cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Markers are shared between adipogenic and osteogenic differentiated mesenchymal stem cells

The stem cell differentiation paradigm is based on the progression of cells through generations of daughter cells that eventually become restricted and committed to one lineage resulting in fully differentiated cells. Herein, we report on the differentiation of adult human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) towards adipogenic and osteogenic lineages using established protocols. Lineage specific genes were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR relative to two reference genes. The expression of osteoblast-associated genes (alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, and osteocalcin) was detected in hMSCs that underwent adipogenesis. The expression of adipocyte marker genes (adiponectin, fatty acid binding protein P4, and leptin) increased in a time-dependent manner during adipogenic induction. Adiponectin and leptin were also detected in osteoblast-induced cells. Lipid vacuoles that represent the adipocyte phenotype were only present in the adipogenic induction group. Conforming to the heterogeneous nature of hMSCs and the known plasticity between osteogenic and adipogenic lineages, these data indicate a marker overlap between MSC-derived adipocytes and osteoblasts. We propose a careful consideration of experimental conditions such as investigated time points, selected housekeeping genes and the evidence indicating lack of differentiation into other lineageswhen evaluating hMSC differentiation. Key words: Mesenchymal stem cell, differentiation markers, cell plasticity, differentiation.
Connexin Gene Transfer Preserves Conduction Velocity and Prevents Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction: Fibrosis, cellular dysfunction and gap junction protein alterations occur in AF and cause conduction delay. We performed this study to test the hypothesis that gap junction protein overexpression would improve conduction and prevent AF. Methods and Results: Thirty Yorkshire swine were randomized into sinus rhythm (SR) and AF groups (n=15 per group). Each group included 3 subgroups: sham-operated control, gene therapy with adenovirus expressing connexin (Cx) 40 and Cx43, with 5 animals in each subgroup. All animals had epicardial gene painting; the AF group had burst atrial pacing. All animals underwent terminal study 7 days after gene transfer. SR animals had strong transgene expression but no atrial conduction changes. In AF animals, controls had reduced and lateralized Cx43 expression, and Cx43 gene transfer restored the expression of total and phosphorylated Cx43 to SR control levels. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed connexin localization to the intercalated disk after gene transfer. In the AF group, both Cx40 and Cx43 gene transfer improved conduction and reduced AF relative to controls. Conclusions: Atrial-specific gene therapy with gap junction protein preserved atrial conduction velocity and prevented AF.
Sweet preferences and analgesia during childhood: effects of family history of alcoholism and depression.

Aim To determine whether depression and family history of alcoholism are associated with heightened sweet preferences in children, before they have experienced alcohol or tobacco and at a time during the life-span when sweets are particularly salient. Design Between- and within-subject experimental study. Participants Children, 5–12 years old (n = 300), formed four groups based on family history of alcohol dependence up to second-degree relatives [positive (FHP) versus negative (FHN)] and depressive symptoms as determined by the Pictorial Depression Scale [depressed (PDEP) versus non-depressed (NDEP)]. Measurements Children were tested individually to measure sucrose preferences, sweet food liking and, for a subset of the children, the analgesic properties of sucrose versus water during the cold pressor test. Findings The co-occurrence of having a family history of alcoholism and self-reports of depressive symptomatology was associated significantly with a preference for a more concentrated sucrose solution, while depressive symptomatology alone was associated with greater liking for sweet-tasting foods and candies and increased pain sensitivity. Depression antagonized the analgesic properties of sucrose. Conclusions While children as a group innately like sweets and feel better after eating them, the present study reveals significant contributions of family history of alcoholism and depression to this effect. Whether the heightened sweet preference and the use of sweets to alleviate depression are markers for developing alcohol-related problems or responses that are protective are important areas for future research.
Quantifying the Tradeo Between Fairness and Delay in Trac Flow Management and Planning: A Queueing-Theory Approach

We examine the tradeo between fairness and delay in air trac o w management and planning, using an M/D/1 queue bank model. To motivate our o w-based approach to studying fairness, we rst give several illustrative examples that characterize fairness (and performance in terms of delay/cost) in the current United State National Airspace System. We then pursue analysis and design of fairness, using the queuebank model. We nd that optimal allocations of capacity resources (with respect to average-delay measures) are unfair: much larger delays are imposed on minor o ws as compared to major ones at the optimum. Also, the fairness of the optimal allocation is shown to exhibit a dependence, albeit a weak one, on the congestion level. We then explore how much additional delay cost is imposed if a certain fairness level is imposed, and nd that signican t improvement in fairness can sometimes be achieved with moderate increase in cost. Finally, we briey note that the fairness issue studied here is analogous with the fairness concerns that arise in bandwidth allocation problems for communication networks, and suggest that further examining these commonalities may be illuminating.
Implementation of a Clinical Pathway in Management of the Postoperative Vestibular Schwannoma Patient

Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new clinical pathway in management of patients with postoperative vestibular schwannoma. The impact on duration of hospitalization and quality of care was evaluated. Study Design: The study was a retrospective review of 59 consecutive patients undergoing surgical intervention for vestibular schwannoma between January 1995 and July 1999. Methods: A new clinical pathway for management of postoperative vestibular schwannoma patients was implemented at The California Ear Institute at Stanford (Palo Alto, CA) in January 1995. All patients undergoing surgical intervention subsequent to initiation of the pathway were included in the study. Data including surgical approach, patient age, sex, and tumor size were included. Duration of hospitalization and postoperative complications were recorded. During the same time period, data for patients undergoing radiation therapy for vestibular schwannomas were evaluated for length of hospital stay and in-hospital complications. Data were compared with norms recorded in the literature for duration of hospitalization and complications following surgical intervention. Results: Fifty-nine patients underwent 35 middle fossa approaches and 24 translabyrinthine approaches to their tumors. The average patient age was 53 years; there were 34 female and 25 male patients. The average length of hospital stay was 3.83 days (SD = 1.4 days) with a range from 2 to 10 days. Postoperative complications were observed in 19% of patients, including eight (13%) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, two requiring lumbar drains (3.4%); one hematoma (1.6%), one postoperative fever (1.6%), and one dural tear with associated hyponatremia (1.6%). These results compared favorably with previously recorded average hospital stays of 5.95 to 9.5 days 1,5-7 and CSF leak complication rates of 7% to 15%, 9,10 Conclusions: Implementation of a clinical pathway for management of the patient with postoperative vestibular schwannoma improves efficiency of patient care, allowing decreased duration of hospitalization. This goal is achieved without increasing complication rates and, in our experience, actually improving the quality of clinical care. The cost-effectiveness of clinical pathways may become increasingly important in a managed care-driven environment.
Teaching program design through program structure maps

It is well known that college and university level programs in the computing sciences continue to turn out graduates who are schooled in topics such as compiler writing, automata theory and numerical analysis, while the vast majority of potential employers of these graduates are seeking people knowledgeable in administrative systems and application programming. This point was brought home during a recent visit I made to a graduate course in data structures at a major university. When the instructor asked the more than forty students to list all the programming languages they knew, COBOL went entirely unmentioned. Although COBOL is not an ideal language for instructional purposes, the fact that it is rarely taught in computing science programs is probably due more to the tastes of instructors than to intrinsic weaknesses of COBOL. My remarks here take the position that COBOL can be used quite successfully as a demonstration language to help teach information processing principles and good programming practices, while providing students with a much sought after skill.
The Systemic Effects of Benchmarking

We show that the competitive pressure to beat a benchmark may induce institutional trading behavior that exposes retail investors to tail risk. In our model, institutional investors are different from a retail investor because they derive higher utility when their benchmark outperforms. This forces institutional investors to take on leverage to overinvest in the benchmark. Institutional investors execute fire sales when the benchmark experiences shock. This behavior increases market volatility, raising the tail risk exposure of the retail investor. Ex post, tail risk is only short lived. All investors survive in the long run under standard conditions, and the most patient investor dominates. Ex ante, however, benchmarking is welfare reducing for the retail investor, and beneficial only to the impatient institutional investor.
Oxygen reduction catalyzed by nanocomposites based on graphene quantum dots-supported copper nanoparticles

Abstract Nanocomposites based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-supported copper nanoparticles were prepared by thermal refluxing of copper salts in 1,2-propanediol at 140 °C in the presence of GQDs. Transmission electron microscopic measurements showed that the resulting Cu/GQD nanoparticles increased from 5 to 15 nm in average diameter with increasing metal loadings. Raman spectroscopic measurements showed that all nanocomposites exhibited well-defined D and G vibrational bands. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies indicated the formation of Cu2O and CuO in the nanocomposite particles, along with various defect concentrations within the GQD graphitic skeletons. Electrochemical studies showed that the nanocomposites exhibited apparent electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction in alkaline media, and the sample with a Cu/C atomic ratio of 2.88% exhibited the best ORR activity among the series, within the context of onset potential, number of electron transfer and kinetic current density. The performance was further improved by deliberate hydrothermal treatments of the sample, and 160 °C was identified as the optimal temperature, which was ascribed to manipulation of the electronic interactions between copper nanoparticles and oxygen intermediates by the GQD structural defects.
A demonstration of query-oriented distribution and replication techniques for dynamic graph data

Evolving networks can be modeled as series of graphs that represent those networks at different points in time. Our G* system enables efficient storage and querying of these graph snapshots by taking advantage of their commonalities. In extending G* for scalable and robust operation, we found the classic challenges of data distribution and replication to be imbued with renewed significance. If multiple graph snapshots are commonly queried together, traditional techniques that distribute data over all servers or create identical data replicas result in inefficient query execution. We propose to verify, using live demonstrations, the benefits of our graph snapshot distribution and replication techniques. Our distribution technique adjusts the set of servers storing each graph snapshot in a manner optimized for popular queries. Our replication technique maintains each snapshot replica on a different number of servers, making available the most efficient replica configurations for different types of queries.
Influence of Parental Conflict Resolution Strategies on Hispanic College Women’s Experiences With Verbal Aggression

The study investigates the relation between interparental verbal aggression, parent-daughter verbal aggression, and verbal aggression in female Hispanic college student's dating relationships ( N = 599). Results showed that mothers' high levels of verbal conflict with fathers were predictive of having high levels of verbal conflicts with their daughters. This in turn, predicted daughters' use of verbal conflict with their intimate partner. Similarly, fathers' high levels of verbal conflict with mothers were predictive of having high levels of verbal conflicts with their daughters. However, this was not found to be predictive of daughters' use of verbal conflict with their intimate partner.
Sublingual or subcutaneous immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis

Allergen immunotherapy is effective in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and, unlike antiallergic drugs, has been shown to modify the underlying cause of the disease, with proved long-term benefits. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) has been the gold standard, whereas sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has emerged as an effective and safe alternative. Previous Cochrane systematic reviews and meta-analyses have confirmed that both SLIT and SCIT are effective in patients with seasonal AR, whereas evidence for their efficacy in patients with perennial disease has been less convincing. Recent large, adequately powered trials have demonstrated reductions in both symptoms and use of rescue medication in patients with seasonal and those with perennial AR. Here we appraise evidence for SCIT versus SLIT based on indirect evidence from Cochrane reviews and recent well-powered double-blind, randomized controlled trials versus placebo and the limited direct evidence available from randomized blind head-to-head comparisons. At present, based on an overall balance of efficacy and side effects, the patient is in equipoise. Pending definitive comparative trials, choice might be determined largely by the local availability of SCIT and SLIT products of proved value and personal (patient) preference.
State Courts and Protective Legislation during the Progressive Era: A Reevaluation

For a number of years, courts during the Progressive Era have been characterized as enemies of reform. Judges, according to that view, read their own conservative biases into law in order to nullify child labor legislation, efforts to establish maximum hours, minimum wages, and workmen's compensation, and revisions of traditional rules governing employer liability in job-related accidents. Theodore Roosevelt, Gilbert Roe, Roscoe Pound, and others were only a few voices in the chorus that condemned courts for their allegedly reactionary attitudes toward social legislation. Louis D. Brandeis, for example, on the eve of his nomination to the United States Supreme Court, charged judges with being blind to the great social and economic changes of the past halfcentury and with erecting their own prejudices into legal barriers to reform. ' Recent studies of the United States Supreme Court have led to a revision of that institution's image as a thoroughgoing enemy of reform. Despite its decisions in such cases as Lochner v. New York, Adair v. United States, and Coppage v. Kansas, which have often been portrayed as epitomizing its opposition to protective legislation, the Court in fact upheld the vast majority of protective statutes it reviewed.2 A similar analysis needs to be done for state courts,
Convective Electronic Device Cooling Using Microencapsulated Phase Change Material Slurry in Planar Spiral Coil

The current trend in miniaturization of electronic devises requires more effective thermal management techniques to remove the heat to ensure the maximum performance of the devise. Among all available thermal management techniques for electronic cooling, convective heat transfer cooling has gained attentions due to low cost and maturity in the market. The single-phase convective heat removal technique suffers from the low heat carrying capacity since there is no phase change occurs during the process. On the other hand, Microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCMs) are gaining attention due to their high heat carrying capacity. MPCMs are composed of phase change material (PCM) as the core material that is encapsulated with micrometer size shell materials. The PCM inside the capsules may undergo a phase change as the temperature varies around the melting and freezing temperature points of the PCM. This leads to a significant heat gain/release due to the phase change of the PCM.In this paper, we are performing a numerical modeling on the performance of MPCMs mixed with single-phase base fluid when pumped through planar spiral coils. From electronic thermal management point of view, it is ideal to have an enhanced coolant that maintain the operating temperature under an allowable level uniformly. The behavior of MPCM slurry when pumped through planar spiral coils reveals unique patterns due to the centrifugal forces. The available data on MPCM slurry through spiral coil heat exchangers show the new patterns of velocity and heat transfer curves that require further investigation and scientific explanations. The current paper studies the steady conditions of flows under laminar regimes at different boundary conditions. A CAD model of a planar coil heat exchanger is developed in SolidWorks. The model is meshed and discretized in order to apply the governing equations into the model. ANSYS Fluent package is used to solve the fluid flow and heat transfer equations inside the geometry. The velocity and temperature profiles along the coil are studied and discussed to quantify the roles of different forces in such flows. The ultimate goal of this study to evaluate the efficacy of utilizing such formulated microencapsulated PCM slurry at different mass concentrations on electronic thermal management considering the cost associated to the added pressure drop when using MPCM slurry.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
A Periodic Table of Spatial Hierarchies

Spatial systems may be organized hierarchically so that large high order areas in a system may collect flows from, or deliver flows to, small low order areas in the system. Examples at a geographical spatial scale are rivers, alpine glaciers and central place systems. Examples in the organic realm are at a much smaller scale, i.e., trees, blood vessels, airways, bile ducts, and even the microscopic branching of the Purkinje cell in the brain.
The Choice of TLIF for Lumbar Interbody Fusion

The posterior approach to interbody lumbar fusions has been an integral part of the spine surgeon’s therapeutic armamentarium since the original description of the PLIF by Cloward. Technical modifications and improvements upon this procedure including the more lateral TLIF approach and minimally invasive modifications of the TLIF have expanded the surgical options for this treatment. Although there are a number of different approaches for posterior interbody fusion in the lumbar spine, most achieve comparably excellent results. We describe indications, surgical outcomes, and technical details and outcomes of these techniques, with a focus on TLIF and mini-open TLIF techniques.
Cultural Margins, Hybrid Scripts

Since its emergence in the 1980s, Taiwanese Indigenous writing has constituted a case of minor literature that mostly uses the culturally dominant language of Chinese, rather than indigenous languages, for literary creation. Framed conventionally as cultural traditions without writing in spite of the existence of Romanized script systems for Taiwan’s indigenous languages, the literary expressions of Taiwan’s first cultures face a situation of linguistic diglossia accompanied by that of bigraphism, one of profound inequality between two languages as well as between their script systems. This essay analyzes two recent texts by Taiwanese indigenous authors, Badai’s Diguwan: Damalagaw during the Taisho Years (2007) and Rahic Talif’s Turbidity (2006), for their textual strategies of linguistic and script mixing, in order to explore the complex politics of translation at Taiwan’s cultural margin and beyond.
Factors That Influence the Quality of RNA From the Pancreas of Organ Donors.

OBJECTIVES Attaining high-quality RNA from the tissues or organs of deceased donors used for research can be challenging due to physiological and logistical considerations. In this investigation, METHODS: RNA Integrity Number (RIN) was determined in pancreatic samples from 236 organ donors and used to define high (≥6.5) and low (≤4.5) quality RNAs. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the potential effects of novel or established organ and donor factors on RIN. RESULTS Univariate analysis revealed donor cause of death (odds ratio [OR], 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15-0.77; P = 0.01), prolonged tissue storage before RNA extraction (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.52-0.79; P < 0.01), pancreas region sampled (multiple comparisons, P < 0.01), and sample type (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.15-0.67; P < 0.01) negatively influenced outcome. Conversely, duration of final hospitalization (OR, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.59-10.37; P < 0.01) and sample collection protocol (OR, 8.48; 95% CI, 3.96-19.30; P < 0.01) positively impacted outcome. Islet RNA obtained via laser capture microdissection improved RIN when compared with total pancreatic RNA from the same donor (ΔRIN = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.0; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS A multivariable model demonstrates that autopsy-free and biopsy-free human pancreata received, processed, and preserved at a single center, using optimized procedures, from organ donors dying of anoxia with normal lipase levels increase the odds of obtaining high-quality RNA.
Establishing a functional conceptualisation of reflection’s meaning making criterion

AbstractKevin M. Roessger is an assistant professor of adult and lifelong learning at the University of Arkansas. He teaches courses in all areas of adult learning and development. His research interests include behavioural analytic approaches to skills-based learning and reflection as a natural phenomenon.Current conceptualisations of reflection have limited value for adult educators and researchers interested in predicting and influencing learning on measurable outcomes. They fail to specify how prediction and influence might occur and what might be expected to result. Ambiguous definitions prevent systematic investigations of reflection’s effects and replication and extension of researchers’ work. To address these issues, a functional account of Dewey’s meaning making criterion of reflection is presented using relational frame theory. It aims to (a) specify how reflection occurs from functional relationships with the environment, (b) minimise conjecture by extending generalisable research findings, (c)...
‘It doesn’t seem like PE and I love it’: Adolescent girls’ views of a health club physical education approach:

School-based physical education (PE) is the most efficient and cost-effective means of increasing girls’ physical activity. Therefore, this project used a health club (HC) approach to alter a high ...
Study of an Optimum Design for Subcritical Neutron Multipliers Using Californium-252 Neutron Sources

Calculations are performed to determine the optimum design of a subcritical assembly for multiplying a 252Cf source. Subcritical experiments have been performed in a TRIGA research reactor to verif...
Mechanisms of Formaldehyde and C2 Formation from Methylene Reacting with CO2 Adsorbed on Ni(110)

Methylene (CH2) is thought to play a significant role as a reaction intermediate in the catalysis of methane dry reforming as well as in converting synthesis gas to light olefins via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. Here, we report high quality Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations of the reaction mechanisms associated with CH2 impinging on a Ni(110) surface with CO2 adsorbed at 0.33 ML coverage. The results show the formation of formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, C2 species such as H2C–CO2, and others. Furthermore, we provide real-time demonstration of both Eley–Rideal (ER) and hot atom (HA) reaction mechanisms. The ER mechanism mostly happens when CH2 directly collides with an oxygen of CO2, while CH2 attacks the carbon of CO2, dominantly following the HA mechanism. If CH2 reaches the Ni surface, it can easily break one C–H bond to form CH and H on the surface. The mechanistic details of H2CO, H/CO, C2, and H/CH formation are illuminated through the study of bond breaking/formation, charge transf...
Information Flow Queue Optimization in EC Cloud

With the proliferation of big data applications, Erasure Codes (EC) have been increasingly adopted by distributed storage systems because of the space efficiency and high reliability. However, tail latency remains as a major limitation with EC which is responsible for long response times of many emerging Web applications. To combat tail latency of EC, one approach is to introduce real-time data displacement, which would cause additional latency due to data displacement itself. Queue models are frequently adopted for data scheduling. However, current queue model approaches usually overlook the real-time properties of requests and hence only provide suboptimal solutions. In this paper we consider the natures of real-time requests and the bipartite property of the network graph. We formulate the problem as a k-marriage flow queue model and optimize the scheduling strategy according to user preference (Service Level Agreement (SLA)) with multi-object optimization (MOO). Comprehensive simulation results show admissible improvement of the proposed method on tail latency as compared to the state of the art including the data displacement approach.
Creating the developmental teaching portfolio: A great tool for self-assessment

Description d'une brochure d'enseignement realisee par les bibliothecaires de l'Universite de l'Arizona. Ce portefolio comporte des curricumlum vitae, des indications sur la philosophie de l'enseignement dans le domaine de la bibliotheconomie, les disciplines enseignees dans le cadre de la bibliotheque, le nombre d'etudiants...
A New Computable Criterion for the Non-Existence of Invariant Circles

From the stability condition of the minimum energy states of the Frenkel-Kontorova model and the Mather-Aubry theorem, we get a new computable criterion for estimating the upper bound of kc — the critical value of the perturbation parameter of the 2D standard mapping. By using this criterion, we got the rigorous result \( {k_c} \leqslant \sqrt {{2}} \). Our numerical results confirm the earlier estimation given by Greene, i.e., kc~0.9718....
Well-Posedness of Differential Equations

This chapter describes well-posedness of differential equations. Before an attempt is made to determine or approximate the solution of a differential equation, it should be checked to determine if the differential equation problem is intrinsically well-posed. A well-posed differential equation is one in which: (1) the solution exists; (2) the solution is unique; (3) the solution is stable, that is, the solution depends continuously on the boundary conditions and initial conditions. If the differential equation is not well-posed, it is called an ill-posed or improperly posed problem. For such problems there may not be a solution, there may be more than one solution, or whatever solution is determined (by an approximate scheme) may be unrelated to the actual solution. For partial differential equations, the third condition (concerning stability) is generally the easiest to check. The chapter highlights that for Laplace's equation and elliptic equations in general, the Dirichlet problem is well-posed. Also, the Neumann problem does not have a unique solution, but is otherwise well-posed.
Incorporating Ethics into Teaching Health Policy Analysis

In the context of teaching a course entitled Ethics of Health Policy: Public Health and Health Care, I have introduced and refined a framework for analysis. The primary goal of the framework is to provide students with a way to systematically consider ethical concerns when evaluating health policy options. A secondary goal of the framework is to give the students and myself a common language to move forward in the context of the material presented in the course. The framework builds on a set of questions proposed by Warwick and Kelman (1976) meant to discern the values animating public policy initiatives. The details of the framework are drawn from the contemporary literature on public health ethics. The current framework is organized around a set of directions and probes for the use to apply to a particular question in health policy. The directions include: consider the public health problem; indentify and consider policy options available to address the problem identified; identify and consider moral concerns raised by policy options under consideration; assess evidence available to determine potential success of policy options under consideration; and monitor outcomes. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the approach by reviewing the relevant background and then applying the framework to the public health problem of adult obesity.
The Scientific and Popular Receptions of Darwin, Freud, and Einstein

The reception of scientific ideas, especially fundamental ones such as those proposed by Darwin, Freud, and Einstein—when analyzed via an affective and comparative taxonomy—can be seen to take place within a field of certain obvious variables. These variables can be categorized along the following demarcations (some will apply more to scientific than popular reception): professional-disciplinary cultures, generational factors, philosophies of science, trans-national diffusion, religion, level of education, political ideology, wealth of a nation, and the imagined personas of scientists.
Evolution of 3C Cyber-Physical Systems Architecture for Industry 4.0.

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are considered as the emerging components for Industry 4.0, the state-of-the art and standard CPS architecture playing the major role in understanding the nature of the industrial landscape. The key problem with traditional CPS architectures is that they are not up-to-mark and convincing to fulfil the needs of smart industries, as they merely consider vertical and horizontal integration with three components (i.e., human, cyber and physical components) integration. Currently, CPS lack adopting and highlighting the key interfacing elements which are vital for Industry 4.0. So, to remedy these problems and bridge the gap between concepts and implementing, this paper proposes to enhance the 3C CPS architecture based on the traditional 3C one for Industry 4.0 by adopting the main interfacing elements such as connectors, protocols, and sub-elements, for example human, cyber and physical parts. Hence, it can be said that the proposed enhanced 3C CPS architecture plays a significant role and will be considered as a guideline and application for future smart manufacturing CPS systems and industries.
Autism and the Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Part 2

Differential Diagnosis The differential diagnosis of autism includes many other conditions and will depend on the age of the child at the time of evaluation, the child9s developmental level, and the type of symptom that is most prominent. For a child found to fall within the spectrum of autism, the category most applicable along that spectrum is an additional differential diagnostic issue. The lines of division are not clear, although DSM-IV provides some help. In general, the term pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) is more likely to be used when cognitive, communicative, and social skills are high relative to other children who are autistic. Some studies have shown that the clinical criterion most useful in separating the two categories is the degree of socialization and relatedness shown by the child. Children who display an active social interest, a degree of empathy, and a better ability to sustain interactions tend to be placed in the PDD category. If they have particularly strong language skills along with the milder socialization difficulties, Asperger disorder is likely to be diagnosed. For the child who has significant developmental delays in all areas, the primary differential diagnosis will be mental retardation without autism. Many children who are severely mentally retarded exhibit some of the behaviors seen in autism, such as stereotyped behaviors and perseveration, emotional lability, and self-injurious behavior.
The Sirens in Homer

This study of charm begins with the Sirens that tempt Odysseus with their irresistible singing. Homer’s Greek did not include “charm,” yet that word appears in most English renderings of their bewitching song: we encounter “clear voiced song,” “honeysweet sound,” “voice of the wondrous Sirens,” and “haunting song.” In Pope’s version of 1726, the Sirens are “sweet charmers,” and in his translation, the word charm in one sense or another occurs 56 times. Homer’s Sirens are the archetype of Marlene Dietrich’s Lola Lola and of all enchanting women whose song or looks lures men to their ruin. In Genesis, Eve too is a charmer. Like Homer’s Sirens, she coaxes him, and promising desirable knowledge, and, because of her persuasions, the human race is cursed with mortality.
Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents: The Protective Role of Perceived Supportive Parenting

As peers become more salient during early adolescence, the perception of supportive parenting may become an important buffer against peer-related stressors, such as peer victimization. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether perceived supportive parenting moderates the association between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among early adolescents. The study contributes to the literature by specifically addressing both the source of supportive parenting (mothers vs. fathers) and the type of victimization (physical vs. relational). Survey data on peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and perceived supportive parenting were collected from 237 middle school students (50% female; Mage = 12.21 years) in a mid-Atlantic metropolitan area. Regression analyses indicated that both relational (b = 0.45, p = 0.0005) and physical victimization (b = 0.35, p = 0.0265) were positively associated with depressive symptoms and that perceived supportive parenting from both parents was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (mothers: b = −0.20, p = 0.0006; fathers: b = −0.14, p = 0.0093). Perceived supportive parenting from mothers, but not fathers, moderated the association between each form of victimization and depressive symptoms (relational: b = −0.28, p = 0.0258; physical: b = −0.03, p = 0.0275), such that the associations were non-significant when perceived supportive parenting by mothers was high. The results underscore the link between relational victimization and depressive symptoms among early adolescents. Supportive parenting, especially from mothers, may serve as a potential buffer against the harmful effects of peer victimization.
The effect of perceived stress on absenteeism and presenteeism in public school teachers

This study assessed the relationship between the perceived stress of public school teachers and the frequency of total illness days. This sample included 2542 teachers and assessed the total number...
High-fat diet induces endoplasmic reticulum stress to promote chondrocyte apoptosis in mouse knee joints.

Mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) become obese and develop osteoarthritis (OA)-like lesions, including chondrocyte apoptosis, in the knee joints. However, the mechanism by which HFD/obesity induces chondrocyte apoptosis is not clearly understood. In the present study, male mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD, 10% kcal), HFD (45% kcal), or a HFD administered with 0.5 g/kg bodyweight of 4-phenyl butyric acid (PBA, a small chaperone known to ease endoplasmic reticulum [ER] stress), via the drinking water. At the end of the 18-week study, stifle (knee) joints from all animals were collected, fixed, paraffin embedded, and sectioned. Immunostaining of joints from the HFD group showed increased expression of ER stress and apoptotic markers and increased expression of nuclear protein 1 and tribbles related protein-3 compared to the LFD group. Mice on HFD also showed higher percentage of chondrocyte death, lower chondrocyte numbers per cartilage area, and thickening of subchondral bone. Administration of PBA alleviated all of the HFD-induced symptoms. Our study demonstrated that HFD induces ER stress to promote chondrocyte death and subchondral bone thickening, which could be relieved by alleviating ER stress via PBA administration, suggesting that ER stress could play an important role in obesity-linked OA and could be targeted for OA therapeutics.
Pan-cancer analysis identifies mutations in SUGP1 that recapitulate mutant SF3B1 splicing dysregulation

The gene encoding the core spliceosomal protein SF3B1 is the most frequently mutated gene encoding a splicing factor in a variety of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. SF3B1 mutations induce use of cryptic 3' splice sites (3'ss), and these splicing errors contribute to tumorigenesis. However, it is unclear how widespread this type of cryptic 3'ss usage is in cancers and what is the full spectrum of genetic mutations that cause such missplicing. To address this issue, we performed an unbiased pan-cancer analysis to identify genetic alterations that lead to the same aberrant splicing as observed with SF3B1 mutations. This analysis identified multiple mutations in another spliceosomal gene, SUGP1, that correlated with significant usage of cryptic 3'ss known to be utilized in mutant SF3B1 expressing cells. Remarkably, this is consistent with recent biochemical studies that identified a defective interaction between mutant SF3B1 and SUGP1 as the molecular defect responsible for cryptic 3'ss usage. Experimental validation revealed that five different SUGP1 mutations completely or partially recapitulated the 3'ss defects. Our analysis suggests that SUGP1 mutations in cancers can induce missplicing identical or similar to that observed in mutant SF3B1 cancers.
Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia) Supplementation Has no Effect on Hypercholesterolemia and Atherosclerosis in Mice

Momordica Charantia, commonly known as bitter melon, has been reported to ameliorate diet-induced obesity and dyslipidemia. However, the effects of M. Charantia on atherosclerosis have not been determined. This study investigated the effects of M. Charantia on diet-induced atherosclerosis in LDL receptor deficient mice. Female mice (6-8 weeks old) were fed a saturated fat-enriched diet. In group 1, mice were fed this diet alone, while mice in groups 2 and 3 were fed the diet supplemented with M. Charantia at either 0.1% or 1% wt/wt, respectively, for 12 weeks. No significant differences in body weights were observed between groups. There were also no significant differences in plasma cholesterol concentrations among the 3 groups. To determine the effects on atherosclerosis, lesion areas were measured on aortic intima by an en face technique. Neither of the doses of M. Charantia supplementation changed atherosclerosis development.
Clinical application of extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of extracardiac conduit Fontan proce-dure for the patients with complex and cyanosed congenital heart diseases. Methods From Jan 1998 to Oct 2008, 48 patients underwent extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure (37 boys and 11 girls), aging from 3.1 years to 14. 5 years (mean 5.6±3.0 years). The weight ranged from 13 kg to 56 kg (mean 21.1±10.3 kg). Twenty-three patients were diagnosed as tricuspid atresia, 20 single ventricle, 2 double outlet right ventricle (DORV), 2 pulmonary artery atresia with complete intraventricular sep-turn (PA/IVS) and 1 tetralogy of Fallot with complete atrioventricular septal defect. Preoperative SpO2 ranged from 70% to 93% (mean 80.2%±6.1%). Before the extracardiac conduit Fontan pro-cedure, 38 patients underwent two or more operations including BT. shunt (5 cases), pulmonary artery banding (4 cases) and bidirectional cavopulmonary connection (36 cases). Twelve cases underwent completed total cavopulmonary connection in the same operation. Results Three patients died at early postoperative stage and 2 died at late stage. All postoperative complications were cured, including chy-lothorax in 7 cases, pneumatothorax in 2, intrathoracic staphylococcus aureus infection in 1 and tem-poral junction tachycardia in 1. Postoperative pleural drainage was performed on all patients. All pa-tients were followed up from one month to twelve years. Thirty-five patients were evaluated as NYHA class Ⅰ , 6 NYHA classⅡ, 2 NYHA class Ⅲ. ECG showed all patients got sinus rhythm at follow-up. No significant difference was noted in mortality, duration of mechanical support, ICU stay or pleural drainage between one stage Fontan and staged Fontan procedures. Conclusions The incidence of ar-rhythmia is low in patients undergoing extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure. Fenestration is necessa-ry for patients' recovery. One stage Fontan procedure is feasible for a certain group of patients. Key words: Fontan procedure; Follow-up studies
Time and Weapons Control

This chapter draws on the symbolism of the Doomsday Clock as a remnant of war and a wish image to emphasize the significance of time and temporality in practices of arms control and disarmament. The temporality of the Doomsday clock serves as a helpful moniker to encourage reflexivity on practices of arms control and disarmament. It helps us to ponder on how the problem of time and technology is associated with modern understandings of state and military so central a premise in addressing the problem of weapons. This chapter makes an important distinction between civilizational time and postcolonial time. It is in the context of civilizational time that the intersecting and prolific discourses on racialism, nationalism and humanitarianism are explored as a triad of civilizational discourses. A study of their mobility is facilitated with the help of three particular concepts: stereotyping, sly civility and mimesis in the context of weapons control.
Loss of NRF2 accelerates cognitive decline, exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction, and is required for the cognitive enhancing effects of Centella asiatica during aging.

Abstract The water extract of Centella asiatica (CAW) improves cognitive and mitochondrial function and activates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) regulated antioxidant response pathway in aged mice. Here we investigate whether NRF2 activation is required for the cognitive and mitochondrial effects of prolonged CAW exposure during aging. Five-month-old NRF2 knockout (NRF2KO) and wild-type mice were treated with CAW for 1, 7, or 13 months. Each cohort underwent cognitive testing and hippocampal mitochondrial analyses. Age-related cognitive decline was accelerated in NRF2KO mice and while CAW treatment improved cognitive performance in wild-type mice, it had no effect on NRF2KO animals. Hippocampal mitochondrial function also declined further with age in NRF2KO mice and greater hippocampal mitochondrial dysfunction was associated with poorer cognitive performance in both genotypes. Long-term CAW treatment did not affect mitochondrial endpoints in animals of either genotype. These data indicate that loss of NRF2 results in accelerated age-related cognitive decline and worsened mitochondrial deficits. NRF2 also appears to be required for the cognitive enhancing effects of CAW during aging.
Cluster-based probabilistic structure dynamical model of wind turbine wake

For complex flow systems like the one of the wind turbine wakes, which include a range of interacting turbulent scales, there is the potential to reduce the high dimensionality of the problem to lo...
Discussion on “Effect of soil spatial variability on failure mechanisms and undrained capacities of strip foundations under uniaxial loading”

Abstract It is a widely accepted practice to use finer meshes at soil domains of stronger interest and coarser meshes at other domains of less interest on a finite element model (FEM) to simultaneously save computational resources and achieve accuracy. But when the random field modeling is implemented into FEM consisting of unequal element sizes, the local averaging of soil property across the elements needs to be consistently applied on elements of various sizes. The mesh-dependent variance reduction factors are required in the statistics of a random field. Otherwise, the generated random field will not be stationary as desired, and the actual statistics of soil property mapped onto the FEM mesh will no longer be constant.
The Type II Protein Secretion System of Legionella pneumophila Is Important for Growth in Iron-Rich Media and Survival in Tap Water at Low Temperatures

The type II protein secretion system of Legionella pneumophila is important for bacterial survival in protozoa, macrophages, and the lungs of A/J mice. Presently, L. pneumophila is known to express both type II and type IV secretion systems. Type II secretion (lsp) mutants of L. pneumophila grow normally in bacteriologic media at 30 to 37°C. The low-temperature defect of lsp mutants of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 strain 130b was partially due to the presence of 0.25 g/liter ferric pyrophosphate in the growth media, since bacterial growth on agar plates at 25°C improved significantly when that supplement was omitted. The inhibitory effect of iron was specific to the lsp mutant and to low-temperature growth, since the growth of wild type at 25°C did not change with variations in the amount of supplemental iron, and the growth of the lsp mutant was not negatively influenced by iron supplementation when incubated at 37°C. In the environment, L. pneumophila is found in freshwater and man-made water systems. In sum, the results presented indicate that the L. pneumophila type II secretion system is not only important for growth at 35 to 37°C in host cells but is also critical for extracellular growth and survival at lower temperatures, including iron-rich bacteriological media and environmental water samples. Thus, type II secretion appears to play a central and multifaceted role in the natural history of Legionnaires’ disease.
Decoding Single Neuron Activity

Neurons communicate with each other by firing trains of action potentials (spikes). Understanding what information is represented by this activity, and how to decipher the code in which the neural messages are encrypted, are the central issues of single neuron physiology. Keywords: spikes; neurophysiology; neural coding
An improved fast steepest descent path algorithm

We have presented a modification of the fast steepest descent gradient path algorithm (FASDPA) for 2-D scattering. The computational cost of the FASDPA is lower than that of the previously developed fast multipole method (FMM) and ray propagation fast multipole algorithm (RPFMA), both for two-level and multi-level implementations. The method, which uses an interpolated far field pattern to arrive at an efficient representation of the integral along the steepest descent path, has inherent advantages such as simplicity and ease of diagonalization.