cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension in connective tissue diseases.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease caused by a remodeling of precapillary arterioles that leads to a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular failure. PAH is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, despite the advent of specific therapies that target pathobiologic pathways implicated in the disease process [1–3]. PAH is can only be diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC) and is defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 25 mmHg in the absence of elevation of the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. PAH includes a heterogeneous group of clinical entities sharing similar pathological changes that have been subcategorized as idiopathic PAH (IPAH), familial PAH, and pulmonary hypertension associated with other diseases such as connective tissue diseases (CTD), portopulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypertension related to HIV infection, drugs and toxins. An updated classification of all pulmonary hypertension syndromes from the 4th World Symposium held at Dana Point, California in 2008, has been recently published [4]. The exact mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PAH remain vastly unknown but are likely to involve significant alterations in endothelial function [5], an understanding of which has led over the past two decades to targeted therapy for this disease [6]. Several lines of evidence also support a role for autoimmunity in the development of the pulmonary vascular changes, including the presence of circulating autoantibodies [7], pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1 and IL-6) [8], and association of PAH with auto-immune diseases and CTD such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Despite the similarities in disease pathogenesis and hemodynamic perturbations, outcomes in patients with CTD-associated PAH differ significantly from other forms of PAH. In particular, SSc-associated PAH (SSc-PAH) patients have a poorer response to therapy and significantly worse survival compared to IPAH patients [9–11]. While there are serologic and pathologic features suggestive of inflammation in both IPAH and SSc-PAH, inflammatory pathways and autoimmunity are likely more pronounced in SSc-PAH, perhaps explaining clinical discrepancies between the two syndromes [9,10]. Other connective tissue diseases such as SLE, MCTD, and to a lesser extent rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dermatomyositis, and Sjogren’s syndrome can also be complicated by PAH and will be discussed separately in this review.
Poetic justice: Rhetoric in Hindu ordeals and legal formulas

Abstract The Divyatattva, a Hindu treatise on ordeals, uses folk etymologies and other rhetorical devices to structure its rituals. This paper suggests that such forms of repetition, and particularly ‘exhaustion,’ or the enumeration of an entire paradigm class, may naturalise or, in Saussure's term, ‘relatively motivate’ rituals and diminish the appearance of their arbitrariness. Ordeals and other rituals may respond to situations of uncertainty by using rhetorical devices to promote confidence in their outcomes. This contribution of poetic form to the pragmatic function of ritual is neglected in J. L. Austin's influential theory of ‘performative utterances.’
Which effective pressure coefficient do you mean

Summary The assumption that that effective pressure coefficient (n) is equal to unity is usually not valid. A coefficient of one means that elastic properties are only dependent on the differential pressure: the difference between confining and pore pressure. The coefficient n scales the influence of the pore pressure. This effective pressure coefficient has a different value for each elastic property and for different boundary conditions. For the shear modulus this coefficient is close to unity, while the effective pressure coefficient for the bulk modulus can range from unity to 0.3 depending on the porosity, differential and pore pressure. If the effective pressure coefficient is not unity, pore pressure predictions and inversion of pressure and saturation from time lapse seismic must be modified to extract the proper effective
Preparation and properties of 2H SiC crystals

Abstract Hydrogen reduction of methyltrichlorosilane at 1400–1430°C has been used to deposit single crystals of 2H SiC on graphite substrates. Straight and tapered needles and crystals showing abrupt and continuous changes in direction of crystal growth were obtained. Implantation of 2H SiC crystals with boron and nitrogen ions followed by 1400°C annealing did not produce visible photoluminescence under 365 nm excitation. The Knoop microhardness of 2H SiC, 2460, is practically identical to that of 6H SiC crystals.
Light and electron microscopic studies of mouse CNS after subcutaneous administration of the E and M variants of the encephalomyocarditis virus.

One hundred and eighty 12 week old Swiss mice were injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml suspensions of the E and M variants of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus. Ninety-seven surviving mice were sacrificed at intervals from 24 h to 21 days following injection. The M variant group showed only mild microglial proliferation in the brain, while the E variant group displayed various alterations in the astrocytes and neurons exhibiting loss of nuclear membranes and marked changes in the mitochondria and other organelles. In addition, the neuronal cytoplasm displayed aggregates of fine electron-dense granules on the third day which increased in size during the fifth to seventh day. After 7 days, the neurons contained occasional rhomboid structures composed of rows of parallel arranged granules which were similar to those observed in the viscera after EMC virus infection.
Adoption among the Qing nobility and its implications for Chinese demographic behavior

The article draws on a source of unusual completeness and accuracy—the genealogical archives of the Qing imperial lineage—to provide an initial quantitative study of son adoption among the Qing nobility during the last imperial dynasty (1644–1911). Adoption was used rather frequently not only for genealogical purposes to continue the ancestral line, but also for economic security. Adoption was also an integral component of the Chinese historical demographic system and therefore varied in frequency according to the level of fertility and mortality. After a discussion of the sources for lineage population history, the article calculates the levels of son adoption over time and highlight the demographic and economic circumstances leading to adoption. It then analyzes the social relationships between biological and adoptive parents as a function of noble status and generational distance, and comments on the role of adoption as a means of social mobility within the lineage population.
Pilot Designs for Consistent Frequency Offset Estimation in OFDM Systems

This paper presents pilot designs for consistent frequency offset estimation of OFDM systems in frequency-selective fading channels. We describe two design approaches, namely consistency in the probabilistic sense and absolute consistency. Existing preambles and pilot designs in the literature do not guarantee the absolute consistency. We derive general criteria for both approaches, present sufficient conditions on the pilot structures, and derive simple pilot designs satisfying these conditions. Absolute consistency should not be compromised in emergency-related or other critical communication scenarios and our proposed consistent pilot designs address this need.
Characterization of phytoecdysteroid glycosides in Meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) seed meal by positive and negative ion LC-MS/MS.

Meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) is an oilseed crop grown in western Oregon. The seed meal has potential value as a biopesticide due to glucosinolate degradation products and phytoecdysteroids, a group of polyhydroxylated triterpenoids with potent activities as arthropod molting hormones. Liquid chromatography in combination with tandem mass spectrometry operated in the precursor ion mode revealed the presence of four ecdysteroid glycosides in meadowfoam seed meal. The carbohydrate sequence and the identity of the ecdysteroid aglycones, ponasterone A and 20-hydroxyecdysone, were determined by product ion scanning. Ecdysteroids were detected in the negative ion mode as [M + formate]− ions, which yielded [M − H]− and α-cleavage fragments with retention of hydroxyl groups in MS/MS experiments (not seen in the positive ion mode), allowing the determination of the number of hydroxyl groups in the side chain and in the steroid ring system. MS/MS of glycoside ions ([MH]+ or [M + formate]−) provided carbohydrate sequ...
Transition metal phosphorus trisulfides as battery cathodes

Abstract The transition metal dichalcogenides, such as TiS 2 , have been reported to perform well as cathodes in ambient temperature lithium batteries. It has been found that the layered, transition metal phosphorus trisulfides also exhibit electrochemical activity. Nickel phosphorus trisulfide will react with more than four lithium resulting in a cell with a theoretical energy density double that of titanium disulfide.
Effects of shot-peening and re-shot-peening on four-point bend fatigue behavior of Ti–6Al–4V

Abstract The application of shot-peening to improve performance and reduce scatter in the high cycle fatigue regime is common in aerospace production practice. Frequently, aerospace components are re-shot-peened during refit to “restore” compressive stresses that may have redistributed in service. Since shot-peening is an impact process that can cause various surface artifacts, it is not clear what effect this re-shot-peening process has on fatigue properties. In the current study, the effects of shot-peening and re-shot-peening on the profile of surface residual stress and the four-point bend fatigue behavior of Ti–6Al–4V(wt.%) alloy were investigated at room temperature and 150 °C. A step-test method was used to determine the fatigue strength of the shot-peened and re-shot-peened specimens in different conditions. Shot-peening improved the fatigue strength of the alloy from about 65% σ y to 71% σ y ( σ y is the yield strength of this alloy at room temperature). The fatigue limits of the shot-peened Ti–6Al–4V alloy at room temperature and 150 °C were found to be almost identical. Residual stresses did not seem to redistribute significantly under the fatigue loading at room temperature and 150 °C. Both shot-peening and re-shot-peening significantly enhanced the fatigue strength over that of the un-shot-peened alloy. No negative effects of re-shot-peening were observed.
Resistance to crack growth in human cortical bone is greater in shear than in tension

It has been proposed that longitudinal shear stresses create bone microdamage, which suggests that bone is weak in shear and may not be adapted to prevent crack growth under shear loading. However, based on the similarities between bone and other fiber-reinforced composites that are tough, i.e. resistant to crack growth, we hypothesized that resistance of human bone to crack growth under shear loading is greater than under tensile loading. Because bone from older individuals and women has demonstrated increased propensity to fracture, we also hypothesized that bone from these individuals has less resistance to crack growth under shear and tension loading. Using compact shear and compact tension specimens, the critical strain energy release rate (Gc) of human bone was measured for longitudinally oriented cracks under tension (mode I) and shear (mode II) loading for male and female cadavers ranging from 55 to 89 y. Average tensile fracture toughness (GIc) of male and female human bone was 339 N m−1 (S.D. = ± 132). Average shear fracture toughness (GIIc) of human bone over the same range was 4200 N m−1 (S.D. = ± 2516 N m−1). Shear toughness was greater than tensile toughness (approximately 13 times), which is consistent with other fibrous composite materials. Fracture toughness decreased with age, but the fits were weak and significant for shear loading only. Tension and shear toughness did not depend on gender. We concluded that the resistance to crack propagation under shear loading is greater than under tensile loading, a finding which suggests that bone adapts to prevent crack growth in shear. We also found that bone toughness is equivalent in men and women and that bone toughness gradually decreases with age between 55 and 89 y.
Fibrinogen regulates the expression of inflammatory chemokines through NF-κB activation of endothelial cells

The objective of this study was to characterize the role of fibrinogen in stimulating expression of inflammatory chemokines in endothelial cells through NF-κB activation. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to fibrinogen up to 3,000 µg/ml, and NF-κB activation was assessed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Fibrinogen exposure resulted in a concentration dependent increase in NF-κB activation that reached a maximum at 1,000 µg/ml after 4 hours and was sustained up to 24 hours. The effect was inhibited by antibodies to αvβ3 and α5β1 and by the GRGDS peptide, indicating integrin involvement. Preincubation with Mn2+ lowered the fibrinogen concentration-dependence, consistent with integrin activation. Supershift assays demonstrated involvement of the p50, p65 and c-Rel components of NF-κB. Fibrinogen exposure also resulted in up-regulation of expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and of interleukin-8 as shown by RNase protection assays and by real-time RT-PCR. Increased secretion of MCP-1 was confirmed by ELISA. Parthenolide, an IκB kinase inhibitor, prevented up-regulation of MCP-1 by fibrinogen, linking this response to NF-κB activation. From our findings, we conclude that fibrinogen regulates NF-κB activation and expression of inflammatory chemokines in endothelial cells and may be involved in mediating inflammatory processes.
Aggression in male mice: rapid-onset attack of lactating female mice following termination of hyperphysiological testosterone treatment.

Abstract Gonadally-intact or castrated and testosterone-(T) treated male mice display aggressive behavior towards olfactory-bulbectomized male (OBM) stimuli, but not towards lactating female (LF) stimuli. By comparison, T-treated female mice display aggressive behavior towards both OBM and LF stimuli. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine if male mice given hyperphysiological T-treatment would display “female-typical” attack of OBM and LF stimuli. Hyperphysiological T-stimulation did not lead to the display of aggressive behavior towards OBM and LF stimuli; only OBM stimuli were attacked, suggesting a qualitative behavioral sex difference in response to T. However, the major finding of this study occurred following the termination of T-treatment. Castrated males that had previously received hyperphysiological T-treatment began to attack LF stimuli within 48 hr of treatment termination. By comparison, castrated males that had previously received physiological T-stimulation, as well as a gonadally-intact control group, generally began to attack LF stimuli 3–4 weeks following treatment-termination/castration. It is suggested that this unusual treatment-termination-induced behavioral display occurs via neurochemical mediation.
The Conservation of Rhythm in Suzuki Violin Students: A Task Validation Study:

The purposes of this study were to (1) develop a task as a measure of rhythmic conservation in young instrumentalists, and (2) determine the validity of the task. Twenty Suzuki violin students betw...
Dynamical magnetic enhancement of light and heavy quark jet quenching at RHIC

Abstract A new Monte Carlo implementation of Djordjevicʼs dynamical scattering generalization of the DGLV radiative energy loss opacity series is used with a hybrid interpolation scheme to compute both light and heavy quark jet quenching up to third order in opacity. The enhancement of the ratio of bottom to charm quark energy loss due to perturbative long range color magnetic effects in nonuniform Bjorken expanding geometries is found to reduce the significance of the heavy quark jet puzzle posed by the observed near equality (within sizeable errors) of pion and nonphotonic electron nuclear modification at RHIC. Jet Flavor Spectroscopy discussed below will be a powerful tool to differentiate competing dynamical models of the QGP produced in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions.
Levels of professionalism in a sample of television newsmen

The usual answer to the classroom question, “which groups in broadcasting come closest to being professionals?” is “engineers and newsmen.” The following pages provide an in‐depth examination of a sample of television journalists to seek out their professional behavior and actions, in order to pin down just how professional the profession really is. This paper is taken from research done for his Ph.D. dissertation (University of Wisconsin‐Madison, 1971) by David J. LeRoy, now assistant professor of speech at Florida State University. Dr. LeRoy continues his interest in the whole question of professionalism, and has published a number of related articles.
Feature-based pronunciation modeling for speech recognition

We present an approach to pronunciation modeling in which the evolution of multiple linguistic feature streams is explicitly represented. This differs from phone-based models in that pronunciation variation is viewed as the result of feature asynchrony and changes in feature values, rather than phone substitutions, insertions, and deletions. We have implemented a flexible feature-based pronunciation model using dynamic Bayesian networks. In this paper, we describe our approach and report on a pilot experiment using phonetic transcriptions of utterances from the Switchboard corpus. The experimental results, as well as the model's qualitative behavior, suggest that this is a promising way of accounting for the types of pronunciation variation often seen in spontaneous speech.
Sinupret activates CFTR and TMEM16A-dependent transepithelial chloride transport and improves indicators of mucociliary clearance.

Introduction We have previously demonstrated that Sinupret, an established treatment prescribed widely in Europe for respiratory ailments including rhinosinusitis, promotes transepithelial chloride (Cl−) secretion in vitro and in vivo. The present study was designed to evaluate other indicators of mucociliary clearance (MCC) including ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and airway surface liquid (ASL) depth, but also investigate the mechanisms that underlie activity of this bioflavonoid.
Perceptual Learning During Action Video Game Playing

Action video games have been shown to enhance behavioral performance on a wide variety of perceptual tasks, from those that require effective allocation of attentional resources across the visual scene, to those that demand the successful identification of fleetingly presented stimuli. Importantly, these effects have not only been shown in expert action video game players, but a causative link has been established between action video game play and enhanced processing through training studies. Although an account based solely on attention fails to capture the variety of enhancements observed after action game playing, a number of models of perceptual learning are consistent with the observed results, with behavioral modeling favoring the hypothesis that avid video game players are better able to form templates for, or extract the relevant statistics of, the task at hand. This may suggest that the neural site of learning is in areas where information is integrated and actions are selected; yet changes in low-level sensory areas cannot be ruled out.
Linear Growth Following Pediatric Liver Transplantation

• The linear growth of 29 patients was evaluated from two to 4⅓ years after liver transplantation. All patients received cyclosporine and low-dose prednisone. Eight patients (28%) displayed acceleration of linear growth velocity and were above the fifth percentile at the end of the evaluation period. Four patients (14%) grew normally prior to transplantation and continued to grow normally after the surgical procedure. Only four patients (14%) dropped from higher levels to below the fifth percentile. Thirteen patients (45%) were less than the fifth percentile before and after surgery; ten of these 13 patients have attained normal or accelerated growth velocity. Good linear growth has been achieved in more than three fourths of patients who underwent liver transplantation. ( AJDC 1987;141:547-549)
The Electoral Connection and Democratic Consolidation

Abstract Political parties are accorded an important role in the historical development of democratic institutions. This article explores the contribution of political parties to the consolidation of the democratic process in the recent post-communist regimes. Three general perspectives on how parties might affect the democratization process are evaluated. One argument is that there is an absence of "civil society" in these countries and hence cleavages or group identifications have little relevance for party preferences. A second argument is that party preferences in these post-communist democracies are based on opposition to democratic or market institutions and hence pose a threat to the democratic consolidation. I argue that the party issue space in post-communist regimes tends to be multidimensional reflecting a variety of different salient cleavages and that opposition to the institutions of democratic capitalism are either inconsequential or counterbalanced by a number of other salient socio-political cleavages. The analysis is based on survey data from the Times–Mirror surveys conducted in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia during 1990 and 1991.
Whole-body biodistribution and radiation dosimetry in monkeys and humans of the phosphodiesterase 4 radioligand [11C](R)-rolipram: comparison of two-dimensional planar, bisected and quadrisected image analyses

Abstract Introduction [ 11 C]( R )-Rolipram is a selective radioligand for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of phosphodiesterase 4, an enzyme that metabolizes 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The aim of this study was to estimate the human radiation absorbed dose of the radioligand based on its biodistribution in both monkeys and humans. Methods Whole-body PET images were acquired for 2 h after injecting [ 11 C]( R )-rolipram in eight healthy humans and three monkeys. The simple method of using a single two-dimensional (2D) planar image was compared to more time-consuming methods that used two (bisected) or four (quadrisected) tomographic images in the anteroposterior direction. Results Effective dose was 4.8 μGy/MBq based on 2D planar images. The effective dose was only slightly lower by 1% and 5% using the bisected and quadrisected images, respectively. Nevertheless, the two tomographic methods may have more accurately estimated the exposure of some organs (e.g., kidneys) that are asymmetrically located in the body or have radioactivity that appears to overlap on 2D planar images. Monkeys had a different biodistribution pattern compared to humans (e.g., greater urinary excretion) such that their data overestimated the effective dose in humans by 40%. Conclusions The effective dose of [ 11 C]( R )-rolipram was modest and comparable to that of other 11 C-labeled radioligands. The simple and far less time-consuming 2D planar method provided accurate and somewhat more conservative estimates of effective dose than the two tomographic methods. Although monkeys are commonly used to estimate human radiation exposures, their data gave a considerable overestimation for this radioligand.
Heart Transplantation in Patients With Diabetes

The superior survival rate and average improvement in functional capacity associated with heart transplantation have made it the optimal therapeutic option for selected patients with end-stage heart failure. The current average survival rate of 80% to 85% at 1 year after transplantation and 60% to 65% at 5 years after transplantation far exceeds that reported for any other type of medical or surgical treatment for this population of patients.1 However, the outcomes with this procedure are not uniform and are influenced significantly by the presence of comorbidities such as end-organ dysfunction, malnutrition, and overall functional status at the time of the procedure. Article p 2280 Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease that is increasing at alarming rates in the US population. The progression of vascular and other complications correlates in part with the length of time that the disease has been present, especially the duration of need for insulin therapy, but …
Variation in resource acquisition and utilization traits between native and invasive perennial forbs

Understanding the functional traits that allow invasives to outperform natives is a necessary first step in improving our ability to predict and manage the spread of invaders. In nutrient-limited systems, plant competitive ability is expected to be closely tied to the ability of a plant to exploit nutrient-rich microsites and use these captured nutrients efficiently. The broad objective of this work was to compare the ability of native and invasive perennial forbs to acquire and use nutrients from nutrient-rich microsites. We evaluated morphological and physiological responses among four native and four invasive species exposed to heterogeneous (patch) or homogeneous (control) nutrient distribution. Invasives, on average, allocated more biomass to roots and allocated proportionately more root length to nutrient-rich microsites than did natives. Invasives also had higher leaf N, photosynthetic rates, and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency than natives, regardless of treatment. While these results suggest multiple traits may contribute to the success of invasive forbs in low-nutrient environments, we also observed large variation in these traits among native forbs. These observations support the idea that functional trait variation in the plant community may be a better predictor of invasion resistance than the functional group composition of the plant community.
Performance projections of scaled CMOS devices and circuits with strained Si-on-SiGe channels

Device and circuit simulations using a process/physics-based compact MOSFET model (UFPDB) are done to project the scaled CMOS speed-performance enhancement that can be expected from strained-Si channels on relaxed Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ buffer layers in bulk Si. With the UFPDB process-based parameters associated with carrier mobility and velocity defined physically in terms of the Ge content x (0/spl les/x/spl les/0.50), and with threshold voltages (V/sub t/) reduced due to the bandgap narrowing defined by x, but adjusted (for I/sub off/ control) to equal those of the Si-channel control devices, UFPDB/Spice3 simulations of 60 nm CMOS ring oscillators predict only a small speed enhancement when V/sub t/ is adjusted via channel doping. The peak enhancement is 5% for x=0.20. However, when a p/sup +/ poly-SiGe gate is used to adjust V/sub t/ of the pMOSFET, a peak 16% speed enhancement at x=0.30 is predicted; for pragmatic x=0.20, the enhancement is 14%.
Reducing risks of widespread faults and attacks for commercial software applications: towards diversity of software components

Recent IT attacks demonstrated how vulnerable consumers and enterprises are when adopting commercial and widely deployed operating systems, software applications and solutions. Diversity in software applications is fundamental to increase chances of survivability to faults and attacks. Current approaches to diversity are mainly based on the development of multiple versions of the same software, their parallel execution and the usage of voting mechanisms. Because of the high cost, they are used mainly for very critical and special cases. We introduce and discuss an alternative method to ensure diversity for common widespread software applications without requiring additional resources. We describe a few encouraging results obtained from simulations.
Edge And Surface Searching In Medical Images

Several edge detection algorithms are examined for their utilities in edge or surface searching in medical images. Algorithms that are under study include those methods developed by Sobel, Roberts, Kirsch, Marr-Hildreth, Haralick, Shen-Castan, and Nalwa-Binford. An example of boundaries detected by applying these algorithms to brain images acquired by various imaging modalities is presented.
Primary Inhibition of Hypocotyl Growth and Phototropism Depend Differently on Phototropin-Mediated Increases in Cytoplasmic Calcium Induced by Blue Light

The phototropin photoreceptors transduce blue-light signals into several physiological and developmental responses in plants. A transient rise in cytoplasmic calcium (Ca2+) that begins within seconds of phototropin 1 (phot1) excitation is believed to be an important element in the transduction pathways leading to one or more of the phot1-dependent responses. The goal of the present work was to determine whether the Ca2+ response was necessary for (a) the inhibition of hypocotyl elongation that develops within minutes of the irradiation, and (b) hypocotyl phototropism (curved growth of the stem in response to asymmetric illumination). After determining that pulses of light delivering photon fluences of between 1 and 1,000 μmol m-2 induced growth inhibition mediated by phot1 without significant interference from other photosensory pathways, the effect of blocking the Ca2+ rise was assessed. Treatment of seedlings with a Ca2+ chelator prevented the rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+ and prevented phot1-mediated growth inhibition. However, the same chelator treatment did not impair phot1-mediated phototropism. Thus, it appears that the early, transient rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+ is an important intermediary process in at least one but not all phot1-signaling pathways.
Sumo-dependent substrate targeting of the SUMO protease Ulp1

Background In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the essential small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protease Ulp1 is responsible for both removing SUMO/Smt3 from specific target proteins and for processing precursor SUMO into its conjugation-competent form. Ulp1 localizes predominantly to nuclear pore complexes but has also been shown to deconjugate sumoylated septins at the bud-neck of dividing cells. How Ulp1 is directed to bud-neck localized septins and other cytoplasmic deconjugation targets is not well understood.
Nanoparticles and the mononuclear phagocyte system: pharmacokinetics and applications for inflammatory diseases.

Nanoparticles (NPs) provide several advantages over the small molecule drugs including prolonged circulation time and enhanced delivery to targeted sites. Once a NP enters the body, it interacts with host’s immune system and is engulfed by cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). The interaction between NPs and the immune cells can result in immunosuppression or immunostimulation, which may enhance or reduce the treatment effects of NPs. Therefore, it is critical to understand the interactions between NPs and the immune system in order to optimize the treatment benefit and minimize the undesirable toxicities of NPs. This review elaborates on the interaction between NP and the MPS and its impacts on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of NPs and applications for inflammatory diseases. This review also encompasses an overview of NPs being developed for treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Static image analysis of skin specimens: The application of telepathology to frozen section evaluation

Although the ability to transmit high-resolution images of histopathological sections could have a profound impact on the practice of pathology, the application of video microscopy to the daily activities of surgical pathology has not been rigorously evaluated. In particular, certain aspects of video microscopy relating to frozen section evaluation have not been adequately assessed. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 48 excisional skin biopsy specimens encompassing a spectrum of benign and malignant lesions. To simulate an actual frozen section evaluation, only original frozen section slides were evaluated. Fields were selected and digitized (Roche Image Analysis System) by a pathology resident. Two sets of diagnoses were subsequently rendered by a surgical pathologist, the first set based on the digitized images and the second based on direct microscopic examination of the histological slides. The two sets of diagnoses were compared, and the concordance rates were as follows: malignant diagnoses, 100%; benign diagnoses, 100%; positive margins, 96%; negative margins, 99%. One (4%) of the 25 positive margins was indexed as negative by image analysis. Conversely, one (1%) of the 121 negative margins was indexed as positive by image analysis. In both of these cases, error was attributable to selection and digitization of an inappropriate field. We conclude that telepathology of static images is an accurate method of evaluating frozen sections of skin lesions. Potentially, this technology could be applied to the frozen section evaluation of other lesions as well. Static image analysis is, however, susceptible to errors induced by inappropriate field selection, emphasizing the need for trained and skillful personnel on both sides of the video camera.
Lenstra–Hurwitz cliques and the class number one problem

Abstract A new sufficient condition is given for a number field to have class number one.
Why Don't Some CS0 Students Succeed?: How Important Are Background, Experience, Culture, Aptitude, Habits and Attitude?

There are always some students who succeed and some students who don't. Our four panelists are committed to the success of all students, but have different explanations for students' lack of success. This panel discussion will highlight both their shared beliefs and disagreements between veteran CS educators Stuart Reges and Dan Garcia, CS education researcher Colleen Lewis, and Professor of History and Philosophy of Science Nathan Ensmenger. We hope this lively discussion will bring together divergent and complementary positions and expertise, as well as invite significant audience participation.
Magnetic resonance elastography detects tumoral consistency in pituitary macroadenomas

Most pituitary macroadenomas (PMA) are soft and suckable allowing transsphenoidal resection. A small percentage of PMA are firm, which significantly alters the time, technical difficulty, and effectiveness of transsphenoidal surgery. No current imaging technology can reliably assess PMA viscoelastic consistency in preparation for surgery. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an MRI-based technique that measures the propagation of mechanically induced shear waves through tissue to calculate stiffness. We prospectively evaluated MRE in 10 patients undergoing transsphenoidal resection of PMA to determine feasibility and potential usefulness. 10 patients with PMA > 2.0 cm in maximum diameter were prospectively imaged with MRE prior to transsphenoidal surgery. Mean patient age was 59.5 ± 16.2 (22–78) years. Five were female and five male. MRE was performed with a modified single-shot spin-echo echo-planar-imaging pulse sequence on a 3T MRI. MRE values were independently calculated. The surgeon, blinded to the MRE results, graded tumor consistency at surgery as soft, intermediate, or firm. Chi-squared test compared surgical grading and MRE stiffness values. MRE was accomplished in all patients with excellent resolution. By surgical categorization, six tumors were soft and four intermediate. The mean MRE value for soft tumors was 1.38 ± 0.36 (1.08–1.87) kPa, while for intermediate tumors it was 1.94 ± 0.26 (1.72–2.32) kPa (p = 0.020). Determination of PMA stiffness is feasible with MRE. There was a statistically significant difference in MRE values between soft and intermediate PMAs. Further study in a larger series is ongoing to determine whether MRE will prove useful in preoperative planning for PMA.
Room-Temperature, Solution-Processed MoOx Thin Film as a Hole Extraction Layer to Substitute PEDOT/PSS in Polymer Solar Cells

Room-temperature, solution-processed molybdenum oxide (MoOx) as a hole extraction layer to substitute PEDOT/PSS in polymer solar cells was demonstrated. The thin film of MoOx shows a smoother surface, better transparency, and high electrical conductivity than that of PEDOT/PSS thin layer and, thus, leading enhanced efficiency of PSCs than those using PEDOT/PSS anode buffer layer. These results demonstrated that the utilization of room-temperature, solution-processed MoOx thin film as a hole extraction layer in polymer solar cells blaze a trail to achieve high performance devices.
Investigation on creative and critical thought capacity of life skill of risk factors related to HIV among youths of 16-25 years old outside school in Xinjiang

Objective To learn capacity of creative and critical thought of life skill among youths of 16-25 years old outside school through investigation on HIV related risk factors in cities of Yining and Kashgar,and to provide suggestions for local prevention.Methods Two counties from the two cities were selected respectively.Some youths of 16-25 years old outside school were chosen by random in the two counties.All people were interviewed face to face and filled the questionnaires. Results Among the 2 111 target persons,80.9%agreed that smoking couldn't make one look cooler,77.7%agreed that drinking couldn't help for resolving problem,87.2%agreed that drug using couldn't make one look cooler,74.9%couldn't accept premarital sex behavior,91.1%disagreed that more sexual partners was welcomed.Justice ablility was lower in the male than in the female(P0.05).Conclusions For analyzing the life skill of justice and rejection of the health risk,it is lower in the male than in the female.That will increase the risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases.
The Costs of Schizophrenia.

Reasonably accurate approximations of the financial costs of schizophrenia are the foundation for making judgments about the socioeconomic impact of the disorder and the cost-effectiveness of treatment modalities. The financial costs of schizophrenia to society can be divided into direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include treatment provided in inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care, as well as criminal justice costs, medication costs, and publicly owned capital such as state mental health facilities. Indirect costs mostly arise from the productivity loss suffered by individuals with schizophrenia, family members, and caregivers. The cost of schizophrenia in the United States in 2002 was estimated to be $62.7 billion. Compared with a 1991 estimate, inpatient costs have declined, whereas outpatient costs and medication costs have increased. When interpreting any data regarding costs, people should be aware of factors that influence results, such as the perspective from which the analysis was undertaken, the measures used in the analysis, and planned or unplanned bias.
Profits, Stock and Turnover

People go into business to make money. There would be no point in risking their capital and wasting their time and energy on work which did not give them a reasonable return (profit) on their business capital (money, stock and equipment).
Design and Analysis of Passive Automotive Suspensions

An automotive suspension supports the vehicle body on the axles. A “full car” model of a suspension with 7 rigid body degrees of freedom is shown in Figure 10-1. The vehicle body is represented by the “sprung mass” m while the mass due to the axles and tires are represented by the “unsprung” masses m u1, m u2, m u3 and m u4. The springs and dampers between the sprung and unsprung mass represent the vehicle suspension. The vertical stiffness of each of the 4 tires are represented by the springsK t1,K t2,K t3andK t4
CIDNP Exhibited by Thermally Decomposing Diacyl Peroxides

Diacyl organic peroxides, RCO2O2CR’, are in several respects ideal compounds for study by CIDNP. They are easily prepared from readily available reagents and may be decomposed thermally at temperatures sufficiently high to permit their isolation and purification, but low enough to be accessible with routinely available nmr variable temperature accessories. Equally important, however, is the well defined radical pair initially formed from the decomposition.
A retrospective comparison of survivors and non-survivors of massive pulmonary embolism receiving veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.

Abstract Introduction While the optimal care of patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE) is unclear, the general goal of therapy is to rapidly correct the physiologic derangements propagated by obstructive clot. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in this setting is promising, however the paucity of data limits its routine use. Our institution expanded the role of ECMO as an advanced therapy option in the initial management of massive PE. The purpose of this project was to evaluate ECMO-treated patients with massive PE at an academic medical center and report shortterm mortality outcomes. Methods Thirty-two patients placed on ECMO for confirmed, massive PE from January 2012 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had PE confirmed by computerized tomography and/or invasive pulmonary angiography. Results In our population of patients managed with ECMO, 21 (65.6%) patients survived to decannulation and 17 (53.1%) survived index hospitalization. Baseline characteristics and clinical variables showed no difference in age, gender, right ventricular-to-left ventricular ratios, or peak troponin-T between survivors and non-survivors. Non-survivors tended to have a previous history of malignancy. Cardiac arrest prior to ECMO cannulation was associated with worse outcomes. All 5 patients who received concomitant systemic thrombolysis died, while 11 of 15 patients who received catheter-directed thrombolysis survived. A lactic acid level ≤6 mmol/L had an 82.4% sensitivity and 84.6% specificity for predicting survival to discharge. Conclusion The practical approach of utilizing ECMO for massive PE is to reserve it for those who would receive the greatest benefit. Patients with poor perfusion, for example from cardiac arrest, may gain less benefit from ECMO. Our findings indicate that a serum lactate > 6 mmol/L may be an indicator of worse prognosis. Finally, in our patient population, catheter-directed thrombolytics was effectively combined with ECMO.
RGC-32 (Response Gene to Complement 32) Deficiency Protects Endothelial Cells From Inflammation and Attenuates Atherosclerosis

Objective— The objective of this study is to determine the role and underlying mechanisms of RGC-32 (response gene to complement 32 protein) in atherogenesis. Approach and Results— RGC-32 was mainly expressed in endothelial cells of atherosclerotic lesions in both ApoE –/– (apolipoprotein E deficient) mice and human patients. RGC-32 deficiency (Rgc32 –/– ) attenuated the high-fat diet–induced and spontaneously developed atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE –/– mice without affecting serum cholesterol concentration. Rgc32 –/– seemed to decrease the macrophage content without altering collagen and smooth muscle contents or lesional macrophage proliferation in the lesions. Transplantation of WT (wild type) mouse bone marrow to lethally irradiated Rgc32 –/– mice did not alter Rgc32 –/– -caused reduction of lesion formation and macrophage accumulation, suggesting that RGC-32 in resident vascular cells, but not the macrophages, plays a critical role in the atherogenesis. Of importance, Rgc32 –/– decreased the expression of ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) and VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) in endothelial cells both in vivo and in vitro, resulting in a decrease in TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α)–induced monocyte–endothelial cell interaction. Mechanistically, RGC-32 mediated the ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, at least partially, through NF (nuclear factor)-κB signaling pathway. RGC-32 directly interacted with NF-κB and facilitated its nuclear translocation and enhanced TNF-α–induced NF-κB binding to ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 promoters. Conclusions— RGC-32 mediates atherogenesis by facilitating monocyte–endothelial cell interaction via the induction of endothelial ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, at least partially, through NF-κB signaling pathway.
Temperature affects phenological synchrony in a tree-killing bark beetle.

Phenological synchrony can promote population growth in species with positive density dependence. Variation among life stages in the thermal thresholds for development can foster phenological synchrony under thermal regimes that include frequent occurrence of temperatures between developmental thresholds. The southern pine beetle is an insect with positive density dependence that has recently undergone important shifts in population abundance at the northern extremes of their distribution. We evaluated the hypothesis that cooler winter temperatures in their northern range cause a convergence of the population life stage structure that leads to synchrony in spring flight phenology. We used a combination of approaches. First, in situ laboratory experiments demonstrated a threshold temperature for pupation that was greater than was required for larval development; rearing larvae at lower temperatures increased the pooling of individuals at the end stage of larval development and synchrony in adult emergence. Second, a development rate model showed a similar convergence of the majority of the population at the end stage of larval development when brood experienced the cooler temperatures of the northern region, but not with temperatures from the southern region, or as a null model. Finally, field trapping of wild beetles showed greater synchrony in the pine forests of New Jersey than in the warmer, historically occupied forests of Georgia and Mississippi. Given these results, pine-dominated forests in the northern edge of the southern pine beetle’s range may experience more frequent occurrence of outbreaks, due to the positive feedbacks associated with a synchronous spring emergence of this insect.
A software reliability model incorporating martingale process with gamma-distributed environmental factors

As the increasing application of software system in various industry, software reliability gains more attention from the researchers and practitioners in the past few decades. The goal of such an expanding application of software system is to continuously bring convenience and functionality in everyday life. Lots of environmental factors defined by many studies may have positive/negative impact on software reliability during the development process (Zhu et al. in J Syst Softw 109:150–160, 2015; Clarke and O’Connor in Inf Softw Technol 54(5):433–447, 2012; Zhu and Pham in J Syst Softw 1–18, 2017b). However, most existing software reliability models have not incorporated these environmental factors in the model consideration. In this paper, we propose a theoretic software reliability model incorporating the fault detection process is a stochastic process due to the randomness caused by the environmental factors. The environmental factor, Percentage of Reused Modules, is described as a gamma distribution in this study based on the collected data from industry. Open Source Software project data are included to demonstrate the effectiveness and predictive power of the proposed model.
Definitions and Basic Properties of Homology Theory

This chapter gives formal definitions of the basic concepts of homology theory, and rigorous proofs of their basic properties. For the most part, examples and applications are postponed to Chapter III and subsequent chapters.