cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE DISTRIBUTION OF RETURNS OF STOCK PRICES

We perform a phenomenological study of stock price fluctuations of individual companies. We systematically analyze two dierent databases covering securities from the three major US stock markets. We consider (i) the trades and quotes (TAQ) database, for which we analyze 40 million records for 1000 US companies for the 2-year period 1994{95, and (ii) the Center for Research and Security Prices (CRSP) database, for which we analyze 35 million daily records for approximately 16,000 companies in the 35-year period 1962{96. We study the probability distribution of returns over varying time scales | from 5 min up to 4 years. For time scales from 5 min up to approximately 16 days, we nd that the tails of the distributions can be well described by a powerlaw decay, characterized by an exponent 3 | well outside the stable L evy regime 0 << 2. For time scales greater than 16 days, we observe results consistent with a slow convergence to Gaussian behavior.
A comparison of one-class bag-of-words user behavior modeling techniques for masquerade detection

A masquerade attack is a consequence of identity theft. In such attacks, the impostor impersonates a legitimate insider while performing illegitimate activities. These attacks are very hard to detect and can cause considerable damage to an organization. Prior work has focused on user command modeling to identify abnormal behavior indicative of impersonation. In this paper, we investigate the performance of two one-class user behavior profiling techniques: one-class Support Vector Machines (ocSVMs) and a Hellinger distance-based user behavior profiling technique. Both techniques model bags of words or commands and do not model sequences of commands. We use both techniques for masquerade detection and compare the experimental results. The objective is to evaluate which modeling technique is most suitable for use in an operational monitoring system, hence our focus is on accuracy and operational performance characteristics. We show that one-class SVMs are most practical for deployment in sensors developed for masquerade detection in the general case. We also show that for specific users whose profile fits the average user profile, one-class SVMs may not be the best modeling approach. Such users pose a more serious threat since they may be easier to mimic. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (We show that one-class SVMs are most practical for deployment in sensors developed for masquerade detection in the general case. We also show that for specific users whose profile fits the average user profile, one-class SVMs may not be the best modeling approach. Such users pose a more serious threat since they may be easier to mimic.)
Fast evaluation of Sommerfeld integrals for EM scattering and radiation by three-dimensional buried objects

This paper presents a fast method for electromagnetic scattering and radiation problems pertinent to three-dimensional (3D) buried objects. In this approach, a new symmetrical form of the Green's function is derived, which can reduce the number of Sommerfeld integrals involved in the buried objects problem. The integration along steepest descent paths and leading-order approximations are introduced to evaluate these Sommerfeld integrals, which can greatly accelerate the computation. Based on the fast evaluation of Sommerfeld integrals, the radiation of an arbitrarily oriented electric dipole buried in a half space is first analyzed and computed. Then, the scattering by buried dielectric objects and conducting objects is considered using the method of moments (MOM). Numerical results show that the fast method can save tremendous CPU time in radiation and scattering problems involving buried objects.
Finite Deformation of Soft Tissue: Analysis of a Mixture Model in Uni-Axial Compression

The dynamic finite deformational behavior of a biphasic model for soft hydrated tissue is examined. In the case of uni-axial confined compression the displacement and stress fields are derived for steady-state permeation, creep, and stress-relaxation. It is shown how to use the results of this analysis to obtain the constitutive relations, as well as the associated material parameters, from the corresponding experiments. It is also shown that the solutions from the theory go much farther, giving a detailed account of the deformation and interaction of the fluid and solid phases in the tissue.
Binding of ethylene and acetylene to S2- in C5H5MoS4MoC5H5 and on crystalline MoS2 : molecular orbital theory

Abstract A molecular orbital study of C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 binding to S 2− in CpMoS 4 MoCp (Cp = C 5 H 5 ) and on MoS 2 surfaces has been made. The trapezoidal S 4 structure in CpMoS 4 MoCp (Mo oxidation state IV) is found to be the consequence of a single S-S bond, which is broken when C 2 H 2 or C 2 H 4 bind di-σ to two S, making S 4 nearly square, and leaving Mo in the IV oxidation state. A second C 2 H 2 or C 2 H 4 binds more strongly, reducing Mo to the III oxidation state. Since C 2 H 2 binds more strongly than C 2 H 4 , the former can displace the latter. These findings help explain experimental observations from the literature. A comparative study for predictive purposes shows C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 will not bind to basal plane S 2− on MoS 2 crystals. Weak binding, compared to the complexes, is predicted at edge S 2− provided adjacent edge Mo VI are coordinatively unsaturated. However, past work has shown such metal sites will strongly adsorb unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules, so binding to edge S 2− is unlikely to be competitive.
Communication anxiety and teacher communication competence among Native American and Caucasian students

This study compared self‐reported communication anxiety and student perceived teacher communication competence among fifth and sixth grade Native American and Caucasian students being taught by Caucasian teachers. A survey of 67 Native American and 51 Caucasian students was conducted in an elementary school located on a Northwestern reservation. Native American and Caucasian students differed significantly only on their communication anxiety associated with approaching new people. No significant difference was found on factors of communication anxiety more specific to classroom communication. Native American students perceived the teachers to have significantly less communication competence. Additionally for Native American students, perceived teacher communication competence predicted reported enjoyment of classroom communication, fear of classroom communication and willingness to approach new people. For Caucasian students perceived teacher communication competence only predicted willingness to approach...
Topological tunneling and Goldstone gluons

Canonically quantizing in the temporal gauge ${A}_{0}=0$, we study the symmetry properties of the gauge theory vacuum under time-independent gauge transformations. A quantum-electrodynamics-like unconfined phase exhibits spontaneously broken symmetry under gauge transformations that do not vanish at spatial infinity. In a confining phase this symmetry should be restored. When in the unconfined phase, assuming it exists, of a theory possessing topologically nontrivial gauge transformations, the physical Hilbert space will admit a discrete symmetry operation related to a tunneling process between discrete classical vacuums. In the confined phase, this symmetry becomes part of a continuous gauge symmetry. We discuss in detail the solvable theories of free photons and the two-dimensional Schwinger model. We also give some nonrigorous arguments that the phase $\ensuremath{\theta}$ associated with the tunneling process may have no physical significance in four-dimensional space-time.
Photosynthetic studies with a 10-psec resolution streak camera.

Abstract The fluorescence decay times for the species Anacystis nidulans and Chlorella pyrenoidosa are measured by means of a streak camera to be 75 ± 10 and 41 ± 5 psec, respectively. Concentrated solutions of chlorophyll a are shown to have fluorescence decay times as short as 10 psec. Fluorescence decay curves similar to that of the living cells can be generated by mixing cellular component molecules at comparable concentrations to that present in living cells.
Athletes' Preferences for Informational and Emotional Pre-Game Speech Content

The purpose of this study is threefold: 1) to explore athletes' preferences for informational and emotional content within pre-game speeches according to types of sporting situations, 2) to explore coaches' and athletes' perceptions of preferred informational and emotional content within pre-game speeches, and 3) to explore potential gender differences. Participants were 208 collegiate varsity athletes (121 male, 87 female). Athletes and coaches completed measures assessing preferences for pre-game speech content and demographic variables. Results indicated that athletes preferred differing amounts of information and emotion according to the situation and athletes' and coaches' perceptions of needed emotion within pre-game speeches differed as well. Gender differences were also found; female athletes placed higher values on the amount of information than did their male counterparts. No gender differences were found on the amount of emotional content.
Alveolar dead space as a predictor of severity of pulmonary embolism

Objective To determine whether the alveolar dead space volume (V(D)alv), expressed as a percentage of the alveolar tidal volume (V(D)alv/V(T)alv), can predict the degree of vascular occlusion caused by pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods Fifty-three subjects with suspected PE were prospectively studied. Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed in 33 by high-probability ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scan (n = 19) or by pulmonary arteriography (PAG, n = 14). Pulmonary embolism was excluded by PAG in 20 subjects. The V(D)alv/V(T)alv was determined from volumetric capnography and arterial blood gas analysis, which permits measurement of the physiologic dead space, V(D)phys (mL) = [(PaCO2 - PeCO2)/PaCO2]. tidal volume. Airway dead space (V(D)aw) was subtracted to yield the alveolar dead space [(V(D)phys - V(D)aw) = V(D)alv (mL)]; the percentage of alveolar volume occupied by alveolar dead space per breath = V(D)alv/V(T)alv x 100%. Percentage perfusion defect was determined from V/Q scans by a radiologist blinded to other data. Regression analysis was performed to show correlation between V(D)alv/V(T)alv and defect on V/Q scan or systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP). Results For subjects with PE, the mean perfusion defect on lung scan was 38 +/- 22%; the mean V(D)alv = 208 +/- 115 mL, V(T)alv = 452 +/- 251 mL, and V(D)alv/V(T)alv = 43 +/- 18%. Regression of V(D)alv/V(T)alv vs perfusion defect yielded r2 = 0.41. Regression of V(D)alv/V(T)alv vs pulmonary artery pressures yielded r2 = 0.59. For subjects without PE, V(D)alv/V(T)alv = 27 +/- 14% and V(D)alv = 89 +/- 66 mL. Conclusions The V(D)alv/V(T)alv correlates with the lung perfusion defect and the pulmonary artery pressures in subjects with PE. These findings show the potential for V(D)alv/V(T)alv to quantify the embolic burden of PE.
ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIPS OF AUTOSPORIC AND ZOOSPORIC CHLOROCOCCALEAN GREEN ALGAE WITH 18S rDNA SEQUENCE DATA1

We examined the relationships of autosporic and zoosporic taxa in the Chlorococcales by analyzing available complete nuclear-encoded small-subunit (18S) rRNA gene sequences along with two new sequences from Hydrodictyon reticulatum (L.) Lagerh. and Neochloris vigenis Archibald. Some autosporic taxa grouped with the coenobial hydrodictyacean algae and related unicellular organisms having directly opposed basal bodies. These include Scenedesmus obliquus (Turp.) Kutz. and Chlorella fusca var. vacuolata Shihira et Krauss. Other autosporic organisms, including Chlorella kessleri Fott et Novakova, C. minutissima Fott et Novakova, C. pro-tothecoides Krug., C. vulgaris Beij., Nanochlorum eucaryotum Wilhelm, Eisenbeis, Wild, et Zahn, and Prototheca wickerhamii Soneda et Tubaki, form a separate group. Of the zoosporic taxa examined, this group would appear to have the greatest affinity to organisms having a counterclockwise displacement of basal bodies, the Pleurastrophyceae. Beyond the fact that Ankistrodesmus stipitatus (=A. falcatus var. stipitatus (Chodat) Lemm.) does not group with the latter organisms, its position remains in doubt. None of the autosporic taxa appear to be closely related to chlorophycean organisms possessing a clockwise basal body displacement.
Frequency of hiv screening in the veterans health administration: Implications for early diagnosis of hiv infection

Abstract We evaluated the frequency of HIV testing across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest provider of HIV care in the United States. An electronic survey was used to determine the volume and location of HIV screening, confirmatory testing, rapid testing and laboratory consent policies in VA medical centers between October 1, 2005, and September 30, 2006. One hundred thirty-five VA laboratories reported that 112,033 HIV screening tests were performed (81% outpatients vs. 19% inpatients, p < .0001). Overall HIV prevalence was 1.49% (1.62% in inpatients vs. 1.46% in outpatients, p = N.S., range = 0.2–3.8%). Rapid testing was available in 67% of facilities, 60% of which took place in the clinical laboratory. Sixty-four percent of labs required a copy of the informed consent in order to perform testing. We estimate that fewer than 10% of VA inpatients and fewer than 5% of VA outpatients were tested for HIV during the survey period. Substantial opportunities for increasing routine HIV testi...
Cryopreservation characteristics of adipose-derived stem cells: maintenance of differentiation potential and viability.

With the emergence of regenerative medicine, many researchers have turned to fat tissue as a source of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). Because freshly collected adipose tissue is not always readily available, there will be a need for improved cryopreservation methods to reproducibly maintain ASC viablility and multipotentiality in long-term storage. This study examines the efficiency of conventional dimethyl sulphoxide cryopreservation methods by measuring the maintenance of differentiation potential after one freeze cycle. Additionally, we analysed the viability of ASCs as a function of varying cell concentrations in cryopreservation media. We evaluated four distinct colony-forming unit assays (fibroblast, alkaline phosphatase, adipocyte and osteoblast) to monitor quantitatively the differentiation potential in ASCs after one freeze cycle. We found that the post-thaw viability was a function of storage concentration and that an optimal viability was observed for a concentration of 0.5 × 106 cells/ml cryopreservation medium. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generation of nonminimum phase from amplitude-only data

A method is presented for the generation of nonminimum phase from amplitude-only data. The nonminimum phase is generated utilizing the principles of causality and the Hilbert transform. The application of the theory has been applied to some antenna radiation-power patterns and to measured transfer functions of microwave filters to illustrate the applicability of this approach.
Closed convex hulls of unitary orbits in C⁎-algebras of real rank zero

Abstract In this paper, we study closed convex hulls of unitary orbits in various C ⁎ -algebras. For unital C ⁎ -algebras with real rank zero and a faithful tracial state determining equivalence of projections, a notion of majorization describes the closed convex hulls of unitary orbits for self-adjoint operators. Other notions of majorization are examined in these C ⁎ -algebras. Combining these ideas with the Dixmier property, we demonstrate unital, infinite dimensional C ⁎ -algebras of real rank zero and strict comparison of projections with respect to a faithful tracial state must be simple and have a unique tracial state. Also, closed convex hulls of unitary orbits of self-adjoint operators are fully described in unital, simple, purely infinite C ⁎ -algebras.
Concentration normalization with a model of gain control in the olfactory bulb

This article presents a biologically inspired model capable of removing concentration effects from the multivariate response of a gas sensor array. The model is based on the first stage of lateral inhibition in the olfactory bulb, which is mediated by periglomerular interneurons. To simulate inputs to the olfactory bulb, signals from a chemosensor array are first processed with a self-organizing model of chemotopic convergence proposed earlier, which leads to odor-specific spatial patterning. Subsequently, a shunting lateral inhibitory network, modeled after the role of periglomerular cells in the olfactory bulb, is used to compress concentration information. The model is validated using experimental data from an array of temperature-modulated metal-oxide chemoresistors. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Children's resistance to homonymy: an experimental study of pseudohomonyms.

Research in diachronic linguistics has shown that homonyms are often dispreferred in language. This study proposes that this trend is mirrored in the difficulties that children encounter in mapping homonyms. Two experiments are presented in support of this proposition. In Experiment 1, 16 preschool children (mean age=4;6) are shown to perform quite well on tasks requiring them to assign novel meanings to nonsense words. They perform poorly, however, on tasks requiring them to assign a different, unrelated meaning to a known word. Experiment 2 (N=18, mean age=4;5) shows that preschoolers' performance on this task, however, improves when a known word appears in a syntactic frame that is not appropriate for the word (as when a verb appears in a noun syntactic frame), thereby providing a strong indication that a new meaning is appropriate.
The effects of cyclic loading on tensile properties of a rabbit femur–anterior cruciate ligament–tibia complex (FATC)

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cyclic loading on tensile properties of femur–ACL–tibia complexes (FATCs). Paired FATCs of New Zealand white rabbits were tested. One specimen of each pair was designated as a control and loaded until failure. The contralateral specimen was cyclically loaded and then loaded until failure. In specimens cyclically loaded with 40% of control ultimate tensile strength (UTS), UTS decreased significantly compared to controls. Half the specimens of the 50% group were ruptured during cyclic loading. Load-to-failure of FATCs can be decreased by cyclic loading in the range of 40∼50% of their UTS. Cycled specimens had a significantly higher incidence of intrasubstance failure pattern as compared to controls. This result correlates well with clinical experience.
Raman spectroscopy of perovskite and post-perovskite phases of MgGeO3 to 123 GPa

Abstract Raman spectra of the perovskite (Pv) and post-perovskite (PPv) phases of MgGeO 3 were measured in the laser-heated diamond cell up to 123 GPa. Between 14 and 51 GPa we observed a total of seven Pv modes, the frequencies and relative intensities of which are similar to MgSiO 3 –Pv with systematically lower frequencies. We also observe a total of ten PPv modes which are much more intense than Pv modes, indicating strong polarizability of the bonds in PPv. The observed Raman mode frequency range of PPv extends to much higher frequencies than Pv, which can be related to the edge sharing of the GeO 6 octahedra in PPv which would make Ge–O bonds stronger. The spectroscopic Gruneisen parameters of Pv and PPv are constrained to be 1.56 ± 0.10 and 1.15 ± 0.06, respectively, at the PPv transition. We also estimated that the thermal expansion parameter decreases by 25 ± 10% across the PPv transition. If a similar change occurs in MgSiO 3 , the low thermal expansivity would dynamically stabilize the PPv layer at the lowermost mantle. Using our Raman measurements and a Kieffer-type model, the Clapeyron slope of the PPv transition is constrained to be + 20 ± 10 MPa/K. The strong positive slope is consistent with the prediction for MgSiO 3 and is related to a positive shift of phonon density of states at high-frequency region resulting from the formation of the edge sharing among the GeO 6 (or SiO 6 ) octahedra in PPv.
Repression of slow myosin heavy chain 2 gene expression in fast skeletal muscle fibers by muscarinic acetylcholine receptor and Gαq signaling

Gene expression in skeletal muscle fibers is regulated by innervation and intrinsic fiber properties. To determine the mechanism of repression of slow MyHC2 expression in innervated fast pectoralis major (PM) fibers, we investigated the function of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAchR) and Gαq. Both mAchR and Gαq are abundant in medial adductor (MA) and PM fibers, and mAchR and Gαq interact in these fibers. Whereas innervation of PM fibers was insufficient to induce slow MyHC2 expression, inhibition of mAchR activity with atropine in innervated PM fibers induced slow MyHC2 expression. Increased Gαq activity repressed slow MyHC2 expression to nondetectable levels in innervated MA fibers. Reduced mAchR activity decreased PKC activity in PM fibers, and increased Gαq activity increased PKC activity in PM and MA fibers. Decreased PKC activity in atropine-treated innervated PM fibers correlated with slow MyHC2 expression. These data suggest that slow MyHC2 repression in innervated fast PM fibers is mediated by cell signaling involving mAchRs, Gαq, and PKC.
GPUMech: GPU Performance Modeling Technique Based on Interval Analysis

GPU has become a first-order computing plat-form. Nonetheless, not many performance modeling techniques have been developed for architecture studies. Several GPU analytical performance models have been proposed, but they mostly target application optimizations rather than the study of different architecture design options. Interval analysis is a relatively accurate performance modeling technique, which traverses the instruction trace and uses functional simulators, e.g., Cache simulator, to track the stall events that cause performance loss. It shows hundred times of speedup compared to detailed timing simulations and better accuracy compared to pure analytical models. However, previous techniques are limited to CPUs and not applicable to multithreaded architectures. In this work, we propose GPU Mech, an interval analysis-based performance modeling technique for GPU architectures. GPU Mech models multithreading and resource contentions caused by memory divergence. We compare GPU Mech with a detailed timing simulator and show that on average, GPU Mechhas 13.2% error for modeling the round-robin scheduling policy and 14.0% error for modeling the greedy-then-oldest policy while achieving a 97x faster simulation speed. In addition, GPU Mech generates CPI stacks, which help hardware/software developers to visualize performance bottlenecks of a kernel.
Mentor Matching: A ‘Goodness of Fit’ Model

One of the few mentoring topics that has received little attention in the abundant mentoring literature is the determinants of organically formed (as opposed for formal program-based) mentoring rel...
Computational predictions on the receptive fields and organization of v2 for shape processing

It has been more than 40 years since the first studies of the secondary visual cortex (V2) were published. However, no concrete hypothesis on how the receptive field of V2 neurons supports general shape processing has been proposed to date. Using a computational model that follows the principle of self-organization, we advance two hypotheses in this letter: (1) typical V2 orientation-selective receptive field contains a primary orientation and a secondary orientation component, forming a corner, a junction, or a cross; and (2) V2 columns with the same primary orientation form contiguous domains, divided into subdomains that prefer different secondary orientations. The first hypothesis is consistent with existing experimental evidence, and both hypotheses can be tested with current techniques in animals. In this manner, computational modeling can be used to provide verifiable predictions that eventually allow us to understand the role of V2 in visual processing.
The role of heat shock protein 27 in bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation

Background Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a family of evolutionary conserved proteins classified according to their size as small and large Hsps. They have a cytoprotective role and have been shown to be immunogenic molecules. In addition, self-reactivity to Hsps has been implicated in various autoimmune diseases and in the development of alloimmunity. This study examined the relationship of large and small Hsps and anti-Hsp antibodies in lung transplant (LTx) recipients who have bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). Methods Anti-Hsp27 and Hsp70 antibodies, and Hsp27, Hsp60, and Hsp70 protein expression levels were evaluated in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples collected from 8 LTx recipients with established BOS and 8 recipients without BOS (controls). Serum from 8 healthy individuals was examined for Hsp levels as a comparison. Results Elevated serum Hsp27 levels were observed in recipients with BOS compared with controls or healthy individuals, whereas Hsp70 and Hsp60 expression showed no difference. Anti-Hsp27 antibody levels were significantly higher in the BAL of recipients with BOS than in those without BOS. In contrast, anti-Hsp70 antibodies levels in serum or BAL showed no difference between groups. Conclusions These results support the novel concept that Hsp27, but not the classic Hsp60 and Hsp70, may be associated with the development BOS. The expression of anti-Hsp27 antibodies found only in the BAL fluid suggests a local response occurring at the level of the alveoli and terminal airways.
Ventricular Assist Device in Patients With Prosthetic Heart Valves

Ventricular assist device (VAD) support inpatients with a prosthetic heart valve had previously been considered a relative contraindication due to an increased risk of thromboembolic complications. We report our clinical experience of VAD implantation in patients with prosthetic heart valves, including both mechanical and bioprosthetic valves. The clinical records of 133 consecutive patients who underwent VAD implantation at a single institution from January 2002 through June 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Six of these patients had a prosthetic valve in place at the time of device implantation. Patient demographics,operative characteristics, and postoperative complications were reviewed.Of the six patients,four were male.The mean age was 57.8 years (range 35–66 years). The various prosthetic cardiac valves included a mechanical aortic valve (n = 2), a bioprosthetic aortic valve (n = 3), and a mechanical mitral valve (n = 1).The indications for VAD support included bridge to transplantation (n = 2), bridge to recovery (n = 1), and postcardiotomy ventricular failure(n = 3). Three patients underwent left ventricular assist device placement and three received a right ventricular assist device. Postoperatively, standard anticoagulation management began with a heparin infusion (if possible)followed by oral anticoagulation.The 30-day mortality was50% (3/6). The mean duration of support among survivors was 194.3 days (range 7–369 days) compared with 16.0 days(range 4–29 days) for nonsurvivors. Of the three survivors,two were successfully bridged to heart transplantation and one recovered native ventricular function.Among the three nonsurvivors,acute renal failure developed in each case, and two developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. This study suggests that VAD placement in patients with a prosthethic heart valve, either mechanical or bioprosthetic,appears to be a reasonable option.
Engaging communities in education and research: PBRNs, AHEC, and CTSA.

Background: Community engagement has become a prominent element in medical research and is an important component of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program. Area Health Education Centers engage communities in education and workforce development. Methods: Engaging Communities in Education and Research (ECER) is a successful collaboration among the Colorado Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Colorado Clinical Translational Science Institute, and Shared Network of Collaborative Ambulatory Practices and Partners—Colorado’s practice-based research collaborative. The ECER Conference is an annual conference of community members, health care providers, clinical preceptors, AHEC board members, university faculty, primary care investigators, program administrators, and community organization leaders. Results: Over 1,000 people have participated in the ECER Conference representing all regions of Colorado. Several projects from the “new ideas” breakout session have been developed and completed. Six-month follow-up provided evidence of numerous new collaborations, campus-community partnerships, and developing research projects. Several new collaborations highlight the long-term nature of building on relationships started at the ECER Conference. Discussion and Conclusion: ECER has been a successful collaboration to develop and support campus-community collaborations in Colorado. Although seemingly just a simple 3-day conference, we have found that this event has lead to many important partnerships. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume #: 1–9
MOISTURE TRANSFER IN A PACKAGED PRODUCT IN ISOTHERMAL STORAGE: EXTRAPOLATING DATA TO ANY PACKAGE-HUMIDITY COMBINATION AND EVALUATING WATER SORPTION ISOTHERMS

Moisture increase data of packaged food samples stored at constant temperature were used to calculate the sorption isotherm of the food. This method uses either the derivative of time versus moisture content curve or an integrated form of an appropriate isotherm equation. A technique was also developed for extrapolating the above data to any given package-storage humidity combination. This is accomplished by utilizing the previously determined isotherm or by transformation of polynomials. These methods were successfully tested in dehydrated cabbage and in cottonseed flour.
Mastering problem-based learning and case-based instruction techniques in a faculty learning community

Problem-based learning (PBL) and case-based instruction (CBI) are instructional techniques that have been successfully implemented in a variety of disciplines. PBL and CBI promote students' skills in problem-solving, analysis, self-directed learning, and collaboration. It is, however, a creative and often time-consuming task to discover, design, and present a good problem or case that is attractive to students, appropriate for course content, and relevant to the subject. We have attempted to master PBL and CBI techniques through a faculty learning community (FLC), in which a group of six faculty members from diverse disciplines worked together to develop a joint, multi-faceted case study. As the FLC explored PBL and CBI techniques, the group discovered that the FLC provided a rich environment for sustained intellectual exchange. In this paper, we describe the experience of the group as a whole as well as the learning experiences of individual FLC members. Our experiences show that FLCs are an effective, engaging, and inexpensive way for faculty members to learn new teaching approaches such as PBL and CBI
MARIS: Method for Analyzing RNA following Intracellular Sorting

Transcriptional profiling is a key technique in the study of cell biology that is limited by the availability of reagents to uniquely identify specific cell types and isolate high quality RNA from them. We report a Method for Analyzing RNA following Intracellular Sorting (MARIS) that generates high quality RNA for transcriptome profiling following cellular fixation, intracellular immunofluorescent staining and FACS. MARIS can therefore be used to isolate high quality RNA from many otherwise inaccessible cell types simply based on immunofluorescent tagging of unique intracellular proteins. As proof of principle, we isolate RNA from sorted human embryonic stem cell-derived insulin-expressing cells as well as adult human β cells. MARIS is a basic molecular biology technique that could be used across several biological disciplines.
The Confined Flow Behavior of a Bingham Non-Newtonian Jet

The flow behavior of a confined viscoplastic non-Newtonian jet is investigated numerically within the steady laminar flow regime. The Bingham constitutive equation is used to model the rheology of interest. A parametric study is implemented to investigate the influence of confinement ratio and rheology over the following range of parameters: Confinement ratio, CR = {5, 10, 20}, and Yield number, Y = {0, 0.5, 2}. A large corner recirculation region typically characterizes the flow of a confined Newtonian jet. However, in the case of a Bingham viscoplastic jet, once a critical yield number is exceeded, flow recirculation is eliminated and a stagnant corner region is formed. The confinement ratio has a dramatic impact on the recirculation intensity and the evolution characteristics of the jet only in the case of Newtonian flows, i.e. Y = 0. In general, a more intense recirculation is associated with higher confinement ratios. The extent and the strength of flow recirculation are found to significantly diminish with the yield number. The axial penetration of the confined jet substantially increases with the confinement ratio for Newtonian fluids only and decreases with the yield numbers for all confinement ratios.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Post Classification Label Refinement Using Implicit Ordering Constraint Among Data Instances

Classification of instances into different categories in various real world applications suffer from inaccuracies due to lack of representative training data, limitations of classification models, noise and outliers in the input data etc. In this paper we propose a new post classification label refinement method for the scenarios where data instances have an inherent ordering among them that can be leveraged to correct inconsistencies in class labels. We show that by using the ordering constraint, more robust algorithms can be developed than traditional methods. Moreover in most applications where this ordering among instances exists, it is not directly observed. The proposed approach simultaneously estimates the latent ordering among instances and corrects the class labels. We demonstrate the utility of the approach for the application of monitoring the dynamics of lakes and reservoirs. The proposed approach has been evaluated on synthetic datasets with different noise structures and noise levels.
Sovereign Wealth Funds to BP’s Rescue?

The meeting between the BP Chief Executive and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince regarding the prospect of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, buying a stake of up to 10% in BP in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill indicates a new world financial order in which SWFs play a growing role.
Early Endovascular Treatment in Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator–Ineligible Patients

Background and Purpose— Intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment in acute stroke has many exclusion criteria. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of endovascular therapy (ET) in intravenous (IV) tPA-ineligible patients. Methods— Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of consecutive patients treated with ET within 6 hours of stroke onset between September 2010 and April 2015. Patients treated with IV-tPA followed by ET were compared with those treated with ET alone because of IV-tPA ineligibility. Efficacy and safety end points included the rates of good outcome (90-day modified Rankin scale score ≤2), successful reperfusion (modified Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia 2b-3), parenchymal hematoma (PH-1 and PH-2), and 90-day mortality. Univariate and logistic regression were performed to identify the predictors of outcomes. Results— A total of 422 patients were included. Two hundred and fifty-three (59%) patients received IV-tPA+ET, and 169 (41%), ET alone. Combined IV-tPA+ET patients were slightly younger (64.9±15.2 versus 67.9±14.9 years; P =0.05), more often males (56% versus 44%; P =0.01), and had less hypertension (70% versus 81%; P =0.02) and vertebrobasilar occlusions (3% versus 8%; P =0.02). The remaining baseline characteristics, including National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (20 [15–23] versus 19 [15–24]; P =0.85), Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS; 8 [7–9] versus 8 [7–9]; P =0.24), and stroke onset to puncture times (235±70 versus 240±81 minutes; P =0.27), were similar across both groups. There were no significant differences in the rates of modified Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia 2b-3 (83% versus 80%; P =0.52), 90-day modified Rankin scale score ≤2 (45% versus 38%; P =0.21), or any PH (3% versus 5%; P =0.21). Unadjusted 90-day mortality was higher with ET alone (21% versus 34%; P <0.01); however, IV-tPA ineligibility was not associated with modified Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia 2b-3, any PH, good outcome, or 90-day mortality on logistic regression. Conclusions— IV-tPA-eligible and -ineligible patients seem to have similar outcomes after early ET.
Validation of a molecular diagnostic assay for CALR exon 9 indels in myeloproliferative neoplasms: identification of coexisting JAK2 and CALR mutations and a novel 9 bp deletion in CALR.

SummaryIntroduction The 2008 WHO criteria for the diagnosis and classification of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) rely in part upon the assessment of mutations in JAK2 and MPL genes. Recently, mutations in calreticulin (CALR) have been identified in MPN lacking JAK2 and MPL mutations. We have validated a sensitive fragment analysis assay to detect CALR mutations. Methods Genomic DNA from peripheral blood, bone marrow, and FFPE bone marrow clot preparations from 52 MPN specimens with known JAK2 and MPL mutation status and 29 non-MPN specimens was analyzed. CALR mutation testing was performed by fragment length analysis, and the results were confirmed by sequencing. Accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and robustness of the assay were determined. Results Forty specimens (32 JAK2+, 2 JAK2-/MPL+, and 6 JAK2-/MPL-) were negative for CALR mutations. Twelve specimens had CALR mutations including 52 bp deletion (5), 5 bp insertion (6), and a novel 9 bp deletion (1). This 9 bp inframe deletion occurring at an allelic burden of 50% would delete three amino acids. One specimen with a 52 bp deletion also had JAK2 V617F mutation. All 29 non-MPN specimens were negative for CALR mutations. The assay accurately identified the mutation status of all 52 MPN specimens and had a coefficient of variation <3% for the fragment size and mutant peaks with a sensitivity of 5% for indels. Conclusions Fragment analysis is an accurate and sensitive method for the detection of CALR indels. The novel 9 bp deletion is likely a germline variant. Consequence of coexisting JAK2 V617F and CALR mutations requires careful interpretation.
Optimal Tracking of Time-Varying Modes For Control of Morphing Aircraft

Morphing vehicles have inherently time-varying dynamics due to the alteration of their configurations; consequently, the numerous techniques for analysis and control of timeinvariant systems are inappropriate. A control scheme is introduced that directly considers a concept of time-varying pole to command morphing. The resulting trajectory minimizing tracking error for either a state response or a pole response.
Statistical mechanics. Exploring phase space

The motion of three particles on a ring should be easy to model. But the behaviour of such a simple system is not ergodic — that is, it cannot be assumed that the system will always sample its ‘phase space’ in the same way.
Pancreatic polypeptide in dorsal vagal complex stimulates gastric acid secretion and motility in rats

High concentrations of receptors for pancreatic polypeptide (PP), a pancreatic hormone, were recently discovered in the dorsomedial region of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC). We hypothesized that gastric acid secretion and motility, digestive functions strongly influenced by vagovagal reflexes organized within the DVC, would be affected by PP applied directly to this vagal sensorimotor integration area. After urethan-anesthetized rats were prepared for antral motility recording or titrometric analysis of gastric acid output, phosphate-buffered saline or various doses of PP in phosphate-buffered saline were micropressure injected into the medial DVC. Injections of PP into the DVC produced significant, long-lasting, and dose-dependent increases in gastric acid secretion and antral motility. These gastric responses were blocked by bilateral cervical vagotomy and by atropine, suggesting that intramedullary PP stimulates vagal cholinergic pathways, resulting in enhanced gastric functions. Because PP is not synthesized within the central nervous system, these results point to a new mechanism whereby the digestive tract may modulate its own autonomic control: direct humoral action on vagovagal reflex circuits within the brain stem.
Multifunctional heterocyclic scaffolds for hybrid Lewis acid/Lewis base catalysis of carbon–carbon bond formation

Abstract Several new classes of hybrid catalysts have been synthesized by tethering heterocyclic metal (Lewis acid) chelating scaffolds to several different amines capable of facilitating enamine catalysis. Oxazole, thiazole, and imidazole-based chiral precatalysts were prepared in several steps from amino acid starting materials, and these were combined with a variety of metal Lewis acids for potential use as catalysts for various carbon–carbon bond formations. Air- and moisture-tolerant catalysts for enantioselective direct aldol reactions with activated benzaldehyde acceptors were identified, with optimal results obtained with proline-derived oxazole–carboxamide precatalysts combined with Zn(OTf)2 or lanthanide (III) salts. Control studies support the hypothesis that these act as unimolecular hybrid catalysts for the aldol reaction of propionaldehyde and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde.
Immune Cell Targets of Infection at the Tick-Skin Interface during Powassan Virus Transmission.

Powassan virus (POWV) is a tick-borne flavivirus that can result in a severe neuroinvasive disease with 50% of survivors displaying long-term neurological sequelae. Human POWV cases have been documented in Canada, the United States, and Russia. Although the number of reported POWV human cases has increased in the past fifteen years, POWV remains one of the less studied human pathogenic flaviviruses. Ixodes ticks are the vectors for POWV, and the virus is transmitted to a host’s skin very early during the tick feeding process. Central to the successful transmission of a tick-borne pathogen are complex interactions between the host immune response and early tick-mediated immunomodulation, all of which initially occur at the skin interface. In our prior work, we examined the cutaneous immune gene expression during the early stages of POWV-infected Ixodes scapularis feeding. The present study serves to further investigate the skin interface by identifying early cell targets of infection at the POWV-infected tick feeding site. An in vivo infection model consisting of POWV-infected ticks feeding on mice for short durations was used in this study. Skin biopsies from the tick feeding sites were harvested at various early time points, enabling us to examine the skin histopathology and detect POWV viral antigen in immune cells present at the tick feeding site. The histopathology from the present study demonstrates that neutrophil and mononuclear cell infiltrates are recruited earlier to the feeding site of a POWV-infected tick versus an uninfected tick. This is the first report demonstrating that macrophages and fibroblasts contain POWV antigens, which suggests that they are early cellular targets of infection at the tick feeding site. These data provide key insights towards defining the complex interactions between the host immune response and early tick-mediated immunomodulation.
Self-Teaching Through Correlated Input

Previous work has shown that competitive learning coupled with a top-down teaching signal can produce compact invariant representations. In this paper we show that such a teaching signal can be derived internally from correlations between input patterns to two or more converging processing streams with feedback. Such correlations arise naturally from the structure present in natural environments. We demonstrate this process on two small but computationally difficult problems. We hypothesize that the correlations between and within sensory systems enable the learning of invariant properties.
Context-dependent effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors.

Purpose of review The antidiabetic mechanism of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors is attributed to attenuation of incretin metabolism. Because DPP4 has at least 45 substrates, context-dependent off-target effects of DPP4 inhibitors are likely. Here, we consider the clinical ramifications of the context-dependent effects of DPP4 inhibitors. Recent findings Although incretins protect organs from diabetic injury, nonincretin DPP4 substrates also accumulate when DPP4 is inhibited. Neuropeptide Y(1-36), peptide YY(1-36), and CXCL12α(1-68) are DPP4 substrates, and emerging results suggest that these peptides promote heart and kidney damage or increase blood pressure. Because levels of, and cellular responses to, these peptides vary depending on context, likely the harmful effects of DPP4 inhibitors are context-dependent. This conclusion is supported by the contrasting results of preclinical studies, some showing cardiorenal protection and others demonstrating harmful effects on the heart and kidneys. Likewise, some preclinical studies report antihypertensive and others prohypertensive effects of DPP4 inhibitors. Several randomized clinical trials, observational studies, and meta-analyses describe detrimental effects of DPP4 inhibitors on outcomes, although others do not (context-dependence). Summary The beneficial effects of DPP4 inhibitors might be optimized by careful patient selection or by coadministration of Y1 or CXCR4 receptor antagonists to eliminate the off-target effects of DPP4 inhibition.
On the maintenance of distributed storage systems with backup node for repair

We consider a hierarchical DSS where the content is stored with coding in storage nodes and without coding in a backup node. We analyze the system where mobile nodes request the content from the storage nodes. Backup node is assumed to be accessible by storage nodes only in the case where repairs are required. Under this scenario, we derive the upper bound on the file size bound as well as establish critical points on the trade-off curve known as Minimum Storage Regenerating (MSR) and Minimum Bandwidth Regenerating (MBR) points. Next, we propose optimal code constructions by utilizing existing regenerating codes. Furthermore, we analyze the statistics of maintenance and data access costs under Poisson model for node failures and data requests. We derive expressions for expected values and variances of both such costs. Finally, numerical results are provided where we show that the most studied points in the literature (MSR and MBR) are not always optimal with respect to total cost. We also point out that variance of maintenance cost may be much important than variance of data access cost.