cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in Nonlinear Dynamics and Implications for Economics

An attempt is made here to report briefly on the new developments on nonlinear dynamics (NLD) and suggest some implications for economies. The theory of bifurcations, catastrophes and chaos can throw much needed light on innumerable economic phenomena. NLD may help in better understanding of a pluralistic world of the mechanical and the evolutionary.
Stochastic dynamic channel models for millimeter cellular systems

The millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies offer the potential for enormous capacity cellular systems. However, a key challenge in designing robust communication systems in these frequencies is channel intermittency: mmWave signals are extremely vulnerable to blocking and the channel can rapidly appear and disappear with small movement of obstacles and reflectors. This paper presents a novel statistical model that can capture the dynamics of mmWave channels as a two-dimensional arrival process. The parameters in the model can be easily fit via maximum entropy estimation and preliminary results on fitting these models to commercial ray tracing data are presented.
Detection of highly enriched uranium using a pulsed D-D fusion source

This paper overviews the work that has been done to date towards the development of a compact, reliable means to detect Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) and other fissile materials utilizing a pulsed Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) D-D fusion device. To date, the UW IEC device has achieved 115 kV pulses in excess of 2 ampere, with pulsed neutron rates of 1.8x10 9 n/s during a 0.5 ms pulse at 10 Hz. MCNP modeling indicates that detection of samples of U-235 as small as 10 grams is achievable at current neutron production rates, and initial pulsed and steady-state HEU detection experiments have verified these results.
Comparison of sequential and fixed-structure sampling of pedigrees in complex segregation analysis of a quantitative trait.

Abstract In designing a study to demonstrate the existence of a major locus for a quantitative trait, an investigator chooses a sampling rule to ascertain pedigrees. The choice of sampling rule can significantly affect the study's power. Here, we compare two types of sampling rules for family studies: fixed-structure rules, in which the same set of relatives are sampled for each proband, and sequential rules, in which the relative or relatives to be sampled next may depend on the trait values of the individuals already observed. We compare fixed-structure and sequential sampling in the setting of extended pedigrees, a quantitative trait, and the genetic mixed model. Using computer simulation, we show that sequential sampling can increase power to detect segregation at a dominant major locus by over 60% in comparison with fixed-structure sampling. Just as important, this substantially increased power is obtained with an easily implemented sampling rule, one that might reasonably be employed in a family study of a quantitative trait.
Reexamining shell-model predictions for the mass of 17 Na(g.s.)

A new shell-model calculation for $^{17}\mathrm{C}$ provides spectroscopic factors for use in a computation of mirror energy differences between $^{17}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{17}\mathrm{Na}$. Results are compared with previous predictions.
Modulation of cytokines and myocardial lesions by vitamin E and chloroquine in a Mg-deficient rat model

Antioxidant treatment with alpha-tocopherol did not affect the level of the "inflammatory cytokines" in Mg-deficient animals, although it diminished the extent of the myocardial lesions. In another group of Mg-deficient animals chloroquine treatment diminished significantly the levels of circulating cytokines (interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and also resulted in a major decrease in myocardial lesions. These results raise the question of the role of these inflammatory cytokines in the formation of lesions in Mg-deficient myocardium. Because these cytokines are able to stimulate free radical production in various cell types, we postulate that Mg deficiency involves free radical mechanisms that can be amplified by inflammatory cytokines; whether these cytokines initiate lesion formation is unclear. Although our data do not confirm either possibility, we submit that these results implicate a role for the inflammatory cytokines in the cardiac pathology of Mg deficiency.
The Stagnated Blood in the Kidney Disease

The stagnate blood is the pathological product of the kidney disease as well as the important cause for the development and aggravation of the kidney disease.This paper discusses the following aspects,i.e.the identification of the blood stasis in the kidney disease,the relationship between the stagnated blood and the kidney disease,the items that should be paid attention to when applying the method of activating blood to resolve stasis and the main therapeutic methods for treating the common syndromes of the kidney disease.
How to Choose Direct Digital Photography Machines in Children's Hospital

Some techniques deserving consideration in purchase of direct digital photography machines in children's hospital are discussed as reference for doctors who purchase machines and decision-makers in hospital. It is emphasized that the dose of the machine in using should be the all-important factor to be considered for the health of not only the patients but the doctors and technicians. High quality images should not be based on the sacrifice of children's health.
Nutrients value and health-care function of full fermentation punica granatum wine

The analysis of full fermentation punica granatum wine nutrients indicates that: The full fermentation wine contains 17 kinds of amino acids. The total content of amino acid is 8.18318mg/mL, glucose content is 3.9% and fructose is 2.3%. Both the containing of VB1, VB2, VE, and the mineral of Na, P, Ca, Zn are higher. Eepecially the full fermentation punica granatum wine contains the Selenium, which is considered to be mostly beneficial to our body. Through the metabolize process of the nutrition, this paper discusses the nutritious value and health-care function.
Modulation of nitrosourea resistance in myeloid leukemias

Drug resistance in myeloid leukemias may be mediated by an increased capacity to repair chemotherapy-induced DNA damage. Some tumor cell lines that are resistant to nitrosoureas contain the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (alkyltransferase). This protects cells by removing cytotoxic, nitrosourea-induced O6-alkylguanine adducts. We measured the level of alkyltransferase activity in myeloid leukemic cells freshly obtained from patients to determine whether the alkyltransferase was an important factor in nitrosourea resistance in these cells and whether inactivation of this protein could sensitize leukemic cells to nitrosoureas. Myeloid leukemic cells from patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia had higher levels of alkyltransferase than did myeloid precursors from normal donors (P less than .01). This difference did not appear to be due to the state of differentiation of the leukemic or normal cells. To show that this repair protein mediated nitrosourea resistance in leukemic cells, cells were treated with the modified base O6- methylguanine to selectively and irreversibly inactivate the alkyltransferase and then exposed to 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1- nitrosourea (BCNU). An 18-hour incubation in 0.5 mmol/L O6- methylguanine caused an 87% +/- 3.6% decrease in alkyltransferase activity in leukemic cells and a 73% +/- 8.6% decrease in normal myeloid precursors. After treatment with O6-methylguanine, clonogenic leukemic cells from ten different donors became much more sensitive to BCNU, with a decrease in the dose needed to reduce colony survival by 50% (LD50) of 6.3 +/- 1.4-fold. A lesser effect was seen on CFU-GM, BFU- E, and CFU-GEM where the LD50 decreased two- to threefold. These studies show that nitrosourea resistance in myeloid leukemic cells can be abrogated by inactivation of the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine- DNA alkyltransferase. This method of biochemical modulation of DNA repair will sensitize leukemic cells to nitrosoureas in vitro and has the potential of increasing the therapeutic index of nitrosoureas in this disease.
Effect of Substitution on the Aniline Moiety of the GPR88 Agonist 2-PCCA: Synthesis, Structure–Activity Relationships, and Molecular Modeling Studies

GPR88, an orphan receptor richly expressed in the striatum, is implicated in a number of basal ganglia-associated disorders. In order to elucidate the functions of GPR88, an in vivo probe appropriate for CNS investigation is required. We previously reported that 2-PCCA was able to modulate GPR88-mediated cAMP production through a Gαi-coupled pathway. Early structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies suggested that the aniline moiety of 2-PCCA is a suitable site for diverse modifications. Aimed at elucidating structural requirements in this region, we have designed and synthesized a series of analogues bearing a variety of substituents at the phenyl ring of the aniline moiety. Several compounds (e.g., 5j, 5o) showed improved or comparable potency, but have lower lipophilicity than 2-PCCA (clogP 6.19). These compounds provide the basis for further optimization to probe GPR88 in vivo functions. Computational studies confirmed the SAR trends and supported the notion that 4′-substituents on the biphenyl ring...
An Overview of the Evolution of Direct Cholangioscopy Techniques for Diagnosis and Therapy

Direct examination of the biliary tree with endoscopes has been a challenge since endoscopists began performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the late 1960s. Previously, surgeons had used rigid instruments intraoperatively, which made examination difficult. The first direct cholangioscopy performed by an endoscopist was likely unintentionally done in a patient with postsurgical anatomy. Indirect imaging, ERCP, and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography are helpful modalities for examining the biliary tree, but they are limited procedures, particularly with regard to the evaluation and treatment of strictures and bile duct stones. This article reviews the history and evolution of direct cholangioscopy since the advent of flexible endoscopes. Additionally, the article describes a new single-operator cholan-gioscopy technique for direct visualization of the biliary tree for diagnosis and intervention. There remains opportunity for innovation as endoscopists strive for safe and less-invasive methods for the identification and treatment of biliary pathology.
Near-complete stored energy extraction from fiber amplifiers in ultrashort >10mJ energy pulses using coherent pulse stacking amplification (Conference Presentation)

10mJ energy extraction from a single Yb-doped 85µm core CCC fiber has been achieved using coherent pulse stacking amplification (CPSA) technique. This has been achieved by amplifying a burst of 81 stretched pulses with modulated amplitudes and phases, in a Yb-doped fiber CPA system where it is amplified to 10mJ with low nonlinearity, and coherently stacked into a single pulse with 4+4 cascading GTI cavities. The burst is generated by sending femtosecond pulses from a 1GHz repetition rate mode-locked fiber oscillator into a pair of amplitude and phase electro-optic modulators, where the burst is carved out and pre-shaped to compensate for strong saturation effect in fiber CPA system and to provide correct relative phases for coherent pulse stacking. After each pulse is stretched to approximately 1-ns, the burst is amplified through several cascading fiber amplifiers and down-counted to 1kHz repetition rate, and it extracts >90% stored energy from the last Yb-doped 85µm core CCC fiber. This multi-mJ burst of 81 pulses is then coherently stacked into a single pulse in 4+4 multiplexed GTI cavities consisting of 4 sets of 1ns-roundtrip cavities followed by 4 sets of 9-ns roundtrip cavities. After stacking, the stretched pulse is compressed to <540fs using diffraction-grating pulse compressor. CPSA enables generation of multi-mJ femtosecond pulses with one fiber amplifier channel.
The Swimmer's Shoulder: Multi-directional Instability.

Swimmer’s shoulder is the term used to describe the problem of shoulder pain in swimmers. Originally described as supraspinatus tendon impingement under the coracoacromial arch, it is now understood that several different pathologies can cause shoulder pain in competitive swimmers, including subacromial impingement syndrome, overuse and subsequent muscle fatigue, scapular dyskinesis, and laxity and instability. Swimmers may develop increased shoulder laxity over time due to repetitive use. Such excessive laxity can decrease passive shoulder stability and lead to rotator cuff muscle overload, fatigue, and subsequent injury in order to properly control the translation of the humeral head. Generalized laxity can be present up to 62% of swimmers, while a moderate degree of multi-directional instability can be present in the majority. Laxity in swimmers can be due to a combination of underlying inherent anatomical factors as well as from repetitive overhead activity. The role of excessive laxity and muscle imbalance are crucial in the swimmer’s shoulder and should be well understood since they are the primary target of the training and rehabilitation program.
The Formation of ASPO and the Growing Influence of the “Peak Oil” Community

The first question to be asked is why nobodly noticed the peak oil issue before? Well, in fact, people did notice. Take Hubbert as one of the first examples. He wrote clearly on this issue and published his analyses in many prestigious and visible locations including the National Academy of Sciences and in published congressional testimony. As we have seen, he was not alone in his views and was followed by others, such as L.F. Ivanhoe who developed his Hubbert Center at the Colorado School of Mines and wrote a quarterly newsletter since 1995 (Ivanhoe 1996), Albert Bartlett who prefers Gaussian curves to “Hubbert curves” (Bartlett 2000), Richard Duncan and Walter Youngquist (Youngquist 1997), and Richard Startzman and his students Al-Jarri and Al-Fattah who plotted oil and gas production of every country using Hubbert curves (Al-Jarri and Startzman 1997; Al-Fattah and Startzman 1999). During the past decade many changes in the production of oil occurred, and many people started to acknowledge the problem. Even the few holdout economists usually acknowledge the issue, although their perception of the timing might be quite different. It is a matter of communicating the message rather than a question of noticing the problem. A new issue is the discovery of methods to develop relatively minor fields, such as the Bakken formation in North Dakota. These developments are causing many people to think that the issue is resolved with new technology. It is not. Bringing Iraq back on line might make a larger difference.
On the computation of stress intensity factors in fiber composite media using a contour integral method

A reciprocal work contour integral method for calculating the intensity of singular stress states at cracks, notches and corners is extended to treat cracked orthotropic plates modelling fiber reinforced composites. The method is based on a Somigliana type integral formula in which the singular stress intensities at the crack tip may be evaluated in terms of an integral involving tractions and displacements on a contour remote from the crack tip.
Personal Sphere Information, Histories and Social Interaction between People on the Internet

Many people share different pieces of personal information in different on-line spaces, which are part of their social interaction and are points of a trajectory that defines the personal story of each people. This shared information can be used for detecting people and communities with common interests in order to establish their interactions. The great evolution of Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 can help individuals to manage and to make available their personal information and social stories from multiple sources and services. In fact, this new communication perspective facilitates the communication among people that share the same interests. Starting from the web information extracted from several on-line spaces it is possible to identify the presence of a specific person in an on-line space. However, associating a specific person to an on-line space for a given event, which identifies one point of the story for that person, can be an ambiguous issue. The paper proposes to use HMMs to model the highest probability for a person to be referred by such specific on-line information.
CHLORIDE ION-SENSITIVE INACTIVATION OF O2 EVOLVING CENTERS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses chloride ion-sensitive inactivation of O 2 evolving centers. An approach to understanding the role of Cl – in O 2 evolution would be to investigate the properties of the O 2 centers in Cl – -depleted chloroplasts. One of the interesting properties of the O 2 evolving enzyme is an unusual response of the enzyme to known inhibitors and inhibitory treatments. The kinetics of dark NH 2 OH inactivation of O 2 centers in Cl – -depleted chloroplasts have a fast initial component that is abolished by the presence of Cl – . About half of the O 2 centers in Cl – depleted chloroplasts can be irreversibly inactivated by dark incubation with exogenous Mn 2+ . This Mn 2+ inhibition, which can be completely prevented by the presence of Cl– during Mn 2+ treatment, is sensitive to the presence or absence of weak light and of redox agents during the treatment in a manner that suggests that the Mn 2+ -sensitive portion of the O 2 centers in Cl – -depleted chloroplasts represents oxidized forms of the O 2 enzyme.
Life cycle assessment of transparent organic photovoltaic for window applications

The absorption of small molecule material uniquely in the near-infrared region opens new applications for organic solar cells. This work evaluates the environmental and cost benefit of transparent organic solar cells for two different applications using life cycle assessment. The transparent organic solar cells have a positive environmental impact for all scenarios considered.
GG-10 Feasibility of conducting epigenetic analysis in pediatric lupus B cells

Background Bennett et al identified the presence of interferon gene expression signatures in peripheral blood of children with systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE). Here, we aim to identify how B cells contribute to those signatures. We hypothesize that disordered transcription in pSLE will be prominent in B cells and attributed to disease-specific epigenetic alterations. Thus we will not only identify important disease mechanisms in SLE, we will shed light on the genetics of SLE. Our previously published work demonstrated that most of the genetic risk for SLE located within non-coding regions of the genome appears to also contain higher than baseline epigenetic modifications of DNA and transcription factor binding sites that regulate and coordinate transcription. Methods Our specific aim is to assess regions of open chromatin in untreated pSLE and compare findings with healthy children. We propose to use assays of transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATACseq) to broadly survey open regions of chromatin and clarify the functional epigenome. In this pilot study, we propose to determine feasibility of performing this assay and developing methods for data analysis using 5 pediatric lupus patients and 5 healthy children. Anticipated results and conclusions Our long-term goal is to gain a mechanistic understanding of the aberrant transcriptional signatures in untreated SLE. The data generated by this pilot study will provide the basis for a rigorous power analysis, and firmly establish the working relationship between the Buffalo and Cohen Children’s Medical Center groups, both of which will be essential for a competitive application to NIH. Our preliminary findings from this pilot study will also allow us to begin the exciting process of linking the genetics and epigenetics of pSLE to the well-established transcriptional aberration. Acknowledgements This study is funded, in part, by an Arthritis Foundation-Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Small Pilot Grant.
Recurrent and Progressive Facial Baroparesis on Flying Relieved by Eustachian Tube Dilation.

Objectives:Facial baroparesis is a rare phenomenon of seventh cranial nerve palsy traditionally reported in divers, with only 11 cases reported in aviation so far. It is important to correctly diag...
The impact of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on blood pressure and circulating nitric oxide levels: a double blind, randomized study in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Purpose: Regulation of blood pressure (BP) is important in reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease. There is growing interest in non-pharmacological methods to treat BP including a novel appro...
Corporate Transparency in the Technological Frontier

After a review of the traditional disclosure justifications, this paper examines the dangers that new technologies are creating in finance, such as flash crashes and the hack of the DAO. Whereas the dangers do require and have received regulatory responses, the environment that is forming does not appear to be one requiring a systematically different regulatory approach to transparency or disclosure.
Letter from the Editor: Pivot

This letter acknowledges and thanks the previous Editor-in-Chief, Thomas Colledge. Notes there is a relatively new Editor-in-Chief for IJSLE. Issues a call for individuals to submit ideas for future special issues of the journal. Recognizes unusual circumstances associated with the global pandemic.
Asleep Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Ventralis Intermedius for Essential Tremor Using Indirect Targeting and Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Single‐Institution Case Series

Background Literature on asleep deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventralis intermedius (Vim) nucleus in essential tremor is relatively sparse. Furthermore, controversy exists as to whether indirect ("consensus" or "atlas-based") targeting of the Vim requires physiologic adjustment for effective clinical outcomes in DBS surgery. Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of asleep Vim DBS using indirect coordinates and real-time interventional magnetic resonance imaging guidance. Methods Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database was performed to identify patients with essential tremor undergoing asleep Vim DBS using interventional magnetic resonance imaging guidance. Stereotactic and clinical outcomes were abstracted and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 12 consecutive patients were identified, all of whom were available for 6-month clinical follow-up. Stereotactic (radial) error was 0.5 ± 0.2 mm on the left and 0.5 ± 0.3 mm on the right. Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor scores in the treated limb(s) decreased by 71.2% ± 31.0% (P = 0.0088), The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale activities of daily living improved by 74.9% ± 23.7% (P < 0.0001), and The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale performance improved by 64.3 ± 16.2% (P = 0.0004). Surgical complications were mild and generally transient. Stimulation-related side effects were similar to those reported in historical series of awake Vim DBS. Conclusions Asleep Vim DBS using indirect targeting and interventional magnetic resonance imaging-guided placement is safe and effective, with 6-month clinical results similar to those achieved with awake placement. These data support the use of asleep surgery in essential tremor and represent a baseline for comparison with future studies using more advanced targeting techniques.
Uterine Cancer Mortality in White and African American Females in Southeastern North Carolina.

The residents of southeastern North Carolina (NC) are exposed to multiple socioeconomic and environmental risk factors and have higher mortality rates for a number of diseases. Uterine cancer mortality is known to vary dramatically by race, so we analyzed uterine cancer mortality in populations defined by zip codes in this area to investigate the contributions of various environmental risk factors to race-specific disease patterns. Methods. Zip code specific mortality and hospital admissions for uterine cancer from 2007 to 2013 were analyzed using the NC State Center for Health Statistics data and the Inpatient Database of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project datafiles, respectively. Results were adjusted for age, income, education, health insurance coverage, prevalence of current smokers, and density of primary care providers. Results. Uterine cancer mortality rates were generally higher in African American (32.5/100,000, 95% CI = 18.9–46.1) compared to White (19.6/100,000, 95% CI = 12.3–26.9) females. Odds ratios (ORs) of uterine cancer death were higher in White females (OR = 2.27, ) residing within zip codes with hog concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) (hog density >215 hogs/km2) than in White females residing in non-CAFO communities. African American females living near CAFOs had less pronounced increase of uterine cancer death (OR = 1.08, ). Conclusion. White females living in adjacent to hog CAFOs areas of southeastern NC have lower rates of mortality from uterine cancer than African American females, but they have higher odds of death compared to their counterparts living in other NC areas. African American females living near CAFOs also have modest increases from their high baseline mortality. While the observed associations do not prove a causation, improving access to screening and medical care is important to mitigate this health issues in southeastern NC.
The Pathogenesis of Liver Diseases in Pregnancy

Liver diseases that occur in pregnancy include acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP); hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome; hyperemesis gravidarum; intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy; and preeclampsia/eclampsia. Both AFLP and HELLP syndrome can be associated with high morbidity and even mortality in the mother and the fetus. The pathogenesis of AFLP is unclear but may involve defects in fetoplacental fatty acid metabolism. Twenty percent of AFLP has been traced to a deficiency in long-chain 3-hydroxyl acyl CoA dehydrogenase. Similarly, the pathogenesis of HELLP is variable and in some cases not entirely clear, but it has been suggested that it can be viewed as a more severe form of preeclampsia. Severe eclampsia can also present with liver dysfunction. The pathogenesis of some forms of HELLP may involve a microangiopathic thrombosis. Hyperemesis gravidarum presents early in pregnancy, while AFLP and HELLP are seen in the later stages of pregnancy. In addition to these conditions, patients with existing liver diseases such as autoimmune hepatitis may become pregnant and are generally categorically characterized as high-risk pregnancies. When evaluating a patient for liver diseases during pregnancy, one must consider the normal physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy, which may predispose women to liver diseases.
Racial Implicit Associations in Psychiatric Diagnosis, Treatment, and Compliance Expectations

Racial and ethnic disparities are well documented in psychiatry, yet suboptimal understanding of underlying mechanisms of these disparities undermines diversity, inclusion, and education efforts. Prior research suggests that implicit associations can affect human behavior, which may ultimately influence healthcare disparities. This study investigated whether racial implicit associations exist among medical students and psychiatric physicians and whether race/ethnicity, training level, age, and gender predicted racial implicit associations. Participants completed online demographic questions and 3 race Implicit Association Tests (IATs) related to psychiatric diagnosis (psychosis vs. mood disorders), patient compliance (compliance vs. non-compliance), and psychiatric medications (antipsychotics vs. antidepressants). Linear and logistic regression models were used to identify demographic predictors of racial implicit associations. The authors analyzed data from 294 medical students and psychiatric physicians. Participants were more likely to pair faces of Black individuals with words related to psychotic disorders (as opposed to mood disorders), non-compliance (as opposed to compliance), and antipsychotic medications (as opposed to antidepressant medications). Among participants, self-reported White race and higher level of training were the strongest predictors of associating faces of Black individuals with psychotic disorders, even after adjusting for participant’s age. Racial implicit associations were measurable among medical students and psychiatric physicians. Future research should examine (1) the relationship between implicit associations and clinician behavior and (2) the ability of interventions to reduce racial implicit associations in mental healthcare.
Source decomposition of the frontocentral auditory steady-state gamma band response in schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects.

Aim Gamma-band auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is a neurophysiologic index that is increasingly used as a translational biomarker in the development of treatments of neuropsychiatric disorders. While gamma-band ASSR is generated by distributed networks of highly interactive temporal and frontal cortical sources, the majority of human gamma-band ASSR studies using electroencephalography (EEG) highlight activity from only a single frontocentral scalp site, Fz, where responses tend to be largest and reductions in schizophrenia patients are most evident. However, no previous study has characterized the relative source contributions to Fz, which is a necessary step to improve the concordance of preclinical and clinical EEG studies. Methods A novel method to back-project the contributions of independent cortical source components was applied to assess the independent sources and their proportional contributions to Fz as well as source-resolved responses in 432 schizophrenia patients and 294 healthy subjects. Results Independent contributions of gamma-band ASSR to Fz were detected from orbitofrontal, bilateral superior/middle/inferior temporal, bilateral middle frontal, and posterior cingulate gyri in both groups. In contrast to expectations, the groups showed comparable source contribution weight to gamma-band ASSR at Fz. While gamma-band ASSR reductions at Fz were present in the schizophrenia patients consistent with previous studies, no group differences in individual source-level responses to Fz were detected. Conclusions Small differences in multiple independent sources summate to produce scalp-level differences at Fz. The identification of independent source contributions to a single scalp sensor represents a promising methodology for measuring dissociable and homologous biomarker targets in future translational studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cardiovascular and kidney outcomes of spironolactone or eplerenone in combination with ACEI/ARBs in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) when combined with either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may provide additional benefits of cardiovascular and kidney disease risk reduction in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and hypertension. We evaluated the effectiveness of combination therapy (MRAs, either spironolactone or eplerenone, plus ACEI/ARB) compared with monotherapy (ACEI/ARB only) in patients with DKD and hypertension. METHODS Retrospective cohort study was performed in patients (age ≥ 18 years) with hypertension, diabetes, and albuminuria between 2008 and 2018 within an integrated health system. MRA with ACEI/ARB compared to ACEI/ARB alone was evaluated on composite of cardiovascular events, progression to end-stage kidney disease, or all-cause mortality. Hyperkalemia was compared as a safety outcome. RESULTS We identified 1282 patients who received MRAs with ACEI/ARBs and 5484 patients who received ACEI/ARBs alone. Median exposure time for combination therapy was 126 days. The rates per 100 person-years of cardiovascular, kidney, or all-cause mortality outcomes were 12.2 and 9.2 for combination therapy and monotherapy, respectively (hazard ratios = 1.24, 95% Confidence Interval (CI):0.94, 1.63). Patients receiving combination therapy had greater reduction in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio compared with monotherapy (Mean reduction: 823 and 585 mg/g; p < 0.001, respectively). Hyperkalemia was more frequent in combination therapy versus monotherapy (22.3 vs. 10.9 per 100 person-years for combination and monotherapy, respectively; hazard ratios = 1.78, 95%CI: 1.42, 2.24). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with DKD and hypertension, the short-term use of MRAs, either spironolactone or eplerenone, in combination with ACEI/ARBs, was not associated with lower risk of cardiovascular or kidney outcomes compared with ACEI/ARB monotherapy. The risk of hyperkalemia and the short duration of combination therapy may suggest a real-world clinical challenge for MRA with ACEI/ARB combination therapy.
Inheritance of Nitrite Reductase

Although nitrite reductase (NiR) resides primarily in the chloroplast (Dalling et al., 1972; Lips et al., 1972; Miflin, 1974; Ritenour et al., 1967; Washitani et al., 1977) it has not been determined whether this enzyme is coded for by chloroplast DNA or by nuclear DNA.
Cross-Flow Instability with Periodic Distributed Roughness

This work involves the study of the sensitivity of the Type 1 cross-flow instability to patterned distributed roughness, and the evolution of these modes to turbulence. The basic flow consists of the 3-D boundary layer over a rotating disk. The roughness is made up of ink dots which were applied to the surface of the disk. The pattern of dots consisted of an equally spaced array in the azimuthal direction, at a fixed radius. Logarithmic spiral patterns of dots were also used to enhance azimuthal wave angles. Both subcritical and supercritical radii were explored. The dots were accurately placed using the computer controlled traversing mechanism which was equipped with an inking pen. The diameter and heights of the dots are 1.6mm and 0.06mm \(\left( {h\sqrt {{w \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {w v}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} v}} = 0.16} \right)\) respectively. The azimuthal number of dots was intended to excite a particular azimuthal mode number of cross-flow modes. By this, uniform stationary modes could be excited so that we could more accurately separate fluctuations in velocity time series due to these, from modes which were travelling with respect to the disk rotation frame. The velocity time series were simultaneously measured at two radial positions. The instability azimuthal wave number, β, was found to change in response to the azimuthal dot number, α. The result was that the local angles of the cross-flow waves changed to keep the most amplified radial wave number, a. We documented the linear growth stage for stationary and travelling modes. We also documented a triad coupling between pairs of travelling modes and a stationary mode. The strongest of these was a difference interaction which lead to the growth of low azimuthal number stationary mode. This mode had the largest amplitude and appeared to dominate transition.
Character traits and basic, cognitive, social, and technological skills for telecommuting: implications for the computing curriculum

Advances in the area of telecommunications technology have profoundly affected the options employees have in terms of where and how they perform their work, and the number of computing professionals who telecommute (i.e., work at least part of their workweek away from their regular office) continues to increase. Undoubtedly, many of our own computing students will eventually telecommute to some degree or another in the future. The purpose of this study was to identify the most important traits/skills required for an effective telecommuting experience as reported by experienced telecommuters and then to suggest ways of incorporating the learning of those traits/skills into the computing curriculum-all in hopes of assisting our students in becoming more effective telecommuters.
Trench‐parallel fluid flow in subduction zones resulting from temperature differences

Differences in the thermal state of subducting crust along the trench of a subduction zone cause differences in subduction zone temperature that persist to tens of kilometers down-dip of the trench. The resulting differences in fluid viscosity, permeability, and hydraulic conductivity can lead to trench-parallel variations in fluid pressure on the plate boundary fault. Temperature differences in locations with low decollement temperature (<75°C) at the trench result in large differences in fluid viscosity and fluid flow from the cold to the hot side of the system. Margins characterized by high decollement temperature at the trench are probably dominated by temperature-controlled differences in intrinsic permeability, resulting in fluid flow from the hot to the cold side of the system. Margins with large trench-parallel temperature differences support considerable trench-parallel fluid flow, and the effect is accentuated for cases where compaction driven dewatering is concentrated near the trench. Type locations for along-strike hydrologic differences include margins with subducting crust with differences in plate age along the trench or patchy hydrothermal circulation. In such cases, the three-dimensional pattern of subduction zone fluid flow should be considered when inferring the location of the source of fluids sampled from boreholes or seeps. Additionally, trench-parallel differences in fluid pressure control effective stress on the plate boundary fault. Reduced effective stress on the plate boundary on the low hydraulic conductivity side of a subduction zone reduces the effective friction coefficient, which both reduces frictional heating and may delay the onset of frictional instability.
Preparing School Leaders to Interrupt Racism at Various Levels in Educational Systems.

This narrative inquiry seeks to advance the field of educational leadership preparation by exploring ways to interrupt personal, interpersonal, and institutional racism through the senses—ways in which people perceive their experiences and relation to others. Findings suggest that participants engage in actions aligned with revelations from their reflective process and utilize their positions as a lever to address racism at various levels within educational systems. Participants utilized their transformed storied selves to challenge the disparate impact of power and privilege on educational and social equity within school communities.
Issues in Architecture Evolution: Using Design Intent in Maintenance and Controlling Dynamic Evolution

Issues in Architecture Evolution: 1) Using design intent in maintenance & 2) Controlling dynamic evolution In this keynote talk I will address two issues in software architecture evolution. In Alex Wolf's and my original architecture model, we proposed rationale as one of the major components. Over the years very little has been explored about this issue. The primary purpose of rationale was to record architecture design intent: why are things the way they are? It is only recently that architecture researchers have become interested in capturing design intent. Unfortunately the focus has been (as it was in the 80's on capturing design decisions) on what can we capture and how. I will focus instead on the problem of what design intent do we need when we evolve the architecture design and discuss the work I am doing with my student Paul Grisham. There are a number of interesting contexts where the dynamic evolution of software architectures are of critical importance - for example, self-managing, self-adapting systems, etc. Another interesting context is that of simulating very large, very complex systems. In all these cases, the control of dynamic architecture evolution is a critical issue. In the case of complex simulations we have foreknowledge (indeed, control) of the desired architecture evolution. I will focus on our approach in handling this issue in this context. While this is a fairly narrow context, I believe our approach has applicability in a wider context.
CXC Chemokine Ligand 12-Induced Focal Adhesion Kinase Activation and Segregation into Membrane Domains Is Modulated by Regulator of G Protein Signaling 1 in Pro-B Cells

CXCL12-induced chemotaxis and adhesion to VCAM-1 decrease as B cells differentiate in the bone marrow. However, the mechanisms that regulate CXCL12/CXCR4-mediated signaling are poorly understood. We report that after CXCL12 stimulation of progenitor B cells, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and PI3K are inducibly recruited to raft-associated membrane domains. After CXCL12 stimulation, phosphorylated FAK is also localized in membrane domains. The CXCL12/CXCR4-FAK pathway is membrane cholesterol dependent and impaired by metabolic inhibitors of G(i), Src family, and the GTPase-activating protein, regulator of G protein signaling 1 (RGS1). In the bone marrow, RGS1 mRNA expression is low in progenitor B cells and high in mature B cells, implying developmental regulation of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling by RGS1. CXCL12-induced chemotaxis and adhesion are impaired when FAK recruitment and phosphorylation are inhibited by either membrane cholesterol depletion or overexpression of RGS1 in progenitor B cells. We conclude that the recruitment of signaling molecules to specific membrane domains plays an important role in CXCL12/CXCR4-induced cellular responses.
Aura: An IoT Based Cloud Infrastructure for Localized Mobile Computation Outsourcing

Many applications require localized computation in order to ensure better performance, security, and lower costs. In recent years, the emergence of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices has caused a paradigm shift in computing and communication. IoT devices are making our physical environment and infrastructures smarter, bringing pervasive computing to the mainstream. With billions of such devices slated to be deployed in the next five years, we have the opportunity to utilize these devices in converting our physical environment into interactive, smart, and intelligent computing infrastructures. In this paper, we present Aura -- a highly localized IoT based cloud computing model. Aura allows clients to create ad hoc clouds using the IoT and other computing devices in the nearby physical environment, while providing the flexibility of cloud computing. Aura provides localized computation capability from untapped computing resources. Computations done on Aura are highly flexible, giving clients full control to start, stop, migrate, and restart computations in nearby devices as the clients move between different physical locations. To demonstrate the feasibility of Aura, we have ported a lightweight version of MapReduce to run on IoT devices, and evaluated its performance.
How Geoscience Novices Reason About Temporal Duration: The Role of Spatial Thinking and Large Numbers

ABSTRACT Research about geologic time conceptions generally focuses on the placement of events on the geologic timescale, with few studies dealing with the duration of geologic processes or events. Those studies indicate that students often have very poor conceptions about temporal durations of geologic processes, but the reasons for that are relatively unexplored. Close connections between ideas about time and space over short time periods, as well as poor number sense for numbers in unfamiliar ranges have been repeatedly demonstrated. This study explored whether the conceptions geoscience novices hold about the temporal duration of geoscience processes across a variety of temporal scales are influenced by their ideas about space and large numbers. Seventeen undergraduates in an introductory geoscience course participated in task-based qualitative interviews. Students tended to equate spatial size with temporal duration over short and long time periods, sometimes modifying contradictory data to fit their...
Predicting Black Light Trap Catch and Flight Activity of Acrosternum hilare (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Adults

A regression model was developed to predict the flight activity of Acrosternum hilare (Say) using data on the number of adults collected in a single black light trap located in Painter, VA, in the 18-yr period from 1990 to 2007. Eighteen initial weather variables, including cumulative precipitation over different time periods, mean monthly precipitation (PJA) and days below freezing (DFJA) from January to April, and mean monthly temperatures from December to April were tested in developing the regression model. Mixed (backward and forward) stepwise regression analysis showed that a two-variable model using PJA and DFJA was adequate for predicting the seasonal mean weekly number of A. hilare adults in the trap. Validation of the model using five independent black light trap data sets resulted in a strong correlation (r = 0.98) between observed and predicted mean weekly number of A. hilare adults caught in traps. Three peaks in flights of A. hilare adults were observed when mean trap catch was plotted over time for the 18-yr period. Peaks occurred at 319, 892, and 1,331 degree days (DD) from 1 January. Based on known developmental rates, the first peak was attributed to overwintered adults, the second to first-generation adults, and the third to a second generation of adults. This research suggests that A. hilare undergoes two complete generations in Virginia. Cumulative trap catch estimated from the 18-yr mean trap catch showed that 10, 50, and 90% of the total seasonal catch should occur by 153, 501, and 1,066 DD.
Secretoglobin and Transferrin Expression in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Horses with Chronic Respiratory Disease

Background Lower expression of secretoglobin and transferrin has been found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of a small number of horses with experimentally induced signs of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) compared to healthy controls. Hypothesis/Objectives Secretoglobin and transferrin BALF expression will be similarly decreased in horses with naturally occurring clinical signs of RAO and in horses with experimentally induced clinical signs of RAO as compared to healthy controls and intermediate in horses with inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Animals Recurrent airway obstruction-affected and control horses were subjected to an experimental hay exposure trial to induce signs of RAO. Client-owned horses with a presumptive diagnosis of RAO and controls from the same stable environments were recruited. Methods Pulmonary function and BALF were evaluated from control and RAO-affected research horses during an experimental hay exposure trial (n = 5 in each group) and from client-owned horses (RAO-affected horses, n = 17; IAD-affected horses, n = 19; healthy controls, n = 5). The concentrations of secretoglobin and transferrin in BALF were assessed using Western blots. Results Naturally occurring and experimentally induced RAO horses had similar decreases in BALF transferrin expression, but secretoglobin expression was most decreased in naturally occurring RAO. Secretoglobin and transferrin expression were both lower in BALF of RAO-affected horses than in IAD-affected and control horses. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Secretoglobin and transferrin expression is decreased in BALF of RAO-affected horses after both experimental and natural exposure. Secretoglobin and transferrin likely play clinically relevant roles in the pathophysiology of RAO, and may thus be used as biomarkers of the disease.