cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurements and kinetic modeling of energy coupling in volume and surface nanosecond pulse discharges

Nanosecond pulse discharge plasma imaging, coupled pulse energy measurements, and kinetic modeling are used to analyze the mechanism of energy coupling in high repetition rate, spatially uniform, nanosecond pulse discharges in air in plane-to-plane geometry. Under these conditions, coupled pulse energy scales nearly linearly with pressure (number density), with energy coupled per molecule being nearly constant, in good agreement with the kinetic model predictions. In spite of high-peak reduced electric field reached before breakdown, E/N ∼ 500–700 Td, the reduced electric field in the plasma after breakdown is much lower, E/N ∼ 50–100 Td, predicting that a significant fraction of energy coupled to the air plasma, up to 30–40%, is loaded into nitrogen vibrational mode.A self-similar, local ionization kinetic model predicting energy coupling to the plasma in a surface ionization wave discharge produced by a nanosecond voltage pulse has been developed. The model predicts key discharge parameters such as ionization wave speed and propagation distance, electric field, electron density, plasma layer thickness, and pulse energy coupled to the plasma, demonstrating good qualitative agreement with experimental data and two-dimensional kinetic modeling calculations. The model allows an analytic solution and lends itself to incorporation into existing compressible flow codes, at very little computational cost, for in-depth analysis of the nanosecond discharge plasma flow control mechanism. The use of the model would place the main emphasis on coupling of localized thermal perturbations produced by the discharge with the flow via compression waves and would provide quantitative insight into the flow control mechanism on a long time scale.
Hydrodynamically directed multiscale assembly of shaped polymer fibers

A long-sought goal of material science is the development of fabrication processes by which synthetic materials can be made to mimic the multiscale organization many natural materials utilize to achieve unique functional and material properties. Here we demonstrate how the microfluidic fabrication of polymer fibers can take advantage of hydrodynamic forces to simultaneously direct assembly at the molecular and micron scales. The microfluidic device generates long fibers by initiating polymerization of a continuously flowing fluid via UV irradiation within the microfluidic channel. Prior to polymerization, hydrodynamic shear forces direct molecular scale assembly and a combination of hydrodynamic focusing and advection driven by grooves in the channel walls manipulate the cross-sectional shape of the pre-polymer stream. Polymerization subsequently locks in both molecular scale alignment and micron-scale fiber shape. This simple method for generating structures with multiscale organization could be useful for fabricating materials with multifunctionality or enhanced mechanical properties.
Efficient AC and noise analysis of two-tone RF circuits

In this paper we present a preconditioned recycled Krylov-subspace method to accelerate a recently developed approach for ac and noise analysis of linear periodically-varying communication circuits. Examples are given to show that the combined method can be used to analyse switching filter frequency response, mixer 1/f noise frequency translation, and amplifier intermodulation distortion. In addition, it is shown that for large circuits the preconditioned recycled Krylov-subspace method is up to forty times faster than the standard optimized direct methods.
Clinical implications of late proven patency after successful coronary angioplasty.

BACKGROUND The introduction of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has changed the pattern of intervention in coronary artery disease. However, the long-term results in patients undergoing successful, elective, native-vessel PTCA are not yet fully characterized. Because the healing and subsequent proliferative response after angioplasty are time related, it was the purpose of the present study to determine the long-term outcome in patients whose dilated arteries have been demonstrated to be patent 4-12 months after successful, uncomplicated PTCA. METHODS AND RESULTS The patients were grouped on the basis of the 4-12 month catheterization into those whose vessels were angiographically "normal" or had luminal irregularities only at the PTCA sites (396 patients), those whose vessels also had luminal irregularities elsewhere with or without PTCA site luminal irregularities (680 patients), and those with significant obstructive disease (more than 50% diameter narrowing) at sites other than the PTCA sites (426 patients). Of 1,502 such patients, long-term follow-up was available in 1,491. At the time of the original angioplasty, the normal patients had a 1.8% incidence of multivessel disease; luminal irregularity patients, 9.4%; and obstructive disease patients, 58.7%. At angiographic restudy, 16.4% of the obstructive disease patients continued to have multivessel disease. The patients were followed for the events of death, myocardial infarction, coronary surgery, and repeat PTCA. The 6-year survival rate was 95%; cardiac survival, 96%; and freedom from all events, 65%. The strongest correlate of events during follow-up was the angiographic status of the undilated segments. At 6 years, freedom from cardiac events was noted in 77% of the normal group, 61% of the luminal irregularity group, and 55% of the obstructive disease group. Diabetes and hypertension were also independent correlates of events. CONCLUSIONS Results from the present study show that associated disease in undilated segments is a strong predictor of late events in patients after successful, uncomplicated, reatenosis-free PTCA. However, the need for further revascularization was frequent even in patients without obstructive disease. Completeness of revascularization is appropriate when possible, and limiting progression of coronary disease at sites remote from those dilated should improve on these late results.
Scientists' collaboration strategies: implications for scientific and technical human capital

Abstract “Scientific and technical human capital” (ST to collaborate with women; and to have a favorable view about industry and research on industrial applications. Regarding the number of reported collaborators, those who have larger grants have more collaborators. With respect to the percentage of female collaborators, we found, not surprisingly, that female scientists have a somewhat higher percentage (36%) of female collaborators, than males have (24%). There are great differences, however, according to rank, with non-tenure track females having 84% of their collaborations with females. Regarding collaboration cosmopolitanism, we find that most researchers are not particularly cosmopolitan in their selection of collaborators—they tend to work with the people in their own work group. More cosmopolitan collaborators tend have large grants. A major policy implication is that there is great variance in the extent to which collaborations seem to enhance or generate S&T human capital. Not all collaborations are equal with respect to their “public goods” implications.
Tuning giant birefringence in multi-slot silicon optical waveguides

We theoretically and experimentally study the variation of giant modal birefringence in multi-slotted silicon nanophotonic waveguides, comprised of four air slots etched longitudinally along the waveguide, for different low index filling fractions.. We compare experimental observations with the predictions of an analytically derived effective-medium theory, and FDFD numerical simulations.
SACA: SCM-based adaptive clustering algorithm

Network clustering is an important technique widely used in efficient hierarchical routing protocol design, network modelling and performance evaluation, etc. In this paper, we discuss the important clustering criteria, such as node connectivity, cluster diameter, number of orphan nodes. Our main contribution is a novel clustering algorithm SACA based on an accurate clustering measure called SCM. SACA adaptively forms clusters to incrementally improve the clustering quality, taking node connectivity into consideration. It can control the cluster size effectively and limit the number of orphan nodes. Our simulation study indicates that SACA is more accurate than MCL, a well accepted scalable and efficient clustering scheme, while requiring comparable running time for power law topologies and grid topologies, and significantly less running time for random topologies.
Volume Averaging Theory (VAT) based modeling and closure evaluation of scale-roughened plane fin heat sink

The present paper describes an effort to model a plane fin heat sink (PFHS) with scale-roughened surfaces based on Volume Averaging Theory (VAT) and evaluate the closure terms of the model using CFD code. Modeling a PFHS as porous media based on VAT, specific geometry can be accounted for in such a way that the details of the original structure can be replaced by their averaged counterparts and the VAT based governing equations can be solved for a wide range of heat sink designs. To complete the VAT based model, proper closure is needed, which is related to a local friction factor and a heat transfer coefficient of a Representative Elementary Volume (REV). The terms in the closure expressions are complex and sometimes relating experimental data to the closure terms is difficult. In this work we use CFD code to obtain detailed solutions of flow and heat transfer through an element of the scale-roughened heat sink and use these results to evaluate the closure terms needed for a fast running VAT based code, which can then be used to solve the heat transfer characteristics of a higher level heat sink. The objective is to show how heat sinks can be modeled as porous media based on Volume Averaging Theory and how CFD can be used in place of a detailed, often formidable, experimental effort to close the VAT based model.
Television X-Ray Movies: Dose and Contrast Factors

A television link with nonlinear circuits aids X-ray movie production by allowing concentration on a small brightness range, and dose can be determined by the detail to be observed rather than by film properties. A continuously-moving-film camera viewing a single line on the kinescope, or a video tape recorder, need lose the effect of no interacting quantum. The frame rate aspect is considered and a systematic exposure procedure is given. An X-ray beam monitor is also described. The probable course of certain future developments is given as well as suggestions for the best use of existing detectors.
Sediment yield following severe volcanic disturbance—A two-decade perspective from Mount St. Helens

Explosive volcanic eruptions perturb water and sediment fluxes in watersheds; consequently, posteruption sediment yields can exceed preeruption yields by several orders of magnitude. Annual suspended-sediment yields following the catastrophic 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption were as much as 500 times greater than typical background level, and they generally declined nonlinearly for more than a decade. Although sediment yields responded primarily to type and degree of disturbance, streamflow fluctuations significantly affected sediment-yield trends. Consecutive years (1995–1999) of above-average discharge reversed the nonlinear decline and rejuvenated yields to average values measured within a few years of the eruption. After 20 yr, the average annual suspended-sediment yield from the 1980 debris-avalanche deposit remains 100 times (10 4 Mg [megagrams]/km 2 ) above typical background level (~10 2 Mg/km 2 ). Within five years of the eruption, annual yields from valleys coated by lahar deposits roughly plateaued, and average yields remain about 10 times (10 3 Mg/km 2 ) above background level. Yield from a basin devastated solely by a blast pyroclastic current diminished to background level within five years. These data demonstrate longterm instability of eruption-generated detritus, and show that effective mitigation measures must remain functional for decades.
Trait-like Differences in Underlying Oscillatory State Predict Individual Differences in the TMS-evoked Response

Abstract Background Combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) can provide insights into how differing cognitive contexts produce different brain states, through TMS-based measures of effective connectivity. For instance, in a recent study, the amplitude of the TMS-evoked response (TMS-ER) derived during the delay-period of a spatial short-term memory (STM) task had a larger amplitude, and greater spread to distal cortical areas, than the TMS-ER from a fixation condition (Johnson et al. J Neurophysiol , 2012). This indicated that the brain's electrical response to TMS is influenced by the cognitive context (STM or fixation) at the time of stimulation. This study also showed significant individual differences in the shape of the TMS-ER. Further, delay-period spectrograms revealed patterns of activity, the sustained pattern of delay-period activity (SPDPA), which were different across individuals. Objective/hypothesis The present study addressed whether individual differences in the SPDPA predict spectral properties of the TMS-ER. We predicted that significant relationships would exist in task-relevant areas, such as the prefrontal cortex in the case of STM. Methods The TMS-ER was derived using TMS-EEG and source-localization methods. Results The SPDPA varied significantly across subjects, and these differences predicted individual differences in several frequency-dependent parameters of the TMS-ER that were specific to task-relevant areas, including prefrontal cortex for STM. Furthermore, a follow-up test–retest study revealed that the SPDPA was stable over sessions. Conclusions These observations offer a window into how individual differences in the effects of TMS are related to trait-like individual differences in physiological profile.
Effects of aerobic exercise training and relaxation training on cardiovascular activity during psychological stress

Students who reported experiencing a high number of stressful life events were randomly assigned to: (a) an aerobic training condition, (b) a relaxation training condition, or (c) a no treatment control condition. Immediately before and after the 11 week training/control period, subjects' aerobic fitness and cardiovascular responses to acute psychological stress were assessed. Results indicated that: (1) subjects in the aerobic training condition showed significantly greater improvements in aerobic fitness than subjects in the other conditions, and (2) the subjects in the aerobic training condition showed significantly greater reductions in heart rate during all phases of the stress than subjects in the other conditions. Post-training differences between aerobic and control conditions during the moderate psychological stress were as great as 17 b.p.m. These results provide evidence for the utility of aerobic training for reducing cardiovascular activity during psychological stress, and they are consistent with earlier findings linking fitness to less illness following stress, reductions in depression and enhanced recovery in cardiac patients.
Consuming Digital Rights: Mapping the Artifacts of Entertainment

Purpose: The case studies in this article look at user experience issues surrounding authorized and unauthorized media distribution, describing how researchers and practitioners can trace these experiences to learn how to empower social media participants rather than criminalize them. Method: By using Actor Network Theory (ANT) to look specifically at instances involving digital rights management (DRM) issues in the United States and the European Union, we can discover how content distribution is as much an issue of protecting intellectual property as it is a critical concern for usability. Results: Amazon’s response to the removal of Orwell’s books, Hulu’s expiration of content, and Pandora’s copyright restrictions cause numerous issues for consumers attempting to access this content legally. Conclusion: As communicators, legal experts, and international policy contributors, it is imperative that we design for these experiences, rather than over and around them. Looking across these networks—documenting what technologies, organizations, and people are involved—we can create a better map of what is or will be affected by any further implementation of law or technology. By participating in spaces typically thought of as the realm of legal scholars, policy makers, and lawyers, technical communicators can be stronger user advocates for the participants of these systems.
Activation of T Lymphocytes and MHC Restriction

T lymphocytes identify protein antigens by a cell surface receptor, the T cell receptor (TCR), that is comprised of two polypeptide chains (α and β), both of which possess variable and constant regions. Activation of T lymphocytes requires two signals. The first signal comprises interaction of a short peptide (8–12 amino acids) with the TCR; this peptide is produced within antigen-presenting cells and presented to the T lymphocyte bound to a molecule coded for by genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The bound TCR is associated with a set of accessory molecules (CD3) that transmits the signal to the nucleus. The second signal involves interaction between molecules present on the surfaces of interacting cells—CD28 on T lymphocytes and CD80/86 on antigen-presenting cells. Insight into this cellular activation mechanism required identification of the TCR, determination of the mechanism of MHC restriction, and characterization of cell surface receptors on various cells of the adaptive immune system. These interactions occur during the collaboration of T lymphocytes with B lymphocytes in the initiation of an antibody response, in the interface between T lymphocytes and macrophages in the initiation of various T lymphocyte functions, and in the effector phase of T lymphocyte cytotoxicity with virally infected target cells. Defects in any component of this signaling cascade lead to defective activation of the T lymphocyte.
Hospital care for mental health and substance abuse in children with epilepsy

Abstract Background Reducing the burden of pediatric mental illness requires greater knowledge of mental health and substance abuse (MHSA) outcomes in children who are at an increased risk of primary psychiatric illness. National data on hospital care for psychiatric illness in children with epilepsy are limited. Methods We used the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality from 2003 to 2009 to examine MHSA hospitalization patterns in children with comorbid epilepsy. Nonparametric and regression analyses determined the association of comorbid epilepsy with specific MHSA diagnoses and examined the impact of epilepsy on length of stay (LOS) for such MHSA diagnoses while controlling for demographic, payer, and hospital characteristics. Results We observed 353,319 weighted MHSA hospitalizations of children ages 6–20; 3280 of these involved a child with epilepsy. Depression was the most common MHSA diagnosis in the general population (39.5%) whereas bipolar disorder was the most common MHSA diagnosis among children with epilepsy (36.2%). Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that children with comorbid epilepsy had greater adjusted odds of bipolar disorder (AOR: 1.17, 1.04–1.30), psychosis (AOR: 1.78, 1.51–2.09), sleep disorder (AOR: 5.90, 1.90–18.34), and suicide attempt/ideation (AOR: 3.20, 1.46–6.99) compared to the general MHSA inpatient population. Epilepsy was associated with a greater LOS and a higher adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) for prolonged LOS (IRR: 1.12, 1.09–1.17), particularly for suicide attempt/ideation (IRR: 3.74, 1.68–8.34). Conclusions Children with epilepsy have distinct patterns of hospital care for mental illness and substance abuse and experience prolonged hospitalization for MHSA conditions. Strategies to reduce psychiatric hospitalizations in this population may require disease-specific approaches and should measure disease-relevant outcomes. Hospitals caring for large numbers of children with neurological disease (such as academic centers) may have inaccurate measurements of mental health-care quality unless the impact of key comorbid conditions such as epilepsy is considered.
Discovery Learning Tools in Materials Science: Concept Visualization with Dynamic and Interactive Spreadsheets

Many materials science concepts can be developed into animated, interactive spreadsheets to create engaging discovery learning tools. These Excel spreadsheets do not require programming expertise. Learning how to create and use these didactically useful spreadsheets is simple and new examples can be quickly created by teachers.
The Impact of Differential Regulation on Bacterial Speciation: The family Enterobacteriaceae includes many pathogens and many beneficial species; what accounts for such differences in such closely related organisms?

Members of a family can be quite different from one another, displaying distinct preferences for foods, exhibiting dissimilar tolerance to low or high temperatures, and showing diverse reaction times to a new situation or condition. Interestingly, this is true not only for humans and other animals but also for bacteria, the most abundant life form on earth. Then, what is the basis for the diverse behaviors that distinguish closely related organisms such that, for example, one can be extroverted and social whereas a close relative prefers to be loner; and what determines that one organism establishes beneficial over parasitic interactions with another organism? Are the types of genetic differences that set apart closely related bacterial species similar to those that distinguish closely related animal species?
A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effect of Broccoli Sprouts on Antioxidant Gene Expression and Airway Inflammation in Asthmatics.

Background Broccoli sprouts (BS) are the richest source of sulforaphane (SFN), which is a potent inducer of phase II enzymes, which play a critical role in preventing oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine if ingestion of whole BS improves airway inflammatory and physiologic outcomes, and OS in adults with asthma and allergic sensitization to an indoor allergen. Methods The study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to compare the effects of BS with placebo (alfalfa sprouts [AS]) on airway inflammation and markers of OS. Forty adults (aged 18-50 years) were randomized to eat either (a) 100 g of BS daily or (b) 100 g of AS daily for 3 days. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), forced expiratory volume 1, nasal epithelial and PBMC gene expression, inflammatory and OS biomarkers, and symptoms were assessed both before and after ingestion of the sprouts. The primary outcome variable was the change in FENO. Secondary outcome measures included rhinitis and asthma symptoms, lung function, and OS and inflammatory biomarkers. Results BS ingestion for 3 consecutive days did not reduce FENO, despite resulting in a marked increase in serum SFN concentrations (21 vs 22 parts per billion, P = .76). Furthermore, BS consumption did not induce cytoprotective antioxidant genes in either PBMCs or nasal epithelial cells, reduce OS and inflammatory markers, or improve lung function. Conclusions Ingestion of whole BS for 3 days does not appear to improve eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation, inflammatory and OS biomarkers, or clinical features of asthma among atopic adults with asthma despite resulting in a marked increase in serum SFN levels.
How to Solve the Disorder of the Market of Land and Real Estate

The enlightened government should follow three rules in land and housing policy making: land as a special resource property; the Sociology rule; the Economics rule. They demand that the governments should develop some fair,transparent and reasonable policies of housing construction,supply,configuration and control to meet needs of different social classes.
Analysis of Tube-bursting of Waterwall Tubes of 1 025 t/h Boiler

The waterwall tubes of a 1 025 t/h boiler burst when hydraulic pressure test was processing in a power plant.In this paper,the reasons of tube-bursting have been analyzed by means of chemical elements analysis,mechanical performance test,metallographic analysis and electric fracture analysis.The results show that higher strength,lower toughness and mini-crack on inner surface of tube are chief reasons of tube-bursting.
Variables associated with remission in spinal surgical site infections.

Background: There is few medical literature regarding factors associated with remission after surgical and medical treatment of postoperative spine infections. Methods: Single-centre case-control study 2007–2014. Cluster-controlled Cox regression model with emphasis on surgical and antibiotic-related parameters. Results: Overall, we found 66 episodes in 48 patients (49 episodes with metalwork) who had a median follow-up of 2.6 years (range, 0.5 to 6.8 years). The patients had a median of two surgical debridements. The median duration of antibiotic therapy was 8 weeks, of which 2 weeks parenteral. Clinical recurrence after treatment was noted in 13 episodes (20%), after a median interval of 2 months. In 53 cases (80%), the episodes were considered as in remission. By multivariate analyses, no variable was associated with remission. Especially, the following factors were not significantly related to remission: number of surgical interventions [hazard ratio (HR) 0.9; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8–1.1]; infection due to Staphylococcus aureus (HR 0.9; 0.8–1.1), local antibiotic therapy (HR 1.2; 0.6–2.4), and, duration of total (HR 1.0; 0.99–1.01) (or just parenteral) (HR 1.0; 0.99–1.01) antibiotic use. Conclusions: In patients with post-operative spine infections, remission is achieved in 80%. The number of surgical debridement or duration of antibiotic therapy shows no association with recurrence, suggesting that individual risk factors might be more important than the duration of antibiotic administration.
After Stalin’s Death: “Peaceful Coexistence” and the Conclusion of the Austrian Treaty, 1953–5

As the year 1953 was rung in there were significant changes in world leadership. These respectively changed the domestic contexts of politics and in turn came to affect dramatically the Austrian question. Stalin’s death on 5 March 1953 changed the international arena at once. His successors signalled a departure of post-Stalinist foreign policy towards “peaceful coexistence”. The new Republican administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower was reluctant to test the sincerity of the Soviet peace initiative. To appease the Republican right wing they demanded concrete deeds rather than words, but took no further initiative. The Americans were not willing to threaten Western plans for West German rearmament with a new round of negotiations with the Soviets. In London the Conservatives were back in power and Prime Minister Winston Churchill pushed Washington relentlessly to meet the new Kremlin leaders for a summit meeting. A series of shaky French governments only dared to table German rearmament in the French Parliament along with diplomatic initiatives for detente and a summit meeting.
Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders: A Framework for Establishing Evidence-Based Standards, by Institute of Medicine (IOM)

This timely report provides a framework for advancing the transfer of high-quality evidence-based interventions to the 20% of Americans who suffer from mental health and substance abuse disorders. ...
Tristan Anne Borer (Ed.), Media, Mobilization and Human Rights: Mediating Suffering

“Why do news stories of atrocities sometimes mobilize people, while at other times they are met with indifference?” This question begins the back cover blurb of Media, Mobilization, and Human Rights: Mediating Suffering and serves as the primary query framing this collection edited by Tristan Anne Borer. This compilation of eight chapters along with Borer’s introductory chapter is motivated by various political and theoretical debates on the impact of media on audience motivations to act to help those suffering human rights abuses. The volume debunks the common belief that just because we know about suffering we will respond to it with some form of action to help alleviate it. This is an assumption, Borer argues, that “has taken on the quality of a truism whose factual basis is deemed almost too obvious to examine” (p. 3). Yet she argues that it is an assumption well worth questioning since “it is primarily through the media that we, citizens and politicians alike, meet depictions of the suffering of distant strangers” (p. 5).
The Overproduction Trap in U.S. Agriculture

(1973). The Overproduction Trap in U.S. Agriculture. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 524-527.
Abstract 5534: Runx1 possesses anti-tumor activity and inhibits stemness in breast cancer cells

Background: Despite advances in detection and therapies, breast cancer is still the most common malignant disease in women worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSC) play an important role in formation, growth, drug-resistance and recurrence of tumors. Transcription factor Runx1 has received recent attention for its potential tumor suppressor activity in solid tumors. We previously showed that Runx1 represses the epithelial to mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells. The objective of the present study is to investigate Runx1 functional effects on cellular activities, and its contribution to inhibiting CSC-like properties in breast cancer cells. Methods: We generated Runx1 overexpression and Runx1 knockdown stable cell lines in both malignant MCF10AT1 and metastatic MCF10CA1a cells. Cells were analyzed for tumorsphere formation, protein (Western) and RNA (RT-qPCR) expression analysis. Cellular activity assays (cell proliferation, migration, and invasion) were performed to measure the tumorigenic potential of the cells. Xenograft studies were used to determine whether Runx1 overexpression in breast cancer cells represses tumor growth in vivo. Results: Upon overexpressing Runx1, both MCF10AT1 and MCF10CA1a cells reduce their proliferation, migration and invasion, which support the concept that Runx1 acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer cells. Notably, overexpressing Runx1 inhibited the formation of tumorspheres and effectively reduced the stem-like population in these two breast cancer cells. These observations are consistent with the results of Runx1 knock-down in early stage ER positive MCF7 breast cancer cells which showed increased tumorsphere formation efficiency. Furthermore, Runx1 tumor suppressor activity was confirmed in mouse xenograft by showing that Runx1 overexpression inhibits tumor growth. Conclusion: Our studies show that Runx1 inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion, reflecting its tumor suppressor activity. Runx1 mediated reduction of tumorsphere formation suggests that Runx1 also contributes significantly to inhibit the population of the breast cancer stem cells. Therefore these studies offer Runx1 as a novel bio-therapeutic molecule for breast cancer intervention. Citation Format: Deli Hong, Andrew J, Fritz, Kristiaan Finstad, Mark P. Fitzgerald, Janet L. Stein, Jane Lian, Gary S. Stein. Runx1 possesses anti-tumor activity and inhibits stemness in breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5534. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5534
Ethics of Organ Transplants

Demand for human organs for transplantation exceeds supply, which generates concerns about the efficacy and ethical adequacy of current systems of organ procurement and allocation. Attitudes toward death, controversy surrounding brain death, legacies of racism and mistrust within healthcare, and family dynamics complicate procurement. Allocation is influenced by myriad justice concerns. This article discusses some of these ethical issues while providing an overview of current practices, various procurement models, and alternatives to human transplantation.
Palliative Care Experiences and Needs of Direct Care Workers.

Abstract Background: As people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PWIDD) are living longer and experience chronic health conditions, there is greater likelihood that direct care work...
“Be My Guest”: The Link Between Concentrated Poverty, Race, and Family-Level Support:

Exposure to concentrated poverty is largely understood as reflecting the role of individual influences and racial disparities, with less information on the role of extended family. Coresiding with ...
A Mediterranean-style eating pattern with lean, unprocessed red meat has cardiometabolic benefits for adults who are overweight or obese in a randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial

Background A Mediterranean-style eating pattern (Mediterranean Pattern) is often described as being low in red meat. Research shows that lean, unprocessed red meat can be incorporated into healthy eating patterns to improve cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk factors. Objective We assessed the effects of consuming different amounts of lean, unprocessed red meat in a Mediterranean Pattern on CMD risk factors. We hypothesized that consuming a Mediterranean Pattern would improve CMD risk factors and that red meat intake would not influence these improvements. Design In an investigator-blinded, randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial, 41 subjects [mean ± SD age: 46 ± 2 y; mean ± SD body mass index (kg/m2): 30.5 ± 0.6] were provided with a Mediterranean Pattern for two 5-wk interventions separated by 4 wk of self-selected eating. The Mediterranean Patterns contained ∼500 g [typical US intake (Med-Red)] and ∼200 g [commonly recommended intake in heart-healthy eating patterns (Med-Control)] of lean, unprocessed beef or pork per week. Red meat intake was compensated by poultry and other protein-rich foods. Baseline and postintervention outcomes included fasting blood pressure, serum lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, insulin, and ambulatory blood pressure. The presented results were adjusted for age, sex, and body mass at each time point (P Results Total cholesterol decreased, but greater reductions occurred with Med-Red than with Med-Control (-0.4 ± 0.1 and -0.2 ±0.1 mmol/L, respectively, intervention × time = 0.045]. Low-density lipoprotein decreased with Med-Red but was unchanged with Med-Control [-0.3 ± 0.1 and -0.1 ± 0.1 mmol/L, respectively, intervention × time = 0.038], whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations decreased nondifferentially [-0.1 ± 0.0 mmol/L]. Triglycerides, total cholesterol:HDL, glucose, and insulin did not change with either Med-Red or Med-Control. All blood pressure parameters improved, except during sleep, independent of the red meat intake amount. Conclusions Adults who are overweight or moderately obese may improve multiple cardiometabolic disease risk factors by adopting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern with or without reductions in red meat intake when red meats are lean and unprocessed. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02573129.
Epidural sufentanil for analgesia for labor and delivery.

Six groups of ten women each in active labor at term had epidural catheters placed in the usual manner and received a 3 mL test dose of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine. Groups 1-6 received, respectively, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 μg of sufentanil diluted to 10 mL with normal saline. Significantly effective analgesia was provided at all sufentanil doses studied, with pain scores decreasing from 8.1 ± 0.2 at baseline to 2.9 ± 0.3 at 10 minutes and 1.1 ± 0.2 at 30 minutes (mean ± SEM, average for all groups). The duration of analgesia showed a significant ( p
Fourier Analytic Methods in the Study of Projections and Sections of Convex Bodies

A Fourier analytic approach to sections and projections of convex bodies has recently been developed and led to several results, including unified analytic solutions to the Busemann-Petty and Shephard problems, characterizations of intersection and projection bodies, extremal sections and projections of certain classes of bodies. The idea is to express certain geometric properties of convex bodies in terms of the Fourier transform, and then use methods of Fourier analysis to solve geometric problems. In this article, we outline the main features of this approach emphasizing similarities between results for sections and projections
Endorphins–Development of the Therapeutic Utility of Enkephalin Analogues

It is now more than a decade since the endogenous opioid peptides were first discovered. This discovery raised the optimistic hope that the elusive analgesic without abuse potential was finally near at hand. A more pessimistic view, on the other hand, opined that attempts to exploit the new discovery along these lines would merely result in the redesign of morphine. This difference of opinion hasn’t yet been finally resolved, but there can be little argument that this discovery caught the imagination of scientists throughout the world and resulted in extensive research in the opioid area. Ten years of research and development now give us more basis for reasoned evaluation of the status of the various opinions. Numerous endogenous opioid systems and multiple opioid receptors have since been characterized and one major result of this phenomenon has been the establishment of the concept that the presence of receptors for a drug in the brain predicts the existence of endogenous ligands for those receptors. This has stimulated the search for new endogenous ligands as leads for development of new neuropharmaceutical agents.
Electron-microscopic and morphometric study of vesiculation in the epithelial cell layer of the toad urinary bladder. Effect of antidiuretic hormone.

Basolateral vesicles are apparent in mitochondria-rich, granular and basal cells of the epithelium of unstimulated toad urinary bladder. Such vesicles are smooth-walled rather than coated. Because of the number of these vesicles, we decided to investigate the effect of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on this vesicle population during the hydroosmotic response. Both glutaraldehyde and glutaraldehyde-osmium tetroxide fixation procedures, as well as electron-microscopic morphometric techniques were utilized. Fifteen min after the administration of AVP in the presence of an osmotic gradient, the intracellular area occupied by basolateral vesicles was increased approximately threefold when compared to unstimulated control hemibladders (0.92±0.15% vs: 2.67±0.39 %). The intracellular nature of the majority of these vesicles was confirmed by experiments utilizing lanthanum as an electron-dense tracer. It is hypothesized that this vesicular activity may be involved in water movement across the tissue after hormone treatment.
Chemical Thermodynamics in Use

For chemists thermodynamics reduces largely to the simple lesson that the spontaneous direction of a chemical reaction is forward if ΔrG 0, and in equilibrium if ΔrG = 0. This chapter shows how geochemists, biochemists, and plain chemists apply these conclusions. One approach taken by geochemists, calculation of ΔrG as a function of pressure and temperature, is seen in the program Powell in Sec 3.1. Chemists most often use thermodynamics to describe chemical reactions in equilibrium. Section 3.2 illustrates with some examples of equilibrium calculations involving gas-phase reactions (programs Haber and Coal), acid-base titrations (the program Tcurve), and buffers (the program Acetate). Biochemists rely on ΔrG calculations to construct Gibbs energy profiles for entire schemes of biochemical reactions. Some of the special methods of biochemical thermodynamics are illustrated in Sec. 3.3 (programs Atp1, Atp2, and Biochem), and a Gibbs energy profile of the glycolysis series of reactions is plotted by the program Gprofile.
Management of Early Head and Neck Cancer in Elderly Patients

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequently affects elderly patients. Given the frailty and comorbid conditions of this population as well as the potential toxicities associated with treatment, there is a risk of undertreatment in older patients. However, there is growing evidence that benefit with standard treatment is similar in the elderly and in younger patients. Few prospective trials specifically target the elderly, which forces clinicians to rely on subgroup analyses and retrospective data. Therefore, adequate pretreatment assessments are vital to anticipate factors that may contribute to morbidity during therapy. In addition, supportive care during treatment is essential. For patients of all ages who present with early or localized disease, curative treatment should be offered whenever possible. With more precise surgical and radiologic techniques, the ability to provide curative treatment while minimizing long-term toxicity has greatly improved. Not only our techniques but also our understanding of the disease have improved. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related HNSCC has changed the treatment paradigm of advanced-stage disease because of the inherently better prognosis compared with tobacco- and alcohol-related HNSCC. How this will affect early-stage disease remains to be seen, but de-escalated therapy may prove a suitable strategy in eligible elderly patients. With improved therapies and understanding of the disease, additional prospective trials must be carried out in the elderly population.
Reliability and Energy Efficiency of the Tunneling Transistor-Based 6T SRAM Cell in Sub-10 nm Domain

The static random access memory (SRAM) has a significant impact on the overall power consumption and energy efficiency of any micro and nanoelectronics application or system. SRAM consumes a considerable amount of power in the idle state. As a consequence, the leakage power is one of the most critical metrics in SRAM designs. This brief evaluates the standby leakage power in the tunnel FET (TFET)-based 6T SRAM cell for different pull-up, pull-down, and pass-gate transistors ratios (PU: PD: PG) and compared to 10-nm FinFET-based 6T SRAM designs. It is observed that the 10-nm TFET-based SRAMs have 60.7, 65.22, and 59.7 times less standby leakage power compared to the 10-nm FinFET-based SRAMs when the PU: PD: PG ratios are 1:1:1, 1:5:2, and 2:5:2, respectively. This brief also presents an analysis of the stability and reliability of TFET-based 6T SRAM circuit with a reduced supply voltage of 500 mV. The static noise margin, which is a critical measure of SRAM stability and reliability, is determined for hold, read and write operations of the 6T TFET SRAM cell. The robustness of the optimized TFET-based 6T SRAM circuit is also evaluated at different supply voltages. Simulations were done in HSPICE and cadence tools.
Spark!: an integrated resource planning and dispatch tool for power grid modelling

The power grid infrastructure faces multiple challenges due to, not only the growing demands, but also the widespread deployment of renewable generation. The increasing level of renewable penetration in the energy mix requires to re-think the way the grid works, operates, and also how it is structured. This makes energy planning more critical as it will necessarily have to account for the effects of intermittence and variability of these sources, and the dynamic behaviour of the overall system. Power grid models can play an important role in performing that task. What is needed, is a new, faster computational model that can simulate large-scale grid operations, while capturing generating units' constraints, system flexibility and architecture. We present Spark!, a grid simulation model, for large scale future power grids over long term horizons. The model developed in Python, and built on a DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification) platform, captures the intermittent and stochastic nature of renewable energy resources and their associated forecast error, the thermal constraints of conventional generation resources, geographical and climate information, the transmission network, with a flexible time resolution.
Distractor rejection in parallel search tasks takes time but does not benefit from context repetition

When the spatial configuration of a search display is presented repeatedly, response times to finding the target within that configuration are shorter compared to completely novel configurations, e...
The Negative Impact of the U.S. - China Trade War on Chinese Firms

This paper examines the effect of the U.S-China trade war on Chinese firms. I use quarterly data on more than two thousand listed firms to document that firms in industries with a higher share of output exported to the U.S. have had lower revenue and profits since the start of the trade war. This has been especially the case for businesses producing consumer and industrial durables. U.S. tariffs have had heterogeneous impacts on Chinese firms, hurting mostly larger firms. To a smaller extent, Chinese tariffs have benefited firms of all sizes equally.
Study advance in molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus

Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B is the epidemiological study of hepatitis B in molecular biological approach. It can clarify the pathogen, progression and mechanism of hepatitis B virus infection. Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B is vital important for the early diagnosis, infection assesement, illness prediction, observing antiviral therapies, monitoring disease progression and understanding the natural infectious history of hepatitis B. This review focuses on some hot topics on molecular epidemiology of hepatitis Bin recent years , such as viral detection, genotyping, phylogenetic analysis, gene variation and gene polymorphism, aimed at introducing the present studies briefly. Although the researches on this aspect are increasing quickly , many are in groping status. There are still challenges ahead on the mechanism of viral infection, elimination and so on. Key words: Hepatitis B virus; HBV quantification; HBV genotyping; HBV variation; HBV susceptibility