cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sildenafil for microcystic lymphatic malformations of the head and neck: A prospective study

Abstract Background Microcystic lymphatic malformations (LM) are congenital birth defects that can cause severe functional or esthetic deformity. At this time, several treatment interventions are possible, but there is no ideal therapy. A recently published article noted a coincidental improvement in microcystic LMs with the use of sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension, but conclusive and reproducible data is lacking regarding its efficacy. Methods and results A prospective study was conducted to examine the subjective and objective results associated with sildenafil use in the treatment of microcystic LMs. Patients under the age of 18 were enrolled, and after evaluation with pre-intervention magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, each was given a 6-week course of sildenafil. Subjective outcomes were obtained, and postoperative MRIs were used to objectively quantify changes. Five patients between the ages of 4 and 11 were enrolled in the study. All patients had microcystic LMs of the head and neck. All patients had undergone previous treatment interventions utilizing various modalities, and each was now seeking treatment for functional and cosmetic purposes. All patients had minimal to no response from a subjective standpoint. Comparison of pre- and post-treatment MRIs also demonstrated minimal to no response. Conclusions The use of sildenafil for the treatment of microcystic lymphatic malformations did not have any appreciable effect on our selected population of pediatric patients who had been resistant to previous therapies. Further studies would be necessary to determine if other cohorts may benefit.
Sensor platforms for multimodal underwater monitoring

Surprisingly little is known about underwater marine environments and ecosystems owing to several factors. One important factor has been the general inability to observe and monitor these massive subsurface ocean spaces. Despite significant advances in sensor, communication and computing technology, underwater sensor platforms are generally inferior to their terrestrial counterparts. Here we highlight several sensor platforms that are currently being used and developed for underwater monitoring applications. We focus on two monitoring applications: 1) observation of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus); and 2) transport, accumulation and dispersion of plankton. In both cases, we describe the need for multimodal underwater sensor platforms to work in a cyber-physical mode, communicating a variety of different sensor data among them systematically to maximize acquisition of data. We think that this will substantially enhance understanding underwater ecosystems.
Parallel cartoons of fractal models of finance

Having been crafted to welcome a new scientific journal, this paper looks forward but requires no special prerequisite. The argument builds on a technical wrinkle (used earlier but explained here fully for the first time), namely, the author’s grid-bound variant of Brownian motion B(t). While B(t) itself is additive, this variant is a multiplicative recursive process the author calls a ‘‘cartoon.’’ Reliance on this and related cartoons allows a new perspicuous exposition of the various fractal/multifractal models for the variation of financial prices. These illustrations do not claim to represent reality in its full detail, but suffice to imitate and bring out its principal features, namely, long tailedness, long dependence, and clustering. The goal is to convince the reader that the fractals/multifractals are not an exotic technical nightmare that could be avoided. In fact, the author’s models arose successively as proper, ‘‘natural,’’ and even ‘‘unavoidable’’ generalization of the Brownian motion model of price variation. Considered within the context of those generalizations, the original Brownian comes out as very special and narrowly constricted, while the fractal/multifractal models come out as nearly as simple and parsimonious as the Brownian. The cartoons are stylized recursive variants of the author’s fractal/multifractal models, which are even more versatile and realistic.
Planning, execution and learning in a robotic agent

This paper presents the complete integrated planning, executing and learning robotic agent ROGUE. We describe ROGUE'S task planner that interleaves high-level task planning with real world robot execution. It supports multiple, asynchronous goals, suspends and interrupts tasks, and monitors and compensates for failure. We present a general approach for learning situation-dependent rules from execution, which correlates environmental features with learning opportunities, thereby detecting patterns and allowing planners to predict and avoid failures. We present two implementations of the general learning approach, in the robot's path planner, and in the task planner. We present empirical data to show the effectiveness of ROGUE'S novel learning approach.
Effect of molasses supplementation and nutritive value on ruminal fermentation of a pasture-based diet

ABSTRACT Molasses is used by some producers with grazing dairy cows to replace greater-costing corn. However, anecdotal results are mixed, and little research exists evaluating the effects of molasses fed to grazing dairy cows as the sole supplement. This study evaluated the effect of rate of molasses supplementation and forage nutritive value (NV) on ruminal fermentation in continuous-culture fermentors. We used a 4 × 4 Latin-square design with treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, and the treatments were 1) good NV pasture (63 g DM/d; 26.8% CP, 35.9% NDF) plus blackstrap molasses at 10% of total DM fed (7 g DM/d; G10); 2) good NV pasture (66.5 g DM/d) plus molasses at 5% of total DM fed (3.5 g DM/d; G5); 3) poor NV pasture [relative to good NV pasture (20.4% CP, 45.3% NDF); 63 g DM/d] plus molasses at 10% of total DM fed (7 g DM/d; P10); and 4) poor NV pasture (66.5 g DM/d) plus molasses at 5% of total DM fed (3.5 g DM/d; P5). Apparent OM and ADF digestibilities and true DM and OM digestibilities, mean ruminal pH, and concentrations of total and individual VFA were greater (P 0.10) by forage NV or molasses supplementation rate. No significant interaction between forage NV and molasses supplementation rate relative to ruminal fermentation was detected. Molasses may need to be evaluated on a case-bycase basis to determine feasibility as an energy substitute for grazing dairy cows.
The SUMO Isopeptidase Ulp2p Is Required to Prevent Recombination-Induced Chromosome Segregation Lethality following DNA Replication Stress

SUMO conjugation is a key regulator of the cellular response to DNA replication stress, acting in part to control recombination at stalled DNA replication forks. Here we examine recombination-related phenotypes in yeast mutants defective for the SUMO de-conjugating/chain-editing enzyme Ulp2p. We find that spontaneous recombination is elevated in ulp2 strains and that recombination DNA repair is essential for ulp2 survival. In contrast to other SUMO pathway mutants, however, the frequency of spontaneous chromosome rearrangements is markedly reduced in ulp2 strains, and some types of rearrangements arising through recombination can apparently not be tolerated. In investigating the basis for this, we find DNA repair foci do not disassemble in ulp2 cells during recovery from the replication fork-blocking drug methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), corresponding with an accumulation of X-shaped recombination intermediates. ulp2 cells satisfy the DNA damage checkpoint during MMS recovery and commit to chromosome segregation with similar kinetics to wild-type cells. However, sister chromatids fail to disjoin, resulting in abortive chromosome segregation and cell lethality. This chromosome segregation defect can be rescued by overproducing the anti-recombinase Srs2p, indicating that recombination plays an underlying causal role in blocking chromatid separation. Overall, our results are consistent with a role for Ulp2p in preventing the formation of DNA lesions that must be repaired through recombination. At the same time, Ulp2p is also required to either suppress or resolve recombination-induced attachments between sister chromatids. These opposing defects may synergize to greatly increase the toxicity of DNA replication stress.
A multidimensional phase-locked loop for blind equalization of multi-input multi-output channels

We present a new technique for blind equalization of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication channels. In scalar channels it is common to follow a blind equalizer adapted according to the constant-modulus algorithm (CMA) by a phase-locked loop to compensate for carrier frequency offset. We generalize this structure to multiple dimensions, and propose to follow a blind MIMO equalizer adapted according to the vector CMA by a multidimensional phase-locked loop. We show through simulations that the new technique can converge much faster than prior techniques.
Facilitation of Saccades Toward a Covertly Attended Location in Early Infancy

Covert shifts of visual attention may be demonstrated in both adult and infant subjects by facilitation of reaction times to make a saccade to a previously cued location However, this facilitation may be interpreted in terms of a direct effect on the eye movement system In the present experiment, we attempted to train 4-month-old infants to make a saccade in the location opposite from that in which a cue appeared Following such training, we examined the reaction time to occasional probe targets that appeared in the same location as the cue Infants were faster to respond to a target in this location than they were to respond to it either in the training (expected) location or in baseline trials We interpret the results as providing further evidence for covert shifts of attention in 4-month-old infants, and suggest that the effects of covert shifts of attention on the eye movement system are independent of those from sequence learning
The Importance of Being Flexible: The Case of Basic Region Leucine Zipper Transcriptional Regulators

Large volumes of protein sequence and structure data acquired by proteomic studies led to the development of computational bioinformatic techniques that made possible the functional annotation and structural characterization of proteins based on their primary structure. It has become evident from genome-wide analyses that many proteins in eukaryotic cells are either completely disordered or contain long unstructured regions that are crucial for their biological functions. The content of disorder increases with evolution indicating a possibly important role of disorder in the regulation of cellular systems. Transcription factors are no exception and several proteins of this class have recently been characterized as premolten/molten globules. Yet, mammalian cells rely on these proteins to control expression of their 30,000 or so genes. Basic region:leucine zipper (bZIP) DNA-binding proteins constitute a major class of eukaryotic transcriptional regulators. This review discusses how conformational flexibility "built" into the amino acid sequence allows bZIP proteins to interact with a large number of diverse molecular partners and to accomplish their manifold cellular tasks in a strictly regulated and coordinated manner.
CLYBL is a polymorphic human enzyme with malate synthase and β-methylmalate synthase activity

CLYBL is a human mitochondrial enzyme of unknown function that is found in multiple eukaryotic taxa and conserved to bacteria. The protein is expressed in the mitochondria of all mammalian organs, with highest expression in brown fat and kidney. Approximately 5% of all humans harbor a premature stop polymorphism in CLYBL that has been associated with reduced levels of circulating vitamin B12. Using comparative genomics, we now show that CLYBL is strongly co-expressed with and co-evolved specifically with other components of the mitochondrial B12 pathway. We confirm that the premature stop polymorphism in CLYBL leads to a loss of protein expression. To elucidate the molecular function of CLYBL, we used comparative operon analysis, structural modeling and enzyme kinetics. We report that CLYBL encodes a malate/β-methylmalate synthase, converting glyoxylate and acetyl-CoA to malate, or glyoxylate and propionyl-CoA to β-methylmalate. Malate synthases are best known for their established role in the glyoxylate shunt of plants and lower organisms and are traditionally described as not occurring in humans. The broader role of a malate/β-methylmalate synthase in human physiology and its mechanistic link to vitamin B12 metabolism remain unknown.
The Grid-Coupled Dynatron

This paper deals with an improved oscillatory system wherein the dynamic excursion is associated with the secondary emission region of the vacuum tube characteristic, plate current vs. plate voltage. A more or less conventional dynatron oscillator, using a tetrode, is improved by feeding back some of the output power to the inner grid. The maximum increase in oscillatory power was found to be about fifty per cent above the same system with a static control grid potential.
Quantification of marrow CD34+ cells: An important tool for distinguishing between hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndromes and aplastic anemia.

Quantification of marrow CD34+ cells: an important tool for distinguishing between hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndromes and aplastic anemia
Elastic net with Monte Carlo sampling for data-based modeling in biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities

Abstract Biopharmaceutical manufacturing involves multiple process steps that can be challenging to model. Oftentimes, operating conditions are studied in bench-scale experiments and then fixed to specific values during full-scale operations. This procedure limits the opportunity to tune process variables to correct for the effects of disturbances. Generating process models has the potential to increase the flexibility and controllability of the biomanufacturing processes. This article proposes a statistical modeling methodology to predict the outputs of biopharmaceutical operations. This methodology addresses two important challenging characteristics typical of data collected in the biopharmaceutical industry: limited data availability and data heterogeneity. Motivated by the final aim of control, regularization methods, specifically the elastic net, are combined with sampling techniques similar to the bootstrap to develop mathematical models that use only a small number of input variables. This methodology is evaluated on an antibody manufacturing dataset.
Eccentrically-Loaded, Hinged Steel Columns

Experimental investigation of columns bent about minor axis parallel to flanges; tests preclude torsion, but produce maximum stresses over entire width of flanges; information obtained on load-deflection performance up to and considerably beyond ultimate loads; comparison of results with predicted failure loads calculated by other methods.
Timing and Vulnerability in Three Hitchcock Films

This essay studies three Hitchcock films to argue that their character construction—especially their construction of characters9 vulnerability—is structured around patterns of timing or mistiming. It also asks more broadly what this formal choice can tell us about these films9 treatment of ethics.
CNS active ergot alkaloid dihydro derivatives: tritium labelling and characterization

The ergot alkaloids are an important class of medicinally useful substances and this report describes the high specific activity tritium labelling of two dihydro derivatives; namely, dihydroergotamine and dihydrobromocriptine. The former was prepared by the direct tritiation of ergotamine itself. However, efforts to perform an analogous direct tritiation on bromocriptine were unsuccessful and a multistep synthesis was required.
Moving portraits

We present an approach for generating face animations from large image collections of the same person. Such collections, which we call photobios, are remarkable in that they summarize a person's life in photos; the photos sample the appearance of a person over changes in age, pose, facial expression, hairstyle, and other variations. Yet, browsing and exploring photobios is infeasible due to their large volume. By optimizing the quantity and order in which photos are displayed and cross dissolving between them, we can render smooth transitions between face pose (e.g., from frowning to smiling), and create moving portraits from collections of still photos. Used in this context, the cross dissolve produces a very strong motion effect; a key contribution of the paper is to explain this effect and analyze its operating range. We demonstrate results on a variety of datasets including time-lapse photography, personal photo collections, and images of celebrities downloaded from the Internet. Our approach is completely automatic and has been widely deployed as the "Face Movies" feature in Google's Picasa.
Bacillary dysentery etiology monitoring results

Objective:To understand the bacillary dysentery(referred to as bacillary dysentery) and the state of fashion trends.Methods:June 1997 to November in the city of 31,189 people in 30 villages for testing,where the diarrhea patients are not antibiotics before their fresh droppings collected in the C-B delivery medium,and then proceed to check Shigella dysentery.Results:Diarrhea patients were found in 3332 million,an incidence rate of 10.68 percent,of which the clinical diagnosis of 526 cases of bacillary dysentery,an incidence rate of 1.69%(male and female incidence rates were 1.59% and 1.79%,χ2=1.77,P0.05),etiology confirmed incidence of 1.48%,(male and female incidence rates were 1.65% and 1.30%,χ2=6.62,P0.01).From the clinical diagnosis of bacillary dysentery,enteritis and other diarrhea patients were detected in Shigella dysentery 64.83 percent,3.88 percent and 0.69 percent,the four groups were detected were found in 15 serotypes and subtypes.Conclusion:The monitoring points have the following characteristics: F2a popular strains still exist,but a great catch up X variant trend;age 50～60-year-old group the highest incidence;5-year-old group the incidence of the lowest time in addition to higher incidence in July,the other was no significant difference between the month.
Comparison of the Effects of Preoperative Vaginal Intracavitary Irradiation plus Surgery and Surgery Alone for Stage Ib2 and IIa Cervical Cancer

To compare the outcome of preoperative vaginal intracavitary irradiation plus surgery and that of surgery alone for patients with stage Ⅰb2 and Ⅱa cervical cancer, and to determine the value of preoperative vaginal intracavitary irradiation in patients treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for stage Ⅰb2 and Ⅱa cervical cancer. Methods: From June 1998 to June 2005, data from 78 stage Ⅰb2 and Ⅱa cervical cancer patients (age≤75 years) with a diameter of local lesions greater than 4 cm were collected in our hospital. Before treatment, all cases were confirmed by biopsy. The patients’general state was good, KPS grade≥90, heart and lung functioning was normal and patients were able to tolerate the surgery. The 78 patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=38) received 2000~3000 cGy 192Ir irradiation from preoperative intracavitary brachytherapy (radioactive source at 1 cm distance). After a rest of 10 to 14 days, radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Group 2 (n=40) underwent radical surgery directly. The treatment outcomes between these two groups were compared and the effect of preoperative intracavitary brachytherapy and presence of postoperative complications were evaluated. Results: In group 1, the tumor volume shrunk after irradiation and the total response rate (CR+PR) was 94.7% (36/38). Preoperative intracavitary brachytherapy did not increase the rate of complications. The 1-, 3- and 5-year locoregional control rates were 89.5%, 82.9% and 76.9% in group 1 and 80.0%, 61.3% and 52.6% in group 2. A significant difference was found in the 3- and 5-year locoregional control rates between the two groups (P0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates: 85.0% vs. 92.1% (P0.05), 83.9% vs. 87.9% (P0.05), and 78.3% vs. 80.0% (P0.05), respectively. Conclusion: Preoperative intracavitary brachytherapy is an effective procedure for the treatment for stage Ⅰb2 and Ⅱa cervical cancer and can significantly improve the locoregional control rate.
Design of Mobile Digital TV Based on TMS320DM320 Chip

A solution of mobile digital TV is proposed based on T-DMB standard and digital multimedia chip of TI. And then, the theories and methods of software and hardware design are introduced in detail. The simulation results indicate that the solution has lower power consumption, higher sensitivity and can realize the real-time play.
Alterations in specific activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in laboratory rats after leptospiral exposure followed by triiodothyronine administration.

Objective To determine the effect of leptospirosis on thyroid hormone induction of the specific activity of hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase in laboratory rats. Animals Male Fisher 344 rats, 6 and 24 months old, healthy and infected with leptospirosis. Procedure The maximal velocity of glucose-6-phosphatase in intact and detergent-disrupted hepatic microsomes was assayed in duplicate or triplicate at 5 substrate concentrations, by monitoring the release of inorganic phosphate at 0-, 5-, and 10-minute intervals. The method of least squares was used to determine the velocity of the reactions. The level of statistical significance was determined, using the Student's t-test for unpaired data. Thyroid hormone (40 micrograms of T3/ 100 g of body weight) was administered for 5 consecutive days prior to sacrifice. Results Leptospirosis significantly increased the specific activity of the translocase component of glucose-6-phosphatase in old, but not young, rats. The activity of the translocase increased more than three-fold in untreated, infected old animals, compared with untreated, healthy old animals. Thyroid hormone induced a two- and threefold increase in the specific activities of the translocase in young and old healthy animals, respectively. Thyroid hormone did not increase the activity of the translocase in old animals infected with leptospirosis. Conclusions and clinical relevance Leptospirosis alters the specific activity and induction by thyroid hormone of the translocase component of hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase in old male Fisher 344 rats. It is necessary to be aware of possible alterations in hepatic membrane-bound enzymes after leptospiral infection of older laboratory animals.
Ecological momentary analysis of the relations among stressful events, affective reactivity, and smoking among smokers with high versus low depressive symptoms during a quit attempt

Aims To assess whether individuals trying to quit smoking who have high depressive symptoms (HD), compared with low-depressive-symptom (LD) symptoms: 1) report more frequent stressful events (SEs), 2) are more likely to smoke after SEs, 3) experience greater acute or persistent changes in affect after a SE, and 4) are at greater risk of smoking following affective changes. Design Smoking cessation data were analyzed using multilevel path modeling to examine the moderating effects of depressive symptoms on relations among SEs, subsequent affect, and smoking. Setting An academic research center in Central New Jersey, USA. Participants Seventy-one adult treatment-seeking daily smokers recruited from 2010 to 2012. Measurements Baseline depressive symptoms (HD: Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] ≥ 16 vs. LD: CES-D < 16); and real-time ecological momentary assessment (EMA) reports of SEs, affect, and smoking assessed over 21 days post-quit. Findings Multilevel models indicated that HD smokers were more likely than LD smokers to report stressful events (OR = 2.32, p = .009), but had similar post-stress acute affective changes (negative affect: b = - .12, p = .137, positive affect: b = .02, p = .805). Only HD smokers reported increased negative affect (NA) (b = .20, p = .030) and decreased positive affect (PA) up to 12 hours later (b = -.22, p = .021), and greater lapse risk up to 24 hours after an SE (OR = 3.21, p = .017). The persistence of elevated NA and suppressed PA was partially explained by increased odds of subsequent SEs among HD smokers. However, the heightened stress-lapse association over 24 hours found in HD smokers was not fully explained by sustained aversive affect or subsequent SEs. Conclusions Depressed and non-depressed smokers trying to quit appear to experience similar acute affective changes following stress: however, depressed smokers experience higher rates of exposure to stress, longer-lasting post-stress affective disturbance, and greater risk of replase to smoking 12-24 hours after a stressful event than non-depressed smoker.
Recent development of microstrip band-pass filters for microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits

The results of design and study of diminutive surface wave magnetrons (SWMs) of mm radio wave range with thermocathode and super diminutive SWMs with heatless cathode are presented.
Descriptive Findings of the VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers TBI Model Systems National Database.

Abstract Objectives To present initial descriptive findings from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (PRC) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems (MS) National Database. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting VA PRC TBIMS National Database. Participants 712 service members and veterans with TBI who consented to participate between January 2010 and June 2015. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Demographics, preinjury characteristics, injury characteristics, rehabilitation course, functional outcomes, and discharge disposition by TBI severity level. Results The study cohort was predominantly male with moderate to severe TBI secondary to vehicular accident or blast injury. Sixty-five percent were active duty service members; one-third had been injured during deployment. One-third reported mental health treatment and/or alcohol use problems in the year predating the index TBI. The median number of days between injury and PRC admission was 42.5. Nearly 25% reported clinical levels of posttraumatic stress disorder; 75% reported mild to moderate neurobehavioral symptomatology. The median length of stay in the PRC was 36 days; those with severe TBI had the longest lengths of stay. Functional independence ratings improved from admission to discharge across all TBI severity levels. A majority were discharged to urban areas to reside with spouses or other residents in private residences or adult homes, with some variability by injury severity. Conclusions The VA PRC TBIMS national database is a rich source of information on a unique group of individuals with TBI and promises to complement existing knowledge on TBI in the civilian population.
How Does SCORTEN Score

The Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis-specific severity of illness score (SCORTEN) was developed to predict mortality in patients with Stevens Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN). Several studies have attempted to assess the accuracy of SCORTEN with mixed results. The objective of this study is to compare the predicted and actual mortality for patients with SJS/TEN admitted to a single high-volume burn center.This retrospective study included adult and pediatric patients admitted to our burn center with biopsy-confirmed SJS/TEN between February 2008 and February 2016. SCORTEN scores were calculated for each patient on days 1 and 3 of admission. The primary endpoint was predicted vs actual in-hospital mortality. Secondary endpoints included the association of SCORTEN, as well as individual components of SCORTEN, with hospital length of stay, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and in-hospital complications.Of 128 patients included, the mean age was 44.5 years, 40.6% (n = 52) were males, and 50.0% (n = 64) were Caucasians. The median TBSA was 12.25% on day 1 and 25% on day 3. The median SCORTEN at admission was 2 (interquartile range: 1-3.5). There were a total of 20 deaths (17.2%). SCORTEN exhibited good discrimination (c-statistic = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.75-0.91) and performed directionally as expected, but a low but nonsignificant standardized mortality ratio (75.3%, P = .164) and a Hosmer-Lemeshow test of borderline significance (P = .088) make the model's fit unclear.The accuracy of the SCORTEN model in predicting mortality for SJS/TEN patients treated in a burn center remains unclear. This study may encourage future multicenter studies to further clarify its predictive ability and may also enhance future investigation into the use of a reformulated or reweighted SCORTEN.
In situ chemical probing of hole defects and cracks in graphene at room temperature.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has emerged as the most promising technique towards manufacturing of large area, high quality graphene. Characterization, understanding, and controlling of various structural defects in CVD-grown graphene are essential to realize its true potential for real-world applications. We report a new method for in situ chemical probing of vacancy defects in CVD-grown graphene at room temperature. Our approach is based on a solid–gas phase reaction that occurs selectively in graphene vacancy defect regions such as holes and cracks. Our new probing technique has a unique combination of the following advantages: (1) no exposure to liquids; (2) non-damaging in situ probing; (3) high selectivity, sensitivity, and reliability towards vacancy defects; (4) simplicity and scalability. By focusing on hexagonal graphene domains, we have made the following findings: (1) the nucleation centers of graphene domains are favorable locations of hole defects. (2) The lengthy electron-beam irradiation at very low energy (3.5 keV) could etch the graphene. (3) Graphene cracks often kink at the angle of primarily 150° or 120°. (4) There exist complex graphene cracks such as cracks with clock-hands patterns, and cracks with snowflake-like branched structures. (5) There exist discontinuous cracks in some graphene domains, where hole defects are oriented along a straight or curved line. Such discontinuous cracks may arise from the ductile fracture of graphene. In addition, we have shown that our method is also applicable to chemical probing of vacancy defects such as holes, continuous and discontinuous cracks in CVD-grown monolayer polycrystalline graphene films on copper. Our study also suggests that the copper grain and copper grain boundary play significant roles in formation and distribution of graphene vacancy defects.
Near-wall resolution requirement for direct numerical simulation of turbulent flow using multidomain Chebyshev grid

Abstract Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent flow in a periodic channel is performed to study the effect of the wall-normal spatial resolution near the wall on the calculations of turbulence statistics using multidomain Chebyshev grids. A discontinuous spectral element method (DSEM) is employed to calculate the first- and second-order statistics of the flow near the wall. The effect of the spectral approximation order on the resolution requirement is also studied by considering three approximation orders of P = 2 , 5 , and 7. The Reynolds number based on the bulk density, bulk velocity, and channel half-height is Re = 3266 , which corresponds to a friction Reynolds number of Re τ ≈ 204 based on the wall friction velocity and the channel half-height. It is observed that the near-wall resolution requirement strongly depends on the spectral approximation order. For the same total number of grid points, a higher approximation order provides more accurate results. For approximation orders of P = 5 and 7, grids with respectively 11 and 8 points inside y + = 10 are sufficient to resolve the turbulent statistics near the wall, while a grid with P = 2 requires more than 11 points in the same region to achieve the same level of accuracy.
AUGMFNTATION BY HEMATIN OF RATES OF BENZO[a]PYRENE HYDROXYLATION: THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF CYTOCHROME P-450

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the possible involvement of cytochrome P-450 in augmentation by hematin of rates of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Micromolar additions of hematin to flasks containing extra-hepatic homogenates or homogenate subtractions, cofactors for monooxygenation, and BaP resulted in up to 70-fold increases in rates of hydroxylation of BaP relative to rates observed in the absence of hematin. Similar hematin-mediated increases in monooxygenation were observed with 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and 17–β–estradiol. The chapter presents a data that supports the postulate that cytochrome P-450 is the component affected by hematin. It has prompted a suggested model, whereby, free pools of apocytochrome P-450 molecules can complex with added hematin resulting in the formation of functional holocytochromes. Observations suggest that accumulation of a substance in the reaction mixture is required for the initiation of hematin effect. This substance may alter the apoenzyme, resulting in a rapid incorporation of heme. A similar mechanism has been demonstrated to regulate the activity of tryptophan pyrrolase.
Vascular Gene Therapy

The application of genetic treatments for vascular disease was conceived at a time when restenosis was the primary impediment to percutaneous intervention. Initial attempts to deliver vectors to the normal vasculature included plasmid and retroviral-based strategies (1). These studies demonstrated the ability to transduce vascular cells albeit with low efficiency. The development of recombinant adenoviral vectors allowed for enhanced gene-transfer efficiency in normal and atherosclerotic arteries compared with nonviral and retroviral vectors (2). The enhanced efficiency of adenoviral vectors allowed for the testing of therapeutic strategies to inhibit neointimal formation following arterial injury (3,4). Although initial attempts to translate these early antiproliferative studies were stymied by concerns regarding the safety of adenoviral vectors and the lack of effective delivery catheters, clinical trials have recently begun in the US and Europe testing antiproliferative vascular gene-transfer strategies delivering pluripotent transgenes including those encoding for distinct isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (5, 6, 7). Clinical targets in these initial studies include an array of vasculoproliferative disorders, including arterio-venous fistulae stenosis and restenosis following coronary stenting.
Shape Optimal Design by the Convex Linearization Method

The main goal of the present paper is to discuss the choice of suitable numerical methods for shape optimal design of elastic structures discretized in finite elements. After a short description of the approach we followed to create an appropriate geometric model involving a relatively small number of design variables, attention is mainly directed toward the selection of an adequate optimization algorithm. To this aim the paper will briefly present the various attempts that we have successively undertaken before adopting the convex linearization method as the basic optimizer, not only for shape optimal design problems but also for all our other structural synthesis capabilities. Various examples of applications to optimum shape problems are offered to demonstrate the efficiency of this new algorithm. Finally some comments are made about future developments needed to effectively implement shape optimization concepts into the real design cycle.
Bibliotherapy as a Strategy for Bullying Prevention

The use of bibliotherapy for bullying prevention is a strategy that educators should consider to meet the increasing demands on classroom instructional time and the need for anti-bullying movements. Using exemplary text with anti-bullying themes during existing read-aloud times allows educators to engage students in critical dialogue and interaction while employing before, during, and after reading strategies. Twenty teachers participated in a mixed methods study. Two weeks before implementation, teachers were asked to complete a pre-survey and to collect anecdotal data on their perceptions and attitudes toward bullying behaviors in the classroom. Participants then entered into a 10-school-day treatment period in which they read one of the provided children’s books each day during their scheduled read-aloud time and engaged students with the Bibliotherapy Reading Guide. After the intervention period, teachers wrote anecdotal notes about their observations of student bullying behaviors. They also completed a second Bullying Behaviors Survey as a posttest. Quantitative analysis of the nine matched pairs of surveys discovered that no concepts related to student behaviors were significant and four areas of teacher perception were familiarity with bullying prevention methods, bibliotherapy strategies, strategies to teach empathy, and confidence in ability to prevent bullying. Qualitative analysis revealed that teachers perceived bibliotherapy to be beneficial for students, to impact their behavior, and to develop empathic behaviors. Teacher participants also reported both confidence in bibliotherapy for bullying prevention and a desire to continue the practice.
Effects of Severe Hypoglycemia on Cardiovascular Outcomes and Death in the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial

OBJECTIVE To determine the risk factors for severe hypoglycemia and the association between severe hypoglycemia and serious cardiovascular adverse events and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This post hoc analysis of data from the VADT included 1,791 military veterans (age 60.5 ± 9.0 years) with suboptimally controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA 1c 9.4 ± 2.0%) of 11.5 ± 7.5 years disease duration with or without known cardiovascular disease and additional cardiovascular risk factors. Participants were randomized to intensive (HbA 1c 1c RESULTS The rate of severe hypoglycemia in the intensive treatment group was 10.3 per 100 patient-years compared with 3.7 per 100 patient-years in the standard treatment group ( P P = 0.02), proteinuria ( P = 0.009), and autonomic neuropathy ( P = 0.01) were independent risk factors for severe hypoglycemia, and higher BMI was protective ( P = 0.017). Severe hypoglycemia within the past 3 months was associated with an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events ( P = 0.032), cardiovascular mortality ( P = 0.012), and total mortality ( P = 0.024). However, there was a relatively greater increased risk for total mortality in the standard group compared with the intensive group ( P = 0.019). The association between severe hypoglycemia and cardiovascular events increased significantly as overall cardiovascular risk increased ( P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS Severe hypoglycemic episodes within the previous 3 months were associated with increased risk for major cardiovascular events and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality regardless of glycemic treatment group assignment. Standard therapy further increased the risk for all-cause mortality after severe hypoglycemia.
Chapter 3 – C1q

The first component of a complement is a pentameric complex comprising of C1q and the Ca2+-dependent tetramer C1r2C1s2. The roles of C1q within this complex are to recognise and bind immune complexes, as well as pathogen- or danger-associated molecular ligands, and trigger activation of the classical pathway of complement. However, data accumulated to date has also shown that C1q is not limited to its traditional role but also plays a versatile role in a growing list of physiologic and pathologic processes that include chemotaxis, angiogenesis, infection, inflammation and cancer. Although complement proteins in general are synthesised in the liver, C1q is unique in that, cells of myeloid origin, as well as proliferating cells and tumour cells synthesise it. Locally secreted C1q functions in an autocrine/paracrine manner to induce proinflammatory and anti inflammatory cytokines and as such may be regarded as a ‘complekine’ – a complement protein with cytokine-like activity.
Time to Therapeutic Tacrolimus Serum Concentrations and the Impact on Early Acute Cellular Rejection in Adult Lung Transplant Recipients

Purpose Acute cellular rejection (ACR) affects up to 55% of lung transplant recipients (LTR) within the first year post-transplant. Maintenance immunosuppression regimens include calcineurin inhibitors, antimetabolites, and corticosteroids. Previous studies have shown that early ACR can lead to more severe rejection episodes within the first year post-transplant. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the time to therapeutic tacrolimus trough concentrations immediately after lung transplant and early clinical ACR post lung transplant. Methods This was a single center, retrospective cohort study of 208 adult LTR transplanted between March 1, 2012 and December 31, 2015 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Recipients were stratified into four groups based on the time to therapeutic tacrolimus concentrations: 0-7, 8-14, 15-29, and ≥30 days post-transplant. Therapeutic tacrolimus trough concentrations were defined as two consecutive levels between 10-15 ng/mL. The primary outcome was the incidence of clinical ACR 6 weeks post-transplant. Clinical ACR included both biopsy proven rejection and treated rejection. Secondary outcomes included biopsy proven ACR 4 and 12 weeks post-transplant and the incidence of acute kidney injury 7, 14, and 30 days post-transplant. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the primary outcome with adjustment for donor age, recipient age, recipient sex, primary graft dysfunction (PGD) within 72 hours post-transplant, and pre-transplant HLA sensitization. Results The incidence of clinical ACR within 6 weeks post-transplant did not differ between groups: 68%, 66%, 71%, and 71% in the 0-7, 8-14, 15-29, and ≥30 days post-transplant groups, respectively (p=0.94). No differences were seen in adjusted and unadjusted analysis. No difference was found in the incidence of AKI within 7 (p=0.25) or 30 (p=0.32) days post-transplant. The incidence of AKI within 14 days was higher in the 15-29 day group (26%), compared to 7%, 14%, 7% in groups 0-7, 8-14, and ≥30 days, respectively (p=0.05). Conclusion There was no difference in the incidence of early clinical ACR among adult LTR who achieved therapeutic tacrolimus trough concentrations 0-7, 8-14, 15-29, or ≥30 days post-transplant.
Long-term Results of Spine Stapling for AIS to Skeletal Maturity and Beyond.

Background We looked at long-term follow-up of spine stapling with Nitinol Staples. This was a cohort of all adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with curves at high risk to progress based on curve magnitude, premenarchal status in all females, failure of brace treatment, and skeletal immaturity. Methods This is a single surgeon retrospective review of consecutive AIS patients treated with Nitinol staples for progressive scoliosis. Fourteen patients, 16 curves from 2005 to 2008 were eligible. Minimum curve for stapling was 30 degrees. Standard preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were collected. All patients were followed for a minimum of 36 months and to skeletal maturity. Three groups were: improved (group 1), correction of any amount; minimal progression (group 2), progression ≤10 degrees; and failure (group 3), ≥10 degrees of progression. Results A total of 13 thoracic curves and 2 compensatory lumbar curves met the inclusion criteria (94%). Average follow-up was 61 months. The mean preoperative main thoracic curve was 35 degrees. All but 1 patients progressed at least 9 degrees in a brace prior to stapling. Females were all premenarchal, 10 patients were Risser 0 and 3 Risser 1. The average number of vertebrae stapled per curve was 6. Group 1 included 6 curves (40%). Group 2, 5 curves (33%). Group 3, 4 curves (27%). Three patients went on to uncomplicated fusion. Final curve measurement at the end of follow-up or before fusion (P=0.0037), curve progression (P≤0.001), and percentage of coronal correction on first postoperative standing radiograph (P=0.042) were the significant differences between groups 1+2 (successful) versus group 3 (failures). In total, 73% of this group either progressed ≤10 degrees or improved. Conclusions This is the first study that follows AIS patients treated with spine stapling to skeletal maturity. Staples likely changed natural history in some of our patients. Initial percentage of correction on first standing postoperative PA x-rays was the only predictor of success. Stapling was safe without any long-term complications. Level of evidence Level III-retrospective study.
Effects of Processed Agro-Residues on the Performance of Sodium Chloride Brine Anti-Icer

In this laboratory study, the performance and impacts of several new types of anti-icer were examined. A chemico-biological process was employed to prepare liquid extracts from two agro-based feeds...
Arts in transformative learning: an arts-based duoethnography

ABSTRACTIn this research, two art educators discuss their understanding and applications of transformative learning theory (TL) and the Reggio Emilia approach (REA) as art practitioners by exchangi...
Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition for plasmonic TiN (Erratum)

Publisher’s Note: This paper, originally published on 3 October 2016, was replaced with a corrected version on 12 May 2020. If you downloaded the original PDF but are unable to access the revision, please contact SPIE Digital Library Customer Service for assistance.
Alleviating Traffic Congestion by the Strategy of Modal Shift from Private Cars to Public Transports: A Case of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Despite much effort, traffic congestion remains a significant concern in urban transportation planning of major cities. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh with a population of more than 15 million, is one of such cities that is distressed by severe traffic congestion. The over-reliance on private cars is one of the major causes of city traffic congestion, yet its consequences and alternatives have not been investigated carefully. In this study, a micro-level traffic simulation is designed using the agent-based modeling (ABM) approach representing the traffic flow and the congestion pattern. The characteristics and behaviors of numerous interacting agents, including vehicles, roads, traffic signals, and bus stops, are specified in a spatially explicit road network. Further, the outcomes of modal shift of the daily commuters from private cars to public buses are evaluated. The simulation result shows that, with a modal shift of 20% of private cars’ commuters to public transports, the average traffic speed increases by 10.6% and average travel delay decreases by 12.8%, whereas a modal shift of 40% can raise the speed by 21.0% and reduce the travel delay by 23.2%. Consequently, there is a potential saving of 1.41 and 2.57 million valuable work-hours every year by the 20% and 40% modal shift strategies, respectively, for the studied travel route. This study provides useful information that can support the policymakers to make effective decisions for improving the traffic condition.
Person, Place, or Thing: Individual, Community, and Risk Information Seeking:

This study focuses on the relationship between the community and the environment to explore (1) how community attachment affects residents’ risk perceptions and risk-coping strategies and (2) how r...