cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformation-activity relationships of opioid peptides with selective activities at opioid receptors.

The discovery of endogenous opioid peptides 25 years ago opened up a new chapter in efforts to understand the origins and control of pain, its relationships to other biological functions, including inflammatory and other immune responses, and the relationships of opioid peptides and their receptors to a variety of undesirable or toxic side effects often associated with the nonpeptide opiates such as morphine including addiction, constipation, a variety of neural toxicities, tolerance, and respiratory depression. For these investigations the need for potent and highly receptor selective agonists and antagonists has been crucial since they in principle allow one to distinguish unequivocally the roles of the different opioid receptors (μ, δ, and κ) in the various biological and pathological roles of the opioid peptides and their receptors. Conformational and topographical constraint of the linear natural endogenous opioid peptides has played a major role in developing peptide ligands with high selectivity for μ, δ, and κ receptors, and in understanding the conformational, topographical, and stereoelectronic structural requirements of the opioid peptides for their interactions with opioid receptors. In turn, this had led to insights into the three-dimensional pharmacophore for opioid receptors. In this article we review and discuss some of the developments that have led to potent, selective, and stable peptide and peptidomimetic ligands that are highly potent and selective, and that have δ agonist, μ antagonist, and κ agonist biological activities (other authors in this issue will discuss the development of other types of activities and selectivities). These have led to ligands that provide unique insight into opioid pharmacophores and the critical roles opioid ligands and receptor scan play in pain, addiction, and other human maladies. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 51: 391–410, 1999
Feasibility analysis of preemptive real-time systems upon heterogeneous multiprocessor platforms

Given a collection of recurring tasks or processes that comprise a real-time system, and a collection of available processing units of different kinds upon which to execute them, the heterogeneous multiprocessor feasibility problem is concerned with determining whether the given tasks can be executed on the available processing units in such a manner that all timing constraints are met. A preemptive scheduling model is assumed. Under the partitioned scheduling paradigm - each task may execute on only one processor - this problem has previously been shown to be intractable. Under the global scheduling paradigm, however, a polynomial-time algorithm for heterogeneous multiprocessor feasibility analysis is presented here, and proved correct. An upper bound is derived upon the number of tasks that need to be executed upon multiple processors: even in the worst case, it is shown that this number is reasonable small (of the order of the number of processors), implying that the benefits of global scheduling are available without requiring that too many tasks be forced to execute on multiple processors.
Rio Grande Rift: Northern New Mexico

Within the last 20 years, the Rio Grande rift has been recognized as one of the major active rift zones of the world. As such, this feature has received increased attention by an international community of scientists (see, for example, the collections of papers edited by Riecker [1979] and Palmason [1982], as well as the journal Tectonophysics, vol. 94, issues 1–4, 1983). The book reviewed here represents the latest and among the finest sets of papers describing current research on a fundamental element in the tectonic fabric of North America.
Group B Streptococcal Serine-Rich Repeat Proteins Promote Interaction With Fibrinogen and Vaginal Colonization

Group B streptococcus (GBS) can cause severe disease in susceptible hosts, including newborns, pregnant women, and the elderly. GBS serine-rich repeat (Srr) surface glycoproteins are important adhesins/invasins in multiple host tissues, including the vagina. However, exact molecular mechanisms contributing to their importance in colonization are unknown. We have recently determined that Srr proteins contain a fibrinogen-binding region (BR) and hypothesize that Srr-mediated fibrinogen binding may contribute to GBS cervicovaginal colonization. In this study, we observed that fibrinogen enhanced wild-type GBS attachment to cervical and vaginal epithelium, and that this was dependent on Srr1. Moreover, purified Srr1-BR peptide bound directly to host cells, and peptide administration in vivo reduced GBS recovery from the vaginal tract. Furthermore, a GBS mutant strain lacking only the Srr1 “latching” domain exhibited decreased adherence in vitro and decreased persistence in a mouse model of GBS vaginal colonization, suggesting the importance of Srr–fibrinogen interactions in the female reproductive tract.
Per-Catheter ASD Closure

Per-catheter devices for atrial septal defect (ASD) closure have been evolving since 1974. The four major devices available for use on a limited basis in early 1997 are reviewed. These include (in alphabetical order) the Angel Wing device, the ASDOS device, the Buttoned device, and the CardioSeal device (successor to the Clamshell). Sufficient data have been collected to indicate that transcatheter ASD closure is a viable alternative to surgery in selected patients. The advantages of the concept of per-catheter closure over surgical closure should lead to the continued development of devices and techniques for per-catheter treatment of ASD and other septal defects in the years to come.
Tectonic and climatic influence on the evolution of the Surveyor Fan and Channel system, Gulf of Alaska

Present-day seafl oor morphology and sediment distribution in the deep-water Surveyor Fan, Gulf of Alaska, is dominated by the >700-km-long Surveyor Channel, an anomaly in a system with no major fl uvial input or shelf canyons. The sediment supply instead has been provided by glacial erosion in the stillactive Chugach‐St. Elias orogen, and glacial transport across the shelf. Glaciation has periodically increased in the St. Elias Range since the Miocene, but began dominating erosion and spurred enhanced exhumation since the mid-Pleistocene transition, at ~1 Ma. Ice associated with this glacial intensifi cation carved cross-shelf sea valleys that connect the St. Elias Range to the Surveyor Fan. The direct deposition of newly increased terrigenous sediment fl ux into the fan triggered the formation of the Surveyor Channel and its growth across the Surveyor Fan. Through the formation of the Surveyor Channel, climate events created three major differentiable sequences across the Surveyor Fan that we mapped using seismicrefl ection profi les. The change in morphology observed throughout the sequences allows us to characterize the infl uence that a glaciated orogen can have in shaping margin processes and the sediment pathway from source to sink. We show that the large variation in sediment fl ux between glacial- interglacial cycles together with sea valley formation leads to a glacial shelf transport process not typical of a fl uvial system. This glacial shelf transport along with the channel terminus in the Aleutian Trench makes the Surveyor Fan and Channel morphologically one of the most unique systems in the world.
Role of postoperative radiation therapy after stabilization of fractures caused by metastatic disease

Abstract Purpose: Although orthopedic stabilization is frequently performed for pathological fractures caused by metastatic disease, no data is available to support the value of postoperative radiation therapy (S+RT) in this setting. Methods and Materials: We reviewed 64 orthopedic stabilization procedures in 60 consecutive patients with metastatic disease to previously unirradiated weight-bearing bones with pathological or impending pathological fracture (femur 91%). Thirty-five sites that received adjuvant S+RT were compared to 29 sites that were treated with surgery alone (SA). Many potential prognostic variables were evaluated. Endpoints were: functional status (FS) of the extremity (1 = normal pain free use; 2=normal use with pain, 3=significantly limited use; 4=nonfunctional extremity), subsequent orthopedic procedures to the same site, and survival following surgery. Results: At the univariate level, S+RT were ( p = 0.02) and prefracture FS ( p = 0.04) were the only significant predictors of patients achieving an FS of 1 or 2 after surgery. On multivariate analysis, only postoperative RT was significantly ( p = 0.02) associated with attaining FS of 1 or 2 after surgery. The predicted probability of achieving FS 1 or 2 at any time was 53% for S+RT vs. 11.5% or SA (multiple logistic regression, p p p = 0.03). Actuarial median survival of S group was 3.3 months compared with 12.4 months for S+RT group (log rank, p = 0.02m confirming the beneficial association with survival shown by the multivariate Cox regression analysis ( p = 0.025). Conclusion: Although this retrospective study is subject to possible biases, several analyses adjusting for numerous prognostic factors uniformly indicate S+RT is the most important factor in patients achieving and maintaining normal functional status (± pain). Furhterm the S+RT group was associated with fewer orthopedic procedures as well as an improved overall survival. The improved survival may be due to (a) more favorable patients being referred for RT (possible section bias), or (b) improved functional status in the S+RT group. This study quantitatively supports the benefit of postoperative RY in this setting.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone does not Induce Desensitization in Human Adrenal Cells during Fetal Life

We investigated whether human fetal adrenal cells pretreated with or continuously exposed to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) would develop refractoriness of the steroidogenic response. Fetal adrenal glands from fetuses of 18-24 wk gestation, were studied. Fetal zone cells were pretreated with increasing doses of ACTH (0-10(-6) M) for 24 h and then restimulated with a single dose of ACTH (10(-6) M) for an additional 24 h. Regardless of the dose of ACTH in the first incubation, the cells responded to the second stimulation with a 2- to 6-fold increase in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) production. When human fetal adrenal cells were incubated in the continuous presence of 10(-8) M ACTH for 72 h, DHAS production was increased compared to that of the untreated cultures (5-fold at 24 h and 50-fold at 72 h), and the cells remained responsive during the entire experimental period. In contrast, human adult adrenal cells showed a significant decrease of the steroidogenic response after 48 h of ACTH treatment. Twenty-four hours of incubation with increasing doses of ACTH also increased the basal steroidogenic capacity of the fetal adrenal cells. One of the steroidogenic enzymatic steps stimulated by ACTH pretreatment was that of 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase, since conversion of pregnenolone and 17 alpha-hydroxypregnenolone to DHAS was increased in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that human fetal adrenal cells, in contrast to those of the adult, do not become desensitized to ACTH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Microbiological and Genotypic Analysis of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia

In a recent landmark trial of bacteremia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates, vancomycin MICs were ≥1 μg/ml for only 16% of the isolates, and accessory gene regulator ( agr ) function as measured by delta-hemolysin activity was absent or reduced in only 28.1% of the isolates. This clinical study did not capture a population of MRSA isolates predictive of vancomycin treatment failure.
Methods for true power minimization

This paper presents methods for efficient power minimization at circuit and micro-architectural levels. The potential energy savings are strongly related to the energy profile of a circuit. These savings are obtained by using gate sizing, supply voltage, and threshold voltage optimization, to minimize energy consumption subject to a delay constraint. The true power minimization is achieved when the energy reduction potentials of all tuning variables are balanced. We derive the sensitivity of energy to delay for each of the tuning variables, connecting its energy saving potential to the physical properties of the circuit. This helps to develop understanding of optimization performance and identify the most efficient techniques for energy reduction. The optimizations are applied to some examples that span typical circuit topologies including inverter chains, SRAM decoders, and adders. At a delay of 20% larger than the minimum, energy savings of 40% to 70% are possible, indicating that achieving peak performance is expensive in terms of energy. Energy savings of about 50% can be achieved without delay penalty with the balancing of sizes, supplies, and thresholds.
Role of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Calcium Absorption, Bone Resorption, and Risk of Hip Fracture:

Objective:To review the influence of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on calcium absorption, bone remodeling, and fracture risk.Data Sources:A search via MEDLINE (1966–April 2007) was performed using ...
Neonatal CPR: Room at the top—A mathematical study of optimal chest compression frequency versus body size☆

Abstract Objective To explore in detail the expected magnitude of systemic perfusion pressure during standard CPR as a function of compression frequency for different sized people from neonate to adult. Method A 7-compartment mathematical model of the human cardiopulmonary system – upgraded to include inertance of blood columns in the aorta and vena cavae – was exercised with parameters scaled to reflect changes in body weight from 1 to 70 kg. Results Maximal systemic perfusion pressure occurs at chest compression rates near 60, 120, 180, and 250/min for subjects weighing 70, 10, 3, and 1 kg, respectively. Such maxima are predicted by analytical models describing the dependence of stroke volume on pump-filling time in the presence of blood inertia. This mathematical analysis reproduces earlier experimental results of Fitzgerald et al. 10 in 10 kg dogs. Conclusions Fundamental geometry and physics suggest that the most effective chest compression frequency in CPR depends upon body size and weight. In neonates there is room for improvement at the top of the compression frequency scale at rates >120/min. In adults there may be benefit from lower compression frequencies near 60/min.
Reflections on Mentorship on the Occasion of Dr Kurt J. Isselbacher's 90th Birthday.

It seems that until relatively recently, mentorship was hardly a topic of comment in academic discourse. Without doubt, the historical neglect of the role of mentors as appropriate for explicit discussion was a significant omission. However, Although my tutelage in having Kurt as a mentor may have been longer in duration than any others (as I believe) I am but one of legions of students, GI and research fellows, and faculty whose careers have been touched, and guided by Kurt as a mentor. Without a doubt, Kurt’s vicarious impact is truly remarkable. His nearly 150 fellows and postdoctoral trainees include (by latest count) 2 university presidents, 1 medical center president, 9 center directors or department chairs, 26 division chiefs, 24 research laboratory directors, and 92 academic full-time faculty including 48 professors. In addition to those who have pursued their careers within academe, there are also many who learned to become expert and empathic clinicians and have gone on to serve as clinical
Not Guilty Isn't Always Innocent

Bernard Goetz shoots five youths who accost him on a subway in New York. His acquittal of all serious charges brings cheers from some and angry protests from others. After a high-speed chase and resisting arrest, officers severely beat Rodney King to a degree that seems clearly excessive. Riots erupt when a jury acquits the officers, but many others agree with the verdicts. After years of sexual and psychological abuse, Lorena Bobbitt cuts off her husband's penis as he sleeps. Her acquittal is applauded by some and decried by others. Has the diversity of our society brought a lack of consensus on what constitutes justice? Will expected increases in diversity bring increasing disagreements? In a system like ours, of lay juries, a breakdown in consensus could devastate effective criminal justice. It also could further aggravate relations between races and genders.
Screening for High Blood Cholesterol: A Risky Business

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has recommended blood cholesterol testing for all adults, followed by evaluation and treatment of those with high levels(1). Those with total cholesterol exceeding specified cutpoints should then undergo lipoprotein testing and, if the LDL-cholesterol also exceeds cutpoints, become candidates for intensive intervention with diet and lipid-lowering drugs. The cutpoints for intensive intervention are risk-specific, i.e., lower for those who already have coronary disease or several other risk factors in order to favor more vigorous treatment in those at higher short term risk.
Presence of the Paternal Pronucleus Assists Embryo in Overcoming Cycloheximide Induced Abnormalities in Zygotic Mitosis.

After fertilization, the maternal and paternal chromosomes independently proceed through pronuclear formation. These chromatin reconfigurations occur within a shared cytoplasm thus exposing both gametes to the same factors. Here, we report that continuous cycloheximide [40 μg/mL] treatment of parthenogenotes, androgenotes, and ICSI embryos reveals ORC2 pronuclear instability in the maternal (MPN) but not the paternal pronucleus (PPN). When released from CHX after 8 h, the MPN can recover ORC2 and proceed through replication, however, parthenogenotes encounter severe mitotic defects while both ICSI embryos and androgenotes are able to recover and develop at significantly higher rates. Taken together, these data suggest cycloheximide treatment promotes an environment that asymmetrically affects the stability of ORC2 on the MPN, and the ability of the MPN to develop. Furthermore, the presence of the PPN in the zygote can ameliorate both effects. These data suggest further evidence for crosstalk between the two pronuclei during the first cell cycle of the embryo. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1806-1812, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Interaction of Downwind Sails

When a sailboat is sailing in the general direction of the wind, it is known as downwind sailing. Under these conditions boats generally carry two sails — a mainsail and a spinnaker. The flow over these sails is complicated and poorly understood. An issue of importance to sailors is how the adjustment of one sail affects the aerodynamics of the other sail and the total driving force. In the present work a CFD analysis was performed on two different sailboat rigs, with an emphasis on the interactions between the main and spinnaker. The results show that the optimum angle of attack of the mainsail is generally 60° to 70°, depending on the direction of the wind relative to the boat. The correct setting for a mainsail has been a point of debate amongst sailors, and the present analysis supports the theory of easing the mainsail until it luffs (or flaps), then pulling it in. A surprising result is that when the wind is directly behind the boat, the mainsail should not be set to maximize projected area, but eased out past 90°. This is difficult to accomplish in practice due to restrictions of the rig, but raise some interesting questions.© 2006 ASME
Close-Packed Array of Virus-Like Particles within Cells of a Human Skin Papilloma.∗:

SummaryIntracellular spherical particles have been identified under the electron microscope in thin sections of a particular type of human wart which yields similar particles in ground suspension. In cells of the Malpighian layer of the neoplastic epidermis constituting the papilloma, the particles lie in the nucleus, but have not been recognized in the cytoplasm or in the intranuclear inclusion body or in the discrete cytoplasmic masses characteristic of this type of wart. In cells of the lower stratum corneum of the wart where the nucleus is not recognizable the particles occupy all of the cell except for a narrow peripheral border. The arrangement of the particles is generally regular and like that of close-packed spheres.
Recycling Solid Wastes: A Channels-of-distribution Problem:

The recycling of solid wastes is a major ecological goal. Although recycling is technologically feasible, reversing the flow of materials in the channels of distribution — marketing trash through a...
Challenges to High-Volume Production of Fuel Cell Materials: Quality Control

As fuel cells become more prominent, new manufacturing and production methods are needed to enable increased volumes with high quality. One necessary component of this industrial growth will be the accurate measurement of the variability of a wide range of material properties during the manufacturing process. Three different quality measurement techniques for fuel cell membranes and membrane-containing assemblies are described. The techniques have been demonstrated to detect as-manufactured and simulated defects at substrate motion rates comparable to current industrial production rates for these materials.
Endoscopic sinus surgery improves cognitive dysfunction in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have been found to have cognitive deficit, as identified using the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), but the exact etiology of cognitive decline is unknown. In this study we aimed to determine whether improvement in concomitant inflammation and disease burden in CRS, using endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), improves cognitive deficit. We also sought to identify comorbid conditions that effect improvement likelihood. METHODS Study participants (n = 247) with and without nasal polyposis (CRSwNP, CRSsNP) were prospectively enrolled in this multi-institutional, observational outcomes study. Pre- and postoperative cognitive dysfunction was evaluated using the CFQ instrument. Quality of life (QOL) and disease burden was also evaluated using the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI), the 22-item SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), nasal endoscopy, computed tomography, and the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). RESULTS Average CFQ total scores improved significantly (p = 0.012) after ESS for patients with follow-up (n = 141). Participants with CRSwNP (n = 51) reported significant postoperative improvements in mean CFQ total scores (p = 0.002) and CFQ distractibility and blunders domain scores (p ≤ 0.006). No significant postoperative improvement for any average CFQ score was found in CRSsNP (p > 0.086). The magnitude of postoperative improvement in CFQ total and domain mean scores was statistically similar between CRSsNP and CRSwNP (p > 0.115). Depressive disorder, identified using PHQ-2 screening, was the only comorbid condition significantly associated with measurable cognitive deficit (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Patients with CRS have measurable cognitive decline, and ESS may modestly improve cognitive deficit/CFQ scores. Future investigations are needed to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for cognitive deficit in patients with CRS and significant associations with depression.
Communicating the Meaning and Significance of International Biosphere Reserves to National Park Visitors

Abstract Those Biosphere Reserves which are also national parks have an advantage in having an established clientele of visitors. This audience is often more supportive of park and Biosphere objectives after participating in public programs conducted by the staff. Yellowstone National Park and Everglades National Park are discussed in terms of objectives and methods used to involve visitors with park resources in interpretive, educational activities.
Pathophysiology of Renal Obstruction

Renal obstruction can be caused by intrinsic or extrinsic factors that affect the ureters, bladder, or urethra. Most of the literature concerning the pathophysiology of renal obstruction has focused on unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) or bilateral ureteral obstruction (BUO). Table 15.1 lists possible causes of renal obstruction.
Nonobstructing Gastric Antral Ulcer Following Selective Internal Radiation Therapy with Yttrium-90: A Case Report

Radio beads have been increasingly utilized in the US to treat liver cancers. Either resin- (90 Yttrium beads) or glass-based (Theraspheres) microspheres are utilized for selective internal radioembolization (SIR) of tumors. Approximately 120 centers in the US utilize resin-based and about 60 centers utilize glass-based microspheres for treating liver tumors. As experience builds, SIR procedures will continue to …
Th e transc end enc e of e, π and $$ e^{\sqrt 2 } $$

The fantasy calculation at the end of the last chapter, a fantasy because the linear combination of the intermediate sums.
Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Nonlinear Optics

We report the first theoretical consideration and experimental observation of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in nonlinear optics. The perturbation period depends on the intensity (density) difference and acceleration (index gradient) between layers, in agreement with theoretical calculations.
Early Supplier Involvement: A Design-Based Sourcing

Since the advent of the just in time (JIT) philosophy, there has been a growing interest in the role and function of suppliers in manufacturing operations. The role of suppliers and purchasing professionals has gained prominence. This chapter presents a novel approach to the interface and collaboration among designers, buyers, and suppliers in a concurrent engineering environment. The chapter focuses on design-based sourcing as well as early supplier involvement in the product design process. It is argued that the most significant impact and benefits of such an interface are obtained when the contributions and constraints of the supplier and purchasing are known and in the conceptual phase of the product design. To underline this significance, a large number of design rules and suggestions are presented in the chapter. The interface and collaboration among designers, buyers, and suppliers is best served by the timely implementation of the relevant design rules and suggestions. Technologically oriented countries and companies cannot survive without a flow of quality materials and supplies. Therefore, care must be taken so that the effects of suppliers and purchasing professionals are considered and coordinated with respect to other functional areas.
Novel 3D magnetic tweezer system for microswimmer manipulations

Microrobots have an enormous potential in medical applications such as the minimal invasion to human body, drug delivery and drug imaging. Magnetic tweezers, as a very powerful tool in micro manipulation, has been investigated by many researchers. However, most of the previous researches mainly have utilized the magnetic tweezer on very small working space with two-dimensional control inputs. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a 3D magnetic tweezer system with a wide working range to manipulate microswimmers, which are assembled with different amount of microbeads, by utilizing magnetic forces created from magnetic field gradient. Experiments performed using our designed magnetic tweezer demonstrate the manipulating of microswimmers in order to follow the desired trajectories, speed control and swarm motion. We prove that the suggested magnetic tweezer has enough power and the controllability to manipulate microswimmers in Newtonian fluid environments. Even though we had the limited development of software level control method at present state, it is available to perform agile and relatively accurate moving behaviors using manual control method.
Democratic Care and Intellectual Disability: More than Maintenance

Joan Tronto defines care by three activities: maintaining, continuing, and repairing. These activities give care a maintenance quality, which is problematic given that caring often takes place within contexts of inequality and domination. Empirical research with paid support staff and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) illustrate these problems: care practices tend to reinforce the social exclusion of people with IDD, particularly for people with challenging behavior. Yet, support workers’ care practices can facilitate a better quality of life for people with IDD. This improved style of support maps onto Tronto’s fifth phase of care, caring with, which hinges practices of care on democratic principles of justice, equality, and freedom. As such, democratic care requires activities that Tronto excludes from care, including creativity, disruption, and pleasure. I use empirical research from the field of IDD to show how support workers and people with IDD practice creative, ...
Harnack-type Inequalities for some Degenerate Parabolic Equations

We give here a brief account on some recent results [14] concerning an intrinsic version of the Harnack inequality for nonnegative solutions of degenerate parabolic equations of the type $$\begin{gathered} {u_t} - div(|Du{|^{p - 2}}Du) = 0,{\text{ }}p > 2{\text{ }}in{\text{ }}D'({\Omega _T}) \hfill \\ {\text{ }}u \in C(0,T;{L^2}(\Omega )) \cap {L^p}(0,T:{W^{1,p}}(\Omega )), \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ (1.1) and of the type $$\begin{gathered} {u_t} - \Delta {u^m} = 0,{\text{ }}m > 1{\text{ }}in{\text{ }}D'({\Omega _T}) \hfill \\ u \in C(0,T;{L^2}(\Omega ));{u^m} \in {L^2}(0,T;;{W^{1,2}}(\Omega )), \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ (1.2) where Ω is an open set in ℝ N , 0 < T < ∞, Ω T = Ω × (0,T] and D denotes the gradient with respect to the space variables only.
Effective Schools–Effective Superintendents: The Emerging Instructional Leadership Role

The national commission reports, which launched the most intensive and sustained effort to improve schools in America's history, confirmed the importance of instructional leadership. Although the r...
Transfer Function of a Photoreceptor Ganglion

The terminal abdominal ganglion of the crayfish, shown by Prosser [40–42] and Welsh [61] to be a photoreceptor, is particularly suitable for studies of receptor organ transfer functions [16, 52–54] (see Fig. 1). It is an extremely primitive system, with no special optical or photochemical organization yet discovered. However, it has been shown to affect the light-avoidance reflex behavior of the crayfish [27]. Since the system shows little or no physiological adaptation, fairly stationary stochastic time series experiments may be performed. Furthermore, the crayfish is small, easily kept in laboratory conditions, and surgically requires neither anesthesia nor elaborate dissection techniques.
An Intelligent Multiattribute Group Decision-Making Approach With Preference Elicitation for Performance Evaluation

The concept of efficiency has always been and will continue to be important for competitive business environments where limited resources exist. Owing to the growing complexity of organizations and economy in general, this trend is expected to continue to remain a high priority for organizations. Continuous performance evaluations that utilize both qualitative and quantitative information play a significant role in sustaining efficient and effective business processes. Therefore, the literature offers a wide range of performance evaluation methodologies to assess the operational efficiency in various industries. Majority of these models, however, focus solely on quantitative criteria, avoiding the interrelations and dependencies between qualitative and quantitative measurements. Furthermore, these methodologies tend to utilize discrete and contemporary information eliminating historical performance data. With these motivations, this paper proposes an integrated approach combining fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), analytic network process (ANP), and artificial neural network (ANN) methodologies for performance evaluation. In the proposed model, DEMATEL and ANP methodologies are utilized in a group decision-making concept to obtain priorities of the evaluation criteria. Following this, an ANN model is designed and trained with historical performance data collected from the organization and the results of the fuzzy DEMATEL-ANP model. The outcomes include the relational data among the criteria and alternatives used in the model in addition to their relative rankings. A food industry case study is presented to demonstrate the steps of the proposed model.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence Is Decreasing Among Younger Adults in the United States.

Background & Aims Incidence rates for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) increased rapidly in the United States since the 1990s, but have plateaued or started to decrease in other industrialized countries. It unclear if and when a similar trend will be observed in the United States. We examined trends in HCC incidence rates in the United States by age, sex, and race/ethnicity of patients. Methods We calculated age-adjusted HCC incidence rates using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of cancer registries from 1992 through 2015. We estimated incidence rates by 10-year age group and used joinpoint regression to quantify the magnitude and direction of trends, overall and by sex and race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander). Results HCC incidence increased by 4.8% per year from 1992 through 2010 (from 4.1 per 100,000 to 9.4 per 100,000) but then started to plateau (annual percentage change, -0.7; 95% CI, -2.0 to 0.7). Incidence rates steadily increased among persons 60 years or older in all racial/ethnic groups except Asian/Pacific Islanders 70 to 79 years old. In contrast, incidence rates decreased in younger and middle-aged adults, in men and women of all races/ethnicities, beginning in the mid-2000s. Rates decreased by 6.2% per year in persons 40 to 49 years old and by 10.3% per year in persons 50 to 59 years old. Annual decreases in incidence were larger among middle-aged blacks (17.2% decrease per year since 2012) compared with adults of the same age in other racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions In an analysis of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of cancer registries from 1992 through 2015, we found the incidence of HCC to be decreasing among younger and middle-aged adults in the United States, regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity. It is unclear whether current decreases in incidence will reduce the burden of HCC in the future.
Fractionated and Acute Proton Radiation Show Differential Intestinal Tumorigenesis and DNA Damage and Repair Pathway Response in ApcMin/+ Mice

Purpose Proton radiation is a major component of the radiation field in outer space and is used clinically in radiation therapy of resistant cancers. Although epidemiologic studies in atom bomb survivors and radiologic workers have established radiation as a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), we have yet to determine the risk of CRC posed by proton radiation owing to a lack of sufficient human or animal data. The purpose of the current study was to quantitatively and qualitatively characterize differential effects of acute and fractionated high-energy protons on colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods and Materials We used ApcMin/+ mice, a well-studied CRC model, to examine acute versus fractionated proton radiation–induced differences in intestinal tumorigenesis and associated signaling pathways. Mice were exposed to 1.88 Gy of proton radiation delivered in a single fraction or in 4 equal daily fractions (0.47 Gy × 4). Intestinal tumor number and grade were scored 100 to 110 days after irradiation, and tumor and tumor-adjacent normal tissues were harvested to assess proliferative β-catenin/Akt pathways and DNA damage response and repair pathways relevant to colorectal carcinogenesis. Results Significantly higher intestinal tumor number and grade, along with decreased differentiation, were observed after acute radiation relative to fractionated radiation. Acute protons induced upregulation of β-catenin and Akt pathways with increased proliferative marker phospho-histone H3. Increased DNA damage along with decreased DNA repair factors involved in mismatch repair and nonhomologous end joining were also observed after exposure to acute protons. Conclusions We show increased γH2AX, 53BP1, and 8-oxo-dG, suggesting that increased ongoing DNA damage along with decreased DNA repair factors and increased proliferative responses could be triggering a higher number of intestinal tumors after acute relative to fractionated proton exposures in ApcMin/+ mice. Taken together, our data suggest greater carcinogenic potential of acute relative to fractionated proton radiation.
The Importance of Industry to Strategic Entrepreneurship: Evidence from the Kauffman Firm Survey

Industries serve an important function in strategic entrepreneurship. By placing the industrial structure at the focal point of analysis, Porter’s five forces model explains why some industries are more profitable than others. Yet, despite their importance in strategic entrepreneurship, studies often treat industries as something to be controlled rather than explicitly examined, and although some studies have considered the industry’s important role in the entrepreneurship literature, they often examine particular industries or comparisons between a few select industries. Research, however, has seldom examined the importance of industries to entrepreneurship outcomes. We fill this void by conducting an empirical analysis of North American Industry Classification System industry sectors using the Kauffman Firm Survey, which follows thousands of small and nascent businesses in the USA between 2004 and 2011. We uncover several important findings. Namely, we find that service industries—particularly the Professional, Technical, and Scientific services industry—have a higher rate of profit and better rate of survival when compared to other industries. In contrast, we find that retail and manufacturing industries generally perform worse on these metrics, as they are less profitable and have lower rates of survival. Our evidence, thus, affirms the importance of industry for strategic entrepreneurship, which has important managerial and public policy implications.
Reactor Analysis with Laser Microspectrophotometry

The investigator who wishes to prepare an immobilized enzyme has available numerous supports and coupling reactions from which to choose. However, he has far less prior art to guide him in characterizing the product and comparing it with the native enzyme. The mass transfer coefficient from circulating substrate solution to immobilized enzyme generally is difficult to estimate, and the diffusivity of substrate and product within a porous support frequently is not known with any degree of precision. Other complicating factors include the possibility that the enzyme is distributed unevenly in the support, and that leaching or inactivation during the course of reaction alters the initial distribution.
Controlled Markov Chains

In Chapter 7 we considered Markov chains as a means to model stochastic DES for which explicit closed-form solutions can be obtained. Then, in Chapter 8, we saw how special classes of Markov chains (mostly, birth-death chains) can be used to model queueing systems. We pointed out, however, that queueing theory is largely “descriptive” in nature; that is, its main objective is to evaluate the behavior of queueing systems operating under a particular set of rules. On the other hand, we are often interested in “prescriptive” techniques, based on which we can make decisions regarding the “best” way to operate a system and ultimately control its performance. In this chapter, we describe some such techniques for Markov chains. Our main objective is to introduce the framework known as Markov Decision Theory, and to present some key results and techniques which can be used to control DES modeled as Markov chains. At the heart of these techniques is dynamic programming, which has played a critical role in both deterministic and stochastic control theory since the 1960s. The material in this chapter is more advanced than that of previous ones, it involves some results that were published in the research literature fairly recently, and it demands slightly higher mathematical sophistication. The results, however, should be quite gratifying for the reader, as they lead to the solution of some basic problems from everyday life experience, or related to the
Identification of the PS1 Thr147Ile Variant in a Family with Very Early Onset Dementia and Expressive Aphasia.

Background: Early onset dementias have variable clinical presentations and are often difficult to diagnose. We established a family pedigree that demonstrated consistent recurrence of very early onset dementia in successive generations. Objective and Method: In order to refine the diagnosis in this family, we sequenced the exomes of two affected family members and relied on discrete filtering to identify disease genes and the corresponding causal variants. Results: Among the 720 nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) shared by two affected members, we found a C to T transition that gives rise to a Thr147Ile missense substitution in the presenilin 1 (PS1) protein. The presence of this same mutation in a French early-onset Alzheimer’s disease family, other affected members of the family, and the predicted high pathogenicity of the substitution strongly suggest that it is the causal variant. In addition to exceptionally young age of onset, we also observed significant limb spasticity and early loss of speech, concurrent with progression of dementia in affected family members. These findings extend the clinical presentation associated with the Thr147Ile variant. Lastly, one member with the Thr147Ile variant was treated with the PKC epsilon activator, bryostatin, in a compassionate use trial after successful FDA review. Initial improvements with this treatment were unexpectedly clear, including return of some speech, increased attentional focus, ability to swallow, and some apparent decrease in limb spasticity. Conclusions: Our findings confirm the role of the PS1 Thr147Ile substitution in Alzheimer’s disease and expand the clinical phenotype to include expressive aphasia and very early onset of dementia.
Are the standard AP and lateral views enough to detect the rotational malalignment intraoperatively during CRPP of Gartland III pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures

Background: Displaced pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures (SCHF) can lead to residual deformity if not accurately reduced and stabilized. Most publications concerning SCHF reduction have focused on malalignment in the coronal and sagittal plane without considering the rotational malalignment. However, malrotation has been identified in 60% of patients with cubitus varus deformity following a SCHF. In addition, tardy ulnar nerve palsy has been correlated with the degree of internal rotation deformity in these patients. Intraoperatively, inability to restore anatomic rotation can narrow the corridor for intraosseous pinning and make it difficult to obtain a stable …
Abstract 237: Curriculum Development of Pitt Bystander Response Education: Developing "Caring Leaders" Through Early Exposure to Cpr Fundamentals

Introduction: Fewer than 25% of US adults feel trained in bystander CPR (bCPR). Barriers include the lack of social acceptance of bCPR, poor understanding of Good Samaritan laws, and inadequate kno...
Understanding the Internal and External Communicative Drivers of Organizational Innovativeness

Organizational and communication studies have established that communication plays a critical role in organizational innovation, because internal and external communication allows individuals, grou...
Examining Care and Opposition in the Narratives of U.S. Local Women of Color Activists

Despite a long history of critical engagement in local justice movements, the efforts of U.S. Women of Color activists remain understudied. In the present study we examine the manifestations of opposition and care that Women of Color utilize in exercising and sustaining their activism as they work to build justice-oriented change in their communities. We specifically explore how oppositional consciousness and ethics of care shape the perspectives and actions of local Women of Color activists. Qualitative data were collected via oral history interviews with eight local Women of Color activists in Cincinnati, Ohio. Using thematic narrative analysis, we identified three overarching thematic phases: building awareness of inequity, conscious interdependence, and putting awareness into action. These three phases aid in understanding how the women developed their commitment to social justice activism both as individuals and in consideration of their relationships with others in the community. Furthermore, we consider theories of oppositional consciousness and ethics of care and how they manifest in each phase. We then discuss how these findings contribute to understanding the experiences and efforts of local Women of Color activists. Findings from our research suggest timely incentives for broader inclusion of underrepresented voices to better inform decision-making bodies.
Minimizing network bandwidth under latency constraints: The single node case.

Datacenters have become a significant source of traffic, much of which is carried over private networks. The operators of those networks commonly have access to detailed traffic profiles and performance goals, which they seek to meet as efficiently as possible. Of interest are solutions for offering latency guarantees while minimizing the required network bandwidth. Of particular interest is the extent to which traffic (re)shaping can be of benefit. The paper focuses on the most basic network configuration, namely, a single node, single link network, with extensions to more general, multi-node networks discussed in a companion paper. The main results are in the form of optimal solutions for different types of schedulers of varying complexity, and therefore cost. The results demonstrate how judicious traffic shaping can help lower complexity schedulers reduce the bandwidth they require, often performing as well as more complex ones.
On the Structural Transformation of Ni/BaH2 During a N2-H2 Chemical Looping Process for Ammonia Synthesis: A Joint In Situ Inelastic Neutron Scattering and First-Principles Simulation Study

The demand for decarbonizing the ammonia industry by using renewable energy has invoked increasing research interests into catalyst development for effective N2 reduction under mild conditions. Hydride-based materials are among some of the emerging catalysts for ammonia synthesis at ambient pressure and low temperatures (< 673 K). A recent chemical looping process based on Ni/BaH2 showed the most promise as it can realize ammonia production at a temperature as low as 373 K and under ambient pressure. However, the chemical transformation of the hydride catalyst at the molecular level remains unclear in this process. In this work, we report detailed in situ neutron spectroscopy and diffraction investigations along with first-principles simulations on the structural transformation of Ni/BaH2 during the nitridation and hydrogenation steps in the chemical looping process for ammonia synthesis. It was shown that a ball-milling process of the starting Ni/BaH2 could significantly decrease the size of BaH2 and increase the density of defects, thus potentially enhancing the reactivity of the hydride. The evolution from BaH2 to barium imide (BaNH) was evidenced in the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and neutron diffraction results during the N2 reaction step. During the hydrogenation study, in addition to the recovery of BaH2, a possible intermediate species, N-deficient barium imide, was also detected. In comparing the N2 and H2 reaction steps, the neutron results indicate that the hydrogenation step appears more difficult than the nitridation step, confirming the facile N2 fixation property of Ni/BaH2 catalyst in ammonia synthesis.