cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SSTR2-based reporter imaging in a rabbit VX2 tumor model

308 Objectives To compare gene expression after intra-arterial and intra-tumoral delivery of adenovirus expressing a SSTR2-based reporter gene in a large animal tumor model as a bridge to clinical translation. Methods Nine New Zealand white rabbits bearing VX2 tumors in each thigh were randomly injected either intra-arterially or intra-tumorally with adenovirus containing a human somatostatin receptor type 2A (Ad-CMV-HA-SSTR2A) gene chimera or control adenovirus containing green fluorescent protein (Ad-CMV-GFP). Three days after gene delivery, 111In-octreotide was administered after CT imaging and tumoral uptake of the 111In-octreotide was evaluated the following day using a gamma camera. This procedure was repeated on nine additional rabbits to investigate longitudinal gene expression at five and fourteen days after adenovirus injection. Excised tissue samples were also evaluated to determine octreotide biodistribution. A two-sided student’s paired t test was used to compare transgene activity. Results VX2 tumors infected with Ad-CMV-HA-SSTR2 accumulated significantly higher concentrations of radioactivity as compared to tumors infected with the control virus (P Conclusions Transgene expression of SSTR2-based reporters can be visualized after both intra-arterial and intra-tumoral delivery in a large animal tumor model. This is the first SSTR2-based reporter imaging of which we are aware in a large animal model. Research Support National Cancer Institute (R21 CA123841-010), John S. Dunn Research Foundation, and NIH Cancer Center Support grant (CA016672)
How do designers generate new ideas? Design heuristics across two disciplines

Research supports the central role cognitive strategies can play in successful concept generation by individual designers. Design heuristics have been shown to facilitate the creation of new design concepts in the early, conceptual stage of the design process, as well as throughout the development of ideas. However, we know relatively little about their use in differing disciplines. This study examined evidence of design heuristic use in a protocol study with 12 mechanical engineers and 12 industrial designers who worked individually to develop multiple concepts. The open-ended design problem was for a novel product, and the designers’ sketches and comments were recorded as they worked on the problem for 25 min and in a retrospective interview. The results showed frequent use of design heuristics in both disciplines and a significant relationship to the rated creativity of the concepts. Though industrial designers used more heuristics in their concepts, there was a high degree of similarity in heuristic use. Some differences between design disciplines were observed in the choice of design heuristics, where industrial designers showed a greater emphasis on user experience, environmental contexts, and added features. These findings demonstrate the prevalence of design heuristics in individual concept generation and their effectiveness in generating creative concepts, across two design domains.
Polytypism in LaOBi S 2 -type compounds based on different three-dimensional stacking sequences of two-dimensional Bi S 2 layers

$\mathrm{LaOBi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$-type materials have drawn much attention recently because of various interesting physical properties, such as low-temperature superconductivity, hidden spin polarization, and electrically tunable Dirac cones. However, it was generally assumed that each $\mathrm{LaOBi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$-type compound has a unique and specific crystallographic structure (with a space group $P4$/nmm) separated from other phases. Using first-principles total energy and stability calculations we confirm that the previous assignment of the $P4$/nmm structure to $\mathrm{LaOBi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ is incorrect. Furthermore, we find that the unstable structure is replaced by a family of energetically closely spaced modifications (polytypes) differing by the layer sequences and orientations. We find that the local Bi-S distortion leads to three polytypes of $\mathrm{LaOBi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ with different stacking patterns of the distorted $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ layers. The energy difference between the polytypes of $\mathrm{LaOBi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ is merely \ensuremath{\sim}1 meV/u.c., indicating the possible coexistence of all polytypes in the real sample and that the particular distribution of polytypes may be growth induced. The in-plane distortion can be suppressed by pressure, leading to a phase transition from polytypes to the high-symmetry $P4$/nmm structure with a pressure larger than 2.5 GPa. In addition, different choices of the intermediate atoms (replacing La) or active atoms ($\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$) could also manifest different ground-state structures. One can thus tune the distortion and the ground state by pressure or by substituting covalence atoms in the $\mathrm{LaOBi}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ family.
Effective use of mixed methods in African livelihoods research

Geographic research on livelihoods often requires the use of mixed methods. While many research projects state their intent to use ‘mixed methods,’ in reality they use ‘multiple’ methods based solidly on either quantitative methods or qualitative methods, adding some of the other to be called ‘mixed methods.’ This paper presents a case study of mixed-methods research on livelihoods and urban agriculture in Nairobi, Kenya as an example of how to apply key principles of research design and analysis. Our study used qualitative interviews, household surveys, focus groups, biophysical sampling, and feedback workshops, integrating not only qualitatively and quantitatively derived data, but also social and biophysical data. We argue that effective mixed-methods research requires adaptability in terms of integrating qualitative and quantitative data sources as well as use of the time in the field.
Lung inflammation stalls Th17-cell migration en route to the central nervous system during the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Recruiting pathogenic T cells to the central nervous system (CNS) is a critical step during the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Here, we report that the absence of autophagy and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3-associated phagocytosis significantly delayed the onset of EAE in Atg7 conditional knockout (Atg7 CKO) mice in myeloid cells. T-helper cell-cell priming appeared to be normal in the Atg7 CKO mice, but the mice showed significant accumulation of Th17 cells in the lung. The data suggested that the stalling of Th17 cells in the lung en route to the CNS caused the delay. The lung of Atg7 CKO mice, in which we previously demonstrated spontaneous mild inflammation, showed high expression of CCL20, a chemokine that attracts Th17 cells. We have also shown that LPS intranasal instillation delayed EAE onset, suggesting that pulmonary inflammation has an impact on EAE development. Based on our data, therapeutic immunomodulation targeted to the lung, rather than systemically, might be a possible future option to treat multiple sclerosis.
Polydiacetylene Incorporated with Peptide Receptors for the Detection of Trinitrotoluene Explosives

Because of their unique optical and stimuli-response properties, polydiacetylene-based platforms have been explored as an alternative to complex mechanical and electrical sensing systems. We linked chromic responsive polydiacetylene (PDA) onto a peptide-based molecular recognition element for trinitrotoluene (TNT) molecules in order to provide a system capable of responding to the presence of a TNT target. We first identified the trimer peptide receptor that could induce chromic changes on a PDA backbone. We then investigated the multivalent interactions between TNT and our peptide-based receptor by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We further characterized various parameters that affected the conjugated PDA system and hence the chromic response, including the size of end-group motifs, the surface density of receptors, and the length of alkane side chains. Taking these necessary design parameters into account, we demonstrated a modular system capable of transducing small-molecule TNT binding into a detectable signal. Our conjugated PDA-based sensor coupled with molecular recognition elements has already proven useful recently in the development of another sensitive and selective electronic sensor, though we expect that our results will also be valuable in the design of colorimetric sensors for small-molecule detection.
Effects of Alumina Thickness on CO Oxidation Activity over Pd20/Alumina/Re(0001): Correlated Effects of Alumina Electronic Properties and Pd20 Geometry on Activity

The CO oxidation activity of size-selected Pd20 clusters deposited on alumina films grown on Re(0001) is shown to depend strongly on the film thickness in the 0 to 10 nm range. For the reaction conditions of these experiments, binding and activation of O2 is shown to be the limiting process, which can be varied by a factor of 2 by tuning the alumina film thickness, due to effects on both the electronic structure of the alumina film and the morphology of the supported Pd clusters. The alumina films are shown to be doped with Re atoms diffusing from the Re(0001) substrate, leading to a strong dependence of the surface electronic properties on alumina thickness, which in turn, results in the observed thickness-dependent activity of the Pd20.
Study on Floating Prior Probability MLC Based on Spatial Features and Local Spatial Autocorrelation

The spatial and spectral information in remote sensing data should be exploited to improve classification precision.Unfortunately,the spatial information is neglected in most traditional remote sensing classification methods.Considering two stages probability method of maximum likelihood classification(MLC),this article proposed a new method of exploiting spatial information to improve classification rules by adjusting the prior probability according to the local spatial information.The local or global spatial features of typical ground targets were analyzed,and there were four principles proposed to decide the prior probability,including spatial geometrical features,local spatial autocorrelation law,contextual knowledge,and landscape parameters.An algorithm was designed to exploit the spatial features and prior knowledge to adjust the prior probability of MLC.The experimental classification was carried out,the classification error matrices and its precision results showed that the floating prior probability MLC method proposed in this article could integrate ground targets' spatial knowledge with spectral information,and overcome the flaws of traditional pixel-based classification methods,such as minimum distance,MLC,and that the classification precision was improved greatly.
Distinct Subpopulations of Human Peripheral Blood Monocytes Characterized by Absence of the CD14 Surface Marker, and Distinguished by High or Low Intracellular Glutathione

The tripeptide glutathione (GSH) is the most prevalent intracellular thiol [1]. Among its many functions, GSH serves as a reducing agent and an antioxidant, absorbing intracellular reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) which result from physical or chemical insults to cells [1]. ROI are also believed to be the toxic element of tumor cell cytotoxicity produced in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) [2–4]. Indeed, increased intracellular GSH protects otherwise sensitive murine fibroblasts from TNF cytotoxicity, in vitro [5], and N-acetytcysteine (NAC), a synthetic precursor of GSH, abrogates TNF cytotoxicity in rats [3].
Interleukin-4 receptor blockade prevents airway responses induced by antigen challenge in mice.

The functional role of interleukin (IL)-4 in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and pulmonary eosinophilia in response to sensitization and challenge of mice with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was examined. Control- and SRBC-sensitized A/J mice were treated with an antibody to the murine IL-4 receptor (anti-IL-4R) 3 days before intratracheal challenge with the antigen or vehicle only. Blockade of IL-4R significantly reduced antigen-induced AHR and prevented increases in goblet cells and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophils. Treatment with anti-IL-4R did not affect antigen-induced increases in lung mRNA and BAL protein levels of IL-5 and interferon-gamma or IL-4 mRNA but did significantly increase IL-4 protein levels. Antigen-induced AHR was not reduced by treatment with antibodies to the adhesion molecules, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and very late activation antigen-4. Administration of IL-4 over a 7-day period did not increase airway reactivity or induce any changes in BAL cell...
Elevated prostaglandin E metabolites and abnormal plasma fatty acids at baseline in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients: a pilot study

Abstract Background Airway inflammation is a significant contributor to the morbidity of cystic fibrosis (CF) disease. One feature of this inflammation is the production of oxygenated metabolites, such as prostaglandins. Individuals with CF are known to have abnormal metabolism of fatty acids, typically resulting in reduced levels of linoleic acid (LA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Methods This is a randomized, double-blind, cross-over clinical trial of DHA supplementation with endpoints of plasma fatty acid levels and prostaglandin E metabolite (PGE-M) levels. Patients with CF age 6–18 years with pancreatic insufficiency were recruited. Each participant completed 3 four-week study periods: DHA at two different doses (high dose and low dose) and placebo with a minimum 4 week wash-out between each period. Blood, urine, and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were collected at baseline and after each study period for measurement of plasma fatty acids as well as prostaglandin E metabolites. Results Seventeen participants were enrolled, and 12 participants completed all 3 study periods. Overall, DHA supplementation was well tolerated without significant adverse events. There was a significant increase in plasma DHA levels with supplementation, but no significant change in arachidonic acid (AA) or LA levels. However, at baseline, AA levels were lower and LA levels were higher than previously reported for individuals with CF. Urine PGE-M levels were elevated in the majority of participants at baseline, and while levels decreased with DHA supplementation, they also decreased with placebo. Conclusions Urine PGE-M levels are elevated at baseline in this cohort of pediatric CF patients, but there was no significant change in these levels with DHA supplementation compared to placebo. In addition, baseline plasma fatty acid levels for this cohort showed some difference to prior reports, including higher levels of LA and lower levels of AA, which may reflect changes in clinical care, and consequently warrants further investigation.
Cricothyrotomy: A Lesson to Be Learned

Occasionally a cricothyrotomy is the only technique that will correct an obstructed airway. Anesthesia providers must know how to perform a cricothyrotomy quickly, effectively and safely. The technique using a knife is described and case examples of when it should be used are cited.
Future of heterodyne receivers at submillimeter wavelengths

The astrophysics community is currently reflecting on the role heterodyne receivers at submillimeter wavelengths play in the next generation NASA missions. Even though they offer very high spectral resolution, they are intrinsically handicapped by quantum noise. With the proposed cold telescopes for the future NASA missions such as the SAFIR, the direct detector instruments have no longer be background noise limited, and outperform the heterodyne instruments in the sensitivity arena. In this review paper we examine these issues very carefully and describe the novel receivers being designed to make heterodyne instruments more competitive. It has shown that the heterodyne instruments still have significant roles to play in the near future.
Transient scattering from two cavities embedded in a ground plane

This work presents a numerical method for modeling electromagnetic scattering from two-dimensional cavities embedded in a perfectly conducting ground plane. First, the problem is discretized in time with Newmark's method, then solved using finite-element boundary-integral technique. A proof is presented to demonstrate that the discretized variational formulation is well-posed at each time step.
Food-related glycoaminoconjugates as potentially chemopreventive agents.

B108 Epidemiological studies suggest that the majority of human cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes including dietary modification. Increased intake of vegetables and fruits that are rich in carbohydrates is consistently associated with lower cancer risk as compared to other diet modifications. Ketosamines (KAs) represent a class of glycoaminoconjugates found in processed foods such as dried fruits and vegetables, powdered milk, etc. Two principal carbohydrate residues in most of the naturally found KAs are fructose and lactulose. Respective aminoconjugates found in processed veggies are fructosamines and those found in dry milk are lactulosamines. These compounds possess a unique chemical structure that makes them candidates for evaluation of cancer chemoprevention potential. First, fructosamines may act as powerful antioxidants, via both copper/iron chelation and reduction of oxidating species. Second, lactulosamines structurally mimic tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, such as TF-antigen, and strongly bind to tumor-associated lectins, such as galectins. Therefore, KAs, as follows from their chemical constitution, may target oxidative stress, tumor related antigens, cell adhesion and mitogenic lectins. We have investigated the anti-tumor potential of KAs against prostate and breast cancer using both in vitro and in vivo models. In vitro, fructosamines inhibited clonogenic growth of highly metastatic adenocarcinoma cell lines. KAs induced apoptosis in metastatic cells, triggered intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species and interacted with oxidative stress-inducing drugs, such as anthracyclines. Importantly, we have identified a specific fructosamine, related to tomato products, which strongly synergized with lycopene against the prostate tumor cell growth. Processed milk-related lactulosamines have demonstrated the ability to prevent cancer cell homotypic aggregation and galectin-dependent adhesion of cancer cells to endothelia, both in vitro and ex vivo. Galectin blocking by lactulosamine also protected activated T-lymphocytes. In vivo, these KAs showed significant inhibition of both primary tumors growth and metastatic lesions in the androgen-resistant Dunning 3327 rat prostate adenocarcinoma model, as well as human breast and prostate tumor xenograft murine models and enhanced efficiency of dendritic cell immunotherapy in a murine model. The therapeutic effects were observed in the KA-treated animals that obtained these glycoaminoconjugates both intraperitoneally and orally. The chemopreventive potential of a dietary KA in a rat prostate carcinogenesis model is currently under investigation; our preliminary observation is that a KA-treated group has a significantly higher survival rate as compared to the controls. Importantly, no toxicity or other side effects were detected over months of the KA treatments in any of the studied animal groups.
Molecular dynamic modeling of CYP51B in complex with azole inhibitors

Cytochrome P450 14α-sterol demethylase (CYP51), the key enzyme in sterol biosynthesis pathway, is an important target protein of cholesterol-lowering agents, antifungal drugs, and herbicides. CYP51B enzyme is one of the CYP51 family members. In the present study, we have chosen four representative inhibitors of CYP51B: diniconazole (Din), fluconazole (Flu), tebuconazole (Teb), and voriconazole (Vor), and launched to investigate the binding features of CYP51B-inhibitor and gating characteristics via molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results show that the ranking of binding affinities among these inhibitors is Din > Teb > Vor > Flu. Din shows the strongest binding affinity, whereas Flu shows the weakest binding affinity. More importantly, based on the calculated binding free energy results, we hypothesize that the nonpolar interactions are the most important contributors, and three key residues (Thr77, Ala258, and Lys454) play crucial role in protein-inhibitor binding. Besides, ...
Using developmental evaluation as a system of organizational learning: An example from San Francisco.

Abstract In the last 20 years, developmental evaluation has emerged as a promising approach to support organizational learning in emergent social programs. Through a continuous system of inquiry, reflection, and application of knowledge, developmental evaluation serves as a system of tools, methods, and guiding principles intended to support constructive organizational learning. However, missing from the developmental evaluation literature is a nuanced framework to guide evaluators in how to elevate the organizational practices and concepts most relevant for emergent programs. In this article, we describe and reflect on work we did to develop, pilot, and refine an integrated pilot framework. Drawing on established developmental evaluation inquiry frameworks and incorporating lessons learned from applying the pilot framework, we put forward the Evaluation-led Learning framework to help fill that gap and encourage others to implement and refine it. We posit that without explicitly incorporating the assessments at the foundation of the Evaluation-led Learning framework, developmental evaluation’s ability to affect organizational learning in productive ways will likely be haphazard and limited.
Induction of pitting corrosion on stainless steel (grades 304 and 316) used in dairy industry by biofilms of common sporeformers.

This study hypothesised that there may be induction of pitting corrosion or microbially-induced corrosion on stainless steel (SS) dairy-processing surfaces by biofilms of common milk sporeformers such as Bacillus sporothermodurans and Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micrographs generated from energy-dispersive spectroscopy were used to observe pitting corrosion and to find the elemental composition and distribution on the control and pitted surfaces. From SEM images and energy-dispersive spectroscopy micrographs, it was observed that pitting corrosion on SS could be induced by biofilms of both B. sporothermodurans and G. stearothermophilus.
Achievement of a negative minimal residual disease state after hypomethylating agent therapy in older patients with AML reduces the risk of relapse

Achievement of a negative minimal residual disease state after hypomethylating agent therapy in older patients with AML reduces the risk of relapse
Collapsed carbon nanotubes as building blocks for high-performance thermal materials

The influence of collapsed shape on the thermal transport of carbon nanotubes is studied by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. Nanotubes of different lengths, diameters, chiralities, and degrees of twist are simulated in the regime in which the thermal transport extends from ballistic to diffusive. In contrast with graphene nanoribbons, which are known to exhibit substantial rough-edge and cross-plain phonon scatterings, the collapsed tubes preserve the quasiballistic phononic transport encountered in cylindrical nanotubes. Stacked-collapsed nanotube architectures, closely related with the strain-induced aligned tubes occurring in stretched nanotube sheets, are shown to inherit the ultrahigh thermal conductivities of individual tubes, and are therefore proposed to form highways for efficient heat transport in lightweight composite materials.
Power Cycle Improvements and Innovations

In Chapter 8, we discussed the basic Rankine and Brayton cycles. In this chapter, we look at some cycle improvements and combinations of cycles. These improvements include reheating and regeneration of the Rankine cycle and regeneration of the Brayton cycle. Cogeneration and waste heat recovery, as well as nuclear, solar, and geothermal energy sources are all briefly examined.
Modulation of cell responses to Ag‐(MeO2MA‐co‐OEGMA): Effects of nanoparticle surface hydrophobicity and serum proteins on cellular uptake and toxicity

Nanoparticle (NP) interactions with cellular systems are influenced by both NP physico-chemical properties and the presence of surface-bound proteins that are adsorbed in biological environments. Here, we characterize cellular responses to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) functionalized with poly(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate) (poly(MeO2 MAx -co-OEGMAy )) brushes with tunable hydrophobicity and explore how these responses are modulated by the presence or absence of serum proteins. Poly(MeO2 MAx -co-OEGMAy ) with variable composition (5-10% OEGMA) was fabricated to elicit differential hydrophobicity at 37°C for AgNPs capped with these copolymers. The increase in Ag-(MeO2 MAx -co-OEGMAy ) surface hydrophobicity from (x:y) = 90:10 to (x:y) = 95:5 led to enhanced cytotoxicity of L-929 fibroblasts and a concomitant increase in cell uptake and reactive oxygen species generation in the presence of serum proteins. These responses were attenuated significantly in serum-free environments. Broad inhibition of PI3 kinase-mediated endocytosis reduced both cell uptake and cytotoxicity in the presence or absence of serum proteins. In contrast, selective inhibition of clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis markedly decreased cell uptake and cytotoxicity in response to Ag-(MeO2 MA95 -co-OEGMA5 ) exclusively in the presence of serum proteins, whereas cell responses to the more hydrophilic Ag-(MeO2 MA90 -co-OEGMA10 ) were less affected by the inhibition of these pathways with or without serum proteins. This study demonstrates an important role for both NP surface hydrophobicity and the presence of serum proteins in directing cell uptake and subsequent cellular responses, which we suggest has broad application in the design of polymer-functionalized NPs for specific biological outcomes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1061-1071, 2018.
Synthesis of Solid Catalysts with Spatially Resolved Acidic and Basic Molecular Functionalities

A synthetic procedure was developed to prepare dual acid–base catalysts on a single platform. Mesoporous SBA-15 was derivatized using known grafting chemistry via the following steps: (1) addition ...
Compatibilization of silicone/fluorosilicone blends by dynamic crosslinking and fumed silica addition

Abstract The aim of this work is to study the compatibility of silicone/fluorosilicone blends by exploring two compatibilization strategies. First, the crosslinking of the blend under shearing conditions leads to a reduction in the size of the fluorosilicone domain and hence to an effective stabilization of the morphology under shear and long time annealing. The refinement of the morphology in the dynamic crosslinking step is most likely due to a decrease in the viscosity ratio coming from preferential crosslinking of the fluorosilicone phase. However, the formation of a copolymer between silicone and fluorosilicone at the blend interface cannot be totally excluded. Secondly, the silicone/fluorosilicone blend was compatibilized by the addition of silica particles whose surface is hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Fumed hydrophilic silica allows to reduce the size of the fluorosilicone phase up to 500 nm while its hydrophobic counterpart is ineffective. This observation has been attributed to the specific hydrogen and dipolar interactions of the silicone and the CF3 group with the silanol present on the surface of the hydrophilic silica. The compatibilization mechanism is supposed to be due to a decrease in the interfacial tension and to a reduction of the coalescence phenomenon.
Performance of the MIT Silicon Vidicon Imaging System at the Telescope

A two-dimensional integrating silicon vidicon imagery system has been developed at MIT and used to record images and spectra of astronomical objects. The system is photon noise limited above the ~500 charge carrier preamplifier noise. The response is linear with Y=1.00 over a ranging 105.
Patterns in Female Age at First Marriage and Tajik Armed Conflict

The study explores the link between the 1992–1998 armed conflict in Tajikistan and women’s entry into first marriage using data from the 2003 Tajik Living Standards Measurement Survey. The estimation method is a Cox proportional hazard model specified as the differences-in-differences framework. The findings suggest that women who reached marriage age during or soon after the conflict (‘war cohort’) and lived in districts more exposed to conflict, were less likely to enter marriage at any given time compared to women from the ‘war cohort’ who lived in less-affected areas and women who reached the peak of prime marriage age before the start of the conflict. The analysis of sub-samples of women by their migration status indicates that migration during the war is one of the mechanisms explaining this delay in entering marriages.
Fluorescent Chemosensors for Cations, Anions, and Neutral Analytes

Anthrylpolyamines have proven to be a synthetically accessible yet rich source of chemosensors for a variety of ionic species in aqueous solution. The challenges that present themselves for future research in this field are intimately related to the potential applications of such compounds. Selectivity (metal ion versus anion versus proton) will continue to be of the greatest interest. It must be appreciated, however, that absolute selectivity is a theoretical impossibility; thus, useful selectivity ranges will be defined for particular applications. Excitation and emission wavelengths can, in principle, be engineered to avoid background absorption or autofluorescence; again, the range of usefulness must be defined prior to compound design. Down the road, the coupling of chemosensor with fiber optic methods to make remote sensing devices will create a whole new regime of questions relating to sensing on surfaces. All these issues, sitting resolutely at the interfaces of synthesis, coordination chemistry, and photochemistry, await definition and resolution.
Nitroarginine Reduces Infarction After Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats

Neuronal production of nitric oxide (·NO) provides a common link between two seemingly independent mechanisms of brain injury—excitatory neurotransmitters and oxygen radicals. The connection results from the recent demonstration that glutamate stimulates neurons to produce nitric oxide (Garthwaite et al. 1988). Neurons produce nitric oxide by oxidizing arginine with a calcium-activated enzyme that is physiologically activated by the N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) subclass of receptors (Garthwaite 1991). Neuronal nitric oxide helps regulate local cerebral blood flow, contributes in synaptic plasticity (Nowak 1992), and may have a role in the normal development of brain (Gaily et al. 1990). Ischemia and hypoxia initiate events that mimic the normal physiological regulation of the NMDA subclass of glutamate receptors, which may overproduce nitric oxide whentissue is reperfused. Oxidative metabolism disrupted by ischemia will produce the oxygen radical, superoxide (O2 –), that reacts with the elevated concentrations of nitric oxide to form the destructive species peroxynitrite (ONOO–) and thereby exacerbating cerebral injury.
Nonlinear Waves in Rocks

We are interested in the nonlinear interaction of frequency components in large amplitude acoustic waves in rocks. As compared to other, more ordered solids, rocks are elastically highly nonlinear. The ratio of third order elastic constants to second order elastic constants in a typical rock is orders of magnitude greater than in solids such as iron [1]. This high degree of nonlinearity means that frequency components mix and elastic energy is transferred from the fundamentals to sum and difference frequencies. There are at least three reasons for our interest in these effects in rocks. 1) Accurate models of explosion and earthquake sources may depend on understanding nonlinear elastic effects. 2) Efficient frequency mixing in a highly nonlinear elastic material could lead to a low frequency seismic source generated from two high frequency input waves. 3) Accurate measurement of nonlinear coefficients in rock would provide a sensitive probe of physical characteristics such as consolidation and saturation.
A new approach in wavelet based speech compression

This paper introduces via reflective properties of perfect reconstruction filter banks a mother wavelet related to the Daubechies orthogonal family. The construction of this wavelet is detailed, its properties are derived and its effectivness in compressing speech signals is tested. Compression parameters are computed for speech frames at level 5 Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) representation of the signals. Results are obtained and compared for Global threshold and level dependent threshold techniques. Comparisons with Signal to Noise Ratios, Peak Signal to Noise Ratios and Normalized Root Mean Square Error are also recorded.
Convection Viewed from a Turbulence Perspective

Turbulence is known as one of the outstanding unsolved problems in physics. In his 1979 paper on the evolution of ideas in turbulence Liepmann [7] wrote “The scientific study of turbulent flow spans approximately one hundred years; during that time some of the greatest names in physics, mechanics, and engineering have at one time or another taken a crack at the problem. Progress in many directions has been made, indeed significant progress. However, the ‘turbulence problem’ …remains. ”
Principles of Diagnostic Angiography

Monitoring radiation exposure is a concern for the health care worker and patients. Health care workers are usually monitored and restricted to 100 mSv effective dose every 5 years and a maximum of 50 mSv in any given year. Patients on the other hand are exposed to ever increasing utilization of radiographic procedures for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The effects of radiation exposure are cumulative and no level of exposure can be considered to be “safe.” Therefore vigilance of radiation exposure is absolutely critical in the safe performance of cardiovascular fluoroscopy.
Mathematics in Action

This opening chapter provides an introduction to the book. It also introduces a theme that integrates many of the contributions from the remaining chapters: we adopt Kant’s perspective for merging rationalist and empiricist philosophies on the construction of knowledge. In particular, we focus attention on ways that biologically based abilities and experience in the world (coordinations of sensorimotor activity) each contribute to the construction of number. Additional themes arise within the content chapters and the commentaries on them.
A PAM-8 Wireline Transceiver with Receiver Side PWM (Time-Domain) Feed Forward Equalization Operating from 12-to-39.6Gb/s in 65nm CMOS

A PAM-8 wireline transceiver with receiver-side PWM (time-domain) based feed forward equalization is presented. The receiver converts voltage modulated signals to pulse width modulated signals and processes them using delay elements. Time-to-voltage and voltage-to-time converters are designed to have non-linearity with opposite signs with the aim of achieving higher front-end linearity. The proposed PAM-8 transceiver can operate from 12.0 Gb/s to 39.6 Gb/s and compensates 14 dB loss at 6.6 GHz with an efficiency of 8.66 pJ/bit in 65nm CMOS.
Agent-Based System for Transactive Control of Smart Residential Neighborhoods

Buildings consume 74% of the total electricity produced in the United States. A significant portion of the building electric load includes heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and water heating (WH) systems. Enabling flexibility in the operations can improve overall electric grid efficiency. This paper describes a multi-agent system for supporting integration, learning, optimization, and control of HVAC and WH in supporting a future smart grid. The architecture supports a transactive-based negotiation strategy between homeowners and a microgrid controller to adjust consumption behavior and reduce electricity costs. The framework is deployed in a neighborhood and preliminary testing is underway. The agent architecture design is discussed along with the preliminary optimization results from the demonstration site.
Autonomous Vehicle Trajectory Following: A Flatness Model Predictive Control Approach With Hardware-in-the-Loop Verification

Trajectory following of autonomous vehicle is a challenging task because of the multiple constraints imposed on the plant. Therefore, Model Predictive Control (MPC) is becoming prevail in vehicle motion control as it can explicitly handle system constraints. However, MPC, grounded in real-time iterative optimization, entails a considerable computational burden for current electronic control units. To mitigate the MPC execution load, a popular strategy is to linearize the original (nonlinear) system around the current working point and then design a Linear Time-Varying MPC (LTVMPC). Nevertheless, the successive linearization introduces extra modeling errors, which may impair the control performance. Indeed, if the plant model satisfies the ‘differential flatness’ condition, it can be exactly linearized to the Brunovsky’s canonical form. In contrast to the LTV model, this newly appeared linear form reserves all the nonlinear features of the native plant model. Based on this equivalent linear system, a Flatness Model Predictive Controller (FMPC) can be formulated. FMPC on the one hand, improves the control performance over an LTVMPC because it avoids extra modeling errors from the local linearization. On the other hand, it entails a much lighter computational load versus a nonlinear MPC thanks to its linear nature. Real-time simulations conducted on a hardware-in-the-loop system indicate the advantages of the proposed FMPC in autonomous vehicle trajectory following.
Synthesis and characterization of rhenium(I) 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine tricarbonyl complexes for solar energy conversion

Abstract The synthesis of a series of rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes containing 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine (dcbpy) and various halide or pseudohalide ligands is reported. Deprotonation of the carboxylates occurs in basic medium resulting in upfield 1H NMR shifts for the protons of the carboxyl groups attached to 2,2′-bipyridine. Metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) due to dπ → π* transitions systematically shift in the halide series from 382 nm for Re(dcbpy)(CO)3F to 436 nm for Re(dcbpy)(CO)3I. The compounds emit in the 600–650 nm region and have emission lifetimes greater than 50 ns. The solar energy conversion efficiency is less than 1% when TiO2- Re(dcbpy)(CO)3X, (X = F, CN, SCN, Br, I), photoanodes are used in Gratzel cells.
Disparities in HIV-related risk and socio-economic outcomes among trans women in the sex trade and effects of a targeted, anti-sex-trafficking policy.

Abstract Introduction Marginalization of sex work presents numerous risks for trans women (TW) engaged in the sex trade, including criminalization, traumatization, and contracting HIV. We identified socio-economic and HIV risk disparities among trans women sex workers and others who do sex work (TWSW/OWSW), and evaluated these disparities for TWSW/OWSW compared to TW not engaged in sex work from pre- and post-implementation of the US 2018 “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act” and “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” (FOSTA-SESTA). Methods We analyzed 429 trans women (TW) from the Trans*National cohort study (2016–2019). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) characterized differences in socio-economic and HIV risk outcomes for TWSW/OWSW compared to TW not engaged in sex work over the study period. Adjusted, pre-to-post law changes in these outcomes for TWSW/OWSW versus TW not engaged in sex work were compared using difference-in-differences GEE regression analyses. Results Over 18 months, TWSW/OWSW had higher adjusted odds of being unstably housed, having income from criminalized sources, experiencing transphobic hate crimes, experiencing discrimination from police/courts, being incarcerated, meeting sex partners in the street/public settings, meeting sex partners on Craigslist or other online forums (except dating apps), or engaging in condomless anal intercourse, (p Conclusions Disparities in socio-economic and HIV-related risk outcomes exist for TWSW/OWSW in San Francisco. There is an urgent need for comprehensive, long-term follow-up data of TW to accurately analyze policy effects, especially given the recent enactment of a number of other policies targeting TW.
The Effect of Private Interests on Regulated Retail and Wholesale Prices

This paper examines how regulators behave in markets when there is a tension between retail competition and cross subsidy. Using retail and wholesale prices from Regional Bell Operating Company territories, and price-cost margins as a proxy for political influence, we find that private interests influence the structure of retail prices, especially favoring rural residential customers. Political influence also extends to wholesale access prices, although the magnitude of its effect is small. Federal high-cost universal service payments to a state do not reduce prices in that state's rural areas, but instead lower urban business prices.
Medical treatment of recurrent ischaemic priapism: a review of current molecular therapeutics and a new clinical management paradigm.

Objectives To examine the current molecular therapeutics in the medical treatment of recurrent ischemic priapism (RIP). To propose a stepwise clinical management paradigm for the treatment of RIP. Methods We performed a literature search using the PubMed database for the terms 'recurrent ischemic priapism' and 'stuttering priapism' up until December 2020. We assessed pre-clinical and clinical studies regarding medical management of RIP and molecular pathophysiology. Case series and randomized trials were evaluated by study quality and patient outcomes to determine a potential clinical management scheme. Results Recent research has fostered an improved understanding of the underlying molecular pathophysiology of RIP that has paved the way forward for developing new therapeutic agents. Medications targeting neurovascular, hormonal and haematological mechanisms associated with RIP show great promise towards remedying this condition. A host of therapeutic agents operating across different mechanistic directions may be implemented according to a clinical management scheme to potentially optimize RIP outcomes. Conclusion RIP remains a medically neglected condition with current management focused on treating the acute condition rather than modulating the course of disease. Continued research into the molecular mechanisms of RIP and standardized clinical pathways can improve the quality of care for patients suffering from this condition.
The role of positive affect in the association between stress and college student alcohol use.

To examine the associations among stress, positive affect, binge drinking, and coping drinking motives.Students (n = 351, Mage=19.7, 74.6% female) at a northeastern public university.Participants c...
A Costly Emergencies Approach to Estimating Costs for Artificial Intelligence Review

Artificial intelligence (AI) research is increasingly considered to be a risky endeavor. The present prevailing model of AI risk management imports the commitments of research ethics, in terms of principles, approach to risk assessment, mitigation, and management. Despite the history and appeal of the research ethics model, alternative models for evaluation of AI risk should be entertained before adopting this approach. Here we propose a hypothetical applied information economics approach that changes the model for risk review from ex ante hypotheticals paid for as a fixed cost borne by all to variable costs that could be calculated in response to consumers’ willingness to pay for risky technology or to be paid for by companies willing to shoulder the cost of risks. Some of these risks will be of such magnitude that mitigating them constitutes an existential emergency for which an ex-ante research review approach may be justifiable. But, for risks that are less than non-remediable, existential, threats, a more cost sensitive approach may represent a more equitable path that shifts costs to those willing to bear them. We approach thinking through AI risks as something with specific costs we can estimate using known risks from similar activities of daily life.
Spurious welfare reversals in international business cycle models

Several papers have documented spurious welfare reversals: incompletemarkets economy produces a higher level of welfare than the completemarkets economy. This paper first demonstrates how conventional linearization can generate approximation errors that can result in welfare reversals. Using a two-country production economy, we argue that spurious welfare reversals are not only possible but also plausible under reasonable values for model parameters. This paper then proposes an approximation method that modifies the conventional linearization by a bias correction. This method can be easily implemented and approximates welfare as accurately as a second-order perturbation method.
Our Year of Remote Reference: COVID19’s Impact on Reference Services and Librarians

After a full year of providing fully remote library reference due to the COVID-19 pandemic campus closures, this exploratory study looks at reference practices of libraries, and librarian response ...
A Few Identities of the Takagi Function on Dyadic Rationals.

The number of unbalanced interior nodes of divide-and-conquer trees on $n$ leaves is known to form a sequence of dilations of the Takagi function on dyadic rationals. We use this fact to derive identities on the Takagi function, and on the Hamming weight of an integer in terms of the Takagi function.
Can Ahiqar Tell Us Anything about Personified Wisdom

Bezalel Porten and Ada Yardeni’s third volume of Textbook of Aramaic Documents (TAD:3) provides a highly regarded edition of the Aramaic Ahiqar narrative and proverbs that has implications for how scholars of wisdom literature incorporate Ahiqar into discussions of personified Wisdom. The most intriguing result of the new arrangement centers on the two lines of what was traditionally called Saying 13 (TAD:3 lines C1.1.79 and C1.1.189). The two lines of Saying 13 have been crucial for the view that personified Wisdom is in Ahiqar . The unity of the saying has been disrupted, and it seems clear that the respective lines have very different meanings. Based on this evidence, it is my contention that personified Wisdom cannot be found in Ahiqar . I argue, therefore, that Ahiqar no longer has a place in discussions of personified Wisdom and that the relationship between Ahiqar and the biblical wisdom literature must be re assessed in light of this new evidence.