cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ThinSight: integrated optical multi-touch sensing through thin form-factor displays

ThinSight is a novel optical sensing system, fully integrated into a thin form factor display, capable of detecting multiple objects such as fingertips placed on or near the display surface. We describe this new hardware, and demonstrate how it can be embedded behind a regular LCD, allowing sensing without compromising display quality. Our aim is to capture rich sensor data through the display, which can be processed using computer vision techniques to enable interaction via multi-touch and physical objects. A major advantage of ThinSight over existing camera and projector based optical systems is its compact, low profile form factor making such interaction techniques more practical and deployable in real-world settings.
Interleukin-6 with its soluble receptor enhances the expression of insulin-like growth factor-I in osteoblasts.

Interleukin (IL)-6, a cytokine produced by skeletal cells and known to increase bone resorption, has mitogenic effects for bone cells, possibly by regulating the synthesis of other local factors. We tested the effects of IL-6 and its soluble receptor (IL-6sR) on the expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II in cultured osteoblast-enriched cells from fetal rat calvariae (Ob cells). IL-6 did not modify IGF-I messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, but when tested in the presence of IL-6sR, IL-6 at 1 to 100 ng/ml increased IGF-I transcripts by up to 3.2-fold after 24 h. IL-6sR caused a small increase in IGF-I mRNA levels when tested alone. IL-6 and IL-6sR increased immunoreactive IGF-I levels by 2.4-fold after 24 h and 6.4-fold after 48 h. Cycloheximide prevented, and indomethacin markedly decreased, the effect of IL-6 and IL-6sR on IGF-I mRNA levels, but hydroxyurea did not. IL-6 and IL-6sR did not alter the decay of IGF-I mRNA in transcriptionally arrested Ob cells, and the half-life of the predomin...
Optimal adaptive controller scheme for uncertain quantized linear discrete-time system

In this paper, the Bellman equation is used to solve the optimal adaptive control of quantized linear discrete-time system with unknown dynamics. To mitigate the effect of the quantization errors, the dynamics of the quantization error bound and an update law for tuning the range of the dynamic quantizer are derived. Subsequently, by using adaptive dynamic programming technique, the infinite horizon optimal regulation problem of the uncertain quantized linear discrete-time system is solved in a forward-in-time manner without using value and/or policy iterations. The asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is verified by standard Lyapunov stability approach in the presence of state and input quantizers. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified via simulation.
Interpretation and Estimation of Vaccine Efficacy under Heterogeneity

Interpretation and estimation of vaccine efficacy is complicated when the vaccine effect is heterogeneous across vaccinated strata. If a person has a certain susceptibility, or probability of becoming infected conditional on a specified exposure to infection, then one effect of a vaccine would be to reduce that susceptibility, possibly to zero. Vaccine efficacy is a function of the relative susceptibilities in the vaccinated and unvaccinated persons. Under heterogeneity of vaccine effect, a general expression for a summary vaccine efficacy parameter is a function of the vaccine efficacy in the different vaccinated strata weighted by the fraction of the vaccinated subpopulations in each stratum. Interpretation and estimability of the summary vaccine efficacy parameter depends on whether the strata are identifiable, and whether the heterogeneity is host- or vaccine-related. Bounds are derived for the summary vaccine efficacy when the strata are not identifiable for the case of an outbreak of an acute infectious disease. The upper bound assumes that everyone is equally affected by the vaccine, and the lower bound assumes that some are completely protected while others have no protection. The biologic interpretation of the two bounds is different.
Cognitive Plasticity and Cortical Modules

Some organisms learn to calculate, accumulate knowledge, and communicate in ways that others do not. What factors determine which intellectual abilities a particular species or individual can easily acquire? I propose that cognitive-skill learning capacity reflects (a) the availability of specialized cortical circuits, (b) the flexibility with which cortical activity is coordinated, and (c) the customizability of cortical networks. This framework can potentially account for differences in learning capacity across species, individuals, and developmental stages. Understanding the mechanisms that constrain cognitive plasticity is fundamental to developing new technologies and educational practices that maximize intellectual advancements.
Fitness consequences of spousal relatedness in 46 small-scale societies.

Social norms that regulate reproductive and marital decisions generate impressive cross-cultural variation in the prevalence of kin marriages. In some societies, marriages among kin are the norm and this inbreeding creates intensive kinship networks concentrated within communities. In others, especially forager societies, most marriages are between more genealogically and geographically distant individuals, which generates a larger number of kin and affines of lesser relatedness in more extensive kinship networks spread out over multiple communities. Here, we investigate the fitness consequence of kin marriages across a sample of 46 small-scale societies (12 439 marriages). Results show that some non-forager societies (including horticulturalists, agriculturalists and pastoralists), but not foragers, have intensive kinship societies where fitness outcomes (measured as the number of surviving children in genealogies) peak at commonly high levels of spousal relatedness. By contrast, the extensive kinship systems of foragers have worse fitness outcomes at high levels of spousal relatedness. Overall, societies with greater levels of inbreeding showed a more positive relationship between fitness and spousal relatedness.
The effectiveness of physical, psychological, and functional interventions in treating clients with multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis

This article provides a meta-analysis of the current best evidence for the use of occupational therapy with clients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A review of the literature identified 23 articles that examined the effectiveness of occupational therapy-related treatments on clients with MS. Meta-analytic analysis suggests that occupational therapy-related treatments were effective in treating the deficits associated with MS (r = .52), particularly for outcomes in the capacity and ability (r = .52; e.g., muscle strength, range of motion, mood) and task and activity (r = .57; e.g., dressing, bathing, ambulation) levels. A review of the research designs used to study MS suggests that more rigorous research is necessary to fully understand treatment effectiveness. Further, more research must be done to establish the effectiveness of occupational therapy treatment at the life role level.
Compensation for “Meaningful Participation” in Climate Change Control: A Modest Proposal and Empirical Analysis

Abstract The debate over an international climate change regime has thus far focused primarily on efficiency concerns in developed countries. This paper suggests a means by which equity concerns may be addressed in the ongoing negotiations. A system of transfers is developed that is motivated by the difference between the damage caused by a country and the damage suffered by that country as a result of climate change. Illustrative calculations of the magnitude and direction of these transfers are made. We find that in general transfers flow from temperate to tropical countries but that the degree of uncertainty associated with these calculations is very large.
Bound state in the vector channel of the extended Nambu–Jona–Lasinio model at fixed fπ

Abstract We show that, as a consequence of fixing f π = 93 MeV: (1) a bound state pole in the the J P =1 − scattering amplitude of the ENJL model exists for arbitrarily weak (positive) vector coupling G 2 so long as the constituent quark mass is sufficiently large; (2) there is a bound state for any quark mass when G 2 ≥0.6/(8 f π 2 ); (3) this bound state becomes massless at G 2 =1/(8 f π 2 ) and a tachyon for G 2 exceeding it. We show by way of an example that the model has no trouble fitting the ρ meson mass simultaneously with other observables.
Bypassing the blood-brian barrier using established skull base reconstruction techniques.

Abstract Background Neurological disorders represent a profound healthcare problem accounting for 6.3% of the global disease burden. Alzheimer's disease alone is expected to impact over 115 million people worldwide by 2050 with a cost of over $1 trillion per year to the U.S. economy. Despite considerable advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and natural history of neurological disorders, the development of disease modifying therapies have failed to keep pace. This lack of effective treatments is directly attributable to the presence of the blood–brain and blood–cerebrospinal fluid barriers (BBB and BCSFB) which prevent up to 98% of all potential neuropharmaceutical agents from reaching the central nervous system (CNS). These obstacles have thereby severely limited research and development into novel therapeutic strategies for neurological disease. Current experimental methods to bypass the BBB, including pharmacologic modification and direct transcranial catheter implantation, are expensive, are associated with significant complications, and cannot be feasibly scaled up to meet the chronic needs of a large, aging patient population. Transmucosal drug delivery An innovative method of direct CNS drug delivery using heterotopic mucosal grafts was described. This method is based on established endoscopic skull base nasoseptal flap reconstruction techniques. The model has successfully demonstrated CNS delivery of chromophore-tagged molecules 1000 times larger than those typically permitted by the BBB. Conclusions This innovative technique represents the first described method of permanently bypassing the blood–brain barrier using purely autologous tissues. This has the potential to dramatically improve the current treatment of neurological disease by providing a safe and chronic transnasaldelivery pathway for high molecular weight neuropharmaceuticals.
Risk factors and outcomes of cutaneous melanoma in women less than 50 years of age

Background Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, with recent reports indicating increasing incidence among young women. Objective This study sought to investigate histopathology, staging, risk factors, and outcomes of cutaneous melanoma in women younger than 50 years. Methods All female patients aged up to 49 years with biopsy-proven diagnosis of melanoma between 1988 and 2012 were included. Patients with a follow-up of less than 2 years were excluded. Results A total of 462 patients were identified, with mean age of 34.7 years. Invasive melanoma was less common in women 19 years of age or younger ( P P P P P P = .03) and 5-fold increase in mortality ( P = .06). Limitations This was a retrospective study. Conclusion The increasing incidence of melanoma for women younger than 50 years suggests that regular skin checks and self-examinations are warranted. In addition, in women given the diagnosis of melanoma during or within 1 year after childbirth, regular follow-up and monitoring for recurrence are recommended.
Sleep disordered breathing and cardiovascular risk in older patients initiating dialysis in the United States: a retrospective observational study using medicare data.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) such as sleep apnea is associated with cardiovascular disease in the general population. However, little is known about the cardiovascular risks of SDB in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We identified Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥67 years initiating dialysis between 2004 and 2009. Outcomes of interest included all-cause mortality, incident myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and atrial fibrillation. We compared patients with and without diagnosed SDB using Cox proportional hazards regression. Between 2004 and 2009, 184,217 older patients developed ESRD, of whom 15,121 (8.2 %) were previously diagnosed with SDB. Patients diagnosed with SDB were younger, more likely to be male and Caucasian, less Medicaid eligible, had more non-Nephrology clinic visits, higher body mass index, and more comorbidity. In analyses adjusting for demographics and BMI, diagnosed SDB was associated with higher risk of death and atrial fibrillation, but not associated with myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke risk. After further adjustment for all baseline characteristics, diagnosed SDB was associated with slightly lower risks of death (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.93, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–0.96), myocardial infarction (HR: 0.92, CI: 0.87–0.98), and ischemic stroke (HR: 0.90, 95 % CI: 0.82–0.98), and not associated with atrial fibrillation (HR: 1.02, CI: 0.98–1.07). In older patients initiating dialysis in the U.S., diagnosed SDB was weakly associated with lower risks of death and important cardiovascular outcomes, thus adding to the list of established risk factors that are paradoxically associated with cardiovascular outcomes in the ESRD population.
Regulation of germ cell function by SUMOylation

Oogenesis and spermatogenesis are tightly regulated complex processes that are critical for fertility. Germ cells undergo meiosis to generate haploid cells necessary for reproduction. Errors in meiosis, including the generation of chromosomal abnormalities, can result in reproductive defects and infertility. Meiotic proteins are regulated by post-translational modifications including SUMOylation, the covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins. Here, we review the role of SUMO proteins in controlling germ cell development and maturation based on recent findings from mouse models. Several studies have characterized the localization of SUMO proteins in male and female germ cells. However, a deeper understanding of how SUMOylation regulates proteins with essential roles in oogenesis and spermatogenesis will provide useful insight into the underlying mechanisms of germ cell development and fertility.
Conceptual Analyses of the Zhuangzi

Philosophical interpretations of the Zhuangzi have taken as their center the abstract discussions in the second of the Inner Chapters, the Qi Wu Lun. Ever since Guo Xiang in the Jin dynasty, the text has been read as advocating linguistic, ethical, and epistemological relativism. Influential interpretations among Western scholars include the mystically oriented relativism of A. C. Graham and the skeptical relativism of Chad Hansen. More recently, Lisa Raphals and Paul Kjellberg have separately proposed that the text be interpreted as a therapeutic form of skepticism. In this chapter, I explain these views and provide critical analyses. I end with my own interpretation that avoids attributing to the Zhuangzi the intellectual weaknesses of either relativism or skepticism. I interpret the Zhuangzi as a philosophy of life that advocates an ontology of transformation in which successful human life requires acceptance of indeterminacy and an intuitive responsiveness to changing circumstances.
Machine Learning for Automated Synthesis of Complex Software

Copyright: © 2012 Jha S, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The automated construction of computer programs from formal behavioral specifications [1] has been a subject of active interest in the software engineering community for the last forty years. Several approaches for constructing programs from variants of temporal logics have been studied, and practical tools for generating programs from high-level specification languages such as UML have been implemented. However, little effort has been directed towards the automated synthesis of correct-by-construction software by leveraging complementary strengths of formal verification and modern machine learning techniques.
A Practical Approach to the Handling of Surgical Breast Specimens

This article discusses the role of the pathologist in the examination of breast surgical specimens and the importance of these observations when clinical decisions on therapeutic approaches for breast cancer are made.
Maternally Transferred Thyroid Disease in the Infant: Recognition and Treatment

Throughout pregnancy the fetus is dependent upon the placental transport of nutrients from the mother to support growth and differentiation. By this same mechanism the fetus is exposed to a variety of maternal factors that may adversely affect thyroid embryogenesis and function during pregnancy and postnatal life. The maternal factors include altered concentrations of iodide, immunoglobulins primarily in the G class (IgG), drugs, environmental goitrogens and other substances that are poorly understood or defined.
TREATMENT OF CLUBFOOT.

Ninety per cent of the cases of idiopathic clubfoot may be corrected by a slow soft- tissue stretching as advocated by Kite. This method utilizes a plaster of paris-wedging technic.Treatment of resistant or recurrent clubfoot often requires open surgical procedures. The soft-tissue procedures, which include tendon release and transfer, should precede bone surgery.For the recurrent, resistant or uncorrected clubfoot, triple arthrodesis offers the surest permanent correction.
New Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapies for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

The treatment of hepatitis C virus infection has been advancing at breakneck speeds over the past few years. This article provides an update on the newest drugs available and those currently in development, including newer-generation protease inhibitors, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and nonstructural component inhibitors. Also discussed in this article are the regimens developed and the genotypes they target. Treatment of cirrhotic patients and patients who have failed prior therapy is also addressed, as are special populations, such as patients with harder-to-treat genotypes, patients with HIV coinfection, patients who have undergone liver transplantation, and patients with chronic kidney disease. Future developments and economic considerations are also mentioned.
The significance and cost of preoperative laboratory screening in young healthy patients in a public hospital in Israel

UNLABELLED We evaluated the clinical significance and cost of routine preoperative laboratory screening in young healthy patients in a public hospital. Three hundred consecutive young (aged 18-40 years), healthy (ASA I) patients undergoing minor elective surgical procedures were enrolled in this prospective study. A preoperative test was considered to be significant if its result lead to a new diagnose or to cancellation of surgery. The lab tests revealed only one new diagnosis. None of the procedures were cancelled. The total cost of the lab tests was NIS 114,000. Of this amount, NIS 104,000 could have been saved if the tests were ordered as required by the patients medical history and physical examination and not performed routinely. CONCLUSION This study suggests that routine preoperative laboratory screening is not recommended prior to minor, elective surgery in young, healthy patients.
Predicting destination using head orientation and gaze direction during locomotion in VR

This paper reports preliminary investigations into the extent to which future directional intention might be reliably inferred from head pose and eye gaze during locomotion. Such findings could help inform the more effective implementation of realistic detailed animation for dynamic virtual agents in interactive first-person crowd simulations in VR, as well as the design of more efficient predictive controllers for redirected walking. In three different studies, with a total of 19 participants, we placed people at the base of a T-shaped virtual hallway environment and collected head position, head orientation, and gaze direction data as they set out to perform a hidden target search task across two rooms situated at right angles to the end of the hallway. Subjects wore an nVisorST50 HMD equipped with an Arrington Research ViewPoint eye tracker; positional data were tracked using a 12-camera Vicon MX40 motion capture system. The hidden target search task was used to blind participants to the actual focus of our study, which was to gain insight into how effectively head position, head orientation and gaze direction data might predict people's eventual choice of which room to search first. Our results suggest that eye gaze data does have the potential to provide additional predictive value over the use of 6DOF head tracked data alone, despite the relatively limited field-of-view of the display we used.
PROnet: A programmable optical network prototype

Accessible exascale computing is the next frontier that will push the capacity to handle vastly more accurate predictive models and analysis of massively greater quantities of data. Quantum advances in the areas of science, engineering, and technology are essential to global competitive success. In order to support the analysis of such large quantities of data, new network paradigms are required.
Turkic poetic heritage as symbol and spectacle of identity: observations on Turkmenistan’s Year of Magtymguly celebrations

This paper presents one case study of state-sponsored cultural activities that occurred throughout 2014, Turkmenistan’s Year of Magtymguly, the 290th anniversary of this Turkmen poet’s birth. Such activities constitute examples of public culture; they can organize representations of a society’s past and present to reaffirm for participants the values and power structure of their society and revalidate its philosophical underpinnings. After examining this Turkic poet’s iconicity, this paper compiles 2014's celebratory events from disparate sources, complementing broader general literature on Central Asia’s spectacles of public culture and their role in nation-building and identity-formation. Rather than merely resulting from any top-down decision specifying required activities nationwide, the year’s events involved numerous synergies as artists, museum and theater administrators, composers, and other cultural-sector workers benefited by responding to the potential of aligning their work with a theme as bro...
Varieties of Noisy Harmonic Grammar

Noisy Harmonic Grammar (NHG) is a framework for stochastic grammars that uses the GEN-cum-EVAL system originated in Optimality Theory. As a form of Harmonic Grammar, NHG outputs as winner the candidate with the smallest harmonic penalty (weighted sum of constraint violations). It is stochastic because at each "evaluation time," constraint weights are nudged upward or downward by a random amount, resulting in a particular probability distribution over candidates. This "classical" form of NHG can be modified in various ways, creating alternative theories. I explore these variants in a variety of simple simulations intended to reveal key differences in their behavior; maxent grammars are also included in the comparison. In conclusion I offer hints from the empirical world regarding which of these rival theories might be correct.
Abstract 3062: Metformin inhibits TGFβ-induced stromal ECM remodeling to impede invasion in ovarian cancer

Recently, our group has elucidated that metformin, the commonly used medication for type 2 diabetes, has anti-ovarian cancer (OvCa) effects in preclinical models and use of the drug is associated with improved OvCa survival in retrospective epidemiological studies. While the cytotoxic effects of metformin in ovarian cancer cell lines is well demonstrated, the impact of metformin on tumor-stromal interactions in the tumor microenvironment is not well defined. Currently, our work has focused on the impact of metformin on the tumor microenvironment and cancer cell behavior in physiologic models of tumor metastasis. Using a 3D organotypic model, we demonstrate that OvCa cell invasion is inhibited by metformin. In evaluating the molecular mechanism mediating this effect we show that OvCa cells co-cultured with stromal cells or stimulated with TGFβ1 upregulate the production of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins fibronectin and collagen 1 and that this effect is attenuated by metformin. Interestingly, metformin’s inhibition of ECM production was not dependent on AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), a common metformin target. To expand on this finding we performed label-free shotgun proteomics and identified collagens, fibronectin and TGFBR2 to be among the proteins most highly repressed in response to metformin exposure in OvCa cells. Finally, we identified that this repression of ECM remodeling by metformin was associated with an overall reduction in TGFBR2 expression and consequent SMAD/STAT3 activity. Taken together, our data indicate that metformin may have novel targets in the tumor microenvironment where it targets pro-tumorigenic effects of the stromal compartment by repressing TGFβ-dependent stromal cell ECM secretion, thereby inhibiting ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis. Citation Format: Peter C. Hart, Shermeen Sheikh, Ernst Lengyel, Iris Romero. Metformin inhibits TGFβ-induced stromal ECM remodeling to impede invasion in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3062. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3062
Cultural Niche Construction and Remote Sensing of Ancient Anthropogenic Environmental Change in the North Coast of Peru

Archaeological land use results in the modification of natural environments according to cultural templates and strategies. Deeply entrenched environmental legacies can result from such “niche construction,” influencing subsequent cultures and continuing to resonate in modern ecological function. These changes can be better understood through archaeological remote sensing. Here, I describe spectral responses of densely vegetated sugarcane fields in the Chicama Valley (north coast of Peru) to archaeological features and associated anthropogenic soils (anthrosols). Ongoing satellite remote sensing documents approximately 440 previously unrecorded major archaeological monuments and smaller features within a 310 km2 sample of the Chicama Valley The majority of these date to the Moche–Chimu periods (ca. AD 300–1400), with others dating to the Cupisnique–Colonial periods. The newly recorded features are significant for accurately reconstructing the socio-ecological history of anthropogenic environmental change in the region. In addition to advancing analyses of archaeological settlement, these results reveal how prehispanic land use legacies result in persistent anthropogenic niches that can affect modern agricultural potentials. The relationships between anthropogenic features and sugarcane development can be directly evaluated through vegetation indices and physically based image transforms. Phenological response is linked to long-term alterations in soil texture, organic-matter content, and moisture capacity. Past land use thus has a significant impact upon contemporary ecological function, resulting in anthropogenic microenvironments. As sugarcane increasingly is an important industrial crop, these results have the potential to be widely applied to archaeological and agronomic problems, including reconstructions of archaeological landscapes, understanding persistent anthropogenic environments, and mitigating heritage loss while potentially improving precision agriculture.
Single Unit Spindle Responses to Muscle Vibration in Man

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the responses of muscle spindle afferents to muscle vibration in human subjects, using the microneurographic technique originally described by Vallbo and Hagbarth. With a vibrator of the type commonly used to elicit tonic vibration reflexes in humans, the spindle primary endings can be driven up to firing rates greatly exceeding those resulting from sustained passive stretch alone. Muscle stretch increases the spindle response to vibration, the spindle primaries following higher vibration frequencies than the secondaries. During muscle shortening, on the other hand, the vibration-induced spindle excitation is minimal, the response being better preserved in the secondaries than in the primaries. Primary endings strongly driven by the vibrator are often unable to respond to a tendon tap applied during vibration, but the tap may temporarily unload the spindles on its falling phase, causing a pause in the vibration-induced excitation. Fusimotor coactivation occurring during a voluntary contraction sensitizes spindle endings to the vibratory stimulus. The tonic vibration reflex resulting from the vibratory stimulus is a contraction of the α-type, which unloads spindle endings and reduces their sensitivity to vibration.
Assessing air quality index awareness and use in Mexico City.

The Mexico City Metropolitan Area has an expansive urban population and a long history of air quality management challenges. Poor air quality has been associated with adverse pulmonary and cardiac health effects, particularly among susceptible populations with underlying disease. In addition to reducing pollution concentrations, risk communication efforts that inform behavior modification have the potential to reduce public health burdens associated with air pollution. This study investigates the utilization of Mexico’s IMECA risk communication index to inform air pollution avoidance behavior among the general population living in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. Individuals were selected via probability sampling and surveyed by phone about their air quality index knowledge, pollution concerns, and individual behaviors. The results indicated reasonably high awareness of the air quality index (53% of respondents), with greater awareness in urban areas, among older and more educated individuals, and for those who received air quality information from a healthcare provider. Additionally, behavior modification was less influenced by index reports as it was by personal perceptions of air quality, and there was no difference in behavior modification among susceptible and non-susceptible groups. Taken together, these results suggest there are opportunities to improve the public health impact of risk communication through an increased focus on susceptible populations and greater encouragement of public action in response to local air quality indices.
Visible-light degradation of Orange II using an Fe(II)–terpyridine complex grafted onto TiO2 surface

The photo-Fenton process employs light, iron species, and H2O2 to oxidize organic pollutants. In this study, a coordination complex, Fe(II)–terpyridine, was covalently grafted onto TiO2 surfaces vi...
The Cognitive Movement

The Graumann and Sommer chapter is a fascinating one, conceived as it is by scholars with an acute sense of the history of psychological thought and with a full appreciation of the many infirmities responsible for the languishing of behaviorism. The authors are thus eager to furnish approbation to the cognitive turn in psychology and to locate ways in which current theory has advanced beyond that of the nineteenth-century mentalists. Yet, in spite of their nurturant attitude, one consistently finds the authors reserved in posture. Pungent and persistent questions are raised concerning the solidity of ostensible advances, the ambiguity surrounding critical concepts, the lack of specifiable origins and effects of posited mechanisms and processes, and the seeming impossibility of integrating the vast array of existing concepts. Most cogently, Graumann and Sommer raise the significant question as to whether the cognitive movement is not in grave danger of losing reality—that is, of abandoning concern with history, society, environment, and other aspects of the external world that seem to furnish the very grounds for cognitive activity itself.
The Biology of K-Ras Signaling Pathways in Pancreatic Cancer

Activating mutations in the K-Ras oncogene occur in approximately 90 % of cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and tumors containing mutant K-Ras often acquire a dependency on the expression of the oncogene. Therapies that block the oncogenic functions of K-Ras could have clinical efficacy for a disease that is currently refractory to all forms of treatment. This chapter describes the evidence, from both in vitro studies and studies using genetic mouse models, of the importance of oncogenic K-Ras and its downstream signaling pathways in driving pancreatic tumor formation and cancer cell growth.
Optimal discrete event control of gas turbine engines

This chapter presents an application of the recently developed theory of optimal Discrete Event Supervisory (DES) control that is based on a signed real measure of regular languages described in Chapter 1. The DES control techniques are validated on an aircraft gas turbine engine simulation test bed. The test bed is implemented on a networked computer system in which two computers operate in the client-server mode. Several DES controllers have been tested for engine performance and reliability. Extensive simulation studies on the test bed show that the optimally designed supervisor yields the best performance.
A Psychological Consideration of Mastectomy

Breasts are important symbolically and realistically to both men and women. For a woman they represent an important component of her femininity, combining nutrient maternal potential with sexual attractiveness. Her capacity to nourish and to give is important not only in her actual functions as a nursing mother or in the role of a lover, but in creating the sense of worthwhileness and adequacy which underlies self-esteem.
Non-viral Delivery of Nucleic Acids: Insight Into Mechanisms of Overcoming Intracellular Barriers

Delivery of genes, including plasmid DNAs, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs), using artificial non-viral nanotherapeutics is a promising approach in cancer gene therapy. However, multiple physiological barriers upon systemic administration remain a key challenge in clinical translation of anti-cancer gene therapeutics. Besides extracellular barriers including sequestration of gene delivery nanoparticles from the bloodstream by resident organ-specific macrophages, and their poor extravasation and tissue penetration in tumors, overcoming intracellular barriers is also necessary for successful delivery of nucleic acids. Whereas for RNA delivery the endosomal barrier holds a key importance, transfer of DNA cargo additionally requires translocation into the nucleus. Better understanding of crossing membrane barriers by nucleic acid nanoformulations is essential to the improvement of current non-viral carriers. This review aims to summarize relevant literature on intracellular trafficking of non-viral nanoparticles and determine key factors toward surmounting intracellular barriers. Moreover, recent data allowed us to propose new interpretations of current hypotheses of endosomal escape mechanisms of nucleic acid nanoformulations.
A phase I study of chemo-radiotherapy with plerixafor for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GB).

2068Background: Preclinical studies indicate that local recurrence after radiotherapy (RT) of Glioblastoma is dependent on recovery of tumor vasculature following RT via hypoxia-driven SDF-1 (CXCL12) secretion. We hypothesize that blocking the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis would improve local control. Methods: Newly diagnosed Glioblastoma patients were recruited to this Phase I study of a 4 week intravenous infusion of Plerixafor (Mozobil), a CXCR4 antagonist, with concurrent Temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy. Three patients were treated with Plerixafor at 8.3 µg/kg/hr and six patients at 16.6 µg/kg/hr, while being monitored for dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) including grade ≥ 3 hematologic or non-hematologic adverse events. Patients underwent dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion MRI (DSC-MRI) for quantification of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) values by region-of-interest analysis. Pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis of Plerixafor plasma levels were collected. Results: Since August 2014, 9 patients co...
Characterization of 17-Cyclopropylmethyl-3,14β-dihydroxy-4,5α-epoxy-6α-(indole-7-carboxamido)morphinan (NAN) as a Novel Opioid Receptor Modulator for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment.

The opioid crisis is a significant public health issue with more than 115 people dying from opioid overdose per day in the United States. The aim of the present study was to characterize the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological effects of 17-cyclopropylmethyl-3,14β-dihydroxy-4,5α-epoxy-6α-(indole-7-carboxamido)morphinan (NAN), a μ opioid receptor (MOR) ligand that may be a potential candidate for opioid use disorder treatment that produces less withdrawal signs than naltrexone. The efficacy of NAN was compared to varying efficacy ligands at the MOR, and determined at the δ opioid receptor (DOR) and κ opioid receptor (KOR). NAN was identified as a low efficacy partial agonist for G-protein activation at the MOR and DOR, but had relatively high efficacy at the KOR. In contrast to high efficacy MOR agonists, NAN did not induce MOR internalization, downregulation, or desensitization, but it antagonized agonist-induced MOR internalization and stimulation of intracellular Ca2+ release. Opioid withdrawal studies...
Online public response to a service failure incident: Implications for crisis communications

Abstract The study examines the online public response to a high visibility incident of service failure from the crisis communication and image restoration perspectives. A specific incident in a hotel of a popular chain in Beijing, China, which was widely publicized on Chinese social network Weibo, is used as an example. Applying data mining and GIS to the collected data, the study analyzes temporal, spatial, topical, and gender dynamics of public discussions to investigate the usefulness of such data for hospitality providers in crisis. The study finds evidence that the effect of the incident on the general public is moderated by spatial and personal proximity of Weibo users. The discussion topics reflect the nature of the crisis and are affected by communications from the service provider and third parties. Implications for providers of tourism and hospitality services in a crisis of high visibility are discussed.
Controlling the spontaneous emission rate of single quantum dots in a 2D photonic crystal

We report on single photon sources produced from photonic crystal - coupled InAs Quantum Dots (QDs). We observe large spontaneous emission rate modification of individual InAs Quantum Dots (QDs) in modified single defect cavities with large quality factor (Q). Compared to QDs in bulk semiconductor, QDs that are resonant with the cavity show an emission rate increase by up to a factor of 8. In contrast, off-resonant QDs indicate up to five-fold rate quenching as the local density of optical states (LDOS) is diminished in the photonic crystal. In both cases we demonstrate photon antibunching, showing that the structure represents an on-demand single photon source with pulse duration from 210 ps to 8 ns. We explain the suppression of QD emission rate using Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations and find good agreement with experiment. High multiphoton suppression is achieved by resonant excitation. Finally, we discuss fabrication improvements based on FDTD analysis of already fabricated structures.
Diminished Returns of Educational Attainment on Heart Disease among Black Americans

Background Socioeconomic Status (SES) indicators, such as educational attainment, are social determinants of heart disease. Marginalization related Diminished Returns (MDRs) refer to smaller health benefits of high SES for racial and ethnic minorities compared to the majority group. It is still unknown, however, if MDRs also apply to the effects of education on heart disease. Purpose Using a nationally representative sample, we explored racial/ethnic variation in the link between educational attainment and heart disease among American adults. Methods We analyzed data (n=25,659) from a nationally representative survey of American adults in 2013. The first wave of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health - Adult (PATH-Adult) study was used. The independent variable was education (college graduate, high school graduate, less than a high school diploma). The dependent variable was any heart disease. Age and gender were the covariates. Race, as well as ethnicity, were the moderators. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Results Individuals with higher educational attainment had lower odds of heart disease. Race and ethnicity showed statistically significant interactions with education, suggesting that the protective effect of higher education on reducing odds of heart disease was smaller for Hispanic and Black people than for non-Hispanic and White individuals. Conclusion Education reduces the risk of heart disease better among non-Hispanic Whites than for Hispanics and Blacks. Therefore, we may expect a disproportionately higher than expected risk of heart disease in Hispanics and Blacks with high educational attainment. Future research should test if the presence of high levels of environmental and behavioral risk factors contribute to the high risk of heart disease in highly educated Black and Hispanic Americans. Policymakers should not reduce health inequalities to just gaps in SES because disparities are present across SES levels, with high SES Blacks and Hispanics remaining at risk of health problems.
Mobility of a spatially modulated electron liquid on the helium surface

We present the results of large-scale numerical simulations of the mobility of a two-dimensional electron liquid on the helium surface in the presence of a one-dimensional periodic potential. Even where the potential is much weaker than the electron-electron interaction, it can strongly change the mobility. The effect depends on the interrelation between the potential period and the mean interelectron distance. It is most pronounced where the period is close to the period of the Wigner crystal that would form if the liquid were cooled to a lower temperature. The results suggest, in particular, that the correlation length in the electron liquid can be found by measuring the mobility in a weak periodic potential. The simulations are based on the microscopic model of the electron scattering by the excitations in helium.
Chronic Morphine-Induced Changes in Signaling at the A3 Adenosine Receptor Contribute to Morphine-Induced Hyperalgesia, Tolerance, and Withdrawal.

Treating chronic pain using opioids, such as morphine, is hampered by the development of opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH; increased pain sensitivity), antinociceptive tolerance and withdrawal which can contribute to dependence and abuse. In the central nervous system, the purine nucleoside adenosine has been implicated in beneficial and detrimental actions of morphine, but the extent of their interaction remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that morphine-induced OIH and antinociceptive tolerance in rats is associated with a 2-fold increase in adenosine kinase (ADK) expression in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (DH-SC). Blocking ADK activity in the spinal cord provided greater than 90% attenuation of OIH and antinociceptive tolerance through A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) signaling. Supplementing adenosine signaling with selective A3AR agonists blocked OIH and antinociceptive tolerance in rodents of both sexes. Engagement of A3AR in the spinal cord with an ADK inhibitor or A3AR agonist was associated with reduced DH-SC expression of the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3; 60-75%), cleaved caspase 1 (40-60%), interleukin (IL)-1β (76-80%) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF; 50-60%). In contrast, the neuroinhibitory and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased 2-fold. In mice, A3AR agonists prevented the development of tolerance in a model of neuropathic pain and reduced naloxone-dependent withdrawal behaviors by greater than 50%. These findings suggest A3AR-dependent adenosine signaling is compromised during sustained morphine to allow the development of morphine-induced adverse effects. These findings raise the intriguing possibility that A3AR agonists may be useful adjunct to opioids to manage their unwanted effects.
Effects of trans-retinoic acid (tRA) and Dexamethasone (DEX) on sodium/iodide symporter mediated [18F]-tetrafluoroborate uptake in breast cancer cells

1231 Introduction: The sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) protein mediates transport of iodide into cells, and provides a key role in diagnosis and treatment of well-differentiated thyroid cancers. Surprisingly, breast cancer has recently been found to express hNIS in more than 75% of all sampled tumors 1. There is potential for NIS-mediated radiotracer imaging and radioiodide therapy in breast cancer, as it has been performed for decades in thyroid cancer under the same mechanisms. Some pretreatment agents such as retinoids alone or in combination with DEX have been used to enhance NIS expression and activity in breast cancer cells 2-4. [18F]tetrafluoroborate ([18F] TFB) is a positron emission tomography (PET) iodide-analog radiotracer that enables imaging of NIS-mediated transport into the cell, which provides higher resolution over planar scans and SPECT. Herein, we evaluated [18F] TFB as a radioactive imaging agent in MCF-7 breast cancer cells in comparison with [123I], and [99mTc] pertechnetate and examined the effects of tRA and/or DEX as enhancers of NIS-mediated transport.Methods: MCF-7 cells were seeded in 12-well plates and incubated at 37°C and 5% CO2 for total of 5 days until the radioactive uptake studies. 2 days after seeding, the complete media that was supplemented with 10% FBS was changed to basal media supplemented with 0.2% FBS. Cells were maintained in the basal media until the addition of agents. 1 µM tRA and/or 0.1 µM DEX were added to be incubated for 24 or 48 hours until the radioactivity experiment. Cells were washed with HBSS with 10 mM HEPES (HBSS-HEPES) and were incubated at 37°C with HBSS-HEPES containing 10 µCi [18F] TFB, [123I], or [99mTc] pertechnetate per well for 2 h. After incubation, cells were washed twice with chilled HBSS, extracted with trypsin, and counted. Results: When incubated with tRA (1 µM) and DEX (0.1 µM) together for 24 hours, MCF-7 cells showed 10.5, 4.7, and 4.1 fold increased uptake of [123I], [99mTc] pertechnetate, and [18F] TFB, respectively, when compared to control cells (P
ON THE DESIGN OF COATING SYSTEM USING NANOMECHANICAL EXPERIMENTS

The aim of this paper is to identify performance indices for the design of coating systems, using results from nanomechanical tests. The use of nanoindentation, nanoscratch and pin-on-disk experiments applied to coatings for mechanical and tribological property estimation is presented. Then, multiple performance indices, based on experimental and numerical results found in the litterature, are listed in order to help the material selection and optimization of durability and performance of coatings.