cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in Finite-Difference Time-Domain Methods for Engineering Electromagnetics

This paper summarizes my group’s latest work in applying finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) techniques for Maxwell’s equations to model complex electromagnetic wave interactions. Our perspective, based upon two decades of continuous work in this field, is that FD-TD provides an electromagnetic modeling framework that is so robust that merely activating a set of auxiliary time-dependent differential equations (contained within subroutines) for physical quantities associated with the electromagnetic field permits the article being modeled to be switched from a jet fighter to a digital electronic circuit to a photonic device. The augmentation of FD-TD in this manner gives it enormous capability in modeling nonlinear electronic and photonic phenomena that are central to ultrahigh-speed device behavior. We will focus on four primary technical developments
A New Water Bath for Ultrasonic Biomicroscopy

Ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM) has added greatly to our understanding of the development of certain forms of glaucoma. Methylcellulose is usually recommended as the appropriate coupling medium between the transducer and the eye because of its increased viscosity, which makes it more easily retained on the eye. A new water bath has been developed that fits the eye so well that saline, a superior coupling agent, can be substituted for methylcellulose. This new water bath is a flexible polysiloxane cup with a beveled inner edge, providing a watertight seal and thus permitting the use of saline as the coupling medium for UBM. Saline, because of its lack of impurities, generates images that are superior in quality to those produced with methylcellulose as the coupling medium.
Histamine as possible chemical mediator for cutaneous pain. Dual pain response to histamine.

Summary1. Histamine introduced into the superficial layers of the skin of human subjects causes an immediate as well as a latent painful sensation. 2. The intensity and the duration of the response are directly proportional to the concentration of histamine. 3. The lapse of time between the primary and the latent secondary response is inversely proportional to the concentration of histamine. 4. These findings give further support to the theory that histamine or a histamine-like substance may be the chemical mediator for cutaneous pain.
Real-Time Cascading Failures Prevention for Multiple Contingencies in Smart Grids Through a Multi-Agent System

Cascading failures (CF) is complex in nature and difficult to accurately model or solve mathematically. The current industry approach to preventing CF, which leads to blackout event, involves incurring losses. In this paper, a technique based on an adaptive multi-agent system algorithm is implemented to prevent CF without loss incurrence. The algorithm uses mathematical combinations heuristically selected through the use of sensitivities obtained from the economic dispatch history of the power system to redispatch the power from the generators. This approach enables the implementation of the algorithm on systems of any size. The algorithm is experimentally applied in real-time with the consideration of necessary constraints as it halts the occurrence of CF. The test system is an experimental set up of the generation and transmission side of the IEEE 30-bus system using a reconfigurable smart grid laboratory hardware developed for testing algorithms requiring two-way communication capabilities. It was first showed that the test system will experience CF if nothing is done to prevent CF after the occurrence of a contingency. A detailed experimental analysis of the ensuing blackout event is given. The algorithm was used to prevent CF in the system after the occurrence of N-1 and N-1-1 contingencies. The algorithm was also tested on a larger system, the IEEE 118-bus system, through simulation. The experimental and simulation results affirm the efficacy of the proposed algorithm for systems of any size. In fact, it was discovered from our results that the large number of generators in large systems helps the algorithm converge faster than it does for small systems, which have restricted resources and combinations.
Announcing the MMA 2015 Editor’s Choice Awards

I am pleased to announce the manuscripts that have been selected for the 2015 Metallography, Microstructure, and Analysis Editor’s Choice award. The authors of these manuscripts are recognized for both the novelty of their research, and for the high quality of their respective manuscripts. These papers exhibit the characteristics that are considered especially important for this journal: clarity of presentation, a proper interpretation and thorough discussion of microstructure, and high-quality micrographs. These five papers are available ‘‘Free Access’’ through the Editor’s Choice link on the MMA website at http:// www.springer.com/materials/special?types/journal/13632, as well as through the journal’s page on SpringerLink. Normally, there is a charge for free access, but for papers selected by the editor for this award, the benefit is free. Study of Coarsening in c0 Precipitates by Diffusion Couples C.G. Garay-Reyes, S.E. Hernandez-Martinez, J.L. Hernandez-Rivera, I. Estrada-Guel, H.J. DorantesRosales, J.J. Cruz-Rivera, R. Martinez-Sanchez Metallogr. Microstruct. Anal. 4(6), 467–474 (2015)
Analysis of Event Information Structure in Text

The distribution of event word in text reveals the event information structure.Through observation on the real News texts of the sudden event,our research indicates that the news text is composed of two elements,the main information chain and the second information chain.The main information chain is just the text's event information structure including the preceding-core event information chain,the core event information chain,the secondary event information chain and the post-generation event information one.Also,we study the event information structure detection with the event word as a trigger,adopting the HowNet to improve the event word based event information structure detection.
Disassociating the Agent From the Self Undermining Belief in Free Will Diminishes True Self-Knowledge

Undermining the belief in free will influences thoughts and behavior, yet little research has explored its implications for the self and identity. The current studies examined whether lowering free...
Patient portals and personal health information online: perception, access, and use by US adults.

Background: Access to online patient portals is key to improving care, but we have limited understanding of patient perceptions of online portals and the characteristics of people who use them. Methods: Using a national survey of 3677 respondents, we describe perceptions and utilization of online personal health information (PHI) portals. Results: Most respondents (92%) considered online PHI access important, yet only 34% were offered access to online PHI by a health care provider, and just 28% accessed online PHI in the past year. While there were no differences across race or ethnicity in importance of access, black and Hispanic respondents were significantly less likely to be offered access ( P = .006 and <.001, respectively) and less likely to access their online PHI ( P = .041 and <.001, respectively) compared to white and non-Hispanic respondents. Conclusion: Health care providers are crucial to the adoption and use of online patient portals and should be encouraged to offer consistent access regardless of patient race and ethnicity.
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials

Intraoperative application of evoked potentials has evolved over the last thirty years, and somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring is the method most commonly employed [1]. The ultimate goal of intraoperative SSEP monitoring is to ensure maintenance of neurologic integrity throughout a procedure with resultant improved outcome and decreased morbidity.
Abstract 2115: MEK/ERK and MCL-1 inhibition synergistically reverse apoptosis resistance in colon cancer cells with BRAF(V600E)-mediated MCL-1-upregulation

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Background. Oncogenic BRAFV600E mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC) are associated with poor prognosis and treatment resistance. BRAF mutations activate MAP kinase signaling and may confer apoptosis resistance by upregulating anti-apoptotic BCL-2/BCL-XL/MCL-1 proteins. Results. Ectopic expression of mutant BRAFV600E was shown to potently activate MEK/ ERK that mediated the phosphorylation (T163) and upregulation of MCL-1, but not BCL-2 or BCL-XL. MEK/ERK-mediated phosphorylation of MCL-1 (T163) increased its protein stability, shown by an MCL-1 phospho-mimic mutant. In human colon cancers, mutant vs wild-type BRAF was associated with increased MCL-1 expression by IHC. MEK/ERK inhibition by cobimetinib induced pro-apoptotic BIM in BRAF mutant CRC cell lines (HT-29, RKO), and suppressed phospho-MCL-1/MCL-1 proteins as did ERK siRNA. Suppression of MCL-1 by shRNA or using a small molecule MCL-1 inhibitor (A-1210477) synergistically enhanced cobimetinib-induced apoptosis (Table) that was associated with BAK/BAX activation. A-1210477 antagonized MCL-1 by disrupting its interaction with BAK and BIM proteins, shown by immunoprecipitation. Conclusion. BRAF/MEK/ERK induces upregulation of MCL-1 via phosphorylation/stabilization to confer apoptosis resistance that can be overcome by combined ERK and MCL-1 inhibition, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy against BRAF mutant CRCs. | Drugs | HT-29 % apoptosis | RKO % apoptosis | | ------------------ | ----------------- | --------------- | | DMSO | 16.84 | 2.11 | | A-1210477 (2.5 μM) | 29.52 | 22.88 | | Cobimetinib(5 μM) | 28.04 | 21.05 | | Combination | 53.22 | 50.93 | Drug-induced apoptosis (annexin V) in CRC cell lines Citation Format: Hisato Kawakami, Shengbing Huang, Frank A. Sinicrope. MEK/ERK and MCL-1 inhibition synergistically reverse apoptosis resistance in colon cancer cells with BRAF(V600E)-mediated MCL-1-upregulation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2115.
Anther- and Pollen-Expressed Genes

Flowering plants produce intricate, often beautiful structures, within which their reproductive processes take place. These structures are the flowers. In flowering plants, as in more primitive plants, a diploid spore-producing generation (sporophyte) alternates with a haploid, gamete-producing generation (gametophyte). The male and female gametophytes of Angiosperms are reduced to microscopic structures enclosed within the tissues of the sporophyte. The functions of the gametophytes are the production of the sperm and egg cells and their union in fertilization. The pollen grain is the male gametophyte and the embryo sac the female gametophyte. The flower consists of specialized structures, the anthers and the pistil or gynoecium, in which the sex cells are formed.
Sources and Composition of PM2.5 in the Colorado Front Range during the DISCOVER-AQ Study

Measurements of PM2.5 chemical composition were carried out in Golden, CO during the Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) field study. Chemical composition was dominated by organic compounds, which comprised an average of 75% of the PM2.5 mass throughout the study. Most of the organic matter was secondary (i.e., secondary organic aerosol, SOA), and appears to derive predominantly from regional sources, rather than the Denver metropolitan area. The concentration and composition of PM2.5 in Golden were strongly influenced by highly regular wind patterns and the site's close proximity to the mountains (~5 km). This second factor may be the cause of distinct differences between observations in Golden and those in downtown Denver, despite a distance between the sites of only ~15 km. Concentrations of aerosol nitrate, ammonium and elemental carbon increased significantly during the daytime when the winds were from the northeast, indicating a strong local source for these compounds. Local sources of dust appeared to minimally impact the Golden site, although this was not likely representative of other conditions in the Colorado Front Range. Conversely, dust that had undergone long-range transport from the southwestern U.S. likely impacted the entire Colorado Front Range, including Golden. During this event, water-soluble Ca2+ concentrations exceeded 1 µg m-3, and the PM2.5/PM10 ratio reached its lowest level throughout the study. The long-range transport of wildfire emissions also impacted the Colorado Front Range for 1-2 days during DISCOVER-AQ. The smoke event was characterized by high concentrations of organics and water-soluble K+. The results show a complex array of sources and atmospheric processes influence summertime PM in the Colorado Front Range.
Biomimetic sensors and biosensors for qualitative and quantitative analyses of five basic tastes

Abstract The five basic tastes namely sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness and umami have been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using biomimetic sensors and biosensors listed in this review. This review puts great emphasis on the sensing materials or elements used in these sensors. Biomimetic sensors consist of potentiometric, voltammetric and impedance spectrum sensors modified with specific and designated biomimetic materials. More importantly, biosensors based on taste cells, tissues, nerves and enzyme as the sensing elements have been developed, and nanotechnology and microfluidic chip have been utilized for the fabrication of biosensors. There are two main aspects of practical application for five basic tastes via biomimetic sensors and biosensors: one aspect is to clarify taste sensation and transduction mechanism; another aspect is to obtain taste sensing information of food and pharmaceutical. The future perspectives for improvement of biomimetic sensors or biosensors are discussed.
A CLINICAL STUDY OF THIRTY CASES OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

In summarizing it seems very hard at the present time, either from the evidence presented by many authors, or from our own observations, to draw definite conclusions as to the etiology of the progressive muscular dystrophies. If we allow ourselves to be influenced entirely by the theories of endocrine origin we find many stumblingblocks. It is hard to believe that a cystic tumor or other pathology of one of these glands can always locate itself in just the place to cause repeatedly the identical or almost identical clinical entity. The evidence introduced in this respect does not always seem to be entirely sound. On the other hand, the recoveries reported in the literature and in our own series seem to be beyond question. There is not in progressive muscular dystrophy the low fatigue coefficient, within physiological limits, that one would expect to find. The muscle fibers which remain unaffected from the disease seem to be acting to the extent of their normal limit. But there seems to be not "enough ammunition to go around." Is it a matter of waste product elimination? Are a part of the muscle fibers in their physiological capacity of glycogen builders and storehouses, or as secretors of sarcolactic acid and carbon dioxide, failing in their work? It is generally conceded that there is a low amount of blood sugar, and that sugar when fed is rapidly excreted. Has something happened to the muscular substance which should activate the transforming enzyme? We need more autopsies; we need more pathological studies; more chemical studies; and we need more research by men who go into their work with a good substantial knowledge of what has already been said and done on the subject. In making this synopsis of our cases we have come to the realization of its possibilities, and the meager work which we have presented will be followed up in the immediate future by a more thorough, and we trust, more enlightening series of experiments. I am indebted to Dr. Steindler, in charge of the Orthopaedic Service, for the privileges extended me in the use of the cases and for his co-operation and valuable advice.
Atomistic description of coupled thermal-mechanical stresses on a gold/HOPG nanocontact

Abstract Atomistic simulation is used to study the nanoscale contact between gold and graphite at a range of normal loads and temperatures. Simulations show that the size of the contact is affected by both temperature and load. It is found that the simulation contact areas are larger than those predicted by a continuum adhesive contact mechanics model and that the difference between the atomistic and continuum descriptions of the contact is greater at higher temperatures. This origin of this difference is explored in terms of the effects of temperature on the elastic-plastic transition, the adhesive strength of the interface and the elasticity of the materials. A temperature-corrected adhesive contact model is proposed, which partially captures the behavior observed in the simulations. Analyses of the stress within the materials suggest that coupling of temperature and load may also occur, which results in a contact area that differs from that predicted from the summation of independent load and temperature effects.
Rapid Active Power Control of Photovoltaic Systems for Grid Frequency Support

As deployment of power electronic coupled generation such as photovoltaic (PV) systems increases, grid operators have shown increasing interest in calling on inverter-coupled generation to help mitigate frequency contingency events by rapidly surging active power into the grid. When responding to contingency events, the faster the active power is provided, the more effective it may be for arresting the frequency event. This paper proposes a predictive PV inverter control method for very fast and accurate control of active power. This rapid active power control (RAPC) method will increase the effectiveness of various higher-level controls designed to mitigate grid frequency contingency events, including fast power-frequency droop, inertia emulation, and fast frequency response, without the need for energy storage. The RAPC method, coupled with a maximum power point estimation method, is implemented in a prototype PV inverter connected to a PV array. The prototype inverter’s response to various frequency events is experimentally confirmed to be fast (beginning within 2 line cycles and completing within 4.5 line cycles of a severe test event) and accurate (below 2% steady-state error).
Recovery of spectrally overlapping QPSK signals using a nonlinear optoelectronic filter

We demonstrate recovery of a QPSK signal buried 35-dB beneath an interfering and spectrally overlapped QPSK signal. This optoelectronic filter technique requires no a priori knowledge of either signal and opens new directions for communications.
Poisoning of Ni-Based anode for proton conducting SOFC by H 2 S, CO 2 , and H 2 O as fuel contaminants

Abstract It is well known that conventional solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) based on oxide ion conducting electrolyte (e.g., yttria-stabilized zirconia, YSZ) and nickel (Ni) - ceramic cermet anodes are susceptible to poisoning by trace amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) while not significantly impacted by the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) and moisture (H2O) in the fuel stream unless under extreme operating conditions. In comparison, the impacts of H2S, CO2, and H2O on proton-conducting SOFCs remain largely unexplored. This study aims at revealing the poisoning behaviors caused by H2S, CO2, and H2O for proton-conducting SOFCs. Anode-supported proton-conducting SOFCs with BaZe0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3 (BZCYYb) electrolyte and Ni-BZCYYb anode and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) cathode as well as Ni-BZCYYb/BZCYYb/Ni-BZCYYb anode symmetrical cells were subjected to low ppm-level H2S or low percentage-level CO2 or H2O in the hydrogen fuel, and the responses in cell electrochemical behaviors were recorded. The results suggest that, contrary to conventional SOFCs that show sulfur poisoning and CO2 and H2O tolerance, such proton-conducting SOFCs with Ni-BZCYYb cermet anode seem to be poisoned by all three types of "contaminants". Beyond that, the implications of the experimental observations on understanding the fundamental mechanism of anode hydrogen electrochemical oxidation reaction in proton conducting SOFCs are also discussed.
Optimizing Nutrition to Promote Adolescent Bone Health

There are many nutrients that contribute to adolescent bone health. The Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRIs, provide reference values for each of these nutrients to ensure that adolescents meet their needs. To support bone health, adolescents need to consume adequate amounts of protein, without exceeding their needs to avoid upsetting the acid-base balance in the body. Most adolescents need to increase their intakes of calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and, for adolescent females, iron. Fewer adolescents need to increase their intakes of vitamins A and K. Generally speaking, intakes of boron, copper, fluoride, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc are adequate. Other nutritional factors that can negatively impact bone health include binge drinking, caffeinated beverages, carbonated beverages, sodium, and, due to the interference of mineral absorption, dietary fiber. Adolescents with lactose intolerance, a milk allergy, or those who follow a vegan diet may have increased risk of nutritional deficiency if their diet is not well balanced. Assessing the dietary habits and nutrient intake of your patients is important to determine their risk of a possible nutritional deficiency. If their diet is lacking a particular food group, they should receive nutrition education about the nutrients they may be missing and advice on how to increase their intake. If they are unable to increase their intakes from food, a supplement should be recommended. Dietary supplements should be cautiously recommended as there is the potential for an adolescent to exceed the tolerable upper limit of a nutrient.
First Impressions: Drafting Effective Mediation Statements

In civil disputes, mediators often encourage advocates to submit premediation statements. These narratives are meant to educate the mediator on the most pressing factual and legal disputes between the parties before the session. Yet litigators have little guidance on drafting such statements. Unlike many legal documents – pleadings, motions, and settlement agreements – there are no standard templates or specific requirements on their form or substance. Neither law schools nor law firms provide much training on drafting pre-mediation statements, which are considered a fairly niche genre of legal writing. Indeed, mediators themselves, as well as administering organizations, often provide little direction to advocates. Now that mediation has become firmly embedded into our litigation culture, it is time for litigators to embrace some concrete “best practices.” Drawing on new empirical survey data and interviews with experienced mediators, as well as case law and statutes regarding disclosure, this Article proposes guidelines for litigators seeking to draft effective premediation statements that will be most helpful to the mediator, and ultimately, to their clients.
Utilizing deep learning technology to develop a novel CT image marker for categorizing cervical cancer patients at early stage

The purpose of this investigation is to verify the feasibility of using deep learning technology to generate an image marker for accurate stratification of cervical cancer patients. For this purpose, a pre-trained deep residual neural network (i.e. ResNet-50) is used as a fixed feature extractor, which is applied to the previously identified cervical tumors depicted on CT images. The features at average pooling layer of the ResNet-50 are collected as initial feature pool. Then discriminant neighborhood embedding (DNE) algorithm is employed to reduce the feature dimension and create an optimal feature cluster. Next, a k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) regression model uses this cluster as input to generate an evaluation score for predicting patient’s response to the planned treatment. In order to assess this new model, we retrospectively assembled the pre-treatment CT images from a number of 97 locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients. The leave one out cross validation (LOOCV) strategy is adopted to train and optimize this new scheme and the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) is applied for performance evaluation. The result shows that this new model achieves an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.749 ± 0.064, indicating that the deep neural networks enables to identify the most effective tumor characteristics for therapy response prediction. This investigation initially demonstrates the potential of developing a deep learning based image marker to assist oncologists on categorizing cervical cancer patients for precision treatment.
Plasmon Heating Promotes Ligand Reorganization on Single Gold Nanorods

Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy is used to follow dynamic ligand reorganization on the surface of single plasmonic gold nanorods. Fluorescently labeled DNA is attached to gold nanorods via a gold–thiol bond using a low-pH loading method. No fluorescence activity is initially observed from the fluorescent labels on the nanorod surface, which we attribute to a collapsed geometry of DNA on the metal. Upon several minutes of laser illumination, a marked increase in fluorescence activity is observed, suggesting that the ligand shell reorganizes from a collapsed, quenched geometry to an upright, ordered geometry. The ligand reorganization is facilitated by plasmon-mediated photothermal heating, as verified by controls using an external heat source and simulated by coupled optical and heat diffusion modeling. Using super-resolution image reconstruction, we observe spatial variations in which ligand reorganization occurs at the single-particle level. The results suggest the possibility of nonuniform plasm...
The US Government Debt: Consequences, Causes, and Solutions

This article discusses the three major issues of budget deficits and debt—burdens, causes, and solutions-- from the creation of the US federal government. Today federal government spending exceeds 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to the historical average of about 9 percent, fueling debt of historical levels. The only effective way to reduce debt level is to cut entitle programs and then set a tax rate sufficient, over the course of a business cycle, to fund government spending.
Developing PIDF Curves From Dynamically Downscaled WRF Model Fields to Examine Extreme Precipitation Events in Three Eastern U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Extreme precipitation events influence watershed, agriculture, and urban management. The probability of extreme precipitation is estimated for storm water management using precipitation intensity-duration-frequency (PIDF) curves. This study explores developing PIDF curves from dynamically downscaled 36- and 12-km simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Three modeled data sets are examined: 36-km WRF model forced with 2.5° (~275-km) NCEP-DOE AMIP-II Reanalysis (R2); 36-km WRF model forced with 0.75° (~80-km) ERA-Interim; and 12-km WRF model forced with ERA-Interim. The WRF outputs are verified against historical observations for three cities in the Eastern United States using a 23-year period (1988-2010). The 36-km WRF data set driven by R2 produced PIDF curves that were acceptable at the 12- to 24-hr durations, but those WRF data could not realistically simulate extremes represented by the high-intensity, short-duration precipitation events. Increasing the resolution of WRF's driving data from R2 to ERA-Interim did not improve WRF's representation of precipitation events. Using 12-km grid spacing enhances WRF's ability to reproduce PIDF curves developed from observations. Finer grid spacing dramatically improves the frequency and intensity of the 1- to 3-hr events and improves the 6- to 24-hr events. However, improvements with the 12-km WRF data did not apply equally to all study sites, suggesting further modifications to the WRF configuration and/or methodology are necessary. Although imperfect, the results here lend confidence to using modeled data to construct PIDF curves, which could be valuable for projecting changes to parameters used in urban and environmental planning.
Therapeutic approaches targeting Apolipoprotein E function in Alzheimer’s disease

One of the primary genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the presence of the Ɛ4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE). APOE is a polymorphic lipoprotein that is a major cholesterol carrier in the brain. It is also involved in various cellular functions such as neuronal signaling, neuroinflammation and glucose metabolism. Humans predominantly possess three different allelic variants of APOE, termed E2, E3, and E4, with the E3 allele being the most common. The presence of the E4 allele is associated with increased risk of AD whereas E2 reduces the risk. To understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie APOE-related genetic risk, considerable effort has been devoted towards developing cellular and animal models. Data from these models indicate that APOE4 exacerbates amyloid β plaque burden in a dose-dependent manner. and may also enhance tau pathogenesis in an isoform-dependent manner. Other studies have suggested APOE4 increases the risk of AD by mechanisms that are distinct from modulation of Aβ or tau pathology. Further, whether plasma APOE, by influencing systemic metabolic pathways, can also possibly alter CNS function indirectly is not complete;y understood. Collectively, the available studies suggest that APOE may impact multiple signaling pathways and thus investigators have sought therapeutics that would disrupt pathological functions of APOE while preserving or enhancing beneficial functions. This review will highlight some of the therapeutic strategies that are currently being pursued to target APOE4 towards preventing or treating AD and we will discuss additional strategies that holds promise for the future.
27-Plex Tandem Mass Tag Mass Spectrometry for Profiling Brain Proteome in Alzheimer's Disease.

Multiplexed isobaric labeling methods, such as tandem mass tags (TMT), remarkably improve the throughput of quantitative mass spectrometry. Here, we present a 27-plex TMT method coupled with two-di...
What makes hegemonic masculinity so hegemonic? Japanese American men and masculine aspirations

Research on ‘hegemonic masculinity’ needs to more specifically examine its hegemonic properties by analysing how masculine ideals embodied by white men have become pervasive and widely-accepted by ...
How Will I Be Remembered? Reflection on Virtues in Self-Defining Memories Across Adulthood

Reflection on memorialization may differentially influence nomination and narration of self-defining memories across the lifespan, including the extent to which positive character strengths (i.e., virtues) are represented. We investigated characteristics of self-defining memories across adulthood and in the context of being memorialized after death. Young, middle-age, and older adults were randomly assigned to narrate a memorialization-based self-defining memory (a memory to describe you after you are gone; n = 103) or current self-defining memory (a memory to describe your current self; n = 99). Participants rated qualities of their memory (e.g., personal significance) and the extent to which the memory represents them as virtuous (e.g., courageous, empathic, etc.). There were no age or condition differences in personal significance of the memory narrative (p = 0.43). However, there was an age-by-condition interaction for representations of virtue described in the self-defining memory, F(2, 199) = 3.94, p = 0.002. Young adults rated their self-defining memories as more virtuous in the memorialization condition than in the current self condition (p = 0.001). Middle-age (p = 0.95) and older (p = 0.94) adults rated their self-defining memories as portraying similar levels of virtue across conditions. Unlike their middle-age and older counterparts, young adults report embodiment of virtue differently in unique contexts. Findings are discussed in the framework of how individuals’ views of the self as virtuous change in relation to time lived and time left to live.
A Compact High Data Rate 4-FSK HF Transmitter through Direct Antenna Modulation

Achieving high-bandwidth RF performance in electrically small and compact volumes remains a continuous challenge. The difficulty lies in the inability of electrically small antennas to radiate high-bandwidth RF signals efficiently because of their narrow bandwidth performance resulting from their high radiation Q-factors. Consequently, the RF signal is heavily distorted and/or reflected back to the source, while at the same time, the antenna suffers from minimal antenna gain. In this paper, we propose using a capacitively loaded loop antenna (CLLA) that utilizes Direct Antenna Modulation (DAM), enabling radiation of a high-bandwidth high data rate quadrature frequency shift-keyed (4-FSK) signal between 27 MHz and 39 MHz. The CLLA was integrated with two pairs of high figure-of-merit semiconductor transistors, modulating the RF signal to produce 4-FSK. The antenna ( $0.009\lambda\times. 013\lambda$ ) was prototyped and measured, showing a high-data rate 4-FSK transmission of 1.58 Mbps, beyond the inherent narrow bandwidth of the antenna. The design achieves superior high-efficiency bandwidth performance, enabling compact RF communication in electrically small volumes.
UMS-Rep: Unified Modality-Specific Representation for Efficient Medical Image Analysis

Abstract Medical image analysis typically includes several tasks such as enhancement, segmentation, and classification. Traditionally, these tasks are implemented using separate deep learning models for separate tasks, which is not efficient because it involves unnecessary training repetitions, demands greater computational resources, and requires a relatively large amount of labeled data. In this paper, we propose a multi-task training approach for medical image analysis, where individual tasks are fine-tuned simultaneously through relevant knowledge transfer using a unified modality-specific feature representation (UMS-Rep). We explore different fine-tuning strategies to demonstrate the impact of the strategy on the performance of target medical image tasks. We experiment with different visual tasks (e.g., image denoising, segmentation, and classification) to highlight the advantages offered with our approach for two imaging modalities, chest X-ray and Doppler echocardiography. Our results demonstrate that the proposed approach reduces the overall demand for computational resources and improves target task generalization and performance. Specifically, the proposed approach improves accuracy (up to ~ 9% ↑ ) and decreases computational time (up to ~ 86% ↓ ) as compared to the baseline approach. Further, our results prove that the performance of target tasks in medical images is highly influenced by the utilized fine-tuning strategy.
Challenges in Concrete Structures Health Monitoring

Structural health monitoring needs to produce actionable information regarding structural integrity that supports operational and maintenance decision making that is individualized for a given structure and its performance objectives. An effective Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) framework for aging structures (subjected to physical, chemical, environmental, and mechanical degradation) needs to integrate four elements – damage modeling, monitoring, data analytics, and uncertainty quantification. This paper briefly discusses available techniques and ongoing challenges in each of these four elements of PHM, in the context of concrete structures. A Bayesian network approach is discussed for integrating heterogeneous information from multi-physics computational models of degradation processes, full-field measurement techniques, big data analytics, and various data and model uncertainty sources. Such a comprehensive framework can quantitatively support decisions regarding appropriate risk management actions.
DOMESTIC RELATIONS Child Abuse: Require Certain Individuals to Report

The Act adds child-counseling and service organization personnel to the list of individuals required to report child abuse. In addition, if anonymity is reasonably possible, photographs taken pursuant to the Act must not identify the subject.
Full Synthesis Observations of CH3CH2CN in Sagittarius B2: Further Evidence for Grain Chemistry

The first full synthesis mapping of ethyl cyanide, CH3CH2CN, was carried out toward Sgr B2(N-LMH), using the BIMA Array and NRAO 12 m telescope. The CH3CH2CN emission is confined to a region of 0.15 × 0.28 pc in the 2' × 2' mapping field. The coincidence of locations and the similarity in velocity structure between the CH3CH2CN emission, the optically thin ionized gas, and emission from high-density and high-excitation tracers suggest that CH3CH2CN is located in the hot, dense core of the star-forming region in Sgr B2(N-LMH). The emission coincides with 3 mm continuum emission that is dominated by thermal dust emission. The fractional abundance of CH3CH2CN is 10-8 in the Sgr B2(N-LMH) core, at least ~50 times higher than that in Sgr B2(M). The abundance differences support the scenario that abundances of complex/saturated species are greatly enhanced owing to mantle evaporation in young hot molecular cores.
A Near-linear Time Constant Factor Algorithm for Unsplittable Flow Problem on Line with Bag Constraints

Consider a scenario where we need to schedule a set of jobs on a system offering some resource (such as electrical power or communication bandwidth), which we shall refer to as bandwidth. Each job consists of a set (or bag) of job instances. For each job instance, the input specifies the start time, finish time, bandwidth requirement and profit. The bandwidth offered by the system varies at different points of time and is specified as part of the input. A feasible solution is to choose a subset of instances such that at any point of time, the sum of bandwidth requirements of the chosen instances does not exceed the bandwidth available at that point of time, and furthermore, at most one instance is picked from each job. The goal is to find a maximum profit feasible solution. We study this problem under a natural assumption called the no-bottleneck assumption (NBA), wherein the bandwidth requirement of any job instance is at most the minimum bandwidth available. We present a simple, near-linear time constant factor approximation algorithm for this problem, under NBA. When each job consists of only one job instance, the above problem is the same as the well-studied unsplittable flow problem (UFP) on lines. A constant factor approximation algorithm is known for the UFP on line, under NBA. Our result leads to an alternative constant factor approximation algorithm for this problem. Though the approximation ratio achieved by our algorithm is inferior, it is much simpler, deterministic and faster in comparison to the existing algorithms. Our algorithm runs in near-linear time ($O(n*log^2 n)$), whereas the running time of the known algorithms is a high order polynomial. The core idea behind our algorithm is a reduction from the varying bandwidth case to the easier uniform bandwidth case, using a technique that we call slicing.
Seeing Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology through Film

Seeing Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology through Film. Karl G. Heider. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1997. 347 pp.,. videotapes.
The Risk Tolerance and Stock Ownership of Business Owning Households

Data from the 1992-2004 Survey of Consumer Finances were used to examine the risk tolerance and stock ownership of three types of households: those that do not own a business, those that own and manage a business, and those that own but do not manage a business. Non-manager business owners were the most likely to be willing to take risks and to hold stocks. Manager-business owners were more willing to take risk than non-owners but were less likely to own stocks than otherwise similar non-owner households. Research on risk tolerance and stock ownership should consider business ownership to account for differences between the household types.
Food in world history

Providing a comparative and comprehensive study of culinary cultures and consumption throughout the world from ancient times to present day, this book examines the globalization of food and explores the political, social and environmental implications of our changing relationship with food. Including numerous case studies from diverse societies and periods, Food in World History examines and focuses on: how food was used to forge national identities in Latin America the influence of Italian and Chinese Diaspora on the US and Latin America food culture how food was fractured along class lines in the French bourgeois restaurant culture and working class cafes the results of state intervention in food production how the impact of genetic modification and food crises has affected the relationship between consumer and product. This concise and readable survey not only presents a simple history of food and its consumption, but also provides a unique examination of world history itself.
Preliminary investigation on the role of micro-RNAs in IL-10 resistance in mast cells (HYP3P.412)

Mast cells are immune cells that play a critical role in allergic diseases both as effector and immunoregulatory cells. A well understood mast cell activation pathway is the binding of IgE to its high affinity IgE receptor (FcϵRI). Possible regulators of mast cell homeostasis are regulatory cytokines produced by the immune response. We have shown that IL-10 hinders mast cell cytokine production by selectively targeting the Fyn-Stat5/Akt cascade proteins activated downstream of FcϵRI. Interestingly, these effects are altered by genetic background, as cytokine suppression is observed in mast cells from Th1-prone C57BL/6 but not Th2-prone 129/Sv mice. We hypothesize that IL-10 responsiveness is mediated by induction of MicroRNAs (miRNAs), and that a failure to induce these miRNAs results in IL-10 non-responsiveness. miRNAs could potentially be targeting Akt, Stat5B, and Fyn to antagonize cytokine production. We demonstrate that miR-135a-5p expression increases in IL-10-treated BMMC derived from Th1-prone C57BL/6 mice, but not BMMC from Th2-prone 129/Sv mice. Unraveling how mast cell homeostasis is maintained will shed light on the predisposition to numerous inflammatory diseases.
Multi-agent learning via implicit opponent modeling

We present a learning algorithm for two player stochastic games. The algorithm generates optimal deterministic finite automata (DFA) strategies against opponents who can be modeled by probabilistic action automata. The algorithm generates dynamic history trees based on statistical tests to eliminate state aliasing. Experiments are conducted in an iterated prisoner's dilemma environment.
Differing mechanisms of expression for short- and long-term potentiation

Schulz, Paul E. and Jill C. Fitzgibbons. Differing mechanisms of expression for short- and long-term potentiation. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 321–334, 1997. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a use-dependen...
Control logic design with Petri nets for integrated manufacturing systems

The authors present a Petri net approach to designing supervisory control logic (SCL) for integrated manufacturing systems and its application to design of the Laserlite Workstation Control System. Explicit representation of SCL is obtained by using Petri nets. Thus concurrency, choices, and precedence relations can be graphically visualized. Mathematical analysis can be conducted for both qualitative and quantitative properties of the control systems. Inconsistency errors and deadlock situations can be detected. The temporal properties can be derived by incorporating timing information into the net representation if needed. Based on the net representation of the system, control code in C or C++ can be systematically derived. Related control system components and their description using the Manufacturing Information Systems Toolkit for Building Integrated Control Systems are useful in specifying a practical implementation. New schemes can be exploited by modifying the net structure or changing the initial condition. >
Preschool Programs and Later School Competence of Children from Low-Income Families

At follow-up in 1976, low-income children who had attended infant and preschool programs in the 1960's had significantly higher rates of meeting school requirements than did controls, as measured by lower frequency of placement in special education classes and of being retained in grade (held back).
Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide III. The role of oxide layer thickness on the performance of Sn electrode in a full electrochemical cell

A full electrochemical cell was employed to investigate the role of the surface oxide thickness on the activity of Sn-based electrodes for the electrochemical conversion of CO2. The current density showed a negligible dependence on the thickness of the surface SnOx layer of Sn nanoparticles (100 nm), while the selectivity towards the formation of CO and formate exhibited a strong relationship with the initial SnOx thickness. Electrodes with a native SnOx layer of ∼3.5 nm exhibited the highest Faradaic efficiency (64%) towards formate formation at -1.2 V. The Faradaic efficiency towards CO production reached a maximum (35%) for the electrode with an oxide thickness of 7.0 nm, formed by annealing the Sn nanoparticles at 180 °C for 6 hours. The electrodes with a native SnOx layer displayed the highest overall selectivity towards CO2 reduction. The decrease of the selectivity towards CO2 reduction with increasing the thickness of the SnOx layer can be attributed to the enhancement of hydrogen evolution on the Sn clusters with a low-coordination number derived from the reduction of SnOx. The Faradaic efficiency towards hydrogen production was observed to increase with increasing the thickness of the SnOx layer. Our results suggest the importance of the underlying surface structure on the selectivity and activity of the Sn electrode for CO2 reduction and provide an insight into the development of efficient catalysts.
Estrogens increase the number of thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors on mammotropic cells in culture.

The number of plasma membrane receptors for TRH on tumor-derived mammotropic cells in culture, GH.i and GC cells, but not their affinity for TRH, was increased by estrogens. For GH3 cells, exposure to 10 nM 17β-estradiol for 48 h increased the receptor level from 54,000 to 90,000 sites/cell, while for GC cells, the number of receptors increased from 29,000 to 46,000 after 28 h. PRL accumulation in the medium was also increased by 17β-estradiol. 17β-Estradiol and diethylstilbestrol were equally potent in increasing the TRH receptor level, while estrone was only l/10th as potent. Diethylstilbestrol bound to the cytoplasmic estrogen receptor with an apparent affinity approximately 2.5 times higher than 17β-estradiol in GH3 and GC cells, while the affinity for estrone was only 1/12th to 1/20th that of 17β/8-estradiol. Tamoxifen, an antiestrogenic compound, inhibited the increase in TRH receptor number induced by 0.3 nM 17β/8-estradiol and was capable of binding to the estrogen receptor. Modulation of the TRH ...