cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Multi-path Prediction for Error Resilient H.264 Coding

An adaptive reference selection (ARS) scheme is proposed to enhance error resilience performance of H.264 video in this work, where multiple prediction paths can be created in the compressed video stream at the macroblock level without a large amount of bit rate overhead. We first develop a method to measure the expected distortion at the decoder when the H.264 video is transmitted through erroneous channels. Then, we use an updated rate-distortion cost function to incorporate this measurement into the mode decision process. The best prediction for each macroblock is selected with the objective to achieve the highest expected rate-distortion performance of the GOP in the received video stream. It is shown by experimental results that error propagation is largely reduced and the quality of received video stream is improved significantly by the proposed scheme. Topic area - Multimedia Processing.
Mentees, Mentors, and the Mentorship…

The past many months have been emotionally hard, and this Editor's Page is unlike most others we have written for iJACC . It is more of a personal epistle, mostly anecdotal, not connected to the science we have published in the current issue. It is, rather, the emotional equivalent of a mourning
Aggregate supply and demand disturbances, and the business cycle

Abstract Using a variation of Lucas' model, I estimate the respective roles that aggregate supply and demand disturbances have had in causing business cycles in the U.S. Estimating a set of reduced-form solutions for the inflation rate and real output, the resulting bivariate error structure is decomposed into estimates for aggregate supply and demand disturbances. These estimates demonstrate that aggregate demand disturbances have dominated most business cycle episodes over the last twenty years. The 1981–1982 recession appears to have been caused entirely by aggregate demand disturbances since aggregate supply disturbances had a positive effect on output in the same period.
Characterization of CD control for sub-0.18-μm lithographic patterning

It is well known that systematic within-chip dimension (CD) errors can strongly influence product yield and performance, especially in the case of microprocessors. It has been shown that this across chip linewidth variation (ACLV) dominates the CD error budge, and is comprised of multiple systematic and random effects, including substrate reflectivity, reticle CD errors, feature proximity, and lens aberrations. These effects have material, equipment, and process dependencies, with the results being that significant ACLV differences between nominally identical tools/processes can in some cases be observed. We present here a new analysis approach which allows for optimization of exposure/defocus conditions to minimize overall CD errors for a given process. Emphasis is on control of [(mean) + 3 sigma] of CD errors for a given exposure/defocus conditions. Input metrology data is obtained from electrical resistance probing, and data is presented for multiple 248 nm DUV processes and tools with CD ground rules ranging from 180 nm to 140 nm.
Finite difference time domain analysis of two-layer multi-coupled microstrip lines on anisotropic substrates

The general expressions of the finite difference method (FDM) and the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method are obtained for the quasi-static and full wave analysis, respectively. Maxwell's equations are replaced by a set of finite difference equations which are eigenvalue problems in FDTD. The even and odd mode capacitances are presented for various ratios of the widths of microstrip line in the first layer to the thickness of the first layer in two-layer three-coupled microstrip lines on anisotropic substrates in the quasi-static analysis. The effective dielectric constants are obtained for frequency in the full wave analysis and are compared with those of spectral domain method. >
17β-Estradiol Increases Persistent Na+ Current and Excitability of AVPV/PeN Kiss1 Neurons in Female Mice

In vitro slice studies have revealed that there are significant differences in the spontaneous firing activity between anteroventral periventricular/periventricular preoptic nucleus (AVPV/PeN) and arcuate nucleus (ARC) kisspeptin (Kiss1) neurons in females. Although both populations express similar endogenous conductances, we have discovered that AVPV/PeN Kiss1 neurons express a subthreshold, persistent sodium current (INaP) that dramatically alters their firing activity. Based on whole-cell recording of Kiss1-Cre-green fluorescent protein (GFP) neurons, INaP was 4-fold greater in AVPV/PeN vs ARC Kiss1 neurons. An LH surge-producing dose of 17β-estradiol (E2) that increased Kiss1 mRNA expression in the AVPV/PeN, also augmented INaP in AVPV/PeN neurons by 2-fold. Because the activation threshold for INaP was close to the resting membrane potential (RMP) of AVPV/PeN Kiss1 neurons (-54 mV), it rendered them much more excitable and spontaneously active vs ARC Kiss1 neurons (RMP = -66 mV). Single-cell RT-PCR revealed that AVPV/PeN Kiss1 neurons expressed the requisite sodium channel α-subunit transcripts, NaV1.1, NaV1.2, and NaV1.6 and β subunits, β2 and β4. Importantly, NaV1.1α and -β2 transcripts in AVPV/PeN, but not ARC, were up-regulated 2- to 3-fold by a surge-producing dose of E2, similar to the transient calcium current channel subunit Cav3.1. The transient calcium current collaborates with INaP to generate burst firing, and selective blockade of INaP by riluzole significantly attenuated rebound burst firing and spontaneous activity. Therefore, INaP appears to play a prominent role in AVPV/PeN Kiss1 neurons to generate spontaneous, repetitive burst firing, which is required for the high-frequency-stimulated release of kisspeptin for exciting GnRH neurons and potentially generating the GnRH surge.
Using the ENCODE Resource for Functional Annotation of Genetic Variants.

This article illustrates the use of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) resource to generate or refine hypotheses from genomic data on disease and other phenotypic traits. First, the goals and history of ENCODE and related epigenomics projects are reviewed. Second, the rationale for ENCODE and the major data types used by ENCODE are briefly described, as are some standard heuristics for their interpretation. Third, the use of the ENCODE resource is examined. Standard use cases for ENCODE, accessing the ENCODE resource, and accessing data from related projects are discussed. Finally, access to resources from ENCODE and related epigenomics projects are reviewed. (Although the focus of this article is the use of ENCODE data, some of the same approaches can be used with the data from other projects.) While this article is focused on the case of interpreting genetic variation data, essentially the same approaches can be used with the ENCODE resource, or with data from other projects, to interpret epigenomic and gene regulation data, with appropriate modification (Rakyan et al. 2011; Ng et al. 2012). Such approaches could allow investigators to use genomic methods to study environmental and stochastic processes, in addition to genetic processes.
PRACTICES TO IMPROVE ANTIMICROBIAL USE AT 47 US HOSPITALS: THE STATUS OF THE 1997 SHEA/IDSA POSITION PAPER RECOMMENDATIONS

Objective To determine the status of programs to improve antimicrobial prescribing at select US hospitals. Design Cross-sectional survey. Participants and setting Pharmacy and infection control staff at all 47 hospitals participating in phase 3 of Project Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology. Results All 47 hospitals had some programs to improve antimicrobial use, but the practices reported varied considerably. All used a formulary, and 43 (91%) used it in conjunction with at least one of the other three antimicrobial-use policies evaluated: stop orders, restriction, and criteria-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). CPGs were reported most commonly (70%), followed by stop orders (60%) and restriction policies (40%). Although consultation with an infectious disease physician (70%) or pharmacist (66%) was commonly used to influence initial antimicrobial choice, few (40%) reported a system to measure compliance with these consultations. Conclusions In most hospitals surveyed, practices to improve antimicrobial use, although present, were inadequate based on recommendations in a Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Infectious Disease Society of America joint position paper. There is room to improve antimicrobial-use stewardship at US hospitals.
Regulation of sororin by Cdk1-mediated phosphorylation

Tumor cells are commonly aneuploid, a condition contributing to cancer progression and drug resistance. Understanding how chromatids are linked and separated at the appropriate time will help uncover the basis of aneuploidy and will shed light on the behavior of tumor cells. Cohesion of sister chromatids is maintained by the multi-protein complex cohesin, consisting of Smc1, Smc3, Scc1 and Scc3. Sororin associates with the cohesin complex and regulates the segregation of sister chromatids. Sororin is phosphorylated in mitosis; however, the role of this modification is unclear. Here we show that mutation of potential cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) phosphorylation sites leaves sororin stranded on chromosomes and bound to cohesin throughout mitosis. Sororin can be precipitated from cell lysates with DNA–cellulose, and only the hypophosphorylated form of sororin shows this association. These results suggest that phosphorylation of sororin causes its release from chromatin in mitosis. Also, the hypophosphorylated form of sororin increases cohesion between sister chromatids, suggesting that phosphorylation of sororin by Cdk1 influences sister chromatid cohesion. Finally, phosphorylation-deficient sororin can alleviate the mitotic block that occurs upon knockdown of endogenous sororin. This mitotic block is abolished by ZM447439, an Aurora kinase inhibitor, suggesting that prematurely separated sister chromatids activate the spindle assembly checkpoint through an Aurora kinase-dependent pathway.
InChI - the worldwide chemical structure standard

Progress of the IUPAC InChI/InChIKey project continues to move ahead with many new features and support. A collection of four short videos explaining the InChI project have been produced and are available via the InChI Trust web site. Use of the algorithm has increased over the past year to the point that numerous publications use and refer to InChI. Publicity for the project is good and has resulted in considerable increase in the usage of the InChI algorithm. The Trust web site is now available to the public and is updated regularly. Even CAS now allows for an InChI string to be used as input for a SciFinder search and the Sigma-Aldrich catalogue is InChI searchable. Extensions to the project’s current capabilities, such as InChI for chemical reactions, are being developed by a number of expert, experienced individuals and groups from various areas of chemistry. This poster presentation will describe the current technical state of the InChI algorithm and how the InChI Trust is working to assure the continued support and delivery of the InChI algorithm.
Automatic Detection of Acute Bacterial Pneumonia from Chest X-ray Reports

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a natural language processing system in extracting pneumonia-related concepts from chest x-ray reports. Methods: Design: Four physicians, three lay persons, a natural language processing system, and two keyword searches (designated AAKS and KS) detected the presence or absence of three pneu- monia-related concepts and inferred the presence or absence of acute bacterial pneumonia from 292 chest x-ray reports. Gold standard: Majority vote of three independent physicians. Reliability of the gold standard was measured. Outcome measures: Recall, precision, specificity, and agreement (using Finn's R statistic) with respect to the gold standard. Differences between the physicians and the other subjects were tested using the McNemar test for each pneumonia concept and for the disease inference of acute bacterial pneumonia. Results: Reliability of the reference standard ranged from 0.86 to 0.96. Recall, precision, specificity, and agreement (Finn R) for the inference on acute bacterial pneumonia were, respectively, 0.94, 0.87, 0.91, and 0.84 for physicians; 0.95, 0.78, 0.85, and 0.75 for natural language processing system; 0.46, 0.89, 0.95, and 0.54 for lay persons; 0.79, 0.63, 0.71, and 0.49 for AAKS; and 0.87, 0.70, 0.77, and 0.62 for KS. The McNemar pairwise comparisons showed differences between one physician and the natural language processing system for the infiltrate concept and between another physician and the natural language processing system for the inference on acute bacterial pneumonia. The comparisons also showed that most physicians were significantly different from the other subjects in all pneumonia concepts and the disease inference. Conclusion: In extracting pneumonia related concepts from chest x-ray reports, the performance of the natural language processing system was similar to that of physicians and better than that of lay persons and keyword searches. The encoded pneumonia information has the potential to support several pneumonia-related applications used in our institution. The applications include a decision support system called the antibiotic assistant, a computerized clinical protocol for pneumonia, and a quality assurance application in the radiology department. � J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2000;7:593-604.
Indigenous Ways of Doing: Synthesizing the Literature on Ethno-Engineering

­This paper synthesizes the literature on indigenous ways of doing, what we call ethno-engineering . Indigenous societies have faced countless years of oppression at the hands of Western colonization and assimilation. Western literature on indigenous knowledge is expansive, yet a deliberate focal point on ethno-engineering in indigenous literature is missing. In this paper, we have collected literature on indigenous knowledge and synthesized articles specifically on ethno-engineering, setting the papers in contrast to Western-engineering praxis. Our literature review methods proceeded in two phases. During the first phase we accumulated relevant sources (N=87), compiled these in a database, and coded these with a 10-item coding framework. In the second phase, we sampled literature from the initial database (N=31) and coded these items more extensively using an inductively developed coding scheme. Our intent was to contribute to a starting conversation on indigenous engineering bringing it to forefront of social justice/engineering discourse.
Usage Pattern Development for Three-Wheel Auto Rickshaw Taxis in India

Autorickshaws are one of the chief modes of transport in many Asian countries. In India, these vehicles are mainly used as taxis. Since there is heavy congestion on the roads of India, the small size and narrow body of this three wheeled vehicle is perfectly suited to navigate the roads. These vehicles are usually powered by a two or four stroke gasoline engine. Due to this design and other factors, rickshaws are typically highly polluting. In recent years, alternative models such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) models have been introduced to deal with the pollution problem. Electric powered rickshaws were also considered, but there are no successful commercial products available yet. Illinois Institute of Technology has set out to solve the pollution problem caused by existing rickshaws by developing an electric auto rickshaw. Auto rickshaws are an ideal candidate for electrification due to the low speeds of the vehicle and relatively low distance covered in a day. With this idea, the team set out to develop a driving cycle of the auto rickshaw in a typical large Indian city - in this case, Delhi. This paper will describe the process by which the driving cycle was made for auto rickshaws in India. First, the existing cycles used in India are considered as candidates. Since these data are not applicable, GPS data collected at various times of the day were applied to the analysis. The new driving cycle was derived from information gathered via GPS data as well as surveys of auto rickshaw drivers in India, which helped to get the entire picture for the driving cycle.
FSimGP^2: An Efficient Fault Simulator with GPGPU

General Purpose computing on Graphical Processing Units (GPGPU) is a paradigm shift in computing that promises a dramatic increase in performance. But GPGPU also brings an unprecedented level of complexity in algorithmic design and software development. In this paper, we present an efficient parallel fault simulator, FSimGP², that exploits the high degree of parallelism supported by a state-of-the-art graphic processing unit (GPU) with the NVIDIA Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). A novel three-dimensional parallel fault simulation technique is proposed to achieve extremely high computation efficiency on the GPU. The experimental results demonstrate a speedup of up to 42× compared to another GPUbased fault simulator and up to 53× over a state-of-the-art algorithm on conventional processor architectures.
Combined qualitative-quantitative steady-state diagnosis of continuous-valued systems

This paper discusses systematic methods for diagnosis of complex engineering systems combining qualitative and quantitative analysis of analytic constraint equation system models to generate more precise and accurate candidates. Candidates generated from a qualitative steady-state partial explanation model are refined with available ordinal information on the magnitude of component parameter deviations. In addition, an incremental algorithm is implemented to efficiently process sequences of measurements. Empirical analysis demonstrates that accuracy and resolution of minimal candidate generation are improved by including ordinal information. This avoids the practical problems encountered when reasoning with pure quantitative information.
A criterion for the planarity of a graph

In a recent paper, Carsten Thomassen [Carsten Thomassen, Planarity and duality of finite and infinite graphs. J. Combinatorial Theory Ser. B 29 (1980) 244–271] has shown that a number of criteria for the planarity of a graph can be reduced to that of Kuratowski. Here we present another criterion which, as well, is easily proved via Kuratowski's. The criterion is based on the observation that the imbedding of a graph in a plane imposes a cyclic ordering, say clockwise, on the edges incident with each vertex, and that these cyclic orderings are related.
The Measurement of Cross-cutting Cleavages and Other Multidimensional Cleavage Structures

Many studies in economics and political science include the concept of ethnic diversity as a key independent variable in empirical studies. To date, however, only single-dimensional measures of ethnic diversity, such as ethnic fractionalization, have been available. In this paper, I define and measure three multidimensional characteristics of social structure—cross-cuttingness, cross-fractionalization, and subgroup fractionalization—and present a new cross-national data set comprised of indices along combinations of five cleavages: race, language, religion, region, and income. After addressing important definitional and measurement issues, I discuss the data and show how their inclusion in economic growth regressions reopens the theoretical debate regarding the influence of ethnic diversity, indicating the potential for these new indices to shed light on the role of ethnic diversity (and social structure more generally) with regards to a number of phenomena of concern to political scientists. The data set is publicly available from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research data archives and the Institute for Quantitative Social Science Dataverse Network.
Identification of tetratricopeptide repeat 1 as an adaptor protein that interacts with heterotrimeric G proteins and the small GTPase Ras.

The biological functions of heterotrimeric G proteins and small GTPases are modulated by both extracellular stimuli and intracellular regulatory proteins. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae two-hybrid screening, we identified tetratricopeptide repeat 1 (TPR1), a 292-amino-acid protein with three TPR motifs, as a Gα16-binding protein. The interaction was confirmed both in vitro and in transfected mammalian cells, where TPR1 also binds to several other Gα proteins. TPR1 was found to interact with Ha-Ras preferentially in its active form. Overexpression of TPR1 promotes accumulation of active Ras. TPR1 was found to compete with the Ras-binding domain (RBD) of Raf-1 for binding to the active Ras, suggesting that it may also compete with Ras GTPase-activating protein, thus contributing to the accumulation of GTP-bound Ras. Expression of Gα16 strongly enhances the interaction between TPR1 and Ras. Removal of the TPR1 N-terminal 112 residues abolishes potentiation by Gα16 while maintaining the interaction with Gα16 and the ability to discriminate active Ras from wild-type Ras. We have also observed that LGN, a Gαi-interacting protein with seven TPR motifs, binds Ha-Ras. Thus, TPR1 is a novel adaptor protein for Ras and selected Gα proteins that may be involved in protein-protein interaction relating to G-protein signaling.
U-Insertion/Deletion mRNA-Editing Holoenzyme: Definition in Sight

RNA editing is a process that alters DNA-encoded sequences and is distinct from splicing, 5' capping, and 3' additions. In 30 years since editing was discovered in mitochondria of trypanosomes, several functionally and evolutionarily unrelated mechanisms have been described in eukaryotes, archaea, and viruses. Editing events are predominantly post-transcriptional and include nucleoside insertions and deletions, and base substitutions and modifications. Here, we review the mechanism of uridine insertion/deletion mRNA editing in kinetoplastid protists typified by Trypanosoma brucei. This type of editing corrects frameshifts, introduces translation punctuation signals, and often adds hundreds of uridines to create protein-coding sequences. We focus on protein complexes responsible for editing reactions and their interactions with other elements of the mitochondrial gene expression pathway.
Genetic criteria for establishing evolutionarily significant units in Cryan's buckmoth

Buckmoths (Hemileuca spp.) are day-flying saturniid moths with diverse ecologies and host plants. Populations that feed on Menyanthes trifoliata, known commonly as Cryan's buckmoths, have been found in only a few bogs and fens near eastern Lake Ontario in New York and near Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. Be- cause of their unique ecological traits, geographic isolation from other Hemileuca populations, and the small number of sites they occupy, there ts concern that the Cryan's buckmoth populations are phylogenetically dis- tinct and should be protected. The Cryan's buckmoths have not yet been taxonomically described and do not appear to have clear distinguishing morphological characters. Both molecular genetic traits (allozymes and mitochondrial DNA sequences) and an ecologically based character (host performance) were investigated to determine whether these populations possess fixed diagnostic characters signifying genetic differentiation from other eastern Hemileuca populations. Such differences would merit separate conservation management as an evolutionarily significant unit. Our studies showed that the Cryan's buckmoths clearly belong to the Hemileuca maia species group, but they could not be readily distinguished from other members of that group by means of molecular genetic techniques. There were no fixed differences in alleles or haplotypes distinguish- ing any of the populations or species, suggesting recent divergence. Nonetheless, in the host-plant performance experiment only the Cryan's buckmoth larvae were able to develop on M. trifoUata, a significant difference from other Hemileuca larvae tested. The Cryan's buckmoth appears to be unique in host performance and warrants protection and management as an evolutionarily significant unit. In cases such as this where groups appear to have recently diverged, investigations into ecologically significant traits may provide indica- tors of conservation significance as reliable as molecular genetic markers.
LIBERALISM AND PATERNALISM

Joel Feinberg's brief against legal paternalism, which is the central focus of his Harm to Self, is undoubtedly the most scrupulous, nuanced, and thorough critique of the view yet provided by a liberal philosopher. I was once convinced of Feinberg's case and am now less sure. This makes me uneasy, both because I have strong liberal instincts that I would prefer to be able to justify, and also because I suppose I have not thought about the matter with the kind or degree of care that Feinberg himself did. In assessing his antipaternalist arguments, I include here a number of excerpts from Feinberg's own writings to remind us of his subtlety and precision, his broad range of references, his elegant and informed style, his sound good sense, his ability to provide the revealing, compelling example, and his supple cast of mind. That my commentary is bound to pale by comparison is inevitable, but I take some comfort in thinking that one cannot be held liable for what cannot be helped.
An expert system for integrated circuit board inspection

Abstract This paper describes an expert system for defect location in an integrated circuit board assembly. The expert system known as bites (Board Inspection and Training Expert System) is designed with two purposes: (1) automation of the inspection process performed by groups of inspectors or quality control technicians; and (2) for use as a training tool for new inspectors.
Indicators of resilience and healthcare outcomes: findings from the 2010 health and retirement survey

To test the hypothesis that higher levels of resilience indicators are associated with lower overall healthcare utilization (HCU) as well as improvements in self-rated health (SRH), we analyzed a representative sample of 4562 adults 50–70 years old enrolled in the US 2010 health and retirement survey. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for high versus low resilience in relation to HCU and SRH improvements over 2 years. Resilience indicators included: cumulative lifetime adversity, social support, global mastery and domain-specific mastery. Cumulative lifetime adversity was defined as 0, 1–2, 3–4 or 5+ events. HCU included hospitalization (any vs. none) and physician visits (<20 vs. ≥20) over 2 years. Hospitalization odds declined by 25 % (OR 0.75, 95 %CI 0.64–0.86), odds of ≥20 physician visits declined by 47 % (OR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.45–0.63) and the odds of SRH improvement increased by 49 % (OR 1.49, 95 % CI 1.17–1.88) for respondents with high versus low health mastery. Cumulative lifetime adversity manifested a dose-dependent positive relationship with HCU. Specifically, hospitalization odds was, respectively, 25, 80 and 142 % elevated for participants that reported 1–2, 3–4 and 5+ versus 0 lifetime adversities. High versus low global, financial and health mastery, respectively, predicted improved SRH, lower physician’s visits and hospitalizations. In this sample of adults near or in retirement, resilience predicted lower HCU and improved SRH. Resilience is a dynamic state that can be enhanced in adults with positive impacts on subjective well-being and HCU.
Abstract 3190: Increased Inflammatory Response in Aged Mice is Associated with More Severe Neuronal Injury at the Acute Stage of Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose: Stroke occurs mostly in patients with advanced age and older patients have a less favorable prognosis than younger patients. To understand the underlying mechanisms involved in this phenomenon, we tested the hypothesis that an increased inflammatory response to acute ischemic injury in the aged mice leads to more severe brain damage and functional deficits. Methods: An ischemic stroke model was created in two- (young) and twelve-month-old (aged) C57BL/6 mice (n=6) through permanent occlusion of the left distal middle cerebral artery (pMCAO). Infarct volumes in the brain sections were quantified at one day after pMCAO by Cresyl Violet staining. Sensorimotor function was assessed using corner test and adhesive removal test before, 3, and 14 days after pMCAO. Macrophage/microglia (CD68+ cells) and apoptotic neurons (TUNEL+ and NeuN+) in the ischemic region were quantified one day after pMCAO. The interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) levels in the ischemic brain tissue were measured using ELISA at one and three days after pMCAO. Results: At one day post pMCAO, infarct volume was larger in aged mice than in young mice (31±3/mm3 vs 27±5, p= 0.05), Comparing aged mice to young mice, more TUNEL+ neurons (22±5 vs 15±5, p=0.04) were detected in the infarct region. Both young and aged mice showed significant sensorimotor dysfunction on day 3 and 14 post pMCAO; turning more frequently to the left on the corner test and taking longer time to remove tape on left paws. More severe functional deficits were detected on aged mice by adhesive removal test at day 14 post pMCAO (12±5 seconds vs 6±3, p=0.01, aged vs young). There were more CD68+ cells in the peri-infarct region in aged mice compared to young mice (79±22/ 40X objective field vs 58±18, p=0.01). Infarct volume was positively correlated with both the numbers of CD68+ cells (R2= 0.80) and TUNEL+ neurons (R2= 0.86). Compared to young, cytokine levels also increased in aged mice at one day (IL-6: 308 ±152 pg/mg vs 147±44, p=0.03; IL-1β: 96±35 vs 55±8, p=0.02) and three days (IL-6: 149 ±53 vs 90±27, p=0.03; IL-1β: 55 ±14 vs 38± 5, p= 0.02) after pMCAO. Conclusion: Our data suggest that a higher inflammatory response at the acute stage of ischemic stroke in aged mice is associated with more severe neuronal injury (larger infarct volume and more apoptotic neurons) and long-term functional deficits. The upstream mechanisms responsible for the enhanced response will require additional studies. However, modulating inflammatory response in the aged population at the acute stage might be a strategy to reduce neuronal injury and improve functional recovery in older stroke patients with monitoring of brain inflammation a feasible means of risk stratification.
MAPK1/ERK2 as novel target genes for pain in head and neck cancer patients

Genetic susceptibility plays an important role in the risk of developing pain in individuals with cancer. As a complex trait, multiple genes underlie this susceptibility. We used gene network analyses to identify novel target genes associated with pain in patients newly diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). We first identified 36 cancer pain-related genes (i.e., focus genes) from 36 publications based on a literature search. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) analysis identified additional genes that are functionally related to the 36 focus genes through pathway relationships yielding a total of 82 genes. Subsequently, 800 SNPs within the 82 IPA-selected genes on the Illumina HumanOmniExpress-12v1 platform were selected from a large-scale genotyping effort. Association analyses between the 800 candidate SNPs (covering 82 genes) and pain in a patient cohort of 1368 patients with HNSCC (206 patients with severe pain vs. 1162 with non-severe pain) showed the highest significance for MAPK1/ERK2, a gene belonging to the MAP kinase family (rs8136867, p value = 8.92 × 10−4; odds ratio [OR] = 1.33, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–1.58). Other top genes were PIK3C2G (a member of PI3K [complex], rs10770367, p value = 1.10 × 10−3; OR = 1.46, 95 % CI: 1.16–1.82), TCRA (the alpha chain of T-cell receptor, rs6572493, p value = 2.84 × 10−3; OR = 0.70, 95 % CI: 0.55–0.88), PDGFC (platelet-derived growth factor C, rs6845322, p value = 4.88 × 10−3; OR = 1.32, 95 % CI: 1.09–1.60), and CD247 (a member of CD3, rs2995082, p value = 7.79 × 10−3; OR = 0.76, 95 % CI: 0.62–0.93). Our findings provide novel candidate genes and biological pathways underlying pain in cancer patients. Further study of the variations of these candidate genes could inform clinical decision making when treating cancer pain.
Stoichiometric Reaction Chemistry of Cationic Ruthenium Silylene Complexes toward Polar and Nonpolar Organic Substrates

Reactions of the cationic ruthenium silylene complexes [Cp*(PiPr3)Ru(H)2(═SiRR′)][B(C6F5)4] (R = Mes, R′ = H, 1; R = R′ = Ph, 2) with alkenes, alkynes, ketones, and Lewis bases were explored. Addition of 1-hexene, 3,3-dimethylbut-1-ene, styrene, and cyclopentene to 1 afforded the disubstituted silylene products [Cp*(PiPr3)Ru(H)2(═SiMesR)][B(C6F5)4] (R = Hex, 3; R = CH2CH2tBu, 4; R = CH2CH2Ph, 5; R = C5H9, 6). Analogous reactions with 2-butyne and 3,3-dimethylbut-1-yne yielded the vinyl-substituted silylene complexes [Cp*(PiPr3)Ru(H)2(═Si(CR═CHR′)Mes)][B(C6F)4] (R = R′ = Me, 7; R = H, R′ = tBu, 8). Complex 1 undergoes reactions with ketones to give the heteroatom-substituted silylene complexes [Cp*(PiPr3)Ru(H)2(═Si(OCHPhR)Mes)][B(C6F)4] (R = Ph, 9; R = Me, 10). Interestingly, complexes 3–8 display a weak interaction between the hydride ligands and the silicon center, while 9 and 10 exhibit a relatively large interaction (as determined by 2JSiH values). The reaction of isocyanates with 1 resulted in the sil...
General music across the life span: Thoughts and observations on working with lifelong learners

This column explores aspects of general music with adult learners through the work of Dr. Sam Reese, who teaches jazz to lifelong learners through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The author describes a visit to a session of the class focused on an in-depth exploration of Keith Jarrett’s 1978 recording of “My Song.” The article also contains an interview with Dr. Reese and Jean Peters, a student in the class. The interview touched on the value of having the class members attend live jazz, reflections on working with lifelong learners, aspects of the “Three-Minute Masterpieces” approach to class, and specific uses of technology in the class.
PT-symmetry breaking with divergent potentials: lattice and continuum cases

We investigate the parity- and time-reversal ($\mathcal{PT}$-) symmetry breaking in lattice models in the presence of long-ranged, non-Hermitian, $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials that remain finite or become divergent in the continuum limit. By scaling analysis of the fragile $\mathcal{PT}$ threshold for an open finite lattice, we show that continuum loss-gain potentials ${V}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}(x)\ensuremath{\propto}i{|x|}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}\mathrm{sgn}(x)$ have a positive $\mathcal{PT}$-breaking threshold for $\ensuremath{\alpha}g\ensuremath{-}2$, and a zero threshold for $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{-}2$. When $\ensuremath{\alpha}l0$ localized states with complex (conjugate) energies in the continuum energy band occur at higher loss-gain strengths. We investigate the signatures of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry breaking in coupled waveguides, and show that the emergence of localized states dramatically shortens the relevant time scale in the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry broken region.
The Suprageneric Classification of the Order Thysanura (Insecta)

Since the end of the Nineteenth Century the taxonomy of the small order Thysanura has been extensively treated by a few specialists, notably F. Silvestri, P. W. Wygodzinsky, and to a lesser degree K. W. Verhoeff, K. Escherich, H. W. Womersley, and J. Stach. All of these men have recognized and named various new genera and numerous new species. Among them only Verhoeff and Escherich have attempted to develop a major classification of the species into supra-generic groups. Verhoeff's classification of the saltatorial Thysanura (Machilidae of most textbooks) and that of Escherich for the non-saltatorial forms (Lepismatidae of authors) are still followed with little change by recent students of the order.
Recent Developments of Microwave Ferrite Materials

Based on papers of the ICF10(10th International Conference on Ferrites,2008.10.10),the 13th National Magnetics Conference(2008.10.31) and some specialization conferences on magnetic materials,recent developments of microwave ferrite materials were introduced and summarized.
A comparative study on the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection with frozen-thawed and fresh sperm

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the efficacy of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with frozen-thawed sperm and fresh sperm. Methods: 161 couples undergoing therapy of artificial reproduction technology were studied. The frozen-thawed sperm was used in 47 cycles. The fresh sperm was used in 116 cycles. The rates of insemination, embryo cleavage, A-grade embryo and clinic pregnancy were compared among them. Results: There were three groups: frozen-thawed sperms (group I), fresh sperms with severe abnormal semen (group II) or with mild-moderated abnormal semen (group III). The insemination rates were 77.6%, 54.4% and 73.5%, embryo cleavage rates were 92.9%,94.0% and 92.5%, A-grade embryo rates were 65.4%, 45.7% and 46.8% and clinic pregnancy rates were 45.5%,25.0% and 29.3%, respectively. Differences of the above-analyzed results between group I and II were significant (P0.05) in insemination, A-grade embryo and clinic pregnancy. However, rates of insemination were not significantly (P0.05) between group I and III. Conclusions: The results indicate that sperm quality of sterile patients throws the direct influence on the rate of insemination, but frozen-thawed sperms do not affect rates of insemination, embryo cleavage and A-grade embryo.
Abstract ES7-3: Adjuvant endocrine therapy: Is the price of forever too high?

Over the past several years, new data has emerged which shows the added benefit of more aggressive endocrine therapy for both pre- and post- menopausal women. With increasing use of ovarian suppression in pre-menopausal women and extended adjuvant endocrine therapy across the board, we are seeing subsequent increased toxicity. While these more intensive treatments do offer benefit in certain high-risk populations, they can also significantly decrease quality of life for many women. This talk will discuss how to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of an increasingly aggressive endocrine therapy approach for each patient. We will also discuss how to tailor treatment options to the individual patient and her cancer. Citation Format: Niravath P. Adjuvant endocrine therapy: Is the price of forever too high?. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES7-3.
Combined active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation and inspiratory impedance threshold devices may improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Address for correspondence: S. Suave Lobodzinski, PhD, Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA, tel: 562 985 5521, fax: 562 985 5899, e-mail: slobo@csulb.edu Combined active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation and inspiratory impedance threshold devices may improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Current concepts of cholesterol transport and crystal formation in human bile.

The presence of vesicles in human bile probably accounts almost entirely for the frequently observed, but hitherto unexplained, phenomenon of metastable cholesterol supersaturation. This, in turn, largely explains the prolonged stability of cholesterol solubilized in supersaturated human bile. Under certain overall compositional conditions for a supersaturated native bile, the vesicular phase in its contribution to total cholesterol transport also becomes supersaturated in cholesterol. Because of this, the vesicles also become unstable, leading to formation of cholesterol crystals. A simple but common example of one factor affecting composition in this way is concentration of total solutes, especially the biliary lipids. Conversely, dilution of bile (e.g., hepatic bile) markedly reduces the cholesterol saturation level in biliary vesicles. The result is that such vesicles become much more stable. Under these conditions, cholesterol crystal formation becomes unlikely and rarely, if ever, occurs.
Gamma interferon stimulates monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1) in human mesangial cells

Cell-mediated immunity and monocyte infiltration is a prominent histologic feature of several different types of glomerulonephritis. Monocyte influx to the glomerulus correlates with glomerular hypercellularity and proteinuria. Glomerular mesangial cells, in addition to being targets for inflammatory stimuli, are also effector cells that actively participate in glomerular pathology. Mesangial cells release monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1). In the present article, we characterized and studied the regulation of MCP-1 released by cultured human mesangial cells. Serum-deprived mesangial cells constitutively release chemotactic activity that is neutralized by specific anti-MCP-1 antibody. An antibody to baboon MCP-1 recognized 16, 15, and 11 kd proteins from concentrated conditioned medium that were consistent with the presence of different forms of MCP-1. Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1 (IL-1) markedly stimulate the release of MCP-1 as measured by a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay. The release of MCP-1 in response to these cytokines is at least partially dependent on de novo synthesis of the protein because all three cytokines markedly stimulate the expression of MCP-1 mRNA. These data demonstrate that human mesangial cells synthesize and release at least three different forms of MCP-1 and that IFN-gamma and other cytokines regulate the secretion of MCP-1. IFN-gamma and MCP-1 may play a major role in the recruitment and activation of monocytes to the inflamed glomerulus.
Paleoserology Techniques Applied to Skeletal Identification

The purpose of this article is to present a brief history of bone blood-grouping, to review paleoserological methodology, and to discuss the logic employed in several styles of reporting this blood group information. Included in the discussion will be additions in technique employed in my studies of archeological bone samples.
Effective Atomic Numbers of Low-Z Compounds for Photon Interaction

Effective atomic numbers are derived for the low-Z compounds polyethylene, polycarbonate, Teflon, Mylar, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride for total photon interaction in the 10- to 20000-keV energy region. The number generally decreases and then increases with increasing energy. This variation is based on the effective atomic numbers for photoelectric, incoherent scattering, and pair production partial photon interaction processes.
Nonpsychoactive Cannabinoid Action on 5-HT3 and Glycine Receptors

The 5-HT3 and glycine receptors are pentameric ion channels belonging to a Cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel superfamily. While the glycine receptors can mediate fast inhibitory synaptic transmission, the 5-HT3 receptors are involved in both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the central and peripheral nervous system. These receptors play important roles in several physiological and pathological processes such as vomiting reflex, neuromotor activity, pain process, reward mechanism of drugs of abuse, cognition, and anxiety control. Emerging evidence has identified both receptors as primary targets for the action of nonpsychoactive cannabinoids in the brain. Psychoactive and nonpsychoactive cannabinoids alter the amplitudes of 5-hydroxytryptamine and glycine-activated currents in native neurons and in cell lines expressing recombinant 5-HT3 and glycine receptors through CB1 and CB2 receptor-independent mechanisms. However, little is known about molecular mechanisms and behavioral implications of this specific cannabinoid modulation. Results from recent studies have shed light on the molecular basis of nonpsychoactive cannabinoid modulation of glycine receptors. Evidence has also emerged to suggest that cannabinoid modulation of glycine receptors contributes to some of the cannabis-induced analgesic effect. This research direction could help develop novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of pain and other diseases. This chapter summarizes recent research progress in our knowledge about the mechanisms and in vivo consequence of cannabinoid modulation of 5-HT3 and glycine receptors.
Validation of TKA Contact Force Models Using Telemetric Implants

Introduction While fluoroscopic techniques have been widely utilized to study in vivo kinematic behavior of total knee arthroplasties, determination of the contact forces of large population sizes has proven a challenge to the biomedical engineering community. This investigation utilizes computational modeling to predict these forces and validates these with independent telemetric data for multiple patients, implants, and activities. Methods Two patients with telemetric implants, the first of which was studied twice with the reexamination occurring 8 years after the first, were studied. Three-dimensional models of the patients9 bones were segmented from CT and aligned with the design models of the telemetric implants. Fluoroscopy was collected for gait, deep knee bend, chair rise, and stair activities while being synchronized to the ground reaction force (GRF) plate, telemetric forces, knee flexion angles, electromyography (EMG), and vibration sensors. Registration of the implants and bones to the 2-D fluoroscopy provided the 6 degree of freedom kinematic data for each object. Orientation and position of the components, the GRFs, ligament properties, and muscle attachment locations were the only inputs to the Kane9s dynamics inverse solution. Dynamic contact mapping and pseudo-inverse solution method were incorporated to output the predicted muscle forces of the vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris long head, and gastrocnemius and contact forces at the patellofemoral and medial and lateral tibiofemoral. While every major muscle of the lower limb was incorporated into the model, these five were used in the validation process. EMG signals were processed to determine the neural excitation, muscle activation, and using the dynamic muscle length from the kinematics, the tension generated by these muscles. Results Comparison of the model predictions for the tibiofemoral contact forces with the telemetric implant data resulted in an error Discussion An inverse computational model of the knee robust enough to encompass multiple patients and activities was successfully created and validated. The accuracy of the muscle forces demonstrates that the model correctly simulates anatomical motion and not just transferal of GRFs. While this study was conducted on patients with telemetric implants, the required inputs to the model can be obtained from any TKA patient with the mobility to conduct the desired activity. This allows not only kinematic data, but also kinetics, to be provided for the improvement of implant design and surgical techniques accessibly and relatively inexpensively.