cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
rMAT-an R/Bioconductor package for analyzing ChIP-chip experiments

Summary: Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with DNA microarrays (ChIP-chip) has evolved as a popular technique to study DNA–protein binding or post-translational chromatin/histone modifications at the genomic level. However, the raw microarray intensities generate a massive amount of data, creating a need for efficient analysis algorithms and statistical methods to identify enriched regions. Results: We present a fast, free and powerful, open source R package, rMAT, that allows the identification of regions enriched for transcription factor binding sites in ChIP-chip experiments on Affymetrix tiling arrays. Availability: The R-package rMAT is available from the Bioconductor web site at http://bioconductor.org and runs on Linux, MAC OS and MS-Windows. rMAT is distributed under the terms of the Artistic Licence 2.0. Contact:arnaud.droit@ircm.qc.ca; raphael.gottardo@ircm.qc.ca Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Dual-coding Regions in Alternatively Spliced Human Genes

In eukaryotes, a coding deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence usually encodes amino acids in one reading frame only. However, by using different exon combinations, alternatively spliced genes may contain dual-coding regions, where more than one reading frame encodes amino acid sequences. In recent years, quite a few studies have systematically identified such dual-coding regions in the human genome. These special coding regions generate functionally related but distinct protein products, and they have evolved under unusual selective forces, with fewer synonymous sites. This article will first introduce the concept of dual-coding regions in alternatively spliced genes through several well-characterised examples, and then discusses the computational methods for detecting such regions and elucidating their evolutionary constraints and finally discusses the potential selective advantages. Key Concepts: The open reading frame in a DNA sequence defines the encoded amino acid sequences. Particularly low synonymous substitution rate suggests the presence of overlapping reading frames. During translation, ribosomes move along an mRNA not by one nucleotide, but by one codon at a time. The presence of in-frame stop codons indicates that the ORF no longer encodes a functional protein product. Two reading frames of a dual-coding region resulting from alternative splicing are in the same strand whereas those resulting from other mechanisms may be in different strands. Keywords: alternative splicing; reading frame; in-frame stop; overlapping genes; purifying selection; frame shifting
The roles of IFNγ in protection against tumor development and cancer immunoediting

Interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) is a cytokine that plays physiologically important roles in promoting innate and adaptive immune responses. The absence of IFN gamma production or cellular responsiveness in humans and experimental animals significantly predisposes the host to microbial infection, a result that validates the physiologic importance of this cytokine in preventing infectious disease. Recently, an additional role for IFN gamma in preventing development of primary and transplanted tumors has been identified. Although there now appears to be a consensus that IFN gamma promotes host responses to tumors, the mechanisms by which this cytokine achieves its effects remain unclear. In this review, we briefly discuss key issues of the molecular cell biology of IFN gamma and its receptor that are most relevant to IFN gamma-dependent anti-tumor effects and then focus on the data implicating IFN gamma as a critical immune system component that regulates tumor development. Potential mechanisms underlying IFN gamma's anti-tumor effects are discussed and a preliminary integrative model of IFN gamma's actions on tumors is proposed. Finally, the capacity of IFN gamma and lymphocytes to not only provide protection against tumor development but also to sculpt the immunogenic phenotype of tumors that develop in an immunocompetent host is presented and introduced as a "cancer immunoediting" process.
When Mental Inflexibility Facilitates Executive Control Beneficial Side Effects of Ruminative Tendencies on Goal Maintenance

Although previous research suggests that depressive ruminators tend to become stuck in a particular mind-set, this mental inflexibility may not always be disadvantageous; in some cases, it may facilitate active maintenance of a single task goal in the face of distraction. To evaluate this hypothesis, we tested 98 college students, who differed in ruminative tendencies and dysphoria levels, on two executive-control tasks. One task emphasized fast-paced shifting between goals (letter naming), and one emphasized active goal maintenance (modified Stroop). Higher ruminative tendencies predicted more errors on the goal-shifting task but fewer errors on the goal-maintenance task; these results demonstrated that ruminative tendencies have both detrimental and beneficial effects. Moreover, although ruminative tendencies and dysphoria levels were moderately correlated (r = .42), higher dysphoria levels predicted more errors on the goal-maintenance task; this finding indicates that rumination and dysphoria can have opposing effects on executive control. Overall, these results suggest that depressive rumination reflects a trait associated with more stability (goal maintenance) than flexibility (goal shifting).
Non-crossing OBDDs for mapping to regular circuit structures

We propose a novel compact BDD structure, called noncrossing ordered BDD (NCOBDD), that can be mapped directly to a regular circuit structure. Compared with other BDD-based regular structures, NCOBDD-mapped circuits reduce the costs of area, power and latency, while preserving the regularity of the structures. We also present an algorithm that uses a top-down level-by-level sweep to construct minimal NCOBDDs. Experimental results show that for asymmetric benchmark circuits, the average reduction on area, power and latency are 61.6%, 53.1% and 69.2%, respectively, compared with yet another decision diagram (YADD) [A. Mukherjee et al., (1999)].
A critical study of the mechanical and electrical properties of the PHANToM haptic interface and improvements for high-performance control

This paper presents a critical study of the mechanical and electrical properties of the PHANToM haptic interface and improvements to overcome its limitations for applications requiring high-performance control. Target applications share the common requirements of low-noise/granularity/latency measurements, an accurate system model, high bandwidth, the need for an open architecture, and the ability to operate for long periods without interruption while exerting significant forces. To satisfy these requirements, the kinematics, dynamics, high-frequency dynamic response, and velocity estimation of the PHANToM system are studied. Furthermore, this paper presents the details of how the unknown subsystems of the stock PHANToM can be replaced with known, high-performance systems and how additional measurement electronics can be interfaced to compensate for some of the PHANToM's shortcomings. With these modifications, it is possible to increase the maximum achievable virtual wall stiffness by 35%, active viscous damping by 120%, and teleoperation loop gain by 50% over the original system. With the modified system, it is also possible to maintain higher forces for longer periods without causing motor overheating.
Near cessation of Eighteen Degree Water renewal in the western North Atlantic in the warm winter of 2011–2012

[1] The winter of 2011–2012 was a particularly weak season for the renewal of “Eighteen Degree Water” (EDW), the Subtropical Mode Water of the western North Atlantic, as demonstrated by Argo and repeat hydrography. Weak, late winter buoyancy forcing produced shallower than usual winter mixed layers throughout the subtropical gyre, failing to thoroughly ventilate the underlying mode water, and can likely be attributed to the coinciding high, positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The only region where EDW was renewed was in the far northeastern Sargasso Sea where it is understood that the Gulf Stream plays a central role in formation; no EDW formed over the large regions of the gyre where deep winter mixed layers driven by surface buoyancy loss normally create EDW. The present investigation evaluates 2011–2012 winter buoyancy content anomalies, surface buoyancy fluxes, and advection of buoyancy via the Gulf Stream and compares them with the previous seven winters that exhibited more vigorous EDW formation. The weak 2011–2012 formation did not result from increased Gulf Stream heat advection, and was also not driven by preconditioning as the buoyancy content of the region prior to the onset of winter forcing was not unusually high. Rather, the weak formation resulted from climatologically weak surface cooling late in winter. The winter of 2007–2008 also experienced particularly weak EDW formation under similar conditions, including a high NAO and weak late winter surface cooling.
Voices beyond walls: the role of digital storytelling for empowering marginalized youth in refugee camps

In this paper we consider the role of digital storytelling for creative empowerment of marginalized youth, through a threeyear program of workshops conducted in the context of Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We highlight the current situation regarding arts education and cultural production, and the challenging environment experienced by the youth there. We then describe the Voices Beyond Walls program and key lessons learned to suggest novel tools and practices that may support broader adoption of digital storytelling programs for marginalized youth in diverse global settings.
Arrhythmias of Noncardiac Origin

Scenario: This electrocardiographic (ECG) rhythm strip was obtained from a 54-year-old male admitted to the intensive care unit following a motor vehicle accident. The patient had sustained a spinal fracture at the C5 level with a closed head injury. He was on a ventilator for respiratory support and a vasopressor to maintain his blood pressure. The patient’s blood pressure was 90/40 mm Hg during this arrhythmia, which was unchanged from his baseline pressure. He was sedated and therefore unable to provide any verbal information regarding symptoms. Since admission, the patient’s rhythm varied from sinus rhythm to sinus bradycardia. A regular feature of the American Journal of Critical Care, the ECG Puzzler addresses electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation for clinical practice. To send an eLetter or to contribute to an online discussion about this article, visit www.ajcconline.org and click “Respond to This Article” on either the full-text or PDF view of the article. We welcome letters regarding this feature.
Jak/Stat pathway in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

While high serum concentrations of immunoglobulin M (IgM) protein are responsible for much of the morbidity associated with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM), the mechanisms controlling IgM secretion in this malignancy remain unknown. The Jak/Stat signaling pathway mediates the effects of most cytokines involved in stimulating immunoglobulin production in nonmalignant B cells. However, in many hematopoietic malignancies, cytokine-driven stimulation of the Jak/Stat pathway is hyperactive, promoting the expression of genes associated with proliferation and survival. Autocrine/paracrine signaling of cytokines present in the tumor microenvironment may lead to persistent Jak/Stat signal transduction in WM as well. Yet despite evidence implicating the Jak/Stat pathway in the pathogenesis of WM, the relationship between Jak/Stat-mediated cytokine signaling and IgM hypersecretion has not been defined. Through the use of targeted Jak/Stat inhibitors, it is now possible to examine the contribution of aberrant cytokine signaling to IgM production, potentially allowing for a more targeted approach to WM therapy.
Pigs taking wing with transposons and recombinases

Swine production has been an important part of our lives since the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic periods, and ranks number one in world meat production. Pig production also contributes to high-value-added medical markets in the form of pharmaceuticals, heart valves, and surgical materials. Genetic engineering, including the addition of exogenous genetic material or manipulation of the endogenous genome, holds great promise for changing pig phenotypes for agricultural and medical applications. Although the first transgenic pigs were described in 1985, poor survival of manipulated embryos; inefficiencies in the integration, transmission, and expression of transgenes; and expensive husbandry costs have impeded the widespread application of pig genetic engineering. Sequencing of the pig genome and advances in reproductive technologies have rejuvenated efforts to apply transgenesis to swine. Pigs provide a compelling new resource for the directed production of pharmaceutical proteins and the provision of cells, vascular grafts, and organs for xenotransplantation. Additionally, given remarkable similarities in the physiology and size of people and pigs, swine will increasingly provide large animal models of human disease where rodent models are insufficient. We review the challenges facing pig transgenesis and discuss the utility of transposases and recombinases for enhancing the success and sophistication of pig genetic engineering. 'The paradise of my fancy is one where pigs have wings.' (GK Chesterton).
Proton spectroscopic imaging (Dixon method) of the liver: clinical utility.

The contribution of proton spectroscopic (PS) imaging to magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver was assessed at 0.5 T in 55 patients with known or suspected hepatic malignancy. PS images were compared subjectively with T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) images for hepatic lesion detection and conspicuity. For hepatic metastases (n = 27), PS images were equal to T1-weighted images in lesion detection in 17 patients but showed fewer lesions in five patients and false-negative results in two. When compared with T2-weighted images, PS images depicted more lesions in six patients, an equal number of lesions in 18, and fewer lesions in two. Hepatomas (n = 8) were detected with each sequence in all patients. Hepatomas were often more conspicuous on PS images than on T2-weighted images; they were of equal conspicuity on PS and T1-weighted images in most cases. Whereas fatty infiltration (n = 16) appeared on PS images as areas of low signal intensity similar to that of paraspinal muscle, it produced no detec...
Synergy is achieved by complementation with Apo2L/TRAIL and actinomycin D in Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated apoptosis of prostate cancer cells : role of XIAP in resistance

BACKGROUND Tumors have an inherent immunogenicity that can be exploited by immunotherapy. However, often tumors develop mechanisms that render them resistant to most immunologic cytotoxic effector mechanisms. This study examines the underlying mechanism of resistance to Apo2L/TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand)-mediated apoptosis. METHODS We studied prostate tumor cell lines for their sensitivity to Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in the presence and absence of the sensitizing agent actinomycin D (Act D). Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and signaling for apoptosis by Western blot. RESULTS Treatment with subtoxic concentrations of Act D significantly sensitizes the tumor cells (CL-1, DU-145, and PC-3 prostate tumor cells) to Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. The cytotoxicity of Act D-sensitized prostate tumor cells was a result of synergistic activation of caspases (caspase-3, -9, and -8), detectable after 6 hr of treatment. Treatment with Apo2L/TRAIL alone, although it was insufficient to induce apoptosis, resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm in the absence of significant caspases activation. These findings suggested that a major apoptosis resistance factor blocking the Apo2L/TRAIL apoptotic signaling events is present downstream of the mitochondrial activation. The expression of receptors and anti-apoptotic proteins were examined in Act D-sensitized CL-1 cells. The earliest and the most pronounced change induced by Act D was down-regulation of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) and up-regulation of Bcl-xL/-xS proteins. The role of XIAP in resistance was demonstrated by overexpression of Smac/DIABLO, which inhibited inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) and sensitized the cells to Apo2L/TRAIL. Apo2L/TRAIL receptors (DR4, DR5, DcR1, and DcR2), c-FLIP, Bcl-2, and other IAP members (c-IAP1 and c-IAP2) were marginally affected at later times in the cells sensitized by Act D. CONCLUSION This study suggests that the combination of Act D-induced down-regulation of XIAP (Signal I) and Apo2L/TRAIL-induced release of cytochrome c (Signal II) leads to the reversal of resistance to Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in the tumor cells. The sensitization of tumor cells to Apo2L/TRAIL by Act D is of potential clinical application in the immunotherapy of drug/Apo2L/TRAIL refractory tumors. Prostate 53: 286–299, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Correlations between path delays and the accuracy of performance prediction

The correlation between the delays of various types of paths on an Integrated Circuit (IC) is studied. The correlation between delays of different critical paths is found to be low. An estimate is made of the correlation between the maximum frequency at which the IC can operate and the delay of some specific path on it. This correlation improves as the number of critical and near critical path increases, but will never be perfect.
Repeated low-dose organophosphate DFP exposure leads to the development of depression and cognitive impairment in a rat model of Gulf War Illness

Approximately 175,000-250,000 of the returning veterans from the 1991 Persian Gulf War exhibit chronic multi-symptom illnesses that includes neurologic co-morbidities such as depression, anxiety and cognitive impairments. Amongst a host of causative factors, exposure to low levels of the nerve agent Sarin has been strongly implicated for expression of Gulf War Illness (GWI). Nerve agents similar to pesticides are organophosphate (OP) compounds. There is evidence from civilian population that exposure to OPs such as in agricultural workers and nerve agents such as the survivors and first-responders of the Tokyo subway Sarin gas attack suffer from chronic neurological problems similar to GWI symptoms. Given this unique chemical profile, OPs are ideal to study the effects of nerve agents and develop models of GWI in civilian laboratories. In this study, we used repeated low-dose exposure to OP agent diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) over a 5-day period to approximate the duration and level of Sarin exposure during the Persian Gulf War. We tested the rats at 3-months post DFP exposure. Using a battery of behavioral assays, we observed the presence of symptoms of chronic depression, anxiety and memory problems as characterized by increased immobility time in the Forced Swim Test, anhedonia in the Sucrose Preference Test, anxiety in the Elevated Plus Maze, and spatial memory impairments in the Object Location Test, respectively. Chronic low dose DFP exposure was also associated with hippocampal neuronal damage as characterized by the presence of Fluoro-Jade staining. Given that OP exposure is considered a leading cause of GWI related morbidities, this animal model will be ideally suited to study underlying molecular mechanisms for the expression of GWI neurological symptoms and identify drugs for the effective treatment of GWIs.
Groundwater Management in the Southeast

State groundwater management programs in the Southeast are reviewed and critiqued. Strengths and weaknesses of different programs are examined with attention focused on legal and administrative issues, groundwater pollution, and geologicaL diversity. Conclusions and recommendations are listed with respect to needed legislation, institutional arrangements, funding levels, research, technology transfer, and education.
The role of the unfolded protein response in axial spondyloarthritis

Susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis is highly genetic, with a heritability greater than 90 %. Presence of the HLA-B27 MHC class I allele remains the greatest genetic risk factor identified to date. Beyond its nominal role in antigen presentation, HLA-B27 displays interesting and possibly unique biochemical characteristics which may contribute to disease pathogenesis. During its biosynthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), HLA-B27 folds very slowly and misfolds, inducing ER stress. Herein, we describe a major outcome of ER stress, the unfolded protein response (UPR), as well as consequences of the UPR for inflammation and autophagy. The ability of the UPR to augment inflammatory cytokine production is particularly intriguing given the centrality of cytokines in spondyloarthritis. Evidence for the relevance of an HLA-B27-related UPR to spondyloarthritis pathogenesis in animal models and human subjects will be reviewed. As greater pharmacologic capacity to modulate ER stress becomes available, improved understanding of the role of the UPR in spondyloarthritis may yield new therapeutic targets.
Болевой синдром при остеоартрозе

By using osteoarthrosis as an example, the author proposes a model to analyze the pain syndrome that may comprise intraorgan, paraorgan and comorbidity-associated pains. The implication of synovitis in the pathogenesis is analyzed. By enhancing the degradation and degeneration of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone, synovitis alters cardinally the pain syndrome towards it chronization in osteoarthrosis, drastically lowering a patientXs quality of life. The anti-inflammatory analgesic Amelotex from a group of selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors should be used to combat the pain that underlies the clinical manifestations of osteoarthrosis and largely determines other symptoms. The use of Amelotex in 20 patients with gonarthrosis in a phase of synovitis has demonstrated its rapid anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Its adverse reactions are minimal
Massachusetts Statutes of Limitations: A User's Guide

This article surveys a wide range of issues that arise in litigating statute of limitations issues under Massachusetts law. Topics covered include accrual of claims, tolling rules, amendments in pending cases, statutes of repose, application of limitations periods to counterclaims and parties added to pending cases, the Massachusetts saving statute, and claims for wrongful death and survival.
Functional Design of Flood Control Reservoirs

The functional design of a flood control reservoir has as its objective the determination of the relation between the storage space that must be provided and the corresponding reduction of the floo...
Fidelity of Implementation of a State Antibullying Policy With a Focus on Protected Social Classes

Bullying threatens the mental and educational well-being of students. All states have enacted antibullying laws. This study surveyed 634 educators about the implementation of the North Carolina School Violence Prevention Act, which enumerated social classes protected from bullying: race, national origin, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, appearance, and disability. Results showed that local antibullying policies most often included race as a protected class and least often included sexual orientation and gender identity. More educators had been trained on bullying based on race than any other social class. Students were more often informed that bullying based on race was prohibited and were least often informed about prohibitions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Reporting, investigating, and remediating bullying was highest for racial bullying, followed by disability bullying, and was lowest for bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Laser-produced traveling-wave discharge pumping of a 116-nm H 2 laser

We report the use of a new compact technique for pumping the 116.1-nm transition in the Werner band (C1Πu → X1Σg+) of molecular hydrogen. The laser is pumped by photoelectrons ionized1 from the hydrogen molecules by soft x-rays created by a laser- produced plasma in an oblique incidence traveling-wave geometry.2 Using 2.5 J of 1064-nm pump energy in a 300-ps pulse, we measure a small signal gain coefficient of 0. 8.cm−1 and a total small signal gain of exp(16). This gain coefficient is more than an order of magnitude larger than the gain coefficient measured by Hodgson and Dreyfus3 using an electron-beam excitation source.
Peer-to-Peer Networks: Interdisciplinary Challenges for Interconnected Systems

Peer-to-peer networks are one of the main sources of Internet traffic, and yet remain very controversial. On the one hand, they have a number of extremely beneficial uses, such as open source software distribution, and censorship resilience. On the other hand, peer-to-peer networks pose considerable ethical and legal challenges, for instance allowing exchanges of large volumes of copyrighted materials. This chapter argues that the ethical quandaries posed by peer-to-peer networks are rooted in a conflicting set of incentives among several entities ranging from endusers to consumer electronics manufacturers. The discussion then turns to the legal, economic, and technological remedies that have been proposed, and the difficulties faced in applying them. The last part of the chapter expands the scope of ethical issues linked to peer-to-peer networks, and examines whether existing laws and technology can mitigate new threats such as inadvertent confidential information leaks in peer-to-peer networks.
Instructional Game Design Using Cognitive Load Theory

In recent years, the use of games for teaching and learning has grown significantly in the training industry and K-16 educational settings. There is, however, a lack of understanding between what games readily provide (i.e., games’ characteristics) and what the learners need from games (i.e., learning outcome). Such deficiency makes it difficult for instructional designers to systematically apply a ABSTRACT
On the Intentionality of Cultural Products: Representations of Black History As Psychological Affordances

A cultural-psychological analysis emphasizes the intentionality of everyday worlds: the idea that material products not only bear psychological traces of culturally constituted beliefs and desires, but also subsequently afford and promote culturally consistent understandings and actions. We applied this conceptual framework of mutual constitution in a research project using quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand the dynamic resonance between sociocultural variance in Black History Month (BHM) representations and the reproduction of racial inequality in the U.S. In studies 1 and 2, we considered whether mainstream BHM artifacts reflect the preferences and understandings of White Americans (i.e., psychological constitution of cultural worlds). Consistent with the psychological constitution hypothesis, White American participants reported more positive affect, better recognition, and greater liking for BHM representations from the schools where White Americans were the majority than BHM representations from the schools where Black students and other students of color were the majority. Moreover, as an indication of the identity relevance of BHM representations, White identification was more positively associated with judgments of positive affect and preference in response to BHM representations from White schools than BHM representations from the schools where Black students were in the majority. In studies 3 and 4, we considered whether BHM representations from different settings differentially afford support or opposition to anti-racism policies (i.e., cultural constitution of psychological experience). In support of the cultural constitution hypothesis, BHM representations typical of schools where Black students were in the majority were more effective at promoting support for anti-racism policies compared to BHM representations typical of predominately White schools and a control condition. This effect was mediated by the effect of (different) BHM representations on perception of racism. Together, these studies suggest that representations of Black History constitute cultural affordances that, depending on their source, can promote (or impede) perception of racism and anti-racism efforts. This research contributes to an emerging body of work examining the bidirectional, psychological importance of cultural products. We discuss implications for theorizing collective manifestations of mind.
Thermal energy storage to increase solar photovoltaic penetration

This research focuses on a novel management strategy of a thermal energy storage (TES) system, along with the associated chillers, in order to increase solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration at Arizona State University's (ASU) Tempe campus. By charging the TES while the PV panels are producing power, and monitoring the maximum charging rate of the TES, it enables ASU to increase the amount of solar PV they're utilizing, and decrease their overall carbon footprint, while not sending any energy to the grid. Using this new management method, ASU will be able to increase their current PV generation by a factor of 3.46 and generate 48% of their annual energy needs.
Capacity Analysis of FBMC-OQAM Systems

This letter presents a capacity analysis of filter bank multicarrier offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-OQAM) systems. In FBMC-OQAM receivers, it is common to preserve the real part of the demodulated signal samples for information recovery. The imaginary part of these samples, which are called intrinsic interference, is simply ignored. This letter provides a theoretical answer to the following fundamental question. Does the ignored imaginary interference in FBMC-OQAM contain any information beyond what could be obtained from the preserved real parts?
Feasibility and Safety of a Powered Exoskeleton for Assisted Walking for Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: A Single-Group Preliminary Study.

Abstract Objective To examine the feasibility, safety, and secondary benefit potential of exoskeleton-assisted walking with one device for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Design Single-group longitudinal preliminary study with 8-week baseline, 8-week intervention, and 4-week follow-up. Setting Outpatient MS clinic, tertiary care hospital. Participants Participants (N=13; age range, 38–62y) were mostly women with Expanded Disability Status Scale scores ranging from 5.5 to 7.0. Intervention Exoskeleton-assisted walk training. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcomes were accessibility (enrollment/screen pass), tolerability (completion/dropout), learnability (time to event for standing, walking, and sitting with little or no assistance), acceptability (satisfaction on the device subscale of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology version 2), and safety (event rates standardized to person-time exposure in the powered exoskeleton). Secondary outcomes were walking without the device (timed 25-foot walk test and 6-minute walk test distance), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), and health-related quality of life (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement and Information System pain interference and Quality of Life in Neurological Conditions fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and positive affect and well-being). Results The device was accessible to 11 and tolerated by 5 participants. Learnability was moderate, with 5 to 15 sessions required to walk with minimal assistance. Safety was good; the highest adverse event rate was for skin issues at 151 per 1000 hours' exposure. Acceptability ranged from not very satisfied to very satisfied. Participants who walked routinely improved qualitatively on sitting, standing, or walking posture. Two participants improved and 2 worsened on ≥1 quality of life domain. The pattern of spasticity scores may indicate potential benefit. Conclusions The device appeared feasible and safe for about a third of our sample, for whom routine exoskeleton-assisted walking may offer secondary benefits.
Abstract 275: Angioscore Balloon in the Treatment of Collagen Plug Occlusion and Acute Limb Ischemia: Case Report

BACKGROUND: Complications of the vascular access-site (VAS) are not uncommon. With the evolution of hemostatic techniques used in the access site closure, in the last two decades, the rate of VAS related complications has significantly reduced from 6% to 2%. However, they still remain to be an important cause of morbidity following catheterization procedures. The most common complications encountered with closure of VAS are hematoma formation, arterio-venous fistula, dissection, pseudo -aneurysm and limb ischemia. According to two meta-analyses, the incidences of these complications were very low. The incidence of collagen plug from an Angioseal(™) device causing acute leg ischemia is low and upon occurrence, the use of an Angioscore(™) balloon in successful revascularization has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old male with known severe peripheral artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia had a successful angioplasty of a 100% chronically occluded right superficial femoral artery (SFA) via the left common femoral artery. An Angioseal (™) closure device was used to achieve hemostasis. The patient was discharged home after an uneventful post procedural course. Two days later, he presented to the ER with a cold and numb left lower extremity. On exam, the left lower extremity had no palpable pulse from below right femoral artery, confirmed by Doppler. The extremity was cold to touch with decreased sensory perception. Patient was found to have critical left lower extremity ischemia. He was emergently taken for a selective left lower extremity angiogram using the right common femoral artery for access. Fragments of the closure device and a collagen plug causing a total occlusion of the left common femoral artery were found. After a pre-dilatation with a 4.0x 40 balloon under prolonged inflations, a lesion reduction from 100 % to 30% with a TIMI 0 to TIMI 3 flow was achieved using an Angioscore (™) 5.0x 40 balloon inflated at 10 atmospheres. Subsequently, using laser 2.0 atherectomy of the left common femoral artery was performed. Flow in the dorsalis pedis artery was confirmed with Doppler. DISCUSSION: The Angio-Seal(™) device has a polylactide and polyglycolide polymer anchor, a collagen plug and a suture contained within a carrier system. Hemostasis is achieved by compressing the arterial puncture site between the anchor and the collagen plug. With newer studies, it appears that the occurrence of critical limb ischemia from collagen plug is under recognized. We therefore, with this case report urge the physicians to be aware of this serious though rare complication of closure devise and also highlight the successful use of Angioscore (™) balloon in the emergent treatment of non-athermatous vascular occlusion causing critical limb ischemia.
Grounding Zone Wedges on the Antarctic Continental Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula

The Antarctic Peninsula accommodates a small volume of ice but ice-volume fluctuations were sufficiently large to repeatedly advance the grounding line and associated grounding zone wedges across the shelf. Grounding zone wedge stratigraphy records the history of glaciation on the shelf. The continental shelf is approximately 150 km wide and the shelf break averages 400 m. On the shelf, a series of glacially scoured troughs dominate the bathymetry.
Urban forest management in New England: Towards a contemporary understanding of tree wardens in Massachusetts communities

In the New England states, tree wardens are local officials responsible for the preservation, maintenance and stewardship of municipal public trees. This study explores the emerging professional ch...
Color Duplex Scanning of Superior Mesenteric and Celiac Artery Stenting

Duplex velocity criteria to identify in-stent celiac artery (CA) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) stenosis is not well defined. We conducted a study to analyze duplex velocity criteria in detecting CA and SMA stenosis.
Study on the influence of PV power generation model parameter variation on power system

This paper focuses on the influence of PV power plant model and parameters on the calculation of safety and stability of power system. Based on the actual situation of Xinjiang power system in 2016, this paper does research on the influence of PV model parameters on system frequency stability, power angle stability and voltage stability under the condition of PV access in high permeability was studied.
Improved hydrological simulation using SMAP data: relative impacts of model calibration and data assimilation.

The assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture information into a land surface model has been shown in past studies to contribute accuracy to the simulated hydrological variables. Remotely sensed data, however, can also be used to improve the model itself through the calibration of the model's parameters, and this can also increase the accuracy of model products. Here, data provided by the Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) satellite mission are applied to the land surface component of the NASA GEOS Earth system model using both data assimilation and model calibration in order to quantify the relative degrees to which each strategy improves the estimation of near-surface soil moisture and streamflow. The two approaches show significant complementarity in their ability to extract useful information from the SMAP data record. Data assimilation reduces the ubRMSE (the RMSE after removing the long-term bias) of soil moisture estimates and improves the timing of streamflow variations, whereas model calibration reduces the model biases in both soil moisture and streamflow. While both approaches lead to an improved timing of simulated soil moisture, these contributions are largely independent; joint use of both approaches provides the highest soil moisture simulation accuracy.
High-Throughput siRNA Screening as a Method of Perturbation of Biological Systems and Identification of Targeted Pathways Coupled with Compound Screening

High-throughput RNA interference (HT-RNAi) is a powerful research tool for parallel, 'genome-wide', targeted knockdown of specific gene products. Such perturbation of gene product expression allows for the systematic query of gene function. The phenotypic results can be monitored by assaying for specific alterations in molecular and cellular endpoints, such as promoter activation, cell proliferation and survival. RNAi profiling may also be coupled with drug screening to identify molecular correlates of drug response. As with other genomic-scale data, methods of data analysis are required to handle the unique aspects of data normalization and statistical processing. In addition, novel techniques or knowledge-mining strategies are required to extract useful biological information from HT-RNAi data. Knowledge-mining strategies involve the novel application of bioinformatic tools and expert curation to provide biological context to genomic-scale data such as that generated from HT-RNAi data. Pathway-based tools, whether text-mining based or manually curated, serve an essential role in knowledge mining. These tools can be applied during all steps of HT-RNAi screen experiments including pre-screen knowledge gathering, assay development and hit confirmation and validation. Most importantly, pathway tools allow the interrogation of HT-RNAi data to identify and prioritize pathway-based biological information as a result of specific loss of gene function.
Phagocytosis and Interactions with Pathogenic Microorganisms

I mentioned briefly in the last chapter that FN may play a role in removal of debris during wound repair. For example, FN is observed coating debris at wound sites and is subsequently ingested by macrophages (Martin et al, 1988). There are also suggestions that FN plays a major role in promoting phagocytosis in other situations. There is a large and controversial literature on various aspects of this subject and I will not discuss all of the publications bearing on this topic. Instead, I will review what I consider to be the main issues, citing the key papers and refer the reader to several review articles in which earlier literature references can be found.
Unexplained hemolytic anemia associated with pregnancy

Unexplained hemolytic anemia in pregnancy is a rare condition. Striking anemia beginning in the first (38%) or second (38%) trimester, resolving within 5 months of delivery (18 of 19 patients, 95%) and recurring in a subsequent pregnancy (six of 12 patients, 50%) was noted in a total of 19 pregnancies in 12 women. Transient hemolysis was present in four of 19 (22%) infants. The etiology of this problem is unknown, and the only factor clearly associated with the anemia is the gravid state. Characteristic of this problem is the absence of any identifiable immune mechanism or intracorpuscular or extracorpuscular defects despite the use of specific and sensitive complement-fixation antibody consumption techniques and assay of all red blood cell enzymes. Important in the management of these patients is the clinical observation that they do respond (seven of seven patients) to corticosteroid therapy and can experience a normal delivery. Although not frequent, this problem can be life threatening to both mother and child. With early recognition and appropriate treatment with corticosteroids the hazards of this condition can be avoided.
Role of Ocean Model Formulation in Climate Response Uncertainty

AbstractOceanic heat uptake (OHU) is a significant source of uncertainty in both the transient and equilibrium responses to increasing the planetary radiative forcing. OHU differs among climate mod...
Dipole and Multipole Flows with Point Vortices and Vortex Sheets

An exact method is presented for obtaining uniformly translating distributions of vorticity in a two-dimensional ideal fluid, or equivalently, stationary distributions in the presence of a uniform background flow. These distributions are generalizations of the well-known vortex dipole and consist of a collection of point vortices and an equal number of bounded vortex sheets. Both the vorticity density of the vortex sheets and the velocity field of the fluid are expressed in terms of a simple rational function in which the point vortex positions and strengths appear as parameters. The vortex sheets lie on heteroclinic streamlines of the flow. Dipoles and multipoles that move parallel to a straight fluid boundary are also obtained. By setting the translation velocity to zero, equilibrium configurations of point vortices and vortex sheets are found.
"Anxiety and Type 1 diabetes are like cousins": The experience of anxiety symptoms in youth with Type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic health conditions in youth in the United States, and its incidence is rising worldwide. Youth with T1D are at a high risk of psychological comorbidity, for example, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Psychological comorbidities, especially anxiety symptoms, have been correlated with poorer diabetes outcomes, but anxiety symptoms have not been well studied in these youth. The primary aim of this study was to describe the experience of anxiety symptoms in youth with T1D, especially as those symptoms relate to diabetes self-management tasks. We used a qualitative descriptive approach, consisting of an in-depth, semi-structured interview comprising 10 open-ended questions with follow-up probes. The analysis was guided by the principles of thematic analysis. Demographic data, Hemoglobin A1c levels, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children survey data were also collected and analyzed. We identified four themes and seven sub-themes. Participants (n = 29, ages 10-16, 55% female) reported that T1D was an extra layer of responsibility that took time away from their ability to participate fully in other aspects of their lives. Some participants were able to integrate diabetes management into their lives, while others were not. Some participants were dependent on parents and the school nurse for diabetes management. Participants described two types of anxiety symptoms, general and diabetes-specific, and they noted that their experience of anxiety was associated with poor quality sleep, general lifestyle factors, and diabetes.
Delamination initiation and migration modeling in clamped tapered laminated beam specimens under static loading

Abstract The Clamped Tapered Beam Specimen (CTBS) designed to study the initiation of matrix cracking and delamination and their propagation including delamination migration from one interface to another was considered. Regularized eXtended Finite Element Method (Rx-FEM), which allows modeling the matrix cracking in a direction independent of finite element boundaries, was used for the analyses. The key parameters which were compared with the data obtained during the simultaneously conducted experimental program included peak loads, matrix crack initiation locations and delamination migration locations. The predicted peak loads were within the experimental range when high transverse strength values obtained from three point bend tests were used in the predictions. The matrix crack initiation location as well as delamination migration locations were correctly predicted by taking into account residual thermal stresses and implementing energy dissipation based load control algorithms to model delamination migration during unstable crack propagation.
Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) Control as Affected by Application Timing of Glufosinate Applied Alone or Mixed with Graminicides

Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the antagonism potential of glufosinate applied sequentially or mixed with graminicides on barnyardgrass control. Applications of glufosinate alone provided variable control throughout the growing season in both field and greenhouse experiments. In the field, barnyardgrass control was not adversely affected by glufosinate- and clethodim-mix applications or sequential applications of glufosinate before or after clethodim. Soybean yield was not affected by application timing or clethodim rate, with yield ranging from 1,748 to 2,733 kg ha−1. In the greenhouse, glufosinate applied 1 and 3 d before graminicides generally reduced barnyardgrass control compared with the graminicides applied alone. The response with quizalofop-P was not as dramatic as with the other graminicides. Although significant visual barnyardgrass control differences were detected due to application timing of glufosinate, barnyardgrass biomass with fluazifop-P and quizalofop-P did not differ between the application timings of glufosinate. However, glufosinate applied 1 and 3 d before clethodim had significantly greater biomass compared with glufosinate applied 1 and 3 d after clethodim. The differences in environmental conditions and growth stages at the time of application may have contributed to barnyardgrass control response differences between the field and greenhouse experiments. Although barnyardgrass control in the field was not affected by glufosinate application timing, data from the greenhouse indicate potential exists for reduced control if glufosinate is applied 1 or 3 d before graminicides.