cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Benefits for the Public Sector Not on the Fringes Anymore

Benefits compose a major portion of the total compensation package. Along with wages and salaries, benefits serve to recruit, motivate, and retain employees This article provides a descriptive over...
An encounter model to predict natural planktonic bioluminescence

Natural bioluminescence results from the emissions of bioluminescent organisms in the absence of man-made disturbance. Most epipelagic and mesopelagic bioluminescence is caused by planktonic organisms. Limited attempts to measure natural bioluminescence in situ with surface deployed and moored instruments have recorded much higher levels of natural bioluminescence than have been observed from submersibles. We present a model predicting the frequency of interactions among planktonic organisms leading to natural bioluminescent emissions. The results suggest that natural bioluminescent flashes caused by interactions between zooplankters may be rare events in the Sargasso Sea, with our model predicting a maximum of nearly 600 flashes h-l m-3 at night in surface waters of the northern Sargasso Sea where there was an unusually high concentration of euphausiids and small bioluminescent dinoflagellates, but < 1 flash h-’ m-3 in the southern Sargasso Sea. In both locations most of the natural bioluminescence was predicted to be caused by euphausiids and copepods of the genus Pleuromamma and natural bioluminescence generally decreased with depth. The more intense displays of natural bioluminescence are probably the result of the bioluminescence of numerous smaller dinoflagellates common in coastal waters and may also be the result of disturbances caused by interactions of larger organisms with bioluminescent plankters.
Evaluation of Driver Behavior in Type II Dilemma Zones at High-Speed Signalized Intersections

Unlike traditional Type I dilemma zones, where inappropriate signal timings or detector placements restrict the ability of motorists to safely proceed through the intersection or safely stop in advance, Type II dilemma zones are attributed to driver difficulties in decision making. Type II issues become more prevalent at high-speed intersections, which have greater variability in operating speeds and greater potential for serious crashes. Although several features related to Type II dilemma zones are known, inconsistency remains in the application of the boundary definitions. This research characterizes driver behavior and comprehension related to Type II dilemma zones for the purpose of defining these boundary conditions. Empirical observations of 10 high-speed signalized intersection approaches were conducted, and the analyses of the observed driver behavior resulted in an expanded understanding of how and where drivers make their decision to stop or proceed when approaching a signal. Specifically, distributions of vehicle location and driver behavior were examined using multiple boundary definitions, and in several instances the distributions of driver behaviors varied depending on the dilemma-zone definition employed.
Faculty Teaching Goals, 1968-1973

The findings reported in this paper are taken from two national surveys of faculty conducted in 1968 and 1973. A comparison of these findings indicates that there has been no change in degree of emphasis upon and content of teaching among faculty during this period despite pressures upon them to change their attitudes toward undergraduate teaching. This lack of change is explained in terms of a dominant teaching orientation which is an outgrowth of a compromise between professional value commitments and institutional work obligations.
Defining the characteristic relationship between arterial pressure and cerebral flow.

Reliable assessment of cerebrovascular effectiveness in buffering against pressure fluctuations may have important implications for the timing and the outcome of therapy after adverse cerebrovascular events. Although linear approaches may indicate the presence or absence of cerebral autoregulation, they are inadequate to describe its characteristics and its effectiveness. Establishing a simple yet robust methodology to reliably measure the effectiveness of cerebral autoregulation could provide a tool to guide screening and clinical options to characterize and treat adverse cerebrovascular events associated with alterations in cerebral perfusion. To test the utility of one such methodology, an oscillatory lower body negative pressure of 30–40 mmHg was used at six frequencies from 0.03 to 0.08 Hz in 43 healthy volunteers, and the pressure-flow relation and the effectiveness of autoregulation was quantified using projection pursuit regression. Projection pursuit regression explained the majority of the relationship between pressure and cerebral blood flow fluctuations and revealed its nature consistently across individuals and across separate study days. The nature of this relationship entailed an autoregulatory region wherein slow arterial pressure fluctuations are effectively counterregulated and two passive regions wherein pressure fluctuations resulted in parallel changes in flow. The effectiveness of autoregulation was significantly reduced as pressure fluctuations became faster. These results demonstrate the characteristic relationship between arterial pressure and cerebral blood flow. Furthermore, the methodology utilized in this study provides a tool that can provide unique insight to integrated cerebrovascular control and may allow diagnosis of physiological alterations underlying impaired cerebral autoregulation.
Cryogenic Fluid Management Technologies for Advanced Green Propulsion Systems

In support of the Exploration Vision for returning to the Moon and beyond, NASA and its partners are developing and testing critical cryogenic fluid propellant technologies that will meet the need for high performance propellants on long-term missions. Reliable knowledge of low-gravity cryogenic fluid management behavior is lacking and yet is critical in the areas of tank thermal and pressure control, fluid acquisition, mass gauging, and fluid transfer. Such knowledge can significantly reduce or even eliminate tank fluid boil-off losses for long term missions, reduce propellant launch mass and required on-orbit margins, and simplify vehicle operations. The Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development (PCAD) Project is performing experimental and analytical evaluation of several areas within Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) to enable NASA's Exploration Vision. This paper discusses the status of the PCAD CFM technology focus areas relative to the anticipated CFM requirements to enable execution of the Vision for Space Exploration.
CELL SHAPE, CYTOSKELETAL TENSION, AND RHOA REGULATE STEM CELL LINEAGE COMMITMENT

Commitment of stem cells to different lineages is regulated by many cues in the local tissue microenvironment. Here we demonstrate that cell shape regulates commitment of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to adipocyte or osteoblast fate. hMSCs allowed to adhere, flatten, and spread underwent osteogenesis, while unspread, round cells became adipocytes. Cell shape regulated the switch in lineage commitment by modulating endogenous RhoA activity. Expressing dominant-negative RhoA committed hMSCs to become adipocytes, while constitutively active RhoA caused osteogenesis. However, the RhoA-mediated adipogenesis or osteogenesis was conditional on a round or spread shape, respectively, while constitutive activation of the RhoA effector, ROCK, induced osteogenesis independent of cell shape. This RhoA-ROCK commitment signal required actin-myosin-generated tension. These studies demonstrate that mechanical cues experienced in developmental and adult contexts, embodied by cell shape, cytoskeletal tension, and RhoA signaling, are integral to the commitment of stem cell fate.
The Impact of the Oil Sector on Commodity Prices: Correlation or Causation?

The interconnections of agriculture and energy markets have increased through the rise in the new biofuel agribusinesses and the oil-ethanol-corn linkages. The question is whether these linkages have a causal structure by which oil prices affect commodity prices and through these links, instability is transferred from energy markets to already volatile agricultural markets. In this article, we present empirical results using contemporary time-series analysis and Granger causality supplemented by a directed graph theory modeling approach to identify the links and plausible contemporaneous causal structures among energy and commodity variables. The results show that although there is a strong correlation among oil and commodity prices, the evidence for a causal link from oil to commodity prices is mixed.
A thermodynamic study of ketoreductase-catalyzed reactions 3. Reduction of 1-phenyl-1-alkanones in non-aqueous solvents

Abstract The equilibrium constants K for the reactions (1-phenyl-1-alkanone + 2-propanol = 1-phenyl-1-alkanol + acetone) in the solvents n-pentane and n-hexane have been determined by using gas chromatography at the temperature 298.15 K. The 1-phenyl-1-alkaones included in this study were: 1-phenyl-1-ethanone, 1-phenyl-1-propanone, 1-phenyl-1-butanone, 1-phenyl-1-pentanone, 1-phenyl-1-hexanone, and 1-phenyl-1-heptanone. The equilibrium constants for the reaction involving 1-phenyl-1-ethanone were measured in the solvent n-hexane as a function of temperature (288 K to 308 K). The calculated thermodynamic quantities for the 1-phenyl-1-ethanone reaction at T = 298.15 K are: K = 0.2177 ± 0.0018; the standard molar Gibbs free energy change, Δ r G m ∘ = ( 3.78 ± 0.02 ) kJ · mol - 1 , the standard molar enthalpy change, Δ r H m ∘ = ( 4.53 ± 0.87 ) kJ · mol - 1 , and the standard molar entropy change, Δ r S m ∘ = ( 2.5 ± 2.9 ) J · K - 1 · mol - 1 . The equilibrium constants of 1-phenyl-1-alkanone with an odd number of carbons in alkyl side chain are higher than the equilibrium constants of the preceding 1-phenyl-1-alkanone having an even number of carbons in the side chain and follow a zig-zag pattern with increasing carbon number in the alkyl side chain.
Ureidopenicillins and beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations.

The last penicillin to be made available for clinical use in the United States was the combination drug piperacillin-tazobactam. Since approval of this agent by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993, research on new penicillins and new indications for older penicillins has been limited. The lack of recent developments in the penicillin class of antimicrobial agents, however, neither diminishes their historical significance in the battle against infectious diseases nor their continued importance as safe and effective therapeutic agents. Penicillin, the prototype beta-lactam antibiotic, was first isolated from Penicillium notatum by Dr. Alexander Fleming in 1929. Because of difficulties in production and purification, the drug was not available for clinical use until 1941 when it was proven effective for the treatment of streptococcal and gonococcal infections. Subsequently, the evolution and spread of penicillin-resistant organisms along with the need to increase the antimicrobial spectrum of activity of penicillin led to the development of other beta-lactam antibiotics. Most of these were formulated by manipulating the basic penicillin molecule to result in agents with desirable new antimicrobial and pharmacologic properties. Alternatively, existing penicillins were combined with additional compounds that afforded specific protection from hydrolysis by beta-lactamases. This article reviews only the most recent additions to the formulary of penicillins, the ureidopenicillins, and combinations of penicillins with beta-lactamase inhibitors.
FLEXIBLE PRIOR MODELS IN BAYESIAN IMAGE ANALYSIS

A new class of prior models is proposed for Bayesian image analysis. This class of priors provides an inherent geometrical flexibility, which is achieved through a transformation of the coordinate system of the prior distribution or model into that of the object under analysis. Thus prior morphological information about the object being reconstructed may be adapted to various degrees to match the available measurements. An example of tomographic reconstruction illustrates the potential of this approach.
What Is the Value of Graphical Displays in Learning

The article reviews studies that explain the role of graphical displays in learning and synthesizes relevant findings into principles for effective graphical design. Three theoretical perspectives provide the framework that organizes the review: dual coding theory, visual argument, and conjoint retention. The three theories are compatible although they are based on different assumptions. Research suggests that graphics are effective learning tools only when they allow readers to interpret and integrate information with minimum cognitive processing. Learners’ characteristics, such as prior subject-matter knowledge, visuospatial ability, and strategies, influence graphic processing and interact with graphical design to mediate its effects. Future research should investigate the interplay between display and learner characteristics and how graphical design can address individual differences in learning from graphics.
Pancreatic Cystic Neoplasms: Diagnosis and Management

PCNs are composed of a wide range of lesions from benign cysts to malignancies . Although a cross-sectional imaging provides a sensitive screening test, EUS with FNA and cyst fluid analysis greatly increase the diagnostic certainty. Cyst fluid CEA offers the greatest accuracy in the differentiation between mucinous and nonmucinous PCNs. In the future, endoscopic ablation therapy might offer an alternative to the traditional surgical approach.
Effects of hereditary retinal degeneration due to a CEP290 mutation on the feline pupillary light reflex

Objective To understand how progressive rod cone degeneration due to a mutation in CEP290 affects the pupillary light reflex (PLR) in domestic cats. Animals studied Domestic cats identified as either normal wildtype (WT; n = 6), or homozygous for the rdAc mutation in CEP290 and having early stage retinal degeneration (stage 2, S2; n = 4), or advanced retinal degeneration (S4; n = 6). Methods The effect of light on pupil size was measured over a series of 10-s pulses of white and chromatic light in cats lightly sedated with medetomidine. Results In WT cats, the PLR was characterized by a pronounced initial constriction that rapidly re-dilated during the stimulus (pupil escape), to a stable or sustained constriction. There was then a marked constriction at stimulus offset. Each component of the PLR was retained in affected cats, but with progressively reduced irradiance sensitivity from early to advanced retinal disease. Conclusions The PLR of cats had multiple phases, with a remarkably high-amplitude ‘paradoxical’ off-constriction even in the absence of retinal disease. In rdAc cats, reduced irradiance sensitivity was consistent with progressive loss of rod and cone function. Based on previously characterized retinal pathology, this suggests the visual streak of the retina has a proportionally large contribution to PLR input. These findings support the hypothesis that the efficacy of planned therapeutic trials can be determined by careful evaluation of the PLR in cats.
Role of Pyruvate and S-Adenosylmethionine in Activating the Pyruvate Formate-Lyase of Escherichia coli

The pyruvate formate-lyase activity of extracts of Escherichia coli is stimulated and the dilution effect is abolished by the addition of pyruvate to the extract. The activity can be purified fourfold from pyruvate-supplemented extracts by isoelectric precipitation under anaerobic conditions. The activity of extracts not supplemented with pyruvate has been separated into two fractions by treatment with protamine sulfate—fraction PS, the soluble portion, and fraction N, an extract of the precipitate formed upon the addition of protamine sulfate. After treatment of these fractions with charcoal, pyruvate formate-lyase activity is stimulated by the addition of S-adenosylmethionine. When sodium pyruvate is added to the crude extract before the fractionation, fraction PS has full enzymatic activity and is not stimulated by fraction N or by S-adenosylmethionine. Incubation of the inactive fractions with pyruvate and S-adenosylmethionine in the absence of other substrates similarly results in a highly active preparation, not subject to the “dilution effect” obtained when the fractions are added separately to the assay. These observations suggest that the component in the protamine supernatant fraction is activated by the other fraction and that S-adenosylmethionine and pyruvate are required for the activation reaction. The activating factor present in the protamine precipitate fraction may be further purified by heating for 10 min at 100 C under H2 atmosphere. The yield of this factor from crude extract is not affected by activation of the pyruvate formate-lyase of the extract, indicating that the factor acts catalytically. The requirement for pyruvate is only partially satisfied by α-ketobutyrate and not at all by other α-keto acids, acetyl phosphate, or adenosine triphosphate. The rate of activation is maximal at 0.01 m sodium pyruvate and 3 × 10−4mS-adenosylmethionine; it is linearly dependent on the amount of activating factor added. The rate of activation is the same when the activation reaction is initiated by addition of any of the four required components, indicating that no slow step of activation can be carried out by any three of the components. A similar pyruvate formate-lyase system was found in extracts of the methionine/B12 autotroph 113-3, grown with methionine supplement, indicating that vitamin B12 derivatives do not participate in the system.
Classification of Typical and Atypical Language Network Activations Using Nonlinear Decision Functions

Language dominance behavior is identified as typical/atypical based on the asymmetry of the brain activation. Typical language is commonly defined by left brain hemisphere activation dominance during performing language tasks, while atypical language involves either right or both brain hemispheres. Traditionally, the methods used to identify the asymmetry of the brain activation are expert visual assessment and lateralization index (LI) computation. This paper presents a novel application of a supervised learning machine paradigm called Nonlinear Decision Functions (NDF). The merits of this paradigm are exploited on providing an automatic procedure for the identification of typical/atypical language dominance. NDF are invaluable tools for the resolution of real-world problems such as the one addressed in this paper. To identify language behavior, the subject undergoes an fMRI test. The resulting 4-D dataset (3D spatial information plus time series) is processed. Based on statistical and image analyses, a brain activation map (BAM) is generated. A total of 103 fMRI datasets from 5 different hospitals were analyzed, with 64 healthy control (HC) datasets, and 39 LRE datasets. On using NDFs on the basis of the demographics as well as the extent and intensity of these BAMs, the results obtained yielded a sensitivity of 80.6%, a specificity of 70.5%, an accuracy of 97.8% and a precision of 98.2%.
The nocebo effect on the web: an analysis of fake anti-virus distribution

We present a study of Fake Anti-Virus attacks on the web. Fake AV software masquerades as a legitimate security product with the goal of deceiving victims into paying registration fees to seemingly remove malware from their computers. Our analysis of 240 million web pages collected by Google's malware detection infrastructure over a 13 month period discovered over 11,000 domains involved in Fake AV distribution. We show that the Fake AV threat is rising in prevalence, both absolutely, and relative to other forms of web-based malware. Fake AV currently accounts for 15% of all malware we detect on the web. Our investigation reveals several characteristics that distinguish Fake AVs from other forms of web-based malware and shows how these characteristics have changed over time. For instance, Fake AV attacks occur frequently via web sites likely to reach more users including spam web sites and on-line Ads. These attacks account for 60% of the malware discovered on domains that include trending keywords. As of this writing, Fake AV is responsible for 50% of all malware delivered via Ads, which represents a fivefold increase from just a year ago.
Efficacy of a novel integrin-targeted anti-c-Myc nanotherapy against multiple myeloma in mice (1054.11)

The MYC oncoprotein drives multiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis, but the utility of small molecule inhibitors of MYC-MAX dimerization is limited by poor efficacy. We first sought to test the efficacy...
Tough, Harsh, or Sweetly Reasonable: Women and the Spread of Biomedical Knowledge in Colonial Uganda

While women rarely appear in formal medical reports generated within Uganda, biomedically trained women outnumbered men in mission medical institutions. Much of the institutionalised teaching of biomedicine in Uganda was in the hands of women missionaries, for instance in nursing and midwifery training schools and in the teaching of hygiene within mission schools. Less formally, missionary women taught Ugandans about preventive and curative health within general hospitals, dispensaries, and leprosy settlements, and on outreach ‘medical safaris’. In turn, the Ugandan women that the missionaries trained as nurses and midwives were tasked with spreading biomedical knowledge, especially as related to the health of mothers and children. Yet no historian has undertaken a broad study of the role of women in the spread of biomedical knowledge in colonial Africa. Using Uganda as a case study, in this paper I will survey several different types of biomedical education that were primarily the province of European and Ugandan women: maternal and child health; general health and hygiene; and leprosy treatment and prevention. Drawing on interviews and mission and hospital records, I aim to use this broadened scope of analysis to gain a better understanding of the role of women in the promotion of health.
Feedback Control of MEMS Micromirrors Subject to Parametric Uncertainty

This paper presents research on the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micromirror arrays with precise and accurate positioning enabled by the use of closed-loop control techniques. The MEMS mirror arrays are one degree-of-freedom, electrostatically actuated and exhibit nonlinear actuation profiles that include pull-in and hysteresis. The device performance is subject to parametric uncertainties from the fabrication process. Preliminary proportional-integrator (PI) controllers are studied in simulation on the nonlinear system to explore issues in the control development. Two different model linearization methods are presented to examine the best way to approximate the nonlinear behaviors using linear models. The effects of parametric uncertainties on the open-loop plant response are considered. It is evident based on these studies that the open-loop response is very sensitive to model uncertainties, while using closed-loop control can achieve input-tracking despite uncertainties in the plant. The work-in-progress includes the development of an optical test bed for the experimental validation of the results presented in this paper.© 2007 ASME
Design and Implementation of STM32 Based Measurement for Lightning Warning Device

With the development of the smart grid,lightning warning in the power system has an urgent demand. In view of the present situation at home and abroad,a new field mill electric field device is designed with improvement in terms of the probe sensor,which makes great simplification especially in the case of synchronous signal acquisition. PWM technology is introduced in motor control,and PID algorithm is adopted to ensure the motor constant speed operation,and to improve the linearity of electric field measurement. The proposed device also possesses GPS clock function to provide a unified punctual time scale for lightning warning system which will make data processing and analysis more convenient. According to the analysis of the actual application data, the expected effect has been achieved.
Social Navigation through the Spoken Web: Improving Audio Access through Collaborative Filtering in Gujarat, India

The Spoken Web project is building a telecom Web that provides a platform for information access and collaborative problem-solving for the developing world. Phone-based audio navigation to relevant content in this new kind of Web has become a major challenge. In this paper we delineate the opportunities for applying collaborative filtering to improve audio navigation on the telecom Web and describe our initial experiences with similarity-based and latent variable methods of collaborative filtering.
Development of High Temperature Superconductor Coated Metal Fiber and Multifilamentary Wire

Long superconductor fibers have been continuously produced by electrophoretically depositing REBa2Cu3O7−x powder onto a metal substrate fiber and sintering, then eletrophoreticaly depositing silver and sintering. After collecting the coated fiber on a take-up spool, the entire spool is batch-oxygenated to form the 90 K superconducting phase. Multiple fibers are then continuously unspooled and soldered into a copper channel to form the final multifilamentary high temperature superconductor wire. Superconducting fibers over 1000 meters long and multifilamentary wire 450 meters long have been produced.
Rapid submarine ice melting in the grounding zones of ice shelves in West Antarctica

Enhanced submarine ice-shelf melting strongly controls ice loss in the Amundsen Sea embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica, but its magnitude is not well known in the critical grounding zones of the ASE's major glaciers. Here we directly quantify bottom ice losses along tens of kilometres with airborne radar sounding of the Dotson and Crosson ice shelves, which buttress the rapidly changing Smith, Pope and Kohler glaciers. Melting in the grounding zones is found to be much higher than steady-state levels, removing 300-490 m of solid ice between 2002 and 2009 beneath the retreating Smith Glacier. The vigorous, unbalanced melting supports the hypothesis that a significant increase in ocean heat influx into ASE sub-ice-shelf cavities took place in the mid-2000s. The synchronous but diverse evolutions of these glaciers illustrate how combinations of oceanography and topography modulate rapid submarine melting to hasten mass loss and glacier retreat from West Antarctica.
Methods for the Study of Long Noncoding RNA in Cancer Cell Signaling

With the advances in sequencing technology and transcriptome analysis, it is estimated that up to 75 % of the human genome is transcribed into RNAs. This finding prompted intensive investigations on the biological functions of noncoding RNAs and led to very exciting discoveries of microRNAs as important players in disease pathogenesis and therapeutic applications. Research on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is in its infancy, yet a broad spectrum of biological regulations has been attributed to lncRNAs. Here, we provide a collection of detailed experimental protocols for lncRNA studies, including lncRNA immunoprecipitation, lncRNA pull-down, lncRNA northern blot analysis, lncRNA in situ hybridization, and lncRNA knockdown. We hope that the information included in this chapter can speed up research on lncRNAs biology and eventually lead to the development of clinical applications with lncRNA as novel prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.
A Heuristic Approach for Vehicle Scheduling Problem with Time and Capacity Constraints

Vehicle Scheduling Problem (VSP) with time and capacity constraints is a real life logistic open problem that is difficult to model and hard to solve. A typical case of study of this category is the Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Problem (RMCDP), in which the objective of the delivery operation adheres to strict time and capacity constraints. In Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) delivery process, there is a need to predetermine the sites-trips assignments according to the problem objective and the available resources in a feasible and optimal way. In this paper, we developed a heuristic-based modeling approach for simulating and optimizing the RMCDP. This approach combines dynamic programming with tailored heuristic technique to handle all constraints. Our proposed algorithm provides efficient scheduling solution for the single depot RMCDP that maximizes the number of sites to be serviced by minimizing both of the resource-assignment to each site and the truck waiting time at the depot.
Congenital Neutrophilia Arising from a T618I Germline Mutation in the CSF3R Gene

Abstract Recently, somatic mutations in the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (CSF3R) have been identified in the majority of patients with chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL). The T618I mutation is the most common of these mutations, and it has been suggested that this specific mutation be added to the current WHO criteria for the diagnosis of CNL. In vitro studies of cells transfected with the T618I mutation have demonstrated that the mutant receptor confers a hyperproliferative phenotype. We report here a case of congenital neutrophlia with an associated germline T618I CSF3R mutation. The patient, currently a 10 year old female, has had an elevated but stable leukocytosis (WBC 24,000 - 35,000) since birth, comprised of approximately 80% neutrophils. She has been healthy, with no increase in frequency of infections. Bone marrow studies performed at 5 months and 10 years of age have shown the marrow to be hypercellular, with normal karyotype/FISH (including BCR/ABL negative) and no dysplastic features. Additionally, no mutations have been detected in JAK2, MPL, CALR, PDGFA/B, and FGFR1. DNA was extracted from whole blood and buccal cells collected from the patient, and using next generation sequencing a T618I mutation in CSF3R was identified in both her buccal and blood cells, confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The T618I mutation was present at an approximately 50% allele frequency in both tissues. Using a combination of next generation and Sanger sequencing, the patient's DNA was also analyzed for the presence of mutations in ASXL1, SETBP1, and TET2; as these have been reported in combination with the T618I mutation in many cases of CNL. However, no such additional mutations were detected in our patient. Congenital neutrophilia arising from another activating mutation in CSF3R has previously been reported in a family from France (Plo et al., J Exp Med 2009). The mutation identified in that family was reported to be at amino acid position 617 (T617N) (numbering from the methionine 1, which includes the leader sequence, this correlates to a T640N mutation). Similar to the T618I mutation in our patient, none of the 12 affected family members (ages 8-80 years) progressed to an acute leukemia. Collectively, these observations suggest that activating CSF3R mutations, including the T618I mutation, may result in chronic neutrophilic leukemia but that subsequent disease progression may be due to other, cooperating mutations. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Textile-based shape memory alloy locomotive robot

The world of robotics is vast, scoping many areas of science. This paper displays a locomotive textile-based robotic system. Actuated by bending shape memory alloys wires, a unique material that can produce force coupled with displacement at the presence of a stimuli. The robot was designed, fabricated and tested and is able to tumble or roll forward at a speed of 6 mm/s. While most SMA-textile integration is limited to aesthetic purposes and current SMA-textile robotics is a concept of stitching the SMA onto the surface of an existing fabric, this paper breaks the barriers with a completely integrated woven hybrid SMA-textile actuator based designed system.
Supplying Choice: An Analysis of School Participation Decisions in Voucher Programs in Washington, DC, Indiana, and Louisiana

Since school voucher funds are public, policymakers fiercely debate how those funds should be spent. A goal of many decision-makers is to ensure that every private school option is “high-quality” t...
Development and testing of a pressure probe for centerline static pressure measurement in supersonic nozzles and ejectors

This work describes the development and testing of a system for measuring static pressure along the axis of supersonic flow devices such as convergent–divergent nozzles or ejectors. The pressure pr...
Function of protein kinase CK2 in CD4+ T cell polarization and EAE

Auto-reactive CD4 + T cells drive many autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). CK2 is a constitutively expressed and highly conserved serine/threonine kinase that promotes a number of pro-survival and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-kB and JAK/STAT. These pathways are essential for CD4 + T cell activation and polarization, but little is known about how CK2 functions in T cells. Here we demonstrate that protein levels of the major catalytic subunit of CK2, CK2α, are induced in murine CD4 + T cells upon activation, correlating with an increase in overall kinase activity. In addition, CK2α expression is elevated in CD4 + T cells that are activated and infiltrate the CNS during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of MS. Targeting the activity of CK2α using the small molecule inhibitor CX-4945 in vitro significantly inhibited Th17 cell polarization and promoted FOXP3 expression in both Th17 and Treg polarizing conditions with no appreciable effect on the generation of Th1 cells. In vivo treatment with CX-4945 during EAE resulted in a dampened Th17 response in the periphery and a decrease in IL-17A + and IL-17A + IFN-γ + CD4 + T cells present in the spinal cord. Continued CX-4945 treatment significantly reduced the severity of EAE clinical symptoms and increased the percentage of FOXP3 + Tregs in the spinal cord during disease resolution. Our data implicate CK2 as a novel regulator of the Th17/Treg cell axis, and suggest that CK2 could be targeted for the treatment of CD4 + T cell-driven autoimmune disorders.
Myxofibrosarcoma of unusual sites.

Introduction Myxofibrosarcoma classically presents as a painless mass in the proximal extremities. Cutaneous myxofibrosarcomas arising in the head and neck and distal extremities are extremely uncommon. We present a series of six cases of myxofibrosarcoma presenting in the head and neck and acral locations. Methods Archives were searched using the term “myxofibrosarcoma” over a 6-year period (2009–2015). The clinicopathologic features of myxofibrosarcoma were recorded. Cases in the head and neck or acral locations were retrieved. When available, the patient's medical records were reviewed. Results Ninety-five cases of myxofibrosarcoma were identified over a 6-year period. Six patients were identified with myxofibrosarcoma arising in the head (n = 4, M:F 3:1), hand (n = 1, F), and foot (n = 1, F). Each had typical features of myxofibrosarcoma. Two of the tumors on the head were high-grade and had multiple recurrences, while the remaining two were intermediate grade. Both acral tumors were intermediate grade and one recurred locally within a year of diagnosis. Conclusions Myxofibrosarcoma may rarely involve the head and neck and acral locations, and presentation in these sites is a potential source of diagnostic difficulty. Recognition of the characteristic histologic features of myxofibrosarcoma in conjunction with judicial use of immunohistochemical stains should allow for accurate diagnosis.
Laboratory and field evaluation of a small form factor head impact sensor in un-helmeted play:

Head impact sensors are increasingly used to quantify the frequency and magnitude of head impacts in sports. A dearth of information exists regarding head impact in un-helmeted sport, despite the substantial number of concussions experienced in these sports. This study evaluated the performance of one small form factor head impact sensor in both laboratory and field environments. In laboratory tests, sensor performance was assessed using a Hybrid III headform and neck. The headform assembly was mounted on a low-friction sled and impacted with three sports balls over a range of velocities (10–31 m/s) at two locations and from three directions. Measures of linear and angular acceleration obtained from the small form factor wireless sensor were compared to measures of linear and angular acceleration obtained by wired sensors mounted at the headform center of mass. Accuracy of the sensor varied inversely with impact magnitude, with relative differences across test conditions ranging from 0.1% to 266.0% for pe...
THE EFFECT OF PULSES OF 3′:5’ CYCLIC ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE ON ENZYME FORMATION IN NON-AGGREGATED AMOEBAE OF DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the effect of pulses of 3’:5’ cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) on enzyme formation in nonaggregated amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum. Cyclic AMP regulates the formation of a number of proteins by affecting the rate of synthesis of the cognate messenger RNAs. The situation is more complex with respect to the mode of action of cyclic AMP in the regulation of eukaryotic protein synthesis. Effects of the cyclic nucleotide on translation and on transcription have been defined through the effects of cyclic nucleotides on the synthesis of eukaryotic proteins, which are mediated via protein kinases. In Dictyostelium discoideum, cyclic AMP is the agent that brings about aggregation and multicellularity.
Class I indications for coronary artery bypass graft surgery: what is the appropriate therapy for patients with multivessel coronary disease?

In this issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions , Frutkin et al. ([1][1]) have examined the attempt rates of drug-eluting stents (DES) using the NCDR (National Cardiovascular Data Registry) dataset during 3 time periods: pre-DES (before April 2003), DES diffusion (April 2003 through December
A Simple Model for the Variation of Permeability due to Partial Saturation in Dual Scale Porous Media

The main focus of this work is to model macroscopically the effects of partial saturation upon the permeability of dual scale fibrous media made of fiber bundles when a Newtonian viscous fluid impregnates it. A new phenomenological model is proposed to explain the discrepancies between experimental pressure results and analytical predictions based on Darcy's law. This model incorporates the essential features of relative permeability but without the necessity of measuring saturation of the liquid for its prediction. The model is very relevant for the small scale industrial systems where a liquid is forced to flow through a fibrous porous medium. It requires four parameters. Two of them are the two permeability values based on the two length scales. One length scale is of the order of magnitude of the individual fiber radius and corresponds to the permeability of the completely staurated medium, the other is of the order of magnitude of the distance between the fiber bundles and corresponds to the permeability of the partially saturated medium. The other two parameters are the lengths of the two partially saturated regions of the flow domain. The two lengths of the partially saturated region and the permeability of the fully saturated flow domain can be directly measured from the experiments. The excellent agreement between the model and the experimental results of inlet pressure profile with respect to time suggests that this model may be used to describe the variation of the permeability behind a moving front in such porous media for correct pressure prediction. It may also be used to characterize the fibrous medium by determining the two different permeabilities and the relative importance of the unsaturated portion of the flow domain for a given architecture.
A call to safeguard the medication-use system to protect the most vulnerable population-pediatric patients.

While we generally refer to pediatrics as 1 specialty, this specialty encompasses a diverse population, ranging from very-low-birth-weight premature neonates weighing as little as 0.4 kg, to infants and children, to adolescents weighing over 100 kg. Each subgroup of pediatric patients may exhibit
DNA Methylation as an Epigenetic Memory Keeper during Skin Development and Regeneration

DNA methylation is one of the best-characterized epigenetic modifications and plays indispensable roles in embryonic development and adult tissue regeneration. In the past decade, progress in epigenetics has advanced our understanding in the molecular basis of this process.
Circulating monocyte-platelet aggregates are a robust marker of platelet activity in cardiovascular disease

Abstract Background and aims Platelets are a major culprit in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Circulating monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPA) represent the crossroads between atherothrombosis and inflammation. However, there is little understanding of the platelets and monocytes that comprise MPA and the prevalence of MPA in different CVD phenotypes. We aimed to establish (1) the reproducibility of MPA over time in circulating blood samples from healthy controls, (2) the effect of aspirin, (3) the relationship between MPA and platelet activity and monocyte subtype, and (4) the association between MPA and CVD phenotype (coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease [PAD], abdominal aortic aneurysm, and carotid artery stenosis). Methods and results MPA were identified by CD14+ monocytes positive for CD61+ platelets in healthy subjects and in patients with CVD. We found that MPA did not significantly differ over time in healthy controls, nor altered by aspirin use. Compared with healthy controls, MPA were significantly higher in CVD (9.4% [8.2, 11.1] vs. 21.8% [11.5, 44.1], p Conclusions Circulating MPA are a robust marker of platelet activity and monocyte inflammation, unaffected by low-dose aspirin, and are significantly elevated in subjects with CVD, particularly those with PAD.
Mild, Modular, and Convergent Synthesis of Helical Naphtho[2,1-c]chromenes via a Multistep Cyclization/Aromatization Cascade Sequence.

Tetracyclic 6H-naphtho[2,1-c]chromenes are expeditiously synthesized through a BF3·OEt2-mediated, three-step cascade reaction, creating new central pyran and aromatic rings. The cascade involves th...
What We Can Learn from Town Meetings

This essay offers a response to the special issue essays. It highlights key ideas from the articles and reflects on lessons that town meetings have for our contemporary public engagement.
Parallel and high performance matrix function computations

Computing eigenpairs of a matrix corresponding to a specific geometry in the complex plane is an important topic in real time signal processing, pattern recognition, spectral analysis, systems theory, radar, sonar, and geophysics. We have studied the matrix sign and matrix sector function iterations to extract the eigenpairs belonging to various geometries without resorting to computationally expensive eigenanalysis methods. We propose a parallelization of an existing matrix sign function algorithm, which was implemented on a Meiko CS-2 multiprocessor. We obtain a fast and stable algorithm for computing the matrix sector functions using Halley's generalized iteration formula for solving nonlinear equations. We propose a parallel iterative algorithm to compute the principal nth root of a positive definite matrix using Gauss-Legendre integration formula. Furthermore computing functions of square matrices is also an important topic in linear algebra, engineering, and applied mathematics. A parallelization of Parlett's algorithm for computing arbitrary functions of upper triangular matrices is introduced. We propose a block-recursive and a parallel algorithm for fast and efficient computation of functions of triangular matrices. The parallel complexity and cache efficiency of these algorithms for computers with two levels of memory are also analyzed.
Making It Personal: Addressing Individual Audience Members in Oral Presentations Using Augmented Reality

Public-speaking situations such as classroom lectures, seminars, and meetings, where speakers must actively engage the audience, require considerable effort from the speaker in gathering verbal and non-verbal feedback from the audience. Garnering feedback can be made easier by technologies such as augmented reality (AR) capable of displaying information in 3D space surrounding the speaker. We present an AR-enabled presentation display system to provide real-time feedback from the audience to the speaker during a presentation. The feedback includes names and affective states of the audience, icons requesting a change in volume and rate of speech, and annotated questions and comments. The design of the feedback system was informed by findings from an exploratory study with academic professionals experienced in delivering presentations. In a between-subjects study, we evaluated presentations displaying feedback information spatially overlaid above the heads of the audience members in one condition and in the periphery of the presenter's view in another condition, as compared with a no-AR control condition. Results showed that the presenters in the overlay condition called upon the audience by name significantly more often than in the peripheral and the control conditions, and they rated the overlay condition as more reliable, helpful, and wanting to use it for future presentations compared to the peripheral condition. Overall, AR feedback was considered useful by both the presenters and the audience and did not negatively impact speaker confidence and state anxiety of the presenter.
Session details: Complexity

For years when I taught algorithms or complexity, I would tell my students that while there is an infinite range of intermediate complexity classes, problems occurring in practice tend to be complete for one of a handful of important complexity classes.I used to say that no one knows why this happens. Now however I can say that it happens for an algebraic reason which Libor Barto and his colleagues are close to figuring out. I am thrilled to have as our first Complexity Column in the SIGLOG Newsletter, the following survey on CSP.I am also happy to announce that upcoming complexity columns will include the following:---Anuj Dawar, "The Nature and Power of Fixed-Point Logic with Counting," [recent progress in the search for a logical language capturing order-independent Polynomial Time], Jan. 1, 2015.---Jakob Nordstrom, [using proof complexity to gain insights into the complexity of SAT].
Binding and Activation of Molecular Oxygen Within the Cavity of the Dinuclear Cobalt Bisdien Macrocyclic Complex; Reactions with Bridging Coordinated Bifunctional Reducing Substrates

Publisher Summary Potentiometric p[H] measurements on the dicobalt(II) complex of BISDIEN, have demonstrated the formation of a hydroxo-bridged p-peroxo type dioxygen complex, with a water molecule coordinated to each Co(ll) center. The coordinated water molecules are converted successively to hydroxo groups as the p[H] of the solution is increased. Recently it has been shown that the aquo, hydroxo sites may be coordinated by the oxalate anion as a third bridging group, and that at mildly elevated temperature a redox reaction occurs between coordinated dioxygen and coordinated oxalate to produce water, carbon dioxide, and the dicobalt(lll)-BISDIEN complex. Subsequently it was shown that an analogous tribridged dinuclear dioxygen complex, is formed with catecholate anion as the bridging reducing substrate. This chapter describes the results of a potentiometric and spectrophotometric investigation of an analogous tribridged dinuclear Co(ll)-BISDIEN complex with ketomalonate (mesoxalate) as the third bifunctional bridging reducing substrate. This chapter presents a comparative study of the relative properties of the dioxygen adducts of the dinuclear cobalt(II) BlSDlEN complexes containing these three reducing substrates, and of the redox reactions which take place within the cavity of the corresponding dinuclear macrocyclic complexes.