cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of polymer properties on DNA separations by capillary electrophoresis in uncross-linked polymer solutions.

Low-viscosity, aqueous solutions of hydrophilic linear polymers have been shown to be useful for the separation of DNA restriction fragments by capillary electrophoresis (CE). However, the choice of polymer type, size, and concentration remains largely empirical, because the mechanism of high-field electrophoretic DNA separations in polymer solutions is not well understood. To assist in elucidating the mechanism of DNA separation, we experimentally investigated the effects of polymer properties such as stiffness (persistence length), average molecular mass, polydispersity, and hydrophilicity on the separation of DNA ranging from 72 bp to 23 kbp. This was accomplished by comparing the results of DNA separations obtained by counter-migration CE in dilute and semidilute solutions of linear polyacrylamide (PAA), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) polymers of several different average molecular masses.
Microscopic study of the equation of state of β-HMX using reactive molecular dynamics simulations

The equation of state (EoS) is the relation between physical quantities describing thermodynamic states of materials under a given set of conditions such as pressure, temperature, and volume. The EoS plays a significant role in determining the characteristics of energetic materials, including Chapman–Jouguet point and detonation velocity. Furthermore, the EoS is the key to connect microscopic and macroscopic phenomena in the study of energetic materials. For instance, the foundation of the ignition and growth model for high explosives is two Jones–Wilkins–Lee (JWL) EoSs, one for unreacted explosive and the other for reacted explosive. Thus, an accurate calculation of the EoS is required for the study of energetic materials. In this paper, the EoSs for both unreacted and reacted β-HMX are calculated using molecular dynamics simulations with the ReaxFF-lg potential. The microscopic simulation results are compared with experiments, first-principles calculations, and a continuum ignition and growth model. Good agreement is observed. Our result indicates that molecular dynamics simulations are a reliable alternative method to experiments to generate the EoS for energetic materials.
Overweight and Obesity in Midlife and Brain Structure and Dementia 26 Years Later The AGES-Reykjavik Study

High adiposity in midlife might increase risk for late-life brain pathology, including dementia. Using data from the prospective Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study of men and women (born 1907–1935), we studied the associations of overweight and obesity at midlife (mean age, 50 (standard deviation, 4.7) years) with 1.5-T brain magnetic resonance imaging measures of infarct-like brain lesions, cerebral microbleeds, total brain volume, and white matter lesions volume, as well as dementia, in late life (mean age, 76 (standard deviation, 5.2) years). We used linear and Poisson models to estimate associations in 3,864 persons after adjustment for sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle characteristics. In midlife, the prevalence of overweight was 39% and that of obesity was 8%. After a mean follow-up of 26.2 (standard deviation, 4.9) years, midlife overweight and obesity were not associated with infarct-like brain lesions (relative risk (RR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61, 1.10), cerebral microbleeds (RR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.37, 1.32), total brain volume (β = 0.05, 95% CI: −0.34, 0.45), white matter lesions volume (β = −0.10, 95% CI: −0.20, 0.01), or dementia (RR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.49, 1.72) compared with normal weight. These findings do not support the hypothesis that high body mass index in midlife modulates the risk for dementia.
Phospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism in Leishmania

In many eukaryotes, phospholipids (PLs) and sphingolipids (SLs) are abundant membrane components and reservoirs for important signaling molecules. In Leishmania, the composition, metabolism, and function of PLs and SLs differ significantly from those in mammalian cells. Although only a handful of enzymes have been experimentally characterized, available data suggest many steps of PL/SL metabolism are critical for Leishmania viability and/or virulence, and could be a source for new drug targets. Further studies of genes involved in the synthesis (de novo and salvage) and degradation of PLs and SLs will reveal their diverse effects on Leishmania pathogenesis.
The MIMO Wiberg estimator

The Wiberg estimator is an online parameter and state estimation algorithm that is a third-order moment approximation to the optimal estimator and has a global convergence point at the true values of the parameters. Previously, it has been derived only in the single-input, single output (SISO) case in observability form. In this work, it is derived for the multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) case in a state-space form representing a large class of systems that are bilinear in state and parameters. This form of the Wiberg estimator is then shown to be asymptotically equivalent to the state-space form of the recursive prediction error method. >
Do Behavioral Interactions between Salamanders and Beetles Indicate a Guild Relationship

Abstract Guilds consist of groups of species that use mutual resources or collections of overlapping resources. Guilds are often comprised of members of the same family or genus, but they can span larger taxonomic categories. Predacious arthropods, such as carabid beetles, centipedes and spiders, and small carnivorous vertebrates, such as woodland salamanders, overlap extensively in microhabitat and prey types. These taxa, though unrelated, may form important guilds of forest floor predators. We examined the behavioral interactions between a carabid ground beetle (Platynus tenuicollis) and a small woodland salamander (the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus) in laboratory encounters. These species occur syntopically and feed on similar prey. Individuals of P. cinereus are territorial and defend cover objects against conspecific and congeneric intruders. Because both species require moist conditions, it seems probable that they would compete for resources, such as cover objects and prey, as the fores...
Cyclooxygenase 1–Derived Prostaglandin E2 and EP1 Receptors Are Required for the Cerebrovascular Dysfunction Induced by Angiotensin II

Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) EP1 receptors (EP1Rs) may contribute to hypertension and related end-organ damage. Because of the key role of angiotensin II (Ang II) in hypertension, we investigated the role of EP1R in the cerebrovascular alterations induced by Ang II. Mice were equipped with a cranial window, and cerebral blood flow was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry. The attenuation in cerebral blood flow responses to whisker stimulation (−46±4%) and the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (−40±4%) induced by acute administration of Ang II (250 ng/kg per minute; IV for 30 to 40 minutes) were not observed after cyclooxygenase 1 or EP1R inhibition or in cyclooxygenase 1 or EP1-null mice. In contrast, cyclooxygenase 2 inhibition or genetic inactivation did not prevent the attenuation. Ang II–induced oxidative stress was not observed after cyclooxygenase 1 or EP1R inhibition or in EP1R-null mice. Prostaglandin E 2 reinstated the Ang II–induced cerebrovascular dysfunction and oxidative stress after cyclooxygenase 1 inhibition. Brain prostaglandin E 2 levels were not increased by Ang II but were attenuated by cyclooxygenase 1 and not cyclooxygenase 2 inhibition. The cerebrovascular dysfunction induced by 14-day administration of “slow-pressor” doses of Ang II (600 ng/kg per minute) was attenuated by neocortical application of SC51089. Cyclooxygenase 1 immunoreactivity was observed in microglia and EP1R in endothelial cells. We conclude that the cerebrovascular dysfunction induced by Ang II requires activation of EP1R by constitutive production of prostaglandin E 2 derived from cyclooxygenase 1. The findings provide the first evidence that EP1Rs are involved in the deleterious cerebrovascular effects of Ang II and suggest new therapeutic approaches to counteract them.
CMOS photonic processor-memory networks

This paper presents a monolithically integrated dense WDM photonic network for manycore processors, optimized for loss and power footprint of optical components, which can achieve up to 10x better energy-efficiency and throughput than electrical interconnects.
Paroxysmal hypnogenic dyskinesia

A 13-year-old girl presented with abnormal movements occurring during sleep, consisting of stiffening of the limbs bilaterally and random flailing of the arms and legs lasting less than 1 minute several times per night (video on the Neurology ® Web site at [Neurology.org][1]). Daytime episodes were reported, but rare. After workup, she was given a diagnosis of paroxysmal hypnogenic dyskinesia (PHD), was started on oxcarbazepine, and became free of episodes. PHD typically occurs during non-REM sleep1; spells are short in duration but may cause fragmented sleep. There is no established treatment and medical management is based on treatment of other more common paroxysmal dyskinesias. [1]: http://www.neurology.org/
PROTS-RF: A Robust Model for Predicting Mutation-Induced Protein Stability Changes

The ability to improve protein thermostability via protein engineering is of great scientific interest and also has significant practical value. In this report we present PROTS-RF, a robust model based on the Random Forest algorithm capable of predicting thermostability changes induced by not only single-, but also double- or multiple-point mutations. The model is built using 41 features including evolutionary information, secondary structure, solvent accessibility and a set of fragment-based features. It achieves accuracies of 0.799,0.782, 0.787, and areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of 0.873, 0.868 and 0.862 for single-, double- and multiple- point mutation datasets, respectively. Contrary to previous suggestions, our results clearly demonstrate that a robust predictive model trained for predicting single point mutation induced thermostability changes can be capable of predicting double and multiple point mutations. It also shows high levels of robustness in the tests using hypothetical reverse mutations. We demonstrate that testing datasets created based on physical principles can be highly useful for testing the robustness of predictive models.
Identification of interacting transcription factors regulating tissue gene expression in human

Tissue gene expression is generally regulated by multiple transcription factors (TFs). A major first step toward understanding how tissues achieve their specificity is to identify, at the genome scale, interacting TFs regulating gene expression in different tissues. Despite previous discoveries, the mechanisms that control tissue gene expression are not fully understood. We have integrated a function conservation approach, which is based on evolutionary conservation of biological function, and genes with highest expression level in human tissues to predict TF pairs controlling tissue gene expression. To this end, we have identified 2549 TF pairs associated with a certain tissue. To find interacting TFs controlling tissue gene expression in a broad spatial and temporal manner, we looked for TF pairs common to the same type of tissues and identified 379 such TF pairs, based on which TF-TF interaction networks were further built. We also found that tissue-specific TFs may play an important role in recruiting non-tissue-specific TFs to the TF-TF interaction network, offering the potential for coordinating and controlling tissue gene expression across a variety of conditions. The findings from this study indicate that tissue gene expression is regulated by large sets of interacting TFs either on the same promoter of a gene or through TF-TF interaction networks.
Clustering zebrafish genes based on frequent-itemsets and frequency levels

This paper presents a new clustering technique which is extended from the technique of clustering based on frequent-itemsets. Clustering based on frequent-itemsets has been used only in the domain of text documents and it does not consider frequency levels, which are the different levels of frequency of items in a data set. Our approach considers frequency levels together with frequent-itemsets. This new technique was applied in the domain of bio-informatics, specifically to obtain clusters of genes of zebrafish (Danio rerio) based on Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) that make up the genes. Since a particular EST is typically associated with only one gene, ESTs were first classified in to a set of classes based on their features. Then these EST classes were used in clustering genes. Further, an attempt was made to verify the quality of the clusters using gene ontology data. This paper presents the results of this application of clustering based on frequent-itemsets and frequency levels and discusses other domains in which it has potential uses.
Long-term Trends in Water Quality in a New England Hydroelectric Impoundment

Abstract Lake Lillinonah, a hydroelectric impoundment on the Housatonic River, CT, is characterized by frequent and extensive algal blooms during the summer months, and historical accounts from the lake's early years document the fact that algal blooms (dominated by cyanobacteria) have been a concern since the lake's creation in 1955. Algal blooms create lethal oxygen conditions for aquatic organisms, impair recreation, and produce toxins that are harmful to people, pets, and wildlife. To help understand current and future trends in water quality, we reconstructed the historical water quality of Lake Lillinonah from 1974 to 2009. Our results suggest that water temperature, phosphorus concentration, and nitrogen concentration all play a role in determining summer water clarity. Additionally, although total phosphorus concentration has decreased since the early 1970s, total nitrogen concentration has remained constant likely due to differences in watershed nutrient-management strategies, and water clarity i...
Convolutidae (Acoela) from Tanzania.

Four species of Convolutidae, including a new genus and species, from shallow marine sediments in Tanzania are described: Convoluta enelitta, Convoluta thela comb. nov., Heterochaerus australis and Picola gen. nov. renei sp. nov. The species Conaperta krana and Conaperta thela are reassigned to the genus Convoluta.
Research Coöoperation in the Rubber Industry

Abstract One of the outstanding observations which one may make of the rubber industry of today is the high degree of technical competition. Research laboratories are large and their members are well trained and resourceful. The achievements of these groups of competing technologists find their way to the public as patented articles or methods and scientific articles in the literature. In the majority of cases the new products or methods are promptly studied by competing laboratories and ways are found to accomplish the same end by means which do not infringe a given patent. Therefore, much of the energy of research is expended merely in the effort to keep pace with competitors. Because of this price competition and the narrow margin of total profits, there is a constant pressure upon technical groups to apply their energies to the solution of immediate needs. The physical proximity of the laboratories to the factories and the force of competition usually lead these men to appraise new ideas in the light ...
Effect of Normal and Renal Hypertensive Dog Plasmas on Surviving Arterial Rings.

Conclusions1. The effects of citrated blood plasmas from 6 normal and 6 renal hypertensive dogs on the tonus of arterial segments from the mesenteric arteries of beeves were studied. 2. No significant differences were found in the vasoconstricting properties of the normal and hypertensive plasmas. 3. These results speak against the presence of a peripherally acting pathogenetic pressor substance in the blood of Goldblatt dogs but by no means rule out this possibility.
Understanding Pd-Pd bond length variation in (PNP)Pd-Pd(PNP) dimers.

Analysis of the structures of three (PNP)Pd–Pd(PNP) dimers [where PNP stands for anionic diarylamido/bis(phosphine) pincer ligands] has been carried out with the help of single-crystal X-ray diffractometry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations on isolated molecules. The three dimers under study possess analogous ancillary ligands; two of them differ only by an F versus Me substituent in a remote (five bonds away from Pd) position of the pincer ligand. Despite these close similarities, X-ray structural determinations revealed two distinct structural motifs: a highly symmetric molecule with a long Pd–Pd bond or a highly distorted molecule with Pd–Pd bonds ca. 0.14 A shorter. DFT calculations on a series of (PNP)Pd–Pd(PNP) dimers (as molecules in the gas phase) confirmed the existence of these distinct minima for dimers carrying large isopropyl substituents on the P-donor atoms (as in the experimental structure). These minima are nearly isoergic conformers. Evidently, the electronically preferred ...
Defining Sepsis Mortality Clusters in the United States.

Objectives:In the United States, sepsis is a major public health problem accounting for over 200,000 annual deaths. The aims of this study were to identify U.S. counties with high sepsis mortality and to assess the community characteristics associated with increased sepsis mortality.Design:We perfor
TaskShuffler: A Schedule Randomization Protocol for Obfuscation against Timing Inference Attacks in Real-Time Systems

The high degree of predictability in real-time systems makes it possible for adversaries to launch timing inference attacks such as those based on side-channels and covert-channels. We present TaskShuffler, a schedule obfuscation method aimed at randomizing the schedule for such systems while still providing the real-time guarantees that are necessary for their safe operation. This paper also analyzes the effect of these mechanisms by presenting schedule entropy - a metric to measure the uncertainty (as perceived by attackers) introduced by TaskShuffler. These mechanisms will increase the difficulty for would-be attackers thus improving the overall security guarantees for real-time systems.
An algorithm on constant Mix-Log-MAP for Turbo decoding

Considering the difficulty of high-speed system clock in the hardware implementation with traditional Log-MAP algorithm,on the basis of analyzing the principle of Turbo code,a novel Turbo code algorithm is proposed,which is a Mix-Log-MAP algorithm with constant iteration factor.Simulation shows that the proposed algorithm can obtain high-speed implementation similar the Max-Log-MAP algorithm and decoding performance like Log-MAP algorithm.
A District Epidemiological Characteristics of Hepatitis B in 2011

Objective To understand Dongxing district hepatitis B incidence,to provide a scientific basis for the development of the strategy of prevention and control of hepatitis B.Method Descriptive analysis of epidemic data from the china disease prevention and control information system and individual cases,processing with spss13.0 statistical software.Results 2008-2011,Dongxing District reported a total of the hepatitis B 3269 cases,including 2148 cases of male,female 1121 cases,20-55 years old is the peak age group.Incidence of gender,age distribution differences are statistically significant.Occupational distribution differences are statistically significant.Conclusions 2008-2011 the Dongxing District hepatitis B incidence increased year by year,to strengthen vaccination as a main measure is the key to the prevention of hepatitis B.
Effects of powdered Montmorency tart cherry supplementation on acute endurance exercise performance in aerobically trained individuals

The purpose of this study was to determine whether short-term supplementation of a powdered tart cherry supplement prior to and following stressful endurance exercise would affect markers of muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and/or muscle soreness. 27 endurance-trained runners or triathlete (21.8 ± 3.9 years, 15.0 ± 6.0 % body fat, 67.4 ± 11.8 kg) men (n = 18) and women (n = 9) were matched based on average reported race pace, age, body mass, and fat free mass. Subjects were randomly assigned to ingest, in a double-blind manner, capsules containing 480 mg of a rice flour placebo (P, n = 16) or powdered tart cherries [CherryPURE®] (TC, n = 11). Subjects supplemented one time daily (480 mg/day) for 10-d, including race day, up to 48-hr post-run. Subjects completed a half-marathon run (21.1 km) under 2-hr (111.98 ± 11.9 min). Fasting blood samples and quadriceps muscle soreness ratings using an algometer with a graphic pain rating scale were taken pre-run, 60-min, 24 and 48-h post-run and analyzed by MANOVA with repeated measures. Subjects in the TC group averaged 13 % faster half-marathon race finish times (p = 0.001) and tended to have smaller deviations from predicted race pace (p = 0.091) compared to P. Attenuations in TC muscle catabolic markers were reported over time for creatinine (p = 0.047), urea/blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.048), total protein (p = 0.081), and cortisol (p = 0.016) compared to P. Despite lower antioxidant activity pre-run in TC compared to P, changes from pre-run levels revealed a linear increase in antioxidant activity at 24 and 48-h of recovery in TC that was statistically different (16–39 %) from P and pre-run levels. Inflammatory markers were 47 % lower in TC compared to P over time (p = 0.053) coupled with a significant difference between groups (p = 0.017). Soreness perception between the groups was different over time in the medial quadriceps (p = 0.035) with 34 % lower pre-run soreness in TC compared to P. Over the 48-h recovery period, P changes in medial quadriceps soreness from pre-run measures were smaller compared to TC. Results revealed that short-term supplementation of Montmorency powdered tart cherries surrounding an endurance challenge attenuated markers of muscle catabolism, reduced immune and inflammatory stress, better maintained redox balance, and increased performance in aerobically trained individuals.
Bladder leiomyosarcoma: a review of 10 cases with 5-year followup.

AbstractOf 10 patients with leiomyosarcoma of the bladder followed for a minimum of 5 years 4 remain free of disease at 5, 6, 6 and 9 years, respectively, following partial cystectomy. An additional patient who was treated sequentially by radiation, radical cystectomy and chemoimmunotherapy survived for 10 years before death of metastatic disease. Wide surgical extirpation (partial or radical cystectomy) remains the curative treatment of choice.
Reinventing atomistic magnetic simulations with spin-orbit coupling

We propose a powerful extension to combined molecular and spin dynamics that fully captures the coupling between the atomic and spin subsystems via spin-orbit interactions. Its foundation is the inclusion of the local magnetic anisotropies that arise as a consequence of the lattice symmetry breaking due to phonons or defects. We demonstrate that our extension enables the exchange of angular momentum between the atomic and spin subsystems, which is critical to the challenges arising in the study of fluctuations and nonequilibrium processes in complex, natural, and engineered magnetic materials.
The effect of mechanical stretch stress on the differentiation and apoptosis of human growth plate chondrocytes

The study is aimed to investigate the effect of stretch stress with different intensities on the differentiation and apoptosis of human plate chondrocytes. In the present study, the human epiphyseal plate chondrocytes were isolated and cultured in vitro. Toluidine blue staining and type II collagen immunohistochemical staining were used to identify the chondrocytes. Mechanical stretch stresses with different intensities were applied to intervene cells at 0-, 2000-, and 4000-μ strain for 6 h via a four-point bending system. The expression levels of COL2, COL10, Bax, Bcl-2, and PTHrp were detected by quantitative RT-PCR. Under the intervention of 2000-μ strain, the expression levels of COL2, COL10, and PTHrp increased significantly compared with the control group (P 0.05). Under 4000-μ strain, however, the expression levels of PCNA, COL2, and PTHrp decreased significantly compared with the control group (P 0.05). The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax gradually increased with the increase of stimulus intensity; both of the differences were detected to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the apoptosis of growth plate chondrocytes is regulated by mechanical stretch stress. Appropriate stretch stress can effectively promote the cells’ proliferation and differentiation, while excessive stretch stress inhibits the cells’ proliferation and differentiation, even promotes their apoptosis. PTHrp may play an important role in this process.
Cyclic Convolutions Of Prime Factor DFT's With Distributed Arithmetic

An efficient alternative to the standard FFT is the decomposition of the DFT into multiple short prime or mutually prime length DFT's which can be processed as cyclic convolutions. Distributed arithmetic is an efficient means of implementing convolution type algorithms. This paper describes how simple extensions of distributed arithmetic techniques offer a more efficient prime factor trqnsform implementation than previously reported.
Does Hyperbilirubinemia Contribute to Adverse Patient Outcomes Following Pancreatoduodenectomy

Jaundice due to biliary obstruction leads to multiple physiologic derangements and a decline in performance status that may result in unfavorable intra- and postoperative outcomes following a Whipple procedure. While preoperative biliary decompression may improve synthetic function, this strategy has been reported to increase the incidence of infectious complications following surgery. We hypothesized that hyperbilirubinemia at the time of pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) would be a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality postoperatively. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) Pancreatectomy Demonstration Project and the 2014 Procedure Targeted Pancreatectomy databases were queried for patients with a bilirubin level obtained within 7 days of PD. Results were compared among patients with bilirubin level percentiles 90th (>7.3 mg/dL). Data were further evaluated between those with a bilirubin ≥10 mg/dL and those with a normal level and by utilizing bilirubin as a continuous variable. Outcomes included 30-day mortality and overall and serious morbidity as previously defined by ACS-NSQIP. Categorical variables were compared using chi-squared, Fisher’s exact, Kruskal-Wallis, or Wilcoxon rank sum tests with a p = 0.05 considered significant. The combined databases yielded 2556 patients who had PD and a preoperative bilirubin level for analysis. When comparing patients with bilirubin levels at the 80th (n = 2055), 80–90th (n = 273), and >90th percentiles (n = 228), no difference was observed among groups with respect to overall and serious morbidity or mortality. Similarly, no difference in postoperative outcomes was observed between the 147 patients who had a bilirubin ≥10 mg/dL and those with normal levels or when bilirubin increased when levels were analyzed as a continuous variable. Modest degrees of hyperbilirubinemia were not shown to affect morbidity and mortality following pancreatoduodenectomy. The indication and need for preoperative biliary decompression should be reserved, and utilized selectively, only for those with symptomatic, elevated bilirubin levels.
Longitudinal tDCS: Consistency across Working Memory Training Studies

There is great interest in enhancing and maintaining cognitive function. In recent years, advances in noninvasive brain stimulation devices, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), have targeted working memory in particular. Despite controversy surrounding outcomes of single-session studies, a growing field of working memory training studies incorporate multiple sessions of tDCS. It is useful to take stock of these findings because there is a diversity of paradigms employed and the outcomes observed between research groups. This will be important in assessing cognitive training programs paired with stimulation techniques and identifying the more useful and less effective approaches. Here, we treat the tDCS+ working memory training field as a case example, but also survey training benefits in other neuromodulatory techniques (e.g., tRNS, tACS). There are challenges associated with the broad parameter space including: individual differences, stimulation intensity, duration, montage, session number, session spacing, training task selection, timing of follow up testing, near and far transfer tasks. In summary, although the field of assisted cognitive training is young, some design choices are more favorable than others. By way of heuristic, the current evidence supports including more training/tDCS sessions (5+), applying anodal tDCS targeting prefrontal regions, including follow up testing on trained and transfer tasks after a period of no contact. What remains unclear, but important for future translational value is continuing work to pinpoint optimal values for the tDCS parameters on a per cognitive task basis. Importantly the emerging literature shows notable consistency in the application of tDCS for WM across various participant populations compared to single session experimental designs.
A Review of Trimming in Isogeometric Analysis: Challenges, Data Exchange and Simulation Aspects

We review the treatment of trimmed geometries in the context of design, data exchange, and computational simulation. Such models are omnipresent in current engineering modeling and play a key role for the integration of design and analysis. The problems induced by trimming are often underestimated due to the conceptional simplicity of the procedure. In this work, several challenges and pitfalls are described.
The Value of Harm

Our legal system is shifting from a model based on deterrence and retribution through punishment to proactive harm prevention, thus pushing the threshold of criminal liability away from causation harm, and toward creation of risk. This Article cautions against rushing to embrace that trend. First, the Article identifies two different levels at which the concept of “harm” — usually treated as a unitary concept in the literature — operates. These two levels are the ex-ante concept of harm (or “harm in the abstract”) and the ex-post concept of harm (or “harm in the concrete”). The Article argues that the ex-post concept of harm is what is relevant for purposes of justifying the emphasis on results in criminal law. Then, the Article proceeds to provide such justification through historical and comparative analysis. First, the Article traces the origins of modern criminal law to the Enlightenment revolution. After illustrating the historical reasons that led to focus on resulting harm, the Article advances several arguments to keep the focus on resulting harm as a pillar of substantive criminal law today. The Article claims that the emphasis on resulting harm provides a check against government overreach and abuse; that it offers an empirically verifiable measure of culpability while guaranteeing a minimum of proportionality; and that it constitutes the right political choice in a liberal democracy. Finally, the Article briefly expounds some systemic consequences of its approach, looking at how the proposed theory would impact several problematic areas of criminal law. In the Conclusion, the Article stresses that moving away from a model based on resulting harm and toward a model based on risk creation comes at a price, and suggests that such trade-off is worth it only in exceptional circumstances.
Comparative study on IEEE12 bus system with D-FACTS devices in different simulation tools

Distributed Flexible AC Transmission Systems (D-FACTS) devices can be used as a distributed solution for relieving congestion in transmission lines. In this work, a model for D-FACTS devices is developed in an electromagnetic transients program and steady-state performance is validated against the existing model in PowerWorld. The devices are implemented in the IEEE12 bus dynamic test system. System performance before and after the addition D-FACTS devices is investigated. The main objective of this comparative study is to verify these two models on the IEEE 12 bus system for steady state analysis in preparation for later studies and then to examine the impact of D-FACTS devices on managing congestion by adding them at different locations. Different modes of D-FACTS operation are also investigated.
Amyloid-β Plaques in Clinical Alzheimer's Disease Brain Incorporate Stable Isotope Tracer In Vivo and Exhibit Nanoscale Heterogeneity.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with clinical manifestations of progressive memory decline and loss of executive function and language. AD affects an estimated 5.3 million Americans alone and is the most common form of age-related dementia with a rapidly growing prevalence among the aging population – those 65 years of age or older. AD is characterized by accumulation of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain, which leads to one of the pathological hallmarks of AD – Aβ plaques. As a result, Aβ plaques have been extensively studied after being first described over a century ago. Advances in brain imaging and quantitative measures of Aβ in biological fluids have yielded insight into the time course of plaque development decades before and after AD symptom onset. However, despite the fundamental role of Aβ plaques in AD, in vivo measures of individual plaque growth, growth distribution, and dynamics are still lacking. To address this question, we combined stable isotope labeling kinetics (SILK) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy (NanoSIMS) imaging in an approach termed SILK-SIMS to resolve plaque dynamics in three human AD brains. In human AD brain, plaques exhibit incorporation of a stable isotope tracer. Tracer enrichment was highly variable between plaques and the spatial distribution asymmetric with both quiescent and active nanometer sub-regions of tracer incorporation. These data reveal that Aβ plaques are dynamic structures with deposition rates over days indicating a highly active process. Here we report the first, direct quantitative measures of in vivo deposition into plaques in human AD brain. Our SILK-SIMS studies will provide invaluable information on plaque dynamics in the normal and diseased brain and offer many new avenues for investigation into pathological mechanisms of the disease, with implications for therapeutic development.
Shrub cover and fire history predict seed bank composition in Great Basin shrublands

Abstract Dormant seeds in the soil are an important contribution to the regenerative potential of an area. Understanding factors that affect seed bank dynamics in arid regions provides insight into how communities respond to disturbance and environmental change. We characterized seed banks in a Great Basin sagebrush steppe system, using field surveys and seed bank studies to compare 17 sites that differed in above-ground vegetation, fire history, and grazing use. We asked whether shrub cover, ground cover, climate, or disturbance history were predictive of seed densities, diversity, the presence of rare species, and similarity between above- and below-ground communities. Fire frequency and a coarse measure of grazing use were not highly predictive of seed bank dynamics, with the exception that sites that burned
An efficient assisted history matching and uncertainty quantification workflow using Gaussian processes proxy models and variogram based sensitivity analysis

Reservoir history matching is frequently viewed as an optimization problem which involves minimizing misfit between simulated and observed data. Many gradient and evolutionary strategy based optimization algorithms have been proposed to solve this problem which typically require a large number of numerical simulations to find feasible solutions. Therefore, a new methodology referred to as GP-VARS is proposed in this study which uses forward and inverse Gaussian processes (GP) based proxy models combined with a novel application of variogram analysis of response surface (VARS) based sensitivity analysis to efficiently solve high dimensional history matching problems. Empirical Bayes approach is proposed to optimally train GP proxy models for any given data. The history matching solutions are found via Bayesian optimization (BO) on forward GP models and via predictions of inverse GP model in an iterative manner. An uncertainty quantification method using MCMC sampling in conjunction with GP model is also presented to obtain a probabilistic estimate of reservoir properties and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR). An application of the proposed GP-VARS methodology on PUNQ-S3 reservoir is presented in which it is shown that GP-VARS provides history match solutions in approximately four times less numerical simulations as compared to the differential evolution (DE) algorithm. Furthermore, a comparison of uncertainty quantification results obtained by GP-VARS, EnKF and other previously published methods shows that the P50 estimate of oil EUR obtained by GP-VARS is in close agreement to the true values for the PUNQ-S3 reservoir. GP-VARS is proposed to find history match solutions in an iterative manner.GP-VARS is applied to a benchmark PUNQ-S3 reservoir with 45 reservoir parameters.Lower and upper limits of input search space is constrained for fast convergence.GP-VARS converged in 4 times less numerical runs than Differential Evolution.P50 estimate of oil EUR is shown to be in close agreement with truth values.
Teaching Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Globally through Virtual Simulation

Background and objectives Despite the increasing prevalence of childhood kidney disease worldwide, there is a shortage of clinicians trained to provide peritoneal dialysis (PD). E-learning technologies may provide a solution to improve knowledge in PD. We describe the development of a virtual PD simulator and report the first 22 months of online usage. Design, setting, participants, & measurements The PD simulator was developed and released on OPENPediatrics in January of 2016. A prospective study of international, multidisciplinary healthcare providers was conducted from January of 2016 through October of 2017. User action data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and linear regression. Paired t tests compared user pre- and post-test scores. User satisfaction was assessed by survey. Results The simulator was accessed by 1066 users in 70 countries. Users spent a median of 35 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 14–84) in the simulator. Users who completed the structured learning curriculum ( n =300) spent a median of 85 minutes (IQR 46–95), and those who completed the entire simulator ( n =63) spent a median of 122 minutes (IQR 69–195). Users who completed the simulator were more likely to scroll through text and access the simulator in multiple sessions. The 300 users that completed testing showed statistically significant increases in the post- versus pretest scores, with a mean increase of 36.4 of 100 points, SD 19.9 (95% confidence interval, 34.1 to 38.6, P Conclusions This is the first reported virtual PD simulator. Increased test scores were observed between pre- and post-tests by clinicians who completed testing, across disciplines, training levels, and resource settings. Podcast This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2018_05_02_CJASNPodcast_18_6_O.mp3
Fine specificity and genetic restriction of T cell clones specific for mouse hepatitis virus, strain JHM.

Mouse hepatitis viruses are members of the coronavirus group of animal viruses. Although named for their propensity to induce acute hepatitis in animals stressed by a variety of conditions, it has become clear that as a group they possess the ability to cause a diverse group of diseases in their natural host (Wege, et al, 1982). One strain of MHV, named JHM virus (JHMV), was isolated from mice found to have demyelinated lesions of the central nervous system (Bailey, et al, 1949). More recently it has been found that JHMV is not only capable of causing acute encephalomyelitis with demyelination but also chronic demyelination probably due to the establishment of a latent infection of oligodendroglia, the cells of myelin within the central nervous system (Herndon, et al, 1975; Stohlman and Weiner, 1981).
Parameters for Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Smoked Fishery Products: Sodium Chloride and Packaging Method.

The behavior of Listeria monocytogenes (10 Scott A cells per g) in cold-process (smoked) salmon containing 3, 5, or 6% water-phase NaCl was evaluated during 30 to 40 d storage at 5 or 10°C in either oxygen-permeable film or vacuum-sealed impermeable film. At 10°C, L. monocytogenes grew to 106 to 108 CFU/g by the second week, with no differences attributed to NaCl concentration except for an initial lag in the 6% NaCl samples. Vacuum packaging suppressed growth of L. monocytogenes by 10- to 100-fold in samples with 3 or 5% NaCl. Inhibition related to NaCl concentration was most apparent at 5°C and L. monocytogenes populations were held below 102 CFU/g by 6% NaCl. Growth of a 327 CFU/g inoculum was about 10-fold greater than a 10 CFU/g inoculum at 10°C and 100-fold greater at 5°C. Growth of two strains isolated from naturally contaminated, commercially prepared, cold-smoked fish did not differ from Scott A. The use of sugar in the product did not influence growth of L. monocytogenes . Maximum populations of aerobic microorganisms reached at 5 and 10°C were similar, although the rate of growth was somewhat delayed at 5°C, and some inhibition was shown by 5 and 6% NaCl and by vacuum packaging.
Krüppel-like Factors KLF2, KLF4, and KLF5: Central Regulators of Smooth Muscle Function

The vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) plays a vital role in mammalian physiology through its regulation of blood pressure via contraction and relaxation. In response to vascular injury, it is capable of rapidly and reversibly modulating its pheno-type to a cell type capable of performing a number of functions key to wound healing and vascular inflammation including migration, proliferation, matrix synthesis, chem-okine production, and protein synthesis. Recent work has identified three Kruppel-like factors—KLF2, KLF4, KLF5—as intricately involved in all of these processes. This review provides a brief overview of the role these factors play in regulating these and other key SMC functions.
Cognitive, Intervention, and Neuroimaging Perspectives on Executive Function in Children With Reading Disabilities

The role of executive function (EF) in the reading process, and in those with reading difficulties, remains unclear. As members of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities, we review multiple perspectives regarding EF in reading and then summarize some of our recent studies of struggling and typical readers in grades 3-5. Study 1a found that a bi-factor structure best represented a comprehensive assessment of EF. Study 1b found that cognitive and behavioral measures of EF related independently to math and reading. Study 1c found that EF related to reading, above and beyond other variables, but Study 1d found no evidence that adding an EF training component improved intervention response. Study 1e found that pretest EF abilities did not relate to intervention response. Neuroimaging studies examined EF-related brain activity during both reading and nonlexical EF tasks. In Study 2a, the EF task evoked control activity, but generated no differences between struggling and typical readers. The reading task, however, had group differences in both EF and reading regions. In Study 2b, EF activity during reading at pretest was related to intervention response. Across studies, EF appears involved in the reading process. There is less evidence for general EF predicting or improving intervention outcomes.
Sekundärprävention nach ischämischem Schlaganfall

Fur die evidenzbasierte Sekundarpravention nach ischamischem Schlaganfall stehen zahlreiche Masnahmen zur Verfugung. Medikamentos kommen unter anderem Thrombozytenfunktionshemmer als Mono- oder in Kombinationstherapie, orale Antikoagulanzien, Antihypertensiva und Cholesterin-senkende Medikamente zum Einsatz. Interventionell ist der Nutzen der Karotisendarteriektomie sowie — in speziellen Patientengruppen — der Stent-Einlage in die Karotis als auch der interventionelle Verschluss des offenen Foramen ovale gut belegt. Innovative Verfahren wie der Vorhofohrverschluss oder orale XI-Inhibitoren werden derzeit getestet.
Correlation between ADRB2 gene polymorphism and childhood bronchial asthma susceptibility and drug resis-tance

Objective To discuss the association between ADRB2 gene polymorphism of rs1042713, rs1042714 locus and susceptibility of childhood bronchial asthma and response to the treatment, and to understant the preliminary pathogenesis of asthma preliminary. Methods The oral epithelial cells of children in asthma case group from the outpatient or inpatients at the Zhengzhou Children′s Hospital (173 cases) and healthy control group (166 cases) were collec-ted.The genotypes of ADRB2 gene encoding area rs1042713 locus and rs1042714 were tested by the mean of Taqman probe real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, and the difference was analyzed.The therapeutic effects between 2 groups were compared, and then the differences in the amino acid sequence and protein structure correspon-ding genotypes of ADRB2 genes were investigated by using bioinformatics analysis. Results There were statistical differences in genotype frequency and allele frequency of rs1042713 locus between asthma case group and healthy control group(P=0.001, 0.000), but no difference at rs1042714 locus(P=0.159, 0.061). GG genotype of rs1042713 locus had significant differences in adjusting the drug dosage with AA, AG genotype patients(H=12.583, P=0.002), but the different genotype of rs1042714 locus had no significant differences in adjusting the drug dosage(H=2.696, P=0.260). The polymorphism of rs1042713 locus caused protein local structure changes, but the homologous protein structure of rs1042714 locus caused no changes. Conclusions ADRB2 gene polymorphism of rs1042713 locus is not only associated with the susceptibility of childhood bronchial asthma, but also has an effect on β2-receptor agonist treatment to a certain extent.But polymorphism of rs1042714 locus may not be associated with the susceptibility of asthma and the response to treatment.The reason may be different genotypes leading to different protein structures and biological functions.The mechanism may be related to the structural and functional differences of protein structures corresponding to different genotypes. Key words: Bronchial asthma; ADRB2 gene; Polymorphism; Genotype; Protein structural modeling
Depressive Symptoms among Adolescents Exposed to Personal and Vicarious Police Contact

Theories of stress and strain, which emphasize the concentration of social stressors among vulnerable groups, suggest that police contact—the most common type of criminal justice contact—can have d...
Predictors of Tobacco Use Among Pediatric Cancer Survivors during Adolescence

Purpose: The advent of research, diagnostic techniques, and treatment protocols has led to an increase in the rate of cancer survival among children diagnosed with cancer before age 20 years with the five-year survival rate at 83% (National Cancer Institute, 2017). Late effects as a result of intense treatments and increased life expectancies augment the risk of health problems in childhood cancer survivors (Soliman & Agresta, 2008; Children’s Oncology Group, 2013). Lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use are known …