cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model for Intracellular Lamivudine Metabolism in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Ex Vivo and in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Adolescents

The pharmacologic variability of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors such as lamivudine (3TC) includes not only systemic pharmacokinetic variability but also interindividual differences in cellular transport and metabolism. A modeling strategy linking laboratory studies of intracellular 3TC disposition with clinical studies in adolescent patients is described. Data from ex vivo laboratory experiments using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from uninfected human subjects were first used to determine a model and population parameter estimates for 3TC cellular metabolism. Clinical study data from human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected adolescents were then used in a Bayesian population analysis, together with the prior information from the ex vivo analysis, to develop a population model for 3TC systemic kinetics and cellular kinetics in PBMCs from patients during chronic therapy. The laboratory results demonstrate that the phosphorylation of 3TC is saturable under clinically relevant concentrations, that there is a rapid equilibrium between 3TC monophosphate and diphosphate and between 3TC diphosphate and triphosphate, and that 3TC triphosphate is recycled to 3TC monophosphate through a 3TC metabolite that remains to be definitively characterized. The resulting population model shows substantial interindividual variability in the cellular kinetics of 3TC with population coefficients of variation for model parameters ranging from 47 to 87%. This two-step ex vivo/clinical modeling approach using Bayesian population modeling of 3TC that links laboratory and clinical data has potential application for other drugs whose intracellular pharmacology is a major determinant of activity and/or toxicity.
Estimation and control for autonomous coring from a rover manipulator

A system consisting of a set of estimators and autonomous behaviors has been developed which allows robust coring from a low-mass rover platform, while accommodating for moderate rover slip. A redundant set of sensors, including a force-torque sensor, visual odometry, and accelerometers are used to monitor discrete critical and operational modes, as well as to estimate continuous drill parameters during the coring process. A set of critical failure modes pertinent to shallow coring from a mobile platform is defined, and autonomous behaviors associated with each critical mode are used to maintain nominal coring conditions. Autonomous shallow coring is demonstrated from a low-mass rover using a rotary-percussive coring tool mounted on a 5 degree-of-freedom (DOF) arm. A new architecture of using an arm-stabilized, rotary percussive tool with the robotic arm used to provide the drill z-axis linear feed is validated. Particular attention to hole start using this architecture is addressed. An end-to-end coring sequence is demonstrated, where the rover autonomously detects and then recovers from a series of slip events that exceeded 9 cm total displacement.
The role of 70-80% perchloric acid as oxygen donor and the oxidation potentials made available.

A study has been made of the probable oxidation potentials provided by perchloric acid in the concentration range 70-80 %. The effect of acid concentration and temperature on the oxidation of chromium, vanadium, cerium, and manganese has been investigated. Available oxidation potentials appear to be 2.0-2.1 V or higher. The monohydrate of perchloric acid, HClO(4).H(2)O, containing 84.6% of perchloric acid, has been made commercially available and authorized for distribution by common carrier. It can be diluted to give acid concentrations from 73.6% (corresponding to HClO(4).2H(2)O) upwards. Perchloric acid mixed with sulphuric acid is equivalent to high concentrations of perchloric acid and can be used for dissolution of ores and destruction of organic matter.
Role of the methylcitrate cycle in Mycobacterium tuberculosis metabolism, intracellular growth, and virulence

Growth of bacteria and fungi on fatty acid substrates requires the catabolic beta-oxidation cycle and the anaplerotic glyoxylate cycle. Propionyl-CoA generated by beta-oxidation of odd-chain fatty acids is metabolized via the methylcitrate cycle. Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses homologues of methylcitrate synthase (MCS) and methylcitrate dehydratase (MCD) but not 2-methylisocitrate lyase (MCL). Although MCLs share limited homology with isocitrate lyases (ICLs) of the glyoxylate cycle, these enzymes are thought to be functionally non-overlapping. Previously we reported that the M. tuberculosis ICL isoforms 1 and 2 are jointly required for growth on fatty acids, in macrophages, and in mice. ICL-deficient bacteria could not grow on propionate, suggesting that in M. tuberculosis ICL1 and ICL2 might function as ICLs in the glyoxylate cycle and as MCLs in the methylcitrate cycle. Here we provide biochemical and genetic evidence supporting this interpretation. The role of the methylcitrate cycle in M. tuberculosis metabolism was further evaluated by constructing a mutant strain in which prpC (encoding MCS) and prpD (encoding MCD) were deleted. The DeltaprpDC strain could not grow on propionate media in vitro or in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages infected ex vivo; growth under these conditions was restored by complementation with a plasmid containing prpDC. Paradoxically, bacterial growth and persistence, and tissue pathology, were indistinguishable in mice infected with wild-type or DeltaprpDC bacteria.
Analysis of time-delay estimation in reverberant environments

The main obstacle for designing robust microphone-based source localization systems is the effects of room reverberation. Utilizing results from statistical room acoustics, we analyze the performance of GCC-based methods for time-delay estimation. An interesting outcome of the analysis is that the so-called PHAT time-delay estimator is shown to be optimal among a class of cross-correlation based time-delay estimators.
Neuropeptide-Y innervation of estrogen-induced progesterone receptor-containing dopamine cells in the monkey hypothalamus: a triple labeling light and electron microscopic study.

Light and electron microscopic triple immunostaining was performed on coronal vibratome sections prepared from the hypothalamus of ovariectomized (OVX) and OVX plus estrogen-treated African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops). Immunoreactivity for progesterone receptors (PRs) and neuropeptide-Y (NPY) was visualized by a dark blue to black nickel diaminobenzidine reaction, while the tyrosine hydroxylase-containing perikarya were labeled with a light brown diaminobenzidine reaction. In the OVX plus estrogen-treated material, 30% of the tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons contained PR-immunopositive nuclei. The majority of these cells were found in the central portion of the periventricular area, and a few could be observed in the anterior hypothalamus and the arcuate and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei. These tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive PR-containing cells were surrounded with NPY-immunoreactive axon terminals. A correlated electron microscopic analysis of the same sections revealed synap...
Evaluating water stress controls on primary production in biogeochemical and remote sensing based models

[1] Water stress is one of the most important limiting factors controlling terrestrial primary production, and the performance of a primary production model is largely determined by its capacity to capture environmental water stress. The algorithm that generates the global near-real-time MODIS GPP/NPP products (MOD17) uses VPD (vapor pressure deficit) alone to estimate the environmental water stress. This paper compares the water stress calculation in the MOD17 algorithm with results simulated using a process-based biogeochemical model (Biome-BGC) to evaluate the performance of the water stress determined using the MOD17 algorithm. The investigation study areas include China and the conterminous United States because of the availability of daily meteorological observation data. Our study shows that VPD alone can capture interannual variability of the full water stress nearly over all the study areas. In wet regions, where annual precipitation is greater than 400 mm/yr, the VPD-based water stress estimate in MOD17 is adequate to explain the magnitude and variability of water stress determined from atmospheric VPD and soil water in Biome-BGC. In some dry regions, where soil water is severely limiting, MOD17 underestimates water stress, overestimates GPP, and fails to capture the intraannual variability of water stress. The MOD17 algorithm should add soil water stress to its calculations in these dry regions, thereby improving GPP estimates. Interannual variability in water stress is simpler to capture than the seasonality, but it is more difficult to capture this interannual variability in GPP. The MOD17 algorithm captures interannual and intraannual variability of both the Biome-BGC-calculated water stress and GPP better in the conterminous United States than in the strongly monsoon-controlled China.
Minimum congestion spanning trees in bipartite and random graphs

Abstract The first problem considered in this article reads: is it possible to find upper estimates for the spanning tree congestion in bipartite graphs, which are better than those for general graphs? It is proved that there exists a bipartite version of the known graph with spanning tree congestion of order n 3/2 , where n is the number of vertices. The second problem is to estimate spanning tree congestion of random graphs. It is proved that the standard model of random graphs cannot be used to find graphs whose spanning tree congestion has order greater than n 3/2 .
Drought Response of Low and High Maintenance Landscape Roses

Acclimation to drought was studied in the low-maintenance (Rosa hybrida) 'Ferdy' and 'Pink Meidiland', and the high-maintenance 'Double Delight' and 'Paradise'. All plants were acclimated to drought with five consecutive, 4-day drought cycles, followed by a 2-day irrigation recovery period after the fifth drought cycle. Low-maintenance cultivars experienced less drought stress, as evidenced by higher leaf water potential, whole plant transpiration rate (E), relative water content, and leaf conductance on the final day of drought stress cycles. Morphologically, the low-maintenance cultivars had greater leaf cuticle weight than high­ maintenance cultivars. Differences in the density and size of stomata and epidermal cells were not related to drought response. Low-maintenance cultivars had a smaller evaporative surface (smaller total leaf areas, smaller individual leaves, and reduced shoot dry weights). However, root: shoot ratios (root dry weight: top dry weight) and leaf area ratios (total leaf area: total plant dry weight) were comparable. Drought acclimation caused a greater reduction in osmotic potential of low-maintenance roses during the recovery period. Apparently, drought resistance in the low-maintenance roses was associated with increased cuticle thickness, reduced evaporative surface, and smaller individual leaves. Index words: Rosa hybrida, water relations, osmotic potential, cuticle, cell size Species used in this study: rose (Rosa hybrida L. 'Ferdy', 'Pink Meidiland', 'Double Delight' and 'Paradise'). Significance to the Nursery Industry Roses are highly valued in the landscape for their beauty and fragrance. However, many rose cultivars require ex­ tensive maintenance as they are susceptable to diseases and do not always maintain their desirable characteristics during adverse environmental conditions. If low-maintenance cul­ tivars which maintain growth and flowering characteristics when water is limiting could be identified, the use of roses in landscaping might increase. In this study, the low-main­ tenance rose cultivars 'Ferdy' and 'Pink Meidiland' ex­ perienced less drought stress as evidenced by higher leaf water potential, whole plant transpiration rate, relative water content and leaf conductance than the higher-maintenance hybrid tea roses 'Double Delight' and 'Paradise'. Drought resistance in the low-maintenance roses was associated with increased cuticle thickness, reduced evaporative surface, and smaller individual leaves.
Analysis and compensation of calibration errors in a multi-robot surgical platform

A case study of multi-robot platform calibration is reported in the domain of robot-assisted neurosurgery. The robot system is composed of a hybrid parallel kinematic machine and 2 KUKA LWR arms and is dedicated to awake surgery with head motion compensation. The target accuracy is sub-millimeter. Calibration errors are known to cumulate along the kinematic loops in the system, so a method of volumetric compensation of inaccuracies is applied. Configuration-dependent compensation homogeneous transforms populate a look-up table trained offline for a set of discrete subregions of the workspace. At runtime, the compensation is applied to the robot motion so to reach an end-to-end static accuracy distributed with a median 0.75 mm and below 1 mm for the 95% of tests, with a 1∶36 reduction factor from the default calibration conditions.
Restructuring the Federal Circuit

The de facto steward of U.S. patent law is the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which is the exclusive appellate venue for patent cases. As the perceived importance of the patent system has steadily increased since the court’s formation in 1982, the Federal Circuit’s performance has been closely followed by an ever-expanding group of practitioners, academics, and other interested observers, who have not been shy about pointing out the court’s deficiencies. Common complaints about the Federal Circuit’s case law and the quality of its decision-making include: panel-dependency, formalism, indeterminacy, and the over- or under-enforcement of certain doctrines. The academic literature offers a variety of proposals for remedying or compensating for the Federal Circuit’s perceived shortcomings, such as having specialized patent trial judges, expanding the number of circuit courts that hear patent appeals, and modifying the Federal Circuit’s jurisdiction.Compared to existing proposals, this Article takes a different approach to analyzing the Federal Circuit’s problems by focusing primarily on the judges themselves and their adjudicatory environment. Lessons from cognitive psychology, management science, and the literature on judicial behavior suggest that many of the complaints about the court are potentially grounded in, or at least aggravated by, the expertise developed by the judges and the internal dynamics of the court, which may adversely affect the Federal Circuit’s ability to reconsider its precedents in a timely manner. This Article explores how the Federal Circuit, in its current form, may have difficulty self-correcting, and proposes that a solution may lie in staffing the Federal Circuit with only district judges who serve staggered terms of limited duration.
A stacked gaussian process for predicting geographical incidence of aflatoxin with quantified uncertainties

The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology for generating probabilistic risk maps for unobserved quantities of interests such as aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring carcinogenic and it is a serious global issue and an emerging risk for crop producers. The production of aflatoxin is highly dependent on environmental conditions such temperature and water activity, and it can contaminate grains before harvest or during storage. The focus of this paper is to develop a procedure to account for spatial dependencies and uncertainties in risk calculations, to provide various stakeholders with situational awareness to better understand, communicate, and mitigate the aflatoxin risk before harvest. The proposed probabilistic model is obtained in two stages: the production of aflatoxin with quantified uncertainties is modeled under various temperature and water activity conditions within a controlled environment (wet-lab), and then the predictive aflatoxin model is linked with environmental conditions obtained on a regular basis to generate regional probabilistic risk maps. Since both aflatoxin production and environmental data are modeled using Gaussian processes, the resulted probabilistic model is a stacked Gaussian process, where the environmental Gaussian process model governs the input space of the aflatoxin Gaussian process model. The regional prediction of aflatoxin is obtained by marginalizing over the latent space provided by the environmental variables. The methodology is applied to calculate the aflatoxin levels of corn lands in South Carolina in the drought year 2012, where few field measurements are available for an initial comparison with our aflatoxin predictions.
Oscillator Stability

The definition and significance of oscillator stability continually arise in communication and radar system design. This paper relates the conventional definition of oscillator stability to the more fundamental frequency error process of the oscillator through an integral equation. Both short-and long-term stability are encompassed by the definition. Since in general the integral equation cannot be solved, certain frequency error processes are postulated, and the stability is derived therefrom.
The Importance of Low-Frequency, Substrate-Borne Sounds in Lacewing Communication (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Courting green lacewings of Chrysopa carnea Stephens, C. downesi Banks, and several other species communicate with their partners by exchanging acoustical signals produced by vigorous jerking of the abdomen. Intraspecific communication was unaffected when an area of microtrichia associated with a possible stridulatory structure was excised from the wing of a sexually receptive C. carnea male. Additionally, no high-frequency audio sounds were detected by analysis of oscillographs; however, males and females of C. carnea and C. downesi responded to recordings of conspecific calls when the low-frequency oscillations were transmitted to a compliant substrate and when all high-frequency information was filtered out. Therefore, exchange of low-frequency substrate oscillations is sufficient for intraspecific communication in the lacewing species studied. Evolutionary implications are discussed briefly.
Understanding and treating disorders of the clotting system.

PAs must have a working knowledge of the intricate and complex clotting cascade in order to successfully diagnose and treat common bleeding disorders.
Comparison of treatment modalities for inpatient asthma exacerbations among US pediatric hospitals.

When comparing treatment for inpatient pediatric asthma hospitalizations, there is significant variability in treatment with magnesium sulfate, ipratropium bromide, terbutaline, heliox, BiPAP, and mechanical ventilation for PICU admissions across U.S. pediatric hospitals.
Promising or Potentially Harmful? Suburban School Responses to Racial Change

Over the last several decades, suburban schools have become increasingly more diverse and now must respond to racial change, so that they can successfully educate an increasingly more diverse and multiracial student body. This article analyzes interview responses of administrators, teachers, and staff at 19 schools in six diversifying suburban school districts across the United States to explore how they adapt their policies and practices in response to racial change. Findings indicate that school responses are mixed, with each school adapting some policies that demonstrate promise for creating inclusive, enriching, and academically rigorous environments and other responses that are potentially harmful. Promising responses include facilitating diverse student groupings, modifying curriculum and instruction, developing an inclusive school climate, and implementing diversity efforts with teachers and staff. Potentially harmful responses include isolating English Language Learners, narrowing curriculum to fo...
Employment of Network Establishment in Evaluation Index of Achievements Inspection for Diseases Control and Prevention

The implementing methods of network establishment for province-level disease control and prevention are put forward, which put into effect the requirements of Basic Responsibilities of All Levels of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Performance Evaluation Standards for Disease Control and Prevention enacted by Ministry of Health.
Presumptions are not data and data are often not informative.

Jacobs and Arora (2015) argue that infant circumcision is permissible using a “test” of their own invention that “requires application of facts regarding risks and benefits.” Jacobs and Arora's emp...
Cumulative Environmental Risk

Public interest in the cumulative health effects of environmental exposures continues to grow as information increases about the potential for multiple exposures to multiple stressors, especially contaminants in air, water, and soil from a variety of sources. These sources include but extend beyond the traditional suite of stressors derived from industrial releases and pesticide applications, such as pharmaceuticals used in modern agriculture or nanomaterials. Research efforts are ongoing focused on characterizing exposure and toxicity dynamics of multiple stressors, environmental fate across exposure settings, and effects of concern to various communities. Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) provides the integrating foundation for linking these factors across space and time, to produce an overall risk picture and better inform health protection programs.
Numerical studies of synthesis of silicon nanoparticles in capacitively-coupled radiofrequency plasmas

The formation and growth of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) (diameter < 5 nm) in plasmas is being investigated due to many potential applications, including biomedical devices, renewable energy, and photovoltaics. Although experimental synthesis of SiNPs has had success in optimizing the process, the formation mechanisms are not yet fully understood. We have developed a two dimensional numerical model for synthesis of SiNPs in a capacitively-coupled radio frequency (RF) plasma which we have used to investigate mechanisms for particle growth and charging in Ar/He/SiH4 gas mixtures. Algorithms for the kinetics of nanoparticle formation were self-consistently embedded in a plasma hydrodynamics simulation to account for SiNP nucleation, growth, charging, and transport. A silicon hydride reaction mechanism was used to self-consistently calculate rates of nucleation and radical deposition on nanoparticle surfaces. Coagulation was calculated, along with nanoparticle charge distribution and transport. The electron current to particles was self-consistently calculated with rate coefficients provided by solutions of Boltzmann's equation for the electron energy distribution, which accounts for collisions with nanoparticles.
Trends In Mortality Rates and Age of Death In Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): 1979–2005

Abstract Abstract 736 While improvements in care have resulted in significant decreases in mortality for children with SCD, it is unclear if similar decreases in mortality rates have occurred in adults with the disease. The purpose of this research is to describe mortality rates and trends in age of death for those with SCD over the last 3 decades. We used the National Center for Health Statistics Multiple Cause of Death (MCOD) files to examine age at death and calculate mortality rates from 1979–2005. ICD9 and ICD10 codes for SCD were used as appropriate to identify sickle cell related deaths. Mortality rates were calculated as deaths per 100,000 African American population. The number of African Americans each year was determined using available census data. Trends in mortality rates were examined using negative binomial regression and age of death was examined using t-tests and linear regression. After excluding certificates with codes for sickle trait and those with multiple sickle codes we identified 16,654 sickle-related deaths. The age range was 0 to 107 years. Mean age of death was significantly different for men (33.4, 95% CI [33.0, 33.7]) and women (36.9, 95% CI [36.5, 37.4]). SCD was the most common listed underlying cause of death (COD) at 62.8%. Infection was the second most common COD (5.9%). Controlling for sex and the presence of infection as COD, the mean age of death increased significantly by 0.08 years (p 19 yrs) mortality rate increased by 1% (p Download : Download high-res image (261KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Fast track pathway for perforated appendicitis

Abstract Background Perforated appendicitis is associated with an increased morbidity and length of stay. “Fast track” protocols have demonstrated success in shortening hospitalization without increasing morbidity for a variety of surgical processes. This study evaluates a fast track pathway for perforated appendicitis. Methods In 2013, a treatment pathway for perforated appendicitis was adopted by the Acute Care Surgery Service for patients having surgical management of perforated appendicitis. Interval appendectomy was excluded. Patients were treated initially with intravenous antibiotics and transitioned to oral antibiotics and dismissed when medically stable and tolerating oral intake. A retrospective review of patients managed on the fast track pathway was undertaken to analyze length of stay, morbidity, and readmissions. Results Thirty-four males and twenty-one females with an average age of 46.8 years underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for perforated appendicitis between January 2013 and December 2014. Pre-existing comorbidities included hypertension 42%, diabetes mellitus 11%, COPD 5% and heart disease 2%. No patient had conversion to open appendectomy. Average length of stay was 2.67 days and ranged from 1 to 12 days (median 2 days). Postoperative morbidity was 20% and included abscess (6 patients), prolonged ileus (3 patients), pneumonia (1 patient), and congestive heart failure (1 patient). Five patients were readmitted for abscess (3 patients), congestive heart failure (1 patient), and pneumonia (1 patient). Conclusion A fast track pathway for perforated appendicitis produced shorter length of stay and acceptable postoperative morbidity and readmission. This offers the potential for significant cost savings over current national practice patterns.
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Approach for Cystectomy: Trends in the Utilization and Demographic or Clinical Predictors Using the National Cancer Database.

Objective To examine temporal national trends of operative approach for cystectomy and identify demographic or clinical predictive factors that influence choice of approach. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder cancer between 2010 and 2013 using the National Cancer Database. Approach was stratified by open vs minimally invasive (robotic or laparoscopic). Univariate Pearson chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to assess the relationships between demographic and hospital factors and the receipt of minimally invasive or open surgical approach. Results A total of 9439 patients met our inclusion criteria, of which 34.1% received a minimally invasive approach (MIA). Frequency of MIA increased from 26.3% in 2010 to 39.4% in 2013 ( P P Conclusion Utilization of MIA for cystectomy has increased nationally over the last several years likely due to increased surgeon familiarity with robotic laparoscopic pelvic surgery. Factors associated with MIA included male sex, locally confined disease, receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, lower cystectomy volume centers, and nonacademic centers.
Effects of Game Performance on Softball Pitchers and Catchers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of game exposure on pitchers and catchers' hip and glenohumeral range of motion (ROM), isometric strength, and vertical jump performance and power. Five college female softball pitchers (174.24 ± 7.53 cm; 82.10 ± 11.27 kg; 20 ± 1.82 years) and 4 catchers (165.10 ± 9.04 kg; 68.61 ± 3.87 cm; 20 ± 1.41 years) participated. Hip and glenohumeral rotational ROM; hip and glenohumeral rotational isometric strength; hip abduction and adduction strength; and vertical jump height were assessed pre- and postgame exposure. The catchers displayed significantly greater throwing side hip internal rotation (IR) ROM (mean difference = +6.88°, p = 0.03) postgame exposure, whereas the pitchers exhibited less IR (mean difference = -2.02%, p = 0.013) and external rotation (ER; mean difference = -1.95%, p = 0.026) strength in the nonthrowing side hip pre vs. postgame exposure. The performance demands of pitchers and catchers vary greatly, causing position-specific decreases/increases in various tests following game performance. Pitchers exhibited significant decreases in nonthrowing side hip IR and ER strength. In catchers, throwing side hip IR ROM significantly increased following game exposure. Further evaluation of ROM, strength, and power is necessary as it is unknown how these changes following a game affect sports performance or risk of injury.
Customer Concentration, Cost Structure, and Performance

This study examines the effects of customer concentration levels on firm cost structure decisions. Analyzing cost data from a sample of manufacturing firms from 1976 through 2013, we find a negative relationship between customer concentration and cost elasticity whereby firms exhibit lower proportions of variable-to-fixed costs in the presence of higher levels of customer concentration. Additionally, we find that greater customer bargaining power, proxied by supplier industry competition and product market fluidity, leads to lower cost elasticity as customer concentration becomes greater. These results are robust to alternate specifications as well as controlling for endogeneity using a two-stage model. Our results suggest that suppliers respond to customer concentration by pursuing increased mutual dependence and cooperation with customers rather than attempting to reduce the effect of power imbalances within the supplier-customer relationship.
Diversity and Irish forestry policy.

The purpose in this paper is to stimulate some thought on the role which forestry might play in the social and economic life of Ireland in the future, say 50 years from now; a consideration of what our objectives should be and how they might be achieved will be used as the lpeans of cerebral stimulation...
Media Events, solidarity, and the rise and fall of the public sphere

Dayan and Katz’s classic, Media Events, has continued relevance even as its primary object of inquiry, ceremonial television, is no longer as significant as it once was. The book demonstrates how a key insight of Gabriel Tarde, concerning the importance of media in modern societies, resolves a dilemma of Emile Durkheim’s sociology, the continued importance of common beliefs and rituals in complex society when the members of society have more differences than commonalities. This insight is then applied to a deeper understanding of how ‘media events’ resolved a weakness in Habermas’ account of the transformation public sphere, the cogency of an understanding of a central public sphere when there are in fact multiple publics. The article concludes with reflections on the clear and present crises of public life today when multiple publics do not meet.
Mdm2 binds to and inhibits Nbs1 in a p53-independent manner

4226 Mdm2 is best known for its direct regulation of the tumor suppressor p53, however, Mdm2 also has unresolved, p53-independent functions. Biochemical methods were used to identify novel p53-independent Mdm2-binding proteins. We identified an interaction of Mdm2 with Nbs1, Mre11, and Rad50, members of a DNA double-strand break repair complex. Mdm2 binds to the complex through a direct and specific association with Nbs1. Immunoprecipitation/western blotting, using Mdm2 deletion mutant constructs, localized the Nbs1 binding site in Mdm2 to its central domain. Similar experiments indicated that the central domain of Nbs1 was sufficient for Mdm2:Nbs1 association. Comet Assays (single-cell gel electrophoresis) performed under neutral conditions were used to analyze the DNA double-strand break response of Mdm2 overexpressing cells. Notably, Mdm2 overexpression inhibited DNA double-strand break repair. This delay was independent of p53 and ARF. Overexpressing the p53 binding domain of Mdm2 did not affect DNA repair. Additionally, Mdm2’s ubiquitin ligase domain and ubiquitin ligase activity were not required for inhibition of DNA repair. The delay in DNA repair was dependent on the Nbs1 binding domain in Mdm2. Mdm2 did not inhibit DNA repair in cells with mutant Nbs1. However, the inhibition of DNA repair by Mdm2 was restored in cells containing mutant Nbs1 upon reconstitution with wild type Nbs1, suggesting that wild type Nbs1 is necessary for Mdm2 to inhibit DNA repair. Therefore, Nbs1 is a novel, p53-independent, Mdm2 binding protein that links Mdm2 to the Nbs1/Mre11/Rad50-regulated DNA repair response.
ECG electrode reversals: An opportunity to learn from mistakes

An ECG with an "odd" appearance may raise the suspicion that ECG recording electrodes may have been reversed. Odd appearances include unexpected Q-waves or R-waves, markedly isoelectric leads, and abrupt changes from previous ECGs. A few examples of ECG electrode reversal provide the opportunity to review some fundamental principles of ECG recording. Some ECG electrode reversals will invert the QRS complex recorded in a lead. Other ECG leads may be affected in a manner that initially may seem unexpected. These patterns may be understood upon reviewing the genesis of the "unipolar" leads, particularly the "augmented" leads. Recording an ECG between electrodes placed on the two legs will produce a nearly isoelectric tracing. Elucidation of electrode reversals is often less difficult than it seems, may present an enjoyable intellectual challenge, and provides insight into the process of ECG recording.
People, Means, and Activities: A Conceptual Framework for Realizing the Educational Potential of Makerspaces

Makerspaces are environments where individuals use technologies to make physical artifacts within a community of fellow Makers. There has been growing interest in the educational potential of Making activities which has resulted in many schools procuring tools and technologies to set up their Makerspaces. However, there is scant research investigating the efficacy of Making these newly emerging Makerspaces intended for learning. In our work, we narrow this gap in knowledge between the claimed educational potential of Making and its attainment. By synthesizing prior work and publically available data on Makerspaces, we introduce a framework to situate the educational considerations for Makerspaces and recommend directions for future research on educational Makerspaces. Being cognizant of the Maker culture having emerged outside of the academic literature, we synthesize publically available data from 53 untraditional but relevant sources. These sources include definitions of Making forwarded by 3 well-established Maker initiatives (Makerspace, Hackerspace, and Fab Lab), 18 relevant sites of Making activities across the United States, 17 sites from other countries (namely, China, India, Morocco, and Spain), and 15 Maker initiatives at schools in the United States. After proposing and detailing the framework, we recommend directions for future research to attain the potential of educational Making.
Improvements in Macroreticular Particles for Ion-Exchange and Gel-Permeation Chromatography

The effectiveness of chromatographic processes is often limited by the resistance to mass transfer into the exchanger particles. The likelihood of the exchange process being limited by particle diffusion resistance is especially high when one or both of the exchanging ions has a high molecular weight, and thus large molecular size and low mobility within the particles. Separation of ionic species from bioreactors is likely to involve such high molecular weight species and slow diffusion rates. Macroreticular particles are more effective in these applications because the larger species can diffuse more freely into the inner regions of the particles through large pores. The effects of small viscous flow rates through the larger pores of the macroreticular particle structure are examined in this paper to show how such flow can increase exchange rates. The importance of such flow is evaluated in terms of an effective diffusivity within the particle. The performance of an ion-exchange material can be affected strongly by the dimensions of its internal structure. The approach used to describe and evaluate the performance of ion-exchange materials with high-molecular-weight ions can be applied to macroreticular particles for separation of biological species and polymers by gel permeation.
Finsler Spaces of Scalar Curvature

By Definition 8.2.3, a Finsler metric is of scalar curvature if the Riemann curvature is in the following form $$ {R_y}(u) = \lambda (y)\left\{ {{g_y}(y,y)u - {g_y}(y,u)y} \right\}.$$ (11.1)
Seed Production and Germination Dynamics in California Annual Grasslands

The California annual grasslands constitute a productive and diverse ecosystem. Productivity and dominance may be highly influenced by the amount and periodicity of moisture events, but the vast majority of the plant species that make up this vegetation type share a common characteristic; they must originate from seeds annually. In order to persist, the plants must produce seeds before the summer drought and disperse a significant portion of these seeds to favorable locations in the seedbed where they await moisture events of sufficient magnitude in the fall to trigger germination.
Operational impacts of high penetration solar power on a real-world distribution feeder

Higher penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV), with their uncontrollable generation variability, imposes various grid stability challenges on distribution system operation. The primary problem is significant voltage rise in the distribution feeder that forces existing voltage control devices such as on-load tap-changers and line voltage regulators to operate more frequently. The consequence is the deterioration of the operating life of the voltage control mechanism. The objective of this paper is to investigate the voltage impact of increased penetration of PV systems on distribution load tap changer operations. Both steady-state and quasi-static power flow analyses have been conducted to assess the impact on load tap changes under different solar PV penetration levels. Two real-world distribution feeder circuits are used as a test system in this study. Simulations are carried out for up to one-year period with 1-minute time step using OpenDSS. A comparison study was performed to investigate potential voltage rise issues in the network by increasing total PV penetration from 0 to 100% in the feeder. Results show significant increase in the total number of tap operations as solar PV penetration increases. Impacts on nodal voltages and feeder net power are also presented.
Abstract 4928: Role of hepatic organic anion-transporting polypeptides in methotrexate uptake and clearance

Methotrexate (MTX) is a folate antimetabolite drug extensively used in patients with malignant and autoimmune diseases. Organic anion-transporting polypeptides 1A/1B (OATP1A/1B) are drug uptake transporters that are primarily expressed in pharmacokinetically relevant tissues and are known for broad substrate specificity, including many drugs in clinical use. While MTX is a known substrate for the efflux transporter MRP2, significantly less is known regarding its interactions with drug transporters that could mediate its cellular uptake and clearance. Previous studies have suggested MTX to be a substrate for OATP transporters. We sought to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of OATP transporters to the in vitro and in vivo disposition of MTX. In vitro, using a recombinant vaccinia-based method, we screened an array of OATPs for MTX transport in HeLa cells, indicating that human OATP1A2, OATP1B1, OATP1B3 and their rat orthologs, Oatp1a4, Oatp1a5 and Oatp1b2, were capable of significant MTX uptake (p C and 404A>T) in SLCO1A2, seven NSPs including 521T>C and 388A>G+521T>C in SLCO1B1, and six NSPs in SLCO1B3 were associated with significantly impaired MTX transport. Transcellular vectorial transport (basal→apical) studies of MTX conducted in MDCKII cells stably expressing hepatic OATP1B transporters revealed both OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 transport MTX. There was significantly increased MTX in the apical compartments of MDCKII-OATP1B/MRP2 cells compared to control cells (p -/- versus wild-type (WT) mice (p -/- mice (p Citation Format: Hannah H. Lee, Brenda F. Leake, Richard H. Ho. Role of hepatic organic anion-transporting polypeptides in methotrexate uptake and clearance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4928.
A Framework for Autonomous Wind Farms: Wind Direction Consensus

Abstract. Wind turbines in a wind farm typically operate individually to maximize their own performance and do not take into account information from nearby turbines. In an autonomous wind farm, enabling cooperation to achieve farm-level objectives, turbines will need to use information from nearby turbines to optimize performance, ensure resiliency when other sensors fail, and adapt to changing local conditions. A key element of achieving an autonomous wind farm is to develop algorithms that provide necessary information to ensure reliable, robust, and efficient operation of wind turbines in a wind plant using local sensor information that is already being collected, such as supervisory control and data acquistion (SCADA) data, local meteorological stations, and nearby radars/sodars/lidars. This article presents a framework for implementing an autonomous wind farm that incorporates information from local sensors in real time to better align turbines in a wind farm. Oftentimes, measurements made at an individual turbine are noisy and unreliable. By incorporating measurements from multiple nearby turbines, a more robust estimate of the wind direction can be obtained at an individual turbine. Results indicate that this estimate of the wind direction can be used to improve the turbine's knowledge of the wind direction and could decrease dynamic yaw misalignment, decrease the amount of time a turbine spends yawing due to a more robust input to the yaw controller, and increase resiliency to faulty wind-vane measurements.
Single-session inferior vena cava filter removal, recanalization, and endovenous reconstruction for chronic iliocaval thrombosis

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of treatment of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF)-related chronic iliocaval thrombosis with single-session IVCF retrieval and iliocaval recanalization, thereby optimizing stent deployment and avoiding adverse events (AEs) related to stent placement across an obstructed filter. Methods From January 2015 to April 2018, a cohort of 25 consecutive patients presented for treatment of IVCF-related chronic iliocaval thrombosis with filter retrieval, followed by recanalization with stent placement and adjunctive iliofemoral thrombectomy as needed. Inclusion criteria included computed tomography (CT) imaging and clinical presentations consistent with chronic (>30 days) IVCF-related chronic thrombosis. A retrospective analysis of technical success, clinical success as measured with the Venous Clinical Severity Score, use of advanced filter retrieval techniques, and AEs was performed. Primary patency was evaluated with CT at 1 to 3 months and 1 year. Data analysis was performed using a paired t-test. Results There were 25 patients (median age, 58.0 years; standard deviation, 15.6 years) with eight types of IVCF encountered; all were treated in a single session. Technical success was achieved in all patients. Mean improvement in the Venous Clinical Severity Score was 1.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.7; P Conclusions Single-session iliocaval recanalization with IVCF retrieval has high rates of technical and clinical success in patients with IVCF-related chronic iliocaval thrombosis.
Efficacy of Medical Students as Stop the Bleed Participants and Instructors.

OBJECTIVE The Stop the Bleed (STB) program trains lay rescuers to identify and control life-threatening bleeding. Recently, medical students were allowed to become coinstructors. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of medical student course participation as both learners and instructors. No previous study to date has provided a critical objective assessment of medical student learners and educators of STB courses. STUDY DESIGN Participants anonymously self-reported pre- and postcourse confidence in 6 major skill areas using a 5-point Likert scale. At the end of the course, students’ ability to perform STB skills was assessed using an internally validated 15-point objective assessment tool. SETTING Two US medical schools (Tulane University School of Medicine and Louisiana State University in New Orleans) which represent private and state institutions, respectively. PARTICIPANTS A total of 423 medical students were enrolled in the course. A pilot group of medical students volunteered to be instructors and their ability to effectively teach the course was objectively assessed. RESULTS Overall precourse confidence was highest in holding pressure on a wound and lowest in identification of severe active bleeding. Postcourse participant confidence increased significantly in all 6 core areas, including confidence to teach hemorrhage control skills to others. Objective assessment of medical students by STB instructors found 72.4% of medical students achieving perfect scores on their skill proficiency assessments. An assessment of 48 medical student instructors found that all students were able to proficiently serve as instructors. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that medical students can effectively master STB skills and can also serve as competent course instructors. Future program development should focus on continued training of medical students and their involvement as instructors to help increase the availability of STB courses.
Using Whole Knee Cartilage Damage Index to Predict Knee Osteoarthritis: A Two-year Longitudinal Study

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects 10% of the population over 55 years old, and is a major cause of work absence, early retirement, and joint replacement. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of using a recently proposed knee osteoarthritis biomarker and machine learning method to predict OA progression. The biomarker, named cartilage damage index (CDI), was extracted from 3D knee MR images by measuring representative locations. In total, the CDI measured 60 locations on the whole knee cartilage, including 18 from femur, 18 from tibia, and 24 from patella. The CDI values at these 60 locations in the baseline year were used as feature input to the artificial neural network (ANN). We trained two types of model to predict OA and OA severity change, respectively. The label of each sample was “OA” or “non-OA”, based on the severity level in two years when training the model for OA prediction; and the label of each sample was “change” or “no-change” based on the severity level change in two years, when training the model for OA change prediction. Separate ANN models were trained for three OA severity measures, i.e., lateral Joint Space Narrow (JSN), medial JSN and Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grade. Besides using all the 60 informative locations, we tested different combinations of CDI locations at sub-regions. The best prediction result achieved in this work was AUC (area under ROC curve)} =textbf{{0.912, using the whole knee CDI (all 60 locations) to predict lateral JSN. Experiment results showed that CDI can be used as a reliable cartilage quantification method and help to predict OA progression in two years.