cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Politics and Coercion

It is beyond question that throughout recorded history there has been a connection between politics and coercion. But the source and nature of this connection has been a troublesome issue for political theorists. In this paper I will try both to explicate the source of this connection and to outline the limits within which a defensible politics can involve coercion. My argument here presupposes both that there is a distinguishable realm of politics and that there is a set of elements which any defensible politics must embody. This set of elements can be detected on the basis of clues provided by Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty.
Hot Spot Elimination by Thin and Smart Heat Spreader

Heat pipes are recognized as an excellent heat transport devices and extensively investigated for applications in electronic cooling. Different types of heat pipes have been developed such as micro/miniature heat pipes, loop heat pipes and so on, and these heat pipes have been widely applied in the field of electronics cooling such as notebook, desktop, data center; as well as aerospace, industrial cooling field. However, in recent years the application of heat pipe is widening to the filed of hand held mobile electronic devices such as smart phone, tablet pc, digital camera etc. With the development in technology these devices have different user friendly functions and capabilities, which requires the highest processor clock speed. In general, high clock speed of processor generates lot of heat which need to be spread or removed to eliminate the hot spot. It becomes a challenging task to cool such electronic devices as mentioned above with a very confined space and concentrated heat sources. Regarding to this challenge, ultra thin flat heat pipe is developed; this newly developed heat pipe consists of a special fiber wick structure which can ensure vapor spaces on the two sides of the wick structure.In this paper a novel thin spreader is proposed to eliminate the hot spot; generally the proposed heat spreader consists of 0.20mm thick metal plate and ultra thin heat pipe of 0.40mm thickness soldered in its body. Maximum thickness of this spreader is 0.63mm. Metal plate is 60mm × 110mm in size; and the ultra thin heat pipe can be fabricated from different original diameter ranges from 2.0mm to 3.0mm Cu tube. Theoretical and experimental analysis have been done to evaluate this thin spreader. In addition, some real application of this spreader will be introduced in this paper.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Cholesterol, Cholesterol Ester, and Sphingomyelin Complexed to Protein of Normal Human Lens and Senile Cataracts

The protein fractions of the lens after urea or guanidine digestion contain lipids. Cholesterol, cholesterol ester, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine were uncovered in the urea-insoluble protein fractions of human lens. Marked increases of cholesterol were found in the guanidine-soluble and guanidine-insoluble fractions of senile cataracts. Cholesterol esters increased three-fold in the guanidine-insoluble fractions of cataracts. Copolymerization of oxidized lipids with protein is the most likely mechanism for protein aggregation and insolubilization in senile cataracts.
Demographic trends for people of color

Data are presented on population trends income employment and physical and mental health for nonwhites in the United States. The data are related to the changing needs of individuals and families that have to be considered by those designing implementing and evaluating programs for nonwhites. (ANNOTATION)
EFFECTS OF EL CHICHÓN ON GLOBAL CORRELATIONS

ABSTRACT Correlations between global and beam radiation are shown to be altered by the eruption of El Chichon in 1982. The change in the regression fit mimics the change observed in the clear day solar noon transmission values. This demonstrates the dependence of the correlations on turbidity.
Newton's method for the nonlinear complementarity problem: a B-differentiable equation problem

This paper describes a damped-Newton method for solving the nonlinear complementarity problem when it is formulated as a system of B-differentiable equations through the use of the Minty-map. This general Newton algorithm contains a one-dimensional line search and possesses a global convergence property under certain conditions; modifications and heuristic implementations of the algorithm for the case when these conditions do not hold are also discussed. The numerical experiments show that, in general, this new scheme is more efficient and robust than the traditional Josephy-Newton algorithm.
Use of dielectric spectroscopy to monitor molecular mobility in glassy and supercooled trehalose.

Dielectric spectroscopy was used to comprehensively characterize the molecular mobility in amorphous trehalose, an extensively used bioprotective agent. Isothermal frequency sweeps were carried out at different temperatures in the glassy and supercooled liquid states of freeze-dried trehalose. Two previously reported secondary relaxations were observed at temperatures far below its glass transition temperature (Tg). At temperatures close to Tg, removal of dc conductivity contribution revealed a relaxation peak. The origin of this peak was evaluated using several diagnostic tests and determined to be the α-relaxation. There was also an excess wing in the high-frequency tail of α-relaxation. Sub-Tg annealing caused the primary relaxation to shift to lower frequencies, enabling resolution of the excess wing, which was characterized to be the true Johari–Goldstein (JG) relaxation. A qualitatively similar effect of annealing on JG relaxation was also observed. The average relaxation times of the two previously...
The effect of neutral polymers on the electrokinetic potential of cells and other charged particles

Abstract Electrokinetic measurements have shown that in many cases the apparent zeta potential of cells and charged particles is raised when dextran or other neutral polymers are included in the suspending medium. A consideration of artifacts which could be introduced by the presence of polymer suggests that the experimental results reflect a true increase in the electrokinetic potential. The dependence of the relative zeta potential increase on the type of cell or particle used implicates polymer adsorption in the explanation of the effect. Previously suggested explanations involving a rearrangement of the surface region to expose additional charge groups or a dielectric constant change in the double layer region are shown not to apply in general. Furthermore, although dextran increases the solubility of NaCl in aqueous solution, electrophoretic evidence strongly suggests that ion binding to an adsorbed polymer layer is not responsible for the effect. No satisfactory explanation for the zeta potential increase appears to have been offered.
Forensic Identification of Gender from Fingerprints

In the past century, forensic investigators have universally accepted fingerprinting as a reliable identification method, which relies mainly on pictorial comparisons. Despite developments to software systems in order to increase the probability and speed of identification, there has been limited success in the efforts that have been made to move away from the discipline’s absolute dependence on the existence of a prerecorded matching fingerprint. Here, we have revealed that an information-rich latent fingerprint has not been used to its full potential. In our approach, the content present in the sweat left behind—namely the amino acids—can be used to determine physical such as gender of the originator. As a result, we were able to focus on the biochemical content in the fingerprint using a biocatalytic assay, coupled with a specially designed extraction protocol, for determining gender rather than focusing solely on the physical image.
Cardiac Regeneration in the Zebrafish Model System

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews what is known about mechanisms of heart regeneration in zebrafish. In addition to addressing “how” regeneration occurs, it will touch on questions of “why.” That is, why is the capacity for natural heart regeneration limited to nonmammalian species? Unlike mammals, zebrafish have the capacity to regenerate cardiac muscle removed by mechanical injury. They do so by stimulating the creation of new cardiomyocytes at the injury site, and by restricting scar formation. Research has essentially just begun to dissect the underlying mechanisms. Initial findings indicate that the regenerating heart establishes a field of cardiac progenitors, much like the embryonic heart field, as a source of new, proliferative cardiomyocytes. Regenerative cardiogenesis then proceeds in a wave of progenitor cell seeding, cardiomyocyte differentiation, and proliferation. Concomitantly, the epicardial cell layer that surrounds the myocardium proper responds to injury by expressing embryonic epicardial markers and proliferating. Then, in a process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition reminiscent of embryonic epicardial cells, the wound and regenerating muscle become populated by invading epicardial-derived cells. These epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition events, and the neovascularization that accompanies them, require the Fgf signaling pathway, ostensibly with Fgf ligands synthesized in injured/regenerating muscle recruiting epicardial-derived cells that express Fgf receptors. These events point to an intricate orchestration of different cardiac cell types to carry out regeneration in the injured zebrafish heart.
The Storytelling Aspect of Interpersonal Relations: Understanding "Relating" from a Mentalization Point of View.

Improving a patient's ability to form and maintain satisfactory interpersonal relations is an important goal in many therapies. A mentalization-based approach to treatment is ideally suited to achieve this end to the extent it's designed to help improve a patient's ability to form more nuanced guesses about why others act as they do, based on a more accurate “read” of that individual's beliefs and desires. Interpersonal difficulties often issue when patients remain insistent on their own interpretation of another's motives that fly in the face of that individual's understanding of what is “driving” them. Helping patients explore the basis upon which they'd formed their conclusions about others goes a ways toward opening their mind to the possibility that things are a bit more complicated than first imaged. This in turn leads to greater curiosity and willingness to explore their own narratives and perceptions.
The NADPH Oxidases DUOX1 and NOX2 Play Distinct Roles in Redox Regulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a critical role in regulating airway epithelial homeostasis and responses to injury. Activation of EGFR is regulated by redox-dependent processes involving reversible cysteine oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and involves both ligand-dependent and -independent mechanisms, but the precise source(s) of ROS and the molecular mechanisms that control tyrosine kinase activity are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that stimulation of EGFR activation by ATP in airway epithelial cells is closely associated with dynamic reversible oxidation of cysteine residues via sequential sulfenylation and S-glutathionylation within EGFR and the non-receptor-tyrosine kinase Src. Moreover, the intrinsic kinase activity of recombinant Src or EGFR was in both cases enhanced by H2O2 but not by GSSG, indicating that the intermediate sulfenylation is the activating modification. H2O2-induced increase in EGFR tyrosine kinase activity was not observed with the C797S variant, confirming Cys-797 as the redox-sensitive cysteine residue that regulates kinase activity. Redox-dependent regulation of EGFR activation in airway epithelial cells was found to strongly depend on activation of either the NADPH oxidase DUOX1 or the homolog NOX2, depending on the activation mechanism. Whereas DUOX1 and Src play a primary role in EGFR transactivation by wound-derived signals such as ATP, direct ligand-dependent EGFR activation primarily involves NOX2 with a secondary role for DUOX1 and Src. Collectively, our findings establish that redox-dependent EGFR kinase activation involves a dynamic and reversible cysteine oxidation mechanism and that this activation mechanism variably involves DUOX1 and NOX2.
Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for determination of Long Chain Free Fatty Acid concentration in oily wastewater using the double wavenumber extrapolation technique

Abstract Long Chain Free Fatty Acids (LCFFAs) from the hydrolysis of fat, oil and grease (FOG) are major components in the formation of insoluble saponified solids known as FOG deposits that accumulate in sewer pipes and lead to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). A Double Wavenumber Extrapolative Technique (DWET) was developed to simultaneously measure LCFFAs and FOG concentrations in oily wastewater suspensions. This method is based on the analysis of the Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectrum, in which the absorbance of carboxyl bond (1710 cm−1) and triglyceride bond (1745 cm−1) were selected as the characteristic wavenumbers for total LCFFAs and FOG, respectively. A series of experiments using pure organic samples (Oleic acid/Palmitic acid in Canola oil) were performed that showed a linear relationship between the absorption at these two wavenumbers and the total LCFFA. In addition, the DWET method was validated using GC analyses, which displayed a high degree of agreement between the two methods for simulated oily wastewater suspensions (1–35% Oleic acid in Canola oil/Peanut oil). The average determination error of the DWET approach was ~5% when the LCFFA fraction was above 10 wt%, indicating that the DWET could be applied as an experimental method for the determination of both LCFFAs and FOG concentrations in oily wastewater suspensions. Potential applications of this DWET approach includes: (1) monitoring the LCFFAs and FOG concentrations in grease interceptor (GI) effluents for regulatory compliance; (2) evaluating alternative LCFFAs/FOG removal technologies; and (3) quantifying potential FOG deposit high accumulation zones in the sewer collection system.
The global evolution of corporate prosecutions

Corporations are now prosecuted for criminal violations across the world. In the space of 15 years, this globalization of corporate criminal prosecutions has changed the law and the practice of cri...
Sturmian minimal systems associated with the iterates of certain functions on an interval

The message source generates an analog message which we take to be a cont inuous ly d i s t r i b u t e d random va r i ab le X wi th f i n i t e var iance. Using a given encoding scheme, a d i g i t a l representa t ion of X is produced cons is t i ng of a random sequence (Yo,YI . . . . ) of symbols from a b inary set of reals la ,b~. This encoder output sequence is then no i se less l y t r ansm i t t ed to some user, who decodes t h i s sequence ^ ^ i n to a sequence (Xo,X I . . . . ) of reproduct ions of X by means of a l i n e a r f i l t e r h. Mathemat ica l l y , we may th ink of the f i l t e r h as an abso lu te ly summable sequence of real numbers h = (hu,h I . . . . ) , which operates on the encoder output sequence via d i s c r e t e t i m e convo lu t ion : i )~i = S hn_iY n , i = O , l , . . . .
Eating compared to skipping breakfast has no discernible benefit for obesity-related anthropometrics: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BackgroundSkipping versus eating breakfast has been consistently associated with higher weight in observational data, but the causal effects of eating versus skipping breakfast on obesity-related anthropometric outcomes has not been systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed. ObjectiveTo meta-analyze randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of eating versus skipping breakfast on anthropometric measures related to weight, body size, and body composition. MethodsThis abstract extends our prior systematic review by updating the search and including meta-analyses. Scopus, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Alt-HealthWatch, and Proquest Global Thesis and Dissertation databases were searched for randomized controlled trials in humans that investigated the effects of skipping versus eating breakfast on obesity-related outcomes. Studies were included that had interventions of 72 hours or longer, reported weight-related outcomes measured objectively, included participants with normal weight or greater without diseases...
MODIFICATION OF THE SURFACE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FERROUS ALLOYS BY NITROGEN ION IMPLANTATION

ABSTRACT Ion implantation of interstitial species, such as N and C, can have major influences on surface-related mechanical properties of a wide range of ferrous alloys. The degree of this effect and its persistance is indicative of the establishment of fine, high-volume-fraction metastable precipitates, which are influencing near-surface dislocations. Fatigue, cavitation-erosion, wear, and hardness are modified, frequently to a dramatic extent. Studies of these effects have been aimed at elucidating the character and location of the implantation-formed precipitate structure. A physical metallurgy model based on mechanical properties measurements, transmission electron microscopy, and internal friction studies, is presented to account for the observed effects.
Equations with Periodic Coefficients

In this chapter we discuss differential equations whose coefficients are periodic and the properties of their solutions. Such equations appear in various fields of science, e.g., solid state physics, celestial mechanics and others. Our objective is then to investiage the implications of periodicity on these systems properties and behavior. From another point of view, many physical systems are invariant with respect to certain transformations of the independent and dependent variables. Accordingly, the corresponding differential equations which model these systems are invariant under the same transformations. However, surprisingly not all solutions to these equations are invariant with respect to these same transformations. We shall illustrate this phenomena (and its partial resolution) within the context of periodic equations.
Imaging of Strabismus and Craniofacial Malformation Surgery

The term strabismus is derived from the Greek word “strabismos – to squint, to look obliquely, or askance.” Thus, strabismus consists of ocular misalignment caused by any of a wide range of abnormalities of binocular vision; extraocular muscle development; third, fourth, or sixth cranial nerve palsies; myasthenia gravis; orbital masses; orbital trauma; or inflammatory disorders, such as Graves’ orbitopathy or orbital pseudotumor. Strabismus surgery plays an important role in visual development in pediatric and adult patients by restoring the normal alignment of the eye and in some cases, improving binocular function, resolving double vision, or reducing torticollis. Different types of strabismus surgery are performed depending upon the etiology of the strabismus. The scope includes weakening procedures such as recessions, myotomies, and tenotomies; strengthening procedures such as resections, plications, and tucks; and muscle transposition procedures designed to change the vector force of the muscle. High spatial resolution orbital MRI can help delineate pertinent anatomy prior to intervention and can be particularly useful when records detailing previous surgical procedures are unavailable. Furthermore, imaging can help the strabismus surgeon with preoperative surgical planning after complications including lost or slipped extraocular muscles, torn muscles, inclusion cysts, and hardware migration from prior craniofacial or orbital repair. High spatial resolution MRI, coupled with quantitative morphometric analysis, can demonstrate the size and contractility of muscles, and surface coils enhance image quality.
Diverse Experience of Immigrant Children: How Do Separation and Reunification Shape Their Development?.

Although many immigrant children to the United States arrive with their parents, a notable proportion are first separated and later reunited with their parents. How do the experiences of separation and reunification shape the well-being of immigrant children? Data were from a national survey of legal adult immigrants and their families, the New Immigrant Survey from 2003 to 2004 (for academic achievement, age 6-12, N = 876; for psychosocial well-being, age 6-17, N = 1,084). Results indicated that immigrant children who were once separated from their parents exhibited poorer literacy and higher risk of emotional and behavioral problems than those who migrated with parents. A protracted period of separation and previous undocumented status of parents amplified the disadvantages experienced by these children.
Nucleoside analogs in the study of the epitranscriptome

Over 150 unique RNA modifications are now known including several nonstandard nucleotides present in the body of messenger RNAs. These modifications can alter a transcript's function and are collectively referred to as the epitrancriptome. Chemically modified nucleoside analogs are poised to play an important role in the study of these epitranscriptomic marks. Introduced chemical features on nucleic acid strands provide unique structures or reactivity that can be used for downstream detection or quantification. Three methods are used in the field to synthesize RNA containing chemically modified nucleoside analogs. Nucleoside analogs can be introduced by metabolic labeling, via polymerases with modified nucleotide triphosphates or via phosphoramidite-based chemical synthesis. In this review, these methods for incorporation of nucleoside analogs will be discussed with specific recently published examples pertaining to the study of the epitranscriptome.
Police Accountability and the Problem of Regulating Consent Searches

Consent doctrine rests on a legal fiction. It protects a broad realm of police conduct not because people in fact feel free to withhold consent, but because it is deemed essential to law enforcement. The assumption that consent is voluntary has been widely criticized, but the other assumption undergirding consent doctrine — that consent searches are essential to good police work — has received less attention. I argue that good police work is too often narrowly equated with finding contraband and making arrests, and that we need a better metric for determining whether “too much” evidence would be lost and “too many” searches would be forgone if consent rules were reformed. Criteria should include not only efficiency at combating crime but also safeguarding public and police safety, promoting fairness and equal treatment of civilians, contributing to improved police-community relations, and providing transparency and accountability. Evaluating and improving consent doctrine also requires addressing the question of which institutions are best suited to gather relevant data and to implement reform. Consent doctrine provides fertile ground for an evaluation of various institutional approaches to supervising police conduct. It provides an opportunity to examine the scaffolding: the built-in advantages and disadvantages of various institutional approaches to police reform. At the same time, it highlights the impossibility of considering these institutional questions without reference to concrete context. In the realm of policing, noticeable shifts in governmental approaches and priorities are often visibly tied to the change in political regimes. These fluctuations illustrate the perils of treating each institution’s role as fixed, but they also highlight the essential role of each institution, as well as the ways in which some institutions can step up as others step back. I will approach the regulation issue by considering three intertwined questions: First, what kinds of regulation will effectively limit police misuse of consent searches? Second, what data will help illuminate the nature and scope of the problem? And third, what entities can best achieve these regulatory and data-gathering goals?
Case of early Barrett cancer following peroral endoscopic myotomy.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) offers an effective and a minimally invasive approach for the management of patients with achalasia and is now considered the standard of care at many centres around the world. Despite its excellent outcomes, the high incidence of postoperative GORD remains its major limitation. Unlike laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM), no concomitant fundoplication is performed during POEM, which can increase the incidence of GORD and its long-term consequences. Recently, we diagnosed a case of de novo Barrett’s oesophagus (BE) with oesophageal adenocarcinoma in a patient, 4 years after POEM was performed for achalasia, highlighting the possible long-term consequences of postprocedural GORD. Since it was first clinically described,1 POEM has gained worldwide acceptance as an endoscopic technique for the management of achalasia. Despite its well-established efficacy and safety, the development of GORD post-POEM remains a major concern.2 Of particular concern is that up to two-thirds of patients have asymptomatic and unrecognised GORD.3 The effectiveness of our current management and monitoring strategies for GORD following POEM is not well established. In addition, long-term data pertinent to chronic oesophageal acid exposure after POEM are lacking. The following case is of a 69-year-old man who initially presented at the age of 64 with a 15-year history of dysphagia, regurgitation, microaspiration and intermittent chest pain, and high-resolution oesophageal manometry (HREM) was consistent with type III achalasia. Impedance-pH study was negative for underlying gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER), and the patient had no additional pertinent medical, surgical or family history. POEM was performed with a 17 cm oesophageal myotomy and 2 cm gastric myotomy with no adverse events. Postprocedure, the distensibility index increased from a baseline value of 1.7 mm2/mm Hg to 6.3 mm2/mm Hg using the endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP), and oesophagram revealed proper lower oesophagus emptying with no …
Anomaly cancellation in effective supergravity from the heterotic string with an anomalous U(1)

Author(s): Gaillard, MK; Leedom, JM | Abstract: © 2019 The Author(s) We show that a choice of Pauli-Villars regulators allows the cancellation of all the conformal and chiral anomalies in an effective field theory from Z3 compactification of the heterotic string with two Wilson lines and an anomalous U(1).
Adolescent Sjogren’s syndrome presenting as psychosis: a case series

Neurological involvement has been reported in up to 80% of adults with Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) with psychiatric abnormalities including anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction being common. Psychosis due to pSS has been reported in adult patients but has never been previously reported in the adolescent/pediatric literature. Here we describe for the first time four cases of adolescent Sjogren’s syndrome that presented with psychotic symptoms. Rituximab treatment was followed by improvement of psychiatric symptoms in all patients. 1: 16 year old female without significant past medical history presented to the emergency department with 4 days of abnormal behavior, tremors, insomnia, polyphagia, polyuria, and suicidal ideation. 2: 16 year old female with a 4 year history of severe anxiety, OCD, and tic disorder treated with fluoxetine with partial benefit presented with an abrupt and severe worsening of anxiety, OCD and new auditory hallucinations. 3: 19 year old female without significant past medical history presented with a 3 day history of progressively altered behavior, incoherent speech, insomnia, headache, and tangential thoughts. 4: 17 year old female without significant past medical history presented with new onset suicidal ideation, paranoia, confusion, and emotional lability. Psychosis is more common in autoimmune disease than previously known. To our knowledge, the four teenage women described above are the first reported patients with adolescent pSS manifesting as psychosis. pSS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of young patients with new psychiatric disorders, even in the absence of sicca symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms improved with rituximab infusions in all 4 of our patients, which suggests rituximab may be an effective treatment option that should be considered early after the diagnosis of pSS-associated psychiatric disturbance.
Stress-mediated exit to quiescence restricted by increasing persistence in CDK4/6 activation

Mammalian cells typically start the cell-cycle entry program by activating cyclin-dependent protein kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6). CDK4/6 activity is clinically relevant as mutations, deletions, and amplifications that increase CDK4/6 activity contribute to the progression of many cancers. However, when CDK4/6 is activated relative to CDK2 remained incompletely understood. Here, we developed a reporter system to simultaneously monitor CDK4/6 and CDK2 activities in single cells and found that CDK4/6 activity increases rapidly before CDK2 activity gradually increases, and that CDK4/6 activity can be active after mitosis or inactive for variable time periods. Markedly, stress signals in G1 can rapidly inactivate CDK4/6 to return cells to quiescence but with reduced probability as cells approach S phase. Together, our study reveals a regulation of G1 length by temporary inactivation of CDK4/6 activity after mitosis, and a progressively increasing persistence in CDK4/6 activity that restricts cells from returning to quiescence as cells approach S phase.
Abstract 360: Neighborhood-level Poverty and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis of Electronic Health Records From 2005-2018

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Disparities in AF outcomes have been related to individual-level social determinants of health, ...
Small bowel adenocarcinoma in Crohn's disease: a rare but devastating complication.

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) remains a rare entity but occurs at increased frequency in the setting of chronic Crohn’s disease (CD). Our aim was to study the presentation, diagnosis and prognosis of SBA in patients undergoing surgery for CD at a single institution. We reviewed the medical records of all patients with CD complicated by adenocarcinoma of the small bowel from 2000 to 2017. Descriptive statistics and Kaplan–Meier overall survival estimates were calculated. In total, 22 patients (14 males) with CD (median duration of Crohn’s diagnosis 32 years) were diagnosed with SBA and underwent surgical resection (8 isolated small bowel resections, 12 ileocolic resections, and 2 total proctocolectomies). The median patient age at the time of diagnosis was 54 years (range 22–82 years). A total of 17 patients (77%) underwent cross-sectional CT imaging within 3 months of surgery, a cancer diagnosis was suggested in only one patient. In one other patient, SBA was diagnosed preoperatively on endoscopic biopsy of the terminal ileum. The remaining patients were operated on for obstruction (n = 17), abscess or fistulizing disease (n = 2), and sigmoid cancer (n = 1). For these 20 (90%) patients not suspected to have SBA on preoperative assessment, 5 (25%) were diagnosed intraoperatively on frozen section and 15 (75%) were unexpectedly diagnosed postoperatively on final pathology. T staging was characterized by more advanced tumors (T4: 59%, T3: 27%, T2: 9%, and T1: 5%). Nine patients (41%) had nodal involvement and five patients (23%) had hepatic and/or peritoneal carcinomatosis. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival estimates for our cohort were 84%, 30%, and 10%, respectively. Median survival was 30.5 months with median follow-up of 23 months (range 6–84 months). SBA in the setting of CD is most commonly found incidentally after surgical resection for benign indications. As such, any suspicious finding at the time of surgery in a patient with chronic CD should warrant careful investigation with frozen section and/or resection. Prognosis for CD complicated by SBA remains poor even in the modern era.
Abstract 17079: Lower Socioeconomic Status Portends Higher Long Term Mortality Following Isolated Mitral Valve Surgery

Introduction: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with worse outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery; however, this has not been fully elucidated in mitral valve (MV) surge...
Grip force anticipation of nonlinear, underactuated load force.

From the perspective of feedforward internal model-based control, precise, anticipatory grip force (GF) control when manipulating a complex object should not be possible as the object’s changing lo...
Analysis of long-term transients and detection of early warning signs of major population changes in a two-timescale ecosystem

Identifying early warning signs of sudden population changes and mechanisms leading to regime shifts are highly desirable in population biology. In this paper, a two-trophic ecosystem comprising of two species of predators, competing for their common prey, with explicit interference competition is considered. With proper rescaling, the model is portrayed as a singularly perturbed system with fast prey dynamics and slow dynamics of the predators. In a parameter regime near singular Hopf bifurcation, chaotic mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs), featuring concatenation of small and large amplitude oscillations are observed as long-lasting transients before the system approaches its asymptotic state. To analyze the dynamical cause that initiates a large amplitude oscillation in an MMO orbit, the model is reduced to a suitable normal form near the singular-Hopf point. The normal form possesses a separatrix surface that separates two different types of oscillations. A large amplitude oscillation is initiated if a trajectory moves from the "inner" to the "outer side" of this surface. A set of conditions on the normal form variables are obtained to determine whether a trajectory would exhibit another cycle of MMO dynamics before experiencing a regime shift (i.e. approaching its asymptotic state). These conditions can serve as early warning signs for a sudden population shift in an ecosystem.
Epoxy, polyester and vinyl ester based polymer concrete: a review

Polymer concrete refers to the use of a polymer such as epoxy, polyester or vinyl ester materials for coating, supplement or cement replacement that enhances mechanical and durability properties of concrete. These three are commonly used resins; depending on the way it is applied, it can produce polymer-impregnated concrete, polymer-coated concrete, polymer-modified concrete and normal or ordinary polymer concrete with a polymer resin that is used instead of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). In general, polymer concrete has a much higher strength development rate than ordinary concrete and is used to produce high-strength concrete, which is a well-known anti-corrosion and chemical-resistant material. The mechanism that polymer concrete follows consists of using a thermosetting resin with a curing agent to initiate curing and start its cross-linking network reaction to bind with the surrounding materials. In addition, fillers and often other cementitious materials are also used to modify the resulted binder’s flowability, strength development and other properties. Due to its impermeability and other potentials, polymer concrete can be a major alternative for OPC-based concrete or act as a supplement in precast structures and repair. With this basis, this article, for the first time, provides a comparative state-of-the-art review of fresh, mechanical and durability properties, of each resin used with their respective results. Based on the reviewed content, the addition of resins can enhance physicomechanical and durability properties of concrete structures, especially if used in combination with other fillers and cementitious materials, producing a cost-effective composite material.
Simulation and Analysis of Tethering Behavior of Neutrophils with Pseudopods

P-selectin and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) play important roles in mediating the inflammatory cascade. Selectin kinetics, together with neutrophil hydrodynamics, regulate the fundamental adhesion cascade of cell tethering and rolling on the endothelium. The current study uses the Multiscale Adhesive Dynamics computational model to simulate, for the first time, the tethering and rolling behavior of pseudopod-containing neutrophils as mediated by P-selectin/PSGL-1 bonds. This paper looks at the effect of including P-selectin/PSGL-1 adhesion kinetics. The parameters examined included the shear rate, adhesion on-rate, initial neutrophil position, and receptor number sensitivity. The outcomes analyzed included types of adhesive behavior observed, tether rolling distance and time, number of bonds formed during an adhesive event, contact area, and contact time. In contrast to the hydrodynamic model, P-selectin/PSGL-1 binding slows the neutrophil’s translation in the direction of flow and causes the neutrophil to swing around perpendicular to flow. Several behaviors were observed during the simulations, including tethering without firm adhesion, tethering with downstream firm adhesion, and firm adhesion upon first contact with the endothelium. These behaviors were qualitatively consistent with in vivo data of murine neutrophils with pseudopods. In the simulations, increasing shear rate, receptor count, and bond formation rate increased the incidence of firm adhesion upon first contact with the endothelium. Tethering was conserved across a range of physiological shear rates and was resistant to fluctuations in the number of surface PSGL-1 molecules. In simulations where bonding occurred, interaction with the side of the pseudopod, rather than the tip, afforded more surface area and greater contact time with the endothelial wall.
ENGINEERING ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC PENETRATION ROADS

An example of the economic planning of penetration roads is presented. The case cited is that of the State of Tamaulipas in Northeastern Mexico. Certain general observations on the investment criteria used by Mexican government planners are introduced, particularly as those criteria are understood in the field of engineering economy. The technique of discounted cash flow is applied to suppositions regarding induced agricultural production within the zone of influence of the economic penetration road. In particular, the sensitivity of benefit-cost ratios to the rates of increase of the agricultural production induced by a road is investigated.
Abstract 19583: Autonomous and Non-Autonomous Defects Underlie Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in BRAF-Mutant hiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a pathological disorder predominantly due to mutations in sarcomeric components. Germline mutations in BRAF cause a developmental syndrome called cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFCS), in which 40% of patients also develop HCM. Since the role of the RAS/MAPK pathway in HCM is still unclear, we generated a human induced pluripotent stem cell model for CFCS from three patients with activating BRAF T599R or Q257R mutations. In order to examine hiPSC-derived cell-type specific phenotypes and cellular interactions underpinning HCM, we generated a method to purify cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes simultaneously by cell sorting based on SIRPα and CD90 expression. Purified BRAF-mutant SIRPα+/CD90- cells were >95% cardiomyocytes, displayed cellular hypertrophy with pro-hypertrophic gene expression, and dysregulation of the RAS/MAPK pathway. BRAF-mutant cardiomyocytes also displayed intrinsic calcium handling defects, including increased calcium transient irregularity and increased stored calcium within the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In addition, purified BRAF-mutant SIRPα-/CD90+ cells, which were fibroblast-like, displayed activation of the RAS/MAPK pathway and exhibited a pro-fibrotic phenotype. Cross-culture studies revealed that BRAF-mutant fibroblast-like cells critically modulate cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through TGFβ paracrine signaling, as TGFβ inhibition prevented cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by BRAF-mutant fibroblast-like cells. Additionally, inhibition of RAS/MAPK signaling was capable of rescuing BRAF-mutant cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte-intrinsic calcium handling abnormalities. Thus, we show for the first time that cell autonomous and non-autonomous defects underlie RASopathy-associated HCM. As fibroblast activation has been documented previously in sarcomeric HCM, our findings suggest that cardiac fibroblasts may contribute to pathologic hypertrophy in addition to causing fibrosis in primary forms of HCM. TGFβ inhibition may be a useful therapeutic option for patients with HCM due to RASopathies or other etiologies.
Serum hepcidin levels are associated with obesity but not liver disease.

Objective Hepcidin is regulated by anemia and inflammation. It is primarily expressed in the liver but studies have reported its expression in adipose tissue. The relationship between BMI and serum hepcidin and the relationship between liver histology and serum hepcidin in the morbidly obese was investigated. Methods Serum and liver tissue from patients undergoing bariatric surgery (bariatric cohort, n = 105) and serum from healthy blood donors (n = 60) were used to conduct this study. Serum hepcidin was measured using sandwich ELISA, highly specific for hepcidin-25. Serum ferritin, IL-6, IL-1β and liver function biochemistries were also measured. Results After controlling for covariates, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 was significantly associated with higher serum hepcidin level compared to individuals with lower BMI groups (17.7 ± 11.5 vs. 3.3 ± 4.7 ng/ml, P = 0.002). The presence of NAFLD was not associated with higher serum levels of hepcidin (multivariate P = 0.37). There was no association between serum hepcidin levels and liver histology (presence of steatohepatitis, advanced fibrosis, or NAFLD activity score) in the bariatric cohort. Conclusions Obesity, but not the presence of NAFLD was associated with serum hepcidin levels. There was no association between serum hepcidin and liver histology in the morbidly obese undergoing bariatric surgery.
Polygalacturonase of Erwinia carotovora.

Abstract The polygalacturonase, clearly differentiated from polygalacturonic acid trans-eliminase, produced in the culture fluid of Erwinia carotovora was purified 56-fold by means of acetone precipitation, acetate buffer extraction, and two successive treatments by chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose. The purified enzyme is specific for nonmethoxylated polygalacturonic acid. It shows an optimum pH between 5.2 and 5.4; no shift of optimum pH is observed when tetragalacturonic acid is used as a substrate. The activity is stimulated by 0.1 m sodium, potassium, and ammonium ions, but not by 0.001 m calcium, magnesium, and barium ions. At 0.1 m, phosphate (pH 5.2), chloride, and sulfate ions are somewhat inhibitory as compared to acetate ions, but 0.1 m phosphate (pH 4.8) and 0.001 m polymetaphosphate ions are not inhibitory. The major end products are mono- and digalacturonic acids. Digalacturonic acid is not hydrolyzed further. The relative initial rates of the reactions on substrates of different chain lengths are: polygalacturonic acid, 100; shorter chain polygalacturonic acid (average degree of polymerization, 12), 52; hexagalacturonic acid, 15.8; pentagalacturonic acid, 12.8; tetragalacturonic acid, 2.2; trigalacturonic acid, 1.7. Hexamer is cleaved predominantly at the central bond, producing 2 molecules of trimer; slower reactions yielding dimer and tetramer were also observed. Pentamer is cleaved only into dimer and trimer. Tetramer is cleaved at Bond 1 to yield trimer and monomer; the central bond of tetramer is also cleaved at a lower but significant rate to form dimer. Both reduced and oxidized tetramer are cleaved much more slowly, and at the central bond only, resulting in an accumulation of normal and reduced or oxidized dimer. Simultaneous attack of Bonds 1 and 2 is postulated for trimer hydrolysis, since only the monomer is found as the reaction product and no dimer is detected, although Erwinia polygalacturonase cannot hydrolyze the dimer. Both reduced and oxidized trimer are cleaved at Bond 1 after a long incubation.
Analysis of risk factors associated with microvascular free flap failure using a multi-institutional database.

Background There are numerous factors that may contribute to microvascular free flap failure. Although technical issues are dominant factors, patient and clinical characteristics are also contributory. The aim of this study was to investigate non-technical variables associated with microsurgical free flap failure using a multi-institutional dataset. Methods Utilizing the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, we identified all patients who underwent microvascular free tissue transfer from 2005 through 2009. Univariate analysis was performed to determine the association of flap failure with the following factors: age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, intraoperative transfusion, diabetes, smoking, alcohol, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, year of operation, operative time, number of flaps, and type of reconstruction. Factors with a significance of P < 0.2 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression model to identify independent risk factors. Results A total of 639 patients underwent microsurgical free flap reconstruction with 778 flaps over the 4-year study period; 139 patients had two free flaps during the same operation. The overall incidence of flap failure was 4.4% (34/778) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.0%, 6.2%). Operative time was identified as an independent risk factor for free flap failure. After adjusting for other factors, those whose operative time was equal to or greater than the 75th percentile (625.5 min) were twice as likely to experience flap failure (AOR 2.09; 95% CI: 1.01–4.31; P = 0.045). None of the other risk factors studied were significant contributors. Conclusions In this series, the overall flap loss rate of was 4.4%. Operative time was a significant independent risk factor for flap failure. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:6–12, 2015.
Minimum Back-Walk-Free Latency Problem

Consider a graph with n nodes V = {1, 2, . . . , n} and let d(i, j) denote the distance between nodes i, j. Given a permutation ? on {1, 2, . . . , n} such that ?(1) = 1, the back-walk-free latency from node 1 to node j is defined by l?(j) = l?(j)- 1) + min{d(?(k), ?(j)) | 1 ? k ? j - 1}. Note that l?(1) = d(1, 1) = 0. Each vertex i is associated with a nonnegative weight w(i). The (weighted) minimum back-walk-free latency problem (MBLP) is to find a permutation ? such that the total back-walk-free latency ?ni=1 w(i)l?(i) is minimized.In this paper, we show an O(n log n) time algorithm when the given graph is a tree. For a k-path trees, we derive an O(n log k) time algorithm; the algorithm is shown to be optimal in term of time complexity on any comparison based computational model. Further, we show that the optimal tour on weighted paths can be found in O(n) time.No previous hardness results were known for MBLP on general graphs. Here we settle the problem by showing that MBLP is NP-complete even when the given graph is a direct acyclic graph whose vertex weights are either 0 or 1.