cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation of functional PET microfibers through surface-initiated polymerization

In this study, we report on a facile and robust method by which poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) surfaces can be chemically modified with functional polymer brushes while avoiding chemical degradation. The surface of electrospun PET microfibers has been functionalized by growing poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) brushes through a multi-step chemical sequence that ensures retention of mechanically robust microfibers. Polymer brushes are grown via “grafting from” atom-transfer radical polymerization after activation of the PET surface with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Spectroscopic analyses confirm the expected reactions at each reaction step, as well as the ultimate growth of brushes on the PET microfibers. Post-polymerization modification reactions have likewise been conducted to further functionalize the brushes and impart surface properties of biomedical interest on the PET microfibers. Antibacterial activity and protein resistance of PET microfibers functionalized with PDMAEMA and PHEMA brushes, respectively, are demonstrated, thereby making these surface-modified PET microfibers suitable for filtration media, tissue scaffolds, delivery vehicles, and sensors requiring mechanically robust support media.
Quantifying spatial relationships from whole retinal images

Motivation: Microscopy advances have enabled the acquisition of large-scale biological images that capture whole tissues in situ. This in turn has fostered the study of spatial relationships between cells and various biological structures, which has proved enormously beneficial toward understanding organ and organism function. However, the unique nature of biological images and tissues precludes the application of many existing spatial mining and quantification methods necessary to make inferences about the data. Especially difficult is attempting to quantify the spatial correlation between heterogeneous structures and point objects, which often occurs in many biological tissues. Results: We develop a method to quantify the spatial correlation between a continuous structure and point data in large (17 500 × 17 500 pixel) biological images. We use this method to study the spatial relationship between the vasculature and a type of cell in the retina called astrocytes. We use a geodesic feature space based on vascular structures and embed astrocytes into the space by spatial sampling. We then propose a quantification method in this feature space that enables us to empirically demonstrate that the spatial distribution of astrocytes is often correlated with vascular structure. Additionally, these patterns are conserved in the retina after injury. These results prove the long-assumed patterns of astrocyte spatial distribution and provide a novel methodology for conducting other spatial studies of similar tissue and structures. Availability: The Matlab code for the method described in this article can be found at http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~dbl/software.php. Contact:bruttenberg@cra.com or ambuj@cs.ucsb.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Synthesis of a wideband low noise amplifier

Two generations of a wideband low noise amplifier (LNA) employing noise canceling principle have been synthesized. Thefirst generation design was fabricated in a 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. It has a measured peak S21 of 17 dB and noise figure less than 3 dB over a bandwidth of 2.6 GHz while consuming 32.5 mW of power from a 2.5 V supply. The calculated figure of merit (FOM) is better than many reported wideband LNAs, including a few from even more advanced processes. The synthesis design constraints were improved based on the analysis of the first gener-ation design. A second generation design was synthesized with the updated constraints. Its simulation results show that its FOM is better than its predecessor.
Dynamic transport and localization of alpha-synuclein in primary hippocampal neurons

Alpha-synuclein is a presynaptic protein with a proposed role in neurotransmission and dopamine homeostasis. Abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is diagnostic of sporadic Parkinson's disease, and mutations in the protein are linked to early onset forms of the disease. The folded conformation of the protein varies depending upon its environment and other factors that are poorly understood. When bound to phospholipid membranes, α-synuclein adopts a helical conformation that mediates specific interactions with other proteins. To investigate the role of the helical domain in transport and localization of α-synuclein, eGFP-tagged constructs were transfected into rat primary hippocampal neurons at 7 DIV. A series of constructs were analyzed in which each individual exon was deleted, for comparison to previous studies of lipid affinity and α-helix content. A53T and A30P substitutions, representing Parkinson's disease-associated variants, were analyzed as well. Single exon deletions within the lipid-binding N-terminal domain of α-synuclein (exons 2, 3, and 4) partially disrupted its presynaptic localization at 17-21 DIV, resulting in increased diffuse labeling of axons. Similar results were obtained for A30P, which exhibits decreased lipid binding, but not A53T. To examine whether differences in presynaptic enrichment were related to deficiencies in transport velocity, transport was visualized via live cell microscopy. Tagged α-synuclein migrated at a rate of 1.85 ± 0.09 μm/s, consistent with previous reports, and single exon deletion mutants migrated at similar rates, as did A30P. Deletion of the entire N-terminal lipid-binding domain (Δ234GFP) did not significantly alter rates of particle movement, but decreased the number of moving particles. Only the A53TGFP mutant exhibited a significant decrease in transport velocity as compared to ASGFP. These results support the hypothesis that presynaptic localization involves a mechanism that requires helical conformation and lipid binding. Conversely, the rate of axonal transport is not determined by lipid affinity and is not sufficient to account for differences in presynaptic localization of α-synuclein-eGFP variants.
Circadian pacemaker neurons transmit and modulate visual information to control a rapid behavioral response

Circadian pacemaker neurons contain a molecular clock that oscillates with a period of approximately 24 hr, controlling circadian rhythms of behavior. Pacemaker neurons respond to visual system inputs for clock resetting, but, unlike other neurons, have not been reported to transmit rapid signals to their targets. Here we show that pacemaker neurons are required to mediate a rapid behavior. The Drosophila larval visual system, Bolwig's organ (BO), projects to larval pacemaker neurons to entrain their clock. BO also mediates larval photophobic behavior. We found that ablation or electrical silencing of larval pacemaker neurons abolished light avoidance. Thus, circadian pacemaker neurons receive input from BO not only to reset the clock but also to transmit rapid photophobic signals. Furthermore, as clock gene mutations also affect photophobicity, the pacemaker neurons modulate the sensitivity of larvae to light, generating a circadian rhythm in visual sensitivity.
Executive power in the new European constitution

Paul Craig is certainly correct when he states that the prospective constitutional allocation of executive authority under the new constitutional settlement, as spelled out in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, or constitutional treaty, which finally emerged in June 2004,1 does not give a simple answer to the question regarding the locus of executive or administrative power within the European Union (EU).2 Even leaving aside the plethora of advisory bodies3 and independent agencies in the EU landscape, no fewer than three institutions can and do lay claim to executive and/or administrative authority within the EU: the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, and the European Council. (To this list, we might add the minister of foreign affairs, who, although associated with the work of the European Council and the Council of Ministers, and serving as a vice president of the Commission, would have a distinctive executive profile in his or her own right.) If we were to try to reconstruct in a simple, nonhistorical way the thinking that guided the constitutional convention in matters of institutional design, we would find (leaving external relations aside) that creating a unified, coherent executive or administrative power was not a very important consideration, perhaps not a consideration at all. To put into perspective the ultimate shaping of EU executive and administrative authority under the draft constitutional treaty, it may be useful to identify the institutional impulses—that is, the sense of imperatives—that did, in fact, take priority and that, once decided upon, inevitably constrained the architecture of the executive and administrative function that followed.
The Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GIMP) land classification and surface elevation data sets

Abstract. As part of the Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GIMP) we have produced three geospatial data sets for the entire ice sheet and periphery. These are (1) a complete, 15 m resolution image mosaic, (2) ice-covered and ice-free terrain classification masks, also posted to 15 m resolution, and (3) a complete, altimeter-registered digital elevation model posted at 30 m. The image mosaic was created from a combination of Landsat-7 and RADARSAT-1 imagery acquired between 1999 and 2002. Each pixel in the image is stamped with the acquisition date and geo-registration error to facilitate change detection. This mosaic was then used to manually produce complete ice-covered and ice-free land classification masks. Finally, we used satellite altimetry and stereo-photogrammetric digital elevation models (DEMs) to enhance an existing DEM for Greenland, substantially improving resolution and accuracy over the ice margin and periphery.
Protective action of gastrin-17 against alcohol-induced gastric injury in the rat: role in mucosal defense

Exogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) or exposure of the stomach to the mild irritant 25% ethanol can prevent gastric injury. Ingestion of ethanol also elicits the release of CCK as well as gastrin, which is structurally similar to CCK. This study was undertaken in conscious rats to examine the gastroprotective actions of gastrin and to assess the effect of CCK-gastrin receptor blockade on adaptive cytoprotection with ethanol as the mild irritant. Intravenous (1-25 pmol/kg) administration of gastrin-17 dose dependently increased gastric mucosal blood flow (laser Doppler) and reduced gastric injury caused by 1 ml of orally administered acidified ethanol (150 mM HCl-50% ethanol). Similar gastroprotection was achieved with the gastrin secretagogue 5% peptone (1 ml orogastrically). The gastroprotective capabilities of gastrin-17 were attenuated by the type B CCK (gastrin) receptor antagonist L-365,260 (12.5-25 mg/kg i.p.) and by capsaicin desensitization (125 mg/kg s.c.). CCK octapeptide (5 nmol/kg i.v.)-induced protection was reversed by the type A CCK receptor antagonist MK-329 (1 mg/kg i.p.). Neither receptor antagonist, alone or in combination, reversed the protective effects of the mild irritant 25% ethanol (1 ml orogastrically). Thus, whereas gastrin may play a role in gastric mucosal defense, neither CCK nor gastrin appears to participate in the phenomenon of adaptive cytoprotection.
The Cognitive Consequences of Specific Experiences Weaving Versus Schooling among the Navajo

This study examines the generalizability of cognitive skills across varying domains by comparing the predictiveness of an everyday skill (weaving) and formal schooling for performance on four pattern continuation tests varying in their similarity to weaving and schooling. The subjects were 79 adult Navajo women from the eastern area of the Navajo reservation. Their schooling varied from 0 to 16 years and their skill in weaving ranged from nonweaver to expert. Multiple regression analyses indicated that weaving skill was the best predictor of performance on the task resembling weaving, as expected, but schooling experience did not predict performance on the task designed to resemble schooling after subject's age was controlled. The results call into question the notion that what is learned in particular experiences automatically improves skills in general.
Negative Regulation of Interleukin-2 and p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase during T-Cell Activation by the Adaptor ALX

Activation of naive T cells requires synergistic signals produced by the T-cell receptor (TCR) and by CD28. We previously identified the novel adaptor ALX, which, upon overexpression in Jurkat T cells, inhibited activation of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) promoter by TCR/CD28, suggesting that it is a negative regulator of T-cell activation. To further understand the physiological role of ALX, ALX-deficient mice were generated. Purified T cells from ALX-deficient mice demonstrated increased IL-2 production, CD25 expression, and proliferation in response to TCR/CD28 stimulation. Enhanced IL-2 production and proliferation were also observed when ALX-deficient mice were primed in vivo with ovalbumin-complete Freund's adjuvant and then restimulated ex vivo. Consistent with our initial overexpression studies, these data demonstrate that ALX is a negative regulator of T-cell activation. While TCR/CD28-mediated activations of phosphotyrosine induction, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, Jun N-terminal protein kinase, IkappaB kinase alpha/beta, and Akt were unaltered, constitutive activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and its upstream regulators MKK3/6 were observed for ALX-deficient splenocytes. The phenotype of ALX-deficient mice resembled the phenotype of those deficient in the transmembrane adaptor LAX, and an association between ALX and LAX proteins was demonstrated. These results suggest that ALX, in association with LAX, negatively regulates T-cell activation through inhibition of p38.
Key History and Physical Examination Findings in the Sleepy Patient

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is defined as “the inability to stay awake and alert during the major waking episodes of the day, resulting in unintended lapses into drowsiness or sleep.” This symptom is common among the population; National Sleep Foundation (NSF) polls have suggested that more than 30 % of the surveyed population has daytime sleepiness that interferes with their quality of life. Daytime sleepiness can have significant consequences, particularly when combined with activities requiring alertness for safety, such as operating a car. Drowsy driving is an unfortunate, but common, occurrence; 52 % of polled subjects had driven while drowsy in a recent NSF poll. Patients may not use the words “daytime sleepiness” to describe the way that they feel; some will use other terminology, such as “drowsiness,” “tendency to fall asleep,” and “decreased alertness.”
Computational analysis of hydrogenated graphyne folding

Abstract This letter employs molecular mechanics simulations to analyze the geometric changes of foreign-atom-doped graphyne. Simulation results show that higher the density of dopant and the greater area covered by the dopant correlates to a greater folding angle of the graphyne sheet. Compared to graphene, graphyne folding could prove to be more effective for various nanodevices based on its unique band gap, especially when doped, and its tunable interactions with and absorption of foreign molecules. Therefore, our findings may offer unique perspectives into the development of novel graphyne-based nanodevices and stimulate the community's research interest in graphene-related origami.
The mPower study, Parkinson disease mobile data collected using ResearchKit

Current measures of health and disease are often insensitive, episodic, and subjective. Further, these measures generally are not designed to provide meaningful feedback to individuals. The impact of high-resolution activity data collected from mobile phones is only beginning to be explored. Here we present data from mPower, a clinical observational study about Parkinson disease conducted purely through an iPhone app interface. The study interrogated aspects of this movement disorder through surveys and frequent sensor-based recordings from participants with and without Parkinson disease. Benefitting from large enrollment and repeated measurements on many individuals, these data may help establish baseline variability of real-world activity measurement collected via mobile phones, and ultimately may lead to quantification of the ebbs-and-flows of Parkinson symptoms. App source code for these data collection modules are available through an open source license for use in studies of other conditions. We hope that releasing data contributed by engaged research participants will seed a new community of analysts working collaboratively on understanding mobile health data to advance human health.
Selected State Policies and Associations With Alcohol Use Behaviors and Risky Driving Behaviors Among Youth: Findings from Monitoring the Future Study

BACKGROUND: Effective policies that can reduce alcohol use behaviors and impaired driving among young people at a population level are needed. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws increase the driving privileges of young novice drivers as they age and gain more driving experience. In this study, we seek to determine the effects of GDLs on risky driving behaviors of youth and to assess if GDLs have an unintended effect on underage drinking behaviors. METHODS: We utilized 2000 to 2013 data on 12th grade students from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, an ongoing, annual national survey (since 1975) that studies the substance use behaviors of adolescents, as well as data on GDL laws obtained via the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). We conducted a series of regular logistic regression models that included fixed effects for year and state, and adjusted for demographic characteristics, school characteristics, and other state alcohol policies. RESULTS: Total weighted sample size was 129,289 12th graders. Past month alcohol use and binge drinking (i.e., ≥5 drinks on one occasion) in the past 2 weeks were 45 and 26%, respectively. Seventeen percent of respondents reported riding with a driver who drank alcohol. Nearly 12% reported driving in the past 2 weeks after drinking alcohol, and 7% reported driving after binge drinking. Over half of the students lived in a state with a "good" GDL law. The logistic regression models suggest a link between restrictive GDL policies and a reduction of alcohol use behaviors and risky driving behaviors among youth. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the effects of GDLs extend beyond driving-related risks and into other drinking-related behaviors that pose immediate or delayed health risks for young people. We speculate that GDLs may dictate social norms and expectations for youth risk behaviors, and should be maximized throughout the United States.Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism. Language: en
A New Species of Gonolobus (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) from Mesoamerica

Gonolobus taylorianus, a Mesoameri- can endemic, is described and illustrated. mm long; gynostegium with stipe 0.3-0.6 x 0.7-1 mm, 5-ribbed, corona + hidden by faucal annulus, a 5-lobed disk, adnate to corolla and gynostegium stipe, 0.3-0.6 mm thick, 0.6-1.2 mm wide between lobes, 0.9-1.5 mm wide at lobes, yellow, anther appendages deflexed to nearly patent, spathulate, 0.8-1.3 mm long, 0.9-1.3 mm wide at tip, fleshy, smooth to papillate, orange, terminal appendages tightly appressed to margin of style apex, 0.2-0.5 X 1.7-2.1 mm, green, guide rails straight, parallel, 0.6-1.2 x 0.1-0.3 mm; corpusculum 0.2-0.28 x 0.07-0.13 mm, sagittate, pale brown to black, translators 0.25-0.33 x 0.1-0.18 mm, broadly winged, pollinia 0.8-1.03 x 0.37-0.53 mm, ob- ovate to pyriform, somewhat asymmetrical, exca-
Critical Currents of Overdoped Co-evaporated YBCO Coated Conductors

Coated conductor samples, prepared by reactive co-evaporation, are investigated with respect to the hole-doping dependence of the critical current density. The samples are annealed in an atmosphere of variable oxygen content after which critical currents, critical temperature and the c-axis lattice spacing are measured. The lattice spacing increases with decreasing oxygen content, consistent with literature data. These co-evaporated samples show hole overdoped behavior with respect to the maximum T c. The achievable range of hole doping in these samples seems to depend on surface coverage. Both self-field and in-field J c at 75.5 K have a maximum in the overdoped region but at less than maximum oxygen content. The reason for the overdoping of these samples is discussed briefly in terms of Y-Ba disorder.
Alpha 2-adrenergic receptors activate phospholipase C in renal epithelial cells

The effects of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors are usually attributed to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase through pertussis toxin-sensitive Gi coupling. In kidney distal convoluted tubule (DCT) cells, stimulation of Na+/K(+)-ATPase by alpha 2 receptors involves activation of protein kinase C (PKC). To identify the signal pathways coupled to alpha 2 receptors, we measured cAMP production and show that the alpha 2 agonist B-HT 933 had no effect on basal or stimulated (forskolin, parathyroid hormone) cAMP accumulation in DCT cells but inhibited parathyroid hormone-stimulated cAMP accumulation in proximal tubule cells. I tested whether alpha 2 receptors on DCT cells stimulate PKC through second messengers generated from phospholipase C (PLC) activation. In DCT cells, B-HT 933 increased inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate formation by 4-6-fold over control and increased diacylglycerol formation by 46%. Basal intracellular calcium concentration in single DCT cells averaged 114 nM and increased within 2 min to 196 nM with B-HT 933. Treatment with the PLC inhibitor U-73122 but not pertussis toxin blocked B-HT 933-induced rises in inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and intracellular calcium concentration. B-HT 933 increased PKC activity by 45% over control in DCT cells. These findings provide evidence that alpha 2-adrenergic receptors activate PLC in DCT cells through a pertussis toxin-insensitive mechanism.
Native Flatbed Isoelectric Focusing for Determining Antibody Clonotype Distribution

A sensitive method to analyze specific antibody clonotype changes in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, who developed autoantibodies to the Ro 60 autoantigen under observation, is described in this chapter. Patient sera collected over several years were separated by flatbed isoelectric focusing (IEF). Following electrofocusing, the gel is now ready to be analyzed by affinity immunoblotting utilizing Ro 60-coated nitrocellulose membrane to determine oligoclonality of the anti-Ro 60-containing sera.
Radical prostatectomy and radical radiation therapy for clinical stages T1 to 2 adenocarcinoma of the prostate: new insights into outcome from repeat biopsy and prostate specific antigen followup.

AbstractAssessment of outcome following radical treatment for stages T1 to T2 prostate cancer has become more sensitive and rapid with the use of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) in routine followup. PSA has identified substantially more failure following all radical therapies than was previously detected in series using clinical end points. Furthermore, it has also allowed a better assessment of the biological potential of histologically evident residual disease, that is a positive surgical margin after prostatectomy or positive repeat biopsy 2 years after radiation. Both situations are associated with subsequent biochemical failure in the majority of patients.The stages T1 to T2 cancer group is extremely heterogeneous. In the few series with PSA followup that have evaluated long-term (greater than a decade) outcome for this group some report cure rates well below 40% for surgery and radiation. When comparing the results of any radical treatment series (surgery versus surgery and radiation versus ra...
A Near-Optimal Exploration-Exploitation Approach for Assortment Selection

We consider an online assortment optimization problem, where in every round, the retailer offers a K-cardinality subset (assortment) of N substitutable products to a consumer, and observes the response. We model consumer choice behavior using the widely used multinomial logit (MNL) model, and consider the retailer's problem of dynamically learning the model parameters, while optimizing cumulative revenues over the selling horizon T. Formulating this as a variant of a multi-armed bandit problem, we present an algorithm based on the principle of "optimism in the face of uncertainty." A naive MAB formulation would treat each of the N choose K possible assortments as a distinct "arm", leading to regret bounds that are exponential in K. We show that by exploiting the specific characteristics of the MNL model it is possible to design an algorithm with O(√NT) regret, under a mild assumption. We demonstrate that this performance is nearly optimal, by providing a (randomized) instance of this problem on which any online algorithm would incur at least ΩOmega(√NT/K) regret.
Expression of anglerfish preprosomatostatin genes in mammalian cells: studies on the synthesis and post-translational processing of somatostatin precursors.

The major form of somatostatin (SS) is a 14 amino acid peptide (SS-14, SRIF) that inhibits the secretion of other peptide hormones including growth hormone, insulin and glucagon. It is synthesized in several tissues including brain, hypothalamus and pancreatic islets and its amino acid sequence is highly conserved in most species (1). Biosynthetic studies (2, 3) have demonstrated the existence of another somatostatin, SS-28, which is the SS-14 containing an additional 14 amino acids localized at the amino terminus; this peptide has also been isolated directly from several tissues (4–7). It is now well established that SS-14 is synthesized as part of a larger precursor, preprosomatostatin (prepro-SS), which is about eight times larger than the mature hormone (8).
Whey protein–pectin soluble complexes for beverage applications

Abstract There is a strong interest in the consumption of beverages containing whey proteins due to implications in health outcomes such as increased satiety and metabolic regulation. However, low thermal stability limits the conditions under which whey protein beverages can be formulated. Studies have shown that at a narrow pH range near the protein isoelectric points, whey proteins and polysaccharides self assemble into soluble complexes (SCs) that exhibit unique functionality. This study investigated the formation and thermal stability of SCs under conditions relevant to beverage applications. Complexes were formed at pH 5 using whey protein isolate (WPI; 1–6% w/w) and high-methoxyl pectin (HMP; 0.125–0.75% w/w) and then heat-set at 85 °C for 25 min. Hydrodynamic properties, particle size distribution, ζ–potential, and dispersion viscosity were evaluated before and after heat-setting. Mean particle diameter ranged from 300 to 715 nm for unheated SCs, and 230 nm to 1 μm for heat-set SCs. Heat-setting SCs led to a significant (p
Kähler Geometry of String Theory

General relativity describes gravitation in terms of the Riemannian geometry of space-time. This leads one to expect that any more accurate theory of gravity should also describe the geometry of some manifold.
Engineering platelet-mimicking drug delivery vehicles

Platelets dynamically participate in various physiological processes, including wound repair, bacterial clearance, immune response, and tumor metastasis. Recreating the specific biological features of platelets by mimicking the structure of the platelet or translocating the platelet membrane to synthetic particles holds great promise in disease treatment. This review highlights recent advancements made in the platelet-mimicking strategies. The future opportunities and translational challenges are also discussed.
Pion Interferometry from p+p to Au+Au in STAR

The geometric substructure of the particle‐emitting source has been characterized via two‐particle interferometry by the STAR collaboration for all energies and colliding systems at RHIC. We present systematic studies of charged pion interferometry. The collective nature of the source is revealed through the mT dependence of HBT radii for all particle types. Preliminary results suggest a scaling in the pion HBT radii with overall system size, as central Au+Au collisions are compared to peripheral collisions as well as with Cu+Cu and even with d+Au and p+p collisions, naively suggesting comparable flow strength in all systems. To probe this issue in greater detail, multidimensional correlation functions are studied using a spherical decomposition method. This allows clear identification of source anisotropy and, for the light systems, the presence of significant long‐range non‐femtoscopic correlations.
Development of an integrated ICT system for data production, standardization and elaboration in health & care

Here, we describe an open-source software specifically developed for managing computerized medical records.
Simultaneous MR thermometry and acoustic radiation force imaging using interleaved acquisition

Purpose A novel and practical method for simultaneously performing MR acoustic radiation force imaging (ARFI) and proton resonance frequency (PRF)-shift thermometry has been developed and tested. This could be an important tool for evaluating the success of MR-guided focused ultrasound procedures for which MR-thermometry measures temperature and thermal dose and MR-ARFI detects changes in tissue mechanical properties. Methods MR imaging was performed using a gradient recalled echo segmented echo-planar imaging pulse sequence with bipolar motion encoding gradients (MEG). Images with ultrasound pulses (ON) and without ultrasound pulses (OFF) during the MEG were interleaved at the repetition time (TR) level. ARFI displacements were calculated by complex subtraction of ON–OFF images, and PRF temperature maps were calculated by baseline subtraction. Evaluations in tissue-mimicking phantoms and ex vivo porcine brain tissue were performed. Constrained reconstruction improved the temporal resolution of dynamic measurements. Results Simultaneous maps of displacement and temperature were acquired in 2D and 3D while keeping tissue heating < 1°C. Accuracy of the temperature maps was comparable to the standard PRF sequence. Using constrained reconstruction and subsampled k-space (R = 4.33), 3D simultaneous temperature and displacement maps can be acquired every 4.7 s. Conclusion This new sequence acquires simultaneous temperature and displacement maps with minimal tissue heating, and can be applied dynamically for monitoring tissue mechanical properties during ablation procedures. Magn Reson Med, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Hands on with OpenMP4.5 and Unified Memory: Developing Applications for IBM’s Hybrid CPU + GPU Systems (Part II)

High Performance Computing is steadily embracing heterogeneous systems for supporting a wide variety of workloads. Currently there are two main sources of heterogeneity in compute nodes: (a) different compute elements such as multicore CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, etc. and (b) different types of memory including DDR, HBM, SSDs. Multiple compute elements and memory types present many opportunities for accelerating applications featuring stages characterized by different compute intensity, sequential or parallel execution, cache sensitivity, etc. At the same time programmers are facing multiple challenges in making necessary adaptations in their codes. In this study we employ IBM’s OpenMP 4.5 implementation to program hybrid nodes with multiple CPUs and GPUs and manage on-node memories and application data. Through code samples we provide application developers with numerous options for memory management and data management. We consider simple functions using arrays and also complex and nested data structures.
Modulation of human Th17 cell responses through complement receptor 3 (CD11 b/CD18) ligation on monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

Abstract Objective Apoptotic cell receptors contribute to the induction of tolerance by modulating dendritic cell function following the uptake of apoptotic cells or microparticles. Dendritic cells that have bound or ingested apoptotic cells produce only low amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines and fail to prime effector T cell responses. Specifically, ligation of the apoptotic cell receptor CR3 (CD11 b/CD18) on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) down-modates proinflammatory cytokine secretion, but the consequences for human Th17 cell homeostasis and effector responses remain unknown. Here, we aimed to establish whether CD11b-ligated moDC modulate Th17 cell effector reponses to assess their potential for future use in moDC-based suppressive immunotherapy. Methods We generated a bead-based surrogate system to target CD11b on monocyte-derived human dendritic cells and examined the effects of CD11b ligation on Th17-skewing cytokine secretion, priming, expansion and functional plasticity in DC/T cell co-culture systems at the poly- and monoclonal level. Results We show that Th17 cell expansion within the human memory CD4+ T cell compartment was efficiently constricted by targeting the CD11b receptor on moDC. This tolerogenic capacity was primarily dependent on cytokine skewing. Furthermore, ligation of CD11b on healthy homozygous carriers of the rs11143679 (ITGAM) variant – a strong genetic susceptibility marker for human systemic lupus erythematosus – also down-modulated the secretion of Th17-skewing cytokines. Conclusion Overall, our findings underline the potential of targeted CD11b ligation on human dendritic cells for the engineering of suppressive immunotherapy for Th17-related autoimmune disorders.
Parallel pattern detection for architectural improvements

With the shift in general purpose computing to increasingly parallel architectures comes a need for clever architectures to achieve high parallelism on previously sequential or poorly parallelized code. In order to fully utilize the many-core systems of the present and future, a shift must occur in architecture design philosophy to understanding how the parallel programming process affects design decisions. Parallel patterns provide a way to create parallel code for a wide variety of algorithms. Additionally they provide a convenient classification mechanism that is both understandable to programmers and that exhibit similar behaviors that can be architecturally exploited. In this work we explore the capabilities of pattern driven dynamic architectures as well as detection mechanisms useful for dynamic and static parallel pattern recognition.
Investitionspolitik des Bauunternehmens

In diesem Kapitel werden investitionspolitische Richtlinien fur die Planung und Kontrolle von Investitionen des Bauunternehmens allgemein und nach den Investitionen des Bauunternehmens in Baugerate, in Bauprojekte und in Beteiligungen differenziert beschrieben. Es werden dabei keine normativen Aussagen bezuglich einer optimalen Investitions-politik von Bauunternehmen gemacht, da die spezielle Investitionspolitik eines Bauunternehmens, von dessen speziellen Bedingungen wie z.B. Unternehmensgrose und Organisationstruktur bestimmt ist (120). Die folgenden Ausfuhrungen beschranken sich daher auf eine generelle Beschreibung investitionspolitischer Zielsetzungen und Masnahmen des Bauunternehmens.
Prevention of Allergies

Abstract Prevention of allergies is a major focus of pediatric and adult translational research studies. While primary prevention concentrates on early prevention of children and adults are potentially at risk, secondary prevention aims to reduce sequelae in already sensitized individuals. Tertiary prevention is widely used to reduce subsequent disease progression, for example, by means of immunotherapy. Potential fields for prevention encompass optimizing exposure to modifiable factors and reducing risk levels of subjects exposed to nonmodifiable factors such as genetics, family history, or environments not easily changeable. Reduction of tobacco smoke, pollutants and harmful occupational exposure, and avoidance of unnecessary diets can support allergy prevention similarly as providing acknowledged protective exposures such as early day care, exposure to an environment rich in microbial substances, and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Future prevention strategies will need to include specific subgroups of subjects to more precisely provide optimal allergy prevention in high- and low-risk groups.
Microsecond-Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma-Treated Mist for Inactivation of Escherichia coli In Vitro

In this paper, we demonstrate a plasma misting system capable of inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E.coli) in a 4 ft 3 (approximately 100 L) volume with potential for future use in decontaminating fresh produce. Water droplets, with an average diameter of 5 μm, are generated via ultrasonic nebulizers and carried by compressed air. These micrometer-sized droplets flowthrough a set of three cylindrical, microsecond-pulsed dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs). We observe the Coulombic fission of droplets up to a critical radius into submicrometer droplets (Sauter mean of approximately 0.3 μm), measured by a laser diffraction analyzer. E.coli, on agar plates, is inactivated by this mist in a time and flowrate-dependent manner. We hypothesize that the observed antimicrobial effect correlates with the concentration of submicrometer droplets. The observed formation of submicrometer droplets from this volumetric DBD is similar to the bursting of droplets observed with electrospray devices using corona discharges.
Lynx soft x-ray critical-angle transmission grating spectrometer

Lynx is one of four Surveyor-class mission concept studies for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. It features an x-ray telescope with an unprecedented collecting area of 2 m2 at 1 keV and a point-spread function of 0.5 arc sec. We describe the status of critical-angle transmission (CAT) grating technology development and perform ray-traces for a CAT grating x-ray spectrometer that can reach high spectral resolving power λ / Δλ > 5000 (often exceeding 7500) and effective area around 4000 cm2 in the soft x-ray band (0.2 to 2 keV). To achieve these characteristics, about two-thirds of the aperture must be covered with gratings. CAT gratings are mostly transparent at high energies, and thus hard x-rays can still be used for simultaneous imaging spectroscopy using a microcalorimeter array. We simulate several design scenarios and investigate how subaperturing can be most effectively used to increase performance. For large gratings, the resolving power is limited by the deviation of flat gratings from the ideal Rowland torus surface. Chirped gratings, i.e., gratings where the spacing of grating bars is variable, can overcome this limitation. Alignment tolerances in many degrees of freedom can be achieved with machining tolerances. We outline the development path to CAT grating performance improvements and discuss future ray-trace work to refine the design of the spectrometer.
Air Jet Impingement Cooling of Electronic Devices Using Additively Manufactured Nozzles

This article reports the design, fabrication, and demonstration of additively manufactured air jet impingement coolers for the thermal management of high-power gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. The polymer jet coolers impinge high-speed airflow with a velocity of 42–195 m/s (Reynolds number between $1.87 \times 10^{4}$ and $8.77 \times 10^{4})$ onto working GaN devices mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The air jet provides cooling heat fluxes of up to 58.4 W/cm2, cooling rates of up to 6.6 °C/s, and convective heat transfer coefficient ranging from 5.2 to 17.0 kW/( $\text{m}^{2}\cdot \text{K}$ ). The cooling performance is comparable to that of jet coolers made from other materials and manufacturing technologies. A key benefit of additive manufacturing (AM) is design freedom and geometric complexity, which we highlight by demonstrating three different packaging configurations, each enabled by a different jet cooler design that is customized for different types of packaging configurations: Cooler 1 directs two parallel impinging jets onto the top side of two devices; cooler 2 directs two air jets onto the front side and two air jets onto the back side of two devices; and cooler 3 directs air jets onto the front side of four devices mounted on parallel adjacent circuit boards. The second benefit of AM is the ability to consolidate multiple components into a single part, which we highlight by combining a nozzle, a fluidic delivery system, and a flow distributor within a volume of 80 mm $\times80$ mm $\times100$ mm. This work demonstrates the potential of AM to create complex, lightweight, fluidic delivery systems to achieve thermally and hydrodynamically optimized air jet cooling for high-power-density electronic devices.
Use of beta-blocker types and risk of incident prostate cancer in a multiethnic population.

Abstract Purpose Increased adrenergic innervation is observed in prostate cancer (CaP) and is associated with aggressive disease. Emerging evidence suggests that beta-adrenergic blockade inhibits CaP progression. However, the association between type of beta-blocker use and risk of incident CaP on initial prostate biopsy has not been investigated in multiethnic populations. Materials and methods A retrospective study of racially/ethnically diverse men (64% African-American and Hispanic), who underwent initial prostate biopsy between 2006 and 2016 in a large healthcare system was performed. Oral use of beta-blocker type was assessed by reviewing active prescriptions within the 5-year period preceding initial biopsy. Patient demographics and clinical factors were collected. Results Of 4,607 men who underwent initial prostate biopsy, 4,516 met criteria and 2,128 had a biopsy positive for CaP; 20% high-risk, 41% intermediate-risk, and 39% low or very-low risk (National Comprehensive Cancer Network classification). Overall, 15% of patients were taking a beta-blocker prior to initial biopsy, with Metoprolol, Atenolol, and Carvedilol accounting for the majority. Of beta-blocker types, Atenolol alone was associated with a 38% reduction in odds of incident CaP (P= 0.01), with a 40% and 54% reduction in risks of National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate and high-risk CaP (P = 0.03 and P = 0.03, respectively) compared to men not taking a beta-blocker. Furthermore, longer duration of Atenolol use (3–5 years) was associated with a 54% and 72% reduction in intermediate and high-risk disease, (P = 0.03 and P = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions Among beta blocker types, long-term Atenolol use is associated with a significant reduction in incident CaP risk on initial prostate biopsy for clinically-significant intermediate and high-risk disease compared to men not taking a beta-blocker.
University Teaching Trauma Centers: Decreased Mortality but Increased Complications

Abstract Background Teaching hospitals are often regarded as excellent institutions with significant resources and prominent academic faculty. However, the involvement of trainees may contribute to higher rates of complications. Conflicting reports exist regarding outcomes between teaching and nonteaching hospitals, and the difference among trauma centers is unknown. We hypothesized that university teaching trauma centers (UTTCs) and nonteaching trauma centers (NTTCs) would have a similar risk of complications and mortality. Methods We queried the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2010-2016) for adults treated at UTTCs or NTTCs. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk of mortality and in-hospital complications, such as respiratory complications (RCs), venous thromboembolisms (VTEs), and infectious complications (ICs). Results From 895,896 patients, 765,802 (85%) were treated at UTTCs and 130,094 (15%) at NTTCs. After adjusting for covariates, UTTCs were associated with an increased risk of RCs (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, confidence interval (CI) 1.28-1.37, P Conclusions Our study demonstrates increased associated risks of RCs, VTEs, and ICs, yet a decreased associated risk of in-hospital mortality for UTTCs when compared with NTTCs. Future studies are needed to identify the underlying causative factors behind these differences.
A multiscale approach to analyze the effect of radial void fraction distributions on BWR neutronic lattice parameters

Abstract The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of radial void fraction distribution, considered at three degrees of fidelity, on lattice k ∞ and 2-group homogenized cross sections. The novelty of this work lies in its use of experimentally-determined radial void fraction distributions which allows for fine-scale coolant density data with no predictive uncertainty and which could be prohibitively expensive to simulate over the range of operational parameters used in the experiments. The experimentally-determined radial void fraction distributions are also characterized using a statistical tool called a semi-variogram in order to determine the scale of continuity. Void fraction distributions are averaged at the lattice and subchannel level for comparison with the fine-scale model. Models averaged at the subchannel and lattice level show a difference in k ∞ about 68% of the time. Also, by comparing 2-group homogenized cross-sections, the differences between the subchannel and homogeneous cases are measurable.
Turbulent Shear Flow in Porous Boundary

Flow in alluvial channels involves a complex interaction between the turbulent fluid motion of the stream, the particulate material being transported and possibly the flow in the porous bed. The fl...
Time-varying graph analysis comparing speech perception in healthy and aphasic brains

Aphasia affects millions of patients each year, causing communication difficulties and impeding their quality of life. While the nature of the language impairment after stroke is very patient specific, characterizing each person’s impairment is useful for treatment and research. Recently, language processing frameworks as a whole are moving towards whole-brain network based analyses. Reflecting this, network based approaches to normal and impaired EEG data are also needed. We measured some aspects of language processing impairments with electroencephalography (EEG). Using EEG recordings from subjects engaged in a speech perception task, we devised a framework based on graph signal processing and information theory, to reveal features of the brain dynamics that separate the 21 healthy subjects from an aphasic patient. This patient has focal difficulty in speech perception. We performed a robust principal component analysis to jointly infer a time-invariant low rank structure and time-varying sparse matrices to characterize brain dynamics in the healthy and the aphasic subjects. With this graph theoretic approach, we demonstrate the possibility to characterize impairment at a patient specific level, that sheds insight into cognitive processes that were disrupted at the network level. This allows for a complementary measure of patient impairment to traditional ERP metrics.