cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid Development of the Tropical Cyclone Warm Core

This paper presents a simple theoretical argument to isolate the conditions under which a tropical cyclone can rapidly develop a warm-core thermal structure and subsequently approach a steady state. The theoretical argument is based on the balanced vortex model and, in particular, on the associated transverse circulation equation and the geopotential tendency equation. These second-order partial differential equations contain the diabatic forcing and three spatially varying coefficients: the static stability A, the baroclinity B, and the inertial stability C. Thus, the transverse circulation and the temperature tendency in a tropical vortex depend not only on the diabatic forcing but also on the spatial distributions of A, B, and C. Experience shows that the large radial variations of C are typically the most important effect. Under certain simplifying assumptions as to the vertical structure of the diabatic forcing and the spatial variability of A, B, and C, the transverse circulation equation and the geopotential tendency equation can be solved via separation of variables. The resultingradialstructureequationsretainthedynamicallyimportantradialvariationofCandcanbe solvedin terms of Green’s functions. These analytical solutions show that the vortex response to a delta function in the diabatic heating depends critically on whether the heating occurs in the low-inertial-stability region outside the radius of maximum wind or in the high-inertial-stability region inside the radius of maximum wind. This resultsuggeststhatrapidintensification isfavoredforstormsthathaveat leastsome oftheeyewallconvection inside the radius of maximum wind. The development of an eye partially removes diabatic heating from the high-inertial-stability region of the storm center; however, rapid intensification may continue if the eyewall heating continues to become more efficient. As the warm core matures and static stability increases over the inner core, conditions there become less favorable for deep upright convection and the storm tends to approach a steady state.
SUMOylation of the polyglutamine repeat protein, ataxin-1 is dependent on a functional nuclear localization signal

SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) is a member of the ubiquitin family of proteins. SUMO targets include proteins involved in numerous roles including nuclear transport and transcriptional regulation. The previous finding that mutant ataxin-1[82Q] disrupted promyelocytic leukemia (PML) oncogenic domains prompted us to determine whether ataxin-1 disrupts another component of PML oncogenic domains, Sp100 (100-kDa Speckled protein). Similar to the PML protein, mutant ataxin-1[82Q] redistributed Sp100 to mutant ataxin-1[82Q] nuclear inclusions. Based on the ability of PML and Sp100 to be covalently modified by SUMO, we investigated the ability of ataxin-1 to be SUMOylated. SUMO-1 was found to covalently modify the polyglutamine repeat protein ataxin-1. There was a decrease in ataxin-1 SUMOylation in the presence of the expanded polyglutamine tract, ataxin-1[82Q]. The phospho-mutant, ataxin-1[82Q]-S776A, restored SUMO levels to those of wild-type ataxin-1[30Q]. SUMOylation of ataxin-1 was dependent on a functional nuclear localization signal. Ataxin-1 SUMOylation was mapped to at least five lysine residues. Lys(16), Lys(194) preceding the polyglutamine tract, Lys(610)/Lys(697) in the C-terminal ataxin high mobility group domain, and Lys(746) all contribute to ataxin-1 SUMOylation.
Practice Patterns for Combined Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Meniscal Surgery in the United States

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to compare frequency of meniscal repair to partial meniscectomy in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS) database.Hypotheses(1) Practice patterns are similar with respect to geographic region. (2) Surgeons with fellowship training perform more meniscal repairs compared with general orthopaedic practitioners. (3) Younger patients are more likely to be treated with meniscal repair at the time of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. (4) The frequency of meniscal repair in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has increased over time.Study DesignCross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.MethodsInformation was extracted from the ABOS database from 2002 orthopaedic surgeons who sat for the part II examination from 2003 to 2007. The database was queried for all patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] code 29...
The origin of chorionepitheliomas and of emboli from trophoblastic fragments enclosed in the myometrium

Abstract 1. 1. Two cases of chorionepithelioma have been presented in which the tumor apparently originated deeply in the myometrium. This location of the neoplasm made it inaccessible to the curette and consequently retarded the diagnosis. 2. 2. The Aschheim-Zondek reaction or Friedman test should be an especially valuable aid to early diagnosis of chorionepithelioma of the intramural type. 3. 3. Clinical symptoms suggesting chorionepithelioma, together with a strongly positive Aschheim-Zondek reaction or Friedman test, yet no evidence whatever of placenta or placental neoplasm in uterine curettements, should indicate surgical exploration. Such a procedure may often result in the early diagnosis and adequate treatment of an intramural newgrowth of placental origin. 4. 4. A retrogressing hemorhagic pulmonary lesion containing placental tissue has been described; and the disappearance of pulmonary metastases of chorionepithelioma has been discussed. 5. 5. The probable mechanism of metastasis of chorionepithelioma has been explained.
Semiclassical time‐dependent theory of two‐photon spectroscopy. The effect of dephasing in the virtual level on the two‐photon excitation spectrum of isotachysterol

It is commonly assumed that the nonlinear absorption of two photons is a process involving the simultaneous capture of two radiation quanta. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate semiclassically the spectroscopic consequences of relaxing this assumption by permitting dephasing in the virtual level. Semiclassical wave-packet propagation theory is used to model the vibronic consequences of finite, virtual-state population times. We demonstrate that extremely short virtual-state lifetimes (1‒10 femtoseconds) can have a profound effect on two-photon excitation line shapes and total vibronic envelopes. We provide experimental evidence suggesting that virtual state dephasing has an important influence on the two-photon excitation spectrum of the polyene chromophore of isotachysterol. Our analysis suggests that dephasing in the virtual state is of poetntial importance in defining the vibronic development of two photon spectra of many polyatomic molecules in solution.
Buried bump and AC coupled interconnection technology

A novel physical structure, buried solder bumps, is introduced that solves the compliance problems that exist in scaling present area array technologies to ever-higher densities. In this technique, buried bumps provide dc connections between integrated circuits and substrates and ac coupled interconnections provide paths for ac signals across the same interface. This approach requires co-design of packaging and circuits and meets the growing demands for both interconnect density and bandwidth. AC coupled interconnection arrays can be built with pitches for ac signals below 100 /spl mu/m and data rates of 6 Gb/s per I/O. This paper presents the physical and circuit aspects of this work as well as measured results from capacitively-coupled circuits fabricated in Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.35-/spl mu/m technology. Simulated results from capacitively-coupled circuits in TSMC 0.18 /spl mu/m are also presented.
A Scalable Hybrid Regulator For Down Conversion of High Input Voltage Using Low-Voltage Devices

This paper presents a voltage regulator topology, implemented using low-voltage devices, for converting high input voltage (>4.5 V) to low output voltages with fine-grain control (0.3 to 1 V). The topology merges a Dickson's switched-capacitor stage with a current-mode inductive buck stage, and optimizes the frequency of operations to reduce the overall passive size. The proposed two-stage hybrid regulator, designed in 130-nm standard digital process, operates from 4.8 to 6 V at input and regulates output voltage as low as 0.3 V with a maximum output power of 90 mW and a peak efficiency of 69%.
The Financial Outcome of Hiring a CEO from Outside the Firm

We investigate the financial result of boards’ choices to promote a new CEO from within the firm or hire externally, at large U.S. public firms between 1986 and 2005. This choice theoretically maximizes profits. Additionally, choosing a new CEO from outside the firm influences labor market demand and compensation for top executives. We use the structural self-selection modeling method to determine the performance (total cash flow) boards would have obtained by choosing the passed-over type of hire. The method accounts for boards that self-select their hiring source (inside or outside) to maximize profits. The model uses instrument variables that affect the decision to hire externally but are uncorrelated to firm performance. Standard methods are used to address any remaining concerns related to endogeneity, firm fixed effects, and truncation bias. Extensive robustness tests are run. Results are verified by using advanced matching estimators. Our results show that an economically significant gain is realized, on average, by hiring internally relative to what would have been obtained by hiring externally, whereas an economically significant loss is realized by hiring externally. This result is a) robust to analysis method, performance measure, and model specification, b) holds regardless of the time period, for both S&P 500-size and Forbes 800-size firms, and c) is not significantly changed by removing interim CEOs. Ours tests suggest the loss obtained when hiring externally is not attributable to weak governance or greater risk taking by outside hires to obtain superior performance. Instead, our results suggest that boards are unknowingly missing critical information about external candidates, which results in their decision to hire externally and a subsequent loss of profits. Our result can help explain the major trends in corporate governance and CEO compensation since 1934.
Postoperative opioid analgesic use after Nuss versus Ravitch pectus excavatum repair

Abstract Background/Purpose Anticipated postoperative pain may affect procedure choice in patients with pectus excavatum. This study aims to compare postoperative pain in patients undergoing Nuss and Ravitch procedures. Methods A 5year retrospective review was performed. Data on age, gender, Haller index, procedure, pain scores, pain medications, and length of hospital stay were collected. Total inpatient opioid administration was converted to morphine equivalent daily dose per kilogram (MEDD/kg) and compared between procedures. Results One hundred eighty-one patients underwent 125 (69%) Nuss and 56 (31%) Ravitch procedures. Ravitch patients were older (15.7 yo vs 14.6 yo, p=0.004) and had a higher Haller index (5.21 vs 4.10, p= Conclusion The Nuss procedure is associated with greater postoperative pain compared to the Ravitch procedure. Opioid use is higher in older patients undergoing the Nuss procedure, but is not associated with severity of deformity.
Oxide insertion layer in organic semiconductor devices

We investigate the counterintuitive phenomenon of inserting a transition metal oxide layer to improve hole injection or extraction in organic semiconductor devices using ultraviolet photoemission (UPS), x-ray photoemission (XPS), and inverse photoemission spectroscopy. We observe that metal oxides, such as MoO3 and WO3, substantially increase the work function when deposited on indium tin oxide. The increase lifts up the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the hole transport layer and therefore reduces the energy barrier between the HOMO and the Fermi level of the anode. The uplift creates an interface band-bending-like region that results in a drift electric field, which encourages the collection of holes at the anode. The optimum thickness for the oxide layer is estimated to be 2 nm. We also investigate the effects of air and O2 exposure of MoOx films. We observe that while most of the electronic energy levels of the oxide remain largely intact, the work-function reduction is substantial. The UPS and XPS data indicate that chemisorption is the major contributor of the work-function reduction. The reduction can be seen in two stages: initially dominated by oxygen adsorption at exposure <1013 L, and finally saturated by moisture at 1014 L.
The Effect of Approach on Spike Jump Height for Female Volleyball Players

The purpose of the study was to compare vertical jump height using a fourstep approach volleyball spike jump (VBSJ) and a standing countermovement jump (CMJ) for competitive female volleyball players. Ten NCAA Division I female volleyball players were recruited. Each participant performed jumps using two techniques: a four-step approach VBSJ and a standing CMJ. Mean jump height for the VBSJ (0.38 ± 0.06 m) was significantly greater than the CMJ (0.33 ± 0.05 m). No correlation between jump height and horizontal center of mass (CoM) velocity during the VBSJ approach was found. The results indicate that a four-step approach benefits jump height for elite female volleyball players. However, approach velocity is not a determining factor that makes a four-step approach more beneficial. Other characteristics, such as improved force development and power production may better explain the benefit of the VBSJ approach for female volleyball players.
An experimental study of vortex shedding behind linearly tapered cylinders at low Reynolds number

Experiments were performed to study vortex shedding behind a linearly tapered cylinder. Four cylinders were used, with taper ratios varying from 50:1 to 100:1. The cylinders were each run at four different velocities, adjusted to cover the range of laminar vortex shedding for a non-tapered cylinder. The flow was confirmed to consist of discrete shedding cells, each with a constant frequency. For a centrespan Reynolds number greater than 100, the dimensionless mean cell length was found to be a constant. Individual cell size was found to be roughly self-similar. New shedding cells were created on the ends of the cylinders, or in regions adjacent to areas not shedding. Successful scalings were found for both the cell shedding frequencies and their differences, the modulation frequencies. The modulation frequencies were found to be constant along the cylinder span. The shedding frequency Strouhal number versus Reynolds number curve was found to have a slightly steeper slope than the Strouhal number curve for a non-tapered cylinder. Vortex shedding was found to begin at a local Reynolds number of about 60, regardless of any other factors. End effects were found to be of little importance.The vortex splits, which form the links between shedding cells, were found to be similar in some respects to those found by earlier investigators. Amplitude results suggested that the splits at different spanwise locations are temporally sequenced by an overall flow mechanism, a supposition confirmed by flow visualization. Wavelet analysis results showed that while the behaviour of the shedding frequencies in time was relatively unaffected by changing taper ratio, the behaviour of the modulation frequency in time was greatly affected. Comparisons with other experiments point out the universality of vortex splitting phenomena.
Effects of year-round stocking rate and stocking method systems on performance of cow-calf pairs in the gulf coast region of the United States1

ABSTRACT The present research is the second phase (2 yr) of a multiyear cow-calf project examining the effect of stocking method, i.e., continuous and rotational, and fixed stocking rate on beef-cattle production. Two sets of 4 adjacent pastures, each containing a mixed warm-season, perennial grass sod [common bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.; dallisgrass, Paspalum dilatatum Poir.], were overseeded to ‘Marshall’ annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) in the autumn of 2 consecutive years. Within each set of 4 pastures, 1 of the following grazing treatments was randomly assigned each pasture: rotationally stocked (8 paddocks) at a low, medium, or high stocking rate (RL, RM, and RH) and continuously stocked at a moderate stocking rate (CM). Low, medium, and high stocking rates were 1.25, 2, and 2.75 cows/ha. Brangus cow-calf pairs were stocked on treatment pastures in March 2004. Mean cow BW was greater for RL compared with RM (P 0.20) for the RM versus RH (522 kg) and the RM versus CM (530 kg) stocking-treatment comparisons. Calf-adjusted 205-d BW was similar for all treatment contrasts. Pasture weaning BW differed between the RL versus RM (P
Stochastic Processes Driving Directional Evolution

Evolution is a stochastic process, resulting from a combination of deterministic and random factors. We present results from a general theory of directional evolution that reveals how random variation in fitness, heritability, and migration influence directional evolution. First, we show how random variation in fitness produces a directional trend toward phenotypes with minimal variation in fitness. Furthermore, we demonstrate that stochastic variation in population growth rate amplifies the expected change due to directional selection in small populations. Second, we show that the evolutionary impacts of migration depend on the entire distribution of migration rates such that increasing the variance in migration rates reduces the impact of migration relative to selection. This means that changing the variance in migration rates, holding the mean constant, can substantially change the potential for local adaptation. Finally, we show that covariation between stochastic selection and stochastic heritability can drive directional evolutionary change, and that this can substantially alter the outcome of evolution in variable environments.
Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors: coming of age.

Background:Agents targeting the epidermal growth factor (EGFR)-mediated signaling pathway are used in the treatment of various solid tumors, including lung, breast, pancreatic, colorectal, and head...
School Choice and the (Ir)Rational Parent

No Child Left Behind aims to have every student in the United States achieve "proficiency" in reading, mathematics, and science by 2014. It aims to eliminate the achievement gaps in test performance between students of different races, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds. To reach these goals, NCLB relies on rational choice theory. One of its key tools is public school choice. When a school fails to make adequate yearly progress towards the goal of 100% proficiency, that school must offer its students the right to transfer to a higher-performing school. In using choice as a tool, NCLB's drafters adopted the notion that injecting market competition into public education will efficiently provide better schools for all. NCLB views parents as rational actors who will seek the best academic education for their children and, in doing so, will pressure schools to provide better education. This article uses behavioral law and economics theory to examine the available empirical studies on how parents choose schools. Those studies undercut NCLB's premise that parents are rational actors when it comes to school selection. Instead, parental choice of schools is strongly influenced by implicit racial bias and by the parents' economic class, social networks and sources of information about schools. The article suggests that, as Congress considers reauthorization of NCLB, it attend to actual parent choice behavior and reconsider its use of school choice as a tool for achieving equity.
Self-Control Based on Soft Commitment

Complex ambivalence refers to situations in which high-valued temporally extended and abstract patterns of acts (such as healthy behavior) are opposed to high-valued particular acts (such as smoking a cigarette). In such situations, a self-controlled act differs from an impulsive act not by virtue of the source of control (inside versus outside the organism) but by virtue of the temporal extent of the contingencies controlling the behavior (extended versus constricted contingencies). Soft commitment is another name for patterning behavior over time so that it may come into contact with temporally distant or extended contingencies. Behavioral methods of establishing self-control typically target particular impulsive acts. The present article suggests that self-control in situations of complex ambivalence also may be achieved by focusing not on reducing the impulsive act itself but on the establishment of patterns (soft commitment) so that behavior comes into contact with the extended contingencies. As an illustration of how this may be accomplished, a specific self-control program is outlined for smoking.
A two-layer model for aseismic slip on the Superstition Hills fault, California

A new differential creepmeter on the Superstition Hills fault reveals that afterslip at approximately 28 mm/year consists of episodic creep events super-imposed on a slow stable-slip component of 2.4 mm/year. The relative contribution from this background slip (8.5% of the total aseismic surface slip) has remained approximately constant for the past 2 years. To account for this observed behavior, we proposed a two-layer model for aseismic slip in which stable-sliding occurs from the surface to a transition depth, below which episodic creep events are initiated. These creep events propagate to the surface through the stable-sliding layer. From the ratio of background slip velocity to total afterslip velocity, we estimate the ratio of depths of stable-sliding to episodic-slip regions to be approximately 1:10. Thus, assuming that episodic slip extends to 3 km, we infer that background surface creep is moderated by processes in the uppermost 300 m. We speculate that the transition depth is sensitive to applied fault-normal stresses and suggest that the ratio of stable-sliding to episodic-slip velocities may provide an indication of secular variations in tectonic stress. Since the background creep is evidently continuous and little affected by episodic events, its velocity may provide a sensitive indication of applied tectonic strain in the period range days to years.
An Opportunity to Reflect on Your Teaching Journey

As an instructor of preservice music students, I constantly search for activities to use in the classroom that encourage personal reflection. Recently, on sifting through articles and prior activities, I became reacquainted with Miller’s (2006) list of “5 questions that will change your life.” At the conclusion of one methods class, I provided 10 minutes for the students to answer the five questions. A few student responses are included below for each question.
An Application of the Marriage Lemma

An important proposition in graph theory is a celebrated theorem of K6nig and Hall, often referred to as the Marriage Lemma [1]. Let us briefly recall what this theorem is about and why it deserves this name. By a graph one means a set (for our purposes always finite) whose elements are referred to as vertices, together with a certain distinguished set of unordered pairs of vertices, referred to as edges. A graph is called bipartite if the set of vertices is partitioned into two parts so that no edge connects two vertices in the same part. These two parts shall be denoted by G and B, having the application in mind that G is a set of girls and B a set of boys; the elements will be called g-vertices and b-vertices (girls, respectively boys). In this application an edge between vertices g and b has the meaning that boy b is acceptable to girl g as a future marriage partner. In general, for a given bipartite graph we say that G can be matched into B, if it is possible to select for each g-vertex one edge incident with it such that no two edges thus selected terminate on the same b-vertex. Thus, a matching in the application indicates that it is possible to arrange that each girl shall be married to a boy acceptable to her, without thereby any bigamy being created. A matching for a bipartite graph may or may not be possible, but if it is, then for every subset F of G the total number of b-vertices that are connected to some gvertices in F cannot be less than the number of g-vertices in F. This much is obvious. But what is far from obvious is that this condition is also sufficient; that constitutes the content of:
DYSPNEA IN A YOUNG PATIENT WITH CARCINOID HEART DISEASE

Carcinoid tumors are rare, with an incidence of 1 in 100,000 of the general population. Carcinoid heart disease can be the initial presentation of carcinoid tumors in up to 20-50% of the cases. A 25-year-old woman presenting to our outpatient cardiology clinic with a 4-year history of progressive
On the Present Abstracted the Victims-Aid Function from the Victim-Protection

The system of Victim-protection,being an invention of legal history of our country,asks a battery offender to rescue his victim actively and the Offender's penalty will be decided according to the effect of rescue.Through the analysis of the function of aid for criminal,we inquire the substantive and procedural contracted the function of aid for criminal of the system of Victim-protection under the present system of the obviously afterward aid of civil procedure and the unreasonable identification of the disabled,transplanting the function of aid for criminal victims from Victim-protection,to promote the development of system of justice aid.
Dichotomous effects of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activation on human fetoplacental endothelial cell function

Abstract Introduction Maternal cigarette smoking is associated with elevated fetoplacental vascular resistance and fetal growth restriction (FGR). While studies have demonstrated varying effects of nicotine on blood flow, the role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), abundant toxins in cigarette smoke that cross the placenta, has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that exposure of human fetoplacental endothelial cells (ECs) to the PAH benzo[ a ]yrene (BaP) would result in up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2) and preferential production of vasoconstrictive prostanoids via activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway. Methods ECs were isolated, cultured, and treated with vehicle or BaP. ECs were subjected to real-time PCR, western blotting, enzyme immunoassays, wound scratch assays, tube formation assays, and RNA interference against AHR. Statistical analyses were performed with Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA followed by multiple comparisons testing when appropriate, or the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results BaP induced PTGS2 expression (p Discussion BaP-mediated AHR activation results in induction of PTGS2 expression and enhanced production of prostacyclin metabolite. Despite an increase in this vasodilatory and pro-angiogenic prostanoid, BaP exposure also impairs EC migration and angiogenesis through AHR. This suggests that PAH may adversely affect the fetoplacental vasculature through its regulation of angiogenesis.
Federal Legislation for Young Children with Disabilities

Other chapters in this volume have addressed issues of identification and treatment of infants or young children with autism or related disabilities. This chapter describes key features of the federal legislation, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that has provided much of the impetus for changes in policies and funding for services for these young children. The chapter describes the context in which the legislation was passed and outlines key features of a “free and appropriate public education” which is guaranteed to those aged 3 to 21 and services extended to children from birth through age 2 and their families under the legislation. This description will address services to be provided to individual children aged 3 to 5 and from birth through age 2, rights guaranteed to parents and children in accessing those services, and requirements that states must meet in order to qualify for the federal funding, including an overview of parents’ rights in reviewing and approving state plans.
Detecting Chronic Kidney Disease Using Machine Learning

Motivation Chronic kidney disease (CKD) refers to the loss of kidney functions over time which is primarily to filter blood. Based on its severity it can be classified into various stages with the later ones requiring regular dialysis or kidney transplant. Chronic kidney disease mostly affects patients suffering from the complications of diabetes or high blood pressure and hinders their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. In Qatar, due to the rapidly changing lifestyle there has been an increase in the number of patients suffering from CKD. According to Hamad Medical Corporation [2], about 13% of Qatar's population suffers from CKD, whereas the global prevalence is estimated to be around 8–16% [3]. CKD can be detected at an early stage and can help at-risk patients from a complete kidney failure by simple tests that involve measuring blood pressure, serum creatinine and urine albumin [1]. Our goal is to use machine learning techniques and build a classification model that can predict if an individ...
Speech Inconsistency in Children With Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Language Impairment, and Speech Delay: Depends on the Stimuli

Purpose The current research sought to determine (a) if speech inconsistency is a core feature of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) or if it is driven by comorbid language impairment that affects a...
Non-Viral Gene Therapy for Pulmonary Disease

Non-viral gene therapy now includes a number of different strategies ranging from direct intramuscular injection of naked DNA to the systemic or local administration of formulations comprising DNA and lipid, proteins, peptides or polymers. While the main limitation of non-viral gene transfer methods is their relatively low efficiency in vivo, both preclinical and clinical studies indicate that these methods exhibit safety profiles similar to conventional pharmaceutical and biological products. Cationic liposome-based gene therapy has been extensively studied for the treatment of the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, where research has reached the stage of clinical trials. Non-viral gene delivery has also been studied with a view to developing treatment for the acute lung injury and pulmonary oedema associated with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this chapter, following a brief overview of non-viral gene transfer, the progress of both clinical studies for CF gene therapy and preclinical studies for pulmonary oedema are described.
Signal-to-noise ratio enhancement using graphene-based passive microelectrode arrays

This work is aimed toward the goal of investigating the influence of different materials on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of passive neural microelectrode arrays (MEAs). Noise reduction is one factor that can substantially improve neural interface performance. The MEAs are fabricated using gold, indium tin oxide (ITO), and chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene. 3D-printed Nylon reservoirs are then adhered to the glass substrates with identical MEA patterns. Reservoirs are filled equally with a fluid that is commonly used for neuronal cell culture. Signals are applied to glass micropipettes immersed in the solution, and response is measured on an oscilloscope from a microprobe placed on the contact pad external to the reservoir. The time domain response signal is transformed into a frequency spectrum, and SNR is calculated from the ratio of power spectral density of the signal to the power spectral density of baseline noise at the frequency of the applied signal. We observed as the magnitude or the frequency of the input voltage signal gets larger, graphene-based MEAs increase the signal-to-noise ratio significantly compared to MEAs made of ITO and gold. This result indicates that graphene provides a better interface with the electrolyte solution and could lead to better performance in neural hybrid systems for in vitro investigations of neural processes.
Activin A amplifies dysregulated BMP signaling and induces chondro-osseous differentiation of primary connective tissue progenitor cells in patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

Abstract Background Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), is caused by mutations in the type I BMP receptor ACVR1 that lead to increased activation of the BMP-pSmad1/5/8 signaling pathway. Recent findings suggest that Activin A (Act A) promiscuously stimulates the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway in vitro and mediates heterotopic ossification (HO) in mouse models of FOP, but primary data from FOP patient cells are lacking. Objective To examine BMP-pSmad1/5/8 pathway signaling and chondro-osseous differentiation in response to endogenous and exogenous Act A in primary connective tissue progenitor cells [CTPCs; also known as stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) cells] from patients with FOP. These cells express the common FOP mutation, ACVR1 (R206H). Results We found that Act A amplifies dysregulated BMP pathway signaling in human FOP primary CTPCs cells through the Smad1/5/8 pathway and induces chondro-osseous differentiation. Amplification of BMP-pSmad1/5/8 signaling was inhibited by Follistatin and by a neutralizing antibody to Activin A. The increased basal pSmad1/5/8 activity, as well as the hypoxia-induced stimulation of FOP CTPCs cells, were BMP4 and Act A independent. Importantly, either BMP4 or Act A stimulated pSmad1/5/8 pathway signaling but BMP4 signaling was not dependent on Activin A and vice versa. Circulating plasma levels of Act A or BMP4 are similar in controls compared to FOP patients, and suggest the potential for an autocrine or paracrine route for pathological signaling. Conclusions The mutated FOP receptor [ACVR1 (R206H)] is hypersensitive to BMP4 and uniquely sensitive (compared to the wild type receptor) to Act A. Both canonical and non-canonical ligands have a synergistic effect on BMP-pSmad1/5/8 signaling in FOP CTPCs and may cooperate to alter the threshold for HO in FOP. Our findings in primary human FOP CTPCs have important implications for the design of clinical trials to inhibit dysregulated BMP pathway signaling in humans who have FOP.
Abstract 15916: EGF-Like Ligands Contribute to Neointimal Formation via Nox1-Mediated SMC Growth

Chronic inflammation is associated with extracellular oxidative stress and accelerated vascular disease. We have reported that a more oxidized extracellular redox state promotes epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like ligand shedding, resulting in EGFR-mediated increase in expression of Nox1 NADPH oxidase and proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC). Furthermore, we observed increased plasma levels of EGF-like ligands, particularly HB-EGF, in a non-human primate model of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that EGF-like ligands contribute to the development of vascular disease by promoting Nox1-mediated SMC growth. In cultured SMCs, treatment with HB-EGF increased Nox1 transcription and SMC proliferation. Expression of siRNA to Nox1, but not Nox4, prevented HB-EGF-induced cell growth. The mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoTEMPO inhibited HB-EGF-mediated Nox1 expression and SMC proliferation. Furthermore, overexpression of Nox1 restored HB-EGF-mediated proliferation in the presence of MitoTEMPO. We next implanted osmotic minipumps containing HB-EGF into 16-wk old hypercholesterolemic mice and 2d later performed carotid ligation as a model of vascular injury. Two weeks following ligation, mice receiving HB-EGF demonstrated a 60% increase in plasma HB-EGF, 65% increase in aortic expression of Nox1, and a 55% increase in carotid intimal area (I/M ratio 0.52±0.01 vs. 0.91±0.01, p 50%) were divided into two groups based on the severity of allograft vasculopathy as determined by angiography. HB-EGF levels positively correlated with disease severity, with circulating concentrations 1.9-fold higher in patients with moderate to severe coronary disease as compared to patients with absent to mild disease (n=9/group; p
First spot urine sodium after initial diuretic identifies patients at high risk for adverse outcome after heart failure hospitalization.

Abstract Background Relief of congestion is the primary goal of initial therapy for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Early measurement of urine sodium concentration (UNa) may be useful to identify patients with diminished response to diuretics. The aim of this study was to determine if the first spot UNa after diuretic initiation could select patients likely to require more intensive therapy during hospitalization. Methods At the time of admission, 103 patients with ADHF were identified prospectively, and UNa was measured after the first dose of intravenous diuretic. Clinical outcomes were compared for patients with UNa >60 mmol/L and UNa of ≤60 mmol/L, with the primary outcome of a composite of death at 90 days, mechanical circulatory support during admission, and requirement of inotropic support at discharge. Results Patients with UNa ≤60 had lower admission blood pressure, had less chronic neurohormonal antagonist prior to admission, and were more than twice as likely to experience the primary end point (hazard ratio 2.40, 95% CI 1.02-5.66, P = .045), which was marginally significant after adjusting for renal function and baseline home loop diuretic. Worsening renal function was significantly more common in patients with UNa 60. Conclusions Assessment of spot UNa after initial intravenous loop diuretic administration may facilitate identification and triage of a population of HF patients at increased risk for adverse events and prolonged hospitalization.
Study of the Surge Signals in a Plasma-Filled Rectangular Cavity

The aim of this analytical study of a plasma-filled rectangular cavity in time domain is to exhibit the ability of the evolutionary approach to study the electromagnetic fields forced by surge signals in a dynamical system. Maxwell’s equations for the fields and the boundary conditions for the perfect electric conductor rectangular cavity are supplemented with the constitutive relation for the plasma. Two different pulse waveforms were used for modeling of the surge signals exciting the fields. The solution is obtained for the dynamical system in the form of product of two elements. First element that depends on coordinates is a modal basis. The other element depending on time is a modal amplitude. The modal basis is specified as a summation of four subspaces. Two of these subspaces resemble the solenoidal modes, and the other two resemble the irrotational modes. Evolutionary differential equations with initial conditions are obtained and solved analytically for the amplitudes.
The Effect of Airfoil Shape on Trailing Edge Noise

This paper investigates the effect of airfoil shape on trailing edge noise. The boundary layer profiles are obtained by XFOIL and the trailing edge noise is predicted by a TNO semi-empirical model....
Export Profile and Prospects of Minority-Owned U.S. Firms

The continued high level of interest in the exporting activities of U.S. companies is partly attributable to the ever-present U.S. trade deficit. Substantial effort has been devoted to providing export incentives to those companies with exportable products and services, particularly among small and medium-sized firms. The present study profiles the exporting activities and prospects of U.S. minority-owned firms. An examination of the export activities of minority-owned firms is useful to obtaining a better understanding of the status of international trade in this subgroup. Implications for public policy concerning the effective management of export marketing enhancement programs for minority-owned as well as small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms are also presented.
David Oliver: Government's approach to alcohol harm is incoherent.

For a decade or more we’ve been hearing big government rhetoric on prevention of ill health, promotion of wellbeing, and “parity of esteem” for mental health. Speaking at last week’s NHS Expo Conference, Public Health England’s chief executive, Duncan Selbie, said that NHS England’s 2014 Five Year Forward View had “told a fantastic story,” yet its ambitions for prevention hadn’t been implemented.12 With the upcoming 10 year plan,3 things had to change, he said. In public health, prevention and treatment of alcohol misuse and its effects illustrate a huge mismatch between platitudes and practice. The 2012 Health and Social Care Act shifted public health funding and provision to local authorities, ostensibly because local government has influence over wider societal determinants of health, such as education, housing, leisure, transport, and social care.4 But local government budgets have been cut hard ever since, with public health hit hard.56 In 2012-13 the ringfence on council budgets for drug and …
Sustainability at scale: towards bridging the intention-behavior gap with sustainable recommendations

Finding sustainable products and evaluating their claims is a significant barrier facing sustainability-minded customers. Tools that reduce both these burdens are likely to boost the sale of sustainable products. However, it is difficult to determine the sustainability characteristics of these products --- there are a variety of certifications and definitions of sustainability, and quality labeling requires input from domain experts. In this paper, we propose a flexible probabilistic framework that uses domain knowledge to identify sustainable products and customers, and uses these labels to predict customer purchases. We evaluate our approach on grocery items from the Amazon catalog. Our proposed approach outperforms established recommender system models in predicting future purchases while jointly inferring sustainability scores for customers and products.
Reversing a Lattice ECP3 FPGA for Bitstream Protection

Field programmable gate arrays are used in nearly every industry, including consumer electronics, automotive, military and aerospace, and the critical infrastructure. The reprogrammability of field programmable gate arrays, their computational power and relatively low price make them a good fit for low-volume applications that cannot justify the non-recurring engineering costs of application-specific integrated circuits. However, field programmable gate arrays have security issues that stem from the fact that their configuration files are not protected in a satisfactory manner. Although major vendors offer some sort of encryption, researchers have demonstrated that the encryption can be overcome. The security problems are a concern because field programmable gate arrays are widely used in industrial control systems across the critical infrastructure. This chapter explores the reverse engineering process of a Lattice Semiconductor ECP3 field programmable gate array configuration file in order to assist infrastructure owners and operators in recognizing and mitigating potential threats.
Evidence Base Update on the Treatment of Early Childhood Anxiety and Related Problems.

The controlled evaluation of treatments for early childhood anxiety and related problems has been a relatively recent area of investigation, and accordingly, trials examining early childhood anxiet...
Building resilience of health systems to climate change in Pacific Least Developed Countries: implementation science

Abstract Background The Pacific Least Developed Countries (LDCs)—Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu—are among the countries most vulnerable to climate variability and change. Key climate change risks include loss of livelihoods, coastal settlements, infrastructure, ecosystem services, and economic stability; and interaction of sea level rise with high-water-level events, threatening low-lying coastal areas. These risks result in increased health impacts, including deaths and injuries from extreme events (eg, heatwaves, storms, and floods); increased risks of infectious diseases (including food-borne, water-borne, and vector-borne); food insecurity and malnutrition; and diffuse impacts from loss of livelihoods and migration. The young, older adults, women of reproductive age, and people with disabilities are most vulnerable. Methods Building resilience to climate change requires that these countries develop National Climate Change and Health Action Plans, including Vulnerability and Adaptation assessments. Findings Temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events can influence the incidence, geographic distribution, and seasonality of climate-sensitive health outcomes. In addition, many hospitals and community health centres are highly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, storm surges, sea level rise, and disturbances in water supply caused by drought or salination of aquifers. The capacity to provide health services, particularly in emergency situations, is substantially affected if buildings and essential supplies and amenities are damaged. The majority of health facilities are not resilient to climate-induced pressures in terms of structural, non-structural, and functional safety. Interpretation The most effective measures to reduce vulnerability are (i) short-term programmes that implement and improve basic public health measures, including the provision of safe water and improved sanitation, secure essential health care, and increase capacity for disaster preparedness and response; and (ii) longer-term programs that enhance national health systems and institutions with climate change-related risks integrated into health governance, strengthen health information management systems, and ensure effective and accessible delivery of health services. Funding Least Developed Countries Fund under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Intercultural Effectiveness and Leadership: Exploring the Intersection of Two College Student Outcomes

This qualitative study drew data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, examining how two liberal arts outcomes, intercultural effectiveness and leadership, functioned together i...
United States university-based officer training and its influence on physical assessment test performance.

Introduction Cadets participating in Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) at US universities undergo both Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) evaluations prior to commissioning. The current study examined the relationship between ROTC physical training (PT) attendance and performance in the APFT and OPAT, and characterised physical activity of cadets outside of PT. Methods Twenty-six cadets’ (21 males; age=20.81±2.48 years; height=171.16±8.62 cm; body mass=75.49±13.17 kg; body mass index=25.68±3.37 kg/m2) PT attendance, and diagnostic (week 1) and record (week 13) OPAT and APFT scores were documented. Paired samples t-tests evaluated differences in APFT and OPAT scores between the diagnostic and record tests. Pearson correlations were utilised to determine if a relationship existed between PT attendance and test performance. Participating cadets also completed monthly self-reported physical activity questionnaire (September, October, November); findings were reported using descriptive statistics. Results Cadets attended 87% of PT sessions between OPAT administrations and 85% between APFT administrations. Cadets significantly improved the following test components: standing long jump (p=0.034), seated power throw (p=0.029), shuttle run (p=0.005), sit-ups (p=0.003) and 2-mile run (p=0.045). A significant, positive correlation was found between PT attendance and APFT sit-ups improvements (r=0.473, p=0.015). Cadets’ frequently reported additional physical activity days per week (range: 2.8–3.1 aerobic, 3.2–3.8 strength/power, 2.9–3.2 core strength/endurance). Conclusions Regular participation in a single semester of ROTC PT was found to significantly increase cadets’ scores in some, but not all, components of the APFT and OPAT. Self-reported physical activity results indicate that cadets regularly train outside of organised PT.