cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FASB EITF 99-16 provides necessary guidance to avoid overstatements of net income

Before merging with Johnson & Johnson in 2001, ALZA Pharmaceuticals Corporation was on the cutting edge of both drug delivery systems and creative financial arrangements. This paper explains the creation of two spin-off corporations by ALZA for the purpose of funding research and development (R&D) activities to be carried out primarily by and for the benefit of ALZA. The agreements between ALZA and its two spin-offs are outlined, the financial statement impact for ALZA is examined, and the disclosures made regarding the arrangements are critiqued. Results show that existing GAAP was circumvented to enhance revenue and net income over a period of eight years. Finally, the paper discusses the potential efficacy of a principles-based accounting standard in preventing the overstatement and circumvention of GAAP and argues for the continuing need for detailed guidance in the standard-setting process.
Alexithymia and Uncertainty Management

Alexithymia is perceived as a personality trait characterized by impairments in individuals’ ability to identify and describe feelings (Taylor, Bagby, & Parker, 1997). Research has found links between alexithymia and deficiencies in the ability to grow and maintain close relationships. Three hypotheses and one research question tested (H1) an inverse relationship between relational uncertainty and self-disclosure; (H2) a direct relationship between alexithymia and relational uncertainty; (H3) an inverse relationship between alexithymia and self-disclosure; and (RQ1) an interaction between alexithymia and relational uncertainty to predict self-disclosure. Results indicate partial support for the inverse relationship between self-disclosure and both relational uncertainty and alexithymia. Results also showed support for a direct relationship between alexithymia and relational uncertainty. Alexithymia and relational uncertainty interacted to predict levels of intended self-disclosure. The inverse relationshi...
A new era of immune therapy in multiple myeloma.

In this issue of Blood, Krejcik et al provide the first clinical data that describe unexpected immune stimulatory activity of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) daratumumab. By targeting CD38-expressing immune suppressive cells, clonal memory T-cell function is induced in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (MM).1
Benign Epilepsy with C-T Spikes (BECT) Outcome

A meta-analysis of 13 cohorts, comprising 794 patients, selected according to ILAE and other criteria from 525 publications on BECT, was conducted at Leiden University Hospital, Netherlands.
Data fusion-based distributed Prony analysis

Abstract This paper presents a distributed Prony analysis algorithm using data fusion approach. This classic approach can be found in Kalman filter's measurement update. Distributed optimization algorithms, e.g., alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), suitable for constrained optimization problems, have been proposed in the previous literature to develop distributed architecture. In this article, we show that Prony analysis, a non-constrained least square estimation (LSE) problem, can be solved using the classic data fusion approach. Compared to the iterative distributed optimization algorithms (e.g., ADMM and subgradient methods), data fusion takes only one step. There is no need for iteration and there is no issue related to convergence. This approach leads to a distributed Prony analysis architecture which requires a much less demanding communication system (the bandwidth can be less than 0.1 Hz) compared to the conventional centralized Prony analysis for multiple channels which requires a bandwidth of 30 Hz. The application discussed in this paper is to identify oscillation modes from real-world phasor measurement unit (PMU) data and further reconstruct signals. A key technical challenge to implement Prony analysis for signals from multiple channels is the difficulty to identify the noise characteristics of each channel. In this paper, a method is proposed to identify the noise covariances, which leads to the construction of a weighted least square estimation (WLSE) problem. This problem is solved through a distributed architecture. The effectiveness of the proposed distributed Prony analysis is demonstrated through case study results. The accuracy of the estimation is improved in one order compared with the centralized Prony analysis.
Internet of Perishable Logistics

A novel networking model called the Internet of Perishable Logistics (IoPL) attempts to exploit the synergies between the cyber Internet carrying time-sensitive information packets and distribution logistics for perishable commodities such as fresh food. The article discusses the research challenges and opportunities brought about by the perishable commodity distribution logistics field and potential approaches that could enrich this domain as well as that of the cyber Internet.
Scanning memory with Yara

Memory analysis has been successfully utilized to detect malware in many high profile cases. The use of signature scanning to detect malicious tools is becoming an effective triaging and first response technique. In particular, the Yara library and scanner has emerged as the defacto standard in malware signature scanning for files, and there are many open source repositories of yara rules. Previous attempts to incorporate yara scanning in memory analysis yielded mixed results. This paper examines the differences between applying Yara signatures on files and in memory and how yara signatures can be developed to effectively search for malware in memory. For the first time we document a technique to identify the process owner of a physical page using the Windows PFN database. We use this to develop a context aware Yara scanning engine which can scan all processes simultaneously using a single pass over the physical image.
Perspective: chemical dynamics simulations of non-statistical reaction dynamics.

Non-statistical chemical dynamics are exemplified by disagreements with the transition state (TS), RRKM and phase space theories of chemical kinetics and dynamics. The intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) is often used for the former two theories, and non-statistical dynamics arising from non-IRC dynamics are often important. In this perspective, non-statistical dynamics are discussed for chemical reactions, with results primarily obtained from chemical dynamics simulations and to a lesser extent from experiment. The non-statistical dynamical properties discussed are: post-TS dynamics, including potential energy surface bifurcations, product energy partitioning in unimolecular dissociation and avoiding exit-channel potential energy minima; non-RRKM unimolecular decomposition; non-IRC dynamics; direct mechanisms for bimolecular reactions with pre- and/or post-reaction potential energy minima; non-TS theory barrier recrossings; and roaming dynamics. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Theoretical and computational studies of non-equilibrium and non-statistical dynamics in the gas phase, in the condensed phase and at interfaces’.
The Effect of Cl - and Acetic Acid on Localized CO2 Corrosion in Wet Gas Flow

Wet gas corrosion rates of C1018 and X65 steel have been measured at the top and bottom of a high pressure, 10 cm diameter horizontal pipeline under stratified flow conditions with different chloride (Cl - ) concentrations. Experiments were performed for 200 hours at 90°C, CO2 partial pressure of 3.8 bar using a superficial gas velocity (Vsg) of 10 m/s and a superficial liquid velocity (Vsl) of 0.1 m/s. Three measurement techniques; ER, LPR, and WL were used simultaneously in the experiments. Localized corrosion occurred at the bottom of the pipe around the iron saturation point. The top of line was well protected by a thin corrosion product film and no localized corrosion was detected. C1018 and X65 have different sensitivities to pitting with a variation in Cl - concentration. Thus the pitting density concept is proposed to describe localized corrosion behavior. Surface analysis on iron carbonate films, by SEM and XRD, revealed different film thicknesses and crystal structures from the top to the bottom of the pipe. Cross-sectional analysis indicates that the thin corrosion product film, usually less than 10 microns, attached to the metal surface, is responsible for the low corrosion rate on top of the line, while the thick and porous film formed on the bottom, generally detached from the metal surface, was responsible for the initiation of localized corrosion. Before adding acetic acid (HAc) to the flow loop, a systematic glass cell test program was initiated using potentiodynamic sweeps to investigate the electrochemical properties of carbon dioxide corrosion in the presence of HAc. A standard rotating cylinder three-electrode setup was employed. Tests were performed to study the effect of HAc in solutions de-oxygenated using both nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The range of HAc concentrations was then expanded to study the effect of the concentration of HAc on the cathodic and anodic reactions in carbon dioxide solutions. The presence of HAc was found to not affect the corrosion rate of carbon steel at low temperature since the main cathodic reaction (hydrogen ion reduction) was found to be under charge transfer control. The limiting current was strongly affected by the HAc concentrations, but the charge transfer mechanism was not changed. The anodic reaction was retarded with increasing HAc concentrations but the mechanism stayed the same. The effect of pH, temperature and rotational velocity was also studied.
Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of anti-diuretic hormone (SIADH) as an initial presenting sign of non small cell lung cancer-case report and literature review

Association of SIADH with malignancy was first reported in 1957, when it was described in two patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. While the association with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is well known, that with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been rarely reported. We report a case of 70 year old male who was found to have hyponatremia secondary to SIADH. Radiological tests revealed right hilar lung mass with mediastinal adenopathy. Bronchoscopic biopsy revealed non-small cell lung cancer of type squamous cell. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain showed metastatic lesions, thereby confirming diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer. Paraneoplastic syndromes occur in 10% of lung cancer cases and they represent a group of disorders related to secretion of functional polypeptides or hormones from tumor cells. SIADH is more commonly described in conjunction with small cell lung cancer but there are a few case reports describing it's occurrence after initiation of therapy for NSCLC such as radiation and chemotherapy. The mechanism for this phenomenon is not known. Unlike infectious causes, hyponatremia as initial presentation is an uncommon feature of malignancy-associated SIADH. In the lung cancer population, hyponatremia has been identified as a negative prognostic factor in hospitalized patients and those with advanced-stage disease. Malignancy should be a consideration in the diagnostic evaluation of SIADH, irrespective of the time of presentation.
Use of Open Source Hardware and Software Platforms to Quantify Spectrally Dependent Differences in Photochemical Efficiency and Functional Absorption Cross Section within the Dinoflagellate Symbiodinium spp.

Active chlorophyll a fluorescence is an essential tool for understanding photosynthetic activity within cnidarian/dinoflagellate symbioses. Fluorescence measurement is typically achieved by utilizing a blue or red monochromatic excitation light source. However, algal photosynthetic pigments can differ in their absorption spectra, potentially leading to excitation wavelength dependent measurements of maximal and light acclimated PSII photosynthetic quantum yield (Fv/Fm or Fq’/Fm’) and functional absorption cross section (PSII or PSII’). Here we utilized an open source hardware development platform to construct a multispectral excitation fluorometer to assess spectrally dependent differences in photochemistry within four different Symbiodinium species (two of each ITS2-type A4 and B1). Multivariate analysis of light acclimated photochemical signatures showed separation between most alga types. These spectrally dependent differences in light acclimated PSII efficiency and PSII functional absorption cross section likely reflect changes in light harvesting compounds, their connectivity to the PSII reaction centers and the balance between photochemical and nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching. Additionally, acclimation to low (20 mol photons m-2 s-1) and high (200 mol photons m-2 s-1) light conditions was examined in two of these symbionts types (ITS-2 type A4 and B1) As expected, chlorophyll a cell-1 decreased under high light acclimation in both symbionts. However, only A4 saw a subsequent reduction in absorbance whereas cellular volume decreased in the B1 (S. minutum) symbiont. In response to high light acclimation, Fv/Fm was significantly lower at all excitation wavelengths for the B1 symbiont where as efficiencies remained the same for A4. However, high-light acclimated Fq’/Fm’ levels decreased in both symbionts, but only when measured using the 615nm or 625nm excitation wavelengths. Non-photochemical quenching within the antennae bed was downregulated under high light acclimation in the A4 symbiont, but only when measured using the 505nm and 530nm excitation wavelengths. Such changes in Fq’/Fm’ and antennae bed quenching highlight the benefits of spectrally resolved photochemical measurements. Additionally, the utilization of Arduino and Bitscope hardware exemplifies the potential of open source development platforms for construction of highly customizable instrumentation for photosynthetic research.
An Opportunistic MAC Protocol for Energy-Efficient Wireless Communication in a Dynamic, Cyclical Channel

As wind energy continues to expand to new frontiers in terms of the location, number, and size of wind turbines, the industry has begun to seek smarter operations and management solutions. Low-cost wireless sensing nodes could be used to support data-driven techniques for optimizing production and reducing maintenance costs, among other benefits. Wireless instrumentation makes particular sense for wind turbine blades; however, traditional wireless sensor network deployment approaches are not suitable for blades, due to physical constraints and the resulting extremely limited energy supply. Alternatively, a sensor node attached to a rotating blade could opportunistically and efficiently offload its data to a sink node, attached to the turbine tower, as the blade passes the tower. This approach results in a channel with a cyclical signal strength pattern that existing medium access control (MAC) protocols are not designed to handle. We thus present BladeMAC, a MAC-layer protocol that efficiently handles the cyclical channel problem by dynamically identifying duty-cycling opportunities based on received signal strength. In this paper, we describe the details of BladeMAC’s design and our implementation and evaluation in Contiki OS and the Cooja simulation tool. We also discuss practical considerations for our deployment scenario.
Interactive Guidance Techniques for Improving Creative Feedback

Good feedback is critical to creativity and learning, yet rare. Many people do not know how to actually provide effective feedback. There is increasing demand for quality feedback -- and thus feedback givers -- in learning and professional settings. This paper contributes empirical evidence that two interactive techniques -- reusable suggestions and adaptive guidance -- can improve feedback on creative work. We present these techniques embodied in the CritiqueKit system to help reviewers give specific, actionable, and justified feedback. Two real-world deployment studies and two controlled experiments with CritiqueKit found that adaptively-presented suggestions improve the quality of feedback from novice reviewers. Reviewers also reported that suggestions and guidance helped them describe their thoughts and reminded them to provide effective feedback.
Evaluation of an enhanced gravity-based fine-coal circuit for high-sulfur coal

One of the main objectives of this study was to evaluate a fine-coal cleaning circuit using an enhanced gravity separator specifically for a high sulfur coal application. The evaluation not only included testing of individual unit operations used for fine-coal classification, cleaning and dewatering, but also included testing of the complete circuit simultaneously. At a scale of nearly 2 t/h, two alternative circuits were evaluated to clean a minus 0.6-mm coal stream utilizing a 150-mm-diameter classifying cyclone, a linear screen having a projected surface area of 0.5 m{sup 2}, an enhanced gravity separator having a bowl diameter of 250 mm and a screen-bowl centrifuge having a bowl diameter of 500 mm. The cleaning and dewatering components of both circuits were the same; however, one circuit used a classifying cyclone whereas the other used a linear screen as the classification device. An industrial size coal spiral was used to clean the 2- x 0.6-mm coal size fraction for each circuit to estimate the performance of a complete fine-coal circuit cleaning a minus 2-mm particle size coal stream. The 'linear screen + enhanced gravity separator + screen-bowl circuit' provided superior sulfur and ash-cleaning performance to the alternative circuit that used a classifyingmore » cyclone in place of the linear screen. Based on these test data, it was estimated that the use of the recommended circuit to treat 50 t/h of minus 2-mm size coal having feed ash and sulfur contents of 33.9% and 3.28%, respectively, may produce nearly 28.3 t/h of clean coal with product ash and sulfur contents of 9.15% and 1.61 %, respectively.« less
Abstract 19805: Characteristics and Disparity of Care Among Heart Failure Patients in the Midwest Participating in Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure

Background: Heart failure places a burden on the healthcare system and affects African Americans (AA) disproportionately. AA have greater fatality rates, and prior to age 50, AA have a heart failure incidence rate 20 times higher than Caucasians. There are several predictive risk factors associated with heart failure incidence including hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, all of which are more common in the AA population. The same evidence-based treatment guidelines apply to both AA and Caucasians with heart failure, with the exception of the recommendation of hydralazine plus isosorbide dinitrate for AA. The objective of this study was to examine the quality of care and characteristics of AA heart failure patients compared to Caucasians. Methods: There were 28642 heart failure patients analyzed from January 1 to December 31, 2015 from 11 Midwest states using Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF). GWTG-HF is an in-hospital quality initiative that improves care by promoting adherence to scientific treatment guidelines in heart failure patients. Of the heart failure patients analyzed, 52% were male and 48% were female, while 18.8% were AA and 81.2% were Caucasian. Achievement and quality measures, characteristics, and defect-free care were examined. Results: AA heart failure patients had a median age of 62, while Caucasian heart failure patients had a median age of 77. AA heart failure patients had a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. Overall, AA and Caucasians had similar quality of care, though AA were more likely to receive an aldosterone antagonist at discharge and DVT prophylaxis during hospitalization. For both AA and Caucasians, defect free care was provided 82.1% of the time. Conclusions: AA and Caucasian heart failure patients receive similar quality of care but differed in age, DVT prophylaxis and use of an aldosterone antagonist. Further research should examine the causes of these differences of aldosterone use and DVT prophylaxis.
Environmental Security and Its Meaning for the State

Underscoring the critical tension between environmental security and ecoterrorism, the authors present two essential propositions linking environments, states and security. The first is that the praxis of security should be understood as extreme efforts within a state’s larger management of uncertainty about the future. By focusing on a motivation for government action – rather than as a locus of bureaucratic activity – we open the possibility for more nuanced discussions and decisions on security. As such, recognizing the critical relationship between environmental security and ecoterrorism, it becomes possible to consider greater sources of uncertainty and alternative responses. The second proposition suggests that the planning, design, and use of the environment are fundamental aspects of a state’s response to uncertainty and vulnerability. By examining uncertainty, recognizing vulnerabilities, and designing adaptive response measures, will fundamentally improve security.
Neurosensory Specification and Development

During development, generalized ectoderm is in a stepwise fashion restricted in its transformative potential to a specific cell fate within a functional unit of the future brain. To achieve this, these cells are first primed, then committed to a defined lineage, and eventually induced to differentiate into a large variety of distinct neuronal and sensory cell types of the brain, the peripheral nervous system, and the major sensory organs. This process entails an initial suppression of the generalized ectodermal fate concomitant with acquisition of a new fate. The presumptive neurosensory cells are then committed to differentiate into distinct cell types that are dependent on regionalized signals relayed to them from other parts of the brain through specific connections, including unique sets of receptors and transmitters. The current understanding of some of the molecules involved in this process is reviewed for neurosensory development, one of the processes better understood at the molecular level.
Beyond consumer responsibilization: Slow Food’s actually existing neoliberalism:

Critics of political consumerism argue that it perpetuates a neoliberal belief that complex societal problems are best redressed through the market-coordinated choices and actions of socially respo...
Detection of the effects of stormwater control measure in streams using a Bayesian BACI power analysis

The unpredictable timing and magnitude of precipitation events and the spatiotemporal variability of constituent concentrations are major complications to effective monitoring of watershed nutrient and sediment loads. Furthermore, detecting small changes in constituent loads in response to implementation of Stormwater control measures (SCMs) against natural variability is a challenge. Nevertheless, regulatory frameworks that direct reductions of pollutants to streams frequently depend on the ability to quantify changes in loads after management interventions. The before-after-control impact (BACI) sampling design is often used to assess the effects of an environmental change made at a known point in time. However, this approach may be complicated to apply to nutrient and sediment loads in streams as the relative impact of SCMs on nutrient concentration conditional on the long term variability of discharges has not been evaluated. Multi-scale monitoring studies that provide estimates of the natural temporal and spatial variability of discharge and concentrations could provide useful information in designing a BACI study. Here we use data from the Baltimore Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and urban restoration sites to develop multiple statistical measures of the effectiveness of a given monitoring scheme in revealing the hypothesized restoration effects in terms of hydrology and nutrient loads. Stratified sampling over baseflow and stormflow and the use of multiple control streams were useful tools to detect long term cumulative reductions in concentrations due to SCMs. Moderate reductions in concentration (20%), however, were not detectable with the design options considered. We emphasize that appropriate pre-planning of monitoring schemes and sampling frequency is essential to determine if the effects on constituent loads resulting from a given watershed restoration activity are measurable.
Near-surface soil moisture dynamics in a prairie hillslope seep/headwater stream system in Texas, USA

This 20-month study of a prairie hillslope seep system builds upon and extends the soil moisture record from a previous study conducted during the most extreme drought ever recorded in Texas. We se...
Rapid cardiac MRI protocol for cardiac assessment in paediatric and young adult patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplant: a feasibility study.

Background: Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important and effective treatment strategy for many malignancies, marrow failure syndromes, and immunodeficiencies in children, adolescents, and young adults. Despite advances in supportive care, patients undergoing transplant are at increased risk to develop cardiovascular co-morbidities. Methods: This study was performed as a feasibility study of a rapid cardiac MRI protocol to substitute for echocardiography in the assessment of left ventricular size and function, pericardial effusion, and right ventricular hypertension. Results: A total of 13 patients were enrolled for the study (age 17.5 ± 7.7 years, 77% male, 77% white). Mean study time was 13.2 ± 5.6 minutes for MRI and 18.8 ± 5.7 minutes for echocardiogram (p = 0.064). Correlation between left ventricular ejection fraction by MRI and echocardiogram was good (ICC 0.76; 95% CI 0.47, 0.92). None of the patients had documented right ventricular hypertension. Patients were given a survey regarding their experiences, with the majority both perceiving that the echocardiogram took longer (7/13) and indicating they would prefer the MRI if given a choice (10/13). Conclusion: A rapid cardiac MRI protocol was shown feasible to substitute for echocardiogram in the assessment of key factors prior to or in follow-up after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
A linearized framework and a new benchmark for model selection for fine-tuning

Fine-tuning from a collection of models pre-trained on different domains (a "model zoo") is emerging as a technique to improve test accuracy in the low-data regime. However, model selection, i.e. how to pre-select the right model to fine-tune from a model zoo without performing any training, remains an open topic. We use a linearized framework to approximate fine-tuning, and introduce two new baselines for model selection -- Label-Gradient and Label-Feature Correlation. Since all model selection algorithms in the literature have been tested on different use-cases and never compared directly, we introduce a new comprehensive benchmark for model selection comprising of: i) A model zoo of single and multi-domain models, and ii) Many target tasks. Our benchmark highlights accuracy gain with model zoo compared to fine-tuning Imagenet models. We show our model selection baseline can select optimal models to fine-tune in few selections and has the highest ranking correlation to fine-tuning accuracy compared to existing algorithms.
Implementation and characterization of a physiologically‐relevant flow waveform in a 3D microfluidic model of the blood‐brain barrier

Previous in vitro studies interrogating the endothelial response to physiologically relevant flow regimes require specialized pumps to deliver time-dependent waveforms that imitate in vivo blood flow. The aim of this study is to create a low-cost and broadly adaptable approach to mimic physiological flow, and then use this system to characterize the effect of flow separation on velocity and shear stress profiles in a three-dimensional (3D) topology. The flow apparatus incorporates a programmable linear actuator that superposes oscillations on a constant mean flow driven by a peristaltic pump to emulate flow in the carotid artery. The flow is perfused through a 3D in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier designed to induce separated flow. Experimental flow patterns measured by microparticle image velocimetry and modeled by computational fluid dynamics reveal periodic changes in the instantaneous shear stress along the channel wall. Moreover, the time-dependent flow causes periodic flow separation zones, resulting in variable reattachment points during the cycle. The effects of these complex flow regimes are assessed by evaluating the integrity of the in vitro blood-brain barrier model. Permeability assays and immunostaining for proteins associated with tight junctions reveal barrier breakdown in the region of disturbed flow. In conclusion, the flow system described here creates complex, physiologically relevant flow profiles that provide deeper insight into the fluid dynamics of separated flow and pave the way for future studies interrogating the cellular response to complex flow regimes.
X chromosome escapee genes are involved in ischemic sexual dimorphism through epigenetic modification of inflammatory signals.

Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease. Previous studies have found that young females are protected against ischemia compared to males, partially due to the protective effect of ovarian hormones, particularly estrogen (E2). However, there are also genetic and epigenetic effects of X chromosome dosage that contribute to stroke sensitivity and neuroinflammation after injury, especially in the aged. Genes that escape from X chromosome inactivation (XCI) contribute to sex-specific phenotypes in many disorders. Kdm5c and kdm6a are X escapee genes that demethylate H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, respectively. We hypothesized that the two demethylases play critical roles in mediating the stroke sensitivity. To identify the X escapee genes involved in stroke, we performed RNA-seq in flow-sorted microglia from aged male and female wild type (WT) mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The expression of these genes (kdm5c/kdm6a) were confirmed in four core genotypes (FCG) mice and in post-mortem human stroke brains by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, and RT-PCR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were conducted to detect DNA levels of inflammatory interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 4/5 precipitated by histone H3K4 and H3K27 antibodies. Manipulation of kdm5c/kdm6a expression with siRNA or lentivirus was performed in microglial culture, to determine downstream pathways and examine the regulatory roles in inflammatory cytokine production. Kdm5c and kdm6a mRNA levels were significantly higher in aged WT female vs. male microglia, and the sex difference also existed in ischemic brains from FCG mice and human stroke patients. The ChIP assay showed the IRF 4/5 had higher binding levels to demethylated H3K4 or H3K27, respectively, in female vs. male ischemic microglia. Knockdown or over expression of kdm5c/kdm6a with siRNA or lentivirus altered the methylation of H3K4 or H3K27 at the IRF4/5 genes, which in turn, impacted the production of inflammatory cytokines. The KDM-Histone-IRF pathways are suggested to mediate sex differences in cerebral ischemia. Epigenetic modification of stroke-related genes constitutes an important mechanism underlying the ischemic sexual dimorphism.
The TrkA agonist gambogic amide augments skeletal adaptation to mechanical loading.

Abstract The periosteal and endosteal surfaces of mature bone are densely innervated by sensory nerves expressing TrkA, the high-affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (NGF). In previous work, we demonstrated that administration of exogenous NGF significantly increased load-induced bone formation through the activation of Wnt signaling. However, the translational potential of NGF is limited by the induction of substantial mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in mice and humans. Here, we tested the effect of gambogic amide (GA), a recently identified robust small molecule agonist for TrkA, on hyperalgesia and load-induced bone formation. Behavioral analysis was used to assess pain up to one week after axial forelimb compression. Contrary to our expectations, GA treatment was not associated with diminished use of the loaded forelimb or sensitivity to thermal stimulus. Furthermore, dynamic histomorphometry revealed a significant increase in relative periosteal bone formation rate as compared to vehicle treatment. Additionally, we found that GA treatment was associated with an increase in the number of osteoblasts per bone surface in loaded limbs as well as a significant increase in the fold change of Ngf, Wnt7b, and Axin2 mRNA expression as compared to vehicle (control). To test the effect of GA on osteoblasts directly, we cultured MC3T3-E1 cells for up to 21 days in osteogenic differentiation media containing NGF, GA, or vehicle (control). Media containing GA induced the significant upregulation of the osteoblastic differentiation markers Runx2, Bglap2, and Sp7 in a dose-dependent manner, whereas treatment with NGF was not associated with any significant increases in these markers. Furthermore, consistent with our in vivo findings, we observed that administration of 50 nM of GA upregulated expression of Ngf at both Day 3 and Day 7. However, cells treated with the highest dose of GA (500 nM) had significantly increased apoptosis and impaired cell proliferation. In conclusion, our study indicates GA may be useful for augmenting skeletal adaptation to mechanical forces without inducing hyperalgesia.
Painful swelling of the hand.

A 26-year-old patient with no prior medical history presented to the emergency department with pain in his right hand after getting into a fight with another person. Figure 1 shows the hand. The function was impaired by pain. Vascularisation of the hand and fingers was normal and there was no neurological deficit. An X-ray of the hand was taken (figure 2). Figure 1 Patient’s right hand. Figure 2 Posteroanterior X-ray of the right hand. What is the diagnosis? 1. Triquetral …
Patient-Reported Outcomes Integrated Within an Electronic Medical Record in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

PURPOSEPatient-reported outcome (PRO) tools lead to clinical benefits, including improved overall survival for patients with cancer. However, routine implementation of PROs in clinical practice wit...
Cell culture contaminants.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the cell culture contaminants. Most laboratories using cell and tissue cultures are plagued with the problem of contaminations. Initially the problem was thought to be one of only bacteria, yeast, and mold contaminations, and the advent of antibiotics appeared to be the “cure all.” Unfortunately this has not proved to be the case and the use of antibiotics has compounded the problem rather than lessened it. In fact the evidence is clear that the use of antibiotics in cell cultures has developed a false sense of security in workers which has led to haphazard cultural techniques. There is mounting evidence that mycoplasma contamination of cultured tissue cells causes profound alterations in the nutritional, biochemical, cytogenetic, and immunological characteristics of the cell. Consequently a reevaluation of the possible role of mycoplasma contamination in the interpretation of many reported studies, in which tests for the possible presence of mycoplasma were not done, may be necessary.
Effect of vagotomy in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Abstract We evaluated the effect of vagotomy on gastric acid secretion and the clinical course in 3 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Basal acid hypersecretion was reduced by 49, 86, and 96%, and peak acid output in response to pentagastrin was reduced by 36, 39, and 71% in the 3 patients. In one patient, 300 mg cimetidine reduced basal acid secretion from 65 to 20 meq/hr before vagotomy; whereas after vagotomy basal acid secretion was reduced from 36 to 0.6 meq/hr by the same dose of cimetidine. One patient has required no antisecretory therapy for 14 yr, whereas 2 patients have also been treated with cimetidine with excellent results. We conclude that vagotomy facilitates control of acid secretion in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and we recommend vagotomy and cimetidine rather than total gastrectomy or cimetidine alone for the management of these patients. This combined surgical and medical approach should also allow discovery and removal of isolated tumors in about 10% of patients.
A simple design CAD (SDCAD) program

SDCAD is a JAVA based, platform independent program with a user-friendly Windows interface and a simplified file format for storing drawing files. SDCAD features the ability to create and modify drawing components (lines, circles, dimensions, etc...); print, save, and load drawings; export drawings to raster file formats; import and export to and from the AutoDesk DXF drawing format. The program also includes the most commonly used advanced capabilities of typical CAD programs such as 'snap', 'trim', 'zoom' in, and 'zoom' out.
Organizational learning orientation: how can it foster alliance relationships?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of an organization's learning orientation in developing alliance relationships.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on research conducted on organizations involved in alliances as well as practical evidence.Findings – The paper finds that alliance managers need to focus on developing learning capabilities within their organizations to achieve superior alliance performance.Practical implications – The paper has practical implications for managers involved in alliances as it shows the importance of an organization focusing on learning. With the relatively small number of alliance relationships that succeed, it is important that managers harness their organization's learning potential in the context of an alliance.Originality/value – The paper is unique as it highlights the importance of an organization's learning orientation in an alliance context.
Xi'an International University: The Growth of Private Universities in China

Huang Teng founded Xi'an International University (XAIU) as a private institute of higher education in 1992. Throughout its ensuing years, the school filled a niche and met the demand of students who did not test into one of China's public institutions. In 2008, it was seeking to grow by aggressively pursuing opportunities in other provinces and municipalities. Huang's plan was to franchise his university throughout China. However, in pursuing this strategy in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, China's largest cities, Huang was not receiving warm responses. Local officials feared XAIU would jeopardize the survival of locally-run, private universities, and competition among private universities was heating up as institutions from the United Kingdom and Hong Kong partnered with public universities to form joint-ventured "independent colleges." Buoyed by the success of XAIU, Huang was confident that despite these setbacks, his franchise model would work. But was an alternative plan of expanding into second or third tier cities compromising too much of the groundwork that had already been laid, would it jeopardize XAIU's funding opportunities, and finally, would it hurt the academic quality and integrity XAIU had built up at home?Learning Objective: Private universities fill an education gap in China. Demand for higher education has created a new industry.
When are Order Scattered and Topologically Scattered the Same

Resume Nous disons qu'un ensemble ordonne est disperse au sens de l'ordre lorsque ses seules parties denses (pour l'ordre) sont O, les singletons et les antichaines. Par ailleurs, nous disons qu'un espace topologique est disperse lorsque chacun de ses sous-espaces a au moins un point isole pour la topologie induite. La question contenue dans le titre est de savoir dans quels cas ces notions se confondent pour un espace topologique (partiellement) ordonne. Nous apportons une reponse pour la classe des treillis algebriques en montrant que ces notions coīncident si le treillis est distributif et en produisant un exemple de treillis algebrique non-distributif qui, sans ětre disperse, est disperse au sens de l'ordre. Comme tout compact (ordonne) disperse est aussi disperse pour l'ordre, cela regie la question pour les treillis algebriques. L'article comprend deux parties. La premiere (sections I a IV) vise a presenter un rappel de la theorie des treillis algebriques et de leur dualite avec les demi-treillis discrets. Nous expliquons aussi comment la topologie dont sont munis ces treillis est issue de facon naturelle de la dualite evoquee. Enfin, nous introduisons pour les treillis algebriques distributifs la theorie spectrale, qui fournit une dualite entre ceux-ci et les espaces temperes qui sont localement quasi-compacts et nantis d'une base d'ouverts quasi-compacts. Le but de cette synthese est de valoriser la relation entre topologie et algebre (relation si precieuse, notamment, pour l'approche de la structure des treillis algebriques et de leurs applications a la topologie et a l'ordre). La seconde partie (sections V a VII) presente, dans le cas des treillis algebriques, les resultats concernant la connexion entre les deux susdites notions de dispersion. On y explore aussi le lien entre ces notions et les notions correspondantes du spectre d'un treillis algebrique distributif. Le resultat essentiel est le theoreme 6.5. et son Corollaire 6.6.
Novel cytochrome B gene mutations causing mitochondrial disease in autism

The recent scientific literature has documented an association between autism and mitochondrial dysfunction, yet the majority of reported cases of individuals with autism and mitochondrial disease have not reported a specific genetic defect to explainthecauseof themitochondrial dysfunction. Herewereporttwoboyswithregressive-type autismwithsimilarbiochemical, electron microscopy and electron transport chain abnormalities consistent with a mitochondrial disorder. Both boys manifested rare mutations in evolutionarily conserved regions of the cytochrome b gene, a gene that codes for an important component of complex III - one of the essential electron transport chain complexes. Only one of these mutations has been previously reported, making these mutations novel. Electron transport chain studies in two boys within this report are consistent with dysfunction of the electron transport chain beyond a complex III defect, consistent with other reports describing the effects of cytochrome b gene mutations. This report expands the knowledge of the etiology of mitochondrial dysfunction in children with autism.
A portable and wide energy range semiconductor-based neutron spectrometer

Abstract Hand-held instruments that can be used to passively detect and identify sources of neutron radiation—either bare or obscured by neutron moderating and/or absorbing material(s)—in real time are of interest in a variety of nuclear non-proliferation and health physics applications. Such an instrument must provide a means to high intrinsic detection efficiency and energy-sensitive measurements of free neutron fields, for neutrons ranging from thermal energies to the top end of the evaporation spectrum. To address and overcome the challenges inherent to the aforementioned applications, four solid-state moderating-type neutron spectrometers of varying cost, weight, and complexity have been designed, fabricated, and tested. The motivation of this work is to introduce these novel human-portable instruments by discussing the fundamental theory of their operation, investigating and analyzing the principal considerations for optimal instrument design, and evaluating the capability of each of the four fabricated spectrometers to meet the application needs.
Monopolar cautery and adverse effects on cochlear implants.

Importance The use of monopolar cautery has been widely regarded as a contraindication in the setting of a cochlear implant because of presumed risk to the implant device. There are very limited data to support this contraindication. Objectives (1) To evaluate the effects of monopolar cautery on cochlear implant devices. (2) To determine whether monopolar cautery changes the endocochlear temperature in an implanted cochlea. Design Sixteen cochlear implants from 3 manufacturers (Advanced Bionics LLC, Cochlear Americas Ltd, and Med-El Ltd) were implanted into 2 unembalmed, fresh cadavers. Monopolar cautery was applied to either the tongue or abdomen at coagulation settings of 10 W or 50 W for 30 minutes. Impedance and integrity testing were performed before, during, and after 30 minutes of cautery. The temperature in the endocochlear perilymph was measured during cautery. After explantation, devices were returned to the manufacturer for an in-depth “failure” analysis according to each manufacturer’s current protocol evaluating explanted devices. Setting Basic science laboratory, tertiary medical center. Participants Cadaveric study. Intervention Application of monopolar cautery to implanted cochlear implants in a cadaveric model. Main Outcome and Measure (1) Changes to the implanted devices either during electrocautery or following failure analysis. (2) Changes in the intracochlear temperature. Results No change in impedance, integrity testing, or failure analysis occurred at any cautery setting when applied to either the oral cavity or abdomen. The temperature of the cochlea did not increase with up to 30 minutes of cautery at a setting of 50 W. Comprehensive device analysis did not show any evidence of device damage at the conclusion of the study. Conclusions and Relevance Monopolar cautery did not produce detectible damage to any of the cochlear implant devices or produce detectible temperature change in the cochlea at low or high levels of cautery in the oral cavity in this experimental model.
Theory of decisions by intra-dimensional comparisons

Making a choice between multidimensional alternatives is a difficult task. Therefore, a decision maker may adopt some procedure (heuristic) to simplify this task. We provide an axiomatic model of one such heuristic called the Intra-Dimensional Comparison (IDC) heuristic. The IDC heuristic is well-documented in the experimental literature on choice under risk. The IDC heuristic is a procedure in which a decision maker compares multidimensional alternatives dimension-by-dimension and makes a decision based on those comparisons. The model of the IDC heuristic provides a general framework applicable to many different contexts, including risky choice and social choice.
Solitons in Crossed-Field Devices

A new application for soliton theory is the nonlinear evolution of an electromagnetic wave in a crossed-field device such as a magnetron or a crossed-field amplifier. With a singular perturbation analysis, we are able to more accurately predict the operating range of such devices. Important new insights into the physics of how these devices operate are also found.
Performance evaluation of InfiniBand with PCI Express

We present an initial performance evaluation of InfiniBand HCAs (host channel adapters) from Mellanox with PCI Express interfaces. We compare the performance with HCAs using PCI-X interfaces. Our results show that InfiniBand HCAs with PCI Express can achieve significant performance benefits. Compared with HCAs using 64 bit/133 MHz PCI-X interfaces, they can achieve 20%-30% lower latency for small messages. The small message latency achieved with PCI Express is around 3.8 /spl mu/s, compared with the 5.0 /spl mu/s with PCI-X. For large messages, HCAs with PCI Express using a single port can deliver unidirectional bandwidth up to 968 MB/s and bidirectional bandwidth up to 1916 MB/s, which are, respectively, 1.24 and 2.02 times the peak bandwidths achieved by HCAs with PCI-X. When both the ports of the HCAs are activated, HCAs with PCI Express can deliver a peak unidirectional bandwidth of 1486 MB/s and aggregate bidirectional bandwidth up to 2729 MB/s, which are 1.93 and 2.88 times the peak bandwidths obtained using HCAs with PCI-X. PCI Express also improves performance at the MPI level. A latency of 4.6 /spl mu/s with PCI Express is achieved for small messages. And for large messages, unidirectional bandwidth of 1497 MB/s and bidirectional bandwidth of 2724 MB/s are observed.