cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissection of Immunosuppressive Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation

For nearly 100 yr physicians and scientists have appreciated the carcinogenic potential of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation present in sunlight 0(1,2). During the latter part of the twentieth century, immunologists and dermatologists realized that UV radiation suppressed the immune response (3-5). Moreover, the immune suppression induced by UV radiation is a major risk factor for the induction of nonmelanoma skin cancer (6). The association between nonmelanoma skin cancer induction and immune suppression has fueled the efforts of many to study the immunologic mechanism underlying UV-induced immune suppression. This chapter focuses on describing the methods used to dissect the suppressive effects of UV on the immune system, concentrating particularly on in vivo models of immunity.
Hybrid crinoids in the fossil record (Early Mississippian, Phylum Echinodermata)

Potential hybrid fossil crinoids, Eretmocrinus magnificus x Eretmocrinus praegravis, are iden- tified from the Lower Mississippian Fort Payne Formation of south-central Kentucky. These are the first fossil hybrid crinoids identified, and one of very few examples of hybrids recognized in the fossil record. Eretmocrinus magnificus x E. praegravis specimens have shapes and calyx plate sculpturing that are morphologically intermediate between well-defined, distinct parent species. Suspected hybrids occur at localities where parent species co-occur and where the parent species are the most abundant; the hybrids occur at what may have been the distributional margins of the parent species; and the mixture of characters on suspected hybrids seems to be morphogenetically partitioned. Parent species are derived from separate lineages within Eretmocrinus, and hybridization is the most probable explanation for these morphologically intermediate specimens. This example highlights the need to consider hybridization as a potential interpretation of intermediate morphologies among fossils and raises questions concerning the impact of hybridization for our interpretation of the fossil record and the role of hybridization in the evolutionary process.
Investigating the Molecular Basis of PPCD3: Characterization of ZEB1 Regulation of COL4A3 Expression.

Purpose To investigate the role of the zinc finger e-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) transcription factor in posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 3 by demonstrating its ability to regulate type IV collagen gene transcription via binding to putative E2 box motifs. Methods Putative E2 box motifs were identified by in silico analysis within the promoter region of collagen, type IV, alpha3 (COL4A3) and collagen, type IV, alpha4 (COL4A4). To test the ability of ZEB1 to bind to each identified E2 box, electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed by incubating ZEB1-enriched nuclear extracts with DIG-labeled probes containing one of each of the identified E2 box motifs. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to test the effects of ZEB1 on the luciferase activity of COL4A3 and cadherin 1 (CDH1) promoter constructs, and to determine the effect of a ZEB1 truncating mutation on CDH1 promoter activity. Results ZEB1 exhibited binding to six of the nine COL4A3 E2 box probes, whereas no binding was observed for either of the two COL4A4 E2 box probes. ZEB1 overexpression resulted in reduced activity of the COL4A3 promoter construct containing all identified E2 box motifs, whereas a truncating ZEB1 mutation led to the loss of ZEB1-dependent repression of the CDH1 promoter. Conclusions COL4A3 gene expression is negatively regulated by ZEB1 binding to E2 box motifs in the COL4A3 promoter region. Therefore, the altered expression of type IV collagens, particularly COL4A3, in the corneal endothelium in individuals with PPCD3 is likely due to reduced transcriptional repression in the setting of a single functional ZEB1 allele.
Detection of airborne respiratory syncytial virus in a pediatric acute care clinic.

Summary Objective: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of respiratory illness in infants and young children, but this virus is also capable of re-infecting adults throughout life. Universal precautions to prevent its transmission consist of gown and glove use, but masks and goggles are not routinely required because it is believed that RSV is unlikely to be transmitted by the airborne route. Our hypothesis was that RSV is present in respirable-size particles aerosolized by patients seen in a pediatric acute care setting. Study Design: RSV-laden particles were captured using stationary 2-stage bioaerosol cyclone samplers. Aerosol particles were separated into three size fractions (<1, 1–4.1, and ≥4.1 μm) and were tested for the presence of RSV RNA by real-time PCR. Samplers were set 152 cm (“upper”) and 102 cm (“lower”) above the floor in each of two examination rooms. Results: Of the total, 554 samples collected over 48 days, only 13 (or 2.3%) were positive for RSV. More than 90% of the RSV-laden aerosol particles were in the ≥4.1 μm size range, which typically settle to the ground within minutes, whereas only one sample (or 8%) was positive for particles in the 1–4.1 μm respirable size range. Conclusions: Our data indicate that airborne RSV-laden particles can be detected in pediatric outpatient clinics during the epidemic peak. However, RSV airborne transmission is highly inefficient. Thus, the logistical and financial implications of mandating the use of masks and goggles to prevent RSV spread seem unwarranted in this setting. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016; 9999:XX–XX. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Early Life of Ronald Aylmer Fisher

Ronald Fisher is remembered as the father of modern statistics. Ironically, Fisher endured much of his life in the unfortunate shadow of Pearson.
Conscious Subjective Experience vs.Unconscious Mental Functions: A Theory of the Cerebral Processes Involved

How cerebral processes give rise to, or are related to, conscious subjective experience is a question regarded as perhaps the most fundamental and challenging that scientists would like to address. Yet this question is seldom addressed experimentally, and then rarely in a meaningful manner. This is in large part an outcome of that kind of logical positivism which accepts as valid only behavioral events directly observable and measurable by the experimenter. Additionally, the ability to conduct any experiments involving invasive, intracranial studies of brain function in the conscious human subject is obviously severely limited.
A targeted noise reduction observational study for reducing noise in a neonatal intensive unit

Excessive noise in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can interfere with infants’ growth, development and healing. Sound levels in our NICUs exceeded the recommended levels by the World Health Organization. We implemented a noise reduction strategy in an urban, tertiary academic medical center NICU that included baseline noise measurements. We conducted a survey involving staff and visitors regarding their opinions and perceptions of noise levels in the NICU. Ongoing feedback to staff after each measurement cycle was provided to improve awareness, engagement and adherence with noise reduction strategies. After widespread discussion with active clinician involvement, consensus building and iterative testing, changes were implemented including: lowering of equipment alarm sounds, designated ‘quiet times’ and implementing a customized education program for staff. A multiphase noise reduction quality improvement (QI) intervention to reduce ambient sound levels in a patient care room in our NICUs by 3 dB (20%) over 18 months. The noise in the NICU was reduced by 3 dB from baseline. Mean (s.d.) baseline, phase 2, 3 and 4 noise levels in the two NICUs were: LAeq: 57.0 (0.84), 56.8 (1.6), 55.3 (1.9) and 54.5 (2.6) dB, respectively (P 90%. Implementing a multipronged QI initiative resulted in significant noise level reduction in two multipod NICUs. It is feasible to reduce noise levels if QI interventions are coupled with active engagement of the clinical staff and following continuous process of improvement methods, measurements and protocols.
Dental caries in American Indian toddlers after a community-based beverage intervention.

Objective/Setting The Toddler Overweight and Tooth decay prevention Study (TOTS) was an overweight and early childhood caries (ECC) project in the Pacific Northwest USA. It targeted American Indian (AI) toddlers from birth, to effect changes in breastfeeding and sweetened beverage consumption.
Common Acupuncture Practices

Acupuncture practice is not just needling. This ancient Chinese medical intervention has evolved with time and constantly incorporated new technologies into the practice. This chapter provides the history and development of acupuncture, as well as the skepticism in current literature about acupuncture practice. Despite that the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia has been established through the neurophysiological studies, the results of large randomized trials reveal that both verum and sham acupuncture analgesic effects are similar. The underlying mechanism of acupuncture remains unclear. The focuses of this chapter are to describe the practice systems and techniques. Traditional body acupuncture systems and somatotopic microsystems, e.g., foot, hand, scalp, ear, etc. are included. Different acupuncture stimulation techniques are described, e.g., pressure, needle, moxibustion, cupping, electrical stimulations, and fluid/medication injections that have been used in current practice, as well as the adverse effects of acupuncture practice. The purpose of this chapter is to provide some background and general information for readers who are interested to know what acupuncture is about.
On Positivity of Ehrhart Polynomials

Ehrhart discovered that the function that counts the number of lattice points in dilations of an integral polytope is a polynomial. We call the coefficients of this polynomial Ehrhart coefficients and say a polytope is Ehrhart positive if all Ehrhart coefficients are positive (which is not true for all integral polytopes). The main purpose of this chapter is to survey interesting families of polytopes that are known to be Ehrhart positive and discuss the reasons from which their Ehrhart positivity follows. We also include examples of polytopes that have negative Ehrhart coefficients and polytopes that are conjectured to be Ehrhart positive and pose a few relevant questions.
Learning science as a potential new source of understanding and improvement for continuing education and continuing professional development

Learning science is an emerging interdisciplinary field that offers educators key insights about what happens in the brain when learning occurs. In addition to explanations about the learning process, which includes memory and involves different parts of the brain, learning science offers effective strategies to inform the planning and implementation of activities and programs in continuing education and continuing professional development. This article provides a brief description of learning, including the three key steps of encoding, consolidation and retrieval. The article also introduces four major learning-science strategies, known as distributed learning, retrieval practice, interleaving, and elaboration, which share the importance of considerable practice. Finally, the article describes how learning science aligns with the general findings from the most recent synthesis of systematic reviews about the effectiveness of continuing medical education.
Wiretapping: The Interaction of Policy and Technology

In recent history, wiretapping has provided an effective means for uncovering potential security threats, both domestically and abroad. Wiretapping as a technology developed first in the 1890’s with the development of the telephone recorder, which quickly followed the invention of the telephone in 1876. Through the years, as new communications technology was developed, methods were quickly adopted to capture the information shared through the new method. The biggest challenge initially with capturing the information has been the ethical and legal battles that have ensued. The ethics and legality associated with wiretapping has been accessed and reassessed with a slew of hearings, policies, and court orders. The amount of discussion on the issue makes the controversial nature of the method clear. Later, with the invention of computers and the internet, wiretapping technology was needed to allow the government a method to maintain security, and policies shifted from a focus on the legality of wiretapping to a focus on regulating technology so the government could maintain necessary security measures.
Do brain structural abnormalities differentiate separate forms of urgency urinary incontinence

Aims Urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) is a major problem for seniors. The underlying mechanisms of disease and therapy are unknown. We sought structural brain abnormalities that might underlie the functional differences previously observed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in UUI patients versus controls, or among UUI responders versus non-responders to therapy-and thereby reveal potential disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Methods Secondary study of a trial of biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training (BFB) in 60 women (>60 yrs) with UUI, plus 11 age-matched continent controls. Brain structural abnormalities were investigated using: (1) white-matter hyperintensities (WMH); (2) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to reveal white-matter pathways with impaired integrity; and (3) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to show regions of atrophy or hypertrophy. Results WMH burden was greater in UUI patients than controls (globally and in superior longitudinal fasciculus and cingulum), suggesting a possible causal connection. WMH burden was unexpectedly greater in responders than non-responders to BFB, and appeared to increase in non-responders but not in responders. DTI revealed even worse integrity of the cingulum than was apparent by WMH. VBM showed parahippocampal atrophy in UUI. Conclusions Many women with UUI have white-matter damage that interferes with pathways critical to bladder control; they can be taught by techniques like BFB to exert stronger control over the bladder. For others, in whom abnormalities of key brain areas are less marked, UUI's cause may reside elsewhere, and therapy targeting these brain centers may be less effective than therapy targeting the bladder or other brain centers.
Timing of Naturalization Among US Immigrants

When do foreign-born individuals acquire US citizenship? Previous studies hypothesized that those eligible for citizenship would choose to pursue naturalization early on in order to enjoy the benefits. I test this hypothesis using newly available information on the timing of naturalization from the American Community Survey (ACS) and I find supporting evidence. Controlling for observable characteristics in a hazard model reveals an interesting, nonlinear pattern of importance for the time spent in the USA. While the duration of stay is positively associated with naturalization, it is increasing at a decreasing rate. The likelihood of naturalization increases for approximately the first 20 years and then starts to decline.
Performance of Hyperspectral Imaging with Drone Swarms

The ongoing proliferation and diversification of remote sensing platforms offer greater flexibility to select from a range of hyperspectral imagers as payloads. The emergence of low-cost unmanned a...
U.S. and Chinese Teachers’ Cultural Values of Representations in Mathematics Education

A major goal of educational research is to improve learning opportunities for all students. Cross-national studies provide unique insights into issues in the teaching and learning of mathematics as well as diagnostic and decision- malung information about how to improve students' learning. During the past several years, an attempt has been made to explore the impact of curriculum and instruction on U.S. and Chinese students' mathematical thinlung. Previous studies have revealed remarkable differences between U.S. and Chinese students' mathematical thinking and reasoning (e.g., Cai, 2000; Cai
A first assessment of the Sentinel-2 Level 1-C cloud mask product to support informed surface analyses

Abstract Cloud detection in optical remote sensing images is a crucial problem because undetected clouds can produce misleading results in the analyses of surface and atmospheric parameters. Sentinel-2 provides high spatial resolution satellite data distributed with associated cloud masks. In this paper, we evaluate the ability of Sentinel-2 Level-1C cloud mask products to discriminate clouds over a variety of biogeographic scenarios and in different cloudiness conditions. Reference cloud masks for the identification of misdetection were generated by applying a local thresholding method that analyses Sentinel-2 Band 2 (0.490 μm) and Band 10 (1.375 μm) separately; histogram-based thresholds were locally tuned by checking the single bands and the natural color composite (B4B3B2); in doubtful cases, NDVI and DEM were also analyzed to refine the masks; the B2B11B12 composite was used to separate snow. The analysis of the cloud classification errors obtained for our test sites allowed us to get important inferences of general value. The L1C cloud mask generally underestimated the presence of clouds (average Omission Error, OE, 37.4%); this error increased (OE > 50%) for imagery containing opaque clouds with a large transitional zone (between the cloud core and clear areas) and cirrus clouds, fragmentation emerged as a major source of omission errors (R2 0.73). Overestimation was prevalently found in the presence of holes inside the main cloud bodies. Two extreme environments were particularly critical for the L1C cloud mask product. Detection over Amazonian rainforests was highly inefficient (OE > 70%) due to the presence of complex cloudiness and high water vapor content. On the other hand, Alpine orography under dry atmosphere created false cirrus clouds. Altogether, cirrus detection was the most inefficient. According to our results, Sentinel-2 L1C users should take some simple precautions while waiting for ESA improved cloud detection products.
Minimalistic Neural Network Architectures for Safe Navigation of Small Mobile Robots

Small mobile robots can be useful in dangerous and high-risk applications such as disaster response. To this end, small robots must be capable of autonomous navigation. One way to perform autonomous navigation is via learning perception-action cycles. The ability to learn perception-action cycles may enable computationally- and data-efficient ways to transfer navigation policies between robots, and to generalize across operating environments. Learning perception-action cycles currently relies on deep networks. Such networks, however, may not be directly applicable to small robots due to the latter's constrained sensing and computing capacity. To mitigate this challenge, we identify minimalistic neural network architectures to approximate an obstacle prediction function using a robot's observation and action history. We propose a new learning-based algorithm for small robot navigation in partially-known, partially-observable environments. The performance of the algorithm and its ability to generalize are evaluated in simple and complex environments of varying size.
Management of adhesive small bowel obstruction: A distinct paradigm shift in the United States.

Background Recent studies show that early operative intervention in patients who fail nonoperative management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is associated with improved outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the trend in practice pattern and outcomes of patients with ASBO in the United States. Methods Data from the National Inpatient Sample data (2003-2013) were extracted for analysis and included patients (age ≥18 years) who were discharged with primary diagnosis codes consistent with ASBO. We analyzed the data to examine changes in mortality and hospital length of stay in addition to any trends in rate and timing of operative interventions. Results During the study period, 1,930,289 patients were identified with the diagnosis of ASBO. Over the course of the study period, the rate of operative intervention declined (46.10-42.07%, p = 0.003), and the timing between admission and operative intervention was significantly shortened (3.09-2.49 days, p Conclusion Over the last decade, fewer patients with ASBO were managed operatively, whereas those requiring an operation underwent one earlier in their hospitalization. Although further studies are warranted, our results suggest that recent changes in practice pattern may have contributed to improved outcomes. Level of evidence Therapeutic study, level IV.
Dynamic Simulation of the Arizona-Southern California Blackout to Develop a Wide Area Testbed

Power system blackouts occur due to system-wide instability brought forth through a combination of dynamic events. Due to availability of system-wide synchrophasor data, it has become possible to conceive and apply real-time protection and control schemes that detect causes and symptoms of instabilities, and respond to arrest the progression of blackouts. However, detailed dynamic data from an actual blackout would be desirable for validation of such schemes. This paper describes the process of dynamically simulating the September 8, 2011 blackout in the Southwestern United States. Through this process, it is shown how educated assumptions can be made to bridge the gap between the data typically provided in blackout reports and the data actually needed for simulation. Results from the simulation are compared with published results to show the accuracy of the simulated model.
High-Performance Photonic Integrated Circuits on Silicon

Heterogeneous integration of III–V semiconductor photonics combined with silicon foundry technology enables low-cost, high-performance photonic integrated circuits. Highly reliable lasers using epitaxial deposition of quantum dot lasers, with >100 years at 35 C have been demonstrated at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and can be manufactured at wafer scale. Reduction in the linewidth enhancement factor allows isolator-free operation. This technology enables cost-effective photonic integrated circuits for applications such as microwave photonics and data communications. Optical frequency synthesis with ∼1.5 Hz accuracy is demonstrated using heterogeneous integration. Silicon photonics applications that will benefit from future heterogeneous integration are also demonstrated, including high dynamic range microwave photonic links and optical switching technology that scales to hyperscale datacenters with hundreds of thousands of servers.
A Combined Dielectrophoretic and Field-Flow Fractionation Microsystem for Biomedical Separation and Analysis

The ability to separate and identify cells and other particulate matter is a fundamental requirement of microsystems designed for biomedical and other applications. Here we describe a method that combines dielectrophoresis and field-flow fractionation to separate and identify particles in a microfluidic environment. This method is applicable not only to the analysis of cellular and other particulate analytes but also to the detection of toxins using sensitized test particles. We show proof of principle by achieving differential separation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell subtypes in a microsystem based on the method.
"Unobserved Corner" Prediction: Reducing Timing Analysis Effort for Faster Design Convergence in Advanced-Node Design

With diminishing margins for leading-edge products in advanced technology nodes, design closure and accuracy of timing analysis have emerged as serious concerns. A significant portion of design turnaround time is spent on timing analysis at combinations of process, voltage and temperature (PVT) corners. At the same time, accurate, signoff-quality timing analysis is desired during place-and-route and optimization steps, to avoid loops in the flow as well as overdesign that wastes area and power. We observe that timing results for a given path at different corners will have strong correlations, if only as a consequence of physics of devices and interconnects. We investigate a data-driven approach, based on multivariate linear regression, to predict the timing analysis at unobserved corners from analysis results at observed corners. We use a simple backward stepwise selection strategy to choose which corners to observe and which to predict. In order to accelerate convergence of the design process, the model must yield predicted values (from analysis at a limited number of observed corners) that are sufficiently accurate to substitute for unobserved ones. Our empirical results indicate that this is likely the case. With a 1M-instance example in foundry 16nm enablement, we obtain a model based on 10 observed corners that predicts timing results at the remaining 48 unobserved corners with less than 0.5% relative root mean squared error, and 99% of the model’s relative prediction errors are less than 0.6%.
Same-Day Surgery Does Not Increase the Manipulation Under Anesthesia and Reoperation Rates for Stiffness Following Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background There is a paucity of data on the incidence of stiffness and need for subsequent manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) and reoperation following same-day bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA). We compared the rates of at least 1 MUA, bilateral knee involvement, single and multiple MUA rates, and stiffness-related reoperation rates between patients undergoing same-day, same-admission staged, and staged within 1 year BTKA in a tertiary institution. Methods We analyzed institutional data for 3175 same-day (group A), 153 same-admission staged (group B), and 1226 staged within 1 year BTKA patients (group C) from 1998 to 2009. Several variables, including patient demographics, comorbidity profile, Charlson-Deyo index, and range of motion at different time points, were tabulated. Follow-up was minimum 1 year after first MUA. Univariate analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum or Kruskal-Wallis test, and Fisher exact or the chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to check the bilateral knee involvement rate across groups. Results Overall, 2.2% (98/4554) of BTKA patients required MUA. The rate of at least 1 MUA was similar across groups but the percentage of bilateral knee involvement was higher in group A. The single MUA rate was comparable among groups. Both no revision and revision reoperation rates were similar among the manipulated groups. Conclusion Same-day BTKA was not associated with increased incidence of single or multiple MUA and stiffness-related reoperation rates. These findings may facilitate preoperative counseling in patients with symptomatic bilateral knee disease, eligible for same-day BTKA.
InvisiPage: oblivious demand paging for secure enclaves

State-of-art secure processors like Intel SGX remain susceptible to leaking page-level address trace of an application via the page fault channel in which a malicious OS induces spurious page faults and deduces application's secrets from it. Prior works which fix this vulnerability do not provision for OS demand paging to be oblivious. In this work, we present InvisiPage which obfuscates page fault channel while simultaneously making OS demand paging oblivious. To do so, InvisiPage first carefully distributes page management actions between the application and the OS. Second, InvisiPage secures application's page management interactions with the OS using a novel construct which is derived from Oblivious RAM (ORAM) but is customized for page management. Finally, we lower overheads of our approach by reducing page management interactions with the OS via a novel memory partition. For a suite of cloud applications which process sensitive data we show that page fault channel can be tackled while enabling oblivious demand paging at low overheads.
Staphylococcal Pericarditis Causing Pericardial Tamponade and Concurrent Empyema.

Bacterial pericarditis is a rare presentation and is usually due to secondary infection from a hematogenous cause or can occur secondary to trauma, intrathoracic surgery, or due to spread of infection from a contiguous focus via ligaments that anchor the pericardium to its surrounding structures. Its course is fulminant characterized by a high mortality rate from sepsis, tamponade, and constriction. We describe a rare case of Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis with concurrent unilateral empyema. The patient rapidly developed tamponade and was successfully treated with antibiotics and urgent percutaneous pericardial drainage with placement of a temporary catheter. Treatment for bacterial pericarditis typically is 4–6 weeks long. Thoracic surgery should be consulted as soon as possible to determine need for surgical intervention, as fibrin deposition may occur, making percutaneous drainage incomplete and leading to complications of persistent purulent pericarditis or constrictive pericarditis.
Adolescents' Use of Imagination in Lower Socioeconomic Environments.

Imagination is an important skill that has proven to be related to divergent thinking skills, ability to cope with stress, and the expression of emotion. Necessary environmental factors conducive for the development of imagination are privacy, limited television viewing, a role model, and storytelling. Lower socioeconomic youth were interviewed to find the current use of their imagination and what environmental factors had been present in their lives. The interviews revealed that the youth had few environmental factors that would enhance their imaginative ability and most of them spent little time in imaginative activity. Following the interview, the youth in the study, 12- to 15-year-old African American boys and one girl, participated in a psychoeducational intervention aimed at enhancing imagery skills. Pre-post assessment of the intervention indicated significant change (p =.031) in richness of storytelling, evidenced by greater use of concrete images, adjectives, and adverbs. Subjects also reported a greater comfort with imaginative contents. The findings indicate that lower socioeconomic teens benefit from psychoeducational interventions aimed at teaching imagination skills.
Flexor Pollicis Longus Tendon Wear Associated With Volar Plating: A Cadaveric Study.

Purpose This study examined the effect of low-profile volar rim plates (VR), proximally placed standard variable-angle locking plates (pVA-LCP), and distally placed standard variable-angle locking plates (dVA-LCP) on the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon in a cadaver model. We hypothesized that tendons from the VR and pVA-LCP groups would exhibit similar contact pressures, wear patterns, and post-fatigue testing mechanical properties, whereas dVA-LCP tendons would exhibit higher contact pressures, increased tendon wear patterns, and decreased mechanical properties. Methods Nine matched pairs of cadaveric specimens were used in this study. Thin-film pressure sensors were used to measure the initial contact loads between plates and FPL tendons. Specimens were cyclically loaded for 10,000 cycles by actuating the FPL tendon. Cycled tendons were harvested, photographed with a stereomicroscope, and graded for wear on a Likert scale by 5 observers who were blinded to the study protocol. Uniaxial tensile testing measured mechanical properties of the tendon: ultimate failure load, ultimate stress, percent stress relaxation, elastic modulus, and stiffness. Results With regard to the cadaveric FPL tendon, VR and dVA-LCP had increased contact pressure and tendon wear compared with pVA-LCP. There were no significant differences in contact pressure or tendon wear between dVA-LCP and VR. There was no major difference in the tested mechanical properties of the FPL tendon among any of the groups. Conclusions Plates placed directly on or beyond the volar rim demonstrate increased contact pressures and increased tendon wear in a cadaveric model. Clinical relevance Although low-profile plates allow for fixation of smaller volar fragments in the distal radius, they cause substantial contact with the FPL tendon, which may rupture if the plate is not removed.
Abstract WP424: Let7i Microrna Regulates Immune Response in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose: The immune system responds rapidly following ischemic brain injury and can contribute to the final extent of brain damage. microRNA are differentially expressed in leukocyte...
Trends in Heroin Treatment Admissions in the United States by Race, Sex, and Age

This cross-sectional study examines trends in heroin treatment admission rates in the United States by race, sex, and age from 2000 to 2017.
Cancer, transplant, and immunocompromising conditions were not significantly associated with severe illness or death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Abstract Objective Patients with cancer, transplant, and other immunocompromising conditions are at uncertain risk of severe COVID-19 illness. This study aimed to clarify whether patients with immunocompromising conditions were more likely to develop severe COVID-19 illness in a single urban academic medical center. Methods A retrospective chart review and electronic data extraction of the first 401 patients at the University of Chicago Hospitals with SARS-CoV-2 infection was performed. Patients met criteria for severe COVID-19 illness if they required ICU level care, high flow oxygen, positive pressure support, helmet non-invasive ventilation, mechanical ventilation, or ECMO, developed ARDS, or died. Results The mean age was 60 years, 52% were women, 90% were African American, and mortality at 30 days post discharge was 13%. Severe COVID-19 illness was found in 168 (40%) patients. Of the 56 patients with past or current cancer, 25 (45%) had severe illness (p=0.76). Of the 55 patients with other immunocompromised conditions, 24 (44%) had severe illness (p=0.89) After controlling for age, sex, and race, neither cancer (p=0.73) nor immunocompromised conditions (p=0.64) were associated with severe illness. Conclusion No association was found between severe COVID-19 illness and cancer, transplant, and other immunocompromising conditions in a cohort of mostly African American patients.
SAT-ATPG Generated Multi-Pattern Scan Tests for Cell Internal Defects: Coverage Analysis for Resistive Opens and Shorts

Recent advances in process technology have resulted in novel defect mechanisms making the test generation process very challenging. In addition to complete opens and shorts that can be represented via extreme defect resistance magnitudes, partial resistive opens and shorts are also of concern in deeply scaled CMOS technologies. For open defects with intermediate defect magnitude values, it has been shown that multi-pattern tests are necessary for defect exposure. We extend this approach to short defects with intermediate defect magnitude values to obtain a suite of multi-pattern tests for standard cell instances that cover complete as well as partial intra-cell open and short defects. A hierarchical scan-compatible SAT-based test generation approach for full scan sequential circuits is then proposed that allows such multi-pattern tests to be applied to the circuit via the scan infrastructure. A key innovation is the combined use of shift and capture operations along with launch-on-capture and launch-on-shift scan based test application for increased defect coverage. Resulting defect coverage improvements over conventional two-pattern tests are demonstrated on ISCAS89 benchmark circuits.
A model technique for analysis of nonlinear structures

Analysis of structural systems which display geometrical nonlinearity may be carried out in some cases with the aid of a digital computer. Convergence of numerical computations is, however, not always assured, and the computer time required is usually a multiple of the time needed for linear analysis.
Ten Core Principles for Designing Effective Learning Environments: Insights from Brain Research and Pedagogical Theory.

Research findings into how our brains work (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 2000; Damasio 1999; Pinker 1997) are stimulating a re-examination of traditional principles of designing teaching and learning experiences. Insights from this research are not only helping to deepen our understanding of traditional core learning principles, but they are also providing practical guidance on how to design learning experiences for our new high technology environments.
An LRE (leucine-arginine-glutamate)-dependent mechanism for adhesion of neurons to S-laminin

S-laminin is a homolog of laminin that is concentrated in the synaptic cleft of the neuromuscular junction. We previously showed that the tripeptide LRE is a crucial determinant for binding of ciliary motoneurons to recombinant s-laminin. Here, we describe a neuroblastoma-spinal neuron hybrid cell line, NSC-34, that binds to an LRE-containing s-laminin fragment and to a synthetic LRE-protein conjugate. NSC-34 cells exhibit several properties of motoneurons; other cell lines tested were not motoneuron-like and did not display LRE-dependent adhesion. We therefore used NSC-34 cells to characterize the LRE-dependent adhesion mechanism. Inhibition studies with a series of 20 tripeptide LRE analogs showed that the cells exhibit a high degree of selectivity for LRE, and suggested that ligand binding requires a combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The effects of cations on LRE-dependent adhesion are unlike those of previously described adhesion molecules including the integrins, a family of receptors for extracellular matrix proteins, including laminin. Specifically, adhesion to LRE does not require divalent cations and is inhibited by Ca2+ (but not by Mg2+) in the physiological range. In contrast, adhesion of NSC-34 cells to laminin is LRE- and Ca2+ independent but Mg2+ dependent, and appears to be mediated by integrins. Additionally, experiments using mixed substrates demonstrated that LRE-protein conjugates inhibit neurite outgrowth promoted by laminin. Finally, we show that, under ionic conditions that minimize integrin-dependent adhesion, NSC-34 cells bind to s-laminin-rich basal laminae in tissue sections in an LRE-dependent manner. Together, these results suggest that LRE comprises a motoneuron-selective adhesion site that is accessible in native basal laminae and that acts to inhibit neurite outgrowth.
OEDSR: Optimized Energy-Delay Sub-network Routing in Wireless Sensor Network

A novel optimized energy-delay sub-network routing (OEDSR) protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSN) is presented. Routing is based on a link cost factor, which is defined using the quality of service (QoS) metric selected as a ratio of the remaining energy of the nodes and end-to-end delay times the distance from the base station (BS).. Initially in OEDSR, the nodes are either in idle or sleep mode, but once an event is detected, the nodes near the event become active and start forming sub-networks. Formation of the inactive network into a sub-network saves energy because only a portion of the network is active in response to an event. Subsequently, the sub-networks organize themselves into clusters with cluster heads (CHs). The data from the CHs are sent to the BS via relay nodes that are located outside the sub-networks in a multi-hop manner by using the proposed routing protocol. This routing protocol improves the lifetime of the network and the scalability. GloMoSim results indicate that the OEDSR protocol results in lower average end-to-end delay, fewer collisions and less energy consumed when compared with DSR, AODV and Bellman Ford routing protocols.
Interaction of γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase with Amino Acids, Dipeptides, and Derivatives and Analogs of Glutathione

Abstract A highly purified and apparently homogeneous preparation of rat kidney γ-glutamyl transpeptidase was examined with respect to its γ-glutamyl donor and acceptor specificities. Many γ-glutamyl amino acids were active as γ-glutamyl donors, the most active being l-γ-glutamyl-l-glutamine and l-γglutamyl-l-methionine. Glutathione disulfide was about 5% as active as glutathione, while substantial activity was found with S-methylglutathione and ophthalmic acid. In the course of this work convenient spectrophotometric methods for the determination of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity were developed in which S-substituted derivatives of glutathione were used, e.g. the S-propanone and S-acetophenone derivatives; these procedures are based on the high ultraviolet absorbance of the corresponding S-substituted cysteinylglycine products. Several of the S-substituted glutathiones were more active in transpeptidation than glutathione itself. Kinetic studies were carried out which indicate a ping-pong mechanism consistent with intermediate formation of a γglutamyl enzyme. Of the 32 amino acids tested, l-glutamine and l-methionine were the best acceptors of the γ-glutamyl group. A number of dipeptides were active as acceptors, and several of these were more active than l-glutamine, e.g. glycylglycine, glycyl-l-alanine, l-methionyl-l-serine, lglutaminyl-l-glutamine, and l-α-aminobutyrylglycine. Aminoacylglycine derivatives were (in the five instances studied) more active than the corresponding free NH2-terminal amino acids; the corresponding aminoacyl-l-alanine derivatives were less active than the aminoacylglycines. The high reactivity of certain dipeptides may reflect their affinity for the "cysteinylglycine" site of the enzyme, but the findings are also consistent with a function of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in peptide transport as well as in amino acid transport. γGlutamyl transpeptidase is inhibited substantially by the γglutamyl hydrazones of a number of α-keto acids. Inhibition is competitive with respect to the γ-glutamyl donor; of seven α-keto acid γ-glutamyl hydrazones, the derivative of α-ketoglutarate inhibited the most.
Impact of flow dynamics on traffic engineering design principles

A common traffic engineering design principle is to select a small set of flows, that account for a large fraction of the overall traffic, to be differentially treated inside the network so as to achieve a specific performance objective. We illustrate that one needs to be careful in implementing such an approach because there are tradeoffs to be addressed that arise due to traffic dynamics. We demonstrate that Internet flows are very volatile in terms of volume, and may substantially change the volume of traffic they transmit as time evolves. Currently proposed schemes for flow classification, although attractive due to their simplicity, face challenges due to this property of flows. Bandwidth volatility impacts the amount of load captured in a set of flows, which usually drops both significantly and quickly after flow classification is performed. Thus if the goal is to capture a large fraction of traffic consistently over time, flows will need to be reselected often. Our first contribution is in understanding the impact of flow volatility on the classification schemes employed in a traffic engineering context. Our second contribution is to propose a classification scheme that is capable of addressing the issues identified above by incorporating historical flow information. Using actual Internet data we demonstrate that our scheme outperforms previously proposed schemes, and reduces both the impact of flow volatility on the load captured by the selected set of flows and the required frequency for its reselection.
IN SITU LIGATION SIMPLIFIED: USING PCR FRAGMENTS FOR DETECTION OF DOUBLE-STRAND DNA BREAKS IN TISSUE SECTIONS

The simplified in situ ligation procedure is described. All reagents for the assay can be easily obtained in any molecular or cell biology laboratory. The technique uses ligation of double-stranded, PCR-derived DNA fragments labeled with digoxigenin or fluorophores for highly selective detection of apoptotic cells in paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Two types of DNA fragments prepared by PCR are employed. The fragment synthesized by Taq polymerase contains single-base 3' overhangs, whereas the Pfu polymerase-made fragment is blunt ended. Both fragments can be used as specific, sensitive and cost-effective DNA damage probes. After ligation to apoptotic nuclei in tissue sections, they indicate the presence of double-strand DNA breaks with single-base 3' overhangs as well as blunt ends.
On the effect of pulse loads on dynamic rock fracture

Abstract The objective of this research was to develop an analytical model which is capable of predicting the fracture pattern in the rock surrounding a wellbore upon which a dynamic loading pulse is applied. The development of the model followed the principle of elastodynamic fracture mechanics. Specifically, inherent cracks are assumed to exist around the edge of the wellbore. Depending on the pulse shape, these cracks are activated to form various fracture patterns. The criterion for initiation of crack growth is determined by the magnitude of the dynamic stress intensity factor associated with the crack. The finite element code HONDO was used to calculate the dynamic stress intensity factors. Analytical predictions were correlated with field experimental data and good agreements were found.
The correlations between estradiol, estrone, estriol, progesterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin and anterior cruciate ligament stiffness in healthy, active females.

Background: Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) often requires surgery and extensive rehabilitation. Women who participate in collegiate sports and military drills are more likely to injure their ACL than are men participating in similar activities. The influence of the normal fluctuation of sex hormones on the physical properties of the ACL is one potential cause for this disparity. The purpose of this study was to report the correlation between estradiol, estrone, estriol, progesterone, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and ACL stiffness during three phases of the menstrual cycle in normally cycling, healthy females. Methods: We tested ACL stiffness and collected blood from 20 female subjects who were not using oral contraception during three phases of their menstrual cycle. Ligament stiffness was tested with the KT-2000™ knee arthrometer (MEDmetric, San Diego, CA). Concentrations of estradiol and SHBG were assessed via radioimmunoassay (RIA). Progesterone, estriol, and estrone concentr...
Crystal and molecular structure of rubidium azidotrimethylaluminate, Rb[Al(CH3)3N3]

The crystal structure of rubidium azidotrimethylaluminate has been determined from three-dimensional counter data, and refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space groupP21/n, witha= 10.003(5),b=7.497(4),c= 11.806(5) A, β= 108.70(3) °, andDc= 1.58 g cm=3 forZ=4. The finalR factor for 922 observed reflections is 0.049. The compound is not isostructural with its cesium analog. The aluminum atom is coordinated in a tetrahedral fashion, and the Al-N bond length is 1.944(8) A.