cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Giant Protein Ebh Is a Determinant of Staphylococcus aureus Cell Size and Complement Resistance

Staphylococcus aureus USA300, the clonal type associated with epidemic community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections, displays the giant protein Ebh on its surface. Mutations that disrupt the ebh reading frame increase the volume of staphylococcal cells and alter the cross wall, a membrane-enclosed peptidoglycan synthesis and assembly compartment. S. aureus ebh variants display increased sensitivity to oxacillin (methicillin) as well as susceptibility to complement-mediated killing. Mutations in ebh are associated with reduced survival of mutant staphylococci in blood and diminished virulence in mice. We propose that Ebh, following its secretion into the cross wall, contributes to the characteristic cell growth and envelope assembly pathways of S. aureus, thereby enabling complement resistance and the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections.
Functional Status and Emotional well-being, Dietary Intake, and Physical Activity of Severely Obese Subjects

Abstract Objective Analyze functional status and emotional well-being, energy and nutrient intake, and physical activity in sibling pairs raised together in the same family. Design One sibling classified as severely obese (body mass index≥35) and the other sibling as normal weight (body mass index≤27). Subjects From January 1994 through December 1996 at the Cardiovascular Genetics Research Clinic of the University of Utah School of Medicine, 145 sibling pairs (n=290) were selected from a population-based, family history database or a hospital-based, very-low-energy weight-loss program. Statistical analysis performed Repeated-measures analysis of variance tested for differences between severely obese and normal-weight siblings. Results All functional status and emotional well-being scores (poorer perceived health) were significantly lower in severely obese siblings compared with normal-weight siblings. The severely obese siblings had a higher percentage dietary fat intake (3% higher) and total energy intake (more than 350kcal higher), and lower weight-adjusted total energy intake (almost 10kcal/kg lower) and activity energy expenditure (3.5kcal/kg lower), compared with normal-weight siblings. Thus, environmental influences such as energy and nutrient intake and physical activity are highly related to severe obesity. Applications Previously shared environment of severely obese and normal-weight siblings raises questions about whether strong environmental influences or genetic predisposition account for the differences in sibling weight. When counseling individuals or families with a history of severe obesity, dietetics practitioners should be familiar with the potential for strong genetic factors and related environmental influences. In addition, dietitians should be prepared to offer a flexible approach to physical exercise as well as provide additional behavioral support. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:67-75 .
A high-speed, low-power 3D-SRAM architecture

This paper presents a novel 3D-SRAM architecture that can be used to extend the scaling of SRAM. This architecture significantly reduces the bit-line capacitance, achieves 3.4 times reduction in active power consumption and 1.8 times reduction in access time. In this architecture, local bit-lines are vertical and connect through select transistors to the global bit-lines routed on the bottom level. A proof-of-concept 32Kb sub-array emulating the critical path of the 3D-SRAM has demonstrated about 5 times improvement in power-delay over conventional 2D-SRAM.
Inhibition of TRPC1/TRPC3 by PKG contributes to NO-mediated vasorelaxation.

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibits transient receptor potential channel 3 (TRPC3) channels via a PKG-dependent mechanism. We sought to determine 1) whether NO inhibition of TRPC3 occurs in freshly isolated...
Tomographic approaches towards focused SAR image development

Although the similarities of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and computer aided tomography (CAT) imaging systems have been discussed in several previously published papers, a rigorous implementation of algorithms from one modality have not fully ventured into the other modality(ies). This paper proposes image formation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data using techniques developed from CAT systems. The paper provides an overview of the typical signal processing involved with SAR, B-mode ultrasound, and CAT imaging systems. Simulations of SAR received echo data processed using techniques from ultrasound and CAT imaging systems are provided to showcase the possibilities. Further discussions of our proposed future work by incorporating CAT techniques to inverse SAR and real time parallel implementation using general purpose graphical processing units are presented.
Analysis of Myosin Heavy Chain Functionality in the Heart

Comparison of mammalian cardiac α- and औ-myosin heavy chain isoforms reveals 937 identity. To date, genetic methodologies have effected only minor switches in the mammalian cardiac myosin isoforms. Using cardiac-specific transgenesis, we have now obtained major myosin isoform shifts and/or replacements. Clusters of non-identical amino acids are found in functionally important regions, i.e. the surface loops 1 and 2, suggesting that these structures may regulate isoform-specific characteristics. Loop 1 alters filament sliding velocity, whereas Loop 2 modulates actin-activated ATPase rate in Dictyostelium myosin, but this remains untested in mammalian cardiac myosins. α → औ isoform switches were engineered into mouse hearts via transgenesis. To assess the structural basis of isoform diversity, chimeric myosins in which the sequences of either Loop 1+Loop 2 or Loop 2 of α-myosin were exchanged for those of औ-myosin were expressed in vivo. 2-fold differences in filament sliding velocity and ATPase activity were found between the two isoforms. Filament sliding velocity of the Loop 1+Loop 2 chimera and the ATPase activities of both loop chimeras were not significantly different compared with α-myosin. In mouse cardiac isoforms, myosin functionality does not depend on Loop 1 or Loop 2 sequences and must lie partially in other non-homologous residues.
Outlier rejection with MLPs and variants of RBF networks

This experimental study addresses the outlier rejection performance of a multilayer perceptron (MLP) and variations of radial basis function (RBF) networks. Variations include performing principal component decomposition at the RBF centers (PCA-RBF) and adding a regularization term to encourage small variances. Training is performed with and without outliers. The MLPs perform worse than the RBFs. In both cases, the results indicate that if no regularization term is used, then training with outliers can significantly improve the ability of the networks to reject outliers. A significant result is that training the PCA-RBF network with the regularization term and no outlier, we achieve a similar performance as training with outliers.
Ecología de los Vertebrados de Chile

A. F. Jaksic 1997. Ecologia de los Vertebrados de Chile. Coleccion Textos Universitarios, Ediciones Universidad Catolica de Chile, 262 pp. ISBN 956-14-0440-0, price (paper), not indicated. Historically, research on South American vertebrates is scattered throughout the literature, difficult to collate, and written in many languages (e.g., English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French). Most books that attempt to appraise the status of research in Latin America largely are taxonomic accounts with only anecdotal information about the ecology and behavior of each species. In this book, the author attempts, with mixed results, to summarize and synthesize all of the information published on the ecology of the vertebrates of Chile in a single volume that will be useful to undergraduate and graduate students as well as professors in ecology. In addition, this book may serve as a valuable bibliographic reference to scientists performing ecological research in the southern cone of South America; it contains over 1,000 references on the ecology, behavior, taxonomy, and distribution of the vertebrates of that area. The entire text is in Spanish. Somewhat ironically, the book is organized taxonomically with an introductory chapter, followed by sections on fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The treatments of birds and mammals occupy more than 70% of the text. In general, there are few figures and tables. Most tables are lists of references by geographic region or taxon and would have been more appropriate as an appendix. A number of chapters, especially those on birds and mammals, make comparisons between the faunas of the Mediterranean habitats in Chile with those of California, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. These discussions are enlightening and interesting and make the book valuable to investigators working outside South America. As an introduction to vertebrate ecology, the book would have been better organized topically, with each chapter containing a short introduction to a body of ecological theory (e.g., competition, foraging ecology) followed by examples of research …
Prevalence, severity, and evolution of anemia in colorectal cancer patients receiving radiation therapy with/without chemotherapy: a retrospective analysis

13510 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients frequently present with anemia. Anemia may also develop or be exacerbated in CRC patients as a consequence of treatment with radiation therapy (RT...
How Well Do Universities Prepare New Environmental Managers

While few programs have been created to satisfy the need for environmental managers, one promising development is that the environment has become a legitimate topic in graduate business programs. With the intent to provide information to schools of business as they integrate environmentally related subjects into their curricula, a questionnaire was sent to 1,200 active members of the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP). A 20% return rate was obtained. Half of all respondents report that students are inadequately prepared; 85% said MBAs are inadequately prepared. Students get little practical experience, lack familiarity with business or management concepts, and are unfamiliar with principles of project management. MBAs lack requisite scientific or technical background. Work experience is considered important and 90% of all respondents indicate an internship counts as work experience but only 50% say their organization provides internship opportunities.
The crystal structure of V3Rh5

Abstract The crystal structure of the phase V3Rh5 has been elucidated. The unit cell is orthorhombic with a = 5.420 A , b = 9.276 A , c = 4.320 A and Z = 2; the space group is either Cm2m or Cmcm. The structure is close-packed and contains both ordered and disordered atomic sites. It is intermediate between the structures of the Cu3Au and CuAu types except that it possesses a two-layer stacking sequence.
Electronic Conductivity, Ferrimagnetic Ordering, and Reductive Insertion Mediated by Organic Mixed-Valence in a Ferric Semiquinoid Metal-Organic Framework.

A three-dimensional network solid composed of FeIII centers and paramagnetic semiquinoid linkers, (NBu4)2FeIII2(dhbq)3 (dhbq2–/3– = 2,5-dioxidobenzoquinone/1,2-dioxido-4,5-semiquinone), is shown to exhibit a conductivity of 0.16 ± 0.01 S/cm at 298 K, one of the highest values yet observed for a metal–organic framework (MOF). The origin of this electronic conductivity is determined to be ligand mixed-valency, which is characterized using a suite of spectroscopic techniques, slow-scan cyclic voltammetry, and variable-temperature conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Importantly, UV–vis–NIR diffuse reflectance measurements reveal the first observation of Robin–Day Class II/III mixed valency in a MOF. Pursuit of stoichiometric control over the ligand redox states resulted in synthesis of the reduced framework material Na0.9(NBu4)1.8FeIII2(dhbq)3. Differences in electronic conductivity and magnetic ordering temperature between the two compounds are investigated and correlated to the relative r...
Paragangliomas of the Head and Neck

Paragangliomas of the head and neck are rare vascular skull-base tumors derived from the paraganglionic system with an estimated incidence of 1:30,000 accounting for 3% of all paragangliomas. The most common paraganglioma locations of the head and neck in descending order are the carotid body, jugular, tympanic, and vagal paragangliomas. This article discusses the clinical characterics, normal anatamy, imaging findings and protocols, pathology, staging, and differential diagnosis for paragangliomas of the head and neck.
Free Trade Agreements and the New Federalism

This article describes several stages of the new legal system of federalism and federal trade law. First, is discusses the old paradigm of trade law, expounded by the Supreme Court in its Supreme 1979 Japan Line decision. There, the Court held that the Federal Government must be unified when it regulates commercial relations with foreign governments. In the 1980s, the Court's approach moved toward a "market participation" approach, which exalted states' rights by allowing them to engage in private businesses with the entity of its choice. In discussing the consequences of this trend toward states' rights in the context of free trade, the author analyzes how states' rights affected both the Uruguay Round negotiations and the implementation of NAFTA. He notes that state interference in these bills created a complex remedial process for aggrieved foreign businesses, and discusses how the Court's creation and promotion of a "weak" preemption resulted in delays and deferrals within the free trade world. To resolve these issues, the author proposes a new system of "dual sovereignty". In this system, the federal and state governments work together to craft a free trade agreement. The President, acting as a broker between competing states, helps resolve issues and ensure that no one state will be able to frustrate international agreements by non compliance.
Once a Typhoid Carrier, Always a Typhoid Carrier

The part played in the incidence of typhoid fever in Massachusetts by typhoid bacilli carriers is unknown, but the number of typhoid bacilli carriers found each year is increasing, although typhoid cases reported annually in the state are decreasing in number. The axiom of "once a carrier, always a carrier,,, is a good one for health officials to stand by. A series of negative fecal and urinary examinations for the typhoid bacillus should mean nothing to a board of health who are safeguarding the public health, if typhoid bacilli have been found in the excreta of a person three months or more after having had typhoid fever. It is true that occasionally the removal of a gallbladder results in negative findings. However, the mere fact that it is not true in all instances indicates that there is a chance that the
Investigation on the Indoor Air Formaldehyde Pollution in Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province

OBJECTIVE To understand the statues of indoor air formaldehyde pollution in Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province. METHODS 28 newly decorated house in Hangzhou City were choosen and the formaldehyde concentrations in indoor air in different types of room were determined.RESULT The formalfehyde concentration in indoor air in 25.00% of investigated 28 houses esceeded the state Standard. And the highest concentratedtion was 0.81mg/m3 which was 8.1times of the limit in the State Standard.Child's bedroom and guests' bedrooms were serious polluted. CONCLUSION The states of indoor air formaldehyed pollution in the newly decorated houses in Hangzhou City is serious,this problem needs to be paid more attention to.
Intraoperative Localization of Renal Calculi During Nephrolithotomy by Ultrasound Scanning

AbstractAn ultrasound B-scan probe has proved to be useful in the intraoperative localization of renal calculi. The probe is small, readily available and produces an anatomical cross-sectional image of the kidney. The use of a 10MHz. frequency probe enables 2 to 3mm. stones to be detected readily. Calibration of the screen and the use of a fine needle inserted into the kidney under ultrasound control provide for precise 3-dimensional localization of the stone to facilitate its removal. The method has been successful in accomplishing the complete removal of small stones or residual fragments in 7 of 11 patients in whom it has been used. The method requires some experience in the use of the probe and in the interpretation of the ultrasound image.
Nuclear cyberwar and crisis management

ABSTRACTThe political and military dexterity required for nuclear crisis management during the Cold War was sufficiently stressful for policymakers and military advisors. Even more uncertain is the information environment of the twenty-first century and the “second nuclear age” with respect to its implications for the use of nuclear forces in coercive bargaining. Nuclear crisis management requires a degree of transparency about ongoing military operations and political maneuvers and, in addition, a certain amount of mutually shared trust in the negotiating process itself. Cyberwar undertaken by disputants before or during a nuclear crisis could introduce additional uncertainty and doubt into the reciprocal process of bargaining for an agreed settlement short of war.
Introduction to Bioenergy

Abstract This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of bioenergy and its related issues. The geographic focus is North America (the United States, in particular), although much of the information presented is applicable to other regions and countries, with the exception of policy. The discussion is limited to energy products and feedstocks (e.g., wood, agricultural sources, waste/manure, advanced fuels, algae) that are currently considered feasible or plausibly will be in the near future because of the current momentum in technology, policy, and economic change. From this chapter, the reader will gain an appreciation of the scope of bioenergy, biomass supply, impacts, and related issues.
A Single Server

In the formulation of I, even the system with a single server is non-trivial for we are concerned not just with the queue length at the first server but with the joint probability distribution of D0(t) and D1(t), or equivalently, the joint distribution of D0(t) or D1(t) and the queue length D0(t) − D1(t).
Patterns of tobacco use among Russian students

Tobacco use is the most readily preventable cause of premature death; it is a worldwide problem, with a significant impact on health and well-being (Melia & Swan, 1986; Aoki et al., 1988; Torabi, 1989–90; Crowe et al., 1994; Johnston et al., 1994; Indiana Prevention Resource Center, 1995). In order to design an effective tobacco education programme, it is important to understand smoking patterns and the underlying factors associated with smoking in different cultures. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and pattern of tobacco use among a sample of seventh- to ninth-grade students in the Russian Federation.
A GPU-Accelerated 3-D Coupled Subsample Estimation Algorithm for Volumetric Breast Strain Elastography

Our primary objective of this paper was to extend a previously published 2-D coupled subsample tracking algorithm for 3-D speckle tracking in the framework of ultrasound breast strain elastography. In order to overcome heavy computational cost, we investigated the use of a graphic processing unit (GPU) to accelerate the 3-D coupled subsample speckle tracking method. The performance of the proposed GPU implementation was tested using a tissue-mimicking phantom and in vivo breast ultrasound data. The performance of this 3-D subsample tracking algorithm was compared with the conventional 3-D quadratic subsample estimation algorithm. On the basis of these evaluations, we concluded that the GPU implementation of this 3-D subsample estimation algorithm can provide high-quality strain data (i.e., high correlation between the predeformation and the motion-compensated postdeformation radio frequency echo data and high contrast-to-noise ratio strain images), as compared with the conventional 3-D quadratic subsample algorithm. Using the GPU implementation of the 3-D speckle tracking algorithm, volumetric strain data can be achieved relatively fast (approximately 20 s per volume [2.5 cm $\times2.5$ cm $\times2.5$ cm]).
Portal or police? The limits of promotional paratexts

ABSTRACTIn this essay I argue that current practices of brand management push the boundaries of the text/paratext relationship. A brand is not (only) a portal through which we gain understanding of how a text or product is made to mean. It is a powerful authority, policing and in many cases articulating the boundaries according to which its objects acquire meaning. The essay reviews the conceptual bases of brands as boundary brokers and boundary makers. I then offer three examples to illustrate how brands acquire cultural and political authority through their imposition of boundaries: as instigators of value co-creation, as intellectual property, and through territorial (nation) branding. The essay concludes by situating the discussion within the contemporary social and political context.
Susceptibility or resilience? Prenatal stress predisposes male rats to social subordination, but facilitates adaptation to subordinate status

Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) affect a significant proportion of the population. Although progress has been made in the development of therapeutics, a large number of individuals do not attain full remission of symptoms and adverse side effects affect treatment compliance for some. In order to develop new therapies, there is a push for new models that better reflect the multiple risk factors that likely contribute to the development of depressive illness. We hypothesized that early life stress would exacerbate the depressive-like phenotype that we have previously observed in socially subordinate (SUB) adult male rats in the visible burrow system (VBS), a semi-natural, ethologically relevant environment in which males in a colony form a dominance hierarchy. Dams were exposed to chronic variable stress (CVS) during the last week of gestation, resulting in a robust and non-habituating glucocorticoid response that did not alter maternal food intake, body weight or litter size and weight. As adults, one prenatal CVS (PCVS) and one non-stressed (NS) male were housed in the VBS with adult females. Although there were no overt differences between PCVS and NS male offspring prior to VBS housing, a greater percentage of PCVS males became SUB. However, the depressive-like phenotype of SUB males was not exacerbated in PCVS males; rather, they appeared to better cope with SUB status than NS SUB males. They had lower basal plasma corticosterone than NS SUB males at the end of VBS housing. In situ hybridization for CRH in the PVN and CeA did not reveal any prenatal treatment or status effects, while NPY expression was higher within the MeA of dominant and subordinate males exposed to the VBS in comparison with controls, but with no effect of prenatal treatment. These data suggest that prenatal chronic variable stress may confer resilience to offspring when exposed to social stress in adulthood.
Analysis of Intensive Care Unit Admission and Sequelae in Patients Intravenously Abusing Extended-Release Oral Oxymorphone.

Prescription drug abuse is a major public health problem in the United States, with the rate of opioid-related deaths nearly quadrupling between 2000 and 2014. Extended-release oral oxymorphone hydrochloride (Opana ER) is a long-acting opioid prescribed for chronic pain; however, it also has the potential to be abused via intravenous injection. This retrospective review sought to analyze specific complications and sequelae requiring intensive care unit resources for patients intravenously abusing extended-release oral oxymorphone.We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients identified for drug abuse between January 2012 and December 2015, identifying patients who intravenously abused extended-release oral oxymorphone. Medical charts were reviewed to identify associated sequelae and patients requiring an intensive care unit level of care.We identified 53 patients who required treatment in an intensive care unit setting as a consequence of intravenously abusing extended-release oral oxymorphone. Twenty-eight patients (52.8%) required endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation for either acute hypoxic respiratory failure or protection of airway. Acute kidney injury developed in 48 patients (90.6%); 28.3% of these patients failed to regain renal function and required renal replacement therapy. Bacteremia was diagnosed in 36 patients (67.9%) and 30 patients (56.6%) were diagnosed as having acute infective bacterial endocarditis.Our patients demonstrated a great need for critical care resources and severe sequelae related to intravenous drug abuse. Clinicians should be vigilant for the possibility for clinical decompensation when initially evaluating patients reporting intravenous abuse of extended-release oral oxymorphone.
Occurrence of Olivine Tephrite and Carbonate Tephrite in Kudangulam Area, Near Cape Comorin, Tamil Nadu, India

Dyke rocks of olivine-tephrite and carbonate-tephritein association with soda-trachyte and carbonatite occur in Kudangulam area near Cape Comorin, Tamil Nadu. Based on Rittmann's τ and σ-values K 2 /SiO 2 , and co-variationof alkalies and silica, and ratios (CaO:MgO, Ca:Na:K, 100Mg/(Mg+Fe) and cpx/ol(vol%) the tephrites resemble the olivine poor nephelinite suite, normally found in carbonatite-ultra alkalic rock associations.
Group collaboration and effective tools in online education

In college teaching with adult students, encouraging critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork with project-based learning can be challenging. Group project is a great assignment showing students the relevance to real world practices and promoting active learning with joy. However, many college students showed low satisfaction with working as a group to research and write a report. Many of these students complained that some group members did not put forth effort into the group work, but took the credit. The purpose of this paper is to present effective collaboration tools and active learning activities in E-learning. Advanced communication and technological tools, especially web-based tools become an important issue for educators to optimize student uses and to sustain a high level of engagement in disciplinary contents.This paper also discusses the results from the survey questionnaire with 236 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in classes between 2014 -2016. The data shows the 11 tools ranking how helpful students perceived them. The finding of this study can support online course developers and educators in maximizing the use of Web-based tools, and today's technology in group meeting and collaboration.
ARM Assembly Language Programming Using Keil Development Tools

This chapter guides the reader how to use Keil development tools to write, run, and debug assembly language program written using ARM instructions. It also presents ARM directives and programming rules.
Between Women and Their Bodies: Male Perspectives of Female Partition Experiences in the Writing of Khadija Mastur

(2008). Between Women and Their Bodies: Male Perspectives of Female Partition Experiences in the Writing of Khadija Mastur. South Asian Review: Vol. 29, Perspectives on South Asian Women's Writing, pp. 64-82.
Andreas goes to Africa: A comparative historical study of the teachers for east Africa programs

This article uses a comparative historical approach to examine the Teachers for East Africa (TEA) and the Teacher Education in East Africa (TEEA) programs, an influential educational development ef...
Overview of the Disease for the Clinician

This book is for the clinician. Therefore, I have placed the details of much of the background for the disease at the end of the book, in chapters 11–13, where these details will not impede the busy clinician’s quick access to the material essential for recognition, diagnosis, and management of Wilson’s disease.
Formation, Structural Variety, and Impact of Antiphase Boundaries on Li Diffusion in LiCoO2 Thin-Film Cathodes

Antiphase boundaries (APBs) are observed in as-synthesized and processed LiCoO2, which is used widely as a cathode material. Using a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and ab initio simulations, we investigate APB formation, structure, stability, and impact on Li ion diffusion. It is found that APB low-coordinated sites give rise to cation defects which, in turn, provide a variety of APB structures. Li diffusion along an APB can enter a correlated mode, leading to a ∼40% decrease in activation energy with respect to that for the uncorrelated hopping of Li ions. We propose that APBs function as additional mass-transfer channels that couple in-plane Li ion diffusion pathways, thus facilitating Li transfer from one two-dimensional basin to another, potentially enabling new energy storage architectures.
Enhanced Resilient State Estimation Using Data-Driven Auxiliary Models

This paper considers the problem of resiliency in the state estimation of a cyber-physical system when a portion of its sensor measurements contains malicious data added by an adversarial attacker. When the attack consists of arbitrary random uncorrelated data injection, compressive-sensing-based regression algorithms that can recover the true states have been studied extensively in the literature. However, it has been shown that it is possible to create a targeted correlated false data injection attack (FDIA), which will fool any regression-based algorithm. Consequently, there have been a plethora of data-driven approaches investigated to detect the occurrence of such an FDIA. This paper combines a data-driven model with the traditional compressive sensing regression problem. It is shown that the solution of the resulting constrained optimization problem recovers the true states of the system. The developed algorithm is evaluated through a numerical simulation example of the IEEE 14-bus system mapped to the New York Independent System Operator grid data.
Modulation of Cord Blood CD8+ T Cell Effector Differentiation by 4-1BB and CD30: Cross-Talk with TGF-β1.

Abstract Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), an immunosuppressive cytokine, potently suppressed cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) differentiation of human cord blood naive CD8+ T cells as determined by reduced induction of characteristic phenotypes of effector cells and cytotoxic activity. In contrast, 4-1BB (CD137), a costimulatory molecule in the TNF receptor family, promoted effector and memory CTL differentiation. We present evidence that the suppressive TGF-β1 effects can be effectively reversed by anti-4-1BB costimulnation during in vitro CTL differentiation driven by IL-15 from exclusively naive cord blood CD8+ T cells. 4-1BB may counteract TGF-β1 effects at the level of TGF-β1 signaling by inhibiting Smad2 phosphorylation induced by TGF-β1. In contrast to 4-1BB, recent studies show that CD30, another member of the TNF receptor family, may play an important role in down-modulating effector or memory CTL responses. Thus, we hypothesized that CD30 may interact with 4-1BB in responding to the TGF-β1 suppression. TGF-β1 inhibits 4-1BB expression on CTLs. Conversely, TGF-β1 greatly up-regulates CD30 expression. IL-4 augments the TGF-β1-mediated up-regulation of CD30 expression resulting in further increase of CD30 expression. In contrast, IL-12 abrogates TGF-β1-induced CD30 expression. Such IL-4 and IL-12 effects on CD30 expression appear to be exactly opposite for 4-1BB expression: down- and up-regulating 4-1BB expression, respectively. Co-engagement of CD30 abrogates 4-1BB expression as well as its activity for reversing TGF-β1-mediated suppression of CTL proliferation particularly in the presence of IL-4. Expression of NKG2D, an important stimulatory receptor for NK and CTL cytotoxic activity is inhibited by TGF-β1. 4-1BB stimulation restores the NKG2D expression inhibited by TGF-β1. Again, co-engagement of CD30 significantly inhibits the 4-1BB activity for restoration of NKG2D expression. Taken together, our data suggest that 4-1BB promotes effector CTL differentiation and CD30 acts as a negative feed-back molecule, promoting TGF-β1-mediated CTL suppression and counteracting 4-1BB activity. In conclusion, we have delineated a novel link between CD30 expression and TGF-β1 which is pivotal to the down-regulation of 4-1BB-induced CTL effector differentiation.
Genotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials found in the human environment

Abstract Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are unique in our modern industrial world; however, limited information is currently available regarding exposure and hazard information, including the genotoxicity of such materials. Much work remains to be carried out for developing, validating, and harmonizing a tool chest for the genotoxicity of nanomaterials. Gaps remain in our understanding of potential mechanisms of the genotoxicity of nanomaterials. Until more appropriate tests are available for testing of ENMs, the potential impact of ENMs may continue to be underestimated without proper consideration of the genotoxicity potential of such materials. Clearly, resources need to be devoted to better approaches to the hazard identification of nanomaterials to insure safe development and application of nanotechnology and for the protection of human health and the environment.
Neurocognitive and Physical Functioning Screening in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Survivorship Clinic

Neurocognitive impairment and musculoskeletal complications are among the most common complications of long-term allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) survivors, for which recommendations regarding routine screening and therapeutic interventions remain limited. Changes in cognitive functioning have been described in 40% of long-term allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant survivors, and although the incidence of musculoskeletal complications has not been clearly defined, is very common- ranging from steroid-induced myopathy, myositis related to chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and fasciitis/scleroderma manifestations. Patient-reported data collected from the Cleveland Clinic Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Survivorship Clinic over a 2 year period revealed that 57-69% of patients report “difficulty remembering things,” and 83% of patients report significant changes in their functional status. To better address this symptomology, we established systematic screening of all allogeneic HCT recipients in our BMT Survivorship Clinic evaluate neurocognitive and physical functioning impairment. The tpMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a sensitive screening test for a variety of neurocognitive diseases, and has been used in the general population to assess global cognition. The MoCA has a maximum score of 30, and a score Neurocognitive and musculoskeletal/functional concerns are highly prevalent in allogeneic HCT Survivors. Systematic screening of patients may help us better recognize concerns earlier and further identify interventions which may help mitigate deficits.
Incorporating Nearest-Neighbor Site Dependence into Protein Evolution Models.

Evolutionary models of proteins are widely used for statistical sequence alignment and inference of homology and phylogeny. However, the vast majority of these models rely on an unrealistic assumpt...
Policy Sampling and Interpolation for Wireless Networks: A Graph Signal Processing Approach

Reinforcement learning can be applied to solve various types of control problems in wireless networks. While the classical Q-learning technique can learn an optimal policy without requiring the model of the environment, the Q function for all state-action pairs needs to be learned in order to obtain the optimal policy. To tackle the issue of the sample complexity associated with such learning, given the structural property of the optimal policy, a policy sampling algorithm adapted from classical Q-learning is proposed, where the optimal policy is estimated only for a subset of states. A graph signal processing approach is applied for policy interpolation. Numerical experiments on a wireless network with a large state space show that the sample Q- learning algorithm with policy interpolation achieves a much faster runtime with negligible performance loss compared to the classical Q-learning.
International effects of corporate tax cuts on income distribution

This paper evaluates the domestic and cross‐country effects of corporate income tax (CIT) cuts on income inequality using a tractable multi‐country DSGE model calibrated to U.S. and Canadian data. We illustrate that the cross‐border propagation of differentiated equity holdings can help explain the increase in income inequality, both within‐ and cross‐country, in response to a CIT cut. A lower barrier to capital mobility alleviates this divergence in income, while lower trade costs exert little effects on income distribution. The model is also consistent with recent evidence that middle‐income workers experience lower income growth than their counterparts in either extreme of the skill spectrum.
The development of psychological scale of inpatients

Objective To develop a psychological inpatient scale(PSI)assessing psychological status of inpatients and examine it's reliability and validity.Method The scale's structure and function was identified based on results obtained from interviews as well as modern psychological theories.600 inpatients in Changsha city were recruited for this study.Result The PSI consists of 35 items and includes five domains:fear,anxiety,depression,angry and cognitive function.The Cronbach's a coefficients,split-half reliability and test-retest reliability for the scale were 0.941,0.902 and 0.851 respectively(P<0.01).The correlation coefficient with SCL-90 was 0.732.Conclusion A series of reliabihty tests showed that the scale conformed to adequate measurement standards. Key words: Psychological scale; Inpatient; Reliability; Validity; Development
A 96-well format microvascularized human lung-on-a-chip platform for microphysiological modeling of fibrotic diseases.

Development of organoids and microfluidic on-chip models has enabled studies of organ-level disease pathophysiologies in vitro. However, current lung-on-a-chip platforms are primarily monolayer epithelial–endothelial co-cultures, separated by a thin membrane, lacking microvasculature-networks or interstitial-fibroblasts. Here we report the design, microfabrication, and characterization of a unique microphysiological on-chip device that recapitulates the human lung interstitium–airway interface through a 3D vascular network, and normal or diseased fibroblasts encapsulated within a fibrin-collagen hydrogel underneath an airlifted airway epithelium. By incorporating fibroblasts from donors with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), or healthy-donor fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1, we successfully created a fibrotic, alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-positive disease phenotype which led to fibrosis-like transformation in club cells and ciliated cells in the airway. Using this device platform, we further modeled the cystic fibrosis (CF) epithelium and recruitment of neutrophils to the vascular networks. Our results suggest that this microphysiological model of the human lung could enable more pathophysiologically relevant studies of complex pulmonary diseases.
The cardiovascular outcomes, heart failure and kidney disease trials tell that the time to use Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 inhibitors is now.

Sodium glucose contrasporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) were initially introduced as a novel class of modestly effective antiglycemics. Over the last 5 years, multiple members of this class have been examined for their cardiovascular safety, effects on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diverse populations with or without diabetes type 2. The plethora of studies and outcomes examined make it difficult for the practitioner to track the entirety of the evidence. SGLT2i improve cardiorenal outcomes and have a beneficial risk benefit ratio across populations with cardiovascular disease, HFrEF and kidney disease. In this quantitative review, we synthesize the data from the large outcomes trials about the benefits and risks of SGLT2i. SGLT2i reduce all cause, cardiovascular mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, need for dialysis and acute kidney injury as a class effect across a broad range of populations with diabetes Type 2 at risk for cardiovascular disease, patients with HFrEF or CKD with or without diabetes. While certain adverse events for example, diabetic ketoacidosis and genital mycotic infections are reproducibly increased by SGLT2i, the absolute increase in the risk of these complications is smaller than the absolute risk reductions conferred by SGLT2i. Other complications such as amputations, fractures and urinary tract infections are increased to a lesser degree, or not at all (e.g., hypoglycemia). Overall, SGLT2is appear to have a favorable safety profile and thus should be used by cardiologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists, primary care physicians when managing the cardiorenal risk of their patients.
The role of VEGF receptor inhibitors in preventing cerebral radiation necrosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background Radiation necrosis (RN) is a potential complication after radiation therapy for brain tumors. It is hypothesized that VEGF plays an important role in the pathophysiology of RN. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against VEGF-A, is often successful in the management of RN. The objective of this study is to assess whether VEGF receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors, a group of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), can prevent or reverse RN. Methods We retrospectively studied a cohort of 102 patients with renal cell carcinoma and brain metastases seen at The Ohio State University James Cancer Center between January 1, 2011 and April 30, 2019. We identified those who developed RN and analyzed the temporal relationship between the use of VEGFR TKIs and the development of RN. Results The cumulative incidence of RN is 13.7% after radiation treatments that included LINAC-based stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, or Gamma Knife radiosurgery. There was no statistically significant difference in the cumulative incidence of RN between patients taking TKIs and patients who were off TKIs (9.9% and 11.5% respectively, P = .741). The median time to development of RN was only numerically shorter in patients taking TKIs (151 vs 315 days, P = .315). One patient developed RN after stopping cabozantinib. Eight patients developed RN while on cabozantinib, pazopanib, or sunitinib. One patient was started on axitinib during active RN without significant improvement subsequently. Conclusions VEGFR TKIs do not consistently prevent RN. The therapeutic effects of VEGFR TKIs against RN warrant further research.
Postsecondary Adult Learner Motivation: An Analysis of Credentialing Patterns and Decision Making Within Higher Education Programs:

This study sought to fill a gap in the literature by considering the role of motivation in post-secondary aspirations of adult learners, specifically full versus part-time status, previous level of...
Algorithmic Information Design in Multi-Player Games: Possibility and Limits in Singleton Congestion.

Most algorithmic studies on multi-agent information design so far have focused on the restricted situation with no inter-agent externalities; a few exceptions investigated special game classes such as zero-sum games and second-price auctions but have all focused only on optimal public signaling and exhibit sweepingly negative results. This paper initiates the algorithmic information design of both \emph{public} and \emph{private} signaling in a fundamental class of games with negative externalities, i.e., atomic singleton congestion games, with wide application in today's digital economy, machine scheduling, routing, etc. For both public and private signaling, we show that the optimal information design can be efficiently computed when the number of resources is a constant. To our knowledge, this is the first set of computationally efficient algorithms for information design in succinctly representable many-player games. Our results hinge on novel techniques such as developing ``reduced forms'' to compactly represent players' marginal beliefs. When there are many resources, we show computational intractability results. To overcome the challenge of multiple equilibria, here we introduce a new notion of equilibrium-\emph{oblivious} NP-hardness, which rules out any possibility of computing a good signaling scheme, irrespective of the equilibrium selection rule.
Output Gain Selection for Discrete Disturbance Rejection and Tracking Problems

Researchers are often interested in solving control problems which are constrained to use only the available outputs. Unfortunately the design of such controllers often leads to difficult non-linear two-point boundary-value problems which must be solved in order to optimize the gains. In the problems considered here, we are able to avoid that design difficulty. This paper extends the continuous version of feedforward gain control considered in [3] to a discrete setting.
Joint mobile energy replenishment and data gathering in wireless rechargeable sensor networks

Recent studies have shown that energy harvesting wireless sensor networks have the potential to provide perpetual network operations by capturing renewable energy from the external environment. However, the spatial-temporal profiles of such ambient energy sources typically exhibit great variations, and can only provide intermittent recharging opportunities to support low-rate data services. In order to provide steady and high recharging rates, and achieve energy-efficient data gathering from sensors, in this paper, we propose to utilize mobility for the joint design of energy replenishment and data gathering. In particular, a multifunctional mobile entity, called SenCar in this paper, is employed, which serves not only as a data collector that roams over the field to gather data via short-range communication but also as an energy transporter that charges static sensors on its migration tour via wireless energy transmissions. Taking advantages of the SenCar's controlled mobility, we give a two-stage approach for the joint design. In the first stage, the locations of a subset of sensors are periodically selected as anchor points, where the SenCar will sequentially visit to charge the sensors at these locations and gather data from nearby sensors in a multi-hop fashion. In order to achieve a desirable balance between the energy replenishment amount and data gathering latency, we provide a selection algorithm to search for a maximum number of anchor points where sensors hold the least battery energy, and meanwhile by visiting them the tour length of the SenCar is no more than a threshold value. In the second stage, we consider data gathering performance when the SenCar migrates among these anchor points. We formulate the problem into a network utility maximization problem and propose a distributed algorithm to adjust data rates, link scheduling and flow routing so as to adapt to the up-to-date energy replenishing status of sensors. The effectiveness of our approach is validated by extensive numerical results. Comparing with solar harvesting networks, our solution can improve the network utility by 48% on average.
Hydrogen Bonding Specificity of Nucleic Acid Purines and Pyrimidines in Solution

Hydrogen bonding of derivatives of guanosine and cytidine soluble in chloroform studied in IR, CONFIRMING geometrical specificity in two-stranded nucleic acids
The Soluble Specific Substance of Pneumococcus: V. On the Chemical Nature of the Aldobionic Acid from the Specific Polysaccharide of Type III Pneumococcus

During the mid 1920s, Heidelberger and Walther Goebel continued to work on understanding the chemistry of polysaccharide antigens in type III pneumococcus. Goebel and Heidelberger found that the polysaccharide contained a novel aldobionic acid formation, and sought to further explore this structure in this article.