cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Competition in Parallel-Serial Networks

We study the efficiency implications of competition among profit-maximizing service providers in communication networks. Service providers set prices for transmission of flows through their (sub)network. The central question is whether the presence of prices will help or hinder network performance. We investigate this question by considering the difference between users' willingness to pay and delay costs as the efficiency metric. Previous work has demonstrated that in networks consisting of parallel links, efficiency losses from competition are bounded. Nevertheless, parallel-link networks are special, and in most networks, traffic has to simultaneously traverse links (or subnetworks) operated by independent service providers. The simplest network topology allowing this feature is the parallel-serial structure, which we study in this paper. In contrast to existing results, we show that in the presence of serial links, the efficiency loss relative to the social optimum can be arbitrarily large. The reason for this degradation of performance is the double marginalization problem, whereby each serial provider charges high prices not taking into account the effect of this strategy on the profits of other providers along the same path. Nevertheless, when there are no delay costs without transmission (i.e., latencies at zero are equal to zero), irrespective of the number of serial and parallel providers, the efficiency of strong oligopoly equilibria can be bounded by 1/2, where strong oligopoly equilibria are equilibria in which each provider plays a strict best response and all of the traffic is transmitted. However, even with strong oligopoly equilibria, inefficiency can be arbitrarily large when the assumption of no delay costs without transmission is relaxed.
Ethical aspects of disordered states of consciousness.

The medical care of patients in disordered states of consciousness, including vegetative and minimally conscious states, raises some of the most intricate ethical questions in medicine. There is inherent ambiguity and uncertainty involved in diagnosing such patients and evaluating their level of awareness and prognosis for recovery. The care of these patients requires the weighing of competing ethical values, including respect for personal autonomy, protection of vulnerable patients, nonmaleficence, and the just use of limited medical resources. We highlight some of the major ethical issues in caring for patients with severe brain injury. Language: en
Reflections on surfaces: A cross-disciplinary reply to Stevens.

Researchers in psychology and in artificial intelligence agree on the theoretical importance of the perception of surfaces: Surface perception is crucial to any understanding of environments and to how we act within them. The two fields also agree that the area of research is complex but tractable. Moreover, there is a collective excitement that genuine progress is being made. Globally, the approaches disagree in two ways: methodology and terminology. Both of these are, I hope, temporary hindrances. Both disciplines have much to gain in sharing methodological tools and in understanding each other's concepts. This response is directed toward that end.
Affect valence inference from facial action unit spectrograms

The face provides an important channel for communicating affect valence, the positive or negative emotional charge of an experience. This paper addresses the challenging pattern recognition problem of assigning affect valence labels (positive, negative or neutral) to facial action sequences obtained from unsegmented videos coded using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). The data were obtained from viewers watching eight short movies with each second of video labeled with self-reported valence and hand coded using FACS. We identify the most frequently occurring Facial Actions and propose the usefulness of a Facial Action Unit Spectrogram. We compare both generative and discriminative classifiers on accuracy and computational complexity: Support Vector Machines, Hidden Markov Models, Conditional Random Fields and Latent-Dynamic Conditional Random Fields. We conduct three tests of generalization with each model. The results provide a first benchmark for classification of self-report valences from spontaneous expressions from a large group of people (n=42). Success is demonstrated for increasing levels of generalization and discriminative classifiers are shown to significantly outperform generative classifiers over this large data set. We discuss the challenges encountered in dealing with a naturalistic dataset with sparse observations and its implications on the results.
Outcomes After Repair of Rectovaginal Fistulas Using Bioprosthetics

Purpose The purpose of this study was to report the outcomes with the use of advancement flaps and bioprosthetic grafts for the management of rectovaginal fistulas.
How should the effectiveness of Social Stories to modify the behaviour of children on the autistic spectrum be tested? Lessons from the literature

Social Stories are an extensively used intervention to address behaviour difficulties of children on the autistic spectrum. This article summarizes what Social Stories are and sets out to determine whether there is any relevant literature demonstrating the effectiveness of this intervention. Whilst the existing literature suggests positive findings with respect to the effectiveness of Social Stories, there is considerable variability in the quality of research methodology, with no single study employing comprehensive, stringent standards. This article highlights the factors that should be considered and addressed when testing the effectiveness of Social Stories, as a means of informing future research.
Water intoxication." A complication of nebulization with nasal CPAP

WHILE the use of continous positive airway pressure has decreased the mortality and morbidity rates of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome, it has also introduced a growing list of iatrogenic complications. Complications, such as pneumothorax and interstitial emphysema are directly related to the use of end expiratory pressure while others are specifically related to the method of CPAP delivery. Airway obstruction with endotracheal intubation, facial necrosis with masks, and nasal deformities with nasal prongs can be included in this latter group. Recently we have observed a patient who received therapy with nasal CPAP and who developed hyponatremia as a direct result o f the technique employed.
New Models for Predicting Diameter at Breast Height from Stump Dimensions

Models to predict dbh from stump dimensions are presented for 18 species groups. Data used to fit the models were collected across thirteen states in the northeastern United States. Primarily because of the presence of multiple measurements from each tree, a mixed-effects modeling approach was used to account for the lack of independence among observations. The heterogeneous error variance was described as a function of stump diameter, which allowed for more accurate representation of prediction intervals. Application of the mean response model (fixed-effects parameters only) to independent data indicated an average absolute error between 0.2 and 0.7 in. for most groups. An additional advantage is that random-effect parameters allow the model to be calibrated to local conditions if some additional data are available. An example is provided that indicates the local calibration results in a mean residual value that is closer to zero compared with the mean response model. Efforts in other locales to use stump information to inform dbh predictions can obtain the same advancements by adopting a similar modeling methodology.
In vitro and in vivo antibacterial evaluation of DRF 8417, a new oxazolidinone

Objectives and methods: DRF 8417, a novel oxazolidinone, has been evaluated against Gram-positive and fastidious Gram-negative bacteria. In vitro activity of DRF 8417 was determined by broth microdilution method and in vivo efficacy studies were carried out in different murine systemic infection models. Results: DRF 8417 exhibited potent activity against Gram-positive pathogens with MIC50 and MIC90 values ranging from 0.06 to 1 mg/L. MICs against Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were one to two dilutions lower than those of linezolid. The in vivo efficacy, by oral route, in different susceptible and resistant Gram-positive systemic bacterial infection models ranged from 2.0 to 2.9 mg/kg. Conclusions: These studies displayed the excellent in vitro and in vivo activity of DRF 8417 against Gram-positive pathogens and lower MICs when compared with linezolid against H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis.
Guest Editorial Atmospheric Optical Communication

Fiber optic communication generally comes to mind first when one thinks or speaks of optical communication. In fact, the two terms are often used synonymously. Indeed, the fiber optic communication technology is maturing rapidly and it offers enor-mous advantages over unguided atmospheric optical propagation systems. However, there is a variety of applications for which fiber systems are impractical and for which atmospheric optical systems may be preferred. For example, short-haul, over-the-horizon links in areas where cable real estate rights are unobtain-able, or where an optical broadcast mode is desired, or for space-to-earth optical links.
Wound Complications Followingcesarean Delivery of Patients with Hellp Syndrome: Pfannenstiel Versus Vertical Skin Incision

Objective: We sought to determine whether vertical or Pfannenstiel skin incision was associated with fewer hemorrhagic and postoperative wound complications following cesarean delivery in patients with HELLP syndrome.Methods: As part of an extensive retrospective analysis of medical records for all patients with HELLP syndrome who delivered between January 1,1980 and June 30,1993, we investigated those delivering abdominally either using a midline or Pfannenstiel skin incision and primary skin closure.Main Outcome Measure: The principal outcome measure was wound complication as hematoma or dehiscence.Results: A total of 215 patients were identified; 185 patients received midline vertical skin incisions and 30 had Pfannenstiel incisions. In the midline group, there were 17 wound separations (17/185, 9%) and 5 other types of wound complication (total 22/185, 12%). Significantly more wound complications, as wound separation, occurred in 8 of the 30 (27%) patients with Pfannenstiel incisions (p = 0.01). The o...
Permanence in Kolmogorov-Type Systems of Nonautonomous Functional Differential Equations

Abstract In this paper we establish some general results on the permanence of the n -species Kolmogorov-type nonautonomous functional differential system[formula], i =1, 2,…, n . These results are applied to the n -species Lotka–Volterra-type systems with distributed delays, that is, when f i ( t , x t ) are linear functions of x t . Our method consists of constructing n Liapunov-like functions, which can be regarded as boundary functions of some compact region inside the positive cone in R n .
Epsilon-Pseudo-Orbits and Applications

We consider dynamical systems consisting of the iteration of continuous functions on compact metric spaces. Basic definitions and results on chain recurrence and the Conley Decomposition Theorem in this setting are presented. An e-pseudo-orbit approximation for the dynamics, with e of fixed size, is presented as a mathematical representation of a computer model of such a discrete dynamical system. We see that the Conley decomposition of a space can be approximated by an e-coarse Conley decomposition in this setting.
Effects of p67phox on the mitochondrial oxidative state in the kidney of Dahl salt-sensitive rats: optical fluorescence 3-D cryoimaging.

The goal of the present study was to quantify and correlate the contribution of the cytosolic p67phox subunit of NADPH oxidase 2 to mitochondrial oxidative stress in the kidneys of the Dahl salt-se...
Relationships between speech anxiety and motivation

(1971). Relationships between speech anxiety and motivation. Speech Monographs: Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 70-73.
Solution Properties of Polystyrene-Based Ionomers in Polar and Low-Polarity Solvents

We studied various factors that influenced the solution properties of polystyrene-based ionomers. Factors studied were: (1) counterion, (2)ion-content, and (3) added salt. With respect to the counterion effect, it was found that the order of counterion binding of ionomers in a polar solvent was the same as the order of aggregation in a low-polarity solvent for the same ionomer. It was also found that the order of these effects for a carboxylated ionomer was opposite to that for a sulfonated ionomer. With respect to the ion-content effect, it was shown that both polyelectrolyte behavior and aggregation behavior were enhanced with increasing ion-content. In a polar solvent, the effective diameter of ionomers increased with ion-content, at least up to the 5 mole % level. In a low-polarity solvent, the second virial coefficient decreased with increasing ion-content, because the excluded volume effect of styrene was compensated by the attractive interaction between ion-pairs. With respect to the added salt effect, it was shown that both polyelectrolyte behavior and aggregation behavior were suppressed by added salts.
Staphylococcal clumping and fibrinogen and fibrin degradation products in inflammatory exudate.

SummarySterile peritoneal exudate induced in rabbits by infusion of glycogen was found to contain a material causing staphylococcal clumping. Removal of fibrinogen from the exudate partially diminished the clumping titer. The remaining active material was not clottable by thrombin, evoked a precipitation line with antifibrinogen serum in double gel diffusion tests, and was sensitive to heating at 60°. A similar material interacting with staphylococci possessing clumping factor was detected in a cytoplasmic fraction (8200g supernatant) of PMN leukocytes. These data indicate that rabbit peritoneal exudate contains not only fibrinogen but its derivatives. Such derivatives are also present in exudative leukocytes probably due to the phagocytosis and digestion of fibrin. The presence of degradation products of fibrinogen and fibrin in exudative fluid reflects local activation of fibrinolysis in inflammatory foci.
Ultrafast Dynamics of Carrier Localization Probed via Time-Resolved Terahertz Spectroscopy

We present femtosecond time-resolved studies of the dynamics of carrier localization processes in quasi-one-dimensional materials and in amorphous semiconductors using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy.
Characteristics of antifriction devices used for ski bindings.

Summary These tests suggest that various antifriction devices do reduce the amount of torsion that can be transmitted to the skier's tibia during a slow twisting fall. It was shown that under various environmental conditions the antifriction devices are effective. Dirt negatively affected the performance of some devices. The importance of protecting bindings and antifriction devices from contamination cannot be overemphasized. It was shown that some antifriction devices perform better than others. In most instances the performance of the plate type of binding compares favorably with that of toe-heel bindings using antifriction devices. For the plate type of binding the dirt particularly had a detrimental effect. It should also be pointed out that these tests were run with one particular binding. These results would not necessarily be the same if the tests were conducted with another binding system. For instance, the limited motion of some of the antifriction devices (Lotork, Skidder) may impede their performance when used with bindings requiring a greater travel distance before release. The performance with other boot soles may be different from that with the particular boot sole used for these tests. Performance might be improved with a harder, smoother boot sole. Similarly, the effectiveness of the antifriction device may be reduced by the use of boot soles with a coarse pattern or relatively soft treads. In this test series a relatively small number of antifriction devices were evaluated. One should not presume that all devices will perform with equal effectiveness. Another factor not accounted for in these tests is the mounting practice used in attaching the bindings. It was noted that the location of the antifriction device does affect the performance. Another factor, equally important, is the correction for the height of antifriction devices. Antifriction devices raise the boot sole from the ski surface, and if this change in height is not accounted for, the boot sole may effectively interfere with the operation of the toe or the heel unit. In summary, it can be stated that when properly applied and selected, antifriction devices make a significant contribution to skiing safety.
Tolstoy and Gandhi (1931)

Thousands of people in every nation are eagerly watching Gandhi’s great experiment in India. It may be his seizure of the moral initiative, his courageous endurance of suffering, the news interest in his tactical surprises and untried maneuvers, which create such a high degree of suggestibility in the spectators; but it is as if Gandhi at the present moment, as Tolstoy before him, had given a ‘suggestion’ needed to free the pent-up energies of good will among men.
Projection-based linear constrained estimation and fusion over long-haul links

We study estimation and fusion with linear dynamics in long-haul sensor networks, wherein a number of sensors are remotely deployed over a large geographical area for performing tasks such as target tracking, and a remote fusion center serves to combine the information provided by these sensors in order to improve the overall tracking accuracy. In reality, the motion of a dynamic target might be subject to certain constraints, for instance, those defined by a road network. We explore the accuracy performance of projection-based constrained estimation and fusion methods that is affected by information loss over the long-haul links. We use an example to compare the tracking errors under various implementations of centralized and distributed projection-based estimation and fusion methods and demonstrate the effectiveness of using projection-based methods in these settings.
Heme-Regulated eIF2α Kinase in Erythropoiesis and Oxidative Stress

Abstract SCI-23 Besides serving as a prosthetic group for hemoglobin, heme also regulates translation by inhibiting the kinase activity of heme-regulated translational inhibitor (HRI). HRI is the only known protein kinase that senses the intracellular heme concentration and does so through its two heme-binding domains. HRI is activated in heme deficiency by autophosphorylation, and phosphorylates the α-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α), which impairs the recycling of eIF2 for further translational initiation and results in cessation of protein synthesis. In this manner, HRI serves as a feedback inhibitor and coordinates the translation of globin mRNAs with the intracellular heme concentration to ensure that globin proteins are not made in excess of the heme available for the formation of hemoglobin. Excess of globin chains or heme is cytotoxic. In the absence of HRI, uncontrolled protein synthesis in heme deficiency results in globin aggregation and precipitation in red blood cells and their precursors. HRI is responsible for the physiological adaptation that produces hypochromic, microcytic erythrocytes in iron deficiency. The expression of HRI was increased during late stages of erythropoiesis with higher expression in Ter119 high erythroblasts and reticulocytes, correlating with the active synthesis and regulation of globins at these stages of erythroid differentiation. In addition to inhibiting global protein synthesis, the second important function of eIF2α phosphorylation is to reprogram translation and the subsequent transcription of genes required for stress response. In mammalian cells, translation of the transcription factor ATF4 mRNA is upregulated specifically by eIF2α phosphorylation via upstream open reading frames in the 5’UTR. Activation of the HRI-ATF4 stress response pathway in nucleated erythroid precursors is required for adaptation to acute and chronic oxidative stress. Furthermore, this HRI-dependent ATF4 pathway is also operative and necessary for erythroid differentiation, especially under stress conditions. In chronic iron deficiency, HRI is necessary for adaptive gene expression for erythroid differentiation as well as for iron heme and redox homeostasis. Beyond heme deficiency and oxidative stress, HRI is also activated by osmotic shock and heat shock. HRI deficiency in mice exacerbates erythropoietic protoporphyria and renders β-thalassemia intermedia embryonically lethal. Hri −/− mice also develop ineffective erythropoiesis during iron/heme deficiency and are severely compromised upon phenylhydrazine-induced acute hemolytic anemia. Thus, translational regulation by HRI plays a critical role in the manifestation of red cell diseases in mice and may be a significant modifier of such diseases in humans. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Parallel supercomputing: methods, algorithms and applications

The development of supercomputers has had considerable impact in computational mechanics where computer techniques are used to solve complex equations representing engineering problems. Parallel processing using supercomputers is especially useful in solving problems in computational fluid dynamics where much processing power is necessary. At present developments in hardware lead research in methods and algorithms, and this book deals with the application of parallel processing with supercomputers and examines the problems of computational mechanics in a logical way.
Suicide and African Americans: An Overview

Suicide is increasingly becoming a major public health issue. Each year over one million people die by suicide worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that suicide is the thirteenth leading cause of death worldwide (Gross 2006) and the National Safety Council rates death by suicide eleventh in the United States (Minino and Heron 2006). It is a leading cause of death among teenagers and adults under 35 (Nikola 2006). The rate of completed suicide is higher in men than in women (O’Connor and Noel 2000). It is estimated that workforce-related suicides cost businesses as much as $13 billion annually (Research! America 2008) and for every suicide prevented, the United States could save an average of $3,875 in medical expenses and $1,178,684 in lost productivity (Research! America 2008). Caucasians are twice as likely as African Americans to complete suicide. The rate of suicide is growing faster among African American youth than among Caucasian youth (American Association of Suicidology 2006); it is the third leading cause of death for African Americans aged 15-24 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2007). This is a descriptive study of various dimensions of suicide among African Americans in the past decade with a discussion of prevention and screening tools.
Health and Health Services Access Among Adults With Disabilities Who Receive Federal Housing Assistance

AbstractUsing newly available U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative data linked with National Health Interview Survey data, this study estimates the prevalence of disability among HUD-assisted adults and examines health disparities for this population. The linked data suggest a much higher prevalence of disability among HUD-assisted adults than previously suggested by HUD administrative data. Controlling for individual characteristics and HUD program type, assisted-housing residents who have disabilities experienced higher rates of self-reported fair or poor health, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cigarette smoking. Adults with disabilities had more frequent use of emergency rooms and increased concerns with affording the necessary health care. HUD-assisted adult residents with disabilities were more likely than residents without disabilities to be connected to the health-care system, having higher rates of insurance coverage and more frequent contact with spec...
Admission-to-discharge temperature reduction in decompensated heart failure is associated with rehospitalization

Decreasing body temperature on first follow-up visit—relative to discharge—predicts early rehospitalization in heart failure (HF). We studied whether admission-to-discharge temperature reduction was associated with increased HF rehospitalization in the ESCAPE trial. We compared patients with or without ≥1 °C decrease in temperature from admission-to-discharge. The study endpoint was rehospitalization due to HF for up to 6 months after discharge. Among 354 patients (average age 57 years, 73% men) with recorded admission and discharge temperature, 22 (6.2%) had an admission-to-discharge temperature reduction ≥1 oC. Patients with admission-to-discharge temperature reduction ≥1 oC had higher frequency of rehospitalization for HF (68.2% vs. 44.3%, estimated odds ratio [OR] 2.697, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.072–6.787, P = 0.029) despite a significantly higher admission temperature. On multivariate analysis, admission-to-discharge temperature reduction ≥1 oC predicted rehospitalization for HF (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.028–3.966, P = 0.041) after adjustment for age, BMI, baseline Na, creatinine, ejection fraction and discharge NYHA class. A standard logistic model treating temperature change as a continuous variable, and a model using a restricted cubic spline, did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between temperature reduction and HF rehospitalization. Subsequently, an altered logistic model was fit expressing the log odds of HF rehospitalization as a piecewise linear function of temperature decrease; this model did demonstrate statistical significance (P = 0.013) with an estimated odds ratio of 1.140 per 0.1 oC beyond 0.5 oC. Admission-to-discharge temperature reduction ≥1 oC is an unfavorable prognostic sign associated with future rehospitalization due to HF.
Early Entry in the NBA Draft: The Influence of Unraveling, Human Capital, and Option Value

In an influential article, “Unraveling in Matching Markets,” Li and Rosen (1998) note that the first 7 picks, and 17 among 29 first-round selections, of the 1997 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft were not college seniors. By 2004, the first pick was a high school senior, and 25 of the first 29 picks were not college seniors.We suggest that recent NBA contract provisions implemented to slow the early entry of talented players have instead provided additional incentives to both players and firms for early entry into the NBA.We explore two competing models that predict why teams choose a talented player sooner in the new rookie contract system: the human capital model and Lazear’s option value model. To test why unraveling occurs, we use a panel study of all NBA players for 12 years, from 1989 through 2002.
Methods to detect low quality data and its implication for psychological research

Web-based data collection methods such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (AMT) are an appealing option to recruit participants quickly and cheaply for psychological research. While concerns regarding data quality have emerged with AMT, several studies have exhibited that data collected via AMT are as reliable as traditional college samples and are often more diverse and representative of noncollege populations. The development of methods to screen for low quality data, however, has been less explored. Omitting participants based on simple screening methods in isolation, such as response time or attention checks may not be adequate identification methods, with an inability to delineate between high or low effort participants. Additionally, problematic survey responses may arise from survey automation techniques such as survey bots or automated form fillers. The current project developed low quality data detection methods while overcoming previous screening limitations. Multiple checks were employed, such as page response times, distribution of survey responses, the number of utilized choices from a given range of scale options, click counts, and manipulation checks. This method was tested on a survey taken with an easily available plug-in survey bot, as well as compared to data collected by human participants providing both high effort and randomized, or low effort, answers. Identified cases can then be used as part of sensitivity analyses to warrant exclusion from further analyses. This algorithm can be a promising tool to identify low quality or automated data via AMT or other online data collection platforms.
Molecular structure of [trans-FeCl2(imidazole)4]Cl·THF·H2O

The structure of [trans-FeCl2(imidazole)4]Cl has been determined as the THF/H2O solvate. The Fe-Cl and Fe-N distances in the cation are shorter than analogous trans-FeCl2(L)4 compounds, concomitant with the decreased ionic radius of Fe3+ versus Fe2+. Crystal data: orthorhombic, Pnma, a = 8.456(2), b = 20.991(4), c = 13.288(3) A, V = 2358.6(8), andZ = 4.
Psychiatric Care of the Patient with Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an increasingly prevalent and complex chronic illness with significant psychosocial and psychiatric ramifications. Stress and psychiatric illness can contribute to the development of the disease itself,1 via neurohormonal pathways and the side effects of psychiatric medication treatment, and psychiatric symptoms and disorders are prevalent and can have profound effects on the disease course of diabetes.2 Thus, there is a pressing need for integration of general medical care and psychiatric care for the diabetic patient in order to improve quality of life and illness outcomes.
Forecasts of Monthly U.S. Wheat Prices: A Spatial Market Analysis

The value of timely and accurate forecasts can hardly be overstated. Because remuneration for accurate forecasting is so great, an army of economists, traders, and speculators expend considerable effort to gain insight into the future path of asset prices. Theoretically, the efforts of these agents drives markets to efficiency. In a frictionless world, efficiency implies that asset values would tend to follow a random walk. Under this sort of stochastic process, the best predictor of price in period t+1 is the price at time t.
Elicited Imitation for Prediction of OPI Test Scores

Automated testing of spoken language is the subject of much current research. Elicited Imitation (EI), or sentence repetition, is well suited for automated scoring, but does not directly test a broad range of speech communication skills. An Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tests a broad range of skills, but is not as well suited for automated scoring. Some have suggested that EI can be used as a predictor of more general speech communication abilities. We examine EI for this purpose. A fully automated EI test is used to predict OPI scores. Experiments show strong correlation between predicted and actual OPI scores. Effectiveness of OPI score prediction depends upon at least two important design decisions. One of these decisions is to base prediction primarily on acoustic measures, rather than on transcription. The other of these decisions is the choice of sentences, or EI test items, to be repeated. It is shown that both of these design decisions can greatly impact performance. It is also shown that the effectiveness of individual test items can be predicted.
Silicon Nanoribbon pH Sensors Protected by a Barrier Membrane with Carbon Nanotube Porins

Limited biocompatibility and fouling propensity can restrict real-world applications of a large variety of biosensors. Biological systems are adept at protecting and separating vital components of biological machinery with semipermeable membranes that often contain defined pores and gates to restrict transmembrane transport only to specific species. Here we use a similar approach for creating fouling-resistant pH sensors. We integrate silicon nanoribbon transistor sensors with an antifouling lipid bilayer coating that contains proton-permeable carbon nanotube porin (CNTP) channels and demonstrate robust pH detection in a variety of complex biological fluids.
Web-Based Search Tool for Visualizing Instrument Performance Using the Triple Knockout (TKO) Proteome Standard.

Multiplexing strategies are at the forefront of mass-spectrometry-based proteomics, with SPS-MS3 methods becoming increasingly commonplace. A known caveat of isobaric multiplexing is interference resulting from coisolated and cofragmented ions that do not originate from the selected precursor of interest. The triple knockout (TKO) standard was designed to benchmark data collection strategies to minimize interference. However, a limitation to its widespread use has been the lack of an automated analysis platform. We present a TKO Visualization Tool (TVT). The TVT viewer allows for automated, web-based, database searching of the TKO standard, returning traditional figures of merit, such as peptide and protein counts, scan-specific ion accumulation times, as well as the TKO-specific metric, the IFI (interference-free index). Moreover, the TVT viewer allows for plotting of two TKO standards to assess protocol optimizations, compare instruments, or measure degradation of instrument performance over time. We sh...
The Design of the Designing Community

Some of us, like weekend gardeners, attend to the flowers and inevitable weeds of telecommunications evaluation and planning only in time squeezed from other activities. Others, make their living at these tasks. Weekend or weekday — all of our work is channeled by the processes of a community as palpable as those we seek to enhance through the application of telecommunication technologies. The purpose of this paper is to assess this “designing community” of which we are all members. I might be on sounder empirical grounds if I described the firms, agencies, professional associations and individuals engaged in telecommunications design as forming multiple communities. I’ve settled on the singular form in order to emphasize the political hope that they may be able to communicate more fully in the future.
Protein interaction networks revealed by proteome coevolution.

Residue-residue coevolution has been observed across a number of protein-protein interfaces, but the extent of residue coevolution between protein families on the whole-proteome scale has not been systematically studied. We investigate coevolution between 5.4 million pairs of proteins in Escherichia coli and between 3.9 millions pairs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We find strong coevolution for binary complexes involved in metabolism and weaker coevolution for larger complexes playing roles in genetic information processing. We take advantage of this coevolution, in combination with structure modeling, to predict protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with an accuracy that benchmark studies suggest is considerably higher than that of proteome-wide two-hybrid and mass spectrometry screens. We identify hundreds of previously uncharacterized PPIs in E. coli and M. tuberculosis that both add components to known protein complexes and networks and establish the existence of new ones.
Physical-Layer Security of 5G Wireless Networks for IoT: Challenges and Opportunities

The fifth generation (5G) wireless technologies serve as a key propellent to meet the increasing demands of the future Internet of Things (IoT) networks. For wireless communication security in 5G IoT networks, physical-layer security (PLS) has recently received growing interest. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey of the PLS techniques in 5G IoT communication systems. The investigation consists of four hierarchical parts. In the first part, we review the characteristics of 5G IoT under typical application scenarios. We then introduce the security threats from the 5G IoT physical-layer and categorize them according to the different purposes of the attacker. In the third part, we examine the 5G communication technologies in 5G IoT systems and discuss their challenges and opportunities when coping with physical-layer threats, including massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO), millimeter wave (mmWave) communications, nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA), full-duplex technology, energy harvesting (EH), visible light communication (VLC), and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communications. Finally, we discuss open research problems and future works about PLS in the IoT system with technologies of 5G and beyond.
Level of HER-2/neu protein expression in primary breast cancer may impact the development of HER-2/neu-specific endogenous immunity

3450 Tolerance to self tumor antigens is circumvented when those antigens are overexpressed. We questioned whether the magnitude or incidence of humoral or cellular immune response to self-antigen HER-2/neu (HER2) is influenced by the level of HER2 overexpression as defined by immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of tumors in breast cancer patients. We obtained IHC results on 90 women with Stage II, II and IV breast cancer. Patients were categorized with 1+, 2+ or 3+ HER2 overexpression. Circulating antibodies to HER2 were measured in 90 patients using ELISA, and HER2-specific T cell responses were measured in 48 patients using a modified limiting dilution assay. In order to assess general immunity, we measured antibody and T cell response to tetanus toxoid (tt). There were no significant differences in the mean tt responses in each IHC group (p= 0.771). There were no significant differences in magnitude of HER2-specific antibodies or T cells between IHC groups (p= 0.110 and 0.500 respectively). There was a trend toward an increased prevalence of HER2-specific antibody (p=0.073) and T cell (p=0.088) immunity as HER2 overexpression increased. In addition, we found that tumor overexpresssion was not associated with the increased ability of patients to mount a HER2-specific humoral or cellular immune response to vaccination with HER2 peptide-based vaccine.
The “Locus of Learning” Problem: Effects of Stimulus and Task Structure on Temporal Perceptual Learning

The ability to discriminate sub-second intervals can be improved with practice, a process known as temporal perceptual learning (TPL). A central question in TPL is whether training improves the low-level sensory representation of a temporal interval or optimizes a set of task-specific response strategies. Here, we trained three groups of participants over five days on a single-interval temporal discrimination task using either fixed intervals (FI) or random intervals (RI). Before and after training, discrimination thresholds were also obtained on an untrained task. Our results revealed that only the FI group showed improvements with five days of training, but this learning did not generalize from the trained task to the untrained task in any group. These results highlight task-specificity in TPL and suggest that training-dependent improvements in timing ability might reflect an active reweighting of decision units, in addition to refinements in the sensory representation of a learned interval.
Test-statistic correlation and data-row correlation

Abstract When a statistical test is repeatedly applied to rows of a data matrix—such as in differential-expression analysis of gene expression data, correlations among data rows will give rise to correlations among corresponding test statistic values. Correlations among test statistic values create many inferential challenges in false-discovery-rate control procedures, gene-set enrichment analysis, or other procedures aiming to summarize the collection of test results. To tackle these challenges, researchers sometimes will—explicitly or implicitly—use the correlations (e.g., as measured by the Pearson correlation coefficients) among the data rows to approximate the correlations among the corresponding test statistic values. We show that, however, such approximations are only valid under limited settings. We investigate the relationship between the correlation coefficient between a pair of test statistics (test-statistic correlation) and the correlation coefficient between the two corresponding data rows (data-row correlation). We derive an analytical formula for the test-statistic correlation as a function of the data-row correlation for a general class of test statistics: in particular, two-sample t-test is a special case. The analytical formula implies that the test-statistic correlation is generally weaker than the corresponding data-row correlation, and in general, the latter will not well approximate the former when the involved null hypotheses are false. We verify our analytical results through simulations.
Concussion-Symptom Rating Correlation Between Pediatric Patients and Their Parents.

Context Understanding how parents and their children perceive concussion symptoms may provide insights into optimal concussion-management strategies. Objective To examine patient-parent correlation...
Waist circumference cutoff identifying risks of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease in men with spinal cord injury.

Objectives To apply spinal cord injury (SCI) specific waist circumference (WC) cutoff point to identify risks of 1) obesity, 2) metabolic syndrome (MetS), 3) cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Thirty-six men with chronic SCI underwent anthropometric measurements, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure total and regional adiposity. An SCI specific WC cutoff point of 86.5 cm was applied to the existing general population criteria. Pearson chi-square (χ2) analyses tested the difference in the number of participants classified as obese using the SCI specific cutoff point compared to the general population criteria. Sensitivity and specificity analyses relative to percentage body fat mass and visceral adipose tissue was used to assess classification performance of this cutoff point. The interrater reliability for three definitions of MetS was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa (κ) values. Linear regression analyses were utilized to propose SCI specific Framingham Coronary Heart Disease Risk Score (FRS) cutoff value. Results Using SCI specific WC cutoff point of 86.5 cm, 36% of participants were classified as obese compared to only 3% when using WC of 102 cm (P < 0.001). Relative to percentage body fat mass, the general population WC cutoff point of 102 cm had a sensitivity of 6.3% and specificity of 100% both which changed to 68.8% and 90%, respectively, with a SCI specific cutoff point of 86.5 cm. Similar results were obtained when using visceral adipose tissue as a reference. The Kappa (κ) values improved substantially after using SCI specific criteria (0.95 ± 0.05) compared to the general population criteria (0.47 ± 0.28) for three definitions of MetS. The SCI specific FRS cutoff value of 6 was predicted after applying a WC cutoff of 86.5 cm. Conclusions Using the existing general population criteria underestimated persons with SCI who are at risk of developing obesity, MetS, and CVD. The recommended SCI specific criteria are likely to distinguish those at risks of developing comorbidities and allow healthcare providers to intervene in a timely manner.
Snuggling Together or Exploring Options? A Multilevel Analysis of Nonprofit Partnership Formation and Evolution in an Unstable Institutional Context:

What predicts the formation and evolution of partnerships in unstable institutional contexts? We answer this question by examining the partnership field of environmental nonprofit organizations bas...
A local-domain based phase field method for crack propagation

The phase field method transfers the crack surface area into a domain integral through a smeared damage parameter. As a result, the fracture energy release rate can be directly incorporated into th...
Relationship Between Humeral Energy Flow During the Baseball Pitch and Glenohumeral Stability.

Researchers suggest that motion deriving energy from the more proximal segments of the body is important to reduce injury susceptibility. However, limited clinical assessments have been associated with efficient energy flow within a complex movement such as the baseball pitch. This research aimed to determine the relationship between glenohumeral stability as determined by the closed kinetic chain upper extremity stability test and energy transfer into and out of the humerus during the baseball pitching motion. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected at 240 Hz on twenty-four baseball pitchers. Participants performed the closed kinetic chain upper extremity stability test prior to throwing three fastballs at game speed to a catcher with the fastest fastball used for analysis. Spearman’s Rho were used to examine relationships between energy flow in and out of the humerus with glenohumeral stability as determined by the average score and normalized stance width during the closed kinetic chain upper extremity stability test. There was a significant negative correlation between the average score and normalized peak power leaving the humerus (r s[22]=−0.42, p=0.04). This result provides preliminary support for the use of the closed kinetic chain upper extremity stability test as a clinical assessment of a pitcher’s ability to efficiently transfer energy within the upper extremity during the pitch.
Does exposure to startle impact voluntary reaching movements in individuals with severe-to-moderate stroke?

When movements of individuals with stroke (iwS) are elicited by startling acoustic stimulus (SAS), reaching movements are faster, further, and directed away from the body. However, these startle-evoked movements also elicit task-inappropriate flexor activity, raising concerns that chronic exposure to startle might also induce heightened flexor activity during voluntarily elicited movement. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of startle exposure on voluntary movements during point-to-point reaching in individuals with moderate and severe stroke. We hypothesize that startle exposure will increase task-inappropriate activity in flexor muscles, which will be associated with worse voluntarily initiated reaching performance (e.g. decreased distance, displacement, and final accuracy). Eleven individuals with moderate-to-severe stroke (UEFM = 8–41/66 and MAS = 0–4/4) performed voluntary point-to-point reaching with 1/3 of trials elicited by an SAS. We used electromyography to measure activity in brachioradialis (BR), biceps (BIC), triceps lateral head (TRI), pectoralis (PEC), anterior deltoid (AD), and posterior deltoid (PD). Conversely to our hypothesis, exposure to startle did not increase abnormal flexion but rather antagonist activity in the elbow flexors and shoulder horizontal adductors decreased, suggesting that abnormal flexor/extensor co-contraction was reduced. This reduction of flexion led to increased reaching distance (18.2% farther), movement onset (8.6% faster), and final accuracy (16.1% more accurate) by the end of the session. This study offers the first evidence that exposure to startle in iwS does not negatively impact voluntary movement; moreover, exposure may improve volitionally activated reaching movements by decreasing abnormal flexion activity.
The 130–360 GHz rotational spectrum of syn-2-cyano-1,3-butadiene (C5H5N) – a molecule of astrochemical relevance

The analysis of syn-2-cyano-1,3-butadiene (C5H5N, μa = 3.2 D, μb = 2.3 D) in its ground vibrational state and two lowest-energy excited vibrational states, ν27 (A″, 144 cm−1) and ν19 (A′, 163 cm−1)...
A Neo-Carnegie Approach to the Agency Question: Bridging the Evolutionary and Cognitive Views of Strategy

This article discusses the role of agency in discovering strategic opportunities by comparing two perspectives: the evolutionary and the cognitive view of strategy. The conceptions put forth by evo...