cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Localization of Tctex-1, a Cytoplasmic Dynein Light Chain, to the Golgi Apparatus and Evidence for Dynein Complex Heterogeneity

To date, much attention has been focused on the heavy and intermediate chains of the multisubunit cytoplasmic dynein complex; however, little is known about the localization or function of dynein light chains. In this study, we find that Tctex-1, a light chain of cytoplasmic dynein, localizes predominantly to the Golgi apparatus in interphase fibroblasts. Immunofluorescent staining reveals striking juxtanuclear staining characteristic of the Golgi apparatus as well as nuclear envelope and punctate cytoplasmic staining that often decorates microtubules. Tctex-1 colocalization with Golgi compartment markers, its distribution upon treatment with various pharmacological agents, and the cofractionation of Tctex-1-associated membranes with Golgi membranes are all consistent with a Golgi localization. The distribution of Tctex-1 in interphase cells only partially overlaps with the dynein intermediate chain and p150Glued upon immunofluorescence, but most of Tctex-1 is redistributed onto mitotic spindles along with other dynein/dynactin subunits. Using sequential immunoprecipitations, we demonstrate that there is a subset of Tctex-1 not associated with the intermediate chain at steady state; the converse also appears to be true. Distinct populations of dynein complexes are likely to exist, and such diversity may occur in part at the level of their light chain compositions.
Effect of Charcoal Quantity on Microbial Biomass and Activity in Temperate Soils

Wildfi re-produced charcoal is a common component of soils, affecting a range of important abiotic and biotic soil processes. Our ability to predict the effects of charcoal addition to soil is currently limited, however, by our understanding of how charcoal affects the soil microbial community mediating many of these processes. This study sought to improve our understanding of the relationship between charcoal addition and soil microbial biomass and activity among temperate soils. Charcoal was added to four distinct temperate soils, a Mollisol, an Alfi sol, an Entisol, and a Spodosol, at fi ve application levels ranging from 0 to 0.1 kg charcoal kg −1 soil, and incubated at 25°C with measurements at approximately 0, 1.5, and 3 mo. We hypothesized that microbial biomass and activity would increase with increasing charcoal application in all soils, but the relative magnitude of the response would depend on the texture and fertility of each soil. As hypothesized, microbial biomass and activity and Bray P increased signifi cantly with increasing charcoal application, while extractable N decreased. The coniferous forest soil provided a notable exception to the general patterns of N availability, having the highest total extractable N at the highest charcoal application level. Our results suggest that charcoal additions affected microbial biomass, microbial activity, and nutrient availability in relatively similar ways in all four soils that we studied, suggesting considerable predictability in response to charcoal application. Differences in the magnitude of the microbial response, however, appeared dependent on differences in nutrient availability among soils.
A proposed passive multiple-beam antenna

Layers with equivalent refractive indices less than unity behave as angular low-pass spatial filters for plane waves. The layers are also capable of supporting leaky waves. The way these properties may be employed in the design of a passive multiple-beam antenna is indicated.
Identifying Calcium-Binding Sites with Oxygen-Carbon Shell Geometric and Chemic Criteria-A Graph-Based Approach

Identifying calcium-binding sites in proteins help acknowledge protein functions. We thus developed a graph theory and geometry approach to improve the accuracy for predicting calcium-binding sites, we enhance our previous approach at a high level to find biggest local oxygen clusters with a graph algorithm to find maximal cliques and propose a new geometric criterion embedding the bidentate property to filter non calcium-binding oxygen clusters. In addition, we apply some motifs of residue combinations as another filter to exclude non calcium-binding oxygen clusters possibly formed by hydrogen bonds and obtain higher site selectivity without trading off site sensitivity. The experiments demonstrate good predictive performance on both old and new datasets.
The prenatal development of the human eye.

Abstract The development of the human eye during the embryonic period proper (first 8 postovulatory weeks) is summarized, with particular emphasis on embryonic stages. The fetal period has not been staged, and a detailed account of the development of the eye, based on a closely graded series and incorporating the most recent results based on electron microscopy, is not yet available. Pertinent studies, however, are reviewed with particular reference to the sclera, cornea, lens, anterior chamber, vitreous body, choroid, ciliary body, iris, and retina. It is emphasized that much further work remains to be done, particularly with reference to the fetal period.
A waveplate hinge model for PMD in installed fibers

We propose a waveplate hinge model to characterize anisotropic effects in the hinge model of polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). We compute the outage probability of an individual frequency band using a combination of importance sampling and the cross-entropy method, and the non-compliant capacity ratio by averaging over wavelength bands. We show that there are significant differences between the outage statistics predicted by isotropic and anisotropic hinge models.
Two dimensional wheeled vehicle kinematics

This paper develops a fundamental theory of two dimensional wheeled vehicle kinematics. The author first analyzes rigid body robot 2D motions so that a mixture of translational and rotational motions is considered to be a purely rotational motion with its center. Next the author defines the class of tangential motions. Motions in this class are relatively easy to execute by vehicles normally available. A curve with discontinuous curvature is not appropriate for tangential motions for any vehicle architecture. The most important finding in this paper is that any general motion is embodied by an SS type vehicle which does not use any special tires or special complex mechanisms. >
Accessibility of zero-input limit cycles

The notion of accessibility, introduced by Claasen et al., has been very helpful in determining properties of zero-input limit cycles in digital filters. In this paper we show that accessibility places restrictions on the error sequences introduced at the quantizers. Both 2's complement rounding and truncation, with one and two quantizers, are investigated. These results provide a very simple method for determining whether a particular limit cycle is accessible. It is also shown that large limit cycles are likely to be accessible. For the case with two quantizers, the error sequence constraints are used to derive conditions on the amplitudes of accessible limit cycles. Finally, it is shown that only certain states of a filter can directly access a limit cycle.
Homocysteine and schizophrenia: from prenatal to adult life

Homocysteine is becoming increasingly recognized as an important substance in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this review, we first present background information supporting a role for homocysteine in schizophrenia. We then discuss our work on the role of hyperhomocystinemia during adulthood and risk of schizophrenia, and present preliminary evidence on a potential relationship between prenatal homocysteine and schizophrenia. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for future work on nutritional etiologies of schizophrenia.
“…They Gave Hebron, The City of Refuge…” (Joshua 21:13): An Archaeological Reconnaissance at Hebron, Labrador

Abstract The site of the Moravian Mission community at Hebron (established in 1830–1831) on the north Labrador coast is arguably one of the premier historic properties in Atlantic Canada. Its standing architecture testifies to an impressive social experiment that inextricably linked the history of the Moravian Church with the indigenous Inuit of Labrador. Hebron's stunning landscape and prolific natural resources have provided spiritual and economic sustenance for Inuit, Paleoeskimo, and Indian peoples for millennia preceding the arrival of European mercantile and proselytizing interests. In this paper, we use the archaeological data from Inuit houses and middens collected during a 1990 reconnaissance at Hebron in conjunction with Moravian written sources to offer a more nuanced interpretation of Inuit-Moravian interaction. Historical archaeology has a powerful potential to affirm “traditional” and core community values and instill an awareness and pride in community identity. Conducted as part of a growi...
On the design of a special-purpose digital control processor

This paper examines the design of a special-purpose digital processor targeted for linear-regulator control system implementation, and monolithic microelectronic fabrication. In order to improve the computational dynamic range, accuracy, and speed of this digital control processor (DCP), a logarithmic arithmetic is selected. This selection is based upon an examination of DCP data wordlength requirements which are in turn estimated from computational dynamic range and accuracy considerations. DCP arithmetic implementation and architecture are also examined, and the selection of a logarithmic arithmetic is seen to be advantageous from these viewpoints. Finally, contemporary microcomputer technology is used to estimate DCP computational speed. When compared to microcomputers, the proposed DCP appears to allow a computational speed increase in excess of 300-fold while maintaining an equivalent computational accuracy and dynamic range.
An architecture for supporting geomulticast services in mobile ad-hoc wireless networks

We propose an architecture for supporting geomulticast services with high message delivery ratio in mobile ad-hoc networks. Since in ad hoc networks there is no fixed infrastructure as in cellular networks, we use mobility based clustering to cluster the various mobile nodes. We describe several geomulticast zone formulation and representation methods that present trade offs between accuracy, simplicity and cost effectiveness. Moreover we propose a direction guided routing (DGR) protocol which creates a cluster-head based limited mesh structure within a guided region, in order to deliver packets with reliability and reduced overhead to the final destinations. Finally the performance evaluation of the proposed architecture is achieved via modeling and simulation.
Psychedelics and the human receptorome.

We currently understand the mental effects of psychedelics to be caused by agonism or partial agonism of 5-HT2A (and possibly 5-HT2C) receptors, and we understand that psychedelic drugs, especially phenylalkylamines, are fairly selective for these two receptors. This manuscript is a reference work on the receptor affinity pharmacology of psychedelic drugs. New data is presented on the affinity of twenty-five psychedelic drugs at fifty-one receptors, transporters, and ion channels, assayed by the National Institute of Mental Health – Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (NIMH-PDSP). In addition, comparable data gathered from the literature on ten additional drugs is also presented (mostly assayed by the NIMH-PDSP). A new method is introduced for normalizing affinity (Ki) data that factors out potency so that the multi-receptor affinity profiles of different drugs can be directly compared and contrasted. The method is then used to compare the thirty-five drugs in graphical and tabular form. It is shown that psychedelic drugs, especially phenylalkylamines, are not as selective as generally believed, interacting with forty-two of forty-nine broadly assayed sites. The thirty-five drugs of the study have very diverse patterns of interaction with different classes of receptors, emphasizing eighteen different receptors. This diversity of receptor interaction may underlie the qualitative diversity of these drugs. It should be possible to use this diverse set of drugs as probes into the roles played by the various receptor systems in the human mind.
Ambulatory percutaneous endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Objective Percutaneous endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (PEVAR) has been associated with fewer groin wound complications and shorter operative times, but same-day discharge (SDD) has not been reported. The goal of our article is to assess the feasibility and safety of ambulatory PEVAR and identify patient characteristics that are eligible for this approach. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) between March 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed. SDD was discussed during the preoperative visit with patients who were functionally independent, without significant comorbidities, and had favorable anatomy. These patients were given the option to be discharged in the evening of the PEVAR after 6 hours of bed rest if the procedure was uneventful. Causes for discharge delay and early outcomes were analyzed. Results During the study period, 79 patients underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, 64 of whom (mean age, 70.2 ± 9.9; range, 59-97) had elective EVAR (3 ruptures, 5 acute presentations, 3 fenestrated EVARs, 4 elective open AAA repairs were excluded). Fifty-three patients (83%) had bilateral percutaneous access, seven had unilateral percutaneous (11%) access, and the remaining four (6%) had bilateral femoral endarterectomies. The percutaneous closure success rate was 96% in 113 attempts (three conversions for inadequate hemostasis, one for inability to deploy device). Mean length of stay was 1.3 ± 1.4 days (median, 1 day) with no 30-day mortality. Twenty-one patients (33%) were discharged the same day (SDD group), 24 (37%) on postoperative day (POD) 1, 16 (25%) on POD 2/3, and 3 (5%) stayed ≥4 days. One patient in the SDD group was readmitted on POD 3 after EVAR for severe postimplantation syndrome. Of the 23 patients who were discharged on POD 1, 10 were kept overnight due to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, or advanced age, three transportation issues, two inability to void, two patient preference, two for renal protection, and four due to unplanned femoral cutdown. Patients in the SDD group were significantly younger (66.5 ± 5.4 years vs 72.0 ± 10.6 years; P = .029), had smaller AAAs (5.3 ± 0.5 cm vs 5.9 ± 1.0 cm; P = .013), less blood loss (115 ± 90 mL vs 232 ± 198 mL; P = .012), and shorter operating time (79 ± 24 minutes vs 121 ± 73 minutes; P = .013). There were fewer American Society of Anesthesiologists 4 patients in the SDD group (24% vs 48%; P = .056). The majority (81%) of patients in all groups had general anesthesia (86% vs 79% SDD vs others; P = .523). Conclusions Ambulatory PEVAR was found to be feasible and safe in one-third of patients undergoing elective EVAR who did not have excessive medical risk, had good functional capacity, and underwent an uneventful procedure. The impact of SDD on cost-effectiveness needs to be further assessed and may not be feasible in hospitals reimbursed based on admission status.
The Politics of Assessment: Water and Sanitation MDGs in the Middle East

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is generally considered to be making adequate progress towards meeting Target 10 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which calls for halving the proportion of the population with inadequate access to drinking water and sanitation. Progress towards achieving Target 10 is evaluated by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), run by UNICEF and WHO. This article shows that the assessment methodologies employed by the JMP significantly overstate coverage rates in the drinking water and sanitation sectors, by overlooking and ‘not counting’ problems of access, affordability, quality of service and pollution. The authors show that states in MENA often fail to provide safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services, particularly in densely populated informal settlements, and that many centralized water and sanitation infrastructures contribute to water pollution and contamination. Despite the glaring gap between the MDG statistics and the evidence available from national and local reports, exclusionary political regimes in the region have had few incentives to adopt more accurate assessments and improve the quality of service. While international organizations have proposed some reforms, they too lack incentives to employ adequate measures that gauge access, quality and affordability of drinking water and sanitation services.
Studies of DNA polymerases alpha and beta from cultured human cells in various replicative states

DNA polymerase activities from HeLa cells and from cultured diploid human fibroblasts in various growth states were compared. alpha-Polymerase activities from log phase fibroblasts treated with sodium butyrate and from stationary phase HeLa cells had DEAE-cellulose elution patterns that differed from those of polymerases from dividing cells. Moreover, alpha- and beta-polymerases from nondividing cells replicated synthetic polymers less faithfully. Although similar changes were observed previously for polymerases from late-passage and postconfluent early passage fibroblasts, amounts of alpha-polymerase activity recovered from nondividing cells in this study did not dramatically decline as they had in the former cases. The alpha-polymerase activities from HeLa cells and fibroblasts in various growth states sedimented near 7.5S in 0.4 M KCI and could be inhibited by a monoclonal IgG fraction prepared against KB cell alpha-polymerase. By several criteria, there was no significant differences in levels of UV-stimulated repair synthesis observed in early or late-passage postconfluent fibroblasts or in log phase fibroblasts treated with sodium butyrate. In summary, levels of alpha-polymerase do not necessarily correlate either with replicative activity or with apparent levels of repair synthesis. However, cells with decreased replicative activity always yielded enzyme with decreased fidelity in vitro and altered chromatographic behavior. It appears, therefore, that the alterations observed for alpha-polymerase from late-passage cells may be attributed more generally to the nondividing nature of these cells.
RADAR: an in-building RF-based user location and tracking system

The proliferation of mobile computing devices and local-area wireless networks has fostered a growing interest in location-aware systems and services. In this paper we present RADAR, a radio-frequency (RF)-based system for locating and tracking users inside buildings. RADAR operates by recording and processing signal strength information at multiple base stations positioned to provide overlapping coverage in the area of interest. It combines empirical measurements with signal propagation modeling to determine user location and thereby enable location-aware services and applications. We present experimental results that demonstrate the ability of RADAR to estimate user location with a high degree of accuracy.
TRANSPORT AS A RATE LIMITING STEP IN GLUCOSE METABOLISM IN VIRUS-TRANSFORMED CELLS: STUDIES WITH CYTOCHALASIN B

Steady-state kinetic tracer analysis and two-dimensional chromatography and autoradiography were used to examine the relation of glucose transport to its metabolism in cultured chick embryo fibroblasts. Cytochalasin B was added to Rous sarcoma virus-infected cells to bring the rate of glucose uptake to the level of uninfected cells. It is concluded for chick cells in culture that: (1) the transport of glucose, rather than its phosphorylation, is the rate limiting step and (2) the difference in aerobic glycolysis between normal and virus-transformed cells at physiological glucose concentration may be a consequence of the difference in the rates of glucose uptake.
The effect of maternal glucose administration on the specificity of the nonstress test.

Abstract To determine whether maternal glucose administration can decrease the incidence of false positive nonstress tests, 296 nonstress tests were performed on 235 high-risk obstetric patients in a prospective controlled study. Patients were alternately given a 50 gm oral glucose drink or an equal volume of water 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each test. Among “fed” patients (last meal within 2 hour of the nonstress test) whether receiving glucose or water, and “fasted” patients who received glucose, there was no significant difference in the percentage of reactive tests at either 20 minutes (65.2%) or 40 minutes (87.3%) of testing. However, patients fasting and receiving water had a significantly decreased percentage of reactive tests, both at 20 minutes (48.3%, P
CasFinder: Flexible algorithm for identifying specific Cas9 targets in genomes

CRISPR/Cas9 systems enable many molecular activities to be efficiently directed in vivo to user-specifiable DNA sequences of interest, including generation of dsDNA cuts and nicks, transcriptional activation and repression, and fluorescence. CRISPR targeting relies on base pairing of short RNA transcripts with their target DNA sequences that must also be adjacent to fixed DNA motifs. However, rules for Cas9 targeting specificity are incompletely known. With increasing numbers of Cas9 systems being developed and deployed in more and more organisms, there is now strong need for a flexible and rational method for finding Cas9 sites with low off-targeting potential. We address this through the CasFinder system, which we demonstrate by generating human and mouse exome-wide catalogs of specific sites for three varieties of Cas9 - S. pyogenes, S. thermophilus (ST1), and N. meningitidis - that each target 56-74% of all exons. We also generate reduced sets of up to 3 targets per gene for use in high-throughput Cas9-based gene knockout screens that target 75-80% of all genes.
Beyond Coverage: Teaching for Understanding in the Music History Classroom

Music historians face the problem of an enlarging amount of material which must be “covered” in the music history survey courses that emphasizes the transmission of knowledge from instructor to student, typically focusing on surface detail in order to get through the material. Facts are easy to come by in the information age, and I argue that music students need music history teachers to provide them with the tools to assess the validity of facts, to weigh their significance, and to deploy them in everyday activities which all types of musicians undertake. The first half of this paper reviews pedagogical methodologies from other disciplines that I have found helpful in addressing these priorities in music history survey courses: “uncoverage;” “backward design” (as described in the work of Grant Wiggins and Jay McTiegh); Lee Schulmnan’s concept of “Signature Pedagogies;” and new approaches to assessment. The second half of the essay describes how I apply those ideas in teaching with a developmental model for music history and a composition assignment using the concept of isorhythm.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse---Vaginal and Laparoscopic Mesh: The Evidence

This report summarizes the current literature on abdominal, laparoscopic, and transvaginal mesh for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. This article reviews objective and subjective cure rates as well as complications associated with synthetic mesh use for pelvic organ prolapse repair. The focus is on the latest literature that provides evidence for when synthetic mesh use is most appropriate. The use of mesh for the repair of urinary incontinence is not reviewed in this article.
Using domain knowledge to systematically guide feature selection

The effectiveness of machine learning models can often be improved by feature selection as a preprocessing step. Often this is a data driven process only and can result in models that may not correspond to true relationships present in the data set due to overfitting. In this work, we propose leveraging known relationships between variables to constrain and guide feature selection. Using commonalities across domains, we provide a framework for the user to express model constraints while still making the feature selection process data driven and sensitive to actual relationships in the data.
Accumulation of Nicotine in the Uterine Fluid of the Six-Day Pregnant Rabbit*

In 6-day pregnant New Zealand White rabbits dosed intravenously with 3 H-nicotine, the 3 H-activity in the uterine fluid was approximately 5 to 11 times greater than that in the plasma at the corresponding times; 3 H-nicotine itself accounted for most of this radioactivity. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) also accumulated in the uterine luminal fluid of 6-day pregnant rabbits, but to a lesser extent. However, nicotine or DDT accumulation did not occur in similarly treated, nonpregnant rabbits. The radioactivity in the uterine fluid of rabbits treated with 14 C-isoniazid, salicylic acid, barbital, antipyrine, and caffeine was not different from that in the plasma (uterine fluid to plasma radioactivity ratios ranged between 0.67 and 1.85) in both 6-day pregnant and nonpregnant rabbits. No differences in regard to nicotine metabolism, volume of distribution, plasma disappearance, plasma protein binding, or urinary excretion were found between 6-day pregnant and nonpregnant rabbits. Accumulation of nicotine took place in the uterine luminal fluid of nonpregnant does pretreated with either progesterone or human chorionic gonadotropin, but did not occur in does pretreated with estrogen. It is possible that the accumulation of nicotine in uterine fluid of pregnant does and in human chorionic gonadotropin- or progesterone-pretreated nonpregnant does is due to the binding of nicotine to specific uterine fluid proteins.
Is age a risk factor for surgery

The question of age as a risk factor for surgery is complicated. There are many factors that have an impact on mortality rates in surgical care of the elderly. The most important of these are the physiologic changes with aging, underlying disease states, the type of procedures performed, and whether the procedure is performed as an emergency. Although there are many risks in performing surgery in elderly patients, there are many patients who do well and benefit from undergoing surgical procedures. Age alone should never be used as the criterion to deny surgery indicated in an elderly patient.
Formulation and Equipment Effects on Application of a Viral (Baculovirus heliothis) Insecticide

Several formulations of the nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) of Heliothis were evaluated against the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), by using 2 nozzle-pressure combinations. TX-4 nozzles operating at 373 kPa were more effective than TX-1 nozzles at 552 kPa for applying an aqueous suspension of NPY (without thickeners or sunlight protectants). A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-Shade® formulation of NPV was more effective against bollworm larvae than a mineral oil emulsion, PVA, or 2 aqueous suspensions of NPV. An aqueous suspension of NPV without a wetting agent (Triton® CS-7) was more efficient than a suspension with a wetting agent. NPV formulations containing PVA plus Shade or Keltose® plus Shade were equally effective in their initial activity against bollworm larvae and also in protecting deposits of NPV from sunlight. The addition of sucrose did not improve the effectiveness of the PVA-Shade formulation of NPV but did benefit the Keltose-Shade suspension of NPV.
Abstract 4948: Uncovering microRNA and transcription factor-mediated regulatory network in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal brain tumor in humans. Recent studies revealed that patterns of microRNA (miRNA) expression in GBM tissue samples are different from that in normal brain tissues, suggesting that a number of miRNAs play critical roles in the pathogenesis of GBM. However, little is yet known about which miRNAs play central roles in the pathology of GBM and their regulatory mechanisms of action. In this study, we systematically explored the combinatory regulation of miRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) impacting GBM genes. We compiled GBM-related miRNAs, genes, and TFs and then identified 1,128 3-node feed-forward loops (FFLs) and 805 4-node FFLs with statistical significance. These FFLs were converged to construct a comprehensive GBM-specific miRNA-TF mediated regulatory network and, from which, an essential GBM-specific regulatory network. To further identify critical miRNA components in the GBM regulatory network, we specifically extracted a subnetwork for Notch signaling pathway. Our follow up network and functional association analyses revealed that six miRNAs (miR-124, miR-137, miR-219-5p, miR-34a, miR-9, and miR-92b) might play important roles in GBM, including some supported by previous studies. This study has generated the first comprehensive miRNA-TF regulatory network for GBM, providing a valuable resource for further understanding the complex regulatory mechanisms in GBM. Our findings of important miRNAs in the Notch signaling pathway, with partial verification by previous studies, demonstrates that our network-based approach is promising for identifying new and important miRNAs in GBM and, potentially, other cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4948. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4948
Cortical Malformations in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Different types of malformations of cortical development in three cases of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) are reported from the University of Siena, Italy.
Stimuli-Responsive Iron-Cross-Linked Hydrogels That Undergo Redox-Driven Switching between Hard and Soft States

A unique class of stimuli-responsive hydrogels, termed electroplastic elastomers (EPEs), whose mechanical properties can be reversibly tuned between hard and soft states with the application of an electric potential, is described. Electrochemically reversible cross-links formed within a permanent, covalently cross-linked polymeric hydrogel network are switched between strongly binding Fe3+ and weak to nonbinding Fe2+, as determined by potentiometric titration. With the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) into the EPE, a significant enhancement in modulus and toughness was observed, allowing for the preparation of thinner EPE samples, 80–100 μm in thickness, which could be reversibly cycled between soft (Young’s modulus: ∼0.38 MPa) and hard (∼2.3 MPa) states over 30 min. Further characterization of EPE samples by magnetic susceptibility measurements suggests the formation of multinuclear iron clusters within the gel.
A Fe-C Coated Long-Period Fiber Grating Sensor for Corrosion-Induced Mass Loss Measurement

This Letter reports a Fe-C coated long period fiber gratings sensor with a grating period of 387±0.1 μm for corrosion monitoring of low carbon steel in a 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution. An LPFG sensor was first deposited with a 0.8 μm thick layer of silver (Ag) and then electroplated with a 20 μm thick Fe-C coating. The chemical composition of the Fe-C coating was designed to include the main elements of low carbon steel. The resonant wavelength of the coated sensor was correlated with the mass loss of steel over time. Test results indicated a corrosion sensitivity of 0.0423 nm per 1% mass loss up to 80% Fe-C mass loss and 0.576 nm per 1% mass loss between 80% and 95% Fe-C mass loss. The corrosion sensitivity of such a Fe-C coated LPFG sensor was a trade-off for the service life of the sensor, both depending on thicknesses of the inner silver layer and the outer Fe-C coating.
RTA and China’s Export Potentials: Modifications on the Gravity Model

The gravity model has testified the judgment that participating in RTA will promote a country’s trade potentials. This paper analyzed the different effects of RTA from the perspectives of trade volume and product category. The author stressed that a country should combine the conclusion of trade shortage or trade excess in the gravity model with the comparative advantages and export income channels to better guide China’s RTA strategy .
Cushing's syndrome: a tripartite entity.

The three distinct etiologies of Cushing's syndrome usually reflect the presence of a neoplasm, most often but not necessarily of the pituitary, and all ultimately result in hypercortisolism. Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment have vastly improved the outlook for many patients. Several therapeutic options are outlined, the success which depends on accurate identification of the cause of hypercortisolism.
Characterization of a PGA-Based Scaffold for Use in a Tissue-Engineered Neo-Urinary Conduit

A tissue-engineered product needs to be properly characterized in order to be used in vivo. Many methods can be used to characterize a scaffold during creation of a tissue-engineered product. This chapter looks at the mechanical (tensile testing) and biological characterization (cell viability and proliferation) of a polyglycolic acid-based scaffold used to tissue engineer a Neo-Urinary Conduit™. Such methods are more broadly applicable to characterization of other neo-organ product candidates.
Etat actuel des théories statistiques des réactions unimoléculaires

Une breve description de la theorie du quasi-equilibre (T.Q.E.) est donnee . Des methodes de calculs de densites d'etats sont decrites et quelques consequences de la T.Q.E. sur la dissociation des Ions en spectrometrie de masse sont passees en revue. Un second formalisme (la theorie de l'etat de transition) est introduit. Cette theorie qui est basee sur l'Interaction des fragments, est mieux adaptee pour le calcul des energies de rotation et de vibration de ces fragments au cours de la dissociation. La conservation du moment angulaire est prise en compte rigoureusement et l'effet de l'energie rotationnelle sur l'energie cinetique est bien representee.
Design and evaluation of resilient infrastructures systems for smart cities

Cities are rapidly converging toward digital technologies in order to provide advanced information services, efficient management, and resource utilization that will positively impact all aspects of our life and economy. This has led to the proliferation of ubiquitous connectivity to critical infrastructures (electrical grid, utility networks, finance, etc.) that are used to deliver advanced information services to homes, businesses, and government. On the other hand, such smart systems are more complex, dynamic, heterogeneous, and have many vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cyberattacks. Protecting and securing the resources and services of smart cities become critically important due to the disruptive or even potentially life-threatening nature of a failure or attack on smart cities' infrastructures. In this paper we present a resilient architecture that protects smart cities' communications, controls, and computations based on autonomic computing and Moving Target Defense (MTD) techniques. The key idea to achieve resiliency is based on making it extremely difficult for the attackers to figure out the current active execution environments used to run smart city services by randomizing the use of these resources at runtime. We have evaluated and validated our approach by applying a wide range of attacks against our smart infrastructures testbed and demonstrated that the provided services can tolerate with little overhead these attacks.
The performance comparison problem: Universal task access for cross-framework evaluation, Turing tests, grand challenges, and cognitive decathlons

Abstract A driver for achieving human-level AI and high-fidelity cognitive architectures is the ability to easily test and compare the performance and behavior of computational agents/models to humans and to one another. One major difficulty in setting up and getting participation in large-scale cognitive decathlon and grand challenge competitions, or even smaller scale cross-framework evaluation and Turing testing, is that there is no standard interface protocol that enables and facilitates human and computational agent “plug-and-play” participation across various tasks. We identify three major issues. First, human-readable task interfaces aren’t often translated into machine-readable form. Second, in the cases where a task interface is made available in a machine-readable protocol, the protocol is often task-specific, and differs from other task protocols. Finally, where both human and machine-readable versions of the task interface exist, the two versions often differ in content. This makes the bar of entry extremely high for comparison of humans and multiple computational frameworks across multiple tasks. This paper proposes a standard approach to task design where all task interactions adhere to a standard API. We provide examples of how this method can be employed to gather human and computational simulation data in text-and-button tasks, visual and animated tasks, and in real-time robotics tasks.
Diffuse Chorangiomatosis as a Cause of Cardiomegaly, Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia in a Newborn

Introduction: The hallmark of diffuse chorangiomatosis is capillary dysvasculogenesis, diffusely involving the placenta. It can cause massive placental enlargement and may have adverse fetal effect...
Thymectomy for Non-thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis

The recent publication of the first randomized trial of thymectomy versus medical management alone provides the first class I evidence in support of the use of thymectomy in the treatment of non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis. However, many questions remain, including patient selection, its efficacy for different subtypes of MG, timing of surgery, and optimal resection technique. This chapter will provide an overview of the surgical anatomy of the thymus and the various surgical approaches to thymectomy. The available evidence regarding the effect of thymectomy in non-thymomatous MG is reviewed, and recommendations regarding optimal timing, patient selection, and considerations for its role in the different subtypes of MG will be addressed. After a review of the issues surrounding research on thymectomy in MG, a summary of available outcome data of the various resection techniques is provided in addition to limited recommendations regarding the surgical approach of choice. A discussion of perioperative considerations for patient management is included, and recommendations are provided for future research into the surgical management of non-thymomatous MG.
Nondestructive testing of delaminated interfaces between two materials using electromagnetic interrogation

We consider the problem of detecting whether two materials that should be in contact have separated or delaminated using electromagnetic radiation. The interface damage is modeled as a thin opening between two materials of different electromagnetic properties. To derive a reconstruction algorithm that focuses on testing for the delamination at the interface between the two materials, we use the approximate asymptotic model for the forward problem derived in de Teresa (2017 PhD Thesis University of Delaware). In this model, the differential equations in the small opening are replaced by approximate transmission conditions for the electromagnetic fields across the interface. We also assume that the undamaged or background state is known and it is desired to find where the delamination has opened. We adapt the linear sampling method to this configuration in order to locate the damaged part of the interface from a knowledge of the scattered field and the undamaged configuration, but without needing to know the electromagnetic properties of the opening. Numerical examples are presented to validate our algorithm.
IL6, IL11, LIF, OSM, cardiotrophin-1, and CNTF: An example of a cytokine family sharing signal transducing receptor components

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the overlaps and differences in the biological specificities and actions of the different members of the IL6/IL11/LIF/0SM/CT-1/CNTF family. Then it details the specific and shared receptor subunits used by these cytokines which clearly explain the specificity of action of individual members of the family. The chapter also explains how these ligands trigger assembly of their multi-subunit receptor complexes, and how this assembly results in activation of intracellular signaling. Many of the known cytokines and interleukins can be classified as belonging to one of three distinct families. Thus, interleukin-2 (IL2), IL4, IL7, IL9, IL13, and IL15 comprise one family IL3, IL5, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulatory factor (GMCSF) comprise a second family; IL6, IL11, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin M (OSM), cardiotrophin- 1 (CT-1), and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) comprise a third family. Each of these cytokines triggers assembly of their multi-subunit receptor complexes from components that are initially found unassociated on the cell surface. The dimerization of signal transducing receptor components, which occurs during ligand-induced receptor assembly, appears to be the critical step for the initiation of intracellular signaling.
Examining the Child Care Cliff Effect in a Rural Setting

The purpose of this study was to better understand the experience of families accessing government subsidized child care support in a largely rural California county. Of interest was the benefits cliff faced by families when they are offered opportunities for additional wages that will put them over the income limit for subsidized child care – a phenomenon known as the cliff effect. Survey results show that 35% of families report facing the child care cliff. Qualitative interviews with a subset of these families revealed several themes, including administrative hassles and struggling with basic needs. Unique to this study were issues for families with multiple health problems and transportation challenges. With the limited research on low-income families living in rural settings, these results add to recent discussions of unequal access to care, and to the newly emerging understanding of child care deserts.
Personalized Learning Tool for Thermodynamics

This Research-Work-in-Progress presents a significant advance in the development of a personalized learning tool for students of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) who are struggling to learn how to solve difficult word problems. Developing the skill to solve word problems is required to do well on exams, to complete the STEM degree, and to have a successful STEM career. There have been several efforts to develop tools that focus on predefined explanations of concepts or trying to determine the point of error in predefined problems. What is new and different about our tool called Pathway is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to derive multiple solution paths to custom word problems that are created by the student. This paper presents a proof-of-concept of Pathway’s ability to solve word problems; that is, it is the first word-problem solver. The first course we have chosen to apply Pathway to is Engineering Thermodynamics because it is a well-known weed out course, and mechanical engineering has a low 49% retention rate. Presently, Pathway shows students how to set up their word problems and assumptions and describes symbolic step-by-step solutions paths. Once the development of Pathway is complete and fully tested, we will investigate its effect on the exam scores of students. A study conducted with our prior e-learning tool resulted in an increase in exams scores of a letter grade and a half for Engineering Thermodynamics. However, since it used a limited set of predefined word-problems, the tool could not be used by other instructors who cover a different sequence of topics or used by students who want to explore what-if scenarios. Pathway is being developed to address those challenges.
Toroidal effect on runaway vortex and avalanche growth rate

The momentum-space dynamics of runaway electrons in a slab geometry, in terms of both the geometry and topological transition of the runaway vortex when synchrotron radiative damping is taken into account, has recently been shown to play a crucial role in runaway mitigation and avoidance. In a tokamak geometry, magnetic trapping arises from parallel motion along the magnetic field that scales as 1/R in strength with R the major radius. Since the transit time for a runaway electron moving along the field is of order 10−8 s while the collisional time is of ∼0.01 s in ITER-like plasmas, a bounce-averaged formulation can drastically reduce computational cost. Here, the Los Alamos Plasma Simulation – Relativistic Fokker-Planck Solver code's implementation of a bounce-averaged relativistic Fokker-Planck model, along with the essential physics of synchrotron radiation damping and knock-on collisions, is described. It is found that the magnetic trapping can reduce the volume of the runaway vortex as the momentum-space fluxes are strongly modified inside the trapped-region. As a result, the avalanche growth rate is reduced at off-axis locations. In addition to benchmarking with previous calculations that did not take into account radiation damping, we also clarify how synchrotron radiation damping modifies the avalanche growth rate in a tokamak.The momentum-space dynamics of runaway electrons in a slab geometry, in terms of both the geometry and topological transition of the runaway vortex when synchrotron radiative damping is taken into account, has recently been shown to play a crucial role in runaway mitigation and avoidance. In a tokamak geometry, magnetic trapping arises from parallel motion along the magnetic field that scales as 1/R in strength with R the major radius. Since the transit time for a runaway electron moving along the field is of order 10−8 s while the collisional time is of ∼0.01 s in ITER-like plasmas, a bounce-averaged formulation can drastically reduce computational cost. Here, the Los Alamos Plasma Simulation – Relativistic Fokker-Planck Solver code's implementation of a bounce-averaged relativistic Fokker-Planck model, along with the essential physics of synchrotron radiation damping and knock-on collisions, is described. It is found that the magnetic trapping can reduce the volume of the runaway vortex as the momentum-...
A Quantitative Approach for Developing Serious Games for Aptitude and Trait Assessment

We describe a development process for serious games to create psychometrically rigorous measures of individual aptitudes (abilities, skills) and traits (habits, tendencies, behaviors). We begin with a discussion of serious games and how they can instantiate appropriate cognitive states for relevant aptitudes and traits to manifest. This can have numerous advantages over traditional assessment modalities. We then describe the iterative approach to aptitude and trait measurement that emphasizes (1) careful definition and specification of the traits and aptitudes to be measured, (2) rigorous assessment of reliability and validity, and (3) revision of gameplay elements and metrics to improve measurement properties.