cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online multi-dimensional regression analysis on concept-drifting data streams

Stream data is generated continuously in a dynamic environment, with huge volume and fast changing behaviour. In order to perform regression on data streams, it is required to incrementally reconstruct the regression model as new stream data flows in. However, due to the tremendous data volume, it is impossible to scan the entire data stream multiple times to re-compute the regression model parameters. Therefore, one-scan algorithms are required for such streaming applications. In this paper, we investigate online multi-dimensional regression analysis of concept-drifting data streams, and present two algorithms, approximate stream regression (ASR) and ensemble stream regression (ESR). ASR approach dynamically re-computes the regression function parameters, considering not only the data records of the current window, but also a synopsis of the previous data. ESR approach trains an ensemble of regression models from sequential chunks of the data stream, and then computes the weighted average of their predictions. Experiments show that the proposed methods are not only efficient in time and space but also able to generate better fitted regression functions compared to the existing stream regression algorithms such as sliding window regression and incremental stream regression.
Storage of spheroplasts at −70°C for transfection with φX174 RFDNA

A method was developed for preparation of spheroplasts used for transfection with phi X174 RF DNA. This method had a high-level competence and retained the competence for up to one year of storage in 7% DMSO at -70 degrees C.
A study of cytotoxic synergy of UCN-01 and flavopiridol in syngeneic pair of cell lines.

Flavopiridol and UCN-01 are two novel protein kinase inhibitors with diverse cellular effects that may complement each other with regards to induction of apoptosis. HeLa cells engineered to overexpress human survivin (HeLa-S) were at least ∼4.8-fold resistant to UCN-01 relative to proliferation observed in control HeLa cells (HeLa-V). Flavopiridol cytotoxicity as measured using the MTT assay was unaffected in HeLa-S cells when compared with HeLa-V cells. Similarly, simultaneous treatment of HeLa-V cells with flavopiridol and UCN-01 for 72 hours did not result in synergistic inhibition of proliferation; however, in HeLa-S cells, this combination resulted in synergistic inhibition of cell proliferation. Flavopiridol and UCN-01 augmented apoptosis in HeLa-S cells (as compared with HeLa-V cells) as measured by caspase-3 cellular activity assay, DNA fragmentation and PARP cleavage by western blot. In HeLa-V and -S cells, combination treatment resulted in caspase-8 cleavage. Caspase-9 was expressed in HeLa-V cells; however, there was a marked reduction of caspase-9 content in HeLa-S cells only. Combination treatment resulted in a significant reduction in survivin abundance in HeLa-S and SKBR3-UR cells, but not in their respective parental lines. The synergy of Flavopiridol and UCN-01 are selectively toxic to survivin-overexpressing cell lines and the mechanism of toxicity involves caspase-dependent cell death.
Selective binding of fluorescein mercuric acetate to yeast alcohol dehydrogenase.

Abstract Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase is rapidly inactivated by low concentrations of fluorescein mercuric acetate. This inactivation is accompanied by disaggregation of the enzyme to smaller molecular weight fragments. Incubation of the enzyme with a concentration of fluorescein mercuric acetate representing 3 moles of the mercurial per enzyme active site results in 85% inactivation of the enzyme within 2 minutes at 0–4 °. After extensive dialysis of the inactivated enzyme, 2 moles of the mercurial per enzyme active site remain tightly bound to the enzyme. The binding of 2 moles of fluorescein mercuric acetate per enzyme active site was also demonstrated through spectrophotometric and fluorescence quenching techniques. Inactivation of the enzyme by this mercurial is partially reversed by the addition of cysteine. Prior inactivation of the enzyme by iodoacetic acid or iodoacetamide previously shown to block one sulfhydryl group per active site results in a modified enzyme which, on titration, will accept only 1 mole of fluorescein mercuric acetate per enzyme active site.
THE OBSCURE HISTORY OF A UBIQUITOUS PIGMENT: PHOSPHORESCENT LITHOPONE AND ITS APPEARANCE ON DRAWINGS BY JOHN LA FARGE

AbstractThis article discusses the discovery of phosphorescent lithopone on watercolor drawings by American artist John La Farge dated between 1890 and 1905 and the history of lithopone in the pigment industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite having many desirable qualities for use in white watercolor or oil paints, the development of lithopone as an artists’ pigment was hampered by its tendency to darken in sunlight. Its availability to, and adoption by, artists remain unclear, as colormen's trade catalogs were generally not explicit in describing white pigments as containing lithopone. Further, lithopone may be mistaken for lead white during visual examination and its short-lived phosphorescence can be easily missed by the uninformed observer. Phosphorescent lithopone has been documented on only one other work-to-date: a watercolor by Van Gogh. In addition to the history of lithopone's manufacture, the article details the mechanism for its phosphorescence and its identification aided b...
Changes in the velocity centroid of SiO maser emission

The v = 1, J = 1-0 silicon monoxide maser emission from 85 stars was resurveyed in 2005 and 2006. The emission from these stars had previously been measured in 1979 and/or 1983. For the detected stars the velocity centroids were determined and compared with the previous values. If supergiant stars, known binary stars, and S Virginis were removed from the data set, 76 sources remained. Seven of these sources were not of sufficient flux density to be claimed as detections. The mean difference in the velocity centroids of the remaining sources was 0.065 km s-1, and the standard deviation was 2.00 km s -1. It is important to determine the standard deviation of SiO maser time variations in order to identify the level of the time variability of the sources, possible binary stars, unusual emission patterns, or perhaps planets. The velocity centroid of S Virginis differed by 13.5 km s-1 from its 1983 value. This difference indicates that S Virginis is probably part of a multiple-star system. A naive analysis of the present data combined with earlier published observations indicates a revolution period of 14.8 yr.
Effect of a low-protein diet on doxorubicin pharmacokinetics in the rabbit.

Malnutrition involving protein deficiency, which commonly occurs in cancer patients receiving anthracycline treatment, is considered to be a risk factor for the development of cardiotoxicity. Protein deficiency has been shown to impair the metabolism of drugs such as theophylline and acetaminophen. If protein deficiency also impairs anthracycline metabolism, it could explain at least in part the enchanced anthracycline toxicity associated with malnutrition. We tested this idea by determining the effect of a low- protein, isocaloric diet on doxorubicin pharmacokinetics in rabbits. The animals were randomized into two groups for 8–12 weeks. Rabbits in group 1 received a low-protein (5%), isocaloric diet, whereas those in group 2 received a normal-protein (15%) diet. Both groups (group 1,n=15; group 2,n=14) were given 5 mg/kg doxorubicin by i.v. bolus. After doxorubicin injection, blood samples were obtained over the next 52 h for the measurement of doxorubicin and doxorubicinol plasma concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorometric detection. The low-protein diet significantly decreased doxorubicin clearance (48±3 vs 59±4 ml min−1 kg−1;P<0.05), prolonged the terminal climination half-life (28±2 vs 22±2 h;P<0.05), and increased the area under the plasma concentration/time curve extrapolated to infinity (1722±122 vs 1405±71 ng h ml−1;P<0.05) as compared with the values determined for rabbits fed the standard rabbit chow (15% protein). The volume of distribution for doxorubicin was not altered by the low-protein diet. In addition, in rabbits fed the the low-portein diet, the terminal elimination half-life of the alcohol metabolite, doxorubicinol was prolonged (52±5 vs 40±2 h;P<0.05). Thus, a low-protein diet causes a reduction in the ability of rabbits to eliminate doxorubicin and possibly its alcohol metabolite doxorubicinol. If a similar alteration in anthracycline pharmacokinetics occurs in malnourished cancer patients, this phenomenon may contribute to their increased risk of developing cardiotoxicity associated with anthracycline therapy.
The hardness of the closest vector problem with preprocessing

We give a new simple proof of the NP-hardness of the closest vector problem. In addition to being much simpler than all previously known proofs, the new proof yields new interesting results about the complexity of the closest vector problem with preprocessing. This is a variant of the closest vector problem in which the lattice is specified in advance, and can be preprocessed for an arbitrarily long amount of time before the target vector is revealed. We show that there are lattices for which the closest vector problem remains hard, regardless of the amount of preprocessing.
Taxonomic Review of Cotingacola (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from the Cotingas (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species

The genus Cotingacola currently contains 14 species and subspecies described by Carriker. A careful examination of these reveals only 6 valid taxa with 8 names placed as junior synonyms. These new synonymies are Cotingacola rupicolae colombiana, C. latigastra, C. temporalis and C. longicrucis, synonyms of C. rupicolae; C. foramina, C. graciligastra and C. tityra, synonyms of C. tergalis; C. acuticeps, a synonym of C. dimorpha. Two new species are described from Peruvian material: C. stotzi (type host: Querula purpurata) and C. fitzpatricki (type host: Lipaugus subalaris). A key is provided for identification of the 8 species.
The dynamic character of the polar solar wind

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph C2 and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) COR2A coronagraph images, when analyzed using correlation tracking techniques, show a surprising result in places ordinarily thought of as quiet solar wind above the poles in coronal hole regions. Instead of the static well-ordered flow and gradual acceleration normally expected, coronagraph images show outflow in polar coronal holes consisting of a mixture of intermittent slow and fast patches of material. We compare measurements of this highly variable solar wind from C2 and COR2A images and show that both coronagraphs measure essentially the same structures. Measurements of the mean velocity as a function of height of these structures are compared with mass flux determinations of the solar wind outflow in the large polar coronal hole regions and give similar results.
A novel metatranscriptomic approach to identify gene expression dynamics during extracellular electron transfer

Microbial respiration via extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a ubiquitous reaction that occurs throughout anoxic environments and is a driving force behind global biogeochemical cycling of metals. Here we identify specific EET-active microbes and genes in a diverse biofilm using an innovative approach to analyse the dynamic community-wide response to changing EET rates. We find that the most significant gene expression responses to applied EET stimuli occur in only two microbial groups, Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfuromonadales. Metagenomic analyses reveal high coverage draft genomes of these abundant and active microbes. Our metatranscriptomic results show known and unknown genes that are highly responsive to EET stimuli and associated with our identified draft genomes. This new approach yields a comprehensive image of functional microbes and genes related to EET activity in a diverse community, representing the next step towards unravelling complex microbial roles within a community and how microbes adapt to specific environmental stimuli.
Afrocentricity as an Alternative World View for Equality

An official goal of the social work profession is that of equality for all. However, social work's ability to achieve this goal is hampered by the Eurocentric world view, wherein reality is structured to emphasize fragmentation, conflict, and domination, which foster inequality. A better philosophical ''fit'' for social work is the Afrocentric world view. Its view of reality that underscores interdependency, collectivity, and spirituality places it in an excellent position to promote equality. Social workers are encouraged to apply the Afrocentric paradigm to transform social work from a profession primarily concerned with direct practice to a social movement of equality and justice.
Aspects of Knowledge and Belief-Based Programming

It has long been recognized that many distributed problems can be analyzed in terms of how agents act based on what they know about the system they are in. To make this intuition formal, Fagin, Halpern, Moses, and Vardi [25, 26] proposed a theory of programs for multi-agent systems in which preconditions of actions are formulas in a logic of knowledge. Knowledge-based programs have been successfully applied to a number of fundamental problems. This dissertation aims at further investigating the role of knowledge-based programs in the study of distributed systems. We focus first on a general problem in distributed settings: given a function f whose value depends on the whole network N, the goal is for every agent to eventually compute the value f(N). We call this problem global function computation. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the problem to be solvable and provide a knowledge-based program that solves the global function computation problem whenever possible. The program guarantees a certain level of optimality by having agents send messages only when they believe it is necessary to do so, and allows for systems in which agents are anonymous. Second, we consider the synthesis of knowledge-based programs. In general, to produce a program guaranteed to satisfy a given specification, one can try to synthesize it from a formal proof that a computation satisfying that specification exists. We build on a technique proposed by Bickford and Constable [11, 12] for extracting message automata from specifications of multi-agent systems to show how knowledge-based message automata can be synthesized using a proof development system such as Nuprl [19]. Third, we consider the problem of ensuring secrecy in a multi-agent system by disallowing unwanted flows of information. We discuss knowledge-based formulations of information-flow properties, with a focus on the basic security predicates in the Modular Assembly Kit proposed by Mantel [62].
Effect of biofumigation with volatiles from Muscodor albus on the viability of Tilletia spp. teliospores.

Volatile organic compounds produced by the fungus Muscodor albus inhibit or kill numerous fungi. The effect of these volatiles was tested on dormant and physiologically active teliospores of the sm...
Pulmonary-specific expression of tumor necrosis factor-α alters surfactant lipid metabolism

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α is a major cytokine implicated in inducing acute and chronic lung injury, conditions associated with surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) deficiency. Acutely, TNF-α...
Comparison of linewidth enhancement factor between p-doped and undoped quantum-dot lasers

The optical linewidth enhancement factor (LEF) of a p-doped quantum-dot (QD) laser is measured below threshold and compared with a theoretical calculation. The optical gain, refractive index, and LEF are well matched with our theoretical model when the thermal effect is isolated by an additional pulse current measurement of the LEF. We also theoretically calculate the LEF of an undoped QD Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot (FP) laser assuming that the structure of the undoped FP QD laser is the same as that of the p-doped QD FP laser except the p-type doping. The changes in modal gain and refractive index due to the respective QD ground and excited states are calculated. Based on the theoretical results, we show that the LEF of the p-doped QD laser is smaller than that of the undoped QD laser due to the reduced transparency carrier density.
Causal Analysis in Population Research: An Economist's Perspective

The problem of determining cause and effect is one of the oldest questions in the social sciences. This note provides a perspective on the analysis of causal relationships in population research, drawing upon recent discussions in the field of economics. Within economics, thinking about causal estimation has shifted markedly in the last decade toward a more pessimistic reading of what is possible and a retreat in the ambitiousness of claims of causal determination. The framework that underlies this conclusion is presented, methods for isolating causal effects are discussed, and an example from the field of population research is given.
Solar space heating with air and liquid systems

Seasonal and annual performance data are available on only a limited number of the several thousand solar space heating systems now in operation. The emerging information indicates that most of the heat required in buildings can be supplied by solar energy delivered from flat-plate collectors and stored overnight in tanks of water and bins of rock pebbles. Numerous mechanical and operational problems, mainly in liquid collection and storage systems, demand attention. Annual costs of solar heating equipment and its installation usually exceed current values of energy savings, but fuel prices are expected to escalate at rates which often favour solar purchase today. Detailed performance data on several types of solar heating and cooling systems in buildings of identical design are presented, compared and interpreted. Maintenance and repair requirements are noted and contrasted, and forecasts of use in various applications are presented.
How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Drawdown

* Investment management firms routinely hire and fire employees based on the performance of their portfolios.* Such performance is evaluated through popular metrics that assume IID Normal returns, like Sharpe ratio, Sortino ratio, Treynor ratio, Information ratio, etc.* Investment returns are far from IID Normal.* Conclusion 1: Firms evaluating performance through Sharpe ratio are firing up to three times more skillful managers than originally targeted. This is very costly to firms and investors, and is a direct consequence of wrongly assuming that returns are IID Normal.* Conclusion 2: An accurate performance evaluation methodology is worth a substantial portion of the fees paid to hedge funds. There is a 20% loss of the drawdown for every false positive. For a large firm, this amounts to tens of millions of dollars lost annually, as a result of wrongly assuming that returns are IID Normal.
Propofol for office oral and maxillofacial anesthesia: the case against low-dose ketamine.

R t v c a h m e p n t i o t t K p t he recent hiatus in the use of Brevital (methohexital) as made other general anesthetic agents more poplar. Doctors who had used Brevital for years were orced to change their anesthetic techniques. Propool and low-dose ketamine moved to the top of the list or oral and maxillofacial surgery offices. How does one choose which anesthetic to use? irst one must know what qualities make an ideal nesthetic. The ideal anesthetic agent has a rapid nset, short duration of action, high clearance rate, imited cardiorespiratory effects, and no active metablites. I prefer one that is easy to use, safe with few ide-effects, and which has a fast onset and a quick ecovery. Propofol is as close to the perfect anesthetic gent as I have seen. Ketamine, on the other hand, has everal problems associated with it.
Functional Expression of the Human hZIP2 Zinc Transporter

Zinc is an essential nutrient for humans, yet we know little about how this metal ion is taken up by mammalian cells. In this report, we describe the characterization of hZip2, a human zinc transporter identified by its similarity to zinc transporters recently characterized in fungi and plants. hZip2 is a member of the ZIP family of eukaryotic metal ion transporters that includes two other human genes, hZIP1 and hZIP3, and genes in mice and rats. To test whether hZip2 is a zinc transporter, we examined (65)Zn uptake activity in transfected K562 erythroleukemia cells expressing hZip2 from the CMV promoter. hZip2-expressing cells accumulated more zinc than control cells because of an increased initial zinc uptake rate. This activity was time-, temperature-, and concentration-dependent and saturable with an apparent K(m) of 3 microM. hZip2 zinc uptake activity was inhibited by several other transition metals, suggesting that this protein may transport other substrates as well. hZip2 activity was not energy-dependent, nor did it require K(+) or Na(+) gradients. Zinc uptake by hZip2 was stimulated by HCO(3)(-) treatment, suggesting a Zn(2+)-HCO(3)(-) cotransport mechanism. Finally, hZip2 was exclusively localized in the plasma membrane. These results indicate that hZip2 is a zinc transporter, and its identification provides one of the first molecular tools to study zinc uptake in mammalian cells.
Reliability of Structures and Structural Systems

The safety and reliability of structures and structural systems are examined within the context of several physically plausible assumptions. Some fundamental results are derived to clarify the consequences of various assumptions pertaining to a system and its components on the reliability of a structure. Among these results are: (1) The risk function of a structure is shown to be a monotonically decreasing function of the number of loads sustained; thus, assuming a constant risk equal to the probability of failure to the first load leads to a safe estimate of the true reliability; (2) recognizing that the member forces in a structural system are always perfectly correlated, the reliability of a structural system is bounded above by the reliability computed on the assumption of perfectly correlated member strengths, and bounded below by the reliability computed on the assumption of statistically independent member strengths; and (3) the reliability computed on the usual assumption that the failure of members are statistically independent events invariably leads to an extremely conservative estimate of the true system reliability. As far as the survival of the original system is concerned, the treatment of statically indeterminate systems is the same as that of determinate systems.
Horizontal, Vertical, and Conglomerate Mergers

The immediate and most dramatic way for a company to expand its size and influence market structure is to purchase another company. Historical examples abound. In the late 1800s, Standard Oil Company gained a 90% share of the petroleum market by purchasing more than 120 competitors. In the 1960s, ITT (International Telephone and Telegraph) became a diversified corporation by acquiring 52 domestic and 55 foreign companies, including such well-known businesses as Avis Rent-a-Car, Continental Baking (Wonder Bread), Hartford Insurance, and Sheraton Hotels. By 1968, ITT had become the 11th largest corporation in the USA. The recent financial crisis has forced a number of very large acquisitions. The largest of these occurred in 2008, with Bank of America purchasing Merrill Lynch, a provider of insurance and financial services, for $50 billion and Wells Fargo Bank purchasing Wachovia Bank for $15.1 billion.
Infections in Patients with Acute Leukemia

Patients with acute leukemia are at increased risk of developing infections both as a result of the leukemia and its treatment. Neutropenia is the primary risk factor associated with the development of infection, with the severity and frequency of infection increasing as the absolute neutrophil count drops below 500 cells/mm3, as initially described by Bodey and colleagues. Other risk factors may be present including impaired cellular or humoral immunity, breakdown of normal barriers such as the skin and mucosal surfaces, and vascular access catheters and other foreign medical devices. Multiple risk factors are often present in the same patient. Additionally, the frequent use of antimicrobial agents for various indications (prophylaxis, empiric therapy, pre-emptive administration, specific or targeted therapy, and occasionally maintenance or suppressive therapy) has an impact on the nature and spectrum of infections, with the emergence/selection of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms being of particular concern. Bacterial infections tend to occur early on in a neutropenic episode, with fungal infections being uncommon at this stage. If neutropenia persists, the risk for fungal infections increases. There are periodic changes in the epidemiology/spectrum of infection in patients with leukemia. It is important to conduct periodic epidemiologic and susceptibility/resistance surveys, especially at institutions dealing with large numbers of such patients, in order to detect these shifts and changes in susceptibility/resistance patterns, since empiric therapy is largely based on this information. Such surveys are conducted every 3–5 years at our institution.
An Empirical Study of Software Piracy and Moral Intensity among University Students

Software piracy, an unethical and illegal behavior, is pervading today's society. In a few recent studies, some scholars have argued that to decrease software piracy, it is more important to raise the level of moral intensity regarding software piracy than establishing a reward - punishment structure for following institutional compliance. In this study, authors developed a survey questionnaire and administered to about 800 undergraduate and graduate business students from two Midwestern state universities, to study the relationship between the level of moral intensity and eleven demographic variables. The results obtained were mixed. The most interesting results that were obtained are that moral intensity of software piracy is not affected by the use of computer, experience with computers or task orientation. The propensity toward moral intensity is affected by general demographic variables.
Accelerated MRI for the assessment of cardiac function

Heart disease is a worldwide public health problem; assessment of cardiac function is an important part of the diagnosis and management of heart disease. MRI of the heart can provide clinically useful information on cardiac function, although it is still not routinely used in clinical practice, in part because of limited imaging speed. New accelerated methods for performing cardiovascular MRI (CMR) have the potential to provide both increased imaging speed and robustness to CMR, as well as access to increased functional information. In this review, we will briefly discuss the main methods currently employed to accelerate CMR methods, such as parallel imaging, k-t undersampling and compressed sensing, as well as new approaches that extend the idea of compressed sensing and exploit sparsity to provide richer information of potential use in clinical practice.
Indications for and usefulness of scalene node biopsy today

近年様々な診断法の進歩によって斜角筋前リンパ節生検の適応とされる症例は減っており, 今日ではわずかにサルコイドーシスの確定診断および肺癌の病期判定にその意義を残しているにすぎない.われわれは今日での本生検の有用性を探るために, 画像診断・気管支鏡検査で肺野および気管支に病変が認められず, 肺門・縦隔リンパ節腫大のように縦隔病変のみが認められた症例で, さらに体表リンパ節を触知しなかった症例を本生検の対象とし, 本生検の意義を考察した.14例中11例 (78.6%) において臨床上意義のある診断を可能にした.内下方では内頚静脈の内側から静脈角のレベル, 外上方では副神経の周囲レベルの脂肪組織内に陽性リンパ節が多かったことより, 同レベルまでの十分な検索が陽性率を向上させる要点であると考える.適応を十分に選び, 解剖学的にしっかりとした生検が行われるならぽ, 今日でもなお意義のある検査法であると言える.
Help Your Athletes Heal Themselves

Diagnosing an injury is often easy compared to getting patients to follow your treatment plan. Here are a few compliance tricks of your trade.
Updates in behavioural and psychosocial literature in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Purpose of reviewAdolescence is a well known, high-risk time period for all youth, and in patients with type 1 diabetes, glycemic control is at its worst. This manuscript will review updates in adolescent diabetes literature between February 2014 and February 2015. The article will highlight new res
Effect of the group II metabotropic glutamate agonist, 2R,4R-APDC, varies with age, layer, and visual experience in the visual cortex.

Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR 2/3) are distributed differentially across the layers of cat visual cortex, and this distribution varies with age. At 3–4 wk, mGluR 2/3 receptor imm...
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate releases intracellular Ca2+ in permeabilized chick atria.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and caffeine evoked transient, reversible, and concentration-dependent increases in tension in saponin-treated chick atrial muscle. Contractures evoked by IP3 and...
Quantum Chemistry of in situ Retinal: Study of the Spectral Properties and Dark Adaptation of Bacteriorhodopsin

A combination of molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry techniques have been employed to study the electronic excitation and conformational potential surface of retinal in the binding site of bacteriorhodopsin (bR). The CASSCF(6,9)/6–31G level of “ab initio” calculations (within Gaussian92) has been used for the treatment of both the ground (SO) and excited (S1) states of retinal. Charges of all atoms in the protein are represented by spherical Gaussians and explicitly included in the electronic Hamiltonian of retinal. Spectral properties have been analyzed for the native bR pigment as well as for its D85N mutant. The calculated relative shift in the absorption maxima between the two pigments is in better agreement with experiment than the computed absolute parameters of the absorption line shapes. The dark adaptation processes in bacteriorhodopsin (which involves rotation around the 13–14 and the 15-N retinal double bonds) has been modelled by following the pre-defined reaction coordinate. Our simulations support the notion that the isomerization process is catalyzed by the protonation of an aspartic acid (Asp85) side group of bacteriorhodopsin.
Magnetic‐Nanoparticle‐Based Immunoassays‐on‐Chip: Materials Synthesis, Surface Functionalization, and Cancer Cell Screening

The unique properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), coupled with versatile surface engineering techniques, have led to a rising class of screening methods that enable separation of specific cell populations from complex biological samples. The growing sophistication and efficiency of these methods have far reaching implications for both fundamental research and clinical applications. In this study, the synthesis and surface engineering of MNPs is reviewed. Here, a model is introduced to illustrate how MNP morphology and particle–particle interactions influence magnetization, which is a key consideration in designing and selecting MNPs for efficient cell separations. Building upon these themes, immunomagnetic assays for capturing, isolating, and characterizing rare cell types from complex biological mixtures are reviewed. Although the focus of this study is on circulating tumor cells, these same techniques can be applied in screening for other rare cells of interest, such as various stem cell populations. In conclusion, current challenges and future directions for magnetic -nanomaterial-based cell screening systems are discussed.
Tumor-Associated Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the induction, characteristics, and the effector mechanisms of the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). It reviews the evidence demonstrating how their suppressive activity promotes tumor progression, and explores some of the strategies developed to eliminate this heterogeneous population of detrimental cells. The MDSCs have potent immunosuppressive activity and inhibit both the adaptive and innate immunity by preventing the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, by reducing the number of mature dendritic cells (DCs), by suppressing the natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, and by skewing the immunity towards a type 2 phenotype—that is compatible with cancer. MDSCs mediate their suppressive activity mainly through multiple mechanisms, including the production of arginase and inducible nitric oxide synthase, the promotion of tumor angiogenesis, and the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs). The tumor-secreted factors such as—the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and a few proinflammatory mediators—induce the accumulation and retention of the MDSCs.
Decentralized Feedback Controllers for Robust Stabilization of Periodic Orbits of Hybrid Systems: Application to Bipedal Walking

This paper presents a systematic algorithm to design time-invariant decentralized feedback controllers to exponentially and robustly stabilize periodic orbits for hybrid dynamical systems against possible uncertainties in discrete-time phases. The algorithm assumes a family of parameterized and decentralized nonlinear controllers to co-ordinate interconnected hybrid subsystems based on a common phasing variable. The exponential and $\mathcal {H}_{2}$ robust stabilization problems of periodic orbits are translated into an iterative sequence of optimization problems involving bilinear and linear matrix inequalities. By investigating the properties of the Poincare map, some sufficient conditions for the convergence of the iterative algorithm are presented. The power of the algorithm is finally demonstrated through designing a set of robust stabilizing local nonlinear controllers for walking of an underactuated 3-D autonomous bipedal robot with nine degrees of freedom, impact model uncertainties, and a decentralization scheme motivated by amputee locomotion with a transpelvic prosthetic leg.
Content-based modeling of reciprocal relationships using Hawkes and Gaussian processes

There has been growing interest in inferring implicit social structures using interaction data. This approach is motivated by the fact that entities organize themselves into groups having frequent interactions between each other. Unlike previous approaches that focused on subjectively declared relationships, the idea is to exploit the actual evidence at hand to reach conclusions about group formations, resulting in more objective data-driven inferences. To this end, [5] have employed Hawkes processes, and proposed a Hawkes IRM model to infer social structures from interaction data. A major factor that encourages the use of Hawkes processes is the capability to model reciprocity in the interaction between social entities. However, reciprocation is dynamically conditioned upon two key factors: the significance of each message sent by the sender, and the receptivity to each message received by the receiver. In the model proposed by [5], reciprocity is not affected by either of these factors, since the content of each message is not taken into account. In this paper, we extend the work of [5] by introducing Gaussian processes (GPs) into the Hawkes IRM model: based on the content of each message, GPs are used to model the message significance as well as receptivity. This allows us to more accurately capture the interactions among entities. The application of GPs also allows us to flexibly model the rates of reciprocal activities between two entities, allowing asymmetry in reciprocity to be captured more accurately. This leads to better cluster detection capability. Our model outperforms previous Hawkes and Poisson process-based models at predicting verbal, email, and citation activities.
Multi-Source Sensing and Analysis for Machine-Array Condition Monitoring

Early detection of damage in machines can eliminate the expenses and safety hazards associated with failure. Current methods use distributed systems to monitor individual machines, but the associated costs of instrumentation, data acquisition hardware, and facility retrofits are high. A centralized, remote, multi-source monitoring system would increase both the cost efficiency and ease of user operation. This study investigates how data from multiple sensing streams can best be utilized for decision making processes and to what extent a remote, centralized instrumentation package can effectively monitor multiple machines. An array of duct fans was used in this study to represent an arbitrary set of systems from which data can be collected and fused. Data was acquired using multiple measurement types (vibrations, acoustics, current, voltage, RF) using a centralized instrumentation system. The voltage and current were measured from the single supply used to power the fan array. The remaining sensors, including an accelerometer, microphone, and antenna, were placed in a single, central location among the array of fans. Data analysis focused on determining whether separate, nominally identical machines could be uniquely identified and characterized from measurements. Spectral analysis and signature development were used to characterize the state of each machine. These methods can be implemented in other applications involving the fusion of data from several sources to obtain information about the identification, location, and characterization of one or more dynamic systems.
Composite Contacts in Microsystems: Fabrication of Metal-Nanostructured Titania Nanocomposites

Integrated micrometer scale interpenetrating Au-Nanostructured TiO2 (NST) network nanocomposites have been fabricated using a two step process. First, NST pad arrays were prepared by reacting Ti surfaces, patterned with an SiO2 masking layer, with aqueous H2O2. NST formed is porous with pores 50 to 200 nm in diameter and walls about 75 to 125 nm thick. Second, Au was infiltrated into pores of NST using electroless deposition to form the nanocomposite. SEM studies indicate that Au was deposited into pores of NST with little void formation. Selective deposition of Au on NST pads was confirmed using XRD and area-mode XPS. This process is a general route to forming micrometer-scale nanocomposite features consisting of NST and metals that are amenable to electroless deposition.
Educating Informatics Experts from Developing Countries: A Curriculum

Abstract Present informatics curricula in universities provide training for specialistsin informatics who find positions in the government, universities or industriesof highly industrialized nations. We argue that such curricula are incompletewhen it is a question of forming informatics experts for developing countries. We present a detailed suggested curriculum which does not water down the requirements of an available computer science diploma, but complements it to form an inform-atician who will be an asset to a developing country.
Dynamic design of green stormwater infrastructure

This paper compares ongoing research results on hydrologic performance to common design and crediting criteria, and recommends a change in direction from a static to a dynamic perspective to fully credit the performance of green infrastructure. Examples used in this article are primarily stormwater control measures built for research on the campus of Villanova University [1,2]. Evidence is presented demonstrating that the common practice of crediting water volume based on soil and surface storage underestimates the performance potential, and suggests that the profession move to a more dynamic approach that incorporates exfiltration and evapotranspiration. The framework for a dynamic approach is discussed, with a view to broaden our design focus by including climate, configuration and the soil surroundings. The substance of this work was presented as a keynote speech at the 2016 international Low Impact Development Conference in Beijing China [3].
Parallel Direct Solution of the Ensemble Square Root Kalman Filter Equations with Observation Principal Components

AbstractThe ensemble square root Kalman filter (ESRF) is a variant of the ensemble Kalman filter used with deterministic observations that includes a matrix square root to account for the uncertainty of the unperturbed ensemble observations. Because of the difficulties in solving this equation, a serial approach is often used where observations are assimilated sequentially one after another. As previously demonstrated, in implementations to date the serial approach for the ESRF is suboptimal when used in conjunction with covariance localization, as the Schur product used in the localization does not commute with assimilation. In this work, a new algorithm is presented for the direct solution of the ESRF equations based on finding the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a sparse, square, and symmetric positive semidefinite matrix with dimensions of the number of observations to be assimilated. This is amenable to direct computation using dedicated, massively parallel, and mature libraries. These libraries make...
Intersectional Marginalities in Rural Teacher Preparation: Teaching Beyond “What I Am Able to See Visibly”

From the context of the rural inland Northwest, this chapter addresses ways for teacher educators to instruct pre-service teachers on the intersectionality of race and poverty in order to understand its implications for K-12 student achievement. An examination of the links between poverty, race and school achievement challenges the common association of the rural inland Northwest with Whiteness and homogeneity. The author presents the concept of diverse ruralities as a conduit to engage future teachers in “seeing” intersectional inequities in society and schools, and proposes that the work of teacher preparation prioritize equity as the center piece for preparing future teachers to serve all students.
Exploring Curricular and Cocurricular Effects on Civic Engagement at Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions:

Background/ContextHispanic-Serving Institution (HSIs), or those postsecondary institutions that meet the 25% Latina/o enrollment requirement to become federally designated as HSIs, are burgeoning i...
Volcanism at 1.45 Ma within the Yellowstone Volcanic Field, United States

Abstract Rhyolitic volcanism in the Yellowstone Volcanic Field has spanned over two million years and consisted of both explosive caldera-forming eruptions and smaller effusive flows and domes. Effusive eruptions have been documented preceding and following caldera-forming eruptions, however the temporal and petrogenetic relationships of these magmas to the caldera-forming eruptions are relatively unknown. Here we present new 40Ar/39Ar dates for four small-volume eruptions located on the western rim of the second-cycle caldera, the source of the 1.300 ± 0.001 Ma Mesa Falls Tuff. We supplement our new eruption ages with whole rock major and trace element chemistry, Pb isotopic ratios of feldspar, and paleomagnetic and rock magnetic analyses. Eruption ages for the effusive Green Canyon Flow (1.299 ± 0.002 Ma) and Moonshine Mountain Dome (1.302 ± 0.003 Ma) are in close temporal proximity to the eruption age of the Mesa Falls Tuff. In contrast, our results indicate a period of volcanism at ca 1.45 Ma within the Yellowstone Volcanic Field, including the eruption of the Bishop Mountain Flow (1.458 ± 0.002 Ma) and Tuff of Lyle Spring (1.450 ± 0.003 Ma). These high-silica rhyolites are chemically and isotopically distinct from the Mesa Falls Tuff and related 1.3 Ma effusive eruptions. The 40Ar/39Ar data from the Tuff of Lyle Spring demonstrate significant antecrystic inheritance, prevalent within the upper welded ash-flow tuff matrix, and minimal within individual pumice. Antecrysts are up to 20 kyr older than the eruption, with subpopulations of grains occurring every few thousand years. We interpret these results as an indicator for the timing of magmatic pulses into a growing magmatic system that would ultimately erupt the Tuff of Lyle Spring, and which we more broadly interpret as the tempo of crustal accumulation associated with bimodal magmatism. We propose a system whereby chemically, isotopically, and temporally distinct, isolated small-volume magma batches are periodically generated and erupted in a low magmatic flux state, which is punctuated by larger volume caldera-forming eruptions.
EXPLORING THE CONTENTS OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD ANNUAL REPORTS: 1827–1856

In 1995, a nearly complete collection of the annual reports of the earliest interstate and common carrier railroad in the U. S., the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O), was rediscovered in the archival colle...
Early Posterior Ankle Release in the Treatment of Congenital Clubfoot

Summary Eighty-one patients (116 clubfeet) underwent posterior ankle release before the age of two years, following unsatisfactory responses to serial corrective casts applied according to the technique of Kite. Seventy-three per cent of these feet showed no or only mild talar flattening at an average follow-up of 7.5 years. Four years following posterior ankle release there was a none-mild talar flattening rate of 69 per cent in this group compared to a 40 per cent none-mild rate in similar patients treated by tendo Achillis lengthening alone. Posterior ankle release reduces the incidence of recurrent equinus deformity and the necessity for subsequent surgery in comparison to the results obtained with serial plaster casts or with tendo Achillis lengthening alone. Recent trends in clubfoot management have favored increasingly early operative intervention.1,2,4,7,15 Denham8 stated that “In the infant hard tissues (bone and cartilage) should be regarded as soft, and the soft tissues (tendon and ligament) as hard.” Our operative experience with posterior ankle release supports this philosophy and indicates that early aggressive surgical management is the treatment of choice for the resistant clubfoot.
Does Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Cause Changes In Cardiac Isoenzymes

Occasionally during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) treatment, or in the immediate post-treatment period, a person will experience cardiovascular instability which may be manifested as anginal symptoms, as changes in cardiac rate or rhythm, or as altered blood pressure. In order to rule out myocardial ischemia, it is prudent to measure cardiac isoenzymes, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), in addition to whatever else is deemed appropriate by the clinical setting. With a borderline elevation of the CPK, MB bands or a change in the ratio of LD1 to LD2, the physician is faced with disturbing questions, “Is this change due to myocardial ischemia, or is the heart in the blast path of the shock wave and thus subject to injury?” In order to answer these questions, we evaluated patients at risk for coronary artery disease with calculi in the left upper pole and/or left renal pelvis, since F2 for these patients is closest to the heart. We measured CPK and LDH with isoenzymes and electrocardiograms pre- and post-treatment. Our results in 12 patients show that while there is a significant increase in total CPK, the MB fraction is not significantly changed, nor is there a change in the ratio of LD1 to LD2. Our early results indicate that there is no damage to myocardium incurred by the shock wave and no release of cardiac isoenzymes. Therefore, when faced with a patient with changes in cardiac isoenzymes in the face of cardiovascular instability, this should be viewed as evidence of myocardial ischemia, and the patient should be treated accordingly.
The Nature of Excimer Formation in Crystalline Pyrene Nanoparticles

Pyrene is an exemplary conjugated organic chromophore with a strong propensity for self-association through an excited-state process known as excimer formation. Pyrene “excimers” and molecular “exc...
Medical Countermeasure Actions—A Historical Perspective

An editorial is presented which addresses the authors' views about the historic aspects of medical countermeasure programs and public health emergency preparedness as of 2018, and it mentions a Sarin gas attack in Tokyo, Japan in 1995 and America's Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) program. According to the article, the SNS contains four classes of assets which include pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and containers of medications to treat specific nerve agent exposure patients.