cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dendritic Cell Responses to Early Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection Subset Functional Specialization and Differential Regulation by Interferon α/β

Differentiation of dendritic cells (DCs) into particular subsets may act to shape innate and adaptive immune responses, but little is known about how this occurs during infections. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) are major producers of interferon (IFN)-α/β in response to many viruses. Here, the functions of these and other splenic DC subsets are further analyzed after in vivo infection with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). Viral challenge induced PDC maturation, their production of high levels of innate cytokines, and their ability to activate natural killer (NK) cells. The conditions also licensed PDCs to efficiently activate CD8 T cells in vitro. Non-plasmacytoid DCs induced T lymphocyte activation in vitro. As MCMV preferentially infected CD8α+ DCs, however, restricted access to antigens may limit plasmacytoid and CD11b+ DC contribution to CD8 T cell activation. IFN-α/β regulated multiple DC responses, limiting viral replication in all DC and IL-12 production especially in the CD11b+ subset but promoting PDC accumulation and CD8α+ DC maturation. Thus, during defense against a viral infection, PDCs appear specialized for initiation of innate, and as a result of their production of IFN-α/β, regulate other DCs for induction of adaptive immunity. Therefore, they may orchestrate the DC subsets to shape endogenous immune responses to viruses.
Combustion efficiency and emission factors for wildfire-season fires in mixed conifer forests of the northern Rocky Mountains, US

Abstract. In the US, wildfires and prescribed burning present significant challenges to air regulatory agencies attempting to achieve and maintain compliance with air quality regulations. Fire emission factors (EF) are essential input for the emission models used to develop wildland fire emission inventories. Most previous studies quantifying wildland fire EF of temperate ecosystems have focused on emissions from prescribed burning conducted outside of the wildfire season. Little information is available on EF for wildfires in temperate forests of the conterminous US. The goal of this work is to provide information on emissions from wildfire-season forest fires in the northern Rocky Mountains, US. In August 2011, we deployed airborne chemistry instruments and sampled emissions over eight days from three wildfires and a prescribed fire that occurred in mixed conifer forests of the northern Rocky Mountains. We measured the combustion efficiency, quantified as the modified combustion efficiency (MCE), and EF for CO 2 , CO, and CH 4 . Our study average values for MCE, EFCO 2 , EFCO, and EFCH 4 were 0.883, 1596 g kg −1 , 135 g kg −1 , 7.30 g kg −1 , respectively. Compared with previous field studies of prescribed fires in temperate forests, the fires sampled in our study had significantly lower MCE and EFCO 2 and significantly higher EFCO and EFCH 4 . The fires sampled in this study burned in areas reported to have moderate to heavy components of standing dead trees and down dead wood due to insect activity and previous fire, but fuel consumption data was not available. However, an analysis of MCE and fuel consumption data from 18 prescribed fires reported in the literature indicates that the availability of coarse fuels and conditions favorable for the combustion of these fuels favors low MCE fires. This analysis suggests that fuel composition was an important factor contributing to the low MCE of the fires measured in this study. This study only measured EF for CO 2 , CO, and CH 4 ; however, we used our study average MCE to provide rough estimates of wildfire-season EF for PM 2.5 and four non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) using MCE and EF data reported in the literature. This analysis suggests the EFPM 2.5 for wildfires that occur in forests of the northern Rocky Mountains may be significantly larger than those reported for temperate forests in the literature and that used in a recent national emission inventory. If the MCE of the fires sampled in this work are representative of the combustion characteristics of wildfire-season fires in similar forest types across the western US then the use of EF based on prescribed fires may result in an underestimate of wildfire PM 2.5 and NMOC emissions. Given the magnitude of biomass consumed by western US wildfires, this may have important implications for the forecasting and management of regional air quality.
Three dimensional thermal stresses in angle-ply composite laminates

The room temperature stress distributions and shapes of a family of angle ply graphite/epoxy laminates have been obtained using a three-dimensional linear finite element analysis. The sensitivity of the corners to fiber angle variations is examined, in addition to the errors introduced by assuming planes of symmetry which do not exist in angle-ply laminates. The results show that angle ply laminates with 'clustered' plies will tend to delaminate at diagonally opposite corners, and that matrix cracks in this family of laminates will be initiated in the laminate interior.
Bayesian transfer learning for noisy channels

We consider the problem of classifying a signal that is the output of a linear, time-invariant channel in the presence of additive noise, given two distinct sets of labeled data: one dataset of examples of the signals input to the channel, and a second dataset of example signals corrupted by the channel. We propose a distribution-based Bayesian quadratic discriminant analysis classifier that uses the input examples along with a model for the channel to form a prior for the likelihood of the output examples. Preliminary experiments with this proposed transfer BDA classifier show that it effectively uses both sets of data and is also robust to errors in channel modeling.
A NOVEL VIOLENT VIDEOS CLASSIFICATION SCHEME BASED ON THE BAG OF AUDIO WORDS FEATURES

This paper has been removed because it was brought to our attention that Lei Li from CMU is not the author of this paper. Lei Li from CMU informed that the e-mail used in this paper is not the e-mail of Lei Li from CMU. Please contact ijcia@wspc.com
Sense signal and word noise in a thin magnetic film memory with easy axis bias fields

In a thin magnetic film memory, an easy axis field due to the conducting surrounding of the cell is to be taken into account in order to evaluate the sense signal corresponding to a word pulse in the hard axis. For a simplified switching model, diagrams demonstrate the influence of the easy axis field on the sense pulse amplitude and width and the signal-to-word-noise ratios. Optimum word pulses yielding maximum signal-to-noise ratios are given. Finally, the calculated and measured sense pulse amplitudes are compared.
Indicating structural connectivity in Amazonian rainforests from 1986 to 2010 using morphological image processing analysis

Tropical forests in the Amazon are rapidly being cleared. Deforestation has produced marked and ecologically important fluctuations in the spatial patterns of forest areas. Morphological spatial pattern analysis MSPA has been introduced to quantitatively map forest areas into various spatial pattern classes, but the remaining landscape – here ‘non-forest’ class – is not evaluated well using this method as it is simply clumped into a single class. Spatial arrangements of non-forest areas, including fragmentations occurring within forest and along its exterior boundaries, can have different impacts on related landscape properties, especially structural connectivity, and must be extracted and evaluated within this same analysis. To emphasize the spatial distribution of non-forest areas, therefore, we further classified non-forest areas into two classes ‘hole’ and ‘outer background’ and proposed them as additional MSPA tools. Long-term forest-cover maps from 1986 to 2010 of a deforested landscape in the Amazon were used as an example to illustrate the application of MSPA, as well as to verify the necessity of the proposed pattern classes, and based on the results, a conceptual model was built to indicate structural connectivity in the study area. This article enhances MSPA application by adding two non-forest classes, deploying a new way to understand the deforestation process, and provides a MSPA database to support forest condition evaluation and long-term conservation programmes in the Amazon.
Fungal Cell Wall Septation and Cytokinesis Are Inhibited by Bleomycins

When the essential and distinctive cell walls of either pathogenic or nonpathogenic fungi break, cytoplasmic membranes rupture and fungi die. This fungicidal activity was discovered previously on nonproliferating Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells treated briefly with the oxidative tool and anticancer drug family of bleomycins. The present studies investigated effects of bleomycin on growing fungal organisms. These included the medically important Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans, as well as the emerging human pathogen and fungal model, S. cerevisiae. Bleomycin had its highest potency against A. fumigatus. Scanning electron microscopy and thin-section transmission electron microscopy were used to study morphological growth characteristics. Killing and growth inhibition were also measured. Long, thin, and segmented hyphae were observed when A. fumigatus was grown without bleomycin but were never observed when the mold was grown with the drug. Bleomycin arrested conidial germination, hyphal development, and the progression and completion of cell wall septation. Similarly, the drug inhibited the construction of yeast cell wall septa, preventing cytokinesis and progression in the cell division cycle of S. cerevisiae. Even when cytoplasms of mother and daughter cells separated, septation and cell division did not necessarily occur. Bizarre cell configurations, abnormally thickened cell walls at mother-daughter necks, abnormal polarized growth, large undivided cells, fragmented cells, and empty cell ghosts were also produced. This is the first report of a fungicidal agent that arrests fungal growth and development, septum formation, and cytokinesis and that also preferentially localizes to cell walls and alters isolated cell walls as well as intact cell walls on nongrowing cells.
Cues Linked to the Consumption of Chocolate: Orexin and Reward-Based Feeding Behaviors

Reward-based feeding behaviors are an important component of the overall consideration of ­obesity and metabolic disorders. Orexin is an important neurobiological regulator of brain reward circuits involved in the control of reward-based feeding behaviors. The paraventricular thalamic nucleus may be a critical site of integration for orexinergic signaling in reward-based feeding. Cues associated with the consumption of chocolate activate the orexin system, suggesting that orexin plays a role in the regulation of conditioned reward-based feeding.
Loan Loss Provisioning and Differences of Opinion

Prior research suggests that differences of opinion of professional forecasters are indicative of risk and uncertainty. This study investigates whether different attributes of loan loss provisions influence the likelihood and magnitude of disagreement between the two major credit rating agencies. Focusing on a sample of bank issues from 1994 to 2009, I find that Moody’s and S&P disagree on the initial ratings of 66% of the issues and that S&P is the more conservative rater who gives a lower rating 89% of the time when there is a disagreement. I also find that S&P is more likely to give a lower rating during periods of higher economic uncertainty. In addition, I hypothesize and find that lower timeliness and validity of loan loss provisions exacerbate the likelihood and magnitude of initial credit rating splits between the two major credit rating agencies. Furthermore, discretionary loan loss provisions are positively associated with the likelihood and degree of differences of opinion. Finally, I find bank bondholders demand a yield premium on split rated bonds. The findings in this paper suggest that accounting information quality influences the perceived risks and uncertainties in banking industry and is useful in facilitating bondholders’ market discipline of banks’ risk exposures.
Superconductivity on a YBa2Cu

The interaction between two electrons near a conducting and polarizable plane is found to be attractive at large separations if the polarizability is large enough. Assuming such an interaction, a variational Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconducting state is constructed based upon the Y${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ tight-binding electronic structure. There is no charge-density-wave instability, nor $s$-wave superconducting instability. However, allowing the phase of the order parameter to vary along the Fermi lines separates the paired electrons sufficiently to sample only the attractive electron-electron interaction. As the polarizability is increased from zero over a reasonable range, 90-K superconductivity is first obtained in the Cu${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ planes. The corresponding Cooper-pair electrons are related by a reflection symmetry of the Brillouin zone rather than the usual $\mathbf{k}$ to $\ensuremath{-}\mathbf{k}$ inversion. The paired electrons move along third-neighbor copper rows. This particular $l=3$ state would have triplet pairing but neighboring $l=2$ and $l=4$ superconducting states have singlet pairing. Superconductivity, with a smaller gap, simultaneously arises on the Cu${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ chains with Cooper-pair electrons on second-neighbor chains. The ratio $\frac{2{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{0}}{{k}_{B}{T}_{c}}$ is found to be 5.08 for the planes. Predicted values for a range of superconducting properties of the 90-K state are in reasonable accord with experiment.
High Failure Rate of Modular Exchange With a Specific Design of a Constrained Liner in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Addressing recurrent instability in patients with poor bone stock and inadequate abductor tensioning remains a challenge in revision total hip arthroplasty. One treatment method is implantation of a constrained liner. The purpose of this study was to determine clinical outcomes, redislocation rate, and revisions of a focally constrained liner in a high-risk patient cohort. Methods Fifty-eight hips between 2008 and 2011 underwent implantation of a focally constrained liner. Nineteen were placed concurrent with acetabular component revision and 39 were placed into a well-fixed acetabular shell. Mean age was 69 years and mean number of previous ipsilateral hip surgeries was 4.2. At mean follow-up of 3.5 years, we analyzed clinical outcomes, redislocation, and revisions. Results Mean Harris Hip Scores was 74. Fourteen hips (24%) were revised and 3 hips (5%) required reoperation at final follow-up. Eleven hips (19%) redislocated at a mean time to dislocation of 12.2 months; 31% (11 of 36 patients) that underwent modular exchange specifically for instability redislocated. Risk factors for redislocation included number of previous surgeries (P = .013), implantation of a 28 mm femoral head (hazards ratio 12.8), revision indication of instability (P = .04), and modular exchange with constrained liner implantation without acetabular shell revision (P = .01). Conclusion Implantation of a focally constrained liner in revision total hip arthroplasty for recurrent instability has a high failure rate, especially with a modular exchange. Although concurrent acetabular revision had a lower redislocation rate, the decision to revise a well-fixed cup should be weighed with potential complications associated with cup revision.
$Star^1$-convex functions on tropical linear spaces of complete graphs

Given a fan and a cone 2 , let star 1 ( ) be the set of cones that contain and are one dimension bigger than . In this paper we study two cones of piecewise linear functions defined on : the cone of functions which are convex on star 1 ( ) for all cones, and the cone of functions which are convex on star 1 ( ) for all cones of codimension 1. We give nice combinatorial descriptions for these two cones given two different fan structures on the tropical linear space of complete graphs. For the complete graphK5, we prove that with the finer fan subdivision the two cones are not equal, but with the coarser subdivision they are the same. This gives a negative answer to a question of Gibney-Maclagan that for the finer subdivision the two cones are the same.
Development of low-cost devices for image-guided photodynamic therapy treatment of oral cancer in global health settings

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a light-based modality that shows promise for adaptation and implementation as a cancer treatment technology in resource-limited settings. In this context PDT is particularly well suited for treatment of pre-cancer and early stage malignancy of the oral cavity, that present a major global health challenge, but for which light delivery can be achieved without major infrastructure requirements. In recent reports we demonstrated that a prototype low-cost batterypowered 635nm LED light source for ALA-PpIX PDT achieves tumoricidal efficacy in vitro and vivo, comparable to a commercial turn-key laser source. Here, building on these reports, we describe the further development of a prototype PDT device to enable intraoral light delivery, designed for ALA- PDT treatment of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the oral cavity. We evaluate light delivery via fiber bundles and customized 3D printed light applicators for flexible delivery to lesions of varying size and position within the oral cavity. We also briefly address performance requirements (output power, stability, and light delivery) and present validation of the device for ALA-PDT treatment in monolayer squamous carcinoma cell cultures.
Chronic Inflammatory Lesions of the Placenta and Preterm Birth

A successful pregnancy largely relies on proper immune regulation in the gravid uterus. This review describes immune mechanisms that permit the fetal allograft to continue to grow to term. Chronic inflammatory lesions may be manifestations of altered immune status in the placenta and are often present in preterm placentas. These lesions are compared with the more common acute inflammatory lesions of pregnancy, and described with respect to their pathology and clinical significance.
Risks of Thyroid Hormone Suppression for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in the Elderly

Suppressive thyroxine (T4) therapy was previously a cornerstone in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Evidence has since demonstrated that complete suppression of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) lowers neither mortality nor recurrence rates in low-risk disease, though it does confer benefit in high-risk disease. Subclinical and overt iatrogenic hyperthyroidism may negatively affect cardiovascular and bone health, particularly in the elderly. Thus, individualized serum TSH goals should be made based on comorbidities and risk factors.
Algorithm and simulation of downward velocity azimuth display of airborne wind lidars

In order to study how to detect three-dimension wind field under an airplane,a model for wind field was built based on ground-based wind lidars,and the radial velocity was optimized by means of Levenber-Marquardt(LM) least square method.It was compared with the traditional algorithms.The working mechanism and scanning modes for airborne lidars are similar with ground-based lidars.On the contrary,it is more difficult to retrieve the wind field because of its own flying speed,instability of flight status,the curvature of the earth,the strong ground scattering echo and ground clutter;the LM least square method is able to converge rapidly and accurately because it has the advantages of fast convergence features of the Newton-Gaussian least square method and the ensuring convergence features of the gradient descent method.The results provide references for the optimization of lidars.
Gonadotropin Levels and Secretory Patterns in Patients with Typical and Atypical Polycystic Ovarian Disease

Gonadotropin levels and secretory patterns were studied in 28 oligomenorrheic patients with various types of polycystic ovary disease (PCO). On the basis of ovarian morphology and histology, the patients PCOuld be separated into two distinct categories arbitarily designated "typical" (type I) and "atypical" (type II) PCO. Although no differences were noted in symptomatology or 17-ketosteroid, testosterone, or follicle-stimulating hormone levels, the 12 type I patients demonstrated widely fluctuating, but markedly elevated, luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, while the 16 type II patients demonstrated lower and less fluctuating LH levels which were comparable to those found during the normal follicular phase. It is likely that type I PCO is a distinct entity similar to that described by Stein and Leventhal, while type II co represents a heterogenous spectrum of disorders, many of which remain obscure.
Factors Affecting Mycotoxin Production in Fruits

Publisher Summary Mycotoxins are a chemically diverse group of toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria and Fusarium. First three are the major contributors of mycotoxin production in fruits. These fungi are major contributors to fruit spoilage and are responsible for significant financial losses for any segment of the food industry that harvests, stores, processes, or uses fruits or fruit-derived ingredients. In addition to the economic implications of their presence, Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Alternaria spp. produce mycotoxins that are of concern to human health. The most common mycotoxins associated with fruits are patulin, aflatoxins, Alternaria toxins, and ochratoxin A. Factors known to affect production of these mycotoxins in fruit include the fruit type and cultivar, geographical location where the fruit is grown and harvested, climate, pre-harvest treatments, method of harvest, presence of surface defects on the fruit, post-harvest treatments, and storage conditions. Mycotoxin accumulation in fruits occurs in the field, during harvest, post harvest, and during storage. Gentle and sanitary handling of the fruit during harvest and in storage and processing facilities is essential for reducing fungal decay and mycotoxin production in fruits.
Algorithmic Techniques for Solving Graph Problems on the Automata Processor

The Automata Processor is a new accelerator technology that supports direct hardware implementation of a set of non-deterministic finite automata over a streaming input, and is designed for complex string pattern matching applications. In this paper, we broaden the scope of this architecture beyond its primary design goal, by developing algorithmic techniques to solve problems on unweighted graphs. We present a strategy to represent nodes and edges in a graph using strings, and use this transformation to develop algorithms for several classic graph problems including finding Hamiltonian paths and cycles, connected components, and breadth-first search. Our algorithms rely on a core set of automata building blocks which we designed for this purpose, and illustrate various design considerations that developers must bear in mind when harnessing this new technology. We expect that this work provides the foundations for solving graph problems using the Automata Processor.
Ocular and cutaneous manifestations of heritable disorders of collagen and elastic tissue.

The oculocutaneous features of the heritable disorders of collagen and elastic tissue are highlighted. Although there is an emphasis on the classic ocular stigmata of each entity-angioid streaks of pseudoxanthoma elasticum, blue sclerae of osteogenesis imperfecta, ocular fragility of EhlerDanlos syndrome, ectopia lentis of Marfan syndrome-other significant ocular findings are detailed.
Function-specific Design Principles for the Electronic Health Record:

This practice-oriented paper provides a collection of design principles that are specific to certain functions within the electronic health record (EHR). Design principles for EHRs tend to be broad...
Public Grief: Reading Joan Didion in the Context of #BlackLivesMatter

Joan Didion and #BlackLivesMatter share the space of public grief at the beginning of the twenty-first century and, read together, demonstrate how histories of race, public accommodation, and mourn...
Depressive Symptoms as a Predictor of Memory Complaints in the PRISM Sample.

Objectives The current study investigated baseline and longitudinal relationships between memory complaints, depressive symptoms, and cognition in older adults. Method Using the sample from the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management trial, we generated path models predicting self-rated memory complaints measured by the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (MFQ). Results Our baseline models showed that more depressive symptoms were associated with reporting more frequent forgetting incidents and a greater decline in memory function. The baseline models also revealed that higher scores in a latent cognitive function were associated with reporting a greater decline in memory functioning and a greater use of mnemonics. However, cognitive predictors did not mediate the baseline associations between the MFQ measures and depressive symptoms. Further, these predictors were not able to directly predict the 12-month MFQ measures over and above the baseline effects. Including personality traits (neuroticism and conscientiousness) did not significantly affect the models. Discussion Our results suggest that memory complaints about frequency of forgetting can be the most reliable indicator of depression risk among the four factors in the MFQ. We discuss theoretical implications for longitudinal relationships between memory complaints, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function in older adults.
Grade III Venous Rupture

This chapter discusses the case of a patient who had experienced a grade III venous rupture. If not managed appropriately, this can lead to loss of the access.
Obstructive sleep apnea in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: perspectives from a quality improvement initiative in a university-based diabetes center.

Objective Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and diabetes are frequent comorbid conditions. Screening for OSA in patients with diabetes is recommended but the frequency with which this is done in clinical practice is unknown. The objectives of this quality improvement initiative were to identify clinician and patient perceptions regarding OSA and to identify the prevalence of patients at high risk for OSA (HROSA). Methods A quality improvement initiative was conducted to query clinicians and patients attending a specialty diabetes clinic regarding attitudes and beliefs related to OSA. The Berlin Questionnaire was embedded in patient questionnaires to identify patients as low risk for OSA (LROSA) or HROSA. Results 35 clinicians completed questionnaires with >80% agreement that OSA contributed to blood pressure (BP), glycemic control, and diabetes complications and that screening is a shared responsibility with other physicians; but only 17% indicated regular screening due predominantly to insufficient time. Of 107 patients (26 type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and 81 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)), 30% were aware that OSA could affect diabetes outcomes. The prevalence of known OSA, LROSA, and HROSA was similar in T1DM (15%, 50%, 35%) and T2DM (36%, 33%, 31%, respectively) (p=0.21). 59% of all HROSA patients indicated that OSA screening had never been discussed with them. Conclusions These results demonstrate that providers, but not patients, are knowledgeable about the importance of OSA screening, but insufficient time is a major barrier to wider screening. Approximately, 30% of patients with T1DM and T2DM were identified as HROSA supporting the need for procedures that improve detection and treatment.
Body System Effects of a Multi-Modal Training Program Targeting Chronic, Motor Complete Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury.

Abstract The safety and efficacy of pharmacological and cellular transplantation strategies are currently being evaluated in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). In studies of people with chronic SCIs, it is thought that functional recovery will be best achieved when drug or cell therapies are combined with rehabilitation protocols. However, any functional recovery attributed to the therapy may be confounded by the conditioned state of the body and by training-induced effects on neuroplasticity. For this reason, we sought to investigate the effects of a multi-modal training program on several body systems. The training program included body-weight–supported treadmill training for locomotion, circuit resistance training for upper body conditioning, functional electrical stimulation for activation of sublesional muscles, and wheelchair skills training for overall mobility. Eight participants with chronic, thoracic-level, motor-complete SCI completed the 12-week training program. After 12 weeks, upper extre...
Cross-view convolutional networks

Billions of geotagged ground-level images are available via social networks and Google Street View. Recent work in computer vision has explored how these images could serve as a resource for understanding our world. However, most ground-level images are captured in cities and around famous landmarks; there are still very large geographic regions with few images. This leads to artifacts when estimating geospatial distributions. We propose to leverage satellite imagery, which has dense spatial coverage and increasingly high temporal frequency, to address this problem. We introduce Cross-view ConvNets (CCNs), a novel approach for estimating geospatial distributions in which semantic labels of ground-level imagery are transferred to satellite imagery to enable more accurate predictions.
Investigations on the family of center-point-clamped AC-AC direct power converters

Buck and buck-boost ac-ac converter topologies with a center-point-clamped circuit configuration have been recently reported in literature. These converter circuits reduce the voltage stress on the bidirectional switches employed in corresponding direct ac-ac converters. This new topological structure enables access to the mid-point of voltage terminals. This paper introduces a family of such ac-ac direct converters which are solid state functional equivalents of ac transformers with a continuously variable transformation ratio. The family of proposed variants include buck, boost, and buck-boost converters. This paper is aimed at presenting the operating principles, design guidelines, dynamic analysis and the results of a comparative study of these converters. Detailed design equations are provided along with typical examples of design of various converters for power conditioning applications. Experimental waveforms obtained with scaled laboratory prototypes presented in the paper verify that proposed converters offer reduced voltage stress on the bi-directional switches when compared to conventional ac-ac direct power converters. They also confirm the applicability of this novel family of direct ac-ac converters called Center-Point-Clamped Switched Mode Power Converters.
Understanding Sorority Women’s Privacy Management About Condom Use:

Sorority women are at risk for engaging in unsafe sexual behavior. Fortunately, the positive influence of peer communication about condom use can mitigate the risk these women face. To better understand this communication, this article investigates sorority women's communication about condom use through focus groups, using the lens of the theory of Communication Privacy Management. The results revealed the criteria for privacy rules sorority women use to negotiate privacy and engage in comfortable communication with other women in the sorority. The analysis also revealed an external privacy boundary; the women sought to maintain a good reputation for their social group, and followed explicit and implicit privacy management rules to do so. The implications for this study include better understanding of the personal and collective boundaries of privacy management, and improvements in sorority and college student sexual health programs.
Molecular aspects of voltage-dependent ion channels.

The control of contractility in cardiac and smooth muscle ultimately depends, as it does in skeletal muscle and nerve, on electrical signals generated in the surface membrane. These signals are the result of changes in the ionic conductance of the surface membrane mediated by channel-forming transmembrane proteins. Over the past few years, concomitant with rapid developments in biochemical and molecular biological approaches to the study of these proteins, our understanding of the structure of ion channels and of the relationship between their structure and function has advanced considerably. In this chapter, current concepts of the structure of voltage-dependent ion channels will be considered with particular emphasis on the voltage-dependent sodium channel.
Most Sinorhizobium meliloti Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factors Control Accessory Functions

Bacteria must sense alterations in their environment and respond with changes in function and/or structure in order to cope. Extracytoplasmic function sigma factors (ECF σs) modulate transcription in response to cellular and environmental signals. The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti carries genes for 11 ECF-like σs (RpoE1 to -E10 and FecI). We hypothesized that some of these play a role in mediating the interaction between the bacterium and its plant symbiotic partner. The bacterium senses changes in its immediate environment as it establishes contact with the plant root, initiates invasion of the plant as the root nodule is formed, traverses several root cell layers, and enters plant cortical cells via endocytosis. We used genetics, transcriptomics, and functionality to characterize the entire S. meliloti cohort of ECF σs. We discovered new targets for individual σs, confirmed others by overexpressing individual ECF σs, and identified or confirmed putative promoter motifs for nine of them. We constructed precise deletions of each ECF σ gene and its demonstrated or putative anti-σ gene and also a strain in which all 11 ECF σ and anti-σ genes were deleted. This all-ECF σ deletion strain showed no major defects in free-living growth, in Biolog Phenotype MicroArray assays, or in response to multiple stresses. None of the ECF σs were required for symbiosis on the host plants Medicago sativa and Medicago truncatula: the strain deleted for all ECF σ and anti-σ genes was symbiotically normal.IMPORTANCE Fixed (reduced) soil nitrogen plays a critical role in soil fertility and successful food growth. Much soil fertility relies on symbiotic nitrogen fixation: the bacterial partner infects the host plant roots and reduces atmospheric dinitrogen in exchange for host metabolic fuel, a process that involves complex interactions between the partners mediated by changes in gene expression in each partner. Here we test the roles of a family of 11 extracytoplasmic function (ECF) gene regulatory proteins (sigma factors [σs]) that interact with RNA polymerase to determine if they play a significant role in establishing a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis or in responding to various stresses, including cell envelope stress. We discovered that symbiotic nitrogen fixation occurs even when all 11 of these regulatory genes are deleted, that most ECF sigma factors control accessory functions, and that none of the ECF sigma factors are required to survive envelope stress.
Clinical and Genetic Factors to Inform Reducing Colorectal Cancer Disparitites in African Americans

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent and second deadliest cancer in the U.S. with 140,250 cases and 50,630 deaths for 2018. Prevention of CRC through screening is effective. Among categorized races in the U.S., African Americans (AAs) show the highest incidence and death rates per 100,000 when compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, with an overall AA:NHW ratio of 1.13 for incidence and 1.32 for mortality (2010-2014, seer.cancer.gov). The disparity for CRC incidence and worsened mortality among AAs is likely multifactorial and includes environmental (e.g., diet and intestinal microbiome composition, prevalence of obesity, use of aspirin, alcohol, and tobacco use), societal (e.g., socioeconomic status, insurance and access to care, and screening uptake and behaviors), and genetic (e.g., somatic driver mutations, race-specific variants in genes, and inflammation and immunological factors). Some of these parameters have been investigated, and interventions that address specific parameters have proven to be effective in lowering the disparity. For instance, there is strong evidence raising screening utilization rates among AAs to that of NHWs reduces CRC incidence to that of NHWs. Reducing the age to commence CRC screening in AA patients may further address incidence disparity, due to the earlier age onset of CRC. Identified genetic and epigenetic changes such as reduced MLH1 hypermethylation frequency, presence of inflammation-associated microsatellite alterations, and unique driver gene mutations (FLCN and EPHA6) among AA CRCs will afford more precise approaches toward CRC care, including the use of 5-fluorouracil and anti-PD-1.
THU0235 Ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis hospitalisation trends in the us: data from national inpatient sample

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) imposes significant morbidity and disability in the affected population. Hospitalisation trends provide an insight as to burden of disease and long-term data is lacking. We evaluated AS related hospitalisation trends in the US from 2001–13, comparing it to the more common inflammatory arthritis- rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives To evaluate AS related hospitalisation trends in the US in comparision to the more common inflammatory arthritis- RA Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2009–2011, we identified patients≥18 years with AS and RA at primary diagnosis positions based on ICD-9 codes 720.0 and 714.0, 714.2, 714.30–714.33 respectively. We also excluded patients with psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease to improve the specificity of codes used. We used the trend weight (contained in the variable TRENDWT) supplied by HCUP to study the annual trends of hospitalizations in AS and RA (2001–13). We used Stata version 13.0 (College Station, TX) and Joinpoint regression analysis software to calculate yearly trends. Results NIS database from 2001–2013 contained 36 883 (weighted count, n=175,356) patients with RA and 1377 (weighted count- 6,554) patients with AS. A decreasing trend in AS and RA hospitalizations was noted with an annual percentage change (APC) of 5.35 and 4.28 respectively (p Conclusions While recent studies have shown a rise in incidence of AS, the hospitalisation rates have declined similar to RA. Our study findings may reflect increased recognition of inflammatory back pain in the primary care setting and prompt referral and diagnosis due to improved imaging techniques of the spine and pelvis. Furthermore, the use of biologics, such as TNF and IL-6 inhibitors have significantly improved outcomes. Disclosure of Interest None declared
High in-hospital blood pressure variability and severe disability or death in primary intracerebral hemorrhage patients:

ObjectiveTo quantify in-hospital systolic blood pressure variability among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, determine the association between high systolic blood pressure variability (HSBPV)...
Estimating historical forest density from land-survey data: a response to Baker and Williams (2018).

Researchers throughout the US have used the General Land Office (GLO) surveys of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to estimate historical forest conditions. These surveys were conducted throughout the US and represent a systematic, historical sample of trees across a broad geographic area. The challenge of using GLO survey data is the accurate estimation of density from sparse witness tree data. Levine et al. (2017) tested the accuracy and precision of four plotless density estimators that can be applied to GLO survey sample data, including the Cottam, Pollard, Morisita, and mean harmonic Voronoi density estimators. Baker and Williams (2018) contend that the major conclusions in Levine et al. (2017) are not valid. Based on this new analysis of the data, we confirmed the two main conclusions of Levine with respect to the MHVD.
Ostomy Management: A Model of Interdisciplinary Care

This article provides an overview of key palliative care considerations for management of patients with wounds and ostomies. Ostomy formation is indicated for a variety of intestinal conditions. Specifics of ostomy management, impact on quality of life, and patient perspectives can be complicated. Wound ostomy and continence nursing professionals play a central role in the successful management of this patient population.
Introduction: The Oxford Handbook of Fiduciary Law

In recent years, the study of fiduciary law has undergone a paradigm shift. Rather than treat fiduciary principles as subsidiary elements of legal fields, such as trust law or corporate law, a burgeoning group of scholars has undertaken to study fiduciary law as a coherent general field of study that encompasses aspects of both private and public law. Case law and academic commentary have progressed to the point that it is now possible to generate a detailed mapping of the field. To this end, the newly published Oxford Handbook of Fiduciary Law provides a near-encyclopedic survey of the terrain, focusing primarily on U.S. jurisprudence but also incorporating perspectives from other legal traditions. In its breadth and depth of coverage, the Handbook stands alone as a uniquely authoritative guide to the current state of the law and scholarship in the field. This essay, which is the Introduction to the Handbook, explores fiduciary law’s emergence as a general field of study and explains the Handbook’s ambitious contributions to the field. These contributions are grouped thematically into four parts. First, the Handbook surveys fiduciary principles across diverse contexts, ranging from agency law and the law of investment advice, to family law and the law of lawyering, to public offices and public international law. Second, the Handbook identifies and synthesizes several fundamental principles of fiduciary law that apply across these contexts, including the core fiduciary duties of loyalty and care. Third, the Handbook explores how fiduciary principles have developed across time and in different legal traditions around the world. Lastly, the Handbook considers how different legal theories, interdisciplinary approaches, and social institutions may contribute to the academic study and development of fiduciary law. The Handbook thus furnishes a single source to which readers can turn for guidance on fiduciary principles across a host of substantive fields, jurisdictions, and epochs.
Converting Unstable Challenges to Stable in MUX-based Physical Unclonable Functions by Bit-Flipping

Linear and nonlinear multiplexer based physical unclonable functions (MUX PUFs) are used for authentication of devices. The responses to some input challenges can be unreliable or unstable due to inherent hardware variations. Thus, the server needs to guarantee that a challenge is stable before it is issued. This can be done by computing a metric called total delay-difference and then thresholding it to decide whether a challenge is stable or not. A straightforward approach is to discard and issue a new random challenge for authentication if the current challenge is unstable. This paper presents a novel bit-flipping approach where flipping few bits of the original unstable challenge can convert it to a stable one. We compare the computation complexities for the straightforward and proposed approaches. In terms of number of addition operations, the proposed approach has comparable average-case performance but much better worst-case performance than the straightforward approach.
Al-induced proteomics changes in tomato plants over-expressing a glyoxalase I gene

Glyoxalase I (Gly I) is the first enzyme in the glutathionine-dependent glyoxalase pathway for detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG) under stress conditions. Transgenic tomato ‘Money Maker’ plants overexpressing tomato SlGlyI gene (tomato unigene accession SGN-U582631/Solyc09g082120.3.1) were generated and homozygous lines were obtained after four generations of self-pollination. In this study, SlGlyI-overepxressing line (GlyI), wild type (WT, negative control) and plants transformed with empty vector (ECtr, positive control), were subjected to Al-treatment by growing in Magnavaca’s nutrient solution (pH 4.5) supplemented with 20 µM Al3+ ion activity. After 30 days of treatments, the fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots of plants from Al-treated conditions decreased significantly compared to the non-treated conditions for all the three lines. When compared across the three lines, root fresh and dry weight of GlyI was significant higher than WT and ECtr, whereas there was no difference in shoot tissues. The basal 5 mm root-tips of GlyI plants expressed a significantly higher level of glyoxalase activity under both non-Al-treated and Al-treated conditions compared to the two control lines. Under Al-treated condition, there was a significant increase in MG content in ECtr and WT lines, but not in GlyI line. Quantitative proteomics analysis using tandem mass tags mass spectrometry identified 4080 quantifiable proteins and 201 Al-induced differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in root-tip tissues from GlyI, and 4273 proteins and 230 DEPs from ECtr. The Al-down-regulated DEPs were classified into molecular pathways of gene transcription, RNA splicing and protein biosynthesis in both GlyI and ECtr lines. The Al-induced DEPs in GlyI associated with tolerance to Al3+ and MG toxicity are involved in callose degradation, cell wall components (xylan acetylation and pectin degradation), oxidative stress (antioxidants) and turnover of Al-damaged epidermal cells, repair of damaged DNA, epigenetics, gene transcription, and protein translation. A protein–protein association network was constructed to aid the selection of proteins in the same pathway but differentially regulated in GlyI or ECtr lines. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD009456 under project title ‘25Dec2017_Suping_XSexp2_ITAG3.2’ for SlGlyI-overexpressing tomato plants and PXD009848 under project title ‘25Dec2017_Suping_XSexp3_ITAG3.2’ for positive control ECtr line transformed with empty vector.
Politics by Other Means? Rawls, Feminists, Religious Conservatives, and Public Education

In response to the feminist concern that various religions undermine the ability of young women to realize themselves as free and equal citizens, Rawls has suggested that mandatory civic education could balance out non-egalitarian faiths. However, mandated civic education, if substantive enough to meet the demands of feminists, would likely disrupt the ability of religious conservatives and their children to develop and freely exercise the two moral powers. The result of this dilemma is twofold: the first is that a Rawlsian society which includes both feminists and religious conservatives may never be able achieve a stable overlapping consensus in the right way unless substantial accommodations are made for religious conservative families with regard to education. The second result is a broader one, namely, that using the public education system to condition students’ thinking beyond what political liberalism requires may undermine legitimacy and produce instability and polarization. Therefore, the public education system ought to be depoliticized as much as possible.