cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Security and Displacement in Iraq: Responding to the Forced Migration Crisis

Since the 2006 bombing of the al-Askari Mosque, 4.5 million Iraqis have fled their homes, and displacement has become a central strategy in the civil war. Militant groups have engineered these colossal population movements to consolidate their power and expand their territorial claims. As this crisis demonstrates, displacement can expand and intensify violence during a civil war. In addition, refugee flows increase the risk that conflict will spread across international borders. In some cases, refugee militarization can lead to international war and regional destabilization. Even if the displaced Iraqis do not join militant groups, their mere presence will exacerbate political tensions. To prevent the wide-scale militarization of the displaced Iraqis, donors and host states should heed the following policy recommendations. First, provide a massive infusion of humanitarian aid. Second, resist the temptation to build camps to house the displaced. Third, do not return the displaced people home against their ...
Open and shut case for Rho A? The questions of when, where and how the small GTPase mediates the permeability of endothelial junctions

This editorial refers to ‘Localized RhoA GTPase activity regulates dynamics of endothelial monolayer integrity’ by R. Szulcek et al. , pp. 471–482, this issue. It is incredible that current textbooks of Medical Physiology persist in describing the vascular endothelial lining as a passive barrier of finite permeability. Similarly, when the endothelium is observed to participate in vascular function it is treated as a homogenous population of cells possessing a limited number of signalling pathways that regulate the production of substrates that interact with neighbouring cells to regulate (or dysregulate) function. Instead, the barrier segregating flowing blood from metabolizing tissue is a complex structure composed of the endothelium with its associated basement membrane and surface glycocalyx, as well as the peripheral cells including pericytes, mast cells, and fibroblasts at the capillary level and varying coverage by smooth muscle cells in the venules and arterioles, respectively.1 This heterogeneous structure responds constantly to changing physical and chemical stimuli to regulate fluid and solute movement between compartments acutely and chronically. It is important to also recognize that the basal barrier properties, the permeability of the microvessel wall to the spectrum of solutes and fluid in vivo, support maintenance of tissue homoeostasis with appropriate solute delivery and waste removal. These properties vary by organ,2,3 vessel type,3 age,2,3 sex,4 and disease …
Association of the W574L ALS substitution with resistance to cloransulam and imazamox in common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Previous research revealed that resistance to cloransulam in at least one population of common ragweed was conferred by an altered herbicide target site, specifically, by a tryptophan-to-leucine amino acid substitution at position 574 (W574L) of acetolactate synthase (ALS). In this study, 22 common ragweed populations, several of which were suspected cloransulam resistant, were assayed to determine if the W574L ALS substitution was correlated with resistance to ALS inhibitors. From each population, 16 greenhouse-grown plants were treated with cloransulam, and another 16 were treated with imazamox. Plant dry weights were recorded 20 d after treatment and individual plants were considered resistant if their dry weight exceeded 50% of that of nonherbicide-treated controls. For each herbicide-treated plant, allelespecific primers were used in polymerase chain reactions to determine whether the ALS alleles contained leucine or tryptophan codons at position 574. Of the 352 plants treated with cloransulam, 70 were determined to be resistant, and all but two contained one or more Leu574 alleles. The frequency of imazamox resistance was much higher than that of cloransulam in the populations, with 149 of 352 plants identified as imazamox resistant. However, only about half (80) of the imazamoxresistant plants contained one or more Leu574 alleles. Correlation of imazamox resistance and Leu574 alleles was population dependent. ALS activity assays confirmed that imazamox resistance in plants from at least one population was due to an altered target site, even though plants from that population did not have a W574L substitution. These results lead to the conclusion that a Leu574 allele is the predominant basis for cloransulam resistance in common ragweed; however, other mechanisms of resistance to ALS inhibitors exist in some populations.
Brownian dynamics simulation of helix-capping motifs.

Helix-capping motifs are believed to play an important role in stabilizing alpha-helices and defining helix start and stop signals. We performed microsecond scale Brownian dynamics simulations to study ten XAAD sequences, with X = (A,E,I,L,N,Q,S,T,V,Y), to examine their propensity to form helix capping motifs and correlate these results with those obtained from analyzing a structural database of proteins. For the widely studied capping box motif S**D, where the asterisk can be any amino acid residue, the simulations suggested that one of the two hydrogen bonds proposed earlier as a stabilizing factor might not be as important. On the other hand, side-chain interactions between the capping residue and the third residue downstream on the polypeptide chain might also play a role in stabilizing this motif. These results are consistent with explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations of two capping box motifs found in the proteins BPTI and alpha-dendrotoxin. Principal component analysis of the SAAD trajectory showed that the first three principal components, after those corresponding to translational-rotational motion were removed, accounted for more than half of the conformational fluctuations. The first component separated the conformational space into two parts with the all-helical conformation and the capping box motif lying largely in one part. The second component, on the other hand, could be used to describe conformational transitions between the all-helical form and the capping box motif.
100 dpi 4-a-Si:H TFTs active-matrix organic polymer light-emitting display

In this paper, we report on 100 dpi four hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (4-a-Si:H TFTs) active-matrix organic polymer light-emitting display (AM-PLED). For this display, we have established the operational limitation of our 4-a-Si:H TFTs pixel electrode circuit by performing a load line analysis. Combining this result with the extracted pixel organic polymer light-emitting device (PLED) characteristics, we have found that the change of the AM-PLED pixel operating point, especially of a driving TFT, limits the operational range of AM-PLED pixel. The predicted results are compared with the measured data of 100 dpi monochromatic red light-emitting 4-a-Si:H TFTs AM-PLED. For our AM-PLED, we obtained luminance up to /spl sim/20 cd/m/sup 2/ and Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage color coordinates of (0.67, 0.33), which are calculated from the measured AM-PLED electroluminescence spectrum.
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 Activation Is Required for the Stimulation of Human Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis by Essential Amino Acids

The relationship between mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling and muscle protein synthesis during instances of amino acid surplus in humans is based solely on correlational data. Therefore, the goal of this study was to use a mechanistic approach specifically designed to determine whether increased mTORC1 activation is requisite for the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis following L-essential amino acid (EAA) ingestion in humans. Examination of muscle protein synthesis and signaling were performed on vastus lateralis muscle biopsies obtained from 8 young (25 ± 2 y) individuals who were studied prior to and following ingestion of 10 g of EAA during 2 separate trials in a randomized, counterbalanced design. The trials were identical except during 1 trial, participants were administered a single oral dose of a potent mTORC1 inhibitor (rapamycin) prior to EAA ingestion. In response to EAA ingestion, an ~60% increase in muscle protein synthesis was observed during the control trial, concomitant with increased phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser(2448)), ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (Thr(389)), and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (Thr(37/46)). In contrast, prior administration of rapamycin completely blocked the increase in muscle protein synthesis and blocked or attenuated activation of mTORC1-signaling proteins. The inhibition of muscle protein synthesis and signaling was not due to differences in either extracellular or intracellular amino acid availability, because these variables were similar between trials. These data support a fundamental role for mTORC1 activation as a key regulator of human muscle protein synthesis in response to increased EAA availability. This information will be useful in the development of evidence-based nutritional therapies targeting mTORC1 to counteract muscle wasting associated with numerous clinical conditions.
Pediatric ophthalmology fellowship training in laser ablation for retinopathy of prematurity

Purpose To assess the training received by pediatric ophthalmology fellows in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) laser ablation surgery. Methods We surveyed recent graduates of 1-year pediatric ophthalmology fellowships to quantify the ROP laser training they received during their fellowship, the effect of fellowship training on their desire to treat ROP in practice, and interest in additional training modalities. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to all candidates-in-training of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Results The response rate was 64%, and 54 respondents met inclusion criteria. The mean number of ROP laser procedures performed during fellowship was 6.4; the median, 4. Eight respondents (15%) reported having performed no ROP laser procedures during their fellowship. Of the 54, 29 (54%) felt that they were at least adequately trained to perform ROP laser surgery and reported a mean of 10 (±6.6) cases performed during fellowship. Respondents reporting that fellowship training was less than adequate performed a mean of 1.7 (±1.5) cases ( P Conclusions The amount of laser experience during fellowship strongly influences the confidence in ROP laser skills of recently graduated pediatric ophthalmologists and the desire to perform laser procedures in their clinical practice. One-half of recently graduated pediatric ophthalmologists believe that their ROP laser training during fellowship was adequate for clinical practice.
Bromoperoxidase activity in microplantlet suspension cultures of the macrophytic red alga Ochtodes secundiramea.

Bromoperoxidase is an enzyme found in marine macroalgae that catalyzes the bromination of organic substrates. Photosynthetic microplantlet suspension cultures derived from the macrophytic red alga Ochtodes secundiramea were shown to possess bromoperoxidase. The optimum pH for O. secundiramea bromoperoxidase activity in cell-free extracts was 6.0, and the half-saturation constant for bromination of the exogeneous substrate monochlorodimedone (MCD) was 18 μM. O. secundiramea microplantlets were cultivated in a bubble-column photobioreactor at an incident light intensity of 38 μE m−2 s−1 (71% of light-saturated photosynthesis, 10:14 light:dark photoperiod), and the kinetics of cell growth and bromoperoxidase production were followed. At these conditions, the specific growth rate was 0.052 day−1. The lowest specific bromoperoxidase activity of 0.3 μmol MCD g−1 cell min−1 occurred during the midexponential phase of growth, and then increased steeply to 1.9 μmol MCD g−1 cell min−1 during the late stationary phase, suggesting that bromoperoxidase production was part of secondary metabolism. The estimated bromoperoxidase content in the cell mass at late stationary phase was 67 μg g−1 dry cell mass, demonstrating that bioreactor production of marine bromoperoxidase is feasible. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 74: 389–395, 2001.
Information through a Spiking Neuron

While it is generally agreed that neurons transmit information about their synaptic inputs through spike trains, the code by which this information is transmitted is not well understood. An upper bound on the information encoded is obtained by hypothesizing that the precise timing of each spike conveys information. Here we develop a general approach to quantifying the information carried by spike trains under this hypothesis, and apply it to the leaky integrate-and-fire (IF) model of neuronal dynamics. We formulate the problem in terms of the probability distribution p(T) of interspike intervals (ISIs), assuming that spikes are detected with arbitrary but finite temporal resolution. In the absence of added noise, all the variability in the ISIs could encode information, and the information rate is simply the entropy of the ISI distribution, H(T)= 〈-p(T) log2 p(T)〉, times the spike rate. H(T) thus provides an exact expression for the information rate. The methods developed here can be used to determine experimentally the information carried by spike trains, even when the lower bound of the information rate provided by the stimulus reconstruction method is not tight. In a preliminary series of experiments, we have used these methods to estimate information rates of hippocampal neurons in slice in response to somatic current injection. These pilot experiments suggest information rates as high as 6.3 bits/spike.
Glucose oxidase/catalase solution for on-board control of shrimp microbial spoilage : model studies

The potential of an immersion system of glucose oxidase (GOX, 1 unit/ml) and catalase (CAT) added to 4% w/v glucose in artificial seawater was determined for on-board shrimp preservation. Fresh shrimp were frozen, radiation-sterilized, thawed by adding artificial seawater and inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens (lo4 CFU/g shrimp). Samples were stored at 1°C and treated after 24 hr or left as controls. Changes in shrimp and solution were monitored by total plate counts, ammonia and total volatile nitrogen. Solution discoloration due to shrimp melanosis was followed spectrophotometrically. Microbial lag phase was extended 44 5 d and after 14 d, GOX/CAT had reduced browing by ∼80% and inhibited ammonia and total volatile nitrogen production. Due to increase in nitrogen compounds, the enzyme solution should be replaced after 14 days.
Histopathology of corneal melting associated with diclofenac use after refractive surgery

Abstract Purpose To describe the histopathology of the cornea in 3 cases of corneal melting associated with diclofenac therapy after refractive surgery procedures. Setting Clinic and pathology laboratory. Methods Three cases of corneal melting associated with diclofenac therapy (2 after laser in situ keratomileusis [LASIK] and 1 after mini-radial keratectomy enhancement of a LASIK undercorrection) were studied using patient and referring physician interviews, chart reviews, and histopathologic examination of the corneal tissue. Results In all 3 cases, the flaps were dislocated and the stromal corneal bed was exposed. Diclofenac, generic or brand name, was used in all cases; in 1 case, both generic and brand name were used. Dosing and duration varied, but in all 3 cases diclofenac was used at least 4 times a day for at least 3 days after LASIK. Topical steroids were also prescribed, but 1 patient did not use them. Preoperative medical conditions were present in 2 cases. Histologic analysis showed evidence of an inflammatory response in advanced cases and keratolysis and lack of inflammatory cells in the flaps that were amputated early. Conclusions The use of generic or brand-name diclofenac with or without adjunctive topical steroids after LASIK can be associated with corneal melting when the LASIK flap is dislodged and the corneal stromal bed exposed. Caution is recommended with diclofenac use after LASIK in such cases.
Syntaxin 11 is associated with SNAP-23 on late endosomes and the trans-Golgi network.

SNARE proteins are known to play a role in regulating intracellular protein transport between donor and target membranes. This docking and fusion process involves the interaction of specific vesicle-SNAREs (e.g. VAMP) with specific cognate target-SNAREs (e.g. syntaxin and SNAP-23). Using human SNAP-23 as the bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human B-lymphocyte cDNA library, we have identified the 287-amino-acid SNARE protein syntaxin 11. Like other syntaxin family members, syntaxin 11 binds to the SNARE proteins VAMP and SNAP-23 in vitro and also exists in a complex with SNAP-23 in transfected HeLa cells and in native human B lymphocytes. Unlike other syntaxin family members, no obvious transmembrane domain is present in syntaxin 11. Nevertheless, syntaxin 11 is predominantly membrane-associated and colocalizes with the mannose 6-phosphate receptor on late endosomes and the trans-Golgi network. These data suggest that syntaxin 11 is a SNARE that acts to regulate protein transport between late endosomes and the trans-Golgi network in mammalian cells.
Nilotinib for the treatment of Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

Importance of the field: Although the introduction of imatinib revolutionized the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), some patients exhibit resistance or intolerance to the drug. Nilotinib induces high and rapid rates of cytogenetic and molecular responses. With recent approval for newly diagnosed patients with chronic phase CML, the current algorithm for treatment will probably be transformed. Areas covered in this review: This review will describe evaluations of nilotinib in all phases of CML from 1995 to the present. Early preclinical data and Phase I, Phase II and Phase III evaluations will demonstrate the role of nilotinib in newly diagnosed CML, as well as in imatinib-resistant or imatinib-intolerant disease. What the reader will gain: Mutations in the BCR-ABL kinase domain are responsible for the majority of resistance to imatinib. In comparison with imatinib, nilotinib displays increased selectivity and potency at inhibiting proliferation of BCR-ABL expressing cells. Although several mut...
Volatile anesthetic preconditioning present in the invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans.

Background: Volatile anesthetics (VAs) have been found to induce a delayed protective response called preconditioning to subsequent hypoxic/ischemic injury. VA preconditioning has been primarily studied in canine and rodent heart. A more genetically tractable model of VA preconditioning would be extremely useful. Here, the authors report the development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model of VA preconditioning. Methods: Wild-type and mutant C. elegans were exposed to isoflurane, halothane, or air under otherwise identical conditions. After varying recovery periods, the animals were challenged with hypoxic, azide, or hyperthermic incubations. After recovery from these incubations, mortality was scored. Results: Isoflurane- and halothane-preconditioned animals had significantly reduced mortality to all three types of injuries compared with air controls. Concentrations as low as 1 vol% isoflurane (0.64 mM) and halothane (0.71 mM) induced significant protection. The onset and duration of protection after anesthetic were 6 and 9 h, respectively. A mutation that blocks inhibition of neurotransmitter release by isoflurane did not attenuate the preconditioning effect. A loss-of-function mutation of the Apaf-1 homolog CED-4 blocked the preconditioning effect of isoflurane, but mutation of the downstream caspase CED-3 did not. Conclusions: Volatile anesthetic preconditioning extends beyond the vertebrate subphylum. This markedly broadens the scope of VA preconditioning and suggests that its mechanisms are widespread across species and is a fundamental and evolutionarily conserved cellular response. C. elegans offers a means to dissect genetically the mechanism for VA preconditioning as illustrated by the novel finding of the requirement for the Apaf-1 homolog CED-4.
From randomized trial to practice: single institution experience using the GOG 172 i.p. chemotherapy regimen for ovarian cancer

Abstract Background The objective of the study was to evaluate completion rates and toxic effects of an i.p. chemotherapy regimen in a cross-section of nonselected patients with ovarian cancer (OC). Patients and methods All patients with stage IIIC OC consecutively operated at our institution from January 2006 to December 2007 were prospectively collected and analyzed. Results Eighty-nine patients with stage IIIC OC optimally debulked were evaluated for this study. An i.p. port was primarily placed in 53 of 89 (60%), and i.p. chemotherapy was recommended in 55 patients. Reasons for not recommending i.p. chemotherapy in patients optimally debulked included postoperative complications (n = 7: 8%), poor nutritional/functional status (n = 5: 6%), and extensive surgery including bowel resection (n = 9: 10%). Thirty-three patients (33/55: 60%) recommended to receive i.p. chemotherapy-initiated i.p. treatment. Fifty-two percent of those beginning i.p. therapy (17/33) received three or more cycles with 36% (12/33) successfully completing six cycles. Reasons for discontinuation included grade 3–4 nephrotoxicity in 3 of 21 (14%), febrile neutropenia/sepsis in 3 of 21 (14%), port infection or malfunction in 8 of 21 (38%). Conclusions The i.p. chemotherapy regimen used in a consecutive cohort of patients carries could be completed in only a small percentage of patients. Less toxic regimens with higher acceptability should be considered.
Systematic approach to electrostatically induced 2D crystallization of nanoparticles at liquid interfaces

We report an experimental demonstration of a strategy for inducing two-dimensional (2D) crystallization of charged nanoparticles on oppositely charged fluid interfaces. This strategy aims to maximize the interfacial adsorption of nanoparticles, and hence their lateral packing density, by utilizing a combination of weakly charged particles and a high surface charge density on the planar interface. In order to test this approach, we investigated the assembly of cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) on positively charged lipid monolayers at the aqueous solution surface, by means of in situX-ray scattering measurements at the liquid–vapor interface. The assembly was studied as a function of the solution pH, which was used to vary the charge on CPMV, and of the mole fraction of the cationic lipid in the binary lipid monolayer, which set the interface charge density. The 2D crystallization of CPMV occurred in a narrow pH range just above the particle's isoelectric point, where the particle charge was weakly negative, and only when the cationic-lipid fraction in the monolayer exceeded a threshold. The observed 2D crystals exhibited nearly the same packing density as the densest lattice plane within the known 3D crystals of CPMV. The above electrostatic approach of maximizing interfacial adsorption may provide an efficient route to the crystallization of nanoparticles at aqueous interfaces.
Earnings Management, Corporate Tax Shelters, and Book-Tax Alignment

This paper reviews recent evidence analyzing the link between earnings management and corporate tax avoidance and considers the implications for how policymakers should evaluate the financial reporting environment facing firms. A real-world tax shelter is dissected to illustrate how tax shelter products enable managers to manipulate reported earnings. A stylized example is developed that generalizes this view of corporate tax avoidance and empirical evidence consistent with this view is discussed. This view of corporate tax avoidance implies that shareholders and policymakers should question the rationale for distinct financial reports and that greater book-tax alignment may have mutually beneficial effects for investors and tax authorities.
Clinical Chemistry Work-Load Control Factors

An analytic study of work-load factors in clinical chemistry shows that there are many elements involved. An average of 6.3 to 6.5 tests per man hour were obtained when clinical chemistry and urinalyses were combined. For clinical chemistry alone the tests per man hour averaged 3.1 in a hospital servicing patients with chronic diseases and 4.7 in a general hospital. The breakdown of a standard laboratory man hour in clinical chemistry included 49.3 minutes for the collection and determinative tests; the remaining time included vacations, training, personnel needs, nontechnical duties, and other items.
Aligning CALL with the Theory and Practice of Instructed SLA

With the availability of a wide range of information technologies in the 21st century, the second language (L2) classroom has by and large been transformed digitally. Such technological tools include, but are not limited to, authoring software and blogs, learning management systems (LMSs), online real-time texting via instant messengers (IMs) like Google Talk, audio-and video-conferencing through Skype, artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent systems, speech recognition and pronunciation training technologies, mobile technologies, and even web-based social networking interfaces like Facebook and Google Plus. In a sense, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) seems to have brought about abundant opportunities for innovation and creativity vis-a-vis the language acquisition process. In order to fully capitalize from this technology craze, therefore, it is essential that the properties and strengths of these technologies be thoroughly studied in ways that would bring their applications in spirit with the core theoretical underpinnings and principles of practice in instructed second language acquisition (SLA) and its related research.
Immunological Evidence for the Identity of a Photoproduct Formed during Photooxidation of DNA with Methylene Blue, Rose Bengal, Thionin, and Acridine Orange

Irradiation of DNA with visible light, in the presence of oxygen and a photosensitizing dye such as methylene blue, is known to destroy specifically the guanine residues in nucleic acids (Simon and Van Vunakis, 1962). The chemistry of the photooxidation reaction is being studied actively in several laboratories (cf. Bellin and Grossman, 1965) but it is not yet understood. It is known that the photoproducts may vary depending upon the composition of the reaction mixture. Immunological experiments provided the first evidence that, during the photooxidation of DNA, a reactive photointermediate condensed with the available amino groups of the buffer, Tris(hydroxymethyl)amino methane (Tris) to yield an adduct (Van Vunakis et al., 1966). The evidence that established the existence of this adduct will be reviewed only briefly. DNA was photooxidized in Tris buffer at pH 8.5 using methylene blue as the photosensitizing dye. DNA thus treated (DNATris-MB) was complexed with methylated bovine serum albumin (Plescia et al., 1964) and injected into rabbits. The serologic activities of native and denatured DNAs with the anti-DNATris-MB became apparent as the reaction mixture containing DNA, Tris buffer and methylene blue was irradiated with visible light.
Effects of exercise training and ACE inhibition on insulin action in rat skeletal muscle

Our laboratory has demonstrated (Steen MS, Foianini KR, Youngblood EB, Kinnick TR, Jacob S, and Henriksen EJ,J Appl Physiol 86: 2044–2051, 1999) that exercise training and treatment with the angiot...
Adjustable Suture Technique for Levator Surgery

Externalized adjustable sutures allow for early postoperative adjustment of lid height and contour. The predictability of levator surgery both for ptosis repair and for recession for eyelid retraction may be influenced by several factors, including variable orbicularis muscle and Muller muscle response to local anesthetic injection; intraoperative hemorrhage involving orbicularis, Muller, or levator muscle; and variable patient cooperation when surgery performed under intravenous sedation. These factors may confound efforts to achieve the desired postoperative result, even when eyelid position and contour are satisfactory at the time of intraoperative adjustment. In certain cases, adjustable sutures may be a useful adjunct in eyelid surgery.
iTAG: Developing a cloud based, collaborative animal tracking network in the Gulf of Mexico

The tagging and tracking of aquatic animals using acoustic telemetry hardware has traditionally been the purview of individual researchers that specialize in single species. Concerns over data privacy and unauthorized use of receiver arrays have prevented the construction of large-scale, multi-species, multi-institution, multi-researcher collaborative acoustic arrays. A workshop1 to understand the informational needs and concerns of potential contributors to an integrated animal telemetry network in the Golf of Mexico was held at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, FL 29–30 May 2014. Input from workshop attendees provided a basic blueprint for the development of iTAG: Integrated Tracking of Aquatic Animals in the Gulf of Mexico. Key points made by attendees included solving the ‘orphan/mystery’ tag problem and ensuring machine-level data compatibility with the work being done by the Ocean Tracking Network2.
Multiparametric optimization for multidisciplinary engineering design

The area of Multiparametric Optimization (MPO) solves problems that contain unknown problem data represented by parameters. The solutions map parameter values to optimal design and objective function values. In this paper, for the first time, MPO techniques are applied to improve and advance Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) to solve engineering problems with parameters. A multiparametric subgradient algorithm is proposed and applied to two MDO methods: Analytical Target Cascading (ATC) and Network Target Coordination (NTC). Numerical results on test problems show the proposed parametric ATC and NTC methods effectively solve parametric MDO problems and provide useful insights to designers. In addition, a novel Two-Stage ATC method is proposed to solve nonparametric MDO problems. In this new approach elements of the subproblems are treated as parameters and optimal design functions are constructed for each one. When the ATC loop is engaged, steps involving the lengthy optimization of subproblems are replaced with simple function evaluations.
Improving learning in MOOCs with Cognitive Science.

MOOCs and other platforms for online education are having a tremendous impact on the learning of tens of thousands of students. They offer a chance to build a set of educational resources from the ground up, at a time when scientists know far more about learning and teaching than at the advent of the current education system. This paper presents practical implications of research from cognitive science, showing empirically supported and actionable strategies any designer or instructor can use to improve students’ learning. These all take the form of augmenting online videos and exercises with questions and prompts for students to consider explanations: before, during, and after learning. This class of instructional strategies provides students with direction while allowing them to take charge of their learning, is technically easy to implement, and is applicable to a wide variety of video and exercise content, that ranges across multiple topics.
Local cellular immunology of experimental transplant vascular sclerosis.

We have observed that most C57BL/6 (H-2b) recipients of DBA/2 (H-2d) heterotopic cardiac allografts retain their grafts for more than 60 days following treatment with anti-CD4 MAb (GK1.5), anti-VCAM-1 MAb (M/K-2), or gallium nitrate (GN). Nevertheless, many ongoing alloimmune responses are detectable more than 60 d post-transplant in these mice: (i) continuous inflammatory endothelial activation and low-grade cellular infiltration in the graft, (ii) modest frequencies of donor-reactive T cells in the graft and spleen, (iii) mRNA for various cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN gamma, TNF alpha, TGF beta) in the graft, (iv) high levels of donor-reactive alloantibody in the circulation, (v) variable development of allogeneic chimerism in the recipient, and (vi) development of interstitial fibrosis and neointimal hyperplasia in the graft. Despite the widely differing targets of GK1.5, M/K-2, and GN, their therapeutic outcomes appear to be identical. Taken together, these observations suggest that long-term allograft survival in these experimental systems is not the result of immune acceptance, i.e. allogeneic tolerance. Although these therapies interrupt the destructive progression of acute rejection, they permit many related immune responses in the graft recipient in association with the development of chronic rejection-like histopathology.
Be Careful with What You Wish: Saving Developing Countries from Development and the Risk of Overlooking the Importance of a Multilateral Rule-Based System on Investment in the Twenty-First Century

This essay aims to stress the key role of international investment law for development in times of globalisation. It does not argue that the current international investment regime is good as it is, nor that it does not require adjustments. Instead, it is argued here that regardless of how power shaped international investment law during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, currently investment paradigms are radically shifting and development is starting to happen. For the first time in history foreign direct investment (FDI) is in fact enabling developing countries to become major exporters of goods and services of increasing value added. An economic multipolar world is emerging and not only inward but also outward FDI from developing countries have a lot to do in this process. Just when developing countries are finally learning to insert themselves into a globalised economy, and just when they are learning how to use international rule-making to promote that process, many sectors in developed countries—not used to any external regime limiting their historical discretion in national decision-making—are harshly reacting against the very law they contributed to create. Within this radically new context, to argue that a system of global governance is just a manifestation of imperialism entails the risk of saving developing countries from development.
Radio Spectrum Management and RFI in the United States

In the United States, civil common carrier telecommunications are provided by private companies, not by any agency of the government. Regulation of these services and spectrum management oversight is provided by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an agency of the government. Government telecommunications are operated by individual agencies, e.g. the Department of Defense, under the overall regulation of the Office of Spectrum Management of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a government body separate from the FCC. In bands shared by the civil and government sectors, liaison and coordination is effected between the FCC and the NTIA.
Screen printing RF antennas

Screen printing is a low cost and highly efficient printing technology. Its application to the fabrication of RF antennas is introduced in this study. Applications of screen printed antennas for RHU, frequency selective surfaces and energy harvesting applications are presented.
3D real-time indoor localization via broadband nonlinear backscatter in passive devices with centimeter precision

We propose and demonstrate accurate 3D real-time indoor localization via broadband nonlinear backscatter in passive devices. The proposed method does not need any relative motion between a reader and a tag or the use of reference anchor nodes. In the conventional radio frequency identification (RFID) system, a passive tag responds to a reader by switching its antenna "on" and "off". The operation of such conventional backscatter is essentially "linear", since the reader-to-tag (downlink) and tag-to-reader (uplink) signals overlap on the same carrier frequency. Although linear backscatter is straightforward, the self-jamming problem caused by strong leakage signals from the transmitter to the receiver is notorious and poses many constraints on the received signal quality, operation bandwidth, modulation flexibility and system complexity. To enable high-accuracy real-time 3D indoor localization for passive devices, we show that nonlinear backscatter is more effective than linear backscatter. Nonlinear backscatter exploits nonlinear elements in passive devices to generate second or higher-order harmonics as the uplink response. Separation of downlink and uplink on different carriers allows immediate self-jamming cancellation and direct un-modulated carrier phase decoding, hence resulting in better received signal quality and broad bandwidth of operation, both of which are critical for the localization system. The broad bandwidth allows the design of an efficient phase-based ranging algorithm - heuristic multi-frequency continuous wave (HMFCW) ranging which resolves ambiguous phase cycles with heuristically optimized sparse carrier frequencies. HMFCW ranging can correctly pin down the phase cycle integer with 100% reliability as long as the phase error falls within ±90° × BW% (percentage bandwidth). In our present implementation, we achieved a median ranging error below 1 cm under phase error bounds of ±50°. We realized real-time 3D localization from differential ranging by nonlinear conjugate gradient (CG) search for hyperboloids intersection in a multi-static transceiving system with 1 Tx antenna and 4 Rx antennas. The measured 3D localization median error was 3.5 cm in the indoor environment. Presently, the measurement latency was less than 0.155 seconds. We will present system design, algorithms and a prototype with experimental evaluation.
Past Roadblocks and New Opportunities in Transcription Factor Network Mapping

One of the principal mechanisms by which cells differentiate and respond to changes in external signals or conditions is by changing the activity levels of transcription factors (TFs). This changes the transcription rates of target genes via the cell's TF network, which ultimately contributes to reconfiguring cellular state. Since microarrays provided our first window into global cellular state, computational biologists have eagerly attacked the problem of mapping TF networks, a key part of the cell's control circuitry. In retrospect, however, steady-state mRNA abundance levels were a poor substitute for TF activity levels and gene transcription rates. Likewise, mapping TF binding through chromatin immunoprecipitation proved less predictive of functional regulation and less amenable to systematic elucidation of complete networks than originally hoped. This review explains these roadblocks and the current, unprecedented blossoming of new experimental techniques built on second-generation sequencing, which hold out the promise of rapid progress in TF network mapping.
Abstract 74: Obesity and the Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events in Patients with Ischemic Stroke: Insights from the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) Trial

Background: In epidemiologic research, patients with obesity have, on average, a lower risk for recurrent cardiovascular events after ischemic stroke compared with non-obese patients. Despite this ...
Nephrotic syndrome in very elderly: Should we treat aggressively?

Chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury are being increasingly recognized in very elderly patients, aged 80 or more. In cases of suspected glomerulonephritis with or without nephrotic syndrome, the clinical decision-making of whether to obtain a renal biopsy and treat with immunosuppressive therapy should not be based on advanced age alone but take into consideration the patient’s functional status and overall prognosis. Herein, we report a case of an elderly patient with minimal change disease who benefitted from a timely renal biopsy and aggressive immunosuppressive therapy.
Tricking Posthumanism: From Deleuze to (Lacan) to Haraway

A lineage has been drawn between the immanent philosophy articulated by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and the work of Donna Haraway, most notably by the nomadic feminist and immanentist Rosi Br...
Abstract 1255: Delta-tocopherol induced endoplasmic reticulum stress causes autophagic degradation of ER and cell death in bladder cancer models

Vitamin E has been the subject of numerous basic and clinical studies, which have demonstrated a range of results that necessitate the further analysis of its individual components. We demonstrate that of the major tocopherol components of Vitamin E, Delta tocopherol (δ-T) is significantly more effective than the more common Alpha- and Gamma- tocopherols at inducing bladder cancer cell death in vitro and reduces tumor growth and burden in vivo. As a major site of protein synthesis and folding the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is highly sensitive to stress induced by increased unfolded protein load, which induces both pro-survival and ultimately pro-apoptotic responses via the different branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR). δ-T induces the UPR in human bladder cancer cells and ultimately results in cell death, inducing both apoptosis and autophagic cell death. Analysis of bladder cancer cells treated with δ-T revealed strong evidence of UPR activation in the form of upregulation and activation of ER stress sensors PERK and IRE1α, and the upregulation of folding chaperone GRP78 and transcription factors ATF4 and CHOP. These changes in turn induced downstream effects including Death Receptor 5 (DR5)-mediated apoptosis and visible induction of autophagy. In addition to the observation of autophagosome formation, induction of autophagy was further confirmed by upregulation of protein expression of components of the autophagic machinery LC3B and Atg family members. Electron Microscope imaging of treated cells revealed the presence of ER-whorls within the large autophagosomes which were themselves visible under conventional light microscopy, which has to our knowledge not been previously observed in cancer models. This observation is supported by the ER stress-based mechanism of action exhibited by δ-T on bladder cancer cells, which recapitulates the observations of the few previous reports of “ER-phagy” described in yeast models. ER stress induced expansion of the ER is believed to aid in the improvement of stressed cells9 protein folding capacity, and selective degradation of the ER-whorls formed in this manner by a previously undescribed mechanism of autophagy was first described in yeast and remains unexplored in human cancer models. These findings may provide new insights into δ-T9s mechanism of action and inform new approaches to the development of tocopherols as novel chemopreventive agents. Citation Format: Christopher A. Blair, Hanze Hu, Tim Huynh, Maggie Wu, Chung S. Yang, Xiaolin Zi. Delta-tocopherol induced endoplasmic reticulum stress causes autophagic degradation of ER and cell death in bladder cancer models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1255.
Elucidating a role for the cytoplasmic domain in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis mechanosensitive channel of large conductance

Microbial survival in dynamic environments requires the ability to successfully respond to abrupt changes in osmolarity. The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) is a ubiquitous channel that facilitates the survival of bacteria and archaea under severe osmotic downshock conditions by relieving excess turgor pressure in response to increased membrane tension. A prominent structural feature of MscL, the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain, has been suggested to influence channel assembly and function. In this report, we describe the X-ray crystal structure and electrophysiological properties of a C-terminal domain truncation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis MscL (MtMscLΔC). A crystal structure of MtMscLΔC solubilized in the detergent n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside reveals the pentameric, closed state-like architecture for the membrane spanning region observed in the previously solved full-length MtMscL. Electrophysiological characterization demonstrates that MtMscLΔC retains mechanosensitivity, but with conductance and tension sensitivity more closely resembling full length EcMscL than MtMscL. This study establishes that the C-terminal domain of MtMscL is not required for oligomerization of the full-length channel, but rather influences the tension sensitivity and conductance properties of the channel. The collective picture that emerges from these data is that each MscL channel structure has characteristic features, highlighting the importance of studying multiple homologs.
Management of an Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Neuropathic Pain in the Emergency Department: A Case to Support Ultrasound-Guided Forearm Nerve Blocks.

Abstract Background Acute on chronic neuropathic pain is often refractory to analgesics and can be challenging to treat in the emergency department (ED). In addition, systemic medications such as opiates and nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs have risks, including hypotension and kidney injury, respectively. Difficulties in managing pain in patients with neuropathy can lead to prolonged ED stays, undesired admissions, and subsequent increased health care costs. Case Report We describe the case of a 51-year-old woman who presented to the ED on two separate occasions for left forearm pain secondary to chronic ulnar neuropathy. During her first ED visit, the patient received multiple rounds of intravenous opiates and required hospital admission, which was complicated by opiate-induced hypotension. During her second visit, she underwent an ultrasound-guided ulnar nerve block performed by the emergency physician; her pain resolved and she was discharged home. Why Should Emergency Physicians Be Aware of This? Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks are an effective, safe, and relatively inexpensive alternative to opioids. Our case demonstrates that emergency providers may be able to perform ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia to treat an acute exacerbation of chronic neuropathic pain.
Revisiting Saarinen’s “Perception of the drought hazard on the Great Plains”:

This piece revisits Saarinen’s 1966 work on farmers’ perceptions of the drought hazard on the Great Plains. A synopsis of the work is provided as well as a discussion of the lasting influence that ...
Pure and mixed fluid sorption and transport in Celazole® polybenzimidazole: Effect of plasticization

Abstract Tough polymers are recognized as ideal membrane materials for gas and liquid separations in harsh environments. However, while solvent flux and solute rejection data, as well as permeability and selectivity data for light gases are widely available in the literature, fundamental studies of organic species transport in tough polymers and their correlation with the membrane structure are rare. This study focuses on the solubility of pure and mixed organic species in Celazole®, a commercial polybenzimidazole. Methanol was selected as a model penetrant to run sorption and diffusion experiments in the activity range 0–1. The role of polymer-penetrant interactions, membrane degree of swelling, and penetrant clustering on small molecule sorption and transport in Celazole® was discussed and several structure-property correlations were identified. Remarkably, polar penetrants, such as methanol, cause severe matrix plasticization. In contrast, Celazole® is highly stable in non-polar aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Finally, the polymer mechanical properties were measured before and after soaking in liquid water and methanol.
‘We Want Both!’: pressuring Philadelphia unions for inclusion and equity during the long 1970s

This article examines local labor insurgency in Philadelphia between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s. Drawing on alternative press sources, it traces the efforts of Black, Puerto Rican, and female work...