cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IGH minisatellite suppression of USF-binding-site- and Eμ-mediated transcriptional activation of the adenovirus major late promoter

The 50bp repeat unit of the minisatellite within the DH-JH interval of the human immunoglobulin heavy chain locus binds a nuclear factor present in a wide variety of cell types. The binding site contains the myc/HLH motif, CACGTG, and represents a 15 of 17 base match for the USF/MLTF binding site adjacent to the adenovirus major late promoter (MLP). Unlike the USF/MLTF site, the IGH minisatellite possesses no enhancer activity. However, it can significantly suppress, in cis and in trans, USF-site-mediated transcriptional activation of the MLP. In murine myeloma cells, the IGH minisatellite can suppress, in trans, MLP activation by the murine heavy chain gene enhancer, E mu. These activities potentially represent a DNA-based form of squelching.
Mechanics of prey selection by ephyrae of the scyphomedusa Aurelia aurita

In situ feeding patterns of ephyrae of the jellyfish Aurelia aurita (Linnaeus) revealed the importance of relatively large (>1 mm) prey in the diet of these scyphozoan predators. These studies were carried out in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA in March and April, from 1993 through 1996. Rotifers were the only small prey ingested in quantity, and then only when they were unusually abundant in the plankton. Copepod nauplii, similar in size to rotifers and equally abundant, were rarely consumed. Since copepods evince rapid escape responses, this observation suggested a role for prey escape in determining prey vulnerability, while the predominance of large prey in the diet suggested a role for prey size. Using two dimensional video observations of free-swimming ephyrae and their prey in the laboratory we tested hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying these dietary patterns, comparing mechanisms for capture of large versus small prey and for prey of equal size but differing escape behaviors. Capture efficiencies of ephyrae feeding on large prey were 4 to 12 times greater than for small prey taxa. Capture efficiencies for prey of equal size also differed significantly, indicating that other factors influence the outcome of predator–prey interactions. Most prey captures occurred while the ephyrae were swimming and creating fluid flows that entrained prey into the subumbrellar region. Even copepod nauplii were frequently drawn into the subumbrella of swimming ephyrae despite average potential escape velocities (25.7 mm s−1) that exceeded mean maximum velocity of fluid flows around the ephyrae (13.1 mm s−1). Large prey were more likely than small prey to contact nematocyst-bearing surfaces both before and after entrainment in flow fields. With regard to behavior, prey escape speeds were not the only predictor of prey vulnerability. Prey that continued swimming after entrainment (rotifers and brine shrimp) were captured more often than prey of equal size that ceased normal swimming (copepod nauplii and barnacle nauplii). Copepod nauplii were the prey least likely to be captured because they either “played dead” and were expelled from the subumbrella of the ephyrae before contacting a surface, or they eventually escaped at high velocity. These observations indicate that size-selective predation by ephyrae of A. aurita can be influenced by a variety of behavioral responses of the prey.
The effect of interfacial oxide and high-κ thickness on NMOS V th shift from plasma-induced damage

Different thicknesses of interfacial oxide and high-κ were used to study the effects of plasma-induced damage (PID) in NMOS transistors. The thickness of high-κ HfO 2 was varied from 15A to 25A. The thickness of the interfacial layer (IL) with N 2 O/H 2 was also varied from 5A to 10A. The threshold voltage (V th ) shift was observed to be greater in the thinner oxide using the same plasma condition. There was no significant effect with different IL thickness between 5A and 10A.
Nutrition in Neurocritical Care

Incidence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients has been shown to range from 30 to 55% Malnutrition is associated with longer hospital stay, slower recovery, more complications, and increased morbidity and mortality rates, all resulting in increased costs
A Dual Luminophore Pressure Sensitive Paint: Eliminating the Temperature Interference in the Measurement of Oxygen Partial Pressure

Luminescence imaging, combined with pressure sensitive paint (PSP) is an optical method for measuring surface air pressure distributions on aerodynamic models in wind tunnels.1, 2 This method is of particular of interest to the aerospace industry for determining loads in aerodynamic prototype testing. When compared to conventional methods such as pressure tap measurements, luminescence imaging has the advantage of providing a non-invasive method to obtain full field surface air pressure distributions with high spatial resolution.
Context for Understanding Psychosocial Outcomes and Behavior Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

Across all age groups, cancer affects relationships with family and friends; challenges one's sense of independence; disrupts goals, aspirations, and achievements; alters one's body image and integrity; and poses existential challenges about the world and one's place in it. When diagnosed with cancer, adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in their 20s and 30s face unique challenges compared with younger children and older adults. Understanding how cancer-related challenges manifest needs and desires for psychological and social support services throughout a continuum of care may help clinicians improve cost-effective quality care and patient outcomes. This article provides a context for understanding the experiences of AYAs with cancer and highlights key domains of psychosocial need in this population.
Comparison of the development of Alabama argillacea (Hübner) and Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) fed glanded and glandless cotton leaves

Glanded and glandless cotyledonary cotton leaves, were used to compare the effects of glandular chemicals (primarily gossypol) on the survival and development of Alabama argillacea (Hubner), a specialist on Gossypieae, and Heliothis virescens (F.), a polyphagous species. A. argillacea survived equally well on either leaf type and the weight of late-larval instars was significantly increased by feeding in glanded leaves. However, survival and pupal weight of H. virescens were reduced by this food. The differences in response to glandular chemicals by these two species suggest that changes made in plant chemistry to enhance the resistance of plants against generalist feeders may not lessen, and may in fact increase, the impact of adapted specialists on cotton.
Photo polymerization of Photopolymers by Scanning Laser Beam

We have developed a new type of photo hardening system for constructing 3-D models using an UV-laser and liquid photopolymer. In the system the surface of liquid photopolymer is exposed by laser scanning according to the sectional shape of 3-D pattern stored in the computer, and solidified photopolymer layers made thus are stacked successively to form the solid object. As the accuracy and speed of the shaping process are determined by the characteristics of the photopolymer, the experiments has done to obtain the most suitable composition of photopolymer. According to the results, the spatial accuracy and sensitivity are affected by the selection of oligomers, the density of the photoinitiator and mixing of some powder, and the plasticizer or the plastic powder should be used instead of the monomer to prevent the shrinkage of polymerization.
An Examination of Conflicting Findings on the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Absenteeism: A Meta-Analysis

This study, which applied meta-analytic procedures, found a significant negative relationship between certain facets of job satisfaction and absenteeism. Findings suggest that sampling errors, scal...
Computational Approach for Epitaxial Polymorph Stabilization through Substrate Selection

With the ultimate goal of finding new polymorphs through targeted synthesis conditions and techniques, we outline a computational framework to select optimal substrates for epitaxial growth using first principle calculations of formation energies, elastic strain energy, and topological information. To demonstrate the approach, we study the stabilization of metastable VO2 compounds which provides a rich chemical and structural polymorph space. We find that common polymorph statistics, lattice matching, and energy above hull considerations recommends homostructural growth on TiO2 substrates, where the VO2 brookite phase would be preferentially grown on the a-c TiO2 brookite plane while the columbite and anatase structures favor the a-b plane on the respective TiO2 phases. Overall, we find that a model which incorporates a geometric unit cell area matching between the substrate and the target film as well as the resulting strain energy density of the film provide qualitative agreement with experimental observations for the heterostructural growth of known VO2 polymorphs: rutile, A and B phases. The minimal interfacial geometry matching and estimated strain energy criteria provide several suggestions for substrates and substrate-film orientations for the heterostructural growth of the hitherto hypothetical anatase, brookite, and columbite polymorphs. These criteria serve as a preliminary guidance for the experimental efforts stabilizing new materials and/or polymorphs through epitaxy. The current screening algorithm is being integrated within the Materials Project online framework and data and hence publicly available.
FDA Safety Reviews on Drugs, Biologics, and Vaccines: 2007–2013

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In 2002, Congress mandated that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitor postmarketing pediatric adverse events and present safety reports to the FDA’s Pediatric Advisory Committee (PAC). These safety reviews play a critical role in the postmarketing surveillance and identification of pediatric safety issues. This article follows a previous review ending in 2007 and summarizes 6 years of recent pediatric safety reporting, recommendations by the PAC, and actions by the FDA, including labeling changes. METHODS: An analysis of the FDA’s PAC safety reviews performed from November 2007 through September 2013 was conducted. PAC recommendations for subsequent labeling changes, future studies, or other safety issues were reviewed. RESULTS: There were 6930 serious adverse event reports in 181 reviews. These findings resulted in 33 (18%) recommended labeling changes, and 21 (64%) of these changes were adopted. For 10 products, information was added to the Warning and Precautions section of the label. The PAC also discussed or recommended additional studies for certain products. CONCLUSIONS: This article highlights the importance of the FDA’s ongoing pediatric postmarketing safety reviews of regulated products, advice from the PAC, and FDA actions in the best interest of pediatric patients. This mandated process facilitates detection of safety concerns that may not be identified in prelicensure clinical trials. It continues to identify critical safety concerns, including unlabeled adverse events, frequent off-label use, product misuse, and secondary exposures in children.
Chapter 23 – Fish, Fish Oil, and Liver Cancer

Among many types of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for about 75%. In this chapter, we summarize its etiology and risk factors, and the currently available chemopreventive agents for HCC. The most prominent risk factor is chronic hepatitis virus B and C infection. Since HCC has no simple screening tests and tends to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage, low cost approaches, such as immunization with antihepatitis B virus vaccine to infants or dietary manipulation would be a useful strategy to prevent HCC and other forms of liver cancer. Among the dietary agents, fish, fish oil and, in particular, omega-3 (n–3) polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to inhibit liver cancer cell proliferation in culture and in animal model studies, although more well-designed clinical trials are needed to establish its usefulness in preventing HCC and other forms of liver cancer.
Readiness for Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening. A National Survey of Veterans Affairs Pulmonologists

Rationale: To mitigate the potential harms of screening, professional societies recommend that lung cancer screening be conducted in multidisciplinary programs with the capacity to provide comprehensive care, from screening through pulmonary nodule evaluation to treatment of screen-detected cancers. The degree to which this standard can be met at the national level is unknown.Objectives: To assess the readiness of clinical facilities in a national healthcare system for implementation of comprehensive lung cancer screening programs, as compared with the ideal described in policy recommendations.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of staff pulmonologists in pulmonary outpatient clinics in Veterans Health Administration facilities.Measurements and Main Results: The facility-level response rate was 84.1% (106 of 126 facilities with pulmonary clinics); 88.7% of facilities showed favorable provider perceptions of the evidence for lung cancer screening, and 73.6% of facilities had a fav...
Analyzing Properties of Fuzzy Implications Obtained via the Interval Constructor

This work considers an interval extension of fuzzy impli- cations based on the best interval representation of usual fuzzy implications. The related properties of fuzzy im- plications can be naturally extended and the interval re- presentation meets the optimality property and preserves the behaviors of the implications in the interval endpoints. Our discussion mainly focuses on the best interval repre- sentation of three important classes of fuzzy implications: S-implications, R-implications and QL-implications. We analyze sufficient and necessary conditions for these three classes of implications as inclusion-monotonic functions in both arguments satisfying the minimal properties of fuzzy implications.
Vaginal agenesis: an opinion on the surgical management.

Abstract The management of vaginal agenesis—Mayer-Rokitanksy-Kuster-Hauser syndrome—has always been a controversial topic. Initially, the arguments centered on whether to do surgery or try passive dilation as well as at what age to intervene. As surgical techniques have recently become refined, the question is, if surgery is selected, what type of tissue should one use (bowel vs. skin graft) and, if skin graft, from what area to select. Now we are faced with new surgical techniques from the realm of pelviscopy and ask the question: Is one of these better than the other, and is this approach superior to previously established surgical techniques? Drs. Claire Templeman and S. Paige Hertweck from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology here present a concise discussion of these diverse issues.
Comparison of The Expression Level of Two Sesquiterpene Cyclases Genes in The Transformed Hairy Roots of Artemisia annua L. Plant

As early as 500 BC, ancient Chinese scripts reported the use of the annual herb, Artemisia annua, for treatment of “fever” (Klayman, 1985). Much later, Qinghaosu, artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone, was isolated in pure form from the aerial parts of Artemisia annua L. (annual wormwood) plants, and its structure was determined in 1979 (Klayman, 1985). Artemisinin is currently the best therapeutic against both drugresistant and cerebral malaria-causing strains of Plasmodium falciparum. It has since become popular throughout Southeast Asia and Africa, where malaria has become resistant to nearly all anti-malarial drugs, including chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, and Fansidar (Newton et al., 1999). Artemisinin is an important thera- peutic that, along with its derivatives, is a proven treatment for a number of diseases besides malaria (Dhingra et al., 2000), other parasites like schistosomiasis (Utzinger et al., 2001; Borrmann et al., 2001), and more recently cancer and Hepatitis B (Romero et al., 2005). Artemisinin has also been shown to be effective against a variety of cancer cell lines including breast cancer, human leukemia, colon, and small-cell lung carcinomas (Efferth et al., 2001; Singh and Lai 2001). Furthermore, artemisinin may be especially effective in treating drug resistant cancers (Sadava et al., 2002; Efferth et al., 2002). However, the drug is in short supply as its complex structure still requires that it be extracted from plants. Although others are working on a synthetic trioxolane (Vennerstrom et al., 2004) and bacterial produced artemis- inin precursors (Martin et al., 2003) that may replace artemisinin as an inexpensive therapeutic, A. annua plants are still the only current source of the drug. In the whole plant artemisinin has been reported to accumulate in leaves, small green stems, buds, flowers and seeds (Liersch et al., 1986; Ferreira et al., 1995) with highest levels in leaves and flowers. Neither artemisinin nor its pre- cursors, however, were detected in roots (Charles et al., 1990). Artemisinin content in full bloom flowers was 4-5 times higher than in leaves (Ferreira et al., 1995). Both leaves and flowers of A. annua have trichomes. Duke et al. (1994) showed that artemisinin is sequestered in the glandular trichomes of A. annua, and that glandless types produce no artemisinin (Ferreira et al., 1995). Some researchers reported that artemisinin content is highest just prior to flowering (Liersch et al., 1986; Woerden- bag et al., 1994) while others found an artemisinin peak at full flowering stage (Morales et al., 1993, Pras et al., 1991; Singh et al., 1988).
Democracy, Complexity and Non-Territorial Publics: The Case for Forest Trusts

Globalization has increased the force of market pressures on governments. Greater economic integration and expanded definitions of restraint of trade both threaten protection of public values. Money speaks especially loudly today, as politicians explicitly sell “access” to their time and attention. Growing market impersonality squeezes all values but the bottom line from economic decisions.
Transmission of oxygen radicals through free-standing single-layer and multilayer silicon-nitride and silicon-dioxide films

Free radicals from processing plasmas are known to cause damage to dielectric films used in semiconductor devices. Many radicals are highly reactive and can readily interact with the material exposed to the plasma. This can modify the chemical structure of the material causing deterioration of electrical and mechanical properties of the films. This work detects the transmission of oxygen radicals through single- and double-layer silicon-nitride and silicon-dioxide freestanding films. The films were exposed to oxygen plasma. A fluorophore dye was used to detect the oxygen radicals traversing through the films. By measuring the fluorescence of the dye before and after multiple timed-plasma exposures, the transmission properties of oxygen radicals through the material were found. The results indicate that the absorption length of oxygen radicals increases with increasing plasma exposure times for Si3N4 films because the oxygen plasma oxidizes the top layer of the film and forms a less dense silicon oxynitrid...
Six Ways of Looking at Crip Time

In this creative nonfiction essay, the author reflects on how 'crip time' has operated in their life, not only as a form of liberation, but also as a site of loss and alienation.
Scaling Up Legal Relations

Wesley Hohfeld’s scheme of jural relations possesses two fundamental strengths. First, the legal relations tend to correspond closely to potential legal results availing between individual persons – who can sue whom for what. Second, the system of “fundamental” relations possesses a symmetry and generality that made it attractive to the Realists as a springboard to their approach to law. In this paper we argue that Hohfeld’s scheme is incomplete: without more, the legal relations identified by Hohfeld do not scale up properly. Instead of being mere aggregates of more basic relations, complex relations and legal doctrines are structured and interact as a system. Activities that belong at the mid-level between the individual and large populations are most difficult to capture. What is required is a formulation of the legal relations that connects the micro of parties and the macro of the legal system at the level of society. The adoption by the Legal Realists of Hohfeld’s incomplete scheme built a gap between the micro and the macro into most subsequent American theorizing about private law. By contrast, other pre- and non-Realist versions of the broadly “Hohfeldian” program, and in particular that of Albert Kocourek, pay more attention to realistic, “economical” methods of delineating legal relations. These analytical but less reductionist formulations “scale up” better than the conventional picture, and can inspire new theories that explain more of the emergent properties of the legal system.
INTRACELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF CARNOSINE AND ANSERINE IN SKELETAL MUSCLE.

The experiments of Bach and Langley (1) with frog muscle suspensions indicated that the carnosine of this tissue was freely diffusible upon dialysis of homogenates. On the other hand, Reddy and Hegsted (2) observed that the “debris” of rat skeletal muscle homogenates contained 43% of the total carnosine. This debris, representing material sedimented at 650 x g, still retained half of its initial carnosine content after extraction for 7 days in 50% glycerol at -10”. Mitochondria were found to contain over 7% of the total muscle carnosine, and this dipeptide was not removed by suspension of the granules in isotonic sucrose. Reddy and Hegsted concluded that bound carnosine was present within the muscle cell, although it was not clear whether the peptide was attached to myofibrils or whether the microsomes retained any of the carnosine. No results were reported for anserine, the more abundant of the two muscle dipeptides. Inasmuch as a selective binding of carnosine to subcellular components of muscle might offer a clue to the physiological role of this enigmatic peptide, it seemed desirable to further study the intracellular distribution of carnosine, and of anserine as well, in skeletal muscle tissue. We have not been able to confirm the conclusions of Reddy and Hegsted that relatively large concentrations of carnosine are associated with subcellular fractions of rat gastrocnemius muscle. However, by employing more sensitive isotopic labeling methods, it has been possible to demonstrate the retention of very small quantities of carnosine and anserine in certain cellular components of chick pectoral muscle. This tissue was chosen because of its unusually high dipeptide content (3). In addition to normal birds, experiments were performed with genetically dyst,rophic chicks.
Chapter 6 The Spectrin Cytoskeleton and Organization of Polarized Epithelial Cell Membranes

Publisher Summary With the discovery of a spectrin-based cytoskeleton in probably all eukaryotic cells, several aspects of the erythrocyte paradigm have been challenged. Spectrin in nonerythroid cells often displays a nonhomogenous spatial and temporal distribution and may not be associated with the peripheral plasma membrane at all. In neurons and skeletal muscles, different isoforms of spectrin are confined to distinct regions of the postsynaptic membrane, such as β IΣ2-spectrin at the postsynaptic density of cerebellar granule cells. Epithelial cells present the biggest challenge to the red-cell paradigm. Experimental removal of spectrin from the membrane of cultured epithelial cells by microinjection of anti-spectrin antibodies does not result in altered cell shape or membrane instability. The major role of the spectrin-actin infrastructure in red cells is to provide membrane stability and to ensure deformability, thus enabling erythrocytes to survive the turbulent capillary microcirculation and splenic sinusoids. This task is accomplished by the skeleton's elastic properties and by its role in maintaining integral membrane proteins in a laterally homogenous state
Is increased modularity associated with increased fretting and corrosion damage in metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty devices? A retrieval study

This retrieval study documents taper damage at modular interfaces in retrieved MOM THA systems and investigates if increased modularity is associated with increased fretting and corrosion. One hundred thirty-four (134) heads and 60 stems (41 modular necks) of 8 different bearing designs (5 manufacturers) were analyzed. Damage at the shell–liner interface of 18 modular CoCr acetabular liners and the corresponding 11 acetabular shells was also evaluated. The results of this study support the hypothesis that fretting and corrosion damage occurs at a variety of modular component interfaces in contemporary MOM THAs. We also found that modularity of the femoral stem was associated with increased damage at the head. An analysis of component and patient variables revealed that dissimilar alloy pairing, larger head sizes, increased medio-lateral offsets and longer neck moment arms were all associated with increased taper damage at the modular interfaces.
Real-Time Detector-Free Adaptive Signal Control with Low Penetration of Connected Vehicles:

Most of the existing connected vehicle (CV)-based traffic control models require a critical penetration rate. If the critical penetration rate cannot be reached, then data from traditional sources ...
Memory Technology: The Core to Enable Future Computing Systems

Roughly 300 billion gigabytes (GB) of semiconductor memory will be produced this year (2018) — 40GB for every person on the planet – with projections to double every two years for the foreseeable future. As user demand for large amounts of instantly accessible data continues to increase, memory is becoming both a solution and a bottleneck, spurring the industry to redefine how memory is used in systems and to innovate for new types of memory. This paper discusses the scaling roadmap for NAND and DRAM memories, the introduction of new emerging memories to supplement NAND and DRAM, and opportunities for changes in system architectures to exploit the inherent capabilities of memory.
Extracting and Evaluating Similar and Unique Cyber Attack Strategies from Intrusion Alerts

Intrusion detection system (IDS) is an integral part of computer networks to monitor and detect threats. However, the alerts raised by these systems are often overwhelming to security analysts, making it difficult to uncover the steps an attacker took to compromise one or more systems in the network. This work presents a novel approach that aggregates IDS alerts and forms sequences of attack activities and their corresponding probabilistic models. This allows comparison of attack sequences to offer insights for unique as well as similar attack behaviors. We aggregate alerts by performing a Gaussian filter on specific alert attributes and model attackers using a suffix-based probabilistic model. We compare sequences generated from ten independent attacking teams with similar objectives demonstrating how our process uncovers similarities and uniqueness between the attacks that was not obvious. The sequences revealed by our process creates meaningful sequences that offers insights on how the attacking teams exploit a network.
An experimental investigation of dynamic ice accretion process on a wind turbine airfoil model considering various icing conditions

Abstract In the present study, the dynamic ice accretion process over a typical wind turbine airfoil model (i.e., DU96-W-180 airfoil) was experimentally investigated under various icing conditions. The experimental study was conducted in the Icing Research Tunnel of Iowa State University (i.e., ISU-IRT). Different icing conditions (i.e., rime, mixed and glaze) that wind turbine may experience in winter were reproduced by manipulating the airflow temperature, velocity, and liquid water content (LWC) in ISU-IRT. While a high-speed imaging system was used to reveal the dynamic ice accretion process over the surface of the test model, an infrared (IR) thermal imaging system was used to map the corresponding temperature distributions over the ice accreting airfoil surface. Time variations of the ice thickness accreted along the leading edge (LE) of the test model were extracted based on the acquired high-resolution images of the ice accretion process under different test conditions. It was found that, due to the obvious runback of the impacted water (i.e., formation of water film and rivulets) over the airfoil surface, the growth rate of the ice layer accreted along the airfoil leading edge was much slower under the glaze icing condition, in comparison with those under the rime and mixed icing conditions. Such surface water transport behavior was also found to expand the ice influencing region. From the temperature evolutions during the dynamic icing processes, the transient processes of droplet impingement, water film/rivulets formation, and ice roughness growth were temporally resolved, providing comprehensive details of the unsteady heat transfer during the dynamic icing process. While the surface temperature increment due to the direct droplet impingement was found to decrease monotonously along the chord in rime case, a stream-wise ‘plateau’ region was observed in the glaze and mixed icing cases due to the complex multiphase mass/heat transfer associated with the surface water transport behaviors.
Minimum income protection schemes in the Central and Eastern European countries

This paper aims to introduce the characteristics of minimum income protection schemes in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Minimum social incomes incorporate all non-contributory, mostly means-tested social allowances, family supports and housing benefits which are available even to the poorest layers of society. The study first introduces the structure of minimum social protection systems in the selected countries, then assesses the amount of the related social transfers regarding three household types – single adult households, as well as single- and two-parent households with two children aged 7 and 14 years – showing the maximum amount of subsidies these households can receive. The categorization of households and social transfers was based on the 2013 SAMIP (Social Assistance and Minimum Income Protection Interim) dataset, which was revised for the 2016 MISSOC database to incorporate the newest social allowances that have been introduced since 2013 (e.g. Family 500+ in Poland and some provisions of the 2014 Hungarian welfare reform).
Oxidation of a Molecule by the Biexcitonic State of a CdS Quantum Dot

This paper describes spectroscopic evidence for the photoinduced transfer of a hole from the biexcitonic state of a CdS quantum dot (QD) to a phenothiazine (PTZ) molecular acceptor, covalently link...
Digital optical elements and technologies (EDO19): applications to AR/VR/MR

This paper serves as an introduction to the EDO19 conference “Digital Optical Technologies” dedicated specifically to digital optics for AR/VR and MR Head Mounted Display (HMD) systems, in all their incarnations: Display, Imaging and Sensors. We will introduce the field of AR/VR/MR optics historically, and review the most important criteria for AR/VR/MR optical design: matching the performances of the optics to the ones of the human visual system. This can be done for all Digital Optical Elements reviewed throughout this conference: free space optics, waveguide optics (waveguide combiners), diffractive, holographic and metasurface optical elements, tunable, switchable and reconfigurable optics, and novel computational techniques for display and imaging.
Bladder septum: an unexpected finding on cystoscopy in a patient with mixed urinary incontinence.

A 58-year-old G3, P0 woman presented for management of severe urinary incontinence. She reported urgency as well as stress-provoked symptoms. She voided hourly during the day and had bothersome nocturia. She used adult diapers lined with pads which she changed several times daily. Past surgical history included what the patient called a Bbladder tie^ in 2002 and MarshallMarchetti-Krantz urethropexy in 2004. She reported no relief after either of these procedures. Subsequent urethral bulking procedures were ineffective. She had not benefited from several anticholinergic agents. Pelvic examination revealed no prolapse and a fixed, immobile urethra. Office cystoscopy revealed a 2-cmwide bandlike structure vertically spanning the bladder from the anterior to the posterior wall (Fig. 1). The band appeared epithelialized and vascular, but was without calcification or evidence of exposed mesh. Urodynamics revealed stress urinary incontinence with a Valsalva leak point pressure of 30 cm of water, severe detrusor overactivity, and a reduced cystometric capacity of only 160 ml. The patient underwent cystoscopic resection of the bladder septum using electrocautery with simultaneous rectus fascia pubovaginal sling. Pathologic analysis of the bladder septum revealed fibrosis, without evidence of foreign bodies. Five months postoperatively the stress incontinence symptoms had entirely resolved. Her urgency incontinence, frequency, and nocturia had dramatically improved, and were now responsive to fesoterodine. Though the etiology of the bladder septum was not entirely clear, it was presumably related to Bscarring^ from prior surgical intervention. As pathologic review Fig. 1 Cystoscopic view of bladder septum. The septum vertically spans the bladder from the 12 o’clock to the 6 o’clock position. It is approximately 2 cm in thickness and 5 cm in depth, and is adherent to the anterior and posterior walls of the bladder but not to the dome. An air bubble is seen at the 8 o’clock position in the figure; the trigone is not in view
A Case of Internal Carotid Artery Compression With Mandible Depression

We report an unusual case of a 53-year-old female presenting with symptoms of transient ischemic attack secondary to compression of the left internal carotid artery with mandible depression. Duplex...
Management of lateral abdominal hernias.

Lateral abdominal wall hernias are rare defects but, due to their location, repair is difficult, and recurrence is common. Few studies exist to support a standard protocol for repair of these lateral hernias. We hypothesized that anchoring our repair to fixed bony structures would reduce recurrence rates. A retrospective review of all patients who underwent lateral hernia repair at our institution was performed. Eight cases (seven flank and one thoracoabdominal) were reviewed. The median defect size was 105 cm2 (range 36–625 cm2). The median operative time was 185 min (range 133–282 min). There were no major complications. One patient who was repaired without mesh attachment to bony landmarks developed a recurrence at ten months and subsequently underwent reoperation. Patients with mesh secured to bony landmarks were recurrence free at a median follow-up of 171 days. Lateral hernias present a greater challenge due to their anatomic location. An open technique with mesh fixation to bony structures is a promising solution to this complex problem.
Cellular and molecular architecture of the intestinal stem cell niche

Intestinal stem and progenitor cells replicate and differentiate in distinct compartments, influenced by Wnt, BMP, and other subepithelial cues. The cellular sources of these signals were long obscure because intestinal mesenchyme was insufficiently characterised. In this Review, we discuss how recent mRNA profiles of mouse and human intestinal submucosa, coupled with fine-resolution microscopy and gene and cell disruptions, reveal a coherent picture of an organised tissue carrying cells with distinct molecular properties and functions. The intestinal stem cell niche McCarthy, Kraiczy and Shivdasani review the cellular and molecular organisation of the mammalian intestinal stem cell niche and its functions.
FDA in the Time of COVID-19

Over the past century, Congress has made the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) responsible for regulating the safety and efficacy of drugs and devices being deployed in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA’s regulatory infrastructure was built for public health threats and to combat manufacturers' misinformation about treatments. This article spotlights the ways in which FDA has been adapting to a new challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic: combating misinformation emanating from within the executive branch.
Percutaneous gastrojejunostomy tubes: Identification of predictors of retrograde jejunal limb migration into the stomach.

Abstract Purpose To identify whether technically modifiable factors during gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tube insertion are predictive of retrograde jejunal limb migration into the stomach. Materials and methods Retrospective review of our procedural database over a 5-year period revealed 988 successful primary GJ tube insertions. Medical records and imaging were reviewed for cases of retrograde jejunal limb migration. Primary analysis was performed on 74 patients with retrograde tip migration within 3 months after placement (37 males, mean age = 57). Comparison was performed on 67 control patients (34 males, mean age = 51) who had radiologically confirmed GJ tube stability for at least 6 months. Procedural fluoroscopic images were analyzed for multiple GJ tube configuration parameters. The stomach was designated into antrum, body, and fundus. Predictors of retrograde tip migration were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 110 patients (11.1%) had retrograde jejunal limb migration, with 74 (7.5%) occurring within 3 months of placement. On multivariate analysis, the factors associated with a significantly lower risk of tip malposition included gastric puncture site in the antrum (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13–0.56, p Conclusion To minimize the risk of retrograde tip migration, GJ tubes should be inserted into the gastric antrum with an entry tract oriented as directly towards the pylorus as possible.
Abstract 15193: Pulmonary Hypertension in Pregnancy: WHO Group 1 Outcomes Improved, Time to Focus on WHO Group 2

Introduction: Pregnancy is contraindicated in women with pulmonary hypertension (PH), yet many still decide to pursue pregnancy. Hypothesis: We hypothesized improved maternal mortality with PH at o...
Fuscimiditide: a RiPP with Ω-Ester and Aspartimide Post-translational Modifications

Microviridins and other {omega}-ester linked peptides (OEPs) are characterized by sidechain-sidechain linkages installed by ATP-grasp enzymes. Here we describe the discovery of a new family of OEPs, the gene clusters of which also encode an O-methyltransferase with homology to the protein repair catalyst protein L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT). We produced the first example of this new ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP), fuscimiditide, via heterologous expression. NMR analysis of fuscimiditide revealed that the peptide contains two ester crosslinks forming a stem-loop macrocycle. Furthermore, an unusually stable aspartimide moiety is found within the loop macrocycle. We have also fully reconstituted fuscimiditide biosynthesis in vitro establishing that ester formation catalyzed by the ATP-grasp enzyme is an obligate, rate-limiting first biosynthetic step. Aspartimide formation from aspartate is catalyzed by the PIMT homolog in the second step. The aspartimide moiety embedded in fuscimiditide hydrolyzes regioselectively to isoaspartate (isoAsp). Surprisingly, this isoAsp-containing protein is also a substrate for the PIMT homolog, thus driving any hydrolysis products back to the aspartimide form. Whereas aspartimide is often considered a nuisance product in protein formulations, our data here suggest that some RiPPs have aspartimide residues intentionally installed via enzymatic activity. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=83 SRC="FIGDIR/small/444834v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (17K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@27e9f1org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@7005b6org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@873093org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1863a8f_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Internal Mammary Vessels: Inframammary and Standard Approach

The internal mammary artery and vein (IMA and IMV) are commonly utilized as recipient vessels for microsurgical breast reconstruction. While their identification and preparation has been previously described, surgical modifications and technical tips can aid in the reproducibility and ease of dissection.
Crisis and Opportunity: Sustainability in American Agriculture

1. Crisis and Opportunity in American AgriculturePart 1. The Industrialization of American Agriculture2. Why We Should Stop Promoting Industrial Agriculture 3. Corporate Agriculture and Family Farms 4. The Corporatization of AmericaPart 2. New Hope for the Future of Farming5. Rediscovering Agriculture and New Hope for Farming 6. Farming in Harmony with Nature and Society 7. Reclaiming the Sacred in Food and FarmingPart 3. Principles of Sustainable Agriculture8. Do We Really Need to Define Sustainable Agriculture? 9. Foundational Principles of Soils, Stewardship, and Sustainability 10. Economics of Sustainable Farming 11. The Renaissance of Rural AmericaPart 4. The New American Farmer12. Walking the Talk of Sustainable Agriculture 13. Survival Strategies for Small Farms 14. Marketing in the Niches for Sustainability 15. Local Organic Farms Save Farmland and Communities 16. The Triple Bottom Line of Farming in the FuturePart 5. Creating Sustainable Food and Farming Systems17. The Real Costs of Globalization 18. Redirecting Government Policies for Agricultural Sustainability 19. The New American Food System 20. American Agriculture After Fossil Energy
The Olfactory Bulb: A Simple System in the Mammalian Brain

The sections in this article are: 1 Cell Types and Laminae 1.1 Input Fibers 1.2 Principal Neuron 1.3 Intrinsic Neurons 1.4 Periglomerular Cells 1.5 Granule Cells 1.6 Lamination 2 Organization of Olfactory Glomeruli 2.1 Olfactory Nerves 2.2 Synaptic Connections 2.3 Physiological Properties 2.4 Comparative Aspects of Glomerular Organization 3 Organization of External Plexiform Layer 3.1 Synaptic Connections 3.2 Mitral Cell Excitation and Inhibition 3.3 Analysis of Summed Extracellular Potentials 3.4 Reconstruction of Mitral Cell Potentials 3.5 Reconstruction of Granule Cell Potentials 3.6 Dendrodendritic Recurrent Inhibition 4 Organization of Granule Cells 5 Transmitter Substances 6 General Discussion
The Feasibility of Rice Bags and Ground Tarp Plastics as Low-Cost and Locally-Available Alternatives to Greenhouse Glazing

Greenhouses can help farmers increase their yields and improve their livelihoods while reducing spoilage and furthering food security. As farms are getting smaller and access to water is getting more difficult, greenhouses are gradually gaining popularity in the agrarian economies of sub-Saharan Africa. Most greenhouses sold in the market are designed for commercial farmers and are beyond the reach of smallholders. The Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program at the Pennsylvania State University has developed and commercialized affordable greenhouses that utilize locally-sourced materials. The only exception is the glazing - the plastic covering on the greenhouse structure - which is imported from abroad. The cost of this glazing is too high, and is subject to foreign exchange fluctuations and supply chain anomalies. In an effort to further decrease the cost of the greenhouse, and thereby increase its accessibility in the market, this article investigates the feasibility of locally-available, inexpensive materials that can be used as substitutes for typical glazing materials. The primary emphasis of this paper is on rice bags and a Polyethylene ground tarp, which are both abundant, inexpensive materials found commonly in developing countries. Two properties of the materials were tested: light transmission and UV resistance, and a third test, water conservation, was performed on the ground tarp material. Results indicated that while rice bags are not an ideal substitute for standard glazing, they may be appropriate as low-cost shade nets, and the ground tarp plastic may prove appropriate as a potential greenhouse glazing replacement.
COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING

Approaches to several recent issues in the operation of nuclear power plants using computational intelligence are discussed. These issues include 1) noise analysis techniques, 2) on-line monitoring and sensor validation, 3) regularization of ill-posed surveillance and diagnostic measurements, 4) transient identification, 5) artificial intelligence-based core monitoring and diagnostic system, 6) continuous efficiency improvement of nuclear power plants, and 7) autonomous anticipatory control and intelligent-agents. Several changes to the focus of Computational Intelligence in Nuclear Engineering have occurred in the past few years. With earlier activities focusing on the development of condition monitoring and diagnostic techniques for current nuclear power plants, recent activities have focused on the implementation of those methods and the development of methods for next generation plants and space reactors. These advanced techniques are expected to become increasingly important as current generation nuclear power plants have their licenses extended to 60 years and next generation reactors are being designed to operate for extended fuel cycles (up to 25 years), with less operator oversight, and especially for nuclear plants operating in severe environments such as space or ice-bound locations.
Large-scale structure of the magnetosphere

This paper reviews the structure of the magnetotail in terms of the most recent large-scale magnetic field models, with special emphasis on the distant tail properties. Recent observations have revealed that tailward flowing, singly charged ionospheric ions are often present in the distant magnetotail lobes. The velocities of these beamlike populations vary from relatively low (V ∼ 50 km/s) to quite energetic (V ≥ 500 km/s). Models of magnetic and convection electric fields together with drift calculations are used to show that the low-energy ion populations tend to reach the distant tail lobes only under relatively weak electric fields. These results suggest that the large-scale cross-tail electric field may be non-uniformly distributed, the strongest fields being in the region where the tail is locally open. On the other hand, during disturbed geomagnetic conditions, the outflowing polar cap and cleft ions can be strongly accelerated parallel to the open magnetic field lines by electric fields set up by ambipolar motion of suprathermal electrons and magnetosheath ions entering the distant tail. This mechanism would allow the commingling of cold sheath ions, bidirectional electrons of solar wind origin, and ionospheric ions of exceptionally high tailward-directed velocity.