cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dust emissions from undisturbed and disturbed, crusted playa surfaces: Cattle trampling effects

Abstract Dry playa lake beds can be significant sources of fine dust emission. This study used a portable field wind tunnel to quantify the PM10 emissions from a bare, fine-textured playa surface located in the far northern Chihuahua Desert. The natural, undisturbed crust and its subjection to two levels of animal disturbance (one and ten cow passes) were tested. The wind tunnel generated dust emissions under controlled conditions for firstly an initial blow-off of the surface, followed by two longer runs with sand added to the flow as an abrader material. Dust was measured using a GRIMM particle monitor. For the study playa, no significant differences in PM10 concentration and emission flux were found between the untrampled surface and following a single animal pass. This was the case for both the initial blow-offs and tests on plots under a steady abrader rate. Significantly higher dust loading was only associated with the effect of 10 animal passes. In the blow-offs, the higher PM10 yield after 10 passes reflected the greater availability of easily entrainable fine particles. Under abrasion, the effect of the heaviest trampling increased the emission flux by a third and abrasion efficiency by around 50% more than values on the untrampled surface. This enhanced abrasion efficiency persisted for a 30 min period under abrasion before the positive effect of the disturbance was no longer evident. The findings highlight the role of a threshold of disturbance that determines if supply-limited surfaces will exhibit enhanced wind erosion or not after undergoing perturbation.
NUMISHEET2005 Benchmark Analysis on Forming of an Automotive Deck Lid Inner Panel: Benchmark 1

Numerical simulations in sheet metal forming processes have been a very challenging topic in industry. There are many computer codes and modeling techniques existing today. However, there are many unknowns affecting the prediction accuracy. Systematic benchmark tests are needed to accelerate the future implementations and to provide as a reference. This report presents an international cooperative benchmark effort for an automotive deck lid inner panel. Predictions from simulations are analyzed and discussed against the corresponding experimental results. The correlations between accuracy of each parameter of interest are discussed in this report.
Family Resemblances in Personality Traits

Resume On a fait subir “L'Inventaire de Personnalite” de Bernreuter a 100 familles et l'on a note les resultats a l'egard de la tendance a la nevrosite, de la suffisance et de la dominance. Chaque famille a eu du moins deux enfants de l'âge des collegiens ou plus âges. On a teste un total de 456 personnes. Les coefficients de correlation de Pearson entre les membres de la famille (sauf frere ou soeur compare a frere ou soeur) pour ces traits sont peu eleves, variant de 0,008 a 0,284. Les enfants de meme famille ont ete etudies en groupes formes selon le nombre et le sexe des enfants dans une famille. Les fils montrent en general moins de tendance a la nevrosite et sont plus suffisants que les filles tandis que les enfants plus âges ont moins de tendance a la nevrosite et sont plus suffisants que les jeunes. Les resultats indiquent que les “contraires” ne s'attraient l'une l'autre au cas des hommes et des femmes et que les parents plus âges se ressemblent moins que les jeunes. La relation entre les traits ...
The Leishmania GDP-mannose transporter is an autonomous, multi-specific, hexameric complex of LPG2 subunits.

LPG2 (a gene involved in lipophosphoglycan assembly) encodes the Golgi GDP-Man transporter of the protozoan parasite Leishmania and is a defining member of a new family of eukaryotic nucleotide- sugar transporters (NSTs). Although NST activities are widespread, mammalian cells lack a GDP-Man NST, thereby providing an ideal heterologous system for probing the LPG2 structure and activity. LPG2 expression constructs introduced into either mammalian cells or a Leishmania lpg2 - mutant conferred GDP-Man, GDP-Ara, and GDP-Fuc (in Leishmania only) uptake in isolated microsomes. LPG2 is the first NST to be associated with multiple substrate specificities. Uptake activity showed latency, exhibited an antiport mechanism of transport with GMP, and was susceptible to the anion transport inhibitor DIDS. The apparent Km for GDP-Man uptake was similar in transfected mammalian cells (12.2 IM) or Leishmania (6.9 IM). Given the evolutionary distance between protozoans and vertebrates, these data suggest that LPG2 functions autonomously to provide transporter activity. Using epitope-tagged LPG2 proteins, we showed the existence of hexameric LPG2 complexes by immunoprecipitation experiments, glycerol gradient centrifugation, pore-limited native gel electrophoresis, and cross-linking experiments. This provides strong biochemical evidence for a multimeric complex of NSTs, a finding with important implications to the structure and specificity of NSTs in both Leishmania and other organisms. Inhibition of essential GDP-Man uptake in fungal and protozoan systems offers an attractive target for potential chemotherapy.
Salvage Radioimmunotherapy With Murine Iodine-131–Labeled Antitenascin Monoclonal Antibody 81C6 for Patients With Recurrent Primary and Metastatic Malignant Brain Tumors: Phase II Study Results

Purpose To assess the efficacy and toxicity of intraresection cavity iodine-131–labeled murine antitenascin monoclonal antibody 81C6 (131I-m81C6) among recurrent malignant brain tumor patients. Patients and Methods In this phase II trial, 100 mCi of 131I-m81C6 was injected directly into the surgically created resection cavity (SCRC) of 43 patients with recurrent malignant glioma (glioblastoma multiforme [GBM], n = 33; anaplastic astrocytoma [AA], n = 6; anaplastic oligodendroglioma [AO], n = 2; gliosarcoma [GS], n = 1; and metastatic adenocarcinoma, n = 1) followed by chemotherapy. Results With a median follow-up of 172 weeks, 63% and 59% of patients with GBM/GS and AA/AO tumors were alive at 1 year. Median overall survival for patients with GBM/GS and AA/AO tumors was 64 and 99 weeks, respectively. Ten patients (23%) developed acute hematologic toxicity. Five patients (12%) developed acute reversible neurotoxicity. One patient (2%) developed irreversible neurotoxicity. No patients required reoperation fo...
From white gold to silicon chips: Hydraulic technology, electric power and Silicon Valley:

Unlike most accounts of the origins of Silicon Valley, this essay insists that the valley today is rooted in the Gold Rush, and only through understanding this can scholars fully comprehend the roots of the innovation process that so characterizes the region today. The Gold Rush began a long gestation period in the region’s technical sciences that, with its physical, economic and geographic characteristics, comprised a petri dish in which innovations flourished. Early on communities of interest emerged among the original Argonauts around hydraulic engineering and among later adventurers around hydroelectric power, electric-power transmission, radio technology and microwave electronics. Over the years their members included mechanics, inventors, engineers, academics and entrepreneurs, and they found like-minded souls in San Francisco Bay Area technical and scientific organizations, social clubs and educational institutions, where they all overlapped with each other and created the foundations for the moder...
A New Method for Hot-Spot Quantification of Hybrid SPECT/CT Cardiac Images: Methodology and Preliminary Phantom Validation

We present a new method for quantification of "hot-spot" cardiac single-photon-emission computerized tomography (SPECT) and preliminary phantom validation. Our quantification method was developed based on the circumferential count profiles of reference perfusion and focal hot-spot SPECT images. Normal hot-spot limit was estimated from the circumferential count profiles using the Bayes estimator and joint entropy maximization. Focal hot-spot uptake in the myocardium was calculated based on the normal hot-spot limit. The quantification method was validated using a cardiac phantom filled with 201Tl solution simulating normal myocardial perfusion. A hot-spot insert was filled with a series of different concentrations (5 muCi/mL-25 muCi/mL) of 99mTc solution to simulate a wide range of myocardial focal hot-spot uptake. A spherical point source filled with a known dose of 99mTc solution was used as an external reference. No extra cardiac and background activities were simulated. Dual-isotope images were acquired simultaneously using a hybrid SPECT/CT imaging system. Acquired images were reconstructed with and without CT-based attenuation correction and were quantified using the new quantification method. Correlation between SPECT quantified activities and actual hot-spot activities measured in a dose calibrator was fair without CT attenuation correction (r=0.78) and was improved with CT attenuation correction (r=0.84 and 0.997). Hot-spot activity was considerably underestimated in the absence of attenuation correction (Mean error=-146 muCi). Accuracy of the quantified hot-spot activity was markedly improved when the attenuation correction was employed (Mean error=-50 muCi and -10 muCi). In conclusion, our method for assessment of absolute hot-spot activity with incorporation of the CT-based attenuation correction may allow for accurate quantification of myocardial hot-spot uptake
Comprehensive Method for Culturing Embryonic Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons for Seahorse Extracellular Flux XF24 Analysis

Changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function contribute to progression of multiple neurodegenerative diseases including peripheral neuropathies. The Seahorse Extracellular Flux XF24 analyzer provides a comprehensive assessment of the relative state of glycolytic and aerobic metabolism in live cells making this method instrumental in assessing mitochondrial function. One of the most important steps in the analysis of mitochondrial respiration using the Seahorse XF24 analyzer is plating a uniform monolayer of firmly attached cells. However, culturing of primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is associated with multiple challenges, including their propensity to form clumps and detach from the culture plate. This could significantly interfere with proper analysis and interpretation of data. We have tested multiple cell culture parameters including coating substrates, culture medium, XF24 microplate plastics, and plating techniques in order to optimize plating conditions. Here we describe a highly reproducible method to obtain neuron-enriched monolayers of securely attached dissociated primary embryonic (E15) rat DRG neurons suitable for analysis with the Seahorse XF24 platform.
Regulated protein aggregation: stress granules and neurodegeneration

The protein aggregation that occurs in neurodegenerative diseases is classically thought to occur as an undesirable, nonfunctional byproduct of protein misfolding. This model contrasts with the biology of RNA binding proteins, many of which are linked to neurodegenerative diseases. RNA binding proteins use protein aggregation as part of a normal regulated, physiological mechanism controlling protein synthesis. The process of regulated protein aggregation is most evident in formation of stress granules. Stress granules assemble when RNA binding proteins aggregate through their glycine rich domains. Stress granules function to sequester, silence and/or degrade RNA transcripts as part of a mechanism that adapts patterns of local RNA translation to facilitate the stress response. Aggregation of RNA binding proteins is reversible and is tightly regulated through pathways, such as phosphorylation of elongation initiation factor 2α. Microtubule associated protein tau also appears to regulate stress granule formation. Conversely, stress granule formation stimulates pathological changes associated with tau. In this review, I propose that the aggregation of many pathological, intracellular proteins, including TDP-43, FUS or tau, proceeds through the stress granule pathway. Mutations in genes coding for stress granule associated proteins or prolonged physiological stress, lead to enhanced stress granule formation, which accelerates the pathophysiology of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. Over-active stress granule formation could act to sequester functional RNA binding proteins and/or interfere with mRNA transport and translation, each of which might potentiate neurodegeneration. The reversibility of the stress granule pathway also offers novel opportunities to stimulate endogenous biochemical pathways to disaggregate these pathological stress granules, and perhaps delay the progression of disease.
8-Hydroxylquinoline as a strong alternative anchoring group for porphyrin-sensitized solar cells

8-Hydroxylquinoline (OQ) is demonstrated for the first time as a strong alternative anchoring group porphyrin dyes to improve the long-term stability of solar cells.
A Laboratory Study on a Capacitive Displacement Sensor as an Implant Microphone in Totally Implant Cochlear Hearing Aid Systems

A totally implant cochlear hearing aids system, integrating an implant microphone, interface electronics, a speech processor, a stimulator, and cochlear electrodes, can overcome the uncomfortable, inconvenient, and stigma problems associated with the conventional and semi-implantable hearing aids. This paper presents a laboratory feasibility study on the use of an electret condenser microphone (ECM) displacement sensor, serving as an implant microphone, and combined with a spring coupler to directly sense the umbo acoustic vibration. The umbo vibration characteristics were extracted from literature to determine the coupler and sensor requirements. A laboratory model was built to simulate the vibration source and experimentally study the transmission coefficient. Experimental data demonstrate that by using a 5 N/m stiffness spring, the umbo vibration amplitude as high as 67% can be transmitted to the sensor. Measurement of the sensor system on the temporal bone was also made. The minimum detectable sound pressure level (SPL) at 1 kHz is 41 and 67 dB for laboratory and 38 and 64 dB for temporal bone measurement for 1 and 388 Hz bandwidth, respectively. Better performance was achieved in a higher frequency. Results and analysis of this study can be used as a guideline for the future design of displacement sensors as implant microphones.
Discretization Methods for Continuous Probability Distributions

Decision analysis problems typically involve probabilistic modeling of discrete and continuous uncertainties. In order to facilitate assessment or represent continuous uncertainties in a discrete decision tree, it is common for decision analysts to represent pdfs with properly designed pmfs, a process known as discretization. We describe several discretization methods, describing the strengths and weaknesses of each. We also provide example applications of several of these methods. Keywords: probability discretization; decision analysis
Report of the LITA User Experience Interest Group Meeting. American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Chicago, January 2015

The LITA User Experience Interest Group held its second meeting at the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting at Chicago. Three presentations were made. The topics included connecting library website usability...
Ames, Ramus, and the Method of Puritan Theology

Theology, as many Puritans saw it, was a combination of sound doctrine, practical exhortation, and precise method. The Marrow of Sacred Divinity by William Ames, a great favorite in many seventeenth-century Puritan homes, owed much of its reputation to a blend of these ingredients of doctrine, practical divinity, and method. Although Puritan theologians wrote few systematic theologies except for creeds and catechisms, the Marrow is one example of theology from a scholarly Puritan perspective. The writings of Ames with their Congregational theories were most at home in Congregational New England, perhaps, but Puritans in England also read and studied Ames. William Ames, 1576–1633, was born in East Anglia and educated at Christ's College, Cambridge; but he lived for over twenty years in the Netherlands as a religious exile. Like his life, his theology combines English nonconformity and Continental Calvinism.
Maternal mortality: clinical implications of international perspectives.

Although the root causes of maternal mortality (MM) in nonindustrialized nations differ from those in the United States some approaches to improving MM may be universal. Access to care is an issue in the United States as well as internationally. There are many steps providers can take to improve access from reducing language and cultural barriers to taking adequate histories to addressing such chronic conditions as obesity diabetes and hypertension before conception. When providers obtain adequate information before or during pregnancy they can assess patient risk plan educational and medical interventions and introduce preventive measures that can reduce MM--in both the United States and the developing world. (authors)
Variability in maze drawings of young children: Effects of stimulus change and chronological age

Thirty children between 2V1/2 and 6 years of age traced a series of mazes under three different conditions of stimulus (crayon color) constancy. On the basis of several different measures, older children proved to be substantially more variable than younger children and, for all children, variability tended to increase with increasing stimulus variability.
A New Paradigm for Marketing Online

New technologies require new paradigms and a fresh perspective in analyzing and comprehending their implications. Computer networks, with the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) in particular, have already revolutionized many business practices. The satisfactory application of traditional marketing models to the analysis of marketing practices on-line is difficult at best. Thus, this paper offers a new and intuitive conceptual framework for analyzing, interpreting and managing the marketing process in a connected world. Specifically, we propose a model consisting of four crucial aspects: Aggregation, Interaction, Identification, and Intensity (AI3). Each one of these four aspects should be carefully analyzed according to pre-specified guidelines to ensure the success of any on-line business. The paper describes characteristics that will be intrinsic to marketing in the future connected world. We investigate the reasons underlying these characteristics. We suggest a detailed procedure for managing these future attributes using the AI3 model. In the process of doing so, we compare and contrast our model to traditional marketing models and show it's superiority.
A surfactant-based wound dressing can reduce bacterial biofilms in a porcine skin explant model

Bacterial biofilms have been found in many, if not all, chronic wounds. Their excessive extracellular matrix secretion and the metabolic changes that they undergo render them highly tolerant of many antibiotic and antimicrobial treatments. Physical removal and/or disruption are a common approach to treating wounds suspected of having bacterial biofilms. While many of these techniques use mechanical energy as the primary means of removal, we have begun to investigate if surfactants could facilitate the removal of bacterial biofilms, or if they might sensitise the biofilms to antimicrobial interventions. We tested a new surfactant-based wound gel on an ex vivo porcine skin explant model infected with a functionally tolerant 3-day biofilm. The wounds were dressed with a surfactant-based gel directly on the wound or with moistened gauze. The wounds were then wiped daily with moistened gauze, and the gel or gauze was re-applied. Each day, an explant from each group was harvested and tested for total viable bacteria counts and viable biofilm-protected bacteria counts. The results show that daily wiping with moistened gauze led to an initial decrease of bacteria, but by day 3, the biofilm had been fully re-established to the same level prior to the beginning of treatment. For the surfactant-based treatment, there was no detectable functional biofilm after the first treatment. The gauze control, which was also subjected to daily wiping, still contained functional biofilms, indicating that this result was not due to wiping alone. The total bacteria in the surfactant-treated explants steadily decreased through day 3, when there were no detectable bacteria, while the wiping-only control bacteria counts remained steady. The use of a moist gauze to wipe the visually apparent slime off of a wound appears to be insufficient to reduce biofilm over a 3-day period. Daily application of the surfactant gel dressing and wiping reduced the biofilm to undetectable levels within 3 days in a skin explant model. A 3-day regimen of dressing the wound model with a surfactant gel followed by gentle removal of the gel by wiping with a moistened gauze appears to be a simple and adequate approach to removing a bacterial biofilm infection in an ex vivo model. Additional clinical evidence is needed to determine if this promising approach can perform the same in clinically infected chronic wounds.
ISCU(M108I) and ISCU(D39V) Differ from Wild-Type ISCU in Their Failure To Form Cysteine Desulfurase Complexes Containing Both Frataxin and Ferredoxin

Whereas iron–sulfur (Fe–S) cluster assembly on the wild-type scaffold protein ISCU, as catalyzed by the human cysteine desulfurase complex (NIA)2, exhibits a requirement for frataxin (FXN), in yeast, ISCU variant M108I has been shown to bypass the FXN requirement. Wild-type ISCU populates two interconverting conformational states: one structured and one dynamically disordered. We show here that variants ISCU(M108I) and ISCU(D39V) of human ISCU populate only the structured state. We have compared the properties of ISCU, ISCU(M108I), and ISCU(D39V), with and without FXN, in both the cysteine desulfurase step of Fe–S cluster assembly and the overall Fe–S cluster assembly reaction catalyzed by (NIA)2. In the cysteine desulfurase step with dithiothreitol (DTT) as the reductant, FXN was found to stimulate cysteine desulfurase activity with both the wild-type and structured variants, although the effect was less prominent with ISCU(D39V) than with the wild-type or ISCU(M108I). In overall Fe–S cluster assembly, f...
Clinical and preclinical trials of isolated liver perfusion for advanced liver tumors: primary liver tumors.

The authors evaluated a novel system to treat primary liver tumors that combines hepatic arterial infusion of chemotherapy drugs with complete hepatic venous isolation and extracorporeal chemofiltration. All catheters used in this system can be placed percutaneously, thus avoiding laparotomy to surgically isolate the liver. The authors were involved in the early evaluation of the hepatic venous isolation system to determine if higher doses of hepatic arterial chemotherapy could be delivered safely while limiting systemic drug exposure. Pharmacologic evaluation of this novel treatment system from preclinical studies through a human phase I trial demonstrated the potential treatment advantages and problems associated with complete hepatic venous isolation and extracorporeal chemofiltration.
International Perspectives on the Micropolitics of the Superintendency

The rise of globalization compelled national governments to examine how they would adapt widespread social, economic, and political changes to advance their nation’s future wellbeing. Most recognized the pivotal role of education in facilitating adaptation to changes unfolding in society and expressed concern about the quality of their education systems and student academic performance. During the last three decades, nations engaged in what is generally regarded as one of the most intense and protracted attempts at educational reform in recent history. National educational reform initiatives initiated in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) and in the United States of America. In many instances, shifts in national education policy altered how school districts were organized, managed, and governed which in turn reconfigured superintendents’ roles. An examination of findings from recent nationwide studies on superintendents suggests that decentralization and devolution of decision-making authority to municipal governments, local schools, and parents may have heightened the importance their micropolitical roles in the provision of education.
Development and validation of an explicitly coupled geomechanics module for a compositional reservoir simulator

Abstract Pore pressure-stress analyses in stress-sensitive reservoirs investigate interactions between the in-situ stress and fluid flow; these interactions help or resist production, or conclude surface subsidence during production. Among the tools for these analyses, an explicitly coupled geomechanics and fluid flow model provides an essential, reliable, and fast production estimate for field planning and development. In this work, we implemented this model in an in-house, three dimensional, compositional reservoir simulator, UTCOMP, using Chin's iterative coupling method. This development integrated a stand-alone geomechanics module based on finite element method with the reservoir simulator, an advantage of our coupling algorithm, and improved our understanding of the production through various enhanced oil recovery processes such as water and CO2 flooding processes previously coded in UTCOMP. Benefiting from the higher time scales of solution variations due to the geomechanics module, we lowered the frequency of calling this computationally expensive module. Also, we reduced the order of the finite element shape functions for displacement from quadratic to linear, which majorly mitigated the high computational cost of our geomechanics studies while we almost maintained the solution accuracy. To validate our implementation, we investigated a primary oil production case and compared the results from UTCOMP with those from two other simulators: (1) CMG software program using different coupling methods; and (2) another pre-validated in-house reservoir simulator, GPAS. In order to evaluate our improvements in this work, we compared our results with those from a pre-validated in-house reservoir simulator, GPAS. We observed a minor discrepancy between the solutions at very early times which originates from the different structures in these two reservoir simulators, IMPEC in UTCOMP and fully implicit in GPAS.
Storm Impact and Depression Among Older Adults Living in Hurricane Sandy-Affected Areas.

OBJECTIVE Research on the impact of natural disasters on the mental health of older adults finds both vulnerabilities and resilience. We report on the rates of clinically significant depression among older adults (aged ≥60 years) living in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the factors associated with mental health need. METHODS The Sandy Mobilization, Assessment, Referral and Treatment for Mental Health (SMART-MH) program integrates community outreach and needs assessments to identify older adults with mental health and aging service needs. Older adults with significant anxiety or depressive symptoms were offered short-term psychotherapy. Social service referrals were made directly to community agencies. All SMART-MH activities were offered in Spanish, Russian, Mandarin/Cantonese, and English. RESULTS Across the full sample, 14% of participants screened positive for depression. Hurricane Sandy stressors predicted increased odds of depression, including storm injury, post-storm crime, and the total count of stressors. Outcomes varied significantly by age group, such that all Sandy-related variables remained significant for younger-old adults (aged 60-74 years), whereas only the loss of access to medical care was significant for older-old adults (aged ≥75 years). CONCLUSIONS Storm-affected communities show higher rates of depressive symptoms than seen in the general population, with storm stressors affecting mental health needs differentially by age group. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:97-109).
Computer-Aided Education

When television first came out thirty years ago, educators thought it would transform teaching. Since it could present material cheaply to a wide audience, students would not have to travel far for education. Today, television is still used in teaching, but it has never quite reached its vast potential. Perhaps one reason television teaching has not been more effective is that students cannot interact with it as they would with a teacher.
Infrared Energy Harvesting in Millimeter-Scale GaAs Photovoltaics

The design and characterization of millimeter-scale GaAs photovoltaic (PV) cells are presented and demonstrate highly efficient energy harvesting in the near infrared (NIR). Device performance is improved dramatically by optimizing the device structure for the NIR spectral region and improving surface and sidewall passivation with the ammonium sulfide treatment and subsequent silicon nitride deposition. The power conversion efficiency of a 6.4-mm2 cell under 660-nW/mm2 NIR illumination at 850 nm is greater than 30%, which is higher than commercial crystalline silicon solar cells under similar illumination conditions. Critical performance limiting factors of submillimeter-scale GaAs PV cells are addressed and compared to theoretical calculations.
P230 Automation for flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) lymphocyte isolation using robosep

Aim The importance of cell purity to obtain a reliable FCXM result is critical and long established. The aim of this study was to improve efficiency and implement automated cell preparation for FCXM due to the increased workload in the histocompatibility lab after the new Kidney Allocation System (KAS) was implemented. Methods The use of Robosep TM Instrument along with EasySep TM Direct Human Total Lymphocyte Isolation Kit (RLI) starting from buffy coat was evaluated in parallel with our traditional ficoll hypaque-based lymphocyte isolation method (FLI) that includes CD15 Dynabeads, lysing buffer and soft spin washes to achieve target purity criteria when applicable. FCXM was performed for all cells (n = 20) isolated in parallel using FLI & RLI. Spiked Positive Controls were used for FCXM and tested in parallel to verify sensitivity of the assay. The costs associated with both methods were evaluated by comparing labor-based expenses and reagent price. Results The purity of the cell preparations obtained by the RLI method was superior (CD45-95.4%, myeloid -0.9%, plt-0.8∗10 3 /μL) when compared with the traditional FLI technique (CD45-84.7%, myeloid -4.9%, plt-7.9∗10 textsuperscript3/μL). Lymphocyte yield and viability was equivalent by both methods. There was no significant change in the Negative Control MFI values for 90% of the isolated cell preparations, however two Negative Controls obtained using RLI showed high MFI for B cell crossmatch. The sensitivity of the FCXM proved to be unmodified when lymphocytes were isolated by RLI. The use of RLI for FCXM reduced the cost of reagents/cell isolation by 75% compared to the FLI method. The total isolation protocol time was reduced by 25% when using RLI in comparison with FLI, and the total tech hands-on time was dramatically reduced by 55%. Conclusions Our study revealed that automation using EasySep TM kit on Robosep TM markedly improves the purity of the cells with identical results and sensitivity in the FCXM. The use of RLI proved to be more efficient and cost effective, reducing not only the reagent cost but also more importantly ”hands-on” tech time.
Design and Analysis of Compact DNA Strand Displacement Circuits for Analog Computation Using Autocatalytic Amplifiers

A main goal in DNA computing is to build DNA circuits to compute designated functions using a minimal number of DNA strands. Here, we propose a novel architecture to build compact DNA strand displacement circuits to compute a broad scope of functions in an analog fashion. A circuit by this architecture is composed of three autocatalytic amplifiers, and the amplifiers interact to perform computation. We show DNA circuits to compute functions sqrt(x), ln(x) and exp(x) for x in tunable ranges with simulation results. A key innovation in our architecture, inspired by Napier’s use of logarithm transforms to compute square roots on a slide rule, is to make use of autocatalytic amplifiers to do logarithmic and exponential transforms in concentration and time. In particular, we convert from the input that is encoded by the initial concentration of the input DNA strand, to time, and then back again to the output encoded by the concentration of the output DNA strand at equilibrium. This combined use of strand-conce...
A low-power thermoelectric generator for off-grid power in the aftermath of natural disasters

This paper proposes a solution for small-scale off-grid power by exploiting the temperature gradient that exists in the natural surroundings. Thermoelectric Generators (TEG) are low-power and relatively inexpensive devices that have the ability to produce power based on a temperature differential between a hot side and a cold side. In this paper, solar power or simply the ambient temperature is used to collect the thermal energy needed to create the hot side of the TEG. On the other hand, to create the cold side of the TEG, the earth is used as a heat sink. The advantages of the proposed solution lie in the fact that it is self-contained, fully decentralized, and very easy to install. It does not need to be directly exposed to solar irradiance and can function equally well with ambient temperature (as opposed to similar solar powered modules), does not need a battery (therefore no need for maintenance), and does not need access to electric outlets. As a lightweight, portable, and inexpensive solution, the proposed TEG-based device is ideal for providing small amounts of off-grid power for people in a disaster-affected area who have been left without electricity. The paper presents details on the design of the TEG-based device, and experimental results based on various weather conditions and different design parameters. It is shown in the paper that the proposed device can function both in winter time as well as summer time.
Clustering Analysis in Large Graphs with Rich Attributes

Social networks, communication networks, biological networks and many other information networks can be modeled as a large graph. Graph vertices represent entities and graph edges represent the relationships or interactions among entities. In many large graphs, there is usually one or more attributes associated with every graph vertex to describe its properties. The goal of graph clustering is to partition vertices in a large graph into subgraphs (clusters) based on a set of criteria, such as vertex similarity measures, adjacency-based measures, connectivity-based measures, density measures, or cut-based measures. Although graph clustering has been studied extensively, the problem of clustering analysis of large graphs with rich attributes remains a big challenge in practice. In this chapter we first give an overview of the set of issues and challenges for clustering analysis of large graphs with vertices of rich attributes. Based on the type of measures used for identifying clusters, existing graph clustering methods can be categorized into three classes: structure based clustering, attribute based clustering and structure-attribute based clustering. Structure based clustering mainly focuses on the topological structure of a graph for clustering, but largely ignore the vertex properties which are often heterogenous. Attribute based clustering, in contrast, focuses primarily on attribute-based vertex similarity, but suffers from isolated partitions of the graph as a result of graph clustering. Structure-attribute based clustering is a hybrid approach, which combines structural and attribute similarities through a unified distance measure. We argue that effective clustering analysis of a large graph with rich attributes requires the clustering methods to provide a systematic graph analysis framework that partition the graph based on both structural similarity and attribute similarity. One approach is to model rich attributes of vertices as auxiliary edges among vertices, resulting in a complex attribute augmented graph with multiple edges between some vertices. To show how to best combine structure and attribute similarity in a unified framework, the second part of this chapter will outline a cluster-convergence based iterative edge-weight assignment scheme that assigns different weights to different attributes based on how fast the clusters converge. We use a K-Medoids clustering algorithm to partition a graph into k clusters with both cohesive intra-cluster structures and homogeneous attribute values based on iterative weight updates. At each iteration, a series of matrix multiplication operations is used for calculating the random walk distances between graph vertices. Optimizations are used to reduce the cost of recalculating the random walk distances upon each iteration of the edge weight update. Finally, we discuss the set of open problems in graph clustering with rich attributes, including storage cost and efficiency, scalable analytics under memory constraints, distributed graph clustering and parallel processing.
Solomon Islanders in World War II: An Indigenous Perspective

‘The Second World War was not our war’ (p. 100), so wrote former Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Peter Kenilorea. Japanese and Allied militaries occupied and fought for territory up and down the...
Securing Fuel for Our Frigid Cosmic Future

Advanced civilizations will likely migrate into rich clusters of galaxies, which host the largest reservoirs of matter bound by gravity against the accelerated cosmic expansion.
Stagnating trends in complementary feeding practices in Bangladesh: An analysis of national surveys from 2004-2014.

Bangladesh has experienced steady socio-economic development. However, improvements in child growth have not kept pace. It is important to document complementary feeding (CF) practices-a key determinant of children's growth-and their trends over time. The study aims to examine trends in CF practices in children aged 6-23 months using data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to identify independent predictors of four CF practice indicators among children 6-23 months, namely, timely introduction of complementary foods, minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity, and minimum acceptable diet. Introduction of complementary foods was achieved among 64-71% of children between 2004 and 2014. The proportion meeting minimum meal frequency increased from 2004 to 2007 (71-81%) and declined and held steady at 65% from 2011 to 2014. The proportion meeting minimum dietary diversity in 2011 and 2014 was low (25% and 28%), and so was minimum acceptable diet (19% and 20%). From 2007 to 2014, child dietary diversity decreased and the most decline was in the consumption of legumes and nuts (29% to 8%), vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (54% to 41%), and other fruits and vegetables (47% to 20%). Young child age (6-11 months), poor parental education, household poverty, and residence in the Chittagong and Sylhet independently predicted poorer feeding practices. Dietary diversity and overall diet in Bangladeshi children are strikingly poor. Stagnation or worsening of feeding practices in the past decade are concerning and call for decisive policy and programme action to address inappropriate child feeding practices.
The printing process : Tips on tips

While the microarray printing process consists of a few simple operations, many variables can affect the final quality of printed arrays. As in most high-throughput processes, the ultimate goal is to reduce and control variability. This chapter describes how to minimize variation in the printing process through proper selection and installation of printing tips, printing buffers, and implementation of quality control procedures.
Crosstalk between fibroblast growth factor 23, iron, erythropoietin, and inflammation in kidney disease.

Purpose of reviewRecent research has revealed that regulation of the bone-secreted hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is not limited to classical mineral factors. Specifically, bidirectional relationships have been described between FGF23 production and anemia, iron status, and inflammation
Potential energy surface of the Ã state of NH2 and the role of excited states in the N(2D) + H2 reaction

A global potential energy surface is presented for the {tilde A} state of NH{sub 2} (1{sup 2}A{prime}) based on application of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) interpolation method to high-quality ab initio (multireference configuration-interaction) results. This surface correlates adiabatically to the a{sup 1}{Delta} state of NH, with a reaction endoergicity of about 8 kcal/mol, but is can also lead to formation of ground-state NH (exoergic by 29 kcal/mol) via nonadiabatic (Renner-Teller) interactions for linear HNH geometries that lie near the bottom of a 94 kcal/mol deep well that is accessible from N({sup 2}D) + H{sub 2} by insertion over a 3.4 kcal/mol barrier. This insertion barrier is about 1 kcal/mol higher in energy than the corresponding insertion barrier associated with the ground state of NH{sub 2}(1{sup 2}A{double_prime}). As a result, the {tilde A} state contributes measurably to both the thermal rate constant for N({sup 2}D) + H{sub 2} and the rate for NH(a{sup 1}{Delta}) production. Extensive quasiclassical trajectory calculations are performed on the RKHS surface to study the N({sup 2}D) + H{sub 2} reaction dynamics, with the nonadiabatic rate constant estimated using a capture model. The authors find that the cross section for ground-state NH production is comparable tomore » that obtained on the ground-state 1A{double_prime} surface, except for a 1 kcal/mol shift upward in the effective threshold due to the different barrier height. The cross section for NH(a{sup 1}{Delta}) production has a higher threshold energy and is about 15% of the ground-state cross section at energies well above threshold.« less
Prevalence of Non-medical Amphetamine Use Among Men with Diagnosed HIV Infection Who Have Sex with Men in the United States, 2015–2016

Amphetamine use is higher among men who have sex with men (MSM) compared with other men, and is associated with sexual behavior linked to HIV transmission. No national estimates of amphetamine use among MSM with HIV have been published. We used data from the Medical Monitoring Project, a nationally representative sample of persons with diagnosed HIV, to describe patterns in amphetamine use in the past 12 months among MSM during 2015–2016 (N = 3796). Prevalence of amphetamine use in this population was 9.6% (95% CI 7.6, 11.6%) in the past 12 months. MSM who used amphetamines were more likely to have condomless sex with partners without HIV or of unknown serostatus (PR 1.87; 95% CI 1.62, 2.16) and less likely to be durably virally suppressed (PR 0.81; 95% CI 0.71, 0.91). Interventions to address amphetamine use and associated transmission risk behaviors among MSM living with HIV may decrease transmission.
The Kansas Estate Tax Problem

This article describes the problems created for the Kansas estate tax law by recent changes in the United States estate tax. Because the Kansas law refers to the United States law, changes in the United States law automatically change results under the Kansas law. This has created inconsistencies and problems in both interpretation and administration of the Kansas law. The article argues for adoption of changes in the Kansas law to address these problems.
Modeling Fabric Movement for Future E-Textile Sensors.

Studies with e-textile sensors embedded in garments are typically performed on static and controlled phantom models that do not reflect the dynamic nature of wearables. Instead, our objective was to understand the noise e-textile sensors would experience during real-world scenarios. Three types of sleeves, made of loose, tight, and stretchy fabrics, were applied to a phantom arm, and the corresponding fabric movement was measured in three dimensions using physical markers and image-processing software. Our results showed that the stretchy fabrics allowed for the most consistent and predictable clothing-movement (average displacement of up to −2.3 ± 0.1 cm), followed by tight fabrics (up to −4.7 ± 0.2 cm), and loose fabrics (up to −3.6 ± 1.0 cm). In addition, the results demonstrated better performance of higher elasticity (average displacement of up to −2.3 ± 0.1 cm) over lower elasticity (average displacement of up to −3.8 ± 0.3 cm) stretchy fabrics. For a case study with an e-textile sensor that relies on wearable loops to monitor joint flexion, our modeling indicated errors as high as 65.7° for stretchy fabric with higher elasticity. The results from this study can (a) help quantify errors of e-textile sensors operating “in-the-wild,” (b) inform decisions regarding the optimal type of clothing-material used, and (c) ultimately empower studies on noise calibration for diverse e-textile sensing applications.
Identifying psychiatric diagnostic errors with the Safer Dx Instrument.

Objective Diagnostic errors in psychiatry are understudied partly because they are difficult to measure. The current study aimed to adapt and test the Safer Dx Instrument, a structured tool to review electronic health records (EHR) for errors in medical diagnoses, to evaluate errors in anxiety diagnoses to improve measurement of psychiatric diagnostic errors. Design The iterative adaptation process included a review of the revised Safer Dx-Mental Health Instrument by mental health providers to ensure content and face validity and review by a psychometrician to ensure methodologic validity and pilot testing of the revised instrument. Settings None. Participants Pilot testing was conducted on 128 records of patients diagnosed with anxiety in integrated primary care mental health clinics. Cases with anxiety diagnoses documented in progress notes but not included as a diagnosis for the encounter (n = 25) were excluded. Intervention(s) None. Main outcome measure(s) None. Results Of 103 records meeting the inclusion criteria, 62 likely involved a diagnostic error (42 from use of unspecified anxiety diagnosis when a specific anxiety diagnosis was warranted; 20 from use of unspecified anxiety diagnosis when anxiety symptoms were either undocumented or documented but not severe enough to warrant diagnosis). Reviewer agreement on presence/absence of errors was 88% (κ = 0.71). Conclusion The revised Safer Dx-Mental Health Instrument has a high reliability for detecting anxiety-related diagnostic errors and deserves testing in additional psychiatric populations and clinical settings.