cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drp1S600 phosphorylation regulates mitochondrial fission and progression of nephropathy in diabetic mice

Phosphorylation of Dynamin-related protein1 (Drp1) represents an important regulatory mechanism for mitochondrial fission. Here we established the role of Drp1 Serine 600 (S600) phosphorylation on mitochondrial fission in vivo, and assessed the functional consequences of targeted elimination of the Drp1S600 phosphorylation site in progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). We generated a knockin mouse in which S600 was mutated to alanine (Drp1S600A). We found that diabetic Drp1S600A mice exhibited improved biochemical and histological features of DN along with reduced mitochondrial fission and diminished mitochondrial ROS in vivo. Importantly, we observed that the effect of Drp1S600 phosphorylation on mitochondrial fission in the diabetic milieu was stimulus- but not cell type-dependent. Mechanistically, we showed that mitochondrial fission in high glucose conditions occurs through concomitant binding of phospho-Drp1S600 with mitochondrial fission factor (Mff) and actin-related protein 3 (Arp3), ultimately leading to accumulation of F-actin and Drp1 on the mitochondria. Taken together, these findings establish that a single phosphorylation site in Drp1 can regulate mitochondrial fission and progression of DN in vivo, and highlight the stimulus-specific consequences of Drp1S600 phosphorylation on mitochondrial dynamics.
Impact of Referring Hospital Imaging on Mortality at a Level I Trauma Center

Abstract Background Computed tomography (CT) has become a standard adjunct in the evaluation of patients with trauma. However, utility of imaging at the referring hospital remains controversial. We study the effect of CT scans at referring hospitals on in-hospital mortality at a receiving trauma center. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study was performed with adult patients with severe trauma transferred to a level I trauma center from regional nontrauma hospitals between 2012 and 2017. Baseline characteristics were compared with Student's t-test and Pearson's chi-squared testing. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Cox regression, controlling for transfer time, was used to evaluate the effect of imaging on mortality. Results Three thousand four hundred and fifteen adult patients with trauma were included: 1135 (33.2%) received a pretransfer CT scan, whereas 2280 (66.8%) did not. Patients who received a pretransfer CT scan were more likely to be older, female, white, have a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index, less severely injured, have a blunt mechanism, and be transferred by ground. There was no difference in distance (58.3 miles versus 57.0 miles, P = 0.34), but transfer times were significantly increased for those who received pretransfer scans (288 versus 213 min, P Conclusions There is a survival advantage for patients who receive pretransfer CT scans despite having significantly longer transport times. We suggest that this decreased mortality associated with pretransfer imaging may reflect improving trends in referring physician transfer decisions.
Automatic Identification of Product Usage Contexts from Online Customer Reviews

There are three product design contexts that may significantly affect the design of a product and customer preferences towards product attributes, i.e. customer context, market context, and usage context factors. The conventional methods to gather product usage contexts may be costly and time consuming to conduct. As an alternative, this paper aims to automatically identify product usage contexts from publicly available online customer reviews. The proposed methodology consists of Preprocessing, Word Embedding, and Usage Context Clustering stages. The methodology is applied to identify usage contexts from laptop customer reviews, which results in 16 clusters of usage contexts. Furthermore, analyzing the review sentences explains the separation of "playing games" ?which is more related to casual gaming, and "gaming rig" ?which implies high computing power requirements. Finally, comparing customer review with manufacturer?s product description may reveal a discrepancy to be investigated further by product designer, e.g. a customer suggests a laptop for basic use, although the manufacturer?s description describes it for heavy use.
Clustering of longitudinal curves via a penalized method and EM algorithm

A new algorithm is proposed for clustering longitudinal curves. The mean curves and the principal component functions are modeled using B-spline. The clusters of the mean curves are identified through a concave pairwise fusion method. The EM algorithm and the alternating direction method of multiplier algorithm are combined to estimate the group structure, mean functions and the principal components simultaneously. The proposed method also allows to incorporate the prior neighborhood information to have more meaningful groups by adding pairwise weights in the pairwise penalties. In the simulation study, the performance of the proposed method is compared to two existing clustering methods in terms of the accuracy for estimating the number of subgroups and mean functions. The results suggest that ignoring covariance structure will have a great effect on the performance of estimating the number of groups and estimating accuracy. The effect of including pairwise weights is also explored in a spatial lattice setting to take consideration of the spatial information. The results show that incorporating spatial weights will improve the performance. An example is used to illustrate the algorithm.
DIGITAL MONITORING OF SLEEP, MEALS, AND EXERCISE AS A PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION IN BEREAVED SPOUSES

The death of a spouse brings profound change to bereaved survivors’ lifestyle and daily routine. These changes disrupt circadian rhythms which, in turn, places individuals at high risk for depression. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week behavioral intervention that targets the timing and regularity of sleep, meals, and physical activity via digital monitoring and motivational health coaching. Participants were 60+ years of age and assessed on intervention acceptability and adherence, depression symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) and the rest-activity rhythm, (a downstream indicator of the body’s circadian rhythm (via actigraphic technology). The intervention was rated highly by participants (n=55); 88% were compliant in digital monitoring and 95% were retained. Depression symptoms declined from pre-to post-intervention; and the regularity of circadian rhythms increased. An intervention that targets the regularity of day- and nighttime activities may reduce depression in older spousally-bereaved adults.
Minimal Unpowered Strain-Energy Deployment Mechanism for Rollable Spacecraft Booms: Ground Test

This paper describes development and ground testing of an unpowered mechanism intended to control deployment of a rollable spacecraft boom. The mechanism constrains the boom to a single deployment ...
Frequency, Cost, and Clinical Significance of Incidental Findings on Preoperative Planning Images for Computer-Assisted Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background The frequency of incidental findings with computer-assisted total joint arthroplasty (CA TJA) preoperative imaging and their clinical significance are currently unknown. Methods We reviewed 573 patients who underwent primary CA TJA requiring planning imaging. Incidental findings were defined as reported findings excluding those related to the planned arthroplasty. Secondary outcomes were additional tests or a delay in surgery. Associated charges were obtained from our institution’s website. Charge and incidence data were combined with TJA volumes obtained from the 2016 National Inpatient Sample to model costs to the healthcare system. Results Overall, 262 patients (45.7%) had at least 1 incidental finding, 144 patients (25.1%) had 2, and 65 (11.3%) had 3. The most common finding types were musculoskeletal (MSK, 67.7%), digestive (19.5%), cardiovascular (4.9%), and reproductive (4.7%). Also, 9.3% of patients had at least 1 non-MSK incidental finding. Both MSK and non-MSK incidental findings were more common with total hip arthroplasty compared to total knee arthroplasty (67.9% vs 42.2%, P Conclusion Incidental findings are relatively common on planning images. Stakeholders should be aware of the hidden costs of incidental findings given the increasing popularity of image-based CA TJA.
Adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer patients: impact of a health system outreach program to improve adherence.

Reports suggest that up to 50% of women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) do not complete the recommended 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET). We examined the impact of an outreach program at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) on adherence and discontinuation of AET among patients who initiated AET. We assembled a retrospective cohort of all KPNC patients diagnosed with HR+, stage I–III BC initiating AET before (n = 4287) and after (n = 3580) implementation of the outreach program. We compared adherence proportions and discontinuation rates before and after program implementation, both crude and adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, and stage. We conducted a pooled analysis of data from six Cancer Research Network (CRN) sites that had not implemented programs for improving AET adherence, using identical methods and time periods, to assess possible secular trends. In the pre-outreach period, estimated adherence in years 1, 2, and 3 following AET initiation was 75.2%, 71.0%, and 67.3%; following the outreach program, the estimates were 79.4%, 75.6%, and 72.2% (p-values < .0001 for pairwise comparisons). Results were comparable after adjusting for clinical and demographic factors. The estimated cumulative incidence of discontinuation was 0.22 (0.21–0.24) and 0.18 (0.17–0.19) at 3 years for pre- and post-outreach groups (p-value < .0001). We found no evidence of an increase in adherence between the study periods at the CRN sites with no AET adherence program. Adherence and discontinuation after AET initiation improved modestly following implementation of the outreach program.
Missing Out on Our Future

The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) describes itself as “a non-profit organization, chartered in 1915 to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning. NCGE sup...
Retrospective Data Analysis and Literature Review for a Development of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Pathway for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Objective While enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are associated with shorter length of stay and improved outcomes in multiple surgical specialties, its application to spine surgery has been limited. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common spinal procedure with a relative efficacy and safety profile that makes it suitable for the application of ERAS principles. Reviewing our outcomes and practice and incorporating evidence-based clinical studies, we propose the development of an ERAS pathway for ACDF. Methods This is a retrospective review of ACDF cases performed at a single institution by a single surgeon from 2014 to 2017. Primary outcome measures included length of stay, complications, and 30-day readmission rates. The 1- and 2-level and the 3- and 4-level groups were also each consolidated into a single cohort for comparison. A comprehensive review of evidence-based literature pertaining to ACDF was then performed. Best-practice recommendations derived from the literature were incorporated into the proposed ERAS protocol. Results In this series of 75 1-level, 77 2-level, 44 3-level and 20 4-level ACDF procedures, the average surgical time (minutes) was 68, 90, 118 and 141; length of stay (days) was 1, 1, 1.4, and 1.7; drain usage (%) was 1.3, 2.6, 13.6 and 10; and 30-day readmission rates (%) were 2.7, 3.9, 4.5, and 15, respectively. Combining the 1- and 2-level as a single group and 3- and 4-level as another cohort, the 3- and 4-level cohort had a significantly higher rate of drain usage and estimated blood loss (EBL) but there was not a difference in length-of-stay, complications or 30-day readmission rates. Conclusions Given the relative equivalent safety profile between 1- and 2-level as compared to 3- and 4-level ACDF, the proposed ERAS pathway can be applied to all patients, and not just restricted to 1-level or 2-level ACDF. Taking into account feasibility parameters as deduced from a review of institutional outcomes, this pathway can streamline same-day discharge and improve the patient experience. Its success will be predicated on an iterative improvement process deriving from optimal prospective outcome measurements.
Postdischarge Pain Management After Thoracic Surgery: A Patient-Centered Approach

Background Postoperative analgesia is paramount to recovery after thoracic surgery, and opioids play an invaluable role in this process. However, current 1-size-fits-all prescribing practices produce large quantities of unused opioids, thereby increasing the risk of nonmedical use and overdose. This study hypothesized that patient and perioperative characteristics, including 24-hour before-discharge opioid intake, could inform more appropriate postdischarge prescriptions after thoracic surgery. Methods This prospective observational cohort study was conducted in 200 adult thoracic surgical patients. The cohort was divided into 3 groups on the basis of 24-hour before-discharge opioid intake in morphine milligram equivalents (MME): (1) no (0 MME), (2) low (>0 to ≤22.5 MME), or (3) high (>22.5 MME) before-discharge opioid intake. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of patient and perioperative characteristics with self-reported after-discharge opioid use. Results Univariate analysis showed that preoperative opioid use, 24-hour before-discharge acetaminophen and gabapentinoid intake, and 24-hour before-discharge opioid intake were associated with higher after-discharge opioid use. Multivariable modeling demonstrated that 24-hour before-discharge opioid intake was most significantly associated with after-discharge opioid use. For example, compared with patients who took high amounts of opioids before discharge, patients who took no opioids before discharge were 99% less likely to take a high amount of opioids after discharge compared with taking none (odds ratio, 0.011; 95% confidence interval, 0.003 to 0.047; P Conclusions Assessment of 24-hour before-discharge opioid intake may inform patient requirements after discharge. Opioid prescriptions after thoracic surgery can thereby be targeted on the basis of anticipated needs.
SARS-CoV-2 in multiple myeloma: initial observation and management.

Lower respiratory tract infections of unexplained cause were first reported in Wuhan to the World Health Organization (WHO) China office on December 31st, 2019. These epidemic cases were attributed...
Using Biochemistry to Educate Students on the Causal Link between Social Epigenetics and Health Disparities.

Background: While pharmacy education standards require students to recognize social determinants of health (SDOH), there is an opportunity to improve how this is taught in the curriculum. One innovative approach is to educate student pharmacists in a biochemistry course through the integration of topics like epigenetics using SDOH as the framework. Innovation: A 50-minute educational activity was used to supplement material on the regulation of gene expression, in which epigenetic changes are driven by SDOH. It provided students with a biochemical basis to explain some health disparities, rather than viewing them exclusively as social obstacles to health. The activity employed a mini-lecture, a short video, as well as both small and large group discussion. A reflective paper was used to assess students’ understanding of the topic, and the role of the pharmacist in helping patients prevent diseases caused by epigenetic changes due to social determinants of health. Findings: A post-activity survey showed that the activity increased students’ perception of knowledge about SDOH, as well as the effect of epigenetic changes on health outcomes. Furthermore, this activity increased students’ awareness about the role that SDOH play in epigenetic changes and challenged students to understand the role that society plays in health outcomes. Conclusions: The preventable nature of health inequities creates an opportunity to integrate public health into pharmacy education. The integration of epigenetics and SDOH gives the student an opportunity to provide a mechanistic link between social inequities and biochemical processes. Article Type: Note
Pixel-Level Feature Space Modeling and Brain Tumor Detection Using Machine Learning

We present a feature learning technique that enhances the performance of a machine learning technique to detect brain tumor regions at pixel-level in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan. This technique utilizes the image filtering based feature extraction techniques (e.g., Laplacian, Gradient, and Sobel filters) to construct a feature space. It then maps the feature space to a response set that has predefined labels (manual or automated). Feature space and the response set are constructed using a reference frame of a volumetric MRI brain scan, and then used for developing a ML model. We applied the learned models, as the automated techniques to other frames of the MRI scan for detecting tumor and non-tumor regions. We adapted the Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS 2015) datasets to develop and validate the proposed computational framework. We also used the ground truth labels (or response sets) delivered by the BraTS 2015 datasets. We evaluated the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and artificial neural network (ANN) models using various quantitative and qualitative measures. We determined, based on precision-recall curve, that the RF model acquired 92% of the tumor detection skills of a perfect model, while ANN and SVM acquired 90% and 88% tumor detection skills of a perfect model.
Development and Analysis of Improved Departure Modeling for Aviation Environmental Impact Assessment

Accurate modeling of aircraft fuel consumption, emissions, and noise is crucial in evaluating new air transportation operational procedures and policies to abate negative environmental impacts. The...
Preventing the Insider – Blocking USB Write Capabilities to Prevent IP Theft

The Edward Snowden data breach of 2013 clearly illustrates the damage that insiders can do to an organization. An insider’s knowledge of an organization allows them legitimate access to the systems where valuable information is stored. Because they belong within an organizations security perimeter, an insider is inherently difficult to detect and prevent information leakage. To counter this, proactive measures must be deployed to limit the ability of an insider to steal information. Email monitoring at the edge is can easily be monitored for large file exaltation. However, USB drives are ideally suited for large-scale file extraction in a covert manner. This work discusses a process for disabling write-access to USB drives while allowing read-access. Allowing read-access for USB drives allows an organization to adapt to the changing security posture of the organization. People can still bring USB devices into the organization and read data from them, but exfiltration is more difficult.
Putting Dignity in Practice: Implementing the American Bar Association’s Recognition of Human Dignity As Foundational to the Rule of Law

This essay examines how to implement a 2019 Resolution of the American Bar Association that recognizes human dignity as foundational to the rule of law in America and around the world. Human dignity under law has untapped potential to improve outcomes in a vast array of practice areas in law including criminal, corporate, family, employment, intellectual property, and environmental law. We first provide an overview of the foundations of human dignity, and how it is reflected in law around the globe. As you’ll see, dignity is a driving force in law virtually everywhere except in the United States. Then, based in part on contributions from students in the Dignity Rights Practicum at Widener University Delaware Law School, we turn to the role that dignity plays in American Law, and how it might inform the practice of law in various fields of practice, including criminal law (sentencing), corporate, family, employment, intellectual property and immigration law, and others.
Postnatal Fate of Donor Mesenchymal Stem Cells after Transamniotic Stem Cell Therapy

Purpose: Donor mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) trafficking in the fetus after transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) includes hematogenous routing via the placenta. Regulatory feasibility of clinical trials of TRASCET hinges on the postnatal fate of donor MSCs, as potential malignization of cells lingering in the host is a perennial concern. We sought to examine short to mid-term donor MSC fate …
Emergency department management of an occult renal laceration following a minor fall

We present a case of a pediatric patient with high grade renal injury following a minor fall, where clinical suspicion of occult injury resulted in diagnosis. Additionally, we review the management of high grade renal lacerations in children, including the role of ultrasound in managing these injuries.
Twenty-four-hour Urine Testing and Urinary Stone Disease Recurrence in Veterans.

Abstract Objective To determine whether 24-hour urine testing in Veterans with USD (urinary stone disease) reduces or delays urinary stone recurrence. Methods Cohort study of national health record data from Veterans Health Administration from 2007 through 2013. We utilized a study population of 130,129 Veterans with USD based on diagnostic or procedural codes and excluded those with USD claims in the 2 years before cohort entry. We then created a propensity-score matched cohort of 14,854 Veterans based on completion of 24-hour urine testing within 6 months of stone diagnosis. Primary outcome was time-to-next clinically significant stone event, defined as an emergency department visit, inpatient admission related to a urinary stone, or urologic stone procedure with 5-year follow up. Results Of 14,854 Veterans in the propensity-score matched cohort, 8560 (57.6%) experienced a recurrent USD event. Completion of 24-hour urine testing was associated with a higher risk of developing a second stone event (hazard ratio [HR] 1.17, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.12-1.22). Among Veterans with known recurrent disease, we examined time to a third stone event. In this cohort of 4736 patients, completion of 24-hour urine testing was not associated with a higher risk of developing a third stone event (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.99-1.12). Conclusion Completion of 24-hour urine testing was not associated with a reduction in urinary stone recurrence. These findings challenge the validity of a longstanding recommendation in general medicine, nephrology, and urology practice.
Serbia: Stumbling Through to Better Compliance but Worse Performance

Serbia is a curious case of sui generis of a (post-)conflict country. However, it saw a fair share of conflicts between 1991 and 2000, which involved a bloody and tragic civil war in 1991–1996 and the Kosovo crisis in 1998–1999. These events delayed the Serbian government’s reforms for almost a decade after the collapse of the socialist system. After the toppling of Slobodan Milosevic’s regime in 2000, Serbia embarked on wide-ranging political, economic and social reforms, in line with its officially proclaimed goal of joining the European Union (EU). Yet, national ownership and true commitment to substantive public sector reforms are undermined by differing views about Serbia’s relationship with the EU, cartelisation of Serbian politics and a continuing trend towards authoritarianism. Public sector performance has declined in the past five years along practically all key governance indicators against the background of high compliance with EU formal requirements. Ultimately, the EU accession process has proved to be as much a driver as a break on public sector development.
Treatment of a Cesarean Scar Pregnancy Using Microwave Ablation—a Novel Solution to a Complex Problem

Study Objective The aim of this presentation is to demonstrate a safe, minimally invasive, and immediately effective treatment option for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) using transvaginal microwave ablation. Design case presentation. Setting monitored care anesthesia, dorsal lithotomy position. Patients or Participants A 30-year-old G4P3 with severe obesity and three prior cesarean sections presented with a positive home pregnancy test, vaginal bleeding and cramping and was diagnosed with a CSP by transvaginal ultrasound. Imaging showed a fetal pole measuring 6w2d gestational age with fetal cardiac activity, and a 5 mm distance between the gestational sac and bladder serosa. The patient was extensively counseled regarding possible management options, at which time Interventional Radiology was consulted. Upon further evaluation and MRI imaging, she was deemed a candidate for novel treatment using transvaginal microwave ablation of the gestational sac. Interventions Using the Emprint™ Ablation System, an antenna needle was attached to a transvaginal ultrasound probe and directly inserted into the gestational sac. The ablation zone was adjusted to incorporate the entire gestational sac and microwave ablation was performed. Total treatment time was 72 seconds. Measurements and Main Results Immediate post-ablation ultrasound revealed total collapse of the gestational sac with only scant bleeding at the puncture site. Her overall postoperative recovery was unremarkable. Serial beta-hCG levels dropped precipitously from 13,048 before the procedure to 6,693 on postprocedure day 1 and 1,059 on postprocedure day 2, eventually resolving completely by postprocedure day 13. Conclusion The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate the novel use of transvaginal microwave ablation for cesarean scar pregnancies. This is a minimally invasive procedure that is quick, safe, and provides immediate resolution of a CSP without requiring prolonged surveillance after treatment. Further studies are required to showcase the true efficacy and safety of this technology as well as to determine its effects on future fertility.
What is a Historical System

The title of this paper is misleading. For it suggests that I have an answer to a problem which has been debated, with inconclusive issue, by historians, philosophers, and social theorists for over one hundred and fifty years. It is also misleading because I propose primarily to tell what biological systems are not rather than what historical systems consist of. And this might seem presumptuous, given the presence in this audience of so many better qualified to speak on this subject than I am. But it seemed better to err on the side of presumption in the interest of encouraging debate than to stifle discussion by re-rehearsing the trivia of my own discipline’s internecine squabbles. In order to do our work, we historians frequently have to act as if we knew what a biological system was, the point at which the biological level of integration shades off into the historical level, and the ways that the two levels are related to one another. It would have been cowardly not to have admitted this at this gathering and to have avoided the issue altogether. And so, in the interest of possible clarification and at the risk of possible self-annihilation, I have decided to set forth what I believe to be some crucial distinctions between biological and historical systems, at least as they appear from the vantage point of the historian. If it turns out that these distinctions are not justified from the standpoint of biologists and philosophers of science, so much the better. We only discover the error of our ways by testing them in the presence of those best qualified to judge them.
A pipelined dual-channel switched capacitor programmable gain amplifier

Switched capacitor programmable gain amplifiers (SC PGAs) are used in a variety of applications including wireless baseband signal processing and automotive IC applications. The PGA simply boosts an incoming sampled analog signal before additional processing of that signal occurs further down-stream in the signal path. A number of applications often require the boosting of multiple analog input channels which often means including a dedicated PGA for every channel. In this paper a new pipelined dual-channel switched capacitor programmable gain amplifier with logarithmic gain stepping is presented. The new PGA offers a significant reduction in die area over solutions with dedicated PGAs. Furthermore, optimum gain matching characteristics between the two input channels are achieved due to the processing of both input channels with same hardware.
Attribute (feature) completion - the theory of attributes from data mining prospect

A "correct" selection of attributes (features) is vital in data mining. As a first step, this paper constructs all possible attributes of a given relation. The results are based on the observations that each relation is isomorphic to a unique abstract relation, called a canonical model. The complete set of attributes of the canonical model is, then, constructed. Any attribute of a relation can be interpreted (via isomorphism) from such a complete set.
Identification of phosphorylation sites in human MDR1 P-glycoprotein.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methodology utilized in identification of phosphorylation sites in human multidrug resistance (MDR)-1 P-glycoprotein (Pgp). The procedure represents an amalgam of the protocols for protein and peptide purification, adapted to suit the particular characteristics of Pgp. Overexpression of Pgp is the best characterized experimental mechanism of multidrug resistance (MDR) and has been implicated in several studies as an important factor in clinical resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. A large body of evidence based on pharmacologic, biochemical, and molecular approaches has suggested that phosphorylation of Pgp plays a modulatory role in drug transport. In vivo sites require 32 p-labeling of cells on an impractically large scale. Membrane associated Pgp is utilized as substrate rather than purified Pgp to retain Pgp in a more native conformation and not expose irrelevant sites to the exogenous kinase and to avoid solubility problems
Computational Mathematics: Models, Methods, and Analysis with MATLAB and MPI

INTRODUCTION DISCRETE TIME-SPACE MODELS Newton Cooling Models Heat Diffusion in a Wire Diffusion in a Wire with Little Insulation Flow and Decay of a Pollutant in a Stream Heat and Mass Transfer in Two Directions Convergence Analysis STEADY STATE DISCRETE MODELS Steady State and Triangular Solves Heat Diffusion and Gauss Elimination Cooling Fin and Tridiagonal Matrices Schur Complement Convergence to Steady State Convergence to Continuous Model POISSON EQUATION MODELS Steady State and Iterative Methods Heat Transfer in 2D Fin and SOR Fluid Flow in a 2D Porous Medium Ideal Fluid Flow Deformed Membrane and Steepest Descent Conjugate Gradient Method NONLINEAR AND 3D MODELS Nonlinear Problems in One Variable Nonlinear Heat Transfer in a Wire Nonlinear Heat Transfer in 2D Steady State 3D Heat Diffusion Time Dependent 3D Diffusion High Performance Computations in 3D EPIDEMICS, IMAGES AND MONEY Epidemics and Dispersion Epidemic Dispersion in 2D Image Restoration Restoration in 2D Option Contract Models Black-Scholes Model for Two Assets HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING Vector Computers and Matrix Products Vector Computations for Heat Diffusion Multiprocessors and Mass Transfer MPI and IBM/SP MPI and Matrix Products MPI and 2D Models MESSAGE PASSING INTERFACE Basic MPI Subroutines Reduce and Broadcast Gather and Scatter Grouped Data Types Communicators Fox Algorithm for AB CLASSICAL METHODS FOR Ax = D Gauss Elimination Symmetric Positive Definite Matrices Domain Decomposition and MPI SOR and P-Regular Splittings SOR and MPI Parallel ADI Schemes KRYLOV METHODS FOR Ax = D Conjugate Gradient Method Preconditioners PCG and MPI Least Squares GMRES GMRES(m) and MPI BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
Bronchial edema alters 99mTc-DTPA clearance from the airway surface in sheep

Airway wall edema, prominent in inflammatory airways disease, may alter barrier properties at the airway air-liquid interface such that normal absorption of soluble substances into the airway circulation is altered. We studied the effects of bradykinin-induced airway wall edema on the clearance of the soluble tracer technetium-99m-labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) from subcarinal airways in sheep ( n = 8). 99mTc-DTPA (6–10 μl) was delivered by a microspray nozzle inserted through a bronchoscope to a fourth-generation bronchus both before and 1 h after bradykinin (20 ml; 10−6 M) had been infused through a cannulated and perfused bronchial artery. Airway retention (by scintigraphy) and blood levels of radiolabel were monitored for 30 min after the local deposition of 99mTc-DTPA. During control conditions, 85–90% of the tracer cleared from the deposition site within 30 min. The maximum blood level during that time was 17% of the total delivered tracer. However, 1 h after bradykinin infusion, there was significant retention of the marker at the deposition site with clearance within 30 min reduced to 63–70% and decreased blood levels of radiolabel (8%; both P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that moderate airway wall edema alters blood uptake and removal of soluble substances delivered to the subcarinal airways. We suggest that the interplay between vascular and mucociliary clearance routes will impact the resident time for clearance of soluble air toxins and/or therapeutic agents from the epithelial surface.
Turn-on transient analysis of a BiPMOS device

A BiPMOS device based on a 2- mu m BiCMOS technology with a buried layer and a 0.8- mu m 1*10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ epilayer is investigated. Conventional one-dimensional models of BiPMOS devices are shown to overestimate the transient turn-on performance. The transient behavior of a two-dimensional BiPMOS device has been analyzed by PISCES-2B. The analysis shows that the buildup and collapse of carrier distributions induce an internal voltage overshoot and trigger substantial substrate current. >
Standard Oil, the Origins of Dual Antitrust Jurisdiction in the U.S., and the Modern Justification for Unified Enforcement

Professor William Kovacic’s spirited and articulate advocacy of unified and coordinated antitrust enforcement as between the dual U.S. antitrust agencies - the Justice Department and the FTC - gains force from a more complete historical understanding of the origins of the FTC and of the changes in antitrust understanding in the years since. Congress created the FTC in 1914, giving it independent antitrust enforcement authority, explicitly because it was disappointed in the antitrust efforts of the Justice Department, in particular with the outcome of the 1911 Standard Oil case, and wanted separate and more aggressive enforcement. In the years since the creation of the FTC, however, there has developed a consensus on the economic analysis of antitrust that eliminates the need for competing enforcement agencies, providing support for Professor Kovacic’s recommendations.
Activation of Alpha-2 Adrenergic Receptors Inhibits Norepinephrine Release by a Pertussis Toxin-Insensitive Pathway Independent of Changes in Cytosolic Calcium in Cultured Rat Sympathetic Neurons

Whole-cell electrophysiological studies suggest that sympathetic nerve alpha-2 adrenergic receptors are coupled to voltage-dependent N-type calcium channels through the Gi family of proteins to inhibit neurotransmitter release. Because most nerve terminals are too small for direct electrophysiological recordings, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between alpha-2 adrenergic receptor-mediated inhibition of norepinephrine release and the rise in cytosolic calcium in neurites from cultured sympathetic neurons. In cultured rat superior cervical ganglion neurons, the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists, UK-14304 (0.01-10 microM) and oxymetazoline (0.1-10 microM), and the N-type calcium channel blocker, omega-conotoxin GVIA (0.1-10 nM), inhibited the release of tritiated norepinephrine in response to electrical stimulation (1 Hz, 30 pulses, 0.1 ms, 70 V). The inhibitory effect of the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists was not altered by pretreatment with pertussis toxin (200 ng/ml, 18 h), although pertussis toxin blocked the inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation by UK-14304. In fura-2 loaded cells, electrical stimulation (1 Hz, 30 pulses, 0.1 ms, 70 V) increased cytosolic calcium in sympathetic neuronal processes. Blockade of N-type calcium channels with omega-conotoxin (1 and 10 nM) reduced the rise in cytosolic calcium by 25 +/- 3% and 52 +/- 6%, respectively, whereas UK-14304 and oxymetazoline did not alter the electrically stimulated rise in cytosolic calcium. These data suggest that blockade of N-type calcium channels with omega-conotoxin GVIA inhibits stimulated norepinephrine release and cytosolic calcium measured with fura-2 at similar concentrations, whereas activation of alpha-2 adrenergic receptor inhibits norepinephrine release by a pathway that is insensitive to pertussis toxin and changes in cytosolic calcium in neurites from cultured rat superior cervical ganglion cells.
Introducing teleconferencing to Turkey: Partnerships that work!

This paper describes the planning and results of Turkey's first international multi-point audio teleconference. The technology existed, and teleconferencing equipment and expertise were both available. Yet a multi-point teleconference had never been done before. The teleconference was the result of a carefully planned partnership between the Turkish government, private industry, and a major university. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential of instructional teleconferencing in Turkey.
Should We Retire Derek Parfit

For nearly a generation, Derek Parfit's arguments in his 1984 book Reasons and Persons have shaped debates about our moral responsibilities to future people. Struggling to accommodate Parfit's insights, philosophers and bioethicists have minimized or accentuated obligations to the future in ways that defy ordinary moral intuitions. In this issue, Robert Sparrow develops the troubling implications of the views of two leading theorists whose work favoring human genetic enhancement is influenced by Parfit. Sparrow believes they return us to the horrors of early twentieth-century eugenics. But the real problem may be a purely theoretical one: the unfortunate influence of Parfit. This is no place to review all of Parfit's complex and brilliantly developed arguments. I can, however, present his core insights. One is that in certain decisions that affect which person is born--what he calls "person-affecting decisions"--there may be no one harmed by the decision, even if its outcome is terrible. For example, imagine a woman who has contracted rubella and wants to become pregnant. Her doctor warns her to delay conception because the child runs the risk of birth defects, but the woman ignores the advice, and her child is born blind, deaf, and with severe heart disorders. Many of us think that the mother has acted irresponsibly. But Parfit points out that the impaired child cannot say that he has been harmed. Normally, one is harmed if one is made worse off than one would have been. But if the mother had taken the doctor's advice, a different child would have been born at a later date. One can perhaps argue that the impaired child would be better off if it had not been born rather than being born with severe impairments, but most people prefer being alive to being dead, no matter how bad their condition. Faced with these counterintuitive conclusions, Parfit moved to an "impersonal" account of moral judgment. On this account, the moral goal is to increase welfare in the world and reduce suffering. The mother acts irresponsibly if she refuses to defer conception, as her decision decreases the net sum of well-being in the world. Parfit's presence haunts Sparrow's discussion in two crucial ways. First, Parfit's argument for an impersonal account of obligations to the future helps support the consequentialist or utilitarian approaches adopted by the two theorists Sparrow examines, Julian Savulescu and John Harris. Sparrow correctly identifies a number of problems in their views. …
On terraces for abelian groups

It is known that elementary abelian 2-groups of order at least 4 do not have terraces. Bailey's Conjecture is that these are the only groups which do not. We show that abelian groups, except possibly those of order coprime to 3 whose Sylow 2-subgroup is elementary abelian of order an odd power of two, satisfy Bailey's conjecture. A consequence of this is that all 2-nilpotent groups whose Sylow 2-subgroups are abelian, but not elementary abelian, have terraces.
SELECTIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF CD4+ T HELPER CELL SUBSETS

Abstract During the past year significant advances have been made in our understanding of the factors contributing to the differentiation of CD4 + T helper cell subsets. These have been driven, in part, by the realization that signals (cytokines) from the innate immune response are critical in T cell subset differentiation. In addition, several studies have also elucidated how the antigen-presenting cell, the antigenic epitope and the antigen concentration may contribute to the selective development of a particular T helper cell subset.
Study of a Cognitive Dissonance Intervention to Address High School Students' Cheating Attitudes and Behaviors

Forty-four high school students took part in focus-type group that used an induced hypocrisy paradigm developed from cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) to reduce cheating behavior. Posttesting following the intervention showed that, contrary to expectations, these students' attitudes toward cheating and self-reported cheating behaviors did not decrease relative to those of 65 control participants who did not participate in the group intervention. All participants reported a greater intention to cheat in the future at posttest as well as an increase in cheating behavior. Although participants did not view cheating favorably, a large majority admitted cheating and indicated that they had never been caught.
Computing All Best Swaps for Minimum-Stretch Tree Spanners

In a densely connected communication network, represented by a graph G with non-negative edge weights, it is often advantageous to route all communication on a sparse spanning subnetwork, typically a spanning tree of G. We consider a tree spanner T of G which guarantees that for any two nodes, their distance in T is at most k times their distance in G, where k, called the stretch, is as small as possible. When an edge of the communication tree T fails, network functionality may be restored by re-connecting the two separated parts of the tree with a swap edge. In situations where the failure can be repaired rapidly, such a quick fix is preferred over the recomputation of an entirely new minimum-stretch tree, because it is much closer to the previous solution and hence requires far fewer adjustments in the routing scheme. We are therefore interested in the problem of finding for any possibly failing edge in the spanner T, a best swap edge that minimizes the stretch of the new tree. We show how all these best swap edges can be computed in total time O(m 2 log n) in graphs with arbitrary nonnegative edge weights. For graphs with unit weight edges, we present an O(n 3 ) time algorithm. Furthermore, we present a distributed algorithm for computing the best swap for each edge in the tree spanner.
Artificial neural networks for flexible manufacturing systems scheduling

The scheduling function plays an important role in flexible manufacturing systems. However, flexible manufacturing system scheduling is tremendously complex due to combinatorial explosion, technological constraints and goals to be achieved. Heuristics involving dispatching rules have been widely utilized to obtain good solutions. Nevertheless, it is difficult to identify any single dispatching rule as the best in all scheduling problems. Hence, a pattern-matching structure which can identify the “best” dispatching rule for a given problem will increase the probability of the generation of good schedules. In this paper, the utilization of artificial neural networks as pattern-matching devices for pattern-directed scheduling is reviewed. Several flexible manufacturing system scheduling problems and on-going research will be explained. Conclusions about the feasibility of an adaptive scheduler based on an integrated artificial intelligence framework and further research issues will be presented.
Three-Dimensional Turbulent Vortex Shedding From a Surface-Mounted Square Cylinder: Predictions With Large-Eddy Simulations and URANS

Author(s): Younis, BA; Abrishamchi, A | Abstract: The paper reports on the prediction of the turbulent flow field around a three-dimensional, surface mounted, square-sectioned cylinder at Reynolds numbers in the range 104-105. The effects of turbulence are accounted for in two different ways: by performing large-eddy simulations (LES) with a Smagorinsky model for the subgrid-scale motions and by solving the unsteady form of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (URANS) together with a turbulence model to determine the resulting Reynolds stresses. The turbulence model used is a two-equation, eddy-viscosity closure that incorporates a term designed to account for the interactions between the organized mean-flow periodicity and the random turbulent motions. Comparisons with experimental data show that the two approaches yield results that are generally comparable and in good accord with the experimental data. The main conclusion of this work is that the URANS approach, which is considerably less demanding in terms of computer resources than LES, can reliably be used for the prediction of unsteady separated flows provided that the effects of organized mean-flow unsteadiness on the turbulence are properly accounted for in the turbulence model. Copyright © 2014 by ASME.
Construction of test problems for a class of reverse convex programs

A method of constructing test problems with known global solution for a class of reverse convex programs or linear programs with an additional reverse convex constraint is presented. The initial polyhedron is assumed to be a hypercube. The method then systematically generates cuts that slice the cube in such a way that a prespecified global solution on its edge remains intact. The proposed method does not require the solution of linear programs or systems of linear equations as is often required by existing techniques.
Three-Dimensional AOTV Flowfields in Chemical Nonequilibrium

A technique for upwind differencing of the three-dimensional species continuity equations is presented which permits computation of steady flows in chemical equilibrium and nonequilibrium. The capabilities and shortcomings of the present approach for equilibrium and nonequilibrium flows is discussed. Modifications now being investigated to improve computational time are outlined.
Characterizations of wreath products of one-class association schemes

In this paper we show that the wreath product of one-class association schemes is characterized by the algebraic structure of its Bose-Mesner algebra.
Supercritical fluid chromatography–supersonic jet spectroscopy: II. Capillary column SFC with a sheath‐flow nozzle

Supersonic jet spectroscopic detection has been successfully coupled to capillary supercritical fluid chromatography by introduction of the supercritical effluent into a secondary flow of argon, before supersonic expansion of the combined flow through a converging nozzle. At pressures of 6–10 atm, the flowing sheath of argon efficiently carries eluting sample through a 25-p.m nozzle orifice into the supersonic jet. Dead volumes are negligible in this arrangement, and high-resolution fluorescence excitation spectra are obtained. Perylene and benzo[a]pyrene were selectively detected in a standard reference coal tar sample at detection limits of 150 pg and 5 ng, respectively.