cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Live Imaging Cell Motility Screen Identifies Prostaglandin E2 as a T Cell Stop Signal Antagonist

The T cell migration stop signal is a central step in T cell activation and inflammation; however, its regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Using a live-cell, imaging-based, high-throughput screen, we identified the PG, PGE2, as a T cell stop signal antagonist. Src kinase inhibitors, microtubule inhibitors, and PGE2 prevented the T cell stop signal, and impaired T cell–APC conjugation and T cell proliferation induced by primary human allogeneic dendritic cells. However, Src inhibition, but not PGE2 or microtubule inhibition, impaired TCR-induced ZAP-70 signaling, demonstrating that T cell stop signal antagonists can function either upstream or downstream of proximal TCR signaling. Moreover, we found that PGE2 abrogated TCR-induced activation of the small GTPase Rap1, suggesting that PGE2 may modulate T cell adhesion and stopping through Rap1. These results identify a novel role for PGs in preventing T cell stop signals and limiting T cell activation induced by dendritic cells.
Does the Candidate Really Matter

Differences between the character traits of candidates are thought to critically influence presidential elections. Yet most research assessing the impact of candidate traits relies on citizen perceptions, which may be biased by a citizen’s prior dispositions toward candidates. In this article, the author addresses two questions that together have not been directly addressed in previous studies of candidate effects in presidential elections: First, how do candidates influence citizen perceptions of candidate traits? Second, to what extent are perceptions a cause and consequence of an overall candidate evaluation? With data from National Election Studies (NES) surveys, this article models the traits and perceptions of Democratic and Republican presidential candidates from 1980 to 2000. The author finds that despite the tendency of citizens to perceive more favorable traits in candidates they like, the candidates’own traits do condition citizen perceptions, yet this effect varies across traits and is surpris...
Origin of bimodal volcanism, southern Basin and Range province, west-central Arizona

Miocene volcanic rocks in the Castaneda Hills area, west-central Arizona, are interbedded with continental clastic sedimentary rocks, minor limestone, gravity glide blocks of Precambrian(?) and Paleozoic(?) rocks, and monolithologic megabreccia. The sedimentary and volcanic units dip to the southwest and are offset by northwest-trending listric and high-angle normal faults. The listric faults coalesce at the Rawhide detachment fault, which overlies mylonitic gneiss. The volcanic suite is strongly bimodal; rocks with 55 to 71 wt % SiO 2 are rare. On the basis of age, geomorphic position, and petrography, five volcanic units can be distinguished: older basalts (18.7 and 16.5 m.y. old), quartz-bearing basalts (13.7 and 12.4 m.y. old), rhyolite lavas and tuffs (15.1 to 10.3 m.y. old), mesa-forming basalts (13.1 to 9.2 m.y. old), and megacryst-bearing basalts (8.6 to 6.8 m.y. old). Most of the basalts contain groundmass olivine and titanaugite phenocrysts and are alkali-olivine basalts. Many rhyolites contain more than 75 wt % SiO 2 . The initial whole-rock Sr isotopic composition of the basalts indicates that they are partial melts of an isotopically vertically heterogenous mantle. The chemical composition of some of the megacrysts in megacryst-bearing basalts with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr i equal to .7035 and .7038 supports a high-pressure mantle origin. The low (.7034) Sr ratio and lack of evidence for mixing with young rocks indicate that the quartz-bearing basalts were also derived from the mantle. Other basalts with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr i > 0.705 probably were derived from old, lithospheric mantle with a high Rb/Sr ratio and do not appear to be contaminated with old, upper-crustal material. The rhyolites have initial Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7093 and 0.7141. These ratios indicate that the rhyolites were not differentiated from the basalts. Partial melting of 1.3-b.y.-old lower-crustal material with Rb/Sr = 0.10 to 0.19 satisfactorily explains the isotopic ratios of the rhyolites. Granulite, which may constitute the lower crust in this part of Arizona, has Rb/Sr ratios similar to those required to produce the rhyolites. K substituted for Na during cooling and devitrification in some of the rhyolites. Partial melting of upper-mantle peridotite and old lower-crustal granulite from 19 to 7 m.y. ago in the Castaneda Hills area produced the bimodal volcanic suite. The nearly contemporaneous production of basaltic and rhyolitic magma from the Earth9s crust and mantle requires extremely heterogenous source regions. Asthenospheric upwelling associated with basin-range extensional tectonism probably produced the heating event that caused partial melting and basaltic magma generation at different levels in the mantle. Partial melting in the lower crust to produce rhyolitic magmas probably was caused by the intrusion of basalt magma. The basaltic and rhyolitic magmas formed in separate source regions, rose independently, and erupted at the same time and place.
Organic Thin‐Film Transistors: Simultaneous Modification of Bottom‐Contact Electrode and Dielectric Surfaces for Organic Thin‐Film Transistors Through Single‐Component Spin‐Cast Monolayers (Adv. Funct. Mater. 8/2011)

An efficient process is developed by spin-coating a single-component, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to simultaneously modify the bottom-contact electrode and dielectric surfaces of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). This effi cient interface modifi cation is achieved using n-alkyl phosphonic acid based SAMs to prime silver bottom-contacts and hafnium oxide (HfO2) dielectrics in low-voltage OTFTs. Surface characterization using near edge X-ray absorption fi ne structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and spectroscopic ellipsometry suggest this process yields structurally well-defi ned phosphonate SAMs on both metal and oxide surfaces. Rational selection of the alkyl length of the SAM leads to greatly enhanced performance for both n-channel (C60) and p-channel (pentacene) based OTFTs. Specifi cally, SAMs of n-octylphos-phonic acid (OPA) provide both low-contact resistance at the bottom-contact electrodes and excellent interfacial properties for compact semiconductor grain growth with high carrier mobilities. OTFTs based on OPA modifi ed silver electrode/HfO2 dielectric bottom-contact structures can be operated using < 3V with low contact resistance (down to 700 Ohm-cm), low subthreshold swing (as low as 75 mV dec−1), high on/off current ratios of 107, and charge carrier mobilities as high as 4.6 and 0.8 cm2 V−1 s−1, for C60 and pentacene, respectively. These results demonstrate that this is a simple and efficient process for improving the performance of bottom-contact OTFTs.
Building “A City of Upper-Middle-Class Citizens” Labor Markets, Segregation, and Growth in Austin, Texas, 1950–1973

This essay documents labor market and residential segregation in Austin, Texas, in the three decades after World War Two, arguing that despite the city’s relatively progressive culture it was as ra...
A programmable HIPPI interface for a graphics supercomputer

As networks approach gigabit performance, supercomputer host interfaces are becoming the communication bottleneck. The Network Interface Unit (NIU) is a high-performance host interface for Pixel Planes 5, a custom graphics supercomputer. The design offers both performance and programmability through a balance of data-marshaling hardware and an embedded processor. The authors describe the NIU hardware and firmware architecture. They present some preliminary performance measurements and assess the applicability of this design for the targeted environment. They also comment on its suitability for other environments and outline plans for the future work.
Buoyancy-driven interactions between two deformable viscous drops

Time-dependent interactions between two buoyancy-driven deformable drops are studied in the low Reynolds number flow limit for sufficiently large Bond numbers that the drops become significantly deformed. The first part of this paper considers the interaction and deformation of drops in axisymmetric configurations. Boundary integral calculations are presented for Bond numbers ℬ = Δρga2/σ in the range 0.25 ≤ ℬ O(d/a) where d is the separation distance between the drops.
Light reflection rheography as a noninvasive screening test for deep venous thrombosis

Study objective: To determine if light reflection rheography is a useful screening tool for the diagnosis of proximal leg deep venous thrombosis. Design: Light reflection rheography was compared with duplex ultrasonography and/or contrast venography on emergency patients being evaluated for proximal leg deep venous thrombosis. Setting: University hospital emergency department. Type of participants: Seventy-five ED patients being evaluated for acute leg deep venous thrombosis. Interventions: Seventy-five patients being evaluated for clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis had light reflection rheography performed on the involved extremity immediately before duplex ultrasonography and/or contrast venography. Duplex ultrasonography and/or contrast venography was the definitive diagnostic test. Measurements and results: Seventy-five patients had light reflection rheography performed, 72 had duplex ultrasonography, 19 had contrast venography, three had contrast venography alone, and 16 had both duplex ultrasonography and contrast venography. A comparison of light reflection rheography with duplex ultrasonography and/or contrast venography reveals that 39 light reflection rheography examinations were true-negative, 17 were true-positive, one was false-negative, and 18 were false-positive. The sensitivity of light reflection rheography for the detection of proximal leg deep venous thrombosis is 94.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 72.7–99.9%), the negative-predictive value is 97.5% (95% Cl, 86.8–99.9%), the specificity is 68.4% (95% Cl, 54.8–80.1 %), and the positive-predictive value is 48.6% (95% Cl, 31.4–66%). Conclusion: Light reflection rheography proved to be an excellent screening tool for emergency patients with the clinical suspicion for an acute proximal leg deep venous thrombosis. A normal light reflection rheography examination was 97.5% accurate as a negative predictor. That is, a normal light reflection rheography excluded the diagnosis of proximal leg deep venous thrombosis when compared with ultrasonography and/or contrast venography showed no evidence of proximal leg deep venous thrombosis. An abnormal light reflection rheography does not equate to an acute leg deep venous thrombosis as the specificity was only 68.4%. An abnormal light reflection rheography mandates further diagnostic studies such as duplex ultrasonography and/or contrast venography to confirm a diagnosis of proximal leg deep venous thrombosis.
Die Ordnung der Gemeinschaft

Wir haben gesehen, das eine befriedigende menschliche Tatigkeit zwei Aufgaben erfullt. Sie gibt Gelegenheit zu unmittelbarem sozialem Verkehr in gemeinsamer Arbeit und verfolgt zugleich als Ziel die Entwicklung und Erhaltung sozialen Lebens in der Zukunft. Beide Funktionen sind deutlich voneinander geschieden und verandern sich in bestimmtem Grade unabhangig voneinander. So ist z. B. das unmittelbare soziale Leben in den Fabriken haufig unbefriedigend. Aber beide Funktionen sind auch miteinander verknupft. Wir stellten fest, das ein Ausfall der einen Funktion im industriellen Leben auch zu einer verminderten Wirksamkeit der anderen fuhrt; die Mitarbeit an der wirtschaftlichen Vorbereitung der Zukunft last in einer unbefriedigenden sozialen Situation nach. Ist eine Situation unbefriedigend, so besteht kaum ein Anreiz, fur ihre Erhaltung zu arbeiten. In dem vorliegenden Kapitel wollen wir nun den umgekehrten Fall untersuchen, namlich das eine relativ angemessene Lebensform in der Gegenwart deshalb zerbricht, weil sie keine gesicherte Zukunft herbeifuhren kann.
Fission-Gas Release During Fissioning in UO2

Equilibrium fission-gas release rates from single crystal U02 specimens were studied at temperatures from 400° to 1300°C and with neutron fluxes from 1 × 1013 to 4 × 1013 neutrons per cm2.second. The behavior of the fission-gas release for different neutron flux levels and temperatures indicates that two processes are occurring. One release method appears to be caused by a disturbance of the specimen surface by fission recoils. A temperature-dependent process dominates the gas release above about 7000C. This high-temperature release, once thought to be by diffusion, is now postulated to be controlled by a trapping process. A first-approach mathematical model is given in which a concentration of traps is assumed to be controlled by fission density, temperature, burnup, and initial structure of the specimen. It is also assumed that the trapped gas has an escape probability which increases with temperature.
The Future of Banking in America - The Changing Corporate Governance Environment: Implications for the Banking Industry

This paper identifies the main developments of the changing environment and illuminates issues of corporate governance that U.S. bankers are likely to face. The paper begins by reviewing the so-called Anglo-Saxon model of corporate governance, which is derived from English common law and based upon extensive legal protections and a large, diffuse ownership of companies. The paper then reviews major academic research on the mechanisms and strategies used to promote good governance in the United States. Next, the paper reviews recent efforts to reform U.S. corporate governance and traces dominant trends. These sections are concerned with corporate governance as it applies to all U.S. businesses. The final section (before a summary and conclusion) focuses specifically on banks and their corporate governance within the broader context.
On consensus-based community detection

We consider networks in which every node updates its value in discrete time by taking a weighted average of the values of the nodes it interacts with. Using an objective function that quantifies the efficiency with which clusters of interacting nodes converge to consensus internally, we formulate an optimization problem that identifies distinct communities in the network. The optimal community detection problem is combinatorial in nature and intractable in general, and we use convex relaxations to reformulate the problem as a semidefinite program. We demonstrate the utility of our algorithm by applying it to some benchmark graphs from the network science literature.
Hybrid Learning in Geological Engineering: Why, How, and to What End? Preliminary Results

As hybrid learning environments gain attention in post-secondary education, engineering educators and professionals are interested to know how the hybrid learning model affects undergraduate learning. The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of hybrid learning environments on student performance in engineering courses by comparing traditional lecture methods with hybrid methods in parallel over the same academic year. Half of the students in the study course experience a hybrid "flipped" classroom while the other half participate in traditional lecture delivery. Hybrid students watch online video lessons, read selected texts and take quizzes before coming to class each week for a problem solving session lead by the instructor. Group problem solving is emphasized while the instructor acts as a guide for learning in this student centered, modeled learning approach. Over the course of the study, student tool use was tracked and students participated in surveying and focus group sessions to identify effects on student achievement, time, and preference between hybrid and traditional methods of learning. In this paper, methods and preliminary results from the study in the 2012-2013 academic year are presented, along with anecdotal experiences on student performance, perception, and preferences, as well as the implications for sustainability.
FRI0372 Clinical Response to Belimumab in Academic Clincal Practices

Background Belimumab is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits soluble B-Lymphocyte Stimulator and improves systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity. Objectives This study was initiated to evaluate the use and efficacy of belimumab in academic SLE clinical practices. Methods An invitation to participate was sent to 16 physicians experienced in SLE Phase III clinical trials. All agreeing to participate completed a one-page questionnaire for each patient prescribed belimumab that includes demographic and SLE characteristics, and information about belimumab administration. The questionnaire completed every three months by the physicians also captured clinical responses and belimumab safety. Clinical response was defined as a ≥50% improvement in the initial clinical manifestation being treated without worsening in other organ systems. Results Of 16 invitations sent, nine investigators participated. Questionnaires on 150 patients treated with belimumab for at least 3 months were available for analysis. The mean age was 41.9±12.6 years. 92.0% were female, 67.1% White, 24.7% Black, 5.7% Asian, and 5.3% Hispanic. The average SLE disease duration was 12.2±8.2 years. Concomitant medications included: prednisone in 73.3% (mean dose of 12.2±10.9, 41.7% on ≥10 mg), antimalarials in 71.7%, and immunosuppressants in 66.3% (mycophenolate mofetil 34.2%, azathioprine 20.3%, methotrexate 11.8%). Only 3.7% of patients were not on any background SLE medications, 8.0% were on antimalarials alone. The dominant clinical manifestations driving treatment were arthritis in 69.5%, rash in 44.4%, and inability to taper steroids in 27.3%. Other SLE manifestations were serositis 16.0%, hematological 13.9%, and renal 10.7%. 65.2% of patients had ≥2 active manifestations. Of the 150 patients on belimumab for at least 3 months, 69 (46.0%) clinically responded by 3 months with marked improvement in arthritis and/or rash. Similarly, of the 112 patients on belimumab for at least 6 months for whom follow-up data were available, 54 (48.2%) clinically responded with improvements in arthritis, rash and/or nephritis. While the numbers are limited, black patients showed improvement at 6 months, with 19/26, 73% of patients responding, p=0.05. Conclusions These observational data support the use of belimumab across all racial/ethnic groups and efficacy similar to that reported in the Phase III trials. Relevant to physician and patient decision-making, improvement was seen as early as 3 months. Disclosure of Interest A. Askanase Consultant for: GlaxoSmithKline DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4343
BRAIN TUMOR CARE THROUGH THE PATIENT'S EYES — THE VALUE OF A COMPREHENSIVE BRAIN TUMOR CENTER

BACKGROUND: (blind field). METHODS: Surveys of patients, caregivers and health care providers were performed by us and others to help identify the patient experience and the suggested means to provide support and improve quality of life. The people and processes needed to provide a comprehensive and supportive experience are discussed. RESULTS: Patients perceive several crises along the treatment continuum from "shock and the unknown" with the initial diagnosis, "anticipation and anxiety" with every new scan, "defeat and limitations" with disease progression and "terminal expectation" towards the end of life. Their desires include honesty, compassion, hope, communication and support services. Continuous follow-up with them and their caregivers minimizes the fear of abandonment with a nurse-navigator being a key person who provides personalized support. The Neuro-Oncologist and multidisciplinary tumor board drive the standard care, with clinical trials providing additional hope. Process improvements, along with symptom management teams comprised of palliative care professionals, can provide maximal supportive services. CONCLUSIONS: A truly multidisciplinary patient and family centered approach needs to be comprehensive, continuous, structured and responsive. A tumor board, neuro-oncologists and nurse navigators are key elements. Palliative care should be renamed "supportive care” and should be utilized along the care continuum. The authors suggest that patients hope and quality of life is optimized with this approach. SECONDARY CATEGORY: n/a.
A New Tool for Assessing Mobile Device Proficiency in Older Adults: The Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire:

Mobile device proficiency is increasingly required to participate in society. Unfortunately, there still exists a digital divide between younger and older adults, especially with respect to mobile devices (i.e., tablet computers and smartphones). Training is an important goal to ensure that older adults can reap the benefits of these devices. However, efficient/effective training depends on the ability to gauge current proficiency levels. We developed a new scale to accurately assess the mobile device proficiency of older adults: the Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ). We present and validate the MDPQ and a short 16-question version of the MDPQ (MDPQ-16). The MDPQ, its subscales, and the MDPQ-16 were found to be highly reliable and valid measures of mobile device proficiency in a large sample. We conclude that the MDPQ and MDPQ-16 may serve as useful tools for facilitating mobile device training of older adults and measuring mobile device proficiency for research purposes.
Identification of the sex pheromone of the western poplar clearwing moth (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)

The sex attractant pheromone for western poplar clearwing, Paranthrene robiniae (Hy. Edwards), was identified by field trapping, gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, and electroantennography to be approximately a 4:1 ratio of ( E ,Z):(Z,Z)-3, 13-octadecadienyl alcohols. Efficient attraction of male P. robiniae requires that both alcohol components be present. The blend of the 2 synthetic components should provide a sensitive and effective lure for monitoring western poplar clearwing moth populations.
Effect of VSC-HVDC Applied on Improving Wind Farm Voltage Stability

The reactive power variation of wind farm interconnected with power grid leads to voltage fluctuation of power grid. In interconnected hybrid wind farm system, the voltage fluctuation can be alleviated and the reactive power can be controlled by voltage source converter. Here the reactive power controller and stable voltage controller of VSC-HVDC are designed. Based on electromagnetic transient software PSCAD/EMTDC, the interconnected wind farm model and VSC-HVDC model as well as the model of their controllers are set up. Simulation results show that in interconnected wind farm system in which the stable voltage controller is adopted, the voltage fluctuation can be alleviated better, and yet the interconnected wind farm system in which the reactive power controller is adopted possesses better interconnection performance and the correctness and feasibility of the controllers are verified.
Breast cancer subtypes: two decades of journey from cell culture to patients

Recent molecular profiling has identified six major subtypes of breast cancers that exhibit different survival outcomes for patients. To address the origin of different subtypes of breast cancers, we have now identified, isolated, and immortalized (using hTERT) mammary stem/progenitor cells which maintain their stem/progenitor properties even after immortalization. Our decade long research has shown that these stem/progenitor cells are highly susceptible to oncogenesis. Given the emerging evidence that stem/progenitor cells are precursors of cancers and that distinct subtypes of breast cancer have different survival outcome, these cellular models provide novel tools to understand the oncogenic process leading to various subtypes of breast cancers and for future development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat different subtypes of breast cancers.
Community and Worthwhile Living in Second Life

According to Linden Lab's reports, more than nine million people are residents of Second Life . Many residents spend (on average according to Linden Lab) up to four hours a day in Second Life , some considerably more. What are they doing in that three-dimensional virtual environment, or rather, what are their avatars doing there? They are visiting art galleries, going to concerts, having sex, gambling, consuming and manufacturing products, attending webinars, taking college courses, worshipping, buying and selling, trying to make a profit in Lindens (Linden dollars), which are convertible to real-world currency. In short, living, or, at least, living it up! Although some commentators and critics have interpreted Second Life as a game on a par with World of Warcraft , it is not a game in the usual sense of the term, although Wittgenstein might disagree. In any event, there are no rule-constitutive actions peculiar to Second Life , no winning or losing, no definable success or failure other than what is understood by those terms in real life (or perhaps I should say in “First Life”). Whatever Second Life now is and whatever it will become is, in very large measure, a product of its residents, who are provided or purchase the programming tools in Second Life to manufacture the objects that give their experiences of Second Life whatever character and content they may have. Residents create or manufacture everything in Second Life , from cars to mansions, and they sell on E-Bay to other residents the programs to do likewise. The Official Guide to Second Life says the following: “ Second Life is often held up as the perfect place to get your fantasy on – and yes, there's no other place like it for becoming something you aren't, or even for working out just what it is you want to be. In a sense, it's the epitome of the ‘walled garden’, a place where reality dare not intrude.”
Research Evidence for Domain Specificity

This chapter explains the kinds of research that can be done to determine the degree to which creativity is domain specific or domain general. It presents the research record, confronts some red herring arguments, and explains what some seemingly conflicting research results really mean.
Where You Live Matters: The Impact of Place of Residence on Severe Sepsis Incidence and Mortality

Background Medically underserved areas are composed of vulnerable populations with reduced access to ambulatory care services. Our goal was to determine the association between residence in a medically underserved area and severe sepsis incidence and mortality. Methods Using administrative data, we identified adults admitted with severe sepsis to nonfederal hospitals in South Carolina. We determined whether each resident lived in a medically underserved area or nonmedically underserved area from US Census and Department of Health and Human Services data. Age-adjusted severe sepsis incidence and mortality rates were calculated and compared between both residential classifications. Multivariate logistic regression measured the association between residence in a medically underserved area and mortality while adjusting for confounders. Results In 2010, 24,395 adults were admitted with severe sepsis and 1,446,987 (43%) adults lived in a medically underserved area. Residents of medically underserved areas were admitted more frequently with severe sepsis (8.6 vs 6.8 cases/1,000 people, P P Conclusions Residence in a medically underserved area is associated with higher incidence and mortality rates of severe sepsis and represents a novel method of access-to-care adjustment. Traditional access-to-care surrogates, however, are poorly associated with sepsis mortality.
Epigenetic Regulation of Caveolin-1 Gene Expression in Lung Fibroblasts

Fibrotic disorders are associated with tissue accumulation of fibroblasts. We recently showed that caveolin (Cav)-1 gene suppression by a profibrotic cytokine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, contributes to fibroblast proliferation and apoptosis resistance. Cav-1 has been shown to be constitutively suppressed in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but mechanisms for this suppression are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that epigenetic processes contribute to Cav-1 down-regulation in IPF lung fibroblasts, and after fibrogenic stimuli. Cav-1 expression levels, DNA methylation status, and histone modifications associated with the Cav-1 promoter were examined by PCR, Western blots, pyrosequencing, or chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in IPF lung fibroblasts, normal fibroblasts after TGF-β1 stimulation, or in murine lung fibroblasts after bleomycin injury. Methylation-specific PCR demonstrated methylated and unmethylated Cav-1 DNA copies in all groups. Despite significant changes in Cav-1 expression, no changes in DNA methylation were observed in CpG islands or CpG island shores of the Cav-1 promoter by pyrosequencing of lung fibroblasts from IPF lungs, in response to TGF-β1, or after bleomycin-induced murine lung injury, when compared with respective controls. In contrast, the association of Cav-1 promoter with the active histone modification mark, H3 lysine 4 trimethylation, correlated with Cav-1 down-regulation in activated/fibrotic lung fibroblasts. Our data indicate that Cav-1 gene silencing in lung fibroblasts is actively regulated by epigenetic mechanisms that involve histone modifications, in particular H3 lysine 4 trimethylation, whereas DNA methylation does not appear to be a primary mechanism. These findings support therapeutic strategies that target histone modifications to restore Cav-1 expression in fibroblasts participating in pathogenic tissue remodeling.
Improving Medication Dosing in the Obese Patient.

The purpose of this paper is to provide clinicians with important considerations and caveats when evaluating published literature on medication dosing in obese subjects, since much of this literature involves short-term pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic studies that are not designed to look at clinically important outcomes. A secondary objective is to suggest improvements in the reporting of dosing information derived from clinical studies and incorporated into product information labeling that should help clinicians design medication-specific dosing regimens for patients with obesity. Data sources included published studies, review papers, and clinical practice guidelines concerning drug dosing of subjects with obesity. Medication dosing recommendations in product labeling typically are derived from studies of normal healthy volunteers and patients with single-system disease states or patients in a specialized setting (e.g. operating room, intensive care unit). Even in studies with relatively large sample sizes there are often relatively few subjects with extremes of body composition such as patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 kg/m2, so the appropriateness of labeled dosing information for these subjects is particularly ill-defined. Investigations of medication labeling information have demonstrated the inadequacy of this information for dosing patients of more extreme body size. Clinical investigations of drugs should be designed and the results reported in a manner that allows for meaningful recommendations for drug dosing in patients with varying degrees of obesity. Until and when such studies are routinely performed, there are steps that can be taken by the pharmaceutical industry, clinicians, and governmental agencies to help insure optimal drug dosing in obesity.
Waveguide Excitation of Dielectric and Plasma Slabs

Time-harmonic analyses are presented for the excitation of a dielectric slab and for the excitation of an isotropic, incompressible, plasma slab by means of a parallel-plate waveguide with one plate truncated. Both TE and TM polarizations are considered in these open-region problems. The principal contribution of the paper is the development of a procedure for factoring the function of a complex variable which appears in the formulation of each of these Wiener-Hopf type boundary value problems. The technique obtains the factorization for the open-region problem by a limiting procedure on a function and its factorization associated with a related closed-region problem. The latter factorization is usually trivial. The technique is quite general and should find application to a wide range of Wiener-Hopf problems involving open regions. Details of the investigation including the results of numerical computations are presented for the excitation problems. These include the average power reflected in the waveguide, radiated in the space wave, and transmitted by the surface waves. The radiation pattern of the space wave is also given.
Greedy approaches to finding a sparse cover in a sensor network without location information

Modeling a location-unaware sensor network as a simplicial complex, where simplices correspond to cliques in the communication graph, has proven useful for solving a number of coverage problems under certain conditions using algebraic topology. Several approaches to finding a sparse cover for a fenced sensor network are considered, including calculating homology changes locally, strong collapsing, and Euler characteristic collapsing.
Sub-kHz linewidth lasers using integrated Si 3 N 4 ring resonators

Frequency discriminators are attractive devices for reducing integrated laser linewidths for coherent communication systems and high purity microwave photonic systems. Standard diode lasers have MHz level linewidths, with recent integrated delay line lasers showing a 50 kHz [1]. Typical on chip devices allow for a few cm of delay in a Mach Zehnder (MZI) configuration, but larger delays are needed for integrated devices. Here, we show a fully integrated Si3N4 ring resonator used as an optical discriminator with a sensitivity better than a 10 meter delay line interferometer. We utilize the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique to characterize the resonator bandwidth and improve the linewidth of a state of the art commercial laser by locking to the waveguide coupled resonator.
Mathematical modeling reveals differential regulation of MAPK activity by phosphatase proteins in the yeast pheromone response pathway

To prevent indefinite cellular responses to external signals, cells utilize various adaptation mechanisms. The yeast mating-response pathway is a model cellular system that exhibits adaptation to persistent external signals. This pathway employs a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade which is composed of two well-known negative feedback inhibitions that involve the yeast phosphatase proteins Ptp3 and Msg5. The phosphorylated form of the yeast MAPK protein Fus3 (pFus3) triggers the phosphorylation of both phosphatases, but transcriptionally upregulates only Msg5. To study the biological rationale for the existence of two distinct negative feedback inhibitions acting on pFus3, we used published experimental data to develop a mathematical model which quantifies the inhibitory roles of these phosphatase proteins on pFus3. Our analyses show that the inhibition of pFus3 due to Ptp3 is largely independent of the signal profile, and is most impactful at early time points after pheromone induction. Conversely, the feedback inhibition due to Msg5 is highly dependent on the signal profile, and is most influential after pFus3 attains its maximum cellular abundance. Similarly, Ptp3 reduces the variation in the pFus3 dynamics at early time points while the noise-reduction effects of Msg5 become stronger as time passes.
In-situ, real-time monitoring of nutrient uptake on plant chip integrated with nutrient sensor

We for the first time report on in-situ, real-time monitoring of nitrate and phosphorous uptake of plants grown in a microfluidic plant chip using integrated nutrient sensors. The plant chip contains the growth medium with known ingredients and initial concentrations for growing plants. As the roots uptake the nutrients from the medium, the embedded sensors detect concentration reductions of target nutrient ions in the medium. The nutrient reduction in the medium indicates the nutrient uptake by the plant. Therefore, real-time monitoring of nutrient use efficiency can be realized on the plant chip. Using rice plants as a model system, we have demonstrated accurate and continuous detection of variations of phosphate and nitrate concentrations in growth medium over 15 days. The integration of the miniature nutrient sensors with the microfluidic plant chips will provide a powerful tool in the area of plant science to help advance our understanding of plant responses to nutrient stress.
Poverty, a risk factor overlooked: a cross-sectional cohort study comparing poverty rate and cardiovascular disease outcomes in the state of Florida

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between poverty rate and heart disease in our state. A cross-sectional data analysis was performed using figures provided by the Center for Disease Control’s Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke Tables. Spearman’s correlations and simple regressions were used to determine if there was a relationship between poverty and cardiovascular hospitalization rate and cardiovascular death rate. There was a positive monotonic correlation between poverty rate and cardiovascular hospitalization rate (Rho=0.384, P=0.001). There was a positive monotonic correlation between poverty rate and cardiovascular death rate (Rho=0.646, P
Cigarette Smoking among US- and Foreign-Born European and Arab American Non-Hispanic White Men and Women

Using 15 years (2000–2014) of restricted cross-sectional National Health Interview Survey data (n = 276,914), we estimated and compared the age-adjusted and sex-specific prevalence of cigarette smoking between US- and foreign-born Europeans and Arab Americans and examined associations between ethnicity and current smoking. Arab Americans were categorized as non-Hispanic Whites born in 15 countries located in the Middle East. Current smoking, average cigarettes per day, and quit attempts were compared. Collectively, we found that current smoking was highest among males compared to females. Prevalence was highest among Arab American males (26%) compared to other US-born (24%) and foreign-born European males (21%). US-born males smoked more cigarettes per day (20.2) yet more Arab American males (61%) tried to quit in the last year compared to European (41%) and US-born (42%) counterparts. Arab American females were least likely to smoke compared to other groups. In crude analyses, Arab American males had greater odds (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.74) of smoking compared to US-born White males. After adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, health insurance, comorbidity, and acculturation effects, Arab American males had lower odds (OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.46, 0.88) of current smoking compared to US-born males. Arab American females had lower odds (OR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.15, 0.53) of current smoking compared to US-born White females. This is the first national study to examine smoking among Arab Americans. Our study was limited to cigarette smoking behaviors as opposed to other forms of tobacco consumption. More studies are needed to explore smoking among US- and foreign-born Europeans and Arab Americans.
ISCHEMIA, INFARCTION AND HSP70

Acute myocardial infarction remains one of the major causes of death among men in the Western World. The most common cause of acute myocardial infarction is thrombosis or occlusion of the coronary arteries that feed the left ventricle of the heart. The lack of blood flow to the cardiac muscle can result in severe cellular damage that eventually may compromise the muscle’s ability to contract. Coronary thrombosis is a direct consequence of coronary artery disease or more specifically atherosclerosis. Recent research aimed at identifying the cause of atherosclerosis and efforts to prevent it have contributed to a decreased incidence of myocardial infarction in the past decade. However, in spite of this recent improvement, the incidence of myocardial infarction leading to subsequent severe cardiac failure still remains a significant medical problem. Therefore, the salvage of additional myocardium following an infarction is a highly desirable aim. Recent evidence indicates that endogenous protective mechanisms are readily activated in cardiomyocytes during an ischemic event, thus a better understanding of these endogenous protective mechanisms will most likely lead to additional myocardial salvage in the reperfused myocardium.
Radiation-Induced Boiling in Superheated Water and Organic Liquids

A series of studies was made of bubble nucleation by fission fragments and fast neutrons. The experimental work was conducted by a liquid suspension method in a pressure chamber designed to provide...
Fast and Robust Computation of Low-Thrust Orbit-Raising Trajectories

This paper presents a new dynamic model of a thrusting spacecraft, and the model is used for computing low-thrust orbit-raising trajectories to the geosynchronous equatorial orbit. Low-thrust orbit...
THE CHALLENGE OF COMMUNICATING ICPC’S ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE SCORE CARD FOR MINISTRIES, DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES (MDAS) OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA

This article discusses the challenge of communicating the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) Ethics and Compliance Score Card for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government. The Score Card contains a structured summary of values that measure a set of indicators. It scores, tabulates and ranks indicator items and their attributes along a range of values. The Score Card creates a platform for comparing and analyzing the weaknesses that make MDAs susceptible to corruption. It will also measure MDA’s compliance with institutional integrity mandates, as well as accountability principles required for effective service delivery. The argument that communication is essential for the realization of the objectives of the Score Card was advanced in a discourse analysis. Anchored on theories X and Y and Media Richness theory, the paper focuses on the Score Card, its implications and the risk of not factoring professional communication, advocacy and effective stakeholders’ engagement in the implementation; highlighting the paths not yet taken. It is recommended that Civil Society practitioners, relevant professional bodies and stakeholders in the communication sector must be involved and a robust communication strategy developed to ensure the realization of the objectives of the Score Card.
The 401(k) Student Loan Repayment Benefit Program

In recent years, student loan repayment programs have emerged as the hot new employee benefit. However, their growth has been restricted by their lack of favored tax status. On August 17, 2018, the...
The Subgingival Microbiome Relationship to Periodontal Disease in Older Women

Understanding of the oral microbiome in relation to periodontal disease in older adults is limited. The composition and diversity of the subgingival microflora and their oligotypes in health and levels of periodontal disease were investigated in this study on older postmenopausal women. The 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform in 1,206 women aged 53 to 81 y. Presence and severity of periodontal disease were defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology criteria. Composition of the microbiome was determined by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and the abundance of taxa described by the centered log2-ratio (CLR) transformed operational taxonomic unit (OTU) values. Differences according to periodontal disease status were determined by analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction. Bacteria oligotypes associated with periodontal disease and health were determined by minimum entropy decomposition and their functions estimated in silico using PICRUSt. Prevalence of none/mild, moderate, and severe periodontal disease was 25.1%, 58.3%, and 16.6%, respectively. Alpha diversity of the microbiome differed significantly across the 3 periodontal disease categories. β-Diversity differed between no/mild and severe periodontal disease, although considerable overlap was noted. Of the 267 bacterial species identified at ≥0.02% abundance, 56 (20.9%) differed significantly in abundance according to periodontal disease status. Significant linear correlations for pocket depth and clinical attachment level with bacterial amounts were observed for several taxa. Of the taxa differing in abundance according to periodontal disease status, 53% had multiple oligotypes appearing to differ between none/mild and severe periodontal disease. Among older women, taxonomic differences in subgingival microbiome composition and diversity were observed in relation to clinical periodontal disease measures. Potential differences in bacterial subspecies (oligotypes) and their function were also identified in periodontal disease compared with health.
The long-term clinical course of generalized anxiety disorder

Although generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common disorder associated with significant levels of morbidity, little is known of its long-term course and outcomes. During the first 5 years, GAD follows a chronic course with low rates of remission and moderate rates of relapse/recurrence following remission. Retrospective studies suggest that this chronic pattern may last up to 20 years. It is hoped that, as with depression, long-term prospective studies in GAD will provide insight into the course, nature, and outcomes of the disorder over time. The studies will also identify any changes in the duration and severity of episodes of GAD over time, enabling treatments to effectively reflect the course of the disorder. Studies of other anxiety disorders and depression suggest that the course and outcome of the disorder may be influenced by certain factors such as stressful life events, anxiety sensitivity/negative affect, gender, subsyndromal symptoms, and comorbid disorders. Currently, studies are underway to determine the effects of these factors on the risk of relapse/recurrence, maintenance of full symptoms, and development of subsyndromal symptoms in GAD. GAD is currently underrecognized and undertreated, but it is hoped that this will change with the ever-increasing awareness of anxiety disorders. As treatment for GAD becomes more common, future prospective studies will identify the effect of therapy on the course and nature of the disorder, leading to increased understanding of GAD and the development of effective treatment strategies tailored for individual patients.
MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN ADULT FONTAN PATIENTS AFTER HEART OR COMBINED HEART LIVER TRANSPLANT: A REPORT FROM THE FOSTER STUDY

We examined a retrospective, multicenter cohort of adult Fontan patients referred for heart transplant (HT) to assess the impact of comorbidities and combined heart-liver transplant (CHLT) on mortality. All patients at participating institutions with a history of a Fontan-type palliation referred
Chapter 8 – Delegation: Getting It Right to Lead Successfully

Leaders need to lead. They can’t do everything themselves and they can’t effectively (or successfully) micromanage a large number of people within a large organization. Failure can occur with either too much or too little delegation. This chapter will focus on how to find the middle way.
Overcomplete order-3 tensor decomposition, blind deconvolution and Gaussian mixture models.

We expand the family of tensors that can be efficiently decomposed and apply our new algorithmic ideas to blind deconvolution and Gaussian mixture models. Our basic contribution is an efficient algorithm to decompose certain symmetric overcomplete order-3 tensors, that is, three dimensional arrays of the form $T = \sum_{i=1}^n a_i \otimes a_i \otimes a_i$ where the $a_i$s are not linearly independent. Our second contribution builds on top of our tensor decomposition algorithm to expand the family of Gaussian mixture models whose parameters can be estimated efficiently. These ideas are also presented in a much more general framework of blind deconvolution that makes them applicable to mixture models of identical but very general distributions, including all centrally symmetric distributions with finite 6th moment.