cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CTLA-4-mediated suppressor effect by human T follicular regulatory cells (IRC11P.432)

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, a subset of CD4 T cells, help B cells produce high affinity class switched antibodies and are essential for generation of germinal centers (GC). T follicular regulatory cells (Tfr) are a newly defined regulatory CD4 T cell subset that suppresses GC formation and B cell function through CTLA-4 dependent mechanisms in murine models. We will test the hypothesis in human systems that Tfr have significant regulatory effects on antibody production in a CTLA-4 dependent manner. Tfh and Tfr cells from human mesenteric lymph nodes were analyzed using flow cytometry. Tfr were defined as CXCR5+, PD-1bright, FoxP3+ cells that were also found to be Bcl6+, CD25+, CD127dim, ICOS+. Flow sorted Tfr and Tfh cells were used to determine the effect of Tfr on Tfh-mediated B cell production of IgG. Tfh cells with mitogen helped B cells produce high amounts of IgG whereas addition of Tfr to this co-culture decreased the IgG levels >90%. Tfh/Tfh ratio directly impacts levels of suppression. The mechanism of the suppressive effect of Tfr cells was investigated by neutralizing IL-10, TGF-β RII and CTLA-4 in the co-culture functional assay. Only anti-CTLA-4 affected IgG production. The present study in the human system suggests that Tfr cells suppressed Tfh-induced antibody production by B cells with CTLA-4 playing an important role in this suppression. These regulatory interactions may play a role in autoimmune diseases and humoral response to vaccines and pathogens.
What's Missing?

A 2-year-old boy with edema and fatigue was admitted for further investigation. The boy had no other notable signs or symptoms. Laboratory investigation showed serum total protein 5.4 g/dL and albumin 1.2 g/dL, with serum calcium 7.2 mg/dL (reference interval 8.8–10.8 mg/dL), magnesium 1.6 mg/dL, and phosphorus 3.3 mg/dL. …
Hyaluronan synthase control of synthesis rate and hyaluronan product size are independent functions differentially affected by mutations in a conserved tandem B-X7-B motif

Hyaluronan synthases (HAS) normally make large (>MDa) hyaluronan (HA) products. Smaller HA fragments (e.g. 100-400 kDa) produced in vivo are associated with inflammation and cell signaling by HA receptors that bind small, but not large, HA. Although HA fragments can arise from breakdown by hyaluronidases, HAS might also be regulated directly to synthesize small HA. Here we examined the Streptococcus equisimilis HAS (SeHAS) C-terminus, which contains a tandem B-X7-B motif (K398-X7-R406-X7-K414), by testing the effects of 27 site-specific scanning mutations and 7 C-terminal truncations on HA synthesis activity and weight-average mass. Although HAS enzymes cannot be HA-binding proteins, these motifs are highly conserved within the Class I HAS family. Fifteen Arg406 mutants made large MDa HA (86-110% wildtype size), with specific activities from 70% to 177% of wildtype. In contrast, 10 of 12 Lys398 mutants made HA that was 8-14% of wildtype size (≤250-480 kDa), with specific activities from 14% to 64% of wildtype. Four nearly inactive (2% wildtype activity) C-terminal truncation mutants made MDa HA (56-71% wildtype). The results confirm earlier findings with Cys-mutants [Weigel PH, Baggenstoss BA. 2012. Hyaluronan synthase polymerizing activity and control of product size are discrete enzyme functions that can be uncoupled by mutagenesis of conserved cysteines. Glycobiology 22:1302-1310] that HAS uses two independent activities to control HA size and HA synthesis rate; these are two separate functions. We conclude that HAS regulatory modifications that alter tandem B-X7-B motif conformation could mimic these mutagenesis-induced effects, allowing HAS in vivo to make small HA directly. The results also support a model in which the tandem-motif region is part of the intra-HAS pore and interacts directly with HA.
Does Oppositional Culture Exist in Minority and Poverty Peer Groups

Cette etude teste les travaux exposes en aout 1998 dans la presente revue par Ainsworth-Darnell et Downey et parvient a la conclusion opposee. Contrairement aux auteurs precites, la presente etude montre qu'il est premature de rejeter la culture d'opposition comme un mecanisme pouvant influencer des performances scolaires moins elevees chez les etudiants de minorites ethniques ou d'origine modeste
Hypertension Treatment in Blacks: Discussion of the U.S. Clinical Practice Guidelines

Blacks are especially susceptible to hypertension (HTN) and its associated organ damage leading to adverse cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal outcomes. Accordingly, HTN is particularly significant in contributing to the black-white racial differences in health outcomes in the US. As such, in order to address these health disparities, practical clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on how to treat HTN, specifically in blacks, are needed. This review article is a timely addition to the literature because the most recent U.S. CPG more explicitly emphasizes race into the algorithmic management of HTN. However, recent clinical research cautions that use of race as a proxy to determine therapeutic response to pharmaceutical agents may be erroneous. This review will address the implications of the use of race in the hypertension CPGs. We will review the rationale behind the introduction of race into the U.S. CPG and the level of evidence that was available to justify this introduction. Finally, we will conclude with practical considerations in the treatment of HTN in blacks.
Evaluating Active Parental Consent Procedures for School Programming: Addressing the Sensitive Topic of Suicide Prevention.

BACKGROUND Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. Whereas school-based prevention programs are effective, obtaining active consent for youth participation in public health programming concerning sensitive topics is challenging. We explored several active consent procedures for improving participation rates. METHODS Five active consent methods (in-person, students taking forms home, mailing, mailing preceded by primers, mailing followed by reminder calls) were compared against passive consent procedures to evaluate recruitment success, as determined by participation (proportion who responded yes) and response (proportion who returned any response) rates. RESULTS Participation acceptance rates ranged from 38 to 100% depending on consent method implemented. Compared with passive consent, active consent procedures were more variable in response and participation rates. In-person methods provided higher rates than less interpersonal methods, such as mailing or students taking consents home. Mailed primers before or reminder calls after consent forms were mailed increased response but not participation rates. Students taking consents home resulted in the lowest rates. CONCLUSIONS Although passive consent produces the highest student participation, these methods are not always appropriate for programs addressing sensitive topics in schools. In-person active consent procedures may be the best option when prioritizing balance between parental awareness and successful student recruitment.
Classification of Student Web Queries

The number of mobile devices used in the K-12 learning space has been growing steadily. Most school-issued devices that connect to the Internet are required to have web filters installed on them. These web filters are designed to filter out inappropriate content and log student activity online. This study investigates student web query logs and classifies their web queries as either school related or non-school related to provide potentially valuable information on student learning. This process is similar to that used by the major search engines - Google, Yahoo and Bing - that generate billions of dollars in ad revenue by classifying web queries into appropriate categories to display advertisements. A new algorithm, Student Web Query Classifier, is presented for the binary classification of high school student web queries as school related or non-school related. Additionally, a proposed procedure is presented to build a corpus of school-related terms and to compare it against students' online activity. The new algorithm presented in this paper yielded 90.68% accuracy, far superior than results obtained from supervised learning algorithms Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machines.
'Pouring Everything That You Are': Musicians' Experiences of Optimal Performances.

The purpose of this study was to document the lived experiences of flow during an optimal music performance. Fifteen undergraduate musicians (Mage = 19, 53% male) participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews, where they were asked to describe an optimal performance experience. Results from an inductive qualitative analysis revealed three main themes: environmental context, emotional connectedness and interpersonal relationships, which synthesised the optimal performance experience. The results also suggest that flow among musicians appears to be a common emotional state and similar to that conceptualised in sport. The ways a musician experiences flow are important, as these can help music educators gain a better understanding of the conceptualisation of flow within music performance. However, given the nuanced differences in the sociocultural environment of a flow experience typical in a sport or music performance, additional research into the divergences of domains may be warranted.
Rainy Buttes Silicified Wood:: A Source of Lithic Raw Material in Western North Dakota

(1984). Rainy Buttes Silicified Wood: Plains Anthropologist: Vol. 29, No. 106, pp. 335-338.
Ruling out clinically significant prostate cancer with negative multi-parametric MRI.

To evaluate the negative predictive value (NPV) of a negative prostate multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in ruling out clinically significant prostate upon 12-core systematic biopsy. We retrospectively reviewed 114 men evaluated at our institution who underwent systematic 12-core biopsy within 1 year of a negative prostate mpMRI. Clinicopathologic features were evaluated and NPV was calculated for detection of clinically significant (Gleason ≥ 7) cancer. Regression analysis was performed to identify clinical predictors of biopsy outcome. Overall, 88 (77.2%) patients in our cohort had no cancer detected upon biopsy. The highest pathologic grade was Gleason 6 (3 + 3) in 22 (19.3%) patients, and Gleason ≥ 7 in 4 (3.6%) patients. NPV for detecting Gleason ≥ 7 cancer was 96.5% (95% CI 93.1–99.9%) in the entire negative MRI cohort, 100% in those who were prostate biopsy naive (n = 20), 100% in those with a prior negative biopsy (n = 53), and 90% in those who have had a previous positive biopsy and on active surveillance (n = 41). Regression analysis identified no predictors of significant cancer in our cohort. In our cohort of men with no lesions detected on prostate mpMRI, we found very low rates of clinically significant cancer on systematic 12-core biopsy. In the few patients who diagnosed with prostate cancer, the majority had low-risk disease and could remain on active surveillance. Although validation studies and greater sample size is needed before clinical recommendations can be made, our data suggest patients with negative mpMRI evaluated by experienced radiologists may avoid unnecessary prostate biopsy and potential overtreatment.
Industrial and Systems Engineering Review - Guest Editorial

This special issue of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Review (ISER) represents a collection of exemplary undergraduate research, engineering, and analysis. The Department of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy hosts an annual conference to showcase projects completed by graduating seniors. The best papers from this conference are invited to publish in this special issue, and the present collection, comprising entirely of defense related topics, represents eight outstanding papers that summarize project results. Three different themes emerge from these papers: future systems development, talent management, and threat analysis.
Comparative Study of Antioxidant Activity of Flower of Aloe vera and Leaf Extract of Aloe ferox

Great attention has been focused on medicinal plants and phytoconstituents due to their free radicals scavenging tendency. The present study investigates the comparative antioxidant ability of aqueous extracts of flower of Aloe vera and leaf of Aloe ferox . Antioxidant activity was assessed by using the DPPH, FRAP and ABTS + free-radical method. The IC 50 values of aqueous extracts of flower of the A. vera and leaf of A. ferox in DPPH assay were 406.04 and 517.01 µg/ml, in ABTS + radical scavenging assay were 44.72 and 173.05 µg/ml, EC 1 in FRAP assay were 0.28 and 0.51 (mg/ml) respectively. Results of the present study showed that antioxidant capacity of whole leaf of Aloe ferox Mill was significantly higher than Aloe vera flowers.
The Effects of Cognitive and Affective Program Involvement on Cognitive and Affective Ad Involvement

Advertisers attempt to create ads which gain the attention and involvement of their audience. These advertisements may be primarily cognitively or affectively involving. Similarly the programs in which the ads are embedded may be primarily cognitively or affectively involving. Does the type of program involvement affect involvement with ads? Building on previous research (Mc-Clung, Park and Sauer 1985; Park and McClung 1986) a study is presented which suggests that cognitive involvement in ads (particularly cognitive ads) suffers from an overload effect when the ads are placed in cognitively involving programs while affective involvement in ads is enhanced by a priming effect when the ads are placed in affectively involving programs.
An overview of metal carcinogenesis.

Metal or inorganic carcinogenesis has come of age. Originally considered an obscure phase of the cancer problem, it was neglected for many years. Reviews on the topic carcinogenesis either failed to mention metals as causative agents or simply included a few ions as examples of an unusual class. Another area of neglect has been the association of occupational exposure to dusts, fumes, and even vapors of inorganic chemicals with an increase in various types of cancer among certain industrial workers. This phenomenon was first noted in the 1880s but did not result in laboratory investigations. Virchow, one of the early pioneering pathologists, suggested that this cancer rise could be linked to a “chronic irritation theory”, but this explanation stirred no imaginative research.
On the Node Complexity of Threshold Gate Circuits with Sub-linear Fan-ins

This paper discusses size-optimal solutions for implementing arbitrary Boolean functions using threshold gates. After presenting the state-of-the-art, we start from the result of Horne and Hush [12], which shows that threshold gate circuits restricted to fan-in 2 can implement arbitrary Boolean functions, but require O(2 n /n) gates in 2n layers. This result will be generalized to arbitrary fan-ins (Δ), lowering the depth to n/logΔ + n/Δ, and proving that all the (relative) minimums of size are obtained for sub-linear fan-ins (Δ < n − logn). The fact that size-optimal solutions have sub-linear fan-ins is encouraging, as the area and the delay of VLSI implementations are related to the fan-in of the gates.
Introduction: Why a Science of Gratitude?

In this chapter I introduce the study of gratitude by emphasizing its importance. I first show how research into “the positive side of life” has been neglected in psychology, but show how this is an important area of investigation. Similarly, I reveal how gratitude has been neglected in the social sciences. Gratitude is an important topic for study because it is a frequently experienced state, and it appears to be one of the strongest components of the good life. I conclude the chapter by describing the goal of this book: to further the science of gratitude. Finally, I provide a brief description of my theory of the function of gratitude. I argue that gratitude is adaptive because it amplifies the good in one’s life.
Survey and Classification of Operational Control Problems in Discrete Event Logistics Systems (DELS).

This paper reviews and classifies literature on operational control of discrete event logistics systems (DELS). Operational control manipulates the flow of items through a DELS. Each control proble...
Recurrence in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Large, Single-Institution Study.

Objective:To report rates of recurrence in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and associated patient and disease factors.Study Design:Retrospective chart review.Setting:Single high-volume otology practice.Patients:Patients diagnosed with BPPV from 2007 to 2016 with documented resolution of
Steroidogenic Factor 1 (Nr5a1) is Required for Sertoli Cell Survival Post Sex Determination

The elevated level of Steroidogenic Factor 1 (Nr5a1, Sf-1) expression in the male gonadal development pathway, post sex determination, implies a vital role in testis gonadal differentiation. In this study we generated Sertoli cell-specific Nr5a1 KO mice (SC-SF-1−/−) at E14.5, which coincides with testis development post sex determination, using the Amh-Cre mouse model. Analysis of SC-SF-1−/− (Sertoli cell specific Nr5a1 knockout) testes demonstrated apoptosis as early as E15. Further analysis revealed that SC-SF-1−/− gonads displayed lower MDM2 levels resulting in elevated TP53 levels, which we believe may lead to apoptosis of the Sertoli cell population, inferring the possibility that NR5A1 directly regulates MDM2 expression. By E15.5, the Sertoli cell and germ cell population declined in SC-SF-1−/− mice resulting in the disruption of seminiferous cords with limited cord structure remaining at E18.5. Due to the loss of Sertoli and germ cells, the testis weights of SC-SF-1−/− mice at 6-weeks were much reduced; however, SC-SF-1−/− seminal vesicles weights were comparable suggesting intact Leydig cell androgen production. We conclude that NR5A1 regulates the TP53 pathway during development, is essential for fetal Sertoli cell survival and controls the cell cycle of Sertoli cells during differentiation.
Regulation of gene expression by thyroid hormones and retinoic acid.

Thyroid hormones and retinoids are critical regulators of differentiation and homeostasis in diverse cell types. Thyroid hormones, of which L-thyroxine (T4) is the major circulating form and 3,5,3′-L-triiodothyronine (T3) its biologically more active metabolite, are synthesized de novo in all species of vertebrate organisms. Retinoids, in contrast, can be acquired only through dietary ingestion of retinol, β-carotene, or related compounds. Within specific tissues, retinol can be converted in situ to retinoic acid. The temporal and spatial regulation of retinol conversion to retinoic acid and its metabolites appears to be a critically limiting variable for pattern formation in different tissues.
Putting the data before the algorithm in big data addressing personalized healthcare.

Technologies leveraging big data, including predictive algorithms and machine learning, are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of healthcare. However, evidence indicates that such algorithms have the potential to worsen disparities currently intrinsic to the contemporary healthcare system, including racial biases. Blame for these deficiencies has often been placed on the algorithm—but the underlying training data bears greater responsibility for these errors, as biased outputs are inexorably produced by biased inputs. The utility, equity, and generalizability of predictive models depend on population-representative training data with robust feature sets. So while the conventional paradigm of big data is deductive in nature—clinical decision support—a future model harnesses the potential of big data for inductive reasoning. This may be conceptualized as clinical decision questioning, intended to liberate the human predictive process from preconceived lenses in data solicitation and/or interpretation. Efficacy, representativeness and generalizability are all heightened in this schema. Thus, the possible risks of biased big data arising from the inputs themselves must be acknowledged and addressed. Awareness of data deficiencies, structures for data inclusiveness, strategies for data sanitation, and mechanisms for data correction can help realize the potential of big data for a personalized medicine era. Applied deliberately, these considerations could help mitigate risks of perpetuation of health inequity amidst widespread adoption of novel applications of big data.
Changes in Victimization Risk and Disparities for Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Youth: Trends From 2009 to 2017.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to identify sex-stratified trends in victimization risk specific to heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth while considering changes in sexual orientation-disparities from 2009 to 2017. Methods Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data collected biennially (five waves; 2009–2017) were pooled across 56 jurisdictions and 454,715 students for one of the most nationally representative samples of heterosexual and sexual minority youth to date. We analyzed a seven-item victimization risk assessment using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended trend analysis approach. We used logistic regression with year-by-identity interactions to test whether sexual orientation-based disparities widened, narrowed, or were maintained over time. Results Victimization risk declined significantly for male and female bisexual and questioning youth, lesbian, gay, and heterosexual youth. Disparities narrowed between bisexual, questioning, and lesbian females and heterosexual females and between bisexual and heterosexual males. Nevertheless, sexual orientation-based disparities remained significant for all sexual minority youth in 2017. Conclusions Distinct patterns of change in victimization risk for specific groups of sexual minority youth underscore the need to consider variability within sexual minority youth communities; treating them as a singular group could mask nuanced disparities. Some of the relatively small decreases in victimization risk also suggest the need for interventions to address a more comprehensive set of victimization-related risks beyond bullying and needed efforts that are not limited to the immediate school context.
Ultrasound localization microscopy of renal tumor xenografts in chicken embryo is correlated to hypoxia.

Ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) permits the reconstruction of super-resolved microvascular images at clinically relevant penetration depths, which can be potentially leveraged to provide non-invasive quantitative measures of tissue hemodynamics and hypoxic status. We demonstrate that ULM microbubble data processing methods, applied to images acquired with a Verasonics Vantage 256 system, can provide a non-invasive imaging surrogate biomarker of tissue oxygenation status. This technique was applied to evaluate the microvascular structure, vascular perfusion, and hypoxia of a renal cell carcinoma xenograft model grown in the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos. Histological microvascular density was significantly correlated to ULM measures of intervessel distance (R = −0.92, CI95 = [−0.99,−0.42], p = 0.01). The Distance Metric, a measure of vascular tortuosity, was found to be significantly correlated to hypoxyprobe quantifications (R = 0.86, CI95 = [0.17, 0.99], p = 0.03). ULM, by providing non-invasive in vivo microvascular structural information, has the potential to be a crucial clinical imaging modality for the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of solid tumors.
A clinical and radiographic model to predict surgery for acute small bowel obstruction in Crohn's disease.

For more than half of Crohn’s disease patients, strictures will cause bowel obstructions that require surgery within 10 years of their initial diagnosis. This study utilizes computed tomography imaging and clinical data obtained at the initial emergency room visit to create a prediction model for progression to surgery in Crohn’s disease patients with acute small bowel obstructions. A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who presented to the emergency room with an ICD-10 diagnosis for Crohn’s disease and visit diagnosis of small bowel obstruction. Two expert abdominal radiologists evaluated the CT scans for bowel wall thickness, maximal and minimal luminal diameters, length of diseased segment, passage of oral contrast, evidence of penetrating disease, bowel wall hyperenhancement or stratification, presence of a comb sign, fat hypertrophy, and small bowel feces sign. The primary outcome was progression to surgery within 6 months of presentation. The secondary outcome was time to readmission. Forty patients met the inclusion criteria, with 78% receiving medical treatment alone and 22% undergoing surgery within 6 months of presentation to the emergency room. Multivariable analysis produced a model with an AUC of 92% (95% CI 0.82–1.00), 78% sensitivity, and 97% specificity, using gender, body mass index, and the radiographic features of segment length, penetrating disease, and bowel wall hyperenhancement. The model demonstrates that routine clinical and radiographic data from an emergency room visit can predict progression to surgery, and has the potential to risk stratify patients, guide management in the acute setting, and predict readmission.
DNA methylation signatures of duplicate gene evolution in angiosperms

ABSTRACT Gene duplications have greatly shaped the gene content of plants. Multiple factors, such as the epigenome, can shape the subsequent evolution of duplicate genes and are the subject of ongoing study. We analyze genic DNA methylation patterns in 43 angiosperm species and 928 Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes to finding differences in the association of whole-genome and single-gene duplicates with genic DNA methylation patterns. Whole-genome duplicates were enriched for patterns associated with higher gene expression and depleted for patterns of non-CG DNA methylation associated with gene silencing. Single-gene duplicates showed variation in DNA methylation patterns based on modes of duplication (tandem, proximal, transposed, and dispersed) and species. Age of gene duplication was a key factor in the DNA methylation of single-gene duplicates. In single-gene duplicates, non-CG DNA methylation patterns associated with silencing were younger, less conserved, and enriched for presence-absence variation. In comparison, DNA methylation patterns associated with constitutive expression were older and more highly conserved. Surprisingly, across the phylogeny, genes marked by non-CG DNA methylation were enriched for duplicate pairs with evidence of positive selection. We propose that DNA methylation has a role in maintaining gene-dosage balance and silencing by non-CG methylation and may facilitate the evolutionary fate of duplicate genes.
RIPK3 modulates growth factor receptor expression in endothelial cells to support angiogenesis

Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) is a multifunctional intracellular protein that was first recognized as an important component of the necroptosis programmed cell death pathway. RIPK3 is also highly expressed in non-necroptotic murine embryonic endothelial cells (ECs) during vascular development, indicating its potential contribution to angiogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we generated mice lacking endothelial RIPK3 and found non-lethal embryonic and perinatal angiogenesis defects in multiple vascular beds. Our in vitro data indicate that RIPK3 supports angiogenesis by regulating growth factor receptor degradation in ECs. We found that RIPK3 interacted with the membrane trafficking protein myoferlin to sustain expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in cultured ECs following vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) stimulation. Restoration of myoferlin, which was diminished after RIPK3 knockdown, rescued decreased VEGFR2 expression and vascular sprouting in RIPK3-deficient ECs after VEGFA treatment. In addition, we found that RIPK3 modulated expression of genes involved in endothelial identity by inhibiting ERK signaling independently of growth factor receptor turnover. Altogether, our data reveal unexpected non-necroptotic roles for RIPK3 in ECs and evidence that RIPK3 promotes developmental angiogenesis in vivo.
Diabetic eye disease: A review of screening and management recommendations

The prevalence of diabetes is rapidly increasing, and it is now the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although early detection of diabetic retinopathy is key to preventing vision loss, many patients do not receive appropriate examinations. Using a multidisciplinary approach, primary care physicians and eye care providers should follow evidence-based recommendations for screening and monitoring diabetic patients while working to improve patients' glycaemic index, blood pressure, and metabolic risk factors. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor intravitreal injections in combination with panretinal photocoagulation and focal laser treatment remain the cornerstones of modern therapy. The many landmark studies for diabetic eye disease management should guide counselling and decision making for treating diabetic macular oedema, proliferative retinopathy and other diabetes-related eye diseases.
Smart structures: a dance between collaboration, creativity, and commerce

Smart structures systems have evolved tremendously in the last 40 years, enabled by advances in constituent and integrative science and technology. Every significant advance was made by a talented individual who benefitted from collaborations with others offering complementary perspectives. Such interdisciplinary explorations illuminated potential disruptive functionality and exposed issues related to the realization of complicated systems. All aimed at a goal of societal impact: applications and technologies that improve people’s lives while creating businesses and jobs. Some advances have spurred novel products or capabilities, while others languish for a variety of reasons. Examples will illustrate the moves and missteps of this potent smart structures dance.
Exploring the Core of Systems Engineering

Reflecting on three decades of engineering experiences through a rhetorical narrative, this paper describes four proposed core cognitive characteristics of effective systems engineers, independent of any of their particular technical skills or domain expertise. Framing these characteristics through four aphorisms provides a structure to support discussion and subsequent peer consideration as to how (or if) addressing these selected qualitative attributes might support the systems engineering discipline with a stronger foundation for its continued maturation. My experience has been that a successful, effective systems engineer: Performs “English to English” (E2E) translation, focuses on “Behavior Defined Systems” (BDS), recognizes the importance of the “Art of Good Enough” (AGE), and understands that in the end “We Are Generalists” (WAG).
Investigation of correlation between vorticity, Q, λci, λ2, Δ and Liutex

Abstract For a long time, people hold an idea that vorticity is equivalent to vortex for fluid flow since vorticity represents rotation for rigid body. Nevertheless, many experimental results do not support this opinion. So, several improved methods have been proposed, including Q, λ c i , λ 2 , Δ methods and etc, which are all based on the eigenvalues of the velocity gradient tensor. These methods share a common drawback that they are all scalars and, as a result, are unable to locate the swirling axis which is an important information of rotation. To overcome this shortage, Liutex was proposed as a vector indicator of vortex. The direction of Liutex represents the swirling axis and the magnitude of Liutex is defined as twice the angular speed of rotation. After the introduction of Liutex, many experiments and numerical simulations have shown that Liutex can accurately and correctly capture both big and small vortex, which is better than the existing methods. In this paper, the explicit formulae of vorticity, Q, λ c i and Δ in terms of Liutex are derived, followed by correlation analysis based on a direct numerical simulation (DNS) result of boundary layer transition and a large eddy simulation (LES) result of supersonic ramp flow with a fully developed turbulent boundary layer. The results show that correlation between vorticity and Liutex is very small and even negative in strong shear regions. Although the correlations of Q, λ c i , λ 2 and Δ are better than vorticity, they are still small in strong shear regions. The expression of relation between vorticity, Q, λ c i , Δ and Liutex reveals how these methods are contaminated by shear or stretching or both.
Anomaly Based Intrusion Detection for IoT with Machine Learning

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network that connects smart devices over the Internet. These devices are increasingly found in every facet of life, providing distributed data computing power and improving the accessibility of everyday routines in many households. However, these connected devices expand and so does the risk that they become valuable targets for malicious threats. This is because, IoT devices have lower power and computation management, meaning that traditional methods of security like encryption or firewalls tend to be unworkable to secure these devices. Therefore, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) provide an alternative for securing IoT devices, by classifying with anomaly detection, whether a network communication is a potential attack. Enhancing existing IDS by integrating various common machine learning models could provide a logical solution to this issue. In this study, we contribute by reviewing and comparing various machine learning (ML) models with intrusion detection. In this comparative analysis, the experimental results from the integrated ML models were promising with an achieved 99% accuracy rates in both binary and multiclass classifiers for intrusion detection.
Clinical Manifestation of Stressful Cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo Syndrome) and the Problem of Differential Diagnosis with Acute Myocardial Infarction

The presented data show that tacotsubo syndrome (TS) is characterized by the absence of coronary artery obstruction, cardiac contractile dysfunction, apical ballooning, and heart failure, and in some patients, ST-segment elevation and prolongation of the QTc interval. Every tenth patient with TS develops ventricular arrhythmias. Most of TS patients have elevated markers of necrosis (troponin I, troponin Т, and creatine kinase МВ (CK-МВ), which are considerably lower than in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with ST-segment elevation. The level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), in contrast, is considerably higher in patients with TS than with AMI. Differential diagnosis of TS and AMI should be based on a multifaceted approach using coronary angiography, echocardiography, analysis of ECG, magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography, and measurement of troponins, CK-MB, and NT-proBNP.
Formulary Substitution of Proton Pump Inhibitors Based on Acquisition Price: Changes in Usage and Costs of Acid-Suppressant Therapies.

Objective In addition to indications for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) outside the intensive-care unit (ICU), these medications are frequently used to manage nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage and to prevent stress-related mucosal bleeding in ICU patients. In September 2004, the PT all dosage forms were included. Our goal was to determine whether switching these PPIs to the least expensive agent would alter their usage and associated costs in the ICU (48 beds) and in non-ICU sites (325 beds). Methods We conducted analyses of hospital databases before the formulary switch of January 1, 2004, to June 30, 2004, and after the formulary switch of January 1, 2005, to June 30, 2005, to compare the usage and associated drug costs of PPIs and histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) in non-ICU and ICU sites. Results Case-mix indices and length of stay data were similar before and after the switch. The total number of intravenous (IV) and enteral PPI doses charged before and after the switch increased from 1,544 to 4,143 units and from 11,865 units to 17,201 units, respectively. When we adjusted for patient-days, usage patterns of PPIs in non-ICU sites were similar before and after the switch (0.253 and 0.220 units per patient-day, respectively). In contrast, the use of PPIs in the ICU increased after the formulary switch (from 0.942 to 2.056 units per patient-day) as a result of the increased use of both IV PPIs (0.571 to 1.205 units per patient-day) and enteral PPIs (0.371 to 0.852 units per patient-day). Compared with non-ICU usage, the likelihood of PPI use in the ICU was 2.51 times higher after the switch (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05-3.07; P < .0001).In the ICU, the concomitant use of IV H2RAs decreased from 2.550 to 1.869 units per patient-day. Compared with non-ICU usage, the likelihood of H2RA use in the ICUs was 0.49 times lower (95% CI, 0.39-0.61; P < .0001).Despite increased PPI usage, the cost of acid-suppressant therapy per patient-day in the hospital was similar before and after the switch ($0.65 and $0.59, respectively).In the ICU, the cost of acid-suppressant therapy per patient-day was reduced from $9.66 to $7.80. Compared with non-ICU sites, the cost of acid-suppressant therapy was reduced by 0.72-fold in the ICU after the switch (95% CI, 0.52-1.00, P = .04). Conclusion Substituting a less expensive PPI did not alter usage outside the ICU, but it was associated with increased usage in the ICU. Conversely, the use of IV H2RAs decreased in the ICU. Despite substantially more PPI use after the formulary switch, the cost of acid-suppressant therapy was unchanged overall; it was lower in the ICU, probably as a result of the acquisition drug cost savings associated with the switch.
Environmental Control of Cyclic Di-GMP Signaling in Pseudomonas fluorescens: from Signal to Output

Recently it was shown that Pi concentration regulates biofilm formation by Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1 through a cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling pathway. Study of this response has produced one of the more complete pictures of how c-di-GMP signaling can link an environmental signal to a complex biological output. This research supports the idea that c-di-GMP is a conserved modality in biofilm regulation, with distinct outputs in different organisms, and provides a paradigm for conditional, transcriptional control of c-di-GMP signaling pathways. The cellular c-di-GMP levels in wild-type (WT) and the rapA mutant were compared under Pi starvation conditions. While LapA was secreted by lapD mutants, it was not retained in the cell-associated protein fraction and was lost to the culture supernatant. This phenomenon is notably similar to what happens to LapA in these fractions when the WT is grown in low Pi, prompting investigation of LapD’s role in Pho regulon control of LapA localization, discussed. LapD and RapA both affect LapA localization to the cell surface, and lapD was required for biofilm formation by the pstrapA mutant. The description above represents the current extent of our knowledge about c-di-GMP signaling in Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Pf0-1. The Wsp chemosensory pathway regulates adherence and EPS production by P. fluorescens strain SBW25 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01. Transcriptional regulation of RapA in P. fluorescens Pf0-1 seems a relatively straightforward strategy for modulating c-di-GMP levels when compared to other mechanisms shown to regulate DGC and PDE activities, including allosteric activation, subcellular localization, and mRNA stability.
Emergency department utilization among HIV-infected patients in a multisite multistate study.

Objective The aim of this study was to examine Emergency Department (ED) utilization and clinical and sociodemographic correlates of ED use among HIV-infected patients.
Monitoring Jupiter's hectometric emission

The feasibility of long-term monitoring of the Jovian hectometric radiation component (nominal range between 0.3 to 3 MHz) is considered. It is recommended that long-term monitoring of Jupiter at frequencies around 1 MHz should be conducted either from a high-orbit earth satellite or from the surface of the moon. Such a program would eventually provide a record of rotation period changes revealing secular variations in the Jovian magnetic field, with a sensitivity much higher than could be achieved from the earth.
An incubator for infants

Abstract 1. Infection was reduced in premature bables although the incubator was run under most adverse surrounding conditions. 2. Cyanotic attacks were stopped and did not recur when the oxygen content and the humidity of the incubator were kept at a high level. 3. The usual diurnal temperature fluctuation of infants as recorded rectally was less than one degree. 4. Motion including that of respiration was unhampered and was freely indulged in by infants, even to the smallest. 5. The success with this incubator has warranted the building of “cabinet cubicles” or converted incubators for older infants, which embody the same principles of air-conditioning and also isolation from infections microorganisms.
Turning pointer: a more effective presentation tool with orientation control

In computer-mediated human-to-human interactions, or presentations, an arrow-shaped pointer is used to indicate a graphical object displayed on the screen. While a conventional pointer has a fixed orientation, the graphical object has several dimensions, such as length and orientation. Thus, the user has to move the pointer around the object in order to show which dimension is being discussed, even when the object is not moving. This paper introduces a new type of pointer - the turning pointer - that allows users to take advantage of the orientation for more effective presentations. It has two important features. First, it provides users with more than one way to show which dimension of the object they are talking about. Second, it allows users to interact with the system at any time during the presentation without performing any switching operation, such as clicking a mouse button.
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of epithelial tissue with controlled probe-to-tissue pressure

We report a smart fiber-optic sensor that can collect self-calibrated tissue reflectance spectrum under controlled probe-to-tissue pressure and the clinical study of the pressure response of oral mucosal tissues of healthy volunteers in vivo.
A Consumer-Oriented Model for Evaluating Computer-Assisted Instructional Materials for Medical Education

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) can enhance medical education, but course directors and curriculum designers need thorough, credible evaluative data to make sound decisions about procuring and implementing CAI programs. There has been extensive research on the merits of CAI in general (although much of it is flawed by methodologic shortcomings), but sufficient evaluative data on specific programs are rarely available. The author proposes that a consumer-oriented model would be useful for evaluating CAI programs, and he discusses one published, consumer-oriented evaluation of a multimedia CAI program for ophthalmology students. The author contends that if CAI programs were routinely evaluated using the consumer-oriented model, and if CAI program developers used this model to evaluate their programs during the developmental phase, medical educators would be better able to choose and implement the programs that would best serve their needs.
Production of the O5+(1s2s2p 4PJ) states by electron excitation in 10–34 MeV collisions of O5+ ions with H2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe targets

Abstract Absolute double differential cross sections (DDCS) for electron production were determined for the Auger-decay of the (1s2s2sp 4P) state in 10–34 MeV collisions of O5+(1s22s) ions with H2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe targets using zero-degree projectile Auger-electron spectroscopy. Due to spin conservation, e-n interaction mechanisms are excluded to first order and thus the e-e interaction is expected to dominate the (1s 2 2s 2 S) a (1s2s2p 4 P) excitation. Auger electrons from the decay of the O5+(1s2s2p 4P) state to the O6+(1s2) ground state were observed. The electron scattering model, using calculated direct electron-ion impact excitation cross sections, was compared to the measured DDCS. These calculations included the effects of the alignment of the 4PJ ( J = 1 2 , 3 2 , 5 2 ) states and their subsequent angular-dependent Auger electron emission.
Resonant modification and destruction of adiabatic invariants

Abstract For a harmonic oscillator with time varying coefficients a relation is obtained between the action integral and the first order adiabatic invariant. It is shown that a small resonant perturbation can modify the invariant. A canonical transformation generates a new action variable constant to first order in the perturbation with the old action-angle variables playing the role of oscillatory momentum and extension. There are two separate ways in which the new adiabatic constant can break down, leading either to a modified invariant or to a situation in which no invariant exists. A general theory is developed to use the procedure for multidimensional systems. It is shown that two distinct types of resonances are possible that lead to qualitatively different results. The general theory is applied to a coupled oscillator system in forms demonstrating both types of resonances. A canonical transformation is used to remove the more important type of resonance, and an average is performed over a time comparable to the slower period of the oscillator. Numerical integrations of both the averaged and exact Hamiltonian equations show the maximum value of the perturbation for which the averaging process is valid. The system is found to oscillate slowly about resonance but, as long as the averaging process is valid, this slow oscillation is adiabatically separated from the faster motion of the oscillator by the existence of an adiabatic invariant. When averaging is not valid, a higher order resonant coupling occurs between the slow drift about resonance and the motion of the oscillator. The canonical transformation as described in the general theory is made near a particular higher order resonance to obtain the oscillation in the adiabatic invariant. For oscillations about neighboring resonances which do not interact strongly a new approximate invariant exists. For strong interaction the breakup of the invariant curves is demonstrated and the strength of the perturbation necessary for breakup is compared with a simple analytic criterion.
Bandwidth enhancement of second-harmonic generation with quadratic spatial-soliton generation versus conventional methods

A detailed numerical comparison of the bandwidth–efficiency trade-off for second-harmonic generation (SHG) achieved by the formation of two-dimensional quadratic spatial solitons versus the more conventional method of gentle focusing in the middle of a nonlinear crystal is presented. Numerical simulations for type II SHG in potassium titanyl phosphate with constant wave-vector mismatch show that the 3-dB drop-off in SHG conversion efficiency can be many multiples of π in detuning from the phase-match condition over a large range of walk-off angles and focal positions.