cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conversion from tacrolimus to belatacept improves renal function in kidney transplant patients with chronic vascular lesions in allograft biopsy.

Background Conversion from tacrolimus to belatacept has been shown to be beneficial for an increasing number of kidney transplant (KT) patients. Predicting factors for favorable outcomes are still unknown. We aimed to investigate whether histological vascular lesions at the time of conversion might correlate with greater improvement in renal function post-conversion. Methods The study was conducted on a retrospective cohort of 34 KT patients converted from tacrolimus to belatacept. All patients underwent an allograft biopsy prior to conversion. We analyzed the evolution of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 3 and 12 months after conversion. Results Median time to conversion was 6 (2-37.2) months post-transplant. About 52.9% of patients had moderate-to-severe chronic vascular lesions (cv2-3). We observed an increase in eGFR in the whole cohort from 35.4 to 41 mL/min/1.73 m2 at 3 months (P = 0.032) and 43.7 at 12 months (P = 0.013). Nine patients experienced acute rejection post-conversion, with one graft loss observed beyond the first year after conversion. Patients with cv2-3 had significant improvement in eGFR at 12 months (+8.6 mL/min/1.73 m2; 31.6 to 40.2 mL/min/1.73 m2; P = 0.047) compared with those without these lesions (+6.8 mL/min/1.73 m2; 40.9 to 47.7 mL/min/1.73 m2; P = 0.148). Conclusions Conversion from tacrolimus to belatacept has a beneficial effect in terms of renal function in KT patients. This benefit might be more significant in patients with cv in the biopsy.
Joint Holographic Detection and Reconstruction

Lens-free holographic imaging is important in many biomedical applications, as it offers a wider field of view, more mechanical robustness and lower cost than traditional microscopes. In many cases, it is important to be able to detect biological objects, such as blood cells, in microscopic images. However, state-of-the-art object detection methods are not designed to work on holographic images. Typically, the hologram must first be reconstructed into an image of the specimen, given a priori knowledge of the distance between the specimen and sensor, and standard object detection methods can then be used to detect objects in the reconstructed image. This paper describes a method for detecting objects directly in holograms while jointly reconstructing the image. This is achieved by assuming a sparse convolutional model for the objects being imaged and modeling the diffraction process responsible for generating the recorded hologram. This paper also describes an unsupervised method for training the convolutional templates, shows that the proposed method produces promising results for detecting white blood cells in holographic images, and demonstrates that the proposed object detection method is robust to errors in estimated focal depth.
“I Thought That Being Thin Was Going to Solve All My Problems”: A Qualitative Study of Body Image in Patients Before and After Bariatric Surgery

Background: In recent years, bariatric surgery has proven to be a leading medical intervention to help patients meet their weight loss goals. While the surgery is an effective tool patients can use...
Investigation of brachial plexus dose that exceeds RTOG constraints for apical lung tumors treated with four- or five-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Purpose/objectivess We sought to determine the rate of brachial plexopathy (BPX) in patients exceeding RTOG dose constraints for treatment of apical lung tumors. Materials/methods Patients with apical lung tumors treated with four- or five-fraction SBRT were identified from a prospective registry. Dosimetric data were obtained for ipsilateral subclavian vein (SCV) and anatomic BP (ABP) contours. Cumulative equivalent dose in 2 Gy equivalents (EQD2) was calculated for the SCV contour in patients with a history of prior ipsilateral RT. Five-fraction SBRT RTOG constraints of D0.03cc ≤32.0 Gy and D3cc ≤30.0 Gy were used. BPX was graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 3.0. Results A total of 64 patients met inclusion criteria. Median follow-up was 21 months. Six patients (9.4%) had prior ipsilateral conventional fractionated RT with varying degrees of overlap with subsequent SBRT field. Eleven patients without prior ipsilateral RT exceeded D0.03cc ≤32.0 Gy to SCV (mean 43.8 Gy ± 5.8). No BPX was observed in these patients. Out of the six patients who had prior ipsilateral RT, three patients exceeded D0.03cc ≤32.0 Gy to SCV (44.2 Gy ± 11.3), with two of these patients developing Grade 2 BPX within one year of SBRT. The EQD2 cumulative maximum point dose to BP was 122.6 Gy and 184.7 Gy for the two patients who developed Grade 2 BPX. The D0.03cc was >10 Gy higher to the ABP contour than the SCV contour in 14 patients. Conclusion Without a history of prior ipsilateral RT, no BPX was observed at 21 month follow-up in 11 patients who exceeded the RTOG five-fraction BP constraint. This observation is hypothesis generating and more experience with longer follow-up is necessary to validate these findings. For tumors located in close proximity to apical structures, there was substantial variation in dose between the ABP and SCV contours.
Mitophagy-mediated adipose inflammation contributes to type 2 diabetes with hepatic insulin resistance

White adipose tissues (WAT) play crucial roles in maintaining whole-body energy homeostasis, and their dysfunction can contribute to hepatic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the mechanisms underlying these alterations remain unknown. By analyzing the transcriptome landscape in human adipocytes based on available RNA-seq datasets from lean, obese, and T2DM patients, we reveal elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and NF-κB signaling with altered fatty acid metabolism in T2DM adipocytes. Mice with adipose-specific deletion of mitochondrial redox Trx2 develop hyperglycemia, hepatic insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Trx2-deficient WAT exhibited excessive mitophagy, increased inflammation, and lipolysis. Mechanistically, mitophagy was induced through increasing ROS generation and NF-κB-dependent accumulation of autophagy receptor p62/SQSTM1, which recruits damaged mitochondria with polyubiquitin chains. Importantly, administration of ROS scavenger or NF-κB inhibitor ameliorates glucose and lipid metabolic disorders and T2DM progression in mice. Taken together, this study reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism linking mitophagy-mediated adipose inflammation to T2DM with hepatic insulin resistance.
Head and neck osteosarcomas: Analysis of treatment trends and survival outcomes in the United States (2004-2016).

BACKGROUND Head and neck osteosarcoma (HNOS) is a rare primary bone tumor with limited data to guide treatment approaches. METHODS The NCDB was used to identify patients diagnosed with HNOS. Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariate regression were used to examine the impact of each treatment on overall survival (OS). RESULTS We identified 821 patients diagnosed with HNOS. Utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy + surgery increased from zero cases in 2004 to 24% of cases in 2016. Among surgically treated patients, 5-year OS was 55.8% (CI: 51.7-60.1%). No difference was seen in OS between each treatment cohort on multivariate analysis. However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy + surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy had improved 18-month survival compared to surgery alone (95.8% vs. 78.5%, p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated no survival benefit in perioperative chemotherapy or radiation therapy; however, short-term survival improvement in patients receiving both neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy displays promise and requires further investigation.
Exploring Women’s Experiences and Family Role Shifts Superseding a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

The purpose of this inquiry is to explore the family members’ experience in a family with a breast cancer survivor. This study examined family role shifts. Our research originated from two focus gr...
Cost-effectiveness analysis of the 2019 American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines for the management of abnormal cervical cancer screening tests and cancer precursors.

Background The guidelines for managing abnormal cervical cancer screening tests changed from a results-based approach in 2012 to a risk-based approach in 2019. Objective We estimated the cost-effectiveness of the 2019 management guidelines and the changes in resource utilization moving from 2012 to 2019 guidelines. Study Design We utilized a previously published model of cervical cancer natural history and screening to estimate and compare the lifetime costs and the number of screens, colposcopies, precancer treatments, cancer cases, and cancer deaths associated with the 2012 vs 2019 management guidelines. We assessed these guidelines under the scenarios of observed screening practice and perfect screening adherence to 3-year cytology starting at age 21, with a switch to either 3-year or 5-year cytology plus human papillomavirus cotesting at age 30. In addition, we estimated the lifetime costs and life years to determine the cost-effectiveness of shifting to the 2019 management guidelines. Results Under the assumptions of both observed screening practice and perfect screening adherence with a strategy of 3-year cytology at ages 21 to 29 and switching to 3-year cotesting at age 30, the management of the screening tests according to the 2019 guidelines was less costly and more effective than the 2012 guidelines. For 3-year cytology screening at ages 21 to 29 and switching to 5-year cotesting at age 30, the 2019 guidelines were more cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per life year gained. Across all scenarios, the 2019 management guidelines were associated with fewer colposcopies and cancer deaths. Conclusion Our model-based analysis suggests that the 2019 guidelines are more effective overall and also more cost-effective than the 2012 guidelines, supporting the principle of “equal management of equal risks.”
Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Elucidates Neurotransmitter Deficiency in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging provides dynamic insight into the functional organization of the brains’ intrinsic activity at rest. The emergence of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in both the clinical and research settings may be attributed to recent advancements in statistical techniques, non-invasiveness and enhanced spatiotemporal resolution compared to other neuroimaging modalities, and the capability to identify and characterize deep brain structures and networks. In this report we describe a 16-year-old female patient with autism spectrum disorder who underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging due to late regression. Imaging revealed deactivated networks in deep brain structures involved in monoamine synthesis. Monoamine neurotransmitter deficits were confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis. This case suggests that resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging may have clinical utility as a non-invasive biomarker of central nervous system neurochemical alterations by measuring the function of neurotransmitter-driven networks. Use of this technology can accelerate and increase the accuracy of selecting appropriate therapeutic agents for patients with neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Lithographite: A 5-,6-Connected Orthorhombic Structural Pattern in Space Group Pmmm

This paper describes the crystal structure of a novel, hypothetical 5-,6-connected orthorhombic structural pattern with the binary stoichiometry AB. The novel pattern lies in space group Pmmm, number 47. It possesses the Wells point symbol (46)(46) and has the Wellsean Schlafli index (4, 5). The pattern represents a fusing together of what are termed lithographene sheets. Such sheets can be envisioned as a projection of the lithographite lattice in (001), they represent a tiling of the Euclidean plane with hexagons and rhombi, where the rhombi have acute and obtuse angles of 60° and 120°, respectively. The lithographene sheet, which occurs in plane group p2mm, is compared to the ordinary graphene sheet in plane group p6mm.
Arguments PRO, Destroyed

In this chapter I set out five prominent and initially promising arguments for (PERAUT) and, in some cases, “(PERAUT)ish” functionalist theses, and refute each. These five arguments, given by R. J. Nelson, Daniel Dennett, Arthur Burks, John Pollock, and David Cole, are, as far as I can see, the only formidable arguments in the literature for the thesis that people are automata.
Using high dimensions to compare drawings of graphs

We describe a simple visualization technique which allows a user to quickly assess the overall similarity of drawings of similar graphs, and to easily find regions of stability and of change. It can be used to simultaneously compare any number of drawings, and does not require that the layouts be adjusted to minimize changes. The underlying idea - grouping vertices whose relative positions undergo little change - is shared by the animation technique of Friedrich and Houle [1], but both our approach to identifying such groups (visually via planes in high dimensions) and our application (comparing drawings) are quite different.
An RTL Abstraction Technique for Processor MicroarchitectureValidation and Test Generation

Design validation is becoming more and more a bottleneck in the microprocessor design process. The difficulty of validation stems from the complexity of the design, which requires searching an enormous space to check correctness. This is exacerbated by features for enhancing performance, such as pipelines, which are becoming common in most microprocessors. This paper describes a new abstraction technique to handle this problem. Our solution is a novel method to identify the control states automatically from the processor HDL description and to extract an abstract finite state machine model which preserves the behaviors of the design accurate to the clock cycle, so that the state space to be analyzed is drastically reduced. This model is used to evaluate microarchitecture-level coverage of validation tests. We also present validation test generation algorithm for traversing state transition paths and covering snapshot and temporal events. These abstract paths with a finite length, along with information about the instruction set, are used to generate system-level tests. Results on example microprocessor models show the technique is efficient in finding bugs that other verification methods miss.
England or Uruguay? The persistence of place and the myth of the placeless Gypsy

The Roma are often depicted as not only not having a place, but not caring about place. I refer to this common association as the ‘myth of the placeless Gypsy’. There is a need to challenge the myth of the placeless Gypsy as these types of representations further stigmatise the Roma community. To accomplish this I examine the geographies underpinning the Romani Studies discourse in order to see how the Roma's relationship to place is constructed. In this article, I examine four ethnographies about the Roma to highlight how academic representations help to further reinforce the idea that Roma are placeless. I find that even in in-depth studies, authors simultaneously reproduce and deny the myth of the placeless Gypsy. Despite explicit pronouncements that Roma are placeless, these authors in their detailed discussions of Roma practices actually emphasise the importance of place. In order to account for this incongruity, it is crucial to understand how place is being conceptualised, as limited, essentialist definitions of place typically make it easier to render Roma placeless.
Additionality, transactional barriers and the political economy of climate change

JI cannot be the centrepiece of a climate change regime that will lead to stable GHG concentrations at ecologically tolerable levels over the next century. The core assumption of ‘when flexibility’ is that substantial reductions in historical emissions levels in the Annex I Parties will become more affordable as the installed capital base depreciates and new technologies are brought on line at the time of its replacement. Technology policies and checkpoints to ensure this result may well be essential to regime design and accord (Edmonds and Wyse, 1997). In addition, a comprehensive solution will demand a mechanism to ensure that successfully modernising states, in accord with an equitable standard that equates their future position to current Annex I income levels, assume binding obligations in the coming decades. Nevertheless, JI may be an essential element of a comprehensive climate change strategy that compromises the early action principle in order to implement ‘where flexibility’ and pick up what may be an economically critical stock of wasting, low cost mitigation opportunities. This stock of projects would improve environmental quality for the life cycle of new capital infrastructure by providing subsidies for installations that take advantage of off-the-shelf, proven technologies that would not otherwise be employed in fast growing economies for financial or institutional reasons now.
Recent Advances in Vapor Chamber Transport Characterization for High-Heat-Flux Applications

Abstract Owing to their high reliability, simplicity of manufacture, passive operation, and effective heat transport, flat heat pipes and vapor chambers are used extensively in the thermal management of electronic devices. The need for concurrent size, weight, and performance improvements in high-performance electronics systems, without resort to active liquid-cooling strategies, demands passive heat-spreading technologies that can dissipate extremely high heat fluxes from small hot spots. In response to these daunting application-driven trends, a number of recent investigations have focused on the design, characterization, and fabrication of ultrathin vapor chambers for proximate heat spreading away from these hot spots. The predominant transport mechanisms and operational limits have been found to be different under these conditions relative to conventional low-power heat pipes. Noteworthy advances in the fundamental understanding of evaporation and boiling from porous microstructures fed by capillary action and improvements in vapor chamber characterization, modeling, design, and fabrication techniques are reviewed. Characterization of evaporation and boiling from idealized and realistic wick structures, observation of vapor formation regimes as a function of operating conditions, assessment of fluid dryout limitations, design of novel multiscale and nanostructured wicks for enhanced transport, and incorporation of these high-heat-flux transport phenomena into device-level models are discussed. These recent developments have successfully extended the maximum operating heat flux limits of vapor chambers.
Truck suspension specification for automobile transport

An ever-increasing emphasis on providing quality transportation service and meeting the customer expectations requires that a systems approach to the design of the freight truck be adopted. To meet these increasing requirements for better service, the car body and truck need to be treated as a single system and the freight truck has to be designed as an integral part of this system. Further, the freight car/truck design has to be pursued for dynamic performance level required to provide the ride quality demanded for safe transportation of a given commodity. The ride quality requirements should include vertical, lateral, and longitudinal ride quality levels. As an example, the automobile manufacturers expect that the railroad industry provide a completely damage-free environment for the transportation of automobiles. This paper discusses the current practice of freight truck design for conventional autorack cars and describes the ride quality provided by today's autorack cars. The paper proposes ride quality targets for future alternative systems for transporting automobiles. This target can be used also for current conventional autorack cars. The alternative systems, besides addressing ride quality, would address other associated requirements such as in-transit security, ease of loading/unloading, reduced transit time, reduced handling etc. All the necessary requirements for a Truck Specification are outlined including truck inspection, maintenance, repair, life cycle costs, etc. Specific quantitative requirements for these performance parameters must be set relative to the performance of today's equipment. >
A security architecture for application session handoff

Ubiquitous computing across a variety of wired and wireless connections still lacks an effective security architecture. In our research work, we address the specific issue of designing and building a security architecture for application session handoff, a functionality which we envision will be a key component enabling ubiquitous computing. Our architecture incorporates a number of proven approaches into the new context of ubiquitous computing. We employ the Bell-LaPadula (1976) and capability models to realise access control and adopt public key infrastructure (PKI)-based approaches to provide efficient and authenticated end-to-end security. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our design, we implemented an application enabled with this security architecture and showed that it incurred low latency.
Barriers to internal rotation in asymmetric molecules: 2,3-Difluoropropene

Abstract The potential function for internal rotation in 2,3-difluoropropene has been obtained from the microwave spectrum of the gauche rotamer, the far- and mid-infrared spectra of both the gauche and cis rotamers and the absolute rotational intensity measurements of several gauche microwave transitions. It is found that the cis conformer is most stable by 145 ± 60 cm−1. Both the cis-gauche and gauche(+)-trans-gauche(−) barriers are approximately 1000 cm−1. A comparison between the potentials in 2,3-difluoropropene, propene, and several other fluoropropenes is made. The dipole moment of the gauche conformer is μa = 0.950 D, μb = 1.982 D, and μc = 1.135 D; μtotal = 2.67 D.
Zigzag-shaped piezoelectric based high performance magnetoelectric laminate composite

We demonstrate a 33-mode piezoelectric structure with zigzag shape for high sensitivity magnetoelectric laminates. In contrast to the 33-mode macro fiber composite (MFC), this zigzag shape piezoelectric layer excludes epoxy bonding layer between the electrode and piezoelectric materials, thereby, significantly improving the polarization degree, electromechanical coupling, and the stability of loss characteristics. The polarization degree was monitored from the change in phase angle near resonance, and the loss stability was determined from the changes in dielectric loss and rate of capacitance variation defined by (C − Cf)/Cf, where C is capacitance at a given frequency and Cf is capacitance at 100 Hz. Magnetoelectric composite with zigzag patterned piezoelectric layer was found to exhibit giant magnetoelectric response both in low frequency off-resonance region (6.75 V cm−1 Oe−1 at 1 kHz) and at anti-resonance frequency (357 V cm−1 Oe−1).
Estimation of embryonic losses in bovine embryo transfer recipients from progesterone profiles and returns to estrus

Abstract Progesterone profiles for 212 embryo transfer recipients were determined by obtaining blood samples every 3.5 days. Observations for behavioral estrus plus progesterone profiles were used to determine when pregnancies were lost in nonpregnant recipients. Of 19 recipients receiving embryos of poor morphological quality, only five maintained pregnancy beyond the length of a normal estrous cycle, and one of these pregnancies was lost by 2 months of gestation. Of 193 recipients receiving morphologically fair to excellent embryos, 130, or 67.4%, were pregnant at 2 months. Pregnancy in eight of these recipients (4.1%) did not progress beyond day 16 from the pretransfer estrus because of short or inadequate luteal phases. Pregnancy did not progress beyond day 24 for another 43 recipients (22.3%), that returned to estrus within a normal estrous cycle or had progesterone profiles indicative of a normal estrous cycle and apparent silent or missed estrus. The remaining 12 recipients (6.3%) had progesterone profiles which dropped to less than 2 ng/ml of blood serum between days 31 and 59, and probably represent embryonic death within this time frame. Thus, 12 of the 142 recipients (8.5%) estimated to be pregnant on day 25 were no longer pregnant at 2 months. An additional study of returns to estrus of 910 recipients resulted in the following observations: 54.7% were pregnant at 2 months; 1.5% (n=14) returned within 2–16.5 days; 24.4% (n=222), between 17–24 days; 2.6% (n=24), between 24.5 and 34 days; 9.2% (n=84), between 34.5 and 46.5 days; and 7.5% (n=68), after 47 days. Undoubtedly there were some silent or missed estruses, but these returns in general corroborate information obtained from progesterone profiles. Recipients receiving morphologically poor embryos not only had lower pregnancy rates by day 24, but in addition, those pregnant on day 24 had a higher incidence of embryonic death compared to those receiving morphologically normal embryos. We conclude that 73.6% of recipients receiving morphologically normal embryos remained pregnant on day 24, and 67.4% were still pregnant at 2 months. From a related study, we would expect 63.6% to produce calves at term, and 57.9% to have live 1-month-old calves. The causes of many of these losses remain unknown; additional research may lead to methods of reducing or circumventing some of this wastage.
Detection of subtle dynamical changes induced by unresolved "conformational coordinates" in single-molecule trajectories via goodness-of-fit tests.

Single-molecule experiments are allowing researchers to track the evolution of a few order parameters characterizing complex biomolecules. At fine temporal resolution, artifacts of unresolved degrees of freedom, for example, those induced by collective molecular motion, often influence the dynamics. Reliably detecting subtle changes in dynamics at the nanoscale can be difficult due to the inherent stochasticity, but such changes can have relevance to understanding complex enzyme kinetics. Surrogate models can be used to summarize the information content in single-molecule time series (containing fluctuations occurring over multiple time scales). The focus in this article is on detecting slow time scale changes through the use of the surrogates. The conditional density, associated with the surrogates, allows one to formulate quantitative hypothesis tests which can detect the influence of unresolved coordinates in cases where the dynamics are modulated subtly. The relevance of quantitative (and appropriate)...
Hereditary xanthinuria with severe urolithiasis occurring in infancy as renal tubular acidosis and hypercalciuria

Un cas illustre l'existence d'une xanthinurie hereditaire et d'une lithiase renale evoluant sous le masque d'une acidose renale tubulaire avec hypercalciurie, calculs de calcium et faible prise de poids chez un nourrisson
Indirect voltage control method for single phase DC/AC converters

A controller for single phase DC/AC converters is proposed that is analogous with the droop control method used in synchronous generator technology. Its approach is different from the existing droop techniques adopted for power electronic inverters where consistently the output voltage is controlled through an explicit voltage control loop. The proposed method indirectly controls the output voltage of the inverter by controlling its immediate (or internal) voltage. Therefore, when operating in parallel with other inverters, it can offer a more robust and stable operation by avoiding direct competition of the inverters. This paper presents the derivations and numerical results of the proposed controller.
Radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) has been demonstrated to be highly efficacious, but the efficacy of RF ablation of VT in patients with coronary artery disease has been unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of RF ablation of VT in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS Fifteen consecutive patients with coronary artery disease and a history of myocardial infarction underwent an attempt at RF ablation of 16 hemodynamically stable monomorphic VTs that had been documented clinically on a 12-lead ECG and that had not been successfully managed by pharmacological or device therapy. One VT was incessant, five occurred more than 25 times, and the remainder occurred two to 20 times. An additional four VTs that had not been documented clinically also were targeted for ablation. The mean age of the patients was 68 +/- 7 years (+/- SD), and their mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.27 +/- 0.08. The mean cycle length of the 20 VTs targeted for ablation was 438 +/- 82 msec. Ablation sites were selected based on endocardial activation mapping, pace mapping, identification of an isolated mid-diastolic potential, or concealed entrainment. Sixteen of the 20 VTs (80%) were successfully ablated in 11 of 15 patients (73%), using a mean of 4.2 +/- 3 applications of RF energy, and no recurrences of the ablated VTs occurred during 9.1 +/- 3.3 months of follow-up. The mean duration of the ablation procedures was 128 +/- 30 minutes. No complications occurred in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study demonstrate that RF ablation of hemodynamically stable VT is feasible as adjunctive therapy in selected patients with coronary artery disease.
The Autopilot performance-directed adaptive control system

Abstract High-performance computing is rapidly expanding to include distributed collections of heterogeneous sequential and parallel systems and irregular applications with complex, data dependent execution behavior and time-varying resource demands. To provide adaptive resource management for dynamic applications, we are developing the Autopilot toolkit. Autopilot provides a flexible set of performance sensors, decision procedures, and policy actuators to realize adaptive control of applications and resource management policies on both parallel and wide area distributed systems.
Hyperspectral waveband group optimization for time-resolved human sensing

Pulse and respiration rates provide vital information for evaluating the physiological state of an individual during triage. Traditionally, pulse and respiration have been tracked by means of contact sensors. Recent work has shown that visible cameras can passively and remotely obtain pulse signals under controlled environmental conditions [2] [5] [14] [27]. This paper introduces methods for extracting and characterizing pulse and respiration signals from skin reflectivity data captured in peak sensitivity range for silicon detector (400nm-1100nm). Based on the physiological understanding [12] [13] [15] of human skin and reflectivity at various skin depths, we optimize a group of spectral bands to determine pulse and respiration with high Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and correlation values [27] [30]. Our preliminary results indicate top six optimal waveband groups in about 100nm - 200nm resolution in each, with rank-ordered peaks at 409nm, 512nm, 584nm, 667nm, 885nm and 772nm. This work, collected under an approved IRB protocol enhances non-contact, remote, passive, and real-time measurement of pulse and respiration for security and medical applications.
Does Removing the Spinal Tether in a Porcine Scoliosis Model Result in Persistent Deformity?: A Pilot Study

Background Using a tethering technique, a porcine model of scoliosis has been created. Ideally, tether release before placement and evaluation of corrective therapies would lead to persistent scoliosis.
N-formyl-methionine deformylase of animal tissues

Summary N-formyl-L-methionine is rapidly hydrolyzed by homogenates and cytosol fractions of rat tissues and of chicken liver, beef brain and pig kidney. Other N-formyl aminoacids are not, or are hydrolyzed at much slower rates. The cytosol fractions may be dialyzed, and their activity is not affected by Mn ++ , Mg ++ and Co ++ . The optimum pH is about 7.4. The K M varies from 3 to 12 mM with different rat tissues, i.e. of the same order as that of the deformylase from Euglena gracilis (3.8 mM). The N-formyl-methionine deformylase of animal tissues may represent a hitherto unrecognized activity of the previously described aminoacylases. This and possible physiological role(s) are discussed.
Isolation, Identification, and Biological Activity of Isopersin, a New Compound from Avocado Idioblast Oil Cells

A new compound, (12Z,15Z)-1-hydroxy-4-oxo-heneicosa-12,15-dien-2-yl acetate, isopersin (2), has been isolated from avocado idioblast oil cells. In artificial diet bioassays, 2 showed no effects on either larval survivorship or growth of early-instar beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua. In contrast, the isomeric persin (1), (12Z,15Z)-1-acetoxy-2-hydroxy-4-oxo-heneicosa-12,15-diene, reduces larval growth at equivalent concentrations (500 μg g-1). Compound 2 is not very stable and isomerizes readily to 1. Both compounds are acid-labile, rearranging rapidly to alkylfuran 3 in the presence of traces of acid.
Rock bursting as a surface instability phenomenon

Abstract Surface instability of a semi-infinite layer of cohesive-frictional material under plane-strain uniaxial compression is analyzed. Material behaviour is described by a deformation theory for rigid-plastic, incompressible material with a Mohr-Coulomb yield condition. The instability criterion is formulated both in terms of the ratio of the strengths of the material in uniaxial extension and compression, and in terms of an appropriate hardening parameter.
The effect of sertraline and environmental context on treating depression and illicit substance use among methadone maintained opiate dependent patients: a controlled clinical trial

Psychiatric comorbidity, particularly depressive disorders, is associated with continued substance use and poor social functioning among methadone maintained patients. Evidence suggests similar neurochemical and environmental pathways may link the two disorders and it is reasonable to hypothesize that pharmacological and environmental factors play important roles in the treating comorbid depression and substance use. The present study tested the efficacy of sertraline for treating syndromally defined depressive disorders among non-abstinent methadone maintained opiate dependent patients. The moderating effects of environmental context on treatment outcome were also examined. Ninety-five patients were randomized in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of sertraline, a serotonin-selective re-uptake inhibitor. There was no main effect of sertraline on either depression or substance use outcomes. However, sertraline demonstrated significant ameliorative effects on depression among patients with a more positive environment or less negative environment. The odds of being abstinent from heroin and cocaine were greater for patients on sertraline in environments with relatively less adversity. The findings support the hypothesis that contextual factors moderate the efficacy of pharmacological treatment for depression among methadone patients. They also suggest future research should examine a pharmacological treatment that is combined with a behavioral intervention targeting the accessibility of reinforcement or reducing the impact of aversive environmental interactions.
The microscopic kinetics of step motion in growth processes

Abstract Equations are developed which describe the motion of steps in diffusion controlled growth and dissolution processes. It is found that finite trains of steps break up in a pairwise fashion at the rear of step trains. Applications of the present model to cases of macroscopic step or facet formation by the coalescence of single steps are discussed.
Design and synthesis of a near-infrared fluorescent nanofiber precursor for detecting cell-secreted urokinase activity.

Abstract Abnormal proteolysis is often observed during disease progression. Up-regulation of certain tumor-associated proteases such as urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) can be a hallmark of malignant transformation. Here we report the design and synthesis of a near-infrared nanofiber precursor (NIR–NFP) for detecting uPA activity. NIR–NFP, which is optically silent in its native state, is composed of multiple self-assembled peptide units (PEG54-BK(NIR664)SGRSANA-kldlkldlkldl-CONH2). On uPA activation, NIR–NFP releases peptide fragments (PEG54-BK(NIR664)SGR-CONH2) that contribute to a significant fluorescence amplification at 684 nm. NIR–NFP was able to detect cell-secreted uPA from human cancer cells (SKBR-3, PANC-1, MCF-7, SKOV-3, MDA-MB-231, PC-3, and HT-1080) expressing various levels of uPA. Fluorescence changes were uPA dependent, as confirmed with both Western blot analysis and enzyme activity assay. Our data suggest that an optimized preparation may be useful for imaging uPA activity in vivo.
On queues with state-dependent Erlang service

Some general results are derived for single-channel queues with Poisson input and state-dependent Erlang service times in view of the possible use of this model to approximate arbitrary M/G/1-like state-dependent queues in a manner similar to that suggested by Rosenshine, and by Kendall, and Kotiah, Thompson, and Waugh for the M/G/1. Numerical procedures are indicated for the evaluation of stationary state probabilities, expected system sizes and waiting times, and parameter estimation.
Having the Last Word, but Losing the Culture Wars: Mainstream Press Coverage of a Canceled Evangelical Benediction

This study examines how mainstream news media reported the withdrawal of a popular pastor from the 2013 Obama inaugural ceremony. Louie Giglio was originally chosen for a role in the event but relinquished his position when focus was placed on a sermon he once delivered about homosexuality. Analysis of framing and sourcing of the stories raises serious questions about the role media played in reporting about this skirmish, which is clearly part of the larger culture wars.
Nursing diagnosis in perspective: response to a critique.

Summary As noted above, I have attempted to respond to Shamansky and Yanni's critique of nursing diagnosis. This has included an identification of some critical assumptions that underlie their work, the contexting of their arguments in the history of scientific discovery, and a listing of various misconceptions and distortions concerning nursing diagnosis. I have concluded that the authors' basic premise was a desire to eliminate rather than ameliorate nursing diagnosis. The authors had an unstated preconception of a preferred model of conceptualizing nursing, which they did not directly state as their preconception. They systematically listed real inadequacies of nursing diagnosis efforts as an argument for abandonment. They reflected limited understanding of or information about the nursing diagnosis literature. They tended occasionally to overstate their case. I believe that my dissatisfactions with nursing diagnosis efforts are more informed, more complex, and more numerous than theirs including such quandaries as taxonomic principles and research units of analysis. However, my responses to these problems are proactive rather than reactive, committed to amelioration rather than elimination. While I feel that the authors have provided a salutory service in delineating their concerns, I look forward to other critical reviews that might provide the intuitive insights to address the next steps in the evolutionary development of nursing diagnosis.
Polymer microfluidic chips with integrated waveguides for reading microarrays.

A microfluidic chip with an integrated planar waveguide was fabricated in poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, using a single-step, double-sided hot-embossing approach. The waveguide was embedded in air on three sides, the solution being interrogated on the fourth. DNA probes were covalently attached to the waveguide surface by plasma activating the PMMA and the use of carbodiimide coupling chemistry. Successful hybridization events were read using evanescent excitation monitored by an imaging microscope, which offered high spatial resolution (2 μm) and a large field-of-view (20 mm diameter field-of-view), providing imaging of the entire array without scanning. The application of the microfluidic/waveguide assembly was demonstrated by detecting low abundant point mutations; insertion C mutations in BRCA1 genes associated with breast cancer were analyzed using a universal array coupled to an allele-specific ligation assay. DNA probes consisting of amine-terminated oligonucleotides were printed inside the micro...
Hemispheric differences in reaction time to verbal and non-verbal stimuli.

It has been argued that the brain hemispheres are functionally asymmetrical in their ability to process verbal and non-verbal materials. The correctness of this generalization was tested by studying reaction times to the monaural presentation of verbal and non-verbal stimuli in young normal adults. Systematic differences in reaction times were obtained for the two ears, but these differences did not depend upon the verbal or non-verbal character of the stimuli. Rather, speed of response appeared to be related to stimulus properties within the verbal and non-verbal categories and not to the classification of the stimuli as verbal or non-verbal.
The quasi-sure ratio ergodic theorem

Abstract Let (Pt)t≥o be the transition semigroup of a right Markov process, and let m be a conservative (Pt)-invariant measure. Let ƒ and g be elements of L1(m) with g > 0. We show that, with the exception of an m-polar set of starting points x, the ratio ∫0t Psƒ(x) ds/ ∫0t Psg(x) ds converges as t → +∞, and we identify the limit as a ratio of conditional expectations with respect to the appropriate invariant σ-algebra. This improves upon earlier work of M. Fukushima and M.G. Shur, in which the exceptional set was shown to be m-semipolar. The proof is based on Neveu's presentation of the Chacon-Ornstein filling scheme, adapted to continuous time. The method yields, as a by-product, a local limit theorem for the ratio of the “characteristics” of two continuous additive functionals, extending a result of G. Mokobodzki.
A Concise Semi-Synthetic Approach to Betulinic Acid from Betulin

Abstract Betulin was convert to betulinic acid using two different synthetic routes. The first approach involved an oxidation of betulin using Jones' reagent to betulonic acid and subsequent NaBH4 reduction to betulinic acid. The second approach involved steps utilizing different protecting groups on the alcohol functional groups of betulin and Jones' oxidation to circumvent the isomerization of the secondary alcohol of betulinic acid.
Evaluation of a medical ethics consultation service: Opinions of patients and health care providers

Purpose To study the perceived effectiveness of bioethics consultation as evaluated by both professional staff and patients and their families. Patients and methods An evaluation questionnaire was forwarded to physicians, nurses, and patients or family members who were associated with 20 sequential cases referred for ethics consultation during a 2-year period. Respondents were asked to rate the consult as very helpful, somewhat helpful, or not helpful concerning a variety of issues related to the care of the patients. Responses were reviewed for agreement or disagreement between the three sample groups. Results Ninety-six percent of physicians and 95% of nurses sampled felt that the consult was helpful, compared with only 65% of the patient/family responses. Lack of communication between patients and staff was cited as a problem in all cases in which the consult was deemed unhelpful by patients and family. Conclusions Patients or family members and professional staff have different perceptions regarding the value of bioethics consultation. When asked for comments, patients/family members cite lack of communication with professional staff as their primary reason for responding negatively. Earlier mobilization of consultative staff, rigorous training of consultants in techniques of conflict resolution, and education of primary caregivers regarding recognition of communication problems may serve to narrow this perceptual divergence.
Introductory remarks on the classical picture of atmospheric electricity

The ‘classical picture of atmospheric electricity’ portrays in a simple way, if not too simple a way, a closely knit complex of theories and hypotheses, and perhaps even speculations, centered around the fundamental question of where the electricity of the atmosphere comes from. This picture probably has been accepted with less reservation by the scientific world outside of the narrower circle of scientists active in atmospheric electricity research than by the experts of this circle who alwavs have been aware that the features of this picture never have been really proven by observation, and hardly offer more than a qualitative possibility for an explanation of measuring results. Nevertheless, this concept still represents the best approximation available. The chance that its general validity will be proven in the future is certainly better than 50%. At the same time, contradictions to the classical picture have been found; and it is assumed now that certain modifications of it may be necessary, in particular with respect to short-time averages. The classical picture is composed of several features which may be listed, vaguely, as follows: spherical capacitor hypothesis for the electrical state in the troposhere, stratosphere, and part of the mesosphere; the ionosphere being (seen from below) an equipotential surface, and forming a Faraday cage; the global thunderstorm activity being the generator charging up the spherical capacitor; atmospheric electric conductivity monotonously increasing with height once the exchange layer is left behind; atmospheric ions, once formed, being stable until recombination. Each of these features consists of a number of elements. In this paper, the existence of some of the main elements will be investigated; and the significance of measurements and observations leading to the classical picture will be discused. While modifications and alternatives to the classical picture will be the objective of some of the papers to follow during this symposium, some more general additions and, also, some alternatives not likely to be covered later on will be indicated in this introductory paper.
Consequences of marketing controls among sales and nonsales marketing personnel

Abstract Controls are an inevitable part of every organization. However, controls can produce undesirable work attitudes and behavioral outcomes among employees. This study examines the relationships between controls and these undesirable consequences for industrial sales personnel and contrasts it with that for nonsales marketing personnel. The study is based on a self-administered questionnaire filled by 150 sales personnel and 150 nonsales personnel drawn randomly from a recent listing of American Marketing Association members. The findings point to several important differences among sales and nonsales personnel. Understanding these differences should enable managers to assess better marketing personnel and to design control systems that can better channel their efforts toward achieving marketing goals.