cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proinsulin-Transferrin Fusion Protein Exhibits a Prolonged and Selective Effect on the Control of Hepatic Glucose Production in an Experimental Model of Type 1 Diabetes.

An ideal basal insulin (INS) replacement therapy requires the distribution or action of exogenous INS to more closely mimic physiological INS in terms of its preferential hepatic action. In this paper, we introduce a novel strategy to exert liver-specific INS action by hepatic activation of INS’s precursor, proinsulin (ProINS). We demonstrated the conversion of human ProINS–transferrin (Tf) fusion protein, ProINS–Tf, into an active and immuno-reactive form of INS–Tf in the liver via the slow Tf receptor mediated recycling pathway. ProINS–Tf displayed prolonged basal blood glucose lowering effects for up to 40 h in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mice following a single subcutaneous injection. The effect of ProINS–Tf on blood glucose levels was observed predominantly under fasting conditions, with little effect under free-feeding conditions. In addition, both the pyruvate tolerance assay in normal mice and the Akt-phosphorylation assay in H-4-II-E hepatoma cells indicated that the hepatic-activated ...
WE-H-BRA-08: A Monte Carlo Cell Nucleus Model for Assessing Cell Survival Probability Based On Particle Track Structure Analysis

Purpose: To correlate the damage produced by particles of different types and qualities to cell survival on the basis of nanodosimetric analysis and advanced DNA structures in the cell nucleus. Methods: A Monte Carlo code was developed to simulate subnuclear DNA chromatin fibers (CFs) of 30nm utilizing a mean-free-path approach common to radiation transport. The cell nucleus was modeled as a spherical region containing 6000 chromatin-dense domains (CDs) of 400nm diameter, with additional CFs modeled in a sparser interchromatin region. The Geant4-DNA code was utilized to produce a particle track database representing various particles at different energies and dose quantities. These tracks were used to stochastically position the DNA structures based on their mean free path to interaction with CFs. Excitation and ionization events intersecting CFs were analyzed using the DBSCAN clustering algorithm for assessment of the likelihood of producing DSBs. Simulated DSBs were then assessed based on their proximity to one another for a probability of inducing cell death. Results: Variations in energy deposition to chromatin fibers match expectations based on differences in particle track structure. The quality of damage to CFs based on different particle types indicate more severe damage by high-LET radiation than low-LET radiation of identical particles. In addition, the model indicates more severe damage by protons than of alpha particles of same LET, which is consistent with differences in their track structure. Cell survival curves have been produced showing the L-Q behavior of sparsely ionizing radiation. Conclusion: Initial results indicate the feasibility of producing cell survival curves based on the Monte Carlo cell nucleus method. Accurate correlation between simulated DNA damage to cell survival on the basis of nanodosimetric analysis can provide insight into the biological responses to various radiation types. Current efforts are directed at producing cell survival curves for high-LET radiation.
From Calibration-Free to Fundamental Parameters Analysis: A comparison of three recently proposed approaches

Abstract In this paper, we present a discussion on three different methods recently proposed for the analysis of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) spectra, namely the One-Point-Calibration, the Calibration-Free Inverse method, and the Csigma graphs approach. The common characteristics of these methods is the fact of being based on the main equations governing the emission of near-LTE plasmas, i.e. the same theoretical framework that is at the basis of the Calibration-Free LIBS analysis. However, with the purpose to guarantee a higher trueness in the analysis, these methods rely on the information obtained by the analysis of a single reference material, of known composition, for calculating the values of some experimental parameters that would be otherwise difficult to determine. In analogy with a similar approach used in the analysis of X-ray Fluorescence spectra, we place these techniques in the general framework of the so-called Fundamental Parameters Analysis. The three methods were tested and compared on LIBS spectra acquired on modern bronze samples. The advantages and drawbacks of the different approaches are discussed in detail.
Neutronics Assessment of Blanket Options for the HAPL Laser Inertial Fusion Energy Chamber

Three blanket design concepts were evaluated for the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) chamber. These include a self-cooled lithium blanket, a helium-cooled solid breeder blanket, and a dual-coolant lithium lead blanket. The nuclear features of the three candidate blankets were compared. The Li blanket seems to be the preferred option based on neutronics considerations. However, other considerations should be included for selection of the reference blanket
Navigating Professional White Water: Rethinking Continuing Professional Education at Work.

This chapter critiques the current state of CPE and offers and alternative conceptualization of how CPE might be designed and delivered.
Empowering cortical thickness measures in clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with spherical sparse coding

Cortical thickness estimation performed in vivo via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important technique for the diagnosis and understanding of the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Directly using raw cortical thickness measures as features with Support Vector Machine (SVM) for clinical group classification only yields modest results since brain areas are not equally atrophied during AD progression. Therefore, feature reduction is generally required to retain only the most relevant features for the final classification. In this paper, a spherical sparse coding and dictionary learning method is proposed and it achieves relatively high classification results on publicly available data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) 2 dataset (N = 201) which contains structural MRI data of four clinical groups: cognitive unimpaired (CU), early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), later MCI (LMCI) and AD. The proposed framework takes the estimated cortical thickness and the spherical parameterization computed by FreeSurfer as inputs and constructs weighted patches in the spherical parameter domain of the cortical surface. Then sparse coding is applied to the resulting surface patch features, followed by max-pooling to extract the final feature sets. Finally, SVM is employed for binary group classifications. The results show the superiority of the proposed method over other cortical morphometry systems and offer a different way to study the early identification and prevention of AD.
Allopurinol and the risk of incident peripheral arterial disease in the elderly: a US Medicare claims data study

Objective The aim was to examine whether allopurinol use is independently associated with a reduction in the risk of incident peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the US elderly. Methods We used the 5% random Medicare sample from 2006 to 2012 to examine the association of allopurinol use and duration of use with the risk or hazard of incident PAD in a retrospective cohort study using a new user design. Multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for demographics, co-morbidity, cardiac medications and cardiac conditions. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated. Results We identified 26 985 episodes of incident allopurinol use in 25 282 beneficiaries; 3167 allopurinol use episodes (12%) ended in incident PAD. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, allopurinol use was associated with an HR of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.95) for incident PAD, as was female gender, HR 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.90). In a separate multivariable-adjusted model, compared with no allopurinol use, longer durations of allopurinol use were associated with lower HR of PAD: 181 days to 2 years, 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79, 0.97); and >2 years, 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.89). Other factors significantly associated with a higher HR of PAD were age 75 to < 85 and ⩾85 years, higher Charlson index score and black race. Sensitivity analyses that adjusted for cardiac conditions and medications confirmed these findings, with minimal to no attenuation of HRs. Conclusion New allopurinol use was independently associated with a lower risk of PAD in the elderly. Longer allopurinol use durations seemed more protective. Mechanisms of the protective effect need to be investigated in future studies.
Incidence of Delayed Intracranial Hemorrhage in Older Patients After Blunt Head Trauma

Importance Current guidelines conflict on the management of older adults who have blunt head trauma taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications. This is partially due to the limited data comparing patients who are taking these medications with those who are not. Objective To investigate the incidence of delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in older adults with head trauma, including those taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective observational cohort study included patients 55 years and older who had blunt head trauma and were transported via emergency medical services between August 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016. The setting was a multicenter study conducted at 11 hospitals in northern California. Patients were excluded if they had traumatic intracranial hemorrhage on the initial cranial computed tomographic scan, did not have a cranial computed tomographic scan performed at the initial emergency department visit, refused consent for a follow-up telephone call, or did not have reliable means of follow-up. Main Outcome and Measure The primary outcome of this study was the incidence of delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage within 14 days of injury. Results Among 859 patients enrolled in the study, the median age was 75 years (interquartile range, 64-85 years), and 389 (45.3%) were male. A total of 343 patients (39.9%) were taking an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication. Three patients (0.3%; 95% CI, 0.1%-1.0%) had a delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Of the 3 patients, 1 of 75 patients (1.3%; 95% CI, 0.0%-7.2%) who were taking warfarin sodium alone and 2 of 516 patients (0.4%; 95% CI, 0.1%-1.4%) who were not taking any anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication had a delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Thirty-nine patients (4.5%; 95% CI, 3.2%-6.2%) were lost to follow-up. Conclusions and Relevance Overall, the incidence of delayed intracranial hemorrhage in older adults who have blunt head trauma is low, including patients taking an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication. These findings suggest that routine observation and serial cranial computed tomography may not be necessary in these patients.
Chapter 74 Agriculture Renaissance: Making “Agriculture for Development” Work in the 21st Century

Abstract Agriculture renaissance means the renewed understanding and recommitment to the fundamental role of agriculture in the development process. Operationally it implies different approaches at the country level based on the stage of development. For the least developed countries of the world, it could mean re-engaging agriculture's potential as a driver of overall economic development. While for the emerging economies, it could be small holder inclusion in agricultural commercialization and/or reducing rural-urban income gaps. Food sectors in developing countries are witnessing profound changes driven by: rapid income growth; urbanization; global inter-connectedness; technology access; and climate change. Country typologies, by stage of agricultural transformation, are used to discuss the implications of the changes and the public policy options for the way forward. JEL Codes: O13, Q1, Q10, Q18
INVERSE AND ILL-POSED PROBLEMS IN RESERVOIR SIMULATION

The coupled systems of nonlinear partial differential equations which are used to model the flow of fluids in porous media give rise to several different types of ill-posed and inverse problems. The mathematical models which describe the fluid flow processes contain function parameters which describe properties of the fluids or properties of the medium through which they flow. For multiphase or multicomponent problems, these function parameters can be strongly nonlinear functions, depending upon unknown variables like pressure and fluid saturations. The determination of these parameters is an inverse problem which is highly ill-conditioned and difficult to solve. The enormous size of the physical problem and the paucity of flow data for use in the inverse problem add significantly to the computational complexity. Even if the parameters were known exactly, the nature of the equations leads to other ill-posed problems. The coupled systems of nonlinear transport-dominated partial differential equations are notoriously difficult to solve numerically, due to their ill-posed nature. Finally, the enormous size of the problems leads to huge matrices upon discretization which have extremely large condition numbers and must be treated with great care. In this paper several aspects of ill-posed and inverse problems are surveyed and various promising solution techniques are presented.
Mutation Testing Systems

There is a growing concern among laymen and scientists that the widespread use of chemicals, some of which are mutagenic, may increase the genetic load of the human population (see Mailing and Wassom, 1977). Many different approaches are now being discussed in order to prevent the occurrence of such a human health hazard. One such approach is to monitor the human population for several years to determine whether there is an increase in the frequency of mutant genes of selected loci in the human genome (Neel, 1974). Another approach is to reduce the widespread use of mutagenic compounds. This approach proposes both testing of compounds before they are introduced into the environment and testing of compounds which are already in use by man. Most test systems measure only a few types of genetic alterations, but a sufficient array of systems have been developed to cover most known types of genetic alterations. The battery of test systems for examination of an agent’s mutagenic capabilities should incorporate tests for all types of genetic alterations that result in genetically diseased individuals in the human population. Decreases in the fitness of the human population which would result from an increase in induced genetic damage may involve (1) abnormal chromosome numbers, (2) chromosome rearrangements, (3) recessive lethal mutations, (4) recessive and dominant mutations that lead to genetic diseases, and (5) deleterious mutations in polygenic traits.
Automated determination of crude protein, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and magnesium in feeds by using stopped-flow analyzer

Methods are described for determination of crude protein, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and magnesium in feeds, using an automated microprocessor-based stopped-flow analyzer. Crude protein is determined by a reaction-rate procedure based on the ammonia-sodium phenate-hypochloride Berthelot reaction. Phosphorus determination is based on a phosphomolybdenum blue reaction-rate method. o-Cresolphthalein complexone, ferrozine, and calmagite are used as colorimetric reagents for calcium, iron, and magnesium, respectively. The methods are precise with relative standard deviations less than 1%, rapid with analysis rates of 110-266 samples per hour, sensitive, and require less than 1 mL sample and reagent volumes. Results for feed samples are comparable with those obtained by official AOAC methods.
ASD Device Closure

The first successful transcatheter closure of an ASD was performed by King and Mills in 1974. The device was composed of two opposing umbrellas and required a 23 Fr introducer. Since then different device designs have been studied. There are now two FDA-approved devices used for ASD closure: AMPLATZER Septal Occluder® and Helex®. Secundum atrial septal defects are usually closed to reduce right ventricular volume overload (RVVO) which is diagnosed by echo or MRI. In the presence of RVVO by noninvasive measures the ASD meets indication for closure, even when the measured Qp/Qs in the lab may suggest a less than 2:1 shunt. However, occasional patients get to the lab with a misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis, e.g., the TEE shows intact septum, multiple defects, or there are pulmonary venous anomalies, which may make ASD closure inappropriate.
Comparison of College Students’ Energy Expenditure, Physical Activity, and Enjoyment during Exergaming and Traditional Exercise

This study evaluated the effects of exergaming on college students’ energy expenditure (EE), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and enjoyment compared to traditional treadmill exercise, and sex differences. Sixty college students (30 female; X ¯ age = 23.6 ± 4.1 years) completed three 20-min exercise sessions on Xbox 360 Kinect Just Dance (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA), Xbox 360 Kinect Reflex Ridge (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA), and treadmill walking. Their EE and PA were assessed by ActiGraph accelerometers (ActiGraph Co.; Pensacola, FL, USA); RPE every four min; enjoyment via an established scale. Significant exercise-type by sex interaction effects were observed for RPE (p < 0.01): females reported significantly lower RPE during exergaming sessions but significantly higher RPE during treadmill walking. Results revealed significant main effects for all outcomes between exercise sessions (all p < 0.01): treadmill walking resulted in significantly higher metabolic equivalents (METs), MVPA, and EE (p < 0 .01), yet lower LPA (p < 0.01), compared to the two exergaming sessions. Participants’ RPE was significantly higher during treadmill walking than during exergaming sessions, with exergaming eliciting significantly higher enjoyment (all p < 0.01). College students find exergaming more enjoyable and report lower RPE compared to traditional treadmill exercise, though not yet matching the moderate physiological intensity level.
Ro-vibrational level dependence of the radiative lifetime of the Na2 41Σg+ shelf state

We report on calculations—using the LEVEL and BCONT programs by Le Roy, the latter of which is a version modified by B. McGeehan—of the dependence of the radiative lifetime of the Na2 sodium dimer 41Σg+ shelf-state on the initial vibrational and rotational level for corresponding quantum numbers of 0 ≤ v ≤ 75 and 0 ≤ J ≤ 90, respectively. We also present experimental lifetime values for 43 < v < 64, averaged over J = 19 and 21, obtained by a delayed pump-probe method using a previously described molecular beam and time-of-flight apparatus. Our calculated results are based on all possible dipole allowed transitions (to the 21Σu+, 1(B)1Πu, and 1(A)1Σu+ electronic states) terminating into bound as well as free final states. The shelf of the initial electronic state is a consequence of configuration interaction with the lowest Na+–Na− ion-pair potential and occurs, for the rotationless molecule, at the vibrational level v = 52. From the 41Σg+ vibrational ground state to the shelf, the calculated lifetimes increase monotonically by a factor of about 3.8. Beyond around v = 52, depending on rotational excitation, the lifetimes decrease, settling to a value intermediate to the maximum and the minimum at v = 0. Within error bars and in the range available, our experimental data are compatible with these findings. In addition, our calculations reveal unusual and pronounced oscillatory variation of the lifetime with rotational quantum numbers for fixed vibrational levels above—but not below—the shelf. We discuss our findings in terms of the appropriate transition dipole moments and wavefunctions and provide a detailed comparison to recent lifetime calculations of sodium dimer ion-pair states [Sanli et al., J. Chem. Phys. 143, 104304 (2015)].
Resolving the Skills Paradox: A Content Analysis of a Jobs Database

Today, the demand for IS professionals is greater than the supply, and filling the IT pipeline with individuals with the right skills and knowledge is more important than ever. Gaining a better understanding of the technical skills and "soft skills" needed in IS jobs will enable industry professionals to focus their recruiting and development practices on these high-priority competencies. In addition academic professionals can better prepare graduates with the right skills and knowledge. The overall objective of this study of IS job descriptions was to determine the job skills in existing IS jobs. This is the first study which is based upon an analysis of actual job descriptions within a large IS operation. The study addressed three research questions, including the skills identified in the job descriptions, the skills weighted by the number of IS professionals in each job, and the skills relevant to job clusters consisting of comparable tasks. Our findings explain the paradox of survey studies showing a predominant need for interpersonal and communications skills while the job advertisements emphasize technical skills. Our analysis indicates that IS job skill and knowledge components include a cross-section of technical skills and "soft skills," and that both skill sets are important criteria in hiring, training, and career development.
Cognition-based and experience-based trust and risk in social commerce in Egypt

This paper examines the impact of cognition (rational factor) and experience on consumers' trust and risk in a social electronic commerce context in Egypt. It also examines the impact of these factors on consumers' intention to purchase online. Data was collected through an online survey distributed to a sample of 599 online shoppers in Egypt. Three electronic vendors supported the research by promoting the survey to their customers. The study argues that electronic vendors' perceived reputation and integrity play a significant role in shaping consumers' trust, while security protection and third-party seals help to reduce perceived risk. The study also has significant theoretical implications for the legacy theories of trust and social impact.
Operative outcomes using bevacizumab, docetaxel, and cisplatin as induction therapy in patients with operable lung cancer

7559 Background: Induction chemotherapy in patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is better tolerated than adjuvant chemotherapy. Bevacizumab improves survival in patients with a...
The Exploitation of Professional "Guinea Pigs" in the Gig Economy: The Difficult Road From Consent to Justice.

Willing to endure pain, discomfort, and, mainly, boredom, professional guinea pigs perceive themselves as independent contractors, placing their bodies at the service of an industry that both explo...
Seagrass Propeller Scar Detection using Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Seagrass habitats are becoming extremely vulnerable due to human intrusion to seagrass meadows, which results in unbalanced marine ecosystems and extinction of marine animals. Traditionally, manual scarring has been used to identify and quantify seagrass propeller scars. However, this method requires site visitation and it is cost ineffective. In this paper, we propose deep learning method to automatically detect propeller seagrass scars in multispectral satellite images. Our proposed algorithm is more computationally efficient than our previous sparse coding detection model and can accurately detect seagrass scars. Additionally, we explored two pan-sharpening methods for obtaining high-resolution multispectral satellite images for scar detection. We evaluated our methods on four multispectral images collected in Florida and experimental results show that the proposed deep learning model combined with the Gram-Smith (GS) pan-sharpening approach achieved the best sensitivities in seagrass scar detection and this combination is also the most computational efficient method, requiring only 7 minutes for a testing image with a size of 1000x800 in testing phase.
Muraling the invisible strings: Collective memory work from an educator inquiry group

In this qualitative study of a year-long educator inquiry workshop, nine early childhood educators engaged in the process of collective memory work to critically reflect on how their past experiences as young learners relates to their current teaching practices. Through an iterative analysis of the participants’ discussions and writings, this paper highlights how a group of educators shifted their way of thinking about teaching from a series of damage-based memories of restrictive learning environments towards a focus on desire-based stories of transformational and expansive learning experiences. For this group of teachers, this shift became an essential component to identifying how they could begin to work to create liberatory learning experiences and spaces for all students.
High‐Valent Metal–Oxo Species at the Nodes of Metal–Triazolate Frameworks: The Effects of Ligand Exchange and Two‐State Reactivity for C−H Bond Activation

Through quantum-chemical calculations, we investigate a family of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing triazolate linkers, M2 X2 (BBTA) (M=metal, X=bridging anion, H2 BBTA=1H,5H-benzo(1,2-d:4,5-d')bistriazole), for their ability to form terminal metal-oxo sites and subsequently activate the C-H bond of methane. By varying the metal and bridging anion in the framework, we show how to significantly tune the reactivity of this series of MOFs. The electronic structure of the metal-oxo active site is analyzed for each combination of metal and bridging ligand, and we find that spin density localized on the oxo ligand is not an inherent requirement for low C-H activation barriers. For the Mn- and Fe-containing frameworks, a transition from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic coupling between the metal binding site and terminal oxo ligand during the C-H activation process can greatly reduce the kinetic barrier, a unique case of two-state reactivity without a change in the net spin multiplicity.
Gewöhnlicher Stahl aus Pittsburgh

Viele wissenschaftliche Fortschritte gelangen, weil man eigentlich bessere Werkzeuge und Waffen herstellen wollte. Die Metallurgie macht da keine Ausnahme. Kupfer und Eisen wurden veredelt, um zu Waffen und Werkzeugen geschmiedet zu werden, und spater mit Zinn bzw. Kohlenstoff vermischt, um Bronze und Stahl herzustellen, denn diese Legierungen waren fur die Metallbearbeitung noch geeigneter.
Network Distances for Weighted Digraphs

The interpretation of the biological mechanisms through the systems biology approach involves the representation of the molecular components in an integrated system, namely a network, where the interactions among them are much more informative than the single components. The definition of the dissimilarity between complex biological networks is fundamental to understand differences between conditions, states, and treatments. It is, therefore, challenging to identify the most suitable distance measures for this kind of analysis. In this work, we aim at testing several measures to define the distance among sample- and condition-specific metabolic networks. The networks are represented as directed, weighted graphs, due to the nature of the metabolic reactions. We used four different case studies and exploited Support Vector Machine classification to define the performance of each measure.
Homozygous deletion of 21q22.2 in a patient with hypotonia, developmental delay, cortical visual impairment, and retinopathy

21q22 contains several dosage sensitive genes that are important in neurocognitive development. Determining impacts of gene dosage alterations in this region can be useful in establishing contributions of these genes to human development and disease. We describe a 15-month-old girl with a 1,140 kb homozygous deletion in the Down Syndrome Critical Region at 21q22.2 including 4 genes; B3GALT5, IGSF5, PCP4, DSCAM, and a microRNA (MIR4760). Clinical singleton genome sequencing did not report any candidate gene variants for the patient's phenotype. She presented with hypotonia, global developmental delay, cortical visual impairment, and mild facial dysmorphism. Ophthalmological exam was suggestive of retinopathy. We propose that the absence of DSCAM and PCP4 may contribute to the patient's neurological and retinal phenotype, while the role of absent B3GALT5 and IGSF5 in her presentation remain unclear at this time.
A Comparison of Calculated Geometries of Nineteen Molecules Using Several Hybrid Density Functional Methods and Several Basis Sets

Accurately determined bond lengths and bond angles (K.L. Bak, J. Gauss, P. Jorgensen, J. Olsen, T. Helgaker and J.F. Stanton, J. Chem. Phys., 114, 6548(2001)) for 19 molecules were used to evaluate the performance of several hybrid density functionals methods with four basis sets. It was found that some of the newer approaches developed by Adamo and Barone which employ the adiabatic connection model in order to determine the ratio between the Hartree-Fock and the approximate density functional exchange energies from purely theoretical considerations were the most accurate. Comparing our best calculations using LG1LYP/ cc-pVTZ to the CCSD(T) calculation found in the above reference with the same basis set, all of our errors are about twice as large for bond lengths and about 25% larger for bond angles. However, this accuracy is achieved with calculations that formally scale as n rather than n where n is the number of basis functions.
Characterizing Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Immune Modulatory Potency Using Targeted Lipidomic Profiling of Sphingolipids

Cell therapies are expected to increase over the next decade due to increasing demand for clinical applications. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been explored to treat a number of diseases, with some successes in early clinical trials. Despite early successes, poor MSC characterization results in lessened therapeutic capacity once in vivo. Here, we characterized bone marrow (BM), adipose derived and umbilical cord tissue MSCs sphingolipids (SLs), a class of bioactive lipids, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We found ceramide levels differed based upon donors sex in BM MSCs. We detected fatty acyl chain variants in MSCs from all 3 sources. Principal component analysis showed IFNg; primed and untreated MSCs separated according to their SL signature. We detected higher ceramide levels in low IDO MSCs, indicating sphingomeylinase or ceramidase enzymatic activity may be involved in their immune potency. Lastly, linear discriminant analysis revealed that MSCs separated based on tissue source.
CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 virus primes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma for enhanced anti-PD-L1 therapy

Immunotherapeutic strategies that combine oncolytic virus (OV) and immune checkpoint inhibitors have the potential to overcome treatment resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the least immunogenic solid tumors. Oncolytic viral chimera, CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 genetically modified to express anti-human PD-L1 antibody and CF33-hNIS-Δ without the anti-PD-L1 gene, were used to investigate the immunogenic effects of OVs and virus-delivered anti-PD-L1 in PDAC in vitro. Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to evaluate the effects of CF33-hNIS-Δ and IFNγ on PD-L1 upregulation in AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 cells, and CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 production of anti-PD-L1 and surface PD-L1 blockade of AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 with or without cocultured activated T cells. The cytosolic and cell surface levels of PD-L1 in PDAC cell lines varied; only BxPC-3 showed high cell surface expression. Treatment of these cells with CF33-hNIS-Δ and IFNγ significantly upregulated PD-L1 expression and translocation of PD-L1 from the cytosol onto the cell surface. Following coculture of activated T cells and BxPC-3 with CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1, the cell surface PD-L1 blockade on BxPC-3 cells by virus-delivered anti-PD-L1 antibody increased granzyme B release and prevented virus-induced decrease of perforin release from activated CD8+ T cells. Our results suggest that CF33-IOVs can prime immune checkpoint inhibition of PDAC and enhance antitumor immune killing.
Effect of tube length on the buckling pressure of collapsible tubes.

Abstract Background The higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in men than in women has been attributed to the upper airway being longer in men. The Starling resistor is the paradigm biomechanical model of upper airway collapse in OSA where a collapsible tube (representing the pharynx) is located between two rigid tubes (representing the nasal cavity and trachea). While the Starling resistor has been extensively studied due to its relevance to many physiological phenomena, the effect of tube length on tube collapsibility has not been quantified yet. Methods Finite element analysis of a 3-dimensional collapsible tube subjected to a transmural pressure was performed in ANSYS Workbench. The numerical methods were validated with in vitro experiments in a silicone tube whose modulus of elasticity (361 ± 28 kPa) and dimensions (length = 100 mm, diameter = 22.2 mm, and wall thickness = 1.59 mm) were selected so that tube compliance was similar to pharyngeal compliance in humans during sleep. The buckling pressure (transmural pressure at which the tube collapses) was quantified in tubes of three different diameters (10 mm, 16 mm, and 22.2 mm) and ten length-to-diameter ratios ( L / D = 4 to 13), while keeping the wall-thickness-to-radius ratio constant at 0.143. Results The absolute value of the buckling pressure decreased from 4.7 to 3.3 cmH2O (461–324 Pa) when L / D increased from 4 to 13. The buckling pressure was nearly independent from tube length for L / D > 10 . Conclusions Our finding that longer tubes are more collapsible than shorter tubes is consistent with the higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea in males than females.
Timing-dependent differential effects of unexpected events on error processing reveal the interactive dynamics of surprise and error processing.

When unexpected events occur during goal-directed behavior, they automatically trigger an orienting-related cascade of psychological and neural processes through which they influence behavior and cognition. If the unexpected event was caused by an action error, additional error-specific, strategic-related processes have been proposed to follow the initial orienting period. Little is known about the neural interactions between action errors and unexpected perceptual events, two instantiations of unexpected events, in these two putative stages of post-error processing. Here, we aimed to address this by investigating the electrophysiological dynamics associated with action errors and unexpected perceptual events using scalp EEG with a focus on the frontal midline (FM) delta-to-theta oscillations (1-8 Hz) indicative of the performance-monitoring system. Specifically, we examined how the timing of unexpected sounds would influence behavior and neural oscillations after action errors, depending on the length of the intertrial interval (ITI). Our data showed that unexpected sounds aggravated post-error decreases in accuracy when they occurred (1) immediately after errors (i.e., post-error orienting period), regardless of ITI and (2) immediately after the post-error stimulus (i.e., post-error strategic period), at short ITIs. Meanwhile, action errors and unexpected sounds independently produced increased FM delta-to-theta power during the post-error orienting period, regardless of ITIs. However, when unexpected sounds occurred during the post-error strategic period, action errors produced lower FM delta-to-theta power than correct responses, at short ITIs. These differential effects of unexpected events on behavior and FM delta-to-theta dynamics support the notion of the two post-error periods during which different processes are implemented.
Extreme Optics: Inverse Design and Experimental Realizations of Ultra-Large-Area Complex Meta-Optics

We present a design framework for metasurface that uses a hybrid approximate solver for Maxwell’s equations, which separates the computation for the metasurface’s nanoscale and macro-scale, and thus makes large-diameter inverse design tractable on a laptop. We further demonstrate experimental realizations of ultra-large-area metasurfaces designed using this framework: (1) a lens with extended depth of field with a millimeter diameter, and (2) polychromatic lenses with diameters of up to 1 cm.
A formalized object oriented user driven approach using business forms

Although object-orientation exhibits many promises, there exists many fundamental areas that need to be addressed. Two of these areas are the widespread acceptance of the object mindset, and interactive user involvement in the object oriented business system development process. First, the mindset must grow and be extended not only by the engineering industry but also by the ever expanding service industry. Second, effective, efficient, flexible user driven tools must be developed, in the form of development approaches to reduce the reliance on scarce human resources. In order to accomplish both areas, the technology user is the key element. This research in progress concentrates on the development of a formalized business form user-driven approach using an object oriented analysis view. The resulting analysis produces an initial conceptual object model that is used by the users and designers for further object analysis, object design, design evolution, and object oriented application domain identification. INTRODUCTION The human systems for business and technology are currently at polar opposites. The social-technical relationshijr that should exist between the two cultures is at arm's length. The use of emerging technologit^s in today's organizations is stretching that distance even further. To close the gap we must begin by developing cooperative development approaches between users and their business information systems. These development approaches must be actively driven as a cooperative venture between users and technology. This research is directed towards integrating a common user interface, the object oriented analysis (OOA) phase, an object oriented view, and the nontechnical user. It is in the OOA phase that successful user interaction, coupled with the user task environment and object oriented technology, must produce a better base for a business information system. Object orientation is an emerging technology. As object oriented development approaches continue to mature, les­ sons learned from conventional development approaches need to be remembered. Conventional development problems should not be propagated to object oriented or other emerging technol­ ogy approaches. However, far too often this is not the case.
Hydrogen in crystalline semiconductors : a review of experimental results

Abstract The range of phenomena associated with the introduction of hydrogen into single-crystal semiconductors is reviewed with emphasis on the following current topics: dissociation of hydrogen-dopant complexes, diatomic hydrogen complexes, and hydrogen-induced defects. Included is a tabulation of the parameters that have thus far been deduced from experimental studies on hydrogen-dopant complexes and hydrogen migration in crystalline silicon and gallium arsenide.
Kinematics and dynamics of vortex rings in a tube

Kinematic theory and flow visualization experiments were combined to examine the dynamic processes which control the evolution of vortex rings from very low to very high Reynolds numbers, and to assess the effects of the wall as a vortex ring travels up a tube. The kinematic relationships among the size, shape, speed, and strength of vortex rings in a tube were computed from the theory. Relatively simple flow visualization measurements were used to calculate the total circulation of a vortex rings at a given time. Using this method, the strength was computated and plotted as a function of time for experimentally produced vortex rings. Reynolds number relationships are established and quantitative differences among the three Reynolds number groups are discussed.
Direct Translation Model 2

This paper presents a maximum entropy machine translation system using a minimal set of translation blocks (phrase-pairs). While recent phrase-based statistical machine translation (SMT) systems achieve significant improvement over the original source-channel statistical translation models, they 1) use a large inventory of blocks which have significant overlap and 2) limit the use of training to just a few parameters (on the order of ten). In contrast, we show that our proposed minimalist system (DTM2) achieves equal or better performance by 1) recasting the translation problem in the traditional statistical modeling approach using blocks with no overlap and 2) relying on training most system parameters (on the order of millions or larger). The new model is a direct translation model (DTM) formulation which allows easy integration of additional/alternative views of both source and target sentences such as segmentation for a source language such as Arabic, part-of-speech of both source and target, etc. We show improvements over a state-of-the-art phrase-based decoder in Arabic-English translation.
The impact of a multichannel environment on television news viewing: A longitudinal study of news audience polarization in South Korea

The abundant choices offered by digital media have raised concerns that news consumption might become polarized into people to either seek out or avoid the news. Despite growing evidence to that effect, there is no research that precisely measures exposure to news over a period of years. This study assesses TV news consumption by analyzing respondent-level “peoplemeter” data from 2001 to 2007, a period of rapid growth in Korean cable television. We found that polarization in news viewing was already established at an early stage of cable penetration and has changed little over the seven-year period. Political implications for the division between news junkies and avoiders are discussed.
The Role of Echocardiography in Patients with Acute Peripheral Arterial Embolization

Forty-seven patients with acute arterial embolism requiring urgent embolectomy had postoperative echocardiography (36 2-D, 11 M-mode) in an attempt to identify a cardiac source of emboli. On the basis of history, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and chest roentgenogram, 37 patients were believed to have an apparent cardiac source. All histories and physical examinations in this group reaffirmed significant underlying cardiac disease. Nine of the 47 patients had no discernible source based on clinical data, and one had an arterioarterial embolus. In the presence of a clinically obvious source, although echocardiography (26 2-D, 11 M-mode) helped to clearly define evident cardiac disease in these patients, it failed to demonstrate a cardiac embolic source in those without clinical evidence of cardiac disease or to influence subsequent management. The continued use of echocardiography for the sole purpose of identifying a potential cardiac embolic source should be reconsidered.
Competitiveness via consensus

We introduce the following consensus estimate problem. Several processors hold private and possibly different lower bounds on a value. The processors do not communicate with each other, but can observe a shared source of random numbers. The goal is to come up with a consensus lower bound on the value that is as high as possible. We give a solution to the consensus estimate problem and show how it is useful in the context of mechanism design. The consensus problem is natural and may have other applications. Based on our consensus estimate technique, we introduce Consensus Revenue Estimate (CORE) auctions. This is a class of competitive revenue-maximizing auctions that is interesting for several reasons. One auction from this class achieves a better competitive ratio than any previously known auction. Another one uses only two random bits, whereas the previously known competitive auctions on n bidders use n random bits. Furthermore, a parameterized CORE auction performs better than the previous auctions in the context of mass-market goods, such as digital goods.
Basis set methods for describing the quantum mechanics of a ‘‘system’’ interacting with a harmonic bath

The case of a system (e.g., a one‐dimensional reaction coordinate) coupled to a ‘‘bath’’ of many harmonic oscillators is treated by quantum mechanical basis set methods. By choosing the basis set for the bath to incorporate the coupling explicitly, it is shown how the bath can then be eliminated to obtain an effective Hamiltonian matrix for only the system. Numerical calculations are carried out which show that, even in the zeroth version of the approach, the effect on the system (e.g., the tunneling splitting in a double‐well potential) of coupling to the bath is described well, even when the effect is extremely large.
Acceptance of altering the standard 21-day/7-day oral contraceptive regimen to delay menses and reduce hormone withdrawal symptoms

Abstract Objective: Measure acceptance and use of extending the number of active oral contraceptive (OC) pills beyond 21 days and/or shortening the hormone-free interval to reduce the frequency and severity of hormone withdrawal symptoms. Study Design: A retrospective review was performed of patients on OCs with unwanted hormone withdrawal symptoms who were counseled by one osbtetrician-gynecologist (P. J. S.) on altering their standard 21/7 regimen. All patients used a monophasic 30 to 35 μg pill and underwent an initial counseling visit between December 1993 and October 2000. Results: Of 318 patients counseled on "extending the number of active pills," 292 (92%) had documented follow-up after the initial counseling session. The primary reason for extending the number of active pills was to decrease symptoms of headache (35%), dysmenorrhea (21%), hypermenorrhea (19%), and premenstrual symptoms (13%). The remaining 12% of patients cited convenience, endometriosis, and other reasons such as menstrual-associated acne. Twenty-five (9%) of 292 chose not to extend, with a preference for monthly menses as the most common reason (40%) followed by a concern that symptoms were not severe enough to warrant extension (32%). Of 267 patients who initiated an extended regimen, 57 discontinued OCs, 38 returned to a standard regimen, and 172 were extending use at the time of last follow-up. Using survival analysis methods, at 5 years 46% ± 5% (mean ± SE) of patients continued an extended OC pattern. The regimen of OC use by patients continuing an extended pattern was 12 ± 12 (mean ± SD) weeks of active pills (median of 9 weeks and range to 104 weeks) with pill-free interval of 6 ± 2 days (median of 5 days and range of 0-7 days). Conclusion: The majority of patients with hormone withdrawal symptoms on OCs will initiate a regimen of extending active pills, often with a shortened hormone-free interval to reduce frequency and severity of associated symptoms. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:1142-9)