cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the human burst-forming unit-megakaryocyte

Two classes of human marrow megakaryocyte progenitor cells are described. Colony-forming unit-megakaryocyte (CFU-MK)-derived colonies appeared in vitro after 12-day incubation; burst-forming unit- megakaryocyte (BFU-MK)-derived colonies appeared after 21 days. CFU-MK- derived colonies were primarily unifocal and composed of 11.6 +/- 1.2 cells/colony; BFU-MK-derived colonies were composed of 2.3 +/- 0.4 foci and 108.6 +/- 4.4 cells/colony. CFU-MK and BFU-MK were separable by counterflow centrifugal elutriation. CFU-MK colony formation was diminished by exposure to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU); BFU-MK colony formation was unaffected. CFU-MK and BFU-MK were immunologically phenotyped. CFU-MK expressed the human progenitor cell antigen-1 (HPCA- 1, CD34, clone My10) and a major histocompatibility class II locus, HLA- DR, and BFU-MK expressed only detectable amounts of CD34. BFU-MK colony formation was entirely dependent on addition of exogenous hematopoietic growth factors. Recombinant granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) possessed such colony- stimulating activity, whereas recombinant erythropoietin (Epo), G-CSF, IL-1 alpha, IL-4, and purified thrombocytopoiesis-stimulating factor did not. These studies indicate the existence of a human megakaryocyte progenitor cell, the BFU-MK, which has unique properties allowing it to be distinguished from the CFU-MK.
Anatomic changes in Schlemm's canal and collector channels in normal and primary open-angle glaucoma eyes using low and high perfusion pressures.

Purpose. To examine the anatomy of Schlemm's canal (SC) and collector channels (CCs) in normal human and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes under low and high perfusion pressure.
Correlation between Mycoplasma Pneumonia Infection and Acute Episode of Infantile Bronchial Asthma

Objective: To study the correlation between mycoplasma pneumonia(MP) infection and infantile bronchial asthma acute episode. Methods: Patients with acute episode or paracmasia of infantile bronchial asthma in our hospital between October 2012 and September 2013 were chosen and divided into observation group and control group. The detection results of MP immunoglobulin M(MP-IgM) and throat swab MP-DNA were analyzed. Results: The masculine rates of MP-IgM and MP-DNA were significantly higher in observation group than in control group(P0.05). The copy quantities of MP-DNA in observation group were obviously higher than in control group(P0.05). Conclusion: MP infection is closely related to the acute episode in the infantile bronchial asthma. MP-IgM and MP-DNA test can provide some references for clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute episode in infantile bronchial asthma.
A Natural Heritage Plan for Biological Diversity in the North American Great Lakes Ecosystem: Lessons and Application to the Black Sea Region

Biodiversity, defined by botanist Peter H. Raven as “the sum total of all the plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms in the world, or in a particular area; all of their individual variation; and all the interactions between them,” is fundamental to the successful economic development of all regions. By conserving biodiversity, humans benefit, because the natural world contains many compensating subsystems that support economic activity. Loss of biodiversity tends to weaken the entire natural system. A system in which diversity is reduced may be more prone to failure due to either natural or anthropogenic disturbances, and any system-wide collapse could have a high cost to man. Less diverse ecosystems are often more expensive to maintain artificially over the long term, and can require increasing expenditures of human and financial resources to ensure adequate supplies of clean air, water, and food.
Extracting Infrared Spectra of Protein Secondary Structures Using a Library of Protein Spectra and the Ramachandran Plot

Infrared (IR) spectra from 1200 to 1800 cm(-1) of the pure α-helix and β-sheet secondary structures have been extracted using a covariant least-squares procedure which relates a library of 40 infrared (IR) solution protein spectra from the work of Dong, Carpenter, and Caughey and amino acid fractions of the proteins based on assignments by STRIDE (secondary structure identification) of Eisenhaber and Argos. The excitonic splitting of the β-sheet structures is determined for this library of solution proteins. The method is extended to find a set of spectral basis functions that analyze IR spectra of protein samples for α-helix and β-sheet content. A rigorous error analysis including covariance, the correlations between the input library spectra, was used to justify the results and avoid less meaningful results. The utility of the results on α-helix and β-sheet regions is demonstrated by detecting protein changes due to cancer in imaging Fourier transform IR (FTIR) spectra of liver tissue slices. This work ends with a method to extract IR spectra of less prominent torsional angle distributions.
A New Operational Snow Retrieval Algorithm Applied to Historical AMSR-E Brightness Temperatures

Snow is a key element of the water and energy cycles and the knowledge of spatio-temporal distribution of snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) is fundamental for hydrological and climatological applications. SWE and snow depth estimates can be obtained from spaceborne microwave brightness temperatures at global scale and high temporal resolution (daily). In this regard, the data recorded by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Orbiting System (EOS) (AMSR-E) onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) AQUA spacecraft have been used to generate operational estimates of SWE and snow depth, complementing estimates generated with other microwave sensors flying on other platforms. In this study, we report the results concerning the development and assessment of a new operational algorithm applied to historical AMSR-E data. The new algorithm here proposed makes use of climatological data, electromagnetic modeling and artificial neural networks for estimating snow depth as well as a spatio-temporal dynamic density scheme to convert snow depth to SWE. The outputs of the new algorithm are compared with those of the current AMSR-E operational algorithm as well as in-situ measurements and other operational snow products, specifically the Canadian Meteorological Center (CMC) and GlobSnow datasets. Our results show that the AMSR-E algorithm here proposed generally performs better than the operational one and addresses some major issues identified in the spatial distribution of snow depth fields associated with the evolution of effective grain size.
MEMS-based passive wireless respiration profile sensor

In this paper we present a sensor that wirelessly records the breathing profile of the human respiratory system. The sensor works passively and does not contain a power source. Furthermore, it is lightweight, robust and flexible making it ideal as a wearable monitoring device. The sensor is made of a ∼902MHz thin film piezoelectric-on-substrate (TPoS) MEMS resonator and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna made of a thin metal film formed on a flexible substrate. The resonance frequency of the TPoS resonator shifts in response to the inhaled/exhaled air flow and a wireless detection technique is utilized to sense the frequency shift and to translate it into the respiration profile. The Respiration profile of a subject is measured and presented for a sensor-to-transceiver distance of ∼25cm.
Building Hierarchies of Probabilistic Decision Tables

This workshop introduces the basic idea of rough set theory and the procedure of building the hierarchies of probabilistic decision tables in the frame work of the Variable Precision Rough Set model (VPRS model). Rough set theory was introduced by Pawlak with respect to the study of intelligent systems characterized by insufficient and incomplete information. The VPRS model proposed by Ziarko was an extended rough set model. Over the past twenty years, rough set theory has been an active area of research. The decision tables, their derivations and the corresponding algorithms have played an essential role in these researches. Decision tables can be classified into various categories, such as deterministic decision tables, non-deterministic decision tables, and probabilistic decision tables. A probabilistic decision table is extracted from data based on the VPRS model, in which one observation can have more than one decision. Thus, a probabilistic decision table usually has a boundary region that, however, usually can be treated as a new domain and used to build a new decision table. If applying this method recursively, a hierarchy of linear structure of the decision tables can be constructed, which can be as a classifier to classify unknown objects. After the hierarchy is built, its performance can be improved by two techniques: pruning each table and incremental learning. Pruning the tables can simplify the structure of the hierarchy and remove redundant information, if available, so as to improve its efficiency. The purpose of incremental learning is to reflect the presentation of newly added training objects while retaining knowledge acquired from old data. A common approach to classify unknown objects by holistic-matching methods is "distance-based classification" that is often suffered by the variations of unknown objects. When applying the hierarchy as the classifier, in order to overcome such limitations, a method called probabilistic distance-based method was utilized to match unknown objects to the corresponding category. This workshop has four sections. It first introduces the basic concepts of rough set theories, especially the VPRS model and the hierarchy of probabilistic decision tables. Then, the procedure of building the hierarchy and pruning each decision table are covered. After that, it describes how to classify unknown objects, applying the hierarchy as a classifier. Finally, how to perform incremental learning is included.
A novel "delayed start" protocol with gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist improves outcomes in poor responders.

Objective To investigate whether delaying the start of ovarian stimulation with GnRH antagonist improves ovarian response in poor responders. Design Retrospective study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Thirty patients, who responded poorly and did not get pregnant with conventional estrogen priming antagonist IVF protocol. Intervention(s) Delayed-start antagonist protocol (estrogen priming followed by early follicular-phase GnRH antagonist treatment for 7 days before ovarian stimulation). Main Outcome Measure(s) Number of dominant follicles and mature oocytes retrieved, mature oocyte yield, and fertilization rate. Result(s) The number of patients who met the criteria to proceed to oocyte retrieval was significantly higher in the delayed-start protocol [21/30 (70%)] compared with the previous conventional estrogen priming antagonist cycle [11/30 (36.7%)]. The number of dominant follicles was significantly higher in the delayed-start (4.2 ± 2.7) compared with conventional (2.4 ± 1.3) protocol. In patients who had oocyte retrieval after both protocols (n = 9), the delayed start resulted in shorter ovarian stimulation (9.4 ± 1.4 days vs. 11.1 ± 2.0 days), higher number of mature oocytes retrieved (4.9 ± 2.0 vs. 2.2 ± 1.1), and a trend toward increased fertilization rates with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI; 86 ± 17% vs. 69 ± 21%) compared with conventional protocol. After delayed start, the average number of embryos transferred was 2.8 ± 1.4 with implantation rate of 9.8% and clinical pregnancy rate of 23.8%. Conclusion(s) The delayed-start protocol improves ovarian response in poor responders by promoting and synchronizing follicle development without impairing oocyte developmental competence.
Investigating the role of hydromechanical coupling on flow and transport in shallow fractured-rock aquifers

Fractured-rock aquifers display spatially and temporally variable hydraulic conductivity generally attributed to variable fracture intensity and connectivity. Empirical evidence suggests fracture aperture and hydraulic conductivity are sensitive to in situ stress. This study investigates the sensitivity of fractured-rock hydraulic conductivity, groundwater flow paths, and advection-dominated transport to variable shear and normal fracture stiffness magnitudes for a range of deviatoric stress states. Fracture aperture and hydraulic conductivity are solved for analytically using empirical hydromechanical coupling equations; groundwater flow paths and ages are then solved for numerically using groundwater flow and advection-dispersion equations in a traditional Toth basin. Results suggest hydraulic conductivity alteration is dominated by fracture normal closure, resulting in decreasing hydraulic conductivity and increasing groundwater age with depth, and decreased depth of long flow paths with decreasing normal stiffness. Shear dilation has minimal effect on hydraulic conductivity alteration for stress states investigated here. Results are interpreted to suggest that fracture normal stiffness influences hydraulic conductivity of hydraulically active fractures and, thus, affects flow and transport in shallow (<1 km) fractured-rock aquifers. It is suggested that observed depth-dependent hydraulic conductivity trends in fractured-rock aquifers throughout the world may be partly a manifestation of hydromechanical phenomena.
Lumbar laminectomy in a captive, adult polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Background Animals held in captivity tend to live longer than do their wild counterparts, and as such, are prone to developing age-related degenerative injuries. Here, we present a case of an adult female polar bear with symptomatic lumbar stenosis. There is a paucity of literature on large mammalian spine surgery, and anatomical differences between humans and other vertebrates must be taken into consideration. Case description A 24-year-old female polar bear residing at the zoo was found to have decreased motor function in her hind legs. Diagnostic myelography performed at the L7/S1 level demonstrated lumbar stenosis at L5/6 for which a laminectomy was performed. Postoperatively, she returned to premorbid functional level, with no apparent associated adverse sequelae. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spine surgery in a polar bear and demonstrates that neurosurgical diagnostic and operative techniques developed for humans can also be applied to large mammals with successful results.
Spatial patterns of ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches.

Abstract Contemporary wildfires in southwestern US ponderosa pine forests can leave uncharacteristically large patches of tree mortality, raising concerns about the lack of seed-producing trees, which can prevent or significantly delay ponderosa pine regeneration. We established 4-ha plots in high-severity burn patches in two Arizona wildfires, the 2000 Pumpkin and 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fires, to determine if: (1) distance from forest edge influences the density and spatial patterns of regenerating ponderosa pine and sprouting tree species, (2) interactions with re-sprouting trees affect spatial patterns of ponderosa pine regeneration, and (3) distance from forest edge and species competition affect regenerating ponderosa pine height. Plots were located in high-severity burn patches (defined as 100% tree mortality) and either adjacent to residual live forest edges (edge plots), or >200 m from any residual live trees (interior plots). We found higher ponderosa pine regeneration densities in the edge plots (13–154 (median = 69) stems ha−1) than the interior plots (12–124 (median = 29) stems ha−1) on both wildfires, but no differences in spatial patterns between edge and interior plots. Ponderosa pine regeneration displayed patterns of small-scale spatial aggregation in all plots, except one edge and one interior plot on the Pumpkin Fire, which displayed random distributions. These patterns suggest both short- and long-distance dispersal play important roles in ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches. Sprouting trees dominated tree regeneration on the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, but they were spatially independent of ponderosa pine and did not influence ponderosa pine height. Regenerating ponderosa pine height was positively correlated with neighboring ponderosa pine densities and height, suggesting that intraspecific facilitation or similar habitat preferences occur in high-severity burn patches. Collectively, these results indicate that ponderosa pines are re-establishing with heterogeneous spatial patterns in large high-severity burn patches, but often with low densities. Also, ponderosa pine regeneration could be more strongly influenced by intraspecific facilitation than interspecific competition from dense sprouting species. Future forest spatial patterns and composition are still unclear, but at this stage of development, these heterogeneous patches, characterized by drought-tolerant sprouting species or low pine densities, could be more resilient to climate change and severe wildfires than the overly-dense ponderosa pine forests that were present before the wildfires.
The UPC++ PGAS library for Exascale Computing

We describe UPC++ V1.0, a C++11 library that supports APGAS programming. UPC++ targets distributed data structures where communication is irregular or fine-grained. The key abstractions are global pointers, asynchronous programming via RPC, and futures. Global pointers incorporate ownership information useful in optimizing for locality. Futures capture data readiness state, are useful for scheduling and also enable the programmer to chain operations to execute asynchronously as high-latency dependencies become satisfied, via continuations. The interfaces for moving non-contiguous data and handling memories with different optimal access methods are composable and closely resemble those used in modern C++. Communication in UPC++ runs at close to hardware speeds by utilizing the low-overhead GASNet-EX communication library.
Sleep influences on obesity, insulin resistance, and risk of type 2 diabetes

A large body of epidemiologic evidence has linked insufficient sleep duration and quality to the risk of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. To address putative causal mechanisms, this review focuses on laboratory interventions involving several nights of experimental sleep restriction, fragmentation or extension and examining metabolically relevant outcomes. Sleep restriction has been consistently shown to increase hunger, appetite and food intake, with the increase in caloric intake in excess of the energy requirements of extended wakefulness. Findings regarding decreases in hormones promoting satiety or increases in hormones promoting hunger have been less consistent, possibly because of confounding effects of changes in adiposity when energy intake was not controlled and sampling protocols that did not cover the entire 24-h cycle. Imaging studies revealed alterations in neuronal activity of brain regions involved in food reward. An adverse impact of experimental sleep restriction on insulin resistance, leading to reduced glucose tolerance and increased diabetes risk, has been well-documented. There is limited evidence indicating that sleep fragmentation without reduction in sleep duration also results in a reduction in insulin sensitivity. The adverse metabolic outcomes of sleep disturbances appear to involve multiple mechanistic pathways acting in concert. Emerging evidence supports the benefits of behavioral, but not pharmacological, sleep extension on appetite and glucose metabolism. Further research should focus on the feasibility and efficacy of strategies to optimize sleep duration and quality on obesity and diabetes risk in at-risk populations as well as those with established diseases. Further work is needed to identify mechanistic pathways.
An Approach to Endocardial Boundary Detection from Sequential Real Time Two-Dimensional Echocardiographic Images: Status of the Algorithm and its Validation.

Over the last several years numerous papers have been published on the quantitation of 2-dimensional echocardiograms. This seems to have come about for several reasons. Echocardiography is easy to use and completely non-invasive. The technique is also relatively inexpensive and is portable. These features mean that it can be used at the patient’s bedside conveniently and even that it is not necessarily hospital based.
Exploring Remedies for PH3 Poisoning of a Ni-YSZ Anode in Coal-Syngas Fuel

Ni-YSZ cermet is commonly used as the anode of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) because it has excellent electrochemical performance and is a cost effective anode material for coal-syngas fuel. However, coal-syngas contains trace contaminants, such as phosphine (PH3 ), hydrogen sulfur (H2 S), arsine (AsH3 ) and stibine (SbH3 ), and these can cause degradation of the SOFC. Ni-YSZ anode-supported SOFCs were exposed to syngas and H2 fuel, while co-feeding PH3 and chlorine Cl2 impurities under a constant current load at 800°C. The cell degradation was postponed in syngas and highly mitigated in H2 . In another test, a Ni-based filter was used to remove the PH3 impurity. The results show that the filter can effectively remove 20 ppm PH3 to a level which does not significantly degrade the SOFC over 400 h. The poisoning effects were evaluated by current-voltage scans and impedance spectroscopy, in addition to thermodynamic and chemical analyses. The post-mortem analyses of the cell and filter were performed by means of XRD and SEM/EDS.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Percutaneous Urinary Interventions

Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) was first described in 1955 as a means to decompress a kidney obstructed. Since then refinements in technique and advances in equipment and image-guidance have established this procedure as an essential procedure for the interventional radiologist. While relief of hydronephrosis remains the leading indication for PCN today, access to the renal collection system serves other roles beyond the relief of hydronephrosis. This chapter reviews the indications, technique of PCN and nephroureteral stent placement; PCN is a mainstay of nonvascular interventions. Tract creation for stone extraction or other endoscopic manipulation is the same as that of PCN.
Effect of the Type of Electric Boundary Conditions on the Behavior of Stresses in a Thin Piecewise Homogeneous Piezoelectric Wedge

The electroelastic equilibrium of a thin compound piezoelectric wedge with normal and tangential stresses given on its faces is examined. In addition, the normal component of the electric induction vector on one of its faces and an electric potential on the other face are specified. Solutions of the problems are obtained with the use of the generalized Mellin integral transformation. The behavior of stresses and the electric induction vector in the vicinity of vertex of the compound wedge and the distribution of contact stresses along the line of connection of two diverse media are analyzed. It is established that mixed electric boundary conditions qualitatively and quantitatively affect the behavior of stresses in the vicinity of vertex of the compound wedge, but not the distribution of contact stresses.
Taxonomic patterns in the zoonotic potential of mammalian viruses

Predicting and simplifying which pathogens may spill over from animals to humans is a major priority in infectious disease biology. Many efforts to determine which viruses are at risk of spillover use a subset of viral traits to find trait-based associations with spillover. We adapt a new method-phylofactorization-to identify not traits but lineages of viruses at risk of spilling over. Phylofactorization is used to partition the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses viral taxonomy based on non-human host range of viruses and whether there exists evidence the viruses have infected humans. We identify clades on a range of taxonomic levels with high or low propensities to spillover, thereby simplifying the classification of zoonotic potential of mammalian viruses. Phylofactorization by whether a virus is zoonotic yields many disjoint clades of viruses containing few to no representatives that have spilled over to humans. Phylofactorization by non-human host breadth yields several clades with significantly higher host breadth. We connect the phylogenetic factors above with life-histories of clades, revisit trait-based analyses, and illustrate how cladistic coarse-graining of zoonotic potential can refine trait-based analyses by illuminating clade-specific determinants of spillover risk.
An Unusual Variant of a Common Palatal Salivary Gland Tumor: Case Report of a Pleomorphic Adenoma with Significant Lipomatous Metaplasia

Introduction. Salivary gland tumors are relatively common in the junction of the hard and soft palate area of the oral cavity. Pleomorphic adenoma is considered the most common benign salivary gland tumor in this location. Some of the rarer subtypes of this tumor may have a misleading clinical presentation. Recognition of these variants is important since long-standing pleomorphic adenomas have the potential to become malignant. Case Presentation. A healthy 24-year-old male was referred for a painless, large, slowly growing, exophytic swelling of the right hard and soft palate. Interestingly, the lesion was yellowish in color and soft to palpation, suggestive of an innocuous lipoma or cystic lesion. An incisional biopsy was performed and the diagnosis was consistent with pleomorphic adenoma with a significant adipose tissue component. The patient was referred to an oral surgeon and underwent a complete surgical excision. Upon two-year follow-up, the patient is doing well with no recurrences. Conclusion. This case highlights a rare microscopic variant of pleomorphic adenoma with altered clinical presentation that led to an erroneous clinical diagnosis. The importance of taking a biopsy for definitive diagnosis and appropriate management is reinforced.
Pantoea agglomerans cutaneous infection

Pantoea agglomerans is a rare Gram-negative bacterium most often implicated in plant diseases and opportunistic organ system infections in immunocompromised humans. Because P. agglomerans uncommonly causes skin infections and presents with nonspecific clinical and histological findings, dermatologic diagnosis may be delayed. Our patient had a unique skin eruption that persisted after multiple treatment regimens and was finally diagnosed as P. agglomerans cutaneous infection. It is important for clinicians to consider this uncommon skin infection in their differential diagnosis of erythematous papules and vesicles with systemic symptoms. Diagnosis is via bacterial culture as histology is usually nonspecific and may not offer a conclusive diagnosis. Risk factors that may be clues to this infection include the occupation of farming, recent hospitalization, immunosuppression, and skin compromise in the form of open wounds.
Supply Chain Analysis of Contract Farming

Contract farming is a growing practice in developing countries and first-world economies alike. It generates necessary guarantees to sustain the continued operations of vulnerable farmers while ena...
An Intramolecular Salt Bridge Linking TDP43's RNA Recognition Motifs Dictates RNA Binding and TDP43-Dependent Neurodegeneration

The majority of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) exhibit neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions rich in the RNA binding protein TDP43. Even so, the relationship between TDP43’s RNA binding properties and neurodegeneration remain obscure. Here we show that engineered mutations disrupting a salt bridge between TDP43’s RNA recognition motifs interfere with nucleic acid binding and eliminate recognition of native TDP43 substrates. These same mutations dramatically destabilize TDP43, alter its subcellular localization and abrogate TDP43-dependent neurodegeneration. Worms harboring homologous TDP-1 mutations phenocopy knockout strains, confirming the necessity of the salt bridge residues for TDP43 function. Moreover, the accumulation of functional TDP43, but not RNA binding-deficient variants, disproportionately affects the abundance and splicing of transcripts encoding oxidative phosphorylation and ribosome components. These studies demonstrate the significance of the salt bridge in sustaining TDP43 stability and RNA binding specificity, factors that are crucial for neurodegeneration arising from TDP43 deposition in ALS and FTD.
Capital Efficiency for Development Stage Biotech-Based Firms: An IPO Perspective

Access to multiple tranches of capital is critical for predominantly no revenue development stage biotech firms. While financing needs are monotonically increasing over multiple years in the product development approval cycle, the market for high risk, milestone driven biotech investment is significantly more volatile than the financial markets as a whole. In this paper, we analyzed the role and relative importance of global biotech IPOs, as well as other sources of capital such as strategic alliances, for research and development funding. We also explored and assessed the degree of mismatch between the access to capital, operational efficiencies, and how firms solve the potential unmet capital requirements. Implications for investors, as well as small and large biotech company managers, is discussed.
Clinical experience with atypical spitzoid tumors in patients younger than age 18: Does fluorescence in situ hybridization predict lymph node metastasis?

8586 Background: Determining the malignant potential of atypical spitzoid melanocytic proliferations can be diagnostically challenging, and many patients are therefore managed as if they had melano...
Devising novel methods for the controlled synthesis with morphology and size control of scintillator materials

Nanoscale scintillators represent an important class of materials underlying the functioning of high resolution, high ‘light yield’ radiation detection equipment, applicable for medicine in addition to security and environmental monitoring. This current study has focused on the controlled synthesis of Cs2ZnX4 (X = Cl, Br) not only due to its very fast and promising radioluminescence decay time but also because no reliable synthesis protocols have been reported for producing nanoscale motifs of this material, to date. Solution-based methods can be used to synthesize products, possessing different, discrete morphologies with the ability to dictate particle size and shape. Specifically, we have demonstrated that a hot injection technique can be used to fabricate nanoscale rods and plates. Using this method, we systematically studied the effect of varying reaction variables, such as (i) reaction temperature, (ii) surfactants, and (iii) reaction time. As synthesized nanorods of Cs2ZnCl4 possessed lengths of 101.3 ± 24.4 nm with widths of 17.3 ± 4.5 nm, whereas Cs2ZnBr4, created under identical conditions, were characterized by lengths of 206 ± 50 nm and widths of 26.7 ± 12.6 nm. Ligand-assisted re-precipitation (LARP) was used to produce the corresponding micron-sized particles. Under these conditions, we successfully synthesized spindles and spherical particles of Cs2ZnCl4 with sizes of 1.58 ± 0.16 μm and 1.03 ± 0.34 μm, respectively, whereas plates of Cs2ZnBr4 were prepared with average sizes of 0.76 ± 0.21 μm. High resolution synchrotron mapping, using the hard X-ray nanoprobe at NSLS II, was used to confirm the expected spatial distribution of Cs, Zn, and Cl within the as-produced crystals. Nanorods of Cs2ZnCl4 and Cs2ZnBr4 were subsequently tested for scintillation light yield and decay times. Preliminary results showed that Cs2ZnCl4 maintained a light yield of 100–300 photons per MeV with a fast decay component of 2.6 ns. The Cs2ZnBr4 analogue did not give rise to any perceptible scintillation emission.
A note on exponential-type solutions for the linear, delayed heat partial differential equation.

We construct a class of exponential type solutions for the linear, delayed heat equation. These representations may be used to provide a priori ansatzes for certain boundary and/or initial-value problems arising in heat transfer. Several of the important mathematical properties of the representations are examined, including a discussion of the dependence on the delay parameter.
Tailoring ductile-phase toughened tungsten hierarchical microstructures for plasma-facing materials

Abstract Biological materials, such as bones, nacre, etc., have been found to exhibit attractive and unique combinations of stiffness, strength and fracture toughness. Research has been conducted in various engineering areas to mimic the naturally hierarchical microstructures or nanostructures of these materials to produce materials with optimum stiffness, high strength and fracture toughness for their intended structural applications. In the same objective, this work applies a multiscale microstructural approach recently developed (J. Nucl. Mater., (2018) 508: 371–384) to investigate the deformation and fracture behavior of ductile phase toughened tungsten (W) materials such as tungsten-nickel/iron (W-Ni/Fe) composites that possess lamellar-like and hierarchical “brick-and-mortar” (BAM) microstructures. First, the approach is used to simulate tensile loading of W-Ni/Fe specimens cut out from hot-rolled W-Ni/Fe plates which possess lamellar-like microstructures. The finite element model of the gage section of the specimen consists of a W-Ni/Fe dual-phase microstructural domain in which the constitutive behaviors of W and Ni/Fe phases are described by an elastic-plastic damage model. The predicted material stress-strain response and crack pattern development as a function of loading are then compared to the corresponding experimental results to determine the constitutive model parameters for W and Ni/Fe. Subsequently, the model parameters are used to analyze W-Ni/Fe BAM microstructures that are artificially created to investigate the effects of microstructural features and morphologies on the composite stress-strain response, damage, and fracture patterns. The modeling shows that regular BAM microstructures that experience bridging mechanism combined with crack penetration across W-phase regions exhibit significantly higher strengths than the rather random lamellar-like microstructures. More significantly, however adjusting the brick’s length-to-height ratio, the BAM microstructure can be designed to allow a more distributed damage zone which leads to increased strength, ductility and fracture energy.
Intrapartum opioid analgesia and childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes among infants born preterm.

BACKGROUND There are concerns regarding neurobehavioral changes in infants exposed to parenteral opioids during labor; however, long-term neurodevelopment remains unstudied. OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine the association between parenteral opioids used as labor analgesia and perinatal outcomes and childhood neurodevelopment until 2 years of age among infants born prematurely. We hypothesized that intrapartum exposure to parenteral opioids is associated with impaired neurodevelopment and adverse perinatal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial assessing magnesium for the prevention of cerebral palsy in infants at risk for preterm birth. Women delivering a singleton, nonanomalous, live infant before 37 weeks’ gestation were considered for inclusion. Women were excluded if they had missing exposure or primary outcome data, were exposed to general anesthesia, or reported use of heroin or unspecified illicit drugs. Women reporting use of nonopioid illicit drugs such as cocaine and marijuana were not excluded. Groups were compared based on exposure or nonexposure to parenteral opioids (intravenous or intramuscular) used as labor analgesia. The primary outcome was any psychomotor or mental developmental delay at 24 months according to the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. Secondary outcomes were the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II subdomains and adverse perinatal outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS Of the 1404 women included, 535 (38%) received parenteral opioids as labor analgesia. Women receiving parenteral opioids were more likely to be younger, Hispanic, and present with cervical dilation ≥4 cm. Parenteral opioid recipients had lower rates of illicit nonopioid drug or tobacco use, a lower rate of cesarean delivery, lower educational level and were less likely to be undergoing induction. Women receiving parenteral opioids who underwent cesarean delivery were less likely to do so because of a nonreassuring fetal status. In the unadjusted and adjusted analyses, there were no significant differences in the primary outcomes of psychomotor or mental developmental delay at 2 years of age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.96; confidence interval, 0.76–1.20). The only significant difference in secondary outcomes was a shorter O2 requirement duration in the parenteral opioid group (2 vs 4 days; P=.002). CONCLUSION Among a population of preterm infants vulnerable to neurologic impairment, intrapartum exposure to parenteral opioids was not associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental delay up to 2 years of age, nor did these infants have worse perinatal outcomes.
Galectin-anchored indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase suppresses local inflammation

Summary paragraphChronic inflammation underlies the onset, progression and associated pain of numerous diseases.(1) Current anti-inflammatory treatments administered systemically are associated with moderate-to-severe side effects, while locally administered drugs have short-lived efficacy, and neither approach successfully modifies the underlying causality of disease.(2) We report a new way to locally modulate inflammation by fusing the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO) to galectin-3 (Gal3). A general regulator of inflammation(3), IDO is immunosuppressive(4), catabolizing the essential amino acid tryptophan into kynurenine.(5) Recently we demonstrated that extracellular exogenous IDO regulates innate immune cell function(6), and envisioned delivering IDO into specific tissues would provide control of inflammation. However, proteins problematically diffuse away from local injection sites. Addressing this, we recently established that fusion to Gal3 anchors enzymes to tissues(7) via binding to extracellular glycans. Fusion protein IDO-Gal3 was retained in injected tissues and joints for up to a week or more, where it suppressed local inflammation in rodent models of endotoxin-induced inflammation, psoriasis, periodontal disease and osteoarthritis. Amelioration of local inflammation, disease progression and inflammatory pain were concomitant with homeostatic preservation of tissues without global immune suppression. Thus, IDO-Gal3 presents a new concept of anchoring immunomodulatory enzymes for robust control of focal inflammation in multiple disease settings.
Food allergy

Although many emerging therapies demonstrate theoretical and practical promise, strict elimination of the allergenic food remains the only proven therapy for food hypersensitivity. Given such therapeutic limitations, accurate diagnosis and thorough patient education are critical for proper management. This is particularly important for individuals with anaphylactic potential, as food allergy is currently the single leading cause of anaphylaxis treated in hospital emergency departments [1,2].
Gordon Tullock: His Development as an Unconventional Economist, 1947–1962

This essay examines Gordon Tullock’s early career and his intellectual interaction with a number of well-known scholars.1 It describes the period from his graduation at the University of Chicago Law School (1947), through his time with the U.S. Department of State (1947–1956) and his early years in academia (1958–1962), to the publication of The Calculus of Consent (1962). It includes examination of his relations with Colin Campbell, Warren Nutter, Richard “Dixie” Walker, Karl Popper, Anthony Downs, Duncan Black, and James Buchanan during these years.
Geographic Proximity of Waterpipe Smoking Establishments to Colleges in the U.S.

Introduction Waterpipe tobacco smoking is prevalent among college students in the U.S. and increasing in popularity. Waterpipe smoking establishments are almost completely unregulated, and limited information exists documenting the expansion of this industry. The objective of this study was to identify U.S.-based waterpipe establishments and measure their proximity to colleges/universities. Methods Waterpipe establishments and their addresses were compiled using five Internet-based directories during 2014 and analyzed in 2015. Addresses were geocoded and overlaid on a U.S. map of accredited colleges/universities. Proximity of colleges/universities to the nearest waterpipe establishment was measured in 3-mile increments. Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the factors associated with proximity of waterpipe establishments to colleges/universities. Results A total of 1,690 waterpipe establishments and 1,454 colleges/universities were included in the study. Overall, 554 colleges/universities (38.1%) were within 3 miles of a waterpipe establishment. Proximity of waterpipe establishments to colleges/universities was associated with higher full-time student enrollment. Public colleges/universities and those with a smoke-free campus policy were at lower odds of having waterpipe establishments within 3 miles of their campuses. Conclusions Waterpipe smoking establishments are more likely to be located near large colleges/universities. This study should inform initiatives aimed at reducing retail tobacco establishment exemptions.
Insulin stimulates the phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in a cell-free system derived from 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Physiological concentrations of insulin stimulate the incorporation of 32P into ribosomal protein S6 in intact 3T3-L1 adipocytes (Smith, C. J., Wejksnora, P. J., Warner, J. B., Rubin, C. S., and Rosen, O. M. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 76, 2725-2729). Extracts from cells treated with insulin also exhibit an increased ability to incorporate 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into protein S6 in vitro (Smith, C. J., Rubin, C. S., and Rosen, O. M. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 77, 2641-2645). We now report that the direct addition of insulin to particulate preparations containing high affinity insulin receptors and ribosomes derived from insulin-sensitive cells (not previously exposed to insulin) stimulates incorporation of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into ribosomal protein S6 1.5- to 3.0-fold. The stimulation occurs at the same concentrations of insulin (0.1-1.0 nM) and within the same period of time as it does in intact cells.
Modes of Salmonid MHC Class I and II Evolution Differ from the Primate Paradigm

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) represent two salmonid genera separated for 15--20 million years. cDNA sequences were determined for the classical MHC class I heavy chain gene UBA and the MHC class II beta-chain gene DAB from 15 rainbow and 10 brown trout. Both genes are highly polymorphic in both species and diploid in expression. The MHC class I alleles comprise several highly divergent lineages that are represented in both species and predate genera separation. The class II alleles are less divergent, highly species specific, and probably arose after genera separation. The striking difference in salmonid MHC class I and class II evolution contrasts with the situation in primates, where lineages of class II alleles have been sustained over longer periods of time relative to class I lineages. The difference may arise because salmonid MHC class I and II genes are not linked, whereas in mammals they are closely linked. A prevalent mechanism for evolving new MHC class I alleles in salmonids is recombination in intron II that shuffles alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains into different combinations.
Parallel Algorithms for Discovery of Association Rules

Discovery of association rules is an important data mining task. Several parallel and sequential algorithms have been proposed in the literature to solve this problem. Almost all of these algorithms make repeated passes over the database to determine the set of frequent itemsets (a subset of database items), thus incurring high I/O overhead. In the parallel case, most algorithms perform a sum-reduction at the end of each pass to construct the global counts, also incurring high synchronization cost. In this paper we describe new parallel association mining algorithms. The algorithms use novel itemset clustering techniques to approximate the set of potentially maximal frequent itemsets. Once this set has been identified, the algorithms make use of efficient traversal techniques to generate the frequent itemsets contained in each cluster. We propose two clustering schemes based on equivalence classes and maximal hypergraph cliques, and study two lattice traversal techniques based on bottom-up and hybrid search. We use a vertical database layout to cluster related transactions together. The database is also selectively replicated so that the portion of the database needed for the computation of associations is local to each processor. After the initial set-up phase, the algorithms do not need any further communication or synchronization. The algorithms minimize I/O overheads by scanning the local database portion only twice. Once in the set-up phase, and once when processing the itemset clusters. Unlike previous parallel approaches, the algorithms use simple intersection operations to compute frequent itemsets and do not have to maintain or search complex hash structures. Our experimental testbed is a 32-processor DEC Alpha cluster inter-connected by the Memory Channel network. We present results on the performance of our algorithms on various databases, and compare it against a well known parallel algorithm. The best new algorithm outperforms it by an order of magnitude.
Ethical Framework for the IT and Business Professions

Within an information technology (IT) environment, managerial and organizational influences may affect individual’s ethical behavior. Understanding the individual difference in value systems, locus of control, Machiavellianism, and cognitive moral development, helps the IT managers to appreciate the reasons for individuals working within and outside the IT environment aware of the ethical behavior. This paper evaluates applicability of Kohlberg's framework on moral theory that focuses solely on justice-orientated moral approach in the IT profession. Results of semi-structured interviews with two IT managers suggest that the framework lacks flexibility, and needs to incorporate a caring perspective (referring to the content) and a cognitive-structural perspective (referring to the basic assumptions of the model). The caring, concerns, integrity and accountability concepts are important values of the cognitive aspect, the profession and individual professionals in the real world. The finding adds our understandings on the IT professions and societal norms.