cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Targeting of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Internalized Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Cell therapies offer exciting new opportunities for effectively treating many human diseases. However, delivery of therapeutic cells by intravenous injection, while convenient, relies on the relatively inefficient process of homing of cells to sites of injury. To address this limitation, a novel strategy has been developed to load cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs), and to attract them to specific sites within the body by applying an external magnetic field. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), which may have a significant potential for regenerative cell therapies due to their ease of isolation from autologous tissues, and their ability to differentiate into various lineages and modulate their paracrine activity in response to the microenvironment. The efficient loading of hMSCs with polyethylene glycol-coated SPIOs is achieved, and it is found that SPIOs are localized primarily in secondary lysosomes of hMSCs and are not toxic to the cells. Further, the key stem cell characteristics, including the immunophenotype of hMSCs and their ability to differentiate, are not altered by SPIO loading. Through both experimentation and mathematical modeling, it is shown that, under applied magnetic field gradients, SPIO-containing cells can be localized both in vitro and in vivo. The results suggest that, by loading SPIOs into hMSCs and applying appropriate magnetic field gradients, it is possible to target hMSCs to particular vascular networks.
Additional components of the Douglas fir beetle (Col., Scolytidae) aggregative pheromone and their possible utility in pest control

The identity of a reported Dendroctonus pseudotsugae attractant, 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol (MCH-ol), was confirmed by GLC/MS analysis of volatiles collected over live attractive female. In bioassay with previously known attractants, MCH-ol synergistically evoked male arrestment and stridulation in the laboraotry and high attraction predominantly of males in the field. Verbenone was similarly identified and was synergistically active to a lesser degree. The known double effect of the antiaggragetive pheromone 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (MCH) was confirmed, at it repressed response to the attractants at high concentration but at very low concentration it increased response to MCH-ol and frontalin. The highest field response occurred to these three components together. Comparative GLC of feces and volatiles from pairs supports the belief that fecal release of MCH with the other attractants is quantitatively less than the release stimulated by the presence of the male and/or its sonic signal. Zusammenfassung Weitere Komponenten des Aggregations-Pheromons von Dendroctonus pseudotsugae (Col., Scolyt.) Aus den Duftstoffen lebender Kafer von Dendroctonus pseudotsugae wurde 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-ol (MCH-ol) gewonnen und seine Identitat chromatographisch sowie auch massenspektrometrisch bestatigt. In Laborversuchen bewirkte MCH-ol, in Verbindung mit den schon bekannten Pheromonen, eine stark zunehmende Anlockung sowie Stridulation der Mannchen. Auch in Freilandversuchen lockte dieses Pheromon die fliegenden Borkenkafer, vor allem die Mannchen, stark an. Als weiteres Pheromon wurde Verbenone aus den lebenden Borkenkafern gewonnen, doch war es synergistisch weniger aktiv. Die bekannte Doppelwirkung des antiaggregativen Pheromons 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (MCH) wurde bestatigt: eine hohere Konzentration des MCH blockierte die Anlockung an die attraktiven Stoffe ganzlich, wahrend es in sehr geringer Konzentration die Anlockung an Frontalin und MCH-ol erheblich vergroserte. Die groste Anlockung wurde im Felde erzielt, wenn die drei Pheromone zusammen angeboten wurden. Vergleichende chromatographische Untersuchungen des Borkenkaferfrasses, des Kotes und der Duftstoffe zeigten, das die Freisetzung von MCH aus Borkenkaferkot quantitativ bedeutend geringer ist als die Freigabe, die durch die Anwesenheit des Mannchens und seine Stridulation stimuliert wird.
HOUSEHOLD SAVING IN THE '90s: EVIDENCE FROM CROSS-SECTION WEALTH SURVEYS

This paper uses a series of cross-section surveys to measure how wealth accumulation and active saving rates varied across cohort-groups during the early and mid 1990s. Our estimated rates of saving and wealth change across cohorts show a somewhat more dramatic life-cycle pattern than found in previous studies, in part because we use a new technique, and in part because the cross-section wealth surveys we use oversample the wealthiest families whose behavior dominates aggregate changes. Adjusting the wealth-change rates for bequests and subtracting out the capital gains component of wealth change move the estimates in the direction of results from previous studies, but the biggest changes in that direction result from excluding the top of the wealth distribution in each year.
Alpha adrenergic activity and renal function in two‐kidney deoxycorticosterone‐acetate hypertensive swine

To evaluate the role of alpha-adrenergic activity in deoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCA) hypertensive swine, eight two-kidney Yucatan miniature swine were implanted with DOCA silicone strips (100 mg/kg) for 12–16 weeks. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) in these animals increased progressively from control values of approximately 1 15 mm Hg to 173 ± 5 mm Hg. Treatment of four conscious animals with phenoxybenzamine (POB) (1 mg/kg) resulted in a significant decrease in MAP from 190 ± 3 to 157 ± 5 mm Hg (P 0.05), without affecting MAP, HR, TPR, or CO. Left kidney urine flow and sodium excretion also increased during intra-renal POB infusion. Potassium excretion was unchanged and GFR decreased slightly. When POB (1 mg/kg) was infused systemically during anesthesia, MAP decreased to 82 ± 6 mmHg (P < 0.05). This was due to a 34% and 14% decrease in TPR and CO, respectively (P < 0.05). Whole animal urine flow, sodium excretion, and GFR all decreased significantly with systemic POB. These findings suggest that alpha-adrenergic activity plays a role in the maintenance MAP and the determination of renal function in DOCA hypertensive swine.
Do Positive Anaerobic Culture Results Affect Physicians’ Clinical Management Decisions?

BACKGROUND Aerobic and anaerobic cultures from body fluids, abscesses, and wounds are ordered routinely. Prior studies have shown that the results of anaerobic blood cultures do not frequently lead to changes in patient management. METHODS We performed a retrospective chart review to determine whether positive results of anaerobic tissue and fluid cultures (excluding blood) affect physicians' treatment approaches. Of 3234 anaerobic cultures, 174 unique patient admissions had positive cultures and met inclusion criteria. RESULTS Only 18% (n = 31) of patient charts with positive cultures had documented physician acknowledgment (90.3% of acknowledgments by infectious diseases physicians), with 9% (n = 15) leading to change in antibiotic regimens based on results. Seventy percent of all patients received initial empiric antibiotics active against anaerobes. Of the remaining 30% (inappropriate, unknown, or no empiric coverage), 1 regimen change was documented after culture results were known. CONCLUSIONS Given the lack of management change based on results of anaerobic wound cultures, the value of routine anaerobic culturing is of questionable utility.
Nutrition and Food Selection

From the beginning of history, attempts have been made to define “normal nutrition.” Once basic caloric needs were satisfied, man has attempted to use nutrition as a tool to attain perfect health and longevity. Periodically, a perfect diet or a perfect system appears, which, with a holistic approach, attempts to allay disease and debility. When each diet or system falls short of its goals, disillusion affects not only the diet or system used but also casts umbrage on better founded nutritional principles.
Creating Stop-Motion Animations to Learn Molecular Biology Dynamics †

Classes in molecular biology have historically used static diagrams to capture how molecular processes occur in space and time. Here we describe using 3D claymation as an alternative. Students choose a molecular process, plan how to represent it with physical objects, and produce a stop motion video that then is shared with other students over the internet. This process can be easily implemented in undergraduate biology classes at all levels, and requires very little resources. The exercise offers the students a multisensory learning experience and the opportunity to contribute to open education resources.
Potential therapeutic approaches for Angelman syndrome.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deficiency of maternally inherited UBE3A, an ubiquitin E3 ligase. Despite recent progress in understanding the mechanism underlying UBE3A imprinting, there is no effective treatment. Further investigation of the roles played by UBE3A in the central nervous system (CNS) is needed for developing effective therapies.Area covered: This review covers the literature related to genetic classifications of AS, recent discoveries regarding the regulation of UBE3A imprinting, alterations in cell signaling in various brain regions and potential therapeutic approaches. Since a large proportion of AS patients exhibit comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD), potential common molecular bases are discussed.Expert opinion: Advances in understanding UBE3A imprinting provide a unique opportunity to induce paternal UBE3A expression, thus targeting the syndrome at its ‘root.’ However, such efforts have yielded less-than-expected rescue effe...
Identifying head and neck cancer patients at risk for high symptom burden during treatment

6066 Background: Treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) is well known to be associated with high levels of toxicity and symptom burden, but patients vary in the severity of treatment related symptom burden. The pre-treatment identification of patient characteristics most at risk for high treatment related symptom levels would be helpful for clinical and trial symptom intervention planning. Methods: 134 patients with HNC participated in the study. Patients completed the M. D. Anderson Symptom Assessment Inventory - Head and Neck module (MDASI-HN) prior to radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and again six weeks after treatment began. Cluster analysis was used to identify those who were highly symptomatic due to their disease prior to treatment and those who became highly symptomatic due to treatment. We used validated MDASI-HN score ranges to define symptom severity with scores 5–6 defined as ‘moderate‘ and 7 or more as ‘severe.’ Logistic regression was used to determine which baseline symptoms m...
Transcriptomic responses to environmental temperature in eurythermal and stenothermal fishes

Ectothermic species like fishes differ greatly in the thermal ranges they tolerate; some eurythermal species may encounter temperature ranges in excess of 25°C, whereas stenothermal species in polar and tropical waters live at essentially constant temperatures. Thermal specialization comes with fitness trade-offs and as temperature increases due to global warming, the physiological basis of specialization and thermal plasticity has become of great interest. Over the past 50 years, comparative physiologists have studied the physiological and molecular differences between stenothermal and eurythermal fishes. It is now well known that many stenothermal fishes have lost an inducible heat shock response (HSR). Recent advances in transcriptomics have now made it possible to examine genome-wide changes in gene expression (GE) in non-model ecologically important fish, broadening our view beyond the HSR to regulation of genes involved in hundreds of other cellular processes. Here, we review the major findings from transcriptomic studies of extreme eurythermal and stenothermal fishes in response to acute and long-term exposure to temperature, both time scales being critically important for predicting climate change responses. We consider possible molecular adaptations that underlie eurythermy and stenothermy in teleosts. Furthermore, we highlight the challenges that still face the field of comparative environmental genomics and suggest fruitful paths of future investigation.
Development of Electrodeposited Iridium as a Buffer Layer for YBCO Superconductors

Electrodeposition (ED) is a potentially low-cost, non-vacuum, high-rate deposition process that can easily deposit uniform film on large non-planar substrates. In this paper, we report on successful biaxial textured electrodeposition of Ir on Ni-W substrates. Ir metal is well known for its excellent oxidation and corrosion resistance among platinumgroup elements; also, the lattice mismatch of cubic Ir is very close to that of CeO 2 and Ni. The films were deposited in a vertical cell in which the electrodes (both working and counter) were suspended vertically from the top of the cell. The ED experiments were performed at 65°C without stirring the solution. The ED precursors were prepared at about -1.2 V from 2 to 15 minutes on Ni-W, where the Pt counter and Pt pseudo-reference electrodes were shorted together. To qualify the electrodeposited Ir buffer layer, a CeO 2 /YSZ/CeO 2 and YSZ/CeO 2 buffer structure was later deposited on ED Ir-coated Ni-W substrates by pulsed-laser deposition. The ED Ir/metal substrates were first heated at 800°C in 0.5 mTorr of forming gas, and then a CeO 2 seed layer was deposited in 180 mTorr of forming gas. Subsequently, YSZ and CeO 2 layers were deposited sequentially in 0.1 mTorr of oxygen.
Sociology for Our Times

The remarks I prepared for this occasion are not intended to be a scholarly dissertation that will break new ground, or roll back the frontiers of sociological knowledge. What I have in mind is a kind of informal homily, a conversation among ourselves as southern sociologists who are enthusiastic about our life's career, supportive of our professional organization, but most of all concerned about the people who are the subject and content of the sociological enterprise. For ourselves we worry about the shrinkage of the academic marketplace, about retrenchmenrt of research funds, about more employment opportunities in noncampus settings. But we worry also about a wealthy society in which people are unemployed and hungry and homeless, about a democratic society where there is still vast injustice and violence and discrimination. In all my communication with members, officers and subcommittees of sss,I tried to bring alive this year's theme: "Sociology for Our Times," and I came to the realization that subtle changes have occurred in our Society. We have gradually switched from a campus-centered association of sociologists to a federation of special interest groups. The program of this annual meeting lists special group sessions for the Radical Caucus, the Clinical Sociology Association, Sociology in Small Colleges, Association for Humanist Sociology, Sociologists for Women in Society, and Policy Research and Application. All the committees I appointed this year are representative of the subcategories: noncampus sociologists, women, minorities and members from small colleges. When I look back at the annual programs over the years I see that our concerns have evolved. In the early years we paid most attention to race and minorities: then the emphasis shifted to women's liberation, where it is still strong, and this year it is predominantly on noncampus sociologists who are in for-profit employment. The activities of special interest sociologists are recognized in the number of sessions listed on the program as being cosponsored by sws, by clinical sociologists, by radicals, by small college groups.
TEACHING CALCULUS BY CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION*

Among the many questions concerning instructional television that have been raised in the past two or three years are several that deal with the feasibility of televised mathematics instruction. Related to this, the progress of Washington University's program of televised mathematics instruction is familiar to many teachers of mathematics. Some may also know of the calculus course currently being offered in the Washington, D. C., area under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences. Both of these programs are of considerable interest, but neither has yet provided information to permit an empirical test of the effectiveness of such instructionl. We suggest that the following report is of interest for two main reasons. First, it supplies information gathered under conditions of adequate control * This article contains much of the information to be found in the following mimeographed
Reduced responsiveness to beta-adrenergic stimulation in renal hypertensive rats.

SummaryInduction of hypertension in rats by encapsulation of both kidneys with latex envelopes was accompanied by a reduced responsiveness to β-adrenergic stimulation. Responsiveness was assessed by measurement of tail skin temperature during 2 hr following s.c. administration of the β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol. At doses of 15, 25, 35 and 45 μg isoproterenol/kg of body weight, the responsiveness of tail skin temperature of rats with renal hypertension was significantly less than that of normotensive controls. The mechanism responsible for the reduced responsiveness in renal hypertensive rats remains speculative.
Development and Conduct of Studies

Many researchers and the public focus on the question and the result. This chapter in part focuses on what is in between. Protocols and manuals are the roadmaps for performance of a study. Several templates are available detailing protocol and manual development. This chapter expands on those themes and the previous chapters, providing details on ways to avoid common mistakes and problems that arise in clinical and observational studies. Careful definitions and time spent up front developing a question, study design, protocol and set of manuals can help a study focus on the question of interest. Many of the key factors in study development and conduct are discussed to help researchers anticipate problems; facilitate communication with potential collaborators, employees, and funding agencies; and at the end of the day assist in manuscript preparation and dissemination of results. These documents help study researchers but also should inform future investigators and clinicians.
αT-Catenin Is a Constitutive Actin-binding α-Catenin That Directly Couples the Cadherin·Catenin Complex to Actin Filaments

α-Catenin is the primary link between the cadherin·catenin complex and the actin cytoskeleton. Mammalian αE-catenin is allosterically regulated: the monomer binds the β-catenin·cadherin complex, whereas the homodimer does not bind β-catenin but interacts with F-actin. As part of the cadherin·catenin complex, αE-catenin requires force to bind F-actin strongly. It is not known whether these properties are conserved across the mammalian α-catenin family. Here we show that αT (testes)-catenin, a protein unique to amniotes that is expressed predominantly in the heart, is a constitutive actin-binding α-catenin. We demonstrate that αT-catenin is primarily a monomer in solution and that αT-catenin monomer binds F-actin in cosedimentation assays as strongly as αE-catenin homodimer. The β-catenin·αT-catenin heterocomplex also binds F-actin with high affinity unlike the β-catenin·αE-catenin complex, indicating that αT-catenin can directly link the cadherin·catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton. Finally, we show that a mutation in αT-catenin linked to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, V94D, promotes homodimerization, blocks β-catenin binding, and in cardiomyocytes disrupts localization at cell-cell contacts. Together, our data demonstrate that αT-catenin is a constitutively active actin-binding protein that can physically couple the cadherin·catenin complex to F-actin in the absence of tension. We speculate that these properties are optimized to meet the demands of cardiomyocyte adhesion.
Psychiatric diagnosis in family practice: Is the general health questionnaire an effective screening instrument?

The General Health Questionnaire has been considered an effective screening instrument in a family practice population. To evaluate its efficiency in identifying psychologic distress, 1,000 consecutive attenders at the Family Practice Clinic were given the 30 item GHQ. Of the patients from the sample, 35% were identified by the GHQ as having psychologic distress. In contradistinction, 14.8% of the group were given clinical psychiatric diagnoses by the physician. The presence of a positive GHQ score did not correlate with frequency of follow-up visits or other behavioral parameters. The presence of a psychiatric diagnosis, however, was significantly associated with frequency of follow-up visits. These findings do not invalidate the General Health Questionnaire but may reflect low case identification. The health behavior of patients with psychologic distress may be, in part, a function of the labeling process as well as the emotional illness itself.
Cerebral revascularization for moyamoya disease in adults.

Moyamoya disease is a rare entity that results in progressive occlusion of the arteries of the circle of Willis. In adults, this most commonly leads to intraventricular hemorrhage and less frequently to symptoms of ischemia. Without treatment, there is progressive deterioration of neurologic function and rehemorrhage. Direct superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass is considered the treatment of choice, although it’s efficacy, particularly for hemorrhagic disease, remains uncertain.
Protein Detection in Gels by Silver Staining: A Procedure Compatible with Mass Spectrometry

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a procedure that facilitates protein detection in gels by silver staining. Silver staining is one of the procedures, in addition to Coomassie blue, R and G types, and fluorescent dyes. The basic mechanisms underlying silver staining of proteins in gels are relatively well understood. Basically, protein detection depends on the binding of silver ions to the amino acid side chains, primary the sulfhydril and carboxiyl groups of proteins. The protein bands are visualized as spots where the reduction occurs and, as a result, the image of protein distribution within the gel is based on the difference in oxidation reduction potential between the gel area occupied by the proteins and the free adjacent sites. The silver amine or alkaline methods usually have lower background and, as a result, are most sensitive but require extended procedures. Acidic protocols, however, are faster but slightly less sensitive. The gel fixation and washing procedure can be carried in a staining try, but make sure that these are only used for silver staining. The size of the container has to be big enough to perform free movement of the gel during the shaking.
Custom Indentation System for Mechanical Characterization of Soft Matter

Soft, hydrated samples of biomaterials and live tissues are hard to characterize with standard equipment designed for engineering materials. To accommodate millimeter-scale samples with sub-kPa moduli, we designed a cantilever-based indentation system using piezoelectric actuators and capacitive sensors compatible with a variety of probe tips and sample holders. Embryonic mouse hearts, rat gastrointestinal tissues, human pancreas, and rat brain tissue have all been successfully characterized using this system.
Acute pulmonary thromboembolism: Epidemiology, predictors, and long-term outcome - A single center experience.

Abstract Introduction Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a life-threatening disease. Mortality in PTE still remains very high in spite of progress in diagnostic tools. Mortality rate is about 30% in patients with unrecognized acute PTE. Methods It is a single center observational study of 31 consecutive patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology at MS Ramaiah Memorial hospital between January 1, 2010 and June 2015. All the patients confirmed with diagnosis of acute PTE by CT scan (either HRCT or CTPA) were included in the study. Following relevant investigations chosen patients were risk stratified as per standard guidelines into massive, sub massive or low risk and treated accordingly. The included patients were followed up for a period of 1 year with 2D-echocardiogram and other relevant investigations for comparison to assess improvement. Mortality due to either acute PTE or other causes was noted in the study. Results Of the 31 patients enrolled in our study, 71% ( n = 22) of the patients belonged to the age range 20–50 years with those in the age group 31–40 years comprising 39% ( n = 12) of the total. Elderly people over 65 years of age comprised only 19% ( n = 6) of the total number of patients. Dyslipidemia, prolonged immobilization, deep vein thrombosis, post-operative state, malignancy and post-partum period were the commonly reported risk factors. We thrombolysed a total of 18 (58%) patients with massive and submassive PTE, of which 12 (39%) received tenecteplase and 6 patients received streptokinase (19%). Three (9%) patients required repeat thrombolysis with streptokinase due to failed thrombolytic therapy with tenecteplase. Conclusions Our study reported higher incidence of acute PTE in the middle age group population. Prevalence of dyslipidemia was high in this cohort of patients studied although the exact association of it in APE could not be determined. Thrombolytic therapy can be considered for patients with both massive and submassive pulmonary thromboembolism. Repeat thrombolysis can be considered in case one thrombolytic agent failed to give the desirable results.
Deuterium desorption from tungsten using laser heating

Abstract Retention and desorption of hydrogenic species need to be accurately modeled to predict the tritium inventory of next generation fusion devices, which is needed both for tritium fuel recovery and for tritium safety concerns. In this paper, experiments on thermal desorption of deuterium from intrinsic polycrystalline tungsten defects using laser heating are compared to TMAP-7 modeling. The samples during deuterium plasma exposure were at a temperature of 373 K for this benchmark study with ion fluence of 0.7–1.0 × 10 24 Dm −2 . Following plasma exposure, a fiber laser (λ = 1100 nm) heated the samples to peak surface temperatures ranging from ∼500 to 1400 K with pulse widths from 10 ms to 1 s, and 1 to 10 pulses applied to each sample. The remaining deuterium retention was measured using temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Results show that > 95% of deuterium is desorbed when the peak surface temperature reached ∼950 K for > 1 s. TMAP-7 is used to predict deuterium desorption from tungsten for a range of surface temperatures and heating durations, and is compared to previous work on desorption from beryllium codeposits.
Ferromagnetic coupling in a chloride-bridged erbium single-molecule magnet

We present the first ferromagnetically-coupled Er3+ complex with linked, high-anisotropy Er–COT (COT2− = cyclooctatetraene dianion) subunits. The dinuclear complex, [Er(μ2-Cl)(COT)(THF)]2, demonstrates single-molecule magnetism with a single, zero-field magnetization relaxation barrier of Ueff = 113 cm−1. This system offers evidence that anisotropy can be preserved in the presence of ferromagnetic linking of the Er–COT subunits, providing a rational means to build strong molecular magnets of tunable dimensionality.
Marginal Returns and Levels of Research Grant Support among Scientists Supported by the National Institutes of Health

The current era of worsening hypercompetition in biomedical research has drawn attention to the possibility of decreasing marginal returns from research funding. Recent work has described decreasing marginal returns as a function of annual dollars granted to individual scientists. However, different fields of research incur varying cost structures. Therefore, we developed a Grant Support Index (GSI) that focuses on grant activity code, as opposed to field of study or cost. In a cohort of over 71,000 scientists funded by NIH between 1996 and 2014, we analyzed the associations between grant support and 3 bibliometric outcomes based on the Relative Citation Ratio (RCR), namely maximum RCR, median RCR, and annual weighted RCR. We found that for all 3 measures marginal returns decline as annual GSI increases. Thus, we confirm prior findings of decreasing marginal returns with higher levels of research funding support.
Urban IoT Edge Analytics

The Urban Internet of Things (IoT) supports city-scale data collection and processing. It’s practical deployment poses several technical and technological challenges to overcome. In this chapter, we illustrate the main aspects of Urban IoT solutions based on Edge computing architectures. The potential to boost efficiency granted by such architectures, which bridge the gap between local and global information and processing resources, is discussed. Within this context, the key aspects introduced in this chapter are: (1) Context and computation-aware data selection and compression to minimize network load and energy expense; (2) Content-aware wireless networking protocols, where the network layer, informed by the edge processor(s), is adapted to the content and processing needs of the supported applications and algorithms, and (3) Improved data search and information availability via layered data transportation and processing architectures.
Experimental determination of adult and pediatric neck scale factors

The purpose of this study was to determine scale factors for small, mid-size and large adults using a caprine model. In a previous study conducted in our lab, scaling relationships were developed to define cervical spine tolerance values of children using caprine specimens. In that study, tolerances were normalized with respect to an average adult. Because airbag-related injuries are associated with out-of-position children and small adult females, additional experimental data are needed to better estimate human tolerance. In the present study, cervical spine radiographs from the 5th, 50th and 95th percentile human adults were used to determine vertebral body heights for small, mid-size and large anthropometries. Mean human vertebral body heights were computed for each anthropometry and were normalized with respect to mid-size anthropometry. Similar measurements were calculated from caprine cervical spine radiographs and each caprine specimen was grouped into one of the three categories based upon vertebral body size. Seventy-two motion segments (OC-C2, C3-C4, C5-C6 and C7-T1) from 18 adult caprine cadavers were subjected to pure moment and distraction loads. Pure moment testing resulted in bending stiffness, and distraction testing resulted in failure force and linear stiffness. Data were normalized with respect to the mid-size anthropometric category. For the small, mid-size and large adult categories, tensile failure force yielded scaling ratios of 0.74, 1.00 and 1.13, linear stiffness yielded ratios of 0.78, 1.00 and 1.10 and bending stiffness resulted in ratios of 0.89, 1.00 and 1.03. For the one-year-old, three-year-old, six-year-old and 12-year-old, scaling ratios were 0.10, 0.16, 0.30 and 0.62 for the tension force, 0.13, 0.18, 0.38 and 0.66 for the linear stiffness and 0.13, 0.19, 0.42 and 0.76 for the bending stiffness. These scale factors are compared with FMVSS 208. Language: en
Achieving a Patient-Centered, Value-Based System of Diabetes Care in the United States: Report on a National Stakeholder Summit

Abstract Chronic instability in the health care environment has raised concerns among providers and patients, especially those who treat and cope with chronic conditions. Changes to existing health care laws are unlikely to alter what have become the primary goals of the US health care system: cost-effectiveness and patient-centricity. To that end, it is vital that patient and physician voices be incorporated in policy decisions and, importantly, that access to care and patient-reported outcomes are considered when calculating “value.” Following a discussion of perceived pressures on patient access to information and appropriate treatment for diabetes, a panel of engaged stakeholders in the diabetes community outlined and committed to a collaborative effort aimed at effecting necessary policy changes and ensuring that a patient-centered, value-based system of diabetes care is achieved. The overarching themes that emerged included: (1) patients and physicians must have a stronger voice and a place at the t...
8 – Basic Techniques

Toxicologic pathology concerns the effect of potentially noxious products on the body. Toxicologic pathology differs in approach and methodology from diagnostic pathology. Many short-term studies are conducted to elucidate the mechanism of action of the test compound, to give some idea of its toxicity and to identify possible target organs. These studies incorporate standard histopathologic and clinical pathologic techniques. Sometimes specialized techniques, including electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, autoradiography, and quantitative morphometry, are warranted. The first goal of toxicologic pathology is to establish the precise degree of risk posed to the test animals under the controlled exposure conditions. The process is similar to diagnostic pathology in lesion evaluation but differs in the manner in which data are compiled. Most of the factors that influence evaluation of morphologic change (e.g., poor fixation of tissue) have the undesirable effect of increasing the variability within groups and subsequently the range of data that the pathologist is forced to accept, which decreases the sensitivity of the methods used. The chapter describes factors influencing the evaluation of altered morphology.
Change-aware build prediction model for stall avoidance in continuous integration

Continuous Integration(CI) is a widely used development practice where developers integrate their work after submitting code changes at central repository. CI servers usually monitor central repository for code change submission and automatically build software with changed code, perform unit testing, integration testing and provide test summary report. If build or test fails developers fix those issues and submit the code changes. Continuous submission of code modification by developers and build latency time creates stalls at CI server build pipeline and hence developers have to wait long time to get build outcome. In this paper, we proposed build prediction model that uses TravisTorrent data set with build error log clustering and AST level code change modification data to predict whether a build will be successful or not without attempting actual build so that developer can get early build outcome result. With the proposed model we can predict build outcome with an average F-Measure over 87% on all three build systems (Ant, Maven, Gradle) under the cross-project prediction scenario.
Aberrant STAT phosphorylation signaling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by increased activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), linked to perturbations in the phosphorylation of signaling proteins. We developed a phosphoflow cytometry protocol to assess the levels of 11 phosphorylated nuclear proteins at baseline conditions and after cell activation in distinct PBMC populations from 41 treatment-naive relapsing-remitting (RR) MS subjects and 37 healthy controls, and in a second cohort of 9 untreated RRMS patients and 10 secondary progressive (SP) MS patients. Levels of HLA-ABC, HLA-E, and HLA-DR were also assessed. Phosphorylation levels of selected proteins were also assessed in mouse splenocytes isolated from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35–55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Modest differences were observed at baseline between patients and controls, with general lower phosphorylation levels in cells from affected individuals. Conversely, a dramatic increase in phosphorylated p38MAPK and STAT proteins was observed across all cell types in MS patients compared to controls after in vitro activation. A similar phosphorylation profile was observed in mouse lymphocytes primed in vivo with MOG. Furthermore, levels of all p-STAT proteins were found directly correlated with HLA expression in monocytes. Levels of phosphorylated proteins did not differ between relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS patients either in baseline conditions or after stimulation. Lastly, phosphorylation levels appear to be independent of the genotype. The response to IFN-α through STAT proteins signaling is strongly dysregulated in MS patients irrespective of disease stage. These findings suggest that the aberrant activation of this pathway could lead to changes in the expression of HLA molecules in antigen presenting cells, which are known to play important roles in the regulation of the immune response in health and disease.
Bayesian-Enhanced Low-Fidelity Correction Approach to Multifidelity Aerospace Design

This work discusses a novel approach, Bayesian-inspired multifidelity optimization, for solving complex optimization requiring computationally expensive simulations. Bayesian-inspired multifidelity...
Federal Supremacy and State Jurisdictional Duties

Federal Courts scholarship often focuses on access to federal courts for the decision of federal claims. At the same time, many Federal Courts scholars insist that state courts must hear affirmative federal causes of action, even when the lower federal courts are open to the same claims—the very federal courts regarded by such scholars as superior to state courts. This article takes issue with suggestions that the state courts have broad duties to entertain affirmative federal claims, whether statutory or constitutional. There is little early support for requiring state courts to entertain affirmative federal statutory and constitutional claims, and considerable evidence against it. In the twentieth century, however, the Court began to compel state courts to take jurisdiction of certain federal statutory actions in a line of cases associated with Testa v. Katt. Such compulsion, however, was not justified by the Supremacy Clause or related arguments. The Court also occasionally required state courts to provide certain constitutionally necessary affirmative remedies, in a different line of cases associated with General Oil v. Crain. The constitutionally compelled remedies strand was based on a requirement that the states supply adequate remedies for certain federal constitutional violations, rather than a Supremacy-based command that the states provide the same causes of action that the federal courts provide, as under Testa. The effect of more recent Supreme Court decisions such as Haywood v. Drown and scholarly proposals following the Court’s 2016 decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana threaten to submerge the Crain line of cases into the Testa line, possibly requiring greater state court conformity with federal courts as to causes of action for raising constitutional claims. Such uniformity, however, threatens to diminish the role of the states in fashioning different solutions to problems of governmental illegality. State variation may be all the more important in light of frequently-voiced dissatisfaction with the Court’s federal habeas corpus doctrine and constitutional tort doctrine under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. State court duties thus will not necessarily enhance the enforcement of federal constitutional law, and might actually undermine it.
NOD and NOR mice exhibit comparable development of lacrimal gland secretory dysfunction but NOD mice have more severe autoimmune dacryoadenitis.

The male Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mouse is an established model of autoimmune dacryoadenitis characteristic of Sjogren's Syndrome (SS), but development of diabetes may complicate studies. The Non-Obese Diabetes Resistant (NOR) mouse is a MHC-II matched diabetes-resistant alternative, but development of autoimmune dacryoadenitis is not well-characterized. We compare features of SS in male NOD and NOR mice at 12 and 20 weeks. Stimulated tear secretion was decreased in 12 week NOD relative to BALB/c mice (p < 0.05), while by 20 weeks both NOD and NOR showed decreased stimulated tear secretion relative to BALB/c mice (p < 0.001). Tear CTSS activity was elevated in NOD and NOR relative to BALB/c mice (p < 0.05) at 12 and 20 weeks. While NOD and NOR lacrimal glands (LG) showed increased LG lymphocytic infiltration at 12 and 20 weeks relative to BALB/c mouse LG (p < 0.05), the percentage in NOD was higher relative to NOR at each age (p < 0.05). Gene expression of CTSS, MHC II and IFN-γ in LG were significantly increased in NOD but not NOR relative to BALB/c at 12 and 20 weeks. Redistribution of the secretory effector, Rab3D in acinar cells was observed at both time points in NOD and NOR, but thinning of myoepithelial cells at 12 weeks in NOD and NOR mice was restored by 20 weeks in NOR mice. NOD and NOR mice share features of SS-like autoimmune dacryoadenitis, suggesting common disease etiology. Other findings suggest more pronounced lymphocytic infiltration in NOD mouse LG including increased pro-inflammatory factors that may be unique to this model.
Continuous Detection of Abnormal Heartbeats from ECG Using Online Outlier Detection

Detecting abnormal heartbeats from an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is an important problem studied extensively and yet is a difficult problem that defies a viable working solution, especially on a mobile platform which requires computationally efficient and yet accurate detection mechanism. In this project, a prototype system has been built to test the feasibility and efficacy of detecting abnormal ECG segments from an ECG data stream targeting a mobile device, where data are arriving continuously and indefinitely and are processed online incrementally and efficiently without being stored in memory. The processing comprises three steps: (i) segmentation using R peak detection, (ii) feature extraction using discrete wavelet transform, and (iii) outlier detection using incremental online microclustering. Experiments conducted using real ambulatory ECG datasets showed satisfactory accuracy. In addition, comparing personalized detection (tuned separately for each patient’s ECG datasets) and non-personalized detection (tuned aggregated over all patients’ datasets) confirms a definite advantage of personalized detection for ECG.
Cross-Shore Transport

Chapters 13 and 14 describe two relatively straightforward techniques for measuring longshore transport, one involving short-term tracer experiments and the second longer-term trap experiments. Unfortunately, cross-shore transport is not readily amenable to either of these techniques. Cross-shore transport is driven by oscillatory velocities, near the bottom, which are nearly perpendicular to the shoreline. Net cross-shore transport results from a local or general assymmetry in these oscillations. In many cases, this bias is very small compared to the magnitude of the oscillatory component.
Rising Complexity, Diminishing Returns, Shrinking Slack: Revisiting the Evidence

This paper extends its author's earlier use of Joseph Tainter's theory that a tendency toward diminishing returns on investments in complexity is the source of the collapse of complex societies to analyze the current trend of international economic life, and its implications for international security. Specifically it contends that the post-World War II international economic order, particularly from the 1970s on, has grown increasingly complex (as the level of integration, information flows and the structure of economic activities indicate), while offering diminishing returns on that complexity, and with it, shrinking slack making for a system that is both more stressed and more fragile (evident in slowing growth and increasing indebtedness). The paper also identifies some of the possible causes for this trend (like technological stagnation and natural resource depletion). It also considers recent events, like the 2008 economic crisis, the upsurge in economic nationalism, and increasing great power conflict in light of this finding. Finally it turns to the prospects for ameliorating the trend, specifically focusing on the economic possibilities of potentially revolutionary new technologies (particularly artificial intelligence and renewable energy).
Full-Thickness Blepharotomy

The use of a full-thickness graded blepharotomy technique through the levator aponeurosis, Muller’s muscle, and conjunctiva provides both an effective and predictable surgical treatment to help patients with mild to severe eyelid retraction. Patients who suffer from upper eyelid retraction from thyroid eye disease, cicatricial trauma, graft-versus-host disease, and paralytic facial nerve palsy may all benefit from symptomatic relief of lagophthalmos and dry eyes, as well as cosmetic improvement of eyelid malposition. Many surgeons have modified this procedure using partial-thickness techniques, rotation sutures, and en bloc resections. These variations of eyelid blepharotomy can also be applied in mild blepharoptosis. Nonsurgical options such as symptomatic relief with lubrication, botulinum toxin injections to decrease retraction, and soft tissue fillers can often provide temporary relief. In conclusion, full-thickness and partial-thickness blepharotomy techniques can be reliable procedures to correct eyelid height and contour abnormalities such as retraction and ptosis.
Automated planning of whole breast irradiation using hybrid IMRT improves efficiency and quality

PURPOSE To develop an automated workflow for whole breast irradiation treatment planning using hybrid intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) approach and to demonstrate that this workflow can improve planning quality and efficiency when compared to manual planning. METHODS The auto planning framework was built based on scripting with MIM and Pinnacle systems. MIM workflows were developed to automatically segment normal structures and targets, identify landmarks for beam placement, select beam energies, and set beam configurations. Pinnacle scripts were generated from the MIM workflow to create hybrid IMRT plans automatically. Each hybrid IMRT plan included two prescriptions: a three-dimensional (3D) prescription consisted of two open tangent beams, and an IMRT prescription consisted of two step-and-shoot IMRT beams. The 3D prescription delivered a full prescription dose to the maximum dose point, and the IMRT prescription was optimized to deliver a uniform dose to the entire breast while sparing dose to the normal structures. For 30 patients, the auto plans were compared with clinically accepted manual plans using the paired sample t-test. RESULTS The auto planning process took approximately 8 min to complete. The mean dice coefficients between auto-segmentation and manual contours were 0.98, 0.94 and 0.88 for the lungs, heart, and PTVeval_Breast, respectively. The MUs of the auto plans was on average 13% higher than that of the manual plans. Auto planning improved plan quality significantly: percentage volume receiving 95% of the prescription dose (V95%) of the PTVeval_Breast increased from 91.5% to 93.2% (P = 0.001), V105% of the PTVeval_Breast decreased from 7.2% to 1.2% (P = 0.013), V20Gy of the ipsilateral lung decreased from 13.1% to 10.4% (P = 0.001) and mean heart dose for left-sided breast patients decreased from 1.2 Gy to 0.9 Gy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION An automated treatment planning process can make the planning process efficient with improved plan quality.