cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale modeling of viscoelastic properties of polymer nanocomposites

A methodology for simple multiscale modeling of mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites has been developed. This methodology consists of three steps: (1) obtaining from molecular dynamics simulations the viscoelastic properties of the bulklike polymer and approximating the position-dependent shear modulus of the inter- facial polymer on the basis of the polymer-bead mean-square displacements as a function of the distance from the nanoparticle surface, (2) using bulk- and interfacial-polymer properties obtained from molecular dynamics simulations and performing stress-relaxa- tion simulations of the nanocomposites with material-point-method simulations to extract the nanocomposite viscoelastic properties, and (3) performing direct validation of the average composite viscoelastic properties obtained from material-point-method simu- lations with those obtained from the molecular dynamics simulations of the nanocom- posites. � c 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1005-1013, 2005
Fast Microwave Logic Circuits

In a carrier-type digital computer system, binary information can be represented by the presence or absence of an RF pulse in a given time interval. Using strip-line printed circuit techniques and point-contact diodes, passive AND and NOT gates were constructed which operate with RF pulses of less than 2 m?sec duration (i.e., an effective pulse repetition rate of 500 mc), at a carrier frequency of 3000 mc. The basic gates were combined to form half-adders. Unlike other carrier approaches, these circuits keep the information in RF form through all steps of the logic operations; i.e., both inputs and outputs of all elements are RF pulses.
Long‐Term Outcomes of a Dental Postbaccalaureate Program: Increasing Dental Student Diversity and Oral Health Care Access

The University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry established the Dental Postbaccalaureate Program in 1998 to provide reapplication assistance to students from economically and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who were previously denied admission to dental school. The goals were to increase diversity in the dental school student population and improve access to dental services for underserved populations. This article assesses the program’s short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes and is the first to examine long-term practice patterns after a dental postbaccalaureate program. Data collected on all participant (n=94) demographics, pre/post-program DAT scores, and post-program dental school admission results were used to assess short- and mid-term outcomes. Long-term outcomes and practice patterns were assessed using results of a census survey administered between 2009 and 2011 to the participants who had completed dental school and been in practice for at least two years (n=57). The survey had a response rate of 93 percent (n=53). Descriptive statistical techniques were used to examine the responses and to compare them to U.S. Census Bureau data and nationally available practice data for new dental graduates. Program participants’ DAT scores improved by an average of two points, and 98 percent were accepted to dental school. All survey respondents were practicing dentistry, and 81 percent reported serving underserved populations. These participants treat more Medicaid recipients than do most dentists, and their patient population is more diverse than the general population. The outcomes demonstrate that the program’s graduates are increasing diversity in the dental student population and that their practices are providing access to care for underserved populations.
Knockdown of Hoxa11 in vivo in the uterosacral ligament and uterus of mice results in altered collagen and matrix metalloproteinase activity.

Homeobox (HOX) genes are evolutionarily conserved genes encoding transcription factors that regulate mammalian embryonic growth and development of the urogenital tract. In both humans and mice, HOXA11 persists in the adult reproductive tract and is thought to play an important role in maintaining tissue developmental plasticity by regulating the expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix metabolism in the reproductive organs. Previously, we have shown that HOXA11 is necessary for development of the uterosacral ligaments in mice and is deficient in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Therefore, we hypothesized that Hoxa11 regulates the synthesis and/or metabolism of collagens in the uterosacral ligaments and uterus, and tested this by establishing an in utero and peritoneal Hoxa11 gene knockdown system in C57/BL6 mice using vectors bearing Hoxa11 short hairpin RNA. Specific knockdown of Hoxa11 transcripts and protein levels were confirmed versus control vectors. Protein and mRNA expression of collagen types I and III exhibited significant decreases following Hoxa11 knockdown according to Western blot analysis and real-time PCR. Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) expression also exhibited a significant decrease. Gelatinase zymography confirmed increases in pro-MMP2 and MMP9, as well as activated MMP2, following Hoxa11 knockdown. These results reveal that Hoxa11 knockdown in the uterosacral ligaments and uterus increases extracellular matrix degradation. More importantly, it suggests a mechanism in the weakening of the pelvic floor support in women, because decreased HOXA11 gene expression has been reported to be associated with decreased collagen and increased MMP2 expression in the uterosacral ligaments of women with pelvic organ prolapse. collagen, metalloproteinase, pelvic organ prolapse, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase, uterosacroal ligament
Pipelining packet scheduling in a low latency optical packet switch

Optical switching architectures with electronic buffers have been proposed to tackle the lack of optical Random Access Memories (RAM). Out of these architectures, the OpCut switch [1] achieves low latency and minimizes optical-electronic-optical (O/E/O) conversions by allowing packets to cut-through the switch. In an OpCut switch, a packet is converted and sent to the electronic buffers only if it cannot be directly routed to the switch output. As the length of a time slot shrinks with the increase of the line card rate in such a high-speed system, it may become too stringent to calculate a schedule in each single time slot. In such a case, pipelining scheduling can be adopted to relax the time constraint. In this paper, we present a novel mechanism to pipeline the packet scheduling in the OpCut switch by adopting multiple “sub-schedulers.” The computation of a complete schedule for each time slot is done under the collaboration of sub-schedulers and spans multiple time slots, while at any time schedules for different time slots are being calculated simultaneously. We present the implementation details when two sub-schedulers are adopted, and show that in this case our pipelining mechanism eliminates duplicate scheduling which is a common problem in a pipelined environment. With an arbitrary number of sub-schedulers, the duplicate scheduling problem becomes very difficult to eliminate due to the increased scheduling complexity. Nevertheless, we propose several approaches to reducing it. Finally, to minimize the extra delay introduced by pipelining as well as the overall average packet delay under all traffic intensities, we further propose an adaptive pipelining scheme. Our simulation results show that the pipelining mechanism effectively reduces scheduler complexity while maintaining good system performance.
Narrative approaches to raising consciousness about sexual harassment: From research to pedagogy and back again

Abstract In this paper we discuss narrative from both a theoretical and pedagogical perspective. After briefly reviewing the theoretical possibilities of narrative for addressing the problem of sexual harassment, we discuss how feminist pedagogy both draws from and advances our notions of narrative. We then focus on three forms of narrative as they are used to raise consciousness concerning the issue of sexual harassment. The three specific approaches include: (1) the personal narrative, (2) the case study, and (3) the interactive narrative or collective story. After providing illustrations of these three approaches as they are used in academic settings, we explore the possibility that utilizing these approaches might provide heuristic tools for the classroom instructor, useful strategies for the workplace practitioner, and insight into the theoretical exploration of sexual harassment.
A shape from shading analysis for a single perspective image of a polyhedron

A shape-from-shading analysis for a single perspective image of a polyhedron is presented. Given a single perspective image of a polyhedron, the depth of any point of the polyhedron from the camera, the direction of the light source illuminating the polyhedron and the albedo of the polyhedron, a system of algebraic equations are derived, which, when combined with edge information, quantitatively describes the shape of the polyhedron. This analysis is best possible in the sense that if any component of what the author has assumed is omitted, no similar analysis can provide the same results. >
Conscientiousness and longevity: an examination of possible mediators.

Objective: Conscientious individuals tend to experience a number of health benefits, not the least of which being greater longevity. However, it remains an open question as to why this link with longevity occurs. The current study tested two possible mediators (physical health and cognitive functioning) of the link between conscientiousness and longevity. Method: We tested these mediators using a 10-year longitudinal sample (N 512), a subset of the long-running Health and Retirement Study of aging adults. Measures included an adjective-rating measure of conscientiousness, self-reported health conditions, and three measures of cognitive functioning (word recall, delayed recall, and vocabulary) included in the 1996 wave of the HRS study. Results: Our results found that conscientiousness significantly predicted greater longevity, even in a model including the two proposed mediator variables, gender, age, and years of education. Moreover, cognitive functioning appears to partially mediate this relationship. Conclusions: This study replicates previous research showing that conscientious individuals tend to lead longer lives, and provides further insight into why this effect occurs. In addition, it underscores the importance of measurement considerations.
Whole blood platelet aggregation in humans and animals: a comparative study.

Abstract Background.Many animal species are used to evaluate the performance and blood compatibility of cardiovascular devices, but interspecies differences in platelet activity have not been well characterized. This study measures platelet response to six agonists in human, dog, and calf blood. Materials and methods.We used whole blood impedance lumi-aggregometry to measure platelet aggregation and ATP release in blood samples from adult humans (n= 19), mongrel dogs (n= 19), and Holstein calves (n= 7). The agonists were collagen, ristocetin, arachidonic acid, thrombin, and three concentrations of both ADP and epinephrine. Results.Only collagen (1 μg/ml) and ADP (5, 10, and 20 μM) caused aggregation and ATP release in all samples. Canine platelets responded to all six agonists at all doses. Human platelets responded to everything except epinephrine at 2 and 100 μM. Bovine platelets responded only to collagen, ADP, and thrombin. In bovine platelets, aggregation from collagen and ATP release from thrombin were significantly lower than the corresponding responses in human and canine blood. The aggregation induced by 10 μM ADP was significantly higher in canine than in human platelets. Conclusion.Human, canine, and bovine platelets have very different responses to agonists. In these models, collagen (1 μg/ml) and ADP (10 μM) are the agonists of choice for investigating whole blood platelet aggregation because they provide the most consistent results between species. For ATP release, 1 U/ml thrombin is the recommended agonist and the dose for all three species.
Remorse, elation, and the paradox of voting

The fact that people vote when the number of voters is very large has been called a paradox, because the plausibily calculable expected benefit of voting seems so miniscule. A minimax regret theory to explain voting has been proposed (Ferejohn and Fiorina, 1975) and has been deservedly criticized (Mayer and Good, 1975; Beck, 1975; Tullock, 1975). This paper proposes that remorse and elation, emotions that arise as a consequence of being responsible for one's circumstances by one's own action, contribute substantially to explaining the paradox of voting.' The word 'remorse' is used rather than 'regret,' because 'regret' has been given a technical meaning in the theory of decision-making under uncertainty. Begin with the observation from psychology that if an animal is given an electric shock that can be prevented if the animal operates a control according to a subtle rule, the animal will get ulcers, while an animal given a noncontingent regular shock will not get ulcers. One may hypothesize that if a person is threatened with the possibility of a loss that will be experienced as magnitude L if it is perceived as beyond his control, then it will be experienced as a loss of magnitude L + R, where R is a positive number, if it is perceived as within his control. The number R is defined as the quantity of remorse that is experienced. Similarly, if a person has the possibility of obtaining a gain that will be experienced as magnitude G if it is perceived as beyond his control, then it will be perceived as magnitude G + E, where E is a positive number, if it perceived as within his control. The number E is defined as the quantity of elation that is experienced. When we decide to leave our umbrellas behind and then get wet, we feel not only wet, but remorseful. When we decide not to run and then miss the bus, we are not only late but remorseful.2 The phrase, 'There isn't anything you could have done,' has become a traditional formula by which we seek to persuade one another to give up inappropriate (or appropriate!) remorse. Corresponding examples arise when gains rather than losses are under consideration. When our taxes are reduced, we are happy, but when, as a con
Evaluation of Dicarbonyls Generated in a Simulated Indoor Air Environment Using an In Vitro Exposure System

Over the last two decades, there has been increasing awareness regarding the potential impact of indoor air pollution on health. Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or oxygenated organic compounds formed from indoor chemistry has been suggested to contribute to adverse health effects. These studies use an in vitro monitoring system called VitroCell, to assess chemicals found in the indoor air environment. The structurally similar dicarbonyls diacetyl, 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, and methyl glyoxal were selected for use in this system. The VitroCell module was used to determine whether these dicarbonyls were capable of inducing inflammatory cytokine expression by exposed pulmonary epithelial cells (A549). Increases in the relative fold change in messenger RNA expression of the inflammatory mediators, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were identified following exposure to diacetyl, 4-OPA, glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, and methyl glyoxal when compared to a clean air control. Consistent results were observed when the protein levels of these cytokines were analyzed. Exposure to 4-OPA significantly elevated IL-8, IL-6, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha while glutaraldehyde caused significant elevations in IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha. IL-6 and IL-8 were also significantly elevated after exposure to diacetyl, glyoxal, and methyl glyoxal. These studies suggest that exposure to structurally similar oxygenated reaction products may be contributing to some of the health effects associated with indoor environments and may provide an in vitro method for identification and characterization of these potential hazards.
Purified human immune interferon has more potent anticellular activity than fibroblast or leukocyte interferon.

Abstract Human immune interferon preparations have anticellular activity on human cell lines (WISH and HEp-2). This anticellular activity copurified with the human immune interferon and appears to be a function of the immune interferon molecule. On the basis of a unit of antiviral activity, purified human immune interferon had about 20 and 100 times more anticellular activity than purified fibroblast or leukocyte interferon, respectively. The possible implications of this finding in the treatment of human neoplasia are discussed.
3D Shape Context and Distance Transform for action recognition

We propose the use of 3D (2D+time) shape context to recognize the spatial and temporal details inherent in human actions. We represent an action in a video sequence by a 3D point cloud extracted by sampling 2D silhouettes over time. A non-uniform sampling method is introduced that gives preference to fast moving body parts using a Euclidean 3D distance transform. Actions are then classified by matching the extracted point clouds. Our proposed approach is based on a global matching and does not require specific training to learn the model. We test the approach thoroughly on two publicly available datasets and compare to several state-of-the-art methods. The achieved classification accuracy is on par with or superior to the best results reported to date.
A Wet Interdune Dinosaur Trampled Surface in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Coyote Buttes, Arizona: Rare Preservation of Multiple Track Types and Tail Traces

Abstract A distinctive, disturbed surface with numerous soft-sediment impressions occurs within a wet interdune interval of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone at the Coyote Buttes along the Arizona-Utah border. These high-density impressions are interpreted as footprints that comprise a dinosaur trampled surface. This surface displays an unusual combination of multiple overlapping track types and sizes, distinct to modified footprint features that include claws and toes and rare tail traces. The trampled surface covers ∼3000 m2 with an average density of ∼12 impressions/m2 in its main extent. Although modern water collection and biofilms typical of weathering potholes or pits are superimposed on this surface, the primary origin of the impression features are trace fossil structures formed prior to lithification. Four criteria distinguish the impressions as vertebrate in origin: (1) large—up to several tens of centimeters—repeating identifiable foot morphologies; (2) impression floors surrounded by soft-sediment ma...
Filamin Cross-Linked Semiflexible Networks: Fragility under Strain

The semiflexible F-actin network of the cytoskeleton is cross-linked by a variety of proteins including filamin, which contains Ig domains that unfold under applied tension. We examine a simple filament network model cross-linked by such unfolding linkers that captures the main mechanical features of F-actin networks cross-linked by filamin proteins and show that, under sufficient strain, the network spontaneously self-organizes so that an appreciable fraction of the filamin cross-linkers are at the threshold of domain unfolding. We propose and test a mean-field model to account for this effect. We also suggest a qualitative experimental signature of this type of network reorganization under applied strain that may be observable in intracellular microrheology experiments of Crocker et al.
Synthesis of stereoscopic views from monocular endoscopic videos

Recent studies have shown that 3D imaging provides some unique advantages over traditional 2D imaging for minimal invasive surgery. However, most existing endoscopes still use single-lens cameras, and the use of dual-lens 3D imaging techniques is still limited. This paper proposes an approach to enabling 3D imaging from a single-lens endoscope by automatically synthesizing stereoscopic views from monocular images captured by the endoscope. We first formulate the problem by introducing the notion of normalized disparity, based on which we show that affine reconstruction is sufficient for stereoscopic view synthesis. With this formulation and exploiting other domain-specific constraints, we then propose a robust structure-from-motion algorithm for a sparse set of feature points and a fast, linear interpretation algorithm for creating a dense disparity field for synthesizing stereoscopic views from original monocular video. Both synthetic images and real endoscopic videos are used to evaluate the proposed method. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
When a ban really is not a ban: internet loopholes and Djarum flavoured cigarettes in the USA

Bans on flavoured cigarettes have been enacted in the USA,1 the EU2 and elsewhere. However, little is known about industry and consumer counter reactions. Djarum, which controls 97% of flavoured cigarette sales in the USA, immediately released ‘cigars’ resembling their banned counterparts and continued to manufacturer flavoured cigarettes.3 This study describes: (A) online consumer interest4 in, and (B) promotion and availability of Djarum cigarettes, and their cigar replacements, before and after the USA banned flavoured cigarettes in 2009. Google searches originating in the USA including ‘Djarum’ in combination with ‘cigarette/s’ versus ‘Djarum’ in combination with ‘cigar/s’ (eg, ‘Djarum cigarettes’ would be pooled in the cigarette trend) were monitored (google.com/trends), then regressed on time (eg, 2008–2014). The top 50 Google search results between 29 August 2013 and 28 November 2014 for ‘Djarum cigars’ and ‘Djarum cigarettes’ were classified as websites that described Djarum cigarettes or cigars favourably (promotion), and as websites that sold either product (retailing). Two investigators classified the results (κ=0.88). Djarum cigarette searches …
Commentary: why diagnose and treat ADHD in adults?

There are compelling reasons why primary care physicians concerned about the well-being of their patients should strive to become competent in recognizing the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite lingering social controversy, the existence of ADHD among a portion of the adult population is well accepted among medical experts. Attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adulthood meets formal validity criteria established for medical disorders.1,2 An estimated 4% to 5% of the adult population is impaired by ADHD. However, less than one-quarter of these adults have been diagnosed as having ADHD.1–4
Fact Checking the Campaign: How Political Reporters Use Twitter to Set the Record Straight (or Not)

In a multichannel era of fragmented and contested political communication, both misinformation and fact checking have taken on new significance. The rise of Twitter as a key venue for political jou...
Saturation effects on terahertz generation at the surface of InA

We modify the 1D drift-diffusion equation to model the generation of terahertz from a train of ultrafast pulses at the surface of InAs. We present and compare numerical and experimental results.
The Impact of Market Orientation on Boundary-Spanning Employees

Sales positions typically have a higher level of employee turnover; it is not uncommon for companies to experience turnover rates of up to 50 % for new sales people over their first couple years (Futrell and Parasuraman 1984). This results in added costs to the firm in terms of lost productivity and training costs. In order to improve the financial performance of the sales force, sales managers (as well as human resource managers) are in search of ways to reduce employee turnover. Market orientation has typically been studied as an indicator of a firm’s commitment external customer relationships (Narver and Slater 1990; Kohli and Jaworski 1990) and has been repeatedly shown to have positive consequences as measured by metrics focused on external constituencies. However, market orientation has not been studied in terms of its impact on internal organizational relationships with the exception of Lings and Greenley (2009). This research proposes that market orientation should positively impact the internal marketing of an organization which will have a positive impact on boundary spanning employees. Drawing on job-demands resources theory (Demerouti et al. 2001) and theory of conservation of resources (Hobfoll 1988), this study develops a model which posits that increased market orientation has positive internal consequences in terms of reduced role stressors (both conflict and ambiguity), increased job satisfaction, and reduced turnover intentions for sales people who serve as the customer facing contact point. Also, this study proposes and investigates grit, defined as dedication in enduring long-term goals (Duckworth et al. 2007), as a moderator of the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions.
Transplantation: Increasing the use of available deceased donor kidneys.

In kidney transplantation, the tremendous shortage of organs is a major problem and an ongoing concern is whether any procured but discarded kidneys could have been successfully transplanted. A recent study investigated whether kidney procurement rates from deceased donors are reduced and discard rates are increased at the weekend.
K-ras and p53 genes mutations and polymorphisms of the DNA repair XPD and XRCC1 genes in lung cancer among smokers and nonsmokers

2907 Lung cancer is associated with a high frequency of mutations in both the p53 tumor suppressor gene and K-ras oncogene. In smokers, these mutations are believed to be a consequence of DNA damage caused by tobacco smoke carcinogens, while, in nonsmokers, the origin(s) of these mutations remains elusive. Genetic differences resulting in interindividual variation in DNA repair capacity may in part account for susceptibility to p53 and/or K-ras mutations. The repair of DNA damage is critically important since reduced DNA repair capacity increases the sensitivity of a cell to genotoxic environmental agents, leading to a somatic mutation and eventual transformation of a normal cell into a malignant phenotype. We have previously studied the relationship between the polymorphisms of two DNA repair genes, the nucleotide excision repair XPD (codons 312 and 751) gene and the base excision repair XRCC1 (codon 399) gene, and p53 mutations among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We have demonstrated a significant association between smoking NSCLC patients who carried a variant polymorphism of the XPD 312 Asp/Asp and an increased p53 mutation frequency in their lung tumor, suggesting individuals who smoke and have the XPD codon 312 Asp/Asp polymorphism may be at a greater risk of p53 mutations. Here, we have extended this study by investigating the relationship between these DNA repair gene polymorphisms and K-ras mutations in the same patients. In addition, 33 nonsmoking NSCLC patients were analyzed for both p53 and K-ras mutations and DNA repair enzyme genotype. The results showed that the K-ras mutations, mostly G to T transversions, occurred in 31% of the smokers (64/204), and in 9% (3/33) of the nonsmokers, suggesting these mutations were primarily associated with tobacco smoke carcinogens. In nonsmokers, seven p53 mutations (21%, 7/33), mostly G to A or C to T transitions, were found at sites different from those found in smokers. Comparison of the K-ras mutation frequency with the DNA repair gene polymorphisms in smokers showed no significant association between the presence of these mutations in lung tumors and any of the XPD 312, XPD 751 or XRCC1 399 genotypes, alone or combined (P=0.43, trend test). In nonsmokers, comparison of the p53 mutations with DNA repair gene polymorphisms showed patients with the XRCC1 399 Gln were more likely to have p53 mutations than those with the XRCC1 399 Arg/Arg (P=0.073, trend test). No association was found between these mutations and either XPD Asp312Asn or XPD Lys751Gln allele alone. However, the p53 mutation frequency increased with the increased number of the combined genotypes among XPD 312 Asp/Asp, XPD 751 Lys/Gln or Gln/Gln, or XRCC1 399 Arg/Gln or Gln/Gln (P=0.05). Taken together, these results suggest a difference in the types and/or repair pathways of DNA damage for the p53 and K-ras genes in smokers and for the p53 gene between smokers and nonsmokers.
Methodenvorschlag zur CRM-Einführung

Haufig wird die Einfuhrung von CRM auf die Implementierung eines CRM-Systems reduziert. Zur Ausschopfung aller Potenziale des CRM mussen Unternehmen die Systemeinfuhrung aber von den Kunden ausgehend in die Gesamtorganisation einbetten. Da die Einfuhrung des CRM alle Ebenen des Business Engineerings tangiert, ist eine systematische Vorgehensweise erforderlich. Sehr leicht konnen wichtige Dinge ubersehen werden, was haufig zu einem Misserfolg des Gesamtprojekts fuhrt.
Role of protein-glutathione contacts in defining glutaredoxin-3 [2Fe–2S] cluster chirality, ligand exchange and transfer chemistry

Monothiol glutaredoxins (Grx) serve as intermediate cluster carriers in iron-sulfur cluster trafficking. The [2Fe–2S]-bound holo forms of Grx proteins display cysteinyl coordination from exogenous glutathione (GSH), in addition to contact from protein-derived Cys. Herein, we report mechanistic studies that investigate the role of exogenous glutathione in defining cluster chirality, ligand exchange, and the cluster transfer chemistry of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Grx3. Systematic perturbations were introduced to the glutathione-binding site by substitution of conserved charged amino acids that form crucial electrostatic contacts with the glutathione molecule. Native Grx3 could also be reconstituted in the absence of glutathione, with either DTT, BME or free l-cysteine as the source of the exogenous Fe–S ligand contact, while retaining full functional reactivity. The delivery of the [2Fe–2S] cluster to Grx3 from cluster donor proteins such as Isa, Nfu, and a [2Fe–2S](GS)4 complex, revealed that electrostatic contacts are of key importance for positioning the exogenous glutathione that in turn influences the chiral environment of the cluster. All Grx3 derivatives were reconstituted by standard chemical reconstitution protocols and found to transfer cluster to apo ferredoxin 1 (Fdx1) at rates comparable to native protein, even when using DTT, BME or free l-cysteine as a thiol source in place of GSH during reconstitution. Kinetic analysis of cluster transfer from holo derivatives to apo Fdx1 has led to a mechanistic model for cluster transfer chemistry of native holo Grx3, and identification of the likely rate-limiting step for the reaction.
Semiconductor losses of PWM buck DC-AC converter operated as dynamic power supply

This paper presents a method for calculating the semiconductor losses in asynchronous and synchronous PWM buck converters when operated as a fixed-VI, fixed-RL, variable-Vo dynamic power supply. Equations are derived for MOSFET switching and conduction losses in both circuits, as well as diode conduction and forward-voltage losses. This work also compares the two topologies from the perspective of semiconductor losses to determine which circuit is inherently more efficient. The low-side MOSFET of the synchronous converter is shown via analysis and simulation to contribute the most significant power loss, thus demonstrating the asynchronous dc-ac converter topology is generally more efficient if designs are otherwise comparable.
Differential effects on assimilation stages for supply chain management information systems

ABSTRACTThe assimilation of Supply chain management information systems (SCM-ISs) is a complex phenomenon extending over multiple stages such as intention, adoption, internal integration, and exter...
Government support, regulation, and risk taking in the banking sector

Abstract Government support to banks through the provision of explicit or implicit guarantees affects the willingness of banks to take on risk by reducing market discipline or by increasing charter value. We use an international sample of rated banks and find that government support is associated with more risk taking by banks. More importantly, we find that restricting banks’ range of activities ameliorates the link between government support and bank risk taking. We conclude that, in the presence of moral hazard induced by government support, reducing bank complexity strengthens market discipline.
Context-aware detection in medical cyber-physical systems

This paper considers the problem of incorporating context in medical cyber-physical systems (MCPS) applications for the purpose of improving the performance of MCPS detectors. In particular, in many applications additional data could be used to conclude that actual measurements might be noisy or wrong (e.g., machine settings might indicate that the machine is improperly attached to the patient); we call such data context. The first contribution of this work is the formal definition of context, namely additional information whose presence is associated with a change in the measurement model (e.g., higher variance). Given this formulation, we developed the context-aware parameter-invariant (CA-PAIN) detector; the CA-PAIN detector improves upon the original PAIN detector by recognizing events with noisy measurements and not raising unnecessary false alarms. We evaluate the CA-PAIN detector both in simulation and on real-patient data; in both cases, the CA-PAIN detector achieves roughly a 20-percent reduction of false alarm rates over the PAIN detector, thus indicating that formalizing context and using it in a rigorous way is a promising direction for future work.
Prospects for epithelial gene therapy.

There is considerable excitement about the possibility of somatic cell gene therapy, that is, the introduction and expression of defined genes into cells for the purpose of providing a needed gene product. Most current research on gene therapy has been focused on the use of marrow stem cells as a therapeutic vehicle (Belmont et al., 1986). Inherited hematological disorders, such as severe combined immunodeficiency caused by adenosine deaminase deficiency, are diseases that might be amenable to this form of therapy (Kellems et al., 1985). A possible approach would be through genetic transfer of a recombinant adenosine deaminase gene into autologous marrow stem cells, transplantation of the transformed cells into the patient, and establishment of a population of stem cells that give rise to immunologically competent lymphoid cells. Although many questions need to be answered before we know the efficacy of such therapy, the National Institute of Health has issued guidelines for its use, and clinical trials have already begun (Culliton, 1989).
Sex-Specific Gene-by-Vitamin D Interactions Regulate Susceptibility to Central Nervous System Autoimmunity

Vitamin D3 (VitD) insufficiency is postulated to represent a major modifiable risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). While low VitD levels strongly correlate with higher MS risk in white populations, this is not the case for other ethnic groups, suggesting the existence of a genetic component. Moreover, VitD supplementation studies in MS so far have not shown a consistent benefit. We sought to determine whether direct manipulation of VitD levels modulates central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune disease in a sex-by-genotype-dependent manner. To this end, we used a dietary model of VitD modulation, together with the autoimmune animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To assess the impact of genotype-by-VitD interactions on EAE susceptibility, we utilized a chromosome substitution (consomic) mouse model that incorporates the genetic diversity of wild-derived PWD/PhJ mice. High VitD was protective in EAE in female, but not male C57BL/6J (B6) mice, and had no effect in EAE-resistant PWD/PhJ (PWD) mice. EAE protection was accompanied by sex- and genotype-specific suppression of proinflammatory transcriptional programs in effector CD4 T effector cells, but not CD4 Treg cells. Decreased expression of proinflammatory genes was observed with high VitD in female CD4 T cells, specifically implicating a key role of MHC class II genes, interferon gamma, and Th1 cell-mediated neuroinflammation. In consomic strains, effects of VitD on EAE were also sex- and genotype-dependent, whereby high VitD: 1) was protective, 2) had no effect, and, 3) unexpectedly had disease-exacerbating effects. Systemic levels of 25(OH)D differed across consomic strains, with higher levels associated with EAE protection only in females. Analysis of expression of key known VitD metabolism genes between B6 and PWD mice revealed that their expression is genetically determined and sex-specific, and implicated Cyp27b1 and Vdr as candidate genes responsible for differential EAE responses to VitD modulation. Taken together, our results support the observation that the association between VitD status and MS susceptibility is genotype-dependent, and suggest that the outcome of VitD status in MS is determined by gene-by-sex interactions.
Wear-a-CUDA: a GPU based dolphin whistle recognizer for underwater wearable computers

We describe the development of a system for recognizing dolphin whistles on the CHAT (cetacean hearing and telemetry) wearable underwater computer system. An Nvidia Jetson TK1 single board computer was installed in the existing chat systems to improve processing power and overall system power efficiency. The inclusion of a GPU allowed the system to recognize in real time dolphin whistles varied in both pitch and time by using a 192khz Fast Fourier Transform for spectral analysis, linear convolution filters for pattern extraction, and dynamic time warping for pattern recognition.
Reduction Expansion Synthesis of Sintered Metal

Described herein is a novel method, Reduction Expansion Synthesis-Sintered Metal (RES-SM), to create a sintered metal body of a designed shape at ambient pressure, hundreds of degrees below the metal melting temperature. The precursor to the metal part is a mixture of metal oxide particles and activated metal particles, and in this study specifically nickel oxide and activated nickel metal particles. It is postulated that the metal oxide component is reduced via exposure to chemical radical species produced via thermal decomposition of urea or other organic compounds. In the study performed, the highest temperature required was 950 °C, the longest duration of high temperature treatment was 1200 s, and in all cases, the atmosphere was inert gas at ambient pressure. As discovered using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), the metal that forms via the RES process presents necks of completely reduced metal between existing metal particles. The 'as produced' parts are similar in properties to 'brown' metal parts created using more standard methods and require 'post processing' to full densify. Parts treated by hot isostatic pressing show fully self-supporting, robust structures, with hardness values like others reported in literature for traditional fabrication methods. This novel method uses affordable and environmentally friendly precursors to join metallic parts at moderate temperatures, produces fully reduced metals in a very short time and has potential to make many parts simultaneously in a standard laboratory furnace.
A Midbrain Circuit that Mediates Headache Aversiveness in Rats.

Migraines are a major health burden, but treatment is limited because of inadequate understanding of neural mechanisms underlying headache. Imaging studies of migraine patients demonstrate changes in both pain-modulatory circuits and reward-processing regions, but whether these changes contribute to the experience of headache is unknown. Here, we demonstrate a direct connection between the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that contributes to headache aversiveness in rats. Many VTA neurons receive monosynaptic input from the vlPAG, and cranial nociceptive input increases Fos expression in VTA-projecting vlPAG neurons. Activation of PAG inputs to the VTA induces avoidance behavior, while inactivation of these projections induces a place preference only in animals with headache. This work identifies a distinct pathway that mediates cranial nociceptive aversiveness.
Physiological and anatomical changes in tomato roots in response to low water stress

Abstract Low water availability is one of the most severe environmental stresses to agricultural systems. Therefore, understanding how plants respond to low water conditions is essential to develop and implement new management strategies. We evaluated the effects of water deficit on the water relations of tomato plants. Plants were grown under frequent watering or prolonged and repeated drying cycles (‘wet’ and ‘dry’ treatments, respectively). We measured root hydrostatic and osmotic hydraulic conductivity (Lp*hyd and Lp*os, respectively) of intact root systems, diameter of xylem elements, stem water potential, leaf abscisic acid (ABA) concentration, and stomatal conductance (gs). Plants in the ‘dry’ treatment had 36 % and 65 % lower Lp*hyd and Lp*os, respectively, 27 % smaller xylem elements, and 57 % less total xylem area than in the ‘wet’ treatment. The number of xylem vessels was similar between both treatments. Low soil water content (11 % SWC) increased leaf ABA by at least 65 % even in plants exposed to a single dry down. The ‘dry’ treatment had consistently lower gs even after plants were fully watered, which may have compromised carbon assimilation and reduced shoot biomass. In response to water deficit, tomato plants exhibited decreased root hydraulic conductivity and long-lasting root anatomical changes. As we aim for effective water use, the root traits studied here can be used to evaluate cultivar performance under novel water management strategies and as criteria for breeding selection.
USB-Watch: a Generalized Hardware-Assisted Insider Threat Detection Framework

Today, the USB protocol is among the most widely used protocols—mostly due to its plug-and-play nature and number of supported devices. However, the mass-proliferation of USB has led to a threat vector wherein USB devices are assumed innocent, leaving computers open to an attack. Malicious USB devices are able to disguise themselves as benign devices to insert malicious commands to connected end devices. Currently, a rogue device appears as a normal USB device to the average OS, requiring advanced detection schemes (i.e., classification) to identify malicious behaviors from the devices. However, using system-level hooks, an advanced threat may subvert OS-reliant detection schemes. This paper showcases USB-Watch, a hardware-based USB threat detection framework. The use of hardware allows the framework to collect live USB traffic before advanced threats may alter the data in a corrupted OS. Through analyzing the behavioral dynamics of USB devices, a decision tree anomaly detection classifier can be placed into hardware—allowing for the detection of abnormal USB device behavior from connected USB devices. The framework tested achieves an ROC AUC of 0.99 against a testbed of live USB devices acting both normally and maliciously.
Experimental Validation of Perfusion Imaging With HOSVD Clutter Filters

Novel pulsed-Doppler methods for perfusion imaging are validated using dialysis cartridges as perfusion phantoms. Techniques that were demonstrated qualitatively at 24 MHz, in vivo , are here examined quantitatively at 5 and 12.5 MHz using phantoms with the blood-mimicking fluid flow within cellulose microfibers. One goal is to explore a variety of flow states to optimize measurement sensitivity and flow accuracy. The results show that 2–3-s echo acquisitions at roughly 10 frames/s yield the highest sensitivity to flows of 1–4 mL/min. A second goal is to examine methods for setting the parameters of higher order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) clutter filters. For stationary or moving clutter, the velocity of the blood-mimicking fluid in the microfibers is consistently estimated within measurement uncertainty (mean coefficient of variation = 0.26). Power Doppler signals were equivalent for stationary and moving clutter after clutter filtering, increasing approximately 3 dB/mL/min of blood-mimicking fluid flow for $0\leq {q}\leq 4$ mL/min. Comparisons between phantom and preclinical images show that peripheral perfusion imaging can be reliably achieved without contrast enhancement.
Protective and Detrimental Roles of p38α Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Different Stages of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background and aims Neutrophil infiltration is a hallmark of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but how this occurs during the progression from steatosis to NASH remains obscure. Human NASH features hepatic neutrophil infiltration and up-regulation of major neutrophil-recruiting chemokines (e.g., chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 1 [CXCL1] and interleukin [IL]-8). However, mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) only develop fatty liver without significant neutrophil infiltration or elevation of chemokines. The aim of this study was to determine why mice are resistant to NASH development and the involvement of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) activated by neutrophil-derived oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of NASH. Approach and results Inflamed human hepatocytes attracted neutrophils more effectively than inflamed mouse hepatocytes because of the greater induction of CXCL1 and IL-8 in human hepatocytes. Hepatic overexpression of Cxcl1 and/or IL-8 promoted steatosis-to-NASH progression in HFD-fed mice by inducing liver inflammation, injury, and p38 activation. Pharmacological inhibition of p38α/β or hepatocyte-specific deletion of p38a (a predominant form in the liver) attenuated liver injury and fibrosis in the HFD+Cxcl1 -induced NASH model that is associated with strong hepatic p38α activation. In contrast, hepatocyte-specific deletion of p38a in HFD-induced fatty liver where p38α activation is relatively weak exacerbated steatosis and liver injury. Mechanistically, weak p38α activation in fatty liver up-regulated the genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha phosphorylation, thereby reducing steatosis. Conversely, strong p38α activation in NASH promoted caspase-3 cleavage, CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins homologous protein expression, and B cell lymphoma 2 phosphorylation, thereby exacerbating hepatocyte death. Conclusions Genetic ablation of hepatic p38a increases simple steatosis but ameliorates oxidative stress-driven NASH, indicating that p38α plays distinct roles depending on the disease stages, which may set the stage for investigating p38α as a therapeutic target for the treatment of NASH.
Comparison of epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Vietnam

Abstract Background There are limited data on COVID-19 patients in Vietnam. The paper examined and compared epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Vietnam Method The data was obtained using publicly available information from the official website of Vietnam Ministry of Health covering a period of 01/23/2020 to 05/27/2020. T-test, Chi-square test and Fisher’s Exact test were utilized to compare characteristics of COVID-19 patients between under-treatment and discharge groups and between overseas and non-overseas travel groups. Results Vietnam had a total of 327 cases of COVID-19 as of May 27, 2020. The median age of patients was 30 years (ranging from 3 months to 88 years). About 68% of patients (n=223) had acquired the disease from overseas while 32% were infected from local transmission. Among those infected from local transmission, 66% were women. Men were more likely than women to be infected with COVID-19 from overseas (p Conclusions A majority of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam were acquired overseas. A significantly higher number of women than men were infected inside the country calling for further research about gender disparities in the fight against COVID-19 in Vietnam.