cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protective effect of N-acetylcysteine on antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity

Introduction: The first-line antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs associated with hepatotoxicity were documented in the pharmacokinetics and clinical practice. There are few ways to prevent the hepatotoxicity. Our aim is to study the hepatoprotective effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on liver injury induced by anti-TB drugs. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in the territory medical center and 379 TB patients with complete anti-TB drugs courses were recruited. 82 patients were prescribed NAC with 1200mg/day simultaneously (NAC group, NAC) and other 297 were not (placebo group, PL). The duration for anti-TB drugs treatment was at least 6 months. Liver enzymes and bilirubin levels were measured every 2 months, and whenever the patients presented with clinical symptoms of hepatotoxicity. Results: There were no significant difference including age, sex, the duration and types of anti-TB drugs between the two groups. During the anti-TB drugs treatment period, 11 patients (13.4%) were diagnosed as having DIH in NAC group and 72 patients (24.2%) developed DIH in PL group (p Conclusion: NAC protects against anti-TB drug-induced hepatotoxicity.
Conclusion: The Ennoblement of the Humble: The History of Middle-earth

The conclusion sums up Tolkien’s concept of the true hero as the most self-effacing of individuals—not only the Hobbit Frodo but Halfelven Arwen and her ancestor Luthien and the men who love them both. Toward them and the Fourth Age, of Man, the Third Age has been moving all along.
Pediatric Autoimmune Hepatitis: What Do You Do When First-line Therapy Fails?

See “Second-line Agents in Pediatric Patients With Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” by Zizzo et al on page 6 and See “Outcomes in Pediatric Autoimmune Hepatitis and Significance of Azathioprine Metabolites” by Sheiko et al on page 80.Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chroni
‘You just can’t do it all’: a secondary analysis of nurses' perceptions of teamwork, staffing and workload

The purpose of this study was to re-examine data to explore connections between nurses’ perceptions of teamwork, staffing and workload, focusing on salient aspects and connections, from the nurses’...
Analysis of the CD8 + T cell anti-HIV activity in heterologous cell co-cultures reveals the benefit of multiple HLA class I matches

CD8+ T lymphocytes can reduce the production of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) by CD4+ T cells by cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic mechanisms. To investigate the involvement of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I compatibility in anti-HIV responses, we co-cultured primary CD8+ T cells, isolated from the peripheral blood of HIV-1-infected individuals, with panels of autologous and heterologous acutely HIV-1-infected primary CD4+ T cells. Altogether, CD8+ T cell anti-HIV activity was evaluated in more than 200 co-cultures. Marked heterogeneity in HIV-1 replication levels was observed among the co-cultures sharing a common CD8+ T cell source. The co-cultures that exhibited greater than 50% reduction in HIV production were found to have significantly increased numbers of matching HLA class I alleles (Yates chi-square = 54.21; p < 0.001). With CD8+ T cells from HIV controllers and asymptomatic viremic individuals, matching HLA-B and/or HLA-C alleles were more predictive of strong anti-HIV activity than matching HLA-A alleles. Overall, HLA class I genotype matches were more closely associated with CD8+ T cell anti-HIV activity than supertype pairings. Antibodies against HLA class I and CD3 reduced the CD8+ T cell anti-HIV activity. Stimulated CD8+ T cells exhibited increased anti-HIV activity and reduced dependency on HLA compatibility. These findings provide evidence that the maximal suppression of HIV replication by CD8+ T cells requires the recognition of multiple epitopes. These studies provide insight for HIV vaccine development, and the analytic approach can be useful for the functional characterization of HLA class I alleles and tentative HLA class I supertypes.
Acoustically actuated ultra-compact NEMS magnetoelectric antennas.

State-of-the-art compact antennas rely on electromagnetic wave resonance, which leads to antenna sizes that are comparable to the electromagnetic wavelength. As a result, antennas typically have a size greater than one-tenth of the wavelength, and further miniaturization of antennas has been an open challenge for decades. Here we report on acoustically actuated nanomechanical magnetoelectric (ME) antennas with a suspended ferromagnetic/piezoelectric thin-film heterostructure. These ME antennas receive and transmit electromagnetic waves through the ME effect at their acoustic resonance frequencies. The bulk acoustic waves in ME antennas stimulate magnetization oscillations of the ferromagnetic thin film, which results in the radiation of electromagnetic waves. Vice versa, these antennas sense the magnetic fields of electromagnetic waves, giving a piezoelectric voltage output. The ME antennas (with sizes as small as one-thousandth of a wavelength) demonstrates 1–2 orders of magnitude miniaturization over state-of-the-art compact antennas without performance degradation. These ME antennas have potential implications for portable wireless communication systems. The miniaturization of antennas beyond a wavelength is limited by designs which rely on electromagnetic resonances. Here, Nan et al. have developed acoustically actuated antennas that couple the acoustic resonance of the antenna with the electromagnetic wave, reducing the antenna footprint by up to 100.
Parental Apologies, Empathy, Shame, Guilt, and Attachment: A Path Analysis

The authors investigated the complex relationships of parental attitudes toward apologies, empathy, shame, guilt, and the parent's attachment orientation. Survey responses were obtained from 327 parents. A path analysis of the developed model demonstrated a close model fit (root-mean-square error of approximation = .07; comparative fit index = .93; incremental fit index = .94; χ2 = 30.71, p < .001), supporting previous research on apologies as beneficial to relationships. A parent's proclivity toward apologies, positively influenced by empathy and guilt and negatively influenced by shame-withdraw behaviors, produced a more secure parent–child attachment.
Anti-fouling strategies for central venous catheters

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are ubiquitous in the healthcare industry and carry two common complications, catheter related infections and occlusion, particularly by thrombus. Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) are an important cause of nosocomial infections that increase patient morbidity, mortality, and hospital cost. Innovative design strategies for intravenous catheters can help reduce these preventable infections. Antimicrobial coatings can play a major role in preventing disease. These coatings can be divided into two major categories: drug eluting and non-drug eluting. Much of these catheter designs are targeted at preventing the formation of microbial biofilms that make treatment of CRBSI nearly impossible without removal of the intravenous device. Exciting developments in catheter impregnation with antibiotics as well as nanoscale surface design promise innovative changes in the way that physicians manage intravenous catheters. Occlusion of a catheter renders the catheter unusable and is often treated by tissue plasminogen activator administration or replacement of the line. Prevention of this complication requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of platelet aggregation, signaling and cross-linking. This article will look at the advances in biomaterial design specifically drug eluting, non-drug eluting, lubricious coatings and micropatterning as well as some of the characteristics of each as they relate to CVCs.
The effect of transcendental meditation on self-efficacy, perceived stress, and quality of life in mothers in Uganda.

Vulnerable women living in poverty in Uganda, who are primarily single, illiterate mothers, face high levels of physical and psychological stress. Our study assessed the impact of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique on self-efficacy, perceived stress, and mental and physical quality of life of these women. This single-blind controlled study involved 81 women who were assigned to either practice of the Transcendental Meditation program (n = 42) or wait-list (delayed start) control group (n = 39). Participants learned the Transcendental Meditation program over five sessions, then practiced at home for 20 minutes twice a day, and attended twice monthly group meetings over a 3-month period. The primary outcome measure was self-efficacy using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Perceived stress using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and physical and mental quality of life using subscales of the Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS, HIV version) were secondary outcome measures. Significant improvements were shown in self-efficacy (p 88%. This is the first controlled study to demonstrate the effect of TM in the daily lives of mothers living in impoverished conditions. Further questionnaires were administered to participants at 8 months and at 36 months with questions about changes they may have experienced in their daily life since starting TM. "Yes," "No" self-reported answers suggested that the women experienced improved health, improved relationships with others, and increased employment rates. These findings taken as a whole have important implications for developing self-efficacy, improving mental and physical quality of life, and reducing stress in the lives of these vulnerable women.
Model-Based Response Planning Strategies for Autonomic Intrusion Protection

The continuous increase in the quantity and sophistication of cyberattacks is making it more difficult and error prone for system administrators to handle the alerts generated by intrusion detection systems (IDSs). To deal with this problem, several intrusion response systems (IRSs) have been proposed lately. IRSs extend the IDSs by providing an automatic response to the detected attack. Such a response is usually selected either with a static attack-response mapping or by quantitatively evaluating all available responses, given a set of predefined criteria. In this article, we introduce a probabilistic model-based IRS built on the Markov decision process (MDP) framework. In contrast to most existing approaches to intrusion response, the proposed IRS effectively captures the dynamics of both the defended system and the attacker and is able to compose atomic response actions to plan optimal multiobjective long-term response policies to protect the system. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed IRS by showing that long-term response planning always outperforms short-term planning, and we conduct a thorough performance assessment to show that the proposed IRS can be adopted to protect large distributed systems at runtime.
Learning to Do Things without Help

As children grow up, their learning encompasses far more than the traditional academic skills of ‘readin,’ ‘ritin/ and ‘rithmetic.’ Among these others are domestic skills—like shopping, making beds, and cooking; mechanical skills—using tools, operating toys or household appliances, building and repairing things; and social skills—such as dealing with peers and taking care of younger children. A lot of this learning takes place not in schools but rather in the family. But there has been relatively little research about the role of parents and siblings as modelers, teachers, and encouragers of these practical and social skills.
The Concept of Dynamic Stability

The beginning of dynamic instability and/or dynamic buckling can be traced to the investigation of Koning and Taub [1], who analyzed a suddenly loaded (in the axial direction) imperfect, simply supported column. Several studies followed in the 1940s and 1950s on the problem of dynamic column buckling. These studies [2–7] concentrated on such effects as those of axial inertia, of short and long duration of the load, of low- and high-velocity excitation, of in-plane inertia, of rotatory inertia, and of transverse shear. Similar studies continued into the 1970s [8–18] and the 1980s [19–20]. Moreover, nondeterministic consideration was included by Elishakoff [21–22] and extensions to plate geometries were reported by others [23–27]. A detailed discussion of geometries of this type is presented in Chapter 10. For these geometries, which under static conditions experience smooth buckling (the analysis shows that there exists s bifurcation point and the postbucking branch corresponds to stable static equilibrium positions), there is no clear criterion of instability, although the criterion used for establishing critical conditions is very simple. When some characteristics deflection increases rapidly with time, we have a dynamically critical condition. In reality, the problem of suddenlyy loaded columns and plates is one of dynamic response rather than one that encounters escaping (bucked) motion of some types. Parametric resonance is a possible dynamic instability for these configurations (see[28]).
Craniomaxillofacial Bony Structures Segmentation from MRI with Deep-Supervision Adversarial Learning

Automatic segmentation of medical images finds abundant applications in clinical studies. Computed Tomography (CT) imaging plays a critical role in diagnostic and surgical planning of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgeries as it shows clear bony structures. However, CT imaging poses radiation risks for the subjects being scanned. Alternatively, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is considered to be safe and provides good visualization of the soft tissues, but the bony structures appear invisible from MRI. Therefore, the segmentation of bony structures from MRI is quite challenging. In this paper, we propose a cascaded generative adversarial network with deep-supervision discriminator (Deep-supGAN) for automatic bony structures segmentation. The first block in this architecture is used to generate a high-quality CT image from an MRI, and the second block is used to segment bony structures from MRI and the generated CT image. Different from traditional discriminators, the deep-supervision discriminator distinguishes the generated CT from the ground-truth at different levels of feature maps. For segmentation, the loss is not only concentrated on the voxel level but also on the higher abstract perceptual levels. Experimental results show that the proposed method generates CT images with clearer structural details and also segments the bony structures more accurately compared with the state-of-the-art methods.
Illicit substance use after release from prison among formerly incarcerated primary care patients: a cross-sectional study

More than 80% of people in jail or prison report having used illicit substances in their lifetimes. After release from incarceration, resumption of substance use carries risks, including parole revocation, exacerbation of mental health conditions, transmission of infectious diseases, and drug overdose. This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Transitions Clinic Network (TCN, www.transitionsclinic.org ), a multi-site prospective longitudinal cohort study of post-incarceration medical care. We investigated substance use among adults, with at least one chronic health condition or age ≥ 50 years, who had been recently released from incarceration and initiated care at a TCN site. Our primary outcome was any self-reported illicit substance use (heroin or other opioids, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, hallucinogens, MDMA, or illicit use of prescription medications) following release from incarceration. Alcohol use post-release was a secondary outcome. Using multivariable logistic regression, we also explored factors associated with illicit substance use. Among 751 participants, median age was 47; participants were mostly male (85%), non-white (47% black, 30% Hispanic), and on parole (80%). The proportion of participants reporting any illicit substance use and any alcohol use soon after release from incarceration was 18% and 23%, respectively. In multivariable regression, variables significantly associated with post-release illicit substance use were male gender (aOR = 3.91, 95% CI: 1.73–8.81), housing with friends or family (aOR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.20–9.28), years incarcerated during latest prison term (aOR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89–0.98), weeks elapsed before engagement with TCN (aOR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03–1.10), being on parole (aOR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34–0.99), and having a drug use disorder (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.40–3.68). Among individuals seeking medical care after release from incarceration, self-reported substance use was lower than previously reported estimates of post-incarceration substance use. Known risk factors, such as male gender and having a drug use disorder, were associated with illicit substance use, as were novel risk factors, such as less supervised housing. Though illicit substance use post-incarceration can carry severe consequences, treatment and surveillance interventions should be targeted toward individuals with greatest risk.
Transcription with a laser: Radiation-damage-free diffraction of RNA Polymerase II crystals.

Abstract Well-diffracting crystals are essential to obtain relevant structural data that will lead to understanding of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) transcriptional processes at a molecular level. Here we present a strategy to study Pol II crystals using negative stain transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a methodology to optimize radiation damage free data collection using free electron laser (FEL) at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The use of negative stain TEM allowed visualization and optimization of crystal diffraction by monitoring the lattice quality of crystallization conditions. Nano crystals bearing perfect lattices were seeded and used to grow larger crystals for FEL data collection. Moreover, the use of in house designed crystal loops together with ultra-violet (UV) microscopy for crystal detection facilitated data collection. Such strategy permitted collection of multiple crystals of radiation-free-damage data, resulting in the highest resolution of wild type (WT) Pol II crystals ever observed.
How social ties contribute to collective actions on social media: A social capital approach

Abstract In public relations research into civic engagement, the influence of social ties on the individual level has not been adequately studied from a social capital perspective. To fill this gap, this study conducts a one-factor between subjects experiment to examine the difference, if any, between the social influence of strong ties and of weak ties on individuals’ participation intentions in regard to collective actions. This study postulates collective efficacy as a factor possibly associated with the intention to participate in collective actions. The study findings suggest that advocacy about certain social causes, such as veterans affairs, have globally positive effects on publics’ civic engagement intentions, regardless of the norms of the social network with which the individuals are connected. Furthermore, collective efficacy was found to be positively associated with participation in collective actions. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
TBX1 variant as a cause of non-syndromic familial vascular ring

Abstract Background Vascular rings have not been described to be heritable outside of syndromic genetic conditions, most classically 22q11 deletion syndrome. The TBX1 gene is located within the critical region of 22q11 and is associated with cardiac defects. Objectives We describe a patient with a complex vascular ring with an isolated left pulmonary artery and bicuspid aortic valve. Echocardiographic screening of his siblings revealed additional aortic arch abnormalities. Methods Whole exome sequencing identified a variant of uncertain clinical significance in the TBX1 gene, denoted c.1399_1428dup30. Results Seven individuals within this family were found to harbor the TBX1 duplication. All of the patients who have undergone imaging have abnormalities of aortic arch branching, including two patients with a right aortic arch with isolated left pulmonary artery, one patient with a right aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery and two individuals with a left arch with aberrant right subclavian artery. This gene variant has been described in two individuals in the literature, one with an interrupted aortic arch and another with Tetralogy of Fallot with an isolated left pulmonary artery. Conclusions This report supports the possible pathogenicity of this variant and represents the first description of a potential genetic cause of non-syndromic cause of familial vascular rings.
Impact of relative and absolute values on selective attention

Valuable stimuli receive attentional priority. However, it is unknown whether the mechanism of the attentional priority is based on relative (e.g., higher) or absolute (e.g., 45 points) values. Therefore, we manipulated the relative and absolute values independently in a modified value-driven attentional capture paradigm. In the training phase, where associative learning occurs between color and reward value, two test target colors were each presented with another different target color (reference target colors) in separate context blocks. Therefore, each test target color had different reference points. In the test phase, the two test target colors were used as singleton distractor colors. In the training phase of Experiment 1, the absolute reward value of the test target colors was the same, but one had a higher value than its reference target color and the other had a lower value. In the test phase, the high relative value color distractor captured attention more, suggesting that the relative value of stimuli influenced selective attention. In Experiment 2 the relative value of the test target colors was the same, but the absolute value was higher for one. The high and low absolute value color distractors captured attention equally in the test phase, indicating little impact of the absolute value on selective attention. These findings suggest that the relative value, rather than absolute value, plays a critical role in the allocation of attention. Accordingly, the present study suggests that prospect theory (Kahneman & Tversky, Econometrica, 47 (2), 363-391, 1979) can be extended to earlier cognitive stages such as selective attention.
Worldwide Climate Change Opinion: Limitations on Latent Trend Models

In this paper, I test how well a group-level, ordinal item-response theory (IRT) model can summarize trends in concern about climate change at the country level. I fit the model to data from almost 2.8 million survey question responses. I show that the resulting indicator gives us a fair summary of countries' comparative climate concern at a given point in time. However, it does not do well at summarizing over-time variation in climate opinion within countries. These results show that even with a large amount of data, group-level IRT models are not guaranteed to retrieve time trends correctly, and that it is crucial to validate model outputs.
Stressors and chemical imbalances: Beliefs about the causes of depression in an acute psychiatric treatment sample.

Abstract Background Public perceptions of mental illness are increasingly construed in neurobiological and genetic terms. Accumulating evidence suggests there are some unintended consequences of these explanations, including reduced optimism for recovery among individuals with depression. However, little is known about how these beliefs relate to treatment process and outcomes in a psychiatric treatment setting, a gap this study aimed to fill. Methods We examined etiological beliefs about depression in a sample of patients (N = 279) seeking acute treatment in a behaviorally-based therapy program at a psychiatric hospital and examined relations with treatment expectations and outcomes. Results We found that although psychosocial explanations of depression were most popular, biogenetic beliefs, particularly the belief that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, were prevalent in this sample. Further, the chemical imbalance belief related to poorer treatment expectations. This relationship was moderated by symptoms of depression, with more depressed individuals showing a stronger relationship between chemical imbalance beliefs and lower treatment expectations. Finally, the chemical imbalance belief predicted more depressive symptoms after the treatment program ended for a 2-week measure of depression (but not for a 24-hour measure of depression), controlling for psychiatric symptoms at admission, inpatient hospitalizations, and treatment expectations. Limitations The sample was homogenous in terms of race and ethnicity and we did not assess how patients came to their beliefs. Conclusions Together, the results illustrate the correlates and possible impacts of etiological beliefs in a real-world clinical setting and invite a critical discussion about predominant messages about the etiology of depression.
HADRONIC TRANSITIONS FROM ϒ(4S) AS A PROBE OF FOUR-QUARK ADMIXTURE

It is argued that the observed enhancement of the hadronic transition ϒ(4S) → ϒ(1S)η relative to ϒ(4S) → ϒ(1S)ππ can be explained if the resonance ϒ(4S) contains an admixture of a four-quark component, possibly due to the coupling to the meson channel $B\bar B$. A test of the discussed mechanism by searching for the transition ϒ(4S) → ϒ(1S)η′(958) is suggested. Some properties of possible four-quark states related to the suggested one by the heavy quark spin symmetry are also discussed.
Kinetics of H2 Adsorption at the Metal–Support Interface of Au/TiO2 Catalysts Probed by Broad Background IR Absorbance

H 2 adsorption on Au catalysts is weak and reversible, making it difficult to quantitatively study. We demonstrate H 2 adsorption on Au/TiO 2 catalysts results in electron transfer to the support, inducing shifts in the FTIR background. This broad background absorbance (BBA) signal is used to quantify H 2 adsorption; adsorption equilibrium constants are comparable to volumetric adsorption measurements. H 2 adsorption kinetics measured with the BBA show a lower E app value (23 kJ/mol) for H 2 adsorption than previously reported from proxy H/D exchange (33 kJ/mol). We also identify a previously unreported H-O-H bending vibration associated with proton adsorption on electronically distinct Ti-OH metal-support interface sites, providing new insight into the nature and dynamics of H 2 adsorption at the Au/TiO 2 interface.
Evaluating Differences in Elastic Modulus of Regenerated and Uninjured Mouse Digit Bone through microCT Density-Elasticity Calculation and Nanoindentation Testing

Bone is an essential, healing structure in vertebrates that ensures daily function. However, the regenerative capacity of bone declines with age, compromising quality of life in the elderly and increasing cost of care. Here, for the first time, the elasticity of regenerated bone in a mouse digit amputation model is evaluated in order to better investigate biomechanics of skeletal regeneration. Amputation of the distal one third of the digit (third phalangeal element P3) results in de novo regeneration of the digit, where analyzing the structural quality of this regenerated bone is a challenging task due to its small scale and triangular shape. To date, the evaluation of structural quality of the P3 bone has primarily focused on mineral density and bone architecture. This work describes an image-processing based method for assessment of elasticity in the whole P3 bone by using microcomputed tomography-generated mineral density data to calculate spatially discrete elastic modulus values across the entire P3 bone volume. Further, we validate this method through comparison to nanoindentation-measured values for elastic modulus. Application to a set of regenerated and unamputated digits shows that regenerated bone has a lower elastic modulus compared to the uninjured digit, with a similar trend for experimental hardness values. This method will be impactful in predicting and evaluating the regenerative outcomes of potential treatments and heightens the utility of the P3 regenerative model.
Patient mutations in human ATP:cob(I)alamin adenosyltransferase differentially affect its catalytic versus chaperone functions.

Abstract Human ATP:cob(I)alamin adenosyltransferase (ATR) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes an adenosyl transfer to cob(I)alamin, synthesizing 5´-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) or coenzyme B12. ATR is also a chaperone that escorts AdoCbl, transferring it to methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which is important in propionate metabolism. Mutations in ATR lead to methylmalonic aciduria type B (or MMAB), an inborn error of B12 metabolism. Our previous studies have furnished insights into how ATR protein dynamics influence redox-linked cobalt coordination chemistry, controlling its catalytic versus chaperone functions. In this study, we have characterized three patient mutations at two conserved active site residues in human ATR, R190C/H and E193K, and obtained crystal structures of R190C and E193K variants, which display only subtle structural changes. All three mutations were found to weaken affinities for the cob(II)alamin substrate and the AdoCbl product and increase KM(ATP). 31 P NMR studies show that binding of the triphosphate product, formed during the adenosylation reaction, is also weakened. However, while the kcat of this reaction is significantly diminished for the R190C/H mutants, it is comparable to wild-type enzyme for the E193K variant, revealing the catalytic importance of Arg-190. Furthermore, while the E193K mutation selectively impairs the chaperone function by promoting product release into solution, its catalytic function might be unaffected at physiological ATP concentrations. In contrast, the R190C/H mutations affect both the catalytic and chaperoning activities of ATR. Since the E193K mutation spares the catalytic activity of ATR, our data suggest that patients carrying this mutation are more likely to be responsive to cobalamin therapy.
Development of an Integrated Photoacoustic-Guided Laser Ablation Intracardiac Theranostic System

Ablation therapies have played a pivotal role in treatment procedures ranging from tumor ablation in cancer therapies to arrythmias in atrial fibrillation treatments. The efficacy of ablation therapies heavily relies on the precise placement of the ablation device and real-time monitoring of the treatment outcome. Endoscopy and fluoroscopy are the gold standard image-guidance modalities used in clinic. However, the increased risk of cancer due to ionizing radiation in fluoroscopy procedures curbs its utility to a niche patient audience. The poor tissue visualization and distinguishing capabilities limits the efficacy of endoscopic procedures. Moreover, the lack of quantitative information about the lesion formation, which is a direct treatment-outcome marker, limits the effectiveness of treatments and induces complications in patients. To combat these limitations, an US/ PA-guided laser ablation theranostic system was developed. The developed system provides features including real-time tissue ablation, lesion monitoring and tissue distinguishing capabilities. This study focusses on the development of the theranostic system. Simulation studies were performed to develop an optimal strategy for delivering the imaging and ablation laser beams. The tissue distinguishing capability of the theranostic system will also be evaluated using ex vivo experiments and validated using staining studies.
Impact of High Fat Diet and Bolus Feeding on Chyle Accumulation in a Mouse Model of Generalized Lymphatic Anomaly.

Background: Generalized lymphatic anomalies (GLA) are complex vessel malformations that can impair lymphatic function. Potential GLA complications include lipid-rich lymph in the thoracic space or peritoneal cavity, respectively chylothorax and chylous ascites. To reduce the potential for chyle accumulation, GLA patients limit dietary fats. We hypothesized that dietary fatty acid composition impacts the potential for lymphatic dysfunction and chyle accumulation in GLA. Methods and Results: Adipose-specific overexpression of lymphatic growth factors has demonstrated lethal chylothorax in mice. Here, we utilized mice with inducible adipocyte overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VD mice) to mimic lymphatic proliferation in GLA and assessed the incidence of chyle accumulation on a mixed high fat diet (HFD), high saturated fat diet (HSFD), or high unsaturated fat diet (HUSFD). Lipid transport was assessed by uptake rates of bolus oral triglyceride load and mesenteric fat analysis. Lymphatic expansion and inflammation were determined by whole mount immunofluorescence and gene expression. Body composition was assessed by MRI. HSFD 2-month wildtype groups resulted in an increase in TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 expression compared with chow-fed controls. The chyle accumulation incidence was highest in HFD-fed mice compared with either HSFD or HUSFD. Strikingly, increased mortality was observed irrespective of which high fat diet was consumed after administration of a bolus lipid load. Conclusion: Chronic HFD increases risk of chyle accumulation, however increased mortality was driven particularly by a bolus lipid load in VD mice. These findings suggest that although chronic HFD increases chyle accumulation risk, a single large meal feeding may increase risk of lethal chylothorax instances for GLA patients.
Verification of Thermal Performance Predictions of Prototypical Multi-Jet Impingement Helium-Cooled Divertor Module

AbstractAn experimental investigation of the thermal performance of the Helium-Cooled Multi-Jet (HEMJ) modular divertor design developed by the Karlsruhe Research Center (FZK) was previously performed at Georgia Tech using air at Reynolds numbers (Re) spanning those at which the actual He-cooled divertor is to be operated. More recently, another experimental investigation was performed by the Georgia Tech group for a similar finger-type divertor module using both air and He as coolants. The results of these experiments suggest that, in addition to matching Re, dynamic similarity between the air and He experiments requires that a correction be made to account for the differences in the relative contributions of convection and conduction (through the divertor walls) to the overall heat removal rate by the module. This correction factor depends on the thermal conductivity ratio of the solid to the coolant. Experiments similar to those previously conducted have therefore been performed using air, argon, or He...
Spectroscopic investigation of the blowing process of soyabean oil

Blown soybean oil was characterised by gas chromatography (GC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), infrared spectroscopy (IR), electrospray ionization-Fourier transfer mass spectrometry (ESI-FTMS), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). During the blowing process (in which a stream of oxygen is bubbled through the heated oil), transition ofcis totrans and the conjugation of double bonds, cross-linking and the degradation of oils occurred concurrently. The disappearance of unsaturated fatty esters followed first order kinetics. The formation of carbon-carbon and ether linkages was observed with NMR. It was proposed that the formation of ether linkages occurred via three routes: 1) combination of radicals; 2) homopolymerisation of epoxide; and 3) hydroxyl addition to oxirane. Furthermore, the effect of the blowing process on the rheological behaviour of the oils was also observed, and blown oil exhibited a higher viscosity than bodied oil (ie heat polymerised in an inert atmosphere).
ICCAD-2012 CAD contest in finding the minimal logic difference for functional ECO and benchmark suite: CAD contest

In this paper, an automatic functional Engineering Change Order (ECO) problem is proposed. The contestants need to implement programs to identify the logic difference of the old netlist and the newly synthesized netlist, which agrees with new specification. How the logic difference can be presented as patch and how we measure the patch quality is explained. The program that can find the minimal patch wins.
Positive-bias temperature instability (PBTI) of GaN MOSFETs

We have investigated the stability of the gate stack of GaN n-MOSFETs under positive gate stress. Devices with a gate dielectric that consists of pure SiO 2 or a composite SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 bilayer were studied. Our research has targeted the evolution of threshold voltage (V T ), subthreshold swing (S) and transconductance (g m ) after positive gate voltage stress of different duration at different voltages and temperatures. We have also examined the recovery process after the stress is removed. We have observed positive V T shift (ΔV T ) in both gate dielectrics under positive gate stress. In devices with a SiO 2 gate oxide, we have found that ΔV T is caused by a combination of electron trapping in pre-existing oxide traps and interface trap generation. In devices with a composite SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 gate oxide, on the other hand, ΔV T is due to electron trapping in pre-existing oxide traps and generation of near interface oxide traps.
Independent guidance of retinal axons in the developing visual system of Drosophila

The development of the adult visual system of Drosophila requires the establishment of precise retinotopic connections between retinal photoreceptor cell axons and their synaptic partners in the optic lobe of the brain. To assess the role of axon-axon interactions in retinal axon guidance, we used genetic methods to disrupt the normal spatiotemporal order of retinal axon ingrowth. We examined retinal axon projections to the developing first optic ganglion, the lamina, in two mutants in which reduced numbers of ommatidia develop in the eye imaginal disk. We find that in the developing lamina of these mutants, sine oculis and Ellipse, retinal axons project to proper dorsoventral positions despite the absence of the usual array of neighboring retinal axons. In a second approach, we examined animals that were somatic mosaics for the mutation, glass. In glass- animals, retinal axons project aberrantly and the larval optic nerve is absent. We find that in the developing lamina of glass mosaic animals, wild-type retinal axons project to proper dorsoventral positions despite the misrouted projections of neighboring glass- retinal axons. In addition, wild-type retinal axons project normally in the absence of the larval optic nerve, indicating that the latter is not an essential pioneer for retinal axon navigation. Our observations support the proposal that axon fascicles can make at least some pathfinding decisions independently of other retinal axon fascicles. We suggest that positional guidance cues that might label axon pathways and target destinations contribute to retinotopic pattern formation in the Drosophila visual system.
Mean Response Models of Repeated Measurements in Presence of Varying Effectiveness Onset

Repeated measurements are often collected over time to evaluate treatment efficacy in clinical trials. Most of the statistical models of the repeated measurements have been focusing on their mean response as function of time. These models usually assume that the treatment has persistent effect of constant additivity or multiplicity on the mean response functions throughout the observation period of time. In reality, however, such assumption may be confounded by the potential existence of the so-called effectiveness action onset, although they are often unobserved or difficult to obtain. Instead of including nonparametric time-varying coefficients in the mean response models, we propose and study some semiparametric mean response models to accommodate such effectiveness times. Our methodologies will be demonstrated by a real randomised clinical trial data.
Using a Service Audit Project for Improving Student Learning in a Service-Marketing Course

Service-marketing education provides students customer service skills sought by employers who recognize the relationship between service and profit. Students in service marketing benefit from active-learning activities with actual organizations to apply customer service frameworks taught in the course. The purpose of this paper is to describe an experiential team project taught through collaboration with a local Better Business Bureau (BBB). Descriptions of the class project address challenges with group and experiential-learning projects. The paper provides suggestions for working with a local business organization for service marketing team projects.
Shape from Shading, Occlusion and Texture

Vision is a highly complex process. There is an important distinction between those visual processes which involve high level, or semantic, information and early vision processes which do not use such knowledge. A primary goal of an early vision system, be it human or mechanical, is to determine and represent the shape of objects from their image intensities. Marr (1982) calls such a representation, which makes explicit the distance to, and orientation of, the visible surfaces from the standpoint of the viewer, a 2–1/2D sketch. He describes several independent processes, or modules,which compute it. Marr’s research focussed on stereopsis and structure from occlusion boundaries and shape from texture.
Thermal artifacts in measurements of fine‐scale water level variation

[1] The estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) from observed diurnal surface water level fluctuations may be highly sensitive to measurement errors. Available total pressure transducers (TPT) can provide requisite accuracy and precision but require atmospheric pressure compensation with equally accurate and precise barometric pressure transducers (BPTs). The BPT installation location determines the thermal setting, and sensor sensitivity to temperature could affect compensated water levels and any analyses requiring fine-scale data. We investigated the effects of BPT installation location on compensated surface water levels and estimates of ET and net infiltration using the White method in four isolated forested wetlands in northern Florida. Water levels compensated with two differently positioned BPTs, one in buffered thermal conditions (BPTbuf; dry well at the TPT depth) and one in ambient temperatures (BPTamb; screened wellhead space), resulted in markedly different diurnal signatures. Both displayed the expected diurnal pattern, but compensation with BPTamb amplified diurnal variation by as much as 1.5 cm, greatly overestimated ET, and suggested net exfiltration, while BPTbuf compensation resulted in ET estimates similar to potential ET and suggested net infiltration. BPT temperature sensitivity followed diurnal temperature variation and generated systematic water level bias with the same signature as the expected trend, making these errors difficult to detect and underscoring the importance of proper BPT positioning.
Gender, Navajo leadership and “retrospective falsification”

Since 1923 when the first western Navajo government was formed by the Department of the Interior, the Navajo Nation has never elected a woman as council chair or President. In 2010, Lynda Lovejoy received the most votes of all the candidates in the primary and was favoured to win the general election but lost to Ben Shelly, vice-president of the Navajo Nation at the time. Several voters interviewed by the Navajo Times cited tradition as their main reason for not voting for Lovejoy. The voters believed that versions and interpretations of a Navajo creation story that tells about the separation of men and women that led to disharmony means women should not be leaders because it will lead to disharmony, instability and confusion. This paper suggests that colonialism and its impact on the story’s interpretation and on contemporary Navajo beliefs erroneously imply women should not be leaders in the Navajo Nation.
A Hypergraph Model for Fault-Tolerant VLSI Processor Arrays

We study here a formal version of a strategy for constructing fault-tolerant VLSI processor arrays in an environment of wafer-scale integration. The strategy achieves tolerance to faults by running buses past the implemented PE's and interconnecting the fault-free ones into an array of the desired structure by having PE's tap into the bank of buses. Earlier studies [12] have shown this strategy to be competitive with more familiar strategies, particularly given the availability of laser-welding technology. We study here fault-tolerant implementation of linear arrays and tree-structured arrays, deriving both upper and lower bounds on the area required to lay out the fault-tolerant arrays. We also consider briefly the issue of wire lengths.
Drug methylation in cancer therapy: lessons from the TPMT polymorphism.

The genetic polymorphism of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) is one of the most developed examples of pharmacogenetics, spanning from molecular genetics to clinical diagnostics for individualizing thiopurine therapy (i.e. azathioprine, mercaptopurine, and thioguanine). Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms and biochemical consequences of TPMT deficiency demonstrates how pharmacogenetic traits can be identified, characterized, and translated to the bedside. Insights gained from studies of the TPMT polymorphism illustrate the potential of pharmacogenomics to optimize cancer therapy by avoiding toxic side effects in genetically distinct subgroups of patients.
Cloture Votes:n/4-resilient Distributed Consensus in t + 1 rounds

TheDistributed Consensus problem involvesn processors each of which holds an initial binary value. At mostt processors may be faulty and ignore any protocol (even behaving maliciously), yet it is required that the nonfaulty processors eventually agree on a value that was initially held by one of them. We measure the quality of a consensus protocol using the following parameters; total number of processorsn, number of rounds of message exchanger, and maximal message sizem. The known lower bounds are respectively 3t + 1,t + 1, and 1.
Primordial Rare Gases in the Atmosphere of the Earth

THE primordial rare gases in stony meteorites seem to consist of two distinct components, one with relative abundances similar to those in the Earth's atmosphere and called the planetary component1 and the other with abundances closely resembling the mean solar system abundances and called the solar component.
Highly accurate wavefront reconstruction algorithms over broad spatial-frequency bandwidth.

New algorithms for reconstructing wavefront from slopes data are developed, which exhibit high accuracy over broad spatial-frequency bandwidth. Analyzing wavefront reconstructors in the frequency domain lends new insight into ways to improve frequency response and to understand noise propagation. The mathematical tools required to analyze the frequency domain are first developed for discrete band-limited signals. These tools are shown to improve frequency response in either spatial-or frequency-domain reconstruction algorithms. A new spatial-domain iterative reconstruction algorithm based on the Simpson rule is presented. The local phase estimate is averaged over 8 neighboring points whereas the traditional reconstructors use 4 points. Analytic results and numerical simulations show that the Simpson-rule–based reconstructor provides high accuracy up to 85% of the bandwidth. The previously developed rectangular-geometry band-limited algorithm in frequency domain is adapted to hexagonal geometry, which adds flexibility when applying frequency-domain algorithms. Finally, a generalized analytic expression for error propagation coefficient is found for different reconstructors and compared with numerical simulations.