cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of myocardial stromal cell–derived factor 1α/CXCL12 by tumor necrosis factor signaling

Abstract Background Global myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) occurs during cardiac operations. This I/R injury leads to increased production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) instantly and upregulated expression of stromal cell–derived factor 1 α (SDF-1). On the basis of the published data from our laboratory and other groups, locally produced TNF contributes to cardiac dysfunction mainly via binding to its receptor (tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 [TNFR1]), whereas ischemia-induced myocardial SDF-1 mediates cardioprotection. Although TNF has been shown to work as an upstream initiator for induction of other cytokines and chemokines, there is no information regarding the interaction among TNF, TNFRs, and myocardial SDF-1 expression. In this study, given that TNF downregulated SDF-1 in vascular endothelial cells, we therefore hypothesized that TNF would have a negative effect on myocardial SDF-1 production, which is attributable to TNFR-initiated actions. Methods Using a Langendorff model, isolated male mouse hearts were infused with TNF for 45 min. Male adult mouse hearts from wild type, TNFR1 knockout (TNFR1KO), TNFR2KO, and TNFR1/2KO were subjected to global I/R. H9c2 cells with small interfering RNA transfection were used as an in vitro model. The levels of SDF-1 (protein and messenger RNA) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction . Protein kinases of IκB (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor α) and c-jun N-terminal kinase were also determined using Western blot assay. Results TNF infusion downregulated myocardial SDF-1 production in a dose-dependent manner in the hearts. In addition, using TNF significantly decreased SDF-1 expression in cardiomyoblasts (H9c2 cells), which was associated with reduced IκB level. Knockdown of TNFR1 or TNFR2 by small interfering RNAs neutralized TNF-suppressed SDF-1 in H9c2 cells. Furthermore, deletion of TNFR1/2 or TNFR2 increased SDF-1 production in the hearts after I/R. Conclusions Our study represents the initial evidence showing that TNF plays an inhibitory role in modulating myocardial SDF-1 production and blockade of TNF signaling by ablation of TNFR1 and TNFR2 genes increased SDF-1 expression in the heart. These data expand on TNF signaling-initiated mechanisms in myocardium, which may lend a more complete understanding of SDF-1 and TNFR-derived actions in hopes of advancing ischemic heart injury treatments.
Adjunct Intravitreous Triamcinolone Acetonide in the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema with Anti-VEGF Agents.

Aims. To compare visual and anatomic outcomes of adjunct intravitreous (IVT) triamcinolone acetonide to antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections to IVT anti-VEGF injections alone for center-involving diabetic macular edema (DME) in treatment-naive eyes. Methods. Retrospective study of treatment-naive eyes with center-involving DME. The primary outcome was the change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in eyes receiving only IVT anti-VEGF (group 1) and eyes receiving IVT anti-VEGF and adjunct IVT-TA (group 2). Results. Included were 192 eyes. The mean change in BCVA was
Tricky Film: The Critical and Legal Reception of I Am Curious (Yellow) in America

This study examines the reception of the Swedish film I am Curious (Yellow) in America. As a mixture of political satire and a chronicle of a sexual affair, with fictional and documentary material, the film was referred to by a U.S. government official as “the most explicit movie ever imported” when it arrived in America in 1968 and was released only after a federal appeals court reversed a lower-court verdict that had found it legally obscene. Although cleared for importation, I am Curious (Yellow) continued to be dogged by whether its sex scenes violated local and state obscenity laws. While the legal actions at times impeded distribution of the film, they also generated publicity for it, eventually making it one of the most profitable foreign-language films in U.S. motionpicture history. This paper discusses several court cases where the film’s social value—or lack thereof—was the factor deciding whether it could be shown, and it also looks at critical reaction to the film. Noting that all popular-culture products are products of the societies they spring from, the paper also looks at how the film was received in Sweden.
The Characteristics of a High Power Ultrasonic Transducer Determined by the Experimental Technique

The characteristic and the nonlinear behavior of a Langevin type vibrator under high velocity were studied by the experimental technique. The frequency response functions (FRFs) between the electrical parameter (voltage) and the mechanical parameter (velocity) were measured for several input voltage levels to see the nonlinear behavior of the vibrator. Also, the FRFs were determined under the condition of constant velocity. The left hand side region of the resonance is highly nonlinear and unstable for high velocity. In general, the resonance frequency decreases as the vibrator's velocity increases. The limit of the maximum velocity of the vibrator was found in this experiment.
Epo reprograms the epigenome of erythroid cells

The hormone erythropoietin (Epo) is required for erythropoiesis, yet its molecular mechanism of action remains poorly understood, particularly with respect to chromatin dynamics. To investigate how Epo modulates the erythroid epigenome, we performed epigenetic profiling using an ex vivo murine cell system that undergoes synchronous erythroid maturation in response to Epo stimulation. Our findings define the repertoire of Epo-modulated enhancers, illuminating a new facet of Epo signaling. First, a large number of enhancers rapidly responded to Epo stimulation, revealing a cis-regulatory network of Epo-responsive enhancers. In contrast, most of the other identified enhancers remained in an active acetylated state during Epo signaling, suggesting that most erythroid enhancers are established at an earlier precursor stage. Second, we identified several hundred super-enhancers that were linked to key erythroid genes, such as Tal1, Bcl11a, and Mir144/451. Third, experimental and computational validation revealed that many predicted enhancer regions were occupied by TAL1 and enriched with DNA-binding motifs for GATA1, KLF1, TAL1/E-box, and STAT5. Additionally, many of these cis-regulatory regions were conserved evolutionarily and displayed correlated enhancer:promoter acetylation. Together, these findings define a cis-regulatory enhancer network for Epo signaling during erythropoiesis, and provide the framework for future studies involving the interplay of epigenetics and Epo signaling.
Abstract 090: Armenian Ethnicity: An Independent Risk Factor for Positive Exercise Treadmill Tests

Background: Several studies have examined the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among larger racial and ethnic groups such as Hispanics and African-Americans in the United States, but limited in...
Four\(\mathbb {Q}\)NEON: Faster Elliptic Curve Scalar Multiplications on ARM Processors

We present a high-speed, high-security implementation of the recently proposed elliptic curve Four\(\mathbb {Q}\) (ASIACRYPT 2015) for 32-bit ARM processors with NEON support. Exploiting the versatile and compact arithmetic of this curve, we design a vectorized implementation that achieves high-performance across a large variety of ARM platforms. Our software is fully protected against timing and cache attacks, and showcases the impressive speed of Four\(\mathbb {Q}\) when compared with other curve-based alternatives. For example, one single variable-base scalar multiplication is computed in about 235,000 Cortex-A8 cycles or 132,000 Cortex-A15 cycles which, compared to the results of the fastest genus 2 Kummer and Curve25519 implementations on the same platforms, offer speedups between 1.3x–1.7x and between 2.1x–2.4x, respectively. In comparison with the NIST standard curve K-283, we achieve speedups above 4x and 5.5x.
Miss Karen is in it to win: A performative autoethnography approach to investigating dance competition culture

As a researcher, my goal is to ignite conversations in both the academic discourse of dance and the larger population about dance competition culture, the regional and national events where children and adolescents perform short dances for awards. I investigate dance competition culture both as a scholar and as an artist, and as a former competitive dancer and current postmodern dancer. Through my research, a semi-fictional character, Miss Karen, based on my embodied experiences with dance competition culture emerged. This article unpacks how the development and performance of Miss Karen binds together the creative/performative and scholarly/written aspects of my research. In the case of devising and performing Miss Karen, this involves a performative autoethnography approach situated in physical cultural studies. The use of a performative autoethnography approach, particularly in the project’s creative components that informs and is informed by qualitative research approaches and collaborative interdisciplinary creative practices, fuels both research process and outcomes. The approach is multifaceted and unified; reshapes traditional approaches to dance scholarship and creative practice; and leads to multiple, integrated outcomes.
Revealing the Structural Neural Circuitry of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder With Diffusion MRI: Implications for Future Diagnosis and Treatment.

OBJECTIVE. Rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and psychostimulant prescriptions continue to rise, yet there are no clear diagnostic tests or biomarkers for the disor...
Poster: Improving Formation of Student Teams: A Clustering Approach

Today's courses in engineering and other fields frequently involve projects done by teams of students. An important aspect of these team assignments is the formation of the teams. In some courses, teams select different topics to work on. Ideally, team formation would be included with topic selection, so teams could be formed from students interested in the same topics. Intuitive criteria for a team formation algorithm are that students should be assigned to (1) a topic which they have interest and (2) a team of students with similar interests in their topic. We propose an approach to meeting these criteria by mining student preferences for topics with a clustering approach and then matching them in groups to topics that suit their shared interests. Our implementation is based on hierarchical k-means clustering and a weighting formula that favors increasing overall student satisfaction and adding members until the maximum allowable team size is reached.
Epigenetic Therapy with Panobinostat Combined with Bicalutamide Rechallenge in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Purpose: This study assesses the action of panobinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI), in restoring sensitivity to bicalutamide in a castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) model and the efficacy and safety of the panobinostat/bicalutamide combination in CRPC patients resistant to second-line antiandrogen therapy (2ndLAARx). Patients and Methods: The CWR22PC xenograft and isogenic cell line were tested for drug interactions on tumor cell growth and on the androgen receptor (AR), AR-splice variant7, and AR targets. A phase I trial had a 3 × 3 panobinostat dose-escalation design. The phase II study randomized 55 patients to panobinostat 40 mg (A arm) or 20 mg (B arm) triweekly ×2 weeks with bicalutamide 50 mg/day in 3-week cycles. The primary endpoint was to determine the percentage of radiographic progression-free (rPF) patients at 36 weeks versus historic high-dose bicalutamide. Results: In the model, panobinostat/bicalutamide demonstrated synergistic antitumor effect while reducing AR activity. The dose-limiting toxicity was not reached. The probabilities of remaining rPF were 47.5% in the A arm and 38.5% in the B arm, exceeding the protocol-specified threshold of 35%. The A arm but not the B arm exceeded expectations for times (medians) to rP (33.9 and 10 weeks), and from PSA progression to rP (24 and 5.9 weeks). A arm/B arm events included: adverse events (AE), 62%/19%; treatment stopped for AEs, 27.5%/11.5%; dose reduction required, 41%/4%. The principal A-arm grade ≥ 3 AEs were thrombocytopenia (31%) and fatigue (14%). Conclusions: The 40 mg panobinostat/bicalutamide regimen increased rPF survival n CRPC patients resistant to 2ndLAARx. Panobinostat toxicity was tolerable with dose reductions. Epigenetic HDACI therapy reduces AR-mediated resistance to bicalutamide in CRPC models with clinical benefit in patients. The combination merits validation using a second-generation antiandrogen.
Photon-tagged measurements of jet quenching with ATLAS

Events containing a high transverse momentum (p(T)) prompt photon offer a useful way to study the dynamics of the hot, dense medium produced in heavy ion collisions. Because photons do not carry co ...
UNIT 3.12 Endonucleases

Reaction conditions for numerous ensonucleases are detailed in this unit along with discussions of potential applications. Specific enzymes include BAL 31 nuclease, S1 nuclease, mung bean nuclease, micrococcal nuclease and DNase I.
Interface and heterostructure design in polyelemental nanoparticles

Nanomaterials that form as heterostructures have applications in catalysis, plasmonics, and electronics. Multielement nanoparticles can now be synthesized through a variety of routes, but how thermodynamic phases form in such structures and how specific interfaces between them can be designed and synthesized are still poorly understood. We explored how palladium-tin alloys form mixed-composition phases with metals with known but complex miscibilities. Nanoparticles with up to seven elements were synthesized, and many form triphase heterostructures consisting of either three-interface or two-interface architectures. Density functional theory calculations and experimental work were used to determine the balance between the surface and interfacial energies of the observed phases. From these observations, design rules have been established for making polyelemental systems with specific heterostructures, including tetraphase nanoparticles with as many as six junctions.
Commit-time incremental analysis

Most changes to large systems that have been deployed are quite small compared to the size of the entire system. While standard summary-based analyses reduce the code that is reanalysed, they, nevertheless, analyse code that is not changed. For example, a backward summary-based analysis, will examine all the callers of the changed code even if the callers themselves have not changed. In this paper we present a novel approach of having summaries of the callers (called forward summaries) that enables one to analyse only the changed code. An evaluation of this approach on two representative examples, demonstrates that the overheads associated with the generation of the forward summaries is recovered by performing just one or two incremental analyses. Thus this technique can be used at commit-time where only the changed code is available.
Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among North American Indigenous Adolescents: Considering Predictors and Outcomes

We identified developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms among 674 Indigenous adolescents (Mage = 11.10, SD = 0.83 years) progressing from early to late adolescence. Four depressive symptoms trajectories were identified: (a) sustained low, (b) initially low but increasing, (c) initially high but decreasing, and (d) sustained high levels of depressive symptoms. Trajectory group membership varied as a function of gender, pubertal development, caregiver major depression, and perceived discrimination. Moreover, participants in the different trajectory groups were at differential risk for the development of an alcohol use disorder. These results highlight the benefit of examining the development of depressive symptoms and the unique ways that depressive symptoms develop among North American Indigenous youth as they progress through adolescence.
CCSeq: Clusters of Colocalized Sequences

Abstract 0.1 Motivation Potential transcription factor (TF) complexes may be identified by testing whether the binding sequences of individual TF proteins form clusters with each other. These clusters may also indicate TF inhibition due to competitive occupancy of enhancer regions. Genome annotation data containing the coordinates of enhancer sequences is highly accessible via position-weight matrix tools. 0.2 Results An algorithm called CCSeq (Clusters of Colocalized Sequences) was developed for identifying clusters of sequences along a one-dimensional line, such as a chromosome, given genome annotation files and a cut-off distance as inputs. The algorithm was applied to the binding sequences of the constituent proteins of two known transcription factor complexes, the HSF1 homotrimer and one form of the NF-κB complex, a dimer of NFKB2 and RELB. 28 clusters of HSF1 trimer binding sequences were identified on chromosome Y, and 16 clusters of the NFKB2 and RELB dimer were identified on chromosome 17, compared to 0 clusters identified in any of the five simulated random distributions for each of the two sets of TF proteins. Additionally, structural patterns of these binding sequence clusters are described. 0.3 Availability and Implementation This algorithm is freely available as an R package on the open source R repository CRAN at the following link: https://cran.r-project.org/package=colocalized. Genome annotation files were obtained from the PWMScan tool at https://ccg.epfl.ch/pwmtools/pwmscan.php hosted by the Swiss Insitute of Bioinformatics (2) (3).
Psychometric assessment of two suicide screeners when used under routine conditions in military outpatient treatment programs

Suicide remains a pressing problem among active-duty military personnel. Recent Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense suicide prevention practice guidelines highlight the need for further screening research. The present study assessed the psychometric properties of 2 common self-report suicide screening tools: the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) and the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) ideation subscale. Data (n = 200 active-duty personnel) were drawn from medical records and self-report questionnaires from 2 outpatient treatment settings in a military hospital. Primary findings include: (a) confirmatory factor analytic support for the SBQ-R but not the self-report version of the C-SSRS ideation severity subscale; and (b) acceptable reliability for both the SBQ-R and C-SSRS ideation severity subscale. Recommendations are offered for military suicide screening practice and research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Adapting Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Complex Trauma in Police Officers

Police officers are at risk of being exposed to multiple traumas throughout their careers. Compared to the general population, police officers are also at elevated risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increased suicidal ideation, and increased substance use. Cognitive-behavioral interventions have proven empirical validity for the prevention and treatment of PTSD and complex trauma. However, the efficacy of these interventions in police officers has not been studied. This paper will provide the practitioner with an overview of the factors that contribute to the complexity of trauma exposure in police officers, describe trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy as an evidence-based treatment for this population, and illustrate how this treatment can be adapted to better fit the needs of police officers. Implications of these adaptations and suggestions for future areas of intervention research with law enforcement are also described.
Genome Sequences of Allochromatium palmeri and Allochromatium humboldtianum Expand the Allochromatium Family Tree of Purple Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria within the Gammaproteobacteria and Further Refine the Genus.

ABSTRACT New genomes of two Allochromatium strains were sequenced. Whole-genome and average nucleotide identity based on BLAST (ANIb) comparisons show that Allochromatium humboldtianum is the nearest relative of Allochromatium vinosum (ANIb, 91.5%), while both Allochromatium palmeri and Thermochromatium tepidum are more distantly related (ANIb,
Win with What You Have: QoS-Consistent Edge Services with Unreliable and Dynamic Resources

Mobile and energy harvesting devices increasingly provide resources for edge environments. These devices’ mobility and limited energy budgets may cause failures and poor performance. The reliability and efficiency of edge services can be improved with equivalent microservices that satisfy application requirements by different means: execute equivalent microservices in the predefined patterns of fail-over to minimize execution costs or speculative parallelism to reduce latency. However, given the vast dissimilarities in resource availability and capability across edge environments, being limited to these predefined patterns when implementing edge services causes inconsistent QoS. To address this problem, we provide QoS-consistent edge services by customizing the execution of equivalent microservices. Our system estimates the environment-specific QoS of equivalent microservices and dynamically generates execution strategies that best satisfy given QoS requirements. We evaluate the effectiveness and performance of our system via simulations and benchmarks with realistic edge deployments. Our approach consistently out-performs the predefined execution patterns in satisfying the QoS requirements in unreliable and dynamic edge environments.
Negative socio-environmental feedback loop may foster inequality for urban marine subsistence fishers

Abstract In a food-limited urban environment, policy can improve or exacerbate existing inequalities in access to natural resources. While urban marine subsistence fishers in the United States (US) commonly provision their diets using local fish, little is known about how local policy relates to subsistence fisher vulnerability and existing socioeconomic disadvantage. Further, it is unclear how US state agencies consider subsistence fisher practices or vulnerabilities in urban planning or biomonitoring. Data mismatches may prevent urban subsistence fishers from accessing adequate fisheries resources and making informed dietary choices, potentially leading to unhealthy fish consumption practices. We evaluated potential mismatches between marine subsistence fishing practices, fisheries policy, and urban planning by conducting a transdisciplinary synthesis of recreational fisheries surveys, fish biomonitoring data, socioeconomic data, and planning policy documents from New Orleans, Louisiana (US) and Tampa, Florida (US). Urban subsistence fishers represent a heterogeneous community whose diverse fishing practices were inadequately integrated into public policies. Further, we found an association between increased fishing levels and neighbourhood disadvantage. This misalignment between policy and practice may introduce unknown health risks for subsistence fishers. We make recommendations for broadening fisher characterization to include non-tribal subsistence fishing, utilizing more social science approaches in developing subsistence fishing policy, integrating fishing practices in urban policy and planning decisions, and increasing communication across agencies concerning policies affecting urban fishers.
Deletion of Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier-1 Attenuates Behavioral and Anatomical Deficits by Enhancing Functional Autophagic Activities in Huntington Disease

ABSTRACT Mutant HTT (mHTT) associated with Huntington disease (HD) affects the central nervous system by prominent atrophy in the striatum and promotes psychiatric, cognitive, and choreiform movements, although the exact mechanism remains obscure. Previous studies have shown that SUMO1 (Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier-1) modification of mHTT promotes cellular toxicity, but the in vivo role and functions of SUMO1 in HD pathogenesis are unclear. Here, we report that SUMO1 deletion in Q175DN HD-het knock-in mice (HD mice) prevented age-dependent HD-like motor and neurological impairments and suppressed the striatal atrophy and inflammatory response. SUMO1 deletion caused a drastic reduction in soluble mHtt levels and nuclear and extracellular mHtt inclusions, while increasing cytoplasmic inclusions in the striatum of HD mice. SUMO1 deletion also enhanced autophagic activity, characterized by augmented interactions between mHTT inclusions and a lysosomal marker (LAMP1), increased LC3B/LAMP1 interaction, and decreased sequestosome-1 (p62) and mHTT and diminished p62/LAMP1 interactions in DARPP-32–positive medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in HD mice. Depletion of SUMO1 in an HD cell model also diminished the mHtt levels and enhanced autophagy flux. In addition, the SUMOylation inhibitor ginkgolic acid strongly enhanced autophagy and diminished mHTT levels in human HD fibroblasts. These results indicate that SUMO is a critical therapeutic target in HD and that blocking SUMO may ameliorate HD pathogenesis by improving autophagy activities.
An Efficient 3D Synthetic Model Generation Pipeline for Human Pose Data Augmentation

3D modeling of articulated bodies of humans or animals and using these models for synthetic 2D and 3D pose data generation can mitigate the small data challenges faced by many critical applications such as healthcare. In this paper, we present our efficient 3D synthetic model generation (3D-SMG) pipeline used for body pose data augmentation. 3D-SMG pipeline starts with scanning point clouds from various angles around the subject using an off-the-shelf RGBD camera. We then implement a dual objective iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm that uses both color (if available) as well as geometric information from point cloud and apply a pose graph node optimization to form one single rigid body mesh. 3D-SMG also includes a series of post processing steps to obtain a smooth mesh at the end of the pipeline. The approach allows it to be applied to any articulated object such as a human body or an animal. Our experiments also show high level of accuracy in dimensions of obtained 3D meshes, when compared to the original subject. As the final step towards developing augmented pose dataset, we perform model rigging to articulate the 3D model of the subject and generate dynamic avatars within variety of context-feasible poses1.
Impact of Dose Calculation Algorithm on Skin Dose for Breast Cancer Treated With Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Historically, pencil beam algorithms (PBA), have been used for intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) dose calculation. Recently, improvements in calculation speeds and a desire to generate more accurate plans have led to wider adoption of Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms for IMPT. Our goal was to ascertain the impact of both PBA and MC calculation algorithms on the skin dose in breast cancer treated with IMPT by means of measurements. MATERIALS/METHODS Twenty-one comprehensive chest wall patients were included in this study with treatment planning performed using a treatment planning system. All IMPT plans were generated with 1 or 2 en-face fields. Single- and multiple-field-optimization were used in 19 and 2 patients, respectively. The prescription doses were 50.4 Gy for 15 and 45 Gy for 6 patients, all at 1.8 Gy/fraction. The skin OAR was defined as a 3 mm thick rind anterior to the chest wall target volume. For 12 patients, the skin dose was optimized with the objectives of V95% < = 50%, V100% < = 5%, and D0.03cc < = 50.9 Gy. For the remaining 9 patients, the skin dose was optimized to control D0.03cc alone. The physical skin dose was measured with a parallel plate ionization chamber and a 2D ionization chamber array device at various depths in solid water ranging from 0.2 to 1.3 cm. The agreement of calculated to measured dose was evaluated by 2D gamma analysis (3%/3mm) and point dose comparison. RESULTS The average gamma passing rates for PBA and MC plans were 94% and 97%, respectively. The point dose comparison showed that the measured skin doses were systematically lower than the calculated dose in PBA plans by an average of 3.1% [range: -6.76% to 0.03%], whereas the measured doses were systematically higher than the calculated dose in MC plans by an average of 1.3% [range: -0.58% to 3.51%]. For the patients who received 50.4 Gy, the skin mean dose and D1% were 48.1 [range: 45.8 to 49.6] and 50.8 [range: 49.0 to 52.6] Gy. For the patients who received 45 Gy, the skin mean dose and D1% were 45.0 [range: 44.2 to 46.2] and 46.8 [range: 46.1 to 48.0] Gy. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that comparing with the PBA algorithm generated plans, the MC generated plans yield a higher gamma passing rate (97% for MC vs. 94% for PBA), and a narrower 95% of confidence interval of skin dose (4.1 for MC vs. 6.8 for PBA). Measurements showed that MC computed plans systematically under-estimate the skin dose by an average of 1.3%, in contrast to PBA computed plans which systematically over-estimate the skin dose by an average of 3.1%. The clinical implications are that for individual patient, PBA could overestimate skin dose considerably more than MC. Therefore, cautions for skin dose should to be taken when PBA is replaced by MC in clinical practice, and it is recommended that appropriate optimization objectives be used during treatment planning to control skin dose.
Curriculum to Develop Documentation Proficiency Among Medical Students in an Emergency Medicine Clerkship.

Introduction Documenting a clinical encounter is a core skill for entering residency, but medical students often receive scant dedicated documentation training, leading to a high rate of inadequate...
Case 58: A Sprinkler Spike Lodged in a Patient’s Head

A 6-year-old boy is admitted to a university medical center emergency room. He has fallen on his head and a metal sprinkler spike has penetrated his skull. The spike enters the head at an angle in the left temporal region, just above his ear. The length of the spike is 6–8 in. It is sticking straight back extending from his occipital region by at least 2 in. The computed tomography (CT) scan shows the spike is about 1 in. inside the brain. The child is lying on his right side, as the spike prevents him from lying flat or on his left side.
Scientific Data Management in the Cloud: A Survey of Technologies, Approaches and Challenges

Experimental sciences create vast amounts of data. In astronomy, data produced by the Pan-STARRS project (Pan-STARRS project, 2010; Jedicke, Magnier, Kaiser, & Chambers, 2006) is expected to result in more than a petabyte of images every year. In high-energy physics, the Large Hadron Collider will generate 50–100 petabytes of data each year, with about 20 PB of that data being stored and processed on a worldwide federation of national grids linking 100,000 CPUs (Large Hadron Collider project, 2010; Massimo Lammana, 2004).
Spatial Patterns in Grazing

Sites for grazing and the associated grazing distribution patterns result principally from numerous decisions and processes made by grazing animals at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. This chapter highlights six spatial levels, each with an associated temporal level (interval between decisions), for describing large-herbivore foraging based on characteristic behaviors: home range (or landscape), camp, feeding site, patch, feeding station, and bite. These spatial levels are associated with different units of space that vary in absolute dimensions with the body size and foraging strategy of the herbivore. Grazing animals extract information from their environment at these various levels to help meet the following goals or needs: locating high-quality food, minimizing intake of low-quality food, and avoiding toxic food. The herbivore's grazing pathway is constrained by factors such as mobility, barriers, and topography. Past experience plays a prominent role in the selection of plants and plant parts by individual grazing animals in the sites they choose to graze.
An integrated optoelectronic CO/sub 2/ gas sensor

A novel CO/sub 2/ sensor has been demonstrated that employs micromachined structures to produce a device that can be mass-produced with a high degree of integration of optoelectronic and chemical components. The sensor is designed to operate in a self-referencing mode that greatly minimizes short and long term drift of sensor response. Preliminary devices have been tested and exhibit a near-linear processed output over the range from 0 to 140 torr ambient CO/sub 2/. >
Achalasia 5 years following Roux-en-y gastric bypass

Oesophageal achalasia is a rare, but serious condition in which the motility of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) is inhibited. This disorder of idiopathic aetiology complicates the peristaltic function and relaxation of the LES that may cause symptoms such as dysphagia, epigastric pain, and regurgitation of an obstructed food. The following case describes achalasia in a patient 5 years following a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The patient underwent a laparoscopic Heller myotomy without a fundoplication. Although achalasia seems to be a rare occurrence in obese patients, this is the third case documented in a patient who previously had an RYGB. The role of performing a fundoplication in these patients remains to be elucidated.
Limited access inferior temporal gyrus approach to mesial basal temporal lobe tumors.

Object In this retrospective review, the authors examine the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and outcome of surgery in 25 consecutive patients with mesial basal temporal lobe (MBTL) tumors. A limited access approach to the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) was used. Methods Patients with MBTL tumors were identified from the epilepsy and tumor surgery database at the authors' institution. Intraaxial tumors localized to the mesial basal structures, and without involvement of the cortical surface of the temporal lobe, temporal stem, and basal ganglia were included. Preoperative and postoperative MR images were obtained in all patients. The mean follow-up period was 24 months (range 9–36 months). Preoperative symptoms, neurological deficits, outcomes, surgical complications, and a technical description of the approach are discussed. Results Intraaxial MBTL tumors in 25 patients (mean age 44 years, range 8–76 years) were resected using a limited access approach via the ITG. The largest groups of tumors were h...
Ab initio LCAO‐MO cluster‐type calculation of the self‐consistent electronic screening charge density around a single hydrogen impurity in a nickel crystal

The electronic structure for a Ni atom cluster embedded in bulk Ni by use of a spin-averaged local exchange SCF Ni crystal potential is calculated with an ab initio LCAO-Mo variational method. A single hydrogen impurity is added at the cluster center (fcc octahedral interstitial site) and the electronic structure computed iteratively until the change in electron density from the pure Ni cluster density is self-consistent. The H-Ni/sub 6/ self-consistent density change is compared to the charge density around a free hydrogen atom and to the initial-response density change in H-Ni/sub 14/ and H-Ni/sub 38/ clusters. 14 references.
Biporous Sintered Copper for Closed Loop Heat Pipe Evaporator

Parameters that determine a critical heat flux (CHF) inside a biporous evaporator (wick) for a closed loop heat pipe have been studied. In a present work, a biporous wick structure was sintered from copper powder 53–63μm diameter into clusters 500–710μm diameter; the clusters were then sintered into 20mm long and 3mm wide wicks with different wick thickness on copper bases with three different lengths (5mm, 7.5mm and 10mm). Total of six wicks were made and tested. Copper base(mm) to wick thickness(mm) ratios of the wicks tested are: 5/5, 7.5/5, 10/5, 5/3, 7.5/3 and 10/1.5. Narrow (3mm) wicks with different copper base lengths allowed sidewise observation of the boiling inside the wick at different heat loads. Best-performed 10/1.5 wick, second best was 5/3 and then following 7.5/3, 5/5, 7.5/5, 10/5. Tests were run at atmospheric pressure and absolute ethanol as working fluid.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Developing large-scale forcing data for single-column and cloud-resolving models from the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment

[1] This study represents an effort to develop Single-Column Model (SCM) and Cloud-Resolving Model large-scale forcing data from a sounding array in the high latitudes. An objective variational analysis approach is used to process data collected from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE), which was conducted over the North Slope of Alaska in October 2004. In this method the observed surface and top of atmosphere measurements are used as constraints to adjust the sounding data from M-PACE in order to conserve column-integrated mass, heat, moisture, and momentum. Several important technical and scientific issues related to the data analysis are discussed. It is shown that the analyzed data reasonably describe the dynamic and thermodynamic features of the Arctic cloud systems observed during M-PACE. Uncertainties in the analyzed forcing fields are roughly estimated by examining the sensitivity of those fields to uncertainties in the upper-air data and surface constraints that are used in the analysis. Impacts of the uncertainties in the analyzed forcing data on SCM simulations are discussed. Results from the SCM tests indicate that the bulk features of the observed Arctic cloud systems can be captured qualitatively well using the forcing data derived in thismore » study, and major model errors can be detected despite the uncertainties that exist in the forcing data as illustrated by the sensitivity tests. Lastly, the possibility of using the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analysis data to derive the large-scale forcing over the Arctic region is explored.« less
Input-output nonlinearities and time delays increase tracking errors in hand grasp neuroprostheses

Tracking tasks were designed to study how different input-output relationships (nonlinearities and time delays) would affect the performance of functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) hand grasp neuroprostheses. Simulated hand grasp neuroprostheses and real hand grasp neuroprostheses with and without closed-loop control were evaluated, with the subjects adjusting the input to the system so that the output would match a visual target track at three different bandwidths (able bodied subjects with the simulated systems and neuroprosthesis users with the real systems). For both systems, the tracking error increased as the input-output nonlinearity increased. Other factors that affected tracking performance were the target bandwidth and delays in the neuroprosthesis. The results support the hypothesis that hand grasp neuroprostheses with linear input-output properties and no delays will be controlled more accurately.
A double inclusion model for multiphase piezoelectric composites

A novel active structural fiber (ASF; Lin and Sodano 2008 Compos. Sci. Technol. 68 1911–8) was developed that can be embedded in a composite material in order to perform sensing and actuation, in addition to providing load bearing functionality. In order to fully understand the electroelastic properties of the material, this paper will introduce a three-dimensional micromechanics model for estimating the effective electroelastic properties of the multifunctional composites with different design parameters. The three-dimensional model is formulated by extending the double inclusion model to multiphase composites with piezoelectric constituents. The double inclusion model has been chosen for the ASF studied here because it is designed to model composites reinforced by inclusions with multilayer coatings. The accuracy of our extended double inclusion model will be evaluated through a three-dimensional finite element analysis of a representative volume element of the ASF composite. The results will demonstrate that the micromechanics model developed here can very accurately predict the electroelastic properties of the multifunctional composites.
Website engineering in the real world

The website has become a staple in the business environment, to provide information and services, and connect business-to-business and business-to-customers. Many sites require re-engineering in order to facilitate the needed complexities and frequent changes demanded. For such efforts, it is essential for web management to be adequately applied and evaluated with relevant metrics and measures. This paper presents usability and maintainability as the two primary areas of metrics, which provide useful information for web engineering development in the real world.
Effect of neutron irradiation on tensile properties of unidirectional silicon carbide composites

Abstract Tensile properties of unidirectionally reinforced Hi-Nicalon™ Type S SiC fiber, chemically vapor-infiltrated (CVI) SiC-matrix composites, with either pyrolytic carbon (PyC) or multilayered PyC/SiC interphase, were characterized following neutron irradiations to the maximum fluence of 7.7 × 1025 n/m2 at 380 and 800 °C. The stress–strain behavior of the multilayered interphase composites remained unmodified after irradiation. The PyC interphase composite increased in ultimate tensile stress and strain to failure following neutron irradiation, whereas the proportional limit stress exhibited a slight decrease. Potential mechanisms for these changes include accommodation of misfit stress through irradiation creep, reduced interfacial friction, and differential swelling among individual composite constituents.
Origins and spatial distributions of core fueling in the DIII-D tokamak

Abstract Analysis of DIII-D discharge data with fluid plasma and Monte Carlo neutrals transport codes reveals that core particle fueling stays relatively constant between the L-mode and the ELM-free H-mode phase immediately following the L–H transition. This indicates that in the ELM-free phase nearly all of the increase in plasma electron density comes from a decrease in the cross-field transport rate and an increase in the impurity influx. This result differs from conclusions of previous work in that the effects of the thinner H-mode scrape-off-layer do not appear to be as important in a plasma that is fueled primarily from divertor recycling as would be expected if the fueling from limiter recycling were dominant. In both L-mode and H-mode the calculated core particle confinement times are less than, but within 50% of, the corresponding energy confinement times.
Earliest mineral and matrix changes in force-induced musculoskeletal disease as revealed by Raman microspectroscopic imaging.

Craniosynostosis, premature fusion of the skull bones at the sutures, is the second most common human birth defect in the skull. Raman microspectroscopy was used to examine the composition, relative amounts, and locations of the mineral and matrix produced in mouse skulls undergoing force-induced craniosynostosis. Raman imaging revealed decreased relative mineral content in skulls undergoing craniosynostosis compared with unloaded specimens. Introduction: Raman microspectroscopy, a nondestructive vibrational spectroscopic technique, was used to examine the composition, relative amounts, and locations of the mineral and matrix produced in mouse skulls undergoing force-induced craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis, premature fusion of the skull bones at the sutures, is the second most common birth defect in the face and skull. The calvaria, or flat bones that comprise the top of the skull, are most often affected, and craniosynostosis is a feature of over 100 human syndromes and conditions. Materials and Methods: Raman images of the suture, the tips immediately adjacent to the suture (osteogenic fronts), and mature parietal bones of loaded and unloaded calvaria were acquired. Images were acquired at 2.6 × 2.6 μm spatial resolution and ranged in a field of view from 180 × 210 μm to 180 × 325 μm. Results and Conclusions: This study found that osteogenic fronts subjected to uniaxial compression had decreased relative mineral content compared with unloaded osteogenic fronts, presumably because of new and incomplete mineral deposition. Increased matrix production in osteogenic fronts undergoing craniosynostosis was observed. Understanding how force affects the composition, relative amounts, and location of the mineral and matrix provides insight into musculoskeletal disease in general and craniosynostosis in particular. This is the first report in which Raman microspectroscopy was used to study musculoskeletal disease. These data show how Raman microspectroscopy can be used to study subtle changes that occur in disease.
A Comparative Study in the Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactides and Propylene Oxide

The aluminum chloride complexes [(O∼∼O)AlCl]2, I, [(O∼CHMe∼O)AlCl]2, II, and TPPAlCl, III, where O∼∼O = 5,5‘,6,6‘-tetramethyl-3,3‘-di-tert-butyl-1,1‘-biphenoxide, O∼CHMe∼O = 2,2‘-ethylidenebis-4,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide, and TPP = tetraphenyl porphyrin, are shown to be inactive in initiating the ring-opening polymerization, ROP, of lactides, LA (L and rac). Upon addition of propylene oxide, PO, they lead to block oligomers/polymers of the form (PPO)n(PLA)m. The Union Carbide catalyst system known as calcium amide−alkoxide, [Ca(NH2)(OiPr)], is active in ROP of lactides at room temperature as well as PO. Block copolymers of PO and LA can be formed by the initial ROP of PO followed by the addition of LA but not from reactions involving the reverse order of the addition of PO/LA. The alkoxide aluminum compounds [(O∼CHMe∼O)Al(μ-OiPr)]2, IV, and TPPAlOMe, V, are active in PO polymerization at room temperature but will effect lactide ROP only upon heating to 80 °C. The stereoselectivity exhibited in ROP of PO by...
Which traumatic brain injury patients should be treated with anticoagulants and when

Anticoagulation to prevent venous thromboembotic events in head trauma is a controversial intervention. Neurosurgeons have generally been opposed to the idea. We present our view of the safety and efficacy of chemoprophylaxis for patient with traumatic brain injury, as well as our recommendation for such intervention.
Visualizing transient low-populated structures of RNA

The visualization of RNA conformational changes has provided fundamental insights into how regulatory RNAs carry out their biological functions. The RNA structural transitions that have been characterized so far involve long-lived species that can be captured by structure characterization techniques. Here we report the nuclear magnetic resonance visualization of RNA transitions towards 'invisible' excited states (ESs), which exist in too little abundance (2-13%) and for too short a duration (45-250 μs) to allow structural characterization by conventional techniques. Transitions towards ESs result in localized rearrangements in base-pairing that alter building block elements of RNA architecture, including helix-junction-helix motifs and apical loops. The ES can inhibit function by sequestering residues involved in recognition and signalling or promote ATP-independent strand exchange. Thus, RNAs do not adopt a single conformation, but rather exist in rapid equilibrium with alternative ESs, which can be stabilized by cellular cues to affect functional outcomes.
Epidural hematoma associated with occult fracture in ankylosing spondylitis patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Study DesignA case report and review of the literature.ObjectiveTo highlight the risk of occult fracture associated with symptomatic epidural hematoma in patient with ankylosing spondylitis.Summary of Background DataHyperextension injuries are common in patients with ankylosed spine. Failure of stan