cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental and Kinetic Modeling Study of the Pyrolysis and Oxidation of Decalin

Decalin is a model compound for bicyclic naphthenes found in jet fuels and coal-, oil-shale-, tar-sand-derived fuels, and it is also a potential endothermic fuel for hypersonic flight. Additionally, decalin is a reference component in surrogate mixtures of jet fuels. New shock tube ignition delay time measurements have been performed for decalin/air mixtures at elevated-pressure conditions relevant to practical combustion engines for varying pressure (9−15 and 35−48 atm), equivalence ratio (Φ = 0.5 and 1.0), and temperature (990−1300 K). An automatic kinetic generator, the MAMA code, has been applied to develop a semi-detailed submechanism for decalin decomposition at high-temperature conditions. Kinetic simulations are compared to the measured ignition times with adequate agreement. Sensitivity analysis indicates limited importance of decalin unimolecular decomposition and hydrogen abstraction from decalin and moderate importance of the decomposition of C10H17 radicals in predicting ignition times. The n...
Examining economic organization through the lens of contract

The lens of contract approach to the study of economic organization is partly complementary but also partly rival to the orthodox lens of choice. Specifically, whereas the latter focuses on simple market exchange, the lens of contract is predominantly concerned with the complex contracts. Among the major differences is that non-standard and unfamiliar contractual practices and organizational structures that orthodoxy interprets as manifestations of monopoly are often perceived to serve economizing purposes under the lens of contract. A major reason for these and other differences is that orthodoxy is dismissive of organization theory whereas organization theory provides conceptual foundations for the lens of contract. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.
How many institutions care about faculty and staff health programs

Objective: The availability of health-promotion programs offered to faculty and staff members in higher education lags behind those offered in business and industry. This article reports the extent that institutions of higher education offer specific components of health-promotion programs to faculty and staff, either free of charge or for a fee. This study also identifies specific barriers that have prevented institutions from adopting a health-promotion program. Design: Survey research. Setting: Institutions of higher education. Methods: Every NCAA Division III institution of higher education was sent a survey through SurveyMonkey. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0. Results: Most (89; 77.4%) NCAA Division III institutions of higher education had a health-promotion program in 2011. However, most (53; 60.2%) of the health-promotion programs had been implemented for less than 6 years. A significantly higher percentage of programs were found in institutions in the northeast region and a significant...
Laj receives 2011 Excellence in Geophysical Education Award: Citation

Carlo E. Laj received the Excellence in Geophysical Education Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors “a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education by a team, individual, or group.”
Are we making real progress in computer vision today

This paper presents an opinion on research progress in computer vision. Highlights? Computer vision, human vision. ? Computer vs. human experiments. ? Bottom-up vs. top-down processing. ? Paradigm shift needed.
Early effects of thyrotropin on ribonucleic acid transcription in the thyroid.

Previous studies on the effects of TSH on the incorporation of labeled precursors into RNA have demonstrated an increase in the percentage of label in the phosphorylated nucleotide precursors of RNA. To avoid this nonspecific effect of TSH, we chose to measure RNA transcription in a system which uses exogenous phosphorylated precursors. Isolated nuclei were prepared from the thyroids of dogs which had been injected 90 min earlier with TSH. TSH caused a mean increase of 168% above control in total transcriptional activity, 193% in polymerase II-mediated (α-amanitin-sensitive) activity, and 155% in RNA polymerase I- and Ill-mediated (α-amanitin-resistant) activity. To determine whether part of this early effect of TSH was due to increased activity of RNA polymerase, incubations were also carried out in the presence of actinomycin D, which blocks transcription of endogenous template but does not inhibit transcription of added synthetic template poly deoxyadenylicdeoxythymidylic acid (dA-dT). Under these cond...
Detection of allergy to nuts by the radioallergosorbent test.

The diagnosis of food allergy is often difficult to make by conventional means. Histories are frequently ambiguous, and skin testing is of dubious reliability because of the number of false-positive and false-negative reactions. We have evaluated the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) for the in vitro measurement of the specific IgE antibodies to nuts, including Brazil nut, almond, walnut, pecan, cashew, and the legume, peanut. Serums were obtained from 18 patients with a history of nut allergy and IgE level and specific IgE antibodies were measured. Thirteen of the 18 patients had significantly elevated IgE antibody (greater than twice control) to one or more of the allergens. Prausnitz-Kustner tests on selected serums in general corroborated the results of the in vitro studies. Five patients had RAST elevations to 2 or more nuts. As a group RAST-positive patients had elevated mean serum IgE levels and more severe clinical symptoms (p less than 0.01). The specificity and cross-reactivity of IgE antibodies to different nut antigens was investigated by RAST inhibition with serums from 5 patients having high levels of IgE antibody. In 4 patients no cross-reactivity between Brazil nut and peanut was found. In contrast, several nut extracts inhibited the reaction of pecan allergen with IgE antibodies. These results indicate that specific IgE antibodies can be measured by RAST in patients with nut allergy and the cross-reactivity of nut antigens can be investigated. RAST would appear to be most useful in confirming the diagnosis of nut hypersensitivity in children or in highly allergic patients in whom skin testing poses a risk of anaphylaxis.
Aligning General Chemistry Laboratory With Lecture at a Large University

The laboratory and lecture components of general chemistry are commonly offered as two separate courses, with lecture typically meeting two or three times per week and laboratory scheduled to meet only once per week. The concepts, content, and relationships presented in lecture may be disjointed and asynchronous with respect to those encountered in laboratory experiments. In addition, traditional laboratory experiments tend to be confirmation labs, in which students are aware of the “right” answer before beginning the lab. Students enrolled in a specific lecture section do not necessarily meet for the same laboratory section. As such, learning experiences in laboratory do little to help the students construct an understanding of chemical concepts, content, or relationships. The goal of this project was to develop an inquiry-based approach to curriculum and instruction in first-semester general chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A major objective of the project was to develop a laboratory curriculum that meshes intimately with lecture. This objective was accomplished by (a) creating a laboratory course that met for 80-minutes twice a week immediately following the lecture, (b) involving students in laboratory experiments that related to the material presented during lecture, and (c) using laboratory observations and data in lecture to help students construct an understanding of chemical phenomena.
Thyroid hormone administration in irradiated patients

In a recall clinic for patients at risk for thyroid carcinoma due to a history of radiation in infancy or childhood, a group of patients were randomly offered prospective suppressive L-thyroxine therapy and matched to a radiated nontreated group. With an average of more than two years' follow-up, the thyroid hormone-treated radiated group developed fewer nodules and abnormalities to palpation and also had a statistically significant lessening of minimal palpable abnormalities compared to the nonthyroxine-treated radiated group.
Expression of recombinant human coagulation factors VII (rFVII) and IX (rFIX) in various cell types, glycosylation analysis, and pharmacokinetic comparison

IntroductionClearance mechanisms for rFVII (or the active enzymerFVIIa) and rFIX are influenced by post-translationalmodifications, especially N-glycosylation. This should beconsidered when choosing a recombinant expressionsystem in view of the varying ability of frequently usedcell lines to perform modifications similar to humanproteins.Differences in the pharmacokinetic properties ofrecombinant FVIIa versus plasma-derived (pd)FVII ordesialylated rFVIIa are known for human FVII(a). AsialorFVIIa clears quickest, whereas pdFVII, having a higherdegree of sialylation, is cleared to a lesser extent [1]. Inthe case of FIX, the degrees ofserine phosphorylationand tyrosine sulfation in the activation peptide havebeen postulated to influence pharmacokinetic behavior,especially in vivo recovery [2].We chose CHO, BHK and HEK293 cells for expres-sion of rFVII to compare post-translational proteinmodifications, and HEK293-derived cell lines to generatehighly phosphorylated and sulfated rFIX for in vivo stu-dies. rFIX from the same clone and production run waspurified using two different down-stream processes: Thefirst to enrich high phosphorylated and sulfated protein,the second to purify total rFIX at high yield. TheseHEK293-derived rFIX isoforms were compared withCHOrFIX and pdFIX in a pharmacokinetic study in FIXknock-out mice.Materials and methods
Krüppel-like factor 5 controls keratinocyte migration via the integrin-linked kinase

Migration of epithelial cells is critical for normal homeostasis in gut and skin, but the factors regulating this process are not completely understood. The zinc finger transcription factor Klf5 (IKLF; BTEB2) is highly expressed in proliferating cells of esophagus, skin, and other organs. We hypothesized that Klf5 regulates keratinocyte migration via the integrin-linked kinase (ILK), which, like Klf5, is localized to basal keratinocytes. We stably transduced mouse primary esophageal keratinocytes to overexpress Klf5 or small interfering RNA against Klf5. Klf5 overexpression in keratinocytes increased migration and correlated directly with ILK expression and activation. ILK expression restored migratory capacity in keratinocytes with suppression of Klf5, whereas ILK small interfering RNA blocked the increased migration resulting from Klf5 overexpression. By chromatin immunoprecipitation, electromobility shift assay, and luciferase reporter assays, we confirmed that ILK was a direct target for Klf5. In addition, Klf5 induced the activation of the ILK targets Cdc42 and myosin light chain, which are critical for cell migration and motility but not Rac1, AKT, or GSK3β. Overall, these results demonstrate that Klf5 is a key regulator of cell migration via ILK and provide new insight into the regulation of epithelial cell migration.
POFGEC: growing neural network of classifying potential function generators

In this paper, we propose an architecture and learning algorithm for a growing neural network. Drawing inspiration from the idea of electrical potentials, we develop a classifier based on a set of synthesised potential fields over the domain of input space using symmetrical functions (kernels). We propose a multilayer, multiclass potential function generators classifier (POFGEC) utilising growing architecture and a training algorithm to sequentially add potential functions created by the training patterns, if the addition improves the NN classification performance. We also present a pruning algorithm to achieve compact architecture. POFGEC incorporates the electrical potentials concept in the two main neural net building blocks: potential function generators (PFGs) and potential function entities (PFEs), which perform a non-linear transformation of the input data and create the decision rules by constructing the cumulative potential functions and adjusting the weights. The implementation of the presented method with several datasets demonstrates its capabilities in generating classification solutions for datasets of various shapes independent from the number of predefined classes. We also offer substantial comparative analysis with other known approaches in order to fully illustrate the capabilities of the proposed method and its relation with other existing techniques.
On the inverse of the covariance matrix for an autoregressive-moving average process

SUMMARY The problem of inverting the covariance matrix ZT of T successive observations from an autoregressive-moving average process of order (p, q) is discussed. The inverse is obtained for a moving average process (p = 0). An explicit expression is given for the elements of E-1 for a process of order (0, 2).
Nash Propagation for Loopy Graphical Games

We introduce NashProp, an iterative and local message-passing algorithm for computing Nash equilibria in multi-player games represented by arbitrary undirected graphs. We provide a formal analysis and experimental evidence demonstrating that NashProp performs well on large graphical games with many loops, often converging in just a dozen iterations on graphs with hundreds of nodes. NashProp generalizes the tree algorithm of (Kearns et al. 2001), and can be viewed as similar in spirit to belief propagation in probabilistic inference, and thus complements the recent work of (Vickrey and Koller 2002), who explored a junction tree approach. Thus, as for probabilistic inference, we have at least two promising general-purpose approaches to equilibria computation in graphs.
Two-hybrid analysis of the interaction between the UL52 and UL8 subunits of the herpes simplex virus type 1 helicase-primase.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 expresses a heterotrimeric helicase–primase, the subunits of which are encoded by the viral UL5, UL8 and UL52 genes. The interactions of the UL52 protein with the UL8 and UL5 proteins were analysed by using the yeast two-hybrid system. The UL52–UL5 interaction gave a specific but weak signal in the two-hybrid system. In contrast, the UL52–UL8 interaction gave a strong signal in the two-hybrid system. Deletion analysis showed that a 548 amino acid fragment of UL52 (amino acids 366–914) retains the ability to interact with UL8 and that the N-terminal 349 amino acids are dispensable for the interaction. A fragment library screen and co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the deletion analysis results.
The Cyst Nematode Effector Protein 10A07 Targets and Recruits Host Posttranslational Machinery to Mediate Its Nuclear Trafficking and to Promote Parasitism in Arabidopsis

Plant-parasitic cyst nematodes synthesize and secrete effector proteins that are essential for parasitism. One such protein is the 10A07 effector from the sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, which is exclusively expressed in the nematode dorsal gland cell during all nematode parasitic stages. Overexpression of H. schachtii 10A07 in Arabidopsis thaliana produced a hypersusceptible phenotype in response to H. schachtii infection along with developmental changes reminiscent of auxin effects. The 10A07 protein physically associates with a plant kinase and the IAA16 transcription factor in the cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively. The interacting plant kinase (IPK) phosphorylates 10A07 at Ser-144 and Ser-231 and mediates its trafficking from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Translocation to the nucleus is phosphorylation dependent since substitution of Ser-144 and Ser-231 by alanine resulted in exclusive cytoplasmic accumulation of 10A07. IPK and IAA16 are highly upregulated in the nematode-induced syncytium (feeding cells), and deliberate manipulations of their expression significantly alter plant susceptibility to H. schachtii in an additive fashion. An inactive variant of IPK functioned antagonistically to the wild-type IPK and caused a dominant-negative phenotype of reduced plant susceptibility. Thus, exploitation of host processes to the advantage of the parasites is one mechanism by which cyst nematodes promote parasitism of host plants.
Fractionated Grid Therapy in Treating Cervical Cancers: Conventional Fractionation or Hypofractionation?

Purpose To evaluate the conventionally fractionated and hypofractionated grid therapy in debulking cervical cancers using the linear quadratic (LQ) model. Methods and Materials A Monte Carlo technique was used to calculate the dose distribution of a commercially available grid in a 6-MV photon beam. The LQ model was used to evaluate the therapeutic outcome of both the conventionally fractionated (2 Gy/fraction) and hypofractionated (15 Gy/fraction) grid therapy regimens to debulk cervical cancers with different LQ parameters. The equivalent open-field dose (EOD) to the cancer cells and therapeutic ratio (TR) were defined by comparing grid therapy with the open debulking field. The clinical outcomes from 114 patients were used to verify our theoretical model. Results The cervical cancer and normal tissue cell survival statistics for grid therapy in two regimens were calculated. The EODs and TRs were derived. The EOD was only a fraction of the prescribed dose. The TR was dependent on the prescribed dose and the LQ parameters of both the tumor and normal tissue cells. The grid therapy favors the acutely responding tumors inside radiosensitive normal tissues. Theoretical model predictions were consistent with the clinical outcomes. Conclusions Grid therapy provided a pronounced therapeutic advantage in both the hypofractionated and conventionally fractionated regimens compared with that seen with single fraction, open debulking field regimens, but the true therapeutic advantage exists only in the hypofractionated grid therapy. The clinical outcomes and our study indicated that a course of open-field radiotherapy is necessary to control tumor growth fully after a grid therapy.
Comparison of Current – Voltage Characteristics of N and P Type 6H-SiC Schottky Diodes

Forward and reverse current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of N and P-type Schottky diodes on 6H-SiC are compared in a temperature range of room temperature to 550K. While the room temperature I–V characteristics of the N-type Schottky diode after turn-on is more or less linear up to ∼ 100 A/cm2, the I–V characteristics of the P-type Schottky diode shows a non-linear behavior even after turn-on, indicating a variation in the on-state resistance with increase in forward current. For the first time it is shown that at high current densities (> 210 A/cm2) the forward voltage drop across P type Schottky diodes is lower than that across N type Schottky diodes on 6H-SiC. High temperature measurements indicate that while the on-state resistance of N type Schottky diodes increases with increase in temperature, the on-state resistance of P type Schottky diodes decreases with increase in temperature until a certain temperature. While the N-type diodes seem to have soft breakdown characteristics, the P-type diodes exhibit more or less abrupt breakdown characteristics.
Diacylglycerol Kinase ζ Regulates Ras Activation by a Novel Mechanism

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate Ras by facilitating its GTP binding. Ras guanyl nucleotide-releasing protein (GRP) was recently identified as a Ras GEF that has a diacylglycerol (DAG)-binding C1 domain. Its exchange factor activity is regulated by local availability of signaling DAG. DAG kinases (DGKs) metabolize DAG by converting it to phosphatidic acid. Because they can attenuate local accumulation of signaling DAG, DGKs may regulate RasGRP activity and, consequently, activation of Ras. DGKζ, but not other DGKs, completely eliminated Ras activation induced by RasGRP, and DGK activity was required for this mechanism. DGKζ also coimmunoprecipitated and colocalized with RasGRP, indicating that these proteins associate in a signaling complex. Coimmunoprecipitation of DGKζ and RasGRP was enhanced in the presence of phorbol esters, which are DAG analogues that cannot be metabolized by DGKs, suggesting that DAG signaling can induce their interaction. Finally, overexpression of kinase-dead DGKζ in Jurkat cells prolonged Ras activation after ligation of the T cell receptor. Thus, we have identified a novel way to regulate Ras activation: through DGKζ, which controls local accumulation of DAG that would otherwise activate RasGRP.
Kinematic and dynamic control of a wheeled mobile robot

This paper considers the problem of stabilizing a unicycle-type mobile robot using a time-invariant, discontinuous control law. In order to simplify the control design, most previous approaches neglect second-order system dynamics (compensating for them later using techniques such as partial feedback linearization). This paper shows that an approach based on invariant manifold theory can be extended to account for these dynamics. The performance of the resulting control law is demonstrated in simulation.
Assembly of ribosomes in eukaryotes.

Article and publication date are at http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/doi/10.1261/rna.050633.115. Freely available online through the RNA Open Access option.
Evaluation and treatment of persistent thyroglobulinemia in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

Whereas in the past a negative diagnostic 131 I whole body scan (WBS) was interpreted as the lack of significant residual or recurrent thyroid cancer, today the patient with negative WBS and measurable serum thyroglobulin (Tg) presents a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Previous studies have shown a high rate of visualization of uptake and a decrease in Tg after one or more therapeutic doses of 13l I.In order to further assess the significance of this finding, retrospective analysis of patients with persistent thyroglobulinemia and negative WBS was performed for evidence of surgically amenable disease. Seven out of seventeen patients had neck ultrasound and/or computerized tomography (neck ± chest) showing the presence of pathologically confirmed malignant masses ranging from 1 to 4 cm in size. Their serum Tg while on L-thyroxine ranged between 2.4 and 1173 pmol/l. Removal of the identified masses resulted in a greater than 75% reduction in serum Tg in four out of five patients in the group. One patient achieved a serum Tg of < 1.5 pmol/l while hypothyroid. Empiric 131 I treatment of eleven patients with persistent thyroglobulinemia resulted in demonstrated uptake on post-therapy scan in seven. Further study is needed to compare the efficacy, safety and cost of a diagnostic approach to radiologically identify and surgically resect identified disease versus empiric therapeutic 131 I treatment and high-dose WBS in this group of patients. Patients with negative WBS and persistent thyroglobulinemia, even to levels < 4.5 pmol/l, may have significant foci of thyroid cancer in surgically accessible areas. This suggests the need for a redefinition or clarification of the term 'recurrence' in thyroid cancer.
Taxonomic distribution of dicotyledonous species capable of root excretion of riboflavin under iron deficiency.

Abstract Iron efficiency of some dicotyledonous species and cultivars have been reported to be associated with their ability to release riboflavin from their roots when plants are iron deficient. The biochemical relationship of this excretion to increased Fe reduction and proton excretion with deficiency is not yet established, but may involve a transmembrane oxidation of reduced riboflavin. This presentation is an attempt to examine the distribution of species with respect to genus and family that have been reported or are now known to excrete or not excrete abundant riboflavin when iron deficient. A rational explanation for species distribution of the capacity for the Fe‐deficiency stress induced riboflavin excretion is desirable. The property may be one of a number of mechanisms that random species or groups of species developed to adapt to Fe‐stress conditions. Response of 57 species in twelve families are reported and there are those in which no species excrete riboflavin, those in which some species...
Natural Variability of Storm, Seasonal and Annual Precipitation

Statistical evaluation of seasonal and annual rainfall variability based on rainfall data gathered by four networks of Illinois State Water Survey since 1949; analyses show variability of rainfall between five comparable areas and between control and target areas; 18% difference in average annual precipitation within urban area; design of rain gage networks for weather modification experiments.
Activation of the Classical Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Is Part of the Shiga Toxin-Induced Ribotoxic Stress Response and May Contribute to Shiga Toxin-Induced Inflammation

Infection with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) can result in severe disease, including hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic uremic syndrome. Shiga toxins (Stx) are the key EHEC virulence determinant contributing to severe disease. Despite inhibiting protein synthesis, Shiga toxins paradoxically induce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines from various cell types in vitro, including intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). This effect is mediated in large part by the ribotoxic stress response (RSR). The Shiga toxin-induced RSR is known to involve the activation of the stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) p38 and JNK. In some cell types, Stx also can induce the classical mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) or ERK1/2, but the mechanism(s) by which this activation occurs is unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which Stx activates ERK1/2s in IECs and the contribution of ERK1/2 activation to interleukin-8 (IL-8) expression. We demonstrate that Stx1 activates ERK1/2 in a biphasic manner: the first phase occurs in response to StxB1 subunit, while the second phase requires StxA1 subunit activity. We show that the A subunit-dependent ERK1/2 activation is mediated through ZAK-dependent signaling, and inhibition of ERK1/2 activation via the MEK1/2 inhibitors U0126 and PD98059 results in decreased Stx1-mediated IL-8 mRNA. Finally, we demonstrate that ERK1/2 are activated in vivo in the colon of Stx2-intoxicated infant rabbits, a model in which Stx2 induces a primarily neutrophilic inflammatory response. Together, our data support a role for ERK1/2 activation in the development of Stx-mediated intestinal inflammation.
Ruger Responds - 'Health Capability: Conceptualization and Operationalization'

"Health Capability: Conceptualization and Operationalization" received numerous comments. In this response I clarify some misconceptions regarding health capability and the health capability paradigm developed in "Health and Social Justice" (Ruger 2009). Health capability rests on both health functioning and health agency and focuses on life-long abilities and the situations and conditions that enable optimal health.
CommonAngels (TM) (A)

Describes the motivations behind the founding of CommonAngels - a group of successful business owners who provide capital, connections, and expertise to entrepreneurs who are building new ventures. In 2005, the group is considering increasing its investment focus to include a broader range of technologies, including emerging technologies (for example, Mobile and RFID technologies) and non-information technologies.Learning Objective:To understand the range of financing alternatives for starting new ventures. To understand the motivations leading angel investors to join/form angel investing networks and discuss due diligence criteria and processes.
Utility of positron emission tomography in schwannomatosis

Schwannomatosis is characterized by multiple non-intradermal schwannomas with patients often presenting with a painful mass in their extremities. In this syndrome malignant transformation of schwannomas is rare in spite of their large size at presentation. Non-invasive measures of assessing the biological behavior of plexiform neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1 such as positron emission tomography (PET), CT scanning and MRI are well characterized but little information has been published on the use of PET imaging in schwannomatosis. We report a unique clinical presentation portraying the use of PET imaging in schwannomatosis. A 27-year-old woman presented with multiple, rapidly growing, large and painful schwannomas confirmed to be related to a constitutional mutation in the SMARCB1 complex. Whole body PET/MRI revealed numerous PET-avid tumors suggestive of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Surgery was performed on multiple tumors and none of them had histologic evidence of malignant transformation. Overall, PET imaging may not be a reliable predictor of malignant transformation in schwannomatosis, tempering enthusiasm for surgical interventions for tumors not producing significant clinical signs or symptoms.
Increasing the Efficiency of Genome-wide Association Mapping via Hidden Markov Models

With the rapid production of high dimensional genetic data, one major challenge in genome-wide association studies is to develop effective and efficient statistical tools to resolve the low power problem of detecting causal SNPs with low to moderate susceptibility, whose effects are often obscured by substantial background noises. Here we present a novel method that serves as an optimal technique for reducing background noises and improving detection power in genome-wide association studies. The approach uses hidden Markov model and its derivate Markov hidden Markov model to estimate the posterior probabilities of a markers being in an associated state. We conducted extensive simulations based on the human whole genome genotype data from the GlaxoSmithKline-POPRES project to calibrate the sensitivity and specificity of our method and compared with many popular approaches for detecting positive signals including the χ^2 test for association and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Our simulation results suggested that at very low false positive rates (<10^-6), our method reaches the power of 0.9, and is more powerful than any other approaches, when the allelic effect of the causal variant is non-additive or unknown. Application of our method to the data set generated by Welcome Trust Case Control Consortium using 14,000 cases and 3,000 controls confirmed its powerfulness and efficiency under the context of the large-scale genome-wide association studies.
PREVENTION OF SALICYLATE TERATOGENICITY IN IMMOBILIZED RATS BY CERTAIN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS.

SummaryPrior treatment of pregnant rats with the central nervous system depressants, sodium pentobarbital or chlorpromazine, prevents the augmentation by maternal immobilization of the maternal morbidity and teratogenic action induced by sodium salicylate on the tenth day of gestation. The prevention by either central depressant of the production of congenital malformations in immobilized animals given otherwise non-teratogenic doses of salicylate appears to be mediated through the maternal central nervous system.
Endoscopic Port Surgery for Intraparenchymal Brain Tumors

Intraparenchymal endoscopic port surgery (EPS) is a minimally-invasive technique for the removal of brain tumors and other mass lesions. The operation is made feasible through the combination of multiple technologies including image-guidance, parallel endoscopy, and cylindrical brain retraction. Tumors with an overlying cuff of normal brain parenchyma, soft consistency, and low or moderate vascularity are the ideal candidates. Techniques for tumor removal using the endoscopic port and prevention of peri-operative morbidity are discussed. In selected cases, EPS can provide superior visualization and decreased white matter manipulation during intra-parenchymal tumor resection when compared with conventional approaches using the operating microscope.
Accuracy of class prediction using similarity functions in PAM

Clustering have been proven to be an effective technique for finding data instances with similar characteristics. Such algorithms are based on the notion of distance between data points, often computed using Euclidean metric. That is why, clustering algorithms are mostly applicable to the data sets comprising of numerical values. However, the real life data often consist of features which are categorical in nature. For example, to identify abnormal behavior or a cyberattack in a network, we usually examine packet headers which contain categorical values such as source and destination IP addresses, source and destination port numbers, upper layer protocols, etc. Euclidean metric is not applicable to such data sets because it cannot compute the distance between categorical variables. To address this problem, similarity functions have been designed to determine the relationship between given categorical values. Similarity defines how closely related the objects are to one another. Often similarity could be thought of as opposite to distance where similar objects have high value, while dissimilar objects have low or zero value. In this paper we explored accuracy of various similarity functions using the Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) clustering algorithm. We tested similarity functions on several data sets to determine their ability to correctly predict the class labels. We also examined the applicability of various similarity functions to different types of data sets.
Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation Ablation Facilitated by PENTARAY Mapping of the Moderator Band

A 44-year-man presented with an out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF) arrest and subsequently experienced more than 50 external defibrillator shocks despite intravenous lidocaine and amiodarone. Twelve-lead electrocardiography did not show early repolarization. Results of coronary
Control of a Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid Involving Energy Storage and Pulsed Loads

This paper presents a real-time coordinated control of the hybrid ac/dc microgrids involving energy storage and pulsed loads. Grid-isolated hybrid microgrid applications require special considerations due to the intermittent generation, online energy storage control, and pulsed loads. In this study, we introduce a comprehensive frequency and voltage control scheme for a hybrid ac/dc microgrid consisting of a synchronous generator, solar generation emulator, and bidirectional (ac/dc and dc/dc) converters. A bidirectional controlled ac/dc converter with an active and reactive power decoupling technique is used to link the ac bus with the dc bus, while regulating the system voltage and frequency. A dc/dc boost converter with a maximum power point tracking function is implemented to maximize the intermittent energy generation from solar generators. Current-controlled bidirectional dc/dc converters are applied to connect each lithium-ion battery bank to the dc bus. Lithium-ion battery banks act as energy storage devices that serve to increase the system resiliency by absorbing or injecting power. Experimental results are presented for verification of the introduced hybrid ac/dc power flow control scheme.
Multiple discrete soluble aggregates influence polyglutamine toxicity in a Huntington's disease model system.

Huntington’s disease (HD) results from expansions of polyglutamine stretches (polyQ) in the huntingtin protein (Htt) that promote protein aggregation, neurodegeneration, and death. Since the diversity and sizes of the soluble Htt-polyQ aggregates that have been linked to cytotoxicity are unknown, we investigated soluble Htt-polyQ aggregates using analytical ultracentrifugation. Soon after induction in a yeast HD model system, non-toxic Htt-25Q and cytotoxic Htt-103Q both formed soluble aggregates 29S to 200S in size. Because current models indicate that Htt-25Q does not form soluble aggregates, reevaluation of previous studies may be necessary. Only Htt-103Q aggregation behavior changed, however, with time. At 6 hr mid-sized aggregates (33S to 84S) and large aggregates (greater than 100S) became present while at 24 hr primarily only mid-sized aggregates (20S to 80S) existed. Multiple factors that decreased cytotoxicity of Htt-103Q (changing the length of or sequences adjacent to the polyQ, altering ploidy or chaperone dosage, or deleting anti-aging factors) altered the Htt-103Q aggregation pattern in which the suite of mid-sized aggregates at 6 hr were most correlative with cytotoxicity. Hence, the amelioration of HD and other neurodegenerative diseases may require increased attention to and discrimination of the dynamic alterations in soluble aggregation processes.
Room-temperature formation of thermally stable aluminium-rich mesoporous MCM-41

The room-temperature (RT) synthesis of MCM-41 mesoporous compounds with high substitution levels of aluminium (Si / Al = 1.5) is achieved in a minimum time of synthesis. The compound shows similar characteristics to hydrothermally synthesized materials. 27Al NMR study confirms the presence of tetrahedral aluminium in as-synthesized material as well as in the calcined material without observing the presence of octahedral aluminium after calcination.
Bacteriology of Restructured Lamb Roasts Made with Mechanically Deboned Meat 1.

Composite samples of restructured lamb roast containing 10 or 30% mechanically deboned meat (MDM) were analyzed for bacteriological quality before and after cooking to 62.8°C (145°F). Uncooked samples had less than 3.0 × 104 colony forming units/g mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobes and anaerobes including lactobacilli. In general, these groups, as well as coliforms and fecal coliforms, were present in higher numbers in uncooked roasts containing higher percentages of MDM. Staphylococcus aureus , Clostridium perfringens , Salmonella sp., Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter jejuni were not detected in uncooked samples. Cooking reduced the number of aerobic and anaerobic spoilage bacteria and eliminated index bacteria (in 0.1 g) effectively.
Combining two local search approaches to hypergraph partitioning

We study leading-edge local search heuristics for balanced hypergraph partitioning and Boolean satisfiability, intending the generalization of such heuristics beyond their original domains. We adapt the Fiduccia Mattheyses (FM) hypergraph partitioning heuristic to Boolean Satisfiability (SAT), and the WalkSAT SAT solver to hypergraph partitioning. Focusing on balanced hypergraph partitioning, we propose a combination of the classical FM heuristic and our "cross-over" heuristic WalkPart, and empirically show that it is more powerful than each component alone. Empirically, we show a 15% improvement in net cut and a 7% improvement in runtime over a leading-edge implementation of the FM heuristic.
Phanerozoic Reef Trends Based on the Paleoreef Database

Although many review papers and books have discussed the Phanerozoic history of reefs in detail (Newell, 1971; Heckel, 1974; Wilson, 1975; James, 1983; Fagerstrom, 1987; Copper, 1988, Copper, 1989; Talent, 1988; Flugel and Flugel-Kahler, 1992; James and Bourque, 1992; Kauffman and Fagerstrom, 1993; Hallock, 1997; Wood, 1998, Wood, 1999), several open questions remain to be answered. The major limitations in current knowledge are due to the insufficient quantification of ancient reef attributes and consequently an often subjective evaluation. Reefs vary in terms of constructional types, dominant reef-building groups, environmental setting, and petrographic attributes. These differences have led to designations of an absence of reefs in particular time intervals. For example, James (1983) and James and Bourque (1992) stated that metazoan reefs were present during the Middle Ordovician to Late Devonian, the Late Triassic, the Middle to Late Jurassic, the middle Cretaceous, and the younger Cenozoic, whereas the remainder of the Phanerozoic was exclusively characterized by mounds. Although it is correct to separate true reefs and mounds, this view limits our views of reefs as individual ecosystems. To allow a comparison of reefs through time; a broad definition of reefs has to be applied: In this chapter, reefs are regarded as laterally confined carbonate structures developing due to the growth or activity of aquatic sessile benthic organisms.
Cuda programming in the core curriculum: a preliminary study

Educators often struggle with student indifference to systems courses such as architecture and operating systems. Parallel computing skills are increasingly important to nurture in young computer scientists, but often are only available in advanced courses. This project melds the excitement of parallel programming with core architecture and operating systems courses. We attempt to increase student engagement and improve the presentation of core systems concepts through the design and implementation of CUDA programming laboratory exercises. We describe the exercises and analyze the effectiveness of the new pedagogical materials.
Manipulating Immunological Checkpoints to Maximize Antitumor Immunity

Initial clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and bioactivity of cancer vaccines, but vaccine-induced immune responses have seldom translated into clinically meaningful tumor regressions, particularly in advanced disease. It is increasingly clear that tumor-specific immune tolerance represents a layered system of controls that keep the immune system turned off. Immunoregulatory checkpoints map locoregionally to the tumor microenvironment and draining lymph nodes, and arise from the dynamic interactions between the tumor and the immune system. It is now apparent that cancer vaccines will have to be combined with other therapeutics that abrogate immune tolerance, further amplify vaccine-induced T-cell responses, or modify the tumor microenvironment to make it more conducive to the concerted action of innate and antigen-specific immune effector mechanisms. Here, we review the host-tumor dynamic from the perspective of immune tolerance and review current data supporting the integration of cancer vaccines with standard and novel therapeutic agents that can maximize their activity.
MHC class II antigen-processing chaperone H2-O shapes CD4 T cell receptor repertoire

HLA-DO (DO) is a MHC class II-encoded, nonpolymorphic heterodimeric protein in humans (known as H2-O in mice). It is expressed only in thymic medulla, B lymphocytes and some subsets of dendritic cells. Although DO is found to form a stable complex with HLA—DM (DM), its physical function remains unknown. Some studies have shown that it inhibits the activity of DM to edit peptide presentation on MHC II molecules while others reported that the DO can up- or downmodulate presentation of certain peptides in association with DM on HLA-DR4 molecules. To solve this controversy, our lab recently proposed a model suggesting that the DO facilitates the binding of DM-resistant peptides and inhibits the binding of DM-sensitive peptides to the HLA-DR1 molecules in vitro. Based on this model, we expected to see lower density of pMHC expression on mTEC cells in thymus of H2-O-KO mice, which will lead to faulty negative selection and different CD4 TCR repertoires as compared to H2-O-WT mice. By developing a “Prime-Restim” strategy based on the principle of mixed lymphocyte reaction, we observed the proliferation of primed H2-O-WT CD4 T cells in responding to repeated in vitro stimulations by antigen presenting cells from H2-O-KO mice and vice versa. The results demonstrate that in the absence of H2-O, the peptide repertoire of MHC II in the H2-O knockout mice is different from the peptide repertoire of MHC II in the H2-O-WT mice. It establishes a role for DO in regulation of epitope selection for presentation by MHC class II molecules in vivo . These findings support the idea that the expression of DO in thymic medulla might lead to better thymic deletion of self-reactive CD4 T cells.
Nephele: a cloud platform for simplified, standardized and reproducible microbiome data analysis.

Motivation Widespread interest in the study of the microbiome has resulted in data proliferation and the development of powerful computational tools. However, many scientific researchers lack the time, training, or infrastructure to work with large datasets or to install and use command line tools. Results The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has created Nephele, a cloud-based microbiome data analysis platform with standardized pipelines and a simple web interface for transforming raw data into biological insights. Nephele integrates common microbiome analysis tools as well as valuable reference datasets like the healthy human subjects cohort of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP). Nephele is built on the Amazon Web Services cloud, which provides centralized and automated storage and compute capacity, thereby reducing the burden on researchers and their institutions. Availability and implementation https://nephele.niaid.nih.gov and https://github.com/niaid/Nephele. Contact darrell.hurt@nih.gov.
Abstract 46: Legacy Effects of STRRIDE Exercise Training Programs on Cardiometabolic Health Observed Ten Years Later

Introduction: STRRIDE Reunion evaluated longitudinal changes in cardiometabolic health 10 years after completion of STRRIDE (Studies Targeting Risk Reduction Interventions through Defined Exercise)...
Models of Certain Nonlinear Systems

A continuous model of linear binary threshold elements and some of its properties are discussed.
Design of Knowledge-Based Communication between Human and Robot Using Ontological Semantic Technology in Firefighting Domain

This paper discusses how to design robot-human communication using Ontological Semantic Technology (OST), which is to address meanings of phrases or sentences in natural languages, in a firefighting domain. The OST is a system in an ontology-based structure to deal with different natural languages. In this study, English and Korean were selected to be implemented for the OST. The problem set is designed with Natural English, direct translation from the natural English to Korean, natural Korean, and direct translation from the natural Korean to English, which can be compared to examine the similarity of meanings with a language-independent ontology in processing English and Korean.
Pitfalls in anaphylaxis diagnosis and management at a university emergency department.

Background Some previous reports revealed suboptimal management of anaphylaxis (ANX) in the emergency department (ED). Objective To evaluate the recorded diagnosis and management of patients who presented with ANX at our university hospital ED and to assess how the management correlated with the severity of the case and the training level of the ED staff. Methods A descriptive study that involved reviewing the electronic medical records of patients who presented with ANX at the ED during a period of 4 years. Results When reviewing 1341 charts of potential cases, 60 met the criteria for ANX, but only 23% were correctly coded. Inaccurate coding was noted in 77%, mainly as an "allergic reaction." Systemic corticosteroids were administered in the ED to 85% of the patients and H1-antihistamines to 73%; only 20% received epinephrine. Ten patients required hospital admission, and, on discharge, only four patients (40%) were given epinephrine autoinjector prescriptions. Of the 50 who were discharged home, 48% were given epinephrine autoinjector prescriptions and 16% were given a referral for allergy evaluation. Conclusion The observed low rates of appropriate diagnostic coding of ANX, of epinephrine administration, epinephrine autoinjector prescribing at discharge, and referral for allergy evaluation call for more education on these issues. Some of these pitfalls can be partly attributed to the setting in a university ED where health providers are usually busy in rendering urgent care.