cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation and regression: dealing with the assumption of a common error variance

In the application of regression analysis to discrete event simulation, the assumption of a common error variance is usually questionable. Procedures are suggested for testing this assumption, for dealing with departures from it within the regression protocol, and for avoiding the difficulty by controlling the length and/or number of simulation runs at each experimental point. Passive approaches are discussed in which it is assumed that a set of simulation runs are made and are then subjected to statistical analysis. More dynamic approaches are then considered which take advantage of the ready availability of additional data in the simulation context. >
Novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein (darbepoetin alfa) alleviates anemia associated with chronic inflammatory disease in a rodent model

Abstract Objective We developed a rodent model of noninfectious systemic inflammation to examine the pathogenesis of the associated anemia of chronic disorders (ACD), to evaluate the similarity of this ACD model to human ACD, and to evaluate the potential efficacy of novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein (darbepoetin alfa) as an ACD therapy. Methods Lewis rats were immunized with peptidoglycan-polysaccharide polymers (PG-APS), the chronic inflammation and associated ACD were characterized, and the effects of darbepoetin alfa treatment on complete blood counts (CBC), red blood cell (RBC) indices, and iron metabolism were analyzed weekly. Results Acutely inflamed rats had reduced peripheral blood (PB) RBC counts and hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and increased reticulocyte counts. PB RBC numbers normalized during chronic inflammation, but RBC remained hypochromic and microcytic. Consequently, the rats remained chronically anemic. Anemic rats had fluctuating serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentrations, but mean EPO concentrations never varied significantly from baseline control levels. Histology of anemic rat spleen sections revealed reticuloendothelial siderosis. Total serum iron concentrations were chronically low. Peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) isolated from anemic rats and stimulated with PG-APS in vitro produced more interleukin (IL)-1α and interferon (IFN)-γ, and significantly more tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-10 than control cultures. Darbepoetin alfa restored Hb concentrations to baseline levels within 2 to 7 weeks, depending on dosage. A refined treatment strategy restored Hb to baseline and maintained those levels with reduced dosing. Conclusion ACD in this rodent model closely replicates human ACD. Darbepoetin alfa treatment reversed ACD in this model by increasing RBC production and RBC hemoglobinization while reducing siderosis and hypoferremia.
Template aging in eye movement-driven biometrics

This paper presents a template aging study of eye movement biometrics, considering three distinct biometric techniques on multiple stimuli and eye tracking systems. Short-to-midterm aging effects are examined over two-weeks, on a highresolution eye tracking system, and seven-months, on a low-resolution eye tracking system. We find that, in all cases, aging effects are evident as early as two weeks after initial template collection, with an average 28% (±19%) increase in equal error rates and 34% (±12%) reduction in rank-1 identification rates. At seven months, we observe an average 18% (±8%) increase in equal error rates and 44% (±20%) reduction in rank-1 identification rates. The comparative results at two-weeks and seven-months suggests that there is little difference in aging effects between the two intervals; however, whether the rate of decay increases more drastically in the long-term remains to be seen.
Pre-Columbian origins for North American anthrax

Disease introduction into the New World during colonial expansion is well documented and had a major impact on indigenous populations; however, few diseases have been associated with early human migrations into North America. During the late Pleistocene epoch, Asia and North America were joined by the Beringian Steppe ecosystem which allowed animals and humans to freely cross what would become a water barrier in the Holocene. Anthrax has clearly been shown to be dispersed by human commerce and trade in animal products contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores. Humans appear to have brought B. anthracis to this area from Asia and then moved it further south as an ice-free corridor opened in central Canada ∼13,000 ybp. In this study, we have defined the evolutionary history of Western North American (WNA) anthrax using 2,850 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 285 geographically diverse B. anthracis isolates. Phylogeography of the major WNA B. anthracis clone reveals ancestral populations in northern Canada with progressively derived populations to the south; the most recent ancestor of this clonal lineage is in Eurasia. Our phylogeographic patterns are consistent with B. anthracis arriving with humans via the Bering Land Bridge. This northern-origin hypothesis is highly consistent with our phylogeographic patterns and rates of SNP accumulation observed in current day B. anthracis isolates. Continent-wide dispersal of WNA B. anthracis likely required movement by later European colonizers, but the continent's first inhabitants may have seeded the initial North American populations.
Stilbenedisulfonate binding kinetics to band 3 (AE 1): relationship between transport and stilbenedisulfonate binding sites and role of subunit interactions in transport.

Abstract ABSTRACT Stilbenedisulfonates are competitive inhibitors of band 3 (AE1) anion exchange. It has been assumed that competitive binding implies that the stilbenedisulfonates bind to the transport site. In this paper, I summarize briefly an extensive series of stopped-flow fluorescence kinetic studies which indicate that stilbenedisulfonates do not compete with substrate anions directly, but rather that they behave as allosteric competitive inhibitors of monovalent anion binding to band 3. Monovalent anions lower stilbenedisulfonate affinity by accelerating the rate of their release from band 3, without changing the value of the initial second-order “on” kinetic constant. In addition, partial covalent labeling of the band 3 population with stilbenedisulfonates revealed subunit interaction effects: (a) in steady-state and pre-steady-state transport kinetic studies, (b) in studies on the kinetics of reversible stilbenedisulfonate binding to the unlabeled portion of the band 3 population, and (c) in microcalorimetric studies of the thermal unfolding of the membrane domain of band 3. Studies on the kinetics of reversible stilbenedisulfonate binding to erythrocyte membranes from an individual with Southeast Asian ovalocytosis also revealed subunit interaction effects. The demonstration of allosteric competition between stilbenedisulfonates and substrate anions and the observation of numerous examples of subunit interaction effects suggest that allosteric effects may play a significant role in band 3 function.
Characterization of Parallelism and Deadlocks in Distributed Digital Logic Simulation

This paper explores the suitability of the Chandy-Misra algorithm for digital logic simulation. We use four realistic circuits as benchmarks for our analysis, with one of them being the vector-unit controller for the Titan supercomputer from Ardent. Our results show that the average number of logic elements available for concurrent execution ranges from 10 to 111 for the four circuits, with an overall average of 68. Although this is twice as much paralelism as that obtained by traditional event-driven algorithms for these circuits, we feel it is still too low. One major factor limiting concurrency is the large number of global synchronization points -- "deadlocks" in the Chandy-Misra terminology -- that occur during execution. Towards the goal of reducing the number of deadlocks, the paper presents a classification of the types of deadlocks that occur during digital logic simulation. Four different types are identified and described intuitively in terms of circuit structure. Using domain specific knowledge, the paper proposes methods for reducing these deadlock occurrences. For one of the benchmark circuits, the use of the proposed techniques eliminated all deadlocks and increased the average parallelism from 40 to 160. We believe that the use of such domain knowledge will make the Chandy-Misra algorithm significantly more effective than it would be in its generic form.
New loop diuretic prescriptions may be an acute risk factor for falls in the nursing home.

Purpose Although chronic use of diuretics has been implicated as a risk factor for falls, it is unknown whether changes in diuretic drugs are associated with an acutely elevated risk of falls. We evaluated the relationship between change in a diuretic prescription (new prescription or increased dose) and the occurrence of documented falls among nursing home residents. Methods Participants of the cohort were 1785 long-term care residents of two large nursing homes (2005–2010; Boston, MA). A self-matched, case-crossover analysis was used to examine whether there is an acutely increased risk of falling in the day following a diuretic drug change compared with days without a diuretic drug change. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using conditional logistic regression models. Results During a mean follow-up of 8.4 months, 1181 participants experienced an incident fall. Nine participants experienced a diuretic change on the day before the fall. The odds of falling one day following a change in a diuretic was elevated (OR = 2.08; 95%CI = 0.89, 4.86). The association was stronger and reached nominal statistical significance when loop diuretics were examined separately (OR = 2.46; 95%CI = 1.02, 5.92). We estimated that, for every 271 loop diuretic drug changes, one excess fall occurred. Conclusions Nursing home residents are at an increased risk of falls in the day following a new prescription or increased dose of a loop diuretic drug. Extra precautions should be taken immediately following a loop diuretic drug change in an effort to prevent falls. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structure, electrical, transport and optical properties of a new ordered iron intercalated dichalcogenide, Fe0.34TiSe2

The compound Fe0.34TiSe2 crystallizes in space group D33d−P3ml of the trigonal system with 8 formula units in a cell of dimensions a = 7.148(4), c = 11.880(7) A at 117 K. The structure of Fe0.34TiSe2 can be derived from that of TiSe2 by insertion of Fe atoms into some of the octahedral holes between the layers. No two adjacent octahedral holes along c contain Fe atoms, that is no two Fe atoms are related by a translation of c2. The compound FexTiSe2, x = 0.34, exhibits physical properties remarkably different from those found in either the host material, TiSe2, or in low iron concentration (x < 0.2) intercalated materials. The electrical resistivity of this compound exhibits a sharp decrease below 120 K which is coincident with a well defined peak in the Hall coefficient. These data have been interpreted as the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering as suggested by results of magnetic susceptibility measurements. Optical reflectance measurements indicate a simple Drude-like free carrier behavior and are consistent with the interpretation of iron as an electron donor in this material.
Parental Satisfaction, Efficacy, and Adverse Events in 54 Patients Treated With Cantharidin for Molluscum Contagiosum Infection

Objective To study the efficacy, tolerability, and parental satisfaction of cantharidin in a patient population at a pediatric dermatology referral center.Methods Chart review was completed for 110 patients who presented with molluscum infection and were treated with cantharidin. A total of 54 were available for follow-up by telephone interview regarding adverse effects, parental satisfaction, and overall clearance of the infection.Results Of those who were reachable, 96% improved after treatment with cantharidin. Parental satisfaction was 78%. Patients received an average of 2.2 treatments irrespective of outcome. Overall, 46% of patients experienced adverse events, including pain, pruritus, secondary infection, brisk immune response, and temporary hypopigmentation and 9% experienced an adverse event that they classified as severe.Conclusions The results contribute to the data supporting cantharidin as a safe and effective treatment of molluscum contagiosum. Compared with other treatments, it appears to ...
Automatic detection of seed coat fragments in cotton fabrics

Seed coat fragments (SCFs) reduce the marketability of cotton fiber, yarns and fabrics. It is particularly important to measure SCF content in the fabric because they cause severe dyeing and appearance defects. SCF content is greatly affected by cotton varieties, environmental conditions during crop development, and mechanical processing, but studying their effects in fabrics can be very tedious and time consuming. In this paper, we present an image analysis system for accurate and fast measurement of SCFs in greige fabrics, and the conditions of using the system for reliable and repeatable data. In the study, four different US cotton varieties were selected, and processed with regular manufacturing facilities. The relationship between sample size and precision of the image analysis system was determined through statistical analysis. It was found that the minimum sample size for each variety should consist of five camera images with a minimum of four fabric samples per variety with three replications, which gives a least significant difference (LSD) of 64.54 for dark speck count. Dark speck counts for the four fabrics tested ranged from 267.7 to 659.9. Increasing sample size will lower the LSD.
On the influence of coupled homogeneous redox reactions on electrode processes in d.c. and a.c. polarography: II. The e.e. mechanism with a coupled homogeneous redox reaction

Summary A theoretical study of the d.c. and a.c. polarographic response with the mechanism A + e ⇌ k s , 1 , α 1 B B + e ⇌ k s , 2 , α 2 C A + C ⇌ k 2 k 1 2 B is presented. The rate law derivation encompasses the expanding sphere electrode model, systems where diffusion coefficients of the reacting species are unequal, all possible combinations of the heterogeneous charge transfer rate parameters, and most values of the homogeneous rate parameters (excluding very large k1 values). Calculations performed with a FORTRAN representation of the derived rate laws reveal that the homogeneous reaction can substantially influence the d.c. and a.c. polarographic behavior, not only in the well-recognized situation where the disproportionation step is significant, but also under certain conditions when the direction of the homogeneous step corresponds to reproportionation. A number of experimentally-significant situations are examined with emphasis on obtaining guidelines regarding when the homogeneous process is kinetically-significant and how its rate parameters might be characterized using d.c. and a.c. polarographic observables.
Anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and toxicosis in four species of birds of prey presented to a wildlife clinic in Massachusetts, 2006-2010.

Abstract Mortalities among birds of prey from anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) toxicosis have been documented in several countries. Reports on extent of exposure within regions of the United States are limited. This study investigated AR exposure and toxicosis in four species of birds of prey (red-tailed hawks [Buteo jamaicensis], barred owls [Strix varia], eastern screech owls [Megascops asio] and great horned owls [Bubo virginianus]) presented to a wildlife clinic in Massachusetts. The aims of this study are to document the proportion of these four species that died or were euthanized due to their presenting injuries that had detectable amounts of ARs in liver tissue; to identify and quantify ARs present; to describe clinical, postmortem, and histopathologic signs of toxicosis; to evaluate potential sublethal effects of AR exposure; and to associate liver AR level with toxicosis. Birds included in the study were sampled without regard to signs of AR toxicosis. Postmortem examinations were conducted, and l...
Effects of a conditioned taste aversion on schedule-induced polydipsia

Rats that became Polydipsic on water under a FFI-60 food schedule were switched to a saccharin solution. After drinking saccharin, the Ss were exposed to ionizing radiation. Although this procedure produces a marked aversion to saccharin in thirst motivated rats following a single exposure, repeated pairings of the saccharin solution and ionizing radiation were needed to reduce the high drinking levels generated by the intermittent food schedule. These findings suggest that schedule-induced polydipsia is a strong motivational state.
Anomalous thermal maturities caused by carbonaceous sediments

Sedimentary rocks such as coal and carbonaceous mudstone which contain abundant carbonaceous matter are characterized by thermal conductivity much lower than that exhibited by other common rock types, by a factor of 5-10. As a result, temperature gradients in such sediments can range up to 0.25 "C m-' even under conditions of average heat flow. When such steep gradients extend over a significant sedimentary thickness, temperatures of underlying rock units are elevated, causing both organic and inorganic phases to record what seem to be anomalously high levels of thermal maturity. This carbonaceous blanket insulating effect may help to explain unusual levels of maturity observed at shallow depths in the Appalachian Basin, Michigan Basin and other regions of the world with significant carbonaceous strata.
Crossable surfaces of robotic manipulators with joint limits

A broadly applicable formulation for determining the crossability of singular surf aces and curves in the workspace of serial robotic manipulators is presented. Singular surfaces and curves are analytically determined using nullspace rank-deficiency criteria of the mechanism’s constraint position Jacobian. Imposed joint limits in terms of inequality constraints are taken into account in the formulation. Directions of admissible normal movements on a surface or curve are established from the analysis of the normal curvature of singular surfaces. The normal curvature of a parametric surface used in this formulation, is determined from the first and second fundamental forms adapted from differential geometry. Definiteness properties of a quadratic form developed from the acceleration analysis determine admissible normal movements. For singular surfaces resulting from active joint constraints, definiteness properties are not enough and supplementary criteria are necessary. Two additional criteria are derived. This paper is a complete treatment of the problem of determining whether a singular surface/curve in the workspace is crossable. Planar and spatial numerical examples are presented to illustrate the formulation.
Managing Distributed, Shared L2 Caches through OS-Level Page Allocation

This paper presents and studies a distributed L2 cache management approach through OS-level page allocation for future many-core processors. L2 cache management is a crucial multicore processor design aspect to overcome non-uniform cache access latency for good program performance and to reduce on-chip network traffic and related power consumption. Unlike previously studied hardwarebased private and shared cache designs implementing a "fixed" caching policy, the proposed OS-microarchitecture approach is flexible; it can easily implement a wide spectrum of L2 caching policies without complex hardware support. Furthermore, our approach can provide differentiated execution environment to running programs by dynamically controlling data placement and cache sharing degrees. We discuss key design issues of the proposed approach and present preliminary experimental results showing the promise of our approach.
High Throughput Discovery of Solar Fuels Photoanodes in the CuO-V_2O_5 System

Solar photoelectrochemical generation of fuel is a promising energy technology yet the lack of an efficient, robust photoanode remains a primary materials challenge in the development and deployment of solar fuels generators. Metal oxides comprise the most promising class of photoanode materials, but no known material meets the demanding requirements of low band gap energy, photoelectrocatalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and stability under highly oxidizing conditions. Here, the identification of new photoelectroactive materials is reported through a strategic combination of combinatorial materials synthesis, high-throughput photoelectrochemistry, optical spectroscopy, and detailed electronic structure calculations. Four photoelectrocatalyst phases, α-Cu_2V_2O_7, β-Cu_2V_2O_7,γ-Cu_3V_2O_8, and Cu_(11)V_6O_(26), are reported with band gap energy at or below 2 eV. The photoelectrochemical properties and 30 min stability of these copper vanadate phases are demonstrated in three different aqueous electrolytes (pH 7, pH 9, and pH 13), with select combinations of phase and electrolyte exhibiting unprecedented photoelectrocatalytic stability for metal oxides with sub-2 eV band gap. Through integration of experimental and theoretical techniques, new structure-property relationships are determined and establish CuO–V_2O_5 as the most prominent composition system for OER photoelectrocatalysts, providing crucial information for materials genomes initiatives and paving the way for continued development of solar fuels photoanodes.
Net radiation in a snow-covered discontinuous forest gap for a range of gap sizes and topographic configurations

Estimating net radiation on the forest floor is crucial for predicting snowmelt recharge and for quantifying water yield from snow-dominated forested watersheds. However, complex characteristics of radiation transfer in discontinuous forest gaps make this estimation challenging. This study quantifies net radiation within a forest gap for a range of gap sizes, slopes and aspects, and meteorological conditions. The spatial distribution of net radiation in the gap is found to be heterogeneous with southern and northern areas of the gap receiving minimum and maximum energy amounts, respectively. At a midlatitude site and for completely clear sky conditions in the snow season, results suggest that net radiation in the forest gap is minimum for gaps of size equal to half of the surrounding tree height. In contrast, when sky cloudiness in the snow season is considered, net radiation shows a monotonically increasing trend with gap size. Slope and aspect of forest gap floor also impact the net radiation and its variation with gap size. Net radiation is largest and smallest on steep south-facing and north-facing slopes, respectively. Variation of net radiation with slope and aspect is largest for larger gaps. Results also suggest that net radiation in north-facing forest gaps is larger than in open areas for a longer duration in the snow season than in forest gaps on flat and south-facing slopes. Since net radiation directly affects melt recharge and evaporation, these findings have implications on forest and water management, wildfire hazard, and forest health.
A Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Instability of Relevance to the Seasonal Cycle

Abstract Recent observational studies have suggested that interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean play an important role in the pronounced annual cycle of the eastern equatorial Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The key to this atmosphere–ocean interaction is a positive feedback between the surface winds and the local SST gradients in the cold tongue/ITCZ complex regions, which leads to an instability in the coupled system. By means of linear instability analyses and numerical model experiments, such an instability mechanism is explored in a simple coupled ocean-atmosphere system. The instability analysis yields a family of antisymmetric and symmetric unstable SST modes. The antisymmetric mode has the most rapid growth rate. The most unstable antisymmetric mode occurs at zero wavenumber and has zero frequency. The symmetric SST mode, although its growth rate is smaller, has a structure at annual period that appears to resemble the observed westward propagating feature in the annual cycle of near-equa...
Design of LD1, a Large-Aperture High-Field ${\rm Nb}_{3}{\rm Sn}$ Dipole Magnet

In order to continue supporting the development of accelerator magnets for the next generation of particle colliders, the LBNL Superconducting Magnet Program has started the design and fabrication of the Large-aperture Dipole LD1. The goal of the magnet is to generate a dipole field of 13 T to 15 T in a clear aperture of 144 mm × 94 mm, enabling high-field tests of Rutherford cables and insert coils made of or high temperature superconductors (HTS), like Bi-2212, YBCO, and Bi-2223. The bore size will also accommodate large Cable-In-Conduit Conductors (CICC's), including ITER cables. We describe in this paper the design of LD1, in particular cable geometry, coil lay-out and support structure. Operational conditions based on strand measurements will be discussed, focusing on coil peak fields in straight section and end region, bore field homogeneity, and stress on the conductor during assembly, cool-down and excitation.
Effects of pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) stimulation on caudal pontine reticular formation (PnC) neurons in vitro.

Stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is known to induce changes in arousal and postural/locomotor states. Previously, PPN stimulation was reported to induce prolonged responses (PRs) i...
Pheidole neoschultzi: Replacement Name for Pheidole schultzi LaPolla, 2005 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a Junior Homonym of Pheidole schultzei Forel, 1910

According to Article 58 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature: “Species-group names established for different nominal taxa that differ in spelling only in any of the following respects and that are of the same derivation and meaning are deemed to be homonyms when the nominal taxa they denote are included in the same genus or collective group: 58.2. use of ei, i or y (e.g. cheiropus, chiropus, chyropus)”
Does Brand Loyalty Mediate Brand Equity Outcomes

A causal modelling approach is used to analyze the direct and indirect influences of brand attitudes, habit and brand loyalty on brand equity outcomes such as market share, shelf facings and price. Hypotheses concerning these relationships are developed and tested in two separate studies. The first study surveyed shoppers at a campus store while the second study surveyed mall shoppers. Results indicate that brand attitudes are directly and indirectly related to market share and shelf facings but only indirectly related to price, with the indirect path occurring through brand loyalty. The results are shown to replicate adequately when using different samples of shoppers and products. The implications of the study are discussed in terms of their significance for managers.
Latex Battery Separators. Preparation and Properties

Abstract THE commonly used electrical storage battery consists of alternate negative plates of sponge lead and positive plates of lead peroxide immersed in an electrolyte, sulfuric acid; the whole is enclosed in a hard rubber or bituminous composition case. These plates are ordinarily separated from one another by ribbed sheets of wood called “separators.” The separators prevent short circuiting of the plates caused by actual contact of the plates with each other or by “treeing” (formation of lead crystals between the plates). The separators must be thin, in order to make the battery as compact as possible, and yet must be durable. It is necessary that they be highly porous so that their electrical resistance will be low, but the pores must be sufficiently fine so that “treeing” does not take place. Wood separators are ordinarily made of Port Orford cedar. They are usually given a preliminary treatment in warm, dilute sodium hydroxide solution to swell them, thus increasing their porosity, and to remove i...
Galileo's Work on Swiftest Descent from a Circle and How He Almost Proved the Circle Itself Was the Minimum Time Path

(1998). Galileo's Work on Swiftest Descent from a Circle and How He Almost Proved the Circle Itself Was the Minimum Time Path. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 105, No. 4, pp. 338-347.
Microwear Analysis in the Southeast Maya Lowlands: Two Case Studies at Copan, Honduras

Based on the results of 267 replication experiments with obsidian, chalcedony, and agate tools conducted with a range of working materials, I have classified use-wear patterns using Keeley's high-resolution approach to establish a framework for interpretation of stone-tool use. This paper describes the results of microwear analysis of two assemblages of lithic artifacts from the late Late Classic period (A. D. 763-850) at Copan, western Honduras, and shows how the use-wear data can be interpreted within the archaeological contexts and help to investigate how ancient complex societies functioned as well as how and why they changed. Microwear analysis of chipped-stone artifacts collected in front of Structure 10L-16 and artifacts from Structure 10L-22A show clear differences between the two assemblages. In accordance with the archaeological, epigraphic, and iconographic evidence, the low use-intensity of chipped stone from the first structure could have originated from special use such as ritual, production of marine shell ornaments, etc., during the reign of Yax Pac. Marine shell craft production may have been carried out by members of the royal family or attached specialists serving the ruler. The relatively high use-intensity observable in the second assemblage may reinforce the hypothesis that the building was a Classic Maya popol na (council house) in which feasts or banquets were prepared. If this was the case, use-wear data might support epigraphic and iconographic evidence that suggests the weakening and eventual demise of centralized political authority at Copan in the ninth century.
Radiolabeled inhibitors as probes for imaging mutant IDH1 expression in gliomas: Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of labeled butyl-phenyl sulfonamide analogs.

Abstract Introduction Malignant gliomas frequently harbor mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene. Studies suggest that IDH mutation contributes to tumor pathogenesis through mechanisms that are mediated by the neomorphic metabolite of the mutant IDH1 enzyme, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). The aim of this work was to synthesize and evaluate radiolabeled compounds that bind to the mutant IDH1 enzyme with the goal of enabling noninvasive imaging of mutant IDH1 expression in gliomas by positron emission tomography (PET). Methods A small library of nonradioactive analogs were designed and synthesized based on the chemical structure of reported butyl-phenyl sulfonamide inhibitors of mutant IDH1. Enzyme inhibition assays were conducted using purified mutant IDH1 enzyme, IDH1-R132H, to determine the IC 50 and the maximal inhibitory efficiency of the synthesized compounds. Selected compounds, 1 and 4 , were labeled with radioiodine ( 125 I) and/or 18 F using bromo- and phenol precursors, respectively. In vivo behavior of the labeled inhibitors was studied by conducting tissue distribution studies with [ 125 I] 1 in normal mice. Cell uptake studies were conducted using an isogenic astrocytoma cell line that carried a native IDH1-R132H mutation to evaluate the potential uptake of the labeled inhibitors in IDH1-mutated tumor cells. Results Enzyme inhibition assays showed good inhibitory potency for compounds that have iodine or a fluoroethoxy substituent at the ortho position of the phenyl ring in compounds 1 and 4 with IC 50 values of 1.7 μM and 2.3 μM, respectively. Compounds 1 and 4 inhibited mutant IDH1 activity and decreased the production of 2-HG in an IDH1-mutated astrocytoma cell line. Radiolabeling of 1 and 4 was achieved with an average radiochemical yield of 56.6 ± 20.1% for [ 125 I] 1 (n = 4) and 67.5 ± 6.6% for [ 18 F] 4 (n = 3). [ 125 I] 1 exhibited favorable biodistribution characteristics in normal mice, with rapid clearance from the blood and elimination via the hepatobiliary system by 4 h after injection. The uptake of [ 125 I] 1 in tumor cells positive for IDH1-R132H was significantly higher compared to isogenic WT-IDH1 controls, with a maximal uptake ratio of 1.67 at 3 h post injection. Co-incubation of the labeled inhibitors with the corresponding nonradioactive analogs, and decreasing the normal concentrations of FBS (10%) in the incubation media substantially increased the uptake of the labeled inhibitors in both the IDH1-mutant and WT-IDH1 tumor cell lines, suggesting significant non-specific binding of the synthesized labeled butyl-phenyl sulfonamide inhibitors. Conclusions These data demonstrate the feasibility of developing radiolabeled probes for the mutant IDH1 enzyme based on enzyme inhibitors. Further optimization of the labeled inhibitors by modifying the chemical structure to decrease the lipophilicity and to increase potency may yield compounds with improved characteristics as probes for imaging mutant IDH1 expression in tumors.
Analysis on No-floating Attachment Tensile Wire System

The tensile wire-line method is one of the main methods adopted for testing the horizontal displacement of a dam of the straight-line type or broken-line type.The traditional tensile-line method,using a floating vessel device as holdup baseline wire and adding test instrumentation,has inevitable shortcomings.One way to solve the problem is to use Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics(CFRP) as the tensile-line body.This new way has many advantages,i.e.it can greatly reduce density and greatly increase tensile strength.Although it has been used in some projects,the information for reference is rare and some capabilities are still not mastered.This article starts with the mathematical model of the tensile wire-lines,and analyzes the sag formula for the system,as well as the relationships of sag,hanging weight and span,and the factors affecting the system's measurement accuracy.Finally,some conclusions are drawn.
Research on Controllability and Observability of Derivative Feedback for Singular Decentralized Control Systems

For the closed-loop system via derivative-output feedback,the sufficient and necessary condition is given for the impulse-controllability and impulse-observability when the system has the maximum dynamic order(that is,the derivative coeficient matrix E+BLC reaches the maximun rank),and then the sufficient and necessary condition is obtained for the decentralized impulse-controllability and observability of the decentralized systems via local derivative feedback when the system reaches the maximum dynamic order.A numerical example is given to verify the effectiveness of the results.
Flows in Porous Media

Introduction Fluids such as water, steam, petroleum, and natural gas often migrate through the Earth's crust. If these flows occur through open fractures, they can be studied using the channel flow theory developed in Chapter 6. In many cases, however, flows in the Earth's crust occur through a matrix of interconnecting passages provided by large numbers of small fractures or through the voids of naturally porous rocks. If the scale of the flow system is large compared with the scale of the interconnected passages, it is often appropriate to consider flow through a uniform porous medium . Sand is an example of a naturally porous material. Because of the irregular shapes of sand particles there is a considerable void or pore space between them. The fraction of the volume made up of pore space is known as the porosity ϕ. Loose sand is particularly porous, ϕ ≈ 40%, while oil sands have porosities in the range of 10 to 20%. Values of ϕ for some porous rocks, for example, sandstone and limestone, are listed in Table 2–2. As noted before, rocks that are not naturally porous can still be approximated as porous media if they are extensively fractured. The distribution of fractures must be reasonably uniform and the separation of fractures small compared with the scale of the overall flow. Fluids can flow through a porous medium under the influence of an applied pressure gradient. In Chapter 6 we showed that, for laminar flow, the flow rate in channels and pipes is linearly proportional to the pressure gradient and inversely proportional to the viscosity.
Chemometrics in brewing-a review

Chemometrics is the application of principles of measurement science and multivariate mathematics and statistics to efficiently extract maximum useful information from data. It can be applied to se...
Predictors of HIV Testing among Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction In spite of a high prevalence of HIV infection among adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa, uptake of HIV testing and counseling among youth in the region remains sub-optimal. The objective of this study was to assess factors that influence uptake of HIV testing and counseling among youth aged 15–24 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
Tracking behavior of mobile adaptive networks

Adaptive networks consist of a collection of nodes with learning abilities that interact with each other locally in order to solve distributed processing and distributed inference problems in real-time. Various algorithms and performance analyses have been put forward for such networks, such as the adapt-then-combine (ATC) and combine-then-adapt (CTA) diffusion algorithms, the probabilistic diffusion algorithm, and diffusion with adaptive weights over the links. In this paper, we add mobility as another dimension and study the behavior of the network when the nodes move in pursuit/avoidance of a target. Mobility leads naturally to an adaptive topology with changing neighborhoods. Mobility also imposes physical constraints on the proximity among the nodes and on the velocity and location of the center of the network. We develop adaptation algorithms that exhibit self-organization properties and apply them to the modeling of collective behavior in biological systems, such as fish schooling. The results help provide an explanation for the agile adjustment of network patterns of fish schools in the presence of predators.
Mobile MUTE specifies subsidiary cells to build physiologically improved grass stomata

Plants optimize carbon assimilation while limiting water loss by adjusting stomatal aperture. In grasses, a developmental innovation—the addition of subsidiary cells (SCs) flanking two dumbbell-shaped guard cells (GCs)—is linked to improved stomatal physiology. Here, we identify a transcription factor necessary and sufficient for SC formation in the wheat relative Brachypodium distachyon. Unexpectedly, the transcription factor is an ortholog of the stomatal regulator AtMUTE, which defines GC precursor fate in Arabidopsis. The novel role of BdMUTE in specifying lateral SCs appears linked to its acquisition of cell-to-cell mobility in Brachypodium. Physiological analyses on SC-less plants experimentally support classic hypotheses that SCs permit greater stomatal responsiveness and larger range of pore apertures. Manipulation of SC formation and function in crops, therefore, may be an effective approach to enhance plant performance.
Psychiatry, Sex, and Science: The Making of “Adolescent” Motherhood in Southern Brazil

Research linking teen motherhood to psychoneurodevelopmental causes and pathologies has proliferated in the past two decades. In Brazil, a psychodevelopmental project of teen motherhood has gained traction despite many experts' long-standing commitment to psychodynamic psychiatry and social epidemiology, generating epistemic tension rather than substitution. Drawing on historical ethnography conducted in Southern Brazil, I explore how this project materialized through the co-production of epistemic struggles, remedial interventions, and ontological politics. In showing how this co-production became interwoven with incremental changes in young women's emotions, sexualities, relationships, and bodies, I describe how one particular "kind" of teen motherhood emerged and became entangled with both psychiatric knowledge-production and the angst of working-class political agency. In giving women a contested psychiatric language with which to rework their social-moral worlds, I argue that science did more than conceptualize teen childbearing in pathological terms; it contributed to its troubled transformation.
Investigation of the push-pull effects on β-functionalized benzoporphyrins bearing an ethynylphenyl bridge.

A series of β-pyrrole functionalized push–pull porphyrins with amine push groups linked via an ethynylphenyl spacer, and cyclic imide or carboxylic esters as pull groups have been newly synthesized and characterized. The β-pyrrole functionalized ethynylphenyl spacer extends the conjugation of the porphyrin π-system, as reflected by their red-shifted absorbance and fluorescence spectra. The computed structures revealed no steric hindrance between the porphyrin π-system and the β-substituents. The calculated HOMO and LUMO of compounds WJ2 and WJ3 display significant segregation, where the electron density in the HOMO and LUMO is mainly located at the donor component and the acceptor component, respectively. The orbital segregation is likely attributed to the introduction of the electron-donating amine group at the porphyrin periphery. Electrochemical studies revealed the expected lower HOMO–LUMO gap as a result of the facile oxidation and reduction of the push–pull porphyrins. As a consequence of the push–pull effects, a reduction in fluorescence intensity and lifetime was observed, especially for compound WJ3 having two electron-donating amino groups and a strongly electron-withdrawing cyclic imide group. Femtosecond transient absorption spectral studies revealed the successful formation of the singlet excited state in all of these push–pull porphyrins. Due to the occurrence of intramolecular charge transfer-type interactions, relaxation of the singlet excited state was found to be faster in compound WJ3 compared to other two derivatives in polar solvent but not in nonpolar solvent. Such charge transfer-type interactions from the triplet excited state were also observed in the case of compound WJ3 in benzonitrile. The present findings bring out the importance of push–pull effects in governing the ground and excited (singlet and triplet) state properties of free-base porphyrins.
Fabrication and testing of a 4-node micro-pocket fission detector array for the Kansas State University TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor

Abstract Advancements in nuclear reactor core modeling and computational capability have encouraged further development of in-core neutron sensors. Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFDs) have been fabricated and tested previously, but successful testing of these prior detectors was limited to single-node operation with specialized designs. Described in this work is a modular, four-node MPFD array fabricated and tested at Kansas State University (KSU). The four sensor nodes were equally spaced to span the length of the fuel-region of the KSU TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor core. The encapsulated array was filled with argon gas, serving as an ionization medium in the small cavities of the MPFDs. The unified design improved device ruggedness and simplified construction over previous designs. A 0.315-in. (8-mm) penetration in the upper grid plate of the KSU TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor was used to deploy the array between fuel elements in the core. The MPFD array was coupled to an electronic support system which has been developed to support pulse-mode operation. Neutron-induced pulses were observed on all four sensor channels. Stable device operation was confirmed by testing under steady-state reactor conditions. Each of the four sensors in the array responded to changes in reactor power between 10 kWth and full power (750 kWth). Reactor power transients were observed in real-time including positive transients with periods of 5, 15, and 30 s. Finally, manual reactor power oscillations were observed in real-time.
A Multi-Modal Neuro-Physiological Study of Malicious Insider Threats

It has long been recognized that solutions to insider threat are mainly user-centric and several psychological and psychosocial models have been proposed. However, user behavior underlying these malicious acts is still not fully understood, motivating further investigation at the neuro-physiological level. In this work, we conduct a multi-modal study of how users-brain processes malicious and benign activities. In particular, we focus on using Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals that arise from the user's brain activities and eye tracking which can capture spontaneous responses that are unfiltered by the conscious mind. We conduct human study experiments to capture the Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals for a group of 25 participants while performing several computer-based activities in different scenarios. We analyze the EEG signals and the eye tracking data and extract features and evaluate our approach using several classifiers. The results show that our approach achieved an average accuracy of 99.77% in detecting the malicious insider using the EEG data of 256 channels (sensors) and average detection accuracy up to 95.64% using only five channels (sensors). The results show an average detection accuracy up to 83% using the eye movements and pupil behaviors data. In general, our results indicates that human Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and eye tracking data can reveal valuable knowledge about user's malicious intent and can be used as an effective indicator in designing real-time insider threats monitoring and detection frameworks.
Understanding and Identifying Rhetorical Questions in Social Media

Social media provides a platform for seeking information from a large user base. Information seeking in social media, however, occurs simultaneously with users expressing their viewpoints by making statements. Rhetorical questions have the form of a question but serve the function of a statement and are an important tool employed by users to express their viewpoints. Therefore, rhetorical questions might mislead platforms assisting information seeking in social media. It becomes difficult to identify rhetorical questions as they are not syntactically different from other questions. In this article, we develop a framework to identify rhetorical questions by modeling some motivations of the users to post them. We focus on two motivations of the users drawing from linguistic theories to implicitly convey a message and to modify the strength of a statement previously made. We develop a quantitative framework from these motivations to identify rhetorical questions in social media. We evaluate the framework using two datasets of questions posted on a social media platform Twitter and demonstrate its effectiveness in identifying rhetorical questions. This is the first framework, to the best of our knowledge, to model the possible motivations for posting rhetorical questions to identify them on social media platforms.
COMUNICADO ANTE EL USO ABUSIVO DE LA VIOLENCIA POLICIAL DEL 1 DE OCTUBRE DE 2017

El Observatorio del Sistema penal y de los Derechos Humanos es un espacio colectivo en el que trabajamos en la promocion y defensa de los derechos humanos, en la defensa de los derechos y libertades de las personas, y en el fortalecimiento de los principios y valores del Estado democratico de derecho. II. Con este comunicado queremos expresar nuestro analisis sobre algunos de los acontecimientos que vivimos y/o presenciamos el 1 de octubre en Cataluna. Tambien queremos expresar nuestra preocupacion ante la aparicion de otros fenomenos violentos colectivos como la pelea grupal entre hinchadas ultras que tuvo lugar el jueves 12 de octubre en la confluencia de plaza Cataluna, con Ramblas y calle Pelayo.