cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Matlab Radial Basis Function Toolbox

Radial Basis Function (RBF) methods are important tools for scattered data interpolation and for the solution of Partial Differential Equations in complexly shaped domains. The most straight forward approach used to evaluate the methods involves solving a linear system which is typically poorly conditioned. The Matlab Radial Basis Function toolbox features a regularization method for the ill-conditioned system, extended precision floating point arithmetic, and symmetry exploitation for the purpose of reducing flop counts of the associated numerical linear algebra algorithms.
Transporting droplets through surface anisotropy

This review article examines digital microfluidic systems that manipulate droplets through surface anisotropy. These systems are categorized as surface tension driven or contact line driven. Surface tension driven systems include electrowetting on dielectric, Marangoni flow on microheater arrays, and chemical gradient surfaces, whereas contact line driven systems include anisotropic ratchet conveyors, nanostructured Parylene ratchets, and tilted pillar arrays. This article describes the operating principles and outlines the fabrication procedures for each system. We also present new equations that unify several previous models of contact line driven systems. The strengths and weaknesses of each system are compared, with a focus on their ability to perform the generation, switching, fusion, and fission of droplets. Finally, we discuss current and potential future applications of these systems. Controlling the movement of liquid drops over millimeter distances enables on-chip chemical analysis for use in cheap and portable sensors. Key functions of digital microfluidic systems are creating droplets from a reservoir, combining and splitting them, and switching them between different paths. Hal Holmes and Karl Bohringer from the University of Washington review the different physical mechanisms responsible for driving droplets across surfaces with active devices or micropatterned paths. These transport mechanisms include surface tension, where the force between liquid and substrate changes along the length of the surface, and so-called contact line processes in which vertical oscillations of an asymmetrically patterned surface move the drops. Although both methods can create and merge droplets, there remains a need to develop contact line systems that can switch and split them.
Incidence and severity of cardiotoxicity in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients treated with targeted therapies.

4610 Background: Almost all patients with advanced RCC are treated with therapies targeting the hypoxia inducible factor axis. The potential for these agents to cause cardiovascular (CV) toxicity has been increasingly recognized but the overall incidence and extent have not been well described. We sought to identify and characterize the incidence and severity of CV toxicity among RCC patients treated with targeted therapies. Methods: Between 2004 and 2011, all RCC patients treated with targeted therapies directed against the VEGF or mTOR axes were identified at our institution. The incidence of hypertension, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, changes in serum markers of CV toxicity (e.g., troponin I, NT-proBNP) and heart failure were assessed and graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v.4.0). Results: Cardiovascular toxicity developed in 116 of 159 patients (73%). Excluding hypertension, 52 of 159 (33%) developed cardiovascular toxicity. Cardiac toxicity ranged from ...
Probabilistic defect analysis of fiber reinforced composites using kriging and support vector machine based surrogates

Abstract In this study a framework for analyzing defects and their effect on the performance of composites, using wavy fiber composites as a test case, is presented. The focus is on predicting the composite strength and failure mode in the presence of through thickness waviness. The framework utilizes surrogate models , derived from a high fidelity validated Finite Element analysis , to perform Monte Carlo simulations. The final analysis product that is developed is versatile enough to solve the forward and inverse problem, while considering partial or uncertain data as input.
The Best Medical Care in the World.

The Best Medical Care in the World The negligence is indisputable. The only dilemma will be whom to blame; the suspect list is long and libelous: Kenneth has spent the past 18 months at seven acute care hospitals, two psychiatric centers, five acute rehab facilities, and five nursing homes.
Quantifying local tumor morphological changes with Jacobian map for prediction of pathologic tumor response to chemo-radiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer.

We proposed a framework to detect and quantify local tumor morphological changes due to chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) using a Jacobian map and to extract quantitative radiomic features from the Jacobian map to predict the pathologic tumor response in locally advanced esophageal cancer patients. In 20 patients who underwent CRT, a multi-resolution BSpline deformable registration was performed to register the follow-up (post-CRT) CT to the baseline CT image. The Jacobian map (J) was computed as the determinant of the gradient of the deformation vector field. The Jacobian map measured the ratio of local tumor volume change where J 1 denoted expansion. The tumor was manually delineated and corresponding anatomical landmarks were generated on the baseline and follow-up images. Intensity, texture and geometry features were then extracted from the Jacobian map of the tumor to quantify tumor morphological changes. The importance of each Jacobian feature in predicting pathologic tumor response was evaluated by both univariate and multivariate analysis. We constructed a multivariate prediction model by using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier coupled with a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) for feature selection. The SVM-LASSO model was evaluated using ten-times repeated 10-fold cross-validation (10 × 10-fold CV). After registration, the average target registration error was 4.30 ± 1.09 mm (LR:1.63 mm AP:1.59 mm SI:3.05 mm) indicating registration error was within two voxels and close to 4 mm slice thickness. Visually, the Jacobian map showed smoothly-varying local shrinkage and expansion regions in a tumor. Quantitatively, the average median Jacobian was 0.80 ± 0.10 and 1.05 ± 0.15 for responder and non-responder tumors, respectively. These indicated that on average responder tumors had 20% median volume shrinkage while non-responder tumors had 5% median volume expansion. In univariate analysis, the minimum Jacobian (p = 0.009, AUC = 0.98) and median Jacobian (p = 0.004, AUC = 0.95) were the most significant predictors. The SVM-LASSO model achieved the highest accuracy when these two features were selected (sensitivity = 94.4%, specificity = 91.8%, AUC = 0.94). Novel features extracted from the Jacobian map quantified local tumor morphological changes using only baseline tumor contour without post-treatment tumor segmentation. The SVM-LASSO model using the median Jacobian and minimum Jacobian achieved high accuracy in predicting pathologic tumor response. The Jacobian map showed great potential for longitudinal evaluation of tumor response.
Big Data Cloud-Based Advisory System

This article proposes a concept of Big Data Advisory & Benchmarking platform in a virtualized environment based on VMware vSphere. The key value of the proposed platform is a unified Big Data business-oriented benchmarking approach, data collection approach and an advisory system based on sequential process modeling and cost comparison model. Unified benchmarking ensures same tasks using the same data. Data collection utilizes vSphere metrics for system performance. A prototype solution is developed.
Historical Reflections on the Inflammatory Aspects of Atherosclerosis

A sudden shift in the understanding of the importance of inflammation in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis occurred around the turn of the millennium. During most of the twentieth century, atherosclerosis was considered a degenerative disease, mostly related to aging. Marking the shift, the great pathologist Russell Ross published a 1999 landmark New England Journal of Medicine paper entitled “Atherosclerosis—An inflammatory Disease” [1].
Concern Matrix: Analyzing Learners' Needs

Instructional development (ID) is a systematic and systemic process used in developing education and training programs. In the analysis phase, instructional developers need to account for the characteristics and particular needs of learners in order to design useful instructional interventions. It is very important to ascertain which learners’ characteristics are most crucial in instructional decision making. However, current ID models seem to advocate a pedagogical approach that treats the learner submissively during the analysis phase of the ADDIE process (Knowles, 1984). There is no active communication between instructional developers and learners during the learner analysis process. In-depth analysis identifying learners’ concerns and perceptions are usually not considered. In this chapter, we will introduce for use by instructional developers a learner analysis matrix that incorporates learners’ levels of concerns and perceptions at the personal and organizational levels. The 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com INFORMATION SCIENCE PUBLISHING This chapter appears in the book, Instructional Design in the Real World: A View from the Trenches, edited by Anne-Marie Armstrong. Copyright © 2004, Idea Group Publishing. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.
The Electronic Structure of Pristine and Doped (100) Tilt Grain Boundaries in SrTiO3

To understand the electronic properties of doped grain boundaries, we reviewed the atomic scale techniques currently available to study the electronic structure at pristine SrTiO3 grain boundaries. The knowledge gained from the pristine boundaries is used to interpret experimental and theoretical results from a Mn doped Σ5 SrTiO3 grain boundaries. Mn atoms are shown to preferentially substitute at specific Ti sites at the grain boundary core. Furthermore, the formal oxidation state of the Mn atoms at the grain boundary core was found to be reduced compared to the Mn atoms substituting for Ti in the bulk. This change of valence did not, however, significantly affect the atomic structure of the grain boundary, as determined by Z-contrast imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy, which revealed similar fine-structure features at both the doped and pristine grain boundary. We conclude, therefore, that composition and atomic structure have different effects on the local electronic structure and should be treated separately in any segregation and electrical conductivity models for grain boundaries.
CONNECTING CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTIC THEORY

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on connection theory of children's language and linguistic theory. It discusses the problem of a child's recognition of nonuniversal aspects of deep structure. It is not the case that deep structure is the same for all languages. Grammatical relations are, by hypothesis, universal, but the order of elements is not. It is not the case that simple, active, declarative sentences always reflect deep structure order directly. It is not the case that the most frequent forms in surface structure reflect deep structure. Traditionally, the determination of base word order depends upon analysis of the transformational component. The most important transformation in German is the verb-second transformation which transfers an element from final position to second position in the creation of declarative sentences. It is the broad applicability of this transformation that makes elegantly simple a description of German that uses a verb-final base structure. The subordinate-clause strategy is a powerful mechanism for the discovery of deep structure.
Local meteorological conditions reroute a migration.

For migrating animals, realized migration routes and timing emerge from hundreds or thousands of movement decisions made along migration routes. Local weather conditions along migration routes cont...
Structural relationship between tRNA2Lys and tRNA4Lys from mouse lymphoma cells

Mouse lymphoma cells have three major isoaccepting lysine tRNAs. Two of these isoacceptors, tRNA2Lys and tRNA4Lys, were sequenced by rapid gel or chromatogram readout methods. They have the same primary sequence but differ in two modified nucleotides. tRNA4Lys has an unmodified uridine replacing one dihydrouridine and an unidentified nucleotide, t6A*, replacing t6A. This unidentified nucleotide is not a hypomodified form of t6A. Thus, tRNA4ys is not a simple precursor of tRNA2Lys. Both tRNAs have an unidentified nucleotide, U**, in the third position of the anticodon. Also, partial sequences of minor homologs of tRNA2Lys and tRNA4Lys were obtained. The distinctions between tRNA2Lys and tRNA4Lys may be part of significant cellular roles as illustrated by the differential effects of these isoacceptors on the synthesis by lysyl-tRNA synthetase of diadenosine-5′,5′′′-P1,P4-tetraphosphate, a putative signal in DNA replication.
Mapping the Material-Property Space for Feasible Process Operation: Application to Combined Natural-Gas Separation and Storage

A multiscale-optimization-based feasibility-mapping approach is introduced to identify the target properties of materials that would guarantee the desired process performance. The approach is successfully applied to screen a database of 178 known and 139 500 hypothetical zeolites to find materials that are most suited for the combined separation and storage (CSS) of natural gas. Maps of material properties that include the equilibrium adsorption loading and the Henry coefficients are obtained for feasible process operation subject to the constraints imposed. On the basis of these maps, materials with high methane-storage capacities but moderate Henry coefficients, such as SBN and h8124791, are found to be most suitable for CSS applications. The constraints imposed on the purity of stored methane and methane loss during the process operation influence the desired material properties. Beyond identifying feasibility, maps of constraint violations are constructed that can be useful in analyzing the effects of...
Accurate, precise, simultaneous myocardial T1 and T2 mapping using a radial sequence with inversion recovery and T2 preparation

We propose a simultaneous myocardial T1 and T2 mapping technique using a radial sequence with inversion recovery and T2 preparation, which achieves high accuracy and precision, with T1 and T2 reproducibility similar to the Modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence and the conventional bright blood T2 mapping technique, respectively. The sequence was developed by incorporating gold angle radial fast low angle shot (FLASH) readout combined with an inversion pulse and T2prep pulses. The extended Bloch equation simulation with slice profile correction (BLESSPC) algorithm was proposed to reconstruct T1 and T2 maps at the same time in a few seconds, while maintaining good T1 and T2 estimation accuracy. Accuracy and precision were compared among the proposed technique, MOLLI and conventional T2 mapping techniques using phantom studies, 10 healthy volunteers and three patients. In phantom studies, the proposed technique was more accurate than MOLLI (P < 0.05) while achieving similar precision (P = 0.3) in T1 estimation, and was more accurate (P < 0.05) and precise (P < 0.001) than conventional T2 mapping (two-parameter fitting) in T2 estimation. In vivo, the proposed technique achieved significantly higher T1 values (P < 0.001) and similar reproducibility (P = 0.3) compared with MOLLI, with significantly lower T2 values (P < 0.001) and similar reproducibility (P = 0.6) compared with the conventional T2 mapping technique. Thus, the proposed radial T1-T2 mapping technique allows for accurate, precise, simultaneous myocardial T1 and T2 mapping in an 11-heartbeat single breath-hold acquisition.
Oxybarometry and valence quantification based on microscale X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy of multivalent elements

Abstract X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy has proven to be a valuable tool in defining valence states of multivalent elements in minerals and glasses that can then be used as oxybarometry proxies. First row transition multivalent elements Ti, V, Cr, and Fe are common targets. Micro-XAFS provides wide coverage of oxygen fugacity on all minerals and glasses, with high spatial resolution, trace level sensitivity, and no stoichiometry constraints. This method has been applied to an extensive array of geochemical problems including heterogeneity of terrestrial mantle sources, effects of volatile degassing of magmas, evolution of lunar melts, metamorphism of chondrites, and relationships between achondrites. Valence states alone can be insightful indicators of oxidation, such as the presence or absence of Ti3+ and the effects of metamorphism on asteroidal parent bodies. Importantly, XAFS can be extended to infer oxygen fugacity of parent melts by calibrating with laboratory experiment products under controlled conditions. When valence measurements or oxygen fugacity determinations are undertaken on non-cubic minerals, careful calibration data using oriented samples as well as knowledge of valence-specific partition coefficients are needed. XAFS offers the ability to apply multiple oxybarometers (e.g., Ti, Cr, and V valence proxies) to individual, potentially zoned, mineral grains. Challenges include corrections for orientation effects, X-ray beam-induced modifications, and the sparcity of valence-specific partition coefficient measurements. In some cases, application of statistical and machine-learning methods based on linear algebra such as principal component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares (PLS) analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regressions can help to identify and compensate for some of external factors complicating XAFS analysis.
What Does “Couple” Mean in Couple Therapy Outcome Research? A Systematic Review of the Implicit and Explicit, Inclusion and Exclusion of Gender and Sexual Minority Individuals and Identities

This study systematically reviewed extant couple therapy outcome studies (k = 111) through December 2018 to evaluate for implicit or explicit, inclusion or exclusion of gender and/or sexual minority individuals and identities. We evaluated sampling, participant demographic reporting, and language used in each manuscript for any reference or consideration given to participants' sexual and/or gender identity. Results indicate that couples have been historically presumed to be heterosexual and cisgender male or female without reported assessment. More recent inclusion and consideration of sexual minority individuals is limited and absent for nonmonosexual and gender minority individuals. These findings are contextualized in supplementary analyses of other sociocultural characteristics (e.g., race, age, length together). Suggestions are provided for affirmative consideration of the plurality of individuals' sexual and gender identities. Implications are discussed for research, training and practice of couple therapy with sexual and/or gender minority couples.
Physician-Reported Misuse of Thyroid Ultrasonography.

This cohort study surveyed practicing physicians in the US about their use of thyroid ultrasonography to examine the rate at which misuse occurs.
Abstract 2467: Interaction of CYP3A5 with AR-HSP90 complex regulating AR activation in prostate cancer cells

Background: Previously we have demonstrated that CYP3A5 stimulates prostate cancer cell growth by promoting AR activation and downstream signaling. We further investigated the mechanism of CYP3A59s interaction with the AR-HSP90 complex known to regulate AR activation process. AR activation is tightly regulated and it involves several chaperons (HSP90, HSP70, HSP40, and HSP27), multiple cofactors and protein kinases. We hypothesize that stoichiometric CYP3A5 binding to the HSP90-AR complex can induce conformational changes in the chaperone complex, promoting AR nuclear migration and activation. Method: We used co-immunoprecipitation to identify the interaction of CYP3A5 with the components of the AR-HSP90 complex. Immunofluorescence studies were performed to identify the components of the AR-HSP90 complex that co-localize with CYP3A5. FRET analysis was used to confirm the interactions of CYP3A5 with the AR-HSP90 complex. Results: We performed co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiments with extracts from flag-tagged CYP3A5 transfected LNCaP cells. Our data demonstrates that CYP3A5 co-immunoprecipitates with HSP90, AR, HSP70 and HSP40, all known components of the HSP90-AR complex. We further confirmed using reverse immunoprecipitation with AR/ HSP90 antibodies and agarose A/G beads that CYP3A5 is a part of the HSP90-AR mature complex. Empty vector transfected cell extract and IgG were used as controls for pull down and reverse IP respectively. Immunofluorescence studies demonstrated that HSP70 and HSP40 co-localized with CYP3A5 in the cytoplasm. Interestingly, the MDAPCa2b and LNCaP cells show co-localization of CYP3A5 and AR in the nucleus, in contrast to non-transformed RWPE1 cells where CYP3A5 remains in the cytoplasm. The nuclear presence of CYP3A5 is more pronounced in MDAPCa2b cells carrying the wild type CYP3A5. The FRET analysis further confirmed direct interaction between CYP3A5 and HSP40 a chaperon in the AR-HSP90 complex. Conclusions: Our data confirms that CYP3A5 directly interacts with the AR-HSP90 complex regulating AR activation process. Further understanding of this interaction can help establish CYP3A5-AR axis as a novel therapeutic target. Citation Format: Priyatham Gorjala, Oscar Goodman Jr., Ranjana Mitra. Interaction of CYP3A5 with AR-HSP90 complex regulating AR activation in prostate cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2467.
"Death cannot harm the patient: Comparativism and the biased world problem".

Summary Premature discussions of patients’ rights or duties to death must be put aside to focus first on whether death injures the patient who dies. Comparativism argues that dying does have impact on this individual, then it may alter our arguments on duties or rights to die, as well as on how and whether we should make end of life decisions for others. If Comparativism is correct, then there are large ramifications for ethics, medicine, and public health. Unfortunately for Comparativism, its incorporation of intuitions and possible worlds gives it the same undermining biased world problem encountered by Moore's isolation test for intrinsic value. Imagining/referring to a possible world whilst in this one merely creates the illusion that a decedent's death can benefit or injure her. When we select possible worlds or fill in their missing states of affairs, we can often impose our own biases into the thought experiment. Thinking about fictions is useful in figuring out what we should do and be, as well as evaluating what others did and were, but medical practice and policy affecting end of life issues in bioethics should always be based on reality and not subjective partiality.
Abundance and distribution of invasive woody shrub, Mahonia bealei , in the urban forest fragments of the southern Piedmont, USA

Woody invasive plants are a pernicious threat to the structure and function of ecosystems worldwide. Due to the growing number of invasive species and the variable timeline of invasion, many invasive plants are unrecognized or underreported, leading to long-term ecological damage that is beyond the capability of cost-efficient management programs. Mahonia bealei is a woody shrub native to China that is invading urban forests of the southeastern U.S. and is likely underreported. This study (a product of a thesis research paper, https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/geosciences_theses/137/ ) identified and mapped all occurrences of M. bealei across 40 woodlots throughout DeKalb County, Georgia, and analyzed vital indicators in the habitats that may promote colonization and establishment. M. bealei was found in 90% of sample sites, frequently in large numbers within the forest interior. The high abundance of M. bealei combined with success in low-light environments indicates an aggressive and successful long-term invasion of the Southeastern Piedmont.
Unplanned Postoperative Reintubation in Children with Bronchial Asthma

Unplanned postoperative reintubation is a serious complication that may increase postsurgical hospital length of stay and mortality. Although asthma is a risk factor for perioperative adverse respiratory events, its association with unplanned postoperative reintubation in children has not been comprehensively examined. Our aim was to determine the association between a preoperative comorbid asthma diagnosis and the incidence of unplanned postoperative reintubation in children. This was a retrospective cohort study comprising of 194,470 children who underwent inpatient surgery at institutions participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program–Pediatric. The primary outcome was the association of preoperative asthma diagnosis with early, unplanned postoperative reintubation (within the first 72 hours following surgery). We also evaluated the association between bronchial asthma and prolonged hospital length of stay (longer than the 75th percentile for the cohort). The incidence of unplanned postoperative reintubation in the study cohort was 0.5% in patients with a history of asthma compared with 0.2% in patients without the diagnosis (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.71–2.89). This association remained significant after controlling for several clinical characteristics (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.17–2.20). Additionally, asthmatic children were more likely to require a hospital length of stay longer than the 75th percentile for the study cohort (adjusted OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01–1.10). Children with preoperative comorbid asthma diagnosis have an increased incidence of early, unplanned postoperative reintubation and prolonged postoperative hospitalization following inpatient surgery. By identifying these patients as having higher perioperative risks, it may be possible to institute strategies to improve their outcomes.
Robust and Remote Measurement of Heart Rate Based on A Surveillance Camera

Arrhythmia is a marked symptom of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The accurate and timely detection of heart rate can greatly reduce the harm of arrhythmia to people. However, it is still a challenge to robustly and remotely measure heart rate in daily life due to the changing environmental conditions during measurement, such as the varying light intensity, the movement of people, and the uncertain distance between the sensor to people. In this study, we propose a method to accurately measure human heart rate within a distance of 3.2 meters under different light intensities by simply using a surveillance camera. After a 20-second color video of a person9s hand is captured by the camera, a method based on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm is designed to extract the blood volume pulse wave to calculate the heart rate. According to the comparison between the real heart rate and results measured by electrocardiography (ECG), the proposed method achieves an accuracy of 98.65% when the measurement is performed within a distance of 4.0 meters and 90% when within 5.6 meters. Our experiments show that when the illuminance varies between 100-1000 lux (lighting level indoor), we still get the correct results. Our experiments also demonstrate that the proposed method accurately obtain heart rate even when the light intensity is below 32 lux (300-500 lux in a workplace environment). The method9s strong adaptability to changing environmental conditions makes it applicable to many scenarios, such as community clinics, homes of the elderly, classrooms, and other public spaces.
Is Nine Too Much? How the Gender Composition of State Supreme Courts Influences Support for Female Candidates

Women may have broken the glass ceiling in terms of appointments or election to the highest courts in the U.S. but barriers still exist. In this study, we explore whether voters who have the opport...
TNFα blockade reverses vascular and uteroplacental matrix metalloproteinases imbalance and collagen accumulation in hypertensive pregnant rats.

Abstract Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related disorder of maternal hypertension-in-pregnancy (HTN-Preg) and often fetal growth restriction (FGR). Placental ischemia could be an initiating event leading to inadequate vascular and uteroplacental remodeling and HTN-Preg; however, the molecular targets are unclear. To test the hypothesis that placental ischemia-induced release of proinflammatory cytokines target vascular and uteroplacental matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), we tested if infusing TNFα (200 ng/kg/day) in day-14 pregnant (Preg) rats causes MMP imbalance and collagen accumulation, and if infusing TNFα decoy receptor Etanercept (0.4 mg/kg/day) in HTN-Preg rats with reduced uteroplacental perfusion pressure (RUPP) reverses MMP imbalance and collagen accumulation. On gestational day-19, blood pressure (BP) was higher in Preg + TNFα and RUPP vs Preg rats, and restored in RUPP + Etanercept rats. Gelatin zymography and Western blots revealed decreases in MMP-2 and MMP-9 and increases in MMP-1 and MMP-7 in aorta, uterus and placenta of Preg + TNFα and RUPP, that were reversed in RUPP + Etanercept rats. Collagen-I and IV were abundant in Preg + TNFα and RUPP, and were decreased in RUPP + Etanercept rats. The litter size, uterine, placenta, and pup weight were markedly reduced in RUPP, insignificantly reduced in Preg + TNFα, and slightly improved in RUPP + Etanercept rats. Thus TNFα blockade reverses the decreases in vascular and uteroplacental MMP-2 and MMP-9, and the increases in MMP-1, MMP-7 and accumulation of collagen-I and IV induced by placental ischemia and TNFα in HTN-Preg rats. Targeting TNFα using cytokine antagonists, or MMPs using MMP modulators could rectify MMP imbalance and collagen accumulation, restore vascular and uteroplacental remodeling, and improve BP in HTN-Preg and preeclampsia.
Monoclonal antibody based radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy.

Abstract The concept of personalized medicine has been steadily growing for the past decades. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are undoubtedly playing an important role in the transition away from conventional medical practice to a more tailored approach to deliver the best therapy with the highest safety margin to a specific patient. In certain instances, mAbs and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) may represent the preferred therapeutic option for several types of cancers due to their high specificity and affinity to the antigen. Monoclonal antibodies can be labeled with specific radionuclides well-suited for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) or gamma camera scintigraphy. The use of radiolabeled mAbs allows the interrogation of specific biomarkers and assessment of tumor heterogeneity in vivo by a single diagnostic imaging scan that includes the whole-body in the field-of-view. Moreover, the same mAb can then be radiolabeled with an analogous radionuclide for the delivery of beta-minus radiation or alpha-particles as part of a radioimmunotherapy (RIT) approach. However, the path to develop, validate, and implement mAb-based radiopharmaceuticals from bench-to-bedside is complex due to the extensive pre-clinical experiments and toxicological studies required, and the necessity of labor-intensive clinical trials that often require multi-time-point imaging and blood draws for internal radiation dosimetry and pharmacokinetics. As more mAb-based radiopharmaceuticals have been developed and evaluated, the opportunities and limitations offered by mAbs have become better defined. Our aim with this manuscript is therefore to provide an overview of the recent advances in the development of mAb-based radiopharmaceuticals and their clinical applications in Oncology.
Gastrointestinal Angiodysplasia in Heart Failure and during CF LVAD Support

Abstract Angiodysplasias (AGD) are common sites of bleeding in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract after CF-LVAD implantation. We sought to investigate whether AGDs are formed as a result of LVAD physiology or pre-exist as a consequence of heart failure. Thirty-six subjects with HF reduced EF (HFrEF) underwent video capsule endoscopy (VCE) to assess for the presence of AGD. Fifty-three subjects without HF who underwent VCE for a non-bleeding indication formed a control group. The prevalence of AGD was significantly higher in the HFrEF compared to the non-HF controls (50% vs 13%, p = 0.0002). This association persisted after controlling for age and comorbidities. Within the HFrEF cohort, higher Ang2, NT-proBNP and BUN were associated with the presence of AGD. AGD in the GI tract are associated with HFrEF. This is the first description of a new pathology associated with HFrEF and adds to our understanding of CF LVAD associated GI bleeding.
Exploring GPCR Biased Signaling from inside and outside the Cell

JoAnn Trejo, Ph.D. Title: “Exploring GPCR biased signaling from inside and outside the cell” G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors expressed in the mammalian genome and mediate vast physiological responses, making this receptor class the target of most drugs used clinically. GPCRs are dynamic molecules that assume multiple active states that bias signaling towards distinct G- protein subtypes and beta-arrestins. However, the mechanisms that regulate GPCR bias signaling remains unclear. Towards understanding the molecular basis of GPCR biased signaling, we examined the role of post-translational modifications and plasma membrane compartmentalization. We discovered that N-linked glycosylation of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1), a GPCR for the coagulant protease thrombin, regulates preferential coupling to specific G-protein subtypes that control stress fiber formation and cellular proliferation. We also found that PAR1 distribution into caveolae in endothelial cells is critical for biased signaling induced by thrombin versus activated Protein C, an anti-coagulant protease. Thrombin-activated PAR1 coupled to G-proteins and induced endothelial barrier permeability. In contrast, APC-activated PAR1 signaled preferentially through beta-arrestins to promote endothelial barrier stabilization, which required compartmentalization in caveolae. These studies reveal two different mechanisms that regulate GPCR biased signaling from inside and outside of the cell. In addition to her research, Dr. JoAnn Trejo is an experienced educator and leader of diversity efforts. She will also discuss the untapped potential: diversity and the advancement of science.
Some new results on the design of codes for inter-symbol interference channels based on convergence of turbo equalization

It is well-known that iterative equalization/decoding offers good coding gains for intersymbol interference (ISI) channels. Recently, precoded ISI channels have been considered with turbo equalization which results in significant interleaving gains due to the recursive nature of precoded ISI channels. This paper presents new results pertaining to the design of codes for precoded ISI channels. An analytical proof is presented to show that precoding results in a loss in reliability during the first iteration for all 2-tap ISI channels. We compute the ratio of probability of error between nonprecoded and precoded ISI channels, which is closely related to the reliability, via a recursion. Based on this and the convergence properties of precoded and non-precoded channels, it is shown that by using a mixture of precoded and non-precoded parts, better performance can be achieved. Due to the recursiveness introduced from precoding, the codes required to achieve good performance are very simple codes and, hence, the resulting schemes provide good bit error rate performance at low receiver complexity.
Adaptive control for tilt-wing VTOL UAV

Control of complex Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft traversing from hovering to wing born flight mode and back poses notoriously difficult modeling, simulation, control, and flight-testing challenges. This paper provides an overview of a robust adaptive control for autonomous flight of the GL- 10 tilt-wing, tilt-tail, long endurance, VTOL aircraft control system. The GL-10 prototype aircraft efficiently combines two challenging mission objectives: long endurance and VTOL capability. The primary challenge for this project is not proving the basic aircraft configuration feasibility, as tilt-wings do indeed fly, but developing the flight control and flight test feasibility given schedule, resource constraints, and additional complexity from concurrent development for portions of the conceptual design, fabrication, and control development. The flight control system challenges are characterized by large flight envelope, highly nonlinear dynamics through transition regime and loiter requirement at just below the stall angle-of-attack while dealing with a sparse aerodynamics database resulting in large uncertainties. An L1 robust adaptive control was chosen to deal with these challenges. The paper present control law development and flight test results for the GL-10 VTOL tilt-wing, tilt-tail distributed propulsion UAV.
Long‐term Adverse Health Consequences from Exposure to Products Generated from Major Disaster Sites

Major disasters have been a constant reality since ancient times, repeatedly causing disruption, illness and death. This review presents epidemiological evidence regarding long-term health effects from a selection of major disasters, which represent some of the more thoroughly studied events in history. The World Trade Center disaster, Bhopal and Seveso chemical releases, Chernobyl nuclear accident and Mount St. Helens and Soufriere Hills volcanic eruptions are discussed in some detail. While this review provides an overview of potential long-term health outcomes from several types of disasters, it also illustrates the gaps in knowledge that exist for some of these events. There exists a relative lack of research on long-term health effects for many types of disasters. By illuminating these issues, this review may help to emphasize the importance of focussing efforts and available resources on the study of long-term health effects related to future disasters. Keywords: disasters; long-term health effects; terrorism; chemical disaster; nuclear disaster; volcanic disaster; World Trade Center; Bhopal; Seveso; Chernobyl; Mount St. Helens; Soufriere Hills
A framework for classifying and comparing distributed hillslope and catchment hydrologic models

[1] The term distributed model is widely applied to describe hydrologic models that can simulate broad classes of pathways of water through space, e.g., overland flow, saturated groundwater flow, and/or unsaturated flow in the vadose zone. Because existing distributed modeling approaches differ substantially from one another, we present a common framework from which to compare the many existing hillslope- and catchment-scale models. To provide a context for understanding the structure of the current generation of distributed models, we briefly review the history of hydrologic modeling. We define relevant modeling terms and describe common physical, analytical, and empirical approaches for representing hydrologic processes in the subsurface, surface, atmosphere, and biosphere. We then introduce criteria for classifying existing distributed models based on the nature of their process representation, solution scheme, coupling between the surface and subsurface, and treatment of space and time. On the basis of these criteria we describe 19 representative distributed models and discuss how process, scale, solution, and logistical considerations can be incorporated into model selection and application.
An efficient two dimensional moving average model for texture analysis and synthesis

A linear 2D moving average model which serves a dual purpose in the analysis and synthesis of stochastic texture is presented. This model is based on the assumption that a stochastic texture is produced by convolving an uncorrelated random field with a 2D filter which completely characterizes the texture. A simple and effective algorithm, involving the computation of arithmetic average, is developed to determine the parameters of the 2D filter from a given texture image. A major advantage of this algorithm is its insensitivity to additive noise, such as measurement error and quantization noise by which the image data is in general seriously contaminated. The 2D filter can be convolved with an uncorrelated random field to generate another image, distinctly different from the one given, that has the general visual characteristics as well as the first- and second-order statistics of the original image. Several synthetic images of real-life textures generated by this method are presented. >
Abstract 121: Testing Frequency Of Guideline-recommended Diabetes Performance Measures In A Cohort Of Post-acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) Diabetics.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is common among patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Although guideline-supported performance measures exist to improve care for each condition, prior work assessing the quality of care for diabetic patients after AMI has focused only on adherence to CAD performance measures. The quality of diabetic care these patients’ receive is unknown. Methods: Using data from a prospective AMI registry (TRIUMPH), we identified patients with known DM and examined whether DM-focused performance measures had been applied over the 12 months after discharge. We focused upon 3 DM guideline-supported performance measures: a dilated eye exam, detailed foot exam, and HgbA1C testing. For this analysis, we conducted univariate statistics to describe the frequencies with which diabetics reported receiving these DM performance measures and 4 CAD performance measures at their 12-month interview. Results: Among 1,343 patients with a known diagnosis of diabetes presenting with an AMI, a total of 791 (58.9%) completed the 12-month follow up interview. The mean age (SD) of the analytic cohort was 6111 years, with 60% being males and 63% Caucasian. The frequencies of reported receipt among the examined DM and CAD performance measures ranged from 57.3%- 82.2%, with ASA being the most common and a dilated eye exam being the least (Figure). Only 47% of patients reported receiving all three DM performance measures over the past 12 months, while 41.1% reported receiving either one or two, and 12% reported receiving none. Conclusion: In a large, multi-center cohort of diabetic AMI survivors we found that patient-reported receipt of 3 DM and 4 CAD performance measures is sub-optimal and there is significant room for improvement. Novel strategies and approaches for assessing the quality of care delivered to post-AMI diabetics in a multidimensional fashion remains vital for improving care and outcomes in this high-risk group of patients. Characters: 1,683 + figure 500. Limit 2,500 ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
A behavioral model of the IGBT for circuit simulation

The configuration of the Hammerstein model, which includes a nonlinear static block followed by a linear dynamic block, is applied to model the dynamics of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). Using least-squares methods, the parameters in the proposed behavioral model can be extracted from the electrical measurements of physical devices or from the circuit simulations of physics-based models. In this work, a physics-based IGBT model is used for extracting the model parameters and for comparison. This Hammerstein-like model structure of the behavioral model gives satisfactory simulation results for various test circuits in terms of efficiency and accuracy. >
An atypical melanocytic lesion without genomic abnormalities shows locoregional metastasis

A subset of difficult melanocytic lesions exists with histopathologic features that evade diagnostic consensus from even expert dermatopathologists. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has emerged as a useful diagnostic tool to categorize these lesions, by identifying known chromosomal aberrations in malignant melanoma or the lack thereof in melanocytic nevi. However, determining a lesion's biological behavior primarily on CGH is limited by a relatively small series of corroborative cases without long term follow up. We present a case of a pigmented lesion on the right cheek of a 4 year old boy. The lesion had features of a deep penetrating nevus, but the presence of frequent mitoses, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and microscopic foci of tumor necrosis were concerning for an unusual melanoma. We termed this lesion a melanocytic tumor of uncertain potential (MELTUMP) for these reasons. High-resolution array-CGH performed elsewhere on the lesion demonstrated no melanoma-associated genomic abnormalities. A sentinel lymph node biopsy of this patient later revealed multiple small tumor deposits. Although the presence of nodal involvement in similar lesions often do not lead to progressive and fatal disease, this case illustrates that atypical melanocytic lesions with nodal involvement may not demonstrate genomic abnormalities by CGH, and that histopathologic assessment remains paramount in defining these difficult melanocytic lesions. Further comprehensive study of these lesions is needed.
Magnetic pollen grains as sorbents for facile removal of organic pollutants in aqueous media.

Plant materials have long been demonstrated to sorb organic compounds. However, there are no known reports about pollen grains acting as sorbents to remove hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from contaminated waters. We report a facile and effective method to remove HOCs from water using magnetized short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen grains. We dispersed the magnetized pollen grains in two different water samples – deionized (DI) and natural storm water to mimic real environmental conditions likely to be encountered during treatment. The magnetized pollen grains were readily separated from the aqueous media via a magnetic field after adsorption of the HOCs. We measured the adsorption of five representative HOCs (acenaphthene, phenanthrene, atrazine, diuron, and lindane) onto magnetized ragweed pollen in different aqueous matrices. We demonstrate that the adsorption capacity of the magnetized ragweed pollen can be regenerated to a large extent for reuse as a sorbent. Our results also indicate that the magnetized pollen grains are as effective as activated carbon (AC) in removing HOCs from both types of contaminated waters. The high HOC sorption of the ragweed pollen allows it to have potential remediation application in the field under realistic conditions.