cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The least-gradient method for computing area minimizing hypersurfaces spanning arbitrary boundaries

In this paper we give a brief presentation of the least-gradient method. The least-gradient method is used to compute an approxination to a globally area minimizing oriented hypersurface having a given boundary, without the necessity of providing any a priori topological information about the area minimizing surface. The method has been successfully implemented. The first results were obtained, and published, for the case in which the boundary curve is required to lie on the surface of a convex body. Subsequent work has dealt with the general problem in which the given boundary curve is essentially unrestricted.
Go controls the hyperpolarization-activated current in embryonic stem cell-derived cardiocytes

Hyperpolarization current (I(f)) is an important player in controlling heart rate and is stimulated by cAMP and inhibited by members of the pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein G(i)/G(o) family. We have successfully derived cardiocytes from embryonic stem cells lacking G(o) or G(i2) and G(i3). We have established that both basal and isoproterenol-stimulated activities of I(f) in these cardiocytes have typical nodal-atrial characteristics and are unaffected by targeted gene inactivation of the G proteins G(o) or G(i2) and G(i3). Under basal conditions, both G(o) and G(i) are required for muscarinic inhibition of I(f) activity via a mechanism that involves the generation of nitric oxide, whereas, with prior stimulation by beta-agonists, only G(o) is required and G(i) and nitric oxide production are not. Our findings establish an essential role for G(o) in the antiadrenergic effect of muscarinic agent on I(f).
Immune monitoring in nonhuman primate transplantation. A review of “Non-human primate transplantation tolerance models: Immune Assays and Analysis Workshop” held in Atlanta, Ga, September 2005

In September 2005, an National Institutes of Health-sponsored workshop was held in Atlanta, Georgia, which focused on non-human primate transplantation tolerance models. The aim of this workshop was an open exchange of techniques and assays applicable to this important translational transplantation model. A major focus of the workshop was the development of assays that are capable of monitoring immune status after transplant. These include mixed lymphocyte reaction assays (using both tritiated thymidine and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester to assess T-cell proliferation), large-scale production of dendritic cells for immune analysis, the molecular analysis of graft rejection and acceptance using single-plex RNA analysis, and multiplex flow cytometric and gene array analysis, as well as sophisticated multi-color flow cytometric profiling of immunocyte subpopulations and cytokine expression patterns. This review will summarize the progress presented at the workshop toward the application of these techniques to immune analysis in non-human primates and discuss their relative contributions to ongoing evaluation of immune tolerance after transplantation.
Measuring ΔΨm in isolated tubules

about 30% of intracellular volume is made up of mitochondria, particularly in cells demanding higher energy such as cardiac myocytes and renal proximal tubules, where they serve as important “powerhouses” ([3][1], [6][2]). Mitochondria are integral to the maintenance of normal cellular
Effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and EGME vapors on montmorillonite clays

The effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) vapors on montmorillonite have been studied on SAz-1 and SWy-1 source clays, each exchanged respectively with Ca, Na, K, Cs and tetramethylammonium (TMA) cations. The corresponding lattice expansions were also determined, and the corresponding N2 adsorption data were provided for comparison. For clays exchanged with cations of low hydrating powers (such as K, Cs and TMA), water shows a notably lower uptake than does N2 at low relative pressures (P/P0). By contrast, EGME shows higher uptakes than N2 on all exchanged clays at all P/P0. The anomaly for water is attributed to its relatively low attraction for siloxane surfaces of montmorillonite because of its high cohesive energy density. In addition to solvating cations and expanding interlayers, water and EGME vapors condense into small clay pores and interlayer voids created by interlayer expansion. The initial (dry) interlayer separation varies more significantly with cation type than with layer charge; the water-saturated interlayer separation varies more with cation type than the EGME-saturated interlayer separation. Because of the differences in surface adsorption and interlayer expansion for water and EGME, no general correspondence is found between the isotherms of water and EGME on exchanged clays, nor is a simple relation observed between the overall uptake of either vapor and the cation solvating power. The excess interlayer capacities of water and of EGME that result from lattice expansion of the exchanged clays are estimated by correcting for amounts of vapor adsorption on planar clay surfaces and of vapor condensation into intrinsic clay pores. The resulting data follow more closely the relative solvating powers of the exchanged cations.
Comment on "Optimal Design of PLL with Two Seperate Phase Detectors"

This correspondence comments on a recent paper by Heiman and Bar-Ness. In the paper the authors propose a two-channel PLL and pursue an optimization analysis of the proposed configuration. They base the analysis on Viterbi's equivalent noise model. In our comment it is shown that their application of the model suffers from a fundamental flaw. Difficulties in the physical interpretation of the results are demonstrated.
White matter maturation supports the development of reasoning ability through its influence on processing speed

The structure of the human brain changes in several ways throughout childhood and adolescence. Perhaps the most salient of these changes is the strengthening of white matter tracts that enable distal brain regions to communicate with one another more quickly and efficiently. Here, we sought to understand whether and how white matter changes contribute to improved reasoning ability over development. In particular, we sought to understand whether previously reported relationships between white matter microstructure and reasoning are mediated by processing speed. To this end, we analyzed diffusion tensor imaging data as well as data from standard psychometric tests of cognitive abilities from 103 individuals between the ages of 6 and 18. We used structural equation modeling to investigate the network of relationships between brain and behavior variables. Our analyses provide support for the hypothesis that white matter maturation (as indexed either by microstructural organization or volume) supports improved processing speed, which, in turn, supports improved reasoning ability.
Tracking with measurements of uncertain origin and random arrival times

The problem of estimating the state of a target in the presence of measurements of uncertain origin has received a great deal of attention recently. When this origin question cannot be resolved with certainty, one can only make probabilistic inferences as to which detection (and thus measurement) originated from the target of interest. The investigation reported here deals with a new class of problems characterized by the following: the correct measurement arrival (detection) times for a target of interest occur according to a stochastic process. Another stochastic process governs the arrival times of the false alarms. Thus, detections occur one at a time, and while some of them can be discarded as not having originated from the target, the remaining ones cannot be associated with certainty with the target. This problem is motivated by the fact that in some tracking problems, detections from the target of interest occur on an irregular basis. A procedure that associates probabilistically these measurements to the target is developed together with a corresponding estimator. The optimal estimator, as well as a number of suboptimal algorithms that are real-time implementable, are presented together with simulation results. The simulations also indicate that the probabilistic data association filter with time-of-arrival information is significantly superior to the filter which uses only measurement location information for probabilistic data association.
On the effects of thermal treatment on the composition, structure, morphology, and optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-oxycarbide

The composition, structure, morphology, and optical characteristics of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-oxycarbide (a-SiCxOyHz) materials were investigated as a function of experimental processing conditions and post-deposition thermal treatment. Thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) was applied to the growth of three different types of a-SiCxOyHz films, namely, SiC-like (SiC1.08O0.07H0.21), Si-C-O (SiC0.50O1.20H0.22), and SiO2-like (SiC0.20O1.70H0.24). The resulting films were subsequently annealed at temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 1100 °C for 1 h in an argon atmosphere. The composition, structure, and morphology of as-deposited and post-annealed films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), nuclear-reaction analysis (NRA), and scanning electron microscopy. Corresponding optical properties were assessed by spectroscopic ultraviolet-visible ellipsometry (UV-VIS-SE). These studies led to the identification of an optimized process window for the growth of Er doped silicon oxycarbide (SiC0.5O1.0:Er) thin film with strong room-temperature photoluminescence emission measured around 1540 nm within a broad (460 nm to 600 nm) wavelength band. Associated modeling studies showed that the effective cross section for Er excitation in the SiC0.5O1.0:Er matrix was approximately four orders of magnitude larger than its analog for direct optical excitation of Er ions.
CHILDREN IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

The part that children play in traffic accidents has been studied by numerous workers from differing points of view. Slatis,1 in a study of 5,291 persons injured in traffic accidents and receiving medical treatment in Sweden, found that 16.3% were less than 15 years of age. An examination by Mackay2 of a series of 250 accidents investigated at the scene in Birmingham, England, found that children less than 16 years of age formed 6.2% of the 464 persons involved. In Brisbane, Australia, Jamieson and Tait3 found that children less than 15 years old formed 10.9% of a group of 1,000 admissions or deaths from traffic accidents. Gadeke4 in Germany, found children less than 15 years old were injured more often in rural accidents, that traffic accidents formed 35 to 40% of all fatal accidents in children, and that injuries to the head and lower limb were most common. In Sweden, Ekstrom, et al.5 found that the majority of children involved in accidents they studied were pedestrians or pedal cyclists, and 40% were between 5 and 9 years old. Moore and Lilienfeld6 reported on 31,001 occupants of known age in 14,520 automobiles involved in injury-producing accidents on rural highways in the United States. They found that children less than 12 years of age formed 9%, adolescents age 12 to 18 years formed 16%, and adults of more than 18 years formed 75%. They found that children received fewer and less severe injuries than adolescents or adults, in each seating position. Front seat passengers in each age group were injured more often and more severely than rear seat passengers. Language: en
Membrane Insertion Profiles of Peptides Probed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Membrane insertion of small peptides plays important roles in antimicrobial defense, toxin actions, and viral infections. There have been experimental efforts to study this process with carefully designed synthetic peptides. Molecular dynamics simulation techniques are useful tools to study membrane insertion of peptides in atomic details to complement these experimental efforts. We developed a methodology based on molecular dynamics simulation techniques to probe the insertion profiles of small peptides across the membrane interface. The peptide is represented in full atomic detail, while the membrane and the solvent are described implicitly by a generalized Born model. To sample peptide conformations across the membrane interface, we apply an umbrella sampling technique, where the center of mass position of the peptide is constrained at various positions across the membrane interface. Free energy profiles are calculated as a function of the peptide position with respect to the membrane center and structural deviations from the native structure by the weighted histogram analysis method. We applied the methodology to a synthetic peptide mimicking the transmembrane domain of the M2 protein from influenza A virus. Two different initial peptide conformations, one fully extended and the other helical, have been used to probe the effect of peptide structures on the membrane insertion mechanism. A larger free energy decrease was observed when the peptide inserts into the membrane in a helical conformation than when it enters membrane in a nonhelical conformation. We discuss an improvement of the current methodology by increasing the sampling of peptide conformations with replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations. With a growing number of bacterial infections that are resistant to conventional antibiotics, small peptides based on naturally-occurring antimicrobial peptides have become attractive candidates for a new class of antibiotics. The current methodology is expected to be useful in the design and engineering of therapeutic agents based on antimicrobial peptides with specific membrane-insertion profiles.
A Simple Method for Enzymatic Synthesis of Unlabeled and Radiolabeled Hydroxycinnamate-CoA

Hydroxycinnamate coenzyme A (CoA) thioesters are substrates for biosynthesis of lignin and hydroxycinna- mate esters of polysaccharides and other polymers. Hence, a supply of these substrates is essential for investigation of cell wall biosynthesis. In this study, three recombinant enzymes, caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase, 4-coumarate- CoA ligase 1, and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 5, were cloned from wheat, tobacco, and Arabidopsis, respectively, and were used to synthesize 14 C-feruloyl-CoA, caffeoyl-CoA, p-coumaroyl-CoA, feruloyl-CoA, and sinapoyl-CoA. The corresponding hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA thioesters were high-performance liquid chromatography purified, the only extraction/purification step necessary, with total yields between 88-95%. Radiolabeled 14 C-feruloyl-CoA was gener- ated from caffeic acid and S-adenosyl- 14 C-methionine under the combined action of caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 1. About 70% of 14 C-methyl groups from S-adenosyl methionine were incorporated into the final product. The methods presented are simple, fast, and efficient for the preparation of the hydroxycinnamate thioesters.
Effects of powdered Montmorency tart cherry supplementation on an acute bout of intense lower body strength exercise in resistance trained males

The purpose of this study was to examine whether short-term ingestion of a powdered tart cherry supplement prior to and following intense resistance-exercise attenuates muscle soreness and recovery strength loss, while reducing markers of muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Twenty-three healthy, resistance-trained men (20.9 ± 2.6 yr, 14.2 ± 5.4 % body fat, 63.9 ± 8.6 kg FFM) were matched based on relative maximal back squat strength, age, body weight, and fat free mass. Subjects were randomly assigned to ingest, in a double blind manner, capsules containing a placebo (P, n = 12) or powdered tart cherries [CherryPURE®] (TC, n = 11). Participants supplemented one time daily (480 mg/d) for 10-d including day of exercise up to 48-h post-exercise. Subjects performed ten sets of ten repetitions at 70 % of a 1-RM back squat exercise. Fasting blood samples, isokinetic MVCs, and quadriceps muscle soreness ratings were taken pre-lift, 60-min, 24-h, and 48-h post-lift and analyzed by MANOVA with repeated measures. Muscle soreness perception in the vastus medialis (¼) (p = 0.10) and the vastus lateralis (¼) (p = 0.024) was lower in TC over time compared to P. Compared to pre-lift, TC vastus medialis (¼) soreness was significantly attenuated up to 48-h post-lift with vastus lateralis (¼) soreness significantly lower at 24-h post-lift compared to P. TC changes in serum creatinine (p = 0.03, delta p = 0.024) and total protein (p = 0.018, delta p = 0.006) were lower over time and smaller from pre-lift levels over time compared to P Significant TC group reductions from pre-lift levels were found for AST and creatinine 48-h post-lift, bilirubin and ALT 60-min and 48-h post-lift. No significant supplementation effects were observed for serum inflammatory or anti-inflammatory markers. None of the free radical production, lipid peroxidation, or antioxidant capacity markers (NT, TBARS, TAS, SOD) demonstrated significant changes with supplementation. Changes in TC whole blood lymphocyte counts (p = 0.013) from pre-lift were greater compared to P, but TC lymphocyte counts returned to pre-lift values quicker than P. Short-term supplementation of Montmorency powdered tart cherries surrounding a single bout of resistance exercise, appears to be an effective dietary supplement to attenuate muscle soreness, strength decrement during recovery, and markers of muscle catabolism in resistance trained individuals.
A comprehensive review on proppant technologies

Abstract The main function of traditional proppants is to provide and maintain conductive fractures during well production where proppants should meet closure stress requirement and show resistance to diagenesis under downhole conditions. Many different proppants have been developed in the oil & gas industry, with various types, sizes, shapes, and applications. While most proppants are simply made of silica or ceramics, advanced proppants like ultra-lightweight proppant is also desirable since it reduces proppant settling and requires low viscosity fluids to transport. Additionally, multifunctional proppants may be used as a crude way to detect hydraulic fracture geometry or as matrices to slowly release downhole chemical additives, besides their basic function of maintaining conductive hydraulic fractures. Different from the conventional approach where proppant is pumped downhole in frac fluids, a revolutionary way to generate in-situ spherical proppants has been reported recently. This paper presents a comprehensive review of over 100 papers published in the past several decades on the subject. The objectives of this review study are to provide an overview of current proppant technologies, including different types, compositions, and shapes of proppants, new technologies to pump and organize proppants downhole such as channel fracturing, and also in-situ proppant generation. Finally, the paper sheds light on the current challenges and emphasizes needs for new proppant development for unconventional resources.
Current and emerging lipid-based systems for transdermal drug delivery

Developing a transdermal drug delivery system is a challenging task considering the selective permeability of the skin and the physicochemical properties the drug must possess to permeate through the skin. Lipid-based drug delivery systems have contributed a great deal in this direction in the last few decades, and thereby have helped to expand the range of therapeutic molecules that can be delivered through the skin in a safe and effective manner. Additionally, vesicular delivery systems such as nanoparticles and emulsions have also played important roles in providing alternative novel approaches for drug delivery. In this article, we will discuss some of the current and future lipid-based systems for transdermal drug delivery along with the associated challenges.
Preservation of Basidiospores of Laccaria Laccata for Use as Mycorrhizal Inoculum

(1975). Preservation of Basidiospores of Laccaria Laccata for Use as Mycorrhizal Inoculum. Mycologia: Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 167-170.
Mass Media and Perceived and Objective Environmental Risk: Race and Place of Residence

Rural, non-White survey respondents face the greatest objective environmental risks in North Carolina, evidence that environmental injustice persists in rural parts of the state. Residents' perceived risks, however, are not significantly associated with their objective risks or demographic characteristics, contrary to what the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model predicts. Rather, survey respondents' perceived risks, as well as their confidence to cope with local environmental problems, are shaped primarily by respondents' media use: watching local TV news increased perceived risks, whereas national TV news use and newspaper reading increased individuals' environmental self-efficacy. Exposure to environmental health risks, perceived risks, and environmental self-efficacy, however, did predict individuals' information seeking, a “gateway” to more substantive behaviors that may help residents cope with environmental problems where they live.
Reproductive biology of Biosteres vandenboschi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of early-instar Oriental fruit fly

Some aspects of the reproductive biology of Biosteres vandenboschi (Fullaway) were investigated in the laboratory. Mean longevity of host-deprived and ovipositing females was 28.6 and 23.7 d, respectively. In parasitoid stock reared from Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), newly emerged B. vandenboschi had a mean of 4.2 mature ovarian eggs, and ovarian maturation peaked at 41.2 eggs on the 12th d after eclosion. However, B. vandenboschi reared from Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) had an earlier peak on the 6th d after eclosion and a similar one on the 12th d. Mean numbers of mature ovarian eggs declined, as age of female increased in both parasitoid stocks. Overall mean mature ovarian eggs of host-deprived females eclosed from B. dorsalis was significantly higher than overall mean ovarian eggs of females eclosed from C. capitata. Despite the availability of abundant hosts suitable for oviposition, female B. vandenboschi reared individually were reluctant to deposit many eggs. Average egg deposition per day was only 16% of the ovarian eggs available, and average potential fecundity (eggs laid by a female plus eggs remaining in ovaries at death) was 65 eggs in both mated and unmated females. Potential fecundity in ovipositing females was 1.9-fold higher than the maximal number of ovarian eggs found, an indication of significant enhancement of egg maturation by oviposition activity. Second and early third instars of B. dorsalis , when presented to B. vandenboschi for oviposition, produced significantly higher female offspring than female offspring produced from first-instar B. dorsalis . The number of uneclosed host puparia was reduced when second-instar B. dorsalis were exposed for oviposition.
The Application of CRC Error Detection Coding in Foundation FieldBus Communication

The system adopts CRC error detection coding in order that the data can be transmitted between the master and slaves in fieldBus communication.The principle of CRC error detection coding and the application of CRC error detection coding to fieldbus communication are introduced in this paper.
Post-traumatic Vascular Disorders and Upper Extremity Sympathectomy

Summary Post-traumatic vascular disorders may result from injuries to the small or large arteries of the upper extremity or may develop secondarily to nonvascular trauma with the vascular changes mediated through an overactive sympathetic nervous system. Arteriographic studies are of great value in delineating the nature and extent of the arterial involvement. Direct brachial puncture is an effective method of outlining the arteries of the forearm and hand but fails to provide information concerning the subclavian and axillary arteries. A preferred method is that of Seldinger wherein the catheter is introduced into the femoral artery and passed to the proximal subclavian artery of the involved extremity. Therapeutic techniques include physiotherapy for the shoulder-hand syndrome with sympathectomy reserved for those who respond poorly to conservative efforts to control an overactive sympathetic nervous system. Direct arterial reconstruction for lesions of the palmar arches and digital arteries is often successful. Favorable and unfavorable aspects of the four operative approaches to the upper thoracic sympathetic trunk are discussed with the conclusion that the transaxillary and anterolateral thoracic approaches are the safest and most satisfactory.
Medical exercises by the National Guard for underserved Americans

The National Guard has begun a series of medical exercises designed to bring health-related services to underserved Americans. This paper reviews the origins of the program, its philosophy, organization, goals, and procedures. With an increasing emphasis on the use of the military in support of the civilian sector for the rebuilding of America, this program would appear to be only the first of many such endeavors.
A model for creep of porous crystals with cubic symmetry

Abstract A model for description of the creep response of porous cubic single crystal is presented. The plastic potential is obtained by specializing the orthotropic potential of Stewart and Cazacu (Int. J. Solids Struct., 48, 357, 2011) to cubic symmetry. The crystal matrix material response is characterized by power law creep. The predictions of this porous plastic constitutive relation are presented for various values of stress triaxiality (mean normal stress divided by Mises effective stress) and various values of the Lode parameter L (a measure of the influence of the third invariant of the stress deviator). A strong influence of crystal orientation on the evolution of the creep strain and the porosity is predicted. For loadings along the directions of the cubic crystal, void growth is not influenced by the value of the Lode parameter. However, for loadings such that the maximum principal stress is aligned with the [110] direction there is a strong influence of the values of the Lode parameter and the fastest rate of void growth occurs for shear loadings (one of the principal values of the applied stress deviator is zero). For loadings such that the maximum applied stress is along the [111] crystal direction the fastest rate of void growth corresponds to L=-1, while the slowest rate corresponds to L=1. These predictions are compared with corresponding predictions of the three dimensional finite deformation unit cell analysis of Srivastava and Needleman (Mech. Mater., 90, 10, 2015). It is found that the phenomenological model predicts the same trends as the cell model calculations and, in some cases, gives good quantitative agreement.
Semiconductor Electrolyte Analysis: Progress Towards Indwelling Chemical Sensors

A pH sensitive field effect transistor is a semiconductor device in which the metal gate is removed and the exposed silicon nitride/oxide insulating layers chemically interact with H+ ions, thereby modulating the transistor voltage-current relation.1 An early model of our pH ISFET is depicted in Fig. 1. Further treatment of the insulating layer with an ion selective membrane, such as an ionophoreloaded polymer over the active region allows selective filtration of the ion of interest, e,g. Na+, K+, Ca+, which may then also modulate the transistor electrical characteristics,2 Using such techniques a number of chemical sensors, called ion sensitive field effect transistors, (ISFET) may be created. The number of sensors which may fit on a single chip is only limited by the mechanical placement of the ion selective membrane.
Parks as Social and Cultural Spaces Among U.S.- and Foreign-Born Latinas.

Parks provide opportunities for people to engage in activities that can promote physical and emotional well-being. Using focus groups and personal interviews conducted in select neighborhoods of a ...
Repeated Critical Illness and Unplanned Readmissions Within 1 Year to PICUs.

OBJECTIVES To determine the occurrence rate of unplanned readmissions to PICUs within 1 year and examine risk factors associated with repeated readmission. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING Seventy-six North American PICUs that participated in the Virtual Pediatric Systems, LLC (VPS, LLC, Los Angeles, CA). PATIENTS Ninety-three thousand three hundred seventy-nine PICU patients discharged between 2009 and 2010. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Index admissions and unplanned readmissions were characterized and their outcomes compared. Time-to-event analyses were performed to examine factors associated with readmission within 1 year. Eleven percent (10,233) of patients had 15,625 unplanned readmissions within 1 year to the same PICU; 3.4% had two or more readmissions. Readmissions had significantly higher PICU mortality and longer PICU length of stay, compared with index admissions (4.0% vs 2.5% and 2.5 vs 1.6 d; all p < 0.001). Median time to readmission was 30 days for all readmissions, 3.5 days for readmissions during the same hospitalization, and 66 days for different hospitalizations. Having more complex chronic conditions was associated with earlier readmission (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.9 for one complex chronic condition; hazard ratio, 4.8 for two complex chronic conditions; hazard ratio, 9.6 for three or more complex chronic conditions; all p < 0.001 compared no complex chronic condition). Most specific complex chronic condition conferred a greater risk of readmission, and some had considerably higher risk than others. CONCLUSIONS Unplanned readmissions occurred in a sizable minority of PICU patients. Patients with complex chronic conditions and particular conditions were at much higher risk for readmission.
Multivariate Uniformity Test Based on Incomplete Samples

The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach for testing multivariate uniformity. The proposed test procedure works for both complete sample case and incomplete sample case. What multivariate uniformity test does is to check whether the population distribution, from which a random sample is drawn is a multivariate uniform distribution. Particularly, it is desired to check whether the population distribution is a uniform distribution on a p-dimensional unit cube. There are some existing research papers in the literature. The proposed method works when only some arbitrarily selected order statistics are available for the test.
Activation of the B-cell receptor successively activates NF-κB and STAT3 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, both interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the B-cell receptor (BCR) activate Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and induce the phosphorylation of signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) on tyrosine 705 residues. However, whereas IL-6 phosphorylates STAT3 within 15 minutes, stimulation of the BCR with anti–immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies phosphorylates STAT3 in 2–4 hours. Here we show that this process takes longer because it requires transcriptional activity of NF-κB. Using an electromobility shift assay, we found that incubation with IgM antibodies for 4 or 18 hours, but not 15 minutes, increased NF-κB DNA-binding of CLL cells and increased binding was translated to increased transcriptional activity. Hence, 42% of the 83 NF-κB target genes were constitutively expressed in all CLL cells prior to any inducible stimuli. However, activation of the BCR increased the number of NF-κB target genes with detectable expression by 23%. Remarkably, prolonged incubation with anti-IgM antibodies induced a time-dependent transcription, production, and secretion of IL-6 protein. The IgM-induced production of IL-6 prompted the phosphorylation of STAT3 on tyrosine residues. This effect was inhibited by the JAK1/2 inhibitor of the JAK/STAT3 pathway ruxolitinib. Taken together, these results suggest that in CLL cells, constitutive tonic activation of NF-κB can be further enhanced by the BCR and that the BCR-induced activation of the JAK/STAT3 pathway depends on the NF-κB–induced production of IL-6. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Locus of Speech

This chapter is an explication of the eleventh section (“The Locus of Speech”) of “The Freudian Thing.” Lacan ties together the position of the analyst, the speaking unconscious subjectivity of the analysand, and the big Other qua symbolic order (i.e., “the locus of speech”). He goes on to justify his quasi-structuralist reconstruction of the Freudian unconscious, explaining why and how the Saussurian theory of the signifier, in particular, is invaluable for properly appreciating Freud’s discovery. The libidinal-motivational and affective-emotional dimensions of psychical life, as well as its representational-cognitive dimensions, are accounted for in quasi-structuralist terms. Moreover, Lacan maintains that a clinical-analytic focus on the Symbolic axis of language helps to guard analysis against insidious ideological influences.
Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features: a review for pathologists

Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features: a review for pathologists
Distinct roles for REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ in oxidative capacity and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle.

The nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ have been demonstrated to be core members of the circadian clock and participate in the regulation of a diverse set of metabolic functions. Due to their overlapping tissue expression patterns and gene expression profiles, REV-ERBβ is thought to be redundant to REV-ERBα. Recent work has highlighted REV-ERBα’s role in the regulation of skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and mitochondrial biogenesis. Considering the similarity between the REV-ERBs and the hypothesized overlap in function, we sought to determine whether REV-ERBβ-deficiency presented with a similar skeletal muscle phenotype as REV-ERBα-deficiency. Ectopic overexpression in C2C12 cells demonstrated that REV-ERBβ drives mitochondrial biogenesis and the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. Intriguingly, knock down of REV-ERBβ in C2C12 cultures also resulted in mitochondrial biogenesis and increased expression of genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation. To determine whether these effects occurred in vivo, we examined REV-ERBβ-deficient mice and observed a similar increase in expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid β-oxidation. Consistent with these results, REV-ERBβ-deficient mice exhibited an altered metabolic phenotype compared to wild-type littermate controls when measured by indirect calorimetry. This likely compensated for the increased food consumption that occurred, possibly aiding in the maintenance of their weight over time. Since feeding behaviors are a direct circadian output, this study suggests that REV-ERBβ may have more subtle effects on circadian behaviors than originally identified. Furthermore, these data implicate REV-ERBβ in the control of skeletal muscle metabolism and energy expenditure and suggest that development of REV-ERBα versus REV-ERBβ selective ligands may have therapeutic utility in the treatment of metabolic syndrome.
Caractéristiques de la prise en charge des patients aux urgences

A national survey carried out in France in June 2013 studied for the first time all emergency department attendances over a 24-hour period. It enables patients' pathways through the emergency department to be described in detail, from their conditions of arrival through to the follow-up care downstream of their attendance.
The molecular pathogenesis of the philadelphia-positive leukemias: Implications for diagnosis and therapy

The Philadelphia chromosome is the cytogenetic hallmark of the myeloproliferative disease chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and is also found in many cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and some cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In 1973, Rowley demonstrated that the Philadelphia chromosome, a small form of human chromosome 22 [1], was the product of a reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22: t(9;22)(q34.1;qll.21) [2]. A decade later, the molecular structure of the Philadelphia chromosome was determined, showing that the Philadelphia translocation results in the juxtaposition of the human proto-oncogene c-ABL on chromosome 9 with a gene denoted BCR on chromosome 22, resulting in the generation of a chimeric BCR/ABL fusion gene [3–8]. In the ensuing years, progress has been rapid, sometimes astonishingly so. The product of the BCR/ABL gene was identified in malignant cells from CML patients as a 210-kd fusion protein, p210BCR/ABL [9]. Like other members of the abl family, the p210BCR/ABL protein was shown to be a nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinase [10]. The role of BCR/ABL as an oncogene was strengthened with the findings that this gene could transform factor-dependent lymphoid and myeloid cells in culture to growth factor- independence and tumorigenicity [11,12], and by its ability to transform immature primary lymphoid progenitor cells in long-term in vitro culture [13]. The importance of the tyrosine kinase activity for transformation and oncogenicity was confirmed with the study of mutants that were temperature- sensitive or defective for tyrosine kinase activity [14,15]. A distinct and smaller form of Bcr/Abl protein, p190BCR/ABL, was identified in some patients with Philadelphia-positive ALL and AML, resulting from a molecular variant of the Philadelphia chromosome translocation [16-19]. Recently, animal models of the BCR/ABL leukemias have become available, employing either transgenic strains of mice carrying the BCR/ABL gene [20,21], or retroviral transduction of BCR/ABL genes into mouse bone marrow followed by bone marrow transplantation [22-24]. Thus, this group of human leukemias is now one of the best characterized at the clinical and molecular levels, and is the subject of several recent reviews [25,26].
Compulsive Sexual Behaviors

CSBs constitute a wide range of complex sexual behaviors that clinicians are increasingly encountering. This article has set forth four models of CSBs: compulsive, affective, addictive, and impulsive. Some of the CSBs appear to fit rather neatly into one of the models, whereas others have features of two or more of them. The identification of these various features has important treatment implications. Although a scientific demarcation of these sexually compulsive disorders awaits further research, clinicians should be aware of the growing number of assessment and treatment approaches for these disorders, as well as of the specialists in the field who can be turned to for consultation and referral depending upon the complexities and dangerousness of the case.
Pericarditis and Myocarditis

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium, the fibroserous membrane surrounding the heart. The inflammation may involve both the visceral pericardial membrane directly adjacent to the myocardium, and the fibrous parietal pericardial membrane covering the visceral myocardium …
Complete Robotic Systems for the IROS Grasping and Manipulation Challenge

Advances in perception, motion planning and grasping algorithms have enabled the movement from pick-and-place robots incapable of handling disturbances in the environment to intelligent robots with manipulation algorithms capable of dealing with novel surroundings. While the tasks outlined by the IROS Grasping and Manipulation Challenge included many challenging tasks (some of which surpassed current progress in robotic manipulation), assumptions about the competition environment were allowed. With these assumptions, we present our vision on two full robotic system pipelines behind the autonomous basket picking and task completion components of the IROS Grasping and Manipulation Competition.
Fluorescein Aqueous Angiography in Live Normal Human Eyes.

Author(s): Huang, Alex S; Penteado, Rafaella C; Saha, Sajib K; Do, Jiun L; Ngai, Philip; Hu, Zhihong; Weinreb, Robert N | Abstract: PurposeTo evaluate aqueous humor outflow (AHO) in intact eyes of live human subjects during cataract surgery using fluorescein aqueous angiography.MethodsAqueous angiography was performed in 8 live human subjects (56 to 86 y old; 2 men and 6 women). After anesthesia, fluorescein (2%) was introduced into the eye [either alone or after indocyanine green (ICG; 0.4%)] from a sterile, gravity-driven constant-pressure reservoir. Aqueous angiographic images were obtained with a Spectralis HRA+OCT and FLEX module (Heidelberg Engineering). Using the same device, anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) and infrared images were also concurrently taken with aqueous angiography.ResultsFluorescein aqueous angiography in the live human eye showed segmental AHO patterns. Initial angiographic signal was seen on average by 14.0±3.0 seconds (mean±SE). Using multimodal imaging, angiographically positive signal colocalized with episcleral veins (infrared imaging) and intrascleral lumens (anterior-segment OCT). Sequential aqueous angiography with ICG followed by fluorescein showed similar segmental angiographic patterns.DiscussionFluorescein aqueous angiography in live humans was similar to that reported in nonhuman primates and to ICG aqueous angiography in live humans. As segmental patterns with sequential angiography using ICG followed by fluorescein were similar, these tracers can now be used sequentially, before and after trabecular outflow interventions, to assess their effects on AHO in live human subjects.
Incorporation of random alloy GaBi x As 1 -x barriers in InAs quantum dot molecules: Energy levels and confined hole states

Self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs), which have long hole-spin coherence times and are amenable to optical control schemes, have long been explored as building blocks for qubit architectures. One such design consists of vertically stacking two QDs to create a QD molecule (QDM) and using the spin-mixing properties of ``moleculelike'' coupled hole states for all-optical qubit manipulation. In this paper, the first of two papers, we introduce the incorporation of dilute ${\mathrm{GaBi}}_{x}{\mathrm{As}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ alloys in the barrier region between the two dots. ${\mathrm{GaBi}}_{x}{\mathrm{As}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ is expected to increase the spin mixing of the molecular states needed for qubit operations by raising the barrier valence-band edge and spin-orbit splitting. Using an atomistic tight-binding model, we compute the properties of ${\mathrm{GaBi}}_{x}{\mathrm{As}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ and the modification of hole states that arise when the alloy is used in the barrier of an InAs QDM. An atomistic treatment is necessary to correctly capture nontraditional alloy effects such as the band-anticrossing valence band. It also allows for the study of configurational variances and clustering effects of the alloy. We find that in InAs QDMs with a GaBiAs interdot barrier, electron states are not strongly affected by the inclusion of Bi. However, hole states are much more sensitive to the presence and configuration of Bi in the barriers. By independently studying the alloy-induced strain and electronic scattering off Bi and As orbitals, we conclude that an initial increase in QDM hole-state energy at low Bi concentration is caused by the alloy-induced strain. We further find that the decrease in QDM hole energy at higher Bi concentrations can only be explained when both alloy strain and orbital effects are considered. In our second paper, we use the understanding developed here to discuss how the alloyed barriers contribute to enhancement in hole spin-mixing and the implications for QDM qubit architectures.
Joint selection of variables and clusters: recovering the underlying structure of marketing data

Clustering observations into groups is perhaps one of the more common marketing analytic techniques. Many variable-selection procedures are available for clustering, and some have exhibited good performance in simulation studies. Unfortunately, the best-performing methods often fail because they emphasize the clustering power of individual variables. For this reason, we recommend extreme caution when using the existing procedures, and we argue that enumeration of all-possible variable subsets is a preferred strategy. We also address a common decision problem—the selection of the number of clusters—and develop an index which can help guide the joint selection of variables and clusters. By way of an empirical example, we illustrate the variable-selection problem and demonstrate the use of the proposed index to jointly select variables and clusters in K-means partitioning.
Responses of Vegetation Productivity to Temperature Trends Over Continental United States From MODIS Imagery

Vegetation growth and productivity may record signals of global climate change since vegetation is sensitive to modifications in climatic variables, such as temperature and precipitation. Significant changes in vegetation growth and productivity can affect the exchange of energy, water vapor, and momentum between the land surface and atmosphere. Despite consensus on the vegetation growth enhancement by the warming of temperature, little attention has been given to the understanding of the impacts of cooling temperature trends on vegetation growth and productivity. Based on satellite-derived land surface temperatures and vegetation indices, this study shows that alternating temperature trends are more reasonable than a monotonic temperature trend for the study period from 2003 to 2016. More importantly, results reveal that both warming and cooling temperature trends can have a positive impact on vegetation growth over the continental United States. These findings are of importance to understand global carbon cycle sinks and sources accurately in different regions.
Subtle differences in synaptic transmission in medial nucleus of trapezoid body neurons between wild-type and Fmr1 knockout mice.

Abstract In animal models for fragile X syndrome where the gene for fragile X mental retardation protein is knocked out (Fmr1 KO), neurotransmission in multiple brain regions shifts excitation/inhibition balance, resulting in hyperexcitability in neural circuits. Here, using whole-cell recordings from brainstem slices, we investigated synaptic transmission at the medial nucleus of trapezoid body (MNTB, a critical nucleus in the brainstem sound localization circuit), in Fmr1 KO and wild-type (WT) mice 2–3 weeks of age in both sexes. Surprisingly, neither synaptic excitation nor inhibition in KO neurons was significantly changed. The synaptic strength, kinetics, and short-term plasticity of synaptic excitation remained largely unaltered. Subtle differences were observed in response patterns, with KO neurons displaying less all-or-none eEPSCs. Similarly, synaptic inhibition mediated by glycine and GABA remains largely unchanged, except for a slower kinetics of mixed sIPSCs. In pharmacologically isolated glycinergic and GABAergic inhibition, no significant differences in synaptic strength and kinetics were detected between the two genotypes. These results demonstrate that at the cellular level synaptic transmission at MNTB is largely unaffected in Fmr1 KO mice by 2–3 weeks after birth, suggesting the existence of compensatory mechanisms that maintain the inhibitory output of MNTB to its targets in the auditory brainstem.
Oncotype DX DCIS use and clinical utility: A SEER population-based study.

e12046Background: OncotypeDX DCIS is a 12-gene assay designed to predict the 10-year risk of local recurrence and to guide treatment decisions, specifically the benefit of radiation therapy in brea...