cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent results and planned upgrades for the DIII-D Tokamak

A major focus of the experimental program on the DIII-D tokamak is the need to better define the optimal design requirements and operating scenarios of future devices such as ITER. Using the flexible DIII-D plasma control system, several of the proposed ITER operating scenarios have been investigated and experiments have been carried out to demonstrate control of a variety of plasma instabilities and mitigate the effects of plasma disruptions. Several major upgrades to the DIII-D device are being planned for the near future to allow research to continue to address critical issues that arise as tokamak research advances into the regime of longer pulse lengths, fully non-inductive current drive, and higher performance operation. The auxiliary heating systems of the tokamak will be upgraded by increasing the ECH power to 12 MW and extending the neutral beam power pulse length to 10 s. Important plasma current profile effects will be addressed by modifying two of the neutral beam injectors to allow up to 10 MW of off-axis heating. Also, a flexible array of feedback control coils will be installed inside the vacuum vessel to continue the investigation of the control of ELMs and other MHD phenomena. A description of these upgrades and a discussion of some of the important recent results will be presented.
Timing of norepinephrine in septic patients: NOT too little too late

After years and years of consensus expert opinion as to mean arterial pressure (MAP) target and vasopressor choice in septic shock management, literature is now emerging that supports the MAP target of 65 mm Hg and norepinephrine as the vasopressor choice. However, the literature remains sparse as to the timing of vasopressors relative to fluid resuscitation and how MAP support is balanced between the choices of vasopressor versus fluid resuscitation. Bai and colleagues report data that reveal an association between earlier vasopressor initiation in septic shock and better outcome. Whether this is a linkage to better care, is related to improved early tissue perfusion, or relates to sparing of fluids to reach the MAP target is not yet known.
C-peptide suppression test : effects of gender, age, and body mass index ; implications for the diagnosis of insulinoma

To assess the effects of gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) on suppression of plasma C-peptide during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, 101 lean and obese, healthy men and women ages 20 to 80 yr underwent infusion of human regular insulin, 0.125 U/kg over 60 min after an overnight fast. Plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were measured every 30 min for 120 min. C-peptide concentrations were influenced by gender at 30 min, by BMI at baseline and both BMI and age at all subsequent time points. Because of variations in baseline plasma C-peptide concentrations, percent decrease in C-peptide was evaluated. Significantly less percent decrease of C-peptide with increased age at 30, 60, and 90 min and with increased BMI at 30 and 60 min were noted with no effect of gender. From stepwise regression analysis using multiple, additional variables only the plasma glucose concentration at 30 min made a significant, albeit small (8%), contribution to the variability in percent decrease in C-peptide at 60 min. When C-peptide responses from eight histologically confirmed insulinoma patients were contrasted to values adjusted for age, gender, and BMI of normal subjects, all insulinoma patients had abnormal responses when percent decrease in C-peptide was used, whereas only four insulinoma patients had abnormal response when actual C-peptide concentrations were used.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction Due to Oxidative Mitochondrial DNA Damage Is Reduced through Cooperative Actions of Diverse Proteins

The mitochondrial genome is a significant target of exogenous and endogenous genotoxic agents; however, the determinants that govern this susceptibility and the pathways available to resist mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage are not well characterized. Here we report that oxidative mtDNA damage is elevated in strains lacking Ntg1p, providing the first direct functional evidence that this mitochondrion-localized, base excision repair enzyme functions to protect mtDNA. However, ntg1 null strains did not exhibit a mitochondrial respiration-deficient (petite) phenotype, suggesting that mtDNA damage is negotiated by the cooperative actions of multiple damage resistance pathways. Null mutations in ABF2 or PIF1, two genes implicated in mtDNA maintenance and recombination, exhibit a synthetic-petite phenotype in combination with ntg1 null mutations that is accompanied by enhanced mtDNA point mutagenesis in the corresponding double-mutant strains. This phenotype was partially rescued by malonic acid, indicating that reactive oxygen species generated by the electron transport chain contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction in abf2 Delta strains. In contrast, when two other genes involved in mtDNA recombination, CCE1 and NUC1, were inactivated a strong synthetic-petite phenotype was not observed, suggesting that the effects mediated by Abf2p and Pif1p are due to novel activities of these proteins other than recombination. These results document the existence of recombination-independent mechanisms in addition to base excision repair to cope with oxidative mtDNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Such systems are likely relevant to those operating in human cells where mtDNA recombination is less prevalent, validating yeast as a model system in which to study these important issues.
Global Precipitation Retrievals Using the NOAA AMSU Millimeter-Wave Channels: Comparisons with Rain Gauges

A surface-precipitation-rate retrieval algorithm for 13-channel Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) millimeter-wave spectral observations from 23 to 191 GHz is described. It was trained using cloudresolving fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University‐National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) simulations over 106 global storms. The resulting retrievals from the U.S. NOAA-15 and NOAA-16 operational weather satellites are compared with average annual accumulations (mm yr 21 ) for 2006‐07 observed by 787 rain gauges globally distributed across 11 surface classifications defined using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer infrared spectral images and two classifications defined geographically. Most surface classifications had bias ratios for AMSU/gauges that ranged from 0.88 to 1.59, although higher systematic AMSU overestimates by factors of 2.4, 3.1, and 9 were found for grassland, shrubs over bare ground, and pure bare ground, respectively. The retrievals were then empirically corrected using these observed biases for each surface type. Global images of corrected average annual accumulations of rain, snow, and convective and stratiform precipitation are presented for the period 2002‐07. Most results are consistent with Global Precipitation Climatology Project estimates. Evidence based on MM5 simulations suggests that near-surface evaporation of precipitation may have necessitated most of the corrections for undervegetated surfaces. A new correction for radio-frequency interference affecting AMSU is also presented for the same two NOAA satellites and improves retrieval accuracies.
A holistic approach to network-on-chip synthesis

Application specific Network-on-Chip (NoC) architectures have emerged as a leading technology to address the communication woes of multi-processor System-on-Chip architectures. Synthesis approaches for custom NoC must address several requirements including cumulative bandwidth and transaction level (TL) communication requirements, multiple application use-cases, deadlock avoidance, and router port bandwidth and arity constraints. In this paper we present a holistic algorithm for NoC synthesis which is able to address all these requirements together in an integrated manner. The approach is able to generate designs that consume minimum dynamic power consumption, and at most twice the number of routers (and leakage power) as an optimal solution. In terms of performance the technique is able to generate NoC designs with very low average communication latencies (verified by actual simulations) and equally low standard deviation (jitter) while utilizing simple best effort routers. We evaluated the effectiveness and quality of the proposed technique by comparisons with two existing approaches. Extensive experimental results are presented for synthetic/realistic multiple use case applications, cumulative/transaction traffic requirements, increasing application bandwidth requirements, and different port arity constraints.
Twin Worlds: Augmenting, Evaluating, and Studying Three-Dimensional Digital Cities and Their Evolving Communities

New approaches and tools are required to inform the design and implementation of 3-dimensional (3-D) digital cities and to steer the growth of their virtual communities. This paper argues to apply information visualization techniques and to utilize Twin Worlds - pairs of virtual worlds in which one world is devoted to visualize user interaction data collected in the other world - to augment, evaluate, and research the digital cities of tomorrow. The approach is exemplified by means of an abstract scholarly digital city: A 3-D collaborative Memory Palace - a shared resource of online documents (web pages, papers, images, videos, software demos) for faculty and students at the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University - and its twin, Mirror Garden - a second 3-D world that visualizes user interaction data collected in the Memory Palace.
Fusarium species associated with rhizosphere soil and diseased roots of eastern white pine seedlings and associated nursery soil

Fusarium species isolated from necrotic roots of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) seedlings in two nurseries included F. acuminatum, F. equiseti, F. oxysporum, F. oxysporum var. redolens, F. proliferatum, F. sambucinum, F. solani, and F. sporotrichioides. In addition, all but F. sambucinum were isolated from the rhizosphere; all, in addition to F. graminearum, were also isolated from nonrhizosphere soil. Fusarium oxysporum, F. oxysporum var. redolens, and F. proliferatum were the most prevalent taxa in roots and nonrhizosphere soil. These three taxa plus F. solani predominated in rhizosphere soil. Species prevalence differed by site and date of collection, e.g. F. proliferatum was present at only one site. At least seven species of Fusarium were associated with seedling root rot and their prevalence differed according to site and time of year.
High-energy unitarity of gravitation and strings

It is known that the behavior of a four-point string amplitude at large center-of-mass energy \ensuremath{\surd}s and fixed momentum transfer q= \ensuremath{\surd}-t is not perturbative. We study this region of phase space by summing multiple Reggeized graviton exchange in the eikonal approximation in D space-time dimensions. It is argued that the eikonal sum is at least representative of the summation of the leading powers of s in a string theory. The masslessness and high spin of the (Reggeized) graviton determine the character of the result. For ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{2}$${\mathrm{sq}}^{D\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$\ensuremath{\lesssim}1 (\ensuremath{\kappa} is the gravitational coupling), the eikonal amplitude is dominated by single Reggeized graviton exchange. The amplitude in the region ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{2}$${\mathrm{sq}}^{D\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$\ensuremath{\gg}1 is quite nonperturbative in character: simple Regge behavior and the Froissart bound are violated, and the amplitude does not satisfy a fixed-momentum-transfer dispersion relation. Although order by order the amplitude exhibits in ${q}^{2}$ the exponential decrease of Regge behavior, the final amplitude has only power-law falloff dependent on the number of space-time dimensions but independent of the Regge slope. The unitarity of the partial-wave projections of the eikonal amplitude is also studied. It is demonstrated that for D\ensuremath{\ge}4 noncompact dimensions, the partial-wave amplitudes are bounded as s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} only for large values of angular momentum, l\ensuremath{\gtrsim}${x}_{0}$ \ensuremath{\surd}s , where ${x}_{0}$ is the dominant value of the impact parameter. A heuristic argument is presented that the eikonal approximation is successful in unitarizing Reggeized graviton exchange as t/s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 in four dimensions but not in higher dimensions.
Organization and Structure of Clouds and Precipitation on the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States. Part VII: Diagnosis of a Nonconvective Rainband Associated with a Cold Front Aloft

Abstract A numerical simulation using the Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) was run on a rainband associated with a cold front aloft (CFA) in a warm occluded structure on the U.S. east coast. The storm originally developed in the lee of the Rocky Mountains as a Pacific cold front overtook a Rocky Mountain lee trough. This formed a warm-type, occluded structure that was essentially maintained as the storm proceeded to the East Coast. The CFA was a thermal front and therefore dynamically active. The prominence of the CFA in the equivalent potential temperature field was due primarily to the strong upward transport of water vapor from lower levels in the updraft associated with the CFA. The baroclinic zone was characterized by a tipped-forward lower region, where the CFA coincided with a maximum in potential temperature, and a tipped-backward upper region, where the CFA coincided with the leading (warm-side) edge of a zone of enhance...
CDIO Syllabus Survey: Systems Engineering an Engineering Education for Government

During the spring of 2010, approximately 300 hiring managers working for the US Navy participated in the CDIO survey sampling the desired engineering skills and proficiencies for their workforce of over 30,000 scientists and engineers. The survey results will support engineering education reform initiatives spanning engineering schools across the country, particularly those in which the Navy directly invests. Sponsors sought an opportunity to send a clear “demand signal” to the academic community to promote engineering education reforms and help them align their programs with projected workforce needs. This application is novel in several regards. First, the survey collected data spanning a very large government agency employed in the development of high technology systems. Secondly, data was sought regarding the desired attributes of both new-hires, direct from undergraduate programs, and mid-career individuals, to better distinguish the attributes sought from graduate programs serving the US Government. Finally, adaptations of the traditional CDIO survey method were implemented, several of which were beneficial, yielding interesting results, and at least one which was problematic.
Should Accountants and Attorneys be Punished for Aiding and Abetting Tax Evasion

The knee-jerk response to the question, “Should accountants and attorneys be punished for aiding and abetting tax evasion?” is “yes.” But that response is self-serving. Few accountants or attorneys would publicly state that their colleagues should not be punished for aiding and abetting an act that is illegal and widely regarded (in some circles at least) as unethical as well.1 Furthermore, having an accountant state that accountants should not be punished for aiding and abetting tax evasion would lead the accounting profession to be perceived in a bad light by the general public. However, it does not logically follow that an illegal act should necessarily be punished by the profession. Likewise, it does not logically follow that an unethical act should necessarily be punished. That being the case, it also does not logically follow that an act that is both illegal and unethical must necessarily be punished. It depends.
Lifetime Physical and Sexual Abuse and Self-Harm in Women With Severe Mental Illness

In a sample of 242 women in treatment for severe mental illness (SMI), we used regression analysis to test the hypothesis that lifetime physical and sexual abuse would correlate with self-harm behaviors (thoughts of self-harm and suicide, self-harming behaviors, and suicide attempts) when controlling for psychiatric symptoms, substance abuse, and negative appraisals of trauma. Lifetime physical abuse and alcohol use were the only significant factors in the model. Women with SMI should be screened regularly for physical abuse, alcohol use, as well as thoughts and behaviors related to self-harming behaviors. Limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design.
Genetic Variation for Seasonal Adaptation in Peromyscus leucopus: Nonreciprocal Breakdown in a Population Cross

The genetic basis for adaptations to the diverse environments encountered by a wide-ranging species should be reflected in the phenotypes of hybrids between differentiated populations. We crossed mice from two ecologically different populations to determine whether adaptations to seasonality in Peromyscus leucopus, the white-footed mouse, display directional dominance or whether they are affected by specific interactions between genes. Connecticut mice (C) have many adaptations to seasonality that are reduced or absent in Georgia mice (G) and that affect both reproductive and thermoregulatory traits. Because these adaptations are cued by photoperiod, temperature, or both, parental and hybrid mice were acclimated to 13 degrees C in either long-day or short-day photoperiod, and several morphological, reproductive, and thermoregulatory traits were measured. Several traits, especially those involved in response to the environment, such as nest size at 13 degrees C, reproductive regression under short-day photoperiod, and molt to winter pelage, showed a non-Mendelian pattern of inheritance. However, there was a pronounced difference between maternal lineages in the F2 generation in that C-maternal F2 mice were less responsive to short-day photoperiod and cold than were the G-maternal F2 mice. Because these two classes of F2 mice are genetically equivalent, this breakdown cannot be explained as a disruption of epistatic gene interactions unless recombination rates are higher in the C-maternal lineage.
Refusing to Go Away: The Ida Benderson Seniors Action Group

This chapter draws upon critical gerontology, urban studies, and occupational justice to analyze rhetoric and activism surrounding the closure of a popular senior center in downtown Syracuse, New York. In a context of downtown gentrification and entrepreneurial governance, city administration employed logics of ageism and austerity to justify the closure. Although elder participants could not block the closure, they steadfastly refused to permit pejorative framings of their largely low-income elder community as passive, frail and burdensome. They used street theater and marches to resist their invisibility. They formed an action group and persisted in maintaining community ties and a presence in the city while pursuing their long-term vision of an accessible, centrally located, and senior-controlled community center.
Relative Maxima or Minima for a Function of Two Variables: A Neglected Approach

(1992). Relative Maxima or Minima for a Function of Two Variables: A Neglected Approach. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 145-146.
Generating net-based models from uml diagrams to support design simulation and analysis

As the complexity and ubiquity of software grows, it becomes more and more important for software engineers to produce robust and verified designs. Two types of languages are available for building design models: Semi-formal languages, such as UML, and formal languages, such as Petri nets. Semi-formal notations tend to be easier to use and understand but do not support formal analysis; formal languages naturally support formal analysis but tend to be more difficult to understand and require special expertise to use. My research has focused on developing a transformation approach aimed at profiting from both types of languages. This approach is based on mapping UML statechart diagrams, which capture the behavior of an object over its life cycle, into colored Petri net (CPN) notation. This framework has the advantage of exploiting the mature theory and tools for Petri nets and essentially hiding these details from the end-user. A prototype toolkit has been developed to automate the transformation from UML statecharts to colored Petri nets, and to provide interfaces to help users reason about the model's behavior. In this talk, I will highlight some of the key issues that arise in the net model generation, including techniques for modeling the implied semantics associated with composite states. I will also present different techniques for analyzing simulation results.
Apparent stability of nitroglycerin in dextrose 5% in water

The apparent stability profile of nitroglycerin (NTG) in dextrose 5% in water when packaged in glass bottles and plastic bags was studied under the following conditions: room temperature (25 +/- 1 C) and room light, room temperature protected from room light, and refrigeration (4 C). NTG stability was assessed by monitoring drug disappearance from solution over a period of five hours after preparation of the admixtures. A spectrophotometric assay was used. There appeared to be no difference in the apparent rate of NTG disappearance when prepared in either glass bottles or plastic bags. Protection of the drug solutions from room light had no apparent effect on the disappearance pattern of NTG. Furthermore, although refrigeration of the NTG solutions appeared to increase the stability of the admixtures, this effect was not seen until approximately four to five hours after preparation of the solutions. It is possible that sorption onto the walls of the glass bottles and plastic bags may account for the observed disappearance of admixed NTG in dextrose 5% in water.
Varying levels of small microcalcifications and macrophages in ATTR and AL cardiac amyloidosis: implications for utilizing nuclear medicine studies to subtype amyloidosis

Abstract Background Recently, there has been much interest in using nuclear medicine studies to noninvasively identify and subtype cardiac amyloidosis. In particular, modified bone scans using 99m Tc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid ( 99m Tc-DPD) and 99m Tc-pyrophosphate ( 99m Tc-PYP) are being used to selectively identify patients with ATTR amyloidosis rather than AL amyloidosis. The morphologic basis underlying the selectivity of these imaging modalities for ATTR amyloidosis has been unclear. Methods To determine if variations in microcalcifications and/or macrophages within ATTR and AL amyloidosis might be responsible for the selectivity for these imaging modalities, 8 endomyocardial biopsies of ATTR amyloidosis and 7 endomyocardial biopsies of AL amyloidosis were stained with von Kossa calcium stains and with immunohistochemistry for the macrophage marker CD68. Results Compared with AL amyloidosis, there was a greater density of small microcalcifications in cases of ATTR amyloidosis (mean=16.8 vs. 6.5 per 200× field, P =.008). In contrast, there were fewer macrophages in ATTR amyloidosis compared with AL amyloidosis (mean=2.5 vs. 11.7 per 200× field, P =.0004). The density of microcalcifications within each group was not related to patient age, echocardiographic features of cardiac function, or serum levels of calcium and creatinine. Conclusions These data suggest that microcalcifications but not macrophages likely underlie the selectivity of modified bone scans for ATTR amyloidosis and suggest that other pathologic entities containing microcalcifications might also result in positive scans with these imaging modalities.
Ultrafast Bilateral DCE-MRI of the Breast with Conventional Fourier Sampling: Preliminary Evaluation of Semi-quantitative Analysis.

Rationale and Objectives The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and advantages of a combined high temporal and high spatial resolution protocol for dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast. Materials and Methods Twenty-three patients with enhancing lesions were imaged at 3T. The acquisition protocol consisted of a series of bilateral, fat-suppressed “ultrafast” acquisitions, with 6.9- to 9.9-second temporal resolution for the first minute following contrast injection, followed by four high spatial resolution acquisitions with 60- to 79.5-second temporal resolution. All images were acquired with standard uniform Fourier sampling. A filtering method was developed to reduce noise and detect significant enhancement in the high temporal resolution images. Time of arrival (TOA) was defined as the time at which each voxel first satisfied all the filter conditions, relative to the time of initial arterial enhancement. Results Ultrafast images improved visualization of the vasculature feeding and draining lesions. A small percentage of the entire field of view ( Conclusions Ultrafast imaging in the first minute of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast has the potential to add valuable information on early contrast dynamics. Ultrafast imaging could allow radiologists to confidently identify lesions in the presence of marked background parenchymal enhancement.
Review of Customer Preference Research in the Nursery and Landscape Industry

Abstract This paper outlines current, descriptive information about the retail plant customer's profile and identifies information needed to complete the profile as well as areas for continued research. Demographic studies that characterize the retail customer base vary with regional market and product lines included in the study. Mass merchandisers attract lower income customers; large, multiple outlet garden centers attract unmarried customers with higher incomes and greater value homes; and independent garden centers attract married, white females. Multiple studies support the conclusion that customers select outlets based primarily on plant quality and selection. Product quality is also the most important characteristic used by retailers when selecting a supplier. Location, price and professional staff also affect outlet selection. Mass merchandisers are selected for familiar, low-risk purchases, while independent garden centers are used for major purchases, when information is desired. The availabili...
Photochemical Cis-Trans and Valence Isomerization of Olefins

The direct photolysis of cis- or trans-stilbene in solution gives rise to photoisomerization. In addition, dihydrophenanthrene is formed from the eis isomer:The equilibrium concentration of dihydrophenanthrene under oxygen-free conditions is very small. However, this reaction, in the presence of O2 and I2, has been developed to the point where it is a good method for ring formation.
Case 15—A Patient’s Right to Treatment (and a Surgeon’s Right to Refuse)

A 55-year-old man had altered mental status and was in septic shock after having some dental work done “in a garage.” The patient’s continued alcohol and illegal drug use made him a poor candidate for surgery for his antibiotic-resistant infection, and the physicians caring for him struggled to develop an appropriate plan of care.
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Increases Growth Factor Release from Equine Platelet-Rich Plasma In Vitro

Introduction Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) are common treatments for soft tissue injuries in horses. Shockwave triggers cell specific responses to promote healing. Growth factors released from PRP also promote healing. It has been hypothesized that greater growth factor release would amplify the healing process. The combination of extracorporeal shockwave therapy and platelet rich plasma could promote healing in injured tendons and ligaments in the horse. The objective of this study was to determine if application of shockwaves to platelet rich plasma samples increases the concentration of Transforming Growth Factor B1 (TGF-B1) and Platelet Derived Growth Factor BB (PDGF-BB) released from the platelets in vitro. Materials and methods Platelet rich plasma was produced from blood drawn from 6 horses. The PRP from each horse was exposed to the following treatments: 1) positive control (freeze-thaw cycle), 2) untreated negative control, or shockwaves with either 3) a “standard probe” (ESWT-S) with a 2cm focal width and medium energy density or 4) a “power probe” (ESWT-P) with a 1cm focal width and high energy density. After each treatment, the samples were centrifuged and the supernatant was harvested. The supernatant was then used for growth factor quantification via commercially available ELISA kits for TGF-B1 and PDGF-BB. Results Concentrations of TGF-B1 and PDGF-BB in PRP that underwent a freeze thaw cycle were significantly increased compared to all other treatments. Both ESWT-S and ESWT-P resulted in significantly increased TGF-B1 concentrations, 46% and 33%, respectively, when compared to the negative control. Both ESWT-S and ESWT-P resulted in significantly increased PDGF-BB concentrations, 219% and 190%, respectively, when compared to the negative control. Discussion This data indicates that the application of extracorporeal shockwave therapy to platelet rich plasma increases the expression of growth factors in vitro. This suggests that the combination therapy of local PRP injection followed by ESWT may stimulate release of growth factors from platelets after they have been injected into the area of injury. Conclusion The combination of PRP and ESWT might result in synergism of two modalities previously utilized individually for tendon and ligament injuries in horses.
Photon-Limited fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy signal recovery with known bounds

In this paper, we describe numerical methods for recovering signals from photon-limited fluorescence microscopy. Under the assumption that the observation of photons in a photon-limited regime is best modeled using a Poisson statistic, we recover the support or location of the fluorophores, along with their concentrations and the fluorescence lifetime. The novelty of our approach is that we formulate the reconstruction problem as a bounded optimization problem where bound information on the fluorophore intensity is known. The formulation involves a negative Poisson log-likelihood function that is penalized to promote sparsity by a non-convex p-norm where 0 ≤ p < 1. In the first stage, the support is determined by relaxing the bounds to a non-negative constraint. Once the support is recovered, the location information is incorporated into the bound constraints to improve signal reconstruction accuracy. A numerical experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach on a 2-D fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy problem.
Numerical investigation of driving forces in a geyser event using a dynamic multi-phase Navier–Stokes model

A geyser is an explosive flow of air–water mixture shooting out of a manhole. It has been demonstrated experimentally that the releasing motion of confined air pockets in a dropshaft is the key mec...
NK-cell activation is associated with increased HIV transcriptional activity following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Key Points Graft-versus-host effects may lead to HIV-1 reactivation and cell death of infected pre-HCT CD4 + T cells. Natural killer cell activation correlates with in vitro HIV-1 transcriptional activity in the setting of HCT.
Effect of cell culture on rabbit colonic smooth muscle bradykinin receptors.

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cell culture on the bradykinin receptor of rabbit colon myocytes. In longitudinal muscle strips prepared from distal colon, bradykinin stimulated dose-dependent contraction that was 62% of the maximal response to bethanecol. At 4 °C, [ 3 H]bradykinin binding to fresh muscle homogenates from the distal colon was time dependent, saturable, and linearly related to tissue concentration. Specific binding of 0.6 nmol/L [ 3 H]bradykinin was 80% ± 2% of total binding. In competitive binding studies, Hill coefficients approached unity, suggesting the presence of a single class of receptors. The order of potency was bradykinin > [d-Phe 7 ]bradykinin ⪢ desArg 9 , [Leu 8 ]bradykinin, which is consistent with results of a B 2 receptor subclass. Colon myocytes from the longitudinal muscle layer achieved confluence and were harvested for studies after 12–14 days in culture. Bradykinin receptors were of high affinity [disassociation constant (K d ) = 672 pmol/L] and numbered 10,217 ± 2567/cell. To show that the receptors on cultured myocytes were functional, the effect of bradykinin was measured (a) on intracellular calcium concentration using Fura 2 and (b) on prostaglandin E 2 concentration in the culture media using radioimmunoassay. In cells grown to confluence on cover slips and preloaded with Fura 2, bradykinin stimulated the threshold response at 1 nmol/L and maximal response (increased intracellular calcium concentration from 229 to 633 nmol/L) at 1 μmol/L. Bradykinin, 100 nmol/L, increased Prostaglandin E 2 in the culture media threefold. In summary, colon myocytes express functioning bradykinin receptors, which, unlike muscarinic receptors, persist in culture. Bradykinin appears to be a suitable agonist for studies of receptor-mediated intracellular events in cultured colon myocytes.
Osteozyten und Knochen

Der Osteoblast erzeugt die massive mineralisierte interzellulare Matrix des Knochens. Junge Zellen an der Oberflache des sich entwickelnden Knochens sind haufig kubisch, aber sobald sie zu Osteozyten heranreifen, werden sie, wie hier im Bild, gezeigt sternformig. Die feinen Auslaufer (Pfeile) des Zellkorpers bleiben wahrend der gesamten Lebensperiode des Gewebes in dauerndem Kontakt mit den Nachbarzellen. Diese mit lebendem Zytoplasma gefullten Kanale bilden Zufuhrwege, uber welche die Zellen Stoffwechselprodukte erhalten. Es soll hier wieder ins Gedachtnis zuruckgerufen werden, das im Knorpel die Zellen isoliert liegen und das die Stoffwechselprodukte durch Diffusion durch die Matrix hindurch zu und von den Zellen transportiert werden (siehe Tafel 17). Weiterhin ist zum Unterschied zum Knorpel der Knochen ein vaskularisiertes Gewebe, und die Zellen liegen nie allzu weit von Kapillaren entfernt.
Comparing costs of radical cystectomy versus trimodal therapy for patients diagnosed with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

372Background: Studies on the cost of muscle-invasive bladder cancer treatments lack granularity and are limited to 180 days. This study aimed to compare the one-year costs of trimodal therapy vers...
Expanding circles of solidarity: A comparative analysis of Latin American community social justice project narratives:

LatinX student enrollments in community colleges in the United States are rapidly growing, yet LatinX student success rates have not matched this growth. There is a need for community college progr...
Screening Postoperative Hemoglobin after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy—Frequently Used, but Is It Necessary?

AbstractIntroduction:Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy is associated with low rates of postoperative transfusion and hemorrhage. At our institution the decision to obtain screening hemoglobin te...
Job rotation and work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a fatigue-failure perspective

Job rotation is an organisational strategy that can be used, in part, to reduce occupational exposure to physical risk factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Recent studies, however, suggest that job rotation schedules may increase the overall risk of injury to workers included in the rotation scheme. We describe a novel optimisation framework evaluating the effectiveness of a job rotation scheme using the fatigue failure model of MSD development and a case study with real injury data. Results suggest that the effect of job rotation is highly-dependent on the composition of the job pool, and inclusion of jobs with higher risk results in a drastic decrease in the effectiveness of rotation for reducing overall worker risk. The study highlights that in cases when high-risk jobs are present, job redesign of those high risk tasks should be the primary focus of intervention efforts rather than job rotation. Practitioner summary: Job rotation is often used in industry as a method to 'balance' physical demands experienced by workers to reduce musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk. This article examines the efficacy of reducing MSDs through job rotation using numerical simulation of job rotation strategies and utilising the fatigue failure model of MSD development.
Clinical Practice Recommendations for Improving Life Participation for People With Aphasia in Long-Term Care

Purpose The purpose of this clinical focus article is to present an overview of the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia as it relates to issues in long-term care (LTC) and provide practical reco...
Gas-solid reaction pathway for chlorination of rare earth and actinide metals using hydrogen and chlorine gas

Abstract Hydriding and chlorination of buttons of metallic cerium have been tested as a head-end step to separating metal impurities from actinides. The objective was to achieve complete conversion to chlorides while maintaining high surface area via small particles and open porosity. Hydriding by reaction with 100% H2 gas at 573 K was successful at reducing cm-scale metal buttons into small particles/fragments. This step was followed by reaction with flowing 99.5% anhydrous Cl2 gas at temperatures ranging from 423 to 573 K for 60 min. In experiments reported here, up to 92% conversion to cerium chloride was achieved from reacting with the anhydrous chlorine gas. The final chloride product has high porosity coupled with small particle sizes (microns to 1600 μm), which makes it suitable for subsequent purification processes. Higher chlorine concentrations in the gas favor higher conversion to chloride. The optimal temperature to achieve high chlorination is 523 K. Oxygen is a minor impurity in the chlorine gas which appears to prevent complete chlorination from being achieved.
Public Participation and Methods of Visual Communication

This chapter summarizes key methods of collecting public opinion about the urban environment. Undoubtedly, people’s needs and preferences continue to be underrepresented in the planning process and planners argue that it is essential to devise methods that allow residents to voice their opinions on existing conditions or proposed plans. Effective communication is vital to successful public participation. For the sake of simplicity, this chapter classifies communication methods into three categories: one-way, two-way, and three-way. Notably, the chapter offers inspiring examples of the use of the Internet and social media for supporting public participation. Finally, it explains the methods employed in this study, while the following chapters present the findings.
Adverse Local Tissue Reaction due to Acetabular Corrosion in Modular Dual-Mobility Constructs.

Abstract Dual-mobility (DM) bearings in total hip arthroplasty (THA) have been reported to reduce dislocation rates, especially in high-risk patients, and are being rapidly adopted in primary and revision THAs. However, this technology introduces additional interfaces that have the potential to result in unforeseen complications. We present a series of 3 patients with mechanically assisted crevice corrosion at the acetabular component–metal dual-mobility liner interface. Consequently, we urge judicious use and close clinical observation of this new, effective technology in THA.
Assessment of patient recognition of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated olfactory loss and recovery: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) olfactory dysfunction remains poorly characterized, often limited by self-reported measures. Given the logistical challenges of psychophysical testing, understanding the longitudinal relationship between self-reported and quantitative measures can help accurately identify patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction. This study aimed to longitudinally correlate measured and subjective olfactory function in COVID-19 subjects. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal study evaluating subjective and measured olfaction was conducted on ambulatory COVID-19 subjects. Olfaction scores were obtained using a visual analogue scale (VAS) (0 = anosmia, 10 = normosmia) and the validated 12-item Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). Weekly testing was performed until recovery (BSIT ≥ 9/12 and/or VAS = 10/10) or study completion. RESULTS: Eighty-six polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive COVID-19 subjects were recruited ≤3 days from diagnosis and 52 completed longitudinal testing. Among those with self-reported smell loss at recruitment, similar levels (75.8%) of objective (BSIT ≥ 9/12) and subjective recovery were obtained using a VAS cutoff ≥8, yet only 30.3% reported complete subjective recovery (VAS = 10). Median times to objective and complete subjective olfactory recovery were 12 ± 2.3 and 24 ± 3.5 days, respectively. Although both measures showed chemosensory improvement, the distributions of objective and full subjective olfactory recovery differed significantly (log rank test χ2 = 6.46, degrees of freedom [df] = 1, p = 0.011). Overall correlation between BSIT and VAS scores was moderate to strong across longitudinal follow-up (rs = 0.41-0.65). CONCLUSION: Self-reported and psychophysically measured COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction improve at similar levels and are moderately correlated longitudinally, yet there is a significant delay in complete subjective recovery. Psychophysical testing in conjunction with qualitative assessments may be considered for counseling and follow-up of patients with COVID-19 smell loss.
The effects of wind generation and other market determinants on price spikes

Abstract Electricity spot prices have shifted in response to increasing renewable energy infrastructure throughout the United States in recent decades. These shifts manifest as changes in the spot price mean and variance. One major factor influencing the variance of spot prices is the prevalence of price spikes. How renewables influence the magnitude and frequency of price spikes is not well understood. This study examines the influence of wind and additional determinants (load, nuclear generation, natural gas prices, as well as the load-to-capacity ratio) on electricity spot prices in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas system using a multiple regression mixture model framework. We focus on the influence of these determinants on the magnitude of spot prices within a low-price regime and a high-price regime, with the latter representative of price spikes. We also examine how system determinants influence the frequency of occurrence of each regime. We show that increases in wind generation drive average spot prices down in both the low and high price regime. However, system shortfalls of wind generation, particularly during times of high load, result in increased price magnitudes in both regimes, as well as more frequent price spike events.
Using a single molecule optical trapping assay and FRET to reveal the mechanism of transduction by the molecular motor myosin

Myosin is biological molecular motor that transduces the chemical energy ATP hydrolysis into force and/or motion to drives many forms of cellular motility from muscle contraction to cell division. While the transduction process has been extensively studied key details remain unclear. Most importantly the timing of the force-generating powerstroke relative to the release of phosphate (Pi), a product of ATP hydrolysis, is not clear and the source of intense debate. We examined the ability of single-headed myosin Va to generate a displacement (i.e. powerstroke) of an actin filament in a kinetic, fluorescent energy transfer (FRET) and single molecule laser trap assays while maintaining Pi in its catalytic site by introducing a mutation that impedes Pi-release from the catalytic site (S217A). Kinetic experiments confirmed that the Pi-release rate was slowed ~5-fold by the S217A substitution, and FRET experiments suggested that the mutation slowed myosin’s rate of attachment to actin. At the single molecule level Wild type myosin Va (WT) generated a 7 nm powerstroke at a rate of ~600/s and the S217A myosin generated a statistically similar size powerstroke (8nm) at a similar rate (600/s) despite impeding the release of Pi from the active site. These findings are consistent with myosin Va generating a powerstroke while Pi is still in the catalytic site, and therefore challenge the hypothesis that Pi-release gates, and therefore precedes, the powerstroke. Our findings imply that myosin’s key mechanical event is triggered by binding to the actin filament, and not by the biochemical event of Pi-release. This provides important new insight into the mechanism of energy transduction by myosin, and evolutionarily related motor proteins.
Secreted Secondary Metabolites Reduce Bacterial Wilt Severity of Tomato in Bacterial-Fungal Co-Infections.

In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of plant disease in natural and agricultural ecosystems, it is essential to examine plant disease in multi-pathogen-host systems. Ralstonia solanacearum and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici are vascular wilt pathogens that can result in heavy yield losses in susceptible hosts such as tomato. Although both pathogens occupy the xylem, the costs of mixed infections on wilt disease are unknown. Here, we characterize the consequences of co-infection with R. solanacearum and F. oxysporum using tomato as the model host. Our results demonstrate that bacterial wilt severity is reduced in co-infections, that bikaverin synthesis by Fusarium contributes to bacterial wilt reduction, and that the arrival time of each microbe at the infection court is important in driving the severity of wilt disease. Further, analysis of the co-infection root secretome identified previously uncharacterized secreted metabolites that reduce R. solanacearum growth in vitro and provide protection to tomato seedlings against bacterial wilt disease. Taken together, these results highlight the need to understand the consequences of mixed infections in plant disease.
Direct inhibition of CaV2.3 by Gem is dynamin dependent and does not require a direct alfa/beta interaction.

Abstract The Rad, Rem, Rem2, and Gem/Kir (RGK) sub-family of small GTP-binding proteins are crucial in regulating high voltage-activated (HVA) calcium channels. RGK proteins inhibit calcium current by either promoting endocytosis or reducing channel activity. They all can associate directly with Ca2+ channel β subunit (CaVβ), and the binding between CaVα1/CaVβ appears essential for the endocytic promotion of CaV1.X, CaV2.1, and CaV2.2 channels. In this study, we investigated the inhibition of CaV2.3 channels by RGK proteins in the absence of CaVβ. To this end, Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing CaV2.3 channels devoid of auxiliary subunit were injected with purified Gem and Rem and found that only Gem had an effect. Ca currents and charge movements were reduced by injection of Gem, pointing to a reduction in the number of channels in the plasma membrane. Since this reduction was ablated by co-expression of the dominant-negative mutant of dynamin K44A, enhanced endocytosis appears to mediate this reduction in the number of channels. Thus, Gem inhibition of CaV2.3 channels would be the only example of a CaVβ independent promotion of dynamin-dependent endocytosis.
Framework-Based Teaching of IFRS: The Case of Deutsche Bank Case Learning Objectives and Implementation Guidance

The instructional case material was motivated by the recent global financial crisis and the related financial reporting controversies. Many financial reporting issues remain unresolved even today. ...