cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of radiomic features on baseline CT scan to predict clinical benefit for pemetrexed based chemotherapy in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

11582Background: Many patients receiving standard of care pemetrexed based platinum doublet followed by maintenance pemetrexed for lung adenocarcinoma do not receive clinical benefit. Currently there are no clinically validated biomarkers to identify patients who benefit from these treatments. We conducted a retrospective proof-of concept study to identify predictive computer extracted image features from pre-treatment computed tomographic (CT) scans. Methods: Pre-chemotherapy CT scans were obtained for 105 lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with pemetrexed based chemotherapy at the Cleveland Clinic from 2004-2010. Clinical benefit was defined as patients with an objective response or more than 12 cycles of pemetrexed therapy. We identified and annotated CT images in 2 groups- 46 with clinical benefit and 59 without clinical benefit. After adjusting for image quality and CT filters, 32 and 33 patients remained for final analysis in the 2 groups respectively. A total of 1108 radiomic features including b...
Foam separation of Rhodamine-G and Evans Blue using a simple separatory bottle system

Abstract A simple separatory glass bottle was used to improve separation effectiveness and cost efficiency while simultaneously creating a simpler system for separating biological compounds. Additionally, it was important to develop a scalable separation method so this would be applicable to both analytical and preparative separations. Compared to conventional foam separation methods, this method easily forms stable dry foam which ensures high purity of yielded fractions. A negatively charged surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was used as the ligand to carry a positively charged Rhodamine-G, leaving a negatively charged Evans Blue in the bottle. The performance of the separatory bottle was tested for separating Rhodamine-G from Evans Blue with sample sizes ranged from 1 to 12 mg in preparative separations and 1–20 μg in analytical separations under optimum conditions. These conditions including N 2 gas pressure, spinning speed of contents with a magnetic stirrer, concentration of the ligand, volume of the solvent, and concentration of the sample, were all modified and optimized. Based on the calculations at their peak absorbances, Rhodamine-G and Evans Blue were efficiently separated in times ranging from 1 h to 3 h, depending on sample volume. Optimal conditions were found to be 60 psi N 2 pressure and 2 mM SDS for the affinity ligand. This novel separation method will allow for rapid separation of biological compounds while simultaneously being scalable and cost effective.
Gabapentinoids for Chronic Low Back Pain: Limited Evidence, More Harm Than Benefit

The existing data on gabapentinoids for chronic low back pain are limited in number and quality. The amount of pain reduction is low to moderate, and the rate of adverse effects is high. The few studies that assessed function found no improvement.
The phantom dissolution leach model

Abstract A simplified method for analyzing leach data from monolithic solids is proposed that treats the combined leach mechanisms as a dissolution process. With this model, the leachant is assumed to remove the leached constituents as if they were dissolved from the surface of a phantom solid that decreases in size with time as leaching proceeds. The depth of penetration of the leachant to the phantom surface at any time is given by an equation of the following type: d=k 0 +k 1 t 0.5 +K 2 t, where d is the calculated depth of penetration at total elapsed time t and k 0 , k 1 , and k 2 are constants that correspond, respectively, to an initial surface layer washoff, a diffusion rate constant, and a corrosion rate constant. The penetration depth is obtained from cumulative leach fraction data according to the following equation: F=1− V V 0 =1− (a−2d)(b−2d)(c−2d) abc , where F is the cumulative fraction leached at time t , V is the volume of the phantom solid at time t ; V 0 is the initial geometric volume of the solid; and a , b , and c are characteristic dimensions of the original solid. The phantom leach model, using only the diffusion term, has been compared with excellent agreement to the rigorous results obtained for leaching a finite cylinder according to mass transport theory. It has also been used to determine leach rate constants for actual leach data for which the simple diffusion leach model did not apply. Further testing appears warranted to determine its general applicability for analyzing the results of leach experiments and for predicting the release rates from long-term leaching tests.
Means and standard deviations, or locations and scales? That is the question!

Abstract According to standard experimental practice, researchers randomly assign participants to experimental and control conditions, deeming the experiment “successful” if the means of the two conditions differ in the hypothesized direction. Even for complex experiments, with many conditions, success generally depends on a comparison or contrast of means across conditions. Because the experimental manipulation may change the shape of the distribution, we show that a difference in means, even if large and in the hypothesized direction, does not necessarily indicate the success of the experiment. To make this determination, it also is necessary to compute location statistics. It is possible for means to change but for locations not to change, for means not to change but for locations to change, and for mean differences and location differences to be in opposite directions. Therefore, typical research that depends on differences between means across conditions, cannot be trusted in the absence of location statistics. For similar reasons, nor can standard deviations be trusted without scale statistics. Therefore, we take the radical step of arguing that all researchers who report means and standard deviations, also should be required to report corresponding location and scale statistics.
Separating Myth from Reality: An Analysis of Socially Acceptable Credence Attributes

There has been increasing interest in food characteristics that are broadly classified here as socially acceptable credence attributes. This review considers several demand-side issues associated with the economic analysis of these attributes. First, despite ample research and media discussion suggesting strong preference for these food attributes, market shares remain low. Hypothetical bias and social desirability bias likely play a prominent role in explaining this disconnect. There has also been an increase in government and food industry regulation aimed at socially acceptable credence attributes, and this article considers why public votes and policy positions appear discordant with retail shopping behavior. One set of policy proposals involves more information disclosure related to such attributes; however, the welfare economics associated with information provision is not straightforward. While much has been learned about consumers’ stated willingness-to-pay for socially acceptable credence attribu...
The Evolving Role of Universities in Expanding Knowledge among Local Elected Officials

University public affairs programs have expanded their markets and impact on government by offering an array of nondegree educational programs to government officials. Local, elected legislators an...
Sustained acceleration in carotid atherosclerotic plaque progression with intraplaque hemorrhage: A long-term time course study

Objectives This study sought to determine the immediate and long-term effects of intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) on plaque progression in the carotid artery. Background Previous studies have associated IPH in the carotid artery with more rapid plaque progression. However, the time course and long-term effect remain unknown. Carotid magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive imaging technique that has been validated with histology for the accurate in vivo detection of IPH and measurement of plaque burden. Methods Asymptomatic subjects with 50% to 79% carotid stenosis underwent carotid magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and then serially every 18 months for a total of 54 months. Subjects with IPH present in at least 1 carotid artery at 54 months were selected. Subsequently, presence/absence of IPH and wall volume were determined independently in all time points for both sides. A piece-wise progression curve was fit by using a linear mixed model to compare progression rates described as annualized changes in wall volume between periods defined by their relationship to IPH development. Results From 14 subjects who exhibited IPH at 54 months, 12 arteries were found to have developed IPH during the study period. The progression rates were –20.5 ± 13.1, 20.5 ± 13.6, and 16.5 ± 10.8 mm3/year before, during, and after IPH development, respectively. The progression rate during IPH development tended to be higher than the period before (p = 0.080) but comparable to the period after (p = 0.845). The progression rate in the combined period during/after IPH development was 18.3 ± 6.5 mm3/year, which indicated significant progression (p = 0.008 compared with a slope of 0) and was higher than the period before IPH development (p = 0.018). No coincident ischemic events were noted for new IPH. Conclusions The development of IPH posed an immediate and long-term promoting effect on plaque progression. IPH seems to alter the biology and natural history of carotid atherosclerosis. Early identification of patients with IPH may prove invaluable in optimizing management to minimize future sequelae.
Nonstandard Analysis and Infinite Economies: The Cournot-Nash Solution

The thesis of this paper can be stated as follows: The use of the continuum, as embodied in the methods of countably additive measure theory, is inappropriate for economic models with an infinite number of agents or commodities. This claim is based on the fundamental premise that economies with an infinite number of commodities are meaningful only as the limit of a sequence of economies with a finite but growing number of commodities (a premise which has wide acceptance, in principle at least). If this premise is taken seriously, then it can be shown that measure theory is a cumbersome tool for such economies and that nonstandard analysis is better suited for such problems. An illustration of the sort of artificial difficulty that can arise with the continuum approach is illustrated by a simple example in section 2. The next two sections demonstrate the power of nonstandard analysis by providing a simple, yet more general, proof of a recent result of Dubey, Mas-Colell and Shubik, which they obtained through countably additive measure theory. Some remarks on the basic thesis of this paper form the conclusion.
Alteration of Bcl11b upon stimulation of both the MAP kinase- and Gsk3-dependent signaling pathways in double-negative thymocytes

B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11B (Bcl11b) is a transcription factor critical for thymocyte development. We have previously characterized the kinetic post-translational modifications (PTMs) of Bcl11b in...
Long-term changes in spatially structured benthic diatom assemblages in a major subtropical wetland under restoration

Biological communities often comprise core species that are locally abundant and regionally common. Benthic diatoms are crucial primary producers in wetlands and reflect ecosystem responses to long...
154 Impact of diagnosis age on quality of life among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background While systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affects minority women of child-bearing age, 1520% of all patients with SLE are diagnosed as children. Studies have shown that patients with SLE perceive their quality of life as poorer than the general public due to the impact of the disease on aspects of their physical, social, and psychological function. This study compares the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE), defined as diagnosed prior to age 18, to HRQOL in adult-onset SLE (aSLE). Methods Data was collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal SLE registry at MUSC, including demographics, clinical disease manifestations and patient-reported responses to the Short Form-36 (SF-36) v2 questionnaire. For this study, the initial SF-36 v2 questionnaire completed at time of registry enrollment after age 18 was utilized, excluding patients with less than 4 ACR Classification Criteria for SLE and patients missing SF-36 v2 data. Scores were analyzed across four physical health and four mental health domains. SF-36 v2 mean scores were compared between cSLE patients and aSLE patients. Results The mean normalized scores for all four SF-36 v2 physical health domains were higher for cSLE patients compared to aSLE patients as seen in table 1. There was statistical significance found in two domains of physical health: physical functioning (52.1±6.1 cSLE vs 38.8±12.4 aSLE, p=0.002) and role physical (50.1±7.1 cSLE vs 38.5±12.5 aSLE, p=0.007). The mean normalized scores for all four SF-36 v2 mental health domains were also higher for cSLE patients compared to aSLE patients, but no statistical significance was found. Conclusions Despite the association among patients with SLE between childhood-onset and a more severe disease course, our findings showed an overall higher health related quality of life within the cohort. These findings suggest that having been diagnosed at an earlier age and having lived most of their life with a systemic autoimmune disease may contribute to the higher quality of life reported by patients with cSLE. Funding Source(s): This work has been supported by funding from the Rheumatology Research Foundation 2016 Medical Student Research Preceptorship (CLK) and the National Institutes of Health: Medical University of SC Clinical and Translational Science Award UL1 RR029882 and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Award P60 AR062755 (GSG, JCO, DLK) and K24 AR068406 (DLK), and the VA Medical Service at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (GSG, and JCO).
Visual Arts Criteria, Objectives, and Standards: A Revisit

Boughton's NAEA Studies Lecture (San Francisco, 1996) raised issues and questions concerning criteria, objectives, and standards. My response is based on input from notable assessment practices in Europe and Australia. Understanding what is meant by criteria, objectives, and standards and what role they play in visual arts assessment are addressed. A model for rethinking the structure of assessment, with respect to these components, is offered.
Application of machine learning to structural connectome to predict symptom reduction in depressed adolescents with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Purpose: Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent, incapacitating and costly illness. Many depressed teens do not improve with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a first-li ...
Iniquitous Cord-Cutting: An Analysis of Infringing IPTV Services

Large scale, subscription based, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media piracy is occurring despite current copy-right enforcement efforts. Cybercriminals are abusing legitimate services to setup and maintain illegitimate business operations offering pirated media content on a subscription basis. Due to the underground aspect of these pirated IPTV operations, these services are not well understood and so current enforcement action against them appear to not be effective. In this paper, we empirically measure the network infrastructure, payment, and order intermediary services that are used by a subset of the infringing IPTV ecosystem. We demonstrate how the measurements we make in this paper give insight into the business behind subscription based pirated media. Lastly, we show how these measurements can lead to potentially more informed policy decisions and intervention measures against subscription based IPTV piracy.
Gender, Resistance and Conformity in Early Modern Scotland, 1560-1650

The article claims that men and women in mixed marriages often subverted patriarchal norms when attempting to escape ecclesiastical censure in early modern Scotland. Ministers held husbands responsible for ensuring the conformity of their households, and they insisted that Protestant husbands bring their wives into the fold. These husbands then argued that they had no right to compel their wives in matters of conscience. Some even insisted that they had no control over their wives whatsoever. They were willing to appear failing in their patriarchal duties in order to protect their wives from the kirk, which was loath to interfere much further in marital relationships. Married women risked excommunication for their defiance, but local authorities were unable to confiscate any of their assets, which were held in trust by their husbands. Catholic women thus used the patriarchal assumptions of religious authorities as a means of undermining religious conformity.
Comparing pain relief and functional improvement between methylprednisolone and dexamethasone lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections: a self-controlled study

Background Previous studies have shown varying results between lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs) performed with particulate versus non-particulate corticosteroids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in pain relief and functional improvement between particulate and non-particulate lumbosacral TFESIs in patients who had undergone both injections, sequentially. Methods This was a self-controlled, retrospective study of 20 patients who underwent both a methylprednisolone and a dexamethasone TFESI to the same vertebral level and side. Primary outcomes included pain relief according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional improvement determined by a yes/no answer to questions regarding mobility and the activities of daily living. Post-injection data was recorded at 2, 3, and 6 months. Results A decrease in VAS scores of -3.4 ± 3.0 (mean ± standard deviation), -3.1 ± 3.1, and -2.8 ± 3.4 was seen for the methylprednisolone group at 2, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Similar decreases of -3.9 ± 3.5, -3.4 ± 2.8, and -2.3 ± 3.4 were seen in the dexamethasone group. There was no significant difference in pain relief at any point between the two medications. The percentage of subjects who reported improved function at 2, 3, and 6 months was 65%, 51%, and 41%, respectively, for the methylprednisolone group and 75%, 53%, and 42% for the dexamethasone group. Conclusions These findings support the use of non-particulate corticosteroids for lumbosacral TFESIs in the context of documented safety concerns with particulate corticosteroids.
Heat stress risk among New York City public school kitchen workers: a quantitative exposure assessment

Despite the known human health risks associated with excessive heat exposure, particularly in occupational settings, data describing potential heat exposures in school kitchens is scarce, and no pu...
An Introduction to Effective Field Theories

These notes are an overview of effective field theory (EFT) methods. I discuss toy model EFTs, chiral perturbation theory, Fermi liquid theory, and non-relativistic QED, and use these examples to introduce a variety of EFT concepts, including: matching a tree and loop level; summation of large logarithms; naturalness problems; spurion fields; coset construction; Wess-Zumino-Witten terms; chiral and gauge anomalies; field rephasings; and method of regions. These lecture notes were prepared for the 2nd Joint ICTP-Trieste/ICTP-SAIFR school on Particle Physics, Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 22 - July 3, 2020.
Combined eDNA and Acoustic Analysis Reflects Diel Vertical Migration of Mixed Consortia in the Gulf of Mexico

Oceanic diel vertical migration (DVM) constitutes the daily movement of various mesopelagic organisms migrating vertically from depth to feed in shallower waters and return to deeper water during the day. Accurate classification of taxa that participate in DVM remains non-trivial, and there can be discrepancies between methods. DEEPEND consortium (www.deependconsortium.org) scientists have been characterizing the diversity and trophic structure of pelagic communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). Profiling has included scientific echosounders to provide accurate and quantitative estimates of organismal density and timing as well as quantitative net sampling of micronekton. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) can detect uncultured microbial taxa and the remnants that larger organisms leave behind in the environment. eDNA offers the potential to increase understanding of the DVM and the organisms that participate. Here we used real-time shipboard echosounder data to direct the sampling of eDNA in seawater at various time-points during the ascending and descending DVM. This approach allowed the observation of shifts in eDNA profiles concurrent with the movement of organisms in the DVM as measured by acoustic sensors. Seawater eDNA was sequenced using a high-throughput metabarcoding approach. Additionally, fine-scale acoustic data using an autonomous multifrequency echosounder was collected simultaneously with the eDNA samples and changes in organism density in the water column were compared with changes in eDNA profiles. Our results show distinct shifts in eukaryotic taxa such as copepods, cnidarians, and tunicates, over short timeframes during the DVM. These shifts in eDNA track changes in the depth of sound scattering layers of organisms and the density of organisms around the CTD during eDNA sampling. Dominant taxa in eDNA samples were mostly smaller organisms that may be below the size limit for acoustic detection, while taxa such as teleost fish were much less abundant in eDNA data compared to acoustic data. Overall, these data suggest that eDNA, may be a powerful new tool for understanding the dynamics and composition of the DVM, yet challenges remain to reconcile differences among sampling methodologies.
A Review of Nonlinear Transmission Line System Design

Nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs) have been increasingly studied to produce high power microwaves (HPM) at higher repetition rates than conventional HPM devices without requiring the same auxiliary systems. The ability to array NLTLs to produce higher power and achieve beam steering provides an additional capability. This review summarizes the various NLTL topologies designed to achieve these design objectives. Specifically, we summarize modeling and experimental studies for three primary topologies: the lumped element NLTL, the split ring resonator, and the traditional transmission line geometry using nonlinear materials. The lumped element NLTL and the traditional transmission line constructed with nonlinear materials lend themselves to higher power applications, while the split ring resonator is better suited for applications involving antennas. We provide a detailed summary of past studies for these topologies and conclude by exploring ongoing work and future opportunities for technological development.
Pancreaticopleural fistula: an uncommon cause of amylase-rich pleural effusion

Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) causing pleural effusion as a complication of chronic pancreatitis is a rare finding. We present this finding in a 52-year-old man with a medical history significant for alcohol abuse, acute on chronic pancreatitis and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who presented with worsening dyspnoea for 3 days. CT scan of the chest showed a new large right-sided pleural effusion. Thoracentesis was performed and pleural fluid analysis showed an amylase-rich, exudative pleural effusion. The effusion reaccumulated within 3 days necessitating repeat thoracentesis. Endoscopic retrograde chloangiopancreatography showed contrast leak through a single disruption in the dorsal pancreatic duct, suspicious for an underlying PPF. The patient underwent stenting of the pancreatic duct with subsequent resolution of right-sided pleural effusion.
VRGQ: Evaluating a Stream of Iterative Graph Queries via Value Reuse

While much of the research on graph analytics over large power-law graphs has focused on developing algorithms for evaluating a single global graph query, in practice we may be faced with a stream of queries. We observe that, due to their global nature, vertex specific graph queries present an opportunity for sharing work across queries. To take advantage of this opportunity, we have developed the VRGQ framework that accelerates the evaluation of a stream of queries via coarsegrained value reuse. In particular, the results of queries for a small set of source vertices are reused to speedup all future queries. We present a two step algorithm that in its first step initializes the query result based upon value reuse and then in the second step iteratively evaluates the query to convergence. The reused results for a small number of queries are held in a reuse table. Our experiments with best reuse configurations on four power law graphs and thousands of graph queries of five kinds yielded average speedups of 143×, 13.2×, 6.89×, 1.43×, and 1.18×.
The Russian banking sector: new development trends

The article examines the key trends in the banking system of the Russian Federation in 2017-2019. The efficiency of the use of domestic financial resources and the intensity of accumulation processes largely determine the level of socio-economic development of the state, which confirms the key role of banks and the banking sector in the development of the national economy. Although the Russian banking sector is experiencing rapid growth, it still does not reach a sufficient level of development of the competitive environment and market discipline, which negatively affects the quality of banking services. The aim of the study is a comprehensive analysis of current trends in the development of the banking sector of the Russian Federation over the past three years. During the study, comparison methods and economic and statistical methods were used. The tasks of the work are to identify existing problems in the Russian banking sector and its prospects. The result of this work was a study of key indicators of the banking system of the Russian Federation in 2017-2019. This study analyzed the dynamics of the number of credit institutions, financial results of the banking sector, as well as the volume of credits and deposits of legal entities and individuals. The main conclusion of the work was that despite the active development of the Russian banking system in recent years, there are still problems that need to be solved. Global processes and challenges, such as the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and related restrictions, have a negative impact on the financial sector both in Russia and globally. This also includes foreign sanctions. In these circumstances, the subsequent development of the domestic banking sector will largely depend on the development of the situation with coronavirus and Russia’s diplomatic relations.
Adverse Effects of Right Ventricular Pacing on Cardiac Function: Prevalence, Prevention and Treatment with Physiologic Pacing

Abstract Right ventricular (RV) pacing is the main treatment modality for patients with advanced atrioventricular (AV) block. Chronic RV pacing can cause cardiac systolic dysfunction and heart failure (HF). In this review, we discuss studies that have shown deleterious effects of chronic RV pacing on systolic cardiac function causing pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PiCM), heart failure (HF), HF hospitalization, atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardiac mortality. RV apical pacing is the most widely used and studied. Adverse effects of RV pacing appear to be directly related to pacing burden and are worse in patients with pre-existing left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Chronic RV pacing is also associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Mechanisms, risk factors, clinical and echocardiographic features, and strategies to minimize RV pacing-induced cardiac dysfunction are discussed in light of the latest data. Studies on biventricular (Bi-V) pacing upgrade in patients who develop RV PiCM, use of alternate RV pacing sites, de novo Bi-V pacing, and physiologic pacing using HIS bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle area (LBBA) pacing in patients with an anticipated high RV pacing burden are discussed.
Tomographic Equivalence and Switching Operations

A binary picture on an arbitrary grid is a mapping f from the set of all grid points to {0,1} such that f (x) = 1 for only finitely many grid points x. If two binary pictures f 1 and f 2 on the same grid have the property that for every grid line P the sets {p ∈ l| f 1(p)= 1} and{ p ∈ l|f 2(p)= 1} contain exactly the same number of grid points, then we say that f 1 and f 2 are tomographically equivalent. Given a binary picture f on the usual 2-dimensional square grid, there may exist an upright rectangle R (of any size) whose sides are grid lines, such that f = 1 at two diagonally opposite corner points of R and f= 0 at the other two corner points. If so, then we call the process of changing the value of the picture f from 1 to 0 and 0 to 1 at the four corner points of R (without changing the value of f at any other grid point) a rectangular 4-switch. Ryser showed in the 1950s that two binary pictures on the square grid are tomographically equivalent if and only if one picture can be transformed to the other by a finite sequence of rectangular 4-switches. We present a few different versions of this theorem, describe an application, and also give a proof of the result. We then show that the result has no analog on grids that have grid lines in three or more directions (such as the 3-dimensional cubic grid),because on such grids one can find for every integer L two tomographically equivalent binary pictures that differ at more than L grid points and are not tomographically equivalent to any other binary picture.
Axisymmetric Nonconical Supersonic Potential Flow with Embedded Subsonic Regions

Presentation d'une nouvelle methode, efficace et precise, pour le calcul des ecoulements avec chocs avant attaches, aux faibles nombres de Mach supersoniques de courant libre donnant des regions d'ecoulement subsonique noyees
The effects of strain and stress state in hot forming of mg AZ31 sheet

Wrought magnesium alloys, such as AZ31 sheet, are of considerable interest for light-weighting of vehicle structural components. The poor room-temperature ductility of AZ31 sheet has been a hindrance to forming the complex part shapes necessary for practical applications. However, the outstanding formability of AZ31 sheet at elevated temperature provides an opportunity to overcome that problem. Complex demonstration components have already been produced at 450°C using gas-pressure forming. Accurate simulations of such hot, gas-pressure forming will be required for the design and optimization exercises necessary if this technology is to be implemented commercially. We report on experiments and simulations used to construct the accurate material constitutive models necessary for finite-element-method simulations. In particular, the effects of strain and stress state on plastic deformation of AZ31 sheet at 450°C are considered in material constitutive model development. Material models are validated against data from simple forming experiments.
Performance evaluation of network airflow models for natural ventilation

The potential for natural ventilation in building design to reduce associated building cooling and fan energy consumption makes it an area of great interest. However, its increased use is dependent on the availability of accurate modeling tools to predict its impact on a given building design. Network airflow models have been developed to predict airflows within buildings and between indoor and outdoor, which usually require user-supplied thermal conditions in a space. Because of the dependency between airflow and space temperature in naturally ventilated buildings, network airflow models need to be incorporated into whole building energy simulation models. This study reviews existing network models that may be used for natural ventilation design and investigates the capability and accuracy of four prevalent network airflow models to simulate a wide range of natural ventilation scenarios, with varying combinations of geometry and natural ventilation driving forces. Comparison of predictions with measureme...
Distributed optimization and control using only a germ of intelligence

Foraging can be modeled as an optimization process where an animal seeks to maximize energy obtained per unit time spent foraging. Search strategies form the basic foundation for foraging decisions. Here, the chemotactic behavior of E. coli, i.e., how it forages is explained and a computer program that emulates its foraging optimization process is presented and applied to solve a function minimization problem. Then, it is explained how biomimicry of bacterial foraging can be used to provide adaptive control strategies, and methods for distributed coordination and control of autonomous vehicles. Next, we endow our forager with higher cognitive functions (e.g., learning and planning) and discuss how this impacts coordination, control, and swarming behavior for autonomous vehicles. Foundations in optimization theory are discussed. Finally, we explain how to perform stability analysis of swarms thereby providing mathematical foundations for the study of social foraging.
'Yes. We won't have bananas.' What realistic threats do diseases pose to banana production?

R. C. Ploetz from the Tropical Research & Education Center at the University of Florida in the USA comments on a recent New Scientist article (Pearce, 2003).
Expression and regulation of a low density lipoprotein receptor exon 12 splice variant

As low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) contributes to cholesterol and amyloid beta homeostasis, insights into LDLR regulation may facilitate our understanding of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. Previously, we identified LDLR isoforms that lacked exon 12 or exons 11-12 and that are predicted to encode soluble, dominant negative, LDLR. Moreover, these isoforms were associated with rs688, an exon 12 polymorphism that was associated with LDL-cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease risk. In this study, we present evidence that although the truncated LDLR isoforms are translated in vitro, they represent < 0.1% of CSF proteins. As these LDLR isoforms likely represent a loss of mRNA-encoding functional LDLR, we then focused upon identifying intron-exon boundary and exonic splicing enhancer elements critical to splicing. Exon 12 inclusion is enhanced by altering the 5' splice site in intron 12 towards a consensus splice donor sequence, consistent with its being a weak 5' splice site. Additionally, of the nine evolutionarily conserved putative splicing enhancer regions within exon 12, two regions that flank rs688 were critical to exon 12 inclusion. Overall, these results suggest that LDLR splice variants represent a loss of mRNA encoding functional LDLR and provide insights into the regulatory elements critical for LDLR exon 12 splicing.
Use of mobile apps: a patient-centered approach.

Objectives This study explored what smartphone health applications (apps) are used by patients, how they learn about health apps, and how information about health apps is shared.
Communication Systems for Distribution Automation and Load Management Results of EPRI/DOE Research

The Electric Power Research Institute and the U. S. Department of Energy have completed a jointly sponsored program to develop and test communication systems for distribution automation and load management. The program included three power- line-carrier projects, an ultra-high- frequency radio project, and a, telephone project. For each project, a two-way (half-duplex) digital communication system was developed to perform such functions as fault location and isolation, distribution feeder switching, load control, time-of-day metering, remote meter reading, and equipment monitoring. The results of this research indicate that communication systems in all three technologies (power line carrier, radio, and telephone) have advanced closer to satisfying utility requirements for, distribution automation and load control. Research will continue to determine whether these technoiogies will be cost-effective.
A Three-Phase Model For Fractured Reservoirs Presenting Fluid Segregation

A model has been developed to describe the behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs with black oil in which high transmissibility in the fractures and low oil production rates allow the gravitational segregation of the gas, oil and water phases. The presented formulation results in a system of three simultaneous integro-differential equations where the dependent variables are: the depths of the gas-oil and water-oil contacts, and the pressure at the datum. Observed and calculated variables, obtained applying the model, are in good agreement throughout the forty-five years long production history of an actual reservoir. 21 refs.
ScreeningSolanum germplasm for resistance to Colorado potato beetle

TuberousSolanum accessions were screened for resistance to Colorado potato beetle (CPB),Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), in terms of CPB-caused defoliation in field trials with natural infestations of CPB. Cluster and multivariate discriminant analyses were used to distinguish among species and accessions. Several highly CPB-resistant and relatively homogeneous accessions were identified.
Examination of the Mediational Influences of Peer Norms, Environmental Influences, and Parent Communications on Heavy Drinking in Athletes and Nonathletes

The present study used perspectives from the general literature on college alcohol consumption to examine mediational influences of peer, environmental, and parental variables on heavy drinking for student athlete and nonathlete samples. Eight hundred thirty-five freshmen who differed in organized sports involvement were compared on heavy drinking outcomes, peer norms, environmental influences, and parental communication. College athletes reported significantly more heavy drinking experiences than nonathletes. Peer norms, environmental influences, and parental communication were all significant mediators of the athlete–heavy drinking relationship. Athletes reported a higher perception of peer drinking, peer approval of drinking, higher alcohol availability, and direct drink offers, which, in turn, were related to higher rates of heavy drinking. Parental communication mediated the athlete–heavy drinking relationship differently, depending on the specific topic of conversation. Discussion surrounding the importance of incorporating a variety of interventions aimed at reducing collegiate athlete drinking on the basis of the peer, environmental, and parental influences observed in the present analyses are presented. Limitations and directions for future research are also noted.
Intelligent computer aided optimization on specific power of an OTEC Rankine power plant

Abstract Specific power, power per unit total heat exchanger surface area, of a heat engine is chosen to be the objective function in the design of an OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) Rankine power plant. An ICAI (Intelligent Computer Aided Instruction) computer software, CyclePad, with Refrigerant-12 as the working fluid operating between a warm ocean water heat source and a cold ocean water heat sink is used in the design process. Through manipulation of the boiler pressure and condenser pressure, the specific power of the OTEC plant is calculated and an upper bound is determined. This bound can direct the design of current and future OTEC heat engines to provide beneficial applications in industry.
Predator‐prey dynamics in an ecosystem context

Evaluating the role of fishes at the food web and ecosystem scales profits from an iterative process. At the community and population scales, prey selection by predators alters habitat selection behaviours of prey species as well as their abundance, size distributions, life histories and the consequent effects on their own prey. At the whole system scale, predation by fishes alters community structure and nutrient cycling. Thus, both direct and indirect predation effects are expressed in population structure, community composition and production processes at all trophic levels. These are the central tenets of the trophic cascade argument. Examples are abundant and diverse. We know that predators are size selective, that resource partitioning occurs, that functional responses link the density dependence of predator and prey populations, and that predator avoidance behaviours are common. A more significant challenge exists when attempting to use this knowledge. This presentation attempts to link theory and empiricism in forecasts of what will happen next in response to a management action or a planned experiment. Examples are drawn from whole system experiments conducted in small lakes and from large-scale manipulations of predator populations in North America's Laurentian Great Lakes. Rapid and discontinuous or non-linear responses are common. Extrapolating the lessons of mechanistic process studies proves insufficient because the context is dynamic. Inferences built from the whole ecosystem scale yield equally misleading results because the scale is too general, Resolving these problems will require a clever mix of selective applications of predator-prey theory and astute empiricism.
Quinary Adamantine Semiconductors

IT is commonly supposed by solid-state physicists that quaternary and quinary tetrahedral compounds (such as are listed in a recent article by Pamplin1) will prove exceedingly difficult to prepare. We have recently prepared alloys with compositions in the system Znx Cd1−x Sn As2. (ref. 2) and found complete chalcopyrite solid solution. Single-phase powders were obtained after an anneal for several weeks at 600° C. Such annealing treatment is fairly typical for alloys in which the anion (here arsenic) lattice is populated with a single type of atom. When the anion is varied as InAs–InSb or GaAs–GsSb much longer anneal times are required3.
T cell vaccinology: exploring the known unknowns.

The objective of modern vaccine development is the safe generation of protective long-term immune memory, both prophylactic and therapeutic. Live attenuated vaccines generate potent cellular and humoral immunity [1–3], but numerous problems exist with these vaccines, ranging from production and storage issues to adverse reactions and reversion to virulence. Subunit vaccines are safer, more stable, and more amenable to mass production. However the protection they produce is frequently inferior to live attenuated vaccines and is typically confined to humoral, and not cellular immunity. Unfortunately, there are presently no subunit vaccines available clinically that are effective at eliciting cellular responses let alone cellular memory [4]. This article will provide and overview of areas of investigation that we see as important for the development of vaccines with the capacity to induce robust and enduring cellular immune responses.
Association of human RAD52 protein with transcription factors.

Abstract The human RAD52 protein has been implicated in DNA homologous recombination. Four major functional domains have been identified: a DNA binding domain (amino acids 1–85), a self-association and UBC9-interacting domain (amino acids 85–159), an RPA-interacting domain (amino acids 221–280), and a RAD51-interacting domain (amino acids 287–330). However, it is uncertain about the functional roles of the C-terminal region of RAD52 protein. In this report, we demonstrate an association of a C-terminal domain of human RAD52 (amino acids 302–418) with the XPB and XPD subunits of transcription factor TFIIH and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Using a Gal-4 binding based transcription assay, we further show that this C-terminal domain activates transcription. However, the RAD52 self-association domain suppresses transcription, resulting in an overall activity of transcriptional suppression by the full-length RAD52 protein. These results suggest a novel activity of RAD52 in transcription regulation and may further imply a functional role of RAD52 in targeting DNA damage on transcription active loci to recombinational repair.
A novel multiply-by-three circuit

Recently, while considering the connection of a 48 bit word computer to a 16 bit computer, we felt the need for a fast and inexpensive device that would multiply a binary address by a factor of three. Since 3N = N + 2N, there is an obvious solution of providing a normal adder circuit and presenting one set of inputs with N and the other with N-shifted left one place. But, there is a great deal of redundancy here since knowing one input we have complete knowledge of the other.
Do Buyer Incentives Work for Houses during a Real Estate Downturn

The impact of incentives on marketing duration is examined for residential real estate using data from the Multiple Listing Service during a real estate downturn. The focus is on incentives offered directly by sellers to potential homebuyers. The evidence suggests that incentives are not capitalized into the selling price during the softened market conditions. Alternatively, incentives are found to have a significant reduction in marketing time, however this is found to be true only for closing costs and not for other incentive classifications. The benefit of reduced expected market time from offering incentives is quickly diminished when the seller initially overprices the listing by a large amount.
Growth in Microculture of Single Tobacco Cells Infected with Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Single tobacco callus cells with or without tobacco mosaic virus inclusion bodies from systemically infected Nicotiana tabacum plants were grown in microcultures. The culture medium consisted of mineral salts and sucrose; it also contained coconut milk. Out of 100 inclusion-bearing cells and 150 inclusion-free cells, 10 and 70 cultured cells divided; eventually 5 and 65 cells, respectively, formed single cell clones. The 5 clones derived from inclusion-bearing cells, and all but 3 of 40 clones from inclusion-free cells, showed virus inclusions in somne cells. The virus could not be detected in three inclusion-free clones by local lesion assay. The results suggest single-cell culture methods for differentiating virus-free plants from cells of pathogen-infected plants.
TGF-β1–induced phospholamban expression alters esophageal smooth muscle cell contraction in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic antigen-mediated disease characterized by esophageal eosinophilia, remodeling, and fibrosis. TGF-β1 is a central regulator of EoE remodeling and increases esophageal smooth muscle (ESM) cell contraction. Objective In this study we aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms by which TGF-β1 could induce ESM cell contraction. Methods We used primary human ESM cells and esophageal myofibroblasts (EMFs) to assess the mechanisms of TGF-β1–induced contraction. We analyzed the expression, phosphorylation, and function of phospholamban (PLN), a sarcoendoplasmic reticulum regulatory protein induced by TGF-β1. Expression of PLN, phospho-PLN, and its regulatory pathway was analyzed in the ESM of biopsy specimens from patients with EoE and control subjects. Gene silencing in EMFs from patients with EoE was used to understand the role of PLN in contraction. Results TGF-β1 induced and phosphorylated PLN in primary human ESM cells and EMFs from patients with EoE. PLN and phospho-PLN levels were increased in smooth muscle from patients with EoE compared with that seen in smooth muscle from control subjects in vivo . PLN inhibition significantly diminished TGF-β1–induced EMF contraction in patients with EoE. PLN expression and ESM/EMF contraction depended on TGF-β receptor I signals. Conclusion We describe a previously unrecognized mechanism for ESM cell contraction that depends on TGF-β1, its receptors, and PLN. Because PLN levels are increased in smooth muscle from patients with EoE and PLN silencing diminishes contraction, we provide a novel potential mechanistic framework and therapeutic target for ESM dysfunction in patients with EoE.