cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Requirement of retinoids for the expression of CD38 on human hematopoietic progenitors in vitro.

Background Cells expressing high levels of CD34 and little or no CD38 comprise a primitive compartment of progenitors, thought to include hematopoietic stem cells. In this study we sought to determine the feasibility of using CD34 and CD38 as markers of hematopoietic differentiation in vitro, using retinoids to induce the expression ofCD38. Methods The effects over time of culture, sera and retinoids on the expression of CD34 and CD38 were determined using a base-medium lacking serum. Two early progenitor populations, isolated by FACS from human fetal liver, were studied: CD38 − CD34 ++ and CD38 − CD34 ++ cells. Additionally, HL-60 cells were adapted to grow in serum-deprived medium to study factors that control CD38 expression. Colony forming cell (CFC) assays and short-term expansion cultures were used to measure the effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) oil the growth of fetal progenitors. Results Fetal progenitors and HL-60 cells grown under serum-deprived conditions exhibited almost no CD38 expression. However, CD34 expression was observed on fetal progenitors and declined slowly over time. Addition of FBS or human serum restored CD38 expression to cultured cells, but at levels below those found on progenitors in vivo. Addition of ATRA or 9-cis-retinoic acid (9CRA) to cultures of fetal progenitors or HL-60 cells, resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in CD38 expression, ATRA being the more potent of the two retinoids. However, ATRA inhibited colony formation, reduced the expansion of CFC and accelerated the loss of CD34 expression at doses required for the induction ofCD38 expression. Discussion ATRA-induced CD38 expression on cells to levels comparable to those found on progenitors in vivo. A TRA also inhibited the growth of early progenitors, which was partly due to ATRA accelerating the differentiation of the progenitors. These findings indicate that CD34 and CD38 expression may be followed as markers of hematopoietic differentiation in vitro, but at the cost of culture conditions that are less than optimal for maintaining early progenitors.
Combinatorially Regular Polyomino Tilings

Let T be a regular tiling of ź2 which has the origin 0 as a vertex, and suppose that ź: ź2 ź ź2 is a homeomorphism such that (i) ź(0)=0, (ii) the image under ź of each tile of T is a union of tiles of T, and (iii) the images under ź of any two tiles of T are equivalent by an orientation-preserving isometry which takes vertices to vertices. It is proved here that there is a subset ź of the vertices of T such that ź is a lattice and ź|_ź is a group homomorphism. The tiling ź(T) is a tiling of ź by polyiamonds, polyominos, or polyhexes. These tilings occur often as expansion complexes of finite subdivision rules. The above theorem is instrumental in determining when the tiling ź(T) is conjugate to a self-similar tiling.
Comparison of I-bleomycin prepared by two methods stability and pharmacokinetics in tumor-bearing mice.

Bleomycin, a chemotherapeutic antibiotic agent, was radio-iodinated by the ICI and chloramine-T methods; the radiochemical stabilities and pharmacokinetics of the two *l-bleomycins in tumor-bearing mice were compared. The ICI preparation was more stable with respect to deiodination in vitro. Both products were sufficiently stable in vivo that high body background due to free isotope, a disadvantage of 111ln- and 99mTc-bleomycin, was not encountered. Tumor uptake of the ICI preparation was constant from 2 to 24 hrs., and the tumor/blood ratio increased with time; with chloramine-T, this ratio decreased, and was less than that for ICI. The two preparations are chemically and biologically different; the ICI product is the superior tumor radiodiagnostic agent.
Value of perioperative Doppler echocardiography in patients undergoing major lung resection

Background. The effects of major lung resection on right heart function have not been well established. Our goal was to evaluate these effects using serial Doppler echocardiography in the perioperative period. Methods. In 86 patients undergoing lobectomy (n = 47) and pneumonectomy (n = 39), we examined the effects of pulmonary resection on perioperative changes in right heart function by transthoracic echocardiography. Serial echocardiograms were performed preoperatively, on postoperative day 1, and again between postoperative days 2 and 6 (median, 3 days) to evaluate cardiovascular function and to estimate right ventricular systolic pressure by the tricuspid regurgitation jet Doppler velocity method. Results. Right or left atrial size, right atrial pressure, and estimated right ventricular systolic pressure did not differ between groups on the preoperative or postoperative day 1 examinations. However, on postoperative days 2 through 6 patients who underwent pneumonectomy had higher (mean ± standard deviation) right ventricular systolic pressure values than lobectomy patients (31 ± 15 versus 25 ± 10 mm Hg, respectively; p r = −0.78; p Conclusions. Preoperative indices of right heart function were within the normal range in both groups. Pneumonectomy but not lobectomy was associated with mild postoperative pulmonary hypertension that was not accompanied by significant right ventricular systolic dysfunction. Postoperative echocardiography may be useful to evaluate right heart function in critically ill patients after lung resection.
Basic Physics of Ultrasonography

Ultrasonography is a mode of imaging tissues by the reflected energy from a mechanical stimulus. This article describes the evolution of ultrasound as a discipline of medical radiology, and details the basic physics that are required to obtain and interpret accurate images.
Verbal Expressive Personality Testing With Older Adults: 25+ Years Later

This review builds on those conducted over 25 years ago by Panek and Hayslip in examining the literature dealing with the use of verbal expressive techniques with older adults. Such findings based on the Rorschach Ink Blot Test, Holtzman Inkblot Technique, Hand Test, Sentence Completion methods, and the Thematic Apperception Test and kindred thematic apperceptive techniques are presented and evaluated regarding the evidence for age differences, differential diagnosis, extraneous individual differences in performance, and adequacy of normative data. Although available evidence appears to warrant the continued use of verbal expressive techniques with older adults, more adequately designed studies are necessary to fully support the potential of these assessment tools for decision making with this population: assisting in diagnosis, recommending the appropriateness of various living arrangements, facilitating supportive care choices, and aiding in treatment planning.
The Remaking of an American Senate: The 17th Amendment and Ideological Responsiveness

The 17th Amendment established the direct election of senators. Although scholars have discounted the Amendment as inconsequential, we argue that it significantly changed patterns of election-seeking and legislative voting behavior. First, the Amendment negated the influence of state legislatures in senators' decisions to stand for reelection, inducing more incumbents to run. Second, the Amendment introduced incentives for senators to moderate their public ideologies in pursuit of reelection. We employ a selection model to test the impact of the 17th Amendment on the interdependent decisions to stand for reelection and to shift late-term roll-call behavior. Using W-Nominate scores for major party senators serving from 1877 to 1932, we show that post-Amendment senators, particularly Republicans, were systematically more likely to moderate ideologically as elections approached.
Glycosylation of Acyclic and Cyclic Aglycone Substrates by Macrolide Glycosyltransferase DesVII/DesVIII: Analysis and Implications

Studies of the macrolide glycosyltransferase, DesVII/DesVIII, showed that it can process a variety of linear substrates and cyclic substrates of different ring size. When multiple hydroxyl groups are present, no regiospecificity of glycosylation is observed for the linear substrates. In contrast, when cyclic substrates with multiple glycosylation sites were tested, it displayed excellent regiospecificity in most cases. These results clearly indicate that this enzyme pair is a valuable tool for glycodiversification.
Phase Transformation and Processing of Poly crystalline Gadolinium Selenide, GdSei.1.49

Polymorphic phase transformation in a thermoelectric material, GdSe /SUB 1.49/ , from cubic to orthorhombic symmetry at temperatures from 800/sup 0/ to 1000/sup 0/C causes a 1% volume expansion, which generates microcracks. Sintered polycrystalline cubic GdSe /SUB 1.49/ preforms with at least 97% densities were vacuum annealed at 900/sup 0/C for 300 h to fully convert to the orthorhombic lattice, encapsulated in nickel containers, and then isostatically hot-pressed. Hot-pressing at or below 1000/sup 0/C resulted in 96%-dense orthorhombic GdSe /SUB 1.49/ polycrystals containing large pores, whereas hot-pressing above 1200/sup 0/C produced fully dense cubic polycrystals with a duplex microstructure. The electrical resistivity of the orthorhombic GdSe /SUB 1.49/ (hot-pressed below 1000/sup 0/C) was about 5 times that of the as-sintered cubic GdSe /SUB 1.49/ ; the increase appears to be related to the presence of the orthorhombic phase, microcracks, large pores, and a Se-rich grain-boundary phase in the hot-pressed orthorhombic GdSe /SUB 1.49/ .
Darwin's foundation for investigating self-incompatibility and the progress toward a physiological model for S-RNase-based SI

Charles Darwin made extensive observations of the pollination biology of a wide variety of plants. He carefully documented the consequences of self-pollination and described species that were self-sterile but that could easily be crossed with other plants of the same species. He believed that compatibility was controlled by the 'mutual action' of pollen and pistil contents. A genetic model for self-sterility was developed in the early 1900 s based on studies of the compatibility relationships among, what are now referred to as, self-incompatible (SI) Nicotiana species. Today, it is believed that SI in these species is controlled by an interaction between S-RNases produced in the pistil and F-box proteins expressed in pollen and, moreover, that this S-RNase-based SI system is shared by a great diversity of other plant species. Current research is aimed at understanding how the mutual actions of these S-gene products function in the physiological context of pollen tube growth.
A simple method of determining confidence intervals for population attributable risk from complex surveys

Methods to assess uncertainty in the estimated population attributable risk (PAR) by calculating 95 per cent confidence intervals (CIs) are not readily available in software for complex sample surveys. Using the Bonferroni inequality, a simple method to obtain CIs for the PAR is developed. The method is demonstrated using a simulation in a (2 x 2) table as well as a cohort study to calculate CIs for PAR of coronary heart disease death (using proportional hazards regression). This article demonstrates a straightforward, theoretically valid method of determining CIs for the PAR. Using this method, researchers analysing complex surveys can routinely provide a population perspective and a valid measure of the uncertainty for these estimates.
Does Mental Health History Explain Gender Disparities in Insomnia Symptoms Among Young Adults

Background Insomnia is the most commonly reported sleep disorder, characterized by trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early. Previous epidemiological data reveal that women are more likely than men to suffer from insomnia symptoms. We investigate the role that mental health history plays in explaining the gender disparity in insomnia symptoms.
PET imaging in patients with bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objective: Focal bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma (BAC) has been reported as often being negative on 2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-2-deoxy- d -glucose (FDG-PET) scans, but no studies have examined the FDG-PET findings of both the focal and multifocal forms of the disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the sensitivity of PET in detecting both forms of BAC. Materials and methods: A retrospective review of our tumor registry revealed 15 patients who had pathologically proved BAC and who had undergone FDG-PET imaging. FDG-PET scans were interpreted as positive if the tumor demonstrated activity that was greater than the mediastinal blood pool. Results: Eight patients had focal BAC, and seven patients had multifocal disease. Nine of the 15 patients (60%) had a positive PET scan, and of these, six (67%) had multifocal disease. Six of the 15 patients (40%) had negative PET scans, and of these, five patients (83%) had the solitary form of disease. The sensitivity for focal tumors was 38%, and the sensitivity for the multifocal form was 86%. Conclusions: Our data confirm previous reports describing a high percentage of false negative PET scans in the setting of focal BAC. However, in the presence of multifocal disease, FDG-PET seems to be highly sensitive.
Treatment approaches to aphasia: Contributions of VA clinicians

Background: Since the 1950s, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians and researchers have made significant contributions to the aphasia treatment literature. This paper, one of a series on VA contributions to the diagnosis and management of aphasia and related disorders, highlights some of these treatment approaches. They are described within the changing context of how aphasia and its management have been viewed over the past several decades. Aims: The purpose of this paper is to describe specific treatment approaches in the management of aphasia to which VA clinician researchers have significantly contributed. Research studies evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of these treatment approaches are cited. Conclusions: Beginning with Schuell's intensive auditory stimulation approach in the period after World War II and continuing into the present as new approaches based on recent data from the neurosciences are investigated, VA clinician‐researchers have been at the forefront of novel treatment...
The Scientific Training of Introductory Sociology Students: Seventeen Years Later*

To measure the level of effectiveness with which the scientific basis of sociology is presented to introductory students, questionnaires were administered to two hundred students enrolled in three comparable sections of introductory sociology at a large state university. These indicated that students in general began the course almost totally ignorant of science and, when subjected to conventional introductory sociology materials, ended the course at the same level–a finding consistent with that of a similar study conducted seventeen years before.
Alcohol-induced neuroarthropathy in the foot: a case series and review of literature

Charcot arthropathy, also known as neuroarthropathy, is most commonly associated with diabetes mellitus, despite a variety of other etiologies. A limited number of case reports have been published on neuroarthropathies caused by other forms of neuropathy, including alcoholic peripheral neuropathy. We report 4 cases of neuroarthropathy associated with chronic alcoholism in nondiabetic individuals. Conservative management similar to that afforded diabetic patients was successfully employed in these cases. A review of the clinical presentation and the pathology of alcoholic neuropathy is included in this report. ACFAS Level of Clinical Evidence: 4.
The safety and effectiveness of esmolol in the perioperative period in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery.

Abstract Objectives: To determine (1) if perioperative use of esmolol in major vascular surgery patients provides strict heart rate (HR) control, (2) what doses of esmolol are required to do this, and (3) does this control influence myocardial ischemia or result in adverse consequences. Design: Prospective study of 40 patients randomized to two groups: The HR was controlled to either less than 80 beats/min (group 80) or less than 110 beats/min (group 110) using esmolol. Patients were monitored continuously for electrocardiographic changes perioperatively. HR control began after induction of anesthesia and continued for 48 hours thereafter. Setting: Operating room and intensive care unit. Patients: Patients undergoing abdominal vascular surgery involving aortic cross-clamping. Interventions: Esmolol was titrated until the target HR was met. Measurements and Results: Only one patient demonstrated an adverse effect. The median infusion rates were 100 and 12.5 μg/kg/min for groups 80 and 110. Target HR was met less in group 80 than in group 110, primarily in the postoperative period. Ischemia patterns were not significantly different between groups. Conclusion: Using esmolol for HR control in the intraoperative period for abdominal vascular surgery patients is effective and safe. HR control was much less effective in the postoperative period, but esmolol is safe when used at recommended doses. Further study with a larger number of patients is necessary to determine whether strict HR control with esmolol affects the incidence of myocardial ischemia or infarction in this patient population.
Available Water and Root Development Within the Micropores of Pine Bark Particles

~~::~n:~~o~e4~~ace'f root. development! and avail~ble water within pine bark particles were studied. Internal porosity constiV.� .. u ~ 0 a pme bark particle. Scannmg electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that roots of Coleus blumei and aCClnlum as?el were ~ttac.hed to the exterior surface of pine bark particles and had invaded the micropores Growth of ~aPthanusdsatlvlus seedhngs In wate~-s~turated bark pieces demonstrated that internally adsorbed water was utili~ed provided a root eve opment occurred wIthIn the bark particle.
Eduardo Antonio Parra. Los límites de la noche . México: Era, 1996

Es dificil encontrar un libro de cuentos en el que cada texto nos provea de una linea, de un angulo desde el cual observarlos a todos. Los limites de la noche de Eduardo Antonio Parra es un conjunto, en ese sentido, urdido cuidadosamente con base en una tematica comun: limites que se esfuman, fronteras que se desdibujan, plazas que se cumplen, fatalidad que traza el curso de la narrativa, de los personajes, de la voz. Parra nos introduce al mundo de una urbe sordida, tumultuosa, enajenante, "desvelada y posmoderna" expresa en "Nocturno fugaz" (70). Los modos de representacion de Parra interpretan y reinventan una geografia que pone al descubierto a la ciudad en singular, lejana a toda abstraccion imaginaria, como la del Norte o la metropoli, asumiendo con sencillez la cotidianidad y el efecto inmediato de cada una de las experiencias limite que dicta o modifica la textura de cada fragmenta de realidad "... el humo negro del mofle trenzaba en remolinos de tierra en la calle sin pavimentar" (11). Las geografias del texto nos van llevando mas a traves de la vivencia inesperada, de los giros sorpresivos por accidentados caminos que se tienden como puentes hacia el codiciado, aunque a la vez maldito Norte. El Bravo y sus "aguas traidoras", "las animas de los difuntos ahogados", los vacios geograficos y temporales, las drogas, los antros, los cholos; extremos y situaciones limite dictados por la presencia significante del otro lado, de los gabachos, de los bordes infinitos hacia los que se precipita irremediablemente la vida, en su diario transcurrir.
Proton therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has traditionally included a multimodality approach including radiotherapy (RT) and systemic chemotherapy. RT has long been favored as the mainstay of local treatment for disease in this challenging anatomic location owing to the morbidity of extensive surgical resection in the nasopharynx. However, NPC presents a unique treatment challenge for radiation oncologists because such tumors typically involve complex anatomic structures near several critical organ structures such as the brainstem, spinal cord, temporal lobes, salivary glands, cochleae, oral cavity, mandible and optic structures. Thus, radiation is not without toxicity, and critical organs in these areas clearly benefit from the use of conformal and precise treatment delivery. The unique physical properties of proton radiotherapy (PRT) make it especially well-suited for treating tumors in this anatomically complex area and offer promising potential for acute and chronic toxicity reduction while maintaining excellent disease control.
Small Molecule Targeting of a MicroRNA Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Development of precision therapeutics is of immense interest, particularly as applied to the treatment of cancer. By analyzing the preferred cellular RNA targets of small molecules, we discovered that 5″-azido neomycin B binds the Drosha processing site in the microRNA (miR)-525 precursor. MiR-525 confers invasive properties to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Although HCC is one of the most common cancers, treatment options are limited, making the disease often fatal. Herein, we find that addition of 5″-azido neomycin B and its FDA-approved precursor, neomycin B, to an HCC cell line selectively inhibits production of the mature miRNA, boosts a downstream protein, and inhibits invasion. Interestingly, neomycin B is a second-line agent for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and bacterial infections due to cirrhosis. Our results provocatively suggest that neomycin B, or second-generation derivatives, may be dual functioning molecules to treat both HE and HCC. Collectively, these studies show that rational des...
Effect of Parasitization by Ophion flavidus Brulle (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) on Consumption and Utilization of a Pinto Bean Diet by Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) larvae parasitized by Ophion flavidus Brulle continued to feed after parasitoid oviposition. Consumption of a pinto bean diet was measured from parasitoid oviposition to parasitoid emergence or until pupation by control larvae. Parasitized S. frugiperda larvae of two size groups consumed 17 and 22% less diet, respectively, than control larvae. Parasitized larvae consumed less food, gained less weight, and produced less feces than unparasitized larvae at 48 and 72 h after exposure to a female parasitoid. Parasitized larvae had significantly larger ( P < 0.05) approximate digestibility index values and significantly smaller efficiency of conversion of digested food index values at 48 h than control larvae.
Combined application of high-field diffusion NMR and molecular dynamics simulations to study dynamics in a mixture of carbon dioxide and an imidazolium-based ionic liquid.

Self-diffusion and related short-time dynamic and structural properties were investigated for mixtures of carbon dioxide and the ionic liquid 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [bmim]+[Tf2N]− for a broad range of carbon dioxide molar fractions and at different temperatures. The studies were performed by a novel multinuclear pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR technique, which combines the advantages of a high magnetic field (17.6 T) and a high magnetic field gradient (up to 30 T/m), in combination with molecular dynamics simulations. In general, a satisfactory agreement was observed between the experimental and simulation diffusion data. Under all conditions examined, the self-diffusion coefficients of carbon dioxide were found to be approximately an order of magnitude larger than the corresponding self-diffusion coefficients of the ions. It was observed that an increase in temperature and in the amount of carbon dioxide in the ionic liquid led to an increase in the ion self-diff...
The Future of Philosophy: A Manifesto

The future of philosophy is the philosophy of technology. It is argued that, using Wilfrid Sellars’ aim for philosophy as “seeing how things in the broadest possible sense hang together in the broadest possible sense”, contemporary philosophy is nothing more than a fragmented set of abstract and irrelevant activities. Philosophy, it is suggested should be about mankind interacting with the world, which is, on my account, the nature of technology. The role of philosophy should be to help us accomplish those interactions in a thoughtful and productive manner. The philosopher should be seen as part of a team of individuals seeking to accomplish something – she is a critical facilitator – Socrates reborn. To make philosophy a useful feature of the contemporary intellectual scene, we must disengage from minor analytic exercises that have little or no bearing on one another or the world and try to understand mankind interacting with the world, which would be to do philosophy of technology. To accomplish this goal I suggest that we reject the traditional taxonomy we appeal to when trying to make sense of philosophy. Instead of the old division of the field into Epistemology, Metaphysics, Value Theory, History of Philosophy, and Logic and Philosophy of Science, I urge that we first see the aim of philosophy to be assisting humankind to make their way in the world. The point is successful action. The traditional areas of philosophy and numerous subfields that don’t fit easily into the traditional taxonomy such as aesthetics, philosophy of law and philosophy of technology, are now seen as areas to appeal for assistance in achieving the proposed goal. Every area of philosophical interest should be appealed to as a tool, not as a specialized area of “research”.
A probabilistic approach to ground-motion selection for engineering design

The solutions of many earthquake engineering problems involve dynamic analyses using ground-motion time series. It is often desirable to base the selection of such motions on a probabilistic estimate of the seismic hazard. The hazard density function evaluated at a chosen hazard level provides the information necessary to determine objectively the most likely earthquake events, defined by magnitude and distance, that contribute to seismic hazard. For a wide range of hazard models it is possible to show that the difference between the median motion at a site, given the occurrence of the most likely event, and the motion value corresponding to a specified hazard level, is due entirely to the modeling of random error in the strong-motion data set. This points to a straightforward approach to selecting ground-motion recordings that represent the most likely time-domain realizations of the hazard model for a given motion parameter and hazard level. Ground-motion time series selection and/or synthesis based upon this approach, for various frequency bands of the response spectrum, can provide an optimum basis for seismic design.
Setting the Stage: Money, Credit, and Payments in America

This chapter establishes a context for the history presented throughout the rest of the book. It describes the formation of the Federal Reserve’s check clearing system in the United States; the early charge card programs operated by Western Union, the oil industry, the airlines and the department stores; the various travel and entertainment cards of the 1950s; and the early bank-issued credit cards, especially the BankAmericard from Bank of America. It ends with the creation of the first national interchange networks: the Interbank system; and the BankAmericard licensing system.
Experimental Study of a Compressive Line Sensing System in a Hybrid Scattering Environment

This paper explores the compressive line sensing (CLS) imaging system in a hybrid turbulence and particle-induced scattering environment. The test facility and experimental prototype are presented. The experimental results are discussed.
Synchronous Primary Renal Lymphoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma: Collision Tumors in the Same Kidney.

Background: Primary renal lymphoma (PRL) is an exceptionally rare disease with under 50 reported cases in the literature. PRL is an aggressive condition that can present with nonspecific symptoms and local invasion mimicking renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We present an unusual case involving a collision tumor between PRL and RCC. Case Presentation: The patient is a 62-year-old immunosuppressed man with an incidental left renal mass on cross-sectional imaging. Renal mass biopsy confirmed clear cell type RCC. He underwent robot-assisted, laparoscopic left radical nephrectomy for presumed RCC without evidence for extrarenal disease or discernable lymphadenopathy. Final pathology revealed a collision tumor, including PRL and RCC. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case within the literature describing a collision tumor between PRL and RCC. Although rare, it is important to consider PRL in the differential diagnosis of a solid renal mass, especially in patients with a prior history of transplantation and/or chronic immunosuppression.
Integrated Display and Environmental Awareness System - System Architecture Definition

The Integrated Display and Environmental Awareness System (IDEAS) is an interdisciplinary team project focusing on the development of a wearable computer and Head Mounted Display (HMD) based on Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components for the specific application and needs of NASA technicians, engineers and astronauts. Wearable computers are on the verge of utilization trials in daily life as well as industrial environments. The first civil and COTS wearable head mounted display systems were introduced just a few years ago and they probed not only technology readiness in terms of performance, endurance, miniaturization, operability and usefulness but also maturity of practice in perspective of a socio-technical context. Although the main technical hurdles such as mass and power were addressed as improvements on the technical side, the usefulness, practicality and social acceptance were often noted on the side of a broad variety of humans' operations. In other words, although the technology made a giant leap, its use and efficiency still looks for the sweet spot. The first IDEAS project started in January 2015 and was concluded in January 2017. The project identified current COTS systems' capability at minimum cost and maximum applicability and brought about important strategic concepts that will serve further IDEAS-like system development.
Insect Immunity to Parasitic Nematodes

Immune or defense reactions by insects to parasitic nematodes was discussed by Salt (1963) and later reviewed by Poinar (1969). No attempt will be made here to discuss the works already cited by these authors. The purpose of this paper is to present some original findings on this subject, review the different types of immune responses produced by insects to nematodes, and to discuss current literature in the field. The definitions of immune responses in insects as related to host escape, cellular responses, melanization, and humoral responses are similar to those presented earlier (Poinar, 1969).
Parameters and key trends affecting fatigue crack growth A tribute to Professor Arthur J. Mcevily's contributions

Abstract The early 1950s led to high performance aluminum skinned aircraft for which metal fatigue and fatigue crack growth became extremely important considerations. Virtually, no significant range of data on fatigue crack growth existed prior to McEvily's work [A.J. McEvily Jr., W. Illg, The rate of fatigue crack propagation in two aluminium alloys, NACA (now NASA), TN 4394, 1958], and controlling parameters were left to be further developed. His pioneering work allowed others to resolve some of the critical issues, and yet a few still remain open even today. This discussion will trace historical milestones in the field, as well as some more recent investigations, with the intention of exposing the major trends in determining “effective stress intensity factor ranges”, the main mechanical cause of crack growth.
CBOF: Cohesiveness-Based Outlier Factor A Novel Definition of Outlier-ness

Anomaly detection is an important problem in data mining alongside clustering and classification. The aim of anomaly detection is to detect instances in a dataset that are remarkably different from the rest of the population. Knowledge about such anomalies is of immense practical value, such as for detection of fraud in financial transactions, for finding faulty equipment in industrial plants, and for detection of security breaches in a computer systems etc. In this paper we propose a new technique for identifying anomalies in numerical datasets. It is based on a metric for data points called the Cohesiveness-Based Outlier Factor (CBOF). CBOF determines the outlier-ness score of a data point, which numerically represents how well integrated a data point is within its neighborhood. Through extensive experimentation we demonstrate that our method performs favorably when compared with another popular method for anomaly detection.
Evaluating Online and Traditional Learning Environments Using Cartographic Generalization Techniques

The contemporary educational environment raises questions about the effectiveness of online courses, particularly as compared with traditional classroom learning and in relation to individual stude...
Tumbling Into Queer Utopias and Vortexes: Experiences of LGBTQ Social Media Users on Tumblr

Drawing on one year of fieldwork with LGBTQ youth, I explore the ways Tumblr, a microblogging and social networking site, has become a vibrant center of queer discourse and collectivity. I argue th...
Between the World and Me: A Psychology of Faith Perspective on Resisting Racism

In this article, a psychology of faith perspective is used to explore and describe the objects and dynamics of faith as represented in Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me. Relying on the notions of transitional objects and transformational objects, I depict Coates’s faith—a faith that aided him in not only resisting despair but also transforming and overcoming the grammar of racism.
Follicle development as an orchestrated signaling network in a 3D organoid

The ovarian follicle is the structural and functional unit of the ovary, composed of the female gamete (the oocyte) and supportive somatic cells. Follicles are not only the source of a female’s germ cell supply, but also secrete important hormones necessary for proper endocrine function. Folliculogenesis, the growth and maturation of the follicular unit, is a complex process governed by both intrafollicular crosstalk and pituitary-secreted hormones. While the later stages of this process are gonadotropin-dependent, early folliculogenesis appears to be controlled by the ovarian microenvironment and intrafollicular paracrine and autocrine signaling. In vitro follicle culture remains challenging because of the limited knowledge of growth factors and other cytokines influencing early follicle growth. Here we discuss the current state of knowledge on paracrine and autocrine signaling influencing primary follicles as they develop into the antral stage. Given the importance of intrafollicular signaling and the ovarian microenvironment, we reviewed the current engineering approaches for in vitro follicle culture, including 3D systems using natural hydrogels such as alginate and synthetic hydrogels such as poly(ethylene glycol). Our discussion is focused on what drives the proliferation of granulosa cells, development of the thecal layer, and antrum formation—three processes integral to follicle growth up to the antral stage. Further research in this area may reveal the mechanisms behind these complex signaling relationships within the follicle, leading to more successful and physiologically-relevant in vitro culture methods that will translate well to clinical applications.
Multiobjective Spatial Pumping Optimization for Groundwater Management in a Multiaquifer System

AbstractChallenges exist in managing groundwater resources because of spatiotemporally variable pumping activities as well as complex subsurface hydrogeology. In addition, excessive water exploitat...
Examining the Effects of Unhealthy Product Sponsors and CSR on Sport Sponsorship Authenticity and the Sporting Event

Past studies examining sponsorship have primarily focused on the sponsor and not the sporting event. The current study seeks to analyze how sponsorship associations are interpreted by consumers tow...
Physical and mental health issues facing community college students.

Objective: To examine health concerns among community college (CC) students by (1) identifying and coding the self-reported health issues facing CC students and (2) examining demographic and psycho...
Experimental investigation of lithium isotope fractionation during kaolinite adsorption: Implications for chemical weathering

Abstract The feedback between CO2 sources and sinks through chemical weathering is one of the important reasons why Earth has maintained a habitable climate for over four billion years. The lithium (Li) isotopic system is a promising tracer of silicate weathering, but the mechanisms causing its isotope fractionation during weathering remain ambiguous. Here, we performed batch experiments of Li adsorption to one of the common clay minerals -kaolinite in three sets, including the time-series, pH-dependent, and concentration-control sets. Our results demonstrate that the liquid-solid Li isotope fractionation reaches up to 36‰, with up to 99% initial Li being adsorbed on kaolinite. The magnitudes of Li adsorption and isotope fractionation increase with reaction time, and reach the steady-state after ∼1000 min. The magnitude of Li isotope fractionation increases with the adsorption ratio of Li, in positive relationships with solute pH and ionic strength. At constant solute pH = 8.5 and ionic strength of 0.001 M, the adsorption ratio and isotope fractionation of Li on kaolinite reach the maximum with the lowest initial Li concentration of 2 μM. In experiments, Li is removed by kaolinite as the inner-sphere and/or outer-sphere complexes, likely followed by structural occupation as supported by incomplete desorption. We model the Li isotope fractionation in all three sets, which can be best described by Rayleigh distillation models. In summary, significant Li isotope fractionation occurs following a kinetic law in closed-systems during adsorption on kaolinite. Adsorption-driven isotope fractionation conforms to a kinetic solid-liquid isotope fractionation factor α ∼ 0.992, consistent with theoretical ion-desolvation between complexed and dissolved ions (α = 0.9925, Hofmann et al., 2012). This study reveals a vital kinetic role of clay uptake in Li isotope fractionation during chemical weathering, suggesting rapid forward adsorption reaction versus relatively slow backward reaction. The dominance of the kinetic mechanism over the equilibrium mechanism further explains field observations from rivers worldwide. Given above, the outcome of this study calls for additional attention on low-temperature kinetic Li isotope fractionation at Earth’s surface and further refinement of quantitative models using geological Li records to trace weathering and reconstruct climate.
Dark matter interpretation of the Fermi-LAT observations toward the outer halo of M31.

An excess $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray signal toward the outer halo of M31 has recently been reported. Although other explanations are plausible, the possibility that it arises from dark matter (DM) is valid. In this work we interpret the excess in the framework of DM annihilation, using as our representative case WIMP DM annihilating to bottom quarks, and we perform a detailed study of the systematic uncertainty in the $J$-factor for the M31 field. We find that the signal favors a DM particle with a mass of $\ensuremath{\sim}45--72\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$. While the mass is well constrained, the systematic uncertainty in the cross section spans 3 orders of magnitude, ranging from $\ensuremath{\sim}5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}27}--5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. This high uncertainty is due to two main factors, namely, an uncertainty in the substructure nature and geometry of the DM halos for both M31 and the Milky Way (MW), and correspondingly, an uncertainty in the contribution to the signal from the MW's DM halo along the line of sight. However, under the conditions that the minimum subhalo mass is $\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ and the actual contribution from the MW's DM halo along the line of sight is at least $\ensuremath{\sim}30%$ of its total value, we show that there is a large overlap with the DM interpretations of both the Galactic center (GC) excess and the antiproton excess, while also being compatible with the limits for the MW dwarf spheroidals. More generally, we summarize the results from numerous complementary DM searches in the energy range 10 GeV--300 GeV corresponding to the GC excess and identify a region in parameter space that still remains viable for discovery of the DM particle.
Implementation and Performance Evaluation of Overlay End System Multicast (ESM) for Stable and Fast Streaming of Multimedia Applications over Satellite Networks

This paper investigates the issues related to the implementation of an Overlay End-System Multicast to support satellite Internet and networks. Furthermore, we develop both analytical and mathematical models to evaluate the performance of overlay networks for stable and fast streaming of multimedia applications over satellite networks. The results produced by this research would help satellite networks designers to design and implement more robust and efficient future networks that support a variety of multimedia applications.
Incidence of Osteolysis and Aseptic Loosening Following Metal-on-Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review of Studies with Up to 15-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND This study compared the incidence of osteolysis, aseptic loosening, and revision following use of highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) or conventional polyethylene (CPE) at medium to long-term (>5 to 15 years) follow-up in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Incidences were quantified and compared with regard to age and method of implant fixation. METHODS Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, 12 randomized controlled trials and 18 cohort studies were investigated for evidence-based outcomes following HXPLE and CPE use in 2,539 hips over a 5 to 15-year follow-up. RESULTS Lower rates of osteolysis, aseptic loosening, and implant revision were reported following use of HXLPE liners. Osteolysis was reduced from 25.4% with CPE to 4.05% with HXLPE in young patients, and from 29.7% to 6.6% in the older patient cohort. Similarities in osteolysis rates were observed when cemented (24.9% for CPE and 6.5% for HXLPE) and uncemented components (32.8% for CPE and 7.1% for HXLPE) were compared. No clear advantage in the type of HXLPE used was observed. CONCLUSIONS Over a follow-up period of up to 15 years, when compared with CPE, use of HXLPE liners reduced the incidence of osteolysis, aseptic loosening, and implant revision, regardless of the fixation method and including in younger and potentially more active patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Extending superposed harmonic initial data to higher spin

Numerical simulations of binary black holes are accompanied by an initial spurious burst of gravitational radiation (called ``junk radiation'') caused by a failure of the initial data to describe a snapshot of an inspiral that started at an infinite time in the past. A previous study showed that the superposed harmonic (SH) initial data give rise to significantly smaller junk radiation. However, it is difficult to construct SH initial data for black holes with dimensionless spin $\ensuremath{\chi}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.7$. We here provide a class of spatial coordinate transformations that extend SH to higher spin. The new spatial coordinate system, which we refer to as superposed modified harmonic (SMH), is characterized by a continuous parameter---Kerr-Schild and harmonic spatial coordinates are only two special cases of this new gauge. We compare SMH with the superposed Kerr-Schild initial data by evolving several binary black hole systems with $\ensuremath{\chi}=0.8$ and 0.9. We find that the new initial data still lead to less junk radiation and only small changes of black hole parameters (e.g., mass and spin). We also find that the volume-weighted constraint violations for the new initial data converge with resolution during the junk stage $(t\ensuremath{\lesssim}700M)$, which means there are fewer high-frequency components in waveforms at outer regions.
Fluid Balance and Acute Kidney Injury After Norwood Palliation: A Characterization and Implications for the First Five Postoperative Days

Objective: To identify the general trend in fluid overload during the first five days after the Norwood Procedure, to determine the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after the Norwood Procedure, and identify whether acute kidney injury correlates with specific outcomes, including AKI, ventilator days, delayed sternal closure, need for ECMO, or mortality. Design: Single-center retrospective cohort study. Setting: Pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, university-affiliated children’s hospital Patients: 44 infants …
Alternative approaches to overcome chemoresistance to apoptosis in cancer

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a form of regulated cell death (RCD) that is essential for organogenesis and homeostatic maintenance of normal cell populations. Apoptotic stimuli activate the intrinsic and/or extrinsic pathways to induce cell death due to perturbations in the intracellular and extracellular microenvironments, respectively. In patients with cancer, the induction of apoptosis by anticancer drugs and radiation can produce cancer cell death. However, tumor cells can adapt and become refractory to apoptosis-inducing therapies, resulting in the development of clinical resistance to apoptosis. Drug resistance facilitates the development of aggressive primary tumors that eventually metastasize, leading to therapy failure and mortality. To overcome the resistance to apoptosis to neoadjuvant chemotherapy or targeted therapy, alternative targets of RCD can be induced in apoptosis-resistant cancer cells. Alternatively, cell death can be independent of apoptosis and this strategy could be utilized to develop novel anti-cancer therapies. This chapter discusses approaches that could be employed to overcome clinical resistance to apoptosis in cancer cells.