cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping stellar content to dark matter haloes using galaxy clustering and galaxy–galaxy lensing in the SDSS DR7

The mapping between the distributions of the observed galaxy stellar mass and the underlying dark matter halos provides the crucial link from theories of large‐scale structure formation to interpreting the complex phenomena of galaxy formation and evolution. We develop a novel statistical method, based on the Halo Occupation Distribution model (HOD), to solve for this mapping by jointly fitting the galaxy clustering and the galaxy-galaxy lensing measured from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The method, called the iHOD model, extracts maximum information from the survey by including 80% more galaxies than the traditional HOD methods, and takes into account the incompleteness of the stellar mass samples in a statistically consistent manner. The derived stellar-to-halo mass relation not only explains the clustering and lensing of SDSS galaxies over almost four decades in stellar mass, but also successfully predicts the stellar mass functions observed in SDSS. Due to its capability of modelling significantly more galaxies, the iHOD is able to break the degeneracy between the logarithmic scatter in the stellar mass at fixed halo mass and the slope of the stellar-to-halo mass relation at high mass end, without the need to assume a strong prior on the scatter and/or use the stellar mass function as an input. We detect a decline of the scatter with halo mass, from 0:22 +0:02 0:01 dex at below 10 12 h 1 M to 0:18 0:01 dex at 10 14 h 1 M . The model also enables stringent constraints on the satellite stellar mass functions at fixed halo mass, predicting a departure from the Schechter functional form in high mass halos. The iHOD model can be easily applied to existing and future spectroscopic datasets, greatly improving the statistical constraint on the stellar-to-halo mass relation compared to the traditional HOD methods within the same survey.
Trends in Mortality in Older Women: Findings from the Nun Study

During this century, Catholic sisters have remained constant in many life-style characteristics such as smoking and reproduction (Catholic sisters are nonsmoking and nulliparous). It is therefore of interest to compare trends in the health of elderly Catholic sisters to those in the general population. In this study, mortality rates at ages 50 to 84 years in a population of 2,573 Catholic sisters were compared to those in the general population during the years 1965 to 1989. The Catholic sisters had a mortality advantage that increased dramatically over calendar time, and from early to more recent birth cohorts. This coincided with increases in smoking by U.S. women, while during the same time period the Catholic sisters had very low rates of mortality from smoking-related diseases. The Catholic sisters had high rates of mortality from cancers of the breast and reproductive organs, suggesting an effect of nulliparity manifested in older women.
A Hough transform system based on neural networks

Neural-like analog circuitry is suggested for image-to-parameter-space mapping, and a modified Hopfield optimization network is proposed for the parameter space peak detection. Solution time under 50 mu s is obtainable with general-purpose operational amplifiers. Example system applications include autonomous navigation, tracking multiple targets, curve following, mensuration, and image recognition. >
Comparison of Buprestidae collected by Cerceris fumipennis (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with those collected by purple prism traps

Detection of low-level infestations of pest Buprestidae such as emerald ash borer is crucial for their effective management, but the efficiency of trapping techniques varies. In the present study, we compare two nondestructive methods for monitoring metallic wood-boring beetles. 2 Buprestidae captured by the wasp Cerceris fumipennis Say (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) were compared with those captured by USDA-APHIS-PPQ standard issue purple prism traps (PPTs) at three sites in North Carolina, U.S.A. At each site, four PPTs were hung on trees at the edge of a known C. fumipennis nest aggregation, and changed at 5.5-7.0-week intervals. Buprestids were collected from hunting wasps once a week during their 5-6-week activity period. 3 A total of 28 buprestids (seven species) were caught by traps, whereas 267 buprestids (35 species) were collected from C. fumipennis. Of buprestids captured by PPTs, 22 were caught during the pre-flight period of C. fumipennis, six during their flight period and none during the post-flight period. One species of Agrilus Curtis was captured by PPTs, while six Agrilus species were captured by wasps. Of the 38 identified buprestid species taken at these sites, only four were recovered at a given location by both methods. 4 Although a standardized comparison of the two techniques is not feasible, C. fumipennis captured a greater number and diversity of Buprestidae than did PPTs. A combination of both techniques may provide the most complete temporal coverage of buprestid activity in a given area, provided that a nesting aggregation of C. fumipennis is available.
Digital Circuit Optimization via Geometric Programming

This paper concerns a method for digital circuit optimization based on formulating the problem as a geometric program (GP) or generalized geometric program (GGP), which can be transformed to a convex optimization problem and then very efficiently solved. We start with a basic gate scaling problem, with delay modeled as a simple resistor-capacitor (RC) time constant, and then add various layers of complexity and modeling accuracy, such as accounting for differing signal fall and rise times, and the effects of signal transition times. We then consider more complex formulations such as robust design over corners, multimode design, statistical design, and problems in which threshold and power supply voltage are also variables to be chosen. Finally, we look at the detailed design of gates and interconnect wires, again using a formulation that is compatible with GP or GGP.
Analysis of the affect measurement conundrum in exercise psychology. III. A conceptual and methodological critique of the Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale

Abstract Background and purpose. The general purpose of this series is to examine the controversy that surrounds the measurement of affect in the context of acute exercise. The present paper focuses on the conceptual underpinnings and the methodological steps that were followed in the development of an increasingly popular measure, namely the Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale (SEES) (J Sport Exercise Psychol, 16 (1994) 163). Emphasis is placed on how conceptual ambiguities may influence methodological decisions and, ultimately, the content and structure of a measure. Methods. From a conceptual standpoint, attention is given to the delineation and demarcation of the content domain of the scale, the decision to adopt a dimensional conceptualization of affect, the notion of ‘subjective experiences unique to exercise’, and, mainly, whether positive and negative affect are independent constructs or the opposite ends of a single bipolar dimension. From a methodological standpoint, the analysis focuses on the process of item selection and content validation, and the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results and conclusions. Conceptual and empirical evidence is reviewed suggesting that: (a) there is ambiguity regarding the nature and the limits of the content domain of the SEES; (b) the notion of ‘subjective experiences unique to exercise’ presents considerable logical problems; and (c) positive and negative affect are not necessarily independent constructs. In conclusion, the analysis underscores the importance of conceptual groundwork and clarity as prerequisites for methodological implementation.
Somatomedin-C/insulinlike growth factor I (Sm-C/IGF-I) and insulinlike growth factor II (IGF-II) mRNAs during lung development in the rat

Somatomedins/insulinlike growth factors (Sm/IGFs) are peptide growth factors that are synthesized in multiple tissues and have been implicated in organ growth. Poly(A +)RNAs from lungs of fetal and postnatal rats were examined by dot and Northern blot analyses to investigate the local synthesis of IGFs during lung organogenesis. Blots were successively hybridized with 32P-labeled human IGF-II and mouse Sm-C/IGF-I cDNAs followed by human ubiquitin cDNAs (a control). Multiple IGF-II mRNA species of 4.7, 3.9, 3.1, 2.2, 1.75, and 1.2 kb were observed. Prenatally, the 3.9 kb species was predominant. In adult lung, the 4.7 kb species was the major species, and the 1.2 kb species was not detectable. Multiple Sm-C/IGF-I mRNA species of estimated sizes 7.5, 4.7, 1.7, and 1.0 kb were observed and their relative abundance did not change discernibly throughout development. Densitometric quantification revealed that IGF-II mRNAs were 7-20 fold more abundant in fetal lung than adult lung. In addition, they were 5-8 times more abundant than Sm-C/IGF-I mRNAs in embryonic lung, and were slightly less abundant than Sm-C/IGF-I mRNAs in adult lung. These data suggest synthesis of both Sm-C/IGF-I and IGF-II throughout lung organogenesis. Developmental changes in IGF-II mRNA abundance during lung organogenesis imply regulation at the level of gene transcription and/or mRNA stability.
Base Rates of Hate Crime Victimization among College Students

This study uses the unmatched count technique (UCT) to estimate base rates for hate crime victimization in college students and compares the results with estimates found using conventional methods. Hate crimes, criminal acts perpetrated against individuals or members of specific stigmatized groups, intend to express condemnation, hate, disapproval, dislike, or distrust for a group. The UCT is a promising tool in the investigation of hate crime because it does not require participants to directly answer sensitive questions. This may provide more accurate responses than other methods. The UCT revealed higher estimates for a variety of serious hate crimes, including physical and sexual assault. These higher estimates provide a better feel for the level of hate crime victimization and point to the increased need for hate crime victims' assistance programs on college campuses.
A recombinant single-chain IL-7/HGFβ hybrid cytokine induces juxtacrine interactions of the IL-7 and HGF (c-Met) receptors and stimulates the proliferation of CFU-S12, CLPs, and pre-pro-B cells

A novel recombinant interleukin-7/hepatocyte growth factor β-chain (IL-7/HGFβ) hybrid cytokine was constructed as a single chain (sc) composed of IL-7 and HGFβ connected by a flexible linker. Unlike recombinant (r) IL-7, which stimulated pro-B cells and pre-B cells only, scIL-7/HGFβ stimulated the proliferation of pre-pro-B cells, common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), and colony-forming unit (CFU)-S12 in cultures of IL-7-/- mouse BM cells. When injected in vivo, 3- to 4-fold more splenic B-lineage cells appeared in recipients of bone marrow (BM) cells from the scIL-7/HGFβ-stimulated cultures than from rIL-7-stimulated cultures. Moreover, on a per-cell basis, scIL-7/HGFβ culture-generated cells produced 16- to 20-fold more BM and splenic B-lineage cells than did normal BM cells. Antibody blocking, receptor phosphorylation, and confocal microscopy demonstrated that scIL-7/HGFβ signals though both the IL-7 and HGF (c-Met) receptors, which form IL-7R/c-Met complexes on the surface of CLPs and pre-pro-B cells. In addition, the IL-7Rα chain, γc chain, and c-Met were coisolated from purified CLPs and pre-pro-B cells on scIL-7/HGFβ affinity gels, indicating that they are major components of the IL-7/HGFβ receptor. Hence, the present results demonstrate that the IL-7/HGFβ hybrid cytokine efficiently and selectively stimulates the most primitive B-lineage precursors in BM by inducing juxtacrine interactions between the IL-7 and c-Met receptors.
Epidemiology and Health Care Cost of Diabetic Foot Problems

In 1992, Zimmet first referred to the “epidemic of diabetes,” noting that its costs both in terms of economic burden and human suffering are rising at an alarming rate (Zimmet, Diabetes Care. 1992;15(2):232–52). The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been projected to nearly double from a baseline of 2.8% in 2000 to 4.4% by 2030, affecting over 350 million individuals (Wild et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(5):1047–53). In the decade beginning in 1997, the prevalence of diabetes in the USA has increased by 48% (http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDTSTRS/default.aspx) (Fig. 2.1). Lower extremity morbidity contributes substantially to the toll diabetes takes on the individual and the health care system. This chapter focuses on the epidemiologic aspects of risk factors and complications in the diabetic lower extremity, particularly as they relate to the outcome of amputation. Included in the discussion is the influence of demographic factors, such as gender, age, race, and socioeconomic considerations, as well as the cost to the health care system of lower extremity disease in diabetes.
The relationship between skeletal and oral bone mineral density: an overview.

Is oral osteopenia (bone loss of the jaws) a component of systemic osteopenia/osteoporosis (systemic bone loss, with or without fracture) or only an accompanying manifestation of periodontal disease? Put other ways: 1) is systemic osteopenia a risk factor for periodontitis; 2) is systemic osteopenia a risk factor for oral osteopenia independent of periodontal disease; or 3) is periodontal disease the primary (exclusive) risk factor for oral osteopenia? Despite 2 decades of scientific inquiry into these questions, the answers remain elusive. Ann Periodontol 2001;6: 193-196.
MTOR inhibition favors the differentiation of human in vitro-induced regulatory T cell through selective protein synthesis

The immunological composition of the primary cancer, metastatic sites, and stromal tissue determine cancer progression and treatment response. Breast cancers produce cytokines and chemokines that attract and polarize immune cells in a manner that promotes disease progression and metastasis. For example, macrophages are polarized to anti-inflammatory type II tumor activating macrophages (TAMs), and CD4+ T cells into tumor promoting, immune suppressing T regulatory cells (Tregs). Studies in mice and humans show that Tregs also are developed when inhibiting the kinase mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) via a poorly understood mechanism. mTOR forms two complexes in the cell, mTORC1 and mTORC2, which regulate multiple metabolic processes. In particular, mTORC1 is inhibited by the immunosuppressant rapamycin and stimulates the translation of mRNAs involved in cell growth and proliferation. Protein synthesis is a highly regulated process involving general mRNA and selective mRNA translation. Our hypothesis is that mTOR downregulation alters lymphocyte gene expression by favoring the translation of specific mRNAs required for Treg differentiation. We generated human Tregs induced in culture (iTregs) by mTORC1 inhibition through RAD001 (everolimus), a rapalog used as an anti-cancer drug. By contrast, mTORC1/2 dual inhibitor PP242 blocked the growth of all the lymphocytes, pointing to a specific role of mTORC1 in Treg differentiation. In fact, we found that the proliferation of highly suppressive iTregs requires co-treatment with RAD001 and the cytokine TGFβ. Murine models do not require TGFβ, suggesting that caution should be used in extending findings from mouse to human Treg studies. Protein synthesis analysis in double-treated (RAD001+TGFβ), control-treated, RAD001- and TGFβ-treated cells shows that translation is greatly inhibited in the double-treated cells. Genome-wide translation profiling of mRNAs associated with actively translating ribosomes confirmed that only a selective pool of specific mRNAs is translated in the iTreg population. These specific mRNAs may be recruited to ribosome via an mTOR-independent mechanism involving PAIP2, and eIF4G adapter protein, and the ribosomal protein S25. Our work indicates the importance of selective translational regulation as an additional determinant of gene expression regulating T cell fate. We suggest that iTreg development is facilitated by selective translation of specific mRNAs whose recruitment to the ribosome is augmented when mTORC1 is inhibited. These findings also suggest that cancer treatments causing an improper balance of mTORC1 inhibition might attenuate the anti-tumor immune response through development of Tregs in the tumor microenvironment
Tailoring of Mechanical Properties in Microlaminates

A multiscalar approach is used to demonstrate the ability to control strength and toughness in microlaminates composed of molybdenum and tungsten. Here, two different thickness scales are utilized; an alternating stack of molybdenum and tungsten layers having thicknesses on the nanometer scale are combined with a layer of molybdenum having a thickness on the micron scale. The stack of thin layers acts as a strong phase and the thick layer acts as a tough phase. Multilayers of two configurations were fabricated which had total thicknesses of 31μm and 50μm. The tough phase thickness was 5μm for the 31μm multilayer and 1μm for the other. The strong phase contained a stack of 29 alternating 4nm thick layers of molybdenum and tungsten. Uniaxial tensile testing was performed using a standard Instron tensile testing machine, followed by optical analysis of specimen fracture surfaces. Fracture toughness ranged from 2.4 to 9.5MPa(m)1/2, and tensile strengths were observed from 126MPa to 883MPa. Control of mechanical properties was demonstrated by an increase in the upper bound fracture toughness from 2.7 to 9.5MPa(m)1/2 when the tough layer thickness was increased from 1μm to 5μm.
Photodegradation of veterinary ionophore antibiotics under UV and solar irradiation.

The veterinary ionophore antibiotics (IPAs) are extensively used as coccidiostats and growth promoters and are released to the environment via land application of animal waste. Due to their propensity to be transported with runoff, IPAs likely end up in surface waters where they are subject to photodegradation. This study is among the first to investigate the photodegradation of three commonly used IPAs, monensin (MON), salinomycin (SAL) and narasin (NAR), under UV and solar irradiation. Results showed that MON was persistent in a deionized (DI) water matrix when exposed to UV and sunlight, whereas SAL and NAR could undergo direct photolysis with a high quantum yield. Water components including nitrate and dissolved organic matter had a great impact on the photodegradation of IPAs. A pseudosteady state kinetic model was successfully applied to predict IPAs’ photodegradation rates in real water matrices. Applying LC/MS/MS, multiple photolytic transformation products of IPAs were observed and their structur...
“Did I push myself over the edge?”: Complications of agency in psychosis onset and development

Objective: To investigate the subjective experience of agency in the onset and early development of psychosis.Method: We conducted 19 in-depth interviews with a sample of individuals with self-reported diagnoses of schizophrenia and/or affective psychosis. Interviews focused on participants’ experiences of agency and control in the onset and development of positive psychotic symptoms. Interviews were coded and transcripts analyzed by service-user researchers.Results: The majority of participants reported multiple ways in which they experienced their own agency or intentionality as involved in the initial onset of psychosis, in self-conscious engagement with symptom structure and content, and in their elaboration and development. For many, the moral implications of these felt experiences were considerable, at times leading to shame or guilt.Conclusion: Clinical accounts often stress the imposed, involuntary experience of symptoms and onset. Our project suggests that at least a subset of subjects with psych...
Hrtem Studies of Dislocations and Interfaces in TiAl

In this paper, we summarize the results of high resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations of the structure of dislocations and interphase boundaries in Ti-Al alloys. Dislocations of the type 1/2 dislocations in the interface plane. The second interface type consists of a quasi-periodic array of 1/2<110] dislocations which do not lie in the interface, and appear to be contained wholy within the lj phase. The possible implications of these observations with respect to the mechanical behavior of both single-phase lj and two-phase lamellar microstructures are discussed.
Quantifying Model Uncertainty in Scarce Data Regions – A Case Study of Particle Erosion in Pipelines

Abstract The transport of solids in multiphase flows is common practice in energy industries because of the unavoidable extraction of solids from oil and gas bearing reservoirs. The safe and efficient operation and design of these pipelines requires reliable estimates of erosion rates. The models used to calculate this rate have significant uncertainty due to the complexity of the underlying process. This uncertainty becomes especially important during the design phase for subsea applications, as erosion rate allowance, which is set using the erosion rate predictions and its uncertainty, directly impacts the integrity of the facility. Unfortunately, none of the models provide an estimate of this uncertainty. This paper introduced a systematic approach to quantify the model uncertainty for erosion rate predictions combining Gaussian Process Modeling (GPM) with data transformation and cross-validation techniques. The results reveal that given the available experimental data and the erosion rate prediction model considered, the model uncertainty is on average 3.61 times the model’s predictions. Hence, our results suggest at least on average four order of safety factor when designing subsea systems.
Antibiotic resistance of streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from children in uhan area in 2009

OBJECTIVE To investigate Variance of antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from children in Wuhan area during 2009.METHODS Bacterial susceptibility testing was carried out by using kirby-Bauer and E-test method.Results were analyzed according to CLSI2008.Susceptibility rates were compared by Chi-squared methods.RESULTS Susceptible rates of 1521 strains of S.pneumoniae to penicillin,cefotaxime,erythromycin things,levofloxacin,tetracycline,cotrimoxazole,vancomycin-sensitive rates were 75.8%,57.9%,1.8%,99.9 %,6.8%,0.4%,and 100.0%.The resistance rates were 5.0%,7.8%,98.2%,0.1%,92.1%,96.5%,and 0,respectively.Among of them,Susceptible rates in 1124 strains of penicillin-sensitive S.pneumoniae(PSSP)were 100.0%,59.7%,1.0%,100.0%,7.6%,1.0%,and 100.0% respectively;while the susceptible rates in 76 strains of penicillin resistant S.pneumoniae were 0%,12.8%,0%,97.3%,3.0%,0,and 100.0%,respectively.CONCLUSION The susceptible rate of S.pneumoniae isolated from children in Wuhan area is extremely low to erythromycin,clindamycin,tetracycline and cotrimoxazole,but they are highly sensitive to levofloxacin and vancomycin.S.pneumoniae still maintains relatively high sensitivity to penicillin,which can be used as the first choice of antibiotic to treat common infection caused by this bacterium.
Abstract A130: Immune regulation of EMT and metastatic competence in breast tumor progression

Dynamic interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment influence tumor survival, growth and metastasis. The tumor microenvironment harbors a complex variety of cells including lymphocytes and macrophages that produce a host of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors or interleukins, all of which presumably work in coordination to determine net tumor biology. Immune cells can offer a critical check-point in tumor progression. Interestingly however, infiltration of the tumor by immune cells appears to have dual functionality - they can reportedly either be pro-metastatic or anti-metastatic in their contribution. These clearly conflicting roles of immune cells limit our comprehension of their actual input to tumor advancement. The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes has emerged as a good prognostic marker for a variety of cancers. However, the key molecular factors that regulate the cross-talk between tumor cells and lymphocytes, and the underlying signaling pathways are still ill-defined. Moreover, the impact of lymphocytes of the inflammatory tumor microenvironment, on the epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and associated metastatic traits in breast cancer cells, is incompletely understood. We previously demonstrated that two key EMT/CSC factors - FOXC2 and Twist - are critical requirements for breast carcinoma cells to metastasize. The objective of this study is to systematically investigate the role of immune cells in EMT/CSC-dictated breast tumor progression using two isogenic breast cancer cell lines (67NR and 4T1) that form primary mammary tumors similarly, but differ drastically in their ability to metastasize. Citation Format: Robiya Joseph, Rama Soundararajan, Anurag Paranjape, Sendurai Mani. Immune regulation of EMT and metastatic competence in breast tumor progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A130.
Bank Ownership and Lending Behaviours: The Relevance of Community Links

Asset size does not seem to be a good predictor of bank lending behaviours. An overlooked determinant of lending may be the relationship a bank has with its local community. This article suggests that US banks owned and headquartered in a community are typically central actors in local business networks, and bank executives are intimately connected to their communities. As a result, lending decisions made by banks headquartered in the community often become influenced by the social relations and social networks of bank executives.
The Wave Theory of Light

At the outset of Book I of his Opticks, Newton provided a concise introduction to what is now known as geometric optics. As opposed to wave optics (which we will consider shortly) geometric optics treats light very simply as a set of rays whose trajectories are governed by well-defined rules, such as the laws of reflection and refraction. Before exploring Newton’s theory of light in greater detail, let us turn to the work of his famous contemporary, Christiaan Huygens. Huygens’ interest in astronomy is evident in his book on optics, the Traite de lumiere, which was originally written in French in 1678 while Huygens lived in Paris. Several chapters from a 1912 English translation of this work by Silvanus P. Thompson are included in the next several chapters of the present volume. Huygens begins this Treatise on Light by reminding the reader of some of the well-known properties of light rays. What are these properties, and how does he attempt to explain them? Perhaps most interestingly, do you think that these properties of light demand an explanation? What does Huygens think?
Social Interventions with Children

In Chapter 3, the potential usefulness of ecological theory in conceptualizing child advocacy and interventions on behalf of children was discussed. A corollary to this conclusion is that purely individual treatments without attention to intervention in the social context are likely to miss the mark. This chapter is devoted to a review of various modes of intervention when children do not “fit” within their ecosystem. As conceptualized here, the process of advocacy itself can be “therapeutic.” At the same time, however, just doing something for or to a child ostensibly in his or her best interests does not constitute child advocacy. Rather, child advocacy is distinguished from other interventions said to be in children’s best interests by the emphasis on increasing the accountability and responsiveness of social institutions affecting children.1 For example, psychotherapy might be a useful intervention for a particular child, but psychotherapy as usually practiced would not constitute child advocacy. This distinction will be explored in detail in Chapter 5, with particular attention to the use of child advocacy as a “clinical” intervention. The purpose of this chapter is briefly to review various social approaches to serving children (without claiming that they are techniques of child advocacy). The literature on established forms of social interventions is instructive in developing techniques of and foci for child advocacy. Furthermore, delivery of direct services may serve as a base for advocacy.
Single-point position estimation in interplanetary trajectories using star trackers

This study provides a single-point position estimation technique for interplanetary missions by observing visible planets using star trackers. Closed-form least-squares solution is obtained by minimizing the sum of the expected object-space squared distance errors. A weighted least-squares solution is provided by an iterative procedure. The weights are evaluated using the distances to the planets estimated by the least-squares solution. It is shown that the weighted approach only requires one iteration to converge and results in significant accuracy gains compared to simple least squares approach. The light-time correction is taken into account while the star-light aberration cannot be implemented in single-point estimation as it requires knowledge of the observer velocity. The proposed method is numerically validated through a statistical scenario as follows. A three-dimensional grid of test cases is generated: two dimensions sweep through the ecliptic plane and the third dimension sweeps through time from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2043 in 5-year increments. The observer position is estimated at each test case and the estimate error is recorded. The results obtained show that a large majority of positions are well suited to position estimation by using star trackers pointing to visible planets, and reliable and accurate single-point position estimations can be provided in interplanetary missions. The proposed approach is suitable to be used to initiate a filtering technique to increase the estimation accuracy.
Examining dynamic functional relationships in a pathological brain using evolutionary computation

Neuropathological conditions often result in abnormal functional relationship between different regions in the brain and are specific to certain spectral bands that are not known in advance. Typically, these abnormalities are spatially and temporally very localized in nature, and detecting these changes can be clinically very useful. In this article, a novel evolutionary computation-based procedure is introduced to discover such localized changes in a data-driven manner. Given a predefined set of regions of interest (ROIs), the procedure automatically detects a subset of ROIs, a time window, and a frequency band, such that the functional relationship among the ROIs significantly differ between controls and neuropathological cases; the procedure makes no prior assumptions regarding the spectral characteristics of the data. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this procedure, a publicly available EEG dataset of 46 alcoholics and 31 controls is used. In all, 100 cross-validation runs are performed. Using the procedure, many weakened inter-hemispheric functional connections, primarily between the left and the right parietal lobe sensors, are detected in chronic alcoholics. For these functional connections, gamma band (35–50 Hz) activity in 200–400 ms window was found to be significantly different between alcoholics and controls. These results are consistent with the existing literature and helps to validate the procedure. In addition, the procedure is also tested via simulation using a graph generation model with known characteristics, and its general utility to brain imaging literature is discussed.
Coastal residents' perceptions of the function of and relationship between engineered and natural infrastructure for coastal hazard mitigation

Abstract Public perception research enhances the governance of coastal hazard mitigation. Understanding the public's awareness and perceptions of hazard mitigation infrastructure is an important aspect of effective governance. Emerging federal policies call for more integrated use of engineered and natural infrastructure for mitigating coastal hazards. This study is to assess public awareness and perception of the functions of and relationship between engineered and natural infrastructure, which is critical to the successful implementation of such policies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to 27 residents from two coastal communities in New Jersey. Thematic content analysis is used to analyze these interview data. The study shows that awareness of mitigation infrastructure stems in part from experience with coastal hazards. Many participants understood the functions of both types of infrastructure in ways that were consistent with the understandings of coastal engineers, but did not fully understand how these two types of infrastructure interact each other to mitigate coastal hazards. Most respondents preferred natural infrastructure, but believed that engineered infrastructure is more effective in coastal hazard mitigation. The knowledge of public perceptions of mitigation infrastructure would be useful to coastal managers in developing and communicating coastal hazard mitigation strategies.
Target specificity, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of the putative STAT3 inhibitor LY5 in osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma.

Background STAT3 is a transcription factor involved in cytokine and receptor kinase signal transduction that is aberrantly activated in a variety of sarcomas, promoting metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. The purpose of this work was to develop and test a novel putative STAT3 inhibitor, LY5. Methods and findings An in silico fragment-based drug design strategy was used to create LY5, a small molecule inhibitor that blocks the STAT3 SH2 domain phosphotyrosine binding site, inhibiting homodimerization. LY5 was evaluated in vitro demonstrating good biologic activity against rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma cell lines at high nanomolar/low micromolar concentrations, as well as specific inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation without effects on other STAT3 family members. LY5 exhibited excellent oral bioavailability in both mice and healthy dogs, and drug absorption was enhanced in the fasted state with tolerable dosing in mice at 40 mg/kg BID. However, RNAi-mediated knockdown of STAT3 did not phenocopy the biologic effects of LY5 in sarcoma cell lines. Moreover, concentrations needed to inhibit ex vivo metastasis growth using the PuMA assay were significantly higher than those needed to inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation in vitro. Lastly, LY5 treatment did not inhibit the growth of sarcoma xenografts or prevent pulmonary metastasis in mice. Conclusions LY5 is a novel small molecule inhibitor that effectively inhibits STAT3 phosphorylation and cell proliferation at nanomolar concentrations. LY5 demonstrates good oral bioavailability in mice and dogs. However LY5 did not decrease tumor growth in xenograft mouse models and STAT3 knockdown did not induce concordant biologic effects. These data suggest that the anti-cancer effects of LY5 identified in vitro were not mediated through STAT3 inhibition.
Weak polyelectrolyte complexation driven by associative charging

Weak polyelectrolytes are relevant for a wide range of fields; in particular, they have been investigated as "smart" materials for chemical separations and drug delivery. The charges on weak polyelectrolytes are dynamic, causing polymer chains to adopt different equilibrium conformations even with relatively small changes to the surrounding environment. Currently, there exists no comprehensive picture of this behavior, particularly where polymer-polymer interactions have the potential to affect charging properties significantly. In this study, we elucidate the novel interplay between weak polyelectrolyte charging and complexation behavior through coupled molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Specifically, we investigate a model of two equal-length and oppositely charging polymer chains in an implicit salt solution represented through Debye-Huckel interactions. The charging tendency of each chain, along with the salt concentration, is varied to determine the existence and extent of cooperativity in charging and complexation. Strong cooperation in the charging of these chains is observed at large Debye lengths, corresponding to low salt concentrations, while at lower Debye lengths (higher salt concentrations), the chains behave in apparent isolation. When the electrostatic coupling is long-ranged, we find that a highly charged chain strongly promotes the charging of its partner chain, even if the environment is unfavorable for an isolated version of that partner chain. Evidence of this phenomenon is supported by a drop in the potential energy of the system, which does not occur at the lower Debye lengths where both potential energies and charge fractions converge for all partner chain charging tendencies. The discovery of this cooperation will be helpful in developing "smart" drug delivery mechanisms by allowing for better predictions for the dissociation point of delivery complexes.
Evaluation of Gene Expression in the Rat Carotid Body Using the Differential Display Technique

A fundamental doctrine of biology holds that cell- and tissue-specific functions are guided by selective gene expression. Thus, in the developing carotid body it is expected that the emergence of unique chemoreceptor function is directed by mRNA transcripts which convey specific sensitivities to hypoxia, hypercapnia, etc. In addition, altered gene expression likely contributes to the important morphological changes and physiological adjustments which occur in the carotid body during exposure to chronic hypoxia. Unfortunately, previous attempts to identify these important genes using conventional molecular biological techniques (i.e, RNA blotting and probing) have been hampered by the requirement of relatively large tissue samples for nucleic acid extraction. Furthermore, these methods do not allow assessment of the multitude (~ 15,000) of transcripts usually expressed in eukaryotic cells, nor do they reveal unknown genes which may be crucial to specific functions and adaptations.
Administration of Drugs

The way in which a drug may best be administered depends on many factors: (1) whether a local or a systemic effect is needed, (2) whether the patient is conscious, (3) whether the patient is vomiting, (4) the characteristics of the drug itself which determine whether it may be given orally or must be given parenterally, (5) the safety of parenteral administration, (6) whether an emergency demands the most rapid method of obtaining effects regardless of dangers, (7) frequency of dosage.
Vincent Michael Colapietro

Both Karl Marx and John Dewey insisted that philosophical reflection is deeply embedded in its cultural context. Marx wrote that philosophers “are the outgrowth of their period, their nation, whose most subtle. delicate and invisible juices abound in the philosophical ideas”.1 Dewey claimed that philosophy “sustains the closest connection with the history of culture, with the succession of changes in civilization”.2 For him, this connection is not only close, it is intrinsic.3 For both. philosophy is first and foremost its role in the development of culture.4 Thinkers within a particular culture are expressions of that culture, whether they are conscious of this fact or not.
Localization of Putative Amino Acid Transmitters in the PAG and their Relationship to the PAG-Raphe Magnus Pathway

The vast majority of synapses in the central nervous system (CNS) appear to use excitatory amino acids as their neurotransmitters (Cotman et al., 1987; Monaghan et al., 1989; Watkins et al., 1990). Although Curtis et al. (1959; 1960) first provided conclusive evidence over 3 decades ago that glutamate and aspartate exert a powerful excitatory action on neurons, it was only during the past 15 years that glutamate and aspartate have been seriously considered as excitatory neurotransmitters in the CNS. Several other amino acids and dipeptides have been suggested as putative excitatory amino acid transmitter candidates in the CNS, however, the majority of evidence to date favors glutamate and aspartate as the most likely candidates for neurotransmitters in the brain. Thus glutamate and aspartate have largely been shown to fulfill the criteria for a neurotransmitter, e.g., Ca2+-dependent release upon stimulation, high affinity uptake into nerve terminals, presence of the amino acids and synthetic enzymes in nerve terminals, blockade of synaptic transmission by excitatory amino acid antagonists, and identity of action (Cotman et al., 1987; Fonnum, 1984; Nicholls, 1989; Watkins and Evans, 1981).
Materials-Based Cancer Immunotherapies

Abstract Despite an abundance of promising preclinical data supporting diverse immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer treatment, thus far only immune checkpoint inhibitors have entered routine clinical practice. Biomaterial-based approaches provide numerous advantages with the potential to overcome many of the challenges limiting efficacy and the wider adoption of immunotherapy. Here, we describe several biomaterials applications in immunotherapy with a particular focus on how rationally designed nanoparticle and macroscale scaffold strategies can be used to increase the efficacy of established immunotherapy approaches while reducing potential systemic toxicities. These biomaterial-based immunotherapeutic strategies in cancer stand to make serious impacts not only in the field of immunotherapy, but within cancer oncology as a whole.
Optical shock wave and photon-number conservation

The nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (NSE) provides a powerful tool for the analysis of ultrafast nonlinear-optical dynamics, including a vast class of optical solitons. Here, we show, however, that the photon-number integral of the NSE differs from the physical number of photons, conserved by more general field evolution equations. This difficulty is traced to the optical shock term, which is dropped in the NSE, making nonlinear coupling in NSE-based models frequency independent and leading to unphysical predictions for ultrabroadband, octave-spanning field waveforms.
Professional Development and Coaching: Addressing the “Last Mile” Problem in Educational Research:

The studies in the special series focus on the measurement of teacher practices and approaches for facilitating and evaluating school personnel’s use of data to inform instructional decisions that ...
Ventricular tachycardia in nonischemic cardiomyopathy: Anteroseptal vs inferolateral origin based on ICD ventricular electrogram timing.

Introduction The majority of patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) present a perivalvular substrate that is either predominantly antero-septal (AS) or infero-lateral (IL), corresponding to specific ventricular tachycardia (VT) morphologies. The relative timing of far-field and near-field ventricular electrograms (EGMs) from stored implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) events of VT may be used to distinguish AS from IL VT in NICM. Methods and results We analyzed 48 patients with NICM with either a primarily AS (54%) or IL (56%) VT source undergoing catheter ablation between 2003 and 2018. Only patients with retrievable ICD-EGMs of spontaneous VT events which could be matched with VTs induced during the ablation procedure were included. A total of 56 VT events (52% AS origin and 48% IL origin) were analyzed, yielding a mean far-field to near-field interval of 31 ± 13 milliseconds for AS VTs and 47 ± 19 milliseconds for IL VTs (P = .001). At receiver operating characteristic analysis (AUC = 0.734), a far-field to near-field interval of ≥ 60 milliseconds ruled out AS VTs in 29 (100%) cases and diagnosed IL VTs with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 63%. An interval of ≤ 20 milliseconds ruled out IL VTs in 25 (93%) cases and diagnosed AS VTs with a PPV of 83% and NPV of 57%. Significant overlap between the two groups was observed among far-field to near-field intervals in between 20 milliseconds and 60 milliseconds. Conclusions The relative timing of far-field and near-field EGMs from stored clinical ICD events of VT can be helpful to differentiate AS vs IL origin of VT in NICM.
Penetrating Microindentation of Hyper-soft, Conductive Silicone Neural Interfaces in Vivo Reveals Significantly Lower Mechanical Stresses

There is growing evidence that minimizing the mechanical mismatch between neural implants and brain tissue mitigates inflammatory, biological responses at the interface under long-term implant conditions. The goal of this study is to develop a brain-like soft, conductive neural interface and use an improvised, penetrating microindentation technique reported by us earlier to quantitatively assess the (a) elastic modulus of the neural interface after implantation, (b) mechanical stresses during penetration of the probe, and (c) periodic stresses at steady-state due to tissue micromotion around the probe. We fabricated poly- dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrices with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using two distinct but carefully calibrated cross-linking ratios, resulting in hard (elastic modulus∼484 kPa) or soft, brain-like (elastic modulus∼5.7 kPa) matrices, the latter being at least 2 orders of magnitude softer than soft neural interfaces reported so far. Subsequent loading of the hard and soft silicone based matrices with (100% w/w) low-molecular weight PDMS siloxanes resulted in further decrease in the elastic modulus of both matrices. Carbon probes with soft PDMS coating show significantly less maximum axial forces (-587 ± 51.5 µN) imposed on the brain than hard PDMS coated probes (-1,253 ± 252 µN) during and after insertion. Steady-state, physiological micromotion related stresses were also significantly less for soft- PDMS coated probes (55.5 ± 17.4 Pa) compared to hard-PDMS coated probes (141.0 ± 21.7 Pa). The penetrating microindentation technique is valuable to quantitatively assess the mechanical properties of neural interfaces in both acute and chronic conditions.
Tradition – Innovation in the Lyrics of Besik Gabashvili, a Georgian Poet of the Renaissance Period

The lyrics of Besik (Besarion) Gabashvili (1750 – 1791), a poet of the royal court and a diplomat was quite popular in the Georgian poetry of the XVIII - XIX centuries. Due to Georgian political events his fate got somehow related to the city Iasi, Romania, where the poet is buried. In the period of activity of Georgian – Romanian relations, in the 70s of the XX century, a collection of poems “Armies of Sadness”, where the poet`s 25 poems are included, was translated into Romanian language by Georgian (G. Jinjikhashvili and L. Kochladze) and Romanian (Dumitru M. Ion) translators.Thus, we decided to focus on the lyrics of a famous poet Besarion Gabashvili, who is very popular among the Georgians and more or less familiar to the Romanians. He was the poet who finished the love lyrics, dictated by Eastern motifs, and marked with traditional Georgian signs; the lyrics, which is full of new metaphors, inspired to seek real, specific poetic faces from the “book-mannered” expression of love. The novelty, as the research showed us, is represented by an amazingly proper, highly artistic poetic word. Its sad disposition appeared to accompany the lyrics of Romanticists as well, and it did not lose its importance up to the present day. In the XX century, the lyrics of Besarion Gabashvili was taught in the secondary school for 70 years, and in the higher institutions his works are an integral part of the education course “Georgian Literature 1”.In the current paper we focus on his lyrics in the context of world literary processes.
Associations between ergogenic supplement use and eating behaviors among university students.

Ergogenic supplements to improve athletic performance are commonly used among college athletes, but little is known about their association with eating disorder symptoms. The objective of this stud...