cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimization-based metabolic control analysis.

In this work, a novel optimization-based metabolic control analysis (OMCA) method is introduced for reducing data requirement for metabolic control analysis (MCA). It is postulated that using the optimal control approach, the fluxes in a metabolic network are correlated to metabolite concentrations and enzyme activities as a state-feedback control system that is optimal with respect to a homeostasis objective. It is then shown that the optimal feedback gains are directly related to the elasticity coefficients (ECs) of MCA. This approach requires determination of the relative “importance” of metabolites and fluxes for the system, which is possible with significantly reduced experimental data, as compared with typical MCA requirements. The OMCA approach is applied to a top–down control model of glycolysis in hepatocytes. It is statistically demonstrated that the OMCA model is capable of predicting the ECs observed experimentally with few exceptions. Further, an OMCA-based model reconciliation study shows that the modification of four assumed stoichiometric coefficients in the model can explain most of the discrepancies, with the exception of elasticities with respect to the NADH/NAD ratio. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010
Intraesophageal Manganese Superoxide Dismutase-Plasmid Liposomes Ameliorates Novel Total-Body and Thoracic Radiation Sensitivity of NOS1-/- Mice

Abstract The effect of deletion of the nitric oxide synthase 1 gene (NOS1−/−) on radiosensitivity was determined. In vitro, long-term cultures of bone marrow stromal cells derived from NOS1−/− were more radioresistant than cells from C57BL/6NHsd (wild-type), NOS2−/− or NOS3−/− mice. Mice from each strain received 20 Gy thoracic irradiation or 9.5 Gy total-body irradiation (TBI), and NOS1−/− mice were more sensitive to both. To determine the etiology of radiosensitivity, studies of histopathology, lower esophageal contractility, gastrointestinal transit, blood counts, electrolytes and inflammatory markers were performed; no significant differences between irradiated NOS1−/− and control mice were found. Video camera surveillance revealed the cause of death in NOS1−/− mice to be grand mal seizures; control mice died with fatigue and listlessness associated with low blood counts after TBI. NOS1−/− mice were not sensitive to brain-only irradiation. MnSOD-PL therapy delivered to the esophagus of wild-type and N...
Magmatic gas emissions at Holocene volcanic features near Mono Lake, California, and their relation to regional magmatism

Abstract Silicic lavas have erupted repeatedly in the Mono Basin over the past few thousand years, forming the massive domes and coulees of the Mono Craters chain and the smaller island vents in Mono Lake. We report here on the first systematic study of magmatic CO2 emissions from these features, conducted during 2007–2010. Most notably, a known locus of weak steam venting on the summit of North Coulee is actually enclosed in a large area (~ 0.25 km2) of diffuse gas discharge that emits 10–14 t/d of CO2, mostly at ambient temperature. Subsurface gases sampled here are heavily air-contaminated, but after standard corrections are applied, show average δ13C-CO2 of − 4.72‰, 3He/4He of 5.89RA, and CO2/3He of 0.77 × 1010, very similar to the values in fumarolic gas from Mammoth Mountain and the Long Valley Caldera immediately to the south of the basin. If these values also characterize the magmatic gas source at Mono Lake, where CO2 is captured by the alkaline lake water, a magmatic CO2 upflow beneath the lake of ~ 4 t/d can be inferred. Groundwater discharge from the Mono Craters area transports ~ 13 t/d of 14C-dead CO2 as free gas and dissolved carbonate species, and adding in this component brings the estimated total magmatic CO2 output to 29 t/d for the two silicic systems in the Mono Basin. If these emissions reflect intrusion and degassing of underlying basalt with 0.5 wt.% CO2, a modest intrusion rate of 0.00075 km3/yr is indicated. Much higher intrusion rates are required to account for CO2 emissions from Mammoth Mountain and the West Moat of the Long Valley Caldera.
Detection performance of compressively sampled radar signals

Compressed sensing and sparse reconstruction techniques have been applied to radar signal acquisition, reconstruction of the range-Doppler map, and radar imaging. Most prior work in this area focuses on imaging and reconstruction while little attention has been paid to the effects of these techniques on detection performance. In this paper, we study the detection performance of signals acquired in an undersampled manner via random projections. We compare detection performance for signals acquired via traditional sampling of the matched filter, for correlation detection that operates directly on compressed measurements, and for the matched filter applied to the signal reconstructed via basis pursuit denoising.
Dorsal root tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channels do not contribute to the augmented exercise pressor reflex in rats with chronic femoral artery occlusion.

We investigated the contribution of tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant sodium channels to the augmented exercise pressor reflex observed in decerebrated rats with femoral artery ligation. The pressor res...
Optical remote sensing of the ion convection pattern in the high-latitude ionosphere from a polar orbiting satellite

Presented is a technique where on a routine basis a single satellite borne instrument can be used to determine quasi-instantaneous ion convection patterns over the entire high-latitude ionosphere. The remote sensing technique utilizes the Doppler shift information in the optical emissions originating from thermospheric ions drifting in response to the Earth's magnetic and convection electric fields. The feasibility of the technique is demonstrated using a computer simulation. The simulation shows that a satellite can obtain information with sufficient spatial resolution to obtain quasi-instantaneous estimates of ion convection patterns. The results are accurate enough to distinguish between features present in currently accepted averaged models of ion convection. 20 refs., 3 figs.
Immune Complex-Mediated Enhancement of Secondary Antibody Responses

Immunologic memory is a hallmark of the vertebrate immune system. The first antigenic exposure leads to a slow and modest immune response, whereas repeated exposure, even many years later, leads to a rapid and exaggerated response that is two to three orders of magnitude greater than the primary. In the case of humoral immunity, the increased efficacy of recall responses is due to the production of amplified levels of Ag-specific Ab, as well as the accelerated kinetics of their production. Current thinking suggests that this is due to selective activation of long-lived, Ag-specific memory B cells. A downside of restricting secondary responses solely to memory cells is that the repertoire of the memory B cell pool remains static while pathogens continue to evolve. In this study, we propose that during secondary responses, naive Ag-specific B cells participate alongside memory cells. We show that immune complexes formed in vivo between the Ag and pre-existing Abs from the primary response activate these naive B cells, inducing them to respond with accelerated kinetics and increased magnitude. Thus, the continued recruitment of new B cell clones after each antigenic exposure enables the immune system to stay abreast of rapidly changing pathogens.
PARTNER CONGRUENCE IN ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)-ENABLED RELATIONSHIPS.

Business partnerships are a prerequisite for an effective supply chain. EDI-enabled business partnerships are crucial in linking suppliers and customers. This paper develops congruence factors for customer-supplier EDI partnerships. Data were collected from sixty-four customer-supplier dyads of firms using a questionnaire instrument. By factor analyzing thirty-one items, six congruence factors were identified: top-level strategic commitment, trading partner flexibility, joint partnering for EDI, readiness for high-level EDI implementation, EDI infrastructure, and partner communication. Additional analysis revealed that customer firms placed significantly more emphasis on congruence factors than supplier firms except for “joint partnering for EDI.” These findings have implications for assessing business partnerships in the networked economy.
Binding of Monopoles in Matter and Search in Large Quantities of Old Iron Ore

The symmetry between electric fields and magnetic fields in Maxwell’s equations, but the lack of abundant free magnetic charge compared to electric charge, has captured the attention of several generations of physicists. In 1931 Dirac went one step further; the existence of free magnetic charge (Dirac monopole) can provide a reason for the quantization of electric charge (eg = nh/2c).1 A preview of the Dirac formula was provided earlier by J. J. Thompson who discussed the angular momentum of the electromagnetic field, quantization of which gives the Dirac condition.
Coding techniques to mitigate dispersion-induced ISI in optical data transmission

The authors present line-coding methods that reduce the effects of dispersion-induced intersymbol interference (ISI) in high-speed (4 to 8 Gb/s) data transmission over direct-detection single-mode optical fibers. In addition to their use for synchronization purposes, line codes can be designed to eliminate certain worst-case patterns that would otherwise preclude reliable data transmission at very high rates. The authors study the use of these codes with directly modulated 1.55 mu m wavelength DFB (distributed feedback) lasers using conventional fiber (dispersion minimum at 1.3 mu m). Performance is quantified in terms of eye opening at the same information rate (which does not usually correspond to the same clock rate due to code overhead), normalized by any increased noise bandwidth. Examples of simple line codes (with symbol-by-symbol detection and feedback-free decoders) that significantly improve eye opening and thereby increase noise margins are given. The two examples presented at 4 Gb/s and 8 Gb/s realize respective coding gains of 1.65 dB and 5 dB over uncoded systems operating at the same data (information) rate. >
Design and operation of a proton microscope for radiography at 800 MeV

A high-magnification high-resolution option is desirable for the study of small-scale dynamic experiments at the LANSCE 800-MeV Proton Radiography Facility. Magnification is achievable by either repowering the existing imaging-lens quadrupoles, using new high-gradient quadrupoles, or some hybrid combination of the two. The large and complex parameter space of magnetic optics solutions was studied extensively with the 3rd order optics code MARYLIE. Some of the hybrid solutions achieve magnifications up to 150, but at the price of high chromatic aberrations. In the end, a design using only new high-gradient permanent-magnet quadrupoles was selected and built at the design parameters that minimized chromatic aberration per unit magnification. The design has a moderate magnification of 7.1 and 15.8 at the two existing image stations. First-beam commissioning results exceeded expectations. Image contrast is produced by multiple Coulomb scattering in the thin objects. Early experimental objectives are to optimize this contrast by collimator design and by adjusting the correlation in the illuminating beam, as well as to characterize the (quite high) resolution limits of the system.
Radical Cystectomy and Lower Urinary Tract Reconstruction After Cardiac Allograft Transplantation

ABSTRACTThe risk of a malignancy developing as a consequence of long-term immunosuppression after allograft transplantation is well documented. To our knowledge we report on the first cardiac allograft recipient to undergo radical cystectomy with lower urinary tract reconstruction using a continent Kock ileal reservoir with bilateral ureteroileal urethrostomy for squamous cell carcinoma that developed 4 years after transplantation.
Robustness of Intervention Strategies for Probabilistic Boolean Networks

Probabilistic Boolean networks (PBNs) have been recently introduced as a paradigm for modeling genetic regulatory networks. One of the objectives of PBN modeling is to use the network for the design and analysis of intervention strategies aimed at moving the network out of undesirable states, such as those associated with disease, and into desirable ones. The intervention strategies proposed in the context of Probabilistic Boolean networks assume perfect knowledge of the transition probability matrix of the PBN. This assumption cannot be satisfied in practice due to estimation errors or mismatch between the PBN model and the actual genetic regulatory network. Thus it is important to study the effect of modeling errors on the final outcome of an intervention strategy and the goal of this paper is to do precisely that when the uncertainties are in the entries of the transition probability matrix.
Joint Scheduling and Power Allocation in Multi-Channel Access Point Networks under QoS Constraints

We consider the joint scheduling and power allocation problem for uplink transmissions in a multichannel access point network, and develop solutions to achieve the maximum system throughput under QoS constraints for each user. In this frame-based multi-channel OFDM system, our goal is to determine when in the frame and on which channels each user should transmit, and how the power of each user should be split across the channels it uses. Our goal is to maximize the overall effective data rate in the network, taking into account variations in channel rates across channels as well as users, while satisfying minimum rate constraints for each user. Although this problem is in general a complex non-linear mixed-integer optimization question, we show that the optimal schedule and power allocation can be computed in polynomial time under a high SINR approximation. Finally we propose and evaluate several simple heuristics for this problem, and show that some of these attain a performance that is very close to the optimum, at fairly low computational cost.
The Organization of Visual Cortex in Primates: Problems, Conclusions, and the Use of Comparative Studies in Understanding the Human Brain

Publisher Summary All primates appear to have a complex visual system with a hierarchy of interconnected processing areas. The first visual area, V-I or area 17, of primates is unique in that there is a laminar segregation of geniculate inputs from the M (magnocellular) and P (parvocellular) streams; a distributed system of blob-like modules with W stream geniculate inputs in most, if not all, primates; and a tendency for the segregation of geniculate inputs related to each eye into ocular dominance bands that is marginally expressed in some primates and pronounced in others. Middle temporal (MT) area is so distinctive that it is easily identified in all primates, and yet no field in non-primates, including the close relatives of primates, the archontan mammals, that have a field with all of MTs features. In diurnal macaque monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and cebus monkeys, MT is well displaced from the second visual area, V- II, border into the temporal lobe. Possibly, an even greater displacement exists in humans.
Prostate-specific antigen doubling times are similar in patients with recurrence after radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy: a novel analysis.

PURPOSESome investigators have analyzed the rate of growth of prostate cancer that has recurred after definitive radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy using serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling times (DT). We examined all PSA values in recurrent patients to determine the pattern and rate of increase in PSA after radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy.PATIENTS AND METHODSCharts of 96 recurrent radical prostatectomy patients (mean age, 62.8 years; range, 47 to 76) and 42 recurrent radiation therapy patients (mean age, 67.2 years; range, 52 to 83) were reviewed. All available PSA values between the date of operation/radiation treatment and last follow-up evaluation or the initiation of second-line therapy are included. Rate of PSA DT was not assumed to be constant over time; it was instead allowed to vary. We use a piecewise linear random-coefficients model in time for log (PSA), which allowed different mean models for both treatments.RESULTSThe PSA DT in the first year after radiation therapy...
Architecting a Simulation and Development Environment for Multi-Robot Teams

Collaborative multi-robot teams have great potential to add capabilities and minimize risk within the military domain. The composition of these teams may range from multiple copies of the same model to heterogeneous ground, air, and water vehicles operating in concert. The novel and extremely complex nature of these autonomous systems requires a large up-front investment in design, modeling, simulation, and experimentation. Myriad design decisions must be made regarding the control architecture and general information flow for commands and status exchanged between robots and humans and among robot teams. In addition, decisions must be made on how to best assemble and deploy these teams. To assist in making these design decisions, we are developing an integrated environment that we hope will greatly facilitate the design, development, and understanding of how to configure and use multi-robot teams for military applications and to accelerate the robots’ deployment.
A Personal History of Virus-Based Vector Construction

The ability to express foreign genes or to silence endogenous genes in plants has revolutionized both basic and applied plant biology. Virus-based expression systems, in which the foreign mRNA is greatly amplified by virus replication, can produce very high levels of proteins or peptides in leaves and other tissues. Vectors have been available for about 25 years. They are commonplace as laboratory tools, but their initial commercial expectations have not been met for numerous reasons. Yet, applications of viral vectors are still evolving. This chapter focuses on our laboratory’s involvement in developing virus-based vectors in plants. We created the first ‘add-a-gene’ vectors that were capable of replication and movement throughout plants. These vectors were based on tobacco mosaic virus. Through the evolution of several prototypes, stable vectors were developed that produced relatively large amounts of product in plants. Recently, we created similar vectors for citrus trees based on citrus tristeza virus. Even though the citrus vectors were created as laboratory tools for improving the crop, circumstances have changed the applications to protection and therapy of trees in the field.
The 9Be(alpha, n)12C Cross Section Between 1.5 and 7.8 MeV,

Three neutron groups, populating the 7.65 MeV, 4.44 MeV and the ground state of 12C were separated by proton recoil detection in an organic scintillator. The 0° differential cross sections were measured in 0.1 MeV intervals between 1.5 and 7.8 MeV and angular distributions were determined at eight α-energies. For the ground state neutron group, angular distributions at eight additional energies were taken. Neutron production cross sections from the reaction were derived using these distributions and those of previous authors. Most of the angular distributions measured are asymmetric about 90°, showing various degrees of fore- and aft-peaking. It appears that compound nucleus formation in 13C, involving several overlapping resonances, plays a dominant role in some cases, in others there is evidence for direct reaction processes.
Psychoanalytic Therapy with Schizophrenic Patients in a Private-Practice Context

(1976). Psychoanalytic Therapy with Schizophrenic Patients in a Private-Practice Context. Contemporary Psychoanalysis: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 387-406.
Cerebral Palsy Definition and Classification

A revised definition and classification of cerebral palsy is proposed by the Executive Committee of an International Workshop held in Betheda, MD, 2004.
On a Characterization of Analytic Functions

Our objective here is to examine the three surfaces defined in (2) and to show that the set may be replaced by a more general set. (3) z = u(x, y), z = v(x, y), z = k(u, v) with the same conclusion. In fact we find a general form of the function q5(u, v) in (3) for which Theorem 1 with (2) replaced by (3) remains valid. To this end we recall the outline of the proof given by Dzyadyk. Since the surface area is given by
Asymmetric Agenesis of the Mastoid Antrum in a Neonate

The authors report a case of asymmetric development of the mastoid antrum in a neonate. The lack of mastoid development most likely represents a congenital maldevelopment. Agenesis of the mastoid antrum has surgical implications, as failure to recognize its absence can result in disorientation during surgery, with potential to injure adjacent structures.
Comparison of Activity Type Classification Accuracy from Accelerometers Worn on the Hip, Wrists, and Thigh in Young, Apparently Healthy Adults

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to compare accuracy of activity type prediction models for accelerometers worn on the hip, wrists, and thigh. Forty-four adults performed sedentary, ambulatory, lifestyle, and exercise activities (14 total, 10 categories) for 3–10 minutes each in a 90-minute semi-structured laboratory protocol. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were developed for four accelerometers (right hip, both wrists, and right thigh,) to predict individual activities and activity categories, with direct observation (DO) as criterion. The wrist-mounted accelerometers achieved the highest accuracy for individual activities (80.9%–81.1%) and activity categories (86.6%–86.7%); accuracy was not different between wrists. The hip-mounted accelerometer had the lowest accuracy (66.2% individual activities, 72.5% activity categories); thigh-mounted accelerometer accuracy (71.4% individual activities, 84.0% activity categories) fell between the wrist- and hip-mounted accelerometers. ANNs developed for ac...
Early Theories on the Origin of Mountain Belts

Chapter 19 describes various proposals on the origin of Earth, particularly the origin of mountains. The earliest thinkers tied mountain building to trapped winds and reactions involving dry earth and moisture. Later workers were impressed with the erosive power of water and thought that mountains were carved from running water. Still later workers considered vertical uplift due to magma intrusion or a shrinking Earth that resulted in formation of a large Earth syncline (geosyncline), which first formed a basin and was later uplifted to form a mountain. All of these theories involved vertical tectonics. It wasn’t until the 1960s that horizontal plate tectonics took hold as the overriding driving force in our understanding of mountain building.
Decreased Anterior Cingulate Cortex γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Youth With Tourette's Disorder

Abstract Background γ-Aminobutyric acid has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Tourette's disorder. The present study primarily sought to examine in vivo γ-aminobutyric acid levels in the anterior cingulate cortex in psychotropic medication-free adolescents and young adults. Secondarily, we sought to determine associations between γ-aminobutyric acid in the anterior cingulate cortex and measures of tic severity, tic-related impairment, and anxiety and depression symptoms. Methods γ-Aminobutyric acid levels were measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Analysis of covariance compared γ-aminobutyric acid levels in 15 youth with Tourette's disorder (mean age = 15.0, S.D. = 2.7) and 36 healthy comparison subjects (mean age = 15.9, S.D. = 2.1). Within the Tourette disorder group, we examined correlations between γ-aminobutyric acid levels and tic severity and tic-related impairment, as well as anxiety and depression severity. Results Anterior cingulate cortex γ-aminobutyric acid levels were lower in participants with Tourette's disorder compared with control subjects. Within the Tourette disorder group, γ-aminobutyric acid levels did not correlate with any clinical measures. Conclusions Our findings support a role for γ-aminobutyric acid in Tourette's disorder. Larger prospective studies will further elucidate this role.
Challenges and Opportunities of Big Data in Health Care: A Systematic Review.

Background: Big data analytics offers promise in many business sectors, and health care is looking at big data to provide answers to many age-related issues, particularly dementia and chronic disease management. Objective: The purpose of this review was to summarize the challenges faced by big data analytics and the opportunities that big data opens in health care. Methods: A total of 3 searches were performed for publications between January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2016 (PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar), and an assessment was made on content germane to big data in health care. From the results of the searches in research databases and Google Scholar (N=28), the authors summarized content and identified 9 and 14 themes under the categories Challenges and Opportunities, respectively. We rank-ordered and analyzed the themes based on the frequency of occurrence. Results: The top challenges were issues of data structure, security, data standardization, storage and transfers, and managerial skills such as data governance. The top opportunities revealed were quality improvement, population management and health, early detection of disease, data quality, structure, and accessibility, improved decision making, and cost reduction. Conclusions: Big data analytics has the potential for positive impact and global implications; however, it must overcome some legitimate obstacles. [JMIR Med Inform 2016;4(4):e38]
Hemodialysis Access Outcomes and Quality Improvement Initiatives in the United States

Outcomes research evolved in the 1970s as a method to evaluate and improve patient care delivery. Recent efforts by CMS to identify trends in vascular access for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) lead to the Fistula First Catheter Last (FFCL) initiative aimed at increasing incident and prevalent arteriovenous fistula usage. There is a significant protective effect from autogenous conduit employed as the access modality for renal replacement therapy. Surgeons demonstrate varying results establishing and maintaining fistulas. Current efforts to create large registry reports and level 1 evidence aimed at guiding this field are ongoing. This chapter describes the science associated with reporting health and procedural outcomes, particularly vascular access for end-stage renal disease patients.
Feasibility study of an electrodialysis system for in-home water desalination in urban India

Abstract Poor quality of drinking water delivered to homes by state utilities, and a large reliance on brackish ground water resources in parts of urban India, has resulted in the adoption of in-home water treatment solutions. The only existing in-home water treatment solution capable of desalination is reverse osmosis (RO). However, existing RO products can recover only 25–50% of the feed water supplied as usable product water. In this study, an alternative solution that relies on electrodialysis (ED) was designed and experimentally shown to achieve a recovery of 80%, producing 12 L/h of water at the desired salinity of 350 ppm from a feed salinity of 3000 ppm. The cost and size of the proposed system were also found to be comparable to existing in-home RO systems. In-home ED water treatment systems could compete with existing RO products while providing the advantage of improved water-conservation in water-stressed India.
The Potential Role of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Programs in Reducing Teen Dating Violence and Intimate Partner Violence.

Abstract Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are growing fields that provide job stability, financial security, and health prosperity for professionals in these fields. Unfortunately, females are underrepresented in STEM, which is potentially both a consequence and precipitant of gender inequity in the United States. In addition to the financial and health benefits, increasing the number of girls and women in STEM fields may also indirectly prevent and/or reduce teen dating violence and intimate partner violence by: (1) increasing women's financial independence, thereby reducing dependence on potentially abusive partners; (2) decreasing household poverty and financial stress, which may lead to reductions in relationship discord; and (3) increasing attitudes and beliefs about women as equals, thereby increasing gender equity. In this commentary, we discuss the potential role of primary and secondary school STEM programs in reducing violence against women. We review the literature on existing ...
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Is a Critical Autocrine Survival Factor in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL).

Abstract We have previously demonstrated (Kini AR et. al. Blood. 2001; 97:3919–24) that VEGF is expressed in APL and is regulated by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). In this study, we examined the role of VEGF as a autocrine survival factor in APL, by using siRNA to VEGF in cultured NB4 APL cells. The siRNA molecules were transfected into the APL cells by electroporation and resulted in almost complete (>95%) knock-down of VEGF expression. The VEGF knock-down resulted in significant apoptosis (>50%) within 96 hours. To verify the specificity of the VEGF siRNA, we used a siRNA molecule with a single nucleotide mismatch mutation, as well as a scrambled siRNA molecule. These control siRNA molecules did not result in VEGF knock-down, nor did they cause apoptosis, confirming the specificity of the VEGF siRNA and its effect. In contrast to the striking induction of apoptosis by VEGF knock-down, external blocking of VEGF and VEGF receptors by addition of neutralizing antibodies did not cause apoptosis. In addition, the concentration of VEGF within the cells was over 100-fold higher than the external VEGF concentration. These results suggest that VEGF mediates its actions through an internal autocrine mechanism. Intriguingly, immunfluorescence studies showed that VEGF is strongly expressed in the nucleus, suggesting a novel nuclear role for VEGF. To study the possible role of the VEGF receptors in internal loops we knocked-down the VEGF receptors using siRNA molecules. VEGF receptor knock-down did not affect survival of the APL cells. To summarize, we demonstrate that VEGF is a survival factor for APL cells, and acts independent of the VEGF receptors through an internal autocrine mechanism. These results indicate that targeting internal VEGF may be an effective therapeutic strategy for APL.
Asking for Action: Does Financial Advice Improve Financial Behaviors?

Using FINRA’s 2012 National Financial Capability Study, this paper finds evidence of a causal relation between seeking professional financial advice and exhibiting positive financial behaviors. However, the effect of advice on behavior varies depending on the type of financial advice, the relevance of advice to particular behaviors, and the conditions of consuming this credence good. Advice about savings / investment shows the most consistent influence on financial behaviors because it affects positively establishing an emergency fund, calculating needed savings for retirement, and investing in financial securities, while affects negatively having a high level of debt. On the other hand, debt counseling has been found to affect positively the accumulation of debt and negatively the avoidance of payday loans, while insurance advice affects negatively investing in financial securities. Professional financial advice does not necessarily guarantee positive outcomes due to other factors that may influence this complex agency relationship.
Detection of the Vulnerable Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque—Promises and Limitations

The merit of imaging “vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques” remains highly controversial. This review aims at providing current evidence for both its benefit and limitations. Results from optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound imaging in patients with coronary heart disease suggest that certain individual coronary atherosclerotic plaque characteristics, e.g., large lipid core in a fibroatheroma, are associated with greater risk of adverse patient outcome. However, a closer look at these studies reveals that these associations are confounded by the relationship of “vulnerable plaque” characteristics with baseline lumen obstruction, which is a known predictor of recurrent angina and the main component of the reported adverse patient outcome. Recent insights into the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes suggest it to be an exceedingly complex process involving numerous local and systemic factors, which hinders outcome prediction. The quest for the vulnerable plaque rests on the erroneous assumption that detecting coronary atherosclerotic lesions, which are prone to rupture or erode, will identify individuals at high risk of suffering acute coronary events. However, there is strong and consistent evidence suggesting that plaques most commonly rupture without associated clinical symptoms. Instead, ruptured plaques typically heal clinically silently and lead to plaque progression. The atherosclerotic disease burden, its metabolic activity, and risk factors for an inadequate response by the coagulation system to plaque disruption, on the other hand, are important predictors of acute coronary event risk and deserve our attention more than individual plaques.
Dexamethasone, rituximab and cyclophosphamide for relapsed and/or refractory and treatment-naïve patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.

Summary The management of Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia (WM) relies predominantly on small trials, one of which has demonstrated activity of dexamethasone, rituximab and cyclophosphamide (DRC) in the frontline setting. We report on the efficacy of DRC, focusing on relapsed/refractory (R/R) patients. Ibrutinib, a recently approved agent in WM demonstrated limited activity in patients with MYD88WT genotype. Herein, we additionally report on the activity of DRC based on the MYD88L265P mutation status. Of 100 WM patients evaluated between January 2007 and December 2014 who received DRC, 50 had R/R WM. The overall response rate (ORR) was 87%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and time-to-next-therapy (TTNT) were 32 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15–51) and 50 (95% CI: 35–60) months, respectively. In the previously untreated cohort (n = 50), the ORR was 96%, and the median PFS and TTNT were 34 months (95% CI: 23–not reached [NR]) and NR (95% CI: 37–NR), respectively. Twenty-five (86%) of 29 genotyped patients harbored MYD88L265P. The response rates and outcomes were independent of MYD88 mutation status. Grade ≥3 adverse effects included neutropenia (20%), thrombocytopenia (7%) and infections (3%). Similar to the frontline setting, DRC is an effective and well-tolerated salvage regimen for WM. In contrast to ibrutinib, DRC offers a less expensive, fixed-duration option, with preliminary data suggesting efficacy independent of the patients’ MYD88 status.
Inspiratory Muscle Performance of Former Smokers and Nonsmokers Using the Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance.

BACKGROUND: Smoking has potential deleterious effects on respiratory muscle function. Smokers may present with reduced inspiratory muscle strength and endurance. We compared inspiratory muscle performance of nonsmokers with that of former smokers without overt respiratory problems via the Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance. METHODS: This study was performed on 42 healthy subjects between the ages of 30 and 79 y (mean ± SD of 56.5 ± 14.4 y). Fourteen male and 7 female former smokers were matched to nonsmokers based on sex, age, height, and weight. Subjects completed a questionnaire about their health and current smoking status. Testing included the best of 3 or more consistent trials. The Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance measurements included maximal inspiratory pressure measured from residual volume as well as sustained maximal inspiratory pressure and inspiratory duration measured from residual volume to total lung capacity during a maximal sustained inhalation. RESULTS: No significant difference in inspiratory performance of the entire group of former smokers compared with nonsmokers was found. However, separate sex analyses found a significant difference in sustained maximal inspiratory pressure between male former smokers and nonsmokers (518.7 ± 205.0 pressure time units vs 676.5 ± 255.2 pressure time units, P = .041). CONCLUSIONS: We found similar maximal inspiratory pressure between former smokers and nonsmokers via the Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance, but the significant difference in sustained maximal inspiratory pressure between male former smokers and nonsmokers suggests that the sustained maximal inspiratory pressure may have greater discriminatory ability in assessing the effects of smoking on inspiratory muscle performance. Further investigation of the effects of smoking on inspiratory performance via the Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance is warranted.
The Sociology of Refugee Migration

Theorization in the sociology of migration and the field of refugee studies has been retarded by a path-dependent division that we argue should be broken down by greater mutual engagement. Excavating the construction of the refugee category reveals how unwarranted assumptions shape contemporary disputes about the scale of refugee crises, appropriate policy responses, and suitable research tools. Empirical studies of how violence interacts with economic and other factors shaping mobility offer lessons for both fields. Adapting existing theories that may not appear immediately applicable, such as household economy approaches, helps explain refugees’ decision-making processes. At a macro level, world systems theory sheds light on the interactive policies around refugees across states of origin, mass hosting, asylum, transit, and resettlement. Finally, focusing on the integration of refugees in the Global South reveals a pattern that poses major challenges to theories of assimilation and citizenship developed...
Introduction: Towards Optimal Learning Environments in Schools

This chapter provides an introduction to the topic of engaging youth in schools, detailing how and why policy makers and educational reformers widely consider engagement to be at the heart of meaningful school reform and innovative programming for youth. An alarming high school dropout rate, as well as national and international surveys, testifies to pervasive disengagement in schools; meanwhile, trends of increasing depression and obesity draw attention to concerns over the well-being of youth. A historical analysis presented in this chapter suggests that schools were not modeled after how individuals learn or develop but were rather modeled after hierarchical centralization at the confluence of the industrial revolution and urbanization in the US Engagement, operationally defined throughout much of this book as heightened, simultaneous concentration, interest, and enjoyment, serves as a lens through which both positive school outcomes and psychosocial well-being are examined. This book focuses on optimal learning environments, or environments empirically demonstrated to engage youth. In Chaps. 2-5 of this book, classroom and individual factors that influence students’ engagement in American public schools are identified. In Chaps 6-9, we consider the “how” (how students become engaged and how teachers engage students), “who” (to whom students are engaged and the importance of relationships), and “what” (to what students are engaged or the contents of students’ engagement) of engagement. In Chaps. 10-14, several optimal contexts for positive engagement, as supported empirically, are described in depth, providing models of innovative school, after-school, and community programming for youth.
Cytokines and Disability in Older Adults

A decline in functional status is a profound predictor of morbidity and mortality [1]. The mortality rate increases from 15% in individuals with only one impairment in an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) to 21% in persons with one or two IADL impairments. In subjects with five or six IADL impairments, the mortality rate reaches 37% [2]. Disabled older adults are four to six times more likely to die than the nondisabled [3]. Up to half of the geriatric patients admitted to a hospital have either loss of or a diminished performance in at least one ADL during admission. This decline in functional status occurs as early as the second day of hospital admission [4, 5].
How the Gods Kill: The Nārāyana Astra Episode, the Death of Rāvana, and the Principles of Tejas in the Indian Epics

Cet article etudie comment le principe du tejas (energie ardente) est mis en oeuvre dans les epopees indiennes, en particulier dans le Nārāyana Astra, episode du Mahābhārata, et dans l'episode de la mort de Rāvana, extrait du Rāmāyana. Dans ces deux textes, les dieux mettent en oeuvre la force destructrice du tejas. L'A. entreprend d'explorer toutes les dimensions (religieuses, therapeutiques, philosophiques...) de ce concept.
The Systematic Distribution of Vascular Epiphytes

In 1977 Madison published a list of the vascular plant families and genera that contain epiphytic species. Madison compiled this list from literature reports, consultation with taxonomic specialists, and a survey of herbarium material. He reported that 65 families contain 850 genera and 28,200 species of epiphytes. His total accounted for about 10% of all species of vascular plants.
Must We Mean What We Say?: Aesthetic Problems of Modern Philosophy

The Spirit of the Age is not easy to place, ontologically or empirically; and it is idle to suggest that creative effort must express its age, either because that cannot fail to happen, or because a new effort can create a new age. Still, one knows what it means when an art historian says, thinking of the succession of plastic styles, “not everything is possible in every period.” And that is equally true for every person and every philosophy. But then one is never sure what is possible until it happens; and when it happens it may produce a sense of revolution, of the past escaped and our problems solved—even when we also know that one man's solution is another man's problem. Wittgenstein expressed his sense both of the revolutionary break his later methods descry in philosophy, and of their relation to methods in aesthetics and ethics. I have tried, in what follows, to suggest ways in which such feelings or claims can be understood, believing them to be essential in understanding Wittgenstein's later philosophy as a whole. The opening section outlines two problems in aesthetics each of which seems to yield to the possibilities of Wittgensteinian procedures, and in turn to illuminate them. The concluding section suggests resemblances between one kind of judgment recognizable as aesthetic and the characteristic claim of Wittgenstein—and of ordinary language philosophers generally—to voice “what we should ordinarily say.”
From the Border to the Core: A Thickening Military-Police Assemblage:

Militarization on the US–Mexico border has intensified in America’s post-9/11 War on Terror, while America’s War on Drugs has escalated militarization in America’s urban core. This infusion of mili...
What Say You? How Healthcare Executives Construe Compassion at Work

Data from 112 compassion accounts by 39 healthcare managers in executive roles suggest that these executives construe compassion at work differently than do management scholars. Compassion in organ...
Criminal Justice Professionals' Attitudes Toward Mental Illness and Substance Use

Despite the high prevalence of behavioral health disorders in justice settings and prior research on the importance of attitudes in successful treatment outcomes for behavioral health populations, few studies have examined criminal justice professionals' attitudes toward mental illness and substance use. We conducted a state-wide survey of 610 criminal justice professionals using items adapted from the Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire (Albery et al. 2003) to examine attitudes toward mental illness and substance use as a function of criminal justice position and personal contact. For attitudes toward both mental illness and substance use, defense attorneys and community corrections officers reported more positive attitudes relative to jail correctional staff and prosecutors. For attitudes toward substance use, personal contact moderated the effect of position on attitudes. Findings underscore the importance of targeted training and other contact-based interventions to improve criminal justice professionals' attitudes toward behavioral health populations.
Decolonial Hip Hop: Indigenous Hip Hop and the disruption of settler colonialism

Contemporary Detroit has gone through many changes – or so it appears. From streets lined with vehicles made by Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors and driven by the nearly 2 million people who call...
Keywords for media studies

Disciplines are defined, grow, and are limited by vocabularies and the analytical work that they offer. Over time, it is inevitable that words and terms that function as a discipline’s intellectual...
Full-stack Optimization for Accelerating CNNs with FPGA Validation

We present a full-stack optimization framework for accelerating inference of CNNs (Convolutional Neural Networks) and validate the approach with field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) implementations. By jointly optimizing CNN models, computing architectures, and hardware implementations, our full-stack approach achieves unprecedented performance in the trade-off space characterized by inference latency, energy efficiency, hardware utilization and inference accuracy. As a validation vehicle, we have implemented a 170MHz FPGA inference chip achieving 2.28ms latency for the ImageNet benchmark. The achieved latency is among the lowest reported in the literature while achieving comparable accuracy. However, our chip shines in that it has 9x higher energy efficiency compared to other implementations achieving comparable latency. A highlight of our full-stack approach which attributes to the achieved high energy efficiency is an efficient Selector-Accumulator (SAC) architecture for implementing the multiplier-accumulator (MAC) operation present in any digital CNN hardware. For instance, compared to a FPGA implementation for a traditional 8-bit MAC, SAC substantially reduces required hardware resources (4.85x fewer Look-up Tables) and power consumption (2.48x).
The Serotonergic System and the Control of Breathing During Development

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine 5-HT) was first discovered in the late 1940's as an endogenous bioactive amine capable of inducing vasoconstriction, and in the mid-1950's was found in the brain. It was in these early years that some of the first demonstrations were made regarding a role for brain 5-HT in neurological function and behavior, including data implicating reduced brain levels of 5-HT in clinical depression. Since that time, advances in molecular biology and physiological approaches in basic science research have intensely focused on 5-HT in the brain, and the many facets of its role during embryonic development, post-natal maturation, and neural function in adulthood continues to be established. This review focuses on what is known about the developmental roles for the 5-HT system, which we define as the neurons producing 5-HT along with pre-and post-synaptic receptors, in a vital homeostatic motor behavior - the control of breathing. We will cover what is known about the embryonic origins and fate specification of 5-HT neurons, and how the 5-HT system influences pre- and post-natal maturation of the ventilatory control system. In addition, we will focus on the role of the 5-HT system in specific respiratory behaviors during fetal, neonatal and postnatal development, and the relevance of dysfunction in this system in respiratory-related human pathologies including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).