cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Optimization of a Free Space Laser Communication System Under Dynamic Link Attenuation

Free space laser communication is a potentially attractive technology that can offer intrinsically high data rates and resistance to jamming, and facilitates low probability of interception and low probability of detection (LPI/LPD). However, practical links established in the atmosphere are adversely affected by signal attenuation and dynamic turbulence, which can create spatial and temporal variations in the refractive index. The resulting distortions lead to reduced signal power and increased bit error rate (BER), even over short ranges. To overcome possible signal degradation under adverse conditions, laser communication systems must increase power and reduce the communication bit rate. Under dynamic link attenuation both of these parameters can be tuned to optimize performance. In this paper, we present and compare three methods for optimizing optical link efficiency. The work is based on experiments conducted with a commercially available system, and its scaled-down laboratory prototype. The proposed methods demonstrate different degrees of optimization capabilities under practical operating conditions, but, in general, they maintain the highest possible bit rate at the minimum power consumption, while obtaining an acceptable BER.
Simultaneous equations inference in econometrics

This paper is a survey of the salient results developed in the literature of econometrics over the past twenty years regarding simultaneous equations systems. Models of economic behavior are generally characterized by simultaneous equations; this characterization is due to the general equilibrium theory of economic phenomena according to which a large number of economic variables are mutually determined so that often causality is held to be bidirectional. A natural formulation of this, for empirical work, is to represent the economic phenomena under consideration by simultaneous (generally linear) equations systems. This presents considerable problems in estimating the parameters of the resulting models since the least squares procedure can be shown to yield inconsistent estimators. To remedy this deficiency a number of estimating procedures have been devised. Such procedures can be classed in two broad categories. Full information procedures take into account, in estimating the parameters, all sample information and a priori restrictions on the coefficients of the entire system. Limited information procedures estimate consistently, but typically inefficiently, the unknown parameters of each equation by taking into account only the immediately relevant part of the sample information and the a priori restrictions that apply specifically to the equation under consideration. The paper examines the several variants proposed in each category and considers models which are dynamic and in which the error vectors are classical, i.e., they constitute a sequence of mutually independent identically distributed random variables, as well as cases where the error vectors are finite order autoregressions. The asymptotic distribution and other relevant properties of all such estimators are either explicitly derived or noted and there is a brief discussion of some small sample results and instances of applications of such techniques to the estimation of economy wide econometric models of various countries such as the U.S., U.K., and Japan.
Astrocytes Coordinate Synaptic Networks: Balanced Excitation and Inhibition

Although neurons are essential for brain function, an emerging alternative view holds that astrocytes, the dominant glial cell type, coordinate synaptic networks. Through the release of glutamate, astrocytes locally excite neurons, and via adenosine, which accumulates due to the hydrolysis of released ATP, astrocytes suppress distant synapses.
Signal transduction pathways in androgen-dependent and -independent prostate cancer cell proliferation

In a previous report, we showed that increased activation of Akt, a downstream effector of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) together with decreased activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, predicted poor clinical outcome in prostate cancer (Kreisberg et al. 2004 Cancer Research 64 5232–5236). We now show that Akt activation, but not ERK activation, is correlated with proliferation in human prostate tumors as estimated by the expression of the cell proliferation antigen Ki67. We verified these results in vitro, using the androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and its androgen-independent clone C4-2 as models of prostate cancer of good and poor clinical outcome, respectively. C4-2 cells expressed higher Akt activation, lower ERK activation and increased proliferation compared with LNCaP cells, similar to cases of poor clinical outcome. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002, but not the MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059, induced growth arrest in both cell lines. Transient transfection with constitutively active Akt increased proliferation while dominant negative Akt decreased it, thus showing that Akt plays an important role in prostate cancer proliferation. Akt regulates the expression and activation of the androgen receptor. Androgen receptor inhibition with Casodex induced growth arrest in LNCaP cells, but not in C4-2 cells. Another PI3K downstream effector, p70 S6 kinase, requires prior phosphorylation by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) for complete activation. Activation of p70 S6 kinase was higher in C4-2 compared with LNCaP cells. Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, had a growth-inhibitory effect in C4-2 cells, but not in LNCaP cells. Our data suggest a shift from a Casodex-sensitive proliferation pathway in LNCaP cells to a rapamycinsensitive pathway in C4-2 cells.
Seek it or let it come: how designers achieve inspirations

Achieving design inspirations can be defined as the process that how designers are ignited with design ideas. It is crucial for designers since this ability partly determines the power of their design. The awareness of what its own design practice is in HCI community calls for more studies on the nature of interaction design, design practices and designers. In this paper, I present my study on designers' design processes and design philosophy, based on empirical work with ten designers from varied design fields about how they achieve inspirations. The study has provided a practical method for designers about how they can be more inspired, which can help interaction design practitioners to build a healthier way of design thinking.
Producer diversity enhances consumer stability in a benthic marine community

Summary The diversity of many communities is changing due to local extinctions and invasions. Understanding the consequences of these changes is vital to their successful conservation, yet few studies have experimentally investigated how producer diversity affects the stability of higher trophic levels. Here, we show that producer diversity, when manipulated as the only independent variable in the presence of natural top-down forces, increases the stability of consumer abundance, biomass and diversity in a benthic marine community. Using four macroalgal species (Codium fragile, Gracilaria tikvahiae, Gracilaria vermiculophylla and Gymnogongrus griffithsiae), we manipulated producer diversity (identity and richness) in a substitutive design to create seven treatments. Our treatments included four monocultures, two 3-species mixtures that differed only by including either the native or invasive Gracilaria and the complete four-species mixture. We followed the week-to-week dynamics of producer and consumer communities in each treatment concurrently for 12 weeks and quantified their temporal stability. We found that higher producer diversity increased the stability of a diverse, productive consumer community. Producer biomass production did not affect consumer production or diversity, suggesting that producer diversity was solely responsible for driving the mechanisms underlying the observed multitrophic diversity–stability relationships. Taken together, our results indicate that higher producer diversity directly increased consumer diversity by increasing overyielding and decreasing the temporal variance of this response variable and that this increased consumer diversity enhanced consumer stability via increased asynchrony among consumers. Synthesis. Our results suggest that the effects of producer diversity propagate upwards to maintain diversity and productivity at higher trophic levels, and thereby enhance the overall stability of food webs.
A 3GHz wideband ∑Δ fractional-N synthesizer with voltage-mode exponential CP-PFD

A 3GHz wideband ∑Δ fractional-N synthesizer with an exponential settling voltage-mode PFD is presented. The 1MHz band-width Type-I PLL loop utilizes the exponential small-signal settling characteristics of a voltage-mode NMOS (follower) LDO based PFD-CP to reduce in-band quantization noise leakage by more than 13dB without the need for a noise suppression DAC. The PLL is fabricated on a 0.18μm CMOS process with less than 20-mA current consumption from 1.8-V power supply. The measured in-band phase noise at 100 kHz is −107dBc/Hz and out-of-band phase noise at 3 MHz is −130dBc/Hz. The PLL loop settling time for an accuracy of 0.1ppm and a frequency step of 45 MHz is less than 10μs.
A comparison of some methods for bounding connected and disconnected solution sets of interval linear systems

Finding bounding sets to solutions to systems of algebraic equations with uncertainties in the coefficients, as well as rapidly but rigorously locating all solutions to nonlinear systems or global optimization problems, involves bounding the solution sets to systems of equations with wide interval coefficients. In many cases, singular systems are admitted within the intervals of uncertainty of the coefficients, leading to unbounded solution sets with more than one disconnected component. This, combined with the fact that computing exact bounds on the solution set is NP-hard, limits the range of techniques available for bounding the solution sets for such systems. However, the componentwise nature and other properties make the interval Gauss–Seidel method suited to computing meaningful bounds in a predictable amount of computing time. For this reason, we focus on the interval Gauss–Seidel method. In particular, we study and compare various preconditioning techniques we have developed over the years but not fully investigated, comparing the results. Based on a study of the preconditioners in detail on some simple, specially–designed small systems, we propose two heuristic algorithms, then study the behavior of the preconditioners on some larger, randomly generated systems, as well as a small selection of systems from the Matrix Market collection.
STAT-5 Regulates Transcription of the Topoisomerase IIβ-Binding Protein 1 (TopBP1) Gene To Activate the ATR Pathway and Promote Human Papillomavirus Replication

ABSTRACT The life cycle of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is dependent upon epithelial differentiation. Following infection of basal cells, HPV genomes are stably maintained at low copy numbers, and productive replication or amplification is restricted to highly differentiated suprabasal cells. In high-risk HPV infections, the ATM pathway is constitutively activated in the absence of external DNA-damaging agents and is required for productive viral replication. The ataxia telangiectasia (ATM) pathway repairs double-strand breaks in DNA, while the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) pathway targets single-strand breaks. Our studies show that the ATR pathway, like the ATM pathway, is activated in HPV-positive cells and that inhibitors of ATR or CHK1 phosphorylation block both amplification and late viral gene expression in differentiated cells while moderately reducing stable copy numbers in undifferentiated cells. TopBP1 is a critical upstream activator of the ATR pathway and is expressed at elevated levels in HPV-positive cells. This increased expression of TopBP1 is necessary for ATR/CHK1 activation in HPV-positive cells, and knockdown blocks amplification. Furthermore, TopBP1 activation is shown to be regulated at the level of transcription initiation by the innate immune regulator STAT-5, which is activated by HPV proteins. STAT-5 has also been shown to be a regulator of the ATM response, demonstrating that these two pathways are coordinately regulated in HPV-positive cells. These findings identify a novel link between the innate immune response and activation of the ATR DNA damage response in regulating the life cycle of high-risk HPVs. IMPORTANCE High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agents of cervical and other anogenital cancers, as well as many oral cancers. HPVs infect epithelial cells and restrict productive viral replication or amplification and virion production to differentiated cells. Our studies demonstrate that HPVs activate the ATR single-strand DNA repair pathway and this activation is necessary for HPV genome amplification. The innate immune regulator STAT-5 is shown to regulate transcription of the ATR binding factor TopBP1, and this is critical for the induction of the ATR pathway. Our study identifies important links between innate immune signaling, the ATR DNA damage pathway, and productive HPV replication that may lead to the characterization of new targets for the development of therapeutics to treat HPV-induced infections.
Neutron diffraction study of average and local structure in La 0.5 Ca 0.5 Mn O 3

We used neutron powder diffraction to obtain the local and long-range structure of ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.5}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ at room temperature and $20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. By combining Rietveld and pair distribution function analysis of the total neutron scattering data, we have analyzed the structure of the compound using two competing models describing the low temperature phase: first the charge-ordered\char21{}orbital-ordered model and second the $\mathrm{Mn}\mathrm{Mn}$ dimer model. These structural models fit the $20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ neutron powder diffraction pattern equally well using a Rietveld analysis. Therefore, pair distribution function analysis is used to probe the local and medium-range structure revealing a system with two distinctly distorted Mn octahedra and Mn ions with nonintegral valence states. The distorted octahedra differ with the structural model for the Zener polaron-type $\mathrm{Mn}\mathrm{Mn}$ dimer picture proposed for ${\mathrm{Pr}}_{0.60}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.40}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and order in a similar checkerboard configuration associated with the CE-type antiferromagnetic structure. Therefore, locally the charge difference and structural ordering between the two Mn is appreciable enough to describe the system at $20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ as ``partially charge ordered.''
The Career Path of the Postdoctoral Researcher

Concerns are mounting that postdocs are providing institutions with greater flexibility in staffing grant projects but not necessarily advancing the postdocs' careers.Although taking a postdoctoral...
Executable models of fissile reactor systems for hardware simulation and design

Dynamic system simulation (DSS) of fissile solution systems (FSS) is used at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) with the goal of understanding the underlying physics of these systems. Currently this is of considerable interest to the medical isotopes industry, which plans to employ FSS to develop a method for producing urgently needed medical isotopes, including Mo-99, the precursor of Tc-99m. The DESIRE (Direct Executing Simulation in Real Time) system has been used to perform DSS of FSS for several years. A benchmark FSS, SUPO, operated for several decades at LANL, has been modeled, and this model validated against historical data. Proposed isotope production systems have also been modeled. While the DESIRE simulation models are useful to researchers, they are not easily shared with industry partners more interested in system design and operator training. To support these needs a system for producing computer executable models has been developed. The executable models can be run on Windows-based computers, are designed for use by design engineers, and are capable of serving as the backend of hardware simulators for use in training scenarios. This paper focuses on the development of the system for producing and using the executable models described above. LA-UR-15-20648 Version 2
Analysis of Tumor-Associated Mucin Glycotopes by Western Transfer Methods

In mucins, glycosylation is complex and the most predominant posttranslational modification. Since mucins exhibit differential glycosylation pattern under physiological and pathological conditions, analysis of mucin glycans is important for understanding their specific functions during pathological conditions like cancer. Given the complexity of mucin glycans, several sophisticated analytical tools such as HPLC, mass spectrometry, and lectin sandwich assays are employed for glyco-analysis of mucins. However the specialized expertise and instrumentation required for such analysis are beyond the reach of an average cancer biology laboratory. We described in this chapter the utility of the simple electrophoresis/immunoblotting method to examine the mucin glycan epitopes, using specific antibodies and lectins.
Biology of the Pecan Leaf Scorch Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Eotetranychus hicoriae (McGregor), pecan leaf scorch mite, overwinter as females in the rough bark area on limbs of pecan trees. Data for the 1979 year showed that overwintering mortality exceeded 70%. In the spring, overwintering females began to oviposit within 7 days after initiation of feeding. In laboratory rearings, eggs did not hatch at 18.3°C, and at 35°C 97% of the individuals died as immatures. It is suggested that these temperatures may limit population growth in the field. In the laboratory, higher mortality with increasing temperatures may be due to increasing mortality of individuals that would develop into males.
Handbook of Military Social Work

The Handbook of Military Social Work offers a first hand look into the challenges and needs of service members, veterans, and their families. The 26 chapters in this book are divided into four part...
Four New Genera of Ethiopian and Neotropical Formicidae

Three of these strikingly new genera are based on ants collected by myself in Trinidad, British Guiana and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan; the fourth genus is based on a Northwestern University collection made by Mr. E. C. Williams, Jr., in the Panama Canal Zone. Two, Talaridris and Acanthidris , are members of the neotropical rain forest fauna and obviously belong to the tribe Dacetonini of the subfamily Myrmicinae . The third genus, Hylidris , is Ethiopian and a member of the tribe Myrmecinini of the subfamily Myrmicinae . It was taken on the fringe of the Congo rain forest and belongs to the forest floor fauna. The fourth genus, Axinidris , also Ethiopian, is especially noteworthy because it belongs to the subfamily Dolichoderinae which contains but few genera, only one of which is endemic to the Ethiopian Region. Axinidris is a member of the arboreal rain forest fauna and belongs to a new tribe, Axinidrini .
GE-20GENOMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF BREAST CANCER BRAIN METASTASES

BACKGROUND: The incidence of central nervous system metastasis from primary breast cancer has steadily increased with introduction of more effective molecular-targeted therapies resulting in improved long-term survival. Current standard-of-care treatment modalities for CNS metastases include microsurgical resection, whole-brain radiation therapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery, either alone or in combination. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs with an indication for breast cancer brain metastases. Clearly, there is a dire need to identify biomarkers permitting earlier and accurate diagnosis of CNS metastases, development of prevention strategies in high-risk individuals, and establishing more effective treatment options such as targeted systemic and intrathecal therapies. METHODS: Extracted DNA from metastatic brain tumors (MBTs) and matched tissues from primary breast tumors was quantified and array comparative genomic hybridizations (aCGH) were performed with Agilent SurePrint arrays (G3 ISCA CGH + SNP 180K) using a commercially-available, genetically-normal female DNA standard. Bioinformatics analysis was performed using Agilent CytoGenomics Edition 2.5.8.1. Data were filtered against the Cancer Gene Census (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute) to identify genes with well-characterized roles in cancer. RESULTS: From genomic copy number data analysis tailored to uncover the most frequent gene aberrations in breast cancer MBTs, we identified that MYC oncogene amplification was among the most common. Pathway analysis of the analyzed gene set of recurring gene aberrations identified the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency pathway as being over-represented. The genes in this pathway showing copy number gain include NTRK1, PIK3CA and SOX2. Direct comparisons of MBTs with their matched primary tumor (n = 4) revealed a range of examples for highly similar and divergent patterns of gene aberrations. In one case ERBB2 was confirmed to be in the MBT, and not in the primary specimen. CONCLUSIONS: Genomic analyses of matched primary and MBTs provide new direction for the development of targeted therapeutics for breast cancer brain metastases.
How to Perform Vibration Analysis on Spindles

The electrical spindle,as a high precision mechanical parts,has a very significant importance in the CNC machine.currently,it cannot be batch manufactured in the china and most of the spindles are imported from abroad.Because the run-out value and the vibration value of the spindle are directly affecting the preision of the part,as well as the life target of the spindle,so it is very neccessary to do vibration monitoring to the spindle.the following passage are just about this.using the vibration data from 104 spindles in a power train plant,this passage desribes how to do vibration analysis with detail.
Some Outline of DCS Architecture about 2×600 MW Supercritical Unit in Wangqu Power Plant

This article reviewed the DCS architecture for 2×600MW supercritical unit. As a IC island EPC, the article also introducing some outline in the project DCS architecture. Specially in communication interface between DCS with each island such as boiler island ,turbine island and electric and SIS (Supervisor interface System).
Abstract 159: Achieving STEMI Revascularization Goals with an Inter-Hospital Transfer System

Background: Primary PCI has been recognized as the procedure of choice for STEMI revascularization when performed in a timely manner. Developing an effective system to allow immediate transfers from non-PCI capable community hospitals to a PCI capable center requires continued collaborative effort to achieve and maintain. Stony Brook University Hospital (UH) is the sole tertiary care hospital in Suffolk county (population of 1.5 million; area over 900 square miles). Particularly challenging for effective revascularization is the lack of a triage strategy permitting direct transfer to PCI capable hospitals and the system of multiple voluntary EMS providers. Post C Port trials, additional sites capable of performing PCI have opened, but for much of the county UH remains the center of choice. For hospitals with a transport time of over 45 minutes lytic therapy is typically advised as the primary reperfusion strategy. We report our efforts at improving D2B times to achieve a first medical contact (FMC) to device time of < 120 minutes for our most challenging referral hospital (20 miles away with a one way travel time of 25-40 minutes). Methods: The 2011 FMC -to balloon (2B) time of transfers was compared to the FMC-2B median times in 2012 after a series of system based changes were initiated. Efforts focused on early performance and interpretation of an ECG in appropriate patients, immediate transport to UH for revascularization, activation of the UH cath lab simultaneous with transport. Results: FMC-2B times improved from a median time of 145.0 minutes in 2011 to 118.5 minutes in 2012. With the early activation of the UH cath lab the SB D2B time was consistently < 30 minutes, allowing up to 90 minutes for the identification and transfer of the STEMI patient. Transport time remained the greatest variable and caused the most outliers, while improvement opportunities in performance of ECG, ECG interpretation and team activation were also identified. Immediate feedback and monthly review of cases facilitated process improvement. Conclusions: Improving FMC-D2B times in a system with referring non-PCI capable hospitals is challenging and requires efforts to establish protocols aimed at promoting a regional system of STEMI care. Assigning interval responsibility, shared participation in identifying opportunities for improvement, immediate feedback, periodic review by all team participants can effectively move the process forward.
Salient pole generators for belt-driven automotive alternator applications

Of all the electric machine types, conventional automotive belt-driven Lundell generators, and electrically-excited or hybrid permanent magnet-electrically excited synchronous salient pole generators are the only types that can utilize inexpensive control electronics consisting of a passive three-phase diode bridge and a simple, one power switch voltage regulator. In this paper, the replacement of Lundell automotive generators with either electrically-excited or hybrid permanent magnet-electrically excited synchronous salient pole generators is investigated on the basis of their better efficiency and the ability to provide output power beyond the 6 kW level. The design considerations and the test results are presented for a 42 V, 3.5 kW electrically-excited salient pole generator and for a 42 V, 3.5 kW hybrid permanent magnet-electrically excited salient pole generator. Specific design criteria, design simulations/analyses, and test results are presented and compared with a belt-driven automotive generator performance.
Mid-21st-century climate changes increase predicted fire occurrence and fire season length, Northern Rocky Mountains, United States

Climate changes are expected to increase fire frequency, fire season length, and cumulative area burned in the western United States. We focus on the potential impact of mid-21st- century climate changes on annual burn probability, fire season length, and large fire characteristics including number and size for a study area in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Although large fires are rare they account for most of the area burned in western North America, burn under extreme weather conditions, and exhibit behaviors that preclude methods of direct control. Allocation of resources, development of management plans, and assessment of fire effects on ecosystems all require an understanding of when and where fires are likely to burn, particularly under altered climate regimes that may increase large fire occurrence. We used the large fire simulation model FSim to model ignition, growth, and containment of wildfires under two climate scenarios: contemporary (based on instrumental weather) and mid-century (based on an ensemble average of global climate models driven by the A1B SRES emissions scenario). Modeled changes in fire patterns include increased annual burn probability, particularly in areas of the study region with relatively short contemporary fire return intervals; increased individual fire size and annual area burned; and fewer years without large fires. High fire danger days, represented by threshold values of Energy Release Component (ERC), are projected to increase in number, especially in spring and fall, lengthening the climatic fire season. For fire managers, ERC is an indicator of fire intensity potential and fire economics, with higher ERC thresholds often associated with larger, more expensive fires. Longer periods of elevated ERC may significantly increase the cost and complexity of fire management activities, requiring new strategies to maintain desired ecological conditions and limit fire risk. Increased fire activity (within the historical range of frequency and severity, and depending on the extent to which ecosystems are adapted) may maintain or restore ecosystem functionality; however, in areas that are highly departed from historical fire regimes or where there is disequilibrium between climate and vegetation, ecosystems may be rapidly and persistently altered by wildfires, especially those that burn under extreme conditions.
Argumentation by Self-Model: Missing Methods and Opportunities in the Personal Narratives of Popular Health Coaches:

This essay expands Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s concept of argumentation by model to bring more attention to the persuasive effects of using the self as a model. To illuminate this technique, I analyze the personal narratives of popular health coaches, who are championing a holistic health movement toward what I refer to as “do-it-yourself healthcare.” This case involves arguments regarding the efficacy of methods in evidence-based medicine and “alternative” or holistic health, as popular health coaches predicate their ability to heal themselves and others on abandoning traditional medicine. In brief, the purpose of this article is twofold: first, to characterize the rhetoric of the movement toward alternative or holistic health, and, second, to extend Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s concept of argumentation by model and address the implications of this expansion.
Multiscale Model for Electrokinetic Transport in Networks of Pores, Part I: Model Derivation

We present an efficient and robust numerical model for the simulation of electrokinetic phenomena in porous media and microstructure networks considering a wide range of applications including energy conversion, deionization, and microfluidic-based lab-on-a-chip systems. Coupling between fluid flow and ion transport in these networks is governed by the Poisson–Nernst–Planck–Stokes equations. These equations describe a wide range of phenomena that can interact in a complex fashion when coupled in networks involving multiple pores with variable properties. Capturing these phenomena by direct simulation of the governing equations in multidimensions is prohibitively expensive. We present here a reduced-order model that treats a network of many pores via solutions to 1D equations. Assuming that each pore in the network is long and thin, we derive a 1D model describing the transport in the pore’s longitudinal direction. We take into account the cross-sectional nonuniformity of potential and ion concentration fi...
A neural circuit architecture for angular integration in Drosophila

Many animals keep track of their angular heading over time while navigating through their environment. However, a neural-circuit architecture for computing heading has not been experimentally defined in any species. Here we describe a set of clockwise- and anticlockwise-shifting neurons in the Drosophila central complex whose wiring and physiology provide a means to rotate an angular heading estimate based on the fly's angular velocity. We show that each class of shifting neurons exists in two subtypes, with spatiotemporal activity profiles that suggest different roles for each subtype at the start and end of tethered-walking turns. Shifting neurons are required for the heading system to properly track the fly's heading in the dark, and stimulation of these neurons induces predictable shifts in the heading signal. The central features of this biological circuit are analogous to those of computational models proposed for head-direction cells in rodents and may shed light on how neural systems, in general, perform integration.
Stereotactic radiotherapy of the prostate: fractionation and utilization in the United States.

PURPOSE To analyze the utilization and fractionation of extreme hypofractionation via stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data was analyzed on men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004-2012 and treated with definitive-intent radiation therapy, as captured in the National Cancer Database. This database is a hospital-based registry that collects an estimated 70% of all diagnosed malignancies in the United States. RESULTS There were 299,186 patients identified, of which 4,962 (1.7%) were identified as receiving SBRT as primary treatment. Of those men, 2,082 had low risk disease (42.0%), 2,201 had intermediate risk disease (44.4%), and 679 had high risk disease (13.7%). The relative utilization of SBRT increased from 0.1% in 2004 to 4.0% in 2012. Initially SBRT was more commonly used in academic programs, though as time progressed there was a shift to favor an increased absolute number of men treated in the community setting. Delivery of five separate treatments was the most commonly utilized fractionation pattern, with 4,635 patients (91.3%) receiving this number of treatments. The most common dosing pattern was 725 cGy × 5 fractions (49.6%) followed by 700 cGy × 5 fractions (21.3%). CONCLUSIONS Extreme hypofractionation via SBRT is slowly increasing acceptance. Currently 700-725 cGy × 5 fractions appears to be the most commonly employed scheme. As further long-term data regarding the safety and efficacy emerges, the relative utilization of this modality is expected to continue to increase.
Delineating the durability outcome differences after saphenous ablation with laser versus radiofrequency.

Abstract Objective The mechanism of delivering thermal energy to the vein wall differs between endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Different mechanisms of ablation may have different effects on the durability of these procedures typically performed for saphenous vein insufficiency. Whether there is a difference in long-term durability outcomes between these two techniques remains uncertain. This study aimed to delineate the durability outcome differences in terms of recurrence rate and pattern. Methods A retrospective review identified 270 consecutive patients who underwent saphenous ablation using EVLA or RFA between July 2013 and October 2016. The primary end points were clinical symptom recurrence and anatomic recurrence of reflux. Results Overall, 343 limbs were included in the study; 246 limbs (183 patients) underwent EVLA and 97 limbs (87 patients) underwent RFA. The mean follow-up time was 112 days for EVLA (range, 2-1153 days) and 106 days for RFA (range, 3-735 days; P = .786). No significant differences were observed between the groups with respect to demographic data, Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, Pathophysiological classification, or ratio of great saphenous vein to small saphenous vein treated. The mean time to recurrence of symptoms was 219 days longer with EVLA (n = 8; mean, 774 days; range, 187-1042 days) than RFA (n = 4; mean 555 days; range, 341-616 days). Kaplan-Meier estimates for 1- and 3-year freedom from clinical recurrence were 100% and 96% for EVLA and 97% and 93% for RFA, respectively. There was no difference between the two groups (log rank, P = .0666). In cases with recurrent reflux documented on duplex (four in the EVLA group and three in the RFA group), the thigh segment was the most frequently involved site (75% in EVLA, 67% in RFA). Same site recanalization was significantly less frequent in EVLA (0.82% in EVLA vs 2.06% in RFA; P = .0388). New areas of reflux developed at a similar rate between the groups, in 0.82% of EVLA limbs in the anterior accessory saphenous vein and the calf great saphenous vein, and in 1.03% of RFA limbs in the anterior accessory saphenous vein ( P = .8436). Conclusions The results of our study suggest that the outcomes of EVLA and RFA performed for saphenous vein insufficiency may differ in the long term. The clinical recurrence rates are similar, but the anatomic recurrence patterns may differ, with more frequent treated site recurrence in the RFA group.
Potential for nano-enhanced dielectrics to enable high power density medium voltage DC cables

The fast-growing power and energy demand and limited spaces of military, commercial and industrial energy systems increase the benefit of improving the power and energy density for the electrical system. The particular focus of this work is to reduce the size and weight of cables especially for mobile systems like ships. The enabling technology examined is advanced nanodielectrics. Advanced nanodielectrics have been extensively studied to improve performance of electrical equipment. Since some nanodielectrics have high thermal conductivity, high mechanical strength, high breakdown strength, and high glass transition temperature, nanodielectrics have great potential to reduce the size and weight of cables. This study explores the feasibility to use nanomaterial to improve the power density of dc cables.
Next generation mentoring: Supporting teachers beyond induction

Abstract Mentoring teachers during the induction years has long been recognized as a powerful means to support and acclimate new teachers to the profession. Once the induction years are over however, mentoring is rarely offered for experienced educators. Additionally, teachers in their mid to late career stages often find professional development poorly suited to their interests or needs. As a result, frustration, cynicism, early attrition, and ‘burnout’ occurs. This study explores the perceptions of 20 experienced teachers in order to understand their professional needs and their perceptions about being mentored. Recommendations for the design of post induction mentoring programs are offered to schools looking to retain experienced teachers and inspire them for a full career of teaching.
Process development for green part printing using binder jetting additive manufacturing

Originally developed decades ago, the binder jetting additive manufacturing (BJ-AM) process possesses various advantages compared to other additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as broad material compatibility and technological expandability. However, the adoption of BJ-AM has been limited by the lack of knowledge with the fundamental understanding of the process principles and characteristics, as well as the relatively few systematic design guideline that are available. In this work, the process design considerations for BJ-AM in green part fabrication were discussed in detail in order to provide a comprehensive perspective of the design for additive manufacturing for the process. Various process factors, including binder saturation, in-process drying, powder spreading, powder feedstock characteristics, binder characteristics and post-process curing, could significantly affect the printing quality of the green parts such as geometrical accuracy and part integrity. For powder feedstock with low flowability, even though process parameters could be optimized to partially offset the printing feasibility issue, the qualities of the green parts will be intrinsically limited due to the existence of large internal voids that are inaccessible to the binder. In addition, during the process development, the balanced combination between the saturation level and in-process drying is of critical importance in the quality control of the green parts.
Risk of health-related quality of life events and pulmonary toxicities in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors treated with everolimus: A meta-analysis of phase 3 randomized controlled trials.

e16185Background: Autocrine activation of mTOR signaling pathway, mediated via insulin-like growth factor 1, was shown to involve in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) progression. Everolimus (E), an oral ...
Bipolar Disorder in Primary Care: Considerations in Management

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness that has significant morbidity and mortality implications globally. Increasingly, as with many mental health disorders, patients are being identified in primary care settings. In this overview, we discuss screening and case identification, making the case for judicious use of screening tools coupled with follow-up clarifying questions. We review the main modalities of treatment including pharmacother-apy and the evidence for non-pharmacotherapy adjunctive approaches. We discuss recommendations and cautions regarding the use of antidepressants in this population. Finally, we explore the role of new models of care and pharmacogenetic testing. As primary care providers play a critical role in the care of patients with bipolar disorder there are a number of important considerations both in the identification of patients as well as initiating and monitoring treatment.
Editorial note to: R. H. Dicke, The Theoretical Significance of Experimental Relativity

In the mid-1950s the experimental study of gravity physics was close to inactive. Robert Dicke saw the need and opportunity to employ advances in technology to improve the classical tests and add to them. His book, “The Theoretical Significance of Experimental Relativity,” and the preceding lectures on which it was based, describes how he was going about it in his Gravity Research Group. There was theoretical motivation for some of his experiments. Others followed the experimentalists’ mantra: if an experiment of possible physical interest can be done better, then do it. It was the start of what has grown to be the rich subject of experimental gravity physics.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids reverse the lysosomal storage and accumulation of subunit 9 of mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase in cultured lymphoblasts from patients with Batten disease.

Batten disease (McKusick 204200), the juvenile form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is a severe autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of vision, seizures, degenerating motor function and ultimately death, usually in the third decade of life (Kohlschutter et al 1993). The gene CLN3, for JNCL has recently been isolated. The protein encoded by the CLN3 gene is a highly lipophilic protein of 438 amino acid residues and molecular mass 48kDa (Lerner et al 1995). The function of the protein is unknown. The characteristic storage material has been shown to be proteolipid in nature, with subunit 9 of mitochondrial F 1 F 0 -ATP synthase being a major component (Hall et al 1991; Palmer et al 1992). We recently reported upon the reversibility of induced lysosomal storage in JNCL lymphoblast cell lines when incubated with gentamycin (an agent known to damage mitochondria) and a defined mixture of polyunsaturated fatty acids (Boriack et al 1995). In the experiments reported here we demonstrate that ATP synthase subunit 9 storage can be induced in this in vitro model and that this can be reversed by polyunsaturated fatty acids. This provides a good system for testing therapeutic regimens for this disease.
Theatrical Reenactment in Pindar and Aeschylus

What would Pindar and Aeschylus have talked about had they met at some point during their overlapping poetic careers? How do we map the space shared by these two fifth-century choral poets? In the first book-length comparative study of Pindar and Aeschylus in over six decades, Anna S. Uhlig pushes back against the prevailing tendency to privilege interpretive frames that highlight the differences in their works. Instead, she adopts a more inclusive category of choral performance, one in which both poets are shown to be grappling to understand how the vivid here and now of their compositions are in fact a reenactment of voices and bodies from elsewhere. Pairing close readings of the ancient texts with insights from modern performance studies, Uhlig offers a novel perspective on the 'song culture' of early fifth-century BC Greece.
AMLE Book & Resource Reviews from 2002 to 2017 on the Phases of Academic Careers

Since its founding in 2002, readers have come to AMLE for insight on management education and learning, rather than general academic career advice. Although the study of academic career phases is n...
How Buyers and Sellers of Development Land Deal with Regulatory Risk

A builder contracts to buy land for a development project and comes to realize either before orshortly after taking title that its proposed development project has diminished in value or even become worthless as a result of unanticipated government regulations. The builder wishes to dissolve the contract and get her money back. This paper describes the conflicting legal norms courts apply in such cases, and how contracts for development land may be written so as to apportion clearly the regulatory risk between buyer and seller.
“InfoRich” Eco-Driving Control Strategy for Connected and Automated Vehicles

Among all advanced energy improvement technologies sought after to reduce the energy footprint, connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies hold a special promise of simultaneously improving energy efficiency, safety, and mobility. This work explored the significant opportunities exist in reducing the overall vehicle energy consumption through optimizing the vehicle dynamics and powertrain controls in a coordinated fashion utilizing preview information. A practical solution of Eco-Approach, -Departure, and-Cruise were proposed in this paper. These eco-applications were then integrated with autonomous driving modules. The integrated driver model can perform those eco-applications while navigating through a comprehensive traffic scenario designed on a high-fidelity virtual simulator developed for this project. Overall performance was compared with that of the baseline autonomous driver model to show the fuel economy improvement.
The Transcriptional Profile of Follicular Lymphoma Associated Regulatory T-Cells (Tregs) Is More Consistent with Tregs Having a Germinal Center Localization and the Ability to Suppress Follicular Helper T-Cells

Abstract Abstract 1536 Recent studies have suggested that regulatory T-cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of follicular lymphoma (FL). We have previously shown that the Tregs infiltrating FL lymph nodes (FLN Tregs) are quantitatively and qualitatively different than those infiltrating normal and reactive nodes (NLN, RLN, respectively). To gain insight into how such Treg populations differ, and how FLN Tregs may impact FL progression and response to therapy, we performed RNA sequence analyses on flow sorted Tregs (CD3+CD4+CD25brightCD127−) from NLN (n=10), FLN (n=12) and RLN (n=7). Using the RefSeq annotated set of mRNA we first identified 11686 annotated genes that were expressed in each of the Treg groups. Using pairwise unequal variance t-tests at p In conclusion, the comparison of the transcriptome profiles of FLN and NLN Tregs; a) suggest that the observed differences are shaped, in part, by inflammatory signals also present in RLN; b) lay the foundation of a hypothesis to explain the molecular basis for their greater immunosuppressive capacity; and c) suggest that FL Tregs are ‘poised' to localize in the GC, be strongly retained in the lymph node and have enhanced potential to suppress Tfh and Th17 cells. Such findings offer new insights into how FL Tregs may contribute to the biology of these B cell lymphomas. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.