cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer architecture courses in electrical engineering departments

This paper traces the history of computer architecture courses in electrical engineering departments. Previously unpublished data from the Fall 1972 COSINE survey are given to show current computer architecture course offerings and texts. Computer architecture courses offered in 1972-73 are analyzed, compared with ACM and COSINE recommendations, and classified into five categories: introductory computer engineering courses with a computer architecture flavor, software-oriented computer organization courses, hardware-oriented computer organization courses, case study courses, and topical seminars. Future trends in computer architecture education are predicted.
Fracture behavior of a solid with random porosity.

We report the results of an experimental study of the fracture stress, $S$ and the Young's modulus, $E$, of a two-dimensional solid (network) which has undergone random dilution to the point where the solid becomes geometrically disconnected. In the scaling region, $E\ensuremath{\sim}{(p\ensuremath{-}{p}_{c})}^{f}$ with $f=3.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ and $S\ensuremath{\sim}{(p\ensuremath{-}{p}_{c})}^{F}$ with $F=1.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$. We find that appropriately modified formulations of the Griffith relation can account for the fracture stress in the entire range of bond dilution.
Relationship between intra-abdominal pressure and vaginal wall movements during Valsalva in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse: technique development and early observations

Objectives To develop and test a method for measuring the relationship between the rise in intra-abdominal pressure and sagittal plane movements of the anterior and posterior vaginal walls during Valsalva in a pilot sample of women with and without prolapse.
Ionizing radiation increases systemic nanoparticle tumor accumulation

Nanoparticle-based therapies are currently being explored for both the imaging and treatment of primary and metastatic cancers. Effective nanoparticle cancer therapy requires significant accumulations of nanoparticles within the tumor environment. Various techniques have been used to improve tumor nanoparticle uptake and biodistribution. Most notable of these techniques is the use of tumor-specific peptide-conjugated nanoparticles and chemical modification of the nanoparticles with immune-evading polymers. Another strategy for improving the tumor uptake of the nanoparticles is modification of the tumor microenvironment with a goal of intensifying the enhanced permeability and retention effect inherent to solid tumors. We demonstrate a twofold increase in the tumor accumulation of systemically delivered iron oxide nanoparticles following a single 15-Gy radiation dose in a syngeneic mouse breast tumor model. This increase in nanoparticle tumor accumulation correlates with a radiation-induced decrease in tumor interstitial pressure and a subsequent increase in vascular permeability.
Carrier Aggregation in LTE-Advanced

UMTS LTE system can support flexible bandwidth configuration up to 20 MHz. Currently, system enhancements are being considered to provide substantial improvements to LTE and allow it to meet or exceed IMT-Advanced requirements. One key enhancement feature is bandwidth extension via carrier aggregation to support deployment bandwidth up to 100 MHz. This will allow peak target data rates in excess of 1 Gbps in the downlink and 500 Mbps in the uplink to be achieved. Carrier aggregation is attractive because it allows operators to deploy a system with larger bandwidth by aggregating several smaller contiguous or non-contiguous carriers while providing backward compatibility to legacy users. For instance, an 80MHz system can be constructed using contiguous or non-contiguous 4×20MHz component carriers. Legacy users can then access the system using one of the component carriers. This paper provides an overview of carrier aggregation and discusses major technical issues including aggregation structure, scenarios, implementation, control signalling design and coexistence with legacy LTE systems.
Control of transcription by the bacteriophage P22 repressor.

Abstract Bacteriophage P22 repressor regulates transcription from two divergent promoters, P R and P RM , by binding to three sites in the right operator of the phage. Repressor binding depends on the intrinsic affinities of the sites and on pairwise co-operative interactions between adjacently bound repressors. In the case of wild-type O R , repressor binds with the affinity order: O R 1 − O R 2 > O R 3. With repressor bound to O R 1 and O R 2, the early lytic promoter, P R , is turned off and the lysogenic maintenance promoter, P RM , is turned on. This positive control of P RM results, at least in part, from direct stimulation of transcription by repressor bound to O R 2. At high concentrations, repressor binds to O R 3 and turns off P RM . The level of repressor in a lysogen is such that O R 1 and O R 2 are almost completely occupied, and O R 3 is about 50% occupied. The mechanisms of action of P22 and λ phage repressors at their respective O R regions are quite similar, although the O R regions differ significantly in structure. A comparison of the phosphate contacts made by both repressors at their O R 2 sites suggests that for both phages, positive control of P RM results from contact of the same part of RNA polymerase by different parts (with respect to the DNA-binding parts) of the two repressors.
Anatomy of the lamprey ear: morphological evidence for occurrence of horizontal semicircular ducts in the labyrinth of Petromyzon marinus

In jawed (gnathostome) vertebrates, the inner ears have three semicircular canals arranged orthogonally in the three Cartesian planes: one horizontal (lateral) and two vertical canals. They function as detectors for angular acceleration in their respective planes. Living jawless craniates, cyclostomes (hagfish and lamprey) and their fossil records seemingly lack a lateral horizontal canal. The jawless vertebrate hagfish inner ear is described as a torus or doughnut, having one vertical canal, and the jawless vertebrate lamprey having two. These observations on the anatomy of the cyclostome (jawless vertebrate) inner ear have been unchallenged for over a century, and the question of how these jawless vertebrates perceive angular acceleration in the yaw (horizontal) planes has remained open. To provide an answer to this open question we reevaluated the anatomy of the inner ear in the lamprey, using stereoscopic dissection and scanning electron microscopy. The present study reveals a novel observation: the lamprey has two horizontal semicircular ducts in each labyrinth. Furthermore, the horizontal ducts in the lamprey, in contrast to those of jawed vertebrates, are located on the medial surface in the labyrinth rather than on the lateral surface. Our data on the lamprey horizontal duct suggest that the appearance of the horizontal canal characteristic of gnathostomes (lateral) and lampreys (medial) are mutually exclusive and indicate a parallel evolution of both systems, one in cyclostomes and one in gnathostome ancestors.
Quality assurance in behavioral health.

Quality of care can be defined, measured, and improved but the tools available for quality assurance and improvement in mental health and substance abuse are lessfully developed and more difficult to apply, especially in the managed care arena.
Kernel energy method: Drug–target interaction energies for drug design

The full power of ab initio quantum mechanics applied to obtain the interaction of drugs and their molecular targets can provide detailed energetics useful to understanding of mechanism and drug design. The computational problem is the growth in quantum computational difficulty with the number of atoms in the molecule. As biochemical molecules are often large, the computational difficulty of the full quantum problem is challenging. Two things help alleviate the difficulty, viz., (1) parallel supercomputers, and (2) quantum crystallography and the use of quantum kernels, a method well suited for parallel computation. Calculations are simplified by approximating a full molecule by smaller “kernels” of atoms. Here, it is suggested that problems of medicinal chemistry, such as the rational design of drugs, may be illuminated by the use of the ab initio quantum-mechanical kernel energy method. Example calculations within the MP2/3-21G chemical model are illustrated for three aminoglycoside drugs, which attach to ribosomal A-site RNA nucleotide targets. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
Validation of Dual-Doppler Wind Profiles with in situ Anemometry

AbstractTypical methods used to acquire wind profiles from Doppler radar measurements rely on plan position indicator (PPI) scans being performed at multiple elevation angles to utilize the velocity–azimuth display technique or to construct dual-Doppler synthesis. These techniques, as well as those employed by wind profilers, often produce wind profiles that lack the spatial or temporal resolution to resolve finescale features. If two radars perform range–height indicator (RHI) scans (constant azimuth, multiple elevations) along azimuths separated by approximately 90°, then the intersection of the coordinated RHI planes represents a vertical set of points where dual-Doppler wind syntheses are possible and wind speed and direction profiles can be retrieved. This method also allows for the generation of high-resolution wind time histories that can be compared to anemometer time histories. This study focuses on the use of the coordinated RHI scanning strategy by two high-resolution mobile Doppler radars in c...
Herbivory tolerance and compensatory differences in native and invasive ecotypes of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum)

The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis proposes that exotic plants may become superior competitors in their introduced ranges because they have evolved reduced defense allocation and increased growth in response to low herbivory. Long-term common garden studies with Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum), a problematic invader in the southeastern United States, support EICA predictions of invasive ecotypes displaying rapid growth with poorly defended leaves, whereas native ecotypes are slower growing and have nitrogen rich, highly defended leaves. We conducted two full-factorial experiments designed to assess the effects of leaf herbivory and soil fertility on growth of Sapium seedlings derived from seeds obtained in the speciesȁ9 native Chinese range and introduced range along the Texas Gulf Coast. The first was a field study employing simulated defoliation to examine herbivory tolerance, while the second was a pot study using grasshopper bioassays to measure the compensatory regrowth of native and introduced Sapium ecotypes. In accordance with EICA predictions, introduced Texas ecotypes compensated for mechanical and natural defoliation regardless of resource conditions while growth of native Chinese ecotypes was significantly reduced as a result of both simulated and natural herbivory damage. These results demonstrate that invasive Sapium ecotypes have a greater capacity to compensate for herbivory damage than native Sapium ecotypes. The differences between Sapium ecotypes are consistent with the mechanisms of EICA and other findings demonstrating that invasive ecotypes have become herbivory tolerant due to post-introduction changes in tissue quality.
Risk reduction in estimation of petrophysical properties from seismic data through well-log modeling, seismic modeling, and rock properties estimation

ABSTRACT A methodology to reduce risk, when using seismic data, to estimate petrophysical properties associated to reservoir performance is presented. The methodology includes: well log reconstruction, seismic modeling and rock properties estimation from seismic data. Well log modeling involves the reconstruction of P- and S- wave velocity and density logs through the use of porosity (f), shale volume (Vsh) and water saturations (Sw). After a satisfactory reconstruction, the petrophysical properties (f, Vsh and Sw) can be modified and P- and S-wave velocity and density pseudo-logs generated to emulate those that would have been recorded if the modified petrophysical property had occurred in the logged formations. These logs are used to compute rock properties related to incompressibility (Lambda*Rho) and rigidity (Mu*Rho), which can also be computed from seismic data. Sensitivity and ambiguity analyses, at seismic resolution, of different reservoir conditions are done using the reconstructed P- and S-wave and density logs to compute pre-stack synthetic seismic data from which Lambda*Rho and Mu*Rho are estimated through AVO analysis and post-stack inversion. Since elastic properties are obtained from both well log and seismic data, it is possible to quality control Lambda*Rho and Mu*Rho results at well locations with hard (log) data. The process provides seismic attributes related to petrophysical properties and an understanding of the limitations, sensitivity and ambiguities when using the technique to reduce risk in the determination of petrophysical properties from. LMR and LambdaRho are trademarks of PanCanadian. End_of_Record - Last_Page 121-------
Sun dial: exploring techno-spiritual design through a mobile islamic call to prayer application

We present the design and formative evaluation of Sun Dial, an application that supports Muslims' prayer practices. We report on a study that involved identifying prayer as an activity that can be supported with technology; the development of a prototype; and a short-term evaluation of Sun Dial conducted with our local Muslim community. In addition to presenting a novel design idea, our case study contributes to the growing corpus of research examining technology and religion.
Effect of Surface Roughness on Thin Film Niobium Coatings

Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle (STEP) proposes to use niobium thin film strip-line circuits on precision quartz assemblies to achieve on-orbit differential acceleration sensitivities of 10-18 g. The acceleration is determined from a displacement measurement under known spring stiffness. Currents trapped in niobium circuits (400 nm thick, 100 mum wide) provide magnetic spring forces, and in conjunction with a SQUID magnetometer, the displacement measurement. We have studied the effect of substrate surface roughness on the critical current and temperature of niobium thin film strip-line circuits. We have observed a critical current that decreases with increasing surface roughness, with no change in critical temperature. We attribute the decrease in critical current to a flux penetration barrier at the strip-line edge that decreases with increasing surface roughness. This is a significant finding for the development of the STEP instrument, since anomalous flux penetration at the edge of circuits can degrade performance, add SQUID sensor noise, and lead to trapped flux instabilities.
Economic Disadvantage in Complex Family Systems: Expansion of Family Stress Models

Economic disadvantage is associated with multiple risks to early socioemotional development. This article reviews research regarding family stress frameworks to model the pathways from economic disadvantage to negative child outcomes via family processes. Future research in this area should expand definitions of family and household to incorporate diversity and instability. This expansion would be particularly relevant for research among low-income ethnic minority families and families with young children. This line of research would highlight specific pathways to target to prevent the onset of early parental and child dysfunction.
Model of visual attention for video sequences

Background In our previous work [1] we generalized Olshausen's algorithm [2] and designed a perceptual learning model using video sequences. In this study we propose to model conjunction search. Conjunction search (search for a unique combination of two features – e.g., orientation and spatial frequency – among distractions that share only one of these features) examines how the system combines features into perceptual wholes. We propose to improve the effectiveness of the decomposition algorithm by providing classification awareness. Attentional guidance does not depend solely on local visual features, but must also include the effects of interactions among features. The idea is to group together filters that will be responsible to extract similar features. It is well known that knowledge about which features define the target improves search performance and/or accuracy [3]. The nearest neighbors of the fixations will share a certain feature. Methods The main goal of this work is to use sequences of images and to design an attention model including conjunction search based on unsupervised self-learning. First, Independent Component Analysis algorithm is used to determine an initial set of basis functions from the first image (Figure 1). Second, unsupervised self-organizing learning is used to group together similar bases functions (Figure 2).
Fast food restaurant use among adolescents: Associations with nutrient intake, food choices and behavioral and psychosocial variables

OBJECTIVE: To examine demographic, behavioral and dietary correlates of frequency of fast food restaurant use in a community-based sample of 4746 adolescent students. DESIGN: A survey was administered to students in classrooms at 31 secondary schools in a large metropolitan area in Minnesota, United States. Height and body weight were measured. SUBJECTS: Students in grades 7–12 who were enrolled in participating schools, had parental consent and were in attendance on the day of data collection. MEASUREMENTS: Frequency of fast food restaurant use (FFFRU), dietary intake, and demographic and behavioral measures were self-reported. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Height and body weight were directly measured. RESULTS: FFFRU was positively associated with intake of total energy, percent energy from fat, daily servings of soft drinks, cheeseburgers, french fries and pizza, and was inversely associated with daily servings of fruit, vegetables and milk. FFFRU was positively associated with student employment, television viewing, home availability of unhealthy foods, and perceived barriers to healthy eating, and was inversely associated with students' own and perceived maternal and peer concerns about healthy eating. FFFRU was not associated with overweight status. CONCLUSIONS: FFFRU is associated with higher energy and fat intake among adolescents. Interventions to reduce reliance on fast food restaurants may need to address perceived importance of healthy eating as well as time and convenience barriers.
Poor allostimulatory function of liver plasmacytoid DC is associated with pro-apoptotic activity, dependent on regulatory T cells.

Background/Aims The liver is comparatively rich in plasmacytoid (p) dendritic cells (DC), – innate immune effector cells that are also thought to play key roles in the induction and regulation of adaptive immunity. Methods Liver and spleen pDC were purified from fms-like tyrosine kinase ligand-treated control or lipopolysaccharide-injected C57BL/10 mice. Flow cytometric and molecular biologic assays were used to characterize their function and interaction with naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Treg). Results While IL-10 production was greater for freshly isolated liver compared with splenic pDC, the former produced less bioactive IL-12p70. Moreover, liver pDC expressed a low Delta4/Jagged1 Notch ligand ratio, skewed towards T helper 2 cell differentiation/cytokine production, and promoted allogeneic CD4 + T cell apoptosis. T cell proliferation in response to liver pDC was, however, enhanced by blocking IL-10 function at the initiation of cultures. In the absence of naturally occurring CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells, similar levels of T cell proliferation were induced by liver and spleen pDC and the pro-apoptotic activity of liver pDC was reversed. Conclusions The inferior T cell allostimulatory activity of in vivo -stimulated liver pDC may depend on the presence and function of Treg, a property that may contribute to inherent liver tolerogenicity.
Immunotherapy of Metastatic Breast Cancer: Phase I Trial of Reduced-Intensity Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with Th2/Tc2 T-Cell Exchange

Rationale Despite the responsiveness of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) to available therapies, the prognosis for patients with MBC that fails to respond or progresses after first-line therapy for metastatic disease is poor and points to the need for new treatments in this clinical setting. High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue has achieved disappointing results when compared with conventional therapy. In contrast, immunotherapy using allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT), which has achieved some success in the treatment of other solid tumors (eg, renal cell carcinoma), might offer a new therapeutic approach for advanced-stage MBC. Indeed, initial reports of efficacy using a full, myeloablative transplantation were encouraging.1,2 Pitfalls to the tolerability of alloHSCT include the intensity of high-dose preparative regimens, which are particularly challenging for patients who have received extensive chemotherapy for metastatic disease, and the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The development of less toxic preparative regimens, based on the observation that much of the therapeutic effect of allogeneic transplantation is mediated by the donor immune system (graft-versus-tumor [GVT] effects) rather than the cytotoxic chemotherapy that was traditionally given, has resulted in a more favorable therapeutic index.3
Air Plasma Actuators for Effective Flow Control

An asymmetric dielectric barrier discharge model is presented for real gas eight species air chemistry using a self-consistent multi-body system of plasma, dielectric and neutral gas modeled together to predict the electrodynamic momentum imparted to the working gas. The equations governing the motion of charged and neutral species are solved with Poisson equation on finite elements using a Galerkin weak formulation. Two specific geometries were used. First the unsteady electrodynamic force development mechanism is studied over a flat plate due to charge and neutral species production from adjacent air-like N2/O2 mixtures in a radio frequency driven barrier discharge. The solutions show a dominance of O − and N2 + ions. The time average of the streamwise force shows mostly acceleration above the actuator but a small decelerating force downstream of the powered electrode inducing a fluctuation in the temporal evolution of streamwise velocity. This decelerating component needs further investigation as this may inherently limit the performance of a dbd plasma actuator. The computed electron temperature based on the electric field resembles the visible glow that is commonly reported in the literature. In another case, neutral gas flow is considered over a 5 deg conical crosssection for demonstration of active control using pulsed direct current and dielectric barrier discharges. The results demonstrate the need for utilization of multiple actuators for controlling a largely separated flow.
IntelliGEN: A Distributed Workflow System for Discovering Protein-Protein Interactions

A large genomics project involves a significant number of researchers and technicians performing dozens of tasks, either manual (e.g. performing laboratory experiments), computer assisted (e.g. looking for genes in the GENBANK database), or sometimes performed entirely automatically by the computer (e.g. sequence assembly). It has become apparent that managing such projects poses overwhelming problems and may lead to results of lower or even unacceptable quality, or possibly drastically increased project costs. In this paper, we present a design and an initial implementation of a distributed workflow system created to schedule and support activities in a genomics laboratory. The focus of the activities in the laboratory is the discovery of protein-protein interactions of fungi, specifically Neurospora crassa. We present our approach of developing, adapting and applying workflow technology in the genomics lab and illustrate it using one distinct part of a larger workflow to discover protein-protein interactions. Novel features of our system include the ability to monitor the quality and timeliness of the results and if necessary, suggesting and incorporating changes to the selected tasks and their scheduling.
Introduction: an atlas of the urban icons project

When the World Trade Center towers collapsed on 11 September 2001, many commentators noted that in their short lives, the towers had come to represent many things: American-led global capitalism, the United States and, most of all, New York City. Their brief role as a shorthand way of saying ‘New York City’ provoked us to ask about ‘urban icons’ more generally. But we did not need such cataclysm to provoke us to consider the topic of icons and their functioning in contemporary global culture. To help illuminate the usefulness of the concept of ‘urban icons’ we held an international conference in order to determine whether the category can be used as a conceptual grid for studying the intersection of visual culture and urban history.
The Climate of Europe in Recent Centuries in the Context of the Climate of Mid to High Latitude Northern Hemisphere from Borehole Temperature Logs

I present results from inversions for ground surface temperature histories reconstructed from deep borehole temperatures in Europe in the context of mid to high latitude Northern Hemisphere data. Precise deep borehole temperature logs provide information about the average warming and preceding colder period and average timing of the onset and magnitude of the recent warm period. Analysis of the borehole temperature-depth data from the mid to high latitude Northern Hemisphere using a simple ramp function model indicates that the timing of the onset of warming and its amplitude varies spatially. This large spatial variation explains large standard deviation of the average ground surface temperature histories derived from stack of individual ground surface temperature reconstructions from borehole temperature logs. Such averaged continental and N Hemisphere histories are commonly used to compare with other proxy. Central and Northern European borehole temperatures point to high ground temperature warming (0.5°–2°C) in recent two centuries. This warming is generally less than in northern parts of North America including high Arctic and less than most of Asia (1°–3°C). Timing of the onset of Central European recent warm period is circa 100–150 years and is compatible with that in the northern N. America and especially western Canada and Alaska. It is more than 200 years for the start of the recent warming period in south-central N. America and in Asia. Warming signal from Earth’s subsurface is apparent for the Polish borehole temperature logs. Large warming observed in central–northern Europe is the main feature seen from the available european data.
Alkalic Igneous Rocks on the Continents

Alkalic igneous rocks are characterized by elevated concentrations of Na2O and K2O and typically have low concentrations of SiO2, CaO, MgO, and FeO compared to silica-saturated granitic rocks. They are also characterized by high abundances of relatively rare elements including P, F, CI, Zr, Ti, Nb, Ta, and REEs. Alkali-rich plutons tend to be elliptical or circular in plan and are smaller in volume than plutons of granitic rocks. They are composed of alkali feldspar, feldspathoids (e.g. nepheline and leucite), and alkalic pyroxenes or amphiboles. Above all, the alkali-rich volcanic and plutonic rocks are characterized by a wide range of chemical and mineral compositions requiring elaborate classification schemes (e.g. Streckeisen 1967; Middlemost 1975, 1980; LeBas et al. 1986; Wilkinson 1986). Cox et al. (1979) proposed to classify alkali-rich volcanic rocks on the basis of Na2O + K2O and SiO2 (Fig. 2.2, Sect. 2.1). In addition, kimberlites and carbonatites are included among the alkalic rocks because kimberlites have high concentrations of Na2O and K2O, whereas carbonatites are commonly associated with differentiated alkali-rich plutons (Mitchell 1995; Harmer 1997; Bell 1989; Heinrich 1966). Alkali-rich igneous rocks are considered in all textbooks on igneous petrology (e.g. Turner and Verhoogen 1960; Cox et al.1979; Best 1982; Wilson 1989). In addition, numerous monographs have been published on alkali-rich rocks (e.g. Sorensen 1974; Palmason 1982; Fitton and Upton 1987).
Introduction: Colonial Mesoamerican Literacy

Two longstanding literate worlds, Spanish and Mesoamerican, met and remade each other as part of colonial encounters. The 2012 International Workshop on Indigenous Literacy in Mesoamerica and the Colonial World at the John Carter Brown Library (JCB) at Brown University hosted a diverse group of scholars to debate the social consequences of colonial Mesoamerican literacy. This issue of Ethnohistory is the result of that productive interaction. Comparing highland and lowland Mayan, Mixtec, central Mexican Nahuatl, and southern Nahua (Pipil) literacy from the Late Postclassic (AD 1200–1521) to the present day reveals commonalities as well as regional, and even individual, variation in the form, method, and consequences of literate practices. Investigating literacy allows us to move beyond debates about what constitutes writing per se and instead recognize that inscribing, no matter the method, was part of a sustaining environment of literacy that gave expressive practices their relevance and value in colonial Mesoamerica. In his master chronicle of the history of Guatemala Recordacion Florida, Francisco Antonio Fuentes y Guzman (1972: 74) argued that writing in all its forms fulfilled a basic human need, that “la necesidad es madre de la humana industria” (necessity is the mother of human industry). While Fuentes’s philosophy was overly functionalist, he recognized the social place of reading, writing, and having texts—that is, literacy. Writing (communicating by inscribed marks) has seen more scholarly attention in the last decade or so, but the cultural context, consequences, and practice of literacy has garnered far less scholarly attention (Salomon and Hyland 2010). Considering literacy rather than writing systems opens a path to resolv
Comparison Between Bench-Top and Computational Modelling of Cerebral Thromboembolism in Ventricular Assist Device Circulation

Despite improvements in ventricular assist devices (VAD) design, VAD-induced stroke rates remain remarkably high at 14-47%. We previously employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to propose adjustment of VAD outflow graft (VAD-OG) implantation to reduce stoke. Herein, we present an in-vitro model of cerebral vessel embolization in VAD-assisted circulation, and compare benchtop results to CFD predictions. The benchtop flow-loop consists of a 3D printed aortic bed using Accura 60 polymer driven by a continuous-flow pump. Three hundred spherical particles simulating thrombi of 2, 3.5, and 5 mm diameters were injected at the mock VAD-OG inlet. A water and glycerin mixture (3.8 cP viscosity) synthetically mimicked blood. The flowrate was adjusted to match the CFD Reynolds number. Catch cans were used to capture and count particles reaching cerebral vessels. VAD-OG geometries were evaluated using comparison of means Z-score range of -1.96 ≤ Z ≤ 1.96 to demonstrate overall agreement between computational and in-vitro techniques. Z-scores were: (i) Z = -1.05 for perpendicular (0°), (ii) Z = 0.32 for intermediate (30°), and (iii) Z = -0.52 for shallow (60°) anastomosis and confirmed agreement for all geometries. This study confirmed added benefits of using a left carotid artery bypass-graft with percent embolization reduction: 22.6% for perpendicular, 21.2% for intermediate, and 11.9% for shallow anastomoses. The shallow anastomosis demonstrated lower degrees of aortic arch flow recirculation, consistent with steady-flow computations. Quantitatively and qualitatively, contemporary steady-flow computational models for predicting VAD-induced cerebral embolization can be achieved in-vitro to validate the CFD equivalent.
Interferons and the Immunogenic Effects of Cancer Therapy

Much of our understanding on resistance mechanisms to conventional cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation has focused on cell intrinsic properties that antagonize the detrimental effects of DNA and other cellular damage. However, it is becoming clear that the immune system and/or innate immune signaling pathways can integrate with these intrinsic mechanisms to profoundly influence treatment efficacy. In this context, recent evidence indicates that interferon (IFN) signaling has an important role in this integration by influencing immune and intrinsic/non-immune determinants of therapy response. However, IFN signaling can be both immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive, and the factors determining these outcomes in different disease settings are unclear. Here I discuss the regulation and molecular events in cancer that are associated with these dichotomous functions.
Testing assumptions for conservation of migratory shorebirds and coastal managed wetlands

Managed wetlands provide critical foraging and roosting habitats for shorebirds during migration; therefore, ensuring their availability is a priority action in shorebird conservation plans. Contemporary shorebird conservation plans rely on a number of assumptions about shorebird prey resources and migratory behavior to determine stopover habitat requirements. For example, the US Shorebird Conservation Plan for the Southeast-Caribbean region assumes that average benthic invertebrate biomass in foraging habitats is 2.4 g dry mass m−2 and that the dominant prey item of shorebirds in the region is Chironomid larvae. For effective conservation and management, it is important to test working assumptions and update predictive models that are used to estimate habitat requirements. We surveyed migratory shorebirds and sampled the benthic invertebrate community in coastal managed wetlands of South Carolina. We sampled invertebrates at three points in time representing early, middle, and late stages of spring migration, and concurrently surveyed shorebird stopover populations at approximately 7-day intervals throughout migration. We used analysis of variance by ranks to test for temporal variation in invertebrate biomass and density, and we used a model based approach (linear mixed model and Monte Carlo simulation) to estimate mean biomass and density. There was little evidence of a temporal variation in biomass or density during the course of spring shorebird migration, suggesting that shorebirds did not deplete invertebrate prey resources at our site. Estimated biomass was 1.47 g dry mass m−2 (95 % credible interval 0.13–3.55), approximately 39 % lower than values used in the regional shorebird conservation plan. An additional 4728 ha (a 63 % increase) would be required if habitat objectives were derived from biomass levels observed in our study. Polychaetes, especially Laeonereis culveri (2569 individuals m−2), were the most abundant prey in foraging habitats at our site. Polychaetes have lower caloric content than levels assumed in the regional plan; when lower caloric content and lower biomass levels are used to determine habitat objectives, an additional 6395 ha would be required (86 % increase). Shorebird conservation and management plans would benefit from considering the uncertainty in parameters used to derive habitat objectives, especially biomass and caloric content of prey resources. Iterative testing of models that are specific to the planning region will provide rapid advances for management and conservation of migratory shorebirds and coastal managed wetlands.
Relationship among transmissible gastroenteritis virus antibody titers in serum, colostrum, and milk from vaccinated sows, and protection in their suckling pigs.

Abstract We studied the antibody responses to transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) in serum, colostrum, and milk from sows vaccinated with 2 attenuated (1 IM and 1 oral-IM) and 1 nonattenuated live vaccines and the relationship of these responses with the survivability of the sow's suckling pigs after challenge exposure with virulent TGE virus. Contrary to previous studies, the anti-TGE virus-neutralizing geometric mean titers (GMT) in the milk of sows vaccinated with attenuated vaccines at 3 and 5 days of lactation were similar to that found in the colostrum. Colostral and serum antibody titers were highest in sows given 2 injections of the IM attenuated vaccine. Half of the sows given the oral-IM attenuated vaccine did not seroconvert after 2 oral doses. Only sows vaccinated with the nonattenuated live vaccine had milk GMT that remained high for 21 days after farrowing. The linear relationship between colostral GMT and percentage of survivability of suckling pigs challenge exposed at 3 days of age was significant (P less than 0.05), although the relationship between serum GMT and percentage of survivability and the relationship between milk GMT and percentage of survivability were not significant (P greater than 0.10). The linear relationship between colostral (P less than 0.10) or pre-challenge exposure milk (P less than 0.05) GMT and percentage of survivability of suckling pigs challenge exposed at 5 days of age was significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Photothermal Microscopy of Nonluminescent Single Particles Enabled by Optical Microresonators.

A powerful new paradigm for single-particle microscopy on nonluminescent targets is reported using ultrahigh-quality factor optical microresonators as the critical detecting element. The approach is photothermal in nature as the microresonators are used to detect heat dissipated from individual photoexcited nano-objects. The method potentially satisfies an outstanding need for single-particle microscopy on nonluminescent objects of increasingly smaller absorption cross section. Simultaneously, our approach couples the sensitivity of label-free detection using optical microresonators with a means of deriving chemical information on the target species, a significant benefit. As a demonstration, individual nonphotoluminescent multiwalled carbon nanotubes are spatially mapped, and the per-atom absorption cross section is determined. Finite-element simulations are employed to model the relevant thermal processes and elucidate the sensing mechanism. Finally, a direct pathway to the extension of this new techniq...
Constructing a scientist: expert authority and public images of Rachel Carson.

This article uses the voluminous public discourse around Rachel Carson and her controversial bestseller Silent Spring to explore Americans9 views on science and scientists. Carson provides a particularly interesting case study because of intense and public debates over whether she was a scientist at all, and therefore whether her book should be granted legitimacy as science. Her career defied easy classification, as she acted variously as writer, activist, and environmentalist in addition to scientist. Defending her work as legitimate science, which many though not all commentators did, therefore became an act of defining what both science and scientists could and should be. This article traces the variety of nonscientific images and narratives readers and writers assigned to Carson, such as "reluctant crusader" and "scientist-poet." It argues that nonscientific attributes were central to legitimating her as both admirable person and admirable scientist. It explores how debates over Silent Spring can be usefully read as debates over the desirability of putatively nonscientific attributes in the professional work of a scientist. And it examines the nature of Carson9s very democratized image for changing notions of science and scientists in 1960s United States politics and culture.
Exploring the Personal and Environmental Factors Related to Length of Stay in Assisted Living

This study explored to what extent personal and environmental factors, as defined by the ecological model of aging, help us to understand length of stay in assisted living (AL). A convenience sample (N = 218) of administrative records of AL residents admitted between the years 2006 and 2011 was collected and included AL residents' demographic and healthcare information as well as dates of admission and discharge. Cox regression was used to determine which personal and environmental factors influenced length of stay in three AL programs. Number of medical diagnoses, level of care score, and facility were found to be significant predictors of length of stay. The analyses identified a median survival time of 32 months as well as critical periods for discharge from AL. Implications for future research and social work practice are presented.
Analysis on the Epidemic Characteristics of AIDS in Yanji City during 2000—2009

[Objective]To analyze the epidemic characteristics and trend of AIDS,and provide evidence for prevention and control of AIDS.[Methods]Descriptive epidemiology was adopted to perform retrospective analysis.[Results]From January 2000 the first confirmed case of HIV infection to the end of 2009,a total of 36 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported,based on present address.The ratio of male to female was 1.77:1,63.89% were people aged 31-50 years,most patients infected by heterosexual sexual contact (80.56%),44.44% had been abroad.[Conclusion]AIDS is spreading from high-risk groups to general population.The key of prevention is strengthening the HIV antibody testing among people with abroad history,and adopting comprehensive intervention.
Ultraviolet Radiation Induces Cytoskeletal Damage in Human Cells

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the major cause of skin cancer and contributes to the deterioration of dermal connective tissue associated with aging. It is therefore important to identify the UV induced lesions which alter normal cellular functions. Although genetic damage may be an important initiating factor in the carcinogenic process, epigenetic phenomena are also likely to play a role in the development of neoplasia. Current evidence indicates that lesions other than pyrimidine dimers are involved in the carcinogenic, mutagenic and lethal effects of UV radiation which reaches the earth’s surface (Zamansky, 1986 and references therein). Although investigators continue to seek additional DNA lesions which may contribute to these pathogenic phenomena, the importance of UV induced alterations of other cellular components must also be considered.
Does the use of a flap during abdominoperineal resection decrease pelvic wound morbidity

We hypothesized that the use of muscle flaps, known as tissue transfer (TT), at the time of abdominoperineal resection (APR) reduces perineal wound complications. A restrospective review of patients undergoing an APR at the University of Washington (1984-2003) was conducted. Perineal wound complications and eventual wound healing were compared in patients with and without TT. Ninety-two patients (mean age, 56.6 years) underwent APR; 23.9 per cent (n = 22) had concurrent TT. Patients undergoing TT were more likely to have cancer (91% vs. 77%, P = 0.05) and radiation therapy (86% vs. 52%, P < 0.01). Operative times were nearly 2 hours longer in patients having TT (7.4 hours +/- 2.5 hours vs. 5.6 hours +/- 1.8 hours, P = 0.03), but lengths of stay were similar (13 +/- 5.9 days vs. 12 +/- 7.6 days, P = 0.5). Patients undergoing TT had a higher rate of all wound-healing complications (59% vs. 40%, P = 0.1) and major wound-healing complications (32% vs. 26%, P = 0.6). However, these differences were not statistically significant. No differences in major complications were identified in patients with and without preoperative radiation therapy (26% vs. 28%, P = 0.8). Fifteen per cent (n = 14) of all patients failed to heal wounds at 6 months, but only 9 per cent (n = 2) of patients undergoing TT failed to heal their wounds at 6 months compared with 17 per cent (n = 12) in the non-TT group (P = 0.3). After controlling for important covariates, patients undergoing TT during an APR did not have a significantly lower rate of wound complications. The impact of TT on wound healing in patients with recurrent cancer and preoperative radiation therapy is suggestive of a benefit but requires prospective investigation.
Wealth into Power: The Party's Promotion of the Private Sector

The process of economic privatization in China has been driven by a combination of local initiatives and central directives, as well as debates among CCP leaders about the proper pace and scope of economic reform in general and privatization in particular. Over time, the CCP has revised the legal and institutional framework for supporting the private sector, including property rights, financing, and marketing. In the early reform era, private entrepreneurs were viewed with suspicion by both state and society, and many of them had suspect political and criminal backgrounds. Over time, a more ambivalent image emerged. On the one hand, they were seen as contributing to China's modernization and rewarded with prestigious public roles (ironically even being chosen as “model workers”). On the other hand, they were also blamed for contributing to growing inequality and corruption, politically salient issues that have threatened stability, especially in recent years. This ambivalent image was matched by equally ambivalent policies: while the third generation of leaders (symbolized by Jiang Zemin) pursued an elitist strategy of promoting economic interests, the fourth generation (symbolized by Hu Jintao) has pursued more populist policies designed to maintain the benefits of rapid economic growth while minimizing their social costs and potential political risks. The growth in China's private sector has been achieved through two separate paths. The first, which began at the start of the post-Mao reform era, was the indigenous development of individually owned ( getihu ) and private enterprises ( siying qiye ).
RAM-SCB simulations of electron transport and plasma wave scattering during the October 2012 "double-dip" storm

Mechanisms for electron injection, trapping, and loss in the near-Earth space environment are investigated during the October 2012 "double-dip" storm using our ring current-atmosphere interactions model with self-consistent magnetic field (RAM-SCB). Pitch angle and energy scattering are included for the first time in RAM-SCB using L and magnetic local time (MLT)-dependent event-specific chorus wave models inferred from NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science observations. The dynamics of the source (approximately tens of keV) and seed (approximately hundreds of keV) populations of the radiation belts simulated with RAM-SCB is compared with Van Allen Probes Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer observations in the morning sector and with measurements from NOAA 15 satellite in the predawn and afternoon MLT sectors. We find that although the low-energy (E< 100 keV) electron fluxes are in good agreement with observations, increasing significantly by magnetospheric convection during both SYM-H dips while decreasing during the intermediate recovery phase, the injection of high-energy electrons is underestimated by this mechanism throughout the storm. Local acceleration by chorus waves intensifies the electron fluxes at E≥50 keV considerably, and RAM-SCB simulations overestimate the observed trapped fluxes by more than an order of magnitude; the precipitating fluxes simulated with RAM-SCB are weaker, and their temporal and spatial evolutions agree well with POES/Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detectors data.