cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On characterizations of the input-to-state stability property

We show that the well-known Lyapunov sufficient condition for "input-to-state stability" (ISS) is also necessary, settling positively an open question raised by several authors during the past few years. Additional characterizations of the ISS property, including one in terms of nonlinear stability margins, are also provided.
The olivo-cerebellar circuit as a universal motor control system

The olivo-cerebellar system is one of the central networks organizing movement coordination in vertebrates. This system consists of three main anatomical structures: the inferior olive (IO), the cerebellar nuclei, and the cerebellar cortex. Over the last four decades studies in many laboratories have contributed significantly to our understanding of the electrophysiology of IO and cerebellar neurons. However, addressing the dynamic properties of olivo-cerebellar network requires information beyond the limits attainable using single cell recordings. Research at the neuronal network level is presently being implemented in order to determine the spatiotemporal activity profiles of ensemble neuronal activity using optical imaging of voltage-sensitive dye signals. We summarize here results of such type of study using the in vitro IO slices. The dynamic characteristic of the system is addressed using the imaging results as well as mathematical modeling of the network, as a heuristic tool. A computer-based control system based on such biological findings is outlined.
Motility Assays for Microtubule Motor Proteins

Light microscopic motility assays provide critical information about the mechanism of action of motor proteins. Motility assays allow the visualization of individual motor proteins moving in vitro, and the movement of such motors as they drive microtubule-based motility events in living cells. Keywords: motility; microtubule; kinesin; dynein; microscopy
Periacetabular osteotomy in patients with Down’s syndrome

We treated eight dysplastic acetabula in six skeletally mature patients with Down’s syndrome by a modified Bernese periacetabular osteotomy. The mean age at the time of surgery was 16.5 years (12.8 to 28.5). Mean length of follow-up was five years (2 to 10.4).Pre-operatively the mean (Tonnis) acetabular angle was 28°, the centre-edge angle was −9°, and the extrusion index was 60%; post-operatively they were 3°, 37°, and 17%, respectively. Two patients with post-operative (Tonnis) acetabular angles > 10° developed subluxation post-operatively and required secondary varus derotation femoral osteotomies. Another patient developed a late labral tear which was treated arthroscopically. All eight hips remain clinically stable, and are either asymptomatic or symptomatically improved.These results suggest that the modified Bernese periacetabular osteotomy can be used successfully in the treatment of acetabular dysplasia in patients with Down’s syndrome.
Mimesis aegis: a mimicry privacy shield a system's approach to data privacy on public cloud

Users are increasingly storing, accessing, and exchanging data through public cloud services such as those provided by Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. Although users may want to have faith in cloud providers to provide good security protection, the confidentiality of any data in public clouds can be violated, and consequently, while providers may not be "doing evil," we can not and should not trust them with data confidentiality. To better protect the privacy of user data stored in the cloud, in this paper we propose a privacy-preserving system called Mimesis Aegis (M-Aegis) that is suitable for mobile platforms. M-Aegis is a new approach to user data privacy that not only provides isolation but also preserves the user experience through the creation of a conceptual layer called Layer 7.5 (L-7.5), which is interposed between the application (OSI Layer 7) and the user (Layer 8). This approach allows M-Aegis to implement true end-to-end encryption of user data with three goals in mind: 1) complete data and logic isolation from untrusted entities; 2) the preservation of original user experience with target apps; and 3) applicable to a large number of apps and resilient to app updates. In order to preserve the exact application workflow and look-and-feel, M-Aegis uses L-7.5 to put a transparent window on top of existing application GUIs to both intercept plaintext user input before transforming the input and feeding it to the underlying app, and to reverse-transform the output data from the app before displaying the plaintext data to the user. This technique allows M-Aegis to transparently integrate with most cloud services without hindering usability and without the need for reverse engineering. We implemented a prototype of M-Aegis on Android and show that it can support a number of popular cloud services, e.g. Gmail, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. Our performance evaluation and user study show that users incur minimal overhead when adopting M-Aegis on Android: imperceptible encryption/decryption latency and a low and adjustable false positive rate when searching over encrypted data.
Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing exponentially; more than 18 million Americans are currently diagnosed, of which more than approx 73% have concomitant hypertension (HTN) (1). Notably, at the time of diagnosis of diabetes, HTN is present in 50% of diabetic patients (2). The presence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its clinical hallmark, microalbuminuria (MAU), with concommittant HTN accelerates progression to renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD risk progresses as DN progresses into chronic kidney disease (CKD) and finally end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring renal replacement therapy. Thus, it is then imperative to understand the close relationship that progressive DN has with HTN and concomitant advancing CVD risk. Primary preventive strategies are important to not only prevent DN, but to slow progression once it is present.
A Skeptical Reassessment of Bioethics

What is bioethics? Who is a bioethicist? Who is a health care ethics consultant or clinical ethics consultant? There are no straightforward answers to such questions. Indeed, the attempt to answer such questions usually engenders controversies. Bioethics is a puzzle. Bioethics is itself a controversy, a theater of dispute. Across the world, there are persons who call themselves bioethicists. But there is no agreement as to what ends they are doing what they do, as to what they should be doing, or even as to what they are doing. In hospitals across the world, there are persons who are paid as clinical ethics consultants (aka health care ethics consultants) and who are often held to be engaged in helping resolve normative questions about health care decisions. But there is no agreement as to what norms they should engage. This is because there is real dispute about the content and character of both morality and bioethics. As a result, there is a puzzle as to how properly to characterize the nature of the normative questions posed to bioethicists, as well as the answers bioethicists give. Bioethicists are asked, for example, about when a particular medical intervention is inappropriate (or futile), about who should make life-or-death decisions, and concerning what information should be provided in order for a patient adequately to consent to treatment. The question is what kinds of norms and which norms should frame such questions. In answering such questions, what norms and which norms should guide the answers? Are the norms at stake those established at law? Is the ethics about which health care ethics consultants (HCEC) give advice simply an account of relevant law and public policy, as well as of how law and public policy is customarily applied? Or are the norms moral norms? If so, norms of which morality? These puzzles about the nature of bioethics justify second thoughts about the entire endeavor of bioethics.
Lead neurotoxicity: exploring the potential impact of lead substitution in zinc-finger proteins on mental health

Childhood lead poisoning is a costly and largely preventable public health problem that lowers IQs, decreases attention spans, and leads to the development of other childhood intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, recent evidence links developmental lead poisoning with the etiology of disorders that appear much later in life, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia. Little is known about how lead influences the onset of these disorders. This paper reviews the evidence that lead substitution for zinc in zinc-finger proteins contributes to the development of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia. The zinc-finger proteins potentially impacted by lead include DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and Presenilin 1 and 2 (PSEN1/2) in Alzheimer's disease, the dopamine receptor in Parkinson's disease, and the NMDA receptor, zinc-finger protein 804A (ZNF804A), and disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1)-binding zinc-finger (DBZ) in schizophrenia.
Should Accountants Be Punished for Aiding and Abetting Tax Evasion

Should accountants be punished for aiding and abetting tax evasion? The impulsive reply, as well as the politically correct answer, is “yes.” However, closer reflection reveals that the answer is not so cut and dried. This paper reviews the major ethical arguments that take the position that tax evasion is unethical and finds them less than convincing. The logical conclusion, then, is that accountants should not be punished for aiding and abetting an act unless the act is unethical, and even if an act is unethical, it does not logically follow that an accountant should automatically be punished.
Six Steps to Transform an Ordinary College into an Exceptional Institution

Universities and colleges that will thrive in the highly competitive knowledge/creative economy will need to make major changes to how their institutions work. Most college administrators have their heads in the sand – very reminiscent of what was going on in the newspaper industry several years ago – and believe that their mantra should be business as usual. This paper describes some of the changes that are required: eliminating silos, creating a learning organization, eliminating administrative bloat, ensuring transparency and accountability, and stressing skills. This will require leaders that are not concerned with self-aggrandizement and whose major concern is their own income, adulation, and power. What is needed are servant leaders with humility who care about students, faculty, and their institutions. College presidents who implement the above will be able to build successful, thriving institutions and will not have to spend much. In fact, they may be able to save money and enhance the reputation of their institutions.
Decision Making with Barely Any Information: The Role of Mixed Strategies

At the 6th annual Maximum Entropy Workshop Carlos Rodrigues presented an amusing problem in decision theory. In this problem the normal application of expected utility theory leads to an unacceptable conclusion. We restate the problem, and the “paradox.” We then give an “almost but not quite exactly unlike” formulation in which the paradox is resolved. We then pursue the new formulation to show how adopting a mixed strategy makes it possible to “certainly” gain while playing the game. We next show that in a suitable limit the “expected gain” goes to zero. Finally, we speculate on the possible application of these ideas to situations with “great uncertainty.”
Polaron effect on ballistic transport in armchair graphene nanoribbon

Graphene nanoribbon has altered the perspective of future electronics device industries. Post silicon based technology, Graphene nanoribbon is now considered the most promoting materials for the next generation electronics. Armchair graphene nanoribbon is one of two prototypes of graphene which is widely known for its semiconducting properties limited by width length below 50nm. However, some of the shortcoming of potential application remain obscure to expound. Here we investigate the ballistic transport performance of armchair graphene nanoribbon and the potential disturbance of polaron. Photon excitation with incorporating lower bandgap in armchair graphene tends to develop polaron. Through the generation of polaron due to the temperature variation, two dimensional armchair nanoribbon no longer respond as ballistic media to transport carriers. It has been found that the mean free path and mobility performance of carriers are affected due to the polaron effect.
The Science of Hypoglycemia in Patients with Diabetes

The risk of hypoglycemia with anti-hyperglycemic agents is an important limiting factor in the management of type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) diabetes mellitus. While hypoglycemia is more common in T1DM, the incidence is high in T2DM patients who use insulin or secretagogues, particularly patients with longer duration of diabetes. The underlying cause of hypoglycemia in diabetes is a complex interaction between hyperinsulinemia and compromised physiologic and behavioral responses to falling glucose levels. Pancreatic dysfunction also causes loss of normal therapeutic response to hypoglycemia--a reduction in circulating insulin (in T2DM only) and an increase in glucagon secretion. In T1DM and advanced T2DM, the third defense against hypoglycemia is increase in adrenomedullary sympathoadrenal epinephrine secretion, which is also compromised, causing the syndrome of defective glucose counterregulation. Diminished increase in epinephrine, also called hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF), is largely responsible for defective glucose counterregulation. HAAF can result in recurrent hypoglycemia and lowering of glycemic threshold that typically triggers sympathoadrenal response to hypoglycemia. This results in hypoglycemia without warning symptoms, or "hypoglycemia unawareness," which increases the risk of severe hypoglycemia associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Long-term effects of severe hypoglycemia, aside from causing accidents, may include adverse cardiovascular outcomes and cognitive impairment. To reduce the impact of hypoglycemia, it is important to identify patients at risk and use careful consideration when choosing antidiabetes medications. Newer insulin analogs that more accurately replicate endogenous insulin secretion and incretin therapies that cause glucose-sensitive insulin secretion may ultimately reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
Recruiting unmotivated smokers into a smoking induction trial

Little is known about effective methods to recruit unmotivated smokers into cessation induction trials, the reasons unmotivated smokers agree to participate, and the impact of those reasons on study outcomes. A mixed-method approach was used to examine recruitment data from a randomized controlled cessation induction trial that enrolled 255 adult smokers with low motivation to quit. Over 15 months, 33% of smokers who inquired about the study were enrolled. Common recruitment methods included word-of-mouth, print advertisements and clinic referrals. Frequently mentioned reasons for participating included to: gain financial incentives (44.7%), learn about research or help others quit (43%), learn about smoking and risks (40%) and help with future quits (i.e. Quit Assistance, 23.9%). Separate regression models predicting study outcomes at 26 weeks indicated that smokers who said they participated for Quit Assistance reported higher motivation to quit (B 1.26) and were more likely to have made a quit attempt (OR 2.03) compared to those not mentioning this reason, when baseline characteristics were controlled. Understanding reasons for unmotivated smokers' interest in treatment can help practitioners and researchers design effective strategies to engage this population.
Microinfarcts are common and strongly related to dementia in the oldest-old: The 90+ study

Abstract Introduction We estimated the prevalence of microinfarcts and their association with dementia in a cohort of oldest-old participants. Methods Participants were from The 90+ Study, a population-based study of people 90 years and older. Dementia diagnoses were assigned postmortem during a consensus conference. Microinfarcts were evaluated in six brain regions. Results At death, the 213 participants were on average 97 years old, 69% were women, and 52% had dementia. Of the participants, 51% had microinfarcts and 17% had 3+ microinfarcts. The odds ratio (OR) for dementia was similar for 3+ microinfarcts (OR = 4.75, P P Discussion In this oldest-old cohort, microinfarcts are common and contribute independently and similarly in magnitude to dementia as tangles. As risk factors for microinfarcts and other dementing pathologies are likely to differ, identifying these factors is crucial to developing prevention strategies for dementia in the oldest-old.
Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance Estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) tumors of the breast are generally highly responsive to endocrine treatment. Although endocrine therapy is the mainstay of adjuvant treatment for ER+ breast cancer, the role of endocrine therapy in the neoadjuvant setting is unclear. Objective To evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) on the response rate and the rate of breast conservation surgery (BCS) for ER+ breast cancer. Data Sources Based on PRISMA guidelines, a librarian-led search of PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE was performed to identify eligible trials published from inception to May 15, 2015. The search was performed in May 2015. Study Selection Inclusion criteria were prospective, randomized, neoadjuvant clinical trials that reported response rates with at least 1 arm incorporating NET (n = 20). Two authors independently analyzed the studies for inclusion. Data Extraction and Synthesis Pooled odds ratios (ORs), 95% CIs, and P values were estimated for end points using the fixed- and random-effects statistical model. Results The analysis included 20 studies with 3490 unique patients. Compared with combination chemotherapy, NET as monotherapy with aromatase inhibitors had a similar clinical response rate (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.50-2.35; P = .85; n = 378), radiological response rate (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.92-2.07; P = .12; n = 378), and BCS rate (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.41-1.03; P = .07; n = 334) but with lower toxicity. Aromatase inhibitors were associated with a significantly higher clinical response rate (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.36-2.10; P P P P = .03; n = 355), but not clinical response rate (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.54-1.07; P = .11; n = 537), compared with endocrine monotherapy. The incidence of pathologic complete response was low ( Conclusions and Relevance Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy, even as monotherapy, is associated with similar response rates as neoadjuvant combination chemotherapy but with significantly lower toxicity, suggesting that NET needs to be reconsidered as a potential option in the appropriate setting. Additional research is needed to develop rational NET combinations and predictive biomarkers to personalize the optimal neoadjuvant strategy for ER+ breast cancer.
Cumulative consumption of branched-chain amino acids and incidence of type 2 diabetes

Background: Plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs, including leucine, isoleucine and valine) were recently related to risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Dietary intake is the only source of BCAAs; however, little is known about whether habitual dietary intake of BCAAs affects risk of T2D. Methods: We assessed associations between cumulative consumption of BCAAs and risk of T2D among participants from three prospective cohorts: the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; followed from 1980 to 2012); NHS II (followed from 1991 to 2011); and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; followed from 1986 to 2010). Results: We documented 16 097 incident T2D events during up to 32 years of follow-up. After adjustment for demographics and traditional risk factors, higher total BCAA intake was associated with an increased risk of T2D in men and women. In the meta-analysis of all cohorts, comparing participants in the highest quintile with those in the lowest quintile of intake, hazard ratios (95%confidence intervals) were for leucine 1.13 (1.07-1.19), for isoleucine 1.13 (1.07-1.19) and for valine 1.11 (1.05-1.17) (all P for trend < 0.001). In a healthy subsample, higher dietary BCAAs were significantly associated with higher plasma levels of these amino acids (P for trend = 0.01). Conclusions: Our data suggest that high consumption of BCAAs is associated with an increased risk of T2D.
Service Guarantee: A Concept for Competitive Advantage

Technological and organisational innovations have not only contributed to the growth of service sector enterprises, but substantially increased their economic importance. This rapid growth in services has confronted service organisations with new and critical challenges. In this competitive marketplace - fragmented, fast-changing and quality-conscious, -it is customer focus that has effectively assumed the centre stage in the strategic management decisions of leading service organisations. Service superiority through the customer - supplier relationship has become a prerequisite for survival in today’s competitive environment. It is thus imperative that service managers develop customer focus: that they think and act pro-actively, continuously regenerating systems and approaches to create superior value for the customer. In any business encounter, one side of the transaction is always being asked to assume all, or more risk, than the other. It may be expressed explicitly, implicitly, or may be done unconsciously. The perceived risk model illustrates customer uncertainty in evaluating a product or service in relation to the available alternatives. According to the perceived risk model, buyers are motivated by a desire to reduce the amount of perceived risk.
Symbolic Supervisor Synthesis for the Animal Maze

Ramadge and Wonham [1] gave algorithms for finding supervisors in their supervisory control framework. Their automatic synthesis techniques arg implemented here using binary decision diagrams [2]. This technique of symbolic representation capitalizes on loose coupling between controlled plant components. We synthesize a supervisor for an extended animal maze problem of over 40 million states.
In situ measurements of shear stress, erosion and deposition in man-made tidal channels within a tidal saltmarsh

Abstract A field study was conducted in man-made ditches in a tidal saltmarsh in Lewes, Delaware, USA. Ditches are prevalent throughout tidal marshes along the Atlantic US coast, and influence hydrodynamics and sediment transport. The field study focused on measuring near-bed velocity, shear stress, sediment concentration, and bed level variability at 5 stations over a 3-week period. Velocities in the ditch (2–5 m wide, 1 m deep) peaked between 0.4 and 0.6 m/s and were slightly ebb dominated. Velocity and shear stress were maximum during a storm event, with peak shear stresses of 2 N/m2. Bed levels were estimated from acoustic amplitude return of a downward-looking velocity profiler. The bed level in the ditch at the landward locations increased ∼ 0.03 m over 3 weeks, while there was ∼ 0.01 m bed level decrease at the most seaward site suggesting a net import of sediment into the channel. At all sites, erosion ( ∼ 0.005–0.015 m) occurred during the accelerating phase of the flood tide, and accretion of a similar magnitude occurred during the decelerating phase of the ebb tide. This erosion-deposition sequence resulted in small net changes in bed level at the end of each tidal cycle. The intratidal behavior of the bed level was simulated using erosion and deposition flux equations based on shear stress, critical shear stress, and suspended sediment concentration. Erosion was predicted well with RMS errors on the order of 2 ⋅ 10−3 m. The bed level during the deposition phase could not be reproduced using the simple approach. Model inaccuracies for deposition were attributed to advection and variations in fall velocity due to flocculation that were not modeled due to lack of ground-truth observations.
Strategies of Using Textual Information: Implications for Delivery of Health Information to Patients and Families:

In the current study we investigated the explicit representation of constraints or “rules” in a team-based planning task using shared representations. We manipulated the variable of text, which has...
Why Vascular Surgeons and Interventional Radiologists Collaborate or Compete: A Look at Endovascular Stent Placements

To understand how cultural differences between vascular surgeons (VSs) and interventional radiologists (IRs) affect their clinical decision making and inter-specialty relationships. Twenty-four conversational interviews were conducted with IRs and VSs about their approaches to patient care, views of their specialty and others, and solutions to any expressed concerns. Interview transcripts were systematically analyzed to identify and compare key themes according to the constructivist grounded theory and content analysis using NVivo 10 software. These data were supplemented with a retrospective analysis of 3658 endovascular stent placements performed at a large medical academic center over 11 years. Aggregate counts were divided by provider specialty, and trends were assessed via correlation coefficients. Endovascular stent placements were relatively equally divided between IR and VS over 11 years with some variability from placements by cardiology. IRs tend to lay claim to treatments as masters of procedures, whereas VSs base their claims on being masters of the treated diseases, leading to collaboration in some practices and bitter competition in others. The level of perceived competition was most associated with specialists’ awareness of and appreciation for specialty-specific values rather than differences in practice structure/reimbursement. Understanding cultural differences between IRs and VSs is imperative for fostering better collaboration to grow shared territory rather than competing for the same slice of the pie.
A multi-sector assessment of community organizational capacity for promotion of Chinese immigrant worker health.

Background Community-based collaborative approaches have received increased attention as a means for addressing occupational health disparities. Organizational capacity, highly relevant to engaging and sustaining community partnerships, however, is rarely considered in occupational health research. Methods To characterize community organizational capacity specifically relevant to Chinese immigrant worker health, we used a cross-sectional, descriptive design with 36 agencies from six community sectors in King County, Washington. Joint interviews, conducted with two representatives from each agency, addressed three dimensions of organizational capacity: organizational commitment, resources, and flexibility. Descriptive statistics were used to capture the patterning of these dimensions by community sector. Results Organizational capacity varied widely across and within sectors. Chinese and Pan-Asian service sectors indicated higher capacity for Chinese immigrant worker health than did Chinese faith-based, labor union, public, and Pan-ethnic nonprofit sectors. Conclusions Variation in organizational capacity in community sectors can inform selection of collaborators for community-based, immigrant worker health interventions.
Allelic spectrum of formiminotransferase-cyclodeaminase gene variants in individuals with formiminoglutamic aciduria.

Background Elevated plasma and urine formiminoglutamic acid (FIGLU) levels are commonly indicative of formiminoglutamic aciduria (OMIM #229100), a poorly understood autosomal recessive disorder of histidine and folate metabolism, resulting from formiminotransferase-cyclodeaminase (FTCD) deficiency, a bifunctional enzyme encoded by FTCD. Methods In order to further understanding about the molecular alterations that contribute to FIGLU-uria, we sequenced FTCD in 20 individuals with putative FTCD deficiency and varying laboratory findings, including increased FIGLU excretion. Results Individuals tested had biallelic loss-of-function variants in protein-coding regions of FTCD. The FTCD allelic spectrum comprised of 12 distinct variants including 5 missense alterations that replace conserved amino acid residues (c.223A>C, c.266A>G, c.319T>C, c.430G>A, c.514G>T), an in-frame deletion (c.1373_1375delTGG), with the remaining alterations predicted to affect mRNA processing/stability. These included two frameshift variants (c.990dup, c.1366dup) and four nonsense variants (c.337C>T, c.451A>T, c.763C>T, c.1607T>A). Conclusion We observed additional FTCD alleles leading to urinary FIGLU elevations, and thus, providing molecular evidence of FTCD deficiency in cases identified by newborn screening or clinical biochemical genetic laboratory testing.
Mindfulness and acceptance-based trainings for fostering self-care and reducing stress in mental health professionals: A systematic review

Abstract This review summarizes the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to foster self-care and reduce stress in mental health professionals. Twenty-four quantitative articles from PsycInfo and PubMed were identified that focused on mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, stress, burnout, or psychological well-being. All MBSR and MBCT studies lacked active control conditions, but some of the ACT studies and one MSC study included an active control. Most studies support evidence that all training programs tend to improve mindfulness and some also self-compassion. In addition, psychological flexibility was measured in the ACT studies and tends to improve over time. Further, MBSR, MSC, and ACT tend to reduce stress or burnout. The results were less supportive for psychological well-being. The value of the various training adaptations as well as directions for future research are discussed.
Li+-Desolvation Dictating Lithium-Ion Battery’s Low-Temperature Performances

Lithium (Li) ion battery has penetrated almost every aspect of human life, from portable electronics, vehicles, to grids, and its operation stability in extreme environments is becoming increasingly important. Among these, subzero temperature presents a kinetic challenge to the electrochemical reactions required to deliver the stored energy. In this work, we attempted to identify the rate-determining process for Li+ migration under such low temperatures, so that an optimum electrolyte formulation could be designed to maximize the energy output. Substantial increase in the available capacities from graphite∥LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 chemistry down to -40 °C is achieved by reducing the solvent molecule that more tightly binds to Li+ and thus constitutes a high desolvation energy barrier. The fundamental understanding is applicable universally to a wide spectrum of electrochemical devices that have to operate in similar environments.
Battery independence: Reducing the dependence on batteries in wearable computing through energy harvesting techniques

This paper discusses one of the most troublesome and frustrating issues for mobile devices users, battery life. Once a battery is utilized in a system, battery charging must be incorporated seamlessly so that the workflow of the user is uninterrupted. In today's fast-paced society, people don't have the time to stop what they are doing to charge their mobile devices and wait for them to complete. A secondary known issue concerning batteries is that their effective capacity diminishes over time and use. In turn the process of battery charging would become more frequent and disruptive to the user. The need for an effective means to continually charge the battery through smart energy harvesting techniques will be investigated in the following paper. Utilizing the findings from other articles, we were able to generate easy-to-use formulas to help estimate the power across multiple real-world use cases (running, walking, sleeping, sun, shade, etc.) Testing the formulas across multiple use cases, only two of the cases generated more power in our application than what the system utilized. This excess power would be utilized to keep the battery's charge topped off. In the use cases where we didn't generate enough power, the battery would need to supplement the system.
Acute beetroot juice administration improves peak isometric force production in adolescent males

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute beetroot juice (BR) administration on repeated sprint performance and isometric force production in adolescent males. Twelve male adole...
Other Nineteenth Century Figures

After Gauss there were a considerable number of excellent mathematicians who came along more or less in his footsteps and either continued his ideas on numerical analysis or who utilized their own discoveries to make more elegant what earlier mathematicians had done. Thus, for example, we find on the one hand Jacobi reconsidering some of Gauss’s work and on the other Cauchy using his Residue theorem to establish interpolation formulas.
Chromosome 1p and 14q FISH analysis in clinicopathologic subsets of meningioma: diagnostic and prognostic implications.

The second most frequently reported genetic abnormalities in meningiomas after 22q loss are deletions of Ip and 14q. To assess the potential diagnostic and prognostic utility of these chromosomal alterations, we studied 180 well-characterized meningiomas using dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with DNA probes localized to 1p32. 1p36, 14q13, and 14q32. Our cohort consisted of 77 benign (grade I), 74 atypical (grade II), and 29 anaplastic (grade III) meningiomas. Benign and atypical meningiomas were further stratified into subsets of recurring (despite gross total resection) vs non-recurring (at least 10 yr of follow-up) and mitotically active vs brain invasive subsets, respectively. Losses of Ip and 14q losses were identified in 23% and 31% of benign, 56% and 57% of atypical, and 75% and 67% of anaplastic meningiomas, respectively (p < 0.001 for 1p; p = 0.004 for 14q). Combined 1p/14q deletions were encountered in 7% benign, 39% atypical, and 63% anaplastic meningiomas (p < 0.001), Benign non-recurring meningiomas were less likely to harbor 14q deletions than recurring examples (17% vs 50%, p = 0.013). There was a trend for anaplastic meningiomas with 14q deletions and atypical meningiomas with combined 1p/14q deletions to have poorer overall survivals, though neither reached statistical significance. We conclude that I p and 14q deletions are highly associated with increasing histologic grade and play an important role in meningioma tumor progression. Furthermore, 14q FISH analysis may aid in assessing recurrence risk in histologically benign meningiomas.
Attosecond Control of Electron Emission in Two-Color Ionization of Atoms

We demonstrate that the electron emission from atoms generated by an attosecond pulse train made of both odd and even harmonics in the presence of a weak IR field can be temporally controlled on the attosecond time scale. In addition, we show that such electron emission carries information about the relative phase between consecutive odd and even harmonics in the attosecond pulse train.
Mechanism of RNA Polymerase I Transcription

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the RNA polymerase I (Pol I) transcription system, with particular emphasis on the latest findings on the mechanisms that regulate it. Comprehensive reviews on yeast and vertebrate RNA polymerase is also presented. The biochemical purification and the subsequent molecular cloning of several of the factors required to direct promoter specific RNA Pol I transcription has stimulated a large number of investigative studies on the mechanisms that regulate ribosomal RNA production. The chapter demonstrates the essential role in the establishment of a functional and promoter-specific transcription complex. An important conclusion from these studies is that de novo synthesis of transcription factors plays a secondary role in the regulation of rRNA synthesis in eukaryotes. Rather, covalent modification of preexisting factors mediates the assembly of a stable transcription initiation complex and regulates the efficiency of transcription by RNA Pol I. An important implication of the finding that phosphorylation of upstream binding factor (UBF) and SL1 regulates transcription is that signaling molecules are likely to have a significant influence on rRNA synthesis. Therefore, one of the next challenges is to identify the signal transduction pathways that modulate RNA Pol I transcription and characterize how diverse signals converge and cross talk on the RNA Pol I transcriptional machinery. These studies have revealed that posttranslational modifications of UBF and SL1 play an important role in the formation of a productive pre-initiation complex. In addition, several studies have indicated that global cellular regulators, such as the tumor suppressor proteins (retinoblastoma protein and p53), can also directly regulate RNA Pol I transcription.
Apparent molecular weight of purified human factor VIII procoagulant protein compared with purified and plasma factor VIII procoagulant protein antigen

We have compared apparent molecular weights of purified factor VIII procoagulant protein (VIII:C) and VIII:C antigen (VIII:CAg) by two different NaDodSO4 gel electrophoretic techniques. In a discontinuous NaDodSO4–7.5% polyacrylamide system, reduced and unreduced VIII:C, purified from commercial factor VIII concentrates by a monoclonal antibody immunoadsorption technique, showed a major doublet at mol wt 0.79 and 0.8 X 10(5) and less intense bands extending up to 1.9 X 10(5). In NaDodSO4–4% polyacrylamide/0.5% agarose gels (NaDodSO4–4% PAAGE), purified VIII:C had a major band of mol wt 1.0 X 10(5), with minor bands of mol wt 0.96, 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.2, and 2.4 X 10(5). In NaDodSO4–4% PAAGE of 125I-anti-VIII:C-Fab-VIII:CAg complexes, the major and minor forms of VIII:CAg in purified VIII:C had the same molecular weight as above when calculated by subtracting the molecular weight of 125I-Fab from 125I-Fab-VIII:CAg. In both plasma and factor VIII concentrate, a band of mol wt 2.4 X 10(5) predominated, and minor VIII:CAg forms of mol wt 2.6, 1.8, 1.2 and 1.0 X 10(5) were also visible. We conclude that the molecular weight of plasma VIII:CAg forms agree with those derived from protein stains of purified VIII:C in the NaDodSO4–4% PAAGE system, but that consistently lower molecular weight values are obtained for purified VIII:C in the discontinuous system. Both native and either disaggregated or proteolyzed VIII:C species are present in the purified VIII:C preparation.
Body Mass Index, Calcium Supplementation and Risk of Colorectal Adenomas

Calcium supplementation (1,200 mg/day) did not significantly reduce colorectal adenomas in our recent randomized, controlled trial (Vitamin D/Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, VCPPS, 2004-2013) in contrast to our previous trial (Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, CPPS, 1988-1996). To reconcile these findings, we identified participant characteristics that differed between the study populations and modified the effect of calcium supplementation on adenomas or high-risk findings (advanced or multiple adenomas). Compared to the CPPS, more participants in the VCPPS were obese (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 ; 37.5% vs. 24.4%) and fewer had normal BMI (BMI <25 kg/m2 ; 18.5% vs. 31%). BMI appeared to modify the effect of calcium supplementation on adenomas and especially on high risk-findings: in the VCPPS, there was a 44% reduction in high-risk findings among individuals whose BMI was normal (RR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.26-1.23), but not among overweight (RR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.62-1.91) or obese (RR = 1.54, 95% CI = 0.92-2.57) individuals (pinteraction = 0.03). Similarly, in the CPPS, there was a 56% reduction in high-risk findings among individuals whose BMI was normal (RR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.26-0.74), but not among overweight (RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.55-1.39) or obese (RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.57-1.82) individuals (pinteraction = 0.02). Standardization of each trial's findings to the BMI distribution in the other attenuated calcium's protective effect on adenomas in the CPPS but enhanced it in the VCPPS. In conclusion, 1,200 mg/day calcium supplementation may reduce risk of colorectal adenomas among those with normal BMI but not in overweight or obese individuals; and differences in BMI distribution partially account for the apparent difference in calcium efficacy between the two trials.
Single institution experience treating adrenal metastases with stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Objective: The objective of the study is to present our experience of treating adrenal metastases using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with adrenal metastases treated using SBRT from 2001 to 2014. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1 was used. Maximum tumor response was defined as the greatest percentage tumor reduction noted on two or more post-SBRT CT scans. Results: We identified 44 patients (median age 61.3 years, range: 25.8–85), with 54 adrenal metastases; primary diagnoses include non-small cell lung cancer (28 patients and 38 lesions), small cell lung cancer (1 patient), hepatocellular carcinoma (6 patients), and other (9 patients). Treatment was delivered in single (16 lesions, median dose 18 Gy [14–18]) or multiple fractions (38 lesions, median dose 30 Gy [16–40]). Median planning target volume was 49.65cc (3.21–984.54). Median response at first post-SBRT follow-up (median 1.65 months (m) (0.33–5.37), n = 46 lesions) was 10.8% with 91.3% local control. Median maximum tumor response was 31.8% (n = 32 lesions) at median follow-up of 5.4 m (0.9–44.8) with 96.6% local control. The response was comparable regardless of tumor histology or treatment fractionation. No patients experienced Grade 3/4 acute toxicities. One patient with a history of naproxen use required suturing with omental patch placement for perforated pyloric ulcer 14 m post-SBRT (18 Gy in single fraction) to the right adrenal metastasis; this region received Conclusions: SBRT is a safe and efficacious treatment for adrenal metastases, demonstrating local tumor control. Further study of the impact on survival and quality of life is warranted.
Regulatory dendritic cell treatment prevents the development of vasopressin-induced preeclampsia

The concept that persistent feto-placental intolerance is important in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE) has been demonstrated by our lab and others. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) infusion during pregnancy induces cardiovascular, renal, and immune alterations in mice consistent with human PE. These findings identify AVP as a potential contributor to poor fetal tolerance and the development of PE. In addition to their conventional immuno-stimulatory role, dendritic cells (DCs) also play a vital role in immune tolerance. In contrast to conventional DCs, regulatory DCs (DCregs) express low levels of co-stimulatory markers, produce anti-inflammatory cytokines, induce T regulatory cells, and promote tolerance. In mice, DCregs are able to prevent pro-inflammatory responses and induce antigen-specific tolerance. Given these known functions of DCregs, we hypothesize that DCregs will prevent the development of AVP-induced PE.
The declining even flow effect and the process of national forest planning.

(...) This paper addresses the relationship between the process used by the Forest Service to develop FORPLAN models and the DEFE. An example using Kootenai National Forest planning documents is presented to illustrate the highly constrained nature of Forest Service planning models. Two items common to nearly all forest planning models, a land base which is not entirely old-growth and constraints to assure that the 40-ac clearcut limit is not violated, caused a large reduction in the DEFE observed in a FORPLAN version of McQuillan's case study model.(...)
Efficacy and safety of curcumin in primary sclerosing cholangitis: an open label pilot study.

Goals: To assess if curcumin improves markers of cholestasis among subjects with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).Background: PSC is a chronic cholestatic liver disorder for which there is no e...
A Critical Paradox: The Politics of an Urban Community-Based Nonprofit In Expanding Educational Opportunities to Underserved Youth

Nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs) increasingly provide services that are traditionally thought to be a governmental responsibility. Through a qualitative case study, we examine the rol...
The Perceptions of Math and Math Education in Midville, Illinois

By means of a qualitative research method known as folknography, a concerted effort was made to discern perceptions of math and math education in the rural Midwest. A community that will be referred to as Midville, located in the state of Illinois, was chosen as the target population for this study. The community and surrounding region stands over one hundred miles from the nearest metro complex. The study was conducted in May of 2006. After completion of the initial field work, data were collected, analyzed, and summarized, producing this document.
Effects of an adapted story grammar intervention on the listening comprehension of children with autism

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often develop the word reading skills necessary to read text but struggle with reading comprehension. Comprehension skills are often under addressed in early elementary settings leaving children with ASD at a disadvantage once they are expected to read for meaning. This study investigated the impact of an adapted story grammar intervention on the listening comprehension of five children with ASD in kindergarten through second grade. The intervention embedded evidence-based practices shown to support the learning of children with ASD during story grammar instruction. All participating children demonstrated increased correct responding to fact and inference questions following intervention. Data suggest that all participants required visuals to participate in and learn from the intervention. Social validity data indicate the classroom teacher perceived the intervention as helpful and feasible. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed.
“Catch and Release”: a Variation of the Archetypal Nucleotidyl Transfer Reaction

Nucleotidyl transfer is an archetypal enzyme reaction central to DNA replication and repair. Here, we describe a variation of the nucleotidylation reaction termed “catch and release” that is used b...
PITCH COUNTS IN YOUTH BASEBALL PLAYERS: A COMPARISON TO PITCH SMART GUIDELINES:

Background:Overthrowing injuries in youth baseball players have been linked with pitching behaviors such as as high pitch counts, inadequate rest, and participating in throwing activities throughou...