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Abstract Objective Benign phonotraumatic lesions of the vocal folds (BVFLs) are typically seen in younger female patients with high vocal loads. Hemorrhagic polyps (HPs) do not fit the classic paradigm of most BVFLs, as they tend to occur in an older population, have a male predominance, and report to result from a vocal accident. We present one of the largest cohorts of HPs, to reexamine their etiology and clinical features. Methods Retrospective cohort study, inclusive of all patients with HP managed by the senior authors between the years 2016 through 2023. Demographic data, management, phonotraumatic risk factors, pre‐ and post‐treatment VHI‐10 were reviewed. We examined patient videostroboscopy, categorized the size of the lesion, and identified any concurrent mucosal abnormality. Results One hundred and eleven patients had confirmed HP, 84 males (75.7%). Thirty‐five patients were size category 1; pinpoint (28.9%), 57 were category 2; less than 1/3rd the vocal fold (45.5%), and 26 were category 3; greater than 1/3rd the vocal fold (21.5%). Ten patients (9%) had bilateral HPs. Thirty‐five patients had an additional 40 mucosal lesions in addition to the HP(s). The onset of symptoms was gradual in 60% of patients. The mean pretreatment VHI‐10 was 18.0 (SD 10.7), compared to 6.0 (SD 10.5) post‐treatment, (p

Abstract Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent an emerging class of genes which play significant and diverse roles in human cancers. Nevertheless, the functional repertoires of lncRNAs in cancer cell subtypes remains unknown since most studies are focused on protein coding genes. Here, we explored the contribution of lncRNAs in Colorectal Cancer (CRC) heterogeneity. We analyzed 49′436 single-cells from 29 CRC patients and showed that lncRNAs are significantly more cell type specific compared to protein-coding genes. We identified 996 lncRNAs strongly enriched in epithelial cells. Among these, 98 were found to be differentially expressed in tumor samples compared to normal controls, when integrating 270 bulk CRC profiles. We validated the upregulation of two of them (CASC19 and LINC00460) in CRC cell lines and showed their involvement in CRC proliferation by CRISPR-Cas9 knock down experiments. This study highlights a list of novel RNA targets for potential CRC therapeutics, substantiated through experimental validation.

The field of voice disorders lost a true pioneer with the passing of Dr. Cristina Jackson-Menaldi (June 21, 1950 - November 20, 2020). A renowned voice pathologist and singing voice specialist, Dr. Jackson-Menaldi made significant contributions to our understanding and treatment of voice disorders. She was also a passionate advocate for voice education and disorder prevention.

SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus underlying the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a sharp increase in the burden on healthcare systems, high mortality and significant difficulties in organizing medical care. The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic analysis of factors affecting the course of infectious disease in patients with diagnosed COVID-19 hospitalized. In order to predict the course of the disease and determine the indications for more aggressive treatment, many different clinical and biological markers have been proposed, however, clinical and laboratory assessment of the condition is not always simple and can clearly predict the development of a severe course. Technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI) have played a significant role in predicting the development of the disease. One of the main requirements during a pandemic is an accurate prediction of the required resources and likely outcomes. In the present study, a machine learning (ML) approach is proposed to predict the fatal outcome in patients with an established diagnosis of COVID-19 based on the patient’s medical history and clinical, laboratory and instrumental data obtained in the first 72 hours of the patient’s stay in the hospital. A machine learning algorithm for predicting the lethal outcome in patients with COVID-19 during 72 hours of hospitalization demonstrated high sensitivity (0.816) and specificity (0.865). Given the serious concerns about limited resources, including ventilators, during the COVID-19 pandemic, accurately predicting patients who are likely to require artificial ventilation can help provide important recommendations regarding patient triage and resource allocation among hospitalized patients. In addition, early detection of such persons may allow for routine ventilation procedures, reducing some of the known risks associated with emergency intubation. Thus, this algorithm can help improve patient care, reduce patient mortality and minimize the burden on doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction. Calculation studies have shown that due to the long-term operation of hydraulic structures of the sluice, opening of horizontal and vertical construction joints, as well as corrosion of reinforcement at the rear edge of the reinforced concrete wall of the sluice in the areas of horizontal construction joints, the bearing capacity of the structure as a whole is reduced. In this regard, it is necessary to strengthen the structure, the methodology of which is given in this study.Materials and methods. The analysis of scientific and technical documentation has been made, instrumental examination of the state of structures has been carried out, a spatial mathematical model has been developed on the basis of the finite-element method. Multivariant calculated researches of the actual stressed-strained state (SSS) of structures have been made. Calculation studies of the SSS structures were performed taking into account the reinforcement of prestressed basalt composite reinforcement (BCR).Results. Visual and instrumental inspection showed a presence of cracking on the front face of the reinforced concrete wall of the sluice chamber. Modeling of the actual state of SSS structures is performed, according to the results of calculations, a scheme for strengthening structures of prestressed BCR is proposed and justified.Conclusions. As a result of the calculated studies of the deflected stresses, the occurrence of cracks and opening of horizontal and vertical construction joints in the reinforced concrete structure of the sluice chamber wall was confirmed. At the same time, taking into account corrosion of reinforcement at the rear edge of the sluice’s reinforced concrete wall in the areas of horizontal construction joints, stresses in it reach the design resistance of the reinforcement of class A-II. In order to ensure further safe operation of the structures, the scheme of strengthening the structures with prestressed BCR has been proposed and substantiated.

Abstract Background There is progress to be made in building artificially intelligent systems to detect abnormalities that are not only accurate but can handle the true breadth of findings that radiologists encounter in body (chest, abdomen, and pelvis) computed tomography (CT). Currently, the major bottleneck for developing multi-disease classifiers is a lack of manually annotated data. The purpose of this work was to develop high throughput multi-label annotators for body CT reports that can be applied across a variety of abnormalities, organs, and disease states thereby mitigating the need for human annotation. Methods We used a dictionary approach to develop rule-based algorithms (RBA) for extraction of disease labels from radiology text reports. We targeted three organ systems (lungs/pleura, liver/gallbladder, kidneys/ureters) with four diseases per system based on their prevalence in our dataset. To expand the algorithms beyond pre-defined keywords, attention-guided recurrent neural networks (RNN) were trained using the RBA-extracted labels to classify reports as being positive for one or more diseases or normal for each organ system. Alternative effects on disease classification performance were evaluated using random initialization or pre-trained embedding as well as different sizes of training datasets. The RBA was tested on a subset of 2158 manually labeled reports and performance was reported as accuracy and F-score. The RNN was tested against a test set of 48,758 reports labeled by RBA and performance was reported as area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), with 95% CIs calculated using the DeLong method. Results Manual validation of the RBA confirmed 91–99% accuracy across the 15 different labels. Our models extracted disease labels from 261,229 radiology reports of 112,501 unique subjects. Pre-trained models outperformed random initialization across all diseases. As the training dataset size was reduced, performance was robust except for a few diseases with a relatively small number of cases. Pre-trained classification AUCs reached > 0.95 for all four disease outcomes and normality across all three organ systems. Conclusions Our label-extracting pipeline was able to encompass a variety of cases and diseases in body CT reports by generalizing beyond strict rules with exceptional accuracy. The method described can be easily adapted to enable automated labeling of hospital-scale medical data sets for training image-based disease classifiers.

Relevance. In recent years, composite materials have become widespread in the construction of reinforced concrete structures for industrial, civil and transport structures. It is proposed to strengthen the reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures with prestressed basalt composite rebar. It took an experimental and theoretical substantiation of technical solutions to strengthen the reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures with prestressed basalt composite reinforcement. The aim of the work was to carry out a set of experimental and theoretical studies of the stress-strain state and internal forces in low-reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures reinforced with prestressed basalt composite rebar. Methods. Experimental studies of the stress-strain state and internal forces were carried out on the basis of low-reinforced concrete beam-type models with interblock construction joints, harden with prestressed basalt composite reinforcement in the stretched (compressed) zones of the models. Theoretical studies of the stress-strain state and internal forces were carried out on the basis of the theory of reinforced concrete and structural mechanics. Results. As a result of the research carried out on typical low-reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures with interblock construction joints, the main stages of the stress-strain state of hydraulic reinforced concrete structures were formulated. Based on the data of experimental and theoretical studies, taking into account the reinforcement with prestressed basalt composite rebar, as well as with prestressed clamps in the shear zone, a method was developed for calculating the strength of low-reinforced hydrotechnical reinforced concrete structures with interblock construction joints.

Rubin et al. introduce transcription factor enrichment analysis (TFEA), a new motif enrichment method specifically aimed at maximizing the informative nature of differential RNA polymerase initiation data. It provides an easy, rigorous, and cost-effective analysis aimed at deciphering the temporal and mechanistic details of complex regulatory networks.

Relevance. Hydroelectric facilities include reinforced concrete retaining walls. They are intended to protect the main structures from the collapse and sliding of soil massifs. Retaining walls are characterized by significant size, relatively low content of reinforcement, the presence of horizontal interblock seams, which considerably affects the features of the work and the state of retaining walls. The normative documents that were in force during the design and construction of most retaining walls (the second half of the last century) did not fully take into account the features of the retaining walls, as a result of which long-term operation revealed deviations from the design premises, including excessive displacement of the top of the walls, the disclosure of horizontal interblock joints, which exceeded the design values. In a number of cases, reinforced concrete structures of retaining walls were reinforced in areas of interblock joints. The aim of the work is to conduct experimental studies of reinforced concrete retaining walls, including taking into account their reinforcement by inclined reinforcing bars. Methods. The technique of experimental studies of hydraulic engineering reinforced concrete structures was applied in accordance with regulatory documents and the developed program of experimental studies of reinforced concrete retaining walls. The results obtained showed the opening of horizontal interblock joints, the formation of inclined cracks emerging from the joints. An increase in the strength of reinforced concrete structures of retaining walls and a decrease in their deformability due to reinforcement by inclined rods in the area of the interblock weld were recorded.

Summary: DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) remain challenging to target with molecular probes. Many TFs function in part through interaction with Mediator, a 26-subunit complex that controls RNA polymerase II activity genome-wide. We sought to block p53 function by disrupting the p53-Mediator interaction. Through rational design and activity-based screening, we characterize a stapled peptide, with functional mimics of both p53 activation domains, that blocks p53-Mediator binding and selectively inhibits p53-dependent transcription in human cells; importantly, this “bivalent” peptide has negligible impact, genome-wide, on non-p53 target genes. Our proof-of-concept strategy circumvents the TF entirely and targets the TF-Mediator interface instead, with desired functional outcomes (i.e., selective inhibition of p53 activation). Furthermore, these results demonstrate that TF activation domains represent viable starting points for Mediator-targeting molecular probes, as an alternative to large compound libraries. Different TFs bind Mediator through different subunits, suggesting this strategy could be broadly applied to selectively alter gene expression programs.

ABSTRACT Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a cornerstone of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) therapy. Its use is associated with a loss of bone mineral density (BMD) and a greater risk of falls and osteoporotic fractures. In this prospective cohort study, we examined the impact of ADT on muscle and bone strength in men initiating ADT for PCa. Participants were evaluated at three time points: immediately before (week 0), and 6 and 24 weeks after ADT initiation. Study measures included fasting blood levels (for markers of muscle and bone metabolic activity), MRI and QCT imaging (for muscle fat content, and bone density and architecture), and validated clinical tests of muscle strength and gait. Sixteen men completed all study visits. At baseline and throughout the study, participants exercised a median of four times/week, but still experienced weight gain (+2.0 kg at week 24 versus week 0, p = 0.004). Biochemically, all men sustained dramatic early and persistent reductions in sex hormones post‐ADT, along with a progressive and significant increase in serum C‐telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX, +84% at week 24 versus week 0). There was a trend for rise in serum sclerostin (p = 0.09) and interleukin 6 (IL‐6) (p = 0.08), but no significant change in serum myostatin (p = 0.99). Volumetric BMD by QCT declined significantly at the femoral neck (−3.7% at week 24 versus week 0), particularly at the trabecular compartment. On MRI, there were no significant changes in thigh muscle fat fraction. On physical testing, men developed weaker grip strength, but experienced no worsening in lower extremity and lumbar spine muscle strength, or on functional tests of gait. In conclusion, in physically active men, ADT for 24 weeks results in a significant increase in bone resorption and reduction in BMD, but nonsignificant changes in thigh muscle quality (on imaging) or strength and gait (on functional testing). © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

We apply the color–magnitude intercept calibration method (CMAGIC) to the Nearby Supernova Factory SNe Ia spectrophotometric data set. The currently existing CMAGIC parameters are the slope and intercept of a straight line fit to the linear region in the color–magnitude diagram, which occurs over a span of approximately 30 days after maximum brightness. We define a new parameter, ω _XY , the size of the “bump” feature near maximum brightness for arbitrary filters X and Y . We find a significant correlation between the slope of the linear region, β _XY , in the CMAGIC diagram and ω _XY . These results may be used to our advantage, as they are less affected by extinction than parameters defined as a function of time. Additionally, ω _XY is computed independently of templates. We find that current empirical templates are successful at reproducing the features described in this work, particularly SALT3, which correctly exhibits the negative correlation between slope and “bump” size seen in our data. In 1D simulations, we show that the correlation between the size of the “bump” feature and β _XY can be understood as a result of chemical mixing due to large-scale Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities.

Relevance. As part of the implementation of the Federal Law No. 117-FZ “On the Safety of Hydraulic Structures”, it is necessary to continuously monitor the state of hydraulic structures and related facilities by equipping with control and measuring instruments. The development of modern computer complexes allows us to carry out and predict the state of objects by combining computational research and field observations. The work is aimed at organizing a comprehensive assessment of the state of the HPS and ensuring the safety of existing and projected mutually influential complexes. Aims of research. Improving the safety of the operated (under construction) complex of interfering hydraulic structures. Assessment of sufficient and highquality engineering and repair work carried out on the HPS. Development of recommendations for improving the efficiency of construction of new and modernization of operated hydropower facilities. HPS on the example of the Zagorsk HPS. Methods. Representation of the interaction ideology of various software systems of mathematical modeling, using control and measuring instruments data for calibration and verification of mathematical models. Results. The structure of the HSC calculation module was updated, systematization of the calculation models was carried out, interaction and transfer of the initial data to the calculation module of the software and hardware complex was revealed. The implementation of scientific research is aimed at improving the safety of the complex hydraulic structures.

Angular retaining walls are widespread in hydraulic engineering. They are characterized by large dimensions, small percentages of reinforcement, block cutting along the height of the structure. The bulk of the existing retaining walls were built in the 1960s-1980s. The regulatory documents that were in force during this period had certain shortcomings that caused the non-design behavior of a number of retaining walls. Improvement of calculation methods for reinforced concrete structures of retaining walls is required, within the framework of which a more complete account of the characteristic features of their behavior is needed. The aim of the work is to improve methods for calculating reinforced concrete retaining walls of a corner type. Methods of research carried out to improve the calculation of reinforced concrete retaining walls of the corner type included, among others, the classical methods of resistance of materials, the theory of elasticity, and structural mechanics. To determine the actual stress-strain state of the natural structures of retaining walls, visual and instrumental methods for examining retaining walls were used, including the method of unloading reinforcement. Results. To determine the stress state in the elements of the reinforced concrete structure of the retaining wall (in concrete and in reinforcement), a methodology was developed for calculating the stress state of retaining walls, which allows to determine the components of the stress state (stress in concrete in the compressed zone, as well as stress in stretched and compressed reinforcement) in horizontal sections of the vertical cantilever part of the retaining walls.

Purpose: To evaluate interreader performance in the measurement of the cross-sectional area and myosteatosis of pelvic skeletal muscles using fat quantification magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and correlate with patient anthropomorphic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant retrospective cross-sectional study was performed. Between January and April 2016, 61 patients (26 males and 35 females) underwent a lumbosacral plexus 3T MRI with a modified three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence dedicated to fat quantification (mDixon Quant; Philips Healthcare). Two independent reviewers outlined muscle cross-sectional area on axial images using a freehand region of interest tool and documented proton-density fat fraction (FF) and muscle area (cm2) of the psoas, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and rectus femoris muscles on each side. Interreader agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and correlation between the measurements and subject’s age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) was assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Excellent interreader agreement was obtained (ICC ≥0.74) for all muscle groups except for the left gluteus medius area and right psoas FF which showed good agreement (0.65 and 0.61, respectively). Statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) positive correlation was seen between the gluteal muscle FF and area with BMI, and rectus muscle FF with age and BMI. Statistically significant negative correlation between the rectus femoris area and age was also observed. Conclusion: Fat quantification MRI is a highly reproducible imaging technique for the assessment of myosteatosis and muscle size. Intramuscular FF and cross-sectional area were correlated with age and BMI across multiple muscle groups.

A method of strengthening reinforced concrete structures by external reinforcement systems based on carbon fiber is widely used. Significant experience is accumulated in industrial and civil construction; there is also a certain experience of strengthening reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures. It was necessary to conduct experimental studies to justify technical solutions for strengthening the reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures. A characteristic feature of reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures is the mandatory availability of inter-block construction joints, which are caused by the need to build massive hydraulic structures with tiers and blocks with interruptions in concreting. Previously studies of reinforced concrete structures strengthened by composite materials were conducted without taking into account the block structure. The results of experimental studies of reinforced concrete beam structures of hydraulic structures reinforced with carbon strips having horizontal and vertical inter-block building seams are presented in the article. Experimental studies of a series of reinforced concrete beam-type models made of concrete of class B15 with longitudinal reinforcement from two bars. Their diameter is 10 mm and class is A500C (percentage of reinforcement 0.39%). The used concrete class is B25 with longitudinal reinforcement of three bars of diameter 12 mm and class A500C (percentage of reinforcement 0.84%). Their inter-block construction joints is before their strengthening and after reinforcement by longitudinal and transverse carbon composite tapes. In this case, a special type of cracking was recorded, in which cracks propagate along vertical and horizontal inter-block building seams. Due to the strengthening of reinforced concrete structures with carbon composite strips, the strength of the structures has increased, on average, by 1.78 times.

In fall, alate males of the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), migrate from their summer (secondary) host plants, such as potatoes, to primary host plants, such as roses, where they mate with wingless oviparae who produce the overwintering egg stage. Males are weak fliers and generally walk towards a pheromone source under windy conditions, so we tested the hypothesis that upwind walking behaviour in response to wind velocity would be affected by the volatile cues present. We compared male responses to the odour of a rugosa rose cutting alone and to the combination of host plant volatiles and the female sex pheromone under a range of wind speeds in a laboratory walking bioassay. The proportion of males responding decreased as the wind speed increased, but at all wind velocities, the responses to the combined odours were higher than to the host plant alone. However, at any given wind velocity, the speed at which responding aphids moved was not influenced by the odour source. These findings support the idea that host plant volatiles serve as long-distance cues for males and that the female sex pheromone is used once on the host plant.

The way to strengthen concrete structures in civil engineering by adding external reinforcement using carbon fiber composites is widely spreading in recent years. A method for calculating the strength of reinforced concrete in hydro technical constructions with reinforcing by carbon fiber composite materials was invented with the aim to justify the solutions of strengthening concrete structures. It was taken into consideration that the characteristic features of mass reinforced concrete structure with sand operating loads which including backpressure of water in the cracks and in opened construction joints. It has evolved the relations for calculation of strength in normal cross section of bending reinforced concrete member of hydro technical constructions which strengthening with external reinforcement by carbon fiber.

The most effective way of strengthening reinforced concrete hydrotechnical constructions is the external reinforcement by composite materials based on carbon fibers. A method for calculating the strength of reinforced concrete hydrotechnicalerections with reinforcing by carbon fiber composite materials was innovated. The developed methodology is based on normative documents for design of reinforced concrete hydraulic structures, taking into account the design features of the hydraulic construct0ions and the results of the experimental studies

The randomized, phase III ALFA-0701 trial showed that a reduced and fractionated dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin added to standard front-line chemotherapy significantly improves event-free survival (EFS) in adults with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we report an independent review of EFS, final overall survival (OS), and additional safety results from ALFA-0701. Patients (n=271) aged 50-70 years with de novo AML were randomized to receive conventional front-line induction chemotherapy (3+7daunorubicin+cytarabine) with/without gemtuzumab ozogamicin 3 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, and 7 during induction. Patients in remission following induction therapy received 2 courses of consolidation therapy (daunorubicin+cytarabine) with/without gemtuzumab ozogamicin (3 mg/m2/day on day 1) according to their initial randomization. The primary end point was investigator-assessed EFS. Secondary end points included OS and safety. A blinded independent review confirmed the investigator-assessed EFS results [August 1, 2011; hazard ratio (HR) 0.66; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.49–0.89; 2-sided P=0.006], corresponding to a 34% reduction in risk of events in the gemtuzumab ozogamicin versus control arm. Final OS at April 30, 2013 favored gemtuzumab ozogamicin but was not significant. No differences in early death rate were observed between arms. The main toxicity associated with gemtuzumab ozogamicin was prolonged thrombocytopenia. Veno-occlusive disease (including after transplant) was observed in 6 patients in the gemtuzumab ozogamicin arm and 2 in the control arm. In conclusion, gemtuzumab ozogamicin added to standard intensive chemotherapy has a favorable benefit/risk ratio. These results expand front-line treatment options for adult patients with previously untreated AML. (Trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov; identifier: 00927498.)

The reinforcement of concrete structures of hydraulic erections with carbon ribbons as external reinforcement system is proposed to carry out. The results of experimental studies of the strength of concrete structures of hydraulic erections without reinforcement and reinforced with carbon ribbons with bending moment are presented. The strength improvement by increasing with carbon ribbons is defined

To justify the use of the external reinforcement with the composite materials in the strengthening of reinforced ferroconcrete structures of hydraulic erections, a complex research was carried out. The method of calculation of strength of ferroconcrete structures of hydraulic erections, reinforced by external reinforcement by composite materials under the action of cross forces was developed. In order to justify the experimental design procedure the strength of reinforced concrete structures of hydraulic structures models, reinforced by an external reinforcement based on carbon tape and carbon composite slats, under the action of shear forces (with bending moments) was studied.

An improved method of numerical finite-element modeling of concrete structures built on nonrock foundations is provided. The dimensions of the modeled fragment reason to the depth limit of the compressible foundations strata. The increase in deformation modulus of the foun- dations strata with an increase in the depth of the soil layers is taken into account

Manta and devil rays are filter-feeding elasmobranchs that are found circumglobally in tropical and subtropical waters. Although relatively understudied for most of the Twentieth century, public awareness and scientific research on these species has increased dramatically in recent years. Much of this attention has been in response to targeted fisheries, international trade in mobulid products, and a growing concern over the fate of exploited populations. Despite progress in mobulid research, major knowledge gaps still exist, hindering the development of effective management and conservation strategies. We assembled 30 leaders and emerging experts in the fields of mobulid biology, ecology, and conservation to identify pressing knowledge gaps that must be filled to facilitate improved science-based management of these vulnerable species. We highlight focal research topics in the subject areas of taxonomy and diversity, life history, reproduction and nursery areas, population trends, bycatch and fisheries, spatial dynamics and movements, foraging and diving, pollution and contaminants, and sub-lethal impacts. Mobulid rays remain a poorly studied group, and therefore our list of important knowledge gaps is extensive. However, we hope that this identification of high priority knowledge gaps will stimulate and focus future mobulid research.

Concrete-encased steel penstocks that lead the water to the hydroelectric units of the Hy- dropower Plants (HPP or PSPP) include internal steel shell and a reinforced concrete shell. Within the areas of compensation on track adjacent structures through which the penstocks passes, internal steel shell separated from the reinforced concrete shell by low-modulus spacer. Existing regulatory documents do not provide specific guidance on the calculated defi- nition of reinforcement of compensatory plots of penstocks. The technique destination of the reinforcement (with the development of reinforcement scheme) of the compensatory plots on the basis of numerical modeling of the stress-strain state of concrete-encased steel penstocks is proposed.

Hydrotechnical facilities during construction and operation may be subject tonon- project impacts (including non-project subsidence). At the same time, in the reinforced concrete constructions a system of cracks occurs, the nature of which corresponds to the complex features of the acting loads. On an example of the HPP (PSPP) building are encouraged to strengthen concrete structures of hydraulic system of external reinforcement on the basis of carbon fiber. Based on numerical simulations computational justification of proposed technical solutions to strengthen concrete structures of hydraulic structures is performed

Introduction. Floorings of the turbine hall and installation sites of the HPP (PSS) are one of the most important reinforced concrete structures, as during operation they are subjected to significant process duties, including those not provided for by the project. Thus, during the testing of crane equipment on the floor surface of the installation site of the Alluriquin HPP under construction, the cargo weighing 22 tons fell, under the influence of which the floor slab was punched, which required a comprehensive study of the condition of the reinforced concrete structure of the floor and the surrounding area of the failure of structures, as well as the development of measures to strengthen the damaged structure. Materials and Methods. Visual and instrumental studies of the stress and strain state (SSS) of the reinforced concrete structure of the turbine hall slab and surrounding structures were carried out with the use of optical devices (MPB-3 reading microscope), Schmidt hammer to determine the strength of concrete structures, as well as the “reinforcement load removal” method to determine the actual stresses in the reinforcement of structures. Results. The punching of the reinforced concrete floor of the installation site with vertical displacements of the edges of through cracks up to 12 mm, as well as the system of cracks formed during the fall of cargo was revealed. The actual stresses in the reinforcement are determined by the “reinforcement load removal” method. On the basis of finite element modeling the actual condition of structures during the period of cargo fall and after the removal of the load is obtained. On the basis of the analysis of results of field and design studies the schematic diagram of strengthening of structures by carbon composite materials is developed. Conclusions. The actual SSS of the reinforced concrete floor of the installation site and its support structures during the period of the cargo fall and after the termination of the impulse load is established. The vertical displacement of the edges of the crack of the floor punching was 17.5 mm during the period of the fall of the load and 12 mm after the removal of the impulse load. Crack opening width in reinforced concrete structures in the cargo drop area reached 2 mm. At the moment when the cargo fell on the floor slab, the values of stresses in the reinforcement cage reached 200 MPa; after the impact — 76.2 MPa. With a view of the subsequent safe operation of the reinforced concrete floor and surrounding structures the basic schemes of their strengthening by external reinforcement on the basis of carbon fiber have been developed, which have been proved by calculation.

The hippocampus has long been known to be a critical component of the memory system involved in the formation and use of long-term declarative memory. However, recent findings have revealed that the reach of hippocampal contributions extends to a variety of domains and tasks that require the flexible use of cognitive and social behavior, including domains traditionally linked to prefrontal cortex (PFC), such as decision-making. In addition, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has gained traction as a necessary part of the memory system. These findings challenge the conventional characterizations of hippocampus and PFC as being circumscribed to traditional cognitive domains. Here, we emphasize that the ability to parsimoniously account for the breadth of hippocampal and PFC contributions to behavior, in terms of memory function and beyond, requires theoretical advances in our understanding of their characteristic processing features and mental representations. Notably, several literatures exist that touch upon this issue, but have remained disjointed because of methodological differences that necessarily limit the scope of inquiry, as well as the somewhat artificial boundaries that have been historically imposed between domains of cognition. In particular, this article focuses on the contribution of relational memory theory as an example of a framework that describes both the representations and processes supported by the hippocampus, and further elucidates the role of the hippocampal–PFC network to a variety of behaviors.

Successful behavior requires actively acquiring and representing information about the environment and people, and manipulating and using those acquired representations flexibly to optimally act in and on the world. The frontal lobes have figured prominently in most accounts of flexible or goal-directed behavior, as evidenced by often-reported behavioral inflexibility in individuals with frontal lobe dysfunction. Here, we propose that the hippocampus also plays a critical role by forming and reconstructing relational memory representations that underlie flexible cognition and social behavior. There is mounting evidence that damage to the hippocampus can produce inflexible and maladaptive behavior when such behavior places high demands on the generation, recombination, and flexible use of information. This is seen in abilities as diverse as memory, navigation, exploration, imagination, creativity, decision-making, character judgments, establishing and maintaining social bonds, empathy, social discourse, and language use. Thus, the hippocampus, together with its extensive interconnections with other neural systems, supports the flexible use of information in general. Further, we suggest that this understanding has important clinical implications. Hippocampal abnormalities can produce profound deficits in real-world situations, which typically place high demands on the flexible use of information, but are not always obvious on diagnostic tools tuned to frontal lobe function. This review documents the role of the hippocampus in supporting flexible representations and aims to expand our understanding of the dynamic networks that operate as we move through and create meaning of our world.

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All mycobacteriophages characterized to date are dsDNA tailed phages, and have either siphoviral or myoviral morphotypes. However, their genetic diversity is considerable, and although sixty-two genomes have been sequenced and comparatively analyzed, these likely represent only a small portion of the diversity of the mycobacteriophage population at large. Here we report the isolation, sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of 18 new mycobacteriophages isolated from geographically distinct locations within the United States. Although no clear correlation between location and genome type can be discerned, these genomes expand our knowledge of mycobacteriophage diversity and enhance our understanding of the roles of mobile elements in viral evolution. Expansion of the number of mycobacteriophages grouped within Cluster A provides insights into the basis of immune specificity in these temperate phages, and we also describe a novel example of apparent immunity theft. The isolation and genomic analysis of bacteriophages by freshman college students provides an example of an authentic research experience for novice scientists.

The biologic effect of eicosanoids depends in large measure upon the relative masses in tissues of eicosanoids derived from the n-6 fatty acids, dihomogammalinolenic acid and arachidonic acid, and the n-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid. Generation of this tissue balance is related to the relative cellular masses of these precursor fatty acids, the competition between them for entry into and release from cellular phospholipids, and their competition for the enzymes that catalyze their conversion to eicosanoids. In order to better understand these processes, we studied the cellular interactions of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids using an essential fatty acid-deficient, PGE-producing, mouse fibrosarcoma cell line, EFD-1. Unlike studies using cells with endogenous pools of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids, the use of EFD-1 cells enabled us to examine the metabolic fate of each family of fatty acids both in the presence and in the absence of the second family of fatty acids. Thus, the specific effects of one fatty acid family on the other could be directly assessed. In addition, we were able to replete the cells with dihomogammalinolenic acid (DHLA), arachidonic acid (AA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) of known specific activities; thus the masses of cellular DHLA, AA, and EPA, and their metabolites, PGE1, PGE2, and PGE3, respectively, could be accurately quantitated. The major findings of this study were: 1) n-6 fatty acids markedly stimulated the elongation of EPA to 22:5 whereas n-3 fatty acids inhibited the delta 5 desaturation of DHLA to AA and the elongation of AA to 22:4; 2) n-6 fatty acids caused a specific redistribution of cellular EPA from phospholipid to triacylglycerol; 3) n-3 fatty acids reduced the mass of DHLA and AA only in phosphatidylinositol whereas n-6 fatty acids reduced the mass of EPA to a similar extent in all cellular phospholipids; and 4) n-3 fatty acids caused an identical (33%) reduction in the bradykinin-induced release of PGE1 and PGE2, whereas n-6 fatty acids stimulated PGE3 release 2.3-fold. Together, these highly quantitative metabolic data increase our understanding of the regulation of both the cellular levels of DHLA, AA, and EPA, and their availability for eicosanoid synthesis. In addition, these findings provide a context for the effective use of these fatty acids in dietary therapies directed at modulation of eicosanoid production.

Fast ion instability can lead to deterioration of an electron beam (increasing emittance and instability of a train of bunches) in storage rings and linacs. We study this at the Cornell electron storage ring test accelerator using a 2.1 GeV low emittance beam. As the source of ions is residual gas, our measurements are conducted at various pressures, including nominal vacuum as well as injected gas (Ar, Kr). We experiment with mitigation techniques, including changing the bunch pattern to have mini-trains instead of one long train, as well as increasing the initial vertical emittance of the beam. We also check to ensure that ion-trapping is not a substantial effect in our measurements. We measure turn-by-turn vertical bunch size and position, as well as the multibunch power spectrum. Our measurements confirm fast ion instability under all vacuum conditions. A detailed simulation is then used to compare theory with observations.

In storage rings, horizontal dispersion in the rf cavities introduces horizontal-longitudinal (xz) coupling, contributing to beam tilt in the xz plane. This coupling can be characterized by a “crabbing” dispersion term ζ_{a} that appears in the normal mode decomposition of the 1-turn transfer matrix. ζ_{a} is proportional to the rf cavity voltage and the horizontal dispersion in the cavity. We report experiments at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring Test Accelerator where xz coupling was explored using three lattices with distinct crabbing properties. We characterize the xz coupling for each case by measuring the horizontal projection of the beam with a beam size monitor. The three lattice configurations correspond to (i) 16 mrad xz tilt at the beam size monitor source point, (ii) compensation of the ζ_{a} introduced by one of two pairs of rf cavities with the second, and (iii) zero dispersion in rf cavities, eliminating ζ_{a} entirely. Additionally, intrabeam scattering is evident in our measurements of beam size vs rf voltage.

Intrabeam scattering (IBS) limits the emittance and single-bunch current that can be achieved in electron or positron storage ring colliders, damping rings, and light sources. Much theoretical work on IBS exists, and while the theories have been validated in hadron and ion machines, the presence of strong damping makes IBS in lepton machines a different phenomenon. We present the results of measurements at CesrTA of IBS-dominated beams, and compare the data with theory. The beams we study have parameters typical of those specified for the next generation of wiggler-dominated storage rings: low emittance, small bunch length, and an energy of a few GeV. Our measurements are in good agreement with IBS theory, provided a tail-cut procedure is applied.

We describe a new technique for low-emittance tuning of electron and positron storage rings. This technique is based on calibration of the beam position monitors (BPMs) using excitation of the normal modes of the beam motion, and has benefits over conventional methods. It is relatively fast and straightforward to apply, it can be as easily applied to a large ring as to a small ring, and the tuning for low emittance becomes completely insensitive to BPM gain and alignment errors that can be difficult to determine accurately. We discuss the theory behind the technique, present some simulation results illustrating that it is highly effective and robust for low-emittance tuning, and describe the results of some initial experimental tests on the CesrTA storage ring.

Measurement of the betatron phase in the vertical and horizontal planes as well as the transverse horizontal-vertical coupling is a standard procedure now used at the Cornell Electron/Positron Storage Ring. The measurement is made by shaking the beam and observing the phase of oscillation at detectors located around the ring. The measurements allow quadrupolar errors to be corrected.

A formalism for describing the coupled two-dimensional motion of high energy particle beams in a storage ring is developed and extended to circumstances where the coupling is very strong, such as for the Möbius twist accelerator.

The Cornell electron storage ring (CESR) phase-III upgrade plan includes very strong permanent magnet quadrupoles in front of the cryostat for the superconducting quadrupoles and physically as close as possible to the interaction point. Together with the superconducting quadrupoles, they provide tighter vertical focusing at the interaction point. The quadrupoles are built with neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) material and operate inside the 15 kG solenoid field. Requirements on the field quality and stability of these quadrupoles are discussed and test results are presented.