cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stringent comparative sequence analysis reveals SOX10 as a putative inhibitor of glial cell differentiation

The transcription factor SOX10 is essential for all stages of Schwann cell development including myelination. SOX10 cooperates with other transcription factors to activate the expression of key myelin genes in Schwann cells and is therefore a context-dependent, pro-myelination transcription factor. As such, the identification of genes regulated by SOX10 will provide insight into Schwann cell biology and related diseases. While genome-wide studies have successfully revealed SOX10 target genes, these efforts mainly focused on myelinating stages of Schwann cell development. We propose that less-biased approaches will reveal novel functions of SOX10 outside of myelination. We developed a stringent, computational-based screen for genome-wide identification of SOX10 response elements. Experimental validation of a pilot set of predicted binding sites in multiple systems revealed that SOX10 directly regulates a previously unreported alternative promoter at SOX6, which encodes a transcription factor that inhibits glial cell differentiation. We further explored the utility of our computational approach by combining it with DNase-seq analysis in cultured Schwann cells and previously published SOX10 ChIP-seq data from rat sciatic nerve. Remarkably, this analysis enriched for genomic segments that map to loci involved in the negative regulation of gliogenesis including SOX5, SOX6, NOTCH1, HMGA2, HES1, MYCN, ID4, and ID2. Functional studies in Schwann cells revealed that: (1) all eight loci are expressed prior to myelination and down-regulated subsequent to myelination; (2) seven of the eight loci harbor validated SOX10 binding sites; and (3) seven of the eight loci are down-regulated upon repressing SOX10 function. Our computational strategy revealed a putative novel function for SOX10 in Schwann cells, which suggests a model where SOX10 activates the expression of genes that inhibit myelination during non-myelinating stages of Schwann cell development. Importantly, the computational and functional datasets we present here will be valuable for the study of transcriptional regulation, SOX protein function, and glial cell biology.
Characterization of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Therapy Initiation in High-Risk Patients With Heart Failure

Background—Heart failure guidelines recommend routine monitoring of serum potassium, and renal function in patients treated with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA). How these recommendat...
Immunological Mechanisms of Airway Diseases and Pathways to Therapy

Abstract Disorders associated with airway inflammation arise through the activation of diverse immunological mechanisms: in most instances, these are initiated through exposure to distinct environmental agents. These conditions involve both the upper and lower airways and include some of the most common of all human illnesses, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and emphysema. A common feature of all inflammatory airway disorders is airway obstruction, and therapies typically aim to relieve airway obstruction and suppress inflammation. The allergic airway diseases may be linked to infections caused by viruses and fungi, suggesting that antimicrobial therapy may be an important treatment option. Future treatments for all inflammatory airway diseases are likely to focus on blocking key immune developmental pathways involving T-helper 1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17 cells.
Strain accumulation near the epicenters of the 1978 Bishop and 1980 Mammoth Lakes, California, earthquakes

abstract The Bishop, California, earthquake ( M L = 5.8) of 4 October 1978 occurred virtually beneath one of the stations in a trilateration network used by the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor strain accumulation in northern Owens Valley. Subsequently (late May 1980), three earthquakes ( M L = 6.0, 6.3, and 6.0), the Mammoth Lakes sequence, occurred on the edge of the trilateration network 10 to 20 km from the Bishop earthquake epicenter. The deformation of the network observed in the epoch 1976 to mid-1979 was not significantly different from that observed in the epoch 1973 to 1976. Thus, the Bishop earthquake itself did not produce a measurable deformation, nor was anomalous deformation detected prior to the Mammoth Lakes earthquakes. The deformation of the trilateration network between July 1979 and September 1980 indicates significant extension (50 mm in 25 km) in the direction N65°E, essentially perpendicular to the alignment of the epicenters of the Mammoth Lakes earthquakes. This deformation suggests normal faulting, whereas the preliminary nodal-plane solutions seem to require left-lateral slip. Secular strain accumulation was detected in northern Owens Valley (latitude 37°15′ to 37°45′) in the 1972 to 1979 interval. The principal strain rates with standard deviations were 0.08 ± 0.02 μstrain/a N83°E ± 15° and 0.02 ± 0.02 μstrain/a N07°W ± 15°, extension reckoned positive. The observed strain accumulation is consistent with normal faulting along the Sierra escarpment in Owens Valley north of Bishop. This accumulation appears to contrast with southern Owens Valley where strain accumulation is primarily right-lateral shear acorss the axis of the valley.
Diseases and Mortalities of Fishes and Other Animals In the Gulf of Mexico

Most mortality results from natural causes including red tide which is primarily restricted to West Florida and cold-kills that have greater influence in the warmer regions of South Texas and South Florida, but also kill a significant amount of fish and other animals in the northern Gulf. With the exception of red tide and other harmful algal blooms, the health of the Gulf has not been systematically studied. Mexico has only recently started to evaluate the health of its coastlines. Mortalities of marine animals, particularly fishes, in the Gulf caused by natural and anthropogenic events seem to interact with infectious disease agents and noninfectious diseases, but the mortalities are often attributed to the disease agents alone. “Events” that cause mortalities include eutrophication; hypoxia; algal blooms; temperature, salinity, and weather extremes; and chemical and sediment pollution. “Diseases” include those caused by infectious agents, parasites, neoplasms, and developmental abnormalities. Interactions of the effects of diseases and stressful events are considered important but little investigated.
A New Focus on Nonprofit ­Entrepreneurship Research: Highlighting the Need and Relevance of Nascent Stage Inquiry

One distinctive contribution nonprofit entrepreneurship research brings to the broader domain of nonprofit studies is an explicit focus on the process of new nonprofit organizational emergence. This article asserts that in order for nonprofit entrepreneurship scholarship to continue to evolve, it is necessary to focus more on what happens before a new nonprofit is formally founded, during the so-called nascent phase. Using conceptual as well as empirically derived arguments, this article illuminates why nascent nonprofit research is necessary and valuable to nonprofit entrepreneurship scholarship and highlights promising areas for future research.
The Misfortune of the Deductions for Business and Personal Casualty Losses

Losses suffered on an individual’s personal property generally are not deductible. One exception to this rule applies when “such losses arise from fire, storm, shipwreck, or other casualty, or from theft.” The principal issue that arises is determining the meaning of the term “other casualty.” Taking what they deemed to be the common elements in the three explicitly identified casualties, the courts and the Internal Revenue Service determined that an event will qualify as an “other casualty” only if it is “sudden, unusual and unexpected.” This current definition of “other casualty” does not support the appropriate purpose of that provision. Applying this incorrect standard leads to unfair results in that the courts and Service disallow deductions for some losses that should be deductible. Instead, courts and the Service should look to the purpose of allowing a casualty and theft loss deduction. The key issues are whether a loss of property as a result of an outside force constitutes a personal consumption and whether the event causing the loss is one that is part of the ordinary vicissitudes of life. If not, allowing a deduction complies with the congressional purposes for allowing one. While most scholarship concerning the casualty and theft loss deduction is on personal losses, the definition of “other casualty” can be important to business and investment losses as well. The determination that a business or investment loss did or did not occur as a result of a casualty can affect the timing and characterization of the deduction of that loss. Whatever definition is adopted for personal losses purpose should not be used to determine the timing and realization of a business or investment loss because the role of the casualty characterization in applying the realization requirement is very different. There has been little, if any, commentary on those issues and a major contribution of this piece is to shed light on them.
Marital Engagement/Disengagement, Social Networks, and Mental Health

The general relationship between marital status and health is well documented in the research literature. Married individuals tend to exhibit less psychological distress than the unmarried (Bloom, Asher, & White, 1978; Ensel, 1986a; Menaghan & Lieberman, 1986; Pearlin & Johnson, 1977). The married are also shown to be less physically vulnerable. For example, disease morbidity and disability data show the nonmarried to be at higher risk (Bloom, Asher, & White, 1978; Verbrugge, 1979). For both blacks and whites, the married enjoy lower mortality rates than those who are nonmarried (Berkman & Syme, 1979; Bloom, Asher, & White, 1978). The married also have lower rates of utilization of health care facilities such as contact with physicians, admission to general and psychiatric hospitals and the use of clinics (Riessman & Gerstel, 1985; Spanier & Thompson, 1984). Further, marital disengagement, through separation, divorce, or death of the spouse, is detrimental to one’s mental health (Henderson & Argyle, 1985; Leslie & Grady, 1985; Wilcox, 1981).
The structure and dynamics of information sharing networks

Information flows are produced, carried, and directed by information sharing networks. The evolution of the structure of such networks and the way information diffuses are affected by one another. This thesis studies structural features of information networks and their relationships with information diffusion. It starts with the robustness study of topological features when the datasets are sampled from networks that are rapidly evolving, as is the case in large-scale online blog networks. The features of blog networks are found to be stable upon aggregation with comprehensive data sets, even as individual network ties are highly intermittent. Another salient structural feature of such networks is that a small number of vertices play a disproportionately important role through their position and connectivity. In several online information networks studied in this thesis, one can construct subgraphs of vertices according to different importance measures, while consistently preserving their attributes such as connectivity and shortest paths in the original networks. In this thesis, we further show that a special set of edges, strong ties, percolate through online social networks. Networks of strong ties do not break up into isolated communities, nor are their average shortest paths lengthened significantly. After examining the structural features that will potentially affect the flow of information, this thesis further examines the actual relationship between structure and information diffusion. A thorough analysis based on citation networks indicates that information is less likely to flow across community boundaries, and a publication's citing across disciplines is tied to its subsequent impact. In the case of patents and natural science publications, those that are cited at least once are cited slightly more when they draw on research outside of their area. This thesis also studies information diffusion in online communities. We investigate the information diffusion curves that reveal the patterns of user behavior in joining groups, and analyze the feature factors associated with users or groups that influence such behavior. Bipartite Markov Random Field (BiMRF) models are built to help understand the relationships of these features, as well as the differences in their impact in different types of online forums.
Peroxisomal Membrane Enzymes

Peroxisomes are enclosed by a single membrane that separates the contents of the organelles from the cytosol and defines them as distinct intracellular entities. This membrane appears to be indiscriminately porous under some conditions while in other situations the membrane is more restrictive and can maintain a pH gradient. The understanding of the functions of this organelle requires knowledge of the properties and enzymatic activities of its membrane. This membrane has a variety of integral proteins that consume NADH and conduct activities that generate superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, as well as activities that participate in ascorbate metabolism. There are two types of peroxide scavengers, ascorbate peroxidase and thiol peroxidase, in the peroxisomal membranes of plants, yeasts, and mammalian cells. In addition, some of the membrane proteins orchestrate the utilization of ATP and GTP to promote protein import and lipid processing in ways that are not well understood. Lipid metabolism in glyoxysomes of seeds and cotyledons involves the passage of fatty acids through the membranes. The resulting gluconeogenic intermediates must exit from the organelles. Likewise, photorespiratory metabolism in leaf peroxisomes requires that metabolites be transported through the membrane. The entry and egress of some metabolites may be throught a pore-forming protein, porin, which may be responsible for variations in membrane permeability.
Options for refractive index and viscosity matching to study variable density flows

Variable density flows are often studied by mixing two miscible aqueous solutions of different densities. To perform optical diagnostics in such environments, the refractive index of the fluids must be matched, which can be achieved by carefully choosing the two solutes and the concentration of the solutions. To separate the effects of buoyancy forces and viscosity variations, it is desirable to match the viscosity of the two solutions in addition to their refractive index. In this manuscript, several pairs of index matched fluids are compared in terms of viscosity matching, monetary cost, and practical use. Two fluid pairs are studied in detail, with two aqueous solutions (binary solutions of water and a salt or alcohol) mixed into a ternary solution. In each case: an aqueous solution of isopropanol mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) and an aqueous solution of glycerol mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate ( $$\hbox {Na}_2\hbox {SO}_4$$ ). The first fluid pair allows reaching high-density differences at low cost, but brings a large difference in dynamic viscosity. The second allows matching dynamic viscosity and refractive index simultaneously, at reasonable cost. For each of these four solutes, the density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index are measured versus concentration and temperature, as well as wavelength for the refractive index. To investigate non-linear effects when two index-matched, binary solutions are mixed, the ternary solutions formed are also analyzed. Results show that density and refractive index follow a linear variation with concentration. However, the viscosity of the isopropanol and NaCl pair deviates from the linear law and has to be considered. Empirical correlations and their coefficients are given to create index-matched fluids at a chosen temperature and wavelength. Finally, the effectiveness of the refractive index matching is illustrated with particle image velocimetry measurements performed for a buoyant jet in a linearly stratified environment. The creation of the index-matched solutions and linear stratification in a large-scale experimental facility are detailed, as well as the practical challenges to obtain precise refractive index matching.
The Need for Economy: Poetic Identity and Trade in Gower’s Confessio Amantis

This chapter interrogates the Trump of Death scene in Book I of John Gower’s Confessio Amantis, to show how the pilgrims of that tale are defined not by their religious affiliation, nor their age, but by their economic status, which is juxtaposed with the King’s nobility (or prosperity) in order to define that regal authority. The chapter compares the use of economic issues in the tale to the narrator’s use of such rhetoric in his own dealings with Richard II in the so-called patronage scene in the Prologue to the Ricardian recensions of the poem. In this scene, Gower constructs his own poetic identity vis-a-vis language similar to what we see in the Trump of Death construction of regal authority.
Brain Shift Modeling for Use in Neurosurgery

Surgical navigation systems are used intraoperatively to help the surgeon to ascertain her or his position and to guide tools within the patient frame with respect to registered structures of interest in the preoperative images. However, these systems are subject to inaccuracy caused by intraoperative brain movement (brain shift) since they assume that the intracranial structures are rigid. Experiments show brain shifts of up to several millimeters, making it the cause of the dominant error in those systems. We propose a method for reducing this error based on a dynamic brain model. The initial model state is obtained from preoperative data. The brain tissue is modeled as a homogeneous linear visco-elastic material, although the model allows for setting the tissue properties locally. Gravity draws the brain downwards which in turn interacts with the skull and other surrounding structures. The simulation results are presented both for a 2D model (the mid-sagittal slice) and a 3D model. The results show the time evolution of the brain deformation. The complete 3D validation of the simulated brain deformation is a rather complicated task and is currently in progress within our laboratory, but a procedure is proposed for updating the model in time by one or more of several intraoperative measurements.
7 Reasons to Abandon the Secure Communities Program

Secure Communities is a program launched by the federal government to improve the efficiency of interior immigration enforcement and to enhance the capacity for targeting deportable individuals with criminal convictions, referred to as “criminal aliens.” In particular, Secure Communities provides a system that automatically transmits and checks fingerprints against the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), which contains information on known immigration violators, known and suspected terrorists, and “criminal aliens,” among others. A fingerprint match prompts Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to investigate, determine the individual’s immigration status, and forward their conclusion to the relevant ICE field office. If ICE decides to take action, a detainer is issued to the law enforcement agency requesting that the individual be detained for up to 48 hours so that ICE can assume custody.Research has found that Secure Communities does not increase public safety, as predicted. Given a lack of effectiveness, should Secure Communities be abandoned? My answer is unequivocally “yes.” In this essay, I offer seven reasons why: (1) The assumptions upon which Secure Communities was founded are flawed; (2) Secure Communities is unnecessary; (3) Secure Communities does not target the right offenders; (4) Local law enforcement officials have not embraced Secure Communities; (5) Secure Communities creates insecure communities; (6) Secure Communities may increase instances of racial profiling and pretextual arrests; and (7) Secure Communities is associated with significant human costs.
Economic impact of outreach athletic trainers on a health system: implications for program growth and sustainability.

Objectives: There are numerous benefits of organized athletics, but there is an inherent risk with competitive participation. The need for proper care for high school and community athletes can be ...
Caenorhabditis elegans as an emerging model system in environmental epigenetics

The roundworm Caenorhabitis elegans has been an established model organism for the study of genetics and developmental biology, including studies of transcriptional regulation, since the 1970s. This model organism has continued to be used as a classical model system as the field of transcriptional regulation has expanded to include scientific advances in epigenetics and chromatin biology. In the last several decades, C. elegans has emerged as a powerful model for environmental toxicology, particularly for the study of chemical genotoxicity. Here, we outline the utility and applicability of C. elegans as a powerful model organism for mechanistic studies of environmental influences on the epigenome. Our goal in this article is to inform the field of environmental epigenetics of the strengths and limitations of the well-established C. elegans model organism as an emerging model for medium-throughput, in vivo exploration of the role of exogenous chemical stimuli in transcriptional regulation, developmental epigenetic reprogramming, and epigenetic memory and inheritance. As the field of environmental epigenetics matures, and research begins to map mechanisms underlying observed associations, new toolkits and model systems, particularly manipulable, scalable in vivo systems that accurately model human transcriptional regulatory circuits, will provide an essential experimental bridge between in vitro biochemical experiments and mammalian model systems. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:560-575, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Methotrexate mechanism in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract Methotrexate has been used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since the 1980s and to this day is often the first line medication for RA treatment. In this review, we examine multiple hypotheses to explain the mechanism of methotrexate efficacy in RA. These include folate antagonism, adenosine signaling, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), decrease in adhesion molecules, alteration of cytokine profiles, and polyamine inhibition amongst some others. Currently, adenosine signaling is probably the most widely accepted explanation for the methotrexate mechanism in RA given that methotrexate increases adenosine levels and on engagement of adenosine with its extracellular receptors an intracellular cascade is activated promoting an overall anti-inflammatory state. In addition to these hypotheses, we examine the mechanism of methotrexate in RA from the perspective of its adverse effects and consider some of the newer genetic markers of methotrexate efficacy and toxicity in RA. Lastly, we briefly discuss the mechanism of additive methotrexate in the setting of TNF-α inhibitor treatment of RA. Ultimately, finding a clear explanation for the pathway and mechanism leading to methotrexate efficacy in RA, there may be a way to formulate more potent therapies with fewer side effects.
Effect of time to treatment on survival in non-small cell lung cancer.

8542Background: Time to treatment onset in newly diagnosed cancer patients is associated with increased patient anxiety and if extensively delayed, could affect patients’ prognosis. However, eviden...
Design and Fabrication of Thin-Film Silicon-Based Selective Solar Absorbers

The efficiency of solar absorbers at capturing heat can be improved dramatically using spectral selectivity. Applying this concept to thin-film silicon increases thermal transfer efficiencies over 60% at 595 °C under moderate solar concentrations.
What’s in a name? “Riot” versus “Disturbance”

This chapter discusses how the Mongkok Riot (MKR) should be labeled as a “riot” verses a "disturbance". After a brief "Introduction", Section I : “Varieties of Definitions” takes issue with how various Hong Kong people (e.g. radical protestors and establishment politicians) came to perceive and later define the MKR.
The role of sexual mindfulness in sexual wellbeing, Relational wellbeing, and self-esteem

In this study we examine the role of sexual mindfulness in individuals’ sexual satisfaction, relational satisfaction, and self-esteem. Midlife U.S. men and women (N = 194 married, heterosexual indi...
Shuffle-Seq: En masse combinatorial encoding for n-way genetic interaction screens

Genetic interactions, defined as the non-additive phenotypic impact of combinations of genes, are a hallmark of the mapping from genotype to phenotype. However, genetic interactions remain challenging to systematically test given the massive number of possible combinations. In particular, while large-scale screening efforts in yeast have quantified pairwise interactions that affect cell viability, or synthetic lethality, between all pairs of genes as well as for a limited number of three-way interactions, it has previously been intractable to perform the large screens needed to comprehensively assess interactions in a mammalian genome. Here, we develop Shuffle-Seq, a scalable method to assay genetic interactions. Shuffle-Seq leverages the co-inheritance of genetically encoded barcodes in dividing cells and can scale in proportion to sequencing throughput. We demonstrate the technical validity of Shuffle-Seq and apply it to screening for mechanisms underlying drug resistance in a melanoma model. Shuffle-Seq should allow screens of hundreds of millions of combinatorial perturbations and facilitate the understanding of genetic dependencies and drug sensitivities.
Composite multi-lobe descriptor for cross spectral face recognition: matching active IR to visible light images

ABSTRACT Matching facial images across electromagnetic spectrum presents a challenging problem in the eld of biometricsand identity management. An example of this problem includes cross spectral matching of active infrared(IR) face images or thermal IR face images against a dataset of visible light images. This paper describes a newoperatornamedComposite Multi-Lobe Descriptor (CMLD) for facialfeatureextractionincrossspectralmatchingof near-infrared (NIR) or short-wave infrared (SWIR) against visible light images. The new operator is inspired bythe design of ordinal measures. The operator combines Gaussian-based multi-lobe kernel functions, Local BinaryPattern (LBP), generalized LBP (GLBP) and Weber Local Descriptor (WLD) and modi es them into multi-lobefunctions with smoothed neighborhoods. The new operator encodes both the magnitude and phase responses ofGabor lters. The combining of LBP and WLD utilizes both the orientation and intensity information of edges.Introduction of multi-lobe functions with smoothed neighborhoods further makes the proposed operator robustagainst noise and poor image quality. Output templates are transformed into histograms and then compared bymeans of a symmetric Kullback-Leibler metric resulting in a matching score. The performance of the multi-lobedescriptor is compared with that of other operators such as LBP, Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG),ordinal measures, and their combinations. The experimental results show that in many cases the proposedmethod, CMLD, outperforms the other operators and their combinations. In addition to di erent infraredspectra, various stando distances from close-up (1.5 m) to intermediate (50 m) and long (106 m) are alsoinvestigated in this paper. Performance of CMLD is evaluated for of each of the three cases of distances.Keywords: heterogeneous face recognition, cross spectral matching, active IR, lter bank, feature extraction,long and short acquisition ranges, varying stando distance
The Ethno-social and Spatial Diversity in Urban Poverty and Inequality Reduction Policy

This chapter addresses the diversity in ethno-social and economic conditions of the population in terms of poverty and inequality reduction policy. In this view, the chapter questions the efficiency of public policy approaches regarding both the poverty reduction strategies at different urban and geographic scales in French Guyana. Consequently, it points out the different views of the immigrants of socio-spatial integration and/or reintegration in urban public/private housing.
Analysis of repeated continuous measurements over time

Abstract This chapter considers the analysis of correlated data where the correlation arises from measuring the same sampling unit, often times an individual, repeatedly over time. We distinguish between longitudinal and time-series data. Repeated measures analysis of variance is introduced. Longitudinal data-analysis techniques, including the general linear model for correlated data and linear mixed effects models, are then covered. Finally, concepts of time-series analysis are introduced.
Energy and QoS-Aware Dynamic Reliability Management of IoT Edge Computing Systems

The Internet of Things (IoT) systems, as any electronic or mechanical system, are prone to failures. Hard failures in hardware due to aging and degradation are particularly important since they are irrecoverable, requiring maintenance for the replacement of defective parts, at high costs. In this paper, we propose a novel dynamic reliability management (DRM) technique for IoT edge computing systems to satisfy the Quality of Service (QoS) and reliability requirements while maximizing the remaining energy of the edge device batteries. We formulate a state-space optimal control problem with a battery energy objective, QoS, and terminal reliability constraints. We decompose the problem into low-overhead subproblems and solve it employing a hierarchical and multi-timescale control approach, distributed over the edge devices and the gateway. Our results, based on real measurements and trace-driven simulation demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve a similar battery lifetime compared to the state-of-the-art approaches while satisfying reliability requirements, where other approaches fail to do so.
Less Invasive HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation under Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest for Severely Calcified Aorta

Introduction Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) such as the HeartMate 3 (HM3) are becoming more frequently implanted in those with end-stage heart failure. We present one such patient with prior sternotomies and severely calcified ascending aorta in whom we planned a less invasive LVAD implantation via redo hemi-sternotomy and left thoracotomy with short-term deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) to avoid cross-clamping of the aorta. Case Report A 70 year old male with history of two prior cardiac surgeries and heart failure presented in cardiogenic shock requiring temporary mechanical support with Impella CP. He continued to require increasing doses of inotropes and pressors; therefore, he was approved for high risk LVAD placement. A preoperative 4D CT scan revealed severely calcified ascending aorta with only a small area of focal sparing. First, a left anterior thoracotomy in the fifth intercostal space and redo upper hemi-sternotomy was performed. The LVAD outflow graft was positioned through the thoracotomy and brought up to the ascending aorta via the right pleural space, which was opened from the hemi-sternotomy. After initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass, the patient was cooled to 28°C with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via the right axillary artery and systemic perfusion was temporarily arrested. DHCA was achieved. The LVAD outflow graft was then anastomosed to the aorta after which circulation was restarted and the patient rewarmed. The HM3 LVAD was then implanted in the LV apex and the rest of the operation was completed successfully. Summary Placing an LVAD via thoracotomy has theoretical advantages over a median sternotomy. Surgical trauma is minimized leading to less postoperative bleeding, improved maintenance of the chest stability, earlier recovery, and less cost. Additionally, there might be a reduction in post-operative right heart failure since the pericardium remains intact. Data from the LATERAL study and ELEVATE registry support the safety of this approach. While data support the safety of DHCA in other aortic arch procedures, there are only two case reports of DHCA for LVAD implantation. Our unique case validates the safety of LVAD implantation via thoracotomy and highlights the use of preoperative CT as well as DHCA in placement of an LVAD in a patient with severely calcified ascending aorta.
Biology of Perioperative Nutrition: An Update

Nearly up to 70% of hospitalized patients are moderately to severely malnourished, although the vocabulary and the practice of nutritional support of critically ill patients have changed significantly in recent years. The question that once lingered throughout the literature regarding when critically ill patients should be fed has been answered: feed critically ill patients as early as possible. The question that remains, and that still is being worked on, is what to feed them. The benefit of early institution of enteral or parenteral nutrition in the overall management of critically ill patients has been well-established. This is particularly important in elderly surgical patients who undergo either elective or emergency surgery. Following injury, or any other surgical catastrophe, energy requirements are greatly increased to sustain the increased metabolism and wound repair. Protein requirements have greatly expanded to sustain increased metabolism and wound repair, and there is an increased need for achieving and maintaining positive balance. In this chapter, we will give an update on the biology of perioperative nutrition support and GI tract access for enteral nutrition. Moreover, the current review focuses on the importance of early nutritional support in surgical patients and their impact on outcomes in the postoperative recovery phase, and finally on major nutritional organizations guidelines both on diagnosing malnutrition and providing nutritional therapy in critically ill patients.
In-situ process monitoring for metal additive manufacturing through acoustic techniques using wavelet and convolutional neural network (CNN)

Additive manufacturing (AM) is currently a widely used technology, even though a more profound understanding is still needed to track and identify defects during AM. The acoustic emission (AE) approach has gained a reputation in non-destructive testing (NDT) as one of the most influential and proven techniques in numerous engineering fields. Material testing through AE has become one of the most popular techniques in AM because of its capability to detect defects and anomalies, monitoring, and the progress of flaws. Various AE techniques have been under investigation for in-situ monitoring of AM. The preliminary results from AE exploration show promising results that need further investigation on data analysis and signal processing. AE monitoring technique allows finding the defects during the fabrication process so that the AM failure can be prevented or the process can be finely tuned to avoid damages or material waste. In this work, AE data recorded over the Direct Energy Deposition (DED) additive manufacturing process analyzed by machine learning (ML) algorithm for classification of different build conditions. The feature extraction method is used to obtain the required data for further processing. Wavelet transformation of signals has been used to acquire the time-frequency spectrum of the AE signals at each process condition, and convolutional neural network (CNN) image processing is used to identify the transformed spectrum of different build conditions. The identifiers in AE signals are correlated to the part quality by statistical methods. The results show a promising approach for quality evaluation and process monitoring in AM.
Analysis of Malaria Information on a Social Media Platform

This study explores malaria-related YouTube posts in Africa to identify patterns, themes and terms related to malaria.
Abstract 20166: Obesity-Related Changes in Circulating Microrna Profile After Standardized Meal

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally silence gene expression. While primarily intracellular, miRNAs are detectable in the human blood where they potentially serve as intercellular communicators. Recent evidence suggests that circulating miRNA levels may be affected by dietary factors. However, little is known about the acute effects of a meal challenge on plasma miRNA profiles and its relationship with inflammatory biomarkers in young adults with normal and elevated BMI. Methods: We enrolled 10 obese (BMI: 38.9±6.5 kg/m 2 ; average age: 18.6±3.0 years) and 10 control (BMI: 21.7±1.9 kg/m 2 ; average age: 18.3±3.3 years) males in our case-control study where participants consumed a standardized low-fat mixed meal after 12 hours fast. Venous blood was collected at baseline and at 2, 4 and 6 hours and the expression of the following miRNAs was determined using qRT-PCR and normalized to total RNA: miR-126, -21, -155, -222, -223, -122, -145, -346, -191 and 520-5p. In addition, levels of TNF-α, E-selectin and hs-CRP were measured at 0 and 4 hours. Results: We found significantly elevated circulating miR-155 expression in obese individuals at baseline (p Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the effect of diet on circulating miRNA profiles and emphasizes the importance of standardized, fasting blood collection for circulating miRNA profiling. Our data also demonstrate that circulating miRNAs are very early markers of the inflammatory post-prandial response, and this response is dysregulated in young, obese individuals. These findings have implications for the increased long-term cardiovascular risk in this population.
Biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. IV. Incorporation of glycine in Micrococcus lysodeikticus

Abstract A system has been described for the incorporation of glycine into the peptidoglycan catalyzed by particulate enzymes from Micrococcus lysodeikticus. Glycine incorporation required both of the uridine nucleotides required for peptidoglycan synthesis uridine diphosphate acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide (UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide) and uridine diphosphate acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), as well as adenosine triphosphate. It was independent of addition of supernatant solution or soluble ribonucleic acid. The glycine residue was incorporated into the product in a COOH-terminal position. Since it was not attached to the terminal d-alanine residue of MurNAc-pentapeptide, it must have been attached to the only other available carboxyl group, the α-carboxyl group of glutamic acid. This point of attachment is in agreement with structural studies of the peptidoglycan of this organism. It has been demonstrated that the immediate acceptor of glycine is the lipid, disaccharide(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid, previously shown to be an intermediate in peptidoglycan synthesis. Some properties of the reaction have been investigated with the isolated lipid intermediate as acceptor in the absence of added uridine nucleotides. Although MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid also accepted glycine, it was not as effective an acceptor as the disaccharide-containing lipid. The 14C-glycine-labeled product of the reaction, disaccharide(-14C-hexapeptide)-P-P-phospholipid, was also isolated and shown to be utilized for peptidoglycan synthesis in the absence of glycine, ATP, or added uridine nucleotides. The arsenolysis of this product in the presence of ADP suggests that ADP and inorganic phosphate are the products of the forward reaction, although their formation could not be measured because of simultaneous ATPase activity.
Poly-Si peripheral circuits and contact properties of laser processed poly-Si thin film transistors

Monolithic fabrication of a-Si:H and poly-Si TFTs with a dual dielectric gate insulator and the effect of source-drain contact resistance on poly-Si transistor performance are discussed. A dual dielectric gate insulator provides the correct threshold voltages for both a-Si and poly-Si TFTs, thereby simplifying the fabrication processes. The source-drain contact properties of poly-Si TFTs are characterized from measurements of the source-drain series resistance. A comparison is made of the contact resistance between a-Si and poly-Si. The results indicate that the contact effect is negligible for long channel devices with either a-Si or poly-Si contacts. However, poly-Si contacts result in superior device performance over that for a-Si contacts for short channel devices.
Multimodal Cosmopolitanism: Cultivating Belonging in Everyday Moments With Youth

AbstractThis article explores the idea that everyday moments hold cosmopolitan potential wherein such recognition can reorient educators and youth toward one another in meaningful and generative ways. Found in the quotidian practices of young people are indicators of their affiliations, their proclivities, their interests, and their curiosities. Educators, should they choose to take these practices seriously, will find ample fodder in the wide range of youths’ communicative and expressive practices for making connections across differences and to move toward lowering barriers of participation for youth in institutional spaces. Data from an ethnographic study of a theater project housed within an alternative to detention program are reanalyzed using a lens of multimodal cosmopolitanism to explore everyday and often fleeting moments of interaction to render visible the ways in which participants expressed and experienced belonging in myriad ways—belonging to the project as well as to one another. A discussi...
Efficient Hierarchical Markov Random Fields for Object Detection on a Mobile Robot

Object detection and classification using video is necessary for intelligent planning and navigation on a mobile robot. However, current methods can be too slow or not sufficient for distinguishing multiple classes. Techniques that rely on binary (foreground/background) labels incorrectly identify areas with multiple overlapping objects as single segment. We propose two Hierarchical Markov Random Field models in efforts to distinguish connected objects using tiered, binary label sets. Near-realtime performance has been achieved using efficient optimization methods which runs up to 11 frames per second on a dual core 2.2 Ghz processor. Evaluation of both models is done using footage taken from a robot obstacle course at the 2010 Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition.
Toward techniques for auto-tuning GPU algorithms

We introduce a variety of techniques toward autotuning data-parallel algorithms on the GPU. Our techniques tune these algorithms independent of hardware architecture, and attempt to select near-optimum parameters. We work towards a general framework for creating auto-tuned data-parallel algorithms, using these techniques for common algorithms with varying characteristics. Our contributions include tuning a set of algorithms with a variety of computational patterns, with the goal in mind of building a general framework from these results. Our tuning strategy focuses first on identifying the computational patterns an algorithm shows, and then reducing our tuning model based on these observed patterns.
Model for the Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity of Refrigerants, Including a New Correlation for the Viscosity of R134a

We present modifications to an extended corresponding states (ECS) model for thermal conductivity and viscosity originally developed by Ely and Hanley (Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam. 1981, 20, 323-332). We apply the method to 17 pure refrigerants and present coefficients for the model and comparisons with experimental data. The average absolute viscosity deviation for the 17 pure fluids studied ranges from a low of 0.56% for R236ea to a high of 5.68% for propylene, with an average absolute deviation for all fluids of 3.13% based on a total of 3737 points. The average absolute thermal conductivity deviation for the 17 pure fluids studied ranges from a low of 1.37% for R116 to a high of 6.78% for R115, with an average absolute deviation for all fluids of 3.75% based on a total of 12 156 points. We also present a new correlation for the viscosity of R134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane), which is used as a reference fluid for the description of properties of some refrigerants. The new correlation represents the viscosity to within the uncertainty of the best experimental data.
Conversion of lesquerolic acid to 14-oxo-11(Z)-eicosenoic acid by genetically variable Sphingobacterium multivorum strains.

We investigated new microbial systems for their ability to convert lesquerolic acid (LQA; 14-hydroxy-11(Z)-eicosenoic acid) to value-added products. A strain of Sphingobacterium multivorum (NRRL B-23212) was found previously to convert LQA to 14-oxo-11(Z)-eicosenoic acid (14-OEA) as determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. Conversion of LQA was subsequently extended to examine S. multivorum and closely related species of Pedobacter, Spirosoma, Chryseobacterium, and Flavobacterium. Among 25 of such environmental isolates, a group of bacteria, whose identity was further confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as S. multivorum, was the only species found to conduct LQA conversion to produce 14-OEA. Among these strains, however, NRRL B-14797 was a variant strain devoid of the specific biologic activity. A new culture medium at pH 7.0 was defined to include Fe2+ and Mn2+ mineral ions, glycerol, and EDTA·2Na to improve the production of 14-OEA from the initial yields of 2% to 13% to approximately ≥75% for the reactive S. multivorum strains. These S. multivorum strains represent the first group of bacteria reported to carry out the functional modification of LQA.
Polar expansion during cytokinesis

Vesicle trafficking and new membrane addition at the cleavage furrow have been extensively documented. However, less clear is the old idea that expansion at the cell poles occurs during cytokinesis. We find that new membrane is added to the cell poles during anaphase, causing the plasma membrane to expand coincident with the constriction of the contractile ring and may provide a pushing force for membrane ingression at the furrow. This membrane addition occurs earlier during mitosis than membrane addition at the furrow and is dependent on actin and astral microtubules. The membrane that is added at the polar regions is compositionally distinct from the original cell membrane in that it is devoid of GM1, a component of lipid rafts. These findings suggest that the growth of the plasma membrane at the cell poles during cell division is not due to stretching as previously thought, but due to the addition of compositionally unique new membrane. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc