cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions of nitrogen sources and excess nickel on bush beans.

Abstract Bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Improved Tendergreen) plants were grown in a glasshouse in 3700 ml nutrient solutions for 15 days with three nitrogen sources and different levels of NiSO4. All NH4 + and urea treatments received CaCO3 (10 g/3700 ml) in the nutrient solution to protect against excess acidity. In general, plants receiving the NH4 + source of N had less growth than those receiving urea or NO3 ‐ and 5 X 10‐4 M Ni treatments greatly inhibited growth. There was, however, no indication of interactions of N source and Ni on yield. Plants receiving NH4 + and urea had higher Ni concentrations than NO3 ‐ plants. Nickel resulted in decreased Fe in trifoliate leaves but not in primary leaves and the reverse occurred in roots. There was no interaction of Ni and Fe in roots but there was a Mh‐Ni‐N‐source interaction in roots.
Variation in late potentials and the reproducibility of their measurement

The usefulness of a test depends on its reproducibility. This determines how closely the test result indicates the actual pathophysiologic state, how well it will predict that state in the future, and if interventions or further pathologic changes are reflected by the test. There is a variation in the parameters of the signal-averaged ECG, more so with spectral than with time domain measurements. These must be accounted for when estimating risk. If one presumes that risk is proportional to the extent of abnormality, then the variation in measurements simply means that only borderline cases can potentially be miscategorized. More important, the lack of reproducibility of measurements made from the signal-averaged ECG indicates that changes noted in an individual after an intervention, such as a surgical intervention, must be viewed with a jaundiced eye. Group changes are perhaps meaningful, and indicate a physiologic effect, but clinical decisions cannot be made unless the changes observed in an individual patient exceed the confidence limits of expected variation. There has been debate as to the usefulness of measurements made from the signal-averaged ECG in predicting antiarrhythmic drug effects (the effect of drugs is discussed elsewhere in this symposium). Here an analogy must be made to the suppression of asymptomatic ventricular ectopy. First, we cannot make a statement that there has been a drug effect unless the parameter measured changes beyond the confidence limits of normal variation or reproducibility. Second, we cannot translate a change in a measurement into a change in risk for arrhythmic events without subjecting that hypothesized relationship to a long-term placebo-controlled clinical trial, albeit acute electrophysiologic trials correlating changes in the signal-averaged ECG to ventricular tachycardia induction provide some insight. And perhaps the relationship must be tested independently for each drug assessed. In the same regard, there is much excitement about the benefits of thrombolytic therapy, but when diagnosing benefit to the individual patient we have to remember the lack of reproducibility of the measurements and also keep in mind that an improved signal-averaged ECG cannot be translated into an improved prognosis without long-term controlled studies. In summarizing the variation and reproducibility of measurements made from the signal-averaged ECG we avoided providing more than a sense of the extent of variation expected because precise confidence intervals depend on the particular techniques used to make the measurements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Direct observations of plane matching by lattice imaging electron microscopy

An exact verification of plane matching conditions at a grain boundary utilizing high resolution electron microscopy was demonstrated. The proof is based upon a direct image of the mismatched atomic planes.
Primary peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the spinal cord: report of two cases and review of the literature

Primary intraspinal peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors (pPNETs) are extremely rare tumors with only seven reported cases in the literature. The histopathologic diagnosis of this tumor is complex and has led to a variety of treatment approaches. The distinction between central and peripheral type primary spinal cord PNETs has not always been made in the literature, leading to a paucity of data in this disease. We present here two young patients with primary intraspinal pPNET, their treatment and outcome. The first patient, a 27 year old male, presented with an intradural mass extending from L2 through L5, after multiple relapses, he is currently alive with disease after 72 months, the longest survival yet reported. The second patient, a 16 year old female, presented with an intradural mass at the cauda equina from L2 through L5, and is currently alive with responsive disease at 5 months after initial diagnosis. Here, we discuss the clinical course, the pathology and treatment for this disease and review the literature.
Preparation of metal distributions within catalyst supports. I. Effect of ph on catalytic metal profiles

Abstract The effects of pH on platinum(IV) profiles for the adsorption of hexachloroplatinic acid on γ-alumina were studied. Lowering the pH of the solution decreased the amount of platinum adsorbed and increased the depth of penetration into the support. The addition of basic ingredients also caused a decrease in the amount of platinum adsorbed but the depth of Pt(IV) penetration decreased as the pH was increased. Electrophoretic mobility studies were used to measure the attractive force between the hexachloroplatinate ion and the alumina support.
Signal transduction through lipid second messengers

This review emphasizes the generation of glycerolipid and sphingolipid second messengers, and their molecular targets. The role of the phosphatidylinositol transfer protein and phospholipase D in signal transmission, and the structures of the 1, 2-diacylglycerol and calcium-binding sites of protein kinase C are discussed. Further, ceramide signaling through protein kinases and the role of cross-talk in the signaling of apoptosis and inflammation are addressed.
Un modello matematico della prova da carico di glucosio

Una completa descrizione della risposta dell'uomo ad una grande dose di glucosio richiede l'uso di oltre 16 costanti. E' stato qui dimostrato che la risposta della concentrazione ematica di glucosio (G) come una funzione del tempo (t) puo essere rappresentata adeguatamente con una equazione con soltanto 4 costanti: G = Go + eat sin ωt. Il valore di queste quattro costanti si ottiene con le quattro determinazioni usualmente fatte nella tipica curva da carico di glucosio.
Enhancing the semiconductor fab layout process

With the dramatically increasing cost of building semiconductor facilities, all aspects of factory design and operation must be evaluated to search for cost reduction opportunities. Enhancing the factory layout process using advanced software tools may be one of those opportunities. SEMATECH's future factory design group is evaluating new software products that attempt to increase the productivity and effectiveness of the layout task and thus increase the value of the factory layout. This article focuses on Texas Instruments' findings as a part of SEMATECH's software beta test. This paper explores new semiconductor fab layout software technology and demonstrates the layout productivity gains and value added to the final layout when it was exercised by Texas Instruments newest 200 mm fab. Additionally, semiconductor layout methodology, metrics, and inherit difficulties are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the software's ability to integrate quantitative and qualitative inputs into the layout process, and provide real time feedback to diverse groups of layout users, dramatically increasing the involvement of the customer and thus the value of the final layout, while decreasing the cycle time in generating an optimized layout. Reference is made to the potential added value to the actual manufacturing operation and process. Extendibility of the layout drawings to aid in the operation and future planning of the fab are discussed.
Losses in Egg Weight During Incubation Associated With Hatchability

Abstract LOSSES in weight of eggs during incubation have been demonstrated by Godfrey and Olsen (1937) and Quinn, Gordon and Godfrey (1945) to furnish a very good measure of shell quality in eggs. Godfrey and Olsen (1937) have shown that eggs of Rhode Island Reds had a significantly greater weight loss than occurred in their White Leghorns. In their studies the eggs were incubated in a forced draft electric incubator operated at a temperature of 99½ degrees with a relative humidity of 60 percent for a period of 14 days. Through selective breeding Quinn, Gordon and Godfrey (1945) were able to establish two lines of White Leghorns that differed significantly in weight loss and the corresponding shell quality. After seven generations the mean weight loss in the high line was 9.5 percent as compared with 5.9 percent in the low line. These workers were convinced that hereditary factors were in operation . . .
Improved protein synthesis and secretion through medium enrichment in a stable recombinant yeast strain

Two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were employed to investigate the effects of medium enrichment on the expression and secretion of a recombinant protein. One was a stable autoselection strain with mutations in the ura3, fur1, and urid-k genes. The combination of these three mutations blocks both the pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthetic and salvage pathways and is lethal to the cells. Retention of the plasmid, which carries a URA3 gene, was essential for cell viability. Therefore, all media were selective, allowing cultivation of the strain in complex medium. The second strain was a nonautoselection (control) strain and is isogenic to the first except for the fur1 and urid-k mutations. The plasmid utilized contains the yeast invertase gene under the control of the MFalpha1 promoter and leader sequence. The expression and secretion of invertase for the autoselection strain were examined in batch culture for three media: a minimal medium (SD), a semidefined medium (SDC), and a rich complex medium (YPD). Biomass yields and invertase productivity (volumetric activity) increased with the complexity of the medium; total invertase volumetric activity in YPD was 100% higher than in SDC and 180% higher than in SD. Specific activity, however, was lowest in the SDC medium. Secretion efficiency was extremely high in all three media; for the majority of the culture, 80-90% of the invertase was secreted into the periplasmic space and/or culture medium. A glucose pulse at the end of batch culture in YPD facilitated the transport of residual cytoplasmic invertase. For the nonautoselection strain, invertase productivity did not improve as the medium was enriched from SDC to YPD, and plasmid stability in the complex YPD medium dropped from 54% to 34% during one batch fermentation. During long-term sequential batch culture in YPD, invertase activity decreased by 90% and the plasmid-containing fraction dropped from 56% to 8.8% over 44 generations of growth. The expression level for the autoselection strain, however, remained high and constant over this time period, and no reversion at the fur1 or urid-k locus was observed.
Orientation Angle Distributions of Drops after an 80-m Fall Using a 2D Video Disdrometer

Abstract This note reports on the use of a 2D video disdrometer to estimate the orientation of drops (>2 mm) that were generated artificially and allowed to fall 80 m from a bridge with no obstruction and under calm conditions. This experimental setup enabled a large number of drops to be generated, up to 10 mm in horizontal dimension. The distribution of the canting angles for all drops >2 mm was found to be nearly symmetric about 0° with standard deviation between 7° and 8°. From the canting angle distributions derived from the two orthogonal camera view planes, the distributions of the polar (θ) and azimuth (ϕ) angles were deduced; these two angles describe the 2D orientation of the symmetry axis. The azimuthal angle distribution was found to be nearly uniform in the range (0, 2π), whereas the distribution of pΩ(θ) = p(θ) sinθ was similar in shape to a special form of the Fisher distribution that is valid for describing the statistics on a spherical surface. The standard deviation of pΩ(θ) showed that ...
A unified approach to production planning and scheduling

A control theoretic approach to the production planning and scheduling problem of a Flexible Manufacturing System is considered. The proposed method is based on the concept of Gershwin's hedging point strategy. A hierarchical controller is proposed in which the upper levels use an inventory hedging point for production planning. At the lower level of the controller we introduce the concept of a buffer hedging point and use it to obtain the size of the machine buffers and to derive the schedule for the manufacturing system. The net result is a hedging point concept that is applicable to all levels of the hierarchy. It is also shown how the buffer hedging point concept is related to the Just-In-Time manufacturing strategy. Results are presented from a small, scaled-down computer controlled flexible manufacturing system.
Fascinating world of immerging graphene technologies

Atul Tiwari is an Associate Research Faculty at the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Hawaii, USA. He has received his Master degree in Organic Chemistry and Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the Universities in India and another Master degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University in USA. He earned the Chartered Chemist and Chartered Scientist status from the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK and is a member of several other professional bodies in the UK, USA, and India. His areas of research interest include the development of silicones and graphene materials for various industrial applications. Dr. Tiwari has invented several international patents pending technologies that have been transferred to the industries. He has been actively engaged in various fields of polymer science, engineering, and technology and has published more than 50 scientific peers reviewed journal papers, book chapters and books related to material science. He is an active reviewer and acts as associate editor of international journals. Dr. Tiwari is two times winner of business plan competitions in the USA and incepted new start-up companies with major venture investment. Copyright © 2012 VBRI Press.
Diagnostic fidelity of the Z-buffer segmentation algorithm: preliminary assessment based on intracranial aneurysm detection

We have developed an algorithm known as the Z-buffer segmentation (ZBS) algorithm for segmenting vascular structures from 3D MRA images. Previously we evaluated the accuracy of the ZBS algorithm on a voxel level in terms of inclusion and exclusion of vascular and background voxels. In this paper we evaluate the diagnostic fidelity of the ZBS algorithm. By diagnostic fidelity we mean that the data preserves the structural information necessary for diagnostic evaluation. This evaluation is necessary to establish the potential usefulness of the segmentation for improved image display, or whether the segmented data could form the basis of a computerized analysis tool. We assessed diagnostic fidelity by measuring how well human observers could detect aneurysms in the segmented data sets. ZBS segmentation of 30 MRA cases containing 29 aneurysms was performed. Image display used densitometric reprojections with shaded surface highlighting that were generated from the segmented data. Three neuroradiologists independently reviewed the generated ZBS images for aneurysms. The observers had 80% sensitivity (90% for aneurysms larger than 2 mm) with 0.13 false positives per image. Good agreement with the gold standard for describing aneurysm size and orientation was shown. These preliminary results suggest that the segmentation has diagnostic fidelity with the original data and may be useful for improved visualization or automated analysis of the vasculature.
Meta-Analysis of DNA Tumor-Viral Integration Site Selection Indicates a Role for Repeats, Gene Expression and Epigenetics

Oncoviruses cause tremendous global cancer burden. For several DNA tumor viruses, human genome integration is consistently associated with cancer development. However, genomic features associated with tumor viral integration are poorly understood. We sought to define genomic determinants for 1897 loci prone to hosting human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). These were compared to HIV, whose enzyme-mediated integration is well understood. A comprehensive catalog of integration sites was constructed from the literature and experimentally-determined HPV integration sites. Features were scored in eight categories (genes, expression, open chromatin, histone modifications, methylation, protein binding, chromatin segmentation and repeats) and compared to random loci. Random forest models determined loci classification and feature selection. HPV and HBV integrants were not fragile site associated. MCPyV preferred integration near sensory perception genes. Unique signatures of integration-associated predictive genomic features were detected. Importantly, repeats, actively-transcribed regions and histone modifications were common tumor viral integration signatures.
Syntactic Transformations on Distributed Representations

There has been much interest in the possibility of connectionist models whose representations can be endowed with compositional structure, and a variety of such models have been proposed. These models typically use distributed representations that arise from the functional composition of constituent parts. Functional composition and decomposition alone, however, yield only an implementation of classical symbolic theories. This paper explores the possibility of moving beyond implementation by exploiting holistic structure-sensitive operations on distributed representations. An experiment is performed using Pollack’s Recursive Auto-Associative Memory (RAAM). RAAM is used to construct distributed representations of syntactically structured sentences. A feed-forward network is then trained to operate directly on these representations, modeling syntactic transformations of the represented sentences. Successful training and generalization is obtained, demonstrating that the implicit structure present in these representations can be used for a kind of structure-sensitive processing unique to the connectionist domain.
What Is the Danger of the Anomaly Zone for Empirical Phylogenetics

The increasing number of observations of gene trees with discordant topologies in phylogenetic studies has raised awareness about the problems of incongruence between species trees and gene trees. Moreover, theoretical treatments focusing on the impact of coalescent variance on phylogenetic study have also identified situations where the most probable gene trees are ones that do not match the underlying species tree (i.e., anomalous gene trees [AGTs]). However, although the theoretical proof of the existence of AGTs is alarming, the actual risk that AGTs pose to empirical phylogenetic study is far from clear. Establishing the conditions (i.e., the branch lengths in a species tree) for which AGTs are possible does not address the critical issue of how prevalent they might be. Furthermore, theoretical characterization of the species trees for which AGTs may pose a problem (i.e., the anomaly zone or the species histories for which AGTs are theoretically possible) is based on consideration of just one source of variance that contributes to species tree and gene tree discord-gene lineage coalescence. Yet, empirical data contain another important stochastic component-mutational variance. Estimated gene trees will differ from the underlying gene trees (i.e., the actual genealogy) because of the random process of mutation. Here, we take a simulation approach to investigate the prevalence of AGTs, among estimated gene trees, thereby characterizing the boundaries of the anomaly zone taking into account both coalescent and mutational variances. We also determine the frequency of realized AGTs, which is critical to putting the theoretical work on AGTs into a realistic biological context. Two salient results emerge from this investigation. First, our results show that mutational variance can indeed expand the parameter space (i.e., the relative branch lengths in a species tree) where AGTs might be observed in empirical data. By exploring the underlying cause for the expanded anomaly zone, we identify aspects of empirical data relevant to avoiding the problems that AGTs pose for species tree inference from multilocus data. Second, for the empirical species histories where AGTs are possible, unresolved trees-not AGTs-predominate the pool of estimated gene trees. This result suggests that the risk of AGTs, while they exist in theory, may rarely be realized in practice. By considering the biological realities of both mutational and coalescent variances, the study has refined, and redefined, what the actual challenges are for empirical phylogenetic study of recently diverged taxa that have speciated rapidly-AGTs themselves are unlikely to pose a significant danger to empirical phylogenetic study.
The Use of Persuasion in Print DTC Advertisements of Prescription Drugs: A Content Analysis of Leading Consumer Magazines from 1995–2000

ABSTRACTThe proportion of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements (DTCA) to all consumer product advertisements was analyzed from a stratified randomized sample of all male-oriented, female-oriented, and gender nonspecific consumer magazines spanning issues from 1995 through 2000. The prevalence of persuasive techniques and unreferenced claims was evaluated using multiple judges in a content analysis procedure. Overall, DTC ads accounted for 3.09% of all advertisements. Female-oriented magazines accounted for the highest proportion of DTC ads. Nearly every ad (99.5%) used one or more types of persuasion, and the average ad employed the use of 3.26 persuasive techniques. Unreferenced claims were identified in 49.3% of all DTC ads. The strategic mix of persuasive techniques remained constant throughout the period under study. The ramifications of the use of persuasion in DTC ads for prescription drugs are discussed.
Treatment of psychiatric comorbidities in a patient with becker muscular dystrophy.

Received December 13, 2005; revised December 22, 2005; accepted January 13, 2006. From the Dept. of Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Hochang B. Lee, M.D., Dept. of Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. e-mail: hochang@jhmi.edu Copyright 2007 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine Although the association between Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and muscle deterioration is known, the connection between BMD and psychiatric disorders is less clear. BMD is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene, causing translation of abnormal but functional dystrophin, a major component of the muscle subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton. This mutation leads to progressive voluntary muscle wasting and weakness. However, the clinical significance of the fact that dystrophin is also expressed in the cerebral cortex as part of the neuronal postsynaptic apparatus is less clear. The literature is limited, but some studies have reported an association between cognitive impairment and dystrophin deficiencies. Also, one study has reported an increased prevalence of depression among patients with BMD, and other studies have described the co-segregation of BMD and schizophrenia. As a result of this association between BMD and psychiatric disorders, many patients with BMD will require a combination of medical, neurologic, and psychiatric management. The purpose of this report is to illustrate the usefulness of combined pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy, guided by neuropsychological assessment, for treatment of a complicated patient with BMD and psychiatric comorbidities.
Dissecting the role of DNA sequence in Helicobacter pylori NikR/DNA recognition.

HpNikR is a prokaryotic nickel binding transcription factor found in Helicobacter pylori, where it functions as a regulator of multiple genes including those involved in nickel ion homeostasis and acid adaptation. The target operator sequences of the genes that are regulated by HpNikR do not have symmetric recognition sites, and the mechanism by which HpNikR distinguishes between the genes it regulates is not well understood. HpNikR utilizes a two-tiered mode of DNA binding in which some target sequences are bound with high affinity (Kd of nM) and others with low affinity (Kd of μM). An alignment of the high affinity and low affinity binder sequences identified a consensus binding sequence. The consensus sequence was conserved to a greater degree for the high affinity binder sequences compared to the low affinity binder sequences. The exact bases within the consensus sequence that are crucial for a high affinity binding interaction have not been identified. Here we sought to identify key residues from the consensus sequence that are crucial for a tight binding interaction using a competitive fluorescence anisotropy assay. Systematic mutations were made to a weak binder operator sequence, PnikR, so that it more closely resembled the consensus sequence and the effect of these mutations on protein–DNA binding was measured. Similarly, mutations that disrupted the consensus sequence were made to a tight binder operator sequence, PureA, and their effects on protein–DNA binding were measured. Taken together, these studies implicate thymine 10, located on the 3′ end of the palindrome, as crucial for tight binding.
A transcription activator–like effector (TALE) induction system mediated by proteolysis

Simple and predictable trans-acting regulatory tools are needed in the fields of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering to build complex genetic circuits and optimize the levels of native and heterologous gene products. Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are bacterial virulence factors that have recently gained traction in biotechnology applications owing to their customizable DNA-binding specificity. In this work we expanded the versatility of these transcription factors to create an inducible TALE system by inserting tobacco-etch virus (TEV) protease recognition sites into the TALE backbone. The resulting engineered TALEs maintain transcriptional repression of their target genes in Escherichia coli, but are degraded after induction of the TEV protease, thereby promoting expression of the previously repressed target gene of interest. This TALE-TEV technology enables both repression and induction of plasmid or chromosomal target genes in a manner analogous to traditional repressor proteins but with the added flexibility of being operator-agnostic.
Resident CAPS on dense-core vesicles docks and primes vesicles for fusion

The Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis of dense-core vesicles in neuroendocrine cells requires a priming step during which SNARE protein complexes assemble. CAPS (aka CADPS) is one of several factors required for vesicle priming; however, the localization and dynamics of CAPS at sites of exocytosis in live neuroendocrine cells has not been determined. We imaged CAPS before, during, and after single-vesicle fusion events in PC12 cells by TIRF micro-scopy. In addition to being a resident on cytoplasmic dense-core vesicles, CAPS was present in clusters of approximately nine molecules near the plasma membrane that corresponded to docked/tethered vesicles. CAPS accompanied vesicles to the plasma membrane and was present at all vesicle exocytic events. The knockdown of CAPS by shRNA eliminated the VAMP-2-dependent docking and evoked exocytosis of fusion-competent vesicles. A CAPS(ΔC135) protein that does not localize to vesicles failed to rescue vesicle docking and evoked exocytosis in CAPS-depleted cells, showing that CAPS residence on vesicles is essential. Our results indicate that dense-core vesicles carry CAPS to sites of exocytosis, where CAPS promotes vesicle docking and fusion competence, probably by initiating SNARE complex assembly.
Experiences in cyber security education: the MIT Lincoln laboratory capture-the-flag exercise

Many popular and well-established cyber security Capture the Flag (CTF) exercises are held each year in a variety of settings, including universities and semiprofessional security conferences. CTF formats also vary greatly, ranging from linear puzzle-like challenges to team-based offensive and defensive free-for-all hacking competitions. While these events are exciting and important as contests of skill, they offer limited educational opportunities. In particular, since participation requires considerable a priori domain knowledge and practical computer security expertise, the majority of typical computer science students are excluded from taking part in these events. Our goal in designing and running the MIT/LL CTF was to make the experience accessible to a wider community by providing an environment that would not only test and challenge the computer security skills of the participants, but also educate and prepare those without an extensive prior expertise. This paper describes our experience in designing, organizing, and running an education-focused CTF, and discusses our teaching methods, game design, scoring measures, logged data, and lessons learned.
Two cases of fistulating gallbladder disease

We read great interest the recent case report and discussion on the topic of gallstone ileus in the JBRquite unusual cases recently of older patients presenting with this rare complication of cholelithiasis. BTR (1). We would like to add our experience with fistulating gallbladder disease as we have had two
Biochemical and Ultrastructural Study of Glycogen in Jejunal Mucosa of Diabetic Rats

SummaryThe glycogen concentration of jejunal mucosa was 423 μg/g or 0.04% of wet weight in normal rats. Diabetes was accompanied by a twofold increase in glycogen content whereas a 72-hr fast produced a 50% reduction of gut glycogen. In absorptive cells of diabetic rats β glycogen was observed throughout the cytoplasm but appeared particularly abundant in the terminal web region. The adaptive responses of gut glycogen levels to fasting and refeeding were similar to changes in the activities of gut glycolytic enzymes but glycogen and enzyme changes were less marked than those observed for liver of the same animals.We appreciate the technical assistance of Alice F. Rosendall and Joan Hahn.
Derivation and numerical analysis of implicit time stepping schemes

We demonstrate that implicit time integration methods for second-order-in-time wave equations can be derived from rational expansions to the cosine function of pseudo-differential operators. Using the scalar wave equation as an example, we give complete stability condition and grid dispersion analysis results for general implicit time integration methods. Furthermore, we propose an optimization method to develop unconditionally stable implicit time stepping schemes.
Improving prediction accuracy using class-specific ensemble feature selection

As data accumulates at a speed significantly faster than can be processed, data preprocessing techniques such as feature selection become increasingly important and beneficial. Moreover, given the well-known gains of feature selection, any further improvements can positively affect a wide array of fields and applications. So, this research explores a novel feature selection architecture, Class-specific Ensemble Feature Selection (CEFS), which finds class-specific subsets of features optimal to each available classification in the dataset. Each subset is then combined with a classifier to create an ensemble feature selection model which is further used to predict unseen instances. CEFS attempts to provide the diversity and base classifier disagreement sought after in effective ensemble models by providing highly useful, yet highly exclusive feature subsets. CEFS is not a feature selection algorithm, but rather, a unique way of performing feature selection. Hence, it is also algorithm independent, suggesting that various machine learners and feature selection algorithms can benefit from the use of this architecture. To test this architecture, a comprehensive experiment is conducted, implementing the architecture under two different classifiers, three different feature selection algorithms, and under ten different datasets. The results of this experiment shows that the CEFS architecture outperforms the traditional feature selection architecture in every algorithmic combination and for every dataset. Moreover, the presence of high-dimensional datasets suggests that CEFS will scale up. Finally, the feature results obtained from the experiment suggest that vital class-specific information can be lost if feature selection is performed on the entire dataset as a whole, as opposed to a class-specific manner.
Making Wireless Body Area Networks Robust Under Cross-Technology Interference

Wireless body area networks (BANs) demand high-quality service. However, as BANs will be widely deployed in densely populated areas, they inevitably face RF cross-technology interference (CTI) from non-protocol-compliant wireless devices operating in the same spectrum range. The main challenges to defending against such a strong CTI come from the scarcity of spectrum resources, the uncertainty of the CTI sources and BAN channel status, and the stringent hardware constraints. In this paper, we first experimentally characterize the adverse effect on BAN reliability caused by the non-protocol-compliant CTI. Then, we formulate a joint routing and power control (JRPC) problem, which aims at minimizing energy consumption under strong CTI while satisfying node reachability and delay constraints. We reformulate our problem into a mixed integer linear programing problem and then derive the optimal results through IBM’s CPLEX. A practical protocol, including a heuristic JRPC algorithm, is then proposed, in which we address the challenge of fast link-quality measurement by proposing a passive link-quality estimation and prediction method. Through experiments and simulations, we show that our protocol can assure the robustness of BAN even when the CTI sources are in very close vicinity, using a small amount of energy on commercial-off-the-shelf sensor devices.
Facile polypyrrole thin film coating on polypropylene membrane for efficient solar-driven interfacial water evaporation

We report the fabrication of a polypyrrole-coated interfacial solar membrane using a versatile dip-coating method, which enables solar vapor generation efficiency of 72% for the purpose of desalination. This next-generation method of thermal desalination membrane uses solar thermal energy as a heat source to vaporize salt and brackish water. The polypyrrole thin film is tightly attached to individual non-conductive polypropylene fibers in a mesh. The dip-coating method can be applied to different types of membranes, regardless of the wetting property, conductivity, or surface curvature.
Computational Study on the Driver Section Design of an Explosively Driven Conical Shock Tube

The work presented in this paper investigates the use of a shock tube designed to propagate a shock wave through the air (commonly denoted as “air blast”) resulting from the detonation of an explosive charge. This explosively driven shock tube has a conical geometry, which allows for the use of relatively small charges to approximate the Friedlander waveform due to the free-field detonation of much more massive explosive charges. Both previous experimental data and new computational work are presented to illustrate the influence of various design parameters of the shock tube’s explosive charge and driver section—the portion of the tube that confines the explosive charge and transitions to the main tube section confining the flow—on the resulting air blast.
De novo synthetic biliprotein design, assembly and excitation energy transfer

Bilins are linear tetrapyrrole chromophores with a wide range of visible and near-visible light absorption and emission properties. These properties are tuned upon binding to natural proteins and exploited in photosynthetic light-harvesting and non-photosynthetic light-sensitive signalling. These pigmented proteins are now being manipulated to develop fluorescent experimental tools. To engineer the optical properties of bound bilins for specific applications more flexibly, we have used first principles of protein folding to design novel, stable and highly adaptable bilin-binding four-α-helix bundle protein frames, called maquettes, and explored the minimal requirements underlying covalent bilin ligation and conformational restriction responsible for the strong and variable absorption, fluorescence and excitation energy transfer of these proteins. Biliverdin, phycocyanobilin and phycoerythrobilin bind covalently to maquette Cys in vitro . A blue-shifted tripyrrole formed from maquette-bound phycocyanobilin displays a quantum yield of 26%. Although unrelated in fold and sequence to natural phycobiliproteins, bilin lyases nevertheless interact with maquettes during co-expression in Escherichia coli to improve the efficiency of bilin binding and influence bilin structure. Bilins bind in vitro and in vivo to Cys residues placed in loops, towards the amino end or in the middle of helices but bind poorly at the carboxyl end of helices. Bilin-binding efficiency and fluorescence yield are improved by Arg and Asp residues adjacent to the ligating Cys on the same helix and by His residues on adjacent helices.
Equity in admissions to a school of social work

Provision of compensatory processes enables candidates who have equal access, but who suffer from endemic deprivations, to achieve equitable consideration
TERMINAL SEQUENCE HOMOLOGIES IN REOVIRUS GENES

Abstract The 3′-terminal regions of the plus and minus strands of several genes of the three reovirus serotypes have been sequenced in order to investigate how genetic relatedness is distributed among them. The following results have been obtained so far: 1) The 3′-termini of the plus strands of the S1 genes of serotypes 1, 2 and 3 show extensive homology. There are four blocks of homology within the 40 terminal residues, including the common terminal sequence -UCAUC-3′. 2) The 3′-termini of the minus strands of the three S1 genes, and therefore the 5′-termini of their plus (and messenger RNA) strands, share six common residues (5′-GCUAUU-). Their coding sequences start at residue 13 or 14, and show no detectable homologies for the first 20 codons. 3) The three species of s1 messenger RNA contain regions of inverted homology near their ends. Sequences capable of base pairing with the 3′-terminal region of 18S ribosomal RNA are either adjacent to or overlap with these regions. The lengths of these homologous regions vary among the three s1 messenger RNA species. 4) Similar studies have been initiated for the S2 genes of the three reovirus serotypes. These genes possess the same 5′- and 3′-terminal sequences on their plus strands as the S1 genes; they possess additional regions of homology with S1 genes near their 3′-termini that are not the same as those shared by the three S1 genes; and the secondary structures possible for s2 messenger RNAs are similar to those possible for s1 messenger RNAs.
A History of Leydig Cell Research

Franz Leydig first described the testicular cells in 1850 that now bear his name. For the next 50 yr after their discovery, Leydig cells were the subject of further studies by light microscopy, and diverse speculations were offered about their possible function. In 1903, Pol Bouin and Paul Ancel provided the first substantial evidence that Leydig cells constituted an endocrine gland controlling male secondary sexual characteristics. Their evidence seemed compelling at the time, but was necessarily circumstantial, because there was no direct proof that Leydig cells produced a male hormone. Over subsequent decades, workers found additional evidence that these cells had an endocrine function, but there were also other findings that cast doubt on the hypothesis, and increasing skepticism developed about the earlier evidence. By the late 1920s, many influential reproductive biologists suspected that the seminiferous tubules were the actual source of male hormone. During the 1930s, the male hormone was shown to be testosterone, its endocrine actions were studied extensively, and the role of the pituitary in regulating testicular function was demonstrated. From the 1930s through the 1950s, Leydig cells came back into favor as endocrine cells, although some uncertainty persisted and there was still no direct evidence that Leydig cells produced androgen. Finally, direct evidence came from histochemistry in 1958 and from biochemistry in 1965.
APPLICATION OF A NEW COMBUSTION ANALYSIS METHOD IN THE STUDY OF ALTERNATE FUEL COMBUSTION AND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS

A new combustion analysis method is described, and results obtained in an application are presented. The application selected is a study of the effects of EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) on the combustion of methanol in a spark-ignited engine. The combustion analysis method is based upon a measure of the variation of the logarithm of the product (pressure) x (volume)γ with time. The quantity γ (an effective specific heat ratio for gases in the engine combustion chamber) is determined readily from the slope of log P versus log V curves. Measurements of log (\(P{V^{\bar \gamma }}\)) provide for a simplified determination of combustion parameters such as ignition delay interval, burn rate and burn duration.
Technical note : A technique for multiple liver biopsies in neonatal calves

Our objective was to develop a rapid and safe liver biopsy technique that could be repeated on multiple occasions in individual neonatal calves. A pilot study was performed to verify the efficacy of sedation and restraint procedures and to evaluate different biopsy instruments. Following the pilot experiment, a biopsy trocar was fabricated and an experiment was conducted using this procedure. Liver biopsies were performed in neonatal calves on d 4, 9, 15, 21, and 28 of life to evaluate the effect of vitamin A intake on liver vitamin A concentrations. On these days, a single injection of ceftiofur sodium was administered i.m. 1 to 2 h prior to the procedure. Calves were lightly sedated with xylazine and placed on a surgical table in left-lateral recumbency. The right caudo-thoracic area was clipped and scrubbed with an iodophor agent. Following administration of a local anesthetic (lidocaine), a small incision was made in the skin between the 12th and 13th ribs approximately 15 cm from the dorsal midline. The biopsy trocar was inserted through the body wall and peritoneum and introduced into the liver parenchyma, and a liver sample was collected. Following the biopsy, the cutaneous incision was sutured and an antiseptic agent was applied to prevent infection. An i.m. injection of an analgesic was administered 1 h following the procedure to alleviate postsurgical discomfort. Most calves were able to stand within 2 h after the biopsy. The entire procedure, which could be performed by a single individual, usually required about 20 min from initial sedation until skin closure. Although liver samples of up to 500 mg were obtained, most samples weighed 75 to 150 mg (wet weight). A total of 156 liver biopsies were performed on 33 calves. Complications due to the biopsy procedure were observed in only two calves. Therefore, this procedure can be useful for studies designed to monitor changes in liver composition or enzyme activities over time.
Analytical approach for the determination of nanomechanical properties for metals

A modified form of the two-slope method used for the determination of mechanical properties of a material is presented in this paper. Modified expressions for the determination of slopes of the loading and unloading curves make use of the energy based parameters which are independent of the indentation size. A correction factor is also introduced to account for the inward radial displacement of material’s surface points which has important implications on the accuracy of the mechanical properties. Mechanical properties obtained after these modifications compares well with the experimental results. The elastic modulus and hardness obtained by the proposed method precisely describe the elasto-plastic behavior of the metals considered in this study which further confirms the accuracy of the method described herein. The proposed method enhances our understanding of the behavior of a material at very small scale of length and may be extended to determine the mechanical properties of materials other than metals.
Isolated platelet concentrate transfusion during surgery: a single-center observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND Surgical patients receive platelet concentrates (PCs) for a variety of indications. However, there is limited evidence for efficacy or dosing of PCs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of surgical patients receiving isolated PC transfusion at a single academic tertiary medical center during 1 year. The primary outcome was reoperation for a bleeding complication. Bleeding complication rates were compared in patients transfused for different indications, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine variables associated with bleeding complications. RESULTS Approximately 1% of surgical patients (n = 205), including 7% of cardiac surgery patients, received an isolated PC transfusion. Cardiac surgery patients accounted for 47% of isolated PC transfusions, followed by neurosurgery (19%) and gastrointestinal surgery (13%). Most patients (81%) received a single apheresis unit of PC. Common indications were antiplatelet drugs (50%), thrombocytopenia (19%), congenital platelet disorders (2%), and both thrombocytopenia and antiplatelet drugs (12%). Bleeding complications occurred in 23% of patients, with the lowest bleeding complication rate observed in patients transfused for antiplatelet drugs (13%) and the highest rate in patients transfused for thrombocytopenia with or without antiplatelet drugs (40% and 38%, respectively). Bleeding complications were more common in noncardiac surgery but had no association with transfusion indication. CONCLUSION Despite transfusion for conventionally accepted indications, patients who received an isolated PC transfusion experienced a high rate of bleeding complications, particularly noncardiac surgery patients. Further studies are needed to establish optimal dosing, timing, and indications for perioperative PC transfusion.