cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extraction of Fronto-orbital Metallic Radio Antenna Through Stallard Orbitotomy

A 39-year-old man presented after falling on a radio antenna while in his yard. Computed tomography revealed that the antenna entered the right superolateral orbit, penetrating through the right orbital roof and extending into the right frontal lobe. A Stallard orbitotomy was performed to remove the antenna resulting in blepharoptosis.
Compiler optimizations for distributed-memory programs

The single-program multiple-data (SPMD) mode of execution is an effective approach for exploiting parallelism in programs written using the shared-memory programming model on distributed memory machines. However, during SPMD execution one must consider dependencies due to the transfer of data among the processors. Such dependencies can be avoided by reordering the communication operations (sends and receives). However, no formal framework has been developed to explicitly recognize the represent such dependencies. The author identifies two types of dependencies, namely communication dependencies and scheduling dependencies, and proposes to represent these dependencies explicitly in the program dependency graph. Next, he presents program transformations that use this dependency information in transforming the program and increasing the degree of parallelism exploited. Finally, the author presents program transformations that reduce communication related run-time overhead. >
Biomedical implants and devices: assessment of magnetic field interactions with a 3.0-Tesla MR system.

Purpose To evaluate magnetic field interactions for 109 different biomedical implants and devices in association with exposure to a 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) system. Materials and Methods A total of 109 implants and devices (aneurysm clips, 32; clips, fasteners, and staples, 10; coils and stents, 10; heart valve prostheses and annuloplasty rings, 12; orthopedic implants, five; suture materials, 13; vascular access ports and accessories, 13; miscellaneous implants and devices, 14) were tested for magnetic field interactions at 3.0-Tesla using previously-described, standardized techniques to assess magnetic field translational attraction and torque. Results The deflection angles and torque measurements ranged, respectively, from 0 to 16° and 0 to +2 for the aneurysm clips; 0 to 90° and 0 to +4 for the clips, fasteners, and staples; 0 to 47° and 0 to +4 for the coils and stents; 0 to 4° and 0 to +1 for the heart valve prostheses and annuloplasty rings; 0 to 12° and 0 to +2 for the orthopedic implants; 0 to 13° and 0 to +2 for the suture materials; 0 to 52° and 0 to +4 for the vascular access ports and accessories; and 0 to 28° and 0 to +3 for the miscellaneous implants and devices. Conclusion Of the 109 implants and devices assessed for magnetic field interactions at 3.0-Tesla, four (4%) are potentially unsafe based on deflection angle criteria. The implications of these results for patients undergoing MR procedures at 3.0-Tesla is discussed. Notably, these results are specific to the 3.0-Tesla MR system used for this evaluation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2002;16:721–732. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Synaptotagmin-IV modulates synaptic function and long-term potentiation by regulating BDNF release

Synaptotagmin-IV (syt-IV) is a membrane trafficking protein that influences learning and memory, but its localization and role in synaptic function remain unclear. We found that syt-IV localized to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-containing vesicles in hippocampal neurons. Syt-IV/BDNF-harboring vesicles underwent exocytosis in both axons and dendrites, and syt-IV inhibited BDNF release at both sites. Knockout of syt-IV increased, and overexpression decreased, the rate of synaptic vesicle exocytosis from presynaptic terminals indirectly via changes in postsynaptic release of BDNF. Thus, postsynaptic syt-IV regulates the trans-synaptic action of BDNF to control presynaptic vesicle dynamics. Furthermore, selective loss of presynaptic syt-IV increased spontaneous quantal release, whereas a loss of postsynaptic syt-IV increased quantal amplitude. Finally, syt-IV knockout mice showed enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP), which depended entirely on disinhibition of BDNF release. Thus, regulation of BDNF secretion by syt-IV emerges as a mechanism for maintaining synaptic strength in a useful range during LTP.
Structure-Based Optimization of Angiostatic Agent 6DBF7, an Allosteric Antagonist of Galectin-1

Galectin-1 (gal-1), which binds β-galactoside groups on various cell surface receptors, is crucial to cell adhesion and migration, and is found to be elevated in several cancers. Previously, we reported on 6DBF7, a dibenzofuran (DBF)-based peptidomimetic of the gal-1 antagonist anginex. In the present study, we used a structure-based approach to optimize 6DBF7. Initial NMR studies showed that 6DBF7 binds to gal-1 on one side of the β-sandwich away from the lectin’s carbohydrate binding site. Although an alanine scan of 6DBF7 showed that the two cationic groups (lysines) in the partial peptide are crucial to its angiostatic activity, it is the hydrophobic face of the amphipath that appears to interact directly with the surface of gal-1. Based on this structural information, we designed and tested additional DBF analogs. In particular, substitution of the C-terminal Asp for alanine and branched alkyl side chains (Val, Leu, Ile) for linear ones (Nle, Nva) rendered the greatest improvements in activity. Flow cytometry with gal-1−/− splenocytes showed that 6DBF7 and two of its more potent analogs (DB16 and DB21) can fully inhibit fluorescein isothiocyanate–gal-1 binding. Moreover, heteronuclear single-quantum coherence NMR titrations showed that the presence of DB16 decreases gal-1 affinity for lactose, indicating that the peptidomimetic targets gal-1 as a noncompetitive, allosteric inhibitor of glycan binding. Using tumor mouse models (B16F10 melanoma, LS174 lung, and MA148 ovarian), we found that DB21 inhibits tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth significantly better than 6DBF7, DB16, or anginex. DB21 is currently being developed further and holds promise for the management of human cancer in the clinic.
Successful collaboration between the nonprofit and public sectors

Public and private funding sources often require nonprofit organizations to provide evidence of partnership with a governmental entity before financing a project. However, the circumstances under which working partnerships between the nonprofit and public sectors are forged and sustained have not been fully studied. This article presents the findings of a case study of land trusts and local governments and identifies conditions that foster successful collaboration. Social factors such as experience on the part of key personnel in working with the opposite entity and genuine affection for each other are more important than economic benefits. This suggests that a nonprofit agency interested in creating a viable partnership to improve a project should give careful consideration to assigning staff.
Association of Immunohistochemical Staining for p53 With Metastatic Progression and Poor Survival in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND Mutations of the p53 gene have been found in many types of human tumors. In some tumors, p53 gene mutations are associated with advanced disease and poor prognosis. There is wide variation in the reported incidence of p53 mutation in renal cell carcinoma, and its prognostic significance for this tumor is unknown. PURPOSE This retrospective immunohistochemical study was designed to examine associations between p53 immunostaining and histologic type, tumor grade, clinical behavior, and survival. METHODS Paraffin-embedded nephrectomy specimens collected from 1978 through 1986 from 175 patients were immunostained for p53 using the D07 monoclonal antibody. Positive staining for p53 has been linked to the accumulation of mutant p53 protein. Thirteen specimens of concurrent metastatic lesions were available from 11 primary cases. Clinical follow-up information was available on 164 patients. RESULTS Immunostaining for p53 suggested the presence of p53 mutation in 49 (28%) of 175 renal tumors studied. Staining was associated with high tumor grade and stage but not with cell type or histologic pattern. Eleven (85%) of 13 metastatic lesions stained positively for p53, versus only four (36%) of the 11 paired primary tumors. Immunostaining for p53 was strongly associated with poor survival among patients without distant metastases at presentation. In this group, 10-year disease-specific survival was 78% for patients with nonstaining tumors versus 48% for those with p53-positive tumors (P < or = .003). There was an 87% 10-year disease-specific survival rate for patients with nonstaining Robson stage 1 tumors versus a 62% 10-year survival rate for patients with p53-positive Robson stage 1 tumors (P < .01). Multivariate analysis showed p53 immunoreactivity to be an independent predictor of survival for patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma, whereas tumor grade was not. CONCLUSIONS Positive p53 immunostaining in renal cell carcinoma is associated with metastatic disease and poor survival in patients with early-stage disease. IMPLICATIONS In renal cell carcinoma, mutations of the p53 gene may allow or contribute to the acquisition of metastatic potential.
Control and hysteresis reduction in prestressed curved unimorph actuators using model predictive control

Curved piezoceramic unimorph actuators exhibit strong nonlinearities due to their special architecture that enables large motion amplification. Among these nonlinearities, hysteresis is the most problematic as it makes it difficult to predict the displacement of the actuator for a given input voltage. Therefore, it has been difficult to use these actuators in precision displacement control applications. In order to overcome this difficulty, this research is focused on the development of an effective reference-tracking displacement control algorithm for such actuators. For this purpose, two linear (proportional–integral and internal model) and two nonlinear (sliding mode and model predictive sliding mode) controllers are designed and implemented. These controllers are applied to the curved piezoceramic unimorph actuator to control the displacement of the actuator for multiple sinusoidal voltage inputs at various frequencies. Experimental results are obtained, and their performance is compared both qualitat...
Electric field depth-focality tradeoff in transcranial magnetic stimulation: simulation comparison of 50 coil designs.

Background Various transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coil designs are available or have been proposed. However, key coil characteristics such as electric field focality and attenuation in depth have not been adequately compared. Knowledge of the coil focality and depth characteristics can help TMS researchers and clinicians with coil selection and interpretation of TMS studies.
Ordering Among Premodifiers

We present a corpus-based study of the sequential ordering among premodifiers in noun phrases. This information is important for the fluency of generated text in practical applications. We propose and evaluate three approaches to identify sequential order among premodifiers: direct evidence, transitive closure, and clustering. Our implemented system can make over 94% of such ordering decisions correctly, as evaluated on a large, previously unseen test corpus.
Influence of sweeping detonation-wave loading on shock hardening and damage evolution during spallation loading in tantalum

Widespread research over the past five decades has provided a wealth of experimental data and insight concerning the shock hardening, damage evolution, and the spallation response of materials subjected to square-topped shock-wave loading profiles. However, fewer quantitative studies have been conducted on the effect of direct, in-contact, high explosive (HE)-driven Taylor wave (unsupported shocks) loading on the shock hardening, damage evolution, or spallation response of materials. Systematic studies quantifying the effect of sweeping-detonation wave loading are yet sparser. In this study, the shock hardening and spallation response of Ta is shown to be critically dependent on the peak shock stress and the shock obliquity during sweeping-detonation-wave shock loading. Sweeping-wave loading is observed to: a) yield a lower spall strength than previously documented for 1-D supported-shock-wave loading, b) exhibit increased shock hardening as a function of increasing obliquity, and c) lead to an increased incidence of deformation twin formation with increasing shock obliquity.
Evaluation of kynurenine pathway metabolism in Toxoplasma gondii-infected mice: Implications for schizophrenia

article Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan parasite, is a major cause of opportunistic infectious disease affecting the brain and has been linked to an increased incidence of schizophrenia. In murine hosts, infection with T. gondii stimulates tryptophan degradation along the kynurenine pathway (KP), which contains several neuroactive metabolites, including 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), quinolinic acid (QUIN) and kynurenic acid (KYNA).AstheseendogenouscompoundsmayprovideamechanisticconnectionbetweenT.gondiiandthepath- ophysiology of schizophrenia, we measured KP metabolites in both the brain and periphery of T. gondii-treated C57BL/6 mice 8 and 28 days post-infection. Infected mice showed early decreases in the levels of tryptophan in the brain and serum, but not in the liver. These reductions were associated with elevated levels of kynurenine, KYNA, 3-HK and QUIN in the brain. In quantitative terms, the most significant increases in these KP metabolites were observed in the brain at 28 days post-infection. Notably, the anti-parasitic drugs pyrimethamine and sulfa- diazine,a standardtreatmentof toxoplasmosis,significantlyreduced3-HKand KYNA levelsinthebrain of infect- ed mice when applied between 28 and 56 days post-infection. In summary, T. gondii infection, probably by activating microglia and astrocytes, enhances the production of KP metabolites in the brain. However, during the first two months after infection, the KP changes in these mice do not reliably duplicate abnormalities seen in the brain of individuals with schizophrenia.
Fault diagnosis of continuous systems using discrete-event methods

Fault diagnosis is crucial for ensuring the safe operation of complex engineering systems. Although discrete- event diagnosis methods are used extensively, they do not easily apply to parametric fault isolation in systems with complex continuous dynamics. This paper presents a novel discrete- event system diagnosis approach for abrupt parametric faults in continuous systems that is based on a qualitative abstraction of measurement deviations from the nominal behavior. Our approach systematically generates a diagnosis model from bond graphs that is used to analyze system diagnosability and derive the discrete-event diagnoser. The proposed approach is applied to an electrical power system diagnostic testbed.
Identification of elastic constants of FCC metals from 2D load-indentation curves

We derive an expression relating the axial load, the indentation depth, and the elastic constants of an orthotropic material, and simplify it to that for a cubic material (e.g., an FCC single crystal). We use this formula and results of three virtual (i.e., numerical) indentation tests on the same specimen oriented differently to find values of the elastic moduli, and show that they agree well with their expected values. We also give the error in the computed values of the elastic moduli of an FCC crystal caused by the misorientation of the specimen during the indentation test. The technique can be generalized to other anisotropic materials.
A Case of Cutaneous Ulcerative Alternariosis: Rare Association with Diabetes Mellitus and Unusual Failure of Itraconazole Treatment

Alternaria species are ubiquitous dematiaceous fungi that are increasingly recognized as pathogens in immunocompromised patients or those with significant underlying disease, but they are also pathogens in otherwise healthy hosts. We describe a case of dermal cutaneous ulcerative alternariosis in a frail 83-year-old patient with diet-controlled diabetes mellitus. Histological analysis revealed hyphal morphology in tissue sections that was initially confused with that of a zygomycetous fungus, and multiple positive culture results were necessary to identify the organism. Treatment with oral itraconazole and surgical debridement were ineffective; clinical improvement was achieved by means of treatment with intravenous amphotericin B lipid complex. We review the literature regarding the role of diabetes mellitus in cutaneous alternariosis and regarding the efficacy of treatment with itraconazole, which has been used very successfully. To our knowledge, this is only the second case report noting diabetes mellitus uncomplicated by steroid administration as a possible predisposing factor for cutaneous infection.
Adhesion and rouleau formation of red cells in a shear flow

Red blood cells form rouleau at lower shear rates, convection being important in determining the rates of growth of these compliant and flexible structures. The rouleau can be disrupted into separated cells when the shear rates in flow are sufficiently high. Because relatively sophisticated computational models of cell-cell interactions in flow are now being advanced, with virtual-reality rendering for visualization, better quantitative information about rouleau formation is important for providing space-time images and aggregation-rate data of rouleau formation for comparison with such models. We provide here some such quantitative information on aggregation rate determined with a dilute RBC suspension observed in vitro in a flow chamber with a simple Hele-Shaw geometry. At a steady shear rate, following initial adhesion of some individual red cells to the glass wall, growth of wall-attached rouleau is observed while the number of single adherent red cells remains relatively constant. Rouleau adherent to the wall tend to align their major axis parallel to the steady flow.
Modulation of vertebral and tibial growth by compression loading : Diurnal versus full-time loading

Purpose: This study was designed to determine whether the amount of endochondral growth response to mechanical compression and the underlying growth mechanism differed with night-time or day-time loading, relative to full-time loading. Methods: Mechanical compression (nominally 0.1 MPa stress) was applied across tibial and tail vertebral growth plates of growing Sprague–Dawley rats. Four groups of animals (five per group) were used: 24/24 h (full-time loading); 12/24 h (day-loading); 12/ 24 h (night-loading); and 0/24 h (sham instrumented). Contralateral tibiae and adjacent vertebrae served as within-animal controls. The animals were euthanized after eight days. Growth plates were processed for quantitative histology to measure 24-h growth, total and BrdU-positive proliferative zone chondrocyte counts, and hypertrophic chondrocytic enlargement in the growth direction. Results: Growth as a percentage of within-animal control averaged 82% (full-time); 93% (day-loading); 90% (night-loading); 100% (sham) for vertebrae. For proximal tibiae it averaged 70% (full-time); 84% (day-loading); 86% (night-loading); 89% (sham). Reduced amount of hypertrophic chondrocytic enlargement explained about half of this effect in full-time loaded growth plates, but was not significantly altered in half-time loaded growth plates. The remaining variation in growth was apparently explained by reduced total numbers of proliferative zone chondrocytes. These findings indicate that sustained compression loading suppressed growth more than intermittent loading at both anatomical locations. � 2004 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Effects of Thiamin Deficiency and Thiamin Antagonists on Serum and Liver Cholesterol Levels and on Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Rats

The effects of thiamin deprivation and thiarnin antagonists (oxythiamin and pyrithiamin) on plasma and tissue cholesterol levels and on incorporation of "C from injected "C-pyruvate into cholesterol were studied in rats. Thiamin deprivation and treatment with oxythiamin resulted in a significant decrease in plasma cholesterol levels as compared with those of controls. Pyrithiamin had no effect. Rats in each of the three deficient groups showed a decrease in liver cholesterol concentration as compared with that of pair-fed control rats, but the total cholesterol per liver differed only with respect to the ad libitum controls. Liver cholesterol in mg/100 g body weight was not different in any of the groups from either ad libitum or pair-fed controls. On the other hand, the "C incorporated into liver cholesterol from injected "C-pyruvate was sig nificantly increased in all experimental groups as compared with either pair-fed or ad libitum controls. The specific activity of the isolated cholesterol was increased in all three experimental deficiencies. The liver weights in percentage of body weight were increased in all three experimental deficiency groups. J. Nutr. 104: 1690-1695, 1974.
Acetaldehyde disrupts tight junctions and adherens junctions in human colonic mucosa: protection by EGF and L-glutamine.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolite of ethanol oxidation, is suggested to play a role in the increased risk for gastrointestinal cancers in alcoholics. In the present study, the effect of acetaldehyde...
Electrostatic self-assembly of composite materials containing Keggin structure polyoxoanions and functionalized Anderson structure polyoxometallic cations

Abstract We have synthesized and characterized three new nanocomposite materials—[NaVIV6O6{(OCH2CH2)2N(CH2CH2OH)}6]3(PW12O40)·12H2O G1, [NaVIV6O6{(OCH2CH2)2N(CH2CH2OH)}6]4(SiW12O40)·20H2O G2, and [NaVIV6O6{(OCH2CH2)2N(CH2CH2OH)}6]3(HSiMo12O40)·13H2O G3, containing the well-defined organo-functionalized polyoxocationic species, [NaVIV6O6{(OCH2CH2)2N(CH2CH2OH)}6]+, and Keggin polyoxoanions [(PW12O40)3−, (SiW12O40)4− or (SiMo12O40)4−] as molecular constituents. The new materials, prepared by combining their constituents in an aqueous medium, are obtained following partial dehydration of a gel-like intermediate phase and have a transparent, glass-like appearance. Powder XRD patterns indicate that the new materials are nanocrystalline. FTIR vibrational spectroscopic studies indicate that the materials are composite in nature, containing intact oxometallic cores of their respective polyoxoanion and polyoxocation building block units. Intercluster Coulombic interactions are the driving force of composite formation. UV–Vis–NIR spectral analysis indicates that the oxidation state of the constituent polyoxoanions and polyoxocations remains unchanged upon composite formation. Reactant ratio studies, along with elemental and vibrational (FTIR) analysis, are consistent with polyoxocation–polyoxoanion Coulombic interaction as the preponderant intermolecular force driving composite formation. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first materials derived from Coulombic interactions of polyoxoanions with covalently organo-functionalized polyoxocations.
Abdominal and Pelvic Pain Evaluation

Patients with abdominal and/or pelvic pain are commonly encountered in the emergency department and throughout all of the primary care and specialty clinics. The imaging assessment of these patients depends upon their clinical presentation (acute vs. chronic pain, point tenderness vs. generalized discomfort), laboratory data (elevation of liver function tests, serum amylase, white cell count, hematocrit), age, gender, and frequently the availability of the various diagnostic imaging tests.
Mortality of Trogoderma glabrum Larvae in Simulated Wheat Storages Purged with CO2 or N2

Wheat containing cages of Trogoderma glabrum (Herbst) larvae and stored in simulated silo-type structures (61.7 liters each) was purged for 7 consecutive days with CO2 or N2 at a flow rate of 100 cc per minute. Both gases reduced the O2 concentration to 1 or 2% within 1 day. CO2 was more effective than was N2 in producing atmospheres lethal to T. glabrum larvae.
What is the "fear" in a fear-arousing appeal?

Studies of the effectiveness of threat, or fear-arousal, in persuasion seem to have assumed that the same variable was being investigated even though different kinds of fear may have been aroused a...
An Integrated Tool for NextGen Concept Design, Fast-Time Simulation, and Analysis

This paper presents an overview of TRAC, an integrated graphical design, fast-time simulation, and analysis tool to support NextGen concept development research. It describes typical NextGen research activities together with the TRAC functionality that supports them. The paper presents screen snapshots that illustrate how TRAC can be used to help understand current airspace, route structure, and operations from an air traffic control perspective, rapidly prototype new airspace and route structures, generate traffic scenarios and conduct fast-time Monte Carlo simulations of NextGen concepts, and analyze human-inthe-loop simulation data.
Site Index Curves for Direct-Seeded Loblolly and Longleaf Pines in Louisiana

Site index equations were developedfor direct-seeded loblollypine (Pinus taeda L.) and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) based on data from 148 and 75 permanent plots, respectively. These plots varied from 0.053 to 0.119 ac in size, and were established in broadcast, row, and spot seeded stands throughout Louisiana. The Bailey and Clutter (1974) model was selectedfor stand height prediction. Site index curves are presentedfor both species based on these equations. These site indexmodels shouldprovide satisfactory short- term height projection for direct-seeded loblolly and longleaf pine stands in Louisiana. South. J. Appl. For.
Genetic diversity of free-living Symbiodinium in the Caribbean: the importance of habitats and seasons

Although reef corals are dependent of the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium, the large majority of corals spawn gametes that do not contain their vital symbiont. This suggests the existence of a pool of Symbiodinium in the environment, of which surprisingly little is known. Reefs around Curacao (Caribbean) were sampled for free-living Symbiodinium at three time periods (summer 2009, summer 2010, and winter 2010) to characterize different habitats (water column, coral rubble, sediment, the macroalgae Halimeda spp., Dictyota spp., and Lobophora variegata, and the seagrass Thalassia testudinum) that could serve as environmental sources of symbionts for corals. We detected the common clades of Symbiodinium that engage in symbiosis with Caribbean coral hosts A, B, and C using Symbiodinium-specific primers of the hypervariable region of the chloroplast 23S ribosomal DNA gene. We also discovered clade G and, for the first time in the Caribbean, the presence of free-living Symbiodinium clades F and H. Additionally, this study expands the habitat range of free-living Symbiodinium as environmental Symbiodinium was detected in T. testudinum seagrass beds. The patterns of association between free-living Symbiodinium types and habitats were shown to be complex. An interesting, strong association was seen between some clade A sequence types and sediment, suggesting that sediment could be a niche where clade A radiated from a free-living ancestor. Other interesting relationships were seen between sequence types of Symbiodinium clade C with Halimeda spp. and clades B and F with T. testudinium. These relationships highlight the importance of some macroalgae and seagrasses in hosting free-living Symbiodinium. Finally, studies spanning beyond a 1-yr cycle are needed to further expand on our results in order to better understand the variation of Symbiodinium in the environment through time. All together, results presented here showed that the great diversity of free-living Symbiodinium has a dynamic distribution across habitats and time.
Nonstandard convergence to jamming in random sequential adsorption: The case of patterned one-dimensional substrates

Abstract We study approach to the large-time jammed state of the deposited particles in the model of random sequential adsorption. The convergence laws are usually derived from the argument of Pomeau which includes the assumption of the dominance, at large enough times, of small landing regions into each of which only a single particle can be deposited without overlapping earlier deposited particles and which, after a certain time are no longer created by depositions in larger gaps. The second assumption has been that the size distribution of gaps open for particle-center landing in this large-time small-gaps regime is finite in the limit of zero gap size. We report numerical Monte Carlo studies of a recently introduced model of random sequential adsorption on patterned one-dimensional substrates that suggest that the second assumption must be generalized. We argue that a region exists in the parameter space of the studied model in which the gap-size distribution in the Pomeau large-time regime actually linearly vanishes at zero gap sizes. In another region, the distribution develops a threshold property, i.e., there are no small gaps below a certain gap size. We discuss the implications of these findings for new asymptotic power-law and exponential-modified-by-a-power-law convergences to jamming in irreversible one-dimensional deposition.
P2 purinergic receptor-coupled signaling in the rabbit ciliary body epithelium.

PURPOSE. To identify and characterize P2 purinergic receptors and their signaling pathways in the epithelial cells of the rabbit ciliary body. METHODS. Real-time fluorescence ratio imaging of the intact furs-2-loaded nonpigmented ciliary body epithelial (NPE) cells of rabbit were used to record changes in the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ), in response to a number of purinergic agonists and antagonists. The effects of some of these drugs on the inositol phosphate (IP) levels in ciliary processes were also examined. RESULTS. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and uridine triphosphate (UTP) dose dependently increased the [Ca 2+ ] i and IP levels. The [Ca 2+ ] i increases induced by ADP and UTP were distinguishable, both kinetically and pharmacologically. The effect of ADP on [Ca 2+ ] i was mimicked by a number of P2Y 1 -selective agonists, and was blocked by three P2Y 1 -receptor-specific antagonists. The [Ca 2+ ] i increases elicited by ADP (or its analogs) and UTP were additive. CONCLUSIONS. Rabbit ciliary body epithelium possesses both P2Y 1 and P2Y 2 metabotropic purinergic receptor subtypes, which differentially use the IP 3 /Ca 2+ second-messenger pathway.
Deprivation and 'Deviance:' Disability and Criminality in Women's Prisons in North Carolina

Awareness about the vulnerability of people with disabilities within society is increasing -- from the recent inclusion of disability as a tracked category within hate crimes reporting to the tacking on of sentence time in vulnerable victims cases. However, a critical piece is missing in this discussion of what disability’s ripple effects can be: the nexus between disability and imprisonment. Disability and criminality have been longtime companions in identifying “deviant” behavior but this Article relies on an empirical study of almost 1,000 women inmates in state prisons in North Carolina to explore how disability is more accurately defined as a systemic lack of access to health and educational resources.
A Platform Service for Remote Integrity Measurement and Attestation

Software integrity measurement and attestation (M & A) are critical technologies for evaluating the trustworthiness of software platforms. To best support these technologies, next generation operating systems must provide a centralized service for securely selecting, collecting, and evaluating integrity measurements. Centralization of M&A avoids duplication, minimizes security risks to the system, and ensures correct administration of integrity policies and systems. This paper details the desirable features and properties of such a system and introduces Maat, a prototype implementation of an M&A service that meets these properties. Maat is a platform service that provides a centralized policy-driven framework for determining which measurement tools and protocols to use to meet the needs of a given integrity evaluation. Maat simplifies the task of integrating integrity measurements into a range of larger trust decisions such as authentication, network access control, or delegated computations.
Towards functional restoration for persons with limb amputation: A dual-stage implementation of regenerative agonist-antagonist myoneural interfaces

While amputation has traditionally been viewed as a failure of therapy, recent developments in amputation surgery and neural interfacing demonstrate improved functionality and bidirectional communication with prosthetic devices. The agonist antagonist myoneural interface (AMI) is one such bi-directional neural communication model comprised of two muscles, an agonist and an antagonist, surgically connected in series within the amputated residuum such that contraction of one muscle stretches the other. By preserving agonist-antagonist muscle dynamics, the AMI allows proprioceptive signals from mechanoreceptors within both muscles to be communicated to the central nervous system. Preliminary human evidence suggests that AMIs have the capacity to provide high fidelity control of a prosthetic device, force feedback, and natural proprioception. However, AMIs have been implemented only in planned amputations and require healthy distal tissues, whereas the majority of amputations occur in patients who do not have healthy distal tissues. Through the use of a dual-stage surgical procedure which leverages existent tissues, this study proposes a revision model for implementation of the AMI in patients who are undergoing traumatic amputation or have already undergone a standard amputation. This paper validates the resulting AMI’s physiology, revealing robust viability and mechanical and electrophysiological function. We demonstrate the presence of H-waves in regenerative grafts, indicating the incorporation of the AMI into physiological reflexive loops.
Abstract P370: Minor Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Cardiovascular Mortality

Background: Although minor electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are common in clinical practice, their prognostic significance remains unclear due to inconsistent reports. Such inconsistent rep...
Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Therapy

Despite the increasing prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and its association with poor survival, isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery remains infrequent. To address this unmet clinical need, several less invasive transcatheter TV therapies have emerged as an alternative to surgery in high-risk patients with severe functional TR. The objective of this review is to summarize the current progress and future directions in the field of transcatheter TV therapies. Transcatheter TV repair devices are aimed at improving leaflet coaptation either directly by bringing the leaflets together or indirectly by addressing the dilated annulus. Transcatheter TV replacement, on the other hand, can be orthotopic (implantation of prosthetic valve in an anatomically correct position in the tricuspid annulus) or heterotopic (implantation of prosthetic valve in a different anatomic location to counter the hemodynamic and clinical consequences of severe TR). Data from first-in-man and phase 1/2 clinical studies on the safety and efficacy of various transcatheter TV therapies appear promising. Technological advancement and increased experience are anticipated to improve outcomes of transcatheter TV therapy in the coming years. Ongoing and future studies should focus on careful patient selection, optimal timing of intervention, and long-term clinical outcomes and device durability.
Topical Vancomycin for Surgical Prophylaxis in Pediatric Craniofacial Surgeries

AbstractTopical vancomycin has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for reducing surgical site infections (SSIs) following spine surgery in both adults and children, however, there are no studies of its efficacy in reducing SSIs in craniofacial surgery. The SSIs are one of the most common comp
Multiscale Modeling of Sub-Entanglement-Scale Chain Stretching and Strain Hardening in Deformed Polymeric Glasses

Using both coarse-grained (CG) and fine-grained (FG) simulations we show how strain hardening in polymeric glasses under uniaxial extension arises from highly stretched strands that form as the pol...
Women and Employment in Tunisia: Structures, Institutions, and Advocacy

Tunisia9s legacy of “state feminism” and its strong civil society—including human rights, labor, and women9s rights organizations—have placed Tunisian women in advance of their Arab sisters, and women are present across an array of professions and occupations. Still, most Tunisian women remain outside the labor force, face precarious forms of employment, or are unemployed. This article examines women9s employment patterns, problems, and prospects in the light of an untoward economic environment, conservative social norms, and feminist advocacy. Drawing on interview and documentary data, and informed by feminist political economy and institutionalism, it highlights the importance of institutional supports for working mothers and improved work conditions to encourage more female economic participation and stronger labor-force attachment and thus to weaken patriarchal attitudes and values. The paper points to the need for both class-based and gender-based policies with respect to women9s economic participation and rights.
Diagnosis and management of patients with asymptomatic carotid artery bruit.

Asymptomatic lesions cause approximately 150,000 strokes in the U.S. each year. Lesions associated with significant risk of stroke include atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid bifurcation that compromise the lumen of the internal carotid artery by 75% or more, particularly if the plaque consists of soft material. A group of individuals with significant risk are those with atherosclerotic plaques containing large ulcerations. The risk of carotid endarterectomy is lower for patients with critical lesions that are asymptomatic than for patients with any other surgical indication, and averages a combined risk of morbidity and mortality of less than 1%. Two randomized, prospective studies are currently underway to compare the risks and the benefits of medical and of surgical management of this disease. Until the results of the randomized studies are available, prophylactic carotid endarterectomy for critical lesions is justified if the risk of surgery in the hands of an individual surgeon is less than 3% combined morbidity and mortality.
Lack of Fetal Insulin Resistance in Maternal Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 8–10% of women. NIH criteria for diagnosis include chronic anovulation and evidence of clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism. PCOS is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. Our hypothesis is that insulin resistance is increased in fetuses born to women with PCOS. This is a prospective cohort of women who delivered at our institution. Subjects with a body mass index 0.99; p = 0.31, respectively). Insulin resistance is present in non-diabetic pregnant women with PCOS, however not in their fetuses. This might explain variations in the occurrence of the adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes reported in PCOS.
Surviving organizational tolerance of sexual harassment: an exploration of resilience, vulnerability, and harassment fatigue

Although reports of workplace sexual harassment share various similarities, victims uniquely react and assign meaning to these events. Using Weick’s sensemaking theory coupled with Lazarus and Folk...
A Transient-Enhanced Output-Capacitorless LDO With Fast Local Loop and Overshoot Detection

An output-capacitorless low-dropout regulator (OCL-LDO) with simple structure and fast transient response is proposed for system-on-chip (SoC) applications. A super source follower is inserted into a cascoded flipped voltage follower to drive the power transistor, which forms a fast-local loop for quick turn-on. A robust overshoot detection circuit consuming only leakage current is proposed for fast turn-off. The combination of these two techniques significantly reduce the overshoot/undershoot voltages and achieve fast settling time during load steps. A simple yet effective additional turn-around stage is added in the error amplifier to improve the positive phase slew rate for potential dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) function in battery-operated systems. The LDO is implemented in a 65 nm CMOS process and it can deliver a 20 mA load current with 0.9 V regulated output and 150 mV dropout voltage. It occupies an active area of 0.01 mm $^{\mathbf {2}}$ and can work stably in a load range from 0 to 20 mA with $65~\mu \text{A}$ quiescent current. The measured results show a settling time about 100 ns for load steps from $100~\mu $ A to 20 mA as well as V $_{\mathbf {REF}}$ and V $_{\mathbf {IN}}$ steps.
A scalable dynamic provisioning mechanism for IntServ-DiffServ networks for guaranteed services

There are various Internet Protocol (IP) QoS support approaches proposed, however no standard interconnection mechanisms have yet been developed to support dynamic provisioning among different IP QoS mechanisms. This paper addresses the particular bandwidth management problems of a backbone ISP, a Differentiated Service (DiffServ) network with an interconnection to an Integrated Service (IntServ) network. This architecture is especially interesting due to the different complementary features shared by these architectures. This study proposes mechanisms to realize the scalable dynamic provisioning and admission controlled interconnection of IntServ and DiffServ networks for guaranteed services using a bandwidth management agent called BMP (Bandwith Management Point).
Decreases in psychological inflexibility predict PTSD symptom improvement in inpatient adolescents

Abstract Background Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli and unhelpful changes in thought patterns are integral to the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychological inflexibility is a process that includes cognitive fusion (entanglement with unhelpful thoughts and taking one's thoughts as representing reality) and experiential avoidance (avoiding unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and memories). Prior research suggests that individual differences in psychological inflexibility may explain why some trauma-exposed youth develop PTSD. Additionally, decreased inflexibility may contribute to PTSD symptom improvement over the course of treatment, but no prior study has assessed this. We sought to shed light on this by evaluating, among adolescent psychiatric inpatients with PTSD, whether decreases in psychological inflexibility predicted PTSD symptom improvement from admission to discharge. Method Adolescents in an inpatient psychiatric unit completed a structured diagnostic interview at admission in addition to self-report measures of psychological inflexibility and PTSD symptom severity at admission and discharge. Analyses are conducted with adolescents with PTSD (n = 67). Results Greater reductions in psychological inflexibility during treatment predicted significantly greater decreases in PTSD symptom severity. Conclusion Reductions in psychological inflexibility appear to function as a mechanism of PTSD symptom improvement during treatment. Reducing psychological inflexibility may be a means by which PTSD treatments help trauma-exposed youth recover, and future research is needed to elucidate these findings.
Advances in the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a multifaceted disorder encompassing a family of syndromes attributable to, or exacerbated by, gastroesophageal reflux that impart morbidity, mainly through troublesome symptoms. Major GERD phenotypes are non-erosive reflux disease, GERD hypersensitivity, low or high grade esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, reflux chest pain, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and regurgitation dominant reflux. GERD is common throughout the world, and its epidemiology is linked to the Western lifestyle, obesity, and the demise of Helicobacter pylori. Because of its prevalence and chronicity, GERD is a substantial economic burden measured in physician visits, diagnostics, cancer surveillance protocols, and therapeutics. An individual with typical symptoms has a fivefold risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, but mortality from GERD is otherwise rare. The principles of management are to provide symptomatic relief and to minimize potential health risks through some combination of lifestyle modifications, diagnostic testing, pharmaceuticals (mainly to suppress or counteract gastric acid secretion), and surgery. However, it is usually a chronic recurring condition and management needs to be personalized to each case. While escalating proton pump inhibitor therapy may be pertinent to healing high grade esophagitis, its applicability to other GERD phenotypes wherein the modulating effects of anxiety, motility, hypersensitivity, and non-esophageal factors may dominate is highly questionable.
Controlling for activity‐dependent genes and behavioral states is critical for determining brain relationships within and across species

The genetic profile of vertebrate pallia has long driven debate on homology across distantly related clades. Based on an expression profile of the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A2 in mouse and chicken brains, Puelles et al. (The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2016, 524, 665-703) concluded that the avian lateral mesopallium is homologous to the mammalian claustrum, and the medial mesopallium homologous to the insula cortex. They argued that their findings contradict conclusions by Jarvis et al. (The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2013, 521, 3614-3665) and Chen et al. (The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2013, 521, 3666-3701) that the hyperpallium densocellare is instead a mesopallium cell population, and by Suzuki and Hirata (Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 2014, 8, 783) that the avian mesopallium is homologous to mammalian cortical layers 2/3. Here, we find that NR4A2 is an activity-dependent gene and cannot be used to determine brain organization or species relationships without considering behavioral state. Activity-dependent NR4A2 expression has been previously demonstrated in the rodent brain, with the highest induction occurring within the claustrum, amygdala, deep and superficial cortical layers, and hippocampus. In the zebra finch, we find that NR4A2 is constitutively expressed in the arcopallium, but induced in parts of the mesopallium, and in sparse cells within the hyperpallium, depending on animal stimulus or behavioral state. Basal and induced NR4A2 expression patterns do not discount the previously named avian hyperpallium densocellare as dorsal mesopallium and conflict with proposed homology between the avian mesopallium and mammalian claustrum/insula at the exclusion of other brain regions. Broadly, these findings highlight the importance of controlling for behavioral state and neural activity to genetically define brain cell population relationships within and across species.
Quantifying context switch overhead of artificial intelligence workloads on the cloud and edges

Context switching is the fundamental technique for providing flexible and efficient utilization of CPU resources in the multitasking system. However, context switching also introduces non-trivial overhead due to its complicated activities, resulting in not only significant performance degradation of applications, but also dramatic system low efficiency. In this paper, we perform a comprehensive and empirical study on the performance and overhead of context switches in modern artificial intelligence workloads, which identifies unrevealed and important impact on cloud servers and edge/IoT devices. Our observations and root cause analysis cast light on optimizing the system stack of modern operating systems to more efficiently support artificial intelligence workloads on the cloud and edge systems.