cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electric-Field-Assisted Dip-Pen Nanolithography on Poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) Thin Films

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) has attracted increased attention for its ability to generate nanometer-scale patterns on solid surface using an “ink”-coated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. In contrast to this conventional anchoring-molecules procedure, nanopatterns can also be created by triggering the structural response of the proper substrate. In one approach, the delivery of acidic buffer from the tip into a poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) thin film (while the tip is being laterally moved, in a raster fashion, along a preprogrammed pattern) leads to the polymer swelling in response to the local protonation. This practice, however, has suffered from a lack of consistency due to the potentially many factors influencing the pattern formation. Herein we report that a more reliable strategy for well controlling the protonation process results when applying an electric field between the AFM tip and the sample. We demonstrate the improved capabilities of the electric-field-assisted DPN method towards reproduc...
The Production of Impulse Test Voltages

In performing surge tests on electrical power apparatus to determine ability to withstanding lightning or switching surges, the shape of the impulse voltage wave should be approximately the same as 1 of the 3 test wave shapes commonly in use. Methods of producing a wave shape having the prescribed time constants are described in this paper, and oscillograms are presented which show the correctness of calculated design characteristics of the generator for producing these surges.
The 1¢ Recognizer: a fast, accurate, and easy-to-implement handwritten gesture recognition technique

We present the One Cent Recognizer, an easy-to-implement, efficient, and accurate handwritten gesture recognizer. By applying time series recognition techniques, we have developed a minimally complex technique that is both much faster than and at least as accurate as the Dollar Recognizer. Additionally, the One Cent Recognizer is much easier to implement than the Dollar Recognizer. Our technique is primarily enabled by a simple and novel one-dimensional representation of handwritten pen strokes. This representation is intrinsically rotation invariant, allowing our technique to avoid costly rotate-and-check searches typically employed in prior template-based gesture recognition techniques. In experiments, our technique has proven to be two orders of magnitude faster than the Dollar Recognizer.
Dynamic power management of heterogeneous systems

Power management is critical to power utilization power-constrained real-time systems. In this paper, we present a dynamic power management algorithm for real-time heterogeneous systems. Unlike other approaches that focus on the tradeoff between power and performance, our algorithm maximizes power utilization and performance. Our algorithm considers a dynamic environment, allowing for changes in the available energy and adapting system parameters such as operating voltage, frequency, and the number of processors. In our algorithm, the power management problem is divided into three subproblems: i) initial power allocation to minimize wasted energy and avoid the undersupplied power situation, ii) system parameter computation based on the allocated power that maximizes the performance for a given power budget, and iii) dynamic update of the power and system parameters in run time. The simulation results of the algorithm for a satellite system using three heterogeneous processors is presented.
Na/H Exchange Regulatory Factor 1, a Novel AKT-associating Protein, Regulates Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Signaling through a B-Raf–Mediated Pathway

Na/H exchange regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1) is a scaffolding protein that regulates signaling and trafficking of several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH1R). GPCRs activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 through different mechanisms. Here, we characterized NHERF1 regulation of PTH1R-stimulated ERK1/2. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation by a protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent, but protein kinase C-, cyclic adenosine 5′-monophosphate-, and Rap1-independent pathway in Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with the PTH1R and engineered to express NHERF1 under the control of tetracycline. NHERF1 blocked PTH-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation downstream of PKA. This suggested that NHERF1 inhibitory effects on ERK1/2 occur at a postreceptor locus. Forskolin activated ERK1/2, and this effect was blocked by NHERF1. NHERF1 interacted with AKT and inhibited ERK1/2 activation by decreasing the stimulatory effect of 14-3-3 binding to B-Raf, while increasing the inhibitory influence of AKT negative regulation on ERK1/2 activation. This novel regulatory mechanism provides a new model by which cytoplasmic adapter proteins modulate ERK1/2 activation through a receptor-independent mechanism involving B-Raf.
Juveniles And College: Inside Out as a Way Forward

In this article the author argues that the Inside Out model is ideally suited to help incarcerated juveniles considering enrolling in college postrelease. The transition to college can be extremely difficult for such youth who may lack the cultural capital needed to succeed in higher education. This is unfortunate as research suggests that college can have a range of positive effects, including reduced criminality and increased earnings. With some adaptations to its curriculum, Inside Out classes can provide students with much of what they need to succeed. Best practices are described at the end of the article.
A Real Schur Form Method for Modeling Singularly Perturbed Systems

This paper presents a new method for modeling a two-time-scale system in the singularly perturbed form. The method uses an "ordered" real Schur decomposition, which can be efficiently computed using standard subroutines from EISPACK. Three results are given in the paper. First, it is shown that any two-time-scale system can be modeled in the singularly perturbed form via a transformation into an "ordered" real Schur form, followed by balancing. Second, under some conditions on the "ordered" real Schur decomposition a procedure is given to achieve the modeling task with all fast variables chosen from the original state variables. Third, a procedure is given to achieve modeling by permuting the original state variables. The conditions under which this latter procedure works are necessary and sufficient.
Corporations as social change agents: Individual, interpersonal, institutional, and environmental dynamics

Over the past two decades, there have been a growing number of corporations, both within and beyond the United States, engaging in activities that promote positive social change. The papers in this special topic forum examine corporate social change agency at the micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis. Through these analyses, the authors of these papers build a richly textured, multidisciplinary conceptual foundation for analysis and research on corporate social change activities.
Alteration of amino acid 101 within capsid protein VP-1 changes the pathogenicity of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus

Chronic Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection of susceptible mice is an animal model for human demyelinating diseases. Previously we described an altered and diminished pattern of central nervous system disease in immunocompetent SJL/J mice infected with a variant virus. This variant virus H7A6-2 was selected with a neutralizing mAb recognizing the capsid protein VP-1 of Theiler's virus. Here we characterize the variant virus by ELISA and neutralization assays and by sequencing selected regions of the viral RNA genome and relate the alteration to disease. The variant virus contains one single point mutation within a neutralizing epitope of VP-1. This nucleotide change lead to an amino acid replacement at amino acid 101 of VP-1, a threonine (wild type) to an isoleucine (variant). Model building based on sequence alignments and the known structure of the related Mengo virus indicates that the altered amino acid is located in an exposed loop on the surface of the virus at the periphery of a site that has been proposed to be the receptor binding site. The results of ELISA, neutralization assay, and direct RNA sequencing provide for the first time an opportunity to precisely map an important structural determinant of neurovirulence.
Cognitive Profiles of Reading-Disabled Children: Comparison of Language Skills in Phonology, Morphology, and Syntax

A comprehensive cognitive appraisal of elementary school children with learning disabilities showed that within the language sphere, deficits associated with reading disability are selective Phonological deficits consistently accompany reading problems whether they occur in relatively pure form or in the presence of coexisting attention deficit or arithmetic disability Although reading-disabled children were also deficient in production of morphologically related forms, this difficulty stemmed in large part from the same weakness in the phonological component that underlies reading disability In contrast, tests of syntactic knowledge did not distinguish reading-disabled children from those with other cognitive disabilities, nor from normal children after covarying for intelligence
Electrophysiological Correlates of Emotion-Induced Recognition Bias

The question of how emotions influence recognition memory is of interest not only within basic cognitive neuroscience but from clinical and forensic perspectives as well. Emotional stimuli can induce a "recognition bias" such that individuals are more likely to respond "old" to a negative item than to an emotionally neutral item, whether the item is actually old or new. We investigated this bias using event-related brain potential (ERP) measures by comparing the processing of words given "old" responses with accurate recognition of old/new differences. For correctly recognized items, the ERP difference between old items (hits) and new items (correct rejections, CR) was largely unaffected by emotional violence. That is, regardless of emotional valence, the ERP associated with hits was characterized by a widespread positivity between 300 and 700 msec relative to that for CRs. By contrast, the analysis of ERPs to old and new items that were judged "old" (hits and false alarms [FAs], respectively) revealed a differential effect of valence by 300 msec: Neutral items showed a large old/new difference over prefrontal sites, whereas negative items did not. These results are the first clear demonstration of response bias effects on ERPs linked to recognition memory. They are consistent with the idea that frontal cortex areas may be responsible for relaxing the retrieval criterion for negative stimuli so as to ensure that emotional events are not as easily "missed" or forgotten as neutral events.
High-performance silicon-based multiple wavelength source

We generate a multiple-wavelength source by filtering and modulating individual lines from an on-chip optical parametric oscillator frequency comb. Bit-error-rate and eye-diagram measurements yield performance comparable to a tunable laser source.
Electoral equilibria with entry: Some simulations

The objective of this paper is to investigate by means of simulation the impact of third-party entry on the spatial separation of candidates. Specifically, we do real-time simulations of Palfrey's (1984) model of electoral equilibria with entry after relaxing some of its assumptions. Our finding that the threat of third-party entry can induce virtually the same spatial separation of the major-party candidates as entry with certainty is both a strong and interesting result.
Analytical investigation of transient molecular-motor-assisted transport in elongated cells

This paper investigates analytically the molecular-motor-assisted transport between the cell nucleus and cell membrane in an elongated cell, which allows the formulation of governing equations in a cylindrical coordinate system. This problem is relevant to biomimetic transport systems as well as to many biological processes occurring in living cells, such as the viral infection of a cell. The obtained analytical solution is shown to agree well with a high-accuracy numerical solution of the same problem. The developed analytical technique extends the applicability of the generalized Fourier series method to a new type of problems involving intracellular transport of organelles.
The effects of regurgitant orifice size, chamber compliance, and systemic vascular resistance on aortic regurgitant velocity slope and pressure half-time

The determinants of the aortic regurgitant velocity profile have been investigated using computer and in vitro simulations in which regurgitant orifice area, ventricular and aortic compliance, and systemic vascular resistance could be independently varied. In the study, regurgitant fraction was altered, either by changing the size of the regurgitant orifice or by holding the regurgitant orifice constant and changing chamber compliance or systemic vascular resistance. Upon increasing regurgitant fraction by increasing the size of the regurgitant orifice, the slope got steeper and the pressure half-time shortened, the response anticipated in current clinical practice. However, when the regurgitant orifice was kept constant and regurgitation fraction was increased by increasing the systemic vascular resistance or by increasing the compliance of the left ventricle, slope became less steep and pressure half-time lengthened. Multivariate analysis was used to quantify the relationship of regurgitant fraction to slope and pressure half-time. When orifice area was allowed to vary, slope was related directly (multiple r = 0.78, p < 0.001) and half-time was related inversely (multiple r = 0.66, p < 0.001) to regurgitant fraction. With the orifice area fixed, however, directionally opposite responses were seen; slope varied inversely (multiple r = 0.87, p < 0.001), whereas half-time varied directly (multiple r = 0.88, p < 0.001) with regurgitant fraction. This study suggests that the utility of the slope and pressure half-time of the regurgitant velocity tracing in clinical practice relates to their ability to discriminate regurgitant orifices of differing sizes. However, these findings also suggest caution in the conventional interpretation of these indices in individual patients in whom changes in regurgitant fraction are produced by pharmacologic manipulation of the systemic vascular resistance.
Distribution of the h-index in radiation oncology conforms to a variation of power law: implications for assessing academic productivity.

Leaders of academic institutions evaluate academic productivity when deciding to hire, promote, or award resources. This study examined the distribution of the h-index, an assessment of academic standing, among radiation oncologists. The authors collected h-indices for 826 US academic radiation oncologists from a commercial bibliographic database (SCOPUS, Elsevier B.V., NL). Then, logarithmic transformation was performed on h-indices and ranked h-indices, and results were compared to estimates of a power law distribution. The h-index frequency distribution conformed to both the log-linear variation of a power law (r 2 = .99) and the beta distribution with the same fitting exponents as previously described in a power law analysis of the productivity of neurosurgeons. Within radiation oncology, as in neurosurgery, there are exceedingly more faculty with an h-index of 1–2. The distribution fitting the same variation of a power law within two fields suggests applicability to other areas of academia.
Genomic clues to an ancient asexual scandal.

Despite abandoning meiosis, the bdelloid rotifers have persisted for millions of years and given rise to hundreds of species. Several mechanisms - allelic variants with different functions, high effective population size, and resistance to radiation - may contribute to their success.
Verifying Huppert's Conjecture for PSL3(q) and PSU3(q 2)

Let G be a finite group and cd(G) be the set of irreducible character degrees of G. Bertram Huppert conjectured that if H is a finite nonabelian simple group such that cd(G) = cd(H), then G ≅ H × A, where A is an abelian group. We examine arguments to verify this conjecture for the simple groups of Lie type of rank two. To illustrate our arguments, we extend Huppert's results and verify the conjecture for the simple linear and unitary groups of rank two.
Spatiotemporal control of epithelial remodeling by regulated myosin phosphorylation

Spatiotemporally regulated actomyosin contractility generates the forces that drive epithelial cell rearrangements and tissue remodeling. Phosphorylation of the myosin II regulatory light chain (RLC) promotes the assembly of myosin monomers into active contractile filaments and is an essential mechanism regulating the level of myosin activity. However, the effects of phosphorylation on myosin localization, dynamics, and function during epithelial remodeling are not well understood. In Drosophila, planar polarized myosin contractility is required for oriented cell rearrangements during elongation of the body axis. We show that regulated myosin phosphorylation influences spatial and temporal properties of contractile behavior at molecular, cellular, and tissue length scales. Expression of myosin RLC variants that prevent or mimic phosphorylation both disrupt axis elongation, but have distinct effects at the molecular and cellular levels. Unphosphorylatable RLC produces fewer, slower cell rearrangements, whereas phosphomimetic RLC accelerates rearrangement and promotes higher-order cell interactions. Quantitative live imaging and biophysical approaches reveal that both phosphovariants reduce myosin planar polarity and mechanical anisotropy, altering the orientation of cell rearrangements during axis elongation. Moreover, the localized myosin activator Rho-kinase is required for spatially regulated myosin activity, even when the requirement for phosphorylation is bypassed by the expression of phosphomimetic myosin RLC. These results indicate that myosin phosphorylation influences both the level and the spatiotemporal regulation of myosin activity, linking molecular properties of myosin activity to tissue morphogenesis.
Large-Scale Simulation of Rod Bundles: Coherent Structure Recognition and Stability Analysis

The axial flow in rod bundles has been the object of several investigations, since they are relevant for various industrial applications (e.g., heat exchangers, nuclear reactor cores). For tight configurations (pitch-to-diameter ratio smaller than 1.1) the large difference in velocity within the cross section creates the possibility of a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and the generation of a vortex street in the gap (“gap instability”). While the presence of spacing devices may perturb the flow, simple grid spacers — grids of the type usually encountered in sodium fast reactors — do not prevent this instability.This work seeks to improve our understanding of the gap instability in large rod bundles by using high-fidelity large-eddy simulation (LES). The application of LES methods has been historically limited to single-pin calculations because of the large cost of full-bundle calculations. However, using Nek5000, a massively parallel spectral-element computational fluid dynamics code, we are able to carry out well-resolved LES simulations for this class of geometries. Results are compared with experimental data. For the largest bundle case, over 8 billion collocation points at a polynomial order of 20 are judged necessary to achieve overall excellent accuracy. More than 500,000 processors are used to carry out the simulations (costing approximately 50,000,000 CPU-hours), and 3,000 snapshots of the flow field have been collected to apply several coherent structure recognition techniques, including one of the largest proper orthogonal decompositions carried out to date.Also investigated here is the effect of geometry, including the (presence of spacers, changing pitch-to-diameter ratio, and canister wall. In particular, global linear stability analysis is applied to a series of simplified geometries in order to gain insight into the physics of the gap instability.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Organizational Capital: The Most Important Unsettling Issue in Tax

“Organizational Capital” argues that a uniform income tax would not do material damage, but that our income tax does serious distortion by reducing pretax returns for different companies by very divergent amounts. If an investment has zero adjusted basis, then tax does not reduce the pretax rate of return. To reduce pretax rate of return by the statutory tax rate, the adjusted basis of the investment must equal the present market value of the investment (using the internal rate of return as the discount rate). There is also a rule of proration under which a tax basis of half of present value implies that pretax returns are reduced by half of the statutory tax rate. This creates an uneven playing field with relative advantages and punishments unrelated to the merits of the underlying investments. With publicly traded corporations, we can rely on the smart market to determine the fair market value of a corporation’s assets There would be incremental improvements by capitalizing the costs of advertising, research and development and top management compensation, and amortizing the costs over some arbitrary period. But to reach a truly level playing field, it is also necessary to capitalize the organizational advantages of big business. From its inception in the nineteenth century, big business was able to marry mass production to mass distribution under professional management and immediately dominate each industry upon entry. Publicly traded companies can accumulation capital for the largest, most profitable projects. The importance of ending tax distortions of intangibles fully justifies moving to a mark-to-market system in which corporations are taxed until the basis for their assets equals the market capitalization of their stock and debt.
Wrapping of the Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament

The multi-bundle structure of the medial ulnar collateral ligament (mUCL) has been documented [1] and it is known that the anterior bundle of the mUCL is the primary restraint to valgus stress of the elbow [2–5]. It has also been documented that the anterior band of this bundle becomes taut in extension whereas the posterior band becomes taut in flexion [1]. The mUCL is frequently injured in the throwing athlete due to over use or extreme valgus load. In order to reconstruct the ligament, surgical repair may be required. It has been experimentally observed in our lab and in other labs that the UCL wraps around the medial epicondyle. One of the parameters to ensure achievement of a successful surgical reconstruction may be the re-establishment of the natural wrapping behavior of UCL around the epicondyle. Previous studies [6] also suggest that soft-tissue wrapping constraints have substantial impact on joint stability. This study begins to characterize the wrapping of the two bands in the anterior bundle of UCL in terms of the location along the ligament’s length and flexion angle to establish native behavior.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Association of BRAFV600E Mutation and MicroRNA Expression with Central Lymph Node Metastases in Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Prospective Study from Four Endocrine Surgery Centers

Background: Studies have demonstrated an association of the BRAFV600E mutation and microRNA (miR) expression with aggressive clinicopathologic features in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Analysis of BRAFV600E mutations with miR expression data may improve perioperative decision making for patients with PTC, specifically in identifying patients harboring central lymph node metastases (CLNM). Methods: Between January 2012 and June 2013, 237 consecutive patients underwent total thyroidectomy and prophylactic central lymph node dissection (CLND) at four endocrine surgery centers. All tumors were tested for the presence of the BRAFV600E mutation and miR-21, miR-146b-3p, miR-146b-5p, miR-204, miR-221, miR-222, and miR-375 expression. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to examine associations between molecular markers and aggressive clinicopathologic features of PTC. Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis of all clinicopathologic features found miR-146b-3p and miR-146b-5p to be inde...
Hypertonic sucrose treatment enhances second messenger accumulation in vasopressin-sensitive cells

When we treated vasopressin-sensitive vascular smooth muscle cells (A10 cells) and kidney cells (LLC-PK1 cells) with hypertonic sucrose and vasopressin, we observed a decrease in the internalization of radiolabeled vasopressin into these cells and an increase in the amount of second messenger present in these cells following vasopressin stimulation. In A10 cells exposed to hypertonic sucrose, there was an increase in the amount of cellular inositol phosphates accumulated in response to vasopressin compared with cells not exposed to hypertonic sucrose. Similarly, in hypertonic sucrose-treated LLC-PK1 cells, vasopressin increased the amount of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) present within the cells compared with LLC-PK1 cells not exposed to hypertonic sucrose. Hypertonic sucrose treatment inhibited receptor-mediated endocytosis in both these cell lines. Hypertonic sucrose alone did not increase the basal amounts of inositol phosphates or cAMP present in A10 or LLC-PK1 cells, respectively. Hypertonic sucrose treatment inhibits receptor endocytosis and increases second messenger concentrations in vasopressin-sensitive cells.
DC-bias effect of single-phase transformer in different DC-injection modes

The time-domain field-circuit coupling method is applied to analyze the effect of different DC injection modes on AC excitation of electric transformer. The computation of DC bias is divided into the computations of field-circuit coupling. The magnetic field model is applied to calculate the dynamic inductance and the electric circuit model to solve the time-domain process. The coupling parameters are calculated for analyzing the laws of transformer electromagnetic parameter variation under DC bias and the effects of different DC-injection modes on the transformer DC bias are compared. The simulative and experimental results are compared,verifying the correctness of theoretical analysis.
Methamphetamine-mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induces type-1 programmed cell death in astrocytes via ATF6, IRE1α and PERK pathways.

// Ankit Shah 1 , Anil Kumar 1 1 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA Correspondence to: Ankit Shah, email: shahank@umkc.edu Keywords: methamphetamine, astrocytes, ER stress, CHOP, apoptosis Received: December 29, 2015 Accepted: May 26, 2016 Published: June 14, 2016 ABSTRACT Methamphetamine (MA), a psychostimulant drug has been associated with a variety of neurotoxic effects which are thought to be mediated by induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, oxidative stress and damage to blood-brain-barrier. Conversely, the ER stress-mediated apoptosis has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases. However, its involvement in MA-mediated neurodegenerative effects remains largely unexplored. The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of MA on ER stress and its possible involvement in apoptosis. For this purpose, SVGA astrocytes were treated with MA, which induced the expressions of BiP and CHOP at both, mRNA and protein levels. This phenomenon was also confirmed in HFA and various regions of mouse brain. Assessment of IRE1α, ATF6 and PERK pathways further elucidated the mechanistic details underlying MA-mediated ER stress. Knockdown of various intermediate molecules in ER stress pathways using siRNA demonstrated reduction in MA-mediated CHOP. Finally, MA-mediated apoptosis was demonstrated via MTT assay and TUNEL staining. The involvement of ER stress in the apoptosis was demonstrated with the help of MTT and TUNEL assays in the presence of siRNA against various ER stress proteins. The apoptosis also involved activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, which was reversed by knockdown with various siRNAs. Altogether, this is the first report demonstrating mechanistic details responsible for MA-mediated ER stress and its role in apoptosis. This study provides a novel group of targets that can be explored in future for management of MA-mediated cell death and MA-associated neurodegenerative disorders.
Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diseases in Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukemia

Large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is often associated with autoimmune diseases. The clinical associations of autoimmune diseases occurring in LGL leukemia are reviewed. Current concepts regarding the pathogenesis of LGL leukemia are summarized. It is suggested that LGL leukemia can serve as a useful model of dysregulated apoptosis as an underlying mechanism for both malignancy and autoimmune disease.
MO‐FG‐BRA‐02: A Feasibility Study of Integrating Breathing Audio Signal with Surface Surrogates for Respiratory Motion Management

Purpose: Tracking the surrogate placed on patient skin surface sometimes leads to problematic signals for certain patients, such as shallow breathers. This in turn impairs the 4D CT image quality and dosimetric accuracy. In this pilot study, we explored the feasibility of monitoring human breathing motion by integrating breathing sound signal with surface surrogates. Methods: The breathing sound signals were acquired though a microphone attached adjacently to volunteer's nostrils, and breathing curve were analyzed using a low pass filter. Simultaneously, the Real-time Position Management™ (RPM) system from Varian were employed on a volunteer to monitor respiratory motion including both shallow and deep breath modes. The similar experiment was performed by using Calypso system, and three beacons taped on volunteer abdominal region to capture breath motion. The period of each breathing curves were calculated with autocorrelation functions. The coherence and consistency between breathing signals using different acquisition methods were examined. Results: Clear breathing patterns were revealed by the sound signal which was coherent with the signal obtained from both the RPM system and Calypso system. For shallow breathing, the periods of breathing cycle were 3.00±0.19 sec (sound) and 3.00±0.21 sec (RPM); For deep breathing, the periods were 3.49± 0.11 sec (sound) and 3.49±0.12 sec (RPM). Compared with 4.54±0.66 sec period recorded by the calypso system, the sound measured 4.64±0.54 sec. The additional signal from sound could be supplement to the surface monitoring, and provide new parameters to model the hysteresis lung motion. Conclusion: Our preliminary study shows that the breathing sound signal can provide a comparable way as the RPM system to evaluate the respiratory motion. It's instantaneous and robust characteristics facilitate it possibly to be a either independently or as auxiliary methods to manage respiratory motion in radiotherapy.
6.26 From Tissue Engineering to Organ Engineering

Novel therapies resulting from tissue engineering and regenerative medicine offers new hope to patients suffering from injuries, end-stage organ failure, and other diseases. Currently, treatment modalities for patients suffering from diseased or injured organs involve organ transplantation. However, there is a huge shortage of donor organs, which is worsening annually as the population ages and the cases of organ failure increases. Scientists in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine apply principles of cell transplantation, material science and bioengineering to construct biological substitutes that can restore and maintain normal function in diseased and injured tissues. Further, the field of stem cells is rapidly advancing creating new sources of stem cells such as amniotic fluid and placental and induced pluripotent stem cells, which could circumvent ethical obstacles. The current state of the field is at a crucial point; some tissue engineering and regenerative medicine products have transitioned to the clinic, while a lot of others are in different stages of clinical trials indicating the enormous potential they offer.
Segmented holographic spectrum splitting concentrator

This paper presents a segmented parabolic concentrator employing holographic spectral filters that provide focusing and spectral bandwidth separation capability to the system. Strips of low band gap silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells are formed into a parabolic surface as shown by Holman et. al. [1]. The surface of the PV segments is covered with holographic elements formed in dichromated gelatin. The holographic elements are designed to transmit longer wavelengths to silicon cells, and to reflect short wavelength light towards a secondary collector where high-bandgap PV cells are mounted. The system can be optimized for different combinations of diffuse and direct solar illumination conditions for particular geographical locations by controlling the concentration ratio and filtering properties of the holographic elements. In addition, the reflectivity of the back contact of the silicon cells is used to increase the optical path length and light trapping. This potentially allows the use of thin film silicon for the low bandgap PV cell material. The optical design combines the focusing properties of the parabolic concentrator and the holographic element to control the concentration ratio and uniformity of the spectral distribution at the high bandgap cell location. The presentation concludes with a comparison of different spectrum splitting holographic filter materials for this application.
Additive Classical Capacity of Quantum Channels Assisted by Noisy Entanglement.

We give a capacity formula for the classical information transmission over a noisy quantum channel, with separable encoding by the sender and limited resources provided by the receiver's preshared ancilla. Instead of a pure state, we consider the signal-ancilla pair in a mixed state, purified by a ``witness.'' Thus, the signal-witness correlation limits the resource available from the signal-ancilla correlation. Our formula characterizes the utility of different forms of resources, including noisy or limited entanglement assistance, for classical communication. With separable encoding, the sender's signals across multiple channel uses are still allowed to be entangled, yet our capacity formula is additive. In particular, for generalized covariant channels, our capacity formula has a simple closed form. Moreover, our additive capacity formula upper bounds the general coherent attack's information gain in various two-way quantum key distribution protocols. For Gaussian protocols, the additivity of the formula indicates that the collective Gaussian attack is the most powerful.
A Low-Noise Low-Drift Transducer ADC

An ADC is described that achieves the very high resolution and low offset-and gain-drift required in converting the low-level output from a load-cell transducer. The ADC comprises a tare DAC, a PGA and a sigma-delta converter. The filter in the converter has a special mode to enable it to rapidly track changes in the transducer output. The ADC is also capable of accurately calibrating it's gain in spite of the very small full-scale of 10mV.
PPARγ agonist through the terminal differentiation phase is essential for adipogenic differentiation of fetal ovine preadipocytes

Although the 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line represents an informative model for in vitro adipogenesis research, primary cultured cells are often needed to understand particular human or animal metabolic phenotypes. As demonstrated by in vitro cultured preadipocytes from large mammalian species, primary cultured cells require specific adipogenic differentiation conditions different to that of the 3T3-L1 cell line. These conditions are also species-specific and require optimization steps. However, efficient protocols to differentiate primary preadipocytes using alternative species to rodents are scarce. Sheep represent an amenable animal model for fetal biology and developmental origins of health and disease studies. In this work, we present with the first detailed procedure to efficiently differentiate primary fetal and adult ovine preadipocytes. Fetal and adult ovine adipose and skin tissue harvest, preadipocyte and fibroblast isolation, proliferation, and standardization and optimization of a new adipogenic differentiation protocol. Use of commercial cell lines (3T3-L1 and NIH-3T3) for validation purposes. Oil red O stain and gene expression were used to validate adipogenic differentiation. ANOVA and Fisher’s exact test were used to determine statistical significance. Our optimized adipogenic differentiation method included a prolonged adipogenic cocktail exposure time from 2 to 8 days, higher insulin concentration, and supplementation with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist, rosiglitazone. This protocol was optimized for both, fetal and adult preadipocytes. Our protocol enables successful adipogenic differentiation of fetal and adult ovine preadipocytes. This work demonstrates that compared to the 3T3-L1 cell line, fetal ovine preadipocytes require a longer exposure to the differentiation cocktail, and the need for IMBX, dexamethasone, and/or the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone through the terminal differentiation phase. They also require higher insulin concentration during differentiation to enhance lipid accumulation and similar to human primary preadipocytes, PPARγ agonist supplementation is also required for ovine adipogenic differentiation. This work highlights species-specific differences requirements for adipogenic differentiation and the need to develop standardized methods to investigate comparative adipocyte biology.
From wire evil to power line poetics: The ethics and aesthetics of renewable transmission

Abstract Building upon a selective history of so-called “wire evil,” and more recent social science research regarding public perceptions of electric infrastructure, this article explores renewable transmission lines as sites of tension between landscape aesthetics and environmental ethics. It reports the results of an ethnographic study performed at a utility-owned arboretum in Omaha, Nebraska and suggests a “power line poetics” may help balance the aesthetic experience of electric infrastructures and the ethics of renewable energy development.
Dispositions for Critical Social Justice Teaching and Learning

This article examines the social justice dispositions that, when honed and developed over time, enable prospective teachers—and teacher educators—to embrace social justice praxis and persist in their everyday quest for equitable educational conditions, opportunities, and outcomes. Developed through work in a Community of Practice (CoP), these dispositions include radical openness, humility, and self-vigilance. In this article, we define each disposition and explore how they may be cultivated, enacted, and modeled in teacher education. These dispositions, we argue, serve as reminders of the unfinishedness of our work and the effort required to stay the course of equity and justice in the rough waters of the status quo.
A new species of manakin (Aves: Pipridae; Machaeropterus ) from Peru with a taxonomic reassessment of the Striped Manakin ( M. regulus ) complex

We describe a new taxon of manakin in the Machaeropterus regulus complex , from the foothills of southwestern Loreto and northern San Martin departments, Peru. This new form appears to be almost identical morphologically to the Tepui form M. regulus aureopectus but differs strongly from that and all other members of the M. regulus complex in voice. Therefore, we conclude that this population represents a new biological species that we here name Machaeropterus eckelberryi . Based on voice and some morphological characters, we concur with several previous authors (e.g., Whittaker & Oren 1999; Snow 2004; Ridgely & Tudor 2009) that nominate M. regulus (Eastern Striped Manakin), of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, should be separated as a biological species from the polytypic Machaeropterus striolatus of western South America (Western Striped Manakin), including M. s. striolatus of Amazonia , M. r. obscurostriatus and M. r. zulianus of the Venezuelan Andes , M. r. antioquiae of the Colombian Andes , and M. r. aureopectus of the tepuis region.
Intensification of Thermoplastic Polymers Recycling

The results of experimental studies of the effect of electrophysical processing of thermoplastic materials on their mechanical properties are discussed in the paper. The paper describes a new method of thermoplastics recycling.
Changing Trends in Opioid Use Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States

Introduction Opioid prescribing recently has come under intense scrutiny. However, longitudinal patterns of opioid prescription receipt in a population-based cohort of patients who have chronic pain, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have not been well characterized. Methods We identified a cohort of RA patients based on 2006-2014 Medicare data and evaluated longitudinal time trends in regular opioid use (>=3 filled prescriptions in each 12 month interval). A separate analysis in 2014 assessed rheumatologist-specific variability in regular opioid prescription for RA patients. Results We identified 70,929 RA patients meeting eligibility criteria. Patient characteristics were mean age 67.4 (12.1) years, 83.8% Female, 80.2% White, 12.1% Black. The most commonly received opioids were hydrocodone and propoxyphene. Regular opioid receipt increased slowly, peaked in 2010 and decreased following withdrawal of propoxyphene. Receipt of hydrocodone and tramadol increased commensurately and overall opioid use declined only slightly. Factors associated with regular opioid use included younger age, female sex, black race, back pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety, and depression. Variability between U.S. rheumatologists (n=4,024) in prescription of regular opioids for their RA patients was high; 40% of RA patients used prescribed opioids regularly. Almost half had at least some opioid prescriptions written by a rheumatologist, and 14% were co-prescribed opioids concurrently by >1 physician. Conclusion In the US, opioid use peaked in older RA patients in 2010 and is now declining slightly. Withdrawal of propoxyphene from the U.S. market in 2010 had minimal effect on overall use, as it was replaced with greater use of other opioids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Demo Abstract: Welcome to My World: Demystifying Multi-User AR with the Cloud

We demonstrate multi-user persistent Augmented Reality (AR) on mobile devices with a novel technique that provides nearly instant acquisition of location and orientation. Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO) provides accurate position and orientation tracking relative to device start-up for AR applications. Unfortunately, the tracking is local to the AR session of a single user and is not anchored in a global coordinate system. In order to provide all devices an accurate location in a common frame of reference, we utilize UWB nodes that range to the devices. To avoid the long startup time required to compute the device's orientation, we propose a novel technique that utilizes previously recorded magnetic field information to rapidly calibrate the compass. In order to simplify setup, we demonstrate automatic mapping of beacon locations and surveying of magnetic field by a pedestrian walking around the test area with a mobile device.
Internal States of the Body: Autonomic, Neuroendocrine and Pain Functions

This chapter presents an overview of internal states of the body. The nervous system has three major effector systems: (1) the motor system, which drives the skeletal muscles and moves a person; (2) the autonomic nervous system; and (3) the neuroendocrine system. They are the housekeepers and energizers of the body. They keep body state constant and most importantly adapt it to new situations. The autonomic nervous system innervates the viscera—the digestive system, reproductive system, urogenital system, the heart, and the blood vessels—and helps coordinate visceral activities. The neuroendocrine system influences body state via hormones. Hormones are released into the bloodstream, find their way to various tissues and affect them in highly specific ways. This chapter explores the functions of the autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine system. It also discusses the perception of pain. This chapter illustrates how the nervous system acts to control body state and how, in turn, body state is conveyed to the nervous system.
Functional Recovery After Lung Resection: A Before and After Prospective Cohort Study of Activity.

Background Postoperative recovery is an important measure in thoracic operations. Personal activity monitors can be used to track progress in the preoperative and postoperative settings. This study investigates associations of preoperative activity, lung resection extent, and operative approach with inpatient and outpatient functional recovery as measured by activity monitors. Methods In this prospective observational cohort study, patients undergoing lung resection at a single institution wore activity monitors 30 days before through 30 days after operation (between July 2015 and May 2017). Activity was recorded as steps per day, and each patient served as his or her own baseline. Patients were clustered into three activity level groups. Associations among preoperative and postoperative activity, length of stay (LOS), and operative approach were assessed by using generalized regression models with adjustment for patient demographic and clinical characteristics and operative details. Results Sixty-six patients comprised the study cohort and were grouped by average preoperative activity: low, 21 patients (31.8%); moderate, 27 patients (40.9%); and high, 18 patients (27.3%). The mean age was 66.1 ± 11.6 years; 32 patients (48.5%) were women. Sex, comorbidity, resection extent, and operative approach did not differ among groups. After adjustment for age, comorbidities, resection extent, operative approach, and complications, higher levels of preoperative activity were independently associated with higher postoperative activity in both inpatient and outpatient settings (β = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00 to 1.22, p = 0.04; β = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.30, p = 0.001) but not LOS. Conclusions LOS is not associated with measures of preoperative or postoperative physical activity after adjustment for several factors. However, the association between preoperative activity and postoperative activity, irrespective of age, operative approach, resection extent, and other factors, offers a potential framework for designing recovery trajectory pathways and intervention development in both postoperative inpatient and outpatient settings.