cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
c-Jun NH2-terminal Kinases Target the Ubiquitination of Their Associated Transcription Factors

Regulatory proteins are often ubiquitinated, depending on their phosphorylation status as well as on their association with ancillary proteins that serve as adapters of the ubiquitination machinery. We previously demonstrated that c-Jun is targeted for ubiquitination by its association with inactive c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Phosphorylation by activated JNK protects c-Jun from ubiquitination, thus by prolonging its half-life. In the study reported here, we determined the ability of JNK to target ubiquitination of its other substrates (Elk1 and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2)) and associated proteins (ATF2 and JunB). We demonstrate that phosphorylation by JNK protects ATF2, but not Elk1, from JNK-targeted ubiquitination. We also show that association of inactive JNK with JunB or ATF2 is necessary to target them for ubiquitination. Unlike its targeting of c-Jun, JNK requires additional cellular components, yet to be identified, to target the ubiquitination of ATF2. Elk1 is phosphorylated by JNK, but JNK neither associates with nor targets Elk1 for ubiquitination. The implications for the dual role of JNK in the regulation of ubiquitination and stability of c-Jun, ATF2, and JunB in normally growing versus stressed cells are discussed.
Recent Results in Micromechanics

The elastic and plastic fields (displacement, stress, plastic strain) are investigated for a uniformly moving inclusion and a dislocation loop. From the results of analysis a new concept of essential distributions of dislocations is proposed. Finally, the enerqy release rate of a moving crack is given by the J integral and dislocation density tensors.
EXISTENCE AND COMPUTATION OF TOURS THROUGH IMPRECISE POINTS

Assume that an ordered set of imprecise points is given, where each point is specified by a region in which the point may lie. This set determines an imprecise polygon. We show that it is NP-hard to decide whether it is possible to place the points inside their regions in such a way that the resulting polygon is simple. Furthermore, it is NP-hard to minimize the length of a simple tour visiting the regions in order, when the connections between consecutive regions are not needed to be straight line segments. We also present two linear-time algorithms to compute the shortest and longest possible tour for the case where the polygon is not required to be simple and the regions are squares.
State-Space Quantization Design for the Suboptimal Control of Constrained Systems Using Neuromorphic Controllers

During the last few years there has been considerable interest in the use of trainable controllers based upon the use of neuron-like elements, with the expectation being that these controllers can be trained, with relatively little effort, to achieve good performance. However, good performance hinges on the ability of the neural net to generate a "good" control law even when the input does not belong to the training set, and it has been shown that neural-nets do not necessarily generalize well. It has been proposed that this problem can be solved by essentially quantizing the state-space and then using a neural-net to implement a table look-up procedure. However, there is little information on the effect of this quantization upon the controllability properties of the system. In this paper we address this problem by extending the theory of control of constrained systems to the case where the controls and measured states are restricted to finite or countably infinite sets. These results provide the theoretical framework for recently suggested neuromorphic controllers but they are also valuable for analyzing the controllability properties of computer-based control systems.
The Effect of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on Pulmonary Metastatic Disease in a Murine Model of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Introduction: Women who smoke have a higher rate of fatal breast cancer than nonsmoking women. An association between smoking and pulmonary metastases from breast cancer has been suggested by epidemiologic studies. Study objectives: To examine the relationship between exposure to cigarette smoke and pulmonary metastasis in a murine model of metastatic mammary cancer. Study design: Prospective, randomized study. Setting: Animal research laboratory. Experimental subjects: Female sexually mature BALB/cAnN mice. Interventions: Mice were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Experimental animals were exposed to cigarette smoke in specialized exposure chambers, at concentrations chosen to approximate active cigarette smoking. Control animals were exposed to filtered air. One week after the initiation of exposures, mouse mammary tumor cells (tumor cell line 4526) were injected into the tail veins of experimental animals at one of three concentrations (50,000, 100,000, or 150,000 cells per 100 L). Three weeks later, the mice were killed, and pulmonary metastases were counted and measured. Results: The mean metastatic burden in the lungs was consistently greater for smoke-exposed animals at each concentration of cells injected (at 50,000 cells per 100 L, 9.8 vs 4.8 m 3 , respectively [p 0.10]; and at 150,000 cells per 100 L, 42.0 vs 20.1, respectively [p < 0.02]) rather than to a change in nodule size. Conclusions: Cigarette smoke exposure is associated with an increase in the total pulmonary metastatic burden in this murine model of metastatic mammary cell cancer. This study provides experimental support for an adverse effect of smoking on the metastatic process and suggests a possible mechanism for smokers’ increased breast cancer mortality. (CHEST 2004; 125:1467–1471)
Subcontinua of the closure of the unstable manifold at a homoclinic tangency

Suppose that $F$ is a $C^\infty$ diffeomorphism of the plane with hyperbolic fixed point $p$ for which a branch of the unstable manifold, $W^u_+(p)$, has a same-sided quadratic tangency with the stable manifold, $W^s(p)$. If the eigenvalues of $DF$ at $p$ satisfy a non-resonance condition, each nonempty open set of $ \cl( W^u_+(p))$ contains a copy of any continuum that can be written as the inverse limit space of a sequence of unimodal bonding maps.
Radial distribution load flow using conic programming

This paper shows that the load flow problem of a radial distribution system can be modeled as a convex optimization problem, particularly a conic program. The implications of the conic programming formulation are threefold. First, the solution of the distribution load flow problem can be obtained in polynomial time using interior-point methods. Second, numerical ill-conditioning can be automatically alleviated by the use of scaling in the interior-point algorithm. Third, the conic formulation facilitates the inclusion of the distribution power flow equations in radial system optimization problems. A state-of-the-art implementation of an interior-point method for conic programming is used to obtain the solution of nine different distribution systems. Comparisons are carried out with a previously published radial load flow program by R. Cespedes
Copeptin in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Copeptin is a peptide derived from pre-provasospression along with arginine vasospressin. In the setting of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), elevated serum copeptin levels correlate with vasospasm, inpatient mortality, mortality at 1 year, and poor functional outcome at 1 year. The potential role of serum copeptin levels in the management of patients with aneurysmal SAH is promising and should be explored further.
Materials and Devices for Coherent Optical Computing

The tremendous potential offered by optical data processing has been well reviewed in numerous texts [1–3], articles [4–7], conferences [8–10], and special issues [11–15]. The. ability to perform complex spatial filtering, correlation, linear and nonlinear transformations optically in parallel and in real-time is well recognized. While tremendous advances have been made in recent years in optical processors, film is still generally used to input data into and store reference data in these processors. The long development and chemical processing required with film cause considerable delay between the occurrence of the information to be processed and when it enters the optical processor. The second major problem with the use of film is that the data recorded on it cannot be changed once the film is developed, rather a new piece of film must be used. Other problems of noise, granularity, dynamic range, etc., are also of importance.
A rigorous error analysis of D/A conversion with dynamic element matching

A known approach to reducing harmonic distortion in D/A converters involves a technique called dynamic element matching, The idea is not to reduce the power of the overall conversion error but rather to give it a random, noise-like structure. By reducing the correlation among successive samples of the conversion error, harmonic distortion is reduced. This paper presents the first rigorous and quantitative theoretical analysis of the conversion error introduced by an important type of D/A converter with dynamic element matching, In addition to supporting previously published experimental results that indicate the conversion error consists of white noise instead of harmonic distortion, the analysis provides an expression for the power of the white noise in terms of the power of the input sequence and the component matching errors. A yield estimation technique based on the expression is presented that can be used to estimate how the power of the white noise varies across different copies of the same D/A converter circuit for any given component matching error statistics.
Permafrost and organic layer interactions over a climate gradient in a discontinuous permafrost zone

Permafrost is tightly coupled to the organic soil layer, an interaction that mediates permafrost degradation in response to regional warming. We analyzed changes in permafrost occurrence and organic layer thickness (OLT) using more than 3000 soil pedons across a mean annual temperature (MAT) gradient. Cause and effect relationships between permafrost probability (PF), OLT, and other topographic factors were investigated using structural equation modeling in a multi-group analysis. Groups were defined by slope, soil texture type, and shallow (<28 cm) versus deep organic ( 28 cm) layers. The probability of observing permafrost sharply increased by 0.32 for every 10-cm OLT increase in shallow OLT soils (OLTs) due to an insulation effect, but PF decreased in deep OLT soils (OLTd) by 0.06 for every 10-cm increase. Across the MAT gradient, PF in sandy soils varied little, but PF in loamy and silty soils decreased substantially from cooler to warmer temperatures. The change in OLT was more heterogeneous across soil texture types—in some there was no change while in others OLTs soils thinned and/or OLTd soils thickened at warmer locations. Furthermore, when soil organic carbon was estimated using a relationship with thickness, the average increase in carbon in OLTd soils was almost four times greater compared to the average decrease in carbon in OLTs soils across all soil types. If soils follow a trajectory of warming that mimics the spatial gradients found today, then heterogeneities of permafrost degradation and organic layer thinning and thickening should be considered in the regional carbon balance.
hVGAT-mCherry: A novel molecular tool for analysis of GABAergic neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells.

Background GABAergic synaptic transmission is known to play a critical role in the assembly of neuronal circuits during development and is responsible for maintaining the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain during maturation into adulthood. Importantly, defects in GABAergic neuronal function and signaling have been linked to a number of neurological diseases, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. With patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based models of neurological disease, it is now possible to investigate the disease mechanisms that underlie deficits in GABAergic function in affected human neurons. To that end, tools that enable the labeling and purification of viable GABAergic neurons from human pluripotent stem cells would be of great value.
Doing It Under the Table: Unreported Sales in India's Manufacturing Sector

In developing economies, managers often choose to hide their firms' activities, and their profits, beyond the reach of government officials. For instance, recent surveys conducted by the World Bank suggest that it is quite common for firms to underreport sales in an effort to evade taxes. In this study, I develop a novel methodology to estimate the extent of sales underreporting using readily available firm financial data. The model builds on the observation that, holding total output constant, there is a one-for-one relationship between output that is sold and output that is used to restock inventory. Deviations from unity in this relationship (e.g. only one unit is reported as sold for every two units that leave inventory), are interpreted as evidence of unreported sales. Applying this model to a sample of Indian manufacturing firms over the period from 1998 to 2007, I examine how sales underreporting is influenced by the business cycle and by the institutional environment, including the regulatory burden, corruption and tax enforcement. For robustness, I benchmark my estimates against the World Bank Enterprise Survey dataset for India, which includes alternative estimates of sales underreporting based on the perceptions of local managers. Comparison with the survey data provides broad support for the model.
Stimulant medication and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a tale of two cases

Stimulant medication may mimic the tachycardia of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Two case histories illustrate how missing the clinical distinction between a primary dysautonomia and a medication effect may have avoidable adverse consequences.
Communication Network of Power Distribution Automation System Based on EPON

This paper introduces the application of EPON in power distribution automation system.Based on actual project and network structure diagram,three typical structures are analysed.This technology can provided efficient,safe and reliable communication platform for power distribution automation system.
Understanding Human Body Language from Environmental Sensors and Body Sensors.

I investigate Human body language. There is plenty of evidence both from anthropology and psychology that people communicate very much with their body. For this purpose I use visual sensors in the environment to capture the body motion and I have a couple of students who are trying to interpret the motion in this body language. We use the teleimmersive environment since we can communicate locally but also geographically distributive.
SOLAR ENERGY IMPLEMENTATION CENTERS

Widespread use of solar heating and cooling will not automatically occur when the economics become competitive, in part because of the characteristics of the building industry. An Implementation Center designed to improve communication to consumers and within the building industry will speed the use of solar heating and cooling. To be effective, the Center should be regional and provide communication both to the building industry and to solar researchers and manufacturers. The Centers should also provide Evaluation System information to potential users and evaluate solar projects. Two Implementation Centers could be funded at about $2 million each for a state the size of California through a small tax on natural gas and electricity sales.
Clonal invasion of the equine respiratory tract by Streptococcus zooepidemicus.

Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield Gr. C) is an important opportunist pathogen of the respiratory tract of equids infected with influenza virus or stressed by high ambient temperature or transportation. All horses carry a variety of antigenic types of S. zooepidemicus in their tonsils1. The protective M-like protein (SzP) is the typing antigen and variants are easily recognized by immunoblot phenotype and by their N terminal and central hypervariable amino acid sequences4. The objective of this study was to determine whether lower respiratory tract infections in individual horses are caused by a mixture of antigenic types.
Creating partnerships between teachers & undergraduates interested in secondary math & science education

Abstract During a yearlong program experience, high school teachers and college undergraduates formed three content area partnerships in which they co-planned and implemented lessons aligned to newly adopted math and science content standards. Participants’ within-program experiences and the mentorship that occurred in their developing content area partnerships were explored. Findings suggested that both the high school teachers and undergraduates engaged in mentoring relationships that prompted two-way reflection and colearning. The content area partnerships formed were sustained yet flexible, represented accountability through shared goals, exhibited mutual and equitable sharing, and were transformative as evidenced by practice and identity.
Man Against Fire: Alfred Döblin’s Utopian Novel Mountains, Oceans and Giants

Alfred Doblin (1878–1957), physician for nervous diseases in Berlin from 1911 to 1933, novelist, and philosopher, is virtually unknown today by the Anglo-American reading public. His novel Alexanderplatz Berlin (1929) which appeared in English for the first time in 1931 and was subsequently republished in New York in 1960, established his reputation in Germany. The only other work of Dublin’s ever to be translated into English is his novel Men without Mercy (1937). Being of Jewish descent, he had to flee Germany in 1933. After several years of exile in Switzerland and France, he finally sought refuge in the United States (California) after the German invasion of France in 1940. In 1946, he returned to Germany but was unable to regain a position in the literary world of post-war Germany. It seemed that the German public had forgotten him. Doblin, one of the greatest German writers of fiction in the first half of this century, was indeed almost completely ignored by critics and scholars after the end of the Second World War. A new edition of his selected works (albeit not a critical edition) began to appear in 1960, and the first comprehensive scholarly books on his literary oeuvre were published in the mid-sixties, some twenty years after his return to Germany.
Bone Turnover and Osteoporosis

Bone loss in osteoporosis can only occur through the bone remodeling system. This article reviews comparisons in bone remodeling between patients with osteoporosis and normals.
The Multi-Parameter Programming Control of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Based on the PWA (piece wise affine) model of SOFC (Solid Oxide fuel cell), the multi-parametric controller has been designed. The state partition for each affine sub model is calculated offline and the optimal predictive control law for each partition is also obtained as well. Furthermore, the method of targeted amendments is applied to eliminate the steady-state deviation, avoiding to extend state items. Therefore, the multi-parametric control can reduce the amount of calculation and storage. The simulation results show that the designed multi-parametric controller has good control effect.
Intimate Partner Violence in Evolutionary Perspective

An evolutionary perspective anticipates predictable forms of sexual conflict in human mating relationships. Humans have evolved a psychology of tactical deployment designed to influence a partner’s behavior to be closer to the actor’s own optimum. Tactics are diverse, ranging from benefit-bestowing to cost-inflicting. We discuss adaptive problems toward which cost-inflicting violent tactics are utilized: Mate poachers, sexual infidelity, mate pregnancy by an intrasexual rival, resource infidelity, resource scarcity, mate value discrepancies, stepchildren, relationship termination, and mate reacquisition. Discussion focuses on the context dependence of intimate partner violence, the costs of perpetrating violent tactics, the underlying psychology of aggressors, the manipulated psychology of victims, and coevolved defenses to prevent intimate partner violence and to minimize its costs when it occurs.
Learning-based control design for deep brain stimulation

By employing low-voltage electrical stimulation of the basal ganglia (BG) regions of the brain, deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices are used to alleviate the symptoms of several neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, we have developed a Basal Ganglia Model (BGM) that can be utilized for design and evaluation of DBS devices. In this work, we focus on the use of a hardware (FPGA) implementation of the BGM platform to facilitate development of new control policies. Specifically, we introduce a design-time framework that allows for development of suitable control policies, in the form of electrical pulses with variable temporal patterns, while supporting tradeoffs between energy efficiency and efficacy (i.e., Quality-of-Control) of the therapy. The developed framework exploits machine learning and optimization based methods for design-space exploration where predictive behavior for any control configuration (i.e., temporal pattern) is obtained using the BGM platform that simulates physiological response to the considered control in real-time. To illustrate the use of the developed framework, in our demonstration we present how the BGM can be utilized for physiologically relevant BG modeling and design-state exploration for DBS controllers, as well as show the effectiveness of obtained controllers that significantly outperform conventional DBS controllers.
Developing and Validating a Conceptual Change Cognitive Engagement Instrument

Conceptual change (CC) occurs when learners move from a misconception to a scientifically accepted conception (Heddy, Danielson, Sinatra, & Graham, 2017). Many researchers agree that deep cognitive engagement is integral to facilitating conceptual change (Sinatra & Pintrich, 2005). Although conceptual change has been explored in great depth, a valid and reliable instrument to assess the type of engagement that occurs during the change process is lacking in the field. In the present study, we designed an instrument meant to assess cognitive engagement during conceptual change. Our measure is modeled after Dole & Sinatra’s (1998) model theorizing that learners consider message and personal factors when learning new concepts. We used exploratory factor analysis to assess the structure of the Conceptual Change Cognitive Engagement Scale (CCCES) with participants recruited from the M-Turk survey recruitment tool. The CCCES will be beneficial for theoretical understanding related to conceptual change and engagement.
Decreasing Seizure Treatment Time Through Quality Improvement Reduces Critical Care Utilization.

Abstract Background Rapid, effective treatment for status epilepticus reduces associated morbidity and mortality, yet medication delivery remains slow in many hospitalized patients. We utilized quality improvement (QI) methodology to improve treatment times for hospitalized children with status epilepticus. We hypothesized rapid initial seizure treatment would decrease seizure morbidity. Methods We utilized QI and statistical process control analysis in a nonintensive care setting within a tertiary care pediatric hospital. We performed Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles including (1) revising the nursing process for responding to seizures, (2) emphasizing intranasal midazolam over intravenous lorazepam, (3) relocating medications and supplies, (4) developing documentation tools and reinforcing correct processes, (5) developing and disseminating an online education module for residents and nurse practitioners, and (6) completing standardization to intranasal midazolam. Results Seventeen months after starting the project, 66 seizures had been treated with a benzodiazepine in a median (p25-p75) time of 7.5 minutes (5 to 10), decreased from a baseline of 14 minutes (8-30) (P = 0.01). The proportion of patients receiving a benzodiazepine in 10 minutes or less improved from 39% to 79%. The proportion of patients transferred to intensive care decreased from a baseline of 39% to 9% (P Conclusions Children with status epilepticus were treated with benzodiazepines more rapidly and effectively following implementation of QI methodology. These interventions reduced utilization of critical care and mitigated hospital charges.
X-Ray Nanochemistry and Its Applications in Biology

This chapter reviews the work performed in the area of damaging biomolecules and non-cancerous cells using nanomaterials under X-ray irradiation. Biomolecules include proteins and nucleotides, and cells are both eukaryotic cells and bacteria. Summary of the enhancement is given at the end of this chapter.
Superconducting Pb-Pb Tunneling near T c

We have measured electron tunneling from Pb films into (111) oriented Pb films at temperatures from 1.2 to 7.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Above 6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, structure in $\frac{\mathrm{dV}}{\mathrm{dI}}$ at voltages greater than $2\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is observed which is not the same as that found at low temperature. One new feature, a resistance maximum just outside $2\ensuremath{\Delta}$, is shown by a numerical calculation to arise from the occupation of excited states above the gap. The other, a resistance peak at 3.5 mV, is shown by further calculation to be associated primarily with the phonon-emission structure described by strong-coupling theory. We find that the effect of the previously predicted recombination process, also located at 3-4 mV, is too broad to be clearly identified.
Introducing the Boise State Bangla Handwriting Dataset and an Efficient Offline Recognizer of Isolated Bangla Characters

This paper presents a publicly accessible Bangla offline handwriting dataset, as well as benchmarking with a simple and robust isolated handwritten character recognition scheme. The dataset is named Boise State Bangla Handwriting Dataset. The dataset contains 2 pages. The first has a 104 word/364 character essay. The essay uses 49 basic characters, all 11 vowel diacritics and 32 high frequency consonant conjuncts. The second page contains 84 isolated units containing all basic characters, numbers, vowel diacritics and several high frequency conjuncts. The initial release is based on the voluntary contribution of 100 different writers. One of the highlights and unique features of this database is that all of its contents are tagged with the associated ground truth information from different component hierarchies, such as characters, words and lines. It is expected to be useful for research on offline Bangla handwriting recognition, particularly with segmentation-based approaches. Furthermore, a basic character recognition method is presented where the features are extracted based on zonal pixel counts, structural strokes and grid points with U-SURF descriptors modeled with bag of features. The highest classification accuracy obtained with an SVM classifier based on a cubic kernel is 95.4% using the isolated characters from the Boise State dataset together with 3 other datasets to ensure the versatility and robustness of this process.
Mouse Academy: high-throughput automated training and trial-by-trial behavioral analysis during learning

Progress in understanding how individual animals learn will require high-throughput standardized methods for behavioral training but also advances in the analysis of the resulting behavioral data. In the course of training with multiple trials, an animal may change its behavior abruptly, and capturing such events calls for a trial-by-trial analysis of the animal9s strategy. To address this challenge, we developed an integrated platform for automated animal training and analysis of behavioral data. A low-cost and space-efficient apparatus serves to train entire cohorts of mice on a decision-making task under identical conditions. A generalized linear model (GLM) analyzes each animal9s performance at single-trial resolution. This model infers the momentary decision-making strategy and can predict the animal9s choice on each trial with an accuracy of ~80%. We also introduce automated software to assess the animal9s detailed trajectories and body poses within the apparatus. Unsupervised analysis of these features revealed unusual trajectories that represent hesitation in the response. This integrated hardware/software platform promises to accelerate the understanding of animal learning.
A case study activity to assess nursing students′ perceptions of their interprofessional healthcare team’s collaborative decision-making process

Abstract Stronger interprofessional team collaboration is associated with higher satisfaction with decision-making processes, but nurses are most likely to feel low satisfaction with team decision-making. Because interprofessional teams should make inclusive care plan decisions using consensus, a semester-long, interprofessional case study activity included student health profession team creation of a hospital discharge plan for a web-based patient. Interprofessional student teams from nursing and five other health professions participated in the activity that used an ‘adapted’ nursing case study as an interprofessional case. Upon completion, it was hoped nursing student participants would report high perceptions of collaboration and satisfaction with their team decision-making process. Post-activity, overall scores on the Collaboration and Satisfaction about Care Decisions instrument indicated that nursing student participants perceived collaboration levels as relatively high or acceptable and were generally satisfied with their team decision-making process. However, no mean scores were in the higher or most positive levels. More interventions focusing on team process and decision-making may assist in the delivery of effective patient-centered, team-based care. Case studies from the National League for Nursing and Community College of Philadelphia, Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors website can easily be adapted as interprofessional.
Health department-HIV clinic integration of data and human resources to re-engage out of care HIV-positive persons into clinical care in a New York City locale

We describe an enhanced data to care (eD2C) initiative combining New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) HIV surveillance data and a collaborating HIV clinic records to ...
Hemoadsorption to Reduce Plasma-Free Hemoglobin During Cardiac Surgery: Results of REFRESH I Pilot Study.

Generation of plasma-free hemoglobin (pfHb) and activated complement during complex cardiac surgery contributes to end-organ dysfunction. This prospective, multicenter REFRESH I (REduction in FREe Hemoglobin) randomized controlled trial evaluated the safety and feasibility of CytoSorb hemoadsorption therapy to reduce these factors during prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Eligible patients underwent elective, nonemergent complex cardiac surgery with expected CPB duration ≥3 hours. Exclusions included single procedures including primary coronary artery bypass graft, single valves, transplant, and left ventricular assist device extraction. TREATMENT used 2 parallel 300 mL CytoSorb hemoadsorption cartridges in a side circuit during CPB. CONTROL was standard of care. Of 52 enrolled patients, 46 underwent surgery (Safety group, n = 23 vs Control, n = 23), and 38 were evaluated for pfHb reduction (EFFICACY group, n = 18 vs CONTROL, n = 20). Type and number of serious adverse events (44 vs 43 CONTROL) were similar, as was 30-day mortality. Transient reduction in platelets during CPB was observed in both groups, especially TREATMENT, but returned to pretreatment levels after CPB without bleeding. Peak pfHb was positively correlated with CPB length (P = 0.01) but the high variability of pfHb, due to the broad surgical procedure mix, prevented detection of changes in pfHb in the overall EFFICACY population. However, the valve replacement surgery subgroup (8 vs 10 CONTROL) had the highest peak pfHb levels, and TREATMENT demonstrated significant pfHb reductions vs CONTROL (P ≤ 0.05) in CPB ≥3 hours. In the EFFICACY group, C3a and C5a were significantly reduced by treatment throughout surgery. Intraoperative hemoadsorption with CytoSorb was safe and feasible in this randomized, controlled pilot study during complex cardiac surgery. Treatment with CytoSorb resulted in significant reductions in pfHb during valve replacement surgery and reductions in C3a and C5a in the overall EFFICACY group. Future studies will target complex cardiac surgery patients with prolonged CPB to assess hemoadsorption effect on end-organ dysfunction and outcomes.
Feasibility of a Multidisciplinary and Culturally Adapted Pediatric Weight Management Program for Latino Families: Results From the Vidas Activas y Familias Saludables Pilot Study.

Abstract Objective To determine the feasibility of a pediatric weight management program for low-income Latino families. Methods A pretest-posttest pilot study was conducted among 60 Latino children, aged 4–9, who were overweight/obese (body mass index-for-age ≥85th percentile). The 10-week group-based community program addressed diet, exercise, and behavior modification. Demand was assessed through recruitment and attendance, acceptability using postintervention surveys with participants, and limited efficacy testing of participant anthropometrics and cardiometabolic markers. Results Overall 65% of families were retained for follow-up. All families reported feeling more confident in making healthier food choices and would participate in the program again. Pre/post intervention testing found statistically significant decreases (P Conclusions and Implications This culturally adapted group intervention for Latino families was acceptable and shows promise for improved health status, although it needs to be replicated with a larger group and longer follow-up.
The impact of 21-hydroxylase deficiency on cardiac repolarization changes in children with 21-hydroxylasedeficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Korkmaz HA, Ozdemir R, Kucuk M, Karadeniz C, Mese T, Ozkan B. The impact of 21-hydroxylase deficiency on cardiac repolarization changes in children with 21-hydroxylase-deficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 228-235. 21-hydroxylase-deficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as, hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. It is not known whether 21-hydroxylase-deficient CAH is risk factor for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to compare the 12-lead electrocardiographic measures in patients of 21-hydroxylase-deficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia with those in healthy control subjects matched for age, sex, height, weight and body mass index (BMI). Twenty-five patients with 21-hydroxylase-deficient CAH and twenty-five heathy control subjects were enrolled into this observational, cross-sectional, controlled study. The evaluation consisted of anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters, and electrocardiographic (ECG) measures. The standard 12-lead electrocardiography was performed in all patients and P-wave dispersion (PWd), QT interval, QTd, QTcd, Tp-e dispersion, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios were calculated. There were no significant differences in the groups for age, sex, height, weight and BMI (median age 9.4 (1.5-16.75) years, mean weight 37.6±21.5 vs. 27.9±18.3 kg, mean height 125.4±28.9 vs. 114.7±31 cm, mean BMI 21.4±5.7 vs. 18.9±3.4 kg/m2, respectively). P dispersion and Tp-e dispersion were significantly higher in patients of 21-hydroxylase-deficient CAH compared to the healthy subjects (median P dispersion 50 (25) vs. 40 (40) ms, mean Tp-e dispersion 48±15.5 vs. 35.2±17.5 ms). Our study revealed that 21-hydroxylase deficient CAH is associated with high risk of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in children.
What's in a Face? Amygdalar Sensitivity to an Emotional Threatening Faces Task and Transdiagnostic Internalizing Disorder Symptoms in Participants Receiving Attention Bias Modification Training.

Altered amygdala activation in response to the emotional matching faces (EMF) task, a task thought to reflect implicit emotion detection and reactivity, has been found in some patients with internalizing disorders; mixed findings from the EMF suggest individual differences (within and/or across diagnoses) that may be important to consider. Attention Bias Modification (ABM), a mechanistic attention-targeting intervention, has demonstrated efficacy in treatment of internalizing disorders. Individual differences in neural activation to a relatively attention-independent task, such as the EMF, could reveal novel neural substrates relevant in ABM’s transdiagnostic effects, such as the brain’s generalized threat reactivity capacity. In a sample of clinically anxious patients randomized to ABM (n = 43) or sham training (n = 18), we measured fMRI activation patterns during the EMF and related them to measures of transdiagnostic internalizing symptoms (i.e., anxious arousal, general distress, anhedonic depression, and general depressive symptoms). Lower baseline right amygdala activation to negative (fearful/angry) faces, relative to shapes, predicted greater pre-to-post reduction in general depression symptoms in ABM-randomized patients. Greater increases in bilateral amygdalae activation from pre-to-post ABM were associated with greater reductions in general distress, anhedonic depression, and general depression symptoms. ABM may lead to greater improvement in depressive symptoms in individuals exhibiting blunted baseline amygdalar responses to the EMF task, potentially by enhancing neural-level discrimination between negative and unambiguously neutral stimuli. Convergently, longitudinal increases in amygdala reactivity from pre-to-post-ABM may be associated with greater improvement in depression, possibly secondary to improved neural discrimination of threat and/or decreased neurophysiological threat avoidance in these specific patients.
Trace Mineral Nutrition in Cattle

Trace minerals are needed in only trace amounts, and are measured in either parts per million (ppm) or mg/kg. Fifteen of these mineral elements have been identified (arsenic, cobalt, copper, chromium, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, silicon, tin, vanadium, and zinc), but this discussion will concern only copper, cobalt, iodine, selenium, and zinc.1 These minerals are required in specific biochemical reactions as part of metalloenzyme systems or as cofactors for enzymematic functions. Trace mineral deficiencies usually occur slowly over time. The clinician who is confronted with a problem where trace minerals are suspected should always obtain a detailed herd history, perform a complete physical examination on affected animals, evaluate the total diet, including pastures, and harvest tissues needed to evaluate the specific mineral concentrations in the body.1 Salt is commonly used as a carrier to ensure trace mineral intake, as cattle have a clear cut drive for NaCl. If the clinician and rancher elect to use a salt containing mineral mixture to insure mineral intake it should be remembered individual animal intakes may vary drastically.1 Further, improperly prepared salt mixtures, feed supplements or blocks, liquid feeds, or some types of contamination can alter nutrient absorption and produce conditional deficiencies.
Globular Cluster Research with Astronomical Archives

As astronomical data archives advance, scientists have a plethora of diverse resources for research at their fingertips. Because these archives use standardized protocols, they can be useful for research through appropriate tools developed either by the host facility or by the science end users. These data holdings also have enormous potential for educational purposes from pre-college through non-majors courses and expert course curricula in universities. This paper focuses on software services and tools of use to researchers and will concentrate especially on opportunities presented by the National Virtual Observatory.
Environment and Construction Management Engineers

The paper presents the construction management engineer in the first line of defense in preventing environmental pollution and degradation during construction. Damage can be reduced through knowledge about the environment and the project. The major construction activities that cause pollution and its magnitude are examined. The engineer is in a position to influence the outcome if he is aware of the problems associated with construction and their magnitude.
New strategies in human papillomavirus-related oropharynx cancer: Effecting advances in treatment for a growing epidemic

The past two decades have been witness to a steadily increasing incidence of oropharynx cancer, specifically related to human papillomavirus (HPV), primarily affecting middle-aged Caucasian men, in North America and Europe. The ever-increasing incidence, now clearly an epidemic, of this unique clinicopathologic entity demands new perspectives in diagnosis and staging and presents unique challenges in clinical research, given the excellent prognosis afforded by chemoradiation for the majority of these patients. To reduce the morbidity of late toxicity in survivors without compromising the high rates of survival currently enjoyed, and simultaneously address the poor prognosis of those with recurrence, it is critical to capitalize on the viral etiology and translate discoveries in genomics, target/drug discovery, viral oncogenesis, and immunbiology to improved outcomes for patients. Herein, we review ongoing and planned clinical research for HPV-related oropharynx cancer, the basis for which is constituted by prior clinical observations, knowledge of the genomic alterations and altered biology associated with HPV-related oncogenesis, and hope that molecularly targeted and immunomodulatory therapies can be harnessed.
Physiology of Growth and Sporulation in Bacillus cereus I. Effect of Glutamic and Other Amino Acids

Buono, F. (Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.), R. Testa, and D. G. Lundgren. Physiology of growth and sporulation in Bacillus cereus. I. Effect of glutamic and other amino acids. J. Bacteriol. 91:2291-2299. 1966.-Growth and sporulation were studied in Bacillus cereus by use of an active culture technique and a synthetic medium. A high level of glutamic acid (70 mm) was required for optimal growth and glucose oxidation followed by sporulation even though relatively little glutamic acid was consumed (14 mm). Optimal growth occurred with a combination of 14 mm glutamic acid and 56 mm (NH(4))(2)SO(4), aspartic acid, or alanine. Ornithine or arginine at 70 mm could replace glutamic acid in the synthetic medium without affecting the normal growth cycle. Glutamic acid was not replaced by any other amino acid, by (NH(4))(2)SO(4), or by a combination of either alpha-ketoglutarate or pyruvate plus (NH(4))(2)SO(4). Enzyme assays of cell-free extracts prepared from cells harvested at different times were used to study the metabolism of glutamic acid. Glutamic-oxaloacetic and glutamic-pyruvate transaminases were completely activated (or derepressed) during early stages of sporulation (period of 6 to 8 hr). Alanine dehydrogenase responded in a similar manner, but the levels of this enzyme were much higher throughout the culture cycle. Neither glutamic dehydrogenase nor alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase was detected. Sporulation in a replacement salts medium was studied with cells harvested at different times from the synthetic medium. Cultures 2 to 6 hr old were unable to sporulate in the replacement salts medium unless glutamic acid (7.0 mm) was present. By the 6th hr, cells were in the early stages of sporulation, showing spore septa development. Cultures 8 hr old sporulated in the replacement salts medium. Other metabolic intermediates able to replace glutamic acid in the replacement salts medium were alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamine at equimolar concentrations. Also, ammonium ions in combination with pyruvic, oxaloacetic, alpha-ketoglutaric, or fumaric acid replaced glutamic acid. The likely role of these metabolites is discussed.
Process tolerant calibration circuit for PLL applications with BIST

A process-invariant calibration circuit, capable of correcting performance errors in charge-pump based PLLs is described. Process variations detrimentally affect all building blocks of standard PLL architectures. Utilizing a novel ADC, these variations are sensed and corrected. The self-calibration circuitry is non-intrusive and requires minimal area and power overhead. A case study of a 2.4GHz ring VCO-based PLL designed in a TSMC's 0.18/spl mu/m CMOS mixed-signal technology is given. The calibration circuitry is able to sense and calibrate under all four process corners as well as detect under high temperature conditions.
Practical design of multirate output controllers

Multirate output controllers (MROC) sample plant outputs at a faster rate than they change plant inputs. Consequently, they offer greater flexibility for control design than conventional single-rate controllers do. This paper describes a method for practical design of MROC. The first contribution is the development of a time-invariant discrete-time model for the closed-loop that captures the intersample behavior. Next, conditions under which an MROC design is equivalent to the synthesis of a full-information controller (i.e., one for which state and disturbance input are available for feedback) are derived; the latter problem is solved by standard techniques. The MROC gains determined through this approach, while being theoretically optimal, are very large in magnitude and exhibit very poor noise sensitivity. We address this issue by posing a practical MROC design problem where the objective is to minimize the effect of measurement noise on performance, subject to closed-loop poles being in a region of the complex plane. We present a procedure for decreasing controller gains, and demonstrate its performance on a numerical example.
Intestine fullness influences feeding behaviour and crop filling in the domestic turkey

Image-intensification radiology showed that artificial introduction of food slurry into the intestines of 6-12 wk-old turkey hens significantly increased the proportion of boli entering the crop during an evening meal, hence decreasing the proportion of boli travelling directly to the gizzard. Since bolus movement is directed by esophageal motility, esophageal motility may be partially mediated by stretch or chemoreceptors in the distal duodenum. Increased crop filling during afternoon meals lends support to the widely held belief that the crop increases gut storage capacity and helps "tide birds over" the nightly fast. Artificial filling of the distal duodenum paradoxically increased food intake in birds observed by radiology while eating a single meal (morning and evening), and in birds observed by eye over a 3 h period in the morning. This phenomenon is similar to that previously reported for rabbits and domestic chicken. Conversely, duodenal filing reduced food intake over a full day (11 h), more than compensating for the introduced food. Rapid filling of the small intestine (within 25 min. of the start of the meal) suggests a modification of the function of the domestic turkey duodenum to serve as a "mixing chamber," possibly enhancing digestive efficiency. The ways in which this modification affects digestion and absorption in the duodenum warrant investigation.