cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residual-effected homogeneous charge compression ignition at a low compression ratio using exhaust reinduction

AbstractStudies have been conducted to assess the performance of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion initiated by exhaust reinduction from the previous engine cycle. Reinduction is achieved using a fully flexible electrohydraulic variable-valve actuation system. In this way, HCCI is implemented at low compression ratio without throttling the intake or exhaust, and without preheating the intake charge. By using late exhaust valve closing and late intake valve opening strategies, steady HCCI combustion was achieved over a range of engine conditions. By varying the timing of both valve events, control can be exerted over both work output (load) and combustion phasing. In comparison with throttled spark ignition (SI) operation on the same engine, HCCI achieved 25–55 per cent of the peak SI indicated work, and did so at uniformly higher thermal efficiency. This was accompanied by a two order of magnitude reduction in NO emissions. In fact, single-digit (ppm) NO emissions were realized und...
Preschoolers with Severe Disabilities: The Case against Segregation.

After several years, the integration of preschoolers with severe disabilities remains a controversial issue. Integration is a complex and active process involving more than merely placing the child...
The association of psychiatric disorders and HIV infection in the correctional setting

Abstract Purpose Psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression, have been associated with both HIV-associated risk behaviors and HIV infection. While the US prison population is reported to exhibit elevated rates of HIV/AIDS and most psychiatric disorders, scarce information currently exists on the association of these conditions in the prison setting. The present study examined the association of six major psychiatric disorders with HIV infection in one of the nation's largest prison populations. Methods The study population consisted of 336,668 Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates who were incarcerated for any duration between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2001. Information on medical conditions and sociodemographic factors was obtained from an institution-wide medical information system. Results Inmates diagnosed with HIV infection exhibited elevated rates of major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and non-schizophrenic psychotic disorder. These rates persisted in stratified analyses and in a multivariate analysis that statistically adjusted for gender, race, and age category. Conclusion The present cross-sectional study's finding of a positive association between HIV infection and psychiatric diagnoses among inmates holds both clinical and public health relevance. It will be important for future investigations to prospectively assess the underlying mechanisms of these associations in the correctional setting.
An Updated Perspective of Single Event Gate Rupture and Single Event Burnout in Power MOSFETs

Studies over the past 25 years have shown that heavy ions can trigger catastrophic failure modes in power MOSFETs [e.g., single-event gate rupture (SEGR) and single-event burnout (SEB)]. In 1996, two papers were published in a special issue of the IEEE Transaction on Nuclear Science [Johnson, Palau, Dachs, Galloway and Schrimpf, “A Review of the Techniques Used for Modeling Single-Event Effects in Power MOSFETs,” IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 546-560, April. 1996], [Titus and Wheatley, “Experimental Studies of Single-Event Gate Rupture and Burnout in Vertical Power MOSFETs,” IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 533-545, Apr. 1996]. Those two papers continue to provide excellent information and references with regard to SEB and SEGR in vertical planar MOSFETs. This paper provides updated references/information and provides an updated perspective of SEB and SEGR in vertical planar MOSFETs as well as provides references/information to other device types that exhibit SEB and SEGR effects.
Recognizing human activities from multi-modal sensors

This paper describes a method of detecting and monitoring human activities which are extremely useful for understanding human behaviors and recognizing human interactions in a social network. By taking advantage of current wireless sensor network technologies, physical activities can be recognized through classifying multi-modal sensors data. The result shows that high recognition accuracy on a dataset of 6 daily activities of one carrier can be achieved by using suitable classifiers.
PGC-1 coactivators in the cardiovascular system

The beating heart consumes more ATP per weight than any other organ. The machineries required for this are many and complex. Fuel and oxygen must be transported via the vasculature, absorbed by cardiomyocytes, broken down, and regulated to match cellular demands. Much of this occurs in mitochondria, which comprise fully one third of cardiac mass. The PGC-1 proteins are transcriptional coactivators that have emerged as powerful orchestrators of these numerous processes, ensuring their proper coregulation in response to intracellular and extracellular cues. An important role for PGC-1s in cardiac function has been revealed over the past few years, and more recently interest in their role in the vasculature has been burgeoning. We review this literature, focusing on recent developments.
An intestinal commensal symbiosis factor controls neuroinflammation via TLR2-mediated CD39 signalling

The mammalian immune system constitutively senses vast quantities of commensal bacteria and their products through pattern recognition receptors, yet excessive immune reactivity is prevented under homeostasis. The intestinal microbiome can influence host susceptibility to extra-intestinal autoimmune disorders. Here we report that polysaccharide A (PSA), a symbiosis factor for the human intestinal commensal Bacteroides fragilis, protects against central nervous system demyelination and inflammation during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis, through Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). TLR2 mediates tissue-specific expansion of a critical regulatory CD39(+) CD4 T-cell subset by PSA. Ablation of CD39 signalling abrogates PSA control of EAE manifestations and inflammatory cytokine responses. Further, CD39 confers immune-regulatory phenotypes to total CD4 T cells and Foxp3(+) CD4 Tregs. Importantly, CD39-deficient CD4 T cells show an enhanced capability to drive EAE progression. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism by which an intestinal symbiont product modulates CNS-targeted demyelination.
InGaAs/AlAs/InGaAsP resonant tunneling hot electron transistors grown by chemical beam epitaxy

InP-based resonant tunneling hot electron transistors (RHET's) were studied systematically using chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) for the first time. All the RHET's studied have a highly strained AlAs/In/sub 0.75/Ga/sub 0.25/As/AlAs resonant tunneling double barrier as a hot electron injector, and an InP collector barrier with or without InGaAsP graded layers. The highest transport ratio (/spl alpha/) observed is 0.98, and the highest peak-to-valley current ratios (PVR's) measured are 20 and 200 in the collector current and base current, respectively, at 80 K. A self-consistent simulation is used as a reference to optimize the hot electron injector and to explain the ballistic transport. An energy spectrometer technique was applied to the RHET's for resolving the hot electron energy distribution which showed a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of around 58 meV, indicating ballistic transport of electrons. Finally, room temperature transistor action was also observed with a /spl beta/ of 4 and a cutoff frequency of 31 GHz. >
A plane stress anisotropic plastic flow theory for orthotropic sheet metals

A phenomenological theory is presented for describing the anisotropic plastic flow of orthotropic polycrystalline aluminum sheet metals under plane stress. The theory uses a stress exponent, a rate-dependent effective flow strength function, and five anisotropic material functions to specify a flow potential, an associated flow rule of plastic strain rates, a flow rule of plastic spin, and an evolution law of isotropic hardening of a sheet metal. Each of the five anisotropic material functions may be represented by a truncated Fourier series based on the orthotropic symmetry of the sheet metal and their Fourier coefficients can be determined using experimental data obtained from uniaxial tension and equal biaxial tension tests. Depending on the number of uniaxial tension tests conducted, three models with various degrees of planar anisotropy are constructed based on the proposed plasticity theory for power-law strain hardening sheet metals. These models are applied successfully to describe the anisotropic plastic flow behavior of 10 commercial aluminum alloy sheet metals reported in the literature.
Failure analysis of parameter-induced simulation crashes in climate models

Abstract. Simulations using IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)-class climate models are subject to fail or crash for a variety of reasons. Quantitative analysis of the failures can yield useful insights to better understand and improve the models. During the course of uncertainty quantification (UQ) ensemble simulations to assess the effects of ocean model parameter uncertainties on climate simulations, we experienced a series of simulation crashes within the Parallel Ocean Program (POP2) component of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM4). About 8.5% of our CCSM4 simulations failed for numerical reasons at combinations of POP2 parameter values. We applied support vector machine (SVM) classification from machine learning to quantify and predict the probability of failure as a function of the values of 18 POP2 parameters. A committee of SVM classifiers readily predicted model failures in an independent validation ensemble, as assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve metric (AUC > 0.96). The causes of the simulation failures were determined through a global sensitivity analysis. Combinations of 8 parameters related to ocean mixing and viscosity from three different POP2 parameterizations were the major sources of the failures. This information can be used to improve POP2 and CCSM4 by incorporating correlations across the relevant parameters. Our method can also be used to quantify, predict, and understand simulation crashes in other complex geoscientific models.
Selective Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonism Reduces Insulin Resistance in Obese Zucker Rats

Effects of oral administration of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist (selective AT(1)-subtype) irbesartan on glucose tolerance and insulin action on skeletal-muscle glucose transport were assessed in the insulin-resistant obese Zucker rat. In the acute study, obese rats received either vehicle (water) or irbesartan 1 hour before the experiment. Although irbesartan had no effect on glucose transport (2-deoxyglucose uptake) in the epitrochlearis muscle, which consists mainly of type IIb fibers, acute angiotensin II receptor antagonism led to a dose-dependent increase in insulin action in the predominantly type I soleus muscle. Irbesartan at 25 and 50 mg/kg induced significant increases (41% and 50%, respectively; P<0.05) in insulin-mediated glucose transport. Moreover, these acute irbesartan-induced improvements in soleus-muscle glucose transport were associated with enhancements in whole-body insulin sensitivity (r=-0.732; P<0.05), as assessed during an oral glucose tolerance test. After chronic administration of irbesartan (21 days at 50 mg. kg(-1). d(-1)), glucose tolerance was enhanced further, and insulin-mediated glucose transport was significantly elevated in both epitrochlearis (32%) and soleus (73%) muscle. Chronic angiotensin II receptor antagonism was associated with significant increases in glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) protein expression in soleus (22%) and plantaris (20%) muscle and myocardium (15%). Chronic irbesartan-induced increases in whole-body insulin sensitivity were associated with increased insulin-mediated glucose transport in both epitrochlearis (r=-0.677; P<0.05) and soleus (r=-0.892; P<0.05) muscle. In summary, angiotensin II receptor (AT(1)-subtype) antagonism, either acutely or chronically, improves glucose tolerance, at least in part because of an enhancement in skeletal-muscle glucose transport, and the effect of chronic angiotensin II receptor antagonism on type I skeletal-muscle glucose uptake is associated with an increase in GLUT-4 protein expression.
I. The Family Narrative Consortium: A Multidimensional Approach to Narratives

It is a truism that families affect children's development. Understanding how this occurs, however, is becoming an increasingly complex enterprise. Current conceptions of the family's effect on children involve an interlocking set of social contexts. Bronfenbrenner (1977) described the ways in which a child's development is embedded in the system of the family, which is itself embedded in systems of neighborhoods, social institutions, and schools. Attempts at understanding how the family system may affect the child's development have explored direct as well as indirect influences. Patterson and colleagues (Dishion, French, & Patterson, 1995; Patterson, 1982) have demonstrated that identifiable patterns of parent-child interaction are directly related to the child's social adjustment. Models of family functioning have been proposed, in which distress in the marital system has an indirect effect on child adjustment (Downey & Coyne, 1990). Even more distal to the child's experience may be the ways in which parents create representations of past relationships, which in turn moderate current relationships (Benoit & Parker, 1994; Crowell & Feldman, 1988; Main & Goldwyn, 1984). Family system influences on child development range from directly observed proximal factors, such as parent-child interaction patterns, to more distal factors, such as the parent's family of origin experiences. These family influences are seen as part of a transactional process that interlocks parents, children, and the caregiving environment (Sameroff, 1987; Sameroff & Fiese, 1990, 1992). Although the complexity of family influences on child development has been long recognized, suitable methods for studying the family have lagged behind theoretical advances.
INCORPORATION OF PHOSPHATE INTO RAT BRAIN DURING SLEEP AND WAKEFULNESS

— Labelled inorganic phosphate (32P1) was administered intraventricularly to unrestrained sleeping and waking adult rats. After about 20 min of sleep or a comparable period of wakefulness, as monitored by EEG and EMG, the animals were frozen in liquid nitrogen and the brains were analysed. One group of animals (A) was not previously acclimatized to the apparatus. A second group (B) was acclimatized. The specific radioactivity of a phosphoprotein fraction was elevated during sleep in group A but not in group B. The specific radioactivity of the phosphatides of group B was depressed in sleeping as compared with waking animals. This effect was not observed in group A. No significant difference was detected between the EEG patterns of sleeping animals in groups A and B, as evaluated by standard criteria. These observations suggest that the physiological conditions attributable to environmental, emotional or other determinants can influence shifts in brain metabolism during the sleep-wakefulness cycle.
The Economic Role of the English Poor Law, 1780-1834

Excerpt] Over the 85-year period from 1748/50 to 1832/34, real per capita expenditures on poor relief increased at an average rate of approximately 1 percent per year. There were also important changes in the administration of relief with respect to able-bodied laborers during the period. Policies providing relief outside of workhouses to unemployed and under-employed able-bodied laborers became widespread during the 1770s and 1780s in the grain-producing South and East of England. The so-called Speenhamland system of outdoor relief flourished until 1834, when it was abolished by the Poor Law Amendment Act. The aim of the thesis is to provide an economic explanation for the long-term increase in relief expenditures and for the development and persistence of Speenhamland policies.
A Formal System for the Quantificational Logic with Identity of Propositions, Practitions, and Deontic Judgments

This chapter summarizes and systematizes the phenomenological investigation and the theoretical proposals contained in the foregoing chapters. Its purpose is to impose some rigor and precision on the basic distinctions and principles of implication found in the preceding chapters. To this effect we shall construct an axiomatic formal calculus, whose primary intended interpretation is as a general system of propositions and practitions involving connectives, quantifiers, and identity. This calculus is more comprehensive than most deontic calculi discussed in the philosophical journals in several respects. First, it represents not only implication among deontic judgments themselves, but also implications among deontic judgments and practitions. Second, it represents the structural relationships between deontic judgments and practitions. Third, it includes a treatment of implications involving quantifiers and identity.
More of the Same? Understanding Transformation in Tablet-based Academic Library Instruction

Academic librarians have shared their experiences with tablet computers, but few examine how librarians use tablets in their instruction design. While the education literature provides technology integration models, the nature of library instruction requires adapting these models to the library classroom. After reviewing literature related to tablets in library instruction and a number of technology integration frameworks, this article demonstrates an application of the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition framework to analyze observations of an iPad-equipped classroom at a university library. Demonstrating this use of a framework provides an approach to technology integration and continues the discussion about tablets’ potential to promote innovative pedagogy.
Revision of the generic classification of the hawkfishes (Cirrhitidae), with descriptions of three new genera

Three new monotypic genera of cirrhitid fishes are described from species formerly placed in the genus Cirrhitus: Cristacirrhitus, type species Cirrhitus punctatus Cuvier from Mauritius, Madagascar, and Natal, South Africa; Notocirrhitus, type species Cirrhitus splendens (Ogilby) from the southwestern Pacific; and Itycirrhitus, type species Cirrhitus wilhelmi Lavenberg & Yanez, from Easter Island and Pitcairn Island. The 33 species of Cirrhitidae are now classified in 12 genera. A revised key to the genera is presented.
Validation of daily increment formation in the otoliths of juvenile silver perch,Bairdiella chrysoura

Otoliths of juvenile silver perch were marked by immersing live fish for 3 h in a calcein-seawater solution. Calcein produced a fluorescent mark on the sagittal otoliths that was visible under ultraviolet light. The hypothesis of one increment per day was tested by regressing the number of otolith increments that formed after marking on the number of days that fish were held in lab and field experiments. Silver perch formed one increment per day under nearly all conditions. Salinity (15‰ or 30‰) and dietary ration (4% or 10% body weight d−1) were varied among experimental groups of lab-reared fish. The short-term effect of low rations appears primarily as interrupted formation of otolith increments: fish fed 10% body weight d−1 formed one increment per day but fish fed 4% d−1 averaged less than one increment d−1. Reduction in increment formation occurred despite no significant difference in average width of otolith increments or apparent condition of silver perch over the 20-d experiment. Salinity effects were difficult to interpret: salinity interacted with ration to modify increment formation but did not independently alter the daily rate of increment formation. This novel interaction among ration and salinity is not well understood and warrants additional study. In silver perch, otolith growth appears responsive and sensitive to local environmental conditions. This responsiveness confirms the need for validation of increment formation across the range of environmental conditions that fish are likely to encounter. It also suggests that otolith structure may contain detailed information about the life history of individual silver perch.
Contraction of the spleen following needle puncture: significance in studies of portal hypertension.

Rapidity of the passage of contrast material to the hilar portal vein during splenoportography is a curious and unexplained phenomenon. As accumulated evidence indicates that splenic pulp puncture increases the velocity of flow from spleen to liver, and as splenic contraction is known to effect such an alteration, an attempt was made to determine whether the spleen contracts significantly following needle pulp puncture. After X-ray opacification of the spleen by intravenous injection of powdered tantalum, splenic size was compared before and after insertion of a needle into its pulp. The results demonstrate that the spleen contracts to approximately 70% of its control size almost immediately after puncture. Aspects of this response which bear on studies of patients with portal hypertension are considered.
Polarity of TRH receptors in transfected MDCK cells is independent of endocytosis signals and G protein coupling

Information concerning the molecular sorting of G protein-coupled receptors in polarized epithelial cells is limited. Therefore, we have expressed the receptor for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to determine its distribution in a model cell system and to begin analyzing the molecular information responsible for its distribution. Equilibrium binding of [methyl-3H]TRH to apical and basolateral surfaces of polarized MDCK cells reveals that TRH receptors are expressed predominantly (>80%) on the basolateral cell surface. Receptors undergo rapid endocytosis following agonist binding; up to 80% are internalized in 15 min. A mutant receptor missing the last 59 residues, C335Stop, is poorly internalized ( 85%). A second mutant TRH receptor, delta218-263, lacks essentially all of the third intracellular loop and is not coupled to G proteins on binding agonist. This receptor internalizes TRH approximately half as efficiently as wild-type TRH receptors but is nevertheless strongly polarized to the basolateral surface (>90%). These results indicate that molecular sequences responsible for basolateral accumulation of TRH receptors can be segregated from signals for ligand-induced receptor endocytosis and coupling to heterotrimeric G proteins.
Do Bank Capital Regulations Concentrate Systematic Risk

As a result of the Enron scandal, new regulations were enacted that increased the capital charge for holding assets in off-balance sheet vehicles. I utilize a triple difference specification to identify the effect of this exogenous regulatory shock on bank systematic risk exposure. I find that after the regulation, banks' exposure to off-balance sheet assets at vehicles with high systematic risk increases relative to vehicles with low systematic risk and relative to non-U.S. banks which are not affected by the regulation. These results suggest that capital regulation might have the perverse effect of concentrating systematic risk, potentially increasing the systemic risk of the financial system.
Research Techniques Made Simple: Methodology and Clinical Applications of RNA Sequencing

RNA sequencing is a method of transcriptome profiling that utilizes next-generation sequencing technology. It offers several distinct advantages over hybridization-based approaches, most notably superior sensitivity and the capacity for de novo transcript discovery. This article describes RNA sequencing methodology, summarizes important technological advances and challenges, and discusses applications for this technique in the field of dermatology.
Trends in cigarette use, by serious psychological distress status in the United States, 1998-2013.

Abstract Objectives The study compared trends in current and heavy cigarette smoking between adults with and without serious psychological distress (SPD). Methods This study examined data from 480,024 adults aged 18 years or older in the 1998–2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) public use files. SPD is defined as having a Kessler-6 score of 13 or higher in the past month. Trends in the prevalence of current smoking and heavy smoking for 2-year time periods were assessed among those with versus those without SPD using logistic regression; tests of interaction terms determined whether smoking trends differed by SPD status. Results The prevalence of current smoking decreased over time among adults without SPD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.97–0.98), but remained stable among adults with SPD (AOR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99–1.03). Both groups had significant declines in heavy smoking over time; however, the rates of decline were greater among adults without versus with SPD (AOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.86–0.88 and AOR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.88–0.94, respectively). Conclusions The prevalence of current smoking is not declining among adults with SPD, and the prevalence of heavy smoking is not declining as quickly among adults with SPD as compared with those without SPD. Smoking cessation efforts may need to target these populations and tailor programs accordingly.
Challenges, lessons learned and results from establishing a CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program targeting undergraduate students

To attract and encourage the best and the brightest students to pursue state, federal and tribal government careers in cybersecurity, the National Science Foundation's CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program was created and funded in 2000 as part of the Federal Cyber Services training and education initiative. Only institutions with a strong and established academic program in cybersecurity are eligible to participate in the CyberCorps SFS program. For the past four years, Towson University (TU) has offered CyberCorps scholarships to highly-qualified undergraduate students in computer science with a track in computer security. The poster describes the TU cybersecurity curriculum and the extracurricular activities that have been essential in bringing the CyberCorps SFS program to TU and recruiting qualified undergraduate students, as well as, challenges and lessons learned.
Abstract SY39-03: Radiation-mediated DNA sensing pathway for immunity and tumor regression

It is thought that ablative radiotherapy (RT), used for rapid control tumor growth, induces genotoxic stress and mitosis crisis leading to prolonged dormancy of irradiated tumor at local and distal site in most patients. We have unexpectedly observed that initial reduction of tumor burden following ablative RT also depends largely on type I IFN for CTL. Targeting tumor with IFN can control tumor growth through initiating a coordinated innate and adaptive immune attack against tumor cells. However, the mechanism for radiation-mediated type I IFN induction remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that STING, but not MYD88, was required for type I IFN-dependent antitumor effects of radiation. STING in dendritic cells (DCs) controlled radiation-mediated IFN-β induction and was activated by irradiated-tumor cells. The cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) mediated DCs sensing of irradiated-tumor cells. Moreover, STING was essential for radiation-induced adaptive immune responses, which relied on type I IFN signaling on DCs. Exogenous IFN-β treatment rescued cGAS/STING-deficient immune responses. Accordingly, enhancing STING signaling by cGAMP administration promoted antitumor efficacy of radiation. Our results reveal that the molecular mechanism of radiation-mediated antitumor immunity depends on a proper cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway, pointing towards a new understanding of radiation and host interactions. Furthermore, we uncover a new strategy to improve radiotherapy by cGAMP treatment. RT induced IFN can also upregulate PD-L1 that suppress T cell-mediated damage and develop radiation resistance for relapse over time. Anti-PDL-1 antibody can greatly reduce radiation resistance leading to complete tumor regression. Furthermore, our study challenges the rationale for current radio/chemotherapy strategies and highlights the importance of immune activation in preventing tumor relapse. Citation Format: Yang-xin Fu. Radiation-mediated DNA sensing pathway for immunity and tumor regression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr SY39-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-SY39-03
Advances in Understanding the Role of MIF in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diseases

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an immunoregulatory cytokine that was first noted several decades ago for its property to arrest the random movement of macrophages. It is now known that MIF has pluripotent effects including promoting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, having chemokine-like functions, and promoting cell migration and recruitment. Moreover, it plays an important role in sustaining immune cell survival by inhibiting activation-induced apoptosis. The cell surface receptor for MIF has been identified as the CD74 molecule, and functional interactions with the CXCR2/4 chemokine receptors also occur. CD74 is present on multiple cell types; thus, the function of MIF is defined by the cell type on which it acts. MIF is a critical upstream regulator of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Because of its broad range of activities, MIF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of infectious, inflammatory, and autoimmune disease conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. During autoimmune diseases, the overproduction of MIF may potentiate inflammation and priming of autoreactive cells and enhance detrimental effects on affected tissues. In addition, MIF has a unique relationship with corticosteroids (CSs); it can override the effects of CSs and may be important in corticosteroid resistance. In vitro and in vivo evidence has focused attention on MIF as a new therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases by selectively neutralizing MIF with antibodies or specific small molecule inhibitors.
ADHD symptoms impact smoking outcomes and withdrawal in response to Varenicline treatment for smoking cessation.

Abstract Introduction Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with nicotine dependence and difficulty quitting smoking. Few cessation trials specifically consider the impact of ADHD on treatment outcomes, including those testing established pharmacological therapies, such as varenicline. Methods The current study focused on the impact of pretreatment ADHD inattention (IN) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI) symptoms on treatment outcome in a randomized controlled trial of varenicline [N = 205, average age = 34.13( 10.07) , average baseline cigarettes per day = 14.71( 7.06 )]. Given that varenicline’s putative therapeutic mechanism is attenuation of withdrawal severity during abstinence, we also tested changes in withdrawal as a mediator of treatment effects in high and low ADHD groups. Results ADHD symptom severity in this sample was in the subclinical range. Cessation was associated with HI, but not IN, such that high HI individuals on varenicline reported the lowest smoking levels at the end of treatment across all groups (3.06 cig/day for high HI vs 4.02 cig/day for low HI). Individuals with high HI who received placebo had the highest smoking at the end of treatment (7.69 cigs/day for high HI vs 5.56 cig/day for low HI). Patterns continued at follow-up. Varenicline significantly reduced withdrawal for those with high HI, but not low HI. However, path models did not support an indirect effect of medication on reducing smoking via withdrawal in either group, suggesting that unmeasured variables are involved in varenicline’s effect on reducing smoking. Conclusions These data add to a gap in the smoking cessation literature regarding the impact of ADHD symptoms on the efficacy and mechanisms of frontline pharmacological treatments.
Designing an Automated Agent to Encourage Human Reliance

Human reliance on automated agents can be critically important, as exemplified by a pilot relying on an automated ground collision avoidance system. While it is important that the automated agent p...
High density EMI mitigation solution using active approaches

Passive EMI filters occupy significant volume in a power converter. This work involves the study of utilizing Active EMI Filters (AEF) and Hybrid EMI Filters (HEF) to reduce the volume of passive filters. The DUT under consideration is a 30 W AC-DC converter. Since the power level less than 65 W it does not have a PFC stage. In this work, noise sensing is carried out using voltage sensing methodology. The applicability of the sensing method to sense noise and its relation to the maximum possible attenuation is studied. Noise sensing networks comprising the high voltage capacitors and high pass filter networks to are designed for sensing noise on AC and Dc side. For noise cancellation, feedback control scheme with both voltage and current cancellation topologies are employed separately. The possible value reduction of passive components for both topologies of AEF are identified.
Ligand Mediation of Vectorial Charge Transfer in Cu(I)diimine Chromophore-Acceptor Dyads.

In this work, we present the photoinduced charge separation dynamics of four molecular dyads composed of heteroleptic Cu(I)bis(phenanthroline) chromophores linked directly to the common electron acceptor naphthalene diimide. The dyads were designed to allow us to (1) detect any kinetic preference for directionality during photoinduced electron transfer across the heteroleptic complex and (2) probe the influence of excited-state flattening on intramolecular charge separation. Singular value decomposition of ultrafast optical transient absorption spectra demonstrates that charge transfer occurs with strong directional preference, and charge separation occurs up to 35 times faster when the acceptor is linked to the sterically blocking ligand. Further, the charge-separated state in these dyads is stabilized by polar solvents, resulting in dramatically longer lifetimes for dyads with minimal substitution about the Cu(I) center. This unexpected but exciting observation suggests a new approach to the design of C...
«¿Quién es marido de quién?». Gender Confusion in the Plays of Cristóbal de Monroy y Silva

Much critical work has been dedicated in recent years to the transgressive representation of gender in the plays of the Spanish Golden Age, an interest sparked in great measure by Melveena McKendrickʼs sem­inal work: Woman and Society in the Spanish Drama of the Golden Age. A Study of the «Mujer Varonil» (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1974). This article examines the depiction of gender ambiguity and confu­sion in the plays of the Andalusian dramatist Cristobal de Monroy y Silva, with a special focus on El caballero dama and La batalla de Pavia y prision del rey Francisco . While Monroy y Silvaʼs depictions of gender ambigui­ty usually correspond to the conventional categories of mujer vestida de hombre or mujer varonil , these two plays offer interesting and original case studies. La batalla de Pavia y prision del rey Francisco presents an almost unheard of case of gender dysphoria.
Effect of Temperature and Strain Rate on Upper Shelf Fracture Behavior of A533B Class 1 Pressure Vessel Steel

The effect of interstitial impurities on the upper shelf fracture characteristics of A533B Class 1 steel was examined using single specimen unloading compliance J-integral tests. Three-point bend tests were performed on fatigue precracked side-grooved Charpy-size specimens using a specially designed compression jig that minimized misalignments usually encountered in direct compression tests. Experimental results obtained as a function of the test temperature and strain rate revealed the effect of dynamic strain aging (DSA) as a drop in the critical crack initiation fracture toughness, Jq. As predicted from DSA models, the minimum in J q shifted to higher temperatures at higher test speeds (strain rates). The kinetics of the toughness minima agreed with the diffusion of carbon or nitrogen, or both in steels. The effect of neutron irradiation was noted to result in a shift of the J-integral minimum to higher temperatures, resulting in an apparent increase in toughness at lower temperatures following neutron radiation exposure. The usual radiation embrittlement was noted at higher temperatures where DSA was absent.
The Gorilla Paradox

Gorillas posses general ape adaptations for climbing yet the best studied gorillas in the Virungas depart from the arboreal, frugivorous pattern seen among the other apes. Terrestriality and folivory among gorillas have traditionally been viewed as consequences of their large body size. This study aims to separate the influences of body size from those of habitat on tree climbing by gorillas by comparing the results of 27 months of study of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic (Remis, 1994, 1995) to published reports on the positional behavior of mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) at Karisoke, Rwanda (Tuttle and Watts, 1985; Doran, 1996).
Komplexität von Problemen und Algorithmen

Es geht in diesem Paragraphen und in weiteren Teilen um effiziente Verfahren fur schwierige (endlich losbare) Probleme und um die Einschatzung des Schwierigkeitsgrades dieser Probleme. Gutekriterien fur Effizienz sollen hier sein: die Rechenzeit, der Speicherplatzbedarf und die Genauigkeit eines Algorithmus.
Cell Mimetic Liposomal Nanocarriers for Tailored Delivery of Vascular Therapeutics

Liposomal delivery systems (LDSs) have been at the forefront of medicinal nanotechnology for over three decades. Increasing LDS association to target cells and cargo delivery is crucial to bolstering overall nanodrug efficacy. Our laboratory aims to develop LDSs for molecular therapeutics aimed at vascular pathology. We have previously established a liposome platform that is an effective delivery system for RNA interference in vascular cell types by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) decorated liposomes bearing an octa-arginine (R8) cell penetrating peptide (CPP). Further tailoring liposome membranes to mimic vascular cell membrane lipid constituents may be a promising strategy for increasing cargo delivery. Here we aimed to develop liposomal formulations that could make use of diacylglycerol (DAG) and phosphatidylserine (PS), naturally occurring lipid species that are known to influence vascular cell function, as a facile and efficient means to increase nanodrug efficacy without compromising clinical viability. We investigated the ability of DAG and PS to amplify the cellular uptake of our previously established LDS platform loaded with small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) cargo. Cellular fluorescence microscopy experiments were performed in conjunction with quantitative cell association assays and cytotoxicity assays to analyze the effect of DAG/PS on the differential delivery of fluorescently-tagged liposomes to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and on liposomal-mediated toxicity. In these studies, significant, dose-dependent increases in association to target cells were observed, as well as cell-type specific effects on cell viability. The stability and encapsulation-efficiency of the DAG/PS-modified LDSs were analyzed by standard nanoparticle characterization methods, and siRNA transfection efficacy was quantified to gauge delivery potential as a function of DAG/PS modification. Our results suggest that the signaling lipids tested here imbue our LDS architectures with increased therapeutic potential, without compromising stability, encapsulation efficiency, or biocompatibility, thus presenting a natural strategy to increase nanodrug efficacy and specificity.
Umetnost, čulni utisak, narod / Art, Sensation, People

As something that in the same time communicates through its materiality and its abstraction (of ideas, thoughts and conceptual forms), art remains in the field of partially conceivable complexity. Its availability reveals itself more in doing, and less in its interpretative potential. Art is thus revealed through the sensation. Art is inventing the way of becoming by turning to the future, to the people who are yet to come. This paper discusses the questions of art as sensation, art and commodity and art and people, concentrating on genesis of the art that invokes (future) people that can be and become exactly through and with the sensation.
Optimize the Winding Structure of Flyback Transformers with Arbitrary Phase-Shifted Current Waveforms

The paper proposes a technique to calculate the ac winding loss of transformer windings with arbitrary phase-shifted current waveforms. An ac winding loss formula based on the vector form is derived, which can decouple the skin and proximity effect concisely, and is convenient to be applied for the design of the switching transformers in power adapters. Based on the technique, a guideline to optimize the transformer winding structure is introduced and applied to an active-clamp Flyback power converter. The auxiliary, cancellation and shielding windings which are commonly used in power adapters products are also taken into consideration. Simulation verifies the theory and technique.
Chapter 3 – Optical Properties and Raman Scattering in Man-Made Quantum Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the optical properties and Raman scattering in man-made quantum systems. Alternate layers of materials with different masses, force constants, and effective ionic charges result in a superlattice that has interesting optical properties that are due to the interactions of photons and optical phonons. Photon conductivity serves as a powerful technique for characterizing the optical and transport properties of a superlattice and quantum well (QW). The folding of the dispersion in the regular Brillouin zone (BZ) into minizones (MZs) for a superlattice describes most of the important features of the man-made superlattice. These features include the formation of minibands, localization with large gaps between minibands, Bragg reflection giving rise to Bloch oscillation, and the foundation of the appearance of negative differential resistance (NDR). The reciprocal space for phonons is exactly the same as for the electrons because the real space and reciprocal space are determined by the structure. Results indicate that it is possible to probe the acoustic and optical phonon branches for large momenta by sandwiching a given material between potential barriers. In fact, as far as Raman scattering is concerned, a perfect periodic structure is not necessary, as long as all well widths are kept reasonably constant. This is due to the relative broadness of the spectra. The chapter presents two cases that serve as a model for understanding Raman scattering where wave functions are localized.
Can Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS) measures accurately enhance understanding of acceptable symptoms and functioning in primary care?

Value-based healthcare models will require prioritization of the patient’s voice in their own care toward better outcomes. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS) gives patients a voice and leads providers to actionable treatments across a broad range of diagnoses. However, better interpretation of PROMIS measures is needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of PROMIS Physical Function (PF), Self-Efficacy for Managing Symptoms (SE), Pain Interference (PI), Fatigue, and Depression measures to discriminate patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) in primary care, determining if that accuracy is stable over time and/or retained when PROMIS score thresholds are set at either ½ or 1 SD worse than the reference population mean. Primary care patients completed the five PROMIS measures and answered the PASS yes/no question at intake (n = 360), 3–14 days follow-up (n = 230), and 45–60 days follow-up (n = 227). Thresholds (optimal, ½ SD, and 1 SD worse than reference values) for PROMIS T-scores associated with PASS were determined through receiver-operator curve analysis. Accuracy was calculated at the three time points for each threshold value. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine combinations of PROMIS measures that best predicted PASS. PROMIS PF, SE, PI, and Fatigue optimal score thresholds (maximizing sensitivity and specificity) yielded area under the curve values of 0.77–0.85, with accuracies ranging from 71.7% to 79.1%. Accuracy increased minimally (1.9% to 5.5%) from intake to follow-ups. Thresholds of 1 SD worse than the mean for PROMIS PF and PI measures and ½ SD worse for SE and Fatigue overall retained accuracy versus optimal (+ 1.3% to − 3.6%). Regression models retained SE, PI, and Fatigue as independent predictors of PASS, and minimally increased accuracy to 83.1?%. This study establishes actionable PROMIS score thresholds that are stable over time and anchored to patient self-reported health status, increasing interpretability of PF, SE, PI, and Fatigue scores. The findings support the use of these PROMIS measures in primary care toward improving provider-patient communication, prioritizing patient concerns, and optimizing clinical decision making.
Harboring Spirits: Deontological Time, Magic, and Race in Gods Go Begging by Alfredo Vea

In this essay, Richard Perez explores how Alfredo Vea’s novel Gods Go Begging reconceptualizes time and space by offering a theory of temporal mortification. Here, marginalized subjects experience time as dead and empty, caught between one space of social death, the ghetto, and others, prison, the military (war). What happens, this essay asks, when experience denudes time of its dynamic principles and instead infuses time and space with life-denying conditions? Perez contends that Vea’s novel addresses the trauma of warped time through magical reconfigurations, invoking deontological conceptions of temporality. Perez examines how the novel not only juxtaposes these concepts of time, but how deontological time reveals the layering of temporal existence in magical terms, where multitudinous Beings survive and reframe the colonial practices of death, confinement, and exploitation.
„Udzielanie pomocy Żydom nie jest rzeczą łatwą”. Polityka Watykanu wobec Zagłady – ciągłość czy zmiana?

The response of Pope Pius XII to the Holocaust has been discussed since the Holocaust itself. A crucial episode was the events of October 16, 1943, when the SS seized more than one thousand Roman Jews and the Pope did little about it. The historiography has highlighted this “Under His Very Windows” drama. This article suggests that a number of issues weighing heavily on Pius at that time inhibited his response.