cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Energy Focused Ion Beam Nanoprobes: Design and Applications

An overview of the present state of high energy focused ion beam (HEFIB) system technology, nanoprobe system design and specific ion beam writing applications will be presented. In particular, the combination of P-beam, heavy-ion writing and ion implantation to produce microstructures in resists and silicon will be demonstrated. Heretofore, the development of HEFIB technology worldwide has progressed through a series of developments at independent research facilities, each having relatively narrow and mostly isolated, research purposes. However, a complete, versatile HEFIB nanoprobe system capable of both analysis and modification will require the combination of several component systems, each with specialized technology, and significant advances in the design of a complete system can only be expected from an effort that includes a coordinated development of the component parts.
Head Impact Measurement Devices A Clinical Review

Context:Concussive injuries are at the forefront of sports medicine research. Recently, researchers have used a variety of head- and helmet-based impact-monitoring devices to quantify impacts susta...
A surface spectroscopic study of membranes fouled by pulp mill effluent

Abstract Infrared internal reflection spectroscopy (IR-IRS) and flux decline has been used to examine the build-up of adsorbed foulants on the surfaces of membranes during the treatment of the plug screw feed pressate (PSFP) from the sulfite digestion of wood chips. Of the four commercial membranes studied, hydrophillic cellulose and thin film composite membranes resisted fouling as shown by no drop in flux during in-plant trials and absence of foulants by IR-IRS. In contrast both hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) and polysulfone membranes showed rapid flux decline and were found by IR-IRS to be coated with essentially all of the pressate constituents after exposure to the mill effluent. PVdF membranes were examined in detail by IR-IRS to monitor membrane fouling as a function of exposure time in a laboratory permeation test cell and exposure to PSFP in a static contact test. Hydrated lignin sulfonates, as free acid or salts, were found to be the initially absorbed species, with cellulosic oligomers depositing later on the initial foulant layer.
Managing Service Systems in the Presence of Social Networks

We study the optimal service differentiation policy for service organizations in the presence of social networks. In our framework, customers' beliefs of the service quality evolve over time according to their own experiences and the reported experiences from their friends in the network. We characterize the conditions under which such belief system converges and the corresponding optimal service differentiation policy. Our main results can be summarized as follows: First, contrary to the existing literature, we show that, when customers directly report their experiences, the importance of a customer only depends on her marginal economic value, her influence on her friends, and her friends' marginal economic values. In other words, the optimal policy only needs first-order friendship information instead of the whole network structure. Second, we demonstrate that the value of knowing the social network structure critically depends on the correlation between customers' economic and social values. The social network value is higher if the correlation is lower. Third, we use a novel data set with more than 1,600 service providers to show empirically that for many service providers, there are negative correlations between the economic and social values of their customers. We also provide empirical evidence to show that the price ranges of services affect their correlations, with service providers targeting high-end markets having more negative correlations.
The Discussion on Emulsifying Effectiveness and Safety of Emulsion Machine

By commentary on the technology structure of various emulsion machine used in China now,the main influencing factors of emulsifying effectiveness and safety are analyzed,the technical points of mechanical and safe design about the emulsion machine are put forward,and some corresponding results are given.
Web Protection System based on Kernel Monitoring and Filtering Rules

In allusion to the security issues of the Web site, the paper designs and implements the Web protection system based on kernel monitoring and filtering rules. The system mainly includes two modules: WAF and kernel monitoring. The system can resist various common types of network attacks, can providing safeguard for Web site based on the HTTP protocol.
Einzel-Server-Datenbankfernzugriff

In diesem Kapitel wird ein RDA-Kommunikationselement entworfen, das die in Abschnitt 2.3.1. aufgestellten Forderungen erfullt. Nach der Definition der zugrundeliegenden Software-Architektur werden Funktionen zur Verbindungsverwaltung, zum Transfer von Datenbankoperationen, zur Unterstutzung der Datenreprasentation und zur Transaktionsverwaltung eingefuhrt. Den dabei entwickelten eigenen Losungen wird abschliesend der ISO/OSI-Ansatz gegenubergestellt. Nachfolgend beschranken wir uns zunachst auf die Betrachtung eine Szenariums, in dem ein Client mit genau einem Server kommuniziert (Einzel-Server-Datenbankfernzugriff). Die Erweiterung auf einen Multi-Server-Datenbankfernzugriff geschieht in Kapitel 5.
Impressions of Service Quality Potential Based on Contact Employee Image

The move to provide customers with service quality has necessitated the marketers’ understanding of customer expectations and perceptions of the service delivery act. Attempts have been made to determine which internal organizational factors are responsible for unmet customer expectations. One of the most important factors appears to be the characteristics of the employee contact situation. In this situational context, subjective impressions of customers concerning the contact employees can affect perceptions of the service act as well as attributions for service delivery.
O-118 Acp – how well do advance care plans reflect patient preferences?

Background Eliciting and honouring treatment preferences is a fundamental goal of advance care planning. However, is it unclear how well advance care plans reflect the current preferences of patients or how well patients understand the implications of their decisions. Aim To describe factors that influence how well advance care plans reflect informed patient preferences. Methods A review of the empirical and theoretical literature on advance care planning. Results Several factors were identified that influence how well advance care plans reflect patient preferences. Important characteristics of the decision-maker include health literacy, knowledge about treatment decisions, the preferred level of involvement in decisions, cognitive functioning, and health status. Important factors related to the facilitator include professional background, training in advance care planning facilitation skills, and documentation strategies. Key characteristics of the conversation include the length of time since the advance care plan was created, the setting, and how involved the patient was in the discussion. Methods challenges were identified as well contextual influences. Discussion Findings suggest that multiple factors influence how well advance care plans reflect patient preferences. This complexity requires a multi-faceted strategy to ensure advance care plans match patient preferences. Conclusion Future research is needed to evaluate the complex patient, facilitator, and conversations characteristics that influence how well advance care plans reflect patient preferences with the goal of developing innovative, evidence-based strategies to improve the quality of advance care plans.
Bacteriological study in perianal abscess is not useful and not cost-effective.

Background The detection of gut organisms in perianal abscesses has been postulated to suggest an underlying communication with the anal canal. However, recent studies appear to contradict this observation. The aim of this study is to determine the value of bacteriological studies in perianal abscesses. Methods A retrospective study of all patients who have had a surgical drainage of their perianal abscesses with concomitant microbiological examination from January 2010 to December 2012 was performed. Patients with known underlying anal fistula, Crohn's disease or previous perianal operations were excluded. Results A total of 164 patients, median age of 42.0 years (range 8–87) comprising of 78.7% males formed the study group. Gut organisms were cultured in 143 (87.2%) samples while 12 (7.3%) demonstrated skin organisms and nine did not yield any bacterial growth (5.5%). Twenty-nine (17.7%) patients developed anal fistula and 34 (20.7%) patients had a recurrence of the perianal abscess. The median follow-up period was 1450 (14–2391) days. There was no significant association between the presence of gut organism and development of fistulas (odds ratio = 0.48; 95% confidence interval = 0.17–1.37) or recurrence of perianal abscess (odds ratio = 1.66; 95% confidence interval = 0.46–6.01). Conclusion Bacteriological culture in perianal abscess is not useful for predicting the development of anal fistula or abscess recurrence. Hence, there is no need to perform this investigation on a routine basis.
DDEL-05DIFFERENTIAL BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER (BBB) PERMEABILITY OF ALKYLPHOSPHOCHOLINE (APC) ANALOGS ANALYZED USING AN IN VITRO PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL-DERIVED BRAIN MICROVASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL CELL SYSTEM

BACKGROUND: Agents with cancer specificity against the highly aggressive glioblastoma (GBM) have potential diagnostic, intraoperative visualization, and therapeutic applications. Recently reported alkylphosphocholine (APC) analogs demonstrated tumor selectivity in 55 rodent and human cancer and cancer stem cell models, including GBM. Although these APC analogs strongly label GBM, their permeability across an intact blood-brain barrier (BBB) vasculature remains unknown. METHODS: APC analogs -124I-CLR1404 (PET radiotracer), CLR1501 (green fluorescence), CLR1502 (near infrared fluorescence) - were obtained from Cellectar Biosciences, and tested for permeability across an in vitro BBB composed of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). This in vitro BBB Transwell system consistently exhibits satisfactory barrier tightness as marked by a high transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER > 1000 Ω-cm2) and functional drug efflux transporters. We investigated the permeability of these different APC analogs by measuring changes in cell diffusion rates using the clearance method and assessed the contribution of drug efflux transporters using pharmacological inhibitors. RESULTS: APC analogs demonstrated limited diffusion across the BBB with permeability values (Pe, x10−5 cm/min) of 40.8 ± 15.1 (124I-CLR1404), 34.4 ± 14.0 (CLR1501), and 35.4 ± 17.5 (CLR1502); compared to impermeable sucrose (12.95 ± 2.49) and highly permeable diazepam (174.0 ± 28.57). Only the fluorescent analogs CLR1501 and CLR1502, and not CLR1404, were substrates for drug efflux transporters, and MRP or BCRP inhibition (using MK571 and Ko143, respectively) increased permeability of these compounds 3-fold. Interestingly, inhibition of P-gp did not affect permeability of any compounds. CONCLUSIONS: Limited BBB diffusion of APC analogs helps explain the excellent GBM to normal brain ratios achievable in initial human trials. Addition of fluorescent moieties to APCs resulted in greater BMEC efflux via MRP and BCRP, and transporter inhibition may help optimize APC analog delivery to GBM during fluorescence-guided neurosurgical resection. Overall, characterizing BBB permeability of APC analogs will help guide future applications of these agents against brain tumors.
Energy and time determine scaling in biological and computer designs.

Metabolic rate in animals and power consumption in computers are analogous quantities that scale similarly with size. We analyse vascular systems of mammals and on-chip networks of microprocessors, where natural selection and human engineering, respectively, have produced systems that minimize both energy dissipation and delivery times. Using a simple network model that simultaneously minimizes energy and time, our analysis explains empirically observed trends in the scaling of metabolic rate in mammals and power consumption and performance in microprocessors across several orders of magnitude in size. Just as the evolutionary transitions from unicellular to multicellular animals in biology are associated with shifts in metabolic scaling, our model suggests that the scaling of power and performance will change as computer designs transition to decentralized multi-core and distributed cyber-physical systems. More generally, a single energy–time minimization principle may govern the design of many complex systems that process energy, materials and information. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The major synthetic evolutionary transitions’.
The Relationship of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome to Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) syndrome is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease with associated ophthalmic pathology. Glaucoma has been reported in patients with VKH. The purpose of this report is to examine the frequency and types of glaucoma associated with VKH.Methods: This was a retrospective case series. Electronic medical records of patients with VKH were reviewed from two medical centers: Duke University and the University of North Carolina.Results: Of 45 eyes with VKH, 28 (62%) developed ocular hypertension (OHT) or glaucoma. In the patients with VKH and OHT/glaucoma, 18/28 (64%) had posterior synechiae and/or peripheral anterior synechiae.Conclusions: We have shown a high prevalence of OHT and glaucoma in eyes with VKH. Furthermore, in addition to secondary open angle from corticosteroid treatment and uveitis, secondary angle closure resulting from posterior synechiae, frequently associated with iris bombe configuration, is an important cause of glaucoma in VKH eyes.
The Logic of Invention

“Is there a logic of discovery?” has been a continuing if not central question of philosophy of science ever since Hanson’s flamboyant defense of an affirmative answer. The question presupposes a distinction — attributed to Reichenbach — between discovery and justification as distinct (logically and perhaps temporally) stages of scientific inquiry. Justification of course, it is said, has a logic (explicated, e.g., by theories of confirmation); but most have thought discovery a nonrational process, amenable only to causal explanation. Hanson and a few others, including myself in (1973b), have contended that discovery has a distinctive logical structure and that explication of this structure will open philosophy of science to important but hitherto neglected aspects of scientific practice.
Design and verification of wide-band, simultaneous, multi-frequency, tuning circuits for large moment transmitter loops

Abstract In this paper we discuss the design and verification of wide-band, multi-frequency, tuning circuits for large-moment Transmitter (TX) loops. Since these multi-frequency, tuned-TX loops allow for the simultaneous transmission of multiple frequencies at high-current levels, they are ideally suited for frequency-domain geophysical systems that collect data while moving, such as helicopter mounted systems. Furthermore, since multi-frequency tuners use the same TX loop for all frequencies, instead of using separate tuned-TX loops for each frequency, they allow for the use of larger moment TX loops. In this paper we discuss the design and simulation of one- and three-frequency tuned TX loops and then present measurement results for a three-frequency, tuned-TX loop.
The Localization of Tobacco Production in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

leaf. Moreover, special properties of the leaf are achieved by using certain methods of growing and curing.1 These variations in leaf properties affect suitability for the various forms of manufactured tobacco. As a consequence, modern production has become a highly localized activity with each area producing a special type of leaf for a specific use, whether it be for cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or chewing. Today tobacco is grown in much of eastern United States. (Figure 1). The production of Pennsylvania Seedleaf Type 41, a high quality cigar filler, is highly localized. In Pennsylvania, Lancaster County produces over 90 percent of the Pennsylvania Seedleaf grown in the state. Most of the remaining Seedleaf is produced in adjacent Lebanon, Chester, Berks and York counties. (Table I). This unusual concentra tion of tobacco production within one county and the marked absence in the remainder of the state form the basis of this study. An examination of the physical setting of Lancaster County, the historical development of tobacco production, the human elements of the farmers, their culture and system of labor, and the facilities which have become established over the years for curing and storing tobacco will be undertaken. Analysis will seek to explain the dramatic decline in tobacco in the county over the past several decades. The duration of the frost free period is the most important tempera
Joint analysis of left-censored longitudinal biomarker and binary outcome via latent class modeling.

Joint latent class modeling is an appealing approach for evaluating the association between a longitudinal biomarker and clinical outcome when the study population is heterogeneous. The link between the biomarker trajectory and the risk of event is reflected by the latent classes, which accommodate the underlying population heterogeneity. The estimation of joint latent class models may be complicated by the censored data in the biomarker measurements due to detection limits. We propose a modified likelihood function under the parametric assumption of biomarker distribution and develop a Monte Carlo expectation-maximization algorithm for joint analysis of a biomarker and a binary outcome. We conduct simulation studies to demonstrate the satisfactory performance of our Monte Carlo expectation-maximization algorithm and the superiority of our method to the naive imputation method for handling censored biomarker data. In addition, we apply our method to the Genetic and Inflammatory Markers of Sepsis study to investigate the role of inflammatory biomarker profile in predicting 90-day mortality for patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.
Task-based Learning Applied: Satisfactory Grammar Coverage

Not only did the emergence of the idea of communicative competence result in grammar instruction being moved from its central position in traditional approaches, but it also helped to pave the way for the adoption of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). As a tenet of language teaching methodology, the belief that languages are acquired through communication has appeared to be central to the development of task-based approaches to language teaching. Built upon the idea of learner-centeredness and CLT models of language learning, task-based learning (TBL) comes into play and encourages language learning through authentic acts of communication, interaction, and negotiation of meaning. With its main focus on fluency rather than accuracy, TBL has been criticized for inadequate grammar coverage. By drawing a distinction between a task and a grammar exercise and between focus on form and focus on forms, this paper argues that there are enough opportunities for satisfactory grammar coverage throughout a TBL lesson.
Genome-Wide Identification of Transcription Factor-Binding Sites in Plants Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Followed by Microarray (ChIP-chip) or Sequencing (ChIP-seq)

Nearly all signal transduction pathways lead to regulation of gene expression by controlling specific transcription factors (TFs). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a powerful method for studying TF-DNA interactions in vivo. To identify all binding sites of a TF in the genome, the DNA obtained in ChIP experiments needs to be analyzed by hybridization to genome-tiling microarrays (ChIP-chip) or by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Here, we provide detailed protocols of ChIP for two model plant species Arabidopsis and rice, procedures of DNA sample preparation for ChIP-chip or ChIP-seq, and a general guide for computational data analysis. We have used these protocols to successfully identify direct target genes of the BZR1 TF of the brassinosteroid signaling pathway in both Arabidopsis and rice.
Causes of preterm delivery.

Abstract Although major advances have been made in both obstetric care of the high-risk patient and in neonatal care, prematurity and its consequences remain the major contributor to perinatal mortality. The identification of maternal or obstetric risk factors associated with preterm delivery has enhanced our ability to provide special obstetric care to gravidas at increased risk. The selective management of patients at increased risk for preterm delivery may ultimately reduce the incidence of preterm births. Maternal genital infections are also associated with preterm delivery. Further research is needed to explore the pathogenesis of preterm delivery associated with genital infections, since infections may represent a potentially preventable cause of prematurity.
Classical Political Economy and the Evolution of Central Banks: Endogenous Money and the Fiscal-Military State:

The paper analyzes briefly the changing ideas on the role of money and banks from William Petty to Thomas Tooke, including the works of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Karl Marx. It analyzes the rol...
ℚ-Curves and Galois Representations

Let K be a number field, Galois over ℚ. A ℚ-curve over K is an elliptic curve over K which is isogenous to all its Galois conjugates. The current interest in ℚ-curves, it is fair to say, began with Ribet’s observation [27] that an elliptic curve over ℚ admitting a dominant morphism from X 1 (N) must be a ℚ-curve. It is then natural to conjecture that, in fact, all ℚ-curves are covered by modular curves. More generally, one might ask: from our rich storehouse of theorems about elliptic curves over ℚ, which ones generalize to ℚ-curves?
Alloy Statistics and Phase Diagrams

This chapter is devoted to the study of phase diagrams of semiconductors and their alloys, and the underlying statistics and free energies. It starts by treating the relationship between phase diagrams and free energies. The concepts of common tangent line and its relationship to quality of chemical potentials and activity coefficients are deduced. Then several approximate but analytical free-energy models frequently encountered in alloy phase diagram studies are introduced. These results provide the necessary background for a comprehensive review of statistical models and thermal data that have worked for semiconductors. The phase diagrams studied here include the liquidus curves of binary melts (such as Ga1– x As x ) in equilibrium with the stoichiometric semiconductor compounds (such as GaAs), the miscibility gap of solid solutions, and the liquidus and solidus curves of ternary alloys. To study the detailed statistical properties of pseudobinary alloys, the quasi-chemical approximation (QCA) is generalized from pairs to clusters of arbitrary sizes. A transformation is devised that partitions the alloys’ excess energies naturally into two parts: a strain-dominated part that depends only on the concentration, and a smaller “chemical” energy that controls the temperature dependence of the cluster populations. Although this generalized QCA (GQCA) calculation produces free energies and phase diagrams that are similar to those from previous empirical models, the physics is quite different. In previous models, a tendency for phase separation in alloys always implies there is a repulsive energy between the different alloying species. The present theory shows that, while the larger long-range strain energy drives phase separation, in most zinc blende alloys the chemical energies are attractive, so they favor local correlations resembling ordered compounds.
Nursing Knowledge in the 21st Century: Domain-Derived and Basic Science Practice-Shaped

Some have described that nursing is at a crossroads that necessitates finding ways to balance knowledge development that is philosophical and conceptual/theoretical with the empirical inquiry, particularly of the developing related biologic sciences. This article sets a direction for nursing knowledge development that is domain-driven. The central role of nursing theory in attaining the common goals of nursing is envisioned. Recommendations include that grand theories, middle-range theories, and practice theories in tree-like fashion feed into the common goal of humanization; that all teaching tools in nursing begin with common goals and describe nursing theories as contributing to these goals; that theory-practice alliances are central in filling out the envisioned domain-driven knowledge and integrating this with practice-shaped basic sciences.
On the Effectiveness of the Satisfiability Attack on Split Manufactured Circuits

Split manufacturing of integrated circuits was proposed as a strong defense technique against reverse engineering at untrusted foundries. Split manufacturing has been shown to be vulnerable to proximity-based attacks and suitable defenses against these attacks have been proposed. In this paper, we apply an attack against split manufactured circuits based on satisfiability (SAT) solving, without requiring any proximity information. Our method formulates the problem of recovering the hidden signals as a Boolean decryption problem of determining the control signals (keys) of a multiplexer network, determines logical constraints to avoid solutions which could enable cyclic paths through the circuit and reduces the number of these constraints by eliminating redundant constraints. The resulting constrained decryption problem is solved by a satisfiability attack. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the attack on a set of benchmarks. In addition, we discuss a split manufacturing approach to potentially deter the SAT attack.
Wavelet Based Feature Analysis of Fault Signals in a Microgrid

Integration of renewable energy resources has been facilitated by the evolution of existing electrical power networks into Smartgrid. Increasing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) at the distribution network has made it hard to control and manage the grid efficiently. One of the numerous technical issues, related to the integration of DERs in a distribution network is to come up with an effective protection scheme. Traditional protection scheme fails to perform due to significant variations in fault current levels during grid-connected and islanded mode of operation. This paper presents a wavelet based method that does not rely on the fault current level for fault detection in a microgrid. The proposed technique decomposes the fault current signal using wavelet transform to obtain important fault current features. These features include difference in energy, entropy and standard deviation of pre-fault and post-fault current cycles. The proposed method is tested for faults in a modified IEEE 13-Node test feeder, consisting of renewable energy based DERs in islanded and grid-connected modes. The test results indicate that the proposed strategy is able to distinguish between faults and disturbances in the system which can lead to the implementation of an effective protection scheme for microgrids.
Blood Lipid Disorders

Blood lipid disorders are classified in various categories usually based on excess cholesterol or triglycerides or both. Elevated blood lipids pose a cardiovascular risk. Various drugs can be used to treat hyperlipidemias. These drugs target important synthesis pathways, transport pathways or gastrointestinal absorption.
Simulating Asymptotic Orders of the Number of Graphical Partitions and Graphical Degree Sequences

We design randomized algorithms to simulate the currently unknown asymptotic orders of the number of graphical degree sequences of given length and the number of graphical partitions of a given even integer. Computational simulations are conducted and the obtained simulation data are analyzed using the method of nonlinear least squares to derive conjectures about the asymptotic orders of the two considered combinatorial functions. These conjectures can be used to estimate the values of these functions when inputs are large and can compare against future rigorous asymptotic analysis of these functions.
Early adherence and biofilm formation of Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) on spinal implant materials.

Abstract BACKGROUND Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is associated with infection following shoulder and spine surgery due to follicular pore concentrations in these anatomic regions. It has been established that it can form biofilms on surgical implant materials, which may contribute to its role in perioperative infection, but its behavior of early colonization on those materials is not yet well understood. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time to adherence and subsequent biofilm formation of C. acnes in the first 24 hours on implant materials commonly used in spinal surgery. STUDY DESIGN We compared the colonization and behavior of C. acnes over time when applied to five commonly used spine implant materials – polyether ether ketone (PEEK), cobalt chromium (CC), stainless steel (SS), titanium, and titanium alloy. METHODS C. acnes was applied onto the samples of PEEK, CC, SS, titanium, and titanium alloy, and allowed to adhere for periods of 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 hours. Nonadherent bacteria were then washed from the samples. These samples were then allowed to continue incubating for a total 24 hours. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to visualize all samples for the presence and quantification of C. acnes adherence at each time period. Subsequent transition to biofilm formation on these samples was assessed via scanning electron microscopy at each time period. RESULTS The PEEK specimens exhibited the highest amount of surface biological burden in the first 24 hours compared with the other materials, which displayed little or no adherence. Rapid biofilm formation first observed at 8 hours of allowed adhesion on PEEK, whereas no significant biofilm formation was seen on the other materials during the observed time period. CONCLUSIONS Although C. acnes is known to have a slow proliferation rate, the results of this investigation demonstrate that it can rapidly adhere to and form a biofilm on PEEK. These data suggest that the use of PEEK implants placed during spinal surgery may facilitate early intraoperative colonization, and subsequent infection, compared with metallic implants. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The findings of this study suggest that PEEK may prove to be problematic as a choice of implant material in cases were C. acnes infection is a possibility.
A NOVEL DEPLOYMENT TECHNIQUE TO ACHIEVE LOW IMPLANTATION DEPTH IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING TRANSFEMORAL-TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT WITH SAPIEN-3

Standard deployment technique for Sapien-3 valve involves coplanar view where all 3 aortic leaflets are seen in one plane. The left anterior oblique view is used with a degree of cranial angulation. A pigtail catheter is placed in the non-coronary sinus (NCS) to obtain an aortogram during deployment
LogoJS: a Javascript package for creating sequence logos and embedding them in web applications.

SUMMARY Sequence logos were introduced nearly 30 years ago as a human-readable format for representing consensus sequences, and they remain widely used. As new experimental and computational techniques have developed, logos have been extended: extra symbols represent covalent modifications to nucleotides, logos with multiple letters at each position illustrate models with multi-nucleotide features and symbols extending below the x-axis may represent a binding energy penalty for a residue or a negative weight output from a neural network. Web-based visualization tools for genomic data are increasingly taking advantage of modern web technology to offer dynamic, interactive figures to users, but support for sequence logos remains limited. Here, we present LogoJS, a Javascript package for rendering customizable, interactive, vector-graphic sequence logos and embedding them in web applications. LogoJS supports all the aforementioned logo extensions and is bundled with a companion web application for creating and sharing logos. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION LogoJS is implemented both in plain Javascript and ReactJS, a popular user-interface framework. The web application is hosted at logojs.wenglab.org. All major browsers and operating systems are supported. The package and application are open-source; code is available at GitHub. CONTACT zhiping.weng@umassmed.edu. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prostate Epithelial RON Signaling Promotes M2 Macrophage Activation to Drive Prostate Tumor Growth and Progression

Effective treatment of advanced prostate cancer persists as a significant clinical need as only 30% of patients with distant disease survive to 5 years after diagnosis. Targeting signaling and tumor cell-immune cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment has led to the development of powerful immunotherapeutic agents, however, the prostate tumor milieu remains impermeable to these strategies highlighting the need for novel therapeutic targets. In this study, we provide compelling evidence to support the role of the RON receptor tyrosine kinase as a major regulator of macrophages in the prostate tumor microenvironment. We show that loss of RON selectively in prostate epithelial cells leads to significantly reduced prostate tumor growth and metastasis and is associated with increased intratumor infiltration of macrophages. We further demonstrate that prostate epithelial RON loss induces transcriptional reprogramming of macrophages to support expression of classical M1 markers and suppress expression of alternative M2 markers. Interestingly, our results show epithelial RON activation drives upregulation of RON expression in macrophages as a positive feed-forward mechanism to support prostate tumor growth. Using 3D coculture assays, we provide additional evidence that epithelial RON expression coordinates interactions between prostate tumor cells and macrophages to promote macrophage-mediated tumor cell growth. Taken together, our results suggest that RON receptor signaling in prostate tumor cells directs the functions of macrophages in the prostate tumor microenvironment to promote prostate cancer. IMPLICATIONS: Epithelial RON is a novel immunotherapeutic target that is responsible for directing the macrophage antitumor immune response to support prostate tumor growth and progression.
Mesoscopic Imaging: Shining a Wide Light on Large-Scale Neural Dynamics

Optical imaging has revolutionized our ability to monitor brain activity, spanning spatial scales from synapses to cells to circuits. Here, we summarize the rapid development and application of mesoscopic imaging, a widefield fluorescence-based approach that balances high spatiotemporal resolution with extraordinarily large fields of view. By leveraging the continued expansion of fluorescent reporters for neuronal activity and novel strategies for indicator expression, mesoscopic analysis enables measurement and correlation of network dynamics with behavioral state and task performance. Moreover, the combination of widefield imaging with cellular resolution methods such as two-photon microscopy and electrophysiology is bridging boundaries between cellular and network analyses. Overall, mesoscopic imaging provides a powerful option in the optical toolbox for investigation of brain function.
‘Green’ composites based on liquid crystalline cellulose fibers and avocado seed starch

Fully biodegradable unidirectional green composites with excellent tensile properties were fabricated by combining one of the highest specific strength liquid crystalline cellulose (LCC) fibers as the reinforcement and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) strengthened nonedible avocado seed starch (AVS)-based resin. MFC/AVS resin was crosslinked using 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid as well as plasticized using sorbitol or glycerol. Combination of alkali, mechanical and thermal treatments improved LCC fiber fracture stress from 1.5 GPa to over 1.9 GPa and Young’s modulus from 49 to 64 GPa. While the type and amount of plasticizer used changed the fracture strain of MFC/AVS resin, they also showed significant influence on the mechanical properties of the unidirectional composites. These composites prepared by hand lay-up, based on modified LCC fibers resulted in fracture stress of over 380 MPa and Young’s modulus of 19.5 GPa with less than 40% fiber content. Results suggest that there is scope to improve the properties further by using higher fiber content and automated manufacturing. These ‘green’ composites with excellent strength and stiffness may be used in many applications such as construction, automobile and others.
Transthoracic Right Heart Echocardiography for the Intensivist.

Background:The impact of critical illness on the right ventricle (RV) can be profound and RV dysfunction is associated with mortality. Intensivists are becoming more facile with bedside echocardiog...
Neurotoxic Astrocytes Secreted Glypican-4 Drives Alzheimer's Tau Pathology

Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) is the most crucial genetic risk factor of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the mechanism through which APOE4 induces AD risk remains unknown. Here, we report the astrocyte-secreted protein glypican-4 (GPC-4), as a novel binding partner of APOE4, drives tau pathology. APOE4-carrying AD patients display more tau accumulation compared to APOE4-noncarring AD patients. GPC-4 is highly expressed in APOE4 AD patients, and is regulated by microglial factors via NF-κB signaling pathway. The astrocyte-secreted GPC-4 induced both tau accumulation and spreading in vitro and in vivo. Further, GPC-4 is required for APOE4-mediated surface trafficking of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) and tau propagation. GPC-4 activates unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway IRE1α, and pharmacological inhibition of IRE1α with KIRA6 blocks GPC-4 induced tau propagation. Together, our data comprehensively demonstrate that the APOE4-induced AD risk is directly mediated by GPC-4, and that perturbing GPC-4 induced IRE1α pathway has therapeutic opportunities.
Introduction of Takaful in India

Financial security has become a basic need in contemporary human societies. Since ancient times, it is a clear development where food, clothing, and shelter were the only real basic human needs. Due to our lifestyle changes, we have more significant basic needs, including health and financial security.
The Theory of differential invariance and infinite dimensional Hamiltonian evolutions

In this paper we describe the close relationship between invariant evolutions of projective curves and the Hamiltonian evolutions of Adler, Gel'fand and Dikii. We also show how KdV evolutions are related as well to invariant evolutions of projective surfaces. 1. Introduction. Consider one parameter families of projective curves (t; x) : R 2 ! RP n 1 . Consider the projective action of SL(n; R) on RP n 1 . We ask ourselves the following question: what is the most general form of an evolution on t for of the form
Old Lovegood Girls

IN THE LATEST LOVEGOOD College Alumnae Bulletin, I see that Mrs. Elizabeth McCorkle Snyder has given a memorial donation "in mem ory of Miss Carol Olafson, formerly P.E. and Health teacher." I don't recall Miss McCorkle (she was a spinster in those days) being a particular friend of our easygoing, tomboyish gym teacher, but perhaps she was made solemn ?as I always am?by the finality of death: especially when it claims someone you have known. Also, knowing Miss McCorkle, I suspect she regards her donation as one more obstinate stone added to the fortress of memory. Memory, as she repeatedly instructed us, was our best defense against the barbaric forces that periodically try to trample down our gates and make rubbish of our glorious achievements. Miss McCorkle herself was the very opposite of easygoing. One girl in our class had hysterics and had to go to the infirmary because she couldn't memorize all the countries belonging to the British Crown in the year of Queen Victoria's Jubilee for Miss McCorkle's test the next day; and I still catch myself murmuring "... Antietam . . . Fredericksburg . . . Chancel lorsville . . . Gettysburg . . ."at the oddest moments.
Interactive point-based modeling from dense color and sparse depth

We are developing a system for interactive modeling of real world scenes. The acquisition device consists of a video camera enhanced with an attached laser system. As the operator sweeps the scene, the device acquires dense color and sparse depth frames that are registered and merged into a point-based model. The evolving model is rendered continually to provide immediate operator feedback. This paper discusses interactive modeling of structured scenes, which consist of large smooth surfaces. We have built an acquisition device that captures 7x7 evenly spaced depth samples per frame. The samples are grouped into patches that are approximated with polynomial surfaces. Consecutive frames are registered by computing a motion that aligns their depth and color samples. The scene is modeled as a collection of depth images created on demand during scanning. Resampling errors are avoided by using offsets to record accurately the positions of the acquired samples. The interactive modeling pipeline runs at five frames per second.
Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Increases Survival of Human Melanoma through Stroma Remodeling

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is growth inhibitory for normal epithelial cells and melanocytes but can stimulate mesenchymal cells. Resistance to its inhibitory effects is characteristic of human melanoma, the growth of which may instead be promoted by TGF-β, because its production is increased with melanoma progression. Whether TGF-β has an autocrine function for melanoma cells or is important for paracrine stimulation of the tumor stroma is not known. In this study, TGF-β1 was expressed in melanoma cells via adenoviral gene transfer, and tumor growth was analyzed in vitro, in human skin grafts, and in mixtures with fibroblasts that were injected s.c. into immunodeficient mice. The TGF-β1 produced by the melanoma cells activated the fibroblasts to produce matrix within and around the tumor mass, whereas control tumors showed less stroma and more cell death. High expression of collagen, fibronectin, tenascin, and α2 integrin was detected in the TGF-β1-expressing tumors by immunohistochemistry. Number and size of lung metastases were significantly increased. cDNA expression array analysis of TGF-β1-transduced fibroblasts embedded in type I collagen and of TGF-β1-transduced melanoma cells demonstrated induction of types XV, XVIII, and VI collagens, tenascin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-I, vascular endothelial growth factor, cysteine-rich fibroblast growth factor receptor-1, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β, which could be linked to promotion of growth and survival in melanoma. These data suggest that remodeling of the neighboring stroma, which provides a supporting scaffolding and a positive feedback stimulation of tumor growth, is an important function of TGF-β1 in melanoma.
Business-to-business connectivity and emerging protocols for E-biz

Summary form only given. For many years ED1 served as the dominant protocol for e-biz over private networks. Due to the rapid spread of the Internet, several new Business-to-Business (B2B) interaction protocols have become popular, e.g., Open Buying on the Internet (OBI), RosettaNet, and Vendor-defined protocols such as Ariba?s Punchout process. We will describe these protocols, with an emphasis on their similarity and differences. B2B marketplaces are emerging as hubs through which suppliers connect to buyers. We outline the connectivity requirements between these marketplaces, and the Marketplace-to-Marketplace (M2M) protocols that are required. We show how all of these emerging protocols can be specified in XML using a trading partner agreement (TPA). The TPA specifies three layers in the B2B protocol: The transport, document exchange and business protocol layers. Essentially, the transport layer provides a choice of transport such as HTTP, SMTP, FTP, and specifies related information; the document exchange layer handles different message formats, transformations, application level security including authentication and non-repudiation, and provides services such as audit trails and document repositories; the business protocol layer specifies the sequence of the B2B interactions, responsiveness criteria, and error handling.
Grouping of Optimized Pedestrian Routes for Multi-Modal Route Planning: A Comparison of Two Cities

The purpose of multi-modal route planners is to provide the user with the optimal route between trip start and destination, where the route may utilize several transportation modes including public transportation. The optimal route is defined over a set of evaluation criteria considered by the user during the route selection process. Especially in the case of multi-modal transportation, numerous evaluation criteria play a role in the traveler’s route choice. Thus the number of requested search parameters in the route planner may be large, and the user interface is overcrowded easily. Based on a set of pedestrian routes that are optimized for various criteria in multi-modal, inner-urban transportation networks of two European cities, an exploratory study based on Principal Components Analysis (PCA) identifies underlying factors that capture the correlations among route selection criteria. The results show how the variability of routes can be parsimoniously described with a smaller set of components, and how these findings can be used to simplify the user interface design of multi-modal route planners.
Hubo una Querella de las Mujeres en la medicina moderna

Los historiadores han destacado con frecuencia el papel que desempeno la argumentacion medica en la Querella de las Mujeres, en un sentido antifeminista. En este articulo, sostengo que tal interpretacion deberia reconsiderarse. Numerosas evidencias sugieren que la medicina desempeno un papel en el bando favorable a las mujeres en el marco de la Querella, pero hasta ahora esas evidencias tan solo se han analizado de manera fragmentaria. Cuando se examinan conjuntamente, lo que emerge es una historia bien distinta, en la que los argumentos protofeministas se muestran como un aspecto influyente y perdurable del discurso medico, en relacion con importantes tendencias de la medicina moderna. En este articulo, considero en primer lugar la transformacion de los roles de genero en el humanismo, particularmente en el humanismo medico, tal como indican dos voces femeninas significativas en la Querella, las de Nicole Liebault y Lucrezia Marinella, ambas hijas de medicos. A continuacion, examino una de las novedades mas llamativas de la medicina moderna, la emergencia de los escritos medicos sobre enfermedades de las mujeres, dirigidos por primera vez, en cierta medida, a un publico femenino. Es ante todo en estos textos donde encontramos a medicos que dan voz a argumentos favorables a las mujeres, hasta tal punto de que esas obras deberian considerarse, en mi opinion, como parte integral de la Querella. A partir de esa evidencia, concluyo que existio una Querella de las Mujeres en la medicina moderna. Algunos medicos humanistas desafiaron los argumentos mas antiguos, de caracter escolastico, sobre las mujeres, y ello tuvo un impacto profundo y perdurable en la cultura medica moderna.