cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigations on the inference optimization techniques and their impact on multiple hardware platforms for Semantic Segmentation.

In this work, the task of pixel-wise semantic segmentation in the context of self-driving with a goal to reduce the inference time is explored. Fully Convolutional Network (FCN-8s, FCN-16s, and FCN-32s) with a VGG16 encoder architecture and skip connections is trained and validated on the Cityscapes dataset. Numerical investigations are carried out for several inference optimization techniques built into TensorFlow and TensorRT to quantify their impact on the inference time and network size. Finally, the trained network is ported on to an embedded platform (Nvidia Jetson TX1) and the inference time, as well as the total energy consumed for inference across hardware platforms, are compared.
Introduction: Terminology and Motivation

This book is concerned with the processing of discrete-time signals or data sequences. Such signals arise in two distinct ways: They may be inherently discrete in time, or they may be sampled versions of signals that are continuous in time. Examples of data sequences that are inherently discrete in time abound in our daily lives: for example, our daily or monthly checking account balances, the daily high/low temperatures and other weather data, monthly or quarterly sales figures and inventory levels, the annual GNP and other economic data, and so forth. Meteorologists, economists, and business people often process such data to determine cyclic patterns, averages, or norms, and long-term trends. In so doing, they usually employ filters to smooth out noisy data or to enhance certain patterns of interest, whether or not they call them by that name.
Outdoor School Activities Strategy for Enhancing Student’s Academic Achievement and Retention in Science in Delta South Senatorial District

The study examined the effects of outdoor science activities on student’s academic achievement and retention in science in Delta South Senatorial District. The quasi-experimental design was used specifically, the non-equivalent pre-test, post-test control group design. Four research questions and hypotheses were raised and formulated to guide the study. The population consists of all senior secondary school two (SSII) science students in all the Government-owned public schools in the Senatorial District with an estimation of fifteen thousand, two hundred and seventy-five students (15,275). A sample of two hundred and fifty (250) SSII science student’s randomly selected from four (4) public mixed secondary schools in the Senatorial District was used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was the Science Achievement Test (SAT) which was validated by experts in the field of Science, Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability of the instrument was established using Kuder-Richardson formula 21 which yielded coefficient of internal consistency of 0.82. Data were collected by administering the Science Achievement Test (SAT) as a pre-test. Post-test and post-post-test (follow up test). The data obtained were analysed using mean, standard deviation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that there was a significant difference in the mean achievement and retention scores between students taught using outdoor science activities and those taught without outdoor science activities. There was no significant difference in the mean achievement scores between male and female students taught science with outdoor science activities and there was a significant difference in the mean retention scores between male and female students taught science with outdoor science activities in favour of male students. Based on the findings, it was concluded that outdoor science activities may be an option in promoting students’ academic achievement and retention in science students. Based on this, it was recommended that science teachers should adopt outdoor science activities in teaching science at the secondary school levels and that Government should provide an essential outdoor learning environment in schools to facilitate outdoor science activities.
Петр Великий как законодатель

Рецензия на книгу: Н. А. Воскресенский, Петр Великий как законодатель. Исследование законодательного процесса в России в эпоху реформ первой четверти XVIII века / Под ред. Д. О. Серова. Москва, Новое литературное обозрение, 2017. 640 с. Review of N. A. Voskresenskii, Peter the Great as Lawmaker. The Investigation of the Lawmaking Process in Russia in the Epoch of the Reforms of the First Quarter of the Eighteenth Century. Ed. by D. O. Serov. Moscow, Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2017.
Characterization of stress response involved in chicken myopathy.

Myopathies (Woody Breast (WB) and White Striping (WS)) of broiler chickens have been correlated with fast growth. Recent studies reported that localized hypoxia and metabolic impairment may involve in these myopathies of birds. In order to better understand the stress response mechanisms affecting myopathies of broilers, the aim of this study was to examine effects of WB and both WB/WS on stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) levels and expressional changes of stress response genes including glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR), 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), DNA methylation regulators (DNMTs), and arginine vasotocin receptor 1a and 1b (V1aR, V1bR). Results of radioimmunoassay showed that CORT levels of WB and WB/WS birds were significantly higher compared to Con (p < 0.05), however, the combination of WB/WS was not significantly higher than WB birds, implying that the effects of WB and WS on CORT are not synergistic. Hepatic GR expression of both WB and WB/WS birds were significantly higher compared to Con (p < 0.05). However, GR expression levels in breast muscle of both WB and WB/WS birds were decreased compared to Con (p < 0.05). Hepatic 11β-HSD1 expression was increased only in WB/WS birds compared to Con birds with no significant difference between Con and WB birds. 11β-HSD1 expression was decreased and increased in WB and WB/WS birds compared to Con, respectively, in breast muscle (p < 0.05). DNMT1 expression was significantly decreased in both muscle and liver of WB birds, and in muscle of WB/WS birds, but not in liver of WB/WS birds, indicating differential effects of WS on the epigenetical stress response of muscle and liver compared to WB. V1aR expression was significantly increased in muscle of WB birds, and in liver of WB/WS birds compared to Con birds (p < 0.05). V1bR was not changed in muscle and liver of WB birds compared to Con birds. Taken together, results suggest that GC-induced myopathies occur in fast-growing broiler chickens and circulating CORT level might be a significant biochemical marker of myopathies (WB and WS) of birds. In addition, chronic stress responses in breast muscle and tissue-specific epigenetic changes of stress response genes by DNMTs may play a critical role in the occurrence of myopathies.
Effect of a patient-led educational session on pre-clerkship students' learning of professional values and on their professional development.

While there are several curricula using patients as educators, little has been published on how they affect student learning and professional development. To explore what 1st year medical students ...
On the Use of Containers in High Performance Computing Environments

The lightweight nature, application portability, and deployment flexibility of containers is driving their widespread adoption in cloud solutions. Data analysis and deep learning (DL)/machine learning (ML) applications have especially benefited from containerization. As such data analysis is adopted in high performance computing (HPC), the need for container support in HPC has become paramount. However, containers face crucial performance and I/O challenges in HPC. One obstacle is that while there have been HPC containers, such solutions have not been thoroughly investigated, especially from the aspect of their impact on the crucial HPC I/O throughput. To this end, this paper provides a first-of-its-kind empirical analysis of state-of-the-art representative container solutions (Docker, Podman, Singularity, and Charliecloud) in HPC environments. We also explore how containers interact with an HPC parallel file system like Lustre. We present the design of an analysis framework that is deployed on all nodes in an HPC environment, and captures CPU, memory, network, and file I/O statistics from the nodes and the storage system. We are able to garner key insights from our analysis, e.g., Charliecloud outperforms other container solutions in terms of container start-up time, while Singularity and Charliecloud are equivalent in I/O throughput. But this comes at a cost, as Charliecloud invokes the most metadata and I/O operations on the underlying Lustre file system. By identifying such trade-offs and optimization opportunities, we can enhance HPC containers performance and the ML/DL applications that increasingly rely on them.
The utility of intraoperative retroareolar margin frozen section assessment and the management of atypical epithelial proliferative lesions at the retroareolar margin in nipple-sparing mastectomies

Abstract Objectives Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has become more frequently utilized due to superior psychological and cosmetic outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and utility of intraoperative frozen section evaluation of the retroareolar margin (RAM) in NSM. The management of atypical epithelial proliferative lesions at the RAM was also reviewed and discussed. Methods A single institution, retrospective analysis was performed on all therapeutic NSM patients with intraoperative evaluation of the RAM from 2014 to 2018. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, pathologic assessment of the RAM, surgical management, and clinical follow-up were reviewed. Results Seventy-four nipple-sparing mastectomies with intraoperative evaluation of RAMs were identified. Concordance was 95% between frozen and permanent section diagnoses with 4 cases representing false negatives and no false positives. There were no instances of nipple-areolar complex (NAC) recurrence in all cases with preserved NACs (mean follow up: 750 days). In the 9 cases where NACs were excised based on intraoperative RAM evaluation, the findings in the excised NACs were negative in 6 and ductal carcinoma in situ in 3 cases. Postoperative measurement of the tumor to nipple distance was the only statistically significant variable associated with a positive RAM by multivariable logistic regression (OR 0.475; 95% CI 0.238–0.946). Conclusions Intraoperative RAM evaluation demonstrated high concordance with permanent histology. Negative RAM, including atypical epithelial proliferative lesions, led to NAC preservation without recurrence. Positive RAM alone did not predict NAC involvement, although pagetoid spread of ductal carcinoma in situ along nipple ducts may predict NAC positivity.
Effects of dialect-specific features and familiarity on cross-dialect phonetic convergence

Abstract Talkers imitate the speech of others through phonetic convergence. The current study examined the influence of dialect-specific features and dialect familiarity on the extent and perceptibility of phonetic convergence. Talkers with Mid-Atlantic and General American dialects repeated words after model talkers with Mid-Atlantic and General American dialects in a shadowing task. Half of the target words contained phonetic variables differing between the two dialects, including /ɔ/, /aeɹ/, and word-initial /stɹ/, and half contained no distinguishing dialect features. In an AXB task, listeners from the Mid-Atlantic region with greater exposure to the Mid-Atlantic dialect and listeners from the Midwestern United States with less exposure to the Mid-Atlantic dialect assessed the perceptual similarity of the two shadowing productions to the original productions of the model talkers. Together, acoustic analyses of the shadowing productions and the results of the AXB task revealed that dialect-specific features facilitated phonetic convergence. This facilitation was stronger for Mid-Atlantic shadowers and model talkers, suggesting that dialect familiarity increases the magnitude of convergence in speech production. However, no differences were observed between listener groups, indicating that greater experience with a dialect may not affect the perception of phonetic convergence.
An Investigation into the Impact of Pre-Adolescent Training on Canine Behavior

An online survey about puppy training was sent to members of the Center for Canine Behavior Studies and posted on our social media platforms. Six hundred forty-one (641) qualifying owners provided information on 1023 dogs. About half (48%) of the dogs involved in the study attended puppy training and the balance (52%) did not. The goal of the study was to find out whether puppy training at various ages (1-3 months, 4 months, 5-6 months) helped prevent behavior problems later in life (≥1 year). Attending training at 6 months of age or younger resulted in 0.71 the odds of developing aggressive behavior (95% CI: 0.53-0.97; p = 0.030), 0.64 the odds of having a compulsive behavior (95% CI: 0.45-0.92; p = 0.015), 0.60 the odds of exhibiting destructive behavior (95% CI: 0.37-0.96; p = 0.035), 0.68 the odds of excessive barking (95% CI: 0.47-0.99; p = 0.043), and 1.56 the odds of house soiling (95% CI: 1.08-2.27; p = 0.019). Ancillary findings about the entire study population were that dogs acquired at 12 weeks of age or younger were found to have 0.65 the odds of fear/anxiety (95% CI: 0.46-0.92; p = 0.016) and 0.50 the odds of exhibiting destructive behavior (95% CI: 0.31-0.79; p = 0.003). In addition, male dogs were found to have 0.68 the odds of developing aggressive behavior (95% CI: 0.53-0.88; p = 0.003), 0.66 the odds of developing compulsive behavior (95% CI: 0.49-0.88; p = 0.006), 0.37 the odds of mounting/humping (95% CI: 0.26-0.52; p < 0.001), and 1.53 the odds of rolling in repulsive materials (95% CI: 1.18-1.97; p = 0.001). Neutered dogs of either sex were found to have 3.10 the odds of fear/anxiety (95% CI: 2.05-4.72; p < 0.001), 1.97 the odds of escaping/running away (95% CI: 1.12-3.69; p = 0.025), 2.01 the odds of exhibiting coprophagia (95% CI 1.30-3.19; p = 0.002), and 1.72 the odds of rolling in repulsive materials (95% CI: 1.12-2.66; p = 0.014). The odds of problematic jumping deceased by 0.84 for each 1-year increase in age (95% CI: 0.80-0.88; p < 0.001).
Transferring Key Success Factors from Ambulatory Care into the Community Pharmacy in the United States.

In the United States, pharmacists’ scope of practice continues to expand, with increasing opportunities for pharmacists in all practice settings to enhance health in society. In ambulatory care, pharmacists remain integral members on the healthcare team and have demonstrated positive impacts on patient care. Sharing similar characteristics as pharmacists in the community setting, a deeper look into common elements of a successful ambulatory care practice that can be applied in the community pharmacy setting is warranted. Key success factors identified from ambulatory care include (1) maximizing a pharmacist’s unique knowledge base and skill set, (2) forming collaborations with physicians and other providers, (3) demonstrating outcomes and value, and (4) maintaining sustainability. Opportunities exist for pharmacists in the community setting to utilize these success factors when developing, implementing, and/or expanding direct patient care services that improve accessibility to quality care and population health.
Initial demonstration of automated fuel performance modeling with 1977 EBR-II metallic fuel pins using BISON code with FIPD and IMIS databases

Abstract Using the BISON fuel performance code, simulations were conducted using an automated process to read initial and operating conditions from the Fuels Irradiation and Physics Database (FIPD) and Integral Fast Reactor materials information system (IMIS) database, which contains metallic fuel data from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II). This work demonstrates use of an integrated framework to access the vast majority of EBR-II experimental fuel pin data to support rapid development of fuel performance models for next-generation metallic fuel systems. With this capability, validation for fuel qualification can be performed rapidly. Between IMIS and FIPD, there is enough information to conduct 1977 unique EBR-II metallic fuel pin histories from 24 different experiments, at varying levels of detail between the two databases. Each of these histories includes a high-resolution power history, flux history, coolant channel flow rates, and coolant channel temperatures. Fission gas release (FGR), cumulative damage fraction (CDF), fuel axial swelling, cladding profilometry, and burnup were all simulated in BISON. The results were compared to post-irradiation examination (PIE) results for the initial demonstration of automated BISON modeling. BISON simulations conducted with IMIS and FIPD were in rough agreement with PIE measurements and calculations. Cladding profilometry, FGR, and fuel axial swelling were found to be in rough agreement with PIE measurements, depending on the physics used within the BISON input files. The mechanical contact solver chosen was found to significantly impact axial fuel swelling and cladding strain predictions. CDF values were assessed to see whether pin failure may have been predicted (CDF ≥ 1). This work suggests that continued development of an automated tool for BISON should focus on inclusion of the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) experimental data for a larger database for metallic fuel, improved physical models to better capture fuel performance, such as fuel-cladding interactions, and a more detailed comparison with available PIE data to further the BISON model development.
Carbon and nitrogen pools and mobile fractions in surface soils across a mangrove saltmarsh ecotone.

Abstract In the subtropics, climate change is pushing woody mangrove forests into herbaceous saltmarshes, altering soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, with implications for coastal wetland productivity and C and N exports. We quantified total C and N pools, and mobile fractions including extractable mineral N, extractable organic C and N, and active (aerobically mineralizable) C and N, in surface soils (top 7.6 cm) of adjacent mangrove (primarily Avicennia germinans) and saltmarsh (Juncus roemerianus) vegetation zones in tidal wetlands of west-central Florida (USA). We tested whether surface-soil accumulations of C, N, and their potentially mobile fractions are greater in mangrove than in saltmarsh owing to greater accumulations in the mangrove zone of soil organic matter (SOM) and fine mineral particles (C- and N-retaining soil constituents). Extractable organic fractions were 39–45% more concentrated in mangrove than in saltmarsh surface soil, and they scaled steeply and positively with SOM and fine mineral particle (silt + clay) concentrations, which themselves were likewise greater in mangrove soil. Elevation may drive this linkage. Mangrove locations were generally at lower elevations, which tended to have greater fine particle content in the surface soil. Active C and extractable mineral N were marginally (p
NRP Versus PALS for Infants Outside the Delivery Room: Not If, but When?

BACKGROUND Both the Neonatal Resuscitation Program and Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines can be used for infants requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation outside the delivery room. Each set of guidelines has supporting algorithms for resuscitation; however, there are no current recommendations for transitioning older infants outside the delivery room. OBJECTIVE To provide background information on the algorithms in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program and Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines and to discuss the role that nurses and advanced practice nurses play in advancing scientific research on resuscitation. CONTENT COVERED Summaries of both sets of guidelines, differences in practices, and recommendations for practice changes will be discussed. DISCUSSION Provider preference and unit practice determine which guidelines are used for infants outside the delivery room. Providers in pediatric intensive care units and pediatric cardiac intensive care units often use the Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines, whereas providers in neonatal intensive care units use the Neonatal Resuscitation Program guidelines for infants of the same age. The variation in resuscitation practices for infants outside the delivery room can negatively affect resuscitation outcomes.
A Program to Improve the Triangulated Surface Mesh Quality Along Aircraft Component Intersections

A computer program has been developed for improving the quality of unstructured triangulated surface meshes in the vicinity of component intersections. The method relies solely on point removal and edge swapping for improving the triangulations. It can be applied to any lifting surface component such as a wing, canard or horizontal tail component intersected with a fuselage, or it can be applied to a pylon that is intersected with a wing, fuselage or nacelle. The lifting surfaces or pylon are assumed to be aligned in the axial direction with closed trailing edges. The method currently maintains salient edges only at leading and trailing edges of the wing or pylon component. This method should work well for any shape of fuselage that is free of salient edges at the intersection. The method has been successfully demonstrated on a total of 125 different test cases that include both blunt and sharp wing leading edges. The code is targeted for use in the automated environment of numerical optimization where geometric perturbations to individual components can be critical to the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle. Histograms of triangle aspect ratios are reported to assess the quality of the triangles attached to the intersection curves before and after application of the program. Large improvements to the quality of the triangulations were obtained for the 125 test cases; the quality was sufficient for use with an automated tetrahedral mesh generation program that is used as part of an aerodynamic shape optimization method.
Changes in the incidence and types of heart disease; a quarter-century follow-up in a southern clinic and hospital.

Abstract 1. 1. A statistical study has been made of organic heart disease in consecutive new clinic and hospital patients treated in a Southern medical center from September 1951, through February 1953. 2. 2. A series of 1,000 patients which were seen in this eighteen-month period is analyzed and compared with two previous reports from this institution. 3. 3. The incidence of organic heart disease is still greater in the Negro than in the white, but much less so than twenty-five years ago. 4. 4. The incidence of hypertensive heart disease is approximately the same as before, but that of arteriosclerotic heart disease has increased. There has been a tenfold increase in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease. 5. 5. Syphilitic heart disease has conspicuously decreased and is now infrequent. 6. 6. Rheumatic heart disease in Texas has shown little change in frequency, but there has been a slight decrease in bacterial endocarditis. 7. 7. Hypertension, as before, is more common in the Negro than in the white, while arteriosclerosis is less frequent. However, the peak age incidence of hypertension seemingly occurs a decade later in each race than in the previous studies. 8. 8. There has been a striking increase in the diagnosis of angina pectoris, which although more common in the white, has been frequently recorded in the Negro.
Protection Poker: Structuring Software Security Risk Assessment and Knowledge Transfer

Discovery of security vulnerabilities is on the rise. As a result, software development teams must place a higher priority on preventing the injection of vulnerabilities in software as it is developed. Because the focus on software security has increased only recently, software development teams often do not have expertise in techniques for identifying security risk, understanding the impact of a vulnerability, or knowing the best mitigation strategy. We propose the Protection Poker activity as a collaborative and informal form of misuse case development and threat modeling that plays off the diversity of knowledge and perspective of the participants. An excellent outcome of Protection Poker is that security knowledge passed around the team. Students in an advanced undergraduate software engineering course at North Carolina State University participated in a Protection Poker session conducted as a laboratory exercise. Students actively shared misuse cases, threat models, and their limited software security expertise as they discussed vulnerabilities in their course project. We observed students relating vulnerabilities to the business impacts of the system. Protection Poker lead to a more effective software security learning experience than in prior semesters. A pilot of the use of Protection Poker with an industrial partner began in October 2008. The first security discussion structured via Protection Poker caused two requirements to be revised for added security fortification; led to the immediate identification of one vulnerability in the system; initiated a meeting on the prioritization of security defects; and instigated a call for an education session on preventing cross site scripting vulnerabilities.
An AC-electromagnetic bearing for flywheel energy storage in space

A repulsive type AC-electromagnetic bearing was developed and tested. It was conceived on the basis of the so-called Magnetic River suspension for high-speed trains. The appearance of the bearing is similar to the traditional DC-type electromagnetic bearing but the operating principle is different. The magnets are fed with alternating current instead of direct current and the rotor is fitted with a conducting sleeve (e.g. aluminum) instead of a ferromagnetic sleeve. The repulsion is due to induction of eddy-currents in the conducting sleeve. The bearing is inherently stable and requires no feedback control. It provides support in five degrees of freedom such that a short rotor may be fully supported by a single bearing. These capabilities were demonstrated experimentally. On the down side, the load carrying capacity and the damping obtained so far were quite low compared to the DC-type bearing. Also, significant heating of the conducting sleeve was experienced. The AC-bearing is essentially a modified induction motor and there are strong indications that it can be run both as a motor and as a generator with no commutator requirements. It is therefore considered to be a good candidate for support of energy storage flywheels in space.
Diagnosing and managing acute heart failure in the emergency department

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome that results from the impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood and affects millions of people worldwide. Diagnosis may not be straightforward and at times may be difficult in an undifferentiated patient. However, rapid evaluation and diagnosis is important for the optimal management of acute heart failure. We review the many aspects of diagnosing and treating acute heart failure in the emergency department.
Effects of spontaneous gastric hypoacidity on the pharmacokinetics of zidovudine and didanosine.

Study Objective. To determine the effect of spontaneous gastric hypoacidity on the pharmacokinetics of zidovudine and didanosine in subjects infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Design. Controlled, open-label, single-dose, pharmacokinetic study. Subjects. Thirty-two asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects. Interventions. Gastric pH studies were conducted in all 32 subjects, and 20 of these subjects (8 women, 12 men) were enrolled into the pharmacokinetic study. They were stratified into two groups according to fasting gastric pH: those without and with gastric hypoacidity (minimum gastric pH < 3 and ≥ 3, respectively). Gastric pH was measured using the Heidelberg pH monitoring system in all subjects before and during pharmacokinetic analysis of zidovudine 100 mg or didanosine 200 mg (given as two 100-mg tablets dissolved in 6 oz water). Plasma samples were collected over 8 hours after dosing. Measurements and Main Results. Six (20%) of 30 subjects had a minimum gastric pH of 3 or above on at least two occasions, and the remaining 2 had variable gastric pH. Although gastric pH was unchanged during the administration of zidovudine, it increased to greater than 9 in 11 of 12 subjects with didanosine, regardless of baseline value. For both drugs, there were no statistically significant differences in peak plasma concentration (Cmax), time to reach peak plasma concentration (Tmax), elimination rate constant (ke), and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0–∞) between subjects with and without gastric hypoacidity despite sufficient statistical power to detect a 56% difference in clearance for either drug (α 0.05, β 0.1). Conclusion. Gastric hypoacidity occurs in approximately 20% of HIV-infected patients and does not appear to influence zidovudine or didanosine pharmacokinetics.
The use of B vitamin supplements and peripheral arterial disease risk in men are inversely related.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) causes morbidity and is associated with mortality. B vitamin intake has been inversely associated with coronary heart disease, but their effects on PAD are not known. We examined prospectively the relationships between dietary folate, vitamin B-6 and B-12 and PAD risk in 51529 male U.S. health professionals, aged 40 to 75 y, who answered a detailed 131-item questionnaire to assess diet and vitamin supplement use. The study population consisted of 46036 men free of PAD, cardiovascular disease and diabetes at baseline followed for 12 y during which we documented 308 incident PAD cases. For every 400 microg/d increment of folate intake, the multivariate adjusted PAD risk decreased by 21% [relative risk (RR) = 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.96]. Men in the top category of folate intake (median = 840 micro g) were at 33% lower risk of PAD than men in the bottom category (median = 244 microg) (RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.45-0.96, P-value, test for trend = 0.03) after multivariate adjustment. There were weak inverse associations between intake of vitamin B-6 and PAD risk (RR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.48-1.02, P-value, test for trend = 0.06) and B-12 (RR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.54-1.11, P-value, test for trend = 0.12). These results suggest that higher consumption of folate may contribute to the prevention of PAD.
Inflammasome responses to Legionella pneumophila in human macrophages (INM6P.414)

Inflammasome activation is important for defense against intracellular pathogens because it induces cell death and regulates the secretion of IL-1 family cytokines. The canonical inflammasome activates caspase-1 to mediate cell death and cytokine release. In murine cells, caspase-11 also contributes to inflammasome activation. For Legionella pneumophila and other Gram-negative bacteria, caspase-11 controls IL-1α release and cell death and contributes to IL-1β and IL-18 secretion. However, humans do not encode caspase-11. Instead, humans encode caspase-4 and caspase-5, two closely related homologs of caspase-11. Therefore, we aim to determine the inflammasome components in human cells that respond to intracellular pathogens, using L. pneumophila , the causative agent of the severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease in humans, as a model. We find that both immortalized human monocytes and primary human monocyte-derived macrophages activate the inflammasome in a manner dependent on the type IV secretion system, a virulence factor the bacterium uses to establish its intracellular niche. While IL-1β secretion requires caspase-1 catalytic activity, IL-1α release and cell death are independent of caspase-1 activity, implicating caspase-4 or -5 in the response to pathogenic L. pneumophila . Our findings demonstrate that human caspase-4 and/or -5 may function similarly to mouse caspase-11 to facilitate inflammasome activation in human macrophages.
Decrease in glucose oxidation in isolated brown fat cells from rats due to tropolone and dimethoxybenzene.

Abstract 1. 1. Glucose conversion to carbon dioxide in control and insulin treated brown fat cells is reduced in the presence of tropolone and dimethoxybenzene. 2. 2. The effects of ortho-, meta- and para-dimethoxybenzene are similar to each other; all are more potent than monomethoxybenzene. 3. 3. The reduction in glucose oxidation with tropolone plus trimethoxybenzene is greater than that due to colchicine or to either agent alone. 4. 4. Since the methoxybenzenes and tropolone resemble the “A” and “C” rings of colchicine, their ability to reduce glucose oxidation is discussed in relationship to both the structure of the colchicine molecule and its effects on glucose oxidation.
On the stoichiometry of Deinococcus radiodurans Dps-1 binding to duplex DNA.

DNA protection during starvation (Dps) proteins, dodecameric assemblies of four-helix bundle subunits, contribute to protection against reactive oxygen species. Deinococcus radiodurans, which is characterized by resistance to DNA damaging agents, encodes two Dps homologs, of which Dps-1 binds DNA with high affinity. DNA binding requires N-terminal extensions preceding the four-helix bundle core. Composed of six Dps-1 dimers, each capable of DNA binding by N-terminal extensions interacting in consecutive DNA major grooves, dodecameric Dps-1 would be predicted to feature six DNA binding sites. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, we show that dodecameric Dps-1 binds 22-bp DNA with a stoichiometry of 1:6, consistent with the existence of six DNA binding sites. The stoichiometry of Dps-1 binding to 26-bp DNA is 1:4, suggesting that two Dps-1 dodecamers can simultaneously occupy opposite faces of this DNA. Mutagenesis of an arginine (Arg132) on the surface of Dps-1 leads to a reduction in DNA binding. Altogether, our data suggest that duplex DNA lies along the dimer interface, interacting with Arg132 and the N-terminal α-helices, and they extend the hexagonal packing model for Dps–DNA assemblies by specifying the basis for occupancy of available DNA binding sites. Proteins 2011; © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bisphosphonates as adjuvant treatment for breast cancer.

Bisphosphonates are potent inhibitors of the osteoclastic bone resorption that is associated with skeletal metastases, with proved efficacy in reducing skeletal complications in metastatic cancer. Randomised clinical trials investigating the adjuvant use of bisphosphonates to prevent bone metastases in patients with breast cancer have yielded intriguing yet conflicting results. Defining the potential role of these agents in the treatment of breast cancer is of great clinical relevance. The skeleton is the first site of recurrence in 25-40% of patients with metastatic breast cancer. The development of bone metastases entails complex interactions between cancer cells and the microenvironment of bones. In the early establishment of metastases, bone is destroyed by the osteoclast, which is activated by a variety of cytokines produced directly or indirectly by the tumour cell. As bone matrix is broken down, a rich supply of mitogenic factors is released, which in turn can lead to increased proliferation of cancer cells. Bisphosphonates are effective in treating conditions in which excessive bone resorption and osteoclast activity prevail, including osteoporosis and Paget's disease of bone. Several randomised clinical trials in patients with breast cancer with bone metastases have shown the ability of bisphosphonates to reduce skeletal related events and symptoms, including pathological fractures, surgery, radiation, compression of the spinal cord, hypercalcaemia, and pain, although they …
Minor salivary gland inflammation in Devic’s disease and longitudinally extensive myelitis

Devic's disease is often considered as a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, evidence suggests that Devic's disease may be distinct from MS. Devic's disease can coexist with connective tissue diseases, particularly Sjogren's disease, but this association is rare with MS. Diagnosis of Sjogren's disease in patients with neurological symptoms is often difficult. During early stages of Sjogren's disease, patients may not fulfill all criteria for Sjogren's disease. A high percentage of patients with Sjogren's disease have inflammatory infiltrates in minor salivary glands, and this may be a reliable indicator of early or subclinical disease. We show high prevalence (80%) of salivary gland inflammation in Devic's disease and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). We diagnosed 16 patients with Devic's disease, and 2 of these satisfied criteria for Sjogren's disease as did 2 of 9 patients with LETM. Anti-SSA/B titers were infrequently elevated. Although most did not satisfy criteria for Sjogren's disease. 9 of 12 Devic's disease patients and 7 of 8 LETM patients had severe salivary gland inflammation. Thus: (1) patients with Devic's disease or with LETM who have positive labial biopsies but do not satisfy criteria for Sjogren's disease could have subclinical Sjogren's diseases. Alternatively, (2) as patients with Devic's disease have elevated titers of several autoantibodies, so there may exist a set of antibodies that react with antigens in minor salivary glands and cause inflammation. Minor salivary gland biopsy is more sensitive than anti-SSA/B serology in providing histological evidence for possible Sjogren's disease with CNS lesions.
Little vector, big gene transduction: Fragmented genome reassembly of adeno-associated virus

Research over the past 20 years has focused on the development of adeno-associated virus (AAV) DNA delivery vectors for the treatment of several hereditary human diseases. Among viral vectors for gene therapy approaches, AAV has several advantages: (i) the majority of transgenic DNA persists as episomes rather than relying on host chromosome integration, (ii) AAV is considered nonpathogenic, and (iii) natural AAV serotypes transduce most nondividing and dividing cell types.1 Furthermore, recent advancements in the understanding of functional capsid regions, as well as random capsid sequence selection techniques, demonstrate the ability to engineer AAV vectors for enhanced transduction of specific tissues as well as an enhanced ability to evade the immune system.2,3,4
A model-based approach to updating databases with incomplete information

Suppose one wishes to construct, use, and maintain a database of facts about the real world, even though the state of that world is only partially known. In the artificial intelligence domain, this problem arises when an agent has a base set of beliefs that reflect partial knowledge about the world, and then tries to incorporate new, possibly contradictory knowledge into this set of beliefs. In the database domain, one facet of this situation is the well-known null values problem. We choose to represent such a database as a logical theory, and view the models of the theory as representing possible states of the world that are consistent with all known information.How can new information be incorporated into the database? For example, given the new information that “b or c is true,” how can one get rid of all outdated information about b and c, add the new information, and yet in the process not disturb any other information in the database? In current-day database management systems, the difficult and tedious burden of determining exactly what to add and remove from the database is placed on the user. The goal of our research was to relieve users of that burden, by equipping the database management system with update algorithms that can automatically determine what to add and remove from the database.Under our approach, new information about the state of the world is input to the database management system as a well-formed formula that the state of the world is now known to satisfy. We have constructed database update algorithms to interpret this update formula and incorporate the new information represented by the formula into the database without further assistance from the user. In this paper we show how to embed the incomplete database and the incoming information in the language of mathematical logic, explain the semantics of our update operators, and discuss the algorithms that implement these operators.
Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in systemic mastocytosis with biclonal gammopathy.

ND, Not done. esting that all our banana positive sera had detectable IgE specific to latex, whereas none of our latex positive sera had detectable banana-specific IgE in the same assay. This suggests there is only partial crossreactivity between these two allergens. Limited crossreactivity is also suggested by the fact that even after 10-fold concentration, banana extract could only partially inhibit the binding of six of nine latex positive sera to latex in a RAST. The results of the inhibiting banana positive sera with latex might have been less impressive if sera had been available from individuals with clinical histories of anaphylaxis from banana contact. In light of the increasing concern about latexinduced anaphylaxis, the cross-reactivity between banana and latex allergens may be clinically important. Physicians evaluating patients should keep the possibility of banana and latex cross-reactivity in mind.
Formation, structure and bond dissociation thresholds of gas-phase vanadium oxide cluster ions

The formation and structure of gas-phase vanadium oxide cluster anions are examined using a guided ion beam mass spectrometer coupled with a laser vaporization source. The dominant peaks in the anion total mass distribution correspond to clusters having stoichiometries of the form (VO2)n(VO3)m(O2)q−. Collision-induced dissociation studies of the vanadium oxide species V2O4–6−, V3O6–9−, V4O8–10−, V5O11–13−, V6O13–15−, and V7O16–18− indicate that VO2, VO3, and V2O5 units are the main building blocks of these clusters. There are many similarities between the anion mass distribution and that of the cation distribution studied previously. The principal difference is a shift to higher oxygen content by one additional oxygen atom for the stoichiometric anions (VxOy−) as compared to the cations with the same number of vanadium atoms, which is attributed to the extra pair of electrons of the anionic species. The oxygen-rich clusters, VxOy(O2)−, are shown to more tightly adsorb molecular oxygen than those of the co...
A New Active Hydrodynamic Bearing for Controlling Flow-Induced Instability

Fluid-film bearings can suffer from flow-induced instabilities known as ‘whirl’ and ‘whip.’ This phenomenon can lead to large rotor vibration and eventually result in rotor-bearing failure. In this paper, we introduce a new active hydrodynamic bearing to mitigate such instabilities. The system contains a rotating bushing, actuated by a motor, that serves as the control input. This input is used to control the mean flow velocity in the bearing and thereby the journal vibration. A simple feedback control law is proposed for the bushing velocity, and numerical simulations are presented to evaluate the active bearing.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Dispensability of APRIL to the development of systemic lupus erythematosus in NZM 2328 mice

Objective To determine the role of APRIL in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice. Methods Wild-type (WT) NZM 2328, NZM. April–/–, NZM.Baff–/–, and NZM.Baff–/–.April–/– mice were evaluated for lymphocyte phenotype by flow cytometry, for serum total IgG and IgG autoantibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, for glomerular deposition of IgG and C3 by immunofluorescence, for renal changes by histopathology, and for clinical disease by laboratory assessment (severe proteinuria). Results In comparison to WT mice, NZM.April–/– mice harbored increased spleen B cells, T cells, and plasma cells (PCs), increased serum levels of IgG antichromatin antibodies, and decreased numbers of bone marrow (BM) PCs. Glomerular deposition of IgG and C3 was similar in NZM.April–/– mice and WT mice, renal changes on histopathology tended to be more severe in NZM.April–/– mice than in WT mice, and development of clinical disease was identical in NZM.April–/– mice and WT mice. BM (but not spleen) PCs and serum IgG antichromatin and anti–double-stranded DNA antibody levels were lower in NZM.Baff–/–.April–/– mice than in NZM.Baff–/– mice, whereas renal immunopathology in each cohort was equally mild. Conclusion APRIL is dispensable for the development of full-blown SLE in NZM mice. Moreover, the elimination of both APRIL and BAFF had no discernible effect on the development of renal immunopathology or clinical disease beyond that of elimination of BAFF alone. The reduction in BM PCs in hosts doubly deficient in APRIL and BAFF beyond that in hosts deficient only in BAFF raises concern that combined antagonism of APRIL and BAFF may lead to greater immunosuppression without a concomitant increase in therapeutic efficacy.
A VAV system model for simulation of energy management control functions: Off normal operation and duty cycling

Abstract A reduced order transient model of a two-zone variable air volume (VAV) system with variable chilled-water flow is developed. The system consists of two environmental zones, a cooling and dehumidifying coil, a chiller and storage tank, a fan, ductwork, a pump and piping system. The model is capable of simulating the fan speed, variable air flow rates and static pressure in the duct system, the pump speed, variable chilled water flow rates in the piping system, heat and mass transfer processes occurring in the coil; environmental zones; chiller plant; and the air distribution system. A total of 32 nonlinear time varying equations are used to describe the dynamics of the VAV system. The developed model is used to simulate various Energy Management Control (EMC) functions. Results showing the VAV system operation during start-up, night time reduced capacity fan operation and day time duty cycling are given.
From neurons to neuron neighborhoods: The rewiring of the cerebellar cortex in essential tremor

Remarkably little has been written on the biology of essential tremor (ET), despite its high prevalence. The olivary model, first proposed in the 1970s, is the traditional disease model for ET; however, the model is problematic for a number of reasons. Recently, intensive tissue-based studies have identified a series of structural changes in the brains of most ET cases, and nearly all of the observed changes are located in the cerebellar cortex. These studies suggest that Purkinje cells are central to the pathogenesis of ET and may thus provide a focus for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Arising from these studies, a new model of ET proposes that the population of Purkinje cells represents the site of the initial molecular/cellular events leading to ET. Furthermore, a number of secondary changes/remodeling observed in the molecular and granular layers (i.e., in the Purkinje cell “neighborhood”) are likely to be of additional mechanistic importance. On a physiological level, the presence of remodeling indicates the likely formation of aberrant synapses and the creation of new/abnormal cortical circuits in ET. Specific efforts need to be devoted to understanding the cascade of biochemical and cellular events occurring in the Purkinje cell layer in ET and its neuron neighborhood, as well as the physiological effects of secondary remodeling/rewiring that are likely to be occurring in this brain region in ET.