cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome: influence of the FMR1 gene on motor fiber tracts in males with normal and premutation alleles.

Importance Individuals with the fragile X premutation express expanded CGG repeats (repeats 55-200) in the FMR1 gene and elevated FMR1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, both of which may underlie the occurrence of the late-onset neurodegenerative disorder fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). Because the core feature of FXTAS is motor impairment, determining the influence of FMR1 mRNA levels on structural connectivity of motor fiber tracts is critical for a better understanding of the pathologic features of FXTAS. Objective To examine the associations of CGG repeat and FMR1 mRNA with motor-related fiber tracts in males with premutation alleles. Design and Setting A case-control study conducted at the University of California, Davis, from April 1, 2008, through August 31, 2009. All data were collected masked to the carrier status of the FMR1 gene. Participants Thirty-six male premutation carriers with FXTAS and 26 male premutation carriers without FXTAS were recruited through their family relationships with children affected by fragile X syndrome. The controls were 34 unaffected family members and healthy volunteers from the local community. Main Outcomes and Measures The CGG repeat lengths and FMR1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes, motor functioning, and white matter structural integrity that were estimated using diffusion tensor imaging. After data collection, we selected 4 motor tracts to reconstruct using diffusion tensor tractography, namely, the middle and superior cerebellar peduncles, descending motor tracts (containing the corticospinal, corticobulbar, and corticopontine tracts), and the anterior body of the corpus callosum. Results All fiber tracts exhibited weaker structural connectivity in the FXTAS group (decreased 5%-53% from controls, P ≤ .02). Genetic imaging correlation analysis revealed negative associations of CGG repeat length and FMR1 mRNA with connectivity strength of the superior cerebellar peduncles in both premutation groups (partial r 2 = 0.23-0.33, P ≤ .004). In addition, the measurements from the corpus callosum and superior cerebellar peduncles revealed a high correlation with motor functioning in all 3 groups ( r between partial least square predicted and actual test scores = 0.41-0.56, P ≤ .04). Conclusions and Relevance Distinct pathophysiologic processes may underlie the structural impairment of the motor tracts in FXTAS. Although both the corpus callosum and superior cerebellar peduncles were of great importance to motor functioning, only the superior cerebellar peduncles exhibited an association with the elevated RNA levels in the blood of fragile X premutation carriers.
A Boston Yankee: Paul M. Lerner and the Heart of Assessment

In this article, I review the contributions of Paul M. Lerner to the theory and practice of personality assessment. I contrast Lerner's clinical approach with a narrow empirical approach along several dimensions. I explicate Lerner's experiential-psychoanalytic method. I draw attention to the patient's subjective experience as the nexus for interpretation and to the centrality of the patient–examiner relationship in the conduct of assessment.
Matrix metalloproteinase 7 mediates mammary epithelial cell tumorigenesis through the ErbB4 receptor

To delineate the role of matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) in mammary tumorigenesis, MMP7 was expressed in the normal murine mammary gland cell line, c57MG. MMP7 markedly enhanced the growth rate of the c57MG cells in three-dimensional culture and promoted tumor formation in vivo. Subsequent investigation showed that MMP7 (a) up-regulated ErbB4 receptor levels, (b) solubilized the ErbB4 receptor cognate ligand heparin-bound epidermal growth factor, and (c) mediated the proteolytic processing of ErbB4 to yield a soluble intracellular domain (ICD) that localized to the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Furthermore, overexpression of the ErbB4 ICD in the c57MG cell line recapitulated the proliferative effects of MMP7 in vitro and in vivo. These data indicate a novel mechanism for mammary epithelial cell transformation by MMP7.
Single-cell analysis demonstrates how nutrient deprivation creates apoptotic and quiescent cell populations in tumor cylindroids.

Understanding how quiescent and apoptotic populations form in tumors is necessary because these cell types can considerably diminish therapeutic efficacy. Most cancer therapeutics are ineffective against quiescent cells because they target rapidly proliferating cells. Distinguishing apoptosis is important because apoptotic cells are committed to death and do not require treatment. Regrowth of quiescent cell can lead to tumor reoccurrence and metastasis, which are the leading causes of cancer mortality. We hypothesized that cylindroid cultures and acridine orange staining could be used to determine how nutrient diffusion creates apoptotic and quiescent regions in tumors. To test this hypothesis we developed a microscopy technique to measure cellular DNA and RNA content in single cells using thin cylindroids and acridine orange staining. Cell classification was compared to flow cytometry of cells grown in defined monolayer cultures. The presence of apoptosis was confirmed by morphological nuclear analysis. The effect of diffusion was determined by varying incubation time, cylindroid size, and exposing cylindroids to nutrient-deficient media. Four overlapping regions were identified as a function of cylindroid radius: an outer viable/quiescent region; a second quiescent/apoptotic region; a third late-stage apoptotic region; and an inner dead region. In monolayer cultures the absence of glutamine and growth factors induced apoptosis and hypoxia induced quiescence. Treating with nutrient-deficient media suggested that cells became quiescent near the periphery because of glucose and oxygen limitations, and became apoptotic and died further from the edge because of glutamine and growth factor limitations. These results show that cellular microenvironments can be identified in cylindroids using simple acridine orange staining and that single cell florescence can be measured in three-dimensional culture. The developed techniques will be useful for developing cancer therapies and determining how cell death and apoptosis are induced in three-dimensional tumor tissue.
Reconstructing historical ranges with fossil data at continental scales

Sedimentary records indicating the changing distribution of temperate tree species since the last ice age are widely used to understand the rates and patterns of population response to environmental change and the genetic consequences of such dynamics. It is well known that fossil pollen and plant macrofossil data provide limited information on distribution and abundance of small or diffuse tree populations. Nevertheless, the estimates of potential migration rates that are currently in use rely on assumptions about how fossil pollen and macrofossils record such populations. To better understand how such assumptions may influence estimates of spread rate, we related modern tree distributions to surface pollen abundance, using assumptions that are routinely applied to paleoecological data. We were unable to reconstruct the modern ranges of two species that are well represented in sediments using pollen and macrofossils from sediment surface samples. The ranges of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) include large areas where these trees are not abundant, and these were impossible to identify using pollen and macrofossil data, respectively. Our analysis supports the view that populations of these and other species existed at low densities over extensive areas in the past, and such areas would not be accurately mapped using fossil data. If so, estimates of past migration rates could be inaccurate. # 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Simulating the Free Trade Area of the Americas

Since the early 1990s, North Americans have participated in a large political-economic experiment in a regional trade bloc called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). With NAFTA now over 10 years old, the non-NAFTA countries have been debating the merits and shortcomings of creating an expanded version of the trade agreement that would encompass virtually every state in the Americas. The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) would encompass 34 western hemisphere countries, over 800 million consumers, and a total economy of over $12 trillion. The debate over the FTAA raises a long list of important practical questions for each of the potential member states and their citizens. The debate also raises a host of pedagogical questions for students of the entire region and beyond. This paper describes a student-based simulation that taps into those practical and pedagogical questions. As in other simulations, such as the Model United Nations, students role-play while vicariously experiencing the opportunities and constraints facing each country as they negotiate for policy preferences.
On‐Line State Estimation and Parameter Identification for Batch Fermentation

A sequential state and parameter identification technique is applied to batch beverage fermentation. The algorithm uses an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for state estimation and a recursive prediction error method (RPEM) for model parameter identification. This adaptive algorithm is tested using both simulated and real process data. Results show that, even with imperfect models, both states and parameters are estimated well enough to reliably track the dynamics of the true system.
Life's Two Certainties: An Estate and Gift Tax Consulting Case

ABSTRACT: This case requires students to perform the work of a partner in a private wealth practice, presenting a client with a comprehensive estate and gift tax plan. Employing three separate fictitious clients representing people with varying estate planning needs, the case requires students to consider multiple issues, both tax and non-tax. Estate and gift tax planning is different from income tax planning because of the impact of specific non-tax factors, such as family dynamics and fears and unknowns related to death. To develop a comprehensive estate and gift tax plan for their client, students must incorporate course topics and apply them to their particular fact pattern. This case furthers students' understanding of the interplay between estate and gift tax rules, develops their ability to generate relevant questions, exposes them to client dynamics, and cultivates critical thinking skills in the context of estate and gift tax planning.
Computing through scientific abstractions in SysBioPSE

At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we are researching and developing scientific computing environments for biologists and bioinformaticists. Important issues for us are how to motivate biologists to use new computational technologies and how to best incorporate and integrate disparate computational resources into computational biology research. In recent efforts, we have focused on the development of tools that support specific scientific abstractions or models that may be used as cognitive computational frameworks for biologists. The specific tools allow biologists to view and organize their computational work along the scientific concepts and theories that are under investigation, the experimental processes that are being carried out, and the logical structures and properties of the scientific data being examined and explored. This collection of tools and their underlying framework comprise a system known as SysBioPSE (system biology problem solving environment)
Computationally-efficient finite-element-based thermal models of electric machines

Knowledge of the internal temperatures of an electric machine under real-time operating conditions would be extremely useful in order to determine its torque capabilities. This knowledge is also useful for full-scale electric vehicle simulation and optimization. In this paper we present a technique for developing computationally-efficient thermal models for electric machines that can be used for real-time thermal observers and vehicle-level simulation and optimization. The technique is based upon simulating the eigenmode of the system as determined by finite element analysis. The order of the model is then dramatically reduced in two ways. First, the extent of excitation of each mode is calculated, and only eigenmodes that are significantly excited are included in the dynamic model; other eigenmodes are treated as static modes. Second, only a few “hot spots” in various regions are chosen. The result is a thermal model that can accurately model internal temperatures of the machine while requiring the modeling of only a handful of states. Such a model can be used in vehicle simulations, or for real-time observers in actual vehicles. The computation time of the model presented in this paper is dramatically reduced compared with a typical full-order finite element model.
Effect of assertion headings and expandable examples in an online engineering textbook

Many engineering courses are transitioning from traditional paper textbooks to online and multimedia instructional modules to present content to students outside of class time. As the use of these online resources expands, research about the effective use and production of these resources should grow in tandem. We study the effect of three different educational interventions: expandable worked examples, assertion headings, and hand-drawn figures on students' learning and affective responses in online instructional texts for an introductory electrical engineering course. Although measures of students' performance on technical content showed few significant changes, affective measures of student course satisfaction with the materials had improved.
Diversity in Rotavirus–Host Glycan Interactions: A “Sweet” Spectrum

Interaction with cellular glycans is a critical initial step in the pathogenesis of many infectious agents. Technological advances in glycobiology have expanded the repertoire of studies delineating host glycan-pathogen interactions. For rotavirus, the VP8* domain of the outer capsid spike protein VP4 is known to interact with cellular glycans. Sialic acid was considered the key cellular attachment factor for rotaviruses for decades. Although this is true for many rotavirus strains causing infections in animals, glycan array screens show that many human rotavirus strains bind nonsialylated glycoconjugates, called histo-blood group antigens, in a strain-specific manner. The expression of histo-blood group antigens is determined genetically and is regulated developmentally. Variations in glycan binding between different rotavirus strains are biologically relevant and provide new insights into multiple aspects of virus pathogenesis such as interspecies transmission, host range restriction, and tissue tropism. The genetics of glycan expression may affect susceptibility to different rotavirus strains and vaccine viruses, and impact the efficacy of rotavirus vaccination in different populations. A multidisciplinary approach to understanding rotavirus-host glycan interactions provides molecular insights into the interaction between microbial pathogens and glycans, and opens up new avenues to translate findings from the bench to the human population.
Rasmussen Encephalitis with Delayed Seizure Onset

Two children, ages 6 and 7 years, with progressive hemiparesis and radiological and histopathological confirmation of Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) had no seizures or epileptic EEG activity until 6 to 7 months after onset of symptoms, in a report from Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
Prehistoric metallurgy in Southeastern Europe

Over the last twenty years, there has been a discernable increase in the number of scholars who have focused their research on metal production, working and use in antiquity, a field of study which has come to be known as archaeometallurgy. Materials scientists and conservators have worked primarily in the laboratory while archaeologists have conducted fieldwork geared to the study of metal technology in a cultural context with laboratory analysis as one portion of the interpretive program.
Literature at work: Zionist literary realism between utopia and “Khirbet Khizeh”

ABSTRACTZionist Hebrew literary realism from the 1920s and 1930s is usually considered to be nothing but propagandistic literature, working in the service of national ideological imperatives. Challenging this literary-historical narrative, this essay argues that Zionist realist writers attempted to imagine radical collective transformation, which cannot be reduced to (and was at times at odds with) the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel. Emphasizing the formal similarities between Zionist realism and the structure of utopian novels, the essay suggests that the realists did not simply celebrate a Zionist metanarrative. Rather, realist works by Ever Hadani and Yisrael Zarchi thematize in a variety of ways the contradiction between emancipatory goals and the everyday realities of workers. The essay argues that S. Yizhar’s “Khirbet Khizeh” should be read as expressing the crisis of the collective transformative project that animated the realists’ literary imaginary. In this sense, Yizhar’s novell...
Release of enzyme from human leukocytes on damage by bacterial derivatives.

SummaryBy a method which detects cell injury by measurement of a lysozyme-like enzyme released from the cell, the adverse effect of various bacterial derivatives on human leukocytes is demonstrated. Variation in degree of effect from individual to individual is evident.
Sublethal Concentrations of Silver Nanoparticles Stimulate Biofilm Development

Although silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used as antimicrobial agents in a wide variety of commercial products, sublethal exposure can counterproductively promote the development of biofilms. We observed by fluorescence microscopy denser biofilm growth with mixed cultures from a wastewater treatment plant after exposure to 21.6 μg/L 10 nm AgNPs. To further understand biofilm promotion mechanisms, experiments were conducted with a pure culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Sublethal exposure of PAO1 to AgNPs (10.8 and 21.6 μg/L) also enhanced biofilm development and upregulated quorum sensing, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and antibiotic resistance (efflux pump) genes. An increase in the sugar and protein contents of the PAO1 biofilm matrix (by 55 ± 3 and 114 ± 32%, respectively, relative to unexposed controls) corroborated the transcriptional upregulation of PAO1 biofilm-related genes. Enhanced biofilm development by exposure to low AgNP concentrations might accelerate biofouling and biocorrosion an...
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE INFLAMMATION FACTORS IN CSF, 6-KETO PGF_(1α) AND IgG, AND VAS PAIN SCORES IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION

objective: To realize the relation of the inflammations of the nerve roots induced by lumbar disc herniation with clinical VAS pain scores and the type of herniation, 6 keto PGF 1α and IgG in CSF were analyzed and observed clinically. Materials and Method: 27 patients suffering from lumbar disc heriation, confirmed by CT or MRI, were divided into one of three groups according to VAS pain scores (group A, n=9, VAS 1～3; group B, n=10, VAS 4～6; group C, n=8, VAS≥7), and into one of two groups according to classification as protrusions or subligamentous (group D, n=13) and transligamentous extusions or sequestrusions ( group E, n=14). All of the patients were kept from using nsaids and steroids 3 days before operation. CSF samples were obtained by preoperative lumbar puncture and analyzed for 6 keto PGF 1α and IgG. Results: There was a significant difference in 6 keto PGF1α between the groups A and C (P A/C 0.05), but not in IgG(P0.05). These statistical differences showed that VAS pain scores were raised depending on the level of 6 keto PGF 1α in CSF. The levels of IgG in group D were higher than that in group E statistically (P0.01), but not for 6 keto PGF1α (P0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate that there was a correlation between the degree of inflammations and the levels of 6 keto PGF 1α , of the nerve roots involved with lumbar disc herniation and clinical VAS pain scores. but not between pain intensity and IgG. The more disc herniation was (transligamentous extusions or sequestrusions), the higher the levels of IgG was.
The future of Medicare and managed care: implications for optometry.

BACKGROUND Medicare, the major health entitlement program for the elderly, is faced with many challenges. Health costs and managed care have been instrumental in restructuring delivery of health care in this country. The Medicare program, the last bastion of unmanaged and fee-for-service care, is now under pressure to conform to the changes already embraced within the private sector. METHODS RESULTS Data obtained from the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) demonstrate how marketing strategies and enrollment programs are successful in enrolling Medicare beneficiaries into health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Enrollment in Medicare risk-contract HMOs has doubled in the last 2 years as HMOs actively market the Medicare population. New managed care options are being developed for Medicare patients. CONCLUSIONS HMOs are marketing their plans specifically toward Medicare beneficiaries and are offering increased benefits-including vision care-to encourage increased enrollment. Optometric participation in the Medicare program will be affected Freedom of choice will be restricted to panel practitioners who participate with these HMOs. Practitioners will be subject to credentialing criteria established by the HMOs, site visitations, audits, and other aspects of quality assurance implemented by the HMOs.
Osmotic activation of a Na(+)-dependent Cl-/HCO3- exchanger.

In many systems, osmotically induced cell shrinkage activates the Na + /H + exchanger. To assess the role of H + -extruding transporters in the response to osmotic shrinkage in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, intracellular pH (pH i ) was measured with 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein-acetoxymethyl ester (BCECF-AM) after exposing cells to hypertonic medium. In nominally HCO 3 − -free medium, addition of 200 mM sucrose caused pH i to increase 0.33 pH unit on average in VSM cells but only 0.13 pH unit in CHO cells. Permeant solutes failed to increase pH i significantly. Cytochalasin B (1-20 μM), colchicine (1-10 μM), Ca 2+ removal, and downregulation of protein kinase C activity did not affect osmotic activation of H + extrusion in either cell type. Additional work was carried out to determine why osmotic activation of H + extrusion was less in CHO than in VSM cells. In CHO cells, the osmotically induced ΔpH i was only weedy sensitive to amiloride, suggesting that osmotic forces may activate an H + transport system other than Na + /H + exchange. In the presence of 10 mM HCO 3 − , osmotically induced ΔpH i decreased by 60% in VSM cells but increased by 50% in CHO cells compared with the ΔpH i in HCO 3 − -free medium. Lastly, removal of extracellular Cl − did not affect osmotically induced ΔpH i in VSM cells but completely abolished the response in CHO cells. We conclude that in VSM cells osmotically induced changes in pH i are mediated by Na + /H + exchange, whereas in CHO cells they are most likely mediated by a Na + -dependent Cl − /HCO 3 − exchanger
Is There Any Wage Loss During the Period of Unemployment Among Older Workers

Using the data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) between 1996 and 2013, the paper empirically estimates the effect of duration of unemployment on reemployment wages for workers 40 years of age and older and decomposes the given effect into the stigma and skill depreciation effects. The findings indicate that a one month increase in the duration of unemployment reduces reemployment wages by 0.9%. The observed reduction in reemployment wages for older workers is mainly explained by the stigma effect ensued from prolonged unemployment spells. The simulation exercise also suggests on the substantial effect of the stronger state age discrimination law on durations of unemployment and a very modest effect on wages; while, the 1983 Social Security reforms had a small impact on durations of unemployment with no impact on wages of older workers.
Abstract 1438: Preserving genital nerve function in prostate cancer: imaging with a molecular imaging agent

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Purpose: To establish proof-of-concept for the use of a molecular nerve imaging agent in demonstrating nerve tissue at risk during prostate surgery, and thus preventing iatrogenic sexual dysfunction. Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of all forms of prostate cancer treatment, with incidence varying from 13-97% depending on the series quoted. There is broad agreement that treatment related damage to the neurovascular bundles is a root cause of the condition, with strong indications from many studies that preservation of the neurovascular bundles avoids post-treatment ED. The goal of this study is to use a novel neural imaging agent based on the non-toxic Tetanus Toxin C-fragment (TTc) to allow the visualization of the anatomy of the genital nerves, thus facilitating nerve-sparing therapies. Materials and methods: C57 Black male mice were anaesthetized (1-2% isofluorane/oxygen) and injected with 40 μg/10 μl of fluorescently labeled TTc790 in the tunica albuginea of the left corpus cavernosum. Animals were imaged live over a period of 3 hours post injection with a Xenogen IVIS 200 small animal imager. Animals were then euthanized, and the complete male reproductive system was surgically exposed and imaged ex-vivo with a Zeiss AxioZoom16 dissection microscope. The cavernosal nerves, prostatic tissue with intact nerve plexi were dissected and prepared for cryo-sectioning followed by fluorescent immuno-histology using standard methods. Results: En bloc excision of the prostate with the penis allowed imaging of the genital nerves using the retrograde transported neural marker, TTc790. We noted fluorescent TTc-related signal uptake along the expected course of the nerve tract ipsilateral to the injection site, and were able to clearly demonstrate the pelvic ganglion within the capsule of the prostate. Immuno-histological assessment with post cryo-sectioning confirmed our surgical microscopy findings, including our demonstration of the pelvic ganglion. Conclusions: We demonstrate the use of TTc790 as a nerve imaging agent for showing the anatomy of the cavernosal nerves and pelvic ganglion complex by intra-operative fluorescent imaging. This suggests that, with further work, image guidance could be provided to physicians and surgeons to spare these nerves during prostate carcinoma treatments, allowing the preservation of genital nerve function and improving quality of life in prostate cancer survivors. Citation Format: Lucia Le Roux, Daniela Ramos, Leo Flores, Dawid Schellingerhout. Preserving genital nerve function in prostate cancer: imaging with a molecular imaging agent. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1438.
Politics in structural perspective

Almost all political analysts are unwitting structuralists, because they define social power primarily in relational terms. Power is not a property or attribute that is inherent in an individual or group in the way that an electrical battery stores so many volts of energy. Rather, power is an aspect of the actual or potential interaction between two or more social actors. ( Actor is a generic term for a unitary social entity, whether an individual person or a larger collectivity, such as a corporation or a nation state.) Most formal definitions of social power explicitly indicate this relational dimension. For example, Bertrand Russell wrote of power as “the production of intended effects” (Russell, 1938: 25), which Wrong modified to “the capacity of some persons to produce intended and foreseen effects on others” (Wrong, 1979: 2). Similarly, Max Weber's two famous definitions of power ( Macht ) underscored the coercive aspect of relationships between two or more actors: ‘Power’ is the probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance, regardless of the basis on which this probability rests. (Weber, 1947: 152) We understand by ‘power’ the chance of a man or a number of men to realize their own will in a social action even against the resistance of others who are participating in the action. (Weber, 1968: 962)
Performance and Linguistic Spectacle in Sandra Cisneros’ Caramelo and Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The roots of narrative in oral storytelling link today’s novels to various modes of performance. For US Latino writers whose culture and history have been devalorized by social pressures to assimilate to the melting pot, performance offers a key strategy of reasserting an unappreciated and sometimes disdained culture. Chicano and Puerto Rican pride, for example, like the Black pride of the 1960s, allowed these groups to delight in the public reassertion and revalorization of their culture. Thirty years later, two Latino writers who have attained immense success in the US mainstream and internationally have carried narrative strategies of performance to great heights. Chicana writer Sandra Cisneros and Dominican-American writer Junot Diaz (2008) highlight performativity in their recent epic novels—Caramelo (2002) and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), which won the Pulitzer prize in 2008. The writers engage in linguistic and ethnic spectacularity as performative strategies through which they present themselves as innovative American writers who display ethnicity and exhibit aesthetic prowess.
Aging and leakage tradeoff in VLSI circuits

Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) has become a serious reliability issue for digital circuits. BTI-induced transistor aging degrades transistor performance over time and may eventually induce circuit failure due to timing variations. The leakage power dissipation is another concern as technology scales. While multiple Vth and pin reordering are know as to reduce power leakage, both methods would affect transistor aging. In this paper, we propose an integer linear programming (ILP) based method to optimize VLSI circuits by considering aging-leakage tradeoff. The experimental results show up to 84% leakage power saving within the delay degradation constraint.
FLAVOR CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL AND ABNORMAL MILK1

Flavor is one characteristic of quality in raw milk. Presence of abnormality, as reflected in somatic cell levels, is considered aesthetically undesirable and may well affect the flavor characteristics of raw milk. Raw milk producer samples were analyzed for flavor, somatic cell concentration, acid degree value, total and coliform bacteria, pH, butterfat, and total solids. There was an inverse relationship between flavor score and acid degree value. Results did not confirm the supposition that somatic cell concentrations may affect the flavor of raw milk.
Large-scale analysis of variation in the insulin-like growth factor family in humans reveals rare disease links and common polymorphisms.

The insulin-like growth factors IGF1 and IGF2 are closely related proteins that are essential for normal growth and development in humans and other species and play critical roles in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. IGF actions are mediated by transmembrane receptors and modulated by IGF-binding proteins. The importance of IGF actions in human physiology is strengthened by the rarity of inactivating mutations in their genes and by the devastating impact caused by such mutations on normal development and somatic growth. Large-scale genome sequencing has the potential to provide new insights into human variation and disease susceptibility. Toward this end, the availability of DNA sequence data from 60,706 people through the Exome Aggregation Consortium has prompted the analyses presented here. Results reveal a broad range of potential missense and other alterations in the coding regions of every IGF family gene, but the vast majority of predicted changes were uncommon. The total number of different alleles detected per gene in the population varied over an ∼15-fold range, from 57 for IGF1 to 872 for IGF2R, although when corrected for protein length the rate ranged from 0.22 to 0.59 changes/codon among the 11 genes evaluated. Previously characterized disease-causing mutations in IGF2, IGF1R, IGF2R, or IGFALS all were found in the general population but with allele frequencies of
Hepatitis B reactivation during or after direct acting antiviral therapy - implication for susceptible individuals.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The FDA issued a warning following 24 cases of HBV reactivation during DAA therapy for HCV, including individuals with inactive, occult and past HBV infection. Clinical presentations ranged from asymptomatic fluctuations in HBV DNA to fulminant hepatic failure, liver transplantation and death. The mechanism is unknown.Areas covered: HCV/HBV coinfection is common, particularly in regions endemic for HBV. HCV and HBV utilize host factors to support replication; both viruses evade/impair host immunity. Clinical presentations of HBV reactivation during DAAs are summarized. Other causes of HBV reactivation are revisited and recent data regarding HBV reactivation are presented.Expert opinion: HBV reactivation during DAAs for HCV occurs, with life-threatening consequences in some individuals. The risk of HBV reactivation is observed in all HBV stages. The rapid removal of HCV likely alters and liberates host-viral ± viral-viral interactions that lead to increased HBV replication. As immune ...
Arthroscopic Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair With Suture Augmentation

Historically, poor results of open primary repair of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been reported. In hindsight, however, appropriate patient selection (i.e. proximal tears and good tissue quality) was not performed, because it has recently been recognized that good outcomes of primary ACL repair are possible when selectively performed in patients with proximal tears and good tissue quality. Moreover, with modern-day advances, arthroscopic primary repair can be an excellent treatment option for patients with proximal tears. Preserving the native ACL has several advantages, including maintaining native proprioceptive function and biology. The procedure is also minimally invasive and prevents the need for formal ACL reconstruction. Recently, it has been suggested that additional suture augmentation of the primary repair technique may be beneficial for protecting ligament healing during early range of motion. In this Technical Note, we present the surgical technique of arthroscopic primary repair with suture augmentation for patients with proximal ACL tears.
Animal Health: Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most contagious viral diseases that can affect cloven-hoofed livestock and wild animals. Outbreaks of FMD have caused devastating economic losses and the slaughter of millions of animals in many regions of the world affecting the food chain and global development. A wealth of research has accumulated for more than 100 years since the discovery of its causative agent, the FMD virus (FMDV). This article summarizes the current knowledge of FMDV at the molecular level as well as the disease pathogenesis, host immune response, disease outbreaks, and various approaches for disease diagnosis and control.
Demographic Structure and Processes

Develop a basic understanding of population dynamics and structures Understand the size and composition of various groups Define and discuss major demographic processes: fertility, mortality, and migration Consider major shifts related to globalization and urbanization Understand how patients’ backgrounds contribute to their perceptions of disease, health care, and treatments
Parallel Monotonic Basin Hopping for Low Thrust Trajectory Optimization

Monotonic Basin Hopping has been shown to be an effective method of solving low thrust trajectory optimization problems. This paper outlines an extension to the common serial implementation by parallelizing it over any number of available compute cores. The Parallel Monotonic Basin Hopping algorithm described herein is shown to be an effective way to more quickly locate feasible solutions, and improve locally optimal solutions in an automated way without requiring a feasible initial guess. The increased speed achieved through parallelization enables the algorithm to be applied to more complex problems that would otherwise be impractical for a serial implementation. Low thrust cislunar transfers and a hybrid Mars example case demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. Finally, a preliminary scaling study quantifies the expected decrease in solve time compared to a serial implementation.,
Nanospheres with a smectic hydrophobic core and an amorphous PEG hydrophilic shell: structural changes and implications for drug delivery.

The structure of nanospheres with a crystalline core and an amorphous diffuse shell was investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), small-, medium-, and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, MAXS and WAXS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Nanospheres, 28 to 35 nm in diameter, were prepared from a triblock copolymer with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrophilic end-blocks and oligomers of alternating desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine octyl ester (DTO) and suberic acid (SA) as the central hydrophobic block. In the lyophilized nanospheres, the diffraction patterns show that the PEG shell is ∼10 nm in thickness and crystalline, and the hydrophobic core is ∼10 nm in diameter with a smectic liquid crystalline texture. In aqueous dispersions, the hydrated PEG forms an amorphous shell, but the crystalline phase in the core persists at concentrations down to 1 mg ml-1 as evidenced by the sharp MAXS diffraction peak at a d-spacing of 24.4 A and a melting endotherm at 40 °C. As the dispersion is diluted (<1 mg ml-1), the core becomes less ordered, and its diameter decreases by 50% even though the overall size of the nanosphere remains essentially unchanged. It is likely that below a critical concentration, intermixing of hydrophobic segments with the PEG segments reduces the size and the crystallinity of the core. At these concentrations, the PEG corona forms a eutectic with water. The mechanisms by which the concentration of the dispersion influences the structure of the nanospheres, and consequently their drug-release characteristics, are discussed.
Salicaceae Endophytes Modulate Stomatal Behavior and Increase Water Use Efficiency in Rice.

Previous studies demonstrated that bacterial and yeast endophytes isolated from the Salicaceae family promote growth and alleviate plant stress. To determine the physiological pathways through which endophytes affect host plant water relations, we investigated plant water potential, water use, and stomatal responses of rice plants to endophyte inoculation under CO2 enrichment and water deficit conditions. We found decreases in stomatal conductance during the daytime and decreases in stomatal density of rice by endophytes. In addition, we observed increases in ABA concentrations in rice leaves with endophytes, which supports the impacts of endophytes on the stomatal responses. Due to the stomatal responses, accumulated total transpiration over time was significantly decreased by endophytes while biomass was either maintained or slightly increased. These led to increases in water use efficiency of the plants at harvest. Three different endophyte strains produced the same results in host plant water relations and stomatal responses. These stomatal responses were also observed under elevated CO2 conditions, and the increase in water use efficiency was greater under water deficit conditions. This increase in water use efficiency was positively correlated to daily light integral during the experiments. Our results provide physiological mechanisms of endophytes increasing water use efficiency. We suggest that the main reason was stomatal closure and alteration of stomatal density while photosynthesis might not be affected.
Pesticide durability and the evolution of resistance: A novel application of survival analysis.

Background Arthropod pests are widely perceived to evolve resistance to insecticides at different rates. Although widespread "successful" species are assumed to evolve quickly and minor pests slowly, few studies have utilized published data on resistance events to test for differences among species. Using 532 records from the Arthropod Pesticide Resistance Database covering 20 species, we applied a survival analysis to model the number of generations from insecticide introduction to the first report of arthropod resistance, providing one of the most comprehensive analyses of this question to date. Our approach tested: 1) whether successful pests evolve resistance faster than close relatives, 2) whether species differ significantly in the time to demonstrate resistance, and 3) whether different insecticide classes differ in durability (length of time an insecticide is used before resistance arises). Results We found that species differed significantly in the amount of time it took for resistance to be reported. Overall, the median duration between the introduction of an insecticide and the first report of resistance was 66 generations (95% c.i. 60-78 generations), and highly-resistant arthropods did not evolve resistance faster than their relatives. Insecticide durability did not differ by the mode of action or year of introduction. Conclusion Arthropod species significantly varied in how rapidly they evolve resistance to new insecticides, regardless of their chemistry. Visualization of the history of insecticide resistance provides information to be used for understanding how pesticide resistance evolved and how it can best be managed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Persistent cell motility requires transcriptional feedback of cytoskeletal – focal adhesion equilibrium by YAP/TAZ

Cell migration initiates by traction generation through reciprocal actomyosin tension and focal adhesion reinforcement, but continued motility requires adaptive cytoskeletal remodeling and adhesion release. Here, we asked whether de novo gene expression contributes to this cytoskeletal feedback. We found that global inhibition of transcription or translation does not impair initial cell polarization or migration initiation, but causes eventual migratory arrest through excessive cytoskeletal tension and over-maturation of focal adhesions, tethering cells to their matrix. The transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ mediate this feedback response, modulating cell mechanics by limiting cytoskeletal and focal adhesion maturation to enable persistent cell motility and 3D vasculogenesis. Motile arrest after YAP/TAZ ablation was rescued by depletion of the YAP/TAZ-dependent myosin phosphatase regulator, NUAK2, or by inhibition of Rho-ROCK-myosin II. Together, these data establish a transcriptional feedback axis necessary to maintain a responsive cytoskeletal equilibrium and enable neovascular function.
Providing descriptive norms during engineering design can encourage more sustainable infrastructure

Abstract Engineering design decisions can produce more sustainable civil infrastructure systems, but cognitive barriers to innovative thinking often inhibit such outcomes. Existing research shows how descriptive norms that provide decision-makers with information about how others decide in a given context, can encourage more sustainable choices among users. Research described in this article shows that descriptive norms can encourage more sustainable choices among designers of civil infrastructure. We asked research participants to complete a simulated design exercise after randomly assigning them to either a modified version of the Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure (with a positive descriptive norm reflecting high sustainability performance among other designers) or the current version of Envision (with no descriptive norm). Participants exposed to the positive descriptive norm set goals that resulted on average in 28% more sustainability points than a control group. A positive descriptive norm, in addition to being effective by itself, also added to the effect of other choice architecture interventions (defaults and role model project) known to increase sustainability goals. These results show a specific example and the potential for widespread use of descriptive norms in choice architecture interventions to support design for greater sustainability in civil infrastructure.
IMMERSIVE AUDIO AND MUSIC IN THE ALLOSPHERE

The UCSB Allosphere is a 3-story-high spherical instrument in which virtual environments and performances can be experienced in a fully immersive fashion. It is made of a perforated aluminum sphere, ten meters in diameter, suspended inside a quasi-anechoic cube. The space is now being equipped with high-resolution active stereo projectors, a 3D sound system with hundreds of speakers, and with tracking and interaction mechanisms. The Allosphere allows for the exploration of large-scale data sets in an environment that is at the same time multimodal, multimedia, multi-user, immersive, and interactive. This novel and unique instrument will be used for research into scientific visualization/auralization and d ata exploration, and as a research environment for behavioral and cognitive scientists. It will also serve as a research an d performance space for artists exploring new forms of art. In particular, the Allosphere has been carefully designed to allow for immersive music applications. In this paper, we give an overview of the instrument, focusing on the audio subsystem. We present first results and our experiences in developing and using the Allosphere in several prototype projects.
High-Strain Rate Compressive Behavior of Dry Mason Sand Under Confinement

Uniaxial compressive behavior of Mason sand, a poorly-graded local sand supplied by Colorado Materials (Longmont, CO), was investigated on a long split Hopkinson pressure bar. Sand grains were confined inside a hardened steel tube and capped by tungsten carbide rods. This assembly was subjected to repeat shaking to consolidate sand to attain desired bulk mass density, then sandwiched between incident and transmission bar ends for dynamic compression. Unsorted dry sand was characterized at high strain rates to determine the volumetric and deviatoric behavior through measurements of both axial and transverse response of cylindrical sand sample under confinement. Effects of sand mass density on the constitutive behavior were investigated. The stress–strain relationship was found to follow a power law relationship with the initial bulk density. The Young’s modulus and hardness of individual sand grains were determined by nanoindentation. The sand deformation was observed through sapphire tube using ultra-high speed photography to determine the elastic deformation and compaction behavior. The energy absorption density and compressibility were determined as a function of axial stress. These results can be analyzed further for constitutive modeling and for mesoscale simulations to understand the soil behavior under blast subject to high pressure and high rate deformations.
Recommendations on the Indications for RBC Transfusion for the Critically Ill Child Receiving Support From Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Ventricular Assist, and Renal Replacement Therapy Devices From the Pediatric Critical Care Transfusion and Anemia Expertise Initiative.

Objectives:To present recommendations and supporting literature for RBC transfusions in critically ill children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ventricular assist devices, or renal replacement therapy.Design:Consensus conference series of international, multidisciplinary experts