cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-Density Lipoprotein Size and Cardiovascular Disease: A Reappraisal

The major lipoprotein types, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), are composed of many subgroups (1–3). Classifications are based on size (1), density, or apolipoprotein (apo) content (2), or a combination of these (3), and the subfractions that are isolated have distinct metabolic and other functional properties. Thus, it is entirely reasonable to think that subfractions of the major lipoproteins have diverse relationships to coronary heart disease (CHD). Because the classical lipid risk factors by no means perfectly predict CHD in patients, lipoprotein subfractionation has the potential to improve risk prediction.
DISK DRIVE CONTROL: THE EARLY YEARS Daniel Abramovitch

Abstract One of the persistently exciting control applications is that of disk drive servos. From the start in the early 1950s to the massive capacity commodity drives of the early 2000s, the problem of accessing data on rotating disk media has provided a wealth of control challenges to be solved. This survey paper traces the early history of disk drive control from the first disk drive in 1956 to the first commercial drive with Magneto-Resistive heads in 1990. Rather than the approach used in (Abramovitch and Franklin, 2002) in which the histories of the components were outlined first, we will focus on the feedback loop itself in those early days. The paper will survey the different areas of the disk drive control problem and how they evolved.
Preliminary Results of Computer Aided Acoustic Imaging

Preliminary results from a computer aided coherent acoustic imaging system are given. The system uses a raster scanned sensor to digitize samples of 1 MHz acoustic fields (both amplitude and phase) sampled at half-wavelength intervals. After transferring the data to computer memory three different types of displays have been used to display and process the data fields as images. The display devices include a black and white video system, a color graphics terminal, and a high resolution color image processing system. The advantages and disadvantages of each display system are discussed along with some of the most useful image processing operations for the acoustic images obtained. These operations include image zoom (i.e., magnification), histogram analysis, dynamic range manipulation, and other interactive capabilities.
Student Perceptions of Research Projects in Marketing Classes

The research looked at student perceptions of completing a research project in a consumer behavior class. Students were assigned a research project as part of the course content. It was found that geneially students perceived research as a good learning experience, that it would be beneficial to them in their future careers and that working on a group research project was difficult, but it helped them to learn problem solving and communication techniques.
Forage Destruction by Aulocara elliotti (Orthoptera: Acrididae) on Rangeland in the Southwestern United States

Forage destruction rates of the big-headed grasshopper, Aulocara elliotti (Thomas), on southwestern rangelands dominated by the C 4 warm-season grass, Bouteloua gracilis (Humboldt, Bonpland, & Kunth) Griffiths, were studied in 1987 and 1989. To obtain variable grasshopper defoliation pressures, A. elliotti were caged at densities ranging from 0 to 40 grasshoppers per square meter. Precipitation (both natural and supplemental) and grasshopper feeding days were used to predict forage production and grasshopper forage destruction using regression analysis. Total forage destruction rates varied between sites (38-64 mg total forage per feeding day) but not between years at a given site. When forage was increased by adding supplemental water, destruction rates were not influenced. Estimated forage destruction rates were similar to values reported for studies in northern climates where cool-season grasses predominate. However, under the conditions of this study, A. elliotti was less selective of host plants than has been reported in other feeding studies.
The hydrolytic activity in normal human and malignant tissue.

SummaryThe hydrolytic activity in extracts of human breast and bowel has been compared with adjacent infiltrating duct carcinoma and infiltrating carcinoma of the cecum, respectively. There are markedly increased levels of acid proteinase, arylamidase, tripeptidase, dipeptidases, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase in the tumor extracts over comparable adjacent normal extracts. Neutral proteinase is not present to any significant degree in the preparations examined. There is considerable hydrolytic activity in human mixed astrocytic and oligodendrogliocytic glioma as well as solid and papillary ovarian adenocarcinoma.
Study of the Amorphous-to-Microcrystalline Transition during Silicon Film Growth at Increased Rates: Extensions of the Evolutionary Phase Diagram

The microstructural and phase evolution of silicon films (Si:H) prepared by low temperature (200°C) rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with hydrogen dilution of silane has been studied using real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both RTSE and AFM support the concept of an evolutionary phase diagram that describes different regimes of bulk layer thickness and H2-dilution ratio R within which predominantly amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films are obtained. In this study, the evolutionary phase diagram has been extended to identify four separate growth regimes: (i) a-Si:H with a smooth surface and a stable roughness layer thickness, (ii) a-Si:H with a rougher surface and an unstable roughness layer thickness, (iii) mixed-phase (a+μc)-Si:H, and (iv) fully-coalesced (single-phase) μc-Si:H. Based on this framework, the effect of increased rf power to achieve higher deposition rates in the rf PECVD process was investigated.
Discussion on Several Problems of China's Current Policy-oriented Agricultural Insurance System

Chinese agricultural insurance has turned a new page in history since the first specialized agricul- tural insurance company won approval to start preparations to set up the firm. But some theoretic and practical problems remain unsolved, which is critical for the establishment and operation of agricultural insurance system. This paper discusses the selection of institutional modes, feasibility of operating body, financial subsidy and regula- tion of policy - oriented agricultural insurance.
Solid Phase Synthesis of beta-Peptoids: N-Substituted beta-Aminopropionic Acid Oligomers.

A solid-phase organic synthesis method has been developed for the preparation of N-substituted-β-aminopropionic acid oligomers or β-peptoids 1. Treatment of polymer-bound 4-(benzyloxy)benzyl acrylate 2 with primary amines afforded N-substituted β-alanines 3. Polymer loadings and product conversions were determined by direct cleavage of resin-bound materials and measurement by 1H NMR with an internal standard. The NMR method was used to establish loading of all resin-bound intermediates including acrylic acid. Acylation with acryloyl chloride followed by Michael addition of primary amines to the acrylamide allowed preparation of di-β-peptoids. By a linear set of seven reactions, trimeric N-benzyl-β-aminopropionic acid was prepared in 67% overall yield. Single-bead FT-IR microspectroscopy was used to acquire spectra of the resin bound mono-β-peptoids, di-β-peptoids, and acrylamide intermediates. A combinatorial library of defined mixtures of tri-β-peptoids was prepared by mixing equimolar amounts of the mon...
Accounting Students' Perceptions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), which was created to enhance the integrity of financial reporting and protect financial statement users, affects many business professionals and especially accountants. The ultimate success of the SOX in achieving the goals set by lawmakers is not assured and ultimately will depend on the support from those affected by the Act. This study investigates accounting students' perceptions of (1) key provisions of the SOX, (2) the effect of the SOX's provisions on financial statement and audit quality, (3) their degree of knowledge of the provisions of the SOX, and (4) the degree and sufficiency of in-class coverage of those provisions. This study finds that the majority of the students participating in the study do not perceive that auditors should be prohibited from performing non-audit services for audit clients. However, the majority perceive that it is necessary for CEOs and CFOs to certify their financial statements and that this will improve financial statement quality. The majority also perceive that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board audit firm registration requirement is appropriate and will improve audit quality. Only a small percentage of the students perceive that in-class coverage of the SOX is sufficient in accounting and non-accounting classes, although the percentage is higher for accounting classes. Surprisingly, accounting majors do not perceive that they are more knowledgeable than non-accounting majors. The findings from this study are important and provide information to accounting and business educators to guide them in enhancing and refocusing their in-class discussions of the SOX.
When it comes to depression, ICT use matters: A longitudinal analysis of the effect of ICT use and mattering on depression among older adults

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide numerous benefits to older adults’ well-being, such as reducing feelings of depression. Previous studies show that ICTs are effective in promoting a sense of mattering, which has also been inversely related to feelings of depression. Our analysis examines the effect ICTs have on older adults’ sense of mattering and, ultimately, depression. We examine these relationships through longitudinal regression and the Sobel-Goodman Mediation Tests. Our results show that the effect of ICT use on depression among older adults is partially mediated by mattering over time.
Care and Maintenance of Oil Quenchants used for Quenching Automotive Components

Abstract Quenching, and quench oil, is a critical part of the manufacturing process for a heat-treated part. In this paper, the effects of many common issues with quench oils are illustrated. These include contamination, soot, and filtration. A brief review of the mechanism of oxidation of quench oils, and the base oils used in modern industrial quench oils will be included. Methods to control oxidation by filtration and the different types of media are illustrated.
Breaking the Sounds of Silence: Respecting People With Disabilities and Reproductive Decision Making

Chen and Wasserman (2017) propose that prenatal genome sequencing should not be limited by the “severity” of the condition out of respect for parental decision making but, as importantly, in solida...
Alice Walker’s Womanist Maternal

The truest most enduring impulse I have is simply to write. —Alice Walker (from “Duties of a Black Revolutionary Artist”)1 1 Included in the collection In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens, 130–38.Ali...
Microscope objective based 4π spectroscopic tissue scattering goniometry.

The measurement of optical scattering as a function of angle, goniometry, can provide a wealth of information about tissue. The goniometry technique described here measures the intensity profile at the pupil planes of two microscope objectives with a scattering sample between them. The maximum observable scattering angle is extended by employing off-axis illumination. This configuration permits several advantages including: i) rapid measurement of scattering into 4π sr to characterize the entire scattering phase function in isotropic tissue, ii) sensitivity to axially asymmetric scattering from anisotropic fibrous tissue, iii) selective interrogation of small regions within spatially inhomogenous tissue, iv) concurrent measurement of scattering coefficient μs, and v) measurement of wavelength dependent scattering properties via spectrally tunable source. The instrument is validated by comparing measurements of microsphere suspensions to the Mie scattering solution. Instrument capabilities are demonstrated with samples of rat brain and mouse eye tissues.
Generic Online Learning for Partial Visible Dynamic Environment with Delayed Feedback: Online Learning for 5G C-RAN Load-Balancer

Reinforcement learning (RL) has been applied to robotics and many other domains in which a system must learn in real-time and interact with a dynamic environment. In most studies the state-action space that is the key part of RL is predefined. Integration of RL with deep learning method has however taken a tremendous leap forward to solve novel challenging problems such as mastering a board game of Go. The surrounding environment to the agent may not be fully visible, the environment can change over time, and the feedbacks that agent receives for its actions can have a fluctuating delay. In this paper, we propose a Generic Online Learning (GOL) system for such environments. GOL is based on RL with a hierarchical structure to form abstract features in time and adapt to the optimal solutions. The proposed method has been applied to load balancing in 5G cloud random access networks. Simulation results show that GOL successfully achieves the system objectives of reducing both cache-misses and communication load, while incurring only limited system overhead in terms of only a small number of high-level patterns is needed. We believe that the proposed GOL architecture is significant for future online learning of dynamic, partially visible environments, and would be very useful for many autonomous control systems.
Autogenic geomorphic processes determine the resolution and fidelity of terrestrial paleoclimate records

Terrestrial paleoclimate records rely on proxies hosted in alluvial strata whose beds are deposited by unsteady and nonlinear geomorphic processes. It is broadly assumed that this renders the resultant time series of terrestrial paleoclimatic variability noisy and incomplete. We evaluate this assumption using a model of oscillating climate and the precise topographic evolution of an experimental alluvial system. We find that geomorphic stochasticity can create aliasing in the time series and spurious climate signals, but these issues are eliminated when the period of climate oscillation is longer than a key time scale of internal dynamics in the geomorphic system. This emergent autogenic geomorphic behavior imparts regularity to deposition and represents a natural discretization interval of the continuous climate signal. We propose that this time scale in nature could be in excess of 104 years but would still allow assessments of the rates of climate change at resolutions finer than the existing age model techniques in isolation.
Rethinking US Interests in the Western Hemisphere

The Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and consequently their relations with the United States, have changed considerably during the past 25 years. Latin American and Caribbean nations are more populous, urban, industrialized, organized, and assertive than they were a generation ago. Even in a period of extensive economic difficulty, Latin America's nations are today more prosperous than in 1960. Most are better integrated into the world economy and are much more involved in international politics.
Public Willingness to Pay to Improve Services for Individuals With Serious Mental Illness.

Objective:This study measured Americans’ willingness to pay an additional $50 in taxes to improve health care and social services for individuals with serious mental illness.Methods:A nationally re...
The Innovative Use of Mathematica to Teach Biodiversity

We investigated using Mathematica to create an interactive exercise that allows students to explore biological concepts. Exporting these active learning experiences to the Wolfram Computable Document Format (CDF) lets students enter data and modify parameters with only a browser plug-in and without needing to know how to use Mathematica. This exercise enhances student understanding by allowing them to focus on the biological concepts and visualize the data and calculations without the tedium of hand computation. In this article, we will highlight an interactive version of a biodiversity laboratory that explores Simpson9s Diversity Index. Students are walked through sample calculations with a small data set, and then analyze a larger data set, which is presented as a set of interactive graphs and automatic calculations so that they can explore the data to answer questions. For our non-major audience, this laboratory leads to a more sophisticated discussion without getting stuck on the calculations. We will present the exercise and assessment results.
A Sheet Stress Measurement Technique Using Thin Films to Measure Stresses in Inert-Gas Implanted Silicon

An in situ technique for measuring sheet stress induced by keV ion implantation has been developed by using thin films as substrate materials. Stresses induced by 33 keV Ne+, Ar+, Kr+ and Xe+ implantations have been carried out on thin (100) Si films. This technique is sensitive, simple, visual and nondestructive, and it can be used in measurement of the stresses induced by low dose ion implantations.
Ultrafast Transient Raman Investigations of Condensed Phase Dynamics

During the last several years major advances in ultrafast laser technology have taken place. In the earlier days of this field femtosecond lasers had to be painstakingly built from scratch in the laboratory. Today, much better lasers are available commercially. State-of-the-art titanium sapphire lasers routinely generate 100 fs pulses. Amplification to millijoule pulses at repetition rates of 1 kHz (and microjuole pulses at 250 kHz) is now routine using titanium sapphire regenerative amplifiers. These advances in laser technology have greatly increased the sensitivity of femtosecond spectroscopy. As a result, powerful new ultrafast spectroscopic methods have been developed.
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM)

The development of expert critiquing systems is part of a growing field involving numerous projects applying artificial intelligence in medicine. This work has been in progress for the past 15 years (Clancey and Shortliffe 1984; Kulikowski 1980; Shortliffe et al. 1979; Szolovits 1982). This chapter gives an overview of these projects. It then discusses the field of AI as a whole. Finally, the chapter dis­cusses how critiquing itself can be performed at different levels of complexity. The critiquing research described in this book focusses on the more complex end of this spectrum.
Simultaneous Crystallite Size, Strain and Structure Analysis from X-Ray Powder Diffraction Patterns

Methods for determining crystallite size and strain and crystal structure parameters, from X-ray powder diffraction patterns have occupied the attention of crystallographers for many years. The inherent asymmetry of X-ray powder diffraction profiles has been one of the principal difficulties limiting this work. The resurgence of developments in this area has primarily resulted from the computer automation of diffractometers. The ability to collect digitized representations of the line profiles and apply numerical methods to their analysis has led to a number of new and exciting developments.
Transferring Microelectromechanical Devices to Breathable Fabric Carriers with Strain-Engineered Grippers

Stretchable electronics fabrication generally relies on fine-tuning adhesion forces, putting some restrictions on what the carrier layer can be. In contrast to adhesion, mechanical tangling makes more kinds of carrier materials available. Antibacterial, conductive, heat-responsive and other functions can be brought in by fiber networks as long as they are compatible with the highly selective silicon etch process. Mechanical grippers can also bring electronic contacts from one side of a mesh to the other, which is difficult to do on continuous thin films of other soft materials like silicone or polyimide. Our solution uses mechanical strain to produce large arrays of redundant grippers from planar thin-film designs.
Effect of dislocation timing following primary total hip arthroplasty on the risk of redislocation and revision.

Introduction:There is little data regarding timing of index dislocation in patients who undergo primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and subsequent risk of redislocation and revision.Methods:Betwee...
An interdisciplinary approach to inhospital stroke improves stroke detection and treatment time

Background Inhospital stroke (IHS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, likely related to multiple factors, including delayed time to recognition, associated comorbidities, and initial care from non-stroke trained providers. We hypothesized that guided revision of a formalized ‘stroke code’ system can improve diagnosis and time to thrombolysis and thrombectomy. Methods IHS activations occurring at a comprehensive stroke center between 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed to guide revisions of an established stroke code protocol to improve provider communication and time to imaging, reduce stroke mimic rate, and improve the use of parallel processing. After protocol implementation, we prospectively collected data between 2016 and 2017 for comparison with the pre-implementation group, including diagnostic accuracy and relevant time points (code call to examination, examination to imaging, and imaging to intervention). We report descriptive statistics for comparison of patient characteristics and time metrics (time to imaging and reperfusion after IHS activation). Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of stroke mimics and time metrics. Results There were 136 cases in the pre-implementation group and 69 in the post-implementation group. A reduction in stroke mimics (52% vs 33%, P=0.01) occurred after protocol initiation. Mean time to imaging after stroke code call was 7.6 min shorter (P=0.026) and mean time from imaging to acute reperfusion therapy was 45.7 vs 19.8 min (P=0.05) in the pre- versus the post-implementation group. Conclusion Revision of an existing IHS protocol was associated with a lower rate of stroke mimics, and a shorter time to intravenous and intra-arterial intervention.
2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline metabolism by control and beta-naphthoflavone-treated mice.

1399 2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) is one of several heterocyclic amine carcinogens produced by high temperature cooking of red meat. These amines are thought to induce tumors in humans, i.e., colon and breast. Mouse models are being used to study the carcinogenicity of these amines. In contrast to rat, mouse metabolism of IQ has not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the metabolism of an oral 40 mg/kg dose of 14C-IQ in C57Bl/6 mice treated in the presence and absence of beta-naphthoflavone (B-NF), an inducer of phase 1 and 2 metabolism. Mice were treated with 40 mg/kg B-NF, i.p., for 3 days. Data in mice are compared to similarly treated F344 rats. Metabolism was assessed by HPLC with mouse urine and liver microsomes and slices. Metabolites were identified by ESI/MS and by their response to specific enzymatic and acid treatments. In the absence of B-NF, urinary N-acetyl-IQ (4.2 + 0.7 % of total radioactivity detected), IQ-N2-glucuronide (6.9 + 0.8 %), IQ-5-O-glucuronide (29.0 + 2.2 %), IQ-sulfamate (12.4 + 1.5 %), IQ-5-sulfate (2.4 + 0.2 %), Demethyl-IQ (23.8 + 0.6 %), and IQ (1.9 + 0.4 %) eluted at 10.5, 11.9, 17.0, 19.4, 25.9, 31.3, and 34.4 min, respectively. Following B-NF treatment, the urinary metabolites were mainly N-acetyl-IQ (18.6 + 3.4%) and IQ-5-O-glucuronide (43 + 4.2%) with the other individual metabolites not detected or less than 3%. The recovery of total administered radioactivity in urine for mice without and with B-NF was 67 + 6 and 47 + 2%, respectively. Liver slices were incubated with 0.06 mM 14C-IQ in supplemented DMEM and gassed with 5% CO2/95% O2 for 1 hour. The methanol soluble fraction was analyzed. Slice results reflected urinary elution patterns described for mice correspondingly treated either with or without B-NF. Ellipticine (0.5 mM), a selective P450 1A1 inhibitor, significantly inhibited slice metabolism of all metabolites except IQ-sulfamate while SKF-525A (0.5 mM), a general P450 inhibitor, was not very effective. Demethyl-IQ was the major metabolite of control mouse liver microsomes with formation inhibited by 0.02 mM ellipticine, but not by SKF-525A. There are notable differences between IQ metabolism in mice compared to rats. In the absence of B-NF, rats produced much less urinary N-acetyl-IQ (0.7 + 0.4) and Demethyl-IQ (1.6 + 0.2 %) and significantly more IQ-sulfamate (44.5 + 1.2) and IQ-5-sulfate (14.5 + 0.5%). The major rat urinary metabolite was IQ-sulfamate. Following B-NF treatment, IQ-5-O-glucuronide (54 + 4 %) and IQ-5-sulfate (31 + 2) were the major rat urinary metabolites. Previous studies have identified Demethyl-IQ (15%) as a major urinary metabolite of monkey. Thus, mouse metabolism of IQ is significantly different from rat and these differences may influence carcinogenicity.
Permutation Alignment Based on MUSIC Spectrum Discrepancy for Blind Source Separation

Conventional time-frequency-domain blind source separation (BSS) requires permutation alignment of the sound sources. Permutation alignment methods can be classified into two types: those that use the direction of arrival (DOA) constraints and those that model the sound source characteristics instead of DOA constraints. Multi-channel non-negative matrix factorization (MNMF), which is based on the second type, is one of the most effective BSS methods. However, our experiments revealed that its permutation alignment sometimes fails due to the lack of a DOA constraint. We present a permutation alignment method based on the DOAs directly obtained from a spatial correlation matrix by using multiple signal classification (MUSIC) and that solves the permutation problems by minimizing the discrepancy of the MUSIC spectra, which belong to the same source, in the middle of the BSS algorithm. Our proposed method boosts the second type with a help of the DOA constraint and can be applied in a blind manner to both the mixing system approach, e.g., MNMF, and the demixing system approach, e.g., independent low-rank matrix analysis. Experiments showed that the proposed method is effective for both approaches.
The Academic NDA: Justification, Process, and Lessons Learned

The University of Iowa recently completed a 4-y expedition into the uncharted waters of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new-drug application (NDA) process that ultimately resulted in approval of 68Ga-DOTATOC in August 2019. The journey was enlightening, revealing a highly structured, arcane, but rigorous regulatory approval process. The FDA proved to be an efficient, reasonable, and communicative regulatory body that achieved balance between support of the initiative and its mission-bound, process-bound duty to ensure that the application met the expected safety and efficacy standards of the agency. With several clinically valuable PET radiopharmaceuticals without intellectual property residing in regulatory limbo, without industry champions to bring them to marketing approval, there may be justification for a more concerted effort from the molecular imaging community into generating better understanding, support, and perhaps even infrastructure for the academic NDA. As a first step, this article briefly describes the start-to-finish story for 68Ga-DOTATOC, including a description of the clinical trials, a broad overview of the structured content of the NDA document, and the distilled experiences associated with the 68Ga-DOTATOC NDA process. It is anticipated that with sustained free sharing of information relating to the FDA drug registration process, it will prove less daunting and more efficient in future academically sponsored NDA filings for PET imaging agents.
Influence of topography and fuels on fire refugia probability under varying fire weather conditions in forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA

Fire refugia — locations that burn less severely or less frequently than surrounding areas — support late-successional and old-growth forest structure and function. This study investigates the infl...
A systems biology approach to discovering pathway signaling dysregulation in metastasis

Total metastatic burden is the primary cause of death for many cancer patients. While the process of metastasis has been studied widely, much remains to be understood. Moreover, few agents have been developed that specifically target the major steps of the metastatic cascade. Many individual genes and pathways have been implicated in metastasis but a holistic view of how these interact and cooperate to regulate and execute the process remains somewhat rudimentary. It is unclear whether all of the signaling features that regulate and execute metastasis are yet fully understood. Novel features of a complex system such as metastasis can often be discovered by taking a systems-based approach. We introduce the concepts of systems modeling and define some of the central challenges facing the application of a multidisciplinary systems-based approach to understanding metastasis and finding actionable targets therein. These challenges include appreciating the unique properties of the high-dimensional omics data often used for modeling, limitations in knowledge of the system (metastasis), tumor heterogeneity and sampling bias, and some of the issues key to understanding critical features of molecular signaling in the context of metastasis. We also provide a brief introduction to integrative modeling that focuses on both the nodes and edges of molecular signaling networks. Finally, we offer some observations on future directions as they relate to developing a systems-based model of the metastatic cascade.
Imaging of PD-L1 in single cancer cells by SERS-based hyperspectral analysis

We developed a hyperspectral imaging tool based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probes to determine the expression level and visualize the distribution of PD-L1 in individual cells. Electron-microscopic analysis of PD-L1 antibody - gold nanorod conjugates demonstrated binding the cell surface and internalization into endosomal vesicles. Stimulation of cells with IFN-γ or metformin was used to confirm the ability of SERS probes to report treatment-induced changes. The multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) analysis of spectra provided a greater signal-noise ratio than single peak mapping. However, single peak mapping allowed a systematic subtraction of background and the removal of non-specific binding and endocytic SERS signals. The mean or maximum peak height in the cell or the mean peak height in the area of specific PD-L1 positive pixels was used to estimate the PD-L1 expression levels in single cells. The PD-L1 levels were significantly up-regulated by IFN-γ and inhibited by metformin in human lung cancer cells from the A549 cell line. In conclusion, the method of analyzing hyperspectral SERS imaging data together with systematic and comprehensive removal of non-specific signals allows SERS imaging to be a quantitative tool in the detection of the cancer biomarker, PD-L1.
The Construction of Action Rules to Raise Artwork Prices.

This work explores the development of action rules for changing the prices of works of contemporary fine art. It focuses on the generation of action rules using LISp-Miner related to artwork profiles and artist descriptions. Additionally, this work explores the use of the dominant color of an artwork as a feature in the generation of action rules for adjusting its prices.
A Comparative Analysis of Contact Models in Trajectory Optimization for Manipulation

In this paper, we analyze the effects of contact models on contact-implicit trajectory optimization for manipulation. We consider three different approaches: (1)a contact model that is based on complementarity constraints, (2)a smooth contact model, and our proposed method (3) a variable smooth contact model. We compare these models in simulation in terms of physical accuracy, quality of motions, and computation time. In each case, the optimization process is initialized by setting all torque variables to zero, namely, without a meaningful initial guess. For simulations, we consider a pushing task with varying complexity for a 7 degrees-of-freedom robot arm. Our results demonstrate that the optimization based on the proposed variable smooth contact model provides a good trade-off between the physical fidelity and quality of motions at the cost of increased computation time.
Conclusion and Implications

This chapter will summarize the major findings of the present study and propose implications. Section 6.1 concerns a summary of the major findings in this research. Thereafter, Sect. 6.2 discusses the theoretical, methodological, empirical, and metahistoriographic implications of our study. Finally, Sect. 6.3 addresses the limitations of the present study and correspondingly suggests some directions for future research.
CRISPR-PN2: a flexible and genome-aware platform for diverse CRISPR experiments in parasitic nematodes.

Parasitic nematodes represent a significant threat to human health, causing diseases of major socioeconomic importance worldwide. Central to controlling infections of parasitic nematodes is a more ...
Stress-induced aberrations in sensory processing predict worse cognitive outcomes in healthy aging adults

It is well recognized that not all individuals age equivalently, with functional dependence attributable, at least in part, to stress accumulated across the lifespan. Amongst these dependencies are age-related declines in cognitive function, which may be the result of impaired inhibitory processing (e.g., sensory gating). Herein, we examined the unique roles of life and biological stress on somatosensory gating dynamics in 74 adults (22-72 years old). Participants completed a sensory gating paired-pulse electrical stimulation paradigm of the right median nerve during magnetoencephalography (MEG) and data were subjected to advanced oscillatory and time-domain analysis methods. We observed separable mechanisms by which increasing levels of life and biological stress predicted higher oscillatory gating ratios, indicative of age-related impairments in inhibitory function. Specifically, elevations in life stress significantly modulated the neural response to the first stimulation in the pair, while elevations in biological stress significantly modulated the neural response to the second stimulation in the pair. In contrast, neither elevations in life nor biological stress significantly predicted the gating of time-domain neural activity in the somatosensory cortex. Finally, our study is the first to link stress-induced decline in sensory gating to cognitive dysfunction, suggesting that gating paradigms may hold promise for detecting discrepant functional trajectories in age-related pathologies in the future.
Challenges For The Future Of Complementary And Integrative Care.

It is estimated that over 40% of American people integrate one or more of these unconventional health practices, while many individuals worldwide also explore multidimensional approaches as treatment for chronic conditions beyond pharmacological therapies. For example, chronic conditions such as arthritis are among the top 6 conditions for complementary and alternative medicine use [1]. In fact, overwhelming evidence suggests that specific elements of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine, including mind-body approaches and improved lifestyle-modification strategies, may prevent disease, relieve pain, and enhance both physical and psychological health [28]. Individualized treatment that embraces an integrative approach may positively affect the progression of disease while simultaneously decreasing morbidity.
To Be Quiet in the Hands of the Marvelous: The Poetry of A. R. Ammons

Those who first became acquainted with the work of A. R. Ammons by reading his more recent poetry have probably been surprised by looking back to the early poems reprinted in his Collected Poems: 1951-71. A large number of the poems dated between the years 1951 and 1955 (the date when his first volume of poetry, Ommateum, was pubUshed) do not seem to be characteristic of his mature work. Ammons has set these poems in a grim, at times overtly Gothic, world of death, shame, grief, and unexplained loss, and he has centered them around gestures of mysterious impotence or failure. Even where the poems' speakers move toward self-extinction, the result is neither peace nor catharsis, but a state of sensibility that is haunt ingly difficult to describe. For want of a better phrase, I would call it a state of incomplete suffocation.1 An example is the conclusion of the vol ume's best-known poem, "So I Said I Am Ezra":
In Good Company: How Corporate Social Responsibility Can Protect Rights and Aid Efforts to End Child Sex Trafficking and Modern Slavery

Worldwide, thousands of children are forcibly trafficked into the sex trade. Children around the world are trafficked across the world. America is unfortunately no exception. By law, the United States eradicated slavery over a century ago. In practice, however, the practice of enslavement persists on American shores. As a form of modern day slavery, much like its transatlantic predecessor, trafficking today denies human dignity and can leave a deep and lasting legacy of harm that diminishes human capabilities.
Comparative Civil Procedure and Transnational 'Harmonization': A Law-and-Economics Perspective

This paper presents a critical analysis of recent proposals for transnational harmonization of civil procedure law through the promotion of uniform principles of transnational civil procedure that would homogenize civil procedure law across national boundaries. A recent proposal of Principles of Transnational Civil Procedure for commercial disputes, by the American Law Institute jointly with UNIDROIT, is focused particularly on eliminating the distinctive features of American civil procedure, notably party control of procedure, expansive pretrial discovery, and jury trial. That proposal is criticized by this paper on the grounds that its normative objective of transnational uniformity in procedure is unexamined by its proposers and highly questionable as a matter of policy. After reviewing the principal differences across national systems as a matter of comparative procedure, the paper presents a general economic analysis of civil procedure, and detailed applications to the distinctive features of the American system. The paper then examines the question of diversity versus uniformity in civil procedural law. Given that disputes subjected to litigation are unlikely to be homogeneous, the case for a uniform procedural law appears weak. Rather, and particularly in the context of transnational commercial disputes, it seems likely that procedural rules should vary with the dispute, and that the disputing parties themselves should be permitted to choose among those applicable. By definition, the disputing parties are sophisticated businesses who will internalize the results of the litigation. From this point of view, diversity among national systems of procedure would contribute positively to the efficient resolution of disputes, by enabling contracting parties to choose among disparate procedural rules. In the context of transnational commercial disputes, contracting parties in fact have been choosing their own applicable substantive law, forum, and procedural rules (to some extent) for decades, and these choices have been respected in most countries. There is no ground for replacing this system with harmonized procedural law. The adoption of such a proposal would actually reduce the efficiency of the transnational procedural system.
In situ vibrational spectroelectrochemistry

Abstract The use of infrared and Raman spectroscopies for the investigation of the electrode-solution interface is described. Applications for the studies of adsorbates, surface reactions, electron transfer reactions, and recently developed models that treat the potential dependency of vibrational bands of adsorbed species are discussed.
Measurement of spatially dependent carrier lifetimes in 1.55-/spl mu/m DFB quantum well lasers using microwave modulation

Summary form only given. We study the effect of a distributed feedback (DFB) structure on the carrier lifetime in a semiconductor laser. In DFB lasers, the spatially inhomogeneous optical intensity along the longitudinal direction of the active region gives rise to spatial hole burning. We show that this inhomogeneous intensity also creates a spatially dependent differential carrier lifetime, and that this spatial dependence exists even when the laser is biased below threshold. The differential carrier lifetimes are measured from the intrinsic microwave modulation responses for a laser biased below threshold.
The evolution of chromospheric activity and the spin-down of solar-type stars.

IUE data for 31 solar-type stars are compared with observations of T Tauri stars in order to determine whether the pattern of main sequence chromospheric decay shown by stars older than about 100 million yr extends back to ages of 100 million yr appropriate for T Tauri stars. An analysis of the time decay of stellar ultraviolet and X-ray emission establishes a relationship between emission level and axial rotation, which is expressed in terms of the Rossby parameter. It is shown that the intensity of ultraviolet chromospheric and transition region lines of solar-type stars declines with age. The activity-age relation for main sequence stars older than about 100 million yr is fitted best by an exponential law whose rate of falloff with age depends on temperature.
The complete spectrum of the WN string

Abstract We obtain the complete physical spectrum of the WN string, for arbitrary N. The WN constraints freeze N−2 coordinates, while the remaining coordinates appear in the currents only via their energy-momentum tensor. The spectrum is then effectively described by a set of ordinary Virasoro-like string theories, but with a non-critical value for the central charge and a discrete set of non-standard values for the spin-2 intercepts. In particular, the physical spectrum of the WN string includes the usual massless states of the Virasoro string. By looking at the norms of low-lying states, we find strong indications that all the WN strings are unitary.
Origin of the Mott gap

We show exactly that the only charged excitations that exist in the strong-coupling limit of the half-filled Hubbard model are gapped composite excitations generated by the dynamics of the charge $2e$ boson that appears upon explicit integration of the high-energy scale. At every momentum, such excitations have nonzero spectral weight at two distinct energy scales separated by the on-site repulsion $U$. The result is a gap in the spectrum for the composite excitations accompanied by a discontinuous vanishing of the density of states at the chemical potential when $U$ exceeds the bandwidth. Consequently, we resolve the long-standing problem of the cause of the charge gap in a half-filled band in the absence of symmetry breaking.
Integer programming in VLSI design

Abstract This paper surveys some recent developments in the application of combinatorial optimization to VLSI design. We focus on integer programs arising in wire routing and PLA partitioning. Typically, the integer programs we are interested in are computationally difficult. We present approaches to approximately solving them by rounding the solutions to the relaxed linear programs. The resulting algorithms run in polynomial time and have provable performance guarantees. We also introduce the notion of multiterminal multicommodity flows, and point out their relevance to VLSI routing.
The Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 Does Not Show a Rise in the Age-Standardized Mortality Rate for Cardiovascular Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa

High-quality information on the distribution of disease, disability, and death should be available to all governments tasked with making decision regarding the judicious use of limited resources. GBD 2010 was a systematic effort to quantify disease and disability by age and sex in 187 countries from 1990 to 2010, including all the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopted the perspective that all available epidemiological information should be used and adjusted for known limitations, an approach that is particularly important for Africa. Despite Cooper and Bovet's concern that studies like GBD 2010 report a "tsunami of cardiovascular disease" in sub-Saharan Africa, GBD showed a trend toward a decline in age-standardized rates of death due to cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa but confidence intervals were broad, reflecting the limited available data. Scientific efforts should work toward making measures of bias and uncertainty more rigorous and transparent in reporting measures of public health.
Primitive cerebral neuroectodermal tumor with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation

A case is presented of a primitive neuroectodermal tumor located in the left frontal cerebrum, which demonstrated electron microscopic and immunocytochemical evidence of rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Within the group of supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors, only medulloepithelioma has previously been shown to manifest "divergent" differentiation. In several respects our case is analogous to infratentorial "medullomyoblastoma."
Effects of coagulant treatments on aquaculture effluent quality

Abstract Coagulant treatments for improving the water quality of effluents from channel catfish ponds were evaluated at the Auburn University Fisheries Research Unit (FRU), Auburn, Alabama. Gypsum, alum with agricultural limestone, ferric chloride, and ferric chloride with non-ionic polymer (polyacrylamide) were utilized at application rates typically used in wastewater treatment. Samples were collected from each treatment vessel after 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours and analyzed for turbidity, total suspended solids, inorganic suspended solids, particulate organic matter, total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, total nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand. Most measured variables were greatly reduced within 1 hour after the alum with agricultural lime treatment. Alum with agricultural limestone treatment enhanced removal of turbidity, suspended solids, and phosphorus during sedimentation of pond effluents. This treatment was greatly superior to treatments wit...
Determination of the migration of 20 phthalate esters in fatty food packaged with different materials by solid-phase extraction and UHPLC–MS/MS

In this study, a simple, rapid and sensitive method for the determination of 20 phthalate esters (PAEs) in fatty food by UHPLC–MS/MS has been developed. Samples were pretreated by an SPE method, using the ProElut GLASS PSA (1000 mg / 6 mL), which is made for the determination of PAEs in food. The standard calibration curves were linear for all the analytes over the concentration range of 10–50 ng mL−1, and the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9992 to 0.9999. The LODs and LOQs were in the ranges of 0.02–1.6 μg kg−1 and 0.06–5.2 μg kg−1, respectively. The accuracy of this method was evaluated by measuring the recovery from spiked samples. The recoveries of all 20 phthalates from samples spiked at three different concentrations (10, 20, and 50 ng mL−1) were determined, the recovery ranges in low, intermediate and high spiked levels were 80.9–119.7%, 84.5–121.0% and 85.5–121.5%, respectively, and the RSD range of the recovery results (n = 6) was 1.0–11.7%. We also investigated the migration of PAEs, the research results indicated that PAEs could migrate from both plastic and paper bags to foodstuff, and heating could accelerate the migration.