cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legionella contamination of dental-unit waters

Water samples collected from 28 dental facilities in six U.S. states were examined for the presence of Legionella pneumophila and other Legionella spp. by the PCR-gene probe, fluorescent-antibody microscopic, and viable-plate-count detection methods. The PCR and fluorescent-antibody detection methods, which detect both viable and viable nonculturable Legionella spp., gave higher counts and rates of detection than the plate count method. By the PCR-gene probe detection method, Legionella spp. were detected in 68% of the dental-unit water samples and L. pneumophila was detected in 8%. Concentrations of Legionella spp. in dental-unit water reached 1,000 organisms per ml or more in 36% of the samples, and 19% of the samples were in the category of 10,000/ml or above. L. pneumophila, when present in dental-unit water, never reached concentrations of 1,000/ml or more. Microscopic examination with fluorescent-antibody staining indicated that the contamination was in the dental-unit water lines rather than in the handpieces. Legionella spp. were present in 61% of potable water samples collected for comparative analysis from domestic and institutional faucets and drinking fountains; this percentage was not significantly different from the rate of detection of Legionella spp. in dental-unit water. However, in only 4% of the potable water samples did Legionella spp. reach concentrations of 1,000 organisms per ml, and none was in the 10,000 organisms-per-ml category, and so health-threatening levels of Legionella spp. in potable water were significantly lower than in dental-unit water. L. pneumophila was found in 2% of the potable water samples, but only at the lowest detectable level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
RAMA: a file system for massively-parallel computers

The authors describe a file system design for massively parallel computers which makes very efficient use of a few disks per processor. This overcomes the traditional input/output (I/O) bottleneck of massively parallel machines by storing the data on disks within the high-speed interconnection network. In addition, the file system, called RAMA (Rapid Access to Massive Archive), requires little internode synchronization, removing another common bottleneck in parallel processor file systems. Support for a large tertiary storage system can easily be integrated into the file system; in fact, RAMA runs most efficiently when tertiary storage is used. >
The Canonical and Metaphysical Background of the Classic Dutch Marriage Conflicts Rule

Greater scholarly efforts have been expended by writers in continental Europe than in the English-speaking countries in tracing the development of theories of the conflict of laws. Even among the continental authorities, however, this writer has not found any substantial piece of scholarship addressed specifically to the development of the conflicts rules relating to marriage. The history of marriage conflicts rules deserves treatment apart from the history of conflicts rules generally, because essential marriage law and essential marriage conflicts law were for a long while exclusively the province of the Church, and not addressed by secular jurists.
Short-Term Feeding of Atherogenic Diet to Mice Results in Reduction of HDL and Paraoxonase That May Be Mediated by an Immune Mechanism

Short-term feeding (up to 7 days) of an atherogenic diet to C57BL/6 low density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice did not result in decreased hepatic paraoxonase (PON) mRNA but caused a dramatic decrease in plasma PON activity and mass. The decreased activity and mass were temporally related to an increase in plasma and high density lipoprotein (HDL) lipid hydroperoxides and to a decrease in HDL cholesterol and native apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II). As the native apoA-I protein disappeared from the circulation, higher molecular weight forms of apoA-I appeared, some of which contained epitopes recognized by an antibody (EO6) that recognizes oxidized phospholipids. After mice consumed an atherogenic diet for 1 or 3 days, switching the mice to a low fat chow diet for 3 days resulted in a return to baseline levels of lipid hydroperoxides but only a small return toward baseline for HDL cholesterol, with no significant increase in apoA-I mass or PON activity and mass. After mice consumed an atherogenic diet for 3 days, switching to the chow diet for 3 days did not significantly alter the high molecular weight forms of apoA-I or the signal generated by EO6. In marked contrast, after mice consumed an atherogenic diet for 7 days, switching to the chow diet for 3 days resulted in a dramatic increase in native apoA-I to baseline levels, with virtual disappearance of the high molecular weight forms of apoA-I, including the form recognized by EO6. After mice consumed an atherogenic diet for 7 days, switching to the chow diet for 3 days also resulted in significant increases in HDL cholesterol and PON mass and activity, although baseline levels were not reached. IgG and IgM antibodies were found to be associated with apoA-I in control animals, were minimally decreased after the 3-day atherogenic diet, were dramatically decreased after the 7-day atherogenic diet, and returned to near or above baseline levels after a return to the chow diet for 3 days. We conclude that the atherogenic diet rapidly induces lipid hydroperoxide formation and apoA-I oxidation with the formation of high molecular weight forms of apoA-I. Concomitant with these changes in apoA-I levels, HDL cholesterol and PON activity and mass declined without changes in mRNA levels for apoA-I or PON, suggesting increased clearance of these altered HDL particles. We further conclude that between the third and seventh day of the atherogenic diet, an as-yet-unidentified mechanism for clearing the high molecular weight forms of apoA-I is induced and that this mechanism may be related to the clearance of immune complexes.
Stage of maturity, processing, and hybrid effects on ruminal in situ disappearance of whole-plant corn silage

Five in situ trials with whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) were conducted in two ruminally-cannulated Holstein cows to determine 24-h ruminal disappearance of dry matter (DM), starch, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). In Trial 1, the effect of maturity of WPCS on ruminal nutrient disappearance was evaluated. Treatments were early dent (ED), 1/4 milk-line (1/4 ML), 2/3 milk-line (2/3 ML), and black-layer (BL) stage of maturity. Ruminal disappearance of DM was lower (p<0.01) for BL (474 g/kg) than ED (547 g/kg), 1/4 ML (579 g/kg), or 2/3 ML (530 g/kg). Ruminal starch disappearance was lower (p<0.01) for BL (862 g/kg) than ED, 1/4 ML, or 2/3 ML which averaged 950 g/kg. In Trial 2, the effect of mechanical processing of mature and immature WPCS and stover silage at harvest was evaluated. Processing increased (p<0.01) ruminal starch disappearance for both immature (844 vs. 664 g/kg) and mature (790 vs. 525 g/kg) WPCS. In Trial 3, two WPCS hybrids (grain vs. leafy) at two plant populations (low=59,000 or high=79,000 plants/ha) were evaluated. Type of hybrid or plant population did not affect DM or NDF disappearance. However, starch disappearance was higher (p<0.01) for the leafy hybrid (872 vs. 731 g/kg). In Trial 4, brown-midrib (BMR) corn harvested as WPCS was evaluated for ruminal nutrient disappearance versus a conventional grain hybrid. Ruminal DM (602 vs. 561 g/kg) and NDF (326 vs. 220 g/kg) disappearance were higher (p<0.01) for BMR. In Trial 5, ruminal nutrient disappearance of high- and low-NDF corn silage hybrids were compared. Ruminal DM (662 vs. 620 g/kg) and starch (987 vs. 950 g/kg) disappearance were higher, but NDF disappearance was lower (176 vs. 225 g/kg) for the low-NDF hybrid (p<0.001). In summary, delaying silage harvest to BL reduced ruminal nutrient disappearance. Mechanical processing increased ruminal disappearance of WPCS, primarily through greater ruminal starch disappearance. Ruminal starch and NDF disappearance were higher for leafy and BMR hybrids, respectively, relative to a conventional grain hybrid. Ruminal DM disappearance was increased for a low-NDF hybrid, but effects were positive for starch and negative for NDF disappearance.
The effect of unfunded pension liabilities on corporate bond ratings, default risk, and recovery rate

Unfunded pension liabilities lower ratings of non-senior secured bonds but do not affect ratings of senior secured bonds due to their higher seniority. Pension funding improvement (deterioration) is associated with bond rating upgrade (downgrade). Moreover, large unfunded liabilities increase bond default risk and reduce the recovery rate of bondholders after controlling for credit ratings, suggesting that bond ratings do not fully capture pension underfunding risk. Overall, our results highlight the important effects of unfunded pension obligations on bond ratings, default risk, and creditors’ payoff, and suggest that investors should look beyond bond ratings in making investment decisions.
A note on shock flow in a channel

A shock wave is generated by a uniform compressive piston motion and passes into a channel of slowly varying cross-section. A relation in closed form is obtained between shock strength and the area of the channel and is used to discuss converging cylindrical and spherical shocks.
Medium effects on subthreshold kaon production in heavy-ion collisions.

The relativistic transport model is extended to include the kaon degree of freedom. We also take into account the density dependence of the kaon effective mass in nuclear matter and the rescattering of kaons by nucleons. We find that the inclusion of kaon self-energy due to the attractive scalar mean field leads to an enhanced kaon yield in heavy-ion collisions at subthreshold energies. Also, kaon rescatterings are found to affect significantly the final kaon momentum spectra. We compare the theoretical results with recent experimental data from the Heavy-Ion Synchrotron (SIS) at GSI.
Neocentric X-chromosome in a girl with Turner-like syndrome

Neocentromeres are rare human chromosomal aberrations in which a new centromere has formed in a previously non-centromeric location. We report the finding of a structurally abnormal X chromosome with a neocentromere in a 15-year-old girl with clinical features suggestive of Turner syndrome, including short stature and primary amenorrhea. G-banded chromosome analysis revealed a mosaic female karyotype involving two abnormal cell lines. One cell line (84% of analyzed metaphases) had a structurally abnormal X chromosome (duplication of the long arm and deletion of the short arm) and a normal X chromosome. The other cell line (16% of cells) exhibited monosomy X. C-banding studies were negative for the abnormal X chromosome. FISH analysis revealed lack of hybridization of the abnormal X chromosome with both the X centromere-specific probe and the “all human centromeres” probe, a pattern consistent with lack of the X chromosome endogenous centromere. A FISH study using an XIST gene probe revealed the presence of two XIST genes, one on each long arm of the iso(Xq), required for inactivation of the abnormal X chromosome. R-banding also demonstrated inactivation of the abnormal X chromosome. An assay for centromeric protein C (CENP-C) was positive on both the normal and the abnormal X chromosomes. The position of CENP-C in the abnormal X chromosome defined a neocentromere, which explains its mitotic stability. The karyotype is thus designated as 46,X,neo(X)(qter- > q12::q12- > q21.2- > neo- > q21.2- > qter)[42]/45,X[8], which is consistent with stigmata of Turner syndrome. The mother of this patient has a normal karyotype; however, the father was not available for study. To our knowledge, this is the first case of mosaic Turner syndrome involving an analphoid iso(Xq) chromosome with a proven neocentromere among 90 previously described cases with a proven neocentromere.
Design and Ballistic Testing of Ti-6Al-4V Matrix Composites

Ti-6Al-4V matrix composites enhanced by alumina tubes filled with boron carbide, alumina rods, and alumina plate is termed high gradient composite because of the big density differences among Ti-6Al-4V, alumina, and boron carbide materials. This high gradient composite has been developed for a theoretical study to help determine the best configuration for armor protection. This is the first attempt where materials are prepared using a powder processing method with the specific goal to address the ballistic performance. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was first used to manufacture ballistic grade Ti-6Al-4V alloy and high gradient composites incorporating Al2O3 rods, plates, and tubes filled with B4C powders. Processing parameters were investigated and optimized based on materials properties. An important feature of powder-based materials is the lack of texture in comparison with traditional material. Several configurations of this high gradient composite were designed and tested by long rod penetration tests. High gradient composite materials demonstrated new damage patterning features during the long rod projectile penetration process. These features include projectile deflection, self-sealing of the hole, and forced shear localization in the direction of 45 � to the impact line caused by fracture of Al2O3 tubes on the initial stage of penetration process. Powder filled voids and rods induced volume distributed, highly heterogeneous pattern of damage initiated by cavities and their interactions. The test results are shown and analyzed in depth in this paper. The results prove that the powder-based approach can be used for processing of materials suitable for ballistic applications.
DCIV diagnosis for submicron MOS transistor design, process, reliability and manufacturing

When the MOS transistor is biased in the lateral or vertical bipolar-junction-transistor configurations, a component of its DC base-terminal current originates from electron-hole recombination at the gate-conductor-covered insulator/silicon interface traps. This base-current component can be varied by the gate-basewell DC applied voltage and it peaks at a gate voltage when the electron and hole surface concentrations are about equal. The peak magnitude of the base-current, the gate voltage at the peak, and the base-current-vs-gate-voltage lineshape can reveal the spatial variations of the surface dopant-impurity and interface-trap concentrations in the five regions between the source and drain junctions (the drain and source extension and junction space-charge regions and the basewell-channel region). The sensitivity is greatly increased, as much as 10/sup 6/, by increasing the forward-bias voltage applied to one of the three p-n junctions (drain, source and basewell) of the MOS transistor structure. The device physics of this DCIV methodology are reviewed. Diagnostic applications are described for device design, fabrication process, operation reliability, manufacturing uniformity, and detection of microscopic random fluctuations from fewer impurity atoms.
Intimate partner violence

1. Megan H. Bair-Merritt, MD, MSCE* 1. *Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Associate Director, Primary Care Fellowship Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the prevalence of intimate partner violence and childhood exposure to intimate partner violence. 2. Identify risk factors associated with intimate partner violence. 3. Explain the relationship of child maltreatment in the setting of intimate partner violence. 4. Recognize the impact of intimate partner violence exposure on children's social-emotional and physical health and health-care use. 5. Discuss strategies for screening and responding to intimate partner violence in the pediatric setting. You are seeing a healthy 4-month-old infant for a health supervision visit. As part of a routine social history, you inquire about intimate partner violence (IPV). The infant's mother discloses that her partner frequently yells at her, pushes her, and makes her feel afraid. On additional questioning, she describes the infant as “fussy.” The baby's physical examination findings are unremarkable, but you note that he missed his 2-month visit and is behind on his immunizations. How do you proceed? Family violence and domestic violence often are used synonymously and refer to violence occurring between any family member dyad, including parent-child, intimate partner-intimate partner, or sibling-sibling. IPV refers specifically to violence perpetrated between romantic partners and has been defined by the Family Violence Prevention Fund as “a pattern of purposeful coercive behaviors that may include inflicted physical injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, stalking, deprivation, intimidation and threats. These behaviors are perpetrated by someone who is, was, or wishes to be involved in an intimate or dating relationship with an adult or adolescent victim and are aimed at establishing control of one partner over the other.” (1) Over the course of a lifetime, between one fourth …
On Second Chances and Stratification: How Sociologists Think About Community Colleges

Community colleges increase college access, extending postsecondary educational opportunities to underserved students, yet, these students exhibit low rates of program completion and transfer to 4-year colleges. Sociological research on community colleges focuses on the tension between increasing educational opportunity and failing to improve equity in college completion across key demographics, such as race and socioeconomic status. This article provides an overview of sociology’s approach to understanding community colleges. We describe sociological theories, examine the contributions they make to the field, and discuss the discipline’s recent debates regarding community colleges. We conclude by highlighting research areas for further progress and discussing the role sociology could play in transforming community colleges.
Alternative Conceptions of Sex (and Sex Differences)

The apparently simple word “sex” is used to refer to our reproductive category, physiological properties, both reproductive and nonreproductive behaviors, and, in human beings, our sense of who we are. Recently, feminist scholars have introduced the term “gender to refer to the social aspects of relationships between the sexes. Terminological distinctions have not, unfortunately, eliminated conceptual confusion in this area (Unger and Crawford, In press). A core problem is the tendency to view various aspects of sex (and even gender) in terms of simple dichotomies. Nevertheless, exceptions can be found for even our most fundamental biological distinctions. Because sex is usually viewed from the perspective of mammalian physiology, the characteristics of the egg producer - female - and the sperm producer - male - are often thought of as fixed and universal. However, a number of fish species change sex (Diamond, this volume).
Distributional Externalities and the Optimal Form of Income Transfers

When preferences exhibit certain interdependencies, redistributive transfers can make everyone better off. However, the optimal form of such transfers depends on the nature of the postulated externalities. Lump sum transfers cannot achieve some Pareto optima if interdependence involves particular commodities. Here, price subsidies or earmarked (voucher) transfer schemes are required. However, if the interdependence relates to the general welfare of recipients, cash transfers are preferable. Preferences revealed in the political process in favor of in-kind programs suggest "particular-commodity" interdependence. But even if this is so, the analysis does not provide a conclusive case for in-kind transfers. Among other things, comparative costs of administering and policing in-kind as opposed to cash programs must also be considered.
Chronic sheep implant study of small intestinal submucosa: Fabricated pulmonary and mitral valve replacements

Abstract Introduction: Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) has been used as a bioengineered tissue substitute for orthopaedic and urologic operations, whose data suggest that SIS promotes tissue regenerative and healing processes by increasing recipient cell migration, of functional biologically active, phenotypically appropriate cells. As a tissue substitute, SIS has been proposed as an alternate option to homograft valve transplantation (as a valve fabricated at the time of surgery). SIS sheets were fashioned into monocusp and bi-flap valves and tested in the chronic ovine implant model. Methods: Four-ply SIS sheets were fashioned into monocusp valves and implanted in the RVOT of Juvenile sheep (n = 3). Similar SIS sheets were used to construct a bi-flap valve replacing the mitral valve (n = 3). In vivo valve function was evaluated by echocardiography bi-weekly. Hemodynamics were measured prior to explant and histological evaluation was performed on explanted valves. Results: Echocardiography demonstrated satisfactory function of the monocusp and bi-flap valves during the immediate post operative period (0–6 weeks), but declined over time (table). Visual inspection at explant demonstrated no evidence of growth. Histologically, SIS valves demonstrated prominent sheathing, composed primarily of fibroblasts and inflammatory cells. There was minimal recellularization within the SIS material. ∗Valve TypeImplant peak pressure gradient (mmHg)Explant peak pressure gradient (mmHg)Implant regurgi-tationExplant regurgi-tationExplant calcifi-cation∗RVOT1270+++RVOT1160+++RVOT1460++++Mitral—70++++Mitral—50+++Mitral—70++++All animals were sacrificed at 20 weeks. Representative echo and histologic data are outlined in the table. Peak pressure gradients declined in the RVOT model over time. Post implant gradients were unattainable in the mitral position by echo but were directly measured at explant. All valve constructs developed increasing regurgitation and calcification. Severity score (0) none, (+) minimal, (++) moderate, (+++) severe.∗Calcification in bi-flap limited to papillary reconstruction with polypropolene sutures, leaflets uninvolved. Similarly monocusp calcification isolated to suture line. Conclusions: Although SIS has been used successfully in non-cardiac operations, it appears to be a suboptimal choice for bioengineering cardiac valves. Bioengineered materials may be used to fashion cardiac valves that demonstrate satisfactory function at the time of surgery, but biologic properties of SIS materials provoke inflammation leading to degeneration and functional failure.
Pseudosubstrate Inhibition of the Anaphase-Promoting Complex by Acm1: Regulation by Proteolysis and Cdc28 Phosphorylation

The ubiquitin ligase activity of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC)/cyclosome needs to be tightly regulated for proper cell cycle progression. Substrates are recruited to the APC by the Cdc20 and Cdh1 accessory proteins. The Cdh1-APC interaction is inhibited through phosphorylation of Cdh1 by Cdc28, the major cyclin-dependent protein kinase in budding yeast. More recently, Acm1 was reported to be a Cdh1-binding and -inhibitory protein in budding yeast. We found that although Acm1 is an unstable protein and contains the KEN-box and D-box motifs typically found in APC substrates, Acm1 itself is not an APC substrate. Rather, it uses these motifs to compete with substrates for Cdh1 binding, thereby inhibiting their recruitment to the APC. Mutation of these motifs prevented Acm1-Cdh1 binding in vivo and rendered Acm1 inactive both in vitro and in vivo. Acm1 stability was critically dependent on phosphorylation by Cdc28, as Acm1 was destabilized following inhibition of Cdc28, mutation of consensus Cdc28 phosphorylation sites in Acm1, or deletion of the Bmh1 and Bmh2 phosphoprotein-binding proteins. Thus, Cdc28 serves dual roles in inhibiting Cdh1-dependent APC activity during the cell cycle: stabilization of the Cdh1 inhibitor Acm1 and direct phosphorylation of Cdh1 to prevent its association with the APC.
Multiple-Angle-of-Incidence Ellipsometry of Very Thin Films*

To minimize random errors in measurements on very thin (<100 A) Ag tarnish films where sensitivity is low because of film thickness, least-squares solutions with minimum residuals (MLSR) are used in estimating the optical constants and thickness. The range of acceptable MLSR values is reduced when the number of measuring angles is increased (from three to five in our measurements). The results are comparable to those obtained by curve fitting and have a wavelength dependence similar in form but lower in magnitude compared to published results on thicker, artificially grown Ag2S.
Effects of noise on speech production: Acoustic and perceptual analyses

Acoustical analyses were carried out on a set of utterances produced by two male speakers talking in quiet and in 80, 90, and 100 dB SPL of masking noise. In addition to replicating previous studies demonstrating increases in amplitude, duration, and vocal pitch while talking in noise, these analyses also found reliable differences in the formant frequencies and short‐term spectra of vowels. Perceptual experiments were also conducted to assess the intelligibility of utterances produced in quiet and in noise when they were presented at equal S/N ratios for identification. In each experiment, utterances originally produced in noise were found to be more intelligible than utterances produced in the quiet. The results of the acoustic analyses showed clear and consistent differences in the acoustic–phonetic characteristics of speech produced in quiet versus noisy environments. Moreover, these acoustic differences produced reliable effects on intelligibility. The findings are discussed in terms of: (1) the nature of the acoustic changes that take place when speakers produce speech under adverse conditions such as noise, psychological stress, or high cognitive load; (2) the role of training and feedback in controlling and modifying a talker’s speech to improve performance of current speech recognizers; and (3) the development of robust algorithms for recognition of speech in noise.
UIUC/MUSC at TREC 2005 Genomics Track

We report experiment results from the collaborative participation of UIUC and MUSC in the TREC 2005 Genomics Track. We participated in both the adhoc task and the categorization task, and studied the use of some mixture language models in these tasks. Experiment results show that a structured theme-based language modeling approach is effective in improving retrieval effectiveness for the ad hoc taks and the Latent Dirichlet Allocation method is effective in dimension reduction for the categorization task.
The insulin response integrates increased TGF-β signaling through Akt-induced enhancement of cell surface delivery of TGF-β receptors

Increased activity of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which binds to and stimulates cell surface receptors, contributes to cancer progression and fibrosis by driving epithelial cells toward a migratory mesenchymal phenotype and increasing the abundance of extracellular matrix proteins. The abundance of TGF-β receptors at the cell surface determines cellular responsiveness to TGF-β, which is often produced by the same cells that have the receptors, and thus serves as an autocrine signal. We found that Akt-mediated phosphorylation of AS160, a RabGAP [guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase)-activating protein], promoted the translocation of TGF-β receptors from intracellular stores to the plasma membrane of mouse embryonic fibroblasts and NMuMG epithelial cells. Consequently, insulin, which is commonly used to treat hyperglycemia and activates Akt signaling, increased the amount of TGF-β receptors at the cell surface, thereby enhancing TGF-β responsiveness. This insulin-induced increase in autocrine TGF-β signaling contributed to insulin-induced gene expression responses, attenuated the epithelial phenotype, and promoted the migration of NMuMG cells. Furthermore, the enhanced delivery of TGF-β receptors at the cell surface enabled insulin to increase TGF-β-induced gene responses. The enhancement of TGF-β responsiveness in response to Akt activation may help to explain the biological effects of insulin, the progression of cancers in which Akt is activated, and the increased incidence of fibroses in diabetes.
CD36, fibroblasts and intestinal inflammation

Crohn's Disease (CD) is characterized by dysregulated intestinal inflammation with an unknown etiology. Intestinal fibrosis is a major pathophysiological complication of CD with features that inclu...
Highly porous 4,8-connected metal-organic frameworks: synthesis, characterization, and hydrogen uptake.

A series of highly porous 4,8-connected isoreticular MOFs of the scu topology [Cu4(L1)(H2O)4]·20DEF, [Cu4(L2)(H2O)4]·16DMF·5H2O, and [Cu4(L3)(H2O)4]·14DMF (L1–L3 are (R)-1,1′-binaphthyl-derived octacarboxylate bridging ligands) were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Although the frameworks exhibit some distortion during the solvent removal process, the high-connectivity nature of the building blocks helps in stabilizing the frameworks, leading to high surface areas (SBET = 1189–2448 m2/g) and significant hydrogen uptake of up to 1.8 wt % (77 K, 1 atm).
OpenSoC Fabric: On-chip network generator

As technology scaling continues, on-chip networks are expected to remain important in future many-core chips due to the increased parallelism and, therefore, communication. However, designing and evaluating large-scale on-chip networks is a nontrivial task given the poor scalability of software simulation for thousands of cores and the intense development effort to develop hardware RTL. In this paper, we describe OpenSoC Fabric. OpenSoC Fabric is a comprehensive on-chip network generator written in Chisel. Chisel generates both C++ and Verilog models from a single code base and has a development effort comparable to functional programming. We describe the internal architecture of OpenSoC Fabric and its powerful list of configuration parameters. We then compare OpenSoC Fabric against pre-validated state-of-the-art simulators using both the generated C++ and Verilog models using FPGAs.
No foie gras with apolipoprotein B inhibitors

Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mutations in the receptor that clears circulating LDL-C result in a devastating condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), which is characterized by extremely high levels of LDL-C and markedly accelerated CVD mortality. Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a somewhat controversial new therapy called mipomersen for patients suffering from FH. Mipomersen is one of the first antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)–based therapies that specifically targets the knockdown of the major structural protein of LDL-C known as apolipoprotein B (apoB). Given the central role that apoB plays in removing lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides from the liver, many experts in the field warned that hepatic steatosis (i.e., fatty liver) would be an obvious potential side effect of this drug. However, both rodent and human studies have shown that mipomersen treatment paradoxically does not result in hepatic steatosis, though the mechanisms behind this have been elusive. Now, Conlon et al. provide evidence in mice that ASO-mediated knockdown of apoB stimulates a compensatory up-regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–associated autophagy, functionally channeling triglycerides towards lysosomal degradation. To identify mechanisms by which mipomersen fails to induce hepatic steatosis, Conlon et al. treated mice with a mouse-targeted apoB ASO and carefully examined subcellular accumulation of lipids, as well as markers of autophagic flux in the liver. In early stages of apoB knockdown, there was an apparent activation of ER stress and accumulation of autophagosome-like structures. As treatment was prolonged, activation of ER-associated autophagy was coupled to increased lipolysis of triglycerides, which ultimately resulted in delivery of fatty acid substrate for mitochondrial oxidation. This study provides insights into a compensatory pathway in the liver that senses abnormal accumulation of triglycerides in the ER to activate lysosomal triglyceride degradation. This important work reveals molecular mechanisms regulating hepatic triglyceride storage and secretion and provides a long-awaited explanation for why mipomersen does not promote hepatic steatosis. D. M. Conlon et al. , Inhibition of apolipoprotein B synthesis stimulates endoplasmic reticulum autophagy that prevents steatosis. J. Clin. Invest. 10.1172/JCI86028 (2016). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: https://www.jci.org/articles/view/86028
Manpower, Education, Skills and Jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Past Trends and Future Outlook

This chapter offers both a retrospective and a prospective view on SSA’s manpower, education and productivity. Firstly, we review patterns of working age manpower growth over the postwar era for the sub-Sahara, as well as indications of the changing local and regional trends in adult educational attainment. We will only touch briefly on the topics of skills and jobs, as comprehensive region-wide time series data on these quantities remains all but impossible to come by. Secondly, we place SSA’s educational performance in international perspective, and examine the influence that educational attainment and other key factors seem to have exerted on per capita productivity, both in SSA and the rest of the world. Finally, we venture to examine the outlook for SSA’s manpower, education and productivity in the decades immediately ahead.
Dormant origins as a built-in safeguard in eukaryotic DNA replication against genome instability and disease development

DNA replication is a prerequisite for cell proliferation, yet it can be increasingly challenging for a eukaryotic cell to faithfully duplicate its genome as its size and complexity expands. Dormant origins now emerge as a key component for cells to successfully accomplish such a demanding but essential task. In this perspective, we will first provide an overview of the fundamental processes eukaryotic cells have developed to regulate origin licensing and firing. With a special focus on mammalian systems, we will then highlight the role of dormant origins in preventing replication-associated genome instability and their functional interplay with proteins involved in the DNA damage repair response for tumor suppression. Lastly, deficiencies in the origin licensing machinery will be discussed in relation to their influence on stem cell maintenance and human diseases.
A framework for ultra-reliable low latency mission-critical communication

Mission-critical communication is one of the central design aspects of 5G communications. But there are numerous challenges and explicit requirements for development of a successful mission-critical communication system. Reliability and delay optimization are the two most crucial among them. Achieving reliability is influenced by several difficulties, including but not limited to fading, mobility, interference, and inefficient resource utilization. Achieving reliability may cost one of the most critical features of mission critical communication, which is delay. This paper discusses possible strategies to achieve reliability in a mission-critical network. Based on the strategies, a framework for a reliable mission-critical system has also been proposed. A simulation study of the effects of different pivotal factors that affect communication channel is described. This study provides a better understanding of the requirements for improving the reliability of a practical communication system.
Dysmobility syndrome:a paradigm shift in fracture prevention

Fragility fractures engender major healthcare cost, reduce independence/quality and life and increase mortality risk. Despite availability of multiple therapies to reduce risk for future fracture, few patients are treated even following hip fracture. Clearly, approaches of the past aimed at reducing fragility fracture risk, primarily by diagnosing osteoporosis and initiating bone-active medications, have failed. A different approach is required; such a change in focus is proposed here. Briefly, the dysmobility syndrome concept recognizes fragility fracture as the clinical outcome of consequence and appreciates that osteoporosis is only part of the syndrome leading to “osteoporosis-related” fracture. Other components of this syndrome include sarcopenia, obesity, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and potentially multiple other factors that increase risk for falls with attendant increased fracture risk. In summary, the dysmobility syndrome concept moves the field, and also, importantly, older adults at risk for fragility fracture, beyond a singular focus on bone to more appropriately focus on a holistic approach to fracture risk reduction.
Injectable Contrast Agents for Enhanced Subsurface Mapping and Monitoring

Abstract Injection of fluids into geologic formations for long term disposition (CO 2 ) or to improve energy extraction operations can benefit from subsurface monitoring programs capable of providing three dimensional spatial imaging of fluid distributions in the host reservoirs. More importantly, advancements in horizontal drilling and fluid fracking technologies are attracting a broader portfolio of non-traditional engineered subsurface reservoirs that possess complex fluid flow typically through engineered fracture networks. For example, producing fossil fuels from tight sands or shale formations, geothermal based heat extraction operations in low-permeability rock formations, and storing injected fluids (i.e. CO 2 , acid gases, waste waters, etc.) in the subsurface all require rigorous tracking techniques capable of identifying fluid migration. Current methodologies for four dimensional (3D spatial changes over time) subsurface monitoring of injected fluids are typically geophysical, using surface stations and borehole devices which employ seismic, electromagnetic, and gravitational techniques. However current methods often lack sufficient measurement sensitivity to adequately track fluid migration, and often incur a large economic cost. In this paper, we describe an entirely new class of acoustically responsive contrast agents to enable high-sensitivity, high-resolution tracking of injected fluids via conventional seismic imaging that have the potential of improving subsurface fracture network mapping and plume monitoring in CO 2 storage operations.
Cell Size Control via an Unstable Accumulating Activator and the Phenomenon of Excess Mitotic Delay

Unstable Accumulating Activator models for cellular size control propose an activator that accumulates in a size-dependent manner and triggers cell cycle progression once it has reached a certain threshold. Having a short half life makes such an activator responsive to changes in cell size and makes specific predictions for how cells respond to perturbation. In particular, it explains the curious phenomenon of excess mitotic delay. Excess mitotic delay, first observed in Tetrahymena in the '50s, is a phenomenon in which a pulse of protein synthesis inhibition causes a delay in mitotic entry that is longer than the pulse and that gets longer the later in the cell cycle the pulse is delivered. The interpretation of this phenomenon championed by Zeuthen and Mitchison in the '60s and '70s is that an unstable activator of mitosis is degraded during the pulse and has to be resynthesized to a threshold level to trigger mitosis; small cells have more time to resynthesize the activator before mitosis and so suffer less excess delay, whereas, large cells have less time thus suffer greater excess delay. Fifty years later, with our detailed understanding of cell cycle biochemistry, we can identify and test candidate Unstable Accumulating Activators. Here I review the field and further develop this concept.
Elder Abuse Identification in the Prehospital Setting: An Examination of State Emergency Medical Services Protocols

Objectives To describe statewide emergency medical service (EMS) protocols relating to identification, management, and reporting of elder abuse in the prehospital setting. Design Cross‐sectional analysis. Setting Statewide EMS protocols in the United States. Participants Publicly available statewide EMS protocols identified from published literature, http://EMSprotocols.org, and each state's public health website. Measurements Protocols were reviewed to determine whether elder abuse was mentioned, elder abuse was defined, potential indicators of elder abuse were listed, management of older adults experiencing abuse was described, and instructions regarding reporting were provided. EMS protocols for child abuse were reviewed in the same manner for the purpose of comparison. Results Of the 35 publicly available statewide EMS protocols, only 14 (40.0%) mention elder abuse. Of protocols that mention elder abuse, 6 (42.9%) define elder abuse, 10 (71.4%) describe indicators of elder abuse, 8 (57.1%) provide instruction regarding management, and 12 (85.7%) provide instruction regarding reporting. Almost twice as many states met each of these metrics for child abuse. Conclusion Statewide EMS protocols for elder abuse vary in regard to identification, management, and reporting, with the majority of states having no content on this subject. Expansion and standardization of protocols may increase the identification of elder abuse.
What explains immigrants’ national identity?

AbstractThis study explores the extent to which socio-economic factors in the U.S., and the exposure to the growing popular culture in Korea, influence Korean immigrants’ American identity. While a great number of cultural and social psychological studies have identified that socio-economic and intergroup factors have the potential to affect an immigrants’ national identity, studies have been negligent in examining the direct impact of popular culture from a sending country, as well as its conditional impact on national identity. In this study, focusing on Korean immigrants, we suggest that the increasing contact with the popular culture of one’s home country, through media, may decrease immigrants’ host identity. In addition, we suggest that it the impact of socio-economic and intergroup factors on their host identity. Although this study does not find strong evidence that Korean Americans who are more exposed to Korean popular culture through social media are less likely to endorse their American identi...
Duration of Respiratory Failure After Trauma Is Not Associated With Increased Long-Term Mortality.

Objectives:Although 1-year survival in medically critically ill patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation is less than 50%, the relationship between respiratory failure after trauma and 1-year mortality is unknown. We hypothesize that respiratory failure duration in trauma patients is associate
W-band TWT circuit fabricated by 3D-printed mold electroforming

We demonstrate 3D-printed mold electroforming (3D-PriME) fabrication of a W-band serpentine waveguide TWT circuit. The method allows the creation of a solid copper circuit, suitable for a vacuum electron device, beginning with a plastic inverse mold built on a commercial 3D printer. We present details of the fabricated circuit and electromagnetic cold test results.
Cooperation for the Provision of Regional Public Goods: The Iirsa Case 1

IIRSA is key to understanding new consensuses, agendas and cooperation processes in the provision of infrastructure that ultimately shape a region, and the redefinition of the regional space as an arena for harmonization of public policies. The chapter looks at the nature and dynamics in place challenging conventional wisdom about the state and state regulations as hindrance for regional integration. The management and coordination of energy and infrastructure, it is argued, is an example of regionalization of public enterprises and an extension of public policies as a new motor of regionalism. The development of regional infrastructure is intertwined with new geopolitical goals and international relations reasserting control over key resources of political economy.
Computations and generalizations on a remark of Ramanujan

In a conversation with Ramanujan, G.H. Hardy mentioned that 1729 seemed to be a dull number. Ramanujan answered, “No, it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as a sum of two cubes in two different ways.” He also stated that the answer to the corresponding problem for fourth powers “... must be very large.” In this paper, this problem and other generalizations to higher powers and larger sums is examined.
Intestinal transit in dogs is accelerated by volume distension during fat-induced jejunal brake.

Intestinal transit is accelerated by volume distension and slowed by nutrient load. We hypothesized that the accelerating effect of volume distension might overcome the slowing effect of nutrient. To test this hypothesis, we compared intestinal transit in five dogs equipped with duodenal and mid-intestinal fistulas. The proximal half of the small intestine was perfused with 60 mM oleate, while the distal half of the small intestine was either perfused with buffer (with distension) or left unperfused (without distension). We found that intestinal transit was slowed by oleate (with marker recovery reduced from 85.8 ± 5.3 to 39.4 ± 7.5%) (P < 0.01) and that volume distension accelerated intestinal transit so that marker recovery increased from 39.4 ± 7.5 without distension to 60.8 ± 6.3% with distension (P < 0.05). We concluded that intestinal transit is accelerated by volume distension during fat-induced jejunal brake.
Decreasing Use of Axillary Dissection in Node-Positive Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may downstage axillary disease in node-positive breast cancer. Several clinical trials have shown that sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery after NAC is feasible for these patients. We sought to evaluate the use of SLN surgery and ALND in cN1 patients undergoing NAC. We identified all patients with biopsy-proven cN1 breast cancer treated with NAC at our institution between January 2009 and December 2017. Approximated biologic subtype was determined by estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. Cochran–Armitage trend and Chi square tests were used for statistical analysis. Of 430 cN1 patients treated with NAC, 93 (22%) underwent SLN surgery only, 100 (23%) underwent SLN and ALND, and 237 (55%) underwent ALND only. The use of SLN surgery (± ALND) increased from 28% in 2009 to 86% in 2017 (p < 0.001), while the performance of ALND decreased from 100% in 2009 to 38% in 2017 (p < 0.001). Among SLN+ patients who underwent ALND, disease was limited to the SLNs in 25/73 (34%) patients. The nodal pathologic complete response rate was 46% and varied by tumor subtype (p < 0.001). Among patients undergoing SLN surgery, ALND was avoided in 48% of patients overall and varied by biologic subtype: 55% ER−/HER2+, 61% ER+/HER2+, 62% ER−/HER2−, and 31% ER+/HER2− (p = 0.001). With short-term follow-up, no nodal recurrences have occurred in patients without ALND. We observed a significant shift in axillary surgery for cN1 breast cancer patients treated with NAC, with increasing use of SLN surgery to assess nodal treatment response, and decreasing use of ALND.