cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A cell model system to study regulation of phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B activity by cytokines/growth factors produced by type I collagen stimulated immune cells from patients with systemic sclerosis

We have reported that posttranslational modification of systemic sclerosis patients' platelet phosphoinositide 1,3,4,5 kinase (PI 3-K) and protein kinase B (Akt) altered their enzymatic activities. In the present investigation, we have established a cell line model to study further the effects of posttranslational modification and modification by cytokines or growth factors of these two enzymes. Results from these studies suggest that posttranslational modification by phosphorylation of Akt and nitrotyrosylation of PI 3-K increases enzymatic activities, as was observed from SSc patients' platelets. These two signaling components are controlled by a different mechanism, which alters platelet reactivity towards the matrix components of vascular walls. We have used a megakaryotic cell line to study these two enzymes in the presence of cultured supernatants from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), which were isolated from blood of SSc patients compared to controls including culture medium, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and osteoarthritis. The effect of the supernatants from SSc CI-stimulated PBMC cultures on both PI 3-K and Akt is specific.
Site-directed mutagenesis of the codon for Ile-25 in gPr80env alters the neurovirulence of ts1, a mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus TB.

ts1, a spontaneous temperature-sensitive mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus TB, causes hind-limb paralysis in mice. A Val-25----Ile substitution in gPr80env is responsible for temperature sensitivity, inefficient processing of gPr80env, and neurovirulence. In this study, the Ile-25 in gPr80env was replaced with Thr, Ala, Leu, Gly, and Glu by site-directed mutagenesis of the codon for Ile-25 to generate a new set of mutant viruses, i.e., ts1-T, -A, -L, -G, and -E, respectively. The phenotypic characteristics of these mutant viruses differed from those of ts1. For each mutant, the degree of temperature sensitivity was correlated with the degree of inefficient processing of gPr80env, and the following rank order was observed for both parameters: ts1-E greater than ts1-G greater than ts1-L greater than ts1-A greater than ts1 greater than ts1-T. In FVB/N mice, mutant viruses of low and intermediate temperature sensitivity and inefficiency in processing of gPr80env were neurovirulent and consistently caused mutant-specific disease profiles: ts1-T caused severe whole-body tremor, ts1-A generally caused hind-limb paralysis, and ts1-L generally caused a delayed-onset paraparesis. By 150 days postinfection, FVB/N mice that were infected with ts1-G and -E, mutants of high temperature sensitivity and inefficiency in processing of gPr80env, had lymphoid leukemia instead of a neurological disease. These results suggest that the dynamics of gPr80env processing are important in determining the neurovirulent phenotype in vivo.
Large Conformational Changes in the Catalytic Cycle of Glutathione Synthase

Abstract Glutathione synthase catalyzes the final ATP-dependent step in glutathione biosynthesis, the formation of glutathione from γ-glutamylcysteine and glycine. We have determined structures of yeast glutathione synthase in two forms: unbound (2.3 A resolution) and bound to its substrate γ-glutamylcysteine, the ATP analog AMP-PNP, and two magnesium ions (1.8 A resolution). These structures reveal that upon substrate binding, large domain motions convert the enzyme from an open unliganded form to a closed conformation in which protein domains completely surround the substrate in the active site.
Exact Valence-Bond Approach to Quantum Cell Models

A line between two H atoms is a simple and natural shorthand for the covalent bond of H2. The extension to a line per spin-paired electrons in bonds provides a convenient and surprisingly powerful representation of molecular structure. Pauling’s valence bond (VB) diagrams1 are widely used throughout chemistry and increasingly in solid-state physics, from purely qualitative to quantitative applications. We emphasize in this paper the versatility of VB diagrams and their role in obtaining exact results for finite quantum cell models. Considerable progress has been made in the manipulation of VB diagrams.2 Quantitative applications now focus on model Hamiltonians that conserve total spin and on excited states rather than on ground-state molecular properties.
Contaminants reduce male contribution to reproduction at the population scale

In many populations, males compete for mates and contribute to genetic diversity, but are assumed to have little impact on population growth rates and density, because one father is all that is necessary to fertilize a large number of eggs and sire a potential cohort. A factor affecting male reproductive output is exposure to contaminants that either disrupt endocrine function or mimic hormones. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) persist in aquatic ecosystems and may interfere with the reproductive contribution of male fish to populations. We quantified 28 PCB congeners in adult male bluegills across eight Illinois lakes. In spring 2011 and 2012, mature male bluegills from lakes with conspecifics with PCB whole-body residues ranging from undetectable to high (2,000 ng/g dry mass total PCBs) were placed in experimental ponds with mature females containing no detectable PCB body residues and allowed to reproduce in spring under natural conditions. The presence of PCBs in fish had no effect on the presence of ...
Parametric Investigation of Concentrating PV/T System With Spectral Filtering Utilizing a 2-D Model

Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems are continually being investigated, in particular the use of such systems in concentrating collectors as part of the ARPA-E FOCUS program. While many combined thermal and electrical models exist, most are limited to 0-D energy balance approaches or 1-D approaches where temperature variations through insulation, glazing and substrates are considered. Here, we develop a 2-D model for a concentrating PV/T system where the model accounts for temperature variations along the length of the collector. The proposed configuration consists of a GaAs cell laminated to an aluminum extrusion. The working fluid, a transparent high temperature heat transfer fluid with suspended nanoparticles, flows through the extrusion where it actively cools the PV cell before passing in front of the cell acting as an optical filter. The model includes PV cell efficiency, temperature, and bandgap dependence, a detail often neglected in prior works. This paper focuses on PV efficiency along the length of the system and outlet fluid temperature for both counter and parallel flow arrangements. Of particular interest here is the wavelength used in the design of the fluid filter and how changing the design impacts the exergetic efficiency and percent of exergy created as heat.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
An investigation into the longitudinal dynamics and control of a flapping wing micro air vehicle at hovering flight

This paper describes the research into the flight dynamics modelling and flight control of a flapping wing micro aerial vehicle (MAV). The equations of motion based on a multi-body representation of the vehicle and the flapping wings were derived and form the basis for the simulation program, which was developed using MATLAB and SIMULINK. The aerodynamic forces were obtained through experimental methods and form the basis for the aerodynamic model. The hovering and low speed flight of the MAV was investigated using a SIMULINK simulation model. Various flight control concepts, inspired by observation of insect and bird flight, were investigated in some detail. The concepts include the control of flap frequency, flap and pitch phasing (wing beat kinematics) and shift in centre of gravity position. The paper concludes with a comparison of the control concepts and their feasibility for a practical vehicle application.
The design of a readily attachable and cleavable molecular scaffold for ortho-selective C–H alkenylation of arene alcohols

We describe herein the design of a novel molecular scaffold that can induce facile oxidative olefinations when attached to alcohols. Benzylic, homo-, and bishomobenzylic alcohols are utilized. The scaffold can act as a protecting group for the alcohol in other transformations, and it is recoverable in excellent yield. The overall sequence can also be telescoped without purifications of intermediates, representing a net alcohol-based directed ortho-alkenylation.
Exchange Bias in CrO2/Cr2O3 Bilayer Thin Films

We have investigated the exchange bias in CVD grown epitaxial CrO2/Cr2O3 bilayer thin films using hysteresis loops and resonant RF transverse susceptibility. M-H loops indicated an enhanced coercivity without appreciable loop shift and the transverse susceptibility in CrO2/Cr2O3 bilayers revealed features associated with both the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. In addition, TS yielded large anisotropy constant (Keff) values depending on the fraction of Cr2O3 present. The large anisotropy fields observed cannot be accounted for by the variable thickness of CrO2 alone and are indicative of possible exchange coupling between CrO2 and Cr2O3 phases that significantly affects the effective magnetic anisotropy.
Liver Transplantation in Children: Advances in Patient Selection, Technique and Immunosuppression

The evolution of liver transplantation in children has proceeded in phases, overcoming these principal problems: prohibitive technical failures, limited donor organs, and imperfect immunosuppression. In this review, the history and current status of these challenges are summarized.
Diapause of the Sorghum Midge, and Location within the Sorghum Spikelet

Numbers and locations of Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett) in sorghum spikelets were observed at several periods after flowering occurred. Based on an average infestation of 1.2 and 2.1 midges per spike let on August 20, 1970, and 1971, respectively. 8.3 and 9.5% of the midges attacking both plantings of sorghum entered diapause by the last sampling date (October 21) Most moist midges were found in the lower part of the spikelet about 5-7 days after it flowered, but no extreme differences were found in location of the midges in the spikelet (diapausing larvae) by the last sampling period. Numbers of midges on the lemma or palea side of the floret differ within a given year and between hybrids but not consistently over years.
Risk of Local Urethral Recurrence After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer

Radical cystectomy and urinary diversion were performed on 349 patients with transitional cell cancer of the bladder. Followup for 4 to 13 years revealed that 91 and 83 per cent of the patients were free of urethral recurrence 5 and 10 years after cystectomy, respectively. Statistical elimination of urethral recurrences did not improve the over-all survival rate significantly. It appears that supplementation of cystectomy with simultaneous urethrectomy may not be justified if the urethra is not involved by the cancer.
Reflexes from isolated carotid sinuses of intact and vagotomized conscious dogs

Exposure of the vascularly isolated carotid sinuses of 8 conscious dogs to static pressures between 50 and 240 mmHg caused significantly smaller increases [23 +/- 5(SE) mmHg] than decreases (37 +/-...
Energy-Aware Aerial Surveillance for a Long-Endurance Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

In this paper, energy optimal surveillance trajectories for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are explored. The main objective is to have maximum sensor coverage range while maintaining a perpetual flight in the presence of uncertainties. A solar-powered UAV is equipped with photovoltaic cells mounted on its wings and rechargeable batteries. The photovoltaic cells generate solar energy based on the position of the sun, attitude of the UAV, and sky clarity. The vehicle aims to optimize the energy storage in the batteries and coverage during the day while the availability of solar radiation is uncertain and the sensor resolution diminishes because of altitude gain. A model for optimal coverage, path planning, and power allocation in a solar-powered UAV is proposed and the corresponding simulation results are presented. In addition, the effect of maximum altitude gain on the energy storage is studied based on a reduced hybrid model. An online setting is proposed to represent the solar radiation uncertainties. T...
Integrity and Corruption

Integrity and corruption have been deeply connected throughout history both as concepts and ethical realities. The two concepts begin with deep-seated etymological affinities that play out in modern ethical and institutional practice. This chapter tracks the ethical, political, institutional, and psychological relationships between integrity and corruption. It will examine how intimately the two connect in the realities of practicing integrity and facing personal and institutional corruption. It will discuss how modern corruption-fighting programs integrate promoting high-integrity organizations with multiple approaches to prevent and fight institutional corruption.
A game-theoretical approach to variable renewable generator bidding in wholesale electricity markets

We develop a two-part modeling framework to schedule bids for merchant variable renewable energy (VRE) generators participating in the day-ahead wholesale electricity market. The first part is an optimization model that maximizes revenue by optimally selling power into the marketplace. The second is a non-cooperative game-theory model in which the Nash equilibrium is the revenue-maximizing bidding strategy for all VRE market participants. The two models are calibrated using three months of consecutive demand, generation, and market clearing price (MCP) data from the California wholesale market. Analytical results provide three important conclusions for VRE operators, policymakers, and system operators alike: (1) there are periods when VRE operators can increase revenue by curtailing power output; (2) such market outcomes occur with only moderate increases in California's renewables penetration (from present-day 20% to 26%); and (3) VRE operators can increase revenue by forming aggregations, i.e. coupling bids between multiple merchant VRE.
Individual differences in spontaneous analogical transfer

Research on analogical problem solving has shown that people often fail to spontaneously notice the relevance of a semantically remote source analog when solving a target problem, although they are able to form mappings and derive inferences when given a hint to recall the source. Relatively little work has investigated possible individual differences that predict spontaneous transfer, or how such differences may interact with interventions that facilitate transfer. In this study, fluid intelligence was measured for participants in an analogical problem-solving task, using an abridged version of the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM) test. In two experiments, we systematically compared the effect of augmenting verbal descriptions of the source with animations or static diagrams. Solution rates to Duncker’s radiation problem were measured across varying source presentation conditions, and participants’ understanding of the relevant source material was assessed. The pattern of transfer was best fit by a moderated mediation model: the positive impact of fluid intelligence on spontaneous transfer was mediated by its influence on source comprehension; however, this path was in turn modulated by provision of a supplemental animation via its influence on comprehension of the source. Animated source depictions were most beneficial in facilitating spontaneous transfer for those participants with low scores on the fluid intelligence measure.
Womanism and Afrocentricity: Understanding the intersection

ABSTRACTDrawing connections between womanism and Afrocentric themes, this discussion accentuates praxes intrinsic to Black women. Critical Race Black Feminist theory theoretically links constructs of race and gender and gives birth to the term intersectionality. This conceptual crossroad, therefore, explicitly seeks to deconstruct the remembrance of Black women’s historical sufferings and narratives impinged by oppressive images, multidimensional forms of institutionalized domination, and pervasive gender-based racist stereotypes affecting their liberation. Next, contemporary occurrences that breed race and gendered and economic oppressive constructs receive nuanced attention. This article concludes with a salute to Black women social welfare pioneers whose legacy of distinguished footprints, stalwart leadership, and prominent contributions are left for us to follow and forward.
Feeding interrelations of native fishes in a Sonoran Desert stream

Native fishes in Aravaipa Creek, Arizona, cropped foods proportional to abundance of those foods within the system. Ephemeropteran nymphs and adults comprised the major prey of 5 of 7 fishes ( Gila robusta, Meda fulgida, Rhinichthys osculus, Tiaroga cobitis, and Catostomus insignis ). The omnivorous Agosia chrysogaster ate almost as many nymphal mayflies as did the carnivores. Pantosteus clarki was herbivorous, taking animals only when they were abundant. When ephemeropterans decreased in abundance, a shift by some fish species occurred to other locally or seasonally abundant items. Other fishes continued to feed upon the same foods throughout the year. Abundance of invertebrates in Aravaipa Creek, coupled with marked spatial partitioning of habitat by fishes present, seemingly precluded severe interspecific interactions for food.
Challenges in Risk Adjustment for Hospital and Provider Outcomes Assessment

How are we to evaluate outcomes for the care that we provide, and how are we to benchmark ourselves compared with colleagues at other institutions? It is critical that we do this to improve our own performance, and it is also being demanded of us by other stakeholders in society. Indeed, regular public reporting of outcomes is now effectively mandated of providers in many medical disciplines, and standards for statistical adjustment have been developed.1 As a result, performance reports based on data from both administrative and clinical databases are commonplace, with a few elite databases serving as de facto sources of truth for medical performance in the United States. However, important questions must be asked about the registries being used to set performance standards and inform medical regulatory policies. Within cardiology, one of the most commonly reported metrics is mortality after revascularization, either in-hospital or some time thereafter, often 30 days. Such reporting may be at the level of the individual operator, hospital, or health care system. Other metrics, including nonfatal events and cost, are also reported commonly.2 Initial public reports several decades ago offering raw outcome statistics on these end points resulted in a firestorm of criticism that the published data did not appropriately account for patient differences. In recent years, efforts have been made to account for variation in severity of illness, acuteness of presentation, and comorbidities using statistical methods that risk adjust to create fairer comparisons.1 Concerns now focus on metrics such as risk-adjusted …
Legacy effect of statins: 20-year follow up of the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS).

The West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS) was a randomized, placebo- controlled, primary prevention trial of pravastatin in men aged 45 to 64 (mean age of 55 years) with no history of myocardial infarction at randomization. A total of 6,595 men, with a mean (SD) plasma cholesterol level of 272 (23) mg/dL and mean (SD) low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of 192 (17) mg/dL were randomly assigned to receive pravastatin 40 mg daily or placebo for five years. The primary outcome was a composite of death from coronary heart disease (CHD) and nonfatal myocardial infarction. There was a 31% relative reduction in the primary outcome with pravastatin. There was similar reduction in risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction, death from CHD and death from all cardiovascular causes with no increased risk of death from non-cardiovascular causes nor an increase in incident cancers.
Defense of the West: NATO, the European Union and the transatlantic bargain

The election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States in November 2016 placed into question the transatlantic bargain that has, in its various permutations, sustained the peace and pros...
Register allocation for Intel processor graphics

Register allocation is a well-studied problem, but surprisingly little work has been published on assigning registers for GPU architectures. In this paper we present the register allocator in the production compiler for Intel HD and Iris Graphics. Intel GPUs feature a large byte-addressable register file organized into banks, an expressive instruction set that supports variable SIMD-sizes and divergent control flow, and high spill overhead due to relatively long memory latencies. These distinctive characteristics impose challenges for register allocation, as input programs may have arbitrarily-sized variables, partial updates, and complex control flow. Not only should the allocator make a program spill-free, but it must also reduce the number of register bank conflicts and anti-dependencies. Since compilation occurs in a JIT environment, the allocator also needs to incur little overhead. To manage compilation overhead, our register allocation framework adopts a hybrid approach that separates the assignment of local and global variables. Several extensions are introduced to the traditional graph-coloring algorithm to support variables with different sizes and to accurately model liveness under divergent branches. Different assignment polices are applied to exploit the trade-offs between minimizing register usage and avoiding bank conflicts and anti-dependencies. Experimental results show our framework produces very few spilling kernels and can improve RA JIT time by up to 4x over pure graph-coloring. Our round-robin and bank-conflict-reduction assignment policies can also achieve up to 20% runtime improvements.
Data-Constrained Biophysical Modeling Of Human VIM To Assess Contributions Of Intrinsic Oscillatory Activity To Essential Tremor

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder, in which the primary symptom is a prominent, involuntary 4–10 Hz rhythmic movement. The presence of tremor frequency activity in the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) is well established, but it is often assumed that it is driven by cerebellar tremor frequency activity, while the role of intrinsic oscillatory activity in VIM is not clear. An improved understanding of the mechanisms of tremor and non-tremor activity in the VIM may lead to better pharmacological and neuromodulatory therapies. We recorded local field activity during tremor in the VIM from 5 patients during deep brain electrode implantation surgery to constrain a biophysically-principled computational model of tremor field activity in the VIM, coupled with the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). We compared tremor frequency activity in the model generated either by extrinsic tremor-periodic drive or by intrinsic VIM-TRN interaction. Extrinsic and intrinsic tremor frequency oscillations in the model depended on T-type Ca2+ channels in different ways. Both also depended on GABA modulation in a site- and type-specific manner. These results suggested that efficacy of pharmacological manipulations may depend upon the mechanisms generating tremor activity in VIM. Simulated non-tremor-related cerebellar drive decreased extrinsic tremor activity but increased intrinsic tremor activity. Intrinsic tremor power was increased with an external tremor frequency drive, suggesting that both mechanisms may be important to understand the emergence and cessation of tremor activity in VIM. Our results lead to experimentally testable predictions on modulating tremor frequency activity that can help to improve future treatment strategies for ET.
Welche Online-Demokratie brauchen wir? Befunde und Perspektiven zum Web 2.0-Einsatz in der Behördenkommunikation

Mit dem Web 2.0 und den darauf basierenden Social Media hat sich eine neue Offentlichkeit herausgebildet: Politische Kommunikation erfolgt darin in der Form permanenter, medienkonvergenter, sowohl individualisierbarer wie massenpublizistischer Vernetzung (1. Einleitung). Angesichts der grossen Zahl der Online-Burgerinnen und -Burger, aber auch der erheblichen Unterschiede zwischen den Bevolkerungsgruppen stehen die Behorden vor neuen Herausforderungen, denen sie sich in den letzten Jahren vor allem mit Experimenten und Pilotprojekten gestellt haben (2. Die Online-Burgerschaft und ihre Behorden). Standortbestimmungen von Behorden ergeben typischerweise, dass die interaktive Vernetzung mit Burgerinnen und Burgern nicht nur eine Verpflichtung und eine Chance ist, sondern auch erhebliche Gefahren mit sich bringt (3. Konturen der Situationsanalyse). Sollen die Chancen genutzt werden konnen, sind verschiedene strategische Optionen zu berucksichtigen und nach den Prinzipien der integrierten Kommunikationsplanung zu realisieren (4. Strategien digitaler Vernetzung im Web 2.0). Auf diesem Wege kann die digitale Vernetzung der Behorden die Demokratie tatsachlich fordern (5. Schluss).
Management of advanced stage Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) is an uncommon malignancy of unknown etiology with an annual incidence in Western populations of 2–3 per 100,000 (1). On average there are 7000 new cases reported in the United States each year, distributed in a bimodal pattern with a first peak in the third decade and a second peak after the age of 50 (1, 2).
Strong Pseudoprimes and Quadratic Residues

Having pursued some of the consequences of Fermat’s observation, I now invite you to delve back into the mysteries of the structure of the integers. In these next two chapters we will be pulling out a few more jewels that we can apply to our twin problems of factorization and primality testing.
Hypergeometric Functions in Mathematica

This paper is a short introduction to the generalized hypergeometric functions, with some theory, examples and notes on the implementation in the computer algebra system Mathematica ®. (Mathematica is a registered trademark of Wolfram Research, Inc.)
Observations of faint quasars: shape and evolution of the luminosity function

We highlight results from a study of faint quasars in SA 57 using 4-m photographic multicolor photometry, astrometry, variability, and CCD spectroscopy. Quasar candidates with B < 22.6 were chosen as stellar-like objects with colors unlike normal stars. Together, these techniques allow additional corrections for white dwarfs, hot subdwarfs, and narrow-emission-line galaxies in the sample and yield a quasar density of about 150/deg2 to B = 22.6. A major surprise was that no quasars were found with redshifts above 2.54 among the 8 bonafide quasars fainter than B = 21.5, a result strongly supported by the relative paucity of non-ultraviolet excess candidates. We discuss the importance of our faint counts and redshifts in defining the shape and evolution of the luminosity function (LF) of quasars. In general, the simplest fit to our faint data is made by assuming mainly luminosity evolution of the local LF of Seyfert 1 galaxies, with luminosity increasing by (1 + z)4.0 (low qo, spectral index α=1) up to redshifts about 2 to 3, beyond which we find a decline in the volume density.
A high beam energy photoelectron-photofragment coincidence spectrometer for complex anions.

A new high beam energy photoelectron-photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectrometer is described that allows acceleration of heavy anions (>100 amu) to energies in the tens of keV using a linear accelerator (LINAC). High beam energies result in more efficient detection of the neutral photofragments produced via dissociative photodetachment (DPD) of the parent anion and increase the mass range that can be studied with PPC spectroscopy. The novel experimental setup couples an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and a hexapole accumulation trap with a 10-stage LINAC to give a kinematically complete measurement of the dissociation dynamics for heavier anions. ESI dramatically increases the range of anions that can be studied by PPC spectroscopy to include multiply charged anions and larger, more complex molecular ions important in biological, atmospheric, and combustion processes. A radiofrequency buffer-gas-cooled hexapole trap is used to accumulate sufficient ion density for single-shot coincidence measurements and thermalize the anions to room temperature. The photoelectron and up to three neutral fragments resulting from DPD are recorded in coincidence using time and position sensitive detectors. This novel experimental setup is characterized by studying the photodetachment of I−, and the DPD of I2− and the oxalate anion C2O4H− at beam energies of 11 keV, 16 keV, and 21 keV.
Fasting Imparts a Switch to Alternative Daily Pathways in Liver and Muscle.

The circadian clock operates as intrinsic time-keeping machinery to preserve homeostasis in response to the changing environment. While food is a known zeitgeber for clocks in peripheral tissues, it remains unclear how lack of food influences clock function. We demonstrate that the transcriptional response to fasting operates through molecular mechanisms that are distinct from time-restricted feeding regimens. First, fasting affects core clock genes and proteins, resulting in blunted rhythmicity of BMAL1 and REV-ERBα both in liver and skeletal muscle. Second, fasting induces a switch in temporal gene expression through dedicated fasting-sensitive transcription factors such as GR, CREB, FOXO, TFEB, and PPARs. Third, the rhythmic genomic response to fasting is sustainable by prolonged fasting and reversible by refeeding. Thus, fasting imposes specialized dynamics of transcriptional coordination between the clock and nutrient-sensitive pathways, thereby achieving a switch to fasting-specific temporal gene regulation.
To Reform or to Abolish? Christian Perspectives on Punishment, Prison, and Restorative Justice

Efforts to modify or replace public systems of criminal justice in accord with the principles of restorative justice have long been understood to include a variety of practices, ranging from educational programs to victim-offender conferencing. What has only come to the forefront relatively recently is the pluriformity of perspectives on the values and principles that underlie various restorative justice practices. Generally speaking, restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes concepts such as reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing. There is little unanimous agreement about how justice that is specifically restorative relates to other ideas of justice (most notably retributive justice). At its most basic level, however, restorative justice has focused as much on particular practices, such as victim-offender conferences, as on theoretical foundations for restoration. In this Essay, I will attempt to fill in a gap in preceding studies of restorative justice by paying special attention to the religious, most specifically to the Christian, perspectives on restorative justice.
Rate-based modeling and economic optimization of next-generation amine-based carbon capture plants

Abstract Amine scrubbing processes remain an important technology for mitigating the contribution of carbon emissions to global warming and climate change. Like other chemical processes, they can benefit from computer-aided optimization at the design stage, but systematic optimization procedures are rarely employed due to the challenges of simulating the requisite rate-based mass transfer and reaction models. This paper presents a novel approach for the simulation and optimization of rate-based columns, with specific application to the absorber and stripper columns found in (amine-) solvent-based carbon capture processes. The approach is based on pseudo-transient continuation, and the resulting column models are easily incorporated into large-scale process flowsheets with other previously developed pseudo-transient models. We demonstrate that the proposed approach allows for gradient-based optimization of next-generation amine scrubbing processes by considering a complex carbon capture process under three different operating conditions. The results provide general insight into the design of amine scrubbing processes, and shadow prices at the optimal point(s) suggest potential avenues for improving the process economics. The effects of carbon dioxide removal percentage and flue gas composition on process economics are briefly analyzed.
Phase Coexistence and Slow Mixing for the Hard-Core Model on ℤ2

For the hard-core model (independent sets) on ℤ2 with fugacity λ, we give the first explicit result for phase coexistence by showing that there are multiple Gibbs states for all λ > 5.3646. Our proof begins along the lines of the standard Peierls argument, but we add two significant innovations. First, building on the idea of fault lines introduced by Randall [19], we construct an event that distinguishes two boundary conditions and yet always has long contours associated with it, obviating the need to accurately enumerate short contours. Second, we obtain vastly improved bounds on the number of contours by relating them to a new class of self-avoiding walks on an oriented version of ℤ2. We also extend our characterization of fault lines to show that local Markov chains will mix slowly when λ > 5.3646 on lattice regions with periodic (toroidal) boundary conditions and when λ > 7.1031 with non-periodic (free) boundary conditions. The arguments here rely on a careful analysis that relates contours to taxi walks and represent a sevenfold improvement to the previously best known values of λ [19].
Emergence of Statistical Methodologies with the Rise of BIG Data

Due to the acceleration of electronic computation and the generation of the “BIG”datasets at an unprecedented pace in many fields, there have been great advancements in the development of statistical/machine learning methodologies as we enter the twenty-first century. It is very important to be able to analyze such complex and high dimensional datasets yielding valuable information that deepens understanding, improves decision making, and enhances the performance of predictive models. For instance, the current problems encountered in manufacturing industry, such as quality improvement initiatives, determination of user expectations for a new product, and manufacturing cost estimation, become more difficult to solve as the high dimensional and complex structured data have become available. In order to overcome some of the today’s challenges of a complex manufacturing system, statistical/machine learning techniques have been utilized and found that these have been remarkably helpful to handle the problems arising in this field. We have three objectives in this chapter. The first is to highlight the developments in new statistical/machine learning algorithms, including—but not limited to—deep learning, random forests, support vector machine, dimension reduction, and sparse modeling. The second is to present how these new enormously ambitious data-driven algorithms play important role in analyzing datasets, generated continuously every second from various scientific disciplines such as engineering, biology, neuroscience, chemistry. As the complexity and size of generated data increased for the past two decades, the invention of data-driven algorithms has flourished and became more important than their inferential justifications which are an important aspect of a statistical analysis. Therefore, the third objective of the chapter is to explain how inferential analyses, the theories by which statisticians choose among competing methods, evolve in the twenty-first century as the invention of these new algorithms continues at a fast pace.
VisibleV8: In-browser Monitoring of JavaScript in the Wild

Modern web security and privacy research depends on accurate measurement of an often evasive and hostile web. No longer just a network of static, hyperlinked documents, the modern web is alive with JavaScript (JS) loaded from third parties of unknown trustworthiness. Dynamic analysis of potentially hostile JS currently presents a cruel dilemma: use heavyweight in-browser solutions that prove impossible to maintain, or use lightweight inline JS solutions that are detectable by evasive JS and which cannot match the scope of coverage provided by in-browser systems. We present VisibleV8, a dynamic analysis framework hosted inside V8, the JS engine of the Chrome browser, that logs native function or property accesses during any JS execution. At less than 600 lines (only 67 of which modify V8's existing behavior), our patches are lightweight and have been maintained from Chrome versions 63 through 72 without difficulty. VV8 consistently outperforms equivalent inline instrumentation, and it intercepts accesses impossible to instrument inline. This comprehensive coverage allows us to isolate and identify 46 JavaScript namespace artifacts used by JS code in the wild to detect automated browsing platforms and to discover that 29% of the Alexa top 50k sites load content which actively probes these artifacts.
Long Term Follow Up with Etoposide Priming in Patients with Lymphoma.

Abstract We compared the safety and effectiveness of high-dose etoposide followed by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to G-CSF alone for peripheral-blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization regimen in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who underwent autotransplantation (ASCT). Primary end points were CD 34+ cell collection, post-priming hospitalization for neutropenic fever and incidence of secondary malignancy. Prior studies have demonstrated that high dose etoposide significantly improves the proportion of patients who collect sufficient PBPC's for transplantation. From 1/1993 through 12/2005, 352 patients received etoposide (2g/m2) followed by G-CSF (10mcg/kg/day) and 318 who received G-CSF (10mcg/kg/day) alone underwent ASCT. Patients who had inadequate cell collection were excluded. Mean age of patients receiving etoposide and G-CSF was 49 years and G-CSF alone was 45 years (p Download : Download high-res image (90KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure There was no significant difference in the incidence of secondary malignancies (p=0.73) or in the incidence of relapse (p=0.5) or survival (p=0.15) between the two groups. Conclusion: The present study shows that even when restricted to patients who collect adequate numbers of PBPCs, the addition of etoposide significantly improves the effectiveness of mobilization. This occurs at the cost of an increased incidence of neutropenic fever but with no mortalities. Following transplantation, there is no evidence of increased adverse effects due to addition of etoposide for priming, including on the incidence of secondary malignancies.
Correlations of cracking with scan strategy and build geometry in electron beam powder bed additive manufacturing

Abstract The extension of metal additive manufacturing (AM) to non-weldable Ni-based superalloys remains a challenge for the electron beam melting process. Various cracking mechanisms, including solidification, liquation, strain-age, and ductility dip cracking, make it difficult to fabricate traditionally non-weldable Ni-based superalloys using the AM process. Because airfoil geometries are highly complicated, the correspondingly complex thermal signatures lead to various types of cracking in geometries that are under severe mechanical restraints during the printing process. This work aims to understand the correlations between cracking, scan strategy, and part geometry in airfoil geometries. Crack locations were monitored via an in-situ near-infrared camera during printing. A part-scale finite element method (FEM) was used to reveal cracking mechanisms. New scan strategies that avoided cracking were utilized in an FEM simulation. The present work demonstrates the potential for scan strategy optimization to manipulate stress distribution and the resultant microstructure of parts for industrial applications.
Adrenal Adenoma Anarchy: A Case of an ACTH-Secreting Pheochromocytoma

Introduction. Pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that arise from sympathetic adrenomedullary chromaffin tissue. Depending on the amount of catecholamines they secrete, they have variable presentations. There have been reported cases of adrenocorticotrophic (ACTH) secreting pheochromocytomas that present with severe Cushing syndrome. Here, we present a pheochromocytoma with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) cosecretion, which due to its rarity and variable presentation, may be a diagnostic challenge. Presentation. A 64-year-old woman with history of colon cancer presented with new-onset diabetes, worsening hot flashes, and hypertension. On CT imaging she had an enlarging right adrenal nodule (1.7 cm) with 60 Hounsfield units of attenuation and no PET avidity. Biochemical evaluation showed elevated urinary and plasma metanephrines, elevated plasma cortisol levels despite dexamethasone suppression, elevated late-night salivary cortisol, and high-normal adrenocorticotrophic hormone. The patient underwent laproscopic right adrenalectomy, and pathology confirmed pheochromocytoma. Her lab abnormalities and symptoms of hot flashes and hypertension improved postoperatively. Conclusion. This case demonstrates an unusual ACTH-secreting pheochromocytoma with subtle presentation and highlights the importance of obtaining a complete biochemical evaluation of incidental adrenal adenomas.
Chapter 20 – Pituitary Imaging

Publisher Summary Imaging of the sella turcica and of the pituitary received tremendous attention almost from the inception of radiography. It was soon recognized that changes in and around the sella turcica could reflect numerous intracranial conditions, not solely those of the pituitary itself. Further, the importance of the pituitary gland's intricate function spurred interest in the evaluation of the sella turcica as a window to the gland itself. Plain radiography was the first and, for many decades, the only technique applicable to imaging of the sella turcica. Accordingly, there is a remarkably extensive literature pertaining to the size, shape, contour and bony density of the sella turcica and its many components. The advent of tomography and its evolution from linear, to thin-section multidirectional techniques, increased the ability to recognize and to define variations of normal and differentiate them from pathology. However, advances in surgical treatment and the effect this has had on the evaluation of the true significance of radiographic findings, indicated that even these exquisite tomographic techniques were inadequate for the ever-increasing requirement to adequately diagnose pituitary pathology. These requirements have continued to expand as a result of improvement in medical, as well as surgical, treatment.
Rebuilding Humans Using Biology and Biomaterials

Abstract Over the past fourdecades, biomaterials have been increasingly used for applications in tissue engineering to rebuild tissues lost due to disease or injury, as well as to build in vitro models of complex tissue systems. For applications in tissue engineering, our growing understanding of how biological systems function at a mechanistic level and our ability to modulate them at both genetic and epigenetic levels have allowed the development of more elegant approaches to tissue engineering. However, underlying these approaches is still the critical need to understand how the biomaterials used for these applications interface with the physiology environment. This section focuses on the fundamental principles and approaches used for designing and fabricating biomaterials for tissue-engineering applications, stressing common themes and challenges. This edition of the textbook has refined the focus more on the materials, so the chapters in this section stress examples and a model selection of tissues rather than seeking to cover all topics. For additional discussion of specifics for given tissues, there are a variety of references on the topic of tissue engineering, which we do not seek to reproduce in this section.
The Past, Present, and Future of Russia’s Cyber Strategy and Forces

Russian cyberattacks against military and civilian infrastructure in the West have become a persistent challenge. Despite the importance of this topic and the excellent scholarship already published on these issues, there is a need for more detailed data and analysis on the role of cyberattacks in Russia’s security strategy and its reflection in the evolution of Russia’s cyber forces. A better understanding of Russia’s strategy and cyber actors, particularly the growing role of the military in these issues, can facilitate an improvement in Western governments’ policies to defend against future Russian activity. To address this issue, this article will outline the role of information and cyber operations in Russia’s information warfare doctrine and will analyze the recruitment efforts and modus operandi of Russia’s cyber departments, particularly psychological and cyber operations units within military intelligence. The paper will conclude by examining the likely future of Russia’s behavior in cyberspace and how various state-sponsored actors might influence it. The paper asserts that although Russia’s doctrine suggests a defensive and cooperative posture in response to threats in the information space, officials’ promulgations and military literature reveal a predilection for the development of offensive cyber capabilities and operations, which are shaped by Russia’s threat perceptions and doctrine, and the institutional cultures of the departments within the military conducting them.
Choice, Competition, and Cognition: How Arizona Charter School Leaders Interpret and Respond to Market Pressures

A key goal of school choice policies is to generate competition between schools, which should theoretically drive school leaders to improve their programs to attract and retain students. However, f...
Cingulate white matter volume and associated cognitive and behavioral impulsivity in Veterans with a history of suicide behavior.

Abstract Background Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for military personnel and Veterans. Neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormalities in white matter tracts and brain connectivity in suicide behavior (SB); however, reports of alterations in white matter volume and its association with related behaviors are limited. The current study examined the relationship between cingulate white matter volume (WMV), impulsivity, and SB in Veterans. Methods Fifty-two Veterans, ages 18 to 65, underwent magnetic resonance imaging on a 3T Siemens Verio scanner. Morphometric analysis of brain images was performed to evaluate differences in WMV in cingulate regions of interest. Participants completed the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to assess lifetime suicide behavior and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) to assess impulsivity. Results Twenty-nine Veterans had a history of suicidal ideation (SI) and 23 had a history of suicide attempts (SA). Controlling for age, sex, handedness and total white matter volume, reduced WMV was observed in the left rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) in Veterans with SA relative to Veterans with SI, p = .008. Additionally, non-planning on the BIS was negatively correlated with left rACC WMV for Veterans with a history of SA, p = .04. Other subregions of the ACC WMV were negatively correlated with planning and attention impulsivity (BIS) and omission and commission errors (CPT) for attempters. Conclusions Reduction in rACC WMV in Veterans with SA was negatively correlated with nonplanning measures. These findings are consistent with ACC involvement in inhibitory processes and build on evidence that SB is associated with neurobiological abnormalities and suggest that white matter changes may be related to actual attempts.