cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucocorticoid receptor beta increases migration of human bladder cancer cells

// Lucien McBeth 1 , Assumpta C. Nwaneri 1 , Maria Grabnar 1 , Jonathan Demeter 1 , Andrea Nestor-Kalinoski 2 , Terry D. Hinds Jr. 1 1 Center for Hypertension and Personalized Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH 43614, USA 2 Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Surgery, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH 43614, USA Correspondence to: Terry D. Hinds, e-mail: Terry.Hinds@utoledo.edu Keywords: glucocorticoid receptor, GR, GR alpha, GR beta, glucocorticoids Received: January 28, 2016 Accepted: March 14, 2016 Published: March 27, 2016 ABSTRACT Bladder cancer is observed worldwide having been associated with a host of environmental and lifestyle risk factors. Recent investigations on anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid signaling point to a pathway that may impact bladder cancer. Here we show an inverse effect on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) isoform signaling that may lead to bladder cancer. We found similar GRα expression levels in the transitional uroepithelial cancer cell lines T24 and UMUC-3. However, the T24 cells showed a significant ( p < 0.05) increased expression of GRβ compared to UMUC-3, which also correlated with higher migration rates. Knockdown of GRβ in the T24 cells resulted in a decreased migration rate. Mutational analysis of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of human GRβ revealed that miR144 might positively regulate expression. Indeed, overexpression of miR144 increased GRβ by 3.8 fold. In addition, miR144 and GRβ were upregulated during migration. We used a peptide nucleic acid conjugated to a cell penetrating-peptide (Sweet-P) to block the binding site for miR144 in the 3′UTR of GRβ. Sweet-P effectively prevented miR144 actions and decreased GRβ expression, as well as the migration of the T24 human bladder cancer cells. Therefore, GRβ may have a significant role in bladder cancer, and possibly serve as a therapeutic target for the disease.
On the Accuracy of Data-Driven Free Surface Multiple Prediction

In Surface Related Multiple Elimination (SRME), datadriven free surface multiple prediction is followed by adaptive subtraction of the predicted multiples. Adaptive subtraction invariably involves a delicate balance between removing multiples and preserving primary signal. A variety of steps can be taken to improve the amplitude and phase of the predicted multiples, thereby reducing the need for aggressive adaptive filters, which in turn will preserve primaries while still successfully attenuating the multiples. These steps include source signature deconvolution, deghosting, redatuming, an explicit obliquity correction and methods for correcting the amplitudes of higher order multiples. We illustrate the impact of satisfying these prerequisites using synthetic and field data examples.
At high levels, constitutively activated STAT3 induces apoptosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the increment in PBLs is slower than the expected increment calculated from the cells' proliferation rate, suggesting that cellular proliferation and apoptosis are concurrent. Exploring this phenomenon, we found overexpression of caspase-3, higher cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase levels (p < 0.007), and a higher apoptosis rate in cells from patients with high counts compared with cells from patients with low counts. Although we previously found that STAT3 protects CLL cells from apoptosis, STAT3 levels were significantly higher in cells from patients with high counts than in cells from patients with low counts. Furthermore, overexpression of STAT3 did not protect the cells. Rather, it upregulated caspase-3 and induced apoptosis. Remarkably, putative STAT3 binding sites were identified in the caspase-3 promoter, and a luciferase assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and an EMSA revealed that STAT3 activated caspase-3 However, caspase-3 levels increased only when STAT3 levels were sufficiently high. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and EMSA, we found that STAT3 binds with low affinity to the caspase-3 promoter, suggesting that at high levels, STAT3 activates proapoptotic mechanisms and induces apoptosis in CLL cells.
Cutaneous Pythiosis in the Horse

Pythiosis of horses in an invasive, ulcerative, proliferative, pyogranulomatous disease of the skin and subcutis caused by Pythium insidiosum, a fungus-like oomycete in the order Peronosporales of the kingdom Protista. Pythiosis is a form of "phycomycosis," which is a complex of pyogranulomatous diseases that also includes conidiobolomysosis, basidiobolobysosis, and disorders caused by members of the order Mucorales.
Valores à mostra: o legado de Lina Bo Bardi

Este articulo expone algunos de los valores y las practicas que Lina Bo Bardi exploro en su compleja carrera, y que permanecen abiertos a exploracion en un momento en que su obra es redescubierta en Brasil e internacionalmente. Aunque su practica curatorial quede obscurecida por la creciente visibilidad de sus edificios, esta practica era constante a lo largo de su vida y una referencia para el desarrollo de aspectos conceptuales y simbolicos de su trabajo en otros campos del diseno.
Torque Arm Actuated Bi-Stable Buckled Energy Harvester Characterization

A bi-stable energy harvester utilizing PVDF strips driven via two torque arms with end masses and pseudo pinned in the middle is evaluated. A sinusoidal acceleration is applied to the base of the device with varying frequencies and magnitudes while the compression of the center beam is achieved by applying a small displacement to the center beam. Frequency sweeps will be done forwards as well as backwards to evaluate hysteresis performance. Peak voltages, natural frequencies, snap-through acceleration values, static actuation displacement values, and material properties for unknowns are derived experimentally.
Inhibition of T-cell activation attenuates hypertension, TNFα, IL-17, and blood-brain barrier permeability in pregnant rats with angiogenic imbalance.

Problem Angiogenic imbalance during pregnancy is associated with immune activation, hypertension, increased T cell infiltration, and neurological insults. Method of study On gestational day (GD) 12, timed-pregnant rats were infused with anti-angiogenic factors sFlt-1 and sEndoglin (4.7 and 7 μg/kg) to create HELLP syndrome via mini-osmotic pumps for 8 days, with a subset of these rats having Orencia (2 mg/kg) infused on GD13. On GD19, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability was evaluated via Evan's Blue infusion, blood was collected for T-cell measurements, inflammatory cytokine secretion. Brain tissues were also collected to examine inflammatory cytokine infiltration. Results T-cell attenuation with Orencia decreased circulating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and IL-17, BBB permeability and significantly decreased biochemical evidence of HELLP compared to untreated HELLP rats. Conclusions These data support the hypothesis that T cells have a critical role in contributing to the pathophysiology that is seen in angiogenic imbalance during pregnancy.
Design framework for entanglement-distribution switching networks

The distribution of quantum entanglement appears to be an important component of applications of quantum communications and networks. The ability to centralize the sourcing of entanglement in a quantum network can provide for improved efficiency and enable a variety of network structures. A necessary feature of an entanglement-sourcing network node comprising several sources of entangled photons is the ability to reconfigurably route the generated pairs of photons to network neighbors depending on the desired entanglement sharing of the network users at a given time. One approach to such routing is the use of a photonic switching network. The requirements for an entanglement distribution switching network are less restrictive than for typical conventional applications, leading to design freedom that can be leveraged to optimize additional criteria. In this paper, we present a mathematical framework defining the requirements of an entanglement-distribution switching network. We then consider the design of such a switching network using a number of 2 × 2 crossbar switches, addressing the interconnection of these switches and efficient routing algorithms. In particular, we define a worst-case loss metric and consider 6 × 6, 8 × 8, and 10 × 10 network designs that optimize both this metric and the number of crossbar switches composing the network. We pay particular attention to the 10 × 10 network, detailing novel results proving the optimality of the proposed design. These optimized network designs have great potential for use in practical quantum networks, thus advancing the concept of quantum networks toward reality.
The Fatou inequality revisited. — Variations on a theme by A. Dvoretzky

Definition i.i: Let (Xn, n f ~) be a sequence of random variables and Y: ~ ~ be a mapping. Then Y is said to be a measurable cluster point, or simply a cluster point of the sequence (Xn, n C ~) if Y is ~measurable and for almost every ~ @ ~, Y(m) is a cluster point of the sequence (Xn(~) , n f ~). Equivalently, Y is a cluster point of (Xn, n 6 ~) if and only if Y is measurable and li___mm ]X n Y[ = 0 a.s. n We now recall two results that will be used later.
Why Are There So Many Chemicals in Our Food

The thought of chemicals in our foods conjures up bad memories from chemistry labs of nasty jars filled with foul smelling powders and bottles with pungent, corrosive liquids. Or maybe when thinking of chemistry we recall Walter White, the chemistry teacher who went rogue in the popular television series Breaking Bad. Either vision obscures the role of chemistry in our everyday lives. We live in a material world from the furniture in our rooms and offices to the vehicles that get us to and from work or school to the electronic devices that keep us plugged into the world to the very utensils and dishes we use to convey the foods we eat to our mouths. All of these materials owe their very existence to a complex mix of chemicals.
Robust and Inexpensive Six-Axis Force–Torque Sensors Using MEMS Barometers

Current commercial force–torque sensors are sensitive and accurate, but are also typically expensive and fragile. These features limit their use in cost-sensitive applications and unstructured environments such as people's homes. This paper presents a new design for an inexpensive and robust force–torque sensor that uses microelectromechanical system barometer transducers. The new design results in a six-axis force–torque sensor with an $R^2$ greater than 0.90 for F $_{x}$ and F $_{y}$ , and an $R^2$ greater than 0.98 for F $_{z}$ , M $_{x}$ , M $_{y}$ , and M $_{z}$ during compound loading. Furthermore, this sensor can be assembled in two days with off-the-shelf components for less than 20 USD.
Mosquitocidal Activity and Mode of Action of the Isoxazoline Fluralaner

Mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, are important vectors of human diseases. Fluralaner, a recently introduced parasiticide, was evaluated as a mosquitocide in this study. On Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae fourth-instar larvae, fluralaner had 24-h LC50 (lethal concentration for 50% mortality) values of 1.8 ppb and 0.4 ppb, respectively. Following topical application to adult Ae. aegypti, fluralaner toxicity reached a plateau in about 3 days, with 1- and 3-day LD50 (lethal dose for 50% mortality) values of 1.3 ng/mg and 0.26 ng/mg, suggesting a slowly developing toxicity. Fipronil outperformed fluralaner by up to 100-fold in adult topical, glass contact, and feeding assays on Ae. aegypti. These data show that fluralaner does not have exceptional toxicity to mosquitoes in typical exposure paradigms. In electrophysiological recordings on Drosophila melanogaster larval central nervous system, the effectiveness of fluralaner for restoring nerve firing after gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment, a measure of GABA antagonism, was similar in susceptible Oregon-R and cyclodiene-resistant rdl-1675 strains, with EC50 (half maximal effective concentration) values of 0.34 µM and 0.29 µM. Although this finding suggests low cross resistance in the presence of rdl, the moderate potency, low contact activity, and slow action of fluralaner argue against its use as an adult mosquitocide for vector control.
Food Safety Considerations for Meat and Poultry Vendors

Fresh meat and poultry have been long recognized as sources of foodborne pathogens. These products have become increasingly present at farmers markets as customers seek to fulfill their entire shopping list with locally sourced foods and vendors look to diversify their offerings. With this growing segment of the market comes a need to understand what food safety risks may be associated with these products when distributed through farmers markets. The regulatory landscape in the U.S. is covered in this chapter to provide a better understanding of the food safety-based regulations locally sourced meat and poultry producers must follow. Exemptions of small-scale local producers for certain products also will be are addressed. Best practices which should be considered by vendors of meat and poultry products are presented.
Design robust cascade control structure for voltage source converters

This paper proposes a novel robust cascade structure which has better performance when the transmission line undergoes a perturbation. Cascade control structure is normally used when the control procedure can be split into two (or more) cascaded parts. Compared with the conventional cascade control structure which has a limited ability to handle the perturbation in the plant model, the novel structure has better robustness when the transmission line inductance varies. After introducing their structures, the poles and zeros of the closed-loop system related to the conventional and the robust cascade structures will be generated and used to analyze their stability. To verify the theoretical analysis, both cascade structures are applied to a voltage source converter (VSC) and are simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. The different step responses are plotted and analyzed with increasing the transmission line inductance.
Decompositions of Manifolds. By Robert J. Daverman

(1988). Decompositions of Manifolds. By Robert J. Daverman. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 95, No. 5, pp. 471-475.
Abuse and Neglect Issues Across the Lifespan

The social worker is a mandated reporter in all states for child abuse, in most if not all states for elder abuse, and in a minority of states for partner abuse. This chapter reviews varying definitions of abuse and neglect and the legal and ethical dilemmas that confront social workers as mandated reporters. Potential consequences for failure to report are also discussed.
Mode-II Interlaminar Fracture of Composites

Abstract This chapter will present fracture mechanics and experimental mechanics approaches used to characterize mode-II interlaminar fracture of composites. This chapter is organized into four major sections: background, analytical, numerical, and experimental results. The first section documents from an historical viewpoint, the various mode-II specimen geometries that have been proposed prior to the emergence of the end notch flexure (ENF) specimen as the most frequently used test method to characterize mode-II interlaminar fracture toughness. The second section focuses on analytical approaches to model the ENF specimen that includes shear deformation beam theory, shear deformation plate theory where the crack-tip singularity is introduced as a surface traction and a higher-order beam theory. Specimen design procedures to maintain linear elastic response and to minimize geometric non-linearities and friction between crack surfaces are presented. The third section reviews numerical results. Compliance, strain energy release rates, delamination offset from the mid-plane and frictional effects are investigated. Results are compared to analytical solutions. The last section reviews experimental mechanics techniques used to characterize the static mode-II interlaminar fracture toughness of composites.
Novel Left Atrioventricular Valvuloplasty for Atrioventricular Septal Defect

An infant boy with 21 trisomy was diagnosed with complete atrioventricular septal defect-Rastelli type A with parachute left atrioventricular valve and absent left mural leaflet. Biventricular repair was difficult in infancy because the left ventricular volume and left atrioventricular valve annulus were too small. After 2 pulmonary artery bandings, the left atrioventricular valve annulus increased to 85% of normal mitral valve, and the left ventricular end-diastolic volume increased to 98% of normal. We report a successful instance of complete atrioventricular septal defect that achieved biventricular repair via novel left atrioventricular valvuloplasty for parachute left atrioventricular valve and absent left mural leaflet.
Impaired Tumor-Necrosis-Factor-α-driven Dendritic Cell Activation Limits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Protection from Allergic Inflammation in Infants

Summary Infants have a higher risk of developing allergic asthma than adults. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We show here that sensitization of mice with house-dust mites (HDMs) in the presence of low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) prevented T helper 2 (Th2) cell allergic responses in adult, but not infant, mice. Mechanistically, adult CD11b+ migratory dendritic cells (mDCs) upregulated the transcription factor T-bet in response to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which was rapidly induced after HDM + LPS sensitization. Consequently, adult CD11b+ mDCs produced interleukin-12 (IL-12), which prevented Th2 cell development by promoting T-bet upregulation in responding T cells. Conversely, infants failed to induce TNF-α after HDM + LPS sensitization. Therefore, CD11b+ mDCs failed to upregulate T-bet and did not secrete IL-12 and Th2 cell responses normally developed in infant mice. Thus, the availability of TNF-α dictates the ability of CD11b+ mDCs to suppress allergic Th2-cell responses upon dose-dependent endotoxin sensitization and is a key mediator governing susceptibility to allergic airway inflammation in infant mice.
In a globally warming world, insects act locally to manipulate their own microclimate

A key challenge, as CO2 accumulates and Earth warms, is to predict the responses of ecological systems—the suite of interacting populations embedded in the abiotic arena of temperature, moisture, and biogeochemistry. Thermal performance theory (1⇓–3) has come to the fore as a powerful approach toward understanding such biotic change. Thermal performance theory posits that a suite of organismal traits like thermal minima, maxima, and optima—all underlain by physiology—translate gradients of an organism’s thermal environment into gradients of its performance. “Performance” in this case is an ecoevolutionary catchall that ultimately translates into reproduction, growth, and, at bare minimum, survival. Thermal performance theory’s underlying logic—one used by global change scientists—is that temperature constrains the abundance and distribution of populations and communities: The abiotic predicts the biotic. Toward developing that understanding, students of thermal performance theory have been keenly aware of the importance of natural history, the diversity of ways that organisms experience temperature. In PNAS, Pincebourde and Casas (4) report how seven arthropod species that feed on leaves in the same French apple orchard engineer widely different microclimates for themselves in the process. By flipping the arrow between abiotic and biotic, the authors show how species do not just occupy their thermal niches, they create them. It is relatively straightforward to measure the thermal environment of large organisms like lizards, birds, and tortoises (2). In the shade, one measures air temperature; in the sun, one adds the effect of radiant heat. For the first generation of biotic change models, climatologists provided the necessary data on mean air temperature and number of hours of sun from the world’s weather stations. Thus began the early marriage of thermal performance theory and climatology (5). At the same time, microclimatologists (often agronomists interested in the temperature and humidity experienced by leaves) … [↵][1]1Email: mkaspari{at}ou.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Raising achievement among microentrepreneurs: An experimental test of goals, incentives, and support groups in Medellin, Colombia

Abstract Inspired by the success of the California-based Family Independence Initiative (FII), we designed a field experiment to estimate the impact of an inexpensive program structured around goal-setting, small monetary incentives, and support groups on the achievement of business-related objectives. In collaboration with Medellin-based Bancos de las Opportunidades, we randomly assigned small business owners to one of four experimental groups that met regularly for six months and to two control groups. Our results show that the mere act of establishing a goal plays a large and significant role in individual outcomes. Yet, it was the full FII combination of goal-setting, monetary incentive, and group support that resulted in the highest level of total business sales, pointing to the existence of complementarities between economic, social, and psychological interventions. Our study contributes to the emerging literature demonstrating that low-cost interventions focused on the internal constraints of the poor can help facilitate pathways out of poverty.
Sodium, but not potassium, blocks bitterness in simple model chicken broths

Potassium chloride (KCl) has proven useful as a salty taste replacer to help reduce dietary sodium. But unlike sodium, which in simple aqueous solutions blocks the perception of bitterness of selected compounds, KCl does not blocker bitterness. We tested the ability of potassium to block bitterness in a more complex translational system by presenting model chicken broths to healthy adults. Broths were presented in three added salt conditions: (1) no added salt, (2) salted with sodium chloride (NaCl), or (3) salted with KCl. To create a model bitter off-taste, four concentrations of l-tryptophan (l-tryp, present in chicken meat) were added to each broth. In Experiment 1, the base broth consisted of chicken flavor only. In Experiment 2, the base broth was more complex, containing savory (umami) ingredients. In both experiments, subjects rated broths with either added NaCl or KCl as saltier than unsalted broths. Only NaCl, however, suppressed bitterness (by about 30%, across a wide range of l-tryp concentrations). Accordingly, when complex foods have sodium reduced and potassium increased to balance salty taste, the bitterness reducing properties of sodium will need to be replaced independently, since potassium does not share this effect.
Pineal Region Tumors: Viewpoint—Surgery

Pineal region lesions pose a complex therapeutic challenge in which patient-related, as well as tumor-specific variables influence the optimal management paradigm. Advances in surgical techniques have minimized complications while facilitating extensive resection. Surgery for maximal resection of all benign and most malignant tumors can often be quite effective or even curative for select patients. Patients such as those with positive CSF or blood markers, or those with disseminated disease, will benefit from a different therapeutic strategy. The nuances of the decision-making algorithm for surgical treatment of pineal region lesions are discussed in this chapter. Special emphasis is made of the surgical results based on specific pathology, and the optimal patient selection for particular approaches.
Interpreting Anion Gap Values in Adult and Pediatric Patients: Examining the Reference Interval.

Background: The anion gap is primarily used in the diagnosis of acid-base disorders. We conducted a study to determine the anion gap reference interval in our patient population, investigated the workup of abnormal vs normal anion gaps, and examined the anion gap variation upon repeated testing. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 17137 adult and pediatric patients who presented to Yale-New Haven Hospital outpatient clinics, emergency department, or intensive care units between 2012 and 2017. Results: We derived a new reference interval of 7 to 18 mmol/L with a median of 13 mmol/L in healthy adults with no significant differences owing to partitioning by sex or age. Based on the new reference interval, 5%, 23%, and 18% of healthy, emergency department, and intensive care unit adult patients, respectively, were misclassified as having high values with the previous interval of 6 to 16 mmol/L. However, there were no significant differences in the number of tests ordered in patients with anion gaps above and below the upper limit of the previous reference interval. The majority of increased anion gaps that were repeated normalized by 12 h. In a subgroup of healthy adult patients with annual testing, the median percent change in each patient9s anion gap from 2015 to 2016 was approximately 13%. Conclusions: The anion gap should be used with an appropriate reference interval to avoid misclassification. There may be a moderate degree of individuality that argues for comparing the anion gap with its baseline value in the same patient pending further studies that formally derive its biological variation.
Fostering toddlers’ social emotional competence: considerations of teachers’ emotion language by child gender

The current study examines teachers’ differential emotion socialization practices with girls and boys by observing the emotion language of 27 teachers in naturally-occurring classroom interactions ...
Implicit regularization and momentum algorithms in nonlinear adaptive control and prediction

Stable concurrent learning and control of dynamical systems is the subject of adaptive control. Despite being an established field with many practical applications and a rich theory, much of the development in adaptive control for nonlinear systems revolves around a few key algorithms. By exploiting strong connections between classical adaptive nonlinear control techniques and recent progress in optimization and machine learning, we show that there exists considerable untapped potential in algorithm development for both adaptive nonlinear control and adaptive dynamics prediction. We first introduce first-order adaptation laws inspired by natural gradient descent and mirror descent. We prove that when there are multiple dynamics consistent with the data, these non-Euclidean adaptation laws implicitly regularize the learned model. Local geometry imposed during learning thus may be used to select parameter vectors - out of the many that will achieve perfect tracking or prediction - for desired properties such as sparsity. We apply this result to regularized dynamics predictor and observer design, and as concrete examples consider Hamiltonian systems, Lagrangian systems, and recurrent neural networks. We subsequently develop a variational formalism based on the Bregman Lagrangian to define adaptation laws with momentum applicable to linearly parameterized systems and to nonlinearly parameterized systems satisfying monotonicity or convexity requirements. We show that the Euler Lagrange equations for the Bregman Lagrangian lead to natural gradient and mirror descent-like adaptation laws with momentum, and we recover their first-order analogues in the infinite friction limit. We illustrate our analyses with simulations demonstrating our theoretical results.
Cost Control Method for Goods Transportation of Coastal Enterprises Based on Earned Value Method

Gao, S., 2020. Cost control method for goods transportation of coastal enterprises based on earned value method. In: Yang, Y.; Mi, C.; Zhao, L., and Lam, S. (eds.), Global Topics and New Trends in Coastal Research: Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 103, pp. 674–677. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Currently, the coastal transportation industry is in a fierce global competitive environment, and companies are trying to compete for the market and customers by reducing costs and improving service quality. In order to strengthen cost control of transportation enterprises and improve their management level, this paper proposes a cost control method for goods transportation of coastal enterprises based on earned value method. Based on the characteristics of cargo transportation of coastal enterprises, the composition of transportation cost is analyzed comprehensively. The principle of cost control theory is introduced. It is clear that the controllability of cost has a great relationship with the time and space range of control objects. of control objects. This work analyses the specific composition of transportation cost in China under different classification methods, summarizes its cost characteristics, and preliminarily discusses the control methods that ocean container transportation enterprises should adopt according to these cost characteristics. An example of logistics freight transportation cost shows that the control of transportation cost of water-rail intermodal logistics lies mainly on the control of the whole operation process. The strategies of control optimization mainly include: optimizing infrastructure and special equipment, adopting advanced information system, cultivating high-quality personnel system and improving system environment.
The Aging Adult and Chronic Kidney Disease

The demographics of population growth in the United States is shifting. From 2002 to 2016, the population grew from 287 million to 323 million and life expectancy increased from 76.8 to 78.8 years.Within this growth, there has been a drop in both fertility rate and mortality rate, resulting in significant growth of the elderly population.As reported by the US Census Bureau, by the year 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. The size of the older population will grow such that by 2035, there will be 78 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.7million under the age of 18. The report goes on to say that for the first time in US history, the number of older people will outnumber children.
An enhancement of grid connected PV system performance based on ANFIS MPPT control and dual axis solar tracking

in this paper both dual-axis solar tracking and ANFIS MPPT to enhance the performance of grid-connected PV power plant. The two-axis solar tracking approach is used to track the sun and allow the solar panel to be placed perpendicular to the solar irradiation. The ANFIS MPPT approach is employed to keep the PV array operating at the maximum power point, an ANFIS MPPT algorithm has been proposed in this paper to find the requirements of response speed and dynamic stability. Simulations have been made through Matlab/Simulink. The results show that both the ANFIS MPPT algorithms and dual solar tracking and could enhance the efficiency and PV array output power.
‘This scene is itself living’: Buildings as landscapes in transatlantic human geography, 1870–1970:

What do houses do to the people who live with them? In what sense are houses themselves living things? If they live and act, how to conceive of the relationship between built and natural landscapes...
Long term outcomes of colon polyps with high grade dysplasia following endoscopic resection.

The risk of recurrent colonic adenoma associated with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) colon polyps at baseline colonoscopy remains unclear. We conducted a clinical cohort study with patients who underwent polypectomy during screen colonoscopy to assess recurrent colonic adenoma risk factors. 11,565 patients at our facility underwent screen colonoscopy between September 1998 and August 2007. Data from patients with HGD colon polyps who had undergone follow-up colonoscopy were included for analysis. Data from 211 patients was included. Rates of metachronous adenoma and advanced adenoma at follow-up were 58% and 20%, respectively. Mean follow-up period was 5.5 ± 1.8 (3–12) years. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that an adenoma count of ≥ 3 at baseline colonoscopy was strongly associated with overall recurrence, multiple recurrence, advanced recurrence, proximal recurrence, and distal adenoma recurrence with odds ratios of 4.32 (2.06–9.04 95% CI), 3.47 (1.67–7.22 95% CI), 2.55 (1.11–5.89 95% CI), 2.46 (1.16–5.22 95% CI), 2.89 (1.44–5.78 95% CI), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed gender (male) [P = 0.010; OR 3.09(1.32–7.25 95% CI)] and adenoma count ≥ 3 [P = 0.002; OR 3.08(1.52–6.24 95% CI)] at index colonoscopy to be significantly associated with recurrence of advanced adenoma. Recurrence of colonic adenoma at time of follow-up colonoscopy is common in patients who undergo polypectomy for HGD colon adenomas during baseline colonoscopy. Risk of further developing advanced adenomas is associated with gender and the number of colon adenomas present.
Acute Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation Lowers IL-2R Signaling and the Proliferative Potential of Regulatory T Cells.

IL-2R signaling is essential for the development and homeostasis of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). Low-dose IL-2 is being advanced as a therapy for autoimmune diseases because of its ability to expand Tregs. Although Treg stability and function is diminished by chronic inflammation, the impact of inflammation on proximal IL-2R signaling and/or responsiveness to low-dose IL-2 is poorly understood. In this study, we show that acute inflammation induced by LPS, analogous to responses to acute bacterial infection, led to decreased endogenous STAT5 signaling and proliferative potential as measured by Ki67 in mouse Tregs. This impaired Treg activity was transient, did not lead to a reduction in Treg numbers or function, and was due to TLR signaling by non-Tregs. Although acute LPS induced high levels of IL-1 and IL-6, these cytokines did not solely mediate dysregulated Treg activity. Global gene expression analyses demonstrated that acute LPS-induced inflammation substantially and rapidly altered the Treg transcriptome. In the presence of an IL-2R agonist, the mouse IL-2/CD25 fusion protein (mIL-2/CD25), this type of inflammatory response tempered the transcription of IL-2R-dependent genes in vivo. Gene enrichment and pathway analyses are consistent with LPS attenuating mIL-2/CD25-dependent genes related to the cell cycle, DNA replication, and cholesterol biosynthesis while enhancing mRNAs that mediated Treg suppression in vivo. Acute LPS-induced inflammation diminished some responses by Tregs to mIL-2/CD25 treatment in vivo. Together, these results suggest a role for persistent IL-2R signaling in mitigating some but not all of the deleterious effects of inflammation on Treg proliferation while supporting their function.
Neutrophil response to cyclophosphamide predicts resilience to age-related learning impairment

The ability to respond to stress, defined as resilience, was measured by white blood cell counts in C57BL/6 mice of various ages receiving a nonlethal dose of cyclophosphamide (CYP). Neutrophil counts dipped and then rebounded in a consistent and age-dependent manner. Low neutrophil rebound correlated with improved learning in middle-age mice suggesting CYP-nduced neutrophil response may predict resilience to aging. Keywords: Resilience to aging, wound healing, ear punch biopsy, aging mice
Capital Market Frictions and Deposit Constraints on Banks

Following the investment-cash flow literature, we test whether bank lending is constrained by the availability of insured deposits--a necessary condition for the existence of a bank lending channel of monetary policy. We treat insured deposits as a type of "internal fund," similar to cash flows. We use a simple model to sort out the possible identification issues in interpreting the correlation between lending and deposit growth, including reverse causality and omitted variable bias. To minimize the latter, we split the sample of banks by leverage and also use deposit flows at sister banks within a holding company as an "instrument." The results are consistent with the existence of frictions in capital market facing banks, and that such frictions force bank lending to be constrained by the availability of insured deposits. However, the frictions seem to matter only at small banks, suggesting that the bank lending channel of monetary policy is small.
Failure prediction of waterborne barrier coatings during folding

Adding pigments into waterborne barrier coatings improves barrier properties and cost-effectiveness but increases the risk of crack formation during folding. Crack formation is affected by pigment shape, aspect ratio, and concentration; however, the exact mechanism for these effects is still not well understood. In this work, a systematic model was used to understand the influence of the paper and coating thickness, the latex and pigment modulus, the pigment shape and aspect ratio, and pigment concentration on the failure of waterborne barrier coatings during folding. A finite element method-based model was solved with a commercial package to simulate the folding process. These simulations were compared to experimental results to verify the key parameters that affect coating failure. High paper and coating thickness, pigment loadings, pigment aspect ratios, and modulus differences between latex and pigment increased the likelihood of failure. Experiments and models using lower modulus spherical plastic pigments were more difficult to fail than coatings made with higher modulus kaolin. The maximum strain for coatings bent to a set curvature was the smallest when the modulus of latex and pigment were similar. The model agreed closely with experimental results for two pigment types at various pigment loadings.
A strong basis for friction as the origin of size effect in cutting of metals

Abstract A study has been made of the phenomenon of size effect in cutting of metals, namely increase in the specific energy with decreasing chip thickness, in the absence of edge radius effects and under ideal two-dimensional cutting conditions. Freshly cleaved glass knives are used to achieve cutting edges that are sharp on an atomic level. An instrumented ultramicrotomy apparatus is described in which it is possible to achieve two-dimensional orthogonal cutting at small cutting depths in the range of 100 nm to 3 micrometers. Based on observations with three metals (aluminum, copper and zinc), new evidence is presented in support of tool-chip friction as the primary source of the size effect. It is shown that size effect arises as a result of non-proportional decrease of the friction component with the underlying length scale. Calculation of the shear flow stress during cutting showed that this was approximately constant for a given material, independent of the depth of cut. Size dependence of tool-chip friction and contact size is interpreted in terms of the junction growth and adhesion models. Cutting experiments are also carried out with tools covered with solid and liquid contaminants. These results show that contaminant films effectively diminish adhesion and lead to a drastic reduction in the size effect, suggesting practical benefits for industrial manufacturing processes.
A Networks-Based Approach Identifies DDR Genes Not Associated With TMB Yet Predictive of Immune Checkpoint Response

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies have had remarkable success for treatment of solid tumors. However, as only a subset of patients exhibit responses, there is a continued need for biomarker development. Numerous reports have shown a link between tumor mutational burden (TMB) and ICB response, while others have identified a link between ICB response and mutation in DNA Damage Repair (DDR) genes. However, it remains unclear to what extent mutations in DDR genes hold predictive value above and beyond their association with TMB. Herein we present a novel, networks-based test and Network Based-Expected TMB Score (N-BETS) with higher specificity for discriminating DDR genes and pathways that are associated with elevated TMB. Moreover, we find that mutations in certain DDR genes that are not associated with elevated TMB are nevertheless predictive of ICB benefit in two separate studies, demonstrating that their inactivation contributes to ICB response in a TMB independent manner.
Management of Paraspinal Nerve Sheath Tumors

Paraspinal nerve sheath tumors are defined as neoplasms lateral to the neural foramen, originating from the nerve sheath, sometimes with significant extra- and intraforaminal extension. The majority are schwannomas, with neurofibromas, and then much less common malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Most are solitary lesions, but patients with NF1 and NF2 can have significant nerve sheath tumor burden and warrant special surgical considerations. Paraspinal nerve sheath tumors can be challenging pathologies to treat due to their ability to involve the entire spine and critical neurovascular structures associated with it. For high-grade or non-operable lesions, growing options for radiation and chemotherapy exist. Ultimately a well-trained and disciplined peripheral nerve surgeon has a great opportunity to improve the lives of these patients, many of whom have a surgically curable disease.
Patient Selection for Biventricular Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy, His Bundle Pacing, and Left Bundle Branch Pacing

His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) offer physiologic activation of the conduction system and their use is expanding. But choosing the best modality for an individual clinical scenario remains challenging. We review the evidence supporting HBP, LBBP, and traditional biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy (BiV CRT), and relate this to appropriate patient selection. Traditional BiV CRT has been established as effective in certain patients but is limited by a high rate of non-response. More precise ECG analysis and prognostic models that incorporate echocardiographic and clinical parameters will help predict which patients will respond to therapy. HBP has been shown to be safe and feasible for a range of bradyarrhythmias and as an alternative to BiV CRT. Short-term clinical outcomes are promising. This modality is limited, however, by its technically challenging implant, inability to correct distal conduction system disease, and occasionally high pacing thresholds. LBBP was developed to bypass some of HBP’s shortcomings. It too has been shown to be safe and feasible, while lead implant is technically easier and pacing is effective at low thresholds. Clinical outcomes with LBBP have yet to be examined. Traditional BiV CRT remains an important pacing technique for patients with systolic dysfunction and more detailed prognostic models will refine patient selection. HBP and LBBP show great potential for the spectrum of pacing indications and their use will likely expand as data on clinical outcomes accumulate.
Nature of gamma-prime precipitates in rheocast IN-100 alloy

The microstructures of commercial VIM-cast and rheocast (Apelian and Cheng, 1983) IN-100 superalloy are investigated optically and by two-stage replica TEM, with an emphasis on the nature of the gamma-prime (GP) precipitates. Photomicrographs at magnifications of 39, 390, 2145, and 6630 are presented and discussed. VIM-cast IN-100 has dendritic structure, 10-20-micron primary GP particles, and uniformly distributed cuboid GP precipitates of a uniform size (about 0.5 micron). Rheocast IN-100 (stirred 20 min at 350 rpm, 1291 C, and 0.0006 torr) has a nondendritic structure, 20-100-micron primary GP particles, and a smaller volume fraction of cuboid GP precipitates with a bimodal (either 1-1.5 microns or less than 0.5 micron) size distribution. Such distribution should increase fatigue-crack-nucleation resistance.
Communication and the Oral-Aural Traditions of an East-Anatolian Ethnicity: What us Stories tell!

The Zaza people of East Anatolia have recently been moving from an oral-aural (the relationship of a speaker to a hearer) society to a writing or literate society. In this way they are striving to stimulate the use of their language, so as to escape their language becoming endangered, to adapt to a world based on writing (globalization), to enhance the education of children and the training of adults (the process of cultural identification), and lastly to investigate their own oral-aural history. Century-old traditions that are passed on from one generation to the other, from father to son, from mother to daughter, from the grandparents to their grandchildren and from one social class (religious or political) to the other (class-crossing) all representing the heritage of the ethnicity. In addition to that, due to language endangerment, the preservation and the publication of those traditions are essential to the cultural and linguistic survival of the Zaza ethnos. The stories and traditions carry the knowledge and wisdom of the people, and reflect their recent and historical environment as well as their anthropological-linguistic configuration. History, it seems, becomes the key to the future. Key elements in handing down traditions, and cultural-linguistical reflections of anecdotes, stories, songs and rituals published in mother-tongue newspapers, books and other publications are under investigation here. The main reference is from “Mahmesa”, a book which I had the pleasure of taking part in publishing. The topic fits well with the excellent research that Prof. Dr. Asatrian brought into the discussion about the Zaza ethnos through the magazine Iran and the Caucasus.
Perception of Shame in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Training

ObjectiveThis survey was developed to assess the prevalence and effects of the perception of shame in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery residency training in the United States.Study DesignSurvey.SettingUS otolaryngology training programs.SubjectsFaculty and trainees in US otolaryngology training programs.MethodsA 14-item survey to assess the prevalence of the experience of shame and the attitudes toward use of shame in otolaryngology residency training was sent to all otolaryngology–head and neck surgery program directors for distribution among their respective faculty and resident cohorts.ResultsA total of 267 responses were received (women, 24.7%; men, 75.3%): 42.7% of respondents were trainees; 7.0% of trainees thought that shame was a necessary/effective tool, compared with 11.4% of faculty; 50% of respondents felt that they had been personally shamed during residency; and 69.9% of respondents had witnessed another trainee being shamed during residency training. Trainees were most commonly shamed i...
Gauging Item Alignment through Online Systems While Controlling for Rater Effects.

The alignment of test items to content standards is critical to the validity of decisions made from standards-based tests. Generally, alignment is determined based on judgments made by a panel of content experts with either ratings averaged or via a consensus reached through discussion. When the pool of items to be reviewed is large, or the content-matter experts are broadly distributed geographically, panel methods present significant challenges. This article illustrates the use of an online methodology for gauging item alignment that does not require that raters convene in person, reduces the overall cost of the study, increases time flexibility, and offers an efficient means for reviewing large item banks. Latent trait methods are applied to the data to control for between-rater severity, evaluate intrarater consistency, and provide item-level diagnostic statistics. Use of this methodology is illustrated with a large pool (1,345) of interim-formative mathematics test items. Implications for the field and limitations of this approach are discussed.