Dreaming my Ancestors: A Poetic Inquiry into Longing and Legacy

This poetic inquiry traces certain aspects of my identity as the daughter of an Iranian immigrant growing up in the United States. I use autobiographic life writing (Hasebe-Ludt, Chambers, Leggo, 2009) to lay out (some of) the bones of a larger personal and family story, followed by a suite of poems addressing some of the mysteries, wonderments, gifts and reckonings that I am left with—and which are inherent to—my misplaced, scattered family history and lineage. Although my father shared little about his life in Iran before coming to the U.S., with the help of other relatives I have gleaned a few key details that reveal a sense of Iran the place, the culture, and our family history there, encircled by my own layered longings to experience and know all of this myself firsthand. Part imagined-travelogue, part memoir, this poetic inquiry embraces the idea that even things that are lost, never known, or left behind are part of a beautiful mosaic that resonates through time and place, telling stories of ancestry, memory, language, migration, and the legacies that endure

The future of molecular dynamics simulations in drug discovery

Molecular dynamics simulations can now track rapid processes—those occurring in less than about a millisecond—at atomic resolution for many biologically relevant systems. These simulations appear poised to exert a significant impact on how new drugs are found, perhaps even transforming the very process of drug discovery. We predict here future results we can expect from, and enhancements we need to make in, molecular dynamics simulations over the coming 25 years, and in so doing set out several Grand Challenges for the field. In the context of the problems now facing the pharmaceutical industry, we ask how we can best address drug discovery needs of the next quarter century using molecular dynamics simulations, and we suggest some possible approaches

Process modelling and analysis of intensified CO2 capture using monoethanolamine (MEA) in rotating packed bed absorber

Rotating packed bed (RPB) absorber using monoethanolamine (MEA) as the solvent to capture CO2 is modelled at steady state condition in this study according to the first principles in gPROMS®. The effect of eight different kinetic reaction models and five enhancement factors is examined based on the newly developed model. Selection of kinetic model has a significant effect on the carbon capture level (CCL) but the effect of enhancement factor relation is not important. The steady state process model is validated against the experimental data and showed good agreement. The average absolute relative deviation for 12 case-runs is 3.5%. In addition, process analysis is performed to evaluate the effect of four factors namely rotor speed, MEA concentration in lean MEA solution, lean MEA solution temperature and lean MEA solution flow rate on CCL. Finally, the orthogonal array design (OAD) method is applied to analyse the simultaneous effect of the above-mentioned factors in the CCL and motor power of RPB absorber by considering 25 scenarios. The result of using OAD revealed that rotor speed has the most important effect on CCL, and after that lean MEA solution flow rate has the second importance. In addition, the OAD method is used to find the proper combination of four factors that resulted in about 90% CCL with low motor power

Anomalous left brachiocephalic vein: important vascular anomaly concomitant with congenital anomalies and heart diseases

Background: Anomalous left brachiocephalic vein (ALBCV) is a rare and less known systemic venous anomaly. Infrequently, this vein takes an abnormal course and passes to the right behind or beneath the aortic arch to create the superior vena cava (SVC). Its incidence was reported much higher in patients with congenital heart disease especially in conotruncal and aortic arch anomalies. It could be misdiagnosed with normal or abnormal mediastinal structures. It also could make complication during surgeries or invasive strategies. Previously, this anatomical finding has been reported in case reports and there are just few studies evaluating these patients as a group to find other abnormalities Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre study between 2008 and 2014 at three institutions. We reviewed thoracic computed tomography angiography of 1372 patients referred to these centres. The diagnosis of ALBCV was confirmed by an expert radiologist and the imagings were reassessed to identify new cases and concomitant anomalies. We analysed the imagings’ details and measured the prevalence of each anomaly. Results: Among the 22 cases of ALBCV, 12 (54.5%) and 10 (45.4%) patients were males and females, respectively, with median age of 12.5 years. Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) was considered as a most concomitant anomaly with ALBCV (54.5%). Two patients had associated atrial septal defect (ASD) and defined as pentalogy of Fallot. Right-sided aortic arc (RSAA) was detected in 12 (54.5%) patients; mirror image was found in 5 of them. Pure ventricular septal defect or pulmonary stenosis without TOF was recognised in 4 patients. Three cases had isolated overriding aorta (13.6%). In 3 patients, we could find patent ductus arteriosus (13.6%). In 2 (9%) patients, abdominal haemangioma was incidentally diagnosed. Aberrant left retrotracheal subclavian artery was detected in 1 (4.5%) patient. One patient only had isolated ALBCV (4.5%). Conclusions: In our study, ALBCV was frequently seen in association with other congenital anomalies. mostly TOF and RSAA. In patients with pulmonary hypoplasia or aplasia, some parts of lung’s blood supply were provided by abnormal aorto-pulmonary connections. For a radiologist, it is important to differentiate this anomaly in cross-sectional imaging from persistent left SVC, partial anomalous pulmonary veins return and an enlarged lymph node. Detection of ALBCV could draw the attention to the more serious heart disease and in isolated forms prevented further evaluations.

Gauging Working Memory Capacity from Differential Resting Brain Oscillations in Older Individuals with a Wearable Device

Working memory is a core cognitive function and its deficits is one of the most common cognitive impairments. Reduced working memory capacity manifests as reduced accuracy in memory recall and prolonged speed of memory retrieval in older adults. Currently, the relationship between healthy older individuals’ age-related changes in resting brain oscillations and their working memory capacity is not clear. Eyes-closed resting electroencephalogram (rEEG) is gaining momentum as a potential neuromarker of mild cognitive impairments. Wearable and wireless EEG headset measuring key electrophysiological brain signals during rest and a working memory task was utilized. This research’s central hypothesis is that rEEG (e.g., eyes closed for 90 s) frequency and network features are surrogate markers for working memory capacity in healthy older adults. Forty-three older adults’ memory performance (accuracy and reaction times), brain oscillations during rest, and inter-channel magnitude-squared coherence during rest were analyzed. We report that individuals with a lower memory retrieval accuracy showed significantly increased alpha and beta oscillations over the right parietal site. Yet, faster working memory retrieval was significantly correlated with increased delta and theta band powers over the left parietal sites. In addition, significantly increased coherence between the left parietal site and the right frontal area is correlated with the faster speed in memory retrieval. The frontal and parietal dynamics of resting EEG is associated with the “accuracy and speed trade-off” during working memory in healthy older adults. Our results suggest that rEEG brain oscillations at local and distant neural circuits are surrogates of working memory retrieval’s accuracy and processing speed. Our current findings further indicate that rEEG frequency and coherence features recorded by wearable headsets and a brief resting and task protocol are potential biomarkers for working memory capacity. Additionally, wearable headsets are useful for fast screening of cognitive impairment risk

The study of applying heat to enhance moisture transfer in knitted spacer structures

The aim of the article is to report the research of the Advanced Textiles Research Group on the application of heat to enhance the moisture transmission in knitted spacer structures. The current trend in the design and development of moisture management textiles is to use knitted spacer structures. Generally, in moisture management textiles, the moisture is transmitted through the fabric due to capillary forces, which are influenced by the hydrostatic pressure difference between the two fabric layers and the geometry and the dimensions of the capillaries of the sandwiched fibre layer of a knitted spacer structures. However, the hydrostatic pressure difference is also influenced by the outer environmental changes. The research has demonstrated that the moisture transfer rate of up to 30% per 100 cm2 of fabric area can be achieved by creating a temperature gradient between the two layers of a knitted spacer structures. This temperature gradient was achieved by application of heat at one layer of the knitted spacer structures, which influenced the hydrostatic pressure difference of the knitted spacer structures. Application of heat to the knitted spacer structures was achieved by knitting small heater elements on side of knitted spacer structures to create an active moisture management structure. Wash tests, temperature rise rates and moisture wettability experiments of the active moisture management structure were performed, and the results are discussed in the publication

Effect of cube texture on local softening of friction stir welded joints for nanostructured AA2024 processed by accumulative roll bonding

Copyright © 2023 The Authors. The current research provides an insight into the correlation between the crystallographic textures, microstructure, and hardness of friction stir welded joints in nanostructured AA2024 alloys processed through accumulative roll bonding (ARB). Utilizing varying rotational speeds (250, 500, 750, and 1000 rpm) at a constant traverse tool (150 mm/min) during friction stir welding (FSW), microstructural analyses reveal distinct grain structures and texture components in the nugget zone. The fully recrystallized Cube {001}⟨100⟩ texture-oriented grains appear at the rotational speed of 750 rpm. The hardness profiles of ARB-processed strips after FSW at different rotational speeds show local softening in the nugget zones. There might be a hypothesis concerning the dissolution of stable and metastable precipitates based on generated heat input, providing insights into the mechanisms influencing hardness variations. Notably, the examination of Cube {001}⟨100⟩ texture and its correlation with local softening adds a valuable dimension to the understanding of microstructural changes in FSW of nanostructured AA2024 alloys processed by accumulative roll bonding process

Improving strength-ductility synergy of nano/ultrafine-structured Al/Brass composite by cross accumulative roll bonding process

Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Increasing the strength of metallic multilayered composites fabricated through accumulative roll bonding (ARB) is typically accompanied by a sacrifice in ductility. In the current work, we propose a strategy to achieve microstructural refinement and outstanding strength-ductility synergy in Al/Brass composites. Here, the aluminum matrix exhibits a bimodal grain distribution, consisting of fine equiaxed grains with an average size of ∼100 nm and ultrafine-elongated grains, in which the brass fragments were distributed uniformly. These microstructural features, introduced through cross accumulative roll bonding (CARB), provide synergistic strengthening effects. The CARB processed composite exhibits a mean misorientation angle of 43.16° and a fraction of high angle grain boundaries of 87%, compared to values of 38.02° and 79% for ARB processed specimen. The CARB processed composite demonstrates a major texture characterized by prominent Rotated Brass {110}, Rotated Goss {011}, and Rotated Cube {001} components. In contrast, the ARB processed specimen revealed strong Goss {011}, Rotated Goss {011}, Brass {011}, and S {123} components. The Copper {112} and S {123} components were nearly absent in the CARB processed composite, because both of them were unstable under the CARB regime. The CARB processed composite shows a tensile strength of 405 MPa and a remarkable elongation of 12.4% at ambient temperature, outperforming ARB processed specimen with a tensile strength of 335 MPa and elongation of 9.5%. These unique mechanical properties in the CARB processed composite are ascribed to the dislocation strengthening, bimodal grain size distribution, uniformity of the brass fragments, and quality of bonding at the interfaces.Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (FENU-2023-0013).; Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea (Brain Korea 21 (BK21) Postdoctoral Fellowship to MN).

The effects of statin use on inflammatory markers among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Current evidence suggests that statin use decreases the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) through reducing LDL cholesterol and decreasing inflammation. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is usually associated with increased inflammatory markers and increased risk of CVD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of statin use on inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) among patients with MetS and related disorders. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science databases, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through April 2018. Three independent investigators evaluated study eligibilities, extracted data, and assessed study quality using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool and Jadad's quality scales. Heterogeneity was determined using Cochran's Q statistic and I-square (I 2 ) test. Based on the heterogeneity results, we pooled data using random-effect or fixed effect models presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) and corresponding 95 confidence intervals (CI). One hundred thirteen RCTs (19,644 patients) were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled results using random effects model showed that statin use statistically significantly decreased CRP level (SMD= -0.97; 95 CI, -1.10, -0.85; P < 0.001; I 2 : 95.1), TNF-α (SMD= -1.88; 95 CI, -2.40, -1.38; P < 0.001; I 2 : 97.2), IL-6 (SMD= -1.67; 95 CI, -1.98, -1.34; P < 0.001; I 2 : 96.5), and IL-1 concentrations (SMD= -8.35; 95 CI, -10.49, -6.22; P < 0.001; I 2 : 98.4) among patients with MetS and related disorders. Our meta-analysis showed beneficial effects of statin use on reducing inflammatory markers in patients with MetS and related disorders. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

A scalable parallel framework for analyzing terascale molecular dynamics simulation trajectories

Abstract—As parallel algorithms and architectures drive the longest molecular dynamics (MD) simulations towards the millisecond scale, traditional sequential post-simulation data analysis methods are becoming increasingly untenable. Inspired by the programming interface of Google’s MapReduce, we have built a new parallel analysis framework called HiMach, which allows users to write trajectory analysis programs sequentially, and carries out the parallel execution of the programs automatically. We introduce (1) a new MD trajectory data analysis model that is amenable to parallel processing, (2) a new interface for defining trajectories to be analyzed, (3) a novel method to make use of an existing sequential analysis tool called VMD, and (4) an extension to the original MapReduce model to support multiple rounds of analysis. Performance evaluations on up to 512 cores demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of the HiMach framework on a Linux cluster. I