cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Programmable Hardware and the New Analog Capacity

This paper will explore the evolutionary development of programmable devices and the emergent capacity to configure programmable analog devices. The architectures, research, current trends and a simulated example will be included in this investigation of programmable hardware. In the near future there will be one device that will be an all around programmable piece of hardware that will allow the user to implement analog as well as digital signal processing. The progressive enhancements of programmable devices that are making it possible to produce field programmable analog arrays (FPAA) and field programmable mixed signal arrays (FPMA) are also discussed.
Alternative Mortgage Instruments: Their Effects On Consumer Housing Choices in an Inflationary Environment

This article compares the effects of the standard fixed-payment mortgage instrument (SMI) and the graduated-payment mortgage instrument on an individual's housing decisions in an inflationary environment. Using a simulation model of life-cycle consumer choice, the results with the SMI suggest that low to moderate rates of inflation increase housing demand but rates in excess of 10% have the opposite effect. The results also suggest that the GPM has the potential to increase substantially housing demand, with households willing to pay moderate premiums in order to obtain GPMs.
Evidence of Ranavirus Infections among Sympatric Larval Amphibians and Box Turtles

Abstract Ranaviruses are emerging as serious pathogens across ectothermic taxa, recently causing mass die-offs including entire chelonian populations. Amphibians may serve as reservoirs for chelonian infections. To assess this idea and determine whether chelonians in the Midwest are infected with (or at risk for) ranavirus infections, we tested for presence of ranavirus infections among sympatric larval amphibians (N = 135) and Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina, N = 132) earlier and later in the Box Turtle active season (between May and October 2009) in south-central Indiana. Three larval amphibians (2.2%; one Ambystoma sp. and two unidentifiable anuran larvae) and four Box Turtles (3.0%) tested positive for a ranavirus. Ranavirus infections were found in both early-season pond breeders (anurans) and then later-season pond breeders (salamanders), spanning the Box Turtle active period, but we did not detect mass die-offs. The majority (75%) of our ranavirus-positive Box Turtles were found la...
Defrocking dualism: A new approach to defining industrial sectors

In this paper we argue that a division of the economy into core and periphery sectors does not do justice to the complexity of the structure of the U.S. economy. The dualistic approach is inadequate both theoretically and empirically. While the dual economy literature has utilized multiple concepts it has conceived of them as forming a single dimension. We develop additional concepts from the complex organizations literature and utilize this enlarged set of concepts in a truly multidimensional framework. We also present a new technique of categorization based on a combination of factor and cluster analyses. The resulting categorization is highly interpretable, and it is superior to previous operationalizations in that it fully reflects the multidimensionality of economic segmentation.
Factors Influencing Auditor Switching in the European Union

Firms all over the world have been switching auditors at a higher rate recently; therefore the reasons behind these changes have become increasingly important. This paper will focus on the reasons why a company may engage in an auditor switch, and then discuss the reasons for auditor changes in three European countries. These countries will be Malta, Spain and the United Kingdom. Each country will be analyzed to establish what the main cause(s) of auditor switch is in their respective country, and then determine if there is a common theme across the European Union.
Fraud Examination Case: Crafty Cash Theft?

ABSTRACT: This case engages students in an interactive in-class learning activity. Students are given a brief case scenario and the task of investigating fraud in a small company. Pre-class preparations require students to identify likely fraud schemes and how to proceed with the fraud investigation. The in-class portion summarizes students' individual assessments and then emphasizes examination of evidence to resolve the case. The case challenges students to consider how to approach a fraud investigation and what procedures or analyses would provide relevant evidence. The activity also requires students to consider internal control weaknesses and suggestions for improving internal control in a small organization. The intended audience is a graduate-level fraud examination course or auditing course with a fraud examination component. Data Availability: Handouts and solutions are provided in the Teaching Notes.
Northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) control evaluations using liquid formulations of diatomaceous earth, kaolin, sulfur, azadirachtin, and Beauveria bassiana on caged laying hens

SUMMARY Liquid formulations of nontraditional materials for northern fowl mite control were applied to the vent feathers of infested hens, and the mite populations on hens were monitored before and after treatment. High concentrations (≥5.3%) of sulfur eliminated mites for periods of at least 8 to 10 wk. A lower sulfur concentration (0.9%) essentially eliminated mites for approximately 4 to 5 wk and greatly reduced mites for 5 to 8 wk. Azadirachtin (derived from the neem tree) at 0.06% reduced, but did not eliminate, mites for approximately 3.5 wk after treatment. Of the inert dusts, kaolin (12% by wt, in water) somewhat reduced mites for approximately 1 wk after 1 application, but 2 consecutive weekly applications controlled mites for 2 to 3 wk. Diatomaceous earth (12% by wt, in water) reduced mites significantly only if applied for 2 consecutive weeks, and its effects then lasted low sulfur > neem > kaolin clay > diatomaceous earth > Beauveria.
Role of Cripto-1 in Stem Cell Maintenance and Malignant Progression

Cripto-1 is critical for early embryonic development and, together with its ligand Nodal, has been found to be associated with the undifferentiated status of mouse and human embryonic stem cells. Like other embryonic genes, Cripto-1 performs important roles in the formation and progression of several types of human tumors, stimulating cell proliferation, migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and tumor angiogenesis. Several studies have demonstrated that cell fate regulation during embryonic development and cell transformation during oncogenesis share common signaling pathways, suggesting that uncontrolled activation of embryonic signaling pathways might drive cell transformation and tumor progression in adult tissues. Here we review our current understanding of how Cripto-1 controls stem cell biology and how it integrates with other major embryonic signaling pathways. Because many cancers are thought to derive from a subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells, which may re-express embryonic genes, Cripto-1 signaling may drive tumor growth through the generation or expansion of tumor initiating cells bearing stem-like characteristics. Therefore, the Cripto-1/Nodal signaling may represent an attractive target for treatment in cancer, leading to the elimination of undifferentiated stem-like tumor initiating cells.
Evidence for Human Orosensory (Taste?) Sensitivity to Free Fatty Acids

Accumulating evidence suggests dietary fatty acids (FAs) may be sensed in the oral cavity. However, the effective cues have not been characterized. In particular, influences from other sensory cues have hampered identification of an independent gustatory contribution. Experiment 1 examined techniques to minimize the formation of FA oxidation products and improve the homogeneity of water/lipid emulsions to be used as stimuli in Experiment 2, a psychophysical study to determine FA detection thresholds in humans. Through sonication of chilled samples held in polypropylene labware and the addition of 0.01% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, calcium disodium salt, homogenous emulsions of unoxidized linoleic and oleic FAs were obtained. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed no oxidation product formation over a 24-h period. Coupled with these techniques, a masking approach was used to minimize other sensory cues imparted from linoleic, oleic, and stearic FAs. Concentration ranges from 0.00028% to 5% (w/v) were prepared in mixtures with 5% mineral oil (w/v) and 5% gum acacia (w/v) to mask lubricity and viscosity effects, respectively. Testing was conducted under red light with nares blocked to eliminate visual and olfactory cues. Oral rinses with 20 ppm capsaicin were administered to desensitize participants to selected irritation effects prior to remeasuring linoleic acid detection thresholds. To determine if the effective stimulus was an oxidation product, oxidized linoleic acid was included among the test stimuli. Detection thresholds were obtained using a 3-alternative, forced-choice ascendingconcentration presentation procedure. The mean detection threshold for linoleic acid pre-desensitization was 0.034 ± 0.008%, for linoleic acid post-desensitization was 0.032 ± 0.007%, for oleic 0.022 ± 0.003%, for stearic 0.032 ± 0.005%, and oxidized linoleic 0.025 ± 0.005%. The results suggest that linoleic, oleic, stearic, and oxidized linoleic acids are detectable in the oral cavity of humans with minimal input from the olfactory, capsaicin, and viscosity-assessing tactile systems.
Toward Analytic Coherence in Assessing Economic Development Policy Making: Special Reference to African Countries

Coherence in assessing economic development policy making has value. First, some low-income countries would like to transform their economies rapidly and efficiently. Second, certain countries experience growth spurts while at the same time benefitting from windfalls in receipts from natural resources. A debate typically ensues over whether the growth spurts reflect any improvements in the policy making environment. Finally, if a country with a history of poor governance wants to tap the international sovereign debt market, both the potential lenders and the borrowing country authorities would benefit from coherent assessment of policy making in the country. This chapter presents a framework for use in such contexts.
Heterochromatin protein 1 distribution during development and during the cell cycle in Drosophila embryos

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) was initially discovered as a protein that is associated with the heterochromatin at the chromocenter of polytene chromosomes in Drosophila larval salivary glands. In this paper we investigate the localization of heterochromatin protein 1 in the diploid nuclei of Drosophila embryos. We focus on its association with the interphase heterochromatin in fixed embryos before and during cycle 14, the developmental time at which heterochromatin becomes most conspicuous, and also follow its localization during mitosis. The GAGA transcription factor was recently shown to be localized at sequences within alpha-heterochromatin in pre-cycle 14 embryos, and an antibody against this protein serves as a convenient marker for these sequences. We find an enrichment of heterochromatin protein 1 in the intensely DAPI-staining regions near the apical surface of nuclear cycle 10 embryos. At this stage GAGA factor is localized into punctate structures in this same region. This enrichment for HP1 is markedly increased during nuclear cycle 14. Surprisingly, whereas GAGA factor retains its association with the heterochromatin throughout the cell cycle, a significant fraction of HP1 is dispersed throughout the spindle around the segregating chromosomes during mitosis. This dispersed pool of heterochromatin protein 1 was observed during mitosis in both early and late Drosophila embryos and in an analysis of a bacterially produced 6x histidine-heterochromatin protein 1 fusion protein injected into living Drosophila embryos. When Drosophila tissue culture cells were prepared by a method which removes soluble protein and avoids fixation of the mitotic chromosomes, an enrichment for heterochromatin protein 1 in the heterochromatin of the chromosomes was discovered also.
Spatial coherence: a new method of quantifying myocardial electrical organization using multichannel epicardial electrograms.

A new technique has been developed to quantify the organization of myocardial electrical activity. The spatial coherence technique employs the use of the magnitude-squared coherence (MSC) spectrum to analyze multichannel electrograms obtained during cardiac mapping. In this study, MSC values for all possible pairs of electrograms recorded from an epicardial plaque consisting of 112 electrodes were computed and systematically integrated to form a three-dimensional coherence surface, that is, a graphical representation of average coherence values versus the spatial orientation of one electrode to another. From this surface, two-dimensional graphs of average coherence versus electrode separation distance were derived, and the data were fitted to an exponentially decaying curve. Two novel parameters indicative of myocardial organization were then extracted from the curves, the coherence length parameter and the coherence plateau parameter. Higher values for these parameters were hypothesized to reflect greater levels of organization of the rhythm. A total of 164 mapping sessions were performed on nine dogs. Three-second data segments of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) were analyzed by using spatial coherence. Coherence lengths were found to be significantly longer (24.3 +/- 13.4 vs 0.165 +/- 0.053 mm, P = .0001) and coherence plateau values significantly higher (0.896 +/- 0.104 vs 0.098 +/- 0.008, P = .0001) for NSR than for VF. In addition, one instance of ventricular tachycardia, a rhythm more organized than VF, had coherence parameter values greater than those for VF but less than those for NSR (coherence length = 1.23 mm, coherence plateau value = 0.597). These results suggest that spatial coherence may be an effective means of quantifying the electrical organization of a particular cardiac rhythm. The advantages of this technique are (1) it extracts a single parameter from the vast amount of data that is generated in a typical mapping study, thus allowing easy characterization of different cardiac rhythms in terms of their level of organization, and (2) it does not require activation time detection, a process that is difficult when studying arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation.
Verification as Learning Geometric Concepts

We formalize the problem of program verification as a learning problem, showing that invariants in program verification can be regarded as geometric concepts in machine learning. Safety properties define bad states: states a program should not reach. Program verification explains why a program’s set of reachable states is disjoint from the set of bad states. In Hoare Logic, these explanations are predicates that form inductive assertions. Using samples for reachable and bad states and by applying well known machine learning algorithms for classification, we are able to generate inductive assertions. By relaxing the search for an exact proof to classifiers, we obtain complexity theoretic improvements. Further, we extend the learning algorithm to obtain a sound procedure that can generate proofs containing invariants that are arbitrary boolean combinations of polynomial inequalities. We have evaluated our approach on a number of challenging benchmarks and the results are promising.
iClass: Combining Multiple Multi-label Classification with Expert Knowledge

Roper Center is one of the largest public opinion data archives in the world. It collects data sets of polled survey questions from numerous media outlets and organizations. The volume of data introduces search complexities over survey questions and poses challenges when analyzing search trends. Roper Center question-level retrieval applications used human metadata experts to assign topics to content. This has been insufficient to reach required levels of consistency and provides an inadequate base for creating an advanced search experience. The objective of this work is to combine the human expert teams' knowledge of the nature of the survey questions and the concepts and topics these questions express, with the ability of multi-label classifiers to learn this knowledge and apply it to an automated, fast and accurate classification mechanism. This approach cuts down the question analysis and tagging time significantly as well as provides enhanced consistency and scalability for topics' descriptions. At the same time, creating an ensemble of machine learning classifiers combined with expert knowledge is expected to enhance the search experience and provide much needed analytic capabilities to the survey questions databases. In our design, we use classification from several machine learning algorithms like SVM and Decision Trees, combined with expert knowledge in form of handcrafted rules, data analysis and result review. We consolidate the different techniques into a Multipath Classifier with a Confidence point system that decides upon the relevance of topics assigned to survey questions with nearly perfect accuracy.
The Distribution of the Leafhoppers of Presque Isle, Pa. and their Relation to Plant Formations

The relation existing between insects and plants and especially the synchronous changes in abundance and succession that accompanies changes in habitat conditions is of both interest and importance to workers in certain groups. It is interesting to know under what conditions an insect lives, and if the habitat and specific food plants are variable in different regions. But these data are usually very hard to obtain in disturbed areas as a complication of conditions and a mixture of food plants may occur. Presque Isle has furnished an ideal place for such a study because the zones and stages of plant associations, and their successions are so well defined. Consequently a record of specimens captured and a study of existing conditions there may be of interest to others.
Comparison of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences Among US Pharmacy Programs

Objective. To identify the various IPPE designs utilized by US pharmacy programs. Methods. A 20-question survey was developed and distributed to experiential affairs professionals at 129 pharmacy institutions nationwide addressing school demographics and IPPE design. Results were analyzed in aggregate. Results. Ninety-three schools responded (72%). Eighty-nine percent of those reported beginning IPPE experiences in the first professional year, although there was a great variation regarding whether the IPPE was held while didactic classes were in session or during school breaks. The number of required practice experiences varied. Institutions prohibited students from completing rotations in the same pharmacy chain (72%) or hospital (70%) where employed, and from completing 2 rotations at the same site (62%). Fifty-seven percent utilized faculty members as preceptors. 51% allowed a maximum of 2 students per preceptor per practice experience. Conclusion. While clear trends existed in IPPE curricula, institutions incorporated aspects that addressed unique needs. Further research can determine the benefits and drawbacks of different IPPE designs.
CRT-800.02 Eligibility for PCSK9 Treatment in 734 Hypercholesterolemic Patients Referred to a Regional Cholesterol Treatment Center With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia With LDL Cholesterol >100 Mg/dl and/or Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease With LDL Cholesterol >70 Mg/dl Despite Maximal Tolerated Cholesterol Lowering Therapy

Lowering of LDL cholesterol (LDLC) has been revolutionized by the recent release of the PCSK9 inhibitors, Alirocumab (Praluent) and Evolocumab (Repatha). PCSK9 inhibitors have approved indications as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for patients with heterozygous familial
How a fern designs a catapult

![Graphic][1] The fastest known catapult in the plant kingdom is probably the fern's spore dispersal system. The parallels between the fern's catapult (a pod called the sporangium) and siege engines of yore go beyond the superficial. There are three physical requirements of a catapult – be
The analysis and implementing of management information system in college lesson business organizing and controlling

Based on analyzing the present paper work management situation in college lesson business organizing and controlling,this article provides us with the law and rule of system analyzing and system designing when we develop college lesson business organizing and controlling management information system with computer and implementing this system.
Projections from the ventral tegmental area to the olfactory tubercle in the rat.

The projection between the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the olfactory tubercle (OT) was examined electrophysiologically in the rat. Stimulation of the olfactory bulb (OB) determined if the OT n...
Multiscale subgrid models of large eddy simulation for turbulent flows

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose three modified subgrid-scale (SGS) eddy-viscosity models to improve their original eddy-viscosity models (the Smagorinsky model (SM), the mixed-scale model (MSM), and the wall-adapted local eddy-viscosity model (WALE)) in the simulation of turbulent flows in near-wall region. Design/methodology/approach – The subgrid viscosity is related to the norm of strain rate tensor of the smallest resolved scales, instead of the norm of the resolved strain rate tensor of the large scales. Findings – All the SGS viscosity of the modified eddy-viscosity models (small-large model, modified MSM, and modified WALE) is closer to y+3 behavior than those of the original eddy-viscosity models (SM, MSM, and WALE) near the wall. Originality/value – The norm of strain rate tensor of the smallest scales used in eddy-viscosity models, instead of the norm of strain rate tensor, makes the eddy viscosity in near-wall region approach to zero in a physical sense.
Revolutionary History and the Post-Colonial Muslim: Re-Writing the ‘Silk Letters Conspiracy’ of 1916

ABSTRACTThis paper takes the ‘Silk Letters Conspiracy’, a complex, transnational scheme uncovered by British colonial officials in 1916, as the starting point for a discussion on the writing of revolutionary histories in post-colonial India. It considers the generally vexed position of Muslims in histories of early twentieth-century anti-colonialism and the lengths to which some scholars, particularly those associated with the Deoband seminary in northern India, have gone in response in order to create a counter-narrative of Muslim revolutionary anti-colonialism that was fully in keeping with the broader nationalist struggle. Later, the paper speculates on whether other historical lives, such as that of Abul Kalam Azad, one of the most high-profile Muslims in the leadership of the Indian National Congress in the 1940s and 1950s, could also be so re-inscribed and made part of the revolutionary script of the 1910s, and to what end this might be done. Throughout, this article meditates on the problematic nat...
The Role of Testosterone Supplemental Therapy in Opioid-Induced Hypogonadism: A Retrospective Pilot Analysis.

Chronic opioid therapy for pain management is known to induce several endocrine changes. The authors examined the effect of testosterone supplemental therapy (TST) in patients with chronic, noncancer pain undergoing opioid therapy. It was hypothesized that treatment of opioid-induced hypogonadism (OIH) can reduce opioid requirements in patients suffering from chronic pain and approve their quality of life. Over 18 months period, patients with OIH were identified in a tertiary referral pain center, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores and daily morphine equivalent dose (MED) were the primary outcomes measured. Data were collected and comparative analysis performed between men undergoing TST versus nontreatment group. Twenty-seven OIH patients (total testosterone <300 ng/dL) were identified during the study period. TST group consists of 11 patients, while non-TST group consists of 16 patients as control cohort. Mean patient age (55 and 54.4, p = .4) and basic metabolic index (28.5 and 31.9, p = .07) in ...
Radiation damage studies for the DØ Silicon Micro-strip Tracker at the Tevatron

A Silicon Micro-strip Tracker has been operating at the DO experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron collider (Batavia, Illinois, USA) since 2001. The sensor leakage current, full depletion voltage, signal size and noise level are continuously monitored for radiation damage. Predictions are also made for the detector parameters towards the end of the Tevatron Run II. These predictions are based on the locations and types of the sensors, our knowledge and measurements of the phenomenology of radiation damage as well as the actual dose received in the Tevatron environment. We present the results of these aging studies and predictions in this talk.
Extending GridNexus to Support the Visual Assembly of Web Services

This paper describes a set of extensions (primitives, bindings and graphical modules) and their implementation to facilitate the visual assembly of web services from scientific workflows within the GridNexus computing environment. The implementation approach for this work involved employing a strategy for defining WSDL message types and procedures such that each will be bound to a defined workflow for evaluation. Because of its Axis2 foundation, web services produced by GridNexus can run under any J2EE application container by providing the service as a deployable archive file. The paper concludes with a discussion of various design alternatives including the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Ago1 and microRNA mediated gene silencing in prostate cancer cells

4521 Small RNA molecules have been recently found to regulate gene expression through many different mechanisms. Argonaute (AGO) proteins are the core components of effector complexes that facilitate RNA interference (RNAi). It has been reported that Ago1 aids in both siRNA-mediated post-transcriptional and transcriptional gene silencing in human cells. To determine if Ago1 is involved in mircoRNA (miRNA)-mediated gene silencing, we designed specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to knockdown Ago1-4 expression. Transfection of the Ago siRNAs revealed several genes including estrogen receptor (ER) beta, HMOX, MYPN, and BMP4 that were up-regulated by Ago1 knockdown in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. To determine whether microRNA biogenesis is coupled to Ago1-dependent gene regulation, we also designed siRNAs to knockdown the expression of several microRNA processing genes including Dicer, Drosha, and Exportin-5. Similar to Ago1, microRNA processing genes also regulate the expression of ER beta, HMOX, MYPN, and BMP4. These results suggest that Ago1 is capable of facilitating microRNA-mediated gene silencing and further implicate microRNAs as fundamental regulators of gene expression in cancer cells.
Towards 3D convolutional neural networks with meshes

Voxels are an effective approach to 3D mesh and point cloud classification because they build upon mature Convolutional Neural Network concepts. We show however that their cubic increase in dimensionality is unsuitable for more challenging problems such as object detection in a complex point cloud scene. We observe that 3D meshes are analogous to graph data and can thus be treated with graph signal processing techniques. We propose a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (Graph-CNN), which enables mesh data to be represented exactly (not approximately as with voxels) with quadratic growth as the number of vertices increases. We apply Graph-CNN to the ModelNet10 classification dataset and demonstrate improved results over a previous graph convolution method.
Should body image programs be inclusive? A focus group study of college students

Objective Most evidence-based body image programs for college students (e.g., the Body Project) are designed for female-only audiences, although body dissatisfaction is not limited to female-identified individuals. Furthermore, programs do not explicitly discuss diversity, although individuals with marginalized gender, racial, and sexual identities may be particularly vulnerable to body image disturbances. Making programs more inclusive may increase their disseminability. Method This qualitative study examined the feasibility of adapting the Body Project for universal and inclusive use with college students. Participants (N = 36; M age = 21.66 years; 73% female-identified; 20% sexual minority; 23% racial minority) attended one of five semi-structured focus groups to explore the inclusivity of appearance-based cultural norms using adapted Body Project activities and discuss the feasibility of universal and inclusive interventions. Inductive qualitative content analysis with three-rater consensus identified focus group themes. Results There was consensus that inclusive interventions could have a positive impact (broadening perspectives, normalizing body image concerns, increasing awareness) despite potential barriers (poor diversity representation, vulnerability). There was strong consensus regarding advice for facilitating inclusive interventions (e.g., skilled facilitation, education, increasing diversity). Discussion Results suggest that inclusive body image programs are desirable and provide a framework for creating the EVERYbody Project, a program for more universal audiences.
Bladder Filling and Storage: “Continence: Stress Incontinence”

This chapter gives an overview of urodynamic evaluation for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Different methods for assessing urethral function including abdominal leak point pressures (ALPPs) and urethral pressure profile (UPP) measurements are discussed. This chapter also gives instruction on how to perform an urodynamic study for SUI. Several examples of urodynamic studies that depict SUI are included for demonstration and clarification of these concepts.
Dominant events that modulate mass transfer coefficient of oxygen in cerebral cortex.

Recently, a model of cerebral oxygen delivery was described (J Appl Physiol 85:554) which yields a relationship similar to that used to depict substrate transport across the endothelium. Because the endothelium is not a diffusion barrier for oxygen, the permeability surface area product was replaced by an effective mass transfer coefficient term for oxygen, D. The cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen utilization (CMR02) was linked to cerebral blood flow (CBF) and volume (CBV) through properties that modify the vessel-to-tissue oxygen tension giving rise to changes in D. Changes in the value of D were correlated with changes in CBF, CMR02, and CBV as measured using NMR methods in a 48 µL volume of the cerebral cortex of anesthetized rats at different levels of activity. We conclude that the changes in total vascular volume (i.e., swelling or shrinking of the capillary bed) contributes 95% to changes in D.
Repolarization alternans in dilated pulsing atria: a preventable "prelude" to atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia seen in adult clinical practice ([1,2][1]). Typically, atrial dilatation and stretch have been recognized as major pathophysiological factors in AF initiation and maintenance ([3–5][2]). For instance, it has been suggested that the
The arcuate fracture: A descriptive radiographic study.

Abstract Purpose To assess plain radiographic morphology of arcuate fractures in order to identify patterns and help shape treatment algorithm for proximal fibula fracture. Methods A search of radiographic reports at a level 1 trauma center from 2014 to 2016 using MONTAGE search software for the phrases “arcuate fracture”, “fibular head avulsion”, or “fibular head fracture” was conducted. Descriptive measurements were obtained including dimensions of the fragment, the displacement of the fragment from its anatomic position, and the orientation of the primary fracture line relative to the axis of the fibular diaphysis in both the sagittal and coronal plane. After review of the measurements and radiographs, fracture patterns were assessed based off previous knowledge previous knowledge of posterior lateral corner (PLC) anatomy. Results Radiographic reports of 48 knees (48 patients) met inclusion criteria. The distance of fractures from the proximal aspect of the fibula averaged 9.25 ± 5.53 mm on AP radiographs, and 9.42 ± 4.89 mm on lateral radiographs. The medial-to-lateral width of the proximal fragment averaged 20.09 ± 7.94 mm on AP radiographs, while the anterior-to-posterior width measured on lateral radiographs averaged 17.53 ± 8.48 mm. Orientation of the primary fracture line was calculated at an average of 23.04 ± 14.95° from the perpendicular on the AP view, and 21.55 ± 17.44° from the perpendicular on the lateral. Maximal displacement at the primary fracture line on the AP view was 4.95 ± 8.49 mm). Maximal displacement on the lateral measured 3.98 ± 7.01 mm. Recurring fracture patterns were identified and described. Assessment revealed 11 (22.9%) pattern 1 fractures, six (12.5%) pattern 2 fractures, 31 (64.58%) pattern 3 fractures, possibly correlating with anatomical features and fracture mechanism. Conclusions These measurements and recurring patterns in our study shows the heterogeneity of the size and displacement of these fracture fragments and demonstrates the need for further studies in order to create an anatomic descriptive classification for arcuate fractures, which could be used for clinically for treatment.
NSF’s Inaugural Software Institutes: The Science Gateways Community Institute and the Molecular Sciences Software Institute

The National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) creates a framework for partnerships among government, industry, and academia to advance the use of high-performance computing. The National Science Foundations Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure furthers this mission through the instantiation of two new software institutes. Although the program predates NSCI, The Science Gateways Community Institute and the Molecular Sciences Software Institute advance NSCIs objectives by acting as hubs of excellence, serving broad communities and creating software and workforce ecosystems.
Automation of data analysis programs used in the cryogenic characterization of superconducting microwave resonators

Knowledge of the microwave properties at cryogenic temperatures of components fabricated using High-Temperature-Superconductors (HTS) is useful in the design of HTS-based microwave circuits. Therefore, fast and reliable characterization techniques have been developed to study the aforementioned properties. In this paper, we discuss computer analysis techniques employed in the cryogenic characterization of HTS-based resonators. The revised data analysis process requires minimal user input, and organizes the data in a form that is easily accessible by the user for further examination. These programs retrieve data generated during the cryogenic characterization at microwave frequencies of HTS based resonators and use it to calculate parameters such as the loaded and unloaded quality factors (Q and Q0, respectively), the resonant frequency (f0), and the coupling coefficient (κ), which are important quantities in the evaluation of HTS resonators. While the data are also stored for further use, the programs allow the user to obtain a graphical representation of any of the measured parameters as a function of temperature soon after the completion of the cryogenic measurement cycle. Although these programs were developed to study planar HTS-based resonators operating in the reflection mode, they could also be used in the cryogenic characterization of two ports (i.e., reflection/transmission) resonators.
Antimicrobial drug discovery against persisters

The efficacy of most currently prescribed antibiotics that target biosynthetic processes during cell growth or cellular uptake is energy dependent. However, because persisters are non-growing, dormant cell population with low-energy metabolic states (Conlon et al., Nature Microbiology, 1, 2016; Lewis, Annual Review of Microbiology, 64, 357, 2010; Shan et al., MBio, 8, 2017), conventional antibiotics fail to effectively eliminate bacterial persisters, which may lead to chronic and reoccurring infection (Lewis, Annual Review of Microbiology, 64, 357, 2010). The lack of antibiotics to treat infections caused by persisters entreats the urgency for developing new therapeutics effective against bacterial persisters. In response to this dire need, several strategies and anti-persister antimicrobials have been developed. Anti-persister strategies can be grouped into two approaches (1) direct killing of persisters through growth-independent targets and (2) converting persisters to antibiotic susceptible states by antibiotic adjuvants. In this chapter, we review growth-independent targets, such as bacterial proteases (Conlon, Nature, 503, 365–370, 2013), membrane lipid bilayers (Hurdle et al., Nature Reviews Microbiology, 9, 62–75, 2011), and bacterial DNA (Kwan et al., Environmental Microbiology, 2015). We also discuss a Caenorhabditis elegans-based screening strategy to identify membrane-active antimicrobials with relatively low cytotoxicity, which overcomes the membrane selectivity issue (Kim et al., ACS Infectious Diseases, 4, 1540–1545, 2018b, Nature, 556, 103–107, 2018c). Lastly, we review antibiotic adjuvants that resuscitate persisters to conventional antibiotic susceptible conditions (Allison et al., Nature, 473, 216–220, 2011). Included among these strategies, we explore the engineering of conventional antibiotics conjugated with drug carriers such as a peptide and an antibody that facilitate uptake or accessibility of antibiotics (Brezden et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 138, 10945–10949, 2016; Lehar et al., Nature, 527, 323–328, 2015; Schmidt et al., ACS Nano, 8, 8786–8793, 2014).
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection and Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

Therapeutic endoscopy is an emerging field within general surgery. This article explores the evidence for and usage of endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection throughout the gastrointestinal tract. We aim to educate surgeons and provide an understanding of these techniques. With education and appropriate training, the surgeon will gain confidence and hopefully adopt these tools into their daily practice.
Diverse Routes of Allograft Tolerance Disruption by Memory T Cells.

Memory T lymphocytes constitute a significant problem in tissue and organ transplantation due their contribution to early rejection and their relative resistance to tolerance-promoting therapies. Memory cells generated by environmental antigen exposure, as with T cells in general, harbor a high frequency of T cell receptors (TCR) spontaneously cross-reacting with allogeneic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. This phenomenon, known as 'heterologous' immunity, is thought to be a key barrier to transplant tolerance induction since such memory cells can potentially react directly with essentially any prospective allograft. In this review, we describe two additional concepts that expand this commonly held view of how memory cells contribute to transplant immunity and tolerance disruption. Firstly, autoimmunity is an additional response that can comprise an endogenously generated form of heterologous alloimmunity. However, unlike heterologous immunity generated as a byproduct of indiscriminate antigen sensitization, autoimmunity can generate T cells that have the unusual potential to interact with the graft either through the recognition of graft-bearing autoantigens or by their cross-reactive (heterologous) alloimmune specificity to MHC molecules. Moreover, we describe an additional pathway, independent of significant heterologous immunity, whereby immune memory to vaccine- or pathogen-induced antigens also may impair tolerance induction. This latter form of immune recognition indirectly disrupts tolerance by the licensing of naive alloreactive T cells by vaccine/pathogen directed memory cells recognizing the same antigen-presenting cell in vivo. Thus, there appear to be recognition pathways beyond typical heterologous immunity through which memory T cells can directly or indirectly impact allograft immunity and tolerance.
Drinking motives, cultural orientations, and alcohol use among Hispanic college students at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Hispanic college students at the U.S.–Mexico border are at higher risk for alcohol use and negative drinking consequences relative to their counterparts in non-border areas. Hispanic students at th...
Rescuing the Last-Line Polymyxins: Achievements and Challenges

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health challenge and, worryingly, several key Gram negative pathogens can become resistant to most currently available antibiotics. Polymyxins have been revived as a last-line therapeutic option for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram negative bacteria, in particular Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacterales. Polymyxins were first discovered in the late 1940s but were abandoned soon after their approval in the late 1950s as a result of toxicities (e.g., nephrotoxicity) and the availability of "safer" antibiotics approved at that time. Therefore, knowledge on polymyxins had been scarce until recently, when enormous efforts have been made by several research teams around the world to elucidate the chemical, microbiological, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic, and toxicological properties of polymyxins. One of the major achievements is the development of the first scientifically based dosage regimens for colistin that are crucial to ensure its safe and effective use in patients. Although the guideline has not been developed for polymyxin B, a large clinical trial is currently being conducted to optimize its clinical use. Importantly, several novel, safer polymyxin-like lipopeptides are developed to overcome the nephrotoxicity, poor efficacy against pulmonary infections, and narrow therapeutic windows of the currently used polymyxin B and colistin. This review discusses the latest achievements on polymyxins and highlights the major challenges ahead in optimizing their clinical use and discovering new-generation polymyxins. To save lives from the deadly infections caused by Gram negative "superbugs," every effort must be made to improve the clinical utility of the last-line polymyxins. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to global health. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections has been highlighted by leading global health organizations and authorities. Polymyxins are a last-line defense against difficult-to-treat MDR Gram negative pathogens. Unfortunately, the pharmacological information on polymyxins was very limited until recently. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the major achievements and challenges in polymyxin pharmacology and clinical use and how the recent findings have been employed to improve clinical practice worldwide.
Continuous photosynthetic biohydrogen production from acetate-rich wastewater: Influence of light intensity

Abstract Photo-biohydrogen by microalgae is attractive sustainable energy caused by the utilization of solar energy and water. However, due to oxygen (O2) sensitive hydrogenase (HydA) activity, effective control of O2 and light intensity is critical for achieving sustainable photosynthetic hydrogen (H2) production. Here we demonstrate continuous algal H2 production using acetate-enriched fermenter effluent, achieving the complete O2 cessation without sulfur depletion. Average H2 production of 108 ± 4 μmol L−1 for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and 88 ± 7 μmol L−1 for Chlorella sorokiniana at 100 μmol m−2 s−1 were observed for 15 days, respectively. The highest light energy to H2 energy conversion efficiency (LHCE) of 1.61% for C. reinhardtii and 1.06% for C. Sorokiniana was obtained under low light intensity (50 μmol m−2 s−1) but the LHCE decreased with the increase of light intensity followed by photoinhibition, which led to a decrease of HydA activity and H2 production. Low H2 production was observed at 50 μmol m−2 s−1 under the highest LHCE, in which microalgae exhibited photoinhibition biomass growth kinetics to produce chlorophyll a (Chl a) for electron generation. These results demonstrate that light is a feasible strategy for producing electron for H2 production under anoxygenic photosynthesis.
A narrative review of using prescription drug databases for comorbidity adjustment: A less effective remedy or a prescription for improved model fit?

Abstract Background The use of claims data for identifying comorbid conditions in patients for research purposes has been widely explored. Traditional measures of comorbid adjustment included diagnostic data (e.g., ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM codes), with the Charlson and Elixhauser methodology being the two most common approaches. Prescription data has also been explored for use in comorbidity adjustment, however early methodologies were disappointing when compared to diagnostic measures. Objective The objective of this methodological review is to compare results from newer studies using prescription-based data with more traditional diagnostic measures. Methods A review of studies found on PubMed, Medline, Embase or CINAHL published between January 1990 and December 2020 using prescription data for comorbidity adjustment. A total of 50 studies using prescription drug measures for comorbidity adjustment were found. Conclusions Newer prescription-based measures show promise fitting models, as measured by predictive ability, for research, especially when the primary outcomes are utilization or drug expenditure rather than diagnostic measures. More traditional diagnostic-based measures still appear most appropriate if the primary outcome is mortality or inpatient readmissions.
Design Principles for a Crowd-Based Prototype Validation Platform

One of the most critical aspects of developing successful products is the early feedback of potential customers. Here, customers can provide feedback iteratively on prototypes before the actual development of the product to save development resources on dissatisfying features. This feedback, in turn, could be collected using crowdsourcing. To gain knowledge about the design of software to support the iterative prototype development based on crowd feedback, this paper develops design principles for a crowd-based prototype validation platform. On this platform, developers can present their software prototypes in different forms and receive iterative feedback from a selected crowd of potential customers. The feedback is presented to the developer in an aggregated form to support his decision-making in further development. We conduct a design science study that builds the design principles based on an analysis of literature and software tools. We instantiate the design principles as a platform and evaluate them within an expert workshop. Our results show that the identified design principles support developing such software support for crowd-based prototype validation.
Shocks and rarefactions arise in a two-phase model with logistic growth

Abstract Multi-phase or mixture models are often used to describe the dynamics of complex fluids. In this work, we use a general transformation to reduce the two-phase system of one spatial and time variable to a system of a single variable. Then we assess the behavior of solutions for the inviscid two-phase model with logistic growth. The growth rate widely impacts the behavior of the solution, producing either shocks or rarefactions. Increasing growth increases the frequency and spread of these waves, and eliminating growth reduces solutions to continuous traveling waves. This analysis generalizes a class of asymptotic/linear results for gel swelling as well as showing the extraordinary richness in the molding framework.