cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in Phosphatidylinositol Metabolism in Response to Hyperosmotic Stress in Daucus carota L. Cells Grown in Suspension Culture

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) cells plasmolyzed within 30 s after adding sorbitol to increase the osmotic strength of the medium from 0.2 to 0.4 or 0.6 osmolal. However, there was no significant change in the polyphosphorylated inositol phospholipids or inositol phosphates or in inositol phospholipid metabolism within 30 s of imposing the hyperosmotic stress. Maximum changes in phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PIP) metabolism were detected at 5 min, at which time the cells appeared to adjust to the change in osmoticum. There was a 30% decrease in [3H]inositol-labeled PIP. The specific activity of enzymes involved in the metabolism of the inositol phospholipids also changed. The plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol (PI) kinase decreased 50% and PIP-phospholipase C (PIP-PLC) increased 60% compared with the control values after 5 min of hyperosmotic stress. The PIP-PLC activity recovered to control levels by 10 min; however, the PI kinase activity remained below the control value, suggesting that the cells had reached a new steady state with regard to PIP biosynthesis. If cells were pretreated with okadaic acid, the protein phosphatase 1 and 2A inhibitor, the differences in enzyme activity resulting from the hyperosmotic stress were no longer evident, suggesting that an okadaic acid-sensitive phosphatase was activated in response to hyperosmotic stress. Our work suggests that, in this system, PIP is not involved in the initial response to hyperosmotic stress but may be involved in the recovery phase.
Studies in Neotropical paleobotany. XI. Late Tertiary vegetation and environments of southeastern Guatemala: palynofloras from the Mio-Pliocene Padre Miguel Group and the Pliocene Herrería Formation

Plant microfossils are reported from the late Tertiary Padre Miguel Group and the Pliocene Herreria Formation of south- eastern Guatemala. The most abundant palynomorphs are cf. Acrostichum (maximum 45%), Cyperaceae (29%), cf. Antro- phyum (27%), monolete fern spores (16%), and Pinus (11%). Pollen grains of Picea, Juglans, Quercus, and Ulmus, primarily from the Padre Miguel flora, reveal the presence of a northern cool-temperate element. The younger Herreria flora is more lowland and warm temperate. In the absence of evidence for substantially higher elevations, the differences between the Neogene and modern vegetation are attributed mostly to climate. MAT (mean annual temperature) is estimated 2 8-38C cooler than at present for the Padre Miguel flora, and ;3.58C warmer for the Herreria flora. There is little evidence for arid vegetation, and the tropical rain forest was absent or poorly represented. These data are consistent with those of other fossil floras in the region and with trends suggested by isotopic paleotemperature analysis and global sea-level changes. The Guatemala assemblages further provide evidence that the current version of the tropical rain forest is recent in origin and has undergone considerable change in its range and composition throughout the late Cenozoic.
Experimental study and thermodynamic modeling of the Al-Co-Cr-Ni system.

A thermodynamic database for the Al–Co–Cr–Ni system is built via the Calphad method by extrapolating re-assessed ternary subsystems. A minimum number of quaternary parameters are included, which are optimized using experimental phase equilibrium data obtained by electron probe micro-analysis and x-ray diffraction analysis of NiCoCrAlY alloys spanning a wide compositional range, after annealing at 900 °C, 1100 °C and 1200 °C, and water quenching. These temperatures are relevant to oxidation and corrosion resistant MCrAlY coatings, where M corresponds to some combination of nickel and cobalt. Comparisons of calculated and measured phase compositions show excellent agreement for the β–γ equilibrium, and good agreement for three-phase β–γ–σ and β–γ–α equilibria. An extensive comparison with existing Ni-base databases (TCNI6, TTNI8, NIST) is presented in terms of phase compositions.
Neomedievalism in Three Contemporary City Novels: Tobar, Adichie, Lee

"Many recent novels of the metropolis imagine the city as a site of social struggle—even catastrophe—and highlight the needs of an exploited urban population that are not met by the nation-state. Displacing depictions of the modernist city as a site of aesthetic and personal liberation through flanerie or inter-ethnic contact, these novels envision a condition of extreme social crisis that coheres around certain neomedieval relations, even though the costuming and characterization do not evoke the knights and princesses familiar in more recognizable forms of neomedieval fantasy....this essay examines the central tropes of this sensibility in three celebrated works of urban fiction: Hector Tobar’s The Tattooed Soldier (1998), Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah (2013), and Chang-rae Lee’s On Such a Full Sea (2014). Although varied in their political commitments, regional affiliations, and generic practices, these three novels share spatial and social patterns derived from a neomedieval vision of the city-state."
PET Imaging and biodistribution of chemically modified bacteriophage MS2.

The fields of nanotechnology and medicine have merged in the development of new imaging and drug delivery agents based on nanoparticle platforms. As one example, a mutant of bacteriophage MS2 can be differentially modified on the exterior and interior surfaces for the concurrent display of targeting functionalities and payloads, respectively. In order to realize their potential for use in in vivo applications, the biodistribution and circulation properties of this class of agents must first be investigated. A means of modulating and potentially improving the characteristics of nanoparticle agents is the appendage of PEG chains. Both MS2 and MS2-PEG capsids possessing interior DOTA chelators were labeled with 64Cu and injected intravenously into mice possessing tumor xenografts. Dynamic imaging of the agents was performed using PET-CT on a single animal per sample, and the biodistribution at the terminal time point (24 h) was assessed by gamma counting of the organs ex vivo for 3 animals per agent. Compare...
Epistaxis associated with dabigatran in an elderly patient with reduced creatinine clearance.

Since its approval in October 2010, dabigatran etexilate use has increased due to ease of monitoring and simplified dosing compared with warfarin.[1][1] The RE-LY trial led to FDA approval of dabigatran etexilate at a dosage of 150 mg twice daily.[2][2]–[4][3] Dabigatran etexilate 150 mg twice
Viscoelastic and Structural Damping Analysis with Designer Materials

The interrelationships between viscoelastic, Newtonian viscous and structural (Coulomb friction) damping are analyzed in terms of Fourier transforms and complex moduli in the frequency domain and are also interpreted in terms of behavioral responses associated with real material compliances or moduli in the real time space. It is shown that the correspondence between viscous and elastic structural damping is spurious, severely limited to only harmonic motion and that it does not extend to more complicated viscoelastic materials beyond Newtonian viscous ow dissipation. The dissipation energy generated by viscoelastic and structural damping is also examined. The e ects of structural damping on elastic and viscoelastic bending-torsion utter are evaluated with the help of numerical examples. The material considered is aluminum, but the analysis is general and can be applied to any viscoelastic material such as high polymer composites. It is shown that the presence of increased structural damping does not necessarily have stabilizing e ects by decreasing the viscoelastic or elastic utter speed nor are the viscoelastic utter speeds necessarily lower than the corresponding elastic ones. An analysis is developed for analytically designing material properties and geometric sizing to tailor elastic and viscoelastic damping responses in order to control prescribed events subject to pre-selected constrains, such as cost, weight, geometry, maximum de ections, minimum utter velocity, life times, dissipation energy, composite ber orientation, volume fractions, etc. A simple illustrative example and future research directions are presented. 1Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering and Senior Academic Lead for Computational Structural/Solid Mechanics at NCSA / PSP. Corresponding author. AIAA Fellow. Voice: 217-333-2653 FAX: 217-244-0720 Email: h-hilton@illinois.edu 2Student Intern at UIUC, MS in Mechanical Engineering Candidate 2013 at SUPMECA, and BS Engineering in Aeronautics 2013, ENSMA, Poitiers. Email: germain.sossou@edu.supmeca.fr 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition 09 12 January 2012, Nashville, Tennessee AIAA 2012-1256 Copyright © 2012 by Harry H. Hilton. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission.
Nutritional factors in cardiovascular disease.

Will too much or too little food or a lack of vitamins or protein cause heart disease? Yes. The fat person is more likely to have a large heart, and it may fail even if coronary disease, valvular disease and hypertension are absent. The fasting individual's heart works inefficiently, and patients with beriberi or kwashiorkor may have biventricular failure.
Influence of Lung Function and Sleep-disordered Breathing on All-Cause Mortality. A Community-based Study.

Rationale: Whether sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) severity and diminished lung function act synergistically to heighten the risk of adverse health outcomes remains a topic of significant debate.Objectives: The current study sought to determine whether the association between lower lung function and mortality would be stronger in those with increasing severity of SDB in a community-based cohort of middle-aged and older adults.Methods: Full montage home sleep testing and spirometry data were analyzed on 6,173 participants of the Sleep Heart Health Study. Proportional hazards models were used to calculate risk for all-cause mortality, with FEV1 and apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) as the primary exposure indicators along with several potential confounders.Measurements and Main Results: All-cause mortality rate was 26.9 per 1,000 person-years in those with SDB (AHI ≥5 events/h) and 18.2 per 1,000 person-years in those without (AHI <5 events/h). For every 200-ml decrease in FEV1, all-cause mortality increased by 1...
The Rise of Hedging and Regionalism: An Explanation and Evaluation of President Obama's China Policy

Abstract Since the end of the Cold War, there have been many ups and downs in U.S. relations with China. Each presidential administration—whether Democrat or Republican—has pursued a policy of “engagement.” Although this term, or policy frame, has meant many things, it represents for them a broad umbrella concept that includes a range of policy options mixing cooperative and competitive approaches. The Obama administration has been no exception. This paper explains the Obama administration's engagement policy by evaluating its two central elements: (1) the bilateral relationship with China itself and (2) the rise of a pan-Asian regional policy that undergirds its rebalance to Asia. In this analysis, the Obama administration's approach encompasses both cooperative and hedging strategies, thus demonstrating more continuity than change in its approach to China. It concludes by noting that, despite the growing competition in the U.S.–China relationship, strategic rivalry is not a preordained policy outcome. R...
EXCAVATING LEGAL LANDSCAPES: Juridical Archaeology and the Politics of Bureaucratic Materiality in Bogotá, Colombia

In Bogota, urban planners employ the notion of juridical archaeology to describe the difficulties associated with the implementation of the city’s profuse and contradictory building regulations. They evoke a stratified and recalcitrant topography of decrees whose unpredictable effects are tied to the juxtapositions and gaps between sedimented legal artifacts. In practice, however, juridical archaeology holds great strategic value to bureaucratic operators, as it enables them to configure frameworks for urban development in a field of regulatory contingency. By representing the city’s legal system as an opaque and intricately layered terrain, bureaucrats and lawyers deflect accountability, arguing that incoherence is to blame. Furthermore, they occlude their interpretative agency by claiming that they do not shape the meaning of the law, but merely excavate it from the city’s legal depths. I argue that juridical archaeology expands understandings of state reification, showing that bureaucratic disorder itself can be reified as a concrete amalgamation of incompatible parts and pieces. Furthermore, I qualify scholarly claims about the agency of bureaucratic artifacts through a more interactive approach to materiality that highlights the crucial roles of social meaning and practice. From this perspective, I focus on the ways in which actors materialize legal infrastructures in their everyday performances of bureaucratic expertise and authority.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues in Vegetables and Fruits in Guangdong Province

Objective To grasp the use states of organophosphorus pesticides in vegetables and fruits in Guangdong province in order to offer data for effective precaution for the Chinese sanitary authority.Method According to national standard method GB/T 5009.20—2003, Determination of organophosphorus pesticide residues in foods, fresh vegetables and fruits in 12 monitoring sites of Guangdong province were sampled twice a year from 2001 and determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results 47?400 data were determined for 7 years. The detected rates and the over-limited rates of organophosphorus residues in vegetables and fruits were 10.1% and 8.0%, respectively. In comparison with the past 7 years, both rates decreased obviously. However, some high poisonous and high residual organophosphorus pesticides that were forbidden by the state such as methamidophos, parathion-methyl and monocrotophos were still in use.Conclusion Although the detected rate and the over-limited rate of organophosphorus residues in vegetables and fruits decreased gradually in Guangdong province, and the prevalent use state of organophosphorus pesticides should be taken into account by related departments.
Investigation for epidemiological characteristics of Japanese encephalitis and analysis effect of different immune strategy in 1994—2011 in Hechi city

Objective To understand a general parttern for the pathogenesis in Japannese encephalitis,and provide a scientific basis for effective prevention and control the disease in mountainous southwest area in the city.Methods The descriptive epidemiology was carried out and statistical analysis was performed for the related data.Results Since 1994,the incidence of Japannese encephalitis is 2.81-0.30/100 000 in Hechi city,the cases occurred in every county in the city.The trend of occurrence for the disease was smouthly reduced,at present the incidence has been reduced to 0.30/100 000,and the disease spread range gradually diminished,spring and summer are high-risk seasons,mainly concentrated in May to August,suffers were concentrated among those age under 10 years,most of them were scattered children,accounted for 60.85%,pupils were followed by,accounted for 28.72%.Conclusion In prevention and control of Japanese encephalitis,immunization of vaccine,wiping out or inhibition mosquitoes and its spread should be completely taken.As the immune strategy,a consideration should be taken into account as Japanese encephalitis vaccine totally include in National Expanded Program of Immunization,in addition enhancement of regular strengthening immunization.
China Coal Mine Roadway Support Equipment Development Situation

Through analysis and comparison of more advanced four bolting mechanical usage,combined with China coal seam geological conditions and fully mechanized roadheader in roadway with main feature,put forward to solve roadway driving and supporting continued difficulties better project is a new type of bolter development,finally future for this important research content.
Carbon dioxide hysteroscopy

Hysteroscopy was performed on 75 patients undergoing a dilatation and curettage for routine gynecologic problems. For the distention of the uterine cavity carbon dioxide was used and found to be an adequate medium to establish a pneumometra. It provided good visualization and was simple and safe to use for the hysteroscopic examination. Arterial blood-gas determinations revealed no change in the P O 2 , P CO 2 ) and pH with carbon dioxide insufflation. There were no complications in this series. The advantages and applications of carbon dioxide hysteroscopy are outlined.
High-throughput sensing of freely flowing particles with optomechanofluidics

High-Q photonic microcavity sensors have enabled the label-free measurement of nanoparticles, such as single viruses and large molecules, close to the fundamental limits of detection. However, key scientific challenges persist: (1) photons do not directly couple to mechanical parameters such as mass density, compressibility, or viscoelasticity, and (2) current techniques cannot measure all particles in a fluid sample due to the reliance on random diffusion to bring analytes to the sensing region. Here, we present a new, label-free microfluidic optomechanical sensor that addresses both challenges, enabling, for the first time, the rapid photonic sensing of the mechanical properties of freely flowing particles in a fluid. Sensing is enabled by optomechanical coupling of photons to long-range phonons that cast a near-perfect net deep inside the device. Our opto-mechano-fluidic approach enables the measurement of particle mass density, mechanical compressibility, and viscoelasticity at rates potentially exceeding 10,000 particles/second. Uniquely, we show that the sensitivity of this high-Q microcavity sensor is highest when the analytes are located furthest from the optical mode, at the center of the device, where the flow is fastest. Our results enable till-date inaccessible mechanical analysis of flowing particles at speeds comparable to commercial flow cytometry.
A case of ileocecal duplication cyst protruding into the intestinal lumen enucleated via an anti-mesenteric approach

Abstract Ileocecal duplication cysts are generally treated with ileocecal resection and end-to-end anastomosis. However, loss of the ileocecal valve can be a problem in childhood. Cyst enucleation is an option to preserve the ileocecal valve, but is difficult for cysts protruding into the intestinal lumen. We report a case of ileocecal duplication cyst with luminal protrusion successfully enucleated via an anti-mesenteric approach. A 4-year-old boy complaining of abdominal pain was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of intussusception. Intussusception was reduced with a therapeutic enema, but a tumor was detected in the ascending colon. Ultrasonography showed a cystic tumor adjacent to the ileocecal valve partially sharing the muscle wall with the colon. Surgery was performed with a diagnosis of duplication cyst. The ileocecum was mobilized laparoscopically and exteriorized through the umbilicus. The cyst did not protrude outside the colon, making enucleation difficult. We incised the cecum on the anti-mesenteric side, isolated the cyst, and resected it with preservation of the ileocecal valve. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Nine months after surgery, he remains well, with no sign of recurrence. An anti-mesenteric approach is a good option to preserve the ileocecal valve for ileocecal duplication cysts protruding into the lumen.
Vaccination with the PR1 Leukemia-Associated Antigen Can Induce Complete Remission in Patients with Myeloid Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have established the PR1 peptide (VLQELNVTV) as a human leukemia-associated antigen. PR1 is derived from proteinase 3, an aberrantly expressed protein in myeloid leukemia cells, and can be presented on HLA-A2 to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that preferentially kill leukemia over normal hematopoietic progenitors. METHODS: Thirty-five HLA-A2+ patients with AML, MDS and CML were vaccinated with the PR1 peptide in an incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (Montanide ISA-51) and 75 mg of GM-CSF. Eligibility included AML with smoldering disease or ≥ 2nd CR, CML not responding to upfront treatment or relapsed disease, and MDS with ≥ 5% blasts. Patients were assigned at random to receive 0.25 mg, 0.50 mg, or 1.0 mg PR1 SQ every 3 weeks for 3 total injections. Immune responses (IR) were assessed by PR1/HLA-A2 tetramer staining and intracellular IFN-γ production by CTL, and clinical responses were assessed by bone marrow biopsy before study entry and 3 weeks after the 3rd vaccination. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients with a median age of 50 (26–82) were treated at a median of 26 months from time of diagnosis, and follow up was 1 to 4 years. Toxicity was limited to grade 1 and 2 injection site reactions. Overall survival was 33% at 4 years. Immune responses (IR) were elicited in 20 of 33 evaluable patients (60%). Of 16 patients with relapsed or refractory AML, there were 4 (25%) clinical responses (3 CR, 1 PR). All 4 AML patients treated during CR remain in CR. Of 10 CML patients, there was 1 cytogentic CR. Three CML patients refractory to allogeneic transplant, interferon and imatinib had stable disease with some hematological improvement since these patients were able to discontinue hydroxyurea and anagrelide. Of 5 MDS patients, there was 1 PR (17% blasts reduced to 4%). Overall survival at 4 years was 14 of 20 patients with IR vs. 0 of 13 without IR (p < 0.0001). Progression-free survival for patients with or without IR was 6.4 months vs. 2.4 months, respectively (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: PR1 peptide vaccination is safe and can elicit both immunological and clinical responses in patients with refractory and relapsed myeloid leukemia, which improves progression-free survival of patients with IR to PR1. This is the first study to show complete molecular remission induced by peptide vaccination. These results warrant further study of immunization strategies in the treatment of leukemia.
Ionic conduction in polymers

Ionic conduction in polymers probably occurs when ionizable groups, present either intrinsically or as impurities (including water), dissociate to a fractional degree and provide a dynamic equilibrium of mobile ions. Application of an external electric field perturbs the equilibrium until a new steady state is reached; it also causes a net current to flow. Reactions at the electrodes and the concentration of ionizable sites are important.
Levels of Mir-29b or Mir-101 Do Not Predict Response In Patients (pts) with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) Treated with the Combination of 5-Azacytidine, Valproic Acid and ATRA

Abstract 1701 Introduction: MicroRNA (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs of 19 to 25 nucleotides in length that regulate gene expression by inducing translational inhibition and cleavage of their target mRNAs through base pairing to partially or fully complementary sites. Altered miRNA expression has been associated to various types of cancers, including leukemia. Recently it has been reported that pretreatment expression levels of miR-29b are associated with clinical response in pts with AML treated with a 10-day schedule of decitabine (PNAS 2010; 107:7473-78). These findings are significant as detection of miR-29b, if validated, could be used to select therapy in pts with AML. Methods: To follow on these observations, we have analyzed miR-29b and miR-101 expression levels in a cohort of patients with AML or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) previously treated in I/II study of the combination of 5-azacitidine (5-AZA), valproic acid (VPA) and ATRA (Blood 2007; 110:2302-08). We analyzed 45 pts, including 28 previously untreated patients. The characteristics of these pts have been previously reported (above): 8 (29%) pts achieved a complete remission and 1 (4%) partial remission. Total cellular RNA (extracted from unselected peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected before the first cycle of treatment) was used for reverse transcription reactions using TaqMan microRNA reverse transcription kit (Applied Biosystems). For real - time PCR, miR-29b and miR-101 TaqMan - microRNA assays were purchased from Applied Biosystems and analyzed with TaqMan Universal PCR Master Mix (Applied Biosystems) using an Applied Biosystems Prism 7500 Sequencing detection system. The U6 small nuclear RNA was used as internal control. Results: Expression levels of miR-29b and miR-101 from 45 patients were compared to 6 healthy donors. Expression levels of miR-29b was down-regulated in patients (P=0.001) (Fig. A). There were no difference in terms of miR-101 expression between patients and health donors. We then compared the miR-29b and miR-101 expression levels between patients who responded to the combination therapy versus non-responders: no differences were observed for both miR-29b (P=0.56) and miR-101 expression (Fig. B). Conclusion: our results fail to detect a relationship between miR-29b levels and response to 5-azacitidine based therapy. This could be explained by the fact that: 1) in our study, we used 5-azacitidine in combination versus decitabine; 2) source of RNA (peripheral blood versus bone marrow); And 3) relatively small sample size. Despite these limitations, these results indicate that larger studies need to be performed to confirm the role of miRNAs in response to hypomethylating agent based therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Percutaneous Stenting of a Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Kink

A 70-year old man with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy status post HeartMate II (Thoratec, Pleasanton, California) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation as destination therapy presented with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding. He was seen by gastroenterology and had a work-up that
Blockchain for Digital Crime Prevention: The Case of Health Informatics

Blockchain implementation in Health Informatics is a significant challenge in a rapidly evolving era of privacy and security concerns. Dealing with such concerns, healthcare institutions are presented with a serious problem in how to manage new technology and allocate finite resources to maximize value. It is important to understand how organizations address these concerns by exploring blockchain implementation management in the context of cybersecurity. The problem question is twofold: First, how can objectives that are important based on the strategic values of an organization with regard to the implementation of blockchain technology be used to ensure privacy and security of vulnerable patient data? Second, how can these objectives then be used to evaluate proposed solutions for blockchain implementation in electronic medical record systems? In this paper we utilize Keeney’s (1992) value focused thinking to demonstrate how the process can occur to maximize value-add within healthcare organizations.
Promoting the ‘China Way’ of communism in Poland and beyond during the Sino-Soviet Split: the case of Kazimierz Mijal

Kazimierz Mijal – a promoter of the “China Way” in Polish communism during the Sino-Soviet split – was not only a nuisance to Warsaw’s leadership domestically but had a certain effect on internatio...
Stock prices and inflation hedged firms

As the Federal Reserve continues its near-zero rate policy, the threat of inflation remains a concern among both policymakers and businesses. This article uses over 30 years of accounting data and ...
A novel heart-mobile interface for detection and classification of heart sounds

Abstract Diagnosis of heart disease requires that a medical practitioner investigate heart auscultations for irregular sounds, followed by echocardiography and electrocardiography tests. These expensive tests also require specialized technicians to operate. We present a low-cost, patient-centered device for the initial screening of the heart sounds that can be potentially used by the users on themselves. They can later share these readings with their healthcare providers. We have created an innovative mobile-health service platform for analyzing and classifying heart sounds. The presented system enables remote patient-monitoring by integrating advanced wireless communications with a customized low-cost stethoscope. This system also permits remote management of a patient’s cardiac status while maximizing patient mobility. The smartphone application facilitates recording, processing, visualizing, listening to, and classification of heart sounds. We build our classification model using the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficient and Hidden Markov Model. This application is tested in a hospital environment to collect live recordings from patients with positive results. The smartphone application correctly detected 92.68% of abnormal heart conditions in clinical trials at UT Southwestern Hospital.
Actively exploring creation of face space(s) for improved face recognition

We propose a learning framework that actively explores creation of face space(s) by selecting images that are complementary to the images already represented in the face space. We also construct ensembles of classifiers learned from such actively sampled image sets, which further provides improvement in the recognition rates. We not only signicantly reduce the number of images required in the training set but also improve the accuracy over learning from all the images. We also show that the single face space or ensemble of face spaces, thus constructed, has a higher generalization performance across different illumination and expression conditions.
The Organization of Photosynthetic Enzymes on the Chloroplast Membrane

Early observations with the light microscope indicated that the chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis in the higher plant cell. The chloroplast contains all of the chlorophyll which must absorb light energy for the process. After illumination of an intact leaf previously held in darkness, the chloroplast is seen to contain new starch grains which are an obvious end product of photosynthesis. Electron microscopy reveals the chloroplast as bounded by a limiting membrane or outer envelope and containing within a complex series of membranes or lamellae (Figure 1). It appears that many of the enzymes involved in the conversion of carbon dioxide into starch and other reduced products of photosynthesis are loosely held within the chloroplast. These enzymes may reside in the stroma or matrix space within the chloroplast and are readily released on rupture of the outer envelope. One enzyme of the carbon reduction path is clearly associated with the lamellar membrane surface. The enzyme ribulose diphosphate carboxylase is quite large (mol. wt. 550,000) and can be recognized as a 120 A cuboidal particle on the outer surface of the lamellae. The detailed catalytic properties of this enzyme are only beginning to emerge, and one can expect that enzyme-membrane interaction will be an interesting study when both the pure ribulose diphosphate carboxylase and the membrane become a bit more manageable. At present there is no evidence that association with membrane structure, other than containment within the chloroplast outer envelope, imposes any special influences on the carbon reduction pathways of photosynthesis.
Green’s Functions for the Laplace Equation

Our recent work reported in Melnikov (Appl. Math. Sci. 2 (2008) 81–97 and J. Math. Anal. Appl. 344 (2008) 521–534) provides convincing evidence of a surprising linkage between the topics of approximation of functions and the Green’s function for some partial differential equations. The linkage appears promising and extremely productive. It has generated an unlooked-for approach to the infinite product representation of elementary functions.
The future of nanotechnology in plant pathology.

Engineered nanoparticles are materials between 1 and 100 nm and exist as metalloids, metallic oxides, nonmetals, and carbon nanomaterials and as functionalized dendrimers, liposomes, and quantum dots. Their small size, large surface area, and high reactivity have enabled their use as bactericides/ fungicides and nanofertilizers. Nanoparticles can be designed as biosensors for plant disease diagnostics and as delivery vehicles for genetic material, probes, and agrichemicals. In the past decade, reports of nanotechnology in phytopathology have grown exponentially. Nanomaterials have been integrated into disease management strategies and diagnostics and as molecular tools. Most reports summarized herein are directed toward pathogen inhibition using metalloid/metallic oxide nanoparticles as bactericides/fungicides and as nanofertilizers to enhance health. The use of nanoparticles as biosensors in plant disease diagnostics is also reviewed. As global demand for food production escalates against a changing climate, nanotechnology could sustainably mitigate many challenges in disease management by reducing chemical inputs and promoting rapid detection of pathogens.
A CALL FOR THE EVALUATION OF WEB-BASED CLIMATE DATA AND ANALYSIS TOOLS

AbstractResearchers are producing an ever greater number of web-based climate data and analysis tools in support of natural resource research and management. Yet the apparent absence or underreport...
The required number of trials for biomechanical analysis of a golf swing

The increasing interest in the biomechanical analysis of the golf swing warrants establishing the minimum number of trials required to obtain reliable data. Several such methods have been suggested previously for other movement tasks, and it has been shown that the number of required trials depends on the method used and on the task examined. This study aimed to compare three methods of reliability: a sequential average, intraclass correlations, and a modified version of the standard error of measurement (SEMind). Kinematic and kinetic data of 10 recreational golfers performing 15 shots with both a six-iron and a driver was collected using a ten-camera motion capture system and force platforms. Range-of-motion, velocity, joint moments, and ground reaction forces were extracted and analysed using the three methods. The sequential average method yielded the highest number of required trials (12), while the intraclass correlations and SEMind both resulted in lower numbers of required trials (4). Considering the variability between participants and strengths and limitations of the various methods, we conclude that 8 trials is sufficient for biomechanical analyses of a golf swing and recommend the SEMind method for determining how many swings should be collected.
Abstract P2-09-09: Breast cancer arising on the left side is biologically more aggressive and has worse outcomes compared to the right side

Background: Previous studies have shown that breast cancer (BC) occurs more frequently in the left breast with the ratio of left to right ranging from 1.05 to 1.26. In spite of the difference in frequency, prior studies have failed to show any significant differences in clinical characteristics or outcomes between left and right sided BC. We hypothesize that left BC have distinctive clinical features and cancer biology compared to right BC. We aim to further evaluate the difference in clinical characteristics by laterality utilizing a large patient cohort, to analyze the difference in cancer biology by transcriptome profiles, and to investigate the clinical relevance by a neoadjuvant cohort. Methods: Using SEER database, we analyzed a total of 858,001 BC patients. Cancer specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier methods. Multivariable analyses were conducted using Cox regression models. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) BC cohort was used to analyze genomic and clinical features from a total of 1081 patients. LVI status, mitotic rate, nuclear score and tubular score were collected from pathology reports in TIES client 5.8. Cytolytic activity (CYT) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were conducted. 155 BC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 2009-2013 at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center were retrospectively analyzed using Logistic and Cox regression models to evaluate associations between rates of pathological complete responses (pCR) and cancer laterality. Results: In SEER database, left and right sided BC were seen in 50.8% and 49.2% respectively. Poorly differentiated tumors and hormone negative tumors were more common on the left. The left BC demonstrated poorer outcomes in both OS and CSS (both p Conclusion: We observed that left BC have more aggressive biology and pathology as compared to right BC, resulting in worse outcomes in multiple patient cohorts. The differences in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy suggest distinctive underlying biologic characteristics between the two sides. This is the first study that looked into differences in cancer biology between right and left sided BC. Future similar studies will help confirm this observation in order to better understand BC biology and make best treatment decisions for our patients. Citation Format: Yara Abdou, Medhavi Gupta, Mariko Asaoka, Kristopher Attwood, Opyrchal Mateusz, Shipra Gandhi, Kazuaki Takabe. Breast cancer arising on the left side is biologically more aggressive and has worse outcomes compared to the right side [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-09-09.
Elution properties of a resorbable magnesium phosphate cement.

Abstract Objective This study tests the elution capabilities of a magnesium phosphate cement (MPC). Study objectives were to quantify the passive release of magnesium ions from MPC and to assess the effects of antibiotic-loaded MPC on bacterial growth and osteoblast viability. Methods MPC constructs were created and incubated in fetal bovine serum (FBS). At 2, 4, and 17 weeks, a sample was collected for magnesium ion concentration analysis. Control and vancomycin-loaded (vanc) MPC beads were also created. Zone of inhibition was measured after incubating beads on Staphylococcus aureus agar plates for 24 h. Osteoblasts were seeded onto control and vanc beads and cultured for 9 days. Metabolic activity was measured via a resazurin assay. ANOVA with Tukey HSD post-hoc tests and t-tests were performed. Results Magnesium ions were eluted at 2 and 4-week time points without significant difference, but demonstrated a significant spike at the 17-week time point. Zones of inhibition for the bacterial species was observed for Vanc-MPC beads, but not control beads. No cytotoxic effects on osteoblasts were noted. Conclusion MPC has potential to improve bone regeneration based on its ability to passively elute magnesium. Additionally, antibiotic-loaded MPC inhibits bacterial growth while avoiding osteoblast cytotoxicity.
Simple Counting and Sampling Algorithms for Graphs with Bounded Pathwidth.

In this paper, we consider the problem of counting and sampling structures in graphs. We define a class of "edge universal labeling problems"---which include proper $k$-colorings, independent sets, and downsets---and describe simple algorithms for counting and uniformly sampling valid labelings of graphs, assuming a path decomposition is given. Thus, we show that several well-studied counting and sampling problems are fixed parameter tractable (FPT) when parameterized by the pathwidth of the input graph. We discuss connections to counting and sampling problems for distributive lattices and, in particular, we give a new FPT algorithm for exactly counting and uniformly sampling stable matchings.
National Trends in Hospice Facility Deaths in the United States, 2003-2017.

Abstract Context Hospice facilities are increasingly preferred as a location of death, but little is known about the characteristics of patients who die in these facilities in the U.S. Objectives We sought to examine the trends and factors associated with death in a hospice facility. Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study using mortality data for years 2003–2017 for deaths attributed to natural causes in the U.S. Results The proportion of natural deaths occurring in hospice facilities increased from 0.2% in 2003 to 8.3% in 2017, resulting in nearly 1.7 million deaths during this time frame. Females had increased odds of hospice facility deaths (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.05). Nonwhite race was associated with lower odds of hospice facility death (black [OR = 0.915; 95% CI = 0.890, 0.940]; Native American [OR = 0.559; 95% CI = 0.515, 0.607]; and Asian [OR = 0.655; 95% CI = 0.601, 0.713]). Being married was associated with hospice facility death (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.07). Older age was associated with increased odds of hospice facility death (85 and older [OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.39, 1.41]). Having at least some college education was associated with increased odds of hospice facility death (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.15). Decedents from cardiovascular disease had the lowest odds of hospice facility death (OR = 0.278; 95% CI = 0.274, 0.282). Conclusion Hospice facility deaths increased among all patient groups; however, striking differences exist by age, sex, race, marital status, education level, cause of death, and geography. Factors underlying these disparities should be examined.
The Political Economy of Child Labor

Concerns about the welfare of working children has over time produced a wide range of international and national interventions in the child labor market, culminating most recently in a commitment to eradicate the worst forms of child work via the attainment of target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals. While the literature on the causes and consequences of child labor is voluminous and well established, research that explores the political economy of such interventions is disproportionately scanter. This chapter puts the relatively less prolific literature on the political economy of child labor under conceptual and empirical scrutiny. It starts by looking briefly into the theoretical case for interventions into the child labor market and then verifies whether such interventions are justified in practice. It then presents two types of political economy explanations of potential mismatches between economic theory and practice, one in the domain of international interventions and a second one in the realm of national policy making.
Remission of Type 2 Diabetes with Very Low-Calorie Diets-A Narrative Review.

Very low-calorie diets (VLCD) are hypocaloric dietary regimens of approximately 400–800 kcal/day that result in 20–30% reductions in body weight, sometimes in just 12–16 weeks. A body of evidence demonstrates that adherence to VLCD in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) can result in marked improvements to glycemic control and even full T2D remission, challenging the convention that T2D is a lifelong disease. Although these data are promising, the majority of VLCD studies have focused on weight loss and not T2D remission as a primary endpoint. Moreover, there is a wide range of VLCD protocols and definitions of T2D remission used across these hypocaloric studies. Together the large degree of heterogeneity in VLCD studies, and how T2D remission is defined, leave many gaps in knowledge to efficacy and durability of VLCD approaches for T2D remission. This narrative review examines findings from a body of data from VLCD studies that specifically sought to investigate T2D remission, and discusses the efficacy of VLCD compared to other hypocaloric approaches, and who is likely to benefit from VLCD approaches for T2D remission.
Implementation of the Individual Teamwork Observation and Feedback Tool (iTOFT) to Evaluate APPE Student Performance.

Objective. A direct observation and rating of students’ interprofessional teamwork skills was added as a required activity to an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) curriculum using the Individual Teamwork Observation and Feedback Tool (iTOFT). The objective of this evaluation was to determine the appropriateness and feasibility of iTOFT implementation during APPEs. Methods. In the academic year 2018-2019, preceptors administered iTOFT at least once during required acute care and ambulatory care APPEs. After administration, which involved direct observation of students’ behavior on an interprofessional team, preceptors evaluated iTOFT results and offered feedback to students. To determine implementation success of the iTOFT activity, an implementation satisfaction survey was administered to preceptors and students, which included questions on appropriateness and feasibility. Results. The iTOFT activity was completed 149 times each during required acute care and ambulatory care APPEs. Results demonstrated positive teamwork behaviors; for example, no students received an ‘inappropriate’ rating on any iTOFT item. The implementation survey response rate was 33% (34/102) for preceptors and 40% (50/125) for students. Both groups reported that the iTOFT activity was feasible. Respondents also reported that completing the iTOFT activity did not interfere with workflow and that it was not difficult to find opportunities to complete it. Per preceptor report, mean time to complete the iTOFT activity was 37.7 minutes, but there were concerns identified about fidelity to all iTOFT steps. Conclusion. Incorporation of the iTOFT activity into required acute and ambulatory care APPEs was feasible. Future directions include determining ways to increase iTOFT fidelity.
Fracture Behavior of Unidirectionally Solidified Ti-Ti 5 Ge 3 Eutectic Composites

A titanium-21 weight percent germanium eutectic alloy was unidirectionally solidified at two different rates to produce a composite material strengthened by intermetallic Ti 5 Ge 3 fibers. The higher solidification rate produced a composite with fibers of finer diameters. The fracture behavior of this material was determined from work of fracture and impact experiments. A brittle-to-ductile transition was found, through the work of fracture experiments, to be 1150°F (621°C). This transition was raised by some 450°F (232°C) under impact loading. The large increase in the work of fracture corresponding to this transition has been attributed to the increased ductility of the titanium matrix. It was also found in this experiment that the composite with larger fiber diameters was tougher than that with smaller fiber diameters. Macroscopic and microscopic observation of the fracture surface revealed that failure occurred in a brittle fashion below 800°F (427°C) and by normal rupture between 800 and 1200°F (427 and 649°C).
Expressive Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence, Games and New Media

Artificial intelligence methods open up new possibilities in art and entertainment, enabling the creation of believable characters with rich personalities and emotions, interactive story systems that incorporate player interaction into the construction of dynamic plots, and interactive installations and sculptural works that are able to perceive and respond to the human environment. At the same time as AI opens up new fields of artistic expression, AI-based art itself becomes a fundamental research agenda, posing and answering novel research questions which would not be raised unless doing AI research in the context of art and entertainment. I call this agenda, in which AI research and art mutually inform each other, Expressive AI. These ideas will be illustrated by looking at several current and past projects, including the interactive drama Facade. As a new game genre, interactive drama involves socially and emotionally charged interaction with characters in the context of a dynamically evolving plot.