cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparing Manuscripts for Publication: A Team Approach:

The publication of the results of clinical trials is important to the health care community, to investigators conducting research, and to companies that manu facture pharmaceutical products. At Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals, Inc, technical writers help to prepare manuscripts reporting the results of clinical trials. The writers identifv the journal most suitable for the paper and evaluate the focus, style, and editorial requirements for that journal. They then tailor internal reports or preliminary drafts prepared by the clinical investigator into manuscripts suitable for submission to the target journal. They determine what in formation is missing, superfluous. or inappropriate and coordinate the necessary additions, deletions, and revisions. Writers seek advice from experts in the areas of information science, statistics, medicine, marketing, sales, and law during manuscript preparation. This paper describes the nature of the in formation sought from individuals in other disciplines and illustrates how each manuscript is the result of a team approach.
Characterization of fuel cell electrode processes by AC impedance

Alternating current impedance measurements can be used as an in situ method for characterizing rate-limiting processes in fuel cell electrodes. Theoretical models have been derived and solved analytically. Theoretical analysis indicates that kinetic information can be extracted from the effect of temperature and gas composition on the size of the kinetic loop. The relative importance of kinetics and mass transfer can be inferred from AC impedance analysis. Several examples are given for the case of molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) electrodes. Such electrodes are not accessible to classical kinetic investigation techniques due to the high operating temperature and corrosive environment. Relevant kinetic information about MCFC electrodes has been obtained successfully using this in situ technique.
Pancreatic angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 improves glycemia in angiotensin II-infused mice

An overactive renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is known to contribute to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although ACE2 overexpression has been shown to be protective against the overactive RAS, a ro...
Altruism and the Child Cycle of Alumni Donations

We study alumni contributions to an anonymous research university. If alumni believe donations will increase the likelihood of their child's admission, and if this belief helps motivate their giving, then the pattern of giving should vary systematically with the ages of their children, whether the children ultimately apply to the university, and the admissions outcome. We call this pattern the child cycle of alumni giving. The evidence is consistent with the child-cycle pattern. Thus, while altruism drives some giving, the hope for a reciprocal benefit also plays a role. We compute rough estimates of the proportion of giving due to selfish motives. (JEL D91, D64, I21)
Establishing the Micro-to-Macro Link in Cognitive Engineering: Multilevel Models of Socio-Computer Interaction

We argue that the time is ripe to develop multilevel models that provide explanations at both the individual and social levels to extend research in human-computer interaction to the emerging area called socio-computer interaction. We provide three examples of such multilevel models. We first describe the SNIF-ACT model, which was developed to explain individuals’ information foraging behavior as they navigate through web pages to find target information, and to explain the general tendency for people to stay on any particular website. We then describe the social information Foraging theory, which characterizes how search efficiencies may be improved by utilizing social signals generated by other information foragers. Finally, we describe the semantic imitation model, which characterizes how individual users may generate social tags to index their own documents and could lead to aggregate indices that act as semantic structures that help other users to find relevant information. The models demonstrate the significance in capturing the social dynamics involved in systems that afford socio-computer interaction.
Combining Cognitive Therapy and Pharmacotherapy for Depressive Disorders: A Review of Recent Developments

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy, including antidepressants for depressive disorders and mood stabilizers for bipolar disorders, are effective and widely disseminated treatments that often are considered the first line of therapy for these common, yet potentially disabling conditions. Given the imperfect and often unpredictable effects of these treatments, as well as the obvious differences in the aspects of depressive syndromes that they target, there has been a longstanding and widespread belief that these strategies will have additive effects. After 30-plus years of research—and slow progress—it now seems reasonably clear that CBT and pharmacotherapy have a partially additive benefit for patients with depressive disorders; this effect is proposed to be largely explained by improving outcomes for patients who are less responsive to one or both of the monotherapies. This article summarizes the research literature, including newer studies that examining differential impact on neural ci...
Effect of Salt Water Immersion on the Ultimate Tensile Strength of Small Diameter Aramid Braids

Small diameter, 1/1 eight-end braids were fabricated using 167 tex Kevlar® 29 yams. Braids, selected at random, were immersed in either distilled or salt water for a period of 30 days and then removed for testing. Half of the samples were tested immediately upon removal, and the other half were allowed to dry at standard con ditions (21°C, 65% relative humidity) for 24 hours and then tested. In addition, another set of braids was left untreated as a control. There were no statistical differences in the strength of braids taken from either the distilled or salt water and tested wet, when compared with each other or the control. The strength of braids immersed in distilled water and tested dry showed a slight but statistically significant increase in strength, but the strength of the braids immersed in salt water and tested dry was approximately 10% lower than that of control. Individual single filaments extracted from dry, untested braids from the treatment groups and the control were subjected to tensile ...
Mutant torsinA, responsible for early-onset torsion dystonia, forms membrane inclusions in cultured neural cells

Early-onset torsion dystonia is a hereditary movement disorder thought to be caused by decreased release of dopamine into the basal ganglia, without apparent neuronal degeneration. Recent cloning of the gene responsible for this disease, TOR1A (DYT1), identified the encoded protein, torsinA, as a member of the AAA+ superfamily of chaperone proteins and revealed highest levels of expression in dopaminergic neurons in human brain. Most cases of this disease are caused by a deletion of one glutamic acid residue in the C-terminal region of the protein. Antibodies generated against torsinA revealed expression of a predominant immunoreactive protein species similar to the predicted size of 37.8 kDa in neural, glial and fibroblastic lines by western blot analysis. This protein is N-glycosylated with high mannose content and not, apparently, phosphoryl-ated. Overexpression of torsinA in mouse neural CAD cells followed by immunocytochemistry, revealed a dramatically different pattern of distribution for wild-type and mutant forms of the protein. The wild-type protein was found throughout the cytoplasm and neurites with a high degree of co-localization with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker, protein disulfide isomerase. In contrast, the mutant protein accumulated in multiple, large inclusions in the cytoplasm around the nucleus. These inclusions were composed of membrane whorls, apparently derived from the ER. If disrupted processing of the mutant protein leads to its accumulation in multilayer membranous structures in vivo, these may interfere with membrane trafficking in neurons.
Interindustry merger patterns and resource dependence: A replication and extension of Pfeffer (1972)

This paper reexamines Pfeffer’s (1972) classic study on interindustry merger patterns by replicating and then extending his findings. Pfeffer argued and found that resource dependencies, as measured by interindustry economic transactions, explained merger patterns. The replication investigates how robust the resource dependence explanation for interindustry mergers is when more precise methods are applied to a data set that essentially recreates Pfeffer’s. The extension examines the strength of the resouce dependence effect over time, and offers hypotheses that seek to explain both longitudinal and cross-sectional variation in the strength of this effect. Results indicate that while the significance of the resource dependence effect is once again observed, after applying more refined analytical methods to the data the explanatory power of resource dependence is greatly diminished. In addition, variation in the strength of the resource dependence effect suggests some boundary conditions for the theory, at least with respect to its ability to predict interindustry mergers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase analysis of liquid-phase sintered Co 5 Sm magnet compacts

The purpose of this work is to determine the phases present in liquid-phase sintered Co 5 Sm magnets. Specimens sintered at 1100°C and given subsequent thermal treatments were examined by optical metallography, electron microprobe, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The results of this work suggest that these materials do not exhibit an equilibrium configuration of phases.
Regulation of system y+ arginine transport capacity in differentiating human intestinal Caco-2 cells

This study describes the ability of passaged human intestinal Caco-2 cells to regulate transport of L-arginine via system y+. Subconfluent and confluent cells possessed system y+ activity, as determined by the sodium independence of uptake and the pattern of inhibition by amino acid analogues or N-ethylmaleimide. Initial rates of arginine uptake via system y+ decreased as the cells advanced from the undifferentiated to the differentiated state following culture passaging. Furthermore, kinetic analysis of the leucine-insensitive portion of uptake indicated that the Caco-2 system y+ transport capacity decreased with cell age, dropping from a maximal velocity (Vmax) = 1,094 pmol.mg-1.min-1 [Michaelis constant (Km) = 41 microM] in undifferentiated cells 2 days postseeding to Vmax = 320 pmol.mg-1.min-1 (Km = 37 microM) in confluent cells 9 days postseeding (from cells of the same passage). Northern analysis indicated that the levels of a single 7.9-kb mCAT-1 mRNA species were relatively constant over the course of Caco-2 differentiation and therefore were unsynchronized with the system y+ relative transport activities. It is concluded that the Caco-2 capacity to transport arginine via system y+ may be downregulated by posttransitional modifications in confluent cells compared with newly passaged undifferentiated cells. These data serve as a well-defined in vitro model for further studies regarding regulation of arginine transport in epithelial cells.
Factors Affecting Atrazine Fate in North Central U.S. Soils

Atrazine (6-chloro-N-ethyl-N′-(l-methylethyl)-l,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) is a herbicide of the triazine family used for controlling broadleaf and some grassy weeds in corn and sorghum. Since its introduction in the late 1950s, atrazine has been a popular herbicide because it is relatively inexpensive and, in most cases, gives good season-long weed control. It can be applied pre-or postemergence and is often tank mixed with grass herbicides, such as alachlor (2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide), metolachlor(2-chloro-N-(2-2ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-l-methylethyl) acetamide), butylate (S-ethyl bis(2-methylpropyl)carbamothioate), or EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylcarbamothioate), or with other broadleaf herbicides, such as dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid), to obtain broad-spectrum weed control. Atrazine mixed with nicosulfuron {2-[[[[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)amino]carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]-N,N-dimethyl-3-pyridinecarboxamide} or bromoxynil (3,5-dibromo-4-hydro-xybenzonitrile) is commonly used across the northern Corn Belt; when mixed with cyanazine {2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-l,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-2-methylpropanenitrile}, it is commonly used in total weed control programs in southern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Adolescents' awareness and use of menu labels in eating establishments: results from a focus group study.

Objective Menu labelling has been identified as a potential strategy to help individuals make healthier choices when eating out. Although adolescents eat out often, little research involving menu labelling has been conducted with this population. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) gather qualitative information from adolescents regarding use of menu labels when eating out; (ii) gather adolescents' suggestions for optimal ways to design menu labels; and (iii) examine differences between adolescents living in communities of different socio-economic status. Design Qualitative. Five focus groups of five to ten participants. Setting Austin, TX, USA, 2012. Subjects Forty-one adolescents living in diverse communities recruited using a snowballing technique at public and private recreation centres (twenty-four females; twenty-two African American). Results Participants reported that menu labelling, in general, does not influence food selections when eating out. Among participants living in low-income communities, food purchases were based on price, taste and familiarity. Among participants living in high-income areas, food purchases were based on quality and ability to satiate (among boys). According to participants, effective ways to present menu labels are by matching calorie levels with physical activity equivalents or through simple graphics. Conclusions For adolescents, providing menu labels in their current format may not be an effective strategy to increase healthy food selection. Given that the current menu label format has been set by federal policy in the USA cannot be easily changed, research to determine how this format can be best presented or enhanced so that it can have an impact on all US sub-populations is warranted.
Intra and Cross-Industry Knowledge in the Interactive Entertainment Industry

In this paper, we study convergence between the video game and the movie industries in the emerging interactive entertainment industry to understand how cross–industry and intra–industry knowledge spillovers influence performance. We find that experience in their primary industry enables firms to benefit from intra–industry spillovers. Experience in complementary industries allows firms to span industry boundaries and benefit more from cross–industry knowledge spillovers. However, this comes at a cost as experience with complementary industries may inhibit the use of intra–industry knowledge spillovers. Our findings show how and when spillovers from within and across industries influence performance.
Optimization of a mercury jet target for a neutrino factory or a muon collider

A study of target parameters for a mercury jet target for a neutrino factory or muon collider is presented. We simulate particle production initiated by incoming protons with kinetic energies between 2 and 100 GeV. For each proton beam kinetic energy, we maximize production by varying the geometric parameters of the target: the mercury jet radius, the incoming proton beam angle, and the crossing angle between the mercury jet and the proton beam. With an 8-GeV proton beam, we study the variation of meson production with the entry direction of the proton beam relative to the jet. We also examine the influence on the meson production by the focusing of the proton beam. The number of muons surviving through the neutrino factory front end channel is determined as a function of the proton beam kinetic energy.
An invisible health and social policy issue: homeless/runaway youth.

Among the most 'invisible' people of this society are homeless and runaway youth. They resent a major public health issue for society. Health problems, physical and mental, acute and chronic, are commonly found in studies of such youth. Many of their problems are exacerbated by and related to social policies of our society both in genesis and severity.
Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals for Nonlinear Optics: can we Really do It?

Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) are true liquids with a thermodynamically stable polar structure. Furthermore, in some systems excellent polar stereocontrol has been demonstrated (> 80% of the molecular dipole oriented along the polar axis with infinite “thermal stability”). These properties make FLCs an interesting candidate for second order NLO applications. However, until now the orientation of organic functional arrays with “large β”, typified by the disperse red 1 (DRI) chromophore, has not been demonstrated. Herein we report the initial results of a study directed towards providing a solution to this problem. Specifically, a new FLC dopant wherein the DRI chromophore (p-nitro-p’-dialkyl-aminoazobenzene unit) is oriented along the polar axis in FLC mixtures up to 30% by weight is described. These results suggest that it will be possible to obtain FLCs with good stereocontrolled orientation of large β functional arrays. Given that hybrid VLSI silicon/FLC optical chips are under intense investigation as micro-displays, and manufacturing issues for this class of devices are being addressed in the display context, the materials presented here suggest VLSI/FLC chips may be useful as high speed electro-optic modulators as well.
Experimental Investigation of Enzymatic Stability on Graphene

Studies attaching proteins to graphene have shown modulation of its electrical characteristics, however the effect of graphene surface on the biomolecular stability has not been studied. This poster shows how immobilizing enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOx) on graphene affects its stability when compared to free enzymes in solution. This study is conducted on mono-/bilayer graphene, which has gained importance in developing field-effect biosensors. This study shows that HRP and GOx stability is not changed significantly by tethering them to graphene, which is contrary to present literature reports. HRP stability on graphene lasts barely 24 hours, while GOx is found to be stable past 10 days. Through modeling of enzyme deactivation as a single reaction, the overall rate order is found to be first order in case of HRP and GOx. The deactivation rate constants for both enzymes are calculated and the activation energy leading to the deactivation has been calculated. These answers are key to realizing and testing graphene based biosensors in laboratories.
Experimental study of Anti-psoriasis decoction in treating psoriasis animal models

OBJECTIVE To study the treatment effect of Anti-Psoriasis decoction on psoriasis animal models.METHODS The rats or guinea pigs were randomly divided into blank group,model group,positive control group(Anti-Psoriasis particles),low dose group,medium dose group and high dose group of anti-psoriasis decoction with 10 rats in each group.Treating groups were intragastricly administered,once a day with continuously 14 days.Blank group and model group were given with the same volumes of physiological saline.Pathological models of mouse vaginal epithelium within estrogen period and scale epidermis of mouse tail were used to observe the influence of anti-psoriasis decoction on mitosis index of mouse vaginal epithelium and scale amount in the granular layer of mouse tail epidermis.Psoriasis-like guinea pig ear skin lesions model was used to observe pathological changes and thickness of ear epidermal,and the ELISA kit to detect the contents of tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) and intercellular adhesion molecule(ICAM-1) in guinea pig ear skin homogenate.RESULTS Anti-psoriasis decoction could obviously inhibit mitosis of mouse vaginal epithelium in estrogen period,and had distinct stimulative effect on the formation of scale epidermis granular layer of mouse tail,and the skin thickness of psoriasis-like model of guinea pig ear decreased significantly.The content of TNF-A and ICAM-1 in guinea pig ear skin homogenate reduced significantly,and showd a good dose-effect relationship.CONCLUSION Anti-Psoriasis decoction has good effect on treating psoriasis animal models.
Strategies to curb structural changes of lithium/transition metal oxide cathode materials & the changes’ effects on thermal & cycling stability*

Structural transformation behaviors of several typical oxide cathode materials during a heating process are reviewed in detail to provide in-depth understanding of the key factors governing the thermal stability of these materials. We also discuss applying the information about heat induced structural evolution in the study of electrochemically induced structural changes. All these discussions are expected to provide valuable insights for designing oxide cathode materials with significantly improved structural stability for safe, long-life lithium ion batteries, as the safety of lithium-ion batteries is a critical issue; it is widely accepted that the thermal instability of the cathodes is one of the most critical factors in thermal runaway and related safety problems.
A Review of the Epidemiology of Schizophrenia

Abstract In this chapter, we review findings on the epidemiology of schizophrenia, with a focus on environmentally relevant etiologic factors and some discussion of related pathobiologic findings. Recent studies using well-documented cohorts have found significant effects of different environmental risk factors on schizophrenia, and these effects have been supported by an expanding literature on these same risks in animal models. This chapter first introduces the clinical phenomenology of schizophrenia and a brief review of the epidemiology of this disorder. We then examine some of the specific risk factors that have been associated with schizophrenia, including prenatal and perinatal infection, malnutrition, cannabis use, and social factors such as migration, childhood trauma, and socioeconomic status. In the third section, we discuss the potential contribution of gene–environment interaction. Finally, we explore implications of these studies, including potential preventive approaches, and offer suggestions for future research into the epidemiology of schizophrenia.
Implementation of satellite based fractional water cover indices in the pan-Arctic region using AMSR-E and MODIS

Abstract A new method to assess land surface fractional open water (fw) inundation dynamics was developed using high frequency (89 GHz) brightness temperatures (Tb) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), with other ancillary inputs from AMSR-E and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). The resulting 89 GHz fw (fwWBand) retrievals provide 10-day temporal fidelity and enhanced (5 km) resolution relative to other passive microwave sensor based land observations. A look-up table was first established to provide reference microwave emissivities for water and land endmembers under a range of atmosphere and land surface conditions. The fwWBand retrievals were then obtained on a per pixel basis using difference ratio and double difference methods for respective barren and vegetated soil conditions. The resulting fwWBand summer (JJA) seasonal composites correspond favorably (R ≥ 0.86, p
Structure of 10,11Li and the reaction Li11(p,d)Li10

Abstract I examine the properties of 11Li and the low-lying resonances in 10Li, as they relate to neutron removal from 11Li. Comparison with results from a recent 11Li ( p , d ) reaction strongly suggests that that experiment observed only the 2+ resonance, and not the 1+.
Surface‐Functionalized Electrospun Titania Nanofibers for the Scavenging and Recycling of Precious Metal Ions

Precious metals are widely used as catalysts in industry. It is of critical importance to keep the precious metal ions leached from catalysts at a level below one part per million (ppm) in the final products and to recycle the expensive precious metals. Here we demonstrate a simple and effective method for scavenging precious metal ions from an aqueous solution and thereby reduce their concentrations down to the parts per billion (ppb) level. The key component is a filtration membrane comprised of titania (TiO2 ) nanofibers whose surface has been functionalized with a silane bearing amino or thiol group. When operated under continuous flow at a rate of 1 mL min-1 and at room temperature, up to 99.95 % of the Pd2+ ions could be removed from a stock solution with an initial concentration of 100 ppm. This work offers a viable strategy not only for the removal of precious metal ions but also for recovering and further recycling them for use as catalysts. For example, the captured Pd2+ ions could be converted to nanoparticles and used as catalysts for organic reactions such as Suzuki coupling in a continuous flow reactor. This system can be potentially applied to pharmaceutical industry and waste stream treatment.
Mathematical beauty of fractals

Since Mandelbrot's manifesto The Fractal Geometiy of Nature was published in 1982 an unrivalled wave has moved through mathematics and the natural sciences. Numerous publications and meetings give testimony to this interdisciplinary event. Fractal geometry is a new mathematical language to describe, measure and find order in the complexity of patterns in natural forms.
Foxp3 and Toll-like receptor signaling balance Treg cell anabolic metabolism for suppression

T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming after they are activated. Rathmell and colleagues show that inflammatory Toll-like receptor signals induce glycolysis and impair the suppression of regulatory T cells, but Foxp3 can promote a switch to oxidative phosphorylation and suppression.
Analysis and robot pipelined automation for SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI or SELDI-TOF MS) with protein arrays has facilitated the discovery of disease-specific protein profiles in serum. As array technologies in bioinformatics and proteomics multiply the quantity of data being generated, more automated hardware and computational methods will become necessary in order to keep up. Robot automated sample preparation and analysis pipeline for proteomics (Raspap) in SELDI provides a solution from the lab bench to the desktop. In this approach, the entire processing of protein arrays is delegated to a robotics system and the bioinformatics automated pipeline (BAP) performs data mining after SELDI analysis. A key part of BAP is the creation of a journal-styled report in HTML (with text, embedded figures, and references) which can be automatically emailed back to the engineers/scientists for review. An object-oriented tree-based structure allows for the derivation of conclusions about the data and comparison of multiple analyses within the generated report. Testing yielded improvement in the resulting assay coefficients of variation (CV) from 45.1% (when done manually) to 27.8% (P<0.001). A large biological dataset was also examined with the Raspap approach and consequent results are discussed.
AR2, a novel automatic muscle artifact reduction software method for ictal EEG interpretation: Validation and comparison of performance with commercially available software.

Objective: To develop a novel software method (AR2) for reducing muscle contamination of ictal scalp electroencephalogram (EEG), and validate this method on the basis of its performance in comparison to a commercially available software method (AR1) to accurately depict seizure-onset location. Methods: A blinded investigation used 23 EEG recordings of seizures from 8 patients. Each recording was uninterpretable with digital filtering because of muscle artifact and processed using AR1 and AR2 and reviewed by 26 EEG specialists. EEG readers assessed seizure-onset time, lateralization, and region, and specified confidence for each determination. The two methods were validated on the basis of the number of readers able to render assignments, confidence, the intra-class correlation (ICC), and agreement with other clinical findings. Results: Among the 23 seizures, two-thirds of the readers were able to delineate seizure-onset time in 10 of 23 using AR1, and 15 of 23 using AR2 (p<0.01). Fewer readers could lateralize seizure-onset (p<0.05). The confidence measures of the assignments were low (probable-unlikely), but increased using AR2 (p<0.05). The ICC for identifying the time of seizure-onset was 0.15 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.11-0.18) using AR1 and 0.26 (95% CI 0.21-0.30) using AR2. The EEG interpretations were often consistent with behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuro-radiological findings, with left sided assignments correct in 95.9% (CI 85.7-98.9%, n=4) of cases using AR2, and 91.9% (77.0-97.5%) (n=4) of cases using AR1. Conclusions: EEG artifact reduction methods for localizing seizure-onset does not result in high rates of interpretability, reader confidence, and inter-reader agreement. However, the assignments by groups of readers are often congruent with other clinical data. Utilization of the AR2 software method may improve the validity of ictal EEG artifact reduction.
Hierarchical trajectory optimization for a class of hybrid dynamical systems

We discuss trajectory optimization for a class of hybrid systems with a natural, hierarchical separation of discrete and continuous dynamics, where the continuous dynamics do not change with the discrete state. The trajectory optimization problem considered requires that a discrete state sequence and a continuous state trajectory must be both determined to minimize a single cost function, such that the discrete state sequence also solves a symbolic planning problem. We model this symbolic planning problem as a search on a planning graph, and we introduce a family of graphs called lifted planning graphs parametrized by an integer H. We define a family of continuous state trajectory optimization problems and associate them with edge costs in the lifted planning graphs. Next, we present an algorithm for finding an optimal solution to the hybrid trajectory optimization problem, which includes mapping paths in the lifted planning graphs to discrete state sequences and continuous state trajectories. We show that the cost of optimal hybrid trajectories is a nonincreasing function of H, and that there exists a finite H for which this cost attains a minimum. We illustrate the proposed algorithm with numerical simulation results for two application examples: an autonomous mobile vehicle and an autonomous robotic manipulator.
Biologic characteristics of breast cancer in male compared to female: SEER analysis.

599 Background: Male (Ma) breast cancer (BC) is a rare disease and information about tumor biomarkers(ER,PR and HER2) is lacking. Since HER2 status was not routinely collected in the population-bas...
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a comprehensive review and 2017 update

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the second most common acute leukemia in adults, with an incidence of over 6500 cases per year in the United States alone. The hallmark of ALL is chromosomal abnormalities and genetic alterations involved in differentiation and proliferation of lymphoid precursor cells. In adults, 75% of cases develop from precursors of the B-cell lineage, with the remainder of cases consisting of malignant T-cell precursors. Traditionally, risk stratification has been based on clinical factors such age, white blood cell count and response to chemotherapy; however, the identification of recurrent genetic alterations has helped refine individual prognosis and guide management. Despite advances in management, the backbone of therapy remains multi-agent chemotherapy with vincristine, corticosteroids and an anthracycline with allogeneic stem cell transplantation for eligible candidates. Elderly patients are often unable to tolerate such regimens and carry a particularly poor prognosis. Here, we review the major recent advances in the treatment of ALL.
Exploring the Antecedents of the Gender Pay Gap in U.S. Higher Education

Organizational behaviorists have long argued that inequity in worker compensation is problematic. The authors use data on 254 public and private nonprofit research universities to evaluate the antecedents of salary differences between male and female full-time assistant professors. Drawing on representative bureaucracy theory, they hypothesize that female representation among the associate and full professor ranks, as well as in executive management positions (including the university president), will be negatively associated with gender pay gap differences. Findings support the hypotheses, although the impacts for many of the variables differ between public and private institutions. Important effects are also found related to a variety of institutional characteristics, including funding from state appropriations.
Some Asides and Other Issues

As I indicated in Chapter 2, the performance of the heart is determined by both the rate and the force at which it beats. The net result of this interaction is the CO, which, with respect to metabolic homeostasis, is the ultimate criterion of how effectively the heart is functioning. Our concern in psychophysiology is to ascertain the significance of neurohumoral mechanisms in the control of myocardial performance. Since it is usually impractical to measure the CO in humans and evaluate the role of neurogenic influences in this manner, we have to evaluate HR and/or myocardial force. HR, although one of the simplest biological events to measure, can provide equivocal information on neurogenic mechanisms (see Chapter 2). Although I have argued in Chapters 4 and 6 that the HR can be used to evaluate β-adrenergic influences under certain conditions because of our ability to tease out neurogenic effects pharmacologically, I am not entirely comfortable with this procedure because, in principle, it requires pharmacological intervention any time conditions are noticeably modified. Also, such interventions are not always practical. Because of these considerations, we have been engaged for some 10 years in an effort to assess whether β-adrenergic influences could be simply and accurately depicted by measuring myocardial force.
Risk and Protective Factors Associated with the Bullying Involvement of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

Bullying has been recognized as a dynamic process, where involvement is based on interactions between an individual and the social-ecological factors related to the individual's environment. While ...
Endophytic Yeasts: Biology and Applications

Yeasts are a unique subset of the symbiotic microflora within plants. They inhabit a small, distinct niche along with endophytic bacteria and filamentous fungi. By producing plant hormones and other factors, endophytic yeasts contribute to the increased growth and health of the host plant. Lacking flagella or filamentous growth, they may have developed unique ways to colonize plants. Through research on endophytic yeast, new applications are apparent. Addition of yeast to crop plants for improved growth may be more publically acceptable than addition of bacteria. Endophytic yeasts have advantages over industrial yeast strains for biochemical production given their adaptations to utilizing both the hexose and pentose sugars of plants and their tolerance to phytochemicals. Research on endophytic yeast is a new field that can provide new knowledge in plant microbiology and adaptation as well as important agricultural and industrial applications. This review is a survey of the limited current literature on endophytic yeast isolations from a variety of plant species and a summary of papers that explored applications of these yeast isolates.
Adjuvants Targeting the DNA Sensing Pathways – Cyclic-di-GMP and other Cyclic-Dinucleotides

Cyclic dinucleotides (c-di-NMPs), such as c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP were first discovered in bacteria, where they play important roles as second messenger molecules that regulate bacterial cellular functions. In addition, these and other c-di-NMPs exert potent biological effects on mammalian cells, such as the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, immune cell activation, and the triggering of type I interferon production. Here, we introduce the biology of c-di-NMPs in bacterial systems and review the current state of the literature on their biological effects in mammalian cells. Emphasis is placed on evaluating the evidence that c-di-NMPs have potent immune stimulatory effects on cultured mouse and human cells and can act as adjuvants and immune stimulants in animal models. In addition, we highlight areas where further experimentation could hasten the development of c-di-NMPs as adjuvants in potent and safe systemic and mucosal vaccines.
Die Proteine und ihre Spaltprodukte

Wie wir gesehen haben, wird die unspezifische Reaktion am haufigsten durch kolloidale Substanzen hervorgerufen, die entweder zu Heilzwecken injiziert werden oder aus den Geweben stammen als das Ergebnis irgend einer Entzundung (Terpentininjektion, Brand, Trauma usw.). Von den verschiedenen Kolloiden finden wir die Proteine und ihre abgeleiteten Produkte am meisten angewandt, und es mag deshalb richtig sein, sehr kurz die bemerkenswerten Faktoren, die ihre Klassifikation, Struktur und Verhalten betreffen, zu besprechen.
Phenomenology and the Ethical Bases of Pluralism: Arendt and Beauvoir on Race in the United States

Though differing in their approach to race in the United States, Hannah Arendt and Simone de Beauvoir work on two different levels of a philosophical-ethical spectrum, paralleling Husserl’s distinction between the transcendental and pretheoretical, life-world levels. Each level needs the other in order to realize an authentic sociopolitical pluralism.
$$C_{2k}$$ C 2 k -Saturated Graphs with No Short Odd Cycles

The saturation number of a graph F, written $$\text{ sat }(n,F)$$ , is the minimum number of edges in an n-vertex F-saturated graph. One of the earliest results on saturation numbers is due to Erdős et al. who determined $$\text{ sat }(n,K_r)$$ for all $$r \ge 3$$ . Since then, saturation numbers of various graphs and hypergraphs have been studied. Motivated by Alon and Shikhelman’s generalized Turan function, Kritschgau et al. defined $$\text{ sat }(n,H,F)$$ to be the minimum number of copies of H in an n-vertex F-saturated graph. They proved, among other things, that $$\text{ sat }(n,C_3,C_{2k}) = 0$$ for all $$k \ge 3$$ and $$n \ge 2k +2$$ . We extend this result to all odd cycles by proving that for any odd integer $$r \ge 5$$ , $$\text{ sat }(n , C_r ,C_{2k} ) = 0$$ for all $$2k \ge r+5$$ and $$n \ge 2kr$$ .
A combined SR-CUSUM procedure for detecting common changes in panel data

A procedure based on the sum of N Shiryayev–Roberts processes is proposed to detect common changes in panel data and shown to perform better for small portions of changed panels. The change-point f...
Identification and characterization of a core set of ROS wave‐associated transcripts involved in the systemic acquired acclimation response of Arabidopsis to excess light

Systemic acquired acclimation (SAA) plays a key role in optimizing growth and preventing damage associated with fluctuating or abrupt changes in the plant environment. To be effective, SAA has to occur at a rapid rate and depend on rapid signaling pathways that transmit signals from affected tissues to all parts of the plant. Although recent studies have identified several different rapid systemic signaling pathways that could mediate SAA, very little information is known about the extent of their involvement in mediating transcriptomic responses. Here we reveal that the systemic transcriptomic response of plants to excess light stress is extensive in its context and involves an early (2 min) and transient stage of transcript expression that includes thousands of genes. This early response is dependent on the respiratory burst oxidase homolog D protein, and the function of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) wave. We further identify a core set of transcripts associated with the ROS wave and suggest that some of these transcripts are involved in linking ROS with calcium signaling. Priming of a systemic leaf to become acclimated to a particular stress during SAA involves thousands of transcripts that display a rapid and transient expression pattern driven by the ROS wave.
Recommended Cancer Screening in Accountable Care Organizations: Trends in Colonoscopy and Mammography in the Medicare Shared Savings Program

PURPOSE:Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model designed to encourage integrated, high-value care. We designed a study to test the association between ACOs and two re...
Deficiency of a Transcriptional Regulator, Inhibitor of Differentiation 3, Induces Glomerulonephritis in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice: A Model Linking Hyperlipidemia and Renal Disease

The clinical association between hyperlipidemia and renal disease is well established, yet hyperlipidemia as a cause for renal disease is rare. Apolipoprotein E–deficient ( ApoE −/− ) mice develop hyperlipidemia and are a model for atherosclerosis. Introducing deficiency of inhibitor of differentiation 3 ( Id3 ) in ApoE −/− mice further exacerbates atherosclerosis. ID3 is a transcription regulator expressed in multiple cell types. Id3 −/− mice develop antibodies to self-antigens and salivary gland autoimmunity. This study was undertaken to investigate a link between hyperlipidemia, autoimmunity, and renal disease. ApoE −/− , Id3 −/− , and ApoE −/− Id3 −/− double-knockout (DKO) mice were studied at different ages for renal pathological features and function. Serum samples were analyzed for the presence of autoantibodies. At 16 weeks, DKO mice developed mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (GN), leading to severe proteinuria. GN was associated with glomerular deposition of lipids and immune complexes and with macrophage infiltration. DKO mice had high levels of circulating autoantibodies. Although ApoE −/− mice had glomerular lipid deposits and Id3 −/− mice had circulating autoantibodies, neither group of age-matched single-knockout mice developed GN. These data provide support for the hypothesis that induction of renal disease in hyperlipidemia is dictated by additional factors. Our study shows that some of these factors are regulated by ID3. Thus, ID3 is a novel risk factor linking cardiovascular and renal disease.
A Descriptive and Quantitative Immunohistochemical Study Demonstrating a Spectrum of Platelet Recruitment Patterns Across Pulmonary Infections Including COVID-19.

Objectives Pulmonary platelet deposition and microangiopathy are increasingly recognized components of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Thrombosis is a known component of sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. We sought to compare the level of platelet deposition in the pulmonary vasculature in cases of confirmed COVID-19 infection to other lung injuries and infections. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed on 27 autopsy cases and 2 surgical pathology cases targeting CD61. Multiple cases of normal lung, diffuse alveolar damage, COVID-19, influenza, and bacterial and fungal infections, as well as one case of pulmonary emboli, were included. The levels of CD61 staining were compared quantitatively in the autopsy cases, and patterns of staining were described. Results Nearly all specimens exhibited an increase in CD61 staining relative to control lung tissue. The area of CD61 staining in COVID-19 infection was higher than influenza but still comparable to many other infectious diseases. Cases of aspiration pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus infection, and blastomycosis exhibited the highest levels of CD61 staining. Conclusions Platelet deposition is a phenomenon common to many pulmonary insults. A spectrum of staining patterns was observed, suggestive of pathogen-specific mechanisms of platelet deposition. Further study into the mechanisms driving platelet deposition in pulmonary injuries and infections is warranted.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for screening hepatocellular carcinoma: an implemented program at a semi-rural academic center

To describe our early experience using a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) protocol for surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at a semi-rural academic medical center. Retrospective, longitudinal study of the first 100 patients who underwent CEUS liver screening imaging over 2 years. Each patient underwent a standard of care abdominal ultrasound, which was checked with the radiologist, who searched for a focal lesion on the cine clips to target specifically with contrast. If none was present, the HCC contrast-enhanced screening protocol consisting of individual sweeps of the right and left lobes was performed from 0 to 60 s and 3–4 min post contrast—Lumason was utilized. Images, report details, and patient demographics were analyzed. 66 men and 34 women (average age, 59 ± 13 years) were included. On average, the distance from patient’s home to our institution was 39 miles (range 2–179 miles). The majority of our patients were covered under Private insurance (46%) with 43% covered by Medicare. CEUS exams on average took 35 min to complete. Lumason was administered in split doses for an average total of 5 mL per exam. Of the 10 lesions identified, there were five LI-RADS 3, two LI-RADS 4, one LI-RADS 5, two LI-RADS M, and one bland portal vein thrombus. There were no complications reported. This semi-rural single-center study demonstrates the feasibility of starting a HCC CEUS screening program. CEUS can be performed in conjunction with routine ultrasound imaging with added benefit of identifying and characterizing lesions in one setting.
Functional Activities Detected in the Olfactory Bulb and Associated Olfactory Regions in the Human Brain Using T2-Prepared BOLD Functional MRI at 7T.

Olfaction is a fundamental sense that plays a vital role in daily life in humans, and can be altered in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using conventional echo-planar-imaging (EPI) based sequences can be challenging in brain regions important for olfactory processing, such as the olfactory bulb and orbitofrontal cortex, mainly due to the signal dropout and distortion artifacts caused by large susceptibility effects from the sinonasal cavity and temporal bone. To date, few studies have demonstrated successful fMRI in the olfactory bulb in humans. T2-prepared (T2prep) BOLD fMRI is an alternative approach developed especially for performing fMRI in regions affected by large susceptibility artifacts. The purpose of this technical study is to evaluate T2prep BOLD fMRI for olfactory functional experiments in humans. Olfactory fMRI scans were performed on 7T in 14 healthy participants. T2prep BOLD showed greater sensitivity than GRE EPI BOLD in the olfactory bulb, orbitofrontal cortex and the temporal pole. Functional activation was detected using T2prep BOLD in the olfactory bulb and associated olfactory regions. Habituation effects and a bi-phasic pattern of fMRI signal changes during olfactory stimulation were observed in all regions. Both positively and negatively activated regions were observed during olfactory stimulation. These signal characteristics are generally consistent with literature and showed a good intra-subject reproducibility comparable to previous human BOLD fMRI studies. In conclusion, the methodology demonstrated in this study holds promise for future olfactory fMRI studies in the olfactory bulb and other brain regions that suffer from large susceptibility artifacts.