cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maximum-Likelihood Estimation of the Parameters of a Four-Parameter Generalized Gamma Population from Complete and Censored Samples

Consider the four-parameter generalized Gamma population with location parameter c, scale parameter a, shape/power parameter b, and power parameter p (shape parameter d = bp) and probability density function f(x; c, a, b, p) = p(x — c) bp–1 exp {–[(x – c)/a] p }/a bp Γ(b), where a, b, p > 0 and x ≥ c ≥ 0. The likelihood equations for parameter estimation are obtained by equating to zero the first partial derivatives, with respect to each of the four parameters, of the natural logarithm of the likelihood function for a complete or censored sample. The asymptotic variances and covariances of the maximum-likelihood estimators are found by inverting the information matrix, whose components are the limits, as the sample size n → ∞, of the negatives of the expected values of the second partial derivatives of the likelihood function with respect to the parameters. The likelihood equations cannot be solved explicitly, but an iterative procedure for solving them on an electronic computer is described. The results ...
Dynamic simulation of crack propagation with dislocation emission and migration

We present a simulation procedure for fracture that self-consistently accounts for dislocation emission, dislocation migration and crack growth. We find that the dislocation microstructure in front of the crack tip is highly organized and shows a complex temporal-spatial evolution. The final dislocation microstructure and the number of emitted dislocations immediately proceeding fracture varies rapidly with the loading rate. For high loading rates, fracture occurs at smaller loads with increasing loading rate. However, the load at fracture shows a maximum with respect to loading rates.
Text pattern matching based on a high-speed signal processor

The prototype implementation of a high-speed text search processor is presented. The system uses a programmable analogue signal processing device based on acoustic charge transport technology. Several text search operations can be performed, including operations with ‘don't care’ terms, at throughput rates approaching 90 million characters per second.
THE REVERSIBLE INACTIVATION OF BACTERIOPHAGE BY BICHLORIDE OF MERCURY

1. The complete inactivation of antistaphylococcal phage by HgCl2 (2.8 per cent for 216 hours) can be reversed by precipitation of Hg++ with restoration of the phage to its original titre. 2. This behavior seems more compatible with the known properties of certain enzymes than with those of living protoplasm.
Trellis codes for 4-ary continuous phase frequency shift keying

The approach of Morales-Moreno and Pasupathy (1988) is extended for the design of trellis codes for 4-ary continuous phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK) with modulation index h=1/2. The criterion for comparison of codes is the maximum free Euclidean distance for a given rate and the number of states of the signal space code. For the same number of states of the signal space code, these codes improve the free Euclidean distance by up to 1.25 dB over previously published results. Finally, the implementation of the combined coding and modulation system is discussed. >
Surface current measurements by HF radar over fresh water at Lake Michigan and Lake Tahoe

HF radar is widely used over salt water to measure surface currents, winds and waves. The authors report results over fresh water in Lakes Michigan and Tahoe. Although these pilot experiments were brief, they established that useful HF radar observations of surface currents can be obtained out to ranges of about 10 to 15 km with wave heights corresponding to wind speeds of about 3 to 7 m/s. Ranges 2 to 3 times larger and often more would be expected over salt water due to improved ground wave propagation. The currents measured by HF radar closely tracked in-situ current measurements by an acoustic Doppler current profiler. These encouraging results demonstrate the utility of HF radar in freshwater applications, but with significantly less spatial coverage than over salt water.
The role of dietary vitamin E in experimental Listeria monocytogenes infections in turkeys

The current study was designed to determine if dietary vitamin E influenced either the gut clearance or levels of peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in adult turkeys experimentally infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Turkeys were fed vitamin E (0, 100, or 200 IU) from day of hatch to time of necropsy. After 6 wk on the experimental diet, turkeys were orally inoculated with L. monocytogenes (approximately 10(9) cfu). To monitor infection status, cloacal swabs were taken on selected days post-inoculation (DPI). At necropsy, samples of viscera, including liver, spleen, cecum, duodenum, ileum, and colon were collected and cultured for L. monocytogenes. In experiments 1 and 2, recovery of L. monocytogenes from cloacal swabs, tissues, and intestines from turkeys fed vitamin E was generally lower than that from turkeys fed the control diet, although these differences were not statistically significant. When data from both trials were combined, L. monocytogenes was cultured less frequently from cloacal swabs of the vitamin E-treated group (200 IU) on 2 and 3 DPI, when compared to controls (0 IU, P < 0.01). There were no changes in virulence characteristics of L. monocytogenes cells, as measured by in vitro killing of Ped-2E9 cells, recovered from cloacal swabs or tissues of experimentally infected turkeys fed the control or a vitamin E treatment diet. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral blood T lymphocytes were elevated at 6 and 8 DPI in infected turkeys given 200 IU vitamin E.
Neuropsychological deficits associated with diffuse Lewy body disease

Diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD), in its pure form, is a neuropathologic condition in demented patients that is characterized by subcortical and diffusely distributed neocortical Lewy bodies with little or no concomitant Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Clinically, DLBD patients initially present with dementia of insidious onset and subsequently develop mild extrapyramidal motor dysfunction. The present study retrospectively examined the neuropsychological test performance of five patients with DLBD and compared their performance to that of equally demented patients with neuropathologically confirmed "pure" AD. The results showed that the DLBD patients were globally demented with deficits in memory, attention, language, psychomotor performance, and "executive" functions, and a strikingly severe deficit in visuospatial and visuoconstructive abilities. The visuoconstructive and psychomotor impairments of the DLBD patients were significantly worse than those of the AD patients, whereas the memory performance of the AD patients was worse than that of the DLBD patients. These results indicate that DLBD without concomitant AD pathology can produce a global dementia with aspects of both cortical and subcortical dysfunction and suggests that Lewy body pathology contributes importantly to the clinical manifestation of the Lewy body variant of AD.
The Effect of Microalloying B on the High Temperature Mechanical Properties of Ti3Al

The effect of adding boron to Ti3Al on the microstructure and high temperature tensile properties has been studied. Boron caused a large grain refinement that dominated the tensile properties at all temperatures. Particles of Ti2B were found in all of the boron containing alloys. TiB was found only at concentrations of 0.1% B or more.
3D Visual Proxemics: Recognizing Human Interactions in 3D from a Single Image

We present a unified framework for detecting and classifying people interactions in unconstrained user generated images. Unlike previous approaches that directly map people/face locations in 2D image space into features for classification, we first estimate camera viewpoint and people positions in 3D space and then extract spatial configuration features from explicit 3D people positions. This approach has several advantages. First, it can accurately estimate relative distances and orientations between people in 3D. Second, it encodes spatial arrangements of people into a richer set of shape descriptors than afforded in 2D. Our 3D shape descriptors are invariant to camera pose variations often seen in web images and videos. The proposed approach also estimates camera pose and uses it to capture the intent of the photo. To achieve accurate 3D people layout estimation, we develop an algorithm that robustly fuses semantic constraints about human interpositions into a linear camera model. This enables our model to handle large variations in people size, heights (e.g. age) and poses. An accurate 3D layout also allows us to construct features informed by Proxemics that improves our semantic classification. To characterize the human interaction space, we introduce visual proxemes, a set of prototypical patterns that represent commonly occurring social interactions in events. We train a discriminative classifier that classifies 3D arrangements of people into visual proxemes and quantitatively evaluate the performance on a large, challenging dataset.
Understanding public support for time limits and other welfare reforms

This article presents results of a reanalysis of data from a survey of New York residents regarding that state's welfare system and proposed welfare reform. The data danger from most previous studies of public opinion about welfare because questions were asked about a range of specific welfare reform options, such as various time limits, eligibility restrictions, and work requirements, that are key features of the new federal welfare law. Specifically, the analysis explores the extent to which public support for these reforms can be explained by self interest factors, political qualification, and beliefs regarding the poor, social rights, and the welfare system. White these variables have been found to be important in prior research, they provide a somewhat less consistent explanation of support for specific features of the new welfare system in the United States.
An integrated apparatus to measure Mallampati score for the characterization of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects as many as 1 in every 5 adults and has the potential to cause serious long-term health complications such as, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension and the consequent reduced quality of life. Studies have shown that the probability of having OSA increases with a higher BMI irrespective of gender and that there is a definite link concerning the race of the patient and having OSA. This paper describes the design of an integrated apparatus to collect Mallampati scores with little human intervention and perform automatic processing of various parameters. The system permits life-cycle studies on patients with OSA and other sleep disorders.
Glycosphingolipids on Human Myeloid Cells Stabilize E-Selectin–Dependent Rolling in the Multistep Leukocyte Adhesion Cascade

Objective— Recent studies suggest that the E-selectin ligands expressed on human leukocytes may differ from those in other species, particularly mice. To elaborate on this, we evaluated the impact of glycosphingolipids expressed on human myeloid cells in regulating E-selectin-mediated cell adhesion. Approach and Results— A series of modified human cell lines and primary neutrophils were created by targeting UDP-Glucose Ceramide Glucosyltransferase using either lentivirus-delivered shRNA or CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing. Enzymology and mass spectrometry confirm that the modified cells had reduced or abolished glucosylceramide biosynthesis. Glycomics profiling showed that UDP-Glucose Ceramide Glucosyltransferase disruption also increased prevalence of bisecting N-glycans and reduced overall sialoglycan expression on leukocyte N- and O-glycans. Microfluidics-based flow chamber studies demonstrated that both the UDP-Glucose Ceramide Glucosyltransferase knockouts and knockdowns display ≈60% reduction in leukocyte rolling and firm adhesion on E-selectin bearing stimulated endothelial cells, without altering cell adhesion to P-selectin. Consistent with the concept that the glycosphingolipids support slow rolling and the transition to firm arrest, inhibiting UDP-Glucose Ceramide Glucosyltransferase activity resulted in frequent leukocyte detachment events, skipping motion, and reduced diapedesis across the endothelium. Cells bearing truncated O- and N-glycans also sustained cell rolling on E-selectin, although their ability to be recruited from free fluid flow was diminished. Conclusions— Glycosphingolipids likely contribute to human myeloid cell adhesion to E-selectin under fluid shear, particularly the transition of rolling cells to firm arrest.
CMOS Angle Sensitive Pixels for 3-D Imaging

Angle Sensitive Pixels (ASPs) are micro-scale diffractive structures sensitive to the angular distribution of incident light. Arrays of ASPs, built in standard CMOS, are able to image 3-D structures with or without a lens.
Tips and tools for troubleshooting nutritional management on dairy herds.

Veterinarians can play an important role in troubleshooting nutritional management problems on dairy herds. While nutritionists typically do the bulk of these activities, veterinarians bring a different and complementary perspective to nutritional management. Specific areas where veterinarians may become involved include evaluating diet formulation, individual feed ingredients, feed mixes or the total mixed ration, consistency and frequency of feed delivery, and amount of feed called for each pen. Dairy clients receive the best consulting services possible when there is a healthy respect and appropriate tension between veterinarians and nutritionists.
Polymer/Polymer Blend Solar Cells Using Tetraazabenzodifluoranthene Diimide Conjugated Polymers as Electron Acceptors

Two n-type semiconducting polymers with alternating arylene (thiophene or selenophene)–tetraazabenzodifluoranthene diimide (BFI) donor–acceptor architecture have been investigated as new electron acceptors in polymer/polymer blend solar cells. The new selenophene-linked polymer, PBFI-S, has a significantly smaller optical band gap (1.13 eV) than the thiophene-linked PBFI-T (1.38 eV); however, both polymers have similar HOMO/LUMO energy levels determined from cyclic voltammetry. Blends of PBFI-T with the thiazolothiazole–dithienylsilole donor polymer (PSEHTT) gave a 2.60% power conversion efficiency (PCE) with a 7.34 mA/cm2 short-circuit current. In contrast, PBFI-S:PSEHTT blends had a 0.75% PCE with similarly reduced photocurrent and external quantum efficiency. Reduced free energy for charge transfer and reduced bulk electron mobility in PBFI-S:PSEHTT blends compared to PBFI-T:PSEHTT blends as well as significant differences in bulk film morphology are among the reasons for the large loss in efficiency i...
Pehr Kalm'S Description of a Type of Creature in North America Called the Wood Tick

Pehr Kalm's writings contain a wealth of material for both the historian and the scientist. The wide scope of his interest may be judged from the articles which he contributed to the Handlingar from 1749 to 1778. There are seventeen papers, and they discuss the economic value of many trees, shrubs and herbs together with their characteristics and medicinal uses, agriculture, climate, animals and insects. The paper here translated was published in Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar 15: 19–31. 1754, under the title “Berattelse om et slags yrfa i Norra America, Skogs-Loss kalladt.”
URANIUM: MINERALOGY, GEOCHEMISTRY AND THEENVIRONMENT.Peter C. Burns and Robert Finch, Editors, Reviews in Mineralogy, 1999, Vol. 38, 679 p. Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, D.C. $32 ($24 for MSA members).

Uranium: Mineralogy, Geochemistry and the Environment is based on a short course offered on October 22 and 23, 1999. This tome represents a uniquely valuable and generally up-to-date source of information on uranium mineralogy, ore deposits, the geomicrobiology of uranium, radioactive wastes, and chemical, isotopic and other analytical methods. For those interested in these topics, the book should become an essential reference. The fourteen chapters and their authors include (1) Radioactivity and the 20 th Century , R.C. Ewing; (2) The Crystal Chemistry of Uranium , P. C. Burns; (3) Systematics and Paragenesis of Uranium Minerals , R. Finch and T. Murakami; (4) Stable Isotope Geochemistry of Uranium Deposits , M. Fayek, and T.K. Kyser; (5) Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry of Actinides, W.M. Murphy and E.L.Shock; (6) Uranium Ore Deposits: Products of the Radioactive Earth , J. Plant, P.R. Simpson, B. Smith and B.F. Windley; (7) Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Natural Fission Reactors in Gabon , J. Janeczek; (8) Geomicrobiology of Uranium , Y. Suzuki and J.F. Banfield; (9) Uranium Contamination in the Subsurface: Characterization and Remediation , A. Abdelouas, W. Lutze and H.E. Nutall; (10) Uranium Mineralogy and the Geologic Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel , D. Wronkiewicz and E. Buck; (11) Spectroscopic Techniques Applied to Uranium in Minerals , J.M. Hanchar; (12) Infrared Spectroscopy and Thermal Analysis of the Uranyl Minerals , J. Cejka; (13) Analytical Methods for the Determination of Uranium in Geological and Environmental Materials , S.F. Wolf; and (14) Identification of Uranium-bearing Minerals and Inorganic Phases by X-ray Powder Diffraction , F.C. Hill. In the Preface the editors note that “more than five percent of minerals known today contain uranium as an essential constituent.” This number has exploded through time from two (pitchblende and torbernite) in 1800, to 20 in 1900, 70 in 1950 and 135 …
Effects of common ingredients in EPDM insulation on thermal decomposition behaviors of dicumyl peroxide as crosslinking agent

The effects of silica,stearic acid and magnesium oxide on thermal decomposition of dicumyl peroxide(DCP) and its decomposition products were investigated by means of thermal gravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry(TG-DSC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrum(GC-MS) respectively.The influence mechanism of silica and stearic acid on thermal decomposition of DCP were also analyzed.Results show that silica has catalytic effect on thermal decomposition of DCP,and can obviously reduce the activation energy for thermal decomposition of DCP.It was found that silica can also catalyze α,α-phenyl dimethyl carbinol to become α-methylstyrene,and can accelerate β-eliminate reaction to produce α-acetophenone;Stearic acid has little effect on peak temperature and activation energy of DCP thermal decomposition reation,however,it has weak influence to catalyze α,α-phenyl dimethyl carbinol to α-methylstyrene,and accelerate β-eliminate reaction;Magnesium oxide(MgO) has little effect on thermal decomposition of DCP.
Social interactions and children with asthma

This article reviews the literature on the effects of living in a disenfranchised community for low-income African American children who have asthma. The review focuses on social integration, social network, interactions with parents, and limited cultural resources, which lead to negative health outcomes among these children.
Immune response in virus model structured by cell infection-age.

This paper concerns modeling the coupled within-host population dynamics of virus and CTL (Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte) immune response. There is substantial evidence that the CTL immune response plays a crucial role in controlling HIV in infected patients. Recent experimental studies have demonstrated that certain CTL variants can recognize HIV infected cells early in the infected cell lifecycle before viral production, while other CTLs only detect viral proteins (epitopes) presented on the surface of infected cells after viral production. The kinetics of epitope presentation and immune recognition can impact the efficacy of the immune response. We extend previous virus models to include cell infection-age structure in the infected cell compartment and immune response killing/activation rates of a PDE-ODE system. We characterize solutions to our system utilizing semigroup theory, determine equilibria and reproduction numbers, and prove stability and persistence results. Numerical simulations show that ``early immune recognition'' precipitates both enhanced viral control and sustained oscillations via a Hopf bifurcation. In addition to inducing oscillatory dynamics, considering immune process rates to be functions of cell infection-age can also lead to coexistence of multiple distinct immune effector populations.
SYNTHETIC BINDERS FOR CARBON AND GRAPHITE

Studies of synthetic binders have been conducted to obtain carbon bodies of controlled physical properties. A large number of resins were screened by means of a modified carbon residue procedure and three thermo-setting resins appeared outstanding—phenol formaldehyde, phenol benzaldehyde and furfuryl alcohol. Green carbons were prepared from Texas Lockport No. 90 petroleum coke flour with various synthetic binders as well as Barrett No. 30 medium coal tar pitch. Various molding techniques were designed and applied to specific systems. Samples were first baked under an inert atmosphere to a temperature of 1000°C in a six-day cycle and then subjected to graphitization conditions at ca. 2800°C. Electrical resistivity, bulk density and pore size distribution measurements were obtained. Point probe electrical resistivity measurements indicated considerable internal variations within a given sample. Bulk density measurements showed widely different shrinkage behavior with the various binder systems. Pore size measurements demonstrated the unique behavior of the synthetic binders in achieving high real density particularly for the furfuryl alcohol resin. The utilization of synthetic resin binders for producing carbons or graphites of controlled or superior physical properties is discussed.
The shaping of intrinsic membrane potential oscillations: positive/negative feedback, ionic resonance/amplification, nonlinearities and time scales

The generation of intrinsic subthreshold (membrane potential) oscillations (STOs) in neuronal models requires the interaction between two processes: a relatively fast positive feedback that favors changes in voltage and a slower negative feedback that opposes these changes. These are provided by the so-called resonant and amplifying gating variables associated to the participating ionic currents. We investigate both the biophysical and dynamic mechanisms of generation of STOs and how their attributes (frequency and amplitude) depend on the model parameters for biophysical (conductance-based) models having qualitatively different types of resonant currents (activating and inactivating) and an amplifying current. Combinations of the same types of ionic currents (same models) in different parameter regimes give rise to different types of nonlinearities in the voltage equation: quasi-linear, parabolic-like and cubic-like. On the other hand, combinations of different types of ionic currents (different models) may give rise to the same type of nonlinearities. We examine how the attributes of the resulting STOs depend on the combined effect of these resonant and amplifying ionic processes, operating at different effective time scales, and the various types of nonlinearities. We find that, while some STO properties and attribute dependencies on the model parameters are determined by the specific combinations of ionic currents (biophysical properties), and are different for models with different such combinations, others are determined by the type of nonlinearities and are common for models with different types of ionic currents. Our results highlight the richness of STO behavior in single cells as the result of the various ways in which resonant and amplifying currents interact and affect the generation and termination of STOs as control parameters change. We make predictions that can be tested experimentally and are expected to contribute to the understanding of how rhythmic activity in neuronal networks emerge from the interplay of the intrinsic properties of the participating neurons and the network connectivity.
Validation of subclavian duplex velocity criteria to grade severity of subclavian artery stenosis.

Abstract Background Validation of subclavian duplex ultrasound velocity criteria (SDUS VC) to grade the severity of subclavian artery stenosis has not been established or systematically studied. Currently, there is a paucity of published literature and lack of practitioner consensus for how subclavian duplex velocity findings should be interpreted in patients with subclavian artery stenosis. Objective The objective of the present study was to validate SDUS measurements using subclavian conventional or computed tomography angiogram (subclavian angiogram [SA])-derived measurements. Secondary objectives included measuring the correlation between SDUS peak systolic velocities and SA measurements, and to determine the optimal cutoff value for predicting significant stenosis (>70%). Methods This is a retrospective review of all patients with suspected subclavian artery stenosis and a convenience sample of carotid artery patients who underwent SDUS and SA from May 1999 to July 2013. SA reference vessel and intralesion minimal lumen diameters were measured and compared with SDUS velocities obtained within 3 months of the imaging study. Percent stenosis was calculated using the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial method for detecting stenosis in a sufficiently large cohort. Receiver operating characteristic curves was generated for SDUS VC to predict >70% stenosis. Velocity cutoff points were determined with equal weighting of sensitivity and specificity. Results We examined 268 arteries for 177 patients. The majority of the arteries were for female patients (52.5%) with a mean age of 66.7 ± 11.1 years. Twenty-three arteries had retrograde vertebral artery flow and excluded from further analysis. For the remaining 245 arteries, the average peak systolic velocity was 212.6 ± 110.7 cm/s, with a range of 45-626 cm/s. Average stenosis was 25.8% ± 28.2%, with a range of 0% to 100%. Following receiver operating characteristic analysis, we found a cutoff value of >240 cm/s to be most predictive of >70%. Area under the curve was 0.94 with 95% confidence intervals of 0.91 to 0.97. The sensitivity and specificity for predicting >70% stenosis was 90.9 and 82.5%, respectively. Conclusions In patients with known or suspected disease involving the great vessels, a subclavian artery flow velocity exceeding 240 cm/s seems to be predictive of significant subclavian stenosis. Thus, we propose new SDUS VC, for predicting subclavian artery stenosis. However, because of the use of a convenience sample, it is possible that the current proposed cutoff point might need to be adjusted for other populations.
Nonlinear Residual Feedback Observer for Process Fault Diagnosis

Abstract Faults lead to loss of productivity and can eventually lead to loss of human lives. Therefore, fault diagnosis is a critical procedure for increased reliability and safety. Diagnostic observers, especially Unknown Input Observers (UIO) (Frank, 1990), have been well studied in literature. In this paper a novel residual feedback structure is proposed for fault diagnosis of a class of nonlinear systems. Conditions under which such a feedback system converges are discussed. Simulation results of a residual feedback nonlinear observer show that exact fault magnitude estimates are achieved
Middle School Teachers’ Use of Mathematics to Make Sense of Student Solutions to Proportional Reasoning Problems

Mathematics teacher education aims to improve teachers’ use of mathematical knowledge to support teaching and learning, an aspect of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). In this study, we interviewed teachers to understand how they used mathematics to make sense of student solutions to proportional reasoning problems. The larger purpose was to find accurate ways of categorizing teachers’ ability to do this vital aspect of teaching and thereby to inform assessment, teacher education, and professional development. We conjectured that teachers’ PCK for proportional reasoning could be reliably described in terms of attention to quantitative meanings in story problem contexts and in terms of understanding naive forms of proportional reasoning. Instead, our findings reveal that individual teachers used a variety of means to make sense of (1) cognitively similar student solutions to different tasks and (2) mathematically related steps of a student solution within a single task. These findings illustrate the complexity of PCK for the topic of proportional reasoning and suggest the limits of what can be inferred about teacher knowledge from teachers’ evaluations of student solutions. We discuss implications for teacher education and assessment.
Pericyte implantation in the brain enhances cerebral blood flow and reduces amyloid-β pathology in amyloid model mice

Pericytes are a major component of cerebrovasculature playing a key role in maintaining cerebrovascular homeostasis. These cells have also been suggested to regulate brain metabolism of amyloid-β (Aβ), disturbances of which are believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To examine the effects of pericytes on brain Aβ metabolism, C3H/10T1/2 mouse mesenchymal stem cells were differentiated into pericytes and stereotaxically injected into the brains of amyloid AD model APP/PS1 mice at the age of 18 to 20months. Consistent with a role of pericytes in modulating cerebrovascular function, brain microcirculation in the pericyte-injected hemisphere of the mice was increased 3weeks after implantation compared to the contralateral hemisphere when measured by laser speckle contrast analysis technology. Importantly, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that the levels of insoluble Aβ40 and Aβ42 were significantly lower in the hippocampus of the pericyte-injected hemisphere of the APP/PS1 mice than that of the contralateral side. Consistently, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the pericyte implantation reduced Aβ deposition in the hippocampus. When brain slices from the APP/PS1 mice were incubated with C3H/10T1/2 cell-derived pericytes, Aβ42 levels were significantly reduced in a manner that depends on the expression of a major Aβ endocytic receptor, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1). While LRP1 mediated the cellular uptake of Aβ in the pericytes, the amounts of major Aβ-degrading enzymes were not affected by LRP1 knockdown. Together, our findings indicate that mesenchymal stem cell-derived pericytes have the capacity to reduce brain Aβ and related pathology, and suggest that cell-based therapy through transplantation of pericytes may be a promising approach to prevent and/or treat AD.
MYC leads the way.

Members of the MYC family of proto-oncogenes are the most commonly deregulated genes in all human cancers. MYC proteins drive an increase in cellular proliferation and facilitate multiple aspects o...
3 – An Aside: The Quantum Yield of Ionization

Rydberg series exist approaching every ionization limit of an atom or molecule. At least some members converging to higher limits have energies above the first limit, the adiabatic ionization potential. These members are degenerate with the ionization continuum accompanying the lowest limit, and consequently are subject to configuration interaction. Some valence states and two-electron excited states, in addition to Rydberg states, may fit this criterion. Molecules have the freedom to dispose of the absorbed energy by dissociating, at rates comparable with auto ionization. This chapter focuses on quantum yields for diatomic, triatomic, and increasingly larger polyatomic molecules. Each molecule has its unique tale of competition between ionizing and non-ionizing events. The chapter reviews the detailed studies in the domain of competitive processes for diatomic molecules: H 2 , N 2 , O 2 , CO, NO, and HCl; triatomic molecules such as H 2 O, CO 2 , N 2 O, and NO 2 ; and polyatomic molecules: NH 3 , C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , C 6 H 6 , and SF 6 . The quantum yield of ionization also enters into the determination of the square of the dipole moment for ionization of molecules by charged particles at high incident energy.
Delineation of epicardial stenosis in patients with microvascular disease using pressure drop coefficient: A pilot outcome study.

Delineation of epicardial stenosis in patients with microvascular disease using pressure drop coefficient: A pilot outcome study
Thrombocytopenic purpura with infectious mononucleosis. Report of 2 cases and a review of the literature.

Thrombocytopenic purpura is a rare complication of infectious mononucleosis. It is of importance to pediatricians, because it may be confused with acute leukemia. Two children who presented with purpura, lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly as manifestations of infectious mononucleosis are reported. The literature is reviewed and the fifferential diagnosis is discussed. The current status of adrenocortical steroids in the treatment of this complication as well as in infectious mononucleosis in general is also reviewed.
Evolution of sequence-defined highly functionalized nucleic acid polymers.

The evolution of sequence-defined synthetic polymers made of building blocks beyond those compatible with polymerase enzymes or the ribosome has the potential to generate new classes of receptors, catalysts and materials. Here we describe a ligase-mediated DNA-templated polymerization and in vitro selection system to evolve highly functionalized nucleic acid polymers (HFNAPs) made from 32 building blocks that contain eight chemically diverse side chains on a DNA backbone. Through iterated cycles of polymer translation, selection and reverse translation, we discovered HFNAPs that bind proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and interleukin-6, two protein targets implicated in human diseases. Mutation and reselection of an active PCSK9-binding polymer yielded evolved polymers with high affinity (KD = 3 nM). This evolved polymer potently inhibited the binding between PCSK9 and the low-density lipoprotein receptor. Structure–activity relationship studies revealed that specific side chains at defined positions in the polymers are required for binding to their respective targets. Our findings expand the chemical space of evolvable polymers to include densely functionalized nucleic acids with diverse, researcher-defined chemical repertoires. A method to produce sequence-defined, diversely functionalized nucleic acid polymers that bind to proteins of biomedical interest has been developed. The method is based on a ligase-mediated, DNA-templated polymerization system and in vitro selection. The selected polymers are shown to bind their targets in a manner that is strongly dependent on specific side chains at certain polymer positions.
Jugular foramen approach

Cancers of the jugular foramen are rare. Sarcomas make up the majority of malignant tumors of this region. This chapter discussed the jugular foramen approach for malignant tumors. The preoperative evaluation and indications for this procedure are discussed. The procedure is illustrated and described in detail. Postoperative management, complications, and adjuvant therapy are highlighted.
Practicing Lament to Teach for Justice: Reflections from a Survey Course

What pedagogical routines and rhythms can teachers in Christian institutions of higher education adopt to teach for justice? The article explores this question by detailing efforts to incorporate t...
Black Vs. White Purchasing Power: The South African Market

Increasing economic and moral pressures are brought to bear on U.S. firms marketing to/in South Africa. Market entry and withdrawal decisions require adequate information relating to the relative position of White and Non-white households. Hence data on, inter alia, purchasing power, income gaps, differences in standards of living, and minimum subsistence levels are analyzed.
Cultural Differences in the Treatment of Sex Problems

The high global prevalence of sexual problems requires treatments that are adapted for use with people from diverse cultures. The process of cultural adaptation starts with a culturally informed understanding of the target problem (sexual disorders) as well as a recognition of cultural beliefs that may act as barriers to treatment. The purpose of this review is to integrate recent cross-cultural research on sexual problems and treatment and to provide a current perspective on the practice of sex therapy with culturally diverse patients. Sex research is expanding globally to critically examine the culturally influenced pathways that lead to sexual dissatisfaction. Female sexual pleasure and sexual agency appear to be important factors contributing to the sexual satisfaction of men and women worldwide. This conjecture is based on a small but growing number of studies. The belief that female sexual pleasure is dangerous, undesirable, or irrelevant may contribute to the high global prevalence of sexual dissatisfaction. Interventions that target improvement in women’s sexual agency may have the added benefit of relieving the intense pressure some men experience to perform sexually with naive or passive partners when they themselves have little knowledge, skills, or experience. Sex therapy approaches that emphasize the benefit of female sexual pleasure to the sexual satisfaction of the couple may find success even in the context of traditional cultures.
Species Delimitation in Herpetology

Abstract The discovery and delimitation of species has changed dramatically over time. Species delimitation practices became more thorough and formal in the 1900s with the introduction of detailed ...
The Fusion Oncogene FUS-CHOP Drives Sarcomagenesis of High-Grade Spindle Cell Sarcomas in Mice

Myxoid liposarcoma is a malignant soft tissue sarcoma characterized by a pathognomonic t(12;16)(q13;p11) translocation that produces a fusion oncoprotein, FUS-CHOP. This cancer is remarkably sensitive to radiotherapy and exhibits a unique pattern of extrapulmonary metastasis. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a spatially and temporally restricted mouse model of sarcoma driven by FUS-CHOP. Using different Cre drivers in the adipocyte lineage, we initiated in vivo tumorigenesis by expressing FUS-CHOP in Prrx1+ mesenchymal progenitor cells. In contrast, expression of FUS-CHOP in more differentiated cells does not form tumors in vivo, and early expression of the oncoprotein during embryogenesis is lethal. We also employ in vivo electroporation and CRISPR technology to rapidly generate spatially and temporally restricted mouse models of high-grade FUS-CHOP-driven sarcomas for preclinical studies.
A thermo-mechanically coupled finite strain model for phase-transitioning austenitic steels in ambient to cryogenic temperature range

Abstract We present a finite-strain thermo-mechanically coupled continuum theory to model the material response of phase transitioning (metastable) austenitic steels from ambient (room) to cryogenic temperature. We applied our model to 316L stainless steel which shows plastic strain driven transformation from FCC austenite to BCC martensite phase at temperatures below room temperature and calibrated the model parameters using uniaxial tension tests at room and cryogenic temperatures. The constitutive model is able to successfully model the observed second strain-hardening behavior at cryogenic temperature due to formation of harder martensite at large strains. We implemented our coupled thermo-mechanical-phase transition model in the finite element program Abaqus by writing a user material subroutine and validated the model by conducting finite element based tension and compression simulations for a room temperature formed corrugated pipe. Comparisons of mechanical response between our simulation predictions and full-scale tests for the corrugated pipe at both room and cryogenic temperature show good accuracy of our model. We also conducted simulations to investigate the austenite-martensite phase transition near a notch tip in a flat plate geometry.
The Archaeology of Overseas Chinese Abalone Fishermen on Santa Rosa Island, Alta California海外华人鲍鱼渔民在加州中北部圣罗莎岛之考古研究

In the mid-nineteenth century, Chinese immigrants to Gold Rush California built the first commercial abalone fishery along North America’s west coast. Their efforts to establish an abalone meat and shell industry have been relegated to a footnote in Californian history, with only occasional newspaper accounts and other historical documents as the primary means to understand the ways of life and the activities of these maritime pioneers. Over the last decade, archaeologists have become increasingly interested in documenting the material record of Chinese abalone fishing on California’s Northern Channel Islands. Here, we describe recent efforts to locate, map, and describe the archaeological record of historical abalone fishing on Santa Rosa Island. Our survey identified a specific island abalone harvesting pattern characterized by small, logistical processing camps and larger more diverse basecamps. Our findings can be applied when interpreting historical abalone fishing sites elsewhere, and to inform future surveys for these island site types.
Optimizations of nonlinear kicker injection for synchrotron light sources

The concept of using a single nonlinear kicker (NLK) to inject electron beams into a storage ring has been proposed and tested in several synchrotron radiation light source facilities. Different from pulsed dipole kicker magnets used in a conventional local-bump injection, the single nonlinear kicker provides a nonlinear distribution of magnetic fields which has a maximum value off axis where the injected beam arrives and a zero or near-zero value at the center where the stored beam passes by. Therefore, the injected beam will receive a kick from the NLK and lose its transverse momentum, and will be eventually captured by the storage ring. In the meantime the stored beam at the center will receive no kick or less kick, which significantly reduces the injection perturbations on the stored beam. In addition, the NLK injection requires less space for the kicker and removes the complications of synchronizing four pulsed kicker magnets. Because of these advantages, several light source facilities are either proposing or already using this NLK injection as a replacement of the conventional local-bump injection scheme. In this paper, we will discuss the working principal of this NLK injection, and use both Advanced Light Source and Advanced Light source Upgrade as examples to optimize the NLK injections. By optimizing the NLK design and injection conditions, we could achieve maximum injection efficiencies for both facilities with a large injected beam from the existing ALS booster.
A naturalistic observation study of medication counseling practices at retail chain pharmacies.

Objective This study evaluated medication counseling procedures and trends at retail pharmacies in the Houston metropolitan area through a naturalistic observational study. Methods A blinded cross-sectional observational study was conducted at retail pharmacies in the Houston metropolitan area. Data were collected by trained observers utilizing an observational log, to record various parameters that could have an impact on the duration of patient-pharmacist interaction in a naturalistic pharmacy practice setting. Additionally, indicators of counseling such as utilization of the counseling window and performance of show-and-tell were recorded. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlations, ANOVAs, and multiple linear regressions. Results One hundred and sixty-five interactions between patients and pharmacy staff were recorded at 45 retail pharmacies from 7 retail pharmacy chains. The counseling window was utilized in only 3 (1.81%) out of 165 observations and the show-and-tell process was observed in just 1(0.61%) interaction during this study. Mean (SD) interaction time between patient and pharmacists [159.50 (84.50)] was not statistically different (p>0.05) from the mean interaction time between patients and pharmacy technicians [139.30 (74.19)], irrespective of type of the retail chain observed. However, it was influenced by the number of patients waiting in queue. Patient wait time significantly differed by the time of the day the interaction was observed, weekends and weekdays had significantly different wait times and patient interaction times Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that, patient interaction time, pharmacy chain type, initial contact (pharmacist/technician), and time of the day, were significantly associated with patient wait time whereas patient wait time, pharmacy chain type, number of patients in queue, and number of pharmacy technician were significantly associated with interaction time. Conclusions Our study found that the key indicators of counseling including the use of the counseling window and the show-and-tell process were absent, suggesting lack of adequate pharmacists counseling. Further studies are needed to evaluate the validity of this conclusion and the role of pharmacy services and its value towards medication use and safety.
Grasp the Root Causes in the Data Plane: Diagnosing Latency Problems with SpiderMon

Unexplained performance degradation is one of the most severe problems in data center networks. The increasing scale of the network makes it even harder to maintain good performance for all users with a low-cost solution. Our system SpiderMon monitors network performance and debugs performance failures inside the network with little overhead. SpiderMon provides a two-phase solution that runs in the data plane. In the monitoring phase, it keeps track of the performance of every flow in the network; upon detecting performance problems, it triggers a debugging phase using a causality analyzer to find out the root cause of performance degradation. To implement these two phases, SpiderMon exploits the capabilities of high-speed programmable switches (e.g., per-packet monitoring, stateful memory). We prototype SpiderMon on using the BMv2 model of P4, and our preliminary evaluation shows that SpiderMon is able to quickly find the root cause of performance degradation problems with minimal overhead. SpiderMon achieves nearly-zero overhead during the monitoring phase and efficiently collects relevant data from switches during the debugging phase.
The Effect of Type of Voltage (Sinusoidal and Square Waveform) and the Frequency on the Performance of Nonlinear Field-Dependent Conductivity Coatings for Electric Field Control in Power Electronic Modules

In this paper, it is shown that nonlinear field-dependent conductivity (FDC) material as a coating layer applied to the high electric field regions in combination with two geometrical techniques known as 1) stacked substrate, and 2) protruding substrate, can result in significant electric field reduction within next-generation high voltage high power density wide bandgap power modules. The studies by using the models developed in COMSOL Multiphysics are carried out under DC, 60 Hz sinusoidal, and square waveform voltages. The influence of frequency is also studied.
Neuropsychological Evaluation of the Child: Domains, methods, & case studies (2nd edn): by Baron I. S., New York, Oxford University Press, 2018, 1020 pp., $120.00 (hbk), ISBN 9780195300963

Ida Sue Baron’s Neuropsychological Evaluation of the Child: Domains, methods, & case studies, second edition is a comprehensive treatise on pediatric neuropsychology. The first edition of this book...
Optical Disk Based Processor for Handwritten Character Recognition

We describe an optical disk based system for the recognition of handwritten numerals. The recognition scheme is based on a K nearest neighbor strategy using a template library of 650 exemplars. The optical system compares an unknown input against the template library at a demonstrated rate of 26,000 comparisons/sec.