cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of pneumatic tire characteristics on the performance of off-highway trucks

Abstract A mathematical model for pneumatic tire-soil interaction is used to evaluate the effect of pneumatic tire properties on the performance characteristics of a typical off-highway truck operating in sandy and clayey soil conditions. An example is given to demonstrate the good agreement between the results obtained from the mathematical model and information contained in the Caterpillar Performance Handbook.
Producing satisficing solutions to scheduling problems: an iterative constraint relaxation approach

One drawback to using constraint-propagation in planning and scheduling systems is that when a problem has an unsatistiable sets of constraints such algorithms typically only show that no solution exists. While, technically correct, in practical situations, it is desirable in these cases to produce a satisficing solution that satisfies the most important constraints (typically defined in terms of maximizing a utility function). This paper describes an iterative constraint relaxation approach in which the scheduler uses heuristics to progressively relax problem constraints until the problem becomes satisfiable. We present empirical results of applying these techniques to the problem of scheduling spacecraft communications for JPL/NASA antenna resources.
Changing of the guard

This editorial refers to ‘Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell treatment in patients with severe ischaemic heart failure: a randomized placebo-controlled trial (MSC-HF trial)’[†][1], by A.B. Mathiasen et al. , on page 1744. Cell therapy continues to hold promise as a future therapeutic modality for patients with heart failure. The first cells to be utilised in clinical trials in cardiovascular disease were autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (ABMMNCs).1–3 This was likely due to the fact that these cells are readily accessible and can be easily processed and given back to patients as an autologous fresh product in a short amount of time. In the absence of clinical experience, this was a good starting point. Over the next decade, important additional data were obtained with the use of ABMMNCs,4–6 and the initial positive results were tempered by negative results. Nonetheless, after much scrutiny, there seems to be a therapeutic signal, … [1]: #fn-2
Direct service staff and their perceptions of psychotropic medication in non‐institutional settings for people with intellectual disability

Previous studies have surveyed a variety of service providers in school and institutional settings, and reported a pervasive lack of education and training with regard to the use of psychotropic medication in people with intellectual disability. Because an increasing number of people with intellectual disability are living in the community and since many of these people receive psychotropic medications, the present study extended research in this area by surveying direct service staff to determine their perceptions, knowledge and opinions with regard to the use of psychotropic medication in non-institutional settings for individuals with developmental disabilities. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, a majority of the 334 respondents in the present study reported that they had not received adequate training in the area of drug treatment. The knowledge and skills deficits of direct service staff appear to represent a significant barrier to the appropriate monitoring and management of pharmacotherapy for individuals with intellectual disability. Therefore, a systematic training programme to educate direct service staff about psychotropic medication needs to be designed, implemented and disseminated on a broad scale.
Don Catrín de la Fachenda: La ironía como expresión de una normativa vacilante

Resumen es: Este estudio examina la novela Vida y hechos de Don Catrin de la Fachenda de J.J. Fernandez de Lizardi. Planteo que la obra de Fernandez de Lizardi es m...
Power in Numbers: Meta-analysis to Identify Inhibitor-Sensitive Tumor Genotypes

Widespread tumor genotyping has increased the complexity of lung cancer care, often identifying mutations of uncertain clinical significance. In the accompanying article, the authors carried out a meta-analysis of the published literature on EGF receptor (EGFR) genotype and erlotinib/gefitinib sensitivity to develop a publicly accessible database to inform patient care.
Black Ethnicity, Black Community, and Political Solidarity among African Americans and Black Immigrants

Ethnic differences based on national origin are often undistinguished within the Black community in the United States. The assumption of a singular Black ethnicity (or the notion that all Blacks in the U.S. identify their origins within the U.S.) defines the majority of scholarly work on Black political identity and political behavior. However, the growing visibility of Black immigrant communities in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. raises the following question for scholars of immigration and race politics: What are the political implications of ethnic diversity within the Black community?
Neuropeptide Y Levels During Ischemia and Reperfusion in the Canine Infrarenal Aortic Revascularization Model

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent vasoconstrictive polypeptide colocalized with norepinephrine in sympathetic neurons. The effects of ischemia and reperfusion on plasma NPY levels were studied and compared in the mongrel dog after infrarenal aortic cross-clamping. We found a two- to threefold increase in NPY levels during ischemia (initial 10.0 +/- 1.8 pmol/L vs. maximum 24.7 +/- 2.31 pmole/L, p < 0.001). The increase in NPY remained following reperfusion (initial 10.0 +/- 0.8 pmole/L vs. maximum 23.9 +/- 2.31 pmole/L, p < 0.001). These data reveal that NPY is released during ischemia and reperfusion and may be involved in mediating remote vascular events associated with infrarenal aortic cross-clamping.
A Comparison of the Perceived Pictorial and Aesthetic Qualities of Original Paintings and Their Postcard Images

Art trained and untrained participants evaluated postcard images of nine paintings by renowned artists on 16 measures of the compositions' physical and structural characteristics, novelty of content, and aesthetic qualities. These ratings were compared to those obtained by Locher et al. (2001) from individuals experiencing the original paintings in the galleries of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and from viewers of slide-projected and computer-generated images of the set of art stimuli. Analyses revealed significant differences in the judged hedonic properties of the originals as compared to the postcard images, whereas the pictorial qualities of the artworks were comparable for these two format conditions. This was the case for both art trained and untrained participants. Additionally, ratings on all measures were found not to differ reliably across the three reproduction formats (viz., postcard, slide, and computer images). Findings are discussed in terms of Locher et al.'s facsimile-accommodat...
Mitochondrial Memory Banks: Calcium Stores Keep a Record of Neuronal Stimulation

Many of the central questions in neurobiology today can be reduced to a single form: How does brief stimulation of a neuron lead to a more prolonged change in its cellular properties? For example, a train of action potentials lasting only a few seconds can alter the firing pattern of a neuron, or
Reversal of Follicular Fluid Inhibition of Granulosa Cell Progesterone Secretion by Manipulation of Intracellular Cyclic AMP

Fluid from small (1-2 mm) porcine follicles inhibits progesterone secretion, LH stimulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation, adenylyl cycla.se activity and morphological luteinization of granulosa cells obtained from medium (3-5 mm) or large (6-12 mm) porcine follicles. The goal of the present experiments was to determine whether restoration of cAMP levels would reverse the inhibitory action of follicular fluid on progesterone secretion. Following 2-day incubations with either the inhibitory fluid from small follicles (SFFI) or noninhibitory fluid from large follicles (LFFI), the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors theophylline or 3-isobutylmethyl xanthine (MIX) restored LH stimulation of cAMP accumulation by SFFI-treated cells to 50% of that of the controls (i.e., LFFI-treated cells). LH and MIX together, but neither alone, fully restored progesterone secretion by SFFI-treated cells to amounts secreted by the controls. Analogs of cAMP, 8 bromo cyclic AMP (8 BrcAMP) and N2O6dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBC), in combination with MIX, but not alone, also fully restored progesterone secretion by the inhibited cells. These data suggest that the follicular fluid does not alter the steroidogenic machinery of the granulosa cells directly, but influences it via inhibition of cAMP accumulation.
A Decision Support Ontology for collaborative decision making in engineering design

Complex products and increasing domain specialization have led to a collaborative design environment in which multiple partners are relied upon to successfully realize a product. In such an environment there is a need for computational frameworks that assist in communicating decision making knowledge. In this research a Decision Support Ontology (DSO) is developed to facilitate decision making within collaborative design. The structure of the information model developed reflects a priori knowledge of decision making and supports the communication of information independent of any specific decision method. Accordingly, the DSO includes decision-related information such as the design issue, alternatives, evaluation, criteria and preferences. It also includes decision rationale and assumptions, as well as any constraints created by the decision and the decision outcome. The DSO is built upon the Web Ontology Language (OWL), which facilitates the sharing and integration of decision-making information between multiple collaborators via the Web and Description Logic. Although the information model developed is based on engineering design literature, the DSO captures generic decision information, and therefore could be adapted to be used beyond the engineering design domain.
Removal of cupric ion from solution by contact with peanut skins

Certain tannin-containing agricultural wastes, such as peanut skin, are highly efficient ion exchange materials for the removal of cupric ion from aqueous waste solutions. Concentrations of Cu2+ as high as 200–1000 ppm can be reduced to less than 0.5 ppm by pouring the waste solution through a short column of peanut skin. The column packing can take up greater than 10% of its weight in copper, even from 50 ppm solution. Complete regeneration of the packing is readily achieved by eluting the Cu2+ from the column with 0.1 N HCl. The ion exchange process is pH dependent, with optimum removal of copper from solution occuring in the 5–7 pH range. Two hydrogen ions are liberated into solution for each Cu2+ attached to the peanut skin, so pH decreases as reaction continues, inhibiting the reactions. Thus, a continuous column process would be more efficient than a stepwise batch process.
CAVA: Using checkpoint-assisted value prediction to hide L2 misses

Modern superscalar processors often suffer long stalls because of load misses in on-chip L2 caches. To address this problem, we propose hiding L2 misses with Checkpoint-Assisted VAlue prediction (CAVA). On an L2 cache miss, a predicted value is returned to the processor. When the missing load finally reaches the head of the ROB, the processor checkpoints its state, retires the load, and speculatively uses the predicted value and continues execution. When the value in memory arrives at the L2 cache, it is compared to the predicted value. If the prediction was correct, speculation has succeeded and execution continues; otherwise, execution is rolled back and restarted from the checkpoint. CAVA uses fast checkpointing, speculative buffering, and a modest-sized value prediction structure that has about 50p accuracy. Compared to an aggressive superscalar processor, CAVA speeds up execution by up to 1.45 for SPECint applications and 1.58 for SPECfp applications, with a geometric mean of 1.14 for SPECint and 1.34 for SPECfp applications. We also evaluate an implementation of Runahead execution---a previously proposed scheme that does not perform value prediction and discards all work done between checkpoint and data reception from memory. Runahead execution speeds up execution by a geometric mean of 1.07 for SPECint and 1.18 for SPECfp applications, compared to the same baseline.
Evidence for multiple alkali metal cation complexation in membrane-spanning ion transporters

The polynitrogen-containing cation transporters 1–4 are shown by electrospray mass spectrometry to form multi-cationic species. In the absence of Na+, protonated species dominate but increasing the sodium concentration leads to all binding sites being occupied.
β-Adrenergic Stimulation Induces Acetylcholine to Activate ATP-Sensitive K+ Current in Cat Atrial Myocytes

Abstract Our previous work on atrial myocytes suggested that the effect of acetylcholine (ACh) to increase K+ conductance can be potentiated by prior loading of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with Ca2+. The present study, therefore, sought to determine whether prior exposure to isoproterenol (ISO) potentiates ACh-induced increases in K+ conductance and the underlying mechanisms. A nystatin–perforated patch whole-cell configuration was used to record from cat atrial myocytes. Voltage-clamp ramps (40 mV/s) were used to assess total membrane conductance. The experimental protocol consisted of two consecutive 30-second ACh exposures (ACh1 and ACh2) separated by a 6-minute recovery period in ACh-free solution. In general, experimental interventions, such as exposure to ISO, were imposed during the period between ACh1 and ACh2 to determine their effects on the response to ACh2 in relation to ACh1. Under control conditions, K+ conductances induced by ACh1 and ACh2 were not different from one another with or without activation of L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) during the recovery period. When 1 μmol/L ISO plus ICa,L activation was imposed during the recovery period, ACh2 induced a significantly larger increase in K+ conductance than ACh1. The ACh2-induced K+ current potentiated by ISO was time independent and selectively blocked by 10 μmol/L glibenclamide and therefore identified as ATP-sensitive K+ current (IK,ATP). The effect of ISO to induce ACh2-activated IK,ATP was mimicked by 1 μmol/L forskolin or 200 μmol/L 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP, but not by 0.5 μmol/L BAY K 8644, and was selectively abolished by (1) 5 μmol/L thapsigargin or 1 μmol/L ryanodine, agents that prevent accumulation of SR Ca2+, (2) inhibition of L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) by 1 μmol/L nisoldipine or zero external Ca2+, (3) 50 μmol/L Rp-cAMPs, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, or (4) 2 μmol/L propranolol. Atropine (1 μmol/L) abolished all ACh-induced currents. Moreover, ACh2-activated IK,ATP was selectively blocked by 0.2 μmol/L pirenzepine, an M1 muscarinic receptor antagonist, or 0.1 μmol/L calphostin C, a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C. AFDX116 (100 μmol/L), an M2 muscarinic receptor antagonist, blocked the conventional ACh-activated K+ current and revealed ACh2-activated IK,ATP. These results indicate that prior exposure to ISO potentiates ACh-induced increases in K+ current via ACh-activated IK,ATP. ISO acts via β-adrenergic receptors and cAMP to enhance both Ca2+ influx via ICa,L and SR Ca2+ uptake. By loading SR Ca2+, ISO facilitates ACh-induced stimulation of the M1 receptor/phosphoinositol signaling pathway to activate IK,ATP. These findings suggest that prior β-adrenergic stimulation accentuates subsequent cholinergic inhibition of atrial function via ACh-induced activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels.
Increasing synchrony of high temperature and low flow in western North American streams: double trouble for coldwater biota?

Flow and temperature are strongly linked environmental factors driving ecosystem processes in streams. Stream temperature maxima (Tmax_w) and stream flow minima (Qmin) can create periods of stress for aquatic organisms. In mountainous areas, such as western North America, recent shifts toward an earlier spring peak flow and decreases in low flow during summer/fall have been reported. We hypothesized that an earlier peak flow could be shifting the timing of low flow and leading to a decrease in the interval between Tmax_w and Qmin. We also examined if years with extreme low Qmin were associated with years of extreme high Tmax_w. We tested these hypotheses using long-term data from 22 minimally human-influenced streams for the period 1950–2010. We found trends toward a shorter time lag between Tmax_w and Qmin over time and a strong negative association between their magnitudes. Our findings show that aquatic biota may be increasingly experiencing narrower time windows to recover or adapt between these extreme events of low flow and high temperature. This study highlights the importance of evaluating multiple environmental drivers to better gage the effects of the recent climate variability in freshwaters.
Dielectric substrate effects on ultra wideband loop antenna

A loop antenna of non-uniform current offers the potential of wideband impedance matching to a specified characteristic impedance. For characteristic impedances above 100 Omega, the antenna can operate over a wide bandwidth without a dielectric substrate backing. The antenna's metallization alone cannot provide input impedances significantly less than 100 Omega, so backing must be used. The effects of including a dielectric substrate with the proposed wideband antenna are examined. Experimental data confirms the validity of the simulations.
Surgical management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in patients with sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease is a known risk factor for osteonecrosis of the hip. Necrosis within the femoral head may cause severe pain, functional limitations, and compromise quality of life in this patient population. Early stages of avascular necrosis of the hip may be managed surgically with core decompression with or without autologous bone grafting. Total hip arthroplasty is the mainstay of treatment of advanced stages of the disease in patients who have intractable pain and are medically fit to undergo the procedure. The management of hip pathology in sickle cell disease presents numerous medical and surgical challenges, and the careful perioperative management of patients is mandatory. Although there is an increased risk of medical and surgical complications in patients with sickle cell disease, total hip arthroplasty can provide substantial relief of pain and improvement of function in the appropriately selected patient.
Misplaced Brain Sodium Channels in Heart Kindle Sudden Death in Epilepsy

Sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is responsible for ≈2000 deaths per year in the United States and accounts for ≤15% of all epilepsy-associated mortality by most recent estimates.1,2 Risk of SUDEP is greatest in persons with treatment-refractory epilepsy. The cause of death in SUDEP is cardiorespiratory arrest, but there is uncertainty whether cardiac arrhythmia (tachycardia or bradycardia) or respiratory arrest is the primary mechanism. Ascertaining the predominant cause of death in SUDEP will offer opportunities to implement preventive measures to preserve life in persons with epilepsy. Article see p 912 Cardiac arrhythmia is the dominant cause of sudden unexplained death in the general adult population and early investigations of SUDEP focused on this mechanism. During seizures (ictal phase), abnormal heart rhythms (mostly tachycardia, presumed sinus in origin) and various electrocardiographic changes have been observed. Bradycardia and asystole are commonly observed in the postictal period when abnormal respiration and accompanying hypoxemia are prevalent.1 By contrast, ventricular tachyarrhythmia has been associated with seizures less frequently3 and typically occurs in the setting of pre-existing heart disease.4,5 However, peri-ictal abnormalities in myocardial repolarization (QTc interval lengthening or shortening, increased QT dispersion), which are well-established risk factors for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia in the general population, have been reported in some epilepsy cases series,6–9 but not all.10 Moreover, treatment with anticonvulsant drugs may affect the QTc interval in persons with epilepsy and could increase the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmia.11 Efforts to determine the proximate causes of SUDEP have involved simultaneous recordings of brain, heart, and respiratory activity in human subjects being video monitored for seizure occurrence12 and similar studies …
Theatre for Young Audiences and Cultural Identity

The activity of theatre performed by adults for young audiences (TYA), has, over the last forty years in particular, coalesced as a loosely unified field – a recognizable and coherent economic, artistic and social structure. While there is much diversity in TYA, the field coheres around at least one (obvious) trait: the production of theatre for children. The relative coherence or incoherence of the field varies in terms of the questions posed (Smelser, 1992, pp. 22–25), but all theatre for young audiences occupies a unique discursive and practical “space,” born of the union of the complex and often seemingly disparate, culturally-inscribed worlds of “children” and “theatre.” The complexities of this relationship become clearer in considering the degree to which TYA, as a field, both promulgates and is marked and contained by multiple ideological dimensions. While I am aware of the problems arising from considering TYA as a seemingly essentialized field, it is useful to explicate some of what Eisenstadt explains, as both the “order maintaining and order transforming dimensions” of the social structure (1992, p. 83).
Research for the Model of Public Health Meteorological Services

OBJECTIVE To judge the development tendency of epidemic situation and make sure how to protect and control diseases by "analysis and judgment conference of epidemic situation" in every month. METHODS Brain Storming(BS)was used in "analysis and judgment conference of epidemic situation". It was carried on rating into most common and multiplex diseases by screening, assessment, discerning, and risk identification. RESULTS The brief reports named the public health monitoring analysis bulletins were summered and formed after every conference. And there were all kinds of public health products provided to local residents. CONCLUSION It could been served the people and the society better, merged monitoring into warning and prevention, found diseases trend earlier.
The biology of aging.

Nothing has been demonstrated to slow or reverse the primary aging process in humans; instead, the factors that are known to affect longevity do so by their influence on disease development, which is a part of secondary aging. Preventive strategies against secondary aging are aimed at maintaining health and functional capacity and rectangularizing, rather than extending, the survival curve. Interventions for preventive geriatrics and successful aging include a low-fat, low-energy diet with a high content of fruits and vegetables; exercise; and hormone replacement.
A preliminary implementation of metabolic-based pH control to reduce CO2 usage in outdoor flat-panel photobioreactor cultivation of Nannochloropsis oceanica microalgae

Abstract A crucial challenge associated with high-density, commercial-scale, outdoor microalgal cultivation is maintaining pH stability without excessive use of CO2 buffering. This includes a media-dependent, intracellular metabolic proton imbalance leading to the alkalization or acidification of growth media that results when algae consume, respectively, nitrate or ammonium ions. Feeding these two nitrogen sources can theoretically achieve balanced proton metabolism as well as pH control that is economically more favorable as compared to CO2 buffering or acid/base addition. To accomplish this, a fed-batch nutrient feeding strategy must be adopted as a component of a model-based pH control system, particularly in the case of ammonium preference. This work represents a preliminary study of the challenges of implementing a nitrogen metabolism based open-loop pH control strategy in the challenging environment of an outdoor photobioreactor at the DOE-ATP3 testbed facility in Mesa, Arizona during the high solar insolation period of summer 2015. The approach was limited to twice daily fed-batch addition while accounting for ammonium-N preference in a background of nitrate-based algae growth media. Despite these limitations, growth achieved for a photobioreactor operated based on predicted metabolic nitrogen demand (PND) was comparable to ‘CO2-on-demand’ (CoD) for pH control. PND reduced CO2 usage to
Admission hyperglycemia is associated with different outcomes after blunt versus penetrating trauma.

Abstract Background Stress-induced hyperglycemia is associated with worse outcomes after trauma; however, the effect of mechanism of injury has not been studied. To fill this gap, we tested the hypothesis that blunt and penetrating trauma evoke different glycemic responses which are associated with different outcomes. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study comparing adults with blunt ( n = 835) or penetrating trauma ( n = 858) and admission glucose levels ≥ 106 mg/dL, ≥150 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL at a level 1 trauma center from 02, 2011 to 08, 2013. Primary outcomes were mortality and infectious complications. Results For all patients, mean Injury Severity Score was 14 ± 12, with 10% ( n = 162) infections and 6% ( n = 102) mortality. Median admission glucose was 122 mg/dL (102-154 mg/dL). Hyperglycemia was associated with infections, length of stay, and mortality (all P P = 0.017) but not penetrating trauma. Hyperglycemia was not an independent predictor of mortality in blunt trauma. In contrast, glucose ≥150 mg/dL (OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.13-5.89; P = 0.025) and ≥200 mg/dL (OR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.27-6.98; P = 0.012) both predicted mortality in penetrating trauma patients. Conclusions This is the first study to show that hyperglycemia is associated with fundamentally different outcomes after blunt versus penetrating trauma. Patients who died were 4-8 times more likely to have hyperglycemia and penetrating, not blunt, trauma. Incorporation of hyperglycemia in injury scoring systems might improve outcome predictions after trauma.
Who Do Bioethicists Think They Are

The previous chapter exemplifies a basic paradox enacted by both cults: they oppose efforts of to engineer persons through biological innovations. Yet they combat those efforts, and the biotechnologies which underwrite them, by themselves re-engineering persons through social means. From their physically, psychically and socially embodied origins, both cults aim to recreate persons in their own images, making them over into the transcendent specters they spin from their moral imaginations. At the same time, they depict human persons not as essentially constituted by their specific bodies or minds or personalities or social relations, but as essentially identified with transcendent properties. These timeless properties, however, cannot essentially qualify human persons who procreate, and age, and ail, and die. Nor can they, secure in their transcendence, dignify particular human persons in their human particulars. To the contrary, only human practices — aimed at personalizing specific persons — can secure that end. Only on that basis, moreover, may we value human life for what it is, as irremediably embodied amid the contingencies of nature and of time.
Research and Scholarly Activities: Basic Science and Psychopathology

Up to this point, this book has provided a chronological narrative of clinical psychology organizations. Now its emphasis shifts. The next several chapters are devoted to some areas in which the organizations had an impact and some of the officers and awardees of the organizations who made a difference, that is, “issues and personalities.”
Small Area Prediction under Alternative Model Specifications

Construction of small area predictors and estimation of the prediction mean squared error, given different types of auxiliary information are illustrated for a unit level model. Of interest are situations where the mean and variance of an auxiliary variable are subject to estimation error. Fixed and random specifications for the auxiliary variables are considered. The efficiency gains associated with the random specification for the auxiliary variable measured with error are demonstrated. A parametric bootstrap procedure is proposed for the mean squared error of the predictor based on a logit model. The proposed bootstrap procedure has smaller bootstrap error than a classical double bootstrap procedure with the same number of samples.
AI-24 Calcium/calmodulin kinase controls T and renal cell function

Background Molecular abnormalities in SLE T cells account for their aberrant function including cytokine production, cytotoxic responses and help to B cells. Materials and methods Use of biochemical, molecular biology and engineered mice; study of kidney tissues and isolated kidney cells. Results Calcium calmodulin kinase IV (CaMK4) is expressed at high levels in T cells from patients with SLE and accounts for the decreased production of IL-2 and the increased production of il-17. The mechanisms involved modification of transcription factors and epigenetic changes. CaMK4 drives proliferation of mesangial cells in lupus prone mice and the production of IL-6. In parallel CaMK4 suppresses the expression of nephrin in podocytes resulting in proteinuria and also advances the expression of CD86 enabling thus podocytes to provide costimulation to passer-by T cells. Targeted delivery of a CaMK4 inhibitor to CD4 T cells reverses autoimmunity in lupus-prone mice. Conclusions CaMK4 accounts for the abnormal production of cytokines by SLE T cells, the proliferation of mesangial cells and the poor function of podocytes. Targeting CaMK4 and targeted delivery of CaMK4 inhibitors to T cells has proven promising in preclinical studies.
Stimulant Medication for ADHD: The Child’s Perspective

The knowledge and attitudes of children receiving stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were investigated at the Division of Ambulatory Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA.
Three new species of entimine weevils in Early Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

BACKGROUND Using syntactic and semantic conventions of the taxonomic concept approach (Franz et al. 2015), we describe three newly recognized fossil broad-nosed weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) preserved in Early Miocene amber (ca. 20.4-16.0 mya) from the Dominican Republic: Scelianoma compactasp. n. sec. Franz & Zhang (2017) (henceforth abbreviated as [FZ2017]), Tropirhinus palpebratussp. n. [FZ2017], and Diaprepes anticussp. n. [FZ2017]. The taxonomic assignment of the amber inclusions is grounded in a preceding phylogenetic analysis by Franz (2012). As many as 88 of the 143 therein identified characters were coded for the fossils, whose traits are largely congruent with those present in extant congeners while also differing in ways that justify their new nomenclatural and taxonomic status. NEW INFORMATION We present detailed images, descriptions, and phylogenetically informed diagnoses for the three new species-level entities, along with logically consistent Region Connection Calculus (RCC-5) alignments of the amended genus-level classifications for Scelianoma Franz and Giron 2009 [FZ2017], Tropirhinus Schoenherr 1823 [FZ2017], and Diaprepes Schoenherr 1823 [FZ2017] - in relation to 2-4 preceding classifications published in 1982-2012. The description of Scelianoma compacta [FZ2017] from Hispaniola is indicative of a more widespread historical range of Scelianoma [FZ2017] than reflected in the extant, southwestern Puerto Rican Scelianoma elydimorpha Franz and Giron 2009 sec. Franz and Giron (2009). The presence of Diaprepes anticus [FZ2017] in Hispaniola during the Early Miocene suggests an eastward directed process of island colonization and likely speciation of members of Diaprepes [FZ2017], given that most extant relatives occur throughout the Lesser Antilles. The herein presented data will facilitate more reliable reconstructions of historical biographic processes thought to have played a prominent role in the diversification of the West Indian and Neotropical mainland broad-nosed weevil lineages.
Drone Delivery Models for Healthcare

Just as the mobile phone allowed developing countries to leapfrog technology in personal communication, the delivery drone has the potential to have the same effect on traditional transportation infrastructure. Inaccessible roads no longer will prevent delivery of blood, medications or other healthcare items. This paper reviews the current status of innovative drone delivery with a particular emphasis on healthcare. The leading companies in this field and their different strategies are studied. Further we review the latest decision models that facilitate management decision making for operating a drone fleet. Our contribution in this paper of two new models associated with the design of a drone healthcare delivery network will facilitate more timely, efficient and economical drone healthcare delivery to potentially save lives.
Atomic structure considerations for the low-temperature opacity of Sn

Abstract We have begun a preliminary investigation into the opacity of Sn at low temperatures ( n = 4 sub-shells that give rise to the Δ n = 0 transitions that dominate the opacity spectrum at low temperatures. Since calculations that include full configuration-interaction for large numbers of configurations quickly become computationally prohibitive, we have explored hybrid calculations, in which full configuration-interaction is retained for the most important transitions, while intermediate-coupling is employed for all other transitions. After extensive exploration of the atomic structure properties, local-thermodynamic-equilibrium (LTE) opacities are generated using the ATOMIC code at selected temperatures and densities and compared to experiment.
Multi-task regularization of generative similarity models

We investigate a multi-task approach to similarity discriminant analysis, where we propose treating the estimation of the different class-conditional distributions of the pairwise similarities as multiple tasks. We show that regularizing these estimates together using a leastsquares regularization weighted by a task-relatedness matrix can reduce the resulting maximum a posteriori classification errors. Results are given for benchmark data sets spanning a range of applications. In addition, we present a new application of similarity-based learning to analyzing the rhetoric of multiple insurgent groups in Iraq. We show how to produce the necessary task relatedness information from standard given training data, as well as how to derive task-relatedness information if given side information about the class relatedness.
Ceftaroline pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patients with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a prevalent pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) associated with increased morbidity. Ceftaroline fosamil is an intravenous (IV) cephalosporin with activity against MRSA. There are minimal data regarding dosing in the CF population. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of IV ceftaroline in patients with CF. Methods We conducted a single-center prospective study of children and young adults with CF receiving ceftaroline (15mg/kg IV up to 600mg every 8h) as part of treatment for a CF pulmonary exacerbation between June 2016 and April 2017. Seven patients were enrolled for a total of 10 treatment courses. For each treatment course, up to 8 plasma samples were assayed for ceftaroline using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Maximum plasma concentration, systemic clearance, and elimination half-life were calculated. The area under the curve (AUC) above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the percent time above the MIC (%fT>MIC) were determined for each subject using MICs of 0.5, 1, and 2μg/mL and the measured MIC if available. Results The mean (SD) age for the 7 patients was 20.3 (8.0) years. Mean (SD) maximum plasma concentration of ceftaroline was 22.7 (9.6) μg/mL, systemic clearance 7.9 (3.3) L/h, and half-life 1.1 (0.4) hours. Using a MIC of 1 μg/mL, accepted as the MIC 90 of MRSA isolates, AUC above MIC mean (SD) was 53.6 (19.5) μg·h/mL, mean (SD) %fT>MIC was 75.7 (10.4), and all subjects had >60%fT>MIC. Conclusions In this cohort of CF patients, mean ceftaroline half-life was 1.1h, which is notably lower than the general population. The dosing regimen studied, which exceeds the recommended dosing in the non-CF population, was adequate to achieve >60% time above the MIC in all patients.
A Review of the Impact of ACM Code of Conduct on Information Technology Moral Judgment and Intent

One of the most widely recognized code of ethics in information technology (IT) is the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Code of Ethics. Adopted in 1992, the code covers many of the key eth...
Stem Cell Therapy: Repurposing Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine Beyond Cell Replacement

Stem cells exhibit simple and naive cellular features, yet their exact purpose for regenerative medicine continues to elude even the most elegantly designed research paradigms from developmental biology to clinical therapeutics. Based on their capacity to divide indefinitely and their dynamic differentiation into any type of tissue, the advent of transplantable stem cells has offered a potential treatment for aging-related and injury-mediated diseases. Recent laboratory evidence has demonstrated that transplanted human neural stem cells facilitate endogenous reparative mechanisms by initiating multiple regenerative processes in the brain neurogenic areas. Within these highly proliferative niches reside a myriad of potent regenerative molecules, including anti-inflammatory cytokines, proteomes, and neurotrophic factors, altogether representing a biochemical cocktail vital for restoring brain function in the aging and diseased brain. Here, we advance the concept of therapeutically repurposing stem cells not towards cell replacement per se, but rather exploiting the cells’ intrinsic properties to serve as the host brain regenerative catalysts.
Physiological Aβ Concentrations Produce a More Biomimetic Representation of the Alzheimer's Disease Phenotype in iPSC Derived Human Neurons.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by slow, progressive neurodegeneration leading to severe neurological impairment, but current drug development efforts are limited by the lack of robust, human-based disease models. Amyloid-β (Aβ) is known to play an integral role in AD progression as it has been shown to interfere with neurological function. However, studies into AD pathology commonly apply Aβ to neurons for short durations at nonphysiological concentrations to induce an exaggerated dysfunctional phenotype. Such methods are unlikely to elucidate early stage disease dysfunction, when treatment is still possible, since damage to neurons by these high concentrations is extensive. In this study, we investigated chronic, pathologically relevant Aβ oligomer concentrations to induce an electrophysiological phenotype that is more representative of early AD progression compared to an acute high-dose application in human cortical neurons. The high, acute oligomer dose resulted in severe neuronal toxicity a...
3D printed fiber optic faceplates by custom controlled fused deposition modeling

A 3D printing technique for manufacturing air-clad coherent fiber optic faceplates is presented. The custom G-code programming is implemented on a fused deposition modeling (FDM) desktop printer to additively draw optical fibers using high-transparency thermoplastic filaments. The 3D printed faceplate consists of 20000 fibers and achieves spatial resolution 1.78 LP/mm. Transmission loss and crosstalk are characterized and compared among the faceplates printed from four kinds of transparent filaments as well as different faceplate thicknesses. The printing temperature is verified by testing the transmission of the faceplates printed under different temperatures. Compared with the conventional stack-and-draw fabrication, the FDM 3D printing technique simplifies the fabrication procedure. The ability to draw fibers with arbitrary organization, structure and overall shape provides additional degree of freedom to opto-mechanical design. Our results indicate a promising capability of 3D printing as the manufacturing technology for fiber optical devices.
Demand Side Management for Residential Consumers Considering Distribution System Requirements

One of the focus areas of the smart-grid initiative is the residential level demand response. Recent surveys have analyzed price-responsive demand response optimization, mathematical modeling of demand response, responsive demand forecasting, and communication requirements. This paper identifies the benefit of the demand response programs available in the literature and presents an approach to incorporate utility-focused demand response benefits into distribution system operation. A two-stage demand-side management method is proposed using modified AC optimal power flow to maintain system requirements such as minimal deviations in nodal voltages and maintaining power factor. The results have been analyzed further by categorizing them into two areas; how the rescheduling has benefitted the consumers and the utility.
DEMENTIA MORTALITY IN THE UNITED STATES, 1999–2016

Background: In 2016, Alzheimer’s disease ranked as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Some studies have suggested that the number of deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease could be higher than reported in official mortality statistics, given the diagnostic and reporting challenges associated with dementia. In this research, we present estimates of mortality attributed to dementia, defined as Alzheimer’s disease plus three other dementia causes with similar physical signs and symptoms. The four causes of death examined, based on ICD-10, are Unspecified Dementia (F03), Alzheimer’s disease (G30), Vascular Dementia (F01), and Other Degenerative Diseases of the Nervous System (G31), which includes Lewy Body disease and frontotemporal dementia. We examine the percent distribution of these causes by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, and state. Trends over time are presented. Results: There were 249,605 deaths attributed to dementia as an underlying cause in 2016: 47% due to Alzheimer’s disease and 40% due to Unspecified Dementia. The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and Unspecified Dementia as underlying causes of death varied widely by state and has changed over time. In addition to deaths where dementia is recorded as the underlying cause of death, another 125,195 deaths mentioned dementia as a contributing cause on the death certificate. If all four dementia causes were considered together, dementia would have been the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2016.
Personalizing homemade bots with plug & play AI for STEAM education

In this study, we propose a new framework for hands-on educational modules to introduce ideas in AI and robotics casually, quickly, and effectively in one package for beginners of all ages in STEAM fields. Today, courses on introductory robotics are found everywhere, from K-12 summer camps to adult continuing education. However, most of them are limited to learning basic skills on sensor-actuator interactions due to their limited time and can rarely introduce what recent exciting AI can do, such as image recognition. As a case study to demonstrate the idea of the framework, an educational module to create a toy car with a camera controlled by Raspberry Pi is introduced. Our approach uses both physical and digital environments. Participants experience running their toy cars on a physical track using a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained based on how participants drive cars in a virtual game. The tested idea can be extensible as a framework to many other examples of robotics projects and can make ideas of AI and robotics more accessible to everyone. A proposed AI model is trained to assimilate the participant's game-play style in a VR environment which will be later re-enacted by the physical robot assembled by participants. Through this approach, we intend to demonstrate the AI's ability to personalize things and hope to stimulate participants' curiosity and motivation to learn.
How social media shapes the fashion industry: The spillover effects between private labels and national brands

Abstract Social media has become one of the major industrial marketing channels for companies. Because of the nature of social media, social media marketing produces a strong branding effect for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the fashion industry. This study contributes to social media analytics research by exploring the interactions between private labels and national brands in fashion social media and investigating how these interactions influence the popularity and subsequent sales of private labels. Our main findings suggest the presence of large national brands has a positive spillover effect on the popularity of private labels in fashion social media and ultimately influences sales of private label products. The results add to our understanding of the impact of Business-to-Business (B2B) social media marketing on brand competition in the fashion industry.
The Struggle for Power in Colonial America, 1607–1776. By William Nester. (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017. Pp. x, 357. $110.00.)

William Nester, a professor of government and politics at St. John's University, is a prolific author with a particular interest in the exercise of power in early American history. He has published...
Rat mammary-gland acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase interaction with milk fatty acids.

1. Highly purified rat mammary-gland acetyl-CoA carboxylase was inhibited by milk obtained from rats 12h after their young were weaned. 2. All the inhibitory activity was found in the particulate fraction (R105) obtained on centrifuging the milk. It could be extracted from milk fraction R105 with acetone and identified as a complex mixture of non-esterified fatty acids, present in high concentration (nearly 10mm) in the milk. 3. Inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase was observed at low concentrations (0.2–20μm) of several of these fatty acids when fresh fully active enzyme was used. Enzyme that had been partly inactivated by aging, or by storing in the absence of citrate, was stimulated by low concentrations but inhibited by high concentrations of fatty acids. 4. Various experiments suggested that fatty acids produce irreversible inactivation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. 5. The effects of palmitoyl-CoA on mammary-gland acetyl-CoA carboxylase were found to resemble those of fatty acids, except that palmitoyl-CoA was effective at lower concentration. 6. The effect of milk fraction R105 was tested on six other enzymes previously shown to decline to various extents after weaning. Although several of these enzymes were affected by unfractionated milk fraction R105, none was significantly inhibited by the acetone extract or by low concentrations of lauric acid. 7. The findings are consistent, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with a regulatory mechanism whereby milk fatty acids shut off fatty acid synthesis in the mammary gland after weaning by inhibiting acetyl-CoA carboxylase.