cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanotheranostics and In-Vivo Imaging

Advances in imaging and nanotechnology have provided the opportunity for simultaneous delivery and diagnosis. Modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging have allowed researches to visualize nano-sized drug delivery vehicles which carry payloads in order to coordinate disease treatment. This important tool can be termed “Nanotheranostics.” This chapter describes the potential utility of the combined approach. The importance of selecting the correct components for a particular disease will also be discussed allowing for researchers to design effective delivery systems in order to accelerate the development in this field.
Wedge actuated normally-open and normally-closed valves for centrifugal microfluidic applications

Abstract Normally-open and normally-closed valves are difficult to achieve and highly demanded in centrifugal microfluidic systems. This paper reports a novel pinch-type valving technology that can be used to realize both normally-closed and normally-open valves for fluidic control on centrifugal microfluidic platform. A sliding wedge with inclined surface planes was used to transduce the actuation of the centrifugal force from radial direction to the perpendicular direction of the microfluidic disc. The function of the valves has been demonstrated experimentally using a PDMS microfluidic system. The burst frequency of normally-closed valves can be tuned through changing the physical parameters of the valving system. The normally-open valve shows good performance at blocking the flow at high rotation speed and maintained blocking of the sample flow until the platform completely stops. The valving technology offers key advantages over current active valving techniques for Lab-on-CD, including simpler actuation process, less contamination to samples, better reversibility, and more effective in implementing of normally-open valves.
Structural alterations in tumor-draining lymph nodes before papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasis

Background The purpose of this study was to define and characterize the thyroid tumor-draining lymph nodes in genetically engineered mice harboring thyroid-specific expression of oncogenic BrafV600E with and without Pten insufficiency. Methods After intratumoral injection of methylene blue, the lymphatic drainage of the thyroid gland was visualized in real time. The thyroid gland/tumor was resected en bloc with the respiratory system for histological analysis. Results Although mice harboring BrafV600E mutations were smaller in body size compared with their wild-type (WT) littermates, the size of their thyroid glands and deep cervical lymph nodes were significantly larger. Additionally, the tumor-draining lymph nodes showed increased and enlarged lymphatic sinuses that were distributed throughout the cortex and medulla. Tumor-reactive lymphadenopathy and histiocytosis, but no frank metastases, were observed in all mice harboring BrafV600E mutations. Conclusions The tumor-draining lymph nodes undergo significant structural alterations in immunocompetent mice, and this may represent a primer for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) metastasis.
Parallel Distributed Patterns Mining Using Hadoop MapReduce Framework

The treatment of large data is proving more difficult in different axes, but the arrival of the framework MapReduce is a solution of this problem. With it we can analyze and process vast amounts of data. It does this by distributing the computational work across a cluster of virtual servers running in a cloud or large set of machines while process mining provides an important bridge between data mining and business process analysis. The process mining techniques allow for extracting information from event logs. In general, there are two steps in process mining: correlation definition or discovery and process inference or composition. Firstly, the authors' work consists to mine small patterns from a log traces. Those patterns are the representation of the traces execution from a log file of a business process. In this step, they use existing techniques. The patterns are represented by finite state automaton or their regular expression. The final model is the combination of only two types of small patterns whom are represented by the regular expressions ab* and ab*c*. Secondly, the authors compute these patterns in parallel, and then combine those small patterns using the MapReduce framework. They have two parties: the first is the Map Step in which they mine patterns from execution traces; the second is the combination of these small patterns as reduce step. The authors' results are promising in that they show that their approach is scalable, general, and precise. It minimizes the execution time by the use of the MapReduce framework.
Abstract 5216: Transient modulation of the blood-brain barrier with time dependent adenosine receptor agonism

Background: The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a dynamic, highly regulated and poorly permeable blockade, is the key obstacle to effective drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Its main function is to protect the brain from toxic agents such as chemotherapy. The BBB regulates drug entry by the presence of tight junctions, adherens junctions and multidrug resistance proteins. Agonism of adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) by Regadenoson, a FDA approved A2AR agonist, in non-tumor bearing rodents has been shown to transiently disrupt BBB permeability. Here, we studied the time dependent impact of Regadenoson on brain endothelial cells to transiently decrease tight and adherens junctions, while impairing ABC transporter function, thus increasing BBB permeability. Methods: Mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3), were treated with 10μM Regadenoson on a time-course of 0-24 hours. Claudin-5, Occludin, ZO-1, VE-Cadherin, and PECAM-1 expression studies were assessed by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and western blotting of subcellular fractions at varied time points. Additionally, tight and adherens junctions’ gene expression was assessed by qRT-PCR using SYBR green. Expression and function of ABCB1, ABCG2 was reported by western blotting of whole cell lysates, qRT-PCR and flow cytometry measurement of cellular uptake of MRP substrates. Transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) was monitored by cellular impedance of endothelial cell monolayers with and without Regadenoson to further describe permeability changes. Results: Membrane expression of Claudin-5, Occludin, and ZO-1 was decreased approximately 30 minutes after Regadenoson treatment. Claudin-5 and Occludin expression returned to basal levels after 8 hours whereas, ZO-1 expression returned to baseline expression by 4 hours after treatment. Total protein expression was unchanged with Regadenoson treatment, but the cytoplasmic expression of tight and adherens junctions’ proteins were increased; suggesting that changes in protein localization is the cause of transient disruption. Eight hours after treatment, protein concentration and tRNA expression of ABCB1 and ABCG2 was decreased by 50%. TEER measurements demonstrated a 40% reduction in cell impedance after Regadenoson. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that A2AR agonism causes transient changes in junctional and ABC transporter expression and functionality. The short duration of Regadenoson effects on BBB function may have important implications for its clinical use to enhance drug delivery of chemotherapy and other therapies for CNS diseases. Citation Format: Amelie Vezina, Matthew McCord McCord, Mark R. Gilbert, Sadhana Jackson. Transient modulation of the blood-brain barrier with time dependent adenosine receptor agonism [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5216. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5216
Stochastic Differential Equations

In this chapter we establish the well-posedness and a priori estimates for SDEs. Weak solutions of SDEs will also be studied briefly.
Exploring Our Options: Modern Publishing Alternatives for our Computer Programming Textbook

The authors of this paper are also the authors of an introductory computer programming textbook used in several college courses. Due to the rapidly changing content, the textbook requires frequent revisions causing the shelf-life of each specific version of the textbook to be relatively short, sometimes being no longer than a single semester. In addition, the time required to actually print a new version of the textbook and make it available to students was too long considering the time-sensitivity of the content and frequency of revisions. For these reasons, traditional publishing of this textbook was an unsatisfactory option. In this paper, we describe our exploration of alternatives to traditional textbook publication in hopes of finding an easy, uncomplicated, and rapid means of textbook publication. Our findings on ease of content creation/revision, time-to-market, monetization, and digital rights management are presented in this paper. Finally, we present our criteria for a publishing option we think is needed for authors who publish textbooks on similar rapidly changing domain topics.
Does a cognitive stress test predict progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia equally well in clinical versus population-based settings?

ABSTRACTBackground:Evidence suggests that semantic interference may be a sensitive indicator of early dementia. We examined the utility of the Semantic Interference Test (SIT), a cognitive stress memory paradigm which taps proactive and retroactive semantic interference, for predicting progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia in both a clinical and a population-based sample. Methods Participants with MCI in the clinical (n = 184) and population-based (n = 435) samples were followed for up to four years. We employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methods to establish optimal thresholds for four different SIT indices. Threshold performance was compared in the two samples using logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results Within four years, 42 (22.8%) MCI individuals in the clinical sample and 45 (10.3%) individuals in the population-based sample progressed to dementia. Overall classification accuracy of SIT thresholds ranged from 61.4% to 84.8%. Different subtests of the SIT had slightly different performance characteristics in the two samples. However, regression models showed that thresholds established in the clinical sample performed similarly in the population sample before and after adjusting for demographics and other baseline neuropsychological test scores. Conclusions Despite differences in demographic composition and progression rates, baseline SIT scores predicted progression from MCI to dementia similarly in both samples. Thresholds that best predicted progression were slightly below thresholds established for distinguishing between amnestic MCI and cognitively normal subjects in clinical practice. This confirms the utility of the SIT in both clinical and population-based samples and establishes thresholds most predictive of progression of individuals with MCI.
Heterochrony, Deferred Breeding, and Avian Sociality

After a century’s fall from theoretical grace, the relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny has once again become a topic of intense evolutionary interest (cf. Gould, 1977; Nelson, 1978). The focus of the renaissance is the phenomenon of heterochrony. A complex concept, heterochrony refers to changes in the timing of ontogeny, specifically to shifts in development of one organ system with respect to other systems (Gould, 1977).
Pharmacologic Perspectives of Remodeling Inhibition

Vascular remodeling has now been recognized to be one of the central adaptive processes in atherosclerosis and restenosis (1). While the term has been used to describe a number of processes in the vessel wall, including hypertrophy and hyperplasia, it has been recently used to describe the geometric changes that occur with atherosclerosis and restenosis. These changes in vessel size can be both favorable, as seen with compensatory enlargement of the vessel, as well as unfavorable when vascular constriction occurs. Our understanding of the fundamental processes involved in the structural changes that result in a change in the geometry of the vessel remains rudimentary at this stage and thus, the terminology to describe these processes is likewise inadequate. For the purposes of this discussion we will use the term geometric remodeling rather than compensatory enlargement or constriction, since the later two processes are components of geometric remodeling.
An-annular Complexes in 3-manifolds

Given a non-Haken, non Seifert fibred manifold we describe an algorithm that takes 2 (not necessarily distinct) Heegaard surfaces and produces a complex with certain useful properties (Properties 5.1). Our main tool is Rubinstein and Scharlemann's Cerf theoretic work ([5]).
Intolerance of uncertainty in hoarding disorder.

Abstract Background Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been proposed as a transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factor underlying various forms of psychopathology. Few studies, however, have examined IU in hoarding disorder (HD)—a condition characterized by excessive urges to acquire and difficulties discarding possessions—core symptoms that may be fueled by inflated IU. We examined cross-sectional relationships between IU and different symptom facets of HD, controlling for anxiety and depression severity, and explored whether pre-treatment levels of IU predicted response to exposure-based treatment for HD. Method Fifty-seven individuals seeking treatment for HD completed baseline measures of hoarding symptoms, IU, anxiety and depression. Participants then completed 26 sessions of group exposure-based treatment for HD with or without compensatory cognitive training. Hoarding symptoms were assessed following the final treatment session to index treatment response. Results IU was positively and significantly associated with greater urges to acquire and greater difficulties discarding possessions, beyond shared variance accounted for by anxiety and depression. IU was not significantly related to clutter symptom severity. Higher pre-treatment IU predicted increased odds of treatment non-response. Conclusions Elevated IU is associated with specific hoarding symptom clusters and may be an important target for HD treatment.
Prevalence of metabolic disease and correlation to body composition and cardiovascular fitness in adults undergoing fitness assessments

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in participants who voluntarily participated in a fitness assessment, and to examine associations with routine nutrition intake and overall body composition. One hundred and six participants were recruited. Anthropometric measurements were taken with blood analyses completed for fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid panel. A 24-hour diet recall and a dietary screening survey was used to assess nutrient intake, in a sub-set of 36 participants. Statistical analyses utilized partial Spearmans’ rank correlations, risk ratios, and Kendall’s Tau correlations, with significance level at p < 0.05. Twenty five percent of this sample had ≥ three risk factors for MetS, with elevated fasting glucose and blood pressure being the most prevalent. Twenty percent of the participants had HbA1c levels elevated at the prediabetes range, with no previous diagnosis. Four percent of participants had HbA1c levels elevated at the T2DM range. Two nutrients of interest were correlated to BMI status. Percent kcal from carbohydrate (τ -0.207, p<0.05) had a negative correlation with BMI status and percent kcal from fat intake had a positive correlation (τ 0.217, p<0.05). Findings from this small sample of adults indicate the need for routine assessment of: clustering of MetS risk factors, risk of prediabetes and T2DM and treatment of same. Many participants would benefit from increasing their participation in physical activity, weight loss in regard to overall health improvement, and education to improve diet quality.
Analytical Pharmacology: How Numbers Can Guide Drug Discovery

The unique ways in which pharmacological data compares to mathematical models are described. Examples show that insights into agonist action (prediction of agonism in vivo) and antagonist mechanism of action (orthosteric vs allosteric) can be gained that assist in the candidate selection process for new drugs in drug discovery and development efforts. In addition, the impact of component processes on complex physiological systems can be delineated, such as the effects of the hepatic system on whole body clearance in pharmacokinetics and prediction of drug-drug interactions. Finally, models are instrumental in the procurement of universal drug parameters that can be used in medicinal chemistry-based structure-activity relationships. The revitalization of these ideas under the banner of "Analytical Pharmacology" may serve to re-emphasize these concepts over qualitative description and lead to a better foundation for drug discovery.
Refractory-metal stabilized amorphous stainless steel

Commercial stainless steel alloys have been made into amorphous, or glassy, states by adding nearly 10 at % of refractory metals, such as W or Ti, via high-rate sputter deposition. The formation of these stable amorphous stainless steel alloys required alloy compositions beyond the equilibrium b c c solid solution phase field. For the amorphous alloys containing W, the crystallization temperature increased from 760 to 1035 K as the W content was increased from 11 at% W to 23 at % W. The high crystallization temperatures were attributed to the high resistence to crystallization of the complex intermediate χ and Μ phases, which occurred at 11 and 23 at % W respectively.
Post-Encoding Amygdala-Visuosensory Coupling Is Associated with Negative Memory Bias in Healthy Young Adults

The amygdala is well documented as the critical nexus of emotionally enhanced memory, yet its role in the creation of negative memory biases, better memory for negative compared with positive stimuli, has not been clarified. Although prior work suggests valence-specific effects at the moment of "online" encoding and retrieval, with enhanced visuosensory processes supporting negative memories in particular, here we tested the novel hypothesis that the amygdala engages with distant cortical regions after encoding in a manner that predicts inter-individual differences in negative memory biases in humans. Twenty-nine young adults (males and females) were scanned while they incidentally encoded negative, neutral, and positive scenes, each preceded by a line-drawing sketch of the scene. Twenty-four hours later, participants were scanned during an Old/New recognition memory task with only the line-drawings presented as retrieval cues. We replicated and extended our prior work, showing that enhanced online visuosensory recapitulation supports negative memory. Critically, resting-state scans flanked the encoding task, allowing us to show for the first time that individual differences in "off-line" increases in amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) immediately following encoding relate to negative and positive memory bias at test. Specifically, post-encoding increases in amygdala RSFC with visuosensory and frontal regions were associated with the degree of negative and positive memory bias, respectively. These findings provide new evidence that valence-specific negative memory biases can be linked to the way that sensory processes are integrated into amygdala-centered emotional memory networks.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Decades of research has placed the amygdala at the center of the emotional memory network. Despite the clinical importance of disproportionate memory for negative compared with positive events, it is not known whether post-encoding increases in amygdala-cortical coupling, possibly reflective of early consolidation processes, bear any influence on the degree or direction of such emotional memory biases. We demonstrate that, across participants, increases in post-encoding amygdala coupling with visuosensory and frontal regions are associated with more pronounced negative and positive memory biases, respectively. These findings provide the first evidence linking post-encoding amygdala modulation to the degree of negative or positive memory bias, emphasizing the need for valence-based accounts of the amygdala's role in emotional memory.
3571 Expression profile of the ribbon synapse protein Ribeye in the zebrafish

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Although two Ribeye protein isoforms have been identified in zebrafish, information about the identities of their variants is incomplete. This study aims to identify and characterize both of the Ribeye isoforms and their splice variants. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Immunohistochemistry was performed on the retina and neuromasts of zebrafish larva and adults.Ribeye expression was analyzed by western blot. Ribeye proteins will be separated, isolated and identified by mass spectrophotometry. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry performed on larval and adult zebrafish retinas revealed the expression of Ribeye A in the inner and outer plexiform layers. Ribeye B was likewise expressed in both plexiform layers in larval zebrafish, but more pronounced expression in the outer plexiform layer in the adult zebrafish retina. Immunohistochemical experiments also demonstrated the co-expression of both Ribeye isoforms in the hair cells of both larval and adult neuromasts. Analysis of Ribeye expression by western blot showed the presence of more than the three previously identified variants. Current experiments are being conducted to characterize the additional Ribeye variants. We expect to identify the residual Ribeye protein as a result of this analysis. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This study is necessary in order to gain a clear understanding of Ribeye expression in zebrafish tissues. Doing so will enable us to target this protein for gene editing to address outstanding questions about the mechanisms that govern ribbon synapse function. Synapse and synapse-associated proteins are involved in a wide-array of diseases that arise as a result of their dysfunction (e.g. blindness, deafness, bradycardia, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia). Thus, it is important for us to identify the shared and distinct mechanisms that give rise to diseases associated with synaptic dysregulation. Such information could provide the basis for novel therapeutic interventions for synaptic disorders.
Current and Future Treatments in Alzheimer's Disease

The foundation of current Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment involves pharmacological and nonpharmacological management and care planning predicated on patient-centered psychoeducation, shared goal-setting, and decision-making forged by a strong triadic relationship between clinician and the patient-caregiver dyad. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AD medications, cholinesterase-inhibitors (ChEIs), and the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine, when utilized as part of a comprehensive care plan, while generally considered symptomatic medications, can provide modest “disease course-modifying” effects by enhancing cognition, and reducing loss of independence. When combined, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments can meaningfully mitigate symptoms and reduce clinical progression and care burden. AD pharmacotherapy first involves identification and elimination of potentially harmful medications and supplements. First line treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms and problem behaviors is nonpharmacological and involves psychoeducation, trigger identification, and implementation, iterative evaluation, and adjustment of behavioral and environmental interventions. Intensive research efforts are underway to develop more accurate and practical AD diagnostic biomarkers and clinical tools and better therapeutics. Ongoing research studies for primary and secondary prevention of AD and clinical trials evaluating symptomatic and disease-modifying treatments in symptomatic AD are directed at diverse therapeutic targets including neurochemicals, amyloid and tau pathological processes, mitochondria, inflammatory pathways, neuroglia, and multimodal lifestyle interventions.
Directing Associate Faculty: A Rich Resource for the Basic Course

This paper presents a chronological guide (from hiring to evaluating) in directing associate faculty in communication studies. The paper reviews the small amount of research and advice published in this area. It discusses hiring and orienting associate faculty, standardization of the basic course in speech communication, and empowering, developing, and evaluating associate faculty. The paper draws on the personal experience of an associate faculty member and basic course director along with the results of a zurvey of associate faculty in the communication department at Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, which indicated that associate faculty did not grade significantly "easier" than regular faculty. Contains 11 references. A sample student evaluation form and an associate faculty survey are attached. (RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ************************************************************e.**7,4******
Unsupervised Learning Techniques for Trilateration: From Theory to Android APP Implementation

Because the characteristics of wireless propagation channels (especially indoor channels) are too diverse and complex, the distance estimation strategy of range-based positioning techniques should adaptively change depending on the environment. In this paper, we study unsupervised learning techniques that efficiently do this without human intervention. As users simply move around an area of interest with mobile devices, the proposed method autonomously learns the characteristics of the surrounding environments and changes the ranging strategy accordingly. To this end, we use either model-based or neural network (NN)-based ranging modules for estimating the distance from neighboring anchor nodes, calculate the position of the devices using trilateration techniques, and define cost functions that indirectly evaluate the accuracy of the ranging module based on the trilateration results. Moreover, by assigning a unique trainable variable to each device, the proposed method is also able to compensate for different characteristics between devices without ground truth data. The performance of the proposed method is verified with a real-time location tracking application using received signal strength (RSS) measurements from conventional Wi-Fi access points (APs) or round trip time (RTT) measurements from APs that support the fine timing measurement (FTM) protocol. In cases where a model-based ranging module is used, the proposed method closely achieves the benchmark performance, which perfectly optimizes all the trainable variables on the test data. If NNs are adopted in the ranging module, the proposed method even outperforms the benchmark and achieves an average positioning accuracy of up to 2.397 m using RSS measurements, and up to 1.547 m using RTT measurements under the 40 MHz bandwidth configuration.
Worth the Bargain? Collective Bargaining Agreements in Unionized Charter Schools

For both proponents and critics alike, among the most salient features of charter schooling today is their freedom from collective bargaining agreements that shape staffing and work rules and limit...
Reactivity-based screening for citrulline-containing natural products reveals a family of bacterial peptidyl arginine deiminases

ABSTRACT Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a family of natural products defined by a genetically encoded precursor peptide that is tailored by associated biosynthetic enzymes to form the mature product. Lasso peptides are a class of RiPP defined by an isopeptide linkage between the N-terminal amine and an internal Asp/Glu residue with the C-terminus threaded through the macrocycle. This unique lariat topology, which provides considerable stability towards heat and proteases, has stimulated interest in lasso peptides as potential therapeutics. Post-translational modifications beyond the class-defining, threaded macrolactam have been reported, including one example of arginine deimination to yield citrulline. Although a citrulline-containing lasso peptide (i.e., citrulassin) was serendipitously discovered during a genome-guided campaign, the gene(s) responsible for arginine deimination has remained unknown. Herein we describe the use of reactivity-based screening to discriminate bacteria that produce arginine-versus citrulline-bearing citrulassins, culminating in the discovery and characterization of 11 new lasso peptide variants. Phylogenetic profiling identified a distally encoded peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) gene ubiquitous to the citrulline-containing variants. Absence of this gene correlated strongly with citrulassin variants only containing arginine (des-citrulassin). Heterologous expression of the PAD in a non-citrulassin producer resulted in the production of the deiminated analog, confirming PAD involvement in arginine deimination. The family of PADs were then bioinformatically surveyed for a deeper understanding of its genomic context and potential role in post-translational modification of RiPPs.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health Care Utilization Following Severe Acute Brain Injury in the United States.

Objective:To examine racial and ethnic differences in the utilization of 3 interventions (tracheostomy placement, gastrostomy tube placement, and hospice utilization) among patients with severe acu...
Centennial Changes in the Indonesian Throughflow Connected to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: The Ocean's Transient Conveyor Belt

Climate models consistently project a robust weakening of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) in response to greenhouse gas forcing. Previous studies of ITF variability have largely focused on local processes in the Indo‐Pacific Basin. Here, we propose that much of the centennial‐scale ITF weakening is dynamically linked to changes in the Atlantic Basin and communicated between basins via wave processes. In response to an AMOC slowdown, the Indian Ocean develops a northward surface transport anomaly that converges mass and modifies sea surface height in the Indian Ocean, which weakens the ITF. We illustrate these dynamic interbasin connections using a 1.5‐layer reduced gravity model and then validate the responses in a comprehensive general circulation model. Our results highlight the importance of transient volume exchanges between the Atlantic and Indo‐Pacific basins in regulating the global ocean circulation in a changing climate.
Real-Time Dynamic-Mode Scheduling Using Single-Integration Hybrid Optimization

This paper introduces and implements a method for real-time mode scheduling in linear time-varying switched systems subject to a quadratic cost functional. The execution time of switched system algorithms is often prohibitive for real-time applications and typically may only be reduced at the expense of approximation accuracy. We address this tradeoff by taking advantage of system linearity to formulate a projection-based approach, such that no simulation is required during open-loop optimization. A numerical example shows how the proposed open-loop algorithm outperforms the methods employing common numerical integration techniques. In addition, we follow a receding-horizon scheme to schedule the modes of a customized experimental setup in real time, using the robot operating system. In particular, we demonstrate—both in Monte Carlo simulation and in experiment—that optimal mode scheduling efficiently regulates a cart and suspended mass system and rejects disturbances online.
Virtual Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) provides insight into polymer viscoelastic behavior and its dependence on temperature. In that DMA is applied to a bulk sample, however, inferences about the connection among bulk and molecular behavior are generally speculative. In this work, a strain history similar to that of DMA is applied to atomistic polymer systems in silico. This method, termed Virtual DMA, can provide the data necessary to relate molecular information to bulk response. For example, strain amplitude can be varied to explore the effect of the corresponding small-scale perturbations on the stability of non-bond interactions. In some polymers, statistically significant differences in the glass transition temperature as measured by differential scanning calorimetry and DMA are found in physical experiments. When Virtual DMA results are compared with those from quasi-equilibrium cooling, the differing effects of imposed randomized and deterministic atomic velocities on molecular structure and local order can be identified.
Reduction in the fatigue of electrically stimulated muscle using dual channel stimulation with intrafascicular electrodes

Dual channel intrafascicular electrodes were implanted within a single fascicle of a nerve innervating medial gastrocnemius in cats. Experiments were conducted to determine whether dual channel electrical stimulation can be used to decrease the rate of muscle fatigue in electrically stimulated muscle relative to single channel stimulation. We found that the level of muscle fatigue during concurrent dual channel intrafascicular stimulation did not differ significantly from that in single channel intrafascicular stimulation. However, if the stimuli of the two channels are interleaved, a significant reduction of fatigue can be achieved, provided that the two populations of activated fibers are different.
Will the Recent Slowdown in Health Care Cost Growth Improve MedicareS Financing Outlook

In recent years US health care spending growth has slowed. Analysts have sought to explain the causes of this slowdown and to understand its implications for Medicare's financial outlook. Some have suggested the slowdown reflects transformational change in the health care sector facilitated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), possibly lessening the need for further legislation to shore up Medicare finances. Explaining the recent cost slowdown is likely to remain a subject of debate among experts for some time. Regardless of the outcome of that debate, however, the slowdown does not translate into a significant probability that further Medicare reforms can be avoided. Medicare's trust funds are now in weaker condition than projected before the cost slowdown. The cost slowdown preceded the ACA's passage and cannot be principally attributed to it. Going forward, Medicare costs are substantially more likely to be higher than the trustees' current projections than they are to be lower. Importantly, longstanding methodologies for projecting Medicare finances already assumed a substantial, enduring, long-term deceleration in national health cost growth. Nothing about the recent cost slowdown suggests that Medicare's long-term financial future will be more benign than now projected.
Structural Dependence of Photogenerated Transformation Products for Aromatic Hydrocarbons Isolated from Petroleum

Previous work has suggested a potential structural dependence for the formation of oil- and water-soluble photoproducts from the simulated solar irradiation of petroleum. Aromatic species in petrol...
Molecular and Hormonal Regulation of Thermoinhibition of Seed Germination

Thermoinhibition is the failure of seeds to germinate when imbibed at warm but not excessively high temperatures. Such seeds can generally complete germination when the temperature is reduced, but extended exposure to high temperatures may induce secondary dormancy. Plant hormones, particularly abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GA) and ethylene, are known to be involved in regulating thermoinhibition of germination. Key regulated genes involved in ABA biosynthesis such as those encoding 9-cis-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE (NCEDs) are essential for the induction of thermoinhibition. GA and ethylene biosynthetic and signaling genes are associated with promotion of germination and are repressed in thermoinhibited seeds. Jasmonates, strigolactones and other stress-related genes/proteins may also contribute to temperature regulation of germination, possibly by affecting ABA, GA or ethylene synthesis or action. The molecular biology and physiology of these genes and hormones and their interactions are described along with directions for future research into the temperature regulation of seed germination.
Image Sensors for Solid State Cameras

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the various aspects of image sensors for solid state cameras. The function of an image sensor is to generate a time-varying video signal corresponding to the spatial variations in the incident optical image. The continuous photoconductive layer in a vidicon target can be represented as an array of isolated photoconductive elements each shunted by a capacitor. A major advance in image sensing occurred with the development of the silicon diode array target for the vidicon. Multiplexed scanning of solid state arrays is directly analogous to electron beam scanning in camera tubes. In each case, the picture charge at the element is discharged through a local switch into a common electrode connected to the output amplifier. The elemental capacitor shunting each diode should be large compared to the stray capacitance shunting the transistor. The elemental capacitor may consist largely of the depletion layer capacitance between photodiode and the substrate, or it may be formed of the oxide capacitance to an overlying electrode. It is found that although the derivation of video signal from the substrate permits a simplification of the scan generators and peripheral circuits, the relatively large capacitance of the output to the ground will degrade the signal-to-noise ratio at low light levels.
Die arthroskopische Rekonstruktion der Rotatorenmanschette

Die arthroskopische Rekonstruktion der Rotatorenmanschette hat sich in den letzten Jahren zum Goldstandard entwickelt und ist heute die bevorzugte Methode zur Rekonstruktion der Rotatorenmanschette weltweit. Entscheidend fur ein gutes postoperatives Ergebnis ist neben der Erfahrung des Operateurs und der richtigen arthroskopischen Technik, eine sorgfaltige Patientenselektion und ein adaquates postoperatives Management. Werden diese Faktoren berucksichtigt, liegt die Erfolgsrate bei uber 90%, basierend sowohl auf objektiven Kriterien als auch der subjektiven Patientenzufriedenheit. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Vermittlung der Indikationsstellung, der operativen Technik, der Nachbehandlung und der Ergebnisse bei arthroskopischer Rekonstruktion der Rotatorenmanschette.
The Direct Photodissociation of Van Der Waals Molecules

The laser induced photodissociation of a number of van der Waals molecules has now been studied. Prior to this work, all of these van der Waals photodissociation reactions have been predissociations [1] involving laser excitation to a quasi-bound state. In this case the energy that will eventually be used to break the van der Waals bond is initially stored in some other vibrational mode, usually one of the vibrational modes of the chemically bound part of the molecule. After a finite period of time energy is transferred from the storage mode to the dissociating van der Waals mode, and the bond is broken.
Analysis of the Adenosylcobinamide Kinase/Adenosylcobinamide-phosphate Guanylyltransferase (CobU) Enzyme of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 IDENTIFICATION OF RESIDUE His-46 AS THE SITE OF GUANYLYLATION

Abstract CobU is a bifunctional enzyme involved in adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B12) biosynthesis inSalmonella typhimurium LT2. In this bacterium, CobU is the adenosylcobinamide kinase/adenosylcobinamide-phosphate guanylyltransferase needed to convert cobinamide to adenosylcobinamide-GDP during the late steps of adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis. The guanylyltransferase reaction has been proposed to proceed via a covalently modified CobU-GMP intermediate. Here we show that CobU requires a nucleoside upper ligand on cobinamide for substrate recognition, with the nucleoside base, but not the 2′-OH group of the ribose, being important for this recognition. During the kinase reaction, both the nucleotide base and the 2′-OH group of the ribose are important for γ-phosphate donor recognition, and GTP is the only nucleotide competent for the complete nucleotidyltransferase reaction. Analysis of the ATP:adenosylcobinamide kinase reaction shows CobU becomes less active during this reaction due to the formation of a covalent CobU-AMP complex that holds CobU in an altered conformation. Characterization of the GTP:adenosylcobinamide-phosphate guanylyltransferase reaction shows the covalent CobU-GMP intermediate is on the reaction pathway for the generation of adenosylcobinamide-GDP. Identification of a modified histidine and analysis of cobU mutants indicate that histidine 46 is the site of guanylylation.
Genomic Responses to Oxidative Stress

The environment in which they exist affects all living organisms. Differences among individual organisms in response to environmental stresses are common, whether the stress factors are natural environmental variations, infectious agents, environmental chemicals, or any other natural or anthropogenic environmental variables. During their evolution, organisms have evolved a variety of ways of adapting to environmental changes. However, the underlying mechanisms by which cells or organisms perceive environmental adversity and mobilize their defenses to it are just beginning to be understood. Such an understanding is essential in any future attempts to engineer organisms for greater tolerance or resistance to more frequent and rapid environmental changes. As a consequence of recent developments in molecular biosciences and elucidation of the human and other genomes and genomic analyses, a deeper appreciation of the mechanisms by which genes may perceive environmental signals and start a cascade of biochemical events to effect a response to a given signal is now emerging. The most fundamental stress encountered by all aerobic organisms is “oxidative stress,” which is a consequence of the aerobic lifestyle on our planet. A broad range of environmental stresses affecting prokaryotes and eukaryotes are directly or indirectly related to oxygen toxicity. Organisms have evolved sophisticated ways of coping with life in an oxygen-requiring environment. This oxygen paradox is dealt with below. Keywords: Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS; Including “Free Radicals”); Signal Transduction; Genome; Gene; Promoter; Genomic Fluidity
From coherently excited correlated states to incoherent relaxation processes in semiconductors

Summary form only given. We present a quantitative analysis of experiments measuring dephasing in quasi-2D GaAs quantum wells. Controlled amounts of incoherent carriers are introduced independently from the coherently driven e-h pairs that participate to the four-wave mixing. The two pulses excite the quantum-well sample at an energy slightly below the hh-exciton and have parallel polarizations allowing the formation of bound biexcitons. The incoherent carriers are generated by an independent cw laser exciting the sample in the continuum.
Foundations of Solid Mechanics

Solid mechanics is a basic discipline which supports much of the practice of mechanical and civil engineering, and contributes significantly to other engineering and scientific disciplines. Research in solid mechanics, at the foundational level, emphasizes comprehensive understanding and well-formulated analyses of mechanical phenomena occurring in engineering systems. The increasing availability of large computers has had a tremendous impact on the field. The traditional emphasis on analysis has shifted toward development of more realistic and detailed descriptions of material response, more efficient computational methodologies, and accurate numerical solution of initial and boundary value problems. Despite (or perhaps because of) this trend, theory and analysis must continue to play a vital role in modern solid mechanics. Solid mechanics is enriched by the increasing level of activity in interdisciplinary research. Within the field, there is a need for better communication and interaction between computation, experiment, and theory.
CHROMOSOMES OF POGONIA AND OF ITS ALLIES IN THE RANGE OF GRAY'S MANUAL

BROADLY INTERPRETED, Pogonia Juss. consists of a number of rather sharply delimited subgenera. Many authorities would raise the subgenera to generic rank. The result is a diversity of treatments of Pogonta and of its allies for local and world floras. Ames (1922), in what he later considered to be one of his most significant papers on orchids (Donovan S. Correll, in conversation), examined the subgenera of Pogonia within the range of Gray's Manual "to make clear those characters that seem to be most important in considerations of generic segregation of the species." Five species came within the scope of his study; for each of them he published detailed plates showing morphological characters. He concluded that for the area designated the following should be accepted: Pogonia, 1 species; Isotria Raf., 2 species; Cleistes L. C. Rich., 1 species; Triphora Nutt., 1 species. Correll (1950) and Fernald (1950) assigned these species generically in the same way.
Ion channel organization of the myelinated fiber.

Abstract The myelinated axon provides a model in which it is possible to examine how various types of ion channels are incorporated into a membrane to form an excitable neuronal process. The available evidence now indicates that mammalian myelinated fibers contain a repertoire of physiologically active membrane molecules including at least four types of ion channels and an electrogenic Na + , K + -pump. Physiological properties of myelinated fibers reflect the distribution of these various types of channels and pumps, as well as interactions with myelinating Schwann cells in the PNS or oligodendrocytes in the CNS. A growing body of data also suggests a role for astrocytes and Schwann cells at nodes of Ranvier. This article reviews the current understanding of the ion channel organization of the mammalian myelinated fiber.
Computer models for microgrid applications

This paper provides the development and field validation of the following microgrid components: a 1 kW wind turbine generator, 2.5 kW solar panel, 5 kW vanadium redox battery (VRB), and a 2 kW fuel cell with hydrogen storage.