cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modelling study of the effects of suspended aquaculture installations on tidal stream generation in Cobscook Bay

Abstract Recent endeavours have focused on the possibility of developing multi-use marine areas that integrate aquaculture with marine renewable energy device deployment. This work investigates both the individual and the combined impacts of suspended long-line mussel farms (canopies) and tidal stream devices. An amended version of an existing three-dimensional hydro-environmental code was used to describe the effects of both the aquaculture canopies and the tidal energy devices. The model was applied to a designated tidal energy test site on the East Coast of the United States, Cobscook Bay, ME. The quantifiable energy production capacity of the tidal stream devices with and without suspended canopies was considered. The effects of both types of structures on hydrodynamics and solute transport were analysed including flushing studies to quantify renewal timescales in the bay. Results demonstrate potential to optimise energy generation by combining turbine arrays with suspended aquaculture canopies. Combining MHK and aquaculture installations did not significantly impact the physical environment beyond the effects of the aquaculture canopies alone. Moreover, the potential energy production capacity was increased by up to 19% due to flow diversion and acceleration induced by the aquaculture canopies.
First Experience With Successful Percutaneous Retrieval of Retained-Fractured Impella Device

A 50-year-old man underwent successful high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention in the setting of non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. An Impella CP device (Abiomed Inc., Danvers, Massachusetts) was implanted via the right femoral artery. Soon after the case
Graphical Methods for Determining the Nonlinear Fracture Parameters of Silica and Graphite Refractory Composites

The energy principle of the nonlinear fracture of ceramic composites is discussed and the nonlinear energy fracture parameters, i.e., the nonlinear energy fracture toughness (Gc), the crack-growth resistance (Rc) and the irreversible energy dissipation (or) are explained. Four distinct graphical methods are described to evaluate these nonlinear fracture parameters. Nonlinear effects of the microcrack frontal process zone and its wake on these fracture resistance parameters are discussed. The graphical procedures for their evaluation are illustrated for a synthetic polygran-ular graphite composite and for four different silica refractory composites.
#BlackLivesMatter: Racialization, the Human, and Critical Public Pedagogies of Race

This chapter takes up the Black Lives Matter movement that appeared in the United States in recent years, organizing and coordinating responses to racialized state violence against black and brown persons, in order to analyze the biopolitics of racialization in relation to critiques of the dominant conception of “the human” in global politics. Drawing on the theories of Sylvia Wynter and Alexander Weheliye, as well as feminist and queer analyses of Black Lives Matter, we argue that prevailing ways of thinking “the human” as a source of the common in political struggle must attend to the relations among racialization, dehumanization, and affect. In the final section, we focus on a shift from “the body” to “the flesh” in black thought, one that allows us to conceptualize “fleshy pedagogies” that open onto forms of alterhumanist struggle against racialized state violence.
Rapid B-rep model preprocessing for immersogeometric analysis using analytic surfaces.

Abstract Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of flow over complex objects have been performed traditionally using fluid-domain meshes that conform to the shape of the object. However, creating shape conforming meshes for complicated geometries such as automobiles require extensive geometry preprocessing. This process is usually tedious and requires modifying the geometry, including specialized operations such as defeaturing and filling of small gaps. Hsu et al. (2016) developed a novel immersogeometric fluid-flow method that does not require the generation of a boundary-fitted mesh for the fluid domain. However, their method used the NURBS parameterization of the surfaces for generating the surface quadrature points to enforce the boundary conditions, which required the B-rep model to be converted completely to NURBS before analysis can be performed. This conversion usually leads to poorly parameterized NURBS surfaces and can lead to poorly trimmed or missing surface features. In addition, converting simple geometries such as cylinders to NURBS imposes a performance penalty since these geometries have to be dealt with as rational splines. As a result, the geometry has to be inspected again after conversion to ensure analysis compatibility and can increase the computational cost. In this work, we have extended the immersogeometric method to generate surface quadrature points directly using analytic surfaces. We have developed quadrature rules for all four kinds of analytic surfaces: planes, cones, spheres, and tori. We have also developed methods for performing adaptive quadrature on trimmed analytic surfaces. Since analytic surfaces have frequently been used for constructing solid models, this method is also faster to generate quadrature points on real-world geometries than using only NURBS surfaces. To assess the accuracy of the proposed method, we perform simulations of a benchmark problem of flow over a torpedo shape made of analytic surfaces and compare those to immersogeometric simulations of the same model with NURBS surfaces. We also compare the results of our immersogeometric method with those obtained using boundary-fitted CFD of a tessellated torpedo shape, and quantities of interest such as drag coefficient are in good agreement. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our immersogeometric method for high-fidelity industrial scale simulations by performing an aerodynamic analysis of a truck that has a large percentage of analytic surfaces. Using analytic surfaces over NURBS avoids unnecessary surface type conversion and significantly reduces model-preprocessing time, while providing the same accuracy for the aerodynamic quantities of interest.
Should She Hold It or Should She Eat It? The Efficient Pose of Testimonials to Improve Perceptions of Tastiness of Food Products

There is consensus in research that food tastiness is not only contingent on the food itself (e.g., its ingredients, colors, or its preparation) but also on context factors such as lighting while consuming the food and on the use of communication and promotional tools. Regarding the latter measures, prior research focused on the shape of food packaging and on verbal and visual advertising cues.
Hand Function in Persons with Chronic Mental Illness: A Practice Concern

Abstract For over three decades, physical abnormalities have been noted in the chronic psychiatric population. Yet, as occupational therapy conceptual models currently emphasize the application of occupation to role performance while minimizing direct focus on component deficits, therapists may be neglecting attention to the sensory motor deficits that many clients exhibit. This article provides a case study, and reports on a series of recent studies that underscore the importance of attending to hand function in the chronic psychiatric population.
Estimation and Interpretation of keff Confidence Intervals in MCNP

The Monte Carlo code MCNP has three different, but correlated, estimators for calculating keff in nuclear criticality calculations: collision, absorption, and track length estimators. The combinati...
Emerging Gene Therapies for Genetic Hearing Loss

Gene therapy, or the treatment of human disease using genetic material, for inner ear dysfunction is coming of age. Recent progress in developing gene therapy treatments for genetic hearing loss has demonstrated tantalizing proof-of-principle in animal models. While successful translation of this progress into treatments for humans awaits, there is growing interest from patients, scientists, clinicians, and industry. Nonetheless, it is clear that a number of hurdles remain, and expectations for total restoration of auditory function should remain tempered until these challenges have been overcome. Here, we review progress, prospects, and challenges for gene therapy in the inner ear. We focus on technical aspects, including routes of gene delivery to the inner ear, choice of vectors, promoters, inner ear targets, therapeutic strategies, preliminary success stories, and points to consider for translating of these successes to the clinic.
Paths to Room-Temperature Superconductivity

Superconducting state at room temperature is a perfectly realistic phenomenon, and there are various paths aimed at reaching this goal. Some of them are described briefly in this presentation. One can expect that the first breakthrough will occur with the use of the high-pressure methods. An external pressure is the thermodynamic parameter, and its change allows one to create new structures, including that of sulfur hydride displaying the record value of the critical temperature.
Fending off IoT-hunting attacks at home networks

Many attacks target vulnerabilities of home IoT devices, such as bugs in outdated software and weak passwords. The home network is at a vantage point for deploying security appliances to deal with such IoT attacks. We propose a comprehensive home network defense, Pot2DPI, and use it to raise an attacker's uncertainty about devices and enable the home network to monitor traffic, detect anomalies, and filter malicious packets. The security offered by Pot2DPI comes from a synthesis of practical techniques: honeypot, deep packet inspection (DPI), and a realization of moving target defense (MTD) in port forwarding. In particular, Pot2DPI has a chain of honeypot and DPI that collects suspicious packet traces, acquires attack signatures, and installs filtering rules at a home router timely. Meanwhile, Pot2DPI shuffles the mapping of ports between the router and the devices connected to it, making a targeted attack difficult and defense more effective. Pot2DPI is our first step towards securing a smart home.
Proteoforms as the next proteomics currency

Proteoforms—the different forms of proteins produced from the genome with a variety of sequence variations, splice isoforms, and myriad posttranslational modifications ( 1 )—are critical elements in all biological systems (see the figure, left). Yang et al. ( 2 ) recently showed that the functions of proteins produced from splice variants from a given gene—different proteoforms—can be as different as those for proteins encoded by entirely different genes. Li et al. ( 3 ) showed that splice variants play a central role in modulating complex traits. However, the standard paradigm of proteomic analysis, the “bottom-up” strategy pioneered by Eng and Yates some 20 years ago ( 4 ), does not directly identify proteoforms. We argue that proteomic analysis needs to provide the identities and abundances of the proteoforms themselves, rather than just their peptide surrogates. Developing new proteome-wide strategies to accomplish this goal presents a formidable but not insurmountable technological challenge that will benefit the biomedical community.
Sleep endoscopy findings in children with persistent obstructive sleep apnea after adenotonsillectomy.

Abstract Objectives Describe the patterns of obstruction in persistent pediatric OSA and their relationship with patient weight. Study design Retrospective review. Methods All pediatric DISE procedures performed at a tertiary care hospital between October 2010 and October 2015 were reviewed. Patients had polysomnography after adenotonsillectomy that confirmed persistent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Variables included age, gender, co-morbidities, and AHI. DISE findings focused on inferior turbinates, adenoid, tongue base, epiglottis, aryepiglottic (AE) folds, arytenoids, lingual tonsil and their contributions to obstruction. Results 34 patients were included with mean age of 7.85 (2–16) years, mean BMI of 23.15 (13.6–44.8) and mean AHI of 6.34 (1.5–25.2) events per hour. Obstruction occurred at the level of the epiglottis in 97%, with retropositioning by tongue base (73.6%) or lingual tonsil enlargement (70.5%). Obstruction occurred at the inferior turbinates in 76.5%, the adenoid in 64.7% and the palate in 58.8%. Shortened AE folds were less often identified (15%). Multiple sites of partial or complete obstruction were found in 97% of patients. Overweight or obese patients had a mean of 3 sites of complete obstruction and 4.69 sites of partial or complete obstruction as compared to 2.33 and 4.52 in underweight or normal weight children. Overweight or obese children were more likely to have obstruction at the lingual tonsil or adenoid than normal/underweight children. Conclusion Multiple sites of obstruction in persistent pediatric OSA were found. Children with higher BMIs had slightly different findings, suggesting that attention to adenoid regrowth and lingual tonsil hypertrophy is important.
Economic Expectations, Voting, and Economic Decisions around Elections

Survey respondents who associate themselves with the "winning team" in an election, substantially increase their expectations for their stock market, but only modestly increase their expected household economic well-being. The impact of the election outcome on the "losing team" is comparatively muted. Yet, the dramatic shifts in survey responses from "winning team" respondents do not manifest themselves in their actual behavior as revealed by their online search behavior, in contrast to members of the "losing team," whose decline in durable goods purchases correlate with their stated economic expectations. Combining novel survey data and search, this study provides a uniquely meaningful comparison of stated attitudes with actual behaviors.
Mitochondrial DNA and RNA Polymerases

Mitochondria are vital to cellular activities, both cell growth and programmed death. The organelle contains its own DNA, which codes for a subset of genes oxidative phosphorylation electron transfer chain that couples oxidation–reduction reactions with ATP synthesis. Maintenance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) requires a designated group of proteins that are nuclear encoded and transported to mitochondria. Both DNA and RNA polymerases have bacteriophage origins but have clearly deviated from their ancestors and have combined features of prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes. Mitochondrial DNA polymerase, Pol γ performs all DNA synthesis activities in replication and repair. Mammalian Pol γ holoenzyme consists of a catalytic subunit Pol γA and an accessory subunit Pol γB that regulates all activities of the catalytic subunit. Mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription are intimately related, as the mitochondrial transcription machinery provides transcripts for RNA primers for mtDNA replication as well as gene expression. Human mitochondrial DNA and RNA polymerases are adverse reaction targets for antiviral reagents against HIV and hepatitis viruses, and human Pol γ mutations have been implicated in multisystem clinical disorders. Studies of mitochondrial polymerases are therefore of immediate human health importance.
New Models for the Study of Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency

Mutations in the structural gene for adenosine deaminase (ADA) which lead to a loss of enzymatic activity cause severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in humans. Although this disease was discovered approximately 25 years ago1 and there have been many experiments to elucidate the biochemical and immunological mechanism by which ADA deficiency leads to SCID (reviewed in 2), it is fair to say that this issue is still unsettled. For the purpose of this discussion, my remarks will be limited to the consequences of ADA deficiency on T cells, since T cells are more severely and uniformly affected in ADA-deficient patients and T cells are the focus of the next two presentations.
THE ORDER OF ADDITION OF SUBSTRATES TO AMINO ACID: tRNA LIGASES

ABSTRACT There are several reports that suggest amino-acid activation involves the sequential formation of an enzyme–APT complex, an enzyme–ATP amino-acid complex, an enzyme–aminoacyl adenylate complex and, finally, an enzyme-aminoacyl tRNA complex. However, one such enzyme, the valine tRNA ligase of E. coli. B, clearly functions with random addition of amino acid and ATP.
Einleitung und thematische Abgrenzung

Zu den faszinierendsten Forschungsgebieten der modernen Wirtschaftswissenschaften zahlt zweifelsohne der Prozes des technologischen Wandels. Trotz seiner uberragenden Bedeutung fur den Wachstums- und Entwicklungsprozes einer Volkswirtschaft steht die Analyse seiner Bestimmungsgrunde und seines differenzierten Ablaufs noch in den Anfangen. Stagnative Tendenzen in den westlichen Industrielandern und Diskussionen uber die jeweilige technologische Wettbewerbsfahigkeit haben aber gerade in den letzten Jahren zu einer rasch zunehmenden Zahl theoretischer und empirischer Arbeiten auf diesem Gebiet gefuhrt. Allen diesen Arbeiten liegt die gemeinsame Einsicht zugrunde, das der technologische Fortschritt nicht als eine exogen vorgegebene Grose wie „Manna vom Himmel“ fallt, sondern vielmehr das Ergebnis eines standigen Wettbewerbs konkurrierender Unternehmen um neue Produkte und neue Produktionsverfahren darstellt. In diesem Innovationswettbewerb nehmen die unternehmerischen Aktivitaten in Forschung und Entwicklung (F&E) einen zentralen Stellenwert ein. Abgesehen von nicht auszuschliesenden rein zufalligen Entdeckungen erfordert die Produktion eines neuartigen technologischen Know-hows regelmasig den Einsatz von F&E-Ausgaben. Eine Analyse der Bestimmungsgrunde des technologischen Wandels kann daher nicht erfolgen, ohne zunachst auf die Determinanten der unternehmerischen F&E-Ausgaben einzugehen.
Growing the Next Generation of People-Centric Leaders

In this chapter, I extend the conversation about being a People-Centric leader to helping others become more People-Centric in their leadership. I focus this chapter on why a leader should and how a leader can grow more leaders. I argue that being a role model is critical, but not enough. We also need to be intentional in helping others develop, starting with helping them understand the value of a People-Centric approach (i.e., developing a People-Centric mindset) and then supporting their development at a local level. I focus here on what leaders can do to incorporate key principles of adult learning (experience, feedback, and reflection) and three methods for impacting development (training, experience, and coaching).
Emergency Department Visits by and Hospitalizations of Senior Diabetics in the Three Years Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

While prior studies have investigated health care utilization immediately following disasters, few have examined utilization beyond that period. We use individual-level U.S. Medicare claims data for three years prior to (2002-2004) and after (2006-2008) Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to investigate whether senior diabetics affected by the storms had a greater number of emergency department visits and days hospitalized in the three years following the storms. An event study was conducted using regression analysis that controlled for all fixed individual characteristics. While the 2006 and 2007 rates of increase in utilization were relatively similar across the control group and the two affected groups, in 2008 the affected groups exhibited substantially greater increases in both emergency department visits and days hospitalized. The differences correspond to an additional 380,907 days hospitalized and 21,583 emergency department visits in 2008. The results indicate that, in addition to short term effects previously estimated, disasters may have longer term effects on utilization of healthcare services. These potential effects suggest that improved post-disaster care may significantly reduce the healthcare costs of disasters.
The Chomsky Effect: Episodes in Academic Activism

This article reflects upon the approach that Chomsky takes to a broad array of fields and work, and the "effect" that he has, as a thinker and a catalyst, upon a broad array of people within and beyond the ivory tower. Some of the central themes of Chomsky's work are herein elucidated, alongside of some key events which have marked him, and his many effects, across the spectrum of activists and intellectuals who look to him for guidance or else as a figure to be reviled and attacked.
Village-scale reserves in the forest frontier regions of Chenes and Calakmul, Mexico

Sketch-map-facilitated interviews were conducted in 23 villages in two adjacent regions in the southern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico – the Maya (and increasingly Mennonite) forest-agriculture mosaic...
Interplay between Hydrogen and Halogen Bonding inCocrystals of Dipyridinylmethyl Oxalamides and Tetrafluorodiiodobenzenes

Herein, we examine how the combination of multiple intermolecular interactions influences the supramolecular assembly of dipyridinylmethyl oxalamides and tetrafluorodiiodobenzenes into distinct wel...
My Personal Brand and My Web Presence: Mining Digital Footprints and Analyzing Personas in the World of IOT and Digital Citizenry

Personal Branding is a way to elevate oneself in a new marketing concept. For many, building and managing a Personal Brand is about value, mission, image, and vision. However, with the shift in the marketplace and the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), Personal Branding has become a data function and summation of one’s Digital Footprint, which can impact how people are seen by Databots and how others observe them. Subsequently, there has been an upsurge in the utilization of deep machine learning and predictive analytics to profile as well as select talents using their Personal Brand as a data function of their Web Presence/Digital Citizenry. To find a solution, a survey was conducted to examine the number of students who are not fully aware of their Web Presence/Digital Citizenry and how their social and professional networks can and will be used to profile them. After identifying this problem, the idea of building and managing a Personal Brand was explored. To solve this problem, a Personal Branding tool that allows students to develop and promote their Personal Brand using a Digital Passport to express, share, and manage a multi-dimensional presentation of all their academic and non-academic achievements.
Design Rules, Volume 2: Chapter 16 Capturing Value by Controlling Bottlenecks in Open Platform Systems

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the means by which firms capture value in open platform systems. It combines the theory of a platform as a provider of options with the theory of bottlenecks developed in Chapters 7, 8 and 9. I argue that, in an open platform system, firms capture value by: (1) controlling one or more strategic bottlenecks; (2) finding and fixing flow bottlenecks at the core of the system; (3) introducing accelerators and/or subsidiary platorms; and (4) avoiding disintermediation of the parts of the platform they control. I begin by arguing that the surplus value created by complementarities within a technical system will be split among the owners of the unique and essential components—the strategic bottlenecks in the system. However, most platforms must also execute a series of steps which are subject to “flow production” bottlenecks. Finding and fixing these technical bottlenecks is another way to capture value. In addition, two types of platform improvements provide further opportunities for value capture. “Accelerators” speed up the processing of options, while “subsidiary” platforms increase the range of options available to users. Finally, members of a platform system or new entrants may seek to supplant the owner of a strategic bottleneck by “disintermediating” platform components. I describe four generic methods of disintermediation: substitution; reverse engineering; platform independent complements; and platform envelopment.
Specific, reversible G1 arrest by UCN-01 in vivo provides cytostatic protection of normal cells against cytotoxic chemotherapy in breast cancer

Low-dose UCN-01 mediates G1 arrest in normal proliferating cell lines with an intact G1 to S transition but not tumour cells with a deregulated G1 to S checkpoint. Here we hypothesised that UCN-01 is effective in mediating a selective, reversible G1 arrest of normal proliferating cells, resulting in decreased chemotoxicity, improved tolerance and enhanced chemotherapeutic efficacy in vivo in both non-tumour-bearing mice and in breast cancer cell line xenograft models. Murine small bowel epithelium was used to examine the kinetics and mechanism of low-dose UCN-01-mediated arrest of normal proliferating cells and if it can protect tumour-bearing mice (MDA-MB-468 xenografts) against the toxic effects of chemotherapy (5-fluorouricil (5-FU)) allowing for its full therapeutic activity. UCN-01 causes significant, reversible arrest of normal gut epithelial cells at 24 h; this arrest persists for up to 7 days. Normal cellular proliferation returns by 2 weeks. Pre-treatment of both non-tumour-bearing and MDA-MB-468 tumour-bearing mice with UCN-01 prior to bolus 5-FU (450 mg/kg) yielded enhanced therapeutic efficacy with significantly decreased tumour volumes and increased survival. UCN-01 mediates a specific, reversible G1 arrest of normal cells in vivo and provides a cytoprotective strategy that decreases toxicity of cytotoxic chemotherapy without compromising efficacy.
Insights into hospital readmission patterns of atrial fibrillation patients

Introduction:Patients admitted to the hospital with atrial fibrillation have associated morbidity and mortality and incur significant costs. Data characterizing atrial fibrillation patients at high...
Piezo2, a pressure sensitive channel is expressed in select neurons of the mouse brain: a putative mechanism for synchronizing neural networks by transducing intracranial pressure pulses

ABSTRACT Piezo2 expression in the normal, young adult mouse brain was examined using an anti-PIEZO2 Ab generated against a C-terminal fragment of the human PIEZO2 protein. As a positive control for Ab staining of mouse neurons, the Ab was shown to stain the majority (~90%) of mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, consistent with recent in situ hybridization and transcriptomic studies that also indicate Piezo2 gene expression in ~90% mouse DRG neurons. As a negative control and stringent test for specificity, the Ab failed to stain DRG satellite glial cells, which do not express Piezo2 but rather its paralog, Piezo1. In slices of brains isolated from the same mice as the DRG, the Ab displayed high selectivity in staining only specific neuron types, including some pyramidal neurons in the neocortex and hippocampus, Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex, and most notably mitral cells within the olfactory bulb. Given the demonstrated role of Piezo2 channels in peripheral neurons as a low-threshold pressure sensor (i.e., ≤ 5 mm Hg) critical for gentle touch, proprioception, and the regulation of breathing and blood pressure, its expression in select brain neurons has interesting implications. In particular, we propose that the pressure sensitive channel may provide specific brain neurons with an intrinsic resonance that acts to synchronize their firing with the normal pulsatile changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) associated with breathing and cardiac cycles. This novel mechanism could serve to increase the robustness of the respiration entrained oscillations that have been recorded in both rodent and human brains across widely distributed neuronal networks. The idea of a “global rhythm” within the brain has been mainly related to the effect of nasal airflow activating mechanosensitive neurons within the olfactory epithelium, which in turn synchronize, through direct synaptic connections, mitral neurons within the olfactory bulb and then through their projections, the activity of neural networks in other brain regions, including the hippocampus and neocortex. Our proposed, non-synaptic, intrinsic resonance mechanism for tracking pulsatile ICP changes would have the advantage that spatially separated brain networks could be globally synchronized effectively at the speed of sound.
Evaluating Reminders for Medication Adherence and Side Effects in M-Health Environment

Reminders are a very promising intervention for improving medication adherence in mobile health environment. From the published literature, this research find that effectiveness of reminders varies widely and side effects of reminders have not been studied. To address these, this article develops an analytical model to evaluate different types of reminders for medication adherence. The model is also used to estimate side effects of the reminders. The results indicate that context-aware reminders perform better than simple reminders in improving medication adherence for willing patients in mobile health environment. Simple and persistent reminders also lead to more side effects than context-aware reminders. The results of this study will be useful for patients, healthcare providers, researchers and policy makers in improved decision making for medication adherence. The future work can include development of smart reminders to meet different requirements of patients, healthcare professionals and payers in terms of personalization, performance, long-term effectiveness, reliability, and health outcomes.
Proximity labeling of Snx14 reveals a functional interaction with Δ-9 desaturase SCD1 to maintain ER homeostasis

Abstract Fatty acids (FAs) are central cellular metabolites that contribute to lipid synthesis, and can be stored or harvested for metabolic energy. Dysregulation in FA processing and storage causes toxic FA accumulation or altered membrane compositions and contributes to metabolic and neurological disorders. Saturated lipids are particularly detrimental to cells, but how lipid saturation levels are maintained remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the cerebellar ataxia SCAR20-associated protein Snx14, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-lipid droplet (LD) tethering protein, as a novel factor required to maintain the lipid saturation balance of cellular membranes. We show that Snx14-deficient cells and SCAR20 disease patient-derived cells are hypersensitive to saturated FA (SFA)-mediated lipotoxic cell death that compromises ER integrity. Using APEX2-based proximity labeling, we reveal the protein composition of Snx14-associated ER-LD contacts and define a functional interaction between Snx14 and Δ-9 FA desaturase SCD1. We show that SCD1 is upregulated in SNX14KO cells, and SNX14KO-associated SFA hypersensitivity can be rescued by ectopic SCD1 overexpression. The hydrophobic PXA domain of Snx14 and its interaction with SCD1 are required for Snx14-mediated SFA protection function. Lipidomic profiling reveals that SNX14KO cells exhibit increased membrane saturation, and mimics the lipid profile of SCD1-inhibited cells. Altogether these mechanistic insights reveal a functional interaction between Snx14 and SCD1 in the ER network to maintain FA homeostasis and membrane saturation, defects in which may underlie the neuropathology of SCAR20. Significance Statement SCAR20 disease is an autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia primarily affecting children, and results from loss-of-function mutations in the SNX14 gene. Snx14 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized protein that localizes to ER-lipid droplet (LD) contacts and promotes LD biogenesis, but why Snx14 loss causes SCAR20 is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Snx14-deficient cells and SCAR20 patient-derived fibroblasts have defective ER homeostasis and altered lipid saturation profiles. We reveal a functional interaction between Snx14 and fatty acid desaturase SCD1. Lipidomics shows Snx14-deficient cells contain elevated saturated lipids, closely mirroring SCD1-defective cells. Furthermore, Snx14 and SCD1 interact in the ER, and SCD1 over-expression rescues Snx14 loss. We propose that Snx14 maintains cellular lipid homeostasis, the loss of which underlies the cellular basis for SCAR20 disease.
Characteristics and overall survival in pediatric versus adult craniopharyngioma: a population-based study.

This study uses a large-population national database to describe the presenting clinical, sociodemographic, treatment, and clinical outcome differences between pediatric and adult craniopharyngiomas. This study utilized the 2004–2015 National Cancer Database and was queried for all cases of craniopharyngioma. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards analysis was used to determine clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with mortality. Kaplan-Meier log-rank test determined differences in overall survival (OS) time. The cohort consisted of 3638 patients, with 816 (22.4%) pediatric (≤ 18 years) patients. Pediatric patients presented with significantly higher frequency of large tumors (> 3 cm, 54.1 vs. 31.8%, p < 0.001), lower frequency of papillary subtype (0.9 vs. 11.5%, p < 0.001), and were exclusively treated at academic centers (100 vs. 73.4%, p < 0.001). Pediatric patients had significantly higher rates of adjuvant radiation (34.3 vs. 22.3%; p < 0.001), and had significantly lower 90-day mortality (1.6 vs. 4.9%; p < 0.001); however, no significant differences in extent of resection (p = 0.93), length of hospital stay (p = 0.53), and 30-day readmissions (p = 0.06) were observed between pediatric and adult patients. On Kaplan-Meier log-rank test, there were no significant differences in OS in pediatric patients receiving gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection (STR), or STR + adjuvant radiation (p = 0.68). Lastly, when comparing endoscopic and open surgical approaches in pediatric patients, there were no significant differences in extent of surgical resection (p = 0.81), length of hospital stay (p = 0.54), 30-day readmissions (p = 0.22), and 90-day mortality (p = 0.80). Craniopharyngioma has improved OS in pediatric compared to adult patients. Pediatric craniopharyngioma patients are best managed within multidisciplinary teams at academic centers with an individualized approach.
Microalgae-based wastewater treatment and utilization of microalgae biomass

Abstract Microalgae-based wastewater treatment is a promising technology for removing nutrients from wastewater while producing biomass that can be processed into fuels or value-added products. Successful implementation of microalgae-based treatment needs to overcome several challenges such as establishing desirable microalgae-bacteria consortia and controlling critical operating parameters such as light, temperature, sludge retention time (SRT), and hydraulic retention time (HRT). The high concentrations of pollutants in wastewater can also inhibit microalgae growth and diminish the nutrients removal efficiencies. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive review of microalgae-based wastewater treatment and microalgae biomass utilization.
Prognostic value of the cadmium-zinc-telluride camera: A comparison with a conventional (Anger) camera

New multipinhole cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) cameras allow for faster imaging and lower radiation doses for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies, but assessment of prognostic ability is necessary. We collected data from all myocardial SPECT perfusion studies performed over 15 months at our institution, using either a CZT or conventional Anger camera. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the relationship between camera type, imaging results, and either death or myocardial infarction (MI). Clinical variables including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and historical risk factors were used for population description and model adjustments. We had 2,088 patients with a total of 69 deaths and 65 MIs (122 events altogether). A 3% increase in DDB (difference defect burden) represented a 12% increase in the risk of death or MI, whereas a 3% increase in rest defect burden or stress defect burden represented an 8% increase; these risks were the same for both cameras (P > .24, interaction tests). The CZT camera has similar prognostic values for death and MI to conventional Anger cameras. This suggests that it may successfully be used to decrease patient dose.
Computational modeling of transplant rejection: a systems view of the dynamic roles of T cells, antigen presenting cells, and cytokines during rejection (TRAN1P.941)

The quality of life of organ transplant recipients is compromised by complications that arise from ensuing life-long immunosuppression and by limited long-term graft survival due to absence of tolerance induction. There is then an urgent need to better understand the complex interactions of the immune system leading to transplant rejection, so to identify innovative strategies to promote transplant acceptance while preserving immune competence. In this study we have pioneered a systems biology approach in which an experimentally-based mathematical model is used to predict how alterations in the immune response influence the rejection of mouse heart transplants. The model correctly predicts that in the absence of CD4 T cells the transplant survives indefinitely, while in the absence of CD8 T cells it is quickly rejected, providing also dynamics of innate cells that fit recently published data. As expected, decreasing the migration of effectors to the graft delays transplant rejection. This latter relation is not monotonic as increasing the translocation of CD8 T cells has a beneficial effect. This unexpected result derives from the interconnections with the relative concentrations of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and with the ratio between Treg and T cells. This suggests possible key points of intervention for a testable novel strategy of intervention that highlights the usefulness of this innovative multidisciplinary approach.
Current Issues in Foodborne Illness Caused by Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract Staphylococcal food poisoning is an intoxication caused by consuming foods contaminated by at least one of several preformed staphylococcal enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus species. Staphylococcal food poisoning is caused primarily by S. aureus strains that are endemic to human but food contaminations by strains of animal origin do also occur. To date, 25 staphylococcal enterotoxins have been identified and while many of these have emetic activity when fed to monkeys, their exact role in food poisoning is not known. Most ominous is the fact that all staphylococcal enterotoxins but one are coded for by mobile genetic elements that could potentially lead to more pathogenic strains with broader host range to include both humans and domestic animals. The emergence of the MRSA ST398 strain among food animals, their caretakers, and veterinarians, as well as individuals with no known food animal contact is of great concern as a new risk factor for MRSA carriage and broad host range transmissibility.
The distal biceps tendon. Two potential mechanisms involved in its rupture: arterial supply and mechanical impingement.

The purpose of this anatomic study was to evaluate potential causes of rupture of the distal biceps tendon, to assess the dynamic relationship of the proximal radioulnar joint during pronation and supination, and to identify potential sites of impingement of the distal biceps tendon. For the anatomic study specimens were evaluated by light microscopy, multiplanar gross dissections, and Spalteholz vascular injection. For the radiographic study computed tomography was used to assess dynamic changes in the radioulnar space in pronation, neutral position, and supination. Three vascular zones were identified in the distal biceps tendon. Vascular contributions were consistently noted from the brachial artery proximally and from the posterior recurrent artery distally. A hypovascular zone averaging 2.14 cm was evident between the proximal and distal zones. On sectinoning through the proximal radioulnar joint 85% of the space was occupied by the distal tendon in full pronation. In addition, computed tomography imaging revealed a 50% reduction in the radioulnar joint at the radial tuberosity from full supination to full pronation. Mechanical impingement on the biceps tendon during forearm rotation and hypovascularity within sections of the tendon may contribute to attritional ruptures of the distal biceps tendon.
On the Covering Time of a Disc by Simple Random Walk in Two Dimensions

Let S(j) denote simple random walk taking values in Z2. It is well known that S(j) is recurrent and hence every finite set is eventually covered by the path of the walk. Let B n be the discrete ball of radius n, $$ B_n = \{ z:|z|^2 < n\} , $$ , and let T n be the covering time of B n , $$ T_n = \inf \{ j:B_n \subset S\left[ {0,j} \right]\} , $$ where \( S[0,j] = \{ S\left( i \right):0 \leqslant i \leqslant j\} \).
A Formal Approach to Heterogeneous Software Modeling

The problem of consistently engineering large, complex software systems of today is often addressed by introducing new, "improved" models. Examples of such models are architectural, design, structural, behavioral, and so forth. Each software model is intended to highlight a particular view of a desired system. A combination of multiple models is needed to represent and understand the entire system. Ensuring that the various models used in development are consistent relative to each other thus becomes a critical concern. This paper presents an approach that integrates and ensures the consistency across an architectural and a number of design models. The goal of this work is to combine the respective strengths of a powerful, specialized (architecture-based) modeling approach with a widely used, general (design-based) approach. We have formally addressed the various details of our approach, which has allowed us to construct a large set of supporting tools to automate the related development activities. We use an example application throughout the paper to illustrate the concepts.
JPEG compression metric as a quality-aware image transcoding

Transcoding is becoming a preferred technique to tailor multimedia objects for delivery across variable network bandwidth and for storage and display on the destination device. This paper presents techniques to quantify the quality-versus-size tradeoff characteristics for transcoding JPEG images. We analyze the characteristics of images available in typical Web sites and explore how we can perform informed transcoding using the JPEG compression metric. We present the effects of this transcoding on the image storage size and image information quality. We also present ways of predicting the computational cost as well as potential space benefits achieved by the transcoding. These results are useful in any system that uses transcoding to reduce access latencies, increase effective storage space as well as reduce access costs.
Bactericidal potency of hydroxyl radical in physiological environments.

Rates of radiolytic inactivation of bacteria suspended in N2O-saturated solutions were dramatically increased over normal background levels when the media contained chloride or bicarbonate ions. The bacteria could be protected from this enhanced toxicity by the addition of free radical scavengers (ethanol, ascorbate, hydrogen peroxide, mannitol, glucose, EDTA, picolinic acid), indicating that the lethal reactions were extracellular in origin. Prior irradiation of chloride-containing solutions led to formation of hypochlorous acid, which was identified by detection of ring-chlorinated products when reacted with fluorescein. Prolonged irradiation of other solutions did not lead to accumulation of bactericidal agents; however, irradiation of bicarbonate-containing solutions in the presence of the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) led to formation of the EPR-detectable DMPO.CO3- adduct. The results are interpreted in terms of formation of secondary radicals, among which the carbonate and chlorine radicals are uniquely toxic to bacteria. From rate comparisons of the solution components, it was concluded that the reactions involving chloride ion are unlikely to be expressed in biological environments, but that the CO3- radical could be an important intermediary oxidant in peroxide-inflicted cellular damage, particularly in spatially confined environments such as the leukocyte phagosome.
Bifunctional Enzymes of β-Oxidation (Multifunctional Proteins, MFP1 and MFP2)

This article has no abstract. Keywords: bifunctional enzymes of β-oxidation (multifunctional proteins, MFP1 and MFP2)
The cyclotomic trace map and values of zeta functions

We show that the cyclotomic trace map for smooth varieties over number rings can be interpreted as a regulator map and hence are related to special values of ζ-functions.
Ear Photographs: Examination and Forensic Potential

Although the potential exists for the identification of humans based on measurement and observational features of the human ear, this potential has yet to be fully explored scientifically. As such, although it is tempting to apply both visual inspection and measurement criteria to exposed ears viewed in video surveillance, its efficacy in meeting evidential standards has yet to be established. Certainly a large amount of variation exists in the various features that compose the human ear but how those variations are patterned remains unknown on the individual, familial, and the population levels. Compounding these essential issues are difficulties in controlling for the quality and detail resolution of the visual representations (video and/or still photographic) used for comparisons within a forensic context. Keywords: forensic anthropology; ear morphology; video surveillance; photographic identification; human variation; linear measurement; Darwin's tubercle
The potential health benefits of child day care.

Child day-care programs are a part of an ecologic formulation of the contribution of family and the community to improved children9s health. How does the promise of the possible become a reality? Head Start may provide some clues. As a large-scale national child-development program with integrated health, education, social services, and parent involvement components, Head Start assumes a responsibility for assuring access to needed health knowledge, health maintenance skills, and health services. It has standards for each component, a training and technical assistance capacity, and funding through bipartisan political support. It is not perfect; quality is uneven and it evolves as health standards are revised on the basis of new scientific information. Head Start places emphasis on community health advocacy. The needs of children and families will largely determine the combination of functions child care might assume. Until this nation recognizes that access to primary health care for all its citizens, especially its children, is non-negotiable, all child-care programs including Head Start are still at a significant disadvantage in realizing their potential.16 As the nation embraces the Education 2000 goal of all children being ready to learn when they enter school, child-care programs can play a significant role in helping children attain the health benefits that will foster that success in school.17 This cannot be accomplished by the programs alone, however. Health professionals must form partnerships with child-care providers to assist them in using their considerable expertise to promote the health and well-being of families who use their services.