cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Properties of Porous Bismuth Films

The use of chemical solution routes to form inorganic thin films is a relatively new method which represents an alternative to vapor phase routes. The present study involves the use of a chemical solution route, the decomposition of metal carboxylates, to prepare bismuth thin films of controlled porosity. Such morphologies offer the opportunity to disrupt phonon transport without greatly affecting electrical conductivity and bismuth represents a well known system in which to investigate these effects. Porous bismuth thin films have been prepared using bismuth 2-ethylhexanoate (Bi[OOCCH(C2 H5 )C4 H9 ]3 ) as the precursor in a solvent of 2-methyl- 1-propanol. The solution is deposited on glass, Kapton, silicon, alumina or magnesia substrates by spin coating and heated to between 250–300°C in hydrogen. Heat treatment temperature and time are important for controlling film microstructure as both pore volume (25 to 50%) and preferred orientation depend upon heat treatment conditions. Bismuth films (62 nm thick) with 32% porosity exhibit conductivities in the range of 150 S/cm with Seebeck coefficients comparable to that of bulk materials.
Molecular-Dynamics and First-Principles Calculations of Raman Spectra and Molecular and Electronic Structure of Hydrogen Clusters in Hydrogen Clathrate Hydrate

Molecular-dynamics simulations and first-principles calculations are employed to understand vibrational spectroscopy and molecular and electronic structure of the encaged hydrogen molecules in hydrogen clathrate hydrate. The molecular-dynamics simulations, using empirical potentials, are performed to generate collections of the clathrate water cages with different hydrogen occupancies. The first-principles calculations, using Density Functional Theory with B3LYP hybrid density functionals for exchange and correlation, are carried out to optimize the structures and to calculate the Raman shift and activity of the stretching mode of the encaged hydrogen molecules. The Raman spectra are computed by a weighted moving average over a number of different structural configurations for different hydrogen occupancies. The results show that experimentally observed Raman peaks around 4120-4125 cm -1 are from small cages with single H2 occupancy and peaks around 4125-4150 cm -1 from those in the large cages with one to four H2 molecules. The Raman peaks of hydrogen molecules in the doubly occupied small cages are expected to be around or above the gas phase frequency 4155 cm -1 . Molecular structural analysis shows that the single hydrogen molecule in the small cages and single to quadruple hydrogen molecules in the large cage are encaged in loose cages, while double hydrogen molecules in the small cage are confined in a tight cage. Normal-mode analysis shows that there is limited vibrational coupling for H2 molecules in doubly to quadruply occupied large cages while a strong vibrational coupling is observed in the doubly occupied small cage. The isovalue maps of total electron density and electrostatic potential suggest significant electron sharing between hydrogen molecules and water molecules, and important interaction between hydrogen and water oxygen atoms for confining the hydrogen clusters. The results help explain experimentally observed Raman spectra of hydrogen clathrates and provide new insights into the confinement effect by the water host framework on vibrational, molecular, and electronic properties of hydrogen molecules in the cages of clathrate hydrates.
Two Types of Pluralism and the Catholic Church Scandal

Just prior to their semiannual meeting in Dallas in June 2002, the U.S. Catholic bishops released a draft document proposing the removal of all priests found guilty of sexual abuse from active ministry except those who had committed only one offense long ago. Barbara Blaine, a leader of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, condemned the exemption of one-time offenders. What if the church's reasoning, Blaine asked, had been used by the state in the case of Bobby Frank Cherry? An Alabama jury recently convicted Cherry of the bombing of a Birmingham church that killed four young girls forty years ago. The logic of the church's proposal, Blaine argued, suggests that the state should have allowed Cherry to go free because he had "not bombed a single church since then."1 That the priests who committed and the bishops who concealed the sexual abuse of minors acted atrociously is self-evident. The grave crimes of many priests and the negligence of many bishops has ruined irreparably the lives of abuse victims and produced a crisis of faith among many Catholics. But the repulsiveness of the crimes should not obscure the important, albeit less visceral, implications of the government's and public's reaction to the scandal. When we debate the proper treatment of the Catholic Church's handling of sexual abuse, we must focus not only on the nature of the crimes but also upon how the government's and public's actions will affect the balance
An Adaptive Particle Filtering-based Framework for Real-time Fault Diagnosis and Failure Prognosis of Environmental Control Systems

Maintenance of critical or/complex systems has recently moved from traditional preventive maintenance to Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) exploiting the advances both in hardware (sensors / DAQ cards, etc.) and in software (sophisticated algorithms blending together the state of the art in signal processing and pattern analysis). Along this path, Environmental Control Systems and other critical systems/processes can be improved based on concepts of anomaly detection, fault diagnosis and failure prognosis. The enabling technologies borrow from the fields of modeling, data processing, Bayesian estimation theory and in particular a technique called particle filtering. The efficiency of the diagnostic approach is demonstrated via simulation results.
62 HEME-DERIVED CARBON MONOXIDE PROMOTES ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND HYPERTENSION IN OBESE ZUCKER RATS

Vascular heme oxygenase (HO) metabolizes heme to form carbon monoxide (CO). Heme-derived CO inhibits nitric oxide synthase and promotes endothelial dysfunction (ED) in salt-induced hypertension. The obese Zucker rat (ZR) is a model of type 2 diabetes showing hypertension and vascular ED. This study tests the hypothesis that HO-derived CO contributes to arteriolar ED and hypertension in obese ZR. Male obese (548 ± 12 g, n = 22) and lean (309 ± 14 g, n = 12) ZR were used for the study. Obese ZR had elevated mean arterial blood pressure (154 ± 3 mm Hg vs. 121 ± 4 mm Hg), blood glucose (186 ± 7 mg/dL vs. 140 ± 3 mg/dL) and blood carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) levels (3.9 ± 0.1% vs. 3.0 ± 0.1%). Experiments used isolated skeletal muscle arterioles with constant (80 mm Hg) pressure and no flow, or constant midpoint, but altered endpoint pressures to establish graded levels of luminal flow (0-50 μL/min). In obese ZR arterioles, responses to an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, acetylcholine (ACh, 1 nmol/L - 3 μmol/L) (Δmax 32 ± 4 μm, n = 8 vs. 62 ± 7 μm, n = 5) and flow (Δmax-1 ± 1 μm, n = 4 vs. 21 ± 2 μm, n = 4) were attenuated. Acute in vitro pretreatment with a HO inhibitor, chromium mesoporphyrin (CrMP, 15 μmol/L), enhanced ACh (Δmax 59 ± 8 μm, n = 7 vs. 58 ± 13 μm, n = 5) and flow-induced dilation (Δmax 19 ± 2 μm, n = 4 vs. 20 ± 3 μm, n = 3) and abolished the differences between lean and obese ZR arterioles. Furthermore, exogenous CO (100 μmol/L) prevented the restoration of flow-induced dilation by the HO inhibitor (Δmax-1 ± 3 μm, n = 4) in obese ZR arterioles. In awake obese ZR instrumented with chronic femoral arterial catheters, administration of a HO inhibitor (25 μmol/kg/day zinc deuteroporphyrin 2,4-bisglycol IP for 3 days) lowered the blood pressure (151 ± 1 to 109 ± 1 mm Hg, n = 3). These data show that HbCO levels are increased, and arteriolar endothelium-dependent vasodilation is decreased in obese ZR. Acute in vitro treatment with a HO inhibitor restores endothelium-dependent responses to lean ZR levels, but exogenous CO prevents this effect. Furthermore, HO inhibition lowers blood pressure in obese ZR. These results suggest that heme-derived CO production is increased and contributes to arteriolar ED and hypertension in obese ZR, and hence identify vascular HO as a novel therapeutic target to prevent ED and hypertension in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Evaluation of Pulsed Sphere Time-of-Flight and Neutron Attenuation Experimental Benchmarks Using MCNP6’s Unstructured Mesh Capabilities

AbstractThis paper extends the verification and validation of MCNP6’s unstructured mesh (UM) features for neutron transport capabilities by comparing code and experimental results for two different sets of experiments. The first set of experiments comprises time-of-flight spectrum measurements of spheres pulsed by 14-MeV neutrons performed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the early 1970s. The second set of experiments comprises spontaneous fission neutron attenuation measurements in relatively simple geometries with varying shield thicknesses performed by Ueki et al. in the early 1990s. First, traditional constructive solid geometry (CSG) models are analyzed to ensure agreement with experimental values and to form a basis of comparison with UM results. For the pulsed sphere experiments, a series of UM calculations is performed using first-order tetrahedral elements with various levels of mesh refinement. For the Ueki experiments, purely CSG, purely UM, and hybrid CSG/UM calculations are perfor...
Principles for the management of patients with leukemia.

Patients with chronic leukemia should be treated for signs and symptoms of activity of their disease, not just because a diagnosis has been established. Roentgen therapy, radioactive phosphorus and MYLERAN® are effective in inducing good remissions in chronic granulocytic leukemia. In chronic lymphocytic Leukemia, roentgen therapy, nitrogen mustard, triethylene melamine or chlorambucil often is effective. Therapy of acute leukemia is most difficult at present, and referral of such patients to hematology centers for therapy will help in the search for more effective treatment. Adrenocortical steroids and blood transfusions also are very helpful in certain phases of the leukemic process.
BET protein bromodomain inhibitor-based combinations are highly active against post-myeloproliferative neoplasm secondary AML cells

Myeloproliferative neoplasms with myelofibrosis (MPN-MF) demonstrate constitutive activation of Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling that responds to treatment with the JAK1 and 2 kinase inhibitor (JAKi) ruxolitinib. However, MPN-MF often progresses (~20%) to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML), where standard induction chemotherapy or ruxolitinib is relatively ineffective, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In the present studies, we demonstrate that treatment with BET (bromodomain and extraterminal) protein inhibitor (BETi), for example, JQ1, inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of cultured and primary, patient-derived (PD), post-MPN sAML blast progenitor cells. Reverse-phase protein array, mass-cytometry and Western analyses revealed that BETi treatment attenuated the protein expressions of c-MYC, p-STAT5, Bcl-xL, CDK4/6, PIM1 and IL-7R, whereas it concomitantly induced the levels of HEXIM1, p21 and BIM in the sAML cells. Co-treatment with BETi and ruxolitinib synergistically induced apoptosis of cultured and PD sAML cells, as well as significantly improved survival of immune-depleted mice engrafted with human sAML cells. Although BETi or heat shock protein 90 inhibitor (HSP90i) alone exerted lethal activity, cotreatment with BETi and HSP90i was synergistically lethal against the ruxolitinib-persister or ruxolitinib-resistant sAML cells. Collectively, these findings further support in vivo testing of BETi-based combinations with JAKi and HSP90i against post-MPN sAML cells.
Stability of sildenafil in combination with heparin and dopamine.

Purpose The stability of sildenafil in combination with heparin and dopamine was evaluated. Methods A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection was developed for sildenafil citrate and validated. The method was applied to the investigation of sildenafil alone, sildenafil with heparin, sildenafil with dopamine, and sildenafil with heparin and with dopamine, all in 5% dextrose injection at room temperature and under refrigeration for 30 days. Samples of 100 μL were pulled from each storage bottle on each sampling day, diluted in mobile phase, and assayed in duplicate. Samples were tested on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 21, and 30. Each preparation was visually inspected for precipitation and color change. The percent recovery in each study sample was determined by comparing the peak area of sildenafil in the sample with the peak area of sildenafil from a freshly prepared 100-μg/mL standard in mobile phase. Results The sildenafil alone, sildenafil with heparin, and sildenafil with dopamine remained within 90–110% of the expected sildenafil potency for at least 30 days at both temperatures. The preparation of sildenafil with both heparin and dopamine fell below 90% potency after 3 days at room temperature and 21 days in the refrigerator. Conclusion Sildenafil prepared in 5% dextrose injection alone, with heparin, and with dopamine retained over 90% potency after 30 days of storage at room temperature and under refrigeration. Sildenafil prepared with both heparin and dopamine had a potency of <90% after 3 days of storage at room temperature and 21 days of storage under refrigeration.
Disaster Response Planning in the Private Sector and the Role of Operations Research

Organizations in the private sector such as The Home Depot (THD), Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, and Waffle House have become actively involved in the disaster response operations in their communities. With the objective of becoming effective first responders, these companies have integrated a disaster response planning process to their business operations. We introduce the disaster response planning process implemented by THD after their experience with Hurricane Andrew. We describe in detail the components of this process, each of which requires different decisions to be made at different levels of the organization. We discuss how operations research methodologies could be used to assist decision makers in the disaster response setting, and we propose an optimization model for each of two of the decisions commonly found in a disaster response planning process: advance purchasing and inventory allocation. In addition to these exact methods, we suggest a scenario-based approach, which is more intuitive and allows to incorporate objectives that are harder to model, such as the relative value of the supplies.
Indexing spatiotemporal relations in solar event datasets

With the advancements in spatiotemporal co-occurrence pattern and event sequence mining algorithms, spatiotemporal knowledge discovery from solar event datasets has been prominent in solar data mining. This work presents an efficient and extensible data access mechanism specifically designed for spatiotemporal relationships among the solar event instances. Previous indexing strategies primarily focus on indexing the trajectories of solar event instances. We propose a graph-based indexing structure for spatiotemporal relationships appearing among the event instances. In our graph structure, the vertices correspond to trajectory-based solar event instances, and the edges represent a particular spatiotemporal relationship. Furthermore, it forms the groundwork for semantic representations of solar event instances.
Hierarchical differences in population coding within auditory cortex.

Prevailing models of population coding of sensory information are based on a limited subset of neural structures. An important and under-explored question in neuroscience is how distinct areas of s...
Treatment guidelines and patterns of care in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Primary surgical resection vs. nonsurgical treatment

Abstract Background The 2017 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend surgical resection or definitive radiation therapy for early-stage oral cavity malignancies, and surgical resection or multimodality clinical trials for late-stage disease. Few studies have been conducted to identify predictors of choice of treatment modality for oral cavity malignancies. Methods All patients in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) diagnosed with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) between 1998 and 2011 were identified. Chi-square and binary logistic regression were used to identify factors predictive of surgical or nonsurgical treatment; multiple imputation was used for missing data. Cox proportional hazards models were generated to identify associations between treatment modality and overall survival (OS). Results Of 23,459 patients, 4139 (17.6%) underwent primary nonsurgical treatment. Among NCDB-registered facilities, there has been a decrease in use of nonsurgical treatment for OCSCC (OR 0.97, p p p Conclusions Use of primary nonsurgical treatment for OCSCC has decreased over time among NCDB-registered facilities and is associated with factors related to access to care. Surgical resection for the primary treatment of oral cavity cancer may be associated with improved OS, though conclusions regarding survival are limited by the non-randomized nature of the data.
Bringing the Revolution to the Countryside: Rural Health Programmes as State‐Building in Post‐1952 Bolivia

Bolivia's Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (Revolutionary Nationalist Movement, MNR) took power in April 1952 via a popular social revolution. After 1952, the party implemented state-sponsored modernisation projects, including extending rural public health programmes. The MNR used health programmes to change rural practices, cultivate political loyalty, and expand the state's political power. Yet rural indigenous communities were hardly passive recipients of these programmes. These communities often requested government services, and they borrowed the MNR's own political rhetoric to position themselves as worthy of state attention. Public health programmes increased access to rural health care, but they also allowed state officials and rural communities to negotiate the MNR's authority.
Acute and Rapid Development of Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma Associated with Combined Aspirin-Dipyridamole Therapy: A Case Report.

Case: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a known, although rare, clinical entity that may be challenging to diagnose. This case report describes the rapid development of a large SSEH in an elderly patient on aspirin-dipyridamole combination therapy after she shifted her position in bed. Magnetic resonance imaging obtained 4 hours after the onset of symptoms demonstrated a large spinal epidural hematoma that extended from T4 to L1. Conclusion: With early diagnosis, the patient was successfully treated with a laminectomy and evacuation of the hematoma, and there was full neurological recovery.
Robustness testing of autonomy software

As robotic and autonomy systems become progressively more present in industrial and human-interactive applications, it is increasingly critical for them to behave safely in the presence of unexpected inputs. While robustness testing for traditional software systems is long-studied, robustness testing for autonomy systems is relatively uncharted territory. In our role as engineers, testers, and researchers we have observed that autonomy systems are importantly different from traditional systems, requiring novel approaches to effectively test them. We present Automated Stress Testing for Autonomy Architectures (ASTAA), a system that effectively, automatically robustness tests autonomy systems by building on classic principles, with important innovations to support this new domain. Over five years, we have used ASTAA to test 17 real-world autonomy systems, robots, and robotics-oriented libraries, across commercial and academic applications, discovering hundreds of bugs. We outline the ASTAA approach and analyze more than 150 bugs we found in real systems. We discuss what we discovered about testing autonomy systems, specifically focusing on how doing so differs from and is similar to traditional software robustness testing and other high-level lessons.
Chapter 8: The New Position of Hired Labor

Wage labor, along with business and the state, is one of the main partners in the economic activities of society. But today labor is faced with so many problems resulting from modern social development that its partnership status is one of the many new questions that require a response, or at least the reconsideration of the solutions that have worked thus far. That is why, although it falls into the same general area, the consideration of wage labor extends beyond our discussion on partnership.
Narrative and the Phenomenology of Personal Identity in Merleau-Ponty

ABSTRACTSelf-narrative plays an important role in the constitution of the self, but it is unclear what role exactly. Some argue that personal identity is constituted by narrative, while others hold...
EITC & TANF Participation among Young Adult Low-income Families

¶1 This article examines participation in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs among young adult (nineteen to twenty-five years of age), low-income families in 2004. Section II provides a brief overview of both programs and reviews related literature about program use. Section III poses the main study questions, describes the study methods, presents findings, and discusses the implications for social welfare policies. The study finds that program use varies by age, number of children in the household, ethnicity/race, work effort, marital status, prior program participation, and sex of participants. Those with two or more children, the least education, ethnic/racial minorities, women, and married persons are more likely than their respective counterparts to take advantage of either or both vis-a-vis neither program. Findings suggest that EITC and TANF are well-targeted, but underutilized programs. II. P
STAT RT: a prospective pilot clinical trial of Scan-Plan-QA-Treat stereotactic body radiation therapy for painful osseous metastases

Background: Planning and treatment of bone metastases with palliative radiotherapy often requires 1–3 weeks, resulting in patient inconvenience and delayed palliation. We developed an expedited workflow that delivers palliative stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to painful bone metastases in which CT, planning, quality assurance (QA), and initial treatment are performed one day. This prospective pilot clinical trial evaluates the feasibility, safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction of this workflow. Methods: Patients with 1–3 painful bone metastases were prospectively enrolled and treated with 2–5 fractions of 5–10 Gy per fraction. Bone pain, opioid use, patient satisfaction, performance status, and quality of life were evaluated prior to and at 1, 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks post treatment. Outcomes and treatment-related toxicity were analyzed. Results: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled and 37 metastases treated, receiving an average of 21.6 Gy in 3.1 fractions. Median time from CT simulation to 1st treatment was 6.6 hours. Average worst pain scores were significantly lower at all post-treatment time points with maximal response noted at 3 months. Opioid use was not significantly different from baseline at any follow up. Performance status was significantly increased only at week 12. Bone pain quality of life was significantly increased at all time points except at 52 weeks while general quality of life was significantly increased at only weeks 8 and 26. Ninety-two percent of patients reported being mostly or completely satisfied with the treatment results from week 8 until the end of follow-up. There was no grade 3 or higher toxicities. Conclusions: Results demonstrate that treating bone metastases with palliative SBRT via a multi-fraction Scan-Plan-QA-Treat patient centric workflow is feasible and safe. Although performance status, general quality of life, and opioid use were not significantly altered, patient satisfaction was high with this same-day treatment workflow.
Context and Medium Matter: Expressing Disagreements Online and Face-to-Face in Political Deliberations

Processes of disagreement are important to public deliberation, but research has not examined the dynamics of disagreement in deliberation of political topics with respect to effects of the channel of interaction. This study analyzes the discussions generated via an experiment in which discussants were randomly assigned either to deliberate online via synchronous chat or face-to-face. The study compares the initiation of disagreement, its qualities, and how long it is sustained in the two environments. Discourse analysis suggests that in the online environment initial expressions of disagreement were less frequent, less bold, and were not sustained as compared with the face-to-face discussions. Reasons include the lack of coherence in synchronous chat, which may challenge interlocutors and prevent them from pursuing a disagreement over multiple turns. Implications of these findings for scholars and practitioners are discussed.
Targeting ACE2-RBD interaction as a platform for COVID19 therapeutics: Development and drug repurposing screen of an AlphaLISA proximity assay

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a pressing public health emergency garnering rapid response from scientists across the globe. Host cell invasion is initiated through direct binding of the viral spike protein to the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Disrupting the spike-ACE2 interaction is a potential therapeutic target for treating COVID-19. We have developed a proximity-based AlphaLISA assay to measure binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) to ACE2. Utilizing this assay platform, a drug-repurposing screen against 3,384 small molecule drugs and pre-clinical compounds was performed, yielding 25 high-quality, small-molecule hits that can be evaluated in cell-based models. This established AlphaLISA RBD-ACE2 platform can facilitate evaluation of biologics or small molecules that can perturb this essential viral-host interaction to further the development of interventions to address the global health pandemic.
An online, interactive, screen-based simulator for learning basic EEG interpretation.

Develop and pilot test a simulator that presents ten commonly encountered representative clinical contexts for trainees to learn basic electroencephalogram (EEG) interpretation skills. We created an interactive web-based training simulator that allows self-paced, asynchronous learning and assessment of basic EEG interpretation skills. The simulator uses the information retrieval process via a free-response text box to enhance learning. Ten scenarios were created that present dynamic (scrolling) EEG tracings resembling the clinical setting, followed by questions with free-text answers. The answer was checked against an accepted word/phrase list. The simulator has been used by 76 trainees in total. We report pilot study results from the University of Florida’s neurology residents (N = 24). Total percent correct for each scenario and average percent correct for all scenarios were calculated and correlated with most recent In-training Examination (ITE) and United States Medical License Examination (USMLE) scores. Neurology residents’ mean percent correct scenario scores ranged from 27.1–86.0% with an average scenario score of 61.2% ± 7.7. We showed a moderately strong correlation r = 0.49 between the ITE and the average scenario score. We developed an online interactive EEG interpretation simulator to review basic EEG content and assess interpretation skills using an active retrieval approach. The pilot study showed a moderately strong correlation r = 0.49 between the ITE and the average scenario score. Since the ITE is a measure of clinical practice, this is evidence that the simulator can provide self-directed instruction and shows promise as a tool for assessment of EEG knowledge.
Single bubble and drop techniques for characterizing foams and emulsions.

Abstract The physics of foams and emulsions has traditionally been studied using bulk foam/emulsion tests and single film platforms such as the Scheludko cell. Recently there has been a renewed interest in a third class of techniques that we term as single bubble/drop tests, which employ isolated whole bubbles and drops to probe the characteristics of foams and emulsions. Single bubble and drop techniques provide a convenient framework for investigating a number of important characteristics of foams and emulsions, including the rheology, stabilization mechanisms, and rupture dynamics. In this review we provide a comprehensive discussion of the various single bubble/drop platforms and the associated experimental measurement protocols including the construction of coalescence time distributions, visualization of the thin film profiles and characterization of the interfacial rheological properties. Subsequently, we summarize the recent developments in foam and emulsion science with a focus on the results obtained through single bubble/drop techniques. We conclude the review by presenting important venues for future research.
The evolution of patient-specific precision biomarkers to guide personalized heart-transplant care.

In parallel to the clinical maturation of heart transplantation over the last 50 years, rejection testing has been revolutionized within the systems biology paradigm triggered by the Human Genome P...
Cu2O Cubes Decorated with Azine-Based Covalent Organic Framework Spheres and Pd Nanoparticles as Tandem Photocatalyst for Light-Driven Degradation of Chlorinated Biphenyls

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising candidates for heterogeneous photocatalytic reactions, though highly efficacious semiconductor–metal assemblies are often required to foster their p...
Nearly touching spheres in a viscoelastic fluid

We theoretically investigate the forces and moments acting on two nearly touching spheres immersed in a second-order fluid. We divide the problem into four sub-classes, where each class represents the translational or rotational motion of the spheres either along the line joining the centers or the axis, which is oriented perpendicular to the line joining the centers. Using a regular perturbation solution methodology with the Deborah number as the small parameter, we obtain analytical expressions for the hydrodynamic forces and the moments experienced by the spheres for each sub-class considered. We find that, while the introduction of viscoelasticity does not generate any torques on the spheres, the viscoelastic contribution to force is non-zero and acts along the line joining the sphere centers for each sub-class. For asymmetric sub-classes, the presence of viscoelasticity produces a lift force on the spheres. We validate our method with the reciprocal theorem approach and find our force estimates to be accurate for small sphere separations. The analytical expressions obtained in this study can be utilized in computational schemes to study the behavior of a suspension of particles immersed in a viscoelastic fluid.
When is Psychology Research Useful in Artificial Intelligence? A Case for Reducing Computational Complexity in Problem Solving.

A problem is a situation in which an agent seeks to attain a given goal without knowing how to achieve it. Human problem solving is typically studied as a search in a problem space composed of states (information about the environment) and operators (to move between states). A problem such as playing a game of chess has 10120 possible states, and a traveling salesperson problem with as little as 82 cities already has more than 10120 different tours (similar to chess). Biological neurons are slower than the digital switches in computers. An exhaustive search of the problem space exceeds the capacity of current computers for most interesting problems, and it is fairly clear that humans cannot in their lifetime exhaustively search even small fractions of these problem spaces. Yet, humans play chess and solve logistical problems of similar complexity on a daily basis. Even for simple problems humans do not typically engage in exploring even a small fraction of the problem space. This begs the question: How do humans solve problems on a daily basis in a fast and efficient way? Recent work suggests that humans build a problem representation and solve the represented problem-not the problem that is out there. The problem representation that is built and the process used to solve it are constrained by limits of cognitive capacity and a cost-benefit analysis discounting effort and reward. In this article, we argue that better understanding the way humans represent and solve problems using heuristics can help inform how simpler algorithms and representations can be used in artificial intelligence to lower computational complexity, reduce computation time, and facilitate real-time computation in complex problem solving.
Failed jump landing trials: deficits in neuromuscular control

The purpose of this investigation was to compare neuromuscular control variables during successful and failed jump landings in multiple directions (sagittal, diagonal, and lateral). All data were collected during a single leg hop stabilization maneuver, which required subjects to stand 70 cm from the center of a force plate, jump off both legs, touch a designated marker placed at a height equivalent to 50% of their maximum vertical jump, and land on a single leg for all directions. Twenty-six subjects [10 males (22+/-3.9 years of age, 70.9+/-7.6 kg, and 176.8+/-0.5 cm) and 16 females (20.6+/-0.5 years of age, 65.6+/-9.1 kg, and 166.4+/-5.9 cm)] volunteered to participate in this investigation. Muscle activation times, average preparatory, and reactive electromyographic (EMG) amplitudes were calculated for the vastus medialis, semi-membranosis, lateral gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior. EMG data revealed that successful jump landing trials had earlier activation times and higher preparatory and reactive EMG amplitudes. There was no difference for EMG activation times or amplitudes among directions. The results indicate neuromuscular control differences between successful and failed trials because of earlier muscle onset and greater amplitude. The results also suggest that in a healthy population, the direction of the jump protocol will not affect lower extremity EMG characteristics.
Molecular profiling of angiogenic markers: a step towards interpretive analysis of a complex biological function.

Gene expression profiling is now being used routinely to define complex biological events. The profiling of a large array of genes expressed in the progression of a biological response opens the door to our understanding the unique relationships between genes and their functions. Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel development, is a necessary component of both normal and pathological physiology. In this issue of The American Journal of Pathology, Shih and colleagues 1 have used quantitative molecular profiling of angiogenic-related factors to define some of the elements required for angiogenic profiling. Although presented as a technical advance, the basic concept of this work is that the use of quantitative molecular profiling of gene expression gives additional insight into functional interrelationships between the genes expressed during the angiogenic process. This approach can be applied in large array format as a diagnostic tool for experimental systems and pathological samples.
Overview of the D3R Observations during the IFloodS Field Experiment with Emphasis on Rainfall Mapping and Microphysics

AbstractThe NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radar (D3R) was deployed as part of the GPM Iowa Flood Studies (IFloodS) ground validation field campaign from 1 May through 15 June 2013. The D3R participated in a multi-instrument targeted investigation of convective initiation and hydrological response in the midwestern United States. An overview of the D3R’s calibration and observations is presented. A method for attenuation correction of Ka-band observations using Ku-band results is introduced. Dual-frequency ratio estimates in stratiform rain and ice are presented and compared with theoretical values. Ku-band quantitative precipitation estimation results are validated against IFloodS ground instruments.
Oneway Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

The purpose of this lesson on Twoway Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is to provide guidance on how R can be used to see if two or more group means (e.g., Mean of Variable X for Gender breakouts and Race breakouts, Mean of Variable Y for Breed breakouts and Feeding Program Breakouts, etc.) differ due to chance, or if observed differences are indeed the result of true difference between phenomena. Specifically, the Twoway ANOVA statistical test has been structured to examine differences (and possible interactions) when variables have two or more separate categories. The degree of complexity supported by Twoway ANOVA begins to model real-world concerns for the many ways variables, and possible interaction between variables, impacts outcomes.
An OOM-KBES Approach for Fault Detection an Diagnosis

This paper presents an integrated approach to the intelligent building research: using both the object-oriented modeling (OOM) and knowledge-based expert-system (KBES) methodologies and technologies for fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) of building HVAC systems. The approach consists of five basic steps: 1) establish a model simulating the behavior of the target system using object-oriented design methodologies; 2) identify all types of faults in the target system, extract rules for each process to build the knowledge bases; 3) integrate the knowledge bases into system model to allow the system perform FDD task on itself; 4) build an on-line monitoring system to collect all real-time setpoint data; and 5) make inference against the knowledge bases based on real time data and generate reports.
Autocrine stimulation of Nb2 cell proliferation by secreted, but not intracellular, prolactin.

We have introduced expression constructs for mouse PRL (mPRL) or a nonsecreted form of mPRL into the PRL-responsive Nb2 rat lymphoma cell line. Cell lines resulting from transfection of Nb2 cells with the wild type mPRL construct synthesize and secrete mPRL. These cells are able to grow independently of added lactogens, and conditioned media and cell extracts from these cultures stimulate the growth of Nb2 cells. In contrast, cells synthesizing the nonsecreted mPRL do not proliferate in the absence of added lactogenic hormones, and conditioned media from these cell cultures do not have PRL-like activity in the Nb2 cell growth assay. PRL protein is detected in these nonsecreting cell lines; however, extracts from these lines are generally unable to stimulate Nb2 cell proliferation. These results indicate that cells can respond in an autocrine fashion to PRL, but that an intracellular form of PRL is unable to activate Nb2 cell growth
Hypoxia and Molecular Cardiovascular Medicine

Hypoxia induces a cascade of physiologic responses that include glycolysis, erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, changes in adrenergic signal transduction and vascular tone, modulation of vascular cellular proliferation, and inflammation. This review addresses the recent and explosive growth in our knowledge of how vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells actively respond to hypoxic stress, with additional focus on the roles of the NF-κB family of transactivation proteins in these responses.
Inadequate Cold Tolerance as a Possible Limitation to American Chestnut Restoration in the Northeastern United States

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marshall) Borkh.), once a major component of eastern forests from Maine to Georgia, was functionally removed from the forest ecosystem by chestnut blight (an exotic fungal disease caused by Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr), first identified at the beginning of the twentieth century. Hybrid-backcross breeding programs that incorporate the blight resistance of Chinese chestnut (Castenea mollissima Blume) and Japanese chestnut (Castenea crenata Sieb. & Zuc.) into American chestnut stock show promise for achieving the blight resistance needed for species restoration. However, it is uncertain if limitations in tissue cold tolerance within current breeding programs might restrict the restoration of the species at the northern limits of American chestnut’s historic range. Shoots of American chestnut and hybrid-backcross chestnut (i.e., backcross chestnut) saplings growing in two plantings in Vermont were tested during November 2006, February 2007, and April 2007 to assess their cold tolerance relative to ambient low temperatures. Shoots of two potential native competitors, northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum L.), were also sampled for comparison. During the winter, American and backcross chestnuts were approximately 5 ◦ C less cold tolerant than red oak and sugar maple, with a tendency for American chestnut to be more cold tolerant than the backcross chestnut. Terminal shoots of American and backcross chestnut also showed significantly more freezing damage in the field than nearby red oak and sugar maple shoots, which showed no visible injury.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the verongid sponge Aplysina cauliformis: implications for DNA barcoding in demosponges

DNA “barcoding,” the determination of taxon-specific genetic variation typically within a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (cox1) gene, has emerged as a useful complement to morphological studies, and is routinely used by expert taxonomists to identify cryptic species and by non-experts to better identify samples collected during field surveys. The rate of molecular evolution in the mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) of nonbilaterian animals (sponges, cnidarians, and placozoans) is much slower than in bilaterian animals for which DNA barcoding strategies were developed. If sequence divergence among nonbilaterian mtDNA and specifically cox1 is too slow to generate diagnostic variation, alternative genes for DNA barcoding and species-level phylogenies should be considered. Previous study across the Aplysinidae (Demospongiae, Verongida) family of sponges demonstrated no nucleotide substitutions in the traditional cox1 barcoding fragment among the Caribbean species of Aplysina. As the mitochondrial genome of Aplysina fulva has previously been sequenced, we are now able to make the first comparisons between complete mtDNA of congeneric demosponges to assess whether potentially informative variation exists in genes other than cox1. In this article, we present the complete mitochondrial genome of Aplysina cauliformis, a circular molecule 19620 bp in size. The mitochondrial genome of A. cauliformis is the same length as is A. fulva and shows six confirmed nucleotide differences and an additional 11 potential SNPs. Of the six confirmed SNPs, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad5) and nad2 each contain two, and in nad2 both yield amino acid substitutions, suggesting balancing selection may act on this gene. Thus, while the low nucleotide diversity in Caribbean aplysinid cox1 extends to the entire mitochondrial genome, some genes do display variation. If these represent interspecific differences, then they may be useful alternative markers for studies in recently diverged sponge clades.
Compulsory software licences

Abstract Another in the series of commentaries on practical issues in computer law from Turner, Kenneth Brown
Cybernetic modeling of spontaneous oscillations in continuous cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have developed a 'cybernetic' model to simulate the dynamic competition between all the available metabolic pathways of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This computer model predicts all the key experimentally observed aspects of the sustained oscillations in all the measured concentrations in continuous cultures, such as the spontaneous generation of oscillations as well as the variations in period and amplitude of oscillations when the dilution rate or agitation rate are changed.
Evolutionary Biology for Doctors

Principles of Evolutionary Medicine by Peter Gluckman, Alan Beedle, and Mark Hanson Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009. 312 pp. $130, £65. ISBN 9780199236381. Paper, $65, £32.50. ISBN 9780199236398. [www.evomedicine.org][1] Gluckman, Beedle, and Hanson provide medical students and physicians with an introduction to evolutionary biology focused on topics important to human and public health. [1]: http://www.evomedicine.org
Processing of neodymium-iron-boron alloys by rapid solidification technology

Rapid solidification technology offers outstanding prospects for new cost effective engineering materials with superior properties. The authors describe the rapid solidification technology process applied to the processing of different neodymium-iron-boron alloys to prepare permanent magnets. The materials thus processed have high and low coercivities with differing temperature coefficients for use in varied applications. One of the main advantages of preparing magnets by rapid solidification processing as compared to sintering is that the magnets can be ground without degradation in magnetic properties. The ground powder thus obtained is anisotropic and can be used for a wide variety of applications by injection and compression molding. Energy products of 15-17 MGOe have been achieved by compression molding techniques and energy product of 20 MGOe is possible using this powder.
Accelerated Thrombolysis for Pulmonary Embolism Will Clinical Benefit Be ULTIMAtely Realized

Over the past 25 years, thrombolytic therapy has consistently demonstrated improvement in hemodynamic parameters in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE)1. Clinically, while resulting in reduced mortality in patients with massive PE2 thrombolytic therapy is not beneficial in unselected PE patients3. Major societal guidelines support systemic thrombolysis for massive PE, and recommend catheter-based interventions for rescue therapy in centers with appropriate expertise4-6. For patients with submassive PE, selected guidelines suggest considering systemic thrombolysis in a limited population of PE patients4,5, while others recommend against its use in these patients6. Recently, several studies have addressed thrombolytic therapy in patients with submassive PE. The Pulmonary Embolism International Thrombolysis (PEITHO) trial reported a substantial reduction in the combined endpoint of early mortality or hemodynamic collapse in patients receiving systemic thrombolysis (as compared to heparin alone) at the expense of a significant increase in major hemorrhage (including intracranial hemorrhage). This was particularly evident among elderly patients over the age of 757. In the much smaller TOPCOAT study (Tenecteplase or Placebo: Cardiopulmonary Outcomes At Three Months), which was terminated prematurely, the composite primary outcome (5 day survival to hospital discharge without shock, intubation, or major hemorrhage; 90 day rate of normal right ventricular (RV) function, 6 minute walk distance>330 meters, no dyspnea at rest, and no recurrent PE or deep vein thrombosis) was positive in the patients randomized to thrombolysis as compared to the low molecular weight heparin patients8. Another small study comparing thrombolytic therapy to heparin alone demonstrated a decrease in the composite endpoint of death, recurrent venous thromboembolism, RV dysfunction and major hemorrhage at 6 months in the group randomized to thrombolytic therapy9. In the MOPPETT trial, half-dose systemic thrombolytic therapy resulted in long-term reduction in the incidence of pulmonary hypertension compared to anticoagulation alone without excess bleeding10.