cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partial Test of the Universality Hypothesis: The Case of Different Coupling Strengths in Different Lattice Directions

High-temperature series expansions are used to examine the dependence of critical-point exponents upon lattice anisotropy (different interaction strengths in different directions in the lattice). The two-spin correlation function ${C}_{2}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}})$ is calculated to tenth order in ($\frac{1}{{k}_{B}T}$) for the Ising Hamiltonian ${\mathcal{H}}_{l \mathrm{anis}}=\ensuremath{-}{J}_{\mathrm{xy}}\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{\mathrm{xy}}{〈\mathrm{ij}〉}{S}_{i}^{z}{S}_{j}^{z}\ensuremath{-}{J}_{z}\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{z}{〈\mathrm{ij}〉}{S}_{i}^{z}{S}_{j}^{z}$ for a wide range of anisotropy parameters $R\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{{J}_{z}}{{J}_{\mathrm{xy}}}$ and for both the sc and fcc lattices; here the first summation is over all pairs of nearest-neighbor sites whose relative displacement vector ${\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}}}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ has no $z$ component, while the second summation is over all other pairs of nearest-neighbor sites. Hence for $R=0$, both the sc and fcc lattices reduce to the two-dimensional square lattice, while in the limit $R\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, the sc becomes a one-dimensional linear chain and the fcc becomes two noninteracting three-dimensional bcc lattices. The series for ${C}_{2}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}})$ are then used to obtain series of corresponding lengths for the specific heat, susceptibility, and second moment. Analysis of these series yields results consistent with the universality hypothesis of critical-point exponents. Specifically, it is found that when lattice anisotrophy is introduced, the critical-point exponents studied (the susceptibility exponent $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and the correlation length exponent $\ensuremath{\nu}$) do not appear to change from their values for an isotropic lattice. The problem of next-nearest-neighbor interactions is treated using similar methods in Paper II of this series (and briefly discussed in this paper).
Murine CD4 T-cell response to Helicobacter infection: TH1 cells enhance gastritis and TH2 cells reduce bacterial load.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Previous findings suggest that TH1 cellular immune responses contribute to Helicobacter-associated gastritis. To further investigate this issue, interleukin 4 gene targeted mice were infected with Helicobacter felis, and a series of adoptive transfer experiments was performed to evaluate the role of both TH1 and TH2 cells. METHODS: Antigen-specific spleen cells from immunized/challenged or nonimmunized/infected mice or CD4+ T-cell lines were transferred adoptively into naive recipients before live bacterial challenge. RESULTS: Transfer of cells from both groups of donors as well as TH1 or TH2 cell lines exacerbated gastric inflammation in the recipients. No effect on bacterial load was observed in recipients of bulk spleen cells from infected mice or recipients of TH1 cell lines. In contrast, when either a TH2 cell line or bulk cells from immunized challenged mice were transferred adoptively, recipients showed a dramatic reduction in bacterial load. Increased numbers of bacteria were also noted in interleukin 4-deficient mice. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest a differential contribution of TH1 and TH2 cell-mediated immune responses in Helicobacter infection: one associated with the pathogenesis of disease (TH1 phenotype) and the other associated with protection from or control of infection (TH2 phenotype). (Gastroenterology 1997 Dec;113(6):1848-57)
Biphasic change in pituitary capacity induced by estrogen in hypogonadal women.

Changes in response to pulses of LRF (10 ¼g at 2-h intervals × 3) and TRF (200 ¼g at 2-h intervals × 3) for LH, FSH, and PRL were measured in 5 post-menopausal women before and during the administration of a large dose of ethinyl estradiol (400 μg/day) for 5 days. Responses to LRF and TRF stimulation on the 2nd and 5th days of ethinyl estradiol treatment were studied in 2 experimental periods in the same individual at an interval of at least 10 weeks between treatments. During 5 days of ethinyl estradiol treatment, LH first declines (50%) and then returns to its original level (U-shaped curve). For FSH, the initial fall in the basal level is not followed by a return to pretreatment level. These dynamic changes in gonadotropin levels are accompanied by an exponential increase of more than 3-fold in the PRL levels. The bidirectional (U-shaped) pattern of LH release is associated with parallel changes in pituitary sensitivity to a 10-fig pulse of LRF. Pituitary reserve, defined as the responseto the 2nd and ...
Abstract A25: Yin Yang 1 promotes AKT activation through direct protein binding

As a polycomb group protein, Yin Yang 1 (YY1) plays an important role in cancer epigenetics. YY1 regulates both gene expression and protein modifications, including histone acetylation and methylation. We recently reported a proliferative role of YY1 and its cytoplasmic presence in breast cancer. In the current study, we demonstrated that YY1 promotes AKT phosphorylation at S473, a marker of AKT activation. The immunostaining signal of YY1 and AKT(S473) phosphorylation positively correlated and colocalized in breast cancer tissues and cells. The oncogene protein binding (OPB) domain (G201-S226) of YY1 bound to AKT and was necessary for YY1 in promoting AKT phosphorylation. This novel function of YY1 is independent of its transcriptional activity because YY1 promoted AKT phosphorylation in an in vitro setting using purified proteins and YY1 mutants deficient in binding to DNA retained this activity. Our further studies revealed that YY1 interacted with the PH domain of AKT where PIP3 binds and its role in promoting AKT phosphorylation was abolished when we depleted mSIN1, a specific component of mTORC2 that mediates AKT(S473) phosphorylation. Thus, we discovered a PI3K-independent mechanism of mTORC2-mediated AKT activation stimulated by YY1 binding to its PH domain, which supports the proliferative role of YY1 in mammary oncogenesis. Citation Format: Qiang Zhang, Meimei Wan, David A. Horita, Lance D. Miller, Steven J. Kridel, Timothy E. Kute, George Kulik, Guangchao Sui. Yin Yang 1 promotes AKT activation through direct protein binding. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Jun 19-22, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A25.
High shear mixing granulation of ibuprofen and β-cyclodextrin: Effects of process variables on ibuprofen dissolution

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of high shear mixer (HSM) granulation process parameters and scale-up on wet mass consistency and granulation characteristics. A mixer torque rheometer (MTR) was employed to evaluate the granulating solvents used (water, isopropanol, and 1:1 vol/vol mixture of both) based on the wet mass consistency. Gral 25 and mini-HSM were used for the granulation. The MTR study showed that the water significantly enhanced the beta-cyclodextrin (βCD) binding tendency and the strength of liquid bridges formed between the particles, whereas the isopropanol/water mixture yielded more suitable agglomerates. Mini-HSM granulation with the isopropanol/water mixture (1:1 vol/vol) showed a reduction in the extent of torque value rise by increasing the impeller speed as a result of more breakdown of agglomerates than coalescence. In contrast, increasing the impeller speed of the Gral 25 resulted in higher torque readings, larger granule size, and consequently, slower dissolution. This was due to a remarkable rise in temperature during Gral granulation that reduced the isopropanol/water ratio in the granulating solvent as a result of evaporation and consequently increased the βCD binding strength. In general, the HSM granulation retarded ibuprofen dissolution compared with the physical mixture because of densification and agglomeration. However, a successful HSM granulation scale-up was not achieved due to the difference in the solvent mixture’s effect from 1 scale to the other.
Hypereosinophilic syndrome with unusual cutaneous manifestations in two men with HIV infection

We report two men with human immunodeficiency virus infection who had unusual cutaneous manifestations of hypereosinophilic syndrome, exfoliative erythroderma, and linear flagellate plaques. In the first patient the cutaneous disease was the initial manifestation, and in the second the skin was the only organ affected. We also describe a favorable response to systemic corticosteroids and to psoralen with UVA phototherapy in one patient.
A scalable, non-parametric anomaly detection framework for Hadoop

In this paper, we present a scalable and practical problem diagnosis framework for Hadoop environments. Our design features a decentralized approach based on hierarchical grouping and a novel non-parametric diagnostic mechanism. We evaluate our framework under various Hadoop workloads. The experimental results show that our design outperforms traditional methods significantly in the context of complex anomaly patterns and high anomaly probability.
Assessment of Patients' Acceptance of and Satisfaction with Teledermatology

Teledermatology refers to the use of information and communication technologies (such as videoconferencing or transmission of digital images) to enable the practice of diagnostic dermatology between participants separated by geographic distance. The objective of this study was to critically review the quality of evidence about patient satisfaction with teledermatology applications. Sample size, reporting of validity and reliability, used instrument and its underlying constructs were determined for all studies where information was available. Fourteen studies were identified, five refer to store-and-forward applications, the remaining ones describe video-based systems. The systematic review demonstrated that methodological deficiencies in the published research impact the generalizability of findings. The two types of teledermatology (video-based and store-and-forward) require different satisfaction instruments as they are based on different contexts of care delivery, with video-mediated communication being key in the former and patients' absence from the diagnostic process in the latter mode of care delivery.
Role of Dexmedetomidine for the Prevention and Treatment of Delirium in Intensive Care Unit Patients

OBJECTIVE:To review recent clinical studies regarding the role of dexmedetomidine for prevention and treatment of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.DATA SOURCES:MEDLINE and PubMed searches (1988-Feburary 2013) were conducted, using the key words delirium, dexmedetomidine, Precedex, agitation, α-2 agonists, critical care, and intensive care. References from relevant articles were reviewed for additional information.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Clinical trials comparing dexmedetomidine with other sedatives/analgesics or with antipsychotics for delirium were selected. Studies that evaluated the use of dexmedetomidine for sedation for more than 6 hours were included in this review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α-2 receptor agonist that provides sedation, anxiolysis, and modest analgesia with minimal respiratory depression. Its mechanism of action is unique compared with that of traditional sedatives because it does not act on γ-aminobutyric acid receptors. In additio...
Becoming a nonexpert and other strategies for managing fieldwork dilemmas in the criminal justice system

In this article, the author presents three fieldwork strategies for managing role conflict in criminal justice settings. One of the most critical issues for ethnographers immersed in fieldwork is balancing the tension between the researcher and participant-observation roles. Ethnographers in criminal justice settings as well as other types of street-level bureaucracies are commonly confronted with dilemmas involving physical risk, highly sensitive data, marginalized clientele, and the exploitive use of power and domination by institutional gatekeepers. Researchers venturing into challenging fieldwork settings, such as criminal justice environments, must be highly attuned to the constraints and opportunities for collecting data. The author argues that these strategies can augment ethnographers' “data collection toolkit” to better address fieldwork problems. In addition, deploying these strategies can help to reveal unforeseen findings in the study.
Frequency analysis and sheared filtering for shadow light fields of complex occluders

Monte Carlo ray tracing of soft shadows produced by area lighting and intricate geometries, such as the shadows through plant leaves or arrays of blockers, is a critical challenge. The final image often has relatively smooth shadow patterns, since it integrates over the light source. However, Monte Carlo rendering exhibits considerable noise even at high sample counts because of the large variance of the integrand due to the intricate shadow function. This article develops an efficient diffuse soft shadow technique for mid to far occluders that relies on a new 4D cache and sheared reconstruction filter. For this, we first derive a frequency analysis of shadows for planar area lights and complex occluders. Our analysis subsumes convolution soft shadows for parallel planes as a special case. It allows us to derive 4D sheared filters that enable lower sampling rates for soft shadows. While previous sheared-reconstruction techniques were able primarily to index samples according to screen position, we need to perform reconstruction at surface receiver points that integrate over vastly different shapes in the reconstruction domain. This is why we develop a new light-field-like 4D data structure to store shadowing values and depth information. Any ray tracing system that shoots shadow rays can easily incorporate our method to greatly reduce sampling rates for diffuse soft shadows.
Patterns in Income Source Expectations for Retirement Among Preretirees

Financial planning for retirement is a lifelong process constrained by financial literacy, resources, and competing demands for resources across the life course. Further, social structure shapes the availability of options for funding retirement. The social and economic frameworks surrounding retirement planning are changing, and policy makers and researchers question whether retirement expectations have adapted. To explore this question, this research used k-means cluster analysis of a 2010 survey data set to identify natural groupings of Michigan adult preretirees based on their expectations of income sources for retirement. The cluster analysis identified six distinct groups that hold very different expectations. Most had expectations that are not consistent with projected changes in social structure and resource availability and those that did were more likely to occupy traditionally privileged statuses including being White, male, and married.
Campaign and Contextual Influences on Voter Participation in State Legislative Elections

Recent studies suggest that campaign mobilization factors such as candidate spending and electoral competition play a substantial role in influencing voter participation in elections. This analysis...
Legislation as Communication? Legal Interpretation and the Study of Linguistic Communication

According to a view – really a family of related views – that has considerable currency at the moment, philosophy of language and linguistics have a direct bearing on the content of the law. I call this view the communicative-content theory of law or, for short, the communication theory. According to the communication theorists, the study of language and communication reveals that the full linguistic meaning of an utterance is what the speaker or author communicates by the utterance – call it communicative content – which may go well beyond the literal meaning of the words. (On the standard understanding, communicative content is constituted by the content of certain specific communicative intentions of the speaker.) The communication theorists conclude that a statute's contribution to the content of the law is its communicative content. In this chapter, I grant many of the assumptions of the communication theorists and then argue that there are many candidates for a statute’s contribution to the content of the law, including different linguistic and mental contents. The study of language can be important in helping us to make and clarify such distinctions, but beyond this information-providing role, it has nothing to say about which, if any, of these candidates constitutes a statute’s contribution to the law. The communication theory therefore lacks the resources to say what any statute’s contribution is. Ultimately, I suggest that trying to understand legislation on the model of communication is misguided because legislation and legislative systems have purposes that have no parallel in the case of communication and that may be better served if a statute’s contribution to the content of the law is not constituted by what is communicated by the legislature.
Managing stack frames in Smalltalk

The Smalltalk programming language allows contexts (stack frames) to be accessed and manipulated in very general ways. This sometimes requires that contexts be retained even after they have terminated executing, and that they be reclaimed other than by LIFO stack discipline. The authoritative definition of Smalltalk [Goldberg and Robson 83] uses reference counting garbage collection to manage contexts, an approach found to be inadequate in practice [Krasner, et al. 83]. Deutsch and Schiffman have described a technique that uses an actual stack as much as possible [Deutsch and Schiffman 84]. Here we offer a less complex technique that we expect will have lower total overhead and reclaim many frames sooner and more easily. We are implementing our technique as part of a state of the art Smalltalk interpreter. The approach may apply to other languages that allow indefinite lifetimes for execution contexts, be they interpreted or compiled.
Optimizing the performance of closed-loop adaptive-optics control systems on the basis of experimentally measured performance data

An experimental method is presented to optimize the control algorithm for a closed-loop adaptive-optics system employed with an astronomical telescope. The technique uses wave-front sensor measurements from an independent scoring sensor to calculate adjustments to the wave-front reconstruction algorithm and the bandwidth of the adaptive-optics control loop that will minimize the residual mean-square phase distortion as measured by this sensor. Specifying the range of possible adjustments defines the class of control algorithms over which system performance will be optimized. In particular, the technique can be used to compute an optimized wave-front reconstruction matrix for use with a prespecified adaptive-optics control-loop bandwidth, optimize the control-loop bandwidth for a given reconstruction matrix, optimize the individual modal control bandwidths for a fixed modal reconstructor, or simultaneously optimize both the wave-front modes and their associated control bandwidths for a fully optimized modal control algorithm. The method applies to closed-loop adaptive-optics systems that incorporate one or more natural or laser guide stars and one or more deformable mirrors that are optically conjugate to distinct ranges along the propagation path. Initial experimental results are reported for the case of a hybrid adaptive-optics system incorporating one natural guide star, one laser guide star, and one deformable mirror. These results represent what is to the authors’ knowledge the first stable closed-loop operation of an adaptive-optics system using multiple guide stars.
How Consumers are Gathering Information from Medlineplus

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) introduced MEDLINEplus in October 1998 to help consumers and those who serve them find authoritative, understandable health information on the Internet. MEDLINEplus was designed to be a well-organized, selective Web resource that directs consumers to full-text health information available from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other reliable sources. From the beginning it has been consumer driven; that is, information obtained from studying actual searches done by the public using other NLM Internet resources was used to set priorities for MEDLINEplus. This article summarizes findings from NLM's studies of use data. Web log files, and formal evaluation that help characterize consumers needs for information. How these findings have been used to improve the interface, functionality, and content of MEDLINEplus will also be described.
Neural network algorithms for retrieval of harmful algal blooms in the west Florida shelf from VIIRS satellite observations and comparisons with other techniques, without the need for a fluorescence channel

New approaches are described that use of the Ocean Color Remote Sensing Reflectance readings (OC Rrs) available from the existing Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) bands to detect and retrieve Karenia brevis (KB) Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) that frequently plague the coasts of the West Florida Shelf (WFS). Unfortunately, VIIRS, unlike MODIS, does not have a 678 nm channel to detect Chlorophyll fluorescence, which is used with MODIS in the normalized fluorescence height (nFLH) algorithm which has been shown to help in effectively detecting and tracking KB HABs. We present here the use of neural network (NN) algorithms for KB HABS retrievals in the WFS. These NNs, previously reported by us, were trained, using a wide range of suitably parametrized synthetic data typical of coastal waters, to form a multiband inversion algorithm which models the relationship between Rrs values at the 486, 551 and 671nm VIIRS bands against the values of phytoplankton absorption (aph), CDOM absorption (ag), non-algal particles (NAP) absorption (aNAP) and the particulate backscattering bbp coefficients, all at 443nm, and permits retrievals of these parameters. We use the NN to retrieve aph443 in the WFS. The retrieved aph443 values are then filtered by applying known limiting conditions on minimum Chlorophyll concentration [Chla] and low backscatter properties associated with KB HABS in the WFS, thereby identifying, delineating and quantifying the aph443 values, and hence [Chl] concentrations representing KB HABS. Comparisons with in-situ measurements and other techniques including MODIS nFLH confirm the viability of both the NN retrievals and the filtering approaches devised. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ligand Effects on the Structure and the Electronic Optical Properties of Anionic Au25(SR)18 Clusters

This study addresses how ligands module the structure and the electronic optical properties of a large set of the experimentally known anionic thiolate-protected gold clusters, Au25(SR)18[1−]. Starting from the experimental crystal structure, computational density functional theory calculations reveal that low-polarity R groups do not disturb the Au25S18 framework significantly, such that the inversion symmetry(Ci) of the crystalline state is retained. In the case of p-thiolphenolate ligands, p-SPhX, a major distortion of the Au25S18 framework, destroys the inversion symmetry, the distortion increasing in the order given X = H, Cl, NO2 and CO2H. For branched R groups, linking −CH3 or −NH2 groups at the two-position of the phenylethylthiolate ligand, the inversion symmetry is retained and lost, respectively; similarly, the N-acetyl-cysteine ligand also distorts the framework. These results demonstrate a systematic preference of inversion-symmetric versus nonsymmetric framework depending on the ligand-type....
Noise Reduction by Swarming in Social Foraging

Swarms, flocks, and other group formations can be found in nature in many organisms ranging from simple bacteria to mammals. Such collective and coordinated behavior is effective for avoiding predators and/or for increasing the chances of finding food (foraging). In this technical note we develop a mathematical model for analyzing the benefits of social foraging in a noisy environment. We identify conditions on the nutrient profile ensuring that local agent actions will lead to cohesive foraging. For convex, smooth nutrient profiles, we formalize the way in which swarming for social foraging is better at handling the effects of noise when compared to the average of individual foraging strategies. Under a swarming discipline, observational noise realizations that induce trajectories differing too much from the group average are likely to be discarded because of each individual's need to maintain cohesion. As a result, the group trajectories are less affected by noise. Simulation experiments indicate our theoretical results are robust to inter-agent communication constraints and non-convex nutrient profiles. These results suggest that swarming-like approaches for the control of networked agents may provide an additional level of robustness.
Determination of GinsenosideRg1 in Shuxiong capsules by RP-HPLC

Objective:To establish a HPLC method for determination of GinsenosideRg1 in Shuxiong capsules.Method:Thermo C18(200mm×4.6mm,5μm)Column was used.The mobile phase was acetonitrile:water =21:79,the detecting wavelength was at 203nm,the flow rate was 1.0ml·min-1.Result:The linear range of GinsenosideRg1 was within 0.4408μg～2.425μg.r=0.9998,the average recovery was 99.4%.Conclusion:This method has good repeatability,flexibility and high sensitivity.It can be used for quality control of Shuxiong capsules.
Litigation and Reform

This paper examines struggles over litigation reform in federal regulation during roughly the two decades from passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the end Reagan’s first term. It first traces the historical and political factors that led liberal advocates of the new social regulation to grow increasing skeptical of the administrative state as an effective enforcer, and to turn instead to a strategy of creating market incentives for private lawsuits for enforcement, a model of privatization learned from the experience of civil rights. The paper shows how the contemporary anti-litigation reform movement emerged in the early Reagan years as a challenged to the successes of the pro-litigation reform movement over the previous decade, and as one component of the administration’s broader deregulatory program. Finally, it assesses why Reagan’s anti-litigation reforms failed, highlighting political and institutional sources of the resilience of America’s private enforcement infrastructure.
Possible sources of glutamine for parenteral nutrition: impact on glutamine metabolism

Due to its instability, glutamine is not included in solutions for parenteral solution. This problem can be obviated by providing glutamine as acetyl-, glycyl-, or alanylglutamine. Using an organ balance technique in conscious dogs, we investigated metabolism of these three sources of glutamine. Liver, gut, kidney, and muscle participated in clearance of glycyl- and alanylglutamine from plasma, but among these organs only kidney cleared acetylglutamine. Furthermore, there was a large urinary excretion for acetylglutamine (38 +/- 6% of amount infused) but only a trace amount for either dipeptide. The infusion of glutamine-dipeptides resulted in similar increases in blood level of free glutamine. The main source of this increase appeared to be hydrolysis of dipeptides by kidney and release of free glutamine to circulation. During the infusion of both dipeptides, glutamine balance (free and dipeptide forms) was always positive (net uptake) across liver, gut, and kidney but was neutral across muscle. Liver or gut glutamine balances were not significantly different during the infusion of dipeptides, but kidney glutamine balance was twofold greater during the infusion of glycyl- than alanylglutamine. We conclude that among these three sources of glutamine, acetylglutamine is least desirable for use in parenteral nutrition. Glycylglutamine may be preferable over alanylglutamine if the objective is to target glutamine for kidney.
Non-HIV Antiviral Agents

During the past several decades, viruses have been increasingly recognized as frequent and important pathogens. Critically ill and immunocompromised patients, particularly within the transplant and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected populations, are at particularly high risk for severe viral infections such as those caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV), adenovirus, disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV), and infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Influenza continues to be a significant public and global health ­problem as well. Many of the currently available antiviral agents have been in clinical use for many years and clinical data related to important drug interactions often concern the use of older drugs with which significant interactions were likely to frequently occur (e.g., zidovudine, didanosine). Unfortunately, however, interaction data are often unavailable for drugs such as the newer antiretroviral and immunosuppressant agents which are now considered standards of care for management of populations at high risk for serious viral infections. Some of the non-HIV antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir, oseltamivir, and amantadine are associated with relatively few clinically significant drug interactions. However, there are a number of significant interactions which must be considered for the safe and effective use of drugs such as ganciclovir, foscarnet, cidofovir, ribavirin, and the interferons. This chapter summarizes available data regarding pharmacokinetic and toxic interactions with the current non-HIV antiviral agents.
A Prospective, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate for Knee Osteoarthritis

Background:Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) is increasingly used as a regenerative therapy for musculoskeletal pathological conditions despite limited evidence-based support.Hypothesis:BMAC will prove feasible, safe, and efficacious for the treatment of pain due to mild to moderate degenerative joint disease of the knee.Study Design:Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.Methods:In this prospective, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 25 patients with bilateral knee pain from bilateral osteoarthritis were randomized to receive BMAC into one knee and saline placebo into the other. Fifty-two milliliters of bone marrow was aspirated from the iliac crests and concentrated in an automated centrifuge. The resulting BMAC was combined with platelet-poor plasma for an injection into the arthritic knee and was compared with a saline injection into the contralateral knee, thereby utilizing each patient as his or her own control. Safety outcomes, pain relief, and function as measured by Osteoart...
Cell therapy for spinal cord injury informed by electromagnetic waves

Spinal cord injury devastates the CNS, besetting patients with symptoms including but not limited to: paralysis, autonomic nervous dysfunction, pain disorders and depression. Despite the identification of several molecular and genetic factors, a reliable regenerative therapy has yet to be produced for this terminal disease. Perhaps the missing piece of this puzzle will be discovered within endogenous electrotactic cellular behaviors. Neurons and stem cells both show mediated responses (growth rate, migration, differentiation) to electromagnetic waves, including direct current electric fields. This review analyzes the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury, the rationale for regenerative cell therapy and the evidence for directing cell therapy via electromagnetic waves shown by in vitro experiments.
An All Digital Demodulator using Off-the-Shelf VLSI Technology

An all digital demodulator using off-the-shelf VLSI components has been developed at Harris Corporation, GCSD. VLSI technology such as the multiply accumulator (MAC), the numerically controlled oscillator (NCO), and the digital signal microprocessor (DSP uP) are utilized to yield a compact, flexible, microprocessor programmable design architecture. Specifically, a multirate BPSK demodulator has been designed using the digital VLSI implementation approach. Performance data, in the form of BER measurements, is given for the digital BPSK demodulator design. It is concluded that, due to a flexible architecture and good overall performance, the digital demodulator may become a popular demodulator implementation that can evolve further, as the state-of-the-art in digital VLSI technology evolves.
Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin defense by forming an intact skin barrier against environmental insults, such as UVB irradiation or pathogens, and also by initiating an inflammatory response upon those insults. Here we describe methods to isolate KCs from neonatal mouse skin and from adult mouse tail skin. We also describe culturing conditions using defined growth supplements (dGS) in comparison to chelexed fetal bovine serum (cFBS). Functionally, we show that both neonatal and adult KCs are highly responsive to high calcium-induced terminal differentiation, tight junction formation and stratification. Additionally, cultured adult KCs are susceptible to UVB-triggered cell death and can release large amounts of TNF upon UVB irradiation. Together, the methods described here will be useful to researchers for the setup of in vitro models to study epidermal biology in the neonatal mouse and/or the adult mouse.
Axillary and Brachial Injuries

Improved imaging modalities and surgical techniques have dramatically changed the management of upper extremity vascular trauma, with a concomitant rise in limb salvage rate over the past 80 years. Surgical management of upper extremity vascular trauma is complex due to the close relationship between the arteries, veins, and nerves along with challenges involved in attaining appropriate surgical exposure. A close familiarity with the anatomy in conjunction with high-quality diagnostic imaging is vital for appropriate surgical planning. Due to the complexities involved in achieving open access to some of the more proximal vessels, endovascular management is gaining popularity. The use of stent grafts to repair damaged vessels may avoid the morbidity associated with median sternotomy with cervical extension and the extended dissection that is involved. Even in the presence of “hard signs” of vascular injury, endovascular techniques may facilitate damage control surgery and achieve hemostasis until a more definitive procedure can be completed. Proper coordination with trauma, orthopedic, and vascular surgery is necessary to minimize ischemia, properly debride nonviable tissue, and repair all of the involved injuries. Decompressive fasciotomy, even if prophylactic in nature, is an important component of avoiding the morbidity and mortality associated with compartment syndrome.
Future mesh-networked pico air vehicles

Taken together, recent advances in microelectromechanical systems, wireless mesh networks, digital circuits, and battery technology have made the notion of autonomous pico air vehicles viable. In this work we describe the core technologies enabling these future vehicles as well as propose two possible future platforms. We draw on recent research on high thrust density atmospheric ion thrusters, microfabricated silicon control surfaces, and extremely low mass and power mesh networking nodes. Using the same open-source network implementation as we have already demonstrated in larger UAVs, these flying microrobots will open up a new application space where un- obtrusiveness and high data granularity are vital.
NIST Calibration Uncertainties of Thermistor Thermometers over the Range from −50 °C to 90 °C

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Industrial Thermometer Calibration Laboratory (ITCL) is responsible for calibrating several different types of industrial thermometers incl...
Nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescents: current developments to help inform assessment and treatment.

Purpose of review This review summarizes the recent literature examining nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, with a particular focus on how primary care pediatricians (PCPs) might assess and intervene as a common first point of contact. This NSSI review is timely and relevant, given the prevalence rates among adolescents, as well as its link to suicidal behaviors. Recent findings NSSI is most prevalent among adolescents, with lifetime prevalence rates between 17 and 60%. With evidence that the most common age of onset is between 12 and 14 years, evaluating NSSI is a challenging yet necessary aspect of a comprehensive adolescent medical examination. The function of NSSI behaviors may have implications for effective treatment and should be included in assessment. The majority of research has indicated that NSSI serves an emotion regulation function, in that the behavior results in a decrease in intensity of adverse emotional states in the absence of more effective coping strategies. Summary Considering the prevalence of self-injury among adolescents, the likelihood that PCPs will encounter NSSI in their practice is quite high. Given that more than 50% of youth do not receive needed mental health services, it is critical that PCPs assess for NSSI and intervene accordingly.
Recent advances in materials and flexible electronics for peripheral nerve interfaces.

Peripheral nerve interfaces are a central technology in advancing bioelectronic medicines because these medical devices can record and modulate the activity of nerves that innervate visceral organs. Peripheral nerve interfaces that use electrical signals for recording or stimulation have advanced our collective understanding of the peripheral nervous system. Furthermore, devices such as cuff electrodes and multielectrode arrays of various form factors have been implanted in the peripheral nervous system of humans in several therapeutic contexts. Substantive advances have been made using devices composed of off-the-shelf commodity materials. However, there is also a demand for improved device performance including extended chronic reliability, enhanced biocompatibility, and increased bandwidth for recording and stimulation. These aspirational goals manifest as much needed improvements in device performance including: increasing mechanical compliance (reducing Young’s modulus and increasing extensibility); improving the barrier properties of encapsulation materials; reducing impedance and increasing the charge injection capacity of electrode materials; and increasing the spatial resolution of multielectrode arrays. These proposed improvements require new materials and novel microfabrication strategies. This mini-review highlights selected recent advances in flexible electronics for peripheral nerve interfaces. The foci of this mini-review include novel materials for flexible and stretchable substrates, non-conventional microfabrication techniques, strategies for improved device packaging, and materials to improve signal transduction across the tissue-electrode interface. Taken together, this article highlights challenges and opportunities in materials science and processing to improve the performance of peripheral nerve interfaces and advance bioelectronic medicine.
Phosphorus dendrimer derived solid sorbents for CO2 capture from post-combustion gas streams

Solid amine sorbents were prepared via cross-linking of polyamine compounds and polyaldehyde phosphorus dendrimers through a reductive amination approach. The CO2 adsorption capacities from inert gas streams and simulated flue gas were determined using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a packed-bed reactor, (PBR) respectively. The sorbents adsorbed CO2 from inert CO2 gas streams up to 7.3 wt % at 65 °C and 10.7 wt % at 25 °C, while adsorbing CO2 from simulated flue gas up to 7.4 wt % at 65 °C. The amines are covalently bound in the sorbent, providing a robust material that is stable at elevated temperatures and does not leach upon exposure to moisture. The sorbents underwent extensive cycle testing, with no degradation observed up to 45 cycles on the TGA and up to 25 cycles on the PBR, while displaying rapid kinetics for both adsorption and desorption of CO2.
Physical Health Mediates the Relationship between Psychological Well-Being and Engagement in Exercise across Age in a German Sample

The prevalence of chronic illness among middle-aged and older adults is increasing worldwide as the population continues to age. One way to prevent the continued increase and subsequent negative outcomes of chronic illness is to increase the number of individuals who engage in exercise. Thus, it is important to examine which factors predict engagement in exercise in middle-aged and older adults. As a result, the current study examined the relationship between physical health, psychological well-being, and engagement in exercise in a sample of middle-aged and older German adults. We found that increased age was associated with less frequent engagement in exercise. We also found that physical health mediated the relationship between psychological well-being and engagement in exercise. Finally, we found that age did not moderate the relationship between subjective well-being and engagement in exercise, suggesting that the role of physical health as a mediator was similar in older adults compared to middle-aged adults. These findings have important implications for interventions seeking to promote exercise among adults.
Cathodic Behavior Of Stainless Steel 316Ln Reinforcing Bars In Simulated Concrete Pore Solutions

The high corrosion resistance of stainless steel (SS) reinforcing bars is widely recognized. However, little information is available on how much cathodic current a passive SS rebar assembly could produce to support a local anode as corrosion eventually starts. The ability of SS to perform as a cathode would have a direct impact on the corrosion rate of the anodic region. To address this issue, the cathodic behavior of type 316LN SS reinforcing bars in simulated concrete pore solutions was explored using the cyclic potentiodynamic polarization technique. The cathodic efficiency of sandblasted or as-received SS rebar was found to be much smaller than that of as-received carbon steel (CS) rebar. However, high temperature oxide scales, especially those formed at 700 C, significantly increased the cathodic efficiency of SS. The effect of temperature and pH on cathodic efficiency of sandblasted SS rebar was secondary compared to that of the presence of oxide scales formed at high temperatures. The oxygen reduction rate on sandblasted SS increased upon addition of chloride ions in solution
The Activated Phagocyte of Polycythemia Vera

Leukocytes isolated from patients with polycythemia vera (PCV), a panmyelopathy, have increased metabolic activity during the resting and phagocytizing states. Phagocytes from patients with PCV were studied by counting particle ingestion, measuring hexose monophosphate shunt (HMP) activity by the conversion of glucose-1-14C to 14CO2, and determining O2 consumption and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction. Phagocytosis of polystyrene particles was increased. Resting glucose-1-14C activity was 6.9 ± 2.7 nmoles of glucose oxidized per hour per 5 x 106 phagocytes in normal and 16.4 ± 7.6 nmoles in polycythemia vera phagocytes. Hexose monophosphate shunt following phagocytosis increased to 50.6 ± 10.4 nmoles in normal and 91.7 ± 17.0 in polycythemia vera phagocytes ( p < 0.005). Oxygen consumption was 3.6 ± 0.2 µl/hr/5 x 106 phagocytes in resting and 11.4 µl/hr/5 x 106 phagocytes in stimulated controls as compared to 4.8 ± 0.2 µl in resting and 18.4 µl in phagocytizing PCV cells ( p <0.001). The reduction of NBT by leukocytes was increased in all resting polycythemia vera phagocytes as compared to control phagocytes. The cells from some patients had increases in the amount of NBT reduced during phagocytosis. Phagocytes from four severly infected patients had increases in HMP activity in both resting and phagocytizing cells similar to those found in noninfected PCV phagocytes. Although the increased metabolic activity associated with phagocytosis can be explained by increased particle ingestion, the increased activity of resting PCV cells suggests other metabolic abnormalities perhaps related to the age of the phagocyte.
Messenger Rna-S14 as a Model of Thyroid Hormone Action at the Hepatocellular Level

For the past several years, our laboratories at the University of Minnesota have been examining the response of mRNA-S14 as a model of thyroid hormone action at the hepatocellular level. This mRNA was originally identified by Seelig et al. (1) in studies of radioactively labeled translational products of hepatic mRNA obtained from animals of various thyroidal states and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2). By autoradiography of the gels, approximately 250 ‘spots’ could be visualized, each presumably representing the translational product of a specific mPNA present in medium or high abundance. S14, designated in an arbitrary fashion, was one of 19 translational products differentially altered by thyroidal state. S14 exhibited a molecular weight of 17,000 and pi of about 4.9. The rapidity of the response to thyroid hormone treatment (3) and the finding that this mRNA also responded to dietary stimuli (4) made this an extremely attractive model for further analysis. The cloning of the cDNA to this mRNA sequence by Narayan et al. (5) made available a convenient hybridization probe for such studies at the molecular level.
LatinX botanical epistemologies

How is the field of Latina/o Studies concerning itself with “botanical epistemologies” in light of what scholar Claudia Milian has described as “environmental forecasts and new forms of LatinX disp...
Retrospective analysis of benefit from concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in high-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (SCC-OC).

e17091 Background: The RTOG and EORTC have reported benefit from adding chemotherapy to post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) in high-risk patients (pts) with squamous cell head and neck cancer, ...
In-Depth Interviews to Assess the Relevancy and Fit of a Peer-Mentored Intervention for Transition-Age Youth with Chronic Medical Conditions.

Abstract Study purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relevancy and fit of a proposed group-based, peer-mentored intervention, based on the principles of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), to facilitate the development of health self-management skills needed to transition from pediatric to adult-based healthcare. Design and methods Individual in-depth interviews with 28 transition-age youth (TAY) ages 17–22 and 24 caregivers (parents) from Gastroenterology, Renal and Rheumatology clinical services assessed interests in and preferred content, timing of and format for an intervention to help youth build self-management skills. Descriptive statistics were used for short answer questions and rating scales. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcripts. Results >90% of TAY and all caregivers thought the proposed group-based transition skills-building intervention was a good idea. TAY expressed wanting someone with lived experience to lead it and a desire to meet other youth with chronic conditions. All caregivers would want their TAY to participate if given the opportunity. Both TAY and caregivers voiced the importance of mental health topics as many TAY experienced anxiety or depression over managing their illness. Nearly 50% of TAY and caregivers thought parents should attend some or all group sessions, though TAY and caregivers within the same family did not always agree. Conclusions Findings establish the relevancy and fit of a peer-mentored intervention focused on skill development to successfully transition to adult healthcare. Practice implications The group intervention designed using a SDT framework may be particularly relevant as autonomy, competence, and relatedness undergo major developmental changes during adolescence.