cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Trampling on Ambrosia chamissonis and Cakile maritima Cover on California Beaches

California beach plants are capable of dealing with harsh conditions, but little is known about how this community responds to human-induced impacts. The objective of this paper is to determine if beaches experiencing higher degrees of impacts from trampling have more cover of two common plant species thought to grow particularly well under difficult conditions, Ambrosia chamissonis (Less.) Greene and Cakile maritima Scop. Seventeen sites were sampled between 2007 and 2009 with one meter wide belt transects and the sites were divided into three groups; high (people walk anywhere on the beach), medium (foot traffic is restricted to trails), and low impact levels (little to no access). Cover of all species present were recorded. Cover of A. chamissonis is statistically higher on beaches with a high level of impact than low and medium levels. Cakile maritima cover is statistically higher on beaches with medium levels than those with low or high levels of impact. However, the total cover of all species is not significantly different between any level of impact.
Microenterprise Development in the United States: Current Challenges and New Directions

U.S. microenterprise programs provide business training, small amounts of credit ($35,000 or less), or both to businesses with five or fewer employees. As the microenterprise field nears the end of...
Obesity and Asthma

Over the last two decades, the convergence of secular trends indicating increases in the prevalence of obesity and asthma has led to a hypothesis that these two disorders might be related. Although the mechanisms underlying a putative relationship between obesity and asthma have not been fully described, a relatively mature body of literature suggests that obesity increases the risk of incident asthma. This article addresses studies that could be interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that obesity leads to asthma. We evaluate animal studies that provide biological underpinnings to an association between the two disorders and clinical and epidemiologic studies that suggest that the relationship between these two disorders is clinically important.
Foiling the Intellectuals: Gender, Identity Framing, and the Rhetoric of the Kill in Conservative Hate Mail

This article introduces the concept of identity framing by foil. Characteristics of this communicative mechanism are drawn from analysis of my personal archive of conservative hate mail. I identify 3 key adversarial identity frames attributed to me in the correspondence: elitist intellectual, national traitor, and gender traitor. These identity frames serve as foils against which the authors’ letters articulate identities as real men and patriots. These examples demonstrate how foiling one’s adversary relies on the power of naming; applies tremendous pressure to the target through identification and invocation of vulnerabilities; and employs tone and verbal aggression in what Burke identified as ‘‘the kill’’: the definition of self through the symbolic purgation and/or negation of another.
Intact landmark control and angular path integration by head direction cells in the anterodorsal thalamus after lesions of the medial entorhinal cortex

The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) occupies a central position within neural circuits devoted to the representation of spatial location and orientation. The MEC contains cells that fire as a function of the animal's head direction (HD), as well as grid cells that fire in multiple locations in an environment, forming a repeating hexagonal pattern. The MEC receives inputs from widespread areas of the cortical mantle including the ventral visual stream, which processes object recognition information, as well as information about visual landmarks. The role of the MEC in processing the HD signal or landmark information is unclear. We addressed this issue by neurotoxically damaging the MEC and recording HD cells within the anterodorsal thalamus (ADN). Direction-specific activity was present in the ADN of all animals with MEC lesions. Moreover, the discharge characteristics of ADN HD cells were only mildly affected by MEC lesions, with HD cells exhibiting greater anticipation of future HDs. Tests of landmark control revealed that HD cells in lesioned rats were capable of accurately updating their preferred firing directions in relation to a salient visual cue. Furthermore, cells from lesioned animals maintained stable preferred firing directions when locomoting in darkness and demonstrated stable HD cell tuning when locomoting into a novel enclosure, suggesting that MEC lesions did not disrupt the integration of idiothetic cues, or angular path integration, by HD cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that the MEC plays a limited role in the formation and spatial updating of the HD cell signal.
Systematic Search for Cultivatable Fungi That Best Deconstruct Cell Walls of Miscanthus and Sugarcane in the Field

The goals of our project were to document the diversity and distributions of cultivable fungi associated with decaying Miscanthus and sugarcane plants in nature and to further assess biodegradation of host plant cell walls by these fungi in pure cultures. Late in 2008 and early in 2009 we collected decaying Miscanthus and Saccharum from 8 sites in Illinois and 11 sites in Louisiana, respectively. To recover fungi that truly decay plants and to recover slow-growing fungi, we washed the plant material repeatedly to remove spores and cultivated fungi from plant fragments small enough to harbor at most one mycelium. We randomly selected 950 fungal colonies out of 4,560 microwell colonies and used molecular identification to discover that the most frequently recovered fungal species resided in Hypocreales (Sordariomycetes), Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes), and Chaetothryiales (Eurotiomycetes) and that only a few weedy species were recovered. We were particularly interested in Pleosporales and Chaetothyriales, groups that have not been mined for plant decay fungi. To confirm that we had truly recovered fungi that deconstruct plant cell walls, we assayed the capacity of the fungi to consume whole, alkali-pretreated, ground Miscanthus. Solid substrate cultures of the nine most commonly encountered Ascomycota resulted in Miscanthus weight loss of 8 to 13% over 4 weeks. This is the first systematic, high-throughput, isolation and biodegradation assessment of fungi isolated from decaying bioenergy grasses.
On the best achievable SISO simultaneous performance

Best achievable SISO simultaneous performance is formulated as a minimum distance problem from a point to a nonconvex set defined by interpolation and simultaneous stabilization constraints. It is shown that constraint truncation and underestimation and subsequent use of duality theory lead to a bilevel program whose solution can be found through iteration between a convex and a linear program. The proposed procedure is shown to identify best achievable simultaneous performance as the limit of a nondecreasing sequence of rigorous lower bounds.
Automated Test System for ISO 18000-7 - Active RFID

When testing a system for compliance to a standard or interoperability with other systems compliant with a standard, the quality and repeatability of the testing methods is critical. This is especially true when the results are used to make a purchasing decision. The ideal test procedure will expose every device that is tested to the exact same stimuli, record the same measurements and evaluate those measurements using the same method. To this end the University of Pittsburgh RFID Center of Excellence has developed an automated test suite for testing compliance to and interoperability under ISO 18000-7, a leading active RFID standard. This automated system provides consistent input stimuli to all device and ensures that all results are calculated using the same method.
New Views of Myofascial Trigger Points: Etiology and Diagnosis

Two studies appearing in Archives, one by Shah and colleagues and another one by Chen and colleagues, present groundbreaking findings that can reduce some of the controversy surrounding myofascial trigger points (MTPs). Both author groups recognize the ubiquity of this disease and the importance to patients of health care professionals becoming better acquainted with the cause and identification of MTPs. The integrated hypothesis is the most credible and most complete proposed etiology of MTPs. However, the feedback loop suggested in this hypothesis has a few weak links, and studies by Shah and colleagues in particular supply a solid link for one of them. The feedback loop connects the hypothesized energy crisis with the milieu changes responsible for noxious stimulation of local nociceptors that causes the local and referred pain of MTPs. Shah's reports quantify the presence of not just 1 noxious stimulant but 11 of them with outstanding concentrations of immune system histochemicals. The results also strongly place a solid histochemical base under the important clinical distinction between active and latent MTPs. The study by Chen on the use of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) imaging of the taut band of an MTP in an upper trapezius muscle may open a whole new chapter in the centuries-old search for a convincing demonstration of the cause of MTP symptoms. MRE is a modification of existing magnetic resonance imaging equipment, and it images stress produced by adjacent tissues with different degrees of tension. This report seems to present an MRE image of the taut band that shows the chevron signature of the increased tension of the taut band compared with surrounding tissues.
Guard your connections: infiltration of a trust/reputation based network

We study infiltration of a trust/reputation based network. At every time step, the agent solicits a connection request (friend request). The goal of the agent is to amass as many such connections as possible to further its goals. Our model for such an infiltration of a network relies on two properties of the actors in the network. They desire more links (an ego effect); they are more likely to connect to trusted or credible nodes (the trust by reference effect). We demonstrate the following proporties of this infiltration.(i) The trust by reference effect is critical. If agents are not trusting enough, then the network is robust to infiltration; however, with logarithmically more trust, the process phase transitions to significant infiltration.(ii) The network structure is important. If the trust effect is small, then well clustered networks (typical social networks) are easier to infiltrate; when the trust effect is larger, then networks with large expansion (for example Erdos-Renyi random graphs) are easier to infiltrate.(iii) The algorithm used by the agent plays a significant role in success of the infiltration. Random connection requests are much less successful than even simple greedy strategies, even if those greedy strategies are restricted to only using local information.
On consistent and asymptotically normal sample estimators for cyclic-moments and cumulants

Consistent and asymptotically normal sample estimators of cyclic-moments and cumulants are developed along with their computable covariance expressions. The analysis obviates the usual need forcibly to stationarize cyclostationary processes, and provides tools for joint exploitation of cyclostationarity and kth-order statistics in practice. Further, generalizations to asymptotic properties of sample averages of a mixture of deterministic and random signals are also given. This extension lays a common ground for treating mixtures of deterministic and random signals. >
Brief Report: Asperger’s Syndrome and Sibling Birth Order

Prior investigations suggest that birth order position may be associated with the risk for developing a pervasive developmental disorder. This retrospective chart review examined the birth order status of 29 psychiatrically-referred patients with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). Eighty-six percent of the subjects were first born. The finding was statistically significant when compared to an expected random distribution of AS subjects χ2 (1, N = 29) = 9.18, p < 0.01. The reasons for such an association are unclear though birth stoppage, obstetric complications, and immunological mechanisms may play a role.
Neonatal Asphyxia and Functional Tricuspid Atresia

he patient was a 2,700 gm full term female, the product of a normal 41-week pregnancy and delivery. She was noted to have cyanosis and labored breathing at birth. The Apjar scores were 5 and 6 at 1 and 5 minutes respectively. The heart sounds were heard best on the right side of the chest. No murmur was present. The breath sounds were poor and bowel sounds were audible in the left chest. The abdomen was scaphoid and the liver was not palpable. There was hypoplasia of the left arm and hand with a contracture of the left axilla. Chest roentgenogram revealed the presence of the liver and bowel loops in the left chest. The baby was intubated and placed on a respirator in 100 percent 02. The pH was 6.6, Po2 was 20, and the Pco2 was 85 mm Hg. The baby was treated with trishydroxyaminomethane (THAM). At operation, a left-sided foramen of Bochdalek hernia and hypoplasia of the left lung were found. The hernia was reduced and the diaphragmic defect repaired. The patient remained severely hypoxic and acidotic despite maximal yentilatory pressures, 100 percent oxygen, and therapy with THAM. In an attempt to decrease the pulmonary vascular resistance, the patient was brought to the cardiac catheterization laboratory for infusion of tolazoline into the pulmonary artery. A French No.
P04.21. What infectious disease (ID) physicians believe about integrative medicine (IM) modalities

Methods A national survey of 1000 practicing ID physicians in the United States was conducted in 2010. We asked ID physicians to rate their degree of agreement with statements about IM modalities (“strongly agree”, “somewhat agree”, “somewhat disagree”, and “strongly disagree”). The statements were regarding IM modalities’ (1) usefulness, (2) placebo mechanism, (3) utility in alleviating symptoms, (4) effect on the underlying disease process, and (5) ability to directly affect the immune system. We then asked a subset of the respondents who indicated that they either “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” to the statements “In general, IM modalities affect the underlying disease process” or “In general IM modalities, affect the immune system” to indicate which areas of IM they were referring.
Effects of spoilage of wet distillers grains plus solubles when stored in a bunker on nutrient composition and performance of growing and finishing cattle1

ABSTRACT Three experiments evaluated the effect of spoilage of wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) on nutrient composition and cattle performance. In Exp. 1, a 140-d barrel storage study was conducted to simulate bunker storage. An interaction between days of storage and DM, OM, and NDF recovered at the surface in spoiled material was observed. In Exp. 2, a 130-d finishing experiment used 60 individually fed steers fed 3 treatments: a dry-rolled corn–based diet (control) and 2 diets containing 40% WDGS replacing dry-rolled corn. The WDGS was stored in either an uncovered bunker (spoiled) or anaerobically in a silo bag (non-spoiled). Calculations suggest 12% of DM was lost while stored in the bunker. No differences in performance (P ≥ 0.26) were observed between WDGS treatments. However, both WDGS treatments were greater (P ≤ 0.04) in ADG, final BW, and G:F than the dry-rolled-corn diet. In Exp. 3, an 84-d growing experiment used 60 individually fed steers in a 2 × 2 factorial. Treatments were spoiled versus nonspoiled WDGS fed at 15 or 40% (DM basis). Calculations suggest that 6.0% of DM was lost while stored in the bunker. Feeding spoiled WDGS decreased DMI (P
Regulatory mutations in the human lipoprotein lipase gene in patients with familial combined hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease

We previously reported a compound heterozygote [T(-39)C/T(-93)G] in the human lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene promoter in one out of 19 patients with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) and reduced post-heparin plasma LPL levels. The T(-39)C substitution resulted in 85% decrease in LPL promoter activity. Further screening of Caucasian patients with FCHL, coronary artery disease (CAD), and of unselected Caucasian subjects revealed four additional LPL promoter variants. Among the same 19 FCHL patients with reduced LPL levels, we found one heterozygote for a G(-53)C substitution. Among 115 CAD patients, we found five heterozygotes and one homozygote for the T(-93)G substitution and one heterozygote for a CC insertion between +13 and +19 of the 5' untranslated region. In a group of 183 unselected subjects, three heterozygotes with the T(-93)G substitution were found. The G(-53)C substitution led to approximately 70-75% decrease in promoter activity as assayed by transient transfections of THP-1 (macrophage-like) and C2C12 (myotube-like) cells. The T(-93)G substitution resulted in reduction of promoter activity by approximately 40-50%. The CC insertion between +13 and +19 caused a decrease in promoter activity by 20% in THP-1 and 50% in C2C12. Substitutions at -79 and -95, which had no effect on promoter function, were also discovered in the population samples studied. The finding of two promoter mutations (-39 and -53) among 19 FCHL patients with diminished LPL, but not among the other groups of subjects, suggests a potential role of regulatory mutations of the LPL gene in the development of dyslipidemia in FCHL.
Estimating the AIDS Incubation Period from a Prevalent Cohort

Data from a cohort study of 177 homosexual or bisexual men enrolled in Los Angeles in 1982 and 1983 are used to estimate the incubation period distribution of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The statistical method used is parametric modeling of the joint distribution of the date of human immunodeficiency virus infection and the time from infection to the onset of AIDS. With this method, the unknown dates of infection and the fact that individuals who developed AIDS prior to the enrollment date are excluded from the sample is taken into account. The estimated proportion of individuals who develop AIDS within 4 years of infection is 0.10 (95% confidence interval 0.05-0.21) and that within 8 years of infection is 0.45 (95% confidence interval 0.30-0.60). These proportions are consistent with those obtained from other cohort studies and through other statistical approaches.
Bruchidae Type-Specimens Deposited in United States Museums, with Lectotype Designations

A list of the species of Bruchidae that are based on type-material in U.S. museums is presented. Lectotypes are designated as needed, and the depository for each type or lectotype is shown. Some species are transferred to genera other than those in which they have been standing for many years. Lectotypes are designated for Bruchus alboscutellatus Horn, B. amicus Horn, B. aureolus Horn, B. bisignatus Horn, B. bivulneratus Horn, B. calvus Horn, B. compressicornis Schaeffer, B. crenatus Schaeffer, B. cruentatus Horn, B. exiguus Horn, B. floridae Horn, B. fraterculus Horn, B. fumatus Schaeffer, B. gibbithorax Schaeffer, B. julianus Horn, B. longistilus Horn, B. macrocerus Horn, B. macrophthalmus Schaeffer, B. nigrinus Horn, B. ochraceus Schaeffer, B. perforates Horn, B. placidus Horn, B. prosopoides Schaeffer, B. pygidialis Schaeffer, B. quadridentatus Schaeffer, B. seminulum Horn, B. serratifemur Schaeffer, B. speciosus Schaeffer, Spermophagus eustrophoides Schaeffer, S. vitis Schaeffer, Zabrotes planifrons Horn, Z. spectabilis Horn, and Z. subnitens Horn. Most species of New World Bruchidae were originally named members of Bruchus. Named species which I think should be included in, but as yet have not been, are listed the genera Acanthoscelides Schilsky, Amblycerus Thunberg, Megacerus Fahraeus, Merobruchus Bridwell, Mimosestes Bridwell, and Sennius Bridwell.
Dynamic Response of Honeycomb Sandwich Panel Under Impact Loading Based on Ansys

For the aluminum honeycomb sandwich panel with SCSC edge supports,the dynamic response numerical calculations were conducted using the Ansys by considering the range and quantity of the filling particles in cell of honeycomb sandwich panel. The stress and strain of the honeycomb sandwich panel in different conditions were further compared. The result indicates that filling particles in the panel cell can well reduce the stress and strain and increase the energy absorption effect. When the range of filling particles is from 0. 2 to 0. 25 and the quantity of filling particles is 2,the stress and strain of honeycomb sandwich panel are minimal and the effect of the energy absorption is best. Too much filling particles do not have a better energy absorption effect but conversely can shock the honeycomb sandwich panel.
Evaluation of toothbrush-induced dentin substrate wear using an in vitro ridged-configuration model.

PURPOSE To measure the dentin substrate wear associated with toothbrush use utilizing an in vitro specimen modeled to simulate the prominences of teeth and thus more closely simulate the clinical situation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Dentin sections were cast within resin to produce a specimen configuration with three half-round ridges: a central ridge containing dentin (3 x 10 mm) and two similar ridges on each side of the central ridge. The specimens were brushed for the equivalent of the amount of time an individual tooth surface would be brushed in a 2-year period using a machine that simulated typical movement of a toothbrush across the specimen under controlled load and fluid conditions. Brushing was done with either a manual toothbrush (MTB), the Braun Oral-B 3D Excel (PTB1) or the Sonicare Elite (PTB2) and various loads. Dentin substrate loss was measured by profilometry. RESULTS Using this ridged specimen configuration, the results showed that the MTB and PTB1 had the highest amount of dentin substrate wear in both average depth and average maximum depth measurements. Increased toothbrush force from 90 g to 150 g increased the dentin substrate wear of both PTBs. PTB1 produced approximately 4-5 times greater average wear than PTB2 (P < 0.05).
Refining the clustering coefficient for analysis of social and neural network data

In this paper we show how a deeper analysis of the clustering coefficient in a network can be used to assess functional connections in the human brain. Our metric of edge clustering centrality considers the frequency at which an edge appears across all local subgraphs that are induced by each vertex and its neighbors. This analysis is tied to a problem from structural graph theory in which we seek the largest subgraph that is a Cartesian product of two complete bipartite graphs $$K_{1,m}$$ and $$K_{1,1}$$ . We investigate this property and compare it to other known edge centrality metrics. Finally, we apply the property of clustering centrality to an analysis of functional MRI data obtained, while healthy participants pantomimed object use or identified objects.
Biofluid Simulations on Linux Clusters

Aiming to significantly improve the biocompatibility of ventricular assist devices, we are developing a blood flow modeling environment for rotary blood pumps. The main components of this environment are: stabilized space-time finite element formulation of Navier-Stokes equations, mesh adaptation capability based on shear-slip mesh update method and elastic mesh update method, and portable message-passing implementation suitable for distributed-memory parallel computers including Linux clusters. We outline the current state of that environment, and present results of a mesh-refinement study and scaling measurements.
Taxonomy of Hazardous Wastes

This chapter is devoted to the classification of waste. Different classes of waste and their intrinsic properties are examined. Among hazardous wastes, broad categories of inorganic compounds or heavy metals, specific organic compounds, and biomedical and radioactive wastes are presented along with their adverse effects on health and the environment.
Separation of Variables in Cartesian Coordinates

This chapter concentrates on solving partial differential equations that involve the Laplacian. The chapter analyzes the three prototypical equations—the heat equation, the wave equation, and Laplace's equation—in significant detail. The chapter considers four techniques of solving partial differential equations: separation of variables, the Fourier transform, the Laplace transform, and Green's functions. The chapter solves each of these equations in Cartesian coordinates by separation of variables. The chapter considers the case of Laplace's equation in two variables. One sees in all of the examples of the chapter that the resulting ordinary differential equations are familiar and elementary to solve. The chapter analyzes Laplace's equation in three variables. The chapter gives a detailed description of the heat equation in one dimension and also studies the wave equation in one dimension.
Peanut trade and aflatoxin standards in Europe: Economic effects on trading countries ☆

Abstract The role of aflatoxin contamination in food safety is an important policy issue impacting food industries worldwide. This paper evaluates the economic implications of strict peanut aflatoxin regulation in Europe focusing on price and quantity effects of the policy. Equilibrium displacement modeling is applied on a source-differentiated market. Findings show that regulation tightening leads to price and quantity drop for the United States and other exporters, whereas China benefits owing to its price and quantity gains. Although both peanut exporters and importers share compliance costs from the aflatoxin policy, consumers in Europe pay a greater proportion of the costs.
AB0116 Induction of Netosis-Mediated Cell Death in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease, of unknown aetiology, that mainly affects sacroiliac joints and spine, and is associated with the development of several comorbidities such as atherosclerosis. Recently, a cellular death mechanism, NETosis, has been described in neutrophils that involves the extracellular release of a meshwork of DNA nuclear and granule proteins upon activation by microorganisms and other activating molecules. Excessive generation of these meshworks, as a result of non-infectious inflammatory processes, is associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, as well as with the development of atherosclerosis, thrombosis and other cardiovascular complications. Nevertheless, this process has not been described yet in AS patients. Objectives 1) To analyze the induction of NETosis in AS patients. 2) To evaluate the relationship among NETosis markers and their correlation with disease activity, oxidative stress and endothelial function. Methods Thirty four patients with AS and 34 healthy donors were included in the study. Disease activity was determined by BASDAI index and, CRP and ERS levels. To evaluate NETosis, purified neutrophils were stained with Sytox and visualized by fluorescence microscopy. In parallel, markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and NETosis were determined in neutrophils by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Plasma DNA was quantified by fluorimetry. Antioxidant enzyme activities in neutrophils, as well as nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of plasma were measured by specific kits. Endothelial function was determined by the post occlusive hyperaemia test using Laser-Doppler. Results Neutrophils from AS patients displayed a significant increase in NETosis percentage compared to healthy donors that was associated with an increase in plasma DNA in these patients. In parallel, AS patients showed endothelial dysfunction, along with an increase of inflammatory markers (STAT3, TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA) in neutrophils. It was also observed an alteration of oxidative status, with an increase of catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and a reduction of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (mSOD) activity in neutrophils, as well as an increase in TAC and NO at plasma level. Correlation and association studies showed that plasma DNA levels positively correlated with CRP, oxidative damage (catalase activity and TAC) and endothelial dysfunction in AS patients. Conclusions 1) NETosis is a cellular death mechanism occurring in AS patients. 2) NETosis induction is associated with an inflammatory and oxidative profile in neutrophils from AS patients. Thus, NETosis may act as a key mediator in disease progression and endothelial dysfunction in AS patients. Acknowledgement Funded by JA PI-0314–2012, SER Disclosure of Interest None declared
The Biological Effects and Mechanisms of Interleukin-34 in the U937 Human Leukemic Cell Model.

Abstract 2155 Interleukin-34 (IL-34) is a cytokine consisting of a 39kD homodimer employing the Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (MCSF/CSF-1) receptor; recently identified through functional proteomics experiments. Among its physiological activities, IL-34 has been shown to promote monocyte viability and proliferation; promote the differentiation of bone marrow cells into macrophage progenitors and induce pro-inflammatory cytokines: IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and GM-CSF in human whole blood. All of the published work on IL-34 involves its effects on hematopoietic and osteoclast progenitors; however, it is not known whether IL-34 has the ability to induce any of these physiological responses in cancer cells. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the biological effects of IL-34 in the U937 leukemia cell line while deducing the signaling mechanisms associated with these effects. Thus far, we have evaluated IL-34 on U937 cells for cell growth and proliferation, induction of cytokines, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. Congruently, we are also exploring the JAK/STAT and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways for activation. In U937 cells, we have noted that while IL-34 does not induce cell growth or proliferation, there is a reduction in cells in the S phase of the cell cycle at 48hours, post treatment. Additionally, we note a differential induction of a number of Th1/Th2/Th17 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely IL-1α, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8 and G-CSF. Our results also show that IL-34 influences the migration of monocytes by the possible induction of chemoattractant cytokines in media. Furthermore, we report that IL-34 is able to differentiate the human leukemic cellular model, U937, from monoblastic precursor cells towards monocyte- and macrophage-like cells. Accompanying this differentiation appears to be a selective induction of apoptosis in undifferentiated U937 cells, supported by the induction of cleaved Caspase-3. To our knowledge, this is the first report that IL-34 induces differentiation in human leukemic cellular model, let alone any cancer model. Exploration of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway has identified TYK2 and JAK 1 as mediators of the IL-34 signal through in U937 cells, while identification of its associated STAT proteins is currently ongoing. Interestingly, the evaluation of the PI3K/Akt pathway has demonstrated a reduction of phosphorylated Akt, suggesting an influence of PTEN, which is currently being evaluated. This research may provide insight into the influence of IL-34 in the cancer microenvironment as compared to the normal cell microenvironment, resulting in potential therapies targeting its mechanistic actions. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Robotic Intracorporeal Continent Cutaneous Diversion.

Purpose: Robotic intracorporeal urinary diversion has mostly been done for ileal conduit or orthotopic neobladder diversion. We present what is to our knowledge the initial series, detailed technique and outcomes of the robotic intracorporeal Indiana pouch with a minimum 1-year followup.Materials and Methods: Ten patients underwent robotic radical cystectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy and intracorporeal Indiana pouch urinary diversion for cancer in 9 and benign disease in 1. Data were collected prospectively. Baseline demographics, pathology data, and 1-year complication rates and functional outcomes were assessed.Results: All 10 cases were successfully completed intracorporeally without open conversion. Median total operative time was 6 hours, including 3.5 hours for pouch creation. Median blood loss was 200 cc and median hospital stay was 10 days. Four Clavien grade 1-2 and 3 Clavien 3-5 complications occurred. None of the patients had a bowel leak. One noncompliant patient requested undiversion to an ilea...
Advanced cancer caregiving as a risk for major depressive episodes and generalized anxiety disorder.

OBJECTIVE Caregivers of advanced cancer patients provide extensive care associated with high levels of caregiver distress. The degree to which cancer caregiving increases caregivers' risk for a psychiatric disorder is unknown. The current study examines whether advanced cancer caregiving poses distinct risks for initial and recurrent major depressive episodes (MDEs) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) relative to the general population. METHODS Caregivers of advanced cancer patients (N = 540) from Coping with Cancer were compared to general population controls (N = 9282) from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The general population comparison sample was propensity-weighted to be demographically similar to the caregiver sample. RESULTS Caregivers of advanced cancer patients were more likely than individuals in the general population to have an initial MDE (OR = 7.7; 95% CI, 3.5-17.0; P < .001), but no more likely than the general population to have a recurrent MDE (OR = 1.1; 95% CI, 0.6-2.1; P = .662). Caregivers were also more likely than the general population to have GAD (OR = 3.0; 95% CI, 1.9-4.8; P < .001) and comorbid MDE and GAD (OR = 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.9; P = .038). CONCLUSIONS The increased risk of meeting diagnostic criteria for current MDE and GAD and comorbid MDE and GAD associated with advanced cancer caregiving highlights the degree of emotional burden among cancer caregivers. Clinical services that assess, prevent, and treat depression and anxiety in cancer caregivers are needed to reduce the burden of caregiving and improve the mental health of this growing population.
Neural Transplantation: Prospects for Clinical use:

Neural transplantation has been extensively applied in Parkinson's disease, including numerous clinical studies, studies in animal models, and related basic research on cell biology. There is evide...
Characterization of systematic process variation in a silicon photonic platform

We present a quantitative analysis of the correlation of resonant wavelength variation with process variables, and find that 50% of the resonant wavelength variation for microrings is due to systematic process conditions. We also discuss the improvement of device uniformity by mitigating these systematic variations.
HLA studies in diabetes mellitus: a review.

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a review of HLA studies in diabetes mellitus. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a disease entity in itself. It is different from noninsulin-dependent diabetes and other types of diabetes mellitus in etiology and pathogenesis. HLA-B8 is associated with IDDM in all Caucasion populations, irrespective of the age of onset of the disease. HLA-Bwl5 is associated with IDDM in populations of Northern European and British origin, while B18 seems to replace Bwl5 in Southern European populations. IDDM is uncommon in populations where the HLA-B8 frequency is low, and in the Japanese IDDM occurs in association with Bw22. The HLA-Dw3 and Dw4 association with IDDM is stronger than that of the B alleles. In families, the phenotype IDDM segregates with a certain genotype, namely, the diabetic proband's HLA haplotype. Only a small proportion of family members carrying the diabetic haplotype develop IDDM. Within the HLA region, between the B and D loci are located two diabetogenic genes. The presence of one or both of these genes is necessary but not sufficient for IDDM to develop, as environmental stimuli are required as triggering mechanisms.
Advance Care Planning: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions

Advance care planning (ACP) is widely considered an essential step toward achieving end-of-life care that is consistent with the preferences of dying patients and their families. ACP comprises a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC); these tools enable patients to articulate and convey their treatment preferences when they are still cognitively intact. In this article, we describe the strengths, weaknesses, and correlates of ACP in the United States, with attention to race and socioeconomic disparities therein. We then discuss other public policies and community programs designed to increase both the number of older adults who articulate their preferences for end-of-life care, and efficacy of ACP for ensuring that patients' end-of-life treatment preferences are met. We describe the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLSTs), and describe community programs, educational interventions, and public policies aimed toward increasing the prevalence and efficacy of end-of-life preparations. A key policy advance in the early 2010s has been Medicare coverage of one doctor-patient consultation session regarding end-of-life issues; we highlight the potentials and possible pitfalls of this policy. We conclude by identifying areas for future research, and highlighting practices from other nations that may help improve quality of end-of-life care in the United States.
Efficient Singlet Oxygen Generation in Metal Nanoclusters for Two-Photon Photodynamic Therapy Applications

The generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) has been established as the principal mechanism of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Various dyes, metal nanoparticles, and clusters have been shown to sensitize 1O2. However, metal nanoclusters are even more promising candidates as photosensitizers for this purpose. By understanding the optical properties that lead to efficient 1O2 generation, one can fully realize their potential as PDT photosensitizers. Three different metal nanoclusters, Au25, Ag32, and Au144, are investigated for their 1O2 generation efficiency. The Au144 showed a 1O2 generation rate that is 2 orders of magnitude higher than that for Au25 and Ag32, and several orders of magnitude higher than nanoparticles (>5 nm) due to Au144's high absorption cross section-to-volume ratio. The effectiveness of PDT in live cells with nanoclusters was demonstrated by two-photon excitation compared to one-photon excitation. The implication of these results points toward new efficient two-photon 1O2 sensitizers for photodynamic therapy.
An approach based on potential energy balance for transient stability improvement in modern power grid

Direct energy function based methods for power system stability analysis proves to be more important especially when dealing with distributed energy resource (DER) integrated power grid. In this paper, it is shown that in order to make a system more stable, either the kinetic energy absorbed during a disturbance should be reduced, or the potential energy absorbing capacity of the network should be increased. Further, a method based on this concept is proposed using reactive power (VAR) control, which increases potential energy absorbing capacity of the grid during transient conditions. The proposed method has been first proved mathematically, and the results for its application on the IEEE 9 bus system is presented.
Cars in Chapter 13: Does Negative Equity Destroy the Jurisdiction of the Hanging Paragraph?

Roughly speaking, the “hanging paragraph” to Bankruptcy Code 1325(a), enacted in 2005, requires that a debtor pay the full debt on any automobile acquired within 910 days before bankruptcy – a boon for car financiers. Prior to 2005 the debtor had to pay only the appraised value of the car – usually a lesser amount. But the privilege bestowed on car financiers by the hanging paragraph depends on the financier providing “purchase money” credit. About one-third of the time, however, the financier advances funds to repay a prior car loan as part of the “trade-in” of an old vehicle for a new one. This advance to retire old debt is nick-named “negative equity.” Does the presence of negative equity mean that the loan secured by the new car is not a purchase money loan? The courts have ruled, in the main, that the entire loan is a purchase money loan and so the hanging paragraph applies. Soft-hearted academics favor the debtor and claim that the hanging paragraph no longer applies if the new car secures both a purchase money obligation and the negative equity. This article points out that the financier has a “proceeds” security interest in the new car representing the trade-in of the old car. Therefore, if the old car was encumbered by a purchase money security interest and if the new car is proceeds of the old car, the new car is encumbered by the purchase money security interest that had previously encumbered the old car. On this logic, the courts are correct and the academics are wrong – unfortunately. This by no means implies that the hanging paragraph is wise policy.
Engineering and Economic Assessment of CO2 Sequestration in Saline Reservoirs

Publisher Summary Concern over the potential effects of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) on global climate has triggered extensive studies on ways to reduce emissions of these gases. CO2 disposal in deep saline reservoirs has emerged as one of the most attractive long-term, technology-based options for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to capture and sequester CO2 produced by combustion of fossil fuels from power plants and other large sources of CO2 emissions. An engineering and economic assessment was conducted to review the status of existing technologies that could be used to sequester CO2, develop a preliminary engineering concept for accomplishing the required operations, estimate capital and operating costs for sequestration systems under various design conditions, and outline regulatory and project implementation aspects. This review did not identify any technical obstacles to implementing CO2 sequestration. Future work will involve implementation of these concepts at a large power plant to characterize and develop the site for potential future CO2 injection and monitoring. This chapter describes the principal findings of the evaluation of the engineering requirements and economic variables for the deployment of CO2 capture and sequestration in on-shore saline reservoirs.
Theoretical Probes of Nucleic Acid Conformation

The computations described briefly here illustrate the interrelationship between the local structure and macroscopic behavior of the DNA helix. Statistical mechanical studies help to identify the most likely morphological arrangements of the polynucleotide backbone and to understand the macroscopic flexibility of the DNA as a whole. Model building and potential energy calculations uncover the detailed local geometries of the chain and clarify the likely pathways between the multitude of allowed spatial forms.
Decentralized Software Architecture

Abstract : A centralized (or even distributed) system admits only one correct answer to a question at a time. In contrast, a decentralized one allows several agents to hold different opinions, all equally valid. While the term "decentralization" is familiar from political and economic contexts, it has been applied extensively, if indiscriminately, to describe recent trends in software architecture towards integrating services across organizational boundaries. This technical report investigates how "decentralization" can be defined in the context of software architecture; provides a formal model of two causes of decentralization (latency and agency); reviews historical trends forcing decentralization in software; and designs, implements, and evaluates a proposed software architectural style called DECentralized Event Notification Transfer (DECENT). The author believes its principal contributions will include the following: (1) formally exposing the often-tacit requirement for simultaneity between components; (2) novel rationales for adopting event-based communication, standardized application protocols, and stateless messaging; (3) describing application-layer internetworking of software services across several routers rather than a central bus; (4) a microkernel-like refactoring of traditional messaging middleware on top of a basic event model; (5) techniques for using consistent hashing to increase reliability, availability, and scalability of decentralized services; and (6) evaluation of the effectiveness of DECENT-style architecture for enabling 3rd and 4th parties to add properties such as security and interoperability without modifying the original services.
Structural modification utilizing beam elements

A method for analyzing the effects of sophisticated beam-type structural modifications to a structure with a known modal database is presented. The modification technique integrates the dual modal space modification method with the transfer matrix method to perform general beam modifications. Consideration is given to two examples: one demonstrates the performance of the modification scheme when a severe structural change is made, while the other demonstrates a change to a complex structure.
iDST: An integrated decision support tool for treatment and beneficial use of non-traditional water supplies – Part I. Methodology

Abstract The treatment and use of non-traditional water supplies such as saline water, domestic wastewater, and produced water from the oil and gas industry has been recognized as a viable solution to address water scarcity. A Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) based integrated decision support tool (iDST) was developed to select a combination of treatment technologies or treatment trains for different types of alternative water and beneficial use options, such as potable use, crop irrigation, livestock watering, hydraulic fracturing, well drilling, environmental restoration, and other industrial applications. The tool integrates costs and treatment capacities of a broad range of treatment technologies from pretreatment, conventional to advanced technologies, and post-treatment. The iDST is fully automated and selects treatment trains based on input data such as feed water quality, target water quality requirements, and treatment selection criteria including technical, energy demand, and economic criteria. The iDST starts with a comprehensive water quality database, then selects the most effective treatment trains that could meet water quality requirement for user selected beneficial use options with respect to multiple technical and economic criteria. The iDST was evaluated based on four case studies, including municipal wastewater for potable reuse and irrigation, and geothermal water for surface discharge and power plant cooling. The iDST selected cost-effective treatment trains capable of producing the water quality required for end uses given site-specific conditions and feed water quality. The iDST provides a comprehensive tool to evaluate potential water treatment and end-use options with consideration of multiple criteria, functions, objectives, and constraints.