cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Truncated multigrid versus pre-corrected FFT/AIM for bioelectromagnetics: When is O(N) better than O(NlogN)?

The effectiveness of multigrid and fast Fourier transform (FFT) based methods are investigated for accelerating the solution of volume integral equations encountered in bioelectromagnetics (BIOEM) analysis. The typical BIOEM simulation is in the mixed-frequency regime of analysis because the field variations in the simulation domain are dictated by a combination of the free space wavelength, geometrical features, and the wavelengths/skin depths in tissues. In this case, multigrid-based methods (when appropriately truncated at high-frequency levels) can achieve O(N) complexity that is asymptotically superior to the O(NlogN) complexity of FFT-based ones. Nevertheless, the constant in front of their asymptotic complexity estimate is larger and their accuracy-efficiency tradeoffs are different. Numerical experiments are performed to compare these methods and the results show that multigrid-based methods begin to outperform FFT-based ones for N∼103.
Estimation of Channelized Hotelling Observer Performance With Known Class Means or Known Difference of Class Means

This paper concerns task-based image quality assessment for the task of discriminating between two classes of images. We address the problem of estimating two widely-used detection performance measures, SNR and AUC, from a finite number of images, assuming that the class discrimination is performed with a channelized Hotelling observer. In particular, we investigate the advantage that can be gained when either 1) the means of the signal-absent and signal-present classes are both known, or 2) when the difference of class means is known. For these two scenarios, we propose uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimators of SNR2, derive the corresponding sampling distributions and provide variance expressions. In addition, we demonstrate how the bias and variance for the related AUC estimators may be calculated numerically by using the sampling distributions for the SNR2 estimators. We find that for both SNR2 and AUC, the new estimators have significantly lower bias and mean-square error than the traditional estimator, which assumes that the class means, and their difference, are unknown.
Obstetrics and gynecology.

A change in medical technology and the expansion of our informational resources continues to occur at the speed of light. Nowhere is this more evident than in obstetrics and gynecology. These new technologies improve patient outcomes and the quality of care that we can provide for our patients, but they are not without risks. We will not only look at a few of the new specific technologies, but we will also look at how these changes are affecting the practice and teaching of obstetrics and gynecology.
Influence of time since fire on pinyon-juniper woodland structure

Abstract Although development of pinyon–juniper woodlands is understood to require decades after stand-replacing fire, data describing relationships between many key structural elements and time since fire (TSF) are lacking. In this study, we sampled live trees, seedlings, shrubs, snags, and downed logs on 13 sites that together comprised a 370-year fire chronosequence. We analyzed individual relationships between structural attributes and TSF. We also developed an additive index of structural complexity and analyzed its relationship with TSF. Live juniper and total tree density were positively and linearly related to TSF (R2 = 0.76 and 0.49, respectively). Pinyon tree density and TSF were not significantly related. No live trees (⩾1.37 m height) were found on sites burned less than 30 years before sampling, although seedlings were found as early as 6 years TSF. Live pinyon tree biomass, live juniper biomass, and total tree biomass followed “s-shaped” functions (4-parameter Weibull; R2 = 0.32, 0.62, and 0.96, respectively), with total biomass maximizing at 65 Mg ha−1 around 250 years since fire. Seedling densities and shrub cover were not significantly related to TSF. Juniper snag density showed a significant negative relationship with TSF (R2 = 0.54) and total snag density followed a “u-shaped” function depending on TSF (2nd-order polynomial; R2 = 0.47). Pinyon snag density and TSF were not significantly related. Density of rotten logs was positively and linearly related to TSF (R2 = 0.46) whereas sound logs and TSF were not statistically related. Structural complexity showed a positive linear relationship with TSF (R2 = 0.46). These results indicate that although individual structural elements show various relationships with TSF, structural complexity increases as sites approach persistent woodland conditions. Findings from this study provide resource professionals with information that can help in developing and assessing management approaches intended to emulate natural structural patterns.
Protein deamidation in biopharmaceutical manufacture: understanding, control and impact

Understanding of product-related variants, such as variants with post-translational modifications, is an important part of biopharmaceutical development. Deamidation is a common post-translational modification occurring in biopharmaceutical proteins, affecting L-asparagine (Asn) and to a lesser extent, L-glutamine (Gln) residues. The rate of deamidation reactions are influenced by factors including protein structure (primary, secondary and higher structure), temperature and pH. In the vast majority of cases, deamidation is undesirable in biopharmaceuticals, and may lead to potential changes in protein structure, function, stability and immunogenicity. Measurement and characterisation of deamidated biopharmaceutical variants may be challenging, particularly with regard to quantitation of the two L-aspartate isoforms that are created, L-aspartic acid (Asp) and isoaspartate (isoAsp). Deamidation may occur intracellularly or during biopharmaceutical manufacture and storage, and must be understood, minimised and controlled, particularly in a regulatory context. Process control strategies that have been employed to date include alterations to fermentation steps, additives to cell cultures, chromatographic separation of charge variants and protein engineering to remove deamidation-prone Asn residues. However, the impact of deamidated forms of biopharmaceuticals should also be thoroughly studied, as they may not necessarily represent deleterious changes to the function of the molecule or the quality of the final product. This mini-review provides a summary of the current understanding of the origins, control and measurement of deamidation during biopharmaceutical development. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Learning from Experiments When Context Matters

Abstract Suppose a policymaker is interested in the impact of an existing social program. Impact estimates using observational data suffer potential bias, while unbiased experimental estimates are ...
Long-Term Function, Pain and Medication Use Outcomes of Radiofrequency Ablation for Lumbar Facet Syndrome.

Objective Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the medial branch nerves for facet-mediated low back pain demonstrates clinical benefit for 6-12 months and possibly up to 2 years. This study investigated function, pain, and medication use outcomes of RFA for lumbar facet syndrome in a cohort with long-term follow-up. Methods Individuals evaluated in a tertiary academic pain practice between January, 2007-December, 2013, 18-60 years of age, with a clinical and radiologic diagnosis of lumbar facet syndrome, who underwent ≥1set of diagnostic medial branch blocks with resultant >75% pain relief and subsequent RFA were included. Outcomes measured were the proportion of individuals who reported ≥50% improvement in function, ≥50% improvement in pain; change in median NRS pain score, daily morphine equivalent consumption (DME), Medication Quantification Scale III (MSQ III) score and procedure complications. Results Sixty-two consecutive individuals with a median age and 25%-75% interquartile range (IQR) of 34 years (35, 52) met inclusion criteria. Seven individuals were lost to follow-up. Duration of pain was 5 years in 18% of individuals. Median duration of follow-up was 39 months (16, 60). Function and pain improved by ≥50% in 58% (CI 45%, 71%) and 53% (CI 40%, 66%) of individuals, respectively. The median reduction in MQS III score was 3.4 points (0, 8.8). No complications occurred in this cohort. Conclusions This study demonstrates a durable treatment effect of RFA for lumbar facet syndrome at long-term follow-up, as measured by improvement in function, pain, and analgesic use.
Prognostic information (PI), psychological well-being, and quality of life for advanced cancer patients (ACP) in phase I trials and their spousal caregivers (SC).

16 Background: The impact of the physician’s (MD) disclosure of PI on the psychological well-being and quality of life (QoL) of clinical trial subjects with terminal disease on phase I trials has not been formally evaluated. Methods: A prospective cohort of ACP enrolling in phase I trials was assessed at baseline (T1) and one month (T2) utilizing various measures including: state-trait anxiety (STAI-S/T), depression (CES-D), quality of life/QoL (FACIT-Pal), and global health (SF-36). Semi-structured interviews of ACPs also evaluated MD-Pt communication re prognosis and worry about ACP death. Results: 100 subjects (50 Phase I ACPs and 50 SC) were separately interviewed at T1 and T2. For the population as a whole: median age 62 (28-78y); 51% male; 100% married; 88% Ca; 68% > HS educ; 56% GI dx; 54% income <$65,000 yr. At T1, 45% of ACPs acknowledged having a discussion re life expectancy with MD; 35% stated the MD gave a prognostic timeframe; and 41% reported worry re death. For SC at T1, 62% recalled a pro...
Studies on the Synthesis of S 5′,6-Methano-5′-Thiourldines

Abstract Two approaches to the synthesis of the title compounds are described. In the first route, a reactive 5-oxo-6-methylene pyrimidine intermediate that is generated by treating the bis-acetylated or bis-benzoylated nucleosides 10 and 11 with sodium hydroxide undergoes intramolecular attack by the 5′-thiol group to afford the 5-hydroxy cyclonucleoside 12. In the second and higher yielding approach, the S5′,6-methano linkage is established by an internal allylic displacement reaction that occurs when the 5-bromo-6-methyl nucleoside 24 is treated with base. The conformational properties of S5′,6-methano-5′-thiouridine (3) and certain long-range spin-spin couplings observed in the NMR spectra of the intermediate nucleosides are discussed.
SERIAL MULTIPLICATION OF AN INFLUENZA VIRUS (NWS) IN CERTAIN HUMAN DIPLOID CELL STRAINS.

SummaryInoculation with NWS of certain diploid cell strains derived from human embryonic lung resulted in production of infective and hemagglutinating virus coincident with induction of CPE. Diploid strains varied in susceptibility to infection with NWS virus. Influenza virus strains other than NWS did not induce the formation of infective virus and were not serially propagable in diploid cultures. However, in high concentration other influenza viruses induced CPE and the formation of incomplete virus.
Effects of Shaping on Viscous Damping and Motion of Heaving Cylinders

Fluid viscosity is known to influence hydrodynamic forces on a floating body in motion, particularly when the motion amplitude is large and the body is of a bluff shape. While these hydrodynamic force or force coefficients have been predicted traditionally by inviscid-fluid theory, much recent advances had taken place in the inclusion of viscous effects. Sophisticated RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes) software are increasingly popular. However, they are often too elaborate for a systematic study of various parameters, geometry or frequency, where many runs with extensive data grid generation are needed. The Free-Surface Random-Vortex Method (FSRVM), developed at UC Berkeley in the early 2000, offers a middle-ground alternative, by which the viscous-fluid motion can be modeled and yet allowing vorticity generation be either turned on or turned off. The heavily validated FSRVM methodology is applied in this paper to examine how the draft-to-beam ratio and the shaping details of two-dimensional cylinders can alter the added inertia and viscous damping properties. A collection of four shapes is studied, varying from rectangles with sharp bilge corners to a reversed-curvature wedge shape. For these shapes, basic hydro-dynamic properties are examined, with the effects of viscosity considered. With the use of these hydrodynamic coefficients, the motion response of the cylinders in waves are also investigated. The origin of viscous damping is clarified. It is a pleasure and honor for the authors to contribute to the Jo Pinkster Symposium, held in his honor in OMAE-2011.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
HOW DO INTRACELLULAR PROTEOLYTIC SYSTEMS CHANGE WITH AGE

One of the common features of cells from senescent tissues is the accumulation of abnormal proteins. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of those abnormal proteins. A defect in proteolytic systems usually responsible for the elimination of altered proteins from the cells could clearly contribute to such accumulation. Here we describe the effect of age on the major proteolytic systems within cells: the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, the calcium-activated calpain pathways, and multiple lysosomal pathways. Our group has contributed to the characterization of a selective pathway of degradation of cytosolic proteins in lysosomes that is activated under conditions of nutrient deprivation. In this lysosomal pathway of proteolysis proteins are transported through the lysosomal membrane assisted by cytosolic and lysosomal molecular chaperones and a receptor protein in the lysosomal membrane. The activity of this pathway significantly decreases with age, and this decrease might account for the cytosolic accumulation of aberrant substrate proteins in senescent cells. The cellular consequences of the decline of this lysosomal pathway together with possible methods to restore the reduced function are also addressed in this review.
The implications of slack heterogeneity for the slack-resources and corporate social performance relationship

Abstract In prior research which explores the relationship between organizational slack and corporate social performance (CSP) it is implicitly assumed that slack is homogeneous and positively affects CSP. In this study we build on recent research which argues that slack is heterogeneous and can be conceptualized as financial, human resources, and innovational in nature. We view the slack-CSP relationship from both organizational and agency theory perspectives. We propose that different slack conceptualizations and the contrary assumptions of aforementioned theories hold divergent implications for CSP. We test our hypotheses on a longitudinal sample of public corporations in the United States and confirm this divergent impact. Our results suggest that the relationship between organizational slack and CSP is more complex than previously understood. We discuss the implications of our findings for the slack-resource hypothesis of CSP.
Abstract P2-12-08: Oncologic outcomes after nipple-sparing mastectomy: A single-institution experience

Introduction: Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is the latest advancement in the treatment of breast cancer. Long-term oncologic outcomes in nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) continue to be defined. Rates of locoregional recurrence for skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and NSM in the literature range from 0 to 14.3%. We investigated the outcomes of NSM at our institution. Methods: Patients undergoing NSM at our institution from 2006 to 2014 were identified. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and outcomes were collected. Locoregional recurrence was compared to previously published NSM and SSM results compiled from 14 and 11 studies in the literature. Institutional review board approval was obtained prior to the initiation of this study. Results: From 2006 to 2014, 319 patients (555 breasts) underwent NSM. 149 patients (248 breasts) had long-term follow-up available. Average patient age and BMI were 47.4 and 24.28. Eighty-five percent of patients underwent mastectomy primarily for a therapeutic indication. Average tumor size was 1.41 centimeters with the most common histologic type being invasive ductal carcinoma (66.7%) followed by DCIS (23.8%). Nodal disease was present in 14.8% of patients. Average patient follow-up was 30.72 months. There was one (0.7%) incidence of ipsilateral chest-wall recurrence in a 44 year-old (pl0.0001, compared to aggregate NSM and SSM data). There were 0.36 complications per patient. There were 3 incidences of nipple-areola complex (NAC) necrosis: 2 partial thickness necrosis and 1 full thickness necrosis. Conclusions: We examined our institutional outcomes with NSM and found a locoregional recurrence rate of 0.7% with no nipple-areolar complex recurrence. This rate is significantly lower than aggregate published rates for both NSM and SSM. Citation Format: Guth AA, Frey JD, Alperovich M, Kim JC, Axelrod DM, Shapiro RL, Choi M, Karp NS, Schnabel FR. Oncologic outcomes after nipple-sparing mastectomy: A single-institution experience. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-12-08.
The New Wave of Non-Scripted Entertainment

Chapter 4 focuses on the rise of non-scripted programs in the global TV marketplace. This theme is developed through the analysis of the genre, defining its boundaries and contours, while tracing its historic roots in the twentieth century TV landscape. The commercial success of this genre is analyzed, as well as the issues and concerns stemming from its rise.
Rapid Thin Layer Chromatographic Method for Determination of Zearalenone and Zearalenol in Grains and Animal Feeds

A rapid and inexpensive method has been developed for the analysis of zearalenone and zearalenol in grains and animal feeds. The method involves extraction with 75% methanol, precipitation of pigments with lead acetate, and defatting with petroleum ether. The mycotoxins are subsequently partitioned into toluene-ethyl acetate, chromatographed on high performance thin layer chromatographic plates, and detected after treatment with Fast Violet B salt solution. Sensitivity of the method is better than 80 ng/g for zearalenone and 200 ng/g for zearalenol. Ten samples can be completed in less than 2 h. The method is applicable for zearalenone in corn, wheat, barley, millet, and swine feeds.
Using statistical monitoring to detect failures in internet services

Since the Internet's popular emergence in the mid-1990's, Internet services such as e-mail and messaging systems, search engines, e-commerce, news and financial sites, have become an important and often mission-critical part of our society. Unfortunately, managing these systems and keeping them running is a significant challenge. Their rapid rate of change as well as their size and complexity mean that the developers and operators of these services usually have only an incomplete idea of how the system works and even what it is supposed to do. This results in poor fault management, as operators have a hard time diagnosing faults and an even harder time detecting them. This dissertation argues that statistical monitoring—the use of statistical analysis and machine learning techniques to analyze live observations of a system's behavior—can be an important tool in improving the manageability of Internet services. Statistical monitoring has several important features that are well suited to managing Internet services. First, the dynamic analysis of a system's behavior in statistical monitoring means that there is no dependency on specifications or descriptions that might be stale or incorrect. Second, monitoring a live, deployed system gives insight into system behavior that cannot be achieved in QA or testing environments. Third, automatic analysis through statistical monitoring can better cope with larger and more complex systems, aiding human operators as well as automating parts of the system management process. This dissertation presents a statistical monitoring approach to three fault management problems: detecting failures in Internet services without requiring a priori knowledge of correct application behavior; automatically inferring undocumented system structure and invariants; and localizing the potential cause of a failure given its symptoms. We describe our methodology as well as our experiments with prototype implementations. Our experience provides strong support for statistical monitoring, and suggest that it may prove to be an important tool in improving the manageability and reliability of Internet services.
Labor Contractors, Coyotes, and Travelers: The migration industry in Latin America and the U.S. South

During the 1990s, migration researchers in sociology and anthropology focused disproportionately on the idea of transnationalism, leading to investigations of critically important phenomena such as transnational parenting, diaspora politics and identity, flexible citizenship, social remittances, and other factors influencing the experiences of international migrants. This work also produced comprehensive ethnographic accounts of families and communities with attachments to places in two or more countries, profiling peoples who had forged dynamic relations between sending and receiving neighborhoods based on economic opportunities, cultural exchanges, and social networks. The argument presented here offers a slightly different perspective on transnationalism, examining managed migration and the migration industry that has emerged around labor contractors, human smugglers (coyotes), and travelers who routinely carry goods between migrant sending and receiving communities. While this industry facilitates transnationalism, like transnationalism it is ultimately a symptom of a process more comprehensive than international migration: capital’s desire for a highly flexible labor force that expands and contractsseasonally and in response to periods of economic growth and decline, is highly mobile, and is largely separated from reproductive settings.
COMPOSITION CONTROL IN CONTINUOUS BUTTERMAKING OPERATIONS

In a survey of four continuous churning operations, composition of butter from the printer was found to average 0.11% lower in moisture and 0.18% higher in butterfat than butter from the churn. Curd content as measured by difference, averaged 1.2%. When operating under constant adjustment, churn-induced composition variability, as expressed by standard deviation, was, ± 0.087%, for moisture, and ± 0.058% for salt. Expressed in the same terms, analytical error was found to be ± 0.074% and ± 0.015%, respectively. The test procedure used was a modified Kohman analysis. Suggestions for improved composition control are presented.
Alexander Hamilton: Cosmopolitan Vision and Statecraft

The label of “nationalist” affixed to Alexander Hamilton does not carry much theoretical weight. Furthermore, the concentration on nationalism, realism, and Machiavellianism in studies of Hamilton has obscured the nascent cosmopolitanism in his statecraft. Hamilton pursued three distinct, cosmopolitan imperatives in his statecraft, though often he applies the methods of calculating realism to his broad vision of humanity. First, he extended moral consideration to “others,” individuals and groups outside his own political association and group membership. Second, Hamilton’s economic vision aimed to create a prosperous harmony of differently-skilled individuals as opposed to reverencing one type of ideal citizen, the virtuous farmer. Finally, the statesman demonstrated cosmopolitan designs in the plot to overthrow Spanish rule in South America. Hamilton’s statecraft, including his support for an energetic, effective central government, reflects certain imperatives of cosmopolitanism characteristic of the late eighteenth century.
Illness-Specific Risk-Taking in Adolescence: A Missing Piece of the Nonadherence Puzzle for Youth With Type 1 Diabetes?

Risky behavior is often at its lifetime peak in adolescence. Chronic illness creates additional opportunities for risk because nonadherence behaviors can jeopardize adolescents’ health. Adolescents with type 1 diabetes could engage in risky behavior around insulin administration that would put them in danger of severe health consequences. It is possible that some nonadherence behaviors observed in adolescents with type 1 diabetes may result from youth taking risks with their medical treatment. Illness-specific risk-taking behaviors are not captured in most assessments of adherence, which primarily focus on frequency of adherence behaviors. This article reviews current models of general risk-taking and their implications for diabetes management. The authors argue that illness-specific risk-taking may be an important, understudied aspect of illness management that can inform future studies and treatment of nonadherence in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
A peptidomimetic with a chiral switch is an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor heterodimerization

// Shanthi P. Kanthala 1 , Yong-Yu Liu 1 , Sitanshu Singh 1 , Rushikesh Sable 1 , Sandeep Pallerla 1 and Seetharama D. Jois 1 1 Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe LA 71201, USA Correspondence to: Seetharama D. Jois, email: jois@ulm.edu Keywords: HER2, protein-protein interaction, breast cancer, peptidomimetic, dual inhibitor Received: February 15, 2017 Accepted: June 16, 2017 Published: July 05, 2017 ABSTRACT Among different types of EGFR dimers, EGFR-HER2 and HER2-HER3 are well known in different types of cancers. Targeting dimerization of EGFR will have a significant impact on cancer therapies. A symmetric peptidomimetic was designed to inhibit the protein-protein interaction of EGFR. The peptidomimetic (Cyclo(1,10)PpR ( R ) Anapa-FDDF-( R )-Anapa)R, compound 18) was shown to exhibit antiproliferative activity with an IC 50 of 194 nM in HER2-expressing breast cancer cell lines and 18 nM in lung cancer cell lines. The peptidomimetic has a Pro-Pro sequence in the structure to stabilize the β-turn and a β-amino acid, amino napthyl propionic acid. To investigate the effect of the chirality of β-amino acid on the structure of the peptide and its antiproliferative activity, diastereoisomers of compound 18 were designed and synthesized. Structure-activity relationships of these compounds indicated that there is a chiral switch at β-amino acid in the designed compound. The peptidomimetic with R configuration at β-amino acid and with a L-Pro-D-Pro sequence was the most active compound (18). Using enzyme complement fragmentation assay and proximity ligation assay, we show that compound 18 inhibits HER2:HER3 and EGFR:HER2 dimerization. Surface plasmon resonance studies suggested that compound 18 binds to the HER2 extracellular domain and in particular to domain IV. The anticancer activity of compound 18 was evaluated using a xenograft model of breast cancer in mice; compound 18 suppressed the tumor growth in mice compared to control. Compound 18 was also shown to have a synergistic effect with erlotinib on EGFR mutated lung cancer cell lines.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy and Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Predictors of Left Ventricular Dysfunction:

Background:Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) from non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and Takotsubo (TK) cardiomyopathy present with similar initial clinical features and can result in left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and acute heart failure.Methods:This study was a retrospective case-control study that identified patients aged 18 years and older who presented with ACS and underwent cardiac catheterization.Results:There were a total of 321 patients in the TK group and 1031 patients in the NSTEMI group. There was significantly worse LV dysfunction in the TK group with average ejection fraction (EF) of 44.35% (±15.11%) versus NSTEMI with an average EF of 47.36% (±13.5%) (P < .001). The presence of TK yielded of an odds ratio (OR) of 2.373 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.165-3.618) and presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) yielded an OR of 2.053 (95% CI: 1.165-3.618).Conclusions:The presence of TK cardiomyopathy and PAD were independent predictors of patients who had LVEF of <35% and ...
Data Reduction Through Increased Data Utilization in Chemical Dynamics Simulations

Abstract Many scientific applications consist of heavy computational and analysis workload on data, and often require producing intermediate data for ongoing calculations. For instance, chemical dynamics simulations are known as heavy workload applications in terms of calculation in many aspects. There is a strong desire of seeking a solution to minimize expensive calculations by replacing them with light-weight ones. VENUS is one of these chemical dynamic simulation software packages known as classical chemical dynamics simulation, with scalar executing code and heavy calculation process. In this research, we introduce an innovative approximation method by storing, managing, and leveraging intermediate data (results) in order to speed up expensive calculations. The key idea is a newly introduced data interpolation method that leverages data points from previous calculations. The newly proposed method is a general approach that can be applied to a variety of scientific applications and disciplines. In this research, we focus on chemical dynamics simulations and the VENUS code and have developed a prototype of the data interpolation method for reduced computations. The proposed computation reduction method through increased data re-use can increase the efficiency and productivity of scientific simulations, thus can have an impact on scientific discovery powered by high performance computing simulations.
Bulimic Symptomatology Among Male Collegiate Athletes: A Test of an Etiological Model

We tested Petrie and Greenleaf’s psychosocial model in relation to male athletes’ bulimic symptomatology. Through structural equation modeling, we cross-sectionally examined the direct and indirect effects of general and sport-specific appearance pressures, internalization, body satisfaction, drive for muscularity, negative affect, and dietary restraint on bulimic symptomatology. Participants were U.S. male collegiate athletes (N = 698; Mage = 19.87 years) representing 17 sports. With minor respecifications, the model had acceptable fit, and the psychosocial variables explained 48% of the bulimic symptomatology variance. Although all variable paths were significant, sport pressures, such as from coaches and teammates about weight, importance of appearance, and looking good in a uniform, were the most salient latent variable. Athletes’ engagement in muscle-building behaviors added uniquely and substantively as well. Our analysis begins to clarify the complex interactions among these psychosocial variables ...
Bayesian active probabilistic classification for psychometric field estimation

Psychometric functions are typically estimated by fitting a parametric model to categorical subject responses. Procedures to estimate unidimensional psychometric functions (i.e., psychometric curves) have been subjected to the most research, with modern adaptive methods capable of quickly obtaining accurate estimates. These capabilities have been extended to some multidimensional psychometric functions (i.e., psychometric fields) that are easily parameterizable, but flexible procedures for general psychometric field estimation are lacking. This study introduces a nonparametric Bayesian psychometric field estimator operating on subject queries sequentially selected to improve the estimate in some targeted way. This estimator implements probabilistic classification using Gaussian processes trained by active learning. The accuracy and efficiency of two different actively sampled estimators were compared to two non-actively sampled estimators for simulations of one of the simplest psychometric fields in common use: the pure-tone audiogram. The actively sampled methods achieved estimate accuracy equivalent to the non-actively sampled methods with fewer observations. This trend held for a variety of audiogram phenotypes representative of the range of human auditory perception. Gaussian process classification is a general estimation procedure capable of extending to multiple input variables and response classes. Its success with a two-dimensional psychometric field informed by binary subject responses holds great promise for extension to complex perceptual models currently inaccessible to practical estimation.
A Single Amino Acid Change in the Marburg Virus Glycoprotein Arises during Serial Cell Culture Passages and Attenuates the Virus in a Macaque Model of Disease.

ABSTRACT Marburg virus (MARV) causes disease with high case fatality rates, and there are no approved vaccines or therapies. Licensing of MARV countermeasures will likely require approval via the FDA’s Animal Efficacy Rule, which requires well-characterized animal models that recapitulate human disease. This includes selection of the virus used for exposure and ensuring that it retains the properties of the original isolate. The consequences of amplification of MARV for challenge studies are unknown. Here, we serially passaged and characterized MARV through 13 passes from the original isolate. Surprisingly, the viral genome was very stable, except for a single nucleotide change that resulted in an amino acid substitution in the hydrophobic region of the signal peptide of the glycoprotein (GP). The particle/PFU ratio also decreased following passages, suggesting a role for the amino acid in viral infectivity. To determine if amplification introduces a phenotype in an animal model, cynomolgus macaques were exposed to either 100 or 0.01 PFU of low- and high-passage-number MARV. All animals succumbed when exposed to 100 PFU of either passage 3 or 13 viruses, although animals exposed to the high-passage-number virus survived longer. However, none of the passage 13 MARV-exposed animals succumbed to 0.01-PFU exposure compared to 75% of passage 3-exposed animals. This is consistent with other filovirus studies that show some particles that are unable to yield a plaque in cell culture can cause lethal disease in vivo. These results have important consequences for the design of experiments that investigate MARV pathogenesis and that test the efficacy of MARV countermeasures. IMPORTANCE Marburg virus (MARV) causes disease with a high case fatality rate, and there are no approved vaccines or therapies. Serial amplification of viruses in cell culture often results in accumulation of mutations, but the effect of such cell culture passage on MARV is unclear. Serial passages of MARV resulted in a single mutation in the region encoding the glycoprotein (GP). This is a region where mutations can have important consequences on outbreaks and human disease [S. Mahanty and M. Bray, Lancet Infect Dis 4:487–498, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(04)01103-X]. We thus investigated whether this mutation impacted disease by using a cynomolgus macaque model of MARV infection. Monkeys exposed to virus containing the mutation had better clinical outcomes than monkeys exposed to virus without the mutation. We also observed that a remarkably low number of MARV particles was sufficient to cause death. Our results could have a significant impact on how future studies are designed to model MARV disease and test vaccines and therapeutics.
Examining the Relationship between Regulatory Quality and Forest Product Exports to India: A Gravity Model Approach

Abstract The value of aggregate forest product exports to India has increased from about $1.5 billion in 2003 to about $5.4 billion in 2013. Although many of the forest product resources can be sou...
Moving Just Enough Deep Sequencing Data to Get the Job Done

Motivation:As the size of high-throughput DNA sequence datasets continues to grow, the cost of transferring and storing the datasets may prevent their processing in all but the largest data centers...
Intelligent Automation Module-Based Gear Edge Grinding System

As industry progresses toward intelligent production and development, on-site workers that perform repetitive tasks will be replaced by intelligent machines. Currently, automation applications still have the following problems: (1) on-site personnel are required to line up the workpieces before a robot arm can pick it up; (2) the trajectory generated by offline programming software must be adjusted by on-site personnel in accordance with the processing results; and (3) because of workpiece positioning errors and tool wear, achieving acceptable processing results is difficult. This study developed intelligent application modules that solve the aforementioned automation application problems. These modules predict processing quality, generate trajectory, enable robot arms to load and unload randomly positioned workpieces, and automatically calibrate the system. An automatic gear edge grinding system was developed by integrating each module; the system increases the processing efficiency and solves the current problem of manual grinding being required after gear processing.
LITHIUM AND BRAIN myo-INOSITOL METABOLISM

SUMMARY: A reduction in the levels of myo-inositol and an elevation in levels of myo-inositol 1-phosphate have been observed in the brains of lithium-treated rats. Both of these changes are inhibited by atropine. The levels of myo-inositol 1-phosphate in brain have been found to be increased by drugs which stimulate cholinergic transmission and reduced by anticholinergic agents. Neither cholinergic nor anticholinergic agents alter the levels of brain myo-inositol.
Influence of Grain Refinement and Microstructure on Fatigue Behavior for Solid-State Additively Manufactured Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy

A solid-state severe deformation-based additive manufacturing process, additive friction stir-deposition (AFS-D), offers an innovative solution to achieve wrought-like mechanical performance from metals that are susceptible to solidification cracking. In this work, the microstructural evolution and fatigue mechanisms of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy (AA7075) manufactured via a rapid solid-state deposition process are quantified for the first time. The AFS-D process deposits feedstock via frictional heat and severe plastic deformation, while avoiding the deleterious effects of solid–liquid phase transformation. A fully dense AA7075 deposit was manufactured without the need for additional alloying elements. The microstructural characterization of the as-deposited AA7075 employed optical, scanning electron microscope, and electron backscatter diffraction. The as-deposited AA7075 exhibited a refinement of the constituent particles and grains within the microstructure. Additionally, to quantify the fatigue behavior of the as-deposited AA7075, strain-life experiments were conducted, where a reduction in fatigue resistance was observed compared to the heat-treated feedstock, due to coarsening of strengthening precipitates η′ and η (MgZn2). Post-mortem analysis of the as-deposited AFS-D AA7075 revealed a change in the fatigue nucleation and growth mechanisms compared to the control feedstock. Lastly, a microstructure-sensitive fatigue life model was utilized to elucidate process-structure–property fatigue mechanism relations of the as-deposited and feedstock AA7075 materials.
Respiratory deformation registration in 4D-CT/cone beam CT using deep learning.

Background To investigate the feasibility of using a supervised convolutional neural network (CNN) to register phase-to-phase deformable vector field of lung 4D-CT/4D-cone beam CT for 4D dose accumulation, contour propagation, motion modeling, or target verification. Methods We built a CNN-based deep learning method to register the deformation field directly between phases of patients' 4D-CT or 4D-cone beam CT. The input consists of patch pairs of two phases, while the output is the corresponding deformation field that registers the patch pairs. The centers of the patch pairs were uniformly sampled across the lung, and the size of the patches was chosen to cover the range of the respiratory motion. The network was trained to generate deformation field that matches with the reference deformation field generated by VelocityAI (Varian). The network is structured with four convolutional layers, two average pooling layers, and two fully connected layers. Half mean squared error is applied to guide the study as loss function. Nine patients with eleven sets of 4D-CT/cone beam CT image volumes were used for training and testing. The performance of the network was validated with intra-patient and inter-patient setups. Results Registered images were generated with Velocity deformation field and the CNN deformation field, respectively. Main anatomic features such as the main vessels and the diaphragm matched well between two deformed images. In the diaphragm region, the coefficients of cross-correlation, root mean squared error, and structural similarity index measure (SSIM) between deformed images registered by CNN and VelocityAI was calculated. The cross-correlation was above 0.9 for all the intra-patient cases. Conclusions Patch-based deep learning methods achieved comparable deformable registration accuracy as VelocityAI. Compared to VelocityAI, the deep learning method is fully automatic and faster without user dependency, which makes it more preferable in clinical applications.
The hermeneutics of dignity: on disability, defiance, and death

Pablo Gilabert’s Human Dignity and Human Rights offers an excellent, and welcome, defense of human dignity as a foundational concept for theorizing about human rights. In this paper, I defend the t...
Molecular transition frequencies of CO2 near 1.6 µm with kHz-level uncertainties

Abstract We present measurements of molecular transition frequencies based on the comb-locked cavity ring-down spectroscopy technique, reporting vacuum transition frequencies of Doppler-broadened 12C16O2 in the 1.6 μm region for the (30012) ← (00001) and (30013) ← (00001) bands with an average combined standard uncertainty of ≈ 1 kHz. A global four-state model was fit to these data and literature values to provide spectroscopic parameters and a best-case fit precision of 4 kHz. We identified and quantified an interaction between the (30012) and (33301) states which was manifest as an observed Fermi-resonance-type perturbation in the (30012) ← (00001) band. This interaction was accounted for in the global fit, substantially reducing systematic uncertainties in the spectroscopic parameters of the (30012) state and altering many predicted transition frequencies in the (30012) ← (00001) band by 1 MHz or more relative to literature values. The accurate transition frequencies reported here may be considered as SI-traceable reference data for diverse applications including remote sensing and telecommunications.
Charity Care and Community Benefit in Non-Profit Hospitals: Definition and Requirements.

Policymakers are using different ways to measure the community benefit provided by non-profit hospitals because different policy makers have different policy objectives. We compare 3 commonly used ...
The Effects of ALEKS on Mathematics Learning in K-12 and Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis

As remote learning technologies play an increasingly larger role in education, clear evidence of effectiveness is needed for widely used online learning technologies, such as Assessment and LEarnin...
Distinct modes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 proviral latency revealed by superinfection of nonproductively infected cell lines with recombinant luciferase-encoding viruses

To study the basis of cellular latency of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), we have used a recombinant luciferase-encoding HIV (HXB-Luc) to superinfect nonproductively HIV-1-infected human leukemic cell lines. HXB-Luc contains the Photinus pyralis luciferase gene in place of the nef gene and provides a highly sensitive, simple assay for HIV infection and expression. To circumvent any superinfection block in latently infected cells, we also generated viruses pseudotyped with murine leukemia virus amphotropic envelope (HXB-Luc:ampho). The parental uninfected lines, U937 and A3.01, from which the latently infected cell lines U1 and ACH-2, respectively, were derived could be readily infected with pseudotyped or nonpseudotyped reporter viruses. However, superinfection of U1 cells with either HXB-Luc or HXB-Luc:ampho resulted in only low levels of luciferase activity. Like the endogenous provirus, HXB-Luc provirus could be efficiently activated by phorbol ester treatment of HXB-Luc:ampho-superinfected U1 cells. In contrast, superinfection of ACH-2 cells resulted in active expression of the secondarily introduced virus even in unstimulated cells and luciferase production higher than in the parental cell line A3.01. Thus, the proviral latency in U1 cells appears to result from a defect in the cellular environment (a trans effect), whereas the latency in ACH-2 is specific to the integrated provirus and is probably a cis effect due to the site of integration. These results demonstrate distinct modes of proviral latency in these two cell line models and may have implications in our understanding of the regulation and significance of cellular latency in HIV infection.
Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein: structure, function, regulation of cell signaling, and pivotal role in apoptosis.

Abstract The acquisition of resistance to conventional therapies such as radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs remains the major obstacle in the successful treatment of cancer patients. Tumor cells acquire resistance to apoptotic stimuli and it has been demonstrated that conventional therapies exert their cytotoxic activities primarily by inducing apoptosis in the cells. Resistance to radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs has led to the development of immunotherapy and gene therapy approaches with the intent of overcoming resistance to drugs and radiation as well as enhancing the specificity to eliminate tumor cells. However, cytotoxic lymphocytes primarily kill by apoptosis and, therefore, drug-resistant tumor cells may also be cross-resistant to immunotherapy. To evade apoptosis, tumor cells have adopted various mechanisms that interfere with the apoptotic signaling pathways and promote constitutive activation of cellular proliferation and survival pathways. Thus, modifications of the antiapoptotic genes in cancer cells are warranted for the effectiveness of conventional therapies as well as novel immunotherapeutic approaches. Such modifications will avert the resistant phenotype of the tumor cells and will render them susceptible to apoptosis. Current studies, both in vitro and preclinically in vivo , have been aimed at the modification and regulation of expression of apoptosis-related gene products and their activities. A novel protein designated Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) has been partially characterized. RKIP is a member of the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein family. RKIP has been shown to disrupt the Raf-1–MEK1⧸2 [mitogen-activated protein kinase–ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) kinase-1⧸2]–ERK1⧸2 and NF- κ B signaling pathways, via physical interaction with Raf-1–MEK1⧸2 and NF- κ B-inducing kinase or transforming growth factor β -activated kinase-1, respectively, thereby abrogating the survival and antiapoptotic properties of these signaling pathways. In addition, RKIP has been shown to act as a signal modifier that enhances receptor signaling by inhibiting G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2. By regulating cell signaling, growth, and survival through its expression and activity, RKIP is considered to play a pivotal role in cancer, regulating apoptosis induced by drugs or immune-mediated stimuli. Overexpression of RKIP sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis. Also, induction of RKIP by drugs or anti-receptor antibodies sensitizes cancer cells to drug-induced apoptosis. In this review, we discuss the discovery, structure, function, and significance of RKIP in cancer.