cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A nephron-based model of the kidneys for macro-to-micro α-particle dosimetry

Targeted ?-particle therapy is a promising treatment modality for cancer. Due to the short path-length of ?-particles, the potential efficacy and toxicity of these agents is best evaluated by microscale dosimetry calculations instead of whole-organ, absorbed fraction-based dosimetry. Yet time-integrated activity (TIA), the necessary input for dosimetry, can still only be quantified reliably at the organ or macroscopic level. We describe a nephron- and cellular-based kidney dosimetry model for ?-particle radiopharmaceutical therapy, more suited to the short range and high linear energy transfer of ?-particle emitters, which takes as input kidney or cortex TIA and through a macro to micro model-based methodology assigns TIA to micro-level kidney substructures. We apply a geometrical model to provide nephron-level S-values for a range of isotopes allowing for pre-clinical and clinical applications according to the medical internal radiation dosimetry (MIRD) schema. We assume that the relationship between whole-organ TIA and TIA apportioned to microscale substructures as measured in an appropriate pre-clinical mammalian model also applies to the human. In both, the pre-clinical and the human model, microscale substructures are described as a collection of simple geometrical shapes akin to those used in the Cristy?Eckerman phantoms for normal organs. Anatomical parameters are taken from the literature for a human model, while murine parameters are measured ex vivo. The murine histological slides also provide the data for volume of occupancy of the different compartments of the nephron in the kidney: glomerulus versus proximal tubule versus distal tubule. Monte Carlo simulations are run with activity placed in the different nephron compartments for several ?-particle emitters currently under investigation in radiopharmaceutical therapy. The S-values were calculated for the ?-emitters and their descendants between the different nephron compartments for both the human and murine models. The renal cortex and medulla S-values were also calculated and the results compared to traditional absorbed fraction calculations. The nephron model enables a more optimal implementation of treatment and is a critical step in understanding toxicity for human translation of targeted ?-particle therapy. The S-values established here will enable a MIRD-type application of ?-particle dosimetry for ?-emitters, i.e. measuring the TIA in the kidney (or renal cortex) will provide meaningful and accurate nephron-level dosimetry.
Brief psychosocial screening at health supervision and acute care visits.

Objective. To identify factors associated with positive scores on a brief psychosocial screening tool with subscales for internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems. Methods. Parents of 2028 children between the ages of 7 and 15 years seen in a sample of 8 primary care practices in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area completed a brief questionnaire that included the 17-item Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), demographic information, and the reason for the child’s visit to the clinic. Results. Overall, 22% of the youth had at least 1 positive PSC-17 subscale or a positive PSC-17 total score. Twelve percent scored positive on the internalizing subscale, 10% on the externalizing subscale, 7% on the attention subscale, and 11% had a positive PSC-17 total score. Although boys were more likely than girls to score positive on the attention and aggression subscales, boys and girls were equally likely to have a positive score on the depression subscale. Children not living with both biological parents and those with a household member receiving public assistance were significantly more likely to show psychosocial dysfunction. Controlling for demographic characteristics, patients presenting for an illness-related or injury visit were more likely to score positive on the screen than those presenting for a routine well-child visit (odds ratio: 1.46; 95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.98). Conclusions. Clinicians will miss opportunities to identify emotional and behavioral disorders among children and adolescents who may be at a higher risk if they limit psychosocial screening to health supervision visits. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for using primary care for recognizing, diagnosing, and treating mental health disorders in children and adolescents.
Engineering A Uranyl‐Specific Binding Protein from NikR

A new pick-up line: The first uranyl-selective DNA-binding protein is designed using the E. coli nickel(II)-responsive protein NikR as the template. The resulting NikR' protein binds uranyl (see picture) with a dissociation constant K(d) = 53 nM and selectively binds to DNA in the presence of uranyl.
Multi-level shared state for distributed systems

As a result of advances in processor and network speeds, more and more applications can productively be spread across geographically distributed machines. In this paper we present a transparent system for memory sharing, InterWeave, developed with such applications in mind. InterWeave can accommodate hardware coherence and consistency within multiprocessors (level-1 sharing), software distributed shared memory (S-DSM) within tightly coupled clusters (level-2 sharing), and version-based coherence and consistency across the Internet (level-3 sharing). InterWeave allows processes written in multiple languages, running on heterogeneous machines, to share arbitrary typed data structures as if they resided in local memory. Application-specific knowledge of minimal coherence requirements is used to minimize communication. Consistency information is maintained in a manner that allows scaling to large amounts of shared data. In C, operations on shared data, including pointers, take precisely the same form as operations on non-shared data. We demonstrate the ease of use and efficiency of the system through an evaluation of several applications. In particular, we demonstrate that InterWeave's support for sharing at higher (more distributed) levels does not reduce the performance of sharing at lower (more tightly coupled) levels.
An architecture for secure software defined radio

Software defined radio (SDR) is a rapidly evolving technology which implements some functional modules of a radio system in software executing on a programmable processor. SDR provides a flexible mechanism to reconfigure the radio, enabling networked devices to easily adapt to user preferences and the operating environment. However, the very mechanisms that provide the ability to reconfigure the radio through software also give rise to serious security concerns such as unauthorized modification of the software, leading to radio malfunction and interference with other users' communications. Both the SDR device and the network need to be protected from such malicious radio reconfiguration. In this paper, we propose a new architecture to protect SDR devices from malicious reconfiguration. The proposed architecture is based on robust separation of the radio operation environment and user application environment through the use of virtualization. A secure radio middleware layer is used to intercept all attempts to reconfigure the radio, and a security policy monitor checks the target configuration against security policies that represent the interests of various parties. Therefore, secure reconfiguration can be ensured in the radio operation environment even if the operating system in the user application environment is compromised. We have prototyped the proposed secure SDR architecture using VMware and the GNU Radio toolkit, and demonstrate that the overheads incurred by the architecture are small and tolerable. Therefore, we believe that the proposed solution could be applied to address SDR security concerns in a wide range of both general-purpose and embedded computing systems.
Macrophage activation by interferon α + β is associated with a loss of proliferative capacity: Role of interferon α + β in the regulation of macrophage proliferation and function

Murine peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEM) can be induced by colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) to undergo extensive proliferation and colony formation in vitro. In the presence of interferon alpha + beta (IFN alpha + beta) the proliferative capacity of PEM was greatly suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. The antiproliferative activity of IFN alpha + beta appears to be noncytocidal and reversible at low concentrations. At higher concentrations, exposure to IFN alpha + beta was sufficient to cause growth inhibition in PEM. Tissue-derived PEM were at least 25-fold more sensitive than bone marrow GM-CFC to the antiproliferative activity of IFN alpha + beta. The fact that bone marrow-derived adherent cells also exhibited a higher degree of sensitivity than the less differentiated nonadherent counterparts suggests that the primary targets of IFN alpha + beta are cells derived from a later stage of development. Concomitantly with the loss of proliferative activity, both the tumoricidal and Fc receptor-mediated phagocytic activities in IFN alpha + beta treated PEM were greatly enhanced. These effects could be completely neutralized by the addition of anti-IFN alpha + beta immunoglobulin, indicating that they are mediated by the same molecule. This remarkable dichotomy in the actions of IFN alpha + beta (stimulates functional activities but suppresses proliferative capacity) suggests that IFN alpha + beta may play a role in the regulation of macrophage production and function.
Identification of the Y-organ in the larval stages of the crab, Cancer anthonyi Rathbun.

The Y-organ has been histologically identified in all six larval stages of the crab, Cancer anthonyi. The paired glands are located anterior to the branchial chamber and ventral to the base of the antennules. In the first zoeal stage the gland consists of a cord of 6 to 10 epidermal cells with dark staining nuclei, sparse cytoplasm, and indistinct cell boundaries. As development progresses the glands become more complex through extensive folding and intertwining of the cellular cords. The glands in all larval stages show cyclical activity which corresponds to the molt cycle. Immediately following a molt the gland is dense and compact with little cytoplasm. At approximately day four in the molt cycle, the glands become greatly hyperthropied due to an increase in the number and size of the cytoplasmic vacuoles. These histological changes suggests a cyclical production and presumably the release of some product most likely ecdysone.
Photodisruption in biological tissues and single cells using femtosecond laser pulses

Summary form only given. Semi-transparent materials such as biological tissues do not strongly absorb light in the visible range. However, the intensity of a tightly-focused femtosecond laser pulse can be high enough to cause nonlinear absorption of laser energy by the tissue, leading to permanent material change. The nonlinearity of the process ensures the absorption, and therefore material alterations are confined to the extremely small focal volume. In this paper, we show that sub-micrometer sized photodisrupted regions can be produced inside single cells by nonlinear absorption of tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses. Femtosecond pulses deposit very little energy while still causing breakdown, therefore producing surgical photodisruption while minimizing collateral damage (Juhasz et al, 1995; Zysset et al, 1989; Krauss and Puliafito, 1996). This suggests exciting prospects for precise laser surgery.
Bacterial air pollution at a wastewater treatment plant

Abstract An investigation of bacterial aerosols emitted from aeration tanks at an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant was conducted by Niagara University undergraduates as a way to explore local microbial issues and their effects on society. Ambient air concentrations of bacteria were measured upwind and downwind of the aeration tanks, and any downwind increase was attributed to the tanks. The results revealed that total bacterial concentrations were significantly greater downwind of the tanks as compared to upwind, and bacterial air pollution was believed to be a result of the aeration process. Among the genera isolated downwind were Serratia, Klebsiella, and Escherichia, all potential pathogens. The project enabled the Niagara University students to perform service learning that highlighted the importance of microbiology and microbiologists at the local community level.
A macroscopic analytical model of collaboration in distributed robotic systems

In this article, we present a macroscopic analytical model of collaboration in a group of reactive robots. The model consists of a series of coupled differential equations that describe the dynamics of group behavior. After presenting the general model, we analyze in detail a case study of collaboration, the stick-pulling experiment, studied experimentally and in simulation by Ijspeert et al. [Autonomous Robots, 11, 149-171]. The robots' task is to pull sticks out of their holes, and it can be successfully achieved only through the collaboration of two robots. There is no explicit communication or coordination between the robots. Unlike microscopic simulations (sensor-based or using a probabilistic numerical model), in which computational time scales with the robot group size, the macroscopic model is computationally efficient, because its solutions are independent of robot group size. Analysis reproduces several qualitative conclusions of Ijspeert et al.: namely, the different dynamical regimes for different values of the ratio of robots to sticks, the existence of optimal control parameters that maximize system performance as a function of group size, and the transition from superlinear to sublinear performance as the number of robots is increased.
The impact of household transmission on duration of outpatient colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

We identified eight consecutive patients who presented with a skin or soft tissue infection due to MRSA. Of seven household members of these cases, three were colonized with MRSA. The mean duration of MRSA colonization in index cases was 33 days (range 14-104), while mean duration of colonization in household cases was 54 days (range 12-95). There was a borderline significant association between having a concurrent colonized household member and a longer duration of colonization (mean 44 days vs. 26 days, P=0.08).
ABIOTIC CONTROLS ON LONG‐TERM WINDTHROW DISTURBANCE AND TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST DYNAMICS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA

We investigated the role of abiotic factors in controlling patterns of long- term windthrow in the pristine coastal temperate rain forests of southeast Alaska. Our objectives were to test the extent to which long-term patterns of windthrow can be predicted spatially at the landscape scale by using four abiotic factors (slope, elevation, soil stability, and exposure to prevailing storm winds), evaluate landform influence on windthrow, and compare stand age and structural characteristics in areas prone to and protected from windthrow. On Kuiu Island, southeast Alaska, we used field validation photo-interpretation procedures to identify forest patches likely to be of windthrow origin. A spatially explicit logistic model was then built from the windthrow data and other GIS data layers, based on slope, elevation, soil type, and exposure to prevailing storm winds. Landform influence on patterns of windthrow was examined by evaluating correct model classification by landform type. The model was cross-validated by extrapolating the Kuiu model coefficients to nearby Zarembo Island, and comparing model predictions to an independent large-scale windthrow data set. The model correctly classified 72% of both windthrown and non- windthrown forest. Field data collected in areas most and least prone to windthrow on Kuiu suggest that structural and age characteristics, as well as forest development stages, vary with the probability of windthrow across the landscape. We conclude that small-scale (partial-canopy) disturbance processes predominate in areas least prone to windthrow, and that large-scale stand-replacement disturbance processes predominate in areas most prone to windthrow. Our work suggests that a spatially predictable long-term wind-damage gra- dient exists on Kuiu Island. Before this research, gap-phase disturbances have been em- phasized as the dominant disturbance process controlling forest dynamics in North American coastal temperate rain forests. We conclude that there is less naturally occurring old-growth forest regulated by gap-phase succession than previously believed, and that catastrophic windthrow is an important process driving forest development in southeast Alaska. To date, most timber harvest on Kuiu Island has been concentrated in storm-protected areas where gap-phase processes (old-growth forests) predominate; future management activities could be tailored to consider long-term natural disturbance patterns to better maintain historical ecosystem function.
Gain scheduling middleware for networked mobile robot control

This paper proposes a novel control methodology for remote mobile robot control over a network via middleware. The controller output is adapted via middleware with respect to current network traffic conditions. The middleware can be implemented in a modular structure. Thus, a controller upgrade or modification for other types of network protocols or different control objectives can be achieved easily. A case study on a mobile robot path-tracking with IP network delays is described. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by experimental results.
Substructuring in linear and nonlinear analysis

The procedures for utilizing substructuring and static condensation in structural analysis are well known. However, until recently there have been no general-purpose structural mechanics computer systems that offer multi-level substructuring combined with a convenient method for defining the structural model. Now that such systems are available, engineers must decide when substructuring techniques are useful. Substructuring, with and without condensation, has proved to be highly efficient in the analysis of certain classes of structure. It can reduce computer costs by a factor of from 2 to 100. Yet, indiscriminate use of condensation may result in unnecessary and expensive computations. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of substructuring relative to data entry and computational efficiency. Guidelines are proposed for engineers to follow when using substructuring in the analysis of linear and nonlinear structures. The FINITE system is used to illustrate actual implementation of substructuring features in a general purpose finite element system.
Domination, Self-Justification, and Self-Doubt: Some Social-Psychological Considerations

This article employs social psychology to illuminate processes of domination, self-justification, and self-doubt among dominant groups. It claims that social identity theory as formulated by Tajfel and his associates helps explain group domination. It argues that attribution research, the just world phenomenon, the "base line fallacy," and schema theory, inter alia, help understand dominant group self-justification. But dominant group self-justification is never complete; instead, it is accompanied by pervasive, social-psychologically engendered self-doubt. A principle contributor to dominant group self-doubt is the emergence of a social control agency that enjoys partial autonomy. In sum, the piece is meant to integrate research in social-psychology into traditional Marxist and Weberian approaches to domination and political conflict.
Series Length Used during Trend Analysis Affects Sensitivity to Changes in Progression Rate in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study

PURPOSE. Trend analysis techniques to detect glaucomatous progression typically assume a constant rate of change. This study uses data from the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study to assess whether this assumption decreases sensitivity to changes in progression rate, by including earlier periods of stability. METHODS. Series of visual fields (mean 24 per eye) completed at 6-month intervals from participants randomized initially to observation were split into subseries before and after the initiation of treatment (the ‘‘split-point’’). The mean deviation rate of change (MDR) was derived using these entire subseries, and using only the window length (W) tests nearest the splitpoint, for different window lengths of W tests. A generalized estimating equation model was used to detect changes in MDR occurring at the split-point. RESULTS. Using shortened subseries with W ¼ 7 tests, the MDR slowed by 0.142 dB/y upon initiation of treatment (P < 0.001), and the proportion of eyes showing ‘‘rapid deterioration’’ (MDR <‐0.5 dB/y with P < 5%) decreased from 11.8% to 6.5% (P < 0.001). Using the entire sequence, no significant change in MDR was detected (P ¼ 0.796), and there was no change in the proportion of eyes progressing (P ¼ 0.084). Window lengths 6 � W � 9 produced similar benefits. CONCLUSIONS. Event analysis revealed a beneficial treatment effect in this dataset. This effect was not detected by linear trend analysis applied to entire series, but was detected when using shorter subseries of length between six and nine fields. Using linear trend analysis on the entire field sequence may not be optimal for detecting and monitoring progression. Nonlinear analyses may be needed for long series of fields. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000125.) (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54:1252‐1259) DOI:10.1167/iovs.12-10218
Three-Dimensional Kneed Bipedal Walking: A Hybrid Geometric Approach

A 3D biped with knees and a hip is naturally modeled as a nontrivial hybrid system; impacts occur when the knee strikes and when the foot impacts the ground causing a switch in the dynamics governing the system. Through a variant of geometric reduction--termed functional Routhian reduction --we can reduce the dynamics on each domain of this hybrid system to obtain a planar equivalent biped. Using preexisting techniques for obtaining walking gaits for 2D bipeds, and utilizing the decoupling effect afforded by the reduction process, we design control strategies that result in stable walking gaits for the 3D biped. That is, the main result of this paper is a control law that results in 3D bipedal walking obtained through stable walking gaits for the equivalent 2D biped.
Haustral septations increase axial and radial distribution of luminal contents in glass models of the colon

We used two glass models of the colon to test the hypothesis that luminal septations increase efficiency of flow. Each was a straight glass tube 4 cm in diameter and filled with water. One had four septations narrowing the lumen to 2 cm; the other had no septations. For each run, liquid dye and one solid test particle were placed at one end of the model. A single pressure pulse was applied to the dye and particle. The distance each traveled was compared using analysis of variance. The nonseptated model had poor mixing of dye, and the particle moved only short distances. In the septated model, there was thorough mixing of dye and the particle moved rapidly along what appeared as a central core of high-velocity liquid flow from one septal opening to another. Compared with the nonseptated model, this produced statistically significant increases in the distances traveled by means of 32 (dye) and 90% (particle). Our studies suggest that septations in a tubular organ facilitate intraluminal mixing and flow of liquids and solids.
Head and Neck Tumors: Viewpoint—Surgery

Seventy-five thousand new cases of head and neck cancer are reported in the United States each year. There has been an increase in the utilization of nonsurgical therapies for head and neck cancer since the publication of the Veterans Affairs Laryngeal Study Group results in 1991. Over the years many subsites in the head and neck can be safely operated on with minimally invasive techniques including robotic surgery with minimal morbidity. Chemotherapy and radiation protocols carry an inherent risk of toxicity. The favorable prognosis of HPV-related cancers has increased the push towards deintensifying treatment for such cancers. Moreover, stereotactic radiosurgery is currently becoming useful in the setting of re-irradiation amongst inoperable patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.
Kant, His Acolytes and Challengers: The Philosophical Basis for IGO Promotion of Democracy

The late eighteenth-century Prussian philosopher Immanuel Kant’s Perpetual Peace (1795) is often the starting point for theorists of International Relations interested in the prospect of crafting sound and lasting world peace. Thus Kant has exerted considerable influence on the development of “peace studies” and the linked analyses of IGO promotion of democracy world-wide. At the same time, even Kantian acolytes (such as Jurgen Habermas, Seyla Benhabib, Fernando Teson, Jerry Pubantz, and more), while embracing and advancing Kantian premises, have refined and restructured their meaning for the twenty-first century. Others, whose historic patronage derives from Hobbes, or Hume, or Marx, or post-structuralism and critical theory (including constructivism and post-colonialism), challenge the conceits of today’s Kantians. Liberal theorists, hunkering down with the late John Rawls, seek a middle ground. This paper will review the current state of thinking (pro, con, and in-between) about the legitimate prospects for IGO promotion of “democratization.”
Is Trichogramma Becoming A Fad

Unless a conservative attitude is maintained biological control can easily become quackery. Some of the work with Trichogramma seems to be tending in this direction. It is pointed out that the control of pests by the use of Trichogramma is a complicated problem, and until this is fully appreciated there is little prospect of sound conclusions being reached as to its practical value.
Comparison of Uredo eichhorniae, the Water-Hyacinth Rust, and Uromyces pontederiae

The waterhyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Pontederiaceae), is a troublesome aquatic weed in the tropics and subtropics. In Florida, several control methods have been tried against it including control with plant pathogens (3, 8). Among potentially useful pathogens is Uredo eichhorniae Fragoso & Ciferri (4) which may be specific to waterhyacinth. This rust has not been recorded since its original description in 1927, but as a result of surveys in the past 4 yr it (4) was found in the Entre Rios province of Argentina (FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 7). There have been doubts concerning the propriety of the generic name of this rust (4). The similarity of Uredo eichhorniae to Uromyces pontederiae Gerard on the related genus Pontederia (pickerelweed) has been suggested (4, 5). Uromyces pontederiae has been reported from Uruguay in its uredial stage on Eichhornia azurea (Swartz) pre s a preciation to Drs. M E. Barr-Bigelow, Department of , University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and E. S. Luttrell, t ent of Plant Path logy and Plant Genetics, University of ia, Athens, for exam ing cultures and providing he pful advice. . . P. Rogers, Department of Botany, University of Illinois, Urbana, l prepared the Latin diagnosis.
Benchmarking the CGNS I/O Performance

Linux clusters can provide a viable and more cost e ective alternative to conventional supercomputers for the purposes of computational uid dynamics (CFD). In some cases, the Linux supercluster is replacing the conventional supercomputer as a large-scale, shared-use machine. In other cases, smaller clusters are providing dedicated platforms for CFD computations. One important, often overlooked, issue for large, three dimensional time-dependent simulations is the input and output performance of the CFD solver. The development of the CFD General Notation System (CGNS) (see ) has brought a standardized and robust data format to the CFD community, enabling the exchange of information between the various stages of numerical simulations. This paper presents detailed benchmarks of the serial and parallel I/O performance of the CGNS software. The performance on serial and parallel le systems will be discussed in this paper.
Low-Resource Method for Extracting the Malarial Biomarker Histidine-Rich Protein II To Enhance Diagnostic Test Performance

We have demonstrated the utility of a self-contained extraction device for the selective isolation, purification, and concentration of the malaria diagnostic protein biomarker Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II (pfHRPII) from human plasma and whole blood. The extraction cassette consists of a small-diameter tube containing a series of preloaded processing solutions separated by mineral oil valves. Nickel(II) nitrilotriacetic acid-functionalized magnetic particles are added to a parasite-spiked sample contained within the loading chamber of the device for capture of pfHRPII. The biomarker-bound magnetic particles are then entrained by an external magnetic field and transported through three wash solutions. Processing removes sample interfering agents, and the biomarker target is concentrated in the final chamber for subsequent analysis. At parasitemias of 200 parasites/μL, purification and concentration of pfHRPII with extraction efficiencies in excess of 70% total protein target are achieved. The concentration of nonspecific protein interfering agents was reduced by more than 2 orders of magnitude in the final extracted sample without the need for hours of processing time and specialized laboratory equipment. We have demonstrated an application of this low-resource technology by coupling extraction and concentration of pfHRPII within the cassette to a commonly employed rapid diagnostic test. Sample preprocessing improved the visual limit of detection of this test by over 8-fold, suggesting that the combination of both low-resource technologies could prove to be useful in malaria eradication efforts.
When Bonding Fails: Audit Firm Oversight of US-Listed Chinese Companies

Although "good" companies have incentives to signal their types by listing in the strict regulatory environment of the US, there have been an unprecedented number of recent accounting frauds by US-listed Chinese companies. We argue that the traditional bonding argument failed for US-listed Chinese companies due to a lack of audit quality and audit firm oversight. We find: 1) that US-listed Chinese companies were more likely than US-listed companies from other countries to avoid hiring high quality annually-inspected US audit firms, and 2) that investors reacted negatively to news that US regulators would be unable to provide oversight of Chinese auditors.
Veterinary vaccine production using bioreactors: scale up study from laboratory and pd up to commercial production

Background Vaccination has proven itself as the most effective tool to control and prevent the disease and to facilitate the safe trade of live animals. Viral vaccine manufacturing processes present some specific constraints as compared to other biotech products linked to the cell substrate used and to the viral production. Multiple cell lines are used for productions such as VERO, MDCK, MRC5, BHK, and CHO cells. BHK-21 cells were selected because they are the most commonly used cells for vaccine production. As the feasibility of transferring the BHK-21 cells growth in microcarriers from a conventional bioreactor to single-use bioreactor (SU) was demonstrated, actually was time to scale-up and verify the flexibility and ease of use of these SU bioreactors enable rapid scale-up without any loss in product quality. This document describes a scaled-up production of a bovine viral vaccine. Identification of optimal parameters values, testing at intermediary bioreactors scales (2 liters 50 liters) and application of the new process settings at industrial bioreactor scale of 200 liters were performed. Taking into account that a critical feature of microcarrier-based cell culture is the homogeneity of cell adhesion to the beads, mixing and aeration performance evaluation remain mandatory to ensure robust scale-up of cell culture processes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the possibility to produce the antigens for animal vaccines manufacturing in a bioreactor SU as alternative to roller bottles without any loss in product quality. Evaluation of COG reduction was done.
Research on well patterns thickening of Block Chao 55 in Chaoyanggou Oilfield

Well patterns thickening is one of the most important measures in oil field development adjustment process. The rationality of well patterns has a directly impact on ultimate recovery factor. Based on the actual production situation before infilling in Block Chao 55 of Chaoyanggou Oilfield, the reasons leading to poor development effects are analyzed in this paper. In order to get the reasonable well patterns thickening methods, the reasonable injection-producing well ratio is calculated to meet the development of low -permeability reservoir. The different well patterns thickening schemes are designed on the basis of numerical simulation. Combined with the practical effects of field application, the paper gains the conclusion that the "3, 2, 1" infilling method is the favorable infilling one for well patterns thickening. It has a guiding significance to well pattern thickening for other blocks of Chaoyanggou Oilfield.
Investigation on the Radiological Protection Status of the Medical X-ray Diagnosis Engine Rooms in Shaoyang City of Hunan Province

[Objective]To learn the radiological protection status about the medical X-ray diagnosis engine rooms,and provide the reliable data for the future work.[Methods]The radiological protection status and building pre-assessment about the engine rooms were analyzed and evaluated by field investigation and monitoring.[Results] The pre-assessment rate of the medical X-ray diagnosis engine rooms was 28.78%.The pre-assessment rate(44.07%)of the engine rooms built after 2002 was significantly higher than that(8.04%)of the engine rooms in former times(P0.01),and that of the municipal hospitals and the county hospitals reached 95.45% and 54.76%,respectively.The total qualified rate of the engine rooms was only 32.20%,and that of the secondary hospitals was 63.53%,which was significantly higher than that(10.00%)of the hospitals below second-class(P0.01).The qualified rate of the municipal and the county hospitals reached 64.71% and 52.94%,respectively,which had no significantly difference(P0.05).But the total qualified rate(56.86%)of the municipal and the county hospitals was significantly higher than that(7.77%)of the town hospitals(P0.01).[Conclusion]The weakest point of the radiological protection work is in the town hospitals,which should be strengthened in the future.
Dynamic optimization of fixed bed chemical-looping combustion processes

Abstract The feasibility of incorporating chemical-looping combustion (CLC) into a combined cycle power plant is explored. We propose a model-based framework to optimally design the cycle strategy for a CLC system, composed of multiple fixed bed reactors. The CLC reactor system is optimally integrated with the downstream gas turbine of a combined cycle power plant, by solving a dynamic program to optimize the temperature profile of the heat removal step out of each reactor, with constraints on the system performance during reduction and oxidation. We demonstrate the feasibility of fixed bed CLC systems to achieve different exhaust temperatures, using synthetic Cu- and Ni-based oxygen carriers. The optimal operating strategy is scaled-up to a system of fixed bed reactors operating in parallel. We show that through process optimization, the batch-operation of fixed bed CLC reactors is void of significant exhaust gas temperature fluctuations and can reach high thermal efficiencies with in-situ CO2 capture.
Sumatriptan Patch is Temporarily Suspended

The manufacturer of Zecuity, a transdermal formulation of sumatriptan, which is used to treat migraine headache, has temporarily suspended sales, marketing, and distribution while it works with the FDA to investigate the reports of burns and scarring associated with the patch.Clinicians should immed
Epigenetics and drug addiction: translational aspects

Epigenetics provides adaptable regulatory mechanisms for the genome to respond to environmental dynamics by adjusting transcription without altering the underlying DNA sequence. A long-lasting transcriptional change is believed to underlie the behavioral abnormalities that characterize drug addiction. Here I review recent progress on the role of epigenetics in drug addiction, with a focus on histone modifications and DNA epigenetic modifications. Additionally, I summarize recent proceedings in the application of cutting edge genomic tools to the genome-wide profiling of these modifications in addiction research. Lastly, I will highlight current challenges and future directions for diagnosis and novel therapies. Unraveling epigenetic mechanisms contributing to addiction is therefore adding to our understanding of this syndrome and promising a potential translational approach for therapeutics in the future.
Intrapleural Adenoviral-mediated Endothelial Cell Protein C Receptor Gene Transfer Suppresses the Progression of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in a Mouse Model.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive thoracic cancer with a high mortality rate as it responds poorly to standard therapeutic interventions. Our recent studies showed that expression of endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) in MPM cells suppresses tumorigenicity. The present study was aimed to investigate the mechanism by which EPCR suppresses MPM tumor growth and evaluate whether EPCR gene therapy could suppress the progression of MPM in a mouse model of MPM. Measurement of cytokines from the pleural lavage showed that mice implanted with MPM cells expressing EPCR had elevated levels of IFNγ and TNFα compared to mice implanted with MPM cells lacking EPCR. In vitro studies demonstrated that EPCR expression renders MPM cells highly susceptible to IFNγ + TNFα-induced apoptosis. Intrapleural injection of Ad.EPCR into mice with an established MPM originating from MPM cells lacking EPCR reduced the progression of tumor growth. Ad.EPCR treatment elicited recruitment of macrophages and NK cells into the tumor microenvironment and increased IFNγ and TNFα levels in the pleural space. Ad.EPCR treatment resulted in a marked increase in tumor cell apoptosis. In summary, our data show that EPCR expression in MPM cells promotes tumor cell apoptosis, and intrapleural EPCR gene therapy suppresses MPM progression.
Unique spatiotemporal and dynamic gait compensations in the rat monoiodoacetate injection and medial meniscus transection models of knee osteoarthritis

Summary Objective In rodent osteoarthritis (OA) models, behavioral changes are often subtle and require highly sensitive methods to detect these changes. Gait analysis is one assay that may provide sensitive, quantitative measurement of these behavioral changes. To increase detection sensitivity of gait assessments relative to spatiotemporal gait collection alone, we combined our spatiotemporal and dynamic gait collection systems. Using this combined system, gait was assessed in the rat medial meniscus transection (MMT) model and monoiodoacetate (MIA) injection model of knee OA. Design 36 male Lewis rats were separated into MMT ( n = 8), medial collateral ligament transection (MCLT) ( n = 8), skin incision ( n = 4), MIA injection ( n = 8), and saline injection ( n = 8) groups. After initiation of OA, gait data were collected weekly in each group out to 4 weeks. Results The MMT and MIA injection models produced unique pathologic gait profiles, with MMT animals developing a shuffling gait and MIA injection animals exhibiting antalgic gait. Spatiotemporal changes were also observed in the MMT model at week 1 ( P P P Conclusion Combined analysis of spatiotemporal and dynamic gait data increased detection sensitivity for gait modification in two rat OA models. Analyzing the combined gait data provided a robust characterization of the pathologic gait produced by each model. Furthermore, this characterization revealed different patterns of gait compensations in two common rat models of knee OA.
Informed expectations to guide GDA agents in partially observable environments

Goal Driven Autonomy (GDA) is an agent model for reasoning about goals while acting in a dynamic environment. Since anomalous events may cause an agent's current goal to become invalid, GDA agents monitor the environment for such anomalies. When domains are both partially observable and dynamic, agents must reason about sensing and planning actions. Previous GDA work evaluated agents in domains that were partially observable, but does not address sensing actions with associated costs. Furthermore, partial observability still enabled generation of a grounded plan to reach the goal. We study agents where observability is more limited: the agent cannot generate a grounded plan because it does not know which future actions will be available until it explores more of the environment. We present a formalism of the problem that includes sensing costs, a GDA algorithm using this formalism, an examination of four methods of expectations under this formalism, and an implementation of the algorithm and empirical study.
26.2 Power supply noise in a 22nm z13™ microprocessor

Successful power supply noise mitigation requires a system-level approach that includes design and modeling of the mitigation circuits with the power delivery network (PDN) on the chip, the chip module, the backplane, and the voltage regulator module (VRM). Traditionally, periodic square-wave activity patterns with all cores in sync, which yield low-frequency (LF) or mid-frequency (MF) impedance peaks associated with the backplane and chip/module, respectively, are considered to give rise to the worst case power supply noise. However, voltage droops that are both deeper and faster at a single victim core are created when cores change activity in more complicated patterns, termed as perfect storms in this work. These patterns excite high-frequency (HF) modes that are not stimulated when all cores switch simultaneously, and require an accurate model of the packaged chip, including effective core-to-core inductances due to currents traveling between cores through low-resistance module planes.
The death of the first accounting course: investigating the case for blended teaching

The 21st century student requires more than the traditional face-to-face and online teaching methods currently utilised in the first accounting course in higher education. The implementation of the blended teaching method combining the best of the traditional face-to-face and online methods holds promise for the first accounting course in higher education. This teaching method builds a new approach, offering students the instructor/student and student/student interaction demanded from the face-to-face environment with the benefits of flexibility and technology from the online environment. This paper suggests that implementing the blended teaching method in the first accounting course may improve the efficiency and effectiveness for the school, instructor and the 21st century student.
Fluoride activation in oleate flotation of collophanite

Fluoride activation has been evaluated by Hallimond tube flotation of collophanite in terms of fluoride concentration, conditioning time, pH, and temperature. The results reveal that efficient oleate flotation of collophanite can be achieved by fluoride activation. Experimental results of fluoride adsorption by collophanite suggest that, at low fluoride concentration, a fluoroapatite-type compound may form on the collophanite surface by chemisorption of fluoride ions at calcium sites. At high fluoride concentration, calcium fluoride appears to form at the collophanite surface involving a surface precipitation phenomenon. The formation of CaF2 on the surface of fluoride-treated collophanite is further substantiated by the FTIR spectroscopic measurements, which suggest a meta-thetic exchange with phosphate from the collophanite lattice during the surface precipitation process.
Heterologous expression and biochemical studies of a thermostable glucose tolerant β-glucosidase from Methylococcus capsulatus (bath strain)

Glucose inhibition of β-glucosidase (BG) is a bottleneck in biomass hydrolysis. In this study, a glucose resistant GH1 β-glucosidase gene- Mbgl from Methylococcus capsulatus (bath strain) was cloned and overexpressed in E.coli. The Ni-NTA affinity purified Mbgl displayed an optimum temperature of 70°C and optimum pH was 6.0. The calculated KM of the enzyme was 48.6mM and 0.12mM for cellobiose and 4-Nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside (PNPG) respectively. PNPG hydrolysis in presence of various glucose concentrations showed that the enzyme was stimulated by ∼2.2 fold at 50mM glucose and was not inhibited up to 450-500mM glucose. Homology modeling and structural comparisons of Mbgl with a glucose tolerant β-glucosidase of Humicola insolens (HiBG) revealed that the Mbgl has a much broader active site unlike to a deep and narrow active site pocket of HiBG. The difference in active site shape reflects on an alternative mechanism of glucose tolerance in Mbgl. Supplementing a commercial cellulase enzyme mixture CTec with Mbgl in the hydrolysis of the pretreated rice straw enhanced the glucose yield by 10-15%. In addition, Mbgl was also stable in organic solvents, detergents and oxidative conditions which would be advantageous for biotechnological applications.
All-electric control of donor nuclear spin qubits in silicon

The electronic and nuclear spin degrees of freedom of donor impurities in silicon form ultra-coherent two-level systems that are potentially useful for applications in quantum information and are intrinsically compatible with industrial semiconductor processing. However, because of their smaller gyromagnetic ratios, nuclear spins are more difficult to manipulate than electron spins and are often considered too slow for quantum information processing. Moreover, although alternating current magnetic fields are the most natural choice to drive spin transitions and implement quantum gates, they are difficult to confine spatially to the level of a single donor, thus requiring alternative approaches. In recent years, schemes for all-electrical control of donor spin qubits have been proposed but no experimental demonstrations have been reported yet. Here, we demonstrate a scalable all-electric method for controlling neutral 31P and 75As donor nuclear spins in silicon. Using coplanar photonic bandgap resonators, we drive Rabi oscillations on nuclear spins exclusively using electric fields by employing the donor-bound electron as a quantum transducer, much in the spirit of recent works with single-molecule magnets. The electric field confinement leads to major advantages such as low power requirements, higher qubit densities and faster gate times. Additionally, this approach makes it possible to drive nuclear spin qubits either at their resonance frequency or at its first subharmonic, thus reducing device bandwidth requirements. Double quantum transitions can be driven as well, providing easy access to the full computational manifold of our system and making it convenient to implement nuclear spin-based qudits using 75As donors.
The Interface of Continuum and Crystal Mechanics

Macroscopic plastic behavior of textured metals can be predicted from consideration of the slip and twinning systems. Two types of analyses, one based on homogeneous stress and one on homogeneous strain, form lower and upper bounds. Real behavior lies between, probably closer to the upper-bound analysis. An alternative approach is that of continuum mechanics. Its value lies in its simplicity. For highly textured metals, however, postulated anisotropic yield criteria do not describe well either experimentally determined behavior or that calculated from crystal mechanics.