cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequentially coupled THMC model for CO2 geological sequestration into a 2D heterogeneous saline aquifer

Abstract The significance of thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) interactions is well recognized in the operation of CO 2 geo-sequestration. Geo-mechanical and geochemical effects may significantly affect aqueous phase composition, porosity and permeability of the formation, which in turn influence flow and transport. The TOUGHREACT simulator has the capability to quantitatively simulate fluid flow, solute transport and geochemical reaction in CO 2 geo-sequestration using sequential coupling. Using a mean stress formulation, geomechanical effects such as stresses, displacements, and rock deformation in CO 2 sequestration have been simulated by the recently developed TOUGH2_CSM. Based on these simulators, in this paper a novel mathematical model of the THMC processes is developed. A sequentially coupled computational framework is proposed and used to simulate reactive transport of water, CO 2 gas and species in subsurface formation with geomechanics. The novel frameworks are designed to keep a generalized computational structure for different THMC processes. The coupled THMC simulators focus on: (1) fluid and heat flow, solute transport within a three-phase mixture, (2) stresses and displacements related to the mean stress, (3) non-isothermal effects on fluid properties and reaction processes, and (4) the equilibrium and kinetics of fluid-rock and gas-rock chemical interactions. A set of partial differential equations is presented to model the THMC processes of the fluid and heat flow, solute transport in aqueous and gaseous phase, mean stress, and geochemical reactions under both equilibrium and kinetic conditions. A 2D reactive transport model with complex chemical compositions is presented to analyze the THMC processes quantitatively on the coupled effects of geochemical reaction and geomechanics during CO 2 geo-sequestration process. The model is able to analyze the long term fate of CO 2 and the efficacy of different trapping mechanism (structural, residual, solubility and mineral trapping) with respect to key minerals. The modeling algorithm can also be used to simulate CO 2 EOR and other secondary and EOR processes in petroleum reservoirs.
Fabrication and characterization of Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy superconductors prepared by solid state reaction technique

In this work three sets of superconducting samples with composition Bi 1.6 Pb 0.4 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y were prepared by the solid state techniques and resistivity measurements were carried out on these samples in the temperature range 77 K – 175 K. The standard four-probe technique was used to measure the resistivity of the samples. The appropriate amount of Bi 2 O 3 , PbO, SrCO 3 , CaCO 3 and CuO of 99.99 % purity were used as starting raw material and were mixed. The mixed powder was initially calcinated at constant temperature of 820 0 C and the pallets of diameter 14 mm and thickness 1-2mm were prepared under the pressures 200 kg/cm 2 (sample A), 300 kg/cm 2 (sample B) and 250 kg/cm 2 (sample C). Then the pallets were subjected to several cycles of sintering at constant temperature in the furnace and allowed to furnace cool to room temperature in air. The resistivity measurements were carried out on these samples using locally made resistivity probe. Rh-Fe resistance thermometer was used to measure the temperatures of the sample. The samples A, B and C showed the onset superconducting transition temperatures at 103 K, 111 K, and 110 K respectively. Samples A and B showed broad transitions while sample C showed a sharp drop indicating the presence of only one superconducting phase Bi 2223 in the sample.
Endoscopic Gastro-Jejunostomy Outlet Reduction (Egor) After Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: Is It Worth It?

Background: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) remains the gold standard in bariatric surgery and can lead to significant, sustainable weight loss. However, weight regain remains a longterm risk and very few options are available in the setting of significant weight regain. Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between increased gastrojejunal stoma diameter and impaired weight loss/weight regain. In this setting, endoscopic suturing may be a useful tool in order to help patients struggling with weight regain. We present a review of endoscopic gastrojejunal outlet reductions (EGOR) performed at our institution and resulting weight loss and perioperative outcomes. Methods: Fifteen patients underwent EGOR after RYGB and were included in this retrospective analysis of a prospective bariatric database. Pre-EGOR data collected included patients’ demographic information, body mass index (BMI), and percent excess weight loss (%EWL). Perioperative data were recorded. Postoperative complications, BMI, %EWL, and comorbidities were collected at 3, 6 and 12 months. Results: Average time between RYGB and EGOR was 134 92 months [range: 53 – 442]. Average BMI at the time of EGOR was 42.9 8.8 kg/m [range: 31.9 – 65.5]. Mean operative time was 63.9 minutes [range: 25 – 112]. All cases were performed as outpatient procedures; there were no complications or readmissions. Mean follow up after EGOR was 10.2 months [1.0 22.2 months]. Average BMI decreased from 42.9 kg/m preoperatively (n1⁄415) to 41.8 kg/m at 3 months (n1⁄48) and 38.8 kg/m at 6 month (n1⁄46). At 12 months, average BMI increased slightly to 39.4 (n1⁄45). At both 3and 6-months postop, all patients had lost weight from their preop baseline, with 18.9% mean %EWL at 3 months [range: 4.1% 31.2%, n1⁄48] and 20.3% mean %EWL at 6 months [range: 3.0% 35.2%]. At 12 months postop, mean % EWL was 9.5% [range: -13.3 37.8, n1⁄45]; 2 subjects had gained weight above their baseline weight (indicated as %EWLo0%). Conclusion: This study is one of very few reports regarding outcomes for EGOR after RYGB. Our results show EGOR can be performed as an outpatient procedure with an excellent safety profile. This procedure may lead to very significant weight loss in select patients, but results vary and maintained weight loss beyond 6 months seems uncertain. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term sustainability of weight loss following EGOR, determine how drug therapy may augment weight loss, and to evaluate methods to identify which patients might benefit most from this intervention.
Abstract 12292: GsMTx4-D is a Cardioprotectant Against Myocardial Infarction During Ischemia and Reperfusion

Introduction: Reperfusion of ischemic cardiac tissue by percutaneous coronary intervention has become a routine treatment for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. However, restoring blood flow to ischemic cardiac tissue can injure myocytes that were viable prior to reperfusion. The putative causes of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury are varied, though cation imbalance has long been known to be a significant contributor. GsMTx4 peptide is a selective inhibitor of cation selective mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) and has helped establish the role of MSCs in cardiac physiology. However, the role of MSCs in ischemic reperfusion injury remain uncertain. Hypothesis: Pathological stresses from swelling and hypercontracture during I/R can activate cationic MSCs, the D enantiomer of GsMTx4 can act as a cardioprotectant during I/R. Methods: GsMTx4-D pharmacokinetics in the plasma and heart was monitored over 24 h using an LCMSMS assay. The cardioprotective activities of GsMTx4 were monitored in a mouse model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in which the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was occluded and then released. The influence of GsMTx4 on contractile function and transient calcium signaling of cardiomyocyte were assessed by SoftEdge MyoCam system. Results: GsMTx4-D reduced infarct area by >40% for both acute and pretreated animals relative to vehicle injected animals (p Conclusions: GsMTx4-D is a potent cardioprotectant that decreases infarct area, improves heart function, reduces arrhythmias and attenuates inflammatory signaling pathways that are caused by I/R. Thus GsMTx4-D could be a useful therapy in treating cardiac I/R injury.
Testing facility for frame subassemblages

The structural-steel rigid frame is the most widely used type of construction for high-rise buildings in the seismically active zones of the United States. During a strong ground motion, such frames are subjected to repeated and reversed lateral loading of considerable intensity, resulting in not fully understood inelastic response. A typical element for this type of construction may be idealized by a statically indeterminate assemblage of one or two horizontal beams rigidly connected to a vertical column which extends to its points of inflection above and below the joint. A facility for testing such an assemblage has been developed in which a large axial load can be applied to the column simultaneously with additional loads on the beams. A provision is also made for simulating quasi-statically the effect of the horizontal inertia forces induced by an earthquake. This is done by moving the base of the loaded column back and forth. In order to perform meaningful experiments with this facility, specialized instrumentation had to be designed and built. This consisted of a number of transducers including a unique shear transducer, and special gages for measuring displacements and rotations. In this paper, after a brief general description of the testing facility, emphasis is placed on describing the special features of the designed instrumentation, as well as the high precision photogrammetric and geodetic techniques that are used to measure deformations.
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND PREDICTORS OF SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS ADMITTED WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the association of SES and survival in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is not clear. We examined whether SES predicts all-cause mortality in patients hospitalized with AF. This is a
The Rise of the Independent Merchant in the Chesapeake: Baltimore County, 1660–1769

Anyone who takes a hard look at the misery in the Third World today senses that economic growth is not the same thing as economic development. In colonial and neocolonial economies alike, growth and development often push in opposite directions. A rapidly expanding export sector can intensify an economy's dependence on a single staple and hamper the diversified development necessary for economic and political prosperity. Thus whether we are studying eighteenth-century Maryland or twentieth-century Bolivia, it is essential to distinguish between quantitative growth in export-related activities and qualitative development of an infrastructure that can sustain commercial and industrial expansion.' The economy of the Chesapeake region was clearly growing during the colonial period, but was it developing? In an ambitious overview of eighteenth-century British America, James A. Henretta has answered with an emphatic no. The Chesapeake colonies, he suggests, offer a classic case of "growth without development," in stark contrast to their dynamic neighbors to the north. The plantation system created numerous and, ultimately, insurmountable obstacles to lasting economic development by discouraging investment in areas essential to both commercial and industrial expansion. A slave work force with little incentive to work hard, an unequal distribution of wealth and income that limited local markets and stunted investment in local manufacturing, a planter elite suspicious of outright profit making, a transportation network tied more to overseas than to home markets, a marketing system that undercut native merchants while increasing de-
Free radical metabolism of methyleugenol and related compounds.

Methyleugenol, the methyl ether of eugenol, both of which are flavorant constituents of spices, has been listed by the National Toxicology Program’s Report on Carcinogens as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. This finding is based on the observation of increased incidence of malignant tumors at multiple tissue sites in experimental animals of different species. By contrast, eugenol is not listed. In this study, we show that both methyleugenol and eugenol readily undergo peroxidative metabolism in vitro to form free radicals with large hyperfine interactions of the methylene allylic hydrogen atoms. These large hyperfine splittings indicate large electron densities adjacent to those hydrogen atoms. Methyleugenol undergoes autoxidation such that the commercial product contains 10–30 mg/L hydroperoxide and is capable of activating peroxidases without the presence of added hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, the hydroperoxide is not a good substrate for catalase, which demonstrates that these antiox...
Historical Perspective on Inflatable Wing Structures

Inflatable aerodynamic structures have begun to find uses in specialized aircraft that require storage in small volumes or morphing to improve cruise performance. Although inflatables provide a path toward these goals, practically achieving them has proven difficult due to aerodynamic, structural, and control penalties. While this technology is now just maturing to the point of being considered for such specialized systems, there is a long history of development and previous substantiations exist. This paper will provide a historical background on the earliest inflatable wing structures leading up to the current development and application of inflatable technology in today’s UAVs. In addition, the technological challenges of employing an inflatable wing will be addressed, along with a brief description of approaches used currently to counter these challenges.
College Students as Emerging Adults: The Developmental Implications of the College Context

In this commentary to the special issue of Emerging Adulthood edited by Reifman and Grahe, I seek to provide a broader developmental context for the studies. I begin by describing the rise in college participation over the past century, noting that even now only about 20% attend 4-year residential colleges and universities. Then, I describe some of the distinctive characteristics of these students, such as that they tend to be from higher socioeconomic status families and they are disproportionately White and female (which is true of the present student samples as well). I apply this lens briefly to the articles in the special issue, noting some of the ways the college context is important for interpreting the results. Finally, I discuss some possible future directions for this line of research, for example, in comparisons of students such as these to noncollege samples and in cross-national comparisons.
Solving Systems of Fourth-Order Emden–Fowler Type Equations by the Variational Iteration Method

In this paper, we investigate systems of nonlinear fourth-order Emden–Fowler type equations. We employ the variational iteration method (VIM) for solving these systems of equations. The newly developed fourth-order Emden–Fowler equation is characterized by three types, where the shape factor appears three times, twice, and once for the first type, second type, and the third type respectively. We use distinct Lagrange multipliers for these specific types to overcome the singularity at the origin. We solve several numerical examples obtaining a rapidly convergent sequence of approximations. In all examples investigated, we achieved approximations with a high level of accuracy, thus confirming that we can get accurate approximations with few variational iterations.
The Effect of Demand- and Supply-Side Health Financing on Infant, Child, and Maternal Mortality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

-Demand- and supply-side health financing programs that improve maternal and child health are being implemented more frequently; however, there is limited evidence estimating their impact on maternal, infant, and child mortality at the macro level. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of four specific types of demand- and supply-side health financing programs on infant, child, and maternal mortality at the global level and by county income categories. The following four demand- and supply-side health financing programs were chosen for inclusion in the analysis: conditional cash transfer programs, voucher programs, community-based health insurance, and pay-for-performance schemes. A fixed effects model was estimated, using panel data for 147 countries over the period 1995-2010, to measure the impact of these four demand- and supply-side health financing programs on infant, under-five, and maternal mortality. The model was estimated for all countries and for three country income categories: low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income. The implementation of demand- and supply-side health financing programs has increased over time, with 45 out of 147 countries in the data set implementing at least one of these programs by 2010. The results show that there is a significant decline in infant and under-five mortality from community-based health insurance when examined across all countries. There is also an impact from demand- and supply-side health financing when examined across the three country income classifications, with vouchers and pay-for-performance showing a varying impact on reduced infant, under-five, and maternal mortality depending on the country income classification. Health insurance schemes with a broad population reach, such as community-based health insurance, can have a large impact on infant and under-five mortality. Demand- and supply-side health financing programs, such as pay-for-performance and voucher programs, have a varying impact on infant, under-five, and maternal mortality depending on the income level of the country.
Characterization of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) viruses isolated from H1N1 patients in chicken embryo-eggs from 2009 to 2012 in Fujian,China

Objective To study the characteristics of the pandemic influenza A(H1N1)viruses isolated by chicken embryo-eggs from 2009to 2012in Fujian,China and provide guidelines and references for influenza surveillance and vaccine research.Methods H1N1virus strains were isolated from chicken embryo-eggs and further characterized.The respiratory specimens were collected from patients confirmed as H1N1.Viral specific nucleic acid was detected and virus was inoculated subsequently into the specific-pathogen free(SPF)chicken embryo eggs.The hemagglutination(HA)test was applied for the identification of viral isolates and the titration.Hemagglutination inhibition(HI)assay was used to identify the virus types.Results Virus isolation in chicken embryo-eggs was done using H1N1isolates from 335patients during the period of 2009to 2012.The positive rates of viral isolation was 6.8%,64.29%and 96.26%after the first,second and third passages in SPF chicken embryo-eggs.However,HA test showed that prolonged virus replication was poor in embryo eggs.73.13% of viral cultures showed the HA titers lower than 1∶16,and 48.64% of cultures below 1∶4.Conclusions Chicken embryo eggs are sensitive to H1N1virus and can be used for virus isolation.Continuous passaging may increase the positive rate of viral isolation;however,overall the HA titers of viral isolates are low.
Agency and Communion in End-of-Life Decision-Making:

Both the assisted suicide and the hospice or palliative medicine movements are alike in that each weighs the wishes of the patient and family for end-of-life medical decisions. The balancing of agency and communion within small communities of support may provide the opportunity to inform end-of-life decision-making and acceptance of the dying process. In this sense, the spirit of “communitas” may instill faith that the ending of one’s life journey is both reasonable and meaningful. The role of the small community of support may be akin to that of the guide who assists the aging or dying person through the dialectic of being an autonomous agent and a communicant in the end-of-life transition.
Infantile Septicemia Induced by Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus

OBJECTIVE To investigate the major pathogenic bacteria and drug resistance in the infantile septicemia and to provide laboratory evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment. METHODS The venous blood plate was used. RESULTS Totally 328 isolated strains were assayed with French Bio-Merieux API System.Of them,203 strains of coagulase negative Staphylococcus(CNS),being 61.9%.115 strains(56.6%) were(S.epidermidis).45 strains(22.1%) were S.haemolyticus,and 43 strains(21.1%) were S.lugdunensis.The isolated rate of meticillin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus(MRCNS) was 35.5%.The drug test for MRCNS showed multiple drug-resistance. CONCLUSIONS MRCNS is the major pathogen in infantile septicemia.The detectable rate of MRCNS is high.Glycopeptide antibiotics are the first-choice drugs for MRCNS infection.
Investigation on using high-energy proton beam for total body irradiation (TBI)

This work investigated the possibility of using proton beam for total body irradia­tion (TBI). We hypothesized the broad-slow-rising entrance dose from a monoen­ergetic proton beam can deliver a uniform dose to patient with varied thickness. Comparing to photon-based TBI, it would not require any patient-specific com­pensator or beam spoiler. The hypothesis was first tested by simulating 250 MeV, 275 MeV, and 300 MeV protons irradiating a wedge-shaped water phantom in a paired opposing arrangement using Monte Carlo (MC) method. To allow ± 7.5% dose variation, the maximum water equivalent thickness (WET) of a treatable patient separation was 29 cm for 250 MeV proton, and > 40 cm for 275 MeV and 300 MeV proton. The compared 6 MV photon can only treat patients with up to 15.5 cm water-equivalent separation. In the second step, we simulated the dose deposition from the same beams on a patient’s whole-body CT scan. The maximum patient separation in WET was 23 cm. The calculated whole-body dose variations were ± 8.9%, ± 9.0%, ± 9.6%, and ± 14% for 250 MeV proton, 275 MeV proton, 300 MeV proton, and 6 MV photon. At last, we tested the current machine capability to deliver a monoenergetic proton beam with a large uniform field. Experiments were performed on a compact double scattering single-gantry proton system. With its C-shaped gantry design, the source-to-surface distance (SSD) reached 7 m. The measured dose deposition curve had 22 cm relatively flat entrance region. The full width half maximum field size was measured 105 cm. The current scatter filter had to be redesigned to produce a uniform intensity at such treatment distance. In con­clusion, this work demonstrated the possibility of using proton beam for TBI. The current commercially available proton machines would soon be ready for such task.
Channel symmetry in Slepian-Wolf code design based on LDPC codes with application to the quadratic Gaussian Wyner-Ziv problem

We consider Slepian-Wolf code design (or source coding with side information) based on LDPC codes. We show that density evolution defined in conventional channel coding can be used in analyzing the Slepian-Wolf coding performance provided that a certain symmetry condition, dubbed dual symmetry, is satisfied by the hypothetical channel between the source and the side information. Exploiting such an analysis. we design an efficient LDPC code based Slepian-Wolf coding scheme and apply it to the quadratic Gaussian Wyner-Ziv problems.
Pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and safety of weekly dosing of brentuximab vedotin in pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Because of the observed success of phase I/II trials, the novel anti-CD30 agent brentuximab vedotin is now being evaluated as a frontline agent in the high-risk pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma trial HLHR13. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the pharmacokinetic variability during weekly dosing of 1.2 mg/kg of brentuximab vedotin, determine factors that may explain this variability, compare our drug exposure with published data, and evaluate toxicity of brentuximab vedotin in the pediatric population. Brentuximab vedotin, MMAE and anti-therapeutic antibody levels were measured in the serum samples of 16 pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. A compartmental pharmacokinetic model was fit to the data by using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Clearance and volume of brentuximab vedotin were significantly correlated with weight (p < .001), which was responsible for over 60% of the parameters inter-individual variability. Clearance and volume were higher in boys compared to girls (p = 0.08 and p = 0.03, respectively). Brentuximab vedotin’s AUC and C max were lower in our pediatric study than those reported in adult studies (25 and 11%, respectively). Toxicity was comparable to that of the standard-of-care backbone using vincristine instead of brentuximab vedotin. The sera of all 16 patients remained negative for anti-therapeutic antibodies during and at the end of therapy. As in previous studies, weight continues to be the most significant factor explaining brentuximab vedotin’s pharmacokinetic variability in pediatric patients. Exposure to weekly dosing appears to be safe and tolerable in pediatric patients.
Tocotrienols (gamma and delta) but not tocopherols inhibit Akt and Erk activation and supress pancreatic cancer cellgrowth

A108 Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Therefore, novel therapeutic agents that can inhibit signaling pathways implicated in the proliferation and survival of pancreatic cancer cells are of interest. Tocotrienols are members of the vitamin E family but, unlike tocopherols, possess an unsaturated isoprenoid side-chain that confers superior anti-cancer properties like inhibition of the HMG Co A reductase and NFκβ pathways. Other pathways relevant to pancreatic carcinogenesis may also be modulated. Methods: Pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1, Panc-28, MiaPaca-2 and BXPC-3) were treated with 0-100 ∝M of γ- and δ-tocotrienol and tocopherol for 24hrs for MTT cell viability assay. After obtaining IC 50 dose, same cell lines were treated with 80 ∝M of γ- and δ-tocotrienol and tocopherol for 12 hrs for Western blotting. Results: Our studies indicate that both tocotrienols induced cell death (> 80 %) by the MTT cell viability assay in all four cell lines. We also examined the effects of the tocotrienols on the Akt and the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathways. γ- and δ-Tocotrienol treatment of cells reduced the activation of ERK MAP kinase and its downstream mediator RSK (ribosomal protein S6k) in addition to suppressing the activation of protein kinase Akt. These effects were observed in response to tocotrienols and not tocopherols. Conclusions: Tocotrienol isoforms of vitamin E can induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through the suppression of vital cell survival signaling pathways such as those mediated by the Akt and ERK/MAP kinases. Molecular bases for these effects are being investigated .
Managing for Return on Social Innovation (ROSI): Pillars for Sustainable Social Impact

As global focus on Corporate Social Responsibility, impact investing, and systems change increases, large-scale and cross-sector initiatives have emerged that attempt to create sustainable impact on some of the most intractable social problems. These efforts range in size—from local to global; in scope—from a few parties to massive collaborations; and in sector of origin—public, private, or nongovernmental. As yet, however, it has been difficult to articulate a framework of best practice strategies for positive, sustainable success in such endeavors.
Influenza vaccines differentially regulate the interferon response in human dendritic cell subsets

Human dendritic cells (DCs) play a fundamental role in the initiation of long-term adaptive immunity during vaccination against influenza. Understanding the early response of human DCs to vaccine exposure is thus essential to determine the nature and magnitude of maturation signals that have been shown to strongly correlate with vaccine effectiveness. In 2009, the H1N1 influenza epidemics fostered the commercialization of the nonadjuvanted monovalent H1N1 California vaccine (MIV-09) to complement the existing nonadjuvanted trivalent Fluzone 2009-2010 vaccine (TIV-09). In retrospective studies, MIV-09 displayed lower effectiveness than TIV-09. We show that TIV-09 induces monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs), blood conventional DCs (cDCs), and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) to express CD80, CD83, and CD86 and secrete cytokines. TIV-09 stimulated the secretion of type I interferons (IFNs) IFN-α and IFN-β and type III IFN interleukin-29 (IL-29) by moDC and cDC subsets. The vaccine also induced the production of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor, and the chemokines IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β). Conversely, MIV-09 did not induce the production of type I IFNs in moDCs and blood cDCs. Furthermore, it inhibited the TIV-09-induced secretion of type I IFNs by these DCs. However, both vaccines induced pDCs to secrete type I IFNs, indicating that different influenza vaccines activate distinct molecular signaling pathways in DC subsets. These results suggest that subtypes of nonadjuvanted influenza vaccines trigger immunity through different mechanisms and that the ability of a vaccine to induce an IFN response in DCs may offset the absence of adjuvant and increase vaccine efficacy.
Collaboratively Adaptive Vibration Sensing System for High-fidelity Monitoring of Structural Responses Induced by Pedestrians

This paper presents a collaboratively adaptive vibration monitoring system that captures high fidelity structural vibration signals induced by pedestrians. These signals can be used for various human activity monitoring by inferring information about the impact sources, such as pedestrian footsteps, door open closing, dragging objects. Such applications often require high fidelity (high resolution and low distortion) signals. Traditionally, expensive high resolution and high dynamic range sensors are adopted to ensure sufficient resolution. However, for sensing systems that use low-cost sensing devices, the resolution and dynamic range are often limited; hence this type of sensing methods is not well explored ubiquitously. We propose a low-cost sensing system that utilizes 1) a heuristic model of the investigating excitations and 2) shared information through networked devices to adapt hardware configurations and obtain high fidelity structural vibration signals. To further explain the system, we use indoor pedestrian footstep sensing through ambient structural vibration as an example to demonstrate the system performance. We evaluate the application with three metrics that measure the signal quality from different aspects: the sufficient resolution rate to present signal resolution improvement without clipping, the clipping rate to measure the distortion of the footstep signal, and the signal magnitude to quantify the detailed resolution of the detected footstep signal. In experiments conducted in a school building, our system demonstrated up to 2X increase in the sufficient resolution rate and 2X less error rate when used to locate the pedestrians as they walk along the hallway, compared to a fixed sensing setting.
Vitamin D receptor activation reduces VCaP xenograft tumor growth and counteracts ERG activity despite induction of TMPRSS2:ERG

// Justin M. Roberts 1 , Rebeca San Martin 1 , D. Badrajee Piyarathna 1, 2 , James G. MacKrell 3 , Guilherme V. Rocha 3 , Jeffery A. Dodge 3 , Cristian Coarfa 1, 2 , Venkatesh Krishnan 3 , David R. Rowley 1 and Nancy L. Weigel 1, 4 1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA 2 Alkek Center for Molecular Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA 3 Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA 4 Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA Correspondence to: Nancy L. Weigel, email: nweigel@bcm.edu Keywords: vitamin D, prostate cancer, CYP24A1, TMPRSS2:ERG, VCaP Received: November 30, 2016 Accepted: May 04, 2017 Published: May 18, 2017 ABSTRACT Whether vitamin D is chemopreventive and/or has potential therapeutically in prostate cancer is unresolved. One confounding factor is that many prostate cancers express a TMPRSS2:ERG fusion gene whose expression is increased both by androgens and by vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation. Two challenges that limit VDR agonist use clinically are hypercalcemia and the cooperation of VDR with ERG to hyper-induce the 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 metabolizing enzyme, CYP24A1, thus reducing VDR activity. Using the VCaP TMPRSS2:ERG positive cell line as a model, we found that a nonsecosteroidal CYP24A1 resistant VDR agonist, VDRM2, substantially reduces growth of xenograft tumors without inducing hypercalcemia. Utilizing next generation RNA sequencing, we found a very high overlap of 1,25D(OH) 2 D 3 and VDRM2 regulated genes and by drawing upon previously published datasets to create an ERG signature, we found activation of VDR does not induce ERG activity above the already high basal levels present in VCaP cells. Moreover, we found VDR activation opposes 8 of the 10 most significant ERG regulated Hallmark gene set collection pathways from Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Thus, a CYP24A1 resistant VDR agonist may be beneficial for treatment of TMPRSS2:ERG positive prostate cancer; one negative consequence of TMPRSS2:ERG expression is inactivation of VDR signaling.
A phase Ib study of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in patients with advanced cancer (PembroPlus)

Pembrolizumab (P) is an anti-PD-1 antibody that blocks the interaction between programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) on T-cells and PD-L1 and PD-L2 on tumour cells. A phase Ib trial of P plus chemotherapy was undertaken to evaluate the safety and efficacy. Patients with advanced, metastatic solid tumours were enrolled onto one of six treatment arms. Pembrolizumab was given: with gemcitabine (G), G+docetaxel (D), G+nab-paclitaxel (NP), G+vinorelbine (V) or irinotecan (I) until progression or toxicity, or with liposomal doxorubicin (LD) for up to 15 cycles, progression or toxicity. Safety monitoring and response assessments were conducted. Forty-nine patients were enrolled and treated. The most common adverse events were transaminitis, cytopenias, rash, diarrhoea, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Arm 2 was closed due to poor accrual. The recommended phase II dose (RP2D) was determined for Arms 1, 3a, 4, 5 and 6. There were eight partial responses across multiple tumour types. Standard dose P can be safely combined with G, G+NP, G+V, I and LD. Efficacy was observed in multiple tumour types and evaluation to determine if response and duration of response are more robust than what would be expected for chemotherapy or immunotherapy alone requires further validation.
Factors Influencing Patient Selection of a Foot and Ankle Surgeon.

An increasingly consumer-centric health insurance market has empowered patients to select the providers of their choice. There is a lack of studies investigating the rationale by which patients sel...
ENERGY WITHOUT CONSCIENCE: Oil, Climate Change, and Complicity. By David McDermott Hughes. 208 p.; diagrs., ills., index. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2017. $89.95 (cloth), isbn: 9780822363064; $23.95 (paper), isbn 9780822362982.

Situated among small Caribbean states existentially vulnerable to increasing CO2 emissions, Trinidad and Tobago emerges as a paradox: an island nation allied with other low‐lying countries pushing ...
Lysosome activation clears aggregates and enhances quiescent neural stem cell activation during aging

In the adult brain, the neural stem cell (NSC) pool comprises quiescent and activated populations with distinct roles. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that quiescent and activated NSCs exhibited differences in their protein homeostasis network. Whereas activated NSCs had active proteasomes, quiescent NSCs contained large lysosomes. Quiescent NSCs from young mice accumulated protein aggregates, and many of these aggregates were stored in large lysosomes. Perturbation of lysosomal activity in quiescent NSCs affected protein-aggregate accumulation and the ability of quiescent NSCs to activate. During aging, quiescent NSCs displayed defects in their lysosomes, increased accumulation of protein aggregates, and reduced ability to activate. Enhancement of the lysosome pathway in old quiescent NSCs cleared protein aggregates and ameliorated the ability of quiescent NSCs to activate, allowing them to regain a more youthful state.
Review on Interface Designing and Human–Computer Interaction

Humans are social animals, and interaction has been one of the major factors for the development of humans. Invention of computer was a benchmark in technological progress achieved by humans. Proper communication technique between humans and electronic appliances has eased out our lives. But due to improper designing of interfaces of systems, nuclear mishaps like Three Mile Island accident have also taken place. To avoid such huge man-made disasters and to facilitate and equip every common man with technology, proper interfacing of technology such that novice as well as experts can use it to reap the full benefits out of any electronic instrument is a must.
Oncogenic PKC-ι activates Vimentin during epithelial-mesenchymal transition in melanoma; a study based on PKC-ι and PKC-ζ specific inhibitors.

ABSTRACTMelanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States and is accompanied with a poor prognosis owing to tumors being resistant to most therapies. Atypical protein kinase Cs (aPKC) are involved in malignancy in many cancers. We previously reported that aPKCs play a key role in melanoma's cell motility by regulating cell signaling pathways which induce epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT). We tested three novel inhibitors; [4-(5-amino-4-carbamoylimidazol-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroxycyclopentyl] methyl dihydrogen phosphate (ICA-1T) along with its nucleoside analog 5-amino-1-((1R,2S,3S,4R)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylcyclopentyl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide (ICA-1S) which are specific to protein kinase C-iota (PKC-ι) and 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-naphthalenetrisulfonic acid (ζ-Stat) which is specific to PKC-zeta (PKC-ζ) on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of two malignant melanoma cell lines compared to normal melanocytes. Molecular modeling was used to identify potential binding sites for...
Epidural venous plexus engorgement due to inferior vena cava thrombosis resulting in cauda equina syndrome: Case report and literature review.

Background Epidural venous plexus congestion at L5-S1 due to inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis led to an acute cauda equina syndrome (CES). Laminectomy to rule out an epidural abscess, allowing for resection of the dilated veins, led to immediate symptom resolution. Case description A 47-year-old male presented with acute urinary retention and left greater than right lower extremity paresis of 2 weeks duration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a contrast-enhancing space-occupying anterior epidural L5-S1 level lesion resulting in cauda equina compression. As the patient was septic, he underwent an emergency laminectomy for a presumed epidural abscess. Intraoperative findings, however, documented a markedly dilated epidural venous plexus secondary to a newly diagnosed IVC thrombus. One day postoperatively, the patient was symptom-free and neurologically intact. Conclusions Here we report a patient who uniquely presented with a CES characterized by acute paraparesis. This was attributed to a massively engorged anterior lumbar epidural venous plexus attributed to newly diagnosed IVC thrombus.
AN INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE STUDY OF FREE RADICAL METABOLITES

Electron spin resonance (ESR) is one of a class of magnetic resonance experiments. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a better known member of this class, but these preliminary comments will apply equally to electron spin resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance. From the names alone it is clear that electrons and nuclei, which are fundamental particles, are involved, and that the magnetic interactions of these particles are of predominant importance. The principal ideas behind these magnetic resonance spectroscopies depend on two characteristics of these fundamental particles. The first is that they are charged, and the second is that they have angular momentum or spin. Angular momentum is the motion of a body about a center, like the rotation of the earth. Angular momentum is a vector quantity which has both magnitude and direction. Another characteristic of fundamental particles is that quantum theory governs their energy, angular momentum and other physical properties. The main result of quantum mechanics is that the physical properties are discrete and not continuous as in classical mechanics. Quantum theory demands that the component of an electron’s angular momentum in any given direction, call it Jz, be quantized, $${J_z} = m\tfrac{h}{{2\pi }}(erg{\kern 1pt} \sec )$$ (1) where J, is the component of angular momentum in the direction z, where h is Planck’s constant and m is the angular momentum quantum number. For an electron, m is limited to the discrete values ±1/2. You can think of this as (clockwise and counter clockwise) rotation or spin.
Properties of Chaotic Phenomena

Two time series are illustrated in Fig. 6.1. They look similar. They have approximately the same statistical properties, approximately the same mean, and approximately the same variance. They both look random, but we now know that not everything that looks random is random. These two time series are very different. The time series on the left is random; it was generated by choosing random numbers. However, the time series on the right is not random at all; it is completely deterministic. The next value, x n+1, was computed from the previous value x n by the relationship x n+1=3.95x n(1−x n). Systems, like the one on the right, that are deterministic but whose output is so complex that it mimics random behavior, are now known by the jargon word “chaos.” Chaos is perhaps a poor word to describe this phenomenon. In normal usage chaos means disordered. Here it means just the opposite, namely a highly ordered and often simple system whose output is so complex that it mimics random behavior. It is quite important that we distinguish between chaos and noise in a given experimental time series, because how we subsequently process the data is determined by this judgment.
Mutation Induction in Yeast

As single-cell eukaryotes that can exist either as stable haploids or diploids, the yeasts afford many advantages as test organisms for examination of the genetic effects of chemicals and radiations. The suitable characteristics of these higher fungi include clonability, a short generation time, adaptability to replica plating, and a well-developed genetics. Two species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, have been used for most of the mutation studies with yeast.
Dissections of Point Sets

A hyperplane that contains no point of a finite set P partitions P into two subsets contained in the two half-spaces defined by the hyperplane. Equivalently, a point contained in a cell of an arrangement A(H) classifies each hyperplane h in H according to whether it is above or below h. Examples of two related combinatorial problems that are interesting to ask are Is there a point p which is such that the partition of P defined by any hyper-plane that contains p is reasonably balanced? and If P is a set of points in E d , are there d hyperplanes that partition P into 2 d subsets of approximately the same size?
Neutrophil chemoattractant fMet-Leu-Phe receptor expression and ionic events following activation.

The identification of receptors for chemotactic factors on neutrophils opened a new era in the investigation of these cells. The first chemoattractant receptor defined was for the synthetic peptide N-formyl-methionylleucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe) (Aswanikumar et al., 1977; Williams et al., 1977), which had been discovered by Schiffmann et al. (1975). This receptor was linked to chemoattractant-elicited events of directed locomotion, activation of the respiratory burst, and degranulation of lysosomal enzymes (Becker, 1979). Subsequently receptors have been defined for numerous chemoattractants (Chenoweth and Hugli, 1978; Spilberg and Mehta, 1979; Wilkinson and Allan, 1978), although the best studied receptor is for fMet-Leu-Phe and closely related analogues.
LBP and Color Descriptors for Image Classification

Four novel color Local Binary Pattern (LBP) descriptors are presented in this chapter for scene image and image texture classification with applications to image search and retrieval. Specifically, the first color LBP descriptor, the oRGB-LBP descriptor, is derived by concatenating the LBP features of the component images in an opponent color space — the oRGB color space. The other three color LBP descriptors are obtained by the integration of the oRGB-LBP descriptor with some additional image features: the Color LBP Fusion (CLF) descriptor is constructed by integrating the RGB-LBP, the YCbCr-LBP, the HSV-LBP, the rgb-LBP, as well as the oRGB-LBP descriptor; the Color Grayscale LBP Fusion (CGLF) descriptor is derived by integrating the grayscale-LBP descriptor and the CLF descriptor; and the CGLF+PHOG descriptor is obtained by integrating the Pyramid of Histograms of Orientation Gradients (PHOG) and the CGLF descriptor. Feature extraction applies the Enhanced Fisher Model (EFM) and image classification is based on the nearest neighbor classification rule (EFM-NN). The proposed image descriptors and the feature extraction and classification methods are evaluated using three databases: the MIT scene database, the KTH-TIPS2-b database, and the KTH-TIPS materials database. The experimental results show that (i) the proposed oRGB-LBP descriptor improves image classification performance upon other color LBP descriptors, and (ii) the CLF, the CGLF, and the CGLF+PHOG descriptors further improve upon the oRGB-LBP descriptor for scene image and image texture classification.
Heart rate variability changes and its association with the development of severe retinopathy of prematurity

Purpose To evaluate differences in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity associated with the development of retinopathy of prematurity. Methods Heart rate variability (HRV) as an indicator of ANS activity was calculated in two groups of premature infants: (1) a treatment group of infants who developed type 1 ROP and underwent treatment and (2) a control group of infants who did not develop ROP more severe than stage 1 and who were matched to the treatment group in terms of age, weight, and similar risk factors, including similar frequency of intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and sepsis. HRV was analyzed during the first 5 days of life, within 5 days of initial ROP examination, and within 5 days of ROP treatment for the treatment group or, for controls, on the day of last electrocardiogram data prior to discharge. Calculations were performed for the high frequency, low frequency, and low frequency–high frequency values of the HRV components for all infants. Results Between the initial ophthalmologic evaluation and the final evaluation, there was a tendency for reduction in both the low- and high-frequency components of the HRV indices in the treatment group, whereas there was a tendency for an increase in both components of the HRV indices in the control group. The difference in the rate of change of the high frequency between groups was statistically significant (P = 0.021). Conclusions Disruption in ANS activity may play an important role in the development and severity of ROP.