cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Net Tension Failure Mode in Composite Bolted Joints

A failure analysis has been developed to predict the net tension strength of composite bolted joints. The analysis involved: 1) the development of a representative stress profile along the net tension failure plane and 2) the in corporation of this stress distribution into the appropriate failure criterion. A two-dimensional, plane stress finite element analysis employing quadrilateral elements with orthotropic material properties was used to determine the state of stress along the failure plane. The stress distribution along this plane was described by a polynomial expression and was generalized to apply to a wide range of geometries. The "point stress" failure criterion was applied to the generalized stress distribution equation resulting in the desired net tension strength prediction. Development of the failure criterion for a particular material system and laminate configuration involved empirically determining two notch sensitivity parameters, m and C. In this study, notch sensitivity parameters were...
Social Sanctions and Rituals as a Basis for Drug Abuse Prevention

(1975). Social Sanctions and Rituals as a Basis for Drug Abuse Prevention. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 165-182.
The Thylakoid ΔpH-dependent Pathway Machinery Facilitates RR-independent N-Tail Protein Integration

The thylakoidal ΔpH-dependent and bacterial twin arginine transport systems are structurally and functionally related protein export machineries. These recently discovered systems have been shown to transport folded proteins but are not known to assemble integral membrane proteins. We determined the translocation pathway of a thylakoidal FtsH homologue, plastid fusion/protein translocation factor, which is synthesized with a chloroplast-targeting peptide, a hydrophobic signal peptide, and a hydrophobic membrane anchor. The twin arginine motif in its signal peptide and its sole integration requirement of a ΔpH suggested that plastid fusion/protein translocation factor employs the ΔpH pathway. Surprisingly, changing the twin arginine to twin lysine or deleting the signal peptide did not abrogate integration capability or characteristics. Nevertheless, three criteria argue that all three forms require the ΔpH pathway for integration. First, integration was competed by an authentic ΔpH pathway precursor. Second, antibodies to ΔpH pathway component Hcf106 specifically inhibited integration. Finally, chloroplasts from the hcf106 null mutant were unable to integrate Pftf into their thylakoids. Thus, ΔpH pathway machinery facilitates both signal peptide-directed and N-tail-mediated membrane integration and does not strictly require the twin arginine motif.
Asymptotic pole locations and nonlinear controllers

This note generalizes a recently introduced method which produces nonlinear controllers by assigning suitable state dependence to a scalar parameter in an existing stable controller. The form of state dependence is guided by properties of the original controller. For example, variations in T of the modified receding horizon controller are guided by the fact, proved here, that the poles associated with that controller lie to the left of ( -1/2T ). Nonlinearization of the LQR is also described.
Two-Dimensional 1H and 31P NMR Spectra and Restrained Molecular Dynamics Structure of a Covalent CPI-CDPI2-Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Decamer Complex

CPI-CDPI2 is a synthetic analogue of CC-1065, which is a naturally occurring antitumor antibiotic. Assignment of the 1H NMR spectra of a CPI-CDPI2-oligodeoxyribonucleotide decamer, d-(CGCTTAAGCG)2, complex has been made by two-dimensional 1H/1H spectroscopy. The solution structure of the complex was calculated by an iterative hybrid relaxation matrix method combined with NOESY distance restrained molecular dynamics. Refinement proceeded in two steps in which the decamer was initially refined alone and then CPI-CDPI2 was added to the structure to allow initial estimates of drug-DNA contacts. A hybrid matrix/MD refinement was used to better take into account problems associated with spin diffusion. Thus the distances from the 2D NOESY spectra were calculated from the relaxation rate matrix which were evaluated from a hybrid NOESY volume matrix comprising elements from the experimental spectrum and those calculated from an initial structure. The hybrid matrix derived distances were then used in a restrained molecular dynamics procedure to obtain a new structure that better approximates the NOESY spectra. The resulting partially refined structure was then used to calculate an improved theoretical NOESY volume matrix which is once again merged with the experimental matrix until refinement is complete. The efficacy of CC-1065 has been attributed to its minor groove binding and alkylation to the N3 position of adenosine. CPI-CDPI2 appears to bind to the decamer in a similar manner. The effect of CPI-CDPI2 on the decamer's 1H and 31P spectrum was consistent with a minor groove binding motif with the drug alkylating at A17 with the CDPI rings oriented toward the 5'-end of the alkylated strand. In addition, the NMR data support one major adduct but also indicate the presence of a minor adduct. The latter could represent a drug alkylation of the DNA at a secondary site (or alternative orientation of the rings).
Virtual Teams: Guide to Successful Implementation

The successful initiation and execution of a virtual team is gaining increasing attention in the design and construction community. From opportunities to integrate international and multidisciplinary teams to the opportunity to leverage the best resources in an organization on a given project, virtual teams can transform the concept of project planning and execution. However, potential barriers exist in several areas to the successful implementation of virtual teams. The needs of increased management emphasis, social and cultural understanding, and emphasis on common goals are only a few of the nontechnical factors that can turn successful virtual teaming into virtual frustration. When combined with traditional technical challenges including compatibility of systems, security, and the selection of appropriate technologies, the line between leveraging virtual technologies for enhanced solutions and introducing additional complications into the project process is one that can be easily crossed. This paper presents the findings of research that addresses the opportunities and potential barriers to successful virtual teams in the engineering, procurement, and construction industry. Combining results from current research, industry practices, and early results from nonconstruction industries, the research findings provide an initial path to successful virtual team implementation.
UT-A2: a 55-kDa urea transporter in thin descending limb whose abundance is regulated by vasopressin.

The renal urea transporter gene (UT-A) produces different transcripts in the inner medullary collecting ducts (UT-A1) and thin descending limbs of Henle's loop (UT-A2), coding for distinct proteins...
Abstract 10: Disparate Temporal Regulation of Blood Pressure by Estrogens During Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that predominantly affects young women. Due to this partiality towards women, estrogen is commonly implicated in disease development. The potential for estrogens to promote SLE disease progression stems from data showing that removal of estrogens in young female mice with SLE (6-8 week old NZBWF1 mice) delays the development of renal injury and mortality. The primary cause of mortality in women with SLE is cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, a major cardiovascular risk factor, is highly prevalent in this patient population. Based on the presumed role of estrogen to promote SLE, we hypothesized that estrogen promotes hypertension during SLE. To test this, 30 week old SLE mice (NZBWF1) and control mice (NZW/LacJ) were subjected to either ovariectomy (OVX) or a sham operation and a subset of these mice were replete with 17β-estradiol (E2, 5μg/mouse, s.c., 2x/week). At 34 weeks of age, mean arterial pressure (MAP in mmHg) was measured by carotid catheter in conscious freely moving mice. MAP was higher in SLE sham mice compared to control shams (133±3, n=17 vs. 120±3, n=13, p 100 mg/dL). OVX did not alter MAP (115±3, n=9) or albuminuria in control mice. The hypertensive response to OVX was prevented in OVX SLE mice replete with E2 (133±4, n=3) suggesting a protective role for E2 against SLE-associated hypertension. Because previous studies showed that estrogen removal in young mice delayed SLE disease progression, we tested whether OVX starting at 8 weeks of age delayed the development of hypertension. OVX in young SLE mice did not significantly alter the progression of SLE-associated hypertension (141±4, n=4 measured at 34 weeks of age). Consistent with previous work of others, OVX in young SLE mice reduced the prevalence of albuminuria (20%, 1 of 5 vs 33%, 1 of 3). These data suggest that estrogen has a complex temporal role in the pathogenesis of SLE with the potential to promote disease early in life, but protect against the progression of SLE associated hypertension later in the course of the disease.
Impact of a nursing-driven sleep hygiene protocol on sleep quality

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact on sleep quality of a nursing-driven sleep hygiene protocol (SHP) instituted in a single burn-trauma intensive care unit. Criteria for eligibility were adult patients admitted to the Burn Service who were not delirious, able to respond verbally, and had not received general anesthesia in the prior 24 hours. Patients were surveyed using the validated Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire prior to implementation ("PRE"; May to December 2010) and following implementation ("POST"; January to August 2011) of a SHP that sought to minimize environmental stimuli and limit disruptions during the night. This analysis includes only initial survey responses from each patient. A total of 130 patients were surveyed, 81 PRE and 49 POST; 60% were burn admissions. There was no significant difference in responses to the questionnaire between burn and nonburn patients. All patients in the POST group were significantly older and more frequently endorsed taking sleep medication at home. Although not significant, POST patients reported falling asleep somewhat more quickly, but no other differences were identified between the two groups. Among patients who reported having sleep difficulties prior to admission, POST patients not only reported a significantly higher pain score than PRE patients, but also reported significant improvement in falling asleep and being able to go back to sleep. Frequency of complaints of sleep disruption was unchanged between PRE and POST patients. POST patients did complain significantly less than PRE patients about sleep disruptions by clinicians. Implementation of the SHP permitted acutely injured or ill patients in our intensive care unit to fall asleep more quickly and to experience fewer sleep disruptions. A sleep protocol may be helpful in improving sleep and overall well-being of burn center patients.
Aggregation in Block Copolymer Solutions

The ability to produce block copolymers has led to new materials with unique properties. The chemical connectivity of incompatible blocks forces segregation to occur at distances of the order of the block sizes. In block copolymer melts, the segregated domains form periodic ordered structures called microphases. Most block copolymers are strongly incompatible. In such cases, in order to ensure equilibrium microphase separated samples, the microphases are prepared from solution. Microphase separation in semidilute solutions of block copolymers in nonselective good solvent is analyzed. The solvent effects on the thermodynamics in the weak segregation limit are discussed. The concentration of block copolymer at the transition in good solvents, scales as φt N−.62 and in ϑ solvents as N−.5. The transitions between microphase morphologies as a function of block copolymer concentration are studied.
Cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2 ) mapping with hyperventilation challenge using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).

Purpose Our objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of using hyperventilation as an efficient vasoconstrictive challenge and prior knowledge as denoising constraints for cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) mapping based upon quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Methods Three-dimensional (3D) multi-echo gradient echo and arterial spin labeling imaging were performed to calculate QSM and perfusion maps before and after a hyperventilation challenge in 11 healthy subjects. For comparison, this was repeated using a caffeine challenge. Whole-brain CMRO2 and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) maps were computed using constrained optimization. Hyperventilation scans were repeated to measure reproducibility. Regional agreement of CMRO2 and OEF maps was analyzed within the cortical gray matter (CGM) using t-test and Bland-Altman plots. Results Hyperventilation challenge eliminates the 30-min waiting time needed for caffeine to exert its vasoconstrictive effects. Mean CMRO2 (in µmol/100g/min) obtained in CGM using the caffeine and repeated hyperventilation scans were 149 ± 16, 153 ± 19, and 150 ± 20, respectively. This corresponded to an OEF of 33.6 ± 3.4%, 32.3 ± 3.2%, and 34.1 ± 3.8% at baseline state and 39.8 ± 4.8%, 43.6 ± 6.2%, and 42.8 ± 6.8% at challenged state, respectively. Hyperventilation scans produced a good agreement of CMRO2 and OEF values. Conclusions Hyperventilation is a feasible, reproducible, and efficient vasoconstrictive challenge for QSM-based quantitative CMRO2 mapping. Magn Reson Med 77:1762–1773, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Simplifying and Simulation Verification of Mathematical Model for Filling Process of Aluminum Alloy Wheel in Low Pressure Casting

Taking filling process of aluminum alloy wheel in low pressure casting process as research object, a simplified separation algorithm of the inner and outer regions was proposed based on the original SOLA-VOF algorithm, and the filling process of the casting was simulated using the designed programme. The results show that the simplified separation algorithm of the inner and outer regions has the advantages of short running time and higher calculation efficiency; the simulation results are basically the same as the SOLA-VOF algorithm.
63 Ni Content of Renal Parenchyma and Nuclei From 63 NiCl 2 -Treated Rats

The time-course and dose-effect relationships for 63Ni uptake in renal parenchyma and nuclei were delineated in 63NiCl2-treated rats, based upon isolation of renal nuclei by sucrose gradient centrifugation and measurements of 63Ni by liquid scintillation counting. In 5 groups of rats killed 2 to 24 hours after 63NiCl2 injection (36 mumol/kg, im), 63Ni content of renal parenchyma (mean +/- SD) diminished from 3.0 +/- 0.3% of the dose at 2 hours to 0.9 +/- 0.3% of the dose at 24 hours; nuclear 63Ni content diminished from 10.5 +/- 4.4 pmol/10(6) nuclei at 2 hours to 3.0 +/- 0.3 pmol/10(6) nuclei at 24 hours. In 8 groups of rats killed 2 hours after injection of 63NiCl2 at dosages from 3 to 250 mumol/kg, 63Ni concentrations in renal nuclei increased progressively from 1.1 +/- 0.3 pmol/10(6) nuclei at 3 mumol/kg to 32.1 +/- 1.7 pmol/10(6) nuclei at 250 mumol/kg. Nuclear 63Ni content generally averaged 1.9 to 2.4% of total renal 63Ni; significantly higher mean values (3.4 +/- 1.0%) were observed in rats killed 48 hours after 5 daily injections of 63NiCl2 (1.1 mumol/kg/day). Combined administration of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC, 1.33 mmol/kg, im) and 63NiCl2 (36 mumol/kg, im) increased 63Ni uptake in renal nuclei (4.8 +/- 1.4% of renal 63Ni; P less than 0.05 versus corresponding value of 2.0 +/- 0.2% in rats that received 63NiCl2, alone). Enhanced nuclear uptake of 63Ni evidently explains the synergistic effect of DDC and NiCl2 on induction of heme oxygenase activity in rat kidney.
Acute (Childhood) Immune Thrombocytopenia

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a bleeding disorder characterized by immune-mediated platelet destruction and resultant thrombocytopenia. Newly diagnosed ITP denotes those within the first 3 months of diagnosis, persistent ITP refers to those between 3 months and 1 year of diagnosis, and chronic ITP now represents more than 1 year of disease persistence. Persistent ITP that resolves within 1 year occurs almost exclusively in children and is one of the most common acquired bleeding disorders in the pediatric population, with an estimated prevalence of 4–8 per 100,000 children per year. In contrast, most adults who present with ITP develop chronic disease with thrombocytopenia persisting beyond 1 year, and spontaneous recovery occurs in less than 10% of such cases. Acute and chronic ITP are approached differently; acute childhood ITP will be reviewed in this chapter, while chronic ITP is presented in Chapter 98 .
A study on the external financing and coordination strategies of supply chain based on retailer's capital constraints

The study focuses on the supply chain coordination issues of suppliers with capital constraints under stochastic demand when external financing mode is used. The expected profit maximization of supply chain members is taken as the objective function to seek the conditions when the supply chain coordination is realized. The allocation and transfer scheme of financing costs are introduced as an incentive, that is, suppliers shall bear part of financing costs for retailers and retailers grant suppliers some transfer payments at the end of period as compensation, which can be used to stimulate supply chain so that the order quantity can reach the optimization when there are no capital constraints, and realize the effective distribution of incremental profits of supply chain.
Family Systems (The Relational Contexts of Individual Symptoms)

Publisher Summary The family systems approach to psychotherapy is based on the premise that personality is not a static and internal attribute of human beings, but the result of complex interactions between individual, interpersonal and environmental factors. Personality is dynamic and context-dependent, and human behaviors are individuals' responses to specific circumstances rather than the expression of self-contained characteristics. This approach focuses on the familial, cultural, and social systems in which human behaviors are embedded, and thereby constitutes a radical departure from psychology's traditional emphasis on the self and its intrapsychic properties such as Freud's structural theory of the id, ego, and superego. From a systemic perspective, it is what happens in the context of individuals' interactions with significant others, not the reason why it happens, that is the focus of assessment and intervention. This chapter shows how an intake therapist might conduct Scott's initial interview from the perspective of family systems theory. It first gives an overview of the development of family therapy as an established profession, and explains the key theoretical principles that inform the conceptualization of Scott's problem.
Biosorption of lead by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from E-waste landfill, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Soil, the basic resource for the life on earth is getting polluted because of the release of different contaminants into it. So, the reduction of soil pollution is the main thrust of most researchers. The contaminants include different components released from different industries and the waste is getting accumulated in the soil because of improper processing. Electronic waste is the most up growing waste in the world. As the electronic industries are progressing the waste that is produced after the usage of the products is also increasing day by day. As a result, the heavy metals which are the main components in electronic goods leach and accumulate in the soil because of informal processing procedures. Poisonous substances such as lead, tin, mercury, cadmium and barium which are the constituents of the electronic goods get discharged into the environment and cause serious health and pollution problems if the electronic waste is not processed properly. The present study focuses on biosorption of lead, an important component of many electronic goods by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from E-waste dump yard soil in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The adsorption studies were carried out using Atomic adsorption spectrophotometer. The adsorption capability of Bacillus licheniformis with different metal concentrations ranging from 10ppm to 25ppm was analyzed and it was observed that the bacteria could reduce 74.94% of 10ppm, 78.9% of 15ppm, 83% of 20ppm and 89.39% of 25ppm lead from the medium. Temperature has a prominent role in metal adsorption by bacteria. At 31 0 C and 37 0 C the adsorption was high. The % of metal adsorbed at 16 0 C was 30.56%, at 31 0 C (Room Temperature) was 56.54 % at 37 0 C was 58.79% and at 60 0 C it was 36.31%. The present study is proposed to explore bacteria for the determination of their tolerance capacity in and around the areas of Hyderabad where heavy metal ions are leached and observe for their biotransformation capabilities.
Larger men have larger prostates: Detection bias in epidemiologic studies of obesity and prostate cancer risk.

Background Obesity is associated with risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa), but not with over-all PCa risk. However, obese men have larger prostates which may lower biopsy accuracy and cause a systematic bias toward the null in epidemiologic studies of over-all risk. Methods Within a cohort of 6692 men followed-up after a biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with benign findings, a nested case-control study was conducted of 495 prostate cancer cases and controls matched on age, race, follow-up duration, biopsy versus TURP, and procedure date. Data on body mass index and prostate volume at the time of the initial procedure were abstracted from medical records. Results Prior to consideration of differences in prostate volume, overweight (OR = 1.41; 95%CI 1.01, 1.97), and obese status (OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.09, 2.33) at the time of the original benign biopsy or TURP were associated with PCa incidence during follow-up. Prostate volume did not significantly moderate the association between body-size and PCa, however it did act as an inverse confounder; adjustment for prostate volume increased the effect size for overweight by 22% (adjusted OR = 1.52; 95%CI 1.08, 2.14) and for obese status by 23% (adjusted OR = 1.77; 95%CI 1.20, 2.62). Larger prostate volume at the time of the original benign biopsy or TURP was inversely associated with PCa incidence during follow-up (OR = 0.92 per 10 cc difference in volume; 95%CI 0.88, 0.97). In analyses that stratified case-control pairs by tumor aggressiveness of the case, prostate volume acted as an inverse confounder in analyses of non-aggressive PCa but not in analyses of aggressive PCa. Conclusions In studies of obesity and PCa, differences in prostate volume cause a bias toward the null, particularly in analyses of non-aggressive PCa. A pervasive underestimation of the association between obesity and overall PCa risk may exist in the literature.
Performance of a Laboratory Clean Room

The performance of a small, 52 square meter laboratory clean room at the University of Minnesota has been evaluated using a system of aerosol measuring and monitoring instruments. Aerosol in the ambient atmosphere and in the clean room has been measured simultaneously using a condensation nucleus counter and diffusion battery, a differential mobility particle sizer and two laser optical particle counters to provide concentration and size distribution data between 0.002 to 10 μm diameters. The diurnal variation of the condensation nuclei concentration in the clean room has been found to follow closely that in the ambient atmosphere. This suggests that particles in the CNC range measured in the clean room have their origin in the ambient atmosphere and that the clean room filter does not provide a perfect shield between indoor and outdoor air for these small particles. The ratio of clean room CMC to ambient CNC counts has been found to range from 7 × 10−7 when the ambient CNC count is low (1 × 105 per cc) t...
Let's Do the Twist!: Radiators, Experiments, and Techniques to Generate Twisted Waves at Radio Frequencies

With the development of fifth-generation (5G) network solutions and high-data communication systems, millimeter-wave frequencies are being proposed for their licensing and bandwidth benefits. E-band radios at 71-76 and 81-86 GHz have recently been developed for backhaul and fixed point-to-point applications. Typically highgain, waveguide-based antennas are used in these deployments. By utilizing polarization, data rates can be increased two-fold. Another way to increase data rates for communication systems on the hardware side is through introducing orbital angular momentum (OAM). By twisting beams, multiple orthogonal modes can travel along the same wireless channel on the same frequency. This article highlights radiators, experiments, and techniques to generate twisted waves at radio frequency (RF).
Validation of A Fatigue Failure-based Risk Assessment Tool For Distal Upper Extremity MSDs

This paper presents a new practitioner-friendly distal upper extremity tool (DUET) based on fatigue failure theory. The tool requires only assessment of force exertion (using the OMNI-RES scale) and the number of repetitions performed to derive DUE risk. Validation of this tool was performed against six separate DUE outcomes from an epidemiological database involving data obtained from 1,022 participants across 738 jobs from several automotive manufacturing plants. The DUET Cumulative Damage (CD) measure explained between 79-95% of the deviance for the six DUE outcomes in logistic regression analyses.
Toward a Theory of Minority Entrepreneurship in the Non-Profit Arts Sector

ABSTRACTThroughout most of the entrepreneurship research literature, the entrepreneur is generally identified as a native-born White male who undertakes either self-employment or firm creation in W...
Relationship Between Expectation of Death and Location of Death Varies by Race/Ethnicity.

BACKGROUND:Older black and Latino Americans are more likely than white Americans to die in the hospital. Whether ethnic differences in expectation of death account for this disparity is unknown. OBJECTIVES:To determine whether surviving family members' expectation of death has a differential association with site of death according to race or ethnicity. METHODS:We conducted an analysis of decedents from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study of US older adults. Telephone surveys were conducted with family members for 5979 decedents (decedents were 55% were women, 85% white, 9% black, and 6% Latino). The outcome of interest was death in the hospital; the predictor variable was race/ethnicity, and the intervening variable was expectation of death. Covariates included sociodemographics (gender, age, household net worth, educational attainment level, religion) and health factors (chronic conditions, symptoms, health-care utilization). RESULTS:Decedents' race/ethnicity was statistically related to the expectation of death and death in the hospital. When death was not expected, whites and Latinos were more likely to die in the hospital than when death was expected (49% vs 29% for whites and 55% vs 37% for Latinos; P < .001). There was no difference in site of death according to family's expectation of death among blacks. CONCLUSION:Expectation of death did not fully account for site of death and played a greater role among whites and Latinos than among black Americans. Discussing prognosis by itself is unlikely to address ethnic disparities. Other factors appear to play an important role as well.
The Role of the School in Prosocial Development

With the exception of the family, no other social institution has as pervasive an influence on children’s social and moral development as the school. From the time a child enters kindergarten at age 5 until graduation from secondary school 13 years later, he or she will spend 15 to 30 hours per week, approximately 40 weeks each year, in school. Much of this time occurs during the so-called formative years, when the child is developing basic understandings of self and society and is expected to learn and conform to societal norms and to adopt basic cultural values. The learning that occurs during schooling thus encompasses considerably more than the acquisition of basic academic knowledge and intellectual skills (see Bar-Tal, 1978; Minuchin & Shapiro, 1983). Schools in all societies also have a formal responsibility for the socialization of children, and the role of the school in social and moral development has been central to educational thinking since at least the time of Socrates (Johnson, 1987).
Software Issues for the PASM Parallel Processing System

Partitionable mixed-mode systems can be dynamically reconfigured to form independent or communicating submachines of various sizes, where each submachine can switch between the SIMD and MIMD modes of parallelism at instruction level granularity. These systems allow software developers to tailor the system size and mode of parallelism to best match the problem. This chapter explores software issues related to one such system, the PASM parallel processing system. Specific topics addressed include a programming language, overlapped CU/PE operation, trade-offs between the SIMD and MIMD modes of parallelism, and aspects of operating systems for automatic system reconfiguration. A reading-list of PASM-related publications is appended.
Osteoconductive Enhancement of Polyether Ether Ketone: A Mild Covalent Surface Modification Approach

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK, 1) is an important material for the fabrication of implants employed in spinal fusion surgery. Although its radiolucency and favorable elastic modulus have made PEEK an attractive choice for interbody fusion devices, its poor osseointegrative properties prevent the formation of a strong union between implant and surrounding bone structures and remain a major liability. Recent advancements in PEEK surface technology have resulted in improved osseointegration; however, the identification of an ideal implant material has proven challenging. In this manuscript, we describe our preliminary investigation into the realm of PEEK-based fusion devices that has culminated in the discovery of a mild, solution-based process for the preparation of covalently surface modified PEEK biomaterials that display enhanced osteoconductive properties. Surface modification occurred under mild reaction conditions via the acid-mediated addition of various commercially available hydrophilic oxyamine and...
Cross-Frequency Coupling Based Neuromodulation for Treating Neurological Disorders.

Synchronous, rhythmic changes in the membrane polarization of neurons form oscillations in local field potentials. It is hypothesized that high-frequency brain oscillations reflect local cortical information processing, and low-frequency brain oscillations project information flow across larger cortical networks. This provides complex forms of information transmission due to interactions between oscillations at different frequency bands, which can be rendered with cross-frequency coupling (CFC) metrics. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) is one of the most common representations of the CFC. PAC reflects the coupling of the phase of oscillations in a specific frequency band to the amplitude of oscillations in another frequency band. In a normal brain, PAC accompanies multi-item working memory in the hippocampus, and changes in PAC have been associated with diseases such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Alzheimer disease (AD), epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this article is to explore CFC across the central nervous system and demonstrate its correlation to neurological disorders. Results from previously published studies are reviewed to explore the significant role of CFC in large neuronal network communication and its abnormal behavior in neurological disease. Specifically, the association of effective treatment in PD such as dopaminergic medication and deep brain stimulation with PAC changes is described. Lastly, CFC analysis of the electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals recorded from the motor cortex of a Parkinson’s disease patient and the parahippocampal gyrus of an epilepsy patient are demonstrated. This information taken together illuminates possible roles of CFC in the nervous system and its potential as a therapeutic target in disease states. This will require new neural interface technologies such as phase-dependent stimulation triggered by PAC changes, for the accurate recording, monitoring, and modulation of the CFC signal.
Identification of Plant Extracts and Oils as Insect Repellents

Introduction: Plant-based insect repellents have been used for many years in traditional practice as a personal protection measure against insects. Development of new plant-based insect repellent is a valuable resource for environmentally safe crop production. In recent years, plant-based insect repellents have gained importance among farmers, as these are considered “Safe” to the environment as compared to synthetic pesticides. To date, several bio pesticides have been identified as insect repellent, however there is no single plant based product that gives complete repellency. This emphasis the need for identification of plant based bio pesticides with high repellency. Materials and Methods: The current study evaluated the potency of 11 plant extract of both Indian and Irish origin for their repellency against the grey field slug species. Extracts of Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel), Momordica charantia (Bitter Gourd), Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds (Fenugreek), Allium cepa (Shallots), Allium sativum (Garlic), Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jack Fruit) leaves, Phyllanthus emblica (Amla), Cymbopogon citrate (Lemon grass), Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion), Murraya koenigii (Curry leaves) and Curcuma longa (Turmeric) were used in this experiment. Plant extracts was prepared by crushing 5g of the sample in 100ml of water using pestle and mortar. The extracts as filtered using household sieve to remove larger particles and used to test their potency against the slugs. Results: Out of 11 extracts tested, five extracts repelled the slugs to a greater extent and three extracts showed moderate effect. However, three extracts had no effect. Conclusion: The results of this current study strongly suggest the use of five plant extracts such as garlic, fenugreek, fennel, bitter gourd and shallots as an environmentally safe bio pesticide to control grey field slugs.
Abstract 3637: Development of a polyethylenimine conjugated liner multiblock polymer to deliver VEGF siRNA for triple negative breast cancer

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays important roles in the angiogenesis process and is correlated with high proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer, particularly in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Downregulation of VEGF expression with siRNA in cancer cells is therefore a potential strategy for TNBC treatment. A polyethylene glycol based bio-degradable, linear multiblock polymer was synthesized and conjugated with branched low-molecular-weight poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) to form nanocomplexes with a VEGF siRNA. The nanocomplex can protect siRNA from serum degradation and deliver the VEGF siRNA into TNBC cells with 72% silencing activity and low cytotoxicity. In vitro activity studies showed that the siRNA nanocomplexes significantly inhibit 64% migration and 67% invasion of TNBC cells. Moreover, the nanocomplex exhibited efficient tumor penetration in a 3D tumor spheroid model, suggesting a good penetration capability of the nanocomplex in tumor microenvironment in vivo. More importantly, the VEGF siRNA nanocomplex efficiently inhibit tumor growth in vivo and successfully downregulate VEGF expression in the tumor. These results suggested that VEGF siRNA is a promising anti-tumor agent for TNBC therapy, and the PEI 1800 conjugated bio-degradable multiblock polymer is a promising system to deliver siRNAs to TNBC cells. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Yuanke Li, Zhen Zhao, Kun Cheng. Development of a polyethylenimine conjugated liner multiblock polymer to deliver VEGF siRNA for triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3637.
ABNORMAL SERUM CHLORIDE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED MORTALITY AMONG UNSELECTED CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT PATIENTS

Serum chloride abnormalities are common in cardiovascular and critically ill populations, yet their prognostic significance is poorly understood. We sought to describe the association between serum chloride and mortality among unselected cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients. We reviewed
DeepTracer: Fast Cryo-EM Protein Structure Modeling and Special Studies on CoV-related Complexes

Abstract Information about macromolecular structure of protein complexes such as SARS-CoV-2, and related cellular and molecular mechanisms can assist the search for vaccines and drug development processes. To obtain such structural information, we present DeepTracer, a fully automatic deep learning-based method for fast de novo multi-chain protein complex structure determination from high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) density maps. We applied DeepTracer on a previously published set of 476 raw experimental density maps and compared the results with a current state of the art method. The residue coverage increased by over 30% using DeepTracer and the RMSD value improved from 1.29A to 1.18A. Additionally, we applied DeepTracer on a set of 62 coronavirus-related density maps, among them 10 with no deposited structure available in EMDataResource. We observed an average residue match of 84% with the deposited structures and an average RMSD of 0.93A. Additional tests with related methods further exemplify DeepTracer’s competitive accuracy and efficiency of structure modeling. DeepTracer allows for exceptionally fast computations, making it possible to trace around 60,000 residues in 350 chains within only two hours. The web service is globally accessible at https://deeptracer.uw.edu.
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Home Health and Home Care Agency Managers, Clients, and Aides: A Cross-Sectional Survey, March to June, 2020

Home health and home care (HH&HC) agencies provide essential medical and supportive services to elders and people with disabilities, enabling them to live at home. Home-based care is an important a...
Seizure Activity in a 3-year-old Girl.

1. Timothy P. Foster, MD* 2. Brittany S. Bruggeman, MD* 3. Brian Guedes, MD* 4. Kristin Dayton, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 1. Address correspondence to Kristin Dayton, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, 1699 SW 16th Ave, Building A, Gainesville, FL 32608. E-mail: kristinjohnson23{at}peds.ufl.edu A 3-year-old African American girl presents to the emergency department for evaluation of seizure activity. Her seizures started 10 days ago as tonic episodes and progressed to full tonic-clonic movements, upward eye deviation, and apneic episodes with postictal states of drowsiness up to 3 times per day. She has also had more anxiety, increased clumsiness, and intermittent jerks over the past month. Her medical history is notable for speech delay (started speaking at age 2), reactive airway disease, and avoidance of all egg and dairy products due to presumed food allergies. Family history is significant for vitamin D deficiency in her maternal grandmother. Her growth parameters include a height of 95.8 cm (58th percentile), weight of 17.1 kg (92nd percentile), and BMI at the 97th percentile. Physical examination is significant for a prominent forehead, round face, mild bilateral ptosis, tetany, and positive Chvostek sign. Her musculoskeletal examination is normal. During the examination, she intermittently jerks her extremities, followed by crying; she does not follow commands. Electrolytes are obtained and reveal low calcium at 4.7 mg/dL (reference range, 8.8–10.8 mg/dL), high phosphorus at 10.2 mg/dL (reference range, 3.2–5.8 mg/dL), and normal albumin, sodium, magnesium, and glucose levels. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is elevated at 2,597 pg/mL (reference range, 12–88 pg/mL), alkaline phosphatase is elevated at 643 IU/L (reference range, 100–320 IU/L), 25-hydroxy vitamin D is low at 8.69 ng/mL (reference range, >30 ng/mL), and 1,25-hydroxy vitamin D is 78.5 pg/mL (reference range, 19.9–78.5 pg/mL). Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine are normal. Thyrotropin is normal at 3.439 mIU/mL (reference range, 0.5–5.0 mIU/mL) with a free thyroxine of 0.76 ng/dL (reference range, …
Incidence of law enforcement officer fatalities related to motor vehicle accidents.

A recent FBI report indicates that motor vehicle accidents (MVA) account for 71% of accidental law enforcement officer (LEO) fatalities. To better understand the factors surrounding these fatalitie...
An Extracellular Perspective on CNS Maturation: Perineuronal Nets and the Control of Plasticity

During restricted time windows of postnatal life, called critical periods, neural circuits are highly plastic and are shaped by environmental stimuli. In several mammalian brain areas, from the cerebral cortex to the hippocampus and amygdala, the closure of the critical period is dependent on the formation of perineuronal nets. Perineuronal nets are a condensed form of an extracellular matrix, which surrounds the soma and proximal dendrites of subsets of neurons, enwrapping synaptic terminals. Experimentally disrupting perineuronal nets in adult animals induces the reactivation of critical period plasticity, pointing to a role of the perineuronal net as a molecular brake on plasticity as the critical period closes. Interestingly, in the adult brain, the expression of perineuronal nets is remarkably dynamic, changing its plasticity-associated conditions, including memory processes. In this review, we aimed to address how perineuronal nets contribute to the maturation of brain circuits and the regulation of adult brain plasticity and memory processes in physiological and pathological conditions.
Roots, Routes, and a New Awakening: Walking and Meditating with Raimon Panikkar

Cross-fertilizing roots and routes calls for new practices of seeking, being, and Self-realization. Raimon Panikkar embodied such a vocation and praxis of being and becoming. Panikkar taught and lived in the United States from 1966–1987 and was known to generations of students here and around the world through both his lectures and his many books. What they heard and read were the arresting reflections of a multi-dimensional person, who was simultaneously a philosopher, theologian, mystic, priest, and poet. It was also that combination of personae that made him at times difficult to understand. He was a formidable scholar with doctorates in philosophy, theology, and chemistry and an acquaintance with the worlds of learning and religious reflection in more than a dozen languages. This stupendous productivity, sustained over some sixty-five years, was made possible by great discipline, dedication, and focus. He was a classic Jnana Yogi.
Adolescents Treated for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Pediatric Primary Care: Characterizing Risk for Stimulant Diversion.

OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical and psychosocial characteristics, and their hypothesized interrelations, as it pertains to risk for stimulant diversion (sharing, selling, or trading) for adolescents in pediatric primary care treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. METHODS Baseline data for 341 adolescents in a cluster-randomized controlled trial of stimulant diversion prevention in pediatric primary care (NCT_03080259) were used to (1) characterize diversion and newly measured risk factors, (2) examine their associations with age and sex, and (3) test whether associations among risk factors were consistent with model-implied predictions. Data were collected through multi-informant electronic surveys from adolescents and parents. RESULTS Diversion was rare (1%) in this sample (Mage = 15, SD = 1.5, 74% male participants). Older age was associated with being approached to divert (r = 0.25, p < 0.001) and higher risk on variables pertinent to stimulant treatment, such as treatment disclosure (r = 0.12, p < 0.05), tolerance for stimulant misuse and diversion (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), and peer norms favorable to stimulant misuse and diversion (r values = 0.15-0.34, p < 0.001). Sex differences were minimal. Variables from our conceptual model and specific to stimulants (e.g., perceived likelihood of negative consequences from diversion and schoolmate stimulant misuse/diversion) were related in multivariable regressions to hypothesized immediate precursors of diversion (e.g., diversion intentions). CONCLUSION Although diversion was rare for these primary care-treated adolescents, risk levels appear to be higher for older adolescents. Prevention may be most effective by capitalizing on current psychosocial strengths and discussing stimulant-specific attitudes, behaviors, and social norms before vulnerability to diversion increases in the final years of high school and into college.
µSE: Mutation-Based Evaluation of Security-Focused Static Analysis Tools for Android

This demo paper presents the technical details and usage scenarios of μSE: a mutation-based tool for evaluating security-focused static analysis tools for Android. Mutation testing is generally used by software practitioners to assess the robustness of a given test-suite. However, we leverage this technique to systematically evaluate static analysis tools and uncover and document soundness issues. μSE's analysis has found 25 previously undocumented flaws in static data leak detection tools for Android. μSE offers four mutation schemes, namely Reachability, Complex-reachability, TaintSink, and ScopeSink, which determine the locations of seeded mutants. Furthermore, the user can extend μSE by customizing the API calls targeted by the mutation analysis. μSE is also practical, as it makes use of filtering techniques based on compilation and execution criteria that reduces the number of ineffective mutations. Website: https://muse-security-evaluation.github.io Video URL: https://youtu.be/Kfkzi57gYys
PeerGAN: Generative Adversarial Networks with a Competing Peer Discriminator

In this paper, we introduce PeerGAN, a generative adversarial network (GAN) solution to improve the stability of the generated samples and to mitigate mode collapse. Built upon the Vanilla GAN's two-player game between the discriminator $D_1$ and the generator $G$, we introduce a peer discriminator $D_2$ to the min-max game. Similar to previous work using two discriminators, the first role of both $D_1$, $D_2$ is to distinguish between generated samples and real ones, while the generator tries to generate high-quality samples which are able to fool both discriminators. Different from existing methods, we introduce another game between $D_1$ and $D_2$ to discourage their agreement and therefore increase the level of diversity of the generated samples. This property alleviates the issue of early mode collapse by preventing $D_1$ and $D_2$ from converging too fast. We provide theoretical analysis for the equilibrium of the min-max game formed among $G, D_1, D_2$. We offer convergence behavior of PeerGAN as well as stability of the min-max game. It's worth mentioning that PeerGAN operates in the unsupervised setting, and the additional game between $D_1$ and $D_2$ does not need any label supervision. Experiments results on a synthetic dataset and on real-world image datasets (MNIST, Fashion MNIST, CIFAR-10, STL-10, CelebA, VGG) demonstrate that PeerGAN outperforms competitive baseline work in generating diverse and high-quality samples, while only introduces negligible computation cost.