cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Readout of undoped CsI and CeF/sub 3/ crystals using scintillating fibers and bars

An investigation has been made of a readout technique for undoped cesium iodide and cerium fluoride crystals using scintillating fibers and bars. The method uses the fluors in the scintillator as wavelength shifters to absorb the primary UV scintillation light from the crystals and reemit it at a longer wavelength which can be more easily propagated over large distances. A study was made for various types of fibers (BCF-10, BCF-12 and BCF-20), giving the dependence of the light output on fluor type, fiber diameter and the spacing between fibers. Similar studies are made for several types of bars (BC-404 and BC-408) which compare the light output for various bar thicknesses, fluor concentrations and geometrical configurations. An initial investigation also showed that this technique can be used to read out CeF/sub 3/ crystals. >
Increased interleukin-8 expression in inflamed human dental pulps

Objective. Elevated levels of interleukin-8, a potent chemoattractant and activator of neutrophils, are associated with infectious and inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about interleukin-8 expression in human dental pulp. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tissue levels of interleukin-8 are elevated in irreversibly inflamed human pulps. Study design. Experimental samples were from teeth clinically diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis (diseased pulps). Controls were from freshly extracted, caries-free third molars (normal pulps). Samples were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or immunohistochemical analysis with specific antibodies to interleukin-8. Results. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay studies showed elevated levels of interleukin-8 in diseased pulps (mean, 1.82 ± 0.79 pg/mL/μg protein), as compared to detectable interleukin-8 levels in samples from normal pulps (mean, 0.08 ± 0.04 pg/mL/μg protein; P < .05). Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that diseased samples exhibited a higher density of localized interleukin-8 staining in areas with heavy infiltration of inflammatory cells. In contrast, normal pulps showed negative or weak interleukin-8 staining. Conclusions. Interleukin-8 concentration was higher in pulps diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis; only negligible amounts of interleukin-8 were present in normal pulps. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1999;88:214-20)
Three generations of automatically designed robots

The difficulties associated with designing, building, and controlling robots have led their development to a stasis: Applications are limited mostly to repetitive tasks with predefined behavior. Over the last few years we have been trying to address this challenge through an alternative approach: Rather than trying to control an existing machine or create a general-purpose robot, we propose that both the morphology and the controller should evolve at the same time. This process can lead to the automatic design of special-purpose mechanisms and controllers for specific short-term objectives. Here we provide a brief review of three generations of our recent research, which underlies the robots shown on the cover of this issue: Automatically designed static structures, automatically designed and manufactured dynamic electromechanical systems, and modular robots automatically designed through a generative DNA-like encoding.
Body composition modeling. Application to exploration of the resting energy expenditure fat-free mass relationship.

: There are now many published methods for predicting resting energy expenditure (REE) from measured body mass and composition. Although these published reports extend back almost a century, new related studies appear on a regular basis. It remains unclear what the similarities and differences are between these many methods and what, if any, advantages the newly introduced REE prediction models offer. These issues led us to develop an organizational system for REE prediction methods with the ultimate aim of clarifying prevailing ambiguities in the field. Our classification scheme is founded on the mathematical function type (descriptive and mechanistic) and body composition level (whole body molecular) used in REE prediction model development. The model is applied in an exploration of the well-established empirical relationship between REE and fat-free body mass (FFM). The developed relationships indicate that REE vs. FFM is a curvilinear relationship in mammals as a whole, that the relationship can be described as a linear function in humans, and that the simple linear regression line coefficients can be reconstructed from established tissue-system level component relationships. Our classification system, the first founded on a conceptual basis, highlights similarities and differences between the many diverse REE body composition prediction methods, provides a framework for teaching REE-body composition relationships to students, and suggests important future research opportunities.
Thermal Oxidation of Silicon in an Afterglow Gas

Low temperature thermal oxidation of silicon is desired for many reasons in device manufacture. Thermal activation alone at temperatures below 700 °C is ineffective. The proposal that other oxidants might act via parallel mechanisms instigated this study in which the thermal process is enhanced by the presence of non-thermally produced oxidants in the afterglow of a microwave gas discharge. Film growth in atmospheric O2, in an O2 afterglow at 1 Torr, and in an O2/NF3 afterglow at 1 Torr is studied. Fluorine containing afterglows are found to enhance film growth at 700 °C compared with that obtained in O2 afterglows, however, at lower temperatures the apparent enhancement vanishes. The effect is attributed to the existence of a concurrent etching reaction. Further, the electrical properties of films grown in the various regimes are discussed.
Isolation and Characterization of Complementary DNA to Proliferating Cell Nucleolar Antigen P40

Abstract Proliferating cell nucleolar antigen P40 is a late G 1 -specific protein, which was found in a variety of human tumors (A. Chatterjee, J. W. Freeman, and H. Busch. Cancer Res., 47: 1123–1129, 1987). Two overlapping complementary DNA clones for antigen P40 were isolated by immunoscreening a λgt11 human expression library. The complete nucleotide sequence of the clones was determined. The complementary DNAs encode the M r 30,000 portion of the COOH-terminal portion of the protein. The mRNA for P40 was 2.8 kilobases long and was expressed maximally in G 1 cells in cell cycle. A series of deletion mutants of the expressed peptide was constructed and the deletion mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli . Using these mutants, the epitope region of P40 recognized by a P40-specific monoclonal antibody was identified. The hydropathy plot based on the protein sequence revealed that this region of the protein is largely hydrophilic. This protein is unique and differs in sequence from other proliferating cell nuclear/nucleolar antigen proteins of similar molecular weight such as protein B23 and cyclin.
Article reviewed: Association of sleep-disordered breathing, sleep apnea, and hypertension in a large community-based study.

The SHHS is a multi-center study which recruited participants from several existing study cohorts including the Framingham Heart Study, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Cardiovascular Health Study, Tucson Epidemiologic Study of Obstructive Airways Disease, Strong Heart Study, Health and Environment Cohort Study, and three New York City cohorts evaluating the impact of psychosocial risk factors on cardiovascular disease. SHHS participants were $40 years of age, of varying ethnic and racial background. The SHHS cohort was enriched with by recruitment of snorers ,65 years of age to increase the number of participants with SDB and optimize the statistical power of the study. Participants underwent complete overnight polysomnographic evaluation (PSG) in the home (non-sleep laboratory) environment and provided responses to a variety of health status questionnaires. Blood pressure was obtained by sphygmomanometry and anthropomorphic measurements were recorded. Hypertension was de®ned as blood pressure $140/90 or treatment with an anti-hypertensive agent(s). Sleep-disordered breathing (sleep apnea-hypopnea) was de®ned by the apnea 1 hypopnea index (AHI, average number of apneas 1 hypopneas per hour of sleep). Overnight oxygenation was described as the percentage of sleep time spent with oxyhemoglobin saturation Sleep Medicine 1 (2000) 327±328
Fluid friction in noncircular ducts

Pressure drop due to fluid friction has been measured in a smooth tube; in six smooth concentric annuli; and between smooth, parallel, flat plates. The data cover the viscous, transition, and lower turbulent ranges of flow. Friction factors are in agreement with theory in the viscous range and can be correlated uniquely in the fully turbulent range by means of a modified hydraulic radius concept. Limits of the transition region in annuli are functions of the ration of inner and outer radii. Correlations in the fully turbulent range permit friction factors for the noncircular ducts to be predicted within the uncertainty of smooth-tube data. Such factors can be used for the prpose of correlating other variables as well as for direct calculation of pressure drop.
The Bioinorganic Chemistry of Apoptosis: Potential Inhibitory Zinc Binding Sites in Caspase‐3

Zn2+ inhibits the action of several of the caspases and thus may act as a regulator of apoptosis. Reversal of this inhibition is one possible approach for the development of apoptosis-based therapies. Few studies describe the molecular details of the Zn2+–caspase interaction, the understanding of which is essential for the success of any therapeutic strategies. Enzyme kinetics and biophysical studies have shown that the inhibition is of mixed type with prominent (ca. 60 % of inhibition) uncompetitive characteristics and an IC50 of 0.8 μM under the conditions used. Fluorescence-based techniques confirmed that, during inhibition in the sub-micromolar range, substrate binding remains unaffected. A new zinc binding site composed of the catalytic histidine and a nearby methionine residue, rather than the catalytic histidine and cysteine dyad, is proposed based on the experimental observations. DFT models were used to demonstrate that the proposed site could be the preferred inhibitory zinc binding site.
The outer membrane localization of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae MsrA/B is involved in survival against reactive oxygen species

The PilB protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been reported to be involved in the regulation of pilin gene transcription, but it also possesses significant homology to the peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase family of enzymes, specifically MsrA and MsrB from Escherichia coli. MsrA and MsrB in E. coli are able to reduce methionine sulfoxide residues in proteins to methionines. In addition, the gonococcal PilB protein encodes for both MsrA and MsrB activity associated with the repair of oxidative damage to proteins. In this work, we demonstrate that the PilB protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is not involved in pilus expression. Additionally, we show that wild-type N. gonorrhoeae produces two forms of this polypeptide, one of which contains a signal sequence and is secreted from the bacterial cytoplasm to the outer membrane; the other lacks a signal sequence and is cytoplasmic. Furthermore, we show that the secreted form of the PilB protein is involved in survival in the presence of oxidative damage.
The Prospects for Commercial Supersonic Transport

This chapter on the prospects for commercial transport at supersonic speeds must begin by deciding what we will call the generic prospective aircraft. Since the first generation aircraft were called Supersonic Transports, or SSTs for short, this practice is continued here. Today, in the United States, NASA’s nomenclature is High Speed Civil Transports or HSCTs, while in Europe and Japan it is Supersonic Commercial Transports or SCTs.
The role of takeovers in increasing efficiency

This paper extends the limited number of studies that examine whether the threat of takeovers serves as an efficiency-enforcement mechanism. A nonparametric programming approach is utilized to construct a measure of overall efficiency that is decomposed into technical and allocative components. Utilizing three inputs and five outputs, measures of efficiency are constructed for a sample of 578 banks from states that permit acquisitions and states that do not. The results indicate that, on average, banks that are subject to takeovers tend to be more efficient Furthermore, the lack of threat of takeovers appears to induce inefficiencies that are technical in nature. The evidence lends support to the hypothesis that the threat of takeovers improves efficiency in firms.
Speciation and Mating Behavior in Eudorina

SYNOPSIS. A comparative morphological study was made of 73 clones of Eudorina isoated from 44 natural populations and grown under controlled environmental conditions. Utilizing the information obtained in this study in association with the existing taxonomic and experimental literature concerning Eudorina a monographic treatment of the genus was prepared. Nine species and 4 varieties are now recognized. Sexual compatibility was investigated with 22 heterothallic pairs, 3 male strains and one female strain representing 4 species and one variety of Eudorina. Five partially or completely sexually-isolated groups were found: 3 groups containing strains of a single species, a fourth group composed of strains of another species, and a fifth group made up of strains of 3 different species. Strains with different zygote arrangements were found generally not to intercross. Intraspecific crosses indicated that a single pair of alleles controls the inheritance of mating types and that gene flow occurs between strains representing different natural populations. Interspecific crosses resulted in the formation of polyploid or aneuploid F1 offspring which shewed an abnormal segregation of the mating types. Abnormal mating type segregation was also obtained in F2 crosses involving certain of the hybrid polyploid offspring.
KRAS Status as an Independent Prognostic Factor for Survival after Yttrium-90 Radioembolization Therapy for Unresectable Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog ( KRAS ) mutation status as a prognostic factor for survival after yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) radioembolization for colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases. Materials and Methods Consecutive patients with unresectable CRC liver metastases and documented KRAS mutation status who were treated with 90 Y radioembolization during the period 2007–2014 were investigated. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, therapy regimens, and overall survival (OS) from first 90 Y radioembolization were compared between patients with KRAS wild-type (wt) and mutant status. Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox regression were used for survival analysis and to assess independent prognostic factors for OS. Results Of 186 patients, 104 underwent KRAS mutation analysis before 90 Y radioembolization, with 45 (43.3%) identified as mutant. The wt and mutant groups were similar in demographics, liver status, overall performance status, and tumor characteristics (all P > .05). Mean time from liver metastasis to 90 Y radioembolization was greater in patients with KRAS wt status ( P = .033). A greater percentage of wt patients received anti–epidermal growth factor receptor therapies before 90 Y radioembolization (66.1% vs 8.9%; P 90 Y radioembolization was significantly greater in KRAS wt patients (9.5 mo vs 4.8 mo; P = .041). Univariate analysis identified Child-Pugh class, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), chemotherapy after 90 Y radioembolization, KRAS status, and treatment-induced toxicity as prognostic factors for OS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated Child-Pugh class, CEA, and KRAS status to be independent prognostic factors for OS, even when correcting for the effect of chemotherapy after 90 Y radioembolization. Conclusions Patients with CRC and KRAS wt may derive greater survival benefit from 90 Y radioembolization therapy than patients with KRAS mutant.
Electron paramagnetic resonance evidence for a C3' sugar radical in crystalline d(CTCTCGAGAG) X-irradiated at 4 K

Abstract Debije, M. G. and Bernhard, W. A. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Evidence for a C3′ Sugar Radical in Crystalline d(CTCTCGAGAG) X-Irradiated at 4 K. Radiat. Res. 155, 687–692 (2001). A neutral sugar radical formed by the net loss of hydrogen from C3′ has been identified in crystalline DNA X-irradiated at 4 K. Crystals of duplex d(CTCTCGAGAG), known to be of B conformation, were studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The C3′ radical was identified by using information from dose saturation, power saturation, thermal annealing, and spectrum simulation. The yield of the C3′ radical, G(C3′), is 0.03 ± 0.01 μmol/J, and its concentration does not appear to saturate up to at least 100 kGy. In the region in which total radical concentration increases linearly with dose, the C3′ radical makes up about 4.5% of the total radical population trapped in the oligodeoxynucleotide crystal at 4 K. Based on free base release measured in other oligodeoxynucleotides, we suggest that in d(CTC...
Trend and Cycle in the Yield Curve: A Procedure for Forecasting Recessions

This paper presents a new procedure for forecasting recessions utilizing short-term (slope) dynamics present in the yield curve. Building on a large body of literature chronicling the relationship between the shape of the yield curve and the business cycle, this paper employs Dynamic Nelson-Siegel modeling to deﬁne the level, slope, and curvature characteristics of the term structure through time. Given these dynamics, the trend and cycle are extracted using various decomposition techniques. It is shown that cycles present within the slope factor are very robust predictors of recessions, correctly identifying recessions as much as eighteen months in advance. A “Predictive Power Score” is developed to quantify the procedure’s performance. This score shows the superiority of the procedure over other common leading indicators including the yield spread.
A game programming instructional design model

Building on the results of a comprehensive research, this paper (a) describes the seven phases of a proposed instructional design model for the education of game programmers and (b) discusses the core elements, structure, hierarchy, and principles of the instructional design model in detail. The goal of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive model for game programming education and its usage and methods of practice pertaining to all relevant stakeholders including administrators, curriculum developers, content designers, and instructors.
The Cost of Going Public to Preexisting Shareholders

IPO underpricing has been extensively studied; however, its impact on the wealth of preexisting shareholders has not been closely examined. Thus, we address the question of whether or not periods of high underpricing adversely affect preexisting shareholders. Unlike underpricing, we find that the percentage of shareholder wealth lost is surprisingly stable over time, which appears to be attributable, at least in part, to the share issuance (i.e., overhang) decisions of preexisting owners during such periods.
Abstract 126: Effects of Rosuvastatin on the Protein Composition of Lipoprotein Subfractions

Introduction: Statins, by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase and up regulating hepatic LDL receptors, effectively lower plasma LDL-C by as much as 50%, thus reducing future CVD events. However, the physiological effects of statins are diverse and not all are related to lowering of LDL-C. Goal: The goal of this study was to test our hypothesis that some of these pleiotropic alternative effects from statins may be driven by compositional changes to lipoproteins distinct from their cholesterol content. We, therefore, performed a small clinical pilot study to assess the impact of statins on lipoprotein associated proteins in healthy individuals. Methods: Ten subjects with normal LDL-C ( Results: The effects of rosuvastatin treatment on clinical lipid measures and NMR profile were consistent with established findings. Proteomic analysis of FPLC fractions representing LDL, HDL-1 (large) and HDL-2 (small) identified a total of 124 different proteins. Spectral counting was used to compare relative protein detection before and after statin therapy. Significant protein changes were found in each lipoprotein pool: LDL = 9, HDL-1 = 9 and HDL-2 = 4. These changes included both increases and decreases in proteins involved in lipoprotein metabolism, complement regulation and acute phase response. The most dramatic effect of the treatment was a profound increase in alpha-1-antirypsin (A1AT) spectral counts association with HDL-1 particles. Quantitative measurement by ELISA revealed an average 5.7 fold increase in HDL-1 associated A1AT. Preliminary in vitro studies indicate a potential functional role for A1AT enriched HDL in the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), a pro-inflammatory component of vascular lesions. Summary: Based on these results, statins can significantly change the protein composition of both LDL and HDL. Some of these changes, such as the up regulation of A1AT on HDL, may convey anti-inflammatory functionality on lipoproteins and might contribute to some of the non-lipid lowering effects of statins.
Programmable matter

In the past 50 years, computers have shrunk from room-size mainframes to lightweight handhelds. This fantastic miniaturization is primarily the result of high-volume nanoscale manufacturing. While this technology has predominantly been applied to logic and memory, it's now being used to create advanced microelectromechanical systems using both top-down and bottom-up processes. One possible outcome of continued progress in high-volume nanoscale assembly is the ability to inexpensively produce millimeter-scale units that integrate computing, sensing, actuation, and locomotion mechanisms. A collection of such units can be viewed as a form of programmable matter.
“I’m Running So You Can Be Happy and I Can Keep My Scholarship”: A Comparative Study of Black Male College Athletes’ Experiences With Role Conflict

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of two groups of Black male college athletes at a Division I historically White institution (HWI) to better understand the key contributors that influenced their academic performance levels, academic engagement, and the quality of their overall college experiences. Two focus groups were conducted with 10 Black male college athletes enrolled at a Division I HWI and a demographic questionnaire was administered to ascertain a better understanding of their personal backgrounds, college academic experiences, and college athletic experiences. Role theory was incorporated as a theoretical lens to investigate the participants’ identity salience, role commitments, and overall college experiences. Findings revealed participants from each group shared common experiences encountering role conflict. However, the coping strategies and academic performance outcomes varied between each group. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Strain-energy-release rate analysis of delamination around an open hole in composite laminates

A simple technique was developed for calculating the strain-energy-release rate, G, for delamination around an open hole in a laminate. Discrete locations around the hole boundary were modeled as straight edges, with the ply orientations rotated by an appropriate angle. The circumferential strain, calculated from an elasticity solution, was substituted into a simple equation, derived from the rule of mixtures and laminated plate theory, to generate G distributions around the hole boundary. These G distributions were plotted for delamination in each unique interface of two quasi-isotropic laminates to identify critical regions for delamination onset at the hole boundary. Previous work had indicated that delamination onset in brittle epoxy composites under static loading was controlled by the critical mode I G component. In order to compare to existing experimental data, distributions of approximate interlaminar normal stresses, a,,, at the hole boundary were generated from a simple analysis based on laminated plate theory. Then, a quasi-3D finite-element analysis was performed in the regions that had both high G values and tensile ozz stresses to calculate the various G components due to interlaminar tension and shear (GI, GII, and GIII). Static delamination onset strains were predicted at locations where GI was a maximum and were compared to measured values for T300/ 5208 laminates. Curves relating interlaminar GIc to delamination onset strains were drawn to evaluate the influence of a tough matrix on laminates with open holes.
Characterization of Molecular Network of Thermosets Using Neutron Scattering

Neutron scattering measurements were conducted to investigate the conformation of the molecular networks in epoxies. Emphasis was placed on the changes in the scattering intensity resulting from curing. Experimental results on homopolymerized epoxy as well as a theoretical interpretation of the results are presented.
A Novel YIG-tuned Bandpass Filter with Combined Ultrabroad Instant Bandwidth

Based on the principle of power-dividing-filtering-passband-combining,a novel YIG-tuned bandpass filter was designed with ultrabroad combined instant bandwidth,which has a combined instant bandwidth of the sum of instant bandwidth of the two YIG-tuned bandpass filters,and an insertion loss of the sum of those of power divider,the YIG-tuned filter and the power combiner. An ultrabroad YIG-tuned filter with instant bandwidth above 800MHz was synthised using two 6-18GHz YIG-tuned bandpass filter with 3dB bandwidth of 400MHz. The design results prove the feasibility of the method and correctness of the design theory.
Conciliarism: A History of Decision-Making in the Church

Conciliarism is one of the oldest and most essential means of decision-making in the history of the Christian church. Indeed, as a leading Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann states, 'Before we understand the place and the function of the council in the church, we must, therefore, see the church herself as a council.' Paul Valliere tells the story of councils and conciliar decision-making in the Christian church from earliest times to the present. Drawing extensively upon the scholarship on conciliarism which has appeared in the last half-century, Valliere brings a broad ecumenical perspective to the study and shows how the conciliar tradition of the Christian past can serve as a resource for resolving conflicts in the church today. The book presents a conciliarism which involves historical legacy, but which leads us forward, not backward, and which keeps the church's collective eyes on the prize - the eschatological kingdom of God.
Wolfenstein polarization observables for the reaction ppolp-->p

The Wolfenstein polarization observables ${D}_{\mathrm{NN}}$, ${D}_{S\ensuremath{\Omega}}$, and ${D}_{L\ensuremath{\Omega}}$, where \ensuremath{\Omega} denotes a mixture of S and L polarization components, and the induced polarization P have been measured for the reaction pp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$n at 800 MeV, at geometries corresponding to ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{++}$ production from \ensuremath{\sim}10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 80\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in the center of mass. Comparisons are made to results from the model of Dubach, Kloet, and Silbar.
Floating Clots in the Descending Aorta: A Rare Complication of Femoral Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Combined With Microaxial Pump for Cardiogenic Shock.

Left ventricular (LV) distension during femoral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support is an untoward complication, leading to pulmonary edema, insufficient myocardial recovery, and LV thrombosis.1 Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) has been reported to effectively decompress such a distended LV with minimal invasion.2 However, we encountered a rare case who developed a huge thrombus in the descending aorta resulting from the stagnation of blood flow because of interaction between antegrade (Impella) and retrograde (VA-ECMO) flows despite adequate anticoagulation. A 67-year-old man with history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and chronic tobacco use presented to an outside hospital with chest pain and orthopnea. He was in a shock state, and his ECG showed ST elevations in the anterior leads. Emergent left heart catheter revealed total occlusion of proximal left anterior descending artery. He got intubated and was placed on an intra-aortic balloon pumping via right femoral artery. Thrombus extraction followed by coronary stenting was performed, but ultimately only thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 1 flow was …
Hankel Operators on Weighted Bergman Spaces and Norm Ideals

Consider Hankel operators $$H_f$$ on the weighted Bergman space $$L^2_a(\mathbf{B}, dv_\alpha )$$ . In this paper we characterize the membership of $$\left( H^*_fH_f\right) ^{s/2} = |H_f|^s$$ in the norm ideal $${\mathcal C}_\Phi $$ , where $$0 < s \le 1$$ and the symmetric gauge function $$\Phi $$ is allowed to be arbitrary.
A novel pilot animal model for the surgical prevention of lymphedema: the power of optical imaging.

Abstract Background Breast cancer–related lymphedema affects more than 400,000 survivors in the United States. In 2009, lymphatic microsurgical preventive healing approach (LYMPHA) was first described as a surgical technique to prevent lymphedema by bypassing divided arm lymphatics into adjacent veins at the time of an axillary lymph node dissection. We describe the first animal model of LYMPHA. Methods In Yorkshire pigs, each distal hind limb lymphatic system was cannulated and injected with a different fluorophore (human serum albumin–conjugated indocyanine green or Evans Blue). Fluorescence-assisted resection and exploration imaging system was used to map the respective lymphangiosomes to the groin. Baseline lymphatic clearance of each hind limb lymphangiosome was obtained by measuring the fluorescence of each dye from centrally obtained blood samples. A lymphadenectomy versus lymphadenectomy with LYMPHA was then performed. The injections were then repeated to obtain clearance rates that were compared against baseline values. Results Human serum albumin–conjugated indocyanine green and Evans Blue allowed for precise lymphatic mapping of each respective hind limb using fluorescence-assisted resection and exploration imaging. Lymphatic clearance from the distal hind limb dropped 68% when comparing baseline clearance versus after a groin lymphadenectomy. In comparison, lymphatic clearance dropped only 21% when comparing baseline clearance versus a lymphadenectomy with LYMPHA. Conclusions We describe the first animal model for LYMPHA, which will enable future studies to further evaluate the efficacy and potential limitations of this technique. Of equal importance, we demonstrate the power of optical imaging to provide real-time lymphatic clearance rates for each hind limb.
Ligand Binding Pathways and Conformational Transitions of the HIV Protease

It is important to determine the binding pathways and mechanisms of ligand molecules to target proteins to effectively design therapeutic drugs. Molecular dynamics (MD) is a promising computational tool that allows us to simulate protein–drug binding at an atomistic level. However, the gap between the time scales of current simulations and those of many drug binding processes has limited the usage of conventional MD, which has been reflected in studies of the HIV protease. Here, we have applied a robust enhanced simulation method, Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD), to sample binding pathways of the XK263 ligand and associated protein conformational changes in the HIV protease. During two of 10 independent GaMD simulations performed over 500–2500 ns, the ligand was observed to successfully bind to the protein active site. Although GaMD-derived free energy profiles were not fully converged because of insufficient sampling of the complex system, the simulations still allowed us to identify relat...
Personalised CFTR pharmacotherapeutic response testing and therapy of cystic fibrosis.

Pharmacotherapeutic response testing identified CFTR Ser1159Pro as responsive to cystic fibrosis modulator therapy
Mathematical modeling of cyber attacks: a learning module to enhance undergraduate security curricula

We have been experimenting with methods for improving undergraduate curricula and research experiences as well as the security courses for Computer Science and Information Systems students. Recent surges in attacks and intrusions reflect vulnerabilities in computer networks and emerge of sophisticated new attacks are always associated with determining evolving risks and preventing them. Innovative methods and tools can help attack defenses, prevent attack propagations, detect and respond to such attacks. Mathematical or statistical modeling of attacks is an important concept to introduce to students in security courses as they help assess vulnerability under a variety of conditions that predetermine the extent of damages to a system and, thereby, predict possible losses. This paper describes a learning module developed to help students understand basic statistical and mathematical modeling of unscrupulous attacks.
Reading the Rings: Decoding Iconographic (“Jesuit”) Rings

Analysis of designs on iconographic rings has been hampered by a lack of information on sources in France for the rings themselves and limited contexts within which to interpret them. An examination of French rings and the possible meanings of designs in France open up new ways of thinking about the rings as tools for chronological analysis.
An Educational Deployment of the NCAR Mobile Integrated Sounding System

AbstractThe best way to train the next wave of observational talent is through direct experience. In 2012 and again in 2014, students at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) welcomed deployments of pr...
Acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: A comparison of different definitions.

Aim Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery increases morbidity and mortality. Different definitions for AKI have been used such as Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN), Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) or risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE). The aim of this study is to determine the best definition of AKI after cardiac surgery with the largest impact on the outcome. Methods This retrospective study of cardiac surgery patients compared the incidence and effect on outcome (90-day and 1-year mortality) of different definitions of AKI: RIFLE, AKIN and KDIGO. Additionally, we defined transient AKI (increase in serum creatinine that resolved in 72 hours), and late (increase in serum creatinine after 48 hours). Results Of the included 1551 patients, 410 patients developed AKI defined by AKIN criteria, 449 defined by KDIGO and 217 defined by RIFLE-Risk criteria. Hundred and nine patients developed transient AKI (6.9%), 183 patients had sustained AKI (11.6%), and 106 patients had late AKI (6.7%). The best definition with the highest positive likelihood ratio was RIFLE-Risk (positive likelihood ratio = 2.32) followed by "sustained AKI" (positive likelihood ratio = 2.27). AKI defined by AKIN criteria missed all 80 patients with late AKI and 39 patients with KDIGO AKI. Conclusion Risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage kidney disease-risk was the best definition of AKI as determined by the ability to predict short-term mortality. A substantial number of patients developed AKI only after 48 hours, and these were missed when using AKIN criteria. AKIN criteria are not sensitive enough to capture all episodes of AKI in this population.
Kant as Ethical Naturalist: First and Second Natures in Kant's Ethics

I argue that Kant's use, in the critical ethical writings, of our nature as autonomous, rational beings (if imperfectly so) to argue against the normative authority of human nature shows Kant's ethical system to instantiate its own distinctive version of ethical naturalism. The formal structure of Kant's argument fits within ethical naturalism: our nature is what explains how we get onto and are bound by ethical norms. What changes is that Kant rejects the authority of human nature to generate these moral norms by arguing that only rational nature as free and autonomous could sanction this sort of normative grip. In order to show the viability of reading Kant as an ethical naturalist, I address two problems: 1) how to specify a Kantian first nature that is not too human, nor too formal and so empty; 2) how to specify a Kantian second nature as some settled disposition towards willing morally good actions and yet compatible with reason's autonomy.
Searching under the streetlight: A historical perspective on the rise of randomistas

Abstract In our contribution, we compare recent development RCTs with an earlier wave of development experiments dating from the 1960s and 1970s to investigate the links between the academic success of randomistas and historical changes in the development aid industry. We show how the recent privatization and fragmentation of the foreign aid sector enabled randomistas to bypass the political resistance to randomization among development workers and beneficiaries, which had bedeviled their predecessors. Comparing current development RCTs to earlier experiments, we find that they tend to be of shorter duration, smaller scope, and that they often limit themselves to evaluating only what can be easily measured. While this might be useful to cement the alliance between randomistas and global foundations interested in demonstrating the impact of their giving, we argue that the targeted interventions characteristic of the randomista movement obscure the harder task of addressing the complex mechanisms reproducing global poverty.
Multiregional Population Dynamics: Age with Location

The evolution of every regional human population is governed by the interaction of births, deaths, and migration. Individuals are born into a population, age with the passage of time, reproduce, and ultimately leave the regional population because of death or outmigration. These events and flows enter into an accounting relationship in which the growth of a regional population is determined by the combined effects of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration (inmigrants minus outmigrants). This chapter focuses on such relationships and seeks to identify and clarify some of the more fundamental population dynamics that are involved. The mechanics of multiregional population projection typically revolve around three basic steps. The first ascertains the starting age-region distributions and the age-specific regional schedules of fertility, mortality, and migration to which the multiregional population has been subject during a past period; the second adopts a set of assumptions regarding the future behavior such schedules; and the third derives the consequences of applying these assumed schedules to the initial population stock.
A conservative generalized multiscale finite volume/element method for modeling two-phase flow with capillary pressure

Abstract In this paper we investigate a numerical method used for solving a two-phase flow model within the context of a physics-based two-level operator splitting scheme. The governing equations involve an elliptic pressure equation coupled with a convection-dominated parabolic equation which poses a significant restriction on constructing fully implicit numerical solutions. In addition to the complications associated with solving the model equations, the underlying permeability of the porous medium is assumed to exhibit high variation over many length scales which leads to poor approximation properties in standard multiscale finite element spaces. In order to effectively solve the system we construct an approach that combines a mass-conservative generalized multiscale finite element method with an operator splitting scheme. In particular, we split the coupled system into three subsystems: the elliptic, the hyperbolic, and the parabolic pieces. This type of two-level splitting allows for the use of respective numerical discretizations for each type of equation, and also accounts for the scale-dependent exchange of information between them. In order to solve the elliptic equation we propose the use of a mass-conservative generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM-FV), for the parabolic equation we use a mass-conservative multiscale finite element method (MsFEM-FV), and for the hyperbolic equation we use a standard non-oscillatory finite-volume scheme. The performance of the methodology is validated through a variety of numerical experiments.
A Call for Data-Driven Networks to Address Equity in the Context of Undergraduate Biology

National efforts to improve equitable teaching practices have led to an increase in research on the barriers to student participation and performance, as well as solutions for overcoming these barr...
Quantitative 3D refractive index tomography of opaque samples in epi-mode

Three-dimensional (3D) refractive index (RI) tomography has recently become an exciting new tool for biological studies. However, its limitation to (1) thin samples resulting from a need of transmissive illumination and (2) small fields of view (typically ∼50µm×50µm) has hindered its utility in broader biomedical applications. In this work, we demonstrate 3D RI tomography with a large field of view in opaque, arbitrarily thick scattering samples (unsuitable for imaging with conventional transmissive tomographic techniques) with a penetration depth of ca. one mean free scattering path length (∼100µm in tissue) using a simple, low-cost microscope system with epi-illumination. This approach leverages a solution to the inverse scattering problem via the general non-paraxial 3D optical transfer function of our quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy (qOBM) optical system. A theoretical analysis is presented along with simulations and experimental validations using polystyrene beads, and rat and human thick brain tissues. This work has significant implications for the investigation of optically thick, semi-infinite samples in a non-invasive and label-free manner. This unique 3D qOBM approach can extend the utility of 3D RI tomography for translational and clinical medicine.
COVID Lockdowns, Social Distancing, and Fatal Car Crashes: More Deaths on Hobbesian Highways?

What happened to US traffic safety during the first US COVID-19 lockdown, and why was the pattern the opposite of that observed in previous sudden declines of traffic volume? National and local statistics on US traffic volume, traffic fatalities, injury accidents, speeding violations, running of stop signs, and other indicators of vehicular driving behavior, both in 2020 and in previous US economic recessions affecting the volume of road traffic. Comparative analysis of the similarities and differences between the data for the COVID-19 lockdown in parts of the USA in March 2020 and similar data for the 2008–2009 global economic crisis, as well as other US cases of major reductions in traffic volume. The volume of traffic contracted sharply once a COVID-19 national emergency was declared and most states issued stay-at-home orders, but motor vehicle fatality rates, injury accidents, and speeding violations went up, and remained elevated even as traffic began returning toward normal. This pattern does not fit post-World War II recessions where fatality rates declined with the volume of traffic nor does the 2020 pattern match the pattern during World War II when traffic dropped substantially with little change in motor vehicle fatality rates. The findings are consistent with a theory of social distancing on highways undermining compliance with social norms, a social cost of COVID which, if not corrected, poses potential long-term increases in non-compliance and dangerous driving.
Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Community-Based Longitudinal Studies in Diverse Urban Neighborhoods

Longitudinal, natural experiments provide an ideal evaluation approach to better understand the impact of built environment interventions on community health outcomes, particularly health disparities. As there are many participant engagement challenges inherent in the design of large-scale community-based studies, adaptive and iterative participant engagement strategies are critical. This paper shares practical lessons learned from the Physical Activity and Redesigned Community Spaces (PARCS) study, which is an evaluation of the impact of a citywide park renovation initiative on physical activity, psychosocial health, and community well-being. The PARCS study, although ongoing, has developed several approaches to improve participant engagement: building trust with communities, adapting the study protocol to meet participants’ needs and to reflect their capacity for participation, operational flexibility, and developing tracking systems. These strategies may help researchers anticipate and respond to participant engagement challenges in community-based studies, particularly in low-income communities of color.
Social Work Philosophy Encounters Morenean Philosophy

Core Morenean philosophy is covered in this chapter as it relates to social work philosophy. The existential and spiritual philosophies from which sociometry and psychodrama emerged are comprehensively depicted including his theory of human nature, the encounter, the Godhead, the autonomous healing center within, spontaneity–creativity theory, the here-and-now, action theory, role theory, and psychodrama’s developmental theory. Attention is given to the biopsychosocial -spiritual nature of both social work and psychodrama’s conceptualizations. The intersection of Morenean philosophy is presented with each of the six core social work values—the centrality of human relationships, the dignity and worth of each person, social justice , service, competence, and integrity.
Impact of marketing to improve patient access to care and clinic utilization for clinical pharmacy specialists.

Introduction This quality improvement initiative aimed to implement a strategy to increase access to care with clinical pharmacy specialists (CPSs), optimize CPS direct patient care activities, and promote clinical pharmacy services. The primary objective was to assess the impact of patient marketing on expanding access to care and clinic utilization in a CPS clinic. Methods A marketing technique was applied by a mental health (MH) CPS to expand clinical pharmacy services. Direct-to-patient brochures advertising MH CPS comprehensive medication management services were placed at the check-in window of an interdisciplinary outpatient MH clinic. Brochure content included a description of an MH team, the role of MH CPSs, and benefits of being managed by MH CPSs. Patients could contact the MH CPS or speak to their primary provider for referral. The preintervention and postintervention evaluation periods were 4-month time frames. Clinic utilization for the MH CPS clinic was compared before and after dissemination of marketing brochures. Additional outcomes evaluated were number of encounters, number of patients seen, and number of clinical interventions completed by the MH CPS. Results There was a significant increase in clinic utilization postintervention. The total number of encounters, patients, and clinical interventions were numerically increased postintervention. Discussion The observed improvements in clinic utilization suggest the benefit of marketing in optimization of access to care in CPS clinics and justification of clinical pharmacy services.