cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Matrix Representation of Iterative Approximate Byzantine Consensus in Directed Graphs

Abstract : This paper presents a proof of correctness of an iterative approximate Byzantine consensus (IABC) algorithm for directed graphs. The iterative algorithm allows fault- free nodes to reach approximate consensus despite the presence of up to f Byzantine faults. Necessary conditions on the underlying network graph for the existence of a correct IABC algorithm were shown in our recent work [15, 16]. [15] also analyzed a specific IABC algorithm and showed that it performs correctly in any network graph that satisfies the necessary condition, proving that the necessary condition is also sufficient. In this paper, we present an alternate proof of correctness of the IABC algorithm using a familiar technique based on transition matrices [9, 3, 17, 19]. The key contribution of this paper is to exploit the following observation: for a given evolution of the state vector corresponding to the state of the fault-free nodes many alternate state transition matrices may be chosen to model that evolution correctly. For a given state evolution, we identify one approach to suitably design the transition matrices so that the standard tools for proving convergence can be applied to the Byzantine fault-tolerant algorithm as well. In particular, the transition matrix for each iteration is designed such that each row of the matrix contains a large enough number of elements that are bounded away from 0.
Reexamination of Tropical Cyclone Wind–Pressure Relationships

Abstract Tropical cyclone wind–pressure relationships are reexamined using 15 yr of minimum sea level pressure estimates, numerical analysis fields, and best-track intensities. Minimum sea level pressure is estimated from aircraft reconnaissance or measured from dropwindsondes, and maximum wind speeds are interpolated from best-track maximum 1-min wind speed estimates. The aircraft data were collected primarily in the Atlantic but also include eastern and central North Pacific cases. Global numerical analyses were used to estimate tropical cyclone size and environmental pressure associated with each observation. Using this dataset (3801 points), the influences of latitude, tropical cyclone size, environmental pressure, and intensification trend on the tropical cyclone wind–pressure relationships were examined. Findings suggest that latitude, size, and environmental pressure, which all can be quantified in an operational and postanalysis setting, are related to predictable changes in the wind–pressure rela...
Isolated Case of Bioterrorism-related Inhalational Anthrax, New York City, 2001

On October 31, 2001, in New York City, a 61-year-old female hospital employee who had acquired inhalational anthrax died after a 6-day illness. To determine sources of exposure and identify additional persons at risk, the New York City Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and law enforcement authorities conducted an extensive investigation, which included interviewing contacts, examining personal effects, summarizing patient's use of mass transit, conducting active case finding and surveillance near her residence and at her workplace, and collecting samples from co-workers and the environment. We cultured all specimens for Bacillus anthracis. We found no additional cases of cutaneous or inhalational anthrax. The route of exposure remains unknown. All environmental samples were negative for B. anthracis. This first case of inhalational anthrax during the 2001 outbreak with no apparent direct link to contaminated mail emphasizes the need for close coordination between public health and law enforcement agencies during bioterrorism-related investigations.
Long, abundantly expressed non-coding transcripts are altered in cancer

Recent studies with tiling arrays have revealed more genomic transcription than previously anticipated. Whole new groups of non-coding transcripts (NCTs) have been detected. Some of these NCTs, including miRNAs, can regulate gene expression. To date, most known NCTs studied have been relatively short, but several important regulatory NCTs, including XIST, MALAT-1, BC1 and BC200, are considerably larger in length and represent a novel class of long, non-coding RNA species. Whole-genome tiling arrays were utilized to identify novel long NCTs across the entire human genome. Our results have identified a new group of long (>400 nt), abundantly expressed NCTs and have found that a subset of these are also highly evolutionarily conserved. In this report, we have begun to characterize 15 long, conserved NCTs. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to analyze their expression in different normal human tissue and also in breast and ovarian cancers. We found altered expression of many of these NCTs in both cancer types. In addition, several of these NCTs have consistent mutations when sequences of normal samples were compared with a panel of cancer-derived cell lines. One NCT was found to be consistently mutated in a panel of endometrial cancers compared with matched normal blood. These NCTs were among the most abundantly expressed transcripts detected. There are probably many long, conserved NCTs, albeit with lower levels of expression. Although the function of these NCTs is currently unknown, our study indicates that they may play an important function in both normal cells and in cancer development.
Cortical wavefront movements to a changing sound source.

Abstract A Laplacian macroelectrode survey of the auditory cortex in cat and a ‘wave packet’ method of data analysis have uncovered a moving wavefront of electrical potential correlated with a change in direction of a sound source. The amplitude ratios of the first and second positive peaks of the evoked response are correlated with auditory angle but not in an unambiguous fashion. Both amplitude ratios and latency measures are needed for unambiguous registration. The cortex registers sensory stimulation as a surface and not as a matrix of unrelated elements. Thus, the registration of auditory information is in terms of a moving wavefront.
Control objectives for seismic simulators

Seismic simulators are designed to recreate the effects of seismic activity on structural and geotechnical systems. The performance objective in recreating the effects of a particular ground motion on a test article is typically for the seismic simulator to track the pre-recorded motion of a particular historical earthquake. The reference signal is often the earthquake acceleration, as the dynamic loads imparted upon the structure are proportional to this acceleration. During seismic simulations, interactions between the test article and the actuators may be significant; the inertia forces of the test article may not be much less than the actuator force capacity. In such cases, the table motion is not an exogenous input to the test article, but is an aspect of the response of these two coupled systems. This study examines the suitability of actuator acceleration tracking accuracy as the performance objective for seismic simulators by examining the dynamics of linearized models for coupled systems of actuators and test articles. A test metric related to the test system inertia and the test article inertia indicates the degree to which accurate accelogram tracking may not recreate the desired prototype responses.
Secondary T-lymphoblastic leukemia in a patient with hairy cell leukemia following cladribine therapy: report of an extremely rare case and review of the literature

Hairy cell leukemia, a rare B-cell lymphoproliferative neoplasm, accounts for about 2% of all leukemias. Bone marrow and spleen are typical sites of involvement. Patients most commonly present with splenomegaly and pancytopenia and a few circulating small- to medium-sized lymphoid cells with circumferential hairy projections (hairy cells). For years the common approach to treatment of hairy cell leukemia was splenectomy and α -interferon; complete remission was not easily reachable, and median survival was only 4 years. In the 1980s, with the introduction of the purine analogs pentostatin (2-deoxycoformycin) and cladribine (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine), the treatment strategy dramatically changed, resulting in improved prognosis for those with the disease. With these treatments, follow-up studies on patients with hairy cell leukemia showed a higher overall complete remission rate, ranging from 76 to 98%, and a prolonged median disease-free survival of 11 – 16 years [1]. However, an adverse outcome encountered in hairy cell leukemia aff ecting the overall survival is the subsequent development
TreeBASIS feature descriptor and its hardware implementation

This paper presents a novel feature descriptor called TreeBASIS that provides improvements in descriptor size, computation time, matching speed, and accuracy. This new descriptor uses a binary vocabulary tree that is computed using basis dictionary images and a test set of feature region images. To facilitate real-time implementation, a feature region image is binary quantized and the resulting quantized vector is passed into the BASIS vocabulary tree. A Hamming distance is then computed between the feature region image and the effectively descriptive basis dictionary image at a node to determine the branch taken and the path the feature region image takes is saved as a descriptor. The TreeBASIS feature descriptor is an excellent candidate for hardware implementation because of its reduced descriptor size and the fact that descriptors can be created and features matched without the use of floating point operations. The TreeBASIS descriptor is more computationally and space efficient than other descriptors such as BASIS, SIFT, and SURF. Moreover, it can be computed entirely in hardware without the support of a CPU for additional software-based computations. Experimental results and a hardware implementation show that the TreeBASIS descriptor compares well with other descriptors for frame-to-frame homography computation while requiring fewer hardware resources.
cneViewer: a database of conserved non-coding elements for studies of tissue-specific gene regulation

There are thousands of strongly conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) in vertebrate genomes, and their functions remain largely unknown. However, without biologically relevant criteria for prioritizing them, selecting a particular CNE sequences to study can be haphazard. To address this problem, we present cneViewer-a database and webtool that systematizes information on conserved non-coding DNA elements in zebrafish. A key feature here is the ability to search for CNEs that may be relevant to tissue-specific gene regulation, based on known developmental expression patterns of nearby genes. cneViewer provides this and other organizing features that significantly facilitate experimental design and CNE analysis.
Tailoring Nursing Care to the Individual Client: Empirical Challenge of a Theoretical Concept

Tailoring of client-nurse interaction to the client's individuality is a central concept in Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health behavior, and represents a specification of the term individualization of care (Cox, 1982b). In this study, the empirical adequacy of Cox's definition of tailoring was challenged by comparing the content of naturally occurring encounters between an expert nurse and clients to content predicted by the definition. Analyses of the content of the encounters revealed that: client individuality was featured; client individuality and clinical assessment-management were considered in association with one another; and a majority of interventions were fitted to the individual client. The findings were interpreted as supportive of the empirical existence of tailoring as specified by Cox, and provided the bases for suggested refinements of the theoretical model.
Experimental Therapeutics in the Renaissance

Detailed accounts of therapeutics at the time of the European Renaissance written by the participants have not survived in large numbers. One manuscript, dated 1562, was written by friars in a religious order in Italy dedicated to the care of the sick. Their remedies, methods of preparation, and uses were detailed by the friars and offer a glimpse into the beginnings of experimentation with drugs and rejection of tradition and authority in determining the effectiveness of a remedy. These developing concepts were combined in the manuscript with traditional treatments dating back through the Middle Ages to the medical methods of Greece and Rome.
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF ACUTE INFLAMMATION II. THE RELATIONSHIP OF FIBRINOGEN AND FIBRIN TO THE LEUCOCYTIC STICKING REACTION IN EAR CHAMBERS OF RABBITS INJURED BY HEAT

The relation of intravascular fibrin to the leucocytic sticking reaction in ear chambers of rabbits injured by heat was investigated in two ways. First, attempts were made to destroy the thin layer of fibrin believed to coat the surfaces of cells involved in the sticking reaction. Second, white cell sticking was studied after fibrinogen had been removed from the blood stream. The results of these experiments were as follows:— 1. Activation of fibrinolysin in vivo by streptokinase did not impair sticking of white blood cells. 2. Administration of streptokinase parenterally did not lower fibrinogen blood levels appreciably even when the amount used was large. 3. Thromboplastin infusions alone reduced circulating fibrinogen to low levels but leucocytic sticking was not prevented. Furthermore, frequent death of animals due to pulmonary embolism made such experiments prohibitive. 4. Addition of streptokinase to thromboplastin infusions protected against embolic deaths but did not influence sticking even though the fibrinogen levels achieved were quite low. 5. Finally, when thrombin was added to infusions of thromboplastin and streptokinase, no circulating fibrinogen could be detected. Under such circumstances leucocytic sticking following heat injury occurred without reduction. These findings were interpreted as evidence against a primary role of the blood clotting mechanism in causing the sticking of white blood cells to injured endothelium. Alternative explanations were discussed.
Multiple Myeloma Presenting as Adult Fanconi Syndrome

This report describes the clinical course of a 55-year-old woman with multiple myeloma presenting as adult Fanconi syndrome.
Long-circulating liposomes: Development and perspectives

AbstractLong-circulating liposomes can be prepared by coating liposome surface with a hydrophilic layer of oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, polysaccharides and synthetic polymers in order to make liposomes “invisible” for scavenger cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Incorporation of lipid-anchored poly(ethylene glycol) in liposome bilayer allows to prolong its circulation at least tenfold. Various designs of glycolipid- and polymer-based liposomes are presented, possible mechanisms of action are discussed; potential of these liposomes for drug targeting is presented.
Forming and Developing Your Professional Identity: Easy as PI

Health education and promotion specialists and professional organizations have worked hard to successfully establish and maintain the status of health education/promotion (HE/P) as a unique and essential profession and to solidify practitioners' sense of professional identity. A professional identity is critical to a person's sense of self: It is about connecting with roles, responsibilities, values, and ethical standards unique to a specific profession. Professional identity is a complex issue in the HE/P profession; the distinction between personal and professional identities has been debated repeatedly over the years (e.g., should HE/P professionals be role models for clients?). The purpose of this Tool is to explain the concept of professional identity; provide new, emerging, and experienced HE/P with a greater understanding of what it means to have a professional identity; present processes and benchmarks of professional identity development; and offer specific tips and strategies for developing and enhancing an HE/P professional identity.
Inhibition of Bacterial Growth by Two Chlorine Sources in a Model System

The bactericidal effectiveness of two sources of aqueous chlorine, hypochlorous acid and chlorine dioxide, against 18 pure and two mixed cultures of spoilage and potentially pathogenic bacteria normally associated with meat and poultry products was evaluated. Hypochlorous acid was significantly more effective than chlorine dioxide against Gram-negative bacteria. Chlorine dioxide was more effective against Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria. The type and concentration of chlorine compound used and the type of microorganisms present determine the effectiveness of aqueous chlorine treatments.
Subcontracting the Senior Design Project in Civil Engineering

The criteria of Engineering Accreditation Commission EAC of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology ABET state that “students must be prepared for engineering practice through the curriculum culminating in a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating engineering standards and realistic constraints that include most of the following considerations: economics; environment; sustainability; manufacturability; ethical; health and safety; social, and political.” For civil engineering, the program criterion states that “The program must demonstrate that graduates have...the ability to perform civil engineering design by means of design experience integrated throughout the professional component of the curriculum; an understanding of professional practice issues. . . .” The civil engineering program at Minnesota State University, Mankato MSU , was approved by the Minnesota State Universities and Colleges in fall 2000. One of the goals during the development of the program curriculum was to offer students a realistic major design experience that meets ABET criteria. A 2-semester course sequence CIVE 401 and CIVE 402 , for a total of 5 credit hours, was therefore included in the senior year of the curriculum. This senior design course description is not that different from senior design course descriptions found in other civil engineering programs. We believe that the senior design course at MSU is unique in the way that it is organized to integrate the design experience throughout the curriculum and to prepare the graduates to make immediate impact as new engineers. The first two senior design projects completed since the inception of the program were Cargo Facilities Addition at the Mankato Regional Airport completed by five students in 2002–2003, and Pedestrian, Traffic, and Parking Improvement at Minnesota State University, Mankato, completed by four students, in 2003–2004. Despite the small class size, the projects were comprehensive. A team of 11 students worked on the third project, under way as of
Experimental study of the interaction of multiple jets with a cross flow

This paper discusses the results from an experimental study of twin jets injected normal to a cross flow at a jet:cross-flow velocity ratio of 2. Turbulence data from hot-wire anemometry are presented and comparison is made with single-jet data of the present and earlier studies. The profiles of mean velocities and Reynolds stresses for the single and tandem jets show very similar behavior, indicating that the turbulent nature of the jet/s is caused by the same mechanism/s for both configurations.
Projecting the Local Impacts of Climate Change on a Central American Montane Avian Community

Significant changes in the climates of Central America are expected over the next century. Lowland rainforests harbor high alpha diversity on local scales (<1 km2), yet montane landscapes often support higher beta diversity on 10-100 km2 scales. Climate change will likely disrupt the altitudinal zonation of montane communities that produces such landscape diversity. Projections of biotic response to climate change have often used broad-scale modelling of geographical ranges, but understanding likely impacts on population viability is also necessary for anticipating local and global extinctions. We model species abundances and estimate range shifts for birds in the Tilaran Mountains of Costa Rica, asking whether projected changes in temperature and rainfall could be sufficient to imperil high-elevation endemics and whether these variables will likely impact communities similarly. We find that nearly half of 77 forest bird species can be expected to decline in the next century. Almost half of species projected to decline are endemic to Central America, and seven of eight species projected to become locally extinct are endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and Panam . Logistic-regression modelling of distributions and similarity in projections produced by temperature and rainfall models suggest that changes in both variables will be important. Although these projections are probably conservative because they do not explicitly incorporate biological or climate variable interactions, they provide a starting point for incorporating more realistic biological complexity into community-change models. Prudent conservation planning for tropical mountains should focus on regions with room for altitudinal reorganization of communities comprised of ecological specialists.
BRCA and pancreatic cancer.

Germline mutations in BRCA genes have been associated with pancreatic cancer. Laboratory and clinical data suggest that patients with BRCA mutations may be more responsive to therapy consisting of conventional chemotherapy with a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi). The most recent data from the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting will be reviewed (Abstracts #11024 and #TPS4144). Image: Effect of PARP, BRCA and PARP inhibition on DNA replication.
Smectite Diagenesis and Sandstone Cement: The Effect of Reaction Temperature

ABSTRACT The ability of temperature to influence the mobility of diagenetically generated dissolved silica in sediment-pore water systems is discussed. The theory suggests that probable mean distances of diffusive transport for dissolved components are of the proper order of magnitude to allow silica and other dissolved components derived from illitization reactions to migrate out of shale beds and into sand formations. The effect of increasing temperature is to reduce the distance of solution transport, perhaps to the extent that the temperature at which illitization proceeds may control the spatial distribution of zones of silica cementation.
Assessment of Environment Traffic Noise Pollution in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.

The assessment of environmental traffic noise pollution in Uvwie local government area of Delta State, Nigeria was carried out using a well calibrated portable digital sound level meter (Model CEL-231). The sound level meter is an instrument used for measuring the exposure level of noise in the field. The measurement was done three times/day (Morning session 9am – 10am, afternoon session 1pm – 2pm and Evening session 4pm – 5pm) and readings were taken. The mean results measured from the studied area ranged from 74.61dB (A) in the evening to 76.92dB (A) in the afternoon with mean average of 76.66dB (A).The obtained mean values of traffic noise when compared with the permissible level for road traffic noise of 65 decibels dB (A) in commercial area during the Day time, it was observed that the obtained mean level results exceeded the permissible standard limit. These high values can be attributed to poor maintenance of the vehicles, indiscriminate usage of pressure horns and present of heavy duty truck that load petroleum product and cargo containers from the Warri refinery and Warri port (Nigeria Port Authority) respectively. This study revealed that immediate health implication may not be observed at the present level, but long term health effects are probable in the nearest future.
An automated framework for testing MUOS voice calls

The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) is the next generation UHF satellite communications (SATCOM) system for the Department of Defense (DoD). It consists of four geosynchronous satellites and four ground stations, uses a Spectrally Adaptive Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (SA-WCDMA) waveform, and it will provide worldwide voice and data capabilities for the military. Before it can be used by soldiers in the field, the system must be extensively tested to verify that it works and meets specified requirements. This paper discusses an automated test capability developed to analyze the performance of voice calls made over MUOS. There are two types of voice calls that can be made: point-to-point (which consists of 2 MUOS terminals that can talk to each other) and group (which consists of 2 or more MUOS terminals where terminals talk to all other terminals connected to the group). The automation software can be used to measure performance metrics that include voice quality, latency, call completion rate, service connection time, and various other timing metrics of the two types of voice calls. The software also logs status information from the radios and the radio's measurements of Common Pilot Channel (CPICH) received signal code power (RSCP), CPICH signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), satellite beam carrier (SBC), and bit error rate (BER). The logged information can be used to explain poor performance issues, such as failed calls, long service connection times, etc. In addition to analyzing the performance of MUOS voice calls, the automation software also has several benefits over human testing. Typically, in order to conduct voice call tests, a human tester has to be assigned to and operate each radio. Especially for group voice calls which can consist of as many as 20 or more radios, it can be very costly to conduct hours of testing. However, the automation software only requires a laptop to be connected to each radio and does not require any human operators; thus significantly reducing costs. Furthermore, the results obtained from automated testing are objective and more precise than those obtained from human testing. The laptops used for automated testing are synchronized using the Network Time Protocol which enables the automation software to achieve timing accuracy on the order of milliseconds, whereas human testing only achieves accuracy on the order of seconds at best.
The Contours of Green Human Resource Development

The ProblemDespite growing interest in the role of human resource development (HRD) in creating responsible and sustainable organizations, there is limited discussion on HRD’s potential contributio...
The immunologic problem of pregnancy II. Ultrastructure of isogeneic and allogeneic trophoblastic transplants

Abstract An analysis of the electron microscopic characteristics of ectopic implants of mouse trophoblast was carried out. Mouse ova transplanted under the kidney capsule of isogeneic and allogeneic male recipients developed into aggregates of trophoblastic giant cells. There was no histologic or electron microscopic difference between isogeneic and allogeneic transplants. Invasion of host tissue took place by expansion of the hemorrhagic mass and infiltration of trophoblastic cells between host cells. Although phagocytosis of intact red blood cells and leukocytes by trophoblast was present, no phagocytosis of renal parenchymal cells could be demonstrated. An electron-dense intercellular “fibrinoid” material was not found around the trophoblast cells or at the trophoblast-host junction. It was concluded that the trophoblast does not owe its privileged immunologic behavior to an extracellular barrier which interferes with antigen detection by the mother. It is likely that the failure of trophoblast to express transplantation antigens is due to a relative intrinsic deficit of such antigens on the cell surface.
Invisibility and the Commodification of Blackness in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and Percival Everett’s Erasure

"This essay specifically examines Erasure as a postmodern rewriting of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and as a revision of the modernist trope of Black invisibility so famously rendered by Ellison. Drawing upon poststructuralist theories of “race” as well as New Black Aesthetics theories of cultural hybridity, I contend that Erasure highlights modes of “invisibility” that persevere in contemporary American literary and consumer cultures. Unlike modernist invisibility that manifested itself in the fissures between Black and white in the biracial social taxonomy of the United States throughout most of the twentieth century, contemporary generic and aesthetic categories generate sublimated forms of invisibility that give the appearance of legitimizing heterogeneous African American subjects while simultaneously and subversively regulating the available range of supposedly “authentic” Black representations. In this process, the rich pluralism of Black culture and aesthetics gets reduced to a few subgenres that prove most economically viable and palatable to white and Black consumers alike."
Analyzing OCT images of age-related macular degeneration patients to identify spatial health correlations

An approach to automatically group age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients having similar retinal health profiles by clustering Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images is described. Spatial health patterns within and across profiles are discovered by identifying segments of images that have similar levels of health in a given retina region. Segmentations of various sizes are considered and the segmentation where the segment similarity most closely matches the discovered health profiles is used to identify health patterns. Our experiments with OCT images of 10 AMD patients show that - i) health profiles generated by clustering closely correspond to those identified by a physician expert, ii) a rich set of spatial patterns can be discovered within and across profiles using regular image segmentation, and iii) new images can be successfully classified into existing profiles so that physicians can provide effective profile-based treatments.
A Sequence Related to the Harmonic Series

(1995). A Sequence Related to the Harmonic Series. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 308-310.
Dynamic swelling of tunable full-color block copolymer photonic gels via counterion exchange.

One-dimensionally periodic block copolymer photonic lamellar gels with full-color tunability as a result of a direct exchange of counteranions were fabricated via a two-step procedure comprising the self-assembly of a hydrophobic block–hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP), followed by sequential quaternization of the P2VP layers in 1-bromoethane solution. Depending on the hydration characteristics of each counteranion, the selective swelling of the block copolymer lamellar structures leads to large tunability of the photonic stop band from blue to red wavelengths. More extensive quaternization of the P2VP block allows the photonic lamellar gels to swell more and red shift to longer wavelength. Here, we investigate the dynamic swelling behavior in the photonic gel films through time-resolved in situ measurement of UV–vis transmission. We model the swelling behavior using the transfer matrix method based on the experimentally observed reflectivity dat...
Just Say Know: A Counselor’s Guide to Psychoactive Drugs, by Rick Csiernik

The purpose of this book is to provide “counselling professionals” with an understanding of what psychoactive drugs are, what they do, and how they do it. In his preface, the author suggests that “...
An Algorithm for Solving Fuzzy Relation Inequality Systems with max-t-norm Composition

This paper studies a class of fuzzy relation inequality systems with max-t-norm composition which is the generalization of fuzzy relation equations.According to the characterization of the solution set,an algorithm for solving the problems is given based on the deleting principles proposed in the paper.Some numerical examples are presented in the last section for illustrating the efficiency of the algorithm.
Vocal fold granuloma induced by rigid bronchoscopy.

Vocal fold granulomas secondary to endotracheal intubation, vocal abuse, and laryngopharyngeal reflux are a well-described cause of hoarseness, generally in the adult population. The mean age of onset is usually in the fourth or fifth decade, and the position is mos t commonly on the vocal process or one of the arytenoids. We present an atypical case involving a pediatric patient with a large, anterior, true vocal fold granuloma following rigid endoscopy of the upper conductive airway.
Anion channelrhodopsins for inhibitory cardiac optogenetics

Optical control of the heart muscle is a promising strategy for cardiology because it is more specific than traditional electrical stimulation, and allows a higher temporal resolution than pharmacological interventions. Anion channelrhodopsins (ACRs) from cryptophyte algae expressed in cultured neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes produced inhibitory currents at less than one-thousandth of the light intensity required by previously available optogenetic tools, such as the proton pump archaerhodopsin-3 (Arch). Because of their greater photocurrents, ACRs permitted complete inhibition of cardiomyocyte electrical activity under conditions in which Arch was inefficient. Most importantly, ACR expression allowed precisely controlled shortening of the action potential duration by switching on the light during its repolarization phase, which was not possible with previously used optogenetic tools. Optical shortening of cardiac action potentials may benefit pathophysiology research and the development of optogenetic treatments for cardiac disorders such as the long QT syndrome.
Bound States in One Dimension

Before beginning with the problems it is worthwhile to point out some features of one-dimensional bound states. First, there is no complication arising from degenerate states. Degeneracy exits when two or more states have the same energy. Although a very important consideration in two- and three-dimensional problems, there is no degeneracy in one-dimensional problems. We can prove this by assuming that the assertion is not true. We assume that \(\psi _{1}\left (x\right )\) and \(\psi _{2}\left (x\right )\) are linearly independent eigenfuntions that have the same eigenvalue E and write the TISE (time independent Schrodinger equation) in the form $$\displaystyle{ \dfrac{1} {\psi \left (x\right )} \dfrac{d^{2}\psi \left (x\right )} {dx^{2}} = \dfrac{2m} {\hslash ^{2}} \left [E - U\left (x\right )\right ] }$$
Cochlear synaptopathy in acquired sensorineural hearing loss:Manifestations and mechanisms

Common causes of hearing loss in humans - exposure to loud noise or ototoxic drugs and aging - often damage sensory hair cells, reflected as elevated thresholds on the clinical audiogram. Recent studies in animal models suggest, however, that well before this overt hearing loss can be seen, a more insidious, but likely more common, process is taking place that permanently interrupts synaptic communication between sensory inner hair cells and subsets of cochlear nerve fibers. The silencing of affected neurons alters auditory information processing, whether accompanied by threshold elevations or not, and is a likely contributor to a variety of perceptual abnormalities, including speech-in-noise difficulties, tinnitus and hyperacusis. Work described here will review structural and functional manifestations of this cochlear synaptopathy and will consider possible mechanisms underlying its appearance and progression in ears with and without traditional ‘hearing loss’ arising from several common causes in humans.
Toward a Computational Model of Hypothesis Formation and Model Building in Science

We present our two-part approach to computational scientific discovery. The first part is a heuristic search through the space of hypotheses to find good hytheses. The second stage is a heuristic search through the space of sets of hypotheses to find coherent models. Both of these heuristic searches strive for four criteria: empirical support, simplicity, novelty and utility. Four types of domain knowledge inform both searches: transforms, taxonomies, sequences and default models. We mention several experimental results that suggest the viability of our approach.
Muscling toward therapy with ERBB3 and NGFR

To overcome the finite supply of muscle stem cells available for cell therapy, a study now describes a strategy for obtaining an unlimited source of myogenic progenitors derived from human pluripotent cells. Two neuronal cell surface receptors facilitate the selection of a population with enhanced regenerative potential.
Molecular Imaging of Mesothelin-Expressing Ovarian Cancer with a Human and Mouse Cross-Reactive Nanobody

Mesothelin is an epithelial marker highly expressed at the cell surface of cancer cells from diverse origins, including ovarian and pancreatic adenocarcinomas and mesotheliomas. Previously, we identified and characterized an antimesothelin nanobody (NbG3a) for in vitro diagnostic applications. The main goal of this research was to establish the potential of NbG3a as a molecular imaging agent. Site-specific biotinylated NbG3a (bNbG3a) was bound to streptavidin-conjugated reagents for in vitro and in vivo assays. Initially, we performed microscale thermophoresis to determine the binding affinity between bNbG3a and human ( Kd = 46 ± 8 nM) or mouse ( Kd = 4.8 ± 0.4 nM) mesothelin protein. The human and mouse cross-reactivity was confirmed by in vivo optical imaging using bNbG3a bound to fluorescent streptavidin. We also localized the binding site of nNbG3a on human mesothelin using overlapping peptide scan. NbG3a recognized an epitope within residues 21-65 of the mature membrane bound form of human mesothelin, which is part of the N-terminal region of mesothelin that is important for interactions between mesothelin on peritoneal cells and CA125 on tumor cells. Next, the bNbG3a in vivo half-life after intravenous injection in healthy mice was estimated by ELISA assay to be 5.3 ± 1.3 min. In tumor-bearing animals, fluorescent bNbG3a accumulated in a subcutaneous ovarian xenograft (A1847) and in two syngeneic, orthotopic ovarian tumors (intraovary and intraperitoneal ID8) within an hour of intravenous injection that peaked by 4 h and persisted up to 48 h. MRI analysis of bNbG3a-targeted streptavidin-labeled iron oxides showed that the MRI signal intensity decreased 1 h after injection for a subcutaneous xenograft model of ovarian cancer for bNbG3a-labeled iron oxides compared to unlabeled iron oxides. The signal intensity differences continued up to the final time point at 24 h post injection. Finally, in vivo immunofluorescence 24 or 48 h after bNbG3a intravenous injection showed bNbG3a diffuse distribution of both xenograft and syngeneic ovarian tumors, with local areas of high concentration throughout A1847 human tumor. The data support the use of NbG3a for continued preclinical development and translation to human applications for cancers that overexpress mesothelin.
Pre-operative immune signatures correlate with recovery from surgical trauma (HUM1P.267)

Traumatic injury produces a profound immune response that mobilizes both innate and adaptive branches of the immune system. Patient recovery after a major trauma is highly variable. Protracted recovery after surgery -a major trauma- causes significant societal and economic costs. However, the mechanistic underpinning of recovery after surgery remains poorly understood. We recently applied high-parameter mass cytometry at the bedside for the deep immune profiling of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery 1 . The data revealed patient-specific immune responses in monocyte subsets that contained strong correlates of clinical recovery. In this study, we asked whether differences in patients’ pre-surgical immune states determined recovery. Activation of canonical signaling pathways was elicited in vitro , in pre-surgical patient samples. Single-cell evoked immune responses were analyzed in cell subsets spanning the entire immune system using mass cytometry. Surprisingly, the magnitude of these responses varied significantly across patients, thereby defining patient-specific “immune states”. Among these responses, signaling downstream of the TLR4 receptor in CD14 + monocytes strongly correlated with surgical recovery (R=0.64-0.69). The findings highlight a fundamental role for monocytes in the recovery process and provide the mechanistic basis for a pre-operative diagnostic test to predict the course of surgical recovery. 1.Gaudilliere et al., Sci Transl Med . 2014
(Mis)Representation among U.S. Study Abroad Programs Traveling to the African Continent: A Critical Content Analysis of a Teach Abroad Program.

As study abroad programs continue to increase and expand the places they send students, it is important for colleges and universities to pay close attention to the depictions of the African continent in promotional materials. While existing literature in the field of tourism, social work, and African studies have analyzed images of the cultural Other in study abroad text, there is a paucity of higher education and student affairs research that utilizes postcolonial theory to analyze representations of teach abroad programs. To address this gap, this research undertakes a critical content analysis of promotional material of a teach abroad program and finds that promotional materials remain fixated on representing the African continent in a hegemonic way that reinforces white savior complex, culturalism, and the poverty porn discourse. Ultimately, we argue colleges will need to make purposeful efforts in order to achieve new visions of African countries by deconstructing mainstream stereotypes.
A Practical Reasoning Approach to Legal Doctrine

A practical reasoning approach describes legal principles as warrants weaving a web of justification in Supreme Court opinions. Utilizing examples from First Amendment cases, the essay proposes: (1...
Structural Determinants of Muscle Gearing During Dynamic Contractions

In skeletal muscle, interactions between contractile and connective tissue elements at multiple scales result in emergent properties that determine mechanical performance. One of these phenomena is architectural gearing, which is quantified as the ratio of muscle velocity to muscle fiber velocity. Many pennate muscles operate with a gear ratio greater than one because muscles shorten through a combination of muscle fiber shortening and fiber rotation. Within a muscle, gearing is variable across contractions. During low force contractions, muscles operate at high gear while muscles operate at low gear during high force contractions. This variable gearing has a significant impact on muscle performance as muscle architectural changes favor muscle speed during fast contractions and muscle force during slow, high force contractions. We hypothesize that gearing in any given contraction is determined by the dynamic interaction of fiber-generated forces, fluid force transmission, and the elastic behavior of intramuscular connective tissues. Because muscle is isovolumetric, muscle fibers must bulge radially when they shorten. Radial bulging and fiber-generated forces off-axis from the muscle line of action exert forces that load connective tissues that ensheath fibers, fascicles, and the whole muscle. The way in which fluid pressures and fiber forces interact to load connective tissues in three-dimensions remains poorly understood because of the complex and multiscale nature of these interactions. Here we review evidence for variable gearing in pennate muscles, present a conceptual model that describes the fundamental interactions that determine gearing, and discuss where gaps remain in our understanding of the determinants and consequences of muscle shape change and variable gearing.
Brain spectrin(240/235) and brain spectrin(240/235E): conservation of structure and location within mammalian neural tissue

We demonstrate that the brain spectrin isoforms (240/235) and (240/235E) are present in all mammalian species studied (human, bovine, mouse, and rat). Immunohistochemistry with a panel of eleven polyclonal antibodies have indicated an identical localization of the brain spectrin isoforms in all mammalian species. Brain spectrin(240/235) is found primarily in axons, and brain spectrin(240/235E) primarily in cell bodies and dendrites. Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting studies have indicated that the subunit molecular weights of brain spectrin(240/235) and (240/235E) are identical in all mammalian species. We demonstrate that when proteolysis is not completely blocked during immunoprecipitation studies, the 235 kDa subunits are converted to a 230 kDa polypeptide [brain spectrin(240/235)] and a 232 kDa polypeptide [brain spectrin(240/235E)]. Finally, we show that both the alpha and beta subunits of brain spectrin(240/235) and brain spectrin(240/235E) are antigenically distinct in every species examined. These studies indicate that previous findings on the structure, location, and function of mouse brain spectrin isoforms can now be generalized to all mammalian species.
Cooperative cobinding of synthetic and natural ligands to the nuclear receptor PPAR gamma.

Crystal structures of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) have revealed overlapping binding modes for synthetic and natural/endogenous ligands, indicating competition for the orthosteric pocket. Here we show that cobinding of a synthetic ligand to the orthosteric pocket can push natural and endogenous PPARγ ligands (fatty acids) out of the orthosteric pocket towards an alternate ligand-binding site near the functionally important omega (Ω)-loop. X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, and mutagenesis coupled to quantitative biochemical functional and cellular assays reveal that synthetic ligand and fatty acid cobinding can form a 'ligand link' to the Ω-loop and synergistically affect the structure and function of PPARγ. These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence indicating ligand binding to nuclear receptors can be more complex than the classical one-for-one orthosteric exchange of a natural or endogenous ligand with a synthetic ligand.