cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mean Flow Development in Dual-Stream Compressible Jets

We present experimental results on the mean e ow development and potential core lengths of single- and dualstream compressible air jets. The research is relevant to noise emission, thermal signature, and combustion in high-speed turbulent jets. The primary e ow was set at Mach number 1.5, and the secondary stream was supplied atfoursubsonicMachnumbersfromnozzlesofvariableareaandshape.Coaxialandeccentricnozzlecone gurations were investigated. In the coaxial arrangements, the secondary e ow reduces the growth rate of the primary shear layer and elongates the primary potential core. As a result, the mass entrainment rate of the coaxial jet is less than that of the singlejet. Thepotentialcoreisstretched by 68%when a secondary stream with area ratio 2.9 issupplied at Mach number 0.9. The eccentric cone guration shows substantial improvement in mixing over the coaxial case and achieves an entrainment rate roughly equal to that of the single jet when the exit areas of the primary and secondary streams are approximately equal. On an equal mass e ow rate basis, the eccentric dual-stream jet with area ratio 0.9 actually mixes faster than the single jet. The potential core and the supersonic region of the jet are elongated much less than in the coaxial case. A semi-empirical model, based on thepresentdata and classical shear layer relations, is proposed for the primary and secondary core lengths of coaxial jets.
Triptans in children and adolescents

The advent of triptans in the 1990 s changed the approach to treating the migraine sufferer. Before triptan drugs, an acute attack of migraine was treated with drugs to put the patient to sleep until the migraine passed. This rendered the patient unable to resume activities such as school or work. Migraineurs had significant morbidity from treated as well as untreated attacks. With the use of this class of medications, headache could be treated quickly without the accompanied sedation from the medications. This has allowed people to get back to their busy lives, and migraine disability from medications has been lowered. Unfortunately, pediatric triptan trials have for the most part failed to demonstrate efficacy when compared to placebo. Nevertheless, these drugs are used for children and adolescents without FDA approval. Study design and consent adapted form adult studies may have made the placebo response rate higher than it needed to be. Drug Dev Res 68:346–349, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Calculation of bridging oxygen 17O quadrupolar coupling parameters in alkali silicates: a combined ab initio investigation.

Abstract Ab initio band-structure calculations based on the density functional theory have been performed for several crystalline Li, Na, and K-silicates to obtain electric-field gradients (efg) for oxygen atoms. The efg for bridging oxygen environments in these compounds were also investigated by performing ab initio self-consistent field Hartree–Fock molecular orbital calculations on silicate clusters, and there is good agreement between these two approaches. By performing additional ab initio quantum chemistry calculations on model silicate clusters the factors influencing the O 17 quadrupole coupling parameters for bridging oxygen environments in alkali silicates have been examined. The quadrupolar asymmetry parameter was found to be dependent on the Si–O–Si angle and the nature of the modifier cation, in agreement with previous studies. In contrast, the quadrupolar coupling constant was found to have a strong dependence on Si–O distance, as well as Si–O–Si angle and the nature of the modifier cation. Analytical expressions describing these dependencies are proposed, which should assist in describing the local environments of bridging oxygen in crystalline and amorphous materials.
NSTX Power Supply configuration control upgrade

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is in its second decade of operation at PPPL. NSTX has a total of 15 coil systems (which include the coils, their dedicated power supplies and associated auxiliary equipment) that create and control the plasma per the experimental objectives. Each coil system is individually controllable via the NSTX Power Supply Real Time Controller (PSRTC) software code written in C language. The NSTX has great flexibility in both the configuration of its coil system and in the operating envelope afforded by the connected power supplies. To ensure proper operation and to minimize the probability of lost runtime due to system faults, the project has developed a procedure that governs system configuration. The Integrated System Test Procedure (ISTP-001) documents the NSTX machine parameters, experiment configuration limits, machine protection settings and device settings. This paper will describe calculations for the ISTP 001 methodology and system protection settings; record keeping of the various configuration revisions and the upgrade in progress to improve readability and calculation capabilities.
Mesoscale Structure in the Megalopolitan Snowstorm, 11–12 February 1983. Part II: Doppler Radar Study of the New England Snowband

Abstract A major snowstorm in eastern Massachusetts, 11–12 February 1983, was associated with a persistent mesoscale band of high reflectivity observed at MIT. The band was strengthened, then weakened, by the propagation of a high-amplitude gravity wave through it, without permanent disruption of either entity. Transformation of a single band to a group of three accompanied rotation from zonal to northeast-southwest, as the storm passed eastward out of radar range. An RHI cross section normal to the band at the inception of breakup showed a shallow layer of strong transverse (warm-to-cold) velocity components, evidently due to large-scale frontogenetical forcing, separating ascending air with small hydrostatic and symmetric stability above from descending air with large stability below. Band breakup was associated with a prominent small-scale oscillation along transverse jet Vertical motions calculated from a velocity azimuth display time series showed descent in the layer from 1.5 to 2.5 km throughout th...
Synaptic Inhibition of Pyramidal Cells Evoked by Different Interneuronal Subtypes in Layer V of Rat Visual Cortex

Properties of GABAA receptor-mediated unitary inhibitory postsynaptic currents (uIPSCs) in pyramidal (P) cells, evoked by fast spiking (FS) and low-threshold spike (LTS) subtypes of interneurons in...
Method and Factual Agreement in Science

One important view of the nature of facts in science sees the validity of factual claims as resting upon intersubjective agreement through observation, yet the conditions underlying such intersubjectivity are rarely explored.1 In this paper I should like to inquire into the role of shared method in arriving at intersubjective agreement concerning fact. One useful way of exploring this issue is to examine the methodological element in factual disputes in science, since such controversy may indicate important aspects of factual agreement.2
Animal Models for Lentivirus Infections — Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Publisher Summary Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a naturally occurring feline lentivirus analog of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). FIV causes immunodeficiency disease in its natural host and represents a non-primate model, which is useful to study certain aspects of HIV infection not addressable in humans. Domestic cats are the natural host for FIV, for which no specialized treatment is required. As with HIV, SIV, and all known retroviruses, susceptibility to FIV is inversely related to age as younger animals, especially neonates, have more rapid disease progression than adults. Inoculation dose varies immensely in experimental transmission studies due to the influence of route, inoculum source, and study design. The inocula used in this method include whole blood, plasma, infected cells, and tissue culture supernatant. FIV is infectious via intravenous, intraperitoneal, intradermal, or subcutaneous injection as well as by atraumatic instillation on to the oral, vaginal, or rectal mucosa. Detection methods for FIV parallel those for HIV. Plasma viral RNA, as measured by quantitative competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (QCPCR), is the most relevant means to monitor active virus burden. One of the hallmarks of FIV infection, as with HIV infection, is the loss of CD4+ T lymphocytes (CD4 cells). CD4 cytopenia typically occurs late in the course of disease, but can occur within weeks of infection in accelerated disease models and in neonates. Antibodies directed against FIV can be detected in serum or plasma by ELISA or western blot as early as two weeks post-infection, and typically persist throughout the disease. Neutropenia, lymphopenia, and anemia are typical of FIV infection in cats. Because of the similarities between FIV and HIV infections, FIV can be useful in testing of antiviral drugs directed toward targets shared by the two viruses.
Urea protects from the proapoptotic effect of NaCl in renal medullary cells

Hypertonic NaCl upregulated two sensitive and specific biochemical indices of apoptosis, caspase-3 activation and annexin V binding, in a time- and dose-dependent fashion in renal medullary mIMCD3 ...
Song Dialects in Several Populations of Mountain White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Leucophrys Oriantha) in the Sierra Nevada

Species identification is one of the basic functions attributed to bird song, although little is known about the actual parameters which make it specific. In order to elucidate such species-specific parameters, several studies have concentrated on the evolution of intraspecific variation in song patterns. Intraspecific variations have been analyzed in terms of subunits of song. These subunits may vary in frequency distribution within a population of birds or between geographically separated populations of birds (Emlen 1972, Helb 1973). Geographic variation in the song of a species refers to differences in song over distance and between populations which normally do not mix (Nottebohm 1969). Vocal differences occurring in neighboring populations are often called dialects. The songs of the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) (Thorpe 1958), Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) (Lemon 1966), and Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) (Borror 1965, Harris and Lemon 1972) show differences between neighboring populations. Additional examples have been noted by Thielcke (1969). Vocal variation within subspecies in crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia) has been described by Chapman (1940), Marler and Tamura (1962), Borror and Gunn (1965), Nottebohm (1969), and Baptista (1973, 1974). Marler and Tamura (1962) showed the existence of a system of dialects for the Whitecrowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli). They found great stereotypy among the members of a population and differences between neighboring populations. Nottebohm (1969), Egli (1971), and King (1972) also found differences between neighboring populations of Rufous-collared Sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis). The present study was undertaken with the hope of providing a detailed analysis of intrapopulation and interpopulation variation of song in the Mountain White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) in the Sierra Nevada of California.
THE EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF AN ANTIPREDATOR REACTION NORM: DAPHNIA PULEX AND CHAOBORUS AMERICANUS.

Ponds containing the parthenogenetic zooplankter Daphnia pulex with and without chaoborid predators were sampled over the course of a season. A significant (P < 0.05) Spearman rank correlation was found between predator density and the expression of an antipredator defense (neckteeth) by the Daphnia. The reaction norms (percent induction of a single genotype versus predator density) of clones isolated from predator-free and predator-rich habitats were determined in a laboratory setting. There was a statistically significant different response among the six clones tested (P < 0.05). Clones isolated from chaoborid ponds showed significantly greater sensitivity to the presence of predator than clones from predator-free ponds (P < 0.05). In the laboratory, food levels under which prey were cultured affected induction of the antipredator response. Highest induction was found at the lowest food level used.
Clinical study on relations of HBV-DNA and HBV plasma immunological index

Objective To explore the self-identity of public places practitioners on AIDS related knowledge.Methods we surveyed public places practitioners that come to medical clinic,and educate them on AIDS related knowledge and health.Results The rate on correctly awareness of the danger of AIDS is 84.9 percent while 50 percent do not have enough cognitive awareness on the name of AIDS and the symptoms of AIDS patients.Over 50 percent indicate that they are unaware of whether there is a vaccine on AIDS or there is meth- ods of prevention or there is a cure method.56.1 percent understand the knowledge of AIDS transmission,65.4 percent understand AIDS prevention knowledge.Conclusion In preventive medicine clinic,it's urgent and im- portant for AIDS.health education right to medical practitioners in public places.
Demographic consequences of greater clonal than sexual reproduction in Dicentra canadensis

Clonality is a widespread life history trait in flowering plants that may be essential for population persistence, especially in environments where sexual reproduction is unpredictable. Frequent clonal reproduction, however, could hinder sexual reproduction by spatially aggregating ramets that compete with seedlings and reduce inter-genet pollination. Nevertheless, the role of clonality in relation to variable sexual reproduction in population dynamics is often overlooked. We combined population matrix models and pollination experiments to compare the demographic contributions of clonal and sexual reproduction in three Dicentra canadensis populations, one in a well-forested landscape and two in isolated forest remnants. We constructed stage-based transition matrices from 3 years of census data to evaluate annual population growth rates, λ. We used loop analysis to evaluate the relative contribution of different reproductive pathways to λ. Despite strong temporal and spatial variation in seed set, populations generally showed stable growth rates. Although we detected some pollen limitation of seed set, manipulative pollination treatments did not affect population growth rates. Clonal reproduction contributed significantly more than sexual reproduction to population growth in the forest remnants. Only at the well-forested site did sexual reproduction contribute as much as clonal reproduction to population growth. Flowering plants were more likely to transition to a smaller size class with reduced reproductive potential in the following year than similarly sized nonflowering plants, suggesting energy trade-offs between sexual and clonal reproduction at the individual level. Seed production had negligible effects on growth and tuber production of individual plants. Our results demonstrate that clonal reproduction is vital for population persistence in a system where sexual reproduction is unpredictable. The bias toward clonality may be driven by low fitness returns for resource investment in sexual reproduction at the individual level. However, chronic failure in sexual reproduction may exacerbate the imbalance between sexual and clonal reproduction and eventually lead to irreversible loss of sex in the population.
Patterns of Kidney Function Decline Associated with APOL1 Genotypes: Results from AASK

Background and objectives Trajectories of eGFR in patients with CKD are highly variable. Only a subset of patients with CKD experiences a steady decline in eGFR. The objective of our study was to investigate whether eGFR trajectory patterns differ by APOL1 risk status. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Our study was a longitudinal observational study of 622 participants in the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension with APOL1 genotyping and sufficient follow-up for estimating GFR trajectories. The predictor was APOL1 high–risk status (having two copies of the G1 or G2 risk alleles) versus low-risk status (zero or one copy of the risk alleles), and the outcome was four eGFR trajectory patterns on the basis of the joint probabilities of linearity and progression: steady decline, unsteady decline, steady stable, and unsteady stable. Results Over a median follow-up of 9 years, 24.0% of participants experienced steady eGFR decline, 25.9% had an unsteady decline, 25.6% were steady and stable, and 24.6% were unsteady but stable. Those experiencing steady decline had lower eGFR and higher urine protein-to-creatinine ratio at baseline than participants with the other eGFR trajectory patterns. The APOL1 high–risk group was associated with a greater odds for the steady decline pattern than the APOL1 low–risk group (unadjusted odds ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.62 to 3.69). This association remained significant after adjusting for demographic factors, baseline eGFR, urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, treatment assignment, and follow-up time (adjusted odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 2.52). Conclusions Among patients with CKD attributed to hypertension, those with the APOL1 high–risk genotype were more likely to experience a steady decline trajectory in eGFR than those without the APOL1 high–risk genotype. These findings suggest a persistent underlying pathophysiologic process in those patients with the APOL1 high–risk genotype.
Positive Effect of Surgical Experience With Implants on Second-Stage Implant Survival

This Dental Implant Clinical Research Group study defined a learning curve for dental implant placement. Implants placed by inexperienced surgeons ( or = 50 implants). Implants placed during the first 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 cases were compared with all others. The greatest difference was seen between the first nine cases and all others (P = .001), with later cases failing significantly less often. Inexperienced surgeons had more failures in the first nine cases (5.9%) than more experienced surgeons (2.4%). Surgeons with little or no previous experience must expect a definite learning curve. Previous experience may transfer and result in a shallower learning curve for subsequent systems.
Determinants of ammonia entry along the rat proximal tubule during chronic metabolic acidosis

The technique of in vivo microperfusion was used to examine the determinants of ammonia entry along the rat proximal tubule under conditions of chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA). When perfused with ...
Student learning through journal writing in a natural science course for pre-elementary education majors

This paper describes the use of journals in a general education chemistry course for elementary education majors. In the journals, students describe their understanding of a topic, its development, and its connection to their lives. The following types of reflections were identified in student journals: action, prior knowledge, project ideas, text resources, classroom events, and monitoring of knowledge. A multiple linear regression analysis of total course points earned versus student GPA, ACT score, number of reflections made for each reflection type, and total number of reflection made throughout all journals was used to determine the significance of the type of reflections made by students in relationship to their chemistry content understanding. The results indicate that students who reflected more on classroom events and those who monitored their knowledge correlated positively with a higher content knowledge. However, reflecting on text resources had a negative correlation to students' overall chemistry content knowledge.
Future Work and Conclusions

This dissertation has presented a theory of argument comprehension, representation, and retrieval. The theory has been implemented in the OpEd system to read editorials about the effects of economic-protection policies and answer questions about the contents of those editorials.
“Now I Look at All the Kids Differently”: Cracking Teacher Candidates’ Assumptions about School Achievement in Urban Communities

ABSTRACTThis mixed-methods study explores the impact of teacher preparation coursework on 141 teacher candidates’ understandings about educational equality, school achievement, and meritocracy. Framed by pedagogies of discomfort, the program included readings, discussions, simulations, films, and direct work with emergent bilingual students. Findings from an analysis of surveys, interviews, and class discussions indicate that the program (1) complicated candidates’ understandings of school achievement and meritocracy in urban, underserved communities and (2) prompted participants to see students and themselves differently. These findings inform new pathways for enhancing candidates’ ability to critically understand school achievement within complex systems of systemic advantage and disadvantage.
Coda: New Formalisms

As noted in the Introduction, the label “New Formalism” in this study (like “New Formalist”) has no connection with the movement in American poetry of the same name — a movement Susan Wolf son tartly characterizes as “a Reagan-80s school of American poetry, with a formalist agenda that was reactionary, politically and poetically.”1 The possibility of mistakenly allying current formalist criticism with that poetic school is only one of Wolf son’s objections to the term. Like some other critics, she also hears in “New Formalism” the implication that attention to form had virtually disappeared from criticism until bravely resurrected by a few contemporary stalwarts. But in fact, as she notes, there have never not been literary students attentive to form, however marginalized they may have been — or been made to feel — by such phenomena as the rise of politically engaged, largely thematic critical writing, particularly during the 1980s and after. From this perspective, a label like “New Formalist” obliquely denigrates those who have been practicing formalism all along. Yet it is nonetheless the case that a number of modern critical trends or schools, quite different from one another, may arguably claim the label “formalist”: Russian Formalism, the art criticism of Roger Fry, the French tradition of explication de texte, New Criticism, Deconstruction, New Historicism (at times), and more.
A Note on Corporate Entrepreneurship: Challenge or Opportunity?

This note provides an overview of the rationale and the challenges associated with building new businesses within established companies. It provides a framework for understanding why corporations pursue entrepreneurial ventures and the various levers that they employ. The note offers a comparison of the various approaches, with examples, and their pros and cons.
Alkaloids from Organized Atropa belladonna Cultures

Unorganized suspension cultures of some higher plants are known to produce various industrially important products, i.e. nicotine from Nicotiana tobacum [Al-Abta, 1978] and purine alkaloids from Coffea arabica [Frischknecht, 1977, 1980]; however, structurally organized organs or somatic embryos are needed in some cases [Butcher, 1977; Al-Abta, 1978, 1979; Yamada, 1983] for secondary metabolite production. To achieve redifferentiation, media and culture conditions sometimes need to be varied. These changes complicate the selection of optimum production conditions by introducing more manipulative variables. A three stage scheme for production of tropane alkaloids from Atropa belladonna is proposed here.
Top 50 Cited Articles in Neurorehabilitation by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Bibliometric Analysis

A systematic bibliometric analysis of TMS in neurorehabilitation. Current and future basic research lines and their clinical applications are highlighted.
Documentation of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) recovery and spawning success from a restored population in the Mississippi River, Missouri, USA

Summary Lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens are considered rare and were nearly extirpated in the Mississippi River in Missouri by 1931 as a result of overfishing and habitat fragmentation. Propagation efforts have been implemented by the Missouri Department of Conservation since 1984 as means to restore the lake sturgeon population. Although recent population increases have been observed, a formalized evaluation to determine if lake sturgeon are self-sustaining in the Missouri portion of the Mississippi River has not been completed. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the proportion of reproductive individuals, (ii) evaluate seasonal movement patterns of adults, and (iii) validate purported spawning locations within the Mississippi River in Missouri. Lake sturgeon catch data indicated that approximately 11 percent of the population are reproductively mature. Additionally, telemetry data confirms that the greatest movement by adult lake sturgeon occurs during spring, which suggests spawning behavior. Finally, it was possible to document lake sturgeon embryos and emergent fry larvae below Melvin Price Locks and Dam 26 in the Upper Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. Water velocity, depth, and substrate size were measured at this location and embryos were collected and hatched in the laboratory. River gage data suggest that spawning behavior may have been elicited by a large influx of water during a drawdown period of water above the dam. This study represents the first documented spawning of A. fulvescens in the Mississippi River and highlights the success of recovery efforts in Missouri.
The Past Is Present: Representations of Parents, Friends, and Romantic Partners Predict Subsequent Romantic Representations.

This study examined how representations of parent-child relationships, friendships, and past romantic relationships are related to subsequent romantic representations. Two-hundred 10th graders (100 female; Mage = 15.87 years) from diverse neighborhoods in a Western U.S. city were administered questionnaires and were interviewed to assess avoidant and anxious representations of their relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners. Participants then completed similar questionnaires and interviews about their romantic representations six more times over the next 7.5 years. Growth curve analyses revealed that representations of relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners each uniquely predicted subsequent romantic representations across development. Consistent with attachment and behavioral systems theory, representations of romantic relationships are revised by representations and experiences in other relationships.
Bachelor of Social Work Students' Interest in End-of-Life Social Work Practice: Determining the Influential Factors

End-of-life issues are becoming a predominant topic within social work education. This study examined undergraduate social work students' interest in end-of-life practice. Through the use of qualitative analysis, it was found that students who were interested in gerontology, who were more comfortable with the dying process, or who had experienced more personal deaths were more attracted to pursuing a career in end-of-life practice. Those students who were not interested in end-of-life social work practice wanted to work with children/adolescents, viewed the topic as depressing, and were concerned about lack of practice skills. Suggestions for integrating end-of-life material into the undergraduate social work curriculum are included.
Trends in treatment patterns and outcomes for DCIS patients: A SEER population-based analysis.

1007 Background: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is considered a precursor lesion of invasive ductal cancer of the breast, and current therapy aims to prevent progression to invasive disease. Howev...
Reappraisal of dioxygen binding in NOV1 crystal structures.

McAndrew et al. (1) report the crystal structure of NOV1, a stilbene-cleaving carotenoid cleavage oxygenase (CCO), in substrate-free and substrate/product-bound forms, all of which with dioxygen (O2) bound to the nonheme iron center of the enzyme. In mononuclear nonheme iron enzymes studied to date, the Fe–O2 interaction is strongly promoted by the binding of organic substrate/cofactor at or near the iron center (2), limiting formation of potentially detrimental reactive oxygen species (3). This proposed nonsequential substrate binding in NOV1 deviates from the current paradigm of O2 activation by nonheme iron enzymes. The substrate-free NOV1 structure features O2 bound side-on to iron, modeled based on an elongated electron density peak. However, the strength of this elongated peak is nonuniform, in contrast to other side-on Fe–O2 complexes (4, 5), as reflected by the disparate B-factors for the two oxygen atoms … [↵][1]1Email: pdk7{at}case.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Biosemantics guided gene expression profiling of Sjögren’s syndrome: a comparative analysis with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) shares many clinical and pathological similarities with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These autoimmune diseases mostly affect women. In this study, concept profile analysis (CPA) and gene expression meta-analysis were used to identify genes potentially involved in SS pathogenesis. Human genes associated with SS, SLE, and RA were identified using the CPA tool, Anni 2.1. The differential mRNA expression of genes common to SS and SLE (SS-SLE) was determined in female peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using NCBI-GEO2R. Differentially expressed (DE) SS-SLE PBMC genes in common with the SS-SLE CPA-identified genes were analyzed for differential expression in salivary glands or synovial biopsies, and for genes common to SS and RA and SLE and RA, analyzing differential expression in salivary glands in SS, synovial fibroblasts in RA, and synovial fluid in SLE. Among common genes, DE genes found in salivary gland mRNA expression in patients with SS were used for gene enrichment and SS molecular network construction. Secondary analysis was performed to identify DE genes unique to the disease site tissues, by excluding PBMC and CPA common DE genes to complement the SS network. We identified 22 DE genes in salivary gland datasets in SS that have not previously been clearly associated with SS pathogenesis. Among these, higher levels of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHEK1), V-Ets avian erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog 1 (ETS1), and lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) were significantly correlated with higher matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) levels. Higher MMP9 levels have been implicated in degradation of salivary gland structural integrity, leading to hypo-salivation in patients with SS. Salivary gland mRNA expression of MMP9 and the expression of cytokine CXCL10 were higher in patients with SS. CXCL10 has been shown to increase MMP9 expression and therefore may also play an important role in SS pathogenesis. Using CPA and gene expression analysis, we identified factors targeting MMP9 expression and/or function, namely CHEK1, CXCL10, ETS1, LEF1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1; altered mRNA expression of these could increase expression/activity of MMP9 in a concerted manner, thereby potentially impacting SS pathogenesis.
Review: China's Early Mosques, by Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt

Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt China's Early Mosques Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015, 368 pp., 8 maps, 140 color and 60 b/w illus. $160/£95, ISBN 9780748670413 This well-illustrated book is a most welcome addition to art and architectural history studies, especially in the fields of Islamic and Chinese art. I know this because I have had the opportunity to use the volume on several occasions. In one case, as I was preparing for a trip to Xinjiang, I found the book indispensable not only for my preparation to visit this area of Central Asian China but also for the accurate information it provided. Before the publication of China's Early Mosques , I had visited important early Muslim sites in southeast and north-central China, but until I read Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt's text, I had great difficulty sorting fact from fiction about the monuments I saw. There is absolutely no other book in English or any European language that covers China's mosques. Further, in addition to being unique, it is lucidly written, shedding light on a topic that might otherwise seem bewildering to the non-Islamic, non-China specialist. This volume will remain the standard work on Chinese mosques well into the future. Chapter 1 opens the book with an introduction to Islam in China, with its population of about 23 million Muslims, the majority of whom are Hui (about 10 million), followed by Uyghurs (about 8.4 million); the rest are largely members of other Turkic-speaking ethnic groups. The written record and material remains provide considerable evidence of trade between China and both South Asia …
High efficient reconfigurable PUF through spin hall-induced coupled-oscillators

In recent decades, hardware security has played a more and more important role. Among various types of hardware, the Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) has been considered as security primitives to generating keys in order to keep systems safe, authentic, informative, and identified. Recently, leveraging the physics of emerging devices to implement on PUF has long been envisioned. However, current emerging devices based PUF are unreliable due to environmental variations. In this paper, we propose High Efficient Reconfigurable PUF using Spin Hall-Induced Coupled-Oscillators, which embraces and exploits spin oscillation of spintronic devices instead of diminishing or circumventing them. Compared with conventional emerging devices based on PUF, our proposed PUF can generate more delay pairs, can be more reliable to environmental variations, faster, and low power. Comprehensive results demonstrate that the proposed PUF can sufficiently support our conclusion.
Association of interleukin-6 polymorphisms with obesity or metabolic traits in young Mexican-Americans.

Objective The objective of the study is to investigate the association of interleukin-6 (IL6) promoter single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs1800797 (-597 G/A) and rs1800796 (-572 G/C) with obesity or metabolic syndrome in Mexican-Americans. Methods The rs1800797 and rs1800796 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped in Mexican-Americans (n = 437) from South Texas, and results were correlated with measures of obesity and metabolic syndrome including body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, liver enzymes, plasma IL6 and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Results Significant associations were found for the rs1800796 variant with increased waist circumference, insulin resistance, lower IL6 levels and higher hs-CRP levels. The rs1800797 variant showed no associations with metabolic traits but was associated with higher IL6 levels and lower hs-CRP levels. Conclusions Findings in this study support the anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and glucose homeostatic roles of IL6 in Mexican-American youth.
Neuromuscular Diseases in Pregnancy

Some of the pregnancy-related physiologic changes such as fluid retention and weight gain may predispose to muscle cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, and meralgia parasthetica. Compression of the lumbar and sacral plexi or their branches during labor and delivery may result in postpartum plexopathy and mononeuropathy. A variety of neuromuscular diseases including those caused by autoimmunity and genetic factors often occur in women of childbearing age who then become pregnant. Pregnancy may result in deterioration of the symptoms in some of the autoimmune diseases such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, myasthenia gravis, and myositis. The symptoms and/or the natural course of some genetic diseases such as inherited neuropathies, muscular dystrophies, and muscle channelopathies also may deteriorate during a pregnancy. Inherited neuropathies and myopathies also may result in abnormal outcome of pregnancy such as abnormal fetal presentation, or in increased rate of interventions such as forceps delivery and cesarean section. Patients with underlying respiratory muscle weakness and chest wall deformity should be considered high risk when pregnant. They should therefore be monitored closely by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, especially later in the pregnancy and during labor and delivery and early in the postpartum period.
Study of Biomechanical Properties of Protein-Based Hydrogels Using Force-Clamp Rheometry

Protein-based hydrogels are unique materials that combine the durability and wetting properties of polymeric hydrogels with the biocompatibility and elasticity of proteins. Additionally, protein hydrogels present a promising system to probe the mechanical unfolding and refolding of proteins in an ensemble approach. Current rheometry methods apply tensile deformation under constant elongation while tethered materials experience changes in length and tension due to viscoelastic effects. These approaches limit the pulling speed in stress-relaxation experiments and the ability to extract information on the molecular behavior of proteins within hydrogels. Here we introduce a force-clamp (FC) hydrogel rheometer that can measure the extension of protein hydrogels at controlled setpoint forces. We demonstrate this system using protein hydrogels made of bovine serum albumin (BSA), polymerized via a photoactivated reaction. We measure the mechanical response of these hydrogels by maintaining a setforce using an ana...
Development of cold spray process for oxidation-resistant FeCrAl and Mo diffusion barrier coatings on optimized ZIRLO™

Abstract The cold spray process has been investigated for the deposition of FeCrAl coatings on optimized ZIRLO™ fuel cladding tubes in order to enhance oxidation resistance at high temperatures (>1000 °C) that would be encountered in loss of coolant accident (LOCA) scenarios. The FeCrAl alloy provides excellent oxidation resistance, however Fe forms a eutectic with Zr at temperatures as low as 928 °C resulting in massive inter-diffusion and associated melting. Therefore, a Mo interlayer coating was developed also using the cold spray process to serve as a diffusion barrier between the Fe-based coating and the Zr-alloy substrate. To achieve a combination of desired properties for the dual-layered coating-substrate, an optimization study of spray parameters such as propellant gas pre-heat temperature, helical spray speed, and the number of spray passes was conducted. This parametric study was aimed at achieving dense coatings with desired thickness and coverage of the substrate, and good adhesion of the Mo interlayer coating with subsequent top FeCrAl coating and the Zr-alloy substrate. The optimal FeCrAl-Mo coating protected the Zr-alloy cladding tubes from oxidation at high temperatures of 1200 °C, while at the same time preventing diffusion-induced eutectic melting in the substrate.
A momentum-based indicator for predicting the peak opening load of supersonic parachutes

In this paper, a new empirical indicator for predicting the peak opening loads of supersonic parachutes is presented. The proposed indicator is proportional to twice the free-stream dynamic pressure and the projected area of the parachute, which is equivalent to estimating the opening load as a percentage of the free-stream momentum flux through the projected area at the moment of peak inflation. The form of this expression is motivated by a classical control volume analysis of the aerodynamic forces acting on a parachute during inflation, under the simplifying assumptions of quasi-static and one-dimensional flow. For parachute geometries and flight conditions typical of Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing systems, the largest contribution to the total drag is shown to be a momentum flux term that is associated with the entrainment of atmosphere within the inflating parachute volume. Using this new method, empirical constants are calculated from existing flight reconstruction data and are shown to have a smaller standard deviation than similar constants determined using the customary indicator form, which is based on the steady-state subsonic drag and proportional to the parachute reference area. These empirical constants are also compared to an analytic estimate, derived from the control volume analysis, and shown to have excellent agreement across a wide range of Mach numbers and dynamic pressures for several parachute geometries. While opening loads estimated using both methods produce similar results at low supersonic Mach numbers typical of past inflations, the proposed method predicts notably larger loads at higher Mach numbers, those above Mach 2.0, due to the omission of any Mach Efficiency Factor. Several current Mars EDL projects have adopted this new indicator.
Suitability of human milk for the low-birthweight infant

Information is emerging now that supports the use of human milk for low-birthweight (LBW) infants. The nutritional benefits, in terms of protein digestion, amino and fatty acid patterns, fat absorption, and lactose digestion are recognized. Gastrointestinal function may be enhanced with human milk feeding. Profound effects on host defense, including a reduction in the rates of neonatal infection and necrotizing enterocolitis, recently have been acknowledged. To enable the LBW infant to continue to receive a mother's own milk, attention needs to be focused on specific nutrient limitations. Calcium and phosphorous require supplementation. Protein and sodium supplements may be needed. Commercial formulations are available that enable the fortification of human milk. Approaches that facilitate the feeding of a mother's own milk should be adopted by neonatal units.
A Proposed Model to Control Aflatoxin Formation

Aflatoxin B1 is a mycctoxin and potent carcinogen. It is produced by certain strains of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus which contaminate many important agricultural commodities, including corn and peanuts, both in the field and under storage conditions. While many strains of these fungal species produce aflatoxin when secondary metabolism is triggered, some strains do not, suggesting that this secondary metabolite may be subject to genetic regulation. Based on this assumption, we have developed an experimental design to detect, isolate and introduce such regulatory elements into all cells of aflatoxin-secreting species. With this strategy both field and storage facilities are subject to control, since the experimental design allows for aflatoxin suppression to spread throughout the population by means of an infectious element. Vegetative incompatibility between strains, which could block somatic transfer requiring hyphal fusion and cytoplasmic exchange, is factored into the research plan.
On the Capacity Bounds for Bumblebee-Inspired Connected Vehicle Networks via Queuing Theory

The bumblebee has recently been proposed as a model to optimize channel allocation in connected vehicle networks where the quality of each channel varies unpredictably over time and space. A fundamental mathematical challenge that must be overcome before implementing the bumblebee model is determining the theoretical upper bound of spectrum optimization that can be achieved under such stochastic channel conditions. In this paper, we leverage the concept of queuing theory in order to conduct the performance bound analysis of bumblebee-inspired distributed optimization operation in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) environments. We initially established the maximum switching costs associated with urban and highway environment, and then used GEMV 2 and SUMO to compute the performance bounds for several metrics in a time-variant urban environment, including Pm (the probability of all channels being busy) and mean response time. We discuss the implications of these results for future development of bumblebee-inspired vehicular communication systems.
How accurate is preoperative colonoscopic localization of colonic neoplasia

Preoperative colonoscopic localization for resection of colonic neoplasia, with or without tattooing for guidance, has been extensively used with variable accuracy. Difficulty in intraoperative identification of the lesion may lead to resection of an incorrect segment or to a more extensive resection than originally planned. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of preoperative colonoscopy in determining the site of the lesion. A prospectively collected IRB-approved institutional database was retrospectively queried for all consecutive patients who underwent an elective colon resection for neoplasia between 2013 and 2016. Excluded were patients without preoperative colonoscopy reports available for comparison or who underwent emergency surgery. Surgical plan based on preoperative colonoscopic localization with or without tattooing was compared to the final surgery and pathology reports. 203 patients were included [mean age 68 (35–92) years; 102 males (50.2%)]. Preoperative colonoscopy was inaccurate in 16.7% (34 patients) leading to a change in the surgical plan. Patients with transverse or distal lesions were more likely to have a change in final surgical management compared to proximal sided lesions (29.7% vs. 3.9%, respectively; p < 0.001). Only 3.8% of the tattooed lesions could not be identified during surgery. Additional intraoperative colonoscopy was needed in 11 patients (5.5%) to verify exact lesion location. Average length of the resected segment was longer in patients who required a change in surgical plan (26.44 cm vs. 22.47 cm; p = 0.02). Inaccurate preoperative colonoscopic localization led to a change in surgical management in 16.7% of cases, especially in transverse or left sided lesions. Surgeons should consider these findings when planning colonic resections.
Processive incorporation of multiple selenocysteine residues is driven by a novel feature of the selenocysteine insertion sequence.

RNA stem loop structures have been frequently shown to regulate essential cellular processes. The selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element, found in the 3′ UTRs of all selenoprotein mRNAs, is an example of such a structure, as it is required for the incorporation of the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec). Selenoprotein synthesis poses a mechanistic challenge because Sec is incorporated during translation in response to a stop codon (UGA). Although it is known that a SECIS-binding protein (SBP2) is required for Sec insertion, the mechanism of action remains elusive. Additional complexity is present in the synthesis of selenoprotein P (SELENOP), which is the only selenoprotein that contains multiple UGA codons and possesses two SECIS elements in its 3′ UTR. Thus, full-length SELENOP synthesis requires processive Sec incorporation. Using zebrafish Selenop, in vitro translation assays, and 75Se labeling in HEK293 cells, we found here that processive Sec incorporation is an intrinsic property of the SECIS elements. Specifically, we identified critical features of SECIS elements that are required for processive Sec incorporation. A screen of the human SECIS elements revealed that most of these elements support processive Sec incorporation in vitro; however, we also found that the processivity of Sec incorporation into Selenop in cells is tightly regulated. We propose a model for processive Sec incorporation that involves differential recruitment of SECIS-binding proteins.