cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rural-Urban Differences in General and Health-Related Internet Use

Literature has shown that people living in rural areas are less likely to have access to the Internet for demographic and technological reasons; however, less information is available regarding rural—urban differences in online health-information seeking. Data from the National Cancer Institute’s nationally representative 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey (N = 5,586) are used to examine these relationships. Logistic regression results show that those in rural areas use the Internet less than those who live in urban areas. Among individuals who have used the Internet, those in rural areas are less likely to use the Internet for health purposes. The persistence of a digital divide between rural and urban residents in online health searching is attributable to factors such as educational level, income, and diffusion of broadband. The article discusses the impact of these differences.
Virtual Inspector: A Flexible Visualizer for Dense 3D Scanned Models

Virtual inspector lets novice users inspect dense 3D models at interactive frame rates on commodity PCs. The system obtains visualization efficiency without sacrificing quality by adopting a continuous level-of-detail representation. Visual inspector's use of XML to encode the GUI's structure and behavior makes it flexible and configurable. We can improve the virtual inspector system by adding new functionality and increasing its efficiency. Few restorers would consider the simple visualization of a digital 3D replica as the ultimate goal for the use of 3D scanning technologies in cultural heritage contexts. Once we can visualize an artifact with great accuracy, the need to map other data on the 3D model will rise. We're working on a slightly extended version of the tool to support mapping and selective visualization of different sources of surface data. We're also developing tools to compute measures. Finally, we're working to more dynamically enrich the data linked to the mesh by letting users add annotations or link multimedia material to selected points of the artifact surface. Our goal is to transform virtual inspector into a more dynamic instrument for cultural heritage research and restoration.
Probe sialidase substrate specificity using chemoenzymatically synthesized sialosides containing C9-modified sialic acid

A library of α2–3- and α2–6-linked sialyl galactosides containing C9-modified sialic acids was synthesized from C6-modified mannose derivatives using an efficient one-pot three-enzyme system. These sialosides were used in a high-throughput sialidase substrate specificity assay to elucidate the importance of C9–OH in sialidase recognition.
HtrC Is Involved in Proteolysis of YpeB during Germination of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis Spores

Bacterial endospores can remain dormant for decades yet can respond to nutrients, germinate, and resume growth within minutes. An essential step in the germination process is degradation of the spore cortex peptidoglycan wall, and the SleB protein in Bacillus species plays a key role in this process. Stable incorporation of SleB into the spore requires the YpeB protein, and some evidence suggests that the two proteins interact within the dormant spore. Early during germination, YpeB is proteolytically processed to a stable fragment. In this work, the primary sites of YpeB cleavage were identified in Bacillus anthracis, and it was shown that the stable products are comprised of the C-terminal domain of YpeB. Modification of the predominant YpeB cleavage sites reduced proteolysis, but cleavage at other sites still resulted in loss of full-length YpeB. A B. anthracis strain lacking the HtrC protease did not generate the same stable YpeB products. In B. anthracis and Bacillus subtilis htrC mutants, YpeB was partially stabilized during germination but was still degraded at a reduced rate by other, unidentified proteases. Purified HtrC cleaved YpeB to a fragment similar to that observed in vivo, and this cleavage was stimulated by Mn2+ or Ca2+ ions. A lack of HtrC did not stabilize YpeB or SleB during spore formation in the absence of the partner protein, indicating other proteases are involved in their degradation during sporulation.
Reform, Reorganization, and the Renaissance of the Managerial Presidency: The Impact of 9/11 on the Executive Establishment

In the wake of 9/11, realigning the human and financial resources of the executive branch to fight the war on terrorism quickly became the defining mission of George W. Bush’s transformed presidency. This article assesses the ways in which 9/11 impacted on the executive branch of the U.S. government, using a framework of “punctuated equilibrium” to posit that the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington added considerable force to trends already in motion. September 11 proved a catalyst for significant institutional changes, such as the enhanced role of the vice president in policy making and the reorganization of the federal government and intelligence apparatus. Organizational reforms, driven in a top-down fashion by the White House, reflect President Bush’s confidence in the managerial presidency: the notion that preventing future terror threats is effectively a problem of executive control, bureaucratic coordination, and adequate funding.
Delayed-pilot sampling for mixture Kalman filter with application in fading channels

Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods are powerful techniques for online filtering of nonlinear and non-Gaussian dynamic systems. Typically dynamic systems exhibit strong memory effects, i.e., future observations can reveal substantial information about the current state. The delayed-sample sampling method has been proposed in the context of a mixture Kalman filter (MKF), which makes use of future observations in generating samples of the current state. Although this method is highly effective in producing accurate filtering results, its computational complexity is exponential in terms of the delay, due to the need to marginalize the future states. We address this difficulty by developing two new sampling schemes for delayed estimation, namely, delayed-pilot sampling and hybrid-pilot sampling. The basic idea of delayed-pilot sampling is that instead of exploring the entire space of future states, we generate a number of random pilot streams, each of which indicates what would happen in the future if the current state takes a particular value. The sampling distribution of the current state is then determined by the incremental importance weight associated with each pilot stream. The delayed-pilot sampling can be used in conjunction with the delayed-sample method, resulting in a hybrid scheme. This new sampling technique is then applied to solve the problem of adaptive detection and decoding in flat-fading communication channels. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the new low-complexity sampling techniques for delayed estimation and for comparison with the delayed-sample method.
Scenario for A Third Computer Revolution in Structural Engineering

On the basis of the analogy between the industrial revolution and the computer revolution, it would be expected that subsequent conferences on electronic computation would deal exclusively with time-shared computing. The analogy is examined, and it is shown that the computer revolution differs significantly from the inudstrial revolution. Some of the adverse factors affecting the structural engineering profession are examined, and their implications for computer use are analyzed. A solution is presented for the problems outlined, calling for a centralized agency to handle software manufacture for structural engineering. The mode of operation of the profession in such an environment is described.
Evaluating Animated Characters: Facial Motion Magnitude Influences Personality Perceptions

Animated characters are expected to fulfill a variety of social roles across different domains. To be successful and effective, these characters must display a wide range of personalities. Designers and animators create characters with appropriate personalities by using their intuition and artistic expertise. Our goal is to provide evidence-based principles for creating social characters. In this article, we describe the results of two experiments that show how exaggerated and damped facial motion magnitude influence impressions of cartoon and more realistic animated characters. In our first experiment, participants watched animated characters that varied in rendering style and facial motion magnitude. The participants then rated the different animated characters on extroversion, warmth, and competence, which are social traits that are relevant for characters used in entertainment, therapy, and education. We found that facial motion magnitude affected these social traits in cartoon and realistic characters differently. Facial motion magnitude affected ratings of cartoon characters’ extroversion and competence more than their warmth. In contrast, facial motion magnitude affected ratings of realistic characters’ extroversion but not their competence nor warmth. We ran a second experiment to extend the results of the first. In the second experiment, we added emotional valence as a variable. We also asked participants to rate the characters on more specific aspects of warmth, such as respectfulness, calmness, and attentiveness. Although the characters’ emotional valence did not affect ratings, we found that facial motion magnitude influenced ratings of the characters’ respectfulness and calmness but not attentiveness. These findings provide a basis for how animators can fine-tune facial motion to control perceptions of animated characters’ personalities.
Effects of alpha-adrenergic stimuli on mesenteric collecting lymphatics in the rate

The present study examined the effects of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic stimuli on rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, and the mesentery was prepared for intravital microscopic study. Mesenteric collecting lymphatic diameter was continuously monitored by using a computerized video tracking system, and indexes of lymphatic pumping (e.g., contraction frequency, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and muscle shortening velocity) were determined from the diameter record. Contractile activity was monitored before and during the administration of various adrenergic agonists and antagonists. The receptor antagonists prazosin (alpha 1) and yohimbine (alpha 2) did not significantly alter baseline diameter or contractile activity, which suggests that lymphatics possess no basal adrenergic tone. Norepinephrine and phenylephrine (01-1.0 microM) produced dose-dependent increases in frequency and decreases in diameter. Lymphatic pump flow increased in direct proportion to frequency, because stroke volume did not change. The changes in lymphatic pumping produced by 1 microM norepinephrine were completely blocked by prazosin or phentolamine and only partially blocked by yohimbine. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist (alpha-methyl-norepinephrine) produced no changes in lymphatic activity. This latter observation suggests that a role for postjunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors in modulating mesenteric lymphatic smooth muscle is unlikely. The results of these studies support the existence of alpha-adrenoceptors on lymphatic smooth muscle. It is concluded that conditions characterized by increased sympathetic outflow may augment lymphatic function through alpha 1- but not alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
Anatomy and Histology of the Worker of Camponotus Herculeanus Pennsylvanicus De Geer (Formicidae, Hymenoptera)

The aim of the observations reported in this paper is the investigation of the anatomy and histology of the American C. herculeanus pennsylvanicus together with a comparison of this species with the existing work on other closely related Formicidae. This report describes the digestive system with the associated glands, the heart and aorta, the non-functional reproductive system, and the poison apparatus. The tracheal and nervous systems have not been completely treated, and the blood, the muscles and the sensilla have not been considered at all.[2][1] [1]: #fn-2
Classifying total and effective impervious surfaces for urban hydrologic modeling

This paper describes an approach using maximum likelihood classification of high-resolution (< 4–m) multi-spectral data to determine the total impervious areas in a watershed in Houston, Texas, USA. The areas studied included a commercial district, an industrial site, and two residential areas, one with a very small amount of tree canopy coverage and another with significant canopy coverage. An unsupervised approach was tested along with several supervised approaches and the results suggested that the use of the high-resolution data provided reasonable approximations of total impervious area for the sample areas with negligible canopy coverage, and less accurate results in the area with significant canopy coverage. Currently we are addressing the issue of under the canopy impervious area and developing an approach to estimate effective impervious area by integrating the derived total impervious area surface with topography, drainage network, building morphology, and roadway data in a geographic information system. The techniques to estimate under the canopy impervious area and the effective impervious area are being based on defining flow paths and summing the pixels that drain to a drainage channel, drainage inlet, or some other entry point to the drainage system. The topography data being used is a highresolution (1-m) horizontal dataset derived from airborne LIDAR technology. An automated analysis tool within a geographic information system is being developed and will be described at the conference. Results from the application of the method for a large urban watershed in Houston will be presented at the conference.
What Ideology Means and What It Does: Citizen Conceptualization of, and Physiological Response to, Ideological Terms

Scholars have long argued that ideology has an affective component as well as a cognitive one. Most studies seeking to identify the emotional aspects of ideology have done so indirectly, by asking individuals to provide self-reports of their feelings. Recently, however, scholars have employed direct measures of emotion (i.e., measures of autonomic nervous system response) in order to explore the connections between affect and ideology. This paper relies upon such measures but differs from previous work by not priming an emotional response in subjects. Instead, we measure subjects’ affective responses to what appears to be an entirely cognitive process, namely, defining ideological terms. Our results suggest, among other things, that simply invoking ideological terms elicits a significant emotional response in subjects. Furthermore, political interest and political knowledge play important roles in moderating affect in ideological self-identifiers. Interest increases affective reactions while knowledge calms them.
Child-care During Recurrent Bleeding After Tonsillectomy:One Case Report

The bleeding after tonsillectomy is one of the most common complications.Serious bleeding can cause respiratory tract obstruction,dyspnoea,uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock and even death.Strengthening observation with psychological care,primary care and systematic care reduced complications and promoted children's recover.
MTOR Inhibitors Activate the AKT Kinase in Multiple Myeloma Cells by Upregulating the IGF-1/IRS-1/PI-3 Kinase Cascade.

MTOR inhibitors, such as rapamycin and CCI-779, have shown pre-clinical potential as therapy for multiple myeloma (MM). By inhibiting expression of cell cycle proteins, these agents induce G1 arrest. However, by also inhibiting an mTOR-dependent phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), they may alter its subcellular localization and/or prevent its degradation which could enhance IGF-1 signaling and downstream PI3-kinase/AKT activation. This may be a particular problem in MM where IGF-1-induced activation of AKT is an important anti-apoptotic cascade. We, thus, studied PI3-kinase/AKT activation in MM cells treated with mTOR inhibitors. Rapamycin enhanced basal AKT activity, AKT phosphorylation and PI3-kinase activity in MM cell lines. Both PTEN-null as well as PTEN-wild type myeloma lines were similarly affected. Rapamycin also significantly prolonged activation of AKT induced by exogenous IGF-1. CCI-779, used in a xenograft model, also resulted in MM cell AKT activation in vivo. Blockade of IGF-1 receptor function prevented rapamycin’s activation of AKT. Furthermore, rapamycin prevented serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IRS-1 degradation. Though similarly blocking IRS-1 degradation, proteasome inhibitors did not activate MM cell AKT. Although rapamycin sensitized MM cells for dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, it protected against PS-341-induced apoptosis. Thus, mTOR inhibitors activate PI3-K/AKT in MM cells and activation depends on basal IGF-1/IGF-R signaling. As activated AKT may protect against apoptosis, future use of mTOR inhibitors in myeloma patients will have to carefully consider the types of anti-myeloma agents used in combination.
The Impact of Antithrombin Deficiency on Women's Reproductive Health Experiences and Healthcare Decision-Making

Abstract Background: Women with inherited antithrombin (AT) deficiency are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), especially during times of estrogen exposure, but little is known about pat...
A Collaborative Learning Framework for Estimating Many Individualized Regression Models in a Heterogeneous Population

Mixed-effect models (MEMs) have been found very useful for modeling complex dataset where many similar individualized regression models should be estimated. Like many statistical models, the success of these models builds on the assumption that a central tendency can effectively establish the population-level characteristics and covariates are sufficient to characterize the individual variation as derivation from the center. In many real-world problems, however, the dataset is collected from a rather heterogeneous population, where each individual has a distinct model. To fill in this gap, we propose a collaborative learning framework that provides a generic methodology for estimating a heterogeneous population of individualized regression models by exploiting the idea of “canonical models” and model regularization. By using a set of canonical models to represent the heterogeneous population characteristics, the canonical models span the modeling space for the individuals’ models, e.g., although each individual model is distinct, its model parameter vector can be represented by the parameter vectors of the canonical models. Theoretical analysis is also conducted to reveal a connection between the proposed method and the MEMs. Both simulation studies and applications on Alzheimer's disease and degradation modeling of turbofan engines demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
A Landscape of Metabolic Variation across Tumor Types

Summary Tumor metabolism is reorganized to support proliferation in the face of growth-related stress. Unlike the widespread profiling of changes to metabolic enzyme levels in cancer, comparatively less attention has been paid to the substrates/products of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, small-molecule metabolites. We developed an informatic pipeline to concurrently analyze metabolomics data from over 900 tissue samples spanning seven cancer types, revealing extensive heterogeneity in metabolic changes relative to normal tissue across cancers of different tissues of origin. Despite this heterogeneity, a number of metabolites were recurrently differentially abundant across many cancers, such as lactate and acyl-carnitine species. Through joint analysis of metabolomic data alongside clinical features of patient samples, we also identified a small number of metabolites, including several polyamines and kynurenine, which were associated with aggressive tumors across several tumor types. Our findings offer a glimpse onto common patterns of metabolic reprogramming across cancers, and the work serves as a large-scale resource accessible via a web application (http://www.sanderlab.org/pancanmet).
Performance of an ultra-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum HRP2-based rapid diagnostic test with recombinant HRP2, culture parasites, and archived whole blood samples.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors flagged an error concerning a reference to a product in the Methods section.
Thermal Modeling for Processors and Systems-on-Chip

Chip power density and consequently on-chip hot spot temperature have been increasing steadily as a result of non-ideal technology scaling, leading to severely thermally constrained designs. In this chapter, we review a chip- and package-level thermal modeling and simulation approach, HotSpot, that is unique because it is compact, correct by construction, flexible, and parameterized. HotSpot is important for temperature-aware design, especially during early pre-RTL stages of SoC and processor designs. Several case studies further illustrate the necessity of thermal simulations and the usefulness of HotSpot.
Random Variables and Their Probability Distributions

This chapter discusses random variables and their probability distributions. A random variable X = X ( ω ) is a function defined on Ω which assumes only finite values and has the property that the set of simple events ω for which X ( ω ) ≤ x is an event for any real x . This definition of a random variable enables the introduction of the probability that the value of a random variable does not exceed a certain number and one writes P ({ ω : X ( ω ) ≤ x }) for this probability. The chapter also discusses the distribution functions. If X is a random variable; the probability P ( X ≤ x ) is a function of the real variable x , then F X ( x ) = P ( X ≤ x) and call F X ( x ) the distribution function of the random variable X .
Modes of Pacemaker Function

The method of classifying pacemaker function originated in 1987 as the NASPE/BPEG (North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology/ British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group). The classification has subsequently been modified to incorporate rate modulated pacing and multisite pacing (Table 3.1). The first position of the code indicates the cardiac chamber paced, which may include the atrium (A), ventricle (V), both the atrium and ventricle (dual or D), or none (O). The second position represents the cardiac chamber sensed, which may include the atrium (A), ventricle (V), both the atrium and ventricle (dual or D), or none (O). Manufacturers may also designate S for a single chamber that is sensed, or paced, either the atrium or the ventricle. The third position represents the function that the pacemaker performs: triggered (T), inhibited (I), triggered and inhibited (dual or D), or none (O). Triggered refers to pacing in the chamber paced after the sensing of intrinsic activity in the chamber sensed. The sensing and pacing may occur in different chambers. For example, in the VAT mode, the atrium is sensed and the ventricle is paced. If the response is inhibited, sensing of intrinsic electrical activity results in no pacing in the designated chamber. In dual sensing, the sensing of intrinsic ventricular events inhibits pacing (inhibited) in the ventricle or atrium for a programmed time interval. Sensing of intrinsic atrial events results in inhibition of an atrial pacing and triggers pacing in the ventricle after a specified AV delay or interval. The fourth position represents rate modulation. Rate modulation is the ability of the pacemaker to adjust the timing events according to signals from a sensor. Sensors such as motion, acceleration, temperature, or impedance may be used to adjust the pacing rate to the physical activity or metabolic demands of the patient. The fifth position in the code is the site of multisite pacing. There may be only a single site in each chamber that is paced (O). There may be two sites within the atria that are paced (A) or there may be two sites within the ventricles that are paced (V). There may be two pacing sites within both the atria or ventricles (D).
Effects of Frictional Stimulation on the Structure of the Stratum Corneum

Although the formation of callus is a change commonly observed in the epidermis, the cellular events underlying this alteration in the structure of the stratum corneum are uncertain. Examination of the effects of friction on mouse ear epidermis and hamster cheek-pouch epithelium [5,6, 11 ] has shown that these keratinizing epithelia respond to repeated mechanical stimulation with marked increases in overall epithelial thickness and rates of cell proliferation; a new steady state, with cell formation balancing cell loss, appears to be established within the nucleated cell compartment within a few days of repeated stimulation. These findings do not entirely agree with earlier suggestions of Rubin [16] and Rothman [14, 15], who interpreted the epithelial response to friction in terms of formation of a “harder” keratin with a reduced shedding rate. However, the epidermis does appear to be more resistant to mechanical damage after adaptation to frictional stimulation [9], and this is difficult to explain solely in terms of a faster rate of cell production. Associated changes in the epithelium possibly producing a stratum corneum of increased mechanical resistance [15] therefore need to be considered. Thus, several aspects of the structure of the stratum corneum of mouse ear epidermis following frictional stimulation have been examined for any change in the type of keratin formed and to investigate possible causes of the thickening and increased mechanical resistance of this tissue following friction.
Evaluation of Polycaprolactone Scaffold with Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor and Fibroblasts in an Athymic Rat Model for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common ligamentous injury often necessitating surgery. Current surgical treatment options include ligament reconstruction with autograft or allograft, which have their inherent limitations. Thus, there is interest in a tissue-engineered substitute for use in ACL regeneration. However, there have been relatively few in vivo studies to date. In this study, an athymic rat model of ACL reconstruction was used to evaluate electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) grafts, with and without the addition of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and human foreskin fibroblasts. We examined the regenerative potential of tissue-engineered ACL grafts using histology, immunohistochemistry, and mechanical testing up to 16 weeks postoperatively. Histology showed infiltration of the grafts with cells, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated aligned collagen deposition with minimal inflammatory reaction. Mechanical testing of the grafts demonstrated significantly higher mechanical properties than immediately postimplantation. Acellular grafts loaded with bFGF achieved 58.8% of the stiffness and 40.7% of the peak load of healthy native ACL. Grafts without bFGF achieved 31.3% of the stiffness and 28.2% of the peak load of healthy native ACL. In this in vivo rodent model study for ACL reconstruction, the histological and mechanical evaluation demonstrated excellent healing and regenerative potential of our electrospun PCL ligament graft.
Sets and Events

The core classical theorems in probability and statistics are the following: The law of large numbers (LLN): Suppose \(\{X_n, n \geq 1\}\) are independent, identically distributed (iid) random variables with common mean \(E(X_n) = \mu\). The LLN says the sample average is approximately equal to the mean, so that $$\frac{1}{n}\sum \limits^n_{i=1} X_i \rightarrow \mu.$$
Lesser MTPJ Reconstruction

Digital deformities have been long associated metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) pathology. Traditional rebalancing techniques, which include sequential joint releases and capsulorrhaphies, are commonly performed in conjunction with complex hammertoe and lesser metatarsal osteotomy procedures involving MTPJ contractures. Decades of clinical outcomes have clearly demonstrated that floating toes, digital instability, and malalignment are potential undesired outcomes.
Virtual Reality and Web-Based Growth Mindset Interventions for Adolescent Depression: Protocol for a Three-Arm Randomized Trial.

Background: Depression is the leading cause of disability in youth, with a global economic burden of US >$210 billion annually. However, up to 70% of youth with depression do not receive services. Even among those who do access treatment, 30% to 65% fail to respond and many dropout prematurely, demonstrating a need for more potent, accessible interventions. In a previous trial, a single-session Web-based growth mindset (GM) intervention significantly reduced depressive symptoms in high-symptom adolescents; however, this intervention did not benefit adolescents uniformly. For instance, the intervention reduced depression in adolescents who reported post intervention increases in perceived control, but it did not lead to significant depression reductions in adolescents who reported no significant post intervention increases in perceived control. Objective: The goal of this project is to test the acceptability and efficacy of a novel, single-session, virtual reality (VR) depression intervention—the VR Personality Project—teaching GM, the belief that personal attributes are malleable rather than fixed. The VR Personality Project was designed to systematically target and increase adolescents’ perceived control by offering a more immersive, engaging, user-directed intervention experience than the Web-based intervention can provide. By targeting an identified predictor of intervention response, the VR Personality Project may lead to larger reductions in depressive symptoms than existing Web-based mindset interventions. Methods: Adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms or a recent history of depression (N=159; ages 12 to 16 years) will be randomized to one of 3 intervention conditions: the VR Personality Project; the Web-based GM intervention tested previously; or an active, Web-based control. Adolescents and their parents will report on the adolescents’ depression symptoms, perceived control, and related domains of functioning at preintervention, postintervention, and at 3- and 9-month follow-up assessments. Results: We predict that the VR and Web-based mindset interventions will both lead to larger reductions in adolescent symptoms than the control intervention. Additionally, we predict that the VR-based single session intervention will lead to larger reductions in depression than the online mindset intervention and that these symptom reductions will be mediated by increases in adolescents’ perceived control from pre- to postintervention. Conclusions: The results may suggest an efficient strategy for reducing adolescent depressive symptoms: One that is mechanism-targeted, relatively affordable (less than US $200 for a commercially available VR headset, a fraction of the cost of long-term psychotherapy) and potentially engaging to adolescents experiencing mood-related distress. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0385881; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03858881 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/78C3roDgA). International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/13368
Biological Mechanics of the Heart Valve Interstitial Cell

Heart valves are composed of multilayered tissues that contain a population of vascular endothelial cells (VEC) on the blood contacting surfaces and valve interstitial cells (VIC) in the bulk tissue mass that maintain homeostasis and respond to injury. The mechanosensitive nature of VICs facilitates the regulation of growth and remodeling of heart valve leaflets throughout different stages of life. However, pathological phenomenon such as mitral valve regurgitation and calcific aortic valve disease lead to pathological micromechanical environments. Such scenarios highlight the importance of studying the mechanobiology of VICs to better understand their mechanical and biosynthetic behavior. In the present chapter, we review use of novel experimental-computational techniques to link VIC biosynthetic response to changes in in vivo deformation in health and disease. In addition, we discuss the development of tissue-level models that shed light on the biomechanical state of VICs in situ. To conclude, we outline future directions for heart valve mechanobiology including model-driven experiments and highlight the need for high-fidelity, multi-scale models to link the cell-, tissue-, and organ-level events of heart valve growth and remodeling.
Automatic Support Removal for Additive Manufacturing Post Processing

Abstract An additive manufacturing (AM) process often produces a near-net shape that closely conforms to the intended design to be manufactured. It sometimes contains additional support structure (also called scaffolding), which has to be removed in post-processing. We describe an approach to automatically generate process plans for support removal using a multi-axis machining instrument. The goal is to fracture the contact regions between each support component and the part, and to do it in the most cost-effective order while avoiding collisions with evolving near-net shape, including the remaining support components. A recursive algorithm identifies a maximal collection of support components whose connection regions to the part are accessible as well as the orientations at which they can be removed at a given round. For every such region, the accessible orientations appear as a ‘fiber’ in the collision-free space of the evolving near-net shape and the tool assembly. To order the removal of accessible supports, the algorithm constructs a search graph whose edges are weighted by the Riemannian distance between the fibers. The least expensive process plan is obtained by solving a traveling salesman problem (TSP) over the search graph. The sequence of configurations obtained by solving TSP is used as the input to a motion planner that finds collision free paths to visit all accessible features. The resulting part without the support structure can then be finished using traditional machining to produce the intended design. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated through benchmark examples in 3D.
Outcomes Associated with Return to Sports Following Osteochondral Allograft Transplant in the Knee: a Scoping Review.

The purposes of this review were to report the currently validated outcomes for OCA transplant patients, discuss the benefits and challenges associated with “return to sports” as an outcome measure, and summarize the currently available data on patients’ ability to return to sports after OCA transplant. College athletes may take less time than professionals to return to basketball, but there are many factors that can influence this timeframe. Player productivity is decreased ~ 40% and future career length is only 1 to 2 years following return to play. When evaluating all OCA transplant patients, 75–88% of patients return to sport and 38–80% return to their previous level of play at approximately 8–10 months following surgery. Overall graft failure rates are low (0–9.4%) but are based on limited short- to medium-term data. Data on the return to professional and college sports after OCA transplant is limited. Surgeons should consider collecting patient outcomes across multiple domains and contributing data to aggregate databases to allow for better quality outcome data to be reported.
Mind as text: Freud's "typographical" model of the mind.

All publications in Freud's fin de siecle society were subject to strict governmental censorship specifically tasked with distinguishing "real" academic scholarship from subversive "fictions" masquerading as such. Cures that relied on suggestion also became a target of mistrust. This contextualization, alongside the examination of Freud's literary references and a variety of other literary texts, encourages the conjecture that realistic concerns over the risks of censorship and obscenity charges informed a proto-model of the topographical model, in which Freud conceptualized the mind as a subversive "manuscript" that must undergo "censorship" before it can be "published": a "typographical" model of the mind.
Permanent damage or temporary silencing of retrosplenial cortex impairs the expression of a negative patterning discrimination.

Abstract The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is positioned at the interface between cortical sensory regions and the hippocampal/parahippocampal memory system. As such, it has been theorized that RSC may have a fundamental role in linking sensory stimuli together in the service of forming complex representations. To test this, three experiments were carried out to determine the effects of RSC damage or temporary inactivation on learning or performing a negative patterning discrimination. In this procedure, two conditioned stimuli are reinforced when they are presented individually (i.e., stimulus elements) but are non-reinforced when they are presented simultaneously as a compound stimulus. Normal rats successfully discriminate between the two types of trials as evidenced by more responding to the elements compared to the compound stimulus. This is thought to reflect the formation of a configural representation of the compound stimulus; that is, the two cues are linked together in such a fashion that the compound stimulus is a wholly different, unique stimulus. Permanent lesions of RSC made prior to training (Experiment 1) had no effect on learning the discrimination. However, lesions (Experiment 2) or temporary chemogenetic inactivation (Experiment 3) of RSC made after training impaired subsequent performance of the discrimination. We argue that this pattern of results indicates that RSC may normally be involved in forming the configural representations manifested in negative patterning, but that absent the RSC, other brain systems or structures can compensate sufficiently to result in normal behavior.
Structural and Functional Characteristics of the Human Blood-Nerve Barrier with Translational Implications to Peripheral Nerve Autoimmune Disorders

Peripheral nerves and nerve roots comprise of three structural compartments: the outer epineurium consisting of longitudinal arrays of collagen fibers responsible for structural integrity and the inner perineurium consisting of multiple concentric layers of specialized epithelioid myofibroblasts that surround the innermost endoneurium which consists of myelinated and unmyelinated axons embedded in a looser mesh of collagen fibers. Axons are responsible for signal transduction to and from the central nervous system required for normal physiological processes and are targeted by the immune system in autoimmune disorders. A highly regulated endoneurial microenvironment is required for normal axonal function. This is achieved by tight junction-forming endoneurial microvessels that control ion, solute, water, nutrient, macromolecule and leukocyte influx and efflux between the bloodstream and endoneurium, and the innermost layers of the perineurium that control interstitial fluid component flux between the epineurium and endoneurium. Endoneurial microvascular endothelium is considered the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) due to direct communication with circulating blood. The mammalian BNB is considered the second most restrictive vascular system after the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Guided by human in vitro studies using primary and immortalized endoneurial endothelial cells that form the BNB, in situ studies in normal and pathologic human peripheral nerves, and representative animal models of peripheral nerve autoimmune disorders, knowledge is emerging on human BNB molecular and functional characteristics, including its array of cytokines/cytokine receptors, selectins, and cellular adhesion and junctional complex molecules that may be employed during normal immune surveillance and altered in autoimmune diseases, providing potential targets of efficacious immunotherapy.
Salvage of the Unsatisfactory Microtia Reconstruction

Patients seeking secondary microtia reconstruction often present with complex anatomic and social considerations. The approach to these patients must include a well-designed surgical plan and must take into account patients’ past surgical approaches as well as patients’ desires. This chapter seeks to address secondary microtia reconstruction for the unsatisfied patient.
Functional Pancreatic Sphincter Dysfunction in Children: Recommendations for Diagnosis and Management.

Objective Functional pancreatic sphincter dysfunction (FPSD), previously characterized as pancreatic sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, is a rarely described cause of pancreatitis. Most studies are reported in adults with alcohol or smoking as confounders, which are uncommon risk factors in children. There are no tests to reliably diagnose FPSD in pediatrics and it is unclear to what degree this disorder contributes to childhood pancreatitis. Methods We conducted a literature review of the diagnostic and treatment approaches for FPSD, including unique challenges applicable to pediatrics. We identified best practices in the management of children with suspected FPSD and formed a consensus expert opinion. Results In children with acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) or chronic pancreatitis (CP), we recommend that other risk factors, specifically obstructive factors, be ruled out before considering FPSD as the underlying etiology. In children with ARP/CP, FPSD may be the etiology behind a persistently dilated pancreatic duct in the absence of an alternative obstructive process. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with sphincterotomy should be considered in a select group of children with ARP/CP when FPSD is highly suspected and other etiologies have been effectively ruled out. The family and patient should be thoroughly counseled regarding the risks and advantages of endoscopic intervention. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for suspected FPSD should be considered with caution in children with ARP/CP when pancreatic ductal dilatation is absent. Conclusions Our consensus expert guidelines provide a uniform approach to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric FPSD. Further research is necessary to determine the full contribution of FPSD to pediatric pancreatitis.
Deep Hyperedges: a Framework for Transductive and Inductive Learning on Hypergraphs.

From social networks to protein complexes to disease genomes to visual data, hypergraphs are everywhere. However, the scope of research studying deep learning on hypergraphs is still quite sparse and nascent, as there has not yet existed an effective, unified framework for using hyperedge and vertex embeddings jointly in the hypergraph context, despite a large body of prior work that has shown the utility of deep learning over graphs and sets. Building upon these recent advances, we propose \textit{Deep Hyperedges} (DHE), a modular framework that jointly uses contextual and permutation-invariant vertex membership properties of hyperedges in hypergraphs to perform classification and regression in transductive and inductive learning settings. In our experiments, we use a novel random walk procedure and show that our model achieves and, in most cases, surpasses state-of-the-art performance on benchmark datasets. Additionally, we study our framework's performance on a variety of diverse, non-standard hypergraph datasets and propose several avenues of future work to further enhance DHE.
Nonlinear Wave Propagation in a Transparent Medium

When a sufficiently intense light pulse propagates through a material, it distorts the atomic configuration, which in turn causes the refractive index to acquire a time dependence. The time-varying index alters the phase of the optical wave as it propagates, leading in general to a broadening of the pulse spectrum. This process has been called self-phase-modulation (SPM) and has been observed by many researchers.1
Creative Game in Science

In this article, the metaphor of game provides insights into how successful Finnish scientists defined and depicted their creative processes. Data were juxtaposed from 26 life-story interviews of recognized scientists to reflect the complexity and individuality of the creative endeavor. Various stages and characteristics of creative processes are described in the form of a collective-data story, a collage-like dialogue that creates multiple layers of meanings to illustrate the creativity game and its elements (various roles, backstage work, rules of domain, and individual engagement).
The nrl quasi-optical gyrotron experiment

The design of a 110 GHz, 100 kw gyrotron is presented. The setup is very flexible, allowing for the easy study of many different resonator configurations. Resonant cavities with different longitudinal mode spacing (7% ≥ Δf/f ≥ 0.5%) will be tested, as well as cavities having different electromagnetic radiation waist lengths (r o = 0.6,1.2 cm). This experiment has been assembled and data is currently being collected.
Effects of Plants and Supplemental Prey on Establishment of Dicyphus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae)

Dicyphus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an omnivorous natural enemy used to control insect pests in greenhouse structures. The establishment and population development of predators in a banker plant system must be understood prior to their deployment in a pest management program. Banker plants are non-crop plants that are infested with a supplemental food source, which provides a suitable environment for predators to establish their population. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.; Scrophulariaceae) as banker plants and Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs as supplemental food on the development of D. hesperus in a tomato greenhouse production system. The nymphal development duration did not differ between mullein (22.5 d) and tomato (24.5 d) with E. kuehniella eggs but was significantly longer on mullein (25.8 d) without E. kuehniella eggs, whereas nymphs did not complete their life cycle on tomato without E. kuehniella eggs. Adult longevity and percentage survival to adulthood was 30.4 d and 91.9% on mullein with E. kuehniella eggs, and 26.9 d and 87.5% on tomato with E. kuehniella eggs, but were much reduced on mullein without E. kuehniella eggs (22.44 d and 75%). The population growth of the predator varied in response to host plant and presence of supplemental food source. In greenhouse experiments, the population of D. hesperus showed a greater increase on tomato provided with E. kuehniella eggs as a supplement food source than on mullein with supplemental food. We conclude that there was no benefit in our experiments to using mullein as a banker plant rather than using the commercial crop, tomato, supplemented with E. kuehniella eggs.
Healthy active older adults have enhanced K+ channel-dependent endothelial vasodilatory mechanisms.

Microvascular endothelial dysfunction, a precursor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, increases with aging. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs), which act through K+ channel...
Faulty Assumptions about Democratization in Turkey

For most of the first decade of its rule, the AKP touted itself as an agent for democratization, receiving much support both inside and outside of Turkey. More recently, the AKP has taken a clear a...