cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Platelet Function in Clinical Trials

Since the 1970s, the role of antiplatelet therapy in patients with coronary artery disease has become established. Aspirin was the first drug to be used as an antiaggregant. Although early trials of aspirin lacked adequate statistical power to detect clinical benefits, two metaanalyses by the antiplatelet trialist group established the place of aspirin in the management of coronary artery disease and provided significant insight into the lack of a documented dose-response effect (1,2). Although the administration of aspirin to suitable patients still lags behind desired targets, most surveys indicate that more than 90% of appropriate patients are treated with it at the time of hospital discharge.
A review of the experience and consequences of self-aspect activation, number, and distinctiveness

AbstractThe self-concept is an elaborate memory structure, but it operates under the same basic processes as all cognition. Within the self-concept, self-knowledge (e.g., traits, behavioral representations) is organized into self-aspects. Self-aspects vary in their momentary accessibility, and individual self-aspects can become connected through shared associations (e.g., overlapping traits). This paper reviews the author’s research on (1) the consequences and experience of activating specific self-aspects, and (2) outcomes and correlates of self-complexity, which is the number and interrelatedness of self-aspects. Important self-aspects are easier to activate and harder to inhibit, and active self-aspects moderate the accessibility of related self-knowledge with consequences for social judgment and memory. In addition, self-complexity influences emotions, self-regulation, well-being, and social perceptions, and it varies across cultures.
Semi-Supervised classification of realtime physiological sensor datastreams for student affect assessment in intelligent tutoring

Famously, individual expert tutoring holds the promise of two standard deviations of improvement over classroom-based instruction. Current content-scaling techniques have been able to prove one standard deviation of improvement. However, just as expert tutors take the motivation and emotional state of the student into account for instruction, so too must computer instructors. Differences between individuals and individual baselines make this difficult, but this information is known across one training session. The construction of assessing modules in realtime, from the available performance and sensor datastreams, skirts these problems, but is technically difficult. This research investigates automated student model construction in realtime from datastreams as a solution from which to base pedagogical strategy recommendations.
Nutrition: A Critical Component of Wound Healing

Nutrients are essential to wound healing and patients in critical care are often at risk for lack of sufficient nutrients that may result in impaired healing. Understanding the role of the various nutrients in healing provides the basis for assessment and therapy. Use of a practical and consistent nutritional assessment technique is an important part of care for critically ill patients with wounds. The health care team must provide care based on current knowledge of the effects of nutrition on wound healing and work collaboratively in doing nutritional assessment and providing nutritional support to optimize wound healing outcomes.
Lessons Learned in Creating Interoperable Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources Profiles for Large-Scale Public Health Programs.

Objective This article describes lessons learned from the collaborative creation of logical models and standard Health Level Seven (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) profiles for family planning and reproductive health. The National Health Service delivery program will use the FHIR profiles to improve federal reporting, program monitoring, and quality improvement efforts. Materials and Methods Organizational frameworks, work processes, and artifact testing to create FHIR profiles are described. Results Logical models and FHIR profiles for the Family Planning Annual Report 2.0 dataset have been created and validated. Discussion Using clinical element models and FHIR to meet the needs of a real-world use case has been accomplished but has also demonstrated the need for additional tooling, terminology services, and application sandbox development. Conclusion FHIR profiles may reduce the administrative burden for the reporting of federally mandated program data.
Squeezed nanocrystals: equilibrium configuration of metal clusters embedded beneath the surface of a layered material

Shapes of functional metallic nanocrystals, typically synthesized either free in solution or supported on surfaces, are key for controlling properties. Here, we consider a novel new class of metallic nanocrystals, copper clusters embedded near the surface of graphite, which can be considered a model system for metals embedded beneath surfaces of layered materials, or beneath supported membranes. We develop a continuum elasticity (CE) model for the equilibrium shape of these islands, and compare its predictions with experimental data. The CE model incorporates appropriate surface energy, adhesion energies, and strain energy. The agreement between the CE model and the data is—with one exception—excellent, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and is achieved with a single adjustable parameter. The model predicts that the embedded island shape is invariant with size, manifest both by constant side slope and by constant aspect ratio. This prediction is rationalized by dimensional analysis of the relevant energetic contributions. The aspect ratio (width : height) of an embedded Cu cluster is much larger than that of a supported but non-embedded Cu cluster, due to resistance of the graphene membrane to deformation. Experimental data diverge from the model predictions only in the case of the aspect ratio of small islands, below a critical height of ∼10 nm. The divergence may be due to bending strain, which is treated only approximately in the model. Strong support for the CE model and its interpretation is provided by additional data for embedded Fe clusters. Most of these observations and insights should be generally applicable to systems where a metal cluster is embedded beneath a layered material or supported membrane, provided that shape equilibration is possible.
Analysis of Body Size, Web Size, and Diet in Two Congeneric Orb-Weaving Spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) Syntopic in Florida Scrub

The yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia Lucas (Araneae: Araneidae), is widespread in North America, whereas the Florida garden spider, Argiope florida Chamberlin & Ivie (Araneae: Araneidae), is restricted to scrub habitats in the southeastern USA. Both orb-weavers occur syntopically in native oak scrub at the Archbold Biological Station in Highlands County, Florida. We hypothesized that female spiders of both species might have a high degree of dietary niche overlap because their orb-webs are located near each other, despite the fact that they may differ in body size and web characteristics. We located 180 side-by-side pairs of mature A. aurantia and A. florida, and assigned them at random into 3 treatment groups of 60 pairs each. Argiope aurantia in group 1 were more heavy-bodied and longer legged than A. florida. In group 2, the orb-webs of both species were hung at the same height aboveground, but A. aurantia webs were larger with fewer sticky spirals than those of A. florida. Over the course of 5 d, the 2 spider species in group 3 captured almost the same number of aerial arthropods (80 for A. aurantia; 76 for A. florida). We identified most prey (94%) to genus or species. Dietary niche overlap at the ordinal level was extensive (70%), but it shrank dramatically when calculated at the generic/ species level (20%). We concluded that not only were A. aurantia consuming substantially larger prey than A. florida, but also that they were feeding on different kinds of aerial insects moving through gaps in oak scrub.
In silico identification of an epithelial core signature in human tumors.

10628 Background: Gene expression analysis is performed on grossly selected specimens often without any microscopic analysis of tumor content. In studies where histological analyses have been perfo...
The Effects of Gene Flow from Unsampled ‘Ghost’ Populations on the Estimation of Evolutionary History under the Isolation with Migration Model

Abstract Unsampled or extinct ‘ghost’ populations leave signatures on the genomes of individuals from extant, sampled populations, especially if they have exchanged genes with them over evolutionary time. This gene flow from ‘ghost’ populations can introduce biases when estimating evolutionary history from genomic data, often leading to data misinterpretation and ambiguous results. To assess the extent of this bias, we perform an extensive simulation study under varying degrees of gene flow to and from ‘ghost’ populations under the Isolation with Migration (IM) model. Estimates of popular summary statistics like Watterson’s θ, π, and FST, and evolutionary demographic history (estimated as effective population sizes, divergence times, and migration rates) using the IMa2p software clearly indicate that we a) under-estimate divergence times between sampled populations, (b) over-estimate effective population sizes of sampled populations, and (c) under-estimate migration rates between sampled populations, with increased gene flow from the unsampled ‘ghost’ population. Similarly, summary statistics like FST and π are also affected depending on the amount of gene flow from the unsampled ‘ghost’.
ROBUST BIOMARKERS OF AGING AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL ORIGIN

The biological origin of impressive accuracy of DNA methylation clocks, the most precise currently available biological markers of aging in humans and model animals, remains largely unclear. In addition, they sometimes suffer from uncontrollable precision loss out of sample. To address these two issues, we develop a novel method for constructing robust molecular markers of age based on network analysis of age-dependent omics data. The newly developed robust markers of aging in yeast, fruit fly, mouse and human are nearly free of batch effects and have a transparent biological nature related to tight control of translation-related processes and their disregulation associated with aging.
Conception and practice of total quality management of medical records in our hospital

Based on the idea of total quality management,the preliminary conception on the implementation of total quality management of medical records is advanced,which further specifies the function and its expansion of quality control of medical records,implements the idea of whole course,whole staff,and comprehensive quality control,attaches importance to the feedback and communication in quality control,and strengthens the construction and preservation of quality culture.Meanwhile,quality control of medical records is strengthened by the practice of comprehensive management,including perfection of organization system,adjustment of evaluation system,definition of key points of quality control,combination of process quality control and terminal quality control,establishment of training system of quality control,and so on. Key words: Medical record; Total quality management; Practice
Could the 2.6 M ☉ object in GW190814 be a primordial black hole?

On June 20, 2020, the LIGO-Virgo collaboration announced the discovery of GW190814, a gravitational wave event originating from a binary system merger between a black hole of mass ${M}_{1}={23.2}_{\ensuremath{-}1.0}^{+1.1}\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ and an unidentified object with a mass of ${M}_{2}=2.5{9}_{\ensuremath{-}0.09}^{+0.08}\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$. This second object would be either the heaviest neutron star or lightest black hole observed to date. Here we investigate the possibility of the $\ensuremath{\sim}2.6\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ object being a primordial black hole (PBH). We find that a primordial black hole explanation to GW190814 is unlikely as it is limited by the formation rate of the primary stellar progenitor and the time available for a pair of primordial- and stellar-origin black hole binaries to form and merge within a hubble time.
Decarboxylation of orotic acid analogues: Comparison of solution and gas-phase reactivity

Abstract The decarboxylation of orotic acid and analogues have been investigated as a model for enzymatic decarboxylation catalyzed by orotidine-5’-monophosphate decarboxylase (ODCase). The rate of decarboxylation of 1-methyl-4-pyridone-2-carboxylic acid in solution has been reported to be three orders of magnitude greater than those of 1,3-dimethylorotic acid and 1-methyl-2-pyridone-6-carboxylic acid in solution. Here, the gas-phase decarboxylation of the three corresponding carboxylates were investigated. The carboxylate of 1,3-dimethylorotic acid decarboxylates at a faster rate and thus the relative rates of decarboxylation are different from those observed in solution. The relative rates of decarboxylation correlate well with the stability of the corresponding carbanions and the calculated activation energies for gas-phase decarboxylation. Therefore, the reactions in the gas phase seem to go through the direct decarboxylation mechanism whereas the reactions in solution likely go through zwitterionic intermediates as previously proposed.
cDC1 prime and are licensed by CD4+ T cells to induce anti-tumour immunity

Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1)1 are thought to perform antigen cross-presentation, which is required to prime CD8+ T cells2,3, whereas cDC2 are specialized for priming CD4+ T cells4,5. CD4+ T cells are also considered to help CD8+ T cell responses through a variety of mechanisms6–11, including a process whereby CD4+ T cells ‘license’ cDC1 for CD8+ T cell priming12. However, this model has not been directly tested in vivo or in the setting of help-dependent tumour rejection. Here we generated an Xcr1Cre mouse strain to evaluate the cellular interactions that mediate tumour rejection in a model requiring CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. As expected, tumour rejection required cDC1 and CD8+ T cell priming required the expression of major histocompatibility class I molecules by cDC1. Unexpectedly, early priming of CD4+ T cells against tumour-derived antigens also required cDC1, and this was not simply because they transport antigens to lymph nodes for processing by cDC2, as selective deletion of major histocompatibility class II molecules in cDC1 also prevented early CD4+ T cell priming. Furthermore, deletion of either major histocompatibility class II or CD40 in cDC1 impaired tumour rejection, consistent with a role for cognate CD4+ T cell interactions and CD40 signalling in cDC1 licensing. Finally, CD40 signalling in cDC1 was critical not only for CD8+ T cell priming, but also for initial CD4+ T cell activation. Thus, in the setting of tumour-derived antigens, cDC1 function as an autonomous platform capable of antigen processing and priming for both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and of the direct orchestration of their cross-talk that is required for optimal anti-tumour immunity. Conventional type 1 dendritic cells perform antigen processing and priming of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells against tumour antigens, orchestrating their cross-talk to effect anti-tumour immunity.
Infectious Diseases and Advocacy: This is our Lane

The disparate effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus on communities of color, paired with disjointed federal and local responses to the pandemic and the ongoing examples of structural racism's effects on health, highlight the need for physician advocacy on behalf of patients. The job of infectious disease physicians has always involved caring for the "whole patient," but the need for advocacy around issues related to racism, housing, food insecurity, substance use disorders, and mental health has increased. Advocacy at all levels-local, regional, and national-can make a difference and be a profoundly rewarding part of the career of an infectious disease/HIV physician.
An optimized soft actuator based on the interaction between an electromagnetic coil and a permanent magnet

Abstract This paper discusses design optimization of an electromagnetic soft actuator composes of two antagonistic solenoids that share a permanent magnet core. First, calculation of the magnetic field and applied force of a solenoid with a permanent magnet plunger is presented as the principal component of this electromagnetic actuator. Design optimization of the coil is discussed considering the geometrical parameters of the coil, including its length, inner and average diameters, number of turns, and packing density while the power consumption is bounded. The impact of the actuator size on the resultant force is presented and scaling limitations are discussed. Then, due to the soft nature of the actuator’s component, the impact of the cross section, that is, lateral deformation of the actuator on the magnetic field at the center of section, is investigated as well. The deformation might happen to the actuator due to the load in the transverse direction, especially when the actuator is made of flexible materials.
Adeola James and the problem of subjectivity: Eustace ‘Palmer’s Plea for Objectivity’

In this essay, I use James’ paper on the role of the critic and Palmer’s response to shed light on the problematics of developing an aesthetics of criticism of the African novel. I begin with a bro...
Riparian seasonal water quality and greenhouse gas dynamics following stream restoration

Stream restoration, such as channel reconfiguration and riparian zone revegetation, is increasing in response to aquatic impairment in agroecosystems. Though riparian zones effectively remove nitrogen (N), conditions that foster nitrate (NO3−) removal (e.g., soil saturation, low oxygen, available carbon) may facilitate the release of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and greenhouse gases (GHGs—carbon dioxide [CO2], methane [CH4], and nitrous oxide [N2O]). In this study, water quality and GHG fluxes were quantified seasonally at agricultural restored, unrestored, and forested riparian zones via networks of wells and static chambers. Carbon dioxide comprised the majority of GHG emissions, and CO2 fluxes were lower at the restored site than the forested site (medians: 0.71 g C m−2 day−1 and 1.29 g C m−2 day−1, respectively). The restored site was a net CH4 source (median: 1.20 mg C m−2 day−1), while the other sites were net CH4 sinks (medians: − 1.00 to − 1.76 mg C m−2 day−1). Sites had comparable N2O emissions. Subsurface SRP was lower at the restored than unrestored agricultural sites, while median NO3− removal efficiency was higher (restored: 91%, unrestored: 35–66%). Over time, NO3− removal and CO2 fluxes increased post-restoration. Methane emissions were elevated when the restored riparian zone was a CO2 and N2O sink and NO3− removal was high. Despite variability within and between sites, seasonal conditions (temperature, water table height, precipitation) and site characteristics (geomorphology, soils) remained key explanatory variables for riparian N removal and GHG release. Overall, riparian restoration may promote N removal without increasing total GHG emissions.
Implementation of a risk-stratified approach to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting in an institution with high baseline rates of prophylaxis.

Background and Aims Although a risk-adjusted approach to preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is generally recommended, the successful implementation of such practice without mandated protocols remains elusive. To date, such a strategy has never been adapted to curb high baseline rates of prophylaxis. Material and Methods We conducted an observational study on a cohort of patients undergoing elective surgery before and after the implementation of a quality improvement initiative including a risk-stratified approach to prevent PONV. The primary outcome was the number of prophylactic interventions administered. Secondary outcome included the repetition of ineffective medications and the need for rescue medication in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Results A total of 636 patients were included; 325 patients during the control period and 311 after the intervention. The educational program failed to reduce the amount of prophylactic antiemetics administered (2.0 vs. 2.6, P < 0.001) and the repeat administration of ineffective medications for rescue (16% vs. 20%, P = 0.15). More patients in the intervention group required rescue medication compared to the control group (16.9% vs. 9.7%; P = 0.04). Conclusion Implementation of best practices to combat PONV remains elusive. Our results indicate that difficulties in changing provider behavior also apply to institutions with high prophylactic antiemetic administration rates.
Identifying Vehicle Turning Movements at Intersections from Trajectory Data

Automatically generating performance measures for signalized intersections is important for agencies to assess how individual movements perform at various intersections. This information can be used to prioritize maintenance activities, capital investments, or conduct quantitative before/after assessment. Recently, various studies have utilized connected vehicle trajectory data to generate performance measures. However, most of the trajectory-based performance measures techniques require map matching, road geofencing, and/or geospatial references to identify the movements that individual vehicles follow at a signalized intersection. These labor-intensive movement identification methods diminish scalability since geographic references need to be defined at the specific location where an analysis is intended. This study utilizes connected vehicle trajectory data to automatically identify individual vehicle turning movements at signalized intersections. Entry and exit trajectory headings at an intersection are obtained to generate movement clusters that are then processed using k-means to automatically detect number of clusters and centroids to then assign a particular turning movement. Over 1.1 million trajectories were analyzed with the proposed methodology on a location south of Indianapolis in July 2020. Individual trajectory turning movements were successfully identified at signalized intersections, with matching accuracies of up to 98% with a common road geofencing method.
Multidetector-Row CT Angiography of the Pulmonary Circulation

tic imaging in the high-resolution environment of the chest, with fast-moving organs and the need for image acquisition during apnea, are ideally met by MDCT technology. The scan speed of current-generation MDCT scanners translates into the ability to scan the entire chest within a few seconds. Despite submillimeter resolution, this results in motion-free images even in the sickest of patients. Use of thin slices was shown to signifi cantly improve the de
Distance Education Programs Preparing Personnel for Rural Areas: Current Practices, Emerging Trends, and Future Directions:

In this study, a review of the professional literature from 1985 through 1999 was conducted to identify any reports of technology-mediated distance education programs designed to prepare special ed...
Ring cohesion theory in marriage and social networks

Ring cohesion, as a theory relevant to social cohesion, offers itself in the analysis of matrimonial relinking as an outgrowth of a structural approach: "Structural studies are, in the social sciences, the indirect outcome of modern developments in mathematics which have given increasing importance to the qualitative point of view in contradistinction to the quantitative point of view of traditional mathematics. It has become possible, therefore, in fields such as mathematical logic, set theory, group theory, and topology, to develop a rigorous approach to problems which do not admit of a metrical solution. The outstanding achievements in this connection Ð which offer themselves as springboards not yet utilized by social scientist - is to be found in J. von Neumann and O. Morgenstern, Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour; N. Wiener, Cybernetics; and C. Shannon and W. Weaver, The Mathematical Theory of Communication". [Levi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology, 1963, Chapter XV, Social Structure, section on "Structure and Measure", p. 283].
Bedside assessment of stroke and stroke mimics

Following ischemic stroke, interventions to bring about reperfusion must be implemented within the recognized timeframe; this means that timely clinical recognition of this condition is vital. The process of diagnosis begins with the initial bedside assessment of the patient to be followed by appropriate imaging studies. However, because reperfusion therapy may be attended by significant adverse consequences, and since imaging may be negative for many hours after stroke onset, the clinician must be aware of conditions that mimic cerebral ischemia. Depending on the timing and nature of ancillary testing, stroke mimics can be identified in 3-30% of patients presenting with the acute onset of a neurological deficit. These mimics include metabolic, traumatic, migrainous, neoplastic, endocrine, convulsive, and psychiatric disorders. Interestingly, the nature of these mimics, their frequency of occurrence, and presentation may vary between different geographical regions; however, detailed information regarding such variations is not available at present. This review provides an overview of the conditions that can masquerade as stroke, and includes information that may aid in their early detection or, at the very least, serve to warn the clinician that the patient is presenting with something other than cerebral ischemia.
The fitness cost of generalization: present limitations and future possible solutions

One of the longest and liveliest debates in the evolutionary and ecological literature has centred on the existence and magnitude of constraints that can also be described by a proverb ‘jack-of-all-trades is a master of none’. Often assumed, rarely tested, this proverb/assumption states that evolution of generalization necessarily entails a cost. The cost is expressed in terms of fitness loss elsewhere along an environmental gradient that leads to a genetic fitness trade-off between a generalist and a specialist. Although there is a well-developed body of knowledge that documents the cost of adaptation in general, the genetic fitness cost of generalization remains unclear. An empirical test of such cost is not a trivial task because it requires knowledge of a genotype’s fundamental ecological niche breadth to document the process of generalization. The estimation of genetic fitness correlation between environments, a commonly used method in the literature, has a limited explanatory power regarding the cost of generalization, and new approaches are needed to further clarify the existence as well as the nature/pattern of constraints in evolution of generalization and specialization. A new approach is proposed to examine experimentally the genetic fitness cost of generalization, which is based on statistical analysis of tolerance curve properties. The approach can be used to study natural populations of both unicellular and multicellular organisms. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 90, 583–590.
Properties of 2D layered crystals: MoS 2 , NbSe 2 and black phosphorus

The two dimensional layered crystals represent promising candidate materials for enabling novel photonics and nanoelectronics devices. In this paper, we present our early work on deposition and characterization of functional 2D materials.
Security in an insecure world: An examination of individualism‐collectivism and psychological sense of community at work

Purpose – An exploratory empirical examination was conducted to determine if collectivists experienced a higher psychological sense of community at work than individualists.Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were obtained from 264 non‐supervisory respondents. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship among individualism‐collectivism and psychological sense of community at work, while controlling for age, gender, marital status, education, and position.Findings – Results showed that while controlling for demographic and job related variables, collectivists experience higher levels of psychological sense of community at work than individualists.Research limitations/implications – Because this investigation was a cross‐sectional research design, causality cannot be determined although reverse causality is unlikely due to individualism‐collectivism being a relatively stable individual difference variable.Practical implications – In the uncertainty of our current eco...
How Some Pili Pull

Unexpected covalent bonds explain the high mechanical strength of the ultrathin pili of Gram-positive bacteria.
Mathematical Topics in Fluid Mechanics - Volumes 1 & 2, by Pierre-Louis Lions. Scope: monograph, review. Level: postgraduate, researcher, specialist, scientist

It has been argued that fluid mechanics is the oldest scientific discipline, stretching back to Mesopotamian and ancient Egyptian development of crop irrigation. Mathematically, fluid mechanics was...
Vector space solution to the multidimensional Yule-Walker equations

The paper describes a vector space approach to solving the multidimensional (mD) Yule-Walker equations for an arbitrary region of support. This approach leads to a solution that is simple to implement. Two-dimensional (2D) autoregressive (AR) modelling has found applications in image processing, sonar, and other areas. 3D and higher dimensional AR modelling has as yet to be extensively studied but applications to signals that vary in time, frequency, and space can easily be envisioned.
Sentiment Analysis of Social Network Content

Online social networking has an unparallel global audience and ranks as the highest type of online activity. It offers a platform for the audience to connect online and avoid the idiosyncrasies of personal one-on-one interaction. Over the course of time, online interaction has formed a culture of its own and has altered interpersonal communication of individuals, communities and societies all over the world. Recent psychology research sheds light on the negative aspects of such interaction. These include psychological disorders, cyber bullying, antisocial behaviors, depression, etc. By analyzing the vast amount of personal content that is freely available online, it is possible to analyze the behavioral and psychological balance of an individual. Thus, the data one chooses to make publicly available can be mined for information about ones own well being and mental balance. In this paper, we have performed sentiment analysis of online social activities of an individual which is then further analyzed to cluster behavioral and psychological tendencies of the individual.
Interleukin-7 is required for CD4+ T cell activation and autoimmune neuroinflammation

IL-7 is known to be vital for T cell homeostasis but has previously been presumed to be dispensable for TCR-induced activation. Here, we show that IL-7 is critical for the initial activation of CD4(+) T cells in that it provides some of the necessary early signaling components, such as activated STAT5 and Akt. Accordingly, short-term in vivo IL-7Rα blockade inhibited the activation and expansion of autoantigen-specific CD4(+) T cells and, when used to treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), prevented and ameliorated disease. Our studies demonstrate that IL-7 signaling is a prerequisite for optimal CD4(+) T cell activation and that IL-7R antagonism may be effective in treating CD4(+) T cell-mediated neuroinflammation and other autoimmune inflammatory conditions.
A Convex Optimization Approach to Synthesizing Sparse Dynamic Output Feedback Controllers

Abstract This paper considers the problem of synthesizing dynamic output feedback controllers subject to structural sparsity constraints. It is well known that unless the plant and sparsity pattern satisfy the so-called quadratic invariance property, this problem is generically NP-hard. The main result of this paper shows that in these cases, a computationally attractive convex relaxation can be obtained by recasting the problem into an estimation form and exploiting recent results on sparse filter design. As illustrated with an example, the proposed approach compares favorably with existing techniques, in terms of its ability to find a suitable controller and the resulting closed-loop performance.
Performance evaluation of biotech crops in emerging markets: the case of India

Several studies have found that biotechnology crops increase yield and reduce the use of pesticides. These studies failed to consider the long–run growth of the pest population as it becomes more resistant to both pesticide–producing crops and the pesticides. There is evidence that biotechnology crops do not prevent pest density from growing and different types of new pests from emerging. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of biotechnology crops in India, explicitly taking into account the pest density. Stochastic production function is used to capture the impacts of the inputs on the mean of the output and the effect of pest density on the variability of the output. Furthermore, comparative analysis is conducted between biotech and non–biotech crops using the elasticities of the insecticides and human labour with respect to the yield. The results show that the presence of new pests has nullified the productivity gains from biotech seeds and the associated insecticides.
Improved assay for plasma dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and other catechols using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Several modifications of an HPLC—electrochemical assay method for plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) that improve the accuracy and reliability of DHPG, DOPA, and DOPAC measurements are described. In batch alumina extractions, increasing the amount of alumina decreased analytical recoveries of DHPG, DOPA, and especially DOPAC, and increasing the strength of the eluting acid increased recoveries of these catechols, without affecting recoveries of the amines NE, EPI and DA. Refrigeration (4°C) until injection stabilized DOPAC in aqueous solution and therefore improved the reproducibility of plasma DOPAC measurements. Circulation of chilled water (15°C) around the column using a water jacket decreased variability in retention times of the catechols and thereby facilitated identification of peaks, while enhancing separation of DHPG from the solvent front. Use of 6-fluoro-DOPA and 6-fluoro-DOPAC as internal standards did not improve inter-assay reliability. We recommend that in assays of plasma catechols including DOPAC, small (5 mg), precisely measured amounts of alumina be used, with a relatively strong eluting solution (e.g. 0.04 M phosphoric acid—0.2 M acetic acid, 20:80, v/v), and that the samples be refrigerated until injection, with column temperature held constant at less than 20°C.
Kinetics of dispersion for sparse agglomerates in simple shear flows: Application to silica agglomerates in silicone polymers

Dispersion of sparse (low solids content) agglomerates by hydrodynamic shear is addressed both experimentally and theoretically. A model for the kinetics of the erosion of homogeneous sparse agglomerates is developed. Experiments carried out using agglomerates of silica and poly(dimethyl siloxane) fluids demonstrated the validity of the kinetic model. For this experimental system, the infiltration of the suspending fluid into the agglomerate significantly affects the mechanism and kinetic rates of dispersion as well as the fragment size distribution. Agglomerates that were soaked in processing fluid for extended periods of time were found to better resist dispersion than dry agglomerates or agglomerates soaked for short periods of time.
Infinite-Prandtl-number convection. Part 1. Conservative bounds

The methods that have come to be known as the Malkus-Howard-Busse (MHB) and the Constantin-Doering-Hopf (CDH) techniques have, over the past few decades, produced the few rigorous statements available about average properties (e.g. momentum and heat transport) of turbulent flows governed by the Navier-Stokes equation and the heat equation. In this, the first of two papers investigating upper bounds on the heat transport in infinite-Prandtl-number convection, we show that the methods of MHB and CDH yield equivalent optimal bounds: as at a saddle - one from above, and one from below. We also demonstrate that here, in contrast to earlier applications of the CDH method, the simplest possible, one-parameter, 'test function' does not capture the leading-order scaling associated with the fully optimal solution. We explore the consequences of a two-parameter test function in modifying the scaling of the upper bound. In the case of no-slip, the suggestion is that a hierarchy of test functions of increasing complexity is required to yield the correct limiting behaviour.
Handheld Access to Radiology Teaching Files: An Automated System for Format Conversion and Content Creation

Current handheld Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) can be used to view radiology teaching files. We have developed a toolkit that allows rapid creation of radiology teaching files in handheld formats from existing repositories. Our toolkit incorporated a desktop converter, a web conversion server and an application programming interface (API). Our API was integrated with an existing pilot teaching file database. We evaluated our system by obtaining test DICOM and JPEG images from our PACS system, our pilot database and from personal collections and converting them on a Windows workstation (Microsoft, Redmond, CA) and on other platforms using the web server. Our toolkit anonymized, annotated and categorized images using DICOM header information and data entered by the authors. Image processing was automatically customized for the target handheld device. We used freeware handheld image viewers as well as our custom applications that allowed window/level manipulation and viewing of additional textual information. Our toolkit provides desktop and web access to image conversion tools to produce organized handheld teaching file packages for most handheld devices and our API allows existing teaching file databases to incorporate handheld compatibility. The distribution of radiology teaching files on PDAs can increase the accessibility to radiology teaching.
Molecular cloning of an apolipoprotein B messenger RNA editing protein

Mammalian apolipoprotein B (apo B) exists in two forms, each the product of a single gene. The shorter form, apo B48, arises by posttranscriptional RNA editing whereby cytidine deamination produces a UAA termination codon. A full-length complementary DNA clone encoding an apo B messenger RNA editing protein (REPR) was isolated from rat small intestine. The 229-residue protein contains consensus phosphorylation sites and leucine zipper domains. HepG2 cell extracts acquire editing activity when mixed with REPR from oocyte extracts. REPR is essential for apo B messenger RNA editing, and the isolation and characterization of REPR may lead to the identification of other eukaryotic RNA editing proteins.
Recovery Rate and Capacitance Measurements on Irradiated Lithium-Containing Solar Cells

Room temperature recovery kinetics of lithium-containing p/n silicon diodes and solar-cells were experimentally investigated after irradiation by 1 MeV electrons to fluences of 1013 and 1014 e/cm2. The current physical model for the recovery process involves the diffusion of a lithium donor ion to a radiation-induced vacancy-impurity defect with negative charge and high hole-capture cross section, and the complexing of the lithium donor with this defect to form a new defect with zero charge and low hole-capture cross section. The recovery rate thus depends on the lithium ion density, the lithium-ion diffusion constant, and the defect density. Direct measurements of the density profile of lithium ions in the base region near the junction have been performed on 12 diodes. Using a capacitive technique with some novel features, effective diffusion constant for lithium ions near the junction was measured on the same diodes. Further useful information has been obtained by relating these properties to the rapid, room temperature recovery of minority-carrier diffusion length which is observed in these devices after irradiation. The results show that: ? Steep gradients of lithium ion density (~1019 cm-4) exist in the base region extending, in many cells, to a distance greater than 10 micrometers from the junction; ? In a group of cells made from Lopex silicon, the effective lithium diffusion constant at the junction edge ranged from 0.05 to 0.28 times the free lithium ion diffusion constant and, in a group of cells made from float-zone refined silicon, from 0.1 to 1.
Design of an ultrashort optical transmission cell for vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy of supercritical fluids

We present the design and characteristics of an ultrathin flow cell optimized for vacuum ultraviolet transmission spectroscopy experiments on supercritical fluids. The cell operates satisfactorily at pressures up to 300 bar and temperatures up to 390 °C. The variable path length concept of the cell allows for optical transmission studies of analytes ranging from dense condensed-phase systems to gas-phase systems. The path length of the cell can be adjusted from hundreds of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers by an exchange of a variable thickness spacer sandwiched between two sapphire windows. In the path length range from nanometers to single micrometers, metal vapor deposited on one or both of the two sandwiched optical windows constitute the spacer. Spacers with thicknesses of 2 μm and greater can be constructed from simple commercially available metal foils. The cell has been used to measure the lowest-lying absorption band of water in both the vapor and condensed phases from room temperature up to and above the critical point. It has also found application in the studies of aqueous ions and nonaqueous liquids including various common organic solvents and carbon dioxide.
Open-loop output and scale factor stability in a fiber-optic gyroscope

An all-fiber open-loop, fiber-optic interferometric gyro with polarization-preserving fiber with 14-dB insertion loss and 20-dB polarization extinction is described. The random drift coefficient is 3.2*10/sup -40// square root h for a 1-km coil length on a 16-cm radius. Bias drift is within 0.03 degrees /h over three days. Source coherence effects and optical feedback are shown to result in additional terms in the demodulated output, which can be corrected for. A procedure for obtaining scale-factor coefficients is described. With modeling for temperature and source drive current, these coefficients are measured to be stable within 32 p.p.m. over 12 days. >
Phasic pressure gradients across coronary and renal artery stenoses in humans

Fluid-filled catheter-transducer systems have been developed for assessment of phasic pressure gradients across arterial stenoses. The two catheters we have employed are 3 French and 2 French in diameter. After the catheters are flushed with carbon dioxide and filled with degassed saline solution to remove microbubbles of air, the catheters are attached to a low-volume displacement transducer. The frequency response of both catheter-transducer systems is adequate to record phasic arterial pressures. The catheters are very flexible and radioopaque, and the ability to monitor phasic pressure continuously at the tip during passage across a stenosis enhances safety of their use. The catheters have been employed successfully to measure phasic pressure gradients across 36 coronary and five renal artery stenoses. Maximal pressure gradients were observed in early diastole for coronary stenoses and in systole for renal artery stenoses, consistent with known differences in phasic flow patterns in these vascular beds. The pressure gradients in patients with coronary stenoses could be markedly increased by injection of contrast medium (Renograffin 76). Relatively poor correlation was observed between the resting pressure gradients and the angiographically defined degree of coronary stenoses.
A generalized genetic framework for the development of sinkholes and Karst in Florida, U.S.A.

Karst topography in Florida is developed on the Tertiary limestones of the Floridan aquifer Post-depositional diagenesis and solution have made these limestones highly permeable, T=ca. 50,000 m2/d. Zones of megaporosity have formed at unconformities, and dissolution has enlarged joints and fractures Erosion of the overlying clastic Miocene Hawthorn group strata on one flank of a structural arch has exposed the limestone The elevated edge of the Hawthorn cover forms the Cody scarp Ubiquitous solution pipes have previously formed at joint intersections and are now filled Downwashing of the fill deeper into solution cavities in the limestone and subsidence of the overlying unconsolidated sediments causes surface collapse a subsidence doline or sinkhole This process may penetrate up to 60 m of the semi-consolidated Hawthorn cover, as occurred when the Winter Park sinkhole developed Dense clusters of solution pipes may have formed cenotes which are now found on the exposed limestone terrain
Community-Oriented Research in an Era of Community-Oriented Policing

Proactive public administrators in modern American society are challenged to know and respond to the needs of their diverse constituencies if they are to direct responsive government agencies. Howe...
Moiré interferometry for engineering and science

Moire interferometry provides contour maps of in-plane displacement fields with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. It has matured rapidly as an invaluable tool for engineering analyses, proved by many industrial and scientific applications. With the typical reference grating frequency of 2400 lines/mm, the contour interval is 0.417 mm displacement per fringe order. For microscopic moire interferometry, sensitivity corresponding to 17 nm per contour has been achieved. Reliable normal strains and shear strains are extracted from the displacement data for bodies under mechanical, thermal and hydrostatic loading. The characteristics and basic concepts of moire interferometry are reviewed. Significant examples from the fields of composite materials, fracture mechanics, electronic packaging and biomechanics are presented.
Representation and simulation of digital filters

Straightforward conventions are described which allow an exact block diagram representation of digital filter structures. The description includes overload and quantization levels as well as the sequence of program execution. A digital filter simulation program is described which allows a choice of all register length and the type of arithmetic used. Each signal, each quantization perturbation and any functions of these are available for display. Application examples are presented.
Predator exaptations and defensive adaptations in evolutionary balance: No defence is perfect

The lubber grasshopper,Romalea guttata, is large, aposematic, and extremely toxic. In feeding trials with 21 bird and lizard species, none were able to consume this chemically defended prey. Predators that attempted to eat lubbers, often gagged, regurgitated, and sometimes died. Loggerhead shrikes,Lanius ludovicianus, regularly impale this toxic prey in peninsular Florida. They, like other bird species, are unable to consume fresh lubbers. However, our tests show that they are able to consume lubbers if the prey are allowed to ‘age’ for 1–2 days. This suggests that lubber toxins degrade following death and that shrike impaling behaviour serves as a preadaptation for overcoming the toxic defences of this large and abundant prey. These results also imply that counter adaptations against chemical defences need not involve major morphological or metabolic specializations, but that simple behavioural traits can enable a predator to utilize toxic prey.