cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Quasi-Linear Viscoelastic Modeling

Engineered tissues are often designed to serve a mechanical role. The design and evaluation of such tissues requires a mechanical model. An important component of such models is often viscoelasticity, or the dependence of mechanical response on loading rate and loading history. In a great number of biological and bio-artificial tissues the passive tissue force (or stress) relates to changes in tissue length (or strain) in a nonlinear viscoelastic manner. Choosing and fitting nonlinear viscoelastic models to data for a specific tissue can be a computational challenge. This chapter describes the range of such models, criteria for selecting amongst them, and computational and experimental techniques needed to fit these to uniaxial data. The chapter begins with Fung’s quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) model, which is nearly a standard first model to try for nonlinear viscoelastic tissues. The chapter then describes the two major limitations of the Fung QLV model, and presents approaches for overcoming these. The first limitation is accuracy: the Fung QLV model imposes a severe set of restrictions on constitutive behavior, and a generalized form of the Fung QLV model is needed in many cases. The second limitation is that the Fung QLV model is cumbersome computationally, especially for calibration experiments. The Adaptive QLV model is far simpler to calibrate and provides greater flexibility than the Fung QLV model. The Adaptive QLV model extends linear viscoelastic models to incorporate nonlinearity using a principle different from that of the Fung QLV model: it adapts nonlinearity according to the instantaneous level of strain. The Adaptive QLV model can be used in simple or generalized form. The chapter concludes with a series of test protocols for calibrating QLV models along with the associated calibration procedures, using the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of reconstituted collagen tissue as an example. The Adaptive QLV model is not only simpler to calibrate but also more accurate in predicting the mechanical response of the reconstituted collagen tissue.
Contributions of long-range electrostatic interactions to 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA dehalogenase catalysis: a combined theoretical and experimental study.

It is well established that electrostatic interactions play a vital role in enzyme catalysis. In this work, we report theory-guided mutation experiments that identified strong electrostatic contributions of a remote residue, namely, Glu232 located on the adjacent subunit, to 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA dehalogenase catalysis. The Glu232Asp mutant was found to bind the substrate analogue 4-methylbenzoyl-CoA more tightly than does the wild-type dehalogenase. In contrast, the kcat for 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA conversion to product was reduced 10000-fold in the mutant. UV difference spectra measured for the respective enzyme- ligand complexes revealed an 3-fold shift in the equilibrium of the two active site conformers away from that inducing strong ﷿-electron polarization in the ligand benzoyl ring. Increased substrate binding, decreased ring polarization, and decreased catalytic efficiency indicated that the repositioning of the point charge in the Glu232Asp mutant might affect the orientation of the Asp145 carboxylate with respect to the substrate aromatic ring. The time course for formation and reaction of the arylated enzyme intermediate during a single turnover was measured for wild-type and Glu232Asp mutant dehalogenases. The accumulation of arylated enzyme in the wild-type dehalogenase was not observed in the mutant. This indicates that the reduced turnover rate in the mutant is the result of a slow arylation of Asp145, owing to decreased efficiency in substrate nucleophilic attack by Asp145. To rationalize the experimental observations, a theoretical model is proposed, which computes the potential of mean force for the nucleophilic aromatic substitution step using a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical method. To this end, the removal or reorientation of the side chain charge of residue 232, modeled respectively by the Glu232Gln and Glu232Asp mutants, is shown to increase the rate-limiting energy barrier. The calculated 23.1 kcal/mol free energy barrier for formation of the Meisenheimer intermediate in the Glu232Asp mutant represents an increase of 6 kcal/mol relative to that of the wild-type enzyme, consistent with the 5.6 kcal/mol increase calculated from the difference in experimentally determined rate constants. On the basis of the combination of the experimental and theoretical evidence, we hypothesize that the Glu232(B) residue contributes to catalysis by providing an electrostatic force that acts on the Asp145 nucleophile.
Selective catalytic oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid on dispersed Mo-V-Nb mixed oxides

The direct oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid is catalyzed by multicomponent metal oxides (Mo-V-NbO(x)) prepared by precipitation in the presence of colloidal TiO(2) (Mo(0.61)V(0.31)Nb(0.08)O(x)/TiO(2)). Acetic acid synthesis rates and selectivities (~95 % even at 100 % ethanol conversion) were much higher than in previous reports. The presence of TiO(2) during synthesis led to more highly active surface areas without detectable changes in the reactivity or selectivity of exposed active oxide surfaces. Ethanol oxidation proceeds via acetaldehyde intermediates that are converted to acetic acid. Water increases acetic acid selectivity by inhibiting acetaldehyde synthesis more strongly than its oxidation to acetic acid, thus minimizing prevalent acetaldehyde concentrations and its intervening conversion to CO(x). Kinetic and isotopic effects indicate that C-H bond activation in chemisorbed ethoxide species limits acetaldehyde synthesis rates and overall rates of ethanol conversion to acetic acid. The VO(x) component in Mo-V-Nb is responsible for the high reactivity of these materials. Mo and Nb oxide components increase the accessibility and reducibility of VO(x) domains, while concurrently decreasing the number of unselective V-O-Ti linkages in VO(x) domains dispersed on TiO(2).
Hardware/software co-design for DSP applications via the HMS framework

The design of computer systems that incorporate both standardized off-the-shelf processors, or software, as well as specialized hardware is referred to as hardware/software (hw/sw) co-design. This paper studies the problem and presents a system, the Hardware/MultiSoftware Co-design (HMS) system, for obtaining the best hw/sw configuration for DSP applications. New algorithms for performing partitioning, scheduling, loop pipelining (retiming), hardware needability analysis, etc., are presented. The final configuration satisfies both area and time constraints while using as many standardized processors as possible along with a minimum amount of extra hardware.
Variability of Anaerobic Animal Waste Lagoon delta15N Source Signatures

High ammonium-N concentrations derived from animal wastes stored and partially treated in earthen anaerobic lagoons at confined feeding facilities can seep to groundwater. δ15N-NH4 + values from +2.0 to +59.1‰ in 13 lagoons complicate identification of lagoon seepage as well as land-applied lagoon effluent in ground and surface waters. The spectrum of δ15N values requires site-specific isotope characterization of the potential source. Feed and fresh manure and urine δ15N values indicate that most N isotopic fractionation occurs after excretion. Lagoon management clearly affects enrichment. δ15N-total Kjeldahl N (TKN) and δ15N-NH4 + within each lagoon were not statistically different. δ15N-NH4 + within the top 1.5 m of the lagoons was spatially uniform (CV [coefficient of variation] < 5%).
Use of multiple inertial systems to correct for the effects of gravitational anomalies

The use of multiple inertial platforms physically displaced from each other to reduce navigational errors caused by gravitational anomalies is considered. It is shown that the use of a Kalman filter can provide significant improvement in navigation accuracy. A surprising property of the Kalman filter in t his application is its ability to reduce the navigational errors without significantly improving the estimates of those states causing the errors. Navigational performance is shown to remain unaffected by constant inertial component errors but tends to degrade as a result of their random errors. The degree of degradation is found to depend primarily upon the spectral density of the random error in the vicinity of the Schuler frequency.
Genetic structure of an isolated population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Habitat fragmentation may influence genetic variability through reductions in population size and the physical isolation of conspecifics. We explored the effects of these factors on genetic diversity in a population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. The study population was established in 1914 when an unknown number of resident individuals were isolated from the surrounding mainland by damming of the Rio Chagres to create the Panama Canal. Analyses of 10 microsatellite loci indicated that, despite this isolation, the howler monkeys on BCI exhibit levels of genetic diversity (H S = 0.584 ± 0.063) among the highest reported for any species of Alouatta. These data also revealed that although relatedness among adults in a social group was significantly greater than zero, the BCI population is not highly genetically structured. Tests for genetic bottlenecks based on departures from equilibrium expectations failed to reveal evidence of a recent reduction in population size. In contrast, coalescent modeling indicated that this population has likely experienced a marked decline within the last few 100 years. These findings generate new insights into the genetic structure of A. palliata and suggest that while the formation of BCI may not have substantially reduced genetic variation in these animals, genetic diversity has been influenced by historical changes in population size.
Performance of CNFET SRAM cells under diameter variation corners

In this paper three carbon nanotube FET based static memory cells are compared on read and write delays, energy consumption, and performance under diameter variation corners. The carbon nanotube FET is currently considered to be the possible “beyond CMOS” device due to its1-D transport properties that include low carrier scattering and ballistic transport. The memory cells are classified by their transistor count (6-, 7- and 8-transistor cell.) Under a nominal diameter of 1.51nm, the 8-T cell has the lowest delay and energy consumption of 3.7ps and 0.348fJ, respectively. Simulations with transistor diameter variations show that small n-type device diameters result in significantly slow read and write delays. The 8-transistor cell dissipates the least energy when the transistor diameters range from 1.369nm to 1.659nm.
Conceiving and Investigating Motherhood: The Decade's Scholarship

Mothering and motherhood are the subjects of a rapidly expanding body of literature. Considered in this decade review are two predominant streams in this work. One is the theorizing of mothering and motherhood and the other is the empirical study of the mothering experience. Conceptual developments have been propelled particularly by feminist scholarship, including the increasing attention to race and ethnic diversity and practices. The conceptualizations of the ideology of intensive mothering and of maternal practice are among the significant contributions. Study of mothering has focused attention on a wide array of specific topics and relationships among variables, including issues of maternal well-being, maternal satisfaction and distress, and employment.
Delay-constrained energy-efficient wireless packet scheduling with QoS guarantees

This paper considers packet scheduling with delay constraint that minimizes the average transmission energy expenditure in a wireless environment. There were recent studies that modeled transmission rate as a linear combination of input packet arrivals in the derivation of optimal scheduling policies for independent input arrivals. In this paper, we extend the scheduling policies in two aspects. We first consider the impact of input time-correlation and derive an optimal scheduling policy for energy minimization. It is observed that existing energy optimized scheduling policies save energy by transmitting packets slowly. They may result in unexpected deadline misses. We establish a relationship between the maximum reliable transmission rate and a QoS constraint, characterized by a deadline miss rate. The relationship facilitates the trade-off study of power consumption and delay constraint. Simulation results verify the relationship and show the superiority of the scheduler in comparison with the existing approaches
Social Context and Musical Content of Rap Music, 1979–1995

There is a link between the context of production and the content of rap music singles. This research fi nds that when independent labels owned most of the charted singles, lyrics emphasized features of the local environment and hostility to corporate music production and values. In contrast, the major-label dominated market featured lyrics blending “street” credibility and commercial success in the “hustler” protagonist. I contribute a new fi nding to research on market concentration and musical diversity: artists’ reactions to the market effects musical content.
Biochemistry of arsenic detoxification

All living organisms have systems for arsenic detoxification. The common themes are (a) uptake of As(V) in the form of arsenate by phosphate transporters, (b) uptake of As(III) in the form of arsenite by aquaglyceroporins, (c) reduction of As(V) to As(III) by arsenate reductases, and (d) extrusion or sequestration of As(III). While the overall schemes for arsenic resistance are similar in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, some of the specific proteins are the products of separate evolutionary pathways.
Core crosslinkable polymeric micelles from PEG–lipid amphiphiles as drug carriers

Core crosslinkable micelles were prepared based on PEG–lipid amphiphiles. The branched hydrophobic domain was prepared by acylation of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (DMPA) with 10-undecenoyl chloride and pyridine as catalyst. Monohydroxyl poly(ethylene glycol) (m-PEG) was conjugated onto the hydrophobic domain to form the branched polymeric amphiphiles. Following micelle formation of the amphiphiles, the vinylic groups at the peripheral ends of the 10-undecenoyl acid chains were polymerized with AIBN to crosslink the hydrophobic domains in aqueous solution. The solution properties of the crosslinked micelles were evaluated in various solvents and temperatures; relative to the uncrosslinked micelle controls, the core crosslinked micelles demonstrated improved thermodynamic stability in solution to high temperatures and non-selective solvents. Furthermore, the core crosslinked micelles show much higher drug loading capacity (nearly 80 wt%) than the uncrosslinked micelles (ca. 10 wt%).
Colon, Rectum, and Anus

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) allows a detailed examination of the anal canal, rectum, and adjacent pelvic structures and has become an important tool in the evaluation of colorectal and pelvic disorders. A clear understanding of the anatomy, EUS probe options, and appropriate preparation and technique, as explained in this chapter, is necessary for optimal results.
Surface mobility of molecular glasses and its importance in physical stability

Amorphous molecular materials (molecular glasses) are useful for drug delivery, bio-preservation and organic electronics. A central issue in developing amorphous materials is the stability against crystallization and other transformations that can compromise material performance. We review recent progress in understanding the stability of molecular glasses, particularly the role for surface mobility. Surface diffusion in molecular glasses can be vastly faster than bulk diffusion. This high surface mobility enables fast crystal growth on the free surface. In this process, surface crystals grow upward and laterally, with the lateral growth rate being roughly proportional to surface diffusivity. Surface mobility also influences bulk crystal growth as the process can create fracture and free surfaces. During vapor deposition, surface mobility allows efficient equilibration of newly deposited molecules, producing low-energy, high-density glasses that are equivalent to liquid-cooled glasses aged for thousands of years. Free surfaces can accelerate chemical degradation of proteins. Measures for inhibiting surface-facilitated transformations include minimizing free surfaces, applying surface coatings, and preventing fracture.
Seroreactivity to a Large Panel of Field-Derived Plasmodium falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1 and Merozoite Surface Protein 1 Variants Reflects Seasonal and Lifetime Acquired Responses to Malaria

Parasite antigen diversity poses an obstacle to developing an effective malaria vaccine. A protein microarray containing Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1, n = 57) and merozoite surface protein 1 19-kD (MSP119, n = 10) variants prevalent at a malaria vaccine testing site in Bandiagara, Mali, was used to assess changes in seroreactivity caused by seasonal and lifetime exposure to malaria. Malian adults had significantly higher magnitude and breadth of seroreactivity to variants of both antigens than did Malian children. Seroreactivity increased over the course of the malaria season in children and adults, but the difference was more dramatic in children. These results help to validate diversity-covering protein microarrays as a promising tool for measuring the breadth of antibody responses to highly variant proteins, and demonstrate the potential of this new tool to help guide the development of malaria vaccines with strain-transcending efficacy.
Sect and Church in Methodism

The test of the utility of a theoretical scheme lies in its ability to suggest new problems for research and to increase the significance of old ones. New research problems arising from a theoretical framework are those which would not be relevant and interesting from another point of view; problems which would be unlikely to occur to the researcher if it were not for their logical relation to his theoretical frame of reference. Some hypotheses suggested in this paper may have been of this kind. In other instances, hypotheses were discussed which in substance are not novel and which were merely restated in terms of concepts of this scheme or which were subordinated to its categories. Thereby, research problems become relevant to one another which fall into such disparate fields as criminology, industrial sociology, human ecology, cultural anthropology, and social psychology. In view of this systematizing function of a theoretical scheme, it is unavoidable that the hypotheses which it suggests deal with variables on a high level of abstraction. The point of attack for the researcher ordinarily lies on lower levels. His data are communities, labor unions, college fraternities, families, church groups, ethnic groups, and other relatively concrete materials. Thus, research hypotheses often have to be formulated on a level of abstraction below that of the theoretical scheme to which they are relevant. The hypothesis that absenteeism increases with the size of the plant is not synonymous with, although suggested by, the hypothesis that normative integration decreases under conditions of a decrease in interpersonal communicative integration. The first hypothesis is on a lower level of abstraction than the second. If the former is verified, it becomes what Merton has called an "empirical generalization." By verifying the latter we confirm, in Merton's terms, a "sociological theory."9 It is through the accumulation of pertinent empirical generalizations that abstract theories are tested. The objective of the scheme presented in this paper was to provide for the derivation of hypotheses which can be transformed into empirical generalizations, and become the bases for a system of confirmed theories.
What’s New in Therapy

During the past year many publications have dealt with the treatment of skin disorders. Although only further experience will determine which of these represent a significant advance, I have included in this review those which seem most likely to be of value in practice.
Medical management of the airway.

SUMMARY All critical care physicians should be adept at medical management of the airway, including basic and advanced life support measures. Proper head and neck positioning, use of nondefinitive airways, and ability to oxygenate and ventilate the patient with bag-valve-mask should be part of the armamentarium of every critical care physician. Training, skill, and experience are fundamental to successful translaryngeal intubation. The nasal and oral routes of such intubation each have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Oral intubation is preferred for emergency establishment of a definitive airway in most situations. Skillful intubation technique and meticulous daily management of the upper airway should diminish the risk of complications of translaryngeal intubation.
Injury Prevention in Physical Education: Scenarios and Solutions

The purpose of this article is to provide physical educators with practical strategies that can assist in preventing injuries in the classroom. The dynamic nature of physical education and the numerous tasks physical educators must complete daily can be challenging. Embedded in these challenges is the constant risk of student injury. Fortunately, there are things that educators can do to counteract the potentially dangerous situations that can lead to student injury. This article identifies several real-life scenarios associated with potential student injury. Additionally, each scenario is accompanied by strategies that can be used to prevent future injuries.
State and Change

This chapter discusses the actions that change world states. The notion of state is central in most conceptualizations of the physical world. A state or situation, is a snapshot of the world at a given point in time. At different points in time, the world can be in different states. A variation of the world in which there are just three blocks is considered. Each block can be somewhere on the table, or on top of exactly one other block. Each block can have at most one other block immediately on top of it. Different states of this world correspond to different configurations of blocks. The value of the notion of state is that it allows describing changing worlds. In conceptualizing a changing world, one includes states as objects in the universe of discourse, and one invent functions, and relations that depend on them.
Reviewing a decade (2004-2014) of published, peer-reviewed research on online learning and students with disabilities

This chapter reviews published, peer-reviewed research from the most recent decade at the nexus or intersection of K12 online learning and students with disabilities. Previous reviews of research on this topic are summarized. These reviews assert that there is not enough research on the topic. The authors of this chapter employed a multifaceted coding process on articles that were located for review. This process included reading for broad topics, multiple readings by each author, and a negotiated process for final designations. Research in online learning for students with disabilities in K12 settings in the last decade focuses on (1) curriculum evaluation, (2) student achievement (as broadly defined) (3) stake holder perceptions and (4) policy structures presently in place for online learning for this special population. Blended learning studies that fit the goals of this review were practically non-existent. Several tables capture the major findings of these studies from which implications are drawn about the ever-present need for more research in this area, but also for research that is more rigorous, and is made available in published, peer-reviewed journals. Implications are also offered for practitioners and policy makers.
Harnessing Big Data for Wireless Body Area Network Applications

Precision medicine initiative recently launched by the Government, focuses on prescribing right drug for right patient at a right dosage. Information of genome variation and lifestyle monitoring of a patient using wireless sensor devices is leveraged for this initiative. Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) applications used for monitoring pervasive health care generates a very high volume of heterogeneous unstructured data (text, video, and images). We propose cloud based WBAN architecture for efficient processing, storage, indexing and archiving of the highly dense clinical data. We use components from Apache Hadoop's ecosystem for parallel and distributed computing. Our evaluation of system uses two public datasets: physical activity monitoring dataset and genome dataset: for examining the prognostic effect of the immune system on breast cancer in lymph node-negative breast cancer patients. Results obtained are very encouraging and indicate that harnessing big data is a vital step for efficiently processing and analyzing clinical data, which can be adopted in precision medicine initiative.
Alive-FP: Automated Verification of Floating Point Based Peephole Optimizations in LLVM

Peephole optimizations optimize and canonicalize code to enable other optimizations but are error-prone. Our prior research on Alive, a domain-specific language for specifying LLVM’s peephole optimizations, automatically verifies the correctness of integer-based peephole optimizations and generates C++ code for use within LLVM. This paper proposes Alive-FP, an automated verification framework for floating point based peephole optimizations in LLVM. Alive-FP handles a class of floating point optimizations and fast-math optimizations involving signed zeros, not-a-number, and infinities, which do not result in loss of accuracy. This paper provides multiple encodings for various floating point operations to account for the various kinds of undefined behavior and under-specification in the LLVM’s language reference manual. We have translated all optimizations that belong to this category into Alive-FP. In this process, we have discovered seven wrong optimizations in LLVM.
Genetics of Friedreich Ataxia

Genotype-phenotype correlations in a group of 100 patients with typical Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), and in three smaller clinically atypical groups (Arcadian FRDA, late-onset FRDA (LOFA), and FRDA with retained reflexes (FARR)), were studied at the Centre de Recherche Louis-Charles Simard, Service de Genetique Medicale, Service de Neurologie, Hopital Sainte-Justine, Departments of Genetics and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal General Hospital, and other centers.
Active imaging using a metamaterial-based compressive reflector antenna

This paper presents a new high-sensing-capacity system for active imaging. The proposed system consists of a Compressive Reflector Antenna (CRA) coated with Metamaterial Absorbers (MMA). The Compressive Reflector Antenna creates a spatial codification in the imaging domain, while the MMA creates a frequency codification in the spectral domain. To solve the inverse problem, we built the sensing matrix using a high frequency method based on Physical Optics; and an iterative Compressive Sensing algorithm (ADMM) is used to perform the inversion. Numerical simulations consisting on PEC targets in the reconstruction domain are carried out. The performance of the proposed system is compared to that of the Compressive Reflector Antenna without metamatrial absorbers. Preliminary results show that a better imaging performance and higher channel capacity is achieved for the metamaterial-based CRA than the CRA configuration.
A saddle point least squares approach for primal mixed formulations of second order PDEs

Abstract We present a Saddle Point Least Squares (SPLS) method for discretizing second order elliptic problems written as primal mixed variational formulations. A stability LBB condition and a data compatibility condition at the continuous level are automatically satisfied. The proposed discretization method follows a general SPLS approach and has the advantage that a discrete inf – sup condition is automatically satisfied for standard choices of the test and trial spaces. For the proposed iterative processes a nodal basis for the trial space is not required. Efficient preconditioning techniques that involve inversion only on the test space can be considered. Stability and approximation properties for two choices of discrete spaces are investigated. Applications of the new approach include discretization of second order problems with highly oscillatory coefficient, interface problems, and higher order approximation of the flux for elliptic problems with smooth coefficients.
Abstract 16371: High Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Patients With Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices Mediate Altered Vessel Growth and Are Associated With Higher Non-Surgical Bleeding

Background: Angiodysplasia is common in patients with LVADs. Thrombin-induced expression of Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in LVAD patients leads to altered angiogenesis and is associated with loss of Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1). However, Ang-2 alone is insufficient to induce angiogenesis, suggesting involvement of other factors. The reason for decreased Ang-1 expression in LVAD patients is also not known. We hypothesized that high levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in LVAD patients regulate angiogenesis, downregulate Ang-1 expression, induce pericyte apoptosis, and induce Tissue Factor (TF) expression. Methods: TNF-α and TF levels were measured by ELISA in blood from 101 patients with heart failure (HF), LVAD, or orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). Cultured endothelial cells were incubated on Matrigel with serum from each patient with or without TNF-α-blocking antibody and tube formation was measured by microscopy. Then, cultured pericytes were incubated with serum from each patient with or without TNF-α blockade. Ang-1 expression was measured by RT-PCR and pericyte death was measured by fluorescent live/dead stain. Finally, TF gene expression was measured by RT-PCR in cultured endothelial cells incubated with plasma from each patient with or without TNF-α inhibitor. TF expression in endothelial biopsy samples from these patients was measured by quantitative immunofluorescence. Results: Compared with HF or OHT, levels of TNF-α were higher in LVAD patients. This corresponded with increased angiogenic potential of serum from patients with LVADs, which was normalized with TNF-α blockade. Serum from LVAD patients reduced Ang-1 expression and induced more pericyte cell death than serum from HF or OHT patients and this effect was blunted by TNF-α blockade. Further, plasma from LVAD patients induced more TF expression in endothelial cells than plasma from HF or OHT patients and this effect was reduced with TNF-α blockade. Compared with HF or OHT patients, plasma and endothelial cells from LVAD patients contained higher amounts of TF. Conclusions: Elevated TNF-α in LVAD patients is a central regulator of altered angiogenesis, pericyte apoptosis, and expression of thrombotic factors. Blockade of TNF-α may decrease vascular complications in LVAD patients.
The effect of inorganic phosphate on mitochondrial, creatine kinase.

Since the last meeting at Johns Hopkins in 1979, there has been a continued interest and a great deal of progress made in our understanding of the role of mitochondrial creatine kinase in muscle cells. The existence of the creatine phosphate shuttle as discussed by Bessman and Geiger (1) is now known to be an important aspect of muscle metabolism. There have been numerous studies on the effect of creatine kinase on respiration in heart muscle mitochondria. It is now well-documented that mitochondrial creatine kinase is responsible for stimulating respiration by utilizing ATP produced by oxidative phosphorylation and maintaining a constant high level of ADP available for continued phosphorylation. There has been much discussion about whether the ATP produced by oxidative phosphorylation is preferentially used by the mitochondrial creatine kinase. This aspect will be addressed by many of the other speakers here.
Physical therapy for nocturnal lower limb cramping: A case report.

Background and Purpose: Nocturnal lower limb cramps are sudden, intensely painful, and can decrease sleep, increase anxiety, and reduce quality of life. The purpose of this case report is to descri...
Psychoanalytic and Cognitive Dissonance Theories

Psychology is a disunified science, characterized by competitive schools, artificial diversity, and inefficiency. In order for psychology to become a unified science, many different types of unification efforts must be undertaken. One such unifying analysis, involving the unification of theoretical formulations, is posed in this chapter. This unifying theory review of the commonalities between psychoanalytic theory (PT) and cognitive dissonance theory (CDT) is but one example of the many unifying efforts needed. The importance, implications, and advantages of such unifying endeavors are discussed.
An evaluation of the microbiota of the upper genital tract of women with benign changes and epithelial ovarian cancer.

5568Background: The microbiota of the upper female genital tract has not been characterized. We hypothesize that bacterial species composition will vary in different areas and may alter terms of re...
Translating moral orders: putting moral conflict theory in conversation with actor–network theory

Moral conflict theory explains deep moral differences and patterns of communication commonly associated with such conflicts. Moral conflict is defined as a struggle between humans, but we argue tha...
Defining the Right to Education for European Citizens (1955–1966)

During the early years of the European Community (EC), children with Italian citizenship were the largest group of “guest worker children” in the Federal Republic. As European Community member state nationals, these children fit into EC discussions of human resources and a need for equal education opportunities. Yet, even as the Lander Ministries of Education changed school laws extending compulsory education, they—particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia—emphasized the cultural distance of Italianness from Germanness. Consequently, Italian state advocacy for its students’ access to education as well as cultural maintenance resulted in the development of extra instructional classes for culture. Yet, when the Netherlands asked for similar classes for its citizens, the request was denied as the children were already German enough.
A Question to Society: "Whether the Art of Medicine as it Has Been Usually Practiced Has Contributed to the Advancement of Mankind"

Prior to the medical and public health revolutions of the nineteenth century, Scotland’s rudimentary healthcare system consisted of little more than corrupted physicians, overcrowded hospitals, and ineffective treatments for a small percentage of the population. In his written abstract to the Aberdeen Philosophical Society, Dr. John Gregory attributes these problems to a flawed Scottish medical education. This abstract formed the basis of Gregory’s larger publications which introduced the concept of bioethics to Britain. My study analyzes how Gregory uses a rhetoric of sensibility to characterize the proponents and barriers to medical advancement. Analyzing Gregory’s abstract contributes to our understanding of how the Scottish Enlightenment provided venues for medical professionals to critique society and define rhetoric of the era.
Growth temperature optimization of interfacial misfit technique for growth of GaSb subcells on GaAs substrates

Access to lattice matched narrow bandgap semiconductors is a challenge for improved efficiency of GaAs based multi-junction solar cells (MJSCs). GaSb has a bandgap of 0.72 eV and is ideally suited to be used as a Near-Infrared subcell for MJSCs. However, when used as a replacement for Germanium in GaAs based MJSCs, the large lattice mismatch between GaSb and GaAs results in significant threading dislocation density in the GaSb subcell. The threading dislocation density in the GaSb epilayer can be reduced to a certain extent by the realization of 90° interfacial misfit dislocation arrays (IMF) between the GaSb and GaAs layers. The substrate temperature during the growth of the GaSb epi-layer on GaAs has a strong impact on the threading dislocation density while making use of the IMF technique. In this study, several substrate temperatures (ranging from 350°C to 540°C) are explored to achieve reduced threading dislocation density which is measured using both plan-view Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) rocking curve analysis. A low growth temperature (of 420°C) shows the reduction of threading dislocation to the level of ~1.3×108 cm–2.
Projecting the economic impact of silver diamine fluoride on caries treatment expenditures and outcomes in young U.S. children

Objective To quantify the economic impact of using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to arrest the progression of dental caries in Medicaid-enrolled children (aged 1-5 years) relative to the standard restorative treatment from the Medicaid programs' perspective. Methods We used Monte Carlo simulation to estimate averted restorative visits and associated expenditures for varying SDF effectiveness and intervention penetration levels. We compared the current standard of care for treating caries to applying SDF. We estimated expenditures from the 2010-2012 Medicaid Analytic Extract files for seven US states and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio for SDF application on averted restorative visits. Results Across the seven states, averted restorative visits ranged from 2,049 (Vermont) to 60,542 (North Carolina), assuming an SDF penetration level of 50%. Averted per-restorative visit costs ranged from $100 to $350 per-visit. There were higher averted per-restorative visit costs in nonmetropolitan counties than metropolitan counties. Conclusions Providing SDF as a caries management strategy can reduce Medicaid program dental care expenditures by averting expensive caries treatment options. It could also prevent stressful restorative procedures. State Medicaid programs should consider reimbursing for SDF to arrest the progression of dental caries in young children.
Consumer Bankruptcy Reform and 11 U.S.C. § 707(B): A Case Based Analysis

This paper addresses consumer bankruptcy reform, specifically the 'means testing' proposal that is a part of H.R. 333/S. 420, currently pending in Congress. Pushed primarily by the consumer credit industry, means testing as a concept purports to eliminate 'abuse' from the bankruptcy system by making Chapter 7 unavailable to those debtors with income above a very low level, leaving them with recourse only to Chapter 13 debt adjustment, in which they will pay a portion of their future income to creditors over a five year period. The article looks critically at the Code’s existing 'substantial abuse' provision, 11 U.S.C. § 707(b) which was enacted in 1984, as well as the case law decided thereunder, demonstrating that the judicial discretion inherent in §707(b) is working well to eliminate truly unworthy or abusive debtors from the system – indeed far better than any of the mechanical means testing proposals devised to date. The paper concludes that the current means testing legislation is not consistent with public policy. Instead, the proposed Act is most likely to exacerbate loose credit extension practices and to further line the pockets of consumer credit card issuers to the detriment of the most unfortunate and needy debtors and society as a whole.
One-year Prevalence, Comorbidities, and Cost of Hospitalizations for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the United States

**Objectives:** Little is known about severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations among patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD). We assessed inpatients with AATD and COPD among a sample of COPD inpatients to ascertain demographic, clinical and economic differences in the course of disease and treatment. **Methods:** Using data from the 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), we identified COPD (ICD-9-CM: 491.xx, 492.xx, or 496.xx) patients with AATD (273.4). We compared patient demographics and healthcare outcomes (eg, length of stay, inpatient death, type and number of procedures, and cost of care) between COPD patients with and without alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Frequencies and percentages for patient demographics were compared using bivariate statistics (eg, chi-square test). Recognizing the non-parametric nature of length of stay and cost, we calculated median values and interquartile ranges for these variables for each group of patients. Finally, the risk of inpatient death was estimated using logistic regression. **Results:** Of 840 242 patients with COPD (10.8% of the NIS sample population), 0.08% (684) had a primary or secondary diagnosis code for AATD. COPD+AATD were younger (56 vs 70, p<0.0001) and as a result, less likely to be covered by Medicare (44% vs 62%, p<0.0001). AATD patients were also more likely to have comorbid non-alcoholic liver disease (7% vs 2%, p<0.0001), depression (17% vs 13%, p=0.0328), and pulmonary circulation disorders (7% vs 4%, p=0.0299). Patients with AATD had a 14% longer length of stay (IRR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.07, 1.21) and a mean cost of $1487 (p=0.0251) more than COPD inpatients without AATD. **Conclusions:** AATD is associated with increased mean length of stay and cost, as well as higher frequency of comorbid non-alcoholic liver disease, depression, and pulmonary circulation disorders. Future research should assess other differences between AATD and the general COPD population such as natural history of disease, treatment responsiveness and disease progression.
Popliteal Venous Pseudoaneurysm and Associated Arteriovenous Fistula Following Knee Arthroscopy

Vascular complications secondary to knee arthroscopy are exceedingly rare occurring less than 0.005 percent of cases [1,2]. When vascular injuries do occur, they usually directly involve the popliteal artery or vein and are usually delayed in their manifestations, commonly presenting as aneurysmal dilatation, less frequently arteriovenous fistula formation. However arthroscopic medial meniscectomy is associated with highest overall complication rate and hemarthrosis rate. A 73-year-old female developed a popliteal venous pseudoaneurysm and an arteriovenous fistula arising from genicular branches of the popliteal artery 3 weeks following knee arthroscopy.
A safe level of alcohol consumption: the right answer demands the right question

Alcohol has been produced by humans for nearly ten millennia, but gold-standard evidence by which to judge the health effects of limited alcohol consumption remains elusive, introducing serious difficulty in considering the safety of alcohol consumption. To do so, physicians and policymakers must consider the population, dose and context of alcohol consumption and the end-point, preferably a holistic composite, of interest. The limitations of new research trends, such as mega-cohorts, genetic instrumental variable analysis and modelling studies, must also be viewed against the much larger backdrop of existing evidence. Some existing guidelines, such as the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, succeed remarkably in this task. Nonetheless, large-scale randomized trials are urgently needed if future generations are to enjoy any greater insight into the health effects of population-wide alcohol consumption than the current one has.
Enoxaparin Attenuates Acute Lung Injury and Inflammasome Activation after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients frequently develop cardiopulmonary system complications such as acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, the mechanism by w...
Autobalancing a generalized gravity equilibrator

It is possible to balance a mechanical system in such a way that gravity does not affect the motion. We call these systems gravity equilibrators. Gravity equilibrators find application in areas such as manufacturing, shipping, and mechanical support. Currently, gravity equilibrators have no general means for autobalancing, which is particularly important for applications where a variety of weights may be applied. We present here a general control strategy which increases the usefulness of gravity equilibrators. Experimental results illustrate this improvement in versatility.
Comparison of a Novel Rapid Lateral Flow Assay to Enzyme Immunoassay Results for Early Diagnosis of Coccidioidomycosis.

Background Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is a common cause of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) where CM is endemic. Manifestations include self-limited pulmonary infection, chronic fibrocavitary pulmonary disease, and disseminated coccidioidomycosis (DCM). Most infections are identified by serological assays including enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA), complement fixation (CF) and immunodiffusion (IMDF). These are time-consuming and take days to result, impeding early diagnosis. A new lateral flow assay (LFA, Sōna, IMMY, Norman OK) improves time-to-result to one hour. Methods We prospectively enrolled 392 suspected CM patients, compared the LFA to standard EIA and included procalcitonin evaluation. Results Compared to standard EIA, LFA demonstrates 31% sensitivity (95% CI of 20%-44%) and 92% specificity (95% CI of 88%-95%). Acute pulmonary disease (74%) was the most common clinical syndrome. Hospitalized patients constituted 75% of subjects, and compared to outpatients, they more frequently had ≥ 3 previous healthcare facility visits (p = 0.05), received antibacterials (p & 0.01) and had > 3 antibacterial courses (p & 0.01). Procalcitonin (PCT) was &0.25 ng/ml in 52 (83%) EIA+ patients, suggesting infection was not bacterial. Conclusions When CM is a possible diagnosis, LFA identified nearly a third of EIA+ infections. Combined with PCT &0.25 ng/ml, LFA could reduce unnecessary antibacterial use by 77%.
Consistent Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch in the Large Magellanic Cloud on the Hubble Space Telescope Photometric System and a Redetermination of the Hubble Constant

We present a calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) on the HST/ACS F814W system. We use archival HST observations to derive blending corrections and photometric transformations for two ground-based wide-area imaging surveys of the Magellanic Clouds. We show that these surveys are biased bright by up to ~0.1 mag in the optical due to blending, and that the bias is a function of local stellar density. We correct the LMC TRGB magnitudes from Jang & Lee (2017) and use the geometric distance from Pietrzynski et al. (2019) to obtain an absolute TRGB magnitude of M_F814W=-3.97+/-0.046 mag. Applying this calibration to the TRGB magnitudes from Freedman et al. (2019) in SN Ia hosts yields a value for the Hubble constant of H_0=72.4+/-2.0 km/s/Mpc for their TRGB+SNe Ia distance ladder. The difference in the TRGB calibration and the value of H_0 derived here and by Freedman et al. (2019) primarily results from their overestimate of the LMC extinction, caused by inconsistencies in their different sources of TRGB photometry for the Magellanic Clouds. Using the same source of photometry (OGLE) for both Clouds and applying the aforementioned corrections yields a value for the LMC I-band TRGB extinction that is lower by 0.06 mag, consistent with independent OGLE reddening maps used by us and by Jang & Lee (2017) to calibrate TRGB and determine H_0.