cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationships Between Lead-Induced Learning Impairments and Changes in Dopaminergic, Cholinergic, and Glutamatergic Neurotransmitter System Functions

Behavioral consequences of low-level lead (Pb) exposure include impairments in learning processes and in Fixed-Interval schedule-controlled operant behavior. Although the neurobiological bases of these effects remain undetermined, current evidence suggests that inhibitory effects of Pb on the NMDA receptor complex may play a preferential role in the learning deficits. In contrast, alterations in dopaminergic systems, consistent with a decrease in dopamine availability, appear to be related to the changes in Fixed-Interval performance. Hypocholinergic function has also been described, but its relationship to the behavioral changes is not yet known. Explication of these relationships will require more efforts involving direct rather than correlative methods. The answers are critical for understanding risks associated with exposure and for the development of behavioral or chemical therapeutic strategies for dealing with lead neurotoxicity.
Neurogenesis in Rats After Focal Cerebral Ischemia is Enhanced by Indomethacin

Background and Purpose—Newborn cells may participate in repair following ischemic brain injury, but their survival and function may be influenced by inflammation. Methods—We investigated the effects of indomethacin, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, on the fate of newborn cells following transient focal ischemia. Results—Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled cells, including migrating neuroblasts, were observed in the neighboring striatum and overlying cortex 1 day poststroke. The density of BrdU cells labeled with doublecortin, nestin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, or NG2 was increased at 14 and 28 days. Indomethacin increased BrdU cells of all lineages and reduced microglial/monocyte activation. Conclusion—Indomethacin enhanced the accumulation of newborn cells following stroke. (Stroke. 2005;36:2718-2724.)
Exploiting Event Semantics to Parse the Rhetorical Structure of Natural Language Text

Previous work on discourse parsing has mostly relied on surface syntactic and lexical features; the use of semantics is limited to shallow semantics. The goal of this thesis is to exploit event semantics in order to build discourse parse trees (DPT) based on informational rhetorical relations. Our work employs an Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) based rhetorical relation classifier, a Neural Network based discourse segmenter, a bottom-up sentence level discourse parser and a shift-reduce document level discourse parser.
Determination of Dynamic Amplification Factors Using Site-Specific B-WIM Data

The dynamic amplification factor (DAF) is a significant parameter for new bridge design and characterization of existing bridges. The AASHTO code provides a predicted value based on an assumed structural model, but not one relative to actual bridge behaviors and field-testing results. Recently, the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (2011) increased the traffic truck weight from 355.84 to 431.5 kN (80 to 97 kips). Thus, improved methods are needed to determine accurate DAF values for new bridge designs and to evaluate the site-specific DAF values of existing bridges. This paper presents a simulation method to evaluate the DAF values of existing bridges using bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) data. This approach includes the static moment obtained from the field-calibrated simulation model and the dynamic moment obtained from the B-WIM experimental data. A model for multiple vehicles is developed to simulate the traffic intensity, and to predict the DAF value of an existing bridge. Presented are the experimental findings and determination of the site-specific DAF value.
Muscles Protect the Kidneys.

Skeletal muscles protect our internal organs, such as the kidneys, from physical injury. But protecting renal function in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an unanticipated role of muscles. Hanatani et al. describe the cross-talk between skeletal muscles and kidneys in mice, concluding that muscles regulate inflammation and fibrosis within kidneys to protect renal function. Although previous studies showed renoprotective effect of muscle exercise, it remained unclear whether this protection was a function of muscles or of improvement in cardiovascular parameters. Exercise increases skeletal muscle Akt1, a kinase responsible for its growth; thus, the authors first generated a skeletal muscle–specific inducible Akt1 transgenic animal to emulate the effect of muscle exercise. Interestingly, the Akt1 transgenic animals exhibited reduced renal tubular atrophy, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and apoptosis of epithelial cells and inflammatory cells within obstructed kidney (a model of CKD) despite normal cardiovascular parameters, suggesting that renoprotection was due to the muscles, not the cardiovascular system. In the obstructed kidneys of Akt1 transgenic animals, the authors also noted inhibition of transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β), a potent proinflammatory pathway. Furthermore, an increase in renoprotective cytokines in serum, such as interleukins 2 and 10, and a reduction in renal-damaging cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF-α) and adiponectin, was noted in Akt1 animals. Inhibiting endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) abolished the renoprotective effect of Akt1 in obstructed kidneys, strongly suggesting eNOS as a mediator of renoprotection. Hanatani and colleagues demonstrated that skeletal muscles impart renal protection through several mechanisms, including altering the secreted cytokines in serum, collectively called “secretome,” increasing eNOS, and inhibiting TGF-β. Although several questions remain, including the role of skeletal muscle Akt1 in humans and the mechanisms of Akt1 in regulating secretome or eNOS, this study suggests that maintaining muscle mass through exercise could retard renal deterioration. S. Hanatani et al ., Akt1-mediated fast/glycolytic skeletal muscle growth attenuates renal damage in experimental kidney disease. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 25 , 2800–2811 (2014). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/25/12/2800.short
Maternal Diabetes Adversely Affects Preovulatory Oocyte Maturation, Development, and Granulosa Cell Apoptosis

Maternal diabetes adversely affects preimplantation embryo development and pregnancy outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine whether diabetes has an impact at an earlier stage of development, the preovulatory oocyte. Models of both acute and chronic insulin-dependent diabetes were used. Acute hyperglycemia was induced by a single streptozotocin injection. Akita mice, which harbor an autosomal dominant mutation causing them to be chronically hypoinsulinemic and hyperglycemic, were used. In both models, preovulatory oocytes were markedly smaller when compared with control animals. A significantly greater number of control oocytes had progressed to meiotic maturation before diabetic oocytes. Both models were found to have smaller, less developed ovarian follicles with a greater number of apoptotic foci by histological evaluation as well as by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling staining. Immunohistochemistry displayed a greater amount of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and KILLER, a key murine ligand and receptor involved in the extrinsic pathway, expressed in cumulus cells from hyperglycemic mice compared with controls, suggesting that this apoptotic pathway may be up-regulated under diabetic stress. Elevated KILLER expression was also confirmed through Western blotting. Connexin-43 expression was found to be lower by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis in the diabetic samples. Both models of maternal hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia may have a detrimental effect on oocyte maturation and development as detailed by the smaller sizes of oocytes and developing ovarian follicles, the lowered percentage reaching germinal vesicle breakdown, and the greater amount of apoptosis. In addition, there may be dysfunctional or decreased communication in diabetic oocytes, as demonstrated by lower expression of connexin-43.
The Chicken Thigh Model For Head and Neck Microvascular Training

Conclusions: The chicken thigh model is an innovative model for microvascular surgical training, with vascular anatomy comparable to vessels in commonly used flaps for head and neck reconstruction. We offer this technique as a complimentary model (to the standard rat femoral vessel model) with the specific advantages of: ready accessibility, low cost, vivisection avoidance and a vascular pedicle highly similar to the common free flaps in head and neck reconstruction. ABSTRACT FIGURES
Lactobacillus therapy for acute infectious diarrhea in children: a meta-analysis.

Objective. Childhood diarrhea accounts for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Multiple studies in children have shown that Lactobacillus, administered orally, may have antidiarrheal properties. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled studies to assess whether treatment with Lactobacillus improves clinical outcomes in children with acute infectious diarrhea. Methods. Studies were sought in bibliographic databases of traditional biomedical as well as complementary and alternative medicine literature published from 1966 to 2000. Search terms were “competitive inhibition,” “diarrhea,” “gastroenteritis,” “Lactobacillus,” “probiotic,” “rotavirus,” and “yog(h)urt.” We included studies that were adequately randomized, blinded, controlled trials in which the treatment group received Lactobacillus and the control group received an adequate placebo and that reported clinical outcome measures of diarrhea intensity. These inclusion criteria were applied by blind review and consensus. The original search yielded 26 studies, 9 of which met the criteria. Multiple observers independently extracted study characteristics and clinical outcomes. Data sufficient to perform meta-analysis of the effect of Lactobacillus on diarrhea duration and diarrhea frequency on day 2 were contained in 7 and 3 of the included studies, respectively. Results. Summary point estimates indicate a reduction in diarrhea duration of 0.7 days (95% confidence interval: 0.3–1.2 days) and a reduction in diarrhea frequency of 1.6 stools on day 2 of treatment (95% confidence interval: 0.7–2.6 fewer stools) in the participants who received Lactobacillus compared with those who received placebo. Details of treatment protocols varied among the studies. A preplanned subanalysis suggests a dose-effect relationship. Conclusion. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that Lactobacillus is safe and effective as a treatment for children with acute infectious diarrhea.
Tax Planning Versus Business Strategy: The Rise and Fall of Entity Isolation in Sales and Use Taxes

The purpose of this Article is to analyze, from both a legal and a business strategy perspective, the once-popular tax planning technique known as "entity isolation." This technique is most applicable to so-called "bricks-and-clicks" companies that sell goods both remotely (online or via catalog) and at physical stores. The technique involves isolating the firm's remote sales operations in an affiliated legal entity that is separate from the legal entity which holds the firm's store operations. If the remote sales entity is actually operated separately from the store entity, the remote entity can avoid sales and use tax collection duties on sales shipped to states where the affiliated store entity has stores or other physical presence. Entity isolation was once so widespread that it was considered a major threat to the very existence of the sales tax. In recent years, however, most major bricks-and-clicks retailers have abandoned the technique and have begun to collect sales and use taxes on their online and catalog sales in states where they have stores. This abandonment did not result primarily from changes in the law; it resulted because entity isolation was diametrically opposed to the industry's optimal business strategy. While the law was demanding that the remote sales affiliate be operated separately from the store operations, optimal business strategy was dictating that remote and store sales operations be integrated and the customer be provided with consistent, seamless service across all marketing channels. While others have analyzed entity isolation from a pure tax law or policy perspective, this Article adds to the literature by analyzing the issue from a business strategy perspective. The story of the rise and fall of entity isolation highlights problems with our current state tax system, epitomizes the often dysfunctional relationship between business strategy and tax planning, and serves as a vivid - and needed - reminder to tax planners, business managers, and policymakers that tax planning should not be allowed to inhibit sound business strategy.
Behçet's disease departs the ‘Silk Road’: a case report and brief review of literature with geographical comparison

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disease most prevalent in Eastern Asia and along the Mediterranean basin, an area referred to as the ‘Silk Road’. The diagnosis of BD is largely based on the International Study Group (ISG) criteria, which are more specific than sensitive. ISG criteria do not include intestinal manifestations, a feature more commonly seen in the West. Intestinal BD is one of several findings that are not typically seen along the ‘Silk Road’. Herein we report a rare case of intestinal BD and compare Western versus traditional BD. A 25-year-old male with a history of painful oral aphthous ulcers, pericarditis, and diffuse papulopustular rash presented to the emergency department with two terminal ileal perforations. Pathology demonstrated mucosal necrosis with active inflammation and no chronic inflammatory changes. Post-surgical laboratory studies showed an elevated c-reactive protein of 35.57 mg/dL, erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 82 mm/h, and a positive anti- Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody. Rheumatological workup including ANA, RF, PR3 antibody, MPO antibody, ANCA, SSA and SSB, Smith antibody, SCL-70, and anti-Jo-1 antibodies were all negative. His pericarditis symptoms improved with colchicine and prednisone prior to discharge. Our patient did not meet the current ISG criteria for traditional BD; however, he clearly showed findings typically seen in Western patients with BD, which include intestinal manifestations, cardiac involvement, and lack of pathergy reaction and ocular changes. Our investigation demonstrates that the clinical manifestations common to this disorder vary among geographic and ethnic populations. Commonly used criteria for the diagnosis of BD may not be sensitive for some populations, such as Western BD, potentially leading to underdiagnoses and mismanagement. Recognition and select inclusion of these differences may be one way to assist with diagnosing Western BD in the future. As our knowledge of BD continues to evolve, so must the population-specific criteria used to define BD. Keywords: Behchet’s disease; Crohn’s disease; inflammatory bowel disease; intestinal; perforation (Published: 17 February 2016) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2016, 6 : 30362 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v6.30362
The future for renal denervation depends on embracing the lessons learned from our previous studies

The knowledge base for the continued development of catheter-based renal denervation is robust. A critical determinant of renal denervation success is the delivery of sufficient radiofrequency energy to both proximal and distal renal nerves, including in the renal artery divisions. New multielectrode catheters circumvent the several drawbacks of early models.
Genomics and cancer.

Genetic and environmental factors are responsible for the genomic lesions that cause cancer, a complex genetic disease associated with genomic instability. Studies aimed at deciphering the lesions in cancer have focused mainly on one or a few genes, despite the genomic scope of the disease. The recently decoded human DNA sequence is anticipated to foster understanding of human evolution and disease and the role of environment and heredity in the human condition. This review addresses the opportunities and challenges that the availability of the human genome sequence holds for cancer research.
A bifurcation analysis of stage-structured density dependent integrodifference equations

Article history: Received 7 December 2010 Available online 1 October 2011 Submitted by J. Shi There is evidence for density dependent dispersal in many stage-structured species, including flour beetles of the genus Tribolium. We develop a bifurcation theory approach to the existence and stability of (non-extinction) equilibria for a general class of structured integrodifference equation models on finite spatial domains with density dependent kernels, allowing for non-dispersing stages as well as partial dispersal. We show that a continuum of such equilibria bifurcates from the extinction equilibrium when it loses stability as the net reproductive number n increases through 1. Furthermore, the stability of the non-extinction equilibria is determined by the direction of the bifurcation. We provide
T to Myeloid Lineage Reprogramming by the Synergistic Action of C/EBP and PU.1.

Abstract During hematopoiesis, transcription factors can not only direct differentiation of committed progenitors but also drive lineage commitment decisions from uncommitted multipotent progenitors. To further study their instructive role, we asked whether critical steps in the hematopoietic differentiation pathway could be reversed, and more specifically, whether myeloid transcription factors, C/EBP alpha and C/EBP beta, could re-direct committed T lymphoid progenitors into a myeloid fate. Previously in our laboratory, it was shown that C/EBP alpha efficiently reprograms CD19+ B cells to Mac1+ Gr1+ functional macrophages (Xie et al. (2004) Cell 117:663). To address lineage conversion of T to myeloid cells, we purified T cell subsets by MACS enrichment or FACS sorting and infected these cells with retroviruses expressing C/EBP alpha or C/EBP beta. Cells were cultured on myeloid supporting stroma with myeloid cytokines and analyzed for expression of antigens and marker genes by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. To rule out the presence of contaminating myeloid progenitors in our cultures, we started with a marked population of T lymphoid progenitors derived from Lck-Cre Rosa-EYFP reporter mice in which T cells are irreversibly marked with EYFP upon T cell commitment. T cell origin was further verified using PCR to detect TCRbeta DJ rearrangements. Using double negative DN3 and DN4 T cells, we show that a large proportion of EYFP+ DN cells infected with C/EBP alpha or C/EBP beta are induced to express surface antigens Mac1 and Gr1, express myeloid cytokine receptors and Fc receptors, and exhibit a myeloid morphology, compared to control infected cells. The reprogrammed cells are also functional as they can bind and phagocytose sheep red blood cells. In addition, the pan-T cell marker Thy1 and other T lineage genes including Lck, Rag2, and preT alpha are downregulated in reprogrammed cells. Furthermore, using a conditional knockout approach developed in Daniel Tenen's laboratory, we show that endogenous expression of PU.1 is required for activation of Mac1 during this process. In conclusion, C/EBP alpha acts alone to extinguish the T lymphoid program while, in concert with PU.1, it activates the myeloid program leading to reprogramming of the T cell phenotype.
Loyalty, disloyalty, and semi-loyalty in Pakistan’s hybrid regime

The 2013 election in Pakistan was a significant point in a presumed transition from autocracy towards democracy, since for the first time an elected government completed a full term and was replaced by another freely elected government. Pakistan’s hybrid regime, however, continues to be threatened by a significant ‘disloyal opposition’, in the form of secessionists in Balochistan and jihadi Islamists of the Tehrik-e-Taliban (the so-called Pakistan Taliban). Drawing on the literature on hybrid regimes, and using Juan Linz’s framework that focused on both ‘disloyal’ and ‘semi-loyal’ oppositions to democratic rule, this article examines the threat to a continuing movement towards democracy posed by secessionists, Islamists, and the military.
Location Based Cloud Resource Management for Analyzing Real-Time Videos from Globally Distributed Network Cameras

The use of video data for a variety of applications has gained immense popularity. These applications include traffic monitoring, surveillance, retail store management, etc. Thousands of publicly accessible network cameras distributed around the world are potential sources of video data. The applications analyzing data from network cameras have different resource requirements (CPU, memory, etc.) and performance requirements (video frame rate). A preferred way to meet these requirements is to use a cloud infrastructure and a pay-per-use model of the cloud. Cloud computing offers resources, referred to as cloud instances, with different capacities and at different locations. The cost of these instances are dependent on their capacities and locations. The frame rate of the video data obtained from a network camera impacts the accuracy of the analysis and is dependent on the location of the cloud instance. Hence it is important to select the locations of the instances to meet the application performance requirements. This paper presents a resource management approach to select the locations, types, and number of cloud instances to analyze real-time video data from the network cameras while meeting the performance requirements and reducing the analysis cost. We model the resource management problem as a variable size bin packing problem and describe a heuristic algorithm to find a solution. This paper uses Amazon EC2 to evaluate our new resource manager, and observes that our method can reduce the analysis cost up to 56% compared with two other strategies for selecting instance locations.
Effects of oxygen on responses to heating in two lizard species sampled along an elevational gradient

Thermal tolerance is an important variable in predictive models about the effects of global climate change on species distributions, yet the physiological mechanisms responsible for reduced performance at high temperatures in air-breathing vertebrates are not clear. We conducted an experiment to examine how oxygen affects three variables exhibited by ectotherms as they heat-gaping threshold, panting threshold, and loss of righting response (the latter indicating the critical thermal maximum)-in two lizard species along an elevational (and therefore environmental oxygen partial pressure) gradient. Oxygen partial pressure did not impact these variables in either species. We also exposed lizards at each elevation to severely hypoxic gas to evaluate their responses to hypoxia. Severely low oxygen partial pressure treatments significantly reduced the gaping threshold, panting threshold, and critical thermal maximum. Further, under these extreme hypoxic conditions, these variables were strongly and positively related to partial pressure of oxygen. In an elevation where both species overlapped, the thermal tolerance of the high elevation species was less affected by hypoxia than that of the low elevation species, suggesting the high elevation species may be adapted to lower oxygen partial pressures. In the high elevation species, female lizards had higher thermal tolerance than males. Our data suggest that oxygen impacts the thermal tolerance of lizards, but only under severely hypoxic conditions, possibly as a result of hypoxia-induced anapyrexia.
Presidential Administration in the Obama Era

This essay, prepared for a conference on the Obama presidency and the Supreme Court held in Berlin in October 2016, surveys what presidential administration has looked like in the Obama era, and how the President’s leadership of the executive branch has been received in the Supreme Court. There is little that is really new in how President Obama has used the executive branch to pursue policy priorities; rather, his administration has deployed and developed techniques pioneered by previous presidents. Many of the techniques of presidential administration evade judicial review, although the Supreme Court has pushed back directly against President Obama’s leadership of the executive branch on occasion. Less dramatically, the Court has developed administrative law doctrines in ways that gently amplify judicial scrutiny of executive branch decision making, by trimming back on deference to agencies and insisting that they consider costs before regulating. Arguably, these developments contribute to a subtle reequilibration of the separation of powers, as the White House seeks to make policy administratively where it may, and the Court works to hold the line on executive branch aggrandizement where it can.
In-bag enzymatic splenic digestion: a novel alternative to manual morcellation?

Abstract Background Contained in-bag spleen morcellation is a conventional extraction technique for safe spleen removal during laparoscopic splenectomy. Existing data for the use of in-bag enzymatic splenic digestion as an alternative to morcellation are lacking. This proof-of-concept study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of single and combinatorial enzyme digestion of murine spleens. Materials and methods Murine spleens were digested with collagenase alone or with combinations of commercially available enzymes (collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase, neutral protease) to determine their degradation effect. The primary end point was the percentage of mass reduction at 15 and 30 min. Results For collagenase alone (n = 15), the mean reduction in mass was 14 ± 10% (range: 2%-31%) at 15 min and 30 ± 25% (range: 7%-100%) at 30 min. Using combinatorial dissolution with collagenase, hyaluronidase, and elastase (n = 8), the mean reduction in mass was 27 ± 16% (range: 6%-42%) at 15 min and 48 ± 27% (range: 3%-100%) at 30 min. Injecting the enzyme solution into whole spleens (n = 9) yielded a mean reduction in mass of 22 ± 13% (range: 9%-42%) at 15 min and 55 ± 31% (range: 9%-100%) at 30 min; mean reduction was 9 ± 13% (range: 0%-39%) at 15 min and 23 ± 13% (range: 3%-53%) with no injection (n = 12). Conclusions We provide the first demonstration of successful enzymatic murine spleen digestion as an alternative method for in-bag spleen removal during laparoscopic splenectomy. However, the significant cost and quantities of commercial enzyme required for clinical application dampens the enthusiasm for this novel approach.
The advance directive completion rates in the hematopoietic stem cell transplant population in a major transplant cancer center.

16Background: Advance Care Planning (ACP) is central to patient-centered care and helps assure treatment aligns with a patient’s goals, values, and priorities. ACP is often poorly incorporated into...
Emerging Technologies Based on Chip-Scale Stimulated Brillouin Scattering

We explore emerging chip-scale technologies based on Brillouin interactions and their potential impact for optical communications. In particular, we examine the benefits of new chip-scale ultra-narrow linewidth laser sources and new Brillouin-based filtering technologies.
Russian Banks in January 2014

In January 2014, banks generated extra revenues of Rb 39bn from the devaluation of the ruble , whereas adverse dynamics of household disposable incomes triggered worsening of the quality of retail loans. Banks keep being dependent on monetary authorities’ resources.
Comparative survival of indicator viruses and enteric viruses in seawater and sediment

Laboratory studies quantified the relative survival of F+ coliphages, B. fragilis phages, hepatitis A virus, poliovirus, and rotavirus in seawater and seawater-sediment mixtures. Samples of each matrix were seeded with mixed populations of the viruses and incubated at 5 and 25°C for 60 days. F+ coliphages were inactivated faster than three enteric viruses in seawater at 25°C. In seawater-sediment mixture at 5 and 25°C or at 5°C in seawater, their survival was comparable to those enteric viruses that died off rapidly. In contrast, B. fragilis phages survived comparable to or better than enteric viruses in all conditions. Except for HAV, greater percentages of total detectable viruses were distributed in sediment over time. The effect of sediment on survival of viruses differed among viruses. Survival rates were significantly greater at 5°C than at 25° for all five viruses.
IMAGING | Seizure-Related Acute MRI Changes

Brain imaging is a mainstay in the approach to patients with epilepsy. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it became possible to identify the cause, and sometimes the consequences, of epileptic seizures in perhaps 50% of patients with epilepsy. Over the last decade, it has become increasingly apparent that, in addition to identifying genetic, congenital, and acquired lesions that lead to seizures, MRI also has the ability to reveal acute brain changes related to epileptic activity that we have termed ‘peri-ictal’ imaging abnormalities. Peri-ictal MRI abnormalities may be reversible, evolving, or permanent – and may occur in the region of the epileptic discharge or remote from it. Their occurrence seems highly variable but frequently correlates with the duration and severity of ictal activity, the so-called duration–severity integral. Here, we propose a classification of peri-ictal imaging findings, provide examples, and comment on potential pathophysiological mechanisms for their occurrence.
Principal Trajectories of Forced Vibrations for Discrete and Continuous Systems

Principal trajectories of forced vibration of linear and nonlinear continuous systems are introduced as such motions in which the system is equivalent to a Newtonian particle in the function space of the system configurations. The corresponding 'effective mass' of the particle gives physical characteristics of the system response, so that zero effective mass is associated with resonance. The methodology can be viewed as a complementary tool to the method of normal modes, when considering the class of forced vibrating systems, since the related basis accounts for the system physical properties as well as the external forcing factor. In particular, it is shown that a two degrees of freedom system can possess an infinite discrete set of in-phase and out-of-phase forced vibrations of the normal modes type. The corresponding forcing vector-functions obey the second Newton law due to the definition of principal trajectories.
Interfacial free energies, nucleation, and precipitate morphologies in Ni-Al-Cr alloys: Calculations and atom-probe tomographic experiments

Abstract The effects of Cr additions on the morphologies οf γ′(L12 ordered) precipitates are studied in three Ni-Al-Cr alloys utilizing atom-probe tomography (APT) and first-principles calculations. We find that Cr and Al share the same sublattice sites in the L12-structure: Chromium partitions from the L12 structure into the disordered f.c.c. matrix for a driving force of 0.436 eV atom−1. Mixing between the Ni3Al(L12) and Ni3Cr(L12) structures is energetically unfavorable based on first-principles quasi-random structure calculations. Interfacial Gibbs free energies of Ni/Ni3Al(L12), Ni/Ni3Cr(L12), Ni/Ni3Cr(DO22), and Nin(AlyCr1-y)/Ni3(AlxCr1-x)(L12) interfaces are calculated for the {100}, {110}, and {111} planes. The temperature dependencies of the interfacial Gibbs free energies are determined by including phonon vibrational entropies. The equilibrium interfacial Gibbs free energies are determined using concentration profiles as a function of aging time, obtained using APT. At early aging times, the initial values of the interfacial Gibbs free energies are higher with small Cr concentrations in the γ’ (L12)-precipitates. With increasing aging time, the interfacial Gibbs free energies decrease with increasing Cr concentration and achieve equilibrium values after 16-h of aging at 873 K (600 °C) for the three Ni-Al-Cr alloys. From classical nucleation theory, the nucleation of metastable Ni3Cr(L12) is easier than Ni3Al(L12) at 873 K (600 °C). Ni3Cr(DO22) is more difficult to nucleate than Ni3Cr(L12) and Ni3Al(L12) at 873 K (600 °C). The Cr additions to Ni-Al alloys have significant effects on the critical radius and critical net reversible work of nucleation. With increasing Cr concentration, Ni3(Al,Cr)(L12) requires the smallest critical net reversible work to form but has a larger critical size. An embryo of Ni3Cr(L12) only acts as a nucleant for mixed L12 Ni3(AlxCr1-x). The morphology of Ni3(Al,Cr)(L12) precipitates transforms from cuboidal-to-spheroidal with increasing Cr concentration, in agreement with APT observations.
Filaments and Fibers

Filaments and fibers are “one-dimensional” forms of thermoplasts, or, less often, of thermosets, elastoplasts, or elastomers. They are classified as natural or chemical fibers according to origin.
Examining Underconfidence Among High-Performing Students: A Test of the False Consensus Hypothesis

People are inaccurate when predicting their performance on tests: Poor performers are often overconfident whereas high performers are slightly underconfident. This pattern is said to occur because low performers overestimate their own knowledge and underestimate others’ knowledge, whereas high performers only overestimate others’ knowledge by assuming it is similar to theirs—a false consensus effect. The current studies tested this false consensus hypothesis in a classroom setting. Across two studies spanning four classroom exams, students predicted the grade they would receive, their percentile rank, and the class average prior to taking an exam. Results showed that, although low performers made less accurate grade predictions than high performers, the groups did not differ in the accuracy of their percentile predictions or in their judgments of others’ abilities. These findings failed to support the false consensus hypothesis that high performers make underconfident assessments of their relative standing due to overestimating others’ knowledge.
Urban building demolitions, firearm violence and drug crime

Although multiple interventions to remediate physical blight have been found to reduce urban firearm violence, there is limited evidence for demolishing vacant buildings as a violence reduction strategy. Starting in 2014, Detroit, MI launched a large-scale program that demolished over 10,000 buildings in its first 3 years. We analyzed the pre-post effects of this program on fatal and nonfatal firearm assaults and illegal drug violations at the U.S. Census block group level, using propensity score matching and negative binomial regression. Receiving over 5 demolitions was associated with a 11% reduction in firearm assaults, relative to comparable control locations, 95% CI [7%, 15%], p = 0.01. The program was associated with larger reductions in firearm assaults for the locations receiving moderate numbers of demolitions (between 6 and 12) than for locations receiving high numbers of demolitions (13 and over). No effects were observed for illegal drug violations and no evidence of spatial crime displacement was detected. These findings suggest that vacant building demolitions may affect gun violence.
Greedy wire-sizing is linear time

In interconnect optimization by wire-sizing, minimizing weighted sink delay has been shown to be the key problem. Wire-sizing with many important objectives such as minimizing total area subject to delay bounds or minimizing maximum delay can all be reduced to solving a sequence of weighted sink delay problems by Lagrangian relaxation [1, 3]. GWSA, first introduced in [10] for discrete wire-sizing and later extended in [2] to continuous wire-sizing, is a greedy wire-sizing algorithm for the weighted sink delay problem. Although GWSA has been experimentally shown to be very efficient, no mathematical analysis on its convergence rate has ever been reported. In this paper, we consider GWSA for continuous wire sizing. We prove that GWSA converges linearly to the optimal solution, which implies that the run time of GWSA is linear with respect to the number of wire segments for any fixed precision of the solution. Moreover, we also prove that this is true for any starting solution. This is a surprising result because previously it was believed that in order to guarantee convergence, GWSA had to start from a solution in which every wire segment is set to the minimum (or maximum) possible width. Our result implies that GWSA can use a good starting solution to achieve faster convergence. We demonstrate this point by showing that the minimization of maximum delay using Lagrangian relaxation can be speed up by 57.7%.
Identification of Human Immune Cell Subtypes Most Vulnerable to IL-1β-induced Inflammatory Signaling Using Mass Cytometry

IL-1β has emerged as a key mediator of the cytokine storm linked to high morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 and blockade of the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) with Anakinra has entered clinical trials in COVID-19 subjects. Yet, knowledge of the specific immune cell subsets targeted by IL-1β and IL-1β-induced signaling pathways in humans is limited. Utilizing mass cytometry (CyTOF) of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we identified effector memory CD4 T cells and CD4-CD8low/-CD161+ T cells as the circulating immune subtypes with the greatest expression of p-NF-κB in response to IL-1β stimulation. Notably, CCR6 distinctly identified T cells most responsive to IL-1β. Other subsets including CD11c myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), classical monocytes (CM), two subsets of natural killer cells (CD16-CD56brightCD161- and CD16-CD56dimCD161+) and a population of lineage- (Lin-) cells expressing CD161 and CD25 also showed IL-1β-induced expression of p-NF-κB. The IL-1R antagonist, Anakinra significantly inhibited IL-1β-induced p-NF-κB in the CCR6+ T cells and CD11c mDCs with a trending inhibition in CD14 monocytes and Lin-CD161+CD25+ cells. IL-1β also induced a rapid but much less robust increase in p-p38 expression as compared to p-NF-κB in the majority of these same immune cell subsets. Prolonged IL-1β stimulation greatly increased p-STAT3 and to a much lesser extent p-STAT1 and p-STAT5 in T cell subsets, monocytes, DCs and the Lin-CD161+CD25+ cells suggesting IL-1β-induced production of downstream STAT-activating cytokines, consistent with its role in cytokine storm. Interindividual heterogeneity and inhibition of this activation by Anakinra raises the intriguing possibility that assays to measure IL-1β-induced p-NF-κB in CCR6+ T cell subtypes could identify those at higher risk of cytokine storm and those most likely to benefit from Anakinra therapy.
The Impact of Alternative Alkalinizing Agents on 24-Hour Urine Parameters.

Abstract Objectives To determine if alternative alkalinizing agents lead to similar changes in 24-hour urine pH and citrate compared to potassium citrate (KCIT). Many stone formers cannot tolerate KCIT due to side effects or cost. In these patients, we have prescribed potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate as alternative alkali (AA), though their efficacy is unclear. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult stone formers seen from 2000 to 2018 with 24-hour urine analyses. Two analyses were performed. The first evaluated the alkalinizing and citraturic effects in patients with baseline low urine pH or hypocitraturia off of any alkalinizing medications, who were subsequently treated with either KCIT or AA. The second analysis compared the pH and citrate in patients changing from KCIT to an AA. Reasons for switching were abstracted by chart review and cost savings percentages were calculated using GoodRx medication prices. Results When starting alkali therapy, the median increase in pH from baseline was 0.64 for KCIT and 0.51 for AA (P = .077), and the median increase in citrate from baseline was 231 mg for KCIT and 171 mg for AA (P = .109). When switching alkali therapy, median pH and citrate did not significantly change. Hyperkalemia (24%), GI upset (19%), and cost (17%) were the most common reasons cited for switching to an AA. AA represented a savings of 86%-92% compared to KCIT. Conclusion Alternative alkali appear to offer comparable improvements in 24-hour urine parameters and significant cost-savings compared to KCIT.
Arc1 modulates microbiota-responsive developmental and metabolic traits in Drosophila

ABSTRACT Perturbations to animal-associated microbial communities (the microbiota) have deleterious effects on various aspects of host fitness, including dysregulated energy metabolism. However, the molecular processes underlying these microbial impacts on the host are poorly understood. In this study, we identify a novel connection between the microbiota and the neuronal factor Arc1 that affects metabolism and development in Drosophila. We find that Arc1 exhibits tissue-specific microbiota-dependent expression changes, and that flies bearing a null mutation of Arc1 complete larval development at a dramatically slowed rate compared to wild-type animals. In contrast, monoassociation with a single Acetobacter sp. isolate was sufficient to enable Arc1 mutants to develop at a wild-type rate. These developmental phenotypes are highly sensitive to composition of the larval diet, suggesting the growth rate defects of GF flies lacking Arc1 reflect metabolic dysregulation. Additionally, we show that pre-conditioning the larval diet with Acetobacter sp. partially accelerates Arc1 mutant development, but live bacteria are required for the full growth rate promoting effect. Finally, GF Arc1 mutants display multiple traits consistent with reduced insulin signaling activity that are reverted by association with Acetobacter sp., suggesting a potential mechanism underlying the microbe-dependent developmental phenotypes. Our results reveal a novel role for Arc1 in modulating insulin signaling, metabolic homeostasis, and growth rate that is specific to the host’s microbial and nutritional environment. SUMMARY Drosophila Arc1 exhibits microbiota-dependent, tissue-specific differential expression, mitigates the impacts of germ-free rearing on insulin signaling and growth rate, but is dispensable for metabolic homeostasis in Acetobacter-colonized flies.
Field evaluation of three-component solid food-based dispenser versus torula yeast for capturing Mediterranean and oriental fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract Certain species of true fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are worldwide pests of fruits and vegetables, and many countries operate trapping programs to detect and monitor invasions. Torula yeast-borax (TYB) solution is a widely used food bait, although its effective field longevity is relatively short (1–2 weeks). This led to the development of a synthetic cone-shaped food dispenser that contains ammonium acetate, putrescine, and trimethylamine. The food cone has received limited testing, and the objective of this study was to compare captures of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann)) and the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)) in traps baited with the fresh TYB solution versus traps baited with fresh or weathered food cones. Captures showed a female bias for both baits and both species. For C. capitata, fresh food cones generally attracted more individuals than fresh TYB. Weathered food cones attracted similar or greater numbers of medflies than TYB for the initial two weeks, but food cones weathered for 4 or 6 weeks attracted fewer flies than TYB. For B. dorsalis, TYB-baited traps captured more females than fresh or weathered food cone-baited traps in each of six weekly sampling periods, and the differences were statistically significant in weeks 1–4. In a release-recapture experiment, both C. capitata and B. dorsalis were captured in higher numbers in traps baited with fresh TYB than those baited with food cones weathered for 0 (fresh) to 6 weeks. The implications of these results for fruit fly surveillance are discussed.
Drive Integrated Start-Up and Online ITSC Fault Monitoring through Spatial Inductance Profiling

Fault diagnosis and condition monitoring of electric machines using readily available drive sensors are highly critical in safety critical applications. This paper presents an accurate method to detect stator Inter-Turn Short Circuit (ITSC) fault using the spatial inductance profile which can be implemented both at start up (standstill) or in real-time. For this purpose, AC motor drive spatially scans the motor at each start up in milliseconds by injecting high-frequency signal to obtain spatial inductance profile, analyze the fault status and locate faulty phase. Using the start-up inductance profiling as reference, online detection version is implanted successfully which is essential for real-time condition monitoring. This approach is highly sensitive ITSC faults, agnostic to temperature variations and takes inverter nonlinearities into account caused by dead time and voltage drop across the power devices. To demonstrate the efficacy and practicability of the proposed algorithm, it is experimentally verified on two PMSMs, IPMSM and an induction motor, all re-wounded to mimic inter turn short circuit faults. It is shown that, the algorithm can detect ITSC faults very accurately in the order of milliseconds even if the number of shorted turns is very low.
The impact of bridging therapy prior to CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in patients with large B-cell lymphoma.

In the relapsed/refractory setting for treatment of large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as an effective treatment modality. Patients often have aggressive disease that requires prompt treatment in the form of bridging therapy (BT) for disease stabilisation while CAR-T cells are manufactured. Patients (n = 75) undergoing CAR-T therapy infusion for LBCL at our institution were identified. A total of 52 (69·3%) received BT and 23 (30·7%) received no BT (NBT). BT modalities included systemic BT (SBT) in 28 patients, radiation BT (RBT) in 14, and high-dose steroid BT (HDS) in 10. There was no difference in incidence of cytokine release syndrome or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome between BT and NBT (P = 0·18 and P = 0·53 respectively). Prolonged cytopenias at Day 180 were more common in BT than NBT (50% vs. 13·3%, P = 0·04). The SBT and RBT subgroups had more cytopenias at Day 180 compared to the HDS and NBT subgroups (58·3% and 57·1% vs. 20% and 13·3% respectively, P = 0·04). Disease response at last follow-up, progression-free survival and overall survival were similar between BT, NBT, and BT subgroups. In summary, BT can be safely considered in patients undergoing CAR-T therapy. However, those undergoing BT with SBT or RBT are at higher risk of prolonged cytopenias after CAR-T therapy.
COVID-19 Case Fatality and Alzheimer's Disease.

Previous studies have identified dementia as a risk factor for death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it is unclear whether Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an independent risk factor for COVID-19 case fatality rate. In a retrospective cohort study, we identified 387,841 COVID-19 patients through TriNetX. After adjusting for demographics and comorbidities, we found that AD patients had higher odds of dying from COVID-19 compared to patients without AD (Odds Ratio: 1.20, 95%confidence interval: 1.09-1.32, pâ< â0.001). Interestingly, we did not observe increased mortality from COVID-19 among patients with vascular dementia. These data are relevant to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
Psychiatric Illnesses and Mental Structure

This chapter describes the specific effects of certain psychiatric illnesses on ego function, and on psychotic or near psychotic ego structure. Weinshel (1990) calls for a more solid structural model of severe mental illness to support the widening scope of analytic treatment. Jacobson (1967, 1971) and Kernberg (1975) did so with object relations theory, as did Fairbairn (1952) and others. Glover (1958), Arlow and Brenner (1964), and Beres (1971) began this for ego psychology.