Morphological instability of the solid-liquid interface in crystal growth under supercooled liquid film flow and natural convection airflow

Ring-like ripples on the surface of icicles are an example of morphological instability of the ice-water interface during ice growth under supercooled water film flow. The surface of icicles is typically covered with ripples of about 1 cm in wavelength, and the wavelength appears to be almost independent of external temperature, icicle radius, and volumetric water flow rate. One side of the water layer consists of the water-air surface and growing ice is the other. This is one of the more complicated moving phase boundary problems with two interfaces. A recent theoretical work [K. Ueno, Phys. Rev. E 68, (2003) 021603] to address the underlying instability that produces ripples is based on the assumption of the absence of airflow around icicles. In this paper, we extend the previous theoretical framework to include a natural convection airflow ahead of the water-air surface and consider whether the effect of natural convection airflow on the wavelength of ripples produced on an ice surface is essential or not.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figure

Reattachment of a separated boundary layer to a convex surface.

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77079/1/AIAA-6931-555.pd

Performance Evaluation of Inverted Tee (IT) Bridge System

The Inverted Tee (IT) girder bridge system was originally developed in 1996 by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) researchers and Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) engineers. This bridge system currently accounts for over 110 bridges in Nebraska used for both state highways and local county roads. Extensive longitudinal and transverse deck cracking have been observed and noted in numerous bridge inspection reports. Since the IT girder bridge system is relatively new, limited data and knowledge exist on its structural performance and behavior. This study evaluates the IT girder bridge system by conducting twenty field observations as well as recording accelerometer, strain gauge, and LVDT time histories and lidar scans for a selected subset of these bridges and then a three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted. The field observations included visual inspection for damage and developing deck crack maps to identify a trend for the damage. System identification of the bridge deck and girders helped investigate the global and local structural responses, respectively. Operational modal analysis quantified the natural frequencies, damping ratios, and operational deflected shapes for the instrumented IT girder bridges. These results helped diagnose the reason for the longitudinal deck cracking. The IT girders respond non- uniformly for the first operational deflected shape and independently for higher modes. Two comparable bridges, namely one slab and one NU girder bridge, were instrumented to verify and demonstrate that the IT girder behavior is unique. An advanced geospatial analysis was conducted for the IT girder bridges to develop lidar depth maps of the deck and girders elevations. These depth maps help identify locations of potential water/chloride penetration and girders set at various elevations and/or where the deck thickness is non-uniform. Live load tests helped quantify the transverse dynamic behavior of the bridge girders. Quantifying the transverse dynamic behavior helped validate the source of longitudinal deck cracking in IT girder bridges, which was determined to be the differential deflection between adjacent IT girders. The FEA analysis was conducted to evaluate the live load moment and shear distribution factors and compare that to the predicted values calculated from the AASHTO Standard and LRFD bridge design specifications. The comparison indicated that the predicted distribution factors were conservative. Also, interviews with IT bridge producers and contractors were conducted to determine production and construction advantages and challenges of this bridge system

The efficacy of group hiking on some physical health indexes and quality of life of chronic schizophrenic patients: A randomized clinical trial

زمینه و هدف: بیماران مبتلا به اسکیزوفرنی مزمن تحت درمان با برخی داروهای آنتی سایکوتیک از اختلالات متابولیکی رنج می برند. هدف از مطالعه حاضر، تعیین تأثیر پیاده روی گروهی در طبیعت بر برخی شاخص های سلامت جسمی و کیفیت زندگی بیماران بستری مبتلا به اسکیزوفرنی بود. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه کارآزمایی بالینی، 62 بیمار مبتلا به اسکیزوفرنی مزمن بستری در بیمارستان روانپزشکی سینای شهر جونقان به صورت تصادفی در دو گروه کنترل (30 نفر) و مداخله (32 نفر) قرار گرفتند. گروه کنترل درمان روتین و گروه مداخله علاوه بر درمان روتین، در برنامه پیاده روی در طبیعت، هر روز صبح به مدت 90 دقیقه برای دو ماه شرکت کردند. در ابتدا و انتهای مطالعه، تری گلیسرید، کلسترول، قند خون ناشتا، شاخص توده بدنی و کیفیت زندگی در دو گروه ارزیابی و مقایسه شد. یافته ها: در ابتدای مطالعه، تفاوت معنی داری در میانگین کیفیت زندگی در دو گروه وجود نداشت (09/0P=)؛ اما پس از مداخله، کیفیت زندگی در گروه پیاده روی به شکل معنی داری ارتقاء یافت. میانگین نمره کلی کیفیت زندگی در گروه پیاده روی در ابتدای مطالعه 26/11±69/81 و در پایان مطالعه 93/10±62/77 بود (001/0

Tumor escape and progression under immune pressure.

Although cancers develop and progress in immunocompetent hosts, immunological therapies for cancer have been proposed as alternative or complementary approaches to more standard therapy. It was initially thought that tumors were silent to the immune system, and that breaking immunological tolerance could result in immune-mediated tumor rejection. However, we have learned that cancer patients have preexisting immune responses against their tumor antigens which, nevertheless, fail to protect them, in part because of increased activity of the immune suppressor cells such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Attempts to develop combinatorial therapies by depleting suppressor cells or blocking suppressor pathways and at the same time actively inducing immune responses in vivo or adoptively transferring tumor-specific T cells have largely failed. Very limited success has been achieved only against melanoma, using adoptive T-cell therapy, or prostate cancer, using a vaccine which improves patient survival but has no apparent inhibitory effect on disease progression. Further progress in the immunotherapy of cancer has been halted because of a poor understanding of the cellular components of the immune responses working together in favor of or against the tumors, as well as our inability to reliably reprogram immune responses towards the most effective phenotypes against cancer. This special issue is focused on understanding the escape mechanisms that malignant cells develop to hijack antitumor immune responses as well as strategies to overcome tumor escape. Four main areas that are covered in this issue include the following. Opposing Functions of the Immune System in Tumor Inhibition and Tumor ProgressionRobert Schreiber proposed the term “cancer immunoediting” in order to broadly describe the dual host-protecting and tumor-sculpting actions of the immune system that not only survey for, and eliminate, nascent malignant cells but also shape neoplastic disease through equilibrium and escape mechanisms. In this issue, M. Aris et al. discuss the dual function of the immune system in controlling and promoting tumor progression in cutaneous melanoma. They propose that tumor evolution is because of a continuous feedback between tumor cells and their environment, and thus different combinatorial therapeutic approaches can be implemented according to the tumor stage. A. Amedei et al. discuss recent knowledge on the contribution of T cells in oncogenesis. They review the different types, “friend or foe,” of T-cell response in gastric cancer. Tumor-Associated Modulation of Immune Checkpoint MoleculesUpon activation, T cells develop negative feedback regulatory mechanisms in order to avoid overstimulation. These include the expression of checkpoint molecules such as PD-1 and CTLA-4. T cells that recognize and respond to tumor antigens produce IFN-γ. A dual function of IFN-γ is the induction of apoptosis in target cells and upregulation of PD-L1 that interacts with PD-1 positive T cells, thereby resulting in the exhaustion of tumor-reactive T cells. Expression of CTLA-4 on activated T cells also results in T-cell anergy upon interaction with costimulatory molecules on DCs. S. Sapozink et al. describe new immunomodulatory approaches currently in the development pipeline, with focus on the novel CEACAM1 immune checkpoint, and compare its potential to the extensively described lymphocyte inhibitory targets, CTLA4 and PD-1. E. Rozali et al. provide an extensive review of the literature on the immunoregulatory role of PD-L2 in cancer-induced immune suppression and discuss the results of recent studies targeting PD-L2 in cancer. L. Cruz-Merino et al. discuss immune escape mechanisms in Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and summarize the clinical, histological, pathological, and biological factors in HL, with special emphasis on the improvement of prognosis and their impact on treatment strategies. L. Farnault et al. introduce various mechanisms involved in the escape of hematological malignancies from NK-cell surveillance. These include NK-cell qualitative and qualitative deficiencies that occur through modulating the inhibitory and activating stimuli. Tumor-Induced Immune SuppressionMalignant cells produce cytokines and chemokines that facilitate the expansion or differentiation of immune suppressor cells such as Tregs, MDSC, and M2 macrophages. G. Zhou and H. Levitsky summarize the findings from some recent preclinical and clinical studies, focusing on how tumor cells advance their survival and expansion by hijacking therapy-induced immune effector mechanisms that would otherwise mediate their destruction. A particularly interesting notion that is touched upon involves tumor-independent treatment-induced homeostatic counter-regulation. M. Jadus et al. cover the escape mechanisms of bronchogenic lung cancer that must be overcome before they can be successfully treated. They also review the history of immunotherapy directed towards lung cancers. N. Hao et al. discuss the role of tumor-associated macrophages including M1 and M2 subsets during tumour progression and metastasis, highlighting the immunosuppressive role of M2 macrophages. V. Levina et al. investigate the role of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) in tumor escape and metastasis using 4T1 mammary carcinoma model. They show that IDO1 can not only suppress antitumour immune responses but also promote tumour cell proliferation. Improved Immunotherapeutic Strategies to Overcome Tumor EscapeImmunotherapy combined with blockade of immune suppressor pathways has been developed to overcome tumor-induced immune suppression. Cornelissen et al. discuss the interplay between a dual function of the immune responses against mesothelioma which can either inhibit or stimulate tumor growth and review the challenges associated with immunotherapy. They also discuss possible strategies and opportunities to overcome tumor escape. R. Casalegno-Garduño et al. analyze the expression of the leukemia-associated antigen receptor for hyaluronan acid-mediated motility (RHAMM) in patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Their results suggest that immunotherapies like peptide vaccination or adoptive transfer of RHAMM-specific T cells might improve the immune response and the clinical outcome in AML/MDS patients. S.Wallner et al. summarize the current knowledge about the negative regulatory role of Cbl-b in T-cell activation and its potential therapeutic implications for cancer immunotherapy. H. Nagai et al. demonstrate that sorafenib-induced Th1 dominance can prevent the escape of tumor cells from the host immune system in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC).Overall, this special issue provides a well-rounded synopsis of representative research efforts addressing the issues related to “tumor escape and progression under immune pressure.

Impulsivity is Associated with Increased Metabolism in the Fronto-Insular Network in Parkinson’s Disease

Front. Behav. Neurosci. 9:317. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00317 Various neuroimaging studies demonstrated that the fronto-insular network is implicated in impulsive behavior. We compared glucose metabolism (as a proxy measure of neural activity) among 24 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who presented with low or high levels of impulsivity based on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 (BIS) scores. Subjects underwent 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and the voxel-wise group difference of FDG-metabolism was analyzed in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8). Subsequently, we performed a partial correlation analysis between the FDG-metabolism and BIS scores, controlling for covariates (i.e., age, sex, severity of disease and levodopa equivalent daily doses). Voxel-wise group comparison revealed higher FDG-metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and right insula in patients with higher impulsivity scores. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the FDG-metabolism and BIS scores. Our findings provide evidence that high impulsivity is associated with increased FDG-metabolis

Evolving text classification rules with genetic programming

We describe a novel method for using genetic programming to create compact classification rules using combinations of N-grams (character strings). Genetic programs acquire fitness by producing rules that are effective classifiers in terms of precision and recall when evaluated against a set of training documents. We describe a set of functions and terminals and provide results from a classification task using the Reuters 21578 dataset. We also suggest that the rules may have a number of other uses beyond classification and provide a basis for text mining applications