cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human fibroblasts secrete a serine protease that cleaves insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5

We have previously reported the presence of proteolytic activity in conditioned medium from human fibroblast cultures that cleaves insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) into non-IGF-I-binding fragments. Coincubation of IGF-I or IGF-II and IGFBP-5 with fibroblast cultures decreased proteolysis. The protease was purified by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified protease cleaved IGFBP-5 into 22-, 20-, and 17-kilodalton non-IGF-I-binding fragments. Protease inhibitor profiles obtained using partially purified enzyme showed that it was a calcium-dependent serine protease. After chelation with EDTA, the activity could only be partially restored with zinc, indicating that it was probably not a metalloprotease. The protease was specific for IGFBP-5 and did not cleave pure IGFBP-1, -2, -3, or -4. IGF-I and IGF-II caused minimal inhibition of proteolysis in vitro. This suggests that the IGF-I-induced increase in IGFBP-5 in fibroblast medium is only partially due to direct protease inhibition. Heparin, antithrombin-III (AT-III), and heparin cofactor-II had inhibitory activity, and heparin potentiated the activity of AT-III. Synthetic peptides, that contained the active sites of AT-III and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, were also inhibitory. Peptides containing sequences found in two basic regions of IGFBP-5 were tested, and one had inhibitory activity. In summary, fibroblasts secrete a serine protease that cleaves IGFBP-5 and is specific for this form of IGFBP. The protease has properties that are similar to kallikreins, a family of serine proteases that is known to cleave epidermal and nerve growth factor-binding proteins.
Evaluation of a regional air-quality model with bidirectional NH 3 exchange coupled to an agroecosystem model

Atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ) is the primary atmospheric base and an important precursor for inorganic particulate matter and when deposited NH 3 contributes to surface water eutrophication, soil acidification and decline in species biodiversity. Flux measurements indicate that the air–surface exchange of NH 3 is bidirectional. However, the effects of bidirectional exchange, soil biogeochemistry and human activity are not parameterized in air quality models. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Community Multiscale Air-Quality (CMAQ) model with bidirectional NH 3 exchange has been coupled with the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) agroecosystem model. The coupled CMAQ-EPIC model relies on EPIC fertilization timing, rate and composition while CMAQ models the soil ammonium (NH 4 p ) pool by conserving the ammonium mass due to fertilization, evasion, deposition, and nitrification processes. This mechanistically coupled modeling system reduced the biases and error in NH x (NH 3 p NH 4 p ) wet deposition and in ambient aerosol concentrations in an annual 2002 Continental US (CONUS) domain simulation when compared to a 2002 annual simulation of CMAQ without bidirectional exchange. Fertilizer emissions estimated in CMAQ 5.0 with bidirectional exchange exhibits markedly different seasonal dynamics than the US EPA's National Emissions Inventory (NEI), with lower emissions in the spring and fall and higher emissions in July.
Acknowledgment bucket scheme for regulating TCP flow over ATM

The available bit rate (ABR) service has been developed to support data traffic over ATM networks and provide end-to-end congestion control at the ATM layer. However, as most data applications today are only connected to ATM via legacy networks, simulation results in past ATM Forum contributions suggest that ABR may still cause congestion at network edges and cannot provide adequate flow control on an end-to-end basis. In this paper, we propose a new efficient scheme for regulating TCP traffic over ATM networks with the goal of minimizing the network-edge buffer requirement while maximizing TCP goodput. The key idea underlying our scheme is to match the TCP source rate to the ABR explicit rate by controlling the flow of TCP acknowledgments at network edges. We present analytical and simulation results to show that our scheme has negligible buffer requirement, yet offers similar goodput performance as that with infinite buffer. Moreover, our scheme is transparent to the TCP layer and requires no modification in the ATM network except at the network edge.
A Three-Degree-of-Freedom Flight Simulator for Spin-Stabilized Projectiles

Abstract : A three-degree-of-freedom flight simulator has been constructed to model the free-flight angular motion of spin-stabilized projectiles. Hydraulic actuators are used to drive a conventional gimbal system producing pitch and yaw, while an electric motor yields steady roll rates as fast as 200 Hz.
Certified nurse aide scope of practice.

McMullen and Colleagues 1 have done an important analysis of certified nurse aide (CNA) job tasks and potential expansion of their assigned duties in the most prevalent service role in long-term care. The state-by-state analysis is helpful for understanding variations in job tasks and potential misunderstandings of providers of how those variations occur across states. As providers and state agencies consider expansion of the scope of duties, it must be recognized there are potential risks, especially in states in which duties are, or may be, expanded without additional training requirements. It is crucial that expansion is coupled with additional training and continued oversight of professional nurses. Tasks such as medication administration (without the medication certification training) can be extremely risky for complex medication regimens that older people in nursing homes commonly have with their multiple chronic illnesses. Although many older people living at home often successfully manage complex medication regimens, many others cannot, and often seek the oversight of long-term care so
Aspects of quality of dental hygiene care in supervised and unsupervised practices.

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess aspects of the quality of care provided by dental hygienists in a California demonstration project in which hygienists treated patients independent of dentists' supervision. Methods The structure and process of care were evaluated in nine independent practices using site visits and reviews of 25 records at each practice. The findings were compared to evaluations of six general dentist practices reviewed for a government agency and insurance company during the same time period. Patient satisfaction was assessed by a questionnaire. Results The structural aspects of the unsupervised hygienist practices were generally acceptable and surpassed the dentist practices in most areas, including infection control. For process, the hygienist practices had high percentages of acceptable care and were significantly better than the dentist practices in several areas, including follow-up to medical findings, updating the medical history at recall, and documenting the evaluation of the periodontal status and soft tissues. Ninety-eight percent of patients expressed satisfaction with their care in hygienist practices. Conclusion Under the circumstances of the demonstration project and the methods used to assess the quality of care, the study showed that independent dental hygienist practice did not increase the risk to the health and safety of the public.
Formulation, Evaluation and Optimization of Tortillas Containing Wheat, Cowpea and Peanut Flours Using Mixture Response Surface Methodology

The performance characteristics of tortillas, prepared with different composite blends of wheat, cowpea and peanut flours, were evaluated by mixture response surface methodology. Optimum wheat flour substitution levels were determined. Results indicated that wheat flour could be successfully replaced with up to 24% cowpea and 46% defatted peanut flours and result in tortillas with quality characteristics comparable to those from 100% wheat. Sensory evaluation indicated that beany flavor was the most limiting attribute. Sensory attributes correlated significantly with physical and compositional measures of tortillas and physical measures of tortilla dough.
Emotional responses of oncologists when disclosing prognostic information to patients with terminal disease: Results of qualitative data from a mailed survey to ASCO members

8520 Background: Prior studies describe physician reluctance to reveal prognostic information to advanced cancer patients (acp), but little data exists describing their actual disclosure practices....
The Invisible Weapon: Telecommunications and International Politics, 1851–1945.: By Daniel R. Headrick., Oxford University Press, 1991, 304 pp., $32.50, Cloth

(1992). The Invisible Weapon: Telecommunications and International Politics, 1851–1945. American Journalism: Vol. 9, No. 1-2, pp. 117-118.
Management of Cytomegalovirus Disease with Antiviral Drugs

pneumonia is more difficult to treat, with therapy benefiting 10%-72% of patients. Ganciclovir must be given parenterally; the dose-limiting adverse event is neutropenia. Patients with AIDS frequently experience relapse and require maintenance therapy. Foscarnet is an attractive anti-CMV drug but must be given parenterally and is completely dependent on renal clearance for elimination. Prevention of CMV disease with antiviral drugs may be possible. Five weeks of intravenous acyclovir (500 mg/M2 three times a day) significantly reduced the risk of CMV infection and disease in seropositive allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients. The prophylactic benefit of acyclovir has recently been confirmed and extended by a placebo-controlled trial in renal allograft recipients at the University of Minnesota. A 12-week course of high doses of oral acyclovir (3,200 mg/d) was safe and significantly reduced the incidence of CMV infection and disease. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been recognized as a neonatal pathogen for many years. More recently, this virus has been identified as a major cause of infectious disease in patients with cancer, recipients of organ and bone marrow transplants, and persons with AIDS. At the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Center in Minneapolis, we have been grappling for nearly two decades with the problem of CMV disease in our immunosuppressed patients. CMV has been so pervasive that we nicknamed it the "troll of transplantation." As the number of transplant recipients and AIDS patients grows, the need for effective anti-CMV compounds will become even more apparent. This is a review of clinical trials designed to assess treatment or suppression of CMV disease. The presentation is limited to trials of antiviral drugs and begins with those designed for treatment because protocols for treatment historically
Study on Occupational Injuries of Catering Trade in Zhuhai

Objective To investigate occupational injuries of catering trade in Zhuhai, the reasons of injury and to provide preventive measures. Method Occupational injuries identified by Zhuhai Labor Social Security Bureau were reviewed. Results There were 1,053 occupational injuries occurred during the period from 1992 through 2003.The occupational injuries were mainly found in males(69.99%); and most of them were occurred in workers less than 40 years old(69.7%). Most occupational injuries were occurred in native workers (67.24%), who were come from Guangdong Province; and attendants constituted 26.68%, casual laborers in the kitchen 25.92%, maintenance workers 15.48%, respectively. The constitution of minor wound, heavy wound, and death proportion were 81.86%, 15.58%, and 2.56% respectively. The types of injuries were falling (22.70%), colliding (20.04%), extruding (11.87%). The injury sites were upper limbs(31.62%), lower limbs(24.12%)and chest(8.93%). The reasons of occupational injury were falling carelessly(33.14%), having not enough knowledge of safe operation(31.91%), the working environment was not protected good enough(9.12%). Conclusions It is necessary to pay more attention to catering trade in Zhuhai. It is helpful to give safe education training to the workers in order to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of occupational injury.
Infrared ship object segment based on MFFK and MeanShift filtering

The paper makes some experiments on infrared image segmentation of ship object based on the fractal theory and MeanShift filtering.Using MFFK to pick out the region of interest(ROI) can remove large area background noise out of the ROI.Then,getting the binary mask of ROI will suppress the noise of the ROI further.Most of the noises maybe excluded via these two procedures.So using MeanShift filtering can get the distribution points of the target.At last,morphological filtering is adopted to obtain the object ship image.The experiment results show that the proposed algorithm can extract the ship object well.
Isolation and electrophoretic karyotype analysis of cellular clones of several Leishmania species.

(1991). Isolation and electrophoretic karyotype analysis of cellular clones of several Leishmania species. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology: Vol. 85, No. 4, pp. 467-469.
Orbitofrontal Cortex in Chronic Analgesic-Overuse Headache

Glucose metabolism with 18-FDG PET in 16 chronic migraineurs (mean age 42.5 +/- 11 years) with analgesic overuse, before and 3 weeks after medication withdrawal, was compared to controls.
Survival Estimates for Reintroduced Populations of the Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis)

Global amphibian declines have been attributed to a number of factors including disease, invasive species, habitat degradation, and climate change. Reintroduction is one management action that is commonly used with the goal of recovering imperiled species. The success of reintroductions varies widely, and evaluating their efficacy requires estimates of population viability metrics, such as underlying vital rates and trends in abundance. Although rarely quantified, assessing vital rates for recovering populations provides a more mechanistic understanding of population growth than numerical trends in population occupancy or abundance. We used three years of capture-mark-recapture data from three breeding ponds and a Cormack-Jolly-Seber model to estimate annual apparent survival for reintroduced populations of the federally threatened Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis) at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR), in the Altar Valley, Arizona, USA. To place our results in context, we...
Contested Metropolis: Inequality and the Multilevel Governance of Metropolitan Regions in the USA

Regimes of place equality in larger US metropolitan regions most closely approximate the Tieboutian model of localized public goods provision. A liberal welfare state, liberal market capitalism and institutional autonomy for local governments reinforce these regimes. This chapter provides an overview of place equality regimes in five US metropolitan regions and analyzes their local consequences. The analysis demonstrates marked fiscal advantages for more affluent communities and disadvantages for communities facing greater hardship as well as African American and immigrant communities. Partial equalization in public education finance and more general redistributive arrangements in greater Minneapolis and other regions reflect long-standing struggles over equity in this Tieboutian setting. Contestation between neoliberal and place egalitarian reform movements remains an ongoing influence on US place equality regimes.
A Statistician Reads the Sports Pages: The Value of Coaching Tenure in the NBA

Headlines at the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend were dominated by the flurry of head coach firings from the first half of the season. Much speculation surrounded the conference all-star team coaching as...
E-Health Strategies Worldwide.

Healthcare worldwide is in a state of constant change. The multitude of changes require creative solutions that range from restructuring healthcare to provide better services to the effective use of information technology (e-health). Both are daunting tasks in any individual organization let alone on a national or international level. To completely cover the many e-health initiatives worldwide would require a more comprehensive document than is possible within this article. Therefore, this article represents a sample of the e-health efforts that are occurring simaltenously throughout the world.
Neurovirulent Murine Coronavirus JHM.SD Uses Cellular Zinc Metalloproteases for Virus Entry and Cell-Cell Fusion

The coronavirus (CoV) S protein requires cleavage by host cell proteases to mediate virus-cell and cell-cell fusion. Many strains of the murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) have distinct, S-dependent organ and tissue tropisms despite using a common receptor, suggesting that they employ different cellular proteases for fusion. In support of this hypothesis, we found that inhibition of endosomal acidification only modestly decreased entry, and overexpression of the cell surface protease TMPRSS2 greatly enhanced entry, of the highly neurovirulent MHV strain JHM.SD relative to their effects on the reference strain, A59. However, TMPRSS2 overexpression decreased MHV structural protein expression, release of infectious particles, and syncytium formation, and endogenous serine protease activity did not contribute greatly to infection. We therefore investigated the importance of other classes of cellular proteases and found that inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)- and a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM)-family zinc metalloproteases markedly decreased both entry and cell-cell fusion. Suppression of virus by metalloprotease inhibition varied among tested cell lines and MHV S proteins, suggesting a role for metalloprotease use in strain-dependent tropism. We conclude that zinc metalloproteases must be considered potential contributors to coronavirus fusion.IMPORTANCE The family Coronaviridae includes viruses that cause two emerging diseases of humans, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), as well as a number of important animal pathogens. Because coronaviruses depend on host protease-mediated cleavage of their S proteins for entry, a number of protease inhibitors have been proposed as antiviral agents. However, it is unclear which proteases mediate in vivo infection. For example, SARS-CoV infection of cultured cells depends on endosomal acid pH-dependent proteases rather than on the cell surface acid pH-independent serine protease TMPRSS2, but Zhou et al. (Antiviral Res 116:76-84, 2015, doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.01.011) found that a serine protease inhibitor was more protective than a cathepsin inhibitor in SARS-CoV-infected mice. This paper explores the contributions of endosomal acidification and various proteases to coronavirus infection and identifies an unexpected class of proteases, the matrix metalloproteinase and ADAM families, as potential targets for anticoronavirus therapy.
Background Flow Model of Hall Thruster Neutral Ingestion

The particle-based coupling between background gas flows in vacuum test facilities and neutral ingestion into Hall effect thrusters is investigated. An analytical model of the facility background flow environment is developed to accommodate facilities with different geometries and pump placements, as well as compute the ingested flow rate of background neutrals into a given Hall effect thruster. The ingested flow rates computed by the model are shown to predict previous empirical datasets taken using the 5 kW P5, the 6 kW H6, and the 1.5 kW SPT-100 Hall effect thrusters in different test facilities to within the experimental uncertainty. When compared to predictions generated assuming ingestion by the random flux of neutral particles, the ingested flow rates computed by the background flow model are shown to be 40 to 70% closer to the empirical measurements without requiring any semiempirical inputs. It is also shown that the neutral ingestion at a fixed facility pressure can vary by as much as 91%, sugge...
Development and Internal Validation of a Clinical Risk Score for Treating Children With Mild Head Trauma and Intracranial Injury.

Importance The appropriate treatment of children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and intracranial injury (ICI) on computed tomographic imaging remains unclear. Evidence-based risk assessments may improve patient safety and reduce resource use. Objective To derive a risk score predicting the need for intensive care unit observation in children with mTBI and ICI. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective analysis of the prospective Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) head injury cohort study included patients enrolled in 25 North American emergency departments from 2004 to 2006. We included patients younger than 18 years with mTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score, 13-15) and ICI on computed tomography. The data analysis was conducted from May 2015 to October 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the composite of neurosurgical intervention, intubation for more than 24 hours for TBI, or death from TBI. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict the outcome. The C statistic was used to quantify discrimination, and model performance was internally validated using 10-fold cross-validation. Based on this modeling, the Children’s Intracranial Injury Decision Aid score was created. Results Among 15 162 children with GCS 13 to 15 head injuries who received head computed tomographic imaging in the emergency department, 839 (5.5%) had ICI. The median ages of those with and without a composite outcome were 7 and 5 years, respectively. Among those patients with ICI, 8.7% (n = 73) experienced the primary outcome, including 8.3% (n = 70) who had a neurosurgical intervention. The only clinical variable significantly associated with outcome was GCS score (odds ratio [OR], 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5-7.4 for GCS score 13 vs 15). Significant radiologic predictors included midline shift (OR, 6.8; 95% CI, 3.4-13.8), depressed skull fracture (OR, 6.5; 95% CI, 3.7-11.4), and epidural hematoma (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.8-6.2). The model C statistic was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.79-0.88); the 10-fold cross-validated C statistic was 0.83. Based on this modeling, we developed the Children’s Intracranial Injury Decision Aid score, which ranged from 0 to 24 points. The negative predictive value of having 0 points (ie, none of these risk factors) was 98.8% (95% CI, 97.3%-99.6%). Conclusions and Relevance Lower GCS score, midline shift, depressed skull fracture, and epidural hematoma are key risk factors for needing intensive care unit–level care in children with mTBI and ICI. Based on these results, the Children’s Intracranial Injury Decision Aid score is a potentially novel tool to risk stratify this population, thereby aiding management decisions.
“AMP”(K)ed up recovery from ischemia-reperfusion injury

Aging decreases tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion injury, which is mitigated by sestrin2-driven substrate metabolism.
An Ultraviolet Resonance Raman Spectroscopic Study of Cisplatin and Transplatin Interactions with Genomic DNA

Ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy is a label-free method to define biomacromolecular interactions with anticancer compounds. Using UVRR, we describe the binding interactions of two Pt(II) compounds, cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)) and its isomer, transplatin, with nucleotides and genomic DNA. Cisplatin binds to DNA and other cellular components and triggers apoptosis, whereas transplatin is clinically ineffective. Here, a 244 nm UVRR study shows that purine UVRR bands are altered in frequency and intensity when mononucleotides are treated with cisplatin. This result is consistent with previous suggestions that purine N7 provides the cisplatin-binding site. The addition of cisplatin to DNA also causes changes in the UVRR spectrum, consistent with binding of platinum to purine N7 and disruption of hydrogen-bonding interactions between base pairs. Equally important is that transplatin treatment of DNA generates similar UVRR spectral changes, when compared to cisplatin-treated sampl...
Single-ion implantation for solid state quantum computer development

Several solid state quantum computer schemes are based on the manipulation of electron and nuclear spins of single donor atoms in a solid matrix. The fabrication of qubit arrays requires the placement of individual atoms with nanometer precision and high efficiency. In this article we describe first results from low dose, low energy implantations and our development of a low energy (<10 keV), single ion implantation scheme for 31Pq+ ions. When 31Pq+ ions impinge on a wafer surface, their potential energy (9.3 keV for P15+) is released, and about 20 secondary electrons are emitted. The emission of multiple secondary electrons allows detection of each ion impact with 100% efficiency. The beam spot on target is controlled by beam focusing and collimation. Exactly one ion is implanted into a selected area avoiding a Poissonian distribution of implanted ions.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Progress in Our Understanding of 19F Chemical Shifts

Abstract Fluorine NMR spectroscopy has diverse applications, including characterization of chemical reaction mechanisms, protein structure–function studies, and solid-state NMR characterization of crystalline, amorphous, and soft materials. Computational methods have aided in assigning and interpreting chemical shifts, with wide use in solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Work to understand fluorine chemical shifts has been aided by computational methods. So-called “normal” chemical shift behaviour can be understood to arise from ground-state electron density, in which diamagnetic or Lamb shielding dominates. Meanwhile, electronic structure methods indicate that many instances of “reverse” chemical shift behaviour can be understood to be dominated by paramagnetic shielding effects, which arise from the coupling of occupied and unoccupied molecular orbitals in the presence of a magnetic field. Calculations using natural chemical shielding analysis are used to delineate contributions from diamagnetic and paramagnetic shielding of fluorine nuclei in a set of aromatic molecules and aliphatic compounds, some of which exhibit reverse chemical shift behaviour. An overview of recent advances to assign and interpret chemical shifts in complex environments is presented.
Psicoeducación in the land of magical thoughts: Culture and mental-health practice in a changing Oaxaca

At a time of uncertainty and change in Oaxaca, Mexico, mental-health practice dovetails with political-economic projects to reflect and produce tensions around “culture.” Promoting mental health is linked to goals for economic development, and notions of culture and modernity are co-constructed in ways that cast culture as a barrier to mental health. “Psychological modernization” efforts therefore seek to flatten cultural difference in the interests of national advancement. Not only do psy-services in Oaxaca provide means of self-understanding and technologies for self-cultivation in the context of modernity, but they also actively seek to produce the psychological conditions for modernity. Yet many professionals attribute Mexico's mental-health problems to the very processes of modernization, development, and globalization that their projects seek to facilitate.[governmentality, mental health, modernization, multiculturalism, psychology, psychiatry, Mexico] En tiempos de incertidumbre y cambio en Oaxaca, Mexico, la practica de la salud mental se acopla con los proyectos economicos y politicos para reflejar y producir tensiones en torno a la “cultura”. La promocion de la salud mental esta vinculada a objetivos para el desarrollo economico. Las nociones de cultura y modernidad se construyen conjuntamente en formas que configuran a la cultura como una barrera para la salud mental. Los esfuerzos de “modernizacion psicologica”, por lo tanto, buscan aplanar las diferencias culturales en pro del progreso nacional. Los servicios psicologicos en Oaxaca no solo proveen medios para el autoconocimiento y tecnologias para el autocultivo en el contexto de la modernidad, sino que tambien buscan activamente producir las condiciones psicologicas para la modernidad. Sin embargo, muchos profesionales atribuyen los problemas de salud mental de Mexico al proceso mismo de modernizacion, desarrollo y la globalizacion que sus proyectos intentan facilitar. [gubernamentalidad, salud mental, modernizacion, multiculturalidad, psicologia, psiquiatria, Mexico]
Review of Latin American Politics and Development, 9th Edition, by Karvey F. Kline, Christine J. Wade and Howard J. Wiarda

Book review of Latin American Politics and Development , 9th edition, by Karvey F. Kline, Christine J. Wade and Howard J. Wiarda
A Second-Order Biomechanical Model of Flow-Mediated Dilation Response in Obese Post-Menopausal Women

Endothelial function (EF) can be assessed via flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and act as a surrogate indicator of general cardiovascular health. A recently completed project studied how 1 session of exercise can affect EF. This study consisted of eleven, obese post-menopausal women aged 54 to 70, and they were subjected to two one-hour sessions (on separate visits) of exercise at 50% and 70% of their maximum heart rate, as well as a resting control trial. Their EF was evaluated before and immediately after exercise and at two, 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise via FMD measurements using ultrasound images of the brachial artery. Images were made at each of these time-points before 5 minutes of occlusion by a pressure cuff and for 5 minutes after (at 30 second intervals) the occlusion was removed. The usual metrics derived from these measurements, e.g., maximum dilation, led to the conclusion that this study did not show there was a statistically significant difference in EF resulting from either of these exercise sessions. Alternatively, we propose to model the time response of the endothelial diameter’s deviation from its baseline value by a linear mass-spring-damper system in order to determine (in subsequent work) if that model’s parameters may be useful for assessing EF. Our results indicate that these FMD time responses, at rest and after exercise, are modeled reasonably well by such a system, although there is not insignificant variability of the goodness-of-fit, with R2 varying between 0.00279 and 0.957 (mean 0.534, SD 0.261). From the estimated model parameters, the endothelium’s natural frequency was calculated to be between 2.51 x10− 6 and 0.101 (mean 0.00887, SD 0.0102) radians/s; although it should be noted that the better fitting results mostly yield a natural frequency higher than this mean, while the worse fitting results mostly yield a natural frequency lower than this mean.
Automated detection of junctions structures and tracking of their trajectories in 4D images

Junction structures, as the natural anatomical markers, are useful to study the organ or tumor motion. However, detection and tracking of the junctions in four-dimensional (4D) images are challenging. The paper presents a novel framework to automate this task. Detection of their centers and sizes is first achieved by an analysis of local shape profiles on one segmented reference image. Junctions are then separately tracked by simultaneously using neighboring intensity features from all images. Defined by a closed B-spline space curve, the individual trajectory is assumed to be cyclic and obtained by maximizing the metric of combined correlation coefficients. Local extrema are suppressed by improving the initial conditions using random walks from pairwise optimizations. Our approach has been applied to analyze the vessel junctions in five real 4D respiration-gated computed tomography (CT) image datasets with promising results. More than 500 junctions in the lung are detected with an average accuracy of greater than 85% and the mean error between the automated and the manual tracking is sub-voxel.
Conductive Complexes of Novel Porphyrin and Phenothiazine Polymer Systems

Charge transfer complexes of porphyrins, phthalocyanines and phenothiazines have desirable electrical conductive properties. The parent compounds can also function as polymer precursors which in the past often suffered from poor solubility characteristics, limiting their utility in further chemical reactions. Recently, the synthesis of highly soluble metallotetrabenzporphyrin and phenothiazine homologs has made it possible to study the charge transfer characteristics of those compounds and their complexes in a variety of solvents. We wish to report on alternating and direct current measurements of some metal mesophenyltetrabenzporphyrins, phenothiazinyls, their iodine and TCNQ complexes in the solid and solution state, and ternary complexes of these compounds with polyvinylpyridine. An iodine:phenothiazine-ionene dimer complex exhibited an unusual stoichiometry, and has the lowest resistivity so far detected in iodine-ionene polymers. Well-defined ternary complexes of metallo-organics, I2 and polyvinylpyridines have markedly lower resistivities and activation energies than the parent compounds or the dual component complexes. The structure/conductivity relationship of several of the complexes and ternary polymeric models are discussed.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-26/Matrilysin 2 ( Homo sapiens )

The third edition of the Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes aims to be a comprehensive reference work for the enzymes that cleave proteins and peptides, and contains over 850 chapters. Each chapter is organized into sections describing the name and history, activity and specificity, structural chemistry, preparation, biological aspects, and distinguishing features for a specific peptidase. The subject of Chapter 162 is Matrix Metalloproteinase-26/Matrilysin 2.
Game theoretical models and algorithms for rate control in video compression

This thesis investigates game theory based rate control algorithms for optimizing the bit allocation in video compression. The first algorithm utilizes the cooperative bargaining game in a MB level rate control algorithm to optimize the perceptual quality while guaranteeing "fairness" in bit allocation among macroblocks. The algorithm first allocates the target bits to frames based on their coding complexity; a method to estimate the coding complexity of the remaining frames is proposed. Next, macroblocks of a frame play cooperative games such that each macroblock competes for a share of resources (bits) to optimize its quantization scale while considering the human visual system (HVS) perceptual property. Since the whole frame is an entity perceived by viewers, macroblocks compete cooperatively under a global objective of achieving the best quality with the given bit constraint. The major advantage of the proposed approach is that the cooperative game leads to an optimal and fair bit allocation strategy based on the Nash Bargaining Solution. Another advantage is that it allows multi-objective optimization with multiple decision makers (e.g., macroblocks). The algorithm achieves accurate bit rate with good perceptual quality, and to maintain a stable buffer level. The second algorithm based on a non-cooperative strategic game is aimed for video object level bit allocation. We formulate a two-player bi-matrix game, in which the utilities of the players are pre-determined by a set of available strategies (i.e., the possible quantization parameters). The game is non-deterministic in which the players' strategies are bound to a probability distribution over the set of available actions. The outcome of the game is a mixed strategy Nash equilibrium. The proposed algorithm achieves accurate bit rate regulation and smooth buffer occupancy.
Proteolytic cleavage of Beclin 1 exacerbates neurodegeneration.

Neuronal cell loss contributes to the pathology of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It remains crucial to identify molecular mechanisms sensitizing neurons to various insults and cell death. To date, the multifunctional, autophagy-related protein Beclin 1 has been shown to be both necessary and sufficient for neuronal integrity in neurodegenerative models associated with protein aggregation. Interestingly, besides its role in cellular homeostasis, Beclin 1 has also been ascribed a role in apoptosis. This makes it critical to elucidate whether Beclin 1 regulates neuronal death and survival across neurodegenerative conditions independent of protein clearance. Here, we provide experimental evidence for a direct functional link between proteolytic cleavage of Beclin 1 and apoptotic neuronal cell loss in two independent models of neurodegeneration in vivo. Proteolytic cleavage of Beclin 1 was characterized in lysates of human AD brain samples. We developed viral tools allowing for the selective neuronal expression of the various Beclin 1 forms, including Beclin 1 cleavage products as well as a cleavage-resistant form. The effect of these Beclin 1 forms on survival and integrity of neurons was examined in models of acute and chronic neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo. Markers of neuronal integrity, neurodegeneration and inflammation were further assessed in a Kainic acid-based mouse model of acute excitotoxic neurodegeneration and in a hAPP-transgenic mouse model of AD following perturbation of Beclin 1 in the susceptible CA1 region of the hippocampus. We find a significant increase in caspase-mediated Beclin 1 cleavage fragments in brain lysates of human AD patients and mimic this phenotype in vivo using both an excitotoxic and hAPP-transgenic mouse model of neurodegeneration. Surprisingly, overexpression of the C-terminal cleavage-fragment exacerbated neurodegeneration in two distinct models of degeneration. Local inhibition of caspase activity ameliorated neurodegeneration after excitotoxic insult and prevented Beclin 1 cleavage. Furthermore, overexpression of a cleavage-resistant form of Beclin 1 in hippocampal neurons conferred neuroprotection against excitotoxic and Amyloid beta-associated insults in vivo. Together, these findings indicate that the cleavage state of Beclin 1 determines its functional involvement in both neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. Hence, manipulating the cleavage state of Beclin 1 may represent a therapeutic strategy for preventing neuronal cell loss across multiple forms of neurodegeneration.
Orientation dynamics of nonspherical particles under surface gravity waves

Nonspherical particles in the ocean are relevant to phenomena such as microplastics, plankton and sediment. Experimental results of the orientation dynamics of nonspherical particles in waves find competition between the waves and the inertial effects on particle orientation.
Measurement of Pectoralis Muscle Quantity and Attenuation by Computed Tomography Using Routinely Available Software is Feasible and Predicts Mortality after LVAD Implantation

Purpose We have previously demonstrated that pectoralis muscle mass and tissue attenuation measured on preoperative CT scans were powerful predictors of mortality after LVAD implantation. These measurements were made with specialized software (Slice-O-Matic) which is not accessible to advanced heart failure teams. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the correlation between pectoralis muscle measures made with specialized software vs. routinely available CT software (PACS). Methods A random sample CT scans (n=57) was selected from our larger LVAD cohort with previously quantified pectoralis muscle measures by Slice-O-Matic Software (larger cohort n=141). Unilateral pectoralis muscle mass indexed to body surface area (PMI) and attenuation (approximated by mean Hounsfield units; PHUm) were re-measured on preoperative chest CT scans by a local radiologist using PACS software. Correlation between Slice-O-Matic and PACS pectoralis muscle measures was performed with Pearson analysis. These measures (PACS) were then assessed as predictors of mortality after LVAD implantation using multivariate cox regression. Results We observed a high correlation between pectoralis muscle measures using both techniques (R = 0.95 for PMI, R = 0.94 for PHUm). For the pectoralis measures quantified by PACS, each unit increase in PMI was associated with a 31% reduction in the hazard of death after LVAD (adjusted HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-0.99, p = 0.046). Each 5-unit increase in PHUm was associated with a 39% reduction in the hazard of death after LVAD (adjusted HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.38-0.96, p Conclusion Pectoralis muscle measurements can be performed by local radiologists using routinely available software. These measures are predictive of morality following LVAD. This is an important first step in delivering a predictive model incorporating this measure into real world practice.
Psychological Issues and Future Directions: General Discussion

The following is an edited transcript of the presenter-audience question-answer and round table discussions.
Particle Production by Rotational Abrasion Between Graphite Spheres

Characterization of graphite particles (dust) produced by the rotational abrasion that would occur in a shifting pebble bed reactor is of interest for purposes of maintenance, safety, and operation...
Computational Linguistics Applications for Multimedia Services

We present Computational Linguistics Applications for Multimedia Services (CLAMS), a platform that provides access to computational content analysis tools for archival multimedia material that appear in different media, such as text, audio, image, and video. The primary goal of CLAMS is: (1) to develop an interchange format between multimodal metadata generation tools to ensure interoperability between tools; (2) to provide users with a portable, user-friendly workflow engine to chain selected tools to extract meaningful analyses; and (3) to create a public software development kit (SDK) for developers that eases deployment of analysis tools within the CLAMS platform. CLAMS is designed to help archives and libraries enrich the metadata associated with their mass-digitized multimedia collections, that would otherwise be largely unsearchable.
Environmental Education: Back to Basics

Author(s): Stoss, Frederick W. | Abstract: Educational materials on current environmental problems.
Objective measure of learning curves for trainees in cardiac surgery via cumulative sum failure analysis.

Abstract Objectives Objective measures of cardiac surgery trainee progress are limited despite a push for competency-based assessments. We hypothesized that the cumulative sum failure technique could provide a risk-adjusted, quantitative measure of resident learning curves and competence. Methods Records of all coronary artery bypass grafting and valve operations performed by cardiac-track residents from 2007 to 2017 at a single institution were stratified by operative resident. Multivariable regression evaluated the association among resident, case number, and postoperative outcomes. To evaluate performance over time, risk-adjusted cumulative sum failure analysis was performed, taking into account institutional expected values and comparing residents with study-defined “early alert” and “concern” boundaries. Results A total of 3937 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality cases were evaluated from 19 residents. Observed-to-expected ratios for mortality and combined morbidity-mortality were 0.66 and 0.72, respectively, and each individual resident exhibited better than predicted outcomes (all observed:expected ratios Conclusions Outcomes for trainee-performed cardiac surgery procedures were excellent, with no association between individual trainees and adverse events. Cumulative sum failure analysis based on postoperative outcomes is a potential tool for objective evaluation of resident proficiency.
An Aphasia Treatment for Verbs With Low Concreteness: A Pilot Study

Purpose Verbs with low concreteness are frequent in discourse samples but rarely targeted in aphasia treatments for verbs. These verbs are an important part of functional communication, and recent studies have called for more research regarding aphasia and treatment stimuli with low concreteness. The aim of this study was to pilot the use of verbs with low concreteness in a novel sentence production intervention with persons with aphasia. Method The study took the form of a single-case experimental design with multiple baselines across behaviors and across participants. Three persons with chronic nonfluent aphasia and apraxia of speech participated in the study. Each participant received treatment designed to increase the semantic networks of verbs with high frequency and low concreteness. Sentence production was closely examined over the course of treatment for treated and untreated verbs of varying concreteness levels. Additional measures of language and cognitive functioning were also taken before and after treatment. Results Results indicated improved sentence production with target verbs attributable to the treatment in the 1st phase of 2 phases for 2 of the 3 participants. The increases corresponded with the application of treatment, despite the difference in number of baseline sessions for the participants. Where there were treatment effects, there was also considerable generalization to untreated sets of items during the 1st treatment phase. Word retrieval also improved for 2 participants. Conclusions The results suggest that the novel treatment may improve sentence production and word retrieval in persons with aphasia, even when using target verbs with low concreteness ratings. Future research is warranted into the use of low concreteness verbs. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.10870958.
Tailored Messages Addressing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Concerns Improves Behavioral Intent Among Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to determine whether supplementing a bundled recommendation (recommendation for all 11- to 12-year-old platform vaccines) with tailored messaging that addressed one versus all parental concerns improved human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent among mothers. Methods We conducted a Web-based randomized controlled trial, randomizing mothers who did not intend to vaccinate their 11- to 14-year-old child against HPV to (1) bundled recommendation video (“control”); (2) control + video addressing the top HPV vaccine concern; or (3) control + ≥1 videos addressing all concerns. Outcomes were HPV vaccination intent (1 = extremely unlikely and 10 = extremely likely) and strength of main concern (1 = a little concerned and 10 = very concerned). We assessed differences in intervention effects using generalized linear models for vaccine intent and mixed models for the strength of main concern. Results Of the 762 mothers, 51% had a female child, 82% of children were white, and 90% were non-Hispanic. The mean intent to vaccinate postintervention ranged from 3.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.1–3.8) in the control group to 4.2 (95% CI = 3.9–4.6) in the all-concerns group (p = .01). The mean strength of the concerns declined pre- to postintervention by .1 (95% CI = −.1 to .3) in the control group (p = .42), .6 (95% CI = .4–.9) in the top concern group (p Conclusions Tailored messages addressing all concerns improved HPV vaccination intent and reduced the strength of the main concern more than bundled messages alone, but intent remained low and strength of the main concerns remained high in this vaccine-hesitant population.