cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autologous blood instillation alters respiratory mechanics in horses

Summary To investigate physiological consequences of autologous blood instillation in the lungs of healthy horses, respiratory mechanics and bronchial response to histamine were studied in 8 Thoroughbreds before and after introducing autologous blood (n=5) and sterile saline solution (n=3) into their lungs. Blood instillation resulted in a decrease in dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and increased respiratory resistance (R). Bronchial sensitivity and reactivity were unchanged after blood introduction. There were no significant changes in pulmonary mechanics or bronchial response after saline instillation.
Animal models for the study of tendinopathy

Tendinopathy is a common and significant clinical problem characterised by activity-related pain, focal tendon tenderness and intratendinous imaging changes. Recent histopathological studies have indicated the underlying pathology to be one of tendinosis (degeneration) as opposed to tendinitis (inflammation). Relatively little is known about tendinosis and its pathogenesis. Contributing to this is an absence of validated animal models of the pathology. Animal models of tendinosis represent potential efficient and effective means of furthering our understanding of human tendinopathy and its underlying pathology. By selecting an appropriate species and introducing known risk factors for tendinopathy in humans, it is possible to develop tendon changes in animal models that are consistent with the human condition. This paper overviews the role of animal models in tendinopathy research by discussing the benefits and development of animal models of tendinosis, highlighting potential outcome measures that may be used in animal tendon research, and reviewing current animal models of tendinosis. It is hoped that with further development of animal models of tendinosis, new strategies for the prevention and treatment of tendinopathy in humans will be generated.
Lung and kidney cancer mortality associated with arsenic in drinking water in Córdoba, Argentina

Background Studies in Taiwan have found dose-response relations between arsenic ingestion from drinking water and cancers of the skin, bladder, lung, kidney and liver. To investigate these associations in another population, we conducted a study in Cordoba, Argentina, which has a well-documented history of arsenic exposure from drinking water. Methods Mortality from lung, kidney, liver and skin cancers during the period 1986‐1991 in Cordoba’s 26 counties was investigated, expanding the authors’ previous analysis of bladder cancer in the province. Counties were grouped a priori into low, medium and high arsenic exposure categories based on available data. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated using all of Argentina as the reference population. Results We found increasing trends for kidney and lung cancer mortality with arsenic exposure, with the following SMR, for men and women respectively: kidney cancer, 0.87, 1.33, 1.57 and 1.00, 1.36, 1.81; lung cancer, 0.92, 1.54, 1.77 and 1.24, 1.34, 2.16 (in all cases, P , 0.001 in trend test), similar to the previously reported bladder cancer results (0.80, 1.28, 2.14 for men, 1.22, 1.39, 1.81 for women). There was a small positive trend for liver cancer but mortality was increased in all three exposure groups. Skin cancer mortality was elevated for women only in the high exposure group, while men showed a puzzling increase in mortality in the low exposure group. Conclusions The results add to the evidence that arsenic ingestion increases the risk of lung and kidney cancers. In this study, the association between arsenic and mortality from liver and skin cancers was not clear.
Strong and Pareto Price of Anarchy in Congestion Games

Strong Nash equilibria and Pareto-optimal Nash equilibria are natural and important strengthenings of the Nash equilibrium concept. We study these stronger notions of equilibrium in congestion games, focusing on the relationships between the price of anarchy for these equilibria and that for standard Nash equilibria (which is well understood). For symmetric congestion games with polynomial or exponential latency functions, we show that the price of anarchy for strong and Pareto-optimal equilibria is much smaller than the standard price of anarchy. On the other hand, for asymmetric congestion games with polynomial latencies the strong and Pareto prices of anarchy are essentially as large as the standard price of anarchy; while for asymmetric games with exponential latencies the Pareto and standard prices of anarchy are the same but the strong price of anarchy is substantially smaller. Finally, in the special case of linear latencies, we show that in asymmetric games the strong and Pareto prices of anarchy coincide exactly with the known value $\frac{5}{2}$ for standard Nash, but are strictly smaller for symmetric games.
Upper and lower extremity motor function and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis

Motor impairments and cognitive dysfunction are common in multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to delineate the relationship between cognitive capacity and upper and lower motor function in 211 MS patients, and 120 healthy volunteers. Lower and upper motor function were assessed with the Timed 25 Foot Walk (T25FW) and the Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT) as implemented in the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC). Subjects also underwent neuropsychological evaluation. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted separately for the MS and healthy groups with the T25FW and NHPT serving as the outcome measures. Cognitive performance indices served as predictors. As expected, healthy subjects performed better than the MS group on all measures. Processing speed and executive function tests were significant predictors of lower and upper motor function in both groups. Correlations were more robust in the MS group, where cognitive tests predicted variability in motor function after controlling for disease duration and physical disability. In conclusion, we find evidence of higher order cognitive control of motor function that appears to be particularly salient in this large and representative MS sample. The findings may have implications for risk assessment and treatment of mobility dysfunction in MS.
Lithium-sulfur batteries based on nitrogen-doped carbon and an ionic-liquid electrolyte

Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NC) and sulfur were used to prepare an NC/S composite cathode, which was evaluated in an ionic-liquid electrolyte of 0.5 M lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in methylpropylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide ([MPPY][TFSI]) by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cycle testing. To facilitate the comparison, a C/S composite based on activated carbon (AC) without nitrogen doping was also fabricated under the same conditions. Compared with the AC/S composite, the NC/S composite showed enhanced activity toward sulfur reduction, as evidenced by the lower onset sulfur reduction potential, higher redox current density in the CV test, and faster charge-transfer kinetics, as indicated by EIS measurements. At room temperature under a current density of 84 mA g(-1) (C/20), the battery based on the NC/S composite exhibited a higher discharge potential and an initial capacity of 1420 mAh g(-1), whereas the battery based on the AC/S composite showed a lower discharge potential and an initial capacity of 1120 mAh g(-1). Both batteries showed similar capacity fading with cycling due to the intrinsic polysulfide solubility and the polysulfide shuttle mechanism; capacity fading can be improved by further cathode modification.
Novel Agents for the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western world. Currently, the most effective treatment for CLL consists of a combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab. Although this approach has encouraging results, patients with CLL eventually relapse and require additional therapies. Many of the current therapeutic regimens for CLL are myelotoxic, immunosuppressive, and associated with infectious complications. Targeted therapies can often minimize these complications. The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved 2 agents, bendamustine and ofatumumab, for the treatment of CLL. Emerging therapies ranging from new monoclonal antibodies to small molecules that interfere with vital pathways in signal transduction and cell cycle regulation are currently being developed. This article will focus on novel agents in earlier development phases for CLL, including the immunomodulator lenalidomide; monoclonal antibodies, such as lumiliximab, GA-101, and small molecule immunopharmaceuticals; BCL-2 inhibitors, such as oblimersen, obatoclax, and ABT-263; and protein kinase inhibitors, such as flavopiridol, spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors.
Influence of Kiln Atmospheres in Firing Structural Clay Products: I, Maturation and Technological Properties*

The effects of kiln atmosphere on a low-maturing shale and a moderately refractory fireclay fired in a pilot shuttle kiln using natural gas were studied. Bricks were fired in both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres, with emphasis on variable water vapor concentrations. The chemical and physical benefits of proper atmosphere selection and control are shown. Kiln atmosphere influenced absorption, shrinkage, strength, scumming, lime popping, frost resistance, and temperature uniformity. Results indicate that firing techniques with rapid schedules and significant reductions in maturing temperatures are feasible without sacrificing product quality.
Ticks (Ixodoidea) on Migrating Birds in Cyprus, Fall 1967 and Spring 1968, and Epidemiological Considerations

Studies in Egypt on migrating birds and their viruses and tick parasites, initiated by the NAMRU-3 Medical Zoology Department in 1956, were extended to Cyprus in fall 1967 and spring 1968 by the Palearctic Migratory Bird Survey.
Metropolitan Area Disposable Personal Income: Methodology and Results for 2001-2007

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) publishes annual statistics of state disposable personal income, the difference between state personal income and state personal current taxes. BEA also publishes annual statistics of personal income for sub-state areas, but BEA does not publish corresponding statistics of disposable personal income (DPI) due to the absence of sub-state statistics of personal current taxes. This paper expands on earlier work to present new statistics of disposable personal income for 2005-2007 for the current 366 metropolitan areas.
Macroevolution of leaf defenses and secondary metabolites across the genus Helianthus

Leaf defenses are widely recognized as key adaptations and drivers of plant evolution. Across environmentally diverse habitats, the macroevolution of leaf defenses can be predicted by the univariate trade-off model, which predicts that defenses are functionally redundant and thus trade off, and the resource availability hypothesis, which predicts that defense investment is determined by inherent growth rate and that higher defense will evolve in lower resource environments. Here, we examined the evolution of leaf physical and chemical defenses and secondary metabolites in relation to environmental characteristics and leaf economic strategy across 28 species of Helianthus (the sunflowers). Using a phylogenetic comparative approach, we found few evolutionary trade-offs among defenses and no evidence for defense syndromes. We also found that leaf defenses are strongly related to leaf economic strategy, with higher defense in more resource-conservative species, although there is little support for the evolution of higher defense in low-resource habitats. A wide variety of physical and chemical defenses predict resistance to different insect herbivores, fungal pathogens, and a parasitic plant, suggesting that most sunflower defenses are not redundant in function and that wild Helianthus represents a rich source of variation for the improvement of crop sunflower.
Periurbanization and the politics of development-as-city-building in China

Abstract China stands out among recently urbanized societies for the planned physicality of its rural–urban transformation — the extensive marshaling of labor, capital and material resources to remake its cities and to transform rural land and communities into new, formal urban space. In China, the “rural” and the “urban” are distinguished in deeply dichotomous institutions of government, and peri-urbanization, defined as the disorderly spaces, processes and conditions of “becoming urban”, would appear to be a temporary stage of transition between an old rural socio-spatial order to a new urban socio-spatial order. The actual contested politics of development-as-urbanization suggests otherwise, however, both on a national scale and on a community scale. The definition of “development” itself is at stake, and emerges unpredictably from peri-urban experience. A view of peri-urbanization as a process of socio-ecological adaptation is better suited to societies that have evolved in long-settled, densely populated anthropogenic agrarian landscapes.
Learning from Crack

This relatively brief (6,900 word) essay tells a compelling story and makes a simple point: That the development and spread of crack cocaine in the United States was a product of economics rather than a grand conspiracy or government action. “Learning from Crack” takes a close look at where crack came from and where it went, while urging a business-model approach to addressing crime which is driven by economic forces.
Morphology of Bacillus of Rat Leprosy.

ConclusionsInjections of acid extract of anterior pituitary of cattle have a stimulating effect on the growth of cartilage and bone of growing guinea pigs. The various layers of the cartilage cells become hypertrophie and hyperplastic, and are subsequently quickly calcined and replaced by bone. The epiphyseal line undergoes, therefor, premature closure under the influence of the extract.
A Simple Example of a Central Orbit with More than Two Apsidal Distances

(1907). A Simple Example of a Central Orbit with More than Two Apsidal Distances. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 14, No. 11, pp. 199-201.
The Effect of Diethylstilbestrol on Large Type Versus Small Type Turkey Broilers

Abstract WITH the increase in production of the so-called turkey “broiler” have come complaints that large type birds are inferior in finish to the small types. Some processors and retailers believe that the lack of finish, i.e. fatness, in large type turkeys used as broilers is seriously damaging consumer acceptance of turkey broilers in general. Several investigators have reported the effects of various estrogenic hormones in young turkeys. Thayer and Davis (1948) fed triphenylchloroethylene and dianisylhexene to young turkeys and noted an improvement in fattening as measured by visual fat grade. Almquist and Merritt (1952) implanted fifteen milligram pellets of diethylstilbestrol and noted slightly improved finish, increased gain, and better feed conversion. Smyth and Vondell (1955) also noted an increase in fat grade and a significant increase in gain. The present experiment was designed to test variety differences in response to diethylstilbestrol using improvement of finish and growth rate as criteria… .
Representation and calibration of elastic localization kernels for a broad class of cubic polycrystals

Localization kernels play an important role in the study of hierarchical material systems with well separated length scales. They allow for a computationally efficient communication of critical information between the constituent length scales. They are particularly well suited for capturing how an imposed variable (e.g., stress or strain) at the higher length scale is spatially distributed at the lower length scale (i.e., localization linkages). In recent work, our research group has presented a novel framework called Materials Knowledge Systems (MKS) for the representation and calibration of the localization kernels, and demonstrated the viability of this approach on selected individual material systems. In this work, we present and demonstrate an important extension to the MKS framework that allows representation and calibration of the localization kernels for an entire class of materials (e.g., a selected class of single phase cubic polycrystalline materials).
Rethinking the policy influence of experts: From general characterizations to analysis of variation

This paper first surveys the four principal positions in the debate about the policy influence of professional experts — technocracy, extensive mandates, limited mandates, and “servants of power” — and finds none entirely satisfactory. While the limited mandates position is the best general characterization of the policy influence of experts, many instances reveal more extensive influence. The papers argues for shifting the discussion from general characterizations to the systematic analysis of variation in the extent and significance of professional influence. A framework for analyzing this variation is proposed. The framework highlights the importance of depoliticization, the framing of issues as narrowly technical or involving the protection of a central cultural value, political situations that encourage the informal capture of power by professional experts or the delegation of power to experts, and the differing level of legitimacy enjoyed by professional occupations, based on their centrality in social regulation.
Photocatalytic Treatment of Desalination Concentrate Using Optical Fibers Coated With Nanostructured Thin Films: Impact of Water Chemistry and Seasonal Climate Variations.

Treatment of desalination concentrate can reduce concentrate volume for disposal, increase water recovery and convert waste to resource. However, concentrate treatment is costly and energy intensive due to high concentrations of salt and recalcitrant organic matter in concentrate. Photocatalytic oxidation provides a novel energy neutral technology for concentrate treatment by degrading organic contaminants. Polymer-assisted hydrothermal deposition method was used to synthesize innovative pure and Fe-doped TiO2 mixed-phase nanocomposite thin films on side-glowing optical fibers (SOFs). The properties of the photocatalysts-coated SOF were characterized by surface morphology, nanostructure, crystallite size and phase and zeta potential. Photodegradation efficiency and durability of the photocatalysts treating different types of desalination concentrate was studied under natural sunlight. Synthetic solutions and reverse osmosis (RO) concentrates from brackish water and municipal wastewater desalination facilities were tested to elucidate the impact of water chemistry, operating conditions and seasonal climate variations (solar irradiation intensity and temperature) on photocatalytic efficiency. High ionic strength and divalent electrolyte ions in RO concentrate accelerated photocatalytic process, whereas the presence of carbonate species and organic matter hindered photodegradation. Outdoor testing of immobilized continuous-flow photoreactors suggested that the catalyst-coated SOFs can utilize a wide spectrum of natural sunlight and achieved durable photocatalytic performance.
Seasonality in the Thai Stock Index

The paper examines seasonality in returns for the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). We use historical returns on both SET composite and SET50 indices from 1975 through December 2013 to examine seasonality in the two indices. In a previous study, we observed the “Halloween effect” also known by the tagline “Go away in May and come back Halloween Day” in the Vietnam stock index (VN-index) during the 2000-2010 period. In this paper, we find that the “Halloween effect” appears in both the SET composite and SET50 indices but is not statistically significant. However, we find significantly higher returns for December and January for both indices.
BRAF Mutation is associated with improved local control of Melanoma Brain Metastases Treated with gamma Knife radiosurgery

Objectives: Evidence has implicated a possible role of tumor mutation status on local control (LC) with radiotherapy. BRAF is a proto-oncogene that is mutated in approximately 50% of patients with melanoma. We sought to analyze the influence of BRAF status on LC of melanoma brain metastases following Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GK). Methods: Among 125 patients treated with GK for melanoma brain metastases at our institution between 2006 and 2015, we identified 19 patients with 69 evaluable metastases whose BRAF mutation status was known and follow-up imaging was available. LC of individual metastases was compared based on BRAF mutation status using statistical techniques to control for measurements of multiple metastases within each patient. CNS progression was defined as either local failure or development of new lesions. Results: Of the 69 metastases, BRAF was mutated in 30, and wild-type in 39. With a median follow-up of 30 months for all patients and a median follow-up of 5.5 months for treated lesions, one-year LC was significantly better among metastases with mutated vs. wild-type BRAF (69% vs. 34%, RR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.7, p = 0.01). BRAF mutation was found to be a significant predictor of LC after SRS in both univariate (RR=0.3, [95% CI 0.1-0.7, p = 0.01]) and multivariate (RR=0.2, [95% CI 0.1-0.7, p = 0.01]) analyses. There was also a trend towards improved CNS progression free survival (PFS) at one year (26% vs. 0%, p=0.06), favoring BRAF-mutated patients. Conclusions: In this retrospective study, melanoma brain metastases treated with GK had significantly improved local control for patients with BRAF mutation vs. wild-type. Our data suggest that BRAF mutation may sensitize tumors to radiosurgery, and that BRAF wild-type tumors may be more radioresistant. Results: Of the 69 metastases, BRAF was mutated in 30, and wild-type in 39. With a median follow-up of 30 months for all patients and a median follow-up of 5.5 months for treated lesions, one-year LC was significantly better among metastases with mutated vs. wild-type BRAF (69% vs. 34%, RR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.7, p = 0.01). There was also a trend towards improved CNS progression.
Time-Specific Fear Acts as a Non-Photic Entraining Stimulus of Circadian Rhythms in Rats

Virtually all animals have endogenous clock mechanisms that "entrain" to the light-dark (LD) cycle and synchronize psychophysiological functions to optimal times for exploring resources and avoiding dangers in the environment. Such circadian rhythms are vital to human mental health, but it is unknown whether circadian rhythms "entrained" to the LD cycle can be overridden by entrainment to daily recurring threats. We show that unsignaled nocturnal footshock caused rats living in an "ethological" apparatus to switch their natural foraging behavior from the dark to the light phase and that this switch was maintained as a free-running circadian rhythm upon removal of light cues and footshocks. Furthermore, this fear-entrained circadian behavior was dependent on an intact amygdala and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Thus, time-specific fear can act as a non-photic entraining stimulus for the circadian system, and limbic centers encoding aversive information are likely part of the circadian oscillator network that temporally organizes behavior.
TU-FG-206-00: Imaging Informatics

The field of imaging informatics is a subfield of biomedical informatics that combines medical physics with computer, clinical, and cognitive sciences. In this session jointly sponsored with the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine, we will provide an overview of the field starting with the highly applied role of information technology working with imaging modalities to research areas in computer vision, annotation markup, and semantic ontologies that can leverage machine encoded reasoning systems. We will highlight new technologies that are beneficial to medical physicists conducting research as well as translating research into clinical practice. Define the field of imaging informatics as it relates to medical physics Discuss DICOM interoperability standards and the certification for imaging informatics professional. Highlight research areas in imaging informatics
Building trust in children How parents talk to children about safety precautions in Sweden

Previous fear of crime studies have rarely considered how fear of crime is learned or the messengers who teach fear of crime to others. This is especially important with children, who often learn a...
Comparing Hospital Mission Statement Content in a Changing Healthcare Field

Mission statements are key elements of how an organization communicates its purpose and priorities to its community. This study considers how mission statements from Ohio, Florida, and Texas hospitals approach key concepts in healthcare - access, cost, and quality. It also considers the concept of community benefit, given its recent prevalence in policy changes. The analysis found quality represented within hospital mission statements at a rate of 65%, compared to 21% for access, 21% for cost, and 24% for community benefit. Investor-owned hospitals emphasize quality and cost at significantly higher rates while not-for-profit hospitals emphasize access and community benefit at significantly higher rates than other organization types.
Unintentional Marijuana Exposure Presenting as Altered Mental Status in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Case Series

Abstract Background Unintentional tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure in pediatric patients can present as altered mental status. Altered mental status in a pediatric patient often leads to invasive diagnostic testing. Case Report The following cases describe 3 pediatric patients in Washington state who presented to a tertiary care children's hospital emergency department (ED) with altered mental status, later found to have urine toxicology screening positive for inactive THC metabolite (positive THC toxicology screen). Case 1 is a 6-year-old boy who presented with vomiting, lethargy, and hallucinations. Case 2 is a 5-year-old girl who presented with nausea, slurred speech, ataxia, and lethargy in the setting of a minor head injury. Case 3 is a 7-month-old boy who presented with vomiting and lethargy in the setting of a minor fall the day prior to ED evaluation. All children had extensive work-ups before the diagnosis was made; 2 were discharged home and 1 was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? As access to marijuana increases with growing legalization, it is important to be familiar with state marijuana legislation, to consider and ask families about access to marijuana products as a potential contributor to altered mental status, and to be aware of potential caretaker reluctance regarding disclosure of marijuana use secondary to perceived stigma. Maintaining awareness of the clinical effects of THC exposure in children may limit invasive testing in a hemodynamically stable child with altered mental status.
An Examination of Weight-Associated Memorable Messages, Sources, and Outcomes

ABSTRACTAs college students are particularly vulnerable to weight struggles, understanding how weight-related communication impacts behavior can have important implications for overall health. This study investigated memorable messages regarding weight using the theoretical lens of control theory. Control theory provides a guiding framework to predict how memorable messages impact subsequent behavior when an individual senses a discrepancy between their ideal and actual weight. Participants were asked to report whether they had experienced a weight-associated discrepancy and if they recalled a memorable message about this issue. For those with a memorable message, characteristics and outcomes of the message were solicited. The prevalence of weight-associated discrepancies, associated memorable messages, topics, sources, and perceived intentions of the memorable messages and the reported outcomes of message recall were identified. Findings address the relationship between interpersonal communication and we...
Flow cytometric aberrancies in plasma cell myeloma and MGUS - correlation with laboratory parameters.

BACKGROUND Multiparametric flow cytometry is a useful tool for diagnosis of plasma cell (PC) dyscrasias and assessment of minimal residual disease in plasma cell myeloma (PCM). However, the immunophenotypic differences between the clonal PCs of PCM and those of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) as well as the correlation of these flow cytometric markers with pertinent laboratory parameters have not been evaluated. METHODS We retrospectively identified all newly diagnosed treatment-naive PCM and MGUS patients between 09/2014 and 06/2015 who underwent 10-color flow-cytometric evaluation: CD45, CD38, CD138, cKappa, cLambda, CD19, CD27, CD28, CD56, CD117. FACSDiva analysis was used to identify antigenic aberrancies and associations with pertinent laboratory parameters were evaluated. RESULTS All cases demonstrated at least two aberrancies. There was a trend toward a greater number of aberrancies in PCM, with 68% showing >/= 4 aberrancies compared with 44% in MGUS (P = 0.11). The only marker more frequently aberrant in one disease class was CD19, aberrant in 68% of PCM and 25% of MGUS (P < 0.01). In PCM, significant associations were found for CD56 non-aberrancy (P = 0.05) and the presence of amyloid and CD27 aberrancy and normal serum albumin (P = 0.05). In MGUS, CD117 expression was associated with normal hemoglobin (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS The PCs of PCM show a trend toward more antigenic aberrancy than those of MGUS. There is significant association between the antigenic profiles of PCM/MGUS and clinical parameters including amyloidosis, albumin level, and hemoglobin. © 2018 International Clinical Cytometry Society.
Construction Jihad: state-building and development in Iran and Lebanon’s Shiʿi Territories

Based on fieldwork in Iran and Lebanon, this article compares the Iranian reconstruction and development organisation Construction Jihad with its Hizbullah-affiliated subsidiary in Lebanon. Beyond ...
Role of ion channels in the functional response of conjunctival goblet cells to dry eye.

Optimal vision requires an ocular surface with a stable tear film whose many critical tasks include providing >70% of the eye’s refractive power. However, for millions, tear film instability produc...
Core Density Profile Survival in Dissipationless Mergers

We use N-body experiments to study the survival of power-law density cusps in mergers of spherical galaxy models. Steep cusps (e.g. ρ∝r-2) are preserved during mergers of equal-mass models; this may be viewed as a general consequence of the incomplete violent relaxation observed in such mergers. Progenitor profile has a strong effect on remnant shape; steep cusps produce oblate remnants. If bright ellipticals form by hierarchical mergers of faint ones, the lack of steep cusps in these galaxies is somewhat surprising.
Characterization of the inhibition of tissue factor in serum.

Tissue factor (TF) is a lipoprotein cofactor that markedly enhances the proteolytic activation of factors IX and X by factor VIIa. The functional activity of TF is inhibited by serum in a time- and temperature-dependent fashion. The inhibitory effect is also dependent on the presence of calcium ions and can be reversed by calcium chelation (EDTA) and dilution, thus excluding direct proteolytic destruction of TF as the mechanism for inhibition. Using crude TF, serum immunodepleted of factor VII, and serum depleted of the vitamin K- dependent coagulation factors by BaSO4 absorption, it is shown that TF factor inhibition requires the presence of VII(a), X(a), and an additional moiety contained in barium-absorbed serum. When each of the other required components were at saturating concentrations, half- maximal inhibition of TF occurred in reaction mixtures containing 2% (vol/vol) of TF at a factor VII(a) concentration of 4 ng/mL (80 pmol/L), a factor X concentration of 50 ng/mL (850 pmol/L), and a concentration of barium-absorbed serum of 2.5% (vol/vol). Catalytically active factor Xa appeared to be required for the generation of optimal TF inhibition. The results are consistent with the conclusions of Hjort that barium-absorbed serum contains a moiety that inhibits the VIIa- Ca2+-TF complex. The role of factor X(a) in the generation of the inhibitory phenomenon remains to be elucidated. The inhibitor present in serum (plasma) may in part be produced by the liver in vivo since cultured human hepatoma cells (HepG2) secrete this inhibitory activity in vitro.
NONLINEAR OBSERVER DESIGN WITH APPLICATION TO CHEMICAL REACTORS

Abstract This study concerns the problem of nonlinear state observer design. It presents a nonlinear observer design approach, which allows to adjust the rate of the decay of observer error and is easy to use. Furthermore, in many chemical engineering cases, it is straightforward to prove that the observer-error dynamics is globally asymptotically stable. Two classes of chemical reactors (classical chemical reactors with parallel reactions and free-radical polymerization reactors) are considered to illustrate the application of the observer design approach. The global asymptotic stability of the observer-error dynamics is proved for the two classes of processes.
A Biocompatible Nanodendrimer for Efficient Adsorption and Reduction of Hg(II)

Mercury is a neurotoxic metal at very low concentrations and can lead to severe human health problems. In this work, we synthesized a novel heterogeneous dendrimer for the elimination and reduction of Hg(II) from H2O using SiO2–Al2O3 nanoparticles individually grafted with l-cysteine methyl ester (LCME), triazine, and diethylenetriamine. Applying Freundlich, Langmuir, and Sips isotherm equilibrium along with the pseudo-first-order (PFO), and pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic models, we studied how the nanobiodendrimer’s Hg(II) adsorption was affected by various parameters, like initial amount of Hg(II), adsorbent dosage, reaction time, solution temperature, interfering ions, and initial pH. Our results concluded that only 10 min of reaction time was needed to attain equilibrium (2639 mg g–1). The uptake kinetics also indicated the mechanism of adsorption is according to a PSO model, proving that the rate-confining stage of the Hg(II) ion uptake is chemical adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG, ΔS, and...
Diffusion of Innovations: Interplay of Social, Economic, Technological, and Policy Drivers in the Solar Industry—Summary of UT Austin Student Capstone Research Projects

Author(s): Wiser, Ryan H; Darghouth, Naim R; Hoen, Ben; Barbose, Galen L; Seel, Joachim; Rai, Varun; Beck, Ariane; Sekar, Ashok; Reeves, D Cale; Funkhouser, Erik; Shaughnessy, Eric O; Sigrin, Ben; Canfield, Casey | Abstract: The University of Texas at Austin’s Policy Research Project (PRP), a nine-month (two semesters) capstone, is a keystone of the core curriculum at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. In PRPs, small groups of students, under the mentorship of a faculty director, take on real-world problems that require special knowledge and skill sets. PRPs expose students to challenges in formulating and executing research, and in communicating academic research and related complex data to broader stakeholder communities and decision makers. The PRP structure is an innovative and effective approach for integrating research within the teaching and training of graduate students who are preparing themselves to address important real-world problems at the intersection of society, economics, technology, and policy. The project summaries below describe seven papers developed during September 2017 – May 2018 as part of a PRP on “Diffusion of Innovations: Interplay of Social, Economic, Technological, and Policy Drivers in the Solar Industry.” Twenty graduate students, drawn from the LBJ School’s Masters in Public Affairs and Masters in Global Policy Studies programs and the Jackson School Geoscience’s Energy and Earth Resources program, participated in this PRP. Dr. Varun Rai, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the LBJ School, directed the PRP, with support from his research team including: Dr. Ariane Beck, Dr. Ashok Sekar, D. Cale Reeves, and Erik Funkhouser. Clients for the project included the U.S. Department of Energy (Casey Canfield), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Ben Hoen, Galen Barbose Joachim Seel, Naim Darghouth, Ryan Wiser), and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Benjamin Sigrin, Eric O’Shaughnessy). The seven projects separately addressed one of the following topics: (1) low- and middle-income PV adoption, (2) modeling economic and information intervention design, (3) evaluation of DOE’s Solar in Your Community Challenge, (4) property value impacts near large-scale solar facilities, (5) solar market maturity and evolution of business models, (6) social media data for predicting PV adoption, and (7) individual-level variation in adoption of innovations. Many of the papers relied on data collected and curated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, including data embedded within the annual Tracking the Sun and Utility-Scale Solar reports. Each of the seven teams in the PRP prepared a research paper. The PRP culminated with a full-day conference at UT Austin in May 2018 to present findings from the seven projects in this PRP to a broad audience of about 75 experts from academia, national labs, industry, and government from across the country.
Training Community Health Advisors in African American Churches: Do Training Outcomes Predict Performance?

Programs that utilize Community Health Advisors (CHAs) to promote cancer screening are effective in community settings. However, predictors of CHA performance are not well understood. From 2016 to 2018, we partnered with 9 African American churches in South Los Angeles and trained 49 CHAs to promote cancer screening in an effort to build capacity for health promotion in a low-resource community. This paper examines CHA characteristics and training outcomes in African American faith-based settings and explores the relationship of these variables to successful recruitment of participants by CHAs. Pre- and post-tests showed statistically significant increases in knowledge of colorectal cancer screening guidelines (4 items) and human subjects protection rules (5 items) and CHAs’ perceived self-efficacy to perform specific tasks for the study (13 items, Cronbach’s alpha > 0.90). There were no significant differences between active CHAs who recruited at least 10 participants (N = 29) and inactive/less active CHAs (N = 20) with respect to demographic characteristics and training outcomes. We report challenges and facilitators to recruitment from CHA debriefings at 12 months follow-up. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for future studies to move this field forward.
Complete Planar Impedance Conservation and PML Boundary Value Solutions

This paper shows that a straightforward way to evaluate planar impedance conservation boundary values of arbitrary boundary operators and orientations is to directly copy the construction from the well-understood 1-D Robin impedance-matching solution and then let the boundary rotate freely. Copying from this classical solution, hence, requires no use of split field and any of its stretched coordinate reformulations. In fact, it actually gives the complete general superposition solution, which also explains that the existing PML considers only a rational boundary operator and solves only a coordinately aligned example. The construction thus embraces both general order polynomial and nonpolynomial boundary operators and noncoordinately aligned boundary solutions to be put on top of the PML orthogonal terminations. A constructive source-field energy coupling relation is also introduced to simplify the impedance conservation analysis to read as the triple product identity. Evident by the various forms of Maxwell equations, we elaborate in detail that boundary value equations can also be written in various equivalent and endless redundant forms.
Experimental Evaluation of the Joint Effects of Exercise and Sedentary Behavior on Cognitive Function.

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential joint effects of sedentary behavior and exercise on cognitive function. Methods Participants (Mage = 20 yrs) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups. The No Exercise Group (n = 19) was instructed to reduce steps to less than 5000/day and were not allowed to exercise for one-week; the Reduced MVPA (moderate-to-vigorous PA) Group (n = 18) was instructed to reduce steps to less than 5000/day but exercised for 50% of their previously reported vigorous PA for one-week; and the Control Group (n = 20) maintained normal activity for one-week. Cognitive functions (via Stroop and Trail Making tasks) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and after one week of resumed normal activity for the intervention groups. Results Statistically significant main effects for time were observed for Stroop Congruent (Ftime = 11.7, p 0.001, η 2 p = 0.50), Trail Making-A (Ftime = 19.1, p 0.05) for any of the cognitive parameters. Conclusion These experimental findings do not suggest an interaction effect between sedentary behavior and physical activity on cognitive function.
Chemical prophylaxis to prevent venous thromboembolism in morbid obesity: literature review and dosing recommendations.

Pharmacologic prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important aspect of medical care, particularly in the inpatient setting. Low-molecular weight heparins, heparin, and fondaparinux are commonly used agents to prevent VTE, each of which has well established dosing regimens in patients with normal body mass index. Dosing of these medications in morbidly obese populations (BMI > 40 kg/m2) is not as clearly defined in guidelines. This article reviews published data to support specific dosing regimens and monitoring strategies of these agents in this population. The most validated parenteral agent to prevent VTE in morbidly obese hospitalized patients is enoxaparin, dosed at 40 mg subcutaneously (SC) twice daily. If unfractionated heparin is utilized for prophylaxis in morbidly obese patients, a dose of 7500 units SC three times daily should be considered. Monitoring of anti-factor Xa levels to guide prophylactic dosing is an option, although the utility of this lab test is limited, as target anti-Xa ranges for VTE prophylaxis have not been universally defined and trials have not shown a clear link between anti-factor Xa levels and bleeding or thrombotic events. Additional studies are needed to clearly define the most appropriate dosing strategies in patients with moderate obesity (BMI 35–40 mg/m2) and those with extreme obesity (BMI > 60 mg/m2).
A model study of the fructose diphosphatase-phosphofructokinase substrate cycle

A fructose diphosphatase-phosphofructokinase substrate cycle has been reconstructed in vitro to provide a system that recycles fructose 6-phosphate and hydrolyses ATP to ADP and P(i). The concerted actions of glucose phosphate isomerase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase and triose phosphate isomerase catalysed the loss of (3)H from [5-(3)H,U-(14)C]glucose 6-phosphate. This was used as the basis of a method for the estimation of the fructose diphosphatase-phosphofructokinase substrate cycle. For the reconstructed cycle, the rate of decrease of the (3)H/(14)C ratio in [5-(3)H,U-(14)C]hexose 6-phosphate was proportional to the rate of fructose 6-phosphate substrate cycling. A detailed theoretical treatment of this relationship is developed, which enables the rate of substrate cycling to be determined in vivo.
Feasibility and clinical experience of implementing a myoelectric upper limb orthosis in the rehabilitation of chronic stroke patients: A clinical case series report.

Individuals with stroke are often left with persistent upper limb dysfunction, even after treatment with traditional rehabilitation methods. The purpose of this retrospective study is to demonstrate feasibility of the implementation of an upper limb myoelectric orthosis for the treatment of persistent moderate upper limb impairment following stroke (>6 months). Methods: Nine patients (>6 months post stroke) participated in treatment at an outpatient Occupational Therapy department utilizing the MyoPro myoelectric orthotic device. Group therapy was provided at a frequency of 1–2 sessions per week (60–90 minutes per session). Patients were instructed to perform training with the device at home on non-therapy days and to continue with use of the device after completion of the group training period. Outcome measures included Fugl-Meyer Upper Limb Assessment (FM) and modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Results: Patients demonstrated clinically important and statistically significant improvement of 9.0±4.8 points (p = 0.0005) on a measure of motor control impairment (FM) during participation in group training. It was feasible to administer the training in a group setting with the MyoPro, using a 1:4 ratio (therapist to patients). Muscle tone improved for muscles with MAS >1.5 at baseline. Discussion: Myoelectric orthosis use is feasible in a group clinic setting and in home-use structure for chronic stroke survivors. Clinically important motor control gains were observed on FM in 7 of 9 patients who participated in training.
Dalits and Dispossession: A Comparison

Widespread “land wars” in contemporary India have rekindled older debates over the implications of capitalism for caste, with some arguing that land dispossession for new economy projects may be li...
ATPG for Cancer Therapy

Cancer and other gene related diseases are usually caused by a failure in the signaling pathway between genes and cells. These failures can occur in different areas of the gene regulatory network, but can be abstracted as faults in the regulatory function. For effective cancer treatment, it is imperative to identify faults and select appropriate drugs to treat the faults.
Synergistic effects of three sterol biosynthesis inhibiting fungicides on the toxicity of a pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticide to bumble bees

Understanding how different pesticides influence bee health is inhibited by a limited knowledge about the interactions between different compounds to which bees are simultaneously exposed. Although research has demonstrated synergistic effects of some sterol biosynthesis inhibiting (SBI) fungicides on the toxicity of certain insecticides to bees, a high degree of variability exists in the relatively few SBI fungicide-insecticide interactions tested. Furthermore, most research has been conducted on honey bees, Apis mellifera, limiting our understanding of pesticide synergisms in native wild bees. We tested the effects of the SBI fungicides difenoconazole, myclobutanil, and fenhexamid on acute contact toxicity of the insecticides thiamethoxam (neonicotinoid) and bifenthrin (pyrethroid) to the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens. Based on range-finding trials, we selected a single dosage of each pesticide, with insecticides approximating LD20 values and fungicides approximating their maximum sublethal levels. We found that the triazole SBI fungicide difenoconazole interacted synergistically with bifenthrin, with a maximum synergy ratio of 1.48, while the triazole myclobutanil interacted synergistically with both bifenthrin and thiamethoxam, with maximum synergy ratios of 11.0 and 2.38, respectively. However, the hydroxyanilide SBI fungicide fenhexamid did not exhibit a synergistic effect on either insecticide. Our results suggest that certain SBI fungicides, and potentially those from particular SBI classes, may be particularly harmful to bumble bee health when co-exposure to insecticides occurs, despite their low toxicity when experienced in isolation.