cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Functional Recovery After Critical Illness

Conducting clinical research among critically ill patients is a tough business. Few disciplines have experienced such difficulty aligning positive physiologic studies with survival and the other outcomes that matter most to families: functional independence and quality of life. This trend continues with the publication in this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine of the article by Walsh and colleagues1 of the RECOVER study. In this well-conducted randomized clinical trial (RCT) involving 2 Scottish hospitals, a multicomponent post–intensive care unit (ICU) discharge rehabilitation intervention conveyed no advantage compared with usual care in mobility, quality of life, psychological distress, or symptoms measured at the 3and 12-month follow-ups. This study finds its place among 3 prior RCTs of rehabilitation interventions beginning at discharge from the ICU or the hospital that similarly failed to improve key outcomes.2-4
Temperature Prediction Modeling and Thermal Integrity Profiling of Drilled Shafts

Thermal integrity profiling (TIP) is an increasingly popular form of post-construction quality assurance for drilled shafts. Therein anomalies in a shaft are indicated by variations in its thermal profile. As with any test method, the quality of the results depends largely on the level of analysis and the way in which test data is interpreted. With thermal integrity profiling, data interpretation techniques can fall into two schools of thought: (1) use of construction logs and concrete yield plots as a means to calibrate thermal data to shaft dimensions or (2) use of temperature prediction software to compare measured to model predicted thermal profiles. In theory, a signal matching approach using modeled shafts could reveal the shaft geometry that would produce the measured thermal profiles. However, the accuracy of models is largely dependent on input parameters such as shaft dimensions, boundary conditions, and concrete hydration behavior. Although the margins of error associated with these parameters can easily accumulate, useful trends and relationships about the temperature distributions within drilled shafts and surrounding environments can be identified. This paper examines computer generated trends and demonstrates ways in which they can be merged with existing TIP analysis techniques to produce a heightened level of data interpretation.
Regulation of gene expression by the ubiquitin-proteasome system

Transcription is the foremost regulatory point during the process of producing a functional protein. Not only specific genes need to be turned on and off according to growth and environmental conditions, the amounts and quality of transcripts produced are fine-tuned to offer optimal responses. As a result, numerous regulatory mechanisms converge to provide temporal and spatial specificity for this process. In the past decade, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is best known as a pathway for intracellular proteolysis, has emerged as another pivotal player in the control of gene expression. There is increasing evidence that the UPS has both proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions in multiple aspects of the transcription process, including initiation, elongation, mRNA processing as well as chromatin dynamics. In this review, we introduce the many interfaces between the UPS and transcription with focuses on the mechanistic understanding of UPS function in each process.
Transfusion of Apoptotic β-Cells Induces Immune Tolerance to β-Cell Antigens and Prevents Type 1 Diabetes in NOD Mice

In vivo induction of β-cell apoptosis has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing type 1 diabetes in NOD mice. Based on the notion that steady-state cell apoptosis is associated with self-tolerance and the need for developing a more practical approach using apoptotic β-cells to prevent type 1 diabetes, the current study was designed to investigate apoptotic β-cells induced ex vivo in preventing type 1 diabetes. The NIT-1 cell line serves as a source of β-cells. Apoptotic NIT-1 cells were prepared by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation. Three weekly transfusions of UVB-irradiated NIT-1 cells (1 × 105/mouse) or PBS were used to determine whether transfusions of UVB-irradiated NIT-1 cells induce immune tolerance to β-cell antigens in vivo and prevent type 1 diabetes. The suppression of anti–β-cell antibodies, polarization of T-helper (Th) cells, and induction of regulatory T-cells by UVB-irradiated NIT-1 cell treatment were investigated. The transfusions of apoptotic NIT-1 cells suppress anti–β-cell antibody development and induce Th2 responses and interleukin-10–producing regulatory type 1 cells. Importantly, this treatment significantly delays and prevents the onset of diabetes when 10-week-old NOD mice are treated. Adoptive transfer of splenocytes from UVB-irradiated NIT-1 cell–treated mice prevents diabetes caused by simultaneously injected diabetogenic splenocytes in NOD-Rag−/− mice. Moreover, the proliferation of adoptively transferred carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester–labeled β-cell antigen–specific T-cell receptor–transgenic T-cells in UVB-irradiated NIT-1–cell treated mice is markedly suppressed. The transfusion of apoptotic β-cells effectively protects against type 1 diabetes in NOD mice by inducing immune tolerance to β-cell antigens. This approach has great potential for immune intervention for human type 1 diabetes.
Immunopathology of Herpesvirus Infections

In the absence of normal immune responsiveness, herpesvirus infections may be both more severe and more frequent (Shore and Nahmias, 1982). From numerous clinical observations in humans with primary or secondary immune deficiencies or from immunological manipulations of experimental infections in animal models, it has become evident that many aspects of immunity, both natural and adaptive, serve to protect the host at varous stages of the virus-host interaction (Rouse, 1984). The principal emphasis of studies on herpesvirus immunobiology has been to stress the protective aspects of various defense mechanisms. The logic behind many investigations was to set the stage for the design and rational use of antiherpetic vaccines. Nevertheless, with some exceptions in the veterinary field (Plowright, 1980), vaccines suitable for use against herpesvirus infections have not been widely acclaimed.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators improve survival after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with severely impaired left ventricular function

Patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction have a poor long term survival despite complete surgical revascularization. Recent data suggests that the use of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) improves survival in patients with severe LV dysfunction. We compared the survival impact of ICD implantation in patients with severe LV dysfunction who underwent CABG. Between January 1996 and August 2004, 305 patients with LV ejection fraction (EF) ≤25% had CABG surgery at our institution. Demographics of patients who had received an ICD (ICD+) in the post -operative period was compared to those without ICD (ICD-). Survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Of the entire group, 35 (11.5%) patients received an ICD with a median of 2 (+/-2) years after CABG. Indication for ICD implantation was clinical evidence of non sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). There were no differences between the 2 groups with respect to age, gender, NYHA classification, number of bypasses, or other co-morbidities. Survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 88%, 79%, and 67% for the ICD- group compared to 94%, 89% and 83% for the ICD+ group, respectively (figure, p < 0.05). Implantation of ICD after CABG confers improved short and long term survival benefit to patients with severe LV dysfunction. Prophylactic ICD implantation in the setting of severe LV dysfunction and CABG surgery should be considered.
Information-driven resource negotiation strategies for multimedia applications

We propose decentralized solutions for resource negotiation, where multiple autonomous users self-organize into a coalition which shares the same network resources and negotiate the division of these resources by exchanging information about their requirements. We discuss various network resource sharing strategies that the users can deploy based on their exchanged information. Several of these strategies are designed to explicitly consider the utility (i.e., video quality) impact of multimedia applications. To quantify the utility benefit derived by exchanging different information, we define a new metric referred to as the value of information. Simulation results show the improvements that can be achieved when various information is exchanged between users, and discuss the required complexity involved in implementing the various resource negotiation strategies.
What factors are important to parents making decisions about neonatal research

Background: Although parents of neonates with congenital heart disease are often asked permission for their neonates to participate in research studies, little is known about the factors parents consider when making these decisions. Objective: To determine the reasons for parents' decisions about participation in research studies. Methods: Qualitative analysis of the unsolicited comments of 34 parents regarding reasons for agreeing or declining to participate in research studies. Parents' comments were offered spontaneously during interviews about clinical care decisions for neonates with congenital heart disease. Results: Parents cited five types of reason for or against permitting their newborn to participate in research studies: societal benefit (n = 18), individual benefit for their infant (n = 16), risk of study participation (n = 10), perception that participation posed no harm (n = 9), and anti-experimentation views (n = 4). Conclusion: Addressing parental decision making in the light of these reasons could enhance the parental permission process for parents of critically ill neonates.
Bone marrow transplantation with high-dose cytosine arabinoside

Eleven patients received allogeneic bone marrow from all HCA-identical sibling for the treatment of acute leukemia. The preparative regiment included high-dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), 3 g/m2q 12 h for 12 doses, and 1000 rad single-fraction total body irradiation (5 patients) or 1200 rad fractionated total body irradiation (6 patients). The 5 patients receiving the 1000 rad single-fraction regimen were transplanted in relapse, while the 6 patients receiving the 1200 rad fractionated program were transplanted during remission. Both regimens were well-tolerated, but the single-dose radiation regimen was associated with more severe skin problems. Bone marrow engraftment was documented in 10 of 10 evaluable patients, occurring 2-3 weeks after marrow infusion. No recurrences have been observed during the brief follow-up time.
A slew rate enhancement technique for operational amplifiers based on a tunable active Gm-based capacitance multiplication circuit

A slew rate enhancement technique for operational amplifiers using a tunable active Gm-based current-mode capacitance multiplication circuit instead of the standard Miller compensation capacitor is developed. Low power and low area solutions for driving large capacitive loads are enabled by this technique. In a prototype amplifier, a 0.5 pF MOSFET is multiplied to an effective value of 285 pF, setting the dominant pole at 3 Hz. The slew rate, however, is controlled by the physical MOSFET capacitor. A slew rate as high as 1.5 V/ms is obtained for a standard two stage folded cascode opamp with a 2.5 mA differential pair tail current. An open loop gain of 101 dB and a phase margin of 56° are observed.
Future Prospects for Studying Ethnic and Racial Minority Youths and Families in Diverse Rural and Nonrural Contexts

This chapter evaluates the scholarship on rural minority youth exemplified in this volume and identifies ways to move the field forward. We argue that to advance the next generation of meaningful scholarship on rural minority youths and families, scholars will need to integrate sophisticated theorizing about ethno-cultural diversity with increasingly sophisticated theorizing about contextual diversity. To facilitate such an integration, we first analyze the volume within a bioecological theoretical perspective, concluding that the theory offers a framework that could be used to facilitate higher levels of synthesis and meaning-making from diverse scholarship on rural minority youths and families. Second, we provide an overview of culturally informed theorizing, which can support sophisticated research designs and hypothesis testing that reflects within- and between-group ethno-cultural diversity. Finally, we present a new conceptual tool, contextually informed theorizing, which we believe can contribute to a more sophisticated view of contexts generally and rural contexts specifically.
Effects of adrenalectomy and aldosterone on proximal and distal tubular sodium reabsorption.

SummaryThe technic of stop-flow analysis has been used to localize the site of renal sodium reabsorption which is affected by adrenalectomy and aldosterone. Following adrenalectomy, the distal tubule was not able to reduce sodium concentration to the low value achieved during stop-flow in normal dogs. Following aldosterone administration this distal reabsorptive capacity was restored. No conclusion could as yet be made regarding the effects of aldosterone on the proximal tubule.
A Compositional Approach to Language Modeling.

Traditional language models treat language as a finite state automaton on a probability space over words. This is a very strong assumption when modeling something inherently complex such as language. In this paper, we challenge this by showing how the linear chain assumption inherent in previous work can be translated into a sequential composition tree. We then propose a new model that marginalizes over all possible composition trees thereby removing any underlying structural assumptions. As the partition function of this new model is intractable, we use a recently proposed sentence level evaluation metric Contrastive Entropy to evaluate our model. Given this new evaluation metric, we report more than 100% improvement across distortion levels over current state of the art recurrent neural network based language models.
Maintaining the neuronal phenotype after injury in the adult CNS. Neurotrophic factors, axonal growth substrates, and gene therapy.

Multiple genetic and epigenetic events determine neuronal phenotype during nervous system development. After the mature mammalian neuronal phenotype has been determined it is usually static for the remainder of life, unless an injury or degenerative event occurs. Injured neurons may suffer one of three potential fates: death, persistent atrophy, or recovery. The ability of an injured adult neuron to recover from injury in adulthood may be determined by events that also influence neuronal phenotype during development, including expression of growth-related genes and responsiveness to survival and growth signals in the environment. The latter signals include neurotrophic factors and substrate molecules that promote neurite growth. Several adult CNS regions exhibit neurotrophic-factor responsiveness, including the basal forebrain, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord. The specificity of neurotrophic-factor responsiveness in these regions parallels patterns observed during development. In addition, neurons of several CNS regions extend neurites after injury when presented with growth-promoting substrates. Whenboth neurotrophic factors and growth-promoting substrates are provided to adult rats that have undergone bilateral fimbria-fornix lesions, then partial morphological and behavioral recovery can be induced. Gene therapy is one useful tool for providing these substances. Thus, the mature CNS remains robustly responsive to signals that shape nervous system development, and is highly plastic when stimulated by appropriate cues.
Abstract 4173:In vivo and in vitro propagation of Intraductal Papillay Mucinous Neoplasms

Background Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMNs) are one of the 3 known curable precursor lesions (IPMN, MCN (Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm), and PanIN (Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasm)) of invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, an almost uniformly fatal disease. Methods To advance the study of the biological features of IPMNs, we attempted in vivo and in vitro growth of selected IPMNs, based on the hypothesis that IPMNs could be grown in the most severely immunodeficient mice. We examined fourteen cases by implanting them into nude, severe combined immunodeficient (SCID), and NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ null (NOG) mice, in addition to direct culture, to generate tumor xenografts and cell lines. Results Thirteen tumors were implanted into the 3 types of mice, including 10 tumors implanted into the triple immunodeficient NOG mice, where the majority (8 of 10) grew including 5 IPMNs lacking invasive components. One of the explanted IPMNs, with an associated invasive carcinoma, was successfully established as a cell line. Growth in soft agar, growth in mice and homozygous deletion of P16/cdkn2a confirmed its tumorigenicity. The expression of cytokeratin confirmed the epithelial differentiation of the cell line, and DNA fingerprinting confirmed its human origin. Future directions Isolating cell lines from IPMNs and their invasion counterparts should be valuable to identify gene mutations critical to IPMN carcinogenesis, and permit drug screening to identify compounds that cause regression of those lesions. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4173.
Evaluation of diel variation of sweepnet effectiveness in lentils for sampling Lygus hesperus (Heteroptera: Miridae)

Relative effects of the abiotic environment and time of sampling on population estimates of Lygus hesperus Knight in lentils were determined during 2 years. Sweepnet samples were taken randomly at two locations in two fields every hour for 72 consecutive hours. Light, temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity were the abiotic factors studied. Number of L. hesperus adults collected by sweepnet in lentils and the abiotic factors monitored in 1983 or early season 1984 were not correlated. There is no predictable optimum time within a 24-h cycle for sweepnet sampling of adults early in the season. Optimum sampling time for lygus bug nymphs late in the season was late afternoon. Lygus bug nymphs collected by sweepnet were correlated with relative humidity, temperature, and light in both years.
Simulation of compressible gas flow in a micronozzle - Effect of walls on shock structure

High-speed, compressible flow of Argon through a converging-diverging micronozzle is examined using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method in this paper. The upstream and downstream conditions are chosen so as to yield Knudsen numbers (either based on the constant transverse dimension of the throat or on the local transverse dimension of the micronozzle) in the transition regime. The structure of a shock wave in the transition regime in a micronozzle is examined for a total pressure P0~l Torr, total temperature T0=298 K, and exit pressure Pexit=0.2 Torr, for the two limiting cases of diffuse walls (no-slip) and specular walls (maximum slip). DSMC results indicate that for these conditions, there is a discernible shock in the diverging portion of the micronozzle in the case of specular walls, reminiscent of shocks in continuum internal flows, while a spread-out shock occupies much of the diverging portion in the case of diffuse walls. The fact that wall-interactions can influence the flow-field and shock structure in such a dramatic fashion presents an opportunity to tailor the performance of micronozzles either through the use of novel coatings or by choice of micronozzle material, for a given gas.
Role of solvation dynamics and local ordering of water in inducing conformational transitions in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) oligomers through the LCST.

Conformational transitions in thermo-sensitive polymers are critical in determining their functional properties. The atomistic origin of polymer collapse at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) remains a fundamental and challenging problem in polymer science. Here, molecular dynamics simulations are used to establish the role of solvation dynamics and local ordering of water in inducing conformational transitions in isotactic-rich poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) oligomers when the temperature is changed through the LCST. Simulated atomic trajectories are used to identify stable conformations of the water-molecule network in the vicinity of polymer segments, as a function of the polymer chain length. The dynamics of the conformational evolution of the polymer chain within its surrounding water molecules is evaluated using various structural and dynamical correlation functions. Around the polymer, water forms cage-like structures with hydrogen bonds. Such structures form at temperatures both ...
Analysis on current status and strategy of the National Action of Healthy Life Style in Beijing Chaoyang district , 2011

Objective The National Action of Healthy Life Style is one of population-based strategies for chronic disease control and prevention.It advocates changing unhealthy life style and reducing risk factors of chronic disease. Methods Questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the social-demographic characteristics , physical activities and awareness of limited quantity of oil and salt on residents ( n=1 040 ), which come from three communities in Chaoyang District by randomizing methodAt the meanwhile , Body Mass Index ( BMI ) was calculated by measuring height and weight.Subjects investigated were divided into low weight ( BMI18.5 ), normal weight ( 18.5≤BMI24.0 ), overweight ( 24.0≤BMI28.0 ) and obesity ( BMI≥ 28.0 ) . Results The rate of overweight and obesity were 34.0% , 15.2%.64.2% of subjects investigated scarcely took part in medium and above intensity physical activity per week.About 78.7% of residents said they had known a healthy adult′s daily salt intake should not exceed 6 grams ; 77.4% of residents reported that they would automatically control the salt intake ; 54.5% of residents said they had known a healthy adult′ s daily oil intake should not exceed 25 grams ; 74.7% of residents reported that they would automatically control the oil intake. Conclusions There are some health risk factors in community residents in Chaoyang district.The efforts and effects of the National Action of Healthy Life Style remain to be further strengthened.We can increase the government support and investment to ensure sustainability of the Action and pay more attention to outside the Action effect of malleable.
Renal transplantation in patients with a history of heroin abuse.

Revue de 20 observations. 7 des receveurs sont vivants avec un rein fonctionnel; 11 sont de nouveau sous dialyse; 2 sont morts de causes autres que l'insuffisance renale
Development of Risk-based Food Safety Systems for Foodborne Infections and Intoxications

Risk-based food safety systems are comprehensive approaches that are used by governments or private parties in assuring food safety. They represent the next step after risk analysis in developing best practices for managing the process of food safety assurance. This chapter uses the risk-based system published in Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration (IOM/NRC, 2010) as scaffolding to discuss the elements of these systems, particularly as they can be used by governments. Risk-based systems include overall strategic planning, risk ranking based on public health, and risk prioritization through targeted information gathering and consideration of other factors that influence priorities. They also include steps for analysis and selection of interventions, design of intervention plans, and monitoring and review. Use of the risk-based system faces several challenges, including the development of an integrated information infrastructure with surveillance, food, behavioral, and economic data, and the building of new analytic capabilities.
Scenario Decomposition for 0-1 Stochastic Programs: Improvements and Asynchronous Implementation

A recently proposed scenario decomposition algorithm for stochastic 0-1 programs finds an optimal solution by evaluating and removing individual solutions that are discovered by solving scenario subproblems. In this work, we develop an asynchronous, distributed implementation of the algorithm which has computational advantages over existing synchronous implementations of the algorithm. Improvements to both the synchronous and asynchronous algorithm are proposed. We test the results on well known stochastic 0-1 programs from the SIPLIB test library and is able to solve one previously unsolved instance from the test set.
Maternal Obesity Programs Senescence Signaling and Glucose Metabolism in Osteo-Progenitors From Rat and Human

Nutritional status during intrauterine and early postnatal life impacts the risk of chronic diseases, presumably via epigenetic mechanisms. However, evidence on the impact of gestational events on regulation of embryonic bone cell fate is sparse. We investigated the effects of maternal obesity on fetal osteoblast development in both rodents and humans. Female rats were fed control or an obesogenic high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks and mated with male rats fed control diets, and respective maternal diets were continued during pregnancy. Embryonic rat osteogenic calvarial cells (EOCCs) were taken from gestational day 18.5 fetuses from control and HFD dams. EOCCs from HFD obese dams showed increases in p53/p21-mediated cell senescence signaling but decreased glucose metabolism. Decreased aerobic glycolysis in HFD-EOCCs was associated with decreased osteoblastic cell differentiation and proliferation. Umbilical cord human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from 24 pregnant women (12 obese and 12 lean) along with placentas were collected upon delivery. The umbilical cord MSCs of obese mothers displayed less potential toward osteoblastogenesis and more towards adipogenesis. Human MSCs and placenta from obese mothers also exhibited increased cell senescence signaling, whereas MSCs showed decreased glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Finally, we showed that overexpression of p53 linked increased cell senescence signaling and decreased glucose metabolism in fetal osteo-progenitors from obese rats and humans. These findings suggest programming of fetal preosteoblastic cell senescence signaling and glucose metabolism by maternal obesity.
Toward a Process for Engineering the Army Training System

Training is a fundamental human activity practiced by corporations, governments, and the Army. In today's military, training management is based on processes developed in WWII. Training is managed as a collection of similar activities, much the way it has been done for over 60 years. However, military training is more than a collection of activities, it is an enterprise system. This paper uses the emerging field of enterprise systems engineering (ESE) to develop a model that emphasizes the systems aspects of the training enterprise, while verifying the linkage from the strategic and operational goals of the Army to producing trained soldiers with the necessary skills. ESE includes the socio-economic-politico-technical context of complex systems while maintaining the rigor of systems engineering analysis. The result is a structured framework that highlights the importance of well-articulated training requirements and linking of those requirements to the implementation of training through the fundamental systems activities of systems analysis and training design.
DNA repair gene promoter methylation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with DNA damaging agents.

e22130 Background: Approximately 75% of NSCLC patients are advanced at time of diagnosis. Treatments include regimens of DNA-damaging and alkylating agents. Previous in vitro studies have shown tha...
Attribution as a Gateway to Social Cognition

Attribution as a Gateway to Social Cognition A new idea can be exciting. In 1971, for many graduate students in social psychology, the new ideas came fast and furious from the attribution perspective. Like underground music, a series of preprinted chapters on this topic were making their way into graduate seminars. Th e authors of these chapters included well-known fi gures such as Ned Jones and Harold Kelley, but also newcomers such as Bernard Weiner and Richard Nisbett. A year later, these chapters were bound together in an orange book entitled, Attribution: Perceiving the Causes of Behavior (Jones, Kanouse, Kelley, Nisbett, Valins, & Weiner (1972). As of March 2013, Google Scholar listed 2,786 citations of the Jones and Nisbett (1972) chapter, which proposed actor versus observer differences in attribution. Two additional chapters by Kelley (1972a, 1972b) and another by Weiner, Frieze, Kukla, Reed, Rest, and Rosenbaum (1972) Abstract
Integrated ACC and CACC development for Heavy-Duty Truck partial automation

This paper focuses on the design, implementation and field test of integrated Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Cooperative ACC (CACC) with inter-vehicle communication for Heavy-Duty-Truck (HDT). The objective for developing such a system is to improve the performance of automated longitudinal control (partial automation). System modeling, control design for integrated ACC and CACC with practical string stability and handling a variety of traffic scenarios, such as following a manually driven vehicle (ACC), and cut-in and cut-out by other vehicles, will be considered. Experiments have been successfully conducted with three Volvo trucks with professional drivers on Interstate highways near Berkeley California, mixed with public traffic. Results will be briefly presented.
Solamente Mexicanos? Patterns and sources of Hispanic diversity in U.S. metropolitan areas.

Abstract Rapid Hispanic growth has been a major source of increasing ethnoracial diversity in the United States. However, diversity within the Hispanic population is frequently obscured by the tendency to lump all Latinos together. Our study examines Hispanic diversity at the local level, drawing insights from the Mexican dominance, Caribbean-centric settlement, spatial assimilation, and economic opportunity perspectives. Measures of the magnitude and structure of Hispanic origin-group diversity during the 1990–2010 period are constructed for 363 metropolitan areas based on each area's shares of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Colombians, and ‘others’. We find that diversity magnitude varies markedly across metropolitan Hispanic populations. Although the most diverse metro areas lack a majority origin group, Mexicans often constitute a majority or plurality of local Latinos. Diversity levels and structures have remained relatively stable over time. In both 1990 and 2010, metro areas with more diverse, multigroup Hispanic communities are distinguished by their larger size, smaller proportion of Hispanics, location farther from Mexico and closer to the Caribbean, and greater odds of being a military hub. They also exhibit higher rates of housing construction and lower rates of agricultural and manufacturing employment. We use weighted data to show that Dominican metro dwellers experience the highest Hispanic diversity while the average Mexican lives in an area where four-fifths of all Latinos are Mexican. Overall, our results provide primary support for the Mexican dominance perspective but some support for the other three perspectives as well.
Degradation of glycosphingolipids in oyster: ceramide glycanase and ceramidase in the hepatopancreas of oyster, Crassostrea virginica

The hepatopancreas of oyster, Crassostrea virginica, was found to contain two unique glycosphingolipid (GSL) cleaving enzymes, ceramide glycanase (CGase) and ceramidase. These two enzymes were found to be tightly associated together through the consecutive purification steps including gel filtration, hydrophobic interaction and cation-exchange chromatographies. They were separated only by preparatory SDS-PAGE. The purified CGase was found to have a molecular mass of 52 kDa and pH optimum of 3.2–3.3. This enzyme prefers to hydrolyze the acidic GSLs, II3SO3LacCer and gangliosides over the neutral GSLs. Oyster ceramidase was found to have a molecular mass of 88 kDa and pH optimum of 4–4.5. Since oyster ceramidase greatly prefers ceramides with C6 to C8 fatty acids, C6-ceramide (N-hexanoyl-D-sphingosine) was used as the substrate for its purification and characterization. The oyster acid ceramidase also catalyzed the synthesis of ceramide from a sphingosine and a fatty acid. For the synthesis, C16 and C18 fatty acids were the best precursors. The amino acid sequences of the two cyanogenbromide peptides derived from the purified ceramidase were found to have similarities to those of several neutral and alkaline ceramidases reported. The tight association of CGase and ceramidase may indicate that CGase in oyster hepatopancreas acts as a vehicle to release ceramide from GSLs for subsequent generation of sphingosines and fatty acids by ceramidase to serve as signaling factors and energy source.
Natural Time and Nowcasting Earthquakes: Are Large Global Earthquakes Temporally Clustered?

The objective of this paper is to analyze the temporal clustering of large global earthquakes with respect to natural time, or interevent count, as opposed to regular clock time. To do this, we use two techniques: (1) nowcasting, a new method of statistically classifying seismicity and seismic risk, and (2) time series analysis of interevent counts. We chose the sequences of $$M_{\lambda } \ge 7.0$$ and $$M_{\lambda } \ge 8.0$$ earthquakes from the global centroid moment tensor (CMT) catalog from 2004 to 2016 for analysis. A significant number of these earthquakes will be aftershocks of the largest events, but no satisfactory method of declustering the aftershocks in clock time is available. A major advantage of using natural time is that it eliminates the need for declustering aftershocks. The event count we utilize is the number of small earthquakes that occur between large earthquakes. The small earthquake magnitude is chosen to be as small as possible, such that the catalog is still complete based on the Gutenberg-Richter statistics. For the CMT catalog, starting in 2004, we found the completeness magnitude to be $$M_{\sigma } \ge 5.1$$ . For the nowcasting method, the cumulative probability distribution of these interevent counts is obtained. We quantify the distribution using the exponent, $$\beta$$ , of the best fitting Weibull distribution; $$\beta = 1$$ for a random (exponential) distribution. We considered 197 earthquakes with $$M_{\lambda } \ge 7.0$$ and found $$\beta = 0.83 \pm 0.08$$ . We considered 15 earthquakes with $$M_{\lambda } \ge 8.0,$$ but this number was considered too small to generate a meaningful distribution. For comparison, we generated synthetic catalogs of earthquakes that occur randomly with the Gutenberg–Richter frequency–magnitude statistics. We considered a synthetic catalog of $$1.97 \times 10^5$$ $$M_{\lambda } \ge 7.0$$ earthquakes and found $$\beta = 0.99 \pm 0.01$$ . The random catalog converted to natural time was also random. We then generated $$1.5 \times 10^4$$ synthetic catalogs with 197 $$M_{\lambda } \ge 7.0$$ in each catalog and found the statistical range of $$\beta$$ values. The observed value of $$\beta = 0.83$$ for the CMT catalog corresponds to a p value of $$p=0.004$$ leading us to conclude that the interevent natural times in the CMT catalog are not random. For the time series analysis, we calculated the autocorrelation function for the sequence of natural time intervals between large global earthquakes and again compared with data from $$1.5 \times 10^4$$ synthetic catalogs of random data. In this case, the spread of autocorrelation values was much larger, so we concluded that this approach is insensitive to deviations from random behavior.
Analysis of a Hybrid, Unidirectional Buffer Strip Laminate

A method of analysis capable of predicting accurately the fracture behavior of a unidirectional composite laminate containing symmetrically placed buffer strips is presented. As an example, for a damaged graphite/epoxy laminate, the results demonstrate the manner in which to select the most efficient combination of buffer strip properties necessary to inhibit crack growth. Ultimate failure of the laminate after crack arrest can occur under increasing load either by continued crack extension through the buffer strips or the crack can jump the buffer strips. For some typical hybrid materials it is found that a buffer strip spacing-to-width ratio of about four to one is the most efficient.
Evaluation and intercomparison of clouds, precipitation, and radiation budgets in recent reanalyses using satellite-surface observations

Atmospheric reanalysis datasets offer a resource for investigating climate processes and extreme events; however, their uncertainties must first be addressed. In this study, we evaluate the five reanalyzed (20CR, CFSR, Era-Interim, JRA-25, and MERRA) cloud fraction (CF), precipitation rates (PR), and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) and surface radiation budgets using satellite observations during the period 03/2000–02/2012. Compared to the annual averaged CF of 56.7 % from CERES MODIS (CM) four of the five reanalyses underpredict CFs by 1.7–4.6 %, while 20CR overpredicts this result by 7.4 %. PR from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) is 3.0 mm/day and the reanalyzed PRs agree with TRMM within 0.1–0.6 mm/day. The shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) TOA cloud radiative effects (CREtoa) calculated by CERES EBAF (CE) are −48.1 and 27.3 W/m2, respectively, indicating a net cooling effect of −20.8 W/m2. Of the available reanalysis results, the CFSR and MERRA calculated net CREtoa values agree with CE within 1 W/m2, while the JRA-25 result is ~10 W/m2 more negative than the CE result, predominantly due to the underpredicted magnitude of the LW warming in the JRA-25 reanalysis. A regime metric is developed using the vertical motion field at 500 hPa over the oceans. Aptly named the “ascent” and “descent” regimes, these areas are distinguishable in their characteristic synoptic patterns and the predominant cloud-types; convective-type clouds and marine boundary layer (MBL) stratocumulus clouds. In general, clouds are overpredicted (underpredicted) in the ascent (descent) regime and the biases are often larger in the ascent regime than in the descent regime. PRs are overpredicted in both regimes; however the observed and reanalyzed PRs over the ascent regime are an order of magnitude larger than those over the descent regime, indicating different types of clouds exist in these two regimes. Based upon the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program ground-based and CM satellite observations, as well as reanalyzed results, the annual CFs are 15 % higher at the Azores site than at the Nauru site (70.2 vs. 55.2 %), less SW radiation (~20 %) is transmitted the surface, and less LW radiation (~60 W/m2) is emitted back to the surface. Also, the seasonal variations in both CF and surface radiation fluxes are much smaller at the Nauru site than at the Azores site. The dichotomy between the atmospheric ascent and descent regimes is a good measure for determining which parameterization scheme requires more improvement (convective vs. MBL clouds) in these five reanalyses.
Further clinical advancement of dendritic cell vaccination against ovarian cancer.

Since the discovery of dendritic cells (DC) as potent stimulators of immune responses by Zanvil Cohn and Ralph Steinman in the 1970s, the idea that DC could be used as adjuvants for activation of antitumor immunity steadily gained traction, culminating in the first published clinical trial of DC vaccination (for treatment of B cell lymphoma) (1).
Calibration of Rule-Based Stochastic Biochemical Models using Statistical Model Checking

Computational modeling of biochemical networks assists in understanding the functioning of a biochemical process as well as enables in silico experimentation. However, such models are often stochastic in nature and contain unknown parameters that must be estimated against expert behavioral specifications. In this paper, we present a new statistical model checking approach for calibrating rule-based stochastic biochemical models such that the calibrated model satisfies a given behavioral temporal logic specification. Our approach computes a distribution of a quantitative tightness metric describing how well a specification is satisfied by a parameterized rule-based stochastic biochemical model. Then, sequential selection of the larger of the means of two such distributions is used to guide a simulated annealing based search for the correctly calibrated model that satisfies the given behavioral temporal logic specification. Our experimental results demonstrate the successful calibration of a rule-based T-cell receptor model while achieving a significant speedup in time.
The net buyback and ban in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Abstract The gill and trammel net ban and buyback were two of the most politically sensitive management reforms in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The purpose of the net ban was to protect parrotfish populations, reduce by-catch, and minimize gear-habitat interactions whereas the aim of the buyback was to mitigate the economic hardship imposed by the ban. This paper describes the development of the net fishery and management efforts to protect parrotfish populations and coral reef habitats focusing on the performance of the ban and buyback. The study drew from 43 in-person interviews with select user groups and secondary sources such as government reports and databases. Our analysis suggests that these reforms had limited success. While local fishery managers promoted a participatory approach, shifting policy directives, implementation delays, limited buyback assistance, and high forgone earnings had unforeseen consequences. Most net fishermen substituted the banned nets with ‘modified’ small mesh seine nets, which were opposed by most stakeholders since they felt that their use defeated the purpose of the ban. The study also found that, with the exception of curtailing the dumping of spoiled fish on land, conflicting views about the health of parrotfish and surgeonfish stocks, excessive by-catch levels, and damaging gear-habitat interactions remained. Most net fishermen believed that the ban had advanced resource conservation; however, other stakeholders had more guarded or skeptical views. The Crucian experience with these reforms suggests that incentive-based regulatory approaches deserve greater attention as a means to improve management outcomes and minimize distrust in the management process.
Changes in interlanguage complexity during study abroad: A meta-analysis

Abstract Despite the growing interest in interlanguage complexity development in study abroad (SA) research, no clear-cut conclusions can be made as to whether and to what extent learners' interlanguage complexity increases following a sojourn abroad. The current study meta-analyzed the overall effects of study abroad on measured oral and written complexity, as well as the moderator effects (i.e., learner demographics, SA contextual features, and outcome measures) on the variability of interlanguage complexity effect sizes (Cohen's d). A comprehensive search was conducted to obtain studies that have quantitatively documented lexical and syntactic complexity changes during SA through a pre-and-post SA design. A total of 30 independent samples from 28 primary studies involving 602 participants were retrieved and coded for gains and for moderator variables. Results show an overall small effect of study abroad on language complexity development (d = 0.37). In addition, moderator analyses suggest that larger effects are associated with (a) learners at an intermediate proficiency level, (b) learners enrolled in a language study program while SA, (c) programs that implemented a language pledge, or (d) programs with Mandarin Chinese as the target language. More fine-grained and systematic reporting practices are proposed for future research.
Differential Mucosal Gene Expression Patterns in Candida-Associated, Chronic Oral Denture Stomatitis.

Purpose Denture stomatitis is a common condition manifested by inflammation of the oral mucous membrane beneath a denture. The objective of this study was to compare the transcriptome of human palatal mucosa with chronic oral stomatitis-associated Candida albicans infection to that of healthy oral mucosa. Materials and methods Oral palatal biopsies were obtained from 17 healthy and 15 C. albicans-infected stomatitis subjects for whole transcriptome analyses. The presence of C. albicans was confirmed by cytology and cultivable methods. The clinical severity of the stomatitis was evaluated by the Newton Classification (Class II or III). For transcriptome analyses a false discovery rate (FDR) of Results Microarray analysis of mRNA expression indicated that in C. albicans stomatitis there were 3034 genes-in-play that were differentially expressed and met the FDR 2-fold, and 71 genes were down-regulated >2-fold. Five of the 6 most significant gene ontology pathways involve inflammation and activation of the immune response with CD28 and CTLA signaling of T cells. There was strong up-regulation of TLR2, CD14, MYD88, IKKA, and NFKB as the dominant toll-like receptor-signaling pathway. The expression of several extracellularly expressed inflammatory protein genes was up-regulated in candidiasis, and 2 were confirmed as up-regulated within the saliva using protein multiplexing analyses. Conclusions Neutrophil recruitment and activation, epithelial suppression, and T-cell activation appear as major pathways in chronic oral candidiasis. Tissue up-regulation of TLR2 pathways, as well as potential C. albicans binding proteins, was observed, whereas keratin and adhesion molecule synthesis were down-regulated. Several candidate biomarkers to potentially identify the presence of oral candidiasis were differentially expressed in tissues and saliva.
Data Discovery and Anomaly Detection Using Atypicality for Real-Valued Data.

The aim of using atypicality is to extract small, rare, unusual and interesting pieces out of big data. This complements statistics about typical data to give insight into data. In order to find such “interesting” parts of data, universal approaches are required, since it is not known in advance what we are looking for. We therefore base the atypicality criterion on codelength. In a prior paper we developed the methodology for discrete-valued data, and the current paper extends this to real-valued data. This is done by using minimum description length (MDL). We develop the information-theoretic methodology for a number of “universal” signal processing models, and finally apply them to recorded hydrophone data and heart rate variability (HRV) signal.
From Revolution to Evolution: The Transformation of the Bibliothèque Nationale into the Bibliothèque Nationale De France, through the Lens of Popular and Professional Reports

France's new national library has been the subject of intense debate since it was first proposed in July 1988. While the library itself has been a subject of controversy, it has also provided a focus for ongoing political and cultural battles over the role of a national library in France and the future direction and function of libraries in general. This article uses accounts given in the popular and professional press over three formative years (1991-93) to trace some of the important changes in the project as well as the ways in which it was projected to have and did influence French librarianship.