cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-18 knockout mice display maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure overload

Abstract Interleukin (IL)-18 is a cardiotropic proinflammatory cytokine chronically elevated in the serum of patients with cardiac hypertrophy (LVH). The purpose of this study was to examine the role of IL-18 in pressure-overload hypertrophy using wild type (WT) and IL-18 −/− (null) mice. Adult male C57Bl/6 mice underwent transaortic constriction (TAC) for 7 days or sham surgery. Heart weight/body weight ratios showed blunted hypertrophy in IL-18 null TAC mice compared to WT TAC animals. Microarray analyses indicated differential expression of hypertrophy-related genes in WT versus IL-18 nulls. Northern, Western, and EMSA analyses showed Akt and GATA4 were increased in WT but unchanged in IL-18 null mice. Our results demonstrate blunted hypertrophy with reduced expression of contractile-, hypertrophy-, and remodeling-associated genes following pressure overload in IL-18 null mice, and suggest that IL-18 plays a critical role in the hypertrophic response.
MEME - a society of virtual characters in an adaptive information sharing system

Messaging systems are essential for circulating information within an organization, yet currently the e-mail-based exchange of information does not take advantage of technologies that could change many aspects of the way we communicate. Here we focus on the MEME system that supports information-sharing communities. Within the messaging system each community or individual users are represented as virtual characters or avatars that react to the semantics and other features of the content being shared. Our goal is to develop models guiding the behavior of virtual characters that express such features of information as semantic relevance, timeliness or even intentions of system users. Machine learning techniques are applied to generate models of information and control the behavior of virtual characters that populate the system.
Linking technical change to research effort: an examination of aggregation and spillovers effects

We used a disaggregate approach to examine investment efficiency of wheat breeding research in India. India’s total research effort comprizes 20 research programs spread across 50 experiment stations. A technology spillover matrix was constructed for both potential and actual spillovers. Spillovers and free-riding were dominant characteristics of technical change during the period studied. Although the aggregate rate of return to wheat improvement research in India was estimated to be 55%, eight programs were found to have earned a negative rate of return when spillins were taken into account. Research output is concentrated on a few strong programs. The two strongest programs generated 75% of all the technical change benefits, even though they claimed just 22% of research resources. These two programs include a significant degree of overlap, while on the other hand many farmers were not reached by any of the programs — 56 and 78% of rainfed and durum area, respectively, in 1990 was still sown with pre-1976 varieties. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Effect of passivation on stress relaxation in electroplated copper films

The present study investigated the effect of passivation on the kinetics of interfacial mass transport by measuring stress relaxation in electroplated Cu films with four different cap layers: SiN, SiC, SiCN, and a Co metal cap. Stress curves measured under thermal cycling showed different behaviors for the unpassivated and passivated Cu films, but were essentially indifferent for the films passivated with different cap layers. On the other hand, stress relaxation measured under an isothermal condition revealed clearly the effect of passivation, indicating that interface diffusion controls the kinetics of stress relaxation. The relaxation rates in the passivated Cu films were found to decrease in the order of SiC, SiCN, SiN, and metal caps. This correlates well with previous studies on the relationship between interfacial adhesion and electromigration. A kinetic model based on coupling of interface and grain-boundary diffusion was used to deduce the interface diffusivities and the corresponding activation energies.
Forecasting elections with non-representative polls

Election forecasts have traditionally been based on representative polls, in which randomly sampled individuals are asked for whom they intend to vote. While representative polling has historically proven to be quite eective, it comes at considerable nancial and time costs. Moreover, as response rates have declined over the past several decades, the statistical benets of representative sampling have diminished. In this paper, we show that with proper statistical adjustment, non-representative polls can be used to generate accurate election forecasts, and often faster and at less expense than traditional survey methods. We demonstrate this approach by creating forecasts from a novel and highly non-representative survey dataset: a series of daily voter intention polls for the 2012 presidential election conducted on the Xbox gaming platform. After adjusting the Xbox responses via multilevel regression and poststratication , we obtain estimates in line with forecasts from leading poll analysts, which were based on aggregating hundreds of traditional polls conducted during the election cycle. We conclude by arguing that non-representative polling shows promise not only for election forecasting, but also for measuring public opinion on a broad range of social, economic and cultural issues.
ON-Q anesthetic pump in gynecologic oncology: feasibility study of a novel placement technique at an army hospital.

ABSTRACT Objectives: The goals were (1) to describe a novel placement technique for the ON-Q anesthetic system based on somatic neural anatomy and (2) to determine its feasibility, efficacy, and associated morbidity among surgical patients on a gynecologic oncology service. Methods: A retrospective observational study of 100 consecutive patients who underwent a vertical laparotomy and received an ON-Q system was performed. The ON-Q system was composed of a soaker catheter (threaded longitudinally within the rectus sheaths) and an elastomer pump that infused 0.5% bupivacaine at 2 mL/hour for up to 5 days. Results: The average duration of ON-Q system use was 4.4 days (range, 2–5 days). The median numeric pain scores (range, 0–10) were 3, 2, 1, 0, and 0 on postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Complications encountered included suturing of the catheter to the fascia (n = 1), wound hematomas (n = 2), and device failure (n = 1). Conclusions: Intrafascial placement of the ON-Q soaker catheter for ...
Hybrid organic–inorganic solar cells based on bismuth iodide and 1,6-hexanediammonium dication

Heavy metal toxicity and device instability are prominent limitations in the push for commercialization of photovoltaics based on low-cost, solution-processed materials. In this study, a hybrid organic–inorganic material containing trivalent bismuth and dicationic 1,6-hexanediammonium was used as the photoactive layer in solution-processed photovoltaics. These proof-of-concept photovoltaics demonstrated a stable open-circuit photovoltage of 384 ± 12 mV and steady-state short-circuit photocurrent density of 0.101 ± 0.020 mA cm−2. In comparison to the widely studied lead-halide-based perovskites, the bismuth-based materials had superior coverage on mesoporous TiO2 layers as determined by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, thermal stability tests demonstrated that these bismuth-based materials were more stable at higher temperatures than comparable lead-based materials.
Effects of Soil Moisture and Temperature on the Saprophytic Ability of Trichoderma Harzianum

Measurements of competitive saprophytic colonization were used to evaluate the activity of Tricho? derma harzianum in non-sterile soil under conditions of varying soil moisture and temperature. Esti? mates of activity based on levels of colonization, determined after homogenization of substrate pieces, were more discriminating than those based on the number of colonized pieces. T. harzianum was found to be most active at soil matric potentials from -0.5 to -1.0 bar, with activity declining at matric potentials of 0.0, -7.5, and -15.0 bars. The saprophytic activity of T. harzianum was greatest at temperatures from 15 to 21 C. The optimum temperature for competitive colonization was several
Photography Interrupted A Hypermodal Assemblage

As the possibilities of hypermodal inquiry intensify against the boundaries of qualitative research, a hypermodal assemblage performs an unfolding–refolding of layers within the space of Deleuzian ...
Mobile CPU's rise to power: Quantifying the impact of generational mobile CPU design trends on performance, energy, and user satisfaction

In this paper, we assess the past, present, and future of mobile CPU design. We study how mobile CPU designs trends have impacted the end-user, hardware design, and the holistic mobile device. We analyze the evolution often cutting-edge mobile CPU designs released over the past seven years. Specifically, we report measured performance, power, energy and user satisfaction trends across mobile CPU generations. A key contribution of our work is that we contextualize the mobile CPU's evolution in terms of user satisfaction, which has largely been absent from prior mobile hardware studies. To bridge the gap between mobile CPU design and user satisfaction, we construct and conduct a novel crowdsourcing study that spans over 25,000 survey participants using the Amazon Mechanical Turk service. Our methodology allows us to identify what mobile CPU design techniques provide the most benefit to the end-user's quality of user experience. Our results quantitatively demonstrate that CPUs play a crucial role in modern mobile system-on-chips (SoCs). Over the last seven years, both single-and multicore performance improvements have contributed to end-user satisfaction by reducing user-critical application response latencies. Mobile CPUs aggressively adopted many power-hungry desktop-oriented design techniques to reach these performance levels. Unlike other smartphone components (e.g. display and radio) whose peak power consumption has decreased over time, the mobile CPU's peak power consumption has steadily increased. As the limits of technology scaling restrict the ability of desktop-like scaling to continue for mobile CPUs, specialized accelerators appear to be a promising alternative that can help sustain the power, performance, and energy improvements that mobile computing necessitates. Such a paradigm shift will redefine the role of the CPU within future SoCs, which merit several design considerations based on our findings.
Computer Storage and Retrieval of Insecticide Test Data

A computerized system has been developed to store large volumes of chemical, physical, and biological data that relate to the screening of acaricidal and insecticidal formulations. Currently, the data can be computer updated, sorted, searched, and indexed to provide general summary data or very specific subset information. The system is operational on an IBM 370/168 but also can be used by centers with Control Data 6000/7000 or Univac 1108 equipment.
Frequency-Swept Ultrasound-Modulated Optical Tomography

A novel frequency-swept (chirped) ultrasound modulated optical tomography technique was developed to image scattering media. Laser light was modulated by a frequency-swept ultrasonic wave to add spatial information to the modulated optical signal. The modulated optical signal was received by a photomultiplier tube and was heterodyned with a reference modulation signal. Frequency analysis was employed to obtain spatial resolution along the ultrasonic axis. A spectrum can be converted to a ID image. Multiple spectra were obtained and were used to form a 2D image of the scattering medium.
Real-time blood monitoring via coherent Raman spectroscopy

We demonstrate a real-time method of blood analysis. Using a novel coherent Raman technique we record the vibrational spectrum from picoliters of whole blood in milliseconds. This method will allow real-time, in vivo, blood monitoring.
Eradication of Plant Pests—Con

Eradication as a pest management strategy is a highly controversial subject among applied entomologists. Much of the controversy is semantic. The term appears to have almost as many meanings as there are entomologists.
Progestin-only contraception and thromboembolism: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Women with medical conditions associated with increased risk for thrombosis generally should not use estrogen-containing contraceptives; however, less is known about progestin-only contraceptives (POCs) and thrombosis risk. Objectives The objective was to identify evidence regarding the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) or arterial thromboembolism [stroke or acute myocardial infarction (AMI)] among women using POCs. Methods We searched the PubMed database for all articles published from database inception through January 2016 for studies examining thrombosis among women using POCs. We included studies which examined women with medical conditions associated with thrombosis risk, as well as studies of women in the general population (either without these conditions or who were not specified to have these conditions). Hormonal contraceptives of interest included progestin-only pills (POPs), injectables, implants and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (LNG-IUDs). Outcomes of interest included VTE, stroke and AMI. Results There were 26 articles of good to poor quality that met inclusion criteria; 9 studies examined women with medical conditions and 20 examined women in the general population. Two studies found that, among smokers and women with certain thrombogenic mutations, use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) had elevated odds of VTE compared with nonsmokers or those without mutations, although confidence intervals were wide and overlapped with odds among nonusers. One study found that, among women with previous VTE, use of POCs (including DMPA) was associated with a nonsignificant increased odds of recurrent VTE (all of which were among DMPA users); two other studies that examined POCs other than DMPA did not observe an association with recurrent VTE. Two studies found that use of DMPA among healthy women was also associated with increased odds of VTE. Two studies found that use of POCs for therapeutic indications was associated with increased odds of VTE. Studies did not find increased odds of VTE with POPs for contraceptive purposes, implants or LNG-IUDs nor were there increased odds of stroke or AMI with any POCs. Conclusion The majority of evidence identified by this systematic review did not suggest an increase in odds for venous or arterial events with use of most POCs. Limited evidence suggested increased odds of VTE with use of injectables (three studies) and use of POCs for therapeutic indications (two studies, one with POCs unspecified and the other with POPs). Any increase in risk likely translates to a small increase in absolute numbers of thrombotic events at the population level.
Northern Blot Detection of mRNA

This chapter uses Northern blot analysis to estimate the amount and molecular weight of a specific messenger RNA (mRNA) within a preparation of total RNA. The Northern blot procedure measures mRNA accumulation, which reflects both the rate of transcription and the stability of the RNA in question. A hybridization probe can detect a particular mRNA among a population of RNAs separated by electrophoresis and transferred to a membrane. To demonstrate the Northern blot technique, this chapter utilizes expression of the Rbs S gene in tobacco leaves as an example. This light-regulated nuclear gene encodes the small subunit of the photosynthetic enzyme, RuBisCO. The large subunit of the enzyme is encoded by the chloroplast DNA. The RuBisCO holoenzyme catalyzes the addition of CO 2 to ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate—the first step in the Calvin cycle. RbsS mRNA is the most abundant message in tobacco leaves, making it easily detectable by Northern blot analysis.
Dechlorination of high-molecular-weight chlorolignin by the white-rot fungus P. chrysosporium

Epuration d'eaux usees de pulpe de blanchiment par des champignons (P. chrysosporium) fixe sur un contacteur biologique rotatif
Data centric approach to analyzing security threats in Underwater Sensor Networks

The concept of securing data in Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSN) is an ongoing conflict due to the many challenges faced in this harsh environment. Due to the restriction of energy among underwater modems, we must ensure that our transmissions are efficient as possible. Furthermore, we must consider the open possibility of mobile malicious nodes interjecting false packets into our network. Information-centric architectures proves to be a potential solution to integrating security among data handling. With proper incite, an intelligent Denial of Service (DoS) attack can still drastically effect an UWSN using information-centric components. In this work, we first analyze different forms of DoS attacks that take advantage of acoustic broadcast median and restricted modem energy. Next, we purpose a specialized algorithm to detect and cut off potential malicious nodes. Furthermore, we introduce machine learning techniques to evaluate detection rules overtime to better adhere to multiple mobile attackers. Simulation results depict the affects of this algorithm in the case of single and multiple DoS attacks. Our results show a strong correlation between DoS defensive methods and overall decreased network traffic.
Engineering flame retardant biodegradable polymer nanocomposites and their application in 3D printing

Flame retardant, environmentally sustainable nanocomposites were made by melt blending poly (lactic acid) (PLA) with melamine polyphosphate (MPP) and Cloisite 30B (C-30B). The composition of the nanocomposite was highly specific and guided by interfacial energy minimization principals which balanced enthalpic and mechanical contributions. In this critical range, even small changes in the filler concentration can have a large impact on the performance of the material. We showed that while addition of 17% MPP can increase the flame resistance of PLA, (achieving a UL-94 V2 rating) the mechanical properties were significantly degraded. Addition of only 1% C-30B reversed these effects and yielded a nanocomposite with enhanced mechanical properties and passing the UL-94 V0 flame test. This compound was able to be extruded and fed into a Makerbot Replicator 2X Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer, where the printed samples were indistinguishable mechanically from their molded counterparts and also achieved the UL-94 V0 rating. The enhanced performance occurred only within a very narrow composition window. Cone calorimetry revealed that while a significant decrease in the heat release rate, accompanied by the formation of an intumescent char, was achieved by the addition of 1% C-30B to the MPP/PLA blend, a very poor char, corresponding the increase in the heat release rate, was obtained with addition of 2% C-30B. These results were explained in view of the altered phase morphology observed in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
Serosurvey for West Nile Virus Antibodies in Steller's Jays ( Cyanocitta stelleri ) Captured in Coastal California, USA.

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected in New York in 1999 and, during its expansion across the continental US, southern Canada, and Mexico, members of the Corvidae (ravens, crows, magpies, and jays) were frequently infected and highly susceptible to the virus. As part of a behavioral study of Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) conducted from 2011–14 in the coastal California counties of San Mateo and Santa Cruz, 380 Steller's Jays were captured and tested for antibodies to WNV. Using the wild bird immunoglobulin G enzyme linked immunoassay, we failed to detect antibodies to WNV, indicating either that there was no previous exposure to the virus or that exposed birds had died.
Row and forage crop rotation effects on maize mineral nutrition and yield

Diverse crop rotations are an integral component of sustainable agriculture. The objectives were to investigate row and forage crop rotation effects on stover biomass, grain yield, and mineral nutrient concentrations of maize (Zea mays L.) grown under a maize–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] 2-yr rotation (C–S); maize–soybean–spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) 3-yr rotation (C–S–W); maize–soybean–oat/pea (Avena sativa L./Pisum sativum L.) hay 3-yr rotation (C–S–H); and maize–soybean–oat/pea hay underseeded with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) – alfalfa – alfalfa 5-yr rotation (C–S–H/A–A–A). Rotations were established in 1997 and maize plots were sampled in 2008–2011. Across the 4 yr of the study, grain yield was 10% greater (1.0 Mg ha−1) in C–S–H/A–A–A and C–S–W rotations compared with C–S with C–S–H intermediate. Under C–S–H/A–A–A, kernel N concentration was 7% greater, kernel P was 17% less, and kernel K was 7% less compared with C–S–W. Kernel Zn concentration was 16% lower in C–S–H than in C–S and C–S–H/...
A Novel Side-Channel Timing Attack on GPUs

To avoid information leakage during program execution, modern software implementations of cryptographic algorithms target constant timing complexity, i.e., the number of instructions executed does not vary with different inputs. However, many times the underlying microarchitecture behaves differently when processing varying data inputs, which covertly leaks confidential information through the timing channel. In this paper, we exploit a novel fine-grained microarchitectural timing channel, stalls that occur due to bank conflicts in a GPU's shared memory. Using this attack surface, we develop a differential timing attack that can compromise table-based cryptographic algorithms. We implement our timing attack on an Nvidia Kepler K40 GPU, and successfully recover the complete 128-bit AES encryption key using 10 million samples. We also evaluate the scalability of our attack method by attacking a 8192-thread implementation of the AES encryption algorithm, recovering some key bytes using 1 million samples.
Clopidogrel reloading for patients with acute myocardial infarction already on clopidogrel therapy.

Aims We sought to determine the association of clopidogrel reloading with in-hospital bleeding and mortality in contemporary practice. Methods and results We examined clopidogrel reloading for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients on pre-admission clopidogrel therapy in the ACTION Registry-GWTG from 2009 to 2014. We used inverse probability weighted propensity adjustment to compare in-hospital mortality and major bleeding risks between patients reloaded in the first 24 h with ≥300 mg of clopidogrel vs. those continued on a maintenance (<300 mg) dose. Among the 12 366 patients on pre-admission clopidogrel therapy who were admitted with STEMI, 9369 (75.8%) received a loading dose. Of 39 158 patients with NSTEMI, 10 144 (25.9%) were reloaded. Reloaded patients were younger, had fewer comorbid conditions, and were more likely to be treated with primary PCI (STEMI) or an early invasive strategy (NSTEMI). Risks of major bleeding were not significantly different between patients with and without reloading, whether presenting with STEMI (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.85-1.13) or NSTEMI (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.90-1.11). Among STEMI patients, clopidogrel reloading was associated with lower risks of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.96), however no significant mortality difference was observed among NSTEMI patients (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.93-1.37). Conclusion Clopidogrel reloading occurs frequently among MI patients who are on pre-admission clopidogrel therapy, particularly among STEMI patients. We did not observe increased bleeding or mortality risk with clopidogrel reloading, and therefore reloading could be safe for most MI patients.
Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after solid-organ transplant in children

The post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are a diverse group of potentially life-threatening conditions affecting organ transplant recipients. PTLD arises in the setting of an attenuated host immunologic system that is manipulated to allow a foreign graft but then fails to provide adequate immune surveillance of transformed malignant or premalignant lymphocytes. The diversity of biological behavior and clinical presentation makes for a challenging clinical situation for those involved in the care of children with PTLD occurring after solid-organ transplantation. This review details a large transplant center's multidisciplinary approach to monitoring for PTLD and systematic approach to intervention, which has been essential for early recognition and successful treatment.
Self-assembling peptides in biomedicine and bioengineering: Tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and biotechnology

Abstract Self-assembly is a spontaneous and reversible process in which disordered components are hierarchically organized into structures or patterns due to specific, noncovalent interactions with the components themselves. At the molecular level, self-assembly is the organization of molecules without outside guidance. This chapter focuses on the intermolecular association of peptides and the formation of structurally defined, stable organizations through local interactions. These interactions include hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, van der Waals’ bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and water-mediated hydrogen bonds. Although weak, these bonds in combination control the final structure and assembly stability.
Accurate Localization and Tracking of a Passive RFID Reader Based on RSSI Measurements

Real-time locating systems require high localization accuracy in the order of a few centimeters. Conventional methods for radio frequency identification (RFID) localization fail to achieve such accuracy, particularly in complex radio frequency propagation environments. In this paper, we propose a method for locating and tracking an RFID reader that can achieve such accuracy in a complex propagation environment by exploiting received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements as the only form of observation obtained from multiple spatially distributed passive tags. There are three key contributions of this paper. First, we analyze the effect of propagation impairments, non-isotropic radiation pattern of the tag antennas and multipath propagation, on RSSI measurements and the overall localization and tracking performance. Next, we compensate for the artifacts of multipath propagation and non-isotropic antenna pattern and obtain a maximum likelihood (ML) estimate of the RFID reader in a 2-D Cartesian space. The ML estimates of the reader position, together with its velocity, are then used as inputs to the Kalman filter for dynamical estimation of its trajectory. Finally, we present experimental results to demonstrate that the proposed method substantially improves the localization accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art methods for a given tag density.
Schritt 3: Komplexitätskompass – das Problem bewerten!

Oder wurden Sie permanent auf die heise Herdplatte fassen und annehmen, sie ware gleich beim nachsten Mal spurbar weniger heis? Sicherlich nicht. Nicht jedes Problem kann mit dem gleichen Losungsansatz bewaltigt werden. Und doch passiert genau das in der Mehrzahl der Unternehmen.
Evaluation of Overall Response Rate and Progression-Free Survival as Potential Surrogate Endpoints for Overall Survival in Immunotherapy Trials

Purpose: With the approval of immunotherapies for a variety of indications, methods to assess treatment benefit addressing the response patterns observed are important. We evaluated RECIST criteria-based overall response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) as potential surrogate endpoints of overall survival (OS), and explored a modified definition of PFS by altering the threshold percentage determining disease progression to assess the association with survival benefit in immunotherapy trials.Experimental Design: Thirteen randomized, multicenter, active-control trials containing immunotherapeutic agents submitted to the FDA were analyzed. Associations between treatment effects of ORR, PFS, modified PFS, and OS were evaluated at individual and trial levels. Patient-level responder analysis was performed for PFS and OS.Results: The coefficient of determination (R²) measured the strength of associations, where values near 1 imply surrogacy and values close to 0 suggest no association. At the trial level, the association between hazard ratios (HR) of PFS and OS was R2 = 0.1303, and between the odds ratio (OR) of ORR and HR of OS was R2 = 0.1277. At the individual level, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient between PFS and OS was 0.61. Trial-level associations between modified PFS and OS ranged between 0.07 and 0.1, and individual-level correlations were approximately 0.6. HRs of PFS and OS for responders versus nonresponders were 0.129 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.11-0.15] and 0.118 (95% CI, 0.11-0.13), respectively.Conclusions: Although responders exhibited longer survival and PFS than nonresponders, the trial-level and individual-level associations were weak between PFS/ORR and OS. Modifications to PFS did not improve associations. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2268-75. ©2018 AACRSee related commentary by Korn and Freidlin, p. 2239.
Transnational health resources, practices, and perspectives: Brazilian immigrant women's narratives.

This paper examines the representations of transnational health resources, practices, and perspectives in the narratives of Brazilian immigrant women. The results of this qualitative narrative research indicated that in taking care of their health, these Brazilian immigrants often relied on a combination of personal and collective transnational resources. They engaged in a variety of premigration and transnational health practices and demonstrated a high degree of personal responsibility for their health, although they frequently delayed or postponed seeking formal health care. In responding to health and illness concerns, these immigrant women moved back and forth across informal and formal health care systems, crossing multiple national, cultural, and health care system borders. Their stories illustrated the transnational nature of personal, cultural, and political perspectives on health and health care and highlighted the layered complexities of immigrant women's health practices and resources.
THE l2 AND l∞ CONDITION NUMBERS OF THE FINITE ELEMENT STIFFNESS AND MASS MATRICES, AND THE POINTWISE CONVERGENCE OF THE METHOD

This chapter discusses the l 2 and l ∞ condition numbers of the finite element stiffness and mass matrices, and the pointwise convergence of the method. Computable bounds are derived for the extremal eigenvalues of the global mass and stiffness matrices generated by the method of finite elements. With these bounds, it becomes possible to bound the spectral ( l 2 ) condition numbers C 2 ( K ) = ∥ K ∥ 2 ∥ K –1 ∥ 2 of the stiffness matrix K , and C 2 ( M ) = ∥ μ ∥ 2 ∥ μ –1 ∥ 2 of the mass (Gram) matrix M . The bounds on the condition numbers are expressed in terms of the extremal eigenvalues of the element stiffness and mass matrices, the maximum number of elements meeting at a nodal point and the fundamental frequency of the structure. As the element matrices are of restricted dimension, the dependence of their eigenvalues on the geometry of the element can be readily established either numerically or even algebraically. These bounds on C 2 ( K ) and C 2 ( M ) are next applied to second and fourth order problems, and to some inherently ill-conditioned problems, to determine the influence of a problem's intrinsic and discretization parameters on the condition of K and M .
Catalyst considerations for diesel converters

A theory of diesel exhaust catalysis using an oxidation flow- through type catalyst to reduce particulate emissions is explained. The effects of converter design, catalyst support materials, and the use of noble metals for light and heavy duty applications are discussed. Experiments were performed to determine: 1) the sulfur storage and release characteristics of alumina and silica catalyst support materials; and 2) the ability of platinum and palladium to oxidise SO2 to sulfate particulate. Light duty FTP and heavy duty transient results are also presented. For the covering abstract see IRRD 851463.
Administration of Downstream ApoE Attenuates the Adverse Effect of Brain ABCA1 Deficiency on Stroke

The ATP-binding cassette transporter member A1 (ABCA1) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) are major cholesterol transporters that play important roles in cholesterol homeostasis in the brain. Previous research demonstrated that specific deletion of brain-ABCA1 (ABCA1−B/−B) reduced brain grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) density in the ischemic brain and decreased functional outcomes after stroke. However, the downstream molecular mechanism underlying brain ABCA1-deficiency-induced deficits after stroke is not fully understood. Adult male ABCA1−B/−B and ABCA1-floxed control mice were subjected to distal middle-cerebral artery occlusion and were intraventricularly infused with artificial mouse cerebrospinal fluid as vehicle control or recombinant human ApoE2 into the ischemic brain starting 24 h after stroke for 14 days. The ApoE/apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and GM/WM remodeling and functional outcome were measured. Although ApoE2 increased brain ApoE/HDL levels and GM/WM density, negligible functional improvement was observed in ABCA1-floxed-stroke mice. ApoE2-administered ABCA1−B/−B stroke mice exhibited elevated levels of brain ApoE/ApoER2/HDL, increased GM/WM density, and neurogenesis in both the ischemic ipsilateral and contralateral brain, as well as improved neurological function compared with the vehicle-control ABCA1−B/−B stroke mice 14 days after stroke. Ischemic lesion volume was not significantly different between the two groups. In vitro supplementation of ApoE2 into primary cortical neurons and primary oligodendrocyte-progenitor cells (OPCs) significantly increased ApoER2 expression and enhanced cholesterol uptake. ApoE2 promoted neurite outgrowth after oxygen-glucose deprivation and axonal outgrowth of neurons, and increased proliferation/survival of OPCs derived from ABCA1−B/−B mice. Our data indicate that administration of ApoE2 minimizes the adverse effects of ABCA1 deficiency after stroke, at least partially by promoting cholesterol traffic/redistribution and GM/WM remodeling via increasing the ApoE/HDL/ApoER2 signaling pathway.
SACUBITRIL-VALSARTAN VERSUS ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITORS OR ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR BLOCKERS IN SYSTOLIC HEART FAILURE: COMPARATIVE OUTCOMES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

In a single randomized trial, sacubitril-valsartan reduced risks of death and hospitalization for heart failure (HF) versus enalapril in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction. However, studies comparing the effectiveness of sacubitril-valsartan with ACE inhibitors / angiotensin receptor
Fracture Toughness and Impact Damage Resistance of Nanoreinforced Carbon/Epoxy Composites

In this study, the objective was to develop, manufacture, and test hybrid nano/microcomposites with a nanoparticle reinforced matrix and demonstrate improvements to damage tolerance properties in the form of Mode-II fracture toughness and related impact damage absorption. The material employed was a woven carbon fiber/epoxy composite, with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) as a nano-scale reinforcement to the epoxy matrix. A direct-mixing process, aided by a block copolymer dispersant and sonication, was employed to produce the nanoparticle-filled epoxy matrix used in composite fabrication. Composite samples were tested as End Notched Flexure (ENF) specimens in three point bending to determine the static Mode-II fracture toughness, showing improvement of approx. 30 % for nano-reinforced composite over reference material. Certain testing and material difficulties were noted with useful implications for both the testing technique as applied to woven composite materials and the material properties of the nano-reinforced composite. Impact tests were then performed in a falling-weight drop tower to generate delamination damage in samples of hybrid and reference composite. Impact damaged specimens were imaged by ultrasonic c-scans to assess the size and internal geometry of the damage zone, showing a consistently smaller mean damage zone diameter (approx 15 %) for hybrid composite over reference material. This translated to a nominally higher Mode-II fracture toughness in the hybrid composite (approx 30 %) regardless of specific impact energy, agreeing with static Mode-II fracture toughness tests.
Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism by exogenous glucagon in lactating cows

Twenty cows were assigned at parturition into two groups to study metabolic effects of continuous infusions of glucagon. Groups were normal controls and normal cows treated with glucagon at 10 mg/d for 14 d starting at 21 d postpartum. Daily blood samples and nine periodic liver biopsies were tziken from d 7 to d 49 postpartum. Plasma glucagon increased 6to 7-fold during infusions into treated cows. Plasma insulin increased during wk 1 of glucagon infusions. Plasma glucose increased by 11.5 and 9.0 mg/dl during wk I and wk 2 of glucagon infusions. Neither plasma NEFA. BHBA. nor urea N were affected by glucagon infusions. Liver glycogen decreased by d 2 of glucagon infusions, but it was restored by d 7 of infusions and had increased to 169% of the preinfusion baseline at 3 d after cessation of glucagon infusions. Milk production was less during glucagon infusions. Both milk protein yield and milk protein percentage decreased during glucagon infusions, which implies a decreased availability of amino acids for milk protein synthesis. Feed intakes did not increase during glucagon infusions, which was in contrast to the control group. The results indicate that glucagon infusions cause a net hepatic glycogenolysis initially and enhance plasma glucose concentrations, but there is no evidence for increased lipolysis from
Effect of isoflavones on oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

5086 High morbidity and mortality associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are largely due to late stage diagnosis. Despite significant advances in therapeutic strategies, the five-year survival rate for oral cancer remains at about fifty percent. A chemopreventive approach may be an effective alternative or adjunct to current therapies. Previous studies have shown anti-tumor effects of soy isoflavones in several cancers, including oral cancer. However, their mechanisms of action are still unclear. We hypothesized that soy isoflavones may inhibit multiple signaling pathways implicated in oral carcinogenesis. Our aim was to investigate the in vitro effects of three isoflavone derivatives, genistein, biochanin A, and daidzein, on SCC15 and SCC25 squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. In cell proliferation experiments, using MTT assays, we found that genistein, biochanin A, and daidzein inhibited SCC15 and SCC25 cell growth with an IC50 of 42μM, 48μM, and 67μM, respectively. We investigated the effect of isoflavones on ERK and AKT pathways. Our results, from western blot analysis, suggest that both genistein and biochanin A induced decreases in phosphorylation of ERK and AKT at 50μM and 100μM concentrations. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate a differential regulation of oncogenic pathways by various soy isoflavones in OSCC cell lines. Thus, in vitro tumor progression models can be utilized to study the preventive and therapeutic roles of soy isoflavones in OSCC. (Our work was supported, in part, the University Research Committee, ISU, grant #FY2002-09 and NIH/NCRR INBRE, grant #P20RR16454.)
A metropolitan scale analysis of the impacts of future electricity mix alternatives on the water-energy nexus

Abstract Current population and climate trends are increasing the need to adopt holistic approaches for managing water and energy systems, especially in water-limited regions like the Southwestern U.S. In this study, we quantify the implications of future energy mix alternatives on the water-energy nexus in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan region using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) platform. We first show that LEAP is able to simulate historical observations of energy generation and consumption from 2001 to 2018. We then simulate future electricity generation through 2060 under the same demand projections and different energy mix solutions. Results of our simulations are as follows. (i) Water heating accounts for 71% of the total water-related uses and its energy needs are projected to double in 2060, due to population growth; the energy required to treat and move water is instead expected to decrease by 9%, mainly because of declining agricultural water demands. (ii) Energy mix solutions that transition faster to renewable sources are more sustainable than a business as usual scenario that relies more on fossil fuels, because renewable technologies require less water for electricity generation (−35%) and reduce CO2 emissions (−57%). (iii) The aggressive transition to renewable energy is projected to have higher structural costs than the business as usual scenario, but comparable total expenses because of the lower operational cost of renewable technologies. This work complements and expands previous regional studies focused on the Southwestern U.S. and supports current efforts of local stakeholder engagement initiated by the authors.
Modeling arsenic removal by nanoscale zero-valent iron

Arsenic removal by nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) was modeled using the USGS geochemical program PHREEQC. The Dzombak and Morel adsorption model was used. The adsorption of As(V) onto NZVI was assumed to happen because of the hydrous ferric oxide (Hfo) which was the surface oxide for the model. The model predicted results were compared with the experimental data. While the experimental study reported that 99.57% arsenic removal by NZVI, the model predicted 99.82% removal which is about 0.25% variation. All the arsenic species have also been predicted to be significantly removed by adsorption onto NZVI surface. The effect of pH on As(V) removal efficiency was also evaluated using the model and it was found that above point-of-zero-charge (PZC), the adsorption of As(V) decreases with the increase of pH. The authors conclude that PHREEQC can be used to model contaminant adsorption by nanomaterials.
Relationship of actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency and sleep duration to reactivity to stress.

Objective Sleep duration is an important predictor of cardiovascular health outcomes, but the role of sleep efficiency is less clear. This study investigated actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency and sleep duration and their relationship with responses to mental and physical challenge tasks. Methods To record sleep, actigraph devices were worn on the wrist continuously by 25 participants (age: 33.9±6.9, 60% female) for the duration of a seven-day period. Movement data were used to estimate sleep duration and efficiency. Mental (Stroop test) and physical (cold pressor) challenges were used to assess reactivity to and recovery from stress. During these tasks, heart rate, blood pressure, and emotional states were measured. Results Significant findings from the mental challenge included a negative correlation between sleep efficiency and reaction time. There were no significant relationships between sleep efficiency and cardiovascular measures during the mental challenge, but sleep duration was related to cardiovascular reactivity. For the physical challenge, sleep efficiency was positively and significantly correlated with blood pressure recovery and sleep duration was not related to any outcome measures. Discussion Previous literature has focused on sleep duration when assessing sleep and cardiovascular outcomes. However, sleep efficiency may be equally or more important when investigating reactivity to and recovery from stress.
The complex genetic architecture of male mate choice evolution between Drosophila species.

Mate choice behaviors are among the most important reproductive isolating barriers in many animals. Little is known about the genetic basis of reproductively isolating behaviors, but examples to date provide evidence that they can have a simple genetic basis. However, it is unclear if these results indicate that individual genes with large effects are common, or are instead due to ascertainment biases. Here, we present the results of a QTL mapping study for the most important behavioral isolating barrier between Drosophila simulans and D. sechellia: male mate choice. Our QTL results initially suggested that differences in male mate choice may be due to a couple loci with large effects. However, as we divided the largest-effect QTL using stable introgression strains, we found evidence of multiple interacting loci. We further find that separate regions of the genome control different aspects of male choice. Taken together, our results suggest that the genetic architecture of mate choice behavior, in this case, is more complex than QTL mapping suggested, highlighting potential challenges to future mapping studies. We discuss the implications of these results as they relate to signal–receiver coevolution, mate choice, and reproductive isolation.
Risk Factors of Delayed Catastrophic Intra-Abdominal Complication after Lung Transplant: A Review of the UNOS Database

Purpose Catastrophic intra-abdominal complications (IAC), often requiring emergent surgery or leading to mortality, are common among the lung transplant population. We sought to identify risk factors associated with death secondary to IAC following lung transplantation. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was reviewed for all adult patients (≥18 years) who underwent lung transplantation. All patients who died of IAC were identified and compared to all other recipients as the control (CON) cohort. Patients with survival ≤3 months or death during index hospitalization were consider perioperative deaths and excluded. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with death from IAC. Results Between 2005 and 2013, 13276 isolated single and double lung transplants were identified. The IAC cohort was comprised of 109 patients. 12332 (92.9%) recipients survived to 3 months and 83 (0.7%) suffered an IAC. Recipients in the IAC cohort were older 62.0 (IQR=11.0) vs 59.0 yrs (IQR 15.0) and most likely to be diagnosed with COPD, 29 (34.9%). The most common etiology of IAC was secondary to C. difficile, 18 (21.7%). Gender, etiology of lung failure, and ischemia time were similar between the two cohorts. Overall, IAC patients had a longer length of stay (LOS), 22.0 (IQR=28.0) compared to 15.0 (IQR=14.0) days (p =0.012). This trend in LOS did not persist in single lung recipients, IAC 14.0 (IQR=16.0) vs 13.0 (10.0) days (p=0.259). Remaining comparative demographics and univariate analyses are included in Table 1. Conclusion Catastrophic IAC remain a challenging complication following lung transplantation. Increased length of stay on index hospitalization and similarly, C. difficile infection, were associated with the development of IAC related deaths following lung transplantation.