cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption and precipitation of scale inhibitors on shale formations

Abstract Scale inhibitor is one of the most important ingredients in hydraulic fracturing fluids for shale gas production. However, the adsorption and precipitation behaviors of scale inhibitors on shale formations have never been reported. The objective of this study is to develop mechanistic understanding of interactions between common scale inhibitors and shale formations so that we can predict the fate and transport of scale inhibitors in shale formations. The adsorption and precipitation of DTPMP and PPCA on Eagle Ford and Marcellus shales were studied in batch reactors at oil field temperature of 70 °C. The adsorption kinetics shows a fast adsorption process of inhibitors on shales, and inhibitor concentrations reach equilibrium between 4 and 8 h. In batch adsorption isotherm experiments, initial concentrations of scale inhibitors in aqueous phase varied from 5 ppm to 44,000 ppm. At low DTPMP concentration ranges, surface adsorption occurs on both Eagle Ford and Marcellus. Above certain concentrations, DTPMP and calcium forms precipitate on Eagle Ford, which increases the attachment, and slightly acidic pH and high calcium concentrations enhance the precipitation. The adsorption of PPCA on Eagle Ford was more significant at slightly acidic conditions, and PPCA adsorption onto Marcellus did not exhibit a notable difference between different pH conditions. Due to the strong chelating effect of DTPMP and PPCA, iron was extracted from Marcellus under high inhibitor concentrations.
Urinary Vitamin D-Binding Protein as a Biomarker of Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome

Background: Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most common glomerular disorders of childhood and is associated with increased urinary vitamin D-binding protein (uVDBP) excretion. We tested the hypothesis that uVDBP represents a biomarker to differentiate steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) from the more benign forms of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS). Methods: This cross-sectional study included children with SRNS (n = 24), SSNS (n = 28), and normal controls (n = 5). Urine and clinical data were collected from patients. Measurements of uVDBP were performed with a commercially available ELISA kit and normalized to urine creatinine. Results: Concentrations of uVDBP were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in patients with SRNS (13,659 ng/mL, interquartile range [IQR] 477–22,979) than in patients with SSNS (94 ng/mL, IQR 53–202) and normal controls (23 ng/mL, IQR 22–99, P = 0.002). Significance did not change when the results were corrected for urine creatinine. uVDBP was significantly negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; R = −0.76, P = 0.03). However, uVDBP was still markedly elevated in patients with SRNS with eGFR .100 mL/minute/1.73 m2. There was a positive correlation between microalbuminuria (MALB/Cr) and uVDBP (R = 0.67, P < 0.001). However, uVDBP displayed a much higher discriminatory ability for distinguishing SRNS than MALB/Cr (area under the curve = 0.92 vs 0.67, respectively). An uVDBP cutoff of 362 ng/mL yielded the optimal sensitivity (80%) and specificity (83%) to distinguish SRNS from SSNS. Conclusions: In this preliminary study, uVDBP represents a noninvasive biomarker that could distinguish SRNS from the more benign SSNS with high discriminatory power.
Understanding the elements of executable architectures through a multi-dimensional analysis framework

The objective of this dissertation study is to conduct a holistic investigation into the elements of executable architectures. Current research in the field of Executable Architectures has provided valuable solution-specific demonstrations and has also shown the value derived from such an endeavor. However, a common theory underlying their applications has been missing. This dissertation develops and explores a method for holistically developing an Executable Architecture Specification (EAS), i.e., a meta-model containing both semantic and syntactic information, using a conceptual framework for guiding data coding, analysis, and validation. Utilization of this method resulted in the description of the elements of executable architecture in terms of a set of nine information interrogatives: an executable architecture information ontology. Once the detail-rich EAS was constructed with this ontology, it became possible to define the potential elements of executable architecture through an intermediate level meta-model. The intermediate level meta-model was further refined into an interrogative level meta-model using only the nine information interrogatives, at a very high level of abstraction.
Roles of Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin in the Adaptive and Innate Immune Systems

Abstract The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a ubiquitous kinase that integrates metabolic cues and thus controls growth and proliferation on a cellular level. mTOR is a constituent of two interacting complexes, mTOR complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1 and mTORC2). Within the immune system mTOR has emerged as a sensor of cellular stress and regulator of metabolic pathways that promote cell survival. While mTORC1 drives the development of Th1 and Th17 cells, mTORC2 may have a role in the survival of CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + regulatory T cells. Within the innate immune system, the role of mTOR is controversial, although it overall helps protect the host from infectious organisms. Due to oxidative stress in T cells, the activation of mTORC1 has emerged as a central pathway to the abnormal T-cell-lineage specification and pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. In turn, selective modulation of mTORC1 or mTORC2 holds promise to correct developmental defects in the immune system, withstand infections, retain organ transplants, and block autoimmunity.
Spontaneous profile self-organization in a simple realization of drift-wave turbulence

We report the observation of a transport bifurcation that occurs by spontaneous self-organization of a drift-wave and shear flow system in a linear plasma device. As we increase the magnetic field above a threshold ( BCr = 1200 G), a global transition occurs, with steepening of mean density and ion pressure profiles, onset of strong E×B shearing, a reduction of turbulence, and improved turbulent radial particle transport. An abrupt transition appears in the graph of turbulent particle flux versus density gradient. Hysteresis in the density gradient further confirms this transport bifurcation. The total Reynolds work on the flow sharply increases above threshold. This correlates with the increase of density steepness, which suggests the Reynolds stress-driven flow that plays an essential role in density steepening and transport bifurcation. A change in turbulence feature from drift waves (DWs) to a mix of DWs and ion temperature gradients also coincides with the transport bifurcation. Interesting phenomena...
Micron-scale plasma membrane curvature is recognized by the septin cytoskeleton

Cells change shape in response to diverse environmental and developmental conditions, creating topologies with micron-scale features. Although individual proteins can sense nanometer-scale membrane curvature, it is unclear if a cell could also use nanometer-scale components to sense micron-scale contours, such as the cytokinetic furrow and base of neuronal branches. Septins are filament-forming proteins that serve as signaling platforms and are frequently associated with areas of the plasma membrane where there is micron-scale curvature, including the cytokinetic furrow and the base of cell protrusions. We report here that fungal and human septins are able to distinguish between different degrees of micron-scale curvature in cells. By preparing supported lipid bilayers on beads of different curvature, we reconstitute and measure the intrinsic septin curvature preference. We conclude that micron-scale curvature recognition is a fundamental property of the septin cytoskeleton that provides the cell with a mechanism to know its local shape.
Accommodation or Illusion? Vatican Diplomacy in Eastern Europe, with Special Reference to Poland

The Roman Catholic Church, as a political institution, is a unique phenomenon which reflects both its religious commitment and doctrinal origins and the social development of the age of which it is a part. Although based upon the founder's assertion, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), the Catholic Church is unquestionably an actor in the contemporary inter national political system, one with genuine institutional traditions and political and social positions influencing considerably more than a millennium of European and world politics. "Few con temporary institutions have been more intimately—and none more continuously—involved in the political order."1 The Cath olic Church through the sovereignty of the Holy See remains an important political factor in the modern world which pursues a prominent, if sometimes ambiguous, role in international activi ties. The Vatican's place in the contemporary system is singular, since unlike other religious institutions it functions both as a church and as a sovereign political body practicing formal diplo macy, exchanging diplomatic representatives and finding inde pendent recognition among modern nation-states.2 Ambiguity has characterized the church's political role, because "the Church affirms not a separation but a distinction between the spiritual
Epidemiological Analysis of Rabies between 2001 and 2005 in Qingyuan City

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of rabies in Qingyuan city,and to formulate the preventive measures.Method Retrospective analysis of rabies outbreak was carried out between 2001 and 2005 in Qingyuan city.Result The morbidity of rabies increased from 0.03 per 100,000(in 2001) to 0.51 per 100,000(2005).Most of the cases occurred in villages.Conclusion The epidemic situation is relatively serious in Qingyuan city,especially in Yingde and Lianzhou city.Cross departmental collaboration may decrease the morbidity in the population.
Analysis of nosocomial infections in pediatric haematology ward from 1997 to 2006

Objective To investigate the incidence,types and pathogens of nosocomial infections in pediatric haematology.Methods Retrospectively analyzed the incidence,sites and pathogens of nosocomial infections among inhospitalized pediatric patients in haematology ward of Beijing Children's Hospital from 1997 to 2006 Results The overall incidence of nosocomial infections was 7.0%,and the common infection sites were upper respiratory tract infection(51.6%),lower respiratory tract infection(14.9%),and gastrointestinal infection(12.1%).The most common blood infection was happened in the progress of chemotherapy.10-year follow up showed that the common pathogens of nosocomial infections were Gram-negative bacteria.The most bacteria in the blood samples were Pseudomonas aeruginosa(25.4%),E.coli(18.8%)and P.Klebsiella(12.7%),whereas the most bacteria in the sputum and swab of pharyngeal samples were Pseudomonas aeruginosa(2.3%),and P.Klebsiella(1.1%).Candida albicans and Rotavirus were the most common pathogen in fungi and virus,respectively.Conclusions The pediatric hematology ward has a higher incidence of nosocomial infections,and respiratory infection and gastrointestinal infection were the common nosocomial infections.Pseudomonas aeruginosa,E.coli and P.Klebsiella were the most common pathogens of nosocomial infection in pediatric hematology ward.
Study of permeability in single fracture under effects of coupled fluid flow and chemical dissolution

A two-dimensional numerical model of coupled fluid flow and chemical dissolution processes in single fracture is presented in order to understand permeability changes of single rock fracture in the coupled fluid flow and mineral chemical dissolution processes.The numerical model is solved by using a COMSOL Multiphysics-based simulator,which is the first engineering tool that performs partial differential equation-based multiphysics modeling in an interactive environment.The model is validated through comparing our numerical results with the known experimental measurements in salt rock reported by the reference [1],which shows our model is credible.A rough fracture is generated numerically by using fractal theory and used in the simulation of coupled fluid flow and mineral chemical dissolution processes of a rough fracture in limestone.The simulated results indicate that:(1) The solute concentration plays an important role on the dissolution process;this causes that the dissolved thickness at inlet is bigger than that at outlet.(2) The permeability of fracture increases exponentially with time during the dissolution process.
Neuropathology of Zika Virus Infection

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the Flaviviridae family that had been associated only with mild disease prior to the 2015 outbreak in Brazil. A dramatic increase in reported cases of microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome during this time prompted significant research into possible associations with ZIKV and its neurotropic properties. Infection of neural progenitor cells and organoids have been shown to induce apoptosis and dysregulation of growth, and mouse studies have demonstrated viral replication in brain tissue in adults, as well as vertical transmission resulting in embryonic brain abnormalities. Large case series of clinical and radiological findings of congenital ZIKV infection have begun to be published; however, pathology reports have been limited to two case reports and two small case series. Thus far, the findings have largely been restricted to the brain and include diffuse grey and white matter involvement consisting of dystrophic calcifications, gliosis, microglial nodules, neuronophagia, and scattered lymphocytes. Mild chronic villitis was observed in the placental tissue in some cases, and the remaining organs were essentially uninvolved. Larger, systematic studies, including correlation of histological findings with gestational age at the time of maternal infection, will be required to determine the full range of Zika virus-induced abnormalities and to help guide future clinical decision making.
TweetSense: Context Recovery for Orphan Tweets by Exploiting Social Signals in Twitter

As the popularity of Twitter, and the volume of tweets increased dramatically, hashtags have naturally evolved to become a de facto context providing/categorizing mechanism on Twitter. Despite their wide-spread adoption, fueled in part by hashtag recommendation systems, lay users continue to generate tweets without hashtags. When such "orphan" tweets show up in a (browsing) user's time-line, it is hard to make sense of their context. In this paper, we present a system called TweetSense which aims to rectify such orphan tweeets by recovering their context in terms of their missing hashtags. TweetSense enables this context recovery by using both the content and social network features of the orphan tweet. We characterize the context recovery problem, present the details of TweetSense and present a systematic evaluation of its effectiveness over a 7 million tweet corpus.
Polyene Antifungal Agents

Polyene antifungals have been the cornerstone treatment for invasive aspergillosis for over 40 years. Whilst new treatment options have somewhat changed their role, lipid-associated amphotericin B regimens remain important therapeutic options for aspergillosis due to their broad-spectrum of activity and limited cross-resistance with triazole antifungals. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of accurate speciation of Aspergillus species during amphotericin B therapy, as some non-fumigatus species, particularly A. terreus and A. flavus are relatively resistant to polyenes. Furthermore, insights into the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic behaviour of the polyenes suggest a limited role for dosage escalation in the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The continued development of new formulation approaches and interest in aerosolised delivery strategies may open new opportunities for the use of polyenes in the prevention of fungal pneumonia caused by a wide range of moulds, including Aspergillus species.
PARO's stress-reduction potential for older adults

As the proportion of older adults in the United States is growing, there is a need to develop methods that enable older adults to maintain well-being in their own homes. Stress, if not managed prop...
Effect of Diluents and Capture Antibodies on Detection of NAP-1 by Sandwich Elisa

This study was undertaken because of a problem that arose during an investigation of the effects of i.v. LPS in normal human subjects. It was reported that LPS caused a rapid and striking increase in serum NAP-1. However, in subsequent assays of these sera, peak serum NAP-1 concentrations were considerably lower with an ELISA developed in our laboratory than with a commercially available sandwich ELISA kit (R and D Systems, Minneapolis, MN). We now describe the cause of this discrepancy, which related to the RD6 diluent used in the R & D ELISA for the NAP-1 standard curve. Standard curves were compared for NAP-1 in different diluents, including buffered BSA, pooled human serum, and RD6 (a presumed animal serum, specified by R & D only for dilution of NAP-1 for the standard curve). With the R & D ELISA plate monoclonal capture antibody, the standard curve for NAP-1 diluted in RD6 was depressed 4 to 6-fold relative to the curve for NAP-1 diluted in buffered BSA or in pooled human serum with undetectable NAP-1. It follows that serum NAP-1 concentrations calculated from the RD6 standard curve are incorrectly high, since the RD6 curve is depressed by something in RD6 that is not present in pooled human serum. The effect of diluents also depends on the specific capture antibody. With a different capture antibody, dose-response curves for NAP-1 diluted in buffered BSA or RD6 were identical, whereas the curve for NAP-1 diluted in pooled human serum was depressed. Since diluents or serum do not affect different monoclonal antibodies in the same way, careful evaluation of these interactions is required in the development or application of an ELISA system.
Exponential stabilization of kinematic nonholonomic systems using adaptive backstepping

We consider stabilization problem for n-dimensional kinematic nonholonomic systems with m-inputs. The control objective in exponential stabilization is to force the system states x ∊ Rn from an arbitrary initial state x 0 to origin with a finite convergence rate γ. We employ adaptive back stepping to stabilize the nonholonomic system. Adaptive back stepping seeks to stabilize n system states in n + r dimensional manifold with r being the number of adaptation parameters. Using this approach, desired performance and robustness properties of the feedback control system can be guaranteed. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is established by applying it on a unicycle type system moving on hyperbolic plane. Simulation results confirm the mathematical developments.
Planning a Research Agenda to Incorporate Imaging into Clinical Practice

Abstract Cancer sequencing studies are increasingly comprehensive and well-powered, returning long lists of somatic mutations that can be difficult to sort and interpret. Diligent analysis and quality control can require multiple computational tools of distinct utility and producing disparate output, creating additional challenges for the investigator. The Cancer-Related Analysis of Variants Toolkit (CRAVAT) is an evolving suite of informatics tools for mutation interpretation that includes mutation projecting and quality control, impact prediction and extensive annotation, gene- and mutation-level interpretation including joint prioritization of all nonsilent consequence types, and structural and mechanistic visualization. Results from CRAVAT submissions are explored in an interactive, user-friendly web-environment with dynamic filtering and sorting designed to highlight the most informative mutation, even in the context of very large studies. CRAVAT can be run on a public web-portal, in the cloud, or downloaded for local use, and is easily integrated with other methods for cancer omics analysis. Conflict of interest All authors declare no potential conflict of interest.
What makes specialized food-caching mountain chickadees successful city slickers?

Anthropogenic environments are a dominant feature of the modern world; therefore, understanding which traits allow animals to succeed in these urban environments is especially important. Overall, generalist species are thought to be most successful in urban environments, with better general cognition and less neophobia as suggested critical traits. It is less clear, however, which traits would be favoured in urban environments in highly specialized species. Here, we compared highly specialized food-caching mountain chickadees living in an urban environment (Reno, NV, USA) with those living in their natural environment to investigate what makes this species successful in the city. Using a ‘common garden’ paradigm, we found that urban mountain chickadees tended to explore a novel environment faster and moved more frequently, were better at novel problem-solving, had better long-term spatial memory retention and had a larger telencephalon volume compared with forest chickadees. There were no significant differences between urban and forest chickadees in neophobia, food-caching rates, spatial memory acquisition, hippocampus volume, or the total number of hippocampal neurons. Our results partially support the idea that some traits associated with behavioural flexibility and innovation are associated with successful establishment in urban environments, but differences in long-term spatial memory retention suggest that even this trait specialized for food-caching may be advantageous. Our results highlight the importance of environmental context, species biology, and temporal aspects of invasion in understanding how urban environments are associated with behavioural and cognitive phenotypes and suggest that there is likely no one suite of traits that makes urban animals successful.
Reduced swimming and metabolic fitness of aquaculture-reared California Yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) in comparison to wild-caught conspecifics

Abstract Aspects of swimming and metabolic physiology were measured in aquaculture-reared California Yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) in comparison to wild-caught individuals in order to examine potential differences in health and fitness associated with captive rearing, and to help identify areas for targeted improvement in Seriola aquaculture. Incremental swimming velocity trials using a swim tunnel respirometer on small yellowtail (mean body length = 18.9 cm, mass = 80.1 g) showed that aquaculture-reared fish had a significantly slower mean maximum sustainable swimming speed (Ucrit) (4.16 ± 0.62 BL s−1) in comparison to that of wild-caught fish (4.80 ± 0.52 BL s−1). In addition, oxygen consumption (ṀO2) measurements at varying swimming speeds allowed for estimation of standard metabolic rate, which was significantly higher in aquaculture-reared yellowtail (7.31 ± 2.32 vs. 3.94 ± 1.60 mg O2 kg−1 min−1 at 18 °C). Aquaculture fish also had a lower aerobic scope (9.20 ± 3.44 mg O2 kg−1 min−1) in comparison to wild-caught yellowtail (15.80 ± 5.78 mg O2 kg−1 min−1), which likely contributed to their reduced capacity for fast sustainable swimming. Reduced physical fitness is commonplace in aquaculture-reared fishes, and the examination of wild-caught yellowtail in this study provides baseline metrics that can be used to gauge the health and fitness of future S. dorsalis production. In particular, the lower standard metabolic rate and higher aerobic scope of wild-caught fish represent desirable metabolic characteristics that if achievable in aquaculture through better-rearing practices could allow for increased feed conversion efficiencies and potentially faster growth. At a minimum, a 35–40% reduction in metabolic costs at low swimming speeds (to those observed for wild-caught yellowtail) should result in substantial cost savings for feed in aquaculture operations.
THz Imaging System for in vivo Human Cornea

Terahertz (THz) imaging of corneal tissue water content (CTWC) is a proposed method for early, accurate detection and study of corneal diseases. Despite promising results from ex vivo and in vivo cornea studies, interpretation of the reflectivity data is confounded by the contact between corneal tissue and rigid dielectric window used to flatten the imaging field. This work develops a novel imaging system and image reconstruction methods specifically for nearly spherical targets such as human cornea. A prototype system was constructed using a 650-GHz multiplier source and Schottky diode detector. Resolution and imaging field strength measurement from characterization targets correlate well with those predicted by the quasioptical theory and physical optics analysis. Imaging experiments with corneal phantoms and ex vivo corneas demonstrate the hydration sensitivity of the imaging system and reliable measurement of CTWC. We present successful acquisition of noncontact THz images of in vivo human cornea, and discuss strategies for optimizing the imaging system design for clinical use.
An electrochemical investigation of the electrodeposition of non-intact tri-nuclear clusters on platinum working electrodes

Abstract The goal of this research was to study the electrochemical behavior of tri-nuclear clusters of molybdenum and tungsten - first in the ionic liquid EMIBF4, and then in the polar-aprotic solvent DMSO. Four tri-nuclear cluster compounds were studied: Hexa-μ2-acetatotriaquadi-μ3-oxotrimolybdenum (IV, IV, IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate [Mo₃O₂(O₂CCH₃)₆(H₂O)₃](CF₃SO₃)₂, Hexa-μ2-acetatotriaquadi-μ3-oxodimolybdenum (IV, IV) tungsten (IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate [Mo₂WO₂(O₂CCH₃)₆(H₂O)₃](CF₃SO₃)₂, Hexa-μ2-acetatotriaquadi-μ3-oxomolybdenum (IV) ditungsten (IV, IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate [MoW₂O₂(O₂CCH₃)₆(H₂O)₃](CF₃SO₃)₂, and Hexa-μ2-acetatotriaquadi-μ3-oxotritungsten (IV, IV, IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate [W₃O₂(O₂CCH₃)₆(H₂O)₃](CF₃SO₃)₂. All information gathered from CV data on tri-nuclear clusters will be discussed. The study of the electrodeposition efforts with molybdenum- and tungsten-based tri-nuclear clusters onto Pt electrodes in EMIBF4, and DMSO, will be compared to past investigations by Katovic et al. In addition, the electrochemical properties of these four trinuclear clusters in the DMSO-based solvent system were explored and are novel findings.
A Philosophy of the Family as a Practical Necessity

Whatever the state of its stability as a social institution, the family remains the primary reality for the child with learning disabilities
Near-field SAR imaging with dynamic metasurface antennas using an adapted range migration algorithm

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a well-established approach for retrieving images with high resolution. How- ever, common hardware used for SAR systems is usually complex and costly, and can suffer from lengthy signal acquisition. In near-field imaging, such as through-wall-sensing and security screening, simpler and faster hardware can be found in the form of dynamic metasurface antennas (DMAs). These antennas consist of a waveguide-fed array of tunable metamaterial elements whose overall radiation patterns can be altered by DC signals. By sweeping through a set of tuning states, near-field imaging can be accomplished by multiplexing scene information into a collection of measurements, which are post-processed to retrieve scene information. While DMAs simplify hardware, the post-processing can become cumbersome, especially when DMAs are moving in a fashion similar to SAR. In this presentation, we address this problem by modifying the range migration algorithm (RMA) to be compatible with DMAs. To accommodate complex patterns generated by DMAs in the RMA, a pre-processing step is introduced to transform the measurements into an equivalent set corresponding to an effective multistatic configuration, for which specific forms of the algorithm have been derived. As we are operating in the near field of the antennas, some approximations made in the classical formulation of RMA may not be valid. In this paper, we examine the effect of one such approximation: the discarding of amplitude terms in the signal-target Fourier relationship. We demonstrate the adaptation of the RMA to near field imaging using a DMA as central hardware of a SAR system, and discuss the effects of this approximation on the resulting image quality.
Quantitation without Calibration: Response Profile as an Indicator of Target Amount.

Quantitative assessment of biomarkers is essential in numerous contexts from decision-making in clinical situations to food quality monitoring to interpretation of life-science research findings. However, appropriate quantitation techniques are not as widely addressed as detection methods. One of the major challenges in biomarker’s quantitation is the need to have a calibration for correlating a measured signal to a target amount. The step complicates the methodologies and makes them less sustainable. In this work we address the issue via a new strategy: relying on position of response profile rather than on an absolute signal value for assessment of a target’s amount. In order to enable the capability we develop a target-probe binding mechanism based on a negative cooperativity effect. A proof-of-concept example demonstrates that the model is suitable for quantitative analysis of nucleic acids over a wide concentration range. The general principles of the platform will be applicable toward a variety of b...
OVERVIEW OF OHMIC-CONTACT FORMATION ON N-TYPE GaAs BY LASER AND ELECTRON BEAM ANNEALING

Researchers of several laboratories have obtained significant results when laser or electron-beam annealing was used for Ohmic-contact formation on n-type GaAs. Two types of contacts have been investigated. For the annealing procedure required by both types during processing, the standard method of furnace annealing has been replaced by laser or electron-beam annealing. The results achieved with the latter two processing techniques are discussed and compared with those obtained by the standard methods.
Experience With Semirigid Rod and Inflatable Penile Prostheses

AbstractBetween 1975 and 1980, 169 patients received a penile prosthesis. Followup for these patients ranges from 1 to 6 years. The following prostheses were implanted: 9 Small-Carrion, 13 Finney, 26 Jonas and 121 Scott. In the 48 patients receiving a semirigid rod prosthesis the only complication was a urethral erosion. In the 121 patients receiving an inflatable prosthesis the first 70 were implanted through a lower abdominal incision and 34 of these patients required a total of 63 revisions. The last 51 inflatable prostheses were implanted through a scrotal incision along with the use of rear tip extenders and 4 of these patients have required surgical revision.
Arthroscopic Management of Scaphoid Fractures and Nonunions

The scaphoid carpal bone is the most frequently fractured bone in the carpus. This fracture typically occurs in young men between the ages of 15–30 years, and is also a common athletic injury most often occurring in contact sports. Traditionally, management of acute nondisplaced fractures has been treated in a cast while displaced fractures with delayed presentation result in operative management. Arthroscopic assisted fixation allows for anatomic reduction of the scaphoid fracture with minimal soft tissue dissection. This allows for potentially improved range of motion and early return to work or competition. This chapter reviews various all arthroscopic or arthroscopic assisted fixation techniques for reduction and stabilization of both acute scaphoid fractures and nonunions. This chapter includes a video.
A comparison of once versus twice per week training on leg press strength in women.

Aim The purpose of this study was to compare strength differences between 2 groups of untrained women, who performed a single set of the leg press exercise once or twice per week. Methods Twenty-one women were divided randomly into 2 groups: Group 1 (n=10) performed a single set of the leg press exercise once per week, while Group 2 (n=11) performed a single set of the leg press exercise twice per week for a period of 8 weeks. Throughout the duration of the study, an amount of resistance was utilized that allowed for a single set of 6 to 10 repetitions to muscular failure. At the conclusion of the study, subjects were tested for their 6-RM strength. A 2x2 ANOVA was used to compare strength differences. The a level was set at 0.05 in order for differences to be considered significant. Results The 2x2 ANOVA demonstrated that strength increases were significant between tests (P=0.0001), but not significant between groups (P=0.757). Conclusions These results indicate that performing a single set of the leg press once or twice per week results in statistically similar strength gains in untrained women.
Cardiac tumors: Clinical spectrum and prognosis of lesions other than classical benign myxoma in 20 patients

Between 1961 and 1983, 20 patients underwent operation at the Texas Heart Institute for primary tumors other than classical benign myxoma. Total follow-up was 70.7 patient years (mean 3.5 years). There were 10 adults and 10 children under 12 years of age. There were two operative deaths and four late deaths. All of the pediatric patients had benign lesions (five fibromas, five rhabdomyomas), and only one patient in this group died (during the operation). All operative survivors are alive between 0.9 and 18 years postoperatively, although in three cases excision was incomplete. Of the 10 adult patients, five had benign lesions; all were completely excised. In the other five adult patients, unresectable malignant tumors were found, and all four operative survivors died of metastatic disease within 8 months. Benign cardiac tumors in childhood have an excellent prognosis when completely excised and appear to have a good short-term prognosis even when excision is incomplete. Although prognosis for benign tumors in adults is good, malignant tumors are associated with very poor survival.
Abstract 4753: Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 is a candidate promoter of cancer immune evasion

Tumors evade immune recognition and destruction by various established mechanisms, but less is known about how tumors short-circuit successful immune cell trafficking. To identify candidate proteins that inhibit immune trafficking, we developed a bioinformatics screen that utilizes an intratumoral cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) gene signature that quantifies the relative abundance of tumor infiltrating CTLs. This gene signature was used as a stratification tool to examine differential gene expression between tumors of “low” versus “high” CTL status. We hypothesized that a subset of recurrently overexpressed genes in low-CTL tumors (i.e., immunologically “cold” tumors) may functionally act to limit lymphocyte infiltration into the tumor mass. A pan-TCGA analysis of 23 solid tumor types (n=8,875 tumors) revealed a number of recurrent genes highly significantly associated with low CTL infiltration. We found that 88.5% of tumor pairwise comparisons (among the 23 tumor types) showed significant overlap of top genes associated with low CTL status, consistent with the existence of conserved, tumor-agnostic mechanisms of immune evasion. From these analyses, the secreted TGFβ superfamily member, BMP7, emerged as a top-ranking candidate regulator of immune trafficking. To investigate the role of BMP7 in CTL tumor trafficking, an immunogenic variant of the 4T1 mouse breast cancer cell line, 4T1-S, was modified using CRISPR-Cas9 to inducibly express BMP7 from the ROSA26 locus. 4T1-S BMP7-inducible cells were orthotopically transplanted into Balb/C female mice and tumors were allowed to form with or without BMP7 induction. Mice were sacrificed at 2, 3, and 4 wks post-tumor inoculation, and tumors, tumor-draining LNs (TDLNs), and spleens were harvested. At both 2 wks and 3 wks, a BMP7-dependent reduction in tumor CTLs was observed by anti-CD8a IF microscopy (p=0.002 and p Citation Format: Eric D. Routh, Julia Chifman, Ashok Pullikuth, Lance D. Miller. Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 is a candidate promoter of cancer immune evasion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4753.
PPARγ Deficiency Suppresses the Release of IL-1β and IL-1α in Macrophages via a Type 1 IFN–Dependent Mechanism

Obesity and diabetes modulate macrophage activation, often leading to prolonged inflammation and dysfunctional tissue repair. Increasing evidence suggests that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in obesity-associated inflammation. We have previously shown that activation of the lipotoxic inflammasome by excess fatty acids in macrophages occurs via a lysosome-dependent pathway. However, the mechanisms that link cellular lipid metabolism to altered inflammation remain poorly understood. PPARγ is a nuclear receptor transcription factor expressed by macrophages that is known to alter lipid handling, mitochondrial function, and inflammatory cytokine expression. To undercover novel links between metabolic signaling and lipotoxic inflammasome activation, we investigated mouse primary macrophages deficient in PPARγ. Contrary to our expectation, PPARγ knockout (KO) macrophages released significantly less IL-1β and IL-1α in response to lipotoxic stimulation. The suppression occurred at the transcriptional level and was apparent for multiple activators of the NLRP3 inflammasome. RNA sequencing revealed upregulation of IFN-β in activated PPARγKO macrophages, and this was confirmed at the protein level. A blocking Ab against the type 1 IFNR restored the release of IL-1β to wild type levels in PPARγKO cells, confirming the mechanistic link between these events. Conversely, PPARγ activation with rosiglitazone selectively suppressed IFN-β expression in activated macrophages. Loss of PPARγ also resulted in diminished expression of genes involved in sterol biosynthesis, a pathway known to influence IFN production. Together, these findings demonstrate a cross-talk pathway that influences the interplay between metabolism and inflammation in macrophages.
Early Life Abuse Moderates the Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Preliminary Evidence From a Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background: Although intranasal oxytocin (OXT) has been proposed to be a promising treatment for some psychiatric disorders, little research has addressed individual difference factors that may predict response to OXT. One such factor is early life abuse (ELA), which has widespread influences on social-emotional processing and behavior. This single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial examined the role of ELA in shaping the effects of intranasal OXT (vs. placebo) on daily behavioral symptoms in women with three or more prospectively-diagnosed cycling symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Methods: Participants were ten women with PMDD (n = 8) or subthreshold PMDD (n = 2), who had experienced ELA prior to age 13 (n = 5) or no ELA (n = 5). They completed two study visits during the late luteal (premenstrual) phase: once following administration of intranasal OXT and once following intranasal placebo (counterbalanced). Participants then self-administered OXT or placebo at home three times per day for 5 days or until menstrual onset, and prospectively rated daily emotional symptoms of PMDD. Power was adequate to detect medium main and interactive effects. Results: Among women with ELA, intranasal OXT (vs. placebo) increased the premenstrual emotional symptoms of PMDD, whereas among women without ELA, OXT decreased symptoms. Conclusion: This study adds to a growing literature highlighting the importance of considering historical social contexts and traits (such as ELA) as moderators of therapeutic response to OXT.
Exploring P300-based Biometric for Individual Identification Based on Convolutional Neural Networks

The potential of using the electrical brainwave signals of individual’s neural response to stimuli (the event-related potential) as a biometric in subject identification has been investigated. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals from 24 participants actively involving in the P300 Speller task are used to develop biometric systems based on discriminative classifiers. P300 is an event-related potential (ERP) component in human EEG elicited using the oddball stimulus to reflect the individual’s reaction in a target detection process [1]. For P300, it is possible to extract unique neural response pattern and information from different subjects to determine the subjects’ identity. Biometric recognition based on neural response pattern could be a physiological characteristic. Thus, while P300 inherit the advantages of human physiological features as a mean of individual identification, it is hard to steal, or replicate compared to other physiological features (e.g. fingerprint, iris). This abstract explores the possibility of using P300-based biometric as an individual identification tool. Eight-channel EEG data were recorded, and band-pass filters were applied to remove artifacts and to reduce noise. Topographic plot was used for feature extraction and convolutional neural net (CNN) was applied for classification. SVM and ELM were also used as classifiers.
Integrating Latina/o ethnic determinants of health in research to promote population health and reduce health disparities

Objectives Social determinants of health (SDOH) such as environmental conditions and the nature of social settings have become highly influential in public health policy-making circles worldwide, yet they may not address clearly the role of ethnicity in health processes. Method Drawing from the National Institutes of Health's disparity research frameworks, this papers illustrates a set of variables that are advanced as having a unique role in disparities experienced by ethnic populations and Latina/os, in particular. The proposed ethnic determinants of health tap environmental, community, and social-cognitive levels of analyses and are defined as variables that have discernable differences-relative to other subpopulations-in their levels or in the way that they impact health. Results Health process models illustrate that ethnic determinants such as racism, family cultural norms and cultural change, and ethnic identity can, for example, mediate ethnic health disparities or condition (moderate) the levels of impact that SDOH have on health outcomes. Qualitative research analyses also strengthen ethnic and SDOH research by diversifying researchers' a priori assumptions and methodological limitations imposed by quantitative approaches. Conclusions The expected dividends of the proposed Latina/o ethnic determinants of health research agenda amount to the generation of research that clarifies the role of ethnicity in SDOH and population health processes that are highly influential in ongoing regional and national health agendas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots

Drawing from the authors own state-of-the-art research, this book examines the philosophical basis, motivation, theory, and design recommendations for the implementation of an ethical control and reasoning system in autonomous robot systems, taking into account the Laws of War and Rules of Engagement. It discusses how robots can ultimately be more humane than humans in the battlefield. The author addresses the issue of autonomous robots having the potential to make life-or-death decisions and provides examples that illustrate autonomous systems ethical use of force. He also includes the opinions of the public, researchers, policymakers, and military personnel on the use of lethality by autonomous systems.
Location-dependent maintenance of intrinsic susceptibility to mTORC1-driven tumorigenesis

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) of the ventricular–subventricular zone (V-SVZ) are candidate cells of origin for many brain tumors. However, whether NSPCs in different locations within the V-SVZ differ in susceptibility to tumorigenic mutations is unknown. Here, single-cell measurements of signal transduction intermediates in the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway reveal that ventral NSPCs have higher levels of signaling than dorsal NSPCs. These features are linked with differences in mTORC1-driven disease severity: introduction of a pathognomonic Tsc2 mutation only results in formation of tumor-like masses from the ventral V-SVZ. We propose a direct link between location-dependent intrinsic growth properties imbued by mTORC1 and predisposition to tumor development.
Isotopic records of climate seasonality in equid teeth

Abstract We investigate how oxygen isotopes in equid teeth can be used as a record of seasonality. First, we use in situ laser ablation and conventional microsampling techniques to understand time-averaging of environmental signals in intra-tooth isotope profiles in modern feral horse teeth (n = 5) from Mongolia, where there is a large seasonal gradient in the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation. We demonstrate that laser ablation can be used to sample inner, middle, and outer enamel layers in large mammalian herbivore teeth. The inner enamel layer records less attenuated isotopic signals than other layers, as predicted by the mineralization patterns, but intra-tooth signal amplitude is similar for laser and conventional sampling methods. Second, we use modern zebra teeth (n = 21) collected in eastern Africa to evaluate how intra-tooth oxygen isotope variation relates to rainfall patterns in the tropics. We show that the intra-tooth isotopic range increases with intra-annual precipitation isotopic range, which in turn relates to aridity in the equatorial bimodal rainfall region but is influenced by other hydroclimate processes in the region as a whole. Finally, we address isotopic seasonality during the Early Pleistocene in eastern Africa using oxygen isotopes in fossil equid teeth from southwestern Kenya (n = 11) and northern Tanzania (n = 5). We find variable isotopic seasonality in the past, similar to present-day eastern Africa, consistent with the notion that hominins and other mammals were able to accommodate environmental variability on intra-annual scales in addition to well-documented orbital cycles.
An empirical comparison between monkey testing and human testing (WIP paper)

Android app testing is challenging and time-consuming because fully testing all feasible execution paths is difficult. Nowadays apps are usually tested in two ways: human testing or automated testing. Prior work compared different automated tools. However, some fundamental questions are still unexplored, including (1) how automated testing behaves differently from human testing, and (2) whether automated testing can fully or partially substitute human testing. This paper presents our study to explore the open questions. Monkey has been considered one of the best automated testing tools due to its usability, reliability, and competitive coverage metrics, so we applied Monkey to five Android apps and collected their dynamic event traces. Meanwhile, we recruited eight users to manually test the same apps and gathered the traces. By comparing the collected data, we revealed that i.) on average, the two methods generated similar numbers of unique events; ii.) Monkey created more system events while humans created more UI events; iii.) Monkey could mimic human behaviors when apps have UIs full of clickable widgets to trigger logically independent events; and iv.) Monkey was insufficient to test apps that require information comprehension and problem-solving skills. Our research sheds light on future research that combines human expertise with the agility of Monkey testing.