cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decoupling environmental impacts from industrial growth: Case study for South Morava river basin

The widely accepted term ‘sustainable development’ is a comprehensive concept that requires multi-dimensional indicators showing links between economy, ecology and society. The concept of human development is obviously more complex than it could be understood from any aggregate economic index or from detailed sets of socio-economic statistical and ecological indicators. The research and analysis of the values of separation indicators for the Južna Morava basin agglomerations clearly show the impacts of industrial growth on the quality of the basin water bodies over the last three decades. Separation indicators have been derived from the statistical relationship between the situation indicators and drive indicators. The situation indicator SSWQIrb was derived as a composite index from ten chosen parameters which represent, by their quality, the characteristics of surface water, by reducing it to one index number weighed from the interrelation between the discharge at a given measurement station and the discharge at the exit profile of the basin. The index of the physical volume of industrial production (indexIND) has been accepted as the drive indicator. The indicators were calculated as a series of index numbers with 1981 as the base year. The values of separation indicators, i.e. degree of separation and factor of separation show the least separation in the first decade (1981-1990) when the volume of industrial production (indexIND) increased the most and the quality of the basin water bodies was the poorest (SSWQIrb). The improvement of the quality of basin water bodies in the last decade (2001-2010), marked by a higher value of the separation factor is a result of a slow growth of industrial production and positive impacts of an abrupt fall of total economic activity occurring already in the second decade (1991-2000). The research has confirmed the importance of applying the concepts of separation of economic growth from environmental impacts. Taking into consideration very low quantities of treated waters as opposed to the total amount of waste waters in Serbia, the separation indicators pose challenges to be faced in the near future. Separation indicators will serve to decision makers and the expert community as a key toolkit for verifying the results of the water resources protection policy.
What Kind of Joblessness Affects Crime? A National Case–Control Study of Serious Property Crime

To assess whether joblessness affects the commission of serious property crime. We studied serious property crime, applying a case–control design to nationally representative samples of (a) known serious property crime offenders and (b) nonoffenders. This was done by comparing a national sample of prison inmates convicted of robbery or burglary (the “cases”) with a general sample of the U.S. adult population (the “controls”). In contrast to prior individual-level research, the study sample included substantial numbers of serious offenders, and provided a formal basis for generalizing the findings to the U.S. adult population. We differentiated five labor force statuses: (1) unemployed (according to the official government definition), (2) underemployed, (3) out of the labor force for widely socially accepted reasons (OLFL), (4) out of the labor force for reasons not widely accepted (OLFN), and (5) fully employed. We found that when these distinctions are made, people are not more likely to engage in burglary or robbery when they are either completely unemployed or underemployed according to the official definitions. Instead, it is being out of the labor force for reasons not widely accepted as legitimate that is significantly and positively related to serious property offending. The results suggest that offending among jobless persons may reflect preexisting differences in criminal propensity among those who stay out of the labor force, rather than effects of joblessness per se. Part-time work is associated with significantly less property crime, perhaps because the willingness to accept even part-time jobs serves as an indicator of commitment to pro-social attitudes.
Public Trust in Government Administrators

How much trust do citizens have in government administrators, and what explains the variation in their attitudes? As measured by responses in the General Social Survey, it is found that attitudes about the trustworthiness of administrators are more positive than what might be generally thought, and that substantial variation characterizes all trusting attitudes. Perceptions of trustworthiness are influenced by sociodemographic background and interpersonal trust, whereas competence is influenced by political party affiliation. External political efficacy and general assessments of government are significant correlates of both. Thus, perceptions of competence correlate with whether government is doing what citizens want, while perceptions of trustworthiness are influenced by experiences with bureaucrats. Efforts to reform the public bureaucracy with an eye toward increasing trust require strategies to increase the competence and trustworthiness of the public service.
Cumulative drought and land‐use impacts on perennial vegetation across a North American dryland region

Question The decline and loss of perennial vegetation in dryland ecosystems due to global change pressures can alter ecosystem properties and initiate land degradation processes. We tracked changes of perennial vegetation using remote sensing to address the question of how prolonged drought and land-use intensification have affected perennial vegetation cover across a desert region in the early 21st century? Location Mojave Desert, southeastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, USA. Methods We coupled the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Enhanced Vegetation Index (MODIS-EVI) with ground-based measurements of perennial vegetation cover taken in about 2000 and about 2010. Using the difference between these years, we determined perennial vegetation changes in the early 21st century and related these shifts to climate, soil and landscape properties, and patterns of land use. Results We found a good fit between MODIS-EVI and perennial vegetation cover (2000: R2 = 0.83 and 2010: R2 = 0.74). The southwestern, far southeastern and central Mojave Desert had large declines in perennial vegetation cover in the early 21st century, while the northeastern and southeastern portions of the desert had increases. These changes were explained by 10-yr precipitation anomalies, particularly in the cool season and during extreme dry or wet years. Areas heavily impacted by visitor use or wildfire lost perennial vegetation cover, and vegetation in protected areas increased to a greater degree than in unprotected areas. Conclusions We find that we can extrapolate previously documented declines of perennial plant cover to an entire desert, and demonstrate that prolonged water shortages coupled with land-use intensification create identifiable patterns of vegetation change in dryland regions.
Enthalpy-based flamelet model for HCCI applied to a rapid compression machine

Homogeneous-Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines have been shown to have higher thermal efficiencies and lower NO x and soot emissions than Spark Ignition engines. However, HCCI engines experience high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions. These pollutants are formed in regions of the cylinder where wall heat loss is significant. Improving CO and UHC emissions in HCCI engines requires a fundamental understanding of the heat loss, chemical kinetics, and transport between near wall regions and regions less affected by heat loss. In this study an enthalpy-based flamelet approach is introduced and applied in a simulation of a Rapid Compression Machine operated under HCCI conditions. This approach directly models transport between regions of higher and lower enthalpies. Results are compared to experimental data from Murase and Hanada [6]. The simulations correctly predict ignition timing trends as a function of initial mixture temperature. Additionally, the affect of modeled transport across enthalpies on ignition characteristics is quantified. It is demonstrated that this term is important and is of comparable magnitude to the chemical source term.
Stem pain after cementless revision total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often requires long diaphyseal supporting stems. Pain at the end of the cemented revision stem has been reported, but no study has been published regarding the incidence in cementless revision TKA. This study reviewed 120 cementless revision TKAs with a diaphyseal slotted stem to compare the incidence of stem pain to that in a control cohort of 100 primary TKA patients with a metaphyseal stem. In the revision cohort, 20 out of 120 patients reported pain at the end of their stem on the tibia, but no patient reported thigh pain. In the primary TKA cohort, seven out of 100 patients reported pain below the tibial stem. No correlation between stem length or stem fit was found. This study found that more than 16% of patients may have pain at the end of their press-fit revision TKA stem, and this complication should be explained to patients before their revision TKA surgery.
QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF HETEROCHRONY.

A model of quantitative-genetic variation in developmental processes is introduced and analyzed. The model is of a bifurcating sequence of events in which traits develop from the same tissue until a transition occurs, after which they develop partially independently. Genetic and environmental variation in both the rates of tissue growth and in the timing of transitions is considered. The model shows how genetic variation in developmental parameters governs variation and covariation in phenotypic traits and how selection on the phenotype alters the distributions of developmental parameters. Particular attention is paid to the conditions under which selection will lead to changes in the average times of developmental events.
Effects of time and nest-site characteristics on concealment of songbird nests

We studied the effect of time and nest-site characteristics on nest concealment measurements and analyzed differences in concealment between parasitized, nonparasitized, depredated, and fledged nests. Mean concealment at nests of three old-field bird species was best explained by bird species, nest plant, and height of the nest. Nests lost concealment over time, particularly those placed high in shrubs or roses (Rosa spp.). Mean and minimum concealment did not explain occurrence of predation or brood parasitism for any of the three bird species, and concealment at parasitized versus unparasitized nests and depredated versus fledged nests did not change differently over time. A literature review showed that most studies of real passerine nests using visual nest concealment have taken measurements after nest termination, and few studies indicated that concealment was important in explaining nest predation or brood parasitism. Late concealment measurements may be an additional source of error in nesting studies, especially if predation or parasitism is more likely to occur at nests sharing similar vegetation characteristics.
Identifi cation of Occupational Hazards of Electric Welding Operation and Its Protective Measurements

Occupational hazards of different methods of electric welding were introduced in brief,such as welding fume,toxic gas,noise,ultraviolet radiation,high frequency electromagnetic field,radioactive irradiation,etc.Principles for protective measurements of different occupational hazards were discussed for the protection of worker's health.
Determination of microelements in haia by inductively coupled plasma atom emission spectrum.

Objective: To deveplp amethod for rapid detection of multiple microelements in Hair samples. Methods: Microwave heating of hair sample digestion,iron,manganese,copper,zinc were determined by inductively coupled plasma atom emission spectrum. Results:The standard curve is linear in the rang of 0. 1 ~ 1. 0 × 10- 6,correlation coefficientr is more than 0.999. The results were all within uncertainty of the certified value of national reference materials. The relative standard deviations were all less than 6%. Conclusion: The method is rapid,simple and have satisfied accuracy and precision and it is suitable for determining iron,manganese,copper and zinc.
Studies with specific enzyme inhibitors. X. Mechanism of action of L-(+)-beta-monofluorlactate on crystalline heart muscle lactate dehydrogenase.

The L-(+) stereoisomer of β-monofluorolactic acid is a specific inhibitor of lactic acid dehydrogenase. The inhibition is competitive with respect to L-(+)-lactate, uncompetitive with DPN and pyruvate, and noncompetitive with DPNH. Kinetic analyses of substrate pairs in the presence of fluorolactate revealed that K i with respect to DPN is a linear function of the concentration of lactate, while K i with respect to lactate is directly proportional to the reciprocal of the concentration of DPN. In the reverse direction K i with respect to pyruvate is independent of the concentration of DPNH, and K i with respect to DPNH is a linear function of the reciprocal of the concentration of pyruvate. Fluorolactate in the forward reaction can combine only with the enzyme-DPN complex, while in the reverse direction the prerequisite for inhibition is the formation of an enzyme—pyruvate—DPNH complex.
Control of morphogenesis in sorghum by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and cytokinins

Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid caused a shortening of roots and shoots when mature seeds of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv. BTx3197 were germinated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium that contained 2,4-D. Shoot growth was restored with cytokinins. A callus formed at the nodal region, the further differentiation of which was determined by the ratio of 2,4-D and cytokinins in the initial culture medium. A high auxin to cytokinin ratio promoted primarily root differentiation while a high cytokinin to auxin ratio promoted multiple bud development. Isolated shoot apical meristem with the subtending node produced embryogenic callus at low cytokinin levels and green buds on high cytokinin levels when cultured in the presence of 2,4-D. It is concluded that cells potentially capable of differentiation into roots, somatic embryos or axillary buds are present in the first nodal region.
Immune-mediated Disease in Ipilimumab Immunotherapy of Melanoma with FDG PET-CT

Rationale and Objectives The purposes of this study were to provide a case-based overview of various immune-mediated side effects detected by 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in the patients receiving ipilimumab immunotherapy for treatment of malignant melanoma, and discuss the importance of recognizing immune-mediated side effects in the use of F-18 FDG PET-CT for monitoring therapeutic effects of ipilimumab on metastatic melanoma. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective case series study of the patients diagnosed with melanoma who were subjected to immunomodulating therapy with ipilimumab. F-18 FDG PET-CT findings were reviewed, and the patients with immune-mediated side effects were selected for further analysis, in conjunction with review of clinical progress notes, the results of laboratory tests, and findings of other imaging tests. Results Four patients with immune-mediated side effects were identified among the patients being treated with ipilimumab and subjected to F-18 FDG PET-CT for monitoring therapeutic effects. These immune mediated side effects include new findings of abnormal increased FDG uptake associated with immune-mediated pancreatitis and hypophysitis, as well as immune-mediated thyroiditis and colitis reported previously. Conclusions Various immune-mediated side effects were detected by F-18 FDG PET-CT in the patients subjected to immunomodulating therapy with ipilimumab. It is essential for the interpreting provider to recognize and differentiate abnormal FDG uptake associated with immune-mediated side effects from hypermetabolic malignant lesions when using F-18 FDG PET-CT for monitoring therapeutic effects of ipilimumab on melanoma lesions.
Barriers to Postpartum Follow-Up and Glucose Tolerance Testing in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Objective This study aims to examine factors associated with postpartum follow-up and glucose tolerance testing (GTT) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Materials and Methods Case-control study of women with GDM at a single institution with available outpatient records (January 2008–February 2016). Women with pregestational diabetes mellitus were excluded. The postpartum follow-up, GTT completion, and the reason for GTT completion failure (provider vs. patient noncompliance) were assessed. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors associated with postpartum follow-up and GTT completion. Results Of 683 women, 82.0% (n = 560) returned postpartum, and 49.8% (n = 279) of those completed GTT. Women with Medicaid and late presentation to care were less likely to return (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2–0.6 and aOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2–0.7), but if they did, both factors were associated with increased odds of GTT completion (aOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3–2.9 and aOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.8–6.6). Patient and provider noncompliance contributed equally to GTT completion failure. Trainee involvement was associated with improved test completion (aOR: 4.6, 95% CI: 2.4–8.8). Conclusion The majority of women with GDM returned postpartum, but many did not receive recommended GTT. Public insurance and late presentation were associated with failure to return postpartum, but better GTT completion when a postpartum visit occurred. Trainee involvement was associated with improved adherence to screening guidelines.
Steroid Hormone Formation and Metabolism

The decade of the 1960s saw the development of knowledge on the steroid synthetic capabilities of the fetal adrenals and the placenta in vitro and in situ. The important concept of the fetoplacental unit emerged in the second half of that decade from the extensive research effort of Diczfalusy, Solomon, and others; it emphasized that both organs have extensive but incomplete steroidogenic capabilities : the adrenal, being poor in 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, can carry out extensive steroid hydroxylation, but must use exogenous progesterone to synthesize Cortisol; the placenta produces large amounts of this precursor, but not from the basic building block—acetate. It depends on blood cholesterol as a precursor to form progesterone. The concept of fetoplacental unit is also central to the understanding of estrogen formation in pregnancy.
Sample Handling of Body Fluids for Proteomics

This chapter provides an overview of different approaches that can be used for sample preparation of body fluids for proteomics. Sample collection, protein extraction, protease inhibitor supplementation, sample storage, and abundant protein depletion are presented here in the context of various human body fluids. We emphasize that the particular set of techniques chosen for such investigations tightly correlates with the fluid to be analyzed, as no consensus methods are appropriate for all body fluids. However, we stress the need for standardized methods for the individual body fluids which is paramount in obtaining reproducible and robust data when analyzing human body fluids. In addition, we provide examples of optimized sample handling techniques using a systemic (urine) and a proximal body fluid (pancreatic fluid).
Acetate metabolism in Methanosarcina barkeri.

Methanosarcina barkeri was grown by acetate fermentation in complex medium (N2 gas phase). The molar growth yield was 1.6–1.9 g cells/mol methane formed. Under these conditions 63–82% of the methane produced byMethanosarcina strains was derived from the methyl carbon of acetate, indicating that some methane was derived from other media components. Growth was not demonstrated in complex media lacking acetate or mineral acetate medium containing acetate but lacking H2/CO2, methanol, or trypticase and yeast extract. Acetate metabolism byM. barkeri strain MS was further exmined in mineral acetate medium containing H2/CO2 and/or methanol, but lacking cysteine. Under these conditions, more methane was derived from the methyl carbon of acetate than from the carboxyl carbon. Methanogenesis from the methyl group increased with increasing acetate concentration. The methyl carbon contributed up to 42% of the methane formed with H2/CO2 and up to 5% with methanol. Methanol stimulated the oxidation of the methyl group of acetate to CO2. The average rates of methane formation from acetate were 1.3 nomol/min ·ml/culture (0.04mg2 cell dry weight) in defined media (gas phase H2/CO2) and complex media (gas phase N2). Acetate contributed up to 60% of cell carbon formed under the growth conditions examined. Similar quantities of cell carbon were derived from the methyl and carboxyl carbons of acetate, suggesting incorporation of this compound as a two-carbon unit. Incorporated acetate was not preferentially localized in lipid material, as 70% of the incorporated acetate was found in the wall and protein cell fractions. Acetate catabolism was stimulated by pregrowing of cultures in media containing acetate, while acetate anabolism was not influenced. The results are discussed in terms of the differences between the mechanisms of acetate catabolism and anabolism.
"A rose by any other name": does defining extreme phenotypes add to the management of multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by recurrent episodes of neurological dysfunction. Diagnostic criteria have evolved over time but the core principles of “dissemination in time” and “dissemination in space” have been retained. Different clinical phenotypes are recognized, such as the commonly encountered relapsing remitting and secondary progressive forms of the disease. Less commonly patients may present with a progressive course from onset.
A Sparse Unreliable Distributed Code Underlies the Limits of Behavioral Discrimination

The cortical code that underlies perception must enable subjects to perceive the world at timescales relevant for behavior. We find that mice can integrate visual stimuli very quickly (<100 ms) to reach plateau performance in an orientation discrimination task. To define features of cortical activity that underlie performance at these timescales, we measured single unit responses in the mouse visual cortex at timescales relevant to this task. In contrast to high contrast stimuli of longer duration, which elicit reliable activity in individual neurons, stimuli at the threshold of perception elicit extremely sparse and unreliable responses in V1 such that the activity of individual neurons do not reliably report orientation. Integrating information across neurons, however, quickly improves performance. Using a linear decoding model, we estimate that integrating information over 50-100 neurons is sufficient to account for behavioral performance. Thus, at the limits of perception the visual system is able to integrate information across a relatively small number of highly unreliable single units to generate reliable behavior.
Minimizing central line-associated bloodstream infections in a high-acuity liver transplant intensive care unit.

Background Increases in liver transplant patient perioperative acuity have resulted in frail immunosuppressed patients at elevated risk for nosocomial infections. Avoiding central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) is paramount to facilitate transplantation and post-transplant recovery. In 2015, our liver transplant intensive care unit (ICU) CLABSIs accounted for more than 25% of all CLABSI at our institution. We therefore undertook a multidisciplinary collaborative among clinical epidemiology, nursing, transplant surgery, and critical care to eliminate CLABSI events. Methods From 2014-2016, using Lean methodology and plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles, 14 interventions were implemented in the liver transplant ICU. Interventions were aimed at infection prevention, care standardization, and team-based monitoring. Implementation used quality improvement methodology including audit and feedback, education, standardization, multidisciplinary stakeholder involvement, and PDSA cycles. Process measures were monitored and audited. CLABSI rates per 1,000 central venous catheter (CVC) days were tracked by clinical epidemiology. Results During the intervention, 901 CVC catheter audits were completed. Improvements were seen on all process measures, and complete compliance increased from 25%-67%. CLABSI infection rates dropped from 4.2 to 1.8 in 1,000 CVC days, with an average of less than 1 CLABSI per month. This marked a 61.2% annual reduction, which correlated with an estimated $935,000 annual savings. Conclusion Concerted ongoing multidisciplinary collaboratives are essential to minimize CLABSI and optimize value and quality in a challenging, high-acuity patient population.
Truck Body-Type Classification using Single-Beam Lidar Sensors:

Understanding commodity flow through a region is key for estimating the demand for freight transportation facilities and services, forecasting energy consumption, analyzing safety risks, and addres...
Rhizobial tRNA-derived small RNAs are signal molecules regulating plant nodulation

Rhizobial infection and root nodule formation in legumes require recognition of signal molecules produced by the bacteria and their hosts. Here, we show that rhizobial transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNA fragments (tRFs) are signal molecules that modulate host nodulation. Three families of rhizobial tRFs were confirmed to regulate host genes associated with nodule initiation and development through hijacking the host RNA-interference machinery that involves ARGONAUTE 1. Silencing individual tRFs with the use of short tandem target mimics or by overexpressing their targets represses root hair curling and nodule formation, whereas repressing these targets with artificial microRNAs identical to the respective tRFs or mutating these targets with CRISPR-Cas9 promotes nodulation. Our findings thus uncover a bacterial small RNA-mediated mechanism for prokaryote-eukaryote interaction and may pave the way for enhancing nodulation efficiency in legumes.
Joint distribution and marginal distribution methods for checking assumptions of generalized linear model

In this article, we consider the model diagnostic plot and test of the generalized linear model. There exist several commonly used plotting methods and tests for checking the regression model assum...
On the Bullet Train with Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights in Japan

Judith Pascoe’s exploration of Emily Bronte’s iconic novel in Japan is original and vibrant—and surely, definitive. For both Bronte scholars and lay readers, Pascoe’s book offers an entree to an un...
Measuring continuous landscape patterns with Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) indices: An alternative to patch metrics?

Abstract Characterizing landscape patterns is an important analytical step towards understanding the effects of physical layouts on ecological and social processes. While a continuous representation of landscape structure has great potential as a realistic alternative to traditional patch-based models, its empirical merits have been limited by the lack of measures for quantifying patterns from such continuous surface. This paper examines the utility of Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) indices as spatial metrics applied to the landscape level for measuring underlying spatial properties. Eight GLCM indices (contrast, dissimilarity, homogeneity, energy, entropy, mean, variance, correlation) are compared to most commonly used 18 landscape metrics (LMs) featuring landscape composition, aggregation, dominance, dispersion, and shape complexity, with an application to urban tree canopy landscape. Two different types of map, sub-pixel tree canopy cover percentage map versus binary tree-pixel map, are used to compute GLCM indices and class-level LMs with a moving window approach across 4556 focal points. The data, extracted from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) and the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP), characterize the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio. Correlation and regression analyses demonstrate that there is a strong and robust analogy between textural traits implied by GLCM indices and patch-based characteristics measured by LMs. Four LM components generated by principal component analysis contribute differently to individual GLCM indices, enabling more nuanced interpretation of GLCM indices in terms of LMs. The identified meanings consist of a unique mix of patch abundance, aggregation, dispersion, large patch dominance, patch size variability, and landscape homogeneity. The prediction of landscape patterns by GLCM indices increases in accuracy with landscape size, to a scale comparable to census tracts, while staying robust to the variation in GLCM bin width. GLCM indices can serve as reliable indicators of spatial configuration, and therefore provide an effective tool for researchers to better utilize continuous landscape models.
On experimental determination of cell constants for interdigitated electrodes

Abstract The discrepancy reported in the literature between interdigitated electrode cell constants obtained from experiment and those obtained from numerical simulation is attributed, in part, to geometry-induced frequency dispersion. The frequency dispersion associated with the interdigitated electrode geometry yields a complex ohmic impedance with real asymptotic limits for ohmic resistance at high and low frequencies. The determination of cell constants from impedance measurements performed on gold interdigitated electrodes in aqueous KCl solutions of differing electrolyte resistivity is shown to be confounded by the presence of a surface film and by extrapolated values that fell between the high- and low-frequency ohmic resistances. A method is presented to ensure that impedance measurements performed in aqueous KCl solutions of differing concentration yields the low-frequency ohmic resistance, from which a well-defined cell constant is obtained that agrees with numerical simulations. The experimental results are supported by finite-element simulations that accounted for the presence of a film.
Effect of freestream turbulence on recovery factor of a thermocouple probe and its consequences

Abstract The temperature recovery factor of a thermocouple probe is important when being used to measure fluid temperature of a high-speed flow. Typically, the recovery factor is assumed to be dependent on the probe geometry and Prandtl number of the fluid, and invariant with freestream turbulence. In the present study, recovery factor of a butt-joint thermocouple probe is determined for two freestream turbulence conditions (0.25% and 7%). Results show that the recovery factor decreases with an increase in the freestream turbulence, which can lead to significant errors if not taken into consideration. The consequences of not taking into account the effect of freestream turbulence on the probe recovery factor is demonstrated with an application to energy separation in the wake of a circular cylinder.
Examining the prospects for Gigabit Broadband: Lessons learned from Google Fiber

Abstract This study examines possible lessons learned from the deployment of residential Gigabit networks based upon the novel approach taken by the Google Fiber project started in 2010. Even though Google Fiber paused any project expansion in 2016, calling into question the viability of their business model, the approach taken by Google Fiber elicits further research interest given four major innovations that this analysis identifies in its fiber-to-the-home business model. Based on a “top-down” financial model to estimate the costs of fiber deployment, this analysis shows that these four innovations pursued by Google Fiber, and now adopted on a widespread basis by other broadband providers, lower the costs of building residential Gigabit networks, and therefore can improve the prospects for new entry of service providers of residential broadband services. With technology advances pointing to further cost reductions in the cost of Gigabit networks, this analysis elevates the need for more detailed study of ongoing changes in the cost structure of local access networks to better anticipate future prospects for broadband competition.
Constraining the Mass Profiles of Stellar Systems: Schwarzschild Modeling of Discrete Velocity Datasets

(ABRIDGED) We present a new Schwarzschild orbit-superposition code designed to model discrete datasets composed of velocities of individual kinematic tracers in a dynamical system. This constitutes an extension of previous implementations that can only address continuous data in the form of (the moments of) velocity distributions, thus avoiding potentially important losses of information due to data binning. Furthermore, the code can handle any combination of available velocity components, i.e., only line-of-sight velocities, only proper motions, or a combination of both. It can also handle a combination of discrete and continuous data. The code finds the distribution function (DF, a function of the three integrals of motion E, Lz, and I3) that best reproduces the available kinematic and photometric observations in a given axisymmetric gravitational potential. The fully numerical approach ensures considerable freedom on the form of the DF f(E,Lz,I3). This allows a very general modeling of the orbital structure, thus avoiding restrictive assumptions about the degree of (an)isotropy of the orbits. We describe the implementation of the discrete code and present a series of tests of its performance based on the modeling of simulated datasets generated from a known DF. We find that the discrete Schwarzschild code recovers the original orbital structure, M/L ratios, and inclination of the input datasets to satisfactory accuracy, as quantified by various statistics. The code will be valuable, e.g., for modeling stellar motions in Galactic globular clusters, and those of individual stars, planetary nebulae, or globular clusters in nearby galaxies. This can shed new light on the total mass distributions of these systems, with central black holes and dark matter halos being of particular interest.
Efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with chronic phase CML resistant or intolerant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Approximately 15-20% of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients fail tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy secondary to resistance or intolerance. In the pre-TKI era, front-line allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) represented the standard approach for patients with chronic phase-CML (CP-CML) who were deemed fit to tolerate the procedure and had a human leukocyte antigen compatible donor available. Currently, CP-CML patients are eligible for allo-HCT only if they fail more than one TKI and/or are intolerant to the drug. We performed a systematic review/meta-analysis of the available literature to assess the evidence regarding allo-HCT efficacy in CP-CML patients. Data from eligible studies were extracted in relation to benefits (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival, disease-free survival [DFS], complete remission [CR], and molecular response [MR]) and harms (nonrelapse mortality [NRM], relapse, and acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease), and stratified by age into adult and pediatric groups. For adult allo-HCT recipients, the pooled OS, DFS, CR and, MR were 84% [95% confidence interval (CI) 59-99%], 66% (95% CI 59-73%), 56% (95% CI 30-80%), and 88% (95% CI 62-98%), respectively. Pooled NRM and relapse were 20% (95% CI 15-26%) and 19% (95% CI 10-28%), respectively. For the pediatric group, the OS rate was reported in one study and was 91% (95% CI 72-99%). Our results suggest that allo-HCT is an effective treatment for TKI-resistant or TKI-intolerant CP-CML. Post-transplant strategies are still needed to further mitigate the risk of relapse.
Using Novel Approaches to Evaluate Behavioral Interventions: Overlooked Significant HIV Prevention Effects in the HPTN 015 Project EXPLORE.

BACKGROUND Mediated and moderated processes that lead to intervention efficacy may underlie results of trials ruled as nonefficacious. The overall purpose of this study was to examine such processes to explain the findings of one of the largest, rigorously conducted behavioral intervention randomized controlled trials, EXPLORE. METHODS Four thousand two hundred ninety-five HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States were randomized in a 2-armed trial. Participants completed follow-up and an HIV test every 6 months up to 48 months. We used multiple and causal mediation analyses to test 5 mediators, including safer sex self-efficacy and condomless receptive anal sex with HIV-positive or status-unknown partners on our primary outcome (HIV seroconversion). We also examined whether intervention effects on the mediators would be moderated by robust correlates of HIV among MSM, including stimulant use. RESULTS There were significant effects of the intervention on all hypothesized mediators. Stimulant use moderated the effect on condomless receptive anal sex In stratified multiple mediation models, we found that among MSM with low stimulant use, the intervention significantly prevented HIV by reducing condomless receptive anal sex with HIV-positive or status-unknown partners. Among MSM with higher stimulant use, there were no indirect effects of the intervention on HIV through any of the hypothesized mediators. CONCLUSION The results suggest that the null effect found in the original EXPLORE trial might have occurred as a function of previously unexplored mediated and moderated processes. This study illustrates the value of testing mediated and moderated pathways in randomized trials, even in trials ruled out as nonefficacious.
Effect of strain rate on the deformation of hollow CoS nanoboxes and doubly porous self-assembled films

Abstract Nanomaterials with multiscale porosity are attractive as lightweight structural materials because unique deformation mechanisms can be programmed at different length scales. Here, we explore this concept by investigating the mechanics of hollow nanoboxes, as well as films self-assembled from nanoboxes. Hollow CoS nanoboxes with lengths of ∼ 900 nm and ∼ 15 MPa and loading modulus of ∼ 240 MPa regardless of strain rate. The nanoboxes deform through ductile, plastic bending of side walls at 0.001 s−1 strain rate, while brittle fracture occurs at the higher strain rates. Self-assembly of these nanoboxes results in films with relative density of ∼ 15 MPa and ∼ 230 kPa, respectively. The mechanical behavior of the film is compared to that of the nanobox building blocks, cellular foams and granular materials.
High Performance Computing Framework for Tera-Scale Database Search of Mass Spectrometry Data.

Database peptide search algorithms deduce peptides from mass spectrometry data. There has been substantial effort in improving their computational efficiency to achieve larger and more complex systems biology studies. However, modern serial and high-performance computing (HPC) algorithms exhibit suboptimal performance mainly due to their ineffective parallel designs (low resource utilization) and high overhead costs. We present an HPC framework, called HiCOPS, for efficient acceleration of the database peptide search algorithms on distributed-memory supercomputers. HiCOPS provides, on average, more than tenfold improvement in speed and superior parallel performance over several existing HPC database search software. We also formulate a mathematical model for performance analysis and optimization, and report near-optimal results for several key metrics including strong-scale efficiency, hardware utilization, load-balance, inter-process communication and I/O overheads. The core parallel design, techniques and optimizations presented in HiCOPS are search-algorithm-independent and can be extended to efficiently accelerate the existing and future algorithms and software. The study introduces the design and implementation of a parallel computational framework, called HiCOPS, for efficient acceleration of large-scale database peptide search workloads on supercomputers.
Defining and Treating High-grade B-cell lymphoma, NOS.

High-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (HGBL, NOS) is a recently introduced diagnostic category for aggressive B-cell lymphomas. It includes tumors with Burkitt-like or blastoid morphology that do not have double-hit cytogenetics and that cannot be classified as other well-defined lymphoma subtypes. HBCL, NOS are rare and heterogeneous; most have germinal center B-cell phenotype, and up to 45% carry a single-hit MYC rearrangement, but otherwise they have no unifying immunophenotypic or cytogenetic characteristics. Recent analyses utilizing gene expression profiling (GEP) revealed that up to 15% of tumors currently classified as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma display a HGBL-like GEP signature, indicating a potential to significantly expand the HGBL category using more objective molecular criteria. Optimal treatment of HGBL, NOS is poorly defined due to its rarity and inconsistent diagnostic patterns. A minority of patients have early-stage disease which can be managed with standard RCHOP-based approaches with or without radiation. For advanced-stage HGBL, NOS, which often presents with aggressive, disseminated disease, high lactate dehydrogenase, and involvement of extranodal organs (including the central nervous system [CNS]), intensified Burkitt lymphoma-like regimens with CNS prophylaxis may be appropriate. However, many patients diagnosed at age > 60 years are not eligible for intensive immunochemotherapy. An improved, GEP and/or genomic-based pathologic classification that could facilitate HGBL-specific trials is needed to improve outcomes for all patients. In this review, we discuss the current clinicopathologic concept of HGBL, NOS, existing data on its prognosis and treatment, and delineate potential future taxonomy enrichments based on emerging molecular diagnostics.
The weed paves the way.

The immediate future of genomics is easy to predict. Over the next few years we will be awash with DNA sequence datagenerated at an ever-increasing rate. The complete genomic sequences of human, mouse and several other model organisms will be described, facilitating gene discovery and enabling functional and genetic studies as never before. Subtleties of large genomes will be revealed, and sequence comparisons will uncover secrets of gene regulation and evolution. As more and more sequencing capacity comes on-line, whole-genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing of large genomes (>1,000 Mb) will become practical.
Humoral and cellular immune responses in Aspergillus fumigatus pulmonary disease

This study was designed to evaluate immunologic differences between aspergilloma (A) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), comparing the results to atopic and nonatopic control subjects. Humoral studies included skin tests with common inhalant antigens and Aspergillus fumigatus. Total and specific IgE and other immunologlobulin levels and serum precipitins were evaluated against A. fumigatus. Cellular immunity was studied with routine skin testing and phytohemaqglutinin-induced lymphocyte blast transformation. Antigen-induced blast transformation was also carried out with the use of serial dilutions of A. fumigatus. All patients with ABPA were atopic and had marked elevations of IgE. None of the patients were atopic and they had normal IgE levels. Immediate and late skin reactivity to A. fumigatus was low in control and A groups but high in 2 patients with ABPA. IgG antibody against A. fumigatus was generally greater in the ABPA group. Both ABPA and A had serum precipitating antibody against A. fumigatus. The atopic controls had elevated IgE levels and immediate skin test reactivity to A. fumigatus, and one also had weak serum precipitins against A. fumigatus. IgE antibody against A. fumigatus was generally higher in ABPA than A. ABPA and A patients had elevated stimulation indices (SI) to A. fumigatus. No stimulation could be detected with cells from control subjects. This study indicates that both T and B cell sensitization may play a role in the development of or as a response to aspergillus-related pulmonary disease.
Two-stage chain sampling inspection plans with different sample sizes in the two stages

A further generalization of the family of 'two-stage' chain sampling inspection plans is developed - viz, the use of different sample sizes in the two stages. Evaluation of the operating characteristics is accomplished by the Markov chain approach of the earlier work, modified to account for the different sample sizes. Markov chains for a number of plans are illustrated and several algebraic solutions are developed. Since these plans involve a variable amount of sampling, an evaluation of the average sampling number (ASN) is developed. A number of OC curves and ASN curves are presented. Some comparisons with plans having only one sample size are presented and indicate that improved discrimination is achieved by the two-sample-size plans.
Targeting cannabinoid receptor CB2 in cardiovascular disorders: promises and controversies

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, which can be largely attributed to atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammation of the arteries characterized by lesions containing immune and smooth muscle cells, lipids and extracellular matrix. In recent years, the lipid endocannabinoid system has emerged as a new therapeutic target in variety of disorders associated with inflammation and tissue injury, including those of the cardiovascular system. The discovery that Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the main active constituent of marijuana, inhibited atherosclerotic plaque progression via a cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor-dependent anti-inflammatory mechanism, and that certain natural and synthetic cannabinoid ligands could modulate the myocardial or cerebral ischaemia–reperfusion-induced tissue damage, have stimulated impetus for a growing number of studies investigating the implication of CB2 receptors in atherosclerosis, restenosis, stroke, myocardial infarction and heart failure. The aim of this review is to update on recent findings and controversies on the role of CB2 receptors in cardiovascular disease. Particular emphasis will be placed on novel insights in the potential cellular targets of CB2 stimulation in cardiovascular system (e.g. endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, infiltrating and/or resident monocytes/macrophages and leukocytes, etc.), their interplay and intracellular signalling mechanisms identified, as well as on experimental and clinical studies.