cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Joint Carrier Aggregation Group Formation and Interference Alignments for Femtocell in LTE-A

The customer-installed femtocell is considered an efficient technique for solving the coverage and data rate problems inside buildings. In this letter, we introduce a component carrier (CC) group selection mechanism that helps the femtocells to find the optimal carrier aggregation (CA) for a long term evolution-advanced network, relies on the principle of distribution architecture. This mechanism is adopted from cellular manufacturing systems for the machine-part formation problem. By optimizing the CA selection, the proposed scheme can avoid the interference among femtocells and eNodeBs, maximize the system spectral efficiency, and enhance the coverage. A self-organization model for minimizing the variance between the CCs within the CA groups is introduced, where a novel interference threshold calculation is derived to bias the selection of the optimal group.
The Impact of 9/11 on the Self-Employment Outcomes of Arab and Muslim Immigrants:

This paper examines the effects of 9/11 on the self-employment outcomes of Arab and Muslim immigrants. Using CPS Data 2000–2005 and a difference-in-differences approach, I analyze the changes in th...
Engraftment and Survival Following Non-Myeloablative Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Malignant Diseases Is Affected by CD8 + T-Cell Dose.

The influence of graft composition on clinical outcomes after non-myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation is not well characterized. In this report we evaluated the influence of CD34 + , CD3 + , CD4 + , and CD8 + cell doses on donor engraftment, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), freedom from progression (FFP), and overall survival (OS). Patients (n=63) were given total body irradiation 200 cGy (n=8) or total body irradiation 200 cGy plus fludarabine (n=55) followed by allografting with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cell (G-PBMC). The median age was 53 years, and donors were HLA-identical siblings (n=38) or HLA-matched unrelated individuals (n=25). Almost all patient were treated for a hematologic malignancy (n=60), with 30 patients (48%) characterized as having advanced diseases. G-PBMC cell doses were prospectively enumerated by FACS analysis at the time of collection. Median donor G-PBMC cell doses were 7.4x10 6 CD34 + /kg (range: 1.9–17.7), 3.2x10 8 CD3 + /kg (range: 0.8–6.4), 2.1x10 8 CD4 + /kg (range: 0.4–4.1), and 1.1x10 8 CD8 + /kg (range: 0.2–3.4). By univariate analysis only G-PBMC CD8 + T-cell dose ≥ the 50 th percentile favorably correlated with attainment of full donor blood T-cell chimerism ( P = .03). The incidences of grade 2–4 acute GVHD was 16.3% (95% CI: 6.9–25.8) and extensive chronic GVHD was 42.9% (95% CI: 27.8–57.9). No G-PBMC cell dose significantly influenced grade 2–4 acute or extensive chronic GVHD. With a median follow-up of 13 months (range: 5–45), estimates for FFP was 53.7% (95% CI: 37.7–69.7) and OS was 33.4% (95% CI: 17.4–49.4). G-PBMC CD8 + T-cell dose ≥ the 50 th percentile T-cell dose was favorably prognostic for both FFP ( P = .001) and OS ( P = .01). Survival curves for FFP and OS are shown in Figure 1. Extensive chronic GVHD also predicted better FFP ( P = .02), but in multivariate analysis only G-PBMC CD8 + T-cell dose ( P = .004; RR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1–0.6) was associated with improved FFP. Infusion of low G-PBMC CD8 + T-cell dose for non-myeloablative allografting with total body irradiation 200 cGy plus fludarabine may adversely affect donor T-cell engraftment, disease progression and survival outcomes.
Prion Transfection of Yeast

Transfection of yeast with amyloid filaments, made from recombinant protein or prepared from extracts of cells infected with a prion, has become an important method in characterizing yeast prions. Here, we describe a method for transmission of [URE3] with Ure2p amyloid that is based on a previously published protocol for transfection with Sup35p filaments to make cells [PSI+]. This method may be used for other prions by changing just the amyloid source, host strain, and plating medium.
Diminished Trust of Healthcare Providers, Risky Lifestyle Behaviors, and Low Use of Health Services: A Descriptive Study of Rural Adolescents.

The purpose of our study was to determine the extent to which individual characteristic variables predict trust of healthcare provider (HCP), lifestyle behaviors, and use of health services among a...
Outcomes of Ureteroscopic Stone Treatment in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective To evaluate the association of clinical factors on outcomes in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) undergoing ureteroscopy. Immobility, recurrent urinary tract infection, and lower urinary tract dysfunction contribute to renal stone formation in patients with SCI. Ureteroscopy is a commonly utilized treatment modality; however, surgical complication rates and outcomes have been poorly defined. Evidence guiding safe and effective treatment of stones in this cohort remains scarce. Methods Records were retrospectively reviewed for patients with SCI who underwent ureteroscopy for kidney stones from 1996 to 2014 at a single institution. Multivariate relationships were evaluated using a general estimating equation model. Results Forty-six patients with SCI underwent a total of 95 ureteroscopic procedures. After treatment, stone-free rate was 17% and 20% with Conclusion In patients with SCI, higher injury level and complete SCI were associated with worse stone clearance and more complications. Stone-free rate was 17%. Overall, flexible ureteroscopy is a relatively safe procedure in this population. Alternative strategies should be considered after failed ureteroscopy.
SystemT: Declarative Text Understanding for Enterprise

The rise of enterprise applications over unstructured and semi-structured documents poses new challenges to text understanding systems across multiple dimensions. We present SystemT, a declarative text understanding system that addresses these challenges and has been deployed in a wide range of enterprise applications. We highlight the design considerations and decisions behind SystemT in addressing the needs of the enterprise setting. We also summarize the impact of SystemT on business and education.
Fixation Versus No Fixation in Laparoscopic TEP and TAPP

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair can be done extraperitoneally and transabdominally. The two techniques are comparable. There are many variations with each technique. A balloon can be used aide with the dissection. Alternatively, dissection can be done bluntly. Mesh used can be simple Prolene mesh of varying weights or a mesh that conforms to the inguinal anatomy. The fixation of mesh is thought by many to be necessary to prevent recurrence. But fixation may increase the risk of complications. This chapter will review the extraperitoneal and transperitoneal laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia, specifically related to fixation and nonfixation.
The First Main Theorem

As we mentioned in the introduction, the basis for Nevanlinna’s theory are his two “main” theorems. This chapter discusses the first and easier of the two.
The Canine Model of Narcolepsy

Although the canine narcoleptic model significantly contributed to the understanding of the etiological and pathophysiological aspects of the disease, one of major missions (identifying the narcolepsy gene) using this animal model was over. The indispensable value of the sporadic hypocretin ligand deficit narcoleptic dogs is high, but it is difficult to obtain enough of these animals for systematic studies. Hcrtr-2 mutated narcoleptic dogs are still useful for various pharmacological and physiological experiments, but some of the studies will be taken over by experiments using rodent models (especially for the experiments focusing on cell transplantation or gene therapy).
Single-molecule fluorescence observed with mercury lamp illumination.

We demonstrate that it is possible to observe single fluorescent molecules using a standard fluorescence microscope with mercury lamp excitation and an inexpensive cooled charge-coupled device (CCD...
Revolutionary Mexico and the world economy

Obregon and Calles encountered intense but disunited resistance at home and abroad. They responded with land and labor reforms to coopt campesinos and urban workers, thereby undercutting popular opposition and enlisting the masses in the campaign against regionalist bosses, Porfirian oligarchs, and foreign investors. These populist alliances helped the Sonoran diarchy build more loyal and professional military and civilian bureaucracies, which in turn helped regulate local and metropolitan firms, increase and stabilize tax revenues, and develop the economy's infrastructure. Following Obregon assasination in 1928, Calles forestalled collapse by integrating many military and civilian bosses into a central party organization. Yet the state remained only partially consolidated. At the end of the Calles administration, regionalist cliques retained considerable political autonomy, and a major campesino rebellion challenged federal authority. Furthermore, dependence on foreign petroleum and mining companies limited government revenue and spending. In mid-1927, Calles inaugurated several years of conservative domestic policies and open collaboration with North Americans. But Calles did not purge all progressive elements from the state machinery. His quest for political stability led him to enroll in the official party many elites who depended on mass followings and who opposed the rightward shift of government policy. During the Great Depression, these elites formed a coalition with intellectuals, small business, and the lower classes that after electing Lazaro Cardenas president, ended Callista hegemony and undertook far-reaching reforms. Thus the Cardenistas completed what Obregon and Calles had begun: the Mexican state's transformation from the poorly centralized oligarchic structure of the Porfiriato to the highly centralized, mass-inclusionary structure of the postrevolutionary era. In the next decade, Mexico joined the ranks of the world's intermediate, “semiperipheral” economies thanks to import-substitution and metropolitan capital. Since then, Mexican governments have maintained political stability and spurred industrialization by steering a pragmatic course between reformism and conservatism, nationalism and collaborationism.
Self-triggered Asynchronous Optical Sampling Terahertz Spectroscopy using a Bidirectional Mode-locked Fiber Laser.

We report a self-triggered asynchronous optical sampling terahertz spectroscopy system based on a single bidirectional mode-locked fiber laser and plasmonics-enhanced photoconductive nanoantennas. The fiber laser generates two optical mutually coherent pulse trains with a stable repetition rate difference, enabling time-domain terahertz spectroscopy without using any mechanical delay line, stabilization electronics, or external trigger. The resolved terahertz spectra over a 0.1–2 THz frequency range and a 30-second measurement time show more than a 70-dB dynamic range, revealing water absorption lines matching the HITRAN database, through a light-weight and compact spectroscopy setup.
Theory of concentric β-barrel structures: models of amyloid beta 42 oligomers, annular protofibrils, and transmembrane channels

Amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides are a major contributor to Alzheimers disease. Previously, our group proposed molecular models of Abeta42 hexamers with two concentric antiparallel beta-barrels that act as seeds from which dodecamers, octadecamers, both smooth and beaded annular protofibrils, and transmembrane channels form. Since then, numerous aspects of our models have been supported by experimental findings. Here we develop a more extensive range of models to be consistent with dimensions of assemblies observed in electron microscopy images of annular protofibrils and transmembrane assemblies. These models have the following features: Dodecamers with 2-concentric beta-barrels are the major components of beaded annular protofibrils (bAPFs). These beads merge to form smooth annular protofibrils (sAPFs) that have three or four concentric beta-barrels. Channels form from two to nine hexamers. Antiparallel C-terminus S3 segments form an outer transmembrane beta-barrel. Half of the monomers of vertically asymmetric 12mer to 36mer channels form parallel transmembrane S2 beta-barrels, and S1-S2 (N-terminus and middle) segments of the other half of the monomers form aqueous domains on the cis side of the membrane. Unit cells of 42-54mers have two more transmembrane S2 segments, with four concentric beta-barrels in the transmembrane region and two concentric beta-barrels on the cis side of the membrane.
Much Ado about Nothing: The (Lack of) Economic Impact of Data Privacy Breaches

ABSTRACT In this paper, we examine the consequences of data breaches for a breached company. We find the economic consequences are, on average, very small for breached companies. On average, breach...
Enhanced mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose nanocomposites produced by co-culturing Gluconacetobacter hansenii and Escherichia coli under static conditions.

Abstract Including additives in the culture media during bacterial cellulose (BC) biosynthesis is a traditional method to produce BC-based nanocomposites. This study examines a novel fermentation process, which is to co-culture Gluconacetobacter hansenii (G. hansenii) with Escherichia coli (E. coli) under static conditions, to produce BC pellicles with enhanced mechanical properties. The mannose-rich exopolysaccharides (EPS) synthesized by E. coli were incorporated into the BC network and affected the aggregation of co-crystallized microfibrils without significantly changing the crystal sizes of BC. When co-culturing G. hansenii ATCC 23769 with E. coli ATCC 700728, which produced a low concentration of EPS at 3.3 ± 0.7 mg/L, the BC pellicles exhibited a Young’s modulus of 4,874 ± 1144 MPa and a stress at break of 80.7 ± 21.1 MPa, which are 81.9% and 79.3% higher than those of pure BC, respectively. The growth dynamics of the two co-cultured strains suggested that the production of BC and EPS were enhanced through co-culturing fermentation.
Dynamics Of Enzyme Digestion Of A Single Elastic Fiber Under Tension: An Anisotropic Diffusion Model

We study the enzymatic degradation of an elastic fiber under tension using an anisotropic randomwalk model, coupled with binding-unbinding reactions that weaken the fiber. The fiber is represented by a chain of elastic springs in series, surrounded by two layers of sites along which enzyme molecules can diffuse. Through numerical simulations we show that the fiber stiffness decreases exponentially with two distinct regimes. The time constant associated with the first regime decreases with increasing applied force, which is in agreement with published experimental data. In addition, a simple mean field calculation allows us to partition the time constant into geometrical, chemical and externally controllable factors, which is corroborated by the simulations.
Computer security and privacy in the interactions between victim service providers and human trafficking survivors

A victim service provider, or VSP, is a crucial partner in a human trafficking survivor's recovery. VSPs provide or connect survivors to resources such as medical care, legal services, employment opportunities, etc. In this work, we study VSP-survivor interactions from a computer security and privacy perspective. Through 17 semi-structured interviews with staff members at VSPs and survivors of trafficking, we surface the role technology plays in VSP-survivor interactions as well as related computer security and privacy concerns and mitigations. Our results highlight various tensions that VSPs must balance, including building trust with their clients (often by giving them as much autonomy as possible) while attempting to guide their use of technology to mitigate risks around revictimization. We conclude with concrete recommendations for computer security and privacy technologists who wish to partner with VSPs to support and empower trafficking survivors.
Abstract P2023: Perivascular Adipose Tissue Assists Arterial Stress Relaxation: Loss of Assistance in Obesity-Associated Hypertension

In health, PVAT contributes anti-contractile factors, such as adiponectin, that relax the artery. This benefit is lost in cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. We discovered that PVAT’s c...
The Objectivity of Organizational Functions

We critique the organizational account of biological functions by showing how its basis in the closure of constraints fails to be objective. While the account treats constraints as objective features of physical systems, the number and relationship of potential constraints are subject to potentially arbitrary redescription by investigators. For example, we show that self-maintaining systems such as candle flames can realize closure on a more thorough analysis of the case, contradicting the claim that these “simple” systems lack functional organization. This also raises problems for Moreno and Mossio’s associated theory of biological autonomy, which asserts that living beings are distinguished by their possession of a closed system of constraints that channel and regulate their metabolic processes.
Body Composition and Markers of Cardiometabolic Health in Transgender Youth Compared With Cisgender Youth.

Context As many as 1.8% of adolescents identify as transgender and many more seek care, yet the impact of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on cardiometabolic health is unknown. Objective To determine insulin sensitivity and body composition among transgender females (TF) and males (TM) on estradiol or testosterone, compared with cisgender females (CF) and males (CM). Design Pilot, cross-sectional study conducted from 2016-2018. Setting Academic regional transgender referral center. Participants Transgender adolescents on either testosterone or estradiol for at least 3 months were recruited. Nineteen TM were matched to 19 CM and 42 CF on pubertal stage and body mass index (BMI). Eleven TF were matched to 23 CF and 13 TF to 24 CM on age and BMI. Main outcome measures 1/[fasting insulin] and body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry). Results Total body fat was lower in TM than CF mean ± SD: (29% ± 7% vs 33% ± 7%; P = 0.002) and higher than in CM (28% ± 7% vs 24% ± 9%; P = 0.047). TM had higher lean mass than CF (68% ± 7% vs 64% ± 7%, P = 0.002) and lower than CM (69% ± 7% vs 73% ± 8%; P = 0.029). Insulin sensitivity was not different between the groups.TF had lower body fat than CF (31% ± 7% vs 35% ± 8%; P = 0.033) and higher than CM (28% ± 6% vs 20% ± 10%; P = 0.001). TF had higher lean mass than CF (66% ± 6% vs 62% ± 7%; P = 0.032) and lower than CM (69% ± 5% vs 77% ± 9%; P = 0.001). TF were more insulin resistant than CM (0.078 ± 0.025 vs 0.142 ± 0.064 mL/μU; P = 0.011). Conclusions Transgender adolescents on GAHT have significant differences in body composition compared with cisgender controls, with a body composition intermediate between BMI-matched CMs and CFs. These changes in body composition may have consequences for the cardiometabolic health of transgender adolescents. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02550431.
Exploring the Robustness of the Oil Price-Macroeconomy Relationship

This paper reexamines the oil price-macroeconomy relationship with rolling Grange r causality and structural stability tests. It finds that the relationship broke down amidst the fallin g oil prices and market collapse of the 1980s, suggesting misspecification of the oil price rathe r than a weakened relationship. Some proposed respecifications of the oil price yield considerabl e improvements, although they are not sufficient to achieve Granger causality of output unles s interest rates are excluded from the VAR. There is some support for the explanation that oi l prices affect the economy indirectly by inducing monetary policy responses, but this i s incomplete and some evidence of misspecification remains.
New trends in finite element methods

This chapter addresses both the "old" body of knowledge and the "new" trends of research and practice in FEM as applied to electromagnetics. It presents the general mathematical background and numerical components of FEM and discusses FEM formulations, discretizations, and solution procedures, mostly in the context of the higher order FEM computation. This includes the generation of curvilinear elements for higher order modeling of geometry, implementation of polynomial vector basis functions for higher order modeling of fields within the elements, and Galerkin testing method for discretizing the wave equations. The chapter focuses on the higher order FEM as the most general and versatile approach, where the low -order modeling is naturally included in the higher order FEM paradigm.
Effect of Prior Metformin Intake on First Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT Introduction Metformin has been shown in pre clinical studies to have the ability to reduce tumor growth and exert anti cancer effects. It is being tested as a part of management of breast cancer (BC) in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings and being entertained as a modality of chemoprevention in BC. We studied the effect of prior metformin intake on patients with first diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods All patients with a diagnosis of BC were identified from the Tumor Registry of our hospital, which serves the underserved population of Chicago, USA. All charts were retrospectively screened for age, tumor grade, node status at diagnosis, onset of diabetes mellitus (DM) prior to cancer diagnosis and intake of metformin including duration. Patients with a diagnosis of DM after cancer, intake of metformin less than 6 months or incomplete medical record were excluded. Difference in means was calculated using the student t-test. Results A total of 1569 patients were screened of which 133 patients were identified to have a diagnosis of DM before breast cancer and met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 95 patients were on metformin for an average 3.57 years (yrs) before BC diagnosis. Thirty-nine patients on metformin were younger than 60 yrs and 56 were older than 60 yrs age. Node positive disease was seen in 51.5% of metformin patients compared to 49% DM patients not on metformin (p = NS). However in patients younger than 60 yrs, node positive disease was seen in 66% of metformin patients compared to 86% non-metformin patients. The young patients on metformin had an average grade of 2.38 compared to non-metformin patients whose average grade was 2.83 (p = 0.02). More patients in young non-metformin group were Her2-neu positive (43%) compared to 23% in young metformin group. In older patients more non-metformin patients had triple negative disease (20%) compared to 9% in metformin group. Conclusions Prior metformin use may have a possible positive effect in patients with initial diagnosis of BC. This effect seems more pronounced in patients younger than 60 yrs of age where metformin intake was associated with a statistically significant reduction in tumor grade with a trend towards reduction in node positive disease and Her2 positivity. Further studies are needed to clarify the potential protective role of metformin in this younger group. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Funding the Collections: At Whose Cost?

Collections librarians are using entrepreneurial thinking to meet the challenge of offering more resources from static, or smaller, budgets. A range of recent publications reveal an impressive rang...
Laboratory Assays Used to Rank Potato Cultivar Tolerance to Blackleg Showed That Tuber Vacuum Infiltration Results Correlate With Field Observations

Seed potato certification data collected in Colorado from 2012 to 2016 was used to rank potato cultivar tolerance to blackleg. Five cultivars with different tolerance levels to blackleg ('Chipeta' ≈ 'Alegria' ≈ 'Lamoka' < 'Classic Russet' < 'Yukon Gem') were tested to determine whether we could validate field data with laboratory assays. A strain isolated from Colorado, Pectobacterium atrosepticum CW1-4, and the P. atrosepticum type strain, 33260, were used to inoculate plants through vacuum infiltration of tubers or stem inoculation. Disease was assessed with time-lapse video and by measuring lesion length and disease incidence. After vacuum infiltration of tubers with P. atrosepticum CW1-4 and 33260, cultivars varied in tolerance to soft rot ('Lamoka' < 'Classic Russet' < 'Alegria' ≈ 'Yukon Gem' < 'Chipeta'). Blackleg tolerance of the five cultivars also varied after vacuum infiltration ('Lamoka' < 'Alegria' ≈ 'Chipeta' < 'Classic Russet' ≈ 'Yukon Gem'). All cultivars were susceptible after stem inoculation with either strain. In this assay, 'Chipeta' had the longest lesions, and 'Lamoka' had the smallest lesions. Time-lapse video was used to assess 'Classic Russet' and 'Yukon Gem.' 'Yukon Gem' developed disease symptoms faster than 'Classic Russet,' but the difference was not significant. These results indicate that relative susceptibility of the five cultivars to P. atrosepticum depends on the assay used and that laboratory and greenhouse results differed from field observations.
A Multiplexed Electrochemical Measurement System for Characterization of Implanted Electrodes

Microelectrode arrays are important tools that enable a wide range of neuroscience experiments, as well as emerging medical applications of neuroprosthetics and neuromodulation. Design-oriented characterization of electrodes provides information that is important for system optimization and for improving longevity in applications. Of specific interest is electrode impedance and noise across frequency, because these aspects have direct implications for neural recording performance. The time required to perform electrochemical measurements is a major limitation, because each electrode must be characterized individually. A solution is to use a single multiplexed circuit to simultaneously measure multiple electrodes. This report describes the design and in vivo test results of an electrochemical potentiostat system that rapidly multiplexes through electrodes, reducing measurement time for impedance spectroscopy by ∼8× at frequencies relevant to neural signals (<7.5 kHz). The system was used to gather in vivo characterization data from a microwire array implanted in rodent cortex, and the results are compared to a gold standard bench-top instrument.
CXCR5-CXCL13 expression regulates cellular mechanisms involved in prostate cancer cell invasion and correlates with prostate cancer progression

289 Chemokine-chemokine receptor interactions play significant roles in prostate cancer metastasis. Here we show that CXCR5 is functionally expressed by prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and PC3). Correspondingly, the ligand for CXCR5, CXCL13, was secreted by bone marrow (endothelial, osteoblast, and osteoclast) cells due to the host response following prostatic neoplasia and is elevated in patients with prostate cancer, compared to those with PIN or hyperplasia. Both LNCaP and PC3 cell lines express higher levels of CXCR5 than normal prostatic epithelial cells (PrEC). After CXCL13-engagement, prostate cancer cells displayed a higher migration and invasive potential in vitro, which was significantly reduced by CXCR5 blockade. CXCL13 also increased collagenases (MMP-1 and -13), stromelysins (MMP-3 and -10), and gelatinases (MMP-2 and -9) expression by both LNCaP and PC3 cell lines. Our data also suggest that CXCL13-induced motility, invasion, and firm (bone endothelial) cell adhesion by prostate cancer cells is only partially sensitive to pertussis toxin and PI3K inhibition, resulting in predominant Src kinase, moderate PI3K and FAK, but not NFkB, activation. These data suggest that the expression of CXCR5 by prostate carcinomas and CXCL13 by bone marrow cells affects migration, invasion and MMP expression for prostate cancer progression. In addition, the ability to detect CXCL13 in patient serum may represent a new method for monitoring prostate cancers progression. [Supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants MD000525, CA092078, CA098912 and RR03034]
Sub-chronic microcystin-LR renal toxicity in rats fed a high fat/high cholesterol diet

Abstract Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a liver and kidney toxin produced by cyanobacteria. Recently, it was demonstrated that MCLR exposure drives the progression of high fat/high cholesterol (HFHC) induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to a more severe state. NAFLD is also a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the current study investigated MCLR renal toxicity in the context of an HFHC diet. Sprague Dawley rats were fed either a control diet or an HFHC diet for 10 weeks. After 6 weeks of diet, animals were administered either vehicle, 10 μg/kg, or 30 μg/kg MCLR via intraperitoneal injection every other day for 4 weeks. HFHC diet alone increased the renal glomerular change histopathology score, and 30 μg/kg MCLR exposure increased this score in both the control group and the HFHC group. In contrast, 30 μg/kg MCLR caused greater proteinuria and cast formation and decreased protein phosphatase 1 and 2A protein expression in the HFHC group. Urinary excretion of KIM-1 increased, but albumin and tamm-horsfall protein did not change after MCLR exposure. The general concordance between KIM-1, polyuria, proteinuria, and renal casts after MCLR exposure suggests that proximal tubule cell damage contributed to these connected pathologies. The control group adapted to repeated MCLR exposure by increasing the urinary elimination of MCLR and its metabolites, whereas this adaptation was blunted in the HFHC group. These data suggest an HFHC diet may increase the severity of certain MCLR-elicited renal toxicities.
Antenna-coupled thermal kinetic inductance detectors for ground-based millimeter-wave cosmology

We present our design for antenna-coupled thermal kinetic inductance detectors (TKIDs) designed for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations in the 150 GHz band. The next generation of telescopes studying the CMB will require large arrays of detectors on cryogenic focal planes to achieve high sensitivity at the cost of increased integration and readout complexity. TKIDs have demonstrated photon-limited noise performance comparable to traditional bolometers with a radiofrequency (RF) multiplexing architecture that enables the large detector counts needed. We characterize TKIDs fabricated for observing the CMB in a frequency band centered at 150 GHz and discuss the optical performance. These devices are a critical step towards fielding a Keck Array camera with 512 devices on the focal plane at the South Pole.
Effect of obesity on mortality among hospitalized paediatric patients with severe sepsis.

INTRODUCTION Severe sepsis is one of the leading causes of mortality among children. Studies in adults have suggested a protective effect of obesity on mortality among patients hospitalized with sepsis. Paediatric studies evaluating similar relationship is lacking. METHODS We analysed non-overlapping years of the Kids Inpatient Database (KID) and National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2003 and 2014 of all paediatric patients with severe sepsis (PSS) up to 20 years of age. PSS was defined using specific International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes and modified Angus criteria. Using ICD-9 diagnosis codes, patients were divided into three mutually exclusive groups (obesity, morbid obesity and control groups), and these groups were compared for outcomes measures including in-hospital mortality and healthcare resource utilization using the length of stay and inflation-adjusted hospitalization charges. RESULTS We analysed 109 026 hospitalizations due to PSS. The prevalence rate of obesity was 1.5% (n = 1643), and morbid obesity was 1.05% (n = 1147). Multivariate regression models showed obesity was associated with 63% (OR 0.37, CI: 0.29-0.47, p < 0.001) and 54% reduction in mortality among PSS patients and patients with septic shock respectively. Contrastingly, morbid obesity was not associated with mortality among PSS patients and but was associated with 1.37 times (CI: 1.06-1.78, p = 0.01) increased risk of mortality among paediatric patients with septic shock. CONCLUSIONS Paediatric obesity is associated with reduced mortality among patients with PSS, with the exception of morbid obesity. Further prospective studies are needed to better understand the relationship between obesity and outcomes in PSS.
Energy Management Based on Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast-growing reality with tremendous physical entities connected to the internet. Energy management through IoT is one of the recent efficient applications of it. This research analyses the energy management based on IoT technology for AC control for a residential unit. It shows the management capabilities of a smart home AC system as well as an estimation of the savings in terms of power consumed and cost. It is found that there is a 29% decrease in energy consumption when the smart AC system acts to manage the power consumption of the units in the home. As a result, significant financial benefit is achieved.
On the Identification of Social Cognitive Theory Models and Closed-loop Intervention Simulations Using Hybrid Model Predictive Control

Abstract This paper presents closed-loop intervention simulations for an identified, data-validated model of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). A reduced-complexity SCT model structure consisting of dynamic operant conditioning and self-efficacy loops is considered for the prediction of physical activity behavior. Consistent with real-world requirements, including the need for hybrid decision rules policies, the proposed closed-loop intervention design follows a Hybrid Model Predictive Control formulation. The prime goal of this paper is to reinforce the viability of the system identification and control engineering frameworks in the design of optimized and perpetually adaptive behavioral health interventions.
Cross-Linkage Hypothesis of Aging: DNA Adducts in Chromatin as a Primary Aging Process

There is now substantial evidence which points to the occurrence and biological importance of the formation of protein and other adducts to DNA after ultraviolet or ionizing radiation of cells (Smith, 1975a). Many of the reactive cross-linking agents formed on the irradiation of cells (e.g., free radicals and their derivatives) are thought to exist naturally within a cell but at a much lower concentration. In addition, there exist naturally within the cell many non-radical chemical agents such as the aldehydes which could also cross-link macromolecules (Harman, 1962; Bjorksten, 1962, 1974; Sinex, 1964). The possible parallel between radiation and naturally induced DNA adducts appears sufficiently great to warrant serious consideration of the natural occurrence of DNA adducts as an important primary aging process. The objective of this paper is to review the concept of primary aging processes and the cross-linkage hypothesis of aging and to present the major evidence indicating the natural accumulation of DNA adducts in the chromatin of mammalian species with increasing age.
LCF-HCF Interactions

Of primary concern in high cycle fatigue (HCF) design is the material capability, after it is subjected to service conditions that may degrade capability over time and cycles. Low cycle fatigue (LCF) loading, while accounts for in design and not leading to failure during the design life, may degrade the capability of the material regarding its HCF resistance. One other form of potential damage, which is due to transient stresses above the fatigue limit during HCF loading, must also be considered. A practical problem arises when, in designing against HCF, the occurrence of stress transients above the endurance limits (FLS) becomes a possibility. Both stress transients above the FLS and prior or combined loading, under conditions where part of the loading is above the HCF limit, constitute conditions that are referred to as LCF–HCF loading. The LCF portion of the loading is designated as such irrespective of the frequency of loading and is not necessarily restricted to true LCF conditions that normally involve strain-control testing, a low number of cycles to failure, and inelastic deformation in a typical load-displacement loop. It is simply used to designate loading conditions that are different from the HCF conditions being evaluated.
CVD (Part 2): Plasma CVD

Instead of using thermal energy for decomposition and chemical reaction of the source gas, plasma CVD uses the glow discharge in non-equilibrium plasma to ionize and excite the source gas and generate ions and radicals. Plasma CVD utilizes their reactiveness for depositing thin films. Plasma CVD began to be used in the industry with silicon nitride films as a final passivation layer to meet the requirement for highly reliable MOS LSIs. Later on, in the multi-layer metallization area, with the need to deposit inter-layer isolation films at low temperature, silicon dioxide plasma CVD films started to be used. Then plasma CVD came widely into use for LSI production and will be used even more in the future.
An infrastructure for designing custom embedded counterflow pipelines

Application-specific instruction set processor (ASIP) design is a promising approach for meeting the performance and cost goals of an embedded system. We have developed a microarchitecture for automatically constructing ASIPs. This new architecture, called a wide counterflow pipeline (WCFP), is based on the counterflow pipeline (CFP). Our ASIP synthesis technique uses software pipelining and design-space exploration to generate a custom WCFP and instruction set for an embedded application. We first present a brief sketch of WCFPs and our design strategy. Second, we describe a software infrastructure for prototyping WCFPs to evaluate design trade-offs. Finally, based on preliminary experiments using several kernel loops, we show that WCFPs achieve speedups of 1.8-6.6 over a general-purpose CFP.
An enterprise architecture methodology to address the Enterprise Dilemma

The concept of enterprise architecture arose as technologies emerged thereby making it possible to interconnect all the information technology within an enterprise. Before these internetworking technologies existed, systems were stovepiped by necessity. Any connection to another system or component had to be specifically designed and developed. However, once internetworking technologies became widely available and economically feasible, suddenly, stovepiped systems were no longer necessitated by the constraints of technology and economy. If anything can connect to everything, then the range of enterprise solutions becomes vast and there arises an overwhelming need to manage that solution space. However, managing this solution space is fraught with challenges arising from wicked problems, complexity and an enterprise learning curve that evolves slower than the technology the enterprise is attempting to manage. This paper presents a methodology that is intended to help establish and maintain the conceptual integrity of the enterprise architecture effort by focusing on the enterprise dilemma which is that of determining how much of the enterprise's resources should be committed to sustainment --doing tomorrow what the enterprise did today --and how much of the enterprise's resources should be committed to change.
Remarks on control Lyapunov functions for discontinuous stabilizing feedback

We present a formula for a stabilizing feedback law under the assumption that a piecewise smooth control-Lyapunov function exists. The resulting feedback is continuous at the origin and smooth everywhere except on a hypersurface of codimension 1. We provide an explicit and 'universal' formula. Finally, we mention a general result connecting asymptotic controllability and the existence of control-Lyapunov functions in the sense of nonsmooth optimization. >
Physical Forces, Sensory Reception, and Response to the Environment

The sections in this article are: 1 Environmental Change and its Implications 1.1 Definition of Environment 1.2 Physical Forces Effecting Environmental Change 2 Manifestations and Transduction of the Electromagnetic Force 2.1 Sensory Transduction 2.2 Electromagnetic Radiation 2.3 Thermal Energy and Plasma 2.4 Mechanical Energy 2.5 Electrical Energy 2.6 Magnetic Energy 2.7 Chemical Energy 2.8 Nociception 3 Summary and Conclusions
Regional Articular Cartilage Abnormalities of the Hip

Imaging of hip cartilage is challenging because of its limited thickness and complex geometry and therefore requires advanced MRI techniques. However, cartilage abnormalities are found in a number of disease entities, and their diagnosis may impact patient management. This article will provide pertinent information about the motivation to image hip cartilage, which imaging techniques to use, and how to analyze cartilage; finally, we will discuss disease entities with regional cartilage lesions, including the typical MRI findings.Because the detection and quantification of regional cartilage abnormalities are critical for guidance of operative and nonoperative management of hip disorders, radiologists should be familiar with imaging and analysis techniques for assessing hip cartilage.
The Transforming Power of Patient Advisors

Vidant Health, a private, not-for-profit health system in Eastern North Carolina, began a system-wide quality transformation in 2006. A key strategy in the transformation was increasing the engagement of patients and families, including the establishment of Patient Family Advisory Councils. Meaningful partnerships with patients and families accelerated improvement efforts and sustained performance excellence over time.
Influence of the dynamic positions of cations on the structure of the DNA minor groove: sequence-dependent effects.

Different models for minor groove structures predict that the conformation is essentially fixed by sequence and has an influence on local ion distribution or alternatively that temporal positions of ions around the minor groove can affect the structure if they neutralize cross-strand phosphate charges. Our previous studies show that the minor groove in an AATT dodecamer responds to local sodium ion positions and is narrow when ions neutralize cross-strand phosphate−phosphate charges [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10513−10520]. Previous results from a number of laboratories have shown that G-tracts often have a wider minor groove than A-tracts, but they do not indicate whether this is due to reduced flexibility or differences in ion interactions. We have undertaken a molecular dynamics study of a d(TATAGGCCTATA) duplex to answer this question. The results show that the G-tract has the same amplitude of minor groove fluctuations as the A-tract sequence but that it has fewer ion interactions that neutralize c...
Simulation of wave structure function through atmospheric propagation

While the wave structure function has been analytically calculated for a variety of beam types, recent work has begun the exploration of higher-order beams and partially coherent beams. For these waves, no analytic wave structure function has been developed. By extending the well known split step phase screen simulations, we have developed a method of numerically simulating the wave structure function. We present the methods and results of this simulation technique, and describe its applicability to general beams.
Competing orders in a magnetic field: Spin and charge order in the cuprate superconductors

We describe two-dimensional quantum spin fluctuations in a superconducting Abrikosov flux lattice induced by a magnetic field applied to a doped Mott insulator. Complete numerical solutions of a self-consistent large-N theory provide detailed information on the phase diagram and on the spatial structure of the dynamic spin spectrum. Our results apply to phases with and without long-range spin-density-wave order, and to the magnetic quantum critical point separating these phases. We discuss the relationship of our results to a number of recent neutron-scattering measurements on the cuprate superconductors in the presence of an applied field. We compute the pinning of static charge order by the vortex cores in the ``spin-gap'' phase where the spin order remains dynamically fluctuating, and argue that these results apply to recent scanning-tunneling-microscopy (STM) measurements. We show that, with a single typical set of values for the coupling constants, our model describes the field dependence of the elastic-neutron-scattering intensities, the absence of satellite Bragg peaks associated with the vortex lattice in existing neutron-scattering observations, and the spatial extent of charge order in STM observations. We mention implications of our theory for NMR experiments. We also present a theoretical discussion of more exotic states that can be built out of the spin- and charge-order parameters, including spin nematics and phases with ``exciton fractionalization.''
Myocarditis and Myocardosis A Clinicopathologic Appraisal

Search of 3,141 autopsies found 108 examples of myocardial disease of which 77 were inflammatory (nonrheumatic) and 31 noninflammatory but degenerative and not due to sclerosis or hypertension. These are designated myocardosis. Myocarditis was associated with infections in a manner often described; myocardosis was associated with a variety of noninfectious disorders. A discussion of the use of this term is elaborated. Clinical records also were studied to find what part such lesions played in causing death and how such myocardial lesions could be diagnosed with more certainty.
Spacio-temporal progression of demyelination in twitcher mouse: with clinico-pathological correlation

The twitcher (twi/twi) is an authentic murine model of human globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD), caused by a deficiency of galactosylceramidase. Similar to human GLD, the twitcher shows progressive deterioration of neurological function and its neuropathology is characterized by a collection of periodic acid-Schift stain (PAS)-positive macrophages in the areas of demyelination. However, there are some differences in the clinico-pathological aspects between human and murine GLD. We investigated the spacio-temporal progression of neuropathology in twitcher from postnatal day (PND) 10 to 45. No clinical symptoms or neuropathological changes were apparent in twi/twi until PND 15. Generally, infiltration of macrophages, concomitant with myelin degeneration, was recognized in the cerebellar white matter and the brain stem after PND 20, then in cerebral white matter after PND 25, and in cerebral and cerebellar gray matter after PND 30. The demyelination was very severe in the radix of the 8th and the 5th cranial nerves. The neurological symptoms such as tremor, spasticity and cranial nerve dysfunction were well correlated with the progression of pathological changes. Demyelination progressed in an orderly fashion such that myelin degeneration began 10 to 20 days after the commencement of myelination in any of the given nerve fiber tracts. This suggests that there are no significant differences in the metabolism of galactocerebroside in the myelin and myelin-forming cells in individual nerve fiber tracts throughout the murine brain. Over-expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein was already present before the initiation of obvious demyelination. In addition to the areas of demyelination, focal clustering of PAS-positive cells were seen in close association with neurons in the basal ganglia and hippocampus in this murine GLD twitcher, whereas in human GLD, PAS-positive cells tended to be limited within the white matter. Understanding of these orderly patterns of neuropathological features is of essential importance for evaluating the results of the forthcoming gene therapy.