cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional Repression by Human Adenovirus E1A N Terminus/Conserved Domain 1 Polypeptides in Vivo and in Vitro in the Absence of Protein Synthesis

The human adenovirus E1A 243R protein (243 residues) transcriptionally represses a set of cellular genes that regulate cellular growth and differentiation. We describe two lines of evidence that E1A repression does not require cellular protein synthesis but instead involves direct interaction with a cellular protein(s). First, E1A 243R protein represses an E1A-repressible promoter in the presence of inhibitors of protein synthesis, as shown by cell microinjection-in situ hybridization. Second, E1A 243R protein strongly represses transcription in vitro from promoters of the E1A-repressible genes, human collagenase, and rat insulin type II. Repression in vitro is promoter-specific, and an E1A polypeptide containing only the N-terminal 80 residues is sufficient for strong repression both in vivo and in vitro. By use of a series of E1A 1-80 deletion proteins, the E1A repression function was found to require two E1A sequence elements, one within the nonconserved E1A N terminus, and the second within a portion of conserved region 1 (40-80). These domains have been reported to possess binding sites for several cellular transcription regulators, including p300, Dr1, YY1, and the TBP subunit of TFIID. The in vitro transcription-repression system described here provides a powerful tool for the further analysis of molecular mechanism and the possible role of these cellular factors.
A Framework for Efficient and Convenient Evaluation of Trajectory Compression Algorithms

Trajectory compression algorithms eliminate redundant information in the history of a moving object. Such compression enables efficient transmission, storage, and processing of trajectory data. Although a number of compression algorithms have been proposed in the literature, no common benchmarking platform for evaluating their effectiveness exists. This paper presents a benchmarking framework for efficiently, conveniently, and accurately comparing trajectory compression algorithms. This framework supports various compression algorithms and metrics defined in the literature, as well as three synthetic trajectory generators that have different trade-offs. It also has a highly extensible architecture that facilitates the incorporation of new compression algorithms, evaluation metrics, and trajectory data generators. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of trajectory compression algorithms, evaluation metrics and data generators in conjunction with detailed discussions on their unique benefits and relevant application scenarios. Furthermore, this paper describes challenges that arise in the design and implementation of the above framework and our approaches to tackling these challenges. Finally, this paper presents evaluation results that demonstrate the utility of the benchmarking framework.
Transplantation of Hepatocytes for Prevention of Intracranial Hypertension in Pigs With Ischemic Liver Failure

Intracranial hypertension leading to brain stem herniation is a major cause of death in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Mannitol, barbiturates, and hyperventilation have been used to treat brain swelling, but most patients are either refractory to medical management or cannot be treated because of concurrent medical problems or side effects. In this study, we examined whether allogeneic hepatocellular transplantation may prevent development of intracranial hypertension in pigs with experimentally induced liver failure. Of the two preparations tested--total hepatectomy (n = 47), and liver devascularization (n = 16)--only pigs with liver ischemia developed brain edema provided, however, that animals were maintained normothermic throughout the postoperative period. This model was then used in transplantation studies, in which six pigs received intrasplenic injection of allogeneic hepatocytes (2.5 x 10(9) cells/pig) and 3 days later acute liver failure was induced. In both models (anhepatic state, liver devascularization), pigs allowed to become hypothermic had significantly longer survival compared to those maintained normothermic. Normothermic pigs with liver ischemia had, at all time points studied, ICP greater than 20 mmHg. Pigs that received hepatocellular transplants had ICP below 15 mmHg until death; at the same time, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in transplanted pigs was consistently higher than in controls (45 +/- 11 mmHg vs. 16 +/- 18 mmHg; p < 0.05). Spleens of transplanted pigs contained clusters of viable hepatocytes (hematoxylin-eosin, CAM 5.2). It was concluded that removal of the liver does not result in intracranial hypertension; hypothermia prolongs survival time in both anhepatic pigs and pigs with liver devascularization, and intrasplenic transplantation of allogeneic hepatocytes prevents development of intracranial hypertension in pigs with acute ischemic liver failure.
The identification of choline and its esters by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Secondary ion mass spectrometry is shown to provide mass spectra of choline and its esters from which molecular weights and structures are evident. Structure-spectral correlations are developed using analogies from other forms of mass spectrometry. Spectra can be recorded on metal or paper substrates and individual components can be identified even in complex samples.
The role of group theory in the quest for exact solutions of Einstein's field equations: Some recent developments

Recent discoveries suggest that now, sixty-two years after the birth of general relativity, the general solution to one physically significant problem, the spinning mass problem, may be close at hand.
Inflation and price instability

Abstract The relationship between inflation and price instability, which is measured by the squared error of inflation forecast, has been empirically investigated by using the data of the People's Republic of China over the period 1953–1988. The result strongly supports the hypothesis that there exists a positive link between the level of inflation and price instability, regardless of how people form their inflation expectations.
Fast computation of MISR signatures

Signature analyzers are widely used for compressing test responses. Off-line determination of signatures (for both good circuit and faulty circuits) is a compute-intensive process that involves cycle-by-cycle simulation of the signature analyzer. In this paper, we investigate techniques for speeding up the simulation of multi-input signature registers (MISRs). We first analyze a speedup technique that processes each input independently by table lookups, and show its shortcomings. We then propose a speedup technique that converts the MISR into an equivalent single input circuit. We also present the results of a simulation study that show that this technique achieves a good speedup.
The Orion Nebula: Structure, Dynamics, and Population

The physical nature and evolution of the Orion Nebula has begun to be revealed by calibrated emission line images and high resolution spectroscopy. We review the evidence that the nebula is a thin wall of emission on the near side of the Orion Molecular Cloud and that its separation from the dominant ionizing star is about 0.3 pc. The density of the nebula decreases rapidly away from the ionization front and the ionized gas is moving at 8 km s-1 away from the front. A three dimensional model of the surface is presented and its peaks and valleys interpreted as due to irregularities in the density of the molecular cloud. The front is moving rapidly into the molecular cloud, so that objects previously shielded from ionization are continuously being revealed. Recent Hubble Space Telescope images are reviewed and they indicate that protoplan-etary disks around pre-main sequence stars are both common and rendered visible by ionization and projection against the bright nebula. A large body of velocity data is discussed and it is seen that Kolmogorov type turbulence seems to only apply to material in the ionization front and the statistical fluctuations become less correlated away from the front.
Proteins, cells, organs: hierarchical structuring in modeling biological systems

To build mathematical models extending from gene expression through the full mathematics of cells, tissues, and organs to describe the behavior of an organism is clearly unachievable, but to build organ level models based on the underlying behavior of tissues, cells, and subcellular components is essential in order to make predictions of the results or changing environmental states or pharmaceutic or genomic intervention. The difficulty lies in maintaining the correctness of the representation or the smaller and faster elements of the systems in the face of the essential requirement to reduce computation. Strategies to do this involve modular simplification and mechanisms for maintaining adaptation of the module to changing conditions. This needs to be accomplished through roughly five levels of hierarchically structured components from gene to organ. Beginning results suggest that the strategy of modularization and simplification works over three levels.
Matched Filter Computation on FPGA, Cell and GPU

The matched filter is an important kernel in the processing of hyperspectral data. The filter enables researchers to sift useful data from instruments that span large frequency bands and can produce Gigabytes of data in seconds. In this work, we evaluate the performance of a matched filter algorithm implementation on an FPGA-accelerated co-processor (Cray XD-1), the IBM Cell microprocessor, and the NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX GPU graphics card. We provide extensive discussion of the challenges and opportunities afforded by each platform. In particular, we explore the problems of partitioning the filter most efficiently between the host CPU and the co-processor. Using our results, we derive several performance metrics that provide the optimal solution for a variety of application situations.
Structure, function, and neural control of pectoral fins in fishes

Fin-based propulsion systems perform well for both high-speed cruising and high maneuverability in fishes, making them good models for propulsors of autonomous underwater vehicles. Labriform locomotion in fishes is actuated by oscillation of the paired pectoral fins. Here, we present recent research on fin structure, fin motion, and neural control in fishes to outline important future directions for this field and to assist engineers in attempting biomimicry of maneuverable fin-based locomotion in shallow surge zones. Three areas of structure and function are discussed in this review: 1) the anatomical structure of the fin blade, skeleton, and muscles that drive fin motion; 2) the rowing and flapping motions that fins undergo for propulsion in fishes; and 3) the neuroanatomy, neural circuitry, and electrical muscle activity that are characteristic of pectoral fins. Research on fin biomechanics, muscle physiology and neural control is important to the comparative biology of locomotion in fishes and application of fin function for aid in aquatic vehicle design. Recommendations are made regarding fin propulsor designs based on the fin shape, activation pattern, and motion. Research on neural control of fins is a key piece in the puzzle for a complete understanding of comparative fin function and may provide important principles for engineers designing control systems for fin-like propulsors.
Synaptotagmin VII Is Targeted to Secretory Organelles in PC12 Cells, Where It Functions as a High-Affinity Calcium Sensor†

Synaptotagmin (syt) I is thought to act as a Ca2+ sensor that regulates neuronal exocytosis. Fifteen additional isoforms of syt have been identified, but their functions are less well understood. Here, we used PC12 cells to test the idea that different isoforms of syt impart cells with distinct metal (i.e., Ca2+, Ba2+, and Sr2+) requirements for secretion. These cells express syt's I and IX (syt IX sometimes referred to as syt V), which have low apparent metal affinities, at much higher levels than syt VII, which we show has a relatively high apparent affinity for metals. We found that syt I and VII partially colocalize on large dense core vesicles and that upregulation of syt VII produces a concomitant increase in the divalent cation sensitivity of catecholamine release from PC12 cells. Furthermore, RNA interference-mediated knockdown of endogenous syt VII reduced the metal sensitivity of release. These data support the hypothesis that the complement of syt's expressed by a cell, in conjunction with their metal affinity, determines the divalent cation sensitivity of exocytosis.
Applying Petri net reduction to support Ada-tasking deadlock detection

The application of Petri net reduction to Ada-tasking deadlock detection is investigated. Net reduction can ease reachability analysis by reducing the size of the net while preserving relevant properties. By combining Petri net theory and knowledge of Ada-tasking semantics some specific efficient reduction rules are derived for Petri net models of Ada-tasking. A method by which a useful description of a detected deadlock state can be easily obtained from the reduced net's information is suggested. >
Predicting Reading Comprehension Academic Achievement in Late Adolescents with Velo-Cardio-Facial (22q11.2 Deletion) Syndrome (VCFS): A Longitudinal Study.

Background The primary objective of the current study was to examine the childhood predictors of adolescent reading comprehension in velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS). Although much research has focused on mathematics skills among individuals with VCFS, no studies have examined predictors of reading comprehension. Methods 69 late adolescents with VCFS, 23 siblings of youth with VCFS and 30 community controls participated in a longitudinal research project and had repeat neuropsychological test batteries and psychiatric evaluations every 3 years. The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – 2nd edition (WIAT-II) Reading Comprehension subtest served as our primary outcome variable. Results Consistent with previous research, children and adolescents with VCFS had mean reading comprehension scores on the WIAT-II, that were approximately two standard deviations below the mean and word reading scores approximately one standard deviation below the mean. A more novel finding is that relative to both control groups, individuals with VCFS demonstrated a longitudinal decline in reading comprehension abilities yet a slight increase in word reading abilities. In the combined control sample, WISC-III FSIQ, WIAT-II Word Reading, WISC-III Vocabulary and CVLT-C List A Trial 1 accounted for 75% of the variance in Time 3 WIAT-II Reading Comprehension scores. In the VCFS sample, WISC-III FSIQ, BASC-Teacher Aggression, CVLT-C Intrusions, Tower of London, Visual Span Backwards, WCST Non-perseverative Errors, WIAT-II Word Reading and WISC-III Freedom from Distractibility index accounted for 85% of the variance in Time 3 WIAT-II Reading Comprehension scores. A principal component analysis with promax rotation computed on the statistically significant Time 1 predictor variables in the VCFS sample resulted in three factors: Word reading decoding/Interference control, Self-Control/Self-Monitoring and Working Memory. Conclusions Childhood predictors of late adolescent reading comprehension in VCFS differ in some meaningful ways from predictors in the non-VCFS population. These results offer some guidance for how best to consider intervention efforts to improve reading comprehension in the VCFS population.
Pursuing projections: keeping a robot on path

For an autonomous robot navigating in an unstructured outdoor environment, staying close to a path is crucial to successfully reaching its goal. Although the degree of accuracy with which it estimates its own location affects its ability to stay on the path, accuracy in estimate of lateral distance from the path is far more important for successful navigation than accuracy in estimate of position along the path. Utilizing methods based only on relative angular measurements between landmarks in the environment, we draw from techniques used in statistical pattern recognition to show how landmarks can be chosen for localization which will not only give good estimate of location in spite of the measurement error, but will also keep the robot on the path. We demonstrate how identical landmark configurations can produce very different results in localizing to a path and show how simple heuristics can be used to choose the best configuration for path localization. >
Do gravel bed river size distributions record channel network structure

[1] Bed load sediment particles supplied to channels by hillslopes are reduced in size by abrasion during downstream transport. The branching structure of the channel network creates a distribution of downstream travel distances to a given reach of river and thus may strongly influence the grain size distribution of the long-term bed load flux through that reach. Here we investigate this hypothesis, using mass conservation and the Sternberg exponential decay equation for particle abrasion, to predict bed material variability at multiple scales for both natural and artificial drainage networks. We assume that over a sufficiently long timescale, no net deposition occurs and that grains less than 2 mm are swept away in suspension. We find that abrasion during fluvial transport has a surprisingly small effect on the bed load sediment grain size distribution, for the simple case of spatially uniform supply of poorly sorted hillslope sediments. This occurs because at any point in the channel network, local resupply offsets the size reduction of material transported from upstream. Thus river bed material may essentially mirror the coarse component of the size distribution of hillslope sediment supply. Furthermore, there is a predictable distance downstream at which the bed load grain size distribution reaches a steady state. In the absence of net deposition due to selective transport, large-scale variability in bed material, such as downstream fining, must then be due primarily to spatial gradients in hillslope sediment production and transport characteristics. A second key finding is that average bed load flux will tend to stabilize at a constant value, independent of upstream drainage area, once the rate of silt production by bed load abrasion per unit travel distance is equal to the rate of coarse sediment supply per unit channel length (q). Bed load flux equilibrates over a distance that scales with the inverse of the fining coefficient in the abrasion rate law (α) and can be approximated simply as q/3α. Thus the efficiency of particle abrasion sets a fundamental length scale, shorter for weaker rocks and longer for harder rocks, which controls the expression in the river bed of variability in sediment supply. We explore the role of the abrasion length scale in modulating the influence of sediment supply variability in a number of channel network contexts, including individual tributary junctions, a sequence of tributary inputs along a main stem channel, and variable basin shapes and network architecture as expressed by the width function. These findings highlight the need for both data and theory that can be used to predict the grain size distributions supplied to channels by hillslopes.
Profiles of emotion regulation: Understanding regulatory patterns and the implications for posttraumatic stress

Trauma survivors often experience posttraumatic stress (PTS) and report concurrent difficulties with emotion regulation (ER). Although individuals typically use multiple regulatory strategies to manage emotion, no studies yet examine the influence of a constellation of strategies on PTS in a community sample. We assessed six ER strategies and investigated whether specific profiles of ER (i.e. the typical pattern of regulation, determined by how often each strategy is used) were related to PTS. A hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that four distinct profiles were present: Adaptive Regulation, Active Regulation, Detached Regulation, and Maladaptive Regulation. Further analyses revealed that an individual's profile was not related to frequency of past trauma, but had the power to differentiate symptom severity for overall PTS and each symptom cluster of posttraumatic stress disorder. These findings highlight how profiles characterising multiple regulatory strategies offer a more complete understanding of the ways ER can account for PTS.
Technique for Recovering Pile-up Events from Microcalorimeter Data.

We report here a technique for processing microcalorimeter data that offers improved live-time over conventional optimal filtering techniques without loss of spectral resolution. Separate filters optimized for pulse amplitude and pulse arrival time (constructed in the usual way from the averaged signal and noise spectral densities) are applied to the entire pixel data stream. Pulses in the resulting filtered streams are then simultaneously fit as the sum of scaled and shifted copies of an isolated filtered pulse template. Analysis using calibration data from the University of Wisconsin/Goddard Space Flight Center X-ray quantum calorimeter sounding rocket payload demonstrates the ability of this technique to recover pulses separated by as little as the rise-time of the detectors without observable spectral broadening.
On the Improbability of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner Mutating to Forms Pathogenic for Vertebrates

On the basis of theoretical considerations, as well as experimental evidence, there appears to be little reason to believe that crystalliferous Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner and its close varieties as they occur in properly prepared microbial insecticides are likely to mutate spontaneously into forms pathogenic for vertebrates. Similarly, on the basis of our present-day understanding of bacterial genetics, it appears that such mutations are not very likely with most of the truly entomogenous bacteria. At least, the possibilities in this regard do not appear to be sufficient to preclude the use of adequately tested entomogenous microorganisms for pest control purposes. Nevertheless, safeguards should be maintained to detect such events should they occur.
More than Evangelical and Ethnic: The Ecological Factor in Chinese Conversion to Christianity in the United States

This paper focuses on the conversion patterns of students and scholars from the People's Republic of China studying at United States universities. Based on in-depth interviews and observations conducted on university campuses in two midwestern cities, we examine the similarities and differences of conversion between the two Chinese student communities. While the social and cultural contexts in China are prevalent in their conversion narratives, the local context or the ecology of local churches is important to explain the variations of the churches that the Chinese converts have joined.
Abstract SY10-03: Cell of origin in pediatric medulloblastomas

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children with a median age of 3 to 7 years old. Human medulloblastomas are molecularly classified into four major subgroups including two with constitutive activation of developmental signaling pathways Sonic Hedgehog/Patched defining the SHH-subgroup and Wnt for the WNT-subgroup, subgroup 3 with amplification or overexpression of c-MYC and subgroup 4 with as yet undefined genetic anomalies. To date, all medulloblastomas regardless of their subgroup are treated with the same therapeutic regimen with different outcome. If children with WNT-subgroup tumors fair well, those with subgroup 3 medulloblastoma, the most aggressive form of the disease have a dismal prognosis. Most mouse models of medulloblastoma developed to date mimic the human SHH-subgroup. However, we recently developed two new mouse models that faithfully recapitulate the human WNT-subgroup and subgroup 3 (MYC). The SHH-subgroup and subgroup 3 medulloblastomas were derived from cerebellar granule progenitors in the external granule layer which sustain mutations in the SHH pathway associated with MYCN overexpression, or C-MYC amplification, respectively. In contrast, the WNT-subgroup medulloblastoma with mutations in β-Catenin originate from the lower rhombic lip, the germinal neuroepithelium surrounding the floor of the 4th ventricle, suggesting that each subgroup may originate from specific neuronal precursors within the developing cerebellum. Mouse subgroup 3 medulloblastomas, but not SHH- or WNT-subgroup tumors can be passaged indefinitely as neurospheres that express markers characterizing stem cells, including Lgr5, Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 and induce secondary medulloblastomas with similar characteristics as the primary tumors, after orthotopic transplant into the cortices of recipient mice. These novel medulloblastoma mouse models should significantly advance our efforts to develop new therapeutic modalities for this deadly childhood cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY10-03. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-SY10-03
Multi-Pack Disposal Concepts for Spent Fuel (Revision 1)

At the initiation of the Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) RD and 2) develop small canisters (up to 4-PWR size) that can be grouped in larger multi-pack units for convenience of storage, transportation, and possibly disposal (should the disposal concept permit larger packages). A recent result from the second line ofmore » investigation is the Task Order 18 report: Generic Design for Small Standardized Transportation, Aging and Disposal Canister Systems. This report identifies disposal concepts for the small canisters (4-PWR size) drawing heavily on previous work, and for the multi-pack (16-PWR or 36-BWR).« less
The Ethics of Managing Conflicts in the Era of Social Media

Increasingly, patients and families are engaging the media to influence transplant eligibility decisions for themselves or their family members. This chapter starts by reviewing the history of social media and how social media works as a means of persuasion, particularly in healthcare cases. The chapter then provides an overview of so-called social media crises, and presents an ethical framework to inform and assist policymakers, hospital centers and healthcare providers in responding to public outcry, while managing legal constraints to maintain patient confidentiality and ethical constraints to promote equity and utility in transplant access. In conclusion, the chapter addresses preventive strategies to mitigate both patient harm and public misperceptions.
Bright prospects for radar detection of Europa’s ocean

Abstract The surface of Europa has been hypothesized to include an ice regolith layer from hundreds of meters to kilometers in thickness. However, contrary to previous claims, it does not present a significant obstacle to searching for Europa’s ocean with radar sounding. This note corrects prior volume scattering loss analyses and expands them to includes observational and thermo-mechanical constraints on pore size and regolith depth. This provides a more physically realistic range of potential ice-regolith volume-scattering losses for radar sounding observations of Europa’s ice shell in the HF and VHF frequency bands. We conclude that, for the range of physical processes and material properties observed or hypothesized for Europa, volume scattering losses are not likely to pose a major obstacle to radar penetration.
Purification and characterization of a glutathione peroxidase from the Aloe vera plant.

Extracts from the parenchymous leaf-gel of the Aloe vera plant (Aloe barbadensis Miller) were shown to contain glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity. The activity was purified to homogeneity by ion exchange and gel filtration (FPLC) chromatography in the presence of 0.5 mM glutathione. The native enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 62 kD as determined by gel filtration. In the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), the molecular weight was estimated to be about 16 kD as determined by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The native enzyme is proposed to be constituted of four identical subunits; it also contains one atom of selenium per subunit, as found with most glutathione peroxidases from animal sources. The Km values were determined to be 3.2 mM for glutathione and 0.26 mM for the hydroperoxide substrate, cumene hydroperoxide. The enzyme is competitively inhibited by N, S, bis-FMOC glutathione (Ki = 0.32 mM), a potent inhibitor of glyoxalase II. Inhibitors of glyoxalase I (e.g. S-octylglutathione) have no effect on the peroxidase activity.
Pattern Defect Monitoring in Production Lines

Yield improvement for semiconductor devices with a feature size of more than 0.5 µm was mostly based on the experience and know-how of process engineers and a variety of engineering analysis methods. Accordingly, the yield ramp was slow. However, for <0.35 µm devices, in order to accomplish a vertical yield ramp, a scientific approach based on data is indispensable. In-line defect monitoring (called in-line monitoring hereafter) is a defect management method of monitoring defects on product wafers at key process steps [1].
Two is better than one; toward a rational design of combinatorial therapy

Drug combination is an appealing strategy for combating the heterogeneity of tumors and evolution of drug resistance. However, the rationale underlying combinatorial therapy is often not well established due to lack of understandings of the specific pathways responding to the drugs, and their temporal dynamics following each treatment. Here we present several emerging trends in harnessing properties of biological systems for the optimal design of drug combinations, including the type of drugs, specific concentration, sequence of addition and the temporal schedule of treatments. We highlight recent studies showing different approaches for efficient design of drug combinations including single-cell signaling dynamics, adaption and pathway crosstalk. Finally, we discuss novel and feasible approaches that can facilitate the optimal design of combinatorial therapy.
A prospective longitudinal study of cancer-related fatigue in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery and radiation with or without chemotherapy for breast cancer.

9122 Background: We prospectively evaluated risk factors for persistent cancer-related fatigue in women with breast cancer undergoing lumpectomy with or without chemotherapy (CTX) prior to whole br...
Defibrotide: An Oligonucleotide for Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome.

Objective To review the efficacy and safety of defibrotide as well as its pharmacology, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics (PK), drug-drug interactions, dosing, cost considerations, and place in therapy. Data sources A PubMed search was performed through August 2017 using the terms defibrotide, oligonucleotide, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Other data sources were from references of identified studies, review articles, and conference abstracts plus manufacturer product labeling and website, the Food and Drug Administration website, and clinicaltrials.gov. Study selection and data extraction English-language trials that examined defibrotide's pharmacodynamics, mechanism, PK, efficacy, safety, dosing, and cost-effectiveness were included. Data synthesis Trials have confirmed the safety and efficacy of defibrotide for treatment of VOD/SOS in adult and pediatric HCT patients, with complete response rates and day +100 overall survival rates ranging from 25.5% to 76% and 35% to 64%, respectively. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology/British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Guidelines recommend defibrotide prophylaxis in pediatric and adult HCT patients with risk factors for VOD/SOS; however, its prophylactic use in the United States is controversial. Although there are efficacy data to support this strategy, cost-effectiveness data have not shown it to be cost-effective. Defibrotide has manageable toxicities, with low rates of grade 3 to 4 adverse effects. Conclusions Defibrotide is the first medication approved in the United States for the treatment of adults and children with hepatic VOD/SOS, with renal or pulmonary dysfunction following HCT. Data evaluating defibrotide for VOD/SOS prevention are conflicting and have not shown cost-effectiveness.
Meister Eckhart: Preaching with Analogy

Often seen as a controversial figure, this paper shows Meister Eckhart to be not only a brilliant and engaging preacher, but one who exemplifies the Dominican concern for salvation of souls through...
Combined Mechanical Environments for Design and Qualification

Aerospace systems and components are designed and qualified against several operational environments. Some of these environments are climatic, mechanical, and electrical in nature. Traditionally, mechanical test specifications are derived with the goal of qualifying a system or component to a suite of independent mechanical environments in series. True operational environments, however, are composed of complex, combined events. This work examines the effect of combined mechanical shock and vibration environments on response of a dynamic system. Responses under combined environments are compared to those under single environments, and the adequacy/limitations of conventional, single environment test approaches (shock only or vibration only) will be assessed. Test integration strategies for combined shock and vibration environments are also discussed.
CONTROVERSIES IN INITIATING ANTI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY AND IN THE USE OF COMBINATION THERAPIES

Shortly after the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was isolated and identified as the causative agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hope was raised that antiretroviral drugs would prove of value in slowing or reversing the disease process. Some of the first candidate drugs, however, such as suramin and HPA-23, were quickly shown to have no clinical value, despite their having in vitro antiviral activity. With the development of rapid assay systems to evaluate agents in vitro for their ability to inhibit the action of the key viral enzyme, reverse transcriptase, several nucleoside analogs were identified that have subsequently been shown to have clinically important effects. These include several of the currently licensed drugs, such as zidovudine (ZDV), didanosine (ddI), zalcitabine (ddC) and stavudine (d4T).
Transforming Imagery into Art: A Study of the Life and Work of Georgia O’Keeffe

Rosemary Gordon (1970) noted that art serves as a means of communicating private imagery and stated that art is “the most adequate way of giving substance to images” (p. 78). This paper traces the role that imagery processes played in the life and work of Georgia O’Keeffe demonstrating that the artist’s drawings and paintings did give “substance” to her images.
Nonlinear Programming and Discrete-Time Optimal Control

The primary intent of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the theoretical foundations of nonlinear programming as well as the theoretical foundations of deterministic discrete-time optimal control. In fact, deterministic discrete-time optimal control problems, as we shall see, are actually nonlinear mathematical programs with a very particular type of structure. In a later chapter, we will also discover that deterministic continuous-time optimal control problems are specific instances of mathematical programs in topological vector spaces. Consequently, it is imperative for the student of optimal control to have a command of the foundations of nonlinear programming. Particularly important are the notions of local and global optimality in mathematical programming, the Kuhn-Tucker necessary conditions for optimality in nonlinear programming, and the role played by convexity in making necessary conditions sufficient. Readers already comfortable with finite-dimensional nonlinear programming may wish to go immediately to Section 2.9. We do caution, however, that subsequent chapters of this book assume substantial familiarity with finite-dimensional nonlinear programming, so that an overestimate of one’s nonlinear programming knowledge can be very detrimental to ultimately obtaining a deep understanding of optimal control theory and differential games.
Loss of tau elicits axonal degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

A central issue in the pathogenesis of tauopathy is the question of how tau protein dysfunction leads to neurodegeneration. We have previously demonstrated that the absence of tau protein is associated with destabilization of microtubules and impaired neurite outgrowth (Dawson et al., 2001, Rapoport et al., 2002). We now hypothesize that the absence of functional tau protein may render the central nervous system more vulnerable to secondary insults such as the overexpression of mutated beta amyloid precursor protein (APP) and traumatic brain injury. We therefore crossed tau knockout mice (Dawson et al., 2001) to mice overexpressing a mutated human APP (APP670,671, Asw) (Hsiao et al., 1996) and created a mouse model (Asw/mTau−/−) that provides evidence that the loss of tau causes degeneration of neuronal processes. The overexpression of APP670,671 in tau knockout mice, elicits the extensive formation of axonal spheroids. While spheroids are only found associated with Aβ plaques in mice expressing APP670,671 on an endogenous mouse tau background (Irizarry et al., 1997), Asw/mTau−/− mice have spheroids not only surrounding Aβ plaques but also in white matter tracts and in the neuropil. Plaque associated and neuropil dystrophic neurites and spheroids are prominent features of Alzheimer’s disease (Masliah et al., 1993, Terry, 1996, Stokin et al., 2005). Thus our current data suggests that loss of tau may lead to neurodegeneration.
NARST Equity and Ethics Committee: Mentoring Scholars of Color in the Organization and in the Academy

In this chapter, we consider the particular needs of scholars of color in the academy from a variety of standpoints. Recognizing that labels such as marginalized, underrepresented, minority, diverse, and scholars of color can be problematic, we hope to push on the ways the “problem” of underrepresentation gets framed, the challenges and possibilities scholars of color navigate, and how organizations like NARST can work to support the career trajectories of scholars of color in the academy. We describe our work as members of the NARST Equity and Ethics Committee to develop the preconference workshop. We discuss what we have tried, what some of the challenges have been, how the work contributes to building a community of scholars, and implications for future work.
Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Behavioral Oncology

Over the past few decades, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers have made substantial inroads in cancer care, joining interdisciplinary care teams as well as offering independent services designed to address psychological and social concerns of individuals diagnosed with cancer and their family and friends. With continued improvements in cancer care leading to longer survival and even cures, the number of cancer survivors will continue to grow. With this increasing number comes a greater emphasis on survivorship care, and one of the major components of survivorship care involves the emotional and behavioral health of cancer survivors.
An Adaptive Coincidence Feeder Automation Method Considering the Processing of Single Phase to Ground Fault

In view of the problems existing in the current feeder automation (FA), such as over reliance on communication, difficulty in security protection, and self adaptation of fixed value parameters, etc, an adaptive coincidence FA method is proposed in this paper considering the processing of single phase to ground fault. Based on the transient characteristic detection principle of single-phase grounding, the strategy of tripping after loss of voltage and over current, quick break and latching after closing and over current, tripping and latching after short-time power supply is formulated. Combined with substation protection, FA logic is designed to achieve location, isolation and non fault area power supply restoration of large current fault and single phase to ground fault in multi branch and multi contact distribution network based on primary and secondary integrated equipments of distribution network. Finally, a simulation test platform based on real time digital simulator (RTDS) is built to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Reconsidering Raw Material Selection

Raw material selection is an essential facet of technological decision making. This analysis moves beyond more typical lithic studies, investigating links between raw material selection and practical tool function by integrating data from materials science and ethnohistory with an analysis of bone and antler tools. A case study of skeletal technologies from the Alaskan subarctic offers a fresh perspective on technological strategies, especially the selection of highly durable (fracture resistant) skeletal materials to create reliable tools for use in high-risk foraging contexts.
Single Antibody Detection of T-Cell Receptor αβ Clonality by Flow Cytometry Rapidly Identifies Mature T-Cell Neoplasms and Monotypic Small CD8-Positive Subsets of Uncertain Significance.

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of T-cell neoplasms is often challenging, due to overlapping features with reactive T-cells and limitations of currently available T-cell clonality assays. The description of an antibody specific for one of two mutually exclusive T-cell receptor (TCR) β-chain constant regions (TRBC1) provide an opportunity to facilitate the detection of clonal TCRαβ T-cells based on TRBC-restriction. METHODS Twenty patients with mature T-cell neoplasms and 44 patients without evidence of T-cell neoplasia were studied. Peripheral blood (51), bone marrow (10), and lymph node (3) specimens were evaluated by 9-color flow cytometry including TRBC1 (CD2/CD3/CD4/CD5/CD7/CD8/CD45/TCRγδ/TRBC1 and/or CD2/CD3/CD4/CD5/CD7/CD8/CD26/CD45/TRBC1). Monophasic TRBC1 expression on any immunophenotypically distinct CD4-positive or CD8-positive/TCRγδ-negative T-cell subset was considered indicative of clonality. RESULTS Monophasic (clonal) TRBC1 expression was identified on immunophenotypically abnormal T-cells from all 20 patients with T-cell malignancies (100% sensitivity), including 17 cases with either >97% or <3% TRBC1-positive events, and three cases with monophasic homogenous TRBC1-dim expression. All immunophenotypically distinct CD4-positive and CD8-positive/TCRγδ-negative T-cell subsets from 44 patients without T-cell malignancies showed the expected mixture of TRBC1-positive and TRBC-1-negative subpopulations (non-clonal), except for seven patients (16%) with very small CD8-positive T-cell subsets exhibiting a monophasic (clonal) pattern. CONCLUSION Inclusion of a single anti-TRBC1 antibody into a diagnostic T-cell flow cytometry panel facilitates the rapid identification of T-cell neoplasms, in addition to small monotypic CD8-positive subsets of uncertain significance. © 2019 International Clinical Cytometry Society.
The influence of misperceptions about social norms on substance use among school-aged adolescents.

Individuals often have biased perceptions about their peers' behavior. We use an economic equilibrium analysis to study the role social norms play in substance use decisions. Using a nationally representative dataset, we estimate the effect of misperception about friends' alcohol, smoking, and marijuana use on consumption of these substances by youths in grades 7–12. Overestimation of friend's substance use significantly increases adolescent's own use approximately 1 year later, and the estimated effect is robust across specifications including individual‐level fixed effects regression. The effect size is bigger for boys than for girls. The estimates for those who initially underestimated the norm suggest the possibility of a rebound/boomerang effect.
Automated Extraction of Surgical Needles from Tissue Phantoms

We consider the surgical subtask of automated extraction of embedded suturing needles from silicone phantoms and propose a four-step algorithm consisting of calibration, needle segmentation, grasp planning, and path planning. We implement autonomous extraction of needles using the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK). The proposed calibration method yields an average of 1.3mm transformation error between the dVRK end-effector and its overhead endoscopic stereo camera compared to 2.0mm transformation error using a standard rigid body transformation. In 143/160 images where a needle was detected, the needle segmentation algorithm planned appropriate grasp points with an accuracy of 97.20% and planned an appropriate pull trajectory to achieve extraction in 85.31% of images. For images segmented with $\gt50$% confidence, no errors in grasp or pull prediction occurred. In images segmented with 25-50% confidence, no erroneous grasps were planned, but a misdirected pull was planned in 6.45% of cases. In 100 physical trials, the dVRK successfully grasped needles in 75% of cases, and fully extracted needles in 70.7% of cases where a grasp was secured.
Is There a Urologist in the House? Trends in the Management of Consults Based on Shift, Location and Resident Organization

AbstractIntroduction:Consultations represent a significant workload for inpatient urology providers, yet consult patterns are poorly described. We report trends in billable urology consult activity...
Mine the Gap: Augmenting Foresight Methodologies with Data Analytics:

The explosion of Big Data and analytic tools in recent years has brought new opportunities to the field of foresight. Big Data and improved analytics capabilities can expand the knowledge base and ...
Wave and extra-wide-angle parabolic equations for sound propagation in a moving atmosphere

The narrow-angle parabolic equation (NAPE) with the effective sound speed approximation (ESSA) is widely used for sound and infrasound propagation in a moving medium such as the atmosphere. However, it is valid only for angles less than 20° with respect to the nominal propagation direction. In this paper, the wave equation and extra-wide-angle parabolic equation (EWAPE) for high-frequency (short-wavelength) sound waves in a moving medium with arbitrary Mach numbers are derived without the ESSA. For relatively smooth variations in the medium velocity, the EWAPE is valid for propagation angles up to 90°. Using the Pade (n,n) series expansion and narrow-angle approximation, the EWAPE is reduced to the wide-angle parabolic equation (WAPE) and NAPE. Versions of these equations are then formulated for low Mach numbers, which is the case that is usually considered in the literature. The phase errors pertinent to the equations considered are studied. It is shown that the equations for low Mach numbers and the WAPE with the ESSA are applicable only under rather restrictive conditions on the medium velocity. An effective numerical implementation of the WAPE for arbitrary Mach numbers in the Pade (1,1) approximation is developed and applied to sound propagation in the atmosphere.
It’s Not You, It’s Me: Technological Learning and Investment Termination in Corporate Venture Capital

Corporate venture capital (CVC) investment has become an important source of critical resources to corporate investor and invested venture alike. However, despite an extensive exploration of the es...