cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of store-operated calcium entry in microglia by helminth factors: implications for immune suppression in neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by the cestode Taenia solium. The infection exhibits a long asymptomatic phase, typically lasting 3 to 5 years, before the onset of the symptomatic phase. The severity of the symptoms is thought to be associated with the intensity of the inflammatory response elicited by the degenerating parasite. In contrast, the asymptomatic phase shows an absence of brain inflammation, which is presumably due to immunosuppressive effects of the live parasites. However, the host factors and/or pathways involved in inhibiting inflammation remain largely unknown. Recently, using an animal model of NCC in which mice were intracranially inoculated with a related helminth parasite, Mesocestoides corti, we reported that Toll-like receptor (TLR)-associated signaling contributes to the development of the inflammatory response. As microglia shape the initial innate immune response in the CNS, we hypothesized that the negative regulation of a TLR-induced inflammatory pathway in microglia may be a novel helminth-associated immunosuppressive mechanism in NCC. Here we report that helminth soluble factors (HSFs) from Mesocestoides corti inhibited TLR ligation-induced production of inflammatory cytokines in primary microglia. This was correlated with an inhibition of TLR-initiated upregulation of both phosphorylation and acetylation of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 subunit, as well as phosphorylation of JNK and ERK1/2. As Ca2+ influx due to store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) has been implicated in induction of downstream signaling, we tested the inhibitory effect of HSFs on agonist-induced Ca2+ influx and specific Ca2+ channel activation. We discovered that HSFs abolished the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or thapsigargin (Tg)-induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ accumulation by blocking the ER store release and SOCE. Moreover, electrophysiological recordings demonstrated HSF-mediated inhibition of LPS- or Tg-induced SOCE currents through both TRPC1 and ORAI1 Ca2+ channels on plasma membrane. This was correlated with a decrease in the TRPC1-STIM1 and ORAI1-STIM1 clustering at the plasma membrane that is essential for sustained Ca2+ entry through these channels. Inhibition of TRPC1 and ORAI1 Ca2+ channel-mediated activation of NF-κB and MAPK pathways in microglia is likely a novel helminth-induced immunosuppressive mechanism that controls initiation of inflammatory response in the CNS.
Components of engineering-English reading ability?

This study explored variables which may contribute to the ability to read engineering English. A test of engineering-English reading comprehension ability and a cloze test of general English language proficiency were administered to four groups of graduate students (n = 29 for each): (1) American engineers, (2) Americans in TESL, (3) Chinese engineers and (4) Chinese in TEFL. The cloze test had 50 items with a seventh-word deletion pattern. The engineering reading test contained 60 items based on three passages. The results indicated that the engineering reading test significantly (P <0.01) separated the mean performance of Chinese engineering and non-engineering students—thus supporting previous study of the validity of that measure. In addition, a clear-cut pattern emerged in the mean performances of the four groups which was also further found to exist for each and every one of the ten different item types (including both linguistic and engineering factors) on the engineering test. finally, it appeared that as much as 62 percent of the variation in scores on the engineering reading text was accounted for by general English language proficiency rather than by components specific to engineering English. The discussion includes many questions that arose from these results.
A Proposal on Using Reuse Readiness Levels to Measure Software Reusability

The use of scientific data is becoming increasingly dependent on the software that fosters such use. As the ability to reuse software contributes to capabilities for reusing software-dependent data, instruments for measuring software reusability contribute to the reuse of software and related data. The development and current state of a proposed set of Reuse Readiness Levels (RRLs) are summarized, and potential uses of the software reusability measures are described, along with proposed use cases to support sponsorship of software projects, software production, software adoption, and data stewardship during the systems development lifecycle and the data lifecycle.
Levetiracetam (Keppra) efficacy and safety in the prevention of early-onset seizures following traumatic brain injuries in pediatric patients

Abstract Introduction: Approximately half a million emergency department visits for traumatic brain injury (TBI) by children and adolescents occur each year. One of the complications of TBI is early-onset seizure. Current guidelines recommend the use of phenytoin for prevention of seizures following a TBI; however, several drug interactions and adverse reactions are associated with its use. Despite studies demonstrating efficacy of levetiracetam in adult patients, the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam in children with TBI is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam for the prevention of early-onset seizures in pediatric patients following TBI. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted, which included children, ages 0 to 17 years, admitted secondary to a nonpenetrating TBI and who received levetiracetam for seizure prophylaxis for up to 7 days. The primary outcome was the number of children who had a seizure within the first 7 days following a ...
Thermal Devices Integrated With Thermoelectric Modules With Applications to CPU Cooling

Over the past few years, the air cooling technology improvements present diminishing returns for microprocessors cooling applications. Presently most of the proposed future cooling technologies (i.e. pumped liquid cooling or vapor compressor refrigeration) may need some fluid moving device and a large remote heat exchanger which requires additional volume. Due to the complexity, reliability issues and space requirements it is preferred to extend the air cooling within the current form factors and using passive devices. This paper will show that optimized thermoelectric modules combined with two-phase (liquid/vapor) passive devices can further improve the cooling capability compared to conventional air cooling technologies at reasonable thermoelectric cooler (TEC) power consumption. Current computational fluid dynamics programs are not yet well equipped to find out the most optimized TEC geometry (for a given COP and given thermal requirements) in a reasonable amount of computation time. Therefore, two modeling steps are proposed: find out the preliminary TEC geometry using an ID analytical program (based on uniform heat flux and a given COP) and use it as an input to CFD programs (i.e. Icepak®) for detailed predictions. Using this model, we confirmed that the conventional TEC technology must use some spreading device to dissipate the CPU heat to the TEC cold side. Different spreading devices are considered: solid metal, heat pipe, vapor chambers and single/two phase pumped cooling. Their individual performance integrated with TEC will be presented. In addition, we propose that the TEC performance to be controlled as a function of instantaneous CPU power consumption, ambient temperature and other parameters. This controller offers extra flexibility which can be used for either noise reduction or TEC power reduction. However, such power cycling of the TEC may affect the TEC reliability. Power cycling accelerated test data (>500,000 accelerated cycles) have been performed together with the life predictions will be presented in the paper.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
A comparison of radar, optic, and specular null polarization theories

The fields of radar and optical polarimetry are compared. Both fields have defined scattering matrices that describe the coherent scattering of monochromatic electric fields. This paper compares the mathematics of the two disciplines and it is then shown that Kennaugh's optimum polarizations can be derived in the context of optical polarimetry, which always employs a local right-handed coordinate system. In addition, a novel definition of the receive copolar polarization state is given: that polarization state that results when a plane wave is reflected by a specular surface. The resulting mathematics when this definition is used in termed specular null polarization theory. It is shown that this new definition facilitates the analysis of backscatterers by focusing on those polarization state changes that are only due to the scatterer. >
Directional Hearing in Terrestrial Mammals

Whether a sound is made by prey or predator, or is that of a conspeciflc courting or signaling danger, there is little doubt that being able to locate its source in space is of great utility to an animal. One might expect, therefore, that a wide-ranging research interest in animal auditory localization would exist and would have spawned a vast literature. The contrary is true if the concern is with psychophysical determinations of sound localization and sound lateralization in terrestrial mammals, as is the case with this chapter. (Judgements about the position in space of a sound source are referred to as localization. Lateralization indicates “localization” within the head of a fused sound image that occurs when separate acoustic signals are delivered to each ear through headphones.)
Development of benzodiazepines for out-of-hospital management of seizure emergencies

Management of seizure emergencies substantially changed after the introduction of rectal diazepam in Europe in the 1970s and in the United States in the 1990s. Although safe and effective, social objections and legal concerns have limited use of rectal diazepam products in out-of-hospital treatment of seizure emergencies. Shortly after the introduction of Diastat (diazepam rectal gel), commercial development of innovative formulations began involving several benzodiazepines and routes of administration, including buccal, IM, nasal, and subcutaneous. All benzodiazepines have the same mechanism of action; however, there are major differences in physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic characteristics, which affect the choice of drug and route. This article highlights some of those differences and their effect on selection of therapies for treating seizure emergencies. We also present results from key clinical studies of these drugs and provide an update on current status of new products under development.
Vitamin D and the Cardiovascular System

Several epidemiologic and clinical studies have suggested that there is a strong association between hypovitaminosis D and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hypovitaminosis D was reported as a risk factor for increased cardiovascular events among 1739 adult participants in the Framingham Offspring Study. Analysis of more than 13,000 adults in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) showed that even though hypovitaminosis D is associated with an increased prevalence of CVD risk factors, its association with all-cause mortality is independent of these risk factors. Importantly, epidemiologic studies suggested that patients who had chronic kidney disease and were treated with activated vitamin D had a survival advantage when compared with those who did not receive treatment with these agents. Mechanistically, emerging data have linked vitamin D administration with improved cardiac function and reduced proteinuria, and hypovitaminosis D is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. Preliminary studies suggested that activated vitamin D inhibits the proliferation of cardiomyoblasts by promoting cell-cycle arrest and enhances the formation of cardiomyotubes without inducing apoptosis. Activated vitamin D has also been shown to attenuate left ventricular dysfunction in animal models and humans. In summary, emerging studies suggest that hypovitaminosis D has emerged as an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, reinforcing its importance as a public health problem. There is a need to advance our understanding of the biologic pathways through which vitamin D affects cardiovascular health and to conduct prospective clinical interventions to define precisely the cardioprotective effects of nutritional vitamin D repletion.
Agents on the move [mobile software agents]

The author describes a new kind of software, based on artificial intelligence research, that can move itself from place to place to help people work more effectively. Known as agents, these artificial assistants are software components that live inside computer environments. Developed out of research in artificial intelligence (AI), agents were made in a variety of forms to perform all sorts of useful work-including obtaining airline departure dates and times, filtering e-mail for messages the user considers important, alerting users to significant stock price changes, and a host of other tasks. At first, agents were constrained to a single computer or at most to a single computing environment-a closed, homogenous network of, say, Unix platforms. Their behavior was limited and all the tasks they could do had to be pre-established. Today, agents are breaking the bonds that confine them to a single environment while learning new ways of accomplishing tasks on their own, based on their experience. The newcomers are called mobile agents, because they can move from one computer to another. As they emerge from the shadow of AI research, they are bringing together telecommunications, software, and distributed-system technologies to create new ways of getting things done.
P39. Midline Sparing Bilateral Laminotomy Prevents Disc Collapse as Compared to Traditional Laminectomy – A Biomechanical Finite Element Analysis

Objective: To biomechanically compare two competing surgical techniques for alleviating spinal stenosis. Summary and Background Data: Traditional laminectomy is the long standing surgical gold standard for relief of pain induced to spinal stenosis. However, loss of the posterior tension band due to this technique may result into settling of the motion segment leading to neural foraminal stenosis and recurrence of the symptoms. An alternative technique, which conserves the posterior tension band through the midline sparing bilateral laminotomies, may provide good long term outcomes. Methods: An experimentally validated finite element model of the intact L3/S1 segment was used to simulate the laminectomy and bilateral laminotomies across the L4/L5 level. Segmental Motion, intra-discal pressure (IDP), facet load and foramina opening were compared between the intact and surgical models in response to 400N of axial compression and 10Nm moments. Results: Segmental motion and IDP after L4 laminectomy increased in flexion, especially at L4/L5 disc level. The laminotomy model had biomechanics close to the intact model, especially in flexion. The distance of L4/L5 foramina in both surgical models decreased in extension, lateral bending and axial rotation compared with the intact model. However in flexion the distance in foramina opening increased in laminectomy model. Facet loads at L4/L5 after both procedures decreased in extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Conclusion: The midline laminotomy surgery induced much less alterations in biomechanics of spine compared to traditional laminectomy. The increase in IDP and motion for laminectomy model means that the load on the disc is higher as compared to the midline sparing which may lead to long-term disc degeneration. The findings of the current study show that midline sparing laminotomies may prevent disc collapse due to reduced disc loading without sacrificing the opening of formina, as compared to the traditional laminectomy.
The Self-Disclosure Technique for Ethnographic Elicitation

This technique is a rich tool for discovering the meanings people attribute to the world around them. It stems from a set of controversial beliefs regarding the nature of “reality-as-experienced-by-man.” Before describing the technique in some detail I will briefly specify these beliefs since they motivate every one of its steps as implemented so far as well as its potential extensions.
Evaluating State Principal Evaluation Plans across the United States.

Recent federal legislation has created strong incentives for states to adopt principal evaluation systems, many of which include new measures of principal effectiveness such as estimates of student...
Allosteric Regulation of UHRF1 for DNA Methylation Maintenance

UHRF1 (Ubiquitin-like, containing PHD and RING Finger domains, 1) is a multi-domain protein that plays a critical role in recruiting DNMT1 (DNA methyltransferase 1) for replication-dependent DNA methylation maintenance. Emerging evidence has revealed that the protein stability and chromatin functions of UHRF1 are regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner. To gain further insight into the functional regulation of UHRF1, we characterized the structure of the complex between UHRF1 and the deubiquitinase USP7. The first two UBL domains of USP7 bind to the polybasic region (PBR) of UHRF1, and this interaction is required for the USP7-mediated deubiquitination of UHRF1. Importantly, we find that the USP7-binding site of UHRF1 PBR overlaps with the region engaging an intramolecular interaction with the N-terminal tandem Tudor domain (TTD). We show that the USP7-UHRF1 interaction perturbs the TTD-PBR interaction of UHRF1, thereby shifting the conformation of UHRF1 from a TTD-“occluded” state to a state open for multivalent histone binding. Consistently, introduction of an USP7-interaction defective mutation to UHRF1 significantly reduces its chromatin association. Together, these results link USP7 interaction to the dynamic deubiquitination and chromatin association of UHRF1, and provides insights into the dynamic regulation of maintenance DNA methylation.ReferenceZhang ZM, Rothbart SB, Allison DF, Cai Q, Harrison JS, Li L, Wang Y, Strahl BD, Wang GG, Song J. An allosteric interaction links USP7 to deubiquitination and chromatin targeting of UHRF1. Cell Rep. (2015) 12(9):1400-6.
What Can We Learn from a Consumption Based Asset Pricing Model with Systemic Risk

This paper uses the standard consumption-based asset pricing model with endogenous stochastic discount factor sdf. Maintaining arbitrary return distributions, I add interfirm systemic risk. In contrast to the case without systemic risk, the market and planner allocate capital differently. Potential systemic spillovers cause the planner to reduce investment in the risky firm. The market, modeled as a representative agent, does not just ignore the externality and invest as if there were none. Instead, systemic risk increases the market’s investment in the systemically risky institution or industry, further increasing systemic risk. These additional welfare losses from distorted capital allocation, caused by the asset pricing effects of systemic risk, appear to be significant. I introduce bailout of the financial industry and find it has a beneficial direct effect and a distortion effect. An Arbitrage Pricing Theory (A.P.T.) version of the model has empirical potential for asset prices and systemic risk.
Recovery of functions from transformed moments: A unified approach

ABSTRACTTwo approximations recovering the functions from their transformed moments are proposed. The upper bounds for the uniform rate of convergence are derived. In addition, the comparisons of the estimates of the cumulative distribution function and its density function with the empirical distribution and the kernel density estimates are conducted via a simulation study. The plots of recovered functions are presented for several examples as well.
Performance Prediction for a Cyclone Separator with an Added Vertical Pipe at Its Bottom

To cope with the problem of “the re-entrainment into the hopper of fine dust particles in an inner vortex flow due to the agitation of separated particles" occurring in conventional cyclone separators, some researchers have proposed the adding of a straight pipe at the bottom of the separator, thereby allowing dust-laden air to enter the pipe for further separation. By using a Reynolds Stress Transportation Model (RSTM) a numerical simulation was conducted of the internal gas-phase flow field in a conventional cyclone separator and in a cyclone separator with an added straight pipe at its bottom. Furthermore, an analysis was performed of the downward flow at the cone bottom of the conventional cyclone separator. The results of the analysis indicate that the gas flow eddying at the cone bottom of the conventional cyclone separator is found to be still very intense and its downward flow does not amount to zero. On the other hand, the cyclone separator with an added straight pipe has made its tail vortex stagnating in the straight pipe. This has led to the provision of an additional separation space for ash dust, creating a favorable condition for its further separation.
Cross-ownership,the Optimal Proportion of State-owned Shares and the Mixed Ownership Economy Development

This paper constructs a mixed duopoly model composed by the state-owned enterprise and private enterprise,and the effects of cross-ownership on optimal nationalization,and vice-versa,in mixed duopoly. Result shows that cross-ownership and the proportion of state-owned shares influence each other and the social welfare. Cross-ownership is profitable to the private firm only when the level of nationalization of the public firm is sufficiently low. In equilibrium,cross-ownership does not take place. The cross-ownership influences the optimal level of nationalization,if the efficiency gap between the two firms is larger than a critical level.
Science, engineering, and statistics: Research Articles

Symmetry and parsimony, together with unification through synthesis are important principles that govern the character of physical law. We show how these principles can be applied to engineering to develop an approach to reliability, and engineering in general, that centres on the identification, detection, and avoidance of failure modes through design. A definition of reliability, not presented in terms of probability, but rather based on physics, geometry, and the properties of materials, will be emphasized to support this approach. We will also show how the nature of the inductive–deductive learning cycle provides the framework for statistical science to be embedded into engineering practice, with particular regard to improving reliability through failure mode avoidance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ranolazine reduces atrial fibrillatory wave frequency

Aims Antiarrhythmic medications for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) have limited efficacy and rare but potentially life-threatening side effects. Ranolazine is an antianginal agent that may have antiarrhythmic activity in AF. Methods and results Using the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer database, we analysed a cohort of AF patients on ranolazine. Patients served as their own historic control. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were analysed before and after ranolazine initiation to determine the effect of ranolazine on dominant frequency (DF), f-wave amplitude, and organizational index (OI). We identified 15 patients with ECGs in AF before and after ranolazine. Ranolazine was associated with lower DF by an average of 10% (5.10 ± 0.74 vs. 5.79 ± 0.96 Hz, P = 0.04) but not with changes in OI (0.47 ± 0.11 vs. 0.50 ± 0.12, P = 0.71) or amplitude (0.47 ± 0.43 vs. 0.41 ± 0.40 mV, P = 0.82). Ranolazine was also associated with lower DF in patients ( n = 10) not on concomitant antiarrhythmic therapy (5.25 ± 0.78 vs. 6.03 ± 0.79 Hz, P = 0.04). Conclusion Ranolazine is associated with lower AF DF but no change in OI or fibrillatory wave amplitude. Prospective trials are needed to evaluate ranolazine's potential as a novel antiarrhythmic drug for AF .
Responding to Oberholzer-Gee & Strumpf’s Attempted Defense of Their Piracy Paper

Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Koleman Strumpf recently responded in these pages to some of my negative assessments of their influential 2007 piracy article. In this article, I analyze their responses to my assessments. Several of their responses have the appearance of being plausible, if they are read without reference to the content of my assessments. A careful reading of my assessments and Professors Oberholzer-Gee and Strumpf’s responses, reveals that Professors Oberholzer-Gee and Strumpf generally misrepresent or ignore my arguments, while making numerous factual assertions that are clearly refuted by the data, when tested. My negative assessments are only further enhanced by the weakness of their response.
Chunyu Kun: Motifs, Narratives, and Personas in Early Chinese Anecdotal Literature

The present article undertakes a comprehensive study of ancient Chinese anecdotal and dialogic sources on Chunyu Kun, who is presented in a variety of roles such as trickster, sophist, envoy, jester, procurer of talent for his ruler, and erudite at the so-called Jixia academy which was allegedly established in the pre-imperial state of Qi. The article outlines how certain motifs and topics were reused and, in the process, reshaped by the narrative tradition and Chunyu Kun came to serve as a stock figure in different types of discourse.
Type IIb Supernovae

In this chapter addresses supernovae of Type IIb (SN IIb). These events fall in the general category of stripped-envelope supernovae, but they retain a few tenths of a solar mass of their original hydrogen envelopes. Their spectral evolution reveals significant Balmer lines soon after explosion that fade and become supplanted by strong lines of helium, giving evidence that the photosphere has retreated through the hydrogen envelope and into the helium and deeper layers. After the appearance of helium, SN IIb closely resemble SN Ib (chapter “Type Ib Supernovae”). The light curves of SN IIb can show an early fireball phase, but are powered near maximum and beyond by radioactive decay. Some events have identified former binary companion stars. There is some evidence for two subclasses of SN IIb, those with radially-extended hydrogen envelopes and those with compact envelopes. Some show signs of interaction with circumstellar matter. Models suggest that SN IIb arise in stars of modestly high mass, about 10–18 solar masses, probably in binary systems, and that the masses of the collapsing cores are several solar masses.
Loss of TLR4 in mouse Müller cells inhibits both MyD88-dependent and -independent signaling.

Muller cells are key to metabolic and ionic regulation in the retina. They also produce a number of inflammatory mediators and are significantly affected in diabetic retinopathy. To investigate the role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in retinal Muller cells, we crossed TLR4 floxed with PDGFRα-Cre mice to eliminate TLR4 in retinal Muller cells. We performed Western blotting and ELISA analyses to determine whether loss of TLR4 affected myeloid differentiation primary response protein (MyD88)-dependent or -independent signaling, leading to reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) in whole retinal lysates from the TLR4 floxed and TLR4-PDGFRα-Cre mice. Data show that TLR4-PDGFRα-Cre mice have reduced levels of both the MyD88-dependent and -independent signaling pathways. These studies confirm successful development of a Muller cell-specific TLR4 knockout mouse colony. These mice have reduced MyD88-dependent and -independent signaling pathway proteins, as well as reduced TNFα and IL1β levels. These mice can be used to dissect TLR4 signaling in disorders affecting retinal Muller cells.
Robot-Assisted Simple Prostatectomy

The surgical management for severely enlarged prostate glands (generally >80 g) in men with symptomatic BPH remains a challenge. Simple prostatectomy is considered the standard of care, if laser enucleation or vaporisation is not available. Although open simple prostatectomy is an effective and durable treatment option, it is associated with the risk of severe bleeding, transfusion and prolonged hospital length of stay. The retropubic transvesical technique (Freyer, Br Med J 2:868, 1912) and the suprapubic transcapsular operation (Millin et al. Lancet 1:381–385, 1949) are still widely accepted as the gold standard. However, the blunt dissection of the adenoma from the capsule, especially in the apical and sphincteral areas makes this procedure very invasive. Therefore minimal invasive approaches have been introduced as laser techniques, conventional laparoscopy and robotic assisted technology.
New species of glass knifefish Eigenmannia loretana (Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae) from the Western Amazon.

A new species of the Eigenmannia trilineata species group is described from the Loreto, Peru region of the western Amazon basin. The new species is similar in external appearance to members of the E. trilineata species group, but has a distinct phenotype, being diagnosed from congeners by the following unique combination of characters: four longitudinal dark pigment stipes on the lateral surfaces (over the lateral line, hypaxial muscles, proximal and distal pterygiophore margins); short, relatively round head (head depth 86.8–96.7% head length) with a terminal mouth; intermediate posterodorsal expansion of infraorbital bones 1+2 (60–75% length of infraorbitals 1+2); 11–15 teeth in three rows on the premaxilla; six to seven teeth in a single row on the endopterygoid; eye high on head (suborbital depth 28–36% head length); ii, 13–14 pectoral-fin rays; 183–219 anal-fin rays; and a uniformly dark brown head and pectoral fins on freshly-preserved specimens. The new species extends the geographic range of described species of the E. trilineata species group to the Western Amazon. This new species elevates the current number of valid species within the E. trilineata species group to 15, and the number of species within Eigenmannia to 20.
Self Regulating Insulin Delivery System — A Chemical Approach

A design for a self regulating insulin delivery system via a chemical approach is proposed based on the competitive binding nature of blood glucose and glycosylated insulin to lectin. The glycosylated insulin bound lectin is encapsulated using biodegradable or nondegradable biomedical polymers. The polymer membranes control glucose influx and insulin efflux while subsequent insulin release depends upon the glucose concentration present, a natural biofeedback.
Die Preisregulierung Dominanter Anbieter in der Telekommunikation

Weltweit ist die Telekommunikation in den letzten Jahren durch rasanten technischen und institutionellen Wandel gekennzeichnet, okonomisch hat der technische Wandel vor allem zwei Auswirkungen gehabt. Zum ersten wurde die Eigenschaft des naturlichen Monopols fur die Telekommunikation insgesamt und fur alle Bestandteile des traditionellen Telekommunikationssektors (“POTS” = Plain Old Telephone Service) weitgehend aufgehoben. Zum zweiten wurde die Marktabgrenzung zum Datenverarbeitungssektor zunehmend unscharfer. Beide Entwicklungen beeinflussen unmittelbar die Vorteilhaftigkeit uberkommener Institutionen. Wettbewerb gewinnt an Attraktivitat gegenuber dem Monopolangebot, und private oder offentliche Unternehmen werden burokratischen Anbietern in Form von Ministerien zusehends uberlegen. Viele Staaten haben bereits teils radikale institutionelle Konsequenzen aus der technischen Entwicklung gezogen. Vorreiter waren die USA, in denen Wettbewerb und Deregulierung bereits seit zwanzig Jahren insbesondere von Markteindringlingen vorangetrieben wurden. Der vorlaufige Hohepunkt dieser Entwicklung ist die Zerschlagung von AT&T.
CDC and Progress Toward Integration of HIV, STD, and Viral Hepatitis Prevention

This issue of Public Health Reports highlights approaches employed by state and local health programs to integrate viral hepatitis prevention services in correctional facilities, sexually transmitted disease (STD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment programs, and other settings serving high-risk clients. The reports presented in this issue demonstrate the feasibility of integrating viral hepatitis prevention services into a variety of settings; the ready acceptance of new interventions, such as hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis C counseling and testing, by both providers and clients; and the positive impact the introduction of viral hepatitis prevention services can have on client willingness to consent to other interventions, such as HIV testing. These reports also illustrate the initiative of state and local health officials to craft integrated programs tailored to meet local needs.1–3 Although not representing formal evaluations, the data from these demonstration projects add to a body of evidence indicating that, given adequate guidance and resources, state and local health agencies can integrate services to enhance the prevention of HIV, STDs, and viral hepatitis.
Animal Laboratory Training: Current Status and How Essential Is It?

In recent years, the emphasis of robotic training has moved outside of the operating room and into simulated environments. Three methods of robotic training have been utilized including inanimate, virtual reality, and animal models. Animal models provide the most high fidelity and complex training, but they are also expensive, may be inconsistent, and can require additional support such as veterinary staff and lab facilities. At present, no standardized or validated robotic training program exists and efficacy data on the various training methods is evolving. Animal model training appears to have utility in a comprehensive robotic training program with a defined role in higher-level procedure-based training.
Application of predictive data analytics to model daily hydrocarbon production using petrophysical, geomechanical, fiber-optic, completions, and surface data: A case study from the Marcellus Shale, North America

Abstract Predicting gas production from stimulated unconventional reservoirs has always been a challenge to oil and gas companies because the physics of fluid flow through such reservoirs is not well understood. On the other hand, modeling gas production from shale reservoirs is a complex multi-variate problem that requires proper integration of data from multiple disciplines, such as geology, petrophysics, geomechanics, completions, and surface-based measurements, etc. This study demonstrates the application of data-driven machine learning algorithms, integrating geoscientific, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), distributed temperature sensing (DTS) fiber-optic, completions, flow scanner production log, and surface data to model daily gas production from a 28-stage stimulated horizontal well drilled in the Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian basin in North America. In addition, this study aims to utilize the data from a fiber-optic monitoring system, such as DAS and DTS to evaluate the well performance. We build supervised data-driven machine learning models using Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms to understand the well performance and forecast the daily gas production. The study compares the forecasted results, tests the level of accuracy, and addresses different issues with these machine learning algorithms. A spatio-temporal database is constructed and used to perform sensitivity analyses to identify the key drivers for gas production. The results show that RF and ANN algorithms can be used to predict daily gas production with significantly high accuracy; however, RF algorithm is the best predictor in terms of highest accuracy (96%), less computational time and cost. Based on sensitivity analysis, it appears that Poisson's ratio, minimum horizontal stress, DAS, casing pressure, gamma log are the most important parameters to predict gas production.
Comments on Two Publications Which Examined Underlay Films Commonly Used on Silage Piles

Abstract Thin plastic underlay films are commonly recommended to reduce spoilage and increase hygienic quality of commercial silages. However there has been a limited amount of research completed to ascertain the benefits of these underlay films, and even less to compare underlay films with differing oxygen permeability. This Short Communication comments on two papers recently published in this area, one in Animal Feed Science and Technology and the other in Grass and Forage Science.
Strong (green) institutions in weak states: Environmental governance and human (in)security in the Global South

Abstract Over the last two decades, the international community has focused on building green institutional capacity in the Global South to foster human security across societies marked by rapid environmental change. Numerous nation-states have consequently institutionalized global models that have helped build administrative, fiscal, and regulatory capacity, as well as promote social and environmental protections. The emergence of strong (green) institutions, however, has not translated into the kind of social or environmental change expected; informal extractive activity (e.g., “illegal” mining), violent natural resource conflict, and environmental degradation remain enduring challenges. To understand why green governance reform has been unable to contribute to broader forms of human security, I analyze the process of institutional reform in the Global South, drawing specifically on minerals governance in Ghana and Sierra Leone. Building from multi-method fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016, I contend that a persistent focus on institutional design has obscured the ways in which green institution building reconfigures cross-scalar power relations that mediate governance-security linkages. In particular, the reform process has channeled power to transnational networks, which constitute what I call the green regulatory state, that produce and reproduce insecurity by reorienting social relations around global standards of natural resource conduct that 1) limit options for domestic political engagement and 2) exacerbate institutional pluralism and conflict. This argument challenges scholarship that perceives insecurity as a function of weak governance capacity by repositioning it as a direct consequence of the growth of green governance. This article contributes to an emerging body of work that questions the growing enthusiasm for green governance as a mechanism to mitigate conflict and improve social and environmental justice. It simultaneously posits that achieving sustainability and security within the context of the Anthropocene requires a more intensive focus on constructing inclusive – rather than strong – governance institutions.
GLU Variants Improve Transformer.

Gated Linear Units (arXiv:1612.08083) consist of the component-wise product of two linear projections, one of which is first passed through a sigmoid function. Variations on GLU are possible, using different nonlinear (or even linear) functions in place of sigmoid. We test these variants in the feed-forward sublayers of the Transformer (arXiv:1706.03762) sequence-to-sequence model, and find that some of them yield quality improvements over the typically-used ReLU or GELU activations.
Dual Versus Triple Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis of 4 large trials examines the potential benefits and harms of dual versus triple antithrombotic therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation who have had percutaneous coronary ...
Prediction of mental health disorder onset and impact on emergency visits following a cancer diagnosis.

2041Background: Cancer patients are at increased risk of mental and emotional distress. The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors and timing of mental health disorder (MHD) onset followi...
Primary Role of the Nucleosome

Whereas the core nucleosome is thought to serve as a packaging device for the coiling and contraction in length of genomic DNA, we suggest that it serves primarily in the regulation of transcription. A nucleosome on a promoter prevents the initiation of transcription. The association of nucleosomes with most genomic DNA prevents initiation from cryptic promoters. The nucleosome thus serves not only as a general gene repressor, but also as a repressor of all transcription (genic, intragenic, and intergenic). The core nucleosome performs a fundamental regulatory role, apart from the histone "tails," which modulate gene activity.
Foundations for Wide-Area Systems

The last decades have seen the emergence of the “sea of objects” paradigm for structuring complex distributed systems on workstations and local area networks. In this approach, applications and system services are composed of and communicate among themselves through reliable and transparently accessible object interfaces, leading to the interaction of hundred or thousands of unstructured objects.
Vector Fields with Continuous Curl but Discontinuous Partial Derivatives

Motivated by strong versions of Green’s theorem, we give an example of a differentiable vector field for which the curl is continuous but not all the partial derivatives are continuous.
Inclusive Leadership Across Cultures and Cultural Intelligence at Home

We discuss ways to address challenges that arise when leading a team of highly educated volunteers from a wide variety of cultures. We use initiatives that rely on volunteers (Teaching Effectiveness Colloquia, Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science, and INFORMS Transactions on Education) to provide examples for discussion.
Dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers

Abstract Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) exhibit the functional properties of conventional thermoset rubber, yet can be processed on thermoplastic fabrication equipment. The great majority of TPEs ...
Antibiotic Use and Associated Risk Factors for Antibiotic Prescribing in COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients.

Background:Literature suggests that antibiotic prescribing in COVID-19 patients is high. Currently, there are insufficient data on what drives antibiotic prescribing practices throughout the COVID-...
Polarized X-ray scattering measures molecular orientation in polymer-grafted nanoparticles.

Polymer chains are attached to nanoparticle surfaces for many purposes, including altering solubility, influencing aggregation, dispersion, and even tailoring immune responses in drug delivery. The most unique structural motif of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNs) is the high-density region in the corona where polymer chains are stretched under significant confinement, but orientation of these chains has never been measured because conventional nanoscale-resolved measurements lack sensitivity to polymer orientation in amorphous regions. Here, we directly measure local chain orientation in polystyrene grafted gold nanoparticles using polarized resonant soft X-ray scattering (P-RSoXS). Using a computational scattering pattern simulation approach, we measure the thickness of the anisotropic region of the corona and extent of chain orientation within it. These results demonstrate the power of P-RSoXS to discover and quantify orientational aspects of structure in amorphous soft materials and provide a framework for applying this emerging technique to more complex, chemically heterogeneous systems in the future. The orientation of polymer chains in the corona of polymer-grafted nanoparticles has never been measured. Here, the authors use polarized resonant soft X-ray scattering to measure local chain orientation in polystyrene grafted gold nanoparticles and quantify the thickness of the anisotropic region of the corona as well as the extent of chain orientation within it.
Child occupant injury risk in rear impact and frontal impact: effect of impact conditions and occupant related factors

The rear-facing seat has become a potential seating configuration for the future autonomous vehicle, therefore the potential injury risk of a rear-facing occupant merits further investigation not o...
Practical Strategic Improvements for African American Mental Health

Literature abounds on issues related to African American mental health. Discrimination, socioeconomic status, and internalized racism impact mental health among African Americans, and the stigma associated with seeking mental health services has been documented. However, there is a dearth of information on improving African American mental health. This chapter provides an overview of mental health issues specific to this population and barriers to effective treatment. Critical Race Theory is the lens that is used to examine African American mental health within the contexts of race, power, and privilege. Effective mental health strategies are grounded in the population being served; therefore, approaches to improve African American mental health consider interactions of individual- and contextual-level factors. To combat historically grounded narrow constructions, strategic improvements center African Americans as the authors of their own experiences. Peer-reviewed scholarly research addressing these issues in an effort to increase awareness of the lived experience of African Americans is needed. Listening to African American voices reveals specific practical strategies for improving African American mental health.
Configurational Lability at Tetrahedral Phosphorus: syn/anti-Isomerization of a P-Stereogenic Phosphiranium Cation by Intramolecular Epimerization at Phosphorus

Tetrahedral main-group compounds are normally configurationally stable, but P-epimerization of the chiral phosphiranium cations syn- or anti-[Mes*P(Me)CH2 CHPh][OTf] (Mes*=2,4,6-(t-Bu)3 C6 H2 ) occurred under mild conditions at 60 °C in CD2 Cl2 , resulting in isomerization to give a syn-enriched equilibrium mixture. Ion exchange with excess [NBu4 ][Δ-TRISPHAT] (Δ-TRISPHAT=Δ-P(o-C6 Cl4 O2 )3 ) followed by chromatography on silica removed [NBu4 ][OTf] and gave mixtures of syn- and anti-[Mes*P(Me)CH2 CHPh][Δ-TRISPHAT]⋅x[NBu4 ][Δ-TRISPHAT]. NMR spectroscopy showed that isomerization proceeded with epimerization at P and retention at C. DFT calculations are consistent with a mechanism involving P-C cleavage to yield a hyperconjugation-stabilized carbocation, pyramidal inversion promoted by σ-interaction of the P lone pair with the neighboring β-carbocation, and ring closure with inversion of configuration at P.
Buckling of a long cylindrical shell containing an elastic core

A long, thin, circular cylindrical shell containing an elastic core, bonded to the inner surface of the shell, is subjected to a uniform external hydrostatic pressure. Stability of equilibrium of the shell is investigated by considering possible neighboring equilibrium states. The loading exerted by the elastic core on the shell in the deformed state is found by solving an associated boundary value problem of the linearized theory of elasticity in the presence of initial stresses. An expression for the buckling pressure of the shell is derived, and results are presented for a wide range of shell and medium parameters.
Identifying Your Client

In the public area it is often difficult to know who is your boss. A client must be identified in order that professional engineers and planners can mutually search out with their clients what is to be achieved. Three constraints keep urban planning from a normative state. As planners, they cannot be certain what has caused today’s problems. They do not know what will result from today’s planning and even if they were confident of the causative relationships, there are not sufficient resources to plan for all elements. Professional experience must be used to assist the client in identifying his goals and priorities on them. The use of goals and objectives is presented and an initial and tentative set of the statements is offered to achieve a more efficient process. Service by professional engineers and planners has been excellent on the technical solution to the problem but on many occasions they have not attempted the most urgent problem.