cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improvement of radiation hardness due to aging of fluorinated and chlorinated SiO/sub 2//Si MOS capacitors

The radiation hardness of MOS capacitors containing fluorinated or chlorinated SiO/sub 2/ has been found to improve gradually when they are stored at room temperature for a long period of time after their fabrication before irradiation. This beneficial aging process can be accelerated by raising the storage temperature. No such aging effect has been observed in the control samples that do not contain F or Cl. A tentative explanation based on the gradual migration of F or Cl species and the formation of Si-F or Si-Cl bonds is proposed. >
Defending a moving target: H1N1 preparedness training for the transit industry

To stem the spread of the novel H1N1 virus, U.S. public health officials put forth a variety of recommendations, ranging from practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing at the individual level, to furloughs and continual cleaning of commonly touched surfaces at the level of the organization. Although these steps are amenable to implementation in an office, school or hospital setting, they are nearly impossible to apply in the public transit environment, where large numbers of people remain in close quarters, with no running water and limited opportunities for disinfection. Recognizing the need to offer adequate protection from infection to employees and customers alike, transit officials expressed the need for H1N1-specific training, tailored to industry needs and limitations, to Rutgers University's Center for Transportation Safety, Security and Risk. The resulting course, which was informed through a combination of literature-based and primary research, combined the most current public health data with best practices gleaned from some of the nation's largest transit agencies, in a just-in-time format.
Enhancing In Vivo Survival of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells Through Bcl-2 Overexpression Using a Minicircle Vector

Tissue regeneration using progenitor cell-based therapy has the potential to aid in the healing of a diverse range of pathologies, ranging from short-gut syndrome to spinal cord lesions. However, there are numerous hurdles to be overcome prior to the widespread application of these cells in the clinical setting. One of the primary barriers to effective stem cell therapy is the hostile environment that progenitor cells encounter in the clinical injury wound setting. In order to promote cellular survival, stem cell differentiation, and participation in tissue regeneration, relevant cells and delivery scaffolds must be paired with strategies to prevent cell death to ensure that these cells can survive to form de novo tissue. The Bcl-2 protein is a prosurvival member of a family of proteins that regulate the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Using several strategies to overexpress the Bcl-2 protein, we demonstrated a decrease in the mediators of apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. This was shown through the use of two different clinical tissue repair models. Cells overexpressing Bcl-2 not only survived within the wound environment at a statistically significantly higher rate than control cells, but also increased tissue regeneration. Finally, we used a nonintegrating minicircle technology to achieve this in a potentially clinically applicable strategy for stem cell therapy.
Accumulation of mutations in sexual and asexual populations.

The accumulation of beneficial and harmful mutations in a genome is studied by using analytical methods as well as computer simulation for different modes of reproduction. The modes of reproduction examined are biparental (bisexual, hermaphroditic), uniparental (selfing, automictic, asexual) and mixed (partial selfing, mixture of hermaphroditism and parthenogenesis). It is shown that the rates of accumulation of both beneficial and harmful mutations with weak selection depend on the within-population variance of the number of mutant genes per genome. Analytical formulae for this variance are derived for neutral mutant genes for hermaphroditic, selfing and asexual populations; the neutral variance is largest in a selfing population and smallest in an asexual population. Directional selection reduces the population variance in most cases, whereas recombination partially restores the reduced variance. Therefore, biparental organisms accumulate beneficial mutations at the highest rate and harmful mutations at the lowest rate. Selfing organisms are intermediate between biparental and asexual organisms. Even a limited amount of outcrossing in largely selfing and parthenogenetic organisms markedly affects the accumulation rates. The accumulation of mutations is likely to affect the mean population fitness only in long-term evolution.
Pressure Contact Semiconductor Devices

The pressure contact semiconductor device features a subassembly consisting of a silicon pellet and two attached tungsten backup plates contained in a disk-shaped ceramic insulated housing, but not soldered down to either top or bottom contacts in the housing. The devices discussed in the paper are two SCRs rated at 230 amperes average, 1300 volts, and 110 amperes average, 1300 volts, and a rectifier diode rated at 400 amperes average, 1200 volts. Devices with other ratings and characteristics are planned for the same type of construction.
Objects and attention: the state of the art

What are the units of attention? In addition to standard models holding that attention can select spatial regions and visual features, recent work suggests that in some cases attention can directly select discrete objects. This paper reviews the state of the art with regard to such ‘object-based’ attention, and explores how objects of attention relate to locations, reference frames, perceptual groups, surfaces, parts, and features. Also discussed are the dynamic aspects of objecthood, including the question of how attended objects are individuated in time, and the possibility of attending to simple dynamic motions and events. The final sections of this review generalize these issues beyond vision science, to other modalities and fields such as auditory objects of attention and the infant’s ‘object concept’. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Surface Finish Measurements Of Diamond-Turned Electroless-Nickel-Plated Mirrors

Surface roughness data are presented for a matrix of diamond-turned electroless nickel samples having a combination of six phosphorus contents and four heat treatments. Roughness measurements were conducted with commercial optical and stylus profilers (WYKO and Talystep). The results are discussed in terms of the material composition and heat treatment, plus other factors having an observed influence on the surface roughness. For the optimum material properties, full-length (665 itm) 20x WYKO scans yielded values of better than 10 A rms after correction for instrument roll-off.
Thorium Migrational Effects on Cathode Temperature in Electric Thrusters

Time-dependent charge-coupled device camera cathode axial temperature measurements obtained from solid tungsten and thoriated-tungsten cathodes in a 30–60 A arc discharge with mass-flow rates varying from 450 to 640 standard cubic centimeters per minute are presented. Recorded thoriated-tungsten temperature measurements adhere to the same trends observed in previous optical pyrometric studies with temperatures ranging from 2300–2500 K at the cathode tip, a peak temperature between 2500–2800 K some short distance upstream, and a corresponding minimum temperature of 2150 K at a location nearly 20 mm from the tip. The cathode axial temperature profiles were compared against those of pure tungsten to illustrate the large temperature-reducing effect lowered work function imposes by increasing thermionic electron emission from the cathode surface. In addition, the surface microstructure and elemental composition of the cathodes were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope in conjunction with energy-disper...
Response of Honey Bees, Apis mellifera L., to High-Voltage Transmission Lines

Honey bee colonies under a 765-kV power line (electric field [E-field[ 7 kV/m) showed effects, with hive height and weather-influenced hive current distribution the controlling factors. Hive current was a mean of 59 μA(= 1 m hive height) or 85 μA (1.5 m). Shielded controls under the line had E-fields and hive currents 150- to 300- fold and 100-fold lower, respectively, than exposed hives. Groups were exposed or shielded 8 or 16 weeks, with treatment reversal for some at week 8. A 16-week exposure did not affect percent honey moisture or teneral adult weight. When first exposed, colonies exhibited pronounced but transient elevations in temperature. Capped brood was normal in exposed 1-m hives but declined ( P <0.01) in 1.5-m hives by week 4, associated with higher incidence of queen loss and queen cells and colony failure. Weight gain was depressed in all exposed hives after 2 weeks, being severe in 1.5-m hives ( P <0.001 at week 5) and intermediate in 1-m hives (P = 0.05 at week 8). Effects were more pronounced the first 8 weeks than the last 8. Painted hive interiors reduced bio-effects, presumably by reducing internal current flow. Only exposed colonies propolized hive entrances, but amount and time of onset were not dose related. Treatment reversal at midseason resulted in reversal of colony behavior, manifested more with hive weight than brood. Overwinter survival of exposed groups was ≤29% compared with ≥71% among shielded ones.
Identification of Two Tobacco rattle virus Sequence Variants Associated with Virus-like Mottle Symptom on Hosta in Ohio

Abstract Two Hosta sp. ‘So Sweet’ plants and one Hosta sieboldii (labeled as ‘Albo-marginata’) plant showing a suspected virus-like leaf mottle symptom tested negative for the Potyvirus group, Host...
A microfluidic SPLITT device for fractionating low-molecular weight samples.

In this article, we report the design of a microfluidic split flow thin cell (SPLITT) fractionation device with internal electrodes placed across the width of its analysis channel for assaying low-molecular weight samples. The reported device allows the realization of lateral electric fields and separation distances of the orders of 100 V/cm and 500 μm, respectively, that are suitable for fractionating such mixtures with high resolution. Our experiments show that a key challenge to realizing electrophoretic fractionations using the current design is to minimize the electroosmotically driven fluid circulations in its SPLITT channel that tend to hydrodynamically mix the liquid streams flowing through this duct. The present work addresses this challenge by chemically modifying the surface of our fluidic conduits with a new coating medium, N-(2-triethoxysilylpropyl) formamide, which has been shown to diminish electroosmotic flow in glass microchannels by over 5 orders of magnitude. Finally, we describe the in...
Age- and sex-specific variations in microhabitat and macrohabitat use in a territorial lizard

Animals should select microhabitats with features that enhance fitness. However, the fitness benefits of different habitats may vary across ages and between sexes. By quantifying microhabitat choice in relation to age or sex, as well as the specific fitness consequences of habitat selection, we can better understand the factors that shape the way organisms distribute themselves across landscapes. Studies of Anolis lizards have provided critical insights into population and community structure, but most studies have focused on interspecific variation in habitat use, rather than intraspecific patterns. We quantified habitat use of Anolis sagrei at two scales (microhabitat and macrohabitat) for males and females of two distinct age classes (juvenile vs adult). We show that age, sex, size, and macrohabitat have significant effects on how A. sagrei utilize available microhabitat and that age, sex, size, and season influence macrohabitat use. In addition, large individuals of both age classes had increased survival during the breeding season. However, body size did not influence overwinter survival, but lizards that used relatively low perches had increased overwinter survival. Overall, this study demonstrates that the complex variation in habitat use by A. sagrei is explained by interactions among age, sex, size, season, and habitat scale. Habitat choice behaviors can have important effects on fitness, yet optimal habitat may vary across ages and between sexes. In this paper, we quantified microhabitat and macrohabitat use of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) and subsequently estimated selection on these behaviors via mark recapture. We show that the complex variation in habitat use by A. sagrei is explained by interactions among age, sex, size, season, and habitat scale. In addition, body size influenced survival of both age classes during the breeding season but not over winter. However, lizards that used relatively low perches had increased overwinter survival. These findings provide new insights into the factors that shape the way these organisms distribute themselves across landscapes and provide a rare assessment of selection on behavioral traits.
Effect of luteal phase elevation in core temperature on forearm blood flow during exercise

Kolka, Margaret A., and Lou A. Stephenson. Effect of luteal phase elevation in core temperature on forearm blood flow during exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(4): 1079–1083, 1997.—Forearm blood flow (...
Two new species of Pseudolaguvia (Teleostei: Erethistidae) from Bangladesh

Two new South Asian catfish species of the family Erethistidae, Pseudolaguvia inornata and Pseudolaguvia muricata, are described from the Brahmaputra and Feni River drainages in Bangladesh. Pseudolaguvia inornata from the Feni River drainage can be distinguished from congeners in having a uniform coloration with a pale mid-dorsal stripe and brown submarginal stripes on each lobe of the caudal fin, while P muricata from the Brahmaputra River drainage can be distinguished from congeners by its elongate dorsal and pectoral-fin spines.
Critical Care Monitoring

The principles and techniques of critical care monitoring in the wide range of exotic animal patients are described. Cardiopulmonary monitoring is emphasized because of the importance of these systems. Advances in human monitoring equipment offer the potential to revolutionize veterinary critical care, including exotic animal practice.
Transradial approach for percutaneous intervention in acute myocardial infarction.

Transradial intervention (TRI) approach has emerged as an alternative and competitive method compared with transfemoral intervention (TFI) approach for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in simple to complex coronary disease. TRI, when performed by operators experienced with this technique, appears to have comparable efficacy and procedural resource utilization compared with TFI. However, vascular access complications, specif- ically major and minor bleeding, can be reduced with TRI. Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are at the highest risk for periprocedural bleeding for a variety of reasons, and may derive the greatest benefit from TRI. This review article will discuss potential advantages for TRI in the setting of AMI, barriers, and development of a TRI AMI program.
Classification of Partial Differential Equations

This chapter describes classification of partial differential equations. Most partial differential equations are of three basic types: elliptic, hyperbolic, and parabolic. Elliptic equations are often called potential equations. They result from potential problems, where the potential might be temperature, voltage, or a similar quantity. Elliptic equations are also the steady solutions of diffusion equations, and they require boundary values to determine the solution. Hyperbolic equations are sometimes called wave equations, because they often describe the propagation of waves. They require initial conditions as well as boundary conditions. These equations can be solved in principle, by the method of characteristics. Parabolic equations are often called diffusion equations because they describe the diffusion and convection of some substance. The dependent variable usually represents the density of the substance. These equations require initial conditions as well as boundary conditions. This classification is most useful for second-order partial differential equations. For second-order equations only characteristic curves need to be considered.
Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Motor Neuron Transplant for Neuromuscular Atrophy in a Mouse Model of Sciatic Nerve Injury

Importance Human motor neurons may be reliably derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In vivo transplant studies of human iPSCs and their cellular derivatives are essential to gauging...
Continuing the Original Stanford Sleep Surgery Protocol From Upper Airway Reconstruction to Upper Airway Stimulation: Our First Successful Case

In 1993, a surgical protocol for dynamic upper airway reconstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was published, and it became commonly known as the Stanford phase 1 and 2 sleep surgery protocol. It served as a platform on which research and clinical studies have continued to perfect the surgical care of patients with OSA. However, relapse is inevitable in a chronic condition such as OSA, and a subset of previously cured surgical patients return with complaints of excessive daytime sleepiness. This report describes a patient who was successfully treated with phase 1 and 2 operations more than a decade previously. He returned at 65 years of age with relapse of moderate OSA, and after workup with polysomnography and drug-induced sleep endoscopy, he underwent upper airway stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve that resulted in a cure of OSA. This case shows why upper airway stimulation is an appropriate option for patients with OSA relapse, after previously successful maxillomandibular advancement.
Antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected adolescents: clinical and pharmacologic challenges.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: With the currently available combined antiretroviral therapy regimens, durable suppression of viral replication, preservation of immune function and normalizing life expectancy, are all becoming achievable goals. Teenagers and young adults living with HIV present unique clinical and pharmacologic challenges to optimizing antiretroviral treatment outcomes.Areas covered: In this expert review of the topic, we examine recent clinical trial data and draw on our program’s 25 year experience working with both perinatally and behaviorally HIV infected adolescents.Expert commentary: In order to be effective, the antiretrovirals we provide must be combined with multidisciplinary interventions and ongoing socio-behavioral support to ensure treatment adherence and prevent the emergence of viral resistance.
Avian Influenza Virus RNA in Groundwater Wells Supplying Poultry Farms Affected by the 2015 Influenza Outbreak

During the 2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) on poultry farms in the midwestern United States, concern was raised about the potential for HPAI to contaminate groundwater. Our study objective was to evaluate the occurrence of HPAI in the groundwater supply wells on 13 outbreak-affected poultry farms in Iowa and Wisconsin. We sampled 20 wells, six waste-storage lagoons, and one pond. Three wells and one lagoon were positive for the matrix gene indicative of influenza A virus. Using a semi-nested qPCR assay specific to the H5 HPAI outbreak strain, one well was H5-positive, matching the outbreak virus hemagglutinin gene. Matrix gene-positive samples analyzed for avian influenza virus (AIV) by cell culture and embryonating egg culture were negative. Seven wells were positive by PCR for a poultry-specific parvovirus, thus providing corroborating evidence of virus transport pathways between poultry fecal wastes and groundwater. Our data suggest it is possible for AIV to be transport...
Scale Dependence of Midlatitude Air–Sea Interaction

AbstractIt has traditionally been thought that midlatitude sea surface temperature (SST) variability is predominantly driven by variations in air–sea surface heat fluxes (SHFs) associated with synoptic weather variability. Here it is shown that in regions marked by the highest climatological SST gradients and SHF loss to the atmosphere, the variability in SST and SHF at monthly and longer time scales is driven by internal ocean processes, termed here “oceanic weather.” This is shown within the context of an energy balance model of coupled air–sea interaction that includes both stochastic forcing for the atmosphere and ocean. The functional form of the lagged correlation between SST and SHF allows us to discriminate between variability that is driven by atmospheric versus oceanic weather. Observations show that the lagged functional relationship of SST–SHF and SST tendency–SHF correlation is indicative of ocean-driven SST variability in the western boundary currents (WBCs) and the Antarctic Circumpolar Cur...
Clinical supervisors’ ethical and professional identity behaviors with postgraduate supervisees seeking independent licensure

AbstractIn addition to state laws, the counseling profession’s code of ethics and training standards stipulate that counselors clearly uphold ethical standards and identify with a distinct professional counselor identity. We investigated 411 postgraduate counseling supervisees’ experiences with ethical and professional identity development during supervision in the US The results of the survey indicated that supervisors do not directly and consistently pass a professional counselor identity to the supervisee. However, supervision encompassed ethical considerations. Study results are not a reflection of nor the sole responsibility of supervisors. The counseling profession must also assume responsibility for these outcomes and better support counseling supervisors in passing a counselor professional identity from the supervisor to the supervisee. Additional research could determine how to support supervisors in passing a counselor professional identity to the supervisee during supervision.
Low-temperature biological activation of methane: structure, function and molecular interactions of soluble and particulate methane monooxygenases.

Mechanistic aspects of oxidation of methane to methanol by methanotrophic bacteria via methane monooxygenase (MMO) is still not well understood. Elucidating how various molecules pertinent to methane oxidation interact with each other at the MMO active site offers critical insights on low-temperature activation of methane, which is one of the greatest technical challenges in hydrocarbon chemistry. In this review, most recent contributions to the area are analyzed comparing soluble (sMMO) and particulate (pMMO) forms. Initially, the taxonomical, morphological and physiological differences of different methanotrophs are discussed. Then, the structural and functional differences of sMMO and pMMO are analyzed while considering substrate/product-cofactor-active site interactions. A docking analysis was performed using Autodock Vina to uncover interactions between cofactors and corresponding enzymes. With natural gas becoming a significant contributor to the energy continuum, this literature analysis and molecular simulations conducted brings new insights to low-temperature activation of methane.
Integrated modeling of Self-heating of confined geometry (FinFET, NWFET, and NSHFET) transistors and its implications for the reliability of sub-20 nm modern integrated circuits

Abstract The evolution of transistor topology from planar to confined geometry transistors (i.e., FinFET, Nanowire FET, Nanosheet FET) has met the desired performance specification of sub-20 nm integrated circuits (ICs), but only at the expense of increased power density and thermal resistance. Thus, self-heating effect (SHE) has become a critical issue for performance/reliability of ICs. Indeed, temperature is one of the most important factors determining ICs reliability, such as Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI), Hot Carrier Injection (HCI), and Electromigration (EM). Therefore, an accurate SHE model is essential for predictive, reliability-aware ICs design. Although SHE is collectively determined by the thermal resistances/capacitances associated with various layers of an IC, most researchers focus on isolated components within the hierarchy (i.e., a single transistor, few specific circuit configurations, or specialized package type). This fragmented approach makes it difficult to verify the implications of SHE on performance and reliability of ICs based on confined geometry transistors. In this paper, we combine theoretical modeling and systematic transistor characterization to extract thermal parameters at the transistor level to demonstrate the importance of multi-time constant thermal circuits to predict the spatio-temporal SHE in modern sub-20 nm transistors. Based on the refined Berkeley Short-channel IGFET Model Common Multi-Gate (BSIM-CMG) model, we examine SHE in typical digital circuits (e.g., ring oscillator) and analog circuits (e.g., two-stage operational amplifier) by Verilog-A based HSPICE simulation. Similarly, we develop a physics-based thermal compact model for packaged ICs using an effective media approximation for the Back End Of Line (BEOL) interconnects and ICs packaging. We integrate these components to investigate SHE behavior implication on ICs reliability and explain why one must adopt various (biomimetic) strategies to improve the lifetime of self-heated ICs.
Modeling as a Core Component of Structuring Data.

We gave participants diagrams of traffic on two roads with information about eight attributes, including the type of each vehicle, its speed, direction and the width of the road. Their task was to record and organize the data to assist city planners in its analysis. Successfully encoding the information required the creation of a case, a physical record of one repetition of a repeatable observational process. We analyzed data sheets participants created including the methods they used to bind information together into cases. Overall, 79% of their data sheets successfully encoded the data. Even 62% of the middle school students were able to create a bound structure that could hold the critical information from the diagrams. A majority of these structures involved a hierarchy of cases rather than the “flat” case-by-attribute structure that virtually all statistical software require. Our sense is that participants strove to create a structure that modeled the real-world as closely as they could, constructing cases that corresponded to the different sorts of objects they perceived—vehicles with their characteristics nested within road segments with their characteristics. First published November 2017 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
Quantification of uncertainty associated with wind assessments of various intervals1

Wind resource assessment is critically important to wind energy developers and financiers because it provides a means of predicting the output of a future wind energy project. While wind assessment periods commonly range from one to several years, this is typically based on experience and industry norms. In this investigation, we perform a detailed analysis of the error that can be expected to be present in a wind resource assessment of various lengths of time. The results show the nature of how the error in the wind resource assessment decreases as the length of time increases. As the wind assessment period increases, the error distribution curves converge toward zero. Simultaneously, the standard deviation of the error distributions decreases, and the magnitude of the maximum experimentally-obtained error decreases. By understanding how the wind resource assessment uncertainty decreases with increasing assessment period time interval, the length of the assessment period can be tailored to match a develo...
Introduction to Beilstein Online

The standard reference work known today as Beilsteins Handbuch der Organischen Chemie is a descendant of the original Handbuch, whose first edition was created by F. K. Beilstein in St. Petersburg in 1881.
Arthur Bailey: Bayes und die Versicherungen

Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg kam die erste Kampfansage an den anti-Bayes’schen Status quo nicht vom Militar oder den Mathematikern und Statistikern der Universitaten, sondern von einem Manager namens Arthur L. Bailey, der gern die Bibel zitierte.
Altered Biochemical Responsiveness and Hormone Receptor Changes during Aging

Loss of vitality is one of the most obvious and important manifestations of aging. This decline in performance is particularly noticable under conditions of stress or exposure to various physical and chemical agents. Cases in point range from reduced ability of senescent individuals to avoid oncoming traffic, to decreased resistance to bacterial and viral infection, to less efficient metabolism of ingested fatty foods. In such situations, the ability of senescent organisms to make appropriate physiological and biochemical responses is markedly altered. Muscle contraction and relaxation, cell division, nutrient utilization, and numerous other biological phenomena are under rigid control, and impaired ability to properly regulate these activities in response to internal and external challenge may have disastrous consequences for the aged organism. Almost all such responses on the part of an organism either directly involve or are somehow modulated by the action of hormones. In fact, the markedly altered ability of aged organisms, tissues, and cells to respond biochemically to hormonal signals has been established by numerous laboratory documentations, some of which will be discussed below. Consequently, it is of utmost importance to gerontologists (those who study aging) to determine exactly how this process influences the various mechanisms of hormone action. Only after establishing this can reasonable attempts to restore such mechanisms to a youthful state be initiated.
Inhibition of atypical protein kinase C‑ι effectively reduces the malignancy of prostate cancer cells by downregulating the NF-κB signaling cascade

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common type of cancer among men. Aggressive and metastatic PC results in life- threatening tumors, and represents one of the leading causes of mortality in men. Previous studies of atypical protein kinase C isoforms (aPKCs) have highlighted its role in the survival of cultured prostate cells via the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway. The present study showed that PKC-ι was overexpressed in PC samples collected from cancer patients but not in non-invasive prostate tissues, indicating PKC-ι as a possible prognostic biomarker for the progression of prostate carcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical staining further confirmed the association between PKC-ι and the prostate malignancy. The DU-145 and PC-3 PC cell lines, and the non-neoplastic RWPE-1 prostatic epithelial cell line were cultured and treated with aPKC inhibitors 2-acetyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (ACPD) and 5-amino-1-(1R,2S,3S,4R)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylcyclopentyl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide (ICA-1). Western blot data demonstrated that ICA-1 was an effective and specific inhibitor of PKC-ι and that ACPD inhibited PKC-ι and PKC-ζ. Furthermore, the two inhibitors significantly decreased malignant cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. The inhibitors showed no significant cytotoxicity towards the RWPE-1 cells, but exhibited cytostatic effects on the DU-145 and PC-3 cells prior to inducing apoptosis. The inhibition of aPKCs significantly reduced the translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus. Furthermore, this inhibition promoted apoptosis, reduced signaling for cell survival, and reduced the proliferation of PC cells, whereas the normal prostate epithelial cells were relatively unaffected. Overall, the results suggested that PKC-ι and PKC-ζ are essential for the progression of PC, and that ACPD and ICA-1 can be effectively used as potential inhibitors in targeted therapy.
Assessing structure/property relationships and synthetic protocols in the fabrication of poly(oxanorbornene imide) single-chain nanoparticles

Abstract We present the synthesis of poly(oxanorbornene imide) single-chain nanoparticles (SCNP) by intrachain radical polymerization of pendant methacryloyl units. Well-defined poly(oxanorbornene imide)s were first prepared via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of methacryloyl-containing monomers. Handling and polymerizing these monomers requires some special care to prevent undesired premature reaction of the methacryloyl groups. Addition of AIBN to dilute solution of the ROMP polymers triggers intrachain radical polymerization of pendant methacryloyl groups, folding the linear polymers into SCNP. Characterization by NMR spectroscopy and SEC confirmed SCNP formation and revealed structure/property relationships related to methacryloyl pendent length and percent incorporation.
Determination of Elastic Constants of Composites with a Circular Disk Specimen

The in-plane elastic constants of orthotropic composite materials need to be determined in order to perform stress analysis and design of composite structures. Several specimen configurations have ...
Economic Structure of Quince Farms in Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the cost and profitability of quince cultivation. Sakarya, Bursa, Antalya, Bilecik and Denizli were the main materials of the research and data were provided from quince farmers in districts and villages where quince farming was intensively performed. The data were obtained from 204 farmers surveyed. The research area constituted 70.2% of the total quince production of Turkey in 2015. The data used in the research belonged to the 2014 production period. Production cost was calculated as 43898.22 TRL in the average of farmers and 2965.11 TRL per decare (0.1 ha) in the quince production activity. The average cost per 1 kg was 0.78 TRL, the sales price was 1.33 TRL/kg and the profit margin was 0.56 TRL/kg. The gross production value of the quince farms was calculated as 5082.91 TRL in the average for a decare. Absolute profit was determined as 1936.36 TRL for a decare and relative profit was 1.71. There was an increase with TRL112.70 in the absolute profit with the support of government to the farmers. And the relative profit was increased by 0.04 units. The most important cost element in quince farms was marketing. Suggestions for reducing this cost are the provision of producer organization, the increase in the number of cold stores, and therefore the use of cold stores with lower costs. It is important that it should provide various incentives to establish quince processing facilities for entrepreneurs and the support provided should be presented to more special products for the positive effects of the quince production on sustainability and profitability indicators.
Affordable Care Act and cancer stage at diagnosis in an underserved population.

Abstract The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased insurance coverage among underserved individuals, but the effect of ACA on cancer diagnosis is currently debated, particularly in Medicaid non-expansion states. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effect of ACA implementation on stage at diagnosis among underserved cancer patients in Texas, a Medicaid non-expansion state. We used data from the institutional registry of the JPS Center for Cancer Care, which serves an urban population of underserved cancer patients. Eligible individuals were aged 18 to 64 years and diagnosed with a first primary invasive solid tumor between 2008 and 2015. We used a natural experiment framework and interrupted time-series analysis to assess level (i.e. immediate) and slope (over time) changes in insurance coverage and cancer stage at diagnosis between pre- and post-ACA periods. Our study population comprised 4808 underserved cancer patients, of whom 51% were racial/ethnic minorities. The prevalence of uninsured cancer patients did not immediately change after ACA implementation but modestly decreased over time (PR = 0.94; 95% CL: 0.90, 0.98). The prevalence of early- and advanced-stage diagnosis did not appreciably change overall or when stratified by screen-detectable cancers. Our results suggest that ACA implementation decreased the prevalence of uninsured cancer patients but had little effect on cancer stage at diagnosis in an underserved population. Given that Texas is a Medicaid non-expansion state, Medicaid expansion and alternative approaches may need to be further explored to improve earlier cancer diagnosis among underserved individuals.
TEMPORAL TRENDS OF NEXT-DAY DISCHARGE TAVR: ANALYSIS FROM NATIONWIDE READMISSIONS DATABASE (2012-2016)

The transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure has evolved significantly, and with the expansion into low risk patients, next-day discharge (NDD) TAVR has become an attractive option. However, real world data is lacking. Thus, we sought to perform an analysis to evaluate the temporal
Leveraging UMLS-driven NLP to enhance identification of influenza predictors derived from electronic medical record data

ABSTRACT Objective Multiple clinical prediction rules have been developed, but lack validation. This study aims to identify a set of prediction algorithms for influenza, based on electronic health record (EHR) structured data and clinical notes derived data using Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) driven natural language processing (NLP). Materials and Methods Data were extracted from an enterprise-wide data warehouse for all patients who tested positive for influenza and were seen in ambulatory care between 2009 and 2019 (N = 7,278). A text processing pipeline was used to analyze chart notes for UMLS terms for symptoms of interest to improve data quality completeness. Three models, which step up complexity of the dataset and predictors, were tested with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-selected parameters to identify predictors for influenza. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves compared test accuracy across the three models. Results Three models identified 7, 8, and 10 predictors, and the most complex model performed best. The addition of the UMLS-driven NLP symptoms data improved data quality (false negatives) and increased the number of significant predictors. NLP also increased the strength of the models, as did the addition of two-way predictor interactions. Discussion The EHR is a feasible source for offering rapidly accessible datasets for influenza related prediction research that was used to produce a prediction model for influenza. Combining data collected in routine care with data science methods improved a prediction model for influenza, and in the future, could be used to drive diagnostics at the point of care.
Get the Job! An Immersive Simulation of Sensory Overload

This paper presents our solution to the 2020 3DUI Contest Challenge. We aim to provide a compelling virtual reality experience that helps users experience the daily challenges of people with sensory issues. In the story we designed, users need to catch a taxi and get to a job interview on time. To achieve this goal, they must deal with hypo- and hypersensitivity symptoms, and interactively overcome them. Our demo encourages empathy and awareness of the challenges faced by people with sensory issues.
Implementing Play Streets in Low-Income Rural Communities in the United States:

Play streets involve the temporary closure of streets that for a specified time create a safe place for active play. Play streets have been implemented primarily in cities; it is unknown if they co...
The Role of Gut Microbiome-Targeted Therapy in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

To review the role and progress of microbiome-targeting therapies in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This review summarizes recent clinical trials of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and analyzes the potential clinical impact of reverse dysbiosis in NAFLD. Though results might be mixed, the recent randomized clinical trials and systemic reviews indicate probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics are promising therapies that improve transaminitis and hepatic steatosis. The scarcity of FMT clinical trials limits the power to conclude the direct impact of FMT on NAFLD. Given the rapidly growing prevalence of NAFLD and the lack of effective pharmacological intervention, there is an urgent need for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Despite the advancements in and promising results of gut microbiome (GM) restoring remedies, further studies are needed to assess their beneficial efficacy, safety, and sustainability to develop novel pharmacologic approaches to NAFLD.
The Punishment of Scaremongering in the Hungarian Legal System. Freedom of Speech in the Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

Scaremongering is restrained by criminal law as a limitation to freedom of speech in Hungarian law. Without relevant case law, free speech commentators had rarely discussed the provision until the government’s actions taken in order to step up against the COVID-19 pandemic, and the following amendment of the Criminal Code in Spring 2020 brought the subject back into the field of public debates. The article analyses the constitutional issues related to the limitation of scaremongering, and takes the two constitutional court decisions in this subject as guideline.
PolyStress: a Matlab implementation for local stress-constrained topology optimization using the augmented Lagrangian method

We present PolyStress, a Matlab implementation for topology optimization with local stress constraints considering linear and material nonlinear problems. The implementation of PolyStress is built upon PolyTop, an educational code for compliance minimization on unstructured polygonal finite elements. To solve the nonlinear elasticity problem, we implement a Newton-Raphson scheme, which can handle nonlinear material models with a given strain energy density function. To solve the stress-constrained problem, we adopt a scheme based on the augmented Lagrangian method, which treats the problem consistently with the local definition of stress without employing traditional constraint aggregation techniques. The paper discusses several theoretical aspects of the stress-constrained problem, including details of the augmented Lagrangian-based approach implemented herein. In addition, the paper presents details of the Matlab implementation of PolyStress, which is provided as electronic supplementary material. We present several numerical examples to demonstrate the capabilities of PolyStress to solve stress-constrained topology optimization problems and to illustrate its modularity to accommodate any nonlinear material model. Six appendices supplement the paper. In particular, the first appendix presents a library of benchmark examples, which are described in detail and can be explored beyond the scope of the present work.
Developing a Real-Time Electroencephalogram-Guided Anesthesia-Management Curriculum for Educating Residents: A Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Different anesthetic drugs and patient factors yield unique electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. Yet, it is unclear how best to teach trainees to interpret EEG time series data and the corresponding spectral information for intraoperative anesthetic titration, or what effect this might have on outcomes. METHODS We developed an electronic learning curriculum (ELC) that covered EEG spectrogram interpretation and its use in anesthetic titration. Anesthesiology residents at a single academic center were randomized to receive this ELC and given spectrogram monitors for intraoperative use versus standard residency curriculum alone without intraoperative spectrogram monitors. We hypothesized that this intervention would result in lower inhaled anesthetic administration (measured by age-adjusted total minimal alveolar concentration [MAC] fraction and age-adjusted minimal alveolar concentration [aaMAC]) to patients >=60 old during the postintervention period (the primary study outcome). To study this effect and to determine whether the 2 groups were administering similar anesthetic doses pre- versus postintervention, we compared aaMAC between control versus intervention group residents both before and after the intervention. To measure efficacy in the postintervention period, we included only those cases in the intervention group when the monitor was actually used. Multivariable linear mixed-effects modeling was performed for aaMAC fraction and hospital length of stay (LOS; a non-prespecified secondary outcome), with a random effect for individual resident. A multivariable linear mixed-effects model was also used in a sensitivity analysis to determine if there was a group (intervention versus control group) by time period (post- versus preintervention) interaction for aaMAC. Resident EEG knowledge difference (a prespecified secondary outcome) was compared with a 2-sided 2-group paired t test. RESULTS Postintervention, there was no significant aaMAC difference in patients cared for by the ELC group (n = 159 patients) versus control group (N = 325 patients; aaMAC difference = -0.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.09 to 0.03; P =.32). In a multivariable mixed model, the interaction of time period (post- versus preintervention) and group (intervention versus control) led to a nonsignificant reduction of -0.05 aaMAC (95% CI, -0.11 to 0.01; P = .102). ELC group residents (N = 19) showed a greater increase in EEG knowledge test scores than control residents (N = 20) from before to after the ELC intervention (6-point increase; 95% CI, 3.50-8.88; P < .001). Patients cared for by the ELC group versus control group had a reduced hospital LOS (median, 2.48 vs 3.86 days, respectively; P = .024). CONCLUSIONS Although there was no effect on mean aaMAC, these results demonstrate that this EEG-ELC intervention increased resident knowledge and raise the possibility that it may reduce hospital LOS.
Damage healing in asphalt pavements: Theory, mechanisms, measurement, and modeling. theory, mechanisms, measurement, and modeling.

A background of evidence of the importance and impact of damage healing in asphalt pavements from laboratory and field studies is presented. Mechanisms of healing that result in a measurable recovery of engineering properties are presented, including descriptions of the impact of crack wetting, reversal of the fracture process, and the influence of molecular morphology. Methods are described to measure intrinsic healing in asphalt binders using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). Healing measurements on binders are compared to the proposed mechanisms of healing in asphalt binders, including measurements of surface free energy, which are shown to be consistent with the proposed mechanisms. Later, a continuum model and a concomitant test methodology are used to measure healing characteristics in asphalt mixtures that are independent of the testing conditions, sensitive to the duration of the rest period during which healing occurs, and sensitive to the level of damage that precedes the rest period. Thermodynamic considerations of damage and microdamage healing processes are discussed in considerable detail, concluding with a general thermodynamic framework for derivation of damage and microdamage-healing constitutive relationships, with a focus on accurate estimation of stored and dissipated energies. Finally, incorporation of microdamage healing in constitutive relationships for pavement performance modeling is discussed, and future directions are identified.