cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical switching technology for glazings

Abstract The technology of optical switching devices for dynamic glazings and other applications is discussed. The status of the state of the industry and its developments is detailed. The technical emphasis will be on the properties of chromogenic materials covering electrochromic, phase-dispersed liquid crystals and dispersed-particle systems. Such technologies can be used for dynamic control of solar energy through building and vehicle glazings. Both visible and solar control can be obtained from these devices. Switching ranges can be from as high as 80% to 5–10% transmittance in the visible region. The energy and daylighting benefits of such glazings are discussed. Also, chromogenic glazings can be used for other product applications such as the modulation of reflector surfaces and large electronic information display systems. The science of selected electrocchromic devices is covered. Technical issues concerning large-scale chromogenic devices are discussed.
Temperature stabilization of CMOS capacitive accelerometers

CMOS micromachining technology allows the integration of micromachined structures defined by the fine-line geometry of the CMOS interconnect with circuits on the same chip. The mechanical structure is composed of the metal and oxide layers of the CMOS interconnect. One important consideration in design is the control of residual stress difference in the various layers that produce internal bending moments that cause structures to curl in and out of the substrate plane. A temperature stabilization scheme utilizing integrated polysilicon heaters embedded within the micromachined sensor structure to maintain the sensor at a constant temperature has been described. The temperature is maintained higher than the maximum operating temperature of the device. The heated structure is thermally isolated from the substrate to minimize power. This technique has been demonstrated on an out-of-plane accelerometer with a non-linear temperature coefficient of sensitivity. The dc bias stability of the accelerometer improved from 1.7 G ◦ C −1 ,t o 42 mG ◦ C −1 ,a nd the sensitivity variation reduced from 60% to 18% of the nominal value over a temperature range of 70 ◦ C after temperature control. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Projected 21st century climate change for wolverine habitats within the contiguous United States

Ensembles of 21st century climate projections made using a state of the art global climate model are analyzed to explore possible changes in spring snow cover and summer air temperature in present-day wolverine habitats in the contiguous United States (US). Projected changes in both snow cover and temperature are presented for a range of future emissions scenarios, and implications for the continued survival of the wolverine in the contiguous US are discussed. It is shown that under a high or medium–low emissions scenario there are likely to be dramatic reductions in spring snow cover in present-day wolverine habitats. Under these scenarios there is also likely to be a concomitant increase in summer-time temperatures, with projected maximum daily August temperatures far above those currently tolerated by the wolverine. It is likely that the wolverine, with its many adaptations for cold weather and deep snow pack, would have great difficulty adapting to such changes. The results of the simulations presented here suggest that the very low numbers of wolverines currently living in the contiguous US will likely further decline in response to the deterioration of their habitat in coming decades.
Intermediate filaments: versatile building blocks of cell structure

Cytoskeletal intermediate filaments (IF) are organized into a dynamic nanofibrillar complex that extends throughout mammalian cells. This organization is ideally suited to their roles as response elements in the subcellular transduction of mechanical perturbations initiated at cell surfaces. IF also provide a scaffold for other types of signal transduction that together with molecular motors ferries signaling molecules from the cell periphery to the nucleus. Recent insights into their assembly highlight the importance of co-translation of their precursors, the hierarchical organization of their subunits in the formation of unit-length filaments (ULF) and the linkage of ULF into mature apolar IF. Analyses by atomic force microscopy reveal that mature IF are flexible and can be stretched to over 300% of their length without breaking, suggesting that intrafilament subunits can slide past one another when exposed to mechanical stress and strain. IF also play a role in the organization of organelles by modulating their motility and providing anchorage sites within the cytoplasm.
BIOCHEMICAL STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH OF GRACILARIA TIKVAHIAE (RHODOPHYTA) IN RELATION TO LIGHT INTENSITY AND NITROGEN AVAILABILITY1

The main effects and interactions between light (Io, full incident sunlight to 0.07 Io) and NO3− loading (0.4 to 4.3 mmol · g dry weight−1· d−1) on growth rate, photosynthesis and biochemical constituents of Gracilaria tikvahiae McLachlan were studied using a factorial design experiment in outdoor, continuous-flow seawater cultures. Incipient nitrogen limitation in the low NO3− loading, Io and 0.57 Io treatments occurred after 2.5 weeks of growth under the experimental conditions and resulted in decreased tissue NO3− and R-phycoerythrin. Tissue NO3− and R-phycoerythrin accounted for up to ca. 15 and 20%, respectively, of the total N in G. tikvahiae suggesting a N reserve role for these N pools. Under light and NO3− limitation, growth rate was a parabolic function of the C:N ratio. As light limitation increased, growth rate and the C:N ratio decreased as levels of Chl-a, R-phycoerythrin, percent N and percent protein increased. As NO3− limitation increased, growth rate and levels of Chl-a, R-phycoerythrin, percent N and percent protein all decreased with parallel increases in the C:N ratio. In contrast to the inverse relationship between pigment content and light, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) activity (on both a protein and dry weight basis) varied directly with light. This biochemical acclimation of G. tikvahiae to light and N availability appears to be a process directed towards maximizing photo synthetic capacity and growth.
Frontalis Suspension for Upper Eyelid Ptosis: Evaluation of Different Surgical Designs and Suture Material

Purpose To compare two sling designs (single loop or double pentagon) and a variety of suture material that was used in frontalis suspension surgery for correction of upper eyelid ptosis. Design Retrospective, nonrandomized, comparative interventional case series. Methods Medical record review of 99 patients (164 surgeries) who underwent frontalis suspension surgery for upper eyelid ptosis was conducted at the Jules Stein Eye Institute in 1996 to 2002. Functional and cosmetic success, margin reflex distance (MRD) and lagophthalmos were evaluated. Results MRD increased an average of 1.1 mm after the operation (P Conclusion Frontalis suspension for upper eyelid ptosis resulted in 26% ptosis recurrence after a mean of 12 months from first surgery. Polytetrafluoroethylene showed the lowest incidence of ptosis recurrence. No statistically significant difference was found between different suture materials or loop shape that was used in the surgical technique. A better cosmetic outcome, as graded by different observers, was noted in cases in which a nylon sling was used.
Some Things Having Been Considered

Professor Judith Hicks Stiehm asked students and political scientists to consider some things about our military in her introduction (453–6) to the July 2007 PS symposium. The deliberations on my end as a student are over. Here are the results.
Herbivory, Plant Density, and Plant Reproductive Success: The Effect of Battus Philenor on Aristolochia Reticulata

The pipevine swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor, normally consumes =45% of the annual leaf crop of its primary host plant in east Texas (USA), Aristolochia reticulate. Feeding by larvae significantly increases plant mortality and decreases plant growth rate. No direct effects of larval feeding on reproduction were detected, but a substantial decrease in seed production per plant is inferred from the increased mortality and decreased growth rates. Plants grown experimentally at high density had the same probability of having eggs laid on them as did plants grown at low density. The actual number of leaves eaten per plant was also similar for plants grown at both densities. Larval feeding increased mortality and decreased plant growth rate by similar amounts at both high and low plant density. There was also no evidence that seed pro- duction was greater at one plant density than at another. The pipevine swallowtail thus does not appear to regulate the density of local patches of Aristolochia. These experimental results do not rule out the possibility of regulation by a numerical response of the butterfly to increases in host population densities throughout large areas of habitat. These results suggest that the pipevine swallowtail has exerted a potent selective pressure molding the evolution of A. reticulate. Three characteristics of this plant species may be interpreted as adaptive responses to this pressure: tough, nutrient-poor leaves; underground flowering and fruiting; and a high root/shoot ratio.
CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION IN MILD AND MODERATE IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS.

Thirty-three patients between the ages of nine and twenty with idiopathic scoliosis were subjected to a series of simple cardiac and pulmonary-function studies. None of these patients had received any surgical therapy. Seventeen of the thirty-three (52 per cent) had significant reduction of pulmonary volume, best reflected by the vital capacity which showed good statistical correlation with both degree of lateral curvature and estimated rotation. The greater the curve, the greater was the deficit in the vital capacity. Only one of these patients had significant subjective complaints, indicating the occult nature of these deficits in patients of this age. No cardiac abnormalities were uncovered in this group of patients. Further work in this area is clearly indicated. It is essential to determine the natural course of this respiratory impairment over a period of years and to determine the effect of conservative and surgical correction of this deformity.
Comparative Effectiveness of CRT-D Versus Defibrillator Alone in HF Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Kidney Disease.

AbstractBackground: Patients with moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) are poorly represented in clinical trials of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).Objectives: This study sought ...
Sperm Precedence and Competition in Doubly-Mated Limenitis arthemis-astyanax Butterflies (Rhopalocera: Nymphalidae)

Abstract Reciprocal double mating experiments were done between the northern banded (disruptively colored) form [Limenitis arthemis arthemis (Drury)] and the southern unbanded mimetic form [L. arthemis astyanax (F.)] of the banded purple butterfly. The results showed that following a second mating (and the successful transfer of a second spermatophore into the bursa copulatrix of each female), the first male continued to sire the subsequent progeny in five of 17 (29%) cases. The sequential double matings of these 17 different females with 34 different males resulted in full, partial, and unbanded wing phenotypes which were used as paternal genetic markers in this intergrading complex of butterflies. The containment of the spermatozoa within separate spermatophores at the time of mating normally resulted in only one effective sire. Among three broods (all one of four cross types) some sperm mixing may have occurred following the second matings, as evidenced by the occurrence of a few unbanded insects among...
Smallpox inoculation in England and America: a reappraisal.

E VER since the eighteenth century, physicians and historians have believed that the permanent establishment of smallpox inoculation in England was in large measure a consequence of its successful employment in the American colonies, more particularly in Charleston, South Carolina, where it was used in an extensive epidemic in I738. After the new preventive measure was introduced to England in reports to the Royal Society of London and through the example provided by the inoculation of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's daughter in April i72i, it was tested in much-publicized experiments on Newgate prisoners. The successful outcome encouraged the Prince and Princess of Wales to have their daughters inoculated and stimulated other members of the British aristocracy to follow suit. But, it is said, after a few years the practice died out, people felt that it was a failure, and little was heard of it from about I728 until I743 when Dr. James Kirkpatrick of Charleston, then resident in London, published an expanded version of his Essay on Inoculation written during the Charleston epidemic. A large share of the credit for securing the practice firmly in England has been assigned to his essay and to the founding of the Smallpox and Inoculation Hospital in London in
The Use of a Central Composite Rotatable Design with Response Surface Analysis to Predict Turkey Breast and Thigh Meat Quality Characteristics

Abstract A two-factor central composite rotatable design and corresponding response surface analysis were applied to cooked half-turkey roasts, using cooking temperature and endpoint temperature as the two independent variables. Heating rates (degrees Celsius/gram, degrees Celsius/minute), total cooking and evaporation loss (percent), cooking time (minute), total nitrogen, low ionic strength and remaining nitrogen (micrograms nigrogen/milligrams breast meat, dry weight basis) and nonprotein nitrogen extract (micrograms nitrogen/milligrams breast meat, wet weight basis) were significantly affected by different cooking temperatures and endpoint temperatures. Sensory score obtained for breast or thigh meat did not differ significantly at the different cooking temperature and endpoint temperature combinations. Response surfaces were found useful in evaluating results. A second experiment indicated that the two-factor central composite rotatable design and response surface analysis was useful to predict variable-dependent responses of turkey halves roasted at 350 F (177 C) to an endpoint temperature of 80 C.
Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury: Screening Validity and Effect on Outcomes

Abstract Objectives To determine the diagnostic accuracy of a self-report measure of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI), and to assess the potential effect of TBI on acute and postacute outcomes. Design Incident TBI as determined by self-report was compared with systematic medical records review by physicians blinded to self-reported TBI. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation unit. Participants From 155 consecutive admissions, participants (N=105; 73% men; mean age, 45.9y; 73% white; 58% with tetraplegia) who met inclusion criteria and were admitted on the day of injury were recruited and assessed. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Step 2 of the Traumatic Brain Injury-4 (TBI-4) interview was used to estimate the presence and severity of TBI. Results Estimated incidence of TBI was 33% by chart review and 60% based on Step 2 of the TBI-4. Ninety-one percent of those with TBI based on chart review sustained mild injuries. At the optimal cutoff of "possible TBI," the TBI-4 had a sensitivity of 83% (95% confidence interval, 66%–93%), a specificity of 51% (95% confidence interval, 39%–64%), and a Youden Index of 0.3 (95% confidence interval, 0.2–0.5). Compared with those without TBI, those with chart review–determined TBI had nonsignificant trends toward a longer acute care length of stay and a higher functional status at rehabilitation discharge, but equivalent 1-year outcomes. Conclusions Step 2 of theTBI-4 did not meet Youden's criteria (≥0.8) for good diagnostic accuracy in the context of recent SCI. Comorbid TBIs were almost exclusively mild and not associated with poorer outcomes 1 year after SCI.
The development of a guide on surge voltages in low-voltage ac power circuits

Surge voltages in ac power circuits become more significant with the increased application of miniaturized electronics in consumer and industrial products. A Working Group of IEEE has prepared a Guide describing the nature of these surges in ac power circuits up to 600 V, and is currently developing an Application Guide for using the environmental data defined in the Guide to improve protection. The Guide proposes two waveforms, one oscillatory, the other unidirectional, depending on the location within the power system. It also includes recommendations for source impedance or short-circuit current. This paper describes the data base and approach used by the Working Group and the recommendations proposed to represent typical surges, in order to obtain feedback for writing the Application Guide.
Thymosin treatment of children with refractory asthma

Objective:To investigate the thymosin injection in children with refractory asthma therapy.Methods:62 pediatric patients with acute onset of bronchial asthma were randomly divided into two groups,two groups of children were giv en the anti-inflammatory,antivirus,hormone,oxygen and aminophylline and albuterol treatment etc.Thymosin in treatment group 20 mg needle injection,1 every other day,not with the thymosin needle.Results:The total effective rate in treatment group(87.5%) than control group(73.3%),showed statistically significant difference(P0.05).Conclusion:Thymosin treatment of children refractory symptoms of asthma acute episode.
Polymer nanocomposites for laser additive manufacturing

Abstract Polyamide 11 (PA11) is widely used in selective laser sintering (SLS), but it has poor thermal, electrical, and flame-retardant properties. This research introduces two types of SLS PA11 nanocomposites: one possesses enhanced thermal and electrical properties and one possesses enhanced thermal and flammability properties. PA11 was twin-screw extruded with multiwall carbon nanotubes and nanographene platelets and was cryogenically ground into SLS powders. SLS processing parameters were optimized to obtain overall material properties. The multiwall carbon nanotubes were effective at increasing the material's electrical conductivity, with minimal losses of mechanical properties. This approach was extended to study an FR SLS polymer. The results indicate that although modified PA11 shows an effectively reduced flammability, it suffers a significant loss in elongation at the break. PA11 with intumescent FR additives toughened by a maleic anhydride-modified elastomer were melt-compounded and injection molded into specimens for property characterizations. The best candidate will be used to fabricate SLS test specimens.
Genetic ablation of Smoothened in pancreatic fibroblasts increases acinar–ductal metaplasia

The contribution of the microenvironment to pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), a preneoplastic transition in oncogenic Kras-driven pancreatic cancer progression, is currently unclear. Here we show that disruption of paracrine Hedgehog signaling via genetic ablation of Smoothened (Smo) in stromal fibroblasts in a Kras(G12D) mouse model increased ADM. Smo-deleted fibroblasts had higher expression of transforming growth factor-α (Tgfa) mRNA and secreted higher levels of TGFα, leading to activation of EGFR signaling in acinar cells and increased ADM. The mechanism involved activation of AKT and noncanonical activation of the GLI family transcription factor GLI2. GLI2 was phosphorylated at Ser230 in an AKT-dependent fashion and directly regulated Tgfa expression in fibroblasts lacking Smo Additionally, Smo-deleted fibroblasts stimulated the growth of Kras(G12D)/Tp53(R172H) pancreatic tumor cells in vivo and in vitro. These results define a non-cell-autonomous mechanism modulating Kras(G12D)-driven ADM that is balanced by cross-talk between Hedgehog/SMO and AKT/GLI2 pathways in stromal fibroblasts.
Is epigenetic inheritance a counterexample to the central dogma

This paper argues that nothing that has been discovered in the increasingly complex delails of gene regulation has provided any grounds to retract or qualify Crick's version of the central dogma. In particular it defends the role of the genes as the sole bearers of information, and argues that the mechanism of epigenetic modification of the DNA is but another vindication of Crick's version of the central dogma. The paper shows that arguments of C.K. Waters for the distinctive causual role of the genes are equivalent in important respects to the present ones and concludes with a defense of the informational role of the genes against an argument from trans-acting genetic regulation due to Stotz.
Phosphoprotein phosphatase, a new enzyme from the frog egg

In the nutrition of the young, the role of phosphoproteins is, without doubt, an important one. As casein in milk, or as the yellow yolk of many vertebrate and invertebrate eggs, phosphoprotein occurs in substantial quantities. In the frog egg, for example, the yolk platelets occupy almost half the volume of the cell. According to McClendon (5), the yolk of the frog egg consists of phosphoprotein bound to lipide; thus the platelets are a ready source of protein, lipide, and phosphorus. And yet, in spite of the obvious importance of phosphoprotein, little information is available about the manner of its utilization by the developing embryo. It has been assumed that ordinary proteolytic enzymes degrade the protein, and that ordinary phosphomonoesterases split the phosphate from phosphopeptone or from phosphoserine. In the course of an investigation of the distribution of enzymes in the frog egg, a new enzyme (or enzymes) was discovered which is apparently capable of splitting inorganic phosphate from the intact protein molecule. It is the purpose of this paper to present the experiments which led to this conclusion.
Exploration of Diffuse and Discrete Sources of Acid Mine Drainage to a Headwater Mountain Stream in Colorado, USA

We investigated the impact of acid mine drainage (AMD) contamination from the Minnesota Mine, an inactive gold and silver mine, on Lion Creek, a headwater mountain stream near Empire, Colorado. The objective was to map the sources of AMD contamination, including discrete sources visible at the surface and diffuse inputs that were not readily apparent. This was achieved using geochemical sampling, in-stream and in-seep fluid electrical conductivity (EC) logging, and electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) of the subsurface. The low pH of the AMD-impacted water correlated to high fluid EC values that served as a target for the ERI. From ERI, we identified two likely sources of diffuse contamination entering the stream: (1) the subsurface extent of two seepage faces visible on the surface, and (2) rainfall runoff washing salts deposited on the streambank and in a tailings pile on the east bank of Lion Creek. Additionally, rainfall leaching through the tailings pile is a potential diffuse source of contamination if the subsurface beneath the tailings pile is hydraulically connected with the stream. In-stream fluid EC was lowest when stream discharge was highest in early summer and then increased throughout the summer as stream discharge decreased, indicating that the concentration of dissolved solids in the stream is largely controlled by mixing of groundwater and snowmelt. Total dissolved solids (TDS) load is greatest in early summer and displays a large diel signal. Identification of diffuse sources and variability in TDS load through time should allow for more targeted remediation options.
Crystal structure of abelsonite, the only known crystalline geoporphyrin

The crystal structure of the unique nickel porphyrin mineral abelsonite, NiC31H32N4, has been solved using direct methods with 2195 independent reflections to a final R 1 = 0.0406. Abelsonite crystallizes in the triclinic space group ![Formula][1] , with Z = 1 and unit-cell parameters a = 8.4416(5) A, b = 10.8919(7) A, c = 7.2749(4) A, α = 90.465(2)°, β = 113.158(2)°, and γ = 78.080(2)° at the measurement condition of 100 K, in very good agreement with previous unit-cell parameters reported from powder diffraction. The structure consists of nearly planar, covalently bonded porphyrin molecules stacked approximately parallel to ( ![Formula][2] ), and held together by weak intermolecular Van der Waals forces. The molecules within a layer are slightly tilted such that molecular planes do not overlap, and an up-turned ethyl group on one molecule sits adjacent to a down-turned ethyl group on a neighboring molecule of the same layer. Layers are stacked along a vector normal to ( ![Formula][3] ) such that an aromatic ring at one corner of the molecule lies directly above the opposite aromatic ring of the molecule below. Although a single molecule does not quite possess ![Formula][4] symmetry, matching ethyl groups at roughly opposite ends of the molecule enable orientational disorder, in which molecules can randomly adopt one of two different orientations while still stacking in the same manner. The aggregate of these two random orientations produces an overall symmetry of ![Formula][5] . [1]: /embed/mml-math-1.gif [2]: /embed/mml-math-2.gif [3]: /embed/mml-math-3.gif [4]: /embed/mml-math-4.gif [5]: /embed/mml-math-5.gif
Dietary Red and Processed Meat Intake and Markers of Adiposity and Inflammation: The Multiethnic Cohort Study.

ABSTRACTObjective: The potential influence of dietary factors on inflammation is important for cancer prevention. Utilizing data from control participants (312 men, 911 women) in 2 nested case–control studies of cancer within the Multiethnic Cohort, we examined the associations of red and processed meat intake with serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 and the mediator effect of body mass index (BMI) on the above associations (if present).Methods: Multivariable linear models were applied to assess the association between red and processed meat intake at cohort entry and serum biomarker levels measured 9.1 years later after adjusting for covariates and to determine the mediator effect of BMI.Results: Overall red and processed meat intake was positively associated with serum leptin levels in men (β = 0.180, p = 0.0004) and women (β = 0.167, p < 0.0001). In women, higher red and processed meat consumption was significantly associa...
Alternative Set of Nonsingular Quaternionic Orbital Elements

Quaternionic elements in orbital mechanics are usually related to the Kustaanheimo–Stiefel transformation or to the definition of the orbital plane. The new set of regular elements presented in thi...
Pharmacists’ Opinions of the Value of CAPE Outcomes in Hiring Decisions

Objective. The Hiring Intent Reasoning Examination (HIRE) was designed to explore the utility of the CAPE 2013 outcomes attributes from the perspective of practicing pharmacists, examine how each attribute influences hiring decisions, and identify which of the attributes are perceived as most and least valuable by practicing pharmacists. Methods. An electronic questionnaire was developed and distributed to licensed pharmacists in four states to collect their opinions about 15 CAPE subdomains plus five additional business related attributes. The attributes that respondents identified were: necessary to be a good pharmacist, would impact hiring decisions, most important to them, and in short supply in the applicant pool. Data were analyzed using statistical analysis software to determine the relative importance of each to practicing pharmacists and various subsets of pharmacists. Results. The CAPE subdomains were considered necessary for most jobs by 51% or more of the 3723 respondents (range, 51% to 99%). The necessity for business-related attributes ranged from 21% to 92%. The percentage who would not hire an applicant who did not possess the attribute ranged from 2% to 71.5%; the percentage who considered the attribute most valuable ranged from 0.3% to 35%; and the percentage who felt the attribute was in short supply ranged from 5% to 36%. Opinions varied depending upon gender, practice setting and whether the pharmacist was an employee or employer. Conclusion. The results of this study can be used by faculty and administrators to inform curricular design and emphasis on CAPE domains and business-related education in pharmacy programs.
Usability Evaluation of Software Applications

Providers and employers of information technology applications have to ensure the conformance with the requirements and recommendations given in ISO 9241 part 1 to 17 and ISO 9000, as far as concerned to define the demands of the EU Directive 90/270. However, no accepted methodology and instruments exist to operationalise the relevant standards. Therefore, a software based evaluation procedure, called ISO 9241-Evaluator, has been developed as a comprehensive combination of methods and instruments supporting a guideline-based expert judgement.
Fungal Vectors of Plant Viruses

This paper is concerned with plant viruses (or viruslike agents) that are soil-borne and particularly with those having a fungal vector. These viruses are intimately associated with the fungus, often being harbored within the fungal resting spore. Nevertheless, they do not seem to multiply within the fungus. The emphasis in this paper will be on the fungus-virus relationships that are of biological and epidemiological interest.
IDH mutational status and the immune system in gliomas: a tale of two tumors?

Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor and include glioblastoma (GBM), which is the most lethal form of the disease, and remains a significant, unmet clinical need (1). Contrary to conventional notions of central nervous system immune-privilege, there is indeed extensive cross-talk between the immune system and tumors in the brain. Several successful immune therapies are either in development or have received recent approval from the Food and Drug Administration across a broad array of cancers ( Table 1 ). However, the results for immune therapy against solid tumors in the brain have been less dramatic to date.
An Advanced Medication Administration Experience to Promote Students' Knowledge Acquisition in the Skill of Administering Medications

Abstract Medication administration opportunities for student nurses have been decreased due to limited clinical opportunities. Full-time faculty who teach in the undergraduate program designed an advanced medication administration educational laboratory and simulation activities. Students had the opportunity to use standardized patients to administer medications. A metric of aggregate scores on the medical–surgical Health Educational System, Inc.© medication administration section were compared. The results indicated significant improvement in scores in students who completed the advanced medication administration laboratory.
Developing an integrative urban resilience capacity index for plan making

Urban resilience assessment can help planners understand the status of resilience in an urban system and identify needs for improving resilience capacities. The issues related to urban resilience are complex because of multiple urban system components, threats from different sources, and uncertainty of the future. Urban resilience theories have progressed to consider an urban system as an integrated complex system; however, urban resilience assessments are inconsistent and underdeveloped in assessing an integrated urban system for different threats at various uncertainties. In an effort to address this deficiency, we propose to develop an Integrative Urban Resilience Capacity Index (IURCI) for assessing urban resilience capacity for all threats. To improve the quality of urban resilience assessment, the IURCI considers urban physical form, spatial structure, preparation for future, and performance after plan implementation to measure resilience capacities of absorption, mitigation, and adaptation. It is built in a Scenario-Based Planning Support System (SB-PSS). The SB-PSS is a framework and an open system that integrates IURCI with scenario generation, modeling, and assessment to inform the public, planners, and other stakeholders about the consequences of different planning policies and to assist them make decisions for implementing a preferred scenario.
The Physiology of Water Homeostasis

Water is the most abundant constituent in the body. Vasopressin secretion, water ingestion, and the renal concentrating mechanism collaborate to maintain human body fluid osmolality nearly constant. Abnormalities in these processes cause hyponatremia, hypernatremia, and polyuria. The primary hormonal control of renal water excretion is by vasopressin (also named antidiuretic hormone). Thirst and vasopressin release from the posterior pituitary are under the control of osmoreceptive neurons in the central nervous system. The kidney maintains blood plasma osmolality and sodium concentration nearly constant by means of mechanisms that independently regulate water and sodium excretion. The renal medulla produces concentrated urine through the generation of an osmotic gradient extending from the cortico-medullary boundary to the inner medullary tip. This gradient is generated in the outer medulla by the countercurrent multiplication of a comparatively small transepithelial difference in osmotic pressure. This small difference, called a single effect, arises from active NaCl reabsorption from thick ascending limbs, which dilutes ascending limb flow relative to flow in vessels and other tubules. In the inner medulla, the gradient may also be generated by the countercurrent multiplication of a single effect, but the single effect has not been definitively identified. Continued experimental investigation and incorporation of the resulting information into mathematic simulations may help to more fully elucidate the inner medullary urine concentrating mechanism.
Simulations of secondary Farley-Buneman instability driven by a kilometer-scale primary wave: anomalous transport and formation of flat-topped electric fields

NSF grants PHY-1500439 and AGS-1755350 and NASA grant NNX14AI13G supported the research presented in this work. This work used TACC and XSEDE computational resources supported by the National Science Foundation grant ACI-1053575. This paper did not use any data; simulation runs are archived on the TACC Ranch system. The authors thank one anonymous reviewer for helpful comments. (PHY-1500439 - NSF; AGS-1755350 - NSF; NNX14AI13G - NASA; ACI-1053575 - National Science Foundation)
Retinoblastoma: Incidence and Etiologic Factors

Although the molecular etiology of retinoblastoma is well understood, our knowledge of the role of the underlying risk and origin of the events leading to lack of functional pRb remains limited though more recent findings suggest intriguing aspects to examine further. Our understanding of the role of environmental exposures during retinal development, though preliminary, appears to suggest a greater role during early eye development. We present global incidence organized by UN-defined regions using data from the recent IARC International Incidence of Childhood Cancer. The international variation in incidence suggests that nongenetic risk factors for the development of retinoblastoma may exist. Recent studies have focused on exposures occurring during critical time periods (before or after conception) and individual at risk (father vs. mother or child) for initiation of sporadic heritable and nonheritable retinoblastoma. Other studies have used cross-linked pollution indices, cancer registry, and birth registry data to examine the role of environmental exposures. Epidemiologic studies are now increasingly accounting for molecular differences in order to investigate events that surround the critical time period in the individuals at risk. Such studies will improve our understanding of disease development, risk factors, and potential strategies for prevention or for more effective treatment of retinoblastoma.
Parenting within residential neighborhoods: A pluralistic approach with African American and Latino families at the center.

Abstract The intersection of SES and race-ethnicity impact youth development at the family and neighborhood levels. The confluence of neighborhood structural and social characteristics intersects to impact parenting multiple ways. Within lower-income neighborhoods, there is variability in economic and racial-ethnic demographics and social characteristics and a multitude of different lived experiences. We use a person-centered approach to understand how a plurality of neighborhood social characteristics shape parents’ ethnic-racial socialization and monitoring strategies, normative parenting practices for diverse families. With 144 African American and Latino families in a new destination context—areas lacking an enduring historical and economic presence of same-ethnic populations—we examined whether we could replicate neighborhood profiles found in other neighborhood contexts using four neighborhood social process indicators (i.e., connectedness, cohesion and trust, informal social control, and problems), identified family- and neighborhood-level predictors of profiles, and explored differences in ethnic-racial socialization and parental monitoring knowledge by profile. We replicated three neighborhood profiles—integral (high on all positive social dynamics and low problems), anomic (low on all positive social dynamics and high problems), and high problems/positive relationships. Caregivers in these profiles differed in family SES and neighborhood disadvantage such that those in anomic neighborhoods had the lowest income-to-needs ratio whereas those in integral neighborhoods experienced the highest neighborhood disadvantage and lowest proportion of Hispanic residents. Egalitarianism, an ethnic-racial socialization message, and parental monitoring levels differed by neighborhood. Findings suggest African American and Latino families’ unique experiences in a new destination context, signaling a complex interplay between race-ethnicity, SES, and place.
Use of a Fluorescence Assay to Determine Relative Affinities of Semisynthetic Aminoglycosides to Small RNAs Representing Bacterial and Mitochondrial A Sites

Abstract The off-target binding of aminoglycosides (AGs) to the A site of human mitochondrial ribosomes in addition to bacterial ribosomes causes ototoxicity and limits their potential as antibiotics. A fluorescence assay was employed to determine relative binding affinities of classical and improved AG compounds to synthetic RNA constructs representing the bacterial and mitochondrial A sites. Results compared well with previously reported in vitro translation assays with engineered ribosomes. Therefore, the minimal RNA motifs and fluorescence assay are shown here to be useful for assessing the selectivity of new compounds.
Aloe: verifying reliability of approximate programs in the presence of recovery mechanisms

Modern hardware is becoming increasingly susceptible to silent data corruptions. As general methods for detection and recovery from errors are time and energy consuming, selective detection and recovery are promising alternatives for applications that have the freedom to produce results with a variable level of accuracy. Several programming languages have provided specialized constructs for expressing detection and recovery operations, but the existing static analyses of safety and quantitative analyses of programs do not have the proper support for such language constructs. This work presents Aloe, a quantitative static analysis of reliability of programs with recovery blocks - a construct that checks for errors, and if necessary, applies the corresponding recovery strategy. The analysis supports reasoning about both reliable and potentially unreliable detection and recovery mechanisms. It implements a novel precondition generator for recovery blocks, built on top of Rely, a state-of-the-art quantitative reliability analysis for imperative programs. Aloe can reason about programs with scalar and array expressions, if-then-else conditionals, and bounded loops without early exits. The analyzed computation is idempotent and the recovery code re-executes the original computation. We implemented Aloe and applied it to a set of eight programs previously used in approximate computing research. Our results present significantly higher reliability and scale better compared to the existing Rely analysis. Moreover, the end-to-end accuracy of the verified computations exhibits only small accuracy losses.
Osteoclasts in Skeletal Diseases

Abstract Osteoclasts, the specialized cells that resorb bone, play a key role in normal bone homeostasis, and hence their dysregulation is involved in many skeletal diseases. Most often skeletal diseases involve excess osteoclast formation or activation that leads to pathological bone resorption such as observed in inflammatory disorders. The lack of osteoclasts or impaired osteoclast function causes osteopetrosis diseases. Understanding the dysregulated mechanisms affecting osteoclast differentiation and function in each disease will aid our understanding of the normal regulation and provide potential therapeutic targets for the pathological regulation.
The Role of Pathogen-Produced Cell-Wall-Degrading Enzymes in Pathogenesis

Alterations of plant cell walls and degradation of their components are common features of infection by pathogenic agents. These changes are brought about by cell-wall-degrading enzymes which are produced by almost all pathogenic and nonpathogenic fungi and bacteria. In diseases induced by certain nonbiotrophs, alterations of the cell wall are more dramatic. In such cases dissolution of cell wall components and middle lamella by pathogen-produced enzymes causes separation of cells and waterlogging of infected tissues, a process known as “maceration.” Activity of pectic enzymes also causes death of plant cells by a mechanism which is not yet completely understood. This chapter discusses structure and chemistry of the plant cell walls, nature and mechanism of action of pathogen-produced cell-wall-degrading enzymes, and the role of these enzymes in plant cell wall degradation, tissue maceration, and cell death.
Speckle Mitigation for Optical Tracking

Optical tracking systems encounter a number of challenges, including turbulence and speckle. Atmospheric turbulence causes phase perturbations that distort the track imagery. Additionally, natural illumination of the object is sometimes insufficient, and the tracking system must illuminate the object with a laser. Laser illumination produces optical speckle, which is the breakup of the imagery into bright and dark patches. Speckle can be a severe source of noise for tracking systems. While existing theory predicts the impact of full-strength speckle on tracking performance for simple tracking algorithms (e.g., centroid) and simple objects (i.e., a circle or a square), the benefits of speckle mitigation remain unexplored for most practical cases. This work investigates the benefits of speckle mitigation for tracking. In particular, it considers polychromatic speckle mitigation, which spoils the temporal coherence (i.e., the coherence length) of the laser light to produce a narrow band of wavelengths, thus reducing the strength of the speckle. Using a physics-based software model known as PITBUL, tracking performance over a range of coherence lengths from 1 to 1,000 mm is investigated. The tracked objects are UAVs, and they follow a straight and level path for the first part of the simulation and execute a turn during the last few seconds. The simulation begins by creating a series of pristine images. Then, it degrades the images by adding the effects of atmospheric turbulence, transmission, backscatter, speckle, and sensor imperfections. Next, it tracks the object in the images using either the Fitts correlation algorithm or the centroid algorithm. Tracking performance is analyzed over several seconds by comparing the tracker's estimate of the track-point position to the actual track-point position. The results show that polychromatic speckle mitigation significantly reduces both the track jitter and the track drift.
Look-Up Table based Energy Efficient Processing in Cache Support for Neural Network Acceleration

This paper presents a Look-Up Table (LUT) based Processing-In-Memory (PIM) technique with the potential for running Neural Network inference tasks. We implement a bitline computing free technique to avoid frequent bitline accesses to the cache sub-arrays and thereby considerably reducing the memory access energy overhead. LUT in conjunction with the compute engines enables sub-array level parallelism while executing complex operations through data lookup which otherwise requires multiple cycles. Sub-array level parallelism and systolic input data flow ensure data movement to be confined to the SRAM slice.Our proposed LUT based PIM methodology exploits substantial parallelism using look-up tables, which does not alter the memory structure/organization, that is, preserving the bit-cell and peripherals of the existing SRAM monolithic arrays. Our solution achieves 1.72x higher performance and 3.14x lower energy as compared to a state-of-the-art processing-in-cache solution. Sub-array level design modifications to incorporate LUT along with the compute engines will increase the overall cache area by 5.6%. We achieve 3.97x speedup w.r.t neural network systolic accelerator with a similar area. The re-configurable nature of the compute engines enables various neural network operations and thereby supporting sequential networks (RNNs) and transformer models. Our quantitative analysis demonstrates 101x, 3x faster execution and 91x, 11x energy efficient than CPU and GPU respectively while running the transformer model, BERT-Base.
Mentors’ approach to relationship-building and the supports they provide to youth: A qualitative investigation of community-based mentoring relationships

Abstract This longitudinal, qualitative study examined how mentors approach building relationships with early and middle adolescent mentees and how the mentor’s approach is associated with the supports provided by the mentor to the youth. Thematic analysis of narrative summaries of mentor, youth and parent interviews representing 16 mentor-youth matches did not identify any specific approach that better facilitated building the relationship. Instead, the fit of the mentor’s approach with the specific circumstances of the match appeared to matter more. Mentors whose approach fit well or who were able to adapt their approach to fit well provided the most support. Whether previous mentoring experience helped a mentor build the relationship and support the youth depended on well how the previous relationship went and how it influenced the mentor’s expectations with regard to the current match. Findings highlight the importance of program staff and parents in helping mentors find a good fitting approach in order to develop a supportive, long-term relationship with the youth.
Research on Collaborative optimization Decision Method of Source-Grid-Load-Storage

Significant changes have taken place in power grid regulation resources and power balance characteristics of the power grid, and there is an urgent need to explore regulation techniques suitable for the participation of a wide range of load-side resources. In this paper, based on the needs of power grid scheduling, combined with the control characteristics of electric vehicles, load aggregators, energy storage and other resources, the optimal allocation strategy of source grid load storage resources in different scenarios is studied to provide technical support for incorporating load-side resources into grid coordinated scheduling. It is beneficial to enriching the grid’s plan and arrangement and operation adjustment methods within the day, promoting the friendly interaction of the source grid and storage and the improvement of the power balance of the grid, and can further enhance the grid’s ability and flexibility to respond to emergencies.