cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction between the interferon signaling pathway and the human glucocorticoid receptor gene 1A promoter.

The newly described 1A promoter of the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) gene contains an interferon (IFN) regulatory factor element (IRF-E), a binding motif for the family of proteins termed IFN regulatory factors (IRFs) that are regulated by IFNs. To examine the in vivo role of IFNs in hGR gene regulation, human T cell lines (CEM-C7 and Jurkat) were treated with IFNγ. IFNγ rapidly induces the expression of IRF-1 proteins in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Luciferase expression is induced by IFN treatment in Jurkat cells transfected with an hGR 1A promoter IRF-E/luciferase reporter gene, but induction is lost with deletion of the IRF-E. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift analyses indicate an increase in the binding of IRF-1 to oligonucleotides containing the hGR 1A promoter IRF-E after IFNγ treatment, whereas IRF-2 binding to this oligonucleotide is unchanged. Human IRF-1 and IRF-2 proteins expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells bind to the hGR 1A promoter IRF-E; however, only IRF-1 act...
Sizing the lung of mechanically ventilated patients

Introduction: This small observational study was motivated by our belief that scaling the tidal volume in mechanically ventilated patients to the size of the injured lung is safer and more ‘physiologic’ than scaling it to predicted body weight, i.e. its size before it was injured. We defined Total Lung Capacity (TLC) as the thoracic gas volume at an airway pressure of 40 cm H2O and tested if TLC could be inferred from the volume of gas that enters the lungs during a brief ‘recruitment’ maneuver. Methods: Lung volume at relaxed end expiration (Vrel) as well as inspiratory capacity (IC), defined as the volume of gas that enters the lung during a 5 second inflation to 40 cm H2O, were measured in 14 patients with respiratory failure. TLC was defined as the sum of IC and Vrel. The dependence of IC and Vrel on body mass index (BMI), respiratory system elastance and plateau airway pressure was assessed. Results: TLC was reduced to 59 ± 23% of that predicted. Vrel/TLC, which averaged 0.45 ± 0.11, was no different than the 0.47 ± 0.04 predicted during health in the supine posture. The greater than expected variability in observed Vrel/TLC was largely accounted for by BMI. Vrel and IC were correlated (r = 0.76). Taking BMI into account strengthened the correlation (r = 0.92). Conclusions: We conclude that body mass is a powerful determinant of lung volume and plateau airway pressure. Effective lung size can be easily estimated from a recruitment maneuver derived inspiratory capacity measurement and body mass index.
Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Links Persistent STAT3 Activation, Chronic Intestinal Inflammation, and Development of Colitis-Associated Cancer

Inflammatory bowel disease is an important risk factor for colorectal cancer. We show that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) produced by upregulation of sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) links chronic intestinal inflammation to colitis-associated cancer (CAC) and both are exacerbated by deletion of Sphk2. S1P is essential for production of the multifunctional NF-κB-regulated cytokine IL-6, persistent activation of the transcription factor STAT3, and consequent upregulation of the S1P receptor, S1PR1. The prodrug FTY720 decreased SphK1 and S1PR1 expression and eliminated the NF-κB/IL-6/STAT3 amplification cascade and development of CAC, even in Sphk2(-/-) mice, and may be useful in treating colon cancer in individuals with ulcerative colitis. Thus, the SphK1/S1P/S1PR1 axis is at the nexus between NF-κB and STAT3 and connects chronic inflammation and CAC.
Topoisomerase IIα in Wilms’ tumour: gene alterations and immunoexpression

Background: Topoisomerase IIα (topoIIα) is an essential enzyme gene in regulating DNA structure and cell proliferation and is encoded by the TOP2A. Using cDNA microarray analysis, TOP2A has been reported to be one of the top genes overexpressed in Wilms’ tumour. Aim: To evaluate the role of TopoIIα in Wilms’ tumorigenesis and its prognostic value. Methods: TOP2A gene copy numbers were determined using the fluorescence in situ hybridisation technique, and protein expression levels of TopoIIα by immunostaining in 39 samples of primary and 18 samples of metastatic Wilms’ tumour. Results: TOP2A gene amplification was detected only in anaplastic Wilms’ tumours, and none of the Wilms’ tumours showed deletion of the TOP2A gene. TopoIIα protein overexpression was detected in 97% of Wilms’ tumours, and correlated strongly with proliferation, as measured by Ki-67 (r = 0.85). The high TopoIIα expression was associated with the presence of vascular invasion, prominent apoptosis, metastases and adverse clinical outcomes (p Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TopoIIα overexpression in Wilms’ tumours is caused by a change at the transcription level, except for anaplastic Wilms’ tumours, in which gene amplification was present. High levels of TopoIIα protein are correlated with tumour aggressiveness. The assessment of TopoIIα expression in Wilms’ tumour may have prognostic value.
Separation of trimethylsilylated oximes of monosaccharides by capillary gas-liquid chromatography

Trimethylsilylated oximes (TMS-oximes) of arabinose, fucose, galactose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, glucuronic acid, and galacturonic acid were prepared using a two-step derivatization procedure. The TMS-oximes were separated and quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography using a 25-m fused-silica capillary column coated with crosslinked methylsilicone stationary phase. Starting with dried sugar extract, the entire procedure can be accomplished within 2 hours.
Contactless sensing of appliance state transitions through variations in electromagnetic fields

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is a promising technique for disaggregating per-appliance energy consumption in buildings from aggregate voltage/current measurements. One major limitation of the approach is that it typically requires a training phase during which users must manually label device transitions. In this paper, we present an inexpensive contactless electromagnetic field (EMF) event-detector that can detect appliance state changes within close proximity based on magnetic and electric field fluctuations. Each detector wirelessly transmits state changes to a circuit-panel energy meter, which can then be used to label and disambiguate appliance transitions detected from the aggregate signals as well as to track the associated energy consumption. Our EMF sensors are able to detect significant power state changes from a few inches away making it possible to externally monitor in-wall wiring to devices (e.g., overhead lights). We experimentally evaluate our proposed EMF sensor in terms of power consumption, accuracy and detection range on a variety of appliances to demonstrate its effectiveness towards augmenting NILM systems. We show that accurately detecting 100W loads from 10cm away is possible while maintaining multiple-year battery life from a coin-cell battery.
The advantage of using external financing (leverage) to design/build/operate a new chemical plant

Abstract This research note includes a significant theoretical extension and minor errata for an earlier publication [Mellichamp, DA. New discounted cash flow method: estimating plant profitability at the conceptual design level while compensating for business risk/uncertainty. CACE 2013; 48:251–63.]. A closed-form theoretical expression is developed that provides a direct estimate of the financial advantage to be obtained by using outside financing rather than internal (enterprise) funds to build a chemical plant. Emphasis is at the conceptual design level, where the reduction in financial profitability (ROIBT) required to justify further work on a project is developed in terms of the financial parameters (enterprise rate, construction rate, bond rate, etc.). An unexpected outcome is that the reduction in required profitability is independent of any specified risk cushion (NPV%) or long-term profitability (NPV); it is solely a function of background financial market rates and project internal timing assumptions vis-a-vis the enterprise’ historic rate of return.
The Origin and Role of U.S. Human Rights Policy

Although human rights have been a concern for US foreign policymakers since the country’s origins, the contrast between the high principles declared in the Declaration of Independence and the country’s actually military and political weakness typically forced American political leaders into compromises. This pattern only changed after the Second World War, when the US became a global power in the name of anticommunism. In dealing with the United States it is important to understand that US human rights policy has become nearly indistinguishable from US security interests. So long as the United States acts as a global power, human rights will therefore be a predictable component of its foreign policy.
Walling Claims In or Out: Misappropriation of Human Gametic Material and the Tort of Conversion

This article discusses fraudulent consent to sexual intercourse as a defense to paying child support. In two separate cases, men had intercourse with women they were not married to. The women bore babies as a result and then sought child support payments from the fathers. The men said that the women had fraudulently obtained consent to intercourse by falsely representing that they were using birth control. Therefore, the men argued, the women were liable for "conversion" of their semen, and the men should be excused from paying child support. The article concludes that, even if the men have viable claims for conversion, public policy prevents a waiver of child support payments as damages.
Reliable characterization of materials and nanostructured systems <<50nm using coherent EUV beams

Coherent extreme ultraviolet beams from tabletop high harmonic generation offer revolutionary capabilities for observing nanoscale systems on their intrinsic length and time scales. By launching and monitoring acoustic waves in such systems, we fully characterize sub-10nm films and find that the Poisson’s ratio of low-k dielectric materials does not stay constant as often assumed, but increases when bond coordination is bellow a critical value. Within the same measurement, by following the heat dissipation dynamics from nano-gratings of width 20-1000nm and different periodicities, we confirm the effects of the newly identified collectively-diffusive regime, where close-spaced nanowires cool faster than widely-spaced ones.
Study on Usefulness of Lymphocyte Subsets in Prediction of Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer Patients

大腸癌患者の予後因子としてのリンパ球サブセットの有用性について検討した.1986年からの大腸癌手術102例について術後の病理組織学的検討によりDukes分類を行った.Dukes Aは死亡症例がないためDukes B,Cのを66例対象とし,術前に末梢血より総リンパ球数,モノクローナル抗体を用いたリンパ球サブセット,NK細胞活性を求めた.これらの免疫学的パラメーターについてCoxのproportional hazard modelにより多変量解析を行ったところDukes, CD 4/8, CD8+ CD 11b+, CD8+ CD 11b-に有意差が認められた.これらのうちリンパ球サブセットの因子について補正生存率曲線を求めたところCD 4/8≧1.54, CD8+ CD11b+≦5.65%群の生存率が有意にまさっていた.以上より大腸癌患者の予後を推測するうえでリンパ球サブセットは有用であり,特にCD 4/8比,CD8+ CD11b+が重要な因子となりうることが示唆された.
Immunity in Infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Duration and Serological Response in the Chimpanzee

Relative and absolute resistance to urethral and pharyngeal infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae persisted for up to two years in male chimpanzees parenterally immunized with a colony type 2 gonococcal antigen. Twelve additional adult males were immunized with either a colony type 1 gonococcal antigen or a sham diluent before being challenged with the immunizing isolate of N. gonorrhoeae. Serum specimens were obtained throughout the immunization procedure and tested for indirect fluorescent, bactericidal, microhemagglutinating, and complement-fixing antibody to the immunizing isolate of N. gonorrhoeae. The serological response measured by the indirect fluorescent antibody and serum bactericidal tests correlated most closely with the resistance of individual chimpanzees when they were challenged in the pharynx and urethra with graduated doses of N. gonorrhoeae one month after the last immunization. In this study, the resistance of the immunized chimpanzees to urethral infection with N. gonorrhoeae varied from one to greater than 1,000 times that of sham-injected controls.
Addictive Behaviors and Chronic Pain in a High-Risk Population The Simple and Confounding Effects of Multiple Addictive Diseases

In this study, we use a cross-sectional design to examine the relationship between addictive behaviors and self-reported pain in a high-risk population of driving under the influence (DUI) violator...
Research on Digestibility of Lycopene on SD rats

At present,research reportabout Lycopene almost focus on the fundamental studies about lycopene extraction,lycopene preparation,basic and pharmacological studies,but the studies involving the digestive absorption,the dosage and safety of lycopene are relatively less.SD rats’gastric perfusion was tested using the tomato paste which lycopene content was 0.006% and the lycopene oleoresin which concentration was 2%,4% and 6%.Their excrement and urine were collected,lycopene of them was extracted,and the lycopene in the extracted liquid was detected according to the national standards.At last,the digestibility was figured out as above 99%.
Can Coronary Stent Implantation Complexity Become an Intuitive and Useful Factor to Tailor DAPT Duration

A mandatory period of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor is imperative after coronary artery bare-metal or drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation [(1)][1]. The need for mandatory DAPT after DES implantation is determined by the need to protect the stented
Neurological Examination and Classification in Spinal Cord Injury

The International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) is the most widely used classification in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI) medicine. Since its first publication in 1982, multiple revisions refining the recommended examination, scaling and classification have taken place to improve communication, consistency, and clarity. In this chapter, we describe the components to the neurological examination and the steps to classifying the injury utilizing the ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS).
Recovery From Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Spiritually Integrated Qualitative Exploration of 10 Women’s Journeys

ABSTRACTThis study explored the recovery experiences of 10 women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who reported significant decreases in symptoms after completing spiritually integrated residential treatment. Interpretative phenomenological analysis methods were used. The research questions were: What is the experience of recovery from the sequelae of CSA, including alcohol or substance abuse, in a spiritually integrated residential treatment center? And what changes did participants recognize as part of healing or recovery? Data analysis revealed four central themes important to recovery: (a) relationships with others, (b) relationship with self, (c) changes in spirituality, and (d) forgiveness.
Laboratory Response to Intranasal Desmopressin in Women with Menorrhagia and Underlying Platelet Dysfunction.

Intranasal desmopressin (IN-DDAVP) is used for home treatment of menorrhagia in women with inherited bleeding disorders. The effect of IN-DDAVP on laboratory hemostatic parameters in women with menorrhagia and associated platelet dysfunction is unknown. We evaluated the effects of IN-DDAVP on hemostatic parameters in women with menorrhagia and platelet dysfunction and correlated them with menstrual blood flow. Eleven women (aged 18–45) with menorrhagia and abnormal platelet aggregation and/or platelet adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) release had determination of factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII: C), von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF: Ag), von Willebrand factor ristocetin cofactor (VWF: RCo) activity, platelet aggregation, and platelet ATP release pre and 60 minutes post IN-DDAVP. Eight of eleven women underwent Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-100) closure time determination with collagen/epinephrine (CEPI) and collagen/adenosine diphosphate (CADP) cartridge pre and post treatment. IN-DDAVP was administered during two consecutive menstrual cycles. Menstrual blood flow was assessed during each cycle using a pictorial blood assessment chart (PBAC). Following administration of IN-DDAVP there was a 2–3 fold increase in FVIII: C, VWF: Ag, and VWF: RCo observed in most patients over baseline levels. Mean FVIII:C increased from 130% ± 34.8% to 218% ± 96.5% ( P P P r s = − 0.85, p = 0.02), VWF: RCo ( r s = −0.81, p = 0.029), and FVIII:C ( r s = 0.92, p = 0.003) with IN-DDAVP. Mean PFA-100 closure time with the CEPI cartridge shortened from 166.8sec ± 85sec to 90.9sec ± 49.3sec (p r s = −0.86, p = 0.005), VWF: Ag ( r s = −0.72, p = 0.04), and VWF: RCo ( r s = −0.80, p = 0.01). In addition there were also significant inverse correlations between post IN-DDAVP PFA-100 CEPI closure time and post IN-DDAVP FVIII:C ( r s = −0.73, p = 0.03), and VWF: RCo ( r s = −0.74, p = 0.03), but not VWF: Ag ( r s = −0.66, p = 0.07). In-vitro platelet aggregation and platelet ATP release response did not correct and did not correlate with changes in menstrual blood flow. Our results demonstrate a correlation between VWF parameters and menstrual blood flow following IN-DDAVP in women with menorrhagia and underlying platelet dysfunction.
Abstract 1889: Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet pattern scores and their associations with biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative balance

Chronic inflammation is associated with poor diet quality as well as risk for cancer and other chronic diseases. A diet-inflammation association may relate to evolutionary discordance. We investigated associations of two diet pattern scores, the “Paleolithic” and the Mediterranean, with circulating levels of two inflammation-related biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute inflammatory protein, and F2-isoprostanes, a reliable marker of lipid peroxidation in vivo, in a colonoscopy-based, pooled case-control study of incident sporadic colorectal adenomas (N = 646). We created diet scores from responses on a modified Willett food-frequency questionnaire, and measured plasma levels of CRP and F2-isoprostanes by ELISA and GCMS, respectively. Both diet scores were calculated and categorized into quintiles, and their associations with the biomarker levels were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (OR) comparing those in the highest relative to those in the lowest quintiles of the Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet scores, were, respectively, 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39, 1.36; Ptrend = 0.35) and 0.71 (95% CI 0.36, 1.40; Ptrend = 0.12) for CRP levels, and 0.35 (95% CI 0.17, 0.74; Ptrend Citation Format: Kristine Whalen, Marji McCullough, W. Dana Flanders, Terryl J. Hartman, Suzanne Judd, Roberd M. Bostick. Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet pattern scores and their associations with biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative balance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1889. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1889
An information theory framework for dynamic functional domain connectivity

Abstract Background Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) analyzes time evolution of coherent activity in the brain. In this technique dynamic changes are considered for the whole brain. This paper proposes an information theory framework to measure information flowing among subsets of functional networks call functional domains. New method Our method aims at estimating bits of information contained and shared among domains. The succession of dynamic functional states is estimated at the domain level. Information quantity is based on the probabilities of observing each dynamic state. Mutual information measurement is then obtained from probabilities across domains. Thus, we named this value the cross domain mutual information (CDMI). Results Strong CDMIs were observed in relation to the subcortical domain. Domains related to sensorial input, motor control and cerebellum form another CDMI cluster. Information flow among other domains was seldom found. Comparison with existing methods Other methods of dynamic connectivity focus on whole brain dFNC matrices. In the current framework, information theory is applied to states estimated from pairs of multi-network functional domains. In this context, we apply information theory to measure information flow across functional domains. Conclusion Identified CDMI clusters point to known information pathways in the basal ganglia and also among areas of sensorial input, patterns found in static functional connectivity. In contrast, CDMI across brain areas of higher level cognitive processing follow a different pattern that indicates scarce information sharing. These findings show that employing information theory to formally measured information flow through brain domains reveals additional features of functional connectivity.
Sclerotherapy and ligation were equally effective for bleeding varices in patients with cirrhosis but ligation had lower rates of death and complications

Source Citation Stiegmann GV, Goff JS, Michaletz-Onody PA, et al. Endoscopic sclerotherapy as compared with endoscopic ligation for bleeding esophageal varices. N Engl J Med. 1992 Jun 4;326:1527-32.
Thyroid Nodule Diagnostic Markers in the Face of the New NIFTP Category: Time for a Reset?

Background: Current thyroid molecular tests are specifically designed for the differential diagnosis of nodules with indeterminate or suspicious fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. Summary: However, their clinical validity faces challenges from both variation among institutions in cancer prevalence and, most recently, the new category of non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP). The latter diagnosis was previously classified as malignant. Relevant to this, all molecular panels on the market today were originally tested and validated within the context of these entities being considered malignant. Conclusion: This review examines possible effects of the NIFTP reclassification as a precancerous lesion on the original validation studies and, investigates the effect of the significant reported variability in thyroid cancer prevalence on the performance of these tests.
Behavioral Economists, Human-Computer Interactions and Research Transparency

I model economists as being themselves behavioral, and not fully rational in how they implement their research. I characterize research results as a network graph of data analyses at the level of human-computer interactions that contain graph copies whenever the economist manifests behavioral shortcomings. Ethical and transparent research emerges as a unique graph. I allow researchers to hold themselves accountable with commitment devices that eliminate behavioral copies of research graphs. In so doing, I introduce a solution to the problem of the so-called garden of forking paths. Applications are based in economic theory and qualitative research for program evaluation design. The field of human-computer interaction has an important role to play in fostering research transparency in economics.
Outbreak of Invasive Infections From Subtype emm26.3 Group A Streptococcus Among Homeless Adults—Anchorage, Alaska, 2016–2017

Background In 2016, we detected an outbreak of group A Streptococcus (GAS) invasive infections among the estimated 1000 persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Anchorage, Alaska. We characterized the outbreak and implemented a mass antibiotic intervention at homeless service facilities. Methods We identified cases through the Alaska GAS laboratory-based surveillance system. We conducted emm typing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and whole-genome sequencing on all invasive isolates and compared medical record data of patients infected with emm26.3 and other emm types. In February 2017, we offered PEH at 6 facilities in Anchorage a single dose of 1 g of azithromycin. We collected oropharyngeal and nonintact skin swabs on a subset of participants concurrent with the intervention and 4 weeks afterward. Results From July 2016 through April 2017, we detected 42 invasive emm26.3 cases in Anchorage, 35 of which were in PEH. The emm26.3 isolates differed on average by only 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Compared to other emm types, infection with emm26.3 was associated with cellulitis (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; P = .04) and necrotizing fasciitis (OR, 4.4; P = .02). We dispensed antibiotics to 391 PEH. Colonization with emm26.3 decreased from 4% of 277 at baseline to 1% of 287 at follow-up (P = .05). Invasive GAS incidence decreased from 1.5 cases per 1000 PEH/week in the 6 weeks prior to the intervention to 0.2 cases per 1000 PEH/week in the 6 weeks after (P = .01). Conclusions In an invasive GAS outbreak in PEH in Anchorage, mass antibiotic administration was temporally associated with reduced invasive disease cases and colonization prevalence.
Leakage in regional environmental policy: The case of the regional greenhouse gas initiative

Abstract Subglobal and subnational greenhouse gas policies are often thought to be less effective than comprehensive policies as production and emissions of trade exposed industries may move from the regulated to the unregulated regions, a process referred to as “leakage”. Leakage negates some emission reductions from the regulated regions. We use detailed electricity generation and transmission data to show that this is the case for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a CO2 cap-and-trade program for the electricity sector in select Northeastern U.S. states. More specifically, our results indicate that RGGI induced a reduction in coal-fired generation in RGGI states and an increase in NGCC generation in RGGI-surrounding regions. This finding suggests that the pollution haven hypothesis holds for state-level variation in environmental policy, even when compliance costs are low.
Stochastic Pacing Inhibits Spatially Discordant Cardiac Alternans

Depressed heart rate variability is a well-established risk factor for sudden cardiac death in survivors of acute myocardial infarction and for those with congestive heart failure. Although measurements of heart rate variability provide a valuable prognostic tool, it is unclear whether reduced heart rate variability itself is proarrhythmic or if it simply correlates with the severity of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. In this work, we investigate a possible mechanism by which heart rate variability could protect against cardiac arrhythmia. Specifically, in numerical simulations, we observe an inverse relationship between the variance of stochastic pacing and the occurrence of spatially discordant alternans, an arrhythmia that is widely believed to facilitate the development of cardiac fibrillation. By analyzing the effects of conduction velocity restitution, cellular dynamics, electrotonic coupling, and stochastic pacing on the nodal dynamics of spatially discordant alternans, we provide intuition for this observed behavior and propose control strategies to inhibit discordant alternans.
“Voice Unlock” Function

Most unlock methods for smartphones are unproblematic if users can use their phones freely but can be inconvenient and dangerous in some situations. For example, unlocking might take a user’s attention away from another activity, such as a driver attempting to use a fingerprint-unlock feature. Since a driver should not have to look at or touch his or her phone while driving but may need to receive a call or text, a passenger should be able to unlock the driver’s phone instead. However, a passenger asking the driver to unlock the phone (e.g., via fingerprint) can become uncomfortable and risky. By employing a case-study method through observations of and interviews with drivers and their passengers, this research presents the participants’ unmet needs. The key findings are (a) drivers need a voice-activated unlocking method, (b) passengers need a way to find and play songs and control other functions comfortably without repeatedly having to ask the driver to unlock the phone with his or her fingerprint, and (c) drivers want to protect their privacy by allowing passengers to use only the apps and menus set in a pre-specified “use while driving” mode. Based on these findings, this study suggests a new smartphone unlock method called “Voice Unlock.” The prototype and details of this feature are presented to explain why it provides a more convenient, comfortable, and safer unlocking method than fingerprint recognition for drivers who use a phone when driving with a passenger and passengers who want to use the driver’s phone.
Transplantable Tumors as an Internal Stress on Host Metabolism and Responsiveness of Tumors to Applied Stress

The growth of a malignant tumor within the body represents a type of metabolic stress for the host that is fundamentally different from that ordinarily encountered in adaptations made by the organism to a changing external environment. Although the tumor-host system is still dependent on the environment for its ultimate source of energy and essential nutrients, the malignant tumor and the host now must exist in a metabolic relationship, one with the other, since they share a common metabolic pool. Perhaps, the most gross, yet most valid, observation in cancer biology is that unrestrained growth of a malignant tumor will lead ultimately to death of the host. Although the precise cause of death from cancer is difficult to ascertain, the common observation of generalized wasting and loss of tissue substance seen in the host with advanced cancer is indicative of disrupted metabolic processes in the tissues of the host.
Finding minima, transition states, and following reaction pathways on ab initio potential energy surfaces

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses recent advancements and commonly used techniques for exploring potential energy surfaces (PESs) are surveyed in the context of electronic structure methods. Specifically, minimization, transition state optimization, and reaction path following are discussed. In addition to reviewing current progress in these areas, the chapter also deals with a number of practical discussions regarding minimization, transition state optimization, and reaction path following, including suggestions for overcoming common pitfalls. PESs play a central role in computational chemistry. It forms a central concept in the theoretical description of molecular structures, properties, and reactivities. The study of most chemical processes and properties by computational chemists begins with the optimization of one or more structures to find minima on PESs, which correspond to equilibrium geometries. To obtain reaction barriers and calculate reaction rates using transition state theory (TST), it is necessary to locate the first-order saddle points on the PES, which correspond to transition states (TS). Often one needs to confirm that a TS lies on a pathway that actually connects the minima corresponding to reactants and products
A Study of Mine Detection by Means of Neutron-Induced Gamma Rays

Calculations have been carried out to determine the feasibility of locating land mines by detecting the photons induced in the mine by the neutrons from a fission source. It is concluded that the f...
Back to the Future: Using Magnetic Tapes in Cloud Based Storage Infrastructures

Data backup and archiving is an important aspect of business processes to avoid loss due to system failures and natural calamities. As the amount of data and applications grow in number, concerns regarding cost efficient data preservation force organizations to scout for inexpensive storage options. Addressing these concerns, we present Tape Cloud, a novel, highly cost effective, unified storage solution. We leverage the notably economic nature of Magnetic Tapes and design a cloud storage infrastructure-as-a-service that provides a centralized storage platform for unstructured data generated by many diverse applications. We propose and evaluate a proficient middleware that manages data and IO requests, overcomes latencies and improves the overall response time of the storage system. We analyze traces obtained by live archiving applications to obtain workload characteristics. Based on this analysis, we synthesize archiving workloads and design suitable algorithms to evaluate the performance of the middleware and storage tiers. From the results, we see that the use of the middleware provides close to 100% improvement in task distribution efficiency within the system leading to a 70% reduction in overall response time of data retrieval from storage. Due to its easy adaptability with the state of the art storage practices, the middleware contributes in providing the much needed boost in reducing storage costs for data archiving in cloud and colocated infrastructures.
Estimating missing concentrations of p,p′- DDT in the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey using multiple imputation

We investigated the association between diabetes and p,p′-DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) in blood of Mexican Americans who participated in the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In this sample, p,p′-DDT were missing in 50% of subjects and we used multiple imputation (MI) to address the problem. Compared to ignoring the missing data, MI led to a more robust threshold for the p,p′-DDT reference category. Whereas previously p,p′-DDT ≤ 0.0860 ng/g was used as the reference category, using MI, we were able to use p,p′-DDT 0.0860 ng/g was associated with diabetes without nephropathy with an odds ratio of 1.89 (95% CI 1.09–3.27). Our study showed that MI can be effectively used to deal with missing at random data in persistent organic pollutants measured in the 1999–2004 NHANES.
THE ETHICS AND POLITICS OF PLANT-BASED AND CULTURED MEAT

In this paper I examine several of the moral and political questions raised by new kinds of meat. I begin by discussing the risks and harms associated with industrial animal agriculture, and I argue that plant-based meat and cultured meat are promising alternatives to conventional meat. I then explore the moral, conceptual, social, political, economic, and technical challenges that stand in the way of widespread adoption of these alternatives. For example, whether or not we achieve widespread adoption will depend on whether or not we can persuade business and political leaders to see plant-based and cultured meat as an opportunity rather than as a threat. Finally, I consider several ways of meeting these challenges, and I argue that we must be very careful if we want to avoid the kinds of problems that other, similar technological innovations such as GMOs have faced.
Working-Class Legislators and Perceptions of Representation in Latin America:

How does the near-exclusion of working-class citizens from legislatures affect citizens’ perceptions of representation? We argue that when groups of people are continually denied access to represen...
Differential response to apigenin in African American triple-negative breast cancer in reducing TNF-α mediated rise in CXCL1

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors. African Americans have higher death rates from TNBC attributable to inadequate pre...
Tracing the Circulation of Iconographic-style Red Ware in East-central Arizona

The appearance of Fourmile Polychrome in the AD 1320s signaled a shift in the decorative layout, use, and perhaps even value of red-slipped pottery in east-central Arizona. Bowls were often painted...
Towards Analytical Chaotic Evolutions in Brusselators

Abstract The Brusselator is a mathematical model for autocatalytic reaction, which was proposed by Ilya Prigogine and his collaborators at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. The dynamics of the Bru...
The role of remote monitoring for cardiac implantable electronic devices

At present, remote monitoring (RM) is available for almost all cardiac implantable electronic devices. RM systems allow for enhanced surveillance and earlier detection of clinically significant events. In recent guidelines, RM is a Class I indication for device follow-up, and the Expert Consensus Statement endorses the use of RM to improve patient compliance. Many clinical studies including randomized clinical trials showed favorable outcomes with RM. This technology reduces costs, allows for early detection of arrhythmias, as well as lead to malfunctions. RM also lowers hospitalization rates, decreases inappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks, and detects asymptomatic atrial fibrillation earlier than routine office visits. However, whether RM reduces mortality remains unclear. Prevention of heart failure exacerbation with early detection of surrogate markers of heart failure with RM has not been demonstrated using a single measure such as intrathoracic impedance. However, the use of multiple parameters has encouraging early results, showing improved detection of impending heart failure exacerbation.
Who is Responsible? Varying Solutions for Improving Equity of College Access in an Era of Rising Costs:

Researchers interviewed higher education professionals, asking: How do professionals working in higher education equity and access sectors, both public and private, assign responsibility for improv...
Synergistic cytotoxic effect of azidothymidine and recombinant interferon alpha on normal human bone marrow progenitor cells.

Azidothymidine (AZT) and interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) are among the drugs showing strong in vitro activity against the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Each drug, however, has significant toxicity against normal marrow progenitor cells that frequently proves dose-limiting in patients. In this study, AZT and recombinant IFN-alpha 2a (rIFN-alpha 2a) were tested as single agents and in combination against normal myeloid (CFU-GM) and erythroid (BFU- E) colony forming cells in a standard methylcellulose culture assay. The data were analyzed using a quantitative computerized analysis based on the median-effect principle and the isobologram equation as described by Chou and Talalay (Adv Enz Regul 22:27, 1984). The ED90 for BFU-E and CFU-GM inhibition was then compared with previously measured in vivo plasma levels of each drug and the ED90 for the anti-HIV-1 effect in vitro. We demonstrate that (a) the drugs are strongly synergistic in inhibiting marrow progenitor cell growth and that this synergism occurs at drug levels that are within the range of measured plasma levels in phase I clinical trials, (b) BFU-E are more sensitive than CFU-GM to the inhibiting effects of AZT, rIFN-alpha 2a or both drugs in combination, (c) the drug concentrations in combination that synergistically inhibit bone marrow progenitors are much higher than those required to inhibit HIV-1 replication in vitro, and (d) the anti- HIV-1 effect for the combination of AZT and rIFN-alpha 2a was clearly superior to the effect of AZT or rIFN-alpha 2a alone as indicated by the combination index and the dose-reduction index. These data suggest that substantially lower doses of AZT and rIFN-alpha than those currently being tested in clinical trials might not only maintain a strong synergistic anti-HIV-1 effect but might also avoid significant hematologic toxicity.
Towards a geometric Jacquet-Langlands correspondence for unitary Shimura varieties

Let G be a unitary group over a totally real field, and let X be a Shimura variety associated to G. For certain primes p of good reduction for X, we construct cycles Xτ0,i on the characteristic p fiber of X. These cycles are defined as the loci on which the Verschiebung map has small rank on particular pieces of the Lie algebra of the universal abelian variety on X. The geometry of these cycles turns out to be closely related to Shimura varieties for a different unitary group G′, which is isomorphic to G at all finite places but not isomorphic to G at archimedean places. More precisely, each cycle Xτ0,i has a natural desingularization X~τ0,i, which is almost isomorphic to a scheme parameterizing certain subbundles of the Lie algebra of the universal abelian variety over a Shimura variety X′ associated to G′. We exploit this relationship to construct an injection of the etale cohomology of X′ into that of X. This yields a geometric construction of Jacquet-Langlands transfers of automorphic representations of G′ to automorphic representations of G.
American Consultants and the Marketization of Television News in the United Kingdom: by Madeleine Liseblad, New York, Peter Lang Publishing, 2020, 278 pp.

Television news consultants occupy a singular, and often overlooked, place in the historiography of US media. Since the widespread adoption of audience-friendly local TV news formats such as “Actio...
Simulating reduced dose PET imaging to determine impacts on diagnostic image quality.

172 Objectives: Using smaller radiopharmaceutical doses for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging would be beneficial in lowering the radiation exposure to patients. However, reducing the given dose could impact the diagnostic quality of the images produced. Therefore, computer software reconstructions can be used to create images that simulate having given reduced radiopharmaceutical PET doses. The purpose of this study was to create PET images that simulate decreased injected doses to determine the effect on image quality and clinical confidence. Methods: Seventeen patients with recent 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were chosen to include in this study. These patients had varying amounts of disease. The patients also ranged in body mass index (BMI) from healthy, overweight, and obese. The patients’ PET data were first reconstructed in the standard manner to create images with 100% of the original dose. The data sets were then reconstructed to simulate having 75% and 50% of the original dose, creating 51 reconstructions in total. Each reconstruction was cleared of patient identifying information and randomly labeled as RD_01, RD_02, etc. The reconstructions were then reviewed by two expert readers. The radiologists scored the reconstructions using a 1 to 5 scale based on general image quality and basic clinical confidence. The scores were then grouped and averaged based on BMI ranges for each dose amount. Results: The overall scores of each BMI group for each reconstruction dose amount are shown in Table 1. The percent decreases from 100% of the dose to 75% and 50% doses for the average scores of each BMI range are shown in Table 2. Conclusions: As anticipated, reducing the simulated dose reduced both scored image quality and clinical confidence, with the largest decrease observed in image quality at the 50% dose level across all BMIs (11.8%). Scores for the 75% dose in the healthy and overweight BMI groups showed only a small reduction in clinical confidence (2.0%), indicating the potential for reducing the injected dose for these populations. The increased score in image quality at 75% of the dose for the overweight BMI group (-4.2%) skews the result of the overall decrease in image quality (1.9%). However, the small reduction in image quality at the 75% dose for the healthy BMI group demonstrates the potential for a decreased injected dose in this population. Additional readers and a larger sample of exams that includes a variety of disease burdens will be needed to refine and clarify these findings before a reduction of clinical 18F-FDG doses can occur.
Research on early warning and location method of distribution network line fault

For improving the power supply reliability of distribution network and build a strong, intelligent and stable power supply network, a line fault early warning and location method suitable for medium voltage distribution network is proposed. Combined with the distribution and typical characteristics of distribution network line fault in a city, the formation mechanism of line fault is analyzed, the mathematical model of fault early warning location discrimination is constructed, and the line fault early warning and location method of distribution network is developed. The results show that the distribution network line fault early warning positioning method can accurately identify the location of insulation hidden danger, the positioning accuracy is less than 20 meters, and the accuracy rate of insulation hidden danger early warning is more than 90%. It can effectively reduce the failure rate of distribution network, reduce the time of power failure, and improve the efficiency High power supply reliability.
Impact of nano-TiO2 addition on the reduction of net CO2 emissions of cement pastes after CO2 curing

Abstract This investigation aims to study the effect of nano-TiO2 addition on CO2 uptake of cement paste during CO2 curing. Cement paste mixtures with different percentages of nano-TiO2 (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%), and two different types of curing (normal curing (NC) at 23 °C and 50% RH, and CO2 curing (CC) that includes a 12-h curing in a chamber with 20% of CO2) were studied. Compressive strength, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and an estimation of the net CO2 emissions were performed for each studied mixture and curing condition. All samples were tested at 48 h. Results showed that the optimum percentage of nano-TiO2 in terms of compressive strength is lower for CO2 curing samples than for NC samples. XRD and TGA results exhibited that the use of nano-TiO2 promotes the CO2 capture during the CO2 curing. Since nano-TiO2 reduces the size of CH, it increases the CH surface area. This may enhance the CH reactivity with the CO2, producing an increase in the CO2 uptake. Results also showed that not considering the effect of nano-TiO2 on compressive strength and promotion of CO2 capture would highly overestimate the net CO2 emissions of cementitious materials with nano-TiO2. It highlights the importance of selecting an adequate functional unit for the analysis.
Machine Learning Model for Detecting Fentanyl Analogs from Mass Spectra

Abstract In recent years, fentanyl and its analogs have been increasingly abused, leading to tragic outcomes. One way to tackle this problem is to rapidly detect fentanyl analog compounds and prevent them from reaching people who could be harmed by them. However, the emergence of novel fentanyl analogs that evade detection by classic mass spectral library matching has exacerbated the problem. We propose supervised machine learning classification models as a complementary approach to library matching for detecting fentanyl analogs from mass spectra. To develop and apply such models, we extract two dozen peak-based and similarity-based input features from each spectrum of interest. Using techniques such as random forests, neural networks, and logistic regression, we identify patterns within these features’ values, resulting in strong detection performance. Within a cross-validation framework, we achieve 99% probability of detection and 1% probability of false alarm on a representative set of several thousand mass spectra. These results suggest that machine learning models may offer a robust complement to library matching. Practitioners from diverse fields, including border security, law enforcement, and military may benefit from this capability to detect drugs of abuse.
A Review of Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation

Perhaps one measure of a book's value to a particular discipline is reflected by the number of editions the publisher releases, as this is a reflection of demand for the text. On this measure there can be little doubt that O'Hara's text has proved successful since five editions have been released since its original publication in 1956, and almost 200 000 copies have been sold. There are, however, other measures of performance that also guide us in assessing a textbook's contribution to the particular discipline in question. For example, the seminal nature of the book, the book's propensity for stimulating further research, and the frequency for bibliographic citation in other scholarly monographs, articles, and books are but a few examples of these measures of performance.