cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 339: Oxygen Blunts A2aR to Augment Lung Injury

Introduction: Mechanisms leading to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain incompletely understood, yet the severity of illness and societal disease burden necessitate continued investigation. On-going lung inflammation and injury may occur due to inhibition of anti-inflammatory pathways in alveolar macrophages. With tissue injury, released adenosine preferentially activates the adenosine 2A receptor (A2aR), a pathway which has been implicated in mediating anti-inflammatory effects and tissue protection; however, modifiers of this pathway in macrophages are not well-described. In a murine model, we have observed that moderate levels of oxygen after intratracheal LPS increase and sustain macrophage inflammation. We hypothesize that moderate oxygen inhibits the A2aR pathway in macrophages to augment inflammation and lung injury. Methods: Murine model consists of intratracheal (IT) delivery of LPS, followed 12 hours later by 60% oxygen or 21% oxygen (RA) via sealed chamber. Results: Wild-type mice exposed to IT LPS (0.375 [[Unsupported Character - Symbol Font ]]g/g mouse) followed by 60% oxygen had significantly more lung injury at days 2-4 in comparison to mice exposed to LPS or 60% oxygen alone, with increased alveolar cell influx, histologic injury, and epithelial barrier permeability. 60% oxygen after LPS significantly reduced lung A2aR mRNA and alveolar cell intracellular cyclic AMP (IC cAMP), located directly downstream of A2aR. Reduction in IC cAMP also occurred in isolated macrophages exposed to both LPS and oxygen when compared to LPS alone; this reduction was reversed using a specific A2aR agonist, CGS 21680. Adding oxygen or [ZM241385][1] (A2aR antagonist) to LPS-exposed macrophages increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-[[Unsupported Character - Symbol Font ]] and MIP-2, and expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD86 and CD40. Murine delivery of CGS 21680 (125ug/dose/mouse) every 24 hours starting concurrently with oxygen exposure reduced lung injury in LPS and oxygen-exposed mice. Conclusion: After LPS exposure, 60% oxygen acts to decrease activation of the A2aR pathway in macrophages which may directly exacerbate lung injury. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=ZM241385&atom=%2Fcircresaha%2F111%2FSuppl_1%2FA339.atom
Long-term systolic function in children and young adults after hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Congestive heart failure and subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) affect long-term survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Echocardiographic measurements of global longitudinal and circumferential strain have shown promise in identifying subclinical LVSD in cancer survivors. We analyzed echocardiograms in 95 children and young adults with malignancies or bone marrow failure syndromes performed before HSCT and 1-6 years after HSCT. We additionally measured the biomarkers soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST-2) and cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) in the same children through 49 days post HSCT. Ejection fraction (EF) after HSCT was unchanged from baseline (baseline: z-score -0.73 vs long-term follow up: -0.44, P=0.11). Global longitudinal strain was unchanged from baseline (-20.66 vs -20.74%, P=0.90) as was global circumferential strain (-24.3 vs -23.5%, P=0.32). Levels of sST-2 were elevated at all time points compared with baseline samples and cTn-I was elevated at days 14 and 28. Cardiac biomarkers at any time point did not correlate with long-term follow-up EF. In children and young adult survivors of HSCT, EF was unchanged in the first years after HSCT. Elevation in cardiac biomarkers occurring after HSCT suggest subclinical cardiac injury occurs in many patients and long-term monitoring for LVSD should continue.
Spectrally Resolved, Functional Super-Resolution Microscopy Reveals Nanoscale Compositional Heterogeneity in Live-Cell Membranes

By recording the full fluorescence spectra and super-resolved positions of ∼106 individual polarity-sensing solvatochromic molecules, we reveal compositional heterogeneity in the membranes of live mammalian cells with single-molecule sensitivity and ∼30 nm spatial resolution. This allowed us to unveil distinct polarity characteristics of the plasma membrane and the membranes of nanoscale intracellular organelles, a result we found to be due to differences in cholesterol levels. Within the plasma membrane, we observed the formation of low-polarity, raft-like nanodomains upon cholesterol addition or cholera-toxin treatment, but found this nanoscale phase separation absent in native cells. The ultimate sensitivity achieved through examining the spectra of individual molecules thus opens the door to functional interrogations of intracellular physicochemical parameters at the nanoscale.
Durability of symmetric-structured metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells

Symmetric-structure metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MS-SOFC) with YSZ electrolyte are fabricated with porous YSZ backbone electrodes, stainless steel supports, and infiltrated catalysts on both anode and cathode side. Durability towards aggressive thermal and redox cycling, and long-term operation is assessed. Many sealing material candidates are screened for compatibility with the cell materials and operating conditions, and a commercial sealing glass, GM31107, is selected. LSM/SDCN cells are then subjected to 200 very fast thermal cycles and 20 complete redox cycles, with minimal impact to cell performance. LSM/SDCN and SDCN/SDCN cells are operated for more than 1200 h at 700 °C. The seal and cell hermeticity is maintained, and cell ohmic impedance does not change significantly during operation. Electrode polarization increases during operation, leading to significant degradation of the cell performance. In-operando EIS and post-mortem SEM/EDS analysis suggest that catalyst coarsening and cathode Cr deposition are the dominant degradation modes.
Chemical and Physical Properties of Polymers for Biomedical Use

Polymers have been widely used to develop innovative and high-throughput solutions for biomedical applications. As a function of specific bio-functionalities, they have been successfully employed to fabricate biocompatible devices (i.e., prostheses components, porous/nonporous scaffolds) with structural properties able to resist to external stimuli under physiological conditions (i.e., degradation from body fluids). This wide application field depends upon the peculiar polymer chemistry and physical properties (i.e., thermal, mechanical, etc.), which significantly concur to define the ultimate properties of the polymer for a specific biomedical use. In this chapter, we aim at introducing the fundamental concepts regarding chemical and physical properties of polymers to provide the basic knowledge and better predict the structure occurring in manufacturing processes involving biomaterials. For this reason, we discuss the main correlations occurring between physical and chemical structure to establish structure-property-function relationships. Meanwhile, we describe the methods for the estimation and prediction of properties of polymers (i.e., thermal, mechanical) at different physical state, which are essential to set process conditions to properly design polymers in biomedical applications.
Study on a High Performance Shoes by Using Silicon Rubber Elements with Human Compatibility

It is reported that the rate of elderly person in the total population of Japan is about 21.5% in 2007. Thus, the recent society of Japan is called as “Elderly Society”. In the society, many elderly people work or enjoy walking to keep health. However, some problems with respect to stumble over of elderly people are occurred. That is to say, in recent years, accidents of bone fracture with elderly people increase because of tendency to fall by a little step in a house. As one of this cause, it is considered that a center of gravity position with foot parts is changed.
Remote Detection of Unauthorized Activity via Spectral Analysis

Unauthorized hardware or firmware modifications, known as trojans, can steal information, drain the battery, or damage IoT devices. Since trojans may be triggered in the field at an unknown instance, it is important to detect their presence at runtime. However, it is difficult to run sophisticated detection algorithms on these devices due to limited computational power and energy and, in some cases, lack of accessibility. This article presents a stand-off self-referencing technique for detecting unauthorized activity. The proposed technique processes involuntary electromagnetic emissions on a separate hardware, which is physically decoupled from the device under test. When the device enters the test mode, a predefined test application is run on the device repetitively for a known period. The periodicity ensures that the spectral electromagnetic power of the test application concentrates at known frequencies, leaving the remaining frequencies within the operating bandwidth at the noise level. Any deviations from the noise level for these unoccupied frequency locations indicate the presence of unknown (unauthorized) activity. Hence, we are able to differentiate trojan activity without using a golden reference, or any knowledge of the attributes of the trojan activity. Experiments based on hardware measurements show that the proposed technique achieves close to 100% detection accuracy at up to 120cm distance.
Usability and feasibility of consumer-facing technology to reduce unsafe medication use by older adults.

Abstract Background Mobile health technology can improve medication safety for older adults, for instance, by educating patients about the risks associated with anticholinergic medication use. Objective This study's objective was to test the usability and feasibility of Brain Buddy, a consumer-facing mobile health technology designed to inform and empower older adults to consider the risks and benefits of anticholinergics. Methods Twenty-three primary care patients aged ≥60 years and using anticholinergic medications participated in summative, task-based usability testing of Brain Buddy. Self-report usability was assessed by the System Usability Scale and performance-based usability data were collected for each task through observation. A subset of 17 participants contributed data on feasibility, assessed by self-reported attitudes (feeling informed) and behaviors (speaking to a physician), with confirmation following a physician visit. Results Overall usability was acceptable or better, with 100% of participants completing each Brain Buddy task and a mean System Usability Scale score of 78.8, corresponding to “Good” to “Excellent” usability. Observed usability issues included higher rates of errors, hesitations, and need for assistance on three tasks, particularly those requiring data entry. Among participants contributing to feasibility data, 100% felt better informed after using Brain Buddy and 94% planned to speak to their physician about their anticholinergic related risk. On follow-up, 82% reported having spoken to their physician, a rate independently confirmed by physicians. Conclusion Consumer-facing technology can be a low-cost, scalable intervention to improve older adults’ medication safety, by informing and empowering patients. User-centered design and evaluation with demographically heterogeneous clinical samples uncovers correctable usability issues and confirms the value of interventions targeting consumers as agents in shared decision making and behavior change.
Divided Differences and Polynomial Approximation

In this chapter, as warmup for rational approximation, we discuss polynomial approximation. Since rational approximation has f = P∕Q ⇔ Qf = P, finding P and Q can be viewed as a kind of polynomial approximation.
Isoflurane increases cell membrane fluidity significantly at clinical concentrations

Abstract There is an on-going debate whether anesthetic drugs, such as isoflurane, can cause meaningful structural changes in cell membranes at clinical concentrations. In this study, the effects of isoflurane on lipid membrane fluidity were investigated using fluorescence anisotropy and spectroscopy. In order to get a complete picture, four very different membrane systems (erythrocyte ghosts, a 5-lipid mixture that mimics brain endothelial cell membrane, POPC/Chol, and pure DPPC) were selected for the study. In all four systems, we found that fluorescence anisotropies of DPH-PC, nile-red, and TMA-DPH decrease significantly at the isoflurane concentrations of 1 mM and 5 mM. Furthermore, the excimer/monomer (E/M) ratio of dipyrene-PC jumps immediately after the addition of isoflurane. We found that isoflurane is quite effective to loosen up highly ordered lipid domains with saturated lipids. Interestingly, 1 mM isoflurane causes a larger decrease of nile-red fluorescence anisotropy in erythrocyte ghosts than 52.2 mM of ethanol, which is three times the legal limit of blood alcohol level. Our results paint a consistent picture that isoflurane at clinical concentrations causes significant and immediate increase of membrane fluidity in a wide range of membrane systems.
Is the Height of the Arcuate Eminence Related to Body Mass Index

ObjectivesTo determine the relationship, if any, between body mass index (BMI) and attenuation of the arcuate eminence (AE).Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary neurotologic re...
Healthcare disparities in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: the impact of socioeconomic factors on Cobb angle.

Retrospective chart review. The aim of this study is to assess the role of insurance type, geographic socioeconomic status, and ethnicity in AIS disease severity in a state with mandated scoliosis screenings. Early detection of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is associated with reduced curve progression, surgical treatment, and long-term sequelae. Type of insurance, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are important determinants in healthcare access. Data were obtained for 561 AIS patients aged 10–18 years, living within a single county, and presenting to a single healthcare system for initial evaluation of AIS between 2010 and 2016 that met inclusion criteria. Demographic data including gender, age, self-reported ethnicity, insurance, and zip code were collected. Outcome measures included Cobb angle, curve severity, and referral delay. A single fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedic surgeon calculated presenting Cobb angle for each case. Zip code was used as a proxy for household income level. Independent sample t tests, analysis of variance and covariance, and χ2 analysis were used to determine the significant differences and correlations. Female patients (n = 326, CA = 22.4°) had significantly greater Cobb angle measurements compared with male patients (n = 117, CA = 18.1°). Patients with government-supported insurance had significantly higher Cobb angles (CA = 22.1°) than privately insured patients (CA = 19.2°) but were both classified within the “mild” range clinically, and are likely not clinically significant. There was no correlation between income level and Cobb angle. Referral delay and Cobb angle severity did not vary by age, income, or insurance. A χ2 analysis showed no association between Cobb angle and race. Cobb angle severity was not influenced by SES factors, including ethnicity and household income. Level-II.
Computational Target-Based Drug Repurposing of Elbasvir, an Antiviral Drug Predicted to Bind Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Proteins

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) While no drugs have yet been approved to treat this disease, small molecules effective against other viral infections are under clinical evaluation for therapeutic abatement of SARS-CoV-2 infections Ongoing clinical trials include Kaletra (a combination of two protease inhibitors approved for HIV treatment), remdesivir (an investigational drug targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase [RdRP] of SARS-CoV-2), and hydroxychloroquine (an approved anti-malarial and immuno-modulatory drug) Since SARS-CoV-2 replication depends on three virally encoded proteins (RdRP, papain-like proteinase, and helicase), we screened 54 FDA-approved antiviral drugs and ~3300 investigational drugs for binding to these proteins using targeted and unbiased docking simulations and computational modeling Elbasvir, a drug approved for treating hepatitis C, is predicted to bind stably and preferentially to all three proteins At the therapeutic dosage, elbasvir has low toxicity (liver enzymes transiently elevated in 1% of subjects) and well-characterized drug-drug interactions We predict that treatment with elbasvir, alone or in combination with other drugs such as grazoprevir, could efficiently block SARS-CoV-2 replication The concerted action of elbasvir on at least three targets essential for viral replication renders viral mutation to drug resistance extremely unlikely
Do teaching credentials matter? School leaders’ preferences when screening and selecting teacher candidates

Abstract This article investigates the credentials that school administrators look for when screening and selecting candidates for teaching positions. Twenty School leaders throughout a mid-Atlantic school district. The finding reveal that when screening and selecting teacher for positions, those responsible for the interviewing and hiring process rely on their personal experiences and gut instincts to make these important decisions. The results of the study suggest school administrators need training on hiring practices and how to make research-based decision-making strategies. The findings may inform policy implications: * The district should create a tool that screens for the best candidates based on the baseline data that identify those who are highly credentialed. * Teacher preparation and professional development should focus on the credentials that lead to higher student achievement. * Principal certification programs should focus on identifying effective teachers, screening and selection, and human capital management.
Powered knee and ankle prosthesis with indirect volitional swing control enables level-ground walking and crossing over obstacles

Powered prostheses aim to mimic the missing biological limb with controllers that are finely tuned to replicate the nominal gait pattern of non-amputee individuals. Unfortunately, this control approach poses a problem with real-world ambulation, which includes tasks such as crossing over obstacles, where the prosthesis trajectory must be modified to provide adequate foot clearance and ensure timely foot placement. Here, we show an indirect volitional control approach that enables prosthesis users to walk at different speeds while smoothly and continuously crossing over obstacles of different sizes without explicit classification of the environment. At the high level, the proposed controller relies on a heuristic algorithm to continuously change the maximum knee flexion angle and the swing duration in harmony with the user's residual limb. At the low level, minimum-jerk planning is used to continuously adapt the swing trajectory while maximizing smoothness. Experiments with three individuals with above-knee amputation show that the proposed control approach allows for volitional control of foot clearance, which is necessary to negotiate environmental barriers. Our study suggests that a powered prosthesis controller with intrinsic, volitional adaptability may provide prosthesis users with functionality that is not currently available, facilitating real-world ambulation.
600. Decreased Hospital Readmission After Programmatic Strengthening of an Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Program

Background Although it is recommended that an OPAT program should be managed by a formal OPAT team that supports the treating physician, many OPAT programs face challenges in obtaining necessary program staff (i.e nurses or pharmacists) due to limited data examining the impact of a dedicated OPAT team on patient outcomes. Our objective was to compare OPAT-related readmission rates among patients receiving OPAT before and after the implementation of a strengthened OPAT program.
Relationships among non-interpersonal and interpersonal trauma types, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth.

METHODS Adults seeking behavioral health or medical treatment (N = 158) were recruited from a community healthcare agency and a residential support program in the southeastern United States. RESULTS Individuals who reported interpersonal trauma had significantly higher total PTS severity and symptom clusters. No significant difference was found in perceived PTG based on trauma type. No significant curvilinear relationship between PTS and perceived PTG was found. A significant negative linear relationship was observed between PTS and perceived PTG for non-interpersonal trauma, but not interpersonal trauma. CONCLUSION Trauma type may influence the PTS and perceived PTG relationship and, while associated with PTS, seems less important to reporting of perceived PTG.
Liberty and Health

Liberty is the essence of human nature and is necessary for optimal health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented restrictions were placed on personal liberty in the name of public health. For the first time, millions of noncontagious Americans were confined to their homes, hundreds of thousands of businesses and parks were forced to close, abortion clinics were shuttered, churches were heavily regulated, gatherings in private homes were monitored, interstate travel was restricted, and disease burdens were shifted onto protected populations. Personal liberty is sustenance for individual health. Medical principles of patient autonomy, patient privacy, and social justice are closely related to legal concepts of personal liberty, the liberty of constitutional privacy, and the liberty to be free from discrimination. In this paper, liberties are defined as active or passive for public health purposes. Active liberty is the liberty to do, and passive liberty is the liberty not to be done to. Restrictions on active liberties—like stay-at-home orders, business closures, and gathering size restrictions—tend to cause inactivity and lead to related side effects like social isolation, financial distress, and medical distancing. Restrictions on passive liberties—like quarantine, contact tracing, and intrusion into private homes—lead to more insidious health side effects related to discrimination and privacy-protective behaviors, in addition to social isolation, medical distancing, and financial distress. This paper examines how active and passive liberties were restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic and the side effects of those restrictions. A holistic approach to public health policy that incorporates the health effects of liberty and the side effects of restriction of liberty into public health policy is advocated following principles of the practice of medicine, which requires the artful application of science to disease in ways that account for human frailties. Often protecting liberty preserves health. Many medical research studies found evidence of health side effects of the public health measures instituted throughout the pandemic and are discussed here. Liberty is a fixed star in the American Constitutional constellation that is vital to the health of her citizens, and “no official, high or petty,” should prescribe public health measures restricting active or passive liberties without recognizing and understanding their side effects.
INI1-Deficient Thyroid Carcinoma is an Aggressive Disease with Epithelioid and Rhabdoid Phenotype. A Case Report, Survey of INI1 Expression in Thyroid Lesions and Literature Review

Integrase interactor 1 (INI1)-deficient carcinomas, recently described in several sites including the head and neck, are associated with basaloid or rhabdoid histology and aggressive behavior irrespective of origin. INI1-deficient thyroid carcinoma is extremely rare. We present here the phenotype and genotype of an INI1-deficient thyroid carcinoma and report on the INI1 protein expression in various thyroid lesions. Case report with clinicopathologic and molecular characterization and INI1 assessment in 184 thyroid lesions. A 67-year-old woman presented with globus sensation due to a large thyroid mass with extrathyroid extension, focal necrosis and cervical and mediastinal nodal involvement. Histologically, tumor cells had a solid, alveolar and pseudopapillary architecture in a myxoid stroma, exhibited monomorphic epithelioid and focal rhabdoid/plasmacytoid morphology and lacked glandular, squamous or follicular cell differentiation. Tumor cells were positive for AE1/AE3 and CK18 but negative for TTF1, thyroglobulin and PAX8. INI1 nuclear expression was absent. A frameshift SMARCB1/INI1 mutation was detected. In addition, TET2 and Notch1 mutations were present but alterations of BRAF, RET, PAX8/PPAR8 or RAS were not identified. Patient death occurred 14 months after diagnosis from post-therapeutic complications. None of the 184 benign and malignant thyroid lesions tested, including 12 poorly and undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas, were INI1-deficient. INI1-deficient thyroid carcinoma shares the phenotype, genotype and biology of other INI1-deficient tumors. Epithelioid and plasmacytoid/rhabdoid changes are most frequent whereas basaloid morphology is not reported, in contrast with sinonasal tumors. Poorly differentiated and undifferentiated thyroid tumors with epithelioid or rhabdoid morphology should be tested for INI1 protein expression to better characterize these aggressive neoplasms and identify patients eligible for targeted therapy.
Redesign of US Medical Schools: A Shift from Health Service to Population Health Management.

The integration of medical schools and clinical partners is effectively established through the formation of academic medical centers (AMCs). The tripartite mission of AMCs emphasizes the importanc...
Teaching NeuroImages: Basal Ganglia T1 Hyperintensity and SWI Signal Diabetic Striatopathy in an 18-Year-Old Man With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

An 18-year-old man with type 1 diabetes presented with acute bilateral arm and leg ballismus and oral-buccal dyskinesia. Glucose was 394 and HgbA1c >14. Imaging revealed T1 hyperintensity and susceptibility effect within the basal ganglia (Figure). Symptoms resolved over 48 hours with glucose control. A diagnosis of diabetic striatopathy was made. Diabetic striatopathy, also called hyperglycemic hemiballism/hemichorea, is most often described in older individuals with type 2 diabetes. Clinical symptoms often resolve with glycemic control; however, many patients require pharmacologic treatments. Deep brain stimulation may be beneficial in cases with disabling involuntary movements. Hyperglycemia-induced vasculopathy may contribute to microhemorrhages on imaging.1,2
Digital Cities: The Internet and the Geography of Opportunity

1. Cities and a Digital Society 2. The Need for Urban Broadband Policy 3. Place and Inequality: Urban, Suburban, and Rural America 4. Mobile Access and The Less-Connected 5. Ranking Digital Cities and Suburbs 6. Mapping Opportunity in Chicago Neighborhoods 7. The Geography of Barriers to Broadband Adoption 8. Barriers to Adoption in Chicago Neighborhoods 9. From Neighborhoods to Washington: Policy Solutions References Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Index
Energy Dissipation on a Rough Slope

Assuming long normally incident waves, described by linear theory, the energy dissipation on a rough slope is accounted for by introducing a term expressing the bottom shear stress. The theoretical development leads to a determination of the reflection coefficient as a function of the horizontal extent of the slope relative to the wave length in front of the slope and an equivalent slope friction factor. A method for the accurate determination of the reflection coefficient from experimental data is developed and used to establish an empirical relationship for the frictional characteristics of a rough slope. The resulting semi-empirical procedure for estimating the reflection coefficient of rough slopes is shown to yield fairly accurate results. The results show that bottom friction may account for the dissipation of 80% of the incident wave energy on a slope as large as 1:3 where the incident waves show no sign of breaking.
Flexible Malcev-Admissible Algebras

Let A be an (nonassociative) algebra with multiplication denoted by juxtaposition xy over a field F of characteristic ≠ 2. Associated with A are an anticommutative algebra A− and a commutative algebra A+ which are defined on the same vector space as A but with multiplications respectively given by $$ \begin{array}{*{20}c} {{\text{Lie}}\,{\text{product}}:} & {\left[ {{\text{x,y}}} \right] = {\text{xy}} - {\text{yx}},} \\ {{\text{Jordan}}\,{\text{product}}:} & {{\text{x}} \circ {\text{y}} = \frac{1} {2}\left( {{\text{xy}} + {\text{yx}}} \right)} \\ \end{array} $$ .
A Comparison of Gaze-Based and Gesture-Based Input for a Point-and-Click Task

Alternative input devices to the computer mouse are becoming more affordable and accessible. With greater availability, they have the potential to provide greater access to information for more users in more environments, perhaps while also providing more natural or efficient interaction. However, most user interfaces are built to be mouse-driven, and the adoption of these new technologies may depend on their ability to work with these existing interfaces. This study examined performance with gesture-control and gaze-tracking devices and compared them to a traditional mouse for a standard Fitts’ point-and-click task. Both gesture-controlled and gaze-tracking proved to be viable alternatives, though they were significantly slower and more taxing than the familiar mouse. In order to make effective use of these devices, researchers, designers, and developers must find or create control schemes which take advantage of the alternative devices’ benefits while curtailing the drawbacks.
Taxi-cab cloud architecture to offload data traffic from cellular networks

The next generation mobile networks (NGMN) are over-taxed by the increasing demand of on-the-go content access. Standards bodies and researchers are building solutions that offload the traffic demands from the NGMN infrastructure to small cells. We motivate a taxicab cloud as a mobile ISP that offloads traffic demands from NGMN to under-utilized licensed bands such as TV whitespaces. This cloud consists of mobile (taxicabs) and fixed cloudlets. Fixed cloudlets are placed around major transit hubs in New York City. Cloudlets communicate with each other using cognitive radio (CR) technology for opportunistic spectrum access in the licensed band. Mobile cloudlets feature a multi-radio design to allow various short-range connection options (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mmWave etc.) to user equipment (UE). Cloudlets maintain distributed caches of popular content while UEs use name based content retrieval to access content. We use this scenario as a backdrop to study the taxicab mobility pattern. This is a bottom-up approach to designing suitable network and link layer technologies as well as estimate the benefits i.e., volume of traffic offloaded from the NGMN.
The Dirichlet Problem for Relative Harmonic Functions

The class of relative harmonic functions is suggested by the following trivial remark. Let (D, D) be a measurable space, and suppose that to each point ξ of D is assigned some set (perhaps empty) \( \left\{ {{{\mu }_{\alpha }}(\xi , \bullet ),\alpha \in {{I}_{\xi }}} \right\} \) of probability measures on D.
The Autistic Detective: Sherlock Holmes and his Legacy

Sherlock Holmes has long been rumored to be on the autism spectrum. Yet the significance of the great detective's autism "diagnosis" has been largely overlooked. While it would be impossible to diagnose a fictional character with a neurological difference, it says something about the way that the public imagines autism that Holmes is consistently imagined and described as a person on the spectrum. Indeed, Conan Doyle's character popularized the stereotype of the detective with autistic traits, thus perpetuating several common tropes about autism. Emulating Conan Doyle's famous tales, contemporary crime fiction frequently creates detective characters with autistic characteristics. For example, popular television shows such as Criminal Minds present detectives with autistic traits who are clearly constructed to remind audiences of Holmes. While figures such as Spenser Reid (and other crime fighters following in Holmes's shadow) may seem to counteract fears of people with cognitive disabilities as deviant, criminal, or dangerous, they may actually reinforce those stereotypes.
America Transformed: Sixty Years of Revolutionary Change, 1941–2001

Part I. Retrospect: 1. 'The American Century' 2. Before the revolutions 3. The challenge of power 4. The inflation of moral possibilities 5. The generational chasm Part II. Eight Revolutions: 6. Affluence 7. From isolation to hegemonic power 8. The rise of the military 9. The reorganization of the business system 10. The revolution in racial relations 11. The revolution in gender roles 12. Revolution in sexual behavior and attitudes 13. The demise of privacy Part III. Counterrevolution: 14. Collapse of the Liberal Democratic coalition 15. Liberalism: ascension and declension 16. The Liberal Democratic coalition 17. The failure syndrome 18. Rise of the New Left and birth of 'neoconservatism' 19. Right-wing ascendancy 20. The Reagan revolution 21. Summary Part IV. 'The New American Century'.
A survey of interplanetary and terrestrial phenomena associated with solar flares

In this review the various phenomena that are associated with solar flares are described briefly, with particular attention being paid to effects that can be detected from satellites, space probes and rockets. Since most space physicists are quite well aware of the wide scope of their subject, it is not necessary to describe in detail everything that is likely to happen during and following a solar event. Instead, certain problem areas are discussed at some length, and other topics which are reasonably well understood are mentioned only in passing, if at all. A complete set of references for every topic is not given, since that would require a much too extensive bibliography; instead, review articles are cited where they are available, together with some key references which should make it easy for a reader interested in a particular topic to discover the literature for himself if he wishes.
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Of Semiconductors

Features and analysis modes of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) as applied to elemental and compound semiconductors are reviewed. Semiconductor materials are described. The SIMS technique and what it can do are analyzed by examining separately the ion beam, sputtering, the surface, mass analysis, and the secondary ions. Secondary ion enhancement, sputtering rates, impurity - matrix interactions, machine parameters, signal detection modes and dynamic range, depth profile scale calibration, detection sensitivity and depth profile aberrations are discussed. The applications of bulk analysis, imaging, mass scanning, and depth profiling are described. Special capabilities like high mass resolution are pointed out.
The use of 18O substitution in the characterization of MReO4 molecules. The IR spectrum of matrix-isolated CsReO4

Abstract The molecular structure of gaseous CsReO 4 has been studied by matrix isolation IR spectroscopy. The 18 O substitution experiments indicate a bidentate structure of C 2v symmetry in which the perrhenate anion is slightly distorted from the tetrahedral geometry.
Effects of soy foods on ovarian function in premenopausal women

It has been proposed that the high intake of soy foods among Asians may partly explain their lower rates of breast cancer, perhaps by lowering endogenous oestrogen levels, although this has been inadequately studied. Twenty healthy cycling premenopausal women (ten Asians and ten non-Asians) participated in a 7-month soy intervention study which was designed to investigate the effect of supplementation on ovarian function. Asian soy foods (tofu, soymilk, green soybean peas) in the amount of approximately 32 mg of isoflavones per day were added to the women's diets for three menstrual cycles. The women's baseline (two cycles) serum hormone levels were compared to levels during soy intervention (three cycles) and levels after intervention (two cycles). During the entire study period, subjects provided almost daily overnight urine samples and blood specimens during specified days of their menstrual cycles. The day of urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) peak was used as a marker for the day of ovulation. Knowledge of day of ovulation allowed comparison of hormone measurements at baseline to those obtained during intervention and recovery cycles with standardization of day of cycle. Soy intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in serum luteal oestradiol level (-9.3%, P < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in follicular phase oestradiol, follicular or luteal phase progesterone, sex hormone-binding globulin or menstrual cycle length. This significant reduction in luteal phase oestradiol was, however, observed only among Asian (-17.4%) but not among non-Asian (-1.2%) participants; urinary excretion of isoflavones was higher among Asians than non-Asians (29.2 vs 17.1 micromol day(-1), P= 0.16) during the intervention period. Thus, supplementation using traditional soy foods reduced serum oestradiol levels among Asian participants in this study. Differences in the type of soy products (i.e. traditional soy foods versus soy protein products), amount of isoflavones, and race/ethnicity of participants may have contributed to the divergent results. Larger soy intervention studies designed specifically to include participants of different race/ethnicities and using both traditional soy foods and soy protein products providing comparable doses of isoflavones are needed to definitively determine the effect of soy on ovarian function.
Multiple metal ions drive DNA association by PvuII endonuclease.

Restriction enzymes serve as important model systems for understanding the role of metal ions in phosphodiester hydrolysis. To this end, a number of laboratories have reported dramatic differences between the metal ion-dependent and metal ion-independent DNA binding behaviors of these systems. In an effort to illuminate the underlying mechanistic details which give rise to these differences, we have quantitatively dissected these equilibrium behaviors into component association and dissociation rates for the representative PvuII endonuclease and use these data to assess the stoichiometry of metal ion involvement in the binding process. The dependence of PvuII cognate DNA on Ca(II) concentration binding appears to be cooperative, exhibiting half-saturation at 0.6 mM metal ion and yielding an nH of 3.5 ± 0.2 per enzyme homodimer. Using both nitrocellulose filter binding and fluorescence assays, we observe that the cognate DNA dissociation rate (k-1 or koff) is very slow (10-3 s-1) and exhibits a shallow dep...
Associations between health-related quality of life and smoking status among a large sample of U.S. adults

Abstract Objective To examine the association between self-perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and smoking status. Methods We used data from 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, USA participants in four states ( n = 17,800) to compare the HRQoL of current smokers who unsuccessfully attempted to quit (unsuccessful quitters), former smokers, and never smokers with the HRQoL of current smokers who made no attempts to quit (non-quitters). Results Overall, unsuccessful quitters were more likely than non-quitters to report frequent mental distress, physical distress, and pain but not frequent depressive symptoms; former and never smokers were less likely than non-quitters to report frequent depressive symptoms. When study subjects were stratified by sex, these associations held true for men, but not for women. Among women, the prevalence of frequent mental and physical distress among former smokers and never smokers was not significantly different from the prevalence among non-quitters, whereas unsuccessful quitters were 2.4 times more likely to report frequent mental distress and 2.1 times more likely to report frequent physical distress than were non-quitters. Conclusions Certain HRQoL characteristics were worse among smokers who unsuccessfully attempted to quit and better among former smokers than among smokers who made no attempts to quit.
Omni-composites: a new strategy for forming bulk nanostructured materials.

This work describes a new route for producing bulk materials from extremely high loading levels of inorganic nanoparticles, approaching 80%, while maintaining optical transparency. More specifically, LaF3 nanoparticles with trifluorovinyl ether (TFVE) ligands were synthesized. Because a single nanoparticle will have many functional ligands attached to its surface, the nanoparticles themselves act as cross-linkers, without the need for a matrix phase for the composite, promoting homogeneity and reduced optical scattering. In order to distinguish these new types of composites from traditional nanocomposites, they are referred to here as “omni”-composites because the material is composed entirely (Lat. omnino) of composite nanoparticles.
The C 1 Closing Lemma, including Hamiltonians

An Axiom of Lift for classes of dynamical systems is formulated. It is shown to imply the Closing Lemma. The Lift Axiom is then verified for dynamical systems ranging from C 1 diffeomorphisms to C 1 Hamiltonian vector fields.
Supported amine sorbents under temperature swing absorption for CO2 and moisture capture

Supported amines have been identified as potential regenerable sorbents that maximize capture of CO2 and water vapor while minimizing regeneration power requirements for long duration human space flight applications. In this study, the parameters governing the efficiency of the sorption and regeneration process under temperature swing absorption conditions were investigated. Desorption pressure (9−93 mmHg) and desorption temperature (30−60 °C) were identified as the most significant factors affecting capture in the supported amine system. Increasing the temperature of the desorption step permitted utilization of a weaker vacuum for removal of moisture and CO2, and thus reduced the energy requirements for desorption. A preliminary thermal energy analysis shows this system to use less than 25% of the energy required for regeneration of the zeolite sorbent system operated on the International Space Station.
Relativistic theory for electron-ion scattering.

A relativistic version of electron-scattering close-coupling theory (in the static approximation) is developed for the 1/ital s//sub 1/2/, 2/ital s//sub 1/2/, 2/ital p//sub 1/2/, and 2/ital p//sub 3/2/ states of hydrogenlike (or frozen-core, alkali-metal-like) target ions. Comparisons are made among close-coupling, distorted-wave, and semiclassical distorted-wave results as a function of scattering-electron energy and the charge of the target.
Synchronous-motor pulling-into-step phenomena

INVESTIGATIONS of synchronous motor phenomena during transient conditions have been made, using a mechanical calculating machine called the “differential analyzer” to solve the non-linear differential equations involved. Previous investigations have been made on a preliminary calculating machine called the “product integraph.” The extent and accuracy of the solutions, however, were limited on this preliminary machine, and the work was confined principally to determining whether or not a synchronous motor would synchronize for the worst switching conditions. The curves presented in the present paper and obtained by use of the differential analyzer make it possible to calculate quantitatively the additional load that may be synchronized if the field switch is closed at the most favorable switching angle.
Radiation Skin Reaction and Depletion and Restoration of Body Immune Response

OBSERVATIONS leading to the reconsideration of the skin radiation reaction in which it is shown immunological phenomena play a part were made in the course of experimental work on isolation of biologically active diffusible factors in irradiated tissues1,2. Jolles et al.3 found a vital dye useful in this work as an indicator of the optimum time of collection of skin perfusates.
Conductivity of granular media with stagnant interstitial fluids via thermal particle dynamics simulation

Abstract In this paper, a numerical technique––the thermal particle dynamics method (TPD)––is extended to study heat conduction in granular media in the presence of stagnant interstitial fluids. The method, which generates a multi-particle simulation by explicitly modeling many two-particle interactions, allows bed heterogeneities to be directly included and dynamic temperature distributions to be obtained at the particle-level. Comparison with experimental data shows that TPD yields quantitatively accurate values of the effective thermal conductivity without introducing new adjustable parameters for a wide range of stagnant interstitial media. The model not only sheds light on fundamental issues in heat conduction in particulate materials, but also provides a valuable test bed for existing continuous theories.
High-pressure fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry: Collisional stabilization and reactions of alkali halide cluster ions

Abstract A high-pressure/fast-atom bombardment ion source has been used for detailed investigations of collisional stabilization of sputtered ions. Specifically, alkali halide cluster ions, which acquire significant internal energies from the sputtering process, are stabilized to a large extent through collisions with a buffer gas, as demonstrated by reduction of “magic number” behavior in the cluster ion abundance distributions and in the unimolecular dissociations of mass-selected species. The extent of collisional stabilization correlates well with the collisional stabilization efficiency of the gas and buffer gas pressure. Reactions between the alkali halide samples and certain buffer gases result in unexpected cluster product ions, for example the observation of only [(CsF)nCs]+ from sputtering CsI in SF6. The origin of these product ions has been investigated with a set of experiments involving mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formation mechanism for these cluster product ions is not clear, but in part it must consist of fast-atom beam-assited reactions between the substrate and buffer gas reactant species in the selvedge.
RARγ is required for correct deposition and removal of Suz12 and H2A.Z in embryonic stem cells

Retinoic acid (RA) induces embryonic stem cell differentiation. The effects of RA are mediated by retinoic acid receptors (RARs) that promote epigenetic changes controlling gene transcription. We show here that RARγ, in the absence of the ligand RA, is required for deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z and the polycomb group protein Suz12 at RA target genes, and that in embryonic stem cells both RARγ and Suz12 exist in a multi-protein complex in the absence of ligand. Addition of RA causes removal of H2A.Z and Suz12 from RARγ target genes when the genes are transcriptionally activated.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS IN X-IRRADIATED SPLEEN. II. REGENERATIVE STAGE.

SummaryThe recovery process in the spleen after irradiation of the rat consisted of removal of the cellular debris by active phagocytic cells, which was complete by 24 hours after irradiation. Plasma-cell proliferation was noticed 3 days after irradiation and reached a peak at 1 week and is most probably due to the stimulating effect of x-ray.Compensatory extra-medullary haematopoiesis was at maximum at 2 weeks after irradiation, however, the number of megakaryocytes was at a peak 3 weeks after irradiation.Repopulation of lymphocytes began 1 week after irradiation and was complete by 3 weeks.