cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 3.1–9.5 GHz agile UWB pulse radio receiver with discrete-time wideband-IF correlation in 90nm CMOS

An 8-channel 3.1-9.5 GHz UWB pulse radio receiver is realized using a double-conversion architecture with discrete-time wideband IF correlation. The pulse templates for correlation are pre-stored in memories which allows fast band switching and agile interferer avoidance since no PLL resettling is required. The receiver chip is implemented in a standard 90 nm CMOS process and occupies 1 mm2.
Effect of heteroporosity on flux equations for membranes

An investigation is made of the possible errors in simple integrated equations for solute flux across both non-sieving and sieving porous membranes that can result from variations in the membrane structure. Detailed structural models are used, beginning with a membrane consisting of a parallel array of pores and progressing to series--parallel combinations of pore segments of various lengths and cross-sectional areas, with internal cross connections among pore segments allowed. It is shown that there are both upper and lower mathematical bounds on the possible variations that can be produced in a curve of solute flux versus volume flow by arbitrary variation in the membrane structure, subject only to certain general conditions. In particular, the flux equation for a homoporous membrane is a lower bound. The maximum deviations from this lower bound for a membrane of arbitrary structure are only moderately large, and require rather extreme pore size distributions; most distributions introduce only small errors. Implications of these results in studies of real membrane structure and in the design of experiments are discussed.
Localization and activation of substance P receptors in unmyelinated axons of rat glabrous skin

Immunohistochemical staining for the substance P (neurokinin INK1) receptor labels 32% of the unmyelinated axons in the glabrous skin of the rat hindpaw. This is the first demonstration of substance P (SP) receptors associated with the membranes of primary afferent fibers. Injection of SP into the subcutaneous tissue of the third hind toe results in behavioral changes interpreted as mechanical hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. These nocifensive behaviors can be blocked by the NK1 antagonist CP99,994-1. The presence of peripheral axons immunolabelled for NK1 receptors and the demonstration that exogenous peripheral SP causes nocifensive behaviors would seem to indicate that SP can have a direct effect on sensory afferents with activation of these receptors resulting in fine afferent firing and thus the pain-related behaviors. Additionally, the presence of round, clear vesicles in some of the SP receptor-labelled axons suggests the presence of autoreceptors since it is known that many primary sensory afferents contain SP.
Progress Towards a Real-time PCR Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and Pepino mosaic virus in Tomato Seed

Quarantined phytopathogens such as Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis can be introduced into tomato transplant houses and fields on infested seed and thereby cause significant economic losses. Hence, specific and sensitive seed health assays are required to exclude these organisms. Currently, separate assays must be conducted on seed samples for each pathogen, making the process time-consuming and expensive. One approach to improve the efficiency of seed health testing is multiplex real-time PCR; however, PCR can be inhibited by compounds co-extracted from seed tissues with nucleic acids. To address this concern, we explored the use of magnetic capture hybridization (MCH) to concentrate and purify target nucleic acids prior to real-time PCR. The combination of MCH with multiplex real-time PCR resulted in a 10 2 –10 3 -fold increase in detection sensitivity for both pathogens compared to DNA extraction and direct multiplex real-time PCR. The detection threshold observed for the MCH multiplex real-time PCR assay was a combination of 10 5 C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis CFU ⁄ ml plus a 10 )4 -fold dilution of total RNA extracted from PepMV-infected tomato leaf tissue. These observations provide proof for the concept that MCH can facilitate the simultaneous detection of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and PepMV by multiplex real-time PCR.
Standards for Audio Compression

Digital audio is an integral part of any video or multimedia application and may consume a considerable portion of the overall bandwidth. Therefore, efficient compression of the audio data is as important as the efficient compression of the video data. There are two main parameters that control the quality and the bit rate of digital audio: the sampling resolution (that is, bits per audio sample) and the sampling frequency.
Rapid assays for the diagnosis of influenza A and B viruses in patients evaluated at a large tertiary care children's hospital during two consecutive winter seasons.

Abstract Background The rapid and accurate diagnosis of influenza facilitates antiviral therapy, judicious antibiotic usage, and cohorting patients to decrease nosocomial infection. Objective To determine the utility of rapid influenza tests in a children's hospital. Study design Two in vitro rapid immunochromatographic assays that detect and distinguish influenza A and B viruses were compared to the reference standard of viral culture. Results In 9186 patients tested, overall sensitivity of the rapid assays for influenza A was 64.4% and specificity was 98.3%. Sensitivity and specificity were 28% and 99.9%, respectively, for influenza B. Overall sensitivity and specificity for Remel Xpect (2004/2005) were 47.7% and 98.7% for influenza A, and 20.3% and 99.8% for influenza B, respectively. Overall sensitivity and specificity of Binax NOW Flu A&B (2005/2006) were 78.3% and 98% for influenza A, and 35.9% and 99.9% for influenza B, respectively. The results for influenza B with both assays were significantly lower than previously reported and lower than stated in the manufacturer's package insert. Conclusions In a contemporary clinical setting, rapid assays for influenza displayed significantly lower sensitivities, especially for influenza B, than prior reports. Differences in pre- and post-licensure performance demonstrate the importance of continuous evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for influenza.
Integrated silicon waveguide for intra-chip communication: A practical experience

This paper presents the design and fabrication of a waveguide in silicon using traditional microfabrication and manufacturing processes. Integrated waveguide has become important owing to the need for faster computing and the problems associated with copper as technology scales into the nanometer regime. Furthermore, photonic on-chip interconnect offers better latency, higher bandwidth capacity, power efficiency, faster speed and reduced interference when compared with electrical interconnect. To test the silicon waveguide, a Gb/s communication system was assembled and laser light was coupled and transmitted through the chip.
Cerebellar direct current stimulation enhances motor learning in older adults.

Abstract Developing novel approaches to combat age related declines in motor function is key to maintaining health and function in older adults, a subgroup of the population that is rapidly growing. Motor adaptation, a form of motor learning, has been shown to be impaired in healthy older subjects compared with their younger counterparts. Here, we tested whether excitatory anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the cerebellum could enhance adaptation in older subjects. Participants performed a “center-out” reaching task, adapting to the sudden introduction of a visual cursor rotation. Older participants receiving sham tDCS (mean age 56.3 ± 6.8 years) were slower to adapt than younger participants (mean age 20.7 ± 2.1 years). In contrast, older participants who received anodal tDCS (mean age 59.6 ± 8.1 years) adapted faster, with a rate that was similar to younger subjects. We conclude that cerebellar anodal tDCS enhances motor adaptation in older individuals. Our results highlight the efficacy of the novel approach of using cerebellar tDCS to combat age related deficits in motor learning.
Ab initio thermodynamic modeling of distal multisite transcription regulation

Transcription regulation typically involves the binding of proteins over long distances on multiple DNA sites that are brought close to each other by the formation of DNA loops. The inherent complexity of assembling regulatory complexes on looped DNA challenges the understanding of even the simplest genetic systems, including the prototypical lac operon. Here we implement a scalable approach based on thermodynamic molecular properties to model ab initio systems regulated through multiple DNA sites with looping. We show that this approach applied to the lac operon accurately predicts the system behavior for a wide range of cellular conditions, which include the transcription rate over five orders of magnitude as a function of the repressor concentration for wild type and all seven combinations of deletions of three operators, as well as the observed induction curves for cells with and without active catabolite activator protein. Our results provide new insights into the detailed functioning of the lac operon and reveal an efficient avenue to incorporate the required underlying molecular complexity into fully predictive models of gene regulation.
Characterization of Immune Cells in Kidneys From Patients With Sjogren's Syndrome

The association of interstitial nephritis, the most common renal lesion in Sjogren's syndrome, to the other manifestations of the disease is unclear. To begin to address this issue, the infiltrating cells in frozen kidney tissues from two patients with interstitial nephritis secondary to Sjogren's syndrome were characterized by indirect immunofluorescence. T cells predominated, the majority of which were helper/inducer cells (OKT4 + ). Both kidneys contained nodules of B cells. The increased proportion of OKT4 + T cells in salivary gland and in interstitial renal lesions of Sjogren's syndrome contrasts with some other forms of interstitial renal disease and suggests that the renal and salivary gland lesions have a similar pathogeneis.
Implicit and Explicit Memory Following Surgical Anesthesia

Paired associates were presented to 25 surgical patients following the induction of anesthesia by thiopental, vecuronium, and isoflurane. Postoperative testing (immediately or after two weeks) showed no free recall for the list; nor was there significant cued recall or recognition, compared to a matched control list. However, a free-association task showed a significant priming effect on both immediate and delayed trials. At least under some conditions, adequate surgical anesthesia appears to abolish explicit, but not implicit, memory for intraoperative events.
Principles of Cognitive Therapy

The major purpose of this chapter is to address a number of practical and strategic issues involved in the conduct of cognitive therapy. Despite the fact that there has been a surge of interest in cognitive therapy in recent years (Mahoney, 1977), the idea that emotional suffering is related to cognition is by no means new. Victor Raimy (1975) has described in considerable detail the diverse historical threads that have been associated with the development of cognitive therapy.
On the Consequences of Mutual Fund Tournaments

We analyze the implications of the tournament-like competition in the mutual fund industry for shareholder welfare using a framework that addresses both (a) the risk taking incentives, and (b) the effort incentives facing fund managers. We compare the ex ante shareholder utility under two competing regimes: (a) a tournament regime characterized by future fund flows accruing to the winner fund, and (b) a no-tournament regime in which future flows are not sensitive to past performance. Our analysis suggests that mutual fund tournaments can be beneficial when the informational costs and the cash flow sensitivity to past performance are moderate. Using monthly as well as daily data for a sample of domestic stock funds, we present empirical evidence consistent with the key predictions of our theoretical model.
Inherited mutations in breast cancer genes in African American breast cancer patients revealed by targeted genomic capture and next generation sequencing.

CRA1501 Background: African American (AA) women are disproportionately affected by early-onset and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). One explanation for these disparities may be a higher frequency of inherited mutations among AA women in genes in DNA repair pathways, including BRCA1 and BRCA2. Using targeted genomic capture and next generation sequencing (NGS), we screened DNA from AA women with breast cancer for mutations in all 18 known breast cancer genes. Methods: A total of 249 unrelated AA women with breast cancer were ascertained through the Cancer Risk Clinic at The University of Chicago. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and 3 micrograms were used for targeted capture and sequencing. Average read depth across the 1.4 MB targeted region was 320-fold. Sequence reads were aligned and all classes of variants identified: point mutations, small insertions and deletions, and large genomic rearrangements. Only unambiguously damaging mutations were called: stops, complete genomic deletio...
The Nature and Scope of the FCC's Regulatory Power in the Wake of the NextWave and GWI PCS Cases

The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") is the administrative agency that oversees the use of the electromagnetic spectrum in the United States.' In dealing with parties licensed to use the spectrum, the FCC plays two roles. First, Congress created the FCC in 1934 as a regulator with control of the spectrum.2 In this role, the FCC allocates licenses for use of the spectrum and oversees licensees' use of these licenses in order to prevent interference.3 Second, in 1993, Congress made the FCC a creditor by authorizing the FCC to conduct competitive auctions for nonbroadcast FCC licenses.4 Congress also instructed the FCC to ensure that as part of its auction plan, it reserved certain blocks of spectrum for qualified entities, including small businesses, and made available deferred payment plans on favorable terms.5 These spectrum auctions have generated billions of dollars in revenue as wireless technologies have developed.6
Observations on the Significance of the Agglutinins and Lysins Produced by Typhoid Inoculation.

Conclusion1. The immunity produced by a single course of 3 doses of typhoid vaccine may not be as great as usually believed. A second inoculation probably ought to be given some weeks or months after the first. 2. The Widal Reaction is much less reliable as a test for typhoid fever among those who have had more than one inoculation with vaccine than among those who have had only a single inoculation.
Damped Free Vibration Response of An Adhesively Bonded Stiffened Plate with Plate-Strip Stiffeners

We investigated the response of an adhesively bonded plate employing plate-strip stiffeners, unlike the rib stiffeners often investigated by researchers. Both plate and stiffeners were analyzed using the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The deflections and rotations were assumed as a tensor product of Timoshenko beam functions, chosen appropriately according to the given boundary conditions. Unlike Navier and Levy’s solution techniques, the approach used in this paper can also be applied to fully clamped, free and cantilever supported stiffened plates. The problem was analyzed using the principle of virtual work (PVW). At first, we did not consider damping in the adhesive in order to validate our code, by comparing our results with those available in the literature as well as with the results obtained using ABAQUS R ©. The results were found to be highly satisfactory. We also considered the effect of changing the stiffness of the adhesive layer on the vibration of the bonded system. As a second step, we included damping in the stiffened structure using complex modulus approach, a widely used technique to represent the rheology of the viscoelastic material. We observed an overall increase in the natural frequencies of the system, due to the damping provided by the viscoelastic material. Moreover, it was noticed that when the thickness of the adhesive layer is increased, the natural frequencies and loss factor of the stiffened structure decrease. A viscoelastic material with high loss factor and small thickness, will be a perfect design variable to obtain overall high damping in the structure.
Schrödinger operators with singular potentials

Recently B. Simon proved a remarkable theorem to the effect that the Schrodinger operatorT=−Δ+q(x) is essentially selfadjoint onC 0 ∞ (R m if 0≦q ∈L 2(R m). Here we extend the theorem to a more general case,T=−Σ =1/ (∂/∂x j −ib j(x))2 +q 1(x) +q 2(x), whereb j, q1,q 2 are real-valued,b j ∈C(R m),q 1 ∈L loc 2 (R m),q 1(x)≧−q*(|x|) withq*(r) monotone nondecreasing inr ando(r 2) asr → ∞, andq 2 satisfies a mild Stummel-type condition. The point is that the assumption on the local behavior ofq 1 is the weakest possible. The proof, unlike Simon’s original one, is of local nature and depends on a distributional inequality and elliptic estimates.
Long-term effects of soil fumigation and inorganic nutrient addition on the rhizoplane mycoflora of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

The rhizoplane mycofloras of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) were compared in unfumigated and fumigated soils to which selected inorganic nutrients were added. Thirty-four fungal taxa were isolated and 20 were common to unfumigated and fumigated soil 17 months after fumigation. Species richness (i.e., number of species) was greater on the unfumigated site (33 species) than the fumigated site (21 species). Addition of inorganic nutrients to the soil did not have significant effects on the occurrence of the eight most abundant rhizoplane species. Tests for interspecific association among the eight most frequently occurring species revealed that most of these species had significant negative associations with each other.
On the intracellular localization of the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isomerase in the rat adrenal cortex.

SummaryIn this study we have compared some properties of the microsomal and mitochondrial 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase (HSD) from the rat adrenal cortex. The following major differences were noted: (i) the microsomal enzyme required exogenous NAD while the mitochondrial enzyme was active in the absence of added NAD. (ii) The mitochondrial enzyme was inhibited by a combination of rotenone, KCN, and citric acid cycle substrates. These agents did not influence the activity of the microsomal enzyme, (iii) The ratio of the specific activities of HSD to the 21-hydroxylase (a microsomal marker enzyme) was greater in the mitochondria than in the microsomes. We conclude that HSD is present in the inner mitochondrial membrane and, therefore, that the enzyme has a dual mitochondrial and microsomal localization in the rat adrenal cortex.The authors wish to thank Drs. P. J. Mulrow and S. Y. Tan for several helpful discussions during the course of this study.
Diagnosis and Treatment Of Carotid Artery Disease

Carotid artery disease (CAD) can cause strokes or even death. Fortunately, some of the risk factors for CAD can be controlled, and the disease can be prevented, slowed or reversed. This article reviews those risk factors, along with normal and abnormal carotid artery anatomy, techniques for imaging the carotid arteries, treatment options for CAD and the roles of specialists who diagnose and treat it. The article concludes with a look at promising new and alternative treatments.
Surgery for Underactive Bladder Treatment

Patients with underactive bladder (UAB) have few dependable treatment options except for continuous or clean intermittent catheterization. There are essentially two main strategies to improve bladder emptying: increasing intravesical pressure and decreasing outlet resistance. The chapter will present surgical treatment options to increase bladder pressure and procedures to decrease outlet resistant.
Etiology and drug sensitivity of Neisseria meningitidis

Objective To understand the pathogenic characteristics and drug sensitivity of 8 strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated in Hunan province between 2007-2008.Methods Neisseria rneningitidis strains were identified and clustered by serology and PCR test,drug sensitivity test was carried by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)agar dilution rnethocl.Results Among 8 strains of Neisseria meningitidis,5 strains were in serogroup C,1 in serogroup B,1 in serogroup Y and 1 was unidentified.All 8 strains were sensitive to penicillin,ampicillin,minocycline, ceftriaxone,cefotaxirne,rneropenern,rifarnpicin,but resistant to sulfarnethoxazole/trirnethoprim,4 strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin respectively,and 1 strain was resistant to chlorarnphenicol and azithromycin respectively.Conclusion Eight epidemic strains of Neisseria meningitidis are mainly in serogroup C; penicillin,ceftriaxone,cefotaxirne and rneropenem should be used as the first-line drugs for the treatment of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis,the resistance to quinolones and rnacrolides should be paid attention.
Effectiveness of the U.S. national HIV testing day campaigns in promoting HIV testing: evidence from CDC-funded HIV testing sites, 2010.

Objectives.We assessed if HIV testing and diagnoses increased during the week of National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) and if characteristics of people who were tested varied compared with control weeks.Methods.We analyzed HIV testing data from the 2010 National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation system to compare NHTD week (June 24–30, 2010) with two control weeks (January 7–13, 2010, and August 12–18, 2010) for the number of HIV testing events and new HIV-positive diagnoses, by demographics and other HIV-related variables. Characteristics associated with testing during NHTD week compared with control weeks were identified using Chi-square analyses.Results.In 2010, an average of 15,000 more testing events were conducted and 100 more new HIV-positive diagnoses were identified during NHTD week than during the control weeks (p<0.001). Compared with control weeks, people tested during NHTD week were significantly less likely to be aged 20–29 years and non-Hispanic white and significantly more likely ...
Spectroscopic microscopy can quantify the statistics of subdiffractional refractive-index fluctuations in media with random rough surfaces

We previously established that spectroscopic microscopy can quantify subdiffraction-scale refractive index (RI) fluctuations in a label-free dielectric medium with a smooth surface. However, to study more realistic samples, such as biological cells, the effect of rough surface should be considered. In this Letter, we first report an analytical theory to synthesize microscopic images of a rough surface, validate this theory by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solutions of Maxwell’s equations, and characterize the spectral properties of light reflected from a rough surface. Then, we report a technique to quantify the RI fluctuations beneath a rough surface and demonstrate its efficacy on FDTD-synthesized spectroscopic microscopy images, as well as experimental data obtained from biological cells.
Photo-trail: building eye-level-view enhanced navigation technology

This paper describes how to provide an inexpensive capability that automatically captures, time-stamps, and georectifies single and 360 degree-panoramic eye-level imagery while the image-taker freely moves around the environment. These same images readily overlay all virtual maps as icons to create photo-trails that can be queried, sorted, and expanded to help support planning for a variety of commercial, industrial, and military purposes.
Bone Preservation Strategies for Men on Androgen Deprivation Therapy

Bone metastases are common in many men with advanced prostate cancer. Maintaining bone health related to the management of prostate cancer is important. Skeletal related events (SRE) are a major source of morbidity for prostate cancer patients. Furthermore, men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) are at considerably higher risk for debilitating skeletal events. Abnormal bone remodeling secondary to irregular osteoclast activity is a favorable therapeutic target. Bisphosphonates, such as zoledronic acid, can increase bone mineral density of men on ADT and significantly decrease the risk of skeletal complications at risk patients. Denosumab is a human monoclonal antibody that specifically binds and inactivates the RANK ligand, a molecular activation switch for osteoclasts. This osteoclast specific therapy can increase bone mineral density and decrease the risk of fracture. Both therapies have proven benefit in preventing SREs for men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). No agents are currently approved for prevention of bone metastasis, although recent phase III studies are promising. Radium-223, abiraterone and enzalutamide are several mechanistically distinct agents that diminished tumor growth and also decrease the rate of SRE in men with mCRPC. Incorporation and optimization of these bone targeted agents into primary therapy for metastatic prostate cancer investigation is currently on going.
Ancillary Reagents for IHC

Although primary and secondary antibodies are essential for IHC procedure, they cannot be used alone and require ancillary reagents: buffer solutions, antibody diluents, and mounting media. Without them, IHC staining cannot be successfully started and completed. Let us go over each of them and discuss their role in IHC procedure.
Shoulder Pain Assessment for the Occupational Health Nurse

Shoulder pain is a common complaint in the workplace. A shoulder condition may arise from acute trauma or non-traumatic work-related activities. Shoulder pain falls into three categories: acute, chronic, and referred pain. The occupational health nurse can document detailed health histories and focused complaint-driven physical examinations. Nurses' expert assessments can guide injured workers to necessary treatment, case management, and return to full employment.
Introducing Renewable Energy Through Projects

Applied Energy Systems is an elective class in Thermal-Fluids area. The course focuses on energy and fluids engineering by covering topics such as current and developing energy sources and their impact on the environment. One of the outcomes of this class is to identify and compare energy resources such as solar, wind, ocean, geothermal energy, and hydropower by covering their working principle, system components, cost analysis, benefits and drawbacks. During the semester, several small scale projects were introduced to students. These projects included a debate session on wind energy, a feasibility study on wind energy, research on a Tesla turbine, and testing of a hydro turbine. This study provides the description of each project and shows examples of student work, survey results and the assessment of the work.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Foot-ankle complex injury risk curves using calcaneus bone mineral density data.

Abstract Objective Biomechanical data from post mortem human subject (PMHS) experiments are used to derive human injury probability curves and develop injury criteria. This process has been used in previous and current automotive crashworthiness studies, Federal safety standards, and dummy design and development. Human bone strength decreases as the individuals reach their elderly age. Injury risk curves using the primary predictor variable (e.g., force) should therefore account for such strength reduction when the test data are collected from PMHS specimens of different ages (age at the time of death). This demographic variable is meant to be a surrogate for fracture, often representing bone strength as other parameters have not been routinely gathered in previous experiments. However, bone mineral densities (BMD) can be gathered from tested specimens (presented in this manuscript). The objective of this study is to investigate different approaches of accounting for BMD in the development of human injury risk curves. Methods Using simulated underbody blast (UBB) loading experiments conducted with the PMHS lower leg-foot-ankle complexes, a comparison is made between the two methods: treating BMD as a covariate and pre-scaling test data based on BMD. Twelve PMHS lower leg-foot-ankle specimens were subjected to UBB loads. Calcaneus BMD was obtained from quantitative computed tomography (QCT) images. Fracture forces were recorded using a load cell. They were treated as uncensored data in the survival analysis model which used the Weibull distribution in both methods. The width of the normalized confidence interval (NCIS) was obtained using the mean and ± 95% confidence limit curves. Principal results The mean peak forces of 3.9 kN and 8.6kN were associated with the 5% and 50% probability of injury for the covariate method of deriving the risk curve for the reference age of 45 years. The mean forces of 5.4 kN and 9.2 kN were associated with the 5% and 50% probability of injury for the pre-scaled method. The NCIS magnitudes were greater in the covariate-based risk curves (0.52–1.00) than in the risk curves based on the pre-scaled method (0.24–0.66). The pre-scaling method resulted in a generally greater injury force and a tighter injury risk curve confidence interval. Although not directly applicable to the foot-ankle fractures, when compared with the use of spine BMD from QCT scans to pre-scale the force, the calcaneus BMD scaled data produced greater force at the same risk level in general. Conclusions Pre-scaling the force data using BMD is an alternate, and likely a more accurate, method instead of using covariate to account for the age-related bone strength change in deriving risk curves from biomechanical experiments using PMHS. Because of the proximity of the calcaneus bone to the impacting load, it is suggested to use and determine the BMD of the foot-ankle bone in future UBB and other loading conditions to derive human injury probability curves for the foot-ankle complex.
Interlayer adhesion and strength of structures in Contour Crafting - Effects of aggregate size, extrusion rate, and layer thickness

Abstract Contour Crafting (CC) is a method that builds coherent concrete structures in a layer-by-layer fabrication fashion. During fabrication, layers must be bonded together to make a homogenous structure, as there is no vibration or external force during layer deposition. This research investigates the structural integrity of Contour Crafted structures using experimental approaches to analyze the bond strength between layers. Initially, a concrete mixture which the compressive and tensile strength is significantly improved through modifying the aggregate size and aggregate to cement ratio is developed. The mixture is compatible with an existing extrusion system and it is tested to quantify the strength at interface for different extrusion rate and layer thickness. The results show that an improvement of up to 16% at interface is achievable for different fabrication conditions.
Single Amino Acid Substitution in the Vicinity of a Receptor-Binding Domain Changes Protein–Peptide Binding Affinity

Using a microarray-based assay, we studied how the substitution of amino acids in the immediate vicinity of the receptor-binding domain on a peptide affects its binding to a protein. Replicates of 802 linear peptides consisting of the variants of WTHPQFAT and LQWHPQAGK, GKFPIPLGKQSG, and NGQFQVWIPGAQK, different by one amino acid, were synthesized on a glass slide with a maskless photolithography. Using a microarray-compatible label-free optical sensor, we measured the binding curves of streptavidin with the synthesized peptides and extracted the streptavidin–peptide affinity constants. We found that (a) the substitution of one residue in the HPQ motif reduces the affinity constant Ka from 108 M–1 by at least 3–4 orders of magnitude, with an exception of HPM; (b) substitution of the immediate flanking residue on the Gln side also causes the affinity to decrease by up to 3–4 orders of magnitude, depending on the substituting residue and the second-neighboring flanking residue; (c) substitution of the flank...
The STIM-Orai Pathway: Orai, the Pore-Forming Subunit of the CRAC Channel.

This chapter focuses on the Orai proteins, Orai1–Orai3, with special emphasis on Orai1, in humans and other mammals, and on the definitive evidence that Orai is the pore subunit of the CRAC channel. It begins by reviewing briefly the defining characteristics of the CRAC channel, then discusses the studies that implicated Orai as part of the store-operated Ca2+ entry pathway and as the CRAC channel pore subunit, and finally examines ongoing work that is providing insights into CRAC channel structure and gating.
Spatially Controlled Relay Beamforming

We consider the problem of enhancing Quality-of-Service (QoS) in mobile relay beamforming networks, by optimally controlling relay motion, in the presence of a dynamic channel. We assume a time-slotted system, where the relays update their positions before the beginning of each slot. Modeling the wireless channel as a Gaussian spatiotemporal field, we propose a novel 2-stage stochastic programming approach for optimally specifying relay positions and beamforming weights, such that the expected QoS of the network is maximized, based on causal channel state information and under a total relay power budget. This results in a scheme where, at each time slot, apart from optimally beamforming to the destination, the relays also optimally decide their positions at the next slot, based on causal experience. The stochastic program considered is shown to be equivalent to a set of simple subproblems, which may be solved in a naturally distributed fashion, one at each relay. However, exact evaluation of the objective of each subproblem is impossible. To mitigate this issue, we propose three efficient, theoretically grounded surrogates to the original subproblems, which rely on the Sample Average Approximation method, the Gauss-Hermite Quadrature, and the Method of Statistical Differentials, respectively. The efficacy and several properties of the proposed approach are demonstrated via simulations. In particular, we report a substantial improvement of about ${\text{80}{\%}}$ on the average network QoS at steady state, compared to randomized relay motion. This shows that strategic relay motion control can result in substantial performance gains, as far as QoS maximization is concerned.
Functional neural mechanisms of sensory phenomena in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract Sensory phenomena (SP) are aversive or uncomfortable sensations that accompany and/or drive repetitive behaviors in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although SP are associated with significant distress and may respond less well to standard treatments than harm-related obsessions, little is known about their underlying neurobiology. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain functioning related to severity of SP during a “body-focused” videos task designed to elicit activation in sensorimotor brain regions. Regression analysis examined the relationship between severity of SP and activation during task using permutation analysis, cluster-level corrected for multiple comparisons (family-wise error rate p
Visual function in children with primary brain tumors.

Purpose of review To review the recent advances in understanding how primary brain tumors affect vision in children. Recent findings Children with primary brain tumors may have vision loss due to involvement of their afferent visual pathways or from papilledema. These vision deficits may go unrecognized until later in life, years after treatment of the primary lesion. Strabismus and cranial nerve palsies may occur as a result of brain tumors. Ophthalmologists can monitor and treat young children at risk for vision loss from amblyopia as a result of effects from their underlying lesion. Advances in imaging techniques have made it possible to quantify damage to the visual pathways with objective tests. Summary Systematic referrals for evaluation by an ophthalmologist should occur early in the course of treatment of primary brain tumors as these evaluations may improve visual outcomes and quality of life.
Maximizing Genuine Multipartite Entanglement of N Mixed Qubits

Beyond the simplest case of bipartite qubits, the composite Hilbert space of multipartite systems is largely unexplored. In order to explore such systems, it is important to derive analytic expressions for parameters which characterize the system's state space. Two such parameters are the degree of genuine multipartite entanglement and the degree of mixedness of the system's state. We explore these two parameters for an N-qubit system whose density matrix has an X form. We derive the class of states that has the maximum amount of genuine multipartite entanglement for a given amount of mixedness. We compare our results with the existing results for the N = 2 case. The critical amount of mixedness above which no N-qubit X-state possesses genuine multipartite entanglement is derived. It is found that as N increases, states with higher mixedness can still be entangled.
Mereological Composition in Analytic and Buddhist Perspective

Comparing Buddhist and contemporary analytic views about mereological composition reveals significant dissimilarities about the purposes that constrain successful answers to mereological questions, the kinds of considerations taken to be probative in justifying those answers, and the value of mereological inquiry. I develop these dissimilarities by examining three questions relevant to those who deny the existence of composite wholes. The first is a question of justification: What justifies denying the existence of composite wholes as more reasonable than affirming their existence? The second is a question of ontology: Under what conditions are many partless individuals arranged composite-wise? The third is a question of reasonableness: Why, if there are no composites available to experience, do “the folk” find it reasonable to believe there are? I motivate each question, sketch some analytic answers for each, develop in more detail answers from the Theravādin Buddhist scholar Buddhaghosa, and extract comparative lessons.
Monitoring mammalian mitochondrial translation with MitoRiboSeq

Several essential components of the electron transport chain, the major producer of ATP in mammalian cells, are encoded in the mitochondrial genome. These 13 proteins are translated within mitochondria by 'mitoribosomes'. Defective mitochondrial translation underlies multiple inborn errors of metabolism and has been implicated in pathologies such as aging, metabolic syndrome and cancer. Here, we provide a detailed ribosome profiling protocol optimized to interrogate mitochondrial translation in mammalian cells (MitoRiboSeq), wherein mitoribosome footprints are generated with micrococcal nuclease and mitoribosomes are separated from cytosolic ribosomes and other RNAs by ultracentrifugation in a single straightforward step. We highlight critical steps during library preparation and provide a step-by-step guide to data analysis accompanied by open-source bioinformatic code. Our method outputs mitoribosome footprints at single-codon resolution. Codons with high footprint densities are sites of mitoribosome stalling. We recently applied this approach to demonstrate that defects in mitochondrial serine catabolism or in mitochondrial tRNA methylation cause stalling of mitoribosomes at specific codons. Our method can be applied to study basic mitochondrial biology or to characterize abnormalities in mitochondrial translation in patients with mitochondrial disorders.
Renate L. Chancellor. E.J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. 147p. Paper, $80.00 (ISBN 978-1538121764).

Catholic University professor Renate L. Chancellor has offered not only an excellent biography of a legendary library activist but also a well-crafted lesson in African-American history with her succinct, easy-to-read E.J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession. This six-chapter work documents the life and accomplishments of Elonnie Junius “E.J.” Josey, principal founder of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), longtime University of Pittsburgh LIS professor, and second Black president of the American Library Association.
Coronary artery anomalies evaluation with cardiac computed tomography: A review.

Abstract Coronary artery anomalies involve either their origin, course, or termination of the vessel. Coronary artery anomalies are congenital and relatively few develop symptoms, which can include potentially serious effects like arrhythmia, chest pain, syncope, myocardial infarction, or sudden death. Conventional coronary angiography has been used extensively in the past few decades for evaluation of coronary anomalies. With recent advancements in the software and hardware, noninvasive nature, and excellent temporal and spatial resolution; coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is now the mainstay in the diagnosis of coronary arterial anomalies. Many studies have shown better performance of cardiac CTA compared to invasive angiography in detection of anomalous coronary arteries.
Last Iterate Risk Bounds of SGD with Decaying Stepsize for Overparameterized Linear Regression.

Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) has been demonstrated to generalize well in many deep learning applications. In practice, one often runs SGD with a geometrically decaying stepsize, i.e., a constant initial stepsize followed by multiple geometric stepsize decay, and uses the last iterate as the output. This kind of SGD is known to be nearly minimax optimal for classical finite-dimensional linear regression problems (Ge et al., 2019), and provably outperforms SGD with polynomially decaying stepsize in terms of the statistical minimax rates. However, a sharp analysis for the last iterate of SGD with decaying step size in the overparameterized setting is still open. In this paper, we provide problem-dependent analysis on the last iterate risk bounds of SGD with decaying stepsize, for (overparameterized) linear regression problems. In particular, for SGD with geometrically decaying stepsize (or tail geometrically decaying stepsize), we prove nearly matching upper and lower bounds on the excess risk. Our results demonstrate the generalization ability of SGD for a wide class of overparameterized problems, and can recover the minimax optimal results up to logarithmic factors in the classical regime. Moreover, we provide an excess risk lower bound for SGD with polynomially decaying stepsize and illustrate the advantage of geometrically decaying stepsize in an instance-wise manner, which complements the minimax rate comparison made in previous work.
Class and Gender in Nineteenth-Century Rural Michigan: The Merriman-Sharp Hillside Farm

The social and material expression of class and gender is an active process; the meanings and symbols in social contexts are constantly being negotiated and renegotiated. These meanings can be approached through a wide variety of sources, including material culture, landscape, architecture, and documents. In 1912 Ella Wing (Merriman) Sharp willed much of the farm and home she had inherited from her mother, Mary Merriman, and her personal property to the City of Jackson, Michigan, with specific provisions that her farm be turned into a park and her home into a museum. During their residence and even after their deaths, these two women manipulated the environment, both material and natural, in and around their farm and house to communicate very specific messages about their class and gender status.
Assessing English in Mexico and Central America

The predominance of Spanish across Mexico and Central America, both as an official language of government and education and as a language of business and travel, partly accounts for the relatively slow pace at which this region has moved in raising its English as a foreign language instruction standards, compared to other regions. This chapter offers an overview of the linguistic landscape in this region, followed by a more detailed look at English language teaching (ELT) practices in two key countries, Mexico and Costa Rica. The development of public policies concerning the teaching of English is traced and the associated proficiency assessment practices and outcomes are described. The current situation in Mexico and Costa Rica is that college-age individuals in these regions continue to obtain low proficiency scores on standardized tests, and allocation of resources is not always informed by research, as evidenced by a dearth of qualified instructors, outdated methodologies, ambiguous curricula, and ill-defined assessment policies. The chapter thus highlights a gap between the policies implemented by official education authorities and the actual needs experienced in the field of ELT in the region. Keywords: Assessment methods; Central America; Language teaching
An antigenic analysis of potato virus X and of its degraded protein. I. Evidence for and degree of antigenic disparity.

Abstract Homologous and cross-reactive antibody levels in PVX and PVX degraded protein antisera were ascertained and compared through quantitative precipitation tests. Antisera to glutaraldehyde-fixed PVX and antisera to formaldehyde-stabilized degraded protein contained high homologous antibody concentrations but low levels of reactivity to the heterologous antigen. It is concluded that PVX and the PVX depolymerized structure unit differ sufficiently in antigenic specificity to be considered as distinct albeit related antigens. By means of extrapolation from calculated serum R values, a minimum of 6 or 8 antibody reactive sites was calculated to be present on each PVX dimeric structure unit. At equivalency, between 4 or 5 antibody molecules were precipitated by each degraded protein oligomer.
Transduction of Gal+ by Coliphage T1 III. Requirement for Transcription and Translation in Recipient Cells

A 10- to 15-min derepression of a lambda prophage in a Gal(-) recipient during early infection with a transducing lysate of coliphage T1am will cause an increase in the efficiency of transduction of Gal(+). An increase in the efficiency of transduction occurs when the donor is either nonlysogenic or lysogenic for lambda; the increase is blocked by rifampin or chloramphenicol. With strain R901 it has been shown that efficient transduction can be blocked by treatment with rifampin after all chloramphenicol-sensitive steps have occurred.
Fractal atomic-level percolation in metallic glasses

Metallic glasses are metallic alloys that exhibit exotic material properties. They may have fractal structures at the atomic level, but a physical mechanism for their organization without ordering has not been identified. We demonstrated a crossover between fractal short-range (<2 atomic diameters) and homogeneous long-range structures using in situ x-ray diffraction, tomography, and molecular dynamics simulations. A specific class of fractal, the percolation cluster, explains the structural details for several metallic-glass compositions. We postulate that atoms percolate in the liquid phase and that the percolating cluster becomes rigid at the glass transition temperature.