cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The functional loss of human natural killer cell activity induced by K562 is reversible via an interleukin-2-dependent mechanism

Abstract In a recent study, we evaluated the functional status of human natural killer (NK) cells after their interaction with the NK-sensitive tumor target cell (TC), K562. We demonstrated that effector cells (EC), after treatment with K562 for 4 hr, lost greater than 90% of their original lytic activity. In this investigation, we examined whether this functional loss of NK cell activity represented an irreversible event in the NK lytic mechanism. Initial studies focused on the ability of K562-inactivated EC (ECi), which had been separated from their TC, to recover cytolytic activity following an 18-hr incubation. Our results indicated that ECi recovered 28% of their lytic activity in complete medium (CM) alone, 64% in CM containing interferon-β (IFN-β), and 91% in CM supplemented with interleukin 2 (IL-2). Analysis of the data revealed, however, that neither IFN-β nor IL-2 simply boosted the lytic capacity of NK cells which initially escaped inactivition, but also, each cytokine affected the lytic capabilities of EC that were either truly inactivated by K562 or precursor NK (pre-NK) cells. Thus, to evaluate further the basis of IFN-β and IL-2-induced EQ augmentation, we first treated the EC with IFN-β or IL-2 prior to their interaction with K562 so that pre-NK cell subsets would be promoted to fully competent NK cells. Both pretreated EC preparations, after interacting with K562 for 4 hr, lost greater than 90% of their original lytic activities. NK inactivation did not result from cell death nor reflect alterations in conjugate formation or the percentages of Leu-7- and Leu-11-positive EC. IL-2-pretreated ECi, as did ECi, regained some lytic activity after incubation in CM alone, but recovered significantly more activity in CM containing IFN-β or IL-2. In contrast to the restimulation profiles obtained for ECi and IL-2-pretreated ECi, IFN-pretreated ECi regained lytic function after incubation with IL-2, but not appreciably with IFN-β or in CM alone. Overall, these findings suggest that (a) EC, either untreated or pretreated with IFN-β or IL-2, significantly lose their lytic capabilities following interaction with K562 while retaining their ability to bind to the TC; (b) IFN-β acts predominantly on pre-NK cells, but not on EQ; and (c) IL-2 appears to play an important role in restoring lytic potential to functionally inactive NK cells.
Self-assembled TiO2-Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures for Enhanced Li-ion Insertion

We used anionic sulfate surfactants to assist the stabilization of graphene in aqueous solutions and facilitate the self-assembly of in situ grown nanocrystalline TiO2, rutile and anatase, with graphene. These nanostructured TiO2-graphene hybrid materials were used for investigation of Li-ion insertion properties. The hybrid materials showed significantly enhanced Li-ion insertion/extraction in TiO2. The specific capacity was more than doubled at high charge rates, as compared with the pure TiO2 phase. The improved capacity at high charge-discharge rate may be attributed to increased electrode conductivity in the presence of a percolated graphene network embedded into the metal oxide electrodes.
Statistical models of fluvial systems

Abstract Statistical methods have dominated quantitative analyses of fluvial systems over the last 40 years. This paper assesses the utility of statistical models by examining methodological issues associated with empirical analysis of hydraulic and channel geometry relationships. It also describes and presents examples of advanced statistical models that promise to enhance our understanding of the structure and dynamics of fluvial systems. Bivariate and multivariate power function models of fluvial systems provide objective numerical descriptions of the relationship between channel geometry and hydrologic, hydraulic, sedimentologic, and biotic controls. Traditional regression models are limited in that they only describe simple input-output relations between the states of dependent and independent variables. Advanced statistical models transcend these limitations. Simultaneous-equation models, continuously-varying parameter models, and distributed lag models are statistical tools for explicitly analyzing: (1) mutual adjustments among fluvial variables, (2) the factors controlling the spatial structure of channel geometry-flow relations, and (3) the equilibrium or disequilibrium dynamics of fluvial systems, respectively. These advanced statistical techniques can be used to empirically test conceptual models of fluvial systems at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.
Cholesterol Testing and Management: A National Comparison of Family Physicians, General Internists, and Cardiologists

Background: We wanted to compare the frequency of cholesterol testing and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in patients cared for by family physicians, general internists, and cardiologists. Methods: This study was a continuous cross-sectional survey of 1991 ambulatory office visits using a national probability sample of US physicians9 office practices (National Ambulatory Care Survey). The physicians surveyed self-reported their specialty as family practice, internal medicine, or cardiology. Records of 33,795 patient visits to 1354 physicians were reviewed to find out whether the physicians reported cholesterol testing, cholesterol counseling, and charting of patient use of lipid-lowering medications. The results were compared among the three specialist groups. Results: During an annual health examination (9.77 million office visits), a cholesterol test was reported by 23.5 percent offamily physicians, 43.5 percent of internists, and 13.1 percent of cardiologists ( P P P Conclusions: Recommended goals regarding cholesterol testing and management were not reached by any physician group. Internists tested for hypercholesterolemia during an annual health examination more frequently and had more patients using lipid-lowering medications than did family physicians or cardiologists. Understanding the reasons for these specialty differences might lead to improvement in the diagnosis and management of hypercholesterolemia and therefore reduction in cardiovascular disease.
Dynamic behavior of PEM FCPPs under various load conditions and voltage stability analysis for stand-alone residential applications

In this paper, dynamic behavior and performance of a fuel cell power plant (FCPP) which operates in parallel with a battery bank is tested under classified load conditions, such as mostly resistive, mostly inductive, resistive-inductive and non-linear loads. Thereafter, voltage stability analysis is performed using the dynamic response of the FCPP for stand-alone residential applications. Simulation results are obtained using the MATLAB® and Simulink® software packages, based on the mathematical and dynamic electrical models of the system. Using the experimental results, a validated model has been realized and voltage stability analysis is performed through this model.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and blinding retinal degenerations: coping with neuroinflammation and sustaining cell survival

The significance of the selective enrichment in omega-3 essential fatty acids in the nervous system has remained, until recently, incompletely understood. While studying mechanisms of cell survival in neurodegenerations, a new docosanoid synthesized from docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] by 15-lipoxygenase-1 [15-LOX-1] was discovered. This mediator, called neuroprotectin D1 [NPD1], is a docosanoid because it is derived from a 22C precursor (DHA), unlike eicosanoids, which are derived from the 20 C arachidonic acid family member of essential fatty acids not enriched in the nervous system. NPD1 is promptly made in response to oxidative stress and brain ischemiareperfusion and in the presence of neurotrophins. NPD1 is neuroprotective in experimental brain damage, oxidative-stressed retinal pigment epithelial [RPE] cells, and in human brain cells exposed to amyloid-b peptide. Thus NPD1 is a protective sentinel, one of the very first defenses activated when cell homeostasis is threatened by neurodegenerations. This review highlights the specificity and potency of NPD1 spanning beneficial bioactivity in experimental models of stroke, in retinal cells relevant to early events in age-related macular degenerations, and studies addressing fundamental issues during initiation and early progression of neurodegenerations.
CULTURE CONDITIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC MECHANISM : II. AN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS CULTURE OF CHLORELLA.

1. An apparatus has been developed which maintains a constant density of population of Chlorella by automatic dilution of the growing culture with fresh medium. 2. Cells harvested from the apparatus in daily samples are highly uniform in rate of growth and rate of photosynthesis measured under arbitrarily chosen conditions.
Testing a glacial erosion rule using hang heights of hanging valleys, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

[1] In most models of glacial erosion, glacier sliding velocity is hypothesized to control rates of bedrock erosion. If this hypothesis is correct, then the elevation difference between hanging and trunk valley floors, the hang height, should be dictated by the relative sliding velocities of the glaciers that occupied these valleys. By considering sliding velocity to be proportional to balance velocity and using mass continuity, hang height is expressed in terms of glacier catchment areas, slopes, and widths, which can be estimated for past glaciers from the morphology of glacial valleys. These parameters were estimated for 46 hanging valleys and their trunk valleys in three adjacent regions of Jasper National Park. The variability in valley morphology can account for 55–85% of the hang height variability if erosion rate scales with balance velocity raised to a power of 1/3. This correspondence is in spite of spatial variations in glaciation duration, snow accumulation rates, and other variables that likely affected hang heights but cannot be readily estimated and so are not included in our formulation. Thus it appears that balance velocity, and by extension, sliding velocity if the two are proportional, may be a reasonable control variable for assessing erosion rate.
A Survey on Antibiotic Usage in Dairy Herds in Pennsylvania

A survey was conducted (July 2001 to June 2002) on antibiotic usage of 113 dairy herds from 13 counties in Pennsylvania. Fifty percent of dairy farms surveyed maintained antibiotic treatment records. Only 21% of dairy producers had written plans for treating sick animals. Thirty-two percent of dairy producers sought veterinarian advice before administering antibiotics and on most farms (93%), antibiotics were administered by the owner/manager or designated herdsman. Twenty-four percent of the dairy producers said they always completed the course of antibiotic treatment. Any extra-label use of antibiotics was administered only on the guidelines of a veterinarian on majority of the farms. Comprehensive records from 33 dairy farms indicated that antibiotic usage was largest for calves with enteritis (36%) followed by pneumonia in calves (25%) and foot rot in cattle (16%). Twenty-four antibiotics including beta-lactams, spectinomycin, florfenicol, and tetracyclines were used on these farms. Beta-lactam antibiotics were used mostly for dry cow therapy, clinical mastitis, and on some farms for pneumonia and metritis. On 18% of the dairy herds surveyed, ceftiofur was used in an extra-label manner to treat mastitis in lactating cattle. On 70% of farms, calves were fed medicated milk replacers containing oxytetracycline and neomycin. The results of this study suggest that antibiotics are used extensively on dairy herds for both therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Beta-lactams and tetracyclines were the most widely used antibiotics. There is considerable variation in the management practices associated with antibiotic use on dairy farms. It is anticipated that the findings of this survey will permit developing new strategies for prudent use of antibiotics on dairy herds.
Allergic and Toxic Reactions of Prolonged Chemotherapy for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

1.One hundred cases of allergic and toxic reactions of multiple drug therapy were studied over a prolonged period of time. 2.The prolonged use of drugs demonstrated that most of the reactions occurred while patients were using streptomycin and isoniazid. 3.The most frequently occurring reactions were in the first 24 months of treatment, and otic and allergic types of reactions were the most common. 4.Pregnancy is not a valid reason for interrupting treatment even though allergic and toxic reactions do occur. Prophylactic treatment of anemia is necessary while using multiple drugs over prolonged periods. 5.Prevention of the adverse effects of streptomycin, izoniazid and paraminosalicylic acid by the use of vitamins, pyridoxine, antihistamines, adrenergic and steroid drugs, should be instituted as soon as the reactions are diagnosed. 6.The most successful prophylactic measure is still the temporary or permanent discontinuation of the offending drugs and the substitution of a better drug, without interrupting therapy.
Life History Parameters of Chinavia hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), a Stink Bug Injurious to Pistachios in California

ABSTRACT Life history parameters were established under controlled laboratory conditions for the green stink bug, Chinavia hilaris (Say) (= Acrosternum hilare), to improve pest control in pistachios in California. Parameters measured and calculated included survival and development at seven constant temperatures (ranging from 15 to 35°C), development time, upper and lower development thresholds, thermal constants, fecundity, generation time, net reproductive rate, and intrinsic rate of increase. C. hilaris did not complete development at 15 and 35°C. Within the range of 20–27.5°C, development time decreased linearly with temperature; it increased again at 30°C. The lower threshold was calculated by linear methods to be 12.3°C, and the thermal constant was calculated to be 588 degree days. Fastest development was recorded at 27.5°C, whereas greatest survival was observed at 22.5°C. At 27.5°C, mean fecundity was 53.5 eggs per female, mean generation time was 74.4 d, net reproductive rate was 20.09, and intr...
Relative importance of predation and intraspecific competition in regulating growth and survival of juveniles of the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria L., at several spatial scales

Abstract Predation appears to be the single most important biotic factor regulating populations of bivalves in estuarine and coastal soft sediments. However, the relative roles of predation and intraspecific competition are rarely investigated simultaneously over different spatial scales, making generalities about these mechanisms difficult. Using juveniles of the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria (initial mean shell length [SL] ± 95% CI = 12.4 ± 0.13 mm), I tested the interactive effects of predator deterrence and intraspecific density (660 vs. 1320 individuals m− 2) on growth and survival responses over a 185-day period from May to November 2003 at spatial scales that spanned four orders of magnitude: embayments, sites within embayments, tidal gradients, and blocks that were 10,000's, 1000's, 100's, and 5 m apart, respectively. Replicate field experiments were conducted from May to November 2003 at the upper and lower tidal heights at each of two intertidal mud flats (sites) within each of two embayments (Passamaquoddy Bay [PB] and Cobscook Bay [CB]) in eastern Maine. Mean survival, relative growth, and the abundance of wild recruits each varied significantly over all spatial scales. Predation was the most important factor affecting clam survival, explaining 45% of the total variability, whereas embayment, sites within embayments, tidal gradient, and intraspecific density collectively accounted for less than 10% of the variation. At all four intertidal sites, clam survival in experimental units designed to deter predators averaged 72%, but the degree of enhancement varied between embayments (PB = 61%; CB = 267%). Average survival rate was higher (by 12–16%), but growth was slower (by ca. 50%) in upper vs. lower intertidal blocks; however, the patterns differed for both variables between sites within each embayment. The effect of increasing intraspecific clam density was to lower survival by ca. 17% (56% [660 m− 2] vs. 48% [1320 m− 2]) in both embayments, but growth was unaffected. Overall, clams doubled in SL, although mean relative growth was 15% greater in CB than PB. Tidal gradient, sites within embayments, and blocks were the three most important factors explaining 35%, 19%, and 22% of total variation in relative clam growth, respectively. In Maine and the northeast US, juveniles of Mya reach their highest abundance above mean low tide levels. Experimental evidence presented here suggests that differential predation along the tidal gradient is the dominant factor controlling clam abundance and distribution patterns in the intertidal zone.
High frequency high power density 3D integrated Gallium Nitride based point of load module

The Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors offer the capability of high efficiency at high operation frequency. This paper will discuss the characteristics of enhancement mode and depletion mode GaN transistors; the high frequency GaN converter design considerations include gate driving, reducing dead-time loss, minimizing parasitics inductance, and the three dimension (3D) technology to integrate the active layer with low profile low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) magnetic substrate to achieve high power density. The final demonstrations are two 12 V to 1.2 V conversion integrated point of load (POL) modules: a single-phase10A 800W/in3 5MHz converter, a two-phase 20 A 1000 W/in3 5 MHz converter using the depletion mode GaN transistors. These converters offer unmatched power density compared to state-of-the-art industry products and research.
Randomly matchable graphs

A graph is defined to be randomly matchable if every matching of G can be extended to a perfect matching. It is shown that the connected randomly matchable graphs are precisely K2n and Kn,n (n ≥ 1).
Estimating the influence of U.S. ethanol policy on plant investment decisions: A real options analysis with two stochastic variables

Abstract U.S. ethanol policies have contributed to changes in the levels and the volatilities of revenues and costs facing ethanol firms. The implications of these policies for optimal investment behavior are investigated through an extension of the real options framework that allows for the consideration of volatility in both revenue and cost components, as well as the correlation between them. The effects of policy affecting plant revenues dominate the effects of those policies affecting production costs. In the absence of these policies, much of the recent expansionary periods would have not existed and market conditions in the late-1990s would have led to some plant closures. We also show that, regardless of plant size, U.S. ethanol policy has narrowed the distance between the optimal entry and exit curves, implying a more narrow range of inactivity and indicative of a more volatile evolution for the industry than would have existed otherwise.
Long-Term Neural Recordings Using MEMS Based Movable Microelectrodes in the Brain

One of the critical requirements of the emerging class of neural prosthetic devices is to maintain good quality neural recordings over long time periods. We report here a novel (Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems) based technology that can move microelectrodes in the event of deterioration in neural signal to sample a new set of neurons. Microscale electro-thermal actuators are used to controllably move microelectrodes post-implantation in steps of approximately 9 µm. In this study, a total of 12 moveable microelectrode chips were individually implanted in adult rats. Two of the 12 moveable microelectrode chips were not moved over a period of 3 weeks and were treated as control experiments. During the first three weeks of implantation, moving the microelectrodes led to an improvement in the average SNR from 14.61 ± 5.21 dB before movement to 18.13 ± 4.99 dB after movement across all microelectrodes and all days. However, the average RMS values of noise amplitudes were similar at 2.98 ± 1.22 µV and 3.01 ± 1.16 µV before and after microelectrode movement. Beyond three weeks, the primary observed failure mode was biological rejection of the PMMA (dental cement) based skull mount resulting in the device loosening and eventually falling from the skull. Additionally, the average SNR for functioning devices beyond three weeks was 11.88 ± 2.02 dB before microelectrode movement and was significantly different (p<0.01) from the average SNR of 13.34 ± 0.919 dB after movement. The results of this study demonstrate that MEMS based technologies can move microelectrodes in rodent brains in long-term experiments resulting in improvements in signal quality. Further improvements in packaging and surgical techniques will potentially enable movable microelectrodes to record cortical neuronal activity in chronic experiments.
How Good Men of the Union Justify Inequality Dilemmas of Race and Labor in the Building Trades

This article draws on ethnographic data to illuminate the problematic position of organized labor in terms of race and gender in the building trades. It argues that construction unions today are ca...
Misconceptions of Psychology and Performance in the Introductory Course

Again misbeliefs are found to change little by course exposure, but there is an intriguing relationship with student performance.
Asymptotic behavior of random heaps

We consider a random walk Wn on the locally free group (or equivalently a signed random heap) with m generators subject to periodic boundary conditions. Let nT(Wn) denote the number of removable elements, which determines the heap's growth rate. We prove that limn→∞E(nT(Wn))/m ≤ 0.32893 for m ≥ 4. This result disproves a conjecture (due to Vershik, Nechaev and Bikbov [Comm Math Phys 212 (2000), 469–501]) that the limit tends to 1/3 as m → ∞. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2005
Air-Broadening and Shift Coefficients of O3Lines in the ν2Band and Their Temperature Dependence

Abstract Room temperature measurements of self- and air-broadening coefficients are reported for over 370 transitions covering a range of 0 ≤ J ″ ≤ 45 and 1 ≤ K a ″ ≤ 12 for the ν 2 ozone band in the 630 to 800 cm −1 spectral region. In addition, the temperature dependence of air-broadened halfwidth and air-induced pressure shift coefficients have been determined for over 350 spectral lines. A total of 29 O 3 absorption spectra (0.005-cm −1 resolution) recorded at various temperatures (29 to −63°C) with a Fourier transform spectrometer were used in the analysis. The spectral line parameters were deduced by analyzing all of the 29 spectra simultaneously using a nonlinear least-squares fitting technique. The results are compared with similar measurements obtained in the ozone ν 1 band.
Reoperation for Diverticular Disease

Diverticulosis is a very common condition of Western countries, with the majority of people living beyond the age of 60 acquiring the condition. Individuals with diverticulosis have an estimated 10% to 20% chance of developing diverticulitis, and approximately 20% of these patients develop complications of this disease.[1] Reoperation for recurrent diverticulitis following sigmoid resection is fortunately uncommon. The rate of recurrence after colectomy is reported to be between 1% and 10.4% in the limited available literature.[2] More commonly, patients with diverticulitis are reoperated on to close a colostomy after a Hartmann’s procedure. This chapter discusses recurrent diverticulitis in terms of timing, diagnosis, imaging studies, and treatment, and discusses the use of the Hartmann procedure, the timing of closure, and the surgical approach for colostomy closure.
HIV Disease and Nutrition

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease is a worldwide problem of great magnitude. Nutrition and nutritional care are central, yet complex, in the management of this disease. The spectrum of nutritional conditions in HIV range from malnutrition, to gastrointestinal malabsorption, to hypermetabolism, to macro- and micronutrient deficiencies, to obesity, and to cardiometabolic disease. HIV, antiretroviral therapy, and other demographic and clinical factors contribute to nutritional problems of those infected with HIV. Close nutritional surveillance and early nutritional interventions have improved the clinical condition of those infected with HIV over time.
Strategies for automated placement of a robot hand-held mobile 3D range sensor

The problem of automatically generating the possible 3-D sensor locations for observing a scene is defined, and an approach to its solution is presented. The approach taken assumes that the sensor characteristics are well understood and that objects expected in the scene are known and modeled. Then, given a set of constraints, a set of actions is specified directing a robot arm to position itself in such a manner that an attached 3-D sensor located in the robot gripper yields the maximum information content with minimum effort with respect to the constraints. Techniques that yield solutions for placement of a triangulation-type 3-D laser range finder are presented. >
The Board of Directors and the Adoption of Poison Pills

In this paper we analyze how the stock-market reaction to the adoption of poison pills and the subsequent outcome of takeover attempts vary with the composition of the firm's shares among competing bidders and by other firms to entrench managers at the shareholders' expense. Our results also suggest that outside directors can be important in helping to align the interests of the board with the interests of shareholders.
Direct Synthesis of Bimetallic Nanoalloys from Corresponding Bulk Alloys

We report a transformative, all inorganic method-based synthesis of supported bimetallic alloy nanoparticles. We use Pd3Ag as a proof of concept. The method involves breaking down bulk Pd3Ag alloy into the nanoparticles in liquid lithium, converting metallic Li to LiOH, transferring Pd3Ag nanoparticles/LiOH mixture onto non-water soluble supports, followed by leaching off the LiOH with water under ambient conditions. The size of the resulting Pd3Ag nanoparticles was found narrowly distributed around 2.3 nm characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). In addition, studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the resulting Pd3Ag nanoparticles inherited similar structure as the starting bulk Pd3Ag.
A novel window based method for approximating the Hausdorff in 3D range imagery.

Matching a set of 3D points to another set of 3D points is an important part of any 3D object recognition system. The Hausdorff distance is known for it robustness in the face of obscuration, clutter, and noise. We show how to approximate the 3D Hausdorff fraction with linear time complexity and quadratic space complexity. We empirically demonstrate that the approximation is very good when compared to actual Hausdorff distances.
Section II: Moving toward uniform reporting and terminology

Summary Researchers interested in performing research on prehospital cardiac arrest should carefully review the presentations from the session "Moving Toward Uniform Reporting and Terminology." Although each presentation concentrates on specific research topics, taken together they suggest the next evolutionary steps we should take to conduct such research. We will base these further steps on the following insights. First, all future articles on prehospital cardiac arrest must share a common nomenclature and template for reporting outcomes. The Utstein style has not solved this problem completely, but it is the critical first step. Over the coming years, we must, through continued use, progressively refined the Utstein style. Second, we can no longer depend on research that comes from a single EMS system. Although we have gained important insights from such studies in the past, our expectations of greater validity and generalizability are rising and pushing us toward multicenter, cooperative studies. The International Brain Resuscitation clinical trials 16,18 and the numerous studies on thrombolytic therapy demonstrate the directions we must head. Third, we must abandon our narrow focus on the prehospital experience. Although some studies have avoided this problem, the preponderance of clinical studies on prehospital cardiac arrest fails to gather information on the prearrest condition of the patient, the actual decisions and action taken around the event (witness Kellermann's discussion of death criteria and rules for stopping resuscitation efforts), and the clinical experience after successful resuscitations. Fourth, we can no longer be satisfied with simple statistics on dichotomous (yes/no) survival. Although "live or die" is an improvement over previous studies that report only resuscitation rates, we must progress to regular reports on the quality and duration of survival. Researchers are working on valid cost-effectiveness measures that soon will supplement measures of quality and duration. Resuscitaton research has excited many people. We all hope that researchers produce dramatic breakthroughs in resuscitation techniques in the near future. Short of this, however, there is the growing realization that we have fallen far short of effective implementation of what we already know works. This widespread implementation of known techniques can occur in concert with multicenter studies and standardized data collection. With such activity, we should make steady progress toward achieving the best clinical outcomes that are biologically possible.
Bereaved Caregiver Perspectives on the End-of-Life Experience of Patients With a Left Ventricular Assist Device

Importance For patients and their loved ones, decisions regarding the end of life in the setting of chronic progressive illness are among the most complex in health care. Complicating these decisions are increasingly available, invasive, and potentially life-prolonging technologies such as the left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Objective To understand the experience of bereaved caregivers and patients at the end of life who have an LVAD. Design, Setting, and Participants Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted between September 10 and November 21, 2014, with 8 bereaved caregivers of patients with an LVAD who were recruited from a single institution. Data were analyzed from December 13, 2014, to February 18, 2015, using a mixed inductive and deductive approach. Main Outcomes and Measures Themes from semistructured interviews. Results The 8 caregivers (6 females) described 3 main themes that coalesced around feelings of confusion in the final weeks with their loved ones: (1) the process of death with an LVAD, (2) the legal and ethically permissible care of patients with an LVAD approaching death, and (3) fragmented integration of palliative and hospice care. Conclusions and Relevance Despite increasing use of LVADs in patients with advanced heart failure, bereaved caregivers of patients with an LVAD describe a high level of confusion at the end of life. There remains a need for the health care community to develop clear guidance on the management of patients with an LVAD at the end of life. Future work will focus on the educational process and the ideal timing and reiteration of such information to patients and families.
Coronary input impedance is constant during systole and diastole

Although it is well known that coronary inflow decreases substantially during systole, the mechanism responsible for this decrease remains controversial. Knowledge of how coronary input impedance is affected by contraction can differentiate between some of the proposed mechanisms. In open-chest dogs, we have measured coronary inflow in the beating heart both during constant-pressure perfusion and during 10-Hz sinusoidal pressure oscillations around the same constant pressure. By exploiting the principle of superposition, we have shown that coronary input impedance remains unchanged between systole and diastole. Using this result, we have shown that a simple lumped-parameter model with constant resistance and compliance can describe coronary inflow at heart rates of 60, 90, 120, and 150 beats/min both with vasomotor tone intact and during maximal coronary vasodilation. Coronary resistance and compliance determined using the model are comparable to those obtained in our laboratory and by others during normal diastoles and in the arrested heart. The results suggest that, despite large increases in myocardial tissue stresses during systole, coronary resistance and compliance as determined using inflow measurements are constant during systole and diastole.
A Zero Filter Augmentation for Robust Adaptive Control of Weakly Minimum Phase Finite-Dimensional Systems

Past work has shown that there is a stabilizing direct model reference adaptive control law with persistent disturbance rejection and robustness properties. For these results to hold, the plant must be minimum phase (all transmission zeros stable). For this paper, the plant will be a weakly minimum phase linear system, i.e. there will be a finite number of isolated unstable zeros with real part equal to zero. All other zeros will be stable. Our principal result here is that the direct adaptive controller can be compensated with a zero filter for the unstable zeros which will produce the desired robust adaptive control results even though the plant is only weakly minimum phase. The new result shows that all state tracking errors converge to a prescribed neighborhood of zero even though the plant is not truly minimum phase. The result will not require the use of the standard Barbalat Lemma which requires certain signals to be uniformly continuous. Our results are illustrated with a simple example to show how the adaptive control behaves for weakly minimum phase systems.
Factors affecting nest survival of Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) in southern Indiana

ABSTRACT Populations of Henslow’s Sparrows have declined dramatically in recent decades, coinciding with widespread loss of native grassland habitat. Prescribed burning is a primary tool for maintaining grassland patches, but its effects on nest survival of Henslow’s Sparrows remains largely unknown, especially in conjunction with other factors. We monitored 135 nests of Henslow’s Sparrows at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in southern Indiana from 1998–2001 in an effort to understand factors influencing nest survival, including prescribed burning of habitat. We used a mixed-effects implementation of the logistic exposure model to predict daily nest survival in an information theoretic framework. We found that daily survival declined near the onset of hatching and increased with the height of standing dead vegetation, although this relationship was weak. We found only nominal support to suggest that time since burn influenced nest survival. Overall, nest age was the most important factor in estimating d...
Management of Skin Toxicities of Anti-EGFR Agents in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer and Other GI Tumors by Using Electronic Communication: Effective and Convenient

Erlotinib has been FDA approved to be used in combination with gemcitabine as the first line treatment in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Skin rash has been documented as one of the commonest adverse reactions in patients receiving erlotinib and other EGFR inhibitors. Draw back to this reaction leads to: 1) drug discontinuation or dose reduction; 2) impairs quality of life; and 3) Puts patients at risk of superinfection. Monitoring patients closely and initiating immediate skin care is recommended. However, patients forget how the rash started and when. No standard treatments exist secondary to the diversity of symptoms, variability and intermittent occurrence in relation to the cancer therapy. In addition, there is slow improvement with medical treatment. Also, patients need to make extra visits to doctor’s office for skin management when in needed in addition to chemotherapy appointments. Late presentation for medical attention leading to complications, such as sepsis. We here experience a novel way of assessing and managing the skin rash using the electronic media. We suggest that electronic communication is of crucial importance to detect early, diagnose and treat anti-EGFR related skin rash in order to continue the benefit of anti-EGFR. Image: Risk assessment and management algorithm.
Assessing hydro-ecological vulnerability using microwave radiometric measurements from WindSat

Abstract The spatial distribution, magnitude and timing of precipitation events are being altered globally, often leading to extreme hydrologic conditions with serious implications to the environment and society. Motivated by the pressing need to understand, from a hydro-ecological perspective, the impact of the dynamic nature of the hydrologic cycle on the environment in water-stressed regions, we investigated how different habitats in East Africa behave under extreme hydrologic conditions. We assessed the hydro-ecological vulnerability of the region by studying the response of soil moisture and vegetation water content to precipitation deficiency. The spatial patterns and characteristics of the inter-relations among the three aforementioned hydrologic variables, as well as the sensitivity and resilience of vegetation water content and soil moisture, derived from WindSat, were investigated for different vegetation types during dry spells of varying duration, identified using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), in 2003–2011. Forest/Woody Savanna (FWS) and Savanna/Grasslands (SG) are more sensitive to local hydrologic extremes, while Shrublands (SHR) and the soils that support it are the least impacted by these conditions. SG and FWS exhibit the highest vegetation water content resilience, whereas soil moisture persistence during dry spells is at its highest in SHR/SG. The environmental variability, illustrated by the spatial patterns of the aforementioned hydrologic properties, can potentially play a role in the enhancement of resilience. This study provides critical insight into the hydro-ecological vulnerability of East Africa using microwave remote sensing, and this information can be used towards advancing management and decision support systems that would improve societal well-being and economic development.
Perfusion-induced myocardial injury.

Summary Isolated hypoxic perfusion of the heart and total body hypoxic perfusion were performed as preliminary assessment of parameters bearing on the development of a disposable coronary perfusate for use in intracardiac surgical procedures. Sudden, irreversible damage may result during isolated hypoxic perfusion which produces glycogen depletion and structural damage. Whole body preparations have shown that hypoxia is not the destructive factor by itself.
Securing Our Soil in Intensive Monoculture Cropping Systems

Adoption of reduced tillage and no-till cotton is one of the most rapidly growing conservation areas in the United States. As conservation tillage expands in use, understanding the impact of transitioning to such systems on nutrient cycling and soil compaction and the soil’s overall health becomes paramount. Our objective was to measure the impact of long-term conservation tillage systems in cotton production systems on soil chemical, physical, and biological properties. The Soil Health Tool developed by USDA-ARS was used to measure biological properties of soil samples taken to a depth of 15 cm. Soil physical properties measured included bulk density, soil strength using penetrometers (cone index values), and infiltration. Soil cores were taken to a depth of 90 cm and segmented for analysis of soil chemical properties. Soil carbon was higher in the upper 10 cm for systems that had been in no-till for more than 10 years. We also observed that carbon sequestration was higher in systems that incorporated crop rotation, particularly wheat, versus a continuous cotton system. Among locations through the Southern High Plains of Texas, infiltration rates were generally greater in conservation tillage systems than adjacent conventional tillage systems.
Structure and chemistry of epitaxial ceria thin films on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates, studied by high resolution electron microscopy.

We have applied aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to study the structure and chemistry of epitaxial ceria thin films, grown by pulsed laser deposition onto (001) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. There are few observable defects apart from the expected mismatch interfacial dislocations and so the films would be expected to have good potential for applications. Under high electron beam dose rate (above about 6000 e-/A2s) domains of an ordered structure appear and these are interpreted as being created by oxygen vacancy ordering. The ordered structure does not appear at lower lose rates (ca. 2600 e-/A2s) and can be removed by imaging under 1 mbar oxygen gas in an environmental TEM. EELS confirms that there is both oxygen deficiency and the associated increase in Ce3+ versus Ce4+ cations in the ordered domains. In situ high resolution TEM recordings show the formation of the ordered domains as well as atomic migration along the ceria thin film (001) surface.
Code-switching attitudes and their effects on acceptability judgment tasks

The present study examines the effects of code-switching (CS) attitudes in Acceptability Judgment Tasks (AJTs) among early Spanish/English bilinguals in the United States. In doing so, we explore whether negative attitudes towards CS result in lower/degraded ratings, and, likewise, whether positive attitudes result in higher acceptability ratings. Fifty Spanish/English bilinguals completed a survey that comprised a linguistic background questionnaire and a set of monolingual and code-switched sentences featuring two sets of stimuli, pro-drop ( Sande, 2015 ) and pronouns ( Koronkiewicz, 2014 ), that they rated on a 1–7 Likert scale; additionally, the survey included a final component that gathered information about the speakers’ attitudes towards CS. The pro-drop and pronouns code-switched stimuli gave rise to a total of four conditions. Results from a Linear Mixed Model revealed that all participants, regardless of attitude, distinguished between all Conditions. Furthermore, an effect for attitude was found for two of the conditions, such that the more positive the attitude, the higher the rating given on the AJT. In fact, these two conditions were composed of the CS structures that were rated higher by participants in Sande (2015) and Koronkiewicz (2014) . No effect for attitude was found for CS structures that were rated low in the original studies. Thus, this investigation suggests that the attitudes that bilingual speakers have towards CS play a role in the ratings that they provide in AJTs, but in a manner that highlights, rather than obscures, the rule-governed nature of CS.
Novel microsatellite loci reveal high genetic diversity yet low population structure for alfalfa leafcutting bees in North America

The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (ALCB) is an economically important pollinator necessary for seed production of the critical forage crop alfalfa, Medicago sativa. The pollinator was accidentally introduced to North America from Europe approximately 70 years ago, and it is primarily produced in Canada and shipped to the United States annually en masse for seed field pollination. We investigate how the large-scale commercial movement of this bee affects the genetic structure of populations in the North American seed growing system and compare the genetic diversity and structure of introduced North American bees with two native European populations. Using 16 newly developed microsatellite loci, we describe the North American population structure of this bee. ALCBs collected from alfalfa seed farms have a degree of genetic variability similar to one native European population, but lower than the second. Considering that the species was accidentally introduced into North America, we anticipated more signature of a founder effect. Despite the level of genetic variability, we found little, if any, genetic structuring across North America, other than that the North American populations were distinct from the European populations sampled. While we detected some sub-structure in North American populations using Bayesian methods, the structuring was without geographic pattern, and we propose it is the result of the intense human management and movement of these bees. The trade and movement of these bees by humans has created a nearly panmictic M. rotundata population across the continent, which has implications relevant to the preservation and conservation of other bee pollinators.
Debugging Big Data Analytics in Spark with BigDebug

To process massive quantities of data, developers leverage Data-Intensive Scalable Computing (DISC) systems such as Apache Spark. In terms of debugging, DISC systems support only post-mortem log analysis and do not provide any debugging functionality. This demonstration paper showcases BigDebug: a tool enhancing Apache Spark with a set of interactive debugging features that can help users in debug their Big Data Applications.
Oxidative stress rapidly stabilizes promoter-proximal paused Pol II across the human genome

Oxidative stress has pervasive effects on cells but how they respond transcriptionally upon the initial insult is incompletely understood. We developed a nuclear walk-on assay that semi-globally quantifies nascent transcripts in promoter-proximal paused RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Using this assay in conjunction with ChIP-Seq, in vitro transcription, and a chromatin retention assay, we show that within a minute, hydrogen peroxide causes accumulation of Pol II near promoters and enhancers that can best be explained by a rapid decrease in termination. Some of the accumulated polymerases slowly move or 'creep' downstream. This second effect is correlated with and probably results from loss of NELF association and function. Notably, both effects were independent of DNA damage and ADP-ribosylation. Our results demonstrate the unexpected speed at which a global transcriptional response can occur. The findings provide strong support for the residence time of paused Pol II elongation complexes being much shorter than estimated from previous studies.