cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NF-κB: Much Learned, Much to Learn

Although NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) was discovered less than 25 years ago, it is one of the most well-studied transcription factors. It plays critical roles in various immune and cellular processes, and its dysregulation is a major driver of cancer and inflammatory pathology. A new book published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, NF-κB: A Network Hub Controlling Immunity, Inflammation, and Cancer , provides a series of excellent reviews on the architecture, regulation, and pathophysiological roles of NF-κB signaling by some of the leading investigators in the field.
RF excitation of an oscillator with several tunneling devices in series

An oscillator with several tunneling devices connected in series has a demanding excitation condition due to the DC instability of the series connection. An RF source with a frequency close to the oscillation frequency may be used to overcome this problem. The experimental demonstration of an RF source excitation of an oscillator with two tunnel diodes in series at 2 GHz is described here. The RF power necessary for the excitation is about 15 dB lower than the output power of the oscillator. >
In Vivo Activities of Ceftolozane, a New Cephalosporin, with and without Tazobactam against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae, Including Strains with Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases, in the Thighs of Neutropenic Mice

ABSTRACT Ceftolozane is a new cephalosporin with potent activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. A neutropenic murine thigh infection model was used to determine which pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic index and magnitude drives the efficacy of ceftolozane with Gram-negative bacilli, to compare the rates of in vivo killing of P. aeruginosa by ceftolozane and ceftazidime, and to determine the impact of different ratios of ceftolozane plus tazobactam on Enterobacteriaceae containing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). Neutropenic mice had 10 6.2-7.1 CFU/thigh when treated with ceftolozane for 24 h with (i) various doses (3.12 to 1,600 mg/kg) and dosage intervals (3, 6, 12, and 24 h) against two Enterobacteriaceae strains, (ii) 0.39 to 800 mg/kg every 6 h for four Enterobacteriaceae and four P. aeruginosa strains, and (iii) 400 or 800 mg/kg with 2:1. 4:1, and 8:1 ratios of tazobactam against five Enterobacteriaceae strains with ESBLs. The pharmacokinetics of ceftolozane at 25, 100, and 400 mg/kg were linear with peak/dose values of 1.0 to 1.4 and half-lives of 12 to 14 min. T>MIC was the primary index driving efficacy. For stasis (1 log kill), T>MIC was 26.3% ± 2.1% (31.6% ± 1.6%) for wild-type Enterobacteriaceae, 31.1% ± 4.9% (34.8% ± 4.4%) for Enterobacteriaceae with ESBLs, and 24.0% ± 3.3% (31.5% ± 3.9%) for P. aeruginosa. At 200 mg/kg every 3 h, the rate of in vivo killing of P. aeruginosa was faster with ceftolozane than with ceftazidime (−0.34 to −0.41 log 10 CFU/thigh/h versus −0.21 to −0.24 log 10 CFU/thigh/h). The 2:1 ratio of ceftolozane with tazobactam was the most potent combination studied. The T>MIC required for ceftolozane is less than with other cephalosporins and may be due to more rapid killing.
Discussion, Policy Implications, Limitations and Directions for Future Research

What can criminal justice learn from a single case study? This study revealed how a person can be misidentified during a police show-up, the failure points during the preliminary investigation that may have facilitated the misidentification and the failure points during the follow-up investigation that may have accelerated the harm (or failed to stop the harm sooner). The study also revealed proof of concept, that the organizational accident framework is well suited for investigating critical police incidents. Approaching accidents through a systems theory of causation can help police managers, supervisors and support staff act with foresight and imagination to identify system failures before they occur leading to a safer work environment. Applying this theory of accidents to police work and replicating the study here can strengthen the theory so that across a range of critical incidents (e.g., use of force, vehicular pursuit, wrongful arrest), patterns of behavior and contributing factors reveal themselves to become predictable and, consequently, generalizable.
An Overview of the Histology of Skeletal Substitute Materials

Abstract Context.—Orthopedic and spine surgeons are in frequent need of bone for skeletal reconstruction. The amount of autograft is limited, and conventional allograft has some disadvantages, so s...
Are Founder Directors Detrimental to New Ventures at Initial Public Offering

New ventures often form a formal board of directors for the first time at the initial public offering (IPO). The tumult of external changes places a premium on rapid decision making within a resource-constrained venture. According to the social psychological theory, group consensus and decision alternatives serve as two key drivers for making rapid decisions. Therefore, based on signaling theory, the valuation from investors at the IPO depends on the observable signals that can imply the group consensus and decision alternatives in a board. We argue and test the hypothesis that, when group consensus and decision alternative signals are jointly considered, the relationship between the ratio of founders on the board and the IPO price premium will have an inversed U shape. In addition, we analyze how three contextual factors (original chief executive officer [CEO], founders’ ownership, and venture capitalist [VC] on the board) can influence their signal consistency with founder directors on group consensus a...
Morphogen transport: theoretical and experimental controversies

According to morphogen gradient theory, extracellular ligands produced from a localized source convey positional information to receiving cells by signaling in a concentration-dependent manner. How do morphogens create concentration gradients to establish positional information in developing tissues? Surprisingly, the answer to this central question remains largely unknown. During development, a relatively small number of morphogens are reiteratively deployed to ensure normal embryogenesis and organogenesis. Thus, the intracellular processing and extracellular transport of morphogens are tightly regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Over the past few decades, diverse experimental and theoretical approaches have led to numerous conflicting models for gradient formation. In this review, we summarize the experimental evidence for each model and discuss potential future directions for studies of morphogen gradients. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multi-continuum analysis of thermally induced matrix cracking

Matrix micro-cracking due to thermal loading is a major concern in composite cryogenic tanks because it presents permeation paths for the stored fluids and gases. Accurate prediction of composite damage due to micro-crack initiation is thus an important aspect of tank analysis and design. In the research presented, failure criteria are applied at both the composite (macro-) and constituent (micro-) scale in an effort to assess the most effective analysis techniques for predicting composite damage. Constituent scale information is developed using multi-continuum theory, a classic strain decomposition approach. Numerical predictions are correlated against experimental results.
Dynamic response of single crystalline copper subjected to quasi-isentropic, gas-gun driven loading

A transmission electron microscopy study of quasi-isentropic gas-gun loading (peak pressures between 18 GPa and 52 GPa) of [001] monocrystalline copper was carried out. The defect substructures at these different pressures were analyzed. Current experimental evidence suggests a deformation substructure that transitions from slip to twinning, where twinning occurs at the higher pressures ({approx}52 GPa), and heavily dislocated laths and dislocation cells take place at the intermediate and lower pressures. Evidence of stacking faults at the intermediate pressures was also found. Dislocation cell sizes decreased with increasing pressure and increased with distance away from the surface of impact. The results from the quasi-isentropic experiments are compared with that of flyer-plate and laser shock experiments carried out by Cao et al. [1] and Schneider et al. [2], respectively. The Preston-Tonks-Wallace and Zerilli-Armstrong constitutive descriptions are used to model both isentropic and shock compression experiments and predict the pressure at which the slip-twinning transition occurs in both cases. Both models predict a higher transition for isentropic then for shock experiments, and indeed, that twinning should not take place in the ICE experiments at the pressures investigated.
The dynamics and stability of layered congestion control for multimedia streaming

We carefully examine a proposed congestion control algorithm for streaming layered multimedia over wired/wireless channels in order to evaluate the stability, convergence, fairness, and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, which uses a small portion of the packet header to convey control signals along with the reserved packet length (RPL) to adapt to the staircase-like bandwidth of streaming layered multimedia. The simulations show promising results in various channel environments and exhibit very low packet delay deviation, which is very suitable for streaming applications.
The Accelerator Production of Tritium project

Tritium is essential for U.S. nuclear weapons to function, but because it is radioactive with a half-life of 12.3 years, the supply must be periodically replenished. Since the last production reactor stopped operating in 1988, tritium has been recovered from dismantled nuclear weapons. This process is possible only as long as many weapons are being retired and will not work indefinitely, thus requiring the United States to bring a new tritium production capability on line. To make the required amount of tritium using an accelerator system (APT), neutrons will be generated by high-energy proton reactions with tungsten and lead. Those neutrons will be moderated, and captured to make tritium. The APT plant design is based on a 1700 MeV linear accelerator operated at 100 mA CW. In preparation for engineering design, scheduled to start in October 1997, and subsequent construction, a program of engineering development and demonstration is underway. That work includes assembly of a 20 MeV, 100 mA low-energy linac plant prototype, high-energy linac accelerating structure prototyping, radio-frequency system improvements, neutronic efficiency measurements, and materials qualifications.
The Intermediation of Financial Risks: Evolution in the Catastrophe Reinsurance Market

Yet, in spite of these problems, the reinsurance market continues on. It doesn’t appear to have been extinguished or even hindered by the unwillingness of insurers to cede their risks. Nevertheless, insurers rightly wish to know why it should be so expensive and rare to find reinsurers who are willing to take on extreme catastrophic risks. After all, natural perils are both objectively modelable and unsystematic in their occurrences–qualities that, if anything, should make it relatively more attractive to supply reinsurance capital. Most recently, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the market has continued to show signs of trouble in providing capital cheaply and quickly. Why, with all the last decade’s improvements in financial intermediation and risk sharing, aren’t things easier? At times of excess demand, one would think there is an opportunity to add to reinsurance supply. A badly needed product that sells at prices well above the cost of production should be supplied aggressively. This conundrum of short supply combined with high prices makes the topic of financing catastrophes a fertile one for academics and practitioners alike. In this article, I provide evidence concerning the imperfections in the reinsurance market. I try to get at some of the root causes of these imperfections—e.g., the behavior of ratings firms and the agency problems associated with the corporate form of ownership. I also summarize the recent evolution of intermediation for catastrophic risk. A simple framework for an integrated theory of optimal financial policy for insurers and reinsurers is discussed. Finally, policy implications for intermediation of financial risks in view of evolving financial solutions for catastrophic risk are proposed.
Using partitions to characterize minimum cardinality of an unbounded family in ω ω

Abstract Let b be the minimum cardinality of an unbounded family in ωω partially ordered by ⩽∗. Recall that ƒ ⩽ ∗ g if ƒ(n)⩽g(n) for all but a finite number of n We first generalize ⩽∗ to νω for each infinite cardinal ν. We then prove that b > ν iff every sequence in νω has a ⩽ ∗-upper bound; we also show that the existence of an upper bound for a sequence σ, where σk: ν → ω for each k ϵ ω, depends only on the partitions of ν induced by the point-inverse sets of the individual functions.
Tomographic reconstruction based on flexible geometric models

When dealing with ill-posed inverse problems in data analysis, the Bayesian approach allows one to use prior information to guide the result toward reasonable solutions. In this work the model consists of an object whose amplitude is constant inside a flexible boundary. The flexibility of the boundary is controlled by through a distortion energy. We present an example of reconstruction of the cross section of a blood vessel from just two projections. >
Endothelial cells enhance the human pokeweed mitogen lymphocyte response.

The effect of endothelial cells (EC) on lymphocyte mitogen responses was examined. Irradiated or mitomycin C treated EC were co-cultured with allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM), and proliferative responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were assessed by �H-thymidine incorporation. Compared to lymphocyte responses in the absence of EC, EC co-culture enhanced PWM responses at 72 hours by 55 ± 28%, 103 ± 24%, and 96 ± 9% at EC:PBM ratios of 1:30, 1:10, and 1:3, respectively. The EC co-culture also resulted in signficant lymphocyte responses to otherwise submitogenic doses of PWM (10� �g/ml) as well as an accelerated kinetics of response. There was no effect of EC on PHA responses. The EC effect appeared not to require cell contact for its expression; however, supernates of EC cultures were not capable of reproducing the effect. On a cell-for-cell basis, EC were more potent in enhancing responses of adherent-cell-depleted lymphocytes than either allogeneic or syngeneic monocytes. Fibroblasts could not substitute for EC in enhancing PWM response, suggesting that the effect was not a nonspecific feeder phenomenon. The EC may play a role in modulating some immune responses in vivo, especially those occurring in areas of inflammation, neovascularization, and endothelial cell proliferation.
Separation and Detection of Phosphorylated and Nonphosphorylated BvgA, a Bordetella pertussis Response Regulator, in vivo and in vitro

Protein phosphorylation plays a central role in signal transduction in bacteria. However, separation and detection of the phosphorylated protein from its nonphosphorylated form remain challenging. Here we describe a method to detect phosphorylation of the Bordetella pertussis response regulator BvgA, which is phosphorylated at an aspartate residue (Boulanger et al., 2013). This method is based on the proprietary adduct, Phos-tag™, a dinuclear metal complex, which together with Zn2+ or Mn2+, forms a complex with a phosphomonoesterdianion, such as the phosphorylated aspartate of a response regulator (Barbieri and Stock, 2008; Kinoshita and Kinoshita-Kikuta, 2011). For in vivo detection, B. pertussis cells are lysed in mild formic acid at 4 °C to minimize the disruption of the phospho-aspartate bond, and the phosphorylated BvgA is separated from its nonphosphorylated form by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) containing Phos-tag™. Both forms of BvgA are subsequently detected by Western Blot analysis. Quantification of the level of phosphorylated BvgA formed after treatment with acetyl phosphate in vitro is also easily accomplished. Thus, this technique allows one to readily assess the levels of BvgA phosphorylation in B. pertussis and in E. coli under different laboratory conditions in vivo or after phosphorylation under varying reaction conditions in vitro (this research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, NIDDK).
Bringing The Outsiders In: Opponents' Claims and The Construction of Animal Rights Activists' Identity

Most research on the role of identity in social movements treats identity as something that is constructed solely by movement participants themselves. However, participants are not the only actors involved in this identity construction. This article uses basic insights from symbolic interactionism to argue that external claims, or claims made about movement participants by those outside the movement, also shape activists' sense of identity. Using data collected during three years of fieldwork with members of a non-violent animal rights organization, I show how the activists made use of their opponents' depictions of them—in particular, charges that the activists were "overly emotional" and "irrational"—when describing themselves. Specifically, I illustrate two processes by which these external claims left their mark on the activists' identity: identity disconfirmation and identity recasting. More broadly, I suggest that "bringing the outsiders in" to examinations of identity and collective action provides...
The Remanufacturing Newsvendor Problem

As companies have synchronized and streamlined their traditional supply chains to improve customer service while reducing costs, many firms have begun to consider the impact of end-of-life unit flows on their overall profitability. Many companies have begun to accept end-of-life items from their customers for corporate social responsibility or customer service reasons, and they must develop processes to handle this large volume of units. Some firms have chosen to capture value from these flows by remanufacturing them and selling the units in a secondary market. The quality of the end-of-life items acquired from customers, however, is quite variable, and some items may not be in good enough condition to remanufacture. Thus, the items must be inspected either one by one (discrete) or in a batch to assess their condition. We have developed newsvendor models to assist firms in making the inspection decision to yield maximum expected profit when faced with a fixed number of end-of-life items. Both inspection processes generate the same target inventory level to sell in the secondary market. We examined the difference between the batch and discrete inspection processes using simulation and found that the batch process yields a higher average profit because it can allow the firm to take advantage of large demands with higher than expected inspection yields.
The Temporal Lobes: An Approach to the Study of Organic Behavioral Changes

From a clinical perspective, alterations in the emotions or behavior of an individual primarily present a problem in differential diagnosis. For this reason, a simple rule or generalization has long been sought to distinguish behavioral syndromes of organic causation from functional—idiopathic or learned—psychiatric disorders.
Era of big data: danger of descrimination

We live in a world of data collection where organizations and marketers know our income, our credit rating and history, our love life, race, ethnicity, religion, interests, travel history and plans, hobbies, health concerns, spending habits and millions of other data points about our private lives. This data, mined for our behaviors, habits, likes and dislikes, is referred to as the "creep factor" of big data [1]. It is estimated that data generated worldwide will be 1.3 zettabytes (ZB) by 2016. The rise of computational power plus cheaper and faster devices to capture, collect, store and process data, translates into the "datafication" of society [4]. This paper will examine a side effect of datafication: discrimination.
The Psychology of Thinking

The psychology of thinking begins both in theory and in reality after language has attained sufficient syntax and vocabulary to actualize propositional discourse. Insofar as the linguistic vehicle of thinking has an infinitely generative grammar and indefinitely flexible lexicon, it leaves undetermined what concepts, judgments, inferences, and systematic arguments can be formulated and transmitted. The development of thinking that language makes possible therefore does not entail any further development of syntax or vocabulary. Thought may generate new concepts requiring additions to the lexicon, but it may equally use the vocabulary at hand and supplement the given meanings of words through the web of propositions its thinking produces. So long as the linguistic community has reached the plateau of propositional linguistic practice and its members have acquired mature mastery of their particular grammar, they are ready to engage in the autonomous activity of thinking.
A 'Milder Measure of Villainy': The Unknown History of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 and the Meaning of 'Under Color of' Law

Chapter 42 U.S. C. § 1983, was originally enacted as section 1 of the Ku Klux Act. Not surprisingly, the history of the Ku Klux Act has played an important role in the interpretation of 42 U.S. C. § 1983. Unfortunately, the generally accepted history of the Ku Klux Act is incomplete, distorted, and, in some respects, demonstrably wrong. The conventional history of the Ku Klux Act is flawed in three respects. First, it omits the first several chapters of the story. The conventional history begins with Grant's March 23, 1871, message to the Forty-second Congress and completely overlooks the political and legislative maneuvering that preceded Grant's message. Second, the conventional history overstates Grant's role as the instigator in the enactment of the Ku Klux Act when he was, at most, a hesitant supporter of a struggle waged by the congressional Radicals - and refused to take any public position on the issue until persuaded to do so by a persistent lobbying effort. Third, the conventional history fails to disclose that there was a rough draft of the section of the Ku Klux Act that became 42 U.S. C. § 1983. In its least accurate version, the conventional history states that the Ku Klux Act was drafted by the Morton-Butler Committee. In its more accurate version, the conventional history treats the Ku Klux Act as having sprung entirely from the mind of Samuel Shellabarger. However, this version fails to mention that Shellabarger substantially copied section 1 from a bill written by Senator Frelinghuysen and never recognizes that Shellabarger's revisions of that section shed important light on the meaning of 42 U.S. C. § 1983. This article completes and corrects the historical record. By doing so, it should dispel the remarkably persistent myth that the Forty-second Congress never intended the provision to cover constitutional wrongs unless those wrongs were actually authorized by state law - a myth that Justices Scalia and Thomas have attempted to use as a license to restrict the scope of 42 U.S. C. § 1983 in ways that they admit would otherwise be unjustifiable.
Intrinsic multiprocessing

Multiple access systems for processing data from online experiments or remote consoles are normally treated by time-slicing multiprogramming techniques. A substantial share of CPU time is consumed with program swapping, terminal polling and buffering, I/O control, etc. This increases the overhead time loss and/or decreases the number of terminals a system can accommodate.
Nerve Conduction and Creatinine Clearance in Aged Subjects With Periodic Movements in Sleep

Periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMs) are non-epileptiform, repetitive limb movements that are highly prevalent among the geriatric population. The mechanisms underlying these movements are poorly understood. In this study we evaluated PLMs of 24 aged volunteers. We hypothesized that the high prevalence of PLMs seen in the aged would be related to (a) lower creatinine clearance and (b) slowed velocities/delayed latencies in the nerve conduction studies of such individuals. Results did not support hypothesis (a) but offered some equivocal support for hypothesis (b), inasmuch as aged subjects with higher levels of PLMs had delayed motor and sensory latencies in the upper limbs (median n., ulnar n.). Results are discussed in terms of central vs peripheral mechanisms involved in the generation of PLMs in elderly persons.
Charge Transport through Molecular Junctions

In conventional solid-state electronic devices, junctions and interfaces play a significant if not dominant role in controlling charge transport. Although the emerging field of molecular electronics often focuses on the properties of the molecule in the design and understanding of device behavior, the effects of interfaces and junctions are often of comparable importance. This article explores recent work in the study of metal–molecule–metal and semiconductor–molecule–metal junctions. Specific issues include the mixing of discrete molecular levels with the metal continuum, charge transfer between molecules and semiconductors, electron-stimulated desorption, and resonant tunneling. By acknowledging the consequences of junction/interface effects, realistic prospects and limitations can be identified for molecular electronic devices.
Carbon sequestration in a surface flow constructed wetland after 12 years of swine wastewater treatment.

Constructed wetlands used for the treatment of swine wastewater may potentially sequester significant amounts of carbon. In past studies, we evaluated the treatment efficiency of wastewater in a marsh–pond–marsh design wetland system. The functionality of this system was highly dependent on soil carbon content and organic matter turnover rate. To better understand system performance and carbon dynamics, we measured plant dry matter, decomposition rates and soil carbon fractions. Plant litter decomposition rate was 0.0052 g day −1 (±0.00119 g day −1 ) with an estimated half-life of 133 days. The detritus layer accumulated over the soil surface had much more humin than other C fractions. In marsh areas, soil C extracted with NaOH had four to six times higher amounts of humic acid, fulvic acid and humin than soil C extracted by cold and hot water, HCl/HF, and Na pyruvate. In the pond area, humic acid, fulvic acid and humin content were two to four times lower than in the marsh area. More soil C and N was found in the marsh area than in the pond area. These wetlands proved to be large sinks for stable C forms.
Chemotherapy of B. pertussis Infections of Mice

ConclusionSulfanilamide, 4,4′-di- (acetylamino)-diphenylsulfone, and 4,4′-diaminobenzenesulfonanilide have no therapeutic value in the treatment of mice infected intraabdominally with virulent B. pertussis.
Recommendations for Best Disinfectant Practices to Reduce the Spread of Infection via Wrestling Mats

Context: At the request of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the head wrestling coach at our university, we conducted a study of infection transmission in collegiate wrestlers. Objecti...
Deciphering the Regulatory Network between the SREBP Pathway and Protein Secretion in Neurospora crassa.

Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are conserved from yeast to mammalian cells and function in the regulation of sterol homeostasis. In fungi, the SREBP pathway has been implicated in the adaptation to hypoxia and in virulence. In Neurospora crassa and Trichoderma reesei, the SREBP pathway also negatively regulates protein secretion under lignocellulolytic conditions. Here we utilized global transcriptional profiling combined with genetic and physiological analyses to address the regulatory link between the SREBP pathway and protein secretion in N. crassa Our results demonstrated that the function of the SREBP pathway in ergosterol biosynthesis and adaptation to hypoxia was conserved in N. crassa Under lignocellulolytic conditions, the SREBP pathway was highly activated, resulting in the reduced expression of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, which require molecular oxygen for catalytic activity. Additionally, activation of the SREBP pathway under lignocellulolytic conditions repressed a set of genes predicted to be involved in the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Here we show that the inability of a hac-1 mutant, which bears a deletion of the major regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR), to efficiently produce cellulases and utilize cellulose was suppressed by mutations in the SREBP pathway. The analyses presented here demonstrated new SREBP pathway functions, including linkages to the UPR, and provide new clues for genetic engineering of filamentous fungi to improve their production of extracellular proteins.IMPORTANCE The role of SREBP transcription factors in the regulation of sterol biosynthesis is conserved from humans to yeast. In filamentous fungi, this pathway regulates the secretion of lignocellulolytic enzymes during plant biomass deconstruction. Here we show that the SREBP pathway in Neurospora crassa regulates the production of specific cellulases, lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases that utilize molecular oxygen. Via global transcriptional profile and genetic analyses, a relationship between the SREBP pathway and the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway was revealed, suggesting a regulatory interplay of these two pathways in the trafficking of plant biomass-degrading enzymes. These findings have implications for our understanding of the cross talk of the SREBP and UPR pathways in other organisms and will guide the rational engineering of fungal strains to improve cellulolytic enzyme production.
Modeling the Safety Architecture of UAS Flight Operations

We develop a notion of safety architecture, based on an extension to bow tie diagrams, to characterize the overall scope of the mitigation measures undertaken to provide safety assurance in the context of unmanned aircraft systems. We use a formal semantics as a basis for implementation in our assurance case tool, AdvoCATE. We also describe the functionality that a safety architecture affords to support both the related safety analysis and subsequent development activities. We motivate the need for a safety architecture through an example based upon a real safety case, whilst also illustrating its application and utility. Additionally, we discuss its role, when combined with structured arguments, in providing a more comprehensive basis for the associated safety case.
A phenomenon of artificial odd–even grid oscillation and its presence in domain decomposition computation: Algebraic analysis and numerical illustration

Abstract Odd–even grid oscillation is an artifact frequently observed in numerical solutions for differential equations when they are discretized by central difference, and it is a critical issue in pursuing high-fidelity simulation of various physical phenomena. Although such oscillation has been a classic topic, there is lack of a direct, complete explanation on its onset and behaviors. From an angle different from those in literature, this paper revisits the topic, and it makes a systematic analysis in conjunction with numerical illustration on the oscillation in model problems, presenting criteria and a rigorous but direct and plain explanation on its presence and behaviors. Two types of odd–even grid oscillation are identified; one comes from dual-mode patterns in numerical solutions, and the other results from inconsistency of boundary conditions. The first type of the oscillation decays with grid spacing, while the second one tends to remain regardless of its size. As a consequence of their presence in single-domain solutions, the two kinds of fluctuation also occur in computation by domain decomposition, and additionally they are altered by algorithms of the decomposition. Further analysis demonstrates that the fluctuation inherited in the model problems also leads to zig-zag forms in solutions for more complicated nonlinear flow problems when they are solved either in a single domain or two subdomains. It is anticipated that understanding of the spurious oscillation obtained in this study will shed light on development of methods for its control and removal.
Estrogen receptor β inhibits 17β-estradiol activated ERα: A study of the cell cycle and gene expression using T47D and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines

2606 Estrogen receptor β has been found to counteract the activity of estrogen receptor α in many systems. In agreement with this we find that induced expression of estrogen receptor β in the breast cancer cell line T47D causes inhibition of proliferation at less than equal level of expression of estrogen receptor β compared to estrogen receptor α mRNA. Reduced levels of both mRNA and protein for the G1 to S phase regulating factor cyclin E was found in cells expressing estrogen receptor β, which could explain the inhibition of proliferation. The latter described factor is a critical component of the active cdk2 complex important for cell cycle progression through the G1/S-phase transition. Surprisingly, cyclin D1 mRNA and protein were induced earlier in the G1 phase and also reached a higher level when estrogen receptor β was expressed in the cells. Estrogen receptor β mediated down regulation of the cdc25A phosphatase was found but ruled out as the limiting component important for cell cycle progression in these cells. These findings establish a role of estrogen receptor β in breast cancer and imply that estrogen receptor β specific ligands might reduce the incidence of breast cancer. In order to explore the function of ERβ, stable transformants of ERα-positive breast cancer MCF-7 cells with an ERβ inducible expression vector were established, the expression of ERβ was confirmed by western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. By using the gene chip technology we found that when ERβ was expressed in syncronized MCF-7 cells treated with 17β-estradiol for 24 hours, expression of a number of genes normaly increased by ERα were down regulated. Some examples are thymidine kinase, thymidylate synthetase, trefoil factor 1, and c-myc. The regulated genes strongly indicates that ERβ have an anti-proliferative effect on these cells which is in agreement with the cell cycle analysis of ERβ expressing T47D cells.
Misregulation of membrane trafficking processes in human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remodels the expression and function of genes and proteins that are critical for drug disposition. This study sought to determine whether disruption of membrane protein trafficking pathways in human NASH contributes to altered localization of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2). A comprehensive immunoblot analysis assessed the phosphorylation, membrane translocation, and expression of transporter membrane insertion regulators, including several protein kinases (PK), radixin, MARCKS, and Rab11. Radixin exhibited a decreased phosphorylation and total expression, whereas Rab11 had an increased membrane localization. PKCδ, PKCα, and PKA had increased membrane activation, whereas PKCe had a decreased phosphorylation and membrane expression. Radixin dephosphorylation may activate MRP2 membrane retrieval in NASH; however, the activation of Rab11/PKCδ and PKA/PKCα suggest an activation of membrane insertion pathways as well. Overall these data suggest an altered regulation of protein trafficking in human NASH, although other processes may be involved in the regulation of MRP2 localization.
Characteristics and Automated Control of a Dual-Frequency Servohydraulic Test System

The objective of the present research is to create a servohydraulic test system that can apply two independent excitations, simultaneously, to a specimen. The motivation for this objective is provided by a range of engineering situations in which such excitations are encountered, and the opportunity for monitoring specimen integrity by dynamic analysis during a "standard" fatigue test. In the first case, bi-frequency excitation is common to such engineering components as combustor buckets in jet engines that undergo low-frequency structural fatigue and high-frequency (low amplitude) fatigue loading having to do with the pulsation of the burning process. Other situations of that type include a variety of acoustic/structural excitations and other combinations typically encountered in transportation and propulsion systems. The second opportunity, to use such a capability to monitor the integrity of a specimen that is being characterized under high-amplitude cyclic loading by conducting dynamic analysis on the same specimen with a low-amplitude high frequency (superimposed) excitation, is an idea that is related to the well-known "dynamic mechanical analysis" that is widely used for elastomeric material characterization. The system described in the present paper was designed and built by a cooperative effort between the Materials Response Group at Virginia Tech and MTS Systems Corporation. The system consists of two separate actuators, in series, that are capable of applying high-frequency (up to about 1500 Hz) excitation with amplitudes up to about 2000 lb (8800N) beyond standard high-load, low frequency excitations. The secondary high-frequency actuator is isolated from the primary actuator in a manner that makes the control of the system by a computer interface possible. Other features of the system include a tube-testing grip arrangement, high-temperature capability, and internal pressurization capability for tube specimens. The present paper will describe the attributes of the system, and present the characteristic response of the system under limiting conditions. Data will be presented to demonstrate the utility and capabilities of the system, using several types of specimens and materials. Control of the system will be discussed, especially as it is influenced by the stiffness of the specimen under test, and the nature of the superimposed test frequencies.
Exploiting Functional Context in Biology: Reconsidering Classification of Bacterial Life

Ontologies are built in various domains such as biology, chemistry, and business. Ontologies as knowledge bases have great potential to serve as providers of context for analytics not only to yield more relevant results but also to provide meaning in explaining results. Simply put, analysis without context ignores the underlying meaning in data. In this paper, we discuss one important example, how traditional classification of organisms in biology can become obsolete given the tremendous amount of genetic data now being analyzed under the lens of gene ontologies. Gene ontologies provide a functional context to how organisms operate and perform the functions of life. Ontologies such as gene ontologies encapsulate collective intelligence of scientists based on many decades of work. In this paper, we put forth a vision of contextual analytics in the field of genetics powered with big data and describe blueprints of an new approach to classification. There are many dimensions to biological function. We demonstrate how the cellular processes of interest can provide the context for classification of thousands of organisms based on their functional potential.
Metal-Oxide-Hydrogel Field-Effect Sensor

Hydrogels have an open cavity and porous micro-structures enabling various gases and liquids to diffuse rapidly through them and simultaneously changing their resistance, refractive index, density, color and other properties. Hence, they are ideal as programmable sensing materials. They can be, relatively easily programmed by diffusing acids, bases or ionic/non-ionic liquids or by adding nano-particles, which in addition to acting as electric or magnetic field focusing or modifying materials, add their own chemical/gas response characteristics to the hydrogel matrix element. Here we report applications of a MOSFET-like device with active channels formed by hydrogels with embedded gold nano-particles (AuNP) in gas and liquid sensing. The device consists of an open-face field effect transistor structure that can be used with different channel materials deposited directly on the device forming its active channel. The resulting metal-oxide hydrogel field-effect transistor (MOHFET) was then used to detect ethyl alcohol both in liquids and in gas phase. The sensor response was measured for ethyl alcohol gas after preconditioning the hydrogel channel in PBS (sensitivity: 2.6 J.1A/ml) and deionized (DI) water media (sensitivity: 7.4 J.1A1ml). The sensor sensitivity to ethyl alcohol in solution was 8.2×10−4 A/ml.
Efficacy of Double Nickel LC (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens D747 Strain) for Management of White Mold in Snap and Dry Bean

White mold caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a serious disease affecting snap and dry bean production. Management is reliant upon fungicides to protect flowers from infection by ascospores. The...
Eosinophil infiltration of burn wounds in young and older burn patients.

Abstract Introduction Advanced age alters many physiological processes in the body, including both innate and adaptive immune responses, affecting burn wound healing. Previous findings in our lab led us to look more closely at eosinophil infiltration of burn tissues. We hypothesize that burn wounds within the older population present with an increased population of eosinophils than those in the younger population. Methods A pilot study was performed utilizing samples collected from male and female patients 30-years-old and younger and 65-years-old and older. Samples were collected at day (PBD) 2–6 after burn. Deep partial-thickness burn tissues were collected during surgery, formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE), and assessed by HE Min. 17yo). The mean age was 81yo and the median 84yo for the Old (Max. 93yo; Min. 67yo). Other demographics included race. It was found that the Young and Old groups had a mean of 0.171 Eos/mm and 0.910 Eos/mm, respectively, which was statistically significant (p = 0.017). Conclusion Older patients do present with increased eosinophil infiltration in the early stages of burn wound healing within our small sample set. Increased sample numbers will be required to confirm this discovery.
Anesthetic Approach to Postpneumonectomy Syndrome

Postpneumonectomy syndrome is a rare complication in patients who have previously had a pneumonectomy. Over time, the mediastinum may rotate toward the vacant pleural space, which can cause extrinsic airway and esophageal compression. As such, these patients typically present with progressive dyspnea and dysphagia. There is a paucity of reports in the anesthesiology literature regarding the intraoperative anesthetic approach to such rare patients. We present a case of an 18-year-old female found to have postpneumonectomy syndrome requiring thoracotomy with insertion of tissue expanders. Our case report illustrates the complexities involved in the care of these patients with regards to airway management, ventilation concerns, and potential for hemodynamic compromise. This case report underscores the importance of extensive multidisciplinary planning.
The Bacterial Connection between the Oral Cavity and the Gut Diseases.

More than 100 trillion symbiotic microorganisms constitutively colonize throughout the human body, including the oral cavity, the skin, and the gastrointestinal tract. The oral cavity harbors one o...
Modeling thermal-visco-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TVEHL) interfaces of polymer-based materials

Abstract This paper reports a novel thermal-visco-elasohydrodynamic lubrication (TVEHL) model for analyzing the lubrication behavior of the interface formed by an elastic sphere and a polymer half-space. The temperature-dependent viscoelastic displacement of the polymer surface is calculated through the elastic-viscoelastic correspondence theory and frequency-temperature superposition. The discrete convolution and fast Fourier transform (DC-FFT) algorithm is used for efficient solution computation. The model is verified by comparing results from its degenerated forms with those from thermal-viscoelastic (TVE) contact and thermal-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) theories. The results from the current model with and without considering temperature effect are also compared. The new TVEHL model is explored to study the viscoelastic material property, entraining speed, sliding-to-rolling ratio, and the coupled thermal-viscoelasticity effects.
Guns and Kids: Treatment of Pediatric Firearm and Air Gun Missile Injuries in the Emergency Department

Background: A recent inpatient data analysis found 16 US children are hospitalized with firearm-related injuries each day. We hypothesized a higher number children are treated in the emergency department (ED). Therefore we sought to examine the incidence and outcomes of pediatric firearm injuries treated in the ED. Methods: All pediatric (age, 0-18 years) firearm-related injuries were identified from the most …
Predation on desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) by desert canids

Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) are a long-lived reptile vulnerable to predation by many predators, including desert kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis arsipus) and coyotes (Canis latrans). From 2009 to 2014, we assessed canid food habits at a study site in the Mojave Desert in California, USA, by collecting and analyzing desert kit fox and coyote scats. These canids primarily consumed small mammals and invertebrates. Desert tortoise remains occurred at an overall low frequency (<3%), indicating the opportunistic use by these canids of desert tortoise as a prey or scavenged food item. When we analyzed the desert tortoise remains further, there was a significant difference between predator type and desert tortoise age class. Coyotes consumed more than twice as many adult than juvenile desert tortoises, while desert kit foxes only consumed juveniles. Desert kit foxes are a small canid, thus limited to smaller prey items (i.e., juvenile desert tortoises), while coyotes are larger and can optimize a wider size range.
Polysemy in the Mental Lexicon

The semantic ambiguity of lexical forms is pervasive: Many, if not most, words have multiple meanings. For example, one can draw a gun, draw water from a well, or draw a diagram. Despite the frequency of this phenomenon, how human beings store and access these meanings is an open question. Do we have a separate representation in our mental lexicon for each “sense,” or do we store only one very generalized or core meaning for each word? If the latter, do we generate the nuances of each separate sense by rule or by accessing subrepresentations? To even speak of senses in this way implies that we can clearly identify the separate senses of a word. In this study, we use priming in a semantic decision task to investigate the effect of different levels of meaning relatedness on language processing. Both response time and accuracy followed a linear progression through four categories of meaning relatedness. These results suggest that the distinction between a single phonological form with unrelated meanings (homonyms) and a single form with related meanings (polysemes) may be more one of degree than of kind. They also imply that related word “senses” may be part of a continuum or cluster of meanings rather than discrete entities. In addition, results from specific comparisons between groups do not support the theory that each sense of a word has an entirely separate mental representation.