cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Dawn Ion Propulsion System

Dawn’s ion propulsion system (IPS) is the most advanced propulsion system ever built for a deep-space mission. Aside from the Mars gravity assist it provides all of the post-launch ΔV required for the mission including the heliocentric transfer to Vesta, orbit capture at Vesta, transfer to various Vesta science orbits, escape from Vesta, the heliocentric transfer to Ceres, orbit capture at Ceres, and transfer to the different Ceres science orbits. The ion propulsion system provides a total ΔV of nearly 11 km/s, comparable to the ΔV provided by the 3-stage launch vehicle, and a total impulse of 1.2×107 N s.
Room-temperature shear strengths of rocks under near-hydrostatic confining pressure to 80 kbar, 1. Solnhofen Limestone and three Georgia Marbles

Abstract The room-temperature shear strengths of 1.27 cm diameter by 0.25 cm high disks of Solnhofen Limestone and three Georgia Marbles have been determined in torsion at several levels of constant confining pressure, as well as under smoothly increasing confining pressure, up to about 80 kbar. Unidirectional twists were applied at rates ranging from 10 −2 to 10 −5 rad/sec. Reasonable correlation is found with torsional data published on limestone to 4 kbar. The shear strengths of limestone and marble are found to be strongly dependent on confining pressure. Six changes are observed in the rate of strength increase with pressure over the range explored. The strength increases to about 10 kbar. Strength is found to decrease with decreasing rate of twist by about 10% over the range 10 −2 –10 −5 rad/sec. “Stick-slip” behavior is observed beyond about 45 kbar with the coarse-grained marble, and beyond about 60 kbar with the fine-grained limestone. Variations in ultrasonic emissions (80–170 kHz) data show a correlation with changes in shear strength. Microscopic examinations of residual textures show gross development of intragranular lamellar defects. Powder X-ray-diffraction patterns of stressed specimens show only reduced intensities and a broadening of lines. Some of the observed variations in strength with pressure may reflect spontaneously reversible changes of the calcite I crystal structure.
Imaginandose Mexicano: The symbolic context of Mexican American ethnicity beyond the second generation

This study explores how third-plus-generation Mexican Americans are able to perpetuate Mexican ethnicity within the relatively integrated environments they occupy in and around Phoenix, Arizona and San Jose, California. By using an “imaginary” approach in this analysis, I seek to demonstrate the limited applicability of the “symbolic ethnicity” approach for this group, in particular, as well as to downplay thinking about culture as a set of traits or fixed characteristics that define an ethnic subgroup. I do this through an exploration of how the third-plus-generation Mexican Americans interviewed for this study utilize a range of “relational resources”—specifically, religion, Spanish-language television, and cross-national encounters—to reinforce and recreate Mexican ethnicity in their day-to-day lives.
Correlates of Major and Minor Offending Among Youth with Severe Emotional Disturbance

Potential correlates of delinquency among 180 youth with severe emotional disturbance were examined in this study. Specifically, the goal was to explore associations between major or minor offending, based on South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) records and (a) prenatal, birth, or developmental factors; (b) family characteristics; (c) environmental characteristics; and (d) problem behaviors and symptoms. Participants were clients of the Continuum of Care for Emotionally Disturbed Children Division of the Office of the Governor in South Carolina and were in the legal custody of the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Polychotomous logistic regression modeling techniques were used to determine which variables were associated with major and minor offending, compared with youth not involved with DJJ. After adjusting for other variables, the factors significantly associated with minor offending included increasing age and parental incarceration. Factors significantly associated with ma...
Multivariate calibration modeling of liver oxygen saturation using near-infrared spectroscopy

The liver has been identified as an ideal site to spectroscopically monitor for changes in oxygen saturation during liver transplantation and shock because it is susceptible to reduced blood flow and oxygen transport. Near-IR spectroscopy, combined with multivariate calibration techniques, has been shown to be a viable technique for monitoring oxygen saturation changes in various organs in a minimally invasive manner. The liver has a dual system circulation. Blood enters the liver through the portal vein and hepatic artery, and leaves through the hepatic vein. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to determine how the liver NIR spectroscopic information correlates with the different regions of the hepatic lobule as the dual circulation flows from the presinusoidal space into the post sinusoidal region of the central vein. For NIR spectroscopic information to reliably represent the status of liver oxygenation, the NIR oxygen saturation should best correlate with the post-sinusoidal region. In a series of six pigs undergoing induced hemorrhagic chock, NIR spectra collected from the liver were used together with oxygen saturation reference data from the hepatic and portal veins, and an average of the two to build partial least-squares regression models. Results obtained from these models show that the hepatic vein and an average of the hepatic and portal veins provide information that is best correlate with NIR spectral information, while the portal vein reference measurement provides poorer correlation and accuracy. These results indicate that NIR determination of oxygen saturation in the liver can provide an assessment of liver oxygen utilization.
Fluid density distribution in a high temperature, stratified thermohaline system: implications for saline hydrothermal circulation

Density distribution within the Salton Sea geothermal system, of fluids ranging from 20°C to 325°C, has been computed using chemical and thermal data from geothermal production well tests and curve-fit models of NaCaK chloride solution properties. Density corrections can easily be made to ±0.01 g/cm3 for solute effects of each of the dominant chloride salts as well as pressure above vapor saturation. Field data on dissolved CO2 is too sparse to routinely compute a correction, however this moderately, but variably abundant component can be shown to produce only minor (< 0.01 g/cm3) errors in density estimates. Fluid density within the shallow, cool ( 20 wt%. The density of brine climbs rapidly to near 1.0 g/cm3 as the salinity increase across this interface overwhelms the thermal effect on fluid density. This steep density gradient precludes all but diffusional-conductive or perhaps double diffusive-convective mass and heat transfer in this transitional regime. Measurement uncertainties for reservoir depths, temperatures and salinities commonly exceed errors of our density model, limiting the accuracy of details in our modeled density distribution. Gross scale relationships of this salinity stratified geothermal system are, however apparent, permitting rational discussion of extrapolations to conditions beneath the presently explored reservoir and inference of dynamics during the systems' evolution.
Problems of Acoustic Sources Location in 3D Medium

Acoustic methods have a great potential for material characterization in industries because they can evaluate fatigue and fracture of thermoplastic materials without destroying them by using special signatures of dissipated energy as active or passive acoustic signals, which are generated from materials during the service period of time or testing procedure. The most applicable acoustic methods such as acoustic emission, impact-echo, and phased-array techniques are applied to locate voids, defects or growing cracks and microcracks in structures. However, this task for three-dimensional (3D) volume structures has some specific difficulties connected with 3D source locations and has been based on different techniques of calculations. There are two main techniques, using the geometric acoustics approach, which can provide calculations of sources coordinates: the direct geometric arrays algorithm and the maximum-likelihood method. This work is devoted exclusively to the analysis of mathematic algorithms of 3D...
Solitaire and solidaire: Ethnographic introspections on freedom in nature and culture

Paul Riesman. Freedom in Fulani Social Life: An Introspective Ethnography. Translated from the French by Martha Fuller. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1977. xiii + 297 pp. Notes, glossary and index of Fulani terms, bibliography, general index, illustrations. $25.00.
Soil-structure interaction in a layered medium

Abstract A hybrid method based on the Green's function formalism is proposed for two-dimensional dynamic soil-structure interaction analysis in a multilayered half-space. The method models the near field (structure and surrounding soil) by finite elements and solves the far field problem through a continuum approach based on an adaptation of the Thomson-Haskell matrix formulation. Displacement continuity between the two regions is enforced by least-squares error minimization. The whole system is excited by steady plane waves (P and SV) propagating with oblique incidence and the structure can be assumed either on the surface or embedded at shallow depth. Special consideration of the scattered field permits the discretized region to be kept reasonably small.
Superconductivity: a brief introduction to its phenomenology and theories

A brief introduction to the phenomenology of superconductivity is presented. A section on the superconducting state considers the main features of superconductivity; the superconducting transition temperature, zero resistivity, the Meissner effect, the isotope effect, microwave and optical properties, and the superconducting energy gap. A second section on the Ginzburg-Landau equations is concerned with the concepts of coherence length, penetration depth, flux quantization, magnetic-field dependence of the energy gap, quantum interference phenomena, and the Josephson effect. The final section on the new superconductors briefly reviews the new field of high-temperature superconductivity, its experimental facts, and current theories. >
Air Bearing Force Measurement of Pico Negative Pressure Sliders During Dynamic Unload

The air bearing forces of pico negative pressure (1.25 X 1.0 mm subambient pressure) sliders during the unload process were investigated experimentally. A high speed vertical load/unload mechanism with a sensitive force transducer was developed to measure the air beating forces. Force histories were measured at various disk rpm and unload velocities. The force histories showed that the suspension load dimple separated from the load beam during the lifting. This separation was held to an acceptable amount by flexure limitors built into the suspension. Force-displacement curves show the need for control of the gap between the limitor and load beam. A technique was developed to determine critical suspension parameters for use in the CML Dynamic Load/Unload Simulator. Simulation of the force history was then in excellent agreement with experimental results. Both simulation and experimental results showed that the lift-off force decreases with increasing disk rpm. Experimental results also showed that higher unload speeds lead to larger lift-off forces. By selecting the correct disk rpm and unload speed, the lift-off force could he minimized.
Prenatal diagnosis for congenital afibrinogenemia caused by a novel nonsense mutation in the FGB gene in a Palestinian family

Congenital afibrinogenemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the complete absence of detectable fibrinogen. We previously identified the first causative mutations for this disease, homozygous deletions of approximately 11 kb of the fibrinogen alpha chain gene (FGA). Subsequent analyses revealed that most afibrinogenemia alleles are truncating mutations of FGA, although mutations in all 3 fibrinogen genes, FGG, FGA and FGB have been identified. In this study, we performed the first prenatal diagnosis for afibrinogenemia. The causative mutation in a Palestinian family was a novel nonsense mutation in the FGB gene, Trp467Stop (W467X). Expression of the Trp467Stop mutant FGB cDNA in combination with wild-type FGA and FGG cDNAs showed that fibrinogen molecules containing the mutant beta chain are not secreted into the media. The fetus was found to be heterozygous for the Trp467Stop mutation by direct sequencing and by linkage analysis, a result that was confirmed in the newborn by intermediate fibrinogen levels.
A comparison of creativity and innovation metrics and sample validation through in-class design projects

This paper introduces a new perspective/direction on assessing and encouraging creativity in concept design for application in engineering design education and industry. This research presents several methods used to assess the creativity of similar student designs using metrics and judges to determine which product is considered the most creative. Two methods are proposed for creativity concept evaluation during early design, namely the Comparative Creativity Assessment (CCA) and the Multi-Point Creativity Assessment (MPCA) methods. A critical survey is provided along with a comparison of prominent creativity assessment methods for personalities, products, and the design process. These comparisons culminate in the motivation for new methodologies in creative product evaluation to address certain shortcomings in current methods. The paper details the creation of the two creativity assessment methods followed by an application of the CCA and MPCA to two case studies drawn from engineering design classes.
Theory of fabrication-induced anisotropy of chopped-fibre/resin panels

Abstract We develop a theory for predicting the elastic properties of anisotropic, composite sheet-materials reinforced by chopped fibres which, although randomly oriented initially, are preferentially oriented by compression moulding of the sheet material. The theory is a generalisation of previously developed theories for transversely isotropic, sheet materials with randomly oriented fibres. The analysis shows that the magnitude and direction of preferential stiffening depend on the geometry of the charge and mould, and that the anisotropy can be controlled by adjusting the charge shape. Predictions of the theory agree, to within experimental accuracy, with the results of tests on glass fibre/polyester resin panels.
Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in industrial water reuse modelling

This paper presents a model that identifies cost-optimal water reuse scenarios. The model utilizes a linear programming algorithm within a Geographic Information System (GIS). Specifically, the model integrates database operations and optimization methods with the visualization benefits and geographic analysis offered by maps. The model determines the feasible reuse opportunities based on water quality and finds the optimal material exchange scenario based on product purchase, treatment, and transportation costs. The results are displayed on a map of the region along with accompanying data tables. The use of the model is illustrated by identifying cost and water savings associated with reuse in the Bayport Industrial Complex in Pasadena, Texas. This model has applicability to water reclamation project planning as well as water management in water-poor regions. Additionally, with minor modifications, the water reuse model presented here may be used to quantitatively analyse the use and reuse of other materials. Thus, this model provides a quantitative tool to promote more efficient system-based material cycles.
Alternative splicing and promoter use in the human GABRA2 gene.

Abstract GABA A receptors mediate the majority of the fast synaptic inhibition in the mammalian brain. They are the targets of several important drugs, including benzodiazepines, which are used as anxiolytics, sedatives, anti-convulsants, and in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Non-coding variations in GABRA2 , the gene encoding the α2 subunit, are associated with the risk for alcoholism, suggesting that regulatory differences are important. GABRA2 mRNAs from whole human brain and from three brain regions were examined for evidence of alternative splicing using reverse transcription-PCR and DNA sequencing. A complex pattern of alternative splicing and alternative promoter use of the human GABRA2 mRNA was demonstrated. There are four major isoforms consisting of combinations of two alternative 5′ and 3′ exons, as well as minor isoforms lacking exon 4 or exon 8. The alternative 5′ exons each lie downstream of a functional promoter sequence, as shown by transient transfection assays. The promoter activities of naturally occurring haplotypes differed, indicating genetic differences in gene expression.
OPTIMUM BLOCK ADAPTIVE ICA FOR SEPARATION OF REAL AND COMPLEX SIGNALS WITH KNOWN SOURCE DISTRIBUTIONS IN DYNAMIC FLAT FADING ENVIRONMENTS

Efficient co-channel and adjacent channel interference rejection is often one of the most demanding requirements for wireless receivers. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has been previously applied to realize interference suppression. In particular, the fixed-point FastICA and complex FastICA algorithms can successfully perform blind signal extraction for real and complex valued communication signals in stationary or slow fading environments. Both algorithms exhibit fast convergence speed and impressive accuracy due to their Newton type fixed-point iteration. However, under dynamic channel conditions often encountered in practice, the fixed-point algorithms' performance is significantly degraded. In this contribution, a novel complex block adaptive ICA algorithm and its simplified real version is proposed, that overcome this limitation for the separation of complex valued and real signals with known source distributions. The new methods exploit prior information about the modulation scheme of the communication signals of interest, and achieve improved interference suppression performance in dynamic channel environments. The proposed complex ICA algorithm is called Complex Optimum Block Adaptive ICA (Complex OBA-ICA), and its abridged version for separating real signals is called General Optimum Block Adaptation ICA (GOBA-ICA). The proposed methods are applied to interference rejection in linearly and abruptly flat fading dynamic environments for diversity QPSK and BPSK wireless receivers. Simulation results show that the presented techniques demonstrate better convergence properties and accuracy as compared to the complex FastICA and FastICA algorithms.
Side-by-Side Management of Hedge Funds and Mutual Funds

We examine situations where the same fund manager simultaneously manages mutual funds and hedge funds. We refer to this as side-by-side management. We document 344 such cases involving 693 mutual funds and 538 hedge funds. Proponents of this practice argue that it is essential to hire and retain star performers. Detractors argue that the temptation for abuse is high and the practice should be banned. Our analysis based on various performance metrics shows that side-by-side mutual fund managers significantly outperform peer funds, consistent with this privilege being granted primarily to star performers. Interestingly, side-by-side hedge fund managers are at best on par with their style category peers, casting further doubt on the idea that conflicts of interest undermine mutual fund investors. Thus, we find no evidence of welfare loss for mutual fund investors due to exploitation of conflicts of interest.
Preparation and Characterization of Water/Oil and Water/Oil/Water Emulsions Containing Biopolymer-Gelled Water Droplets

The purpose of this study was to create water-in-oil (W/O) and water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsions containing gelled internal water droplets. Twenty weight percent W/O emulsions stabilized by a nonionic surfactant (6.4 wt % polyglycerol polyricinoleate, PGPR) were prepared that contained either 0 or 15 wt % whey protein isolate (WPI) in the aqueous phase, with the WPI-containing emulsions being either unheated or heated (80 °C for 20 min) to gel the protein. Optical microscopy and sedimentation tests did not indicate any significant changes in droplet characteristics of the W/O emulsions depending on WPI content (0 or 15%), shearing (0-7 min at constant shear), thermal processing (30-90 °C for 30 min), or storage at room temperature (up to 3 weeks). W/O/W emulsions were produced by homogenizing the W/O emulsions with an aqueous Tween 20 solution using either a membrane homogenizer (MH) or a high-pressure valve homogenizer (HPVH). For the MH the mean oil droplet size decreased with increasing number of passes, whereas for the HPVH it decreased with increasing number of passes and increasing homogenization pressure. The HPVH produced smaller droplets than the MH, but the MH produced a narrower particle size distribution. All W/O/W emulsions had a high retention of water droplets (>95%) within the larger oil droplets after homogenization. This study shows that W/O/W emulsions containing oil droplets with gelled water droplets inside can be produced by using MH or HPVH.
SOIL RESPIRATION AND NUTRIENT CYCLING IN WOODED COMMUNITIES DEVELOPING IN GRASSLAND

Grasslands and savannas worldwide are experiencing increases in woody plant abundance. In the subtropical Rio Grande Plains of southern Texas and northern Mexico, this change in physiognomy typically results in soil C and N accumulation. The extent to which this accumulation is the result of increased C and N inputs vs. decreased losses is not known. To address this issue, we compared soil C and N pools, soil respiration, soil microbial biomass, and potential C and N mineralization and nitrification rates in remnant grassland communities and adjacent woody plant communities known to have developed on grassland within the past 100 years. Mean soil organic C (SOC) and total N pools in the upper 20 cm of the profile were 2 larger in wooded communities (3382 and 273 g/m 2 for C and N, respectively) than in remnant grasslands (1737 and 150 g/m 2 ). The larger pool sizes in the wooded communities supported higher annual soil respiration (SR; 745 vs. 611 g C·m 2 ·yr 1 for woodlands and grasslands, respectively) and greater soil microbial biomass C (444 vs. 311 mg C/kg soil), potential rates of N mineralization (0.9 vs. 0.6 mg N·kg 1 ·d 1 ) and nitrification (0.9 vs. 0.4 mg N·kg 1 ·d 1 ). However, despite higher SR rates, mean residence time of near-surface SOC in wooded communities (11 years) exceeded that of remnant grassland communities (6 years). The fact that increased fluxes of soil C and N were accompanied by increases in SOC and N pools and total SOC mean residence time suggests that shifts from grass to woody plant dominance have increased both labile and recalcitrant pools of SOC and total N, the latter to a greater extent than the former. Given the widespread increase in woody plant abundance in drylands in recent history, the observed net increase in soil C storage that potentially accompanies this change could have global implications for C and N cycling and the climate system.
Infants' Metaphysics: The Case of Numerical Identity

Adults conceptualize the world in terms of enduring physical objects. Sortal concepts provide conditions of individuation (establishing the boundaries of objects) and numerical identity (establishing whether an object is the same one as one encountered at some other time). In the adult conceptual system, there are two roughly hierarchical levels of object sortals. Most general is the sortal bounded physical object itself, for which spatiotemporal properties provide the criteria for individuation and identity. More specific sortals, such as dog or car, rely on additional types of properties to provide criteria for individuation and identity. We conjecture that young infants might represent only the general sortal, object, and construct more specific sortals later (the Object-first Hypothesis). This is closely related to Bower's (1974) conjecture that infants use spatiotemporal information to trace identity before they use property information. Five studies using the visual habituation paradigm were conducted to address the Object-first Hypothesis. In these studies, 10-month-old infants were able to use spatiotemporal information but failed to use property/kind information to set up representations of numerically distinct individuals, thus providing empirical evidence for the Object-first Hypothesis. Finally, infants succeed at object individuation in terms of more specific sortals by 12 months. The relation between success at our task and early noun comprehension is discussed.
Functional and structural differences in the hippocampus associated with memory deficits in adult survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background Radiation and chemotherapy targeted to the central nervous system can cause cognitive impairment, including impaired memory. These memory impairments may be referable to damage to hippocampal structures resulting from central nervous system (CNS) treatment.
Effect of fluctuating low‐level chlorine concentrations on valve‐movement behavior of the asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea)

Asiatic clams (Corbicula fluminea) exposed to water from the upstream section of East Fork Poplar Creek (Oak Ridge, TN), a stream receiving chlorine-containing industrial discharges, were monitored for changes in valve movement patterns. Individual clams were attached to an automated valve-movement monitoring apparatus and suspended in flow-through tanks located streamside. Valve-closure behavior of two clams exposed to untreated water was compared to that of two clams exposed to dechlorinated water for two 18-d periods. Chlorine concentrations in untreated water exhibited a pronounced diurnal cycle, fluctuating between a mean daily minimum of 0.02 mg/L total residual chlorine (TRC) during the day and a mean daily maximum of 0.07 mg/L TRC at night during the second monitoring period. In over 2,300 fifteen-minute intervals, clams closed for 0.70 of the intervals while exposed to untreated water, but closed for only 0.22 of the intervals while exposed to dechlorinated water. Treatment differences in valve closure were tested by repeated-measures ANOVA. A significant treatment effect (p = 0.026) on valve closure was found in the first monitoring period. Graphical analysis of valve-closure records revealed die! cycles that differed between treatments. Clams in untreated water usually opened only near midday, when TRC concentrations were lowest. Clams in dechlorinated water opened more often, for longer periods, and appeared to respond to dawn and dusk changes in light. The valve-closure behavior of clams in untreated water effectively minimized tissue exposure to waterborne TRC, presumably reducing toxic effects. Valve-closure monitoring in conjunction with other studies may help estimate the effect of tissue isolation on the toxicity or bioaccumulation of waterborne chemicals. Such estimates could improve prediction of toxicological or ecological consequences of stressful conditions on bivalves.
Recent Trends in Renewable Energy Sources for Electric Power Generation in the United States

As renewable energy sources contribute significantly few emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere, more and more countries are developing technology that leads to their more efficient and reliable use (e.g. wind farms and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems) in electric power generation. During the past several decades, the United States (US) has been a leading innovator in the research and development of renewable energy technologies. This article reviews recent trends in sources of renewable energy, including hydroelectric, wind, biomass, solar PV, and geothermal energy sources for electricity generation in the US and their potential and predicts their success in the future.
Immunity in Chimpanzees Chronically Infected with Hepatitis C Virus: Role of Minor Quasispecies in Reinfection

We have previously reported that chimpanzees chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) could be reinfected, even with the original infecting strain. In this study we tested the hypothesis that this might reflect the presence of minor quasispecies to which there was little or no immunity. To evaluate this hypothesis, we sequenced multiple clones taken at intervals after primary infection and rechallenge from four chronically infected chimpanzees. The inoculum used in these studies (HCV-H, genotype 1a) revealed 17 separate variants among 46 clones sequenced. Following challenge, each of the four challenged animals showed marked alterations of their quasispecies distribution. The new variants, which appeared 1 to 6 weeks after challenge, were either identical to or closely resembled variants present in the challenge inoculum. These results, paralleled by an increase in viremia in some of the challenged animals, suggest that quasispecies in the challenge inoculum were responsible for signs of reinfection and that there was little immunity. However, the newly emerged quasispecies completely took over infection in only one animal. In the remaining three chimpanzees the prechallenge quasispecies were able to persist. The natural evolution of infection within chimpanzees resulted in variants able to compete with the inoculum variants. Whether through reexposure or the natural progression of infection, newly emerged quasispecies are likely to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection.
Grooved terrain on Ganymede

It is postulated that during a period in Ganymede's history when its lithosphere was thin, upwelling convection currents caused incipient rifting accompanied by intensive normal faulting. Where the rifting went to completion, crustal segments separated, spread apart locally, and sheared past one another. Subduction and compression may have occurred in places, but the evidence is inconclusive. The grooved terrain on Ganymede may therefore record an early phase of ice-plate tectonics that caused rifting and drifting of the icy lithosphere, but which, unlike silicate plate tectonics on earth, may have resulted in only minor vertical turnover. It is concluded that grooved terrain grew at the expense of cratered terrain, that cratered tracts were converted into grooved terrain in situ, and that vertical tectonism and shear movements dominated in the restructuring of Ganymede's surface.
Abstract 279: Resolvin D2 and Maresin 1 Modulate Vascular Inflammation, Cell Migration Aad Macrophage Polarization in a Mouse Model of Arterial Injury

Introduction: Vascular injury induces a potent inflammatory response that influences vessel remodeling and patency, limitinglimits the long-term benefits of cardiovascular interventions such as angioplasty. Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) derived from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) orchestrate resolution in diverse settings of acute inflammation. We hypothesized that systemic administration of DHA-derived SPMs (resolvin D2 [RvD2] and maresin 1 [MaR1]) would influence vessel remodelinginflammation and remodeling in a mouse model of arterial neointima formation (carotid ligation). Methods and Results: In-vitro, SPM treatment inhibited mouse aortic smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration (IC50@1 nM) to a PDGF gradient and reduced tumor necrosis factor-α stimulated p65 translocation, superoxide production and pro-inflammatory gene expression (MCP-1). In vivo, adult FVB mice underwent unilateral carotid arteryi ligation with administ...
Echocardiographic assessment of ischemic mitral regurgitation

Ischemic mitral regurgitation is an important consequence of LV remodeling after myocardial infarction. Echocardiographic diagnosis and assessment of ischemic mitral regurgitation are critical to gauge its adverse effects on prognosis and to attempt to tailor rational treatment strategy. There is no single approach to the echocardiographic assessment of ischemic mitral regurgitation: standard echocardiographic measures of mitral regurgitation severity and of LV dysfunction are complemented by assessments of displacement of the papillary muscles and quantitative indices of mitral valve deformation. Development of novel approaches to understand mitral valve geometry by echocardiography may improve understanding of the mechanism, clinical trajectory, and reparability of ischemic mitral regurgitation.
Substance Abuse Technology: A Primer for Community Corrections Practitioners

Community corrections practitioners generally conceptualize “substance abuse technologies” to mean those things that are used to detect the use of some substance that an offender is prohibited from using as a condition of pretrial release, probation, parole, work release, or any other correctional options that involve an alternative to traditional incarceration (e.g., day reporting programs, electronic monitoring, or community-based residential and treatment programs for inmates reentering the community after a period of incarceration). In this chapter, we broaden the focus of “technologies” in order to give due diligence to substance abuse testing technologies from their traditionally narrow focus on detection to include technologies associated with delivering services that produce reductions in substance abuse and ultimately in individual offender recidivism.
Management of the Post-Tracheostomy Scar†

Tracheostomy scar management is aimed at filling lost deep tissue bulk, the correction of tracheal skin tug, and a tension-free closure that falls more naturally into the neck folds. Three cases are used to illustrate the major principles involved in the correction of tracheostomy scars. Those reconstructive principles are 1) re-approximation of individual layers of the neck for improved contour and release of tracheal skin tug, 2) filling of tissue deficit, using scar de-epithelialization, muscle flaps, or acellular dermal grafts, 3) excision of hypertrophic scarring or keloids, and 4) horizontal wound closure using simple closure or local skin flaps such as z-plasty. The goals and techniques outlined can resolve skin adherence to the trachea and can improve scar appearance in this noticeable location.
Simple Device for Preparing Polyethylene Liquid Cells for the Far Infrared

Since it is difficult to remove solutions from the thin polyethylene cells which are frequently used in far infrared spectroscopy, it often becomes necessary to use a new cell for each measurement. Consequently, it seems desirable to describe a device which is suitable for fabricating these cells rapidly and inexpensively. The resulting cells have two further advantages for our work, much of which relates to oxygen and moisture sensitive solutions. Air tight seals are readily obtained with these cells, and the cells can be made of varying thicknesses of polyethylene. These last two properties are in contrast to those of the commercially available cells, which are sealed only with difficulty and which are available in only one thickness of polyethylene.
Characterization of the 5-hydroxymethylcytosine-specific DNA restriction endonucleases

In T4 bacteriophage, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is incorporated into DNA during replication. In response, bacteria may have developed modification-dependent type IV restriction enzymes to defend the cell from T4-like infection. PvuRts1I was the first identified restriction enzyme to exhibit specificity toward hmC over 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and cytosine. By using PvuRts1I as the original member, we identified and characterized a number of homologous proteins. Most enzymes exhibited similar cutting properties to PvuRts1I, creating a double-stranded cleavage on the 3′ side of the modified cytosine. In addition, for efficient cutting, the enzymes require two cytosines 21–22-nt apart and on opposite strands where one cytosine must be modified. Interestingly, the specificity determination unveiled a new layer of complexity where the enzymes not only have specificity for 5-β-glucosylated hmC (5βghmC) but also 5-α-glucosylated hmC (5αghmC). In some cases, the enzymes are inhibited by 5βghmC, whereas in others they are inhibited by 5αghmC. These observations indicate that the position of the sugar ring relative to the base is a determining factor in the substrate specificity of the PvuRts1I homologues. Lastly, we envision that the unique properties of select PvuRts1I homologues will permit their use as an additive or alternative tool to map the hydroxymethylome.
Epidemiology and Management of Antiretroviral-Associated Cardiovascular Disease

Risk and manifestations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) will continue to evolve as improved treatments and life expectancy of these patients increases. Although initiation of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy has been shown to reduce this risk, some ARV medications may induce metabolic abnormalities, further compounding the risk of CVD. In this patient population, both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies should be employed to treat and reduce further risk of CVD. This review summarizes epidemiology data of the risk factors and development of CVD in HIV and provides recommendations to manage CVD in HIV-infected patients.
FIR principal component filter banks

Two-dimensional (2-D) principal component filter banks (PCFBs) of finite impulse response (FIR) are proposed. For 2-D signals, among all uniform paraunitary FIR analysis/synthesis filter banks, the FIR PCFBs have the most energy compaction and maximize the arithmetic mean to geometric mean ratio (AM/GM ratio) of subband variances, which is the theoretic coding gain (TCC) of the systems under proper assumptions. The theoretic proof and design techniques are provided. Several special cases are discussed. Experimental results show the potential power of the FIR PCFBs.
Requisite role of cardiac myocytes in coronary α1-Adrenergic constriction

Background—α-Adrenergic activation in vivo causes constriction of coronary arterioles, but, paradoxically, in vitro these microvessels do not contract to this stimulus. We hypothesized that cardiac...
Active learning for probability estimation using jensen-shannon divergence

Active selection of good training examples is an important approach to reducing data-collection costs in machine learning; however, most existing methods focus on maximizing classification accuracy. In many applications, such as those with unequal misclassification costs, producing good class probability estimates (CPEs) is more important than optimizing classification accuracy. We introduce novel approaches to active learning based on the algorithms Bootstrap-LV and ActiveDecorate, by using Jensen-Shannon divergence (a similarity measure for probability distributions) to improve sample selection for optimizing CPEs. Comprehensive experimental results demonstrate the benefits of our approaches.
Prevalence and correlates of tobacco use in bipolar disorder: data from the first 2000 participants in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program

Abstract Objective Only a few small descriptive studies have examined the prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among bipolar patients. We predicted that poorly controlled manic, depressed and mixed states, and the presence of psychotic symptoms, would be associated with a greater prevalence of smoking among patients with bipolar disorder. Method We examined the prevalence of smoking in a cross-sectional sample of 1904 patients with bipolar disorder enrolled in the National Institute of Mental Health's Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) database. We also examined the relationship between smoking and other factors including: bipolar subtype, current clinical status, illness severity (e.g., number of prior mood episodes), age of bipolar onset, gender, education, socioeconomic status, and concurrent substance use. Results At STEP-BD program entry, 31.2% of patients reported that they were smokers. Patients who were male, less educated, and/or had lower income were more likely to be smokers ( P P P P =.04). Conclusions Clinical and demographic variables are associated with smoking in this sample of bipolar patients. Longitudinal analyses are needed to determine how mood and bipolar symptoms interact with smoking over the episodic course of bipolar disorder. Additional studies should focus on whether controlling bipolar symptoms is associated with cessation of smoking.
Jim: a platform for affective AI in an interdisciplinary setting

We report on Jim, an inexpensive student designed platform for embodied affective AI. The project brings together students from backgrounds in computer science, physics, engineering, and Digital Media Arts (DMA) in an informal educational setting. The platform will be used in AI courses and autism treatment studies.
Menopausal Hormone Therapy Influence on Breast Cancer Outcomes in the Women's Health Initiative

The Woman's Health Initiative has conducted 2 full-scale, placebo-controlled clinical trials to determine the influence of menopausal therapy on breast cancer incidence and outcome. Estrogen plus progestin use in postmenopausal women with a uterus increases breast cancer incidence and deaths from breast cancer. Despite a short-term reduction in risk after stopping estrogen plus progestin use, an increase in breast cancer risk persists postintervention. Estrogen-alone use in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy reduces breast cancer incidence and reduces deaths from breast cancer. The reduced breast cancer risk persists for several years after stopping estrogen-alone use but is lost in late postintervention. These findings suggest recalibration of breast cancer risk and benefit consideration for both regimens, with estrogen plus progestin use associated with greater risk and estrogen-alone use associated with greater benefit. Use of either regimen in clinical practice requires careful consideration of all clinical risks and benefits.
Hedging Emerging Market Stock Risk with Sovereign Credit Default Swaps

This paper tests sovereign credit default swaps (CDS) as a hedge and safe haven asset against stock index returns in a sample of 18 emerging markets from 2005-2014. GARCH dynamic conditional correlation analysis indicates that CDS are an effective hedge due to the consistent inverse relationship between CDS and the stock indexes of each country. CDS are largely a weak safe haven in times of extreme stock market volatility. However, during the 2008 U.S. financial crisis and the 2010 European debt crisis, CDS provide either a strong or weak safe haven in most countries.
Determinants of transdiaphragmatic pressure in dogs

We measured the transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) during bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation and evaluated the determinants of its change with lung volume, chest wall geometry, and respiratory system impedance in supine dogs. Four rows of radiopaque markers were sewn onto muscle bundles of the costal and crural diaphragm between their origin on the central tendon and their insertion on the rib cage and spine. The length of the diaphragm (L) was determined from the projection images of marker rows using biplane fluoroscopy. Measurements were made at lung volumes between total lung capacity and functional residual capacity before and after the infusion of Ringer lactate solution into the abdominal cavity. In contrast to relaxation, during tetanic stimulation the active lengths of the muscle bundles were similar at all volumes, but the diaphragm assumed different shapes. Although the small differences in active muscle length with volume and liquid loads are consistent with only small changes in muscle force output, Pdi varied by a factor of greater than or equal to 5. There was no single L/Pdi curve that fitted all data during 50-Hz stimulations. We conclude that under these experimental conditions Pdi is not a unique measure of the force produced by the diaphragm and that lung volume, chest wall geometry, and respiratory system impedance are important determinants of the mechanical efficiency of the diaphragm as a pressure generator.
Trends in Patient Characteristics and Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in the 2000 to 2012 Medicare Population.

Background The purpose of this analysis was to examine the trends in patient characteristics and outcomes in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) over a 12-year period in the Medicare database. Methods The study included 1,264,265 isolated CABG procedures in the Medicare population from January 2000 through November 2012. Comorbidities were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic codes. Trends in patient characteristics and hospital outcomes were assessed with Cochran-Armitage trend tests. Long-term survival was examined with Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results The median age was 74 years. Comorbidity profiles increased significantly over time. The number of patients undergoing CABG decreased from 131,385 in 2000 to 71,086 in 2012. The majority of patients underwent multivessel revascularization (13.5% single-vessel CABG, 35.2% 2-vessel CABG, 32.1% 3-vessel CABG, and 15.7% ≥4-vessel CABG). The percentage of patients undergoing 1- and 2-vessel revascularization increased over time, whereas that of ≥3-vessel CABG decreased. Single internal mammary artery (IMA) use increased from 75.6% to 88.6%. Median length of stay (LOS) was 8 days. Thirty-day mortality decreased from 4.2% to 3.0%. Hospital mortality fell from 4.0% in 2000 to 2.7% in 2012 (odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.77). Survival was 93% at 6 months, 91% at 1 year, 84% at 3 years, and 76% at 5 years. Five-year survival changed little over time (range, 75%–77%). Conclusions Despite rising comorbidities in Medicare patients undergoing CABG, hospital mortality fell significantly from 2000 to 2012. When adjusted for comorbidities, this signified a 27% reduction in hospital mortality. IMA use increased during the study period, and there was a trend of decreased use of 3 or more grafts.
Oviposition in the Columbine Borer, Papaipema Purpurifascia (G. & R.) and the Iris Borer, Macronoctua Onusta Grt.

Although the columbine borer ( Papaipema purpurifascia ) and the iris borer ( Macronoctua onusta ) were described some sixty years ago (Grote & Robinson, 1868; Grote, 1874) very little biological work has been done on either species. This seems surprising in as much as both of these insects are well known pests of flower gardens and make the growing of columbine and iris difficult. Since both species pass the winter in the egg stage, it seemed desirable to obtain some accurate data on oviposition habits. Nothing could be found in the literature concerning the number of eggs laid by individual female columbine borers nor on the length of the oviposition period in that species. Ries (1929)) makes the following statement concerning the number of eggs laid by the iris borer, “The eggs are laid in the fall—a single female laying from 150 to 200 eggs over a period of several days.”