cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Protective Linear B-Cell Epitopes Using Evolutionary Information

Mapping B-cell epitopes plays an important role in vaccine design, immunodiagnostic tests, and antibody production. Because the experimental determination of B-cell epitopes is time-consuming and expensive, there is an urgent need for computational methods for reliable identification of putative B-cell epitopes from antigenic sequences. In this study, we explore the utility of evolutionary profiles derived from antigenic sequences in improving the performance of machine learning methods for protective linear B-cell epitope prediction. Specifically, we compare propensity scale based methods with a Naive Bayes classifier using three different representations of the classifier input: amino acid identities, position specific scoring matrix (PSSM) profiles, and dipeptide composition. We find that in predicting protective linear B-cell epitopes, a Naive Bayes classifier trained using PSSM profiles significantly outperforms the propensity scale based methods as well as the Naive Bayes classifiers trained using the amino acid identity or dipeptide composition representations of input data.
A model for a weighted retrieval system

There has been a good deal of work on information retrieval systems that have continuous weights assigned to the index terms that describe the records in the database, and/or to the query terms that describe the user queries. Recent articles have analyzed retrieval systems with continuous weights of either type and/or with a Boolean structure for the queries. They have also suggested criteria which such systems ought to satisfy and record evaluation mechanisms which partially satisfy these criteria. We offer a more careful analysis, based on a generalization of the discrete weights. We also look at the weights from an entirely different approach involving thresholds, and we generate an improved evaluation mechanism which seems to fulfill a larger subset of the desired criteria than previous mechanisms. This new mechanism allows the user to attach a “threshold” to the query term.
Fourier-space design of efficient photonic crystal cavity-Waveguide couplers

We design efficient photonic crystal (PC) cavity-waveguide couplers using the Fourier-space optimization. This system is a fundamental building block for integrated photonic circuits with direct applications in quantum information processing.
Software Product Line Engineering and Dynamic Customization of a Radio Frequency Management System

This paper describes a case study of a model driven development approach for software product lines based on Web Services. Feature selection drives the dynamic customization of the product line architecture and implementation to derive the application. During product line modeling, features and their dependencies are described in a feature model. During application engineering, features are selected by the application engineer and used to dynamically customize the product line architecture and implementation. A Radio Frequency Management product line is used to illustrate the approach.
Dehydroepiandrosterone and Coronary Atherosclerosis

Tissue culture, animal model, and epidemiologic studies suggest that dehydroepiandrosterone (DEHA) may inhibit atherosclerosis through its potent antiproliferative effects. To examine the relation between DHEA and a direct measure of coronary atherosclerosis, plasma DHEA, and DHEA sulfate (DHEAS) levels were determined in 206 middle-aged patients undergoing coronary angiography. Plasma DHEAS levels were lower in subjects with at least one > or = 50% stenosis than in those with no stenosis > 50% (p = 0.05) and was inversely associated with the number of diseased coronary vessels and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis (p = 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is dominated by abnormal cellular proliferation and, therefore, may be uniquely influenced by DHEA. To study this, 61 cardiac allograft recipients with at least one annual follow-up cardiac catheterization were studied. Plasma levels of total and free DHEA were inversely related to the development of accelerated coronary allograft vasculopathy (p = 0.005 and 0.003, respectively). Furthermore, the time to development of accelerated allograft vasculopathy was shorter in subjects with low levels of total and free DHEA (p = 0.062 and 0.046, respectively). These data suggest that low plasma levels of DHEA may facilitate, and high levels may retard, the development of coronary atherosclerosis and coronary allograft vasculopathy.
Health disparities and culturally specific treatment: Perspectives and expectancies of African American smokers

When the following article originally appeared in the Journal of clinical Psychology (Volume 63, number 6, june 2007), a number of author corrections were omitted. We regret this oversight and now reprint the article in full. Researchers suggest that culturally specific (CS) interventions are important in addressing smoking-related health disparities. Yet, little research has examined the perspectives of African American smokers regarding these efforts. This qualitative study sought to gain insight into perceptions related to (a) the smoking prevalence among African Americans, (b) smoking-related health disparities, (c) expectancies for CS interventions, (d) methods of recruiting research participants, and (e) key intervention components. Six focus groups were conducted with 41 African American smokers (aged 21-64) at a community health center. Content analyses revealed several themes, including the perception that smoking is normative among African Americans, limited knowledge of racial health disparities, mixed perceptions regarding race as a risk factor for illness, and mixed expectancies for the efficacy of CS interventions. In conclusion, individual differences, such as smoking norms, knowledge of health disparities, and intervention expectations may influence receptivity to CS treatments. Implications for tobacco interventions among African Americans are discussed.
Determining IEEE 519 Compliance of a Customer in a Power System

Nonlinear loads inject harmonics in a power distribution network. The interaction of the nonlinear load harmonics with the network impedances creates voltage distortions at the point of common coupling (PCC) which in turn affects other loads connected to the same PCC. This paper presents a neural network based technique to establish determine the true current harmonic distortion of a customer in the presence of distorted voltage. The proposed method is applied at the primary metering point of a customer in a distribution network and the results are used to establish compliance with IEEE 519.
A Kinesin-Like Protein Is Essential for Oriented Deposition of Cellulose Microfibrils and Cell Wall Strength

Cortical microtubules have long been hypothesized to regulate the oriented deposition of cellulose microfibrils. However, the molecular mechanisms of how microtubules direct the orientation of cellulose microfibril deposition are not known. We have used fibers in the inflorescence stems of Arabidopsis to study secondary wall deposition and cell wall strength and found a fragile fiber (fra1) mutant with a dramatic reduction in the mechanical strength of fibers. The fra1 mutation did not cause any defects in cell wall composition, secondary wall thickening, or cortical microtubule organization in fiber cells. An apparent alteration was found in the orientation of cellulose microfibrils in fra1 fiber walls, indicating that the reduced mechanical strength of fra1 fibers probably was attributable to altered cellulose microfibril deposition. The FRA1 gene was cloned and found to encode a kinesin-like protein with an N-terminal microtubule binding motor domain. The FRA1 protein was shown to be concentrated around the periphery of the cytoplasm but absent in the nucleus. Based on these findings, we propose that the FRA1 kinesin-like protein is involved in the microtubule control of cellulose microfibril order.
Solution Reuse for Service Composition and Integration

Service composition and integration are well investigated problems in SOA. However, they still remain among the hard SOA challenges for which automated approaches have yet to be developed. These issues are hindering the agile and cost-effective development of service-based business solutions, and the need for addressing them becomes more pressing with the increase in the number of online (cloud) services. We refer to a composition of services that solves a business problem as a (composition) solution. In this position paper, we argue that solution reuse at a large scale can be exploited to address challenges of service composition and integration by harnessing the collective intelligence and labor of various businesses and people present on the Internet. We propose a reference architecture and technical design of a platform for representation, sharing, and search of solutions and also a marketplace which fosters the reuse of service composition and integration solutions.
Abstract 2736: Is Treatment Of Young Ischemic Stroke Patients Improving? Insights From The Nationwide Inpatient Sample

Background and purpose: Recent studies have shown a trend for increasing use of thrombolysis among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. However, data is lacking for use of thrombolysis among young...
The role of salinity on the interannual variability of the Seychelles-Chagos thermocline ridge

Abstract The southwest tropical Indian Ocean (SWTIO) (55°E–65°E, 5°S–12°S) features a seasonal thermocline ridge that has been shown to have important teleconnections with the Asian monsoon. Although several past studies have highlighted the lack of SWTIO salinity variability, vertical stratification may be sufficient to generate a regional barrier layer, a tropical phenomenon found throughout the Indian Ocean with the ability to affect local air-sea interactions. New global, remotely sensed sea surface salinity (SSS) obtained from the ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASA's Aquarius satellites gives us reason to revisit the region to see if these datasets can yield new information on salinity's role in SWTIO variability. We use Argo floats data to calculate mixed layer depth (MLD), isothermal layer depth (ILD), and barrier layer thickness (BLT = ILD − MLD). We also use a novel approach to estimate satellite-derived BLT by replacing the Argo SSS estimate with the SMOS and Aquarius “skin” measurement to then recalculate the MLD and thus obtain a different BLT estimate. We find that while BLT estimates from all three products are in phase with one another, Aquarius and SMOS produce BLT estimates that are greater than Argo by 10–20 m on average. An anomalous event in 2011 demonstrates how BLT interannual variability may be created by changes in near surface salinity. Our observations suggest that the event was caused by subduction of surface waters due to increased near surface salinity and an anomalous downwelling Rossby wave generated by positive Indian Ocean dipole. Both mechanisms created a thick barrier layer followed by anomalous precipitation and SSS, a series of events consistent with barrier layer theory. Our results also suggest that new SSS measurements from SMOS and Aquarius provide a different interpretation of near surface salinity stratification that needs to be further explored.
Abstract 5321: Longitudinal high throughput CT imaging of orthotopic lung tumors in mice without using contrast media or respiratory gating

In the clinic, CT is the primary clinical imaging modality for diagnosing and staging tumors of the lungs because of its high speed, ability to differentiate between lung and tumor tissue, and relatively low cost. The high contrast between tumor and lung tissue provides accurate identification of tumors without the need for contrast agents. The injection of cells from the pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line NCI-441 directly into the lung results in localized tumor growth. Using this orthotopic model, we have developed a technique for imaging tumor growth in 12 mice simultaneously using the GE eXplore Locus Ultra CT scanner. Image acquisition requires only 8 seconds and delivers quantifiable data without the need for respiratory gating. Athymic nude mice were injected with NCI-H441 cells into the left lung. Lungs were imaged by CT every 7 days starting on day 7 post-inoculation. The images were analyzed using GE MicroView software by drawing contours on selected slices through the tumors and using the interpolation technique to generate a volumetric region defining the tumor. Twenty one days after inoculation the animals were imaged and mice with similar sized tumors were randomized into three groups (vehicle, gemcitabine 75 mg/kg, gemcitabine 150 mg/mg) and treated IP once every 3 days, through 4 cycles. CT analysis enabled the elimination of non-tumor bearing mice and mice with extremely large tumors. Substantial tumor growth was observed in the vehicle group, with nearly complete inhibition in the two gemcitabine groups. These results demonstrate the development of a robust, simple, and high-throughput model for quantifying orthotopic lung tumors in mice. Using CT for recruitment and longitudinal evaluation of tumor growth will reduce the numbers of animals needed per group while allowing rapid differentiation between compounds or doses. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5321. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5321
Cation Disorder Regulation by Microstate Configurational Entropy in Photovoltaic Absorber Materials Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4

Cation disorder plays a major role in the performance deterioration of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) photovoltaic (PV) absorbers. Unfortunately the quantitative impact of cation disorder in this material is not well understood. Here, we show that changes in microstate configurational entropy (SMCE), predicted by a combination of statistical mechanics, density functional theory, and phonon calculations, can quantitatively describe cation disorder and the associated properties in CZTSSe. For example, the predicted critical temperature of the second-order phase transition and the thermal expansion anomaly of CZTS based on SMCE are in good agreement with experiments. We further reveal that the more separated is the same kind of cations (Cu, Zn, or Sn), the lower the energy of the corresponding microstate will be, implying the maximum entropy probability distribution of cations at high temperatures. It is suggested that the introduction of SMCE can serve as a framework to quantitatively understand and tailor cation ...
Interaction between grammar and multimodal resources: quoting different characters in Korean multiparty conversation

This article examines the interaction between grammar and multimodal resources by analyzing reported speech in Korean multiparty face-to-face interaction. The operation of two relevancy rules — minimization and recognition in interaction — is examined together with how the absence or presence of grammar is complemented by multimodal resources of various sorts. For the analysis, three categories (self-quotation, co-party quotation and third-party quotation) are posited depending on who the quoted character is in the talk. In quoting oneself or co-participants in the talk, syntactic resources, prosody, sequential organization and embodied participant frameworks collaborate in the interactional management of the quote without overt realization of grammatical resources traditionally proposed for building quotations in Korean. The multimodal character of quoted speech is most weakly realized when quoting a non-present (third-party) character, not only because of the limitation in body and spatial resources ava...
The Diagnosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma by use of a New Radiopharmaceutical: A Case Presentation

AbstractA case of a small, poorly vascularized renal cell carcinoma is reported because diagnosis was solely dependent upon renal scanning with a new agent, 99mtechnetium 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid. A description of this radiopharmaceutical and a discussion of possible application are included.
Interposition of an Ileal Segment for Repair of Ureteral Injuries

AbstractA small isolated segment of ileum was used to replace a portion of the ureter in 3 patients with the distal anastomosis being performed to the intact ureteral stump. The ileal interposition rather than replacement of the entire ureter, takes advantage of the presence of a normal, non-refluxing ureterovesical junction and serves to diminish any potential problems with electrolyte disturbances.
Attitudes and practices of primary care physicians for prostate cancer screening.

Prostate cancer screening with digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is recommended by several professional organizations. Our objective was to assess the prostate cancer screening practices and attitudes reported by primary care physicians. We randomly surveyed 454 Arizona primary care physicians, subsequently excluding 124 ineligible subjects. Overall, 141 of 329 eligible physicians completed the survey (42.9%). Survey data included physician demographics, practice characteristics, screening and follow-up strategies, and attitudes toward screening. One hundred thirty-one physicians (93%) reported screening asymptomatic men with DRE or PSA. Respondents generally agreed that screening tests were accurate and that early detection was beneficial. Screening began at an average patient age of 45 years, though 7.8% of respondents began screening men younger than 40 years and 7.0% began screening men older than 50 years. PSA levels ranging from 3.9 to 40 ng/mL were considered abnormal, and 11.6% of respondents used a cutpoint higher than 10 ng/mL. Primary care physicians report a high rate of screening for prostate cancer and consider PSA and DRE accurate and useful tests. Screening practices, however, varied considerably between physicians. The screening of younger men reported by practitioners would tend to increase the rate of false-positive tests, while using a high cut-point for PSA and delaying screening beyond age 50 years would decrease the chance for early detection. These screening practices may increase health care costs without necessarily leading to improved health outcomes.
GMOs and poverty: the relationship between improved seeds and rural transformations

ABSTRACTThis essay draws on the extensive empirical literature to address the question: Can genetically modified (GM) crops help poor people? The evidence suggests that GM crops can generate sizeable yield advantages for small-scale farming families in low-income countries through avoiding losses to pests and disease. These advantages may improve considerably the welfare of people who depend on farming for most of their income. However, since poverty is a complex phenomenon and improved seed in and of itself plays a limited role in rural transformation, much more is needed to generate an impact on poverty, including investments in the architecture of rural institutions and farmer knowledge.
Effect of strain and barrier height on performance characteristics of multiquantum well avalanche photodiodes

We have measured electron and hole impact ionization coefficients in strained In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As/In/sub y/Al/sub 1-y/As (0.44 >
Role of vitamin D on gut microbiota in cystic fibrosis

This review explores the potential for vitamin D to favorably alter the gut microbiota, given emerging evidence of the role of vitamin D in controlling mucosal inflammation in the gut. It will focus on cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, a population with both vitamin D deficiency due to gut malabsorption and an altered gut microbiota composition. Recent evidence shows that vitamin D acts to maintain the integrity of the gut mucosal barrier by enhancement of intercellular junctions that control mucosal permeability and reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-8. In addition, vitamin D receptor-mediated signaling has been shown to inhibit inflammation-induced apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells. As a result of these effects on the intestinal mucosa, maintenance of sufficient vitamin D status may be essential for the development of a healthy gut microbiota, particularly in conditions defined by chronic mucosal inflammation such as CF. We hypothesize here that high dose vitamin D may be used to favorably manipulate the aberrant mucosa seen in patients with CF. This may result in improved clinical outcomes in association with a low inflammatory environment that allows beneficial bacteria to outcompete opportunistic pathogens. Current evidence is sparse but encouraging, and additional evidence is needed to establish vitamin D as a therapeutic approach for gut microbiota modification.
Synthesis and structures of 11,11,12,12-tetracyano-2,6-diiodo-9,10-anthraquinodimethane and its 2:1 cocrystals with anthracene, pyrene and tetrathiafulvalene.

Radical salts and charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) containing tetra­cyano­quinodi­methane (TCNQ) display electrical conductivity, which has led to the development of many TCNQ derivatives with enhanced electron-accepting properties that are applicable toward organic electronics. To expand the family of TCNQ derivatives, we report the synthesis and structures of 11,11,12,12-tetra­cyano-2,6-di­iodo-9,10-anthraquinodi­methane (abbreviated as DITCAQ), C20H6I2N4, and its charge-transfer complexes with various electron donors, namely DITCAQ–anthracene (2/1), C20H6I2N4·0.5C14H10, (I), DITCAQ–pyrene (2/1), C20H6I2N4·0.5C16H10, (II), and DITCAQ–tetra­thia­fulvalene (2/1), C20H6I2N4·0.5C6H4S4, (III). The mol­ecular structure of DITCAQ consists of a 2,6-di­iodo-9,10-di­hydro­anthracene moiety with two malono­nitrile substituents. DITCAQ possesses a saddle shape, since the malono­nitrile groups bend significantly up out of the plane of the central ring and the two benzene rings bend down out of the same plane. π–π inter­actions between DITCAQ and the electron-donor molecules control the degree of charge transfer in cocrystals (I), (II), and (III), which is reflected in both the dihedral angles between the terminal benzene ring and the central ring on the DITCAQ motifs, and their corresponding IR spectra.
B20 oscillation results

Abstract We review new studies of the time dependence of B s 0 − B s 0 mixing by the ALEPH, DELPHI and SLD Collaborations, with an emphasis on the different analysis methods used. Combining all available results yields a preliminary lower limit on the oscillation frequency of Δms > 14.4 ps−1 and the 95% C.L.
Water Pollution Impacts

National Center for Ground, Water Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America Water pollution impacts occur from many types of projects, including the construction and operation of multi-purpose reservoirs, industrial complexes, and housing developments. Water pollution impacts may be visible in terms of floating debris and the occurrence of dead fish. The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic approach for identifying and evaluating water quality and quantity-related impacts of projects. Background information on water pollution and quality considerations will be presented along with a conceptual framework for addressing water pollution impacts. Specific information associated with each of the framework elements will be summarized. Examples of scientific approaches for accomplishing the various elements of the conceptual framework are also included.
Effect of Baby-Like Product Personality on Visually Perceived Pleasure: A Study on Coffeemakers

There is more chance of product acceptance if consumers perceived a product more pleasurable. It is evident that certain product personality can make product pleasurable. Therefore, present study aims to discover the effect of a baby-like personality of electronic product (coffeemaker) on user’s perceived pleasure. The current study employed two separate experiments to measure product personality and users’ perceived pleasure respectively. First experiment described about the personality evaluation of coffeemakers which had different appearances; whereas, in the second experiment, users’ perceived pleasure was evaluated. It was observed from the results of the first experiment that baby-like personality perceptions depend on appearances of coffeemakers. In addition, users perceived the coffeemaker more pleasurable due to higher degree of baby-like personality. Thus, it can be envisaged that baby schema effect may be used for enhancement of product choice as consumers felt pleasure due to baby-like product personality.
The part-whole perception of emotion

A clever argument purports to show that we can directly perceive the emotions of others: (1) some emotional expressions are parts of the emotions they express; (2) in perceiving a part of something, one can perceive the whole; (3) therefore, in perceiving some emotional expressions, one can perceive the emotions they express. My aim in this paper is to assess the extent to which contemporary theories of emotion support the first premise of this argument.
Diallel analysis for aflatoxin accumulation and fall armyworm leaf-feeding damage in maize

Two major impediments to profitable maize, Zea mays L., production in the southern United States are from feeding by fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), and losses from the productio...
Associations between cardiac troponin, mortality and subsequent use of cardiovascular services: differences in sex and ethnicity

Background The impact of cardiac troponin (cTn) testing on the downstream use of cardiovascular services is not well understood. We conducted this large-scale single centre cohort study to investigate the patterns of testing that result from the use of cTn. Methods We conducted this investigation using data collected between 1 January 2013 and 18 December 2015 from an academically affiliated tertiary care centre. Data from all hospitalised patients evaluated with cTn (Roche Elecsys cTn-T) assay were collected from our integrated data repository and divided into two cohorts: all cTn assays negative ( Results Among 26 663 subjects, 18.6% had at least one elevated cTn assay; acute myocardial infarction was diagnosed in 3.9% overall. More men received cardiac catheterisation and cardiology consultation (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.39 and OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.61) while African-American patients were less likely to have either catheterisation (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.93) or consultation (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.82) performed. Mortality was associated with detectable cTn (HR 2.05, P Conclusions Among hospitalised patients evaluated with cTn, we observed patterns of underuse and overuse of cardiovascular services. These patterns may have further relevance when high-sensitivity cTn assays are available in the USA. Sex and race-based disparities in cardiovascular services persist.
Calculation of breast volumes from mammogram: Comparison of four separate equations relative to mastectomy specimen volumes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Accurately assessing breast volume (BV) relative to the volume of breast tissue to be removed could help objectively determine the optimal surgical candidates for breast conserving surgery. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal mammography-based method of BV estimation. METHODS Mammography data was obtained for patients who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer from 2005 to 2015. This data was used to calculate BV using four previously published equations. Results were compared to mastectomy specimen volumes calculated from specimen weights and breast density. Five practitioners then independently assessed reproducibility and ease of use. RESULTS Complete mammographic measurements were available for 65 breasts from 45 patients. Median age was 58 years (range 19-82). Mammographic breast density scores were available for 62 breasts. Of the 65 mastectomies performed, 16 (36%) were simple mastectomies. The equation BV = 1/3πRcc Rmlo Hmlo most closely approximated actual breast specimen volumes (R = 0.89, P < 0.0001). Internal correlation of calculated BV was excellent among all practitioners (lowest Pearson R = 0.963). CONCLUSIONS Breast volumes can be reliably estimated utilizing measurements from a preoperative mammogram. This low-cost method of volumetric analysis can be employed to guide surgical decision making in treatment of patients with invasive breast cancer.
Bdp1 interacts with SNAPc bound to a U6, but not U1, snRNA gene promoter element to establish a stable protein-DNA complex

In metazoans, U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) gene promoters utilize a proximal sequence element (PSE) recognized by the small nuclear RNA-activating protein complex (SNAPc). SNAPc interacts with the transcription factor TFIIIB, which consists of the subunits TBP, Brf1 (Brf2 in vertebrates), and Bdp1. Here, we show that, in Drosophila melanogaster, DmSNAPc directly recruits Bdp1 to the U6 promoter, and we identify an 87-residue region of Bdp1 involved in this interaction. Importantly, Bdp1 recruitment requires that DmSNAPc be bound to a U6 PSE rather than a U1 PSE. This is consistent with the concept that DmSNAPc adopts different conformations on U6 and U1 PSEs, which lead to the subsequent recruitment of distinct general transcription factors and RNA polymerases for U6 and U1 gene transcription.
Abstract 3815: Relationship Between Sleep Duration And Functional Outcomes In Patients With Ischemic Stroke - A New Factor To Think About

Introduction: Sleep duration has been associated with an increased risk of mortality, but there is little data on the impact of sleep duration on functional status and health-related quality of life (hrQoL) in the stroke population. We explored the relationship of sleep duration with hr-QoL and functional status in ischemic stroke patients being seen in cerebrovascular outpatient clinics. Methods: The Cleveland Clinic Cerebrovascular Center collects patient-reported and provider collected clinical information in all patients seen in the ambulatory clinic beginning Jan 2009 and included the EuroQol (EQ-5D) (generic hrQOL scale) - the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 PHQ9 (depression screen) and the Stroke Impact Scale 16 (disability scale), NIHSS, and Rankin. Sleep time categories were defined as: short sleep - 9 hours per night, normal sleep - 6-9 hours per night. We analyzed data from the first visits of patients with diagnosis of ischemic stroke seen between Dec 13, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Factors associated with sleep duration were assessed using multinomial regression with sleep duration category serving as the dependent variable. To explore the relationship of sleep duration with functional status, sleep duration was entered as a covariate in linear regression analyses along with demographics, stroke mechanism, days since stroke, marital status and NIHSS score. Results: Mean age of the 1,246 patients was 59.1 yrs (SD 14.6) and 54.6% were female. Black race was associated with short sleep duration (p=.0053). Several factors were associated with long sleep duration including: black race (p Conclusion: Short and long sleepers have a lower quality of life and higher rates of disability. Sleep duration, especially longer sleep times, may be a relevant factor in outcomes after stroke and merits further evaluation.
Systems Planning and Analysis Research 1970 to 2002: A Comparison of Academic and Practitioner Activities

Systems planning and analysis is an integral part of information systems research, education, and business practice. This study identifies differences between academic and practitioner research during the period 1970 to 2002. The Wetherbe and Vitalari (1994) systems framework classifies the literature within the domains of systems planning and analysis. An expanded version of the Singleton, Straits, and Straits (1993) structure organizes the data based on the inquiry method. A seven dimension classification schema, proposed by the authors, is used to organize the data based on study orientation. The Tapscott and Caston (1993) information age segmentations, pre-1990 and post-1990s, support the existence of two analytical time frames and are used to identify shifts in research focus. Thirteen internationally recognized journals within the IS communityten academic and three practitionerprovide the data source for this comparative research. Content analysis is used as the primary data coding technique. Correspondence analysis is used to identify themes, patterns, and trends across the classifications structures. Independent rater reliability procedures verified coding classifications. ANOVAs determined significance and direction of research differences. Graphic plots were derived for interpretation of the results. This study contributes to field knowledge by systematically analyzing the differences in research schema for academics and practioners. Research gaps will be highlighted and areas of future investigation will be suggested.
The Spitz Nevus and Variants

The spitzoid melanocytic neoplasms constitute a distinctive and at the same time enigmatic group of melanocytic lesions which are defined by a characteristic histology and developmental origin. The histological attributes which set these lesions apart from other melanocytic neoplasms are prototypic large epithelioid and/or spindled melanocytes usually arranged in a distinctive architectural configuration. Because of these histological characteristics, these lesions are frequently misdiagnosed as conventional melanoma.
STRUCTURAL SPECIFICITY AND THE DIOXIN RECEPTOR

ABSTRACT Toxic structures (in the guinea pig) in the halogenated biphenyl, dibenzo- p -dioxin, dibenzofuran, and naphthalene compound classes have been identified and important structural requirements assessed. Important structural requirements are similar for induction of cytochrome P-448 in rats and mice and high toxicity in the guinea pig. Although geometric requirements are important, they are significant by way of determining the electronic requirements important for effective non-covalent interactions. It is suggested that there may be a common molecular basis for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogenicity, certain steroid hormone activity and cocarcinogenicity and toxicity of the type seen for these halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons.
Group IV cytosolic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) function: insights from the knockout mouse.

The phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) comprise a growing enzyme superfamily1. PLA2s hydrolyze ester linked acyl groups at thesn-2position of membrane phospholipids. This activity liberates free fatty acid and lysophospholipid. In eukaryotic cells thesn-2position of membrane phospholipids is enriched with arachidonic acid and therefore the PLA2s are considered to be the first step in the regulated production of the eicosanoids. While eicosanoid production is of major importance in normal and pathological states the functions of individual PLA2s in normal and pathophysiological states is not known.
Efficient Search for Free Blocks in the WAFL File System

The WAFL® write allocator is responsible for assigning blocks on persistent storage to data in a way that maximizes both write throughput to the storage media and subsequent read performance of data. The ability to quickly and efficiently guide the write allocator toward desirable regions of available free space is critical to achieving that goal. This ability is influenced by several factors, such as any underlying RAID geometry, media-specific attributes such as erase-block size of solid state drives or zone size of shingled magnetic hard drives, and free space fragmentation. This paper presents and evaluates the techniques used by the WAFL write allocator to efficiently find regions of free space.
Large-Scale Data Mining to Optimize Patient-Centered Scheduling at Health Centers

Patient-centered appointment access is of critical importance at community health centers (CHCs) and its optimal implementation entails the use of advanced data analytics. This study seeks to optimize patient-centered appointment scheduling through data mining of Electronic Health Record/Practice Management (EHR/PM) systems. Data was collected from different EHR/PM systems in use at three CHCs across the state of Indiana and integrated into a multidimensional data warehouse. Data mining was performed using decision tree modeling, logistic regression, and visual analytics combined with n-gram modeling to derive critical influential factors that guide implementation of patient-centered open-access scheduling. The analysis showed that appointment adherence was significantly correlated with the time dimension of scheduling, with lead time for an appointment being the most significant predictor. Other variables in the time dimension such as time of the day and season were important predictors as were variables tied to patient demographic and clinical characteristics. Operationalizing the findings for selection of open-access hours led to a 16% drop in missed appointment rates at the interventional health center. The study uncovered the variability in factors affecting patient appointment adherence and associated open-access interventions in different health care settings. It also shed light on the reasons for same-day appointment through n-gram-based text mining. Optimizing open-access scheduling methods require ongoing monitoring and mining of large-scale appointment data to uncover significant appointment variables that impact schedule utilization. The study also highlights the need for greater “in-CHC” data analytic capabilities to re-design care delivery processes for improving access and efficiency.
How beatboxers produce percussion sounds: A real-time magnetic resonance imaging investigation

Beatboxing is a musical artform in which performers use their vocal tract to create percussion sounds. Sometimes beatboxers perform as a part of an ensemble, using their vocal tract to provide a beat for other musicians; other times, beatboxers perform alone, where they might sing and produce percussion sounds simultaneously. We present methods in real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) that offer new ways to study the production of beatboxing sounds. Using these tools, we show how beatboxers can concatenate intricate articulations to create music that mimics the sound of percussion instruments and other sound effects. The rtMRI methodology reveals how different beatboxers play their vocal folds to perform characteristic “clean” or breathy styles. By using rtMRI to characterize different beatboxing styles, we show how video signal processing can demystify the mechanics of artistic style.
Social Anhedonia in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Psychiatry Referrals.

Social anhedonia (SA) is a widely accepted symptom phenotype in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depression, and schizophrenia spectrum disorder; nevertheless, its clinical implications are relative...
Abstract TMP90: Advances in Treatment of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: Potential Efficacy of Systemic Fibrinolysis

Background: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) results in sudden, painless loss of vision in the affected eye which is usually permanent. Despite 150 years of research, there is no treatment w...
pwrEWAS: a user-friendly tool for comprehensive power estimation for epigenome wide association studies (EWAS)

When designing an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to investigate the relationship between DNA methylation (DNAm) and some exposure(s) or phenotype(s), it is critically important to assess the sample size needed to detect a hypothesized difference with adequate statistical power. However, the complex and nuanced nature of DNAm data makes direct assessment of statistical power challenging. To circumvent these challenges and to address the outstanding need for a user-friendly interface for EWAS power evaluation, we have developed pwrEWAS. The current implementation of pwrEWAS accommodates power estimation for two-group comparisons of DNAm (e.g. case vs control, exposed vs non-exposed, etc.), where methylation assessment is carried out using the Illumina Human Methylation BeadChip technology. Power is calculated using a semi-parametric simulation-based approach in which DNAm data is randomly generated from beta-distributions using CpG-specific means and variances estimated from one of several different existing DNAm data sets, chosen to cover the most common tissue-types used in EWAS. In addition to specifying the tissue type to be used for DNAm profiling, users are required to specify the sample size, number of differentially methylated CpGs, effect size(s) (Δβ), target false discovery rate (FDR) and the number of simulated data sets, and have the option of selecting from several different statistical methods to perform differential methylation analyses. pwrEWAS reports the marginal power, marginal type I error rate, marginal FDR, and false discovery cost (FDC). Here, we demonstrate how pwrEWAS can be applied in practice using a hypothetical EWAS. In addition, we report its computational efficiency across a variety of user settings. Both under- and overpowered studies unnecessarily deplete resources and even risk failure of a study. With pwrEWAS, we provide a user-friendly tool to help researchers circumvent these risks and to assist in the design and planning of EWAS. The web interface is written in the R statistical programming language using Shiny (RStudio Inc., 2016) and is available at https://biostats-shinyr.kumc.edu/pwrEWAS/ . The R package for pwrEWAS is publicly available at GitHub ( https://github.com/stefangraw/pwrEWAS ).
Performance tests of boron-coated straw detectors with thermal and cold neutron beams

Abstract Prototypes of in-house developed boron-coated straw (BCS) detectors have been tested in the thermal and cold neutron energy ranges. Their neutron detection performance has been benchmarked against the industry standard (detector tubes filled with 3 He gas). The tests show that the BCS detectors perform near their theoretical limit regarding the detection efficiency, which is adequate for scientific instruments in the cold neutron energy range. The BCS detectors perform on par with 3 He tubes in terms of signal to noise and timing resolution, and superior regarding longitudinal spatial resolution.
Postoperative Inhaled Nitric Oxide Does Not Decrease Length of Stay in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Admissions.

Pulmonary hypertension is one of the most challenging complications in congenital heart surgery. The purpose of this study was to characterize inhaled nitric oxide administration in children with and without pulmonary hypertension who underwent congenital heart surgery and to describe the effect of nitric oxide administration on admission outcomes. This is a cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) and PHIS + databases from 2004 to 2015. Pediatric patients with a congenital heart disease diagnosis were included and divided into groups with pulmonary hypertension that received and not received inhaled nitric oxide and patients without diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension who received and did not receive inhaled nitric oxide. For all admissions, the following were captured: age of admission, gender, year of admission, length of stay, billed charges, inpatient mortality, the presence of specific congenital malformations of the heart, specific cardiac surgeries, and comorbidities. Comparisons between groups were completed using a Mann–Whitney-U test and Fisher’s exact test. Outcomes evaluation was completed using univariate and regression analyses. A total of 40,194 pediatric cardiac surgical admissions without pulmonary hypertension were identified. Of these, 726 (1.8%) received inhaled nitric oxide. Regression analyses demonstrated that inhaled nitric oxide was independently associated with increased length of stay, billed charges, and inpatient mortality. A total of 1678 pediatric cardiac surgical admissions with pulmonary hypertension were identified. Of these, 195 (11.6%) received inhaled nitric oxide. Regression analyses demonstrated that inhaled nitric oxide was independently associated with a significant increase in length of stay and billed charges. There was no statistically significant association between inhaled nitric oxide and decrease mortality. Administration of inhaled nitric oxide after pediatric cardiac surgery increases length of stay and billed charges while not providing improved inpatient mortality. In fact, administration of inhaled nitric oxide was associated with increased mortality in those without pulmonary hypertension while not impacting mortality in any way in those with pulmonary hypertension.
Development of resilience in nursing students: A systematic qualitative review and thematic synthesis

Resilience is a term commonly used to describe the ability to turn adversity into opportunities and learn from demanding situations. There seems to be a need to identify support strategies for developing resilience among nursing students in order to strengthen their professional practice. The aim of this review was to synthesize qualitative research exploring how resilience can be developed in nursing students. The review question was: How can nurse educators support students' development of resilience? Relevant publications were identified by systematic data searches in May 2017 in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, Webb of Science, ProQuest, Academic and Eric. Eight qualitative research studies in English that explored resilience in the context of nursing education were included. Five descriptive themes emerged: Demonstrating caring relationships, Recognizing resources and power, Acknowledging uncertainty, Reframing burdensome experiences and Adjusting frames for learning. In addition, two overarching analytic themes emerged: An educational culture of trustworthiness and Readiness to care. In conclusion, a learning culture characterized by trustworthiness appears to be a catalyst for developing resilience in nursing students. A variety of support strategies in nursing education contribute to resilience in nursing students, thus influencing their readiness to care.
Understanding the Mechanism of Electronic Defect Suppression Enabled by Nonidealities in Atomic Layer Deposition.

Silicon germanium (SiGe) is a multifunctional material considered for quantum computing, neuromorphic devices, and CMOS transistors. However, implementation of SiGe in nanoscale electronic devices necessitates suppression of surface states dominating the electronic properties. The absence of a stable and passive surface oxide for SiGe results in the formation of charge traps at the SiGe-oxide interface induced by GeOx. In an ideal ALD process in which oxide is grown layer by layer, the GeOx formation should be prevented with selective surface oxidation (i.e., formation of an SiOx interface) by controlling the oxidant dose in the first few ALD cycles of the oxide deposition on SiGe. However, in a real ALD process, the interface evolves during the entire ALD oxide deposition due to diffusion of reactant species through the gate oxide. In this work, this diffusion process in nonideal ALD is investigated and exploited: the diffusion through the oxide during ALD is utilized to passivate the interfacial defects by employing ozone as a secondary oxidant. Periodic ozone exposure during gate oxide ALD on SiGe is shown to reduce the integrated trap density (Dit) across the band gap by nearly 1 order of magnitude in Al2O3 (<6 × 1010 cm-2) and in HfO2 (<3.9 × 1011 cm-2) by forming a SiOx-rich interface on SiGe. Depletion of Ge from the interfacial layer (IL) by enhancement of volatile GeOx formation and consequent desorption from the SiGe with ozone insertion during the ALD growth process is confirmed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) and hypothesized to be the mechanism for reduction of the interfacial defects. In this work, the nanoscale mechanism for defect suppression at the SiGe-oxide interface is demonstrated, which is engineering of diffusion species in the ALD process due to facile diffusion of reactant species in nonideal ALD.