cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote-Exchange: an approach to controlled sharing among autonomous, heterogeneous database systems

The authors describe several aspects of the Remote-Exchange project, which focuses on an approach and experimental system for the controlled sharing and exchange of information among autonomous, heterogeneous database systems. The spectrum of heterogeneity which may exist among the components in a federation of database systems is examined, and an approach to accommodating such heterogeneity is described. An overview of the Remote-Exchange experimental system is provided, including the top level architecture, sharing mechanism, and sharing advisor. >
Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in middle ear epithelial cells by IL-1β and TNF-α

Abstract Objective: The importance of nitric oxide (NO) in the development of mucoid middle ear effusion (MMEE) has been reported, but the mechanism regulating NO release is unclear. We hypothesized that middle ear epithelial cells (MEEC) are an important source of NO and that cytokines may be responsible for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression in middle ear epithelial cells. This study aims to identify and localize iNOS in middle ear epithelium, and to characterize the effects of cytokines IL-1β and TNF–α on the expression and regulation of iNOS in rat middle ear epithelial cells. Methods: In vitro study: 40 Healthy adult Sprague–Dawley rats weighing 200–250 g were used as donors of MEEC. Cultured MEEC were exposed to IL-1β (10 ng/ml), TNF–α (5 ng/ml) or PBS (negative control) stimulation for 16 h. In vivo study: A total of 45 healthy adult Sprague–Dawley rats weighing 200–250 grams were used for this study. The tympanic bullae were exposed bilaterally by a submandibular approach. Animals were equally divided into three groups and inoculated with either 250 ng of IL-1β, 250 ng of TNF-α or PBS. A PBS group served as control. Expression of iNOS mRNA in MEEC from both in vivo and in vitro studies was determined by RT-PCR using specific primers. Expression of iNOS protein in MEEC was determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot using specific anti-iNOS antibody. Results: Primary culture of rat MEEC was positively stained by cytokeratin antibody, but not by vimentin, indicating the epithelial origin of the cultured cells. RT-PCR revealed that cultured MEEC without treatment of IL-1 β or TNF-α did not express iNOS mRNA whereas cultured MEEC treated with IL-1β or TNF-α for 16 h expressed iNOS mRNA. Both immunocytochemistry and Western blot demonstrated the expression of iNOS protein in the majority of cultured MEEC treated with IL-1β or TNF-α for 16 h, whereas the expression of iNOS protein was not detectable in MEEC without treatment. Expression of iNOS protein in vivo was observed in middle ear mucosa treated with IL-1β and TNF-α by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: Expression of iNOS mRNA and iNOS protein is induced in MEEC following the treatment of cytokines IL-1β or TNF-α both in vivo and in vitro. The results of the present study demonstrate that rat MEEC possess the capacity to express iNOS after IL-1β and TNF-α stimulation.
History places: A case study for relational database and information retrieval system design

This article presents a project-based case study that was developed for students with diverse backgrounds and varied inclinations for engaging technical topics. The project, called History Places, requires that student teams develop a vision for a kind of digital library, propose a conceptual model, and use the model to derive a logical model and information retrieval specification. From these two design representations, students implement a data-driven Web site that enables users to browse content and search by exact and best-match queries. The project brief contains a set of general requirements that promote creative solutions, while also bounding the complexity of the solution space. The article includes teaching notes and a conceptual model, expressed as an enhanced entity-relationship model in UML. The model, consisting of approximately ten entities, contains binary, unary, ternary, and specialization/generalization relationships. The article concludes with some reflections based on the experiences of using this project in six classes over four years.
Reformulating the full-Stokes ice sheet model for a more efficient computational solution

Abstract. The first-order or Blatter-Pattyn ice sheet model, in spite of its approximate nature, is an attractive alternative to the full Stokes model in many applications because of its reduced computational demands. In contrast, the unapproximated Stokes ice sheet model is more difficult to solve and computationally more expensive. This is primarily due to the fact that the Stokes model is indefinite and involves all three velocity components, as well as the pressure, while the Blatter-Pattyn discrete model is positive-definite and involves just the horizontal velocity components. The Stokes model is indefinite because it arises from a constrained minimization principle where the pressure acts as a Lagrange multiplier to enforce incompressibility. To alleviate these problems we reformulate the full Stokes problem into an unconstrained, positive-definite minimization problem, similar to the Blatter-Pattyn model but without any of the approximations. This is accomplished by introducing a divergence-free velocity field that satisfies appropriate boundary conditions as a trial function in the variational formulation, thus dispensing with the need for a pressure. Such a velocity field is obtained by vertically integrating the continuity equation to give the vertical velocity as a function of the horizontal velocity components, as is in fact done in the Blatter-Pattyn model. This leads to a reduced system for just the horizontal velocity components, again just as in the Blatter-Pattyn model, but now without approximation. In the process we obtain a new, reformulated Stokes action principle as well as a novel set of Euler-Lagrange partial differential equations and boundary conditions. The model is also generalized from the common case of an ice sheet in contact with and sliding along the bed to other situations, such as to a floating ice shelf. These results are illustrated and validated using a simple but nontrivial Stokes flow problem involving a sliding ice sheet.
ACUTE TOXICITY OF PARA-NONYLPHENOL TO SALTWATER ANIMALS

para-Nonylphenol (PNP), a mixture of alkylphenols used in producing nonionic surfactants, is distributed widely in surface waters and aquatic sediments, where it can affect saltwater species. This article describes a database for acute toxicity of PNP derived for calculating a national saltwater quality criterion. Using a flow-through exposure system with measured concen- trations, we tested early life stages of four species of saltwater invertebrates and two species of fish. Static 96-h tests were also conducted on zoeal Homarus americanus,embryo-larval Mulinia lateralis, and larval Pleuronectes americanus.The number of organisms surviving the flow-through test was measured at 2, 4, 8, and 12 h and daily through day 7. Mortality for most species plateaued by 96 h. The ranked sensitivities (96-h 50% lethal concentrations, measured in micrograms per liter) for the species tested were 17 for Pleuronectes americanus,37.9 (48-h 50% effective concentration) for Mulinia lateralis, 59.4 for Paleomonetes vulgaris, 60.6 for Americamysis bahia(formerly Mysidopsis bahia), 61.6 for Leptocheirus plumulosos,70 for Menidia beryllina, 71 for Homarus americanus,142 for Cyprinodon variegatus,and .195 for Dyspanopius sayii.Values for the seven most sensitive of these species ranged over a factor of only 4.2. The narrow range of responses for PNP implies that exceeding a threshold concentration would endanger a large proportion of the aquatic community.
Technical note: Development of a model for study of in vivo bone strains in normal and microgravity environments

Accurate bone strain measurements are essential to the understanding of the process of strain-regulated bone re- modeling. It has been suggested that this process optimizes the amount and structure of bone to its function as a load bearing support. Identification of strain magnitudes and the frequency of application required to control the bone remodeling process is critical for a better understanding of bone remodeling leading to bone loss in extended space flight. No
Sweet Debate: Fructose versus Glucose in Diabetic Kidney Disease

The prevalence of diabetes continues to increase worldwide.[1][1] Renal disease shows the strongest correlation with excess mortality in diabetes, yet the mechanisms of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remain poorly understood. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that hyperglycemia plays a crucial role
Kinesthetic Aftereffect and Augmenting/Reducing: A Two-Session Procedure, and Hence Identification of Stimulus-Governed Subjects, is Contraindicated

Abstract A few of the recent researchers of kinesthetic aftereffect (KAE) as an index of augmenting/reducing have continued to employ a two-session procedure. Findings that have accrued in the past decade indicate (a) The first administration of KAE is a reliable (internally consistent) and valid index of augmenting-reducing; (b) there are carry-over effects from the first to the second administration that bias the second session's preinduction scores; (c) KAE scores from sessions after the first do not relate to first-session scores (low retest reliability) and do not measure augmenting/reducing; and (d) unless special procedures are undertaken to avoid using the biased second- (or later-) session preinduction scores, a KAE procedure involving more than one session is contraindicated. When we reached a similar conclusion earlier (Baker et al., 1974), Petrie (1974) disagreed, arguing that a two-session procedure was needed to identify and eliminate an atypical subgroup, the “stimulus governed.” The case f...
Effective browsing of long audio recordings

Timeliner is a browser for long audio recordings and features that it derives from such recordings. Features can be either signal-based, like spectrograms, or model-based, like categorical classifiers. Unlike conventional audio editors, Timeliner pans and zooms smoothly across many orders of magnitude, from days-long overviews to millisecond-scale details, with zero latency, zero flicker, and low CPU load. Also, to suggest which details are worth zooming in to examine, Timeliner's agglomerative hierarchical caches propagate feature-specific details up to wider zoom levels. Because these details are not averaged away, "big data" can be browsed rapidly and effectively. Several studies demonstrate this.
A new directional antenna for ISM applications

The design and analysis of a new directional antenna is presented. This antenna can be used in a hand-held device or instruments requiring an antenna radiating in a particular direction. The antenna has a small size, and can be built on a single or double sided printed circuit board. It can also be built as a on-board antenna to reduce manufacturing cost. The antenna presented consists of two dipoles. The two dipoles are placed in parallel and very close to each other. The antenna has a radiation pattern very similar to that of a two element Yagi antenna having one driven element and one director, a front-to-back ratio more than 10 dB, and a gain more than 3 dBd. No matching network is required since the antenna is designed for a 50 ohms input impedance at the center frequency of a band. The method of moments, particularly, the reaction technique, is used for the analysis.
Out-of-plane photons in SPECT

Photons originating from planes adjacent to the slice of interest introduce considerable qualitative and quantitative error in single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) images. The extent of out-of-plane contributions was studied, and a method to compensate for these photons was examined. Simulations using accurate Monte Carlo models were performed to acquire projection data. Analysis of these projections showed that as much as 12% of the total counts corresponding to a 1.8-cm-thick slice of interest were due to out-of-plane nonscatter and that out-of-plane scatter could compromise up to 16% of a projection pixel's total count. Reconstructions were obtained by maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization methods, that accounted for the out-of-plane phenomena. These reconstructions gave an improvement in count quantification, noise, and contrast as compared to performing in-plane compensation alone. These findings required 3-D reconstructions with out-of-plane compensation in order to obtain reliable quantitative SPECT images. >
Parkinson's disease: Clinical features, epidemiology, and genetics

Genetic and epidemiological studies are critical to understanding the etiology of Parkinson's Disease (PD), and may lead to rational treatments for the disease. This article reviews the clinical features, epidemiology and genetics of PD, with emphasis on insights from recent genetic and epidemiological studies.
On the Environmental Sensible/Latent Heat Fluxes From A/C Systems in Urban Dense Environments: A New Modeling Approach and Case Study

Recent trends for denser cities and associated levels of human activity reflected in energy demands are requiring new ways for quantifying human environmental impacts in cities. There is little information on human-induced environmental heat fluxes from very dense urban environments, and far less information on the anthropogenic sensible/latent heat flux partition. To address this, a surface energy model that takes into account evaporation from impervious surfaces and from cooling towers from buildings was implemented in the multilayer urban canopy model (BEP+BEM) of the Weather Forecasting Research (WRF) model to estimate the overall sensible/latent heat fluxes from urban surfaces and from air condition (A/C) systems from buildings in complex urban environments. The scenario used as case study was New York City (NYC) during summers (2010 & 2013). Urban canopy parameters from the Department of City Planning of NYC were assimilated into WRF with BEP+BEM at 250 meters horizontal resolution to have an accurate representation of the city topology. The modeling approach was calibrated with surface weather stations in NYC showing general good agreement with slight tendency to overestimate maximum temperatures and underestimate moisture content at nighttime. The A/C component was estimated in 150W/m2 latent heat due to cooling towers, and close to 40 W/m2 in sensible. Evaporative cooling technology diminishes between 80 and 90% the amount of sensible heat which is transformed into latent heat. Impacts of anthropogenic in the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) reflect warm season increases in the PBL height, and significant increases of atmospheric instability.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Pacemaker and Internal Cardioverter-Defibrillator Therapies

Cardiac rhythm management devices (CRMD) have evolved significantly since the late 1950s, when the first pacemakers (PM) were implanted [1]. However, transcutaneous electrical cardiac stimulation was used to treat symptomatic advanced second-degree or third-degree atrioventricular (AV) heart block (Stokes-Adams attacks) in the 1920s [1, 2]. The first implantable devices were asynchronous ventricular PM (VOO1) for patients with Stokes-Adams attacks, and then evolved into dual-chamber PMs (DDD) to preserve AV synchrony [1, 2, 3, 4].2 Next, intracardiac sensing was added to avoid competition between paced and intrinsic rhythms in patients with intermittent symptomatic bradycardia due to AV heart block or sinus node dysfunction. The response to sensed events (first ventricular-VVI; then, atrial or dual-chamber sensing-VAT,VDD, DVI, DDD) could be inhibition or the triggering of ventricular pacing stimuli. The next important evolution was adaptive rate pacing (ARP) in the 1980s, whereby a physiologic sensor detected the need for increased paced heart rates with exercise. Physiologic responses that have been investigated and are or might be used clinically in ARP are listed in Table 1.
Inhibition of Hif1α prevents both trauma-induced and genetic heterotopic ossification

Pathologic extraskeletal bone formation, or heterotopic ossification (HO), occurs following mechanical trauma, burns, orthopedic operations, and in patients with hyperactivating mutations of the type I bone morphogenetic protein receptor ACVR1 (Activin type 1 receptor). Extraskeletal bone forms through an endochondral process with a cartilage intermediary prompting the hypothesis that hypoxic signaling present during cartilage formation drives HO development and that HO precursor cells derive from a mesenchymal lineage as defined by Paired related homeobox 1 (Prx). Here we demonstrate that Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (Hif1α), a key mediator of cellular adaptation to hypoxia, is highly expressed and active in three separate mouse models: trauma-induced, genetic, and a hybrid model of genetic and trauma-induced HO. In each of these models, Hif1α expression coincides with the expression of master transcription factor of cartilage, Sox9 [(sex determining region Y)-box 9]. Pharmacologic inhibition of Hif1α using PX-478 or rapamycin significantly decreased or inhibited extraskeletal bone formation. Importantly, de novo soft-tissue HO was eliminated or significantly diminished in treated mice. Lineage-tracing mice demonstrate that cells forming HO belong to the Prx lineage. Burn/tenotomy performed in lineage-specific Hif1α knockout mice (Prx-Cre/Hif1α(fl:fl)) resulted in substantially decreased HO, and again lack of de novo soft-tissue HO. Genetic loss of Hif1α in mesenchymal cells marked by Prx-cre prevents the formation of the mesenchymal condensations as shown by routine histology and immunostaining for Sox9 and PDGFRα. Pharmacologic inhibition of Hif1α had a similar effect on mesenchymal condensation development. Our findings indicate that Hif1α represents a promising target to prevent and treat pathologic extraskeletal bone.
Cavity-mode Stabilization of a Grazing-Incidence Pulsed Dye Laser

Compact, inexpensive, grating-tuned pulsed single-mode oscillators of the type first described by Littman[1] have been demonstrated to be scannable over tens of wavenumbers. This approach uses a diffraction grating at grazing incidence as the frequency selective element that allows only a single longitudinal mode to oscillate in the laser cavity. Littman’s mechanical design[2] couples the scanning of the grating passband and frequency of the cavity modes in such a manner that the selected mode can be tuned continuously. While this design is quite elegant in theory, the mechanical tolerances necessary for broad scan ranges can not be obtained in practice.
Albumin expression distinguishes bile duct adenomas from metastatic adenocarcinoma

AIMS Bile duct adenomas may be difficult to distinguish from metastatic carcinomas, particularly well-differentiated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Prior studies have evaluated the utility of various immunohistochemical markers, although these markers are notable for low sensitivity and/or specificity. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of albumin and BRAFV600E expression in distinguishing between metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and bile duct adenoma. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 26 bile duct adenomas, three bile duct hamartomas, and 158 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Branched-chain in-situ hybridization (bISH) for albumin was performed; bISH is based on the branched DNA technology, wherein signal amplification is achieved via a series of sequential steps. Additionally, BRAFV600E immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on a subset of cases. Twenty-three of 25 (92%) bile duct adenomas were positive for albumin; 18 (72%) showed diffuse staining, and five showed focal staining (20%), including two challenging examples. Two bile duct hamartomas also stained positively. All pancreatic adenocarcinomas were negative for albumin. Seven of 16 (44%) bile duct adenomas and five of 106 (5%) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas were positive for BRAFV600E by IHC. The sensitivity and specificity of expression of albumin, as detected by bISH, for distinguishing bile duct adenomas from metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinomas were 92% and 100%, respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of BRAFV600E IHC for distinguishing bile duct adenomas from metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinomas were 43.8% and 95.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Diagnostically challenging examples of bile duct adenoma may be distinguished from metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma by the use of albumin bISH.
Choosing the quality of the fit between complementary products

In this paper, I examine how firms should position their complementary products. I assume that there are two competing firms, each producing two complementary products. Each firm decides whether to employ strategies that enhance the quality of the fit (the degree of complementarity) between its pair of complementary products before competing in prices. The consumers have heterogeneous tastes for the four possible bundles. They are willing to pay a price premium in order to purchase a bundle from the same firm if this firm chose to make such bundle more attractive. I find that increasing the degree of complementarity between a firm's complementary products intensifies price competition and often leads to smaller profits. Only when complementarity-enhancing strategies significantly increase the demand for a firm's matching bundle, does the firm benefit from employing them. The highest profits for both firms are obtained when both firms do not employ complementarity-enhancing strategies. Deteriorating the quality of the fit between one's own and a rival's complementary products is never profitable.
Acetaminophen for analgesia following pyloromyotomy: does the route of administration make a difference?

Background During the perioperative care of infants with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, an opioid-sparing technique is often advocated due to concerns such as postoperative hypoventilation and apnea. Although the rectal administration of acetaminophen is commonly employed, an intravenous (IV) preparation is also currently available, but only limited data are available regarding IV acetaminophen use for infants undergoing pyloromyotomy. The objective of the current study was to compare the efficacy of IV and rectal acetaminophen for postoperative analgesia in infants undergoing laparoscopic pyloromyotomy.
Public and Private, Domestic and Corporate: The Emergence of the Southwest Asian Village

Despite extensive research on the transition from semimobile hunters and gatherers to sedentary, food-producing villagers in Southwest Asia, associated changes in community organization remain unexplored. Undoubtedly new social and economic mechanisms were necessary to facilitate the success of these larger permanent settlements. The emergence of novel intrasite organizational patterns can be elucidated in the archaeological record through analysis of the built environment. This paper presents an interpretation of temporal transformations in community organization utilizing the results from the detailed analysis of Beidha, one of the most extensively excavated early Neolithic villages in Southwest Asia. It is proposed that the emergence of Neolithic farming villages in Southwest Asia was characterized by two parallel and interrelated organizational trends: a more restricted social network for sharing production and consumption activities, and the development of more formal and institutionalized mechanisms for integrating the community as a whole.
Dreaming of Dry Land: Environmental Transformation in Colonial Mexico City

Vera S. Candiani. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2014. xxix and 376 pp., maps, tables, illustrations, notes, index. $60.00 cloth (ISBN 9780804788052); $48.00 electronic (ISBN 978080479107...
Space Link Extension (SLE) Emulation for High Data Rate Network Communication

As the data rate requirements for space communications increases, significant stress is placed not only on the wireless satellite communication links, but also on the ground networks which forward data from end-users to remote ground stations. These wide area network (WAN) connections add delay and jitter to the end-to-end satellite communication link, effects which can have significant impacts on the wireless communication link. It is imperative that any ground communication protocol can react to these effects such that the ground network does not become a bottleneck in the communication path to the satellite. In this paper, we present our SCENIC Emulation Lab testbed which was developed to test the CCSDS SLE protocol implementations proposed for use on future NASA communication networks. Our results show that in the presence of realistic levels of network delay, high-throughput SLE communication links can experience significant data rate throttling. Based on our observations, we present some insight into why this data throttling happens, and trace the probable issue back to non-optimal blocking communication which is supported by the CCSDS SLE API recommended practices. These issues were presented as well to the SLE implementation developers which, based on our reports, developed a new release for SLE which we show fixes the SLE blocking issue and greatly improves the protocol throughput. In this paper, we also discuss future developments for our end-to-end emulation lab and how these improvements can be used to develop and test future space communication technologies.
Neurologic Control of the Larynx

The larynx is a multifunctional organ. It is a valve that plays key roles in breathing, swallowing, and speech, as well as defecation and stabilization of the thorax during heavy lifting. The larynx is also a sensory organ, densely supplied with receptors that are activated by a variety of mechanical and chemical stimuli. Neural control of the larynx is, therefore, complex and varies according to function. Protection of the airway is the most primitive function of the larynx. It closes tightly during a swallow and in response to noxious stimuli. Laryngospasm may result from saturation of the pathways that stimulate laryngeal closure. The larynx opens and closes during breathing to control airflow. This activity is controlled by central pattern generators in response to respiratory demand, but can be overridden by voluntary activity. The laryngeal valve is also very active during a cough: opening widely during the inspiratory phase, closing tightly during the compressive phase, and then suddenly opening in the expulsive phase. As with respiratory motion, cough may be reflexive, or voluntary. Voice production requires appropriate approximation of the vocal folds to achieve oscillation during exhalation. Pitch is controlled by intricate control of the length, tension, and thickness of the vocal folds, in precise coordination with respiratory muscles. Speech also requires precise coordination between the actions of laryngeal muscles, respiratory muscles, and the muscles of articulation: lips, tongue, palate, jaws, and pharyngeal constrictors. Laryngeal motor neurons are located in the nucleus ambiguous. In nonhuman mammals, phonation is controlled at subcortical levels. This system is also present in humans. But humans, and humans alone, have direct cortical control of laryngeal muscles. The complex actions of the small muscles in the larynx are quite vulnerable to distortion by peripheral nerve injury.
Gait analysis in children and adolescents with spinal cord injuries.

AbstractBackground/Objective: lmproving ambulation in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCis) is a major challenge for the clinician. Physical examination can be supplemented with biomechanic information from the gait Iabaratory to comprehensively evaluate and improve walking. Gait analysis is an effective method to evaluate 3 -dimensional dynamic joint range of motion (kinematics) and forces (kinetics) occurring at the hip, knee, and ankle/foot. Clinical gait analysis has proved tobe essential for surgical and rehabilitative planning and posttreatment assessment in many neuromuscular disorders. Benefits of gait analysisalso may apply to walking patients with SCis. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the utility of gait analysis in children and adolescents with SCis.Methods: Motion analysis evaluations and physical examinations were performed on 33 children and adolescents with SCis (16 males, 17 females) . Mean age at time of gait analysiswas 11.7 years, with an age range of 2.5 to 21 years.Resul...
Cardiac Small Conductance Calcium-Activated K Channels Maintain Repolarization Reserve in a Pharmacological Model of Type 3 Long QT Syndrome

Drug-induced long QT syndrome (diLQT) is a major public health problem. Whether small conductance calcium-activated K (SK) channels are involved in modulating cardiac repolarization reserve in diLQT is unclear. To examine their role in diLQT, we determined the effects of SK current inhibition on optically measured action potential duration at 80% repolarization (APD80) in isolated perfused, immobilized (10 microM ±-blebbistatin) mouse hearts, in which ventricular repolarization was prolonged by the late Na current (INa-L) activator ATX-II (15 nM). ATX-II at this concentration had no significant effect on the activity of cardiac SK channels expressed in HEK293 cells, but significantly (P 0.05). Vehicles for ATX-II and apamin did not significantly alter APD80 (n = 3; P>0.05). Identical results were obtained in isolated perfused rabbit hearts (n = 2), indicating that apamin effects on APD80 were not species-specific. In conclusion, these findings suggest that SK currents are acutely upregulated in a pharmacological model of type 3 LQT syndrome. Increased SK channel activity may serve as an endogenous rescue mechanism protecting normal and diseased ventricles from arrhythmias associated with reduced repolarization reserve. Apamin caused further prolongation of the APD80. Therefore, SK channel blockade removes this rescue mechanism, unmasking diLQT.
Uniquitous: Implementation and evaluation of a cloud-based game system in Unity

Cloud gaming is an emerging service based on cloud computing technology which allows games to be run on a server and streamed as video to players on a lightweight client. Commercial cloud gaming systems, such as Playstation Now and StreamMyGame remain proprietary, limiting access for game developers and researchers. In order to address this shortcoming, we present an open source cloud-based game system prototype in Unity called Uniquitous that gives game developers and researchers control over both the cloud system and the game content. Detailed experiments evaluate the performance of Uniquitous for two main parameters, game resolution and game image quality, using two different games. The evaluation results are used in a data model that can predict in-game frame rates for systems with configurations beyond those tested. Validation experiments show the accuracy of our model and complement the release of Uniquitous as a potential research and development platform.
Impulsivity Moderates Subjective Responses to Alcohol in Alcohol-Dependent Individuals

Aims Studies of social drinkers indicate that subjective response (SR) to alcohol and impulsivity are risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorder which may be related. It is unclear, however, whether there are significant relationships between SR and impulsivity among individuals with alcohol dependence. Using data from an intravenous (IV) alcohol challenge study, the present study is the first to explore the relationship between impulsivity and SR during alcohol administration among alcohol-dependent individuals. Methods Non-treatment-seeking, alcohol-dependent individuals (N = 42) completed the Delay Discounting Task to measure impulsivity and then completed two counterbalanced, placebo-controlled IV alcohol administration sessions, which included assessments of SR at breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) levels of 0.00, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06 g/dl. Results Analyses revealed that more impulsive participants experienced higher subjective stimulation and positive mood in response to rising BrACs as compared to less impulsive individuals. More impulsive participants also experienced increased sedation over time regardless of condition (i.e. alcohol vs. saline). Conclusion These findings suggest that among alcohol-dependent individuals, impulsivity is positively associated with the hedonic effects of alcohol as compared to placebo. High impulsivity may characterize a subset of alcohol-dependent individuals who drink to experience the rewarding effects of alcohol.
13. Functional Role of Adenovirus Penton in Modulating In Vivo Properties of Liver-Targeted and Liver-Detargeted Adenovirus Variants

Pharmacokinetic studies of adenovirus (Ad) vectors after intravascular delivery demonstrate that the majority of an administered virus dose is rapidly sequestered from the circulation by the liver. The molecular determinants that target Ad to the liver have been found on each of the virus capsid proteins, including hexon, penton, and fiber. The penton protein in the majority of Ad serotypes comprises a hypervariable loop containing an RGD motif that has been shown to interact with a number of cellular integrins upon virus entry into the cell. The binding of penton to integrins triggers virus internalization and relaxes the virus structure for subsequent endosomal disassembly. However, RGD motif interaction with integrins on tissue macrophages leads to production of inflammatory cytokines and significantly contributes to systemic Ad toxicity. Despite its importance for the virus entry into the cell, the penton is not well employed in the development of therapeutic Ad vectors. Therefore, in this study we evaluated strategies for modulating Ad penton interactions with cellular integrins. Ad vectors were created bearing substitutions of the RGD motif with mimetic non-RGD-containing peptides derived from extracellular proteins laminin 1 and laminin 3. These peptides are interacting with a different subset of integrins compared to those binging penton RGD motif. Unlike wild type (WT) Ad5, these penton-modified vectors were able to utilize β4 integrin for cell entry. The in vivo studies demonstrated that penton-modified Ads cannot activate a full inflammatory cascade and their in vivo toxicity, therefore, is dramatically reduced. Although the penton-mutated vectors were infecting a set of cancer cell lines in vitro and hepatocytes in vivo with a similar efficacy as the WT Ad5, interactions of virus with Kupffer cells and virus accumulation in the liver after intravascular vector delivery remain similar for penton-mutated and WT Ad vector. We also developed Ad vectors containing mutations abrogating virus interactions with all types of liver cells. Additionally to penton modifications, we introduced a T425A mutation in the hexon hyper variable loop HVR7 to completely abrogate virus interaction with blood coagulation FX and prevent transduction of hepatocytes. Furthermore, a set of mutations in the hexon HVR1 region were introduced to prevent Ad uptake by Kupffer cells. Due to penton modifications these vectors had very low toxicity and combinations of three mutations diverted the vector away from the liver. These data demonstrate that RGD loop modification represents a useful approach for introducing beneficial properties to the Ad vectors for greatly reducing their systemic toxicity and enable liver de-targeting. CryoEM analyses are currently underway to identify the structural differences in the capsid between the penton mutants and the wild type Ad.
Serial Section Analysis of Grain Structures

Grain structures in single phase polycrystals consist of statistical aggregates of contiguous polyhedral shaped crystals incident in boundary configurations similar to those occurring in soap froths (Smith2). The morphology of the grains and boundary configurations are important parameters in considering the effect of this cellular structure upon the properties. Analysis of the topological parameters is based upon a general approach for measuring the number of physically identifiable features in a sample volume from serial sections.
An initial survey of aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera (Insecta) from the Cardamom Mountains and adjacent uplands of southwestern Cambodia, with descriptions of four new species

Previous collections of aquatic Heteroptera from Cambodia have been limited, and the biota of the country has remained essentially undocumented until the past several years. Recent surveys of aquatic Heteroptera in the Cardamom Mountains and adjacent Kirirom and Bokor plateaus of southwestern Cambodia, coupled with previous literature records, demonstrate that 11 families, 35 genera, and 68 species of water bugs occur in this area. These collections include 13 genus records and 37 species records newly listed for the country of Cambodia. The following four new species are described based on these recent surveys: Amemboa cambodiana n. sp. (Gerridae); Microvelia penglyi n. sp., Microvelia setifera n. sp. and Microvelia bokor n. sp. (all Veliidae). Based on an updated checklist provided herein, the aquatic Heteroptera biota of Cambodia as currently known consists of 78 species, and has an endemism rate of 7.7%, although these numbers should be considered provisional pending further sampling.
Fierce and Indomitable: The Protohistoric Non-Pueblo World in the American Southwest

This volume, edited by Deni Seymour, presents a series of papers on the archaeology of mobile peoples in the Southwest during the protohistoric period. Many of these groups, including the O’odham (...
Proteoglycans and Wound Repair

Proteoglycans consist of a protein core to which linear polysaccharides called glycosaminoglycans are covalently linked. This chapter discusses not only proteoglycans, but also hyaluronic acid, which is not covalently bound to protein and therefore does not qualify as a proteoglycan. However, since hyaluronic acid with its repeating disaccharide structure belongs to the family of glycosaminoglycans and has important biologic functions, it is included. The structure of proteoglycans may vary considerably, depending on the size and composition of the core proteins and the size and number of polysaccha-ride chains. The number of glycosaminoglycan classes is quite small, but some contain a heterodisperse population, in which fine structural variability results in the potential for hundreds of glycosaminoglycan species. It is also becoming clear that each proteoglycan class may contain members with distinctly different core proteins. The net result is the potential for a large variety of proteoglycans within the vertebrate body. Some of these proteoglycans appear to have a general distribution throughout the animal body, whereas others show a high degree of tissue specificity.
Graded Exercise Testing

For many clinicians, an exercise stress test offers diagnostic and prognostic information. Foremost is the assessment of chest pain and repolarization changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG) suggestive of myocardial ischemia. However, other data collected during an exercise stress test provide useful prognostic information and are helpful in guiding return to work, developing an exercise prescription, and managing the patient during exercise training. This chapter focuses on the procedures necessary to insure that the exercise stress test yields information useful for guiding exercise training in cardiac rehabilitation or at home.
Behavioural responses to human intruders of herring gulls (Larus Argentatus ) and great black-backed gulls (L. Marinus ) with varying exposure to human disturbance.

This study examined differences in response to humans approaching the nest for incubating herring and great black-backed gulls with varying amounts of prior exposure to humans. Gulls nesting in frequently disturbed areas sat more tenaciously, responded more slowly, and returned to the nest more quickly following the intruder's retreat, than birds nesting in less disturbed areas. The species differed in their responses in different areas. Stage of incubation had little effect, except that late in incubation herring gulls returned to the nest more quickly. Weather variables affected responses of great black-backed gulls. For both species the behaviours we scored when the experimenter approached the nest were correlated, as were those following departure, but there was no correlation between these two sets of responses. Our study provides evidence on the relationships among components of an alarm and escape response, and provides a measure of influence of human disturbance for two species of gulls.
The Clinical Impact of Cross-Sectional Imaging on Crohn’s Disease Management

A new era of Crohn’s disease management exists where decisions are made by objective data as a necessary adjunct to patient symptoms. Cross-sectional imaging, particularly CT enterography (CTE) and MR enterography (MRE), provides powerful objective insights into the disease process resulting in a firm place for cross-sectional imaging in our current diagnostic and management paradigms. The high sensitivity and specificity of the techniques for the presence of bowel inflammation have helped pinpoint the location and severity of disease enabling diagnosis and facilitating assessment of symptoms. The ability to identify disease complications has helped direct medical therapy and enables more robust presurgical assessment. Emerging data suggest that cross-sectional imaging findings are sensitive to changes in inflammation resulting from our potent biologic therapies and may be used in amazing new ways such as in predicting disease course. Technological advances in CT and MR enterography have provided new insights into the disease processes while enhancing patient safety and tolerability. The goal of this chapter is to provide a gastroenterologist’s view of how cross-sectional imaging fits our current and future management algorithm. These remarkable technologies enable gastroenterologists and radiologists, working together, to serve our patient population in profound ways.
Assessment of USGS DEMs for modelling pothole inundation in the prairie pothole region of Iowa

This study aims to compare inundation in two potholes using Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution model (AnnAGNPS) with three Digital Elevation Models (DEMs): a 1 m DEM prepared from t...
Abstract P397: Social Determinants of Hypertension and Diabetes Among African Immigrants: The African Immigrant Health Study

Introduction: The differences in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black ethnic groups in the U.S. remain largely unexplained. African immigrants are particularly likely to have high r...
When will going green enhance firm performance

Studies of firms’ eco-friendly efforts flourish in trade and academic publications. Despite its size, the literature shows equivocal results on the impact of firms’ initiatives to preserve the natu...
Benefits of Probiotic Yogurt Consumption on Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review

The purported benefits of probiotics have been touted as adjunctive or alternative treatment to a variety of diseases. Limited studies have investigated the role of probiotic yogurt in the prevention and management of pregnancy-related adverse events. This literature review aims to analyze the benefits of probiotic yogurt on improving maternal health and pregnancy outcomes and to further identify possible areas of study. A detailed search was conducted utilizing the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE/PubMed database. The following search terms were queried: ("probiotic" OR "probiotics") AND ("yogurt" OR "yoghurt") AND ("pregnancy"). All articles identified by this search strategy were retrieved in their entirety, analyzed for relevance, and thoroughly reviewed for additional studies. All data were accessed in March 2020. The review process revealed 13 manuscripts that met inclusion criteria for review, the majority (n=10) of which were clinical trial reports. The manuscripts were further classified and grouped broadly by study outcomes. The consumption of probiotic yogurt was found to improve metabolic, inflammatory, and infectious outcomes of pregnancy. Studies on the consumption of probiotic yogurt appear to have many positive benefits, ranging from improving metabolism to decreasing preterm births. While its mechanism is still largely unclear, probiotic yogurt holds promise as a nutritional, global pregnancy supplement. Future research should be conducted and may consider detailed study of more fermented foods that offer categorization as a probiotic. Additional funding and research conducted in other countries may also clarify the effects of probiotic yogurt consumption on pregnancy outcomes.
Human pluripotent stem cells for cardiac regeneration

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for one out of every three deaths globally [1] . The direct and indirect costs of CVD in the United States alone is estimated to be well over $300 billion annually and may triple by 2030 as scientists and clinicians seek better treatments [1] . Cardiovascular disease encompasses many illnesses, such as ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies, which lead to heart failure. Ischemic cardiac disease occurs when insufficient oxygen supply reaches the heart due to blood clot formation. Following this ischemic insult, cardiac cell death occurs that severely impairs heart function and stability. It is estimated that shortly after the onset of a large myocardial infarction (MI), one billion cardiomyocytes, or about a quarter of the total cell count in the heart, are permanently lost. This results in a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen, leading to a dramatic increase in mortality rates.
CHiSEL: a user-oriented framework for simplifing database evolution

In order to conduct research effectively, scientists must be able to access, organize, describe, and produce data as part of their daily research activities. While relational databases are well suited to the tasks of describing and organizing scientific metadata and results, the difficulties of using relational database management systems effectively, have resulted in their limited adoption among scientists. In addition, scientific research is changing steadily with new experimental protocols, instruments, and discoveries that determine what data are generated and how they must be described and organized according to a relational schema. Unfortunately, evolving a schema is one of the most difficult aspects of database usage. The conventional data definition and manipulation languages offer relatively low-level programming abstractions to perform complex database evolution tasks, and therefore require specialized technical skills not possessed by most scientists. A simplified means of expressing database evolution operations would reduce the effort for non-expert users of databases. This paper presents a high-level, user-oriented, schema evolution framework built on a formal algebra of schema modification operators. The approach allows introduction of novel operators as motivated by new requirements and is amenable to well established optimization techniques for efficient planning and execution. We also propose a rigorous evaluation methodology for comparing the user effort of database evolution languages, and we introduce a benchmark for evaluating the execution efficiency of schema evolution expressions. We present the framework and its implementation, and we demonstrate its utility in exemplar use cases and a performance evaluation.
Short note on the excitonic Mott phase

An exciton gas on a lattice is analysed in terms of a convergent hopping expansion. For a given chemical potential, our calculation provides a sufficient condition for the hopping rate to obtain an exponential decay of the exciton correlation function. This result indicates the existence of a Mott phase in which strong fluctuations destroy the long range correlations in the exciton gas at any temperature, either by thermal or by quantum fluctuations.