cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defect Distributions and Transport in Nanocomposites: A Theoretical Perspective

Nanomaterials are attracting great interest for many applications, including radiation tolerance. Most work on radiation effects in nanomaterials has focused on the interfaces. Here, we examine the other aspect of nanocomposites, the dual phase nature. Solving a reaction–diffusion model of irradiated composites, we identify three regimes of steady-state behavior that depend on the defect properties in the two phases. We conclude that defect evolution in one phase depends on the defect properties in the other phase, offering a route to controlling defect evolution in these materials. These results have broad implications for nanomaterials more generally.
Orange Juice Quality After Treatment by Thermal Pasteurization or Isostatic High Pressure

Valencia orange juice was treated by traditional thermal pasteurization, high pressure processing, and a combination of the two prior to storage at 4 and 8 °C. The flavor of pressure treated juice (without additional heat) stored at 4 °C up to 16 wk or 8 °C up to 4 wk was significantly (α = 0.05) closer to that of fresh/frozen juice than any of the thermal treatments. Juice microflora was reduced to below detectable limits; however, pectinmethylesterase retained substantial activity in pressure treated juices. There was little effect on other juice quality parameters.
Sexual Response Faking By Pedophiles

Finally in this series, Laws and Holmen examine further the issue of response faking by looking at various methods used by one of their own clients as he attempted to fake in the laboratory. It is ...
The Orientation of Mycobacteriophage Bxb1 Integration Is Solely Dependent on the Central Dinucleotide of attP and attB

Integration of the mycobacteriophage Bxb1 genome into its host chromosome is catalyzed by a serine-integrase, a member of the transposon-resolvase family of site-specific recombinases. These enzymes use a concerted mechanism of strand exchange involving double-stranded cleavages with two-base extensions, and covalent protein-DNA linkages via phosphoserine bonds. In contrast to the resolvase/invertase recombination systems--where there are strict requirements for a specific synaptic complex within which the catalytic potential of the enzyme is activated--synapsis of attP and attB by Bxb1 integrase is completely promiscuous, aligning the sites with equal proclivity in parallel and antiparallel alignments. Moreover, the catalytic potential of Bxb1 integrase is fully active in either alignment. As a consequence, the nonpalindromic central dinucleotide (5'-GT) at the center of attP and attB is the sole determinant of Bxb1 prophage orientation, and a single base pair substitution in the two sites is sufficient to eliminate orientation control.
Effects of lesions of the cerebellar vermis on VMH lesion-induced hyperdefensiveness, spontaneous mouse killing, and freezing in rats ☆

In a series of independent experiments, we showed that lesions of the vermis of the cerebellum in rats blocked the hyperdefensiveness induced by lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), attenuated spontaneous mouse killing, and reduced unconditioned freezing and other signs of fear in the presence of a cat. The vermal lesions did not significantly affect foot-shock conditioned freezing. Control lesions of the cerebellar hemispheres did not affect VMH lesion-induced hyperdefensiveness or freezing in the presence of a cat. The hemispheric lesions did attenuate foot-shock conditioned freezing. The data are discussed in terms of the striking similarities and differences between the behavioral effects of cerebellar vermal lesions and amygdala lesions and the interaction of a number of brain areas in modulating agonistic behaviors. The results leave no doubt that the medial cerebellum is significantly involved in the control of species-specific agonistic behaviors. The specific dimension of agonistic behaviors and the details of the interactions with other brain areas remain a puzzle which we approached here by expanding the behavioral profile of animals with lesions of the cerebellar vermis.
A 4-antenna transmitter in 0.18µm CMOS using space-time block codes

Efficient power delivery is a challenge in many RF systems. The use of space-time block codes as a means for reducing the required output power of the power amplifier and thereby improving the system efficiency is described. The first implementation of a fully-integrated 4-antenna transmitter based on space-time block codes is described. It is fully configurable as a 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-antenna system to investigate the tradeoffs between space-time block code length and overall system efficiency. It is shown that the measured optimum is a 3-antenna system capable of delivering +27.7 dBm into a 50 Ω load using three class-AB power amplifier cells each delivering +20 dBm into 50 Ω with a PAE of 23%. Owing to the space-time block coding gain, the overall PAE of the 3-channel transmitter delivering +27.7 dBm is 39%. The system is intenerated in 0.18µm CMOS and measures 4mm × 6mm.
An overview of variance component estimation

Variance components estimation originated with estimating error variance in analysis of variance by equating error mean square to its expected value. This equating procedure was then extended to random effects models, first for balanced data (for which minimum variance properties were subsequently established) and later for unbalanced data. Unfortunately, this ANOVA methodology yields no optimum properties (other than unbiasedness) for estimation from unbalanced data. Today it is being replaced by maximum likelihood (ML) and restricted maximum likelihood (REML) based on normality assumptions and involving nonlinear equations that have to be solved numerically. There is also minimum norm quadratic unbiased estimation (MINQUE) which is closely related to REML but with fewer advantages.
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) represents an important acquired condition characterized by progressive, symmetrical, proximal and distal weakness. Muscle stretch reflexes are depressed and sensory loss is variable. Patients may have mild to severe weakness and may require assisted ambulation or wheelchairs. Rarely do patients require respiratory support. Laboratory features include nerve conduction changes and nerve biopsy pathology indicative of demyelination. Cerebrospinal fluid protein is characteristically elevated without pleocytosis. The condition is responsive to immunosuppressive therapy, especially prednisone and plasmapheresis (plasma exchange). CIDP frequently follows a chronic or relapsing course.
The oxygen isotope anatomy of a slowly cooled metamorphic rock

The distribution of O isotope ratios in a slowly cooled metamorphic rock is investigated by a combination of ion microprobe and laser probe techniques. The sample has unusually simple geometry: centimeter-size domains of feldspar and garnet separated by a one-millimeter to one-centimeter thick layer of millimeter-size magnetite grains. Isotopic zonation at two different scales is documented. A sharp decrease in δ^(18)O in the outer 10-100 μm of individual magnetite grains is in agreement with modeling of isotopic reequilibration during cooling by interdiffusion between feldspar and magnetite. The presence of this zonation in the outer portions of magnetite grains that are adjacent to garnet indicates extensive transport along grain boundaries during diffusive exchange. Millimeter-scale zonation in the polygranular layer of magnetite is caused by the interaction of volume diffusion and grain boundary transport, the effects of which depend upon local textures. Grain boundaries enhance bulk diffusion in polygranular aggregates and allow exchange between nontouching grains. The results document a complex textural control to millimeter-scale O isotope zonation and geothermometry in slowly cooled rocks and document the importance of fast grain boundary transport in controlling diffusive exchange.
Expression of the activated (Y501-F501) hck tyrosine kinase in 32Dcl3 myeloid cells prolongs survival in the absence of IL-3 and blocks granulocytic differentiation in response to G-CSF

The hematopoietic cell kinase (hck), a member of the src family of intracellular, membrane-associated protein tyrosine kinases, is primarily expressed in mature granulocytes and monocyte/macrophages. Hck kinase activity plays an essential role in macrophage activation and may be an important signaling molecule in granulocytes. To examine the potential role of hck in hematopoietic differentiation pathways, retroviral vectors were used to express wild-type and mutant forms of p59hck in the hck-negative, interleukin-3 (IL-3) -dependent murine myeloid cell line, 32Dcl3. Constitutive expression of an activated form of hck markedly prolonged the viability of 32Dcl3 cells in the absence of IL-3 but failed to abrogate the requirement for IL-3 for proliferation. Moreover, enforced expression of the activated hck kinase (and less so, the wild-type kinase) blocked granulocytic differentiation of 32Dcl3 cells in response to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. These findings indicate that up-regulation of hck expression is not required for (and may interfere with) granulocytic differentiation.
Development of an Instrument to Measure Nursing Student Teamwork Skills

Abstract Background The purpose of this project was to develop an instrument to measure nursing student teamwork skills in a simulated environment. Method An eight-step instrument development process was used that included literature review and evaluation of face/content validity and inter-rater reliability. Results Psychometric quantitative analysis of the final 11-item instrument included a scale content validity index of 0.98 and individual item content validity index scores ranging from 0.75 to 1.0 for the 11 items. Inter-rater reliability demonstrated consistency with interclass correlation coefficient of 0.836. Conclusions An eight-step process can be used by nurse educators to develop psychometrically sound instruments for use in student evaluation.
Cross-domain collaboration for improved IDS rule set selection

Managing an intrusion detection system (IDS) requires careful consideration of the IDS rule set used to match malicious traffic. Network operators face a tradeoff when selecting rules: a rule set that is too conservative (too few rules) could lead to network intrusion and attacks from unforeseen risks, while a rule set that is too broad (too many rules) runs the risk of increasing false alerts and diminishing network throughput. The ultimate goal is to deploy rules that are conservative but proactive, and optimizing and testing such a rule set can be time consuming and limited when considering only locally observed network traffic. We argue that automated techniques to compare feedback from multiple collaborating sources, such as collaborative filtering between networks, can improve local rule sets. Our system, ROCK (Rule set Optimization via Collaborative Knowledge), recommends network-specific, locally untested rules to network operators based on correlations between their feedback and previously submitted feedback from other operators. We evaluated ROCK in two experimental deployments to detect shellcode and in simulation to measure the effect of broad collaboration. Network operators benefitted even if they provided feedback ratings for as few as 5 rules and deployed only the top 5 rules that ROCK recommended for their network; shellcode detection rates increase by up to 150% over a local baseline with little to no impact on false alerts. Our simulation analysis suggests that ROCK's recommendation quality increases rapidly with the number of user networks and can leverage varied degrees of similarity across networks. Our results demonstrate how security through collaboration can benefit local networks and provide proactive security in an automated way.
Randomised trial comparing the recording ability of a novel, electronic emergency documentation system with the AHA paper cardiac arrest record

Objective To evaluate the ability of an electronic system created at the University of Washington to accurately document prerecorded VF and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) cardiac arrest scenarios compared with the American Heart Association paper cardiac arrest record. Methods 16 anaesthesiology residents were randomly assigned to view one of two prerecorded, simulated VF and PEA scenarios and asked to document the event with either the paper or electronic system. Each subject then repeated the process with the other video and documentation method. Five types of documentation errors were defined: (1) omission, (2) specification, (3) timing, (4) commission and (5) noise. The mean difference in errors between the paper and electronic methods was analysed using a single factor repeated measures ANOVA model. Results Compared with paper records, the electronic system omitted 6.3 fewer events (95% CI −10.1 to −2.5, p=0.003), which represents a 28% reduction in omission errors. Users recorded 2.9 fewer noise items (95% CI −5.3 to −0.6, p=0.003) when compared with paper, representing a 36% decrease in redundant or irrelevant information. The rate of timing (Δ=−3.2, 95% CI −9.3 to 3.0, p=0.286) and commission (Δ=−4.4, 95% CI −9.4 to 0.5, p=0.075) errors were similar between the electronic system and paper, while the rate of specification errors were about a third lower for the electronic system when compared with the paper record (Δ=−3.2, 95% CI −6.3 to −0.2, p=0.037). Conclusions Compared with paper documentation, documentation with the electronic system captured 24% more critical information during a simulated medical emergency without loss in data quality.
Greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) Antibiosis Tests in Growth Chambers: Design of Experiments and Optimum Sample Size

The greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), is an important pest of cereal crops, but can be managed through use of resistant crop varieties. Research concerning the nature of resistance and the development of resistant varieties requires careful experimentation, which is often conducted in plant growth chambers. However, significant variation in tests conducted with plants in growth chambers has been reported. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine suitable experimental designs and optimum sample sizes for greenbug antibiosis tests in plant growth chambers. In our study, a greenbug antibiosis test was conducted in a growth chamber, utilizing a Latin square design to detect possible row-to-row or column-to-column variation. No significant row-to-row or column-to-column variation was found. Thus, simpler designs can be used in our chamber. However, uniformity trials should be conducted in each chamber to determine direction of possible gradients before developing appropriate statistical designs and conducting actual tests. To aid the researcher, a coefficient of variation (CV) table for different combinations of replications and subsamples was developed. In addition, the theoretical number of required replications for a given power of the test at significance levels of 0.01 and 0.05 and detectable percent differences of 5, 10, and 20% was also developed. The CV table and power of the test curves may be used to determine the number of replications required in future tests in chambers of this nature.
Animating Hierarchy: Disney and the Globalization of Capitalism

Much has been written about the power and influence of the Disney corporation (Dorfman & Mattelart, 1975; Shickel, 1968; Smoodin, 1993; Wasko, 2000; Maltin, 1980; Mosley, 1985). With enterprises in film, video, theme parks, cable and network television, cruise ships, toys, clothing, and other consumer products, Disney leads in the construction and promotion of U. S. popular culture. Yet, despite its position as global media giant—second only to Time-Warner-AOL, its sordid past as cold war propagandist and union-buster, and its current exploitation of sweatshop workers (e.g., $1/day for Haitian Disney employees), Disney maintains the Mickeyesque-aura of Uncle Walt and wholesome family entertainment. Indeed, Disney now serves as America’s moral educator (Real, 1977; Ward 1996). Dominating market power in entertainment mitigated by avuncular representation adheres to Disney in large part due to its primary production art form: the animated feature.
Isolation of Protein Complexes Associated with Long Noncoding RNAs.

Abstract Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a new class of regulatory genes that play critical roles in various processes ranging from normal development to human diseases. Recent studies have shown that protein complexes are required for the functions of lncRNAs. The identification of these proteins which are associated with lncRNAs is critical for the understanding of molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs in gene regulation and their functions. In this chapter, we describe a method to isolate proteins associated with lncRNAs. This procedure involves fusion protein maltose-binding protein (MBP) fused to MS2-binding protein to pull down the proteins associated with lncRNA and the identification of these proteins by mass spectrometry.
Etiology and epidemiological features of hand-foot-mouth disease in Liaocheng in 2010 and 2011

Objective To analyze the etiological and epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in Liaocheng city in 2010 and 2011,and to provide scientific evidence for preventive policy making.Methods A descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the etiological data collected from patients with HFMD in 2010 and2011.Results A total of 3303 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in 2010 and the predominant pathogen was found to be EV-71.While in 2011,there were 2078 confirmed cases reported and the major pathogen was identified as CA16.HFMD was a seasonal disease,most cases occurred from April to July with EV-71 and CA16 found to be the predominant pathogens and appeared alternatively in different periods.Most of the cases were children under 5 years old which accounted for 95.56% of total patients,especially those sporadically inhabited children who amounted for 90.24%.The detection rate of EV71 was higher than that of CA16 among children in kindergarten(χ2=71.02,P0.001).The morbidity of severe HFMD was the highest in children aged 1 to 2 years with EV1 found to be much more common than CA16(χ2=216.47,P0.001).Conclusions EV-71 and CA16 are the major pathogens of HFMD and may appear alternatively in different periods.Because of the regularity of this pathogenic spectrum,it is possible to predict the etiology for the following year.EV71 is the main pathogen causing severe infection.Understanding the epidemiological and etiological features of HFMD is critical for the prevention and control of HFMD.
SU-F-T-01: Optimization of the Accelerated Partial Breast Brachytherapy Fractionation with Consideration of Physical Doses to Tumor and Organ at Risk

Purpose: The accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with brachytherapy prescribes 34Gy to be delivered in 10 fractions over 5 consecutive working days without considering the physical dose to the target and organs at risk (OARs) for an individual patient. The purpose of this study is to optimize the fractionation scheme by evaluating the radiation effect on tumor and OARs with a modified linear-quadratic (LQ) model based on dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Methods: Five breast patients treated with multilumen balloon brachytherapy were selected. The minimum skin and rib spacing were ranged from 2.5mm to 14.3mm and from 1.0mm to 25.0mm, respectively. The LQ model parameters were set as: (1) breast: α=0.08, β=0.028, doubling time Tpot=14.4 days, and starting time Tk=21days; (2) skin: acute reaction α=0.101, β=0.009; late reaction α=0.064, β=0.029; (3) rib: α=0.3, β=0.12. Boundary dose Dt was 6 Gy for both target and OARs. The relation between radiation effects on the tumor (ET) and OARs (EOAR) were plotted for fraction number from 1 to 20. Results: The value of radiation effect from routine 3.4Gyx10 fractions was used as reference, ETref and EOARref. If set ET=ETref, the fractionation that results in minimum EOAR values correspond to the optimal fractionation. For these patients, the optimal numbers are 10 fractions for skin acute reaction, 18 fractions for skin and rib late reaction while the doses per fraction are 3.4Gy and 2.05–2.10Gy, respectively. If set EOAR=EOARref, the fractionation that results in a maximum ET value corresponds to the optimal fractionation. The optimal fractionation is 3.4Gyx10 fractions for skin acute reaction, and 2.10–2.25Gyx18 fractions for skin late reaction and rib. Conclusion: For APBI brachytherapy, the routine 3.4Gyx10 fractions is optimal fractionation for skin acute reaction, while 2.05–2.25Gyx18 fractions is optimal fractionation for late reaction of skin and rib.
Decreasing Marginal Cost and the Pattern of Trade

Current trends in the pure theory of trade are mainly concerned with the Heckscher-Ohlin factor endowment analysis. But the literature exploring and refining the H-O model has largely ignored variable returns to scale by assuming a linear homogeneous production function. The notable exception is the work of Kemp [2, pp. 110–129].1 Kemp, however, limits his exploration to an aspect of decreasing marginal cost, i.e. increasing returns (to scale) where all physical inputs are increased in the same proportion with consequent more than proportional increase in output. But it is well known that decreasing marginal cost may result either from increasing returns to scale or, when some factor is fixed while others are variable, from operation in early portion of stage I of production (where MVP and AVP are rising). His and other writers’ omission of the distinction between the two (to be labelled type A for the former and type B for the latter) leaves the problem of increasing returns in international trade theory still at the point of Tinbergen’s version of Graham’s theory [4] which also falls short in clarifying these two types.
The Oxford Nanopore MinION: delivery of nanopore sequencing to the genomics community

Nanopore DNA strand sequencing has emerged as a competitive, portable technology. Reads exceeding 150 kilobases have been achieved, as have in-field detection and analysis of clinical pathogens. We summarize key technical features of the Oxford Nanopore MinION, the dominant platform currently available. We then discuss pioneering applications executed by the genomics community.
Azimuthal correlation between jets and ridges

We demonstrate that the trigger-ridge azimuthal correlation in data can be understood based on a phenomenological model, called the Correlated Emission Model. In this model successive soft emissions due to jet-medium interaction lead to the enhancement of thermal partons which follow the local flow directions. The enhanced thermal partons are t he source of the ridge particles. The correlation between the flow direction and the trigger direc tion plays a central role in understanding this azimuthal correlation. Features in the ridge yield at various trigger angles as a function of the relative azimuthal angle between the ridge and the trigger and as a function of the impact parameters are discussed.
Structure-Preserved Multi-source Domain Adaptation

Domain adaptation has achieved promising results in many areas, such as image classification and object recognition. Although a lot of algorithms have been proposed to solve the task with different domain distributions, it remains a challenge for multi-source unsupervised domain adaptation. In addition, most of the existing algorithms learn a classifier on the source domain and predict the labels for the target data, which indicates that only the knowledge derived from the hyperplane is transferred to the target domain and the structure information is ignored. In light of this, we propose a novel algorithm for multi-source unsupervised domain adaptation. Generally speaking, we aim to preserve the whole structure from source domains and transfer it to serve the task on the target domain. The source and target data are put together for clustering, which simultaneously explores the structures of the source and target domains. The structure-preserved information from source domain further guides the clustering process on the target domain. Extensive experiments on two widely used databases on object recognition and face identification show the substantial improvement of our proposed approach over several state-of-the-art methods. Especially, our algorithm can take use of multi-source domains and achieve robust and better performance compared with the single source domain adaptation methods.
The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Product (RAGE) Binding to HMGB1 and Subsequent NADPH Oxidase Activation Mediates Ectopic Intestinal Inflammation in NAFLD

Recent clinical studies found a strong association of colonic inflammation with NAFLD) yet the mechanisms remain unknown. The present study identifies HMGB1 as a key mediator of intestinal inflammation in NAFLD and outlines a detailed redox signaling mechanism for such a pathway. NAFLD mice showed liver damage and release of higher HMGB1 in systemic circulation, increased intestinal tyrosine nitration that was dependent on NADPH oxidase. Intestines from NAFLD mice showed higher TLR4 activation and proinflammatory cytokine release, an outcome strongly dependent on the existence of NAFLD pathology and NADPH oxidase. In vitro experimentation using IE6 cells showed the HMGB1 activation of Toll like receptor (TLR-4) was both NADPH oxidase and peroxynitrite dependent with the latter being formed from the activation of NADPH oxidase. Proinflammatory cytokine production was significantly blocked by the specific peroxynitrite scavenger FBA, AKT inhibitor and NADPH oxidase inhibitor Apocynin suggesting NADPH oxidase-dependent peroxynitrite as a key mediator in TLR-4 activation and cytokine release via an AKT dependent pathway. Studies to ascertain the mechanism of HMGB1-mediatied NADPH oxidase activation showed a distinct role of RAGE as the use of inhibitors targeted against RAGE prevented NADPH oxidase activation, peroxynitrite formation, TLR4 activation and finally cytokine release. Thus in conclusion, the present study identifies a novel HMGB1mediated inflammatory pathway that is RAGE and redox signaling dependent and helps promote ectopic intestinal inflammation in NAFLD. 5P30GM103336-03 and 7R00ES019875-03 awarded to Dr. Saurabh Chatterjee.
Trans-cranial infrared laser stimulation induces hemodynamic and metabolic response measured by broadband near infrared spectroscopy in vivo on human forehead (Conference Presentation)

Transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS) uses infrared light (lasers or LEDs) for nondestructive and non-thermal photobiomodulation on the human brain. Although TILS has shown its beneficial effects to a variety of neurological and psychological conditions, its physiological mechanism remains unknown. Cytochrome-c-oxidase (CCO), the last enzyme in the electron transportation chain, is proposed to be the primary photoacceptor of this infrared laser. In this study, we wish to validate this proposed mechanism. We applied 8 minutes in vivo TILS on the right forehead of 11 human participants with a 1064-nm laser. Broad-band near infrared spectroscopy (bb-NIRS) from 740-900nm was also employed near the TILS site to monitor hemodynamic and metabolic responses during the stimulation and 5-minute recovery period. For rigorous comparison, we also performed similar 8-min bb-NIR measurements under placebo conditions. A multi-linear regression analysis based on the modified Beer-Lambert law was performed to estimate concentration changes of oxy-hemoglobin (Δ[HbO]), deoxy-hemoglobin (Δ[Hb]), and cytochrome-c-oxidase (Δ[CCO]). We found that TILS induced significant increases of [CCO], [HbO] and a decrease of [Hb] with dose-dependent manner as compared with placebo treatments. Furthermore, strong linear relationships or interplays between [CCO] versus [HbO] and [CCO] versus [Hb] induced by TILS were observed in vivo for the first time. These relationships have clearly revealed close coupling/relationship between the hemodynamic oxygen supply and blood volume versus up-regulation of CCO induced by photobiomodulation. Our results demonstrate the tremendous potential of bb-NIRS as a non-invasive in vivo means to study photobiomodulation mechanisms and perform treatment evaluations of TILS.
Understanding the health of veterans who are homeless: A review of the literature.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that almost 50,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Homeless veterans are at greater risk of health disparities than their housed counterparts due to the multifactorial nature of their health and social needs. The Department of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with more than a dozen other federal agencies, has concentrated efforts to improve the health of this vulnerable population while enacting a plan to eliminate veteran homelessness within the near future. Understanding the unique health needs of veterans who are homeless allows the profession of nursing to better support these efforts. The purpose of this literature review was to provide comprehensive knowledge to nurses about the health of homeless veterans for their use in clinical practice, research, and in contributing to the positive health outcomes for this vulnerable population.
Over-expression of a human CD62L ecto-domain and a potential role of RNA pseudoknot structures in recombinant protein expression.

Abstract L-selectin (CD62L) is an extracellular protein with a lectin-like domain that mediates rolling adhesion of leukocytes to vascular endothelial cell surfaces. Currently, there are no solved structures for the ectodomain of CD62L, nor of CD62L in complex with its ligand. We have developed a rapid mammalian recombinant protein expression system using an amplifiable glutamine synthase based vector. Here, we further developed and applied this method to express and purify the entire extracellular region of CD62L. This resulted in excess of 20 mg/L yield of recombinant CD62L. In an attempt to understand the different expression levels among four similar CD62L constructs that differ primarily in signal sequences, we calculated the presence of potential RNA pseudoknots in their signal sequences. The results showed the presence of pseudoknots involving the start codon and between the signal sequence and gene in the mRNA of the non-expressing constructs, suggesting a potential inhibitory role of RNA pseudoknots in recombinant protein expression.
Infusing autonomy in power distribution networks using smart transformers

In this tutorial we describe a list of analytical methods from optimization, control theory, and machine learning that can be used for infusing autonomy in large-scale interconnected networks of microgrids with as little human intervention in their control loops as possible. The cornerstone medium for promoting this autonomy is smart transformers made out of solid-state technology, which serve the dual role of a power-electronic transformer with very fast switching capability, and, hence, with significantly smaller size than conventional magnetic transformers, as well as of a powerful computer or logic-machine that can make intelligent decisions via communication. Solid-state transformers (SSTs) are, in fact, being anticipated to be the backbone of tomorrow's modern distribution grid. Microgrids typically have three layers of controllers — namely, primary control (for switching and circuit-breaking decisions), secondary control (for voltage and frequency regulation, and synchronization), and tertiary control (where a centralized supervisory controller communicates with energy management centers for updating setpoints according to load demands, and other changes in the circuit). Operating these control layers in today's microgrids require professional knowledge of the system, and calls for the operators to manually configure each of the components. With technology advancing to low-cost microprocessor driven devices such as SSTs, we propose a suite of new control and learning approaches that exploit different ‘Internet of things’ functionalities embedded inside the SSTs, and thereby guarantee at-scale resilience, reliability, fault-tolerance, and autonomy for tomorrow's distribution networks.
Temporal logic control of discrete-time piecewise affine systems

We consider the problem of controlling a discrete-time piecewise affine (PWA) system from a specification given as a Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formula over linear predicates in its state variables. We present a computational framework for finding initial states and feedback control strategies guaranteeing the satisfaction of such a specification by all the trajectories of the closed loop system. Our solution is based on abstracting the system to a finite transition system and on controlling the abstraction from an LTL specification.
Cigarette use is increasing among people with illicit substance use disorders in the United States, 2002–14: emerging disparities in vulnerable populations

BACKGROUND AND AIMS While cigarette smoking has declined over time, it is not known whether this decline has occurred similarly among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) in the United States (US). The current study estimated trends in smoking from 2002 to 2014 among US individuals with and without SUDs. DESIGN Linear time trends of current smoking prevalence were assessed using logistic regression models. SETTING United States; data were drawn from the 2002 to 2014 National Household Survey on Drug Use (NSDUH), an annual US cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS A representative, population-based sample of US individuals age 12 yeas and older (total analytical population: n = 723 283). MEASUREMENTS Past-month current smoking was defined as having smoked at least 100 lifetime cigarettes and reporting smoking part or all of at least one cigarette during the past 30 days. Respondents were classified as having any SUD if they met criteria for abuse or dependence for one or more of the following illicit drugs: cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, tranquilizers, cocaine, heroin, pain relievers, simulants and sedatives. A second SUD variable included all drugs listed above excluding cannabis use disorder (CUD). An additional variable included respondents who met criteria for cannabis abuse or dependence. FINDINGS Among those with any SUD, the prevalence of smoking did not change from 2002 to 2014 (P = 0.08). However, when CUDs were separated from other SUDs, a significant increase in prevalence of smoking was observed among those with SUDs excluding CUDs (P < 0.001), while smoking decreased among those with CUDs (P < 0.001). Smoking declined among those without SUDs (P < 0.001). In 2014, smoking remained significantly more common among those with any SUD (55.48%), SUDs excluding CUDs (63.34%) and CUDs (51.34%) compared with those without these respective disorders (18.16, 18.55 and 18.64%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of cigarette smoking in the United States increased from 2002 to 2014 among people with substance use disorders (SUDs) excluding cannabis use disorders (CUDs) and declined among those with CUDs and without SUDs. In 2014, the prevalence of smoking was multifold higher among those with SUDs, including CUDs, compared with those without SUDs.
Changes in the incidence and antimicrobial susceptibility of healthcare-associated infections in a New York hospital system, 2006-2012

Introduction: National efforts to curtail healthcare-associated infections (HAI) proliferated recently, though data detailing progress over time are limited. This retrospective cohort study aims to describe changes in incidence and antimicrobial susceptibility of HAI in four New York City hospitals over seven years. Methods: Electronic data were collected retrospectively for all patients discharged from 2006 through 2012. Previously validated c omputerized algorithms based on National Healthcare Safety Network criteria detected bloodstream infections, pneumonia, surgical site infections, and urinary tract infections with Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were obtained from electronic laboratory records. Logistic regression was used to assess changes in odds of acquiring an HAI and odds of antimicrobial resistance over time, controlling for age, gender, severity of illness, previous hospitalizations, and admission source. Results: In total, 19,052 HAI were identified among 761,426 discharges. HAI rates fell for all organisms, all infection types, and within all hospitals. Odds of acquiring an HAI decreased significantly over time for all organisms. Resistance levels were stable for Enterococcus spp., S. aureus , A. baumannii , and S. pneumoniae . Multidrug resistance increased for P. aeruginosa and decreased for K. pneumoniae , though imipenem resistance among K. pneumoniae climbed sharply in 2011. Conclusions: This study suggests that HAI incidence rates are falling, possibly due to increased federal, state and local attention to healthcare quality and patient safety. Though we found no substantial reductions in resistance, recent national attention towards antimicrobial stewardship may precipitate a change in coming years.
The acceptance of domestic technology: TAM as applied to a proposed classification scheme

Information systems researchers have studied technology acceptance for decades. Domestic technologies, such as ambient computing devices or smart homes have more recently begun to show up in scientific literature, mostly in the area of computing design. Such studies often use an ethnographic method, or study the development and potential use of particular gadgets or systems. Consumers have largely not embraced these technologies. In asking why this is the case, a previously proven method to study technology acceptance was sought and found in Davis' Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This study seeks to demonstrate the applicability of TAM to the study of emerging domestic technologies. In addition, a classification scheme is proposed for domestic technologies, classifying technologies based on task goal and technology type. Participants in the study were exposed to technologies from each of the four classification quadrants. Standard TAM measures, along with measures of gender, sex role attitude, and product class involvement were administered to 113 participants and path analysis was performed to determine the effect on behavioral intention (i.e., the intention to use the technology) of these factors.
Carbamoylated erythropoietin induces a neurotrophic gene profile in neuronal cells.

Abstract Erythropoietin (EPO), a cytokine molecule, is best-known for its role in erythropoiesis. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that EPO has robust neuroprotective effects that appear to be independent of erythropoiesis. It is also being clinically tested for the treatment of neuropsychiatric illnesses due to its behavioral actions. A major limitation of EPO is that long-term administration results in excessive red blood cell production and increased blood viscosity. A chemical modification of EPO, carbamoylated erythropoietin (CEPO), reproduces the behavioral response of EPO in animal models but does not stimulate erythropoiesis. The molecular mechanisms involved in the behavioral effects of CEPO are not known. To obtain molecular insight we examined CEPO induced gene expression in neuronal cells. PC-12 cells were treated with CEPO followed by genome-wide microarray analysis. We investigated the functional significance of the gene profile by unbiased bioinformatics analysis. The Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software was employed. The results revealed activation of functions such as neuronal number and long-term potentiation. Regulated signaling cascades included categories such as neurotrophin, CREB, NGF and synaptic long-term potentiation signaling. Some of the regulated genes from these pathways are CAMKII, EGR1, FOS, GRIN1, KIF1B, NOTCH1. We also comparatively examined EPO and CEPO-induced gene expression for a subset of genes in the rat dentate gyrus. The CEPO gene profile shows the induction of genes and signaling cascades that have roles in neurogenesis and memory formation, mechanisms that can produce antidepressant and cognitive function enhancing activity.
Patterns of failure in high-metastatic node number human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract Background The 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for resected HPV-positive oropharynx carcinoma (HPV+ OPC) highlights high node number as a critical determinant of survival. We sought to characterize outcomes and patterns of failure in patients with high pathologically involved node number oropharynx cancer. Methods We retrospectively identified 116 HPV+ OPC patients sequentially treated with neck dissection and either resection or intraoperative brachytherapy of the primary tumor between 2010 and 2016. External beam radiation was given based on the pathologic findings. Cox proportional hazards regression was used for multivariate analysis. Results With a median follow-up of 27 months, the 3-year overall survival and progression free survival (PFS) were 89% and 81%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, ≥5 involved lymph nodes was significantly associated with worse PFS (hazard ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–12.0, P = 0.001). Rates of 3-year locoregional recurrence (LRR) in patients with ≤4 vs ≥5 were 6% and 22% (log-rank P = 0.12). Rates of 3-year distant metastases (DM) were 12% and 53% between ≤4 and ≥5 (log-rank P Conclusion Our findings confirm that patients with 5 or more involved lymph nodes appear to have substantially worsened rates of disease recurrence. While these patients appear to be at high risk of both LRR and DM, the predominant mechanism of failure is distant, and the rate of DM in this group was over 50%. Dedicated clinical trials in this patient population are warranted with a focus on mitigating the high DM rate.
Relative Pancreas Volume Is Reduced in First-Degree Relatives of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Pancreas size is reduced in patients at type 1 diabetes onset and in autoantibody (AAB)-positive donors without diabetes. We sought to determine whether pancreas volume (PV) imaging could improve understanding of the loss of pancreas size in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with type 1 diabetes. We also examined relationships among PV, AAB status, and endocrine and exocrine functions. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study that included five groups: AAB− control subjects (no diabetes and no first- or second-degree relatives with type 1 diabetes) (N = 49), AAB− FDRs (N = 61), AAB+ FDRs (N = 67 total: n = 31 with a single positive AAB [AAB+ single] and n = 36 with multiple positive AABs [AAB+ multiple]), and patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes ( RESULTS All FDR groups had significantly lower RPV adjusted for BMI (RPVBMI) than control subjects (all P CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates, for the first time, all FDRs having significantly smaller RPVBMI compared with AAB− control subjects. Furthermore, RPVBMI was significantly lower in patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes than in the AAB− FDR and AAB+ multiple groups. As such, RPVBMI may be a novel noninvasive biomarker for predicting progression through stages of type 1 diabetes risk. This study highlights the potential paracrine relationships between the exocrine and endocrine pancreas in progression to type 1 diabetes in subjects at risk.
Crossing the Finish Line: The Role of Posttraumatic Stress and Type of Trauma Exposure in College Graduation

The present study examined whether posttraumatic stress (PTS) and type of trauma exposure (i.e., interpersonal vs. noninterpersonal traumas) predicted college graduation. The sample include...
Dried blood spots: Effects of less than optimal collection, shipping time, heat, and humidity

Objectives This study investigates how factors related to collection, storage, transport time, and environmental conditions affect the quality and accuracy of analyses of dried blood spot (DBS) samples. Methods Data come from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) DBS laboratory reports and the HRS merged with the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) Global Historical Climate Network Daily (NCDC GHCN-Daily) and the NCDC Local Climatological Data, by zip code. We ran regression models to examine the associations between assay values based on DBS for five analytes (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and cystatin C) and the characteristics of DBS cards and drops, shipping time, and temperature, and humidity at the time of collection. Results We found cholesterol measures to be sensitive to many factors including small spots, shipping time, high temperature and humidity. Small spots in DBS cards are related to lower values across all analytes. Longer DBS transit time before freezing is associated with lower values of total and HDL cholesterol and cystatin C. Results were similar whether or not venous blood sample values were included in equations. Conclusions Small spots, long shipping time, and exposure to high temperature and humidity need to be avoided if possible. Quality of spots and cards and information on shipping time and conditions should be coded with the data to make adjustments in values when necessary. The different results across analytes indicate that results cannot be generalized to all DBS assays.
Differentiation of intrafusal fibers from human induced pluripotent stem cells

Human-based "body-on-a-chip" technology provides powerful platforms in developing models for drug evaluation and disease evaluations in phenotypic models. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are ideal cell sources for generating different cell types for these in vitro functional systems and recapitulation of the neuromuscular reflex arc would allow for the study of patient specific neuromuscular diseases. Regarding relevant afferent (intrafusal fibers, sensory neurons) and efferent (extrafusal fibers, motoneurons) cells, in vitro differentiation of intrafusal fiber from human iPSCs has not been established. This work demonstrates a protocol for inducing an enrichment of intrafusal bag fibers from iPSCs using morphological analysis and immunocytochemistry. Phosphorylation of the ErbB2 receptors and S46 staining indicated a 3-fold increase of total intrafusal fibers further confirming the efficiency of the protocol. Integration of induced intrafusal fibers would enable more accurate reflex arc models and application of this protocol on patient iPSCs would allow for patient-specific disease modeling.
29 – TRANSITION ELEMENTS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the chemistry of the d and f transition metals. It further presents the descriptive chemistry of the most important transition metals, namely, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, silver, and gold. The d transition metal atoms can contain up to five unpaired d electrons, and their compounds also often contain unpaired electrons. In contrast to inorganic compounds containing only representative elements, compounds of many of the d transition elements are paramagnetic and colored. The unpaired electrons are often responsible for the color in such compounds. The elements from lanthanum (57La), through lutetium (71Lu), are collectively called the lanthanides or the rare earth elements. The elements from actinium (89Ac) through lawrencium (103Lr) are collectively called the actinides. In the lanthanides and actinides, the f energy levels in the second from the outermost shell are filled to capacity with 14 electrons. For the lanthanides the 4f level is filled, and for the actinides, the 5f level is filled. The outermost shell contains a pair of 5 electrons, and in some cases, the second from outermost shell contains a single d electron. All energy levels below the (n–2) f level are filled to capacity and their electrons are unavailable for bonding.