cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Noncoding RNAs in Retrovirus Replication

Abstract Although a limited percentage of the genome produces proteins, approximately 90% is transcribed, indicating important roles for noncoding RNA (ncRNA). It is now known that these ncRNAs have a multitude of cellular functions ranging from the regulation of gene expression to roles as structural elements in ribonucleoprotein complexes. ncRNA is also represented at nearly every step of viral life cycles. This chapter will focus on ncRNAs of both host and viral origin and their roles in retroviral life cycles. Cellular ncRNA represents a significant portion of material packaged into retroviral virions and includes transfer RNAs, 7SL RNA, U RNA, and vault RNA. Initially thought to be random packaging events, these host RNAs are now proposed to contribute to viral assembly and infectivity. Within the cell, long ncRNA and endogenous retroviruses have been found to regulate aspects of the retroviral life cycle in diverse ways. Additionally, the HIV-1 transactivating response element RNA is thought to impact viral infection beyond the well-characterized role as a transcription activator. RNA interference, thought to be an early version of the innate immune response to viral infection, can still be observed in plants and invertebrates today. The ability of retroviral infection to manipulate the host RNAi pathway is described here. Finally, RNA-based therapies, including gene editing approaches, are being explored as antiretroviral treatments and are discussed.
Liquid biopsy guided precision therapy for lung cancers

Wang et al . reported results of the BENEFIT trial sponsored by Chinese Thoracic Oncology Group (CTONG) in Lancet Respiratory Medicine , the first clinical trial conducted using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for patient selection (1).
Microsurgical Clipping of Ophthalmic Aneurysms in an Endovascular Era: Sonopet-Assisted Intradural Clinoidectomy and Other Tenets.

These video cases present some unique technical tenets for microsurgical clipping of proximal internal carotid artery aneurysms ( Video 1 ). The first patient is a 49-year-old woman with a history of a prior ruptured and treated right middle cerebral artery aneurysm who was found to have growth of known left middle cerebral artery and left internal carotid artery ophthalmic segment aneurysms on radiographic studies. An intradural clinoidectomy with Sonopet, with proximal control at cervical carotid and wide sylvian fissure exposure with ample sharp dissection of the aneurysm anatomy, allowed safe clipping of the ophthalmic aneurysm in this case. The second patient is a 39-year-old woman with a history of a prior left middle cerebral artery M2 occlusion with recent mechanical thrombectomy. The patient was found to have a 6-mm incidental, unruptured right internal cerebral artery paraophthalmic segment and 3-mm right posterior communicating artery aneurysm on radiographic studies. This patient underwent microsurgical clipping given unique patient factors. A similar controlled intradural clinoidectomy, with proximal cervical ICA control and aneurysmal segment trapping, allowed safe aneurysm exclusion. For patients with multiple aneurysms such as in these cases, the deeper proximal aneurysm should generally be treated first. The videos illustrate some key technical points in this regard.
Electrical signal transmission in the plant-wide web.

Abstract Plants can communicate with other plants using wireless pathways in the plant-wide web. Some examples of these communication pathways are: (1) volatile organic compounds' emission and sensing; (2) mycorrhizal networks in the soil; (3) the plants' rhizosphere; (4) naturally grafting of r oots of the same species; (5) electrostatic or electromagnetic interactions; and (6) acoustic communication. There is an additional pathway for electrical signal transmission between plants - electrical signal transmission between roots through the soil. To avoid the possibility of communication between plants using mechanisms (1)–(6), soils in pots with plants were connected by Ag/AgCl or platinum wires. Electrostimulation of Aloe vera, tomato, or cabbage plants induces electrotonic potentials transmission in the electro-stimulated plants as well as the plants located in different pots regardless if plants are the same or different types. The amplitude and sign of electrotonic potentials in electrostimulated and neighboring plants depend on the amplitude, rise, and fall of the applied voltage. Experimental results displayed cell-to-cell electrical coupling and the existence of electrical differentiators in plants. Electrostimulation by a sinusoidal wave induces an electrical response with a phase shift. Electrostimulation serves as an important tool for the evaluation of mechanisms of communication in the plant-wide web.
Do marijuana use motives matter? Meta-analytic associations with marijuana use frequency and problems.

Abstract As laws expanding the accessibility of marijuana proliferate, it is increasingly important to understand how various motivations for use are differentially associated with marijuana use (e.g., frequency, quantity) and problems associated with marijuana use (e.g., reduced productivity, relationship conflict, legal issues). We conducted a meta-analytic review (k = 48, N = 11,274) of the zero-order and partial association between five marijuana use motives (i.e., coping, enhancement, social, conformity, and expansion) and a range of marijuana use outcomes (e.g., use frequency, problematic use). For marijuana use frequency zero-order correlations, we found significant positive correlations for coping, enhancement, social, and expansion, but not conformity. For marijuana use problems zero-order correlations, we found significant positive correlations for all five motives. When adjusting for the other motives, only coping, enhancement, and expansion were significantly positively associated with marijuana use frequency, and conformity was significantly negatively related to marijuana use frequency. For marijuana use problems, only coping and conformity had significant positive correlations. These results show that marijuana use motives are an important part of understanding the frequency of marijuana use and the development of marijuana use problems. These results may have implications for intervention development and public policy.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association of neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems in the U.S.

Abstract Introduction Evidence suggesting a link between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems in the U.S. is mixed, with some studies documenting negative and others positive associations. This work raises important questions about promoting and inhibiting effects of neighborhood environments characterized by high concentrations of ethnic-racial minority groups, including Asian Americans, Blacks or African Americans, and Latinos. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine 1) the magnitude, direction, and variability of the association between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems, and 2) whether these associations varied by putative moderators. Methods We conducted a systematic search in PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PubMed as well as searching reference lists and relying on expert knowledge (285 initial records). We coded the records for theoretical and design elements. Results We included 40 effect sizes from 17 records (24% unpublished) with N = 11,858. The average association between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems was not significantly different from zero (r = −0.001, 95% CI -0.048, 0.046, p = .964, τ2 = 0.006); there was a large percentage of systematic heterogeneity (I2 = 77.1%), which was not explained by putative moderators. Conclusions There is substantial unexplained systematic heterogeneity in the association between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescents’ behaviour problems. There is heavy reliance on a small number of parent datasets in research on this topic, alongside critical reporting omissions. We offer recommendations to guide future work, in hopes of supporting culturally and developmentally informed policies and programs capable of addressing residential segregation.
Abstract P2-05-08: Integrin alpha6beta4 signaling switches double strand break repair from homologous recombination to non-homologous end joining to alter TNBC cells response to cisplatin

Integrin α6β4 is highly expressed in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and drives aggressiveness by stimulating proliferation, angiogenesis, cell migration, invasion and metastasis. Signaling from this integrin stimulates DNA repair and apoptosis resistance, suggesting that it could contribute to therapeutic resistance. Upon testing this hypothesis, we found that integrin α6β4 signaling promoted a three-fold greater sensitivity to cisplatin but exhibited no difference in the response to other chemotherapies tested. Mechanistic investigations revealed that integrin α6β4 stimulated quicker and higher amplitude activations of ATM, Chk2, p53, and 53BP1, which required the β4 signaling domain. Genetic manipulation of gene expression demonstrated that mutant p53 cooperated with integrin α6β4 for cisplatin sensitivity and was necessary for downstream phosphorylation of 53BP1 and enhanced ATM activation. Additionally, we discovered that integrin α6β4 preferentially activated DNA-PKc in response to cisplatin, which led to formation of DNA-PKc-p53 complexes and 53BP1 activation. As a result, integrin α6β4 shifted double strand break repair from homologous recombination (HR) to non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), as demonstrated by HR and NHEJ reporter assays, in normal culture which was amplified by cisplatin treatment. Furthermore, DNA-PKc inhibition blocked integrin α6β4 enhanced cisplatin sensitivity. This signaling, against the backdrop of prominent losses and gains of select DNA repair molecules in breast cancer as a whole, may lead to a novel HR-deficiency that characterizes TNBC and their response to select chemotherapies. In summary, we discovered a novel function of integrin α6β4 in switching DSB repair from HR to NHEJ that results in cisplatin sensitivity in TNBC. Citation Format: Min Chen, Brock Marrs, Lei Qi, Teresa Knifley, Stuart G Jarrett, Heidi L Weiss, Rachel L Stewart, John A D9Orazio, Kathleen L O9Connor. Integrin alpha6beta4 signaling switches double strand break repair from homologous recombination to non-homologous end joining to alter TNBC cells response to cisplatin [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 P2-05-08.
Changes in Perceived Stress After Yoga, Physical Therapy, and Education Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective Perceived stress and musculoskeletal pain are common, especially in low-income populations. Studies evaluating treatments to reduce stress in patients with chronic pain are lacking. We aimed to quantify the effect of two evidence-based interventions for chronic low back pain (cLBP), yoga and physical therapy (PT), on perceived stress in adults with cLBP. Methods We used data from an assessor-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial, which recruited predominantly low-income and racially diverse adults with cLBP. Participants (N = 320) were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of yoga, PT, or back pain education. We compared changes in the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) from baseline to 12- and 52-week follow-up among yoga and PT participants with those receiving education. Subanalyses were conducted for participants with elevated pre-intervention perceived stress (PSS-10 score ≥17). We conducted sensitivity analyses using various imputation methods to account for potential biases in our estimates due to missing data. Results Among 248 participants (mean age = 46.4 years, 80% nonwhite) completing all three surveys, yoga and PT showed greater reductions in PSS-10 scores compared with education at 12 weeks (mean between-group difference = -2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -4.5 to -0.66, and mean between-group difference = -2.4, 95% CI = -4.4 to -0.48, respectively). This effect was stronger among participants with elevated pre-intervention perceived stress. Between-group effects had attenuated by 52 weeks. Results were similar in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Yoga and PT were more effective than back pain education for reducing perceived stress among low-income adults with cLBP.
Digitzing Audiovisual and NonPrint Materials: The Innovative Librarian’s Guide: by Scott Piepenburg, Ed. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC., 2015, $50.00, 94 pp., ISBN 978-1-4408-3780-7

For most library workers the thought of digitizing their collection is a daunting one that calls to mind issues of specialized equipment, high cost, and training needs. Digitizing Audiovisual and N...
A preferred curvature-based continuum mechanics framework for modeling embryogenesis with application to Drosophila mesoderm invagination

Mechanics plays a key role in the development of higher organisms. However, understanding the role of mechanics is complicated by the fact that it has proven difficult to model the link between local forces generated at the subcellular level, and tissue deformation at the whole-embryo level. Here we propose an approach first developed for lipid bilayers and cell membranes, in which force-generation at the cytoskeletal level only enters the shape mechanics calculation in the form of local changes in preferred tissue curvature. This allows us to formulate the continuum mechanics problem purely in terms of tissue strains. Relaxing the system by lowering its mechanical energy yields global morphogenetic predictions that accommodate the tendency towards this local preferred curvature, without explicitly modeling molecular-scale force-generating mechanisms. Our computational framework, which we call SPHARM-MECH, extends a three-dimensional spherical harmonics parameterization known as SPHARM to combine this level of abstraction with a sparse shape representation. The integration of these two principles allows computer simulations to be performed in three dimensions, on highly complex shapes, gene expression patterns, and mechanical constraints. We demonstrate our approach by modeling mesoderm invagination in the fruit-fly embryo, where local forces generated by the acto-myosin meshwork in the region of the future mesoderm lead to formation of a ventral tissue fold. The process is accompanied by substantial changes in cell shape and long-range cell movements. Applying SPHARM-MECH to whole-embryo live imaging data acquired with light-sheet microscopy reveals significant correlation between calculated and observed tissue movements. Our analysis predicts the observed cell shape anisotropy on the ventral side of the embryo and suggests an active mechanical role of mesoderm invagination in supporting the onset of germ-band extension.
Super-resolution via plasmonic structured illumination and intensity correlations

Combining structured illumination with the evaluation of intensity auto-correlations enhances superresolution microscopy, both in widefield and confocal. We show how plasmonic illumination boosts the performance creating a huge, gapless OTF support.
Spatial patterns of tree cover change at a dry forest margin are driven by initial conditions, water balance and wildfire

Increases in tree cover at dry forest margins are a global phenomenon. Yet, how pre-existing tree cover interacts with terrain and water balance to influence tree cover change is not well-understood, nor whether subsequent disturbances restore prior tree cover patterns or create novel patterns. To assess how terrain, water balance and pre-existing patterns of tree cover influenced late twentieth century tree cover change, and how subsequent wildfires altered tree cover patterns. We analyzed tree canopy cover at four sites at the forest-steppe ecotone on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., using aerial photographs from 1953/1955, 1999/2002 and 2016. Influences on tree cover change were assessed using statistical modeling, and tree cover in 1953/1955 was compared with post-wildfire tree cover in 2016. From 1953 to 2002, area with > 25% canopy cover increased by 1.5 to 5-fold and treeless area decreased by 17–111%. Mesic areas and areas of sparse tree cover close to existing forest tended to gain more canopy cover. Subsequent wildfires caused a mix of net tree cover loss, little change and gain relative to 1953/1955, but at all sites areas with > 25% cover and < 10% cover in 1953/55 experienced net losses and gains respectively by 2016. Accounting for initial tree cover and its configuration are crucial to assessing water balance and terrain effects on tree cover change. Our work highlights how wildfires can generate novel patterns of tree cover relative to historical baselines, especially following decades of fire exclusion.
The torture doctors: human rights crimes and the road to justice: by Steven H. Miles, Washington, DC, Georgetown University Press, 2020, 207 pp., $29.95 (hardback), ISBN 978-1626167520

It has been 100 years since the publication of Alfred Hoche and Karl Binding’s infamous book Die Freigabe der Vernichtung Lebensunweten Leben (Authorization of Life Unworthy of Life), 1 a volume th...
Echoes and shadows: Situating social licenses to operate within the six R’s of public relations

Abstract An examination of studies within public relations, evolutionary biology, and social licenses to operate shows such licenses to be interwoven throughout a public relations process that begins with research and reflection and moves through reciprocity, reputation, and relationships toward resource acquisition.
Between farmers and consumers

A global analysis of consumer expenditure along the food supply chain indicates the importance of post-farmgate activities and how socioeconomic indicators may affect it.
Influence of dispersants and dispersion on properties of nanosilica modified cement-based materials

Abstract Properties of cement pastes containing nanosilica (NS) dispersed with seven different dispersants were evaluated. The dispersants used were anionic surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and polycarboxylate ether (PCE) based superplasticizer, and two groups of non-ionic surfactants, Tweens (T20, T40) and Tritons (TX114, TX100, TX405). The degree of NS dispersions in de-ionized water and cement pore solutions with ultrasonication and dispersants were quantified based on their average hydrodynamic particle size (Z-avg.) and zeta potential obtained from dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. The properties of cement-NS pastes assessed were flowability, heat of hydration, and compressive strength. The results showed that except for PCE, all surfactants reduced the flow of cement paste at a given dosage, and therefore, they were subsequently used along with PCE to achieve adequate flow. The combination of PCE and another surfactant accelerated cement-NS hydration. There were strong correlations between the Z-avg. value of cement-NS suspensions made with non-ionic surfactants and the strength and total heat of hydration of the corresponding cement-NS pastes. Surfactant TX405 provided the cement-NS paste significantly high increment in strength (33%, 41%, and 54% at 1, 3, and 28-day, respectively). SEM and TGA results revealed that enhanced nucleation of CSH fibrils and higher gel-space ratio in TX405-cement-NS paste might be responsible for the strength improvement.
Agency and Answerability: Selected Essays

I. FREEDOM, WILL, AND AGENCY II. AGENCY AND NECESSITY III. RESPONSIBILITY AND ANSWERABILITY
Imagination and Creativity: Lectures at the College de France, 4: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity (L'imagination et la créativité: Confèrences au Collège de France, 4: La neuroscience cognitive de la créativité)

The fourth of four lectures at the College de France in 2000 on the subject of conceptual mappings and conceptual structure.
A Multimethod Approach to Women's Experiences of Reproductive Health Screening

Patient-clinician interactions in the context of women's reproductive health screenings are rich with psychosocial implications. We used a multimethod approach to collect narratives and self-report responses from 38 young women about their screening experiences. We used content analysis to identify five broad themes in women's narratives of their experience: (1) emotional discomfort, (2) communication, (3) uncertainty, (4) physical pain, and (5) health understanding. We examined relationships among narrative themes, subjective emotional appraisals of the screening experience, and individual differences. We also identified a negative relationship between self-reported psychological presence during the screening visit and perceived powerlessness, such that participants who engaged in detachment strategies during their interaction with the clinician reported feeling less powerful as patients.
Muscle fatigue in frog semitendinosus: role of intracellular pH

The purpose of this study was to utilize glass microelectrodes to characterize the intracellular pH (pHi) before and during recovery from fatigue in the frog semitendinosus (ST) muscle. A second objective was to evaluate the relationship between pHi and contractile function. The frog ST muscle (22 degrees C) was fatigued by direct electrical stimulation with 100-ms 150-Hz trains at 1/s for 5 min. Peak tetanic force (Po) was reduced to 8.5% of initial force and recovered in a biphasic manner, returning to the resting value by 40 min. Resting pHi was 7.00 +/- 0.02 (n = 37) and declined with fatigue to an average value of 6.42 at 3 min of recovery. During recovery pHi significantly increased and by 25 min had returned to the prefatigue value. The pHi recovery was highly correlated to the slow phase of Po recovery (r = 0.98, P less than 0.001). The mean resting membrane potential was -78 +/- 1.0 mV (n = 42) and at 3 min of recovery was depolarized to -67 +/- 4 mV. Both the peak rate of twitch force development (+dP/dt) (r = 0.99, P less than 0.001) and decline (-dP/dt) (r = 0.94, P less than 0.014) were highly correlated to pHi during the slow phase of recovery. Contraction time (CT) and one-half relaxation time (1/2RT) increased significantly and recovered exponentially. The recovery of CT and 1/2RT were both significantly correlated to pHi (r = -0.93, P less than 0.001 and r = -0.86, P less than 0.001 for CT and 1/2RT, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rapid Determination of Novobiocin Resistance of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci with the MS-2 System

Special novobiocin elution disks were prepared for testing of coagulase-negative staphylococci in the MS-2 system (Abbott Laboratories, Diagnostics Div., Irving, Tex.). The MS-2 system correctly classified 91.5% of 82 isolates as either susceptible or resistant to novobiocin in an average time of 5.8 h.
Coincidence in Time of the Imbrium Basin Impact and Apollo 15 KREEP Volcanic Flows: The Case for Impact-Induced Melting

On the Earth there is no firm evidence that impacts can induce volcanic activity. However, the Moon does provide a very likely example of volcanism induced by an immense impact: the Imbrium basin-forming event was immediately succeeded by a crustal partial melting event that released basalt flows characterized by K, rare-earth elements (REE), P, and other trace elements (KREEP) over a wide area creating the Apennine Bench Formation. Impact total melting is inconsistent with the chemistry and petrography of these Apollo 15 KREEP basalts, which are quite unlike the impact melts recognized at Taurus-Littrow as the products of the Serenitatis impact. The Imbrium impact and the KREEP volcanic events are indistinguishable in radiometric age, and thus the volcanism occurred less than about 20 Ma later than the impact (less than about 0.5% of lunar history). The sample record indicates that such KREEP volcanism had not occurred in the region prior to that time, and demonstrates that it never occurred again. Such coincidence in time implies a genetic relationship between the two events, and impact-induced partial melting or release appears to be the only feasible process. Nonetheless, the characteristics of the Apollo 15 KREEP basalts suggest large-degree crustal melting that is not easy to reconcile with the inability of lunar pressure release alone to induce partial melting unless the source was already almost at its melting point. The earliest history of the surface of the Earth, at a time of greater internal heat production and basin-forming impacts, could have been greatly influenced by impact-induced melting.
Singing the blues: is it really cyanosis?

A patient with a bluish tinge to the skin is alarming to a medical provider. Such a patient may be severely hypoxemic, which is a medical emergency. However, there are other causes of bluish coloring, both acute and chronic. We present a case of a patient who was referred for care because he appeared blue. We discuss common and uncommon causes of bluish appearance and suggest a diagnostic approach to such patients.
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Criteria for Recanalization After Thrombolysis for Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke

Background and Purpose—Transcranial Doppler (TCD) can demonstrate arterial occlusion and subsequent recanalization in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Limited data exist to assess the accuracy of recanalization by TCD criteria. Methods—In patients with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion treated with intravenous tPA, we compared posttreatment TCD with angiography (digital subtraction or magnetic resonance). On TCD, complete occlusion was defined by absent or minimal signals, partial occlusion by blunted or dampened signals, and recanalization by normal or stenotic signals. Angiography was evaluated with the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Ischemia (TIMI) grading scale. Results—Twenty-five patients were studied (age 61±18 years, 16 men and 9 women). TCD was performed at 12±16 hours and angiography at 41±57 hours after stroke onset, with 52% of studies performed within 3 hours of each other. Recanalization on TCD had the following accuracy param...
Money, Meaning and Morality

Modern money creates, transforms, transports, and possesses meaning by virtue of how it is used. This article devises a framework for the systematic study of monetary meaning. In particular, monetary meanings depend on the flow of money (both its proximate source and future direction) and on who promulgates or issues it. Meanings also derive from how money's use and flow are restricted and on monetary media. Monetarization quantifies social activities and introduces new equivalences and comparisons. The factors shaping meaning also underpin important types of monetary variation (homogeneous vs. differentiated money; anonymous vs. personal; material vs. immaterial).
Disease Management and the Role of Pharmacists

Disease management is a new method of managing healthcare which has arisen in response to rising healthcare costs and the integration of healthcare providers. Disease management is defined as an integrated, systems approach to healthcare designed to influence the progression of disease within selected patient populations. In disease management, a detailed analysis of a patient population’s medical needs and the resources it consumes is performed in order to design, implement and control the delivery of care. Selection of disease management strategies is based on application of the best scientific evidence currently available Ideally, disease management crosses organisational and professional boundaries resulting in seamless care for patients.
Analysing the World Population: Using Population Pyramids and If the World Were a Village

Summary The book If the World Were a Village, by David J. Smith, is the context for analysing and creating graphs of the world's demographic information. Students examine numerical information regarding the more than six billion world inhabitants by imagining the world's population as 100 people.
Nonlinear elliptic systems with certain unbounded coefficients

We consider nonlinear systems of the form Under suitable assumptions, Holder continuity of weak solutions is proven in a neighborhood of the origin using weighted inequalities and a partial regularity method of M. Giaquinta and E. Giusti. These equations relate to an exterior flow problem in physics.
The tradeoffs of fused memory hierarchies in heterogeneous computing architectures

With the rise of general purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU), the influence from consumer markets can now be seen across the spectrum of computer architectures. In fact, many of the high-ranking Top500 HPC systems now include these accelerators. Traditionally, GPUs have connected to the CPU via the PCIe bus, which has proved to be a significant bottleneck for scalable scientific applications. Now, a trend toward tighter integration between CPU and GPU has removed this bottleneck and unified the memory hierarchy for both CPU and GPU cores. We examine the impact of this trend for high performance scientific computing by investigating AMD's new Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) as a testbed. In particular, we evaluate the tradeoffs in performance, power consumption, and programmability when comparing this unified memory hierarchy with similar, but discrete GPUs.
Retinoic acid inhibits NFATc1 expression and osteoclast differentiation

Ingestion of excess vitamin A appears to correlate with an increased fracture risk, an outcome that is likely mediated by retinoic acids (RAs); these are vitamin A metabolites that have dramatic effects on skeletal development. We studied the impacts of RA and isoform-specific RA receptor (RAR) agonists (α, β, and γ) on osteoclast formation (osteoclastogenesis) in two model systems: RAW264.7 cells and murine bone marrow-derived monocytes. The pan-RAR agonists, all-trans and 9-cis RA, inhibited receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)-mediated osteoclast differentiation in a concentration-dependent manner. Isoform-specific RAR agonists (α, β, and γ) also inhibited osteoclastogenesis, with the RARα agonist producing the most consistent reductions in both osteoclast number and size and total area covered. Inhibition of osteoclastogenesis correlated with reductions in expression, DNA binding, and nuclear abundance of nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1), a transcription factor critical for osteoclastogenesis. The upregulation of three NFATc1-responsive genes, cathepsin K, dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein and osteoclast-associated receptor were similarly reduced following RA or RAR agonist exposure. These results suggest that RA blocks in vitro RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis by decreasing NFATc1 function.
Quantum electrodynamics of nonthermal relativistic plasmas: Kinetic theory

Abstract A general covariant framework for treating ultrarelativistic plasmas is developed by combining the Green's function theory of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics with modern quantum electrodynamics. The collective mode properties of such plasmas are treated in a covariant manner with electron-positron pair creation and annihilation included. A set of covariant coupled (collisional) kinetic equations for particles and radiation is derived in the weak coupling limit. The wave-particle interactions are consistently separated into adiabatic and nonadiabatic parts depending on whether or not the wave quanta damp away quickly on the space-time scale of macroscopic changes in the system. The adiabatic terms are shown to lead to collision rates equal to the appropriately averaged Moller or Bhabba rates for electron-electron or electron-positron scattering with dynamically screened internal photon propagators. The nonadiabatic terms which have been inconsistently ignored in previous work lead to collision rates describable as Ĉerenkov emission and absorption of quanta. These covariant, nonadiabatic terms consist of resonant and nonresonant parts which are analogous to terms arising in the familiar classical, nonrelativistic quasilinear approximation. The classical limit of these kinetic equations is taken to compare with previous work, although this limit is of restricted usefulness for highly relativistic plasmas. Further applications of these techniques are discussed and it is shown that the identification of higher-order radiative processes (e.g., Bremsstrahlung vs Compton scattering) depends on the separation of the wave spectrum into adiabatic and nonadiabatic parts.
On the Flow Induced by Centrifugal Buoyancy in a Differentially-Heated Rotating Cylinder

We consider the nature of thermally stratified flow in a closed cylinder rotating about the direction of gravity under conditions appropriate for terrestrial laboratory experiments. Motion is driven by centrifugal buoyancy, with outflow near the cold disk and inflow near the hot disk. Although similarity solutions for the infinite disk open-geometry problem exist and are easily found, even analytically in certain limits, there remain questions about the applicability of these spatially simplified models in a closed geometry with a vertical sidewall. This paper compares theoretical self-similar core solutions with computational simulations constructed to satisfy a wide range of sidewall thermal boundary conditions; insulating, conducting (with a linear temperature profile up the wall), hot (isothermal), or cold. The width of penetration of sidewall influence in toward the axis of rotation depends on the sidewall thermal boundary condition. However, as the cylinder radius is increased for a fixed height, a substantial region of the container about the axis is accurately described by the thermocline solutions of the theory. The non-self-similar region at large radius can include separation of the lower outflow boundary layer, a feature not evident in previous studies of this problem.
What Causes Unexplained Pain in Patients With Metal-on metal Hip Devices? A Retrieval, Histologic, and Imaging Analysis

Background Adverse tissue reactions associated with metal-on-metal (MOM) hips are common in resurfacing and total hip arthroplasty (THA) designs. The etiology of these reactions in painful, well-positioned arthroplasties is inconsistently described.
Development of decision support knowledge based system for tool wear diagnosis

Abstract This paper deals with the problems faced by small and medium sized metal cutting industries, with the perspective of tool monitoring. In a small or medium size metal cutting industry employing major metal cutting process, one of the primary problem is that of tool monitoring and wear diagnosis. The problem is of immediate concern especially in those industries where the processes or operations employed are flexible and production depends entirely on orders from customers. Due to a flexible manufacturing setup, almost all major metal cutting processers need to be carried out. However, it becomes increasingly difficult for such small or medium size metal cutting industries to employ skilled manpower for each operation as well as expert technicians to supervise the operation, and carry out fault diagnosis and tool monitoring. Also, the problem associated with tool monitoring is that human operator carrying out the monitoring has to rely either on observation such as ceasing of tool, rise in temperature, generation of fumes, noisy operation, vibrations, considerable change in shape etc, or by monitoring the quality of the finished product. Also, there can be instances where the operator does notice a symptom but does not have the expertise to identify the cause of the trouble. Errors in tool monitoring can lead to considerable damage both to the machine as well as the workpiece. On the other hand, if the tool is replaced before it reaches its useful life expectancy, it leads to unnecessary additional cost. A Decision Support Knowledge Based System (DSKBS) has therefore been developed in this paper with the above considerations. The DSKBS provides the user with a friendly environment to diagnose a particular tool wear and obtain the necessary repair or replacement instructions. The goal is to increase productivity, decrease cost of operation and enhance total quality and reliability of the operation.
Kernel Migration for HTGR Fuels from the System Th‐U‐Pu‐C‐O‐N

Nuclear fuels for the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) consist of spherical kernels of actinide compounds contained in gaslight pyrolytic carbon and SiC. The fuel kernels migrate up the temperature gradient and into the coating layers. A theoretical analysis of in-reactor migration data indicates that a solid-state diffusion process controls the migration rate in fissioned Th0.84U0.16C2, UO2, ThO2, PuO2-x, and Th0.8U0.2O2 particles. The theoretically based kernel migration coefficient (KMC) measured in units (cm/s) °K2 (oK/cm)-1, is thus used to correlate the laboratory and in-reactor data. The KMC values for Pu-containing particles may be dependent on the initial and in-reactor O/Pu values. The other in-reactor KMC values were apparently not dependent on the extent of fission, the fission of either 233U or 235U, or the presence of an SiC coating layer. Laboratory KMC values were obtained for unirradiated ThO2, UO1.65 N0.25,UC2 ThC2, and Th0.84U0.16C2 particles and generally appeared to be consistent with in-reactor data.
Daclizumab for children with corticosteroid refractory graft-versus-host disease

Daclizumab, a humanized IL-2 receptor antagonist, has been found to be safe and effective in adults with refractory graft-versus-host disease (GVHD); however, data describing its efficacy for refractory GVHD in children are limited. We report a series of 14 children who were treated with daclizumab for severe acute and/or chronic corticosteroid refractory GVHD. Patients were treated with 2 mg/kg weekly for 8 weeks followed by 1 mg/kg weekly for 4 weeks. Nine of 14 patients responded to daclizumab as measured by improvement of GVHD symptoms, and the ability to substantially wean corticosteroid dose. Five of 11 patients with acute GVHD had complete symptom resolution, and 2/11 had a partial response. Two of four patients with chronic GVHD had complete symptom resolution. In these patients, daclizumab was only effective in treating skin GVHD. Seven of the nine patients who had a complete or partial response eventually had recurrence of GVHD; however, the GVHD was less severe and no longer corticosteroid refractory. There was no infusional toxicity, and no infections that could be attributable to the drug. Daclizumab is a relatively safe and effective medication for corticosteroid refractory GVHD in children and larger studies are needed to evaluate its role in treatment.
A commodity-money refinement in matching models

Abstract We apply a commodity-money refinement to matching models in which people meet in pairs and buyers make take-it-or-leave-it offers to sellers. The refinement is applied by attaching a utility value to nominal money and letting that value approach zero. An equilibrium satisfies the refinement if it is such a limit. We show that the refinement eliminates a class of non-full-support steady states.
Oligomerization of membrane-bound Bcl-2 is involved in its pore formation induced by tBid

Both pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 are structurally homologous to the pore-forming domain of bacterial toxins. Bax proteins oligomerize in the mitochondrial outer membranes forming pores that release cytochrome c from the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Bcl-2 proteins also form pores that, however, are much smaller than the Bax pore. It is unknown whether Bcl-2 forms monomeric or oligomeric pores. Here, we characterized the Bcl-2 pore formation in liposomes using biophysical and biochemical techniques. The results show that the Bcl-2 pore enlarges as the concentration of Bcl-2 increases, suggesting that the pore is formed by Bcl-2 oligomers. As expected from oligomerization-mediated pore-formation, the small pores are formed earlier than the large ones. Bcl-2 oligomers form pores faster than the monomer, indicating that the oligomerization constitutes an intermediate step of the pore formation. A Bcl-2 mutant with higher affinity for oligomerization forms pores faster than wild type Bcl-2. Bcl-2 oligomers were detected in the liposomal membranes under conditions that Bcl-2 forms pores, and the extent of oligomerization was positively correlated with the pore-forming activity. Therefore, Bcl-2 oligomerizes in membranes forming pores, but the extent of oligomerization and the size of the resulting pores are much smaller than that of Bax, supporting the model that Bcl-2 is a defective Bax.
IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server: A designer's view

In this paper, we describe the background, objectives, and major decisions associated with the design of IBM TotalStorageâ¢ Enterprise Storage ServerÂ® (ESS), IBM's high-end disk storage system. We first present a brief history of disk storage development over the past three decades and then describe ESS architecture and basic functions. Next we discuss the goals associated with the design of ESS and the methods used to achieve these goals. We then explore some design decisions that significantly affected ESS architecture and performance, and we conclude with some comments about possible future enhancements.
Biological Control of Damping-Off of Snapbeans Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii in the Greenhouse and Field with Formulations of Gliocladium virens

Abstract The effect of Pyrax dust (pyrax), alginate pellets, and activated vermiculite/bran (VBB) formulations containing biomass of the biocontrol fungus Gliocladium virens (G1-3) on pre- and postemergence damping-off of snapbeans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) caused by Sclerotium rolfsii was determined from greenhouse and field trials. The ability of these formulations to reduce germination of scierotia of S. rolfsii was also evaluated. In the greenhouse, pyrax/biomass and alginate pellet formulations, which provided as little as 1.5 × 10 3 colony forming units (cfu) of G1-3 per gram of soil, significantly increased plant stand in pathogen-infested soil over that in the untreated control. Formulations which provided 3.0 × 10 3 cfu of G1-3 per gram of soil gave stands (>80%) comparable to that in noninfested, pathogen-free soil. In order to achieve similar results with activated VBB, soil had to be amended with a formulation that provided at least 2.3 × 10 4 cfu of G1-3 per gram of soil. All three formulations reduced the germination of sclerotia of S. rolfsii in loamy sand and loam soils in the greenhouse. In loamy sand amended with pyrax/biomass, alginate pellets, and activated VBB, the scierotial germination was inversely correlated ( r = −0.93, −0.94, and −0.79, respectively) with snapbean stand in the greenhouse. However, a higher rate of activated VBB than the other two formulations was necessary to achieve a comparable reduction in sclerotial germination. Over a 2-year field study, all three formulations added to soil to provide 10 3 to 10 4 cfu of G1-3 per gram significantly prevented damping-off, but no treatment yielded a plant stand similar to that in noninfested soil (73-85%) after 35 days of growth. Pyrax/biomass, alginate pellets, and activated VBB gave final stands of 59 to 73, 57 to 71, and 62 to 77%, respectively. The addition of the formulations to loamy sand in the field resulted in a 1000-fold increase in propagule numbers of G1-3 within 11 days of application.
Longitudinal Measurement of In-Vivo Tendon Function Over 17 Weeks Following Repair: Technique and Preliminary Results in a Canine Rotator Cuff Model

Rotator cuff tears are a common injury, affecting 30–40% of the population over age 60 and representing a tremendous source of pain and disability. Rotator cuff tears are often repaired surgically, but a significant percentage (perhaps 50% or more) of large cuff tears fail after surgery and result in long-term shoulder disability. The outcome of rotator cuff repair surgery is typically assessed by measuring muscle strength, joint range of motion, pain, and other subjective indicators of function. Although these types of measurements are used extensively, they provide only an indirect assessment of tendon function. We have recently developed new experimental techniques that allow us to use a biplane x-ray system to directly assess in-vivo tendon function. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of using a biplane x-ray system to quantify changes in in-vivo tendon function following tendon repair in a canine rotator cuff model. We hypothesized that tendon function will improve over the healing period (as reflected by changes in measures of repair stiffness and contracture) and approach normal tendon function by 17 weeks.© 2007 ASME
Peasant Listening, Listening to Peasants: Miscommunication and Ventriloquism in Nekrasov's “Komu na Rusi zhit′ khorosho”

Nikolai Nekrasov's fascination with peasant speech culminated in his book-length narrative poem “Komu na Rusi zhit' khorosho” (1860s–1870s). Nekrasov's words seem almost to merge with a larger world of folk production—an apparent convergence that glosses over a number of questions about the distance between the poem's actual author and audience, on the one hand, and its narrator and implied audience, on the other. The work as a whole provides a particularly interesting case study for ideas of communication between peasants and non-peasants, since listening to and telling stories lie at the heart of “Komu na Rusi zhit' khorosho.” The times within the work when communication breaks down are particularly noticeable; Nekrasov often uses the misunderstandings or deceptions that arise to comment indirectly on the characters or situations involved. The issues raised by the kinds of miscommunication highlighted within the poem are ignored, however, on a metapoetic level. In addition to examining both examples of miscommunication within “Komu na Rusi zhit' khorosho” and the communicative situation between Nekrasov and his audience, this article places Nekrasov's work in two larger contexts: the interactions between peasants and nonpeasants in Reform-era Russian, which were dependent on listening and were often fraught with misunderstandings, and the pan-European romantic insistence on the role folk language should play in revitalizing culture. The article also introduces a recent elaboration of speech act theory to clarify the ventriloquy Nekrasov engages in to “channel” a peasant voice.
Pilot information display for the paperless cockpit, and more

Since the beginning of flight, pilots have found the necessity to have paper information at their side ranging from basic navigation charts in the early days, to the massive amount of aircraft performance data, checklists, weather advisories, etc. which they now carry. This has resulted in the familiar flight bag carried by pilots to perform these tasks. With the advent of electronic data now easily available, the concept of a paperless cockpit becomes a reality. Further, once having a display in the cockpit which provides this information, and one that is separate from the primary flight instruments, a host of additional information can be provided which not only gives access to data previously carried in the flight bag, but also can provide real time weather information, airport mapping for runway incursion prevention and other information as required by the FAA. Also a major function which is now of great importance is the capability to provide a display for cabin surveillance in conjunction with an aircraft security system. This paper describes a Pilot Information Display (PID) which performs all these functions that are a necessary adjunct to the modern aircraft cockpit.