cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of Selected Apoptosis Related Genes, MIF, IGIF and TNFα, during Retinoic Acid-Induced Neural Differentiation in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

Apoptosis plays an important role during embryonic development. Apoptotic cell death is executed by caspases and can be regulated by the Bcl-2 family of genes. Ribonuclease protection assay was used to investigate the expression of selected apoptosis-related genes of the Bcl-2 family, pro-apoptotic Bax, Bad and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, during differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ES) mediated by all-trans-retinoic acid. The mRNA expression of caspase 3, caspase 6 and certain pro-inflammatory cytokines was also investigated simultaneously. ES cells exposed to 1 microM all-trans-retinoic acid on day 8, 9 and 10 of differentiation revealed increased expression of Bax and Bad compared to the vehicle-treated cells. No effect on Bcl-2 mRNA was noted after all-trans-retinoic acid treatment. Increased mRNA expression of caspase 3 and caspase 6 in all-trans-retinoic acid-exposed ES cells suggested that caspases play an important role in retinoic acid-mediated apoptosis during ES differentiation. Increase in the expression of TNF alpha and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was noted in retinoic acid-treated cells on day 14. Significant increase observed in interferon gamma inducing factor (IGIF/IL-18) mRNA expression in all-trans-retinoic acid-treated cells on day 14 and 17 did not translate to increased INF gamma expression. No change in the expression of other pro-inflammatory cytokines was noted with all-trans-retinoic acid treatment. The function of TNF alpha, IGIF/IL-18 and MIF in all-trans-retinoic acid-treated cells during ES differentiation and apoptosis is still speculatory. Results suggested that RA-mediated apoptosis during neural differentiation of ES cells involves up-regulation of caspase 3, caspase 6, Bad, and Bax.
Some Quantitative Unique Continuation Results for Eigenfunctions of the Magnetic Schrödinger Operator

We prove quantitative unique continuation results for solutions of −Δu + W · ∇u + Vu = λu, where λ ∈ ℂ and V and W are complex-valued decaying potentials that satisfy |V(x)| < ⟨x⟩−N and |W(x)| < ⟨x⟩−P . For M(R) = inf|x 0| = R ‖u‖ L 2(B 1(x 0)), we show that if the solution u is non-zero, bounded, and u(0) = 1, then M(R) ≳ exp(−CR β0 (log R) A(R)), where . Under certain conditions on N, P and λ, we construct examples (some of which are in the style of Meshkov) to prove that this estimate for M(R) is sharp. That is, we construct functions u, V and W such that −Δu + W · ∇u + Vu = λu, |V(x)| < ⟨x⟩−N , |W(x)| < ⟨x⟩−P and |u(x)| <exp(−c|x|β0 (log |x|) C ).
Standing wave solutions for discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equations with unbounded potentials and saturable nonlinearity

We prove existence and multiplicity results for nontrivial standing waves in discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equations with unbounded potentials and saturable nonlinearities. Our approach is based on the critical point theory for smooth functionals. Bibliography: 25 titles.
Iterative cohort analysis and exploration

Cohort analysis is a widely used technique for the investigation of risk factors for groups of people. It is commonly employed to gain insights about interesting subsets of a population in fields such as medicine, bioinformatics, and social science. The nature of these analyses is evolving as larger collections of data about individuals become available. Examples of emerging large-scale data sources include electronic medical record systems and social network datasets. When domain experts perform cohort analyses using such massive datasets, they typically rely on a team of technologists to help manage and process the data. This results in a slow and cumbersome analysis process in which iterative exploration is difficult. To address this challenge, we are exploring technologies designed to help domain experts work more independently and more quickly. This article describes CAVA, a platform for Cohort Analysis via Visual Analytics. We introduce three primary types of artifacts (cohorts, views, and analytics...
Parallel solutions for large-scale general sparse nonlinear systems of equations

In solving application problems, many large-scale nonlinear systems of equations result in sparse Jacobian matrices. Such nonlinear systems are called sparse nonlinear systems. The irregularity of the locations of nonzero elements of a general sparse matrix makes it very difficult to generally map sparse matrix computations to multiprocessors for parallel processing in a well balanced manner. To overcome this difficulty, we define a new storage scheme for general sparse matrices in this paper. With the new storage scheme, we develop parallel algorithms to solve large-scale general sparse systems of equations by interval Newton/Generalized bisection methods which reliably find all numerical solutions within a given domain.
Surface-induced dissociation of small molecules, peptides, and non-covalent protein complexes.

This article provides a perspective on collisions of ions with surfaces, including surface-induced dissociation (SID) and reactive ion scattering spectrometry (RISS). The content is organized into sections on surface-induced dissociation of small ions, surface characterization of organic thin films by collision of well-characterized ions into surfaces, the use of SID to probe peptide fragmentation, and the dissociation of large non-covalent complexes by SID. Examples are given from the literature with a focus on experiments from the authors’ laboratory. The article is not a comprehensive review but is designed to provide the reader with an overview of the types of results possible by collisions of ions into surfaces.
SU-FF-I-11: Estimation of HVL in Computed Tomography Using CTDI Measurements

Purpose: To determine the HVL of CT systems from CTDIdosimetry measurements without additional test, and to overcome the technical difficulties in CT HVL measurements. Method and Materials: The HVL of one multi‐detector CTscanner was measured when the scanner is static, over the available energy range (80∼140 kVp) and with different bow‐tie filter configurations. Commercial CT dose phantoms in compliance with FDA specifications were used to measure the exposures. Nine doses at the central, peripheral, and intermediate positions were measured for both head and body phantoms. Averages were taken for doses measured at axially symmetric positions of each phantom. These averages were compared to the central position dose measurements. The ratios were analyzed along with the HVL values measured under exactly the same conditions and fitted to second power polynomials. Combining the fitting parameters and dosimetry measurements from different machines, the corresponding HVL were predicted and compared to the measured value of each machine. Results: The HVL of the CTscanner were determined to be between 5 to 10 mm Al over the energy range assessed. When the values were plotted against the dose at the peripheral or intermediate position, normalized by center dose, the curves all fit to second power polynomials with R2>0.99. When applying the correlation obtained from the fittings to dosimetry measurements from different machines, the calculated HVLs are within 5% or 0.5 mm Al error of the measured values. Conclusion: This study showed that the data collected for the CTDI measurements can be directly used to estimate the HVL of CTscanners to certain accuracy. This will reduce the time and effort needed for medical physicists to determine the HVL of CT systems during acceptance testing and annual quality assurance surveys.
Derivation of frequency-gain characteristics for maximizing speech reception in noise.

Hearing aid gain-assignment schemes known as "prescriptions" were not designed for fitting hearing aids that modify their frequency responses to reduce background noise interference. Rather, prescr...
Is the LCP Superfund Site an Ecological Trap for Clapper Rails

Abstract Rallus longirostris (Clapper Rail) is considered a good indicator species for toxicants because of its strong site fidelity and predictable diet of benthic organisms. High levels of the rare PCB Aroclor 1268 have been found in Clapper Rail adults, chicks, and eggs from the marshes associated with the Linden Chemical Plant (LCP) in Brunswick, GA. Recently, sampling and testing feathers has successfully been used as a non-lethal tool to trace exposure and assimilation of Aroclor 1268 in rails from the LCP site. This approach allows us to infer how and when these birds are exposed to contaminants in the marsh due to predictable molting patterns coupled with the fact that a feather will accumulate the toxicant only at the time it is grown. This study is the start of a process to investigate the possibility that this ecosystem contamination is the foundation of an ecological trap for Clapper Rails at the LCP site. Aroclor 1268 was isolated in Clapper Rail feathers from all birds collected from the con...
On the limitation of using asymmetry factor for radiative transfer involving cirrus clouds

Abstract We investigate the limitation of using the asymmetry factor through the Henyey-Greenstein function in representing the scattering phase function for radiative transfer in ice clouds containing hexagonal ice crystals. Relative accuracy checks for solar fluxes are carried out using three cirrus cloud size distributions. The flux results computed from the Henyey-Greenstein phase function, based on the asymmetry factor, differ significantly from those computed from the phase function for hexagonal ice crystals. For optically thin ice clouds, the relative error can be as large as 70%. The maximum absolute error in solar reflected fluxes is 27 Wm−2. The present flux calculations demonstrate that the phase functions for ice crystals which contain strong forward scattering peak and specific halos and back scattering features cannot be adequately represented by a single parameterization in terms of the asymmetry factor.
Superior vena cava syndrome secondary to Candida thrombophlebitis complicating parenteral alimentation

SYSTEMIC CANDIDIASIS and venous thrombosis are complications of indwelling catheters in critically ill patients. 1-:~ This report describes an infant who developed a superior vena cava syndrome following surgery and intravenous alimentation. Factors that contributed to the vena cava obstruction by Candida and the systemic candidiasis in this infant included an indwelling jugular catheter, broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment, alimentation, and thoracic surgery. The small size of the superior vena cava in infants and the propensity of Candida to form large vegetations further increased the risk of vena cava obstruction. CASE REPORT A female infant spontaneously delivered at 34 weeks' gestation was found to have tracheoesophageal and gastrostomy was performed on the first day of life. Following surgery, she suffered cardiopulmonary arrests and contracted aspiration pneumonia. Hyperbilirubinemia, severe thrombocytopenia, and hemolytic anemia complicated the course. A jugular catheter was maintained for exchange transfusion and delivery of antibiotics and 20% dextrose infusion. The tracheoesophagea! fistula was closed on Day 5 to prevent further aspiration. By Day 8 a Grade 3/6 holosystolic murmur and mild leukocytosis with 4% eosin0ph!lia were noted. A urine specimen and nasal swab taken on Day 13 and a wound swab taken on Day 18 grew Candida after 48 hours culture. A large ductus arteriosus was ligated because of worsening heart failure and vascular shunting. A ventricular septat defect with 2,5:1 shunting was demonstrated by cardiac
Increased microsomal oxidation of alcohols after pyrazole treatment and its similarities to the induction by ethanol consumption.

Abstract Microsomes isolated from rats treated for 3 days with 200 mg/kg body wt. per day of pyrazole, a potent inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, catalyzed the oxidation of ethanol and 2-butanol at rates 2–3-fold higher than saline controls. The increase eas blocked by carbon monoxide, and was not associated with an increase in the oxidation of aminopyrine or in the content of cytochrome P -450, suggesting the possibility of an induction of an alcohol-preferring cytochrome P -450 by pyrazole. Microsomes from the pyrazole-treated rats displayed a stereochemical preference for the oxidation of the (+)-2-butanol isomer over the (-)-2-butanol isomer, which was blocked by carbon monoxide, and also displayed a type-2 binding spectrum with dimethylsulfoxide or 2-butanol. No such spectrum was found with the saline controls. These properties are similar to those which are observed with microsomes from chronic ethanol-fed rats. These similarities suggest the possibility that pyrazole treatment may induce a cytochrome P -450 isozyme with properties similar to the ethanol-inducible cytochrome P -450.
Mass-spectrometric investigation of reaction of oxygen atoms with methane

A mass-spectrometric stirred-reactor technique was used to study the reaction of atomic oxygen with methane with low concentrations of molecular oxygen. An overall rate constant for oxygen-atom dis...
A role for confined water in chaperonin function.

Chaperonins engulf other proteins and accelerate their folding by an unknown mechanism. Here, we combine all-atom molecular dynamics simulations with data from experimental assays of the activity of the bacterial chaperonin GroEL to demonstrate that a chaperonin’s ability to facilitate folding is correlated with the affinity of its interior surface for water. Our results suggest a novel view of the behavior of confined water for models of in vivo protein folding scenarios.
LLS: Cooperative integration of wear-leveling and salvaging for PCM main memory

Phase change memory (PCM) has emerged as a promising technology for main memory due to many advantages, such as better scalability, non-volatility and fast read access. However, PCM's limited write endurance restricts its immediate use as a replacement for DRAM. Recent studies have revealed that a PCM chip which integrates millions to billions of bit cells has non-negligible variations in write endurance. Wear leveling techniques have been proposed to balance write operations to different PCM regions. To further prolong the lifetime of a PCM device after the failure of weak cell, techniques have been proposed to remap failed lines to spares and to salvage a PCM device that has a large number of failed lines or pages with graceful degradation. However, current wear-leveling and salvaging schemes have not been designed and integrated to work cooperatively to achieve the best PCM device lifetime. In particular, a non-contiguous PCM space generated from salvaging complicates wear leveling and incurs large overhead. In this paper, we propose LLS, a Line-Level mapping and Salvaging design. By allocating a dynamic portion of total space in a PCM device as backup space, and mapping failed lines to backup PCM, LLS constructs a contiguous PCM space and masks lower-level failures from the OS and applications. LLS seamlessly integrates wear leveling and salvaging and copes well with modern OSs, including ones that support multiple page sizes. Our experimental results show that LLS achieves 24% longer lifetime than a state-of-the-art technique. It has negligible hardware cost and performance overhead.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus Equipment and Technique. Amplatzer Duct Occluder: Intermediate‐Term Follow‐Up and Technical Considerations

Between May 1997 and June 2000, 69 patients, ages 0.1 to 34 years, underwent attempted anterograde transcatheter closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder (ADO). The ADO is a cone-shaped, self-centering, and repositionable occluder made of nitinol wire mesh. A 5Fr to 7Fr sheath was used for the delivery of the device. The mean PDA diameter (at the pulmonary end) was 4.6 ± 1.9 mm (range 1 mm-8.5 mm). Sixty-seven of the 69 patients had successful device placement. The mean ADO smallest diameter was 6.9 ± 1.8 mm (range 4 mm-12 mm). Complete angiographic closure occurred in 62 (92.5%) of 67 patients (95% confidence interval, 88.22%–98.77%). In five patients, there was a trivial residual shunt immediately after the procedure. At 24 hours, color Doppler flow imaging revealed complete closure in all 67 (100%) patients. The unsuccessful attempts occurred in two patients with a small, I-mm diameter native PDA and residual PDA after surgical occlusion. Fluoroscopy time was 7.6 ± 1.8 minutes (4 min-18 min). No complications were observed. At a median follow-up of 1.5 years (range 0.25 to 3.2 years), all patients had complete closure without complications. We conclude that transcatheter closure using the ADO is a highly effective and safe treatment for most patients with PDA. (J Interven Cardiol 2001;14:247–254)
Separation Anxiety Disorder and School Refusal in Children and Adolescents

1. Gregory L. Hanna, MD* 2. Daniel J. Fischer, MSW† 3. Thomas E. Fluent, MD‡ 1. *Associate Professor of Psychiatry; Director, Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich 2. †Chief Social Worker, Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich 3. ‡Clinical Assistant Professor; Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the relationship of separation anxiety to school phobia or school refusal. 2. Explain the developmental appropriateness of separation anxiety in the preschool child and during the first months of school. 3. Discuss the family dynamics of separation anxiety disorder. 4. Distinguish between separation anxiety disorder and truancy as a cause of school absence. 5. Describe the etiologic role of the parent (often the mother) in separation anxiety disorder. 6. Develop a therapeutic plan for abnormal separation anxiety. JC is a 9-year-old boy who lives with his mother and attends the third grade, where he is an A student. During the last 2 weeks, he has refused to go to school and has missed 6 school days. He is awake almost all night worrying about going to school. As the start of the school day approaches, he cries and screams that he cannot go, chews holes in his shirt, pulls his hair, digs at his face, punches the wall, throws himself on the floor, and experiences headaches, stomachaches, and vomiting. If he attends school, he is less anxious until bedtime. As his separation anxiety has increased, he has become gloomy, has stopped reading for fun, and frequently worries about his mother’s tachycardia. JC was seen once by a psychiatrist at age 3 years for problems with separation anxiety. He did well in preschool and kindergarten. He was seen at a community mental health center during the first grade for school refusal, but did well again during the second grade. In addition to having recurrent symptoms of separation anxiety disorder, he is phobic of dogs, avoids speaking and writing in public, and has symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. His mother has a history of panic disorder. Pediatricians are familiar with separation anxiety as a …
Ribosomal RNA on the Surface of Ribosomes

Ribonuclease from pancreas releases nucleotide from Escherichiacoli ribosomes while not altering significantly the base composition of the total ribosomal RNA. Ribonuclease hydrolyzes ribsomal RNA without destroying the structure of 70S or 30S and 50S ribosomes. The RNA in 30S and 50S ribosomes appears more sensitive to the action of ribonuclease. The data suggest that RNA may be a surface component of the ribosome.
Are men at risk? The role of testosterone in cardiovascular morbidity.

Right ventricular (RV) function is affected by and contributes to a number of disease processes, including pulmonary hypertension (PH), congenital heart disease, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and valvular heart disease. The importance of RV function, however, in diseases of epidemic proportion has generally been underestimated in the past, as it possesses only one-fifth of the muscular mass of the LV, and its function is restricted to pumping blood through a single organ . In recent years, significant attention toward the understanding of the prognostic value of RV function has predicted its important contribution to cardiovascular disease. Although the interdependence between the two ventricles has been well established with the notion that LV failure is a major contributor of RV dysfunction, the knowledge garnered from LV failure is not necessarily to be extrapolated to RV dysfunction. The anatomical features of the RV and the pathophysiology that leads to its dysfunction are categorically different from that of the LV. Specifically, LV mass and function are critically impacted by the dynamics of the systematic circulation whereas RV mass and function are associated with the pulmonary circulation.
A practical guide to the design of differential files for recovery of on-line databases

The concept of a differential file has previously been proposed as an efficient means of collecting database updates for on-line systems. This paper studies the problem of database backup and recovery for such systems, and presents an analytic model of their operation. Five key design decisions are identified and an optimization procedure for each is developed. A design algorithm that quickly provides parameters for a near-optimal differential file architecture is provided.
Effect of deprotonation on absorption and emission spectra of Ru(II)-bpy complexes functionalized with carboxyl groups.

Changes in the ground and excited state electronic structure of the [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) complex induced by functionalization of bpy ligands with carboxyl and methyl groups in their protonated and deprotonated forms are studied experimentally using absorption and emission spectroscopy and theoretically using density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent DFT (TDDFT). The introduction of the carboxyl groups shifts the metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (MLCT) absorption and emission bands to lower energies in functionalized complexes. Our calculations show that this red-shift is due to the stabilization of the lowest unoccupied orbitals localized on the substituted ligands, while the energies of the highest occupied orbitals localized on the Ru-center are not significantly affected. Consistent with previously observed trends in optical spectra of related Ru(II) complexes, deprotonation of the carboxyl groups results in a blue shift in the absorption and phosphorescence spectra. The effect originates from interplay of positive and negative solvatochromism in the protonated and deprotonated complexes, respectively. This results in more delocalized character of the electron transition orbitals in the deprotonated species and a strong destabilization of the three lowest unoccupied orbitals localized on the substituted and unsubstituted ligands, all of which contribute to the lowest-energy optical transitions. We also found that owing to the complexity of the excited state potential energy surfaces, the calculated lowest triplet excited state can be either weakly optically allowed 3MLCT or optically forbidden Ru 3d–d transition depending on the initial wavefunction guess used in TDDFT calculations.
Conservation of Water and Related Land Resources

The author was quite clear about the purpose of this book and clearly achieved his intent. In his preface, the author states, “The purpose of this book is to acquaint the reader with a broad understanding of the topics relevant to the management of the nation's water and related land resources.” The book is a product of the author's 20 years of work as a teacher, consultant, researcher, and student of watershed management and hydrology and has served as a text for a course entitled Soil and Water Conservation, which the author has taught at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, New York. But it was also written with the intent to be of use “to informal students of water and land related resources on the national level as well.” The objectives of Black's course at Syracuse and its larger purpose define the scope of the book which, again in the author's words, have been “(1) to acquaint students with principles of soil and water conservation; (2) to stimulate an appreciation for an integrated, comprehensive approach to land management; (3) to illustrate the influence of institutional, economic, and cultural forces on the practice of soil and water conservation; and (4) to provide information, methods, and techniques by which soil and water conservation measures are applied to land, as well as the basis for predicting and evaluating results.” The book is written in straightforward nontechnical language and provides the reader with a set of references, a table of cases, a list of abbreviations, and an adequate index. It impresses this reviewer as a very well edited piece of work.
Capital Investment by Independent and System-Affiliated Hospitals

Capital expenditures are a critical part of hospitals’ efforts to maintain quality of patient care and financial stability. Over the past 20 years, finding capital to fund these expenditures has become increasingly challenging for hospitals, particularly independent hospitals. Independent hospitals struggling to find ways to fund necessary capital investment are often advised that their best strategy is to join a multi-hospital system. There is scant empirical evidence to support the idea that system membership improves independent hospitals’ ability to make capital expenditures. Using data from the American Hospital Association and Medicare Cost Reports, we use difference-in-difference methods to examine changes in capital expenditures for independent hospitals that joined multi-hospital systems between 1997 and 2008. We find that in the first 5 years after acquisition, capital expenditures increase by an average of almost $16 000 per bed annually, as compared with non-acquired hospitals. In later years, the difference in capital expenditure is smaller and not statistically significant. Our results do not suggest that increases in capital expenditures vary by asset age or the size of the acquiring system.
Multimodal Behavior Analytics for Interactive Technologies

Human communication is multifaceted and information between humans is communicated on many channels in parallel. In order for a machine to become an efficient and accepted social companion, it is important that the machine understands interactive cues that not only represent direct communicative information such as spoken words but also nonverbal behavior. Hence, technologies to understand and put nonverbal communication into the context of the present interaction are essential for the advancement of human-machine interfaces [3, 4]. Multimodal behavior analytics—a transdisciplinary field of research—aims to close this gap and enables machines to automatically identify, characterize, model, and synthesize individuals’ multimodal nonverbal behavior within both human-machine as well as machine-mediated humanhuman interaction. The emerging technology of this field is relevant for a wide range of interaction applications, including but not limited to the areas of healthcare and education. Exemplarily, the characterization and association of nonverbal behavior with underlying clinical conditions, such as depression or post-traumatic stress, holds transformative potential and could change treatment and the healthcare systems efficiency significantly [6]. Within the educational context the assessment of proficiency and expertise of individuals’ social skills, in particular for those with learning disabilities or social anxiety, can help create individualized education scenarios [2, 8]. The potential of machine-assisted training for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for example could have far reaching impacts on our society. In the following, I highlight two behavior analytics approaches that were investigated in my PhD dissertation [3] and summarized in a multimodal framework for human behavior analysis [4].
The Temporal Dimension of R&D Evaluation: Incorporating Spin-Off Benefits

R&D evaluation has many temporal dimensions. As levels of support, management, and R&D needs change, the characteristics of most R&D programs evolve. The external context of R&D programs typically changes as the economy cycles and new technological, socio-economic, and environmental problems are identified. There are also temporal dimensions to program impacts. For instance, benefits from applied R&D projects typically accrue over the short term as R&D is translated into commercial products or applied to solve the identified problems. Other benefits, however, are long-term in nature, and are realized only after an extended development period during which planned and/or unanticipated benefits may spin off. These temporal aspects complicate the measurement of the R&D impacts and necessitate periodic monitoring, sometimes covering an extended time period, to identify the full range of R&D impacts.
Grain size measurements using the point-sampled intercept technique

Recent developments in the field of stereology and measurement of three-dimensional size scales from two-dimensional sections have emanated from the medical field, particularly in the area of pathology. Here, the measurement of biological cell sizes and their distribution are critical for diagnosis and treatment of such deadly diseases as cancer. The purpose of this paper is to introduce these new methods to the materials science community and to illustrate their application using a series of typical microstructures found in polycrystalline ceramics. As far as the current authors are aware, these methods have not been applied in materials-science related applications.
The Use of Open Reduction with Compression Plates

The treatment of maxillofacial trauma involves a choice of accepted therapy for most facial fractures. Experience with the application of the eccentric dynamic compression plate for the reduction of 19 fractures of the edentulous mandible has resulted in a 95% healing rate.
Human transient into-the-loop simulation for NGATS

Serious planning is underway for the United States Next Generation Air Transportation System. While design decisions are far from complete, there is consideration of having aircraft-trajectory control in space and time be determined by some combination of pilots, air-traffic personnel, and computers. Insofar as any control input is continuous in time, because of human perception and decision response times and/or computer multitasking or optimization-cycle times, there are likely to be time delays (e.g., human transients getting “into the control loop”) that could threaten control stability. Using the MATLAB Simulink dynamic simulation tool this paper examines some hypothetical situations and offers examples of how delays and signal sampling in aircraft control could cause unacceptable oscillations and instability.
Individual differences in intrinsic brain connectivity predict decision strategy

When humans are provided with ample time to make a decision, individual differences in strategy emerge. Using an adaptation of a well-studied decision making paradigm, motion direction discrimination, we probed the neural basis of individual differences in strategy. We tested whether strategies emerged from moment-to-moment reconfiguration of functional brain networks involved in decision making with task-evoked functional MRI (fMRI) and whether intrinsic properties of functional brain networks, measured at rest with functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI), were associated with strategy use. We found that human participants reliably selected one of two strategies across 2 days of task performance, either continuously accumulating evidence or waiting for task difficulty to decrease. Individual differences in decision strategy were predicted both by the degree of task-evoked activation of decision-related brain regions and by the strength of pretask correlated spontaneous brain activity. These results suggest that spontaneous brain activity constrains strategy selection on perceptual decisions.
Improved Results of Aortic Arch Reconstruction in the Norwood Procedure

Background Despite several surgical modifications, the reported incidence of neoaortic coarctation after stage 1 palliation (S1P) of hypoplastic left heart syndrome remains high. A modification of aortic arch reconstruction that may decrease the incidence of neoaortic coarctation after S1P is described. Methods Between January 2008 and May 2013, 114 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome underwent S1P. The hospital records of the 101 surviving patients (89%) were reviewed. Demographic data and perioperative variables for S1P were collected. A modified technique for aortic arch reconstruction that contains a bovine pericardial patch tailored and sutured in a specific way was used in 51 patients (group MT), whereas the traditional technique was used in 50 patients (group TT). Clinical echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization data were analyzed to determine the incidence and location of neoaortic coarctation. Results There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics, the intraoperative course, or hospital mortality between the two groups of subjects. Duration of ventilation, intensive care unit stay, and hospitalization were significantly shorter in group MT. The mean follow-up was 2.02 ± 0.63 years and 3.98 ± 0.66 years in each group, respectively. Coarctation developed in 4 of 51 patients (7.8%) in group MT compared with 10/50 patients (20%) in group TT. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the estimated odds of coarctation for group MT were 0.41 (95% confidence interval: 0.04, 4.32) times the estimated odds of coarctation for group TT. Conclusions The described technique may decrease the incidence of recoarctation after S1P by minimizing aortic arch and descending aorta distortion and providing ample enlargement of the aorta at its narrowest diameter.
Potential applications of three-dimensional fabrics in SiO_2 matrix composite materials

To obtain a better understanding of the applied study of silica(SiO2) matrix composite materials in the radome materials,this paper,starting from different forming technology and characteristics of various toughening methods,made a comprehensive review of the current research status of SiO2 matrix composites,with focuses on increasing toughness by particle,whisker or continuous fibers.Some three dimensional configurations suitable for increasing the toughness of SiO2 matrix composites are proposed,including 2.5-D woven fabric structure,three-dimensional orthogonal woven fabric structure,three-dimensional braided fabric structure and so on.Finally,taking into consideration the future development of the radome materials for missiles,the application prospects of three-dimensional fabric in SiO2 matrix composite materials are presented.
Bloch-Siegert oscillation for detection and quantum teleportation of the phase of an oscillating field

When considering the resonant or near-resonant excitation of an atomic dipole by an oscillating field, it is customary to make the so-called rotating wave approximation (RWA), which amounts to ignoring the effect of the energy non-conserving counter-rotating term (CRT) in the Hamiltonian. It is well known that the CRT leads to the so-called Bloch-Siegert shift. Here, we show that the CRT can also lead to observable high-frequency oscillations in the amplitudes of the ground state, for example. Detection of this oscillation can be used to measure the absolute phase of the oscillating field at the beginning or the end of the excitation period. This may open up the possibility of mapping the phase distribution of a field with ultra-high resolution. Furthermore, this phase information can be transmitted, without measuring, to a remote observer via quantum teleportation with high fidelity, given the presence of a pair of atoms whose degenerate internal states are entangled. We have shown elsewhere [1, 2] how such an entanglement can be produced in a robust manner over a distance of up to 50 km. The ability to teleport this phase information directly may be useful for the purpose of relative phase-locking of remote oscillators [3, 4] under proper contexts, as well for devising novel methods of quantum cryptography.
Activation of the Plasma Kallikrein System During Myocardial Ischemia

Sicuteri (1) and a number of other investigators have postulated that the kallikrein system may play a role in the hemodynamic response to myocardial ischemia and may be responsible for the associated anginal pain. This hypothesis is based upon the observation that bradykinin has been shown to be a potent coronary vasodilator (2) and in addition is known to cause pain (3).
A high-performance finite-volume algorithm for solving partial differential equations governing compressible viscous flows on structured grids

Abstract This work focuses on the development of a high-performance fourth-order finite-volume method to solve the nonlinear partial differential equations governing the compressible Navier–Stokes equations on a Cartesian grid with adaptive mesh refinement. The novelty of the present study is to introduce the loop chaining concept to this complex fourth-order fluid dynamics algorithm for significant improvement in code performance on parallel machines. Specific operations involved in the algorithm include the finite-volume formulation of fourth-order spatial discretization stencils and optimal inter-loop parallelization strategies. Numerical fluxes of the Navier–Stokes equations comprise the hyperbolic (inviscid) and elliptic (viscous) ​components. The hyperbolic flux is evaluated using high-resolution Godunov’s method and the elliptic flux is based on fourth-order centered-difference methods everywhere in the computational domain. The use of centered-difference methods everywhere supports the idea of fusing modular codes to achieve high efficiency on modern computers. Temporal discretization is performed using the standard fourth-order ​Runge–Kutta method. The fourth-order accuracy of solution in space and time is verified with a transient Couette flow problem. The algorithm is applied to solve the Sod’s shock tube and the transient flat-plate boundary layer flow. The numerical predictions are validated by comparing to the analytical solutions. The performance of the baseline code is compared to that of the fused scheme which fuses modular codes via loop chaining concept and a significant improvement in execution time is observed.
Shannon information entropy in the canonical genetic code

The Shannon entropy measures the expected information value of messages. As with thermodynamic entropy, the Shannon entropy is only defined within a system that identifies at the outset the collections of possible messages, analogous to microstates, that will be considered indistinguishable macrostates. This fundamental insight is applied here for the first time to amino acid alphabets, which group the twenty common amino acids into families based on chemical and physical similarities. To evaluate these schemas objectively, a novel quantitative method is introduced based the inherent redundancy in the canonical genetic code. Each alphabet is taken as a separate system that partitions the 64 possible RNA codons, the microstates, into families, the macrostates. By calculating the normalized mutual information, which measures the reduction in Shannon entropy, conveyed by single nucleotide messages, groupings that best leverage this aspect of fault tolerance in the code are identified. The relative importance of properties related to protein folding - like hydropathy and size - and function, including side-chain acidity, can also be estimated. This approach allows the quantification of the average information value of nucleotide positions, which can shed light on the coevolution of the canonical genetic code with the tRNA-protein translation mechanism.
Ischemia Regulated Transcription Factors: Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 and Activating Transcription Factor 4

Abstract During a stroke, the brain integrates stress and damage signals to ensure neuronal death or survival to optimize survival of the whole organism. Stresses relevant to stroke include hypoxia, glucose deprivation, and oxidative stress. Our laboratory has focused on understanding how these stresses are transduced into changes in gene expression by focusing on transcription factors activated by stress, and whether these transcription factors mediate prodeath or prosurvival responses. Prior data from our laboratory have shown that when transcriptional changes that integrate cell survival responses fail and stress or damage is persistent, programmed cell death is activated. Specifically, we discuss the transcription factors activating transcription factor 4 and hypoxia inducible factor and the role they play during stroke. We also explore the development of therapeutic strategies to target the activity of these transcription factors to provide neuroprotection during stroke.
Aging effects on T-bet expression in human B cell subsets

In order to compare human and mouse B cell subset markers, we evaluated T-bet expression in human B cell subsets from individuals of different ages. We found T-bet expressed in unstimulated memory more than naive B cells, and more in young individuals. TLR7 stimulation up-regulated T-bet in all B cell subsets from young and elderly individuals, and more in the elderly. By fold-increase the best effect was seen in subsets of the elderly and especially in those that undergo class switch (naive and IgM). We also evaluated CD11c expression, as T-bet+CD11c+ B cells are expanded in healthy elderly individuals and also in patients with autoimmunity. Similar to T-bet, CD11c expression was higher in memory than in naive B cells, but no differences were observed between young and elderly individuals. After TLR7 stimulation, CD11c increases in all B cell subsets (especially in naive and IgM) from the elderly.
The Epigenomic Landscape in Osteoarthritis

Purpose of Review Epigenomics has emerged as a key player in our rapidly evolving understanding of osteoarthritis. Historical studies implicated epigenetic alterations, particularly DNA methylation, in OA pathogenesis; however, recent technological advances have resulted in numerous epigenome-wide studies examining in detail epigenetic modifications in OA. The purpose of this article is to introduce basic concepts in epigenetics and their recent applications to the study of osteoarthritis development and progression.
A CHARACTERIZATION OF CONTINUOUSLY SEMIMETRIZABLE SPACES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a characterization of continuously semimetrizable spaces. T space is semimetrizable if there is a real valued function d defined on X2 such that for each x,y ɛ X, d(x,y) = d(y,x) ≥ 0 and d(x,y) = 0 if x = y; and the point p is a limit point of the point set M if for every e > 0, there is a point x ɛ M distinct from p such that d(p,x) < e. Such a real valued function d, of course, may be upper semicontinuous, continuous in each variable, or continuous; and there exists a space that admits a semimetric continuous in each variable but none that is upper semicontinuous and a space that admits an upper semicontinuous semimetric continuous in each variable but none that is continuous. A regular space admits an upper semicontinuous semimetric if it is a Moore space and there exists a nondegenerate locally connected Moore space on which all continuous real valued functions is constant. Such a space clearly admits no semimetric that is continuous in each variable.
Monoclonal antibodies inhibiting IL-12, -23, and -17 for the treatment of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated skin condition that affects 3 to 4% of the adult US population, characterized by well-demarcated, erythematous plaques with silver scale. Psoriasis is associated with many comorbidities including cardiometabolic disease and can have a negative impact on quality of life. The current armamentarium of psoriasis treatment includes topical therapies, phototherapy, oral immunosuppressive therapies, and biologic agents. Over the past 2 decades, there has been rapid development of novel biologic therapies for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This article will review the role of IL-12, IL-23, and IL-17 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the monoclonal antibodies (ustekinumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and risankizumab) that target these cytokines in the treatment of this disease.
Insurer Market Power Lowers Prices In Numerous Concentrated Provider Markets

Using prices of hospital admissions and visits to five types of physicians, we analyzed how provider and insurer market concentration—as measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)—interact an...
Effects of abamectin on peachtree borers in the laboratory and in peach orchards (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)

Abamectin was effective in reducing egg hatch, larval survival, adult mating behavior and oviposition of the lesser peachtree borer, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) LPTB, and egg hatch and larval survival of the peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitisoa (Say) PTB, in the laboratory at rates of 10 and 20 ppm. Subsequently, tests in peach orchards with comparable rates of abamectin were effective in reducing PTB populations in Peach and Taylor counties, Georgia. Although abamectin was less effective than chlorpyrifos (standard recommendation) for PTB control, it warrants consideration as an alternative for control because it is a natural product derivative and probably poses little threat to the environment.
Improving Restraint Feasibility through Ambulance Layout Redesign

This study examined the duties performed by emergency medical service workers with the goal of increasing the time EMS workers are restrained while providing patient care during transport. An optimal layout of equipment and materials in the rear patient cabin of an ambulance was created increase seatbelt restraint feasibility for working medics. Over 13,000 EMS agency call logs were evaluated to identify medical procedures frequently performed during patient transports, which were then filmed and analyzed using Pareto and link analysis to measure restraint feasibility. An alternative ambulance layout was developed following focus group meetings, and the adjusted tasks restraint feasibilities were calculated for the alternative layout. Restraint feasibility was significantly increased for the 5th percentile female, 50th percentile male, and 95th percentile male anthropometric populations. The proposed patient compartment design increased overall restraint feasibility from 47 percent to 90 percent. The proposed design would increase safety for medics and patients during patient transports by increasing the number of tasks that could be performed from a belted and seated position.
(En)countering the Refugee: Capital, Óscar Martínez’s The Beast , and the “Problem” of the Surplus Population

One of the principal features of Marx’s theory of capital accumulation is his formulation of a reserve army of labor, a surplus population, which is produced, used, and disposed of according to the needs of capital. Oscar Martinez’s The Beast , a non-fiction account of the journeys of Central American migrants across Mexico allows us to consider and explore the ways in which Marx’s theorization of surplus populations represents, extends, and challenges our understanding of the current migrant and refugee crisis across the world. Such an analysis, moreover, offers us a new perspective on migrants’ rights, forcing us to negotiate these rights within a larger imperial global narrative that is inextricably tied to the production and regulation of surplus populations.