cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of fault in single load distribution with FIFO(first in, first out) back propagation of results

The purpose of this research is to obtain a closed form solution for the finish time taking into consideration the adverse effect of the fault for both Single Installment and Multi-Installment with FIFO(First In, First Out) and LIFO(Last In, First Out) result allocation. The System under consideration in this research is a system that utilizes for job scheduling a Divisible Load scheme that entails distributing arbitrarily divisible computational loads amongst eligible processors within a bus based distributed computing environment, including the aspects of both Single Installment and Multi-Installment scheme of Divisible Load Theory along with the Results Collection Phase. Multi-Installment processing consists in sending multiple small chunks of the load to processors instead of a single chunk. In this distributed system, there is a primary processor, processors in addition to backup processor. Processors periodically checkpoint their results on the backup processor. If a processor fails, the backup takes over and rolls over to the time of the last check pointing. Assuming, one processor fault during a life time of Single task execution is only considered.
A periodic-DFT study of retro-aldol fragmentation of fuctose on MoO3

Abstract We use Density-Functional Theory calculations to investigate the mechanism of the retro-aldol fragmentation of fructose to glyceraldehyde (GLA) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) on MoO 3 . We find that the reaction follows the classic mechanism of C C bond activation by proton abstraction from the β OH group of the sugar and stabilization of the transition state and resulting enolate intermediate by charge delocalization through coordination of the sugar’s carbonyl group to a Lewis acidic Mo atom. The deprotonation of fructose and the C C bond scission take place in a concerted fashion. On MoO 3 , fructose can also undergo epimerization to d -hamamelose through a 1,2-carbon shift along a pathway that is as probable kinetically as the one that leads to retro-aldol fragmentation but is somewhat more favourable thermodynamically. We see that hamamelose formation does not have an adverse effect on the overall yield of alkyl lactates, because hamamelose can itself undergo retro-aldol fragmentation to GLA, which can further be converted to alkyl lactates through a cascade of thermodynamically favorable reactions involving isomerization via 1,2-hydrogen shift, dehydration and ketalization, all catalyzed by the Lewis acidic zeolite Sn-MFI.
Development and validation of a model for predicting survival of young larvae of Tribolium castaneum exposed to elevated temperatures during heat treatment of grain-processing facilities

Abstract Heat treatment involves raising the ambient temperature of grain-processing facilities to 50–60 °C for at least 24 h to manage stored-product insects. The young larvae (first instars) of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), are the most heat tolerant stage at temperatures of 50–60 °C when compared to eggs, old larvae, pupae, and adults. A thermal death kinetic model was developed to predict survival of T . castaneum young larvae exposed to six constant elevated temperatures between 42 and 60 °C. The model was based on two non-linear relationships: 1) logarithmic decrease in survival of larvae as a function of time, and 2) logarithmic decrease in larval survival as a function of temperature. The model was validated with 12 time-dependent temperature datasets collected during actual heat treatments of pilot-scale flour and feed mills and a commercial grain-processing facility. The observed survival of larvae in plastic boxes/vials with flour was used to validate model predictions. The heating rate to reach 50 °C from the ambient temperature, among the 12 datasets ranged from 0.9 to 7.8 °C/h. The mean absolute deviation between observed and predicted larval survival for 10 of the 12 datasets ranged from 2.1 to 11.4%; for the other two datasets it was 16.2 and 18.3%. These results show that the thermal death kinetic model can be used to predict survival of young larvae of T . castaneum based on time-dependent temperature profile obtained at any given location during heat treatment of grain-processing facilities.
Outcomes of Dabigatran and Warfarin for Atrial Fibrillation in Contemporary Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Dabigatran (150 mg twice daily) has been associated with lower rates of stroke than warfarin in trials of atrial fibrillation, but large-scale evaluations in clinical practice are limited. Objective To compare incidence of stroke, bleeding, and myocardial infarction in patients receiving dabigatran versus warfarin in practice. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting National U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sentinel network. Patients Adults with atrial fibrillation initiating dabigatran or warfarin therapy between November 2010 and May 2014. Measurements Ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, extracranial bleeding, and myocardial infarction identified from hospital claims among propensity score-matched patients starting treatment with dabigatran or warfarin. Results Among 25 289 patients starting dabigatran therapy and 25 289 propensity score-matched patients starting warfarin therapy, those receiving dabigatran did not have significantly different rates of ischemic stroke (0.80 vs. 0.94 events per 100 person-years; hazard ratio [HR], 0.92 [95% CI, 0.65 to 1.28]) or extracranial hemorrhage (2.12 vs. 2.63 events per 100 person-years; HR, 0.89 [CI, 0.72 to 1.09]) but were less likely to have intracranial bleeding (0.39 vs. 0.77 events per 100 person-years; HR, 0.51 [CI, 0.33 to 0.79]) and more likely to have myocardial infarction (0.77 vs. 0.43 events per 100 person-years; HR, 1.88 [CI, 1.22 to 2.90]). However, the strength and significance of the association between dabigatran use and myocardial infarction varied in sensitivity analyses and by exposure definition (HR range, 1.13 [CI, 0.78 to 1.64] to 1.43 [CI, 0.99 to 2.08]). Older patients and those with kidney disease had higher gastrointestinal bleeding rates with dabigatran. Limitation Inability to examine outcomes by dabigatran dose (unacceptable covariate balance between matched patients) or quality of warfarin anticoagulation (few patients receiving warfarin had available international normalized ratio values). Conclusion In matched adults with atrial fibrillation treated in practice, the incidences of stroke and bleeding with dabigatran versus warfarin were consistent with those seen in trials. The possible relationship between dabigatran and myocardial infarction warrants further investigation. Primary funding source U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Lateralizing Calcaneal Osteotomies and Their Effect on Calcaneal Alignment: A Three-Dimensional Digital Model Analysis:

Background:Few authors have directly compared multiple types of lateralizing calcaneal osteotomies (LCOs) in terms of their ability to achieve deformity correction. The aim of this research was to ...
Using telephone call rates and nurse-to-patient ratios as measures of resilient performance under high patient flow conditions

Patient admissions, discharges, and transfers are high work demand activities that have been associated with 30-day readmissions and increased patient mortality. Most mitigation strategies target peak demand, but variable demand may be more significant. Self-organizing holarchic open systems (SOHOs) and resilience engineering frameworks may explain system behavior, but a few quantitative studies of resilient organizational performance have been published. We used three measures to explore SOHO and resilience engineering constructs. We collected hourly data over 2 years, from five inter-related units in a cardiovascular disease division of a metropolitan teaching hospital. Our results show that information flows (inbound, outbound, answered, and unanswered telephone calls) representing anticipatory management are related to patient flows (patient admissions discharges and transfers) and nurse-staffing levels (nurse-to-patient ratios). We also found overall system stability despite high patient flow effects in lower level units. Unexpectedly, the time to recovery from high patient flow events lasted up to 7 days. We conclude that constructs proposed by resilience engineering can be quantified using simple measures collated within routine operations. The application of nonlinear statistical analyses can uncover important insights about resilient performance that may assist managers in better preparing for managing and recovering from unexpected variation in patient flow.
THE CULTURE OF CHILDHOOD AND THE VISUAL ARTS

Thirty years ago, Brent Wilson (1974) introduced art educators to a prolific ten-yearold named J. C. Holz, and a nascent theory of children’s culture in its relation to child art. Fascinated both by J. C.’s dedication to drawing and by the subjects and sources of his work in popular culture, Wilson pondered the contrast between J. C.’s self-initiated “play art” and the “school art” that children of his age produce under the direction of art teachers. In this early article, Wilson introduced themes which remain central to the study of children’s culture in the visual arts, including the importance of the images children draw to please and inform themselves, and the impact of popular culture on the choices children make. As Marilyn Zurmuehlen suggested in a description of conditions that would evoke “meaningful children’s art” (1974), “the person making the choices is the person who is learning” (p. 33). Children’s culture, much like children’s art, is constantly negotiated between adults and children, in classrooms, homes, and communities: Not only is much of what constitutes children’s culture made by adults for children, or scavenged by children from sources intended for adult consumption, but the uses to which children put these materials are monitored, worried over, and controlled as far as possible by adults. Duncum (2002) suggests that the “professional status [of art educators] rests on our expertise regarding both children and images” (p. 105). The study of children’s culture in the visual arts focuses both upon the images of the child that inform research and pedagogy in art education, and on the nature of the images that fill children’s visual and conceptual fields. Through much of the twentieth century, children’s life experiences were placed squarely at the heart of art education theory and practice. In practice, the strength and focus of this commitment wavered as attitudes toward children and art shifted
IRP, DSM, and the Environment

During the past several years, concern about the environment has been one of the main drivers behind regulatory actions to encourage utilities to pursue demand-side management (DSM). Efforts are continuing to explore options to fully reflect environmental impacts in integrated resource planning (IRP). This paper reviews current approaches to treatment of environmental externalities, and options to achieve environmental objectives without a need to quantify the costs of environmental emissions. The latter may avoid the administrative costs and complexity of monetizing environmental effects, and ensure that the choice of resources in consistent with a no regrets approach to the environment.
In situ hybridization studies of metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression in human prostate cancer

The expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, and the urokinase receptor were examined in fetal and normal prostate tissues, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer (n=117). In situ hybridization with digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probes demonstrated that TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were expressed at elevated levels in the stroma of Gleason sum 5 tissues, whereas MMP-2 and MMP-9 were expressed at relatively low levels. In higher Gleason sum tissues (GS 8-10), TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were not expressed, whereas MMP-2 and MMP-9 were intensely expressed. Furthermore, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression was high in organ-confined specimens (OC, n=43), somewhat lower in specimens with capsular penetration (CP, n=29), and low or negative in samples with surgical margin/seminal vesicle (M/SV, n=17) and lymph node (LN, n=13) involvement. In contrast, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression was low in the OC tissues; and noticeably higher in CP, M/SV, and LN specimens. Finally, correlation of TIMP and MMP expression with GS and pathological stage versus cure rate further revealed that a high percentage of organ-confined, GS 5 specimens expressing TIMP and little MMP were cured. In comparison, few of the GS 7-10 patients with capsular penetration and expressing MMP and little TIMP were cured. The data suggest that TIMP-1 (and TIMP-2) and MMP-2 (and MMP-9) are independent predictors of outcome.
A pilot study of neuromuscular ultrasound as a biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION This study explores the reliability and responsiveness of neuromuscular ultrasound in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS Investigations were conducted with 10 healthy controls, 10 patients with ALS (single point in time), and 10 different patients with ALS (followed over 6 months; 4 completed follow-up). Ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of the geniohyoid, bilateral biceps/brachialis, bilateral tibialis anterior, and bilateral hemidiaphragms (at inspiration and expiration). Interrater and intrarater reliability and change in muscle thickness over 6 months were measured. RESULTS Interrater correlation coefficients ranged between 0.80 and 0.99 in healthy controls and between 0.78 and 0.97 in patients with ALS. Intrarater correlation coefficients ranged between 0.83 and 0.98 in healthy controls. The mean percentage decline in muscle thickness over 6 months was 20.25%. DISCUSSION Muscle ultrasound appears to be a reliable technique for measuring important muscles in patients with ALS. Larger studies with age-matched controls should be conducted to assess further the responsiveness of this biomarker in ALS. Muscle Nerve 59:181-186, 2019.
Seeking Zion: Grace Aguilar’s Religious Nationalism

This article looks at Grace Aguilar (1816–1847), a well-known Anglo-Jewish author, as a religious Zionist, and it analyzes Aguilar’s work in order to challenge three scholarly assumptions about the history of Zionism. First, that British Jews have never genuinely supported Zionism; second, that Zionism did not exist before Theodor Herzl, the founder of political Zionism; and third, that Jewish women rarely voiced Zionist ideas before the establishment of the State of Israel. Aguilar, an Anglo-Jewish woman writer, published during the mid-Victorian period, when she espoused orthodox views about the Jews’ restoration to Palestine. Aguilar’s belief in the biblical precept of Jewish nationhood was a precursor to the thought of later Zionists such as Herzl, as well as the convictions of religious Zionists such as Rav Kook. Her religious nationalism provides an important counterpoint to scholarly claims that Victorian Jews identified only as British, as no different than their Christian neighbors. Instead, Aguilar characterizes the Jews as a nation apart, a people bound together by an ancient religion with roots (and a future) in Palestine.
Double Blind Evaluation of Intrathecal Bupivacaine and Tetracaine

The anesthetic properties of hyperbaric bupivacaine and tetracaine administered intrathecally were compared in a double-blind, randomized study involving 40 healthy surgical patients. This investigation employed solutions of the two agents that contained equal doses (15 mg), concentration (0.375%), volumes (4 ml), and glucose concentration (5%). No statistically significant difference in onset and duration of surgical anesthesia was observed between the two solutions. However, the maximum spread of sensory anesthesia was greater in the bupivacaine group, while the total duration of sensory anesthesia was longer in the tetracaine group. Tourniquet pain or inadequate anesthesia occurred in 35% of the patients in the tetracaine group compared to 10% of the bupivacaine-treated patients. This difference, however, was not statistically significant. The onset and intensity of motor block were similar in both groups. However, tetracaine produced a significantly longer duration of motor blockade of the lower limbs than did bupivacaine. The results suggest that equal concentrations and dosages of hyperbaric tetracaine and bupivacaine possessed similar anesthetic qualities following subarachnoid administration.
Developmental Expression of Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 and 4 in Rat Liver.

Purpose: Monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) are proton-coupled integral membrane proteins that control the influx and efflux of endogenous monocarboxylates such as lactate, acetate and pyruvate. They also transport and mediate the clearance of drugs such as valproate and gamma-hydroxybutyrate. CD147 functions as ancillary protein that chaperones MCT1 and MCT4 to the cell membrane. There is limited data on the maturation of MCT and CD147 expression in tissues related to drug distribution and clearance. The objective of the present study was to quantify hepatic MCT1, MCT4, and CD147 mRNA, whole cell and membrane protein expression from birth to sexual maturity. Methods: Liver tissues were collected from male and female Sprague Dawley rats at postnatal days (PND) 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 28, 35, and 42 (n = 3 - 5). Hepatic mRNA, total and membrane protein expression of MCT1, MCT4, and CD147 was evaluated via qPCR and western blot. Results: MCT1 mRNA and protein demonstrated nonlinear maturation patterns. MCT1 and CD147 membrane protein exhibited low expression at birth, with expression increasing three-fold by PND14, followed by a decline in expression at sexual maturity. MCT4 mRNA had highest expression at PND 1, with decreasing expression towards sexual maturity. In contrast, MCT4 membrane protein exhibited minimal expression from birth through weaning before a 10-fold surge at PND35, whereupon there was a sharp decline in expression at PND42. There was a significant positive correlation between MCT1 and CD147 whole cell and membrane expression, while MCT4 membrane expression demonstrated a weak negative correlation with CD147. Conclusion: Our study elucidates the transcriptional and translational maturation patterns of MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 expression, with isoform-dependent differences in the liver. Changes in transporter expression during development may greatly influence drug distribution and clearance in pediatric populations.
NISAR Flight Feed Assembly: Evolution of the Design from Initial Concept to Final Configuration

NISAR (NASA ISRO SAR, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Indian Space Research Organization, Synthetic Aperture Radar) is an Earth science project currently in its final development phase at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and at ISRO. Due for launch in 2022 it will assess how our planet changes overtime by measuring differences in the Earth’s solid surface due to factors like climate change, movement and melting of glaciers, earthquakes, land-slides, deforestation, agriculture and others. The enabling instrument for this mission is a dual band radar (L-Band and S-Band) that feeds a 12m deployable mesh reflector. This paper describes the evolution of the L-Band feed design from its initial concept to the final flight configuration. Two major aspects of the design are discussed in this paper: the TNC connector configuration and the upper patch attachment mechanism.
Treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix with a PARP inhibitor based on next generation sequencing

•This case reports the treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix with a PARPi based on NGS.•NGS reports have demonstrated somatic mutations BRCA in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix.•The use of a PARPi in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix has not been previously reported.
Rehabilitation After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Do Racial Disparities Exist?

Abstract Background Racial disparities in functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) exist. Whether differences in rehabilitation utilization contribute to these disparities remains to be investigated. Methods Among 8349 women enrolled in the prospective Women's Health Initiative cohort who underwent primary TKA between 2006 and 2013, rehabilitation utilization was determined through linked Medicare claims data. Postacute discharge destination (home, skilled nursing facility, and inpatient rehabilitation facility), facility length of stay, and number of home health physical therapy (HHPT) and outpatient physical therapy (OPPT) sessions were compared between racial groups. Results Non-Hispanic black women had worse physical function (median score, 65 vs 70) and higher likelihood of disability (13.2% vs 6.9%) than non-Hispanic white women before surgery. After TKA, black women were more likely to be discharged postacutely to an institutional facility (64.3% vs 54.5%) than white women, were more likely to receive HHPT services (52.6% vs 47.8%), and received more HHPT and OPPT sessions. After stratification by postacute discharge setting, the likelihood of receipt of HHPT or OPPT services was similar between racial groups. No significant difference in receipt of HHPT or OPPT services was found after use of propensity score weighting to balance health and medical characteristics indicating severity of need for physical therapy services. Conclusion Rehabilitation utilization was generally comparable between black and white women who received TKA when accounting for need. There was no evidence of underutilization of post-TKA rehabilitation services, and thus disparities in post-TKA functional outcomes do not appear to be a result of inequitable receipt of rehabilitation care.
Video Manipulation Detection via Recurrent Residual Feature Learning Networks

Over the past decade, the increased adoption of Internet-connected technology has led to a substantial growth in the amount of videos produced and digested by people around the world. Subsequently, manipulated content within videos has become far more common and difficult to detect. Material of this nature poses a significant problem as it provides a way to falsely affect viewers’ beliefs. In this work, we first develop a pipeline to generate manipulated video segments from preexisting videos and then develop a deep learning architecture to detect unique video manipulations on a frame-by-frame basis. Specifically, we develop a model which analyzes manipulated video segments represented as sequences of images via a joint Residual Network (ResNet) feature extractor and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network to detect video frames that exhibit signs of manipulation and classify which type of manipulation was applied. We train our model on a modified subset of the UCF101 Action Recognition Dataset [1] which we alter with a set of four manipulation types: object insertion, compression, frame blackout, and blurring. We evaluate the classification accuracy of our model by creating manipulation "blocks", or sets of consecutive manipulated video frames, varying block length, distance between blocks, and manipulation distribution within blocks. Experimental results demonstrate that our model achieves high (>90%) classification accuracy in the presence of increased frame class transitions.
Conducting a Virtual Clinical Trial in HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Using a Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Model With an Epigenetic Modulator and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

The survival rate of patients with breast cancer has been improved by immune checkpoint blockade therapies, and the efficacy of their combinations with epigenetic modulators has shown promising results in preclinical studies. In this prospective study, we propose an ordinary differential equation (ODE)-based quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) model to conduct an in silico virtual clinical trial and analyze potential predictive biomarkers to improve the anti-tumor response in HER2-negative breast cancer. The model is comprised of four compartments: central, peripheral, tumor, and tumor-draining lymph node, and describes immune activation, suppression, T cell trafficking, and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of the therapeutic agents. We implement theoretical mechanisms of action for checkpoint inhibitors and the epigenetic modulator based on preclinical studies to investigate their effects on anti-tumor response. According to model-based simulations, we confirm the synergistic effect of the epigenetic modulator and that pre-treatment tumor mutational burden, tumor-infiltrating effector T cell (Teff) density, and Teff to regulatory T cell (Treg) ratio are significantly higher in responders, which can be potential biomarkers to be considered in clinical trials. Overall, we present a readily reproducible modular model to conduct in silico virtual clinical trials on patient cohorts of interest, which is a step toward personalized medicine in cancer immunotherapy.
Stereoselective Bupropion Hydroxylation by Cytochrome P450 CYP2B6 and Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase Genetic Variants.

Bioactivation of the antidepressant and smoking cessation drug bupropion is catalyzed predominantly by CYP2B6. The metabolite hydroxybupropion derived from t-butylhydroxylation is considered to contribute to the antidepressant and smoking-cessation effects of the parent drug. Bupropion hydroxylation is the canonical in vitro and in vivo probe for CYP2B6 activity. P450 also requires obligate partnership with P450 oxidoreductase (POR). Human CYP2B6 and POR genes are highly polymorphic. Some CYP2B6 variants affect bupropion disposition. This investigation evaluated the influence of several human CYP2B6 and POR genetic variants on stereoselective bupropion metabolism, using an insect cell coexpression system containing CYP2B6, POR, and cytochrome b5. Based on intrinsic clearances (Clints), relative activities for S,S-hydroxybupropion formation were in the order CYP2B6.4 > CYP2B6.1 > CYP2B6.17 > CYP2B6.5 > CYP2B6.6 ≈ CYP2B6.26 ≈ CYP2B6.19 > CYP2B6.7 > CYP2B6.9 > > CYP2B6.16 and CYP2B6.18; relative activities for R,R-hydroxybupropion formation were in the order CYP2B6.17 > CYP2B6.4 > CYP2B6.1 > CYP2B6.5 ≈ CYP2B6.19 ≈ CYP2B6.26 > CYP2B6.6 > CYP2B6.7 ≈ CYP2B6.9 > > CYP2B6.16 and CYP2B6.18. Bupropion hydroxylation was not influenced by POR variants. CYP2B6-catalyzed bupropion hydroxylation is stereoselective. Though Vmax and Km varied widely among CYP2B6 variants, stereoselectivity was preserved, reflected by similar Clint(S,S-hydroxybupropion)/Clint(R,R-hydroxybupropion) ratios (1.8–2.9), except CYP2B6.17, which was less enantioselective. Established concordance between human bupropion hydroxylation in vitro and in vivo, together with these new results, suggests additional CYP2B6 variants may influence human bupropion disposition. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Bupropion pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and clinical effects are affected by the CYP2B6*6 polymorphism. Other expressed CYP2B6 polymorphisms had diminished (*5, *6, *7, *9, *19, *26) or defective (*16, *18) in vitro bupropion hydroxylation. P450 oxidoreductase genetic variants had no effect on metabolism, suggesting no clinical consequence of this polymorphism. These CYP2B6 polymorphisms may portend diminished in vivo bupropion hydroxylation and predict additional clinically important variant alleles.
Corrigendum: Vitamin D, Folate, and Cobalamin Serum Concentrations Are Related to Brain Volume and White Matter Integrity in Urban Adults.

Background and objectives: Lower vitamin status has been linked to cognitive deficits, pending mechanistic elucidation. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], folate and cobalamin were explored against brain volumes and white matter integrity (WMI). Methods: Three prospective waves from Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span (HANDLS) study were used [Baltimore, City, MD, 2004-2015, N = 183-240 urban adults (Agev1: 30-64 years)]. Serum vitamin 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], folate and cobalamin concentrations were measured at visits 1 (v1: 2004-2009) and 2 (v2: 2009-2013), while structural and diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI/dMRI) outcomes were measured at vscan: 2011-2015. Top 10 ranked adjusted associations were corrected for multiple testing using familywise Bonferroni (FWER 50 years: +205 ± 54]; parietal WM; [overall: +251 ± 77, males: +486 ± 129 and Agev1 > 50 years: +393 ± 108] and left occipital pole volume [overall: +15.70 ± 3.83 and above poverty: 19.0 ± 4.3], findings replicated for 25(OH)D (v2-v1) annualized exposure, which was also linked with greater WMI (fractional anisotropy, FA) in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC); FWER < 0.05 [Overall: +0.0020 ± 0.0004; Whites: +0.0024 ± 0.0004] and in the cingulum (hippocampus) [Overall: +0.0016 ± 0.0004]. Only trends were detected for cobalamin exposures (q < 0.10), while serum folate (v1) was associated with lower mean diffusivity (MD) in ALIC, reflecting greater WMI, overall. Conclusions: Among urban adults, serum 25(OH)D status and increase were consistently linked to larger occipital and parietal WM volumes and greater region-specific WMI. Pending longitudinal replication of our findings, randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation should be conducted against brain marker outcomes.
Cycler Orbits and the Solar System Pony Express

In this work, we explore the concept of a secondary “data mule” consisting of a small satellite used to ferry data from a Mars mission to Earth for downlink. The concept exploits the fact that two nearby optical communicators can achieve extremely high data rates, and that a class of trajectories called “cyclers” can carry a satellite between Mars and Earth regularly. By exploiting cycler orbits, the courier needs minimal onboard propulsion. However, cycler orbits have long periodicity, as it can take years for the satellite, Mars, and Earth to repeat their relative geometry. Therefore, we propose the use of a network of such cycler “couriers” on phase-shifted trajectories to achieve a regular cadence of downlink trips. We design a series of search and optimization steps that can output a set of trajectories that at first approximation have low onboard propulsion requirements and can be used for any regular logistics network to and from Mars, then derive the link budget for proximity optical communications to show that this network can ferry large amounts of data.
Scholar–Practitioners: Ethics and the Meaning of Numbers

Explaining the difference between a scholar and a practitioner is easy to define. There has been a gap between the scholar and the practitioner. One is considered to have the skill set to research material, collate, and interpret the findings. The other with the ability to learn, master, build upon, and apply an expert body of knowledge within the context of a specific scope. We create more complex challenges when we combine the two and discuss what it takes to become a scholar–practitioner. A challenge associated with this approach is that when we have a scholar (n = 1), it is a unitary approach; likewise we also have an n = 1 situation with a practitioner. While each brings their expertise, economies of scale allow and even encourage us to take the view of a scholar–practitioner when both positions are in an n = 1 scenario. Why would we do this? It is necessary to explore many aspects to this concept to understand the complex elements of definitions that surround it. A scholar–practitioner is informed by experiential knowledge and motivated by personal values, biases, political views, and ethical conduct. A scholar–practitioner needs to make a claim to one’s own identity, embrace it, and always reevaluate it. Understanding the complex frameworks involved in this undertaking shall deliver an understanding of what a scholar–practitioner truly is.
Acetylcholine Signaling Genes are Required for Cocaine-Stimulated Egg Laying in Caenorhabditis elegans

Despite the toxicity and addictive liability associated with cocaine abuse, its mode of action is not completely understood, and effective pharmacotherapeutic interventions remain elusive. The cholinergic effects of cocaine on acetylcholine receptors, synthetic enzymes, and degradative enzymes have been the focus of relatively little empirical investigation. Due to its genetic tractability and anatomical simplicity, the egg laying circuit of the hermaphroditic nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, is a powerful model system to precisely examine the genetic and molecular targets of cocaine in vivo. Here, we report a novel cocaine-induced phenotype in Caenorhabditis elegans, cocaine-stimulated egg laying. In addition, we present the results of an in vivo candidate screen of synthetic enzymes, receptors, degradative enzymes, and downstream components of the intracellular signaling cascades of the main neurotransmitter systems that control Caenorhabditis elegans egg laying. Our results show that cocaine-stimulated egg laying is dependent on acetylcholine synthesis and synaptic release, functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and the Caenorhabditis elegans acetylcholinesterases. Further, we show that cocaine-stimulated egg laying is not dependent on other neurotransmitters besides acetylcholine, including serotonin, dopamine, octopamine, and tyramine. Finally, our data show that cocaine-stimulated egg laying is increased in mutants for the C. elegans serotonin reuptake transporter as well as mutants for a 5-HT-gated chloride channel likely expressed in the locomotion circuit. Together, these results highlight serotonergic inhibition of egg laying behavior, functional connectivity between the egg laying and locomotion circuits in Caenorhabditis elegans, and possible discrete cholinergic and serotonergic effects of cocaine in the egg laying and locomotion circuits, respectively.
Sexual Imagery in Cigarette Advertising Before and After the Master Settlement Agreement

This study examines how the sexual imagery in cigarette magazine advertisements changed as a result of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). After conducting a content analysis of 657 unduplicated cigarette ads from 1994 to 2003, our results revealed that cigarette advertisements featuring suggestive/partially clad female models increased significantly from the pre-MSA period (16.0%) to the post-MSA period (24.9%). In addition, we provide empirical evidence that there was an overall increase in sexually explicit cigarette advertising after the MSA. Several implications for policymakers are discussed in detail.
My heritage in my pocket: mobile device and app use by genealogy tourists

In the not-so-distant past, genealogists and family history hobbyists had to lug around heavy boxes, documents, and copious notes and references as they travelled to discover their family roots. Technological advances in mobile devices and applications have created efficiencies and opened paths of exploration that facilitate researching genealogical roots while travelling. This research employs a netnographic approach in studying genealogy blogs, social media, and websites to see how genealogy tourists use mobile devices and apps. Mobile apps used by genealogists are categorized into a taxonomy which shows the plethora of apps and functions that genealogists can rely on before, during and after a trip. The paper then analyzes how smartphone use in general, and mobile app use in particular, affect genealogy tourism. It is found that travelling genealogists use their mobile devices and apps extensively throughout all travel phases to plan and prepare for trips, to conduct and inform their research, and to share their findings. Genealogy tourists also use technology to create and tap into a virtual collective of like-minded others by sharing their knowledge online to help others, acting as a teacher, but at other times may post questions and seek others’ knowledge, as a learner. As such, the study contributes to ongoing efforts to better understand the impact of mobile technologies on travel.
Use of Indigenous and Adapted Microbial Assemblages in the Removal of Organic Chemicals from Soils and Sediments

Among the consequences of discharging industrial wastes to land and water bodies is the widespread accumulation of toxic chemical mixtures in surface and subsurface environments. It is believed that the distribution of toxic materials in the environment constitutes a threat to ecological and human health. Bioremediation of contaminated soils and sediments using indigenous and adapted microbial consortia offers the possibility of rapid and cost-effective removal of organic and organometallic compounds to low levels and nontoxic products. The purpose of this communication is to discuss the theory and practice of bioremediation as it applies to contaminated sediments, and present data on the removal and detoxification of refinery wastes containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Iterative Human Facial Expression Modeling

Human facial expression modeling and synthesis have recently become a very active area of research. This is partially due to its potential application in model-based image coding, as well as the possibility of using it to enhance human-computer interactions. The majority of the research that has been done in this area has focused on facial expression analysis, modeling and synthesis. Although good results have been obtained in analysis and synthesis, not much effort has been spent on attempting to synthesize facial images that are natural looking. In this paper, we describe our research on facial expression modeling and synthesis. We propose an iterative framework that uses a genetic algorithm to synthesize natural looking facial images. Facial expression representation and distortion measures will also be discussed. Preliminary results are presented.
Racial Profiling and a Punitive Exclusionary Rule

This Article develops the case for an equal-protection exclusionary rule. The Article begins by addressing the Supreme Court’s limited recognition of race as an explicit basis for constitutional criminal procedure doctrine. This judicial perspective has resulted in a narrow range of racial-profiling cases where, under the Equal Protection Clause, the Constitution will condemn police discrimination. Yet, this equal protection doctrine thus far lacks an exclusionary rule. Criminal defendants who assert equal protection claims thus are left with no real world remedy to make even this narrow right tangible in a criminal proceeding. This framework has led to a doctrine-driven form of “post-racialism” in much of criminal practice that does not match the often race-conscious reality of criminal justice that many people experience and perceive. Constitutional criminal procedure doctrine instead should empower and oblige defense lawyers, prosecutors, and judges to address whether race has tainted a criminal investigation in a constitutionally intolerable manner. Only a doctrinal remedy like the exclusionary rule can ensure lawyers will confront the issue. This article attempts to justify that remedy as a form of punishment, consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s most recent exclusionary rule decisions, such as Herring v. United States and Hudson v. Michigan.
Sequence and transcriptional regulation of com101A, a locus required for genetic transformation in Haemophilus influenzae.

A 2.8-kb EcoRI-BglII fragment cloned from the wild-type Haemophilus influenzae Rd chromosome is shown to increase the transformability of the Com-101 mutant through trans complementation. Deletion and sequence analyses indicate that the active region of the clone carries a 687-bp open reading frame. A 0.3-kb insertion in the corresponding EcoRI-BglII fragment of the Com-101 chromosome is shown to be a partial (331-bp) duplication of this open reading frame. The wild-type sequence produces a peptide of a size that is consistent with the sequence data when this sequence is expressed in Escherichia coli with a T7 promoter-based transcription vector. RNA hybridization analysis using a DNA probe derived from the open reading frame suggests that the sequence is transiently expressed during competence development. On the basis of these observations, it is proposed that the open reading frame corresponds to the com101A gene. Images
Scaling Group Communication Services with Self-adaptive and Utility-driven Message Routing

Group communication services typically generate large multicast data streams. Delivering such massive data streams to the end system nodes at the edge of the Internet has been a challenging problem in terms of high stress on the network links and high demand on network resources and routing node capacities. Most of existing research has been dedicated on geo-distance based routing with various optimizations to alleviate the performance impact on geo-distance based routing due to unpredictable network dynamics. Most representative techniques are targeted at reducing the delivery path length or optimizing routing path by utilizing network locality. In this paper, we identify the inefficiency of geo-distance based routing protocols in many existing multicast overlay networks in terms of both resource utilization and group communication efficiency. To address this issue, we develop a utility-based routing scheme (UDR) that can provide efficient group communication services in a decentralized geographical overlay network. Our approach makes three unique contributions. First, we introduce a utility function to refine the geo-distance based routing in such a way that the routing path selection can carefully incorporate both geo-distance based metric and the network latency. Second, we enhance our utility driven routing scheme with self-adaptive capability by considering the nodes' state and network density. Thus, nodes in the multicast network can dynamically accommodate the changes of network conditions based solely on their local knowledge about the network. Third, we devise a suite of optimization techniques to minimize the maintenance cost and computational complexity of our self-adaptive and utility-drive routing scheme. We evaluate our approach through extensive experiments based on a realistic network topology model and show that the UDR method is highly scalable and it effectively enhances the multicast delivery efficiency for large scale group communication services compared to existing geo-distance based routing protocols.
Reversing translational suppression and induction of toxicity in pancreatic cancer cells using a chemoprevention gene therapy approach.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with limited therapeutic options. Melanoma differentiation–associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24), a potent antitumor cytokine, shows cancer-specific toxicity in a vast array of human cancers, inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis, toxic autophagy, an antitumor immune response, an antiangiogenic effect, and a significant “bystander” anticancer effect that leads to enhanced production of this cytokine through autocrine and paracrine loops. Unfortunately, mda-7/IL-24 application in pancreatic cancer has been restricted because of a “translational block” occurring after Ad.5-mda-7 gene delivery. Our previous research focused on developing approaches to overcome this block and increase the translation of the MDA-7/IL-24 protein, thereby promoting its subsequent toxic effects in pancreatic cancer cells. We demonstrated that inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) after adenoviral infection of mda-7/IL-24 leads to greater translation into MDA-7/IL-24 protein and results in toxicity in pancreatic cancer cells. In this study we demonstrate that a novel chimeric serotype adenovirus, Ad.5/3-mda-7, displays greater efficacy in delivering mda-7/IL-24 compared with Ad.5-mda-7, although overall translation of the protein still remains low. We additionally show that d-limonene, a dietary monoterpene known to induce ROS, is capable of overcoming the translational block when used in combination with adenoviral gene delivery. This novel combination results in increased polysome association of mda-7/IL-24 mRNA, activation of the preinitiation complex of the translational machinery in pancreatic cancer cells, and culminates in mda-7/IL-24–mediated toxicity.
Can we teach computers to write fast libraries

As the computing world "goes multicore", high performance library development finally becomes a nightmare. Optimal programs, and their underlying algorithms, have to be adapted to take full advantage of the platform's parallelism, memory hierarchy, and available instruction set. To make things worse, the best implementations are often platform-dependent and platforms are constantly evolving, which quickly renders libraries obsolete. As a consequence, developers are forced to permanently re-implement and re-optimize the same functionality and often even revert to assembly coding just as 50 years ago.A number of research efforts have started to address this problem in a new area called Automatic Performance Tuning with the common goal to rethink the way libraries are created. In this talk we present Spiral (www.spiral.net), a program generation system for linear transforms. Spiral generates highly optimized, platform-tuned implementations of transforms directly from a problem specification. For a user-specified transform, Spiral generates alternative algorithms, optimizes them, compiles them into programs, and "intelligently" searches for the best match to the computing platform. The main idea behind Spiral is a mathematical, declarative framework to represent algorithms and the use of rewriting systems to generate and optimize algorithms at a high level of abstraction. Optimization includes parallelization for vector architectures, shared and distributed memory platforms, GPUs, and even FPGAs. Experimental results show that the code generated by Spiral competes with, and sometimes outperforms, the best available human-written library code. Further, recent research shows that it may be possible to extend Spiral into other domains such as coding or linear algebra. As for the question in the title: Spiral shows that, at least for well-understood problem domains, a positive answer may be in reach.
Modulation of UvrD Helicase Activity by Covalent DNA-Protein Cross-links

UvrD (DNA helicase II) has been implicated in DNA replication, DNA recombination, nucleotide excision repair, and methyl-directed mismatch repair. The enzymatic function of UvrD is to translocate along a DNA strand in a 3′ to 5′ direction and unwind duplex DNA utilizing a DNA-dependent ATPase activity. In addition, UvrD interacts with many other proteins involved in the above processes and is hypothesized to facilitate protein turnover, thus promoting further DNA processing. Although UvrD interactions with proteins bound to DNA have significant biological implications, the effects of covalent DNA-protein cross-links on UvrD helicase activity have not been characterized. Herein, we demonstrate that UvrD-catalyzed strand separation was inhibited on a DNA strand to which a 16-kDa protein was covalently bound. Our sequestration studies suggest that the inhibition of UvrD activity is most likely due to a translocation block and not helicase sequestration on the cross-link-containing DNA substrate. In contrast, no inhibition of UvrD-catalyzed strand separation was apparent when the protein was linked to the complementary strand. The latter result is surprising given the earlier observations that the DNA in this covalent complex is severely bent (∼70°), with both DNA strands making multiple contacts with the cross-linked protein. In addition, UvrD was shown to be required for replication of plasmid DNAs containing covalent DNA-protein complexes. Combined, these data suggest a critical role for UvrD in the processing of DNA-protein cross-links.