cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The direct costs of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults - United States

Abstract Introduction This study sought to estimate the incidence, average cost, and total direct medical costs for fatal and non-fatal fall injuries in hospital, ED, and out-patient settings among U.S. adults aged 65 or older in 2012, by sex and age group and to report total direct medical costs for falls inflated to 2015 dollars. Method Incidence data came from the 2012 National Vital Statistics System, 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2012 Health Care Utilization Program National Emergency Department Sample, and 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Costs for fatal falls were derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System; costs for non-fatal falls were based on claims from the 1998/1999 Medicare fee-for-service 5% Standard Analytical Files. Costs were inflated to 2015 estimates using the health care component of the Personal Consumption Expenditure index. Results In 2012, there were 24,190 fatal and 3.2 million medically treated non-fatal fall related injuries. Direct medical costs totaled $616.5 million for fatal and $30.3 billion for non-fatal injuries in 2012 and rose to $637.5 million and $31.3 billion, respectively, in 2015. Fall incidence as well as total cost increased with age and were higher among women. Conclusion Medically treated falls among older adults, especially among older women, are associated with substantial economic costs. Practical application Widely implementing evidence-based interventions for fall prevention is essential to decrease the incidence and healthcare costs associated with these injuries.
Staging Profile of Hypofertile Male Subjects

AbstractThirty-four hypofertile male subjects with either oligospermia or azoospermia underwent infertility evaltiation with assay of serum follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone and testicular biopsy. Cytogenetic analysis of testicular tissue and peripheral leukocytes was completed on 11 patients. Fifteen male subjects underwent bilateral contrast vasography. These studies permitted segregation of the hypofertile male population from those with post-germinal hypofertility, primary germinal hypofertility or pre-germinal hypofertility. Retrospective analysis indicates that segregation of the hypofertile male population permits optimum selection for treatment intervention.
Sonographic Renal Parenchymal Measurements for the Evaluation and Management of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction in Children.

Purpose: To correlate sonographic renal parenchymal measurements among patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) labeled Society of Fetal Urology (SFU) hydronephrosis grades 1 to 4 and to examine whether sonographic renal parenchymal measurements could be used to differentiate conservative versus surgical management. Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart review and sonographic renal parenchymal measurements (renal length, medullary pyramid thickness, and renal parenchymal thickness ) were performed in patients with SFU grades 1 to 4 hydronephrosis secondary to UPJO managed between 2009 and 2014. Exclusion criteria included other concomitant genitourinary pathology or incomplete follow-up. Anterior-posterior renal pelvic diameter (APRPD) and radionuclide renography were also evaluated when available. Results: 104 patient with ureteropelvic junction obstruction underwent 244 RBUS (1,464 sonographic renal parenchymal measurements in 488 kidneys). Medullary pyramid thickness and renal parenchymal thickness progressively decreased from SFU grades 1 to 4 (p<0.05). A similar trend was appreciated when comparing SFU grades 1 and 2 vs. 3 and 4, as well as SFU grades 3 vs. 4 (p<0.05). SFU grade 3 and 4 patients who underwent pyeloplasty had longer renal length in comparison to those who were managed conservatively (p<0.02). Conclusions: This is the first study that evaluates these objective, quantifiable sonographic renal parenchymal measurements in children with unilateral UPJO. These sonographic renal parenchymal measurements correlate closely with worsening of hydronephrosis graded by the SFU and APRPD classification systems. Prospective studies are needed to elucidate the role of sonographic renal parenchymal measurements in the management of children with UPJO. □
How many messengers to send calcium? Focus on IP3 receptor blockade fails to prevent intracellular Ca2+ release by ET-1 and α-thrombin

the rise in cytoplasmic calcium, identified first as the trigger of muscle contraction ([8][1]), is now recognized as a universal signal that controls numerous processes in all eukaryotic cells. The similar recognition that Ca2+ is stored in and released from both the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of
CORTICOSTEROID INDUCED CHANGES IN PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE AND SPHINGOMYELIN AS MEDIATORS OF HORMONE ACTION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses corticosteroid induced changes in phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as mediators of hormone action. Studies carried out with rat brain and rat lung have suggested effects of adrenalectomy and corticosteroid treatment upon lipid requiring metabolic processes. These studies have led to the postulate that some of the effects of the corticosteroids are mediated by alterations in phospholipid metabolism and the lipid composition of a variety of cellular membranes. The changes in phospholipids are mediated, at least in part, by corticosteroid induced synthesis of enzymes involved in their metabolism. This appears to occur by the known action of the hormones on mRNA mediated new protein synthesis. The resulting changes in lipid membrane composition influence a variety of biochemical processes taking place in the membrane. The possibility that corticosteroids might produce such changes in lipids was first suggested by studies which demonstrated effects of these hormones upon a number of oxygenases.
Imaging of Plexopathy in Oncologic Patients

Abstract Often complementary to clinical assessment, imaging of the brachial and lumbosacral plexus can be used to characterize plexus involvement by primary neoplasm, metastases, or conditions related to treatment. The imaging modality of choice, magnetic resonance (MR) without and with contrast, typically includes T1-weighted and fat-suppressed T2-weighted images. MR can delineate primary plexus neoplasms, including benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and accurately characterizes the extent of plexus involvement due to infiltrative malignancy. In cases in which there is clinical uncertainty between recurrent tumor and radiation injury, MR has been shown to be highly sensitive and specific. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography has also been shown to be useful in excluding recurrent tumor. MR imaging techniques that have been more recently investigated in plexus imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging, isotropic three-dimensional imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and fiber tractography, show potential to further complement clinical evaluation.
Sense of Place, Consumer Capitalism, and the Sexual Politics of Global Nomadism in the Popular Fiction of Dubai

As David Harvey argues, the ‘practical strategy’ whereby neoliberalism comes to transform the operations of everyday life consists of construing freedom in terms of ‘consumer choice, not only with respect to particular products but also with respect to lifestyles, modes of expression, and a wide range of cultural practices,’ in effect creating a ‘market-based populist culture of differentiated consumerism and individual libertarianism’ (42). In other words, through an omnipresent spread of commodity fetishism of the kind Guy Debord saw in his Society of the Spectacle as emergent in the immediate postwar decades, creating a society in which identities have devolved into lifestyle choices taken up through consumer behavior, directing the process of identification away from organic social collectivities towards more solipsistic atomized forms of market-based action. As a result of this, Harvey further notes, instant gratification and ‘short-term’ temporal arrangement have come to be prized over permanence and commitment, contributing to the hyper-sexualization of neoliberal culture — the blame for which conservatives are so apt to glibly place on ‘the liberal media’ or even postmodernism (166). While the liberation from traditional mores governing sexuality, in and of itself, may be highly desirable, when it is tied to a socio-economic system that erodes social solidarities in a way that produces profound states of alienation and sharply hinders collectivization, it becomes problematic.
The impact of a simplified documentation method for the Edmonton classification system for cancer pain (ECS-CP) on clinician utilization.

Purpose The use of standardized pain classification systems such as the ECS-CP can assist in the assessment and management of cancer pain. However, its completion has been limited due to its perceived complexity of decoding each feature. The objectives of this study were to determine the rate of clinician documentation and completion of the ECS-CP features after revision and simplification of the response for each feature.
Evaluation of California's Armed and Prohibited Persons System: study protocol for a cluster-randomised trial

Background and objective Too little is known about the effectiveness of efforts to prevent firearm violence. Our objective is to evaluate California9s Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS), a law enforcement intervention that seeks to recover firearms from individuals who purchased them legally but subsequently became prohibited from having access to firearms. Prohibitions usually arise from events suggesting an increased risk for future violence. Design and study population This group-randomised trial involves approximately 20 000 APPS-eligible individuals in 1041 communities. Randomisation was performed at the community level, to early or later intervention (Group 1 and Group 2, respectively) with stratification by region, population and violent crime rate. Methods APPS is being implemented by the California Department of Justice. The principal outcome measure is the incidence of arrest for a firearm-related or violent crime. Primary analysis will be on an intention-to-treat basis, comparing individuals in Group 1 and Group 2 communities. Analyses will focus on time to event, using proportional hazards regression with adjustment for the clustered nature of the data and incorporating individual- and community-level characteristics. Secondary analyses will examine the effect of the intervention on an as treated basis, effects on subgroups, and effects on community-wide measures such as crime rates. Discussion APPS may have a significant impact on risk for future violence among members of its target population. The findings of this study will likely be generalisable and have clear implications for violence prevention policy and practice. Trial registration number NCT02318732.
Taurine and brain excitability.

The goal of this study is to characterize neuronal plasticity of the GABAergic system induced by chronic supplementation of taurine. Our preliminary data indicate that during early periods of developmental maturation, the brain is very sensitive to environmental factors that affect neuronal excitability. These early “critical periods” of brain development correspond to a time of maximal synapse elaboration, complex pathway formation, and the time of optimal seizure sensitivity. Possible developmental processes related to seizure propensity in the neonatal brain may be due to the relatively low levels of inhibition, peak NMDA receptor concentration, and sub-optimal regulation of extracellular ion levels due to immature activities of relevant pumps. We have shown previously that chronic supplementation of taurine in drinking water induces a state of brain excitability characterized by increased susceptibility to kainic acid (KA) -induced seizures. This reduction in seizure threshold was demonstrated by a decreased latency for the onset of clonic seizures, an increased incidence and duration of tonic-clonic seizures, increased neuronal death in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, and a higher post-seizure mortality rate of the animals. KA causes severe convulsions in mice and has been used as a rodent model for human temporal lobe epilepsy. Using this paradigm of taurine treatment to induced hyper-excitability, we examined changes that occur in the GABAergic system as a possible compensatory mechanism for the increased excitability. We found that taurine-fed mice have elevated brain levels of glutamate and GABA. This increase in neurotransmitter levels was accompanied by an increase in the expression of GABA synthesizing enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). Furthermore, taurine-fed mice have reduced expression of GABAA receptors in the hippocampus. We propose that chronic supplementation of taurine in drinking water induces a down-regulation of GABAA receptors expression due to the sustained interaction of taurine with GABAA receptors which decreases the efficacy of the inhibitory synapses at postsynaptic membrane. As a compensatory mechanism to this increased excitability,
Progress and Challenges in Audience Research and Evaluation

(1996). Progress and Challenges in Audience Research and Evaluation. Journal of Museum Education: Vol. 21, Determining Museum Effectiveness: Visitor Studies Today, pp. 19-20.
The mutants are here

The development of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout in two ant species opens a new window into exploring how social insects use olfactory cues to organize their collective behavior.
Will the real ventricular architecture please stand up

Ventricular twisting, essential for cardiac function, is attributed to the contraction of myocardial helical fibers. The exact relationship between ventricular anatomy and function remains to be determined, but one commonly used explanatory model is the helical ventricular myocardial band (HVMB) model of Torrent-Guasp. This model has been successful in explaining many aspects of ventricular function, (Torrent-Guasp et al. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., 25, 376, 2004; Buckberg et al. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., 47, 587, 2015; Buckberg et al. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 47, 778, 2015) but the model ignores important aspects of ventricular anatomy and should probably be replaced. The purpose of this review is to compare the HVMB model with a different model (nested layers). A complication when interpreting experimental observations that relate anatomy to function is that, in the myocardium, shortening does not always imply activation and lengthening does not always imply inactivation.
4: The Evolution of Designed Experiments

(1972). 4: The Evolution of Designed Experiments. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 11-19.
E-cigarette- specific symptoms of nicotine dependence among Texas adolescents.

Abstract Introduction The potential of e-cigarettes to elicit symptoms of nicotine dependence has not been adequately studied, particularly in adolescent populations. The present study examined the prevalence of e-cigarette-specific symptoms of nicotine dependence (“symptoms of e-cigarette dependence”) and the associations between these symptoms, e-cigarette usage group, and e-cigarette cessation-related items among Texas adolescents. Methods This study involved a cross-sectional analysis of adolescents from Wave 4 of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System (TATAMS) (n = 2891/N = 461,069). Chi-Square analyses examined differences in the prevalence of symptoms of dependence by e-cigarette usage group (exclusive versus dual users of e-cigarettes and combustible tobacco products) and demographic characteristics. Weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses examined the associations between symptoms of e-cigarette dependence, e-cigarette usage group, and e-cigarette cessation items. Results Exclusive e-cigarette users experienced symptoms of e-cigarette dependence, although the prevalence of most of the symptoms was higher for dual users. Adolescents who reported more symptoms of dependence were less likely to report both wanting to quit e-cigarettes and a past-year quit attempt for e-cigarettes (adjusted odds ratio “AOR” = 0.61 (95% CI = 0.41, 0.92) and AOR = 0.52 (95% CI = 0.30, 0.92), respectively). Conclusions This study is the first to demonstrate that adolescent e-cigarette users are experiencing symptoms of dependence specific to e-cigarettes. In addition, symptoms of dependence may be barriers to e-cigarette cessation. Future research is needed to determine if characteristics of e-cigarette use (e.g. frequency and intensity) are associated with dependence.
Pediatric anosmia: A case series.

Abstract Introduction Little is known about the etiology of olfactory dysfunction in the pediatric population. The aim of this study is to characterize the etiology and clinical features of anosmia and to explore evaluation options in a pediatric population. Methods Olfactory dysfunction was identified at a tertiary pediatric hospital between January 2003 and October 2014 using a text-based and ICD-9 search of the electronic health record system. Clinical information gathered included history, physical examination and imaging study. A phone questionnaire was completed to determine persistence and development of other rhinologic, endocrine, or neurologic symptoms. Results 37 children (male/female = 17/20) with mean/median ages of 13.28/14. 19 years were identified. The distribution of etiology was: rhinologic disease (N = 16), congenital (N = 4), trauma (N = 1), neoplasm (N = 1) and unknown (N = 15). Rhinologic disease included chronic rhinosinusitis (N = 3) and other nasal anatomic lesions. None of the four subjects with congenital anosmia had classic Kallmann syndrome. The utility of imaging in confirming an etiology of anosmia was noted in 1 of 8 CT and 5 of 22 MRI. The most significant finding of the questionnaire was confirmation of normal puberty in the congenital group. Conclusion Similar to the adult population, rhinologic disease is the most common cause. Absence or hypoplasia of the olfactory bulbs without associated delayed puberty is the presentation of congenital anosmia in our cohort. MRI had a higher utility than CT in evaluating anosmia in general and congenital anosmia in specific. MRI to evaluate children with a history of congenital olfactory dysfunction is recommended.
Measuring Spirituality, Hope, and Thriving Among Salvadoran Youth: Initial Findings from the Compassion International Study of Positive Youth Development

The more than one billion children living in poverty worldwide are often marginalized from the resources needed for health and well-being, a situation that may create feelings of hopelessness and diminish chances for thriving. Compassion International (CI), a faith-based child-sponsorship organization committed to alleviating child poverty and promoting thriving, uses a strengths-based, positive youth development (PYD) perspective that emphasizes the importance of religious faith as an asset in the lives of youth. In an initial assessment of CI’s approach to promoting PYD, we tested measures aimed at comparing youth enrolled in CI to youth not enrolled in CI. We collected survey data from 888 Salvadoran youth (50% female), ages 9–15 years (M = 11.60 years, SD = 1.7), half (49.9%) of whom were enrolled in CI programs. Examining the relations among spirituality, hope, and PYD, we refined the measurement model for parsimony and robustness across groups and established measurement invariance. This measure development work allowed us to make meaningful comparisons of latent means and correlation patterns. CI-supported youth were found to report higher levels of Transcendence (spirituality) and Character (one of the Five Cs of PYD) than non-CI-supported youth, and CI-supported youth demonstrated a significant relation between Character and Connection that was not present in non-CI-supported youth. We discuss implications of these findings for further tests of the CI approach to PYD and, more generally, for applications aimed at enhancing the life chances of poor children around the globe.
“He said, she said”: Sexual harassment in the fractured criminal justice work place

This article addresses the critical problem of sexual harassment in criminal justice agencies. The authors assess empirically the incidents of sexual harassment in criminal justice organizations, and discuss why sexual harassment is more prevalent in criminal justice agencies than in other public agencies.
Gender and Self-Disclosure

The relationship between gender and self-disclosure is a topic of research for which some of the clearest predictions have been made, yet some of the most puzzling results have been obtained. In this chapter we review strategies that we and others have used in efforts to solve the puzzle. Our goal is to explore issues that have been addressed in the past and to identify issues that need to be addressed in the future.
Cervical thoracic duct cyst: Importance of preoperative suspicion for appropriate management of left-sided neck mass

Cervical thoracic duct cysts occur infrequently but are an important consideration when evaluating cystic supraclavicular masses. Only 22 cases have been reported to date. We review the clinical pr...
Bekker’s Opponents: Confessionalism under Siege and Cartesianism in Crisis

The earliest and most heated opposition to The World Bewitched came from the conservative, confessional wing of the Reformed church. Heirs of Gomarus and Voetius, these dogmatic Calvinists saw the Bekker controversy as an important battle in their campaign to protect the Reformed faith from the corrosive influences of Cartesian philosophy and the exegetical methods associated with it. The confessionalists targeted Bekker’s biblical exegesis for their harshest criticism, arguing that his figurative interpretation of scriptural passages dealing with spirits cast into doubt the veracity and authority of the entire Bible. They also attacked Bekker’s Cartesian ideas and charged that it was his allegiance to the new philosophy that led him into his exegetical errors. In their assault on Bekker’s ideas conservatives armed themselves with the biblical literalism that formed the intellectual foundation of Dutch Reformed confessionalism. Again and again they mustered biblical passages that they believed showed the devil’s power and the actions of spirits on bodies. Any attempt to interpret passages in a context larger than that provided by the words themselves was anathema to the confessionalists, and violent verbal assaults on Bekker often accompanied these arguments.
Disruption and recovery of reaction–diffusion wavefronts colliding with obstacles

Abstract We study the damage to and restoration of planar reaction–diffusion wavefronts colliding with convex obstacles in narrow two-dimensional channels using finite-difference numerical integration of the Tyson–Fife reduction of the Oregonator model of the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction. We characterize the obstacles’ effects on the wavefront shape by plotting wavefront delay versus time. Due to the curvature dependent wavefront velocities, the initial planar wavefront (or iso-concentration line) is restored after a relaxation period that can be characterized by a power-law. We find that recovery times are insensitive to obstacle concatenation or to the upstream obstacle shape but are sensitive to the downstream shape, with a vertical back side causing the longest disruption. Delays vary cyclically with obstacle orientations. The relaxation power-laws confirm that larger obstacles produce larger wavefront delays and longer recovery times, and for a given area larger obstacle width-to-length ratios produce longer delays. Possible applications include elucidating the effect of inhomogeneities on wavefront recovery in cardiac tissue.
Constitutionalism as a solution to despotism and imperialism: the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in the Ottoman-Turkish press

AbstractThis article contributes to the growing scholarship on the connections between the Ottoman and Iranian revolutions by exploring Ottomans’ reactions to and portrayal of the constitutional struggle in Iran. Based on an examination of primary sources that have not been utilized before, it reveals how an ideologically diverse group of intellectuals tried to link the two revolutions together in the Ottoman-Turkish press, focusing on shared problems and ideals. It demonstrates that undergoing a revolutionary process themselves, these intellectuals interpreted the events in Iran through the prism of their own experiences and used them to garner support for the constitutional regime at home. Through their depictions of the Iranian revolution, they not only portrayed the 1908 Revolution as part of a broader struggle against despotism and imperialism with significant implications for the Islamic world, but also conveyed the message that the Ottoman constitution needed to be supported and protected so that i...
Ein Requiem für Spannungskopfschmerz oder eine Nocturne für Kreuzschmerz

Bei der Behandlung von akuten sowie chronischen Schmerzen ist Musik ein unterstutzendes Element. Durch neue Studien und Bildgebungsverfahren wird immer besser verstanden, wie und wo genau sie wirkt.
Effects of wind turbine noise on the surrounding soundscape in the context of greater-prairie chicken courtship vocalizations

Abstract The development of wind energy facilities in grasslands has increased in recent years. We assessed sound levels near a 36-turbine wind energy facility in a contiguous grassland in Brown County, Nebraska, USA, using a grid sampling design. Greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus), a bird species of special conservation concern, occupy the landscape near the wind facility. We evaluated the variation in wind turbine noise in the landscape at 296 Hz, the average peak frequency of the critically important courtship (‘boom’) vocalization of male prairie-chickens. The levels of ambient sounds were affected by ordinal day (β = −0.0752, SE = 0.0073) and wind speed (β = 1.1679, SE = 0.0419). Sound levels (dB) at the wind facility were affected by distance to the nearest turbine (β = 0.6917, SE = 0.0111). Sound levels increased during the breeding season (ordinal day: β = 0.0166, SE = 0.0028), during the day (time of day: β = 0.0035, SE = 0.0015), and at higher wind speeds (β = 1.1929, SE = 0.0261). Sound levels were higher downwind from the facility (wind direction: β = 0.9914, SE = 0.1691) and at sites that were within the viewshed of turbines (topography: β = 0.3819, SE = 0.0824). At 100 m from the turbines, under average temporal, landscape, and wind conditions, wind turbine noise at 296 Hz was 25 dB above the ambient sound level. At 500 m from the turbines, wind turbine noise at 296 Hz was 16 dB above the ambient sound level. Our results demonstrate the variation of wind turbine noise in the soundscape and suggest a protocol for evaluating effects of wind turbine sound on sound-sensitive wildlife.
Human Errors in Interpreting Visual Metaphor

Visual metaphors are a creative technique used in print media to convey a message through images. This message is not said directly, but implied through symbols and how those symbols are juxtaposed in the image. The messages we see affect our thoughts and lives, and it is an open research challenge to get machines to automatically understand the implied messages in images. However, it is unclear how people process these images or to what degree they understand the meaning. We test several theories about how people interpret visual metaphors and find people can interpret the visual metaphor correctly without explanatory text with 41.3% accuracy. We provide evidence for four distinct types of errors people make in their interpretation, which speaks to the cognitive processes people use to infer the meaning. We also show that people's ability to interpret a visual message is not simply a function of image content but also of message familiarity. This implies that efforts to automatically understand visual images should take into account message familiarity.
Golden Eagle Diet in Western Alaska

We investigated Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) diet on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, at 35 and 30 occupied eagle nest sites in July 2014 and 2015, respectively. We used 52 prey remains and 456 regurgitated pellets collected from nest and perch sites to identify 727 individual prey items representing 18 prey categories. Golden Eagles in our study area primarily consumed Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii; 52% of total biomass), ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.; 20%), and waterfowl (15%). Dietary breadth differed between years. We detected 13% more ptarmigan and 12% fewer ground squirrels at perch sites compared to nest sites. Our results suggest that Golden Eagles have a relatively broad dietary niche in western Alaska during the first half of the breeding season.
Commentary: 20 years online with "Your Disease Risk".

The Your Disease Risk tool ( yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu ) went live to the public in January 2000 and was one of the first personalized health risk assessment sites on the Internet. Its launch marked the culmination of years of work by a large, multi-disciplinary university team whose primary goal was to translate the science on cancer prevention into accurate, engaging, and useful messages for the public. Today, 20 years on, Your Disease Risk has expanded from its initial four cancers to include 18 different tools designed for today’s users. This commentary reviews important moments and lessons learned in the first two decades of Your Disease Risk.
Limits on Thermal Emission from Multiple Coupled Resonators

We develop a temporal coupled-mode theory to describe thermal emission from an arbitrary number of coupled resonators. We derive bounds on total power emitted as a function of bandwidth and verify it with numerical examples.
GaN-based fast, high output magnetic field pulser

Magnetic field pulsers (MFP) generate a pulsed magnetic field by driving current through an inductor. These pulsers have numerous applications based on the output magnetic flux density and switching time. This investigation will explore the application of gallium nitride-based (GaN) transistor in a MFP design. Based on the advantages of GaN transistors, the investigation looks towards creating a pulser capable of producing magnetic flux density of 500 Gauss with a rise/fall time of less than 500 nanoseconds. This investigation will improve upon findings from prior pulsers designed for magneto-optic switching applications. Simulation results have shown that for a given maximum current level, the GaN transistor pulser displays steeper rise and fall time when compared to a pulser employing a Si transistor. This result further highlights the potential of GaN transistor as the switching device where rapid field switching is preferable.
Evaluating and tracking investments in natural infrastructure to reduce coastal flooding hazards

Protection and restoration of natural infrastructure are fairly new tactics to reduce coastal flood hazards. Increasingly, floodplain managers and environmental organizations have advanced use of t...
Universal Critical Quantum Properties of Cuprate Superconductors

Using the scaling theory of quantum critical phenomena we exploit the occurrence of universal critical behavior at the insulator-to-superconductor and superconductor-to-normal state transitions at zero temperature Experimentally, these phase transitions are driven by doping and correspond to critical endpoints of the phase transition line in the temperature-hole concentration plane. Provided that the order parameter is a complex scalar in two dimensions. and that the London relation between superfluid number density and magnetic penetration depth holds. the scaling theory predicts universal behavior close to the insulator-to-superconductor transition. In particular, transition temperature and zero temperature penetration depth are universally related and the sheet resistance adopts a universal value. These predictions agree remarkably well with available experimental dota and provide useful constraints for a microscopic theory.
Work-in-progress: Evaluating the performance of voice recognition approaches for autonomous vehicular systems

In this project an evaluation of two approaches for voice-controlled Arduino-based autonomous systems is performed. The first approach uses an embedded voice recognition (VR) system that is interfaced with an Arduino-based hardware platform. In the second approach a speech recognition programming module is integrated into the development environment of the Arduino-based system. The main objective is to provide a mechanism for controlling an autonomous quadcopter using natural language voice commands. A supplemental goal of this research is to increase the knowledge base and skill set of undergraduate engineering students by developing a curricular component for inclusion in laboratory courses, such as a speech processing course or a course in mechatronics, or even in research experiences of undergraduates.
Large-Scale Cognate Recovery

We present a system for the large scale induction of cognate groups. Our model explains the evolution of cognates as a sequence of mutations and innovations along a phylogeny. On the task of identifying cognates from over 21,000 words in 218 different languages from the Oceanic language family, our model achieves a cluster purity score over 91%, while maintaining pairwise recall over 62%.
Objects Possessed, Drawn, Touched, Identified, and Sold: Effective Material Culture Exercises for the Anthropology Classroom

Teaching the anthropology of material culture to non-majors at an arts college requires a flexible pedagogy and a creative approach. In this article, I discuss some of the specific challenges of effectively engaging arts majors who often arrive at the classroom interested only in fulfilling their general education requirements. I identify five approaches to the anthropological study of objects (object as personal identity, object as “thing in the world,” object as skilled manufacture, object as cultural artifact, and object as commodity) followed by descriptions of course projects that are adaptable to many undergraduate teaching situations. In discussing the projects, I describe how to get the most out of each exercise, with notes on how to avoid common problems. The article's aim is to encourage educators to develop and embrace innovative object-centered approaches when teaching non-majors. [material culture, objects, pedagogy, praxis-based projects]
TGFβ converts Th1 cell into Th17 cells through stimulation of Runx1 expression under inflammatory conditions in intestines (MUC2P.819)

Although accumulating evidence demonstrates that differentiated CD4 cells preserve plasticity to alter phenotypes under various conditions, it is still unclear how stable Th1 cells are and whether Th1 cells can convert into Th17 cells. The high stability of Th1 is supported by some epigenetic studies and numerous reports of Treg and Th17 cells conversion into Th1 cells but not vice versa. However, recent reports of Th1 cell conversion to Treg, Th2 and Tfh cells argue the absolute stability of Th1 lineage. By using IFNγThy1.1 CBir1 TCR transgenic reporter mice, whose TCR is specific for an immunodominant microbiota antigen, we investigate the stability of Th1 cells under intestinal inflammatory conditions. Transfer of purified CBir1 specific IFNγ+Th1 cells induces colitis in RAG-/- mice and IFNγ+Th1 cells convert into IL-17+ Th17 but not Foxp3+ Treg cells in the inflamed intestines. TGFβ, IL-6 and IL-2, but not hypoxia factors, differentially regulate Th1 to Th17 conversion. TGFβ induction of transcriptional factors, Runx1 and RORγt, is crucial for the conversion, in that silencing Runx1 by siRNA inhibits Th1 conversion into Th17 cells. Furthermore, using ChIP assay, we show that TGFβ enhances histone acetylation but inhibits trimethylation of Runx1 and RORγt binding sites on il-17 or rorc gene in Th1 cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that Th1 cells convert into Th17 cells under inflammatory conditions in intestines, which is mediated by TGFβ-induction of Runx1.
Cell line-specific transcriptional activation of the promoter of the human guanylyl cyclase C/heat-stable enterotoxin receptor gene☆

The guanylyl cyclase C protein, expressed primarily in the intestine, is the receptor for the heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli. We have isolated and sequenced the promoter region and the first exon of human guanylyl cyclase C and determined the major site of transcription initiation. Transfection of a -1973/+124 promoter/luciferase gene fusion construct in the Caco-2 intestinal cell line resulted in a high level of expression; results with deletion constructs indicate the presence of multiple positive-acting sequence elements. These promoter elements were not active upon transfection into NIH/3T3 and LLC-PK1 cell lines which do not express GC-C.
Actin and myosin during pollen germination

Actin and myosin from pollen tubes ofLilium davidii were studied by using imrnunoblotting, Dot-Blot and myosin Ca2+ -ATPase analysis. On immunoblotting of the total soluble pollen tube proteins, anti-α-actin antibody labelled a polypeptide approximately 43 ku, which is considered to be the actin of lily. The mRNA encoding actin in ungerminated pollen and germinated pollen were both undetectable in our experiments. A myosin exhibited Ca2+ -ATPase activity, with a native molecular weight of 460 ku has been identified by using immunoblotting. A polypeptide of about 205 ku and a polypeptide of about 20 ku were the heavy chain and a set of light chain of the myosin, which can crossreact with anti-skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain monoclonal antibody and anti-skeletal muscle myosin light chain (20 ku) monoclonal antibody, respectively. The Ca2+-ATPase activities of myosin in crude extracts of germinated pollen were pitively related to the growth rates of pollen tubes.
A simple method for the production of specific antiserum to the second nuclear antigen (EBNA-2) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)

A simple technique for raising specific antiserum to the native molecule of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded nuclear antigen-2 (EBNA-2) from Raji cells is described. The procedure involves the use of immunoblotting to identify the EBNA-2 polypeptide followed by subsequent excision from an SDS-gel and immunization of experimental animals. The anti-EBNA-2 antiserum recognized a single polypeptide of 86-87 kDa on immunoblots prepared from extracts of EBV-positive Raji or B95-8 cells, while it did not react with any proteins form P3HR-1 or Daudi cells, which carry EBNA-2-defective virus. The method might be applicable to other systems where isolation of purified proteins for immunization is either difficult or unfeasible.
Color - De Sitter and Color - Conformal Superalgebras

A generalization of superalgebras leading to a new Lie structure of color algebras is proposed. The threecolor extensions of osp(4;1) (super-de Sitter) and su(2,2;1) (Wess-Zumino) superalgebras are presented.
Role of advanced 2 and 3-dimensional ultrasound for detecting prostate cancer.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We explored the clinical usefulness of spectrum analysis and neural networks for classifying prostate tissue and identifying prostate cancer in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons.Materials and Methods: Data on a cohort of 215 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsies at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York were included in this study. Radio frequency data necessary for 2 and 3-dimensional (D) computer reconstruction of the prostate were digitally recorded at transrectal ultrasound and prostate biopsy. The data were spectrally processed and 2-D tissue typing images were generated based on a pre-trained neural network classification. We used manually masked 2-D tissue images as building blocks for generating 3-D tissue images and the images were tissue type color coded using custom software. Radio frequency data on the study cohort were analyzed for cancer probability using the data set pre-trai...
Renormalization of heavy-light bilinears and fB for Wilson fermions

Abstract The B meson decay constant can be measured on the lattice using the static effective field theory. We present the order α s comparison of the matrix elements of heavy-light bilinears measured on the lattice using Wilson fermions to their counterparts in the continuum. The time component of the axial current determines f B . A subtlety associated with a linear divergence in the heavy quark self-energy is discussed.
Covariant coordinate transformations on noncommutative space

We show how to define gauge-covariant coordinate transformations on a noncommuting space. The construction uses the Seiberg-Witten equation and generalizes similar results for commuting coordinates.
New chemistry with old functional groups: on the reaction of isonitriles with carboxylic acids--a route to various amide types.

Thermolysis of isonitriles with carboxylic acids provides, in one step, N-formyl imides (see, for example, 8 + 19 → 21). The resultant N-formyl group can be converted to N−H, NCH2OH, or NCH3. This chemistry allows for a new route for synthesizing β-N (asparagine)-linked glycosyl amino acids.