cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thick junction radiation detectors made by ion drift

Abstract Lithium-drifted detectors with depletion thicknesses up to 3.38 mm, capable of stopping 24-MeV protons and 96-MeV α particles, have been produced. To the degree of accuracy of the experiment, the output pulse amplitude was linearly proportional to the energy absorbed in the detector, showing that the charge produced was collected with 100 % efficiency. 47.6-MeV cyclotron-produced α particles were resolved to 0.9 % full width at half-maximum. Most if not all of this width is attributed to beam energy spread. Details of production of these detectors are described.
Milk, revealed “silent” chemistry: new mode of cycloretinal synthesis

Bovine milk is by far the most commonly consumed milk in the western world. The protein composition in milk consists of casein and whey proteins, of which β-lactoglobulin (BLG) is the principal constituent of the latter. Here we provide biochemical evidence that this milk protein, in purified form and in pasteurized store-bought milk, promotes the formation of cycloretinal (all-transretinal dimer), and a variety of other cycloterpenals of biological relevance [Fishkin et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2005, 102, 7091–7096; Fishkin et al., Chirality, 2004, 16, 637–641; Kim et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2007, 104, 19273–19278]. Cycloretinal is an eye metabolite and among several toxic byproducts of the visual cycle firmly established to cause age-related macular degeneration. Experiments in rabbits further demonstrate that BLG/milk can survive the digestive system and promote this reaction in vivo [Caillard et al., Am. J. Physiol., 1994, 266(6), G1053–G1059]. Proteomic studies on age-related macular degeneration patients have detected BLG in the eye of these patients further suggesting that this milk protein could contribute to disease progression [Crabb et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2002, 99(23), 14682–14687].
On Sequential Triangulations of Simple Polygons

A triangulation is said to be Hamiltonian if its dual graph contains a Hamiltonian path. A sequential triangulation is a Hamiltonian triangulation having the additional property that the “turns” in the Hamiltonian path alternate left/right. Such triangulations are useful in computer graphics rendering and are related to a new type of two-guard walk. In this paper we present a simple algorithm that determines all sequential triangulations (or equivalently all sequential two-guard walks) of a simple vertex input polygon. The previous best algorithm uses the polygon’ s visibility graph and hence runs in worse case time [1].
Waldenström macroglobulinaemia: the key questions

In this review, the key issues that pertain to Waldenstrom disease are discussed in a concise question-and-answer format. Diagnosis, prognosis, and indications for state-of-the-art therapy are updated. Current therapies presented at the 7th International Workshop for Waldenstrom Macroglobulinaemia are included.
A National Study of Competency Based Health Education Programs.

(1976). A National Study of Competency Based Health Education Programs. Health Education: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 15-16.
Continuous Performance Test and Schizophrenia: A Test of Stimulus-Response Compatibility, Working Memory, Response Readiness, or None of the Above?

OBJECTIVE: Abnormalities of attention are considered the fundamental deficits in cognitive function manifested by patients with schizophrenia. The authors administered variations of two types of cognitive tasks to patients with schizophrenia (N=20) and normal comparison subjects (N=30) to test four possible cognitive mechanisms that might account for such abnormalities. METHOD: Variations of the Continuous Performance Test were used to test the four mechanisms. Stimulus-response mapping was explored by comparing results on a task in which subjects were to make a response if the word “nine” was preceded by the word “one” with results on a task in which the required response was made explicit by the stimulus (the word “ready” followed by the word “press”). The building up of a prepotent response tendency was tested by manipulating the probability with which the cue and imperative stimulus appeared (17% or 50%). The amount of working memory required to maintain contextual information was tested by using diff...
Ethics and the structures of healthcare.

Suppose a “blue sky” meeting had been called among chief medical officers, chief administrative officers, and other leaders from a range of health-related institutions in this country. The question posed for this meeting was simple but unusual: Are the structures of our organizations, systems, and institutions ethical? Though it was a question reminiscent for a few of the focus some time before on whether the conduct of individuals in their organization was ethical, this question seemed more demanding. Is it reasonable to consider structures or arrangements as ethical or not; or in other words, is ethics an applicable attribute of organizations? And if it is reasonable to speak of an ethics of organizations, by what method might one discern any kind of an answer? And what of the informal connections that link different organizations … how can they be evaluated?
Advantages of peptide nucleic acids as diagnostic platforms for detection of nucleic acids in resource-limited settings

Peptide nucleic acids are a class of nondegradable oligonucleotide mimics that can be used as probes for nucleic acid sequences and could convey the necessary stability to be a diagnostic tool for use in a resource-limited setting. In this review, there is a brief introduction to the field of peptide nucleic acids and their potential benefits as probes for DNA and RNA sequences, followed by highlights of ways by which peptide nucleic acids could benefit a number of established diagnostic tools for human immunodeficiency virus detection.
Effect of exercise on abdominal fat loss in men and women with and without type 2 diabetes

Objective To examine the effect of exercise on abdominal adipose tissue in adults with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Design Post hoc analysis of two randomised controlled trials. Setting Outpatient secondary prevention programme in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Participants 97 men and women with prehypertension, stage 1 or medically controlled hypertension. 49% of the sample was also diagnosed with T2DM. Intervention All participants completed a 26-week (6.5 months) supervised aerobic and resistance exercise programme following American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. Primary and secondary outcome measures The main outcomes in this post hoc analysis were total abdominal adipose tissue (TAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) measured by MRI. Secondary outcomes were to determine whether the magnitude of abdominal fat change differed by diabetes status in men and women and to identify the predictors of change in abdominal fat distribution with exercise. Results Overall, participants (mean age 61±6 years; 45% women) significantly improved peak oxygen uptake by 15% (p Conclusions Although participants with and without T2DM attained an exercise training effect as evidenced by increased fitness, VAT was unchanged in T2DM compared to those without T2DM, suggesting that these individuals may be resistant to this important benefit of exercise. The strategies for reducing cardiovascular disease risk in T2DM may be most effective when they include a weight loss component. Clinical Trials Registration Clinicaltrials.gov Registry NCT00212303.
Multicomponent pre-stack seismic waveform inversion in transversely isotropic media using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm

Inversion of band- and offset-limited single component (P wave) seismic data does not provide robust estimates of subsurface elastic parameters and density. Multicomponent seismic data can, in principle, circumvent this limitation but adds to the complexity of the inversion algorithm because it requires simultaneous optimization of multiple objective functions, one for each data component. In seismology, these multiple objectives are typically handled by constructing a single objective given as a weighted sum of the objectives of individual data components and sometimes with additional regularization terms reflecting their interdependence; which is then followed by a single objective optimization. Multi-objective problems, inclusive of the multicomponent seismic inversion are however non-linear. They have nonunique solutions, known as the Pareto-optimal solutions. Therefore, casting such problems as a single objective optimization provides one out of the entire set of the Pareto-optimal solutions, which in turn, may be biased by the choice of the weights. To handle multiple objectives, it is thus appropriate to treat the objective as a vector and simultaneously optimize each of its components so that the entire Pareto-optimal set of solutions could be estimated. This paper proposes such a novel multi-objective methodology using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm for waveform inversion of multicomponent seismic data. The applicability of the method is demonstrated using synthetic data generated from multilayer models based on a real well log. We document that the proposed method can reliably extract subsurface elastic parameters and density from multicomponent seismic data both when the subsurface is considered isotropic and transversely isotropic with a vertical symmetry axis. We also compute approximate uncertainty values in the derived parameters. Although we restrict our inversion applications to horizontally stratified models, we outline a practical procedure of extending the method to approximately include local dips for each source-receiver offset pair. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method is not just limited to seismic inversion but it could be used to invert different data types not only requiring multiple objectives but also multiple physics to describe them.
Effects of Fabrication Process Parameters on the Properties of Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Microfluidic Devices

Among the materials used for fabricating microfluidic devices, plastics have been increasingly employed in the past few years. Although several methods for fabricating plastic devices have appeared in the literature, reports typically indicate one set of conditions that yield functional devices; little data are available detailing how results are affected by their changes in the process variables. We report in this paper a systematic study of fabrication process parameters including compression rate, molding temperature, and the force used by a hydraulic press, as well as their effects on the device properties. Using cyclic olefin copolymers as the molding material, we found that the device thickness decreased when the molding temperature and compression force increased. Fidelity in the pattern transfer from a master to a device was confirmed by the reproduction of nanostructures and channel depth/shape. Pattern transfer fidelity appeared to be independent of the molding temperature and compression force, at least in the range of conditions we investigated. Stress whitening (or crazing) on the device surface was found to be related to the molding temperature and the cooling rate of the mold/device assembly. The bond strength between the layers of a laminated device was determined to be a function of the lamination temperature. In addition, we demonstrated the utility of a plastic microfluidic device by separating proteins. 1678
Food Insecurity and Low Self-efficacy are Associated with Health Care Access Barriers Among Puerto-Ricans with Type 2 Diabetes

Racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by barriers to health care access and utilization. The primary objective was to test for an independent association between household food insecurity and health care access/utilization. In this cross-sectional survey, 211 Latinos (predominantly, Puerto-Ricans) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) were interviewed at their homes. Factor analyses identified four barriers for health care access/utilization: enabling factor, doctor access, medication access and forgetfulness. Multivariate logistic regression models examined the association between each of the barrier factors and food insecurity controlling for sociodemographic, cultural, psychosocial, and diabetes self-care variables. Higher food insecurity score was a risk factor for experiencing enabling factor (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.17–1.82), medication access (OR = 1.26; 95 CI% = 1.06–1.50), and forgetfulness (OR = 1.22; 95 CI% = 1.04–1.43) barriers. Higher diabetes management self-efficacy was protective against all four barriers. Other variables associated with one or more barriers were health insurance, perceived health, depression, blood glucose, age and education. Findings suggest that addressing barriers such as food insecurity, low self-efficacy, lack of health insurance, and depression could potentially result in better health care access and utilization among low income Puerto-Ricans with T2D.
A Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Strain Evades a Major Caenorhabditis elegans Defense Pathway

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a ubiquitous bacterium and an emerging nosocomial pathogen. This bacterium is resistant to many antibiotics, associated with a number of infections, and a significant health risk, especially for immunocompromised patients. Given that Caenorhabditis elegans shares many conserved genetic pathways and pathway components with higher organisms, the study of its interaction with bacterial pathogens has biomedical implications. S. maltophilia has been isolated in association with nematodes from grassland soils, and it is likely that C. elegans encounters this bacterium in nature. We found that a local S. maltophilia isolate, JCMS, is more virulent than the other S. maltophilia isolates (R551-3 and K279a) tested. JCMS virulence correlates with intestinal distension and bacterial accumulation and requires the bacteria to be alive. Many of the conserved innate immune pathways that serve to protect C. elegans from various pathogenic bacteria also play a role in combating S. maltophilia JCMS. However, S. maltophilia JCMS is virulent to normally pathogen-resistant DAF-2/16 insulin-like signaling pathway mutants. Furthermore, several insulin-like signaling effector genes were not significantly differentially expressed between S. maltophilia JCMS and avirulent bacteria (Escherichia coli OP50). Taken together, these findings suggest that S. maltophilia JCMS evades the pathogen resistance conferred by the loss of DAF-2/16 pathway components. In summary, we have discovered a novel host-pathogen interaction between C. elegans and S. maltophilia and established a new animal model with which to study the mode of action of this emerging nosocomial pathogen.
Why the Catholic Church Is Credible

Over Easter weekend, the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, stated in a BBC interview that the Catholic Church in Ireland is “losing all credibility” because of clergy sexual abuse scandals and the hierarchy’s poor response to past cases. Such a blunt remark from the normally diplomatic head of the Anglican Communion may seem out of character; especially during this ecumenically sensitive age. Yet the fact remains that, insofar as public perception is concerned, Williams is correct. However, his statement is limited in time and substance. The Church’s credibility cannot be judged on the actions of its members whether they be its hierarchy, lower clergy, or laity. If that were the case, Catholics would be justified in seeking spiritual sustenance elsewhere. The fact is, however, that the Church has always admitted that both saints and sinners comprise her ranks. Because of this, the Church is always in need of reform, or as the Latin Proverb has it, “Ecclesia semper reformanda.”
Xylan hemicellulose improves chitosan hydrogel for bone tissue regeneration

The hemicellulose xylan, which has immunomodulatory effects, has been combined with chitosan to form a composite hydrogel to improve the healing of bone fractures. This thermally responsive and injectable hydrogel, which is liquid at room temperature and gels at physiological temperature, improves the response of animal host tissue compared with similar pure chitosan hydrogels in tissue engineering models. The composite hydrogel was placed in a subcutaneous model where the composite hydrogel is replaced by host tissue within 1 week, much earlier than chitosan hydrogels. A tibia fracture model in mice showed that the composite encourages major remodeling of the fracture callus in less than 4 weeks. A non-union fracture model in rat femurs was used to demonstrate that the composite hydrogel allows bone regeneration and healing of defects that with no treatment are unhealed after 6 weeks. These results suggest that the xylan/chitosan composite hydrogel is a suitable bone graft substitute able to aid in the repair of large bone defects.
Laser Thermal Processing of Alternate Dopants in Silicon

Traditionally, the choice of dopant has been limited to those species with the highest solid-solubility, however, Laser Thermal Processing (LTP) is not fundamentally limited by solid-solubility. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate alternate dopants that have previously been excluded due to low solid-solubility. To this end, alternate dopants of 14 N, 121 Sb (n-type), 27 Al, 70 Ga, and 115 In (p-type) are compared to conventional dopants of As and B respectively, after LTP and post-LTP thermal processing. Dopants were implanted into silicon wafers of opposite background doping type that had previously been amorphized to a depth of approximately 300 angstroms by a 15 keV 28 Si + implant of 1x10 15 /cm 2 dose. An implant energy of 5 keV was sufficiently low to confine the implanted ions to the amorphous layer, with the exception of B, which required an energy of 2 keV. All species were implanted at doses of 1x10 14 , 5x10 14 and 1.5x10 15 /cm 2 . Samples were LTP utilizing a 308 nm, 18 ns laser pulse with a fluence of 0.680 J/cm 2 . Post-LTP thermal processing of the samples consisted of a 900 °C rapid thermal anneal (RTA) in a nitrogen ambient for a duration ranging from spike to 300 seconds. Measurements of the sheet resistance, mobility and carrier concentration were taken after both LTP, and the post-LTP thermal processing. Experimental results show that LTP of alternate dopants increases the electrically active carrier concentration of Ga, Al and Sb above solid-solubility. Additionally, the amount of deactivation upon post- LTP thermal processing depends on the alternate dopant species.
In vitro 3-D multicellular models for cytotoxicity assay and drug screening

Abstract Three-dimensional (3-D) cell culture models have been developed to improve drug screening and predictive efficacy. In this study, a high-throughput drug screening system with autofluorescent cells cultured in 3-D polyethylene terephthalate (PET) scaffolds mimicking in vivo microenvironment was developed. Using a modified microbioreactor platform designed specifically for 3-D cell cultures, three commonly used drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), gemcitabine, and sodium butyrate, were tested for their cytotoxicity on 3-D mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells and human colon cancer HT-29 cells, respectively. In general, 3-D cultures with multicellular structures exhibited similar expression in Ki-67 (a proliferation marker) and p27kip1 (a quiescence marker) as compared to fresh tissues, and gave better predictive values of effective drug dosage in vivo. The 3-D multicellular mES and HT-29 cultures could be used as more reliable models for assessing dose-dependent drug responses, potentially reducing or partially replacing animal experiments, and thus should have applications in the early-stage drug discovery as well as toxicological evaluation of chemical compounds.
Abstract 801: Uptake of exogenous neutrophil elastase by breast cancer cells: A novel link between innate immunity, inflammation and breast cancer immunity

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Introduction: High level of neutrophil elastase (NE) in tumor tissue from breast cancer (BrCa) patients is associated with poor metastasis-free survival. Modest endogenous expression of NE in some BrCa cell lines has also been observed. However, because the major source of NE is from azurophil granules of activated neutrophils, we hypothesized that breast cancer cells may take up soluble NE released by abundant inflammatory cells in the tumor microenvironment. Methods: Endogenous NE expression was evaluated in MCF7, HER18, MDA-MB-231 (231) and MDA-MB-453 BrCa cell lines by western blot analysis and RT-PCR. Uptake of soluble NE was quantified by flow cytometry by intracellular staining of NE-pulsed BrCa and compared to non-specific uptake of OVA. Dose and time course experiments were performed. Confocal immunoflourescence microscopy was used to confirm uptake and demonstrate subcellular localization of NE. BrCa cells were also co-incubated with activated neutrophils to determine if they were able to take up cell-associated NE. Results: Western blot analysis of BrCa cell lysates showed no NE protein expression in all 4 cell lines. Furthermore, RT-PCR with NE-specific primers demonstrated no NE mRNA expression in the 4 BrCa cell lines. However, BrCa cells pulsed with 5 to 25 μg/ml of soluble NE took up NE in a time and dose dependent manner, consistent with a receptor-mediated mechanism. Maximal intracellular uptake of NE by 231 cells occurred by 24 hours when NE accumulated at comparable levels to that of HL60 leukemia cells that express high levels of NE (987 vs 1300 MFI, p=ns). Uptake was enzyme-independent because it was not affected by alpha-1-antitrypsin, a protease inhibitor. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that NE accumulates in membrane bound compartments by 20 minutes after uptake, whereas there was no significant uptake of OVA by BrCa cells. Similarly, after co-incubation of 231 cells with activated neutrophils, significant uptake of NE was detected (p<.001). Conclusions: These data show that BrCa cells do not express NE but the cells take up extracellular NE by a receptor-mediated enzyme-independent mechanism. This establishes a novel link between NE, a naturally secreted mediator of inflammation and cell growth, and BrCa. Because neutrophils are the major source of NE and chronic inflammation by tumor-infiltrating neutrophils is associated with positive tumor growth, this suggests NE could mediate growth control of BrCa. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 801. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-801
Investigation of Macroscopic Interfacial Dynamics between Clathrate Hydrates and Surfactant Solutions

Macroscopic interfacial interactions between cyclopentane (CP) hydrates and various surfactants droplets are examined in a CP/n-decane oil mixture. Initial contact force and subsequent z-axis dependent retraction force are measured utilizing a high-resolution microbalance integrated with a micrometer-precision stage. The resulting retraction force is utilized to determine the overall adhesion energy of the system. In addition, interfacial tensions and contact angles of the system are examined to further understand the effect of surface-active agents and substrates on the initial contact and retraction forces.
Unlocking Concurrency: Multicore programming with transactional memory

Multicore architectures are an inflection point in mainstream software development because they force developers to write parallel programs. In a previous article in Queue, Herb Sutter and James Larus pointed out, “The concurrency revolution is primarily a software revolution. The difficult problem is not building multicore hardware, but programming it in a way that lets mainstream applications benefit from the continued exponential growth in CPU performance.” In this new multicore world, developers must write explicitly parallel applications that can take advantage of the increasing number of cores that each successive multicore generation will provide.
The human Na+/H+ exchangerNHE2 gene: genomic organization and promoter characterization

The Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) 2 belongs to a family of plasma membrane transporters involved in intracellular pH and cell volume regulation. We recently reported cloning of humanNHE2 (hNHE2) from a co...
Marrow mast cell hyperplasia in hairy cell leukemia

Marrow mast cells, frequently elevated in chronic B-lymphoproliferative disorders, were counted per high magnification field (HMF) on toluidine blue stained marrow biopsies from 34 patients diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia (HCL); similar counts were performed on splenic sections from nine of these patients. Biopsies from 28 normal marrow transplant donors and 10 normal spleens served as controls. Mast cells were distributed irregularly throughout normal and HCL marrows, but tended to be more concentrated about the hairy cells in cases focally involved by HCL. HCL marrows averaged 12.7 mast cells/HMF compared to 1.1 for controls. Although most normal marrows (86%) averaged or = 2 mast cells/HMF. Splenic mast cells averaged < 1/HMF for both HCL and control cases. By electron microscopy, marrow mast cells in HCL demonstrated normal substructure with numerous granules. The cell surfaces of mast cells showed filopodia that often came in contact with those of hairy cells. These results indicate most HCL marrows, but not spleens, are associated with varying degrees of mast cell hyperplasia. Furthermore, this study suggests a biologic interaction between mast cells and hairy cells. The significance of marrow mast cell hyperplasia in HCL is unknown, but these mast cells may contribute to the increased reticulin fiber network observed in HCL marrows.
The effect of salinity on the survival, growth, sporulation and infection of Phytophthora ramorum

Abstract Phytophthora ramorum has been found in waterways outside infested nurseries, but little is known about its behavior in water. This study examined the effect of salinity on survival, growth, sporulation, and infection. P. ramorum survival and growth was negatively correlated with salt concentration (range of 0–45 g l−1), but showed a level of tolerance even at 45 g l−1. No sporangia were observed in cultures with higher than 20 g l−1 of salt and zoospores were not released from sporangia above 14 g l−1. Water sources with different salinity were used to understand the environment where P. ramorum can survive and infect host material. Water from natural bodies and water amended with different salt concentrations were added to P. ramorum-infested sand and baited with rhododendron leaf disks. Infection decreased with increasing salt concentration and increased with higher initial concentration of P. ramorum. This research helps to better understand the effects of water quality on survival and infectivity of P. ramorum, expanding the potential survey range.
Composition semigroups on BMOA and H

Abstract We study [ φ t , X ] , the maximal space of strong continuity for a semigroup of composition operators induced by a semigroup { φ t } t ≥ 0 of analytic self-maps of the unit disk, when X is BMOA, H ∞ or the disk algebra. In particular, we show that [ φ t , BMOA ] ≠ BMOA for all nontrivial semigroups. We also prove, for every semigroup { φ t } t ≥ 0 , that lim t → 0 + ⁡ φ t ( z ) = z not just pointwise, but in H ∞ norm. This provides a unified proof of known results about [ φ t , X ] when X ∈ { H p , A p , B 0 , VMOA } .
Development of a novel tool for Francisella tularensis immunology (MUC1P.915)

Tularemia, an acute infection caused by Francisella tularensis, can manifest in various forms. Pulmonary tularemia developed after an aerosol exposure to the bacterium has a high risk of mortality in unvaccinated individuals. Therefore, development of a vaccine is of critcal importance but is hampered by a relative lack of understanding of the protective adaptive immune response. Absence of immunological tools to study protective T cell responses has been one of the key hurdles in establishing the profile of immune responses to F. tularensis. We have developed a novel F. tularensis LVS, which constitutively expresses a vgrG-OVA fusion protein containing the epitopes OVA257-264 and OVA323-339. This will allow researchers to study antigen-specifc T cell responses during infecton by F. tularensis. Robust expression of this construct was confirmed by immunoblot from bacterial lysates. An additional chromosomally-integrated expression construct is also being generated for more stable expression throughout in vivo infections. This new tool will allow us to study the memory response to Francisella vaccinaton in ways previously difficult to do. Inital experiments are underway using OT-I and OT-II transgenic mice to study the pathogen-specifc response to Francisella following vaccinaton by the intradermal and intranasal routes in order to determine the ideal conditons for improving survival after pulmonary challenge, which remains a concern in a potental bioterror atack.
Rehabilitation Applications Using Virtual Reality for Persons with Residual Impairments Following Stroke

This chapter describes current clinical evidence for the effectiveness of VR applications on upper limb recovery in individuals who have had a stroke. The chapter summarizes outcomes of upper limb rehabilitation studies using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model as a framework and describes motor learning approaches that have been used in VR simulations and interventions for upper limb recovery after stroke. The chapter includes a case study that explores how to effectively use VR/robotic technology for an individualized treatment intervention based on motor learning principles.
Aggregate Production Management

This note defines the aggregate production planning problem and outlines the elements that are analyzed when evaluating alternative plans. An example is presented. Excerpt UVA-OM-1008 AGGREGATE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Introduction Aggregate production management is the process of planning and controlling the various aspects of the total production effort in order to meet the forecast requirements of a firm's customers. Given sales forecasts, equipment capacities, inventory positions, employment levels, and subcontracting capabilities, operations managers must decide the production rates at which the plant should operate over a timeframe of 3 to 18 months. Managers do not make this decision at budgeting time and then file it away until a year-end review is made. In reality, they react continually to a series of conditions caused by fluctuations in the incoming order rate, and in the firm's labor and equipment productivity. In most firms, these reactions do need not be immediate because there is normally a buffer (an order backlog or safety-stock inventory) to absorb some fluctuations. The only passive response the decision-maker can use is to rely on these buffers. All other options require dynamic management actions that tend to produce conflicts while trying to maintain: 1. Steady labor levels; . . .
Acoustic Characterization of Echogenic Polymersomes Prepared From Amphiphilic Block Copolymers.

Abstract Polymersomes are a class of artificial vesicles prepared from amphiphilic polymers. Like lipid vesicles (liposomes), they too can encapsulate hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug molecules in the aqueous core and the hydrophobic bilayer respectively, but are more stable than liposomes. Although echogenic liposomes have been widely investigated for simultaneous ultrasound imaging and controlled drug delivery, the potential of the polymersomes remains unexplored. We prepared two different echogenic polymersomes from the amphiphilic copolymers polyethylene glycol–poly-DL-lactic acid (PEG-PLA) and polyethylene glycol–poly-L-lactic acid (PEG-PLLA), incorporating multiple freeze-dry cycles in the synthesis protocol to ensure their echogenicity. We investigated acoustic behavior with potential applications in biomedical imaging. We characterized the polymeric vesicles acoustically with three different excitation frequencies of 2.25, 5 and 10 MHz at 500 kPa. The polymersomes exhibited strong echogenicity at all three excitation frequencies (about 50- and 25-dB enhancements in fundamental and subharmonic, respectively, at 5-MHz excitation from 20 µg/mL polymers in solution). Unlike echogenic liposomes, they emitted strong subharmonic responses. The scattering results indicated their potential as contrast agents, which was also confirmed by clinical ultrasound imaging.
Repetitive Brain Injury of Juvenile Mice Impairs Environmental Enrichment-Induced Modulation of REM Sleep in Adulthood.

Abstract Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common and costly ongoing public health concern. Injuries that occur during childhood development can have particularly profound and long-lasting effects. One common consequence and potential mediator of negative outcomes of TBI is sleep disruption which occurs in a substantial proportion of TBI patients. These individuals report greater incidences of insomnia and sleep fragmentation combined with a greater overall sleep requirement meaning that many patients are chronically sleep-deprived. We sought to develop an animal model of developmental TBI-induced sleep dysfunction. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that early (postnatal day 21), repeated closed head injuries in Swiss-Webster mice, would impair basal and homeostatic sleep responses in adulthood. Further, we asked whether environmental enrichment (EE), a manipulation that improves functional recovery following TBI and has been shown to alter sleep physiology, would prevent TBI-induced sleep dysfunction and alter sleep-modulatory peptide expression. In contrast to our hypothesis, the mild, repeated head injury that we used did not significantly alter basal or homeostatic sleep responses in mice housed in standard laboratory conditions. Sham-injured mice housed in enriched environments exhibited enhanced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and expression of the REM-promoting peptide pro-melanin-concentrating hormone, an effect that was not apparent in TBI mice housed in enriched environments. Thus, TBI blocked the REM-enhancing effects of EE. This work has important implications for the management and rehabilitation of the TBI patient population.
Social Casework: More than a Modality:

Segments of behavior modification, Gestalt and reality therapy, transactional analysis, and ego psychology are integrated into the methods of social casework
Persönlichkeit von und Psychopathologie bei Heroinsüchtigen

Viele Versuche zur Bestimmung der„typischen“suchtanfalligen Person basierten auf der stillschweigenden Voraussetzung, das bestimmte „Typen“von Personen suchtig werden. Das bedeutet, das Personen, die bestimmte spezifische Personlichkeitsmerkmale aufweisen, oft als suchtanfalliger betrachtet werden als solche, die diese Charakteristika nicht besitzen. Diese Schlusfolgerung hat zu einer Reihe von spezifisch den Suchtigen betreffenden Fragen gefuhrt. Z.B., handelt es sich grundsatzlich beim Suchtigen um eine inadaquate Person, die aus einer Umwelt fliehen will, in der sie sich nicht zurechtfindet, oder ist der Suchtige jemand, der standig auf der Suche nach immer hoheren Stimulationsebenen ist, oder handelt es sich beim Suchtigen vielleicht um eine gestorte Personlichkeit, die in der Hoffnung zur Droge greift, durch eine Flucht, innerpsychische Konflikte weder vermeiden noch losen zu mussen? Alle diese Merkmale sind dem Suchtigen zuweilen zugeordnet worden. Im vorliegenden Kapitel wird der Versuch unternommen,die verfugbare Evidenz bezuglich der Personlichkeitsmerkmale und der Anpassungseigenschaften aufzuzeigen, die fur die Heroinsucht als charakteristisch postuliert werden oder zu ihr in einem empirischen Bezug stehen. Daruber hinaus wird versucht, zu einigen schlussigen Aussagen uber den derzeitigen Gultigkeitsgrad einer Hypothese der „suchtigen Personlichkeit“ zu gelangen.
Interpretations of Modality: Epistemic Logic and Peirce’s Logic of Ignorance

It has been recognized that Peirce’s gamma part of his Existential Graphs (EG) contains that kind of treatment of modal logic that is today called model-theoretic. Peirce is even supposed to have anticipated possible-worlds-semantics (PWS).1 In this paper I want to explore how close he got to our contemporary semantics for modal logics and if the differences one finds can only be seen as evidence of an archaic and outdated understanding of logical matters or if they have a hidden potential that might be fruitfully applied in the discussions of problems within the now dominant interpretation of logic.
An Introduction to Growth Stresses

This book is concerned with mechanical stresses and strains which develop in trees as they grow. The term “growth stress” has come to be used (Dinwoodie 1966) when referring to distributions of mechanical stresses and strains which originate in the cambial layers of woody stems of a wide variety of tree species (Jacobs 1945). These stresses must be clearly distinguished from and not confused with other additional stresses which might arise due to other factors; for example, when subsequent moisture changes cause “drying stresses” to develop in wood harvested from trees or when gravitationally induced stresses in standing trees are redistributed by felling.
Adolescents' brain-autonomic coupling during emotion processing

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity is a core component of emotion processing. The limbic system and medial prefrontal cortex play important roles in the regulation of ANS activity. However, the integration of brain activity and ANS activity has yet to be investigated in adolescents despite independent evidence of adolescents' heightened neural and physiological sensitivity to emotional stimuli. The present study examined the relations of ANS activity in the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) with brain activity during emotional face processing in adolescents. 135 adolescents (65 female; M = 17.15 yr, SD = 0.42) completed an emotional faces task during an fMRI scan while electrocardiography and skin conductance were recorded simultaneously. Using linear mixed-effect modelling, we tested the effect of change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of PNS activity, and number of skin conductance responses (SCRs), a measure of SNS activity, on neural activity while adolescents viewed emotional faces. Greater RSA withdrawal, indicating decreased PNS activity, was associated with increased activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). More SCRs, indicating greater SNS activity, were associated with decreased activation in several regions including the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and increased activation in the left hippocampus. Left hippocampus-SCR coupling and vmPFC-RSA coupling predicted baseline SCR and RSA respectively. These findings implicate the hippocampus for potentiating SNS activity, document that regulation of SNS and PNS activity are coordinated with distinct regions of the medial prefrontal cortex, and suggest potential developmental differences in vmPFC regulation of PNS activity between adolescents and adults.
Health Related Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients with Improved Ejection Fraction

Background In a subset of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) disease modifying therapy results in improvement of left ventricular EF (HFiEF). Yet, it has been noted that HFiEF patients may experience clinical events exceeding that of a healthy population. Our aim was to examine health-related quality of life (hrQOL) in HFiEF and compare it to those with HFrEF and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods In a large HF clinic, hrQOL was routinely assessed using the disease-specific 12-question Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-12), the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scale in the domains of physical function, fatigue, depression, and satisfaction with social roles and activities. HFrEF was defined as LVEF Results The study population consisted of 1,337 patients, average age was 59±16.6 years and 65% were male. The demographics of patients in the three groups of interest - HFiEF (N=181), HFrEF (N=878) and HFpEF (n=318) are shown in Table 1 . Compared to HFrEF and HFpEF, patients with HFiEF had better scores for KCCQ, PROMIS physical function and fatigue (p Figure 1 . HFiEF also had better score for VAS compared to HFrEF (p=0.002). There were no significant differences between scores for PROMIS depression and satisfaction with social roles among the three groups (p=NS). Despite the overall better hrQOL profile, HFiEF PROMIS scores remained below the population median. Summary Our results indicate that HFiEF patients have overall better hrQOL than patients with HFrEF and HFpEF. However, their hrQOL remains below that of the general population. More study is needed to determine the causes of these limitations and ways to further improve hrQOL in HFiEF patients.
Cancer risk, screening and surveillance in primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition mainly of the large bile ducts, affecting predominantly young men, and is associated with the presence of inflammatory bowel disease. There is no known cure for PSC, which progresses to cirrhosis or death over 10-20 years. Hepatobiliary malignancy, especially cholangiocarcinoma, is a feared complication associated with poor overall survival. Screening and surveillance appear to improve overall outcomes. To capture as many relevant studies, broad search criteria were employed within the PubMed database. Given the high prevalence of IBD and its own associations with the development of malignancy two separate search strategies were employed. Results were filtered by English language. The first search identified the risks, epidemiological factors and surveillance strategies for patients with PSC at risk for developing malignancy. MeSH terms included: cholangitis, sclerosing, digestive system neoplasms, liver neoplasms, biliary tract neoplasms, cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder neoplasms, colonic neoplasms, rectal neoplasms, or pancreatic neoplasms, risk factors, risk, surveillance, epidemiology and screen. The second included inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn's, or colitis, and assessed for additional malignancies such as lymphoma and skin neoplasms. A total of 288 results returned with 21 duplicates; 267 remaining abstracts were assessed for relevance for inclusion by the authors. Patients with PSC show significantly higher than average risk for the development of hepatobiliary and colonic malignancies including cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma and colorectal carcinoma. Yearly ultrasound surveillance followed with more definitive cross-sectional imaging is prudent to arrive in a timely diagnosis of carcinoma, reducing morbidity and mortality.
Endotoxin Engages Mitochondrial Quality Control via an iNOS-Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling Pathway in Hepatocytes.

Background. Organ injury and dysfunction in sepsis accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. Adaptive cellular responses in the setting of sepsis prevent injury and allow for organ recovery. We and others have shown that part of the adaptive response includes regulation of cellular respiration and maintenance of a healthy mitochondrial population. Herein, we hypothesized that endotoxin-induced changes in hepatocyte mitochondrial respiration and homeostasis are regulated by an inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide (iNOS/NO)-mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) signaling axis, involving activation of the NRF2 signaling pathway. Methods. Wild-type (C57Bl/6) or iNos-/- male mice were subjected to intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections to simulate endotoxemia. Individual mice were randomized to treatment with NO-releasing agent DPTA-NONOate, mtROS scavenger MitoTEMPO, or vehicle controls. Other mice were treated with scramble or Nrf2-specific siRNA via tail vein injection. Primary murine hepatocytes were utilized for in vitro studies with or without LPS stimulation. Oxygen consumption rates were measured to establish mitochondrial respiratory parameters. Western blotting, confocal microscopy with immunocytochemistry, and rtPCR were performed for analysis of iNOS as well as markers of both autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. Results. LPS treatment inhibited aerobic respiration in vitro in wild-type but not iNos-/- cells. Experimental endotoxemia in vivo or in vitro induced iNOS protein and mtROS production. However, induction of mtROS was dependent on iNOS expression. Furthermore, LPS-induced hepatic autophagy/mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis were significantly attenuated in iNos-/- mice or cells with NO or mtROS scavenging. These responses were rescued in iNos-/- mice via delivery of NO both in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions. These data suggest that regulation of mitochondrial quality control following hepatocyte LPS exposure is dependent at least in part on a NO-mtROS signaling network. Further investigation to identify specific agents that modulate this process may facilitate the prevention of organ injury in sepsis.
Metabolic Reprogramming and Vulnerabilities in Cancer

Metabolic programs are rewired in tumors to support growth, progression, and immune evasion. A wealth of work in the past decade has delineated how these metabolic rearrangements are facilitated by signaling pathways downstream of oncogene activation and tumor suppressor loss. More recently, this field has expanded to include metabolic interactions among the diverse cell types that exist within a tumor and how this impacts the immune system. In this special issue, 17 review articles discuss these phenomena, and, alongside four original research manuscripts, the vulnerabilities associated with deregulated metabolic programming are highlighted and examined.
Implications of climate variability and changing seasonal hydrology for subarctic riverbank erosion

Warmer climatic conditions have been associated with numerous hydrologic changes that may impact riverbank erosion in cold regions, but the net effect is not well understood. We used regression and correlation analyses to examine the relationships among subarctic riverbank erosion and seasonal hydrology, the impact of climate change and variability, and the societal implications. Geomorphic change (loss and gain of vegetated land) was mapped along several river reaches in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, throughout 1984 and 2017 using Landsat satellite imagery. Annual erosion rates were estimated from these spatial data. At most study sites, erosion rates (km2/year) were either positively correlated (r = 0.68–0.84, p = 0.0085–0.061) with monthly mean discharge within the cold season or inversely correlated (r = − 0.74 – −0.62, p < 0.10) with river ice breakup date in the spring. These proximate controls on erosion, in turn, were influenced both by climate variability and long-term climatic change. We conclude that increased cold season discharge and earlier freshet that occurs under warmer conditions enhance riverbank erosion in most areas. Climate-related changes to fluvial dynamics may impact communities through effects on infrastructure, travel safety, channel navigability, fish and wildlife habitat, and access to subsistence resources.
Effect of Engineered Nanoparticles on Enhancement of Composite Properties Relevant to Oilfield Applications.

Materials with enhanced properties permitting operations under increasingly harsh conditions such as high pressure, high temperature, high salinity, and sour environments are in critical need for t...