cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging of earthquake sources in Long Valley Caldera, California, 1983

A finite difference technique by which an earthquake wave field recorded at the Earth's surface could be extrapolated backward in time to produce an image of the source was presented by McMechan (1982). The resulting image is dynamic and reveals the temporal and spatial configuration of the acoustic equivalent of the source. The method was successfully tested on synthetic data, but no real earthquake data satisfying the prerequisites for processing were available in 1982. The data must be recorded close to the source and must be spatially dense. In January of 1983, a unique data set was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey within Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. Three events were chosen from the aftershock sequence. Preprocessing of the data for each event includes construction of a true amplitude section, filtering, and extrapolation to produce unaliased, equally spaced observations. Extrapolation of these data through a previously determined velocity structure produces coherent images in which both the source location and radiation pattern are visible. The images are also consistent with previously determined focal mechanisms. The results demonstrate the feasibility of imaging real earthquake sources .
RESPONSES OF POND-BREEDING AMPHIBIANS TO WILDFIRE: SHORT-TERM PATTERNS IN OCCUPANCY AND COLONIZATION

Wildland fires are expected to become more frequent and severe in many ecosystems, potentially posing a threat to many sensitive species. We evaluated the effects of a large, stand-replacement wildfire on three species of pond-breeding amphibians by estimating changes in occupancy of breeding sites during the three years before and after the fire burned 42 of 83 previously surveyed wetlands. Annual occupancy and colonization for each species was estimated using recently developed models that incorporate detection probabilities to provide unbiased parameter estimates. We did not find negative effects of the fire on the occupancy or colonization rates of the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum). Instead, its occupancy was higher across the study area after the fire, possibly in response to a large snowpack that may have facilitated colonization of unoccupied wetlands. Naive data (uncorrected for detection probability) for the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) initially led to the conclusion of increased occupancy and colonization in wetlands that burned. After accounting for temporal and spatial variation in detection probabilities, however, it was evident that these parameters were relatively stable in both areas before and after the fire. We found a similar discrepancy between naive and estimated occupancy of A. macrodactylum that resulted from different detection probabilities in burned and control wetlands. The boreal toad (Bufo boreas) was not found breeding in the area prior to the fire but colonized several wetlands the year after they burned. Occupancy by B. boreas then declined during years 2 and 3 following the fire. Our study suggests that the amphibian populations we studied are resistant to wildfire and that B. boreas may experience short-term benefits from wildfire. Our data also illustrate how naive presence-non-detection data can provide misleading results.
Accelerated Life Tests: Analysis with Competing Failure Modes†

Most of the accelerated life tests (ALT) ignores the possibility of competing modes of failure. The literature that attempts to address this problem often does so by assuming independence among the competing failure modes. Rather, the failure modes display a highly dependent structure, which is usually influenced by the applied stress. The dependent ALT-competing risks models available are based on multivariate distributions with specified marginals. However, multivariate exponential and Weibull distributions—dominant in literature—have properties not suited for all applications. This article investigates the applicability of existent independent and dependent models on a couple of datasets, and presents a new ALT model with dependent competing failure modes. The dependence structure is modeled by a copula given the rank correlation. The effects of the dependence degree of the competing failure modes are also studied. Keywords: competing risks; accelerated life testing; Archimedean copula; Spearman's rho; bivariate Weibull distribution
Integration of polymer and metal microstructures using liquid-phase photopolymerization

In this paper we demonstrate, using a fabrication technique, liquid-phase photopolymerization (LP3) for the relatively fast and low-cost integration of thick polymers and electroformed metal microstructures to develop a range of microfluidic components and systems. Liquid-phase UV-photosensitive polymers, similar to negative-tone photoresists, are used to create both polymer microstructures and molds to define electroformed metal (here, nickel—Ni) microstructures. This fabrication process can act as a stand-alone or appended one; it is gentle to allow processing after a metal structure has been released since fabrication occurs only at designated areas on a substrate, i.e. no spinning/casting of photosensitive materials, and self-planarization is achieved since photopolymerization of polymers occurs in the liquid phase. Photopatterned polymer and electroformed Ni microstructures are fabricated using LP3 with a low-end (low-cost) lithographic system. A variety of functional microfluidic components and systems, e.g., an active and a passive chaotic micromixer, and gear trains, are fabricated by utilizing a sequential step-and-repeat LP3 process to demonstrate the integration of polymers and metals.
Short Term Desensitization of the A1 Adenosine Receptors in DDT1MF-2 Cells

SUMMARY Previous studies have indicated that desensitization of the A1 adenosine receptor (A1AR), unlike other adenosine receptor subtypes and G protein-coupled receptors, required prolonged exposure to agonists. We more closely studied this observation by focusing on changes in the A1AR signal transduction pathway after short term agonist exposure (0.5‐ 4 hr) in the hamster vas deferens smooth muscle cell line (DDT1MF-2 cells). Incubation of these cells with 1 mM (R)-phenylisopropyladenosine [(R)-PIA] produced a time-dependent loss in binding of the agonist radioligand [ 125 I]N 6 -2-(4-amino-3-iodophenyl)ethyladenosine but not of the antagonist radioligand [ 3 H]8-cyclopentyl1,3-dipropylxanthine. This was accompanied by a reduction in the high affinity (G protein-coupled) state of this receptor from 63 6 8% to 37 6 12% after treatment for 4 hr. Moreover, cells treated with (R)-PIA demonstrated reduced agonist-stimulated GTPase activity and diminished inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity but no change in expression of ai and b subunits. The decreases in agonist binding in the desensitized cells were reversible after treatment of DDT1MF-2 cell membranes with alkaline phosphatase or protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, suggesting a role of phosphorylation in the uncoupling and desensitization of the A1AR. Incubation of cells with (R)-PIA led to rapid translocation of G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) from the cytosol to the plasma membrane within 1 hr of exposure. In addition, purified preparations of the A1AR that were phosphorylated with purified recombinant GRK-2 demonstrated enhanced affinity for arrestin over Gi/Go. These results indicate rapid and functional desensitization of the A1AR by brief exposure to agonist. The mechanism underlying this event seems to involve phosphorylation of the A1AR, presumably by the GRK or GRKs.
Parallel solution of recurrence problems

An mth-order recurrence problem is defined as the computation of the sequence x1,..., xN, where x1 = f(ai, xi-1,...,xi-m), and ai, is some vector of parameters. This paper investigates general algorithms for solving such problems on highly parallel computers. We show that if the recurrence function f has associated with it two other functions that satisfy certain composition properties, then we can construct elegant and efficient parallel algorithms that can compute all N elements of the series in time proportional to ⌈log2N⌉. The class of problems having this property includes linear recurrences of all orders- both homogeneous and inhomogeneous, recurrences involving matrix or binary quantities, and various nonlinear problemsin volving operations such as computation with matrix inverses, exponentiation, and modulo division.
Race, History, and Policy: African Americans and Civil Rights Since 1964

Dwarfing all debates over civil rights policy and race relations during the three decades since 1964 has been the storm over affirmative action. Critics have argued that affirmative action in practice has meant requiring racial quotas, and hence practicing “reverse discrimination” against innocent (usually white male) third parties. This has been done, critics contend, in the name of a law, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that explicitly prohibited racial preferences. Proponents have countered that racism is so deeply rooted in American culture and institutions that mere nondiscrimination will perpetuate the injustice of the past. There is abundant evidence to support both contentions. The purpose of this essay is not to weigh the evidence and determine which side is correct. Ultimately such profound disagreements are not resolvable by logic and evidence alone, because they hinge on divergent assumptions about human nature and the purpose and limits of government. My more modest goal in this essay is to use the insights of history to understand why civil rights policy evolved in this dual fashion following the breakthrough legislation of 1964–68, and to try to assess the consequences.
Kawasaki disease: insights into pathogenesis and approaches to treatment

This Review summarizes recent advances in understanding of the pathologic processes and pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to coronary arteritis in Kawasaki disease, and describes current approaches to its treatment. Kawasaki disease is the most common cause of acquired heart disease among children in developed countries, in whom the resulting coronary artery abnormalities can cause myocardial ischaemia, infarction and even death. Epidemiologic data strongly suggest an infectious aetiology, although the causative agent has yet to be identified. Genetic factors also increase susceptibility to Kawasaki disease, as indicated by its strikingly high incidence rate in children of Asian ethnicity and by an increased incidence in first-degree family members. The treatment of Kawasaki disease is based on timely administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin. However, the management of patients who do not respond to this standard therapy remains challenging; although several options are available, comparative data on which to base treatment decisions are scarce. The added value of adjunctive therapy with corticosteroids in patients at particularly high risk of coronary complications has been demonstrated in Japanese populations, but identification of high-risk patients has proven to be difficult in ethnically diverse populations.
Nondestructive Testing of GFRP Bridge Decks Using Ground Penetrating Radar and Infrared Thermography

As glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bridge decks are becoming a feasible alternative to the traditional concrete bridge decks, an innovative methodology to evaluate the in situ conditions are vital to GFRP bridge decks’ full implementation. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) typically performs well in detecting subsurface condition of a structural component with moisture pockets trapped within the material. On the other hand, infrared thermography (IRT) is traditionally known for its ability to detect air pockets within the material. In order to evaluate both nondestructive testing methods’ effectiveness for subsurface condition assessment of GFRP bridge deck, debonds of various sizes were embedded into a GFRP bridge deck module. A 1.5 GHz ground-coupled GPR system and a radiometric infrared camera were used to scan the deck module for condition assessment. Test results showed that both GPR and IRT retained their respective effectiveness in detecting subsurface anomalies. GPR was found to be capable of d...
Chapter 6 Forecasting Persistent Data with Possible Structural Breaks: Old School and New School Lessons Using OECD Unemployment Rates

In contrast to recent forecasting developments, “Old School” forecasting techniques, such as exponential smoothing and the Box–Jenkins methodology, do not attempt to explicitly model or estimate breaks in a time series. Adherents of the “New School” methodology argue that once breaks are well estimated, it is possible to control for regime shifts when forecasting. We compare the forecasts of monthly unemployment rates in 10 OECD countries using various Old School and New School methods. Although each method seems to have drawbacks and no one method dominates the others, the Old School methods often outperform the New School methods for forecasting the unemployment rates.
Validating Program Fidelity: Lessons from the Delaware County Second Chance Initiatives

Reentry programming for offenders has increased considerably since the passage of the Second Chance Act in 2008. This study presents findings from the implementation and process phases of a multi-stage program evaluation of two Second Chance Act funded initiatives in Delaware County, Ohio. Two distinct programs, one for offenders diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders and another for substance dependent offenders with minor children, were examined using a mixed-methodological research design incorporating process and outcome phases. Process findings focus on determinations of program fidelity and adherence to evidence-based practices. Discussion centers on the role of process evaluation in assessments of intervention effectiveness and the importance of establishing program fidelity prior to outcome analysis.
Interleukin-12, a New Anti-Tumor Cytokine:

Of the numerous cytokines that have been isolated and characterized over the last several years, few have attracted as much attention as Interleukin-12 (IL-12). Since its discovery ten years ago, t...
Prevention of unplanned extubations in neonates through process standardization.

Unplanned extubation events (UPEs) in neonates are hazardous to patient safety. Our goal was to reduce UPE rate (#UPEs per 100 ventilator days) by 50% in 12 months at our 25-bed level III inborn unit. Baseline data were gathered prospectively for 7 months. Three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles targeting main causes of UPEs were developed over the next 20 months. Causes of UPEs were analyzed using Pareto charts; and a U control chart was created with QI Charts©. Standard rules for detecting special cause variation were applied. Mean UPE rate decreased from 16.1 to 4.5 per 100 ventilator days, a 72% decrease, exceeding our goal. Analysis of U-chart demonstrated special cause variation, with eight consecutive points below the mean. Improvement was sustained throughout the study period. UPEs in neonates can be reduced with process standardization and frontline staff education, emphasizing vigilant endotracheal tube (ETT) maintenance.
GUARANTEED COST CONTROL OF LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH UNCERTAIN PARAMETERS - APPLICATION TO REMOTELY PILOTED VEHICLE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS

In many physical systems, an accurate knowledge of certain parameters is very difficult or very expensive to obtain. The designer of an RPV flight control system, for example, frequently has available little data regarding aerodynamic coefficients, due to a lack of wind tunnel tests. Based on the concept of guaranteed cost control, an algorithm has been developed to analyze the effect of parameter uncertainties on closed-loop system stability. An extension of this a1 gori thm results in a technique for choosing constant feedback gains which result in stable closed-loop b ehavior for a range of parameter values. This technique has been applied to the design of a lateral autopilot for a r udderless RPV with uncertain aerodynamic coefficients.
Regeneration of Euplanaria Dorotocephala with Pituitary Gland Extract.

SummaryWith extract of desiccated whole beef pituitary gland there was a mean increase of 35% in the rate of regeneration of bisected planaria (Euplanaria dorotocephala) with a decrease in total area in head pieces of 50% and a decrease of total area in tail pieces of 30%, when completely regenerated. Posterior lobe extract accelerated regeneration by 33% with a reduction in area of 36% over the controls. The acceleration of regeneration with anterior extract alone was not as marked as with the whole extract or the posterior fraction. There was no reproduction by fission which occurred in 61% of the controls.
Application-Oriented Processes for Implementation of Overset Grid Methodologies

The Application Support Team in the Computational Sciences Branch of AFRL/RQ is currently employing structured overset-grid grid generation methods in conjunction with the NASA flow solver OVERFLOW in order to perform aerodynamic analysis of complex configurations. This paper discusses some process-related issues associated with the gridgeneration and domain connectivity steps in the simulation workflow. The process for performing script-based grid generation is discussed, and additional macros that have been identified and developed based on the repeated need for certain functionality are presented. A process for dividing watertight surface triangulations into components suitable for overset grid generation using the functionality present in Chimera Grids tools is presented. Issues associated with projection onto surface triangulations are discussed, and a categorization of orphan points and steps to take to remove each class are listed. Some grid systems developed for recent applications analyzed by the Application Support Team are shown.
Surfactants Derived from Amino Acids

Long chain Nα-acyl-L-arginines obtained by the reactions of the C10-C16 fatty acid chlorides with L-arginine, were esterified by ethyl alcohol containing dry hydrogen chloride to yield salts of long chain Nα-acyl-L-arginine esters. To examine their surface active properties and antimicrobial activities, Krafft point, pH value, critical micelle concentration, surface tention, foaming power, wetting and emulsifying properties and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) were measured and these data were compared with those of benzyldimethyl {2- [2 (p-1, 1, 3, 3-tetramethylbutylphenoxy) ethoxy] ethyl} ammonium chloride (benzethonium chloride). Among the salts of long chain Nα-acyl-L-arginine esters, the lauroyl derivatives showed best surface active properties and antimicrobial activities, and had almost the same properties as those of benzethonium chloride. The hydrolysis properties of the salts of Nα-acyl-L-arginine esters were also examined.
Preparation of an Aurylated Alkylthiophene Monomer via C–H Activation for Use in Pd-PEPPSI-iPr Catalyzed-Controlled Chain Growth Polymerization

In the search for new synthetic routes toward greener and more facile syntheses of conjugated polymers, C–H functionalization provides a promising solution by minimizing the production and processing of aryl halide monomer precursors used in traditional organometallic coupling reactions. In this paper, we investigate the use of Au(I) and its ability to directly C–H activate 2-bromo-3-hexylthiophene to form a reactive monomer species, bypassing the typical Grignard monomer formation from a dihalogenated thiophene. Addition of Pd-PEPPSI-iPr as a palladium catalyst source in the presence of the resultant aurylated thiophene monomer yielded poly(3-hexylthiophene) as observed by both NMR and GPC. Studies on the growth of these polymers show linear dependence between Mn and monomer conversion, low dispersities, as well as Mn predicted by catalyst loading, which is supportive of a living-type chain growth mechanism. This Au–Pd system represents a novel methodology for incorporating C–H activation into the synthe...
AB0486 The Complete Response in Patients with Lupus Nephritis Treated with Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) as Their First Line Therapy

Background The optimal therapeutic approach for lupus nephritis (LN) involves an induction phase to achieve remission followed by maintenance therapy to prevent relapses. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has become the primary induction and maintenance therapy for lupus nephritis (LN). Objectives The complete response rate is the most sensitive in detecting differences among therapeutic regimens. The purpose of this study was to assess complete response after starting mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as initial therapy for class III, IV or V in immunosuppressant naive patients with lupus nephritis by using 5 different criteria (BMS, ACR, LUNAR, ALMS, and ACCESS). Methods 21 SLE patients began mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) shortly after a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis of lupus nephritis. They consisted of 18 females, 3 males, 9 African Americans, 8 Caucasians, and 4 other ethnicities. Ages ranged from 18 to 70 with a mean age of 37 (SD=15). There were 5 patients with class III, 9 with class IV, 4 with class III-V, 1 with class IV-V and 2 with class V lupus nephritis. The initial dose of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was 1000mg twice daily. If no improvement, it was increased to 1500 mg twice daily after one month. The baseline urine protein to creatinine ratio ranged between 0.635 to 11.91grams, with only 1 patient being below 1 gram at baseline. Patients were on a renal sparing regimen (52%) and hydroxychloroquine (86%). Depending on the response index, complete response was defined, as reaching a urine protein to creatinine ratio of Results The probability of response at 90 and 180 days is shown in Table 1 for each response index. Conclusions This study demonstrates that patients with newly diagnosed lupus nephritis and previously naive immunosuppressant can reach complete response within 6 months after initiation of mycophenolate mofetil. Furthermore, the estimate of long term response was highest in the ACR criteria where reduction in urine protein creatinine ratio was below 0.20grams but no steroid taper was addressed. Our experience may show better results, because majority of the patients were prescribed hydroxychloroquine and because mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was started at a therapeutic dose. The rate of complete response described here illustrate the considerable unmet need for more effective treatments. These data can be used to determine sample sizes for clinical trials in lupus nephritis; but also suggest that a more stringent complete response goal should be considered to help with predicting long term outcome. References Wofsy D, Hillson JL, Diamond B. Arthritis Rheum 2012; 64:3660-5 Furie R, Arthritis Rheum 2011;63 Suppl Appel GB, Contreras G, Dooley MA, Ginzler EM, Isenberg D,Jayne D. J Am Soc Nephrol 2009 Rovin BH, Fur ie R, Latinis K, Looney RJ, Arthritis Rheum 2012;64:1215–26. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.5878
Detecting DNA double-stranded breaks in mammalian genomes by linear amplification–mediated high-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing

Unbiased, high-throughput assays for detecting and quantifying DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) across the genome in mammalian cells will facilitate basic studies of the mechanisms that generate and repair endogenous DSBs. They will also enable more applied studies, such as those to evaluate the on- and off-target activities of engineered nucleases. Here we describe a linear amplification-mediated high-throughput genome-wide sequencing (LAM-HTGTS) method for the detection of genome-wide 'prey' DSBs via their translocation in cultured mammalian cells to a fixed 'bait' DSB. Bait-prey junctions are cloned directly from isolated genomic DNA using LAM-PCR and unidirectionally ligated to bridge adapters; subsequent PCR steps amplify the single-stranded DNA junction library in preparation for Illumina Miseq paired-end sequencing. A custom bioinformatics pipeline identifies prey sequences that contribute to junctions and maps them across the genome. LAM-HTGTS differs from related approaches because it detects a wide range of broken end structures with nucleotide-level resolution. Familiarity with nucleic acid methods and next-generation sequencing analysis is necessary for library generation and data interpretation. LAM-HTGTS assays are sensitive, reproducible, relatively inexpensive, scalable and straightforward to implement with a turnaround time of <1 week.
Analysis on environmental risk factors of early-onset coronary heart disease in Baoan District,Shenzhen City

Objective To analyze environmental risk factors of early-onset coronary heart disease in Baoan District,Shenzhen City,so as to explore intervention measures to decrease its incidence. Methods Totally 339 patients with coronary heart disease from the People's Hospital of Baoan District,Shenzhen were included in the study and grouped into early-onset coronary heart disease group(172cases)and late-onset coronary heart disease group(167cases)according to age at onset recorded in their clinical data.Having hypertension,diabetes,smoking,alcohol abuse,high total cholesterol(TC),high triglycerides(TG),high low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL),low high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL),high C-reactive protein(CRP),high uric acid(UA),and high fibrinogen(Fib)as potential environmental risk factors,Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to explore risk factors of early-onset coronary heart disease and late-onset coronary heart disease. Results The percentages of high TG and low HDL were significantly higher in the early-onset coronary heart disease group than those in the late-onset coronary heart disease group(χ2=12.011,P=0.001;χ2=11.208,P=0.001).So were the men proportion and smoking rate(χ2=4.849,P=0.028;χ2=5.728,P=0.017).However,the incidence of hypertension was significantly lower in the early-onset coronary heart disease group than that in the late-onset coronary heart disease group(χ2=7.654,P=0.006).Logistic regression analysis indicated that after collaborative factors were corrected,high TG and low HDL were the environmental risk factors for earlyonset coronary heart disease(χ2=6.607,P=0.010;χ2=5.450,P=0.020)and complication with hypertension was a risk factor for late-onset coronary heart disease(χ2=6.702,P=0.010). Conclusions In the prevention of early-onset coronary heart disease,the lipid lowering therapy with lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol as its primary goal should include lowering triglyceride level.And risk from smoking can not be ignored.
Comparison of glucose and acetate as substrates for lipid synthesis in bovine adipocytes.

The un (abolie capacity of bovine adipocytes was studied using isolated cells from subcutaneous adipose tissue of four dairy cows before and aller calving. The lipogenic capacity was assessed by measuring the incorporation of l4C-glucose and 14C-acetate into lipid. In lhe cells taken from the cows before calving, 14C-acetale was incorporated into lipid at a much higher rate than 14C-glucose hut, after calving, incorporation of both substrates was very low. The results show that l4C-acetate uptake into lipid is a more sensitive indicator of (he lipogenic capacity of adipocytes of dairy cows.
Urothelial Hyperplasia and Neoplasia. II. Detection of Nitrosamines and Interferon in Chronic Urinary Tract Infections in Rats

Abstract In rats with chronic urinary tract infections, urine and blood were examined for two classes of compounds (nitrosamines and interferon) which may lead to the development of urothelial hyperplasia and neoplasia. In vitro, Escherichia coli, a Proteus species or a mixture of both were able to induce high levels of interferon which theoretically could reduce the host’s cellular immune surveillance. These high levels were not detected in vivo in either short-term (5 hr. to 2 wk.) or long-term (2 wk. to 24 wk.) infected rats. In contrast, N, N dimethylnitrosamine was detected in the majority (≥ 50 per cent) of long term infected rats after 12 wk. although individual rats showed detectable levels as early as 2 wk. post infection. Sterile human or rat urine supported bacterial growth and subsequent production of N, N dimethylnitrosamine, but only after 16 wk. of subculturing in vitro. Gas chromatography was able to detect small amounts of nitrosamines extracted from urine. The mass spectrometer yielded quantitatively and qualitatively better detection. With long term infections, the appearance of a potential carcinogen, N, N dimethylnitrosamine, occurs in vivo and in vitro and correlates with previous findings that describe the development of hyperplastic and early neoplastic changes in the rat urothelium.
Scanning Tomographic Acoustic Microscopy: a Historical Overview

The development of the Scanning Tomographic Acoustic Microscope (STAM) spans over a period of over ten years and involves every facets of engineering ranging from mathematical and physical modeling, theoretical analysis and signal processing, hardware and software development, and overall system optimization. This paper provides a summary of the technical development, starting from the initial development of the concept, preliminary system prototyping, holographic and tomographic image formation, and system integration.
Safety and advantages of combined resection and microwave ablation in patients with bilobar hepatic malignancies.

AbstractBackground: The multimodality approach has significantly improved outcomes for hepatic malignancies. Microwave ablation is often used in isolation or succession, and seldom in combination with resection. Potential benefits and pitfalls from combined resection and ablation therapy in patients with complex and extensive bilobar hepatic disease have not been well defined.Methods: A review of the University of Louisville prospective Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Patients database was performed with multi-focal bilobar disease that underwent microwave ablation with resection or microwave only included.Results: One hundred and eight were treated with microwave only (MWA, n = 108) or combined resection and ablation (CRA, n = 84) and were compared with similar disease-burden patients undergoing resection only (n = 84). The groups were comparable except that the MWA group was older (p = .02) and with higher co-morbidities (diabetes, hepatitis). The resection group had larger tumours (4 vs. 3.2 and 3 cm) but t...
Response element 1 reguliert die Expression der MMP-2 in der Wundheilung Ergebnisse aus dem transgenen Mausmodell

Die MMP-2 Promotorregion (−1686/+ 423) ist an der Regulation der in der Wundheilung induzierten MMP-2 Genexpression beteiligt. Die MMP-2-Genaktivitat ist in vaskularen endothelialen Zellen lokalisiert. Die kaum nachweisbare Reportergenaktivitat in F8del Mausen weist darauf hin, dass RE-1, uber das 80 % der konstitutiven Promoteraktivitat vermittelt wird, ein wesentliches, cis-regulatorisches Element fur die MMP-2 Genexpression in der dermalen Wundheilung ist.
Warrior Morality and the Fate of Civilization

Introduction In Weimar Berlin at the beginning of the 1930s, Leo Strauss confronted Carl Schmitt, the most brilliant legal mind of the German right. This was when Strauss, increasingly dissatisfied with the polarized philosophical and political alternatives on offer in Weimar, was beginning to reconsider premodern thought. At that same moment, Schmitt was veering toward Nazism, although he did not actually join the Nazi party until urged to do so by Heidegger in 1933. The result of Strauss’s confrontation with Schmitt was a short essay that Strauss wrote in 1932, “Notes on the Concept of the Political ,” which, in his intellectual autobiography, Strauss described as the first expression of a change of orientation of his thought. In this chapter, I consider Strauss’s engagement with Schmitt in light of Strauss’s articulation of this change of orientation in his correspondence with Karl Lowith, in particular Strauss’s deepening disenchantment with Weimar antiliberal polemics and increasing interest in premodern thought as a point of view transcending such polemics. In his 1941 lecture “German Nihilism,” Strauss would take the measure of, and severely criticize, a philosophical/political point of view represented not only by Schmitt but also by Heidegger and Ernst Junger. Yet long after the “German Nihilism” lecture, Strauss would still feel the need to answer Schmitt and Schmittianism and call them to account. This chapter concludes by giving a sense of how Schmittian themes reemerge in Strauss’s mature writings of the 1950s and 1960s. Subsequent chapters will further illustrate how, in his engagements with Alexandre Kojeve, Machiavelli, Thucydides, Xenophon, and other thinkers, Strauss returns repeatedly to the Schmittian questions of the boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate violence, the relationship of the norm to the exception, and the connection of warrior morality to civilization. But the deepest theme that is raised by Schmitt’s “manner of proceeding,” as Strauss puts it, and the one that underpins the turning upside down of Schmittian political nihilism, is whether thinking should be viewed as a polemical exercise, as commitment and will, conflict and enmity. This tendency Strauss finds visible in a nobler, intellectually more refined form in Max Weber: courage, commitment, resoluteness, and decision in the face of conflict are the virtues of intellectual and spiritual life, not only of political action.
The “Torreon” of Machu Picchu as an Observatory:

La citadelle du Machu Pichu n'a pas ete conquise par les Espagnols: elle fut volontairement abandonnee par ses habitants, et ce n'est qu'en 1911 qu'elle fut redecouverte. Parmi ses structures, le "Torreon". Les AA. se proposent de montrer que cette structure a ete construite pour etre un instrument precis permettant de fixer la date du solstice d'hiver (Juin) et faire d'autres observations de constellations.
Baudelaire Vampirizes Racine

Beginning from an underexplored intertextual link between Baudelaire’s poem ‘Les Metamorphoses du Vampire’ and Racine’s play Athalie, I argue that the contrast between the two works underlines the fundamental conjunction between religion and sexuality in Les Fleurs du Mal. Transgression, in both the religious and sexual spheres, is an engine of literary creation for Baudelaire, and ‘Les Metamorphoses du Vampire’ operates in both at once. The analysis is supported by a set of readings of other poems from Les Fleurs du Mal, along with the poem’s allusions not only to Athalie but also to the Bible. ‘Les Metamorphoses du Vampire’ enacts a scene of divine punishment for both blasphemy and fornication, yet as this punishment is visited on the vampire, the poet loses the text. This differentiates Baudelaire’s view of religion from Racine’s hidden God, and also connects the poem to the wider themes of Les Fleurs du Mal, expressed in ‘Au Lecteur’ and revisited throughout.
Broadband omni-directional circularly polarized antenna based on vertically and horizontally polarized elements

This paper presents a broadband omnidirectional circularly polarized antenna design using combination of broadband omnidirectional vertically and horizontally polarized radiating elements. The vertically polarized (VP) component is a modified version of ultra-wideband (UWB) monopole antenna and the horizontally polarized (HP) element is a recently-developed omnidirectional HP antenna using planar folded dipoles. The two radiating elements are fed by a carefully designed broadband Wilkinson power divider Schiffman phase shifter to achieve the required power division and phase shift over the entire band for the entire band between the two polarizations. The simulation shows that the proposed antenna has a 10 dB return loss bandwidth of 59.1% (1.11–2.04GHz), and the bandwidth for the maximum 3 dB axial ratio for all azimuth directions is 49.7% (1.21–2.01GHz).
Nitric Oxide As a Mediator of Bone Marrow Fibrosis in Patients with Myelofibrosis

Abstract Bone marrow (BM) fibrosis is a key pathomorphologic feature of patients (pts) with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and the fibrotic phases of essential thrombocythemia (post-ET MF) and polycythemia vera (post-PV MF). The degree of BM fibrosis appears to correlate with survival. Indeed worse survival has been associated with increased BM fibrosis. The BM stromal microenvironment is important in the pathogenesis of BM fibrosis. Cellular components (fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells, adipocytes), structural fibrils (collagen, reticulin) and extracellular matrix components are all forming elements of the BM stroma. Increased stromal fibrosis has been linked to abnormalities in the number/ function of megakaryocytes and platelets in hematologic diseases. Several cytokines like Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-b) have been also linked to the pathophysiology of BM fibrosis. PDGF has been shown to increase fibroblast growth in megakaryocytes and platelets although increased PDGF did not correlate with increased production of either reticulin or collagenous fibrosis. Moreover, PMF pts have increased TGF-b levels in platelets, megakaryocytes, and monocytes. Nitric Oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous gas important in physiologic processes particularly vasodilatation. Dysregulation of NO levels has been implicated in pulmonary hypertension (PH), hemoglobinopathies, and cardiovascular diseases. In Peyronie’s disease, a localized fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, increased NO production by expression of iNOS decreases collagen deposition by neutralization of profibrotic reactive oxygen species and decreased myofibroblast formation. Aside from its role in maintaining normal vascular tone, NO also plays a role in fibroblast formation and collagen biosynthesis. We previously reported that ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor restores NO levels leading to improvement of PH in MF pts (Tabarroki et al., Leukemia 2014). We now hypothesize that plasma/serum NO level is a key regulator of BM fibrosis in MF and that ruxolitinib treatment (Tx) leads to improvement of BM fibrosis by NO modulation. Using a Sievers 280i NO analyzer we measured the plasma/serum NO level of a large cohort (n=75) of pts with myeloid and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) [MDS, RARS/RCMD=8; MPN, ET=8, PV=8, MF=24, Mastocytosis=7; MDS/MPN, CMML=11, MDS/MPN-U, RARS-T=9]. Healthy subjects (n=10) were used as a control. MPN pts had low NO (nM) levels among the pts studied with the lowest level found in MF pts: MF=30.31±11.8, PV=39.0±16.1, ET=36±20.3, RARS=74.6±41.7 (P=.01), CMML=84.4±89.2 (P=.04), RCMD=163.4±103.8 (P Disclosures Tiu: Gilead: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Incyte : Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau.
Protocols for sharing computing resources and dealing with nodes' selfishness in peer-to-peer networks

Future P2P networks are likely to have no centralized administrative entity (owing to regulatory or scalability concerns) that control the nodes in the system. Therefore, it is important for network designers to take into account the independence and selfishness of P2P users to make the future systems more reliable and robust. Generally speaking, P2P network protocols need to be designed taking into account the fact that peers would behave selfishly to maximize their own interests or utility. The resources will generally be owned by different users or organizations that will not necessarily volunteer to make them freely available, even when they are not being used. To provide the incentives for large-scale resource sharing, resources need to be buyable and sellable, with the possibility of contracts that (at least in theory) can be enforced. A set of protocols are needed that range from ones that are very light-weight for small “micro-value” transactions, to those that are more heavy-weight where enforceability (perhaps at a later time) is more important than efficiency. This will support the creation of a market economy of network-accessible resources, including those that are specifically part of the network such as link bandwidth, and node processing and memory capacities. These resources would be purchased on demand, in very short periods of time, and for very short (and larger when necessary) periods of time. Users will rely more on buying the power in the network, only when and for how long they need it, rather than on relying solely on what is locally available. This will be more economical and offer the user more potential power. Moreover, market economic principles have been very successful in human societies for resource allocation, and therefore, we expect to derive similar benefits from computational resource economies built on top of P2P systems as follows: To develop solutions for the above problems, we make the following contributions in this dissertation. (1) We provide a solution for enabling distributed computing by harnessing idle computing resources, such as CPU cycles, in P2P networks taking into account nodes' selfishness. (2) We develop a mechanism for pricing and trading resources such as data and routing bandwidth in P2P networks. (3) To increase users confidence to participate in the system, we develop a protocol for giving complete participation anonymity to the users of a P2P system. We also propose a reputation management framework for allowing users to evaluate the trustworthiness of each other before trading services/resources among themselves. The framework also implements a light-weight currency infrastructure that allows use of monetary incentive schemes for promoting cooperation among selfish users. (4) We use game theory concepts to model and investigate the behavior of users in P2P systems. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Decoding the Cancer Genome: Insights from Bioinformatic Studies

The characterization of the landscape of genetic lesions that underlie cancer has been significantly advanced with the recent application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. To define the genomic landscapes of 21 different pediatric cancer subtypes of brain tumors, solid tumors and leukemias, we analyzed >1,000 pediatric cancers and matched control tissue by whole-genome, whole-exome or transcriptome sequencing as part of the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP). Novel bioinformatics methods for integrative analysis of single-nucleotide variation (SNV), small insertion/deletion (indel), copy number alteration (CNA) and structural variation (SV) have been developed to ensure high sensitivity and accuracy, which is critical for the discovery of highly recurrent somatic lesions that have the potential for developing new cancer therapy. For example, our fusion transcript detection method CICERO has played a key role in identifying recurrent kinase fusions in 90% of Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL), a subgroup characterized by a gene expression profile similar to BCR-ABL1 -positive ALL. To evaluate whether NGS is able to identify germline and somatic lesions reported by molecular diagnostic assay, we carried out a pilot clinical sequencing study that employed whole-genome, whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing of matched tumor/normal samples from 78 pediatric cancer patients. We implemented an analysis pipeline that integrates the genetic lesions from all three NGS platforms as well as a data portal that supports classification of somatic and germline lesions. We present a comparison of the sensitivity and accuracy of single-platform analysis with that of integrative multi-platform analysis in identifying somatic and germline SNVs/indels, translocation, gene fusion, CNAs, karyotype, and loss of heterozygosity. Our experience provides informative insight for the design of clinical sequencing of pediatric cancer. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Antimicrobial Stewardship: The Role of the Patient

The aim of this article is to describe the current state of the patient role in antimicrobial stewardship efforts. There is a global crisis in antimicrobial resistance (AR) for which antimicrobial use is the main driver. Antimicrobial stewardship (AS) is a critical ally in the battle against AR. The extent to which specific AS initiatives are implemented across settings varies considerably; many acute care settings have a formal antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP), but other patient care settings such as outpatient clinics or long-term care facilities are generally in the early phases of developing AS efforts which may include a regional approach encompassing transitions of care. In recognizing that a coordinated care approach across the spectrum of healthcare is essential to improve patient outcomes, there is a renewed and increased push to broaden AS implementation across multiple settings. In the acute care setting, a common characteristic of an ASP is a multidisciplinary team to guide antibiotic decision-making at an individual and a facility level. Efforts often target appropriate use of antimicrobials via formulary restrictions, prescribing decision-support models, education, and audit and feedback of prescribing practices. Patients are not usually included in stewardship efforts. Stewardship literature which includes a patient-role component is limited and focuses primarily on physician-patient communication or educational campaigns to raise public awareness of AS. There is little research exploring direct patient involvement in AS efforts, although there is some evidence that patients are aware of the implications of AR, its link to antimicrobial use, and its impact on health at the population level. Recent work has shown that patients believe there is a role for them in AS efforts; however, there is no guidance on the best approach to achieve patient involvement in AS initiatives and no evidence of the effect of such patient involvement on clinical outcomes. In order to fill the gap in knowledge related to the patient role in AS, we recommend the following for clinicians and researchers: • Increase patient awareness and understanding of AS and the impact on their care. This may be the first step in successfully involving patients in AS endeavors. • Identify situations in which patients can realistically become part of the AS movement across the healthcare spectrum. This would call for studying the process of patient recruitment and engagement and impact of adding the patient voice. This could also include studying patient perspectives about being involved in AS, along with clinician and researcher perspectives of involving patients. • Undertake research studies to examine different implementation strategies for involving patients and evaluate the effect of engagement on clinical outcomes relevant to AS such as decreased antibiotic usage and antibiotic resistance.
Countering technocracy: "natural" birth in The Business of Being Born and Call the Midwife

AbstractFeminist media studies scholars concur that representations of childbirth in popular media normalize medical domination of maternity care and women’s subordination to it. This article aims to fill the gap in the dearth of academic analysis of alternative representations of childbearing by examining the documentary film The Business of Being Born and the BBC TV drama series Call the Midwife. Although they are situated in disparate socio-historical contexts, both productions push against medicalization and present positive images of “natural” childbirth. Business systematically critiques medicalization of birth in the US and presents midwifery-assisted homebirth as the solution. Call counters the dogma of necessary medical attention during childbirth by showing how midwifery dominated during the mid-twentieth century in a London neighborhood. Call also portrays midwives and a physician collaboratively providing maternal care in an impoverished neighborhood. Reviewed together, Business and Call augme...