinear equations. There are a variety of both numerical and algebraic techniques available to solve such systems of equations and to give bounds on the number of solutions. These solution methods have also led to an understanding of how special choices of the various structural parameters of a mechanism influence the number of solutions inherent to the kinematic geometry of a given structure. In this paper, results from studying the kinematic geometry of such systems are reviewed, and the three most useful solution techniques are summarized. The solution techniques are polynomial continuation, Grobner bases, and elimination. We then discuss the results that have been obtained with these techniques in the solution of two basic problems, namely, the inverse kinematics for serial-chain manipulators, and the direct kinematics of in-parallel platform devices.
A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Mitoxantrone in Mice and Scale-up to Humans: a Semi-Mechanistic Model Incorporating DNA and Protein Binding

We conducted a pharmacokinetic (PK) study of mitoxantrone (Novantrone®), a clinically well-established anticancer agent, in mice and developed a mechanism-based PBPK (physiologically based pharmacokinetic) model to describe its disposition. Mitoxantrone concentrations in plasma and six organs (lung, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and brain) were determined after a 5 mg/kg i.v. dose. We evaluated three different PBPK models in order to characterize our experimental data: model 1 containing Kp values, model 2 incorporating a deep binding compartment, and model 3 incorporating binding of mitoxantrone to DNA and protein. Among the three models, only model 3 with DNA and protein binding captured all the experimental data well. The estimated binding affinity for DNA (KDNA) and protein (Kmacro) were 0.0013 and 1.44 μM, respectively. Predicted plasma and tissue AUC values differed from observed values by <19 %, except for heart (60 %). Model 3 was further used to simulate plasma mitoxantrone concentrations in humans for a 12-mg/m2 dose, using human physiological parameters. The simulated results generally agreed with the observed time course of mitoxantrone plasma concentrations in patients after a standard dose of 12 mg/m2. In summary, we reported for the first time a mechanism-based PBPK model of mitoxantrone incorporating macromolecule binding which may have clinical applicability in optimizing clinical therapy. Since mitoxantrone is a substrate of the efflux transporters ABCG2 and ABCB1, the incorporation of efflux transporters may also be necessary to characterize the data obtained in low-dose studies.
A review of the foreign-body response to subcutaneously-implanted devices: the role of macrophages and cytokines in biofouling and fibrosis.

The biological response to implanted biomaterials in mammals is a complex series of events that involves many biochemical pathways. Shortly after implantation, fibrinogen and other proteins bind to the device surface, a process known as biofouling. Macrophages then bind to receptors on the proteins, join into multinucleated giant cells, and release transforming growth factor β and other inflammatory cytokines. In response to these signals, quiescent fibroblasts are transformed into myofibroblasts, which synthesize procollagen via activation of Smad mediators. The procollagen becomes crosslinked after secretion into the extracellular space. Mature crosslinked collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins gradually contribute to formation of a hypocellular dense fibrous capsule that becomes impermeable or hypopermeable to many compounds. Porous substrates and angiogenic growth factors can stimulate formation of microvessels, which to some extent can maintain analyte delivery to implanted sensors. However, stimulation by vascular endothelial growth factor alone may lead to formation of leaky, thin-walled, immature vessels. Other growth factors are most probably needed to act upon these immature structures to create more robust vessels. During implantation of foreign bodies, the foreign-body response is difficult to overcome, and thousands of biomaterials have been tested. Biomimicry (i.e., creating membranes whose chemical structure mimics natural cellular compounds) may diminish the response, but as of this writing, it has not been possible to create a stealth material that circumvents the ability of the mammalian surveillance systems to distinguish foreign from self.
Sharing service semantics using SOAP-based and REST Web services

This paper describes a method that combines the attributes from both SOAP-based and REST Web services in the same semantic service description framework and create a bridge between Web services and the Semantic Web under the same Internet Protocol (HTTP) without using any extra framework such as WSDL or SOAP. This method allows users to access the functional components of any software located in a remote machine while using distributed computing's power through an easy and understandable process
What are the most eye-catching and ear-catching features in the video?: implications for video summarization

Video summarization is a mechanism for generating short summaries of the video to help people quickly make sense of the content of the video before downloading or seeking more detailed information. To produce reliable automatic video summarization algorithms, it is essential to first understand how human beings create video summaries with manual efforts. This paper focuses on a corpus of instructional documentary video, and seeks to improve automatic video summaries by understanding what features in the video catch the eyes and ears of human assessors, and using these findings to inform automatic summarization algorithms. The paper contributes a thorough and valuable methodology for performing automatic video summarization, and the methodology can be extended to inform summarization of other video corpuses.
Stochastic Forcing of Perturbation Variance in Unbounded Shear and Deformation Flows

An alternative mechanism for growth and maintenance of perturbation variance - amplification in a straining flow of stochastically forced perturbations in the absence of exponential instabilities - is explored, using as examples unbounded constant shear and pure deformation flow for which closed-form solutions are available and neither of which support a nonsingular mode. With diffusive dissipation, amplification of isotropic band-limited stochastic driving is found to be unbounded for the case of pure deformation and to be bounded by a threefold increase at large shear for the case of a linear velocity profile. It is concluded that amplification of stochastic forcing in a straining field can maintain a variance field substantially more energetic than that resulting from the same forcing in the absence of a background straining flow.
Cosmogenic nuclide data sets from the Sierra Nevada, California, for assessment of nuclide production models: I. Late Pleistocene glacial chronology

Abstract The Cosmic-Ray prOduced NUclide Systematics on Earth Project (CRONUS-Earth Project) has reused a limited number of ‘legacy’ 10 Be and 36 Cl samples from late Pleistocene moraines in the Sierra Nevada for the testing and evaluation of cosmogenic nuclide production rates derived by the CRONUS-Earth Project. A secure glacial chronology for the range is necessary for this purpose. Evidence for the timing of glacial fluctuations is provided by direct radiocarbon ages marking glacial termini at various times and by chronologies on lacustrine cores, marine cores, and speleothem records. Evaluation of these records yields a relatively consistent picture. Tioga 3 glaciers were close to their maximum extent from >20 to about 17 ka. Close to 17 ka they retreated rapidly, then began to readvance at ∼16.8 ka. The Tioga 4 readvance culminated at about 16.2 ka and rapid retreat ensued, with the equilibrium line altitude rising by 400 m by 15.7 ka and the range probably virtually ice-free by a short time thereafter. There is no evidence of ice readvance until the Recess Peak glaciation. Dating of this readavance is inconsistent, with direct dates on glacial features and some lacustrine and speleothem records placing it between 14.0 and 13.0 ka, but many regional records are more consistent with an advance during the interval 13.0 to 12.6 ka. After consideration of all the evidence I have assigned ages of 15.75 ± 0.5 ka for Tioga 4 retreat and 13.3 ± 0.25 for the maximum extent of the Recess Peak glaciation.
Synergistic Cytotoxic Effect Of The PARP Inhibitor ABT888 and Busulfan In Acute Leukemia Cell Lines

The alkylator Busulfan (Bu) is used in conditioning regimens for acute leukemia prior to allogeneic stem cell transplant. Multiple DNA repair mechanisms including mismatch repair and base excision repair have been implicated in resistance to Bu. The enzyme PARP is central to base excision repair. We hypothesized that treatment of acute leukemia cell lines with both ABT888 (Veliparib), an inhibitor of PARP 1 and 2, and Bu would lead to synergistic cell kill and that this effect is maximal in mismatch repair deficient cells. Two mismatch repair proficient cell lines (K562 and HL60) and 2 mismatch repair deficient cell lines (NB4 and REH) were treated with ABT888 alone, Bu alone or a combination of both. In single drug experiments, doses of drug treatment ranged from 0-400mcg/ml. In combination experiments a fixed dose of ABT888 of 1.25mcg/ml was utilized with Bu doses varying from 0-200mcg/ml. This dose of ABT888 was chosen as it approximated to patient blood levels in clinical trials. After 24 hours of treatment, cells were washed and resuspended in fresh medium. Proliferation of cells was measured by standard 3H-thymidine uptake assay at 48 hours. Sigmoidal dose response curves and GI50 values were then calculated. In addition, cells were tested for apoptosis by flow cytometry using activated caspase 3 and annexin/ PI staining at 24 and 48 hours after treatment. All 4 cell lines were found to be resistant to single agent ABT888. Despite mismatch repair deficiency in REH cells, therapeutic doses of ABT888 did not cause significant decreases in proliferation. The effect of ABT888 was, as expected, much less evident in the mismatch repair proficient K562 cells. These cells were also relatively resistant to single agent Bu in vitro. The combination of Bu and ABT888 was synergistic in all cell lines with GI50 (micromoles/ml) for Bu decreasing from 67.8 to 45.7 in K562, from 23.3 to 8.0 in HL60, from 46.6 to 36.1 in NB4 and from 34.4 to 17.0 in REH cells. The Combination Index was <1 in all cell lines indicating synergy. Dose Reduction Index, indicating the factor by which the dose of Bu can be decreased to achieve the same treatment effect size, ranged from 1.45 to 3.1. The synergistic effect was greatest in the mismatch repair deficient cell line REH (Combination Index 0.53, Dose Reduction Index 3.1). As expected, the synergistic effect observed did not correlate with increased apoptotic death of leukemic cells implying an alternative mechanism for the derease in proliferation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show synergy of a clinically available PARP inhibitor with Bu. We believe this data warrants further study with the potential clinical application of increasing the antileukemic effect of stem cell transplantation conditioned with Bu containing preparative regimens. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Microfluidic-based Tactile Sensor for Palpating Mice Tumor Tissues

In light of the need of tissue palpation for Robotics-assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery (RMIS), this paper presents a microfluidic-based tactile sensor for palpating mice tissues for tumor localization. The core of the sensor is a 3x3 sensing-plate/transducer array built into a single polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructure, with a transducer spacing of 3.75mmx1.5mm. Mounted on a robot, the sensor is pressed against a tissue region with a pre-defined indentation depth pattern, and consequently the stiffness distribution across the tissue region translates to the deflection distribution of the sensing-plate array and is captured by the transducer array underneath as resistance changes. Thus, the recorded data on a tissue region is the sensor deflection as a function of the indentation depth. While the continuous manner of the sensor interacting with a tissue region alleviates the error resulting from non-ideal normal contact between the sensor and the tissue region, the error related to uncertainty in contact point is removed by interpreting the palpation results in terms of the slope of the sensor deflection versus the indentation depth. Two mice tumor tissues are palpated using the sensor. After their noise being removed, the raw data on the two tissues are processed to obtain their slope distribution, the slope error and the percentage error in the slope. The slope distribution of each tissue clearly illustrates the location of a tumor. The palpation results also indicate that this sensor can be integrated into a robotic-assisted system for tumor localization.
Design and Research of Real-time Monitoring System of Boring Machine Hydraulic Oil

Practice shows that most of the boring machine hydraulic system failure is caused due to the contamination of the hydraulic oil.Roadheader monitoring of hydraulic oil by extracting oil sample examination and laboratory,this method is timeliness and accuracy.In this paper,the design and research of real-time monitoring of the hydraulic oil system,the first boring machine can be quickly and accurately on the viscosity of the hydraulic oil,water,cleanliness,temperature,and level real-time monitoring,intuitive results in airborne display and alarm,and upload to the mine command center and local area network through the mine,has great potential for the promotion
Triton charge radius to next-to-next-to-leading order in pionless effective field theory

The triton point charge radius is calculated to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in pionless effective field theory $(\mathrm{EFT}(\ensuremath{\pi}\phantom{\rule{-0.6em}{0ex}}/))$, yielding a prediction of $1.14\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.19$ fm (leading order), $1.59\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08$ fm (next-to leading order), and $1.62\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ fm (NNLO) in agreement with the current experimental extraction of $1.5978\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.040$ fm [Angeli and Marinova, At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 99, 69 (2013)]. The error at NNLO is due to cutoff variation ($\ensuremath{\sim}1%$) within a reasonable range of calculated cutoffs and from a $\mathrm{EFT}(\ensuremath{\pi}\phantom{\rule{-0.6em}{0ex}}/)$ error estimate ($\ensuremath{\sim}1.5%$). In addition new techniques are introduced to add perturbative corrections to bound- and scattering state calculations for short-range effective field theories, but with a focus on their use in $\mathrm{EFT}(\ensuremath{\pi}\phantom{\rule{-0.6em}{0ex}}/)$.
Evaluation of alternate mineral oils for use in transformers and other electrical apparatus

Since World War I, electrical insulating oils for transformers and allied electrical equipment have been refined from naphthenic petroleum crude oil stocks. The resulting oils have had acceptable dielectric, mechanical and heat transfer properties and little or no wax formation occurs at temperatures down to −40°C. Usable naphthenic crude oils appear to be coming into short supply and there is a real possibility of a short fall in supply of the traditional oils in the 1980's. This report describes the results of a program directed toward evaluation of potential replacement liquids, particularly other mineral oils.
Folate Receptor Alpha Expression Is Associated With Increased Risk of Recurrence in Triple-negative Breast Cancer

Abstract Background Folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) has been identified as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target in breast cancer. The limited studies evaluating the role of FOLR1 in breast cancer have shown that FOLR1 protein expression is enriched in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and associated with poor prognosis in all breast cancer types. Newly developed anti-FOLR1 therapy could potentially be used in patients with TNBC for whom few therapeutic options exist. We sought to evaluate FOLR1 protein expression in a cohort of patients with TNBC to determine its prevalence and prognostic value. Materials Immunohistochemistry was performed for FOLR1 in 76 cases of primary TNBC. Membranous staining in ≥ 5% of cells was deemed positive in a given case. Statistical analyses correlating FOLR1 protein expression with clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcome (disease-free survival and overall survival) were performed. Results A total of 76 cases of primary TNBC were studied. Most cases were negative for FOLR1 (80.3%; 61/76). FOLR1 expression did not correlate with any clinicopathologic parameters. FOLR1 expression was significantly correlated with decreased disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 2.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-7.09; P = .0497 log-rank test). Although FOLR1 expression trended towards decreased overall survival, it was not statistically significant (hazard ratio, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-6.36; P > .05 log-rank test). Conclusion We found a lower incidence of FOLR1 expression in TNBC compared with other studies; however, these patients may benefit from anti-folate therapy as other targeted therapies are not available. Although no correlation between FOLR1 expression and standard clinicopathologic parameters was identified, our findings suggest that FOLR1 expression is prognostically significant in TNBC.
Bilateral Lateral Rectus Recession (BLR)

Strabismus (abnormal ocular alignment) is a common problem in children. Misalignment may be vertical, horizontal, torsional, or a combination of these. Although strabismus can be treated with conservative therapy such as prisms, patching, glasses, and orthoptic exercises, many cases require surgery for correction. Horizontal eye muscle surgery is the most common strabismus surgery performed and is used for patients with exo- and eso-deviations, dissociated vertical deviations, abnormal head postures, and/or nystagmus. Several techniques are available for treatment of strabismus and may include resection, recession, splitting of muscles, or any combination of these treatments. Bilateral muscle recessions/resections may be performed, or surgery may be done on antagonist muscles of the same eye, depending on diagnosis and surgeon preference.
Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Followed by Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Role of Adenosine A2A Receptor

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a donor-derived immune response against recipient antigens, is a major barrier to the broader use of allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for non-malignancy clinical applications such as the treatment of primary immunodeficiencies and hemoglobinopathies. Significant morbidity is associated with standard frontline therapies for GVHD and no standard second line therapy has been developed. Due to their demonstrated ability to terminate inflammation via the regulation of cells involved in innate and adaptive immunity, and their superior safety profiles, selective agonists of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) are interesting pharmacological tools for the treatment of GVHD. The selective small molecule agonist of the A2AR, ATL146e, has been shown to effectively limit disease development in a murine model of MHC class I disparate GVHD, and to improve physiological symptoms of established GVHD, suggesting that the activation of the A2AR has therapeutic potential in both the prevention and treatment of acute GVHD.
Abstract TP288: Does Transferring Patients to Stroke Centers Increase Length of Stay

Objective: Due to geographic disparities in stroke care, many acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients are transferred to stroke centers for treatment with intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator...
A field analysis trial comparing the turnaround times of routine and STAT red blood cell immunohematology testing

CONCLUSIONS The turnaround time (TAT) for pre-transfusion testing is important for prompt clinical decision-making. TAT includes the time between the arrival of the sample and the initiation of testing, plus the processing time (PT) required to generate and report a result. The TAT in larger blood banks is mostly dependent upon the capability of the analyzer used. In smaller blood banks, where manual work is often performed, the TAT is dependent on availability and experience of staff, testing resources, and workload. Our site performed a comparative analysis of the ORTHO VISION® (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ) and the Echo® (Immucor, Norcross, GA) blood bank analyzers, using the TAT and PT of standard blood bank tests as the outcome metrics. Tests were run in various combinations to reflect the standard workflow of a busy hospital transfusion service and under routine and immediate or STAT conditions. We also compared manual versus automated processing TATs for a variety of pre-transfusion tests and antibody titers. We found that the capacity of the VISION to load and run new samples, even while several other tests were ongoing, allowed for faster overall TAT when compared with samples run on the Echo. The PTs of the two analyzers (from load to result) were also compared, and we found them to be equivalent. These findings highlight the inherent flaw in considering only PT when assessing a laboratory's ability to efficiently and consistently make results available to best meet customer and patient needs. In addition, we observed a tighter distribution of TATs and PTs when the VISION was compared with the Echo analyzer, providing a higher level of predictability for availability of results. Finally, when compared with manual antibody titer testing, the VISION analyzer showed a faster PT.
Additively manufactured mixed potential electrochemical sensors for NO x, C 3 H 8 , and NH 3 detection

Additive manufacturing of mixed potential electrochemical sensors opens the possibility to perform rapid prototyping of electrode and electrolyte materials. We report for the first time the use of this technique for the fabrication of solid-state electrochemical gas sensors of the mixed potential type and assessment of variability in the manufacturing process. La0.87Sr0.13CrO3 (LSCO) and Pt electrodes bridged with a porous yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been deposited on YSZ substrates by direct-write extrusion of pastes and inks. The sensors are evaluated for their sensitivity to 200 ppm of NOx, C3H8, and NH3. There is a need to understand how variations in intrinsic materials parameters during manufacturing such as differences in porosity affect the gas sensing of additively manufactured sensors to guide optimization of their performance and serve as quality control techniques. Further characterizations of these devices include electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and an aqueous electrochemical assessment of the electrode surface area and diffusion through the porous layer. We find a correlation of increased sensitivity with larger gas reaction impedance, higher Pt electrode surface area, and slower diffusion.
A Fuzzy Approach for Assessing Transportation Infrastructure Security

The security of any transportation infrastructure can be defined as a combination of threat likelihood, infrastructure resilience, and consequence. In view of their inherently dynamic and highly unpredictable nature, threat likelihood and consequence data is difficult to determine with certainty. Due to this problem, this paper presents a new fuzzy methodology to qualitatively determine the overall security level, in terms of a security rating, for transportation infrastructure by duly considering the uncertainties of the environmental threats it faces, its resilience to damage, and the consequences of the infrastructure damage. The method is useful when data is unavailable or imprecise, allowing the security rating to be determined using a qualitative expert-assigned level that each factor contributes to overall security. The evaluation of the security factors are represented as fuzzy triangular numbers with accompanying membership rules that define the extent of contribution by each factor to overall infrastructure security. Through a case study, the paper applies the methodology to illustrate how general data can be used in the method to determine the overall security of specific infrastructure.
Shadow Imaging for Charge Distribution Analysis

We briefly review the shadow imaging method for charge distribution analysis developed at Brookhaven. It is a unique electron-diffraction technique. Instead of focusing a small electron probe on the sample in conventional convergent beam electron diffraction, we focus the probe above (or below) the sample, resulting in parallel recording of dark-field images (shadow images), or PARODI. Because the method couples diffraction with imaging, it is thus suitable for studying crystals as well as their defects. We used this technique to accurately describe charge transfer that determines the functionality of technologically important materials. Examples are given for MgB2 superconductor and CaCu3Ti4O12 oxide that exhibits giant dielectric response. Discussions on non-spherical electron scattering factors and their parameterizations for direct observations of electron orbitals in atomic images are also included.
An empirical study of biological scientists’ article sharing through ResearchGate: Examining attitudinal, normative, and control beliefs

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how attitudinal, normative and control beliefs influence scientists’ article sharing through ResearchGate.,A survey method was employed to examine a research model of scientists’ article sharing through ResearchGate. A total of 264 survey responses from biological scientists in the USA were used to evaluate the research model by using partial least square based structural equation modeling.,The results showed that scientists’ attitudinal beliefs (i.e. perceived relationship, reputation and risk), normative beliefs (i.e. subjective norm, perceived academic culture and community norm of article sharing) and control belief (i.e. perceived ease of use) all significantly affect their attitudes toward article sharing and article sharing intentions through ResearchGate.,The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to develop the research model, and the specific research constructs from prior literature were incorporated in the model. The TPB and related research constructs nicely explained biological scientists’ article sharing through ResearchGate.,This study suggests that academic libraries can better promote their scientists’ article sharing through digital platforms such as institutional repositories as well as scholarly social media. This can be achieved by emphasizing its benefits, including potential relationships or collaborations, positive academic reputation and community norms of article sharing, and by decreasing scientists’ concerns about copyright infringements and effort expectancy involved in article sharing.,As one of the initial studies in scientists’ article sharing through ResearchGate, this study provides a holistic picture of how attitudinal, normative and control beliefs all affect scientists’ article sharing through ResearchGate.
Charge-mediated cation deposition on metallic surfaces

This work reveals the general mechanisms of Li+ cation partial reduction and further deposition under specific electrolyte conditions, and in the proximity of an electrified metal surface. The factors affecting the ion complexation and transport and resultant adsorbed structures are identified for various external electric fields and for several applied voltages. Using ab initio methods, we investigate the relation between solvent–salt structures and dynamics, cation reductive stability, and the existing electric field between electrodes, or under the applied potential if the system is designed as an electrochemical cell. In absence of an applied field, it is found that not only cation but also non-solvated salt deposition on a metallic surface is an endothermic process. However, localized surface polarization orbitals created by an external electric field affect both the thermodynamics and kinetics of the adsorption, leading to a drastic change on the energetic profile; ab initio molecular dynamics simulations describe in detail the underlying mechanisms. Externally applied bias to an electrochemical cell also changes the deposition dynamics: by examining various solvent/salt combinations, we unravel the cation deposition mechanisms at both low and moderately high voltages, determining the relative time scale of each separate process. Different polyhedra formed by the metal cation and its surrounding oxygen atoms appear to be the key indicator driving deposition dynamics at different voltages. Our findings disclose the importance of selecting appropriate voltage windows for stable and uniform growth of metal anode layers, showing the mechanisms leading to impurity formation and non-uniform cation deposition, as well as the role of charged interfacial phenomena in designing stable electrode–electrolyte interfaces.
Breast Cancer Re-irradiation

In 1985, a 64-year-old woman had an excisional biopsy, axillary dissection and irradiation to the breast, supraclavicular and internal mammary regions for a stage II adenocarcinoma of the left breast. Post irradiation, she was placed on tamoxifen. Two years postoperatively she noticed lymphedema of her left arm. A biopsy of enlarged nodes in the supraclavicular region revealed adenocarcinoma compatible with the primary in the left breast.
Decadal-Scale Vegetation Change Driven by Salinity at Leading Edge of Rising Sea Level

As sea levels rise, low-lying coastal forests increasingly are subject to stressors such as inundation and saltwater exposure. At long timescales (for example, centuries), the extent of inundation and saltwater exposure will increase; however, on a decadal timescale, the role of these drivers may differ in both magnitude and direction. To investigate the drivers of decadal-scale vegetation change, we measured the changes in five metrics of vegetation composition and structure between 2003/2004 and 2016/2017 at 98 plots distributed across a vegetation gradient from coastal forest to brackish marshes (< 0.5–18 ppt). We used elevation as a proxy of inundation vulnerability and soil sodium concentration as a proxy of saltwater exposure, and we investigated relationships between these two variables and the change in vegetation conditions between the two sampling periods. Soil sodium concentration was a significant predictor of vegetation change for all five vegetation metrics, whereas the effect of elevation was not significant for any of the metrics. The one site that was affected by wildfire twice during the duration of the study shifted almost completely from forest to marsh with limited regeneration of woody vegetation observed in 2016/2017. Our results show that salinization in our system is a more important driver of vegetation change than inundation potential. Furthermore, the effects of drought-induced salinization could be amplified by the elevated risk of wildfire during droughts. Forecasting the response of coastal wetlands to rising sea levels will require a better understanding of the individual and combined effects of salinity, droughts, and wildfires on vegetation.
Cellulose Nanocrystal–Polyelectrolyte Hybrids for Bentonite Water-Based Drilling Fluids

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), with their rodlike shape and nanoscale dimensions, greatly improve the filtration performance of bentonite-containing, water-based drilling fluids (BT-WDFs) through i...
Switchable Wettability for Condensation Heat Transfer.

Condensation proceeds as dropwise or filmwise depending on the wettability of the condensing surface. These two modes of condensation have disparate heat transfer coefficients, with dropwise often ...
Predicting length of stay in head and neck patients who undergo free flap reconstruction.

Objective Understanding factors that affect postoperative length of stay (LOS) may improve patient recovery, hasten postoperative discharge, and minimize institutional costs. This study sought to (a) describe LOS among head and neck patients undergoing free flap reconstruction and (b) identify factors that predict increased LOS. Methods A retrospective cohort was performed of 282 head and neck patients with free flap reconstruction for oncologic resection between 2011 and 2013 at a tertiary academic medical center. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and surgical and infectious complications were characterized. Multivariable regression identified predictors of increased LOS. Results A total of 282 patients were included. Mean age was 64.7 years (SD = 12.2) and 40% were female. Most tumors were located in the oral cavity (53.9% of patients), and most patients underwent radial forearm free flap (RFFF) reconstruction (RFFF-73.8%, anterolateral thigh flap-11.3%, and fibula free flap-14.9%). Intraoperative complications were rare. The most common postoperative complications included nonwound infection (pneumonia [PNA] or urinary tract infection [UTI]) (15.6%) and wound breakdown/fistula (15.2%). Mean and median LOS were 13 days (SD = 7.7) and 10 days (interquartile range = 7), respectively. Statistically significant predictors of increased LOS included flap take back (Beta coefficient [C] = +4.26, P < .0001), in-hospital PNA or UTI (C = +2.52, P = .037), wound breakdown or fistula (C = +5.0, P < .0001), surgical site infection (C = +3.54, P = .017), and prior radiation therapy (C = +2.59, P = .004). Conclusion Several perioperative factors are associated with increased LOS. These findings may help with perioperative planning, including the need for vigilant wound care, optimization of antibiotics prophylaxis, and institution-level protocols for postoperative care and disposition of free flap patients. Level of Evidence 2b; retrospective cohort.
Oral ibuprofen promoted cholestatic liver disease in very low birth weight infants with patent ductus arteriosus

Summary Objectives Hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants is routinely treated in many countries with oral ibuprofen. This study retrospectively assessed whether the risk of cholestatic liver disease (CLD) increased due to oral ibuprofen administration in VLBW infants. Methods A total of 122 VLBW preterm infants (26∼32 weeks, birth weight Results The duration of PN increased due to ibuprofen treatment for 6.559 days (95% CI: 1.769, 11.349; P = 0.008), and the risk of prolonged fasting (cutoff > 5 days) might have increased due to ibuprofen treatment (OR: 3.043, 95% CI: 0.965, 9.594; P = 0.057). Furthermore, CLD was influenced by ibuprofen treatment (OR: 6.730; 95% CI: 1.279, 35.41; P = 0.024), early thrombocytopenia 7 days postnatal (OR: 6.996; 95% CI: 1.769, 27.658; P = 0.004), and late onset sepsis (OR: 6.976; 95% CI: 1.561, 31.169; P = 0.011). Further analysis adjusting for cholestasis-associated risk factors revealed that CLD was influenced by the duration of ibuprofen treatment (OR: 2.864; 95% CI: 1.104, 7.422; P = 0.030), Platlets counts 7 days postnatal (OR: 0.971; 95% CI: 0.950, 0.994; P = 0.013), and duration of antibiotics (OR: 1.134; 95% CI: 1.002, 1.282; P = 0.046). Conclusions This retrospective study indicated oral ibuprofen duration-dependently increased the risk of CLD in VLBW infants with PDA, and early thrombocytopenia served as the critical risk factor.
Study on Power Low Frequency Oscillation Caused by Primary Frequency Modulation

Power low-frequency oscillation is a complex dynamic behavior of the power system, which is related to the safe and stable operation of the power grid. This paper studies the mechanism of the unit’s low-frequency oscillation during a frequency modulation action of the unit. It is pointed out that during a frequency modulation action, when the projection of the mechanical torque vector of the unit on the axis of the speed offset is positive, it means that the mechanical torque characteristic is negative damping. If the negative damping component is too large and exceeds the positive damping component after power system stabilizer compensation, the unit will show negative damping characteristics as a whole, which will cause adjustment power oscillation. Based on the historical data of the synchronous phasor measurement unit in the low-frequency oscillation event of the coal-fired unit, it is judged that the low-frequency oscillation is a forced oscillation caused by the primary frequency modulation of the unit. Through mechanism analysis, the unit coordinated control system exits, the digtal electric hydraulic control system is put into the closed loop mode of the power loop, and the logic setting of the primary frequency modulation command switching is unreasonable, resulting in a substantial increase in valve position output commands. It is equivalent to that the forward open loop gain of the speed channel is too large, which causes the negative damping component of the mechanical torque to be too large, which causes the regulation oscillation. Through simulation demonstration, it is determined that during the primary frequency modulation, the unreasonable logic setting and parameter setting of the primary frequency modulation control loop are the main reasons for the low frequency oscillation of the coal-fired unit power. Finally, the main measures to eliminate the unit oscillation caused by the primary frequency regulation of the unit and the suggestions for stable operation of the unit are put forward.
Computational modeling to predict the micromechanical environment in tissue engineering scaffolds.

Abstract Cell fate in tissue engineering (TE) strategies is paramount to regenerate healthy, functional organs. The mechanical loads experienced by cells play an important role in cell fate. However, in TE scaffolds with a cell-laden hydrogel matrix, it is prohibitively complex to prescribe and measure this cellular micromechanical environment (CME). Accordingly, this study aimed to develop a finite element (FE) model of a TE scaffold unit cell that can be subsequently implemented to predict the CME and cell fates under prescribed loading. The compressible hyperelastic mechanics of a fibrin hydrogel were characterized by fitting unconfined compression and confined compression experimental data. This material model was implemented in a unit cell FE model of a TE scaffold. The FE mesh and boundary conditions were evaluated with respect to the mechanical response of a region of interest (ROI). A compressible second-order reduced polynomial hyperelastic model gave the best fit to the experimental data (C10 = 1.72 × 10−4, C20 = 3.83 × 10−4, D1 = 3.41, D2 = 8.06 × 10−2). A mesh with seed sizes of 40 µm and 60 µm in the ROI and non-ROI regions, respectively, yielded a converged model in 54 min. The in-plane boundary conditions demonstrated minimal influence on ROI mechanics for a 2-by-2 unit cell. However, the out-of-plane boundary conditions did exhibit an appreciable influence on ROI mechanics for a two bilayer unit cell. Overall, the developed unit cell model facilitates the modeling of the mechanical state of a cell-laden hydrogel within a TE scaffold under prescribed loading. This model will be utilized to characterize the CME in future studies, and 3D micromechanical criteria may be applied to predict cell fate in these scaffolds.