cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Space–time multiresolution atomistic visualization of MgO and MgSiO 3 liquid data

First-principles molecular dynamics simulations of complex material systems such as geophysically relevant oxide and silicate liquids produce massive amounts of time-varying three-dimensional data for the atomic configurations. Given the high accuracy of these data, it is desirable to extract as much information hidden in the data as possible. In this paper, we elaborate on our recently proposed scheme to support interactive visualization at space–time multiresolution of the atomistic simulation data. Instead of just focusing on direct rendering of the given data, additional data (containing more quantitative and qualitative information) that usually have to be extracted by some other means are extracted and rendered on the fly. This allows us to gain better insight into the global as well as local spatio-temporal behavior of the data in the context of bonding, radial distribution, atomic coordination, clustering, structural stability and distortion, and diffusion. We illustrate such visualization for the simulation data on the liquid phases of MgO and MgSiO3—the two most abundant components of Earth’s mantle. Our analysis shows that the structure and dynamics of both liquids change substantially with compression, with no discernible effects of temperature in most cases.
Solid T-spline construction from boundary representations for genus-zero geometry

Abstract This paper describes a novel method to construct solid rational T-splines for complex genus-zero geometry from boundary surface triangulations. We first build a parametric mapping between the triangulation and the boundary of the parametric domain, a unit cube. After that we adaptively subdivide the cube using an octree subdivision, project the boundary nodes onto the input triangle mesh, and at the same time relocate the interior nodes via mesh smoothing. This process continues until the surface approximation error is less than a pre-defined threshold. T-mesh is then obtained by pillowing the subdivision result one layer on the boundary and its quality is improved. Templates are implemented to handle extraordinary nodes and partial extraordinary nodes in order to get a gap-free T-mesh. The obtained solid T-spline is C 2 -continuous except for the local region around each extraordinary node and partial extraordinary node. The boundary surface of the solid T-spline is C 2 -continuous everywhere except for the local region around the eight nodes corresponding to the eight corners of the parametric cube. Finally, a Bezier extraction technique is used to facilitate T-spline based isogeometric analysis. The obtained Bezier mesh is analysis-suitable with no negative Jacobians. Several examples are presented in this paper to show the robustness of the algorithm.
Hyperkalaemia following succinylcholine administration in neurological disorders: a review.

A review was made of recent reports of hyperkalaemia, frequently leading to cardiac arrest, following the administration of succinylcholine to patients with nervous system injury or disease. Possible protection by the prior use of d-tubocurarine is discussed.
Partial spectrum reconstruction using digital filter banks

The problem of reconstructing a part of the spectrum is reduced to designing the filter bank to satisfy a set of conditions. For the case considered here, these conditions cannot be satisfied simultaneously, so perfect reconstruction is not possible. The necessary and sufficient conditions on the filters so that the resulting filter bank cancels most alias components are found. Such filter banks are called partial alias cancellation filter banks. The product of the polyphase transfer matrices of these filter banks must be a block pseudocirculant matrix. An algorithm design procedure is discussed, and examples are given to demonstrate the theory. >
AglU, a protein required for gliding motility and spore maturation of Myxococcus xanthus, is related to WD-repeat proteins.

The aglU gene of Myxococcus xanthus encodes a protein similar to Het-E1 (vegetative incompatibility) from Podospora anserina, acylaminoacyl-peptidase from Bacillus subtilis, and TolB from Escherichia coli. These proteins all have evenly spaced SPDG repeats that are characteristic of a larger motif called the WD-repeat. The WD-repeat is predicted to form a β-propeller structure that mediates the assembly of heteromeric protein complexes. AglU has a consensus lipoprotein attachment motif that includes a type II signal sequence followed by a cysteine residue. This suggests that AglU is matured, then attached to the outer membrane via fatty acid acylation at this Cys. Cells carrying a mutation in aglU are blocked in adventurous gliding and can swarm only if cells are in contact with one another. When starved of nutrients, the aglU mutant aggregates and forms multicellular fruiting bodies like the wild-type strain, but is unable to produce heat-resistant spores. This suggests that adventurous gliding motility, per se, is not required for development, but that AglU is essential for a terminal step of spore differentiation.
Where are linear feature extraction methods applicable

A fundamental problem in computer vision and pattern recognition is to determine where and, most importantly, why a given technique is applicable. This is not only necessary because it helps us decide which techniques to apply at each given time. Knowing why current algorithms cannot be applied facilitates the design of new algorithms robust to such problems. In this paper, we report on a theoretical study that demonstrates where and why generalized eigen-based linear equations do not work. In particular, we show that when the smallest angle between the ith eigenvector given by the metric to be maximized and the first i eigenvectors given by the metric to be minimized is close to zero, our results are not guaranteed to be correct. Several properties of such models are also presented. For illustration, we concentrate on the classical applications of classification and feature extraction. We also show how we can use our findings to design more robust algorithms. We conclude with a discussion on the broader impacts of our results.
Trellis Codes with Low Ones Density for the OR Multiple Access Channel

This paper presents trellis codes for the Z channel designed to maintain a relatively low ones density. These codes have applications in pulse-position modulation systems and as a solution for uncoordinated communication on the binary OR multiple-access channel (MAC). In this paper we consider the latter application to demonstrate the performance of the codes. The OR channel provides an unusual opportunity where single-user decoding permits operation at about 70% of the full multiple-access channel sum capacity. The interleaver-division multiple access technique applied in this paper should approach that performance with turbo solutions. However, the current paper focuses on very low latency codes with simple decoding, intended for very high speed (gigabits per second) applications. Namely, it focuses on nonlinear trellis codes that provide about 30% of the full multiple-access sum capacity at high speeds and with very low latency. These trellis codes are designed specifically for the Z-Channel that arises in a multiple-user OR channel, when the other users are treated as noise. In order to optimize the sum-capacity of the OR-MAC, the trellis code transmits codewords with a ones density much less than 50%. Also, a union bound technique that predicts the performance of these codes is presented. Results from simulations and a working FPGA implementation are shown.
Plaque Imaging to Decide on Optimal Treatment: Medical Versus Carotid Endarterectomy Versus Carotid Artery Stenting

Many of the current guidelines for the management of carotid atherosclerosis are based on clinical trial findings published more than 2 decades ago. The lack of plaque information in clinical decision making represents a major shortcoming and highlights the need for contemporary trials based on characteristics of the atherosclerotic lesion itself, rather than luminal stenosis alone. This article summarizes the major dilemmas clinicians face in current practice, and discusses the rationale and evidence that plaque imaging may help to address these challenges and optimize the clinical management of carotid artery disease in the future.
Interactions of a hemidesmosome component and actinin family members.

Hemidesmosomes are multimeric protein complexes that attach epithelial cells to their underlying matrix and serve as cell surface anchorage sites for the keratin cytoskeleton. Two hemidesmosome components, the α6β4 integrin heterodimer and a human autoantigen termed BP180, are transmembrane proteins that link the extracellular matrix to the keratin network in cells. Here, we report that actinin-4, an actin-bundling protein, is a potential binding partner for BP180. Using yeast two-hybrid, we have mapped the binding site for BP180 to the C-terminal region of actinin-4. This site contains two EF-hand, Ca 2+ regulation domains and shares 87% sequence homology with the same region in actinin-1. Consistent with this, BP180 can bind actinin-1 in both the yeast two-hybrid assay and in immunoprecipitation assays. To determine whether the EF-hand domain is a consensus binding sequence for BP180, we tested whether other proteins with this domain bind BP180. None of the proteins tested including calmodulin, with 4 EF-hand domains, and myosin regulatory light chain, with 1 EF-hand domain, interacts with BP180 in yeast two-hybrid system and immunoprecipitation studies, suggesting that the interaction between BP180 and actinin family members is specific. We have compared the distribution of actinin-1 and actinin-4 with that of BP180 in MCF-10A and pp126 cells. Surprisingly, BP180 localizes not only to sites of cell-substratum interaction, but is also present at sites of cell-cell contacts where it co-distributes with both actinin-1 and actinin-4 as well as other adherens junction proteins. In oral tissues, BP180 is present along the basement membrane and at cell-cell contact sites in basal epithelial cells where it co-distributes with adherens junction proteins. Since BP180 antibodies inhibit association of junction proteins at sites of cell-cell contact in oral keratinocytes, these results suggest that BP180 may play a role in establishing cell-cell interactions. We discuss a role for BP180 in crosstalk between cell-matrix and cell-cell junctions.
Thrombocytopenic purpura complicating gold therapy for rheumatoid arthritis; report of three cases with spontaneous recovery and one case with recovery following splenectomy.

Of 160 patients treated with gold salt therapy, four developed thrombocytopenia with mild purpuric manifestations. In three patients there was a spontaneous remission and the hemorrhagic tendency disappeared in about one week’s time. In the fourth patient there was a second occurrence of thrombocytopenia which persisted over a period of four months, and finally failed to respond to transfusions. Splenectomy was followed by a dramatic rise in the blood platelets and recovery of the patient.
Abstract B08: Examining community-perceived cancer mortality from industrial toxins along the Houston Ship Channel through spatial-temporal analysis in a GIS environment.

Studies demonstrate that economically deprived minority communities are often disproportionately located in close proximity to industrial sources of pollution, and often these pollutants are known to cause cancer. Additionally, prolonged exposure to toxins such as, benzene and 1,3 butadiene, known human carcinogens and by-products of petroleum refining, can result in high premature cancer mortality. Recent studies have revealed an increased risk of cancer for port communities, similar to Galena Park, Texas located along the Houston Ship Channel; however, these studies did not investigate mortality concerns. This project seeks to investigate the community-identified concerns regarding cancer-related death clusters within the Galena Park community and other communities located along the Houston Ship Channel, between 1990 and 2010, through spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Preliminary findings suggest that approximately 1 in 5 premature cancer related deaths within the study area were attributed to cancers with a known association to benzene and 1,3 butadiene exposure. Spatially the findings reveal that the historically high premature cancer mortalities occurred in the predominantly minority and economically disadvantaged areas in close proximity to the Houston Ship Channel with higher ambient air concentrations of these toxins than more affluent areas in the region. Citation Format: Demetrice R. Jordan, Denae Waller King, Lovell A. Jones. Examining community-perceived cancer mortality from industrial toxins along the Houston Ship Channel through spatial-temporal analysis in a GIS environment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B08.
Carbon Nanotube with Chemically Bonded Graphene Leaves for Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications

Hybrid nanomaterials composed of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene could potentially display outstanding properties that are superior to either CNTs or graphene alone. However, the inherent CNT–graphene loose junctions present in the CNT–graphene composites synthesized by existing methods significantly hinder the realization of the full potential held by CNT–graphene hybrids. In this letter, we report on a brand-new, three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanostructure comprising few-layer graphene (FLG) sheets inherently connected with CNTs through sp2 carbons, resembling plant leaves (FLGs) growing on stems (CNTs). The resulting hybrid nanostructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The evolution of FLG sheets on CNTs was tracked by high-resolution TEM. Distinct from a random mixture of CNTs and graphene sheets (CNT+G) suffering from poor CNT–graphene contacts, our CNT–FLG structure has intr...
Analysis on epidemic characteristics of gonorrhea and syphilis in Luohe City

[Objective]To analyze the epidemic characteristics of gonorrhea and syphilis in Luohe City,explore the related risk factors,and provide the basis for making prevention and control measures.[Methods]The epidemic data of gonorrhea and syphilis in Luohe City in recent years were investigated with descriptive analysis.[Results]Since the epidemic situation of gonorrhea had been reported in Luohe City in 1991,a total of 2391 gonorrhea cases were reported at the end of 2012. The incidence rate of gonorrhea showed rising trend,which reached the peak in 1998( 13. 01 / lakh),and then the incidence rate decreased,while that in 2012 was the lowest( 0. 55 / lakh). Before 2005,the incidence rate of syphilis was lower than that of gonorrhea,and it increased after 2005.The incidence rate of syphilis showed a rapid growth momentum since 2008,which the incidence rate increased from 0. 08 / lakh in1991 to 35. 30 / lakh in 2012. A total of 3 566 syphilis cases were reported from 1991-2012,and the latent syphilis( 1 699 cases)during 2004-2012 accounted for 51. 59% of the total cases( 3 293 cases). [Conclusion]The incidence rate of syphilis has increased rapidly in Luohe City in recent years,and the latent syphilis cases have accounted for a larger proportion. It is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education of knowledge about syphilis prevention and control,improve the training of infectious disease diagnostic code among clinicians,standardize the STD report,and enhance the accuracy rate of epidemic report.
Time Series Analysis of Gastric Cancer Mortality Trend in Changshu City during 1977—2008

[Objective]To analyze the gastric cancer mortality trend in Changshu City during 1977—2008.[Methods]The features of original time series curves,randomness and stationarity of the time series were observed. Appropriate time series model was selected for prediction.[Results]During 1977—2008,the mortality of gastric cancer showed decreasing trend in Changshu City,the model was Xt = 42.7471-0.7910 t,the coefficient was significant. The predictive mortality of gastric cancer was 15.85/100 000 in Changshu City in 2011.[Conclusion]Due to the decreasing trend of gastric cancer mortality in Changshu City,straight line model can be used for mortality prediction.
Study on Large-scale Project Management Based on System of Strategic Management

Based on the analysis of problems of large-scale project management,the thought of strategic management in earlier stage of construction project was introduced.Against the relative theoretical background,the importance and possibility of strategic management in earlier stage of large-scale construction project were analyzed from the point of the entire life cycle and integrated management of construction project.In addition the relationship between strategic management and project management of large-scale project was discussed in this paper.
25-P: HLA ALLELE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AND THEIR POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN TRANSPLANTATION

Aim To assess the presence of sequential HLA-Class I and Class II Allelic Antibodies in Patients waiting on Renal Transplants. Methods A total of 400 Patients tested in 5 Consecutive Quarters for HLA-Specific antibodies using Luminex Single Antigen Bead (SAB) were analyzed. Results In all, 56 (14%) patients had allele specific HLA antibodies. Eight patients had only Class I, 28 had only Class II, and 20 had both Class I and Class II allele-specific antibodies. Of the 8 patients with Class I allele specific antibodies in sequential samples, one patient had 5 consecutive A∗33:01 and A∗33:03 antibodies, and had 3 consecutive A∗30:01 antibodies. Another patient had 4 consecutive C∗07:02, and one had 2 consecutive C∗02:02 antibody. One patient each had 3 consecutive A∗02:03, A∗24:03, B∗08:01, C∗05:01. Seventeen patients had DQA allele specific antibodies; 5 with DQA∗03; 3 with DQA∗01, 1 each with DQA∗02, DQA∗04, 4 had DQA∗05, and 2 had DQA∗06 allelic antibodies in consecutive samples. In all, 8 patients had DQB∗06 allelic antibodies in 3 consecutive samples. Thirty-two patients had consecutive DRB3 Allelic antibodies: 10 with DRB3∗01, 13 had DRB3∗03 allele specific antibodies, 9 had DRB3∗02. Seven patients showed DRB5∗01; 3 had Consecutive Allelic antibodies against DR4 and DR14 were seen in 3 and 5 patents respectively. Among the 56 patients, 20 had consecutive Class I and II antibodies, Class II being predominant. Conclusions While antibody reactivity towards a particular HLA antigen is expected to indicate reactivity to most of the alleles of that specific antigen, our analysis based on consecutive samples from 400 patients show that a considerable proportion had sequential allele specific antibodies and more often towards Class II alleles. Documentation of allele specific antibodies could be useful in accepting or rejecting an organ. This information also indicates the advantage of having allele level HLA typing of solid organ transplant patients and donors.
Parathyroid Hormone Measurement Considerations in Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is defined by hypercalcemia associated with an elevated (80 %) or non-suppressed serum PTH (20 %), whereas hypercalcemia of malignancy and other non-PTH-mediated hypercalcemic processes typically present with a low-serum intact PTH concentration. When the PTH is lower than expected for a diagnosis of PHPT, one must consider contributing non-PTH-mediated causes of hypercalcemia. In addition, lower than expected PTH measurements in PHPT can be influenced by several biological factors such as the dynamic nature of its secretion, its circadian rhythm, the serum calcium level, vitamin D stores, calcium intake, and hemoconcentration. Other considerations when unexpectedly low PTH measurements are encountered in suspected PHPT center on assay-specific problems. Immunometric assays in general, including PTH assays, are vulnerable to false low interference that is exerted by chemicals or biomolecules that interfere with the assay’s chemistry, analyte capture, or signal detection. In the interpretation of laboratory results in PHPT, it is critical to understand its natural history and also factors that can affect calcium biomarker measurements.
Power and social influence in relationships.

As the philosopher Bertrand Russell observed, power plays a central role in everyday social interactions, and it serves as an organizing principle in the social and behavioral sciences (Reis, Collins, & Berscheid, 2000). Given its paramount importance, one might expect power would hold a privileged place in the field of social psychology and particularly in the study of relationships. Although there are major theoretical statements on what power is (e.g., French & Raven, 1959; Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) and how it should affect relationship dynamics (e.g., Huston, 1983), and there are isolated pockets of research on how power influences interpersonal outcomes (see the References), power has never been a hotbed of theoretical or empirical activity. One overarching goal of this chapter is to begin to change this state of affairs. There are several reasons why power has not become a central, organizing construct within either social psychology or the field of interpersonal relationships. First, the construct of power has multiple components, making it challenging to define and measure. This, in turn, has made it difficult to interpret the effects that the amount of power wielded by each partner has on important relationship or individual outcomes. Second, most prior studies of power in relationships have been descriptive and have relied on global assessments of power (e.g., “In general, how much power or influence do you have over your partner?”). Partners in established relationships, however, often have and may exert different amounts of power in different decision-making domains (e.g., financial, sexual, future plans), and global conceptualizations and measures of power do not assess—and often may not predict—domain-specific areas of power in relationships, especially in close and committed relationships. In addition, the degree to which people are accurately aware of the power dynamics in their relationships remains unclear. Overreliance on self-report measures may have masked some of the actual processes of power and influence in many relationships. Despite these challenges, understanding power and the influence strategies and tactics that individuals use to get what they want from their relationship partners is essential to understanding a host of important relationship dynamics and outcomes (Reis et al., 2000). Although power can be (and has been) defined in different ways, we provisionally define power as the ability of one individual in a relationship (the influence agent) to exert influence on another person (the target of influence) so that the influence agent obtains the specific outcomes he or she wants in a given situation while being able to resist influence attempts by the target. We define influence strategies as the higher level goals and interpersonal approaches that influence agents use to try to
The Dissertation House Model: Doctoral Student Experiences Coping and Writing in a Shared Knowledge Community

The problem of PhD attrition, especially at the dissertation-writing stage, is not solely related to mentoring, departments, or disciplines; it is a problem that affects the entire institution. As such, solutions require collaborative efforts for student success. Building on Yeatman’s master–apprentice model, which assumes mastering disciplinary writing in singular advisor–student contexts, and Burnett’s collaborative cohort model, which introduced doctoral dissertation supervision in a collaborative-learning environment with several faculty mentors in a single discipline, the Dissertation House model (DHM) introduces a model of doctoral dissertation supervision that involves multiple mentors across several disciplines. On the basis of more than 200 students’ reflections, we find that challenges in completing the dissertation extend beyond departmental and disciplinary boundaries. The DHM’s multidisciplinary approach preserves the traditional master–apprentice relationship between faculty and students within academic departments while providing an additional support mechanism through interdisciplinary collaborative cohorts. Using Thoits’s coping assistance theory and data from DH students over a 10-year period, the DHM incorporates Hoadley’s concept of knowledge communities to establish a successful dissertation-writing intervention for graduate students across doctoral programs. Using propensity score analysis, we provide in this study an empirical assessment of the benefits and efficacy of the DHM.
A random measure algebra under convolution

ABSTRACTIn this article, a convolution of second-order random measures on a locally compact abelian groups is considered. A random measure is an analog of a stochastic process. With a newly defined (random) convolution, we construct a ring and a normed algebra of second-order random measures.
WOMEN IN CANCER THEMATIC REVIEW: Diverse functions of DNA methylation: implications for prostate cancer and beyond

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men worldwide. Current clinical screening ensures that most prostate cancers are diagnosed while still organ confined, but disease outcome is highly variable. Thus, a better understanding of the molecular features contributing to prostate cancer aggressiveness is being sought. For many cancers, aberrant genome-wide patterns of cytosine DNA methylation in CpG dinucleotides distinguish tumor from normal tissue and contribute to disease progression by altering the transcriptome. In prostate cancer, recent genomic studies identified cancer and high grade-specific differential DNA methylation in gene promoters, gene bodies, gene 3' ends and at distal regulatory elements. Using examples from developmental and disease systems, we will discuss how DNA methylation in each of these genomic contexts can contribute to transcriptome diversity by modulating transcription initiation, alternative transcription start site selection, alternative pre-mRNA splicing and alternative polyadenylation. Alternative transcripts from the same gene often exhibit altered protein-coding potential, translatability, stability and/or localization. All of these can have functional consequences in cells. In future work, it will be important to determine if DNA methylation abnormalities in prostate cancer modify the transcriptome through some or all of these mechanisms and if these DNA methylation-mediated transcriptome alterations impact prostate tumorigenesis and aggressiveness.
Hepatic ATGL manipulation regulates lipid metabolism through altered autophagy

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of triacylglycerol (TAG) hydrolysis in multiple tissues. Our laboratory has previously shown that hepatic ATGL preferentially cha...
Polyaniline − carbon nanohorn composites as thermoelectric materials

Thermoelectric materials can convert heat into electricity when a temperature gradient is present. The investigation of conductive polymers such as polyaniline (PANI) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) as active materials for thermoelectric generators in the room temperature range is gaining interest because of several key advantages offered by these materials. The relative ease of solution processing, their mechanical stability and flexibility together with low density and low thermal conductivity make conductive polymers suitable for integration in a thermoelectric generator. Polymers offer remarkably low thermal conductivity values but modest Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity. In this work, polymer/inorganic nanocomposites of PANI with carbon particles such as single wall carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) were prepared via solution mixing of the precursors in order to increase the electrical conductivity by means of polymer matrix/nanohorn electronic junctions. The electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient were estimated on PANI/SWCNH films and pressed pellets and through-plane thermal conductivity was determined on films. The thermal stability of PANI/SWCNH composites was evaluated by means of TGA/DSC coupled with residual gas analysis. It was found that a proper concentration of SWCNHs in PANI−(+/−)-camphor-10-sulfonic acid (CSA) film was effective in increasing the electrical conductivity without decreasing the Seebeck coefficient. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Mold and Human Health: a Reality Check

There are possibly millions of mold species on earth. The vast majority of these mold spores live in harmony with humans, rarely causing disease. The rare species that does cause disease does so by triggering allergies or asthma, or may be involved in hypersensitivity diseases such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or allergic fungal sinusitis. Other hypersensitivity diseases include those related to occupational or domiciliary exposures to certain mold species, as in the case of Pigeon Breeder's disease, Farmer's lung, or humidifier fever. The final proven category of fungal diseases is through infection, as in the case of onchomycosis or coccidiomycosis. These diseases can be treated using anti-fungal agents. Molds and fungi can also be particularly important in infections that occur in immunocompromised patients. Systemic candidiasis does not occur unless the individual is immunodeficient. Previous reports of "toxic mold syndrome" or "toxic black mold" have been shown to be no more than media hype and mass hysteria, partly stemming from the misinterpreted concept of the "sick building syndrome." There is no scientific evidence that exposure to visible black mold in apartments and buildings can lead to the vague and subjective symptoms of memory loss, inability to focus, fatigue, and headaches that were reported by people who erroneously believed that they were suffering from "mycotoxicosis." Similarly, a causal relationship between cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage and exposure to "black mold" has never been proven. Finally, there is no evidence of a link between autoimmune disease and mold exposure.
Poor sleep moderates the relationship between daytime napping and inflammation in Black and White men

Abstract Objectives To test whether napping was associated with 2 inflammatory markers with known relationships to cardiovascular disease: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Because IL-6 is known to impact central inflammatory processes that relate to sleep regulation, including subjective fatigue, we tested whether this relationship was moderated by sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and self-reported sleep quality. Design Cross-sectional. Participants A community sample of Black and White men (N=253) completed a week of actigraphy and diary measures of sleep and napping and provided a fasting blood sample. Measurements/analysis Napping was measured as the proportion of days with at least 30 minutes napped and the average minutes napped per day. Linear regressions adjusted for race, socioeconomic status, employment, body mass index, smoking, medications that affect sleep or inflammation, working the nightshift, and day-sleeping status, followed by interaction terms between napping and sleep duration, efficiency, and quality, respectively. Results There were no significant main effects of actigraphy- or diary-measured napping on IL-6 or hsCRP. Moderation analyses indicated elevated IL-6 values among men who napped more days (by actigraphy) and demonstrated short sleep duration ( P =.03). Moderation analyses also indicated elevated IL-6 among men who demonstrated greater average minutes napped (by actigraphy) and short sleep duration ( P P =.03), and poor quality ( P =.03). Moderation analyses involving diary napping or hsCRP were not significant. Conclusions Actigraphy-assessed daytime napping is related to higher IL-6 in men who demonstrate worse sleep characteristics. Daytime napping may pose additional risk for inflammation beyond the known risk conferred by short sleep.
International Migration in Russia: Dynamics, Policies, Forecast

Large flows of migrants into low fertility countries increase the weight of international migration in the population dynamics. The current net migration inflow to Russia is about 350 thousand people per year. Migration hypotheses of the population projections include the assumption of constancy of this level until 2050; net migration of 50 thousand people per year; zero net migration and net migration at the level of 900 thousand people per year. Migration hypotheses are combined with the hypotheses of future trends in fertility, including the low, the middle and the high variants. With low fertility and zero net migration the population by 2050 will be reduced by almost half. Stable migration combined with low fertility will not prevent depopulation of the order of almost 1/3 by 2050. If fertility trend follows the high path and migration remains constant the population size will be restored in 10 years and then will increase by 10 per cent. Тo restore the population size by 2020 with slowly increasing fertility, approximately 1,5 million people more should immigrate into Russia every year than emigrate from it.
Mathematics, Models, and Magz, Part I: Patterns in Pascal's Triangle and Tetrahedron

SummaryThis paper describes how the authors used a set of magnetic toys to discover analogues in 3 dimensions of well known theorems about binomial coefficients. In particular, they looked at the Star of David theorem involving the six nearest neighbors to a binomial coefficient . If one labels the vertices of the bounding hexagon with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, consecutively (in either direction), then the product of the coefficients with even labels is the same as the product as the coefficients with odd labels. Furthermore the two figures formed by connecting the odd and even vertices are both equilateral triangles arranged so that a rotation of ±60° exchanges the triangles. There is a generalized Star of David theorem concerning a semi-regular hexagon with similar results. The paper describes analogous results for trinomial coefficients involving, sometimes but not always, tetrahedra instead of triangles.
BCG in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia

Children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, who were in remission after induction with prednisone and vincristine and consolidation with intravenous methotrexate, were randomized into three groups receiving (1) no further therapy, (2) BCG, and (3) chemotherapy with biweekly methotrexate and monthly prednisone and vincristine. Children continuing in remission after 8 mo on chemotherapy in group 3 were rerandomized into three similar groups, i.e., no therapy, BCG, and chemotherapy. In the primary randomization, the median duration of remission was identical in the groups receiving no therapy or BCG, (4 and 4.3 mo respectively), and both were significantly less than the median duration of remission on chemotherapy which had not been reached prior to secondary randomization at 8 mo. Results of secondary randomization were similar to those of primary randomization. As used in this study, BCG was ineffective in prolonging drug-induced remissions either early in remission or when the leukemic cell population might have been further reduced after 8 mo of maintenance chemotherapy.
Epigenetic therapies in MDS and AML.

The use of low dose hypomethylating agents for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has had made a significant impact. In the past, therapies for these diseases were limited and patients who elected to receive treatment were subject to highly toxic, inpatient chemotherapeutics, which were often ineffective. In the era of hypomethylating agents (azacitidine and decitabine), a patient with high grade MDS or AML with multilineage dysplasia can be offered the alternative of outpatient, relatively low-toxicity therapy. Despite the fact that CR (CR) rates to such agents remain relatively low at 15–20%, a much larger percentage of patients will have clinically significant improvements in hemoglobin, platelet, and neutrophil counts while maintaining good outpatient quality of life. As our clinical experience with azanucleotides expands, questions regarding patient selection, optimal dosing strategy, latency to best response and optimal duration of therapy following disease progression remain, but there is no question that for some patients these agents offer, for a time, an almost miraculous clinical benefit. Ongoing clinical trials in combination and in sequence with conventional therapeutics, with other epigenetically active agents, or in conjunction with bone marrow transplantation continue to provide promise for optimization of these agents for patients with myeloid disease. Although the mechanism(s) responsible for the proven efficacy of these agents remain a matter of some controversy, activity is thought to stem from induction of DNA hypomethylation, direct DNA damage, or possibly even immune modulation; there is no question that they have become a permanent part of the armamentarium against myeloid neoplasms.
Dürer’s Problem

In 1525 the German painter and thinker Albrect Durer published his masterwork on geometry, whose title translates as “On Teaching Measurement with a Compass and Straightedge.”
A comparison of methods to teach foreign‐language targets to young children

Using instructional strategies based on derived relational responding (DRR) to teach foreign-language targets may result in emergent, untrained foreign-language relations. One benefit of using DRR instructional strategies is the efficiency with which an individual acquires additional stimulus relations as a result of emergent responding following acquisition of one or a small number of relations. In the current study, we compared the efficiency of tact training alone to a traditional foreign-language teaching strategy (i.e., teaching all relations concurrently-mixed training) with four, 4-year-old children. The results demonstrated that tact training was more efficient than mixed training for 5 of 7 stimulus sets. The findings add to the research demonstrating that DRR instructional strategies, specifically tact training, may be more efficient than concurrently teaching all targeted relations.
Effect of Sulforaphane and 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine on Melanoma Cell Growth.

Background: UV exposure-induced oxidative stress is implicated as a driving mechanism for melanoma. Increased oxidative stress results in DNA damage and epigenetic dysregulation. Accordingly, we explored whether a low dose of the antioxidant sulforaphane (SFN) in combination with the epigenetic drug 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (DAC) could slow melanoma cell growth. SFN is a natural bioactivated product of the cruciferous family, while DAC is a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. Methods: Melanoma cell growth characteristics, gene transcription profiles, and histone epigenetic modifications were measured after single and combination treatments with SFN and DAC. Results: We detected melanoma cell growth inhibition and specific changes in gene expression profiles upon combinational treatments with SFN and DAC, while no significant alterations in histone epigenetic modifications were observed. Dysregulated gene transcription of a key immunoregulator cytokine—C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL-5)—was validated. Conclusions: These results indicate a potential combinatorial effect of a dietary antioxidant and an FDA-approved epigenetic drug in controlling melanoma cell growth.
Associated habitat and suitability modeling of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) in Pennsylvania: explaining and predicting species distribution in a northern edge of range state

Abstract Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is a well-known perennial herb indigenous to forested areas in eastern North America. Owing to conservation concerns including wild harvesting for medicinal markets, habitat loss and degradation, and an overall patchy and often inexplicable absence in many regions, there is a need to better understand habitat factors that help determine the presence and distribution of goldenseal populations. In this study, flora and edaphic factors associated with goldenseal populations throughout Pennsylvania—a state near the northern edge of its range—were documented and analyzed to identify habitat indicators and provide possible in situ stewardship and farming (especially forest-based farming) guidance. Additionally, maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling was applied to better predict where suitable habitat might be encountered more broadly and explain species absence from regions of the state (and the northeastern states). Habitat study results identified rich, mesic, woodland sites as being suitable for goldenseal. The most prevalent overstory tree associates on such sites were tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall), and the most common understory associates were spicebush (Lindera benzoin L.), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott), mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum L.), wood fern (Drypoteris marginalis (L.) A. Gray), and rattlesnake fern (Botrypus virginianus (L.) Michx.). Loam soils were the most common textural class (average sand, silt, and clay ratio of 50:30:20) with an average pH of 6.2 and high variation in macronutrients. While such sites are widespread in the state, Maxent modeling suggested the present distribution in Pennsylvania is largely restricted by winter temperatures and bedrock type. The latter of these, in turn, is correlated in part with land use legacy (e.g., clearing for farming or livestock grazing), especially in southeast portions of the state.
X*: Anytime Multi-Agent Path Finding for Sparse Domains using Window-Based Iterative Repairs

Abstract Real-world multi-agent systems such as warehouse robots operate under significant time constraints – in such settings, rather than spending significant amounts of time solving for optimal paths, it is instead preferable to find valid, collision-free paths quickly, even if suboptimal, and given additional time, to iteratively refine such paths to improve their cost. In such domains, we observe that agent-agent collisions are sparse – they involve small local subsets of agents, and are geographically contained within a small region of the overall space. Leveraging this insight, we can first plan paths for each agent individually, and in the cases of collisions between agents, perform small local repairs limited to local subspace windows. As time permits, these windows can be successively grown and the repairs within them refined, thereby improving the path quality, and eventually converging to the global joint optimal solution. Using these insights, we present two algorithmic contributions: 1) the Windowed Anytime Multiagent Planning Framework (WAMPF) for a class of anytime planners that quickly generate valid paths with suboptimality estimates and generate optimal paths given sufficient time, and 2) X*, an efficient WAMPF-based planner. X* is able to efficiently find successive valid solutions by employing re-use techniques during the repair growth step of WAMPF. Experimentally, we demonstrate that in sparse domains: 1) X* outperforms state-of-the-art anytime or optimal MAPF solvers in time to valid path, 2) X* is competitive with state-of-the-art anytime or optimal MAPF solvers in time to optimal path, 3) X* quickly converges to very tight suboptimality bounds, and 4) X* is competitive with state-of-the-art suboptimal MAPF solvers in time to valid path for small numbers of agents while providing much higher quality paths.
Discordant placental oxygenation and autophagy in twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS).

Abstract Background (Macro)autophagy is an important process of self-degradation of macromolecules and organelles that ensures cellular homeostasis and energy preservation during stressful conditions. Dysregulated placental autophagy has been implicated in a wide range of pregnancy complications. Recent studies identified hypoxia as a key regulator of trophoblast autophagy in vitro; however, its effects on placental autophagy in vivo remain incompletely understood. In this study, we evaluated the monochorionic twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS) placenta as model of discordant placental oxygenation to determine the effects of hypoxia on placental autophagy in utero. Methods We performed a retrospective comparative analysis of tissue oxygenation and autophagy in anemic and polycythemic territories of TAPS placentas (N = 12). Archival tissues were subjected to immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses of carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX (hypoxia marker) and key autophagy/lysosomal markers. Results CAIX protein levels were significantly higher in anemic twin territories than in corresponding polycythemic territories, consistent with relative tissue hypoxia. Anemic placental shares further displayed significantly higher levels of LC3I/II (autophagosome markers) and LAMP1/2 (lysosome markers), associated with upregulated expression of lysosome/autophagosome activity-associated markers, transcription factor EB and cathepsin D. The accumulation of autophagosomes and lysosomes in anemic shares was accompanied by elevated p62 protein expression, suggestive of inhibition of the downstream autophagy pathway. Conclusions TAPS placentas display striking intertwin discordance in tissue oxygenation and autophagic activity and may provide a suitable model for study of the interrelationship between hypoxia, autophagy, and pregnancy outcome in a monochorionic twin setting.
Exploitation of Human Trust, Curiosity and Ignorance by Malware.

Despite defensive advances in the Internet realm, Malware (malicious software) remains a Cybersecurity threat. These days, Malware can be purchased and licensed on the Internet to further customize and deploy. With hundreds of Malware variants discovered every day, organizations and users experience enormous financial losses as cybercriminals steal financial and user data. In this article surveys the human characteristics that are key to the defense chain against Malware. The article starts with the attack models/vectors that humans often fall prey to and their fallouts. Next, analysis of their root cause and suggest preventive measures that may be employed is detailed. The article concludes that while Internet user education, training, awareness can reduce the chances of Malware attacks,it cannot entirely eliminate them.
Quasi-Static Anti-Plane Shear Crack Propagation in a New Class of Nonlinear Strain-Limiting Elastic Solids using Phase-Field Regularization.

We present a novel constitutive model using the framework of strain-limiting theories of elasticity for an evolution of quasi-static anti-plane fracture. The classical linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), with conventional linear relationship between stress and strain, has a well documented inconsistency through which it predicts a singular cracktip strain. This clearly violates the basic tenant of the theory which is a first order approximation to finite elasticity. To overcome the issue, we investigate a new class of material models which predicts uniform and bounded strain throughout the body. The nonlinear model allows the strain value to remain small even if the stress value tends to infinity, which is achieved by an implicit relationship between stress and strain. A major objective of this paper is to couple a nonlinear bulk energy with diffusive crack employing the phase-field approach. Towards that end, an iterative L-scheme is employed and the numerical model is augmented with a penalization technique to accommodate irreversibility of crack. Several numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the capability and the performance of the proposed framework We observe the naturally bounded strain in the neighborhood of the crack-tip, leading to different bulk and crack energies for fracture propagation.