cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer Graphics: New Emphasis on Image Quality

Increased processor speed, decreased memory and disk storage costs, and the advent of the bit-slice co-processor have enabled several companies to offer full-color (24-bit/pixel) computer graphics systems at significantly lower prices and in smaller packages than was possible a few years ago. These new systems are judged on speed, flexibility, number of features, and ease of use, but the overriding concern is image quality. The attributes of image quality are mostly perceived and of a qualitative rather than a quantitative measure. Because of the horizontal line limitations imposed by broadcast standards, increasing the number of pixels will not increase image quality. Therefore, methods such as filtering, anti-aliasing, and vector algorithm-based software must be used to improve the perception of quality. This article describes those measures as well as research and development of videotape machine control, single-frame animation techniques, and the development of 3-D modeling.
Abstract 375: Role of intracrine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in colorectal cancer cell survival and metastasis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis and vascular function, and it9s role in biology are thought to be well understood. Although the effects of VEGF on angiogenesis, i.e. on endothelial cells, have been extensively studied, its effects on tumor cell function remain to be clearly elucidated. Our laboratory has demonstrated the VEGF receptors are present and active on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Recently we have studied the phenotypic changes in human CRC cells to determine the role of autocrine/intracrine VEGF signaling on tumor cell function. Using cell lines with somatic knockout of the VEGF gene we have been able to show that loss of VEGF expression led to significantly decreased cell growth and increased spontaneous apoptosis in CRC cells. Depletion of VEGF also increased the in vitro sensitivity of cells to the cytotoxic effects of the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil. Importantly, these effects are not mediated in an autocrine or paracrine fashion, as neutralization of extracellular VEGF with a monoclonal antibody, or inhibition of kinase activity with small molecule inhibitors had no effect on CRC cell survival. These studies support a novel role for VEGF in cell survival as an intracrine factor. In our attempt to characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for the intracrine pro-survival role of VEGF, we have performed gene microarray analyses on a pair of CRC cells with and without expression of VEGF. These studies show a clear difference in expression patterns of genes between cells that produce or lack VEGF, but surprisingly find no significant changes in gene expression when VEGF function is inhibited by functional antibodies (Bevacizumab). Our preliminary analyses of the gene expression profiles indicate that CRC cells lacking VEGF have increased levels of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases. In other biochemical assays, we also find that cells lacking VEGF have increased activation of survival and proliferation pathways compared to normal cells. Based on our data, we hypothesize that loss of VEGF may induce activation of other survival pathways that compensate for depletion of VEGF. Our microarray studies also indicate significant increases in a factor that has been implicated in increased metastasis in breast and lung cancer. This factor may be responsible for the increased migration and invasion of CRC cells lacking VEGF observed in vitro. Future studies will elucidate the exact role of VEGF in tumor cell survival and metastasis. Citation Format: Rajat Bhattacharya, Shaija Samuel, Fan Fan, Ganiraju Manyam, Veera Baladandayuthapani, Lee Ellis. Role of intracrine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in colorectal cancer cell survival and metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 375. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-375
Generic transfer scheme for outputting video frame in Ultra-HD video Engine

Typically, industry video solutions does in-loop filtering on-the-fly (e.g. at Macro Block for H.264 or Coding Unit level for HEVC) and transfer YUV data to external memory using DMA engine. These transfers are un-aligned with processing unit (MB/CU) as well as variable sized due to loop filtering operation. This poses challenges in Loop filer and DMA engine on handling of such transfers. This paper proposes concept of “region” to handle such transfers for H.264 and previous generation standard. In case of H.264, the paper proposes division of video frame in to nine regions with common transfer attributes. In case of HEVC, there is additional complexity of TILES (with & without loop filtering) which creates variable numbers of regions in output frame. This paper also proposed flexible & generic scheme to handle output YUV transfers for handling of TILES in HEVC. The updated scheme is flexible enough to encompass previous generation of video standard e.g. H.264 with better performance.
Beyond Entertainment Motivations and Outcomes of Video Game Playing by Older Adults and Their Younger Family Members

The percentage of older adults who are active gamers has increased tremendously in recent years. Although research shows that video games enhance physical and cognitive well-being in older adults, ...
Study on virulence genes in pathogenic Escherichia coli from infants

OBJECTIVE To study the distribution of pathogenic Escherichia coli causing diarrhea in infants from the aspect of molecular biology through the isolation and identification of the pathogenic E.coli from stool specimens of the infants with diarrhea and the detection of virulence genes so as to reduce the incidence of pathogenic E.coli infection.METHODS A total of 357stool specimens obtained from the diarrhea infants who were treated in Jiangxi Children′s Hospital from 2011to 2012were collected,then the strains were enriched overnight by using EC broth according to the isolation and identification procedure for pathogenic E.coli,the suspected strains were identified as the E.coli with the use of biochemical API 20E,and the virulence genes in the pathogenic E.coli strains were detected by means of polymerase-chain-reaction(PCR).RESULTS Of totally 357stool specimens obtained from the diarrhea infants,37strains of pathogenic E.coli carrying virulence genes have been detected with the detection rate of 10.36%;the detection rate of intestinal aggregation E.coli carrying virulence genes was 8.4%,the intestinal pathogenic E.coli 0.56%,the intestinal invasive E.coli 1.12%,the enterohemorrhagic E.coli 0.28%;the enterotoxigenic E.coli strains have not been detected.CONCLUSION The intestinal aggregation E.coli is dominant among the pathogenic E.coli strains causing diarrhea in the infants,followed by the intestinal invasive E.coli;it is of great significance to detect the virulence genes in the confirmed diarrheagenic E.coli strains.
An IEEE 802.21 Based Heterogeneous Access Network Selection Mechanism

With the rapid development of mobile communication technology, many heterogeneous wireless access network technologies appear, resulting in that mobile terminals often can access different networks. Therefore, an appropriate access network needs to be selected for the mobile terminal according to the context information. In this paper, we propose an IEEE 802.21 based heterogeneous access network selection mechanism. Taking the fairness among terminals and profits of network providers into account, the mechanism can meet the basic requirements of users’ applications in the process of access network selection. We conduct a simulation and performance evaluation on the algorithm according to a typical network topology. Result shows that our algorithm can not only meet the performance demand but also consider network providers’ profits and the fairness during network resource allocation.
The District Court Tried to Make Me Go to Rehab, The Eleventh Circuit Said "No, No, No": The Divide over Rehabilitation's Role in Criminal Sentencing and the Need for Reform Following United States v. Vandergrift

This Note asserts that the Eleventh Circuit’s decision to preclude judges from considering rehabilitation marks a step in the right direction for criminal sentencing because it properly limits judicial power. Yet, this Note also recognizes the advantages that rehabilitative services offer prisoners and thus urges the federal Sentencing Commission to reexamine rehabilitation’s role in the Sentencing Guidelines. Evidence-based research indicates that rehabilitation lowers recidivism rates, and therefore, could serve as a solution to overcrowding in America’s prisons.
Developing Virtuous Children: A Theological Perspective

This paper examines various predominant moral theories and their impact on moral education. It makes a case that of these theories, virtue ethics can best handle not only the large, contemporary moral issues but also the mundane moral choices that we make day to day. It also stresses that because virtue ethics includes in its purview not only actions but also intentions, dispositions, attitudes, etc., it offers many insights into how to help children develop the capacity to make moral decisions.
Recognition for objects by relationship between attributes

The object recognition method based on attributes has been studied. The conventional method recognizes objects by the presence or absence of attributes. However, the conventional method has two problems. Firstly, the conventional method is not able to recognize a target object of which a part of attribute is occluded. Secondly, the conventional method misrecognizes a target object which has irrelevant attributes. Therefore, to solve these two problems, we propose the object recognition by relationship between attributes. In this paper, we focus on the face as recognition object. The proposed method uses relationship as constraints for object recognition using attributes. The proposed method applies two major type constraints. First constraint is a local constraint which is applied to a part of attributes. To achieve robust face recognition against occlusion scenes, the proposed method uses the local constraint. And then, Second constraint is a global constraint which is applied to all attributes. To achieve robust face recognition against irrelevant attributes, the proposed method uses the global constraint. In this paper, to evaluate effectiveness of the proposed method, we compare the proposed method with the conventional method. We experimented in normal face, occlusion and irrelevant attributes. We used 43 images of a face which are changed in scale and rotation. Experimental results showed that the recognition ratio of the proposed method is equal to or more than the conventional method in normal face, occlusion and irrelevant attributes
Essential Equivalence and the Countervailing Strategy

The period between 1968 and 1974 may fairly be characterized as one of continuity in strategic doctrine. President Nixon renamed the doctrine he inherited, calling it ‘Strategic Sufficiency’,1 doubtless appreciating its positive contributions to fiscal restraint. Relying on the unchanged substance of the doctrine, he used it as the basis for strategic arms limitation talks, originated by Johnson but uncommenced owing to the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia.2 Strategic doctrine of this period, as we have seen, included an important role for arms control and that doctrine also structured the treaties that then and have since emerged from the SALT process.
Sequential Correlated Sampling Methods for Some Transport Problems

In this paper, we will describe how to extend to the solution of certain simple particle transport problems a sequential correlated sampling method introduced by Halton in 1962 for the efficient solution of certain matrix problems. Although the methods apply quite generally, we have so far studied in detail only problems involving planar geometry.
How the Mexican drug war affects kids and schools? Evidence on effects and mechanisms

Abstract We investigate the impact of drug-related violence in Mexico on academic achievement. We use panel of elementary and lower secondary schools and locality-level firearm homicides from 2006 to 2011. We rely on school fixed-effects models to estimate the impact on math test scores of turf war exposure and turf war persistence (e.g. months of exposure) during the academic year. According to the results, both exposure and persistence of criminal violence reduces math test scores. The analysis of heterogeneous effects shows that schools located in poor urban settings experience the largest negative effects. Further, we find stronger negative effects of drug-related violence exposure in lower secondary schools with street gang presence nearby. Finally, we further examine potential mechanisms driving the effects of criminal violence on test scores. Our findings indicate that turf war exposure and persistence are associated with a loss of instructional time due to higher teacher absenteeism and turnover, as well as student absenteeism, tardiness, and propensity to leave school days early.
Assessment of APT CEST in the Cervical Spinal Cord of Multiple Sclerosis Patients at 3T (P4.156)

Objective: To assess the sensitivity of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI in the cervical spinal cord of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at 3T. Background: Current conventional MRI, such as T1- and T2-weighted imaging, can only capture damage due to inflammation and are incapable of characterizing microstructural changes in pathological white matter present in MS. Amide proton transfer (APT) CEST is a spectrally specific, low power magnetization transfer experiment that measures the exchange between low concentration amide protons of the protein/peptide backbone and the surrounding water. This offers significant potential to probe metabolic composition of spinal cord damage. While APT CEST of the cervical spinal cord has been largely unexplored, it may be sensitive to axonal damage and protein accumulation in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS. Methods: Imaging data was acquired on a 3.0T Philips Achieva scanner using a quadrature body coil for transmission and a 16-channel neurovascular coil for reception. To assess protein/peptide changes in the cervical spinal cord, six healthy controls and five patients clinically diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS were recruited. The CEST spectrum was acquired with a 3 uT, 75 ms RF Gaussian pre-pulse at 49 asymmetrically sampled offsets between +/- 10 ppm. The APT CEST concentration was measured using a Lorentzian difference analysis, where the observed APT effect is quantified as the mean of the residuals over 3.2-3.8 ppm. Results: Differences in CEST z-spectra were observed at the amide resonance (3.5 ppm). In comparison to healthy controls, a decrease in mean APT concentration was observed over the whole spinal cord at the C3/C4 level (MS: 0.92[percnt], controls: 1.23[percnt]) and in the dorsal column specifically (MS: 1.16[percnt], controls: 1.41[percnt]). Conclusions: The APT CEST effect can be measured in the cervical spinal cord, providing valuable information for characterizing lesions in MS patients especially in NAWM. Disclosure: Dr. By has nothing to disclose. Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dula has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lyttle has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pawate has nothing to disclose. Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose.
Estimated Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) Phosphate Exposure Levels for U.S. Infants Suggest Potential Health Risks

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) has been widely used as a flame retardant and is commonly detected in environmental samples. Biomonitoring studies relying on urinary metabolite levels [i.e., bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP)] demonstrate widespread exposure, but TDCIPP intake is unknown. Intake data are critical components of meaningful risk assessments and are needed to elucidate the potential health impacts of TDCIPP exposure. Using biomonitoring data, we estimated TDCIPP intake for infants aged 2−18 months. Children were recruited from central North Carolina (n = 43, recruited in 2014 and 2015), and spot urine samples were analyzed for BDCIPP. TDCIPP intake rates were estimated using daily urine excretion and the fraction of TDCIPP excreted as BDCIPP in urine. Daily TDCIPP intake estimates ranged from 0.01 to 15.03 μg kg–1 day–1 for children included in our assessment, with some variation depending on model assumptions. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission previously ...
Autoxidation of Heterocyclic Aminals

The autoxidation reactions of 2-acyl-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones 4a and 5a and 2,2′-bis(dihydroquinazolinone) 6a are described. These reactions generate aminyl radicals that undergo β-C–C cleavage, and subsequent reactions of the resulting C-based radicals with O2 lead to diverse products with good selectivity, depending on the structure of the substrate. Oxidation of 4a, in which the 2-acyl group is part of a cyclic acenaphthenone unit, yields a heterocyclic C-hydroperoxylaminal via 1,2-acyl migration. Oxidation of 5a, which contains a 2-acetyl group, yields peracetic acid and a quinazolinone product. Oxidation of 6a forms a bis(quinazolinone) by net dehydrogenation.
Lobbying from inside the system: Why local governments pay for representation

Why do cities spend scarce resources lobbying the federal government? The hierarchy of U.S. government provides various pathways for local representation. Nevertheless, cities regularly invest in paid representation. This presents a puzzle for American democracy. Why do cities lobby, and do they lobby strategically? We quantify for the rst time the extent of this phenomenon and examine its determinants using new data on 498 cities across 45 states from 1998 to 2008. We nd economic distress pushes cities to lobby, but does not impact expenditures. Cities in competitive Congressional districts, and therefore crucial to national politics, spend more on lobbying.
Dynamic Planar Orthogonal Point Location in Sublogarithmic Time

We study a longstanding problem in computational geometry: dynamic 2-d orthogonal point location, i.e., vertical ray shooting among n horizontal line segments. We present a data structure achieving O(log n / log log n) optimal expected query time and O(log^{1/2+epsilon} n) update time (amortized) in the word-RAM model for any constant epsilon>0, under the assumption that the x-coordinates are integers bounded polynomially in n. This substantially improves previous results of Giyora and Kaplan [SODA 2007] and Blelloch [SODA 2008] with O(log n) query and update time, and of Nekrich (2010) with O(log n / log log n) query time and O(log^{1+epsilon} n) update time. Our result matches the best known upper bound for simpler problems such as dynamic 2-d dominance range searching. We also obtain similar bounds for orthogonal line segment intersection reporting queries, vertical ray stabbing, and vertical stabbing-max, improving previous bounds, respectively, of Blelloch [SODA 2008] and Mortensen [SODA 2003], of Tao (2014), and of Agarwal, Arge, and Yi [SODA 2005] and Nekrich [ISAAC 2011].
Elevated levels of brain homocysteine directly modulate the pathological phenotype of a mouse model of tauopathy.

A high circulating level of homocysteine (Hcy), also known as hyperhomocysteinemia, is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous studies show that elevated Hcy promotes brain amyloidosis and behavioral deficits in mouse models of AD. However, whether it directly modulates the development of tau neuropathology independently of amyloid beta in vivo is unknown. Herein, we investigate the effect of diet-induced elevated levels of brain Hcy on the phenotype of a relevant mouse model of human tauopathy. Compared with controls, tau mice fed with low folate and B vitamins diet had a significant increase in brain Hcy levels and worsening of behavioral deficits. The same mice had a significant elevation of tau phosphorylation, synaptic pathology, and astrocytes activation. In vitro studies demonstrated that Hcy effect on tau phosphorylation was mediated by an upregulation of 5-lipoxygenase via cdk5 kinase pathway activation. Our findings support the novel concept that high Hcy level in the central nervous system is a metabolic risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, specifically characterized by the progressive accumulation of tau pathology, namely tauopathies.
The Transaxillary Alone Approach for Removal of the First Rib

For many years, the need to resect the first rib was the only accepted approach to decompressing the thoracic outlet. However, McCleery [1] suggested that scalenectomy alone was sufficient. Accumulated experience proved this to be ineffective reinforcing the need to remove the rib. In 1966 Roos [2] designed the technique now called the transaxillary approach which allows the transection of the anterior as well as the middle scalene muscles and resection of the rib to accomplish a complete decompression of the posterior thoracic outlet, all done through an incision that is not visible from the front or the back. Since that time the operation has been performed frequently by many thoracic surgeons primarily to treat the neurogenic-arterial thoracic outlet syndrome for which this operation was principally designed.
ENERGY CONSERVATION IN ALTERNATIVE URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Procedures for estimating the comprehensive, life-cycle energy consumption impacts of urban transportation systems are discussed. Typical values of energy consumption rates for the construction, operation, and maintenance of various urban transportation modes are presented. Limitations on the use of energy analyses in the assessment of transportation investment alternatives are considered.
Univariate Community Analysis

We divide microbiome community composition study into two major components: (1) hypothesis testing of taxonomic diversities, OTUs and taxa and (2) analysis of dissimilarities among groups.
Thermal analysis of a low‐tech passive sensor for the assessment of food cooling rate in refrigerators and freezers

Slow cooling of cooked foods for storage has been linked to many foodborne illness outbreaks over the past 40 years. The Food Code of the United States Food and Drug Administration gives a target cooling rate, but no quantitative means of achieving it. In this article, a thermal analysis is used to show how cooling of a consistently defined mass in an in‐use cooler leads to improved cooling in pans, a common means of food storage. The mass acts as a low‐tech sensor from which temperatures are obtained from simple in‐cooler tests. The analysis converts those temperatures to a pan food height that achieves adequate cooling. This sensor, composed of a standard coffee cup filled with ketchup with 5% added salt and covered with plastic wrap, is aimed at food service facilities, where budget and work time considerations limit options such as new equipment or extensive monitoring to improve cooling. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The sensor suggested and analyzed in this work can potentially provide both an assessment of cooling rate and a quantitative means of improving it in food service coolers. Operating on fixed budgets and strict schedules, food service facilities have no inexpensive options and limited available time for assessing cooling rates, the adequacy of which is an important food safety safeguard.
Oscillate wildly: the under-acknowledged prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of multi-disciplinary arts practice

This article draws on data from a survey of U.S. arts and design graduates (N = 26,672) to analyse the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of multi-disciplinary artistic careers. We propose that t...
Numerical modelling of mechanical properties of 2D cellular solids with bi-modulus cell walls

The present work investigates the mechanical properties of honeycombs made up of cell walls with different tension and compression modulus. In particular, the stiffness under both compressive and t...
Performance Anxiety among African-American College Students: Racial Bias as a Factor in Social Phobia.

Abstract This article examines the etiology of social phobia, and proposes that the sensitivity to self-scrutiny common to social phobics can be exacerbated by the effects of longstanding racial bias. The impact of racism on identity and the importance of context are explored as salient factors in the onset of a case of social phobia for an African-American woman at a prestigious university. The importance of attending to both overt and subtle forms of racism is illustrated within the typical cognitive-behavioral framework for the treatment of social phobia.
Words and Numbers in Constructionist Research

In this paper, I discuss how numbers and words are used in constructionist research. I begin by challenging the simple pairing of qualitative research with constructionism by briefly highlighting the variations in both approaches. I then describe three possibilities for the use of words in constructionist research: 1) words as constructive of social conditions, 2) words as constructive of types of people, morality, and emotions (Loseke 1999), and 3) words as reflexively connected with concrete conditions (Gubrium and Holstein 1997). Concerning the use of numbers, I offer five typologies: 1) objectivist use of numbers to confirm the existence of a priori social conditions, 2) deconstructing numbers to point to their fallacies (i.e., how they got it wrong), 3) revealing numbers as constructions in their own right, 4) contrasting numbers with subjective or lived experiences (i.e., how it feels), and 5) the use of numbers in combination with words in the context of mixed-methods research. I end by considering the implications of my analysis, particularly for combining qualitative and quantitative data in the study of social problems.
Thermochemical Routes to Chemicals, Fuels and Energy from Forestry and Agricultural Residues

The thermochemical conversion of biomass materials refers to the application of heat resulting in chemical changes. It can be said that the various thermochemical conversion processes developed for biomass are part of a continuum. At one extreme, at relatively low temperatures and in the absence of oxygen, biomass materials are broken down into tars, chars and gases. At the other extreme, at elevated temperatures, and in the presence of at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen, these primary tar, char and gaseous products are completely oxidized into fully oxidized gaseous products. Man has developed a number of thermochemical processes for biomass, processes not only employing conditions at the two extremes, but also employing conditions resulting in little, partial or near complete oxidation of the feed materials. The processes developed have application in the production of useful products from forestry and agricultural residues, and the purpose of this paper is to examine the potentials for thermochemical conversion of such residues in the generation of chemical, fuel and energy products.
Efficacy of Humanized Cefiderocol Exposure is Unaltered by Host Iron Overload in the Thigh Infection Model.

Cefiderocol is a siderophore-cephalosporin conjugate with greater in vitro potency under iron-depleted conditions. During infection, iron is scarce in host tissue; however, it is not known whether iron overload in the host, such as in cases of hereditary hemochromatosis, alters the efficacy of cefiderocol. We compared cefiderocol efficacy between iron-overloaded and standard murine thigh infection models. Female CD-1 mice rendered neutropenic received 2 weeks of iron dextran at 100 mg/kg of body weight/day intraperitoneally (iron-overloaded model) or no injections (standard model). Mice were inoculated (107 CFU/ml) with Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with previously determined cefiderocol MICs from 0.25 to 64 mg/liter. Human-simulated regimens of cefiderocol or meropenem (2 g every 8 h [q8h], 3-h infusion) were administered for 24 h (31 strains) or 72 h (15 strains; cefiderocol only). Procedures were simultaneously performed in standard and iron-overloaded models. Mean bacterial burdens (log10 CFU/thigh) at baseline were 5.75 ± 0.47 versus 5.81 ± 0.51 in standard versus iron-overloaded models, respectively. At 24 h, mean burdens in standard versus iron-overloaded models decreased by -0.8 ± 1.9 versus -1.2 ± 2.0 (P = 0.25) in meropenem-treated mice and by -1.5 ± 1.4 versus -1.6 ± 1.5 (P = 0.54) in cefiderocol-treated mice. At 72 h, mean burdens in cefiderocol-treated mice decreased by -2.5 ± 1.5 versus -2.5 ± 1.4. No overall differences in efficacy between the models were observed for meropenem or cefiderocol. Human-simulated exposure of cefiderocol is equally efficacious in iron-overloaded and normal hosts. The potential clinical use of cefiderocol to treat Gram-negative infections in patients with iron overload is supported.
l-Citrulline treatment alters the structure of the pulmonary circulation in hypoxic newborn pigs.

Background Dysregulated nitric oxide (NO) signaling contributes to chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH). NO signaling is improved and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is reduced in CH piglets treated with the l-arginine-NO precursor, l-citrulline. We hypothesized that l-citrulline might cause structural changes in the pulmonary circulation that would contribute to the reduction in PVR and that the l-citrulline-induced structural changes would be accompanied by alterations in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. Methods We evaluated small pulmonary arterial (PA) wall thickness, lung capillary density, and protein abundances of VEGF, VEGFR2, and phospho (p)-VEGFR2 in PA and peripheral lung samples of piglets raised in the lab in CH (10%-12% O2 ) from the day of life (DOL) 2 until DOL 11 to 12 or raised in room air (normoxia) by the vendor and studied on arrival to the lab on DOL 11 to 12. Some CH piglets were treated with oral l-citrulline (1-1.5 g/kg/d) starting on the third day of hypoxia. Results PA wall thickness was 32% less and lung capillary formation was nearly doubled in l-citrulline treated than untreated CH piglets. Both of these l-citrulline-induced structural changes in the pulmonary circulation were accompanied by altered amounts of VEGF protein but not by altered amounts of either VEGFR2 or p-VEGFR2 proteins. Conclusions Alterations in the structure of the pulmonary circulation in CH piglets by l-citrulline are unlikely to be mediated by overall VEGF signaling. Nonetheless, l-citrulline- induced structural changes should reduce PVR and thereby contribute to the amelioration of CH-induced PH.
Roadblocks For Patients with Heart Failure Navigating Clinicaltrials.gov

Introduction The ClinicalTrials.gov website was developed to provide patients, healthcare professionals and researchers with an accessible database of clinical studies in “a form that can be readily understood by members of the public”. Twenty years since its launch, we sought insight into the searchability of the website, specifically for patients with HF who may be seeking participation in clinical trials. Methods Medical and lay terms used to describe HF were rank ordered by average number of monthly Google searches measured by the Key Word Planner of the Google Ads Platform and entered into the two search fields (“Condition or disease” and “Other terms”) on the ClinicalTrials.gov website. We applied filters for status, age, and country; the “Contacts and Locations” section was used to identify study site locations and availability of contact information. In order to assess readability, the SMOG or Simple Measure of Gobbledygook was applied to the text of the “How To Use Search” webpage. Results The median number of monthly Google searches was 1,900 (IQR=0-18,100) for 31 medical and lay search queries. Entering terms into the “Condition or disease” field yielded medians of 50 (IQR=5-279) and 7 (IQR=0-18) studies without and with applied filters; analogous values using the “Other terms” field were 467 (IQR=203-1,541) and 32 (IQR=14-153) respectively (Table). Using “congestive heart failure” as the reference, the overlap in identified studies ranged from 0% for most lay terms to 98.6% for “cardiac failure”. Forty-two percent (n = 112/267) of trials listed in the filtered “heart failure” search were conducted at multiple centers; 56% (n=63) included specific contact information for each participating site. The “How to Use Search” page was written at the 11th grade reading level according to the SMOG. Discussion Our findings suggest significant shortcomings of ClinicalTrials.gov for patients with HF: variable search yield based on term used to describe HF and search field accessed; many lay terms do not yield a comprehensive listing of studies; and the graded reading level of the site is higher than the suggested 8th grade reading level by the Joint Commission for the general public. When a multi-center trial is identified, participating locations are frequently not listed, but when provided, site-specific contact information is unavailable more than 40% of the time. These considerations may hinder the initial steps patients take when attempting to identify relevant clinical trials. An interface upgrade appears warranted if more patients are to be given an opportunity for engagement in clinical trials for heart failure.
Three-Dimensional Structure of the Hammerhead Ribozyme

The hammerhead ribozyme was first identified as a motif that could catalyze sequence-specific self-cleavage of satellite RNAs of certain plant viruses (Buzayan et al. 1986; Hutchins et al. 1986; Prody et al. 1986). The consensus sequence required for bond cleavage consists of a “core” of nucleotides at the juncture of three base-paired stems (Fig. la; Forster and Symons 1987; Ruffner et al. 1990). Although the hammerhead ribozyme was originally characterized for its single-turnover activity in large RNA molecules, it has been demonstrated that short, synthetic oligoribonucleotides in which the consensus core is maintained but any or all of the stems are left openended can catalyze multiple-turnover cleavage in trans (Uhlenbeck 1987; Haseloff and Gerlach 1988). Thus, the hammerhead motif can act as a classical enzyme.
Safety of patients and providers in lung cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in patient reluctance to seek care due to fear of contracting the virus, especially in New York City which was the epicentre during the surge. The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate the safety of patients who have undergone pulmonary resection for lung cancer as well as provider safety, using COVID-19 testing, symptoms and early patient outcomes. METHODS: Patients with confirmed or suspected pulmonary malignancy who underwent resection from 13 March to 4 May 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Between 13 March and 4 May 2020, 2087 COVID-19 patients were admitted, with a median daily census of 299, to one of our Manhattan campuses (80% of hospital capacity). During this time, 21 patients (median age 72 years) out of 45 eligible surgical candidates underwent pulmonary resection-13 lobectomies, 6 segmentectomies and 2 pneumonectomies were performed by the same providers who were caring for COVID-19 patients. None of the patients developed major complications, 5 had minor complications, and the median length of hospital stay was 2 days. No previously COVID-19-negative patient (n = 20/21) or healthcare provider (n = 9: 3 surgeons, 3 surgical assistants, 3 anaesthesiologists) developed symptoms of or tested positive for COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary resection for lung cancer is safe in selected patients, even when performed by providers who care for COVID-19 patients in a hospital with a large COVID-19 census. None of our patients or providers developed symptoms of COVID-19 and no patient experienced major morbidity or mortality.
The use of neoadjuvant lobar radioembolization prior to major hepatic resection for malignancy results in a low rate of post hepatectomy liver failure.

Background Neoadjuvant yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is increasingly being used as a strategy to facilitate resection of otherwise unresectable tumors due to its ability to generate both tumor response and remnant liver hypertrophy. Perioperative outcomes after the use of neoadjuvant lobar TARE remain underinvestigated. Methods A single center retrospective review of patients who underwent lobar TARE prior to major hepatectomy for primary or metastatic liver cancer between 2007 and 2018 was conducted. Baseline demographics, radioembolization parameters, pre- and post-radioembolization volumetrics, intra-operative surgical data, adverse events, and post-operative outcomes were analyzed. Results Twenty-six patients underwent major hepatectomy after neoadjuvant lobar TARE. The mean age was 58.3 years (17-88 years). 62% of patients (n=16) had primary liver malignancies while the remainder had metastatic disease. Liver resection included right hepatectomy or trisegmentectomy, left or extended left hepatectomy, and sectorectomy/segmentectomy in 77% (n=20), 8% (n=2), and 15% (n=4) of patients, respectively. The mean length of stay was 8.3 days (range, 3-33 days) and there were no grade IV morbidities or 90-day mortalities. The incidence of post hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) was 3.8% (n=1). The median time to progression after resection was 4.5 months (range, 3.3-10 months). Twenty-three percent (n=6) of patients had no recurrence. The median survival was 28.9 months (range, 16.9-46.8 months) from major hepatectomy and 37.6 months (range, 25.2-53.1 months) from TARE. Conclusions Major hepatectomy after neoadjuvant lobar radioembolization is safe with a low incidence of PHLF.
Novel Data-Driven Distributed Learning Framework for Solving AC Power Flow for Large Interconnected Systems

Recent advancement in power systems induces complexity in large-scale interconnected systems and poses challenges in performing security assessment studies at various operating conditions. Traditional model-based methods are computationally intensive and may not meet the requirements for real-time applications. This paper presents a novel data-driven framework for accelerating the process of obtaining multiple AC power flow (ACPF) solutions for large systems using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN). DCNN models are designed and trained using various representative power flow cases from a system, whose outputs can be used to perform steady-state security assessment studies. Distributed training with multiple Graphical processing units (GPU)s is implemented using TensorFlow to reduce computation time. The proposed framework is implemented to identify critical buses and recognize the ACPF cases expected to cause steady-state bus voltage violations. The efficacy and feasibility of the proposed framework are evaluated on the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) 2028 system. Results demonstrate that the proposed framework is highly accurate and possess good interpretability in performing various transmission planning and operation assessment studies for large scale power networks.
Efficient Metal Inter-Layer Via Utilization Strategies for Three-dimensional Integrated Circuits

Three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D-IC) technology gained prominence for future integrated chips (ICs) due to increased transistor density at the same technology node. Conventional 3D-IC implementation involves die stacking with vertical interconnects realized by through-silicon-via (TSV). One of the main challenges associated with 3D-IC technology is the TSV size since they are large in size (100-400x larger than standard cells in 45nm technology) and their diameters do not scale with technology. In addition, lot of dummy TSVs are inserted to satisfy minimum density rule laid by foundries which further increases the overhead. Also, a need for small form factor implementation of on-chip devices especially inductors are required for heterogeneous integration. In this paper, we discuss about utilizing TSVs to form on-chip inductors for various applications. On the other hand, monolithic Three-dimensional integrated circuit (M3D-IC) technology is enabled by sequential integration of substrate layers and the devices at different layers are connected by metal inter-layer via (MIV) where MIV passes through the silicon but the size very small compared with the TSV in 3D-ICs. The effective area occupied by MIV on the substrate will increase with the number of MIVs. Therefore, in this paper, we will discuss efficient strategies to reduce silicon footprint overhead by MIV through reconfiguration of silicon around MIV to design MIV-capacitor and MIV-transistor devices. TCAD simulations of 14nm channel length demonstrate that the proposed approach will reduce the silicon area of inverter by about 24% compared with the conventional approach for transistor-level M3D-IC technology.
Excited-State Absorption in Silver Nanoclusters

To understand the decay mechanisms of plasmon resonances, we study the excited-state dynamics in atomistic silver clusters─Ag102+ (Td), Ag135+ (Ih), Ag131– (Oh), Ag191+ (D5h), Ag20 (Td), and Ag553–...
Tailored Fe3C-derived carbons with embedded Fe nanoparticles for ammonia adsorption

Abstract Carbide-derived carbons are synthesized by chlorination of Fe 3 C at temperatures ranging from 200 to 1000 °C. The complex extraction method of Fe from Fe 3 C at moderate temperatures (600 °C) allows for the tailored inclusion of FeCl 2 , FeCl 3 , or Fe nanoparticles in the resulting CDC by controlling the synthesis conditions and post-treatment methods. In this study, we extend the synthesis to other temperatures in order to understand the role of chlorination temperature on the physical and textural properties of the resulting CDC. We also examine the activity of Fe 3 C-CDCs with embedded FeCl 3 nanoparticles for ammonia adsorption. Materials synthesized at 600 °C show exceptional results in ammonia breakthrough experiments, and achieved dynamic loadings of 1.88 mmol g −1 at 0% relative humidity and 3.44 mmol g −1 at 75% relative humidity calculated at initial breakthrough when [NH 3 ] > 0 ppm. NH 3 temperature programmed desorption (NH 3 -TPD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments suggest that the uptake is primarily due to ammonia complexation with FeCl 3 nanoparticles under dry conditions, and additional interactions with trapped chlorine in the presence of water.
Tracking fuzzy borders using geodesic curves with application to liver segmentation on planning CT.

Purpose: This work aims to develop a robust and efficient method to track the fuzzy borders between liver and the abutted organs where automatic liver segmentation usually suffers, and to investigate its applications in automatic liver segmentation on noncontrast-enhanced planning computed tomography (CT) images. Methods: In order to track the fuzzy liver–chestwall and liver–heart borders where oversegmentation is often found, a starting point and an ending point were first identified on the coronal view images; the fuzzy border was then determined as a geodesic curve constructed by minimizing the gradient-weighted path length between these two points near the fuzzy border. The minimization of path length was numerically solved by fast-marching method. The resultant fuzzy borders were incorporated into the authors’ automatic segmentation scheme, in which the liver was initially estimated by a patient-specific adaptive thresholding and then refined by a geodesic active contour model. By using planning CT images of 15 liver patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy, the liver contours extracted by the proposed computerized scheme were compared with those manually delineated by a radiation oncologist. Results: The proposed automatic liver segmentation method yielded an average Dice similarity coefficient of 0.930 ± 0.015, whereas it was 0.912 ±more » 0.020 if the fuzzy border tracking was not used. The application of fuzzy border tracking was found to significantly improve the segmentation performance. The mean liver volume obtained by the proposed method was 1727 cm{sup 3}, whereas it was 1719 cm{sup 3} for manual-outlined volumes. The computer-generated liver volumes achieved excellent agreement with manual-outlined volumes with correlation coefficient of 0.98. Conclusions: The proposed method was shown to provide accurate segmentation for liver in the planning CT images where contrast agent is not applied. The authors’ results also clearly demonstrated that the application of tracking the fuzzy borders could significantly reduce contour leakage during active contour evolution.« less
Three-user MISO broadcast channel: How much can CSIT heterogeneity help?

We study the impact of heterogeneity of channel state information available to the transmitters (CSIT) on the performance of multi-antenna multi-user wireless networks. More specifically, we consider the 3-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) broadcast channel, where the available CSIT with respect to each receiver can be instantaneous (P), delayed (D), or none (N); and we characterize the extent to which such heterogeneity of CSIT impacts its linear degrees of freedom (LDoF). In particular, we completely characterize the DoF region for all possible CSIT configurations, assuming linear encoding strategies at the transmitters. The converse, which is the main contribution of the paper, is based on a novel lemma, called Interference Decomposition Bound, which provides a lower bound on the interference dimension at a receiver with delayed CSIT, based on the dimension of constituents of that interference, thereby decomposing the interference into its individual components.
Computer simulation of sedimentation in the ultracentrifuge. IV. Velocity sedimentation of self-associating solutes.

Methods are outlined for simulating the sedimentation and diffusion of macromolecular solutes that undergo rapidly reequilibrating association-dissociation reactions of the type nA ⇌ An. The solutes are treated as single species with concentration-dependent sedimentation and diffusion coefficients, and certain limitations are placed on the types of systems that can be so treated. Expressions are given for average diffusion coefficients that are appropriate for the simulation procedure. Diffusion of rapidly polymerizing systems in the absence of a field produces gradient curves that are unimodal and smooth, but are skewed toward the solution side of the boundary. Features of the boundary shape predicted by the theory of Gilbert for sedimentation in the absence of diffusion are often, but not always, qualitatively evident in the presence of diffusion. Monomer-dimer systems produce skewed, unimodal boundaries without shoulders. The tendency of monomer-trimer, monomer-tetramer, and monomer-hexamer systems to generate bimodal gradient curves may persist in the presence of diffusion, or it may be expressed in the development of a single boundary with a shoulder or a trailing foot. In at least one case, the minimum anticipated in the absence of diffusion is entirely obscured, and the resulting gradient curve is broadened but nearly symmetrical.