cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Processes setting the structure of the electron distribution function within the exhausts of anti-parallel reconnection

In situ spacecraft observations within the exhausts of magnetic reconnection document a large variation in the velocity space structure of the electron distribution function. Multiple mechanisms help govern the underlying electron dynamics, yielding a range of signatures for collisionless reconnection. These signatures include passing beams of electrons separated by well-defined boundaries from betatron heated/cooled trapped electrons. The present study emphasizes how localized regions of non-adiabatic electron dynamics can mix electrons across the trapped/passing boundaries and impact the form of the electron distributions in the full width of the exhaust. While our study is based on 2D simulations, the described principles shaping the velocity space distributions also apply to 3D geometries making our findings relevant to spacecraft observation of reconnection in the Earth's magnetosphere.
Biomedical Informatics Approaches to Identifying Drug–Drug Interactions: Application to Insulin Secretagogues

Background:Drug–drug interactions with insulin secretagogues are associated with increased risk of serious hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to systematically screen for drugs that interact with the five most commonly used secretagogues—glipizide, glyburide, glimepiride, repagl
Religion as Cultural Models: Developing an Emic Measure of Religiosity

Despite a century's worth of work, lacunae remain in our understanding of the religion-health relationship. Scholars in this field have called for increasingly sophisticated conceptualizations of religiosity that refine its connection to well-being, accounting for both positive and negative associations, while being sensitive to the cultural variations in the experience of religion. This article argues that cognitive anthropological methods provide a novel approach to these issues by conceptualizing aspects of religion as culturally shared “styles of life.” Specifically, the combined approaches of cultural consensus and cultural consonance provide an emically valid measure of religiosity that is then linked to health through the psychosocial stress paradigm. Utilizing research among Brazilian Pentecostals within the state of Sao Paulo, this intrareligious study evaluates the predictive power of religious cultural consonance relative to widely used and established religiosity scales. Religious consonance is found to have a stronger correlation with psychological well-being than comparable measures, suggesting that existing standardized measures miss important dimensions of the religion-health relationship. As such, this article outlines an important area of collaboration between anthropologists and other religion-health researchers.
CT measurement of prevertebral soft tissue (PVST) and epiglottis as a predictor of swallowing dysfunction in head and neck cancer (HNC).

e17061 Background: Surgery & radiation cause soft tissue damage resulting in lymphedema and fibrosis (LEF). LEF of Dysphagia/Aspiration Related Structures (DARS) may result in late swallowing abnor...
An Integration of Decision Tree and Visual Analysis to Analyze Intracranial Pressure

In Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), elevated Intracranial Pressure (ICP) causes severe brain damages due to hemorrhage and swelling. Monitoring ICP plays an important role in the treatment of TBI patients because ICP is considered a strong predictor of neurological outcome and a potentially amenable method to treat patients. However, it is difficult to predict and measure accurate ICP due to the complex nature of patients' clinical conditions. ICP monitoring for severe TBI patient is a challenging problem for clinicians because traditionally known ICP monitoring is an invasive procedure by placing a device inside the brain to measure pressure. Therefore, ICP monitoring might have a high infection risk and cause medical complications. In here, an ICP monitoring using texture features is proposed to overcome this limitation. The combination of image processing methods and a decision tree algorithm is utilized to estimate ICP of TBI patients noninvasively. In addition, a visual analytics tool is used to conduct an interactive visual factor analysis and outlier detection.
National Institute of Health Phase Two Report Food Insecurities and Student Success Maryland's Community Colleges.

Community colleges nationwide rally to meet President Obama’s challenge of adding five million graduates by 2020. However, many institutions continue to experience declining retention and attempt lackluster solutions to bolster student success. One often overlooked factor in need of investigation is the impact of food insecurity, an inadequate level of nutritional and safe food or the inability to obtain foods in a socially acceptable manner. The researchers for this project will investigate the levels of food insecurity and the relationship to student success defined as what students must do to complete their college program successfully. For this project, student success includes two elements that can lead to completion - concentration levels and energy levels, and one traditional metric of success, grade point average (GPA). This study will be conducted on Maryland community college students.
Abstract BS1-2: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells: many facets of regulation of tumor progression

Tumor associated macrophages (TAM), myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), represented by PMN-MDSC and M-MDSC, and dendritic cells (DC) are major components of tumor microenvironment playing critical role in tumor progression. There are now compelling evidence linking MDSC with negative clinical outcomes in many types of cancer. Therefore, these cells are attractive therapeutic targets. Recently, several therapeutic strategies have been developed that target MDSC in mouse animal models and in first clinical trials. Recent findings of selective targeting of MDSC in cancer patients using agonistic TRAIL receptor DR5 antibody will be discussed. In 16 patients with advanced solid tumors this antibody demonstrated selective depletion of MDSC without affecting populations of neutrophils, monocytes, or lymphocytes. Another therapeutic strategy involves histone deacetilase inhibitor – entinostat. Recent study in tumor-bearing mice revealed that entinostat slightly increased expansion and accumulation of granulocytic cells in tumors. However, in contrast to untreated mice, these cells lacked suppressive activity. This effect was associated with potent antitumor activity of combination of entinostat with check-point inhibitors. By studying the effect of CSF1R inhibitor in tumor-bearing mice we identified the complex network regulating different groups of myeloid cells in tumor microenvironment. This network involves tumor cells and cancer associated fibroblast and protect tumors from loss of individual component of myeloid cell compartment. We determined that this network is operational not only in mice but also in cancer patients. Targeting of this network dramatically enhance the effect of cancer therapy. Citation Format: Gabrilovich DI. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells: many facets of regulation of tumor progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr BS1-2.
Effects of in ovo administration of L-ascorbic acid on broiler hatchability and its influence on the effects of pre-placement holding time on broiler quality characteristics¹,²,

ABSTRACT The current study was conducted to determine the possible effects of the in ovo administration of different dosages of L-ascorbic acid (AA) to broiler hatching eggs on hatchability and its potential for reducing the adverse effects of delayed placement. A total of 702 broiler hatching eggs was hand-injected at 17 d of incubation (DOI) with 100 μL of sterile saline (0.85%) alone or containing 0.5, 1.5, 4.5, or 13.5 mg AA. Hatchability was recorded every 5 h from 480 h to 505 hours. Results showed that AA injection did not affect embryo BW as percentage of set egg weight or yolk sac weight as percentage of embryo weight at 19.5 DOI. The hatching time of all embryos that received an AA in ovo injection was between 480 and 495 h of incubation, and significantly fewer embryos hatched before 480 h in comparison to non-injected controls. Hatchability (above 92% in all groups) was not significantly affected by injection treatment. However, fertile eggs injected with saline containing 4.5 mg AA had the highest hatchability. At 21 DOI, hatching BW as a percentage of set egg weight and yolk sac weight as a percentage of BW were numerically higher in AA injection groups. An in ovo injection of AA at a 13.5 mg/egg level resulted in a numerically higher BW as a percentage of set egg weight. The in ovo injection of AA did not reduce the adverse effects of a 48-hour posthatch pre-placement holding time on BW or on yolk sac absorption. Overall, in ovo injection of L-ascorbic acid (0.5 to 13.5 mg/egg) into fertile broiler hatching eggs at 17 DOI did not negatively affect hatchability or embryo development, and did not prevent the negative effects of a 48-hour posthatch holding time on BW and yolk sac absorption. The range of tolerance as well as the optimal dosage of in ovo-injected AA warrants future study.
Critical Care Management of Aneurysmal SAH After the Aneurysm is Secured

Abstract Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) accounts for 10% of all strokes. The most common cause of SAH is ruptured saccular aneurysms. The SAH is a complex neurovascular disorder and delay in treatment results in worse outcome. Once the aneurysm is secured, the SAH patients should be managed in dedicated neurocritical care (NCC) unit at a high-volume tertiary care center with a multidisciplinary team involving neurologist, neurosurgeons, and neurointerventionalist. The NCC management of SAH involves aggressive treatment of acute complications such as hydrocephalus or intracranial hypertension, optimization of systemic physiology, early recognition, and prompt management of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) through multimodal monitoring, and management of nonneurological complications. In this chapter, we will briefly outline the approach to initial diagnosis and acute management of aneurysmal SAH in the emergency department and discuss in detail about the management in intensive care unit once aneurysm is secured.
The Blast Response of Sandwich Composites with Bi-Axial In-Plane Compressive Loading

The in-plane compressive loading in the ship hull structures during their whole service life will likely change the dynamic behavior of these structures under transverse blast loading. In the present study, the dynamic behavior of E-glass Vinyl Ester composite face sheet / foam core sandwich composites with bi-axial in-plane compressive loading were investigated under a transverse blast loading. A special test fixture which enables bi-axial in-plane compressive loading on the specimens was designed prior to transverse shock wave loading generated by a shock tube apparatus. Blast tests are carried out for three levels compressive loading. A high-speed back-view 3- D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system is utilized to acquire the real time deformation of the sandwich composites. The real time deformation and post mortem analysis were carefully conducted to study the failure mechanisms. The results show that the in-plane compressive loading induces the buckling and failure in the front face sheet. This mechanism highly reduces the blast resistance of the sandwich composites.
Shift operators for the classical groups

Shift operators S were f i r s t introduced and applied to U(n) by Nagel and Moshinsky. By definition, the action of S k (resp. S k) on a semimaximal vector produces another semimaxima~ vector with the k-th weight component shifted down (resp. up) by unity. Thus these S provide an expl ici t algorithm for the construction of a basis in the irreducible representation space. By using the concept of tensor operators due to Louck and Biedenharn I obtain simple expressions for the S for all classical groups. The importance of adequate notation cannot be over-emphasized. I use the notation of Nwachuku and Rashid and extend their unified treatment of symplectic and orthogonal groups to the unitary groups by simply requiring the symbol E a to vanish and the indices to range from l to n for U(n). References to all authors are given in my paper, J. Math. Phys. 19, I173 (1978). Of those vectors contained in the representation space (specified by the highest weight f) of the group the maximal vector (specified by the highest weight f) of a subgroup is called the semimaximal vector If;f>. The group and subgroup are respective ly U(n)~U(n-l), O(2n+l)~O(2n), Sp(2n)~Sp(2n-2) and O(2n)~O(2n-l). The U(n-l) subgroup is obtained by omitting one from the range of indices; the O(2n) subgroup by omitting zero; the Sp(2n-2) subgroup by omitting ±l; the O(2n-l) subgroup by omitting ±l and reinstating zero via G~= (G~+Gbl)/~.The shift operators may be defined by (plus for S = S k, minus for S = Sk; all indices in subgroup range)
Thermodilution measurement of lung water.

SUMMARY The detection and measurement of pulmonary edema by the thermal-dye method appears to be accurate and reproducible under specified laboratory conditions. The ETV, which represents the difference in distribution volumes of the diffusible (thermal) indicator and the intravascular (green dye) indicator, should closely estimate the ELM (ETV = 0.984 ELM). Experimental measurements of ETV have shown a very good correlation with ELM, with a tendency for overestimation in normal lungs and underestimation in severely edematous lungs. In contrast to previous measurements using isotopic water methods, thermal-dye measurements have revealed that the estimation of ELM by ETV in severe edema (alveolar flooding) does not plateau. The limitations of the thermal-dye technique reflect the evenness of lung perfusion. Depending on their size and number, emboli produce perfusion defects and reduce ETV. Airway injury also reduces ETV, apparently by redistribution of blood flow. Alterations of ETV by hemodynamic factors suggest that reduction in perfusion pressure may be more significant than changes in flow, although more data are needed. Atelectasis without a reduction in blood flow does not decrease ETV. PEEP may increase ETV when lung injury is not uniform, perhaps by redistributing blood flow, and this maneuver may be useful in detecting underestimation of ELM. Position of the thermistor produces the greatest degree of variability by distorting the thermodilution curve and prolonging the MIT. This results in an increased ETV and an overestimation of ELM. In laboratory studies, the measurements of ETV can be validated by gravimetric analyses of lung water. Since this method of validation is not possible in clinical studies, measurements of ETV in patients must be interpreted in light of limitations demonstrated in the laboratory. Suggestions for avoiding the most common errors in measuring ETV are listed in Table 3.
Steganographic Communication via Spread Optical Noise: A Link-Level Eavesdropping Resilient System

We are witnessing a rising concern over communication security and privacy. Conventional cryptography techniques encrypt data into unreadable codes, but still expose the existence of communications through metadata information (e.g., packet timing and size). In contrast, we propose a steganographic communication scheme adopting a novel combination of the intrinsic optical noise and a unique signal spreading technique to hide the existence of optical communications, i.e., optical steganography. We experimentally implement a prototype steganographic communication system, which requires zero cover-signal overhead to enable a stealth communication channel over the existing communication infrastructure. Both the frequency and time-domain characterizations of our prototype implementation verify the feasibility of our approach. We also demonstrate the first practical steganographic communication that provides reliable communication performances between real computers at the application layer (200–300 Mb/s file transfer rate and 25–30 Mb/s Internet data rate) over long-distance optic fibers (25–50 km). Additional bit-error-rate measurements illustrate negligible channel interference between the public and stealth communications (less than 1 dB power penalty). We further quantitatively demonstrate that the eavesdropper's chance of matching system parameters to effectively recover the stealth signal is ${2^{-10}}$ by random guessing, and that the eavesdropper's ability of detecting the stealth signal hidden in the transmission channel is strictly limited close to a random guess. Our steganographic communication scheme provides an attractive foundation for mitigating eavesdropping at the link level; thus, paving the way for future privacy-enhancing technologies using the physical layer characteristics of communication links.
Weight Loss Strategies Used by Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets: Implication for Student Health and Wellness Services.

Abstract Background: Maintaining a healthy weight is a military requirement for the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. Male and female soldiers often have different approaches to maintai...
Investigation of an Energy Efficient Pump Speed Control Algorithm For Controlling Sump Level

This paper explores a new nonlinear control algorithm for variable speed centrifugal pumps at water/wastewater pump stations that leads to specific energy savings over the conventional linear one. The algorithm is useful for facilities where pump speed is a linear function of liquid level in order to transport fluid and smooth inflow peaks. A nonlinearity in the form of a quadratic term is added to the conventional linear one in order to produce efficiency gains, with a single parameter, curvature, varied to optimize energy savings. Results obtained by implementing the new algorithm on a pilot-scale pump station show significant energy savings for fixed pump flow, with a parabolic correlation of specific energy savings versus curvature of the nonlinear quadratic determined. In addition, the cost of implementing this algorithm is minimal to none, so the work presented has major industrial potential.
Ocular biopharmaceutics: impact of modeling and simulation on topical ophthalmic formulation development

The estimation of ocular pharmacokinetics (PK) in various eye tissues is limited because of sampling challenges. Computational modeling and simulation (M&S) tools underpinning the elucidation of drug access routes and prediction of ocular exposure are essential for the mechanistic assessment of biopharmaceutics in the eye. Therefore, theoretical and experimental evaluation of ocular absorption and transit models is necessary. Biopharmaceutical parameter sensitivity analysis based on permeability and drug dose illustrates utility in ocular drug delivery assessment, which could have innovative and cost-saving impacts on ophthalmic product development and therapeutic bioequivalence (BE) evaluations.
Sex Differences in Effects of Obesity on Reproductive Hormones and Glucose Metabolism in Early Puberty.

CONTEXT Obesity is known to impact reproductive function in adults, but little is known about its effects on reproductive hormones during puberty. OBJECTIVE To assess sex differences in effects of obesity on reproductive hormones and their relation to insulin sensitivity and secretion. DESIGN Cross-sectional study including anthropometrics, serum and urine reproductive hormone concentrations, and intravenous glucose tolerance testing (IVGTT) to assess acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg), and insulin sensitivity (Si). SETTING Outpatient academic clinical research center. PATIENTS Girls (52%) and boys (48%) who were normal weight (NW; n = 51, BMI-Z score = -0.11 ± 0.77, age = 11.5 ± 1.7 years) and obese (n = 53, BMI-Z score = 2.22 ± 0.33, age = 10.9 ± 1.5 years), Tanner stage 2 to 3. RESULTS Boys with obesity had lower total testosterone (P < 0.0001) and higher concentrations of the urinary estradiol metabolite, E1c, (P = 0.046) than boys with NW. Girls with obesity had higher free androgen index (FAI; P = 0.03) than NW girls. Both boys and girls with obesity had lower sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG; P < 0.0001) than NW. AIRg was inversely related to SHBG in boys (R = 0.6, P < 0.0001) and girls (R = 0.53, P = 0.0001). Si correlated with higher SHBG in boys (R2 = 0.67, P < 0.0001) and girls (R = 0.5, P = 0.0003), higher total testosterone for boys (R = 0.39, P = 0.01), and lower FAI for girls (R = -0.2, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION Youth with obesity have lower SHBG than youth with NW, but obesity has differential effects on reproductive hormones in girls versus boys, which are apparent early in puberty. Ongoing longitudinal studies will evaluate the impact of obesity on reproductive hormones in girls and boys as puberty progresses.
Metabolic acidosis augments exercise pressor responses in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients experience augmented blood pressure (BP) reactivity during exercise that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Exaggerated exercise...
Karl Llewellyn's Fading Imprint on the Jurisprudence of the Uniform Commercial Code

When Karl Llewellyn directed the creation of the Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.), he naturally wanted to implement his jurisprudential ideas. He succeeded in giving the U.C.C. at least five important features inspired by Legal Realism. In particular, as a result of his influence, the U.C.C.: (1) favored open-ended standards over firm rules; (2) avoided formalities; (3) required and facilitated the "purposive interpretation" of its provisions; (4) did not attempt to provide an exclusive statement of the law, but instead directed courts to supplement its rules with general legal and equitable principles; and (5) provided a range of remedies that principally served to make injured parties whole. In recent years, the U.C.C. has undergone considerable expansion and revision. Article 2A on leases of goods and Article 4A on funds transfers have been added. Articles 2A, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 have been extensively revised. Moreover, drafts of new versions of Articles 1, 2, and 2A are currently in the works. This article contends that these substantial additions and revisions have done more than merely alter and augment the legal rules in the U.C.C. They have had the additional effect of diminishing Llewellyn's jurisprudential contributions. The modern drafters and revisers of the U.C.C. have not strived to retain the five legislative features identified above. Indeed, in some instances, they specifically have rejected them and the philosophy behind them.
Space Technology Applications for Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

Outer space, as the ultimate high ground, offers potential for contributing towards maritime domain awareness, which is dependent on Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). This resea...
Survey of Occupational and Environmental Exposure Monitoring Solutions.

INTRODUCTION Service members are exposed to ambient airborne pollutants that have been linked to adverse health effects; however, capabilities to identify and characterize exposures across multi-domain operations are currently lacking. Occupational and environmental exposure monitoring is problematic because there is not a single simple solution, and current technological limitations suggest that simultaneous deployment of multiple devices may be the most effective near-term strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A broad industry scan of wearable, handheld, or portable occupational and environmental exposure monitoring devices was conducted, and subject matter experts were interviewed about the state of the field. RESULTS This survey identified limitations including the inability to detect multiple analytes or analyte classes, size and weight, and detection limits, but multiple implementation strategies could be employed to meet a variety of combat needs. Device types could be layered, or specific device types could be deployed in acute toxic exposure environments such as dense urban population centers or subterranean spaces. CONCLUSIONS Evolving technologies and data management strategies may advance personal exposure monitoring in the future. These new devices and methods will likely supplant current technologies, while still using the programmatic and data framework established with early implementation of current commercial off the shelf devices.
Intergovernmental Costs of Political Gridlock: Local Government Cash Flow Smoothing during State Budgetary Delays:

Political gridlock in state legislature often leads to a failure in adopting a budget by the start of a fiscal year. This article examines the intergovernmental implication of late state budgets, s...
Operative Treatment of a Superior Cerebellar Artery Perforator Dissecting Aneurysm

Background and importance Superior cerebellar artery (SCA) perforator aneurysms are extremely rare, with only one other case published in the literature. There is no conclusive management strategy for these aneurysms, although endovascular treatment, open surgical treatment with clipping, and antifibrinolytic administration with spontaneous thrombosis have all been discussed. Clinical presentation A 61-yr-old male presented with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) primarily in the posterior fossa. He was found to have a dissecting left SCA perforator aneurysm lying on the floor of the fourth ventricle. The aneurysm was not amenable to endovascular treatment, and antifibrinolytic therapy failed to spontaneously thrombose the aneurysm. We performed a suboccipital craniotomy and used a supracerebellar transvermian approach to resect the aneurysm. There was total obliteration of the aneurysm on postoperative cerebral angiogram. Conclusion SCA perforator aneurysms represent an extremely uncommon subset of intracranial aneurysms. The best therapeutic strategy has yet to be definitively proven. When pursuing surgical treatment, the supracerebellar transvermian navigated approach can be a useful and safe option, as described and illustrated in this video.
Big Data Analytics and the Struggle for Equity in Health Care: The Promise and Perils

Big data is both a product and a function of technology and the ever-growing analytic and computational power. The potential impact of big data in health care innovation cannot be ignored. The technology-mediated transformative potential of big data is taking place within the context of historical inequities in health and health care. Although big data analytics, properly applied, hold great potential to target inequities and reduce disparities, we believe that the realization of this potential requires us to explicitly address concerns of fairness, equity, and transparency in the development of big data tools. To mitigate potential sources of bias and inequity in algorithmic decision-making, a multipronged and interdisciplinary approach is required, combining insights from data scientists and domain experts to design algorithmic decision-making approaches that explicitly account and correct for these issues.
Bonsai: high-performance adaptive merge tree sorting

Sorting is a key computational kernel in many big data applications. Most sorting implementations focus on a specific input size, record width, and hardware configuration. This has created a wide array of sorters that are optimized only to a narrow application domain. In this work we show that merge trees can be implemented on FPGAs to offer state-of-the-art performance over many problem sizes. We introduce a novel merge tree architecture and develop Bonsai, an adaptive sorting solution that takes into consideration the off-chip memory bandwidth and the amount of on-chip resources to optimize sorting time. FPGA programmability allows us to leverage Bonsai to quickly implement the optimal merge tree configuration for any problem size and memory hierarchy. Using Bonsai, we develop a state-of-the-art sorter which specifically targets DRAM-scale sorting on AWS EC2 F1 instances. For 4-32 GB array size, our implementation has a minimum of 2.3x, 1.3x, 1.2x and up to 2.5x, 3.7x, 1.3x speedup over the best designs on CPUs, FPGAs, and GPUs, respectively. Our design exhibits 3.3x better bandwidth-efficiency compared to the best previous sorting implementations. Finally, we demonstrate that Bonsai can tune our design over a wide range of problem sizes (megabyte to terabyte) and memory hierarchies including DDR DRAMs, high-bandwidth memories (HBMs) and solid-state disks (SSDs).
Enthalpic and entropic contributions to the basicity of cycloalkylamines.

Large-ring cycloalkylamines are slightly less basic than other cycloalkylamines such as cyclohexylamine, even though all have tetrahedral carbons and are strain-free. To understand why, enthalpy and entropy for protonation of a series of cycloalkylamines were accurately determined by isothermal titration calorimetry in 3 : 1 methanol–water. The study required resolving a discrepancy between these measurements and those in pure water. The data show that the lower basicity of large-ring cycloalkylamines is not due to enthalpy but to a more negative entropy of protonation. Computations show that this can be attributed in part to an entropy of conformational mixing, but the dominant contribution is steric hindrance to solvation, also corroborated by computation.
Copolymer Surfactant Poloxamer 188 Accelerates Post-axonotemetic Sciatic Nerve Regeneration

Trauma-mediated peripheral nerve axon injury invariably involves structural alteration of the axonal plasmalemma cell membrane. Increased axonal membrane permeability to electrolytes results in metabolic stress and axonal degeneration if the axon does not seal. Poloxamer 188 (P188) is a linear multiblock copolymer composed of a hydrophobic polyoxypropylene (POP) block in the middle with polyethylene glycol (PEG) blocks on both ends. The central POP block concentrates at sites of cell membrane disruption and catalyzes sealing of disrupted cellular membranes. We tested the hypothesis that intravenously administered P188 (9800 Da, 0.2 mM) can accelerate distal axon recovery after sciatic nerve crush injury using an established axonotemetic model. A crush injury was performed on the sciatic nerve of thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were randomized to receive either 0.2 mM P188 or Dextran, administered 1 h after crush injury. Compound nerve action potentials (CNAP) and density of neurofilament distal to the point of injury were analyzed on post-crush day (PCD) 4, 14, and 21. A significant improvement in axonal conduction for animals treated with P188 was observed for PCD 4 and PCD 14 (p < 0.01). The segment of axon distal to the site of injury in the P188-treated group demonstrated significant increase in nerve fiber density on PCD4 (p < 0.01). Therefore, a single dose of intravenous P188 administered 1 h after crush injury to rat sciatic nerve resulted in more rapid structural and functional nerve recovery. Nerve injuries are common in day-to-day physical trauma. On a molecular level, nerve injury is precipitated by damage to the nerve’s cell membrane, which disrupts the delicate balance of the cellular environment and leads to cell death. There are molecules that can repair ruptured cell membranes by inserting themselves into it and effectively resealing the cell. Copolymer P188 is one such molecules which can be injected intravenously and selectively targets injured cell membranes. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that copolymer P188 injected intravenously into rats following peripheral nerve injury could facilitate the functional recovery of the nerve.
Design and analysis of three Q-band Feed Horns for Radio astronomy applications

Three different feed horn antennas for radio astronomy applications are presented in this paper. Feed structures including Choked ring horn, conical corrugated horn, and exponentially shaped quad-ridged horn are designed and simulated. Circular waveguide with same diameter is used for exciting the dominant TE11 mode in the input of all proposed antennas. The performance of each feed horn regarding the beamwidth, gain, cross polarization and side lobe levels are investigated in Q-band frequency range.
Annotation-free 3D segmentation of prostate glands enabled with deep-learning image translation

Glandular architecture is currently the basis for the Gleason grading of prostate biopsies. To visualize and computationally analyze glandular features in large 3D pathology datasets, we developed an annotation-free segmentation method for 3D prostate glands that relies upon synthetic 3D immunofluorescence (IF) enabled by generative adversarial networks. By using a fluorescent analog of H and E (cheap and fast stain) as an input, our strategy allows for accurate glandular segmentation that does not rely upon subjective and tedious human annotations or slow and expensive 3D immunolabeling. We aim to demonstrate that this 3D segmentation will enable improved prostate cancer prognostication.
Machine Learning and Deep Learning in Genetics and Genomics

In this chapter, we introduce various machine learning (ML) methods and deep learning (DL) algorithms, commonly adopted in genomics data analysis. We begin with a general introduction of genomics data and present a multi-omics study investigating early childhood oral health. We then review statistical methods and ML/DL methods and their application in genomics data analysis that include the following aspects: (1) association between genetic markers, mostly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and complex diseases or traits in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), (2) copy number variation (CNV), and single nucleotide variant (SNV) calling in whole genome sequencing (WGS) or whole exome sequencing (WES) data of tumor samples, (3) association between DNA methylation status and phenotypes, which are commonly referred to as epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS), (4) analysis of genome-wide high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, (5) inference related to transcription factor binding sites (TF), and (6) single-cell RNA-seq data analysis. To complete the review, we present the results of a systematic review of the machine learning landscape in oral diseases. We conclude with a discussion of potential future applications of ML/DL in genetics and genomics in oral health.
Histone H3K36me2-specific methyltransferase ASH1L is required for the MLL-AF9-induced leukemogenesis

ASH1L and MLL1 are two histone methyltransferases that facilitate transcriptional activation during normal development. However, the roles of ASH1L and its enzymatic activity in the development of MLL-rearranged leukemias are not fully elucidated in the Ash1L gene knockout animal models. In this study, we used an Ash1L conditional knockout mouse model to show that loss of ASH1L in hematopoietic progenitor cells impaired the initiation of MLL-AF9-induced leukemic transformation in vitro. Furthermore, genetic deletion of ASH1L in the MLL-AF9-transformed cells impaired the maintenance of leukemic cells in vitro and largely blocked the leukemia progression in vivo. Importantly, the loss of ASH1L function in the Ash1L-deleted cells could be rescued by wild-type but not the catalytic-dead mutant ASH1L, suggesting the enzymatic activity of ASH1L was required for its function in promoting MLL-AF9-induced leukemic transformation. At the molecular level, ASH1L enhanced the MLL-AF9 target gene expression by directly binding to the gene promoters and modifying the local histone H3K36me2 levels. Thus, our study revealed the critical functions of ASH1L in promoting the MLL-AF9-induced leukemogenesis, which provides a molecular basis for targeting ASH1L and its enzymatic activity to treat MLL-arranged leukemias.
Differential effects of eplerenone versus amlodipine on muscle metaboreflex function in hypertensive humans.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that sympathetic nervous system overactivation during exercise in hypertensive rodents and humans is due, in part, to an exaggerated reflex response known as the exercise pressor reflex. Our prior studies have implicated a key role of mineralocorticoid receptor activation in mediating an augmented exercise pressor reflex in spontaneously hypertensive rats, which is mitigated by blockade with eplerenone. However, the effect of eplerenone on exercise pressor reflex has not been assessed in human hypertension. Accordingly, the authors performed a randomized crossover study to compare the effects of eplerenone to another antihypertensive drug from a different class amlodipine on sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in 14 patients with uncomplicated hypertension. The authors found that amlodipine unexpectedly augmented the increase in SNA during the second minute of isometric handgrip, which persisted into the post-exercise circulatory arrest period (∆ SNA, from rest of 15 ± 2 vs. 9 ± 2 vs. 10 ± 2 bursts/min, amlodipine vs. baseline vs. eplerenone, respectively, p < .01), suggesting an exaggerated muscle metaboreflex function. Eplerenone did not alter sympathetic responses to exercise or post-exercise circulatory arrest in the same hypertensive individuals. In conclusions, our studies provide the first direct evidence for a potentially unfavorable potentiation of muscle metaboreflex by amlodipine during isometric handgrip exercise in hypertensive patients whereas eplerenone has no significant effect. Our study may have clinical implications in terms of selection of antihypertensive agents that have the least detrimental effects on sympathetic neural responses to isometric exercise.
Dialogue Sustained: The First Twenty Years of Amos Yong’s Theology

The arrival of the twentieth anniversary of the publication of Amos Yong’s first major work is an occasion especially ripe for assessing his voluminous theological contributions. That first book, Discerning the Spirit(s): A Pentecostal-Charismatic Contribution to Christian Theology of Religions, became the first installment in Yong’s sustained engagement with the relationships among Christianity and other religions. It also gave readers the first substantive insight into the methodological engine of not only Yong’s theology of religions but also of his investigation of all of the major topics that have surfaced in his work since then—including religion and science, theology and disability studies, political theology, and theological interpretation of Luke-Acts.
Lifestyle considerations in multiple myeloma

As the prognosis for multiple myeloma (MM) has significantly improved and patients remain on therapy longer, there is a need for supportive care interventions to optimize patient quality of life (QOL) and functional status over the course of cancer treatment. MM is characterized by a significant symptom burden and a relatively lower QOL compared to other cancers. This review evaluates the role of healthy lifestyle behaviors in improving both the physical functioning and psychological well-being of the MM population. We (1) describe the current literature on physical activity, weight management, diet, sleep, and substance use in the context of MM, (2) present important considerations for incorporating lifestyle factors into clinical practice, and (3) identify directions for future research. Developing MM-specific guidelines for modifiable lifestyle changes that take into account both the length of treatment and the unique disease features (i.e. osteolytic lesions and anemia) may provide a promising path for improved patient QOL and functioning.
Generalized Spectral Estimation

This paper provides a framework for estimating parameters in a wide class of dynamic rational expectations models. The framework recognizes that RE models are often meant to match the data only in limited ways. In particular, interest may focus on a subset of frequencies. This paper designs a frequency domain version of GMM. The estimator has several advantages over traditional GMM. Aside from allowing band-restricted estimation, it does not require making arbitrary instrument or weighting matrix choices. The framework also includes least squares, maximum likelihood and band restricted maximum likelihood as special cases.
Spore Germination in Strains of Dictyostelium discoideum and Other Members of the Dictyosteliaceae

Spores of all strains of Dictyostelium discoideum tested in this study germinated after a heat shock of 45 C for 30 min. Whereas the strains differed in their rates of germination, the rate for each strain was constant. A correlation existed between the rate of germination and the rate of vegetative growth when spores were inoculated into bacterial streaks. Heat shock clearly increased spore germination in D. purpureum, but the response was less dramatic than in D. discoideum. Enhancement also occurred in D. rosarium, but only in media containing peptone. Strains of D. mucoroides gave varied responses, and these could be divided into those which required mutrients for spore germination and those which did not. The spores of Polysphondylium pallidum were resistant to mild heat (45 C), but were not activated; peptone was required for germination. In contrast, the microcysts of this species were heat-labile and required no added nutrients for excystment.
Component‐Based Systems

Human-engineered physical devices such as cars and appliances and computers, as well as naturally occurring physical objects such as forests and galaxies and nerve bundles, are often called “systems.” Both this word and the thinking that underlies it are crucial features of modern software engineering as well. Software systems, however, are purely symbolic entities that have meaning and intellectual interest even without a physical manifestation. Component-based systems in physical engineering and in software engineering therefore have many common features, yet differ in important and sometimes subtle ways. The characteristics of component-based software engineering as currently practiced can be approached from two different perspectives. One explanation is based on the relationship to fundamental principles of system design. In this view, the key features of component-based software engineering could have developed simply as inevitable consequences of applying general “system thinking” to software systems. Another explanation is based on observing the history of two related branches of software engineering research. In this view, the key features of component-based software engineering actually have resulted from a melding of the concurrent but curiously separate activities of two communities: advances in software reuse research and common off-the-shelf (COTS) component technology, and advances in object-oriented (OO) technology. This article begins by exploring the fundamental similarities and differences between component-based systems in the physical world and those in the software world. It then uses that analysis and a summary of component-based software research as a basis for understanding the currently unfolding transition from second-generation to third-generation OO technology: the integration of component-based software concepts into modern software practice, which relies on the identification and use of “objects”. Keywords: physical systems; component-based systems; information hiding; information abstraction; software systems; advances; object-oriented software; first generation; second generation; third generation
Agarose Gel Separation/Isolation of RNA‐Protein Complexes

In many methods currently used to analyze RNA-protein complexes, high salt or other stringent treatments are required for reducing nonspecific interactions and resolving the complex of interest. RNA-protein complexes often dissociate on native polyacrylamide gels and can only be detected on density gradients or by gel filtration. Agarose gel electrophoresis provides an alternative method that is simple, rapid, and can have high resolution of RNA-protein complexes. Moreover, the use of low-melting point agarose for the fractionation readily allows for the isolation of the RNA species in each complex detected on the native gel.
Allelopathy in black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) alley cropping. I. Spatio-temporal variation in soil juglone in a black walnut-corn (Zea mays L.) alley cropping system in the midwestern USA

A study was conducted to quantify the spatial and temporal variation in soil juglone (5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) in a 10-year-old black walnut (Juglans nigra L.)–corn (Zea mays L.) alley cropping system. Two treatments (‘root barrier’ and ‘no barrier’) were applied to determine if soil juglone in the alley can be minimized by preventing black walnut root growth into the alley. Although no significant seasonal variation in soil juglone existed, a distinct spatial pattern was observed. Juglone concentration decreased as much as 80% as the distance increased to 4.25 m from the tree row. Installation of polyethylene root barriers minimized juglone concentration to trace levels in the alley. However, this treatment increased juglone levels within the tree row as compared to the ‘no barrier’ treatment, probably as a result of increased rooting density within a limited volume of soil.
Interaction of Mutations Affecting Growth Rate and Resistance to Streptomycin in Pneumococci and Streptococci

Krauss, Marjorie R. (New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y.), James C. King, and Rody P. Cox. Interaction of mutations affecting growth rate and resistance to streptomycin in pneumococci and streptococci. J. Bacteriol. 92:1337-1344. 1966.-A strain of Streptococcus (Viridans group) was shown by transformation reactions to be the carrier of two interacting mutations. One produced resistance to streptomycin and a slow rate of growth; the only effect of the second was an increase in growth rate when it was added by transformation to streptococcal strains that had already been transformed to bear the first. Similar modifying mutations were observed in strains of streptococci and pneumococci into which the first mutation had been introduced by transformation.
Production of Planetary Nebulae

For various reasons, we have been studying evolution in the pre-white dwarf phase at Rochester. Our attention to the relevance of this work to planetary nebulae came as a result of calculations of the evolution of a one solar-mass iron star carried out at Rochester by S. Vila. Here the neutrino processes drive the peak luminosity to log L/L ⊙ = 4.26, at an effective temperature logT eff = 5.53. Although these models are brighter than 100 L ⊙ for 500000 years, they are brighter than 1000 L ⊙ for 4000 years, and exceed 10000 L ⊙ for 900 years. We are therefore near the luminosity of the planetary-nebula nuclei, but considerably hotter, for a period of the order of the planetary lifetimes. Except for the temperature discrepancy, these models are in rough agreement with the observationally determined evolutionary sequence found by O’Dell (1963) and by Harman and Seaton (1964) and Seaton (1966).
Transmission line matching of surface coils.

Tuning of surface coils is often difficult to accomplish in vivo since the exact coil loading is impossible to prediet in advance. This technical difficulty was obviated through use of a transmission line matching scheme. This technique has been successfully used at a variety of frequencies for imaging and spectroscopy. © 1986 Academic Press, Inc.