cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sympathetic Nerve Stimulation, Not Circulating Norepinephrine, Modulates T-Peak to T-End Interval by Increasing Global Dispersion of Repolarization

Background— T-peak to T-end interval (Tp-e) is an independent marker of sudden cardiac death. Modulation of Tp-e by sympathetic nerve activation and circulating norepinephrine is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize endocardial and epicardial dispersion of repolarization (DOR) and its effects on Tp-e with sympathetic activation. Methods and Results— In Yorkshire pigs (n=13), a sternotomy was performed and the heart and bilateral stellate ganglia were exposed. A 56-electrode sock and 64-electrode basket catheter were placed around the epicardium and in the left ventricle (LV), respectively. Activation recovery interval, DOR, defined as variance in repolarization time, and Tp-e were assessed before and after left, right, and bilateral stellate ganglia stimulation and norepinephrine infusion. LV endocardial and epicardial activation recovery intervals significantly decreased, and LV endocardial and epicardial DOR increased during sympathetic nerve stimulation. There were no LV epicardial versus endocardial differences in activation recovery interval during sympathetic stimulation, and regional endocardial activation recovery interval patterns were similar to the epicardium. Tp-e prolonged during left (from 40.4±2.2 ms to 92.4±12.4 ms; P <0.01), right (from 47.7±2.6 ms to 80.7±11.5 ms; P <0.01), and bilateral (from 47.5±2.8 ms to 78.1±9.8 ms; P <0.01) stellate stimulation and strongly correlated with whole heart DOR during stimulation ( P <0.001, R =0.86). Of note, norepinephrine infusion did not increase DOR or Tp-e. Conclusions— Regional patterns of LV endocardial sympathetic innervation are similar to that of LV epicardium. Tp-e correlated with whole heart DOR during sympathetic nerve activation. Circulating norepinephrine did not affect DOR or Tp-e.
Surgical management of chronic compartment syndromes of the leg

Abstract Surgical management of chronic compartment syndromes requires a solid knowledge of the compartmentanatomy and the peripheral nerves.A muscle hernia in the distal portion of the leg's lateral compartment is often present at the point of exit of the superficial peroneal nerve.A fasciotome allows for easy decompression of a chronic compartment syndrome with minimal dissection through a small incision.
Fluorescent method for platinum detection in buffers and serums for cancer medicine and occupational hazards

Herein we demonstrate fluorescence detection of total platinum species in buffers and serums by a Pt(0)-catalyzed Tsuji-Trost type reaction to yield a fluorescent compound.
FRIENDSHIP AND FILIAL PIETY: RELATIONAL ETHICS IN ARISTOTLE AND EARLY CONFUCIANISM

This article examines the origins of and philosophical justifications for Aristotelian friendship (philia) and early Confucian filial piety (xiao). What underlying assumptions about bonds between friends and family members do the philosophies share or uniquely possess? Is the Aristotelian emphasis on relationships between equals incompatible with the Confucian regard for filiality? As I argue, the Aristotelian and early Confucian accounts, while different in focus, share many of the same tensions in the attempt to balance hierarchical and familial associations with those between friends who are on the same footing.
Interaction between Components of the Type III Secretion System of Chlamydiaceae

Members of the family Chlamydiaceae possess at least 13 genes, distributed throughout the chromosome, that are homologous with genes of known type III secretion systems (TTS). The aim of this study was to use putative TTS proteins of Chlamydophila pneumoniae, whose equivalents in other bacterial TTS function as chaperones, to identify interactions between chlamydial proteins. Using the BacterioMatch Two-Hybrid Vector system (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.), lcrH-2 and sycE, positions 1021 and 0325, respectively, from C. pneumoniae CM-1 were used as “bait” to identify target genes (positions 0324, 0705, 0708, 0808 to 0810, 1016 to 1020, and 1022) in close proximity on the chromosome. Interaction between the products of the lcrH-2 (1021) and lcrE (copN) (0324) genes was detected and confirmed by pull-down experiments and enzyme immunoassays using recombinant LcrH-2 and LcrE. As further confirmation of this interaction, the homologous genes from Chlamydia trachomatis, serovar E, and Chlamydophila psittaci, Texas turkey, were also cloned in the two-hybrid system to determine if LcrH-2 and LcrE would interact with their orthologs in other species. Consistent with their genetic relatedness, LcrH-2 from C. pneumoniae interacted with LcrE produced from the three species of Chlamydiaceae; LcrH-2 from C. psittaci reacted with LcrE from C. pneumoniae but not from C. trachomatis; and C. trachomatis LcrH-2 did not react with LcrE from the other two species. Deletions from the N and C termini of LcrE from C. pneumoniae identified the 50 C-terminal amino acids as essential for the interaction with LcrH-2. Thus, it appears that in the Chlamydiaceae TTS, LcrH-2 interacts with LcrE, and therefore it may serve as a chaperone for this protein.
Synthesizing and binding dual-mode poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanobubbles for cancer targeting and imaging

Accurate assessment of tumor boundaries and recognition of occult disease are important oncologic principles in cancer surgeries. However, existing imaging modalities are not optimized for intraoperative cancer imaging applications. We developed a nanobubble (NB) contrast agent for cancer targeting and dual-mode imaging using optical and ultrasound (US) modalities. The contrast agent was fabricated by encapsulating the Texas Red dye in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NBs and conjugating NBs with cancer-targeting ligands. Both one-step and three-step cancer-targeting strategies were tested on the LS174T human colon cancer cell line. For the one-step process, NBs were conjugated with the humanized HuCC49 Delta C(H)2 antibody to target the over-expressed TAG-72 antigen. For the three-step process, cancer cells were targeted by successive application of the biotinylated HuCC49 Delta C(H)2 antibody, streptavidin, and the biotinylated NBs. Both one-step and three-step processes successfully targeted the cancer cells with high binding affinity. NB-assisted dual-mode imaging was demonstrated on a gelatin phantom that embedded multiple tumor simulators at different NB concentrations. Simultaneous fluorescence and US images were acquired for these tumor simulators and linear correlations were observed between the fluorescence/US intensities and the NB concentrations. Our research demonstrated the technical feasibility of using the dual-mode NB contrast agent for cancer targeting and simultaneous fluorescence/US imaging.
The early application of the calculus to the inverse square force problem

The translation of Newton’s geometrical Propositions in the Principia into the language of the differential calculus in the form developed by Leibniz and his followers has been the subject of many scholarly articles and books. One of the most vexing problems in this translation concerns the transition from the discrete polygonal orbits and force impulses in Prop. 1 to the continuous orbits and forces in Prop. 6. Newton justified this transition by lemma 1 on prime and ultimate ratios which was a concrete formulation of a limit, but it took another century before this concept was established on a rigorous mathematical basis. This difficulty was mirrored in the newly developed calculus which dealt with differentials that vanish in this limit, and therefore were considered to be fictional quantities by some mathematicians. Despite these problems, early practitioners of the differential calculus like Jacob Hermann, Pierre Varignon, and Johann Bernoulli succeeded without apparent difficulties in applying the differential calculus to the solution of the fundamental problem of orbital motion under the action of inverse square central forces. By following their calculations and describing some essential details that have been ignored in the past, I clarify the reason why the lack of rigor in establishing the continuum limit was not a practical problem.
Stage I Testicular Seminoma: A SEER Analysis of Contemporary Adjuvant Radiotherapy Trends

Purpose: Patients with clinical stage I testicular seminoma have historically been treated with adjuvant radiotherapy in the United States. However, nearly 80% of patients on surveillance will not experience relapse and even with relapse, salvage rates approach 100%. It remains unclear how practice patterns have changed with recently accumulating evidence and changes in guidelines. In a population based setting we evaluated contemporary trends and factors that may affect the use of adjuvant radiotherapy.Materials and Methods: A total of 8,151 men diagnosed with stage I testicular seminoma from 2000 to 2009 were identified in the national SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) registry. A multivariate regression model was constructed to analyze the association of year, age, race, socioeconomic status, SEER region, pathological stage and tumor size with the administration of adjuvant radiotherapy.Results: The use of adjuvant radiotherapy decreased significantly from 2000 to 2009. In 2000, 74.7% ...
Exploring the Mechanism of Biomolecule Immobilization on Plasma-Treated Polymer Substrates

An electron beam-generated plasma source developed at NRL was used to modify polystyrene microtitre plates. A combination of complementary surface analytical and biochemical techniques was applied to evaluate the relationship between the biotic and abiotic layers, with particular emphasis on the efficiency of the preparation of polymer surfaces and its effectiveness for bioimmobilization. We conclude that the development of novel interface materials with superior transducing capabilities is dependent on the deeper understanding of the complex physicochemical, nanoscale interactions between the substrate surface and the biological components attached to it.
Chaotic transport by mesoscale motions

A brief review is given of a new perspective on fluid transport by mesoscale motions in strongly inhomogeneous flows. This perspective draws on results from dynamical systems theory and has been stimulated by recent observations of the Gulf Stream and by laboratory experiments on meandering jets. It generally presumes that the flow is dominated by relatively simple coherent structures, and involves the detailed analysis of the kinematics of fluid exchange between flow regimes.
Dosing of Oral Etoposide Normalized for Body Surface Area

The objective of this clinical and pharmacological study was to determine whether any pretreatment parameters were associated with pharmacological or toxicity parameters after prolonged oral etoposide. Therefore, the relationships between patient characteristics and etoposide concentrations and hematological toxicity were evaluated. Sixty patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were treated with etoposide 50 mg/m2/day p.o. for 21 consecutive days and cisplatin 100 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1. Complete blood counts and etoposide plasma concentrations were obtained weekly. Etoposide was measured by high-performance liquid chromatog-raphy. The input variables were age, gender, race, weight, weight0.66. weight0.75, height, body surface area, performance status, albumin concentration, and total etoposide dose. The outcome measures were etoposide concentration; nadir values (white blood cells, neutrophils, hemoglobin, and platelets); the absolute decrease, relative decrease, and survival fraction of blood cel...
Performance Prediction Using Simulation of Large-Scale Interconnection Networks in POSE

Parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) of models with fine-grained computation remains a challenging problem. We explore the usage of POSE, our parallel object-oriented simulation environment, for application performance prediction on large parallel machines such as BlueGene. This study involves the simulation of communication at the packet level through a detailed network model. This presents an extremely fine-grained simulation: events correspond to the transmission and receipt of packets. Computation is minimal, communication dominates, and strong dependencies between events result in a low degree of parallelism. There is limited look-ahead capability since the outcome of many events is determined by the application whose performance the simulation is predicting. Thus conservative synchronization approaches are challenging for this type of problem. We present recent experiences and performance results for our network simulator and illustrate the utility of our simulator through prediction and validation studies for a molecular dynamics application.
Iterative MIMO sphere decoding throughput guarantees under realistic channel conditions

Block-based early termination has been proposed for depth-first based MIMO sphere decoders (SD) in order to provide throughput guarantees. We show in this letter that such termination incurs, even under simple tree and norm choices, significant overhead in the required number of iterations under realistic channel conditions due to the depth-first search's highly variable complexity (number of iterations to achieve a target performance). We propose the use of a constrained version of Dijkstra's metric-first search which exhibits indistinguishable performance while avoiding the impractical memory requirements of Dijkstra's search. We show that for a 4×4 64-subcarrier OFDM system, the proposed alternative achieves ~2x decrease in complexity as compared to the depth-first SD with block early termination for the same throughput guarantee.
Immunologically Active Autoantigens: The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in the Development of Chronic Inflammatory Disease

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), expressed on cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, serve as sentinels, waiting to alert the host to the first signs of microbial infection and to activate the initial line of immune defense. Research has increasingly demonstrated that many of the same PRRs also recognize self-epitopes that either are released from dying or damaged cells or are present at the surface of apoptotic cells or apoptotic bodies. In this context, PRRs play a critical role in tissue repair and the clearance of cellular debris. However, failure to appropriately regulate self-responses triggered by certain PRRs can have serious pathological consequences. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene family represents a case in point. TLR7, 8, and 9 were originally identified as receptors specific for bacterial and viral RNA and DNA, but more recent in vitro and in vivo studies have now linked these receptors to the detection of host RNA, DNA, and RNA- or DNA-associated proteins. In this context, they likely play a key role in the development of systemic autoimmune diseases.
High School Civics Textbooks: What We Know Versus What We Teach about American Politics and Public Policy

Scholars of American politics and public policy recognize the interdependence of governments and corporations in the United States. This article presents research findings that high school civics textbooks, where most Americans first encounter the research and theories of political science, have little to say about this interdependence. This challenges our civic education aspirations and leaves many Americans without means of understanding or effectively engaging important current public policy controversies. One possible remedy: include interdependence in textbook treatments of the separation of powers.
A Time to Stop Prescribing Antioxidant Vitamins to Prevent and Treat Heart Disease

The article by Cheung et al,1 “Antioxidant supplements block the response of HDL to simvastatin-niacin therapy in patients with coronary artery disease and low HDL” in this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , demonstrates a possibly important and troubling observation. The addition of an antioxidant “cocktail,” comprising vitamins E and C, β-carotene, and selenium, for participants on simvastatin and niacin (SNA) therapy, resulted in a significant blunting of the apoA1 and HDL2c response compared with those on lipid-lowering drugs alone (SN). None of the HDL-related changes for the antioxidant group only were different from those for placebo. See page 1320 The unexplained results in a clinical trial are often chance findings, given the numerous possible analyses. The statistical test of significance is not meaningful in such an analysis because there was no prior hypothesis before the data were reviewed. …
Cell Recognition through Interaction between Carbohydrates of Cell Surface Glycolipids

New cell recognition system based on the interaction between carbohydrates of glycolipids on cell surfaces is described. Specific carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions between some kinds of glycolipids were observed using glycolipid-containing liposomes and glycolipid coated solid phase. In addition, glycolipid dependent cell adhesion which occurs through specific carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction was also observed.The carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions are able to show both attractive and repulsive interactions which depend on the carbohydrate structures, whereas interactions of other cell recognition molecules such as adhesive proteins and carbohydrate binding proteins show only adhesion. The specificity and strength of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction are also controlled by fattyacid composition of glycolipid, and surface glycolipid density. Thus, the specificities of the cell recognition system through carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction could vary more than those of other cell recognition systems through protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions.
Attacking Distribution Obsolescence and Efficiency of Food Markets in the Age of Urban Renewal

Using studies, testimonies, and plans started in the 1950s to replace Philadelphia’s Dock Street Market, this article critically examines motives and trends that culminated in federally generated s...
The Effect of Hydrogen Ion Concentration on Certain Antigenic Properties of Clostridium Botulinum

From studies on anaphylaxis with pure proteins I it has become clear that certain properties of an antigen may be modified quantitatively by effecting reversible changes in such of its physicochemical properties as are functions of the PH Of the antigen solution. The indications are that it may prove possible to produce a more effective state of antibacterial or antitoxic immunity in an animal by immunization with physicochemically modified antigen or to produce such states when none can be produced by the usual methods. The experiments with Cl. botulinum were designed to provide some information on the specific antibody responses in rabbits inoculated with suspensions of Cl. botulinum (types A and B) adjusted to various hydrogen ion concentrations.
Heterogeneous photoredox synthesis of N-hydroxy-oxazolidinones catalysed by metal–organic frameworks

The photoredox conversion of organic functional groups into useful products without the reliance on expensive transition metal-based catalysts has been a major challenge. Here we report the photocatalytic conversion of N-hydroxy-carbamates into N-hydroxy-oxazolidinones using simple metal organic frameworks (MOFs) such as MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-NH2 as catalysts in aerobic conditions, with efficiencies and yields comparable to those performed using ground state catalysts. Through sampling increasingly complex structures of carbamates, we found that MOFs induce diasteroselectivities similar to those obtained in solution, which is pivotal in synthesizing natural products and pharmaceuticals, and that the photo-conversion occurred on or near the surface of MOF particles. To provide better mechanistic interpretations on these observations, kinetics studies, quantum yield measurements, and the determination of the photogenerated reactive species were performed. The temperature dependency in the kinetic studies enabled us to identify the photo-redox process as the rate-limiting step of the reaction, a trend that is consistent with using non-porous heterogeneous catalysts like TiO2. The structural traits of the studied MOFs explain how porosity and light absorption can be tuned for better photocatalysts for achieving high yields and selectivities.
Religion, Group Identification, and Politics among American Blacks*

participation among black Americans. Others have suggested that religion in the black community, with its focus on other-worldly concerns, serves to blunt the impact of socioeconomic deprivation by increasing levels of satisfaction with the status quo. We posit a model in which religion influences black identification, satisfaction with the status quo, and orientation toward collective action, and these attitudes combine with religious and demographic variables to predict political participation. We report that religion is a significant source of black identification, but has little impact on orientations toward collective action. We also report that public religiosity increases black political participation. Religion does serve to increase satisfaction with the status quo, especially among older blacks, but even among this group, religious involvement leads to greater political participation. We conclude that black religion is an important source of black identity and a stimulus to political involvement.
The Observation of Vibrational Relaxation and Solvent Reorientation Following Ultrafast Photodissociation of Cr(CO)6

The photodissociation of Cr(CO)6 at 266nm has been studied in cyclohexane and n-propanol by using picosecond Raman spectroscopy. Vibrational relaxation on a time scale of 100ps has been observed in cyclohexane in both the Stokes and anti-Stokes spectra. Raman band shifts have been observed in n-propanol within 100ps which are assigned to solvent coordination and reorientation from the alkane coordinated intermediate to the more stable oxygen-metal coordinated complex.
Experimentally manipulating the effects of involuntary conscious memory on a priming task.

Recent studies (Mace 2003a, 2003b) showed that involuntary conscious memory can enhance priming in implicit tasks. However, because the results of these studies were based on post hoc selection methods in which subjects were assigned to conditions (aware or unaware) based on their responses on a posttest questionnaire, it is possible that subject selection effects may have influenced the results. The present study used a novel method that experimentally manipulated the effects of involuntary conscious memory on a word stem task. This was accomplished by inducing the experience of word recollection in one test condition while inhibiting it in another. This study showed that subjects who experienced word recollection showed significantly. higher rates of priming than those who did not. The results represent the first purely experimental demonstration of involuntary conscious memory's ability to affect priming on implicit tasks.
Notes on Transnational State Apparatuses

The fundamental problem of the social science is to find the [historical] laws according to which any state of society produces the state which succeeds it and takes its place. John Stuart Mill Any understanding of the global crisis requires an inquiry into how the reproduction of global capitalism is possible – or indeed, if it is possible at all. An examination of the mechanisms of such reproduction involves analysis of the institutions in global society that make it possible, in actuality or in theory. How are the class relations of global capitalism institutionalized? What are the system’s institutional and political authority structures? How can we understand the political constitution of the dominant classes in global society – in particular, the TCC? How does the TCC organize itself in order to pursue its interests around the world? Institutions are social interactions systematized – that is, institutionalized – by a system of norms and rules enforced by distinct coercive mechanisms, while structures organize sets or matrices of institutions. Hence social practices take place through institutions, and social groups and classes organize themselves through institutions; all but the most entirely coincidental social relations are institutionalized. One of the most important of these institutions is the state. Political institutions have secured economic reproduction ever since human beings moved beyond communal societies. The rise of the state in conjunction with the appearance of significant surpluses and the division of society into classes constitutes the central political instance in the development of class societies. There is therefore a historically constituted inner connection between state forms and production processes that we want to analyze with respect to capitalism and its transnational phase.
Using synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography to study tissue damage by laser irradiation

Background and Objective The aim of this study was to determine if X-ray micro-computed tomography could be used to locate and characterize tissue damage caused by laser irradiation and to describe its advantages over classical histology for this application. Study Design/Materials and Methods A surgical CO2 laser, operated in single pulse mode (100 milliseconds) at different power settings, was used to ablate different types of cadaveric animal tissues. Tissue samples were then harvested and imaged with synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast and micro-computed tomography to generate stacks of virtual sections of the tissues. Subsequently, Fiji (ImageJ) software was used to locate tissue damage, then to quantify volumes of laser ablation cones and thermal coagulation damage from 3D renderings of tissue image stacks. Visual comparisons of tissue structures in X-ray images with those visible by classic light microscopy histology were made. Results We demonstrated that micro-computed tomography could be used to rapidly identify areas of surgical laser ablation, vacuolization, carbonization, and thermally coagulated tissue. Quantification and comparison of the ablation crater, which represents the volume of ablated tissue, and the thermal coagulation zone volumes were performed faster than we could by classical histology. We demonstrated that these procedures can be performed on fresh hydrated and non-sectioned plastic embedded tissue. Conclusion We demonstrated that the application of non-destructive micro-computed tomography to the visualization and analysis of laser induced tissue damage without tissue sectioning is possible. This will improve evaluation of new surgical lasers and their corresponding effect on tissues. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:866–877, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of temperature on sleep regulation in an animal epilepsy model

Besides recurring seizures, disordered sleep is common in individuals with epilepsy and may present as reduced sleep depth, altered proportions of different stages of sleep, intermittent arousal, and other phenomena. Sleep loss can in turn precipitate seizures, thus sustaining a vicious cycle. It is well known that changes in ambient temperature elicit thermoregulatory responses that alter the dynamics of sleep. As a first step toward therapeutic sleep modulation for epilepsy, we assessed the effect of elevated ambient temperature on sleep dynamics and seizure yield in the chronic pilocarpine mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. The results in a small sample indicate that temperature does in fact significantly alter the proportions and durations of each vigilance state in this model, with possibly correlated changes in seizure incidence. Manipulation of ambient temperature therefore offers a simple and relatively unobtrusive way of titrating sleep quality and perhaps alleviating the seizure burden in epilepsy.
Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV infection, can have a profound impact on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. While adolescents are a quarter of the sexually active population, they represent nearly half of all new STI cases globally. STIs have considerable impact on the morbidity and mortality for infected individual, but also their partners and children. A complex interplay of biological, behavioral, sociocultural, and ecological factors put young people at risk of STIs. This chapter discusses the global spread of STIs among adolescents, the pathogens, symptoms, and health consequences of select STIs, social and behavioral determinants of STIs, and we describe key public health approaches aimed at reducing the burden of STIs among adolescents.
PREDICTORS OF INFANT AND TODDLER BLACK BOYS’ EARLY LEARNING: SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES AND MINIMIZING RISKS

Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) data set (U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2001), this study examined child, family, and community factors in the early years (infant and toddler years) to predict the cognitive and language outcomes for preschool-age Black boys in relation to Black girls and White boys. Findings indicate that Black children face many challenges, with Black boys experiencing less sensitive parenting as compared to their peers. We live in a highly complex, racialized environment. While there are universal indicators that predict children's preschool outcomes such as strong social positioning and positive parenting, there are, in addition, some indicators that are more beneficial for Black boys’ early development, including a stable, less urban home environment with parents engaging in “tough love.”
Cellular, physiological and pathological aspects of the long non-coding RNA NEAT1

BACKGROUND The majority of mammalian genomes have been found to be transcribed into non-coding RNAs. One category of non-coding RNAs is classified as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) based on their transcript sizes larger than 200 nucleotides. Growing evidence has shown that lncRNAs are not junk transcripts and play regulatory roles in multiple aspects of biological processes. Dysregulation of lncRNA expression has also been linked to diseases, in particular cancer. Therefore, studies of lncRNAs have attracted significant interest in the field of medical research. Nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1), a nuclear lncRNA, has recently emerged as a key regulator involved in various cellular processes, physiological responses, developmental processes, and disease development and progression.
Groove Radio: A Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Personalized Playlist Generation

This paper describes an algorithm designed for Microsoft's Groove music service, which serves millions of users world wide. We consider the problem of automatically generating personalized music playlists based on queries containing a ``seed'' artist and the listener's user ID. Playlist generation may be informed by a number of information sources including: user specific listening patterns, domain knowledge encoded in a taxonomy, acoustic features of audio tracks, and overall popularity of tracks and artists. The importance assigned to each of these information sources may vary depending on the specific combination of user and seed~artist. The paper presents a method based on a variational Bayes solution for learning the parameters of a model containing a four-level hierarchy of global preferences, genres, sub-genres and artists. The proposed model further incorporates a personalization component for user-specific preferences. Empirical evaluations on both proprietary and public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm and showcase the contribution of each of its components.
Dielectric properties of ligand-modified gold nanoparticle/SU-8 photopolymer based nanocomposites

Abstract This article reports the enhanced dielectric properties of a photodefinable polymer nanocomposite material containing sub–10 nm coated metal nanoparticles (NPs). The surface morphology of the synthesized dodecanethiol-functionalized gold NPs was characterized using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We investigated the particle agglomeration and dispersion during the various stages of the nanocomposite synthesis using TEM. Physical properties such as dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss were measured experimentally. The dependence of the dielectric permittivity and loss tangent on the particle concentration, and frequency was studied. Nanocomposite films showed an approximately three times enhancement in average dielectric constant over the polymer base value and an average dielectric loss of 0.09 at 1 kHz, at a filler loading of 10% w/w.
Nuclear arms control under trump and putin: End of the road?

ABSTRACTDeterioration of US-Russian political relations, especially since Russia’s annexation of Crimea and destabilization of eastern Ukraine, leaves the future of US-Russian strategic nuclear arms control in a state of uncertainty. The Obama administration aspired to conclude further arms reductions agreements with Russia before the end of President Obama’s second term, but this aspiration remained unfulfilled as Obama departed the White House. Going forward, the Trump administration must balance requirements for nuclear modernization with equally important needs for nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. This study considers possible options for a Trump administration in this context, together with a discussion of attendant uncertainties and risks.
Leisure Counseling: Professional Considerations for Therapeutic Recreation

(1976). Leisure Counseling: Professional Considerations for Therapeutic Recreation. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 26-27.
Combination Chemotherapy by Infusion in Hematological Malignancies

Continuous intravenous infusions of antineoplastic agents have been incorporated into a number of chemotherapeutic strategies employed in the management of hematological malignancies. For the past decade our group has been interested in the use of infusional chemotherapy in the treatment of lymphomas. The following discussion will review our experiences and those of others in this area. We will also comment on work by other investigators on the use of infusional chemotherapy in multiple myeloma. Infusional therapy for the acute leukemias has been considered standard therapy for some time now and as such is regarded as beyond the limits of this review.
Apply Convolutional Neural Network to Lung Nodule Detection: Recent Progress and Challenges

Convolutional Neural Network has shown great success in many areas. Different from the hand-engineered feature based classification, Convolutional Neural Network uses self-learned features from data for classification. Recently, some progress has been made in the area of Convolutional Neural Network based lung nodule detection. This paper gives a brief introduction to the problems in such area reviews the recent related results, and concludes the challenges met. Besides some technical details, we also introduce some available public packages for a fast development and some public data sources.
Opioid use in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

OBJECTIVES To examine the trends of chronic opioid use in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) over an 11-year period in Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA and compare use to subjects without the disease. METHODS Retrospective data on opioid prescriptions were collected from 2005 to 2015 in a population-based incidence cohort of patients meeting the 2012 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for PMR alongside comparison subjects. Poisson regression methods were used to compare opioid use between these groups. RESULTS 244 patients with PMR and 211 non-PMR comparator subjects were included in the study. Rates of chronic opioid use were not significantly different between the two groups. 7.5% of patients with PMR were identified as chronic users by the end of the study period compared with 5.2% of non-PMR subjects. Any opioid use was also not significantly higher in PMR, with relative risk of 1.10 (95% CI 0.97, 1.26, p=0.14). Rates of chronic use among patients over 80 years were higher in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Patients with PMR do not appear to have higher rates of opioid use compared with the general population.
Abstract 13734: Human Atrial Fibrillation is Initiated by Repolarization Alternans and the Formation of a Predominant Spiral Wave

HYPOTHESIS: To determine whether triggers initiate human atrial fibrillation (AF) by causing beat-to-beat oscillations (alternans) of action potential duration (APD) leading to the formation of a spiral wave or focal source that drives the atrium into AF. BACKGROUND: Recent studies have discovered that human atrial fibrillation may be initiated then maintained by localized spiral waves (rotors). Additionally, abnormalities in human atrial repolarization (action potential duration, APD alternans) have been identified as dynamic substrates for AF initiation. METHODS: In 19 patients with AF (n=5 persistent; age 62+10; LA diameter 42+6 mm) at EP study, we recorded atrial activation via 64-electrode basket catheters in the right and left atrium during AF induction by pacing from cycle lengths (CL) accelerating from 600-500ms (100-120bpm). Monophasic action potentials were used to quantify APD alternans continuously during induction. We studied activation patterns preceding and at the precise point of AF initiation in relation to APD dynamics. RESULTS: Slow rate pacing activated the atria uniformly (figure A, evenly spaced activation contours in left atrium). After rapid triggers, the onset of human AF was heralded by the formation of one predominant spiral wave in 16/19 patients, lying in the left (n=10, figure C) and right (n=6) atria. APD alternans arose and increased in magnitude in 16/19 patients prior to AF initiation, and in 13/16 patients in whom AF initiated by the formation of a spiral wave (p CONCLUSIONS: Human atrial fibrillation initiates by the formation of a predominant spiral wave (rotor) in the context of marked repolarization dispersion from APD alternans. Future studies should examine whether interventions to attenuate atrial repolarization alternans may suppress the milieu for human AF initiation.
Renilla luciferase as a reporter to assess SARS-CoV mRNA transcription regulation and efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV agents.

SARS coronavirus (SARS CoV) is the etiologic agent responsible for the pandemic of SARS. We have developed a reverse genetics model to characterize the pathways of replication and pathogenesis of this virus. Renilla Luciferase was used as a reporter gene and inserted into the backbone of the infectious clone of SARS-CoV to replace ORF 7a/b (SARS wt-Luc), which is believed to have apoptotic effects on host cells. Subsequently, to measure the impact of the transcription regulatory sequence (TRS) on gene expression, either two or three mutations were introduced into the ORF 7a/b TRS hexanucleotide site of the luciferase cassette; SARS 2mut-Luc and SARS 3mut-Luc, respectively (Figure 1).
Probabilistic analysis of algorithms for stuck-at test generation in PLAs

A collection of fast algorithms for generating test vectors for PLAs is presented and analysed. It is shown that, in some sense, complete sets of test vectors for almost all such circuits which are irredundant, primal, and non-tautological can be generated quickly.
The Effect of Relational Satisfaction and Media Synchronicity on Attributions in Computer-Mediated Conflict:

An experiment investigated the effect of relational satisfaction and media synchronicity on dating and married couples’ attributions for their partners’ positive and negative conflict behaviors. Co...
Oligomers as Triggers for Responsive Liquid Crystals

We report an investigation of the influence of aqueous solutions of amphiphilic oligomers on the ordering of micrometer-thick films of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs), thus addressing the gap in knowledge arising from previous studies of the interactions of monomeric and polymeric amphiphiles with LCs. Specifically, we synthesized amphiphilic oligomers (with decyl hydrophobic and pentaethylene glycol hydrophilic domains) in monomer, dimer, and trimer forms, and incubated aqueous solutions of the oligomers against nematic films of 4′-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB). All amphiphilic oligomers caused sequential surface-driven orientational (planar to homeotropic) and then bulk phase transitions (nematic to isotropic) with dynamics depending strongly on the degree of oligomerization. The dynamics of the orientational transitions accelerated from monomer to trimer, consistent with the effects of an increase in adsorption free energy. The mechanism underlying the orientational transition, however, involv...
Statistical analysis of target acquisition sensor modeling experiments

The U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD Modeling and Simulation Division is charged with the development and advancement of military target acquisition models to estimate expected soldier performance when using all types of imaging sensors. Two elements of sensor modeling are (1) laboratory-based psychophysical experiments used to measure task performance and calibrate the various models and (2) field-based experiments used to verify the model estimates for specific sensors. In both types of experiments, it is common practice to control or measure environmental, sensor, and target physical parameters in order to minimize uncertainty of the physics based modeling. Predicting the minimum number of test subjects required to calibrate or validate the model should be, but is not always, done during test planning. The objective of this analysis is to develop guidelines for test planners which recommend the number and types of test samples required to yield a statistically significant result.
Abstract P2-06-15: Rational combination of Wee1 and BCL-2 inhibition in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype distinguished by its lack of expression of receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and normal human epidermal growth factor 2 expression. TNBC is difficult to treat and is associated with a high risk of recurrence and mortality. In order to effectively treat TNBC, alternative therapeutic targets need to be identified. Wee1 is a tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates CDC2 to pause the cell cycle at the G2 checkpoint as a means to delay mitosis while DNA damage undergoes repair. Inactivation of Wee1 via adavosertib (AZD1775, MK1775), a highly selective inhibitor of Wee1, allows CDC25 to dephosphorylate the CDC2/cyclin B complex resulting in premature initiation of mitosis and, ultimately, mitotic catastrophe and apoptosis. An unbiased screen of adovosertib in combination with other targeted compounds in TNBC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models demonstrated that the combination of adavosertib and navitoclax, an inhibitor of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 and BCL-XL proteins, had greater efficacy than the single agents alone. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combination of adavosertib and navitoclax in preclinical TNBC models, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: HCC1937, CAL51, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells were plated in 96-well plates and exposed to increasing concentrations of adavosertib (125nM – 1000nM), navitoclax (2500nM – 10000nM), or the combination. Cellular proliferation was assessed in real-time using IncuCyte Live Cell Analysis, followed by endpoint sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Combination effects were analyzed using Calcusyn to determine combination indexes (CI). Apoptosis was assessed via the Caspase 3/7 assay. Western blotting was used to assess changes in expression of CDC2, phospho-CDC2, and BCL2. TNBC PDX models CU_TNBC_013 and CU_TNBC_014 were treated with vehicle, adavosertib (50mg/kg), navitoclax (100mg/kg), or the combination and assessed for tumor growth inhibition. Results: The combination of adavosertib and navitoclax resulted in greater antiproliferative effects in vitro compared to either single agent (p Conclusions: The combination of adavosertib and navitoclax is active in preclinical TNBC models and induces apoptosis and tumor growth inhibition. This data supports the continued development of this combination in TNBC with investigation of potential selective markers. Citation Format: Simmons DM, Tse TE, Dailey K, Hartman SJ, Bagsby S, Pitts TM, Tentler JJ, Diamond JR. Rational combination of Wee1 and BCL-2 inhibition in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-06-15.
Racial, ethnic, and income disparities in air pollution: A study of excess emissions in Texas.

Objective Excess emissions are pollutant releases that occur during periods of startups, shutdowns or malfunctions and are considered violations of the U.S. Clean Air Act. They are an important, but understudied and under-regulated, category of pollution releases given their frequency and magnitude. In this paper, we examine the demographic correlates of excess emissions, using data from industrial sources in Texas. Methods We conduct two complementary sets of analyses: one at the census tract level and one at the facility level. At the census tract level, we use a multinomial logit model to examine the relationships between racial, ethnic, and income characteristics and the incidence of excess emissions. At the facility level, we first estimate a logit model to examine whether these characteristics are associated with facilities that emit excess emissions, and then, conditional on the presence of excess emissions, we use ordinary least square regression to estimate their correlation with the magnitude of releases. Results Across our analyses, we find that the percentage of Black population and median household income are positively associated with excess emissions; percentage of college graduate, population density, median housing value, and percentage of owner-occupied housing unit are negatively associated with excess emissions. We, however, have not found a clear and significant relationship between the percentage of Hispanic population and excess emissions.