cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Miniature underwater glider: Design, modeling, and experimental results

The concept of gliding robotic fish combines gliding and fin-actuation mechanisms to realize energy-efficient locomotion and high maneuverability, and holds strong promise for mobile sensing in versatile aquatic environments. In this paper we present the modeling and design of a miniature fish-like glider, a key enabling component for gliding robotic fish. The full dynamics of the glider is first derived and then reduced to the sagittal plane, where the lift, drag, and pitch moment coefficients are obtained as linear or quadratic functions of the attack angle based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The model is used to design the glider by accommodating stringent constraints on dimensions yet meeting the desired specification on speed. A fully untethered prototype of underwater glider is developed, with a weight of 4 kg and length of 40 cm. With a net buoyancy of 20 g, it realizes a steady gliding speed of 20 cm/s. The volume and net buoyancy of this glider are less than 10% and 5%, respectively, of those of reported gliders in the literature, and its speed per unit net buoyancy is over 9 times of those other vehicles. Experimental results have shown that the model is able to capture well both the steady glide behavior under different control inputs, and the dynamics during transients.
Neonatal exposure to antigen primes the immune system to develop responses in various lymphoid organs and promotes bystander regulation of diverse T cell specificities.

Neonatal exposure to Ag has always been considered suppressive for immunity. Recent investigations, however, indicated that the neonatal immune system could be guided to develop immunity. For instance, delivery of a proteolipid protein (PLP) peptide on Ig boosts the neonatal immune system to develop responses upon challenge with the PLP peptide later. Accordingly, mice given Ig-PLP at birth and challenged with the PLP peptide as adults developed proliferative T cells in the lymph node that produced IL-4 instead of the usual Th1 cytokines. However, the spleen was unresponsive unless IL-12 was provided. Herein, we wished to determine whether such a neonatal response is intrinsic to the PLP peptide or could develop with an unrelated myelin peptide as well as whether the T cell deviation is able to confer resistance to autoimmunity involving diverse T cell specificities. Accordingly, the amino acid sequence 87–99 of myelin basic protein was expressed on the same Ig backbone, and the resulting Ig-myelin basic protein chimera was tested for induction of neonatal immunity and protection against experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Surprisingly, the results indicated that immunity developed in the lymph node and spleen, with deviation of T cells occurring in both organs. More striking, the splenic T cells produced IL-10 in addition to IL-4, providing an environment that facilitated bystander deviation of responses to unrelated epitopes and promoted protection against experimental allergic encephalomyelitis involving diverse T cell specificities. Thus, neonatal exposure to Ag can prime responses in various organs and sustain regulatory functions effective against diverse autoreactive T cells.
An Algorithm for the Generation of Test Sets for Combinational Logic Networks

An algorithm is developed for generating a single-fault detection test set to be used in a combinational logic network. This algorithm has two unique characteristics. 1) When a test is generated, a list of faults detected by this test is available. Fault simulation, therefore, is not required after the test has been generated. 2) It generates a test set rather than a single test. Each test, with the exception of the first one, is based on a previous test. Repetition of effort and overlapped coverage of faults for different test generations are thus reduced.
Family Policies Across the Globe: Development, Implementation, and Assessment

The goal of this book is to provide a comprehensive analysis of family policies across the globe. The volume includes 29 chapters each focusing on family policies in countries from all around the world. Family policies are defined as government activities that are designed to support families and enhance family members’ well-being. Each chapter provides an overview of the impact of the historical, cultural, and socioeconomic context on families and family policy development. The chapters also provide a review of family policies in different countries, with a focus on family policies targeting marriage (e.g., family code, domestic violence), child-rearing, and work-family balance (e.g., parental, maternity, and paternity leaves; child support) and family policies supporting families at risk (e.g., support for families in poverty, for family members with disabilities, for elderly family members). Family policy implementation and assessment are also discussed, along with recommendations for further improvements. The first chapter sets the stage for the book, providing a justification for the volume and an overview of the included chapters.
Position-aided on demand routing protocol for wireless ad hoc networks

This paper presents the design of a position-aided on demand routing (PAR) protocol. The objective is to effectively reduce the communication overhead associated with path discovery and maintenance with the assistance of position information. For this purpose, PAR employs a novel restricted directional flooding mechanism. This mechanism creates an ellipse-forwarding zone, across which control messages are propagated for route discovery. Moreover, PAR uses location-guided expanding ring search, which works by searching successively larger areas for paths. This searching strategy can effectively prevent unnecessary network-wide flooding. In terms of location tracking, we design a method of recursive passive listening at intermediate nodes for end-to-end location tracking. This method enables the source to effectively keep track of the up-to-date location of its communication partner at little control overhead. Simulation results demonstrate that the PAR protocol can significantly reduce the communication overhead associated with path discovery, compared with related work.
A Versatile, Fast and Inexpensive Microfabrication Technique Using a One Metal and One Silicon Dioxide Film

A versatile fabrication process that allows users to quickly construct micromachined structures using a one metal, one silicon dioxide film stack on a silicon wafer is presented. This simplified process, which we have labeled Mock CMOS or M-CMOS, (a) starts from pre-processed wafers and requires only one photolithography step, (b) provides a conductor material for actuating electrostatic and thermal devices, (c) avoids electrical shorting between metal microstructures or to the silicon substrate by using silicon dioxide as an insulator, and (d) allows quick prototyping of true CMOS-MEMS structures similar to those designed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Devices successfully microfabricated with M-CMOS include surface-normal and lateral electrostatic and thermal actuators, the majority of which were designed by forty students in an Introduction to MEMS course in Fall 2001 at Carnegie Mellon University.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
The wisdom of webs a-weaving: Adult education and the paradoxes of complexity in changing times

This chapter introduces the volume and provides an overview of the literature on the nature of wisdom and the wisdom of nature as weaving webs of connection and embracing paradox that can offer insight to current trends in adult education.
Evaluation of assay conditions for the zona-free hamster ova bioassay of boar sperm fertility

The ability to penetrate zona-free hamster ova may be a very useful test of fresh and frozen boar sperm fertility. These studies were designed to optimize assay conditions prior to evaluation of the accuracy of the bioassay in predicting boar sperm fertility. The ability to penetrate zona-free hamster ova was greater in sperm washed on a Percoll gradient than in sperm washed by dilution and centrifugation. Penetrating ability was greater in sperm from the sperm-rich fraction than from the whole ejaculate but did not differ among different aliquots of the sperm-rich fraction and did not decrease when the prewashing interval was increased from 15 to 85 min. Frequency of collection of ejaculates (1, 3, or 5 times per week) did not affect the penetrating ability of the sperm. Penetration rate was greater when sperm were coincubated with zona-free hamster ova at 39 degrees C compared to 37 degrees C. Sperm from an infertile boar had reduced penetrating ability compared to sperm from fertile boars (11% vs 93%, P less than .001). These studies suggest that the zona-free hamster ova bioassay may be a useful assessment of fresh boar sperm fertility.
Multichannel EEG analysis based on multi-scale multi-information

Functional connectivity has been widely used to reveal the dependencies between signals in complex networks such as neural networks observed from electroencephalogram (EEG) data. The interactions among neural oscillations are known to be nonlinear and non-stationary. Classical measures for quantifying these interactions only capture the linear relationships, are mostly defined in either the time or frequency domain, and are limited to pairwise relationships. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale multi-information measure to quantify the interdependencies among multiple variables in both time and frequency domains. Multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) is employed to decompose signals into different frequency bands and multi-information is used to quantify the dependencies between these signals across time and frequency. The proposed measure is applied to both simulated data and EEG data to evaluate its effectiveness.
Proteasome inhibition potentiates CYP2E1-mediated toxicity in HepG2 cells

Chronic ethanol consumption causes increased oxidative damage in the liver. Induction of CYP2E1 is one pathway involved in how ethanol produces oxidative stress. Ethanol can cause protein accumulation, decreased proteolysis, and decreased proteasome activity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of inhibition of the proteasome activity on CYP2E1-dependent toxicity. HepG2 cells over-expressing CYP2E1 (E47 cells) were treated with arachidonic acid (AA) plus iron, agents important in development of alcoholic liver injury and which are toxic to E47 cells by a mechanism dependent on CYP2E1, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation. Addition of various proteasome inhibitors was associated with significant potentiation of the loss of cell viability caused by AA plus iron. Potentiation of toxicity was associated with increased oxidative damage as reflected by an increase in lipid peroxidation and accumulation of oxidized and nitrated proteins in E47 cells and an enhanced decline in mitochondrial membrane potential. Antioxidants prevented the loss of viability and the potentiation of this loss of viability by proteasome inhibition. CYP2E1 levels were elevated about 3-fold by the proteasome inhibitors. Inhibition of proteasome activity also potentiated toxicity of AA alone and toxicity after treatment to remove glutathione (GSH). Similar results were found in hepatocytes from pyrazole-treated rats with high levels of CYP2E1. In conclusion, proteasome activity plays an important role in modulating CYP2E1-mediated toxicity in HepG2 cells by regulating CYP2E1 levels and by removal of oxidized proteins. Such interactions may be important in CYP2E1-catalyzed toxicity of hepatotoxins and in alcohol-induced liver injury.
Purification and Solubilization of Paired Helical Filaments from Alzheimer Brains

The purpose of the present study was to develop a purification and solubilization method, compatible with current amino acid sequencing techniques, for paired helical filaments (PHFs) derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease. We have developed a mild procedure that subjects conventionally isolated PHFs to Tris/borate/sodium dodecyl sulfate/2-mercaptoethanol electrophoresis and results in the separation of the relatively insoluble PHF structures from both copurifying contaminating proteins and solubilized PHF-associated proteins. At the end of 4.5 h of electrophoresis, the purified insoluble fraction had an amino acid composition that was invariant during subsequent electrophoresis. Electron microscopy revealed an intact PHF structure before and after electrophoresis but no evidence of any other structures in the insoluble fraction, a result consistent with the removal of PHF-associated proteins from the filament structure. Isolated insoluble filament structures displayed an enhanced immunoreactivity with antibodies raised against purified PHFs in other laboratories, when compared with the fraction not subjected to electrophoresis in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Solubilization of the relatively insoluble PHFs was accomplished by extending the time of electrophoresis beyond the 4.5 h required for purification. Additional electrophoresis for 34.5 h solubilized 88% of the purified, relatively insoluble PHFs. This resulted in the identification of four major protein bands between Mr values of approximately 50,000 and 70,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gel analysis, with a predominant band with an Mr of approximately 66,000. A slow fragmentation of the PHF ultrastructure occurred during this time, as judged by electron microscopy. This purification technique will permit the isolation of consistently reproducible protein fragments from solubilized PHFs, which may be used for subsequent sequence analysis.
Induction of 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Activity by Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Primary Culture of Purified Leydig Cells

Recent evidence suggests that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)/ somatomedin C (Sm C) may be involved in modulating gonadal steroidogenesis. High affinity IGF-I binding sites were found in a membrane fraction of whole testes and crude interstitial cells (Takano et al., 1976; Handelsman et al., 1985). Patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency have delayed puberty and low IGF-I levels (Zapf et al., 1981). Adequate therapy with growth hormone during childhood permits the occurrence of normal spontaneous adolescence (Laron et al., 1983). Recently we have reported that IGF-I has direct stimulatory effects on Leydig cell steroidogenesis (Lin et al., 1986a). hCG-stimulated testosterone was markedly enhanced in the presence of IGF-I. Furthermore, IGF-I also potentiated 8-bromo cyclic AMP-induced testosterone formation and hCG-stimulated cyclic AMP formation. This suggests that IGF-I has effects both at the hCG receptor sites and at the steps beyond cyclic AMP formation. In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of IGF-I on 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity (3β-HSD). 3β-HSD is one of the key enzymes associated with the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) which converts Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroids to Δ4–3-ketosteroids. 3β-HSD activity is localized exclusively in the Leydig cells and its activity appears to be regulated by LH and hCG (Hafiez et al., 1974).
Anxiety Adversely Impacts Response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Children with Chronic Pain

Objective To evaluate whether clinical anxiety in children presenting to a pediatric pain management center is associated with a poorer treatment response for those who completed pain-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Study design The total sample consisted of 175 children, 40 of whom completed CBT for chronic pain. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders was completed at initial evaluation and outcome measures (average pain intensity and the Functional Disability Inventory) were collected during the initial evaluation and at the end of CBT. Group differences in outcomes were examined following CBT. The role of anxiety in CBT initiation and completion was also explored. Results Presence of clinical anxiety was associated with greater initiation and/or completion of pain-focused CBT but also a poorer treatment response. Specifically, the group with subclinical anxiety exhibited a substantial reduction in pain intensity, and the group with clinical anxiety exhibited a more limited response to treatment (F [1, 36] = 13.68 P P d = 0.77 and 0.78, respectively). Conclusions Although youths with clinical anxiety are more likely to start and/or complete pain-focused CBT, anxiety has an adverse impact on CBT treatment response in children with chronic pain. Identification of patients with anxiety and use of tailored behavioral interventions may improve clinical outcomes.
'When Leaderless is Meaningless (and When it Matters Most): An Organizational Typology of Leadership Decapitation and its Effectiveness'

Leadership decapitation is a tactic that has been used against a variety of organizations, including terrorist groups, drug cartels, and state governments. Few empirical studies have examined its effectiveness in achieving policy objectives in these different arenas, and the few that have show mixed results. Additionally, there currently exists no theoretical explanation for when and where leadership decapitation should work, and more importantly, when and where it should not. This paper presents an organizational typology of leadership decapitation’s effectiveness to better understand this puzzle. This typology shows that this tactic should be most effective against organizations that are violent, clandestine, and values-based; conversely, it should be least effective against non-violent, non-clandestine, and profit-based organizations.
Existernce, Uniqueness, and Galerkin Approximations for Semilinear Periodically Forcedwave Equations at Resonance

The abstract boundary value problem Lu + Gu = f, u ∈ dom(L) ⊂ H, is considered. Here H is used to denote a real separable Hilbert space, L a closed symmetric linear operator, and G a continuous nonlinear operator assumed to be monotone and sublinear. A recent result on the existence of unique solutions, depending continuously on f, for this abstract boundary value problem is stated and then applied to the problem of the periodically forced nonlinear vibrating membrane. Galerkin approximations are also considered and error estimates are given.
Maximizing the Benefit of Prosocial Behavior: An Egoistical Perspective

Examining specific prosocial behaviors from an exclusively prosocial angle could lead to an oversimplified understanding of how they operate. This symposium examines new relationships between proso...
Evaluation on Surveillance Data for Routine Immunization Coverage Rates in Zhen Zhou city

In order to know the current status of the routine immunization coverage in Zhen Zhou city,the surveillance data of routine immunization coverage was analyzed and valued.The results indicated that the timeliness and completeness of coverage rates reporting in 2005 at county levels were 100%. The reported routine coverage rates ranged from 98.92% to 99.75%.The estimated coverage rates ranged form 110.89 % to 127.08%.Our routine immunization coverage rates keeps a higher level except certain regions and links that are poor in management.Therefore,it is necessary to promote the routine immunization management.
Provider efforts to increase mammography screening.

This article examines barriers to mammography screening and reviews the professional literature on provider interventions to increase screening. Interventions appropriate for radiologic technologists are evaluated and discussed in an effort to expand R.T.s' role in improving mammography screening rates.
MRI for evaluation of treatment response in rectal cancer

MRI plays an increasingly pivotal role in the clinical staging of rectal cancer in the baseline and post-treatment settings. An accurate evaluation of response to neoadjuvant treatment is crucial because of its major influence on patient management and quality of life. However, evaluation of treatment response is challenging for both imaging and clinical assessments owing to treatment-related inflammation and fibrosis. At one end of the spectrum are clinical yT4 rectal cancers, wherein precise post-treatment MRI evaluation of tumour spread is particularly important for avoiding unnecessary exenterative surgery. At the other extreme, for tumours with clinical near-complete response or clinical complete response to neoadjuvant treatment, less invasive treatment may be suitable instead of the standard surgical approach such as, for example, a "Watch and Wait" approach or perhaps local excision. Ideally, the goal of post-treatment MRI evaluation would be to identify these subgroups of patients so that they might be spared unnecessary surgical intervention. It is known that post-chemoradiation therapy restaging using conventional MR sequences is less accurate than baseline staging, particularly in confirming T0 disease, largely owing to the difficulty in distinguishing fibrosis, oedema and normal mucosa from small foci of residual tumour. However, there is a growing utilization of multiparametric MRI, which has superseded other types of evaluations and requires review and periodic re-evaluation. This commentary discusses the current status of multiparametric MRI in the post-treatment setting and the challenges facing imaging in general in the accurate determination of treatment response.
Hadamard Instrumentation for Depth Profiling of Layered Samples

Hadamard transform spectrometry (HTS) has been of interest to our research group for over a decade1,2 HTS is a unique combination of dispersive and multiplexing spectrometries.3 The main focus of our efforts has been the application of Hadamard transform techniques to visible4-7 and near-infrared8-17 Raman spectrometry. This chapter will discuss the application of the Hadamard transform techniques to photoacoustic spectrometry (PAS) and depth profiling.
Neurochemical Hypotheses of Childhood Psychoses

Childhood psychoses are a diverse group of poorly understood disorders that first may become manifest from birth through adolescence. Often, they incapacitate those afflicted for life. Concepts about the etiolgies of childhood psychoses have evolved a great deal over the past decade, and a chapter exploring possible roles of brain neuroregulators no longer requires the justification it once did. Even so, the title of this chapter is somewhat misleading, because as yet no specific hypotheses implicate an abnormality in a single neuroregulatory system as the underlying mechanism for childhood psychoses. Rather, as described in the following pages, investigators have been accumulating data on (1) how disruptions in certain aspects of normal development and metabolism can result in psychotic syndromes in childhood and (2) whether the activity of some known neuroregulators are altered in children with psychoses. Such research provides fundamental building blocks for clarifying the causes of these devastating disorders.
Tailoring Polymer Conformation for Nanocrystal Growth: The Role of Chain Length and Solvent

The role of polymer dynamics on nanocrystal growth in the synthesis of composites is studied using a well-controlled Mg nanocrystal-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) system. The in situ formation of Mg nanocrystals in PMMA is examined under different conditions, varying polymer conformation in solution. The change of hydrogen sorption properties of Mg is investigated to assess functional impacts of morphological changes.
Predicting Search Performance in Heterogeneous Visual Search Scenes with Real-World Objects

Previous work in our lab has demonstrated that efficient visual search with a fixed target has a reaction time by set size function that is best characterized by logarithmic curves. Further, the steepness of these logarithmic curves is determined by the similarity between target and distractor items (Buetti et al., 2016). A theoretical account of these findings was proposed, namely that a parallel, unlimited capacity, exhaustive processing architecture is underlying such data. Here, we conducted two experiments to expand these findings to a set of real-world stimuli, in both homogeneous and heterogeneous search displays. We used computational simulations of this architecture to identify a way to predict RT performance in heterogeneous search using parameters estimated from homogeneous search data. Further, by examining the systematic deviation from our predictions in the observed data, we found evidence that early visual processing for individual items is not independent. Instead, items in homogeneous displays seemed to facilitate each other’s processing by a multiplicative factor. These results challenge previous accounts of heterogeneity effects in visual search, and demonstrate the explanatory and predictive power of an approach that combines computational simulations and behavioral data to better understand performance in visual search.
Revisiting Density Dependence: Organizational Foundings of Chinese Party Newspapers on Sina Weibo

Traditional newspaper organizations have been initiating a wide range of strategies to increase their survival chances in this era of digital communication. One of such efforts is to take advantage...
Analysis of organic and high dissolved salt content solutions using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

Quantification of analytes present in organic solvents or high salt content aqueous solutions using ICP-OES with minimal to no sample processing is desirable to improve analysis turnaround time and decrease sample cost. This work describes procedures used for Sr, V, and Y quantifications in 1-pentanol, 1-octane, 1-decanol, n-octane, and kerosene, substitute seawater, and NaCl solutions, with concentrations as high as 5 molal, using ICP-OES with a standard nebulizer and spray chamber configuration. The detection limits of analyte in those extreme conditions decrease by less than a factor of ten compared to element quantification in dilute aqueous solution; however, the instrument maintained its normal precision and linearity in response. In dilute HNO3, Sr, V, and Y feature LODs of 4 × 10−2, 4, and 0.2 ng L−1, respectively. A medium of 5 m NaCl shows LODs of 1, 4, and 4 ng L−1 for Sr, V, and Y, respectively. Organic analyses revealed the presence of a number of molecular emissions that occurred during the ionization of carbon; these emissions drastically increased backgrounds in the region around 400 nm. Dodecane solutions were found to require the addition of a metal complexant (we used di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid) to ensure elemental stability of solution. With the addition of the complexant to dodecane solutions, the LODs were 10, 5, and 4 ng L−1 for Sr, V, and Y, respectively.
Surface Charge Evolution on Therapeutic Membranes: A Gibbs-Donnan Model for Ophthalmic and Vascular Systems

Abstract Surface charge can form on therapeutic membranes exposed to extracellular fluids, such as tears and blood. Such charges may play a role in ocular tolerance to foreign bodies and thrombus formation in synthetic vascular grafts. We have developed a theoretical model for surface charge evolution in specific in vivo systems, based upon ion migration occuring at the interface between tears and ocular therapeutic membranes. Gibbs-Donnan Theory allows the prediction of net ion movement and calculation of trans-membrane potential differences, interpretable as surface charge. Two generalized algebraic equations are presented which calculate potential differences across membranes under specific parameters of tear ionic strength, ionic strength of membrane-impregnated compounds, and number of elapsed blinks. Computer-generated data for a model (Na-fluorescein-impregnated membrane) reveals that a plateau surface charge is attained after 5-6 blinks for any loading concentration less than physiologic (140 mM). Increasing loading results in increased end-stage potential ('final' surface charge) . The rate of ion migration and rate of potential change increases as loading increases. We demonstrate the importance of considering Gibbs-Donnan ionic exchanges in two clinically-applied systems.
Acute toxicity of carbon dioxide to juvenile marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone 1931)

AbstractElevated concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduced pH levels are observed during the culture and transportation of aquatic organisms. Studies on the toxicity effects of CO2 in penaeid shrimp are scarce when compared to the amount of research in fish. The objective of the present study was to determine the lethal concentration and safety levels of CO2 for juvenile white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Juveniles (1.76 ± 0.36 g) were exposed for 96 h to one of six concentrations of dissolved CO2 (14.5, 23.8, 59.0, 88.0, 115.0, and 175.0 mg/L) or a control condition (without the addition of CO2), and their survival was monitored for 96 h. The LC50 values with 95% confidence limits at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h were 130.05 (104.2–162.1), 77.2 (73.8–80.02), 69.65 (65.47–74.32), and 59.12 (53.08–66.07) mg/L of CO2, respectively. The calculated safety level was 5.9 mg/L of CO2, and the highest concentration that did not induce significantly higher mortality than that observed in controls (NOEC) ...
Science Needs for Tank Waste Remediation

The linkage of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) full complement of science and technology resources is critical to addressing problems of national significance in waste management and minimization, and environmental remediation. The Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) is one vehicle for achieving the integration of science into the Department’s technology development efforts. Acceleration of the technology development cycle through the integration of science can be done by creating multi-disciplinary “technology fusion” teams that will deliver timely solutions to both the short and long term environmental problems faced by the DOE. The Tank Focus Area (TFA) supports the EMSP and has worked hard to establish technical and programmatic linkages between the two programs.
MEK inhibitors under development for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is intimately implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Aberrant MAPK signaling resulting from the upstream activating mutations converges on mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2), making MEK inhibition an attractive strategy for the treatment of NSCLC. Several MEK inhibitors have demonstrated anticancer activity in patients with NSCLC.Areas covered: In this article, we discuss the biological rationale for the use of MEK inhibitors and summarize the clinical experience with MEK1/2 inhibitors for the treatment of NSCLC, from initial phase I studies to phase II/III studies, both as monotherapy or in combination with other anticancer agents.Expert opinion: Trametinib in combination with the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib represents the first MEK1/2 inhibitor containing regimen that is approved for advanced BRAFV600E-mutant NSCLC. Other MEK1/2 inhibitors that are also in advanced stages of...
What Kind of Research Ethics for the Arab Region

The international guidelines on research ethics rely predominantly on deontological prescriptions that emphasize respect for autonomy, maintaining privacy and confidentiality, and ensuring justice, as well as consequentialistic argumentation that focuses on maximizing benefits and minimizing harms and providing safeguards to participants prone to be vulnerable. These two main ethical theories represent the dominant ways of evaluating ethical behavior in the West. However, many find arguments from deontology and consequentialism difficult to apply and often inadequate to cover complex situations. Alternatively, the authors of the Belmont Report put forth prima facie principles of respect for persons, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice and when these principles conflict with each other, one uses moral judgement and intuition to balance these principles in an effort to identify a morally correct of action. The use of these principles to guide ethical behavior is known as principlism, as originally developed by Beauchamp and Childress (2012). These principles have been regarded by many as universal and assumed to transcend traditional and cultural boundaries.
Explorative Investigation of Whole-Lesion Histogram MRI Metrics for Differentiating Uterine Leiomyomas and Leiomyosarcomas

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of texture analysis of multiple MRI sequences for the differentiation of uterine leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Seventeen leiomyosarcomas and 51 leiomyomas undergoing MRI before resection were included. Whole-lesion volumes of interest were placed on T2-weighted images, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. The diagnostic performance of histogram metrics was assessed. RESULTS. For T2-weighted images, significant differences were observed for mean, skewness, entropy, mean of the bottom 10th percentile (mean0–10), mean of the 10th through 25th percentiles (mean10–25), and mean of the 25th through 50th percentiles (mean25–50) (p ≤ 0.010). For T1-weighted contrast-enhanced images, significant differences were observed for mean0–10, mean10–25, and mean25–50 (p ≤ 0.045). For the ADC maps, no metrics showed a significant difference (p ≥ 0.067). Metrics with AUC greater than 0.8 wer...
Addressing Reproducibility in Cryopreservation, and Considerations Necessary for Commercialization and Community Development in Support of Genetic Resources of Aquatic Species.

Abstract For the past six decades a repeated cycle of developing new cryopreservation protocols or simply reinventing them to counteract a lack of reproducibility has led to hundreds of published studies that have offered little to the establishment of a genetic resources community for aquatic species. This has hampered repository development and inhibited industrial application. Most protocols were developed without standardized approaches, leading to irreproducible studies and questionable or meaningless comparisons. Thus cryopreservation of germplasm in aquatic species would greatly benefit from strategies to facilitate reproducibility. Our objectives were to: (1) identify major sources of irreproducibility across research, small-scale, repository, and commercial-scale development levels, (2) provide recommendations to address reproducibility challenges, and (3) offer suggestions on how researchers can directly influence commercial development and application of cryopreservation research. Sources of irreproducibility include lack of standardized procedural approaches, lack of standardized terminology, and lack of reporting guidelines. To address these challenges, we propose implementation of standard operating procedures (SOP), support of stock centers and internet content for development of training programs, and strengthening of the role of scientific journals and reviewers in reducing the frequency of irreproducible outcomes. Reproducibility is the foundation for quality management programs and product reliability, and therefore standardization is necessary to assure efficient transition to commercial-scale application and repository development. Progress can only be possible through community-based approaches focused on coalescence and consensus of disparate groups involved in aquatic species cryopreservation and management of genetic resources.
INTRODUCTION TO TRANSPORT PHENOMENA

Publisher Summary Multiphase transport phenomena must be considered in the design and optimization of many engineering systems such as heat exchangers, heat pipes, cooling devices for electronics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, food processing equipment, and fuel cells. This chapter reviews the concept of phases of matter. It discusses the role of phases in systems that include more than one phase simultaneously. The presence of multiple phases within a single system may alter the systems' performance characteristics in terms of the pressure drop that determines a flowing system's power requirements, the heat transfer rates that control its capacity, and the flow stability that in turn affects its operational characteristics. The presence of multiple phases makes systems more complicated and affects reliability. The chapter reviews transport phenomena with an emphasis on multicomponent systems, microscale heat transfer, dimensional analysis, and scaling. The chapter further describes the processes of phase change between solid, liquid, and vapor. Multiphase systems are classified and some practical applications are described in the chapter.
Embryonal cancer initiation: MYCN-mediated mechanisms of resistance to cell death causing embryonal cell persistence

516 The majority of child cancer arises in embryonal cells which have persisted beyond birth, having failed to undergo cell death following normal organogenesis in utero. The mechanism of embryonal cell persistence, and thus, tumour initiation are unknown. Resistance to spontaneous regression by neuroblasts is an important early step in human neuroblastoma tumorigenesis. We have previously shown that perinatal expression of a MYCN transgene in paravertebral murine neuroblasts mediates transient neuroblast proliferation and resistance to apoptotic cell death, as the first step in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis (Hansford et al., PNAS 2004). Here we analysed the mechanism of resistance to apoptotic cell death in primary ganglion cells from MYCN transgenic, compared with normal mice. MYCN-mediated resistance to cell death was seen in ganglion cells following a variety of different death stimuli: nerve growth factor (NGF) withdrawal, hypoxia, nutrient deprivation and doxorubicin. The mRNA expression levels of known MycN transcriptional target genes in 2-week old primary ganglion tissue from normal and MYCN transgenic mice was then assessed. We found only induction of telomerase, α-prothymosin, multidrug resistance protein-1, MCM7 minichromosome maintenance deficient-7 and ornithine decarboxylase in MYCN mouse tissues. We next used an adenoviral gene transfer system to express deletion mutant MycN proteins in normal primary ganglion cells, and showed that only the Myc Box II domain of the full-length MycN protein was necessary for MycN-mediated resistance to NGF withdrawal. Following NGF withdrawal, ganglion cells from MYCN mice demonstrated markedly reduced nuclear translocation of both apoptosis-inducing factor and caspase-activated DNAse. The response of regulatory and effector proteins in the known apoptosis pathway activated by NGF withdrawal was then studied. Following NGF withdrawal, MYCN transgenic and normal ganglion cells did not differ for the phosphorylation responses of Jun kinase, ATF2, or c-Jun, or nuclear translocation of FOXO3a and consequent Bim transcription. In contrast, translocation of Bax to mitochondria was significantly reduced in MYCN, compared with normal, ganglion cells. Taken together our data indicate a MycN-driven mechanism for death resistance in neuroblasts involving the Myc Box II domain of the MycN protein and Bax translocation, which may represent a general mechanism for embryonal cancer initiation.
Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions in the Tropics

When a group of experts met in Princeton, New Jersey in October 1982 to discuss plans for an international program to study El Nino, no one was aware that the most intense and devastating El Nino episode of the past century was developing at that time. Less than a decade later scientists were able to predict months in advance that El Nino conditions would develop towards the end of 1991. This forecast proved correct: during the early months of 1992 the eastern tropical Pacific experienced abnormally high sea surface temperatures, a cessation of equatorial and coastal upwelling, and torrential rains. Even Texas and southern California suffered devastating floods. The success of this prediction is convincing evidence of rapid progress during the 1980s in our ability to monitor and predict conditions in the tropical Pacific. This chapter briefly summarizes recent developments in the study of ocean-atmosphere interactions in the tropics, and the earlier achievements that made the rapid progress possible. For a detailed discussion the reader is referred to Philander (1990). The crucial aspect of large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions is a circularity: sea surface temperatures strongly influence atmospheric conditions and are also determined by those atmospheric conditions, especially by the surface winds in the tropics. It is therefore necessary to start with a discussion of the atmospheric response to sea surface temperature changes (section 2) and the oceanic response to changes in the surface winds (section 3) before proceeding to interactions between the ocean and atmosphere (section 4).
How Do Children and Teachers Demonstrate Love, Kindness and Forgiveness? Findings from an Early Childhood Strength-Spotting Intervention.

Character strengths such as love, kindness and forgiveness promote emotional health, positive relationships and enhanced well-being for children and adults. Yet little research has investigated how early childhood educators practice love, kindness and forgiveness at work, or how they observe these virtues in children. A strength-spotting intervention was adapted from positive psychology to collect 216 written examples of teacher and child love, kindness and forgiveness from 16 early childhood educators while they attended professional development in a large northeastern city in the United States. Behaviors associated with these character strengths were then coded using content and thematic analysis. Teacher and child love were most frequently associated with empathy and spontaneous affection. Teacher and child kindness were frequently associated with helpfulness and friendship. Teacher and child forgiveness were characterized by giving someone another chance, letting go, responding with kindness and speaking positively. Empathy, generosity, helpfulness and courtesy emerged as interrelated expressions of love, kindness and forgiveness. These traits are discussed in relation to goals of social-emotional learning, such as promoting secure attachment relationships.
Inconsistency in Mathematics and Inconsistency in Chemistry

In this paper, I compare how it is that inconsistencies are handled in mathematics to how they are handled in chemistry. In mathematics, they are very precisely formulated and identified, unlike in chemistry. So the chemists can learn from the precision and the very well-worked out strategies developed by logicians and deployed by mathematicians to cope with inconsistency. Some lessons can also be learned by the mathematicians from the chemists. Mathematicians tend to be intolerant towards inconsistencies. There are some philosophers of chemistry who attribute to chemists, collectively, a more tolerant attitude towards inconsistency, and so, mathematicians can learn from the chemists’ attitude to inform their choice of strategies.
Eigenvectors, Eigenvalues, and Normal Modes

In §7 we demonstrated that almost any real time-invariant m-input, p -output finite-dimensional state space linear system whose state space X has dimension n may be realized; that is to say, there exist for most such systems real constant matrices A, B, C, and D having respective sizes (n × n), (n × m), (p × n), and (p × m) such that the system’s behavior may be analyzed in terms of the equations.
Adrenal Insufficiency and Response to Stress Dose Hydrocortisone in Patients With Cirrhosis and Vasopressor Dependency Using Cirrhosis-Specific Cortisol Thresholds.

Background: Cortisol thresholds defining adrenal insufficiency (AI) in some cirrhosis-specific studies differ from those recommended by the SCCM/ESICM (Society of Critical Care Medicine/European So...
Adaptive atomic force microscope

Commercial atomic force microscope (AFM) solutions do not typically lend themselves to easy integration into a wide range of optical microscope platforms. Here we present a custom AFM platform which is readily integrated into an FPGA controlled fluorescence microscope and is easily programmed for a variety of unique applications. Our collimated laser design allows for an adjustable sensitivity depending on the range of forces required, and the large range piezo (100μm in all three dimensions) presents the freedom to perform precise measurement and manipulation in a high throughput manner, over a broad range of distances. We demonstrate a high bandwidth of 1MHz with low noise levels of less than 71pN at full bandwidth and below 6pN at a relevant bandwidth of 1kHz.
NITRIC OXIDE SIGNALING IN PLANTS

Plants have four nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. NOS1 appears mitochondrial, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) chloroplastic. Distinct peroxisomal and apoplastic NOS enzymes are predicted. Nitrite-dependent NO synthesis is catalyzed by cytoplasmic nitrate reductase or a root plasma membrane enzyme, or occurs nonenzymatically. Nitric oxide undergoes both catalyzed and uncatalyzed oxidation. However, there is no evidence of reaction with superoxide, and S-nitrosylation reactions are unlikely except during hypoxia. The only proven direct targets of NO in plants are metalloenzymes and one metal complex. Nitric oxide inhibits apoplastic catalases/ascorbate peroxidases in some species but may stimulate these enzymes in others. Plants also have the NO response pathway involving cGMP, cADPR, and release of calcium from internal stores. Other known targets include chloroplast and mitochondrial electron transport. Nitric oxide suppresses Fenton chemistry by interacting with ferryl ion, preventing generation of hydroxyl radicals. Functions of NO in plant development, response to biotic and abiotic stressors, iron homeostasis, and regulation of respiration and photosynthesis may all be ascribed to interaction with one of these targets. Nitric oxide function in drought/abscisic acid (ABA)-induction of stomatal closure requires nitrate reductase and NOS1. Nitric oxide synthasel likely functions to produce sufficient NO to inhibit photosynthetic electron transport, allowing nitrite accumulation. Nitric oxide is produced during the hypersensitive response outside cells undergoing programmed cell death immediately prior to loss of plasma membrane integrity. A plasma membrane lipid-derived signal likely activates apoplastic NOS. Nitric oxide diffuses within the apoplast and signals neighboring cells via hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-dependent induction of salicylic acid biosynthesis. Response to wounding appears to involve the same NOS and direct targets.
Induction Generator Based Electrical Power Generation System for More Electric Aircraft Applications

This paper investigates a variable speed constant frequency power generation system based on induction generator for a three-phase four wire system in more electric aircraft (MEA) applications. In the proposed scheme, the induction generator is driven by the shaft of an engine. The generator output is connected to an active rectifier with a dc link capacitor. The engine also drives a permanent magnet generator (PMG), the output of which initially charges the dc link capacitor to the desired voltage level. The dc voltage is converted to constant frequency constant amplitude ac voltage for three-phase four-wire loads of the aircraft using a four-leg inverter. In this paper, a flux optimization-based vector control strategy for the induction generator with power factor improvement is investigated. Also, the overload capability and transient performance of the induction generator in a MEA architecture is presented.