cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association between malignancy and non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy: a case report and literature review

Background Wernicke's encephalopathy is a serious medical condition associated with high morbidity and mortality caused by deficiency of thiamine. This disease is classically associated with alcoholism, but is underappreciated in the nonalcoholic population. There is growing acknowledgement of the development of Wernicke's encephalopathy in patients with malignancies. Methods We conducted a literature review in PubMed for cases of Wernicke's encephalopathy occurring in patients with malignancy. We also present the case of a 47-year-old woman with recurrent laryngeal cancer and multiple hospital admissions for malnutrition. Neurological examination was notable for pendular nystagmus, severe gait ataxia, confusion, and poor memory consolidation. MRI of the brain was significant for T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensities in periaqueductal regions, medial thalami, and the tectal plate, typical for Wernicke's encephalopathy. She was treated with thiamine repletion, and had marked improvement in her mental status and some improvement in her vision problems and ataxia, although some nystagmus and significant short-term memory impairment persisted. Results The literature review yielded dozens of case reports of Wernicke's encephalopathy in patients with malignancy, dominated by cases of patients with malignancies of the gastrointestinal system, followed by those with hematologic malignancies. Conclusions Malignancy is an important risk factor for the development of Wernicke's encephalopathy. This diagnosis is underappreciated and difficult for the clinician to discern from multifactorial delirium. Clinicians should be aware to treat at-risk patients with thiamine immediately, especially if multiple risk factors are present.
A direct potential fitting RKR method: Semiclassical vs. quantal comparisons

Abstract Quantal and semiclassical (SC) eigenvalues are compared for three diatomic molecular potential curves: the X state of CO, the X state of Rb2, and the A state of I2. The comparisons show higher levels of agreement than generally recognized, when the SC calculations incorporate a quantum defect correction to the vibrational quantum number, in keeping with the Kaiser modification. One particular aspect of this is better agreement between quantal and SC estimates of the zero-point vibrational energy, supporting the need for the Y00 correction in this context. The pursuit of a direct-potential-fitting (DPF) RKR method is motivated by the notion that some of the limitations of RKR potentials may be innate, from their generation by an exact inversion of approximate quantities: the vibrational energy Gυ and rotational constant Bυ from least-squares analysis of spectroscopic data. In contrast, the DPF RKR method resembles the quantal DPF methods now increasingly used to analyze diatomic spectral data, but with the eigenvalues obtained from SC phase integrals. Application of this method to the analysis of 9500 assigned lines in the I2 A ← X spectrum fails to alter the quantal-SC disparities found for the A-state RKR curve from a previous analysis. On the other hand, the SC method can be much faster than the quantal method in exploratory work with different potential functions, where it is convenient to use finite-difference methods to evaluate the partial derivatives required in nonlinear fitting.
Management of Hyperglycemia Associated with Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition

Enteral nutrition, also known as “tube feeding,” is necessary for patients who cannot eat but who have an intact gastrointestinal system. This may be attributed to a variety of conditions, including altered mental status, inability to swallow, and risk for aspiration. Hyperglycemia is common after the initiation of enteral nutrition in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients because the formulas are designed to be calorically dense. Furthermore, they often are delivered continuously throughout the day rather than as discrete meals. Because the choice of formula for an individual patient incorporates a variety of factors (protein, fat, and carbohydrate content, along with micronutrients), resultant hyperglycemia generally is most appropriately managed by matching subcutaneous insulin injections to the patient’s needs rather than by changing the formula to correct hyperglycemia.
A Projection Method for Solving Infinite Systems of Linear Inequalities

This paper presents a projection method for solving an infinite system of linear inequalities. The solution set of the system may be bounded or unbounded, and the interior of the solution set may be empty or nonempty. The method is extended to an infinite system of convex inequalities.
Melanin-targeted nonlinear microscopy for label-free molecular diagnosis and staining (Conference Presentation)

Visible absorption in tissue is dominated by a very small number of chromophores (hemoglobins and melanins) with broad optical spectra; for melanins in particular, the optical absorption spectrum is typically featureless. In addition, scattering limits penetration depth. As a result, the most common microscopy application by far is with excised tissue, which can be stained. However, nonlinear optical methods have the additional advantages of greater penetration depth and reduced sensitivity to scattering. Traditional nonlinear microscopy relies on mechanisms which produce light of a different color than the irradiating lasers, such as second harmonic generation or two photon induced fluorescence, and this contrast is sparse in biological issue without expressing or injecting different chromophores. Recently, stable laser sources and pulse shaping/pulse train modulation methods have made it possible to detect a much wider range of nonlinear molecular signatures, even at modest laser powers (much less than a laser pointer). Here we show the utility of a variety of such signatures (pump-probe, pulse-shaped stimulated Raman, cross-phase modulation) to quantitatively image the biochemical composition of transparent or pigmented tissue in a variety of applications, ranging from thin, unstained tissue sections to live knockout mice. The rich biochemical information provided by this method can be used as an indicator of melanocyte activity, which in turn (for example) reflects the status of melanocytic lesions. Comparisons with model systems (synthetic melanin nanoparticles, sepia melanin) and analysis of melanin degradation pathways in vivo have led to a quantitative understanding of the molecular basis of these changes.
Vultures: Consumptions and Conjurings

This brief essay examines the undervalued techne of vultures as they take up putrid material for their own sustenance. These broad-winged masters of the updraft glide along a dialectic between graceful and gross. Even grounded in the pragmatics of materiality and its decay, they nonetheless soar in our collective unconscious as psychopomps, guides on the bridge between the living and the dead, creatures of the uncanny and deeply symbolic. The essay uses Morton’s “dark ecology” and the intersection of rhetoric and magic to make sense of the rhetorical contributions of vultures.
Management of Advanced and Terminal Hepatocellular Carcinoma: When and How to Treat, and When not to Treat?

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer worldwide according to the National Cancer Institute. If treated with liver directed therapy, patients' median overall survival is significantly improved at 20.1 versus 4.3 months without treatment. The purpose of this article is to give an overview on when and how to treat, and when not to treat patients with advanced or terminal HCC. Treatment of patients with advanced HCC can be challenging, as patients are often already debilitated due to their chronic underlying liver disease. Performance status, hepatic function, tumor characteristics, and the patient's desire to maintain their quality of life should be at the forefront of deciding when and how to treat this patient population. If patients are found to be outside treatment criteria, referral to palliative care can be beneficial.
Identification of apoB‐100 Peptide‐Specific CD8+ T Cells in Atherosclerosis

Background T cells are found in atherosclerotic plaques, with evidence supporting a potential role for CD8+ T cells in atherogenesis. Prior studies provide evidence of low‐density lipoprotein and apoB‐100 reactive T cells, yet specific epitopes relevant to the disease remain to be defined. The current study was undertaken to identify and characterize endogenous, antigen‐specific CD8+ T cells in atherosclerosis. Methods and Results A peptide fragment of apoB‐100 that tested positive for binding to the mouse MHC‐I allele H2K b was used to generate a fluorescent‐labeled H2K b pentamer and tested in apoE −/− mice. H2K b pentamer(+)CD8+ T cells were higher in apoE −/− mice fed an atherogenic diet compared with those fed a normal chow. H2K b pentamer (+)CD8+ T cells in atherogenic diet–fed mice had significantly increased effector memory phenotype with a shift in Vβ profile. H2K b pentamer blocked lytic activity of CD8+ T cells from atherogenic diet–fed mice. Immunization of age‐matched apoE −/− mice with the apoB‐100 peptide altered the immune‐dominant epitope of CD8+ T cells and reduced atherosclerosis. Conclusions Our study provides evidence of a self‐reactive, antigen‐specific CD8+ T‐cell population in apoE −/− mice. Immune modulation using the peptide antigen reduced atherosclerosis in apoE −/− mice.
Cortical Bone Screw Fixation

Placement of lumbar fixation screws using the cortical bone trajectory is a novel and potentially valuable technique. In this chapter, we discuss the current literature on clinical outcomes and biomechanical properties of the cortical bone trajectory. We examine indications for which this trajectory may be beneficial compared to a traditional pedicle screw trajectory. The reader is guided through the steps of performing a minimally invasive midline lumbar fusion using the cortical bone screw trajectory, and an illustrative case is provided. In addition, technical pearls as well as common complications and strategies for their avoidance are discussed.
Finite valuated groups as modules over their endomorphism ring

This paper discusses the structure of a nite valuated p-group when viewed as a module over its endomorphism ring. A category equivalence between full subcategories of the category of valuated p-groups and the cate- gory of right modules over the endomorphism ring of A is used to investigate the interaction between this module structure and homological properties of the underlying group. Examples are given throughout the paper.
Where and why does restoration happen? Ecological and sociopolitical influences on stream restoration in coastal California.

Abstract The distribution of conservation effort on the landscape is affected by both ecological and social priorities and constraints. Together these influences can result in bias towards certain types of ecological or human communities. We evaluate the distribution of restoration projects on the California Central Coast, USA, to evaluate sociopolitical and biophysical influences on the type and distribution of one type of conservation effort. We compiled data on 699 sites with publicly funded stream restoration and management projects completed in the past 30 years and the biophysical and sociopolitical characteristics of the 310 sub-catchments in our study area. Our database contains three categories of stream projects: ecological restoration to benefit natural ecosystems, human-oriented projects to enhance ecosystem services, and data collection projects for planning and monitoring. Both ecological and human-oriented restoration efforts were clustered near the coastline. Stream activities of all kinds were highest in sub-catchments with water quality impairment, high population density, high pro-environmental voting, and a highly educated, wealthy, non-Hispanic white population. Ecological restoration and data collection were also greater in catchments with higher native fish richness. Our findings indicate that restoration activity is aligned with, and perhaps responding to, ecological need, and that restoration efforts are concentrated near human population centers and restoration organizations. Disparities in conservation effort by income, race, and education are concerning and should be evaluated in more depth and in other regions.
Policing Contracts for Unconscionability: Guidelines for International Arbitrators Subject to the Scrutiny of US Courts

In the United States private contracts are policed using a combination of statutory prohibitions and the doctrine of unconscionable contracts. With the exception of Australia and perhaps Canada, in this the United States stands alone, For the rest of the world, including common law jurisdictions such as England, contracts are policed almost exclusively by statutory prohibitions. In civil law countries it is common place for lawyers to consult statutes that contain long lists of prohibited provisions. If a given type of clause is listed, it is deemed per se unenforceable and the role of the judiciary is simply to enforce the statute. In civil law jurisdictions the element of judicial subjectivity is absent from the policing process. What accounts for the dramatic difference between the two approaches to the policing of contract term? And is the difference really all that surprising? In this article the point is made that the differences are attributable to an underlying cultural bias that favors individual choice. Many refer to both countries as having a cowboy mentality, a mindset that allows for risk taking even if doing so results in an otherwise unfortunate outcome. Both the United States and Australia highly prize the right of the individual to take risks with limited governmental oversight. In both countries so long as the individual is aware of the terms contracted for, and so long as the decision to accept a term isn't manipulated in a manner that offends the contracting system, the individual is usually allowed to decide what is and what isn't best, given the unique circumstances of a given contract. The only exceptions are terms that (1) violate statutory law, in which case the clause is per se unenforceable or (2) violates public policy, in which case the clause may be considered per se unenforceable upon a determination of applicable public policy or (3) is so one sided and unduly harsh as to be grossly unfair in which case the term can be challenged as being unconscionable. The later two types involve determinations made by courts and are subject to judicial subjectivity. The article compares and contrasts the laws of numerous countries with those in the United States and Australia and discusses the implications of the differences within the context of arbitration proceeds brought before arbitrators trained in the civil law tradition. Recent case law (Buckeye Check Cashing v. Cardegna, 126 S. Ct. 1204 (2006)) suggests that arbitrators must resolve the issue of unconscionability if there is a challenge to the contract in the entirety as opposed to a challenge to the arbitration clause itself. Therefore, arbitrators trained in the civil law tradition may be called upon to provide rulings involving a theory of law that is totally unfamiliar to them. The article is constructed with these readers in mind.
Collective Excitations of Dipolar Liquids

Collective excitations in condensed matter have received considerable attention in the literature. The most thoroughly studied among such elementary excitations are the long-wave-length plasma oscillations in charged plasmas and the phonons in all states of aggregation of matter. The collective oscillations of a system of interacting neutral dipoles has not received the same attention.
Colour measurement and fastness assessment

Abstract: Changes in the colour or the transfer of colour from coloured items, especially textiles, is undesirable. Standard tests have been developed particularly by ISO and AATCC to reproduce the challenges that coloured items face and thus predict such poor colourfastness in use. Assessing the colour changes and staining that occurs in these tests is traditionally carried out visually by reference to standard grey scales, but instrumental assessment of colourfastness with equations that generate data corresponding to the grey scales is becoming more widely used. More rapid and accurate assessments are suggested by the use of camera systems and improved equations respectively.
Mechanism of Inhibition of Mixed-Function Oxidation by Ethanol

p-Nitroanisole (PNA) O-demethylation in perfused rat livers was inhibited by low concentrations of ethanol (Ki = 1 mM) and acetaldehyde (Ki = 0.5 mM). Ethanol and acetaldehyde also inhibited microsomal PNA metabolism, but only at much higher concentrations (Ki = 130 mM and 5 mM, respectively). Moreover, the dose-dependent inhibition of PNA metabolism in the perfused liver correlated strongly with changes in surface fluorescence of pyridine nucleotides and flavoproteins resulting from the metabolism of ethanol and acetaldehyde. t-Butanol (20 mM) did not cause pyridine nucleotide or flavoprotein reduction, nor did it inhibit PNA metabolism. When ethanol metabolism was blocked with 4-methylpyrazole, the inhibition of PNA metabolism by ethanol was diminished.
Unruly difference: the politics of stigma and the space of the sacred

This essay looks at three contemporary Jewish American playwrights: Tony Kushner, Martin Sherman and Deb Margolin, whose plays ask fundamental questions about Jewish identity in its political, cultural and spiritual dimensions. Breaking from the concerns of their theatrical predecessors, most of whom ignored or disguised their Jewish roots, these playwrights draw on profoundly Jewish concepts to reconfigure narratives of redemption, obligation, ethical community, and Messianic utopianism. Their plays are characterized by a sensibility of “unruly difference.” Attracted by the politics of marginality; these writers re-imagine otherness in plays that celebrate a different understanding of faith and conjure the sublime. By carving out a more capacious definition of Judaism that embraces contradiction and contention, faith and doubt, progressive social vision and deepened spiritual commitment, they sit aslant the mainstream. They are drawn to their understanding of the spiritual power and cultural grandeur of the Jewish heritage, but question the politics of accommodation and the limitations of tradition and law. The ambivalence these writers express about Judaism adds to the complexity of their writing and to its value as a cultural indicator. Working in new idioms, they refute traditional discourses and dominant paradigms of conformity and coalescence that characterize modern Jewish-American life.
Advances in tendon mechanobiology

Abstract Tendons are vital components for the functioning of human musculoskeletal system. Yet, they are frequently subjected to injuries, such as chronic tendon injury or tendinopathy. Excessive mechanical loading is considered to be a major factor responsible for tendinopathy, which is prevalent in athletic settings. Additionally, aging is also known to induce tendon degeneration. Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSCs) are a newly identified cell type in the tendon, and TSC mechanobiology is an interesting field where TSCs’ role in tendon mechanobiology in general and mechanical loading and aging-induced tendinopathy in particular is being actively explored. This chapter highlights the recent developments in tendon mechanobiology related to TSC and tendon aging research.
Principals’ Uses and Interpretations of Student Growth Percentile Data:

Increasing numbers of states have incorporated measures of students’ academic growth into their data and accountability policies. Measuring growth is a statistically complicated task and complex gr...
Peer-Group Choice, Chief Executive Officer Compensation, and Firm Performance

We examine the selection of peer groups that boards of directors use when setting CEO compensation. The challenge is to ascertain whether peer groups are selected to (i) attract and retain executive talent and/or (ii) enable rent extraction by inappropriately increasing compensation. We find that the inferences in prior research are based on questionable methodological choices and do not generalize with an expanded sample. After addressing these concerns, we find that, on average, excess peer compensation has a negative association with future firm operating performance. However, significant variation in CEO talent and corporate governance exists within the cross-section of firms. The negative association between excess peer compensation and future performance is mitigated when the firm has a high level of CEO talent, and exacerbated when the firm has low-quality corporate governance. Thus, the economic consequences of peer-group choice are highly contextual. In general, we find that talent motivations explain more of the variation in the future performance implications of peer-group choice than corporate governance.
Internal heat transfer of film-cooled leading edge model with normal and tangential impinging jets

Abstract This paper investigates internal heat transfer of film-cooled leading edge with mainstream flow. The semi-cylindrical leading edge model receives coolant through impinging jets located at the neighborhood rectangular channel. The leading edge has three rows of cylindrical film cooling holes: row 1 located along the stagnation line (0°) and rows 2 and 3 at ±40° measured from the stagnation line. All film cooling holes are at an inclined angle of 25° relatives to the surface. There are two impinging jet designs in this study: the normal jet and the tangential jet. The normal jet has one row of normal jet impinging holes. After jets impinging on the inner wall of the semi-cylinder stagnation line, coolant spreads out through film cooling holes. The tangential jet has two rows of tangential jet impinging holes. Swirl flow is generated when jets enter the semi-cylinder from two sides of the semi-cylinder. Mainstream Reynolds number is about 100,000 based on the outside diameter of the leading edge cylinder, and the mainstream turbulence intensity is about 7%. Leading edge detailed internal heat transfer distributions are measured by using transient liquid crystal method. Three different coolant jet Reynolds numbers are tested (Rej = 5000, 10,000 and 15,000), corresponding to averaged blowing ratios about 0.77, 1.54, and 2.31. The experimental results provide useful information for the jet impingement cooling design, especially the leading edge region is under the conditions of mainstream flow and external film extraction. CFD simulations are performed to present the velocity field and compare the heat transfer results with experimental data.
Anthracene-based mechanophores for compression-activated fluorescence in polymeric networks.

The recent attention given to functionalities that respond to mechanical force has led to a deeper understanding of force transduction and mechanical wear in polymeric materials. Furthermore, polymers have been carefully designed such that activation of “mechanophores” leads to productive outputs, such as material reinforcement or changes in optical properties. In this work, a crosslinker containing an anthracene–maleimide linkage was designed and used to prepare networks that display a fluorescence response when damaged. The pressure-dependent damage of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) networks was monitored using solid-state fluorescence spectroscopy, with increasing compressive forces leading to higher degrees of mechanophore activation. When a stamp was used to compress the networks, only the areas in contact with the raised portion of the stamp underwent mechanophore activation, resulting in the generation of patterns that were only visible under UV light. Finally, an isomeric “flex” mechanophore was designed and used to prepare networks that were compressed and compared to the previously described networks.
P300 amplitude and latency reflect arithmetic skill: An ERP study of the problem size effect

Abstract The effect of arithmetic problem size is widespread in behavior (e.g., slower responses to 8 × 7 than 2 × 2). Here, we measure event related potentials (ERPs) to determine how the problem size effect unfolds under different conditions. Adults judged the correctness of simple multiplication problems (2 × 4 = 8 versus 9) that varied in size and operand number format (written digits versus spoken number words). The P300, an ERP component associated with stimulus categorization, was measured from solution onset. P300 amplitude was greatest for small and correct solutions, as expected for easily categorized stimuli. Large incorrect solutions elicited a disproportionately reduced P300, an interaction not measurable in verification behavior. Additionally, ERP measures revealed effects of operand format preceding, but not following, solution onset. The significance of these findings for theories of mathematical cognition are addressed.
Conspiracies and Summary Judgment in Sherman Section 1 Cases: Judge Posner Takes on the Ninth Circuit

The article analyzes and compares Judge Richard Posner's opinion in In re High Fructose Corn Syrup Antitrust Litigation, 295 F.3d 651 (7th Cir. 2002) with the Ninth Circuit's panel decision in In re Citric Acid Litigation, 191 F.3d 1090 (9th Cir. 1999). On similar facts, both cases dealt with the proper standard for summary judgment in a case in which there was an alleged conspiracy in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The article concludes that Judge Posner's decision, which reversed and remanded a district court decision granting summary judgment to the defendants, applies the proper standard. In contrast, the Ninth Circuit's panel decision applied an unduly rigid standard that may prevent trial of legitimate Section 1 claims.
Targeted cyclooxygenase-2 inhibiting nanomedicine results in pain-relief and differential expression of the RNA transcriptome in the dorsal root ganglia of injured male rats:

Chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve in rats causes peripheral neuropathy leading to pain-like behaviors commonly seen in humans. Neuropathy is a leading cause of neuropathic pain, which involves a complex cellular and molecular response in the peripheral nervous system with interactions between neurons, glia, and infiltrating immune cells. In this study, we utilize a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug -loaded nanoemulsion to deliver the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, Celecoxib, directly to circulating monocytes following nerve injury, which provides long-lasting pain relief. However, it is not fully understood how cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition in a macrophage traveling to the site of injury impacts gene expression in the dorsal root ganglia. To elucidate aspects of the molecular mechanisms underlying pain-like behavior in chronic constriction injury, as well as subsequent pain relief with treatment, we employ RNAseq transcriptome profiling of the dorsal root ganglia associated with the injured sciatic nerve in rats. Using high throughput RNA sequencing in this way provides insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in this neuroinflammatory response. We compare the transcriptome from the dorsal root ganglias of the following study groups: chronic constriction injury animals administered with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibiting celecoxib-loaded nanoemulsion, chronic constriction injury animals administered with vehicle treatment, a drug-free nanoemulsion, and a group of naive, unoperated and untreated rats. The results show an extensive differential expression of 115 genes. Using the protein annotation through evolutionary relationship classification system, we have revealed pain-related signaling pathways and underlying biological mechanisms involved in the neuroinflammatory response. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction validation confirms expression changes for several genes. This study shows that by directly inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 activity in infiltrating macrophages at the injured sciatic nerve, there is an associated change in the transcriptome in the cell bodies of the dorsal root ganglia.
Extracting archival-quality information from software-related chats

Software developers are increasingly having conversations about software development via online chat services. Many of those chat communications contain valuable information, such as code descriptions, good programming practices, and causes of common errors/exceptions. However, the nature of chat community content is transient, as opposed to the archival nature of other developer communications such as email, bug reports and Q&A forums. As a result, important information and advice are lost over time. The focus of this dissertation is Extracting Archival Information from Software-Related Chats, specifically to (1) automatically identify conversations that contain archival-quality information, (2) accurately reduce the granularity of the information reported as archival information, and (3) conduct a case study to investigate how archival quality information extracted from chats compare to related posts in Q&A forums. Archiving knowledge from developer chats could be used potentially in several applications such as: creating a new archival mechanism available to a given chat community, augmenting Q&A forums, or facilitating the mining of specific information and improving software maintenance tools.
Resolving the Disproportionate Left Ventricular Enlargement in Mitral Valve Prolapse Due to Barlow Disease: Insights From Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

Abstract Objectives This study hypothesized that left ventricular (LV) enlargement in Barlow disease can be explained by accounting for the total volume load that consists of transvalvular mitral regurgitation (MR) and the prolapse volume. Background Barlow disease is characterized by long prolapsing mitral leaflets that can harbor a significant amount of blood—the prolapse volume—at end-systole. The LV in Barlow disease can be disproportionately enlarged relative to MR severity, leading to speculation of Barlow cardiomyopathy. Methods Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was used to compare MR, prolapse volume, and heart chambers remodeling in patients with Barlow disease (bileaflet prolapse [BLP]) and in single leaflet prolapse (SLP). Results A total of 157 patients (81 with BLP, 76 with SLP) were included. Patients with SLP were older and more had hypertension. Patients with BLP had more heart failure. Indexed LV end-diastolic volume was larger in BLP despite similar transvalvular MR. However, the prolapse volume was larger in BLP, which led to larger total volume load compared with SLP. Increasing tertiles of prolapse volume and MR both led to an incremental increase in LV end-diastolic volume in BLP. Using the total volume load improved the correlation with indexed LV end-diastolic volume in the BLP group, which closely matched that of SLP. A multivariable model that incorporated the prolapse volume explained left heart chamber enlargement better than a MR-based model, independent of prolapse category. Conclusions The prolapse volume is part of the total volume load exerted on the LV during the cardiac cycle and could help explain the disproportionate LV enlargement relative to MR severity noted in Barlow disease.
The Error-Pattern-Correcting Turbo Equalizer: Spectrum Thinning at High SNRs

The error-pattern correcting code (EPCC) is a code designed to correct frequently observed error cluster patterns of the intersymbol interference (ISI) channel. This paper focuses on developing theoretical understanding of the performance of serial concatenation of the EPCC with an outer recursive systematic convolutional code (RSCC) in ISI channel environments. To analyze the performance of this EPCC-RSCC concatenation, an upper union bound on the maximum-likelihood (ML) bit-error rate (BER), averaged over all possible interleavers, is derived which offers crucial insights into the error floor behavior of the matching turbo decoder. The ML bound is also used to compare the performance of EPCC-RSCC to that of a stand-alone RSCC in serial concatenation to precoded and nonprecoded ISI channels. This comparison shows that by targeting the low Hamming-weight interleaved errors of the RSCC, which result in low Euclidean distance error events in the channel detector, EPCC-RSCC exhibits a much lower BER floor compared to conventional schemes, especially for high rate applications and short interleaver lengths. The error rate performance of an iterative suboptimal turbo equalizer (TE), called TE-EPCC, is also demonstrated to converge close to the ML bound at high SNR.
Integrating long-range regulatory interactions to predict gene expression using graph convolutional neural networks

Long-range spatial interactions among genomic regions are critical for regulating gene expression and their disruption has been associated with a host of diseases. However, when modeling the effects of regulatory factors on gene expression, most deep learning models either neglect long-range interactions or fail to capture the inherent 3D structure of the underlying biological system. This prevents the field from obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of gene regulation and from fully leveraging the structural information present in the data sets. Here, we propose a graph convolutional neural network (GCNN) framework to integrate measurements probing spatial genomic organization and measurements of local regulatory factors, specifically histone modifications, to predict gene expression. This formulation enables the model to incorporate crucial information about long-range interactions via a natural encoding of spatial interaction relationships into a graph representation. Furthermore, we show that our model is interpretable in terms of the observed biological regulatory factors, highlighting both the histone modifications and the interacting genomic regions that contribute to a gene9s predicted expression. We apply our GCNN model to datasets for GM12878 (lymphoblastoid) and K562 (myelogenous leukemia) cell lines and demonstrate its state-of-the-art prediction performance. We also obtain importance scores corresponding to the histone mark features and interacting regions for some exemplar genes and validate them with evidence from the literature. Our model presents a novel setup for predicting gene expression by integrating multimodal datasets.
Biphasic Effects of Ethanol Exposure on Waste Metabolites Clearance in the CNS

We have shown that the effects of low-dose ethanol promote the clearance of waste metabolites, such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) proteins, from the brain through the perivascular space (PVS). We demonstrated that dilative reactivity of arterial smooth muscle and endothelial cells regulate this clearance. These findings indicate the importance of blood-brain barrier (BBB) transvascular clearance of large size metabolites from the central nervous system (CNS), where the lymphatic clearance system is absent. We next examined the contrasting effects of acute low-dose and chronic moderate ethanol exposure on BBB-associated perivascular clearance. We injected a high molecular weight fluorescent dye into the interstitial space or directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Bio-distribution of this tracer was then examined in different brain regions by multiphoton imaging and whole brain tissue section scanning. Ethanol-induced molecular/cellular mechanisms that drive the increase or decrease in movement of the fluorescent tracer were correlated to BBB integrity and arterial vessel reactivity. We found that activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) under low-dose ethanol conditions with a shift to activation of inducible NOS (iNOS) under chronic high ethanol exposure conditions, which appeared to regulate these contrasting effects. We validated these observations by qualitative and quantitative investigation of eNOS, iNOS, BBB integrity, and perivascular clearance of waste metabolites. We concluded that the effects of low-dose ethanol increased the diffusive movement of waste metabolites via eNOS-derived NO, which increased the arterial endothelial-smooth muscle cell dilative reactivity without affecting BBB integrity, whereas a prolonged induction of iNOS under chronic ethanol exposure conditions caused oxidative damage of the arterial endothelial-smooth muscle layers resulting in cerebral amyloid-like angiopathy. This led to dysfunction of the BBB, dilative reactivity, and impaired waste metabolites movement from the interstitial space or subarachnoid space (SAS) through perivascular clearance.
Inflation Targeting: A Monetary Policy Regime Whose Time Has Come and Gone

Inflation targeting emerged in the early 1990s and soon became the dominant monetary-policy regime. It provided a much-needed nominal anchor that had been missing since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system. Its arrival coincided with a rise in macroeconomic stability for numerous countries, and this led many observers to conclude that it is the best way to do monetary policy. Some studies show, however, that inflation targeting got lucky. It is a monetary regime that has a hard time dealing with large supply shocks, and its arrival occurred during a period when they were small. Since this time, supply shocks have become larger, and inflation targeting has struggled to cope with them. Moreover, the recent crisis suggests it has also has a tough time dealing with large demand shocks, and it may even contribute to financial instability. Inflation targeting, therefore, is not a robust monetary-policy regime, and it needs to be replaced.
Advanced packaging solutions for high performance memory

In the data economy more memory, more speed, lower power, smaller form factor is needed for data-hungry workloads and real-time computations from data-center to edge. Advanced packaging is key to building such solutions for memory and memory-logic integration. In this talk, we will go over core enabling packaging technologies and challenges that need to be overcome to realize them.
Thermoluminescence: Potential Applications in Forensic Science

In crime laboratories one of the most difficult operations is to determine unequivocally whether or not two samples of evidence of the same type were originally part of the same thing or were from the same source. It has been found that high temperature thermoluminescence (room temperature to 723 K) can be used for comparisons of this type, although work to date indicates that there is generally a finite probability for coincidental matching of glass or soil samples. Further work is required to determine and attempt to minimize these probabilities for different types of materials, and to define more clearly the scope of applicability of thermoluminescence to actual forensic situations.
$L^{2}$-von Neumann modules, their relative tensor products and the spatial derivative

We develop a theory of $L^{2}$-von Neumann modules, which encompasses a reformulation of Connes' Spatial Derivative, and the Relative Tensor Product of Sauvageot. We demonstrate the naturality of the relative tensor product construction in the category of $L^{2}$-von Neumann bimodules. Finally, we give evidence for the claim that the relative tensor product is essentially the only tensor product which should be used when considering this tensor category.
Ambiguity as Grasp: The Reworking of Sense

Ambiguity may lead us to insert abstractions into our experience that create a greater number of unanticipated, unintended consequences. When people move closer to the flux of ambiguity, they work to make sense of it. High reliability organizations react to ambiguity by increasing it momentarily. To increase ambiguity is to grasp more of the situation, to refrain from simplifications, and to strive for a workable level of ambiguity. This argument is developed through a focus on connotations of ambiguity, assumptions for organizing around ambiguity, and implications for practice. To grasp ambiguity is to adopt an attitude of wisdom.
Telecommunications Trends in Europe

Saturation of the basic telephone service market is leading telecommunications agencies in Europe to develop new services. Most of these new services have been implemented on dedicated networks because of the infrastructure of the analog telephone network. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the telecommunications agencies to cope with the diverse communication requirements by building dedicated networks (e.g.X.21, X.25). A digital backbone is now being implemented in most European countries for provision of the public telephone service. As a result, the technical difference between voice telephony and data transmission is disappearing. Most telecommunications agencies are exploiting the convergence and promoting the concept of Integrated Services Digital Networks -ISDN.
The 24-hour excursion and diurnal rhythm of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide in normal pregnancy

Abstract A longitudinal study to quantitate the progressive effects of the second and third trimesters of normal pregnancy on the levels of plasma glucose, immunoreactive insulin (IRI), and C-peptide (C-P) at hourly intervals throughout the 24-hour “metabolic clock” was made. Identical studies were conducted in each subject at 6 to 11 weeks post partum and these data were used as nonpregnant control values. Data analyses were made to determine the role of meal-activity-sleep cycles as physiologic modifiers. A diurnal rhythm of plasma glucose, IRI, and C-P was demonstrated in all study periods. During meals anabolic values of plasma glucose (increments above the 24-hour mean) in response to meal intake were remarkably small, ranging between 30 and 35 mg/100 ml in the postpartum state, and were not significantly modified by pregnancy. The corresponding IRI levels were similarly small with a mean increase on only 31% in pregnancy. However, during the third but not the second trimester of pregnancy, the peak anabolic values for both plasma glucose and IRI were significantly (p a.m. ) plasma glucose and 24-hour integrated glucose levels. This relative nocturnal hypoglycemia was associated with synchronous IRI values but without concomitant reduction of absolute IRI levels. Consequently, the fasting, premeal, and 24-hour IRI/glucose ratios were increased. Thus, basal insulin secretion is significantly augmented relative to levels of plasma glucose, but a quantitative increase in insulin secretion following food intake is relatively small during pregnancy. These observations together with the finding of a marked diurnal rhythm of plasma glucose and relative nocturnal hypoglycemia provide important insights for the formulation of guidelines for the timing, amount, and mode of delivery of exogenous insulin necessary for the management of diabetic patients during pregnancy.
IFN-γ Attenuates Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) Activity in Intestinal Epithelial Cells through Transcriptional Repression of HIF-1β

Numerous studies have revealed that hypoxia and inflammation occur coincidentally in mucosal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease. During inflammation, epithelial-expressed hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) serves an endogenously protective function. In this study, we sought to explore how mucosal immune responses influence HIF-dependent end points. Guided by a screen of relevant inflammatory mediators, we identified IFN-γ as a potent repressor of HIF-dependent transcription in human intestinal epithelial cells. Analysis of HIF levels revealed that HIF-1β, but not HIF-1α, is selectively repressed by IFN-γ in a JAK-dependent manner. Cloning and functional analysis of the HIF-1β promoter identified a prominent region for IFN-γ-dependent repression. Further studies revealed that colonic IFN-γ and HIF-1β levels were inversely correlated in a murine colitis model. Taken together, these studies demonstrated that intestinal epithelial HIF is attenuated by IFN-γ through transcriptional repression of HIF-1β. These observations are relevant to the pathophysiology of colitis (i.e., that loss of HIF signaling during active inflammation may exacerbate disease pathogenesis).
Knowledge discovery using KNOW-IT (KNOWledge Base Information Tools)

KNOW-IT is an integrated suite of robust tools which transform vast, unmanageable bodies of raw textual data into accessible and surveyable intelligence. Unlike most other information extraction systems, KNOW-IT extracts domain independent, time stamped information from various types of texts including news texts, utilizing more general semantic relations to link concepts which occur. KNOW-IT is an end-to-end system which takes raw texts as input and generates a knowledge base that can be utilized for a variety of information access systems, such as a visual knowledge base browser and a question-answering system.
Feedbacks between climate and boreal forests during the Holocene epoch

PREVIOUS studies1–5 have demonstrated that the predictions of global climate models are highly sensitive to large changes in vegetation cover, such as the complete removal of tropical or boreal forests. Although these studies have illustrated the potential effects of massive deforestation on the climate system, vegetation changes of this scale are very unlikely to occur. Investigating past environments may better illustrate the possible interactions between climate and vegetation cover. For example, palaeobotanical evidence indicates that 6,000 years ago boreal forests extended north of the modern treeline6, apparently in response to high-latitude warming resulting from variations in the Earth's orbit7,8. The expanded boreal forests, which took the place of tundra, must also have affected climate by significantly reducing the surface albedo5. Here we use a global climate model to examine the relative effects of orbitally-induced insolation variations and of the northward extension of boreal forests on the mid-Holocene climate. Orbital variations alone warm the high latitudes by 2 °C or more in summer, autumn and winter. The subsequent northward extension of boreal forests gives rise to an additional warming of approximately 4 °C in spring and about 1 °C in the other seasons. This suggests that large positive feedbacks between climate and boreal forests may have taken place in the recent geological past.
Cervicofacial actinomycosis: Diagnosis and management

Cervicofacial actinomycosis is an uncommon but fascinating infection of the head and neck. Most cases are odontogenic in origin and occur predominantly in immunocompetent individuals. Causative microorganisms are generally of low pathogenicity and cause disease only in the setting of antecedent tissue injury. The disease process is characterized by the formation of abscesses, fibrosis and woody induration of tissues, and draining sinuses that discharge "sulfur granules." Cultural isolation of Actinomyces species from clinical specimens, or microscopic visualization of grampositive, non-acid-fast, thin, branching filaments in cytologic aspirates or histopathologic sections are the best methods of diagnosis of cervicofacial actinomycosis. Penicillin is the drug of choice and is usually administered for 2 to 12 months, although short-course treatment may cure uncomplicated infection. Surgical therapy is often indicated for curettage of bone, resection of necrotic tissue, excision of sinus tracts, and drainage of soft tissue abscesses. The prognosis for treated infection is excellent.