cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High precision in situ tuning of monolithic continuous time leapfrog filters

The authors present an in situ method of tuning analog continuous time monolithic integrated circuit filters which achieves high precision when applied to leapfrog structures. The in situ method directly tunes selected subcircuits of the filter, so that neither accurate capacitor nor gain matching of circuit components is required. High precision is achieved by directly tuning highly isolated simple subsections of the filter. Two tuning methods are considered. First, lossless two-integrator loops are tuned by their oscillation frequencies. Secondly, single time constant circuits are tuned by observing magnitudes at cut-off frequencies. The tuning overhead of the in situ method is shown to be reasonable, much less than with the general programmable methods. >
Meta-analysis of intervention trials on case-management of pneumonia in community settings

To appraise the effectiveness of the pneumonia case-management strategy in improving child survival, we have done a meta-analysis of six published intervention trials. The results of a seventh published study and two unpublished studies were also reviewed. The six published studies satisfied our criteria for methodological soundness. The reduction in mortality rate (control group minus intervention group) was estimated for each study, and for all the studies together. For total infant mortality, the overall reduction was 15.9 (95% confidence interval 10.6-21.1) deaths per 1000 livebirths; infant mortality due to acute lower respiratory infection was reduced by 10.7 (4.8-16.7) deaths/1000 livebirths. Mortality among children under 5 years was decreased by 36 deaths/1000 livebirths. The pooled estimates of relative risk are consistent with a 20% reduction in infant mortality and a 25% reduction in under-5 mortality. There was no clear association across the studies between the effect of the pneumonia case-management and extent of co-interventions such as immunisation and oral rehydration therapy. The consistency of findings of all the studies, despite differences in design and methods, shows that the case-management strategy has a substantial effect on infant and under-5 mortality, at least in settings with infant mortality rates of 90/1000 livebirths or more. It is important to find out the most efficient ways of implementing this strategy and integrating it into primary health care.
Lead–Bismuth Eutectic (LBE): A Coolant Candidate for Gen. IV Advanced Nuclear Reactor Concepts

LBE is one of the primary coolant candidates of advanced nuclear reactors. The present review conducts an assessment of the coolant based on a series of liquid metal coolant selection criteria first and then identifies the key concerns of using LBE as the primary coolant of a nuclear reactor. The review focuses on the status of the art of these key concerns: materials degradation, protective oxide layer, and polonium production and control in an LBE coolant system. The review also addresses oxidation kinetics of steels in oxygen-containing LBE, development of oxygen technology and comparisons between LBE and liquid sodium.
Growth of Y-Shaped Nanorods through Physical Vapor Deposition

This work presents a proposed mechanism for fabricating Y-shaped nanorods, demonstrates the feasibility of the proposal through classical molecular dynamics simulations, and validates the simulations through magnetron sputter deposition experiments. The proposed mechanism relies primarily on the formation of stacking faults during deposition and to a lesser degree on diffusion kinetics and geometrical shadowing. Applications of the proposed mechanism may enable the design of nanorod arrays with controlled branching.
A pharmacodynamic model for the activity of antibiotics against microorganisms under nonsaturable conditions.

An exact mathematical solution was derived to a pharmaco-dynamic model which illustrates bacterial survival in the presence of antibiotics. In this report the survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the medium of an initial concentration of 0.64 mM (320 mg/L) of piperacillin [(2S,5R,6R)-6-[(R)-2-(4-ethyl-2, 3-dioxo-1-piperazinecarboxyamido)-2-phenylacetamido]-3, 3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]hep-tane-2-carboxylate] was well described by the derived model for up to 24 h. The bacterial killing by the antibiotic and apparent natural growth rate constants were 2955.3 h−1.mol−1 and 0.5698 h−1, respectively. The functional equation was also fit to the data of ampicillin against Escherichia coli under simulated in vivo conditions. The optimal multiple dosing time and the minimum critical concentration to achieve antimicrobial action can be readily calculated from the developed model. Computer simulations were made to examine the effect on microbial survival of such factors as initial antibiotic concentration (Co), elimination half-life (t1/2), kill rate constant (K) of the antibiotic, and apparent growth rate constant (kapp) of the test organism.
Nontranscriptional actions of the glucocorticoid receptor

Many cellular responses to corticosteroids involve the transcriptional modulation of target genes by a prototypical nuclear receptor, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). In the classic model of steroid hormone action GR acts as ligand-dependent transcription factor by either activating or repressing gene expression through direct interactions with DNA or other transcription factors. Recent evidence suggests an important role for nontranscriptional effects of GR in the vascular system. The nontranscriptional actions of GR involve the rapid activation of protein kinases, such as phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and Akt, leading to the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. This novel pathway of steroid hormone action protects against ischemic injury by augmenting blood flow and decreasing vascular inflammation.
Paladin: A 10.6-µm free-electron laser amplifier

Paladin is a free electron laser (FEL) amplifier designed to operate at 10.6 μm (CO2 wavelength). The electron beam for this FEL is provided by the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The electron beam has an energy of 45 MeV. While we accelerate 3 kA of current, an emittance filter located between the end of the accelerator and the wiggler scrapes the electron beam to reduce the maximum emittance of the beam. In so doing, the current transmitted through the filter is between 500 and 700 A. This beam makes a single pass through a 15-m long wiggler with an 8-cm period. Beyond the wiggler, the beam is deflected into a beam dump, and the optical signal is analyzed for peak power, total energy, and optical mode. The input signal to the FEL is provided by a CO2 laser with a 50-ns pulse length. The input power is either 14 kW or 5 MW.
Acute Topical Application of Tumor Necrosis Factor α Evokes Protein Kinase A-Dependent Responses in Rat Sensory Neurons

Local perfusion of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in rats induces cutaneous hypersensitivity to mechanical stimuli. Thus we investigated the cellular mechanisms...
Introduction to Carbon Civilization

Carbon is the basis of life on our planet: starting from the discovery of fire, our civilization vitally depends on carbon for its energy and livelihood; for this reason, it is often called “Carbon Civilization.” Our entire way of life is physically constructed around carbon fuels, and this “carbon entanglement” factor is the primary reason for the very slow and modest progress of carbon mitigation policies over the last couple of decades. There are clear indications, however, that the high-carbon economical model may face serious challenges; the continued heavy reliance on a narrow set of conventional fossil fuel-based technologies is a significant threat to energy security, stable economic growth, and the environment. A brief history of carbon fuels, their origin, diversity, abundance, and crucial role in supporting and sustaining humans’ well-being in the past, present, and future is discussed in this chapter. It examines the main grounds of our addiction to carbon fuels, controversies around “peak oil” concept, and new paradigms of dealing with the “tide” of carbon fuels and coping with their environmental impact.
Dynamics of a reconnection-driven runaway ion tail in a reversed field pinch plasma

While reconnection-driven ion heating is common in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, the underlying mechanisms for converting magnetic to kinetic energy remain not fully understood. Reversed field pinch discharges are often characterized by rapid ion heating during impulsive reconnection, generating an ion distribution with an enhanced bulk temperature, mainly perpendicular to magnetic field. In the Madison Symmetric Torus, a subset of discharges with the strongest reconnection events develop a very anisotropic, high energy tail parallel to magnetic field in addition to bulk perpendicular heating, which produces a fusion neutron flux orders of magnitude higher than that expected from a Maxwellian distribution. Here, we demonstrate that two factors in addition to a perpendicular bulk heating mechanism must be considered to explain this distribution. First, ion runaway can occur in the strong parallel-to-B electric field induced by a rapid equilibrium change triggered by reconnection-based relaxation; t...
A Finite Volume Method Based on WENO Reconstruction for Compressible Flows on Hybrid Grids

A cell-centered finite volume method based on a WENO reconstruction, termed WENO(P0P1) in this paper, is presented for solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations on 3D hybrid grids. This new WENO(P0P1) method is designed not only to achieve high-order accuracy but also to ensure non-linear stability of the finite volume method. The discretization of the viscous and heat fluxes is carried out using a modified averaging of gradients. The spatially discretized governing equations are integrated in time using a linearized implicit scheme. A fast, matrix-free implicit method, GMRES+LU-SGS, is then applied to solve the resultant system of linear equations. The parallelization of the WENO(P0P1) method is based on domain partitioning and Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) parallel programming model using Message-Passing-Interface (MPI) programming paradigm for distributed memory parallel computing architectures. The developed WENO(P0P1) method is used to compute a variety of flow problems on hybrid grids to demonstrate its accuracy, efficiency, robustness, and versatility. The numerical experiments indicate that this WENO(P0P1) method is able to maintain high accuracy for smooth flows and obtain oscillation-free solutions in the vicinity of discontinuities, and outperforms a van Albada limiter-based finite volume method.
Impact performance of sports composites

This study considered the impact damage of composite materials in sports, with emphasis on damage to hollow composite baseball and softball bats. To maintain competitive balance in the sport, the performance of hollow bats is regulated. In contrast to most structural applications, damage to composite bats was shown to increase the hitting performance. This has given rise to the development of artificial means of accelerating the break-in of composite bats. While accelerated bat break-in is not allowed, it has been difficult to detect, and has, therefore, continued. This work considered destructive and nondestructive means of identifying accelerated break-in techniques. Four bat models given accelerated break-in treatments were generally observed to have more and larger damaged regions in comparison to damage in identical models used only in play and practice. The increased damage was observed nondestructively through changes in the barrel stiffness, and destructively through images of the bat barrel cross-sections. The results were not consistent, however; the accelerated break-in of one of the four bat models had comparable damage to a bat used only in play. The inconsistency of the results, combined with the variation in the severity of accelerated break-in treatments employed by participants, continues to frustrate governing bodies' ability to regulate accelerated bat break-in practices.
On the Realistic Value of Filial Piety Culture of Manchu in College Moral Education

The traditional virtue of respect the old in filial piety culture of Manchu is an important part of traditional Chinese culture.At present,to carry forward filial piety has become a hot topic for ideological and political education staffs on the basis of the absorption of the essence of traditional filial piety culture.Therefore,it is significant to take the feature and content of Manchu filial piety as a key and promote the development of ideological and political education.
Analysis of doppler ultrasound for diagnosis of infantile biliary tract roundworm disease

Objective To analyze sonographic features of doppler ultrasound for diagnosis of Infantile biliary tract roundworm disese.Methods Selected 18 cases with infantile biliary tract roundworm disease from Jan 2010 to Dec 2011 were objects.Doppler ultrasound was used to diagnose infantile biliary tract roundworm disease and sonographic features were analyzed.Results Roundworm in common bile duct were 11 cases,in cholecyst were 2 cases,4 cases were from common bile duct to intrahepatic bile duct,and 1 case was in intrahepatic bile duct.Four cases were with complications of cholecystitis or cholangitis.Conclusion Doppler ultrasound for diagnosis of infantile biliary tract roundworm disease shows typical sonographic features,and shows high positive rate,non-invasive,painless.
High‐pressure phases in shock‐induced melt of the unique highly shocked LL6 chondrite Northwest Africa 757

Northwest Africa 757 is unique in the LL chondrite group because of its abundant shock-induced melt and high-pressure minerals. Olivine fragments entrained in the melt transform partially and completely into ringwoodite. Plagioclase and Ca-phosphate transform to maskelynite, lingunite, and tuite. Two distinct shock-melt crystallization assemblages were studied by FIB-TEM analysis. The first melt assemblage, which includes majoritic garnet, ringwoodite plus magnetite-magnesiowustite, crystallized at pressures of 20–25 GPa. The other melt assemblage, which consists of clinopyroxene and wadsleyite, solidified at ~15 GPa, suggesting a second veining event under lower pressure conditions. These shock features are similar to those in S6 L chondrites and indicate that NWA 757 experienced an intense impact event, comparable to the impact event that disrupted the L chondrite parent body at 470 Ma.
Cation Transport ATPases

The P-type ATPases comprise a large superfamily of cation transporters that are able to utilize the energy of ATP to transport ions against their electrochemical gradients across cell membranes. In the process of ion transport, the γ-phosphate of the ATP is cleaved and the phosphate becomes covalently linked transiently to an aspartyl carboxyl group in the ATPase molecule. It has been proposed that the ion transport process also involves cycling of the ATPase molecule between two sets of conformational states, termed E1 and E2, and hence, these ion transporters are sometimes referred to as E1E2 ATPases.
Digital Literacies Go to School: A Cross-Case Analysis of the Literacy Practices Used in a Classroom-Based Social Network Site.

ABSTRACTThe authors, working from a new literacies studies perspective, suggest that educators can better teach their students if they develop their own knowledge of the purposes, types, and language conventions students use in their informal out-of-school literacy practices. The purpose of this study was to identify the literacy practices used in a classroom-based social network site and determine how these practices reflect digital literacies. By connecting differences in the literacy practices of three fifth-grade girls to the instructional moves made by classroom teachers, the authors were able to identify and describe how classroom teachers unintentionally marginalized the kinds of digital literacies that are valued in the larger society. Findings point to the importance of creating online identities for establishing relationships in a social networking site and a need for teachers to model ways to shift language use when engaging in different writing contexts.
The Hybrid Russe Graft for the Treatment of Scaphoid Nonunion

The hybrid Russe technique is useful for scaphoid nonunions of the waist or proximal pole. It employs a thin cortical strut from the volar distal radius to maintain correction of the humpback deformity, non-vascularized cancellous bone graft to aid in healing, followed by a headless compression screw. It has been demonstrated to give high rates of union and correction of carpal malalignment.
Sociocultural determinants of substance misuse among adult Latinas of Caribbean and South and Central American descent: A longitudinal study of a community-based sample.

Few studies have examined the socio-cultural determinants of alcohol and drug misuse trajectories among adult Latinas. To assess the associations between socio-cultural determinants and alcohol and drug misuse, we used a longitudinal design to follow a sample of adult Latina mother-daughter-dyads (N = 267) for ten years, and collected four waves of data. They were adult Latinas of Caribbean, South and Central American descent. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of the following factors: (1) Individual Determinants (e.g., socioeconomic conditions, mental health, and medical status); (2) Cultural Determinants (e.g., acculturation to US culture); (3) Interpersonal Determinants (e.g., interpersonal support, relationship stress, mother-daughter attachment, intimate partner violence); (4) Community Determinants (e.g., neighborhood related stress); and (5) Institutional Determinants (e.g., religious involvement, involvement with the criminal justice system). Using hierarchical modeling, we found that taking prescribed medication on a regular basis for a physical problem, religious involvement, and mother-daughter attachment were negatively associated with drug misuse, while involvement in criminal activity was positively associated with drug misuse. Regarding alcohol misuse, results showed that age at arrival in the United States, number of years in the United States, and religious involvement were negatively associated with alcohol misuse, while involvement in criminal activity was positively associated with alcohol misuse. Based on our findings, explicit implications are provided for culturally relevant interventions.
The Open Economy

One of the oldest propositions in economics is that unrestricted international trade is beneficial to all participating countries1. Indeed, it has been argued in the Heckscher-Ohlin theory that trade is a partial substitute for international mobility of labour and capital and under very restrictive assumptions it has been shown that factor prices (wage rates and the rate of profit) will become equal in all countries under a free trade regime2. International trade in such conditions acts as a powerful engine of growth, raising real incomes everywhere and narrowing the difference in incomes between rich countries and poor. Trade alone cannot eliminate inter-country differentials in per capita income - that would require a fully open world economy in which labour and capital were free to move without restrictions - but it could go a long way towards reducing world poverty and international inequality. Even under seemingly unrestrictive assumptions it can readily be demonstrated that a country is better off when participating in world trade than under a closed economy.
A LC-MS/MS Method for Quantifying Adenosine, Guanosine and Inosine Nucleotides in Human Cells

Purpose To develop and validate a method for the simultaneous measurement of adenosine, guanosine, and inosine derived from mono (MP) and triphosphate (TP) forms in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), red blood cells (RBCs) and dried blood spots (DBS).
SPET Scan Abnormalities in Epileptic Aphasia

SPET scans, using Tc-exametezime, EEG and MRI were evaluated in 25 children with language deficits associated with epilepsy treated at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK.
Abstract 159: Comparing Blood Pressure Control in Diabetic vs Non-Diabetic Veterans following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BackgroundAs per the US Joint National Committee VII (JNC-7) recommendations, patients with known underlying coronary artery disease and diabetes should have goal blood pressures (BP) of systolic (...
Retinoid-Related Orphan Receptor β and Transcriptional Control of Neuronal Differentiation

The ability to generate neuronal diversity is central to the function of the nervous system. Here we discuss the key neurodevelopmental roles of retinoid-related orphan receptor β (RORβ) encoded by the Rorb (Nr1f2) gene. Recent studies have reported loss of function of the human RORB gene in cases of familial epilepsy and intellectual disability. Principal sites of expression of the Rorb gene in model species include sensory organs, the spinal cord, and brain regions that process sensory and circadian information. Genetic analyses in mice have indicated functions in circadian behavior, vision, and, at the cellular level, the differentiation of specific neuronal cell types. Studies in the retina and sensory areas of the cerebral cortex suggest that this orphan nuclear receptor acts at decisive steps in transcriptional hierarchies that determine neuronal diversity.
Poor Safety and Tolerability Hamper Reaching a Potentially Therapeutic Dose in the Use of Thalidomide for Alzheimer’s Disease: Results from a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Introduction: To date there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). After amyloid beta immunotherapies have failed to meet primary endpoints of slowing cognitive decline in AD subjects, the inhibition of the beta-secretase BACE1 appears as a promising therapeutic approach. Pre-clinical data obtained in APP23 mice suggested that the anti-cancer drug thalidomide decreases brainBACE1 and Aβ levels. This prompted us to develop an NIH-supported Phase IIa clinical trial to test the potential of thalidomide for AD. We hypothesized that thalidomide can decrease or stabilize brain amyloid deposits, which would result in slower cognitive decline in drug- versus placebo-treated subjects. Methods: This was a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study with escalating dose regimen of thalidomide with a target dose of 400mg daily in patients with mild to moderate AD. The primary outcome measures were tolerability and cognitive performance assessed by a battery of tests. Results: A total of 185 subjects have been pre-screened, out of which25 were randomized. Mean age of the sample at baseline was 73.64 (±7.20) years; mean education was 14.24 (±2.3) years; mean MMSE score was 21.00 (±5.32); and mean GDS score was 2.76 (±2.28).Among the 25 participants, 14 (56%) terminated early due to adverse events, dramatically decreasing the power of the study. In addition, those who completed the study (44%) never reached the estimated therapeutic dose of 400 mg/day thalidomide because of reported adverse events. The cognitive data showed no difference between the treated and placebo groups at the end of the trial. Conclusion: This study demonstrates AD patients have poor tolerability for thalidomide, and are unable to reach a therapeutic dose felt to be sufficient to have effects on BACE1. Because of poor tolerability, this study failed to demonstrate a beneficial effect on cognition.
Community-Acquired Viral Infections

Viral infections encountered in the outpatient setting incur substantial morbidity and mortality. Commonly encountered viruses causing clinically significant infections in this setting include two herpes viruses: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Varicella zoster virus (VZV), and two viruses causing respiratory infections: Influ-enza and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The purpose of this chapter is to review the clinical syndromes and treatment op-tions for these viruses and the implications of antiviral resistance to their treatment.
Putting Interns in Contact with the Community

Abstract The changing health care environment challenges educators to expand learning opportunities into the community and to place primary focus on prevention and rehabilitation. A community project, which has proven to be very valuable, is the family surveillance project. The purpose of this project is to get students involved with typical public health clients and familiar with the agencies/programs. Working with community affiliates, families are identified, screened, and assigned to students for a semester. During the student's first home visit, they complete a demographic questionnaire, a household description, a domicile description, a health habits questionnaire, a pantry survey and a listing of current program(s) participation. Subsequent visits are made to become more familiar with the family, refine evaluations of the family's needs, provide nutrition education, and monitor changes that may affect needs. Students keep a log of their visits and turn this in at the end of the semester as part of a report describing their assessments, the results of their assistance, and recommendations for future programs. In addition, the students present an oral report for class discussion. The nutrition care process model is used as the basis for the oral reports and targets the development of the student's clinical reasoning skills. Students' understanding of the programs available to clients has vastly improved. Rather than merely repeating definitions and acronyms, students can now discuss the strengths and shortcomings of the programs, assess unmet client needs, and make recommendations for new programs or changes to existing ones. Exit evaluations with students after completion of the internship have been 100% in favor of continuing the project. It has proven to be a real "eye opener" for them and given them a new respect for their clients.
Human lymphocyte hybridomas and monoclonal antibodies.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the accumulating data concerning human monoclonal antibodies and hybridomas. The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) selectively infects human B lymphocytes that have the CR2 complement receptor on the plasma membrane. Human and marmoset cell lines have been established that spontaneously release infectious viral particles into the culture medium. The addition of EBV-containing supernatants to human B lymphocytes induces cell division and transformation. The EBV-transformed B lymphocytes express the EB nuclear antigen (EBNA), as detected by anticomplement immunofluorescence. The infected cells grow indefinitely in medium lacking exogenous growth factors. Depending on the cell line, EBV transformed human lymphoblasts release immunoglobulins such as IgM, IgG, or IgA into the culture medium. Because EBV-infected B lymphocytes are polyclonal, they must be cloned early to preserve specific antibody production. The hybridoma antibodies may be prepared in unlimited quantities. They bind to antigen uniformly and reproducibly and can mediate a diverse array of biological activities. Murine hybridorna antibodies have provided crucial information concerning immunoglobulin genetics, and immune regulation. The hybridoma reagents have helped elucidate the structure and function of cell membrane components, lymphokines, enzymes, and many trace proteins. For in vivo therapeutic purposes, human monoclonal antibodies should be much superior to mouse immunoglobulins. The chapter emphasizes the special problems that necessarily accompany experiments with people. An attempt has been made to outline possible future directions of human monoclonal antibody research and development.
Intraventricular recurrence of a craniopharyngioma: case report

Craniopharyngiomas frequently recur locally or less commonly along the path of prior resection. Ectopic recurrence is rare, although cases are reported along the neuraxis spanning from the subgaleal space down to the S1 nerve root. This case reports on a girl with a history of craniopharyngioma first resected at 23 months of age with two local suprasellar recurrences managed with repeat craniotomy and external beam radiation therapy. At age 14 she complained of worsening headaches and brain MRI demonstrated an enhancing 1.2-cm cystic lesion in the posterior body of the left lateral ventricle. Pathology following endoscopic resection of the lesion was consistent with an adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. This case report serves to describe the first reported recurrence of a craniopharyngioma in the lateral ventricle and emphasizes the need for a high index of suspicion along with long-term follow-up of patients with a history of craniopharyngioma.
Percutaneous Computed Tomography-Guided Radiotracer-Assisted Localization of Difficult Pulmonary Nodules in Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery.

Abstract Objective: To report our institutional experience with radiotracer-assisted localization of lung nodules (RALN) in combination with uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS). ...
Socially Responsible Investing: A Critical Appraisal

This paper makes three important points regarding socially responsible investing. First, the current methodology involving SRI fund divestiture of the securities of firms that engage in socially irresponsible activity often results in unacceptable unintended consequences. Second, in many cases the proper methodolgy for SRI funds may be purposely to include the securities of such firms in the portfolio in an effort to internalize socially irresponsible interfirm spillovers. Finally, that SRI fund managers may be able to bond their performance by organizing as closed-end funds subject to takeover and liquidation if the stated socially responsible objectives are not met.
Bourdieu’s capital and insurgent group resilience:a field-theoretic approach to the polisario front

The conflict between the rebel group, the Polisario Front, and the Kingdom of Morocco is nearing its 43rd year. Though under-reported, the conflict itself garners attention for the resilience – som...
Impedance-Based Detection of Bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria have always posed one of the most serious threats to public health, and continue to be especially dangerous with the rise in antibiotic resistance. The prevalence of these infectious agents necessitates rapid, point-of-care sensors for their detection, identification, and monitoring. Electrochemical sensors are promising for the low-cost monitoring of bacterial growth and the detection of specific microbial species due to the consistency and ease-of-use of impedance measurements. Though the commercialization of these sensors is currently limited, they offer significant promise for detecting pathogens from real-world environments.
Autism: A late-20th-century fad magnet.

This chapter focuses on the contrast between ethical positions set forth in publications within the field, and more typical perspectives in society and among ethicists with respect to how and on what basis conduct is judged to be ethical or unethical. It considers the manner in which an ethics code is characteristic of a profession. The chapter argues that Van Houten et al'. s position does not include a systematic and broader analysis of what ethics are, and how they might apply to treatment of children or adults with autism or other developmental disabilities or other members of society. The American Psychological Association (APA) promulgates ethical standards for its members. These ethical standards include competence, integrity, professional and scientific responsibility, concern for others' welfare, and social responsibility. In addition to broad and aspirational ethical standards, the APA also promulgates specific ethical standards that prohibit or require certain specific actions from psychologists.
A surprising rediscovery and description of a new species of Soyedina Ricker, 1952 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

Soyedina parkeri sp. nov. (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) is described from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. This species was recognized as new over 15 years ago by the junior authors but had yet to be formally described until now. Soyedina parkeri sp. nov. appears closely-related only to S. sheldoni Grubbs & Baumann, 2019 due to shared characteristics of the scle­rotized inner member of the epiproct. Soyedina parkeri sp. nov. can be readily separated from all other nine species of eastern Nearctic Soyedina by the broadly rounded apical portion of the outer paraproct lobe.Key words: Plecoptera, Nemouridae, Soyedina, new species, Nearctic, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Chapter 7 – Optimum Design with MATLAB®

An introduction to the MATLAB’s Optimization Toolbox is presented. Various functions available in MATLAB to solve unconstrained and constrained optimization problems are explained. Use of some of the optimization functions is demonstrated on sample unconstrained and constrained optimization problems. Then three practical design problems are formulated as optimization problems and solved using MATLAB functions. These include: maximum shear stress for two spherical bodies in contact, column design for minimum mass and flywheel design for minimum mass. MATLAB’s input and output files are given and discussed.
Polymorphic circuit generation using random boolean logic expansion

Securing applications on untrusted platforms can involve protection against legitimate end-users who act in the role of malicious reverse engineers and hackers. Such adversaries have access to the full execution environment of programs, whether the program comes in the form of software or hardware. In this paper, we consider the nature of obfuscating algorithms that perform iterative, step-wise transformation of programs into more complex forms that are intended to increase the complexity (time, resources) for malicious reverse engineers. We consider simple Boolean logic programs as the domain of interest and examine a specific transformation technique known as iterative sub-circuit selection and replacement (ISR), which represents a practical, syntactic approach for obfuscation. Specifically, we focus on improving the security of ISR by maximizing the flexibility and potential security of the replacement step of the algorithm which can be formulated in the following question: given a selection of Boolean logic gates (i.e., a sub-circuit), how can we produce a semantically equivalent (polymorphic) version of the sub-circuit such that the distribution of potential replacements represents a random, uniform distribution from the set of all possible replacements. This practical question is related to the theoretic study of indistinguishability obfuscation, where a transformer for a class of circuits guarantees that given any two semantically equivalent circuits from the class, the distribution of variants from their obfuscation are computationally indistinguishable. Ideally, polymorphic circuits that follow a random, uniform distribution provide stronger protection against malicious analyzers that target identification of distinct patterns as a basis for deobfuscation and simplification. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach for polymorphic circuit replacement called random Boolean logic expansion (RBLE), which applies Boolean logic laws (of reduction) in reverse. We compare this approach against another proposed method of polymorphic replacement that relies on static circuit libraries. As a contribution, we show the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, examine initial results from empirical studies to estimate the uniformity of polymorphic distributions, and provide the argument for how such algorithms can be readily applied in software contexts. RBLE provides a unique method to generate polymorphic variants of arbitrary input, output, and gate size. We report initial findings for studying variants produced by this method and, from empirical evaluation, show that RBLE has promise for generating distributions of unique, uniform circuits when size is unconstrained, but for targeted size distributions, the approach requires some adjustment in order to reach potential circuit variants.
Factors associated with CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients after antiretroviral therapy

Objective To investigate the factors associated with CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients after antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods The data of 1 188 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS patients from the national ART reporting system in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The rate of CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization after ART was calculated by lifetable. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the factors associated with CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte normalization in AIDS patients after ART. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison between groups. Results The follow-up time was 3.8 (1.0-10.8) years. CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization was documented in 95 patients with the rate of 1.89 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval(CI) 1.52-2.27) after ART. The average time from ART to CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalized was 9.4 years. The cumulative normalization rate was 0.02 for the first year, 0.06 for the third year, 0.11 for the fifth year, 0.19 for the seventh year and 0.37 for the ninth year. By Cox proportional hazard models, the probability of CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization in patients infected HIV by heterosexual contacts was 3.709 (95%CI 1.781-7.726) times higher than those by intravenous injection. The probability of CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization in patients with baseline CD4+ T lymphocytes of 350-499 and more than 500 cell/μL groups were 2.792 (95%CI 1.196-6.519) and 3.832 (95%CI 1.648-8.913) times higher than those with baseline CD4+ T lymphocytes less than 200 cell/μL, respectively. The probability of normalization after ART in patients with higher baseline CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio was higher than those with baseline CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio≤ 0.20 (hazard ratio>1, all P<0.01). Conclusion The CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio normalization in AIDS patients after ART is associated with baseline CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, baseline CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio and HIV transmission mode. Key words: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; CD4-positive T-lymphocytes; CD8-positive T-lymphocytes; Antiretroviral therapy; Influencing factors
Hypersensitivity reactions with allopurinol versus febuxostat in the US elderly. Response to: 'Confunding by indication and ethnicity difference? Comment on 'Hypersensitivity reactions with allopurinol and febuxostat: a study using the Medicare claims data'' by Hsu et al.

We appreciate the comments by Drs Wei and Hsu1 on our recently published study on hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) with allopurinol versus febuxostat.2 Drs Wei and Hsu bring up an important point of confounding by indication in all observational studies including those focused on pharmacovigilance. We agree that this potential bias applies to all observational studies of HSRs with allopurinol performed to date and to those that will be done in the future. By using a propensity-matched analysis, we tried to minimise the bias due to confounding by indication. Despite having similar populations and key …
Characterization of the Bile Acid Transport System in Normal and Transformed Hepatocytes Using Monoclonal Antibodies

The identification of the bile acid carrier protein in hepatocyte sinusoidal plasma membranes has been the subject of numerous investigations (von Dippe et al. 1983ab; Kramer et al. 1982; Ziegler et al. 1984a). Two proteins (49 and 54 kDa) have been identified as possible candidates for this transport system utilizing the techniques of chemical and photoaffinity labeling with reactive bile acid derivatives. Liposome reconstitution studies using a membrane fraction enriched in components of 4-54 kDa resulted in proteoliposomes which mediated bile acid transport in a Na+-dependent fashion, indicating that one or more of the isolated membrane components exhibited functional properties consistent with this transport system (von Dippe et al. 1986). Additional evidence to suggest that one of these membrane components was the transporter was obtained using the anion transport inhibitor 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2, 2′disulfonic acid (DIDS) which also labeled hepatocyte plasma membrane proteins of 49 and 54 kDa (von Dippe et al. 1988; Ziegler et al. 1984b). The above studies however, have not unequivocally established the identity of the Na+-dependent bile acid transport protein. The characterization of several membrane transport systems has been greatly assisted using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.
Mentorship and Training to Increase Diversity of Researchers and Practitioners in the Field of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Scoping Review of Program Characteristics:

Objectives: Diversity is needed within the aging and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) research and practice workforce to comprehensively address health inequities faced by underrepresented minority (URM) older adults. We conducted a scoping review of training programs designed to diversify the pool of researchers and practitioners in the field of aging and ADRD. Methods: Online database searches yielded 3976 articles published from 1999 to 2019. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: All programs were from the United States and included URM populations. Nine programs included students, one targeted university faculty, and four targeted clinical staff. Only five programs were guided by theory. Discussion: Our review identified URMs' desire for culturally diverse and representative mentorship, the need for career development support at various training stages, and the importance of incorporating theory to program design. It also identified key characteristics for future program development, creation of systematic evaluation standards, and opportunities for promotion.
Parkinson's disease progression in the substantia nigra: location, location, location.

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Spatiotemporal changes in substantia nigra neuromelanin content in Parkinson’s disease’, by Biondetti et al. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awaa216
Tolerability and efficacy of two doses of aerosolized albuterol in ventilated infants with BPD: A randomized controlled crossover trial.

RATIONALE Aerosolized albuterol is widely used, but its tolerability and efficacy in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) is not well established. OBJECTIVES To compare the tolerability and efficacy of two dose levels of aerosolized albuterol to saline placebo in infants with sBPD. METHODS Single-center, multiple-crossover trial in 24 ventilated very preterm infants with sBPD. Albuterol (1.25 mg, 2.5 mg) and 3 ml of normal saline were administered every 4 h during separate 24-h treatment periods assigned in random order with a 6-h washout phase between periods. The primary outcome was the absolute change (post and pretherapy) in expiratory flow at 75% of exhalation (EF75). Secondary endpoints were changes in ventilator parameters, vital signs, and heart arrhythmia. RESULTS Average within subject EF75 values improved with each therapy: saline placebo ( + 0.45 L/min ± 2.5, p = .04), 1.25 mg of albuterol ( + 0.70 L/min ± 2.4, p < .001), and 2.5 mg of albuterol ( + 0.38 L/min ± 2.4, p = .06). However, 1.25 mg of albuterol (0.26 L/min; 95% CI -0.19, 0.72) and 2.5 mg (-0.10 L/min; 95% CI -0.77, 0.57) produced similar changes in EF75 when compared to saline. All secondary outcomes were similar between saline and 1.25 mg of albuterol. Peak inspiratory pressure needed to deliver goal tidal volumes (7.5% relative decrease, 95% CI 2.6, 12.3) and heart rate (6.5% increase, 95% CI 2.2, 10.8) differed significantly between albuterol 2.5 mg and saline. CONCLUSION Albuterol at 1.25 mg and 2.5 mg, compared to aerosolized saline, did not affect EF75 in infants with sBPD receiving invasive ventilation. Greater improvement in peak inspiratory pressures with albuterol 2.5 mg suggests benefit, but close heart monitoring may be indicated.
General Relativistic Simulations of Stellar Core Collapse and Postbounce Evolution with Boltzmann Neutrino Transport

We present self-consistent general relativistic simulations of stellar core collapse, bounce, and postbounce evolution for 13, 15, and 20 solar mass progenitors in spherical symmetry. Our simulations implement three-flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport and standard nuclear physics. The results are compared to our corresponding simulations with Newtonian hydrodynamics and O(v/c) Boltzmann transport.
136 Targeting MET with chimeric antigen receptor T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. While HBV/HCV infection is the primary cause of HCC, overexpression of MET, the receptor of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), occurs in 50% HCC patients, and is an indicator of poor prognosis. Although the multi-target MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib is FDA approved for treating advanced HCC, the long-term efficacy versus toxicity remains unknown. Our study is to develop specific MET-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells for treating HCC with MET overexpression. Methods Based on a well-established anti-MET monoclonal antibody, we synthesized and cloned the single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) sequence into two retroviral based 2nd generation CAR vectors (MET-CAR.CD28.ζ. and MET-CAR.4-1BB.ζ.). A MET-CAR without CD3ζ domain (MET-CARΔ) served as a negative control. To produce MET-CAR-T cells, healthy PBMCs were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies in the presence of IL-7/IL-15 followed by transduction with MET-CAR viral particles. T cell transduction efficacy was determined using flow cytometry. HCC cell lines with variable MET expression from high/positive (MHCC97H, C3A, and JHH5) to MET low/negative (SNU398) were used to determine MET-specific CAR T cells specificity and effector function using MTS assay. We also collected media from the tumor-T cell co-cultures and determined IL-2 and IFNγ secretion using ELISA. Finally, real-time confocal imaging (24 h) was performed to record the progress of MET-CAR T cell mediated killing activity against MHCC97H/mCherry cells. Results We show that both MET-CAR.CD28.ζ and MET-CAR.4-1BB.ζ -T cells significantly killed MHCC97H, C3A, and JHH5 cells in antigen dependent manner. MET-CAR T cell killing is MET dependent as we observed no killing of MET-negative SNU398 cells. In addition, MET-CAR.4-1BB.ζ and MET-CAR.CD28.ζ- T cells secreted IL-2 and IFNγ when co-cultured with MHCC97H, C3A, JHH5 cells, but not SNU398. Confocal imaging studies showed that both MET-specific CAR T cells migrated toward MHCC97H/mCherry cells, formed aggregations, and induced tumor cell death, while MET-CARΔ T cells failed to do so. Conclusions Here we demonstrate that MET-CAR.4-1BB.ζ and MET-CAR.CD28.ζ- T cells specifically recognize and kill MET-positive HCC cells in vitro. While animal studies are required to validate the efficacy in vivo, our study has produced a novel therapeutic CAR T cell target for treating malignant HCC and other type of cancers with MET overexpression. Acknowledgements This independent research was supported by the Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Program in Liver Disease- The Americas, and Department of Defense (DoD) Ideal Award (to QX) Ethics Approval The study was approved by East Tennessee State University’s Ethics Board, approval number #0619.3s.