cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compressive Seismic Imaging

Summary Ideas from the field of compressive sensing are rapidly making their way into the geophysical realm. We believe that these concepts will motivate major changes in the way that our industry acquires, processes, and images seismic data. In preparation for these changes, we have undertaken an initiative to build a consistent framework for learning, investigating, and applying compressive sensing concepts to the full range of technologies used in seismic acquisition, processing, and imaging. We refer to this framework as Compressive Seismic Imaging (CSI). The components of our CSI framework include compressive sensing theory, acquisition design, processing and imaging algorithms, and the work flows that link these components into a complete system. A key element of our CSI program is the use of field trials to expose algorithms, processes, and people to the realities of deploying new technology in our industry. Before going to the field, we use extensive computer modeling to identify CSI concepts that are either ready for deployment, or require testing in the field to advance the technology. A number of 2D and 3D field trials were undertaken by ConocoPhillips in 2011 to test compressive sensing design ideas for seismic data acquisition. To date, we have acquired test datasets for validating CSI concepts for land, marine, and ocean bottom recording configurations. The key compressive sensing concepts we have tested so far include non-uniform sampling for sources and receivers, data reconstruction, simultaneous shooting, and source encoding. Initial results from these trials show that compressive sensing concepts have the potential to significantly improve acquisition efficiency. Use of the CSI framework has allowed us to quickly focus our attention on the most relevant problems for compressive sensing technology deployment, resulting in rapid progress in our understanding.
Practice and analysis of scientific management in construction of comprehensive county-level CDCs

Objective To understand the situation of research projects and published papers at county-level CDC by summing up the past 2011-2013 years material and scientific research management,trying to discover the problems and the corresponding solutions. Methods To review their topics, using Kendall coordination coefficient, consistency scores evaluated by experts, to provide protection for the chosen subject. Using foreground PB and background MS SQL serer data management software, combined with the center of information application platform by software company,we realized computerization of scientific research process management. Based on analysis of research projects and achievements for nearly three years, the problems were summarized and analyzed. Results By promoting the electronic, systematized scientific research management system, the number of projects, research outputs and the quality of project acceptances has increased year by year. Conclusion It is necessary to optimize the scientific research management system and strengthen the supervision of scientific research process. We should strengthen the weak links of the transformation of scientific research achievements.
Determination of neomycin residues in eggs and stability of residues after cooking.

An assay procedure for streptomycin was developed, using a surfactant-pH 8 buffer extraction, heating at 85 degrees C to eliminate inhibition from lysozyme activity, and centrifuging to remove physical barriers to diffusion. Recoveries of streptomycin from supplemented eggs averaged 42% over the range of 0.33--2.05 microgram streptomycin/g egg. Eggs were supplemented at 3.0, 30.0, and 300 microgram streptomycin/g and subjected to various cooking procedures: frying, poaching, scrambling, and hard boiling. There was little or no loss of activity as a result of the various cooking procedures with the exception of one of the hard boiled varieties where there was a 40% loss only at the 3.0 microgram/g supplementation. Streptomycin residues were quite stable to normal egg preparation procedures.
Pediatric spinal tumors

Although tumors of the central nervous system in children constitute the second most prevalent tumor type of childhood, spinal cord tumors account for less than 10% of pediatric central nervous system tumors. The most common are intramedullary, although they can be found in the extradural compartment or as intradural extramedullary masses. Extradural tumors can arise from bony elements, the meninges, or soft tissues. Neuroblastomas and sarcomas are frequently encountered along with bone tumors. Intradural extramedullary tumors can be meningeal or from distant sites and include meningiomas and schwannomas; most tend to be benign. Intradural intramedullary tumors, neuronal or glial, can be derived from neuroepithelial tissues. For the intramedullary tumors, astrocytomas represent around 60% of tumors, ependymomas 30%, and developmental tumors 4%. Such tumors require a multidisciplinary approach to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Spinal cord tumors most often present with pain followed by motor regression, gait disturbance, sphincter dysfunction or sensory loss, torticollis, and kyphoscoliosis. Treatment is based on tumor type, but surgical resection is the mainstay. Predictors of outcome include the histological grading, extent of resection, and neurological status at the time of surgery.
Treatment of Lung Cancer Patients With Actionable Mutations in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Background Patients with advanced-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have high mortality rates in the intensive care unit (ICU). Although the benefit of chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies in the ICU has previously been explored, few data exist regarding the use of targeted therapy for NSCLC in such settings. The primary objective of the present study was to report our experience with the use of targeted therapy in patients with NSCLC in the ICU. Materials and Methods We performed a single-institution, retrospective medical record review. The eligibility criteria included patients with NSCLC with targetable mutations who had received tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in the ICU. Cases were identified by queries of our institution's information warehouse database and pharmacy dispensary records from 2010 to 2015. Results All 9 patients who had received TKIs in the ICU had acute respiratory failure. Three patients were successfully extubated after initiating TKI therapy, although 1 required later tracheostomy. TKI therapy stabilized another patient's refractory disseminated intravascular coagulation. The remaining 5 patients showed no measurable clinical improvement and were transitioned to comfort care. The overall ICU mortality rate was 56%. Conclusion Patients with metastatic NSCLC requiring mechanical ventilation have high mortality rates. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is generally contraindicated for poor performance status patients. However, targeted TKI therapy should be considered, given its proven efficacy and few systemic side effects. We recommend the empiric use of targeted therapy for NSCLC patients with suspected and/or known actionable mutations presenting with multifactorial respiratory failure to the ICU, with aggressive determination of the mutation status if not known.
Prophylactic Antibiotics in Transurethral Prostatectomy

There were 110 patients with preoperative sterile urine who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate and were included in a prospective, randomized, double-blind study that compared the effects of cefoxitin, a cephalosporin, to a placebo. The 2 treatment groups were comparable in age, weight of patient, general condition, diagnosis, preoperative instrumentation, operating time, weight of resected tissue and blood loss. Cefoxitin significantly lowered the incidence of infection, as indicated 3 and 7 days postoperatively, from 26.4 to 3.9 per cent and from 42 to 6.5 per cent, respectively. We were not able to correlate infection to age, general condition, diagnosis, operating time, preoperative instrumentation, weight of resected tissue or blood loss. No statistical difference was found between the 2 treatment groups in the incidence and degree of postoperative fever. These data suggest that prophylactic antibiotics should be administered preoperatively to uninfected patients who undergo transurethral resection of the prostate to prevent postoperative urinary tract infection.
Wound induced Beta vulgaris polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein genes encode a longer leucine-rich repeat domain and inhibit fungal polygalacturonases

Abstract Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins involved in plant defense. Three sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) PGIP genes, BvPGIP1 , BvPGIP2 and BvPGIP3 , were isolated from breeding line F1016 and BvPGIP2 and BvPGIP3 from F1010. Full-length cDNA sequences of the three BvPGIP genes encoded a 382 or 384 amino acid peptide. They shared closest similarity with five PGIP -like sequences found in the sugar beet reference genome (RefBeet 1.2.1) as well as Bv ( FC607 ) PGIP1 and Bv ( FC607 ) PGIP2 from sugar beet breeding line FC607. The predicted structure of BvPGIP1, 2 and 3 peptides was that of Phaseolus vulgaris PvPGIP2 with the exception that the sugar beet peptides were about 40 amino acids longer and encoded an additional LRR repeat. RT-PCR and qPCR analyses demonstrated BvPGIP gene expression in leaves, petioles, hypocotyls and highest expression in roots. Leaf and root BvPGIP transcripts increased in response to insect feeding and mechanical wounding. An agarose radial diffusion assay showed that BvPGIP protein extracts inhibited polygalacturonases (PGs) of Rhizoctonia solani , Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli and F. oxysporum f. sp. betae with the exception that PGIP extracts from line F1010 did not inhibit R. solani PGs. These findings identify sugar beet PGIP genes that encode LRR domains that are longer than reported for most other species. In addition, the wound up-regulated BvPGIP gene expression and inhibition of fungal PGs by PGIP extracts suggest that like other plant PGIPs, the sugar beet genes may play an active role in defense responses.
Viral respiratory disease of the horse.

The diagnosis of any viral respiratory disease relies on laboratory procedures to isolate the virus and demonstrate a significant rise in serum antibody titers. To isolate viruses from the upper respiratory tract, it is imperative that nasopharyngeal swabs are obtained from animals in the early acute stage of illness, i.e., during the pyrexic phase when the virus is replicating. Nasopharyngeal swabs must be placed in a virus transport medium and forwarded immediately to the laboratory at refrigerated temperature. Equine influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and equine viral arteritis are the three viral infections causing outbreaks of respiratory disease in North America. African horse sickness, although foreign to North America, could be introduced despite stringent horse importation regulations. Specific antiviral therapy is not available to treat viral respiratory disease in the horse. A variety of inactivated and modified live vaccines, however, are available to prevent clinical disease and the spread of infection caused by the common viral respiratory pathogens. A considerable amount of research is underway to enhance the potency and duration of immunity of the present vaccines against influenza and rhinopneumonitis. This research is directed at defining and characterizing the importance of specific glycoprotein antigens on the surface of the virus, which trigger the various host immune responses, and determining whether they are stimulatory or suppressive.
Essential role of histidine peptides in tetanus toxin production.

SUMMARY A pancreatic digest of casein, the key material in a defined medium for the production of tetanus toxin, has been separated by means of reversible resin columns into three main fractions: (1) an acidic fraction, (2) a neutral fraction, and (3) a basic fraction. The part,icipation of the basic fraction in the production of toxin has now been elucidated. By means of silver precipitation it has been separated into three subfractions; free arginine and lysine will substitute for the corresponding two subfractions, and the essential component in the histidine fract,ion has been identified as histidine in peptide linkage. Synthetic histidine peptides can be successfully sub- stituted for the naturally occurring material, and differences in their effect on toxin production have been observed. Glycyl-L-histidine and a-amino- n-butyryl-L-histidine mere the most active of those tested. Carnosine or acetylhistidine will substitute, but good toxin is produced only when large amounts of these substances are used. Free L-histidine is without effect on toxin production but will support growth of the organism. Preliminary experiments on the remaining unknown components in the acidic and neu- tral fractions indicate that they also may be pept.ide in nature.
A commentary on ‘generally representative is representative of none: pitfalls of IQ test standardization in multicultural settings’ by A.B. Shuttleworth-Edwards

We offer an appraisal of Professor Shuttleworth-Edwards's commentary (2016) on the extraordinary challenges of assessment of cognitive function in a culturally, educationally, racially, and linguistically diverse population. First, we discuss the purpose of using intelligence tests in South Africa and beyond in order to clarify the reference group on which norms will be based. Next, we discuss the psychometric consequences of Pearson's decisions to not adapt their measure of intellectual functioning to the cultural background of the majority of South Africans, and to use a population-matched normative sample in which the disadvantaged group is in the majority. We echo Professor Shuttleworth-Edwards's call for large-scale empirical studies of cognitive test performance in a multicultural context. We conclude the article by urging the entire community of neuropsychologists to hold test companies accountable to strict, ethical, and comprehensive standards for production of accurate and appropriate measurement of cognitive function.
Institutional Repository Day at the University of Southern Mississippi

We participated in the second Institutional Repository (IR) Day held at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, an annual event that focuses on the role and functions of...
Metabolic effects of a mitochondrial‐targeted coenzyme Q analog in high fat fed obese mice

We recently reported that mitoquinone (mitoQ, 500 μmol/L) added to drinking water of C57BL/6J mice attenuated weight gain, decreased food intake, increased hypothalamic orexigenic gene expression, and mitigated oxidative stress when administered from the onset of high-fat (HF) feeding. Here, we examined the effects of mitoQ on pre-existing obesity in C57BL/6J mice first made obese by 107 days of HF feeding. In contrast to our preventative study, we found that already obese mice did not tolerate mitoQ at 500 μmol/L. Within 4 days of administration, obese mice markedly decreased food and water intake and lost substantial weight necessitating a dose reduction to 250 μmol/L. Food and water intake then improved. Over the next 4 weeks, body mass of the mitoQ-treated mice increased faster than vehicle-treated controls but did not catch up. Over the subsequent 10 weeks, weights of the mitoQ-treated group remained significantly less than vehicle control, but percent fat and food intake did not differ. Although the mitoQ-treated groups continued to drink less, there was no difference in percent body fluid and no laboratory evidence of dehydration at study end. At the time of killing, hypothalamic NPY gene expression was reduced in the mitoQ-treated mice . Liver fat was markedly increased by HF feeding but did not differ between mitoQ and vehicle groups and, in contrast to our previous preventative study, there was no improvement in plasma alanine amino transferase or liver hydroperoxides. In summary, administration of mitoQ to already obese mice attenuated weight gain, but showed limited overall benefit.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiation After Age 50 Years in an Organized Program

Introduction Recent studies report racial disparities among individuals in organized colorectal cancer (CRC) programs; however, there is a paucity of information on CRC screening utilization by race/ethnicity among newly age-eligible adults in such programs. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study among Kaiser Permanente Northern California enrollees who turned age 50 years between 2007 and 2012 (N=138,799) and were served by a systemwide outreach and facilitated in-reach screening program based primarily on mailed fecal immunochemical tests to screening-eligible people. Kaplan–Meier and Cox model analyses were used to estimate differences in receipt of CRC screening in 2015–2016. Results Cumulative probabilities of CRC screening within 1 and 2 years of subjects’ 50th birthday were 51% and 73%, respectively. Relative to non-Hispanic whites, the likelihood of completing any CRC screening was similar in blacks (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% CI=0.96, 1.00); 5% lower in Hispanics (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% CI=0.93, 0.96); and 13% higher in Asians (hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% CI=1.11, 1.15) in adjusted analyses. Fecal immunochemical testing was the most common screening modality, representing 86% of all screening initiations. Blacks and Hispanics had lower receipt of fecal immunochemical testing in adjusted analyses. Conclusions CRC screening uptake was high among newly screening-eligible adults in an organized CRC screening program, but Hispanics were less likely to initiate screening near age 50 years than non-Hispanic whites, suggesting that cultural and other individual-level barriers not addressed within the program likely contribute. Future studies examining the influences of culturally appropriate and targeted efforts for screening initiation are needed.
Axial dispersion effects with small diameter adsorbent particles

Macropore diffusion is traditionally assumed to control the mass transfer rate in columns packed with zeolite particles in an oxygen production process. While numerous studies have confirmed this assumption for the particle size used in industrial size pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes, it has not been validated for the much smaller particle size used in rapid PSA (RPSA). Smaller particles improve the mass transfer rate by increasing interfacial area per volume as well as decreasing diffusion distance. Despite this reduction, RPSA simulations often still assume a mass transfer rate solely limited by macropore diffusion. This approach fails to adequately account for the influence of other mass transfer mechanisms whose impact increases due to particle size reduction. This study experimentally demonstrates the dominant mass transfer mechanism is no longer macropore diffusion for the particle size used in RPSA for small scale oxygen production. Depending on the gas velocity, axial dispersion effects either become the limiting mechanism or equally as important as macropore diffusion. It also shows that improperly accounting for axial dispersion effects has a significant impact on the mass transfer coefficient estimation, often measured with breakthrough experiments.
Photophysical Tuning of N-Oxide-Based Probes Enables Ratiometric Photoacoustic Imaging of Tumor Hypoxia

Hypoxia results when the oxygen supply to rapidly growing tumors becomes inadequate to support various physiological processes. This plays a role in tumor metastasis and treatment resistance. Therefore, identifying tumor hypoxia can guide treatment planning and predict patient responses. However, hypoxic volumes are heterogeneously dispersed throughout a tumor, making it a challenge to pinpoint them with any degree of accuracy. Herein, we report the development of ratiometric hypoxia probe 1 (rHyP-1), which is a hypoxia-responsive small-molecule probe designed for reliable hypoxia detection using photoacoustic imaging. Photoacoustic imaging utilizes near-infrared (NIR) light to induce the production of ultrasound signals, enabling high-resolution image acquisition at centimeter depths. Together with the ratiometric capability of rHyP-1, reliable hypoxia detection with unprecedented spatial resolution is possible while minimizing error associated with concentration dependence and tissue heterogeneity.
Growth of yttrium iron garnet on SiO2

The authors performed several studies on the quality of yttrium iron garnet thin films grown on silicon dioxide via radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The use of rapid thermal annealing as the postdeposition anneal was explored for different thicknesses, and a surprisingly narrow temperature window was found to produce the highest saturation magnetization for ultrathin films. Transmission electron microscopy imaging visually shows a correlation between the saturation magnetization, and the structure of the film and shows a change in structure when annealing above the temperature window.
4.18 Kinesin Single-Molecule Mechanics

Kinesin-1 is a molecular motor that actively transports vesicles and organelles along microtubules inside of cells. Recent advances in optical trapping have allowed high-fidelity experiments to be performed on single molecules of kinesin-1, along with other motors within the kinesin family tree. We present a description of the early experiments that led to the discovery of kinesin, as well as recent advances in the field. Additionally, we highlight the single molecule experimental techniques used to gain insight into how kinesin motors function.
A Comparison of Proteinoid and Aldocyanoin Microsystems as Models of the Primordial Protocell

Perhaps more than any other investigator, Professor Sidney Fox has helped build the kind of solid empirical foundation upon which any meaningful discussion of the origin of life must be based. His work has had a significant impact on my own research on the origin of life. The proteinoid microsystem theory is one of the most important current models of protobiogenesis and I have followed its development over the years with interest and admiration. Especially impressive is the scope of this view, ranging as it does from the primordial synthesis of amino acids from simple gases to the beginnings of nucleic acid-directed polypeptide synthesis in microscopic units of bacterial dimensions (Fox, 1978; Fox and Dose, 1977).
Supercritical combustion of gas-centered liquid-swirl coaxial injectors for staged-combustion engines

Abstract The combustion characteristics of gas-centered, liquid-swirl coaxial injectors typically used in oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle engines are numerically investigated at supercritical conditions. Turbulence closure is achieved using large-eddy-simulation techniques, and turbulence/chemistry interaction is modeled by a steady laminar flamelet approach. Gaseous oxygen (GOX) at 687.7 K is injected into the center post while kerosene at 492.2 K is delivered tangentially into the outer coaxial annulus. The operating pressure is 25.3 MPa. Detailed flow structures and flame dynamics are explored. The entire flowfield can be divided into four regimes: propellant injection, flame initialization, flame development, and intensive combustion. The diffusion-dominated flame is anchored in the wake of the GOX post and further enhanced in the downstream taper region. The surface of the coaxial annulus and taper is covered by fuel-rich mixtures and thus protected from thermal flux in the flame zone. Effects of the recess length (from the end of GOX post to the entrance of taper region) on the flow and flame evolution are investigated in depth. The efficiency of propellant mixing and subsequent combustion is found to increase with increasing recess length. The kerosene film is nearly depleted before the exit of the recess region for cases with long recess length, and the flame spreads upwards in the taper region for cases with reduced recess length due to insufficient mixing between GOX and kerosene. In a fully recessed injector without fuel shielding, the injected kerosene behaves like a liquid jet in a crossflow. Two recirculating zones containing fuel-rich mixtures are formed between the injection slit and the headend. A broad flame region is established at the exit of the recess region. In a non-recessed injector, the occurrence of combustion is delayed to the taper region. The flame resides along the taper surface and the injector faceplate, with most of GOX convecting downstream unburned. Results obtained from the present study can also be used to characterize combustion responses to local flow oscillations.
Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis

The bone is a dynamic tissue that is continuously removed and replaced (i.e., remodeled) in order to (1) ensure adaptation of the skeleton to weight-bearing (shape is function), (2) repair microdamages (cracks) that result from mechanical stresses, and (3) allow for mobilization of calcium from the skeleton in order to maintain serum calcium homeostasis. Bone remodeling is initiated by the development and activation of osteoclasts, the bone-resorbing cell, which then release growth factors capable to activate osteoblasts, the bone-forming cell. The activities of bone removal and deposition are therefore coupled within each “bone multicellular unit” or BMU. After the completion of growth, the bone size and mineral content have reached its peak and will be maintained more or less unchanged during the adult life in absence of pathophysiological conditions thanks to moderate levels of bone remodeling that are perfectly balanced between resorption and formation within each BMU. In addition, the skeleton continuously responds to mechanical stimuli resulting from both muscle contraction and weight-bearing, by directly stimulating bone formation (i.e., without prior resorption), a process known as bone modeling. This process in particular is responsible for the increased bone diameter and bone mass observed in physically active individuals, furthermore in athletes. It is controlled by osteocytes, which are terminally differentiated osteoblasts that have lost their capacity to form new bone but are entrenched in the bone and form a dense network of “sensing” cells capable to respond to mechanical stimuli, as well as to microdamages, and control both modeling and local remodeling processes.
Ruthenium Nanoframes in the Face-Centered Cubic Phase: Facile Synthesis and Their Enhanced Catalytic Performance.

Owing to their highly open structure and a large number of low-coordination sites on the surface, noble-metal nanoframes are intriguing for catalytic applications. Here, we demonstrate the rational...
Atelectasis of the Entire Lung

Atelectasis is defined, as are the four common mechanisms. Different types of focal, lobar, and global atelectasis are discussed. Salient radiographic and cross-sectional imaging features are discussed. The differential diagnoses for each of the common mechanisms are discussed, including their specific imaging features and implications.
Precision Prevention: The Current State and Future of Genomically Guided Cancer Prevention

The identification of cancer-predisposing germline variants has potentially substantial clinical impact for patients and their families. Although management guidelines have been proposed for some g...
Variations in Health Care Utilization Patterns Among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients at Risk for High Medical Service Utilization Enrolled in High Deductible Health Plans.

BACKGROUND High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are increasing in prevalence as a cost control device for slowing health care cost growth by reducing nonessential medical service utilization. High cost-sharing associated with HDHPs can lead to significant financial distress and worse disease outcomes. We hypothesize that chronic disease patients are delaying or foregoing necessary medical care due to health care costs. METHODS A retrospective cohort analysis of IBD patients at risk for high medical service utilization with continuous enrollment in either an HDHP or THP from 2009 to 2016 were identified using the MarketScan database. Health care costs were compared between insurance plan groups by Kruskal-Wallis test. Temporal trends in office visits, colonoscopies, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations were evaluated using additive decomposition time series analysis. RESULTS Of 605,862 patients with a diagnosis of IBD, we identified 13,052 eligible patients. Annual out-of-pocket costs were higher in the HDHP group (n = 524) than the THP group (n = 12,458) ($2870 vs $1,864; P < 0.001) without any difference in total health care expenses ($23,029 vs $23,794; P = 0.583). Enrollment in an HDHP influenced colonoscopy, ED visit, and hospitalization utilization timing. Colonoscopies peaked in the fourth quarter, ED visits peaked in the first quarter, and hospitalizations peaked in the third and fourth quarter. CONCLUSIONS High-deductible health plan enrollment does not change the cost of care; however, it shifts health care costs onto patients and changes the timing of the care they receive. High-deductible health plans are incentivizing delays in obtaining health care with a potential to cause worse disease outcomes and financial distress. Further evaluation is warranted.
Impact of Race/Ethnicity, Veteran Status, and Place of Birth on Attitudes Towards Welfare Recipients: An Experimental Approach.

The current study explored the differences in the public’s attitudes and emotions towards welfare recipients based on their race/ethnicity, birthplace, and veteran status. Participants read a mock ...
Graph Matching Based Connectomic Biomarker with Learning for Brain Disorders.

Advances in neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion MRI and functional MRI enabled evaluation of the brain as an information processing network that is called connectome. Connectomic analysis has led to numerous findings on the organization of the brain its pathological changes with diseases, providing imaging-based biomarkers that help in diagnosis and prognosis. A large majority of connectomic biomarkers benefit either from graph-theoretical measures that evaluate brain’s network structure, or use standard metrics such as Euclidean distance or Pearson’s correlation to show between-connectomes relations. However, such methods are limited in diagnostic evaluation of diseases, because they do not simultaneously measure the difference between individual connectomes, incorporate disease-specific patterns, and utilize network structure information. To address these limitations, we propose a graph matching based method to quantify connectomic similarity, which can be trained for diseases at functional systems level to provide a subject-specific biomarker assessing the disease. We validate our measure on a dataset of patients with traumatic brain injury and demonstrate that our measure achieves better separation between patients and controls compared to commonly used connectomic similarity measures. We further evaluate the vulnerability of the functional systems to the disease by utilizing the parameter tuning aspect of our method. We finally show that our similarity score correlates with clinical scores, highlighting its potential as a subject-specific biomarker for the disease.
Non-stationary Almost Sure Invariance Principle for Hyperbolic Systems with Singularities

We investigate a wide class of two-dimensional hyperbolic systems with singularities, and prove the almost sure invariance principle (ASIP) for the random process generated by sequences of dynamically Holder observables. The observables could be unbounded, and the process may be non-stationary and need not have linearly growing variances. Our results apply to Anosov diffeomorphisms, Sinai dispersing billiards and their perturbations. The random processes under consideration are related to the fluctuation of Lyapunov exponents, the shrinking target problem, etc.
Exciton-Trion-Polaritons in Two-Dimensional Materials: Correlated Many Body States of Matter and Light

Excitons and trions in doped two dimensional (2D) materials are strongly coupled due to Coulomb interactions. In photonic microstructures, these Coulomb-coupled exciton-trion states can also be strongly coupled with light to give rise to coherent exciton-trion-polaritons. We present experimental and theoretical results on these exciton-trion-polaritons.
Obituary for Gary D. James, Ph.D. 1954-2020.

It is with considerable sadness that we announce the death of Professor Gary Douglas James who died unexpectedly on October 15, 2020 at the age of 65 of a massive myocardial infarction. Professor J...
The Marshall Plan: economic effects and implications for Eastern Europe and the former USSR

The Marshall Plan Barry Eichengreen and Marc Uzan Europe's post-World War II experience with the Marshall Plan is frequently invoked by advocates of Western aid for Eastern Europe and the former USSR. Yet previous analyses of the Marshall Plan are uniformly sceptical that it had important economic effects. This paper finds, in contrast, that the Marshall Plan contributed importantly to Europe's recovery from World War II. Strikingly, however, the obvious channels through which the Marshall Plan could have affected recovery – stimulating investment, augmenting imports, and financing infra-structure repair – were relatively unimportant. Rather, post-war Europe was suffering a marketing crisis, in which political instability, shortages of consumer goods and fears of financial chaos led producers to hoard commodities and workers to limit effort. The Marshall Plan solved this marketing crisis by facilitating the restoration of financial stability and the liberalization of production and prices; this was its crucial role. These conclusions have obvious implications for Western aid to Eastern Europe and the successor states of the former USSR.
Finite Element Modeling

Many structures of practical importance are too complex to be analyzed by classical, analytical techniques and, hence, numerical analysis is generally used. The finite element method is the most widely used numerical technique for structural and system analyses.
A proposed strategy for overcoming inertia

Publisher Summary This chapter posits that new communally developed and supported mechanisms are required and elaborates on a proposed strategy to bring this about. The pace of adoption will not significantly accelerate on its own. Yet the exigencies of the present are manifold and pressing, and the slow progress cannot be abided. Therefore, a fresh strategy is needed. Discussion, action, and suggestions helpful in accomplishing the goal of broad dissemination and wide use of high-quality clinical decision support contained herein are discussed. Part of the inertia is because of the fact that to systematically address the problem of accelerating adoption on a broad scale there is a need for considerable infrastructure, tools, and resources that is both daunting to individual efforts and requires concerted action that has not yet become organized. A considerable body of shared knowledge content is needed in addition to or as a basis for local adaptation and customization. Addressing the inertia thus requires that a much more coordinated, communal approach be developed to overcome barriers, align motivations, obtain support, and establish the mechanisms that will be needed.
Targeting HAUSP: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

The cysteine protease deubiquitinase herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP) has been fairly well characterized in recent years and has emerged as an important component of the p53-Mdm2-MdmX signaling pathway. HAUSP was first identified as a 135 kD cellular factor associated with the herpesvirus regulatory protein Vmw110. Interestingly, reduction or ablation of HAUSP leads to the DNA-damage-induced MdmX degradation and instability of Mdm2, leading to a robust stabilization of p53. Removal of HAUSP reduces the half-life of Mdm2 from 30 min to approximately 5 min. These four proteins, p53, Mdm2, MdmX, and HAUSP have a delicate, intimate balance that maintains p53 proteins levels and is critical for an appropriate DNA damage response to occur. And because of the strong p53 induction that occurs in the absence of HAUSP, it represents a potential chemotherapeutic target for the stabilization and activation of p53 in cells that retain a wildtype copy of the gene.
Solute and penetrant diffusion in swellable polymers: VI. The Deborah and swelling interface numbers as indicators of the order of biomolecular release

Abstract A theoretical framework based on the dimensionless analysis of the penetrant swelling and solute release phenomena in a swelling-controlled system was developed for use in the prediction of the release behavior of solutes from swellable polymers. Prediction is based on the values of the diffusional Deborah number , De, and the swelling interface number , Sw. The Deborah number takes into account the relative importance of polymer relaxation and penetrant diffusion in the penetrant uptake mechanism. The swelling interface number relates the rate of penetrant uptake to the rate of solute diffusion. It was concluded that zero-order (time-independent) release would be observed in cases for which De is of the order of unity and Sw is very small. In all other cases the release is either Fickian or non-Fickian but time-dependent. Experimental verification of the theory was conducted using poly(2-hydroxy-ethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) copolymers containing 0.5 wt% theophylline and studying their swelling and release behavior .
Reliability and cost analysis of different Power inverter topologies in Electric Vehicles

Reliability of Power inverter in an Electric Vehicle is of great importance as it is one of the most critical components of the electric powertrain. The failure rate prediction model (parts count method) is utilized to calculate reliability of Power inverter topologies. It is found that paralleling the switching devices increases the reliability of the Power inverter but the reliability saturates eventually. This paper presents a technique for selecting the number of switching devices that can be paralleled in a Power inverter optimizing both the reliability and the cost. 60 kW electric Powertrain is taken as an example.
Drosophila Innate Immunity

Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model for studying innate immunity that has been used to identify and characterise the role of the Toll pathway and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) signalling in both insects and mammals. When flies encounter a pathogen, two pattern recognition pathways, Toll and imd, induce a humoral immune response consisting primarily of antimicrobial peptide production. Drosophila also has a cellular immune response in which phagocytic cells engulf and destroy foreign invaders; a melanisation response that generates reactive oxygen species; and an antiviral RNAi (ribonucleic acid interference) response. Application of Drosophila model has already taught us much about innate immunity. As we expand our research to take a more comprehensive look at how a host responds to infection and what determines the outcome of that infection we can continue to learn more about this complex system from the simple fruitfly. Key Concepts: Drosophila can be used as a model system to study the innate immune system. The Drosophila immunity consists of humoral, cellular and melanisation responses. The humoral immune response involves antimicrobial peptide production, which is induced by the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by patter recognition receptors (PRRs). Two NFκB signalling pathways, Toll and imd, regulate the AMP response to fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens. The cellular immune response is enacted by phagocytic cells known as hemocytes. The melanisation response encapsulates foreign invaders with melanin and produces reactive oxygen species to kill microbes. The fly also has barrier epithelia, native intestinal flora and an RNAi antiviral response which contribute to innate immunity. Physiological and environmental factors can affect the outcome of an infection, including sleep and additional immune challenges. The susceptibility of a fruitfly to bacterial infection depends both on its ability to resist a pathogenic infection and prevent bacterial growth and also its ability to tolerate the bacteria and the consequences of its own immune response. Keywords: Drosophila; innate immunology; Toll; antimicrobial peptides; melanisation
Mechanisms of Irritant Contact Dermatitis

Irritant contact dermatitis is an eczematous reaction in the skin of external origin. In contrast to allergic contact dermatitis, no eliciting allergens can be identified. The spectrum of irritant reactions is broad and includes: subjective irritant response, acute irritant contact dermatitis, chronic irritant contact dermatitis, and chemical burns (Table 4.1). Irritant contact dermatitis is in its acute form characterised by erythema, infiltration, and vesiculation. In its more chronic form, dryness, fissuring, and hyperkeratosis are more pronounced. Despite these hallmarks, the clinical manifestation of the skin lesions developing, following contact with different irritants, varies. Factors that may influence the outcome of skin contact with irritants can be divided into: (1) exogenous, such as structural and chemical properties of the irritant, exposure to other irritants, and environmental conditions (temperature, humidity); and (2) endogenous, such as the body region that is exposed (the scrotum is much more sensitive than, e.g. the upper back), age [1], race [2], and pre-existing skin disease. Moreover, in addition to the capacity of different irritants to induce clinically different reactions, it has been reported that marked interindividual variation in threshold for eliciting clinical irritant reaction in skin is present [3].
Isolation and characterization of lipopolysaccharides containing 6-O-methyl-D-glucose from Mycobacterium species.

Abstract A polysaccharide, composed of 6-O-methyl-d-glucose and d-glucose in a molar ratio of 6:4, was isolated from the watersoluble portion of the deacylated crude lipids of Mycobacterium phlei and M. tuberculosis. The polysaccharide was purified by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, and borate complex formation, and was shown to have a molecular weight of about 3000 and [α]d22 +160° (c, 0.1; water). Methylation analysis of the polysaccharide showed that it has a branched structure with an average chain length of 8 to 9 hexose units. The major type of glycosidic linkage is α-(1 → 4), and the branching involves position 3 of one of the 6-O-methyl-d-glucose residues. Oligosaccharides were prepared by acetolysis of the polysaccharide, and were purified by paper chromatography. Di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and heptasaccharides of α-(1 → 4)-linked 6-O-methyl-d-glucose, in addition to maltose and maltotriose, were isolated. The only heterooligosaccharide found was O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-6-O-methyl-d-glucose. β-Amylase had no action on the polysaccharide, whereas α-amylase liberated about 20% of the total carbohydrate, mainly as d-glucose and maltose. Limited amylolysis yielded d-glucose, maltose, and unidentified oligosaccharides containing d-glucose. Intact lipopolysaccharide, containing 2 to 3 moles of ester-linked fatty acid, was prepared from a 70% ethanol extract of M. phlei. The lipopolysaccharide was soluble in water and in a 2:1 chloroform-methanol mixture, but was only slightly soluble in methanol or ethanol. Proton magnetic resonance and infrared and ultraviolet spectra were consistent with the results obtained by chemical analysis.
A Comparison of the Academic Performance of College Bound High School Students in Regional vs. Community High Schools in Connecticut

Consolidated Regional High Schools (RHSs) have replaced traditional Community High Schools (CHSs) in many nonmetropolitan communities. Consolidation purports to offer cost savings that, in theory, enable nonmetropolitan districts to provide a wider array of instructional opportunities to their students. Nonetheless, critics argue that the benefits of consolidation do not outweigh the costs. This inquiry adds to this discussion an examination of differences in performance on the 2006 - 2008 SAT I between RHS and CHS students in Connecticut. Results suggest that RHS students outperformed their CHS counterparts on 15 of 16 points of comparison. Four of these differences reaching statistical significance.
Nematode ( C. elegans ), Molecular Biology of

The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is a major model organism for studies in genetics, cell biology, neurobiology, and development. The use of C. elegans as a model organism began in the 1950s. The cellular basis of the development and neuroanatomy of C. elegans have been described in detail. Studies of C. elegans have elucidated the genetic basis of apoptotic cell death, axon guidance, aging, and RNA interference. The C. elegans genome is one of the smallest known for any animal and was the first animal genome to be completely sequenced. The number of genes in the worm genome is comparable to that of other larger animals, suggesting that although C. elegans is small, it has comparable biological complexity to other animals. The functions of most C. elegans genes are not known. C. elegans is well suited to both forward and reverse genetic manipulations of the genome. Postgenomic studies are continuing to explore the biological complexity of C. elegans . Keywords: Holocentric, Holokinetic; Systemic RNAi
Testicular (Sertoli's Cell)-Like Tumors of the Ovary Induced by N-Ethyl-N-Nitrosourea (ENU) in Rats

N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) administered intraperitoneally or transplacentally to Sprague-Dawley (CD) and BD-IV (Berlin Druckrey IV) rats increased the incidence (26.6%) of an uncommon ovarian tumor with testicular characteristics compared either to controls (3.0%) or rats administered diethylnitrosamine (3.3%). The induced tumors were composed of tubular structures that resembled seminiferous tubules lined by Sertoli's-like cells. The abundant electron-lucent cytoplasm of the tumor cells contained polyribosomes, lipid bodies, and mitochondria but few additional organelles. Sertoli's cell-like tumors appeared to develop from the ovarian stroma in the hilar region of the ovary. They usually were benign and resulted in unilateral enlargement of the ovary. The mean serum concentrations of testosterone, estrone, and estradiol in selected rats with ovarian tumors were elevated above mean serum values in controls. There was not a consistent direct correlation between tumor diameter and circulating hormone level. Ethyl nitrosourea-induced ovarian tumors composed of testicular (Sertoli's-like) cells will provide a reproducible animal model to investigate the histogenesis and hormone secreting properties of this unique gonadal neoplasm.
Conclusions on Neutron Albedo Decay Source

At the end of the Session, Dr. MCCORMAC requested that the chairman try to summarize the experimental material presented dealing with neutron decay. Dr. HESS put the following chart (Table I) on the board as his estimate of the findings of the significant experiments. He stated that the definition of agreement that he was using was “agreement within a factor of three”.