cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NMR structure of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 implicates localized induced fit in recognition of matrix metalloproteinases.

Abstract A high quality solution structure of the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitory N-terminal domain of recombinant human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (N-TIMP-1) has been determined. For the rigidly packed residues, the average RMSD to the mean structure is 0.57 A for the backbone atoms and 1.00 A for all heavy atoms. Comparison of the solution structure of free N-TIMP-1 with the crystal structure of TIMP-1 bound to the catalytic domain of MMP-3 (Gomis-Ruth et al ., 1997) shows that the structural core of the β barrel flanked by helices is nearly unchanged by the association with MMP-3, evident from a backbone RMSD of 1.15 A. However, clear differences in the conformation of the MMP-binding ridge of free and MMP-bound TIMP-1 suggest induced fit throughout the ridge. The MMP-dependent conformational changes in the ridge include a dramatic bending of AB loop residues Glu28 through Leu34, moderate hinge bending of the CD-loop about residues Ala65 and Cys70, and modest bending of the Cys1 through Pro6 segment. A large number of interresidue Nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOEs) augmented by stereospecific assignments, torsion restraints, and dipolar couplings (an average of 18 non-trivial restraints per residue) engender confidence in these structural inferences. A tight cluster of three lysine residues and one arginine residue atop β-strands A and B, and identical among TIMP sequences, form the heart of a highly conserved electropositive patch that may interact with anionic components of the extracellular matrix.
Combinatorial molecular beam epitaxy synthesis and characterization of magnetic alloys

Abstract We have employed combinatorial approach to explore molecular beam epitaxy synthesis and characterization of multicomponent magnetic alloys. Structural evolution was studied in situ using scanning reflection high-energy electron diffraction and magnetic properties were probed using magneto-optic imaging and SQUID magnetometry. Results from a ternary system of CoMnGe are presented. These alloys exhibit a rich variety of magnetic and magneto-optic behavior, including a robust phase near Co 0.4 Mn 0.4 Ge 0.2 with high-spin polarization, high T c and high magneto-optic response. The observed magnetic responses show strong correlation with structural transformations such that structural ordering and symmetry change can give rise to enhanced magnetic and magneto-optic interactions. The observed magnetism in these alloys and their compatibility with Ge substrates make them potential candidates for spin electronic transport studies and applications.
Interpolation Problems in Several Variables

Abstract We obtain a noncommutative Nudel'man type interpolation theorem in several variables and a commutative analogue forH∞( B n), the Hardy space of bounded analytic functions in the open ball of C n. Using this result, we obtain an operatorial analogue in several variables of the Rosenblum–Rovnyak restriction theorem as well as an extension to the noncommutative analytic Toeplitz algebraF∞. We provide new extensions of the Caratheodory–Fejer and Nevanlinna–Pick interpolation theorems forF∞.
Novel Barriers to Prevent Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) and Rodent Damage in Apple Plantings

We evaluated a combination of noninsecticidal alternatives to control trunk-damaging dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), consisting of novel barrier technologies, used alone or in combination with mating disruption. Barrier formulations evaluated included fibrous barriers of nonwoven ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and nonfibrous barriers of rubberized paint (elastomer) used in building coatings. To examine efficacy of dogwood borer control in orchards, all barrier trials were replicated in field tests, both in combination with mating disruption and without it. Trunk inspections to determine whether mating disruption and barriers effectively reduced actual tree infestation showed pheromone disruption significantly reduced infestation compared with the untreated check, but was not as effective as trunk handgun sprays of chlorpyrifos. EVA trunk barriers were effective in preventing borer infestation compared with untreated trees. The elastomer did not differ from the check or the EVA treatment. There was no interaction between disruption and barrier treatments. Barrier field life and durability was assessed over 2 yr by comparing degradation over time due to weathering and other environmental effects including animal damage. The EVA persisted and remained more intact than the elastomer, but was in need of reapplication after 2 yr. Barriers were also screened for efficacy against voles in small-plot trials in nonorchard locations with known high vole pressure; they were tested either alone, combined with a repellent (thiram), or, in the case of the elastomer only, combined with an abrasive (sand). Only the EVA significantly lowered vole chewing damage relative to the untreated checks.
Illumination of Parse’s Theory of Humanbecoming Modern Literature as Situation Study

The theory of humanbecoming can be illuminated through utilizing popular literature as a situation study. The living experience of Morrie Schwartz as related in Tuesdays with Morrie, serves as exemplar for lingering presence, the emerging now, and the three themes of meaning, rhythmicity, and transcendence. This exemplar formed the basis for an educational session for graduate nursing students in a nursing theory course. The response to this teaching methodology suggests popular literature can be used successfully in teaching nursing theory.
A Fruiting Body Tissue Method for Efficient Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Agaricus bisporus

We describe a modified Agrobacterium-mediated method for the efficient transformation of Agaricus bisporus. Salient features of this procedure include cocultivation of Agrobacterium and fruiting body gill tissue and use of a vector with a homologous promoter. This method offers new prospects for the genetic manipulation of this commercially important mushroom species.
Effects of Slime Produced by Clinical Isolates of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci on Activities of Various Antimicrobial Agents

A novel in vitro semiquantitative method was developed to investigate the influence of staphylococcal slime on the activities of 22 antimicrobial agents. Pefloxacin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin demonstrated remarkable decreases in efficacy: 30, 52, and 63%, respectively. The activity of rifampin was not significantly reduced (0.99%), whereas all other agents tested were modestly affected (<15% decrease). These data could be influential in the treatment of implant-associated infections caused by slime-producing staphylococci.
High Tc Oxide Solid State Reaction Kinetics Via Complex Impedance Spectroscopy

Impedance spectra (5Hz {minus} 13MHz) were collected during the solid state reaction of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+y} from large monosized CuO particles imbedded in a finely divided Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}/BaCO{sub 3} matrix. No particle size effect was observed, but a large temperature effect was observed corresponding to an activation energy of approximately 1.8 eV (175kJ/mol) over the range 700--900{degree}C. 7 refs., 3 figs.
Improved training for disasters using 3-D virtual reality simulation

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of virtual reality simulation (VRS) on learning outcomes and retention of disaster training. The study used a longitudinal experimental design using two groups and repeated measures. A convenience sample of associate degree nursing students enrolled in a disaster course was randomized into two groups; both groups completed web-based modules; the treatment group also completed a virtually simulated disaster experience. Learning was measured using a 20-question multiple-choice knowledge assessment pre/post and at 2 months following training. Results were analyzed using the generalized linear model. Independent and paired t tests were used to examine the between- and within-participant differences. The main effect of the virtual simulation was strongly significant (p < .0001). The VRS effect demonstrated stability over time. In this preliminary examination, VRS is an instructional method that reinforces learning and improves learning retention.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae MutS Affects Pilin Antigenic Variation through Mismatch Correction and Not by pilE Guanine Quartet Binding

ABSTRACT Many pathogens use homologous recombination to vary surface antigens to avoid immune surveillance. Neisseria gonorrhoeae achieves this in part by changing the properties of its surface pili in a process called pilin antigenic variation (AV). Pilin AV occurs by high-frequency gene conversion reactions that transfer silent pilS sequences into the expressed pilE locus and requires the formation of an upstream guanine quartet (G4) DNA structure to initiate this process. The MutS and MutL proteins of the mismatch correction (MMC) system act to correct mismatches after replication and prevent homeologous (i.e., partially homologous) recombination, but MutS orthologs can also bind to G4 structures. A previous study showed that mutation of MutS resulted in a 3-fold increase in pilin AV, which could be due to the loss of MutS antirecombination properties or loss of G4 binding. We tested two site-directed separation-of-function MutS mutants that are both predicted to bind to G4s but are not able to perform MMC. Pilus phase variation assays and DNA sequence analysis of pilE variants produced in these mutants showed that all three mutS mutants and a mutL mutant had similar increased frequencies of pilin AV. Moreover, the mutS mutants all showed similar increased levels of pilin AV-dependent synthetic lethality. These results show that antirecombination by MMC is the reason for the effect that MutS has on pilin AV and is not due to pilE G4 binding by MutS. IMPORTANCE Neisseria gonorrhoeae continually changes its outer surface proteins to avoid recognition by the immune system. N. gonorrhoeae alters the antigenicity of the pilus by directed recombination between partially homologous pilin copies in a process that requires a guanine quartet (G4) structure. The MutS protein of the mismatch correction (MMC) system prevents recombination between partially homologous sequences and can also bind to G4s. We confirmed that loss of MMC increases the frequency of pilin antigenic variation and that two MutS mutants that are predicted to separate the two different functions of MutS inhibit pilin variation similarly to a complete-loss-of-function mutant, suggesting that interaction of MutS with the G4 structure is not a major factor in this process.
Pacemaker Infection with Mycobacterium Avium Complex

A 21 -year-old, HIV negative, malnourished, homeless woman with congenital heart block had a pacemaker implanted at 7 years of age and multiple procedures thereafter. The most recent of these procedures was replacement of a pulse generator in the right pectoral region. Four months later she had fever, pain, and swelling over the implant site resulting from infection with mixed flora and Mycobacterium avium complex. The pacemaker system was removed fay thoracotomy via a median sternotomy and a new DDD pacemaker simultaneously implanted. She was treated with systemic antibiotics—isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol—for 2 weeks. Six months later she was healthy, pacing well, and apparently free of infection, off all medications.
Isolation with Migration Models for More Than Two Populations

A method for studying the divergence of multiple closely related populations is described and assessed. The approach of Hey and Nielsen (2007, Integration within the Felsenstein equation for improved Markov chain Monte Carlo methods in population genetics. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 104:2785-2790) for fitting an isolation-with-migration model was extended to the case of multiple populations with a known phylogeny. Analysis of simulated data sets reveals the kinds of history that are accessible with a multipopulation analysis. Necessarily, processes associated with older time periods in a phylogeny are more difficult to estimate; and histories with high levels of gene flow are particularly difficult with more than two populations. However, for histories with modest levels of gene flow, or for very large data sets, it is possible to study large complex divergence problems that involve multiple closely related populations or species.
Music Therapy: A Self-Help Group Experience for Substance Abuse Patients

This paper explores the use of music therapy in a program for drug and alcohol abuse patients in a private psychiatric hospital in New York City. The short-term and intensive detoxification and rehabili­ tation program is described, features of chemical addiction are explained, and the application of music to facilitate group process is presented. The efficacy of music therapy as another form of self-help group in substance abuse rehabilitation, critical in this type of treat­ ment, is described.
Radiative and non-radiative losses in the retinol polyenes.

— The radiative fluorescence lifetimes of the all-trans, 9 cis and 13 cis retinol, have been measured at various temperatures, and in various solvents. The comparison of these results and of the data calculated from the absorption spectra using the Strickler and Berg equation shows that the transition probabilities are at least one hundred times lower for the radiative emission than for the absorption. Such a discrepancy, which is a general property of the polyenic structure, is closely related to the magnitude of the shift between absorption and fluorescence spectra. We interpret the observed elongation of the radiative fluorescence lifetimes and the temperature dependence of the radiative transitions in the case of all trans retinol as being due to the fact that only the lowest vibrorotational sublevels of 1S1, have a reasonable radiative transition probability: the temperature dependence of the radiationless transitions is considered to be due to the existence of a non radiative decay pathway at 550cal/mole above the ‘0’ level.
A case study using empirical optimization for a large, engineering application

Summary form only given. We describe initial experiences with semiautomated performance tuning of a linear solver in LS-DYNA, a large, widely-used engineering application. Through a collection of tools supporting empirical optimization, we alleviate the burden of performance tuning for mapping today's complex software to increasingly complex hardware platforms. We describe a tool that automatically isolates code segments for the purposes of performance tuning, code generation issues, and we present a collection of automatically-generated performance results for specific performance-oriented parameters.
Nuclear magnetic resonance and relaxation of the Heusler alloy

Abstract NMR of the Heusler alloy Cu 2 MnAl has been studied for all three nuclei by using the spin echo method. The resonance frequencies at 4.2°K are 240 and 257 MHz for Cu 63 and Cu 65 respectively, 225 MHz for Mn 55 and 76 MHz for Al 27 . The hyperfine fields are −212 and −213 KG for Cu and Mn respectively, and 68.2 KG for Al, the sign of which could not be determined. The temperature variation of the Mn hyperfine field is within 1 2 per cent the same as that of the magnetization whereas the Cu hyperfine field decreases more with increasing T . The spin echo amplitude as a function of the applied static field shows a maximum which is caused by an increase of the relaxation times with increasing static field for resonances in both walls and domains. A discussion about the signs and the magnitudes of the hyperfine fields at the nuclei is included.
Multi-wavelength all-optical networks with wavelengths outside the erbium-doped fiber amplifier bandwidth

Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers have become the dominating technology for signal amplification in all-optical networks. One constraint of EDFA's is that they have a much narrower bandwidth (/spl ap/25 nm) compared to the low-loss region (/spl ap/200 mn) of optical fiber. Instead of using only wavelengths within the bandwidth of EDFA's (i.e. the inband channels) for communication, we propose to include wavelengths outside the EDFA bandwidth (i.e. the outband channels) as well in order to increase the number of wavelengths and/or channel spacings that can be accommodated. Using outband wavelengths for sending messages presents a new constraint, namely that only if the power loss for transmitting a message is small enough can this message be transmitted on the outband wavelength. We develop wavelength-routing algorithms on arbitrary network topologies and wavelength assignments in hierarchical networks for sending messages subject to this constraint. We also analyze the SNR for inband/outband WDM signals. >
Learnability of interactive coordinated-view visualizations

This paper examines the human computer interaction issue of learnability of interactive coordinated-view visualizations. We take the case of DataMaps, a census data visualization tool intended for a general audience with a huge percentage of novices. Usability tests conducted on DataMaps revealed three main kinds of problems that novices faced: they could not make strategic selections of coordinated visualizations according to a given task, they lacked familiarity with the nature of the attributes, and there were several misunderstandings of visual syntax and interaction widget usage. We outline design features which are desirable for novice-friendliness: Task based organization of coordinated views to enable strategic selection of views to suit the task, data centric approach to familiarize novices with data, self disclosure of visual syntax features and interaction mechanisms by the interface. The design should be such that they can smoothly transition from being a novice to expert. We examine how these principles may be applied to DataMaps to re-design it for "novice-friendliness".
Incidence of Invasive Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women After Discontinuation of Long-Term Raloxifene Administration

Abstract Background Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis had a 66% relative risk reduction for invasive breast cancer over 8 years of raloxifene therapy in the randomized, placebo-controlled 4-year MORE (Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation) trial and the CORE (Continuing Outcomes Relevant to Evista) trial, a 4-year follow-up to MORE. Patients and Methods The first post hoc analysis examined the effects of raloxifene on the cumulative incidence of invasive breast cancer on a yearly basis. Another analysis compared the incidence of invasive breast cancer in 3967 patients who continued raloxifene for 8 years (RLX-C, n = 2280), discontinued raloxifene after 4 years in MORE (RLX-D, n = 401), or took placebo (n = 1286) for a mean 2.9 years' treatment duration (57,338 patient-years). Results The unadjusted breast cancer incidence rate was 5.39 per 1000 patient-years in the placebo group compared with 2.26 in the RLX-C group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41 [95% CI 0.21–0.81]) and 3.59 in the RLX-D group (HR, 0.69 [95% CI 0.23–2.01]). Because the choice of taking the study drug was not randomized in CORE, propensity scores were used to adjust for potential imbalances in baseline characteristics before CORE. Results after adjustment by the propensity score method were similar to the unadjusted results. Conclusion This analysis suggests a persistent effect for breast cancer risk reduction in patients who discontinued raloxifene, although this conclusion is limited by the small sample size.
Intraoperative parathyroid hormone testing: survey of testing program characteristics.

Abstract Objective.—To examine the number and testing characteristics of laboratories that offer intraoperative testing of intact parathyroid hormone (PTH). Design.—Laboratories (n = 355) that participated in 2001 in PTH proficiency testing with the College of American Pathologists Special Ligand Survey were surveyed about intraoperative PTH testing. Results.—Of the 320 laboratories that responded to the survey, 92 performed intraoperative PTH testing. Testing practices were divided nearly equally among laboratories that performed intraoperative PTH testing for all parathyroidectomies (40%), most but not all cases (31%), and less than half of cases (30%). Testing frequency usually was low, with about two thirds of laboratories reporting 5 or fewer cases per month. A surprising finding was that, although intraoperative PTH testing originally became widely practiced as a point-of-care test, 71% of laboratories performed testing in a central laboratory, 6% in satellite laboratories, and only 23% in operating...
Afterword: Aude Describere!

This essay speaks to a certain kind of difficulty that stands in the way of doing phenomenology. I argue that this difficulty has its source in the sort of institutional structures many of us think and write under, which gives rise to a kind of attitude that tends to obscure or diminish the worth and promise of attending to the things themselves, phenomenologically. I refer to this attitude as the “exegetical attitude.” In attempting to make this attitude more manifest, I hope to further phenomenological investigations of the lived world.
Arm muscle sympathetic nerve activity during preparation for and initiation of leg-cycling exercise in humans.

We tested the hypothesis that sympathetic vasoconstrictor nerve activity to nonactive skeletal muscle (MSNA) decreases immediately before and remains suppressed during initiation of conventional la...
Aid, Predation and State Capture: The Role of Development Aid in Fuelling Corruption and Undermining Governance: The Case of Ethiopia

This article exclusively focuses on theme-based (sector-based) development aid to show the captured nature of foreign aid in Ethiopia and its use of something other than development: penetrate households at the individual level and control them. The paper establishes that, by creating opportunities to the highly organized groups and elites, donor aid has led to a legacy of corruption, maladministration, cruelty, brutality, money laundering and the establishment of a ruthless oligarchy in Ethiopia. I show that the type of corruption which has transpired in Ethiopia is the strongest and highest form of corruption known as State Capture. The work also shows how, when it comes to Ethiopia, donor aid has poisoned the wells with deep corruption and, by implication, the unholy alliance between donor aid and corruption and donor aid and tyranny. The paper documents how various powerful ethnic, social, personal, regional, political and economic groups in Ethiopia are able to extract rents and use it for their own political survival and hegemony. The paper also goes further to show that misusing and abusing of foreign aid by the TPLF/EPRDF is a learned behavior it acquired when it was a guerrilla force. This case study shows that development aid has been overwhelmingly captured by the ruling elites in Ethiopia and consequently, those who are able to capture the foreign aid resources using them as tools of control and repression. In addition to foreign aid being used to finance repression, it has exacerbated the extent and level of the income gaps between the haves and the have-nots while at the same time increasing the vulnerabilities of the poor. Such a scenario and the increased level of rent-seeing that one finds in the country indicates that foreign aid has undermined governance in the country. By exploring the heavy handed use of development aid by the ruling party and the culpability of donors and aid agencies, the paper provides analytical support behind aid and corruption, aid and extraction of rents and the type of corruption that one finds in the country. The paper concludes development aid has been a curse and both Ethiopia and its people would have been better off without foreign aid than with it.
The Male, Deutonymph and Protonymph of the Mite Eubrachylaelaps Circularis (Ewing) (Acarina: Laelaptidae) with Notes on Morphological Variations

In his generic revision of Eubrachylaelaps, Furman (1955) recognized eight species. All of these were described from female specimens only. Apparently there have been few workers who have seen or recognized the males. Jameson (1950) states that he has seen the males of only two species. Strandtmann (1949) suggested that males of the genus Haemolaelaps seldom are found on the host, and probably are nest dwellers. It is apparent from collections made by the author and other workers that this applies to males of the genus Eubrachylaelaps. During seasonal study of the ectoparasites found in the nests of the desert wood rat (Allred and Roscoe, unpublished manuscript), the author and his associates collected one nest infested with females, males, deutonymphs and protonymphs of E. circularis. The collection of all of these stages from a rodent nest lends support to the theory of the nest dwelling habit of this species.
Radiofluoride distribution in tissues of normal and nephrectomized rats.

Summary1) Radiofluoride given by intraperitoneal injection was absorbed and distributed throughout fluid compartments of the rat. It was found in concentrations exceeding that of plasma in the skeleton and in the tail tendon. In all other soft tissues examined, concentration in tissue water was some fraction of plasma concentration. Tissue concentrations in nephrectomized animals were increased but the pattern of distribution was not changed. The skeleton sequestered the bulk of the radiofluoride which would have been excreted by the kidneys. 2) The radiofluoride content of tissues expressed in terms of chloride content of the tissues varied with the nature of the tissue. It was lowest in the brain, highest in skeletal muscle, and was increased in most tissues of nephrectomized animals. The soft tissue fluid compartment volumes are not the same for the 2 halogen anions fluoride and chloride.
Validation of a screening procedure for chronic nonspecific respiratory disease.

The Philadelphia Tuberculosis and Health Association surveyed 2,825 adults with a 70-mm photofluorogram, a questionnaire, and ventilatory tests. A selected sample of 71 individuals was carefully evaluated in one of four pulmonary physiology laboratories by history, physical examination, and a battery of pulmonary function tests to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the screen. In screening for chronic obstructive lung diseases, if this was defined as expectoration and/or a forced vital capacity below 62% of predicted by Baldwin standards and/or a one-second forced expiratory volume below 66% of observed vital capacity, the sensitivity was 79% and specificity was 72%, If the one-second forced expiratory volume below 66% was used alone, the sensitivity was only 42%, but the specificity was 96%.
Ensuring continuity of care and accuracy of patients' medication history on hospital admission.

Our pharmacists occasionally receive medication orders for hospitalized patients that seem inappropriate. When we question the prescribers, they insist that these regimens are based on the patient's self-reported medication history at the time of hospital admission. What should pharmacists do to make sure that patients are getting the correct drugs with correct dosages?
Acoustic metamaterials membranes for low frequency sound attenuation

L frequency noise has long been regarded as a form of noise pollution due to its high penetrating power. The reduction of low frequency noise from aircraft and automobile engines remains a challenge since the conventional acoustic liners are not able to absorb the low frequency noise radiation. Membrane-type acoustic metamaterials (MAMs) have demonstrated unusual capacity in controlling low-frequency sound transmission and reflection. The MAM is composed of a pre-stretched elastic membrane with attached rigid masses. In this keynote paper, the problems associated with low frequency noise will be discussed. The recent analytical/ computational/experimental research on acoustic metamaterial membranes in controlling and attenuating the low frequency noise will be presented.
Pregnancy recognition signals in mammals: the roles of interferons and estrogens

Reproduction is a highly complex biological process requiring a dialogue between the developing conceptus (embryo-fetus and associated placental membranes) and maternal uterus which must be established during the peri-implantation period for pregnancy recognition signaling and regulation of gene expression by uterine epithelial and stromal cells. The uterus provide a microenvironment in which molecules secreted by uterine epithelia or transported into the uterine lumen represent histotroph or the secretome required for growth and development of the conceptus and receptivity of the uterus to implantation by the conceptus. Pregnancy recognition signaling as related to sustaining the functional lifespan of the corpora lutea (CL) which produce progesterone; the hormone of pregnancy essential for uterine functions that support implantation and placentation required for successful outcomes of pregnancy. It is within the periimplantation period that most embryonic deaths occur in mammals due to deficiencies attributed to uterine functions or failure of the conceptus to develop appropriately, signal pregnancy recognition and/or undergo implantation and placentation. The endocrine status of the pregnant female and her nutritional status are critical for successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The challenge is to understand the complexity of key mechanisms that are characteristic of successful reproduction and to use that knowledge to enhance fertility and reproductive health of animals including nonhuman primates. It is important to translate knowledge gained from studies of animals to address issues of fertility and reproductive health in humans.
Double layer grid space frame buckling.

The general problem of the buckling of space frames has been simplified for the case of double layer grid space frames making assumptions regarding the mode of buckling. These assumptions allow sim...
Predictive Power Management for Internet of Battery-Less Things

Energy harvesting technology provides a promising solution to enable internet of battery-less things (IoBT), as the lifetime and size of batteries become major limiting factors in the design and effective operation of internet of things (IoT). However, with constrained energy buffer size, the variation of ambient energy availability and wireless communication cast adverse effect on the operation of IoBT. There is a pressing demand for developing IoBT-specialized power management. In this paper, we propose a novel predictive power management (PPM) framework combining optimal working point, deviation aware predictive energy allocation, and energy efficient transmission power control. The optimal working point guarantees minimum power loss of IoBT systems. By predictively budgeting the available energy and using the optimal working point as a set-point, PPM mitigates the prediction error so that both power failure time and system power loss is minimized. The transmission power control module of PPM improves energy efficiency by dynamically selecting optimal transmission power level with minimum energy consumption. Real-world harvesting profiles are tested to validate the effectiveness of PPM. The results indicate that compared with the previous predictive power managers, PPM incurs up to $17.49\%$ reduction in system power loss and $93.88\%$ less power failure time while maintaining a high energy utilization rate. PPM also achieves $9.4\%$ to $23.22\%$ of maximum improvement of transmission energy efficiency compared with the state-of-the-art transmission power control schemes.
Ceramide-1-Phosphate and Its Role in Trafficking of Normal Stem Cells and Cancer Metastasis

Ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), together with other sphingolipids, plays a crucial role in regulating several cell functions. Solid evidence has accumulated that C1P can induce proliferation of some types of cells, regulates inflammation and phagocytosis, has anti-apoptotic properties, and is a potent chemoattractant for variety of cells including stem cells and cancer cells. Unlike most studied peptide-based chemoattractants which show activity in experimental models at supraphysiological concentrations, C1P can activate cell migration within physiological concentration range. Moreover, C1P level may be upregulated in damaged tissues due to injury, ischemia, irradiation, or as a toxic effect of chemotherapy. Therefore, CIP as therapeutic target has important implication for optimizing stem cells mobilization and homing, tissue and organ regeneration, and preventing cancer metastasis.
Water Oxidation on Oxygen-Deficient Barium Titanate: A First-Principles Study

We present a study of the effects of oxygen vacancies (Ovac) on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the TiO2-terminated (001) surface of cubic BaTiO3 (cBTO-TiO2) using spin-polarized DFT+U calculations and the standard (cation-based) four proton-coupled-electron-transfer methodology. We find that the excess electrons associated with Ovac’s are involved in charge transfer (CT) to the intermediate adsorbate species HO*, O*, and HOO* and/or new surface oxygen hole states that we identified. The CT is responsible for an increase in these species’ binding energies to the oxygen-deficient surface (cBTO-TiO2–x) to an extent consistent with their electronegativity. The much stronger stabilization of HO* and O* compared to HOO* results in an increased overpotential ηOER on the reduced oxide. This result is at odds with experiment that shows a significantly increased efficiency for oxygen-deficient BTO, suggesting that a different mechanism and/or surface must be involved under the experimental conditions. We al...
Japanese Tarot Cards

This essay looks at selected images from tarot decks designed in Japan. Tarot decks reflect a deliberate adaptation process across both cultural and temporal borders, with visual components created and customized for a Japanese viewer. My aim is to consider the nature of these changes in imagery and to focus attention on an under-analyzed and mostly female-gendered domain. In particular, I look at the way the medieval European people and elements originally found on the cards are replaced with images from the world of Japanese art, history, and popular culture. These substitutions either gloss over the gaps between Western and Japanese world views or meld them into a new form, allowing the tarot entry into a different or hybrid metaphysical culture. Attention to tarot cards is important because of their great economic and cultural impact in contemporary Japan. A widespread love of tarot in Japan provides insight into domains of pleasure, spiritual exploration, and fandom.
Inpatient hospitalizations in women with and without assisted reproductive technology live birth.

The aim of this study is to evaluate frequency of hospitalization before, during, and after assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment by cycle outcome. Six thousand and one hundred thirty women residing in Massachusetts undergoing 17,135 cycles of ART reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System (SARTCORS) from 2004 to 2011 were linked to hospital discharges and vital records. Women were grouped according to ART treatment cycle outcome as: no pregnancy (n = 1840), one or more pregnancies but no live birth (n = 968), or one or more singleton live births (n = 3322). Hospital delivery discharges during 1998–2011 were categorized as occurring before, during, or after the ART treatment. The most prevalent ICD-9 codes for non-delivery hospital discharges were compared. Groups were compared using chi square test using SAS 9.3 software. The proportion of any hospitalization was 57.0, 58.3, and 91.3% for women with no pregnancy, no live birth, and ART singleton live birth, respectively; the proportion of non-delivery hospitalizations was 30.4, 31.0, and 28.3%, respectively. The non-ART delivery proportion after ART treatment did not differ by group (33.4, 36.2, and 36.9%, respectively, p = 0.17). Most frequent non-delivery diagnoses (including fibroids, obesity, ectopic pregnancy, depression, and endometriosis) also did not differ by group. A secondary analysis limited to only women with no delivery discharges before the first ART cycle showed similar results. All groups had live birth deliveries during the study period, suggesting an important contribution of non-ART treatment or treatment-independent conception to overall delivery and live births. Hospitalizations not associated with delivery suggested similarity in morbidity for all ART patients regardless of success with ART treatment.
Initiation of Snowball Earth with volcanic sulfur aerosol emissions

We propose that the first Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth event, the Sturtian glaciation, was initiated by the injection of sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere. Geochronological data indicate that the Natkusiak magmatic assemblage of the Franklin large igneous province coincided with onset of the Sturtian glaciation. The Natkusiak was emplaced into an evaporite basin and entrained significant quantities of sulfur, which would have led to extensive SO2 and H2S outgassing in hot convective plumes. The largest of these plumes could have penetrated the tropopause, leading to stratospheric sulfate aerosol formation and an albedo increase sufficient to force a Snowball. Radiative forcing was maximized by the equatorial location of the Franklin and the cool Neoproterozoic background climate, which would have lowered the tropopause height, increasing the rate of stratospheric aerosol injection. Our results have implications for understanding Phanerozoic mass extinction events, exoplanet habitability, and aerosol perturbations to the present-day climate.
Tumor Associated Antigens

The results of an extensive series of studies that were first carried out in the early 1990s have revealed that human tumor reactive T cells recognize a diverse array of antigens. These include antigens expressed in normal tissues, mutated gene products as well as novel epitopes encoded within alternative open reading frames, intronic sequences, as well as the products that result from protein splicing. This antigenic diversity provides opportunities as well as challenges for the development of more effective immunotherapies for the treatment of patients with cancer.
EFFECTS OF THE 2014 FARM BILL POLICIES ON COTTON PRODUCTION

We develop a model for a representative risk-averse cotton farmer to analyze the impact of crop insurance policies (Revenue Protection [RP], Yield Protection, Stacked Income Protection Plan [STAX], and Supplemental Coverage Option [SCO]). The model is calibrated and numerically optimized to quantify the effects of different insurance policy combinations on input use (moral hazard), insurance coverage levels, premiums, and certainty equivalent. When the farmer elects only RP, the optimal coverage rate is 80%. Under RP and STAX, the optimal RP coverage rate is 70% and the STAX coverage rate is 90%. RP and STAX is the optimal policy combination based on certainty equivalents. The RP and SCO combination has the lowest impact of input use.
High interrater reliability of overnight pulse oximetry interpretation among inexperienced physicians using a structured template

Study Objectives:To assess the interrater reliability and accuracy of overnight pulse oximetry (OPO) interpretations by pulmonary fellows using a comprehensive structured template and after a brief...
Conformation of random polymers

Homopolymers are polymers consisting of many identical monomers bonded sequentially. (In Chapter 10 we considered the entanglement problem for such polymers). Heteropolymers are polymers consisting of different groups of monomers. A protein is a heteropolymer; its monomers are amino-acids whose molecular structure is There are about 20 different amino-acids, each having a different radical R.
Closed-End Fund Discounts and Irrational Investors

It is widely believed that Closed-End Fund (CEF) discounts are due to the relatively disproportionate large numbers of small investors compared to institutional investors trading in them. An asset that is mainly traded by small investors has additional risk due to the fear factor that is usually associated with incomplete information about the market conditions. According to the present sentiment theory, noisy traders, which are usually small investors, are the reason behind CEF discounts. To test this discount theory, a closer study of the CEF funds and their correlations to various market indicators is presented. A special attention is paid to the behavior of CEFs during the financial crisis. It is shown that CEFs, contrary to popular belief, are relatively safe with small β and high α in many cases. This partially explains why CEFs are still a good investment even if they are traded at a premium and our results show that the sentiment theory cannot explain the origin of the discount.
Complications of Groin Hernia and of Hernial Repair

Complications may result from the hernia itself or the technique used in its repair. Among the complications reviewed here are injury to nerves, damage to the blood supply of the testis injury to bladder or bowel as well as hernial incarceration strangulation.
Augmented reality through wearable computing

Wearable computing moves computation from the desktop to the user. We are forming a community of networked, wearable-computer users to explore, over a long period, the augmented realities that these systems can provide. By adapting its behavior to the user's changing environment, a body-worn computer can assist the user more intelligently, consistently, and continuously than a desktop system. A text-based augmented reality, the Remembrance Agent, is presented to illustrate this approach. Video cameras are used both to warp the visual input mediated reality and to sense the user's world for graphical overlay. With a camera, the computer could track the user's finger to act as the system's mouse; perform face recognition; and detect passive objects to overlay 2.5D and 3D graphics onto the real world. Additional apparatus such as audio systems, infrared beacons for sensing location, and biosensors for learning about the wearer's affect are described. With the use of input from these interface devices and sensors, a long-term goal of this project is to model the user's actions, anticipate his or her needs, and perform a seamless interaction between the virtual and physical environments.
LASER AND ELECTRON BEAM MELTING OF IRON BASE HARD MATERIALS

Hardness values above those obtained by conventional heat treatment have been found in the rapidly solidified melt zones of electron beam and laser surface melted iron-base hard materials.
Effect of chromium on the cast-iron media properties and performance in wet grinding

Corrosion and abrasion properties of a series of chromium-containing, cast-iron balls, with Cr contents ranging from 0% to 29%, were evaluated and compared with austenitic stainless-steel and mild-steel balls. Marked ball wear tests were performed on artificial ore samples consisting of 95% quartzite, with either 5% pyrrhotite or 5% chalcopyrite, under a nitrogen or oxygen atmosphere. The electrochemical mechanism was investigated by correlating the corrosive wear with the corrosion currents obtained from potentiodynamic polarization curves under abrasion. Flotation recoveries were determined on a 95% quartzite + 5% pyrrhotite sample ground with various cast-iron ball materials under an oxygen or nitrogen atmosphere. Electrochemical results are found to be in good agreement with flotation results and with corrosive wear data obtained from marked ball wear tests.
Abstract 386: Dietary Oxidized Linoleic Acid Modulates PCSK9 and Associated Genes

Introduction: We have previously shown that oxidized linoleic acid (OxLA) modulate plasma lipids. In this study we investigated the role of dietary OxLA on PCSK-9 and its associated genes. Method: ...
Primary Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma Presenting with Duodenal Stricture and Hepatic and Gastroduodenal Artery Encasement: A Case Report.

Primary small bowel adenocarcinoma is rare, with an estimated U.S. annual incidence of 3.9 cases per million persons, and is often associated with a poor prognosis. We report a case of a 68-year-old male diagnosed with primary duodenal adenocarcinoma with hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery encasement. The patient initially presented with persistent nausea and vomiting unresponsive to ondansetron and metoclopramide, and initial computed tomography (CT) of abdomen and pelvis revealed significant stomach distension concerning for gastric outlet obstruction. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed significant duodenal stricture, with results of triple phase CT of pancreas significant for tissue encasing the common hepatic artery and the origin of the gastroduodenal artery. Pathology results verified the presence of a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma involving the small bowel. Due to artery encasement by the tumor, the patient was deemed to be a poor surgical candidate, and instead received a duodenal stent for symptomatic relief with initiation of a chemotherapy regimen consisting of folinic acid, oxaliplatin, and fluorouracil (FOLFOX) as an outpatient. This case highlights the presentation and diagnostic workup of a rare cancer.
Multinomial HMMs for Intent Recognition in Maritime Domains

The need for increased maritime security has prompted research focus on intent recognition solutions for the naval domain. We consider the problem of early classification of the hostile behavior of agents in a dynamic maritime domain and propose a solution using multinomial Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). To enable early detection of hostile behaviors, the proposed approach encodes as observable symbols the rate of change (instead of static values) for parameters relevant to the task. We discuss our implementation of a one-versus-all intent classifier using multinomial HMMs and present the results of our system on three types of hostile behaviors (ram, herd, block) and a benign behavior.
Short Rational Functions for Toric Algebra and Applications

We encode the binomials belonging to the toric ideal $I_A$ associated with an integral $d \times n$ matrix $A$ using a short sum of rational functions as introduced by Barvinok \cite{bar,newbar}. Under the assumption that $d,n$ are fixed, this representation allows us to compute the Graver basis and the reduced Grobner basis of the ideal $I_A$, with respect to any term order, in time polynomial in the size of the input. We also derive a polynomial time algorithm for normal form computation which replaces in this new encoding the usual reductions typical of the division algorithm. We describe other applications, such as the computation of Hilbert series of normal semigroup rings, and we indicate further connections to integer programming and statistics.