cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cell-Free Replication of the Hepatitis C Virus Subgenomic Replicon

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) contains a plus-strand RNA genome. The 5′ noncoding region (NCR) of the viral genome functions as an internal ribosome entry site, and its unique 3′ NCR is required for the assembly of the replication complex during initiation of HCV RNA replication. Lohmann et al. (V. Lohmann, F. Korner, J.-O. Koch, U. Herian, L. Theilman, and R. Batenschlager, Science 285:110-113, 1999) developed a subgenomic HCV replicon system, which represents an important tool in studying HCV replication in cultured cells. In this study, we describe a cell-free replication system that utilizes cytoplasmic lysates prepared from Huh-7 cells harboring the HCV subgenomic replicons. These lysates, which contain ribonucleoprotein complexes associated with cellular membranes, were capable of incorporating [α32P]CTP into newly synthesized RNA from subgenomic replicons in vitro. Replicative forms (RFs) and replicative intermediates (RIs) were synthesized from the endogenous HCV RNA templates. Consistent with previous observations, RFs were found to be resistant to RNase A digestion, whereas RIs were sensitive to RNase treatment. The radiolabeled HCV RF-RI complexes contained both minus and plus strands and were specific to the lysates derived from replicon-expressing cells. The availability of a cell-free replication system offers opportunities to probe the mechanism(s) of HCV replication. It also provides a novel assay for potential therapeutic agents.
Trait as default: extraversion, subjective well-being, and the distinction between neutral and positive events.

On the basis of prior work suggesting that trait self-knowledge serves a "fill-in" function when event-specific information is missing (M.D. Robinson & G. L. Clore, 2002a), we sought to demonstrate that extraversion is a more reliable predictor of subjective well-being (SWB) judgments among certain individuals than among others. Four studies involving a total of 260 participants revealed that the extraversion-SWB relation was relatively weaker among those quick to appreciate the distinction between neutral and positive events in a choice reaction-time task; by contrast, it was stronger among those slow to recognize this distinction. The findings suggest that extraversion scales measure (among other things) beliefs about SWB that differentially contribute to judgments among those less capable of making evaluative distinctions at encoding.
Multi-core processors: A new way forward and challenges

Continuous effort to achieve higher performance without driving up the power consumption and thermal effects has led the researchers to look for alternative architectures for microprocessors. Like the parallel processing which is extensively used in today's all microprocessors, multi-core architecture which combines several independent microprocessor cores in a single die has currently become very popular in most high performance intergrated circuits. Although multi-core processor offers excellent instruction execution speed with reduced power consumption, optimizing performance of individual processors and then incorporating them by interconnection on a single chip is a non-trivial task. This paper investigates the leading challenges associated with current high performance multi-core processor in terms of interfacing different cores, design automation and verification, software adaptability.
A study of the nonorthogonal FDTD method versus the conventional FDTD technique for computing resonant frequencies of cylindrical cavities

The nonorthogonal finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) technique is used to compute the resonant frequencies of dielectric-filled cylindrical cavities. Because the method is based on the nonorthogonal coordinate system, it is not restricted to specific geometries, e.g. rectangular or axially symmetric geometries, and is suitable for analyzing cavities of arbitrary shape. The advantages of this technique over the conventional FDTD algorithm with a staircase grid are shown in a convergence study, where the two methods are used to compute the dominant resonant frequency of a cylindrical cavity. The accuracy of the technique for calculating the resonant frequencies of the first few modes is demonstrated by comparing the results obtained with this technique with those derived by using two versions of the finite element method in the frequency domain. >
Foreground segmentation with sudden illumination changes using a shading model and a Gaussianity test

In this paper, we propose a simple method for foreground segmentation based on a “Gaussianity test” and a shading model. The proposed method works under a hierarchical framework that combines a block based and a pixel based processing. The first step is a block-level classification based on the intensity differences and intensity ratios of a background model and the current frame. We then use pixel-wise adaptive background subtraction on the foreground classified blocks to obtain the foreground mask. We test our proposed method on several sequences with indoor scenes with extreme sudden illumination changes, and outdoor scenes under strong sunlight, waving tree leaves, and walking pedestrians. The method is shown to be robust to extreme sudden illumination changes and the presence of relatively small scene clutter motion (e.g. waving tree branches and leaves).
Parentage analyses in ant colonies using simple sequence repeat loci

In ants of the genus Myrmica, female progeny may be the offspring of one to several different queens. In addition, both workers and queens are capable of producing haploid male offspring. Even in such complex colonies, parentage can be assigned on the basis of genotypic variation at highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat loci. Methods are described for isolating and screening dinucleotide repeat loci in ants. Three independent loci, Myrt2, Myrt3 and Myrt4, show expected heterozygosities of 0.94, 0.92 and 0.95, respectively. When used in parallel these loci should be sufficient to establish parentage in the vast majority of screened colonies. An initial screening indicates that males are produced by workers in the subalpine ant Myrmica ‘near tahoensis’.
Systems engineering approach to maintainability optimization with case studies on ion implanters and sputtering tools

Systems engineering methods can be applied to almost any engineering task, this paper outlines the approach adopted to optimize maintenance activities in a wafer fab environment with applications on ion implanters and sputtering tools. The trade-off was to design an effective maintenance system keeping in mind the production requirements. The analysis phase identified areas of improvements in preventive maintenance (PM) scheduling, corrective maintenance (CM) control and reporting, logistic support management and equipment maintainability. All those tasks have been included in the work breakdown structure (WBS) and implemented. The results were a strong increase in equipment availability in the implanter's case and a reduction on failure rate for sputters. Future developments will consider the introduction of expert systems to help personnel in diagnoses and machine status control.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Combination strategies for repair, plasticity, and regeneration using regulation of gene expression during the chronic phase after spinal cord injury

Although recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) is rare in humans, recent literature indicates that some patients do recover sensorimotor function years after the trauma. This study seeks to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of SCI repair through the investigation of neurodegenerative and regenerative associated genes involved in the response to SCI during the chronic phase in adult rats. Intervention on the level of gene regulation focused on enhancing naturally attempting SCI regenerative genes has the potential to promote SCI repair. Our aim was to analyze gene expression characteristics of candidate genes involved in the neuro-degenerative and -regenerative processes following various animal models of SCI. We compiled data showing gene expression changes after SCI in adult rats and created a chronological time-line of candidate genes differentially expressed during the chronic phase of SCI. Compiled data showed that SCI induced a transient upregulation of endogenous neuro-regenerative genes not only within a few hours but also within a few days, weeks, and months after SCI. For example, gene controlling growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and others, showed significant changes in mRNA accumulation in SCI animals, from 48 hours to 12 weeks after SCI. Similarly, inhibitory genes, such as RhoA, LINGO-1, and others, were upregulated as late as 4 to 14 days after injury. This indicates that gene specific regulation changes, corresponding to repair and regenerative attempts, are naturally orchestrated over time after injury. These delayed changes after SCI give ample time for therapeutic gene modulation through upregulation or silencing of specific genes responsible for the synthesis of the corresponding biogenic proteins. By following the examination of differential gene regulation during the chronic phase, we have determined times, successions, co-activations, interferences, and dosages for potential therapeutic synchronized interventions. Finally, local cellular specificities and their neuropathophysiologies have been taken into account in the elaboration of the combination treatment strategy we propose. The interventions we propose suggest the delivery of exogenous therapeutic agents to upregulate or downregulate chosen genes or the expression of the downstream proteins to revert the post-traumatic stage of SCI during the chronic phase. The proposed combination and schedule of local cell-specific treatment should enhance intrinsic regenerative machinery and provide a promising strategy for treating patients sustaining chronic SCI.
Meeting Minutes as a Rhetorical Genre: Discrepancies Between Professional Writing Textbooks and Workplace Practice Tutorial

Unlike experienced collaborators, student teams often attempt to collaborate without effective documentation of meetings. This tendency may be exacerbated by professional writing textbooks, which rarely mention minutes in their chapters on collaboration and provide ineffective examples of meeting minutes that follow a parliamentary style of minutes rather than the action-oriented style that is the norm in most workplace settings. Interviews with three engineering managers are supported by published research in professional communication to show how meeting minutes are essential to projecting a team forward by solidifying consensus and holding individuals accountable for actions. A short exercise designed to teach students how effective minutes function as a management tool is presented along with observational evidence of the exercise's effect on student team practices in both professional writing and computer science team projects
Evidence for Strain Broadening in the ESR Absorption Spectrum of Tetragonally Distorted Cr3+ Ions in MgO

An anisotropic line broadening has been observed in the ESR absorption spectrum of Cr3+ ions located at tetragonally distorted sites of single-crystal MgO. For an impurity ion whose tetragonal distortion is along a crystal [100] direction. a sin2φ dependence is observed in the linewidth when the Zeeman field is rotated in the plane perpendicular to this direction. The broadening is interpreted by introducing strain induced terms in the conventional spin-Hamiltonian, where it is assumed that the strain-coupled coefficients are the same as those measured for Cr3+ at the cubic sites of MgO. This formalism is consistent with both the angular dependence that is observed in the linewidth and the order of magnitude of the line broadening after correcting for contributions from other mechanisms such as variations in the crystalline electric field parameter D. Analysis of the linewidth data gives C44 α/g β = (2.13 ± 0.2) Oe and ΔD/g β = (1.3 ± 0.3) Oe, where a is the parameter that characterizes the distribution of strains within the crystal. Es wird eine anisotrope Linienverbreiterung im ESR-Absorptionsspektrum von Cr3+ Jonen auf tetragonal verzerrten Platzen in MgO-Einkristallen beobachtet. Fur ein Storion, dessen tetragonale Verzerrung in einer [ 100]-Kristallrichtung liegt, wird eine sin2φ-Abhangigkeit in der Linienbreite beobachtet, wenn das Zeemanfeld in einer Ebene senkrecht zudieser Richtung rotiert. Die Verbreiterung wird mit der Einfuhrung spannungsinduzierter Terme im konventionellen Spin-Hamiltonoperator erklart, wobei angenommen wird, das die spannungsgekoppelten Koeffizienten dieselben sind wie die, die fur Cr3+ auf kubischtm Platzen in MgO gemessen werden. Dieser Formslismus stimmt sowohl mit der in der Linienbreite beobachteten Winkelabhangigkeit als auch mit der Grosenordnung der Linienverbreiterung nach Berucksichtignng des Beitrags anderer Mechanismen, wie der Anderungen des elektrischen Kristallfeldparameters D, uberein. Eine Analyse der Linienbreitenwerte ergibt C44 a/g β = (2,13 ± 0,2) Oe und ΔD/g β = (1,3 ± 0,3) Oe, wobei a der Parameter ist, der die Verteilung der Spannungen im Iiristall charakterisiert.
Chromosome movement during meiotic prophase in crane‐fly spermatocytes. I. Observations on living cells and the effects of cyanide and cold treatment

Meiotic prophase in spermatocytes of the crane fly, Nephrotoma suturalis, involves both the condensation and the movement of bivalent chromosomes. Since crane flies have only four bivalents that appear highly condensed during late prophase, changes of position and orientation of those bivalents relative to one another can be seen easily in living cells. Chromosome movement during the final 1 to 2 hr of diakinesis was analyzed in detail. Maximal velocities of prophase movements were between 0.1 and 1 μM/min. Metakinetic movements during prometaphase have similar velocities. To assess the physiological basis of prophase movements, experiments employing cyanide and cold treatment were performed. Prophase movements were abolished completely by cyanide, and, for the most part, the velocities of chromosomes in the cold at 2°C and 6°C were less than that of untreated cells at 22°C. The results suggest that prophase movements are energy dependent and may involve an enzyme-catalyzed process occurring in close association with the nuclear envelope.
Low-Power Embedded LDPC-H.264 Joint Decoding Architecture Based on Unequal Error Protection

This paper presents a low-power embedded LDPC-H.264 decoding architecture to lower the baseband energy consumption of a channel decoder using joint source decoding and dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS). This method is developed for H.264 layered (data partitioned) video transmission over Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codec. We exploit the fact that not all transmitted data require the same level of error protection; this is known as unequal error protection (UEP). In particular, we use variable iteration LDPC decoding along with H.264 data partitioning (DP). In this scheme, we determine and use the lowest values of iterations that are needed by the decoder to achieve pre-specified image qualities at the receiver, and apply DVFS to minimize power.
Effects of Magnetic Collective Modes in the Tunneling Spectra of High-Tc Superconductors

High-energy spin collective modes are often observed in inelastic neutron scattering experiments for high-temperature superconductors. Motivated by the recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observation of the "checkerboard" pattern in the tunneling conductance in superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, we study the effects of these high-energy dynamic spin collective modes on the local density of states (LDOS). Unlike other scenarios recently proposed, we do not assume the pinning of the collective mode. The exchange coupling between the superconducting electrons and the collective modes produces high energy peaks in the LDOS. The spatial dependence of the LDOS at high resonant energy suggests a possible detection of resonant magnetic mode with the STM.
Orotic Aciduria in the Female Rat and Its Relation to Dietary Arginine

Metabolic abnormalities in arginine deficient female rats are similar to those previously observed in males. Increased excretion of orotic acid and citric acid was observed in both immature and mature arginine deficient female rats. Although urea excretion was unchanged in the immature females, it was depressed in mature females fed the arginine deficient diet. Arginine deficiency depressed urinary ammonia indepen dently of age, weight and feed consumption. Nonpregnant rats showed significantly reduced quantities of citrate in their urine if their purified 12% casein diet was supplemented with 1.0% arginine. Urinary urea, citric acid, and orotic acid increased during gestation when a 12% casein basal diet was fed. Addition of 1.0% arginine abolished the increase in urinary excretion of citrate. Arginine supplementation also reduced orotic acid excretion during late gestation (days 16 to 18) and early lactation. Mean body weight gains exclusive of fetuses and placental tissue during gestation were 37 g for rats fed 1% arginine and 2 g for those fed the unsupplemented casein basal diet. Nonpregnant rats fed the casein diet showed considerable daily variation in urinary metabolites with arginine supplementation causing only a reduction in urinary citrate. Urine ob tained without respect to age, parity or nutritional history contained higher concentrations of orotic acid from pregnant women than from nonpregnant women and the concentrations increased with duration of pregnancy. J. Nutr. 108: 1281-1288, 1978.
Whole body imaging of internal biological sources of light

The study of molecular and cellular processes in the body can be facilitated by incorporation of weak bioluminescent sources of light in to cells. External detection of these signals requires sensitive low light imaging systems that are well suited for imaging of small laboratory animals.
Sleepiness and human behavior.

The 24-hour properties of sleepiness affect behavior by reducing performance and increasing the likelihood of accidents. This is important to pulmonary physicians who diagnose and treat sleep apnea, because diagnoses of sleep apnea and narcolepsy are associated with as much as a sevenfold increase in the risk of having a motor vehicle accident. Human abilities throughout the 24-hour day have noticeable ups and downs and are probably causally linked to the same control mechanisms that produce the early morning and midafternoon peaks in the tendency to fall asleep. An important characteristic of this pattern is that increased sleep tendency, regardless of how the increase comes about, does not alter the timing of the peaks. In California, and perhaps other states, current laws can be interpreted as requiring clinicians to report all patients with conditions such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy to the county health officer. Although this policy is at variance with recommendations of the American Thoracic Society, attorneys have advised that, in California, a policy of uniformly reporting all patients with disorders of excessive somnolence is proper. Because ignorance of the law is not a valid defense, it is important for physicians to be aware of all state laws relevant to their patients who may be impaired by sleepiness. Language: en
The Why and How of High-Value Prescribing.

Adopting high-value prescribing strategies can help family physicians increase the quality of care, decrease costs, and fulfill our professional obligation to provide health care that is based on the wise and cost-effective management of limited clinical resources.
Academy of Management European Travel—Study Seminar June 10—July 7, 1972

The article highlights the European study seminar of the Academy of Management on June 10 to July 7, 1972. Twenty-one professors, ten family members and one corporate president visited industrial, ...
Abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport.

The use of stimulants such as amphetamine, cocaine, strychnine, and ephedrine in modern sport to improve focus and delay fatigue was reported in the early 1900's. In response to the death of a Danish cyclist at the 1960 Olympics, the death of a UK cyclist at the Tour de France, and other evidenc
Oleic Acid in Colony Development of C. Diphtheriae

SummaryOne of the 2 (or more) factors concerned with colony development, (growth from small inocula) of C. diphtheriae appears to be oleic acid. The maximal effect is obtained with about 1 mg in 15 cc of basic medium. The other factor, present in the serum of certain species, in milk, and in commercial casein, is being further investigated.
Electron Tunneling Pathways and Role of Adenine in Repair of Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimer by DNA Photolyase

Electron tunneling pathways in enzymes are critical to their catalytic efficiency. Through electron tunneling, photolyase, a photoenzyme, splits UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer into two normal bases. Here, we report our systematic characterization and analyses of photoinitiated three electron transfer processes and cyclobutane ring splitting by following the entire dynamical evolution during enzymatic repair with femtosecond resolution. We observed the complete dynamics of the reactants, all intermediates and final products, and determined their reaction time scales. Using (deoxy)uracil and thymine as dimer substrates, we unambiguously determined the electron tunneling pathways for the forward electron transfer to initiate repair and for the final electron return to restore the active cofactor and complete the catalytic photocycle. Significantly, we found that the adenine moiety of the unusual bent flavin cofactor is essential to mediating all electron-transfer dynamics through a superexchange mec...
On the extravascular pool of low-density lipoprotein in rat liver.

Summary 1. The mass of the extravascular pool of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in liver was measured in rats injected intravenously with radioiodinated LDL by determining the radio' active iodine remaining in the extravascular tissues of liver and in plasma when the hepatic intravascular and extravascular radioactive iodine had equilibrated (equilibrium-time method). 2. The mass of the extravascular pool of LDL in the liver was about 6% of the total intravascular pool. Total extravascular pool of LDL in eight rats, obtained by multicompartmental analysis of the time-curve of disappearance of radioiodinated LDL from blood plasma, was 43 k 15% (mean k SD) of the intravascular pool. 3. Hence the hepatic extravascular pool comprises only about 14% of the total extravascular pool of LDL in the rat.
Expression of P21~(WAF-1) and cyclinD1 in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma tissues

Objective To investigate the expression of P21~(WAF-1) and cyclinD1 in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) tissues and the relationship which exists between P21 expression and clinicopathologic features.Methods To examine the expression level of P21 and cyclinD1 in 80 ESCC specimens and 80 normal esophagus tissues specimens by immunohistochemistry.Results P21 and cyclinD1 were overexpressed in ESCC specimens sections,the expression of P21 were closely correlated with both tumor differentiation and TNM stages.We also found little expression of P21 in normal esophagus tissues.Conclusions P21 and cyclinD1participate the accommodation of cell growth cycle,can be considered as a potential index to pretest the prognosis of ESCC.
Minority Microbiologists and ASM

Congratulations on Marion Johnson-Thompson's excellent article “Contribution of African-American Scientists to ASM” in the February issue of Microbe (p. 82). The emergence of minority microbiologists, from Wilton Taylor and Gerald Stokes to Clifford Houston, the first African-American President of ASM, occurred only during the last 30% of the history of SAB/ASM. As Marion Johnson-Thompson so rightly points out, “Times have changed and environments are more supportive of the presence of blacks in the discipline of microbiology and in ASM.”
An Exploratory Investigation of the Ecologically Conscious Consumer’s Efforts to Control Water Contamination: Lawn Care and the Use of Nitrogen Fertilizers and Pesticides

The study investigates the relationship between environmental attitudes and behavioral responses. Preceded by factor analysis, correlation and regression procedures were used to analyze data from a survey of nonusers of commercial lawn care services. The study found that the respondent’s opinions about the nation’s more serious environmental issues (EI), specific lawn care issues (LCC), and conscious environmental initiatives (EC) were significant (p<.01; p<.0001) but weak predictors of ecologically conscious consumer behavior (EA). Further, efforts to control lawn runoffs (CLR), a specific ecologically conscious consumer behavior, was found to be significantly related (p<.0001) to select attitudinal constructs. The results indicate that the two ecological consumer behaviors (i.e., EA and CLR) are not predicted well by the attitudinal variables. Future research recommendations are presented.
First-person Hyperlapse Videos

We present a method for converting first-person videos, for example, captured with a helmet camera during activities such as rock climbing or bicycling, into hyper-lapse videos, i.e., timelapse videos with a smoothly moving camera. At high speed-up rates, simple frame sub-sampling coupled with existing video stabilization methods does not work, because the erratic camera shake present in first-person videos is amplified by the speed-up. Our algorithm first reconstructs the 3D input camera path as well as dense, per-frame proxy geometries. We then optimize a novel camera path for the output video that passes near the input cameras while ensuring that the virtual camera looks in directions that can be rendered well from the input. Finally, we generate the novel smoothed, timelapse video by rendering, stitching, and blending appropriately selected source frames for each output frame. We present a number of results for challenging videos that cannot be processed using traditional techniques.
Regular Cycles of Forward and Backward Signal Propagation in Prefrontal Cortex and in Consciousness.

This paper addresses two fundamental questions: (1) Is it possible to develop mathematical neural network models which can explain and replicate the way in which higher-order capabilities like intelligence, consciousness, optimization and prediction emerge from the process of learning ?; and (2) How can we use and test such models in a practical way, to track, to analyze and to model high-frequency ( 500 hertz) many-channel data from recording the brain, just as econometrics sometimes uses models grounded in the theory of efficient markets to track real-world time-series data ? This paper first reviews some of the prior work addressing question (1), and then reports new work performed in MATLAB analyzing spike-sorted and burst-sorted data on the prefrontal cortex from the Buzsaki lab which is consistent with a regular clock cycle of about 153.4 milliseconds and with regular alternation between a forward pass of network calculations and a backwards pass, as in the general form of the backpropagation algorithm which one of us first developed in the period 1968-1974. In business and finance, it is well known that adjustments for cycles of the year are essential to accurate prediction of time-series data; in a similar way, methods for identifying and using regular clock cycles offer large new opportunities in neural time-series analysis. This paper demonstrates a few initial footprints on the large “continent” of this type of neural time-series analysis, and discusses a few of the many further possibilities opened up by this new approach to “decoding” the neural code. Three new general MATLAB functions and eight new numerical measures are discussed.
Depletion of high-content CD14+ cells from apheresis products is critical for successful transduction and expansion of CAR T cells during large-scale cGMP manufacturing.

With the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of four CD19- and one BCMA-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy for B cell malignancies, CAR T cell therapy has finally reached the status of a medicinal product. The successful manufacturing of autologous CAR T cell products is a key requirement for this promising treatment modality. By analyzing the composition of 214 apheresis products from 210 subjects across eight disease indications, we found that high CD14+ cell content poses a challenge for manufacturing CAR T cells, especially in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma caused by the non-specific phagocytosis of the magnetic beads used to activate CD3+ T cells. We demonstrated that monocyte depletion via rapid plastic surface adhesion significantly reduces the CD14+ monocyte content in the apheresis products and simultaneously boosts the CD3+ content. We established a 40% CD14+ threshold for the stratification of apheresis products across nine clinical trials and demonstrated the effectiveness of this procedure by comparing manufacturing runs in two phase 1 clinical trials. Our study suggests that CD14+ content should be monitored in apheresis products, and that the manufacturing of CAR T cells should incorporate a step that lessens the CD14+ cell content in apheresis products containing more than 40% to maximize the production success.
Investigation of the Reliability of AFM Nanoindentation-Derived Measurements of Cell Mechanics

Introduction: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an experimental technique for measuring the mechanical properties of cells and other soft materials. Despite its widespread adoption as a biophysical assay, no universal standards have been adopted for the technique. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and repeatability of AFM-derived cell stiffness measurements. Materials and Methods: A) Experiments: A series of experiments were conducted on ASPC-1 cells to compare the following conditions: conical vs.
A POMDP approach for active collision detection via networked sensors

In recent years, urban mobility demand has become highly variable over time challenging the sustainability of transportation networks of major cities. At the same time, various types of incidents such as accidents, construction zone closures and weather hazards exacerbate the already congested transportation network. Timely detection of such events can offer an unprecedented opportunity to mitigate the consequences. In this paper, a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) framework is proposed for continuous active collision detection in a road segment equipped with spatially distributed speed sensors of variable accuracy. To this end, measurement selection strategies are designed that can quickly estimate the existence of a collision by appropriately selecting which sensors to query and when. A Kalman-like filter is used for estimation purposes. The efficacy of the proposed framework is shown on real data collected on the 405 freeway in the Los Angeles County.
Molecular subtyping of colon cancers and distinct prognostic groups [NCCTG N0147 (Alliance)].

3512 Background: Categorization of colon cancers (CCs) into subtypes based upon pathways of tumorigenesis may improve prognostication. CCs were studied from a randomized trial of adjuvant FOLFOX ± ...
Information and Communication Technologies and the Digital Divide in Africa: A Review of the Periodical Literature, 2000-2012

The digital revolution has transformed much of the global economy. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a key role in this revolution. However, not everyone has equal access to these technologies. This gap exists on multiple levels, whether between individuals, small segments within a population, countries, or global regions. The term used to refer to this inequality is the digital divide. This bibliography focuses on recent literature written to describe the digital divide on the African continent.
The Performance of the PHQ-2 and the Examination of Risks Associated With Postdeployment Depression in Air Force Medical Service Personnel

This study assessed the performance of the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) in identifying postdeployment depressive disorders in a cohort of Air Force Medical Services personnel (N = 18...
Depression among Inpatients with Low Back Pain: Patient Characteristics and Outcomes (P1.212)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between depression and chronic low back and the effects it has on inpatient hospital stay. Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common and expensive health conditions in the United States and depression is a frequent comorbidity among individuals with LBP [1]. Drawing from a large database of patients hospitalized with LBP, the current study provides a preliminary comparison of patients with and without depression in terms of key demographic, treatment, and cost variables. Design/Methods: Analysis of National Inpatient Sample data (2003–2013) showed a total of 159,329 patients discharged with primary diagnosis of LBP, ICD-9 Code 724.2. Patients with depression were identified using Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria. We compared age, length of stay (LOS) and total hospital charges between patients with and without depression, as well as association between depression and patient race, sex, and discharge/disposition status. Results: Analyses revealed that 15.3% of the sample met criteria for depression. Depression was associated with younger age (mean age: 58.51 vs. 60.93 years), female gender (72.3% vs. 60.3%), longer LOS (3.71 vs 3.36 days), higher hospital charges ($20,866 vs $19,439), Caucasian race, and disposition other than home self-care (see Table 1; all p’s Conclusions: Results support that depression is a significant comorbidity among patients with LBP. Current findings point to gender and race disparities in terms of depression and LBP, and indicated that depression is associated with increased length of stay, higher cost to patient, and disposition other than home care. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate the impact of depression on inpatients with low back pain. Disclosure: Dr. Schlitz Fortenberry has nothing to disclose. Dr. gupta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Trost has nothing to disclose.
Alternating ring-opening metathesis polymerization copolymers containing charge-transfer units

Alternating copolymers derived from the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of functionalized cyclobutene esters (CBEs) and cyclohexenes (CHs) are described. The copolymer poly(CBE-alt-CH)n contains alternating side chains based on dialkoxynaphthalene (DAN) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PDI). Characterization by UV–vis spectroscopy showed that the copolymers exhibit an increase in charge-transfer intensity in comparison to previously reported alternating copolymers. The bulky side chains inhibit backbiting during the polymerization and allow for enhanced control over the polymerization in comparison to copolymers functionalized with linear alkyl groups.
Colombia: una guerra contra los civiles

Hace varios anos Colombia experimenta fenomenos de violencia de singular complejidad, al ritmo de mas de 22.000 muertes por ano1 . La violencia ha afectado tanto al colombiano comun, como a las principales estructuras del pais. Sin embargo, Colombia no es la «zona de caos» descrita por observadores sensacionalistas2 . Es claro que el pais se ha debilitado por la violencia endemica, la deficiencia del sistema judicial y una crisis economica sin precedente desde los anos 1930. Pero el Estado no se ha derrumbado, y Colombia puede preciarse de regirse por principios o valores democraticos, tal como lo demuestra la importante participacion popular en las elecciones presidenciales de 1998, pese al intento de boicot de las guerrillas y a las amenazas de los paramilitares. Es en este contexto donde hay que situar la extension del conflicto armado interno entre las guerrillas, los grupos paramilitares y las fuerzas estatales. Desde finales de los anos 1970, el conflicto armado que aqui nos interesa se ha intensificado hasta dominar ampliamente el panorama general de la violencia en el pais
Surface integral computation for the higher order surface integral equation method of moments

This paper presents extraction technique applied to the double higher order surface integral equation method of moments and discusses the numerical results compared with previously implemented extraction method and numerical Gauss-Legendre integration.
Reversible cardiac dysfunction in long-standing hypertension may be global variant of stress cardiomyopathy

An adult man with long-standing poorly controlled cardiac risk factors presented with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Echocardiogram, cardiac MRI and catheterisation suggested idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, severe systolic dysfunction, ejection fraction 25% with global left ventricular (LV) dilation and apical thrombus. He responded well to diuretics and gradual uptitration of lisinopril and carvedilol. Follow-up echocardiogram in 2 months demonstrated complete recovery of systolic function, normalisation of LV size and shape with severe LV hypertrophy. This presentation is potentially a global variant of stress cardiomyopathy with recovery of LV function, highlighting the importance of appropriate imaging, catheterisation and clinical monitoring in patients with ADHF.
Naturally Occurring Cembranes

The first studies which established the structures of members of the new group of diterpenes known as cembranes appeared in 1962 when Dauben, Thiessen, and Resnick (1), and Kobayashi and Akiyoshi (2) simultaneously published the structure of the hydrocarbon cembrene (1) from pine oleoresins, and Rowland and Roberts (3) published the structure of two diastereomeric cembrenediols from tobacco. Since that time, many more members of this new class of diterpenes have been discovered. Those originating in terrestrial plants have been encountered primarily in pines and tobacco. More recently, growing numbers of cembranoids have been found in the coelenterate phylum of lower marine invertebrates.
Toward the integration of exploration and modeling in a planning framework

Statistical operations are often facilitated by other operations. We can facilitate modeling operations by testing their input for irregularities and removing problems wherever possible. A planning representation is well-suited to this task. We describe the representation used in Igor, a system for exploratory data analysis, and its integration with two modeling systems, Pearl's IC and Cohen's FBD. We show that introducing outliers into the inputs of the algorithms can influence their performance. We demonstrate that a planning representation offers a flexible way of integrating outlier detection and removal into the modeling process, taking account of specific characteristics of the modeling operations involved.
From Oblivion to Memory: A Blueprint for the Amnesty

This Review Essay examines Mark Freeman’s thoughtful book, Necessary Evils: Amnesties and the Search for Justice. One of the book’s core arguments is that amnesties from criminal prosecution, however unpalatable to liberal legalist sensibilities, should not be entirely purged from the toolbox of post-conflict transitions. Although advancing this argument, Freeman also struggles with it, and ultimately builds a very restrained and heavily technocratic defense of the amnesty. This Review Essay weighs this argument, among others, on its own terms and also within the context of recent events that post-date the book’s publication. The result is a vibrant exposition of the limits of law, and the limits of politics, in transcending episodes of massive human rights violations.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ORAL IRON SUPPLEMENTATION AND RETINAL OR SUBRETINAL HEMORRHAGE IN THE COMPARISON OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION TREATMENT TRIALS.

Purpose:Because patients often take iron supplements without medical indication, and iron can accumulate in vascular endothelial cells, the authors evaluated the association of oral iron supplementation with retinal/subretinal hemorrhage in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
The Duty to Work

Most advanced industrial societies are ‘work-centered,’ according high value and prestige to work. Indeed, belief in an interpersonal moral duty to work is encoded in both popular attitudes toward work and in policies such as ‘workfare’. Here I argue that despite the intuitive appeal of reciprocity or fair play as the moral basis for a duty to work, the vast majority of individuals in advanced industrialized societies have no such duty to work. For current economic conditions, labor markets, and government policies entail that the conditions for a reciprocity-based argument to apply to most workers are not usually met. More specifically, many workers fail to provide valuable goods through working or their working does not result in net social benefit. Concurrently, many workers do not receive adequate benefits from working in that they neither have their basic needs met or do not even enjoy an improvement in welfare thanks to working. Hence, workers neither provide nor receive the benefits needed for a reciprocity-based duty to work to apply to them. Furthermore, these conditions are conditions over which workers themselves have very little control. Most workers therefore could not fulfill their ostensible duty to work even if they made conscientious efforts to do so. In most cases, a person who fails to work morally wrongs no one, and in the case of any particular individual or worker, the defeasible presumption ought to be that she has no duty to work.
Psychological Considerations in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background In recent decades, advances in transplantation medicine, and improved posttransplant care have reduced morbidity and mortality from hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCTs). However, patients undergoing HSCT report a high prevalence of psychological distress, which can negatively impact recovery, function, and health outcomes, including mortality and higher risk of graft vs. host disease. Appropriate assessment and management of these psychological symptoms lead to better engagement with treatment and a variety of superior health outcomes. Objective We provide a narrative review of the psychological challenges that accompany HSCT and suggest management approaches to equip psychiatric consultants involved in the care of this patient population. Methods We reviewed published work in PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus electronic databases on the common psychological challenges in HSCT, their vulnerability factors, as well as practical interventions for managing these challenges. Results We outline the phases of the HSCT hospitalization and discuss common psychological challenges, such as depression, delirium, and post-traumatic stress reactions that accompany HSCT. We suggest an approach to psychiatric consults during the HSCT hospitalization and discuss practical interventions for managing psychological challenges in this population. Conclusions Though pharmacological and behavioral interventions have been successfully used to treat psychosocial challenges in HSCT, further research is needed to understand the optimal psychiatric assessment tools, treatment strategies, and the long-term psychiatric care needed to address psychiatric comorbidities in this growing patient population.
Station Blackout Transients

The term “station blackout” refers to the complete loss of alternating current (AC) electrical power to the essential and nonessential switchgear buses in a nuclear power plant. Station blackout, therefore, involves the loss of offsite power concurrent with the failure of the onsite emergency AC power system. Because many safety systems required for reactor core decay heat removal and containment heat removal are dependent on AC power, the consequences of station blackout could be severe.
$q,t$-Catalan Numbers and Generators for the Radical Ideal defining the Diagonal Locus of $({\mathbb C}^2)^n$

Let $I$ be the ideal generated by alternating polynomials in two sets of $n$ variables. Haiman proved that the $q,t$-Catalan number is the Hilbert series of the bi-graded vector space $M(=\bigoplus_{d_1,d_2}M_{d_1,d_2})$ spanned by a minimal set of generators for $I$. In this paper we give simple upper bounds on $\text{dim }M_{d_1, d_2}$ in terms of number of partitions, and find all bi-degrees $(d_1,d_2)$ such that $\dim M_{d_1, d_2}$ achieve the upper bounds. For such bi-degrees, we also find explicit bases for $M_{d_1, d_2}$.
Safety and Security Integrated SIL Evaluation Using the NFR Approach

The paper addresses the issue of evaluating Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) from the perspective of concerns related jointly to safety and security. We apply the Non-Functional Requirements (NFR) approach, which relies on evaluation of both safety and security at the architectural level. Used in two case studies on industrial automation systems, the results show that the method yields reasonable results, no weaker than other methods of SIL evaluation, such as risk graphs, and can be used for both SIL determination and verification.
Lessons learned from animal models: adverse effects of electronic cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes have a signature of harm in the lung that challenges the concept that switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes is a healthier alternativehttp://bit.ly/2Z3Ahdu
Border Pedagogy in the New Latinx South.

This conceptual article considers the potential of a pedagogy of border thinking in the New Latinx South. The authors extend border thinking by applying it to new gateway regions in the southeast a...
LEGITIMATING INTERNET.ORG THROUGH DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE

This paper examines Mark Zuckerberg’s socio-technical optimistic imaginary of a connectivity of the entire world, focusing on Facebook’s Internet.org initiative. His vision of a connected world can be described as what Jasanoff and Kim (2015) call “sociotechnical imaginary,” which are not limited to nations, or heads of states, but can be conjured by corporations, social movements, and professional societies. The paper examines 50 short promotional videos, first-person narrated by individuals in their target countries. The themes found in the videos map to development discourse: female empowerment, education, entrepreneurship, and natural disaster relief. This paper argues that by merging Internet.org with connectivity, and connectivity with progress, Facebook utilizes the promotional aesthetic and narrative devices usually used by the development sector to position its initiative as a crucial step toward poverty alleviation and economic development.
Connecting Solute Diffusion to Morphology in Triblock Copolymer Membranes

Block copolymers self-assemble into a variety of morphologies that can serve as templates for preparing conductive or porous materials such as batteries and membranes. These morphologies can be eit...
Synthesis of a Research Program in Precision Poultry Environmental Control Using Biotelemetry

This chapter highlights significant milestones achieved by the author’s research program towards using biotelemetry to build precision poultry environmental controllers that respond directly and in real time to the needs of the birds. The discussion is presented in three sections: The first section focuses on biotelemetry and its use to monitor poultry deep body temperature (DBT) responses to various environmental conditions, the second section deals with DBT modeling efforts to date, and the third section presents results of the first poultry environmental controller prototype which responds to poultry DBT responses in real time.