cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Algorithm for Compressed Counting with Applications in Shannon Entropy Estimation in Dynamic Data

Ecient estimation of the moments and Shannon entropy of data streams is an important task in modern machine learning and data mining. To estimate the Shannon entropy, it suces to accurately estimate the -th moment with = j1 j 0. To guarantee that the error of estimated Shannon entropy is within a -additive factor, the method of symmetric stable random projections requires O 1 2 2 samples, which is extremely expensive. The rst paper (Li, 2009a) in Compressed Counting (CC), based on skewed-stable random projections, supplies a substantial improvement by reducing the sample complexity to O 1 2 , which is still expensive. The followup work (Li, 2009b) provides a practical algorithm, which is however dicult to analyze theoretically. In this paper, we propose a new accurate algorithm for Compressed Counting, whose sample complexity is only O 1 2 for -additive Shannon entropy estimation. The constant factor for this bound is merely about 6. In addition, we prove that our algorithm achieves an upper bound of the Fisher information and in fact it is close to 100% statistically optimal. An empirical study is conducted to verify the accuracy of our algorithm.
Intraoral air pressure discrimination under conditions of experimental velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Abstract Objective: This study assessed a single subject's ability to detect the difference limen (DLs) for his self-generated intraoral air pressure while his oral and nasal cavities were experimentally coupled. Method: The subject, a 46-year-old man, uses a speech bulb prosthesis to cover an unrepaired cleft of his hard and soft palates. The subject's oral and nasal cavities were experimentally coupled by drilling different size holes through the speech-bulb component of the prosthesis to approximate conditions of velopharyngeal insufficiency. There were four hole-size conditions (10, 15, 20, and 30 mm2), a no-prosthesis condition, and pre- and postbaseline conditions with the prosthesis intact. The subject blew into a tube connected to a pressure transducer and was presented with a series of paired pressure loads. The first pressure load of each pair was the referent (1, 3, or 5 cm H2O), and the second was a preselected comparator load of a different amount. The subject blew into the tube with sufficie...
Public health, human rights and HIV.

In several instances the view is expressed that peoples individual rights can be given a back seat to protect the publics health. The argument is that halting transmission of the virus depends on our identifying and isolating those with HIV. Such an approach actually further increases peoples vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. The fact is that public health interests do not conflict with human rights. There is need to understand the complex relationship between the public health perspective of preventing disease transmission and the human rights perspective which calls for reducing vulnerability stigma and discrimination. (excerpt)
A Review of “Treating the basic self: Understanding addictive, suicidal, compulsive, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) behavior”

Buildingupon the seminal work, Empathic Attunement: The “Technique” of Psychoanalytic Self Psychology (Rowe & Mac Isaac, 1989), this book constitutes an elaboration of Crayton Rowe's earlier ideas ...
Pictures at the New Economy Exhibition: Why the Antitrust Modernization Commission Got it (Mostly) Right

Is antitrust law up to the task of addressing the "New Economy"?That is the question many have asked in recent years. And that is one of the key questions addressed by the Antitrust Modernization Commission ("AMC"), a commission that Congress established in 2002 "to examine whether the need exists to modernize the antitrust laws."Because antitrust in fact is able to address the new economy, the AMC got the big picture right.The related middle picture is whether the antitrust laws - primarily sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act and section 7 of the Clayton Act - can take into account innovation and intellectual property ("IP"). Because they can, the AMC also was right in concluding that the statutes do not need to be revised.The little picture involves more specific issues that the AMC did not address. One neglected issue, which the AMC had promised to review, involved "innovation markets," or markets for research and development. The Commission also sidestepped the most contentious issue in the IP-antitrust intersection today: patent settlement agreements between brand-name pharmaceutical firms and generic drug manufacturers.The wrong picture is composed of patents. The AMC, made up of antitrust attorneys and economists, offered no particular expertise in addressing the complicated topic of patent reform. But the Commission tiptoed into the area to offer one substantive recommendation. Given that it considered nine patent reforms, the AMC's sole focus on the "nonobviousness" doctrine demonstrates that it included a wrong picture in the new economy exhibition.
Adjoint Based Techniques for Uncertainty Quantification in Turbulent Flows with Combustion

A discrete adjoint solver is developed for compressible uid ows involving turbulent combustion. The governing equations are the steady-state Reynolds Averaged Navier{ Stokes based transport equations for ten variables including two for turbulence and three for combustion. Turbulence is represented using the k ! model and combustion is modeled using the Flamelet Progress Variable Approach. The adjoint system of equations is determined using automatic di erentiation and solved using a robust iterative scheme. Tests are conducted on model problems involving shock-boundary layer interactions and reacting supersonic shear layers to verify adjoint-computed functional gradients and error estimates. Adjoint-based indicators are then used to aid adaptive mesh re nement targeted towards reducing error in ow solution-dependent functionals. The methodology is nally applied in a goal-oriented mesh re nement exercise in a practical three-dimensional Scramjet combustion problem. The potential of adjoint-based methods to provide error estimates and re nement indicators to optimally use computational resources to balance errors and uncertainties in complex predictive simulations is highlighted.
The optimization of grading ring design of insulator string for 1000 kV UHV AC lines based on finite-element method

The voltage distribution of insulator string for UHV lines is extremely non-uniform. The grading rings of the insulator string can improve electric field on the end of the insulator string and change its voltage distribution. So the optimization of grading ring design is very important. The three-dimensional finite-element method was used in this paper to calculate the electric field of strain insulator for 1 000 kV UHV AC lines. Two parallel stings, three parallel strings and six parallel strings used in different conditions were calculated individually while creating the tower, conducting lines and jumping wires in each model. According to the comparison of different type and different shielding depth rings, one racetrack grading ring with 120 mm pipe diameters is recommend for 1 000 kV UHV AC lines. The diameter is 1 000 mm in round segments and the connective distance equals to the spacing of insulator strings. All the grading rings are put between the third and the fourth insulator strings.
A bistable belief dynamics model for radicalization within sectarian conflict

We introduce a two-variable model to describe spatial polarization, radicalization, and conflict. Individuals in the model harbor a continuous belief variable as well as a discrete radicalization level expressing their tolerance to neighbors with different beliefs. A novel feature of our model is that it incorporates a bistable radicalization process to address memory-dependent social behavior. We demonstrate how bistable radicalization may explain contradicting observations regarding whether social segregation exacerbates or alleviates conflicts. We also extend our model by introducing a mechanism to include institutional influence, such as propaganda or education, and examine its effectiveness. In some parameter regimes, institutional influence may suppress the progression of radicalization and allow a population to achieve social conformity over time. In other cases, institutional intervention may exacerbate the spread of radicalization through a population of mixed beliefs. In such instances, our analysis implies that social segregation may be a viable option against sectarian conflict.
Booms and Busts in Private Capital Flows to Emerging Asia since the 1990s

A decade or so after the financial crisis hit Asia in 1997–98, the region once again experienced a severe capital account shock in 2008–09. How different was this boom and bust cycle of international capital flows from the previous one? This chapter examines the balance of payments dynamics in emerging Asia2 to understand the magnitude and types of private capital flows to and from the region between 1990 and 2008.
Aspartyl Oxidation Catalysts That Dial In Functional Group Selectivity, along with Regio- and Stereoselectivity

A remarkable aspect of enzyme evolution is the portability of catalytic mechanisms for fundamentally different chemical reactions. For example, aspartyl proteases, which contain two active site carboxylic acid groups, catalyze the hydrolysis of amide bonds, while glycosyltransferases (and glycosyl hydrolases), which often also contain two active site carboxylates, have evolved to form (or break) glycosidic bonds. However, neither catalyst exhibits cross-reactivity in the intracellular environment. The large, macromolecular architectures of these biocatalysts tailor their active sites to their precise, divergent functions. The analogous portability of a small-molecule catalyst for truly orthogonal chemical reactivity is rare. Herein, we report aspartic acid containing peptides that can be directed to different sectors of a substrate for which the danger of cross-reactivity looms large. A transiently formed aspartyl peracid catalyst can participate either as an electrophilic oxidant to catalyze alkene epoxi...
Identity Transformations of Women Who Left Abusive Military Marriages: A Narrative Study

ABSTRACTThis research reports first person accounts of the identity transformations of eight former military wives after leaving their abusive marriages, and gives voice to the isolation they experienced within the military culture while enduring verbal and physical violence perpetuated by their husbands. Narrative methodology was used to honor their stories and to capture a rich perspective of these women’s experiences during and after their marriages. Two primary themes: identity loss and identity reform, and their several subthemes emerged from their narratives. Implications for clinical practice, advocacy, and future research are discussed.
An experimental test of local adaptation among cytotypes within a polyploid complex

The geographic distributions of polyploids suggest they can have distinct and sometimes broader niches compared to diploids. However, relatively few field experiments have investigated whether range differences are associated with local adaptation or reflect other processes, such as dispersal limitation. In three years of transplants across the elevational ranges of five cytotypes in the Claytonia perfoliata complex, we found evidence for local adaptation. In at least one study year germination was higher within the natural range for each cytotype, and four of the five cytotypes attained larger biomass within their natural range. Fitness within and beyond range varied across years, with two instances of cytotypes showing higher fitness beyond the range, highlighting a potential role of temporal variability in cytotype differentiation. Polyploids as a group did not outperform diploids, but the cytotype with highest fitness across environments was a hexaploid reported to be invasive. Our results suggest that differences in geographic ranges within the C. perfoliata complex reflect local adaptation of cytotypes. Although we did not find a general polyploid advantage, our findings support the idea that occasional polyploid cytotypes exhibit high fitness relative to other cytotypes, and contribute to growing evidence supporting ecological differentiation of cytotypes within polyploid complexes.
Structural Characterization of a Thrombin-Aptamer Complex by High Resolution Native Top-Down Mass Spectrometry

Native mass spectrometry (MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) has evolved as an invaluable tool for the characterization of intact native proteins and non-covalently bound protein complexes. Here we report the structural characterization by high resolution native top-down MS of human thrombin and its complex with the Bock thrombin binding aptamer (TBA), a 15-nucleotide DNA with high specificity and affinity for thrombin. Accurate mass measurements revealed that the predominant form of native human α-thrombin contains a glycosylation mass of 2205 Da, corresponding to a sialylated symmetric biantennary oligosaccharide structure without fucosylation. Native MS showed that thrombin and TBA predominantly form a 1:1 complex under near physiological conditions (pH 6.8, 200 mM NH4OAc), but the binding stoichiometry is influenced by the solution ionic strength. In 20 mM ammonium acetate solution, up to two TBAs were bound to thrombin, whereas increasing the solution ionic strength destabilized the thrombin–TBA complex and 1 M NH4OAc nearly completely dissociated the complex. This observation is consistent with the mediation of thrombin-aptamer binding through electrostatic interactions and it is further consistent with the human thrombin structure that contains two anion binding sites on the surface. Electron capture dissociation (ECD) top-down MS of the thrombin–TBA complex performed with a high resolution 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer showed the primary binding site to be at exosite I located near the N-terminal sequence of the heavy chain, consistent with crystallographic data. High resolution native top-down MS is complementary to traditional structural biology methods for structurally characterizing native proteins and protein–DNA complexes.
Social exposure and emotion dysregulation: Main effects in relation to nonsuicidal self-injury.

Abstract We examined the relation of interpersonal and media exposure to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among 340 university students in the southeastern United States (73.5% female, M age = 19.38 years, SD = 1.15). We also assessed interactions and main effects of each exposure and emotion dysregulation in relation to NSSI, testing the social learning hypothesis of NSSI. Most participants endorsed medium to high levels of exposure to NSSI via media sources. More than one-third of participants were somewhat or very familiar with someone who engaged in NSSI. Almost half reported occasional or frequent conversations about NSSI. Both exposure forms were significantly related to NSSI history. However, hurdle regression analyses revealed that interpersonal exposure and emotion dysregulation, but not media exposure, were significantly associated with NSSI history and frequency. We did not find evidence for an emotion dysregulation-by-interpersonal-exposure interaction. We discuss implications for theoretical models of NSSI, limitations, and future directions.
Do not cross to avoid an exacerbation

Reducing IgE with Omalizumab in children with asthma improves the plasmacytoid dendritic cell interferon response to virus in vitro.
Clinician Perceptions of an Early Warning System on Patient Safety.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) aims to improve early recognition of clinical deterioration and is widely used despite lacking evidence of effects on outcome measures such as hospital mortality. In this qualitative study, we aimed to study effects of both PEWS and the locally designed risk stratification system by focusing on professionals’ perception of their performance. We also sought to gain insight into the perceived effects of PEWS and the risk stratification system on patient safety and to unravel the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: A single-center cross-sectional observational study whereby 16 semistructured interviews were held with selected health care professionals focusing on perceived effects and underlying mechanisms. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded without using a predetermined set of themes. RESULTS: Coding from semistructured interviews demonstrated that perceived value was related to effects on different levels of Endsley and co-workers’ situational awareness (SA) model. PEWS mainly improved level 1 SA, whereas the risk stratification system also seemed to improve levels 2 and 3 SA. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows clear effects of PEWS on SA among professionals. It also points to the additional value of other risk factor stratification systems to help further improve PEWS functioning.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Diagnostic Challenge

Polycystic ovary syndrome remains a diagnostic challenge because there is no single defining test. The clinical presentation must dictate the extent of the work-up. The typical PCOS patient has a history of irregular menses and appears hirsute. Demonstration of ovulatory dysfunction and hyperandrogenism can also be made by appropriate hormonal measurements. An ultrasound showing multiple small ovarian follicles can support a diagnosis of PCOS in the patient for whom the clinical diagnosis has been made. Other causes of hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction should be excluded.
Antipsychotic Polypharmacy in USA

Fifty-six million prescriptions were dispensed for antipsychotics in the USA in 2010, at an estimated cost of $16.1 billion, and 90% of these were for atypical antipsychotics (IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics: The use of medicines in the United States: review of 2010). Co-prescription of two (or more) antipsychotics or so-called polypharmacy is estimated from 2 to >50% depending on the population surveyed. Antipsychotic polypharmacy is of considerable importance from multiple perspectives such as its sheer volume, quality and safety of care, and cost. There is much variability in this practice based on age group, primary and co-morbid diagnoses, practice setting, health insurance status, etc. A thorough understanding of the associated factors is necessary to know what drives and maintains polypharmacy practice
A∞-Structures and C∞-Structures

In this chapter we review the notions of A-infinity algebras and A-infinity categories and discuss briefly their appearance in symplectic topology. We then state the result that homotopy theory of commutative DGAs is equivalent to the homotopy theory of commutative A-infinity algebras, the so-called C-infinity algebras. It follows that there is a C-infinity map from the cohomology of a space to its minimal model, a map which induces the identity on cohomology.
A correlative analysis of PDL-1, PD-1, and EGFR, HER2, HER3 expression in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

6043Background: Agents targeting the PD1/PDL1 pathway are currently under investigation for squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN). We sought to explore the potential association of the ...
Crash risk factors associated with injury severity of teen drivers

Abstract This paper focuses on identifying crash risk factors associated with injury severity of teen drivers. Crash data obtained from the Highway Safety and Information System (HSIS) for the entire state of North Carolina, for years 2011 to 2013, was used for analysis and modeling. Among all the crashes during the study period, a total of 62,990 crashes involving teen drivers (15 to 19 years) were analyzed. A partial proportionality odds model was developed to identify factors contributing to injury severity of teen drivers. The results obtained indicate that teen drivers driving sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks are more likely to be severely injured when compared to teen drivers driving passenger cars. Teen drivers are more likely to be severely injured on weekdays, particularly during peak hours. The chances of teen drivers getting involved in severe injury crashes on Tuesdays and Fridays is higher when compared to Sundays. Age, gender, road configuration, terrain, adverse weather condition, and access control are observed to have a significant effect on teen driver's injury severity.
Qualified Immunity and Statutory Interpretation: A Response to William Baude

In his article, Is Qualified Immunity Unlawful?, Professor Baude argues that the doctrine of qualified immunity under section 1983 is unlawful because the doctrine did not exist at the time section 1983 was enacted. We disagree. Section 1983 is a common law statute. Consequently, its meaning and application was not fixed at the time of original passage. In this article, we explain why. Although we are sympathetic to Professor Baude’s implicit policy-based critique of the doctrine of qualified immunity, we believe his analysis is flawed. The better and more likely way to improve the doctrine is through the common law method.
ADAPTIVE HETORODYNE LINE-PROBE INTERFEROMETER FOR ENHANCED DIRECTIONALLY-SENSITIVE DETECTION OF ULTRASOUND

Optical methods provide a non-contact method of detecting ultrasound at the surface of a test object. Unlike conventional piezoelectric transducers, which require a couplant, optical detection provides an absolute calibration of the ultrasonic displacement amplitude. In addition, they can have a broader bandwidth and a higher spatial resolution of detection than conventional piezoelectric transducers. All these advantages however typically come at the expense of sensitivity. The best extant optical detectors still suffer from a two order of magnitude sensitivity gap with respect to conventional piezoelectric transducers. In this paper, we describe an adaptive heterodyne interferometer receiver using wave mixing in photorefractive bismuth silicate (BSO) crystals which is configured as a line receiver that is directionally most sensitive to ultrasound impinging normal to the line, and is significantly less sensitive to ultrasound impinging in other directions. Such a system is attractive in situations where the ultrasonic scatter from a specific direction is to be selectively pulled out in the presence of scatter from other “noise” sources. The line probe system also provides a way to bridge the sensitivity gap that optical detection thus far has suffered vis-a-vis piezoelectric detection. Results of applications to nondestructive testing of metal surfaces are presented.
I Don’t FIT the Stereotype, but I see Myself as an Engineer: First-Year Engineering Students’ Attitudes and Beliefs about their Engineering Identities

This research category full paper examines the attitudes and beliefs that first-year engineering students have about the stereotypes of engineers and what it means to fit in engineering. We explored the attitudes and beliefs of 12 first-year engineering students, who may or may not identify with certain aspects of the stereotypical engineer, to understand their initial perceptions of engineering and what it means to fit in engineering. Most of the students’ descriptions of an engineer aligned with the widely-accepted stereotype of an engineer, but they were also careful to state that that image was not true of all engineers. Several students expressed how they fit in engineering as a matter of “sticking it out” because engineering requires hard work, motivation, and commitment, along with other attributes that were not descriptive of a stereotypical engineer. In this paper, we explore the tensions in how students describe the role of “an engineer” generally and their own identities and fit as engineers.
Moral Contagion: Black Atlantic Sailors, Citizenship, and Diplomacy in Antebellum America

Between 1822 and 1857, eight Southern states barred the ingress of all free black maritime workers. According to lawmakers, they carried a 'moral contagion' of abolitionism and black autonomy that could be transmitted to local slaves. Those seamen who arrived in Southern ports in violation of the laws faced incarceration, corporal punishment, an incipient form of convict leasing, and even punitive enslavement. The sailors, their captains, abolitionists, and British diplomatic agents protested this treatment. They wrote letters, published tracts, cajoled elected officials, pleaded with Southern officials, and litigated in state and federal courts. By deploying a progressive and sweeping notion of national citizenship - one that guaranteed a number of rights against state regulation - they exposed the ambiguity and potential power of national citizenship as a legal category. Ultimately, the Fourteenth Amendment recognized the robust understanding of citizenship championed by Antebellum free people of color, by people afflicted with 'moral contagion'.
Approach to explosive hazard detection using sensor fusion and multiple kernel learning with downward-looking GPR and EMI sensor data

This paper explores the effectiveness of an anomaly detection algorithm for downward-looking ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic inductance (EMI) data. Threat detection with GPR is challenged by high responses to non-target/clutter objects, leading to a large number of false alarms (FAs), and since the responses of target and clutter signatures are so similar, classifier design is not trivial. We suggest a method based on a Run Packing (RP) algorithm to fuse GPR and EMI data into a composite confidence map to improve detection as measured by the area-under-ROC (NAUC) metric. We examine the value of a multiple kernel learning (MKL) support vector machine (SVM) classifier using image features such as histogram of oriented gradients (HOG), local binary patterns (LBP), and local statistics. Experimental results on government furnished data show that use of our proposed fusion and classification methods improves the NAUC when compared with the results from individual sensors and a single kernel SVM classifier.
Mobility in Crisis: An Agent-Based Model of Refugees’ Flight to Safety

Much research has been done about refugees after fleeing crises, but far less is known about how mobility, or lack thereof, affects their journeys. While able-bodied refugees may be able to travel relatively quickly, those who support young children or others with mobility constraints experience a longer, more arduous migration. In this context, it is difficult for humanitarian organizations to adequately plan for those who may arrive much later than even the seemingly final stages of the population influx. This chapter explores refugees’ mobility challenges through a simulation approach. We rely on pedestrian movements and group formation research to create a baseline model of how forced migrant populations, at varying mobility levels, arrive at a point of safety. The model attempts to represent refugees traveling in groups, adjusting speeds to compensate for slower or faster members, and splitting into separate groups. Further, we explore how simulation initialization variation may affect simulation results as primary data is scarce. We relate insights from the model with data from a regional case study to create understanding of the situation and set up a research agenda.
Modeling Invasive Annual Grass Abundance in the Cold Desert Ecoregions of the Interior Western United States

Abstract Invasive annual grasses, primarily Bromus tectorum, are a severe risk to native vegetation of the intermountain West. Once established, annual grasses alter natural fire regimes and outcompete natives until, in some places, they become the overwhelming dominant. We developed a regional spatial model encompassing eight ecoregions to indicate the relative abundance of invasive annual grass at five levels of canopy cover. We used field sample data representing invasive annual grass abundance to build and calibrate the model. Explanatory variables, represented as map inputs, included image indices, climate, landform, soil, and human-induced surface disturbance. As a novel modeling approach, we built multiple models based on classes of invasive annual grass cover abundance were developed individually and then combined into a final 90-m pixel resolution model that indicates locations relative to invasive annual grass abundance into classes of 45% cover. Each component model was validated using held-out sample data, and relative accuracy was 86%, 74%, 62%, 62%, and 60%, respectively, with an overall kappa of 0.773. The Columbia Plateau, Northern Basin and Range, and Snake River Plain ecoregions appear to have the greatest overall proportions (48−62%) mapped within at least one of the invasive cover categories. Overlay of the resulting model with major vegetation types indicated > 50 major vegetation types that are affected by current distribution of annual grasses and are at risk of expansion. Among these, Intermountain Basins, Big Sagebrush Steppe, and Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland each consistently scored high for invasive risk where they occur. Spatial models of this type should assist with rangeland restoration and for decisions involving placement of infrastructure, vegetation treatments where further surface disturbance could trigger additional cheatgrass expansion. Options exist for extending this model, using climate projections over upcoming decades, to indicate areas of increasing risk for invasion.
An International Analysis of Governmental Media Campaigns to Deter Asylum Seekers

In recent years, the governments of the United States, Australia, and Norway have developed and launched informational multimedia campaigns targeted at dissuading unwanted groups of asylum-seeking migrants and have disseminated these media in strategic international locales. This project investigates the visual and textual facets of these deterrence campaigns using critical narrative analysis. Asylum seekers globally occupy a precarious liminal position; this article interrogates the processes of governmentality at work in this liminal space. Specifically, I analyze the ways that government-funded deterrence campaigns offer material directives that (1) discursively bifurcate the nature of the threats posed when individuals seek asylum, and (2) omit requisite information about migrants’ human right to seek asylum, thereby advancing strategic ignorance in their audiences.
Crystal structure of human PLD1 provides insight into activation by PI(4,5)P 2 and RhoA

The signal transduction enzyme phospholipase D1 (PLD1) hydrolyzes phosphatidylcholine to generate the lipid second-messenger phosphatidic acid, which plays roles in disease processes such as thrombosis and cancer. PLD1 is directly and synergistically regulated by protein kinase C, Arf and Rho GTPases, and the membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Here, we present a 1.8 A-resolution crystal structure of the human PLD1 catalytic domain, which is characterized by a globular fold with a funnel-shaped hydrophobic cavity leading to the active site. Adjacent is a PIP2-binding polybasic pocket at the membrane interface that is essential for activity. The C terminus folds into and contributes part of the catalytic pocket, which harbors a phosphohistidine that mimics an intermediate stage of the catalytic cycle. Mapping of PLD1 mutations that disrupt RhoA activation identifies the RhoA-PLD1 binding interface. This structure sheds light on PLD1 regulation by lipid and protein effectors, enabling rationale inhibitor design for this well-studied therapeutic target. A structural study of one of two human phospholipase D enzymes, hPLD1, helps define the determinants of substrate recognition, the highly regulated enzymatic activity, as well as activation by PIP2 and RhoA.
Pathways by which Maternal Factors are Associated With Youth Spina Bifida-Related Responsibility

Objective Achieving condition-related autonomy is an important developmental milestone for youth with spina bifida (SB). However, the transfer of condition-related responsibility to these youth can be delayed due to parent factors. This study aimed to investigate two potential pathways by which maternal factors may be associated with condition-related responsibility among youth with SB: (a) Maternal adjustment → perception of child vulnerability (PPCV) → youth condition-related responsibility; and (b) Maternal PPCV → overprotection → youth condition-related responsibility. Methods Participating youth with SB (N = 140; Mage=11.4 years, range = 8-15 years) were recruited as part of a longitudinal study; data from three time points (each spaced 2 years apart) from the larger study were used. Mothers reported on personal adjustment factors, PPCV, and overprotection. An observational measure of overprotection was also included. Mothers, fathers, and youth with SB reported on youths' degree of responsibility for condition-related tasks. Analyses included age, lesion level, IQ, and the dependent variables at the prior wave as covariates. Results Bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that PPCV significantly mediated the relationship between maternal distress and youth responsibility for medical tasks such that higher levels of distress at Time 1 predicted higher levels of PPCV at Time 2 and lower youth medical responsibility at Time 3. Furthermore, self-reported maternal overprotection significantly mediated the relationship between maternal PPCV and youth responsibility for medical tasks. Conclusions Maternal personal distress, PPCV, and self-reported overprotection are interrelated and affect youth's condition-related responsibility. Interventions for mothers of youth with SB that target these factors may improve both maternal and youth outcomes.
Longitudinal Outcomes of Children Exposed to Opioids In-utero: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE The purpose was to summarize evidence of long-term outcomes of children, 2 years and older, exposed to opioids in-utero. DESIGN This was a systematic review. Studies were identified by searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCO HOST/Medline, and Web of Science. Articles were published between 1979 and 2019. METHODS This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Two sets of two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed study quality according to National Institutes of Health quality assessment tools. RESULTS Forty-three articles met inclusion criteria. Synthesis of articles identified trends toward worse outcomes for children with in-utero opioid exposure in all areas, most notably related to academic success, behavior, cognition, hospitalizations, and vision. CONCLUSIONS Findings reinforce the necessity of continued research in this area with improved study design. Despite limitations in the current body of evidence, findings from this review are vital knowledge for clinicians, because children exposed to opioids in-utero are clearly vulnerable to a wide variety of suboptimal health and developmental outcomes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Recognition of all outcomes across childhood associated with in-utero opioid exposure will inform improved identification and interventions tailored to the most pressing needs of affected children. Despite the need for continued research, there is sufficient evidence to necessitate close, individualized follow-up throughout childhood.
A prototype spatial–spectral CT system for material decomposition with energy-integrating detectors

Purpose Spectral CT has great potential for a variety of clinical applications due to improved tissue and material discrimination over conventional single-energy CT. Many clinical and preclinical spectral CT systems have two spectral channels enabling dual-energy CT. Strategies include split-filtration, dual-layer detectors, photon counting detectors, and kVp-switching. The motivation for this work is the development of an x-ray source spectral modulation device with three or more spectral channels to enable high-sensitivity multi-material decomposition with energy-integrating detectors. Materials and methods We present spatial-spectral filters which are a new x-ray source modulation technology with the potential for additional channel diversity. The filtering device consists of an array of K-edge materials which divide the x-ray beam into spectrally varied beamlets. This design allows for an arbitrary number of spectral channels - trading off spatial and spectral information. We use a one-step model-based material decomposition (MBMD) algorithm to iteratively estimate material density images directly from the spatial-spectral CT data. In this work, we present a prototype spatial-spectral filter integrated with an x-ray CT test-bench. The filter is composed of an array of tin, erbium, tantalum, and lead filter tiles which spatially modulate the system spectral sensitivity pattern. In a simulation study, we investigate the particular problem of mis-calibration between the data acquisition and the reconstruction model. With an understanding of the required model accuracy, we present a spectral calibration method to estimate the critical model parameters. To demonstrate feasibility of the spatial-spectral filter with a calibrated beamlet model, we collected a spatial-spectral CT scan of a multi-contrast-enhanced phantom containing water, iodine, and gadolinium solutions. Results With simulations, we show that material decomposition is possible with spatial-spectral-filtered CT data, and we demonstrate the importance of a well-calibrated physical model. We find a 50% increase in error for focal spot model mismatch of 0.27mm and gap-width model mis-match of 16μm. With physical results, we demonstrate that the calibrated system model is in close agreement with the measured data, and that the reconstructed material density images match the ground truth concentrations for the multi-contrast phantom. Empirical results indicate gadolinium density estimation had an error of 17-58% mostly due to a systematic constant bias of 0.30-0.60 mg/mL. Water density estimates are within 1% and iodine estimates are within 10% of ground truth. Conclusion These preliminary results demonstrate the potential of spatial-spectral filters to enable multi-contrast imaging. Moreover, this device is compatible with energy-integrating detectors and so provides a feasible modification to enable spectral CT imaging with existing single-energy systems.
Measuring quality of life after esophagectomy: Do we really need to go there?

Measuring quality of life after esophagectomy may allow identification of optimal surgical techniques. Serial quality-of-life assessments could also have prognostic value.
Characteristic mode coupling in dipoles and dipole arrays

The characteristic modes of both a single dipole and a linear dipole array are shown to exhibit mode coupling behavior similar to coupled modes in periodic waveguides. The mechanisms causing this coupling are explored, and the consequences of this coupling for an element impedance match are examined.
Fatigue Analysis of a Vessel Experiencing Pressure Oscillations

Abstract : A pressure vessel, which was designed and tested under laboratory conditions for tens of thousands of cycles, failed in service after only a few cycles. Thousands of oscillatory pressure reversals were measured at each loading. However, the predominance of the stress amplitudes were well below the critical threshold values necessary to initiate fatigue cracking. Analysis demonstrated that the disparity between lab cycling and field loading conditions could not be explained simply by mechanical loading alone. Further investigation into the problem revealed that an extremely aggressive environment, the by-products of the internal combustion from within the pressure vessel, along with high temperatures, pressures. and other sources of high tensile loading all contributed to the short fatigue life of the vessel.
Can outpatient interleukin-2 and interferon replace high-dose interleukin-2 for metastatic renal cell carcinoma?

Can outpatient interleukin-2 and interferon replace high-dose interleukin-2 for metastatic renal cell carcinoma?
Design Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization tool (DSO) for shape design applications

The Design Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization (DSO) tool, developed initially for sizing design application, has been extended to support shape design applications of structural components. The new capabilities including shape design parameterization, error analysis and mesh adaptation, design velocity field computation, shape design sensitivity analysis, and interactive design steps, are discussed. These capabilities are integrated on the top of the DSO framework that includes databases, user interface, foundation class and remote module. The DSO allows the design engineer to easily create geometric, design, and analysis models; define performance measures; perform design sensitivity analysis (DSA); and carry out a four-step interactive design process that includes visual display of design sensitivity, what-if study, trade-off analysis, and interactive design optimization. Additionally, a 3-D tracked vehicle clevis is presented in this paper to demonstrate the new capabilities.
Target- and Mechanism-Based Therapeutics for Neurodegenerative Diseases: Strength in Numbers

The development of new therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative pathophysiologies currently stands at a crossroads. This presents an opportunity to transition future drug discovery efforts to target disease modification, an area in which much still remains unknown. In this Perspective we examine recent progress in the areas of neurodegenerative drug discovery, focusing on some of the most common targets and mechanisms: N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors, voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species, and protein aggregation. These represent the key players identified in neurodegeneration and are part of a complex, intertwined signaling cascade. The synergistic delivery of two or more compounds directed against these targets, along with the design of small molecules with multiple modes of action, should be explored in pursuit of more effective clinical treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Molecular length dictates the nature of charge carriers in single-molecule junctions of oxidized oligothiophenes

To develop advanced materials for electronic devices, it is of utmost importance to design organic building blocks with tunable functionality and to study their properties at the molecular level. For organic electronic and photovoltaic applications, the ability to vary the nature of charge carriers and so create either electron donors or acceptors is critical. Here we demonstrate that charge carriers in single-molecule junctions can be tuned within a family of molecules that contain electron-deficient thiophene-1,1-dioxide (TDO) building blocks. Oligomers of TDO were designed to increase electron affinity and maintain delocalized frontier orbitals while significantly decreasing the transport gap. Through thermopower measurements we show that the dominant charge carriers change from holes to electrons as the number of TDO units is increased. This results in a unique system in which the charge carrier depends on the backbone length, and provides a new means to tune p- and n-type transport in organic materials.
Electron beam effects in AES studies of micron size insulating particles

Abstract The problems associated with the Auger electron analysis of individual nonconducting 10–30 μ m sized particles isolated on an indium substrate are discussed. When low electron current densities are used, many of the particles studied charge in an uneven manner across their surface, preventing analysis. The observation that this charging effect can be largely removed or quantified by using higher electron beam current densities is described, and a based on the thermal effects of the electron beam on the particle is proposed. Care must be taken to prevent the electron beam from inducing secondary effects. However, it is often possible to be these higher electron density beams to differentiat between Auger peaks from the particles and those from the indium substrate.particles, incomplete and/or incorrect assignment of the surface species and their concentration could be made.
Weak second-order splitting schemes for Lagrangian Monte Carlo particle methods for the composition PDF/FDF transport equations

We study a class of methods for the numerical solution of the system of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) that arises in the modeling of turbulent combustion, specifically in the Monte Carlo particle method for the solution of the model equations for the composition probability density function (PDF) and the filtered density function (FDF). This system consists of an SDE for particle position and a random differential equation for particle composition. The numerical methods considered advance the solution in time with (weak) second-order accuracy with respect to the time step size. The four primary contributions of the paper are: (i) establishing that the coefficients in the particle equations can be frozen at the mid-time (while preserving second-order accuracy), (ii) examining the performance of three existing schemes for integrating the SDEs, (iii) developing and evaluating different splitting schemes (which treat particle motion, reaction and mixing on different sub-steps), and (iv) developing the method of manufactured solutions (MMS) to assess the convergence of Monte Carlo particle methods. Tests using MMS confirm the second-order accuracy of the schemes. In general, the use of frozen coefficients reduces the numerical errors. Otherwise no significant differences are observed in the performance of the different SDE schemes and splitting schemes.
An enzymatic and immunochemical analysis of transketolase in fibroblasts from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Abstract Transketolase in cultured skin fibroblasts from three patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (GM7504, 7505 and 7506) and matched controls was analyzed enzymatically and immunochemically with specific antisera generated against transketolase purified from human liver or red blood cells. The transketolase activity decreased by 45% in fibroblasts from the three Wernicke-Korsakoff patients, when compared to the activity in control cells. On immunoblots after SDS-PAGE, fibroblasts from the Wernicke-Korsakoff patients exhibited a 69-kDa species, a size similar to that of normal transketolase. The level of immunoreactivity was similar in the patient and control cells. The immunoblots of isoelectric focusing gels showed a major species of p I 8.6 with additional minor bands. However, the isolectric focusing pattern of transketolase from the Wernicke-Korsakoff patients was also found in the majority of the control fibroblasts. Thus transketolase in fibroblasts from these Wernicke-Korsakoff patients is catalytically defective, but appears to be immunochemically normal.
Detection and quantitation of bacteremia in childhood

Quantitative blood cultures were sought in 383 children, from whom routine blood cultures were obtained because of fever, by direct plating of 10 and 100 μl blood onto solidified media. There were 14 positive cultures from 12 patients. These were 7 Hemophilus influenzae type b, 5 Streptococcus pneumoniae , and 2 Staphylococcus aureus . The direct-plating technique permitted more rapid identification of positive cultures, and detected three episodes not identified by routine broth culture. Bacterial counts ranged from 20 to >10 4 bacteria/ml blood. In the three cases of H. influenzae type b meningitis, bacteremia exceeded 10 3 /ml. Among nine patients in whom bacteremia was unassociated with meningitis, (bacteremia without evident localized disease 5, pneumonia 2, epiglottitis 1, peritonitis 1), bacteremia was 3 /ml. This technique may aid detection of bacteremia and help identify those children at highest risk for developing septic complications, such as meningitis.