cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiomyopathy in neuromuscular disorders

Abstract Many neuromuscular disorders affect more than skeletal muscle. Because of the common structural and now more apparent molecular features between skeletal and cardiac muscles, many of the neuromuscular disorders also result in cardiovascular complications. Cardiomyopathy and conduction system diseases are the most frequent extramuscular features seen with many muscular dystrophies. The most common pediatric neuromuscular diseases with cardiac involvement will be discussed, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the sarcoglycanopathies, the laminopathies, Friedreich ataxia and Myotonic dystrophy. Although different molecular mechanisms lead to cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction in each of these disorders, the primary cardiac consequences include arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy that may or may not lead to congestive heart failure. As different experimental therapies are moving into clinical trials, the effect on the cardiac aspects of disease must be considered. Similarly, as treatments for cardiomyopathy are being tested, the effects on skeletal muscle must be determined.
IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE EXEMPLIFIED IN SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN

THE discipline of geography has a distinctive contribution to make to the study of culture and culture processes. There is an important advantage in the fact that elements of a culture which reflect even intangible qualities can be mapped and analyzed. Examination of the spatial context and the relatedness of culture forms, features, and other expressions of people reflecting distinctive wvays of life, yield evidence of the value of a geographical appraisal of culture. The purpose of this paper is to offer a statement about a geographic view of culture and cultire process, and to demonstrate that ideology contains the fundamental bases from wvhich decisions are made and distinctive ways of organizing area are derived. These ideas are illustrated by their application to a specific culture group, the Dutch-Reformed community of southwestern Michigan.' The study of this group provides some insights into the culture process by which area and its occupants are transformed.
An Analytical model for characteristic impedance in nanostrip plasmonic waveguides

In this paper, we investigate the performance of a plasmonic nanostrip waveguide as a transmission line. We show that a nanostrip waveguide allows for subwavelength single-mode propagation. We present an analytical model of the characteristic impedance, which effectively captures the impacts of metal strip and dielectric film thicknesses as well as plasmonic effects. We show that the characteristic impedance model can be used as a reliable tool to design compact plasmonic components.
Attenuated retroreflectors for electronic distance measurement

Methods are described for attenuating solid glass and hollow retroreflectors, without introducing optical path length modifications, for electronic distance measurement. Construction of a prototype novel-design hollow retroreflector is described.
Hurricane Impacts on Florida Rosemary Across the Northeastern Region of the Gulf Coast

ABSTRACT: Hurricanes represent a major source of stochastic disturbance to coastal plant communities, with the potential to temporarily alter both species composition and environmental characteristics. Ceratiola ericoides Michx. (Florida rosemary) is a dominant member of an association of xeric species known collectively as rosemary scrub, which occur on barrier islands along the Gulf Coast and in inland peninsular Florida scrub. Unlike interior populations of Florida rosemary, which are periodically reduced by fire, coastal populations of rosemary are likely to be influenced by hurricanes more than by fire, with resultant differences in the frequency of damage to adults. We quantified the impact of major hurricanes on coastal populations of Florida rosemary and examined the impact of storm surge, elevation, and time-since-hurricane on rosemary survival and resprouting in five populations on the Mississippi and Florida coasts. Ratio of living-to-dead rosemary shrubs was higher in two coastal populations n...
DMaC: Distributed Monitoring and Checking

We consider monitoring and checking formally specified properties in a network. We are addressing the problem of deploying the checkers on different network nodes that provide correct and efficient checking. We present the DMaC system that builds upon two bodies of work: the Monitoring and Checking (MaC) framework, which provides means to monitor and check running systems against formally specified requirements, and declarative networking, a declarative domain-specific approach for specifying and implementing distributed network protocols. DMaC uses a declarative networking system for both specifying network protocols and performing checker execution. High-level properties are automatically translated from safety property specifications in the MaC framework into declarative networking queries and integrated into the rest of the network for monitoring the safety properties. We evaluate the flexibility and efficiency of DMaC using simple but realistic network protocols and their properties.
Chronic Spontaneous Activity Generated in the Somata of Primary Nociceptors Is Associated with Pain-Related Behavior after Spinal Cord Injury

Mechanisms underlying chronic pain that develops after spinal cord injury (SCI) are incompletely understood. Most research on SCI pain mechanisms has focused on neuronal alterations within pain pathways at spinal and supraspinal levels associated with inflammation and glial activation. These events might also impact central processes of primary sensory neurons, triggering in nociceptors a hyperexcitable state and spontaneous activity (SA) that drive behavioral hypersensitivity and pain. SCI can sensitize peripheral fibers of nociceptors and promote peripheral SA, but whether these effects are driven by extrinsic alterations in surrounding tissue or are intrinsic to the nociceptor, and whether similar SA occurs in nociceptors in vivo are unknown. We show that small DRG neurons from rats (Rattus norvegicus) receiving thoracic spinal injury 3 d to 8 months earlier and recorded 1 d after dissociation exhibit an elevated incidence of SA coupled with soma hyperexcitability compared with untreated and sham-treated groups. SA incidence was greatest in lumbar DRG neurons (57%) and least in cervical neurons (28%), and failed to decline over 8 months. Many sampled SA neurons were capsaicin sensitive and/or bound the nociceptive marker, isolectin B4. This intrinsic SA state was correlated with increased behavioral responsiveness to mechanical and thermal stimulation of sites below and above the injury level. Recordings from C- and Aδ-fibers revealed SCI-induced SA generated in or near the somata of the neurons in vivo. SCI promotes the entry of primary nociceptors into a chronic hyperexcitable-SA state that may provide a useful therapeutic target in some forms of persistent pain.
Commonsense and Research Findings in Personality

A total of 377 high school and college students completed the Personality Research Test, a 60-item true-false exam concerning research findings reported in psychology of personality textbooks. The results suggest that much of what personality textbooks purport to teach undergraduates about research findings in the area may already be known to them through common informal experiences.
Role of tumor necrosis factor receptors in regulating CD8 T-cell responses during acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection.

The role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in regulating various phases of the antiviral T-cell response is incompletely understood. Additionally, despite strong evidence ascribing a role for TNF in protecting against T-cell-dependent autoimmunity, the underlying mechanisms are still obscure. To address these issues, we have investigated the role of tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) I (p55R) and II (p75R) in regulating CD8 T-cell responses to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) with wild-type, p55R-deficient (p55 −/− ), p75R-deficient (p75 −/− ), and p55R- and p75R-deficient (DKO) mice. Loss of p55R increased the number of memory CD8 T cells to only one of the two immunodominant epitopes, and p75R deficiency had a minimal impact on the T-cell response to LCMV. Strikingly, deficiency of both p55R and p75R had a more dramatic effect on the LCMV-specific CD8 T-cell response; in the DKO mice, as a sequel to enhanced expansion and a reduction in contraction of CD8 T cells, there was a substantial increase in the number of memory CD8 T cells (specific to the two immunodominant epitopes). While the majority of LCMV-specific memory CD8 T cells in wild-type mice were CD62L hi CCR7 hi (central memory), a major proportion of memory CD8 T cells in DKO mice were CD62L lo CCR7 hi . TNFR deficiency did not affect the proliferative renewal of memory CD8 T cells. Taken together, these data suggested that TNFRs p55R and p75R have overlapping roles in downregulating CD8 T-cell responses and establishment of immune homeostasis during an acute viral infection.
Obtaining Robust Wireless Sensor Networks through Self-Organization of Heterogeneous Connectivity

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a set of sensor nodes that can communicate wirelessly with each other across an extended environment. Sensor networks are being used for various military, environmental, human-centric and robotic applications [Arampatzis 2005]. Most of the research on WSNs is focused on networks with identical nodes that have the same transmission range. This creates a homogeneous network whose connectivity can be modeled as an undirected graph. Homogenous networks are simple to analyze, but are well-known to be suboptimal with regard to efficiency, longevity and robustness [Yarvis 2005]. The random deployment of homogeneous nodes results in an uneven connectivity with critical nodes, making the network non-robust to node failure. A simple solution to overcome this problem would be to increase the transmission range of all nodes, but, this creates undue congestion in other parts of the network. In a heterogeneous network, in contrast, nodes can individually select their transmission range and tune their connectivity locally without creating congestion. This effectively reduces the number of hops between nodes without increasing bandwidth needs and energy. Though the resulting networks are more efficient and robust than homogeneous ones, they are difficult to analyze (see Duarte-Melo et al. [Duarte-Melo 2002] for some analysis).
Periodicity of sexual desire in relation to time of ovulation in women.

A review of several studies attempting to determine the existence of a period of increased sexual desire during the menstrual cycle and its relationship to ovulation indicates that peaks have been reported prior to menstruation and after menstruation; studies on sexually inactive women report peaks at midcycle. Terminological ambiguities regarding sexual desires are partly responsible for differences in the various studies reviewed. Psychological and social factors and physical factors (such as an increased amount of mucus in the vagina during the follicular phase increased congestion in pelvic tissues during the luteal phase and hormonal variations) and research methodology (some studies requiring sexual abstinence for certain lengths of time) are also responsible for variations in results. Coitus-induced ovulation has also been suggested by studies on rape victims and by rat experiments. Sexual desire may differ during the luteal and follicular phases preferences may differ among women regarding the phases and consequently what they experience (and define) as sexual desire may vary accordingly. Alterations in desire may be caused by contraceptive methods the rhythm method forcing suppression of desire during the follicular phase and the progesterone in oral pills causing enhancement in the luteal phase or suppression of desire because of the lack of follicular phase.
Mediating Links Between Maternal Childhood Trauma and Preadolescent Behavioral Adjustment

Structural equation modeling was used to simultaneously examine maternal psychological distress and social support as mediators linking maternal childhood trauma (MCT) to both maternal and child-reported behavior at 9 years of age in 231 birth mother-child dyads, who were primarily poor, urban, and African American. One half of the mothers (n = 116) reported a history of childhood abuse and neglect. Although MCT was associated with both increased maternal psychological distress and limited social support at 6 years, the pathway to child behavior ratings at 9 years was informant dependent. MCT influenced maternal ratings of her child's behavior, with some effects mediated through psychological distress. MCT indirectly influenced children's self-perception of behavior through maternal experience of social support. Maternal ratings and child self-ratings of child behavior problems were moderately correlated. No significant gender interaction was found. Findings suggest a need for understanding trauma histories in the lives of mothers who seek assistance for parenting and child behavior problems, especially in urban low income communities. Interventions targeting both increasing maternal social support and reducing psychological distress may promote competency and resiliency among children for whom MCT poses a risk to optimal development.
Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Water Vapor and Cloud Liquid Water by Integrated Ground-Based Sensors

Abstract A technique is presented for deriving tropospheric water vapor and cloud liquid water, as well as temperature, from a suite of ground-based sensors. Included in the suite are a dual-channel microwave radiometer, a ceilometer, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS), and conventional surface meteorological instruments. A linear statistical inversion algorithm, combined with a data classification technique, is applied to retrieve water vapor and cloud liquid water profiles. The linear statistical inversion algorithm is also applied to derive temperature profiles from RASS virtual temperature measurements and surface meteorological parameters. A physical retrieval algorithm is then applied to retrieve integrated water vapor and liquid water. Finally, these two algorithms are coupled in a two-step iteration process. The technique is evaluated by comparing retrieved quantities with radiosonde measurements and by comparing this technique with the traditional technique based solely on dual-channel micro...
Perspective About Anesthesia Use And Alzheimers Disease And Dementia

There is strong evidence in the literature that various anesthesia play the role of cognitive dysfunction agents in a human body so that the brain is at least temporary impaired after the use of anesthesia. The condition of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction or POCD is a well-recognized condition, and has been linked to the effects of anesthesia on the brain. There have been many animal model studies that show brain cells of rats and other animals adversely affected by various anesthesia chemicals. The accumulation of β-amyloid (linked to Alzheimerâs Disease or AD) caused by inhalational anesthetics has also been studied. The current work has shown the perspective that the large incidences of AD and dementia in North America (High Income), Caribbean, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific (High Income), Southeast Asia, Australasia are probably due to the increased use of anesthesia for C-section childbirths, optional plastic surgeries, optional liposuctions, optional medical tests and procedures, e.g. colonoscopy, MRIâs in these regions, as compared to the less developed nations of the sub-Saharan region.
A biologically inspired approach to learning spatio-temporal patterns

This paper presents an unsupervised approach for learning and classifying patterns that have spatio-temporal structure, using a spike-timing neural network with axonal conductance delays, from a very small set of training samples. Spatio-temporal patterns are converted into spike trains, which can be used to train the network with spike-timing dependent plasticity learning. A pattern is encoded as a string of “characters,” in which each character is a set of neurons that fired at a particular time step, as a result of the network being stimulated with the corresponding input. For classification we compute a similarity measure between a new sample and the training examples, based on the longest common subsequence dynamic programming algorithm to develop a fully unsupervised approach. The approach is tested on a dataset of hand-written digits, which include spatial and temporal information, with results comparable with other state-of-the-art supervised learning approaches.
Using the Balanced-Scorecard Approach for Program Assessment of Faculty Advising

A program assessment methodology for academic advising based on a balanced-scorecard approach is discussed. The balanced-scorecard approach is used to identify a set of five to nine performance measures as metrics of organizational (not individual) effectiveness. Grouped into four perspectives (financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth), the measures can be directly tied to advising unit mission; the measures allow users to be objective and subjective, process- and outcome-focused, and forward- and backward-looking. Stakeholders in various institutional types have utilized the comprehensive balanced-scorecard system to improve communication, demonstrate effectiveness, and improve organizational culture and relationships.
Heuristics of Solitary Waves in Non-Integrable Field Theories

We discuss two aspects of the behavior of solitary waves in non-integrable classical field theories in one spatial dimension and contrast this behavior with that observed in closely related integrable theories. First, we examine the nature of kink/anti-kink interactions in the φ 4 theory, described by the classical field equation $$ {\phi _{tt}} - {\phi _{xx}} - \phi + {\phi ^3} = 0.$$
Not All Created Equal: Lineage Hard-Wiring in the Production of Blood

The multiple cell types comprising blood have been thought to emerge from progenitors with progressively narrower lineage options. New data suggest that lineage fate may be determined earlier than thought and that myeloid progenitor populations are aggregates of individual lineage-restricted cells.
African American Couples in Rural Contexts

This chapter presents a summary of findings from a large-scale longitudinal study of nonurban African American families designed to focus on factors that influence the relationships between parents, given the importance of parental relationships for the outcomes of children. After a brief summary of the study’s goals and methods, findings are presented regarding the impact of adverse neighborhood characteristics, financial stressors, and racial discrimination on the quality and stability of African American couples’ relationships. Findings are also presented that highlight the benefits for couples of key resource variables and the mechanisms through which these resources affect outcomes. Finally, we briefly present some methodological challenges to conducting research on this population and provide recommendations for future research.
Peptide interfaces with graphene: an emerging intersection of analytical chemistry, theory, and materials.

Because noncovalent interface functionalization is frequently required in graphene-based devices, biomolecular self-assembly has begun to emerge as a route for controlling substrate electronic structure or binding specificity for soluble analytes. The remarkable diversity of structures that arise in biological self-assembly hints at the possibility of equally diverse and well-controlled surface chemistry at graphene interfaces. However, predicting and analyzing adsorbed monolayer structures at such interfaces raises substantial experimental and theoretical challenges. In contrast with the relatively well-developed monolayer chemistry and characterization methods applied at coinage metal surfaces, monolayers on graphene are both less robust and more structurally complex, levying more stringent requirements on characterization techniques. Theory presents opportunities to understand early binding events that lay the groundwork for full monolayer structure. However, predicting interactions between complex biomolecules, solvent, and substrate is necessitating a suite of new force fields and algorithms to assess likely binding configurations, solvent effects, and modulations to substrate electronic properties. This article briefly discusses emerging analytical and theoretical methods used to develop a rigorous chemical understanding of the self-assembly of peptide–graphene interfaces and prospects for future advances in the field.
Commentary on "The modal suicide decedent did not consume alcohol just prior to the time of death: An analysis with implications for understanding suicidal behavior"

This is a commentary on a meta-analysis in this journal by Anestis, Joiner, Hanson, and Gutierrez (2014) that analyzed 92 studies reporting data on the presence/absence of alcohol in suicide decedents based on positive blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). The authors conclude that the weighted mean percentage of suicide decedents with positive BACs is 26.9%, a result that is underestimated by 6.7% due to a coding error. The authors argue that acute use of alcohol may not be an important proximal risk factor for suicide based largely on the fact that it is not modal in decedents, a point that overlooks the fact that risk factors need not be modal to be of major public health significance. For example, most traffic fatalities do not involve a driver who had been drinking but this does not imply that alcohol use is unimportant in road deaths. Furthermore, the authors do not discuss controlled studies providing evidence that acute use of alcohol confers marked risk. The authors also predict that the percentage of suicide decedents with positive BACs who are intoxicated is low. However, published data on alcohol levels and suicide in the United States are available and show that most suicide decedents with positive blood tests have BACs at or above the U.S. legal limit of 0.08 g/dl for drinking and driving, with mean BACs well in excess of the legal limit, evidence of intoxication.
A Note on Optimal Adopter Category Determination

When investigating the diffusion of an innovation, three major decisions must be resolved with respect to the derivation of adopter categories [11]: (1) determination of the number of adopter categories; (2) determination of the percentage of adopters to include in each category; and (3) determination of a method to define categories. Whatever derivation scheme is used, the resulting category structure must be parsimonious and contain mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories if the structure is to be analytically viable. The most widely used category structure is that developed by Rogers [11]. Rogers, after reviewing theories from learning, communication, and mathematics, stated what is perhaps the basic underlying assumption of the theory of innovation diffusion-if the number of adopters per unit of time is plotted, the resulting diffusion curve will be a normal, bell-shaped curve. Using this assumption, Rogers created an adopter classification scheme based upon statistical relationships between a normal unit-curve and the standard deviation
Untangling the reaction dynamics of the silylidyne radical (SiH; X2Π) with acetylene (C2H2; X1Σg+)

Abstract The chemical reaction dynamics of silylidyne (SiH; X 2 Π) with acetylene (C 2 H 2 ; X 1 Σ g + ) were studied exploiting the crossed molecular beam approach, and compared with previous studies on D1-silylidyne with acetylene. The reaction is initiated by a barrierless addition of silylidyne to one or both carbons of acetylene leading to 1-sila-1-propene-1,3-diylidene and/or the cyclic 1-silacyclopropenyl with the former isomerizing to the latter. 1-Silacyclopropenyl eventually loses atomic hydrogen yielding silacyclopropenylidene (c-SiC 2 H 2 ) in an overall exoergic reaction (experiment: −14.7 ± 8.5 kJ mol −1 ; theory: −13 ± 3 kJ mol −1 ). The enthalpy of formation for silacyclopropenylidene is determined to be 421.4 ± 9.3 kJ mol −1 .
Analysis of influenza surveillance reports from January to June 2010 in Luohu district of Shenzhen

Objective To describe and analyze the epidemiological characters of influenza in Luohu district from January to June 2010 so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of influenza epidemic in Luohu district.Methods The descriptive epidemiologic method was applied to analyze the characteristics of influenza in Luohu district of Shenzhen.Results The total number of the collected samples was up to 206.Among them,there were 31 samples of influenza A positive,including 22 samples of influenza A/H1N1 positive and 42 samples of influenza B positive.The spreading peak of influenza A appeared in January,2010 and the number of influenza A positive samples in January accounted for 71.0% of the total influenza A positive samples.Meanwhile,influenza A/H1N1 in January accounted for 90.9% of the total influenza A positive samples.However,the spreading peak of influenza B appeared in March,2010 and the number of influenza B positive samples in this month accounted for 59.5% of the total influenza B positive samples.Individuals with age 20-30 accounted for 73.8% of the total influenza A patients.Children below 10 years old accounted for 73.8% of the total influenza B patients.Conclusion Both influenza A and B appeared in Luohu district during January to June 2010.The surveillance study on influenza and attention to the highly susceptible population should be augmented,which will have a significantly impact on the control and prevention of influenza outbreak in Luohu district.
Study on the intellectualized software platform of HACCP of China

By having studied on the overseas HACCP software,and surveyed several native large-scale companies of agro-product yielding,We analysed the bottlenecks of limiting HACCP intelligentization,and put forwarded the notions establishing the intellectualized software platform of HACCP adept to domestic application,which have several functions with oriented-individuation,excavating and analyzing for data,as well as integrating and alternating with other platform etc.
Analysis of the Cause of Positive Results in HBsAg Test Amount the HBV Vaccinated Population

Objectives To analysis the cause of positive results in hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) test amount the HBV vaccinated population and to provide a scientific bases for the enhancment of the vaccination programme and the prevention and control of hepatitis B. Methods Stratified randomization cluster sampling investigation was conducted from July to September, 2002. An investigation of infection history for hepatitis B was carried out in two primary schools and two middle schools. Results A total of 5625 students were selected to finish a questionaire investigation. Among them, 63 cases were found to be HBsAg positive, with a positive rate of 1.12% (63/5625). In these HBsAg positive cases, 19 (30.15%) had no vaccination history; 7(11. 11%) had no detail vaccination record; 18 (28.57%) had not vaccinated in time; 14(22.22%) had a HBsAg positive mother; and 5(7.93%) had not complete the full course of vaccination. Conclusion The HBsAg positive cases in vaccinated population were mainly the people without vaccination, imcomplete vaccination, and not vaccinated in time. For further decrease of the morbidity rate and infection rate of hepatitis B, we have to improve the quality control of the vaccination programme, reduce the rate of non-vaccination, and the rate of not vaccinated in time.
How Social Media Works: Using Web Analytics

This study is intended to provide marketing practitioners with an overview of web analytics to explore the issue of how to define and measure the effectiveness of social media through analyzing the various activities of current/potential consumers as well as provide a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of digital content marketing using social media. These analytics answer broad questions about which types of social media metrics are best at referring traffic, about conversations at the organization’s website, and about comparing different social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter in this study. These analytics employ time series analysis to specifically address activities in SNSs that effectively drive traffic to a website and accomplish business goals. This study is one of the first empirical investigations in the marketing communication field related to measuring social media’s effectiveness. The major goal of this study is to demonstrate the value of businesses’ efforts and to optimize their digital/social marketing strategy using web analytics. Based on this goal three research questions were identified: (1) can the model identify social media performance variables that are related to audience response which can be represented by website traffic?; (2) which social media sties are driving traffic to a firm’s website, specifically in B2B environment?; and (3) can the model provide insight into the importance of those variables? The results of the analysis are encouraging and suggest the model as specified was able to identify the social media variables that were significantly related to the companies’ website traffic. This finding implies that the traditional media variables of reach and frequency are still important in the social media space. As expected, the engagement variables are also a critical part of the social media experience. From a media strategy perspective, all three components – the number of messages and the size of the audience appear to work with active audience participation to produce effective communication in the social media environment.
Preconditioning for Mixed Finite Element Formulations of Elliptic Problems

In this paper, we discuss a preconditioning technique for mixed finite element discretizations of elliptic equations. The technique is based on a block-diagonal approximation of the mass matrix which maintains the sparsity and positive definiteness of the corresponding Schur complement. This preconditioner arises from the multipoint flux mixed finite element method and is robust with respect to mesh size and is better conditioned for full permeability tensors than a preconditioner based on a diagonal approximation of the mass matrix.
TOPOLOGICAL DYNAMICAL TECHNIQUES FOR DIFFERENTIAL AND INTEGRAL EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the topological dynamical techniques for differential and integral equations. The first point one notice is that by imbedding the differential or integral equation in a flow, this introduces a new viewpoint or a new language for studying solutions of these equations. One expects that the new language will play a unifying role in the study of a large class of problems. The picture does not end with language but more importantly, it does include technique. Specifically, one is interested in examining how the structure of the theory of topological dynamics can be used to analyze the solutions of differential and integral equations. However, there are a few results where the viewpoint and techniques of topologicaldynamics seem to be essential for the analysis and proof.
Early Initiation of Breastfeeding Among Maya Mothers in the Western Highlands of Guatemala: Practices and Beliefs:

Background:Guatemala exhibits the sixth highest rate of child stunting worldwide, and stunting disproportionately affects Guatemala indigenous communities. In a country struggling to combat this re...
Interleukin 21-Based Therapy Can Induce Human B Cells To Produce Granzyme B and Express Other Features of Cytotoxic Lymphocytes.

B cells are not currently known to be capable of producing granzyme B or being cytotoxic. We recently found that human B cells activated with Interleukin 21 (IL-21) and antibodies to the B cell receptor (BCR) or immunostimulatory oligonucleotides (CpG ODN), can produce granzyme B. Further studies were done to assess the biological and potential therapeutic significance of this finding. Granzyme B ELISpot, intracellular staining for granzyme-B, quantitative real time RT-PCR for granzyme B messenger RNA and gene expression array confirmed B cells obtained from the peripheral blood of normal individuals (Fig. 1) and many B cell lines including Namalwa, Daudi, Ramos and EBV-transformed lymphoblasts, can be induced to produce granzyme B. This granzyme B is functional as demonstrated by cleavage of a granzyme B-sensitive colorimetric substrate. IL-21 based treatment also increased the transcription of the gene for perforin and the production of Interferon-γ in select B cell populations. We conclude that IL-21 based therapy can induce B cells to produce functional granzyme B and other components known to be present in the cytotoxic granules of CTL and NK cells. These unexpected findings could have significant implications on our understanding of the role of B cells in immune regulation and for a variety of immune phenomena including auto-, cancer and infectious immunity.
Parasocial Theory: Concepts and Measures

Parasocial interaction (PSI) describes nonreciprocated audience interactions with media personae. These interactions are, in many ways, like face-to-face interactions with the caveat that the response normally expected from a social partner is missing. Parasocial theory describes and attempts to explain imagined social relationships and interactions with people who are distant from us and who do not reciprocate individual communication or interest. Early articles on parasocial theory discussed PSI and parasocial relationships (PSRs) without making much distinction between the terms, but more recent studies have focused on the differences, with PSI being the illusion of interaction during viewing and PSRs being the ongoing perceived connection the audience members experience with the media personae over a longer period of time. Parasocial attachment occurs when the viewer seeks regular proximity to the mediated experience in order to experience an affective bond with a selected media persona. Keywords: attachment; audience studies; involvement; media psychology; parasocial; sociology of culture and media; television theory; uses and gratifications
Single-pulse avalanche mode operation of 10-kV/10-A SiC MOSFET

Abstract The high-voltage silicon carbide MOSFET is a state-of-the-art solution for increasing power density and efficiency in power electronics; nonetheless, a full-scope of failure modes during extreme operating condition has not been established. Past efforts evaluated short-circuit capability of 10-kV silicon carbide MOSFET, however, in this manuscript, the single-pulse avalanche mode operation of a research-grade 10-kV/10-A silicon carbide MOSFET is explored for the first time. A decoupled unclamped inductive circuit was selected for evaluation, and avalanche energy was increased until catastrophic failure occurred. The maximum tolerable avalanche energy was measured to be 2.84 J corresponding to an energy density of 8.8 J·cm−2. This result was compared with 1.2-kV silicon carbide MOSFETs to evaluate device robustness. Post failure analysis included: estimation of junction temperature, scanning electron microscopy, and focused ion beam cut. Peak junction temperature of 1010 °C was estimated using a thermal RC model and measurement results suggested gate degradation as the primary mechanism responsible for device destruction. Microscopy of the device validated gate failure which occurred at, or beneath, the gate metallization. A narrow cavity with-in the failure region was discovered during failure analysis and is hypothesized to have protruded the epitaxial region of the semiconductor.
Influence of excipients on physical and aerosolization stability of spray dried high-dose powder formulations for inhalation

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of excipients on physical and aerosolization stability of spray dried Ciprofloxacin dry powder inhaler formulations. The model drug, Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, was co-spray dried with excipients such as disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, trehalose), mannitol and l -leucine. The spray dried samples were stored at two different relative humidity (RH) conditions of: (1) 20% and (2) 55% RH at 20 °C. Ciprofloxacin co-spray dried with disaccharides and l -leucine in the mass ratio of 1:1 demonstrated an increase in fine particle fraction (FPF) as compared with the spray dried Ciprofloxacin alone when stored at 20% RH. However, deterioration in FPF of Ciprofloxacin co-spray dried with disaccharide and mannitol was observed upon storage at 55% RH as compared to the corresponding formulations stored at 20% RH due to particle agglomeration. Whereas, 10% and 50% w/w l -leucine in the formulation showed no change in aerosol performance (FPF of 71.1 ± 3.5% and 79.5 ± 3.1%, respectively) when stored at 55% RH for 10 days as compared to 20% RH (FPF of 68.1 ± 0.3% and 73.6 ± 7.1%, respectively). l -Leucine demonstrated aerosolization stability by alleviating crystallization of Ciprofloxacin to some extent and preventing significant change in particle morphology. l -Leucine is well-recognized as aerosolization enhancer; our study has shown l -leucine is also a physical and aerosolization stabilizer for spray dried Ciprofloxacin DPI formulations. Such stability enhancing activities were attributed to the enrichment of l -leucine on the particle surface as confirmed by XPS data, and intermolecular interactions between l -leucine and Ciprofloxacin as measured by FT-IR.
Efficient scheduling for synchronized demands in stochastic networks

There is a rich theory and plethora of algorithms in the literature aiming at the efficient scheduling of stochastic networks. These solutions are predominantly designed under the assumption of traffic demands that are independently generated at network nodes, without any requirement for synchronization among their received services. In this work, we note that many applications, including cloud computing, virtual reality, gaming, autonomous vehicular networks and collaborative design, generate traffic simultaneously at multiple nodes when they arrive, with possibly non-uniform file sizes, whose performance relies on the synchronous completion of the traffic across the network. This calls for the design of new scheduling algorithms that aims to coordinate the service of packets of the same traffic across the network. Towards this end, we propose a novel scheduling algorithm that not only accounts for the heterogeneity of the file size distributions, but also works towards synchronizing the completion time of the same traffic stream across the network. This is achieved by employing two insights that emanate from key motivating examples we develop: (1) the normalization of traffic load with respect to the non-uniform file sizes; and (2) the incorporation of deviation of normalized loads across network nodes that serve synchronized traffic. After establishing the throughput-optimality of our algorithm in general stochastic networks, we perform extensive simulations under various (spanning both wired and wireless) settings to reveal the potential completion time gains that it yields over other throughput-optimal strategies designed under the assumption of independent traffic generation.
An Efficient Computation Saving Mechanism for High-Performance Large-Scale Watershed Simulation

Computer simulation is one of the most powerful tools that scientists have at their disposal for studying sophisticated processes or phenomena, which are infeasible, too costly, or dangerous to reproduce. As simulation programs are often built on complex mathematical models, it is extremely desirable to greatly reduce simulation time at the minimum loss of accuracy, especially when a long simulation time span is dictated or immediate response is demanded. This paper presents our research work on improving computational efficiency of a data-intensive parallel hydraulic analysis application, which targets real-time fine-grained simulation for large-scale watersheds. To deliver computational results at low latency and high throughput, we leverage the processing capabilities of both database and compute cluster, and have designed an interpolation mechanism with which previous results are efficiently managed and dynamically maintained for maximum reuse. Experiments have demonstrated the benefits of our solution.
Evolution of induction chemotherapy in the pre- and post-taxane era for locally advanced laryngeal cancer: A National Cancer Data Base analysis.

e18080Background: TAX-323/324 showed improved response rate and overall survival (OS) with the addition of docetaxel (T) to induction cisplatin/5-FU (PF) prior to radiotherapy (ICRT) for stage III/...
Cross-Layer Control Adaptation for Autonomous System Resilience

The last decade has seen tremendous advances in the transformation of ubiquitous control, computing and communication platforms that are anytime, anywhere. These platforms allow humans to interact with machines through sensing, control and actuation functions in ways not imaginable a few decades ago. While robust control techniques aim to maintain autonomous system performance in the presence of bounded modeling errors, they are not designed to manage large multi- parameter variations and internal component failures that are inevitable during lengthy periods of field deployment. To address the trustworthiness of autonomous systems in the field, we propose a cross-layer error resilience approach in which errors are detected and corrected at appropriate levels of the design (hardware-through software) with the objective of minimizing the latency of error recovery while maintaining high failure coverage. At the control processor level, soft errors in the digital control processor are considered. At the system level, sensor and actuator failures are analyzed. These impairments define the health of the system. A methodology for adapting the control procedure of the autonomous system to compensate for degraded system health is proposed. It is shown how this methodology can be applied to simple linear and nonlinear control systems to maintain system performance in the presence of internal component failures. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology.
Steam-assisted crystallized Fe-ZSM-5 materials and their unprecedented activity in benzene hydroxylation to phenol using hydrogen peroxide

Abstract Iron-containing, hierarchical steam-assisted crystallized MFI materials were found to possess unprecedented reactivity for benzene hydroxylation to phenol. Numerous characterization methods were used to confirm the crystallinity, composition, textural properties and iron coordination in these samples. In-situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (in-situ FT-IR) of methanol and nitric oxide adsorption were also used to probe the materials. These catalysts were then studied in the catalytic oxidation of benzene to phenol using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant at mild conditions. Microporous materials showed lower activity (∼4% phenol yield after 8 h), in agreement with previous reports, whereas hierarchical Fe-ZSM-5 zeolites, as synthesized here, exhibited superior catalytic performance. The best catalyst in this report gave a benzene conversion of 25.5% with a phenol selectivity of 90% corresponding to a turnover number of 82. This finding is twice the best zeolite-based catalyst in the open literature. Suitable control experiments ruled out homogeneous catalysis. Hydrogen peroxide consumption was also higher for the hierarchical samples, up to 95% at eight hours, compared to conventional catalysts. The obtained results revealed that the active sites for this reaction were located predominantly in the micropores of the mesoporous Fe-ZSM-5 zeolites.
The Influence of Socializing Agents and Teaching Context Among Teachers of Different Dispositions Toward Change

Physical education teachers have been criticized for not implementing progressive or innovative instruction resulting in enhanced student knowledge and skills for lifetime participation in physical...
Mitochondrial DNA Replacement: Moral and Halakhic Concerns

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), transmitted from mother to child, have their own genetic code that may cause debilitating genetic diseases. To prevent such unfortunate occurrences, researchers have developed a process enabling them to completely replace an ovum’s mitochondria with mitochondria contributed by a donor. Children born by use of this method have genetic material from both the mitochondrial donor and the birth mother; they are “three-parent babies.” Resultant medical, ethical, legal and theological problems are obvious. Moreover, this technology may pose significant risks to neonates born of such procedures. Certainly no person has the right to cause harm to a fellow human being. Although the intent is to prevent disease, the moral issue is whether, in the course of experimentation, it is ethical for a person to intervene in the natural order in order to generate a life that may be burdened by physical or mental defects that would otherwise not occur. Additionally, those procedures result in the creation of numerous fertilized ova that will never be implanted in a uterus. Many would assert that destruction of any conceptus is a form of abortion. Should surplus fertilized ova be indefinitely preserved in a state of suspended animation? Who is deemed to be the mother, the birth mother or the genetic mother? If the latter, can a child have multiple mothers? There is talmudic support for the notion that a person may have multiple fathers. If so, it is also possible that a person may have multiple mothers. Such a conclusion gives rise to increased probability of future inadvertent incestuous relationships. It is for that reason that Jewish law regards conduct resulting in suppression of parental identity as biblically proscribed.
Climates of History, Histories of Climate: From History to Archaeoscience

The new scientific climate history is about more than just the history of climate. It is developing in a new climate of history; it forms one of several leading edges in archaeoscience, the broader...
Secondary Deuterium Kinetic Isotope Effects in the Rotations of Alkenes and Allyl Radicals: Theory and Experiment

Secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) associated with restricted rotation about the C−C bonds of ethylene, propene, and allyl radical substituted by H or D were calculated. Geometries and force constants of ground states and transition states were obtained by ab initio MCSCF calculations with the 6-31G* and/or 6-311G** basis sets. The KIEs were then calculated from the partition functions for the Bigeleisen equation. The “rotational” KIEs are predicted to be larger than typical secondary KIEs. For simple alkenes, predicted kH/kD values range from 1.32−1.46 at 25 °C to 1.15−1.25 at 275 °C. Predicted values are compared with existing experimental results. As a test of our prediction that high-temperature alkene isomerizations should display large KIEs, samples of cis-stilbene and α,α‘-dideuterio-cis-stilbene were pyrolyzed; the measured KIE was a remarkable kH/kD2 = 1.47 ± 0.13 (σn) at 287 °C.