cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of Low-Moisture Anhydrous Ammonia (LMAA) Pretreatment Method for Corn Stover

Abstract Techno-economic analysis (TEA) plays an important role in assessing economic performance and potential market acceptance for new technologies. Previous work has shown that the construction and operation of a cellulosic bioethanol plant can be very expensive. One of the largest cost categories is pretreatment processing. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed cost analysis to assess low moisture anhydrous ammonia (LMAA) pretreatment process at the commercial-scale, and to estimate the breakeven point in large-scale production. In this study, capital expenses, including annualized purchase and installation fees, and annual operating costs associated with each unit operation were determined. The lowest unit cost obtained from this study was $3.86/gal, but it was still high compared with current gasoline price.
Png-1, a nervous system-specific zinc finger gene, identifies regions containing postmitotic neurons during mammalian embryonic development.

To identify genes associated with early postmitotic cortical neurons, gene fragments were examined for expression in postmitotic, but not proliferative, zones of the embryonic murine cortex. Through this approach, a novel member of the zinc finger gene family, containing 6 C2HC fingers, was isolated and named postmitotic neural gene-1, or png-1. Embryonic png-1 expression was: 1) nervous system-specific; 2) restricted to zones containing postmitotic neurons; and 3) detected in all developing neural structures examined. In the cortex, png-1 expression was first observed on embryonic day 11, correlating temporally and spatially with the known generation of the first cortical neurons. Gradients of png-1 expression throughout the embryonic central nervous system further correlated temporally and spatially with known gradients of neuron production. With development, expression remained restricted to postmitotic zones, including those containing newly-postmitotic neurons. Png-1 was also detected within two days of neural retinoic acid induction in P19 cells, and expression increased with further neuronal differentiation. These data implicate png-1 as one of the earliest molecular markers for postmitotic neuronal regions and suggest a function as a panneural transcription factor associated with neuronal differentiation. J. Comp. Neurol. 381:130‐142, 1997. r 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Microscale Inorganic Light-Emitting Diodes on Flexible and Stretchable Substrates

Recent work involving microscale inorganic light-emitting diodes on flexible and stretchable substrates is reviewed. Techniques for materials growth, device fabrication, and assembly are summarized, along with highlights of optical, electrical, and mechanical properties that can be achieved. Some examples of emerging applications in biomedical devices illustrate the value of these methods in areas where conventional approaches are unsuitable.
Clinical predictors of early cancer-related mortality following neoadjuvant therapy and oesophagectomy

OBJECTIVES Although oesophagectomy can be curative for patients with oesophageal cancer (OC), it may be associated with high morbidity and decreased quality of life. Identifying risk factors for early systemic progression or death after oesophagectomy may help to guide treatment choices in at-risk patients. METHODS Patients undergoing oesophagectomy following neoadjuvant therapy for OC (November 1987 to January 2013) were reviewed, excluding deaths ≤3 months. Univariate predictors of death ≤1 year of operation were explored by logistic regression. Significant predictors (P ≤ 0.10) were included in a multivariate model. A risk factor index was created based on the number of significant risk factors in individual patients. RESULTS Of 581 patients, 238 had neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation followed by oesophagectomy. Of these, 15% (n = 36) died ≤1 year following oesophagectomy and 69% of those from documented cancer recurrence. Clinical predictors of death ≤1 year by multivariate analysis included performance status >0 (HR 2.19; CI 1.02-4.69), poor (G3) tumour differentiation (HR 2.67; CI 1.14-6.21) and lack of clinical response (no response or progression versus complete and partial response) to neoadjuvant therapy (HR 2.77; CI 1.07-7.15). For patients with all factors evaluable (n = 167), variables were summed to derive a cumulative risk factor index, 0-3. An increased risk factor index (≥2) was highly associated with increased risk of death ≤1 year postoperatively (HR 4.84; CI 1.93-12.16), as well as with poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Clinically defined risk factors that predict early mortality following oesophagectomy include performance status, poor tumour differentiation and clinical response. In patients with at least two of these risk factors, 29% will die within 1 year of surgery. These patients should be identified and individual consideration given to less morbid surgical strategies or to alternative treatments.
Theoretical Foundation of Patient v. Population Preferences in Calculating QALYs

The cost-effectiveness of health care interventions is often evaluated using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as a measure of outcome. There is a debate on whether QALYs should use patient preferences as opposed to community preferences. This article shows that patient preferences have a theoretical foundation in preference-utilitarian theory and welfare economics. In contrast, this study found no compelling theoretical basis for community preferences. There is a need for further development of a normative framework to inform the choice of preference source.
Evaluation of optimized variable area transect sampling using totally enumerated field data sets

SUMMARY Plotless density estimators (PDEs) can be efficient alternatives to quadrat sampling for estimating the density of stationary objects. Variable area transect (VAT) sampling had been identified, and optimized relative to effort, in previous Monte Carlo simulated population studies as a low-labor field method that demonstrated superior estimation properties among many PDEs considered. However, natural populations tend to be much more complex and less predictable in spatial distribution than computer generated populations. Therefore, we carried out a Monte Carlo simulation study that used 17 fully enumerated field populations rather than simulated populations. These natural populations represented a variety of population densities and spatial patterns. We focused on assessing the effect of the number of population members searched for along each transect (r), sample size, and transect width on estimation quality. Using relative root mean-squared error and relative bias as criteria, the optimal range for r was 5 to 7 population members encountered from each start point. Sample size was best if n > 20, but returns in estimation quality diminished by n ¼ 40. Transect width was previously uninvestigated and found to be the most important design factor affecting estimation quality. Field studies should strive for transects as wide as logistically reasonable. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hormonal Responses to Protein Restriction in Two Strains of Chickens with Different Growth Characteristics

The hormonal response to protein restriction was studied in breeds of chickens with different rates of growth and body size. Fast-growing (broiler) chicks and lighter-weight (White Leghorn) birds were fed isoenergetic 5% (low) and 20% (control) protein diets ad libitum starting at 2 wk of age. At 4 wk of age, one-half of each group continued receiving the initial diet, while the other half was fed the alternate diet for two additional weeks. Growth was decreased in birds fed the low protein diet due to restriction of protein, sustained low feed intake and hence possibly insufficient energy for growth. Birds fed low protein diets had higher plasma growth hormone (GH) concentrations (325% in Leghorns and 233% in broilers) compared with controls. Plasma concentrations of somatomedin-C in protein-restricted Leghorn and broiler chicks were only 50 and 34% of those of controls, respectively. Similarly plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were reduced in protein-deprived birds compared with those fed adequate protein. Plasma T3 concentrations of restricted birds were 48 (Leghorns) and 47% (broilers) of those of controls, whereas plasma T4 concentrations were 44 (Leghorns) and 41% (broilers) of those of controls.
Firms with Inconsistently Signed Earning Surprises: Do Potential Investors Use a Counting Heuristic?

Although prior research reports that firms that consistently beat their earnings expectations are rewarded with a market valuation premium, most firms are inconsistent in the signs of their benchmark performance, sometimes missing and sometime beating. In this paper, we report the results of multiple experiments to test the idea that potential investors, evaluating firms that have inconsistent benchmark performance, use a counting heuristic to discriminate among them. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that these investors distinguish among firms by counting the number of beats and misses they experience over an observed time interval. The judgmental effect of this beat-frequency is incremental to the effect of the magnitude of the beats and misses of the benchmark. Our study has implications for researchers and firm managers.
Visible light mediated upgrading of biomass to biofuel

Pd and Ag nanoparticles over graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) surface, AgPd@g-C3N4, serve as an efficient catalyst for upgrading of biofuel via hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin under visible light.
Graphs, Simplicial Complexes, and Beyond: Topological Tools for Multi-agent Coordination

In this work, connectivity graphs have been studied as models of local interactions in multi-agent robotic systems. A systematic study of the space of connectivity graphs has been done from a geometric and topological point of view. Some results on the realization of connectivity graphs in their respective configuration spaces have been given. A complexity analysis of networks, from the point of view of intrinsic structural complexity, has been given. Various topological spaces in networks, as induced from their connectivity graphs, have been recognized and put into applications, such as coverage problems in sensor networks. A framework for studying dynamic connectivity graphs has been proposed. This framework has been used for several applications that include the generation of low-complexity formations and collaborative beamforming in sensor networks. The theory developed in this thesis has been verified by extensive simulations, with the help of software tools of computational homology and semi-definite programming. Finally, several open problems and areas of further research have been identified.
The Major (Largest? Best?) Consumer Markets - Where Are They?

How do you define a consumer market? How large should a single market be? Where are the largest markets today? Why is it important to know exactly which are the major markets? Why are various lists of major markets different? Why are various lists of major markets different? These questions are examined and answered in this paper.
Don't do anything rash!

Background Peripartum and postpartum dermatologic lesions may or may not be an indicator of morbidity or mortality for either the fetus or mother. Case Postpartum dermatologic lesions occurred in a 41-year-old multipara, 1 week after a repeat cesarean delivery for severe intrauterine growth restriction and nonreassuring fetal testing. The diagnosis, using histopathologic techniques, and the pharmacologic management are discussed. Conclusion This case raises intriguing questions regarding prompt diagnosis, treatment, and the counseling of patients with dermatologic lesions with respect to current and future pregnancy outcomes.
Evaluation of mass and surface area concentration of particle emissions and development of emissions indices for cookstoves in rural India.

Mass-based dose parameters (for example, PM2.5) are most often used to characterize cookstove particulate matter emissions. Particle surface area deposition in the tracheobronchial (TB) and alveola...
Survival after coronary surgery.

A 4.4 year follow-up study has been done on a previously reported group of 200 consecutive patients who underwent coronary bypass. The yearly mortality rate has been I percent (8/200 in 4 years). Our total group of 1,038 surgically treated patients has had an operative mortality rate of 1.3 percent, and an early graft patency rate of 89.6 percent has been recorded in the 60 percent of patients consenting to restudy. These results are compared to natural history studies with and without angiography. Comparison with recent prospective randomized studies of patients with chronic stable angina and those with unstable angina suggests that a low operative mortality rate and optimal technical performance are necessary to improve the survival rate of patients with symptomatic obstructive coronary disease.
Acute respiratory failure in pregnancy.

Acute respiratory failure in pregnancy is an important cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Causes include: ARDS, venous air embolism, beta-adrenergic tocolytic therapy, asthma, thromboembolic disease, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum. The most common predisposing diseases for ARDS complicating pregnancy are sepsis, pneumonia, aspiration of gastric contents, and amniotic fluid embolism. Knowledge of normal maternal-fetal physiology and determinants of fetal oxygen delivery (uterine blood flow, placental transfer, fetal circulation) can help sustain normal fetal development, usually without compromising maternal care. The increased microvascular permeability seen in ARDS is likely mediated by neutrophils, proinflammatory mediators (e.g., tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, arachidonic acid metabolites) and activation of the complement cascade. Treatment of respiratory failure in pregnancy is largely supportive, including mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, nutrition, and prophylaxis against thromboembolism. No specific therapy has as yet been proven effective for ARDS, other than treating the underlying cause. Respiratory failure from status asthmaticus is treated with vigorous bronchodilator therapy, high-dose glucocorticosteroids, magnesium sulfate, and careful ventilator management. Occasionally, more experimental therapies (e.g., isoproterenol infusion, halothane anesthesia) are indicated. Certain strategies can help prevent respiratory failure from aspiration of gastric contents, beta-adrenergic tocolytic therapy, and thromboembolic disease.
Complications Associated with the Initiation of Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Complications associated with the initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) occur quickly and can lead to significant complications in a matter of seconds. Arterial cannulas can be placed into the innominate artery, they can cause dissections, they can be dislodged, they can be too small for the calculated flow specifications, and so on. Venous catheters can also be misplaced, resulting in poor drainage and inappropriate perfusion that can lead to acidosis, ventricular distention, and a poor outcome. Unwanted cavitary entry at the beginning of the operation has challenges that pertain to the diagnosis for which the patient is being treated. A cavitary entry into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and injudicious management can lead to strokes and somatic air embolus. Unwanted entry into the innominate vein during thymus excision can lead to significant bleeding, circulatory collapse, and inappropriate repair that can cause central venous catheter inclusion of the repair (reparative sutures placed through the venous catheter). These situations require a high degree of heightened awareness, a mature sense of equanimity, and most importantly, a thorough knowledge of the resolution techniques that will put the patient and the surgeon on the proper foundation to continue the operation.
Los manuscritos aljamiados

In the last two decades there has been extensive study of the origins of Aljamiado writing in the Mudejar period and its later development in the Morisco era. Scholars have prepared many editions of Aljamiado manuscripts and proposed new interpretations of their content and meaning. This article contains an up-to-date bibliography of all the studies of Aljamiado manuscripts (including unpublished theses) that have appeared in the last ten years and/or are not cited in A. Vespertino Rodriguez, «Una aproximacion a la datacion de los manuscritos aljamiado-moriscos», Homenaje al profesor Luis Rubio, 2 (Murcia: Universidad, 1989), 1419-39.
Evaluating pest-regulating services under conservation agriculture: A case study in snap beans

Abstract Although conservation agriculture (CA) practices including strip-tillage (ST) and cover cropping are promoted largely for their potential benefits for soil quality, uncertainty surrounding their short-term effects on pests often constrains adoption. Quantification of ecosystem services or dis-services associated with pests is an important step in identifying research and policy priorities for improving the performance of CA practices. Using insect, weed and yield data from snap beans in a three year vegetable rotation, we estimated the value of pest-regulating services associated with the adoption of CA, and compared it to establishment and management costs associated with implementing CA. Experimental factors included tillage (full-width tillage [FWT] or ST), cover crops (winter rye [R] or none [NR]) and weed management intensity (low or high). The value of pest-regulating services associated with adoption of CA practices was estimated based on pesticide cost savings associated with reductions in pest densities given action thresholds typical of commercial snap bean production in the North Central United States. CA practices had no detectable impact on snap bean yields relative to FWT-NR, but resulted in significant tradeoffs in weed and insect abundance. For example, in at least one of two years, ST-R had lower densities of potato leafhopper, Powell amaranth and winter annual weeds, but greater densities of tarnished plant bug and large crabgrass compared to FWT-NR. CA practices had variable effects on natural enemies including ladybeetles, spiders and parasitoids, with no consistent impacts relative to FWT-NR. We estimated that CA practices resulted in net pest-regulating dis-services with costs of $33 ha−1 for FWT-R, $25 ha−1 for ST-NR, and $14 ha−1 for ST-R. Under partial adoption of CA (ST-NR), pest-related costs were completely offset by savings in tillage costs, resulting in estimated short-term increases in net returns of $26 ha−1. In contrast, complete adoption of CA (ST-R) resulted in greater pest and cover crop management costs that outweighed savings due to reduced tillage, resulting in estimated short-term losses of $165 ha−1. In production systems for which effective, low-cost pesticides are unavailable (e.g. low-income countries) or prohibited (e.g. organic systems), the economic impact of pest regulation services is likely to be greater than our estimates suggest. Although CA practices provide several potential long-term ecosystem services at both the farm and landscape level, short-term impacts on pests and yields relative to the costs of implementation are likely to be the major determinant of grower adoption.
Extended Storage of Autologous Apheresis Platelets (Plts) in Plasma and Plasmalyte.

Abstract 2108 Poster Board II-85 Background: The FDA has proposed that, at the end of storage, radiolabeled autologous plt recoveries and survivals should be 67% and 58% respectively, of the same donor9s “fresh” plt recovery and survival results. Methods: Using 98 normal subjects, 3 different variables were evaluated to determine their effects on post-storage plt recoveries and survivals; i.e., storage solution (plasma and Plasmalyte), apheresis machine [Haemonetics MCS+ (H), Cobe Spectra (CS), or Cobe Trima (CT)], and storage bag (H, CS, or CT). Autologous plts were collected and either infused “fresh” or stored under the conditions of interest. The fresh and stored plts were alternately radiolabeled with either 51Cr or 111In prior to transfusion. Results: Plasma Storage. Both H and CS collected apheresis plts can be stored for 8 days and meet FDA requirements with no differences in post-storage plt recoveries or survivals between the 2 machines (see table). After 9 days of storage, 2 of 5 units (1 H and 1 CS) had pH9s of Plasmalyte Storage. For the H collections, the plts were elutriated using Plasmalyte instead of plasma, and, for the CS and CT collections, the plts were concentrated during collection and re-suspended in Plasmalyte. For all the collections, the final Plasmalyte concentration was 80% with 20% residual plasma. As shown in the table, H collected plts met FDA criteria for 13 days versus 7 days of storage for both CS (FDA criteria not directly tested) and CT collected plts. Even after 7 days of storage, H collected plts were significantly better than CS or CT collected plts with respect to survival (p=0.05), and, after 9 days of storage, H collected plts were significantly better than CS and CT collected plts for both recoveries (p=0.003) and survivals (p Disclosures: Slichter:Gambro BCT: Research Funding. Off Label Use: Plasmalyte was used as a platelet storage solution.
Immunotoxicology of Halogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) persist in the environment and pose a threat to human health. The immune system is a sensitive target of HAHs. Over the past several decades, research in animal models and in human populations supports that HAHs are immunotoxic. The effects of some HAHs have been studied very broadly, whereas other effects have been interrogated in detail. The complex nature of the immune system involves many different cell types, such as T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, and neutrophils, which originate from hematopoietic stem cells and lineage-specific precursors. HAH immunotoxicity to cells of the primary immune organs, and to specific adaptive and innate immune cells, has been reported. Given that HAH immunotoxicity has been known for about 40 years, the main focus of this article is to summarize the recent findings and to discuss how this emerging information suggests possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of HAH immunotoxicity. The article will also present an overview of emerging data that point to HAH-mediated changes in innate immunity, immunological memory, as well as new information regarding HAH developmental immunotoxicity.
Purifying a Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Stream by Removing Rainbow Trout and Hybrids via Electrofishing

AbstractThe South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho supports one of the few remaining fluvial populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri, but long-term persistence of Cutthroat Trout in the drainage is threatened by introgression with introduced Rainbow Trout O. mykiss. We completed eight backpack electrofishing removals from 2010 to 2015 to remove Rainbow Trout and Rainbow Trout × Cutthroat Trout hybrids from a 9.3-km isolated reach of Palisades Creek (a tributary of the South Fork) in an attempt to improve the purity of the population. For two removals, fish from a subsample of Oncorhynchus were genetically screened at seven diagnostic nuclear DNA loci. A total of 14,092 fish were captured across all removals, of which 3,446 were putative Rainbow Trout or hybrids, which were removed from the stream. The proportion of the total catch that Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout comprised (across all size-classes combined) increased slowly over time, from 67% in 2010 to 86% for the second...
Vaccination with Recombinant Parainfluenza Virus 5 expressing neuraminidase protects against homologous and heterologous influenza virus challenge

Seasonal human influenza virus continues to cause morbidity and mortality annually, and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses along with other emerging influenza viruses continue to pose pandemic threats. Vaccination is considered the most effective measure for controlling influenza; however, current strategies rely on a precise vaccine match with currently circulating virus strains for efficacy, requiring constant surveillance and regular development of matched vaccines. Current vaccines focus on eliciting specific antibody responses against the hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein; however, the diversity of HAs across species and antigenic drift of circulating strains enable the evasion of virus-inhibiting antibody responses, resulting in vaccine failure. The neuraminidase (NA) surface glycoprotein, while diverse, has a conserved enzymatic site and presents an appealing target for priming broadly effective antibody responses. Here we show that vaccination with parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5), a promising live viral vector expressing NA from avian (H5N1) or pandemic (H1N1) influenza virus, elicited NA-specific antibody and T cell responses, which conferred protection against homologous and heterologous influenza virus challenges. Vaccination with PIV5-N1 NA provided cross-protection against challenge with a heterosubtypic (H3N2) virus. Experiments using antibody transfer indicate that antibodies to NA have an important role in protection. These findings indicate that PIV5 expressing NA may be effective as a broadly protective vaccine against seasonal influenza and emerging pandemic threats.IMPORTANCE Seasonal influenza viruses cause considerable morbidity and mortality annually, while emerging viruses pose potential pandemic threats. Currently licensed influenza virus vaccines rely on the antigenic match of hemagglutinin (HA) for vaccine strain selection, and most vaccines rely on HA inhibition titers to determine efficacy, despite the growing awareness of the contribution of neuraminidase (NA) to influenza virus vaccine efficacy. Although NA is immunologically subdominant to HA, and clinical studies have shown variable NA responses to vaccination, in this study, we show that vaccination with a parainfluenza virus 5 recombinant vaccine candidate expressing NA (PIV5-NA) from a pandemic influenza (pdmH1N1) virus or highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) virus elicits robust, cross-reactive protection from influenza virus infection in two animal models. New vaccination strategies incorporating NA, including PIV5-NA, could improve seasonal influenza virus vaccine efficacy and provide protection against emerging influenza viruses.
The Lighthouse and the Observatory: Islam, Science, and Empire in Late Ottoman Egypt

An observatory and a lighthouse form the nexus of this major new investigation of science, religion, and the state in late Ottoman Egypt. Astronomy, imperial bureaucrats, traditionally educated Muslim scholars, and reformist Islamic publications, such as The Lighthouse, are linked to examine the making of knowledge, the performance of piety, and the operation of political power through scientific practice. Contrary to ideas of Islamic scientific decline, Muslim scholars in the nineteenth century used a dynamic tradition of knowledge to measure time, compute calendars, and predict planetary positions. The rise of a 'new astronomy' is revealed to owe much to projects of political and religious reform: from the strengthening of the multiple empires that exercised power over the Nile Valley; to the 'modernization' of Islamic centers of learning; to the dream of a global Islamic community that would rely on scientific institutions to coordinate the timing of major religious duties.
Evidence Based Review of Pharmacotherapy for Opioid-Induced Constipation in Noncancer Pain.

Objective: To summarize and evaluate the existing literature regarding medications to treat opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). Data Sources: PubMed, E...
Organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos impairs STAT1 signaling to induce dopaminergic neurotoxicity: Implications for mitochondria mediated oxidative stress signaling events.

Abstract The organophosphate (OP) pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF), used in agricultural settings, induces developmental and neurological impairments. Recent studies using in vitro cell culture models have reported CPF exposure to have a positive association with mitochondria-mediated oxidative stress response and dopaminergic cell death; however, the mechanism by which mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to dopaminergic cell death remains unclear. Therefore, we hypothesized that STAT1, a transcription factor, causes apoptotic dopaminergic cell death via mitochondria-mediated oxidative stress mechanisms. Here we show that exposure of dopaminergic neuronal cells such as N27 cells (immortalized murine mesencephalic dopaminergic cells) to CPF resulted in a dose-dependent increase in apoptotic cell death as measured by MTS assay and DNA fragmentation. Similar effects were observed in CPF-treated human dopaminergic neuronal cells (LUHMES cells), with an associated increase in mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, CPF (10 μM) induced time-dependent increase in STAT1 activation coincided with the collapse of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increase in ROS generation, proteolytic cleavage of protein kinase C delta (PKCδ), inhibition of the mitochondrial basal oxygen consumption rate (OCR), with a concomitant reduction in ATP-linked OCR and reserve capacity, increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and enhancement of autophagy. Additionally, by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we demonstrated that STAT1 bound to a putative regulatory sequence in the NOX1 and Bax promoter regions in response to CPF in N27 cells. Interestingly, overexpression of non-phosphorylatable STAT1 mutants (STAT1Y701F and STAT1S727A) but not STAT1 WT construct attenuated the cleavage of PKCδ and ultimately cell death in CPF-treated cells. Furthermore, small interfering RNA knockdown demonstrated STAT1 to be a critical regulator of autophagy and mitochondria-mediated proapoptotic cell signaling events after CPF treatment in N27 cells. Finally, oral administration of CPF (5 mg/kg) in postnatal rats (PNDs 27–61) induced motor deficits, and nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration with a concomitant induction of STAT1-dependent proapoptotic cell signaling events. Conversely, co-treatment with mitoapocynin (a mitochondrially-targeted antioxidant) and CPF rescued motor deficits, and restored dopaminergic neuronal survival via abrogation of STAT1-dependent proapoptotic cell signaling events. Taken together, our study identifies a novel mechanism by which STAT1 regulates mitochondria-mediated oxidative stress response, PKCδ activation and autophagy. In this context, the phosphorylation of Tyrosine 701 and Serine 727 in STAT1 was found to be essential for PKCδ cleavage. By attenuating mitochondrial-derived ROS, mitoapocynin may have therapeutic applications for reversing CPF-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity and associated neurobehavioral deficits as well as neurodegenerative diseases.
Student Perceptions of E-Learning Service Quality, E-Satisfaction, and E-Loyalty

With the growing ubiquity of the Internet and the continued evolution of the Internet of Things, universities are focusing more on web-based strategies to deliver higher education i.e., e-learning....
ROLE OF PEROXIDASE IN PROTOPLAST DEVELOPMENT: THE ACTIVITY AND MOLECULAR FORMS OF PEROXIDASE IN MITOGENIC AND NON-MITOGENIC PROTOPLASTS

Genetic manipulation of agronomically important monocot plants, such as wheat, corn and barley remain difficult. This is primarily due to the recalcitrance of cereal protoplasts. The antithetical behaviour of cereal protoplasts in culture may be related to differences in response to protoplasting stress. Our earlier studies indicated that freshly isolated corn and wheat leaf protoplasts showed evidence of lipid peroxidation and elevated lipoxygenase activity. No such increases were detected in freshly isolated bromegrass protoplasts (1–2). There are many unresolved questions concerning the inability of cereal leaf protoplasts to divide. We have focussed our attention on peroxidase, an enzyme which has been repeatedly implicated in plant developmental processes (3–4).
How and Where Should Surgical Mentoring Be Performed

Mentoring medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty is integral to their and the mentors’ professional development. A series of probing questions (Socratic Method) is a vital component of mentoring and an effective stimulus for critical thinking. The content and method of mentoring should be individualized to the clinical background, aptitudes and academic level of the mentee. A thoughtfully written evaluation and direct verbal feedback are vital to the personal and professional growth of the mentee. The operating room is a unique and effective site for surgical mentoring when utilized appropriately. The mentee is invariably and disproportionately influenced by negative mentoring. Surgeons must incorporate creative mentoring strategies into enlarging clinical practices.
Operators on Hilbert Space and C*-Algebras

Most of linear algebra involves the study of transformations between linear spaces which preserve the linear structure, that is, linear transformations. Such is also the case in the study of Hilbert spaces. In the remainder of the book we shall be mainly concerned with bounded linear transformations acting on Hilbert spaces. Despite the importance of certain classes of unbounded linear transformations, we consider them only in the problems.
RESVERATROL, A NOVEL INHIBITOR OF CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 GENE EXPRESSION

Cyclooxygenases (COX)1 catalyze the synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) from arachidonic acid. There are two isoforms of COX, designated COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is expressed constitutively in most tissues and appears to be responsible for housekeeping functions1. In contrast, COX-2 is undetectable in most normal tissues but is induced by growth factors, oncogenes, carcinogens and tumor promoters2–4.
Cliques and Cults as a Contributor to Violence in the School Environment

School-aged children and adolescents seek various forms of social bonding experiences and the school setting provides the opportunity for such an experience. In the popular movie Mean Girls, the “Plastics” are the social pinnacle of the high school hierarchy, immortalized through the barrage of teen-themed movies focused on this issue. Clearly embedded in our social consciousness, there is a perceived hierarchy that is characterized by altered behavior and appearances that include designer purses, chemically altered appearances, and copious amounts of pink color. The theme projected in several of the movies on the subject is that Hollywood asserts that normal people hate cliques only because they just want to be included in them but are not. In the school environment, certainly some students convey a sense of superiority, but most do not seem to care depending on their age, current social ties, and sense of self. On the other hand, for some students cliques exist for security (Allen 1965). They are something to hold on to as both males and females venture beyond the comfort zone of childhood and family. They serve as a safety zone for students to feel like they belong to a group and have found in that group some level of acceptance. Cliques are often composed of similar types of students—they tend to think and behave alike. They find in others, similar likes and dislikes. A crucial dimension of school, beyond striving for the higher grades and overloading on extracurricular activities, is establishing one’s self-identity. It involves developing one’s self independently, without preconceived expectations from peers or stifling parental supervision. Students usually do not want to be boxed into strictly established, exclusive groups of friends. Rather, they want a school environment that offers an opportunity and a challenge to meet new friends and gain attention, acceptance, and support from peers. Part of that challenge is finding oneself as an individual and then finding others who reflect some of those individual characteristics. Cliques are based not only on superficial characteristics but also on characteristics that the search for self-identity has realized in each of us (Espejo, 2002). The purpose and value of cliques are not always negative or elitist. It provides a meaningful experience for students to develop and understand themselves and their
Non-contrast agent based small vessel imaging of human thyroid using motion corrected power Doppler imaging

Singular value based spatiotemporal clutter filtering (SVD-STF) can significantly improve the sensitivity of blood flow imaging in small vessels without using contrast agents. However, despite effective clutter filtering, large physiological motion in thyroid imaging can impact coherent integration of the Doppler signal and degrade the visualization of the underlying vasculature. In this study, we hypothesize that motion correction of the clutter filtered Doppler ensemble, prior to the power Doppler estimation, can considerably improve the visualization of smalls vessels in suspicious thyroid nodules. We corroborated this hypothesis by conducting in vivo experiments on 10 female patients in the age group 44–82 yrs, with at least one thyroid nodule suspicious of malignancy, with recommendation for fine needle aspiration biopsy. Ultrasound images were acquired using a clinical ultrasound scanner, implemented with compounded plane wave imaging. Axial and lateral displacements associated with the thyroid nodules were estimated using 2D normalized cross-correlation. Subsequently, the tissue clutter associated with the Doppler ensemble was suppressed using SVD-STF. Motion correction of the clutter-filtered Doppler ensemble was achieved using a spline based sub-pixel interpolation. The results demonstrated that power Doppler images of thyroid nodules were noticeably degraded due to large physiological motion of the pulsating carotid artery in the proximity. The resultant power Doppler images were corrupted with signal distortion, motion blurring and occurrence of artificial shadow vessels and displayed visibly low signal-to-background contrast. In contrast, the power Doppler images obtained from the motion corrected ultrasound data addressed the issue and considerabley improved the visualization of blood flow. The signal-to-noise ratio and the contrast-to-noise ratio increased by up to 15.2 dB and 12.1 dB, respectively. Across the ten subjects, the highest improvement was observed for the nodule with the largest motion. These preliminary results show the ability of using motion correction to improve the visualization of small vessel blood flow in thyroid, without using any contrast agents. The results of this feasibility study were encouraging, and warrant further development and more in vivo validation in moving tissues and organs.
"Caught in the Nets of 'Discipline'": Understanding the Possibilities for Writing Teachers' Resistance to Standardization in Local Policy.

This article contributes to the practice of critical policy analysis by using de Certeau’s concept of consumption to analyze how writing teachers resist policies that work to systemize and commodif...
An Equivalence Verification Methodology for Combinational Asynchronous PCHB Circuits

Pre-Charge Half Buffer (PCHB) is a Quasi-Delay Insensitive (QDI) asynchronous design paradigm that has found commercial applications in the semiconductor industry. PCHB circuits use dual-rail signals instead of Boolean logic and are unique in that PCHB gates incorporate both registration and a handshaking scheme for synchronization. We have developed a methodology for formal equivalence verification of combinational PCHB circuits against their corresponding Boolean specification circuits. The methodology transforms the PCHB circuit into a Boolean circuit, which can then be checked against a Boolean specification circuit using an existing combinational equivalence checker. The methodology also checks for liveness and handshaking correctness of the original PCHB circuit. The proposed methodology has been demonstrated using several multipliers and ISCAS circuit benchmarks.
Optimal Constant in Approximation by Bernstein Operators

We obtained that for any n ∈ N, C = 1 is the smallest constant for which the inequality ||B n (f) - f|| ≤ C ⋅ ω2(f, 1/√n) holds on the class of continuous functions f, as well as on the class of bounded functions f, where B n is the Bernstein operators of degree n, ω2 is the second order modulus and || ⋅ || is the sup-norm.
Primary Literature in the Undergraduate Immunology Curriculum: Strategies, Challenges, and Opportunities

Immunology is a rapidly advancing and expanding field that is regularly highlighted in the lay media, whether it be checkpoint blockade immunotherapy winning the Nobel Prize, CAR-T cells in the treatment of cancer, or the latest anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory medication advertised directly to consumers. Advances such as these not only transform the way we think about immunology, they also illuminate how knowledge of the immune system can be harnessed to impact public health. Immunology is also a vast subject, with thousands of articles published each year that contribute to our understanding of complex processes such as inflammation, pathogen recognition, and self-tolerance, Taken together, these observations pose significant challenges to teaching immunology in the undergraduate classroom. To meet this challenge, instructors can use primary literature as a means to introduce cutting-edge discoveries that have not yet found their way into textbooks, link what students are learning to what they are exposed to in lay media, and ultimately provide added depth to the students' understanding of the immune system all while illustrating how clinical advances are fundamentally dependent on basic research studies. Furthermore, the addition of primary literature to the curriculum can enhance student enthusiasm for learning immunology and can provide an excellent platform for students to gain critical thinking and analytical skills. Presented here are strategies, challenges, and opportunities in the use of primary literature to effectively augment the immunology curriculum in the undergraduate classroom. Topics include selecting papers to read, teaching students how to read scientific literature, and assessing student learning.
A Reflection on Valuing Teacher Training and Pedagogy as Scholarship in Higher Education

Reiterating the importance of the “education” in health education, this reflection poses the question, “Why don’t we make pedagogy a standard part of our doctoral programs alongside research method...
A Vertical Breadth-First Multilevel Path Algorithm to Find All Paths in a Graph

This paper presents a novel approach called vertical breadth-first tree that utilizes vertical data structures to find all-length paths (including shortest paths) for all pairs of vertices in a graph. Identifying all available paths, including shortest paths is a relevant research problem as this concept can help solve a range of complex problems (e.g., routing problems in computer networks). The advancement of technology, complex computer networks, and extensive exchange of internet communications have resulted in massive increase in data. The conventional path finding algorithms do not scale well with the massive volume of data being communicated over the network and this motivates the need to develop some scalable and efficient path finding algorithms.
Design and Development of a Machine Learning Tool for an Innovation-Based Learning MOOC

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are allowing education to become accessible to all learners. However, computers are currently not able to provide the same individual expertise and support as a human instructor, making it difficult to tailor the course for each student. This work proposes using machine learning analytics to provide useful individualized feedback to learners in a Cardiovascular Engineering Innovation-Based Learning course. The system will monitor students’ habits as they form learning objectives and progress through the course, allowing the system to learn to make recommendations for the student. The architecture of the developed system is presented, a test set is used to verify, and the context of future pilot tests is introduced. Although this work is presently specific to one particular course, it can be adapted to allow for personalization of any MOOC that allows for differentiated, higher level learning.
Bevel Edge Termination for Vertical GaN Power Diodes

Edge termination for vertical power devices presents a significant challenge, as improper termination can result in devices with a breakdown voltage significantly less than the ideal infinite-planar case. Edge termination for vertical GaN devices is particularly challenging due to limitations in ion implantation for GaN, and as such this work investigates a bevel edge termination technique that does not require implantation and has proven to be effective for Si and SiC power devices. However, due to key differences between GaN versus Si and SiC p-n junctions (specifically, a grown versus an implanted junction), this technology needs to be reevaluated for GaN. Simulation results suggest that by leveraging the effective bevel angle relationship, a 10-15° physical bevel angle can yield devices with 85-90% of the ideal breakdown voltage. Results are presented for a negative bevel edge termination on an ideally 2 kV vertical GaN p-n diode.
Association of fatty pancreas with increased risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

e16729Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PADC) remains one of the most fatal malignancies with poor outcomes and prognosis. Several risk factors have been associated with its development such a...
Partial Discharge Behaviors in Power Modules Under Square Pulses With Ultrafast dv/dt

The unprecedented high-speed switching of wide bandgap power devices may change the partial discharge (PD) behaviors of power modules, busbars, and loads. However, very little research has been published on PD behaviors under square-wave pulses with ultrafast dv/dt . To address this problem, this article studies the PD behaviors of direct bonded copper samples with different trench distances and chamfer radii under single and repetitive square pulses with ultrafast dv/dt . The results show that for the single-pulse excitation partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) decreases with increasing rise time if the pulsewidth is shorter than 300 μs, and PDIV decreases with increasing pulsewidth. For repetitive pulse excitation, PDIV increases linearly with trench distance if the chamfer radius is larger than 0.5 mm, while it follows a concave curve if the chamfer radius is less than 0.5 mm. On the other hand, for a fixed trench distance, the PDIV changes quadratically with the chamfer radius increasing from 0 (right angle) to 0.7 mm. Based on the experimental results, a PD model with bubble expansion theory is to explain the PD mechanism under ultrafast dv/dt excitation, and an empirical equation for PDIV prediction is also derived.