cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term potentiation in dentate gyrus: induction by asynchronous volleys in separate afferents

Long-term potentiation (LTP), a long-lasting enhancement of synaptic efficacy, is considered a model for learning and memory. In anesthetized rats, activation of dentate granule cells by stimulating either the medial or lateral perforant pathway at frequencies of 100 to 400 Hz produced LTP of the stimulated pathway preferentially at 400 Hz. However, hippocampal pathways do not normally fire at this high rate. Stimuli at 200 Hz were then applied to either the medial or lateral pathway separately, to both pathways simultaneously, or to the two pathways asynchronously so that the composite stimulus applied to the granule cell dendrite was 400 Hz. LTP was produced preferentially in the asynchronous condition. Thus, lower frequency, physiological input volleys arriving asynchronously at medial and lateral synapses can induce LTP by activating a 400-Hz sensitive mechanism capable of integrating spatially separated granule cell inputs. This may reflect how LTP is normally produced in the dentate gyrus.
A free‐air enrichment system for exposing tall forest vegetation to elevated atmospheric CO2

A free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) system was designed to permit the experimental exposure of tall vegetation such as stands of forest trees to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]a) without enclosures that alter tree microenvironment. We describe a prototype FACE system currently in operation in forest plots in a maturing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stand in North Carolina, USA. The system uses feedback control technology to control [CO2] in a 26 m diameter forest plot that is over 10 m tall, while monitoring the 3D plot volume to characterize the whole-stand CO2 regime achieved during enrichment. In the second summer season of operation of the FACE system, atmospheric CO2 enrichment was conducted in the forest during all daylight hours for 96.7% of the scheduled running time from 23 May to 14 October with a preset target [CO2] of 550 μmol mol–1, ≈ 200 μmol mol–1 above ambient [CO2]. The system provided spatial and temporal control of [CO2] similar to that reported for open-top chambers over trees, but without enclosing the vegetation. The daily average daytime [CO2] within the upper forest canopy at the centre of the FACE plot was 552 ± 9 μmol mol–1 (mean ± SD). The FACE system maintained 1-minute average [CO2] to within ± 110 μmol mol–1 of the target [CO2] for 92% of the operating time. Deviations of [CO2] outside of this range were short-lived (most lasting < 60 s) and rare, with fewer than 4 excursion events of a minute or longer per day. Acceptable spatial control of [CO2] by the system was achieved, with over 90% of the entire canopy volume within ± 10% of the target [CO2] over the exposure season. CO2 consumption by the FACE system was much higher than for open-top chambers on an absolute basis, but similar to that of open-top chambers and branch bag chambers on a per unit volume basis. CO2 consumption by the FACE system was strongly related to windspeed, averaging 50 g CO2 m–3 h–1 for the stand for an average windspeed of 1.5 m s–1 during summer. The [CO2] control results show that the free-air approach is a tractable way to study long-term and short-term alterations in trace gases, even within entire tall forest ecosystems. The FACE approach permits the study of a wide range of forest stand and ecosystem processes under manipulated [CO2]a that were previously impossible or intractable to study in true forest ecosystems.
Optimizing a 32nm development fab's HOL defect pareto using iDO and eADC

This paper presents a methodology for optimizing a fab defect pareto for 32nm Health of Line (HOL). HOL involves running a selected product as a means of generating defect baseline paretos and electrical test for key process sectors. Optimizing HOL pareto consists of increasing the capture of key yield limiting defects and minimizing the capture of non yield limiting defects. This was achieved by implementing smart binning (iDO) on the BF inspection system in conjunction with auto defect classification (eADC) on the SEM review tool.
The long and short of it: physical anchoring effects

Attempts to reconstruct the magnitude of recently encountered physical stimuli were influenced by the provision of physical anchors. Whether estimating length, weight, or loudness, those increasing the magnitude of a relatively small (short, light, or quiet) physical anchor produced estimates that were reliably lower than did those decreasing the magnitude of a relatively large (long, heavy, or loud) anchor. Estimates produced without an anchor were also low, suggesting that when people physically adjust upwards from a self-selected starting point, “no anchor” may, in fact, act as a very low anchor. Physical anchors appear to influence estimates of recently encountered physical stimuli, much as numerical anchors influence estimates of more abstract numerical quantities. Implications for processes underlying anchoring, adjustment, and related tasks are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On L-estimation in linear models

We study a modified version, by Ren (1992a,b), of Welsh's (1987) one-step L-estimator of regression. This modified L-estimator improves the stability of Welsh's estimator, is easier to compute than Welsh's, and retains those asymptotic properties, robustness, efficiency and reparametrization invariant properties possessed by Welsh's estimator. Simulation shows that this estimator often performs well after several iterations when the least squares estimator is used as the initial estimator.
Degradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol and 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol by combining pulse electric discharge with bioremediation

Degradation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP) and 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol (TeCP) was studied using a two-stage approach that utilized efficient pulse electric discharge (PED) followed by biological degradation with a consortium from acclimated return activated sludge. The chlorinated phenols were treated in the PED reactor as an aerosol at a voltage of 55–60 kV, a frequency of 385 Hz, a current of 50–60, and with a 200-ns pulse. As determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS), the first stage converted 500 ppm 2,4,5-TCP to 163 ppm 2,4,5-TCP and dimethyldecene, dichloronaphthalenol, octyl acetate, and silyl esters. The total carbon content of 2,4,5-TCP after PED treatment was determined to be 228 ± 35 ppm. The remaining 2,4,5-TCP and the products formed were then mineralized by the acclimated activated sludge in shake flasks; the initial rate of degradation of 2,4,5-TCP was calculated to be 5 nmol min−1 mg protein−1 at 163 ppm initial concentration (three orders of magnitude higher than the only rate found in the literature). By combining the two techniques, a synergistic effect (2.3-fold increase in the concentration of 2,4,5-TCP degraded and 3.3-fold increase in total carbon degraded) was observed, in that bacteria without any treatment degraded a maximum of 70 ppm 2,4,5-TCP but after PED treatment 163 ppm 2,4,5-TCP was degraded. TeCP was also mineralized by the acclimated activated sludge after treatment with PED. This two-stage approach was also evaluated using a continuous 1-l fluidized-bed reactor.
A Parallel Architecture for Sampling Rate Conversion Based on Pseudo-DFT

A parallel processing architecture for sampling rate conversion in all-digital receiver is proposed in this paper. According to the time shifting property of the FT, the DFT of the desired output samples can be evaluated by the input samples. And the DFT-like transform in this constructed expression can be fast computed by the famous butterfly structure. To overcome the inherent saddle error of this approach, an overlapping input signal strategy is given.
Design of reliable VLSI circuits using simulation techniques

An iterative simulation method of predicting the impact of progressive device degradation on circuit performance due to common microelectronic failure mechanisms is described. Simulation schemes for the lifetime prediction of ASICs as well as modeling requirements for accurate and efficient simulation are presented. These simulation schemes have been implemented in the prototype reliability simulator RELY to evaluate circuit performance degradation and provide reliability enhancement information. Hot-carrier effects on submicrometer digital and analog circuits are used to demonstrate the approach. Experimental results on precharging circuitry for sense amplifiers and operational amplifiers are presented. >
Optical Interconnect Components for Wafer Level Heterogeneous Hyper-Integration

Optical waveguides for three-dimensionally stacked chip fabrication technologies, in which optical connection between layers plays a central role, are described. CMOS-compatible approaches to optical via and waveguide fabrication are addressed. Detailed modeling is used for design optimization and also addresses how manufacturing variations from ideal design may affect device performance.
Normative liberal theory and the bifurcation of human rights

This article argues that liberal arguments for human rights minimalism, such as those of John Rawls and Michael Ignatieff, contain fundamental inconsistencies in their treatment of core rights to life and liberty. Insofar as their versions of minimalism foreground rights to physical security and basic freedom of movement, they cannot coherently exclude certain social and economic protections and liberties that directly support or are even partly constitutive of these rights. Nor do they have good grounds for putting the social and private realms wholly beyond the purview of international law. “New” human rights that represent an expansion of civil rights in particular beyond the classic conception to encompass, for example, the right to freedom from sexual and gender-based violence, illustrate especially well the extent to which civil, social, and economic rights violations, and their remedies, are deeply interwoven. These emergent rights also directly challenge the dichotomy between public/political and private/social realms, and the corollary assumption that human rights violations occur mainly or exclusively in the former sphere. While the concerns that motivate arguments for human rights minimalism — considerations of pluralism and prudence — are legitimate, proponents would do best to reconsider the multiple roles that human rights in fact play, in spite of their essentially contested status.
Cytology of the Pancreas: A Practical Review for Cytopathologists

Pancreatic cytopathology plays a critical role in the management of patients with cystic and solid pancreatic masses. The frequency of pancreatic fine-needle aspiration continues to increase and general surgical pathologists and cytopathologists need to be aware of the most commonly encountered entities as well as the pitfalls associated with gastrointestinal tract contaminants in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration. This article focuses on the most commonly encountered pancreatic lesions and the importance of correlation of cytologic features with clinical, radiologic, and ancillary studies for accurate diagnosis.
FUNCTIONAL AND ANATOMICAL DIAGNOSIS OF CORONARY ARTERY STENOSES: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN HUMANS

Fractional flow reserve (FFR: ratio of distal to proximal pressure of a stenotic section) is used to evaluate hemodynamic significance of epicardial stenosis. However, FFR and coronary flow reserve (CFR: ratio of hyperemic blood velocity to that of resting condition) are used in conjunction to evaluate combination of both epicardial and microvascular disease. It has been proposed that optimization of cutoff values for diagnostic parameters in determining stenosis severity depends on coupling functional (pressure and velocity) and anatomical data (% area stenosis). We hypothesize that, pressure drop coefficient (CDP: the ratio of trans-stenotic pressure drop to distal dynamic pressure) which has the functional information of pressure and velocity in its formulation correlates significantly with FFR and CFR, and lesion flow coefficient (LFC: ratio of % area stenoses to CDP at throat region) which combines both functional and anatomical (% area stenoses) information in its formulation correlates significantly with FFR, CFR and % area stenosis. We retrospectively analyzed the hemodynamic information from Meuwissen et al [3] to test this hypothesis. It was observed that, CDP, a functional index based on pressure drop and velocity, correlated linearly and significantly with FFR and CFR. And, LFC (combined functional and anatomic parameter) also correlated significantly with FFR, CFR (both hemodynamic endpoints) and % area stenosis (anatomic endpoint).Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may be a disease of recurrent, tractional injury to the periphery of the aging lung: a unifying hypothesis regarding etiology and pathogenesis.

Context.—Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive, fatal lung disease occurring in older individuals. Despite 50 years of accrued data about the disease, little progress has been made in slowing functional loss or in decreasing patient mortality. Objective.—To present a novel hypothesis on the etiology and pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Design.—Published data are reviewed regarding the epidemiology, clinical presentation, natural history, radiologic findings, and pathologic findings in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Results.—Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may be predisposed genetically to tractional injury to the peripheral lung. The result is recurrent damage to the epithelial-mesenchymal interface, preferentially at the outer edges of the basilar lung lobules where tractional stress is high during inspiration, compliance is relatively low, and there is a greater tendency for alveolar collapse at end-expiration. A distinctive “reticular network of injury” ...
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Northern Nevada

The clinical and laboratory findings from studies of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) from northern Nevada are summarized. Physicians caring for these patients have estimated that greater than 400 patients with CFS from northern Nevada and nearby communities in California were identified between 1984 and 1988. As a result of these studies, a cluster of clinical and laboratory features associated with the illness in moderately to severely affected patients has been identified: profound fatigue of prolonged duration; cervical lymphadenopathy; recurrent sore throat and/or symptoms of influenza; loss of cognitive function manifested by loss of memory and loss of ability to concentrate; myalgia; impairment of fine motor skills; abnormal findings on magnetic resonance imaging brain scan; depressed level of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen; elevated level of antibody to EBV early antigen restricted component; elevated ratio of CD4 helper to CD8 suppressor cells; and strong evidence of association of this syndrome with infection with human herpesvirus 6. More-serious and longer-lasting neurologic impairments, including seizures, psychosis, and dementia, have also been observed in some of these patients.
PKC-dependent regulation of transepithelial resistance: roles of MLC and MLC kinase

The mechanisms by which protein kinase C (PKC) activation results in increased transepithelial resistance (TER) are unknown [G. Hecht, B. Robinson, and A. Koutsouris. Am. J. Physiol. 266 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 29): G214-G221, 1994]. We have previously shown that phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin II (MLC) is associated with decreases in TER and have suggested that contraction of the perijunctional actomyosin ring (PAMR) increases tight junction (TJ) permeability [J. R. Turner, B. K. Rill, S. L. Carlson, D. Carnes, R. Kerner, R. J. Mrsny, and J. L. Madara. Am. J. Physiol. 273 (Cell Physiol. 42): C1378-C1385, 1997]. We therefore hypothesized that PKC activation alters TER via relaxation of the PAMR. Activation of PKC by the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in a progressive dose-dependent increase in TER that was apparent within 15 min (111% of controls) and maximal within 2 h (142% of controls). Similar increases were induced by a diacylglycerol analog, and the effects of both PMA and the diacylglycerol analog were prevented by the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I. PMA treatment caused progressive decreases in MLC phosphorylation, by 12% at 15 min and 41% at 2 h. Phosphorylation of MLC kinase (MLCK) increased by 64% within 15 min of PMA treatment and was stable over 2 h (51% greater than that of controls). Thus increases in MLCK phosphorylation preceded decreases in MLC phosphorylation. These data suggest that PKC regulates TER via decreased phosphorylation of MLC, possibly due to inhibitory phosphorylation of MLCK. The decreased phosphorylation of MLC likely reduces PAMR tension, leading to decreased TJ permeability.
TaxCollector: Modifying Current 16S rRNA Databases for the Rapid Classification at Six Taxonomic Levels

The high level of conservation of 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) in all Prokaryotes makes this gene an ideal tool for the rapid identification and classification of these microorganisms. Databases such as the Ribosomal Database Project II (RDP-II) and the Greengenes Project offer access to sets of ribosomal RNA sequence databases useful in identification of microbes in a culture-independent analysis of microbial communities. However, these databases do not contain all of the taxonomic levels attached to the published names of the bacterial and archaeal sequences. TaxCollector is a set of scripts developed in Python language that attaches taxonomic information to all 16S rRNA sequences in the RDP-II and Greengenes databases. These modified databases are referred to as TaxCollector databases, which when used in conjunction with BLAST allow for rapid classification of sequences from any environmental or clinical source at six different taxonomic levels, from domain to species. The TaxCollector database prepared from the RDP-II database is an important component of a new 16S rRNA pipeline called PANGEA. The usefulness of TaxCollector databases is demonstrated with two very different datasets obtained using samples from a clinical setting and an agricultural soil. The six TaxCollector scripts are freely available on http://taxcollector.sourceforge.net and on http://www.microgator.org.
Livestock market data for modeling disease spread among US cattle

Transportation of livestock carries the risk of spreading foreign animal diseases throughout a susceptible population, leading to costly public and private sector expenditures on disease containment and eradication. Individual animal tracing systems that exist in countries other than the US have allowed epidemiologists and veterinarians in those countries to model the risks engendered by livestock movement and prepare responses designed to protect the livestock industry. Within the US, data on livestock movement is not sufficient for direct parameterization of disease models, but network models that assimilate limited data provide a path forward in model development to inform preparedness for disease outbreaks in the US. Here, we report on a novel data stream, the information publicly reported by US livestock markets on the origin of cattle consigned at live-auctions, and demonstrate such potential. By aggregating weekly auction reports from markets in several states, some spanning multiple years, we obtain an ego-centric sample of edges from the dynamic cattle transportation network in the US. We first demonstrate how the sample might be used to infer shipments to unobserved livestock markets in the US, although we find the assumptions of edge prediction by generalized linear models too restrictive. The sample itself, however, can still be used to parameterize simplified disease models; which we use to demonstrate that the temporal resolution of the data is sufficient to reveal seasonal trends in the risk of disease outbreaks. We conclude that future work on statistical models for dependence between edges will improve the inference of a complete cattle movement network model from market data, one able to addresses the capacity of markets to spread or control livestock disease.
A Declarative Approach for Specifying User-Centric Communication

The rapidly growing, reliable network infrastructure available today is enabling several classes of communication and collaborative applications. Already, a wide range of communication applications, tools and services (e.g., IP telephony, instant messaging, digital video conferencing, and multimedia collaboration), and many domain- or industry-specific communication applications (e.g., telemedicine, disaster management, and defense) have been developed and deployed. However, these communication applications have been conceived, designed and developed vertically and separately with little or no connection to each other. In addition, there has been little or no attention paid to how the end-user specifies his/her communication needs when using these applications. We propose a new paradigm to define user-centric communications, which is based on a simple and declarative Communication Modeling Language (CML) and a network abstraction middleware, which we call Communication Virtual Machine (CVM). To clarify this paradigm we draw a parallelism to the transformation that has taken place in the data management domain over the last two decades. In this paper we focus on CML and present two concrete and equivalent variants, an XML-based and a graphical. We argue that the proposed CML can facilitate the specification of a wide range of user-centric communication scenarios in several domains.
Memory Interference in Advertising: A Replication and Extension

Memory for information in an ad can be detrimentally affected by exposure to another ad if the pictures in the two ads are similar. This has been termed contextual interference and has been shown to affect unfamiliar brands featured in an ad. Two studies were conducted to replicate the interference effect on unfamiliar brands and to examine whether familiar brands will be affected. The results replicate the interference effect on unfamiliar brands, demonstrating the robustness of the phenomenon. The results also show that claims about familiar brands are affected, qualifying previous research that shows that familiar brands are relatively impervious to competitive interference.
Temporal and Geographic Variation in Predispersal Seed Predation on Hibiscus moscheutos L. (Malvaceae) in Ohio and Maryland, USA

Seed predation has the potential to strongly reduce seed production and thereby act as a selective force on the evolution of flowering traits and other defenses against herbivory. We characterized levels of predispersal seed predation on Hibiscus moscheutos (Malvaceae) during 2001 and 2002 at four sites in Ohio and Maryland, USA. The seed predators were a weevil, Conotrachelus fissinguis (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and a bruchid beetle, Althaeus hibisci (Coleoptera, Bruchidae). The weevil occurred at three of the four sites and damaged 24% to 94% of fruits in these populations. The bruchid occurred at all four sites, where it destroyed 4% to 27% of the seeds. Seed predation varied between years and among sites for both predators and year-by-site interactions were common. Variation in predation levels indicates that seed predators did not influence this species uniformly, but they were often abundant and sometimes destroyed nearly all of the seeds produced. At one of the Ohio sites, we assessed levels of seed predation at 5-d intervals during the 2001 flowering season. At this population, bruchid damage was greatest for seeds produced by flowers that opened in late July, when flowers were scarce, whereas weevil damage was greatest in mid-August and coincided with peak flowering. The timing and greater extent of weevil damage suggest that they may have a greater effect on plant fitness than bruchids.
An Exploratory Study Of Antismoking Warning Labels And The Millennial Consumer

There has been debate over the inclusion of graphic antismoking warning labels on cigarette products. Despite prior research suggesting that graphic labels are effective in curtailing smoking among adult consumers, little insight exists about their effectiveness on younger consumers. In this research, we examine how different types of graphic warning labels can affect younger, “millennial” consumers. Our study explores 42 different warning labels (i.e., text -only, or based on disease, death, sexual dysfunction, or social consequences) on millennial consumers’ attitudes about smoking. Results suggest that relatively more graphic labels demonstrating the health consequences of smoking were among the most effective in affecting these consumers’ attitudes. These findings have implications for tobacco product packaging to promote the prevention and cessation of smoking by millennial consumers.
Exosomes in Cancer Research

Next generation sequencing has provided the ability to screen for novel microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers in biofluids of patients with cancer. Extravesicular vesicles in the peripheral blood, known as exosomes, provide a reliable source of miRNAs for disease biomarker detection. The molecular content of exosomes, readily available in body fluids such as blood, urine and saliva, is highly specific and a powerful biomedical tool. Exosomes generated during tumorigenesis and derived from cancer cells provide cancer fingerprints, detectable in peripheral blood. In addition, since cancer exosomes are messengers for signaling and alteration of the tumor microenvironment, it is no surprise that cancer features such as angiogenesis, chemoresistance and metastasis are associated with them, and their ability to facilitate the formation of a pre-metastatic niche as a primer for implantation of circulating tumor cells. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the state-of-the-art of exosomes in cancer research, their role in cancer niche development with clinical correlation as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as their future use in exo-therapy in the era of precision oncology medicine.
Lessons a Middle Aged Lawyer Learned from Her Clients

In New York individuals diagnosed with certain neurological impairments and substantial functional discrepancies from a sample group often receive services and supports from government agencies and other entities. While the literature from these organizations identifies the importance of respecting the independence and autonomy of the individual with the disability the reality witnessed by this attorney, with twenty years of experience in disability rights work, reveals a system that is paternalistic and inflexible. I have been practicing law for twenty years and the vast majority of my clients have been individuals with developmental disabilities. While there is not complete uniformity in the definition of a developmental disability, the general characteristics are that the onset of the disability is during the developmental age (prior to the age of 22), the disability is likely to continue indefinitely and it causes substantial functional limitations. Although my clients are labeled as having developmental disabilities because of the onset date, this article focuses on a stage in life that is well beyond the developmental stage. Since many minors, with or without a disability, are often limited by the perceptions of the adults in their life, the comparison of treatment during that stage is not as startling. However, by the time most of us reach middle age, we are able to experience a fair degree of independence and autonomy. What that means for an individual without a disability and what we as a society seem to accept as the meaning of autonomy for a person with a disability is startlingly different. It is my contention that the stated value does not come across during implementation of services because the societal expectations for independence and autonomy varies significantly and without justification from the level of independence and autonomy afforded to individuals without a disability. This can be seen clearly when one examines the experience of a few individuals with disabilities in mid life as they might compare to a person without a disability. In this paper I examine the current system using my experiences in the system for examples and will make recommendations for work that we can all do to better reflect the autonomy of individuals with disabilities.
Methylation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Promoter in Preschoolers: Links with Internalizing Behavior Problems.

Accumulating evidence suggests that early adversity is linked to methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene, NR3C1, which is a key regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Yet no prior work has considered the contribution of methylation of NR3C1 to emerging behavior problems and psychopathology in childhood. This study examined the links between methylation of NR3C1 and behavior problems in preschoolers. Data were drawn from a sample of preschoolers with early adversity (n = 171). Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years, were racially and ethnically diverse, and nearly all qualified for public assistance. Seventy-one children had child welfare documentation of moderate to severe maltreatment in the past 6 months. Structured record review and interviews in the home were used to assess early adversity. Parents reported on child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Methylation of NR3C1 at exons 1D , 1F , and 1H were measured via sodium bisulfite pyrosequencing from saliva DNA. Methylation of NR3C1 at exons 1D and 1F was positively associated with internalizing (r = .21, p < .01 and r = .23, p < .01, respectively), but not externalizing, behavior problems. Furthermore, NR3C1 methylation mediated effects of early adversity on internalizing behavior problems. These results suggest that methylation of NR3C1 contributes to psychopathology in young children, and NR3C1 methylation from saliva DNA is salient to behavioral outcomes.
Fatigue failure of reverse shoulder humeral tray components of a single design.

Background Modularity in shoulder arthroplasty provides surgical flexibility and facilitates less-complex revision surgery. Modular designs must fit in the glenohumeral joint space, necessitating minimal thickness and careful material selection. The potential for fatigue fracture is higher, and fatigue fracture has been experienced by patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of geometry and materials used for modular humeral trays from a single manufacturer. Methods We consecutively retrieved 8 humeral trays of nearly identical designs: 4 Ti-6Al-4V (Ti) and 4 CoCrMo (CoCr). Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used, along with metallurgical techniques. Finite element and fatigue analyses of the stresses at the humeral tray taper informed observation interpretation. Results Two Ti devices were revised for in vivo fracture. Scanning electron microscopy showed cracking in the other 2 Ti trays and no evidence of cracking in the CoCr components. A geometric difference in the CoCr devices resulted in a 25% decreased stress under simulated activities of daily living. Accounting for the tray material properties, the fatigue failure envelope ranged from 1000 to 1 million cycles for Ti and from 30,000 to >10 million cycles for CoCr. Conclusions All Ti humeral tray retrievals fractured in vivo or were cracked at the taper fillet. No CoCr retrievals showed signs of cracking. Finite element and fatigue analyses predict a 10-fold lifetime increase for the CoCr devices compared with the Ti devices. This study shows that fatigue failure is possible for some reverse shoulder components and is likely exacerbated by fillet radius, tray thickness, and material choice.
Monitoring of Wind Turbine Gearbox Condition through Oil and Wear Debris Analysis: A Full-Scale Testing Perspective

ABSTRACTDespite the wind industry's dramatic development during the past decade, it is still challenged by premature turbine subsystem/component failures, especially for turbines rated above 1 MW. Because a crane is needed for each replacement, gearboxes have been a focal point for improvement in reliability and availability. Condition monitoring (CM) is a technique that can help improve these factors, leading to reduced turbine operation and maintenance costs and, subsequently, lower cost of energy for wind power. Although technical benefits of CM for the wind industry are normally recognized, there is a lack of published information on the advantages and limitations of each CM technique confirmed by objective data from full-scale tests. This article presents first-hand oil and wear debris analysis results obtained through tests that were based on full-scale wind turbine gearboxes rated at 750 kW. The tests were conducted at the 2.5-MW dynamometer test facility at the National Wind Technology Center at t...
Asset replacement under improving operating and capital costs: a practical approach

We analyse the serial asset replacement problem under incomplete data about technological change that that affects the capital cost, operating cost and salvage value of newer assets. We construct an efficient discrete-time algorithm for this problem in the case where only partial information is available about future costs of new assets. The algorithm is based on introducing a corrected annual capital recovery factor into the classic Economic Life method. It produces the same lifetime of the first asset as the benchmark infinite-horizon cost minimisation when the operating cost, capital cost and salvage value of new assets decrease proportionally. The algorithm has the same complexity as the Economic Life method but performs much better under improving technology. Numeric simulation demonstrates a superior efficiency of the suggested algorithm vs. existing methods in practical situations when only few discrete measurements of technological change are available.
A bacterial Argonaute with noncanonical guide RNA specificity

Eukaryotic Argonaute proteins induce gene silencing by small RNA-guided recognition and cleavage of mRNA targets. Although structural similarities between human and prokaryotic Argonautes are consistent with shared mechanistic properties, sequence and structure-based alignments suggested that Argonautes encoded within CRISPR-cas [clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated] bacterial immunity operons have divergent activities. We show here that the CRISPR-associated Marinitoga piezophila Argonaute (MpAgo) protein cleaves single-stranded target sequences using 5'-hydroxylated guide RNAs rather than the 5'-phosphorylated guides used by all known Argonautes. The 2.0-A resolution crystal structure of an MpAgo-RNA complex reveals a guide strand binding site comprising residues that block 5' phosphate interactions. Using structure-based sequence alignment, we were able to identify other putative MpAgo-like proteins, all of which are encoded within CRISPR-cas loci. Taken together, our data suggest the evolution of an Argonaute subclass with noncanonical specificity for a 5'-hydroxylated guide.
Selective A1 adenosine receptor antagonism augments beta-adrenergic-induced renin release in vivo.

This study determines, in vivo, whether endogenous adenosine/A1 receptor interactions at juxtaglomerular cells restrain the release of renin induced by receptor-mediated activation of the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate pathway and whether endogenous adenosine/A2 receptor interactions diminish this restraining response. The following four pharmacological probes were employed: 1) 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) and 2) FK-453, both selective A1 receptor antagonists; 3) FR-113452, a nearly inactive enantiomer of FK-453; and 4) KF-17837, a selective A2 receptor blocker. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared (adrenalectomized, renal denervated, uninephrectomized, and treated with indomethacin, aldosterone, and hydrocortisone) to minimize endogenous stimulation of renin release and received either vehicle (control group) or one of the four drugs. Intrarenal infusions of isoproterenol (3, 30, and 100 ng.kg-1.min-1) caused dose-related increases in plasma renin activity (PRA). This PRA response was significantly augmented in the groups receiving DPCPX (P = 0.0010) or FK-453 (P = 0.0001) but was not altered in the groups treated with FR-113452 (P = 0.3422) or KF-17837 (P = 0.2155). Systemic and renal hemodynamics and renal electrolyte excretions were monitored and could not account for the PRA augmentation caused by the A1 antagonists. This study clearly demonstrates that endogenous adenosine acts on the A1 receptor to restrain the renin release induced by activation of intrarenal beta-adrenoceptors and is not counteracted by endogenous activation of the A2 receptor.
Pathologic Features of a Fatal Case of Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms Syndrome

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare and life-threatening delayed drug hypersensitivity reaction characterized by skin eruption, fever and visceral involvement that typically presents in response to certain medications. Most publications focus on the clinical and dermatologic aspects of this syndrome. However, this report will describe clinicopathologic features of DRESS, focusing on the …
Changes in proportions of empty body depots and constituents for nine breeds of cattle under various feed availabilities.

Mature cows (146) representing Angus, Braunvieh, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Pinzgauer, Red Poll, and Simmental breeds were slaughtered to contribute to the investigation of the effect of various feed availabilities on body composition. Weights recorded when cows were placed on feed were used to set daily diets at four rates of intake within each breed (55, 76, 96, and 111 g DM/[kg wt. 75 .d]). Cows remained on their assigned daily feed allotment throughout the study (3 to 5 yr). On the day of slaughter, shrunk live weights were recorded. Chemical determinations of protein (nitrogen x 6.25), ether extractable lipid, ash of dry matter, and moisture for hide and offal were obtained for all cows. Chemical determinations of these same constituents were obtained for the carcass soft tissue of 98 cows. Relationships among estimator traits carcass ash, warm carcass weight, resistive impedance, and carcass water from the 97 carcasses were used to predict the carcass constituents for the remaining 49 cows. Within breed, relationships between proportions of fat and empty body (sum of fat, ash, water, and protein from the three body pools of hide, offal, and carcass) were used to estimate empty body weight at 251 g fat/kg (standard reference body weight) for each of the nine breeds. Proportions of offal, carcass, hide, chemical constituents, and selected abdominal and thoracic organs relative to empty body weight from cows that attained weight stasis were regressed on one minus the ratio of individual actual empty body weight to breed standard reference weight. Among mature cows attaining weight stasis at various feeding rates, the proportion of offal remained constant, proportions of fat in carcass, hide, and offal increased with increasing feed level, and proportions of water and protein decreased. Significant variation ( P <.01) attributable to breed in proportions of carcass, offal, hide, chemical constituents of the hide and offal, water, and protein of the carcass and selected organs was observed.
Dietary Energy Density and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Incidence in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort

Background Dietary energy density (ED) is a measure of diet quality that estimates the amount of energy per unit of food (kilocalories per gram) consumed. Low-ED diets are generally high in fiber and fruits and vegetables and low in fat. Dietary ED has been positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and other risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. Objective We evaluated the associations of total dietary ED and energy-dense (high-ED) foods with postmenopausal breast cancer incidence. Methods Analyses included 56,795 postmenopausal women from the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort with no previous history of breast or other cancers and who provided information on diet, lifestyle, and medical history in 1999. Multivariable-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate ratios (RRs and 95% CIs) were estimated for quintiles of total dietary ED and for the consumption of high-ED foods in Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results During a median follow-up of 11.7 y, 2509 invasive breast cancer cases were identified, including 1857 estrogen receptor-positive and 277 estrogen receptor-negative tumors. Median dietary ED was 1.5 kcal/g (IQR: 1.3-1.7 kcal/g). After adjusting for age, race, education, reproductive characteristics, and family history, high compared with low dietary ED was associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of breast cancer (RR for fifth quintile compared with first quintile: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.36; P-trend = 0.03). The association between the amount of high-ED foods consumed and breast cancer risk was not statistically significant. We observed no differences by estrogen receptor status or effect modification by BMI, age, or physical activity. Conclusion These results suggest a modest positive association between total dietary ED and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
Bimetallic Cobalt-Based Phosphide Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework: CoPx Phase-Dependent Electrical Conductivity and Hydrogen Atom Adsorption Energy for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Cobalt-based bimetallic phosphide encapsulated in carbonized zeolitic imadazolate frameworks has been successfully synthesized and showed excellent activities toward both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Density functional theory calculation and electrochemical measurements reveal that the electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity are closely associated with the Co2P/CoP mixed phase behaviors upon Cu metal doping. This relationship is found to be the decisive factor for enhanced electrocatalytic performance. Moreover, the precise control of Cu content in Co-host lattice effectively alters the Gibbs free energy for H* adsorption, which is favorable for facilitating reaction kinetics. Impressively, an optimized performance has been achieved with mild Cu doping in Cu0.3Co2.7P/nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) which exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 0.19 V at 10 mA cm–2 and satisfying stability for OER. Cu0.3Co2.7P/NC also shows excellent HER activity, affording a current density of 10 mA cm–2 at a low overpotential of 0.22 V. In addition, a homemade electrolyzer with Cu0.3Co2.7P/NC paired electrodes shows 60% larger current density than Pt/RuO2 couple at 1.74 V, along with negligible catalytic deactivation after 50 h operation. The manipulation of electronic structure by controlled incorporation of second metal sheds light on understanding and synthesizing bimetallic transition metal phosphides for electrolysis-based energy conversion.
The Photophysics of Pife and other Photophysical Process that Affect Single-Molecule Dyes

Single-molecule techniques have transformed research in molecular biochemistry and biophysics by allowing scientists to investigate the dynamics and heterogeneity of individual biomolecules. In this talk I will discuss our work characterizing how the spectroscopic and photophysical properties of common fluorescent probes used in single molecule experiments are affected by conjugation to biopolymers. A careful characterization of the photophysical properties of these probes is not only critical for the appropriate design and interpretation of fluorescence experiments, but also enables the discovery of new uses of known fluorescent probes. An example of this is the use of the cyanine Cy3 as a probe for “protein proximity”. The strategy, termed PIFE for protein induced fluorescence enhancement, has proven to be very useful in the investigation of the single-molecule dynamics of wild-type (i.e. unlabeled) proteins that translocate or diffuse on DNA or RNA. We have elucidated the photophysical mechanism that leads to protein-enhanced fluorescence emission of Cy3 when in close proximity to a protein. Understanding the photophysics behind PIFE will enable the development of other probes that can be used in similar experiments in other regions of the spectrum (e.g. in the red).
The Efficacy of Modification of Brain Calcium Through Dietary Manipulation

Two experiments are reported: the first investigated the efficacy of manipulating brain calcium by dietary means; and the second studied the effects of calcium level in the diet upon learning. In Experiment 1, 12 albino rats were maintained on high- and low-calcium diets for 38 days after which the brain of each S was removed and assayed for calcium content by volumetric method using EDTA titration. In Experiment 2, 26 albino rats maintained on the same diets were required to learn a visual discrimination problem. Separate 2×2 factorial analyses were made for the number of trials, the number of errors, and time to criterion. The findings indicated that brain calcium level of the rat could not be altered to a Significant degree by dietary manipulation. Furthermore, no significant differences were found for trials, errors, or time to criterion among the dietary groups. These results contradict the findings of Overton.
1-Year Survival of Subjects Discharged From a Long-Term Chronic Ventilator Unit

INTRODUCTION: Among survivors of intensive care, many remain dependent on mechanical ventilation and are discharged to long-term chronic ventilator units or to skilled nursing facilities. Few long-term outcome data are available on patients transferred from long-term chronic ventilator units. METHODS: We retrospectively followed subjects discharged from a long-term chronic ventilator unit from 2010–2012. We determined where these subjects went, evaluating whether location of discharge had an effect on mortality. RESULTS: We followed 79 subjects who were 64.9 ± 15.9 y old. Average stay in the long-term chronic ventilator unit was 38.5 ± 20.1 d. Within the first year after discharge, 24 (30.3%) subjects died: 17 in a skilled nursing facility, 7 at home. Of those who survived the first year, 28 had been discharged to a skilled nursing facility and 27 to home. Survivors were younger (62.6 ± 12.4 vs 70.4 ± 13.1 y, P = .03), had shorter intensive care unit lengths of stay (10.4 ± 5.0 vs 16.4 ± 11.5 d, P = .03), and were more likely discharged home from long-term chronic ventilator unit (49.0% vs 29.1%, P = .040). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects discharged from an long-term chronic ventilator unit and were alive at 1 y had shorter stays in the ICU and were more likely to be discharged home. Further attention is warranted to assure the survival of critical care patients once they are discharged from intensive care units.
Assessment of left atrial and left atrial appendage flow and stasis in atrial fibrillation

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risk of stroke due to development of left atrial (LA) thrombus [1]. Thromboembolic risk is assessed by clinical risk scores (CHA2DS2-VASc). However, these scores have limited predictive value. Echocardiography studies have shown that physiologic factors such as decreased atrial blood flow and increased stasis (LA velocities <0.2m/s) are associated with thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage (LAA) and may thus be better predictors for stroke [2]. Currently available diagnostic tools such as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), however, are limited as they do not completely assess the complex 3D LA blood flow and are invasive. We have recently shown that atrial 4D flow MRI can overcome these limitations and detect physiologic changes in LA flow in patients with AF, i.e. potentially different predisposition to atrial thrombogenesis. However, previous studies were limited by the lack of a systematic evaluation of differences in LA vs. LAA (site of thrombus formation) and intuitive visualization and quantification of LA and LAA stasis [3].