cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional and biochemical characterization of immunologically derived equine platelet-activating factor.

Antigen-specific challenge of equine leukocytes induced the non-lytic release of a platelet-activating factor in vim. The equine platelet-activating factor stimulated the release of serotonin from equine platelets in a dose-responsive manner, independent of the presence of cyclo-oxygenase pathway inhibitors such as indomethacin. Rabbit platelets were also responsive to equine platelet-activating factor. The release of equine platelet-activating factor was a rapid reaction with near maximal secretion taking place in 30 seconds. Addition of equine platelet-activating factor to washed equine platelets stimulated platelet aggregation which could not be inhibited by the presence of aspirin or indomethacin. Platelets pre- incubated with equine platelet-activating factor became specifically desensitized to equine platelet-activating factor while remaining responsive to other platelet stimuli such as collagen and epinephrine. The following biochemical properties of equine platelet-activating factor are identical to those properties of l-O-alkyl-2- acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (AGEPC): stability upon exposure to air and acid; loss of functional activity after base- catalyzed methanolysis with subsequent acylation that returned all functional activity; and identical relative mobilities on silica gel G plates developed with ch1oroform:methanol:water (65:35:6, volume/volume). The combined functional and biochemical characteristics of equine platelet-activating factor strongly suggest identity between this naturally occumng, immunologically derived equine factor and AGEPC.
Visualizing the archive of a computer mediated communication process

The archive of computer-mediated communication (CMC) process contains knowledge shared and information about participants' behavior patterns. However, most CMC systems focus only on organizing the content of discussions. We propose to demo a prototype system that integrates a social visualization technique with existing information analysis technologies to graphically summarize both the content and behavior of a CMC process.
Nonsurgical treatment of renal cortical abscesses

Abstract Four cases of renal cortical abscess treated nonsurgically are presented. The importance of early diagnosis with the aid of radiography, sonography, radionuclides, and computerized axial tomography is discussed. Aggressive antibiotic therapy is shown to be successful in treating this entity.
Appearance of a γ-d-Glutamyl-(l)Meso-Diaminopimelate Peptidoglycan Hydrolase During Sporulation in Bacillus sphaericus

Abstract Particulate preparations from sporulating cells of Bacillus sphaericus 9602 contained an endopeptidase activity that hydrolyzed the γ-d-glutamyl-(l)meso-diaminopimelic acid linkages found in the spore cortical peptidoglycan of this organism. Diaminopimelic acid did not occur in the vegetative cell wall peptidoglycan, and the γ-d-glutamyl-l-lysine linkages found in this polymer were not hydrolyzed by the endopeptidase. The endopeptidase hydrolyzed (X)-l-alanyl-γ-d-glutamyl-(l)meso-diaminopimelyl(l)-d-alanyl-d-alanine only after removal of the terminal d-alanine residue. The preparations contained an acyl-d-alanyl-d-alanine carboxypeptidase I activity which converted such pentapeptides into substrates for the endopeptidase and which was inhibited 50% by 4 × 10−7 M benzylpenicillin. This activity also hydrolyzed the analogous pentapeptide substrates containing l-lysine. The preparations also contained an acyl-l-lysyl-d-alanine carboxypeptidase II activity that was not active on the meso-diaminopimelic acid-containing analogue. Neither this activity nor the endopeptidase was inhibited by 10−3 M benzylpenicillin. The specificities of the carboxypeptidases were consistent with the exclusive presence of l-lysine C-termini in the vegetative peptidoglycan and of meso-diaminopimelyl-d-alanine C-termini in the spore cortical peptidoglycan of B. sphaericus 9602.
Causes of Death of Patients With Lung Cancer

Context.—The causes of death for patients with lung cancer are inadequately described. Objective.—To categorize the immediate and contributing causes of death for patients with lung cancer. Design....
Towards evolutionary nonnegative matrix factorization

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) techniques has aroused considerable interests from the field of artificial intelligence in recent years because of its good interpretability and computational efficiency. However, in many real world applications, the data features usually evolve over time smoothly. In this case, it would be very expensive in both computation and storage to rerun the whole NMF procedure after each time when the data feature changing. In this paper, we propose Evolutionary Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (eNMF), which aims to incrementally update the factorized matrices in a computation and space efficient manner with the variation of the data matrix. We devise such evolutionary procedure for both asymmetric and symmetric NMF. Finally we conduct experiments on several real world data sets to demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of eNMF.
A Principled Approach for ROP Defense

Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) is an effective attack technique that can escape modern defenses such as DEP. ROP is based on repeated abuse of existing code snippets ending with return instructions (called gadgets), as compared to using injected code. Several defense mechanisms have been proposed to counter ROP by enforcing policies on the targets of return instructions, and/or their frequency. However, these policies have been repeatedly bypassed by more advanced ROP attacks. While stricter policies have the potential to thwart ROP, they lead to incompatibilities which discourage their deployment. In this work, we address this challenge by presenting a principled approach for ROP defense. Our experimental evaluation shows that our approach enforces a strong policy, while offering better compatibility and good performance.
Inelastic Buckling of Nonuniform Columns

Numerical procedure for calculating critical loads of nonuniform pin-ended columns in elastic or inelastic range; procedure is based upon transformation of differential equation to integral equation which is solved numerically for trial values of critical load.
Validation of Reliability Prediction Models

This paper proposes new methods to assess the validity of reliability prediction models through a Bayesian approach. The concept of Bayesian hypothesis testing is extended to system-level problems where full-scale testingis impossible. Component-level validation results are used to derive a system-level validation measure. This derivation depends on the knowledge of interrelationships between component modules. Bayes networks are used for the propagation of validation information from the component-level to system-level. Validation of reliability prediction model for a single degree of freedom oscillator under high-cycle fatigue and fatigue life prediction of a helicopter rotor hub is illustrated for this purpose.
Age and Litter Effects on Testosterone Levels in Young Water Snakes

Abstract To test whether a pulse of testosterone reported in young male garter snakes also occurs in related snakes, testosterone levels were measured in 18 male water snakes (Nerodia sipedon) belonging to four litters at 5–6, 16–17, 29–30, and 250–267 days of age. Testosterone levels were uniformly low over the first 30 days of life but increased significantly by 250–267 days of age; there were also significant differences among litters in levels of this hormone by that time.
Oil prices and interstate conflict

Anecdotal evidence suggests that high oil prices embolden oil-rich states to behave more aggressively. This article contends that arguments linking oil-exporter status to interstate conflict are implicitly price contingent, and tests this via a reanalysis of works by Colgan and Weeks. It finds a contingent effect of oil prices on interstate disputes, with high oil prices associated with significant increases in dispute behavior in petrostates, for which oil exports constitute more than 10% of GDP, while having a null effect in non-petrostates. Directed-dyadic tests indicate that this is due to petrostates initiating disputes, rather than becoming more attractive targets for conquest or coercion.
Eye-movements of stutterers and non-stutterers during silent, oral, and choral reading.

Measurements of fixations and retraces were obtained from 7 stuttering and 12 non-stuttering college students during silent, oral, and choral reading conditions. Stutterers made significantly more retraces during silent and choral readings than did the control group. A significantly greater number of retraces by stutterers occurred during choral than either silent or oral reading.
Direct Observation of Metal Ketenes Formed by Photoexcitation of a Fischer Carbene using Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy

Fischer carbenes are commonly used as reagents in the synthesis of new carbon–carbon bonds, a reaction made possible by the unique chemistry of the formal metal–carbon double bond. Nevertheless, the photoinduced reactions of these complexes are relatively poorly understood. For instance, it has been postulated but not confirmed that visible irradiation leads to photocarbonylation, in which a CO ligand inserts into the metal–carbon bond to form a metal ketene intermediate. Here, we report the first direct observation of this intermediate following 400 nm photoexcitation of the model group 6 Fischer carbene Cr(CO)5[CCH3(OCH3)]. Using ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy (TRIR), we observe the formation of three distinct metal ketene structures, which we assign as a singlet and two isoenergetic triplet excited-state structures. The singlet relaxes to the ground state on a time scale of ∼35 ps, whereas the two triplets are long-lived (>2 ns). TRIR of the tungsten analogue yields no evidence for a met...
Selective removal of cesium and strontium using porous frameworks from high level nuclear waste

Efficient and cost-effective removal of radioactive (137)Cs and (90)Sr found in spent fuel is an important step for safe, long-term storage of nuclear waste. Solid-state materials such as resins and titanosilicate zeolites have been assessed for the removal of Cs and Sr from aqueous solutions, but there is room for improvement in terms of capacity and selectivity. Herein, we report the Cs(+) and Sr(2+) exchange potential of an ultra stable MOF, namely, MIL-101-SO3H, as a function of different contact times, concentrations, pH levels, and in the presence of competing ions. Our preliminary results suggest that MOFs with suitable ion exchange groups can be promising alternate materials for cesium and strontium removal.
Protospecies Cultivation Techniques of Quality Inbred Rice Variety Xing No.2

Xing No.2 is a quality inbred rice variety bred by Agricultural Bureau of Changsha County.It has many advantages such as high yield,good rice quality,great taste,strong processability.In order to ensure the stable inheritance of quality characteristics of the variety,the experts suggested that it should adopt protospecies to production.The high yield cultivation techniques of the variety were summarized in terms of enhancing consciousness of protospecies production,management of rice nursery,high yield cultivation in paddyfield,weeding paddyfield,roguing,harvesting,storage,etc..
The Battle Over Working Time: A Countermovement Against Neoliberalism

In the wake of the Great Recession, workers around the world are mobilizing to impose new regulations on corporate restructuring of the employment relationship. The battle for Paid Sick leave and Fair Scheduling are at the forefront of this battle in the United States. These campaigns reflect a cultural shift in values about the place of work in people's lives.
Discussion: Case of Colette

The case of Colette is discussed with “reading” considered as a metaphor for the process of thinking about the traumatic experiences to which Colette has been subject. From this perspective, there is a parallel between her work with Dr. Ganzer and her struggles around attending her program’s reading class. Consideration is given to issues around termination in public sector clinical work.
Analog signal processing for ultra high speed data communication

We propose a method to design a complete analog communication system for communication at multi-gigabit per second data rate. Our system is comprised of transmit and receive matched filters and a stable analog equalizer. A modified IIR LMS algorithm is presented to adaptively adjust the parameters of the equalizer for time-varying channels. The convergence analysis is provided and the simulation results are presented.
DIFFERENTIAL EXCITATION OF DORSAL HORN AND SUBSTANTIA GELATINOSA MARGINAL NEURONS BY PRIMARY AFFERENT UNITS WITH FINE (Aδ AND C) FIBERS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses differential excitation of dorsal horn and substantia gelatinosa marginal neurons by primary afferent units with fine (Aδ and C) fibers. Considerable evidence for a relation between afferent fiber diameter and function comes from a variety of sources, including experiments in which peripheral nerves were either stimulated or blocked to distinguish the contributions from various fiber components. Such studies have indicated that small diameter fibers have a critical place in cutaneous temperature appreciation and pain sense. In some experiments, slowly conducting fibers (Aδ and/or C) were found to provide most or all of the excitatory drive to neurons of the dorsal horn's marginal zone (Rexed's lamina I) in a cat. A similar set of experiments in a monkey provides additional information on the excitatory projection of afferent units with fine fibers. This chapter also discusses results that provide evidence that the superficial layers of the dorsal horn—in particular, the marginal zone and the substantia gelatinosa Rolandi—contain neurons whose major excitatory input is derived from somatosensory receptors with thinly myelinated and C afferent fibers.
Evaluation of maximum system efficiency and maximum output power in two-coil wireless power transfer system by using modeling and experimental results

Maximum output power and maximum system efficiency are the two important design factors in a wireless power transfer (WPT) system. This paper reviews the model used for evaluation of maximum output power and maximum system efficiency in a two-coil WPT system under different distances (DIS), different operation frequencies as well as different load conditions. By obtaining theoretical relationships of output power and system efficiency, a designer is able to select design parameters for WPT system optimization. A proof of experimental prototype is built in the laboratory to evaluate the system efficiency and output power. It is shown that the measured results closely agree with the theoretical results under different operating conditions.
Emotional Values of Ceramic Material for Product Design

Materials have been a substantial component in product design and they play a significant role in deciding the value of product and generating emotional impacts. This paper introduces a unique process of a ceramic product that was created in collaboration by two faculty members from Ceramics and Industrial Design program at Arizona State University in the USA. The primary objective of this paper is to discover the emotional value of the ceramic material on products and evaluate the level of emotion from users. Through this tangible ceramic-design pilot project, the overall form language, shape expression, design metaphor, and material aesthetic will be analyzed, and how those factors can generate design emotions to the consumers will be presented on the paper.
On the Role of Situational Stressors in the Disruption of Global Neural Network Stability during Problem Solving

When individuals are placed in stressful situations, they are likely to exhibit deficits in cognitive capacity over and above situational demands. Despite this, individuals may still persevere and ...
Too Many Boxes, or Not Enough? Preferences for How We Ask About Gender in Cisgender, LGB, and Gender-Diverse Samples

As U.S. society has become more aware of gender identity issues, there has been a push for more inclusive demographic categories that go beyond the traditional gender binary of male/female. In three studies, we assessed the attitudes of U.S. cisgender men and women across sexual orientations (Study 1), heterosexual cisgender men and women (Study 2), cisgender LGB men and women (Study 3), and transgender and gender non-binary individuals across sexual orientations (Study 3) regarding different formats of gender questionnaires. Studies 2 and 3 showed a strong overall preference for the non-binary formats. Across all three studies, preferences for the binary format and objections to the non-binary formats were related to gender-binary beliefs, distinctiveness threat, cisgender and mostly heterosexual male participants, conservative political orientation, and religiosity. These findings suggest that general opposition to utilizing non-binary formats may be influenced by institutionalized binary gender norms and heteronormativity. Across both cisgender and gender-diverse samples, most participants preferred a non-binary gender question format, and gender-diverse individuals overwhelmingly preferred the expanded format. We suggest that those who collect gender data use the expanded format in order to be more inclusive and allow gender-diverse individuals to identify themselves if they choose to do so.
Abstract 11158: Trends in Heart Failure Hospitalizations Using Data From National Hospital Discharge Survey

Aims: Heart failure (HF) is a common cause of hospital admission. However, relatively little data have described temporal trends in HF hospitalization. We present data on the number of HF admissions, length of stay and inpatient mortality from 1996-2010. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), a national probability sample survey of discharges conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics. Because of the survey design, sampling weights are applied to the raw NHDS data to produce national estimates. Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of HF were identified using ICD-9 codes. Weighted least squares regression was used to test for linear trends in the number of HF admissions, length of stay, and inpatient mortality. Results: The raw data contained 130,079 HF hospitalizations, translating to an estimated 16.7 million hospitalizations from 1996-2010 after application of sample weights. The total number of hospitalizations increased over time (p=0.05; see Figure); however, mean length of stay per hospitalization declined (p Conclusion: In a nationally representative sample of HF hospitalizations, mean length of stay and inpatient mortality rates have been declining over the past two decades. These trends reflect improvement in HF management over time, and have important implications in the cost of managing HF patients.
X-ray diffraction tomography with limited projection information

X-ray diffraction tomography (XDT) records the spatially-resolved X-ray diffraction profile of an extended object. Compared to conventional transmission-based tomography, XDT displays high intrinsic contrast among materials of similar electron density and improves the accuracy in material identification thanks to the molecular structural information carried by diffracted photons. However, due to the weak diffraction signal, a tomographic scan covering the entire object typically requires a synchrotron facility to make the acquisition time more manageable. Imaging applications in medical and industrial settings usually do not require the examination of the entire object. Therefore, a diffraction tomography modality covering only the region of interest (ROI) and subsequent image reconstruction techniques with truncated projections are highly desirable. Here we propose a table-top diffraction tomography system that can resolve the spatially-variant diffraction form factor from internal regions within extended samples. We demonstrate that the interior reconstruction maintains the material contrast while reducing the imaging time by 6 folds. The presented method could accelerate the acquisition of XDT and be applied in portable imaging applications with a reduced radiation dose.
Income Inequality and Chronic Health Conditions: A Multilevel Analysis of the U.S. States

ABSTRACTRecently, scholarly work has examined the effect of rising income inequality on health outcomes. However, this work is somewhat inconclusive. The mechanisms that could produce such an assoc...
BeachBot: Crowdsourcing Garbage Collection with Amphibious Robot Network

In this paper, a system is proposed wherein a network of robots, each termed a 'BeachBot,' would be used to collect waste and litter that is found on beaches, coastal locations, and out into the oceans. The system takes the path of remote human-robot interaction, where each BeachBot would be teleoperated by a human operator through a virtual reality interface. That user would be crowdsourced online, with registered individuals being able to log-in and be assigned a robot. The proposed system is first tested through an online virtual reality game that simulates the implementation of such a system.
A Modified Algorithm for Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening Using Pulse Oximetry.

OBJECTIVES: Determine the performance of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) newborn screening algorithm and the impact of an alternative algorithm. METHODS: Screening was performed on term infants without a known CCHD diagnosis at or near 24 hours of age at a tertiary birth hospital by using the AAP algorithm from 2013 to 2016. Retrospective review from the birth hospital and the area’s sole pediatric cardiac center identified true- and false-positives and true- and false-negatives. A simulation study modeled the results of a modified screening algorithm with a single repeat pulse oximetry test instead of 2. RESULTS: Screening results were collected on 77 148 newborns . By using the current AAP algorithm, 77 114 (99.96%) infants passed screening, 18 infants failed for an initial saturation of CONCLUSIONS: Although CCHD screening in a tertiary care birth hospital may not detect many new cases of CCHD, it can detect other important diseases in newborns. Modifying the screening algorithm to 1 repeat pulse oximetry test instead of 2 may detect additional infants with significant disease without a substantial increase in the false-positive rate.
InGaN-Based UV/Blue/Green LED and LD Structure

Publisher Summary The semiconductor solid-state devices with p – n junctions that produce spontaneous emission are called light-emitting diodes (LED). If many more electrons and holes (carriers) are injected into the conduction and valence bands of the active layer (than for LED), a population inversion of the carriers takes place between the bands. If a mirror is formed at the edge of the waveguide cavity, the spontaneous emission can experience a gain within the waveguide cavity and a strong stimulated emission is observed at both edges for a certain current. This stimulated emission is called a laser emission and the device is called a laser diode (LD). In order to make a full color or white color with the LED, at least three primary colors, such as green, blue, and red LED, are required. If full-color LED lamps were available, they would have many uses. These solid-state semiconductor light sources have high reliability, high durability, and a low power consumption compared to conventional vacuum tube light sources, such as incandescent bulb lamps or fluorescent lamps. The GaN and related materials such as A1GalnN are III-V nitride semiconductors with the wurtzite crystal structure and a direct energy-band structure that is suitable for light emitting devices. The chapter illustrates that the efficiency of the radiative recombination of carriers is high using the material with a direct- transition energy-band structure. Also the grown GaN layers contain many dislocations that originate from the interface between GaN and the substrate due to the large lattice mismatch. This means that emission wavelengths between 620 and 365 nm are obtained using the InGaN active layer. Therefore, the InGaN active layer is useful for light-emitting devices especially in the visible short-wavelength regions.
Simultaneous LC-MS quantification of anthocyanins and non-anthocyanin phenolics from blueberries with widely divergent profiles and biological activities

A sensitive and straightforward LC-IT-TOF-MS method was validated for the profiling and simultaneous quantification of anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, phenolic acids, and resveratrol in blueberry genotypes with fruit color ranging from deep purple (Vaccinium angustifolium) to various shades of pink (crosses of V. corymbosum, V. darrowii, and V. ashei). Standard calibration curves were linear for all analytes with correlation coefficients >0.99. The relative standard deviation for intra- and inter-day precision was lower than 10%. The method allowed an easy and selective identification and quantification of phenolics in blueberries with divergent profiles. The in vitro antioxidant assay results were strongly correlated with total phenolics and total anthocyanin content. Lowbush blueberry extracts (50 μg/mL) reduced ROS and NO production, and inhibited the transcription of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6β, COX2, iNOS, and IL-6 in the in vitro assays at much lower concentrations than pink fruited berries (250 μg/mL).
Transcriptional and physiological roles for STAT proteins in leptin action.

Abstract Objectives Leptin acts via its receptor LepRb on specialized neurons in the brain to modulate food intake, energy expenditure, and body weight. LepRb activates signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs, including STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5) to control gene expression. Methods Because STAT3 is crucial for physiologic leptin action, we used TRAP-seq to examine gene expression in LepRb neurons of mice ablated for Stat3 in LepRb neurons (Stat3LepRbKO mice), revealing the STAT3-dependent transcriptional targets of leptin. To understand roles for STAT proteins in leptin action, we also ablated STAT1 or STAT5 from LepRb neurons and expressed a constitutively-active STAT3 (CASTAT3) in LepRb neurons. Results While we also found increased Stat1 expression and STAT1-mediated transcription of leptin-regulated genes in Stat3LepRbKO mice, ablating Stat1 in LepRb neurons failed to alter energy balance (even on the Stat3LepRbKO background); ablating Stat5 in LepRb neurons also failed to alter energy balance. Importantly, expression of a constitutively-active STAT3 (CASTAT3) in LepRb neurons decreased food intake and body weight and improved metabolic parameters in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice, as well as in wild-type animals. Conclusions Thus, STAT3 represents the unique STAT protein required for leptin action and STAT3 suffices to mediate important components of leptin action in the absence of other LepRb signals.
A Validation Argument From Soup to Nuts: Assessing Progress on Learning Trajectories for Middle-School Mathematics

ABSTRACTFully articulating validation arguments in the context of classroom assessment requires connecting evidence from multiple sources and addressing multiple types of validity in a coherent chain of reasoning. This type of validation argument is particularly complex for assessments that function in close proximity to instruction, address the fine granularity of learning trajectories (LTs), have multiple stakeholders, and are delivered digitally with a quick turn-around for formative assessment purposes. This article describes a validation framework for classroom assessment and uses it to illustrate a validation argument addressing one of several purposes for the assessments, the use of class-level data by individual teachers. The argument concerns the use of a middle-grades digital learning system, Math-Mapper 6–8, which contains LT-based diagnostic assessments. The argument is structured as a set of six claims that examine the assessment structure, the identification and treatment of non-conforming i...
Effect of rootstock and nitrogen fertilizer on growth and yield in watermelon

Herbaceous grafting can be used to manage numerous soilborne pathogens in cucurbits. Rootstocks have been reported to increase the growth of the scion possibly due to more efficient use of nitrogen...
Additional Findings from the Common Research Model Natural Laminar Flow Wind Tunnel Test

An experimental investigation of the Common Research Model with Natural Laminar Flow (CRM-NLF) took place in the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at the NASA Langley Research Center in 2018. The 5.2% scale semispan model was designed using a new natural laminar flow design method, Crossflow Attenuated NLF (CATNLF). CATNLF enables laminar flow on typical transport wings with high sweep and Reynolds number by reshaping the wing airfoils to obtain specific pressure distribution characteristics that control the crossflow growth near the leading edge. The CATNLF method also addresses Tollmien- Schlichting transition, attachment line transition, and Gortler vortices. During the wind tunnel test, data were acquired to address three primary test objectives: validate the CATNLF design method, characterize the NTF laminar flow testing capabilities, and establish best practices for laminar flow wind tunnel testing. The present paper provides both experimental and computational data to understand the CRM-NLF laminar flow characteristics, as well as address the three primary test objectives. The effects of angle of attack and Reynolds number on the CRM-NLF laminar flow extent are studied, and the dominant transition mechanism is evaluated at a variety of test conditions. Critical N-factors are calculated for the NTF environment, and a discussion on best practices for laminar flow wind tunnel testing is provided. The CRM-NLF in the NTF provided initial confirmation of the ability of the CATNLF method to suppress crossflow growth and enable significant extents of laminar flow on transport wings with high sweep and Reynolds numbers.
Model-driven transformations for multi- and many-core CPUs

Modern polyhedral compilers excel at aggressively optimizing codes with static control parts, but the state-of-practice to find high-performance polyhedral transformations especially for different hardware targets still largely involves auto-tuning. In this work we propose a novel customizable polyhedral scheduling technique, with the aim of delivering high performance for several hardware targets. We design constraints and objectives that model several crucial aspects of performance such as stride optimization or the trade-off between parallelism and reuse, while considering important architectural features of the target machine. We evaluate our work using the PolyBench/C benchmark suite and experimentally validate it against large optimization spaces generated with the Pluto compiler on 3 representative architectures: an IBM Power9, an Intel Xeon Phi and an Intel Core-i9. Our results show we can achieve comparable or superior performance to Pluto on the majority of benchmarks, without implementing tiling in the source code nor using experimental autotuning.
Junctional Adhesion Molecule a Helps Maintain Integrin αIIbβ3 in Resting State

Under physiological conditions, fibrinogen receptor integrin αIIbβ3 on the circulating platelets is in a low-affinity, or resting state, unable to bind soluble ligands. During platelet activation by agonists, a cascade of signaling events induces a conformational change in the extracellular domain of αIIbβ3, thereby converting it into a high-affinity state capable of binding ligands through a process known as “inside-out signaling”. What maintains this integrin in a low-affinity state is not well understood. We have previously identified JAM-A, junctional adhesion molecule A, on the platelet surface. We have shown that an antibody blockade of JAM-A dose-dependently activates platelets. To understand the molecular mechanism through which JAM-A regulates platelet aggregation, we used Jam-A null mice. Interestingly, the mouse bleeding times were significantly shortened in Jam-A null mice compared to wildtype littermates. Furthermore, the majority of these mice showed a rebleeding phenotype. This phenotype was further confirmed by FeCl3-induced carotid artery occlusion, a well-accepted in vivo model for thrombosis. Platelets derived from Jam-A-null mice were used to evaluate the role of JAM-A in agonist-induced platelet aggregation. We found that Jam-A null platelets showed enhanced aggregation in response to physiological agonists such as PAR4 peptide, collagen, and ADP as compared to platelets from wildtype littermates. JAM-A was found to associate with αIIbβ3 in unactivated human platelets, but this association was disrupted by both agonist-induced platelet aggregation and during outside-in signaling initiated upon platelet spreading on immobilized Fg. We also found that in resting platelets, JAM-A is phosphorylated on a conserved tyrosine 280 in its cytoplasmic domain, which was dephosphorylated upon platelet activation. Furthermore, JAM-A is rapidly and transiently phosphorylated on serine 284 residue during platelet activation by agonists. Interestingly, JAM-A also formed a complex with Csk, a tyrosine kinase known to be inhibitory to Src activation, in resting platelets. This complex was dissociated upon activation of platelets by agonists. These results suggest that tyrosine-phosphorylated JAM-A recruits Csk to αIIbβ3 in resting platelets, thus maintaining a low-affinity state of integrin αIIbβ3. Agonist–induced activation of platelets results in rapid dephosphorylation of JAM-A on Y280 and phosphorylation on S284 residues. This causes dissociation of JAM-A from integrin αIIbβ3 facilitating platelet aggregation.
Transporting and Exercising Unconditioned Horses: Effects on Microflora Populations.

The objective of this study was to determine if transportation and exercise stress in horses affect the microflora populations in the equine hindgut. Four horses were subjected to three transport periods (0, 3, and 6 hours) with a 7-d rest period between each transport. Horses were fed 0.91 kg/day of Purina Impact All Stages 12% and had ad libitum access to Cynodon dactylon (Coastal Bermudagrass) hay. Fecal samples were collected before (0 hours) and after (48 hours) transport. In addition, three horses underwent a different standardized exercise test with a 7-d rest period between each exercise. Standardized exercise test intensity was determined by heart rate to validate if the horse was in aerobic or anaerobic work. The protocol for fecal sample collection after exercise was the same as for transport. Prokaryotic community profiling was conducted by 16S metagenomic analysis. After DNA evaluation, differences were found in the microbiome at transport 0 hours and grouped transport 3 hours time 48 and transport 6 hours time 48 (PERMANOVA P = .037) where Bacteroidetes increased 48 hours after transport and Firmicutes decreased 48 hours after transport. Exercise microbial communities showed no difference in either alpha or beta diversity when compared with controls (0 hours). In the present study, difference in microflora may have resulted from stress duration of transport rather than stress duration of exercise.
Controllable Skin Lesion Synthesis Using Texture Patches, Bézier Curves and Conditional GANs

Data synthesis is an important tool for improving data availability in cases where data is hard to capture or annotate. In the context of skin lesions data, data synthesis has been used for data augmentation in automated classification methods or for supporting training of dermoscopic images visual inspection. In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective approach for diverse skin lesion image synthesis using conditional generative adversarial networks. Our pipeline takes as input a random Bezier curve representing the lesion mask, and two texture patches: one for skin, and one for lesion; and synthesizes a new dermoscopic image. Our method generates images where lesions and skin reproduce the corresponding provided texture patches, and the lesion conforms to the provided Bezier mask. Our results report realistic controllable synthesis and improved performance for skin lesion segmentation task considering different semantic segmentation networks in a public challenge in comparison to classic data augmentation.
Finite-temperature quarkyonic matter with an excluded volume model

Abstract We introduce a theoretical framework to analyze the thermal properties of a recently proposed “excluded volume” model of quarkyonic matter. This entails proposing finite temperature distribution functions and entropy functionals constrained by internal theoretical consistency. We use the formalism developed here to analyze the effect of temperature on the quark onset as a function of baryon density. We find that the baryon density at which the quarkyonic phase emerges decreases only slightly with temperature, an effect produced by large N c . We furthermore find that a finite temperature increases the density of quarks produced. The framework presented here can be used to compute the equation of state of hot and dense quarkyonic matter which is of relevance to neutron star mergers.
Therapy for reproductive problems in the postpartum cow

Many problems beset the postpartum dairy cow and all of them may potentially decrease reproductive efficiency. This brief review will deal with retained fetal membranes (RFM) and metritis/endometritis and discuss various treatment approaches in light of recent research. It should be noted here that research often does not translate into obvious clinical recommendations. Two recent reviews dealing with RFM/metritis cite a combined total of 241 reports without reaching definitive conclusions about therapy. We will proceed from this rather uncertain foundation.
Keynes’s Use of Certainty Equivalent, Short Run Expectations in the General Theory, the Evidential Weight of the Argument, V(a/H)=W, 0≤w≤1, the Townshend -Keynes Exchanges of 1937–38, and Is-Lm: Rational Expectations Was a Special Case for Keynes if W=1 for Long Run Expectations

The failure of all economists and philosophers in the 20th and 21st centuries to grasp the formal, technical analysis of the 'weight of the arguments' analysis in chapters 6 and 26 of Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability explains why the footnotes on pages 148 and 240 of the General Theory, the importance of which Keynes emphasized to Townshend in 1938, at the exact same time that Keynes was also engaged in a severe critique of Tinbergen’s misapplication of the limiting frequency interpretation of probability to business cycles using a multivariate normal probability distribution, have never been incorporated into Keynes’s theory of effective demand, the D-Z model, which served as the foundation for Keynes’s IS-LM(LP) model on pp .298-299 in Part IV of chapter 21 of the General Theory. Keynes’s certainty equivalence for the expectations embodied in Z=wN +P and D=pO incorporated expectations as a function of uncertainty, where uncertainty is a function of the evidential weight of the argument, w, which ranges from complete knowledge, w=1 to complete ignorance, w=0. This is very similar to A. Greenspan’s 2004 paper in the AER that specified a Continuum that ranged from complete ignorance to complete knowledge. The certainty equivalences for the P variable, expected profits, and the p variable, expected prices, were formalized directly from Keynes’s conventional coefficient,c. Y, realized aggregate income, is a function of the expectational D-Z locus, called by Keynes the aggregate supply curve (ASC). Once a particular Y value is specified, Keynes combined it with the long run nominal rate of interest, r, to specify the IS-LM(LP) model in (Y,r) space. Keynes showed that a severe problem of absolute liquidity preference would show up once the long run nominal rate reached 2% due to lack of confidence and fear of the future. Monetary policy would fail, leaving some type of fiscal policy as the only possible policy alternative in a severe recession or depression. In response to Townshend’s 1937-1938 pleas for guidance concerning the connection between Keynes’s theory of liquidity preference and the A Treatise on Probability’s logical theory of probability Keynes simply reiterated that Townshend needed to reread pages 148 and 240 of the General Theory, given Townshend’s own statement that he had read the A Treatise on Probability. The answer that Townshend never found appears on page 315 of the A Treatise on Probability in chapter 26, which is the mathematical complement and supplement to the initial logical treatment of the V relation provided by Keynes in chapter 6. Only in chapter 26 does Keynes make it clear that V(a/h)=w,0≤w≤1.
Anisotropic thermalization of dilute dipolar gases

We study collisional rethermalization in ultracold dipolar thermal gases, made intricate by their anisotropic differential cross sections. Theoretical methods are provided to derive the number of collisions per rethermalization [Monroe et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 414 (1993)], which, for dipolar gases, is highly dependent on the dipole alignment axis. These methods are formulated to be easily applied in experimental contexts, even reducing to analytic expressions if the route to thermal equilibrium is governed by short-time dynamics. In the analytic case, collisional rethermalization is fully characterized by the dipole magnitude and orientation, scattering length, and thermalization geometry. These models compare favorably to Monte Carlo simulations and are shown to model well a recent experimental result on the rethermalization of polar molecular samples.
Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Presumed Digoxin Retinal Toxicity

Abstract: We present novel OCT findings of presumed acute digoxin photoreceptor toxicity in the setting of concurrent amiodarone use. Discontinuation of medications resulted in symptom abatement, vision improvement, and reversal of OCT findings.
Dismantling Privilege and White Supremacy in Social Work Education

The primary aim of social work is eliminating social inequalities by advocating for racial, social, and economic justice for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. This commitment and promise starts in the classroom by providing opportunities for students and faculty to interact with each other and promote the core tenets of the profession. As the social work practices are shaped by the values promoted by the mainstream society, many argue that the profession is biased and does not meet the needs of Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). This issue is explored in the present study by interviewing six Black female social work faculty, aiming to elucidate their experiences in academia and the social work educational environment when interacting with their White counterparts, their students, and the administration. The findings yielded by this investigation have implications for academia, as well as social work education programs and their leadership.
Normal HDL But Not The HDL From Patients With Coronary Heart Disease Prevent LDL Induced Toxicity In Cultured iCell Neurons. (P4.194)

Introduction: Low density lipoprotein is known to undergo enzymatic oxidation by cultured cells presenting cytotoxicity. Normal HDL is capable of preventing LDL lipid oxidation. HDL from patients with systemic inflammation including those with coronary artery disease is not only non protective, it can even add to the pro inflammatory effect of LDL oxidized lipids. HDL has evolved as part of our innate immune system to carry out reverse cholesterol transport and modulate inflammation. Objective: We sought to determine the effect of HDL from patients with atherosclerosis on iCell neurons. Methods: We cultured iCell neurons, added either no LDL, human LDL, LDL plus normal HDL or patient HDL followed by incubation overnight. The cell layers were washed, living cell number was determined using dye exclusion. On separate wells, morphology was captured and analyzed microscopically. Results: There was a significant reduction in living cell number for wells that received LDL and patient HDL as compared to wells that were treated with no LDL or with LDL plus normal HDL. There was no significant difference between no LDL and LDL+normal HDL treatment. Morphologically, there was widespread abnormality and damage to neurons that were incubated with LDL and patient HDL.LDL lipid oxidation by cells and cytotoxicity is not inhibited by HDL from CAD patients while it is by normal HDL. Conclusion: Icell Neurons were found to be damaged and lifted following treatment with LDL and patient HDL. Disclosure: Dr. Vazirian has nothing to disclose.
A qualitative perspective of family resources among low income, African American grandmother-caregivers.

ABSTRACT This ethnographic study describes a group of 7 low-income, African American, grandmother–caregivers' perceptions of family resources. An ethnographic design, enhanced by a genogram, captured those who were available and unavailable to provide support to the grandmother. The analysis used a constant comparative method to thematically capture grandmothers' perceptions of family support resources as absent, unavailable, dependent, and reliable support, and the circumstances that led to that status. The findings reveal that many African American grandmothers are rearing children with little family support, owing mainly to the devastation of negative social and economic conditions. The results suggest areas for improvement in social work assessment and intervention.
Openness and Growth: What Have We Learned?

This paper discusses recent evidence regarding the existence of a cross-country empirical relationship between openness to international trade and economic growth. I discuss the empirical contributions of Warner (2003), Dollar and Kraay (2002), and Wacziarg and Welch (2003), and argue that these studies fail to convincingly establish a positive link between trade and growth. I also discuss the 1990-03 experience and show that growth does not display a significant correlation with any measure of trade openness over this period.
Regulation of transcriptional initiation in yeast mitochondria.

We have investigated in vitro transcriptional initiation by purified yeast mitochondrial RNA polymerase using a variety of previously described promoter variants and dinucleotides corresponding to the first two transcript nucleotides. Regardless of the actual nucleotides that occupy the first two transcript positions, the rate of initiation increases with increasing concentrations of the first two ribonucleoside triphosphates up to 125 microM whereas elongation is carried out optimally with less than 10 microM. Under normal in vitro transcription conditions, mitochondrial RNA polymerase only employs the in vitro start site (+1 position), again without regard to the nucleotide at the position. Even with initiator dinucleotide monophosphates as primers, the polymerase is only capable of initiating transcription at this position and one other, i.e. 1 base upstream (-1). Dinucleotides enhance transcription from partially active variant promoters (mutations around the initiation sites -3, -1, +1, +2), suggesting that these mutations reduce transcription by their effects on initiation. In contrast, inactive promoters (-7C, -6G, -4A, and -2A) are not active in the presence of initiating dinucleotide. We suggest that dinucleotides may function in one of three ways: (i) bypassing the energy barrier in forming the first internucleotide bond; (ii) stabilizing the initiation complex; or (iii) accelerating promoter clearance.