cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bringing Geriatricians to the Front Lines: Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Intervention in Primary Care

Background: Frail elders often receive low-quality primary care, yet the optimal role of geriatricians in primary care settings remains uncertain. We evaluated the health utilization impacts of an innovative intervention emphasizing chronic disease self-management and physical activity promotion among frail elders in primary care. Methods: The intervention was implemented within two primary care practices at a single clinic serving a large population of frail elders enrolled in a western Washington health plan. Subjects included older patients (age ≥65 years) with disproportionate baseline outpatient service use who attended two on-site visits with a geriatrician during which each received comprehensive assessment and a problem-solving intervention to enhance chronic disease self-management and promote physical activity (N = 146). Our evaluation had a retrospective matched cohort design. Controls receiving primary care at other health plan clinics were matched 3:1 to intervention subjects by sex and a propensity score (N = 437), which was computed using demographic, clinical, and health care utilization factors that were predictive of attending the intervention. Among intervention subjects and controls following the intervention, we compared relative rates of hospitalization, outpatient and specialty visits, nursing home admission, mortality, and prescription of selected high-risk medications, as well as total health care costs. Results: From March 2002 to November 2003, the geriatrician evaluated 146 of 725 elderly subjects (20%) in the two primary care practices. During a mean follow-up of 1.3 years, intervention subjects had a reduced rate of hospitalization relative to matched controls (incidence rate ratio 0.57; 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.86; P Conclusions: Outpatient geriatric interventions emphasizing collaboration between geriatricians and primary care physicians, chronic disease self-management, and physical activity may reduce hospitalization risk and total health care costs among vulnerable elders.
Ultrastable Fourier domain mode locking observed in a laser sweeping 1363.8 – 1367.3 nm

We present an ultrastable Fourier domain mode locked (FDML) laser scanning 1363.8–1367.3 nm at 49.9 kHz repetition rate. Compared to typical FDML performance, this laser offers extremely low intensity noise and reduced spectral linewidth.
Illegal recreational hunting in Russia: the role of social norms and elite violators

Poaching in Russia has been reported to be of catastrophic proportions and threatens maintenance of biodiversity. Management of game species has stabilized some numbers, but both endangered species listed in the Russian Red Book and animals traditionally viewed as hunting prey are diminishing in some regions. Rank-and-file hunters, increasingly shut off from access to hunting grounds, have expressed a negative reaction to new hunting regulations adopted by the Russian government in 2012. While high-profile poaching incidents by so-called “VIP hunters” do not apparently make up a large portion of cases, the symbolism of the alleged crimes has a derogatory impact on ordinary hunters because lawlessness is reinforced by perceptions of impunity for elite poachers.
Evidence for persisters in Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62a planktonic cultures and biofilms.

The pathogenesis of Staphylococcus epidermidis in foreign device-related infections is attributed primarily to its ability to form biofilms on a polymer surface. One mechanism proposed for the survival of organisms in a biofilm is the presence of persister cells. Persister cells survive antibiotic treatment without acquiring heritable antibiotic resistance. This study was conducted to determine if S. epidermidis RP62a growing in planktonic cultures and biofilms could survive as persister cells following treatment with levofloxacin and vancomycin. S. epidermidis RP62a produced a small percentage of persisters (levofloxacin, 3.09×10−7 %; vancomycin, 8.21×10−5 %) when grown to exponential phase, whereas biofilms contained 28 and 94 % persisters, following exposure to levofloxacin and vancomycin, respectively. The highest percentages of persisters were obtained during stationary phase in planktonic cultures and the lowest percentages of persisters were obtained during mid-exponential phase. An increase in persister number was not due to activation of quorum-sensing regulons. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of biofilms exposed to levofloxacin demonstrated that the antibiotic was able to kill bacteria throughout the biofilm. Our results suggest that antibiotic tolerance in biofilms and in planktonic cultures of S. epidermidis RP62a is due in part to the presence of persister cells.
Enhanced myogenic responsiveness of renal interlobular arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We recently demonstrated that the interlobular artery (ILA) constricts in response to elevating renal arterial pressure (RAP), suggesting that the ILA contributes to renal autoregulation. In the present study, we examined the segmental myogenic responsiveness of the ILA in kidneys from Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The tapered nature of the ILA allowed us to characterize the regional responsiveness, using the basal diameter to define segments as either proximal (greater than 60 microns), intermediate (40-60 microns), or distal (less than 40 microns). At 80 mm Hg, segmental diameters were similar in WKY and SHR arteries (proximal, 76.0 +/- 3.1 versus 71.6 +/- 3.5 microns; intermediate, 48.2 +/- 1.4 versus 48.1 +/- 1.7 microns; distal, 30.7 +/- 0.9 versus 27.9 +/- 1.3 microns for WKY and SHR, respectively). In both strains, intermediate and distal segments exhibited graded reductions in diameter as RAP was elevated, whereas proximal segments did not. Pressure-induced decrements in the diameters of distal ILA segments were similar in WKY (-24 +/- 2%) and SHR (-20 +/- 2%; p greater than 0.1). The intermediate ILA of SHR exhibited an augmented myogenic responsiveness, constricting at lower RAP levels and exhibiting greater maximal decrements in diameter at 180 mm Hg (i.e., -19 +/- 2% and -12 +/- 2% for SHR and WKY, respectively; p less than 0.05). Nifedipine (1.0 microM) reduced pressure-induced vasoconstriction of intermediate and distal ILA segments by 56 +/- 11% and 79 +/- 7%, respectively, in WKY.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Structural and Functional Properties of Protein C

The discovery of protein C and its effects upon blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammation has changed the way we now think about the pathophysiology of thromboembolic disease and related disorders. Interestingly, this discovery was not the result of a planned approach to understanding a disease, but rather from a basic approach of attempting to understand the biochemistry of the vitamin K-dependent family of proteins. In fact all of the clinical information about protein C stems from information obtained in basic research laboratories. The first clue of the existence of protein C can be found in a 1947 paper that reports that factor Va is unstable in serum (1). It was subsequently observed that the instability could be removed if the plasma was adsorbed with aluminum hydroxide, an insoluble support that was known to adsorb vitamin K-dependent proteins. Seegers group observed that treatment of prothrombin with thrombin could elicit an inhibitor of coagulation. This led to the inhibitor’s characterization and designation as autoprothrombin IIa (2). Marciniak (3) confirmed the observation and noted that the inhibitor was species specific. Some time later, Stenflo characterized a new vitamin K-dependent protein (4), named protein C (5) which turned out to be the zymogen of autoprothrombin IIa (6). Characterization of protein C and the discovery that activated protein C was a potent inhibitor of blood coagulation lead to the realization that protein C may be one of the keys to understanding the molecular basis of thrombotic disease. This paper describes structural properties that give rise both to its unique functional — properties as well as the complex scheme by which it is regulated.
Variations of Rado's lemma

The deductive strengths of three variations of Rado's selection lemma are studied in set theory without the axiom of choice. Two are shown to be equivalent to Rado's lemma and the third to the Boolean prime ideal theorem. MSC: 03E25, 04A25, 06E05.
USE OF THERAPEUTIC AEROSOLS.

ULMONARY complications may occur in the immediate or later postoperative period. They are more frequent in patients with preoperative respiratory disturbances and in those who have undergone upper abdominal or thoracic surgical procedures. Factors that cause interference with adequate ventilation and gaseous exchange include inadequate preoperative preparatory procedures, insufficient or less than optimal therapeutic management before surgery, or disturbances of function from the surgical procedure itself; all may contribute individually or together to production of pulmonary complications. In general, the disturbances which are of interest for this discussion result from excessive thick and tenacious bronchial secretions, bronchial mucosal edema, bronchospasm and edematous fluid. Anesthetic agents likewise produce an increase of bronchial secretions. Surgery on the thorax or upper abdomen causes a loss of tussive power which normally cleanses the tracheobronchial tree of secretions. All of these are factors which increase airflow resistance, impair the distribution of inspired air and lead to areas of atelectasis, abnormal venous admixture and arterial hypoxemia and retention of carbon dioxide. The mechanical blockage of the bronchial tree may be localized or extend throughout the entire bronchial tree. The extent of involvement obviously correlates with the severity of the physiologic disturbances and is greater when pre-existing tracheobronchial disease is present. When copious amounts of thick, tenacious secretions are present, bronchospasm is frequently an added problem. Another factor that causes airway obstruction is mucosal edema. These several elements of airway obstruction contribute to the respiratory difficulties, and unless relieved promptly, lead to hypoxia, carbon dioxide retention, respiratory acidosis and eventually to bacterial infection.
Optimal Gabor-filter design for texture segmentation

An algorithm for designing optimal Gabor filters is presented. The algorithm assumes that an image contains two different textures and that prototype samples of the desired textures are given. It uses a decision-theoretic framework, based on modeling a Gabor-filter output as a Rician distribution, for designing optimal filters. To gain more robust results, a multiple-filter segmentation scheme is proposed. Experimental results verify the efficacy of the methods presented here. >
Public School Choice at the Intersection of Voluntary Integration and Not-So-Good Neighborhood Schools: Lessons From Parents’ Experiences:

This article presents research on the school choice processes and practices in a large urban district on the West Coast. It shares the stories of three mothers’ experiences with public school choice and tells how, through the process of choosing schools for their children, they became participants in the inequities and inequalities of the district’s choice programs. By showing how these mothers accomplished their goals of getting their child into a school other than their neighborhood school, the article illuminates how school choice policies proposed to be more equitable and democratic for parents, in many ways, still reproduce the schooling inequalities that they were intended to reduce.
Systematic analysis of silver nanoparticle ionic dissolution by tangential flow filtration: toxicological implications.

AbstractIn the field of toxicology of nanomaterials, scientists have not clearly determined if the observed toxicological events are due to the nanoparticles (NPs) themselves or the dissolution of ions released into the biophysiological environment or both phenomenon participate in combination based upon their bioregional and temporal occurrence during exposure conditions. Consequently, research involving the toxicological analysis of silver NPs (Ag-NPs) has shifted towards assessment of ‘nanosized' silver in comparison to its solvated ‘ionic' counterpart. Current literature suggests that dissolution of ions from Ag-NPs may play a key role in toxicity; however, the present assessment methodology to separate ions from NPs still requires improvement before a definitive cause of toxicity can be determined. Recently, centrifugation-based techniques have been employed to obtain solvated ions from the NP solution, but this approach leads to NP agglomeration, making further toxicological analysis difficult to as...
Inhibition of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Actions in the Embryonic Testis Influences Normal Cord Development and Morphology

Abstract Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) are paracrine factors with roles in mesenchymal-epithelial interactions during normal and pathologic processes. Previously, PDGF and its receptor (PDGFR) have been shown to be present in perinatal, peripubertal, and adult rat testes. The role of PDGF in embryonic testicular cord formation is not known. The hypothesis tested is that PDGFs and PDGFRs are expressed during cord formation and that inhibition of their action influences normal cord formation during embryonic testis development. Embryonic Day (E) 13 gonadal organ cultures were used. Organs were cultured for 3 days and treated daily with vehicle or a PDGFR-specific tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitor (i.e., the tyrphostin AG1295 or AG1296). Vehicle-treated testes formed normal cords, whereas tyrphostin-treated testes formed “swollen cords,” a phenomenon characterized by a significant decrease in the number of cords per testis area and increased cord diameter due to fusion of cords. Expression of PDGF...
An adaptive-focus deformable model using statistical and geometric information

An active contour (snake) model is presented, with emphasis on medical imaging applications. There are three main novelties in the proposed model. First, an attribute vector is used to characterize the geometric structure around each point of the snake model; the deformable model then deforms in a way that seeks regions with similar attribute vectors. This is in contrast to most deformable models which deform to nearby edges without considering geometric structure, and it was motivated by the need to establish point-correspondences that have anatomical meaning. Second, an adaptive-focus statistical model has been suggested which allows the deformation of the active contour in each stage to be influenced primarily by the most reliable matches. Third, a deformation mechanism that is robust to local minima is proposed by evaluating the snake energy function on segments of the snake at a time, instead of individual points. Various experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Social Capital, Crime, and Human Nature

In the present article, a reinterpretation of the concept of social capital is forwarded that incorporates the principles of evolutionary psychology. The authors propose that social capital, from the evolutionary psychological perspective, is any social relationship that, directly or indirectly, helps an individual maximize reproductive success through promoting survival, the acquisition of resources, mating, or the promotion of offspring to sexual maturity. The evolutionary psychology–informed construct of social capital is applied to several theoretical domains in the field of criminology to demonstrate how this perspective can bridge theories on the proximate causes of crime with the “ultimate” causes of human nature and human behavior.
Growth dynamics during the first two years of life: a prospective study in the Philippines.

This study examines determinants of growth from birth to 24 months in a sample of approximately 3000 urban and rural Filipino children. Individual household and community data were collected bimonthly during the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Separate longitudinal multivariate models were used to identify determinants of weight in children from birth to 6 months and 6-24 months of age. Previous weight male gender mothers height and season of the year showed significant positive associations with weight in all models. Full and mixed breast feeding significantly increased weight but the effects of breast feeding declined as children got older. Breast feeding had a direct growth-enhancing effect in addition to its indirect effect through the prevention of diarrheal morbidity. Detrimental effects of recent diarrheal morbidity were particularly important in the older age group but these effects were mitigated by breast feeding. Since infant feeding variables are included in the models the results strongly suggest an effect of diarrheal morbidity on growth independent of its known effects on infant feeding and dietary intake. Febrile respiratory infections had important detrimental effects on weight in both age groups. (authors)
Who’s in Charge: An Analysis of BPAI Decisions Regarding Section 101 Patentability in Light of Bilski and Mayo

When a patent applicant applies for a patent, there is a governing assumption that if the patent examiner wrongly finds an applicant’s patent unpatentable, the patent applicant may cure the error by appealing to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI), the administrative appeals board within the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). However, this assumption presupposes that the BPAI correctly applies Supreme Court and Federal Circuit patentability doctrine, a false presumption. The BPAI’s misapplication of the patentability doctrine by the BPAI is further exacerbated by the fact that no appeals have been taken from BPAI regarding this issue to the Federal Circuit, making the BPAI the de facto final arbiter for patent applications. This article takes advantage of the current fluctuations within the field of process patents, a result of two major Supreme Court decisions (Bilski v. Kappos (2010) and Mayo v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. (2012)) and a multitude of contradictory Federal Circuit cases, and examines whether the BPAI’s analytical approach is responsive to these doctrinal fluctuations. The article finds that the BPAI’s analysis of process patent applications has, in direct contradiction to Supreme Court and Federal Circuit doctrine, (1) excluded patent applications solely because they contain the phrase “computer readable medium,” (2) remained reliant upon the Machine or Transformation Test, (3) created a new “mental processes” test, and (4) analyzed non-process patent application claims as processes. The BPAI’s divergence from Supreme Court doctrine forces patent applicants to contend with two separate sets of patent requirements, those imposed by the Supreme Court and enforced within the federal judicial system, and those imposed by the BPAI and enforced during the patent application process.
Coibamide A, a natural lariat depsipeptide, inhibits VEGFA/VEGFR2 expression and suppresses tumor growth in glioblastoma xenografts

Coibamide A is a cytotoxic lariat depsipeptide isolated from a rare cyanobacterium found within the marine reserve of Coiba National Park, Panama. Earlier testing of coibamide A in the National Cancer Institute in vitro 60 human tumor cell line panel (NCI-60) revealed potent anti-proliferative activity and a unique selectivity profile, potentially reflecting a new target or mechanism of action. In the present study we evaluated the antitumor activity of coibamide A in several functional cell-based assays and in vivo. U87-MG and SF-295 glioblastoma cells showed reduced migratory and invasive capacity and underwent G1 cell cycle arrest as, likely indirect, consequences of treatment. Coibamide A inhibited extracellular VEGFA secreted from U87-MG glioblastoma and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with low nM potency, attenuated proliferation and migration of normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and selectively decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). We report that coibamide A retains potent antitumor properties in a nude mouse xenograft model of glioblastoma; established subcutaneous U87-MG tumors failed to grow for up to 28 days in response to 0.3 mg/Kg doses of coibamide A. However, the natural product was also associated with varied patterns of weight loss and thus targeted delivery and/or medicinal chemistry approaches will almost certainly be required to improve the toxicity profile of this unusual macrocycle. Finally, similarities between coibamide A- and apratoxin A-induced changes in cell morphology, decreases in VEGFR2 expression and macroautophagy signaling in HUVECs raise the possibility that both cyanobacterial natural products share a common mechanism of action.
Learning cellular objectives from fluxes by inverse optimization

Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) is a widely used approach for studying biochemical networks, and in particular the genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions. It formulates the problem of predicting a cell's chemical reaction fluxes as the linear optimization problem of maximizing a cellular objective (e.g., growth) subject to constraints capturing stoichiometry mass balances of the metabolic network and bounds that reflect the composition of the growth medium. In practice, however, reaction fluxes of the cells under specific growth conditions are available to be measured, but the primal FBA objective function is not necessarily known. Understanding its structure can elucidate the cellular metabolic control mechanisms and infer important information regarding an organism's evolution. To that end, we have developed an Inverse Flux Balance Analysis (InvFBA) method which is a novel inverse optimization-based framework for inferring metabolic objective functions. Within this framework, we present three different forms of objective functions: linear, quadratic, and non-parametric. We show that in all cases, the inverse problem is tractable and can be solved efficiently. We provide several numerical examples to show that the inference of the objective function is consistent with simulated flux data and actual measurements.
Aging of the Rat Adrenocortical Cell: Response to Acth and Cyclic Amp in Vitro

To study intrinsic age-related changes in adrenocortical steroid production, cells isolated from rats of different ages (3 to 24 months) were used. Acute (2 hour) corticosterone production in response to stimulation by adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) was measured by radioimmunoassay. With age, adrenocortical cells lose much of their ability to produce corticosterone in the absence or presence of ACTH or cAMP. The loss is progressive from 6 to 24 months of age. Analysis of the data suggests that from 6 to 12 months, an intracellular steroidogenic lesion develops; in addition there may be a loss in ACTH receptors on the plasma membrane. After 12 months these defects increase and are accompanied by a decrease in receptor sensitivity to ACTH.
Implementation of Programmable PSF Engineering to Minimize Distortion in High-Resolution 3D Microscopy Imaging of Thick Samples

Implementation of point-spread function (PSF) engineering via programmable wave front encoding is presented and evaluated by comparing experimental and simulated PSFs.
Advising, Consenting, Delaying, and Expediting: Senator Influences on Presidential Appointments

When, how, and under what conditions can individual legislators affect presidential appointments? Since the early 1900s, the senatorial norm of the blue slip has played a key role in the confirmation process of federal district and appeals court judges, and it is an important aspect of the individual prerogative that characterizes senatorial behavior more broadly. We analyze newly available blue slips, covering the historical period 1933–1960. We show that the blue slip functioned in this era most often to support and expedite nominations, indicating that senators used this device to shape the nominations agenda in this period. Additionally, we analyze the factors that contributed to an individual senator's decision to support or oppose a nominee, or return a blue slip at all, finding that senators were more likely to return positive blue slips when the Judiciary Committee chair was not a coalition ally. We argue that while blue slips did at times provide an early warning for poor nominees, they more often offered a means by which senators ensured that their desired nominees were confirmed swiftly. The positive role of the blue slip demonstrates that this device protected the individual prerogatives of senators, allowing them a degree of agenda-setting authority with regard to nominees in the weak parties era.
Pancreatic proteome profiling of type 1 diabetic mouse: Differential expression of proteins involved in exocrine function, stress response, growth, apoptosis and metabolism

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the pancreatic β-cells fail to produce insulin. In addition to such change in the endocrine function, the exocrine function of the pancreas is altered as well. To understand the molecular basis of the changes in both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions due to T1D, the proteome profile of the pancreas of control and diabetic mouse was compared using two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) and the differentially expressed proteins identified by electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS/MS). Among several hundred protein spots analyzed, the expression levels of 27 protein spots were found to be up-regulated while that of 16 protein spots were down-regulated due to T1D. We were able to identify 23 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated protein spots and classified them by bioinformatic analysis into different functional categories: (i) exocrine enzymes (or their precursors) involved in the metabolism of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates; (ii) chaperone/stress response; and (iii) growth, apoptosis, amino acid metabolism or energy metabolism. Several proteins were found to be present in multiple forms, possibly resulting from proteolysis and/or post-translational modifications. Succinate dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] flavoprotein subunit, which is the major catalytic subunit of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), was found to be one of the proteins whose expression was increased in T1D mouse pancreata. Since altered expression of a protein can modify its functional activity, we tested and observed that the activity of SDH, a key metabolic enzyme, was increased in the T1D mouse pancreata as well. The potential role of the altered expression of different proteins in T1D associated pathology in mouse is discussed.
A human retinal pigment epithelial cell line that retains epithelial characteristics after prolonged culture.

Purpose A spontaneously arising, apparently transformed, cell line has been cloned from a primary culture of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and has been subcultured more than 200 times. The similarities of these cells to human RPE cells in vivo have been determined. Methods The structure of the transformed cells has been determined by light and electron microscopy and by immunocytochemistry using antibodies that detect cytoskeletal and other proteins. The ability of the cell line to bind and phagocytose photoreceptor material has also been assessed by fluorescence and electron microscopy. The metabolism of all-trans-retinol has been investigated by incubation of the cells with 3H-all-trans-retinol and analysis of the metabolic products by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results The transformed cells possess an epithelial cobblestone morphology with intercellular junctional complexes containing N-cadherin. The cytoskeleton of these cells comprises cytokeratins that are characteristic of epithelial cells, together with actin, spectrin, and vimentin. The keratins expressed are those typical of RPE cells. The cells also express cellular retinaldehyde binding protein and retinol dehydrogenase activity but do not express retinoid isomerase or lecithin retinol acyl transferase activities. These cells also exhibit phagocytic activity. Conclusions This cell line retains many of the metabolic and morphologic characteristics of RPE cells in vivo although there are some differences, particularly the loss of some enzymatic activities and cytoskeletal polarization. These cells should be useful in further studies of RPE cell metabolism and other functions.
TU-FG-BRC-03: Current Clinical Trials Using Radiation and Immunomodulatory Agents

There is substantial current interest in the potential of radiation therapy for synergizing with novel immunotherapies to transform irradiated tumor into an immunogenic hub with capacity to ignite a powerful and adaptive longterm anti-cancer response. Interest stems from new insights into fundamental mechanisms underlying interactions between cancer, radiation and the immune system. Radically new immunotherapy approaches have been proposed, which target the immune system, rather than the cancer itself. Promising preliminary results on subsets of patients have led to a surge in research and clinical trials investigating the potential for combining new immunomodulatory agents with radiation therapy. In this symposia, we undertake a basic review of key topics and questions relating to the potential for combining radiation therapy and new immunotherapy approaches, including a focus on opportunities for medical physicists. Learning Objectives: 1.Gain insight into approaches to combining immunotherapy and radiation therapy. 2.Review latest clinical trial data investigating radiation and immunotherapy. 3.Consider how radiation therapy can better stimulate immunogenicity. 4.Explore opportunities for medical physicists in radiation and immunotherapy M Oldham has funding support from Immunolioght Llc
Career Decision Ambiguity Tolerance and Its Relations With Adherence to the RIASEC Structure and Calling

While career decision ambiguity tolerance (CDAT) has been repeatedly shown to play a salient role in career decision-making, a potential revision of its measurement model has been indicated in past...
A 3000W super high efficiency rectifier for communications power supply

As the energy crisis has become increasingly prominent, for power supply products, people's attention is no longer focused on CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) only; OPEX (Operating Expense) is also becoming more and more important. The constant pursuit of efficiency improving for power supply products has become an inevitable trend. This paper introduces a 3000W super high efficient rectifier module with a peak efficiency of more than 98%.
Adventures in adaptivity

In this work, we compare and contrast a few finite element h-adaptive and hp-adaptive algorithms. We test these schemes on three example PDE problems and we utilize and evaluate an a posteriori error estimate. In the process, we introduce a new framework to study adaptive algorithms and a posteriori error estimators. Our innovative environment begins with a solution u and then uses interpolation to simulate solving a corresponding PDE. As a result, we always know the exact error and we avoid the noise associated with solving. Using an effort indicator, we evaluate the relationship between accuracy and computational work. We report the order of convergence of different approaches. And we evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of an a posteriori error estimator.
Symmetric positive stabilization of linear time-invariant systems

This paper considers the stabilization problem of linear dynamical systems with combined structural properties of symmetry and positivity. Such systems arise in various applications including electromechanical systems, aerodynamics, structural vibration, robotics and compartmental systems, in which the stabilization and performance improvement are the main objectives. Although the goal of the paper is to design controller for such systems, we broaden the scope by designing controller for general systems such that the closed-loop systems admits the structural constraints of symmetry and positivity. We concentrate on two different classes of symmetric positive systems. The first class has the state-space symmetric representation A = AT, C = BT with A being a Metzler matrix and the positive pair of matrices (B, C). The stability conditions of this class are used to formulate and solve symmetric positive stabilization by means of state feedback for systems with arbitrary state-space parameters. The second class is defined through the block controllable canonical form in which the block sub-matrices associated with the system matrix A are symmetric Metzlerian. Assuming that such systems are unstable, we design state feedback control law such that the closed-loop system becomes stable and maintains its structure. A generalized symmetric Metzlerian stabilization algorithm is provided through a set of chain equations to achieve this goal. Numerical examples are provided for stabilization of both classes.
General Laws for Additive Functions. I: Including the Stable Laws

Let f(n) be a real-valued additive arithmetic function. In Chapters 13 and 14 we discussed when the frequencies $$v_x (n;f(n) - \alpha (x) \leqslant z\beta (x))$$ may converge to the improper law, assuming only that β(x) does not increase too rapidly. In the present chapter we strengthen somewhat this assumption concerning β(x), and consider their possible convergence to laws more general than the improper law. In particular, we shall show that every stable law may occur as a limit law. We make use of the results of Chapter 14, but not of its method.
Closing the Regulatory Gap for Synthetic Nicotine

In July 2017 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new “comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation.” This plan is focused on making cigarettes less addictive while facilitating the development of alternative nicotine-containing products that are far less harmful. This approach holds promise, and the public health stakes could not be higher—smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, causing roughly 480,000 deaths per year. But a new product is emerging that could upset the FDA’s plans for a well-balanced regulatory scheme: synthetic nicotine. These products currently fall into a regulatory gap because they fall outside the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act’s (FDCA) definition of a tobacco product. If this gap remains in place, it is likely that more companies will exploit it in order to evade regulation, undoing the potential benefits of the FDA’s plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation. This Article argues that the FDA can, and should, address this problem by regulating synthetic nicotine products as drugs. After reviewing the science of nicotine addiction and the FDA’s past and present regulatory schemes for nicotine, it explains how the FDA could establish that synthetic nicotine satisfies the FDCA’s definition of a drug. It concludes with a discussion of the policy benefits of categorizing synthetic nicotine as a drug.Citation: Patricia J. Zettler, Natalie Hemmerich, & Micah L. Berman, Closing the Regulatory Gap for Synthetic Nicotine, 59 B.C. L. Rev. ___ (forthcoming 2018).
Improv for Designers

Theater-based improvisation, or improv, is gaining status as a useful practice for interaction design teams. Demand for improv practice grows as practitioners and instructors realize the effectiveness of using improv to foster productivity. For example, Facebook and Google teams use improv practices when creating digital content for their users and customers, Twitter includes improv classes as a part of their employee’s benefits, and Northwestern’s and Stanford’s Design Institutes teach oversubscribed improvisation classes every semester.
Thermal resistance of pressed contacts of aluminum and niobium at liquid helium temperatures

Abstract We examine the resistance to heat flow across contacts of mechanically pressed aluminum and niobium near liquid helium temperatures for designing a thermally conducting joint of aluminum and superconducting niobium. Measurements in the temperature range of 3.5–5.5 K show the thermal contact resistance to grow as a near-cubic function of decreasing temperature, indicating phonons to be the primary heat carriers across the interface. In the 4–14 kN range of pressing force the contact resistance shows linear drop with the increasing force, in agreement with the model of micro-asperity plastic deformation at pressed contacts. Several thermal contact resistance models as well as the phonon diffuse mismatch model of interface thermal resistance are compared with the experimental data. The diffuse mismatch model shows closest agreement. The joints are further augmented with thin foil of indium, which lowers the joint resistance by an order of magnitude. The developed joint has nearly 1 K thermal resistance at 4.2 K, is demountable, and free of the thermally resistive interfacial alloy layer that typically exists at welded, casted, or soldered joints of dissimilar metals.
Optimization of the expression of a transgene in plants

Transgenic manipulation of plants is now a well-established technology for crop improvement. In 1998, more than 30 million hectares of land were devoted to the cultivation of genetically modified crops (Moffat, 1998). While the numbers are impressive, plantations are presently limited to only a few herbaceous annual crops. However, for tree species, which potentially have the most to gain from genetic manipulation technologies (because long breeding cycles limit their genetic improvement through conventional breeding), relatively little progress has been made with the production of transgenic plants.
Use of Large Animal and Nonhuman Primate Models for Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering

The intent of this chapter is to highlight the contributions of large animal models including pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, and nonhuman primates. These species are crucial for clinical translation of new cell and tissue engineering approaches for the treatment of human diseases. Choice of species, age, and model validation are necessary to ensure outcomes are predictive, and recapitulate human development, anatomy, physiology, and disease. The overriding objective is to select a model that can reliably assess the safety and efficacy of new therapies beyond the discovery phase and to obtain results that can be translated to clinical trials in children and adults.
Energy and economic analysis for the design of greenhouses with semi-transparent photovoltaic cladding

Abstract Photovoltaic (PV) greenhouses generate solar electricity while providing a suitable environment for crop production. Energy and life cycle cost (LCC) analysis were employed to study the potential for installing semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) cladding on the roof of a greenhouse that employs supplemental lighting located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (45.4°N). The study was conducted using current and future projected (future projection study) values for the efficiency of PV and horticultural lighting technology. The STPV cladding generated solar electricity but also caused internal shading that was counteracted by augmenting supplemental lighting by as much as 84%, which in turn reduced heating energy use by up to 12%. Although STPV cladding increased lighting electricity use, it generated 43.7% of the electricity that was consumed for supplemental lighting in the present study and 107.2% in the future projection study. Therefore, in the future, a STPV roof could potentially displace all the greenhouse’s electricity needs for supplemental lighting. Currently, STPV cladding would not an economically attractive investment. However, a nearly 23% reduction in LCC was achieved in the future projection study. STPV will increasingly become a promising cladding alternative for improving energy efficiency and economics of greenhouse operations.
Short Wavelength Free Electron Lasers in 2002

Abstract Twenty-five years after the first operation of the short wavelength free electron laser (FEL) at Stanford University, there continue to be many important experiments, proposed experiments, and user facilities around the world. Properties of FELs operating in the infrared, visible, UV, and x-ray wavelength regimes are listed and discussed. PACS codes: 41.60Cr
Interstitial Thermoradiotherapy for Brain Tumors

Interstitial radiotherapy (IRT) with removable high activity iodine-125 has been used in the treatment of brain tumors at the University of California, San Francisco since 1979 with promising results. For recurrent tumors treated with implant only, median survival after brain implant was 81 weeks for patients with anaplastic astrocytoma and 54 weeks for those with glioblastoma multiforme (Leibel et al. 1989). For primary tumors treated with external beam radiotherapy to 59.4 Gy with hydroxyurea followed by an implant boost, median survival from diagnosis was 157 weeks for patients with anaplastic astrocytoma and 88 weeks for glioblastoma multiforme (Gutin et al. 1991). However, even with combined external beam and implant doses of 110–120 Gy, malignant gliomas continue to recur or progress most commonly at the primary tumor site or at the margin of the primary tumor.
Hypothetical Solution-Culture System Sub-Models

This chapter describes the source (input)-sink relationships, processes, mechanisms and causes and effects of phenolic acids such as ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and/or vanillic acid by means of a conceptual and hypothetical sub-models for a cucumber seedling-solution culture system.
Differential distributions of trafficking and signaling proteins of the maize ER-Golgi apparatus

The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-Golgi apparatus of plants is the site of synthesis of non-cellulosic polysaccharides that then traffic to the cell wall. A two-step protocol of flotation centrifugation followed by free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) resolved ER and Golgi proteins into three profiles: an ER-rich fraction, two Golgi-rich fractions, and an intermediate fraction enriched in cellulose synthases. Nearly three dozen Rab-like proteins of eight different subgroups were distributed differentially in ER- vs. Golgi-rich fractions, whereas seven 14-3-3 proteins co-fractionated with cellulose synthases in the intermediate fraction. FFE offers a powerful means to classify resident and transient proteins in cell-free assays of cellular location.
Sentiment Analysis of Twitter Data

We aim to perform sentiment analysis to explore twitter data referring to tweets relating to donations, fundraising or charities. This paper covers techniques and approaches to capture polarity of sentiments of people towards donating for any cause under exploratory data analysis. By using Natural Language Processing Toolkit (NLTK) we determine whether a tweet is of neutral, positive or negative polarity. Tweets relative of donations is the data we use as training data and use it to gather prospective clients as a future goal.
Temporal and spatial expression of adrenomedullin and its receptors in the porcine uterus and peri-implantation conceptuses.

Adrenomedullin (ADM) is an evolutionarily conserved multifunctional peptide hormone that regulates implantation, embryo spacing, and placentation in humans and rodents. However, the potential roles of ADM in implantation and placentation in pigs, as a litter-bearing species, are not known. This study determined abundances of ADM in uterine luminal fluid, and the patterns of expression of ADM and its receptor components (CALCRL, RAMP2, RAMP3, and ACKR3) in uteri from cyclic and pregnant gilts, as well as conceptuses (embryonic/fetus and its extra-embryonic membranes) during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy. Total recoverable ADM was greater in the uterine fluid of pregnant compared with cyclic gilts between Days 10 and 16 post-estrus and was from uterine luminal epithelial (LE) and conceptus trophectoderm (Tr) cells. Uterine expression of CALCRL, RAMP2, and ACKR3 were affected by day (P < 0.05), pregnant status (P < 0.01) and/or day x status (P < 0.05). Within porcine conceptuses, the expression of CALCRL, RAMP2, and ACKR3 increased between Days 10 and 16 of pregnancy. Using an established porcine trophectoderm (pTr1) cell line, it was determined that 10–7 M ADM stimulated proliferation of pTr1 cells (P < 0.05) at 48 h, and increased phosphorylated mechanistic target of rapamycin (p-MTOR) and 4E binding protein 1 (p-4EBP1) by 6.1- and 4.9-fold (P < 0.0001), respectively. These novel results indicate a significant role for ADM in uterine receptivity for implantation and conceptus growth and development in pigs. They also provide a framework for future studies of ADM signaling to affect proliferation and migration of Tr cells, spacing of blastocysts, implantation, and placentation in pigs. Summary sentence Our study suggests that adrenomedullin plays a significant role in uterine receptivity and conceptus growth and development, via the stimulation of cell proliferation and activation of MTORC1 signaling pathway in the porcine conceptus trophectoderm. Graphical Abstract
Resuspension, Redistribution, and Deposition of Oil-Residues to Offshore Depocenters After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The focus of this study was to determine the long-term fate of oil-residues from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill due to remobilization, transport, and re-distribution of oil-contaminated sediments to down-slope depocenters following initial deposition on the seafloor. We characterized hydrocarbon residues, bulk sediment organic matter, ease of resuspension, sedimentology, and accumulation rates to define distribution patterns in a 14,300 km2 area southeast of the DwH wellhead (1,500 to 2600 m water depth). Oil-residues from the DwH were detected at low concentrations in 62% of the studied sites at specific sediment layers, denoting episodic deposition of oil-residues during 2010-2014 and 2015-2018 periods. DwH oil residues exhibited a spatial distribution pattern that did not correspond with the distribution of the surface oil slick, subsurface plume or original seafloor spatial expression. Three different regions were apparent in the overall study area and distinguished by the episodic nature of sediment accumulation, the ease of sediment resuspension, the timing of oil-residue deposition, carbon content and isotopic composition and foram fracturing extent. These data indicate that resuspension and down-slope redistribution of oil-residues occurred in the years following the DwH event and must be considered in determining the fate of the spilled oil deposited on the seafloor.
Comparison of Human and Rodent Cell Transformation by Known Chemical Carcinogens

A few in vitro mammalian cell models are available for investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis and for determining the potential carcinogenicity of environmental chemicals. Although the results obtained with these models correlate well with results from lifetime studies with experimental animals and human epidemiological data, similar end points have not been obtained with human cells from normal sources or from individuals with inborn errors of metabolism associated with higher risks of malignancy. The results with human cells suggest that a difference in control mechanisms at the target cell level is responsible for “competence” that makes the cell susceptibile to transformation by a carcinogen. Contrary to rodent cells which are transformed by a variety of carcinogens, human cells subjected to the same carcinogens exhibit neither indefinite proliferation nor loss of growth control. Furthermore, the chromosomal defects found in human cells after carcinogen treatment are either not as extensive or lack the specific defect which is associated with indefinite proliferation or loss of growth control usually associated with mammalian cell transformation.