cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low levels of NF-κB/p65 mark anergic CD4+ T cells and correlate with disease severity in sarcoidosis.

T lymphocytes from patients with sarcoidosis respond weakly when stimulated with mitogen or antigen. However, the mechanisms responsible for this anergy are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the protein levels of nuclear transcription factor NF-κB (p50, p65, and p105), IκBα (inhibitor of NF-κB), T-cell receptor (TCR) CD3ζ-chain, tyrosine kinase p56LCK, and nuclear factor of activated T cells c2 (NF-ATc2) in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from patients with sarcoidosis. Baseline expression of p65 in these lymphocytes was reduced in 50% of patients. The reduced levels of p65 in sarcoid CD4+ T cells concurred with decreased levels of p50, p105, CD3ζ, p56LCK, IκBα, and NF-ATc2. Polyclonal stimulation of NF-κB-deficient sarcoid T cells resulted in reduced expression of CD69 and CD154, decreased proliferation, and cytokine (i.e., interleukin 2 [IL-2] and gamma interferon [IFN-γ]) production. The clinical significance of these findings is suggested by the association between low p65 levels and the development of more severe and active sarcoidosis. Although correlative, our results support a model in which multiple intrinsic signaling defects contribute to peripheral T-cell anergy and the persistence of chronic inflammation in sarcoidosis.
Optimal branch numbering for UPFC benefit study

With the development of smart grid, power electronic control devices, such as Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), are introduced into power systems. They can help system operators control the real and reactive power flow and regulate local voltage. Placing Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC), one of FACTS devices, at certain congested locations of power system, can help alleviate system congestion, and therefore reduce production cost. The number (name) of branches can significantly affect the speed of the algorithm to find the optimal location to place UPFC. Previously, this problem was not paid sufficient attention to. In this paper, sensitivity analysis of the production cost is studied. Based on the sensitivity, the algorithm of optimal branch numbering is proposed. Simulation results on IEEE 300 system presents that by renumbering the branches, the efficiency of genetic algorithm to find the optimal location of UPFC can be greatly improved.
Bright and stable near-infrared fluorescent protein for in vivo imaging

Imaging biological processes in mammalian tissues will be facilitated by fluorescent probes with excitation and emission bands within the near-infrared optical window of high transparency. Here we report a phytochrome-based near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) with excitation and emission maxima at 690 nm and 713 nm, respectively. iRFP does not require an exogenous supply of the chromophore biliverdin and has higher effective brightness, intracellular stability and photostability than earlier phytochrome-derived fluorescent probes. Compared with far-red GFP-like proteins, iRFP has a substantially higher signal-to-background ratio in a mouse model due to its infrared-shifted spectra.
On the Rayleigh assumption in scattering by a periodic surface. II

The Rayleigh assumption, which concerns the domain of validity of a representation for the field scattered by a periodic surface under time-harmonic plane-wave excitation, is re-examined. The analysis employs a technique developed to locate singularities of solutions to the Helmholtz equation. When applied to the surface profile v = b cos κu (-∞ 0·448; this is more precise than an earlier result. It is shown how these findings may be reconciled with the work of others who have suggested, or concluded, that the Rayleigh assumption is never valid.
The implementation of IEEE Std 1149.1 boundary scan test strategy within a cellular infrastructure production environment

The ever-increasing product complexity and I/O density of new electronic designs has led to the need to implement IEEE Std 1149.1 'Boundary Scan' test techniques within many of the new NSS products. The standard in-circuit test techniques used in Motorola's older product designs were becoming costly to implement and unreliable in a production environment. This paper describes how Motorola NSS developed a IEEE Std 1149.1 test strategy to compliment its other inspection and test techniques. The Motorola IEEE Std 1149.1 test strategy consists of a high level of DFT, starting with component selection with application and implementation notes being generated to aid the design engineers task of implementation. The paper then progresses on to test software and hardware selection, PCB design guidelines and finally Motorola's future direction in a system wide IEEE Std 1149.1 test strategy.
A capacitance solver for incremental variation-aware extraction

Lithographic limitations and manufacturing uncertainties are resulting in fabricated shapes on wafer that are topologically equivalent, but geometrically different from the corresponding drawn shapes. While first-order sensitivity information can measure the change in pattern parasitics when the shape variations are small, there is still a need for a high-order algorithm that can extract parasitic variations incrementally in the presence of a large number of simultaneous shape variations. This paper proposes such an algorithm based on the well-known method of floating random walk (FRW). Specifically, we formalize the notion of random path sharing between several conductors undergoing shape perturbations and use it as a basis of a fast capacitance sensitivity extraction algorithm and a fast incremental variational capacitance extraction algorithm. The efficiency of these algorithms is further improved with a novel FRW method for dealing with layered media. Our numerical examples show a 10X speed up with respect to the boundary-element method adjoint or finite-difference sensitivity extraction, and more than 560X speed up with respect to a non-incremental FRW method for a high-order variational extraction.
Association of Social Engagement with Brain Volumes Assessed by Structural MRI

We tested the hypothesis that social engagement is associated with larger brain volumes in a cohort study of 348 older male former lead manufacturing workers (n = 305) and population-based controls (n = 43), age 48 to 82. Social engagement was measured using a summary scale derived from confirmatory factor analysis. The volumes of 20 regions of interest (ROIs), including total brain, total gray matter (GM), total white matter (WM), each of the four lobar GM and WM, and 9 smaller structures were derived from T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images. Linear regression models adjusted for age, education, race/ethnicity, intracranial volume, hypertension, diabetes, and control (versus lead worker) status. Higher social engagement was associated with larger total brain and GM volumes, specifically temporal and occipital GM, but was not associated with WM volumes except for corpus callosum. A voxel-wise analysis supported an association in temporal lobe GM. Using longitudinal data to discern temporal relations, change in ROI volumes over five years showed null associations with current social engagement. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that social engagement preserves brain tissue, and not consistent with the alternate hypothesis that persons with smaller or shrinking volumes become less socially engaged, though this scenario cannot be ruled out.
Effects of initial cell seeding density for the tissue engineering of the temporomandibular joint disc.

Tissue engineering may provide a better treatment modality for postoperative discectomy patients. The TMJ disc is an ideal candidate for tissue engineering approaches because of its lack of an intrinsic regenerative ability. Unfortunately, basic knowledge related to TMJ disc tissue engineering is still at an infancy level and not on par to that related to articular cartilage tissue engineering. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of initial cell density of TMJ disc cells seeded in nonwoven poly-glycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds on the biochemical and biomechanical properties of constructs examined at 0, 3, and 6 weeks after seeding. Low, medium, and high seeding densities were chosen to be 15, 30, and 120 million cells per ml of scaffold, which were seeded using a spinner flask. Significant differences were found temporally and as a function of seeding density in morphology, total collagen, GAG content, and permeability of the constructs, but not in aggregate modulus. The high seeding density group outperformed the low and medium groups in collagen and GAG content at all time points measured. The high-density group produced a total of 55.37 ± 3.56 μg of collagen per construct, maintained 15.77 ± 1.86 μg of GAG per construct, and only shrunk to 50% of the original scaffold size. Permeability of the constructs at 6 weeks was decreased by 70% compared to 0 weeks.
Becoming full citizens: The U.S. women's jury rights campaigns, the pace of reform, and strategic adaptation

Few studies of social movement political success investigate the strategic and tactical approaches used to achieve positive political outcomes. This work investigates a rarely studied mobilization of U.S. women in the first half of the 20th century to explore how movement organizations bring about legal change. Archival data for 15 states are examined to investigate how women won the right to sit on juries. The authors argue that jury movement activists engaged in strategic adaptation were more likely to win a change in jury laws rapidly. Those not engaged in such strategic action won their reforms more slowly. The authors suggest that when social movement actors tailor their actions to respond to exigencies in the environment they are more likely to expedite political success.
Influence of maltodextrin systems at an equivalent 25DE on encapsulated β-carotene loss during storage

Glucose, galactose and lactose were added to two maltodextrins, 15 DE and 4 DE, to prepare six maltodextrins of different composition but with the same Dextrose Equivalent (25 DE). A commercial maltodextrin 25 DE was also studied as a reference. Trans-β-carotene was mixed with these maltodextrins and was spray-dried. Stability was evaluated during storage in air at 11 % and 33% RH, at 25C, 35C and 45C. No significant difference was observed between storage at 11 % and 33% RH. Oxidation kinetics showed a rapid first order oxidation, corresponding to surface carotene oxidation, followed by a slower first order kinetic, corresponding to the encapsulated carotene oxidation. Addition of mono and disaccharides to maltodextrins reduces pore size in the maltodextrin network and limits oxygen diffusion. the best preservation was obtained with maltodextrin ‘4 DE + Glucose’ which gave a carotene half-life of 87 weeks, at 25C.
Kernels of Directed Graph Laplacians

Let $G$ denote a directed graph with adjacency matrix $Q$ and in-degree matrix $D$. We consider the Kirchhoff matrix $L=D-Q$, sometimes referred to as the directed Laplacian . A classical result of Kirchhoff asserts that when $G$ is undirected, the multiplicity of the eigenvalue 0 equals the number of connected components of $G$. This fact has a meaningful generalization to directed graphs, as was recently observed by Chebotarev and Agaev in 2005. Since this result has many important applications in the sciences, we offer an independent and self-contained proof of their theorem, showing in this paper that the algebraic and geometric multiplicities of 0 are equal, and that a graph-theoretic property determines the dimension of this eigenspace – namely, the number of reaches of the directed graph. We also extend their results by deriving a natural basis for the corresponding eigenspace. The results are proved in the general context of stochastic matrices, and apply equally well to directed graphs with non-negative edge weights.
Capital Structure, Payout Policy, and Financial Flexibility

We combine elements of the pecking order and trade-off theories of capital structure to develop a more powerful and empirically descriptive theory in which firms have low long-run leverage targets, debt issuances are temporary deviations from target to meet unanticipated capital needs, firms rebalance to target with a lag despite zero adjustment costs, and mature firms pay substantial dividends to foster access to external equity while limiting internal funds to control agency costs and reduce corporate taxes. The theory generates new testable hypotheses and resolves the main capital structure puzzles including (i) why equity is not "last resort" financing, (ii) why profitable firms pay dividends and maintain low leverage despite the corporate tax benefits of debt, (iii) why firms fail to "lever up" after stock price increases, and (iv) why leverage rebalancing occurs with a lag despite trivial adjustment costs.
Power-optimal encoding for a DRAM address bus

This paper presents an irredundant encoding technique to minimize the switching activity on a multiplexed dynamic RAM (DRAM) address bus. The DRAM switching activity can be classified either as external (between two consecutive addresses) or internal (between the row and column addresses of the same address). For external switching activity in a sequential access pattern, we present a power-optimal encoding, named Pyramid code. Extensions of the basic code address different types of DRAM devices. The proposed codes reduce power dissipation on the memory bus by a factor of two or more.
Biopharmaceutics Modeling and the Role of Dose and Formulation on Oral Exposure

Early in the drug development process, in vivo studies are often run to help select molecules with appropriate ADME characteristics, generate data in efficacy models, and evaluate toxicity. Poor exposure can lead to highly variable data, and/or ambiguous study results. Use of resource and scarce API for uninterpretable study outcomes is highly inefficient, and based on poor data, a compound may be given an undeservedly low priority. Because exposure is such a critical factor for compound evaluation during lead optimization, the formulation of the compound can be a key component of the drug selection process.
Preparation of teaser bulls and steroid-implanted steers and their effectiveness in detecting estrus

Abstract Pen-O-Blocks were easily installed in 15 bulls. Libido appeared to be unaffected. However, with the exception of one bull, infections occurred, or the penis bypassed the block, or the pin broke, and in 14 tests the Pen-O-Blocks were removed within 5 weeks of installation. Recovery from infection following removal of the device was rapid and uneventful. Eight bulls had their penes deviated between 2 weeks and 4 months of age. Four of these also were castrated and implanted with androgens at 12 months of age. Semen quality and libido in the deviated bulls were normal. Bulls and steers were equipped with Chin Ball mating devices. Bulls generally were more effective than steers in detecting estrus. When placed in pens 24 hours per day with 20 heifers each, one bull detected 97% and another bull detected 100% of the potential estruses during a period of two months. An observer watching for .5 hours each morning and each late afternoon detected 74%. While steers were less effective, they were more docile than the bulls. Thus, with selection of active animals and adjustment of hormone therapy, implanted steers may be successful detectors of estrus with minimal danger to the owner. Reproductive development in the androgen-treated steers was delayed but maturation of the penis had occurred in steers slaughtered at 31 months of age. Body weight gains of steers tended to be accelerated during periods when they had implants.
Parallelization of track for large scale beam dynamics simulation in linear accelerators

Large scale beam dynamics simulations are important to support the design and operations of an accelerator. From the beginning, the beam dynamics code TRACK was developed to make it useful in the three stages of a hadron (proton and heavy-ion) linac project, namely the design, commissioning and operation of the machine. In order to combine the unique features of TRACK with large scale and fast parallel computing we have recently developed a parallel version of the code. We have successfully benchmarked the parallel TRACK on different platforms: BG/L and Jazz at ANL, Iceberg at ARSC, Lemieux at PSC and Seaborg at NERSC. We have performed large scale end-to-end simulations of the FNAL proton driver where 108 particles were tracked. The actual parallel version has the potential of simulating 10 particles on 10 racks with 20,480 processors of BG/L at ANL, which will be available next year. After a brief description of the parallel TRACK, we will present results from highlight applications.
Robust studentization of location estimates

Summary The robustness of power and of level of various estimators for the one sample location problem is compared by Monte Carlo methods; an estimate that studentizes particularly well is singled out. Generalizations to more complicated models are discussed.
Benzyl isothiocyanate mediated generation of reactive oxygen species causes cell cycle arrest and induces apoptosis via activation of MAPK in human pancreatic cancer cells

In our previous studies, we have shown that benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) inhibits the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. In the present study, we demonstrate the activation of all the three (MAPK) family members [extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and P38] in response to BITC treatment. Exposure of Capan-2 cells with varying concentrations of BITC for 24 h resulted in the phosphorylation (activation) of ERK at Thr202/Tyr204, JNK at Thr183/Tyr185 and P38 at Thr180/Tyr182, leading to the induction of apoptosis. Similar MAPK activation was also observed in MiaPaCa-2 cells in response to BITC treatment. However, normal human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells did not show the activation of MAPK's and remained unaffected by BITC treatment. To confirm the role of ERK, JNK and P38 in BITC-induced G(2)/M arrest and apoptosis, Capan-2 cells were pre-treated with MAPK-specific inhibitors or MAPK8-short hairpin RNA (shRNA) prior to BITC treatment. Significant protection from BITC-induced G(2)/M arrest was observed in the cells pre-treated with MAPK kinase (MEK-1) but not JNK or P38 inhibitors. On the other hand, BITC-induced apoptosis was almost completely abrogated in the cells pre-treated with MEK-1, JNK or P38 inhibitors. Similarly, MAPK8-shRNA also offered almost complete protection against BITC-induced G(2)/M arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, we observed that BITC treatment leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Capan-2 and MiaPaCa-2 cells, which in part was orchestrated by depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) level. Blocking ROS generation with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) significantly prevented GSH depletion and activation of ERK and JNK but not P38. Further, NAC or tiron prevented G(2)/M arrest by blocking G(2)/M regulatory proteins and completely protected the cells from BITC-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our results suggest that BITC-mediated G(2)/M arrest is mediated through ERK activation, whereas apoptosis is via ERK, JNK and P38.
Use of fly ash as an admixture for electromagnetic interference shielding

The use of fly ash as an admixture results in enhancement of the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness from 4 to 8 dB at 1 GHz, whereas the use of silica fume as an admixture results in negligible effect on the shielding effectiveness. The DC electrical resistivity is decreased slightly by silica fume, but is essentially not affected by fly ash. Both fly ash and silica fume cause slight increases in the reflectivity. The effectiveness of fly ash for shielding is attributed to the Fe2O3 component (15.4 wt.%) in the fly ash. D 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Optimizing Radio Retention and Minimizing Radio Impacts in a Field Study of Upland Sandpipers

Abstract Two challenges in wildlife telemetry are optimizing the duration of transmitter attachment and minimizing the impacts of radios on the behavior and demography of the study animal. We tested 4 methods of radio attachment for a breeding population of upland sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) under natural conditions at a tallgrass prairie site in Kansas, USA. To estimate radio retention and weekly survival rates, we used the nest survival model of Program MARK. Radio retention was lowest at the start and the end of the breeding period. The expected duration of radio retention was 1.8 years for a leg-loop harness, 40 days for radios glued to clipped feathers, 26 days for radios glued directly to feathers, and 7 days for radios glued to bare skin. Few radiomarked birds died during our study, but 4 of 8 mortality events were discovered within one week of radiomarking. Both glue and harnesses increased predation risk immediately after radio attachment. The weekly probability of survival was high after a...
The clinical significance of binge eating disorder.

Objective Current controversy exists regarding the status of binge eating disorder (BED) as a diagnostic entity. A critique of the literature is provided to address the question of whether BED represents a clinically significant syndrome. Method The scientific evidence is considered through addressing five questions that are key in evaluating the clinical utility of any mental disorder. Results Individuals with BED meaningfully differ from individuals without eating disorders, and share important similarities to, yet are distinct from, individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). BED is associated with co-occurring physical and mental illnesses, as well as impaired quality of life and social functioning. Questions about the course of the disorder and the optimal treatment regimen for the syndrome need to be explored further. Discussion BED's distinctive combination of core eating disorder psychopathology, and other co-occurring physical and psychiatric conditions, impaired psychosocial functioning, and overweight constitute an eating disorder of clinical severity and a significant public health problem. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 34: S96–S106, 2003.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and the Roles of the Alpha7 Subunit

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are members of the Cys-loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels that includes glycine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA), and serotonin receptor channels. The members of the family are defined by a similar pentameric structure with five membrane-spanning subunits surrounding a central water-filled, cation-selective pore. The nAChRs are further divided into muscle and neuronal types. Muscle nAChRs comprise α1, β1, γ, and δ or e subunits in a 2:1:1:1 stoichiometric ratio. Neuronal type nAChRs are composed of differing combinations of α and β subunits, with nine genes encoding α subunits (α2–10) and three encoding β subunits (β2–4). This review focuses on the α7 subunit, which was cloned from the chicken in 1990 and from the rat in 1993. α7 has received waning and waxing attention as its involvement in diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and lung cancer, has been defined and redefined. For example, recent reports provide increasing evidence for α7’s involvement in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting that further work is warranted to understand the roles of the α7 subunit normally and in pathophysiology.
Modeling Low Reynolds Number Flows Driven by Forward-Propagating and Reflected Boundary Waves in Concentric Micro-Cylinders

We report on a computational model used to study the reversal of flow direction inside the annular region between concentric micro-cylinders filled with an incompressible Newtonian fluid. The flow is induced by boundary deformations on the inner and outer cylinder surfaces due to forward-propagating transverse waves and their reflections. This microfluidic transport mechanism is postulated as a vital pathway for removal of beta-amyloid from the brain along sub-millimeter cerebral arteries, and failure of this clearance is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. We show that the direction of this annular flow depends on superposition of the peristaltic waves and their reflection waves. A control volume analysis is developed to predict the transport characteristics and compared with numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. The identified set of microfluidic parameters that leads to a net reverse flow will aid biologists in understanding why an aging brain becomes prone to beta-amyloid accumulation.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Neo-Liberal Agenda and the Imf/World Bank Structural Adjustment Programs With Reference To Africa

The basic argument in this chapter is that the IMF programs of the 1980s and 1990s were the product of Wall Street and its associates and that the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) generated by these interest groups, with no bailouts or stimulus packages, were an extreme form of monetarism, belt tightening economics and austerity, based on drastic cuts in public spending. The SAPs implied the rapid repayment of loans to creditors, with little regard for the suffering and inconvenience caused by the programs. They also led to forced deregulation, the coercive imposition on African governments of policies dictated by Wall Street. I point out that the end result was disastrous for growth and the well being of millions of people. In the final segment of the chapter, I revisit some of the past and present criticisms related to Africa’s encounter with the IMF and the World Bank.
Peace and Stability as Enablers for and Outcome of Development

This paper provided a brief analysis of the complex relationship between “peace and stability” and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other development goals, based on reviewing and updating of a large volume of studies. The paper is focused on three issues: how conflict impedes progress towards development goals; how development stresses, among other factors, can cause or exacerbate conflict; and how to build a virtuous cycle between peace and development.
The Role of V2G in the Smart Grid of the Future

'Smart grid' refers to the communication network between a user of energy and the utility company or between one utility and another. A true smart grid would include and monitor distributed generation (a facility dedicated to the production of energy to support local loads) and energy storage technologies. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology involves the feeding of an electric vehicle (EV)'s stored energy into the grid. As grid regulation using EVs increases, V2G technology is being incorporated as a resource for regulation by the utility ancillary services market. This article explores the future of the smart grid and the associated role of V2G. It highlights the important role that EVs can play in the improving the electric transmission system.
Simulation of the Tumbling Behavior of Tailless Aircraft

Tailless aircraft configurations such as flying wings are have an inherent mode of instability called the tumbling mode. Tumbling involves an autorotative pitching motion primarily about an axis parallel to the vehicle's lateral axis. It is essentially a three degree- of-freedom motion in pitch and planar translation that may turn into six degrees-of-freedom motion once fully developed. Tumbling has been demonstrated in free-flight wind tunnel experiments. Tumbling is the suspected cause of a YB-49 crash in the late 1940s and is also recognized to be a potential problem for future blended wing body subsonic transports. The purpose of the research is to study the tumbling instability of a flying wing configuration. Specifically, computational fluid dynamics will be used to analyze the tumbling characteristics of a YB-49-like flying wing aircraft. The effects of initial pitch rates, degrees- of-freedom, Reynolds number, and aircraft static margin will be investigated.
Insulator−Metal and Structural Phase Phenomena in KxBa1-xCoS2 (x < 0.07)

KxBa1-xCoS2 was synthesized by a new technique using a closed vitreous carbon crucible. Single crystals prepared from materials of nominal composition x = 0.2 were found to have only modest substitution levels (x ≈ 0.07) by microprobe and X-ray analysis. The substituted compounds crystallize in P4/nmm, a = 4.557(1), c = 8.957(2), R1 = 2.03%, and wR2 = 4.20%, as determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Measurement of electrical resistivity by the van der Pauw method reveals a phase transition with hysteresis at about 170 K for cooling and 210 K upon warming, with semiconducting behavior above (ρ ≈ 10-2 Ω cm) and metallic-like behavior (ρ ≈ 10-3 Ω cm) below the transition. Magnetic susceptibility data show a second-order transition around 270 K, along with a first-order transition around 150−200 K that displays significant hysteresis. The transition at 270 K is probably due to the onset of antiferromagnetic order, whereas the transition at lower temperatures is associated with structural modification...
Spermiogenesis Ultrastructure in the Tick Argas (Persicargas) arboreus (Acari: Ixodoidea: Argasidae)

Spermatids of Argas (Persicargas) arboreus Kaiser, Hoogstraal & Kohls are transferred into the female uterus within spermatophores and complete their final development to sperm after the spermatophore has dissolved. Sperm are found free in the distal oviduct lumen and coiled inside its epithelial cell vacuoles. Ultrastructure of differentiating spermatids and mature sperm is described, and various elements responsible for sperm motility are compared with those reported for other tick species.
Superresolving Nonlinear Microscopy

We are developing a coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscope that uses complementary pump and Stokes beam pupil phase masks to achieve superresolution. This allows chemically-specific imaging beyond the diffraction limit.
Probing the 5f Orbital Contribution to the Bonding in a U(V) Ketimide Complex

Reaction of UCl4 with 5 equiv of Li(N═CtBuPh) generates the homoleptic U(IV) ketimide complex [Li(THF)2][U(N═CtBuPh)5] (1) in 71% yield. Similarly, reaction of UCl4 with 5 equiv of Li(N═CtBu2) affords [Li(THF)][U(N═CtBu2)5] (2) in 67% yield. Oxidation of 2 with 0.5 equiv of I2 results in the formation of the neutral U(V) complex U(N═CtBu2)5 (3). In contrast, oxidation of 1 with 0.5 equiv of I2, followed by addition of 1 equiv of Li(N═CtBuPh), generates the octahedral U(V) ketimide complex [Li][U(N═CtBuPh)6] (4) in 68% yield. Complex 4 can be further oxidized to the U(VI) ketimide complex U(N═CtBuPh)6 (5). Complexes 1–5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography, while SQUID magnetometry, EPR spectroscopy, and UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy measurements were also preformed on complex 4. Using this data, the crystal field splitting parameters of the f orbitals were determined, allowing us to estimate the amount of f orbital participation in the bonding of 4.
Time History Analysis to Prestressed Concrete Exterior Wall of LNG Storage Tank within Condition of Interior Tank Leak

Under the conditions inside the tank against leakage of cylindrical outer wall of prestressed concrete LNG storage tanks,using ANSYS software,finite element model of the external walls of the establishment of storage tanks.Under the action of the different seismic waves,the analytic solution dynamic fluid pressure and seismic loads are acting on the tank wall at the same time to carry out dynamic response analysis.The results show that:seismic waveform effects of the structural dynamic response is relatively large.Prestressed reinforcement effect can offset the tank circumferential wall stress play a role.Different PSC waves in the same farm,under the action of the same location the same time the size of the ring to stress the difference of 0.01% ~ 3.81%;Taft hoop stress waves generated by large.By comparing the characteristics of the various components of the force for the practical engineering configurations provide a theoretical basis the rate of prestressed reinforcement,and numerical analysis.
The regulation of cliff responses in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) by visual and tactual cues: I

Before descending from a visual or tactual cliff, gerbils engage in orientations toward the floor. Descent never occurs until the animal touches the floor with its nose. On cliffs differing only in visual cues, latencies to descend were significantly lower from the shallow cliff When the cliffs differed only in tactual cues, younger gerbils showed slight, and older animals much greater, discrimination. It is concluded that both visual and tactual cues regulate the descent response.
How do we manage blood product support in the massively hemorrhaging obstetric patient

Obstetric hemorrhage remains a leading cause of maternal mortality with more than 140,000 deaths annually worldwide. Abnormal placentation has increased to become the most common diagnosis requiring massive blood transfusion in obstetrics, with uterine atony a close second. At our institution, as well as nationwide, there has been a steady increase in pregnancies complicated by abnormal placentation, including accreta, increta, and percreta. Providers at our facility created the New England Center for Placental Disorders in May 2015 to address these complex patients. The incidence of accreta has actually increased 10-fold over the past 50 years, becoming the most common reason for cesarean hysterectomy in highly industrialized countries. The most common risk factor for accreta is repeat cesarean sections, particularly those with associated placenta previa. Contemporary cesarean section rates have risen, with more than 1.2 million women having had a cesarean section in the United States in 2014. We present a case vignette of a multiparous woman presenting with heavy vaginal bleeding at 30 weeks' gestation with imaging concerning for placenta accreta and possible percreta. We describe our approach to the management of these complicated patients.
Inhibition of AKT/mTOR Signaling Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Mantle Cell Lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct type of B-cell lymphoma associated with aggressive clinical course. The PI3K/AKT pathway is activated in a variety of human malignancies including hematopoeitic tumors. Activated (serine 473-phosphorylated) AKT (pAKT) is believed to mediate its effects, at least in part, via phosphorylation/activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). However, the biologic significance of AKT/mTOR signaling in MCL is unknown. We hypothesized that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is activated in MCL and contributes to tumor cell survival through activation of mTOR and its downstream effectors 4EBP1, p70S6K, ribosomal protein (rp) S6 (rpS6) and eIF-4E. We used 3 mantle cell lymphoma cell lines (Mino, Jeko and Z-138), a PI3K inhibitor (LY294002), and small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for mTOR gene to investigate the biologic effects after inhibition of AKT/mTOR signaling in MCL. Treatment of MCL cells with LY294002 resulted in apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner that was associated with downregultion of the anti-apoptotic proteins cFLIP and Mcl-1. Inhibition of PI3K also resulted in decreased cyclin D1 levels and cell cycle arrest as shown by decreased S-phase fraction assessed by BrdU incorporation. Changes in cell cycle and apoptosis were associated with decreased phosphorylation (activation) of mTOR and its downstream targets 4EBP1, p70S6K, and rpS6. Silencing of mTOR expression, using mTOR-specific siRNA also decreased phosphorylation of mTOR signaling proteins and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCL cell lines. These biologic effects were associated with downregulation of cyclin D1 and modulation of apoptosis regulators. In addition, expression of activated AKT, and effectors downstream of AKT/mTOR pathway (p-p70S6K, p-rpS6, 4EBP1, eIF-4E) was assessed in MCL tumors. Using a 10% cutoff to define positivity, 10/20 (33%) expressed Ser473pAKT, 22/22 (100%) p-p70S6K, 5/20 (25%)p- rpS6, 13/14 (93%) 4E-BP1, and 16/29 (55%) eIF-4E. p-p70S6K phosphoprotein was detected predominantly in the nucleus of tumor cells. All other phosphoproteins were expressed with a cytoplasmic pattern. We conclude that activation of PI3K/AKT may contribute to cell cycle progression and tumor cell survival in MCL cells through activation of the mTOR signaling pathway. Our data suggest that inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin analogues currently used in clinical trials may be a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with MCL.
Combination Therapy with Velcade, Doxil, and Dexamethasone (VDD) for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (MM).

Background: Combination regimens with Velcade demonstrate high activity in both relapsed/refractory and newly diagnosed MM, including higher than previously observed rates of complete responses (CR) and near complete responses (nCR). In this study, we evaluated the activity of a combination of Velcade, Doxil, and Dexamethasone (VDD) in relapsed/refractory MM. The rationale for combining these 3 agents was provided in pre-clinical studies which showed that Velcade can synergize with DNA-damaging agents via caspase-8 pathway and with Dexamethasone via caspase-9 pathway. In addition, prior clinical studies showed that combinations of Velcade with either Doxil or dexamethasone are well tolerated and more active than Velcade alone. The primary objective of the study was to assess the overall response to VDD and to estimate whether this combination can improve the rate of CR and nCR. Methods: The trial opened in November 2004 with target accrual of 30 patients. EBMT criteria were used for evaluation of response and nCR was defined as M-protein reduced to a level detectable by only immunofixation. The regimen in both relapsed/refractory and frontline trials was given as follows: Velcade at 1.3 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8, and 11, Doxil at 30 mg/m2 on day 4, and Dexamethasone at 40 mg orally on days 1–4. VDD was repeated every 3 weeks for a total of 6 cycles. After the completion of 6 cycles, patients in the relapsed/refractory trial were maintained on Velcade weekly and Dexamethasone on days 1–4 in 5-week cycles. Results: To date, 20 pts have been enrolled, 18 of whom are presently evaluable for response after receiving a mean of 3.6 cycles (range 1–6). The characteristics of the evaluable patients included the following: median age 62 (range 39–78), 1–5 prior lines of therapy, single autologous stem cell transplant in 14 patients, tandem transplant in 1 patient, allogeneic transplant in 1 patient, chromosome 13 deletion in 5 patients. Complete or near complete responses (CR + nCR) have been observed in 6 patients (33%), very good partial response and partial response (VGPR + PR) in 4 patients (22%) and minor response in 5 patients (28%) for an overall response (CR, nCR, VGPR, PR, MR) of 83%. One patient achieved stable disease and two progressed (11%). Of the 14 patients who achieved response, 8 continue treatment, 3 are in remission off therapy (2 in nCR and 1 in PR), 2 relapsed, and 1 died of pneumonitis during therapy. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities were mostly related to cytopenias (thrombocytopenia in 7 patients, neutropenia in 7 patients, pneumonitis in 5 patients) and occurred among patients who had baseline cytopenia at study entry. The most common grade 1 and 2 toxicities included fatigue, neuropathy, diarrhea, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. Conclusion: VDD combination shows promising overall activity and rate of CR and nCR and appears well tolerated. Based on these preliminary results, we have activated frontline VDD trial with 6 patients enrolled to date.
An Examination of School Counselors’ Competency Working with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Students

ABSTRACTThis study aims to investigate school counselors’ competency level in working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) youth. Using a sample of 125 school counselors who are currently practicing in schools, this study found school counselors perceived themselves with very low competency levels. Spearman's rho correlation results indicated that only three demographic variables were significantly correlated with school counselors’ self-perceived competency level: sexual orientation, whether having received any postmasters trainings and geographic regions. Counselors identifying as nonheterosexual, those who received postmasters trainings or workshops, and those who reside in the West tend to have a higher self-perceived competency working with youth identifying as LGBT.
Referred by Google: mining Google Trends data to identify patterns in and correlates to searches for dermatological concerns and providers.

Google Trends is a powerful tool that provides population-level insight into search volumes by time and geography. Since 2004, Google Trends has been profiled across studies of public interest, disease surveillance, prevention, and compliance.1,2 Dermatologists have used Trends data to identify seasonal peaks in skin cancer and tanning searches3,4 Other Google tools, including Health Cards5 and Reverse Image Searching6, have been explored by dermatologists for generating differential diagnoses. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Strengthening the Hull: The Philippines’ Strategic and Operational Counterterrorism Campaigns

In its struggle against insurgent and terrorist organizations, the Philippines has utilized both population-centric and enemy-centric approaches in its counterterrorism (CT) campaigns. The situation in the Philippines provides a natural case study to gauge the intensity of rebel activity evoked by various approaches, namely by examining the country’s responses to key terrorist and insurgent groups throughout the years. The type of rebel activity that enemy-centric or population-centric approaches by the government incur can be analyzed along with factors such as administration differences, the effects of local groups in the conflict, and the involvement of the international community, including the US.
Fast Approximation Methods for Online Scheduling of Outpatient Procedure Centers

This paper presents a new model for online decision making. Motivated by the healthcare delivery application of dynamically allocating patients to procedure rooms in outpatient procedure centers, the online stochastic extensible bin-packing problem is described. The objective is to minimize the combined costs of opening procedure rooms and utilizing overtime to complete a day's procedures. The dynamic patient-allocation decisions are made in an uncertain environment where the number of patients scheduled and the procedure durations are not known in advance. The resulting optimization model's tractability focuses the paper's attention on approximation methods and a special case that is amenable to decomposition-based solution methods. Theoretical performance guarantees are presented for list-based approximation methods as well as an approximation that is common in practice, where procedure rooms are reserved for patient groups in advance. Numerical results based on a real outpatient procedure center demonstrate the favorable results of the list-based approximations based on their average and worst case performances, as well as their computational requirements. Further, the numerical experiments show that the policy of reserving procedure rooms for patient groups in advance can perform poorly. These results are contrary to common practice and favor alternative, and still easy-to-implement, policies. The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2017.0750 .
Modeling multicomponent fuel droplet vaporization with finite liquid diffusivity using Coupled Algebraic-DQMoM with delumping

Abstract Multicomponent fuel droplet vaporization models for use in combustion CFD codes often prioritize computational efficiency over model complexity. This leads to oversimplifying assumptions such as single component droplets or infinite liquid diffusivity. The previously developed Direct Quadrature Method of Moments (DQMoM) with delumping model demonstrated a computationally efficient and accurate approach to solve for every discrete species in a well-mixed vaporizing multicomponent droplet. To expand the method to less restrictive cases, a new solution technique is presented called the Coupled Algebraic-Direct Quadrature Method of Moments (CA-DQMoM). In contrast to previous moment methods for droplet vaporization, CA-DQMoM solves for the evolution of two liquid distributions by coupling a monovariate, homogeneous DQMoM approach with additional algebraic moment equations, allowing for a more complex droplet vaporization model with finite rates of liquid diffusion to be solved with computational efficiency. To further decrease computational expense, an approximation that employs the same nodes for both distributions can be used in certain cases. Finally, a delumping technique is adapted to the finite diffusivity model to reconstruct discrete species information at minimal computational cost. The model is proven to be accurate relative to a full discrete component model for both a kerosene droplet comprised of 36 species and a multicomponent droplet of 200 species while maintaining the computational efficiency of continuous thermodynamics models. The combined accuracy and computational efficiency demonstrated by the CA-DQMoM with delumping model for a multicomponent fuel droplet with finite liquid diffusivity makes it ideal for incorporation into CFD models for complex combustion process.
Accurate and Efficient P-value Calculation via Gaussian Approximation: a Novel Monte-Carlo Method

ABSTRACTIt is of fundamental interest in statistics to test the significance of a set of covariates. For example, in genome-wide association studies, a joint null hypothesis of no genetic effect is tested for a set of multiple genetic variants. The minimum p-value method, higher criticism, and Berk–Jones tests are particularly effective when the covariates with nonzero effects are sparse. However, the correlations among covariates and the nonGaussian distribution of the response pose a great challenge toward the p-value calculation of the three tests. In practice, permutation is commonly used to obtain accurate p-values, but it is computationally very intensive, especially when we need to conduct a large amount of hypothesis testing. In this paper, we propose a Gaussian approximation method based on a Monte Carlo scheme, which is computationally more efficient than permutation while still achieving similar accuracy. We derive nonasymptotic approximation error bounds that could vanish in the limit even if ...
Common Parameter Spaces

This appendix chapter is an overview, not an exhaustive treatise of spaces which parametrize sound objects. These spaces where sounds are positioned always define an aspect, never the totality of music thinking, and every attempt to define a preferred space will narrow the music thinking, not the music. The best that can occur is that we offer an encompassing or at least a representative ensemble of parameter spaces which are interrelated by a precise relation. To this end, it is recommended to distinguish topographic positions, above all in their realities and communicative perspectives. This will also entail the corresponding mathematics.