cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strain accommodated by brittle failure in adjacent units of the Monterey Formation, U.S.A.: scale effects and evidence for uniform displacement boundary conditions

Abstract Extensional strain accommodated by brittle deformation was measured in adjacent mudstone and dolostone units at Arroyo Burro beach, California. The dolostone failed in effective tension whereas the mudstone failed in shear, both in response to the same extensional tectonic event. In the mudstone unit initial bed-length and fault-displacement methods document extensional strains of 6.6% ± 0.3% and 6.0% ± 0.3%, respectively. Upon adjusting the displacement estimates according to theoretical fault displacement population analysis, the corrected strain becomes 9.7% ± 0.3% for the mudstone. Measurements of vein apertures in the dolostone document extensional strain that varies according to scale, with outcrop vein scanlines indicating a strain of 3.4% ± 0.1%, and thin-section scanlines yielding a strain of 5.8% ± 0.2. Applying theoretical fault displacement population analysis to vein apertures in dolostone shows that small veins below the detection limit of outcrop surveys contribute significantly to fracture-related strain within the dolostone. This difference in extensional strain may arise because veins measured in outcrop extend across the entire bed height and thus are controlled by the dolostone mechanical layer thickness, whereas microscopic veins measured in thin-section terminate without regard to a bounding layer. The corrected dolostone strain becomes 10.2% ± 1.0%, matching the revised strain calculated in the adjacent mudstone unit and indicating uniform displacement boundary conditions for the two markedly different lithologies. The ~10% extensional strain at Arroyo Burro indicates significant strike-parallel (NW-SE) extension accommodated by brittle failure during development of the western Transverse Ranges fold and thrust belt.
Analysis of packet reservation multiple access: voice data integration for wireless networks

It is shown that PRMA (packet-reservation multiple-access) gracefully accepts low-rate data terminals with moderate data packet delays. Due to the two classes of terminals, calculation of system equilibrium requires the solution of two simultaneous nonlinear equations. By a judicious change of variables, this is reduced to a univariate problem of the same form as the speech-only system. Results for a particular design example show that, with a small reduction in the number of speech terminals, all terminals can be provided with a low-rate data capability (1200/2400 b/s) with data packet delays of a few hundred milliseconds. The results are of interest in connection with the development of future microcellular systems which will require distributed network control. >
Dielectric-waveguide filters using parallel-coupled grating resonators

Results for a new class of dielectric-waveguide bandpass filters are presented. The filters use pairs of gratings on a guide to make a resonator, and the resonators are coupled by side-by-side placement. Attenuation is by reflection around the passband and by absorption elsewhere.
Global transcriptional analysis of the stringent response in Enterococcus faecalis.

In Enterococcus faecalis, production of guanosine tetraphosphate/guanosine pentaphosphate [(p)ppGpp], the effector molecule of the stringent response, is controlled by the bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase RelA and the monofunctional synthetase RelQ. Previously, the (p)ppGpp profiles of strains lacking relA, relQ or both genes indicated that RelA is the primary enzyme responsible for (p)ppGpp synthesis under stress conditions, while the contributions of RelQ to the stringent response and cell homeostasis remained elusive. Here, survival within the mouse-derived macrophage cell line J774A.1 and killing of Galleria mellonella supported initial evidence that virulence was attenuated in the (p)ppGpp0 ΔrelAΔrelQ strain but not in the ΔrelA or ΔrelQ strains. We performed, for the first time to our knowledge, global transcriptome analysis in a documented (p)ppGpp0 Gram-positive bacterium and provided the first insights into the role of a Gram-positive monofunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase in transcriptional regulation. Transcription profiling after mupirocin treatment confirmed that RelA is the major enzyme responsible for the (p)ppGpp-mediated transcriptional repression of genes associated with macromolecular biosynthesis, but also revealed that RelQ is required for full and timely stringent response induction. The delayed transcriptional response of ΔrelQ could not be correlated with reduced or slower production of (p)ppGpp, in part because RelA-dependent (p)ppGpp accumulation occurred very rapidly. Comparisons of the transcriptional responses of ΔrelA or ΔrelAΔrelQ strains with the parent strain under starvation conditions revealed upregulation of operons involved in energy metabolism in the (p)ppGpp0 strain. Thus, while ΔrelA and ΔrelAΔrelQ cannot use (p)ppGpp to sense and respond to stresses, fitness of ΔrelAΔrelQ may be further impaired due to an unbalanced metabolism.
Agent-based electronic commerce: opportunities and challenges

A trading agent that closely models the strategies and preferences of the person or business it represents should consider many possibilities for a single transaction. How these parallel negotiations occur will be a matter of strategy, processing power, governing policies and an agent's ability to manage complexity. An agent may even consider the things already owned by the buyer, other needs outside the transaction, or the status of related negotiations. However, even a versatile agent will be constrained by laws and policies outside its control. The research presented concerns self-interested agents working in opposition to, or at least not in cooperation with, the other parties to a transaction. We presume that buyer's and seller's agents have private valuations for the items under discussion. However, we do not presume that agents are confined to, or primarily interested in, the price of goods. Price-only negotiations may find each side attempting to merely exit a transaction with minimal personal loss. Further, although many kinds of transactions may be accurately modeled as auctions, we are looking beyond auctions to integrative activities, invoking more complete disclosures of qualities such as delivery terms and finely detailed descriptions of needs.
Diagnosis and epidemiology of human herpesvirus 8 infection

Abstract There is consensus that human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a necessary, albeit not sufficient, causal agent of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). In the past several years, there have been rapid advances in our understanding of HHV-8 infection. In diagnosis, antibody detection is more sensitive than nucleic acid-based techniques. While initial serologic assays have proven useful in epidemiologic work, their application to individual patient diagnosis is problematic. The major aspects of the epidemiology of HHV-8 infection have been described, but many questions remain. For example, it is not known why there are distinct differences in worldwide distribution, with high prevalence throughout Africa and the Middle East, moderate prevalence in the Mediterranean, and low prevalence in the United States and Northern Europe. There is more than one mode of transmission, and the importance of the type of transmission varies by region. In the United States and Northern Europe, sexual transmission among homosexual men is the most common route of spread, but the specific sexual act(s) responsible are not clear. In high prevalence areas, nonsexual horizontal transmission during childhood is dominant. While saliva is the likely conduit for transmission in highly endemic areas, the precise mechanism for person-to-person spread—and whether this is preventable—is not understood. Semin Hematol 40:133-142. © Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Materials Analysis with X-Ray Rocking Curves

We review the technique of x-ray double crystal diffractometry as applied to measurement of microscopic profiles of strain in semiconductor materials. The first step in this technique is the extraction of average strains and layer thicknesses directly from the x-ray rocking curves. Profiles of strains with depth are then found by iterative fitting of the experimental rocking curves with trial distributions, incorporated into a theoretical model for the diffraction. The kinematic approximation is accurate for thicknesses up to 1µm in most semiconductors. For greater thicknesses, the more precise dynamical model must be applied.
I Know One When I See One (Or, I Know One Because I Am One): A Response to Mabbott

Educational institutions have witnessed an explosive growth in the numbers of children, adolescents, and adults labeled as learning disabled (LD). The term LD is used increasingly by both educators and the general public. Recently, the term has also appeared in the foreign language literature. However, the LD concept has come under increasing criticism because of the problems of finding an acceptable definition and the concept's lack of scientific validity. In a recent article in this journal, Ann Mabbott describes as LD five adults, all of whom have achieved degrees of proficiency in a foreign language. In this response to Mabbott, the authors take issue with her diagnosis of the subjects as LD because she provides neither substantive standardized testing evidence of the subjects' intellectual ability and academic achievement nor corroboration of the subjects' self-reports of their native and foreign language learning problems. The importance of using objective criteria to diminish heterogeneity in research samples is examined in the context of Mabbott's case studies.
CREDIT UNION TO MUTUAL CONVERSION: DO INTEREST RATES DIVERGE?

This study conducts a cross-sectional analysis of 175 depository institutions, assessing the impact on the interest rates charged on loan products and offered on savings products by the size of the institution, its liquidity, its net worth, its tax and salary payments, and its status as a for-profit institution, a credit union (CU), or a converted CU. We find that banks and converted CUs have interest rates significantly less favorable for consumers than CUs, suggesting that a CU converting will result in adverse interest rate movements for its customers. (JEL 621, L3)
Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race

Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race, 6th edition. Ashley Montagu. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1997. 699 pp.
Transformative Learning Experiences of International Graduate Students from Africa

This article examines factors that influence transformative learning experiences of international graduate students from Africa. In general, 84.8% of the participants experienced transformative learning while 15.2% reported no transformative experiences. For those who experienced transformative learning, 26.1% of the transformative experiences were associated with education, 28.3% by non-education, and 30.4% were by both education and non-education. Follow-up interviews were conducted from 12 participants who were randomly selected to ensure representations across gender, age group, country of origin, and program of study. They identified classroom activities, faculty support, and learning a new language as the educational transformative learning, and factors related to new life experiences, as non-educational. Field notes and reflection journals were utilized to triangulate data to support these methods. Data analysis and results of the study indicate that participants experienced transformative learning through both educational and non-educational related activities.
Ab initio studies of stepped {100} surfaces of KDP crystals

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4, KDP) crystals have important uses in laser components and are grown in large scale for that purpose. The need for habit control has led to interest in the step-pinning mechanisms that cause growth inhibition of the {100} face. Model systems representing five stepped KDP {100} surfaces are prepared and studied using ab initio quantum methods. Results of Hartree–Fock and density functional theory plane-wave calculations are presented, including estimated energies of ion and column removal for the steps. Steps terminated by phosphate ions are found to be less energetically favorable than their potassium-terminated counterparts. In addition, surface layer removal energies for the {100} face and the potassium-bounded and phosphate-bounded {101} faces are reported. The potassium-bounded {101} face is found to have a greater surface removal energy than the unexpressed phosphate-bounded {101} face. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
Nutrient modification of proliferation and radiation response in EMT6/RO spheroids

Abstract The effects of external nutrients on the growth and radiation response of EMT6/Ro spheroids were studied by maintaining spheroids in media with different concentrations of glucose, amino acids, and vitamins. Compared to spheroids grown in normal glucose concentration (5.5 mM), spheroids grown in higher glucose media (24.8 mM), demonstrated no difference in initial volume doubling time, clonogenicity, number of proliferating cells, or cell cycle distributions. However, histology sections revealed that, spheroids grown in higher glucose concentration had a thicker viable rim than spheroids grown in normal glucose media. Two-step acridine orange staining and dual parameter flow cytometric analysis, in addition to continuous [ 3 H]-thymidine labeling techniques, showed that spheroids grown in higher glucose had 2 to 3 times the fraction of quiescent cells, when compared to normal glucose spheroids. When irradiated in ice to reoxygenate, the Do's were similar in the normal and the higher glucose spheroids, but the Dq's were reduced in the higher glucose spheroids in the presence of increased amino acids and vitamins. When irradiated in air at 37°C, spheroids grown in the higher glucose media were more sensitive (decreased D 0 ), and had a smaller hypoxic fraction than when grown in normal glucose media. For spheroids grown in the same glucose concentrations but increased concentrations of amino acids and vitamins, there was generally an increased D 0 under all irradiation conditions. Some of these differences in radiation sensitivity could be correlated to differences in cellular glutathione levels of these spheroid cells.
Surface expression of beta 2-microglobulin-associated thymus-leukemia antigen is independent of TAP2.

Mouse thymus-leukemia antigen (TL), like other major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-b antigens, displays signs of a specialized function. It is normally expressed at high levels on immature thymocytes and at moderate levels on gut epithelium and activated mature T cells. A promoter/enhancer region unique among class I genes accounts for this narrow range of tissue distribution. Like most other class I molecules, TL is dependent upon endogenous beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) for transport to the surface. However, here we show that unlike most other MHC class I molecules, TL is expressed efficiently in the absence of functional transporter associated with antigen processing subunit 2 (TAP2). A putative fourth TLa gene cloned from A.SL1 cells was expressed in RMA and RMA-S cells. In bulk transformants, TL expression is higher in TAP2-RMA-S cells than in wild-type RMA cells, and is not elevated by incubation at reduced temperatures or exposure to exogenous beta 2m. Analysis of immunoprecipitated molecules by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate indicates that TL is processed normally in RMA-S cells and is associated with beta 2m both intracellularly and at the cell surface. However, TL heavy chains expressed on the cell surface in the absence of TAP2 are cleaved to a predominant 38 kDa fragment, presumably the result of an altered conformation that renders TL more susceptible to proteolysis. These results suggest that while TL may normally acquire TAP2-dependent peptides, this class I-b molecule does not require them for efficient export to, and stable expression at the cell surface.
Behavioral Control Dynamics and Developmental Outcomes in Infants Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine

Cette etude a examine de maniere longitudinale les associations entre les interactions mere-enfant a 15 mois et les resultats en matiere cognitive et en matiere de comportement a l'âge de 36 mois chez un echantillon de jeunes enfants a risque. Les participants pour cette etude actuelle etaient 58 bebes/jeunes enfants exposes prenatalement a la cocaine et leur mode de soin maternel. Ces bebes etaient issus d'un milieu socioeconomique bas et faisaient partie d'un cadre d'intervention. Quand les enfants avaient 12, 15, et 36 mois, ils participerent a des seances de recherche avec leur mode de soin maternel. Le developpement cognitif a 12 mois et le comportement maternel et infantile a 15 mois ont ete mesures pour predire le resultat comportemental et cognitif a 36 mois. De plus hauts niveaux de controle maternel a 15 mois etaient marginalement importants dans la prediction de plus niveaux de comportement a probleme a 36 mois, alors que de plus hauts niveaux de resistance infantile au controle predisant des niveaux plus bas de comportement a probleme. De plus, le comportement resistant au contro le dont les bebes ont fait etat servait de tampon unique contre le comportement a probleme, meme apres avoir controle les facteurs maternels et les aptitudes cognitives. Ces resultats suggerent que les tentatives de contro le maternel et les reactions infantiles a ces comportement de controle maternel jouent un role important dans le developpement de patterns de comportement adaptatif et maladaptatif durant l'enfant precoce.
Resistance of aquatic insects to a low-flow disturbance: exploring a trait-based approach

AbstractLow-flow disturbances are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity because of climate change and extensive human water withdrawal, but the effect of decreased flow on aquatic insect communities is not well understood. I explored the resistance of aquatic insects to reduced flow by creating an experimental low-flow disturbance that diverted ∼40 to 80% of the water in 3 replicate streams for 2 summers. I sampled the aquatic insect community in control and treatment reaches before and during the 3-mo water diversions. I used a trait-based approach to analyze the data because traits have the potential to increase mechanistic understanding and predictive capabilities. The analysis focused on 6 traits: desiccation resistance, maximum crawling rate, armoring, size at maturity, rheophily, and habit. Community trait composition underwent strong seasonal shifts, but few consistent responses to reduced flow were observed. The 2 trait states that did appear to confer increased resistance were high cra...
In vitro screening for molecules that affect virus capsid assembly (and other protein association reactions)

Protein self-assembly is critical for numerous biological processes. Yet, assembly is rarely targeted by therapeutic agents, in part because it is hard to identify molecules that interfere with protein-protein interactions. Here, we describe a simple fluorescence-based screen for self-association and its application to the assembly of hepatitis B virus capsids. These data are analyzed to identify kinetic and thermodynamic effects--both of which are critical for the viral lifecycle and for understanding the mechanism of assembly effectors. Suggestions are made for modification of this protocol so that it can be applied to other self-assembling systems. With manual pipetting, setting up a plate takes about 2 h, the initial reading takes 1 h and the end point reading the following day takes about 5 min.
Gulf Migration and the Family

For many decades the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council have served as primary migratory destinations for tens of millions of individuals from South Asia, West Asia, and other points in the Indian Ocean world. While both historic and substantial in scale, these migration flows remain some of the most understudied movements in the contemporary world. This paper begins with an overview of the current state of scholarship concerned with Gulf migration. The remainder of the paper frames Gulf migration through the lens of family. The paper first considers the impact of Gulf migration upon the families and households that remain in the sending countries. Next, the paper explores the particular dilemmas faced by those migrants whose families accompany them to the Gulf States. Finally, the paper concludes with an analysis of the impact of these migration flows upon local families in the Gulf States.
Effects of Progesterone and Estrogen on the Sensitivity to Angiotensin II

ABSTRACT Inulin and PAH clearances and the excretory rates of water, sodium and chloride and their responses to infusions of angiotensin were measured in nonpregnant women before and after loading with either progesterone or estrogen. Progesterone in sesame oil, given intramuscularly twice a day in doses of 300 mg/day for 3½ days, reduced significantly the renal responses to angiotensin but did not alter the pressor response. Progesterone also increased the control inulin and PAH clearances. Ethinyl estradiol, given orally in divided doses of 0.45 mg/day for 3½ days, had no discernible effect on renal function or the renal and pressor responses to angiotensin. Conclusion: Nonpregnant women, injected with progesterone in doses comparable to its rate of secretion in late gestation, resemble pregnant women in their blunted renal responses to angiotensin. Progesterone did not, however, reduce the pressor response.
Workplace productivity and managerial support issues associated with March Madness

A review of the applied literature on sports-related gambling and bracketing that is quite widespread in the USA and other countries was provided. A sample consisted of relatively well-paid, professionals who many routinely engage in office pools and most universally are involved in bracketing March Madness plays, resulting in 145 useable questionnaires recording responses to 28 variables from an initial sampling frame of slightly over 200 potential respondents associated with a major Pittsburgh-based financial service provider. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to test several hypotheses. It was found that management appears to be successfully delivering the message that office gambling activities harms productivity if management activity discourages office gambling, but there appears to be a trade-off as labour productivity may be slightly reduced on the short term and employee cohesiveness may increase on the long term. It was also found that the degree of personal involvement is important, the more an employee is involved, and the more of an impact that March Madness activities will have a negative impact on his/her productivity. However, these negative concerns may be mediated with increased employee cohesiveness and morale.
Virtual view synthesis with heuristic spatial motion

Probabilistic methods have been used in image-based rendering for solving the virtual view synthesis problem with Bayesian inference. To work well, the inference process requires the input views to be consistent to yield reasonable result, which in turn constrains the cameras to be very close to each other. Many approaches to relieving such constraint focus on the prior model. In this paper, we present a method which treats the virtual view as the outcome of a spatial motion from one real view. A sequence of images is generated heuristically to preserve textures with the aid of steerable filters. Interim results are further refined with texture-based Markov random field prior model. Experiments show that the synthesized view can have satisfactory image quality with only a few input images from wide baseline cameras.
Dispute settlement corner: United States – Section 110(5) of the US Copyright Act, Recourse to Arbitration under Article 25 of the DSU: would've or should've? Impaired benefits due to copyright infringement

This dispute between the European Communities and the United States originated when the United States amended its copyright law in a way that nullified and impaired certain benefits promised to the European Communities under the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs). Article 9.1 of TRIPs requires all WTO members to comply with Articles 1 through 21 of the Berne Convention of 1971. Among the provisions of the Berne Convention thus incorporated into the TRIPs Agreement is one that grants to authors of literary and artistic works the exclusive right to authorize ‘the public communication by loudspeaker or any analogous instrument transmitting, by signs, sounds or images, the broadcast of the work’, and another that grants to authors of dramatic and musical works the exclusive right to authorize ‘any communication to the public of the performance of these works’.
A Primate Genome Project Deserves High Priority

The initial goals of the Human Genome Project (HGP), to sequence the human genome and identify its constituent genes, are on the verge of being achieved. However, the scientific community recognizes that sequencing must be followed by understanding the manifold functions of human genes throughout
A Trajectory Analysis of Tropical Upper-Tropospheric Moisture and Convection

Abstract It is shown that the distribution of upper-tropospheric humidity (UTH) in the cloud-free Tropics can be simulated with a simple model in which air expelled from moist convective regions is dried by subsidence along its trajectory. The distribution of UTH is analyzed in the tropical eastern Pacific using moisture data retrieved from GOES 6.7-μm observations during September 1992. The analysis examines the variation in moisture along horizontal trajectories derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts wind analyses. Trajectory analysis is used to trace the convective sources of subtropical air. For the eastern subtropical Pacific, convective sources lie entirely outside the dry region, and are predominately in the ITCZ and over South America, with some air tracing to midlatitudes. The analysis also shows that, over large parts of the eastern subtropical Pacific, air has advected horizontally for five or more days since exiting convection. Composites of many trajectories from spec...
Note, Sidewalks in Cyberspace: Making Space for Public Forums in the Electronic Environment

The constitutional guarantee that citizens have access to public streets, sidewalks, and parks in order to speak and assemble is essential to a free and vibrant democratic culture. This note argues that understanding how this role should evolve in the Internet age requires attention to the spatial relationships between public forums and those places, whether in private or government hands, in which we go about daily life. Paradigmatic public forums perform their function in our constitutional order not so much because of what happens inside them as because of what happens outside or, more precisely, alongside them. As trips to the clothing store, motor vehicle administration, or community center increasingly shift from the physical environment of our cities and towns to the electronic environment of cyberspace, we must create "places in between" that enable ordinary citizens to engage one another as they move about. In particular, we must preserve the ability to contest what transpires in non-public places by ensuring communicative access to individuals as they enter stores, workplaces, government buildings, or family planning clinics. In short, we need sidewalks in cyberspace.
A Changing Landscape of Intimacy: The Case of a Single Mother by Choice:

American women who purposely undertake motherhood without the involvement of a male partner tend to be beneficiaries of second-wave feminist achievements in the areas of expanded educational and em...
Measurement of Salespeople's Job Satisfaction: Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Corresponding INDSALES and Job Descriptive Index Scales:

The satisfaction scales for work, coworkers, supervision, pay, and promotion of the INDSALES and Job Descriptive Index (JDI) were obtained from a national sample of 209 salesmen in the health care ...
Clinical problem-solving. The appropriate degree of diagnostic certainty.

Stage A previously healthy 47-year-old man presented to the emergency room after the sudden onset of cough, shortness of breath, and tightness in his chest while climbing stairs. Response The first thing that occurs to me is that this man may be having acute myocardial ischemia. The chest tightness is especially suggestive of an ischemic episode. Shortness of breath and cough are not commonly major manifestations of an acute myocardial infarction, but they can be. Another diagnostic possibility is the sudden onset of a cardiac arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular rate or ventricular tachycardia could lead to acute . . .
Metabolic Cause of Hyperkinetic Behavior

An 8-year-old female child with congenital ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) who presented with a hyperkinetic behavior disorder at 3 years is reported from the Medical School Hanover, Germany.
Intrauterine growth-restricted sheep fetuses exhibit smaller hindlimb muscle fibers and lower proportions of insulin-sensitive Type I fibers near term

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) reduces muscle mass and insulin sensitivity in offspring. Insulin sensitivity varies among muscle fiber types, with Type I fibers being most sensitive. Differ...
Eosinophilic Granuloma in the Forelimb of an Arabian Mare

Abstract A mare presented with lameness and a large swelling palmarolateral and proximal to the right carpus. Radiography revealed mineral opacity, bone remodeling, and soft tissue swelling. At surgery, fibrous tissue was removed from the subcutaneous area and sulfur granules were removed from near the carpal canal. Histopathology revealed eosinophilic inflammation. Habronemiasis was the primary differential, although no larvae were found. The swelling resolved, and the mare was sound 1 year after initial presentation.
Research in Clinical Testing of Sensibility: A Personal Journey:

It is a distinct honour and a pleasure to be asked to address the British Association of Hand Therapists. My work has been intertwined in so many ways with persons and knowledge originating in Britain. Simply put, our roads have often crossed, and we share similar objectives and problems.
Presenting Symptoms of Neurofibromatosis Type 2

The frequency and mode of presentation of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) was investigated at St Mary’s Hospital, the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, and the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK.
Abstract 18939: Micro RNA-93 Promotes Macrophage M2 Polarization in Experimenal Peripheral Arterial Disease

Macrophages (MO) were well known to play vital roles in promoting blood flow by arteriogenic induction in experimental Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). MOs depending on the cytokine milieu, exist...
Probabilistic spatio-temporal resource search

In this paper, we deal with the resource search problem in a probabilistic setting. In a resource search problem, there are spatially located static resources and a mobile agent. The agent looks to obtain one of the resources while minimizing the cost. This cost may consist of different types of costs the agent has to pay, from travel time to the cost of obtaining a certain resource. We assume that the agent has no knowledge of exact availability of the resources in real-time, but some prior or partial data gives estimations of this information. This model applies to many situations that arise in urban transportation systems, such as drivers looking for street parking, taxis looking for new customers, and electric vehicles looking for charging stations. Our approach to the resource search problem only employs uncertain information about resource availability, minimizes the expected cost, and utilizes concepts from decision theory. A simulation that uses real-world data is used to compare our approach to alternatives.
PURGATORIO II: IL FASCINO PERICOLOSO DELL' «AMOROSO CANTO» DI CASELLA

Il saggio illustra ed analizza l'ipotesi secondo la quale si potrebbe interpretare l'episodio dell'incontro di Dante con Casella come l'intento del poeta di far risaltare la dolcezza quale elemento caratterizzante del canto in volgare italico, parallelamente allo stile letterario dello stil novo. Nonostante il pellegrino si trovi ormai all'ingresso del posto di espiazione delle colpe di cui si e macchiato sulla terra, luogo di peccato, egli non se ne e ancora distaccato del tutto. Per esprimere con la massima efficacia questo richiamo nostalgico, Dante si serve di una canzone d'amore e ne sottolinea ripetutamente il potere ipnotico della “dolce” musica. L‘«amoroso canto» intonato da Casella e un canto profano, quindi estraneo al regno della purificazione dell'anima. Egli canta da solo, come per esprimere l'attaccamento alle passioni umane che ogni singola anima filtra, rivivive e personalizza nei propri ricordi. Alla stasi di Dante, di Virgilio e delle anime, si contrappone il tempestivo intervento di Cat...
Utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy for prediction of cognitive workload in noisy work environments

Occupational noise frequently occurs in the work environment in military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. This impacts cognitive performance by acting as a stressor, potentially interfering with the analysts' decision-making process. We investigated the effects of different noise stimuli on analysts' performance and workload in anomaly detection by simulating a noisy work environment. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to quantify oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as behavioral measures, which include eye tracking, reaction time, and accuracy rate. We hypothesized that noisy environments would have a negative effect on the participant in terms of anomaly detection performance due to the increase in workload, which would be reflected by an increase in PFC activity. We found that HbO for some of the channels analyzed were significantly different across noise types ([Formula: see text]). Our results also indicated that HbO activation for short-intermittent noise stimuli was greater in the PFC compared to long-intermittent noises. These approaches using fNIRS in conjunction with an understanding of the impact on human analysts in anomaly detection could potentially lead to better performance by optimizing work environments.
Blockchains and Consensus Protocols: Snake Oil Warning

A blockchain is a public ledger for recording transactions, maintained by many nodes without central authority through a distributed cryptographic protocol. All nodes validate the information to be appended to the blockchain, and a consensus protocol ensures that the nodes agree on a unique order in which entries are appended. Consensus protocols for tolerating Byzantine faults have received renewed attention because they also address blockchain systems. However, amid the current hype around blockchains, cryptocurrencies, fintech startups, and novel consensus mechanisms, it is sometimes overlooked that assessing and gaining confidence in the resilience of a protocol is a difficult task.We argue that developing consensus protocols is similar to engineering cryptographic systems, and that blockchain developers should look towards the established experience in cryptography and security with building trustworthy systems. Otherwise, it might be dangerous to entrust financial value to new protocols. Public discussion, expert reviews, broad validation, and standards recommendations should be employed, following the established practice in cryptography and security.
Therapeutic Delivery of Simvastatin Loaded in PLA-PEG Polymersomes Resulted in Amplification of Anti-inflammatory Effects in Activated Microglia

Simvastatin (Sim), a lipid-lowering drug has been studied in chronic neuroinflammation associated with degenerative brain disorders due to its potential protective properties against inflammatory reaction, oxidative damage, neuronal dysfunction, and death. Meanwhile, potential application of Sim in neuroinflammation will require a suitable delivery system that can overcome notable challenges pertaining to poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and side/off-target effects. Herein, we engineered and characterized nano-sized polymersomes loaded with Sim (Sim-Ps) using PEG-PdLLA (methoxy polyethylene glycol-poly(D,L) lactic acid) diblock co-polymers. Studies in BV2 microglia indicated that Sim-Ps was superior to Sim alone in suppressing nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion against LPS activation. The effectiveness of Sim-Ps as compared with Sim alone, in attenuating NO and cytokine production by activated BV2 cells can be attributed to (a) colloidal stability of the delivery platform, (b) protracted release of biologically active Sim, and (c) particulate internalization coupled with enhanced Sim exposure to BV2 cells. Intranasal delivery in BALB/c mice demonstrated enhanced brain distribution with increasing time after administration. Overall data demonstrated suitability of PEG-PdLLA polymersomes in Sim delivery for potential application in treating neuroinflammation.
Acuros CTS: A fast, linear Boltzmann transport equation solver for computed tomography scatter – Part II: System modeling, scatter correction, and optimization

Purpose To correct for scatter in kV cone-beam CT (CBCT) projection data on a clinical system using a new tool, Acuros® CTS, that estimates scatter images rapidly and accurately by deterministically solving the linear Boltzmann transport equation. Methods Phantom and patient CBCT scans were acquired on TrueBeam® radiotherapy machines. A first-pass reconstruction was used to create water and bone density maps of the imaged object, which was updated to include a more accurate representation of the patient couch. The imaging system model accounted for the TrueBeam x-ray source (polychromatic spectrum, beam filtration, bowtie filter, and collimation hardware) and x-ray detection system (antiscatter grid, flat-panel imager). Acuros CTS then used the system and object models to estimate the scatter component of each projection image, which was subtracted from the measured projections. The corrected projections were then reconstructed to produce the final result. We examined the tradeoff between run time and accuracy using a Pareto optimization of key parameters, including the voxel size of the down-sampled object model, the number of pixels in the down-sampled detector, and the number of scatter images (angular down-sampling). All computations and reconstructions were performed on a research workstation containing two graphics processing units (GPUs). In addition, we established a method for selecting a subset of projections for which scatter images were calculated. The projections were selected to minimize interpolation errors in the remaining projections. Image quality improvement was assessed by measuring the accuracy of the reconstructed phantom and patient images. Results The Pareto optimization yielded a set of parameters with an average run time of 26 seconds for scatter correction while maintaining high accuracy of scatter estimation. This was achieved in part by means of optimizing the projection angles that were processed, thus favoring the use of more angles in the lateral (i.e., horizontal) direction and fewer angles in the AP direction. In a 40 cm solid water phantom reconstruction, nonuniformities were decreased from 217 HU without scatter correction to 51 HU with conventional (kernel-based) scatter correction to 17 HU with Acuros CTS-based scatter correction. In clinical pelvis scans, nonuniformities in the bladder were reduced from 85 HU with conventional scatter correction to 14 HU with Acuros CTS. Conclusions Acuros CTS is a promising new tool for fast and accurate scatter correction for CBCT imaging. By carefully modeling the imaging chain and optimizing several parameters, we achieved high correction accuracies with computation times compatible with the clinical workflow. The improvement in image quality enables better soft-tissue visualization and potentially enables applications such as adaptive radiotherapy.
Volatile Organic Compounds

Detection and quantification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are basic and necessary requirements for many applications, including environmental monitoring, occupational safety, and healthcare. Many toxic and/or carcinogenic VOCs are used as solvents and base raw materials in chemical process industries. For example, ketones (acetone and methylethyl ketone), alkanes (hexane), alcohols (ethanol), and aromatics (benzene and toluene) are widely used as a solvent, and formaldehyde is used as a base raw material for the resin industry. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (commonly known as BTEX compounds) are released in automobile exhaust gas. Further, some VOCs have been identified as potential biomarkers of diseases in exhaled breath, such as alkanes and benzene derivatives for lung cancer and acetone for diabetes. Hence accurate identification and quantification of these VOCs is a must to protect the human health at work place, environment, and disease diagnosis.
Readmissions within Pediatric Neurology: A Quality Improvement Initiative Involving Discharge Optimization (P4.146)

Objective: To examine pediatric neurology readmissions to identify potential risk factors and assess the impact of standardized discharge information for patients and families. Background: Readmission rates are a potential quality measure but aside from general pediatric studies that found patients with seizures to have readmission rates of 5–6%, there is limited data identifying risk factors for unplanned readmissions within the general pediatric neurology population. Design/Methods: In 2015 the readmission taskforce conducted a two-year retrospective review to identify drivers of readmission and develop possible interventions. A standardized discharge template for seizure patients was created and a discharge clinic was developed to expedite time to follow-up. A chart review of discharges between July 2015 and June 2016 was performed to study the effect of these interventions. Run charts were plotted on a monthly basis with intermittent statistical analysis to assess impact. Results: Monthly readmission rates from July 2015 through June 2016 ranged from 7% to 15.2%, with an overall rate of 10%. The readmission rate for new patients who followed up in either the general resident clinic or the discharge clinic was 5.4%. Upon further analysis of this cohort, all readmitted patients had a scheduled follow-up within 30 days. A run chart measuring discharge template utilization demonstrated decreased readmission rates with higher utilization. Conclusions: As seizures encompass a majority of readmissions, standardized discharge information appears to correlate with lower readmission rates, suggesting that proper patient family education may impact readmissions. However, readmission rates among patients with earlier scheduled follow-ups were higher than those without. This may imply higher complexities or other potential risk factors within this group. These reasons as well as currently limited referral, the efficacy of a discharge clinic for expedited follow-up has not yet been adequately studied. Further studies are necessary to better identify and intervene for high-risk patients. Disclosure: Dr. Heath has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ojo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Garcia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Leimkuhler has nothing to disclose.
On the linearity of regression

A stochastic process X={X t :t∈T| is called spherically generated if for each random vector $$X = (X_{t_1 } , \ldots ,X_{t_n } )$$ , there exist a random vector Y=(Y1,..., Y m) with a spherical (radially symmetric) distribution and a matrix A such that X is distributed as AY. X is said to have the linear regression property if ℰ(X 0¦X 1,..., X n) is a linear function of X 1,..., X n whenever the X j's are elements of the linear span of X. It is shown that providing the linear span of X has dimension larger than two, then X has the linear regression property if and only if it is spherically generated. The class of symmetric stable processes which are spherically generated is shown to coincide with the class of socalled sub-Gaussian processes, characterizing those stable processes having the linear regression property.
Answer to June 2017 Photo Quiz.

Answer: Paragonimus kellicotti infection . Paragonimiasis, infection with trematodes of the genus Paragonimus, is a common foodborne parasitic disease in Asia ([1][1]). Infections in Japan and Southeast Asia are caused by P. westermani, while infection in the United States is rare and is caused by
Symposium Introduction: Marijuana, Federal Power & The State

The insistence of multiple states on experimenting with various levels of marijuana decriminalization or legalization raises a host of important and difficult legal questions. To explore these questions, and the emerging landscape of marijuana law and policy, the Center for Business Law & Regulation at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law hosted an interdisciplinary conference on "Marijuana, Federal Power & the States" in September 2014. The papers from this conference are contained in this issue and address a range of constitutional, regulatory, and policy issues raised by the conflict between federal marijuana prohibition and recent state-level marijuana reforms. The focus of these papers is not whether marijuana should or should not be legal, whether for medical or recreational purposes. Rather, these papers focus on the legal and policy questions raised by the fact that federal and state marijuana laws conflict.
Changes in the Physic-Mechanical Characteristics of the Soil of the Operated Foundation

Purpose of resea rch. Condition analysis of block of flats after full repairs. Methods. Inspection of buildings and constructions is an important part of the construction industry allowing analyzing and revealing defects and damages of building constructions, both by visual and tool methods. The comparative analysis of project documentation and research materials of last years allows revealing condition dynamics of constructions and of low-quality work of contract organizations at various production stages. Results. The revealed discrepancies during the inspection of block of flats in Kursk city are described. The first one is requirements' neglect of the existing normative documentation to heat technical characteristics of walling. Violations of silicate brick walls' plastering technology are also revealed. The other negative factor is violation of fire safety regulations due to the poor quality of materials used in roof repair and decrease in wood quality in comparison with the design project. At the same time it is determined that strengthening offered by the results of the previous inspections was not applied during full repairs. Conclusion. It is necessary to pay much attention to each house, its features and damages during full repair. At the same time project documentation has to be complied with modern norms and rules. Materials and order of works have to meet requirements of project documentation. When carrying out small repairs it is necessary to make work acceptance after each completed construction stage to reduce emergence risk.