cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systematic Investigation of Binders for Silicon Anodes: Interactions of Binder with Silicon Particles and Electrolytes and Effects of Binders on Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation

The effects of different binders, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVdF), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and cross-linked PAA–CMC (c–PAA–CMC), on the cycling performance and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation on silicon nanoparticle electrodes have been investigated. Electrodes composed of Si–PAA, Si–CMC, and Si–PAA–CMC exhibit a specific capacity ≥3000 mAh/g after 20 cycles while Si–PVdF electrodes have a rapid capacity fade to 1000 mAh/g after just 10 cycles. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal that PAA and CMC react with the surface of the Si nanoparticles during electrode fabrication. The fresh Si–CMC electrode has a thicker surface coating of SiOx than Si–PAA and Si–PAA–CMC electrodes, due to the formation of thicker SiOx during electrode preparation, which leads to lower cyclability. The carboxylic acid functional groups of the PAA binder are reactive toward the electrolyte, causing the decomposition of LiPF6 and dissoluti...
MONITORING TECHNOLOGY FOR CRACK DAMAGE OF CONCRETE STRUCTURE BASED ON PIEZOELECTRIC WAVE METHOD

A method based on piezoceramic transducers and a wave analysis method was developed for monitoring crack damage of concrete structures.The monitoring mechanism how crack influences the stress wave propagating in concrete was analyzed.A discriminate method for damage degree was proposed and a damage approximate locating method based on a transducer array was employed according to the characters of civil engineering structures.At last,a validation test was conducted for different reinforced concrete members with the proposed method.Piezoelectric sensors were buried into concrete in form of smart aggregates in pairs.One sensor was used to transmit signals and the other to receive the signals.The damages were monitored and identified by the proposed method.The test results were agreed with the situation of crack damages.It indicates that the proposed method could reflect the developing tendency of damage well and it is suitable to be used for service state mornitoring of concrete structures.
How does cricotracheal resection affect the female voice

ObjectivesWe measured the effects of cricotracheal resection on the adult female voice.MethodsVoice recordings of 14 women (mean age, 53 years; range, 35 to 69 years) who underwent cricotracheal re...
Glucocorticosteroids induce DNA fragmentation in human lymphoid leukemia cells

The present study was undertaken to investigate the potential role of glucocorticoid-induced DNA damage in the lysis of human lymphoid leukemia cells by glucocorticoids. Lymphoblasts were isolated from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in blast crisis and cultured in vitro with or without dexamethasone. DNA was then purified from the cells and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Only high molecular weight (mol wt) DNA was present in cells cultured without dexamethasone, but a ladder of DNA fragments ranging in size from 180 to 200 base pairs (bp) to greater than 1,500 bp was present in cells cultured with dexamethasone. The DNA fragments were multiples of 180 to 200 bp, suggesting an internucleosomal site of DNA cleavage. The same pattern of DNA fragmentation was detected in normal thymocytes isolated from adrenalectomized rats following in vivo treatment with dexamethasone and in S49 mouse thymoma cells after in vitro incubation with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone-induced DNA fragmentation preceded overt loss of viability in glucocorticoid-sensitive cells but was not detected in two variants of the S49 cell line that are glucocorticoid resistant owing to glucocorticoid receptor defects. The results suggest that glucocorticoids kill human lymphoblastic leukemia cells and both normal and malignant murine thymocytes by a common mechanism that involves glucocorticoid induction of an endonucleolytic activity with cleavage of genomic DNA.
Juvenile striatal white matter is resistant to ischemia-induced damage.

White matter injury following ischemic stroke is a major cause of functional disability. Injury to both myelinated axons and oligodendrocytes, the myelin producing cells in the central nervous system, occurs in experimental models of ischemic stroke. Age-related changes in white matter vulnerability to ischemia have been extensively studied and suggest that both the perinatal and the aged periods are times of increased white matter vulnerability. However, sensitivity of white matter following stroke in the juvenile brain has not been evaluated. Interestingly, the late pediatric period is an important developmental stage, as it is the time of maximal myelination. The current study demonstrates that neurons in late pediatric/juvenile striatum are vulnerable to ischemic damage, with neuronal injury being comparable in juvenile and adult mice following ischemia. By contrast, actively myelinating striatal oligodendrocytes in the juvenile brain are resistant to ischemia, whereas adult oligodendrocytes are quite sensitive. As a result, myelin sheaths are remarkably intact and axons survive well in the injured striatum of juvenile mice. In addition to relative resistance of juvenile white matter, other glial responses were very different in juvenile and adult mice following cerebral ischemia, including differences in astrogliosis, fibrosis, NG2-cell reactivity, and vascular integrity. Together, these responses lead to long-term preservation of brain parenchyma in juvenile mice, compared to severe tissue loss and scarring in adult mice. Overall, the current study suggests that equivalent ischemic insults may result in less functional deficit in children compared to adults and an environment more conducive to long-term recovery. GLIA 2016;64:1972–1986
Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec®) Produces Responses in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia is a B-cell disorder characterized by the infiltration of lymphoplasmacytic cells (LPC) in the bone marrow (BM), along with an IgM monoclonal gammopathy. Characteristic of WM is an increased number of mast cells (MC) which are found in association with LPC, and stimulate LPC growth through several TNF-family members including CD40L, APRIL and BLYS (Ann Oncol 17:1275; Blood 104:917A). As such, we have targeted MC in WM. One important growth and survival factor for MC is stem cell factor (SCF), which signals through CD117. Imatinib mesylate blocks SCF signaling through CD117, and induces apoptosis of WM BM MC and LPC, both of which highly express CD117 (Blood 2004; 104:314b). As such, we performed this Phase II study of imatinib mesylate in patients with relapsed and refractory WM. Intended therapy consisted of imatinib mesylate which was initiated at 400 mg po qD over the first month, and subsequently dose escalated to 600 mg po qD for up to 2 years. Dose de-escalation to 300 mg po qD was permitted for toxicity. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled, 27 of whom are eligible for evaluation at final analysis. Median age was 61 (range 33–80 years), and median prior therapies was 2 (range 1–5). Twenty-four and four patients had relapsed and refractory disease, respectively. With a median follow-up of 6.3 months for all evaluable patients, median serum IgM levels declined from 3,110 to 2,530 mg/dL at best response (p=0.002). On an evaluable basis, 7/27 (26%) and 2/27 (7%) of patients attained a ≥25% and ≥50% decrease in serum IgM, respectively. Responses were prompt, and occurred at a median of 2.1 months. The median time to progression for responding patients was 8.4 (range 2–15 months). Hematological toxicities were the most common feature and ≥grade 2 toxicities included anemia (n=12), leucopenia (n=5), edema (n=3), thrombocytopenia (n=2) and neutropenia (n=1). Tryptase levels, which measure mast cell burden, declined in all patients for whom pre- and post-serum was available from 6.7 (range 2.2–10 ng/ml) to 3 (range 1–5.5 ng/ml) (p<0.001) though did not predict response to therapy.The results of this study demonstrate that imatinib mesylate is an active salvage therapy for WM and is associated with decreases in mast cell burden in patients with WM.
Giant tunable Rashba spin splitting in a two-dimensional BiSb monolayer and in BiSb/AlN heterostructures

The search for novel two-dimensional giant Rashba semiconductors is a crucial step in the development of the forthcoming nanospintronic technology. Using first-principles calculations, we study a stable two-dimensional crystal phase of BiSb having buckled honeycomb lattice geometry, which is yet unexplored. The phonon, room temperature molecular dynamics, and elastic constant calculations verify the dynamical and mechanical stability of the monolayer at 0 K and at room temperature. The calculated electronic band structure reveals the direct band gap semiconducting nature of a BiSb monolayer with the presence of a highly mobile two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) near the Fermi level. Inclusion of spin-orbit coupling yields the giant Rashba spin-splitting of a 2DEG near the Fermi level. The calculated Rashba energy and Rashba splitting constant are 13 meV and 2.3 eV\AA{}, respectively, which are amongst the largest yet known Rashba spin splitting parameters in 2D materials. We demonstrate that the strength of the Rashba spin splitting can be significantly tuned by applying in-plane biaxial strain on the BiSb monolayer. The presence of the giant Rashba spin splitting together with the large electronic band gap (1.6 eV) makes this system of peculiar interest for optoelectronics applications. Furthermore, we study the electronic properties of BiSb/AlN heterostructures having a lattice mismatch of 1.3% at the interface. Our results suggest that a BiSb monolayer and BiSb/AlN heterostructure systems could be potentially used to develop highly efficient spin field-effect transistors, optoelectronics, and nanospintronic devices. Thus, this comprehensive study of two-dimensional BiSb systems can expand the range of possible applications in future spintronic technology.
Simultaneous Inhibition of Mcl-1 and XIAP To Induce Apoptosis in AML Cells.

The apoptotic cascade is regulated by both upstream Bcl-2 and the distal IAP family proteins. Mcl-1, a member of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins is highly expressed in various cancer cells. It was reported that its expression is elevated at the time of leukemic relapse (Blood1998;19:991–1000). XIAP, the most potent cellular caspase inhibitor, inhibits both the initiator caspase-9 and the effector caspase-3 and suppresses apoptosis. Our previous study showed that decrease of XIAP by its antisense oligonucleotide enhances Ara-C-induced apoptosis (Leukemia2003;17:2081–2089). In this study, we investigated the regulation of Mcl-1 expression, its potential as a therapeutic target, and apoptosis induction by simultaneous inhibition of Mcl-1 and XIAP in AML cells. We found that like survivin, Mcl-1 protein level is decreased by MEK inhibition in HL-60 and OCI-AML2 cells suggesting that Mcl-1 expression is regulated through the MAPK signaling pathway. However, in contrast to survivin levels, no significant differences in Mcl-1 expression in G0/G1, S, and G2M cells were observed in FACS-sorted HL-60 cells. Downregulation of Mcl-1 by its antisense oligonucleotide (Mcl-1-AS, 20408, ISIS Pharmaceuticals) induced cell death accompanied by decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), caspase activation and annexin V positivity in HL-60 cells, while control oligonucleotide was not toxic. By itself, MEK inhibitor primarily induced G1/G0 cell cycle block and no apoptosis. When combined with Mcl-1-AS, MEK inhibition further decreased Mcl-1 protein levels and significantly increased Mcl-1-AS induced cell death (from 25.8±1.3% to 40±3.8%, p=0.02). Inhibition of XIAP by its antisense oligonucleotide (XIAP-AS, 102369, ISIS Pharmaceuticals) did not induce significant loss of MMP at 24 hrs and slightly increased annexin V positive cells at 48 hrs (14.5%±2.9% dead cells vs. 6.2%±0.72% in XIAP-NS treated cells). However, when combined with Mcl-1 inhibition, significant increases in loss of MMP at 24 hrs and annexin V positive cells at 48 hrs (p=0.003), more than inhibition of each protein alone, was observed indicating that activating the upstream and downstream apoptotic cascade will amplify the caspase activation loop and more efficiently induce cell death. Our study suggests that Mcl-1 is regulated by the MAPK signaling pathway. Its expression is cell cycle independent. Mcl-1 is essential for HL-60 cell survival and simultaneously downregulation of the upstream anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 and the downstream caspase inhibitor XIAP significantly enhances leukemia cell apoptosis.
LOW DIETARY SODIUM INTAKE IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW ENERGY INTAKE AND DIETARY MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED FOR HEART FAILURE

Background: Protein-calorie malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are common and associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that low sodium intake is related to low energy intake and dietary micronutrient deficiencies in elderly HF patients. Methods: In GOURMET-HF
Amplitude modulated instability in reactants plenum of a rotating detonation combustor

Abstract The pronounced interest in rotating detonation combustors (RDC) in recent years has witnessed the investigation of multiple facets of the combustor, like reactants, injection schemes and combustor geometry. The issue of instabilities in RDCs is a nascent field, and requires both the identification, and the subsequent explanation of different instability mechanisms. In particular, we are concerned with the low frequency instability exhibited by the detonation wave. This is attributed to two different types of low frequency instabilities—amplitude and frequency modulated—that are discovered in the air plenum of an RDC, and subsequently discussed. The occurrence of these instabilities is observed to depend on the fuel injection scheme used and the air flow rates through the combustor. The amplitude modulated instability in the air inlet is spatially varying, and rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of the detonation wave. At higher air flow rates, and thus higher pressure ratios across the air injection, this instability disappears. A preliminary hypothesis is proposed to explain this amplitude modulation.
Introductory words about TL1A/DR3.

TL1A, a protein member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily 15 (TNFSF15), signaling through its receptor DR3, has been defined as a master regulatory cytokine that plays a key role in human intestinal inflammation. Recent studies have also defined a critical role for TL1A in the pathogenesis of mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), models of allergic lung inflammation and human rheumatoid arthritis. The initial discovery of TL1A has given way to subsequent genetic, human, and animal investigation at the bench and will reach the bedside in the form of a clinical trial in 2011–2012. Furthermore, TNFSF15 and TL1A fit superbly into the personalized medicine paradigm, in which the combination of genetic, biologic, and micro-environmental information may well combine to inform the design of a therapeutic for the subgroup of Crohn’s disease patients that will be uniquely likely to benefit.
Quantifying interference of krypton produced from neutron irradiation of inclusion-hosted and lattice-coordinated bromine with 40Ar/39Ar geochronology

Abstract Various interfering reactions producing Ar isotopes during neutron irradiation from Cl, Ar, K, and Ca have been previously detailed with the significant ones being routinely corrected for in 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology. Interference of double charged 80 Kr ( 80 Kr ++ ) with 40 Ar has not yet been considered. Significant amounts of 80 Kr are produced during neutron irradiation through the reaction 79 Br(n,β − ) 80 Kr. While previous workers reported a computed fission spectrum averaged cross section of ∼48 mb—compared to ∼113 mb for 39 K(n,p) 39 Ar—we determined a ∼33-fold higher production rate of 80 Kr from Br compared to 39 Ar from K in the CLICIT facility of the OSU reactor. Low-K, high-Br phases, e.g., some amphiboles, and fluid or melt inclusion rich samples are prone to 80 Kr ++ interference biasing 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dates in the ‰ to % range. 80 Kr ++ resembles excess 40 Ar in step-heating experiments. The interference can be corrected for by using the parallel reaction 81 Br(n,β − ) 82 Kr.
Integrating Human-Centered Design and the Agile Development Process for Safety and Mission Critical System Development:

The Agile software development process offers many potential benefits, including a design approach that allows frequent customer input, rapid development of functionality, and the ability to identi...
The Character and Causes of Elevation-Dependent Warming in High-Resolution Simulations of Rocky Mountain Climate Change

AbstractThe character and causes of elevation-dependent warming (EDW) of surface temperatures are examined in a suite of high-resolution (Δx ≤ 12 km) regional climate model (RCM) simulations of climate change over the Rocky Mountains using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. A clear EDW signal is found over the region, with warming enhanced in certain elevation bands by as much as 2°C. During some months warming maximizes at mid-elevations, whereas during others it increases monotonically with elevation, or is nearly independent of elevation. Simulated EDW is primarily caused by the snow-albedo feedback (SAF). Warming maximizes in regions of maximum snow loss and albedo reduction. The role of the SAF is confirmed by sensitivity experiments wherein the SAF is artificially suppressed. The elevation-dependence of free-tropospheric warming appears to play a secondary role in shaping EDW. No evidence is found for a contribution from elevation-dependent water vapor feedbacks. Sensitivity experiments sho...
Insider Trading: Law, Ethics, and Reform

As long as insider trading has existed, people have been fixated on it. Newspapers give it front page coverage. Cult movies romanticize it. Politicians make or break careers by pillorying, enforcing, and sometimes engaging in it. But, oddly, no one seems to know what's really wrong with insider trading, or - because Congress has never defined it - exactly what it is. This confluence of vehemence and confusion has led to a dysfunctional enforcement regime in the United States that runs counter to its stated goals of efficiency and fairness. In this illuminating book, John P. Anderson summarizes the current state of insider trading law in the US and around the globe. After engaging in a thorough analysis of the practice of insider trading from the normative standpoints of economic efficiency, moral right and wrong, and virtue theory, he offers concrete proposals for much-needed reform.
AdBudgetKiller: Online Advertising Budget Draining Attack

In this paper, we present a new ad budget draining attack. By repeatedly pulling ads from targeted advertisers using crafted browsing profiles, we are able to reduce the chance of showing their ads to real-human visitors and trash the ad budget. From the advertiser profiles collected by an automated crawler, we infer advertising strategies, train satisfying browsing profiles and launch large-scale attacks. We evaluate our methods on 291 public advertisers selected from Alexa Top 500, where we successfully reveal the targeting strategies used by 87% of the advertisers we considered. We also executed a series of attacks against a controlled advertiser and 3 real-world advertisers within the ethical and legal boundary. The results show that we are able to fetch 40,958 ads and drain up to $155.89 from the targeted advertisers within an hour.
The moderating role of age in the relationship between social media use and mental well-being: An analysis of the 2016 General Social Survey

Abstract The relationship between using social networking sites (SNS) and mental health is a thriving area of research producing mixed results. While terms such as “Facebook depression” have gained popularity in the mainstream press, there is not a consensus on the relationship between SNS use and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Mixed results from past research hint that age might moderate the SNS/mental health relationship, yet no specific tests of this interaction have been previously reported. In this study, we examine the relationship by analyzing data from the 2016 General Social Survey (GSS). We show that, overall, the number of SNSs one uses is positively related to respondents reporting that they have felt like they were going to have a nervous breakdown. While this relationship is positive for respondents 30 years old and older, it is negative for those who are 18–29 years olds.
Geobiology of Magnetotactic Bacteria

MTB population dynamics and their contribution to iron cycling in modern chemically stratified environments have not been previously evaluated in a systematic fashion. Using the tools of modern molecular microbial ecology and mineralogy, it is possible to determine the population dynamics of magnetite and greigite producing MTB with respect to environmental geochemistry. This integrated approach can help provide an understanding of the contribution of MTB to iron and sulfur cycling and export to sediments. Additionally, understanding the coupled biology and geochemistry of MTB in modern environments can help interpret the significance of magnetofossils present in the rock record.
Natural killer cell-mediated lysis of Mycobacterium-avium complex-infected monocytes

Since the precise mechanism of host responses to infection withMycobacterium-avium complex (MAC) is unclear and since cytotoxic lymphocytes may be involved in the destruction of cells infected with intracellular pathogens, we investigated the ability of normal peripheral blood lymphocytes to kill MAC-infected monocytes in a short-term isotope release assay. Nylon wool-passed lymphocytes lysed MAC-infected but not uninfected monocytes during a 4-hr assay. Infected monocytes were less sensitive to cell-mediated killing than the standard natural killer (NK) cell-sensitive cell line K562, although the kinetics of lysis were similar. The release of lymphocyte-derived mediators such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-alpha and -gamma could not be implicated as a cause of monocyte death. Through the use of cell-specific monoclonal antibodies plus complement, the phenotype of the effector cell was that of an NK cell (CD3 negative, partially CD8 negative, and CD16 positive). The use of highly purified, negatively selected NK cells confirmed these results. NK cell-mediated lysis of infected monocytes decreased MAC viability, indicating that this cytotoxic activity would not favor dissemination of the organism. The killing of MAC-infected monocytes was reduced by K562 cells, suggesting that these targets shared common recognition/binding structures. These results suggest that NK-cell function may be important in the prevention of or response to MAC infection and may help explain the predilection of AIDS patients to develop widespread disease.
TEMPERATURE FIELDS GENERATED IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER BY HYPERTHERMIA

ABSTRACT A simulation, using the implicit alternating direction finite difference method, has been made for the treatment of malignant tumors by local hyperthermia. The simulation is three dimensional in temperature, two spatial coordinates and the time coordinate being considered. The results indicate the effects of varying thermophysical properties, varying blood perfusion rates, varying the microwave heating power and varying the area of the microwave beam. The small changes in the properties and blood perfusion rates which are expected in the tissue are shown to have little effect on the thermal fields whereas the power and the heat flux are shown to be the parameters upon which the treatment will depend most heavily. In addition the effect of nearby physiological structures such as arteries and bone are included. The temperature fields are found to be weakly dependent upon the increased perfusion rates encountered in the arteries and only when the perfusion rate in the artery exceeds that in the tissue by an order of magnitude or more is it significant. Similar dependence is found for bone where the thermal diffusivity is much less than in the tissue.
Measurements of Liquid Diffusion Coefficients in Transparent Model Systems

For analyses and modeling of solidification phenomena, as for planar breakdown, cellular or dendritic growth, either constrained or otherwise, the surface energies and liquid diffusion coefficients are probably the most difficult quantities to determine precisely: this contribution raises some questions about the latter.
Nearly Overconvergent Modular Forms

We introduce and study finite slope nearly overconvergent (elliptic) modular forms. We give an application of this notion to the construction of the Rankin-Selberg p-adic L-function on the product of two eigencurves..
Endovascular Biopsy and Endothelial Cell Gene Expression Analysis of Dialysis Arteriovenous Fistulas: A Feasibility Study.

PURPOSE To demonstrate feasibility of endothelial cell (EC) biopsy from dialysis arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) with the use of guidewires and to characterize gene expression differences between ECs from stenotic and nonstenotic outflow vein segments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine consecutive patients undergoing fistulography for AVF dysfunction from June to August 2016 were enrolled. ECs were biopsied with the use of guidewires from venous outflow stenoses and control outflow veins central to the stenoses. ECs were sorted with the use of flow cytometry, and the Fluidigm Biomark HD system was used for single-cell quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis of gene expression. Forty-eight genes were assessed and were selected based on different cellular functions and previous literature. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used to identify differential gene expression between the groups, and self-organizing maps (SOMs) were used to identify cell clusters based on gene coexpression profiles. RESULTS A total of 219 and 213 ECs were sampled from venous outflow stenoses and control vein segments, respectively. There were no immediate biopsy-related complications. Forty-eight cells per patient were sorted for qPCR analysis. LMM identified 7 genes with different levels of expression at stenotic segments (P < .05), including AGTR-2, HMOX-2, MTHFR, SERPINC-1, SERPINE-1, SMAD-4, and VWF. SOM analysis identified 4 cell clusters with unique gene expression profiles, each containing stenotic and control ECs. CONCLUSIONS EC biopsy from dialysis AVFs with the use of guidewires is feasible. Gene expression data suggest that genes involved in multiple cellular functions are dysregulated in stenotic areas. SOMs identified 4 unique clusters of cells, indicating EC phenotypic heterogeneity in outflow veins.
Cambridge Analytica, the Game Theory and the Nash Theory of Equilibrium

In their publication, Narrative on Local Democracies, Government, and Public Policy in the Colombian Pacific, Cendales et al (2018): propose a deep, detailed and courageous study of a specific and pertinent problematic from an interdisciplinary perspective, starting from the history, the story, the mathematical theory of games and the instruments provided by micro-econometrics. As well as a consideration of whether the main problems, namely problems related to state building, democratic representation, and imbalances of institutional frameworks, as highlighted in the book, are actually addressed, the ongoing case of Cambridge Analytica, illustrates that many other actors and players are involved in the game of electoral campaigns and elections – other than merely voters (median or otherwise) and the main political parties. Outcomes relating to investigations and intentions by information ministers, Congress, impending warrants in the coming months – as well as the review of data and privacy regulations following parliamentary and legislative interventions in the case pertaining to Cambridge Analytica, will possibly shape the landscape for voters or may have little impact in forthcoming elections.
CardioMEMS Implantation in Patient With a Systemic Right Ventricle

Abstract A 42-year-old woman with repaired, complex cyanotic congenital heart disease complicated by systemic right ventricular dysfunction presented for worsening heart failure. She successfully underwent CardioMEMS implantation and has since remained out of the hospital with improved functional class. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.)
Changes in Opioid Utilization Following Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Initiation in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Pain control is one of the most important aspects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management from the patient’s perspective. Newer generations of RA treatment including tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) have the potential to alleviate pain and thus reduce opioid utilization. However, patterns of opioid utilization before and after TNFi initiation have not been well characterized. This study aims to examine multiple measures of change in opioid utilization after the initiation of TNFi. Patients aged ≥ 18 years with RA and 24 months continuous enrollment between January 2007 and December 2015 who newly initiated a TNFi in IQVIA™ Health Plan Claims Data were included in our study. Opioid utilization at baseline and during follow-up were identified and compared. Of 2330 patients with RA that were included in the study, 38.8% of patients used opioids in both baseline and follow-up periods. From pre-index to post-index, the proportion of patients receiving any opioid decreased from 54.0 to 51.0%. In addition, the proportion of those who received ≥ 50 mg median daily MED decreased from 12.6 to 10.6% during pre-post periods. This real-world study of commercially insured patients with RA suggests that opioid use among these patients is prevalent. There was a small decrease in overall opioid utilization after TNFi initiation.
Swarming bacterial fronts: Dynamics and morphology of active swarm interfaces propagating through passive frictional domains

Swarming, a multicellular type of flagella-based motility observed in many bacteria species, enables coordinated and rapid surface translocation, expansion and colonization. In the swarming state, bacterial films display several characteristics of active matter including intense and persistence long- ranged flock like motions and strong fluctuating velocity fields with significant vorticity. Additionally swarm fronts are typically dynamically evolving interfaces. Many of these fronts typically separate motile active domains from passive highly frictional regions comprised of dead or non-motile bacteria. Here, we study the evolving structural features of such active-passive interfaces in swarming Serratia marcesens. We expose localized regions of the swarm to high intensity wide-spectrum light and create large domains comprised of tightly packed immotile bacteria. When the light source is turned off, swarming bacteria outside this region advance into this highly frictional domain and continuously reshape the interphase boundary. Integrating results from Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and from intensity based image analysis, we find that the evolving interface has both a clearly defined width and roughness. Correlations between spatially separated surface fluctuations and damping of the same are influenced by the interaction of the interfacial region with adjacently located collective flows. Dynamical growth exponents characterizing the spatiotemporal features of the surface are extracted and are found to differ from classically expected values for passive growth or erosion. To isolate the effects of hydrodynamic interactions generated by collective flows and that arising from steric interactions, we propose and analyze agent-based simulations with full hydrodynamics of rod- shaped, self-propelled particles. Our computations capture qualitative features of the swarm and predict correlation lengths consistent with experiments. Combining experiments with simulations, we conclude that hydrodynamic and steric interactions enable different modes of surface dynamics, morphology and thus front invasion.
Tracing the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium at Low Redshift: X-ray Forest Observations Towards H1821+643

We present a high resolution (R~500) X-ray spectrum of the bright quasar H1821+643 (z=0.297), obtained in a 470 ksec Chandra observation. We search for X-ray absorption by highly ionized metal species, OVII and OVIII in particular, at the redshifts of the six intervening OVI absorption systems known from UV studies. We detect features with >~2-sigma significance at the predicted OVII and OVIII wavelengths of one OVI system, at the OVII wavelength of a second, and at the NeIX wavelength of a third. We find two additional features of comparable strength (one OVII and one OVIII) within 1000 km/s of OVI redshifts. The 1-sigma constraints in the two detected OVI systems imply gas overdensities lower than the values delta>100 expected in virialized systems, suggesting that the absorption arises in lower density, filamentary structures. At the 2-sigma level, however, the physical constraints are weak. If we treat our 2-sigma detections of known OVI systems as real, but assume minimal OVII and OVIII in the other systems, we estimate [f(OVI)+f(OVII)+f(OVIII)]/f(OVI) = 32 +/- 9 for the average ratio of all highly ionized oxygen species to OVI. Combined with estimates of the total column density of OVI absorption per unit redshift, this ratio implies a total baryon fraction associated with detected OVI absorbers Omega_b(OVI)~0.03/h_70, a substantial fraction of the baryon density predicted by BBN, and larger than that in known low redshift components. Because of the limited S/N of the detections, these results must be treated with caution. Nonetheless, the combination of the OVI data with these X-ray forest measurements provides the most direct evidence to date for the pervasive, moderate density, shock-heated intergalactic medium predicted by leading cosmological scenarios. (Abridged.)
Identity at Work

U.S. antidiscrimination law may be perceived as an economy of identities: in order to receive protection from discrimination, a group must prove that it is—in fact—a group, and that as such it deserves special treatment, to “jump the queue” in front of other wronged individuals and to have its interests favored. This article explores recognition’s role in regulating workplace conduct, as well as its hidden costs. It offers the concept of liminally-recognized groups, i.e., groups still in the process of acquiring recognition, as a methodological lens through which to assess recognition’s relationship to identities and the law. Liminally-recognized groups’ struggle to meet—and carry—the burden of recognition prompts the developments of alternative strategies to advance workplace justice. The first part provides a detailed typology of liminally-recognized groups within U.S. antidiscrimination law, exploring in depth three such groups: asexuals, poor whites, and fat people. Their stories illuminate the specific type of work required for securing recognition and its effects. The second part reconsiders recognition from a normative standpoint, assessing the benefits and costs of recognition. The third part presents two alternatives for promoting workplace justice: (1) non-identitarian readings of antidiscrimination laws; and (2) universal workplace protections: focusing on the potential of labor law and union power to provide a pioneering route for liminally-recognized groups. Harnessing the power of social movements into workers’ power could provide a path for workplace equity not contingent upon workers’ identity.
Private Debt Booms and the Real Economy: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Costs?

Probably not. Economic development coincides with rising private debt-to-GDP. This partly reflects the economic benefits of credit deepening, which facilitates a better allocation of savings towards productive investment. However, private debt booms, episodes of rapid expansion in private debt-to-GDP, systemically predict growth slowdowns that result in lower real GDP. Debt booms distort the economy by boosting demand instead of productive capacity and by fueling asset price booms. These booms leave in their wake private debt overhang, banking sector distress, and an overvalued real exchange rate. Private debt booms are thus distinct from credit deepening episodes, and the costs of these booms likely outweigh the benefits.
Lorentz Accelerations in the Earth Fly-By Anomaly

Mission engineers have detected an unexpected anomaly on six spacecraft during low-altitude gravity-assist maneuvers around Earth. This Earth flyby anomaly involves an acceleration that, to date, researchers cannot account for based on known forces or errors in measurement or modeling. This paper evaluates Lorentz accelerations associated with spacecraft electrostatic charging as a possible explanation for the Earth flyby anomaly. This analysis does not explicitly address plasma physics but, instead, bases its conclusions on fundamental six-state flight dynamics. The analysis focuses on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous spacecraft, because it exhibited the largest anomalous error with the smallest estimated residuals. The analysis takes the form of a boundary-value problem in which vector-disturbance time histories are found numerically through nonlinear optimization methods. The analysis identifies the unknown, but required, acceleration based on a model of the Lorentz-force interaction. The algorithm cannot converge on a solution that fully reproduces the anomalous error in all six orbital states. It is unlikely, based on this analysis, that Lorentz forces cause the flyby anomaly.
Membrane Structural Biology: With Biochemical and Biophysical Foundations

Dedication Preface 1. Introduction 2. The diversity of membrane lipids 3. Tools for studying membrane components 4. Proteins in or at the bilayer 5. Bundles and barrels 6. Functions and families 7. Protein folding and biogenesis 8. Diffraction and simulation 9. Membrane enzymes 10. Membrane receptors 11. Transporters 12. Channels 13. Electron transport and energy transduction 14. In pursuit of complexity Appendix I. Abbreviations Appendix II. Single-letter codes for amino acids Index.
Wild Analysis in Politics

This commentary provides a critical discussion of Crouse and Stalker's (2007) attempt to psychoanalyze right-wing authoritarian beliefs. The psychological inventory used by Crouse and Stalker for this purpose, The Right-Wing Authoritarian Scale (Altemeyer, 1998), has dubious validity characteristics, and the conclusions reached by Crouse and Stalker regarding the origins and characteristics of right-wing political beliefs and attitudes may be more reflective of the authors' political prejudices than of a serious psychoanalytic study of different personality structures. In the present article, the author demonstrates not only the flaws associated with the measuring instrument used, but also the left-wing biases in the Crouse and Stalker analysis. Unfortunately, these prejudices against individuals with conservative political beliefs may be extensively present in the psychology and psychoanalytic communities and serve neither an appropriate clinical nor scientific purpose.
1 - Thermal Beam Sources

This chapter focuses on the thermal beam source. In discussions of thermal sources, the words atomic and molecular are often used interchangeably because the basic design principles are similar for atomic and molecular sources. It is often necessary to diminish the emission of unused source material to conserve the material, to provide long uninterrupted operating times, or to diminish pumping or contamination problems in the source region. The on-axis flux with atomic beam thermal sources depends primarily on the source vapor pressure. To decrease the loss of source material from wrongly directed source molecules, different techniques are used. These are called “dark wall,” bright wall, or recirculating, depending on whether the beam intercepted by the wall is not reemitted, is reemitted, or is recirculated. This chapter presents the various sources for non-condensable gases. This chapter concludes with a brief discussion on sources to conserve the emitted source substance.
PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ATOPIC DERMATITIS HAVE ACTIVATED CIRCULATING BASOPHILS

Patients with food allergy and clinically more severe atopic dermatitis had increased spontaneous basophil release of histamine and LTC4. The increase in basophil releasability in response to deuterium oxide suggests that circulating basophils in the severe atopic dermatitis group are more activated.
Comments on 'Influences of the Bermuda High and atmospheric moistening on changes in summer rainfall in the Atlanta, Georgia region, USA'

In a recent article, Diem (2012) examined the impact of the North Atlantic Subtropical High (NASH) and atmospheric moistening on summer rainfall variability in the Atlanta, Georgia region. In his paper, he indicated that the results concerning the variability of the NASH western ridge discussed in Li et al. (2011) are incorrect. We present new evidence here to show that the comments by Diem (2012) are unjustified; the main conclusions in Li et al. (2011) were drawn according to the data over a 60-year (1948–2007) and 45-year (1958–2002) periods of NCEP/NCAR and ERA-40 reanalysis, whereas conclusions of Diem (2011) were based upon the trend analysis of a similar but different index of the NASH using sub-periods of 1948–2009 (since late 1970s). The comment emphases the importance of climate dynamics to study precipitation variability over the Southeastern US and further strengthens the conclusions originally put forth in Li et al. (2011): over the last 60 years (1948–2007), the NASH has shown a significant trend of westward movement, and the meridional movement of the NASH western-ridge (i.e. its latitudinal change) has enhanced in the recent three decades.
The Real Costs of Corporate Credit Ratings

Credit rating agencies emphasize the importance of specific financial ratio thresholds in their rating process. Firms below these thresholds are more likely to receive higher ratings than similar firms that are not. I show that firms near key Debt/EBITDA thresholds are significantly more likely to reduce R\&D and SG\&A expenditures (boosting EBITDA) prior to bond issuance compared to observationally similar firms not near a threshold. Subsequently, they are more likely to experience declines in patent productivity, profitability, and Tobin's Q. These distortions highlight an important cost of arm's-length financing and an adverse consequence of transparency in credit rating criteria.
Pervasive influence: Intellectual property, industrial history, and university science

To date, research on university-industry relations in biotechnology in the United States has focused on the direct and immediate effects of industry involvement with university scientists on the culture of academic science. Attention has been aimed at restrictions on the flow of scientific information and patron roles in agenda setting. Drawing on ethnographic and documentary data, this article explores the indirect and pervasive effects on the practices of academic scientists of undertaking research in an environment shaped by the US intellectual property regime and an industry's historical domination of a field of scientific investigation. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
Integrating Manmade Nanostructures with Biological Structures

This talk will focus on recent efforts aimed at integrating manmade nanostructures with nanoscale-biological structures including: integrating quantum dots (QDs) with nanoscale biological structures and biomolecules including peptides, proteins, antibodies, and DNA; integrating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with biological structures and biomolecules including peptides, proteins, antibodies, and DNA; and chemical self-assembly of quantum dot ensembles with interconnecting biomolecules. Recent results for the Nanoengineering Research Laboratory (NERL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago will be emphasized. Applications will include: luminescent quantum dots as biovoltage sensing elements; and indirectbandgap quantum dots engineered for genetic manipulation of DNA.
2D image segmentation using minimum spanning trees

This paper presents a new algorithm for partitioning a gray-level image into connected homogeneous regions. The novelty of this algorithm lies in the fact that, by constructing a minimum spanning tree representation of a gray-level image, it reduces a region partitioning problem to a minimum spanning tree partitioning problem, and hence reduces the computational complexity of the region partitioning problem. The tree-partitioning algorithm, in essence, partitions a minimum spanning tree into subtrees, representing different homogeneous regions, by minimizing the sum of variations of gray levels over all subtrees under the constraints that each subtree should have at least a specified number of nodes, and two adjacent subtrees should have significantly different average gray-levels. Two (faster) heuristic implementations are also given for large-scale region partitioning problems. Test results have shown that the segmentation results are satisfactory and insensitive to noise.
The effects of man-made noise on the behavior of marine animals

Abstract Reports of the effects of man-made noise on the behavior and related processes of marine animals are widely scattered among a variety of literature sources. This report brings much of this literature together and attempts a synthesis by a comparative analysis of the results obtained from taxonomically diverse species. Mammals and fishes are emphasized since little is known about the subject in other groups. Field studies have shown aversion by various baleen and toothed whales to the noise accompanying offshore petroleum exploration and production. Variation in response involves: level of source-noise to that of the ambient, degree of naivete of the animals to the source-noise, on-going activity at the time of exposure and, to an uncertain degree, the species involved. Although seals and their relatives have not been adequately examined regarding their response to underwater noise, individuals have been shown to be clearly susceptible (anatomically based) to high levels of such noise. Studies have also shown the deleterious effects of even moderate noise levels on hearing in fishes. Aversion to various types of man-made noise has been noted several times, with associated levels being similar to those noted when similar responses were recorded by whales. Finally, several studies have documented abnormal growth and reproductive processes in several species of fin- and shellfish due to high levels of man-made noise. Such findings should be of concern to the field of aquaculture, since it is dependent on such fundamental processes.