cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Machine Learning Based Clustering Protocol for Determining Hearing Aid Initial Configurations from Pure-Tone Audiograms.

Of the nearly 35 million people in the USA who are hearing impaired, only an estimated 25% use hearing aids (HA). A good number of HAs are prescribed but not used partially because of the time to convergence for best operation between the audiologist and user. To improve HA retention, it is suggested that a machine learning (ML) protocol could be established which improves initial HA configurations given a user’s pure-tone audiogram. This study examines a ML clustering method to predict the best initial HA fitting from a corpus of over 90,000 audiogram-fitting pairs collected from hearing centers throughout the USA. We first examine the final HA comfort targets to determine a limited number of preset configurations using several multi-dimensional clustering methods (Birch, Ward, and k-means). The goal is to reduce the amount of adjustments between the centroid, selected as a fitting configuration to represent the cluster, and the final HA configurations. This may be used to reduce the adjustment cycles for HAs or as preset starting configurations for personal sound amplification products (PSAPs). Using various classification methods, audiograms are mapped to a limited number of potential preset configurations. Finally, the average adjustment between the preset fitting targets and the final fitting targets is examined.
VPS37A directs ESCRT recruitment for phagophore closure

The process of phagophore closure requires the endosomal sorting complex required for transport III (ESCRT-III) subunit CHMP2A and the AAA ATPase VPS4, but their regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we establish a FACS-based HaloTag-LC3 autophagosome completion assay to screen a genome-wide CRISPR library and identify the ESCRT-I subunit VPS37A as a critical component for phagophore closure. VPS37A localizes on the phagophore through the N-terminal putative ubiquitin E2 variant domain, which is found to be required for autophagosome completion but dispensable for ESCRT-I complex formation and the degradation of epidermal growth factor receptor in the multivesicular body pathway. Notably, loss of VPS37A abrogates the phagophore recruitment of the ESCRT-I subunit VPS28 and CHMP2A, whereas inhibition of membrane closure by CHMP2A depletion or VPS4 inhibition accumulates VPS37A on the phagophore. These observations suggest that VPS37A coordinates the recruitment of a unique set of ESCRT machinery components for phagophore closure in mammalian cells.
Intersectional Understandings of On-Time High School Graduation and College Readiness for Traditionally Marginalized High School Students:

Conventional definitions of “on-time graduation” and “college readiness” often place the needs of traditionally marginalized students (first-generation, low-income, immigrant and/or students of col...
Widely-Reconfigurable 2.5:1 Coaxial-Cavity Resonators Using Actuated Liquid-Metal Posts

This paper reports on a new method for tuning the resonant frequency of coaxial cavity resonators beyond one octave (2.5:1). The proposed tuning mechanism is based on pneumatically-actuated liquid metals (LMs) that functionalize a variable-height post—inner conductor—of a coaxial cavity resonator. The employed LM is an eutectic alloy of Gallium, Indium and Tin—commonly known as Galinstan—that is filled inside a Teflon-based tube. It is demonstrated that by altering the amount of Galinstan within the LM-based post, wideband continuous RF tuning can be achieved. For proof-of-concept demonstration purposes a tunable coaxial cavity resonator was designed, manufactured and measured. It demonstrated center frequency tuning between 4 and 10 GHz that corresponds to a 2.5: 1 tuning range. For these frequencies, the unloaded quality factor of the resonator was measured between 225 to 630, demonstrating the potential of LM tuning for low-loss and widely-reconfigurable RF filters.
Regulation of the thrombin/protease-activated receptor 1 axis by chemokine (CXC motif) receptor 4.

The chemokine receptor CXCR4, a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) capable of heteromerizing with other GPCRs, is involved in many processes, including immune responses, hematopoiesis, and organogenesis. Evidence suggests that CXCR4 activation reduces thrombin/protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1)-induced impairment of endothelial barrier function. However, the mechanisms underlying cross-talk between CXCR4 and PAR1 are not well-understood. Using intermolecular bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and proximity ligation assays, we found that CXCR4 heteromerizes with PAR1 in the HEK293T expression system and in human primary pulmonary endothelial cells (hPPECs). A peptide analog of transmembrane domain 2 (TM2) of CXCR4 interfered with PAR1:CXCR4 heteromerization. In HTLA cells, the presence of CXCR4 reduced the efficacy of thrombin to induce β-arrestin-2 recruitment to recombinant PAR1 and enhanced thrombin-induced Ca2+ mobilization. Whereas thrombin-induced extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation occurred more transiently in the presence of CXCR4, peak ERK1/2 phosphorylation was increased when compared with HTLA cells expressing PAR1 alone. CXCR4-associated effects on thrombin-induced β-arrestin-2 recruitment to and signaling of PAR1 could be reversed by TM2. In hPPECs, TM2 inhibited thrombin-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and activation of Ras homolog gene family member A. CXCR4 siRNA knockdown inhibited thrombin-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Whereas thrombin stimulation reduced surface expression of PAR1, CXCR4, and PAR1:CXCR4 heteromers, chemokine (CXC motif) ligand 12 stimulation reduced surface expression of CXCR4 and PAR1:CXCR4 heteromers, but not of PAR1. Finally, TM2 dose-dependently inhibited thrombin-induced impairment of hPPEC monolayer permeability. Our findings suggest that CXCR4:PAR1 heteromerization enhances thrombin-induced G protein signaling of PAR1 and PAR1-mediated endothelial barrier disruption.
Speech auditory-motor adaptation lacks an explicit component: reduced adaptation in adults who stutter reflects limitations in implicit sensorimotor learning.

Abstract The neural mechanisms underlying stuttering remain poorly understood. A large body of work has focused on sensorimotor integration difficulties in individuals who stutter, including recently the capacity for sensorimotor learning. Typically, sensorimotor learning is assessed with adaptation paradigms in which one or more sensory feedback modalities are experimentally perturbed in real-time. Our own previous work on speech with perturbed auditory feedback revealed substantial auditory-motor learning limitations in both children and adults who stutter (AWS). It remains unknown, however, which sub-processes of sensorimotor learning are impaired. Indeed, new insights from research on upper-limb motor control indicate that sensorimotor learning involves at least two distinct components: (a) an explicit component that includes intentional strategy use and presumably is driven by target error, and (b) an implicit component that updates an internal model without awareness of the learner and presumably is driven by sensory prediction error. Here, we attempted to dissociate these components for speech auditory-motor learning in AWS vs. adults who do not stutter (AWNS). Our formant-shift auditory-motor adaptation results replicated previous findings that such sensorimotor learning is limited in AWS. Novel findings are that neither control nor stuttering participants reported any awareness of changing their productions in response to the auditory perturbation, and that neither group showed systematic drift in auditory target judgments made throughout the adaptation task. These results indicate that speech auditory-motor adaptation relies exclusively on implicit learning processes. Thus, limited adaptation in AWS reflects poor implicit sensorimotor learning. Keywords: stuttering, adaptation, auditory feedback, sensorimotor learning, implicit learning Speech auditory-motor adaptation lacks an explicit component: reduced adaptation in adults who stutter reflects limitations in implicit sensorimotor learning
Phase II trial of vaginal cuff brachytherapy followed by dose-dense chemotherapy in early stage endometrial cancer patients with enriched, high-intermediate risk factors for recurrence.

Abstract Objective To determine the feasibility of vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB) followed by 3 cycles of dose dense paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy (ddTC) in enriched, high-intermediate risk (H-IR) patients with early stage endometrial cancer following hysterectomy. Methods A phase II trial of early stage endometrial cancer patients treated with VCB (2100 cGy) followed by three cycles of carboplatin (AUC 6) and dose dense paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) weekly within 12-weeks of surgery was conducted. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients completing both VCB and ddTC. Secondary outcomes include short and long-term toxicities, recurrence rate and sites, and progression free survival. Toxicity assessments were patient reported as well as those resulting in delays or dose modifications. Results A total of 32 evaluable patients with median age of 64.5 years were included. Most patients were endometrioid histology (18/32, 56.3%) and fully staged (21/32, 65.6%) to stage Ib (18/32, 56.3%). In total, 27/32 (84.4%) patients completed treatment per protocol. Protocol non-completion included renal insufficiency, paclitaxel reaction, and treatment refusal. Median time to VCB completion was 11 days with all patients completing three fractions of VCB. Acute toxicities with VCB included grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal, genitourinary and fatigue symptoms. Acute toxicities associated with ddTC included infusion reaction and neutropenia. Most reported long-term toxicities were grade 1 or 2 and resolved with time. Conclusions Treatment with VCB followed by three cycles of ddTC is well-tolerated with promising utility for treatment in enriched high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer patients. Recurrence-free and overall survival outcomes are not yet mature.
Total Transfer Time for Ground vs. Air Transport for Interhospital and Scene Transfers of Acute Stroke Patients.

Abstract Objectives Stroke patients are frequently transported to a comprehensive stroke center for treatment, either from a regional hospital via interhospital transfer or from the field via direct-from-scene transfer, by air or ground transportation. We sought to determine whether air or ground transport was faster in both transfer circumstances. Materials and methods A retrospective study of patients transferred to a single comprehensive stroke center for stroke treatment was conducted. EMS and medical records were used to evaluate the time and distance of transfer and functional outcome. Results Of the 205 transfers, 47 were interhospital transfers by air (22.9%), 68 were interhospital transfers by ground (33.2%), 40 were scene transfers by air (19.5%), and 50 were scene transfers by ground (24.4%). Ground transfers had shorter alarm to EMS departure times (30 min. vs 40 min.; p Conclusions Transfer efficiency for stroke patients depends on logistics prior to EMS arrival as well as the speed of travel. While air transport clearly results in faster travel velocity, total interhospital transfer times are faster for air transportation only when traveling more than 40 miles.
Total relighting: learning to relight portraits for background replacement

We propose a novel system for portrait relighting and background replacement, which maintains high-frequency boundary details and accurately synthesizes the subject's appearance as lit by novel illumination, thereby producing realistic composite images for any desired scene. Our technique includes foreground estimation via alpha matting, relighting, and compositing. We demonstrate that each of these stages can be tackled in a sequential pipeline without the use of priors (e.g. known background or known illumination) and with no specialized acquisition techniques, using only a single RGB portrait image and a novel, target HDR lighting environment as inputs. We train our model using relit portraits of subjects captured in a light stage computational illumination system, which records multiple lighting conditions, high quality geometry, and accurate alpha mattes. To perform realistic relighting for compositing, we introduce a novel per-pixel lighting representation in a deep learning framework, which explicitly models the diffuse and the specular components of appearance, producing relit portraits with convincingly rendered non-Lambertian effects like specular highlights. Multiple experiments and comparisons show the effectiveness of the proposed approach when applied to in-the-wild images.
Light scattering in TIRF microscopy: A theoretical study of the limits to surface selectivity.

Abstract In TIRF microscopy, the sample resides near a surface in an evanescent optical field that, ideally, decreases in intensity with distance from the surface in a pure exponential fashion. In practice, multiple surfaces and imperfections in the optical system and refractive index (RI) inhomogeneities in the sample (often living cells) produce propagating scattered light that degrades the exponential purity. RI inhomogeneities cannot easily be avoided. How severe is the consequent optical degradation? Starting from Maxwell's equations, we derive a first-order perturbative approximation of the electric field strength of light scattered by sample RI inhomogeneities of several types under coherent evanescent field illumination. The approximation provides an expression for the scattering field of any arbitrary RI inhomogeneity pattern. The scattering is not all propagating; some is evanescent and remains near the scattering centers. The results presented here are only a first-order approximation, and they ignore multiple scattering and reflections off the total internal reflection (TIR) surface. For simplicity, we assume that the RI variations in the z direction are insignificant within the depth of the evanescent field and consider only scattering of excitation light, not fluorescence emission light. The general conclusion of most significance from this study is that TIR scattering from a sample with RI variations typical of those on a cell culture alters the effective thickness of the illumination to only ∼50% greater than it would be without scattering. The qualitative surface selectivity of TIR fluorescence is largely retained even in the presence of scattering. Quantitatively, however, scattering will cause a deviation from the incident exponential decay at shorter distances, adding a slower decaying background. Calculations that assume a pure exponential decay will be approximations, and scattering should be taken into account. TIR scattering is only slightly dependent on polarization but is strongly reduced for the highest accessible incidence angles.
Differentially Private Fractional Frequency Moments Estimation with Polylogarithmic Space.

We prove that $\mathbb{F}_p$ sketch, a well-celebrated streaming algorithm for frequency moments estimation, is differentially private as is when $p\in(0, 1]$. $\mathbb{F}_p$ sketch uses only polylogarithmic space, exponentially better than existing DP baselines and only worse than the optimal non-private baseline by a logarithmic factor. The evaluation shows that $\mathbb{F}_p$ sketch can achieve reasonable accuracy with strong privacy guarantees.
Selfing: Integrating Pragmatism and Phenomenology to Develop a Multiprocessing Theory of the Self

In this chapter, I develop a model of the self as interpenetrating processes. This model draws on the classical work of Pragmatists and Phenomenologists as well as current work in brain science. With this model, I detail how actors organize somatic, temporal, emotional, and symbolic information gathered from experience to anticipate unrolling contexts. Microsociologists and sociologists of culture pay considerable attention to cognition and the processing of symbols, particularly dual-process approaches to cognition. However, the body, time, and emotions are at least as essential as symbolic processing for understanding how the self works. This model of the self focuses on three processes: selfing, emminding, and contextualizing. Selfing describes how somatic, temporal, emotional, and symbolic information is organized, anticipated, accumulated, and reconciled. Emminding describes how situations precipitate out of the absorbing flow of action, creating keen conscious reflexive awareness. Emminding describes how meaning emerges when intense emotion marks unanticipated experiences with associations. Finally, contextualizing describes how we anticipate the future by gleaning somatic, temporal, emotional, and symbolic information from prior experiences. With this model of the self, I detail how these processes work and how they interpenetrate each other. To communicate these dynamics, I use the imagery of fluidity, specifically the stream of consciousness, how experiences precipitate out of that stream, and how contextualizing interacts with the environment to restore the flow of the stream following disruption.
VM/CMS: A User's Guide

THE VM/CMS SYSTEM. A Conceptual Overview of VM/CMS. Accessing and Leaving VM/CMS. Becoming Acquainted with VM/CMS. CMS Disks and CMS Disk Files. CREATING AND EDITING FILES WITH XEDIT. Becoming Acquainted with XEDIT. Performing Common Editing Tasks with XEDIT. Special Topics in XEDIT. Customizing the XEDIT Environment. WORKING WITH DISK FILES. Working with Disk Files. Managing Disk Files. COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER COMPUTER USERS. SPECIAL TOPICS IN VM/CMS. Managing Your Virtual Machine. Virtual Devices and Spooling. Customizing the CP/CMS Environments. Diagnosing and Correcting Problems. Index.
Cyclopropanes : XXXIII. Reaction of lithium metal surfaces with optically active 1-halo-1-methyl-2,2-diphenylcyclopropane

Abstract The reaction of lithium metal surfaces with optically active 1-halo-1-methyl-2,2-diphenylcyclopropane leads to the formation of the corresponding lithium derivative which is partially racemized. The amount of racemization observed is a function of the halide used (I > Br > Cl), the sodium content of the lithium metal as well as its particle size.
Binding, internalization, and intracellular processing of proteins interacting with recycling receptors. A kinetic analysis.

We measured time-dependent concentration changes of human interferon-alpha 2a (IFN) and human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) bound at the plasma membrane and internalized by human lung alveolar carcinoma A549 cells in the presence of excess free ligand. Concentration changes for these two ligands were substantially different. We modified our compartmental kinetic model encompassing receptor synthesis and receptor loss (Myers, A. C., Kovach, J. S., and Vuk-Pavlovic, S. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 6494-6499) to include receptor recycling. We solved analytically the equations of three variants of the model of receptor recycling. All parameters (rate constants) were identifiable when the data sets consisted of time-resolved concentrations of IFN and TNF at the cell surface and internalized by cells. By least squares fitting we derived the best fit values for the first order rate constants for internalization of the ligand-receptor complex, receptor recycling, turnover of free receptors, elimination of the ligand from cells, and the rate of insertion of free receptors into the membrane. The best fit to data for interactions of cells with IFN was obtained without inclusion of the term for recycling of receptors to the membrane. The simplest model including receptor recycling was necessary and sufficient for the fit to the respective data for TNF. These results demonstrate that the contribution of receptor recycling to the metabolism of the ligand and the receptor can be quantitated by compartmental modeling. Receptor recycling does not contribute to the kinetics of Type I IFN receptor in A549 cells. In contrast, recycling contributes significantly to endocytosis mediated by the TNF receptor.
Biosynthesis of heparin. Separation of subcellular mastocytoma fractions involved in the incorporation of sulfate-35S into the heparin fraction.

Abstract The abilities of various subcellular fractions of the Furth mouse mastocytoma to activate sulfate and to incorporate sulfate into the heparin fraction were studied. The enzymes catalyzing the formation of 3′-phosphoadenylylsulfate, located in the soluble portion, were separated from the system responsible for sulfate transfer to the heparin fraction which was found to be associated with a “postmicrosomal” particulate fraction. The pH optima for these two processes were found at 7.7 and 6.4, respectively. Incubation of the “postmicrosomal” particles with either purified or crude radioactive 3′-phosphoadenylylsulfate, (the latter formed by incubation of the high speed supernatant with sulfate-35S, ATP, and Mg++) resulted in a substantial incorporation of radioactivity into the heparin fraction. Some of the tumor fractions were found to contain 3′-phosphoadenylylsulfate-hydrolase activity.
Documenting effects of urbanization on flora using herbarium records.

Summary 1. As human populations increasingly live in cities, urban floras and the ecosystem services they provide are under increasing threat. Understanding the effects of urbanization on plants can help to predict future changes and identify ways to preserve biological diversity. Relatively few studies document changes through time in the flora of a focal region and those that do primarily address European floras. They often rely on contemporary spatial gradient studies as surrogates for changes with time. 2. We compare historical species records (prior to 1940) with the current flora for Marion County, Indiana, USA, home to Indianapolis, the 13th largest city in the United States. Specimens from the Friesner Herbarium of Butler University and other vouchered records for the county provided the basis for historical records. Current records are derived from inventories of 16 sites conducted by Herbarium staff and other botanists over the past 15 years. 3. Physiognomic group, wetland classification and nativity (native vs. non-native) were determined for each species. Fidelity to high-quality habitat was quantified using coefficients of conservatism (C-values). 4. The last 70 years have seen a significant turnover in species presence, most notably a decrease in native plant species number (2.4 per year) and quality, with an accompanying increase in non-native plants of 1.4 per year. Loss of species has been non-random, with a disproportionate number of high-quality wetland plants lost. The signature of past land use can be seen in physiognomic changes in the composition of the flora that reflect the shift from agriculture to urban/suburban land use. 5. Many invasive non-native shrubs now present have escaped from cultivation, highlighting the combined threats of habitat conversion and human plant preference to native flora in cities. These invasives likely present the greatest threat to remaining biodiversity. 6. Synthesis. This study demonstrates the value well-documented historical records, such as those housed in herbaria, can have in addressing current ecological issues.
Experiences of using rational rose/visio for UML modeling in an undergraduate software engineering course: a student perspective

In the past, Visio has been used as the UML modeling tool for the software engineering concept course at IUP (Indiana University Of Pennsylvania). Two years ago, Rational Rose (Rose) was introduced in parallel. Students now have a choice of using either tool for UML modeling. Since the introduction of Rose, about 100 students have used both tools for UML modeling. In the fall of 2002, we set out to investigate the student experiences of using Rose and Visio. A student questionnaire survey was administered in the Computer Science Department at IUP. The main objective of the survey was to determine the usability of Rose and Visio for UML modeling in a software engineering course. Participating students were software engineering students registered for semester course. At the end of each semester, samples of data were collected. By the end of October 2003, we had a sample size of 95 to analyze. The collected data included student experiences of using Rose and Visio in the production of use-case diagrams, class diagrams, activity charts and collaboration charts. The 95 respondents had a great deal of exposure creating documentation for large software engineering semester projects and mini design projects. Typical examples of projects include the payroll systems, a web-based student registration system, a video rental system and children games (hangman and the number munchers game). The created use-case diagrams had an average of ten use-cases and eight actors. The class diagrams had an average of eight classes. The questionnaire was designed to provide information in the following categories; symbols used, interface, product features, intuitiveness in diagram creation, documentation and output.
Psychotherapy in Chronic Peptic Ulcer

Summary Psychotherapy seems to be a significant and valuable adjunct to the treatment of many persons with chronic peptic ulcer. A group of thirty patients with duodenal ulcer treated by psychotherapeutic methods without any regular medical treatment did at least as well as a control group on regular medical therapy for peptic ulcer. The additon of psychotherapy to the internists armamentarium is, indeed, treatment of the patient as a whole, and not of the peptic ulcer alone. Consciously and conscientously applied psychotherapy should be added to the regular medical treatment of chronic peptic ulcer.
Becoming (Less) Scientific: A Longitudinal Study of Students' Identity Work from Elementary to Middle School Science.

Students' declining science interest in middle school is often attributed to psychological factors like shifts of motivational values, decrease in self-efficacy, or doubts about the utility of schooling in general. This paper adds to accounts of the middle school science problem through an ethnographic, longitudinal case study of three diverse students' identity work from fourth- to sixth-grade school science. Classroom observations and interviews are used as primary data sources to examine: (1) the cultural and structural aspects of the fourth- and sixth-grade classrooms, including the celebrated subject positions, that enabled and constrained students' identity work as science learners; (2) the nature of students' identity work, including their positioning related to the celebrated subject positions within and across fourth- and sixth-grade science; and (3) the ways race, class, and gender figured into students' identity work and positioning. In fourth-grade, all experienced excellent science pedagogy and performed themselves as scientifically competent and engaged learners who recognized themselves and got recognized by others as scientific. By sixth-grade, their identity work in school science became dramatically less scientific. Celebrated subject positions did not demand scientific thinking or robust engagement in scientific practices and were heavily mediated by race, class, and gender. Our results highlight three insights related to the middle school problem: (1) when students' social identity work was leveraged in service of robust science learning, their affiliation increased; (2) academic success in school science did not equate to affiliation or deep engagement with science; and (3) race, class, and gender figured into students' successes in, threats to, and identity work related to becoming scientific. We end the article by providing a framework and questions that teachers, teacher educators, and researchers might use to design and evaluate the equity of science education learning spaces.
Care of long-term cancer survivors: physicians seen by Medicare enrollees surviving longer than 5 years.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that follow-up care for cancer patients differs by physician specialty, and that coordination between specialists and generalists results in better care. Little is known, however, regarding which specialties of physicians provide care to long-term cancer survivors. METHODS: The authors used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data from 1992 through 1997 that were linked to 1997-2003 Medicare data to identify persons diagnosed >5 years earlier with bladder, female breast, colorectal, prostate, or uterine cancer. Physician specialties were assigned by combining Medicare data with the American Medical Association Masterfile and the Unique Physician Identification Number Registry. The percentage of long-term survivors who visited physicians of interest was determined by analyzing Medicare outpatient claims submitted 6 to 12 years after initial diagnosis. RESULTS: Over the entire study period, 46% of female breast cancer survivors, 26% of colorectal cancer survivors, and 14% of prostate cancer survivors saw hematologists/oncologists. Radiation oncologists were seen by 11%, 2%, and 14% of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors, respectively. Survivors also sought care from specialists related to their cancer: 19% of breast cancer survivors had a cancer-coded visit with a surgeon, 26% of colorectal cancer survivors visited a gastroenterologist, and 68% of prostate cancer survivors visited a urologist. The percentage of survivors who visited cancer and cancer-related physicians declined each year. In contrast, nearly 75% of female breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors saw primary care providers, and these percentages did not decrease annually. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study underscore the need to include both primary care providers and cancer-related specialists in education and guidelines regarding cancer survivorship. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
From data to classification rules and actions

Action rules (or actionable patterns) describe possible transitions of objects from one state to another with respect to a distinguished attribute. Strategies for discovering them can be divided into two types: rule based and object based. Rule-based actionable patterns are built on the foundations of preexisting rules. This approach consists of two main steps: (1) a standard learning method is used to detect interesting patterns in the form of classification rules, association rules, or clusters; (2) the second step is to use an automatic or semiautomatic strategy to inspect such results and derive possible action strategies. These strategies provide an insight of how values of some attributes need to be changed so the desirable objects can be shifted to a desirable group. Object-based approach assumes that actionable patterns are extracted directly from a database. System DEAR, presented in this paper, is an example of a rule-based approach. System ARD and system for association rules mining are examples of an object-based approach. Music Information Retrieval (MIR) is taken as an application domain. We show how to manipulate the music score using action rules. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Electrochemical and thermal behavior of copper coated type MAG-20 natural graphite

Abstract Natural graphite powders, type MAG-20, were modified by electroless deposition of copper onto the graphite surface. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) of the modified graphite showed that almost all the copper covered the edge plane of graphite particles and the copper content increased from 6 to 17 at.% depending upon the plating time. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed the copper composition obtained using EDS. TGA carried out under oxygen atmosphere showed that the combustion temperature decreased by 200 °C for a copper content from 0 to 16 at.%. Cycling the modified graphite at a C/10 rate showed that the initial large irreversible capacity typically present in untreated natural graphite was significantly reduced when the modified graphite contained 6–17 at.% copper coatings. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) comparison between fully lithiated copper coated MAG-20 with fully lithiated MCMB showed that the major exothermic peak for the MAG-20 modified graphite is lower in magnitude and is shifted to higher temperatures. However, both MAG-20 and MCMB types of lithiated graphite gave the same amount of total heat generation up to 350 °C.
Design of LDPC decoders for improved low error rate performance: quantization and algorithm choices

Many classes of high-performance low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are based on parity check matrices composed of permutation submatrices. We describe the design of a parallel-serial decoder architecture that can be used to map any LDPC code with such a structure to a hardware emulation platform. High-throughput emulation allows for the exploration of the low bit-error rate (BER) region and provides statistics of the error traces, which illuminate the causes of the error floors of the (2048, 1723) Reed-Solomon based LDPC (RS-LDPC) code and the (2209, 1978) array-based LDPC code. Two classes of error events are observed: oscillatory behavior and convergence to a class of non-codewords, termed absorbing sets. The influence of absorbing sets can be exacerbated by message quantization and decoder implementation. In particular, quantization and the log-tanh function approximation in sum-product decoders strongly affect which absorbing sets dominate in the errorfloor region. We show that conventional sum-product decoder implementations of the (2209, 1978) array-based LDPC code allow low-weight absorbing sets to have a strong effect, and, as a result, elevate the error floor. Dually-quantized sum-product decoders and approximate sum-product decoders alleviate the effects of low-weight absorbing sets, thereby lowering the error floor.
Photoprotection by thalidomide in patients with chronic cutaneous and systemic lupus erythematosus: discordant effects on minimal erythema dose and sunburn cell formation

Summary Background Thalidomide is an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent with proven efficacy in several refractory inflammatory skin conditions including photoexacerbated skin diseases. The effects of thalidomide on ultraviolet (UV)-induced cutaneous damage in humans have not been extensively studied. We describe the results of minimal erythema dose (MED) testing in nonlesional skin of three patients with chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE) before and after treatment with thalidomide. Objectives To determine whether thalidomide treatment provides clinical and histological evidence of photoprotection from acute UV injury. Methods MED testing was performed in nonlesional skin of three patients with CCLE before and after treatment with thalidomide. Skin biopsy specimens were taken from MED sites for in situ immunochemistry. Results In each patient, the MED to UVB irradiation was significantly higher while the patient was receiving thalidomide treatment than in the absence of thalidomide, suggesting a systemic photoprotective effect. Thalidomide treatment had no significant effect on markers of apoptosis including sunburn cell formation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling, which identifies single-strand breaks in DNA. Conclusions Thalidomide inhibits acute UVB erythema at 24 h after exposure, as a 100-mg daily dose of this drug for 4 weeks conveyed a sun protection factor of 1·56 to > 4·0. We conclude that inhibition of UVB-induced inflammation may, in part, explain the therapeutic benefits of this agent on photosensitive diseases.
Genetical genomics of Th1 and Th2 immune response in a baboon model of atherosclerosis risk factors.

Objective CD4+ T-cells mediate inflammation in atherosclerosis, but additive genetic effects on associated pathways of Th1 and Th2 immune response have not been described. We sought to characterize heritability, pleiotropy, and QTL effects on the expression of genes implicated in Th1 and Th2 immune response in a baboon model of risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Grain Level Dwell Fatigue Crack Nucleation Model for Ti Alloys Using Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Analysis

A microstructure sensitive criterion for dwell fatigue crack initiation in polycrystalline alloy Ti-6242 is proposed in this paper. Local stress peaks due to load shedding from time dependent plastic deformation fields in neighboring grains are held responsible for crack initiation in dwell fatigue. An accurately calibrated and experimentally validated crystal plasticity finite element (FE) model is employed for predicting slip system level stresses and strains. Vital microstructural features related to the grain morphology and crystallographic orientations are accounted for in the FE model by construction of microstructures that are statistically equivalent to those observed in orientation imaging microscopy scans. The output of the finite element method model is used to evaluate the crack initiation condition in the postprocessing stage. The functional form of the criterion is motivated from the similarities in the stress fields and crack evolution criteria ahead of a crack tip and dislocation pileup. The criterion is calibrated and validated by using experimental data obtained from ultrasonic crack monitoring techniques. It is then used to predict the variation in dwell fatigue lifetime for critical microstructural conditions. The studies are extended to field experiments on β forged Ti-6242. Macroscopic aspects of loading are explored for their effect on dwell fatigue life of Ti-6242.
On the Approximation Order of Splines on Spherical Triangulations

Bounds are provided on how well functions in Sobolev spaces on the sphere can be approximated by spherical splines, where a spherical spline of degree d is a C r function whose pieces are the restrictions of homogeneous polynomials of degree d to the sphere. The bounds are expressed in terms of appropriate seminorms defined with the help of radial projection, and are obtained using appropriate quasi-interpolation operators.
Hydrogen Production by Direct Contact Pyrolysis of Natural Gas

In this paper, we propose the concept of utilizing the heat generated in Generation IV nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen and carbon from methane or natural gas by direct contact pyrolysis, a pro...
Probing the Motion of the Intrinsically Disordered Neuronal Protein Alpha-Synuclein through the VDAC Pore using a Single-Molecule Approach

Recent studies demonstrate the direct interaction of α-synuclein with mitochondrial membranes and point to the role of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) in facilitating translocation of α-synuclein through the MOM. Single-channel studies of the ionic current through VDAC reconstituted into a planar lipid membrane in the presence of α-synuclein reveal a complex interaction of α-synuclein with the VDAC pore that is characterized by the presence of two blocked states. The duration of both blocked states is biphasic with voltage: at low voltage, the blockage time increases with voltage, while at sufficiently large voltages, it decreases with voltage thus implying translocation. Detailed kinetic analysis of the transitions between the blocked states suggests that the second blocked state arises from simultaneous capture of two α-synuclein molecules. Selectivity studies at asymmetric electrolyte concentrations demonstrate a distinct splitting of the conductance of each blocked state into higher- and lower-selectivity sub-states. Transitions between these sub-states report on the stochastic dynamics of a single α-synuclein molecule within the pore. Finally, the shape of the blockage time distributions over the entire voltage range can be understood using a first-passage approach that reveals the potential experienced by α-synuclein molecules in the VDAC channel. These results highlight the suitability of the α-synuclein/VDAC system as a model for the investigation of the detailed molecular motion of disordered proteins in large β-barrel channels.
Enzymatic Properties of Human Na,K-ATPase α1β3Isozyme

Abstract Recent results of a wide-scale human cDNA sequencing project have identified a cDNA which encodes a hitherto unknown human protein sequence exhibiting structural similarities with β-subunits of the Na,K- and H,K-ATPase family and with the amphibian Na,KATPase β3-subunit, in particular. In this study the ability of the putative human β3-subunit to assemble with the human α1-subunit in functionally active Na,KATPase was examined using the baculovirus expression system. The recombinant baculovirus simultaneously expressing both α1and β3human proteins was produced using the dual-promoter transfer vector p2Bac. The expression of both human proteins in baculovirus-infected Sf-9 cell membranes detected with specific antibodies resulted in the formation of a catalytically competent α1β3ATPase complex. Characterization of the recombinant ATPase complex involved the analysis of Na+, K+, and ATP dependencies of enzyme activity and its sensitivity toward ouabain. Preparations of HeLa cell membranes containing α1β1isozyme of human Na,K-ATPase were used as control. The data obtained clearly demonstrated that α1β3ATPase exhibits enzymatic properties which are characteristic of Na,K-ATPase. The recombinant α1β3isozyme displayed significantly lower sensitivity to ouabain than native α1β1. These findings indicate that the hitherto unknown α1β3isozyme of human Na,K-ATPase is likely to existin vivo,thus suggesting further expansion of human Na,K-ATPase isozyme diversity. The present studies are the first in which heterologous expression has been used for the characterization of an isozyme of human Na,K-ATPase.
Wages and Profits in the Paper Industry, 1929–1939

I. The problem, 196.— II. Description of the industry, 198.— III. Description of the sample, 199. — IV. Timing of wage changes, 199.— Comparisons: regions and types of products, 205; ability to pay, 206; size of company, 210; unionization, 211; dividend changes, 212; summary, 213. — V. Wage-rate levels: the data, 214; ranking and grouping of mills, 214. — Comparisons: products and states, 215; profitability and financial condition, 219; size of company, 221; unionization, 222; community, 223. — Conclusions, 224.
Filtration plasmapheresis in vivo

A continuous-flow filtration plasmapheresis system has been developed as an alternative to conventional techniques for conducting plasmapheresis from blood donors. The system was tested in two stages, nonreinfusion and continuous reinfusion. Donor safety, separation efficiency, and plasma quality were examined. These studies indicate that membrane plasmapheresis is feasible, safe to the donor, and yields sufficient plasma for either therapeutic or component therapy use.
Maximum safe dietary magnesium and effects of high dietary magnesium on zinc metabolism in Holstein calves.

Abstract Fifteen male Holstein calves were fed diets containing .25 (control), .7, or 1.15% magnesium (from supplemental magnesium oxide) for 28 days. Feed consumption and growth rate were not affected adversely by .7% magnesium but were depressed with 1.15% magnesium. Fecal dry matter percentage was reduced slightly with .7% magnesium and substantially decreased with 1.15% magnesium. However, feces from calves fed .7% magnesium were more fluid in consistency. Urinary and fecal magnesium content increased in calves fed .7 and 1.15% magnesium, with changes closely related to dietary magnesium. Magnesium in plasma increased slightly with .7% magnesium and materially with 1.15%. Magnesium in liver, kidney, and heart was not affected by diets. Apparently calves can tolerate safely .7% magnesium, but 1.15% is detrimental. On day 21 of treatment, all calves received zinc-65 orally and were killed 7 days later. Calves fed .7 and 1.15% magnesium excreted less zinc-65 and retained more, especially in liver and large intestine. Liver and kidney of calves receiving higher percents magnesium had elevated stable zinc. Calcium and copper in tissue were not elevated. The effect of high dietary magnesium on zinc metabolism appears to be systemic in tissues.
A memorial review of Jay Bailey"s contribution in prokaryotic metabolic engineering

When mentioning prokaryotic metabolic engineering, most people will immediately think of Jay Bailey. Jay's contribution to this fast-growing field is evident and familiar to many. Therefore, instead of a detailed technical review, we attempt in this article to summarize his contribution and dissect reasons for his success in this area from a standpoint of one of his former students (VH) and of a colleague in the field (JCL). This short review is by no means complete and provides only a partial view of Jay's contribution to the metabolic engineering of prokaryotes.
Microrheology of a Sheared Langmuir Monolayer: Elastic Recovery and Interdomain Slippage

Brewster angle microscopy was used to study the microrheological response of fatty acid Langmuir monolayers subjected to shear flow. Slippage of domains past each other was observed during shear, and elastic recovery of domain shape was monitored following the cessation of shear. Experiments were performed as a function of shear rate, total strain, and temperature in two tilted hexatic monolayer phases, L2 and Ov. Three regimes were found as a function of temperature. At low temperature (T = 17 °C), the degree of slippage and recovery was shear rate independent. At high temperature (T ≥ 25 °C), the recovery decreased and the slippage increased systematically with increasing shear rate. At an intermediate temperature (T = 21 °C), a distinct transition from low-temperature to high-temperature behavior was observed at a shear rate of 0.35 s-1. These regimes correlated precisely to previous observations of parabolic or triangular velocity profiles in monolayer channel flow. Taking all temperatures and shear r...
CHEMICALLY SELF-ASSEMBLED NANOELECTRONIC COMPUTING NETWORKS

Recent advances in chemical self-assembly will soon make it possible to synthesize extremely powerful computing machinery from metallic clusters and organic molecules. These self-organized networks can function as Boolean logic circuits, associative memory, image processors, and combinatorial optimizers. Computational or signal processing activity is elicited from simple charge interactions between clusters which are resistively/capacitively linked by conjugated molecular wires or ribbons. The resulting circuits are massively parallel, fault-tolerant, ultrafast, ultradense and dissipate very little power.
A Review of Bioremediation and Natural Attenuation of MTBE

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) has been the focus of much attention because it is used in large amounts and was reportedly relatively recalcitrant to bioremediation or natural attenuation. Beginning with a few papers a decade ago, evidence has been presented that, in fact, under suitable conditions it is amenable to bioremediation. Many species from widely disparate microbial genera are able to consume it either as a sole carbon source or as a cometabolite. Optimal conditions differ from site to site. Both aerobic and anaerobic conditions may permit MTBE degradation, with a range of electron acceptors, from oxygen through Fe(III), Mn(IV), sulfate, nitrate, and methanogenesis. MTBE metabolism in the vadose zone can be highly active. The published literature suggests that natural populations are adapting to MTBE, and reported rates of biodegradation appear to be larger in the more recent literature. Plants may serve as efficient conduits to withdraw MTBE from the wet subsurface, releasing it to the atmosphere or the vadose zone, where it may be metabolized or diffuse into the atmosphere where it is quickly photodegraded. The major retraining issues are the time required to attain specified criteria of cleanup or whether augmentation is necessary for effective remediation.