cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cutting Edge: Increased Expression of Bcl-2 in Antigen-Specific Memory CD8+ T Cells

Bcl-2 plays a critical role in regulating cell survival and apoptosis. We examined Bcl-2 expression in virus-specific CD8 T cells during the expansion, death, and memory phases of the T cell response following infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Naive CD8 T cells expressed a basal level of Bcl-2 that was down-regulated in effector CD8 T cells just before the death phase. Bcl-2 levels remained low during the death phase but surviving memory CD8 T cells expressed higher levels of Bcl-2 than naive cells. These changes were shown to occur in LCMV TCR transgenic cells as well as virus-specific CD8 T cells in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice identified by MHC class I tetramers. In all instances, memory CD8 T cells expressed higher levels of Bcl-2, suggesting that increased Bcl-2 expression plays a role in the long-term maintenance of memory CD8 T cells in vivo.
Leveraging Optical Technology in Future Bus-based Chip Multiprocessors

Although silicon optical technology is still in its formative stages, and the more near-term application is chip-to-chip communication, rapid advances have been made in the development of on-chip optical interconnects. In this paper, we investigate the integration of CMOS-compatible optical technology to on-chip cache-coherent buses in future CMPs. While not exhaustive, our investigation yields a hierarchical opto-electrical system that exploits the advantages of optical technology while abiding by projected limitations. Our evaluation shows that, for the applications considered, compared to an aggressive all-electrical bus of similar power and area, significant performance improvements can be achieved using an opto-electrical bus. This performance improvement is largely dependent on the application?s bandwidth demand and on the number of implemented wavelengths per optical waveguide. We also present a number of critical areas for future work that we discover in the course of our research.
Perceived Barriers to Social Support from Family and Friends among Older Adults with HIV/AIDS:

Research has found that HIV-infected adults age 50 and older are more socially isolated than younger HIV-infected individuals. This study examines the perceived barriers to obtaining emotional and ...
Fault-recovery Non-FPGA-based Adaptable Computing System Design

Reconfigurability with fault-tolerance is one of the most desirable hardware combinations for space computing systems. This paper introduces an adaptable computing architecture that includes random and delay- fault recovering capability for avionics and space applications. A micro-architecture level fault handling and recovering scheme that can immunize random/delay errors is presented as a means of overcoming the limitations of gate-level fault tolerance. The fault- recovery flexible architecture was developed based on a pure-ASIC-based retargetable computing system. The retargetable system also offers sufficient flexibility without employing programmable devices. This adaptable system reasserts different signal patterns for random/delay faults by rerouting micro-operations of the operation that caused the faults. Different sequences of bit-pattern generated by the retargetable system avoid the same faulty situation in high-speed VLSI circuits, while continuously supporting seamless modification and migration of underlying hardware and software after fabrication of retargetable systems.
Patterns of Language Planning in the New States

The proliferation of new sovereign states, well over sixty since World War II, has created language problems on a scale unknown in the past. In many of the emergent lands there is a great diversity of tongues, with none of them predominant. Ethnic and tribal rivalries quite often are so acute that the choice of any one language over the others would evoke stubborn opposition and fan already existing resentments. For example, Nigeria with some two hundred distinct languages simply saw fit to adopt English as the over-all official medium, although several important vernaculars are employed for primary education and local administration.
Dissolution of Polydisperse Silica Grains in Glass Melts–Analysis

By combining population balance with mass-transfer-controlled dissolution, a formulation is developed to analyze the dissolution of polydisperse silica grains in glass furnaces. For an initial lognormal distriution of particle sizes, the change in the distribution with respect to a modified time scale is expressed analytically. This paper shows how the formulation can be combined with time-temperature data along various flow path lines in a glass melter to calculate the extent of dissolution in the melter. Calculated results are presented on the dissolution of polydisperse silica grains in a glass melter for which the information on path lines was obtained by using a three-dimensional mathematical model for flow and heat transfer. The effects of maximum particle size of a truncated distribution and the standard deviation on the extent of dissolution are examined.
Explaining the Interbellum Rupture in Japanese Treatment of Prisoners of War

A puzzle is presented by the interbellum difference in the Japanese treatment of prisoners of war from faithful adherence to flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. This article first analyzes versions of the indoctrination in brutality thesis appearing in works of popular and scholarly history before articulating two constructivist accounts that explain the interbellum rupture. Where one constructivist account focusing on national political elites explains non-adherence yet fails to assign policy making responsibility to agents with power over prisoners of war, a second constructivist account focusing on theatre military elites both explains non-adherence and assigns the policy change responsibility to agents with power over prisoners of war.
In vitro lymphocyte reactivity to soluble tumor extracts in Sinclair melanoma swine.

An antigen-stimulated active rosette assay was adapted as an in vitro assay for the detection of lymphocyte reactivity to soluble tumor extracts. The specificity of this assay was demonstrated with lymphocytes from non-sensitized swine and swine sensitized to either mammalian tuberculin or DNCB-bovine serum albumin conjugates (DNCB-BSA). An increase in active rosette-forming cells (A-RFC) occurred only when sensitized lymphocytes were stimulated with specific sensitizing antigen. Lymphocytes from melanoma swine reacted in vitro to 3 M KCl extracts of autologous and allogeneic melanomas but did not react to 3 M KCl extracts of autologous and allogeneic swine skin. Lymphocytes from 33 melanoma swine and 17 normal swine were tested for in vitro reactivity to an allogeneic melanoma extract; 84.8% of the melanoma swine demonstrated lymphocyte reactivity to allogeneic melanoma extract and 23.5% of the normal swine reacted positively to allogeneic melanoma extract. The reactivity of melanoma swine lymphocytes to allogeneic melanoma extract was not due to reactivity of the lymphocytes to normal skin antigens or fetal swine antigens present in melanoma extracts; normal and melanoma swine lymphocytes demonstrated only low in vitro reactivity to 3 M KCl extracts of normal swine skin and fetal swine tissue. Lymphocytes from three melanoma swine increased in A-RFC after incubation with each of nine allogeneic melanoma extracts, indicating that the ability to stimulate lymphocyte reactivity was not limited to a single allogeneic melanoma extract. The results of this study indicate that a tumor-related immune response occurs in melanoma swine and that in vitro lymphocyte reactivity is directed towards a tumor-associated antigen or tumor-associated antigen-like substance present in 3 M KCl extracts of swine melanoma.
Growth behavior of carbon nanotubes on multilayered metal catalyst film in chemical vapor deposition

Abstract The temperature and time dependences of carbon nanotube (CNT) growth by chemical vapor deposition are studied using a multilayered Al/Fe/Mo catalyst on silicon substrates. Within the 600–1100 °C temperature range of these studies, narrower temperature ranges were determined for the growth of distinct types of aligned multi-walled CNTs and single-walled CNTs by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. At 900 °C, in contrast to earlier work, double-walled CNTs are found more abundant than single-walled CNTs. Defects also are found to accumulate faster than the ordered graphitic structure if the growth of CNTs is extended to long durations.
On ranges of real Lyapunov transformations

Abstract Let S be the space of n × n real symmetric matrices and let S + n be the cone of n × n positive semidefinite matrices in S n . If A ∈ R n,n , then the real Lyapunov transformation R A : S n → S n corresponding to A is defined by R A (S)=AS + SA t . We prove that given A,B ∈ R n,n such that R A is invertible, we have R A ( S + n ) = R B ( S + n if and only if B = μA or B = μA −1 for some μ > 0, and that this condition is also necessary and sufficient for R −1 A ( S + n ) = R −1 B ( S + n .
The Water and Electrolyte Content of the Tissues in Hypertension

An analysis of the water and electrolyte content of various tissues of rats rendered hypertensive by a period of choline deficiency at the time of weaning indicates that no alterations are induced by this procedure. It is concluded that the hypertensive process, per se, is not necessarily accompanied by changes in the water and electrolyte content of tissues; where such changes are observed, they are probably secondary to parenchymal renal changes.
Fooling the user of a programming language

Fooling the user' of a programming language by ‘natural’ constructions can cause completely unpredictable reliability defects in software systems. Numerous examples show the extent of the problem. Two methods of overcoming it are presented: simple languages devoid of user-fooling powers, and explication languages to accompany the more powerful languages.
Porous structured vanadium oxide electrode material for electrochemical capacitors

Abstract A nano porous vanadium oxide (V2O5) was prepared by sol–gel method. The preparation involved elutriation of aqueous sodium meta vanadate over a cation exchange resin. The product was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, surface area analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Electrochemical characterization was done using cyclic voltammetry in a three electrode system consisting of a saturated calomel electrode as reference electrode, platinum mesh as a counter electrode, and V2O5 mounted on Ti mesh as the working electrode. Two molars of aqueous KCl, NaCl and LiCl were used as electrolytes. A maximum capacitance of 214 F g−1 was obtained at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 in 2 M KCl. The effect of different electrolytes and the effect of concentration of KCl on the specific capacitance of V2O5 were studied. Specific capacitance faded rapidly over 100 cycles in 2 M KCl at a 5 mV s−1 scan rate.
Photosynthesis-nitrogen relations in Amazonian tree species : II. Variation in nitrogen vis-a-vis specific leaf area influences mass- and area-based expressions.

The relationships between leaf nitrogen (N), specific leaf area (SLA) (an inverse index of leaf “thickness” or “density”), and photosynthetic capacity (Amax) were studied in 23 Amazonian tree species to characterize scaling in these properties among natural populations of leaves of different ages and light microenvironments, and to examine how variation within species in N and SLA can influence the expression of the Amax-to-N relationship on mass versus area bases. The slope of the Amax-N relationship, change in A per change in N (μmol CO2 gN-1 s-1), was consistently greater, by as much as 300%, when both measures were expressed on mass rather than area bases. The x-intercept of this relationship (N-compensation point) was generally positive on a mass but not an area basis. In this paper we address the causes and implications of such differences. Significant linear relationships (p<0.05) between mass-based leaf N (Nmass) and SLA were observed in 12 species and all 23 regressions had positive slopes. In 13 species, mass-based Amax (Amass) was positively related (p<0.05) with SLA. These patterns reflect the concurrent decline in Nmass and SLA with increasing leaf age. Significant (p<0.05) relationships between area-based leaf N (Narea) and SLA were observed in 18 species. In this case, all relationships had negative slopes. Taken collectively, and consistent in all species, as SLA decreased (leaves become “thicker”) across increasing leaf age and light gradients, Nmass also decreased, but proportionally more slowly, such that Narea increased. Due to the linear dependence of Amass on Nmass and a negative 4-intercept, “thicker” leaves (low SLA) therefore tend, on average, to have lower Nmass and Amass but higher Narea than “thinner” leaves. This tendency towards decreasing Amass with increasing Narea, resulting in a lower slope of the Amax-N relationship on an area than mass basis in 16 of 17 species where both were significant. For the sole species exception (higher area than mass-based slope) variation in Narea was related to variation in Nmass and not in SLA, and thus, these data are also consistent with this explanation. The relations between N, SLA and Amax explain how the rate of change in Amax per change in N can vary three-fold depending on whether a mass or area mode of expression is used.
Construct Validity: A Universal Validity System or Just Another Test Evaluation Procedure?

Lissitz and Samuelsen (2007) have proposed a framework that seemingly deems construct validity evidence irrelevant to supporting educational test meaning. The author of this article agrees with Lissitz and Samuelsen that internal evidence establishes test meaning, but she argues that construct validity need not be removed from the validity sphere. In fact, she argues that doing so could have an adverse impact on the quality of educational tests. She proposes a universal system for construct validity to illustrate how diverse evidence is relevant to claims about measuring examinees’ knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies even when test specifications provide a major source of evidence.
Citizens' Confidence in Government, Parliament and Political Parties

This article explores citizens' confidence in political institutions in relation to policy responsiveness within and across countries. The core premise of the mandate theory is that democratic elections deliver the median preferences in policy making to satisfy most citizens' interests. Thus, citizens will display greater confidence toward their political institutions when they perceive that their preferences are pursued in policy making. Twelve consolidated and new democracies from the World Values and European Values Surveys and the Comparative Manifesto Project data sets are analyzed. The findings suggest, first, that individuals across the twelve countries display lower confidence toward political parties than toward parliament or government. Second, weak ideological attachment between individuals and the median policy-making positions in parliament lessens overall citizens' confidence in political institutions. At the institutional level, citizens' confidence for each political institution is most positively affected by the inclusion of the median party in policy processes.
Establishing protocols for tick containment at Biosafety Level 4

Tick-borne diseases continue to emerge and have a great impact on public health and agriculture. In addition, many of the agents of tick-borne diseases, which are classified as Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) viruses, have the potential to be used as biothreat agents. In spite of the known importance of these pathogens, there is an acute shortage of facilities and trained personnel to study the pathogenesis of tick-borne diseases and to assess vaccine as well as other therapeutic interventions against tick-borne diseases as they are transmitted in nature. We, at the Galveston National Laboratory, have developed facilities and protocols to safely work with BSL4 virus-infected ticks. This capability adds tremendous value to the Nation's training and research endeavors. In this report we describe the procedures and protocols to establish tick work in a BSL4 laboratory.
Probing Multiexcitonic Emission in Single CdSe-Oligo(phenylenevinylene) Composite Nanostructures

Fluorescence intensity fluctuations from individual CdSe quantum dots coordinated with oligo(phenylenevinylene) ligands (CdSe−OPV) have been previously observed to be qualitatively different from c...
Guided waves along a metal grating on the surface of a grounded dielectric slab

The propagation of guided waves along a metal grating lying on a grounded dielectric substrate is studied. Hitherto, investigation of the properties of such waves has been restricted to directions of propagation perpendicular to or nearly parallel to the strips of grating. Averaged boundary conditions for the fields at the grating are used here to simplify the analysis, and are expected to yield accurate results for grating periods that are sufficiently small compared to a wavelength. Comparisons made with more exact computations in the literature are shown to be good. The results have potential application for microwave and millimeter wave waveguides, slotted microstrip antennas, and circuit elements. >
Non-surgical management of a lymphatic fistula, after laparoscopic colorectal surgery, with total parenteral nutrition, octreotide, and somatostatin

Abstract Objective We report the case of an external lymphatic fistula that appeared through an abdominal drainage after laparoscopic resection of the rectum and sigmoid colon for cancer, with lymphadenectomy. There was no chylous ascites because of controlled external drainage. Methods The fistula was managed conservatively by interruption of oral feeding and administration of total parenteral nutrition and subcutaneous octreotide and management then shifted to intravenous somatostatin, with decreased lymph output through the fistula to 100 to 200 mL/d. Results and conclusion Somatostatin seemed to be more effective than subcutaneous octreotide. At postoperative day 18, refusal of treatment by the patient with oral resumption of clear liquids resulted in a transient increase in lymph output to 600 mL/d, and treatment was resumed. Subsequently, progressive withdrawal of the abdominal drainage was associated with complete healing of the fistula. The drain was removed at day 28, treatment was interrupted at day 30 after verifying by ultrasound the absence of chyloperitoneum, and the patient was discharged without further problems.
Democracy Now? Race, Education, and Black Self-Determination

Background/ContextThe Supreme Court's June 2007 decision on the Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No.1 (PICS) provides an important context for school districts and e...
Type Inference for Place-Oblivious Objects

In a distributed system, access to local data is much faster than access to remote data. As a help to programmers, some languages require every access to be local. A program in those languages can access remote data via first a shift of the place of computation and then a local access. To enforce this discipline, researchers have presented type systems that determine whether every access is local and every place shift is appropriate. However, those type systems fall short of handling a common programming pattern that we call place-oblivious objects. Such objects safely access other objects without knowledge of their place. In response, we present the first type system for place-oblivious objects along with an efficient inference algorithm and a proof that inference is P-complete. Our example language extends the Abadi-Cardelli object calculus with place shift and existential types, and our implementation has inferred types for some microbenchmarks.
The specificity of mental pain in borderline personality disorder compared to depressive disorders and healthy controls

Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) may experience a qualitatively distinct depression which includes “mental pain.” Mental pain includes chronic, aversive emotions, negative self-concept, and a sense of pervasive helplessness. The present study investigated whether mental pain is elevated in BPD compared to Depressive Disorders (DD) without BPD. The Orbach and Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale (OMMP) was administered to BPD (N = 57), DD (N = 22), and healthy controls (N = 31). The OMMP assesses total mental pain, comprised of nine subtypes: irreversibility, loss of control, narcissistic wounds, emotional flooding, freezing, self-estrangement, confusion, social distancing, and emptiness. Co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, depression severity, and other potentially confounding clinical and demographic variables were also assessed. The total Mental Pain score did not differentiate BPD from DD. Moreover, most of the subscales of the OMMP were not significantly different in BPD compared to DD. However, the elevation of mental pain subscale “narcissistic wounds,” characterized by feeling rejected and having low self-worth, was a specific predictor of BPD status and the severity of BPD symptoms. On OMMP total score, mental pain was similarly elevated in BPD and DD. However, the narcissistic wounds sub-type of mental pain was a sensitive and specific diagnostic indicator of BPD and, therefore, may be an important aspect of BPD in need of increased focus in assessment and theoretical models.
Mysteries of identity and designs of the self in Euripides' Ion

The Ion is one of Euripides' most dazzling and puzzling plays. Poised on the boundary between the sacred and the sceptical, the mysterious and the mundane, the mythic and the realistic, and, as so many have noted, between the tragic and the comic, the drama dips and twists and turns and turns and turns again in a continuing series of theatrical tours de force. The birds who swoop down in the opening scene and intervene again in the most important moment of the plot at Ion's banquet might well exemplify these paradoxes of which I speak.Defilers of the sacred temple dedications with unwanted offerings of their own (106–7, 176) and nesting in the eaves of the roof, crudely ‘making offspring’, no doubt, as Ion suspects them of doing (172–5), they are at the same time bearers of sacred messages (phēmas) to mortals from the gods (180–1), oracular portents (oiōnoi) both generic and particular (1191, 1333, 377) which will prove their worth when, later at the banquet, one of the birds drinks the poisoned wine meant for Ion and by its own lifeless form reveals the lethal plot to its interpreter (1196–211).
Planning under Uncertainty using Bayesian Nonparametric Models

objectives in the presence of environmental uncertainties is critical to the success of many Unmanned Aerial Vehicle missions. One way to plan in the presence of such uncertainties is by learning a model of the environment through Bayesian inference, and using this model to improve the predictive capability of the planning algorithm. Traditional parametric models of the environment, however, can be ineective if the data cannot
Synergism of Insecticide Activity to Heliothis zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by Formanilides and Formamidines

The toxicities of binary mixtures of formanilides and formamidines with nine insecticides to Heliothis zea (Boddie) were investigated and compared to the toxicities of their individual components. The 21 formanilides were mono-, di-, or tri-substituted in the phenyl ring with chlorine, bromine, methyl, ethyl, nitro, or methoxy groups. The four N- ' aryl- N , N -dimethylformamidines were substituted in the phenyl moiety with 4-ethyl, 2-trifluoromethyl, 3,4-methylenedioxy, or 2,4,6-trimethyl. Toxicity of cypermethrin, permethrin, fenvalerate, methyl parathion, chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, methomyl, and endrin was appreciably enhanced by some of the formanilides and formamidines; however, the activity of profenofos was synergistic only with one of the formamidines. These and related formamidines and formanilides may have practical applicability as insecticide synergists.
RISK MANAGEMENT ON BUILD -OPERATE -TRANSFER PROJECTS

The build -operate -transfer (BOT) method of developing public infrastructure has been used for many projects in Asia. Unfortunately, about 30% of the BOT projects have had disappointing results. In undertaking such projects, the private sector incurs significant risks that must be understood and managed for such projects to be successful. This paper reports the results of a study of seven Asian BOT projects undertaken to de termine the primary risks the project sponsor faced, the risk management strategies that were selected, and the results obtained. Two major categories of risk were identified, general risks and project -specific risks. From this analysis, a risk manageme nt framework was developed for each category of risk. The results of this study indicate that the private sector cannot be the only participant in risk management, but that the host government’s active support is essential to have a viable BOT project in Asia.
Dopaminergic neurons: effects of electrical stimulation on tyrosine hydroxylase.

Electrical stimulation of the nigro-neostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways was employed in order to examine the effects of increased impulse flow on the properties of tyrosine hydroxylase prepared from the neostriatum and olfactory tubercles. Stimulation at a frequency of 15 Hz for 10 min resulted in an increase in the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase prepared from the neostriatum on the stimulated side and assayed in the presence of subsaturating concentrations of substrate and pterin cofactor. Stimulation periods of 15 and 20 min did not produce a further significant increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity. This activation of the enzyme persisted unchanged for 10 min after cessation of stimulation and was partially present 15 min after stimulation. Further analysis of this activation showed that it was characterized by decreases in Km of tyrosine hydroxylase for substrate, tyrosine, and cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin, and an increase in Ki for the feedback inhibitor, dopamine. Similar kinetic changes due to electrical stimulation of the mesolimbic pathway were found in the tyrosine hydroxylase isolated from the olfactory tubercles. Addition of adenosine cyclic 39,59-monophosphate to high-speed supernatants prepared from the neostriatum produced kinetic changes in neostriatal tyrosine hydroxylase similar to those produced by increased impulse flow due to electrical stimulation. However, addition of cyclic AMP produced no further change in the properties of the enzyme already activated by electrical stimulation. These results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms by which impulse flow may control dopamine synthesis.
Late local complications after definitive radiotherapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma.

AbstractDefinitive radiation treatment of prostatic adenocarcinoma has been reported to produce good long-term local disease control, and distant disease failure is almost always associated with good local palliation. We examined late local complications in patients who died with recurrent prostate cancer after definitive radiotherapy as compared to patients treated with hormonal deprivation alone for advanced disease.Between 1979 and 1989 the tumor registry listed 33 men in whom definitive radiotherapy failed documented by bone scan or biopsy and 54 men who were managed with palliative hormonal therapy for noncurable disease. A complication was defined as a local problem requiring a procedure or hospitalization. Overall 23 of the radiotherapy cases (70%) had a local complication as compared to 16 of the patients (30%) who underwent only hormonal therapy. Local complications after radiotherapy included urethral stricture (10 cases), prostatic obstruction (8), hematuria (4), radiation cystitis (3), uretera...
P053 Pre-treatment DSA titer predicts the effectiveness of carfilzomib-based therapy for antibody mediated rejection in lung transplant recipients

Aim To determine the impact of pre-treatment donor specific HLA antibody (DSA) titer on the effectiveness of carfilzomib-based therapy (CFZ) for antibody mediated rejection (AMR) in lung transplant recipients (LTRs). Methods Sixteen adult LTRs were treated with plasma exchange, IVIG and CFZ for AMR. DSA evaluation was performed using Luminex single antigen beads before and after CFZ. DSA titer was determined prior to CFZ using neat and 4-fold serial dilutions until the DSA MFI drop was >75% of neat IgG MFI. C1q reactivity was tested pre- and post-CFZ. Patients were considered responders and non-responders based on the change in DSA neat IgG MFI, C1q reactivity and change in FEV1 post CFZ. Normality was tested, and descriptive statistics and univariate parametric and nonparametric tests were used to assess outcomes where appropriate; risk was assigned with univariable logistic regression. Results The 16 LTRs underwent 19 courses of CFZ for 28 DSAs. DSA were 68.8% DQ, 12.5% DR, 18.7% DQ+DR. 67% of LTRs responded to CFZ. Median DSA C1q MFI fell from 3187 (IQR 629-13907) to 0 after therapy (p = 0.002) and two weeks later (p = 0.006). 11/12 responders had DSA IgG MFI drop >75% of neat MFI, with a mean drop of 91.4% (range 55–100%) at 1:256 dilution. In contrast, for non-responders, the mean drop in DSA IgG MFI was only 25% (range 0–52%) at 1:256 dilution, and DSA was still positive (MFI >1500) at 1:2048 dilution. DSA MFI drop >75% at 1:64 and 1:256 was significantly associated with response (p = 0.003; p > 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, 8/12 responders were treated within 1–7 months after DSA detection, while 3/3 non-responders had persistent DSA >12 months prior to treatment. DSA duration 2 = 0.728). DSA neat MFI >8000 did not predict non-response, and explained very little variance in non-responders (HR 2.0, 95%CI 0.5–8.0, p = 0.33, r 2 = 0.09). Conclusions Response to CFZ-based AMR therapy was impacted by pre-treatment DSA titer and length of time from DSA detection to treatment. Importantly, only DSA titer, but not DSA neat IgG MFI, predicted CFZ responsiveness.
Ligand-Mediated Modulation of Layer Thicknesses of Perovskite Methylammonium Lead Bromide Nanoplatelets

Organic metal halide perovskites have rapidly emerged as among the leading candidates for the next generation of photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. The band gap, exciton binding energy, and absorption cross-section of these materials are tunable to some extent by compositional variation. Dimensional confinement represents an attractive alternative to compositional variation for tuning these properties via quantum confinement close to the Bohr radius. While the stabilization of few-layered nanoplatelets of methylammonium lead bromide has recently been demonstrated, mechanistic understanding of synthetic parameters resulting in dimensional confinement remains to be developed. Here we show that the layer thickness can be precisely modulated as a function of the chain length and concentration of the added alkylammonium cations. Surface capping ligands bind preferentially to sheets of corner sharing PbBr6 octahedra and thereby buffer the extent of supersaturation of monomeric units enabling precise modul...
Fiber-wireless fronthaul: The last frontier

We study and evaluate a centralized mobile fronthaul architecture supporting multiple wireless access structures based on fiber-wireless technologies to improve access efficiency and resource sharing for ubiquitous heterogeneous coverage in future radio access networks.
“Your Wilderness:” The White Possession of Detroit in Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive*

After a decade of accelerated disinvestment and depopulation, Detroit (re)appeared in the national imaginary as an “urban frontier” open for (re)settlement by (mostly white) creative entrepreneurs....
Echinoderm development and evolution in the post-genomic era

The highly recognizable animals within the phylum Echinodermata encompass an enormous disparity of adult and larval body plans. The extensive knowledge of sea urchin development has culminated in the description of the exquisitely detailed gene regulatory network (GRN) that governs the specification of various embryonic territories. This information provides a unique opportunity for comparative studies in other echinoderm taxa to understand the evolution and developmental mechanisms underlying body plan change. This review focuses on recent work that has utilized new genomic resources and systems-level experiments to address questions of evolutionary developmental biology. In particular, we synthesize the results of several recent studies from various echinoderm classes that have explored the development and evolution of the larval skeleton, which is a major feature that distinguishes the two predominant larval subtypes within the Phylum. We specifically examine the ways in which GRNs can evolve, either through cis regulatory and/or protein-level changes in transcription factors. We also examine recent work comparing evolution across shorter time scales that occur within and between species of sea urchin, and highlight the kinds of questions that can be addressed by these comparisons. The advent of new genomic and transcriptomic datasets in additional species from all classes of echinoderm will continue to empower the use of these taxa for evolutionary developmental studies.
Missing, Modified, and Large-p-small-n Data in Nonparametric Curve Estimation:

Nonparametric curve estimation, which makes no assumptions about shape of estimated functions, is one of the main pillars of the modern statistical science. It is used when no adequate parametric o...
Abstract 16567: Mitochondrial Ca 2+ Influx Contributes to Early After Depolarizations in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathic Mice

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is associated with increased arrhythmic risk and triggered activity. Abnormal Ca 2+ handling is thought to underlie triggered activity, and mitochondria participate in Ca 2+ homeostasis. Hypothesis: Therefore, we tested whether mitochondrial Ca 2+ flux contributed to early afterdepolarizations (EADs) in HF. Methods: A model of nonischemic HF (NI-HF) was induced in C57BL/6 mice by hypertension. Tail-cuff plethysmography, echocardiography, ECG telemetry, patch-clamp, cytoplasmic (and mitochondrial) Ca 2+ transient measurement, real-time PCR and Western blotting techniques were used. Results: The left ventricular end-diastolic volume was significantly enlarged and the ejection fraction was substantially reduced in cardiomyopathic mice. Meanwhile, NI-HF mice developed a significant augmentation of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Isoproterenol-induced premature ventricular contractions and ventricular fibrillation were more prevalent in NI-HF mice than sham controls. Isolated myopathic myocytes showed a substantial decreased cytoplasmic Ca 2+ transients, a prominent increased mitochondrial Ca 2+ transients and a significant increase in the action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD90). The alteration of APD90 was consistent with in vivo QTc elongation and could be explained by augmented L-type Ca 2+ currents, increased Na + -Ca 2+ exchange currents (NCX) and decreased total K + currents. Sixty-six percent of myopathic ventricular myocytes showed EADs compared with 17% of sham myocytes ( p &lt0.05). Intracellular application of 1 μM Ru360, a mitochondrial Ca 2+ uniporter (MCU) specific antagonist, could reduce mitochondrial Ca 2+ transients, decrease APD90 and ameliorate EADs. Furthermore, knock down MCU could inhibit mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake, reduce NCX, decrease APD90 and depress EADs in NI-HF mice ventricular cells which led to less ventricular fibrillation in NI-HF mice, implicating mitochondrial Ca 2+ handling in modulating the arrhythmic risk through NCX induced EADs. Conclusions: Mitochondrial Ca 2+ handling plays an important role in EADs seen with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and may represent a novel therapeutic target to reduce arrhythmic risk in this condition.
The Effect of Transdermal Estrogen Patch Use on Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Abstract Background: Vasomotor symptoms are the most commonly reported menopausal symptoms. Hormone therapy has been widely used to relieve postmenopausal symptoms. With studies suggesting an increased risk of cardiovascular events and breast cancer with oral hormone therapy use, there has been reluctance to use it. The transdermal estrogen patch provides relief from menopausal symptoms. However, there are limited data on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes, while on the transdermal estrogen patch. Methods: An extensive search in Cochrane and PubMed databases was conducted up to February 2016. The selection criteria included healthy, peri-, and postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 and should have received transdermal estrogen therapy. The relationship between estrogen patch use and cardiovascular outcomes was analyzed. Six articles met the criteria and were included. Results: We found some evidence suggestive of protective cardiovascular effects with transdermal estrogen therapy with a dec...
Elastic Stability of Radically Nonhomogeneous Rings

A variational theory of elastic stability is applied to the problem of in-plane buckling of rings in which the elastic constants are step functions of the radius, as in sandwich or layer construction. Normally and centrally directed uniform loading conditions are considered. The strain energy is described using the nonlinear theory of elasticity to provide for the effects of ring thickness and nonhomogeneity. Instability criteria are determined by investigating the character of the second variation of the potential energy. Based on numerical examples of the analytical results, design curves for the determination of the critical pressure for two and three element ring configurations are presented. The results of tests using nonhomogeneous specimens composed of nickel, glass fiber-epoxy, and urethane foam are presented.
Digital Revolution – Implementation of an Electronic Assistive Technology Pilot Project in a Neuro-Rehabilitation Setting

Introduction: Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT) including communication devices, environmental control systems and personal computers have always been seen an important component of patients’ rehabilitation. At the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) this inclusion of EAT had been largely unsystematic and challenging due to limited EAT knowledge and skill. In addition inefficiencies in trialing equipment without technical support had prevented timely access to EAT. This paper describes a developing integrated EAT service. Context: The Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT) Clinic is a joint Occupational Therapy (OT) & Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service. Referrals are received from speech & language therapists or occupational therapists. The clinic offers assessment, trial, loan and support services for electronic assistive devices for inpatients across all NRH Programs (Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Prosthetic and Orthotic Rehabilitation and Peadiatrics). Key Objectives of the EAT clinic: To deliver an effective and efficient EAT service to meet the needs of the population of inpatients within the NRH. Develop systems to ensure that clinic staff are continuously up-skilled in the rapidly developing area of EAT in order to ensure highest quality service provision for patients To provide access to technology that can enable independence for patients and create efficiencies in providing the most appropriate EAT solution. Provide EAT recommendations and/or solutions to patients upon discharge. Outcomes of the Project to date: The EAT clinic has progressed through investment in stock, securing a physical clinic space, upskilling key staff, allocation of protected staff time and the approval of a therapy assistant. This pilot has resulted in onsite delivery of individualised EAT solutions for inpatients by Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Departments. There have been significant cost savings in terms of staff time as well as a reduction in the number of inappropriate devices being purchased. Service users now have the opportunity to engage in assessment with an EAT team and trial one or more EAT solutions during their rehabilitation. In addition the clinic provides education for less experienced clinicians, patients and their families. Future Plans: Global increasing digital literacy demands that EAT be seamlessly integrated into rehabilitation settings. This EAT Clinic plays an important role in the promotion and adoption of mainstream technology devices and specialised assistive technology devices to improve patient outcomes. The continued aim of the EAT Clinic is to provide service-users with the opportunity to experience electronic assistive technologies during their rehabilitation while being supported by skilled therapists. A business plan has been composed to support contingency planning for the service into the future as well as identifying opportunities for continuing professional development and developing specialisations in the area of EAT.
Phase change materials (PCM) based cold source for selective freezing 3D printing of porous materials

Selective freezing three-dimensional (3D) printing is a promising manufacturing process, which can fabricate multi-scale and multi-functional porous structures with excellent geometrical and functional integrity. In this process, the fabrication temperature affects both the macroscopic and microscopic structures of the resulting part; therefore, the cold substrate plays an important role in controlling the process reliability and part quality. To improve its thermal stability and efficiency both temporally and spatially, we propose a novel cold source design based on phase change materials (PCM). Aqueous sodium chloride and ammonium chloride with different concentrations and volumes are experimentally studied to verify the effectiveness of the PCM serving as the cold source for the printing process. A holistic thermal enhancement strategy is applied to improve the duration and thermal stability. The feasibility and effectiveness is well validated by the hardware-in-loop experimental study. The results demonstrate that the proposed cold source design can lead to more reliable and stable printing process and consequently promote its wider industrial applications in various areas.
Mass Spectrometer Output File Format mzML

Mass spectrometry is an important technique for analyzing proteins and other biomolecular compounds in biological samples. Each of the vendors of these mass spectrometers uses a different proprietary binary output file format, which has hindered data sharing and the development of open source software for downstream analysis. The solution has been to develop, with the full participation of academic researchers as well as software and hardware vendors, an open XML-based format for encoding mass spectrometer output files, and then to write software to use this format for archiving, sharing, and processing. This chapter presents the various components and information available for this format, mzML. In addition to the XML schema that defines the file structure, a controlled vocabulary provides clear terms and definitions for the spectral metadata, and a semantic validation rules mapping file allows the mzML semantic validator to insure that an mzML document complies with one of several levels of requirements. Complete documentation and example files insure that the format may be uniformly implemented. At the time of release, there already existed several implementations of the format and vendors have committed to supporting the format in their products.
Brief Report: Anti–Calponin 3 Autoantibodies: A Newly Identified Specificity in Patients With Sjögren’s Syndrome

Objective Autoantibodies are clinically useful for phenotyping patients across the spectrum of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Using serum from a patient with Sjogren's syndrome (SS), we detected a new specificity by immunoblotting. This study was undertaken to identify this autoantibody and to evaluate its disease specificity. Methods A prominent 40-kd band was detected when immunoblotting was performed using SS patient serum and lysate from rat dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry peptide sequencing, the autoantigen was identified as calponin 3. Anti-calponin 3 antibodies were evaluated in sera from patients with primary SS (n = 209), patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; n = 138), patients with myositis (n = 138), patients with multiple sclerosis (MS; n = 44), and healthy controls (n = 46) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression of calponin 3 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results Calponin 3 was identified as a new autoantigen. Anti-calponin 3 antibodies were detected in 23 (11.0%) of the 209 SS patients, 12 (8.7%) of the 138 SLE patients, 7 (5.1%) of the 138 myositis patients, 3 (6.8%) of the 44 MS patients, and 1 (2.2%) of the 46 healthy controls. Among SS patients, the frequency of anti-calponin 3 antibodies was highest in those with neuropathies (7 [17.9%] of 39). In this subset, the frequency of anti-calponin 3 antibodies differed significantly from that in the control group (P = 0.02). Calponin 3 was expressed primarily in rat DRG perineuronal satellite cells but not neurons. Conclusion Calponin 3 is a novel autoantigen. Antibodies against this protein are found in SS and associate with the subset of patients experiencing neuropathies. Intriguingly, we found that calponin 3 is expressed in DRG perineuronal satellite cells, suggesting that these may be a target in SS.
Dependent functional status is associated with unplanned postoperative intubation after elective cervical spine surgery: a national registry analysis

The impact of preoperative functional status on 30-day unplanned postoperative intubation and clinical outcomes among patients who underwent cervical spine surgery is not well-described. We hypothesized that functional dependence is associated with 30-day unplanned postoperative intubation and that among the reintubated cohort, functional dependence is associated with adverse postoperative clinical outcomes after cervical spine surgery. Utilizing the 2007–2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we identified adult elective anterior and posterior cervical spine surgery patients by Current Procedural Terminology codes. We performed (1) a Cox Proportional Hazard analysis for the following outcomes: reintubation, prolonged ventilator use, and pneumonia and (2) an adjusted logistic regression analysis among patients that required postoperative reintubation to evaluate the association of functional status with adverse postoperative outcomes. The sample size was 26,263, of which 550 (2.1%) were functionally dependent. The adjusted model suggested that when compared with functionally independent patients, dependent patients were at increased risk of unplanned 30-day intubation (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.26–3.34; P = 0.003). The adjusted risk of 30-day postoperative pneumonia was significantly higher in patients with functional dependence (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.02–2.54, P = 0.036). Among patients that required postoperative reintubation, the odds of 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with functional dependence (OR 5.82, 95% CI 1.59–23.4, P < 0.001). Preoperative functional dependence is a good marker for estimating postoperative unplanned intubation following cervical spine surgery.
William Tutte: Flow Problems

This chapter presents Lipton’s own joint work with Atish Das Sarma on a famous open problem of Tutte, and a new approach to the problem. Tutte famously broke a claimed proof of the Four-Color Map Theorem with an unexpected counterexample graph, but some of his own conjectures about similar graphs retain their difficulty and mystery to this day.