cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Floorplanning of Partially Reconfigurable Design on Heterogeneous FPGA (Abstract Only)

The floorplanning problem in FPGA has been a topic of research for more than a decade. Although the floorplanning problem has been thoroughly explored for homogeneous FPGAs, very less work has been done for heterogeneous FPGAs. In this paper, we have designed a floorplanner for partially reconfigurable design in heterogeneous FPGAs which takes into consideration the diversity of resources present inside the FPGA device and their locations. The floorplanner is based on fixed outline simulated annealing algorithm. We proposed a priority based sorting algorithm mimicking Olympic Medal Tally for initial floorplanning which is a preprocessing step for simulated annealing. Also, a White Space detection algorithm is proposed for efficient management of white space inside the FPGA device. We defined a cost function, which consists of weighed sum of wirelength, area and resource wastage, and minimized this cost function using simulated annealing. In this work, we also described a method to calculate two different types of resource wastage and suggested a method to reduce it. The performance of our floorplanner is evaluated using MCNC benchmarks on Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA architecture. We have compared our proposed floorplanner with other results reported in the literature and observed substantial improvement in the overall wirelength as well as the execution time. Finally, we integrated our floorplanner with Xilinx PlanAhead to automate the floorplanning process. We generate the floorplan of a partially reconfigurable median filter, which consists of seven reconfigurable regions. When a comparison is made between the manually generated floorplan and the automatic floorplan generated by our tool, a significant improvement is observed in terms of parameters like total area occupied by the reconfigurable regions, frequency of the operation and total time required by PlanAhead to place and route the design.
Atrial natriuretic peptide clearance receptor agonist lowers pulmonary pressure in hypoxic rats.

We demonstrated previously that intravenous administration of exogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) lowers mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) in hypoxia-adapted rats. To test the hypothesis that endogenous ANP may also lower MPAP in this model, C-ANP-(4-23), a ring-deleted analogue of ANP that binds to the biologically silent ANP clearance receptor (C-ANP receptor) but not to the ANP biological receptor (B-ANP receptor), was administered intravenously as a bolus injection (10 micrograms/kg) followed by an infusion (1 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 60 min) to rats adapted to hypoxia (10% O2) for 4 wk and to air control rats. C-ANP-(4-23) significantly lowered MPAP in hypoxic rats but not in air controls. A statistically insignificant reduction in mean systemic arterial pressure was found in both groups after C-ANP-(4-23) administration. C-ANP-(4-23) significantly (two- to threefold) increased endogenous plasma ANP levels in both groups; the increase was not significantly different between groups. Both basal and post-C-ANP-(4-23) levels of plasma ANP were greater in hypoxia-adapted animals than in air controls; the C-ANP-induced increase in plasma ANP was not significantly different between groups. These results suggest that the endogenous ANP may modulate pulmonary vascular tone in rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.
Multidetector CT of nasolacrimal canal morphology: normal variation by age, gender, and race.

Purpose: To accurately characterize anatomical age, gender, and racial differences in normal nasolacrimal canal morphology and to describe a new, accurate technique for measuring nasolacrimal canal parameters based on high-resolution CT. Methods: The CT images of 72 patients were reviewed retrospectively and grouped according to age, gender, and race. Patients with history of long-term sinusitis, facial trauma, or nasolacrimal duct pathology were excluded from study. Variations in nasolacrimal duct length, minimal and maximal diameter, and other metrics were recorded and compared across each category. All patient records were deidentified to protect privacy. Results: Nasolacrimal canal length and volume were significantly greater in men than those in women. A trend was noted for greater canal cross-sectional diameter in patients older than 50 years when compared with that in younger patients. Significant differences in canal diameters were noted at the canal apex and base of older patients compared with those of younger patients. The cross-sectional area of the canal base was greater in black patients than that in Caucasian patients. Conclusions: Although some significant age, gender, and racial variations of nasolacrimal canal morphology exist, these do not fully explain the epidemiology of primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The new method described here for measuring nasolacrimal canal metrics is straightforward and theoretically more accurate than those previously defined in the literature. (Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 2013;29:475–480)
Browning and Graying: Novel Transcriptional Regulators of Brown and Beige Fat Tissues and Aging

Obesity represents a major risk factor for the development of a number of metabolic disorders, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Since the discovery that brown and beige fat cells exist in adult humans and contribute to energy expenditure, increasing interest has been devoted to the understanding of the molecular switches turning on calorie utilization. It has been reported that the ability of thermogenic tissues to burn energy declines during aging, possibly contributing to the development of metabolic dysfunction late in life. This review will focus on the recently identified transcriptional modulators of brown and beige cells and will discuss the potential impact of some of these thermogenic factors on age-associated metabolic disorders.
Analysis of tumor cancer mortality in Pudong district of Shanghai 1993-2004

Objective To study the mortality trend of tumor in Pudong district of Shanghai in past decade. Methods The tumor mortality rate was calculated by age-standardized method based on the national population in 1990 and the world standard population. Results The crude morality rate increased from 174. 88/100 000 in 1993-1995 to 219. 66/100 000 in 2002-2004. After age-standardized by world population, the mortality dropped from 130. 40 /100 000 to 111. 25/100 000 during the same period. The malignant tumor mortality among male was 1. 6 times that of female. The rank of top 5 male cancers were cancer of lung, stomach,liver,colon and esophagus in 2002-2004 cancers of lung, stomach, colon, liver and breast among female. Conclusion The cancer mortalities in Pudong district decreased in the past decade while the rank of top 5 cancer sites kept unchanged.
Echinococcal Disease of the Kidney

A case of hydatid disease of the kidney is presented. The parasitology, diagnostic evaluation and surgical treatment for the entity are discussed.
Predictors of post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis in lung SBRT patients through decision tree analysis

The objective of this study is to identify clinical and dosimetric factors for lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) that can predict the development of post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis. We retrospectively analyzed 65 patients with a total of 68 lung lesions treated with SBRT from 2011 to 2013. The post-treatment time period was defined from the patient’s last fraction until the most recent follow-up. Toxicity was graded according to NCI CTCAE v4.0. Pulmonary symptoms grade 2 and greater were considered symptomatic. Twenty-six patient, tumor, and dosimetric parameters were used to train the decision tree in order to predict post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis. Median follow-up was 10.8 months (range 3–32 months). Seven patients experienced grade 2 and 1 patient experienced grade 3 pneumonitis in the post-treatment period. Crude rate of symptomatic post-treatment pneumonitis was 12.3 %. Of the 26 factors that trained the decision tree, 4 factors were found to be predictive of developing post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis: history of prior radiation therapy, lung V20, conformality index (CI) at the 50 % isodose line, and contralateral lung V5. If a patient had prior lung irradiation, V20 >4.1 % was a risk factor for developing post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis. If a patient had no prior history of radiation, CI at the 50 % isodose line >5.1 and contralateral lung V5 >1.66 % were found to be risk factors for developing post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis. Overall, this decision tree modeled our post-treatment clinical outcomes with 94 % prediction accuracy. Based on this retrospective analysis, post-treatment symptomatic pneumonitis was successfully predicted by this developed decision tree using 4 readily available clinical and dosimetric factors. Using this decision tree, it is possible to identify lung SBRT patients at higher risk of developing symptomatic pneumonitis. These findings warrant validation with an external dataset and subsequent testing in a prospective study.
Motivations to Disclose Chronic Illness in the Workplace

Managing chronic illness is not just a healthcare issue but is also relevant to workplace communication and relationships. Workers with chronic conditions are faced with the decision of if and how they should disclose the chronic condition to their supervisors and co-workers. These decisions are laden with fears of stigma or other forms of discrimination that are commonly associated with invisible identities. This study used a qualitative questionnaire and thematic analysis techniques to reveal three reasons why workers chose to (or not to) reveal their chronic condition in the work environment: facilitate continued employment, enacting values, and explaining absence or condition. Viewing the results through social exchange theory showed that employees exchange (or do not exchange) personal information for workplace accommodations.
Sites and Mechanisms for the Hypocholesterolemic Actions of Soluble Dietary Fiber Sources

Earlier research summarized in previous Vahouny Symposia (1–4) is the foundation for the generally accepted concept that soluble, but not insoluble, dietary fibers modulate upper gastrointestinal physiology. This concept was lucidly illustrated by Jenkins et al (5) at an earlier conference. In his diagram, more digesta is in the stomach and is distributed over a larger portion of the small intestine when more fiber is consumed. Implicit in this diagram is that not only is digestion slower but so is absorption, which results in a more physiological load of nutrients entering the liver.
The Rhythm Forms of Philip Cady Hayden

The purpose of the study was to examine the teaching methods of Philip C. Hayden (1854–1925), an influential music educator during the early part of the twentieth century. Hayden is known for organ...
Abstract 2452: Deorphanizing TLX: Implications for treatment of glioblastomas

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are important ligand-dependent transcriptional factors. Presently, no natural or synthetic ligand has been identified for a large group of so- called “orphan” NRs. The orphan NR tailless (TLX, NR2E1), a transcriptional repressor, is a major player in neurogenesis and emerging evidence indicates that it is an excellent target to treat Neural Stem Cell (NSC) derived brain tumors and glioblastomas. Indeed, several groups hypothesized that small molecules de-repressing TLX activity in glioblastoma cells should slow tumor progression and invasiveness by inducing the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and the tumor suppressor pten. Until recently, no chemical probes to modulate TLX activity to test this hypothesis were available, and it was not clear whether TLX was druggable. Our homology models of the TLX ligand binding domain (LBD) suggest that TLX belongs to an emerging class of NRs that lack two LBD helices and fold into an auto-repressed conformation. While our models suggests that TLX could harbor a ligand binding pocket, the consequences of its unusual organization for small molecule development were unknown. We used a medium throughput screening strategy to assess TLX ligand binding capacity. We investigated direct binding of 20,000 compounds to purified human TLX protein and verified interactions with a secondary (orthogonal) assay. We then assessed effects of verified binders on TLX activity. As a result, we reported three compounds that bind to TLX with affinities in the high nanomolar to low micromolar range and enhance TLX transcriptional repressive activity. Based on this study, we could conclude that TLX is druggable. We are now investigating how to de-repress TLX transcriptional activity using derivatives of these small molecules. We are imaging the mode of binding of the three identified ligands and discovering surfaces which bind coregulators of TLX in glioblastomas. This knowledge will allow us to devise strategies to chemically modify novel TLX ligands to disrupt coregulator interactions and to obtain the desirable biological activities. A first generation of novel analogues is currently being tested. In this presentation we will describe ongoing Structure-Activity Relationship studies to identify new specific TLX ligands able to de-repress TLX transcriptional activity. Citation Format: Cindy C. Benod, Rosa Villagomez, Paul Webb. Deorphanizing TLX: Implications for treatment of glioblastomas. [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 2452. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2452
When COI barcodes deceive: complete genomes reveal introgression in hairstreaks

Two species of hairstreak butterflies from the genus Calycopis are known in the United States: C. cecrops and C. isobeon Analysis of mitochondrial COI barcodes of Calycopis revealed cecrops-like specimens from the eastern US with atypical barcodes that were 2.6% different from either USA species, but similar to Central American Calycopis species. To address the possibility that the specimens with atypical barcodes represent an undescribed cryptic species, we sequenced complete genomes of 27 Calycopis specimens of four species: C. cecrops, C. isobeon, C. quintana and C. bactra Some of these specimens were collected up to 60 years ago and preserved dry in museum collections, but nonetheless produced genomes as complete as fresh samples. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed using the whole mitochondrial and nuclear genomes were incongruent. While USA Calycopis with atypical barcodes grouped with Central American species C. quintana by mitochondria, nuclear genome trees placed them within typical USA C. cecrops in agreement with morphology, suggesting mitochondrial introgression. Nuclear genomes also show introgression, especially between C. cecrops and C. isobeon About 2.3% of each C. cecrops genome has probably (p-value < 0.01, FDR < 0.1) introgressed from C. isobeon and about 3.4% of each C. isobeon genome may have come from C. cecrops. The introgressed regions are enriched in genes encoding transmembrane proteins, mitochondria-targeting proteins and components of the larval cuticle. This study provides the first example of mitochondrial introgression in Lepidoptera supported by complete genome sequencing. Our results caution about relying solely on COI barcodes and mitochondrial DNA for species identification or discovery.
Weapons, desire, and the making of war

ABSTRACTWeapons have been traditionally understood as tools of violence subject to human intentions. This article challenges this view of weaponry in favour of thinking of weapons as agentic entities with formative influence over human desires. It builds this account by using contemporary materialist theories to reconceptualise weapons as pluripotential entities that act in ways that exceed human intentions. The article argues this understanding of weaponry can be usefully applied to reinterpret debates over the nature of war, insecurity and technological development. It shows how minimising the political efficacy of weapons limits contemporary understanding of these events.
Dentate Update: Imaging Features of Entities That Affect the Dentate Nucleus

SUMMARY: The dentate nucleus is a cerebellar structure involved in voluntary motor function and cognition. There are relatively few entities that affect the dentate, and the clinical features of these conditions are often complex and nonspecific. Because these entities are rarely encountered, the formulation of a differential diagnosis can be difficult. Many of the conditions are reversible or treatable with early intervention. Therefore, it is important to recognize classic clinical presentations and their associated characteristic imaging findings. We provide a summary of entities that affect the dentate nucleus and a diagnostic workflow for approaching dentate nucleus imaging abnormalities.
Compressive information acquisition with hardware impairments and constraints: A case study

Compressive information acquisition is a natural approach for low-power hardware front ends, since most natural signals are sparse in some basis. Key design questions include the impact of hardware impairments (e.g., nonlinearities) and constraints (e.g., spatially localized computations) on the fidelity of information acquisition. Our goal in this paper is to obtain specific insights into such issues through modeling of a Large Area Electronics (LAE)-based image acquisition system. We show that compressive information acquisition is robust to stochastic nonlinearities, and that appropriately designed spatially localized computations are effective, by evaluating the performance of reconstruction and classification based on the information acquired.
Inhibition of MicroRNA‐155 Supports Endothelial Tight Junction Integrity Following Oxygen‐Glucose Deprivation

Background Brain microvascular endothelial cells form a highly selective blood brain barrier regulated by the endothelial tight junctions. Cerebral ischemia selectively targets tight junction prote...
Dual Healthcare System Use During Episodes of Acute Care Heart Failure Associated With Higher Healthcare Utilization and Mortality Risk

Background Individuals receiving cross-system care (dual users) have higher rates of healthcare utilization and worse outcomes for heart failure ( HF ) and other conditions. Individuals can be dual users or single-system users at different times, though, and little is known about utilization and mortality within discrete episodes of care. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort of 3439 patients with 5231 discrete episodes of HF exacerbation were identified between 2007 and 2011. Episodes encompassed the period from 2 weeks before an initial HF emergency department ( ED ) visit or hospitalization, included any acute care visits within 30 days after initial visit, and ended 30 days after the last acute care visit in the episode chain. All-cause and HF -specific ED visits and hospitalization within 30 days of index visit were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with robust variance. Hazard for death within episodes of acute illness was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. In adjusted analyses, dual use acute HF episodes were associated with higher odds of all-cause ED visits (odds ratio 1.61, 95% confidence interval [ CI ], 1.33, 1.95), HF -specific ED visits, (odds ratio 1.54, 95% CI , 1.12, 2.13), all-cause hospitalization (odds ratio 1.89, 95% CI , 1.50, 2.38), and HF -specific hospitalization (odds ratio 1.62, 95% CI , 1.15-2.30) as compared with Veterans Health Administration-only episodes of acute HF care. Dual use episodes of care were associated with higher hazard for mortality (hazard ratio=1.52, 95% CI 1.07, 2.16) as compared with all-Veterans Health Administration episodes of care. Conclusions Episodes of acute HF care spanning across healthcare systems appear to be associated with higher risk of subsequent ED visits, hospitalization, and mortality.
Impact of clostridium difficile infection on mortality among gastrointestinal (GI) and lung cancers.

e18735Background: Clostridium Difficile Infection (CDI) resulted in almost half a million cases, 83,000 re-infections and 29,000 deaths in 2011. Limited studies have shown increased incidence of CD...
Brown Adipose Tissue Development and Metabolism

Brown adipose tissue is well known to be a thermoregulatory organ particularly important in small rodents and human infants, but it was only recently that its existence and significance to metabolic fitness in adult humans have been widely realized. The ability of active brown fat to expend high amounts of energy has raised interest in stimulating thermogenesis therapeutically to treat metabolic diseases related to obesity and type 2 diabetes. In parallel, there has been a surge of research aimed at understanding the biology of rodent and human brown fat development, its remarkable metabolic properties, and the phenomenon of white fat browning, in which white adipocytes can be converted into brown like adipocytes with similar thermogenic properties. Here, we review the current understanding of the developmental and metabolic pathways involved in forming thermogenic adipocytes, and highlight some of the many unknown functions of brown fat that make its study a rich and exciting area for future research.
Current Clinical Recommendations for Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma.

This review evaluates current clinical literature on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), including leukocyte-rich PRP (LR-PRP) and leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP), in order to develop evidence-based recommendations for various musculoskeletal indications. Abundant high-quality evidence supports the use of LR-PRP injection for lateral epicondylitis and LP-PRP for osteoarthritis of the knee. Moderate high-quality evidence supports the use of LR-PRP injection for patellar tendinopathy and of PRP injection for plantar fasciitis and donor site pain in patellar tendon graft BTB ACL reconstruction. There is insufficient evidence to routinely recommend PRP for rotator cuff tendinopathy, osteoarthritis of the hip, or high ankle sprains. Current evidence demonstrates a lack of efficacy of PRP for Achilles tendinopathy, muscle injuries, acute fracture or nonunion, surgical augmentation in rotator cuff repair, Achilles tendon repair, and ACL reconstruction. PRP is a promising treatment for some musculoskeletal diseases; however, evidence of its efficacy has been highly variable depending on the specific indication. Additional high-quality clinical trials with longer follow-up will be critical in shaping our perspective of this treatment option.
A study of intense neoadjuvant testosterone lowering therapy with goserelin and enzalutamide (Enza) in high-risk prostate cancer (PC) with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI).

63Background: Neoadjuvant therapy with novel androgen receptor inhibitors, like enza, offer an opportunity to improve cure rates in men with high risk PC but also emphasizes the need for improved i...
A Murine Cell Line Based Model of Chronic CDK9 Inhibition to Study Widespread Non-Genetic Transcriptional Elongation Defects (TEdeff) in Cancers

We have previously reported that a subset of cancers is defined by global transcriptional deregulations with widespread deficiencies in mRNA transcription elongation (TE)-we call such cancers as TEdeff. Notably, TEdeff cancers are characterized by spurious transcription and faulty mRNA processing in a large set of genes, such as interferon/JAK/STAT and TNF/NF-κB pathways, leading to their suppression. The TEdeff subtype of tumors in renal cell carcinoma and metastatic melanoma patients significantly correlate with poor response and outcome in immunotherapy. Given the importance of investigating TEdeff cancers-as it portends a significant roadblock against immunotherapy-the goal of this protocol is to establish an in vitro TEdeff mouse model to study these widespread, non-genetic transcriptional abnormalities in cancers and gain new insights, novel uses for existing drugs, or find new strategies against such cancers. We detail the use of chronic flavopiridol mediated CDK9 inhibition to abrogate phosphorylation of serine 2 residue on the C-terminal repeat domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II), suppressing the release of RNA Pol II into productive transcription elongation. Given that TEdeff cancers are not classified under any specific somatic mutation, a pharmacological model is advantageous, and best mimics the widespread transcriptional and epigenetic defects observed in them. The use of an optimized sublethal dose of flavopiridol is the only efficacious strategy in creating a generalizable model of non-genetic widespread disruption in transcription elongation and mRNA processing defects, closely mimicking the clinically observed TEdeff characteristics. Therefore, this model of TEdeff can be leveraged to dissect, cell-autonomous factors enabling them in resisting immune-mediated cell attack.
Quantitative measurements of inorganic analytes on a digital microfluidics platform

Two methods were studied for selectively measuring the on-chip absorbance of trace sulfate analytes in droplets on a digital microfluidics (DMF) platform. In one method, the direction of measurement was perpendicular to the flat upper and lower surfaces of the DMF platform (vertical), and in the second method, the measurement direction was parallel to the DMF platform surfaces (horizontal). The channel height or the vertical light path length was 0.24 mm, and the droplet diameter was 1 mm. The DMF system employed a silicone oil transport medium whereby a thin, non-uniform oil layer formed between the droplet and the upper/lower plates which was unstable, resulting in randomly formed local oil lenses. The mobile oil lenses caused vertical absorbance measurement errors and uncertainties. The effects of the oil lenses were verified by simulation. Horizontal absorbance measurements were taken with embedded optical fibers (0.2 mm in diameter) aligned over the bottom chip surface in contact with the sides of the droplet, resulting in a horizontal light path length approximately three times that of the vertical light path. Because no oil lenses could form on the droplet’s sides, the stability of repeated horizontal measurements outperformed repeated vertical measurements made on the same droplet and on multiple droplets actuated into the measurement positions. Comparisons were based on measurement standard deviations and limits of detection (LOD). The following LODs and measurement standard deviations were achieved for horizontal measurements of multiple sulfate concentrations in 1.5 µl droplets: 7 ppm for sulfate (0.3–2.7%) and an R2 value of 0.957 from a least square data fit. Measurements on a commercial plate reader gave comparable results (200 µl liquid in each well, LOD equals 11 ppm, CV equals to 0.2–4%), even though the absorbance path was larger (0.7 mm). This LOD value means that the chip could detect 10.5 ng of sulfate. LOD values on vertical measurements were also similar, but large measurement errors from numerous outlier points yielded an R2 value of 0.735 and large average measurement standard deviations (36%).
Embodied aspects of learning to be a surgeon.

Embodied learning is an educational concept that has been applied to various aspects of education, but only touched on in medical education, largely in relation to the teaching and learning of anat...
Somalogic st2 and ntprobnp assays predict heart failure mortality as effectively as the elisa assay

Biomarkers are critical for modern heart failure (HF) care. There are several established prognostic markers such as N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) and soluble suppressor of tumorgenicity 2 (ST2). Recent advances in multiplexing/multi-marker platforms offer faster and broader
Tolbutamide: Stimulator and Suppressor of Glucagon Secretion

Tolbutamide may appear to stimulate, suppress or have no effect on glucagon secretion in vivo. We have established in vitro that the drug normally stimulates glucagon secretion. However, this stimulus may be obscured by the effect of insulin released following tolbutamide stimulation. This insulin may act locally within the islets on glucopenic or insulinopenic A cells to abolish the glucopenic stimulus to glucagon secretion. The true stimulatory effect is revealed in the glucopenic insulin deficient diabetic pancreas. Stimulation by a drug of the potent hyperglycemic hormone glucagon, when not offset by insulin release, is unlikely to benefit diabetes.
Real time optical and mechano-optical studies during drying and uniaxial stretching of Polyetherimide films from solution

Abstract In order to have a fundamental understanding of the temporal evolution of physical characteristics of Polyetherimide (PEI) film and processing parameters, real time measurements are essential. Because drying and stretching processes of solvent-cast polymer film are complex, off line measurements are unable to reveal the temporally varying detailed information, especially for fast “transient events”. To solve the problem, two measurement systems, one for drying that tracks real time thickness, weight, surface temperature, in-plane and out-of-plane birefringence of solution casting film, and another for uniaxial stretching that tracks real time true stress, true strain and birefringence of stretched film are used. By using these systems, we are able to systematic investigate the development of optical anisotropy through in and out of plane birefringence monitoring drying of solution cast films and their mechano-optical behavior during stretching, and quantify the influence of solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) on these relationships.
Platelet Electron Microscopy: Utilizing LEAN Methodology to Optimize Laboratory Workflow.

BackgroundPlatelet electron microscopy (PEM) is the gold standard methodology for diagnosing storage pool disorder, defined as a paucity of delta granules, alpha granules, or both. PEM literature i...
The first DEP domain of the RhoGEF P-Rex1 autoinhibits activity and contributes to membrane binding.

Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3)-dependent Rac exchanger 1 (P-Rex1) catalyzes the exchange of GDP for GTP on Rac GTPases, thereby triggering changes in the actin cytoskeleton and in transcription. Its overexpression is highly correlated with the metastasis of certain cancers. P-Rex1 recruitment to the plasma membrane and its activity are regulated via interactions with heterotrimeric Gβγ subunits, PIP3, and protein kinase A (PKA). Deletion analysis has further shown that domains C-terminal to its catalytic Dbl homology (DH) domain confer autoinhibition. Among these, the first dishevelled, Egl-10, and pleckstrin domain (DEP1) remains to be structurally characterized. DEP1 also harbors the primary PKA phosphorylation site, suggesting that an improved understanding of this region could substantially increase our knowledge of P-Rex1 signaling and open the door to new selective chemotherapeutics. Here we show that the DEP1 domain alone can autoinhibit activity in context of the DH/PH-DEP1 fragment of P-Rex1 and interacts with the DH/PH domains in solution. The 3.1 A crystal structure of DEP1 features a domain swap, similar to that observed previously in the Dvl2 DEP domain, involving an exposed basic loop that contains the PKA site. Using purified proteins, we show that although DEP1 phosphorylation has no effect on the activity or solution conformation of the DH/PH-DEP1 fragment, it inhibits binding of the DEP1 domain to liposomes containing phosphatidic acid. Thus, we propose that PKA phosphorylation of the DEP1 domain hampers P-Rex1 binding to negatively charged membranes in cells, freeing the DEP1 domain to associate with and inhibit the DH/PH module.
Lifestyle Medicine Centers: Introduction to Case Studies

A significant challenge to the new field of lifestyle medicine is implementing evidence-based concepts. The process of designing, operating, and scaling a successful and sustainable Lifestyle Medicine Center is assisted by providing illustrative examples of programs from across the USA and globally. The reader is encouraged to reverse-engineer these success stories in order to identify features that can be useful for tailoring their own Lifestyle Medicine Centers with targeted programs and endpoints.
Enabling human–infrastructure interfaces for inspection using augmented reality:

Decaying infrastructure maintenance cost allocation depends heavily on accurate and safe inspection in the field. New tools to conduct inspections can assist in prioritizing investments in maintena...
Media Disruption and Revolutionary Unrest: Evidence from Mubarak's Quasi-Experiment

Conventional wisdom suggests that universal lapses in media connectivity – for example, disruption of Internet and cell phone access – have a negative effect on political mobilization. On the contrary, I argue that sudden and ubiquitous interruption of mass communication can facilitate revolutionary mobilization and proliferate decentralized contention. A dynamic threshold model for participation in network collective action is used to demonstrate that full connectivity in a social network can hinder revolutionary action. I exploit a decision by Mubarak’s regime to disrupt the Internet and mobile communication during the 2011 Egyptian uprising to provide an empirical test for the hypothesis. An interrupted time series inference strategy is used to gauge the impact of media disruption on the dispersion of the protests. The evidence is corroborated using historical, anecdotal, and statistical accounts. In line with the theory, the results of a survey among Egyptian protesters show a significant decline in the percentage of participation in Tahrir Square as a fraction of total participation across Cairo on the first day of media disruption.
Photoacoustic neuronal stimulation by nanotransducers operating at NIR II window

Toward non-genetic non-invasive neural modulation with a submillimeter precision, we report the development and application of photoacoustic nanotransducers (PAN) to neural stimulation in cultured primary neurons and in live brain. Our PAN, based on synthesized semiconducting polymer nanoparticles, efficiently generate localized ultrasound by a photoacoustic process upon absorption of nanosecond pulsed light in the NIR-II window. We showed that PAN binding on the neuron membrane through non-specific interaction and specific targeting of mechanosensitive ion channels both successfully activate primary neurons in culture. We also demonstrated in live mouse brain motor cortex activation and invoked subsequent motor responses through PAN.
Machine Learning for CBCT Segmentation of Craniomaxillofacial Bony Structures

The diagnosis and treatment planning of patients with craniomaxillofacial (CMF) deformities requires a precise three-dimensional (3D) skeletal model. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is routinely used to this end, by annotating the CMF bones (i.e., maxilla and mandible) from the CBCT volume. However, due to the poor quality of CBCT images, e.g., various image artifacts and very low signal-to-noise ratio, segmentation of CMF bones is a very challenging task, which costs an experienced surgeon roughly 12 h. For more efficient and objective CMF bony segmentation, multiple machine learning methods have been applied to process low-quality CBCT images in a fully automated, data-driven way. In this chapter, we introduce a state-of-the-art machine learning method, i.e., the prior-guided sequential random forests, for CBCT segmentation of CMF bones. Specifically, the method first uses a set of expert-segmented CBCT images as the atlases to perform majority voting for the estimation of the initial segmentation probability maps for an input CBCT image. Guided by the contextual prior provided by the initial probability maps, an auto-context random forest is constructed, which uses the appearance and contextual features extracted from the original CBCT image and initial probability maps to predict updated and more precise probability maps of maxilla and mandible. Such random forests are recursively constructed as a sequence, by extracting updated contextual features from the probability maps estimated by the preceding random forest. They form a deep hierarchy of classifiers for step-by-step improved segmentation of CMF bones. This method was evaluated on 30 CBCT images for patients with nonsyndromic dentofacial deformities, treated with double-jaw orthognathic surgery. The experimental results demonstrated its superior performance in terms of accuracy, compared with previous automated methods. More importantly, it only takes around 20 min to consume a CBCT volume, which is significantly faster than an experienced CMF surgeon, suggesting its practical usage in clinical applications.
Wealth Inequality: The Facts

Interest in the subject of wealth inequality has been stimulated by the recent work of economist Thomas Piketty in his best-selling book ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’, with the charity Oxfam having also been very vocal about this issue through their ‘Level it Up’ campaign. This briefing paper looks at data on wealth inequality from the Office for National Statistics, Thomas Piketty’s dataset and the Credit Suisse dataset frequently cited by Oxfam. It is certainly true that wealth tends to be more unevenly distributed than income (a fact true across all major countries), but the way that this subject is discussed is often misleading. Wealth inequality is low in the UK by historical standards, has not been rising rapidly in the UK in recent years, or indeed over the past generation, and is actually lower than in most other developed countries. There remains a debate about the true level of inequality of wealth in the UK, but the trends do not conform to the story of unprecedented or exploding inequality that are frequently implied in the media.
Nuclear Imaging Techniques for the Evaluation of TMLR

Transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR) is currently under investigation as a novel means for augmenting regional myocardial blood flow in coronary artery disease patients unsuitable for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The laser created channels are thought to carry blood directly from the left ventricular chamber into the myocardium. Alternatively, the laser intervention may lead to an inflammatory response in the myocardium that might result in neo-angiogenesis. The clinical success of TMLR is contingent upon the net amount of additional blood flow to the ischemic myocardium and the long-term patency of the laser channels.
Evidence-Based Practice and Sexual Violence by Children and Adolescents

The studies in this chapter suggest that sexual acting out may begin well before the onset of puberty and that much of it is directed at younger siblings or friends of family members. These victims of sexual abuse by older siblings, in turn, often begin molesting children, and a vicious cycle begins to develop. There is a fairly imprecise and unreliable literature on the treatment of early childhood sexual acting out, much of it geared to older adults and consequently not of great value for children. The chapter also considers the victims of sexual abuse and notes the frequent and long-term problems brought about by sexual abuse throughout the victim's life. Symptoms of childhood molestation include depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, substance abuse, the inability to establish and maintain relationships, sleep disorders, anxiety problems with panic attacks, failure at school and at work, sexual deviancies, sexual acting out including child molestation, rape and prostitution, inability to form attachments with significant others and a range of somatic concerns. A number of treatment approaches have been used with perpetrators of sexual violence, including those molesting children and perpetrators of rape of intimates and of strangers. The primary approaches used in various treatment settings include the following traditional and less traditional approaches: Insight-Oriented Individual Psychotherapy, Group Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Psycho-Educational Skills Training, Behavioral Treatments, Chemical Castration, Sexual Addiction Twelve Step Recovery Programs, Relapse Prevention, Parents United, and several model approaches that combine each of the above.
The Nature of Hate: Interpersonal Relationships – Love–Hate

This chapter deals with hate in interpersonal relationships. In the remainder of the book we will examine examples on a higher societal level, one concerning intergroup relations, but the principles of the duplex theory can relatively easily be transferred to relationships between individuals. Therefore, this chapter deals with another aspect of individual relationships that also comprises feelings of hate: love–hate. Although the combination of two seemingly oppositional concepts like love and hate appears absurd at first, daily life experiences suggest that hate and love are often quite closely connected – the ones we love have the most power to hurt us, and it can be those loved ones that stir hatred in us. Also, the mere existence of an expression like “love–hate” suggests that it must be prevalent in people's lives. Otherwise, we would not have a word for it. Love–hate is a condition in which an individual feels intense emotions, both positive and negative, toward another. Despite the negativity, the relationship is maintained because the individuals in it receive some kind of gratification – the relationship is rewarding in some way, or is at least based on reciprocity. In fact, people not only have this kind of ambivalent relationship toward one another, but also toward things. Sweeney and Chew (2002) introduced a separate consumer–service brand relationship that recognizes the often complicated and ambivalent relationship consumers may have with services offered to them.
Monte Carlo Determination of the Spin-Dependent Potentials

The bound states of heavy quark systems can be calculated by a Hamiltonian formulation, based on an expansion of the interaction into inverse powers of the quark mass. To second order in 1/m one obtains1,2 $$ \begin{array}{l} H = \frac{{{p^{ - 2}}}}{m} + V(r) + \frac{{{{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ + } \cdot {{\mathop L\limits^ \to }_ + } + {{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ - } \cdot {{\mathop L\limits^ \to }_ - }}}{{2{m^2}}}\frac{1}{r}\left( {\frac{{dV}}{{dr}} + 2\frac{{d{V_1}}}{{dr}}} \right)\\ + \frac{{{{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ + } \cdot {{\mathop L\limits^ \to }_ - } + {{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ - } \cdot {{\mathop L\limits^ \to }_ + }}}{{{m^2}}}\frac{1}{r}\frac{{d{V_2}}}{{dr}}\\ + \frac{1}{{{m^2}}}\left[ {\left( {{{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ + } \cdot \mathop r\limits^ \wedge } \right)\left( {{{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ - } \cdot \mathop r\limits^ \wedge } \right) - \frac{1}{3}{{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ + } \cdot {{\mathop S\limits^ \to }_ - }} \right]{V_3}(r)\\ + \frac{1}{{3{m^2}}}{\mathop S\limits^ \to _ + } \cdot {\mathop S\limits^ \to _ - }{V_4}(r). \end{array} $$ (1)
Convenient System for Multiple Screening of Microbial Carbohydrate Metabolism

A rapid technique for inoculating carbohydrate oxidation and fermentation media is described. This method employs 24-well tissue culture trays and a multi-inoculator. Other applications are discussed.
The teaching of medical ethics in oncology education.

Abstract The teaching of medical ethics is an important aspect of oncology education. To prepare future physicians to cope with the many and complex ethical issues in the care of oncology patients, Dartmouth Medical School developed a two‐hour medical ethics component in the required second‐year course on the principles of oncology. The paper describes the goals and case method for the teaching of ethics.
On the Structure of Complexity Classes

In automata-based complexity one specifies a model of computation and dynamic measures of computational complexity. Once these are defined there are three themes which usually are developed: (i) the existence of hierarchies of complexity classes as determined by hierarchies of bounds on the measures; (ii) trade-offs between the different measures so defined; and (iii) the investigation of the possible extra costs involved when using the deterministic mode of operation as opposed to using the nondeterministic mode of operation. In this paper we are concerned with complexity classes of sets recognized by multitape Turing machines which operate within subelementary time bounds and space bounds. We investigate the structure of these classes in order to learn more about the trade-offs between time and space and about the cost of deterministic simulation of nondeterministic processes.
The Treatment of Nonspecific Ulcerative Colitis by the Topical Administration of the Corticosteroids

Summary Twenty-one patients with nonspecific ulcerative colitis have been treated by the adjunct of topically administered corticosteroids. The percentage of over-all good results was 78 per cent, which is no better than with many other forms of therapy in this disease. The impressive features of this therapy were the rapidity in which clinical and sigmoidoscopic remission was obtained, plus the added advantage of minimal absorption of the hormone.
Far-infrared spectrum, conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, ab initio calculations, and vibrational assignment of propionyl bromide

Abstract The Raman (3200 to 10 cm −1 ) and IR spectra (3200 to 30 cm −1 ) of propionyl bromide, CH 3 CH 2 CBrO, of the gas and solid have been recorded. Additionally, the Raman spectrum of the liquid has been recorded with qualitative depolarization measurements. All of these data indicate that propionyl bromide exists as a mixture of two conformers in the fluid phases with one being a high energy gauche form and the other the thermodynamically preferred s- trans rotamer (Br trans to CH 3 ) which is the only form remaining in the annealed solid. From the studies of the Raman spectra at different temperatures, the enthalpy differences have been determined to be 403 ± 28 cm −1 (1.15±0.08 kcal mol −1 ) and 221 ± 25 cm −1 (0.63 ± 0.07 kcal mol −1 ) for the gas and liquid, respectively, with the s- trans conformer being the more stable form in both phases. The fundamental asymmetric torsions for both the s- trans and gauche conformers have been observed in the far-IR spectrum of the gas at 75.68 and 71.38 cm −1 , respectively, with each having several excited state transitions falling to lower frequencies. A potential function has been calculated from the observed asymmetric torsional frequencies with the following potential coefficients: V 1 =627±46, V 2 = −239±39, V 3 =744±14, V 4 = −17±6, and V 6 = 14±4 cm −1 . From this potential function, values of 711 ± 8, 1119 ± 58, and 459 ± 9 cm −1 were obtained for the s- trans to gauche , gauche to gauche and gauche to s- trans barrier, respectively, with an enthalpy difference of 252 ± 99 cm −1 . A complete vibrational assignment supported by normal coordinate calculations has been proposed for both conformers based on the observed IR band contours, the depolarization data, and group frequencies. Additionally, ab initio calculations have been carried out with the STO-3G* basis set from which the fundamental vibrational frequencies, conformational stabilities, barriers to internal rotation, and structural parameters have been obtained. The results of this study are compared to similar ones for the corresponding propionyl fluoride and propionyl chloride molecules.