cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition as a Kind of Identity

AbstractComposition as identity, as I understand it, is a theory of the composite structure of reality. The theory’s underlying logic is irreducibly plural; its fundamental primitive is a generalized identity relation that takes either plural or singular arguments. Strong versions of the theory that incorporate a generalized version of the indiscernibility of identicals are incompatible with the framework of plural logic, and should be rejected. Weak versions of the theory that are based on the idea that composition is merely analogous to (one-one) identity are too weak to be interesting, lacking in metaphysical consequence. I defend a moderate version according to which composition is a kind of identity, and argue that the difference is metaphysically substantial, not merely terminological. I then consider whether the notion of generalized identity, though fundamental, can be elucidated in modal terms by reverse engineering Hume’s Dictum. Unfortunately, for realists about possible worlds, such as myself,...
System design challenges for future consumer devices: From glass to Chromebooks

Internet and mobile application have been the driving force for semiconductor innovation in the past 10 years. In this paper, we will focus on the system design challenges for today's and tomorrow's consumer gadgets from productivity laptop computers to wearable glasses. We will start with everyone's favorite apps such as finding the fastest route to a baseball game with Google maps, taking family pictures and sharing with Google photos, watching TV shows on YouTube, calling grandparents with Hangouts, writing a research paper with Google Doc/Drive. We will break these activities into various system requirements for the software application developers, system architects, technologists and hardware engineers. The design challenges often result from the laws of physics such as the memory latency and thermal management or the law of economics such as cost and time to market. We will describe areas where hardware and software communities can work together to deliver the ultimate user satisfaction. Finally, a few future research areas in memory architecture, package technology and circuit design will be discussed.
Harmonic Structure Transform for Speaker Recognition

We evaluate a new filterbank structure, yielding the harmonic structure cepstral coefficients (HSCCs), on a mismatched-session closed-set speaker classification task. The novelty of the filterbank lies in its averaging of energy at frequencies related by harmonicity rather than by adjacency. Improvements are presented which achieve a 37%rel reduction in error rate under these conditions. The improved features are combined with a similar Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) system to yield error rate reductions of 32%rel, suggesting that HSCCs offer information which is complimentary to that available to today's MFCC-based systems.
The Governance of Business Processes

Good business process governance is necessary for the success of business processes, which in turn are essential for business success. The term business process governance refers to the direction, coordination, and control of individuals, groups, or organizations that are at least to some extent autonomous, meaning that hierarchical authority alone is not sufficient to ensure effective performance. Business process governance, whether within or across organizational entities comprises a variety of mechanisms, including organizational structures (roles and units for performing and coordinating process activities), allocations of decision making authority, and procedures (e.g., review and approval processes). Governance mechanisms may be formal (i.e., formalized in writing or in law) or informal (e.g., not mandated). All governance mechanisms have pros and cons; some mechanisms are more effective (but also more costly) than others. The challenge is to design a cost-effective governance regime, which usually consists of designing several less costly mechanisms to work in combination. This chapter describes various governance mechanisms, identifies their advantages and disadvantages, and provides examples that show how governance mechanisms can contribute to improved business process performance.
A user centric self-optimizing grid-based approach for antenna steering based on call detail records

In this paper, we propose a user centric network parameter optimization approach that utilizes the information contained in subscriber call detail records generated in a cellular network. To be able to maximize average user throughput on a cell level, we perform optimization of sector azimuth angles based on user centric weighted grids. The grid pattern is formulated by identifying spatially distributed points that correspond to user activity quantified by user location and service utilization information obtained from the call detail records. In this study, we present numerical and cell level simulation over a system of 30 cells to evaluate the proposed solution. In comparison to an optimal brute-force method that takes into account the location of every user to optimize the azimuth angles in a cell, we show that the proposed grid based self-optimization approach yields matching results in performance with substantial reduction in computational complexity.
Swan Queen, shipping, and boundary regulation in fandom

There are a number of fan activities and practices that are subject to regulation. The mechanisms of regulation in shipping, however, are not always clear. Shipping, the fan activity of romantically pairing two fictional characters, has become a popular and contentious facet of fan interaction. The case that will be examined in this article is that of the Swan Queen ship, which pairs two female characters from Once Upon a Time (2011–). The lengths that fans have gone to support and promote this ship led to rather intense discussion and infighting among members of the Once Upon a Time fandom. I utilize comments and posts made on Tumblr to examine the mechanisms that dictate inclusion and exclusion in shipper communities. In doing so, I hope to identify the kinds of shipper activities that are subject to regulation and the kinds of boundaries that this regulation establishes. Shipping is dictated not only by fans' imaginations but also by boundaries that are performed and regulated on digital forums.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome and the gastrointestinal tract

Development of a healthy gut microbiome is essential in newborns to establish immunity and protection from pathogens. Recent studies suggest that infants who develop dysbiosis may be at risk for lifelong adverse health consequences. Exposure to opioid drugs during pregnancy is a factor of potential importance for microbiome health that has not yet been investigated. Since these infants are born after an entire gestation exposed to mu opioid receptor agonists and have severe gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, we hypothesize that these infants are at risk for dysbiosis. We speculate that opioid exposure during gestation and development of NAS at birth may lead to a dysbiotic gut microbiome, which may impair normal microbiome succession and development, and impact future health of these children.
Flow Cytometric Analysis in the Diagnosis and Prognostication of Plasma Cell Neoplasms

Flow cytometry immunophenotyping (FCM) has become an integral part of diagnosis and management of patients with plasma cell neoplasms (PCN) and related diseases. Immunophenotypic profiles of neoplastic plasma cells (PCs) in PCN are distinct from that of benign or reactive PCs, and differs from that of B cell neoplasms with plasmacytic differentiation. Progression of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or smoldering myeloma to myeloma is usually accompanied by expansion of neoplastic fraction of the total PCs quantifiable by FCM. The most powerful application of FCM concerns monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD). FCM is sensitive, quantitative, fast, and widely applicable. Absence of MRD by a sensitive multicolor FCM assay has been shown to correlate with a better progression free survival and overall survival. MRD assessment by FCM may serve as a surrogate for therapeutic efficacy, and in turn the endpoint of clinical trials, allowing speedier approval of newer drugs by regulatory bodies. With the emerging immunotherapy, FCM also allows rapid identification of potential markers for targeted therapy. The chapter begins with an overview of immunophenotypic features of neoplastic PCs and their distinction from normal PCs. This is followed by discussion of immmunophenotypic profiles that may help distinguish PCs from B cell lymphoma versus those from PCN. The principles and a practical approach to assessing MRD by FCM are emphasized and illustrated. The chapter concludes with a summary of clinical utilities and future outlook of FCM as a powerful tool for diagnostic and prognostication of PCN.
Heat stress induces autophagy in pig ovaries during follicular development.

Hyperthermia or heat stress (HS) occurs when heat dissipation mechanisms are overwhelmed by external and internal heat production. Hyperthermia negatively affects reproduction and potentially compromises oocyte integrity and reduces developmental competence of ensuing embryos. Autophagy is the process by which cells recycle energy through the reutilization of cellular components and is activated by a variety of stressors. Study objectives were to characterize autophagyrelated proteins in the ovary following cyclical HS during the follicular phase. Twelve gilts were synchronized and subjected to cyclical HS (n = 6) or thermal neutral (n = 6) conditions for 5 days during the follicular phase. Ovarian protein abundance of Beclin 1 and microtubule associated protein light chain 3 beta II were each elevated as a result of HS (P = 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). The abundance of the autophagy related (ATG)12–ATG5 complex was decreased as a result of HS (P = 0.002). Regulation of autophagy and apoptosis occurs in tight coordination, and B-cell lymphoma (BCL)2 and BCL2L1 are involved in regulating both processes. BCL2L1 protein abundance, as detected via immunofluorescence, was increased in both the oocyte (∼1.6-fold; P < 0.01) and granulosa cells of primary follicles (∼1.4-fold P < 0.05) of HS ovaries. These results suggest that ovarian autophagy induction occurs in response to HS during the follicular phase, and that HS increases anti-apoptotic signaling in oocytes and early follicles. These data contribute to the biological understanding of how HS acts as an environmental stress to affect follicular development and negatively impact reproduction.Summary SentenceHeat stress induces autophagy in the pig ovary during the follicular stage, and autophagy is a potential mechanism by which the ovary mitigates cellular stress.
On the thermo-optic coefficient of P_2O_5 in SiO_2

Measurements of the thermo-optic coefficient (dn/dT) are made on a binary phosphosilicate core glass optical fiber. Using these results, dn/dT for the P2O5 constituent is found to be −13.3 × 10−6 ± 8.0% K−1, a value much lower in magnitude than reported in the literature for this system. Its accurate elucidation is especially useful in guiding the design of low- or negative-thermo-optic glasses and optical fibers. The phosphosilicate core also has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is higher than that of the pure silica cladding. As a result, the clad fiber geometry slightly lessens the effectiveness of the negative-valued contribution to dn/dT by P2O5 relative to bulk glass.
Atlas of Electroencephalography, 3rd Edition

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the recording of the electrical activity of the brain. EEG is a reliable test to assess cerebral function. It aids in diagnosis, classification, and management of patients with epilepsy. It also has practical uses in conditions other than epilepsy. Moreover, it is harmless and inexpensive. EEG is an important tool for evaluating patients with epilepsy. It may help classify the syndrome, identify the likely source of focal seizures, and confirm a diagnosis of status epilepticus. EEG is therefore helpful when selecting appropriate antiepileptic drugs for patients with epilepsy, is valuable for diagnosis and management of status epilepticus as well as predicting the prognosis in epilepsy syndromes, and, is finally useful when localizing an area for resection in surgery candidates. In addition, despite advances in neuroimaging, EEG remains a valuable tool in the evaluation of stuporous and comatose patients. A systematic approach is essential for EEG interpretation, and when combined with good clinical judgment, it will improve diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and may improve therapeutic outcomes. This EEG atlas is designed as a practical guide for neurology residents, neurologists, and epileptologists, so that they may appropriately identify normal and abnormal findings, while reading an EEG. By reading and reviewing the relevant chapter of this well-organized atlas, that includes many EEG images, the reader will also learn how to report an EEG finding. We hope that this atlas fills an unmet need, and leads to improved patient care.
Influence of RNase E deficiency on the production of stx2-bearing phages and Shiga toxin in an RNase E-inducible strain of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7

Purpose. In enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), stx1 or stx2 genes encode Shiga toxin (Stx1 or Stx2, respectively) and are carried by prophages. The production and release of both stx phages and toxin occur upon initiation of the phage lytic cycle. Phages can further disseminate stx genes by infecting naive bacteria in the intestine. Here, the effect of RNase E deficiency on these two virulence traits was investigated. Methodology. Cultures of the EHEC strains TEA028-rne containing low versus normal RNase E levels or the parental strain (TEA028) were treated with mitomycin C (MMC) to induce the phage lytic cycle. Phages and Stx2 titres were quantified by the double-agar assay and the receptor ELISA technique, respectively. Results. RNase E deficiency in MMC-treated cells significantly reduced the yield of infectious stx2 phages. Delayed cell lysis and the appearance of encapsidated phage DNA copies suggest a slow onset of the lytic cycle. However, these observations do not entirely explain the decrease of phage yields. stx1 phages were not detected under normal or deficient RNase E levels. After an initial delay, high levels of toxin were finally produced in MMC-treated cultures. Conclusion. RNase E scarcity reduces stx2 phage production but not toxin. Normal concentrations of RNase E are likely required for correct phage morphogenesis. Our future work will address the mechanism of RNase E action on phage morphogenesis.
Virtual sensing of catalytic naphtha reforming process under uncertain feed conditions

Stable operation of a naphtha reforming process is always desired to get high Research Octane Number (RON) of its end product, gasoline. Uncertainty in process variables, i.e. temperature, pressure, feed composition, makes the process unstable and result in lower RON of gasoline. Soft sensors (virtual sensors) have been used to get stable process operation. In this study, a soft sensor is developed through the ensemble learning method, i.e., boosting, for prediction of RON value of the naphtha reforming process. Prediction performance of the boosted model is compared with an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model; the boosted model outperformed the ANN model. For analyzing the effect of process uncertainty, sensitivity analysis is performed using Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST) and Sobol technique. In addition, Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) is used to analyze the collective effect of inputs uncertainty on the model output. The proposed methods of soft sensors development, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis are validated through real process data of a petroleum refinery. The results are highly accurate and suitable for industrial applications.
Study on RF Channel Selection Method in Low-voltage Electric Data Acquisition System

Radio frequency(RF) communication technology has been applied widely in data acquisition system especially in low-voltage electric area. As a property of RF communication, co-channel interference could not be ignored in improving communication performance. This paper proposes an RF channel selection method based on adaptive sensing to increase acquisition efficiency. The key steps as channel evaluation, adaptive sensing, channel negotiation and power control are given. Both simulation and experiments in advanced metering infrastructure(AMI) are conducted to validate the proposed method.
Touchpoints - Opportunities to predict and prevent opioid overdose: A cohort study

Abstract Background Medical care, public health, and criminal justice systems encounters could serve as touchpoints to identify and intervene with individuals at high-risk of opioid overdose death. The relative risk of opioid overdose death and proportion of deaths that could be averted at such touchpoints are unknown. Methods We used 8 individually linked data sets from Massachusetts government agencies to perform a retrospective cohort study of Massachusetts residents ages 11 and older. For each month in 2014, we identified past 12-month exposure to 4 opioid prescription touchpoints (high dosage, benzodiazepine co-prescribing, multiple prescribers, or multiple pharmacies) and 4 critical encounter touchpoints (opioid detoxification, nonfatal opioid overdose, injection-related infection, and release from incarceration). The outcome was opioid overdose death. We calculated Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) and Population Attributable Fractions (PAFs) associated with touchpoint exposure. Results The cohort consisted of 6,717,390 person-years of follow-up with 1315 opioid overdose deaths. We identified past 12-month exposure to any touchpoint in 2.7% of person-months and for 51.8% of opioid overdose deaths. Opioid overdose SMRs were 12.6 (95% CI: 11.1, 14.1) for opioid prescription and 68.4 (95% CI: 62.4, 74.5) for critical encounter touchpoints. Fatal opioid overdose PAFs were 0.19 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.21) for opioid prescription and 0.37 (95% CI: 0.34, 0.39) for critical encounter touchpoints. Conclusions Using public health data, we found eight candidate touchpoints were associated with increased risk of fatal opioid overdose, and collectively identified more than half of opioid overdose decedents. These touchpoints are potential targets for development of overdose prevention interventions.
PittPack: An open-source Poisson’s equation solver for extreme-scale computing with accelerators

Abstract We present a parallel implementation of a direct solver for Poisson’s equation on extreme-scale supercomputers with accelerators. We introduce a chunked-pencil decomposition as the domain-decomposition strategy to distribute work among processing elements to achieve improved scalability at high counts of accelerators. Chunked-pencil decomposition enables overlapping MPI communication and data transfer between the central processing units (CPUs) and the graphics processing units (GPUs). It enables contiguous message transfer among the nodes and improves data locality by keeping neighboring elements in adjacent memory locations while permitting the use of shared memory for certain segments of the algorithm when possible. We study two different communication patterns within the chunked-pencil decomposition. The first pattern fully overlaps the communication with data transfer and aims to speedup the overall turnaround time. The second pattern concentrates on low memory usage and is more network friendly than the first pattern for computations at extreme scale. In our parallel implementation, we interleave OpenACC with MPI to support computations on the GPU or the CPU. The numerical solution and its formal second order of accuracy is verified using the method of manufactured solutions for various combinations of boundary conditions. Additionally, we used PittPack within an incompressible flow solver to further validate its accuracy and as well as demonstrate its versatility as a software package. We performed weak scaling analysis with up to 1.1 trillion Cartesian mesh points distributed over 16384 GPUs on a petascale leadership class supercomputer. Program Summary Program Title: PittPack Program Files doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/59ktwdby4r.1 Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License 3 Programming language: C++ Nature of problem: An elliptic Poisson’s equation for pressure arises in the numerical solution of incompressible fluid flow. This equation needs to be solved accurately to enforce conservation of mass principle. Solution method: The Poisson’s equation is discretized with a second order accurate finite difference scheme. The resulting system of linear equations is solved with a direct method that employs fast Fourier transforms in the horizontal plane and a tridiagonal matrix solver in the third direction. Additional comments including restrictions and unusual features: The mesh has to be directionally uniform. Due to adoption of FFT in the horizontal plane, the boundary conditions in each direction must be of the same type. Each direction in the horizontal plane has to be partitioned by an equal integer number such that n 2 parallel processes are deployed at run-time.
Cardiac Tamponade Secondary to IVC Filter Retrieval.

Cardiac tamponade is a rare but potentially fatal complication of inferior vena cava filter retrieval. We discuss such a case to facilitate prompt recognition and prevention of this complication by medical providers. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).
An octree-based immersogeometric approach for modeling inertial migration of particles in channels

Abstract In this paper, we develop a scalable, adaptively refined, octree-based finite element approach with immersogeometric analysis to track inertial migration of particles in microchannels. Fluid physics is modeled using a residual-based variational multiscale method, and the particle movement is modeled as rigid body motion. A parallel, hierarchically refined octree mesh is employed as the background mesh, on which a variationally consistent immersogeometric formulation is adopted for tracking the particle motion in the fluid. Adaptations of immersogeometric analysis on an octree background mesh are developed to enable efficient searching of background element for a given surface quadrature point, as well as a distribution of surface quadrature points over processors to reduce memory overhead and better parallelize the surface assembly. An octree-based adaptive mesh refinement algorithm adapted to in-out test in the immersogeometric approach is also developed. The validation of our octree-based immersogeometric approach is carried out using a benchmark case of a sphere settling in quiescent fluid, with good agreement presented. In addition, good strong (and weak) scalability on supercomputing resources for this benchmark case up to 16,384 processes is demonstrated. The proposed method is further deployed for exploring particle migration in straight and converging-diverging channels. This example illustrates the potential of the octree-based immersogeometric approach for efficiently tracking particle motion in complex channel flows – a problem with a diverse array of applications.
New Cascaded Converter Topologies for Transformerless Galvanic Active Isolation

This paper presents two novel power converters that realize galvanic isolation by utilizing active transistor devices instead of conventional transformers. The power converters employ standard boost-buck and buck-boost topologies but isolate the ground connections with the addition of active switches on the ground side of the power path. Compared to transformer isolation, the active isolated converter has reduced size and cost with increased efficiency. The paper includes a detailed discussion of circuit operating principles, modeling, analysis, simulation, and experimental results that correlate to expected results. Both uni- and bi-polar isolated versions of the 5V-to-7V, 15W boost-buck topology are prototyped and shown to have almost identical properties as their non-isolated counterparts. The unipolar isolated converter is used to provide the +/-12V dual supply in a half-bridge 15W inverter application. Galvanic isolation is validated by measurement of common-mode current between converter input and output ground.
Smart-ORF: a single-molecule method for accessing ribosome dynamics in both upstream and main open reading frames.

Upstream open reading frame (uORF) translation disrupts scanning 43S flux on mRNA and modulates main open reading frame (mORF) translation efficiency. Current tools, however, have limited access to ribosome dynamics in both upstream and main ORFs of an mRNA. Here, we develop a new two-color in vitro fluorescence assay, Smart-ORF, that monitors individual uORF and mORF translation events in real-time with single-molecule resolution. We demonstrate the utility of Smart-ORF by applying it to uORF-encoded arginine attenuator peptide (AAP)-mediated translational regulation. The method enabled quantification of uORF and mORF initiation efficiencies, 80S dwell time, polysome formation, and the correlation between uORF and mORF translation dynamics. Smart-ORF revealed that AAP-mediated 80S stalling in the uORF stimulates the uORF initiation efficiency and promotes clustering of slower uORF-translating ribosomes. This technology provides a new tool that can reveal previously uncharacterized dynamics of uORF-containing mRNA translation.
Chipping away at Jim Crow: Matthew Van Meter, Deep Delta Justice: A Black Teen, His Lawyer, and Their Groundbreaking Battle for Civil Rights in the South. New York: Little, Brown 2020. viii+290pp. Notes. Bibl. Ind. $28. ISBN 978-0-316-43503-1.

A commonplace racial incident can generate constitutional consequences. When a traveller whom Louisiana law had classified as a Negro boarded the wrong section of a railroad car, his arrest eventua...
Probability Distributions with Infinite Moments

The functional integral representation of traditional Euclidean field theory is based on the existence of Gaussian functional integrals. Perturbation theory then consists of calculating the moments of what may be thought of as a Gaussian probability distribution functional. At the Cargese Summer School, S.K. Foong discussed functional integrals based upon the Poisson distribution and how these may be applied to problems in wave propagation. This opens the door to thinking about the possible significance of other distributions to certain physical processes. Question: Can we learn something about notoriously non-renormalizable field theories such as gravity by studying distributions such as the Levy distribution, which has infinite moments? That is, can we rephrase the questions away from what we expect from the traditional moments of a Gaussian?
Tacit Collusion in Price-Setting Duopoly Markets: Experimental Evidence

We study the effect of demand structure on the ability of subjects to tacitly collude on prices by considering Bertrand substitutes and Bertrand complements. We find evidence of collusion in the complements treatment, but no such evidence in the substitutes treatment. This finding is somewhat in contrast with Potters and Suetens (2007) who observe tacit collusion in two treatments with similar underlying demand structures but with no market context.
Tempering of 2.25 Cr-1 Mo Steel and HT-9 Steel to Reduce Liquid-Metal-Induced Embrittlement Susceptibility in 17Li-83Pb Liquid

Recent inertial confinement fusion reactor designs utilize liquid 17Li-83Pb blankets to absorb the neutron and thermal fluxes. One of the crucial concerns of these designs is the compatibility of structural alloys with this lithium-lead alloy, especially because of this liquid's possible propensity for embrittling materials. Current candidate pressure vessel steels for liquid lithium or lithium-lead containment are the Cr-Mo steels such as HT-9 (12 Cr-1 Mo), 2.25 Cr-1 Mo, and niobium-stabilized 2.25 Cr-1 Mo. This investigation therefore aimed at characterizing the lithium-lead embrittlement susceptibility of the weldments of these steels subjected to a 17Li-83Pb liquid. Results of these embrittlement studies have shown that as-welded heat-affected zones of low phosphorus and sulfur 2.25 Cr-1 Mo, niobium-stabilized 2.25 Cr-1 Mo, and HT-9 steels all exhibit liquid-metal-induced embrittlement susceptibility when subjected to a 17Li-83Pb liquid. The embrittlement, however, was found to be very dependent on post-weld heat treatment. Normally extensive post-weld heat treatments greatly ameliorate the 17Li-83Pb embrittlement, rendering these steels acceptable for 17Li-83Pb containment.
LSMAC: An improved load sharing network service dispatcher

The rapid growth of the Internet is changing the way we do business. Electronic Commerce (or E-Commerce) is already a reality and will expand rapidly in the near future. However, the success of E-Commerce depends heavily on the scalability and availability of the servers. Cluster-based servers using commodity hardware have been accepted as a good alternative to expensive specialized hardware for building scalable services. In this paper, we summarize the two clustering architectures: IP-based clustering and MAC-based clustering. A new efficient implementation of the MAC-based clustering architecture is presented and its performance in clustering Web servers was measured using the WebStone benchmark and was found to be superior to that of existing MAC-based clustering implementations.
Comparative life expectancy in Africa

For health outcomes, is poverty destiny? The authors explore this question for life expectancy in Africa, where health outcomes are positively correlated with income, but where the link is far from uniform. The key variables associated with good health outcomes (controlling for health expenditures) are access rates - to health services, to clean water and sanitation, and to education, particularly for women. Health expenditure, either as percentage of GNP or per capita, is not a good predictor of health outcomes (endogeneity aside). The tenuous link among health expenditures, health service outputs, and health outcomes suggests marked differences in the mapping from spending to services and from services to outcomes. While few conclusions can be drawn on the aggregate level, the patterns raise questions about what share of public expenditure should be devoted to preventive as opposed to curative measures, and the relative importance of sanitation infrastructure versus traditional health care.
Assessment of liver histology in chronic alcoholics with and without hepatitis C virus infection.

Patients with alcoholic liver disease have a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The histological appearances of the liver in patients with alcoholic liver disease and HCV infection are well described. However, liver histology in individuals with dual pathology, both chronic alcohol abuse and HCV infection, is less well understood. The purpose of the present study was to examine this issue and to determine if there is any correlation between specific histological features and the serum biochemical abnormalities seen in these patients. Eighty-six chronic alcoholics, 65 with HCV infection and 21 uninfected subjects, were included in the study. All patients had history of heavy alcohol abuse (consuming 80 g or more of ethanol a day for at least 10 years). The following data were collected on each patient: demographic information (age, gender, race), the amount and duration of alcohol intake, biochemical results, and liver biopsy abnormalities including the histological activity index (HAI) score. HCV-infected alcoholics were younger (P = 0.05) and were more often African American than Caucasian (P < 0.01). Alcohol consumption was significantly greater in uninfected alcoholics compared to those with HCV infection (P < 0.05). Liver histology in subjects with HCV infection showed higher HAI scores for intralobular necrosis (P = 0.008) and periportal inflammation (P = 0.004). Features of “chronic hepatitis” and focal lymphoid aggregates were more frequent in HCV-infected alcoholics (P = 0.001 for each). By contrast, cirrhosis was present in a higher proportion of uninfected alcoholics compared to those with HCV infection (P = 0.05). Histological findings of hepatic fibrosis and total HAI score showed a significant correlation with serum albumin and platelet count in HCV-infected alcoholics. Chronic alcoholics with HCV infection have specific histological appearances that can usually help distinguish these patients from uninfected alcoholics. Correlation analysis indicates that of the various laboratory tests, serum albumin and platelet counts are the best predictors of the severity of liver damage at histology. In chronic alcoholics, the development of cirrhosis is related more to the amount of alcohol consumed than to the presence of HCV infection.
Normality and dense subspaces

In the first section of this paper, using certain powerful results in Cp-theory, we show that there exists a nice linear topological space X of weight ω 1 such that no dense subspace of X is normal. In the second and third sections a natural generalization of normality, called dense normality, is considered. In particular, it is shown in section 2 that the space R c is not normal on some countable dense subspace of it, while it is normal on some other dense subspace. An example of a Tychonoff space X, which is not densely normal on a dense separable metrizable subspace, is constructed. In section 3, a link between dense normality and relative countable compactness is established. In section 4 the result of section 1 is extended to densely normal spaces.
Preliminary Study of a Polymer-Based Microfluidic Device for Detecting Distributed Shear Loads

This paper reports on a polymer-based microfluidic device for detecting distributed shear loads. This device is comprised of a symmetric 3D polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructure, two electrolyte-filled microchannels embedded underneath the microstructure, and a set of electrode pairs distributed along the length of each microchannel. In conjunction with its electrode pairs, one body of electrolyte in each microchannel functions as distributed resistive transducers along the microchannel length. The 3D microstructure is built into a rectangular block with a narrow shear-loading bump on its top. The edges of the bump are aligned right at the width centers of the two microchannels. Thus, distributed shear loads acting on the bump translate to normal loads of opposite directions on the tops of the two microchannels, and consequently opposite geometrical changes in the microchannels, which register as resistance changes by the distributed resistive transducers. Together with a CNC mold, a two-mask photolithographic fabrication process is employed to fabricate a prototype device. The fabricated device is tested using a custom experimental setup. The experimental results validate the design concept of the device and further show that the device exhibits a linear response to shear loads with good repeatability.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Temporal difference method for multi-step prediction: application to power load forecasting

The authors discuss a power load forecasting system based on a temporal difference (TD) method. The temporal difference method is a class of statistical learning procedure specialized for future prediction. The conventional back propagation (BP) has been successfully applied to power load forecasting in a one-to-one single-step prediction manner. The authors adopt a method which can gradually improve its prediction accuracy through the time evolution. In addition, a modified temporal difference (MTD) method which uses a different error function is evaluated and compared with the original one. >
Electrostatic Doping-Induced Phonon Shift of Metallic Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Confocal Raman microscopy is used to record the Raman spectra of a metallic single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) exposed to ambient air under electrostatic gating. Significant and irreversible changes in the carbon-carbon stretching modes (G band) Raman spectrum of the tube are observed. The gate dependent frequency shift and line broadening of the G band spectrum exhibit a much larger magnitude as well as a hysteresis behavior compared to the previous similar Raman scattering studies of individual nanotubes placed in vacuum. G band Raman spectra similar to those of typical semiconducting tubes are resolved when the metallic tube is highly doped, allowing for the observation of gradual evolution of the G band spectrum from a semiconducting type to the typical broad Fano type. Such observation reveals evidence of phonon interaction between the G band modes having same frequency. Raman spectroscopy is promising as a noninvasive tool to probe charge transfer doping in carbon nanotubes.
A truly meshless pre- and post-processor for meshless analysis methods

Abstract In recent years, meshless methods have been developed to eliminate the known drawbacks in finite element methods. Generating the input file for a meshless method and interpreting the output obtained can be difficult without graphical pre-processing and post-processing support. Unfortunately, most existing pre- and post-processing techniques are based on using an underlying finite element mesh or finite difference grid. Since meshless methods have neither, new approaches are required for providing this support for meshless methods. In this paper, a pre-processor and a post-processor are presented for the meshless method using node-based and pixel-based approaches as opposed to an element-based approach. Pre-processing supports for automated generation of nodes, support domains, and sub-domains along with local refining are also included. An extensive example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the given pre-processor and post-processor.
Mesenteric vascular remodeling in hyperhomocysteinemia.

Remodeling by its very nature implies synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix components (such as elastin, collagen, and connexins). Most of the vascular matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) are latent because of the presence of constitutive nitric oxide (NO). However, during oxidative stress peroxinitrite (ONOO–) activates the latent MMPs and instigates vascular remodeling. Interestingly, in mesenteric artery, homocysteine (Hcy) decreases the NO bio-availability, and folic acid (FA, an Hcy-lowering agent) mitigates the Hcy-mediated mesentery artery dysfunction. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-2 (DDAH-2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) increases NO production. The hypothesis was that the Hcy decreased NO bio-availability, in part, activating MMP, decreasing elastin, DDAH-2, eNOS and increased vasomotor response by increasing connexin. To test this hypothesis,the authors used 12-week-old C57BJ/L6 wild type (WT) and hyperhomocysteinemic (HHcy)-cystathione beta synthase heterozygote knockout (CBS+/−) mice. Blood pressure measurements were made by radio-telemetry. WT and MMP-9 knockout mice were administered with Hcy (0.67 mg/ml in drinking water). Superior mesenteric artery and mesenteric arcade were analyzed with light and confocal microscopy. The protein expressions were measured by western blot analysis. The mRNA levels for MMP-9 were measured by RT-PCR. The data showed decreased DDAH-2 and eNOS expressions in mesentery in CBS−/+ mice compared with WT mice. Immuno-fluorescence and western blot results suggest increased MMP-9 and connexin-40 expression in mesenteric arcades of CBS−/+ mice compared with WT mice. The wall thickness of third-order mesenteric artery was increased in CBS−/+ mice compared to WT mice. Hcy treatment increased blood pressure in WT mice. Interestingly, in MMP-9 KO, Hcy did not increase blood pressure. These results may suggest that HHcy causes mesenteric artery remodeling and narrowing by activating MMP-9 and decreasing DDAH-2 and eNOS expressions, compromising the blood flow, instigating hypertension, and acute abdomen pain.
The use of mineral crystals as bio-markers in the search for life on Mars

Abstract Photographs that depict presumed fluvial features on the martian surface have led geologists to hypothesize that water flowed across the early martian terrain. From this, it has been further hypothesized that the surface and atmospheric conditions on early Mars were similar to those on early Earth. Because the oldest fossil evidence of life on Earth dates back to this early period, at least 3.5 billion years ago /1/, the possibility exists that the early Martian environment could have also been conducive to the origin of life. To investigate this possibility, universal signatures or bio-markers indicative of past (or present) biological activity must be identified for use in the search for life on Mars. Several potentially applicable biomarkers have been identified and include: organics (e.g., specific classes of lipids and hopanes), suites of specific inorganic and organic compounds, as well as the isotopic ratios of C, N, and S /2/. Unfortunately, all of these biomarkers may be biologic or abiotic origin; these origins are often difficult to distinguish. Thus, the discovery of any one of these compounds alone is not a bio-marker. Because minerals produced under biologic control have distinctive crystallographies, morphologies, and isotopic ratios that are distinguishable from abiotically produced minerals with the same chemical composition, and are stable through geologic time, we propose the use of minerals resulting from biologically controlled mineralization processes as bio-markers.
Factors effecting film thickness in glass capillary chromatographic columns coated by the “Mercury Plug” method

The “Mercury Plug” Dynamic (MPD) method, recently introduced for the coating of glass capillary columns, has several advantages over other methods. However, while general rules governing the film thickness in both the “static” and the conventional dynamic coating methods have been intensively studied, this in not the case for the MPD method. In this paper, the effect of several parameters determining the film thickness were studied. The volumetric method applied to measure the film thickness was found to be faster and more accurate than the chromatographic methods used by other authors. The effect of viscosity of the coating solution and the velocity of the plug were studied in detail and as a result it was found that the same type of equation as the one describing the film thickness in the dynamic method, was applicable also to the MPD technique. A model is suggested to explain this result.
The possible influence of temporal factors in androgenic responsiveness of urogenital tissue recombinants from wild-type and androgen-insensitive (Tfm) mice.

Tissue recombinants of epithelium and stroma from embryonic and neonatal urogenital rudiments derived from wild-type and femininized (Tfm/Y) mice were grown as grafts in intact male hosts and analyzed morphologically for androgenic response. When mesenchyme of embryonic wild-type urogenital sinus (UGS) was associated with epithelium from embryonic wild-type bladder (B), the epithelium developed into glandular structures resembling prostate. In the reciprocal recombinant (B mesenchyme + UGS epithelium) the response was mixed, half of the recombinants exhibited bladder morphology and half exhibited prostatic-like morphology. Vaginal-like histogenesis occurred in UGS recombinants of androgen-insensitive Tfm/Y mesenchyme and wild-type epithelium, while prostatic morphology developed in reciprocal recombinants of wild-type mesenchyme and Tfm/Y epithelium. These observations demonstrate (1) that the presence of wild-type mesenchyme appears essential for expression of androgen-dependent morphogenesis during embryonic periods; and (2) that Tfm/Y epithelium is capable of participating in an androgenic response. Conversely, in similar recombinants prepared with neonatal tissues, the presence of wild-type urogenital stroma may not be required for expression of certain androgen-dependent phenomena since maintenance of the height and cytodifferentiation of ductus deferens epithelium occurs even when this epithelium is associated with Tfm/Y urogenital stroma. It appears, therefore, that the requirement of urogenital epithelium for wild-type (androgen sensitive) stroma may vary temporally.
Iterative Reconstructions in Irregular Sampling With Derivatives

Finite energy band-limited functions are reconstructed iteratively from nonuniform sample values of the functions and its derivatives. It is shown that the maximum gap allowed between the sampling points increases linearly with the number of derivatives considered. Moreover, a more precise result is presented for the first derivative case and another reconstruction of the functions using the frame algorithm is deduced.
Inconsistency of scale-invariant curvature coupled to gravity.

We show that the scale-invariant curvature action for paths, the point-particle version of Polyakov's extrinsic-curvature action for surfaces, does not couple consistently to gravity. The curvature action for paths yields a massless representation of the Poincar\'e group with fixed helicity and so potentially provides a description of single photons and gravitons. We present a physical interpretation of the inconsistency in terms of the nonlocalizability of the photon and point out a conceptual kinship with the local supersymmetry of a spinning particle.
Cancer risk among elderly persons with end-stage renal disease: a population-based case–control study

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have elevated cancer risk. Cancer risk increases with age, but associations of ESRD with specific malignancies are incompletely studied for older individuals. We conducted a population-based case–control study (1,029,695 cancer and 99,610 controls) among the U.S. elderly using SEER-Medicare linked data. We defined ESRD as presence of dialysis claims in the 3 months prior to selection. Although ESRD was not associated with excess cancer risk overall (odds ratio 1.02; 95%CI 0.91-1.14), risk was specifically increased for cancers of the stomach (1.45; 1.16-1.81), small intestine (1.92; 1.27-2.92), colon (1.17; 1.00-1.36), liver (1.53; 1.16-2.01), biliary tract (1.78; 1.20-2.65), lung (1.17; 1.02-1.34), cervix (2.12; 1.39-3.23), kidney (2.42; 2.01-2.92), and for multiple myeloma (1.77; 1.40-2.24) and chronic myeloid leukemia (1.74; 1.08-2.80). The association between liver cancer and ESRD was attenuated upon adjustment for hepatitis B and C infection or diabetes mellitus. Multiple myeloma risk was highest with short ESRD duration (p < 0.0001), possibly reflecting reverse causality, while kidney cancer risk showed a borderline rise over time (p = 0.08). Among elderly individuals with ESRD, the excess risks for some cancers may reflect immune dysfunction or a high prevalence of other risk factors, such as viral infections or diabetes mellitus. Our results underscore the need for studying biological pathways of carcinogenesis in ESRD.
Collagen-Platelet Composites Improve the Biomechanical Properties of Healing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Grafts in a Porcine Model:

BackgroundThe outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is variable, and many patients have increased joint laxity postoperatively.HypothesisPlacement of a collagen-platelet composite (CPC) around the graft at the time of ACL reconstruction decreases postoperative knee laxity and improves the structural properties of the graft compared with standard ACL reconstruction.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsThirteen immature pigs underwent unilateral ACL reconstruction with a bone–patellar tendon–bone allograft. In 6 pigs, a standard allograft was used to reconstruct the ACL. In 7 pigs, a CPC was placed around the allograft. After 15 weeks of healing, the animals were euthanized, and the anterior-posterior (AP) knee laxity and structural properties of the graft were measured. Qualitative histology of the grafts was also performed.ResultsThe AP laxity values of the reconstructed knees, normalized to the contralateral control, were significantly reduced by 28% and 57% at 60° and 90° ...