cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient identification of crosstalk induced slowdown targets

This paper deals with filter development in XIDEN, a "pruning " tool used to identify crosstalk targets that can potentially create Boolean errors. XIDEN employs multiple tools to adoptively estimate and/or extract electrical parameters required by its filters, and uses a novel approach to construct an efficient sequence of extractors and filters that are applied to a circuit. Thus, an initially enormous collection of targets can usually be reduced to a very small set of targets via a vectorless process. This process flow is much more efficient than using ATPG without pruning to identify targets that represent faults. The XIDEN framework, including the filters that capture the effect of crosstalk-induced pulses, has been previously presented. In this paper, our focus is on filters associated with crosstalk induced slowdown targets. To accurately compute timing information associated with signal transitions, we have enhanced the XIDEN framework with enhanced static timing analysis procedures that take into consideration single and multiple capacitive crosstalk couplings in a circuit.
Solubility of amino acids in mixed solvent systems.

The effects of various solvents and pH on the solubility characteristics of glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, L-phenylalanine, and DL-amino octanoic acid were studied in a series of hydroalcoholic solvent systems. The solubility properties of the amino acids studied were found to be dominated by the α-amino carboxylic acid portion of the molecule but also depended to some extent on the nonpolar portion of the molecule and its interaction with each specific solvent system. These interactions gave rise to a rank order of solubility which was characteristic of the specific amino acid rather than the decreasing polarity of the solvent system. Similar solubility profiles were found throughout the concentration spectrum and were defined by using a polynomial regression analysis. As the percent of alcohol was increased in the solvent systems studied, similar increments of acid or base added to the system produced a proportionally greater increase in the magnitude of total amino acid solubility.
How much benefit do we get from rotator cuff repair

Randomized controlled trials are difficult to conduct, explaining their paucity in the literature on the management of rotator cuff disease and the difficulty in establishing definitive guidelines for treatment. This study by Moosmayer and colleagues represents one of the few randomized trials on patients with rotator cuff tears that compares surgical repair with nonoperative treatment. Although rotator cuff surgery is increasing in frequency, this study should be troubling to surgeons as the amount of improvement obtained with surgery is not great compared with a standard exercise program and, in fact, the gains in the Constant score are below the threshold for a clinically important difference. It is also interesting to note that the failure of treatment for the two groups was similar. Of the fifty-one patients randomized to physiotherapy, nonoperative treatment was successful in 76% (thirty-nine patients) and unsuccessful in 24% (twelve patients) if failure is defined as crossing over to surgery. For sixty of the sixty-four patients treated with a rotator cuff repair, assessment of the integrity of the tendon was performed by sonography after five years, and postoperative imaging demonstrated complete healing in …
Distinct, constitutively active MAPK phosphatases function in Xenopus oocytes: implications for p42 MAPK regulation In vivo.

Xenopus oocyte maturation requires the phosphorylation and activation of p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Likewise, the dephosphorylation and inactivation of p42 MAPK are critical for the progression of fertilized eggs out of meiosis and through the first mitotic cell cycle. Whereas the kinase responsible for p42 MAPK activation is well characterized, little is known concerning the phosphatases that inactivate p42 MAPK. We designed a microinjection-based assay to examine the mechanism of p42 MAPK dephosphorylation in intact oocytes. We found that p42 MAPK inactivation is mediated by at least two distinct phosphatases, an unidentified tyrosine phosphatase and a protein phosphatase 2A–like threonine phosphatase. The rates of tyrosine and threonine dephosphorylation were high and remained constant throughout meiosis, indicating that the dramatic changes in p42 MAPK activity seen during meiosis are primarily attributable to changes in MAPK kinase activity. The overall control of p42 MAPK dephosphorylation was shared among four partially rate-determining dephosphorylation reactions, with the initial tyrosine dephosphorylation of p42 MAPK being the most critical of the four. Our findings provide biochemical and kinetic insight into the physiological mechanism of p42 MAPK inactivation.
Study of the structure of the slab-mantle interface using reflected and converted seismic waves

SUMMARY Seismic waves reflected and converted at the interface between a downgoing slab and the mantle above it can provide important constraints on the velocity contrast at the interface and hence on the properties of the downgoing lithosphere. Modelling studies suggest that different physical mechanisms may contribute to the velocity contrast at different depths along the interface. To explore the possible mechanisms, we examine the amplitudes of seismic waves reflected and converted at the slab-mantle interface in Japanese subduction zones. Slab-face P-reflection amplitudes suggest a velocity contrast ranging upwards to -10 per cent at depths of between 300 and 400 km. PIS amplitude ratios from ScS-to-P conversions at the slab-mantle interface depend on the depth of conversion and are large, 0.14 and 0.12, at stations SHK and MAT. The size of the velocity contrasts and amplitude ratios suggests that a model of the interface more complicated than one involving merely temperature and/or compositional effects is required. We use these observations to constrain layered models of the slab-mantle interface using Thomson-Haskell matrix modelling, comparing observations with calculated amplitude ratios. The results suggest that the crustal layer of basaltic composition, persisting to depth during subduction, plays a role in the generation of the shallow converted waves. The deeper conversions appear to require layering as well, perhaps involving eclogite at the slab surface in addition to oriented olivine in the overlying mantle and the a-p (and a-y) phase transformations in olivine within the slab.
A computational approach to “free will” constrained by the games we play

Human choice is not free—we are bounded by a multitude of biological constraints. Yet, within the various landscapes we face, we do express choice, preference, and varying degrees of so-called willful behavior. Moreover, it appears that the capacity for choice in humans is variable. Empirical studies aimed at investigating the experience of “free will” will benefit from theoretical disciplines that constrain the language used to frame the relevant issues. The combination of game theory and computational reinforcement learning theory with empirical methods is already beginning to provide valuable insight into the biological variables underlying capacity for choice in humans and how things may go awry in individuals with brain disorders. These disciplines operate within abstract quantitative landscapes, but have successfully been applied to investigate strategic and adaptive human choice guided by formal notions of optimal behavior. Psychiatric illness is an extreme, but interesting arena for studying human capacity for choice. The experiences and behaviors of patients suggest these individuals fundamentally suffer from a diminished capacity of willful choice. Herein, I will briefly discuss recent applications of computationally guided approaches to human choice behavior and the underlying neurobiology. These approaches can be integrated into empirical investigation at multiple temporal scales of analysis including the growing body of experiments in human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and newly emerging sub-second electrochemical and electrophysiological measurements in the human brain. These cross-disciplinary approaches hold promise for revealing the underlying neurobiological mechanisms for the variety of choice capacity in humans.
Frequency-domain compatibility in digital filter BIST

We examine frequency-domain issues in the design and selectionof on-chip test generators for built-in self-test (BIST) of high-performancedigital filters. Test-generator/circuit compatibility isidentified as a significant factor in testing large filters. A fault-injectionexperiment is used to show that when an incompatible testgenerator is used, high fault coverage (over 99%) does not guaranteethat all serious faults will be detected. The frequency-domaincharacteristics of some basic test generation schemes are examined,and guidelines for test generator selection are proposed. Analyticaltechniques for identifying frequency-related testability problemsare discussed, and several test generation schemes are evaluated byfault simulating them against lowpass, bandpass, and highpass filters.A mixed test generation scheme is shown to reduce the numberof untested faults by a factor of two to three over a standard linear-feedbackshift-register (LFSR) based test scheme, at little added cost.
PERFORMANCE OF CAMPUS PARKING GARAGES IN PREVENTING CRIME

The Ohio State University ~OSU! initiated this study in response to campus parking garage crime that persisted at an unacceptably high level in spite of campus-wide efforts to reduce crime. The writers combined crime statistics gathered by the OSU Police Department with results of an on-site survey to model parking using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design ~CPTED! principles. The goal of the study was a group of CPTED-based design changes intended to create an environment that would deter parking garage crime. The analysis included factors such as lighting, visibility, garage color, location of entrances and exits, and design of elevators and stairways. The evaluation showed that lighting was the most significant factors in users' perception of parking garage safety. As a result of this study, OSU implemented the recommended CPTED improvements. In the 2 years following the implementation of CPTED improvements, the average annual incidence of crime in the parking garage where the CPTED improvements had been made fell by more than half of the average annual incidence of crime in that same garage for the four years before the improvements were made.
Grading xerostomia by physicians or by patients after intensity-modulated radiotherapy of head-and-neck cancer.

percent (relative to the pretherapy) nonstimulated salivary flow rates (p 0.07), but not with the percent stimulated flow rates. Better correlations were found between grading made more than the median time (15 min) after the last liquid sipping and the nonstimulated (but not the stimulated) flows compared with grading made shortly after sipping. In contrast, significant correlations were found between the XQ scores and the nonstimulated (p < 0.005) and the stimulated (p < 0.005) salivary flow rates, as well as with the percentages of the corresponding pretherapy values (p 0.002 and 0.038, respectively). No significant correlation was found between the RTOG/EORTC grades and the XQ scores. The observer-based grades underestimated the severity of xerostomia compared with the patient self-reported scores. Conclusions: Patient self-reported, rather than physician-assessed scores, should be the main end points in evaluating xerostomia. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. Head-and-neck cancer, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, xerostomia, quality of life, parotid, salivary glands.
The Technology Transfer Process: Concepts, Framework and Methodology.

The concepts, framework and methodology of the technology transfer process are discussed. On the basis of research a model of the transfer mechanism is developed. This model is carried through several iterations to arrive at a predictive model of technology transfer. The model is useful in terms of exposing difficiencies in the acceptance of new and/or innovative technology. In addition the model has a future usefulness in terms of providing a basis for a quantitative measure of the effectiveness of an organization to capitalize on the technology transfer process.
The future of missiology as a discipline: a view from the non-Western world

This article reproduces material originally presented in a plenary address at the annual meeting of the America Society of Missiology (in June, 2013) organized around the theme “The Future of Missiology.” It examines the prospects and predicaments that confront the discipline of missiology in non-Western contexts. This assessment revolves around three broad reflections. First, that while non-Western theological production and missiological thinking has shown tremendous growth in recent decades, captivity to Western training and intellectual traditions remains a major challenge. Second, that one of the most pressing concerns confronting non-Western missiological education and scholarship is the need for institutional models and programmatic approaches that reflect non-Western realities. In this regard, the article argues that in order to be effective and sustained, missiological education in non-Western contexts needs to be more integrative—that is, less dependent on the isolationist-specialist model preva...
Possible ramifications of the identification of ovarian follicular granulosa cells as specialized endothelial-like cells: a speculative treatise

This article presents several possible extensions and considerations stemming from the putative identification of cells of the ovarian follicular granulosa as specialized endothelial-like cells. The epithelial assignment for cells of the follicular granulosa is of limited value and potentially confusing. Phenotypic and biological evidence suggests some follicle cells may represent a 'primitive', or quasi-differentiated, cell population. Other evidence suggests that cells of the follicular granulosa produce a range of molecules whose synthesis may be affected by hypoxia; some of these molecules may play strategic roles during follicular maturation, ovulation and formation of the corpus luteum. Just as follicle cells appear capable of endothelial cell-like behaviour(s), endothelial cells appear capable of engaging in some activities essential to follicular function, including steroid hormone receptivity, hyaluronic acid synthesis and steroidogenesis. A consideration of the cells of the follicle as a specialized endothelial-like cell population may have important clinical applications with respect to the anomalies and pathologies associated with human infertility. In addition, the cells of the follicular granulosa may represent an unusual and potentially powerful model system with which to study and extend the scope of our current understanding of basic endothelial cell biology.
Toward an Archaeology of Food and Warfare

This brief introduction contextualizes our approach to an archaeology of food and warfare through an abbreviated review of three broad theoretical perspectives by which scholars typically consider ancient war and conflict. What emerges from this review is a discussion of how archaeological scholarship on warfare could be improved through a more explicit articulation with a foodways perspective. Independently, the archaeologies of food and warfare have developed significantly over the past several decades. The volume aims to provide concrete linkages between these research topics through the examination of case studies worldwide. Topics considered within the book include the impacts of warfare on the daily food quest, warfare and nutritional health, ritual foodways and violence, the provisioning of warriors and armies, status-based changes in diet during times of war, logistical constraints on military campaigns, and violent competition over subsistence resources. The diversity of perspectives included in this volume may be a product of new ways of conceptualizing violence—not simply as an isolated component of a society, nor as an attribute of a particular societal type—but instead as a transformative process that is lived and irrevocably alters social, economic, and political organization and relationships.
Comparative results obtained in the treatment of acute leukemia.

The current programs used to treat acute leukemia at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are determined on the basis of morphologic criteria and age. The following report describes the regimens used and the current experience at this Center. Although age may be an important factor in the ultimate response of the patient, the morphologic characteristics of the disease govern the therapeutic approach. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the L-2 protocol is used. In the acute non-lymphoblastic leukemias, myeloblastic, myelomonoblastic and monoblastic (AML), the L-6 protocol is followed. The age division is based on practical lines in that there are both adult and pediatric leukemic groups. However, there are only minor differences in the protocols due mainly to practical rather than real considerations.
Why Has Russia's Economic Transformation Been So Ardous?

This paper examines the problems of Russia's post-communist economic transformation. Its main thesis is that the Russian attempt at radical economic reform largely failed, because of extraordinary rent-seeking by old enterprise managers through export rents, subsidized credits, import subsidies and direct government subsidies, while they gained little from Privatization. The reason why the managers were so strong was that the Soviet Union left large economic distortions behind and a virtually unconstrained economic elite. The reforms could have been reinforced if democratic institutions had been developed faster, or if the West had provided financial support for the reforms in early 1992. Over time, rents have dwindled, but Russian institutions have been seriously damaged by corruption. Intense competition over rents contributed to the financial crash in August 1998, but the competition also limits the rents, and might ease the way for future reforms.
Oxygen content determination in thin silicon slices

A survey is given on the transmission spectrum minima due to different oxide bonds on the surface of and in the silicon crystal. Methods are described for the investigation of the oxygen content of thin silicon slices. The oxygen concentration values of a few samples are determined and the bulk absorption cross-sections of different SiO2 groups are estimated.
Bacterial Flagellar Switching: Hidden Markov Steps Revealed

Here we describe a Markov chain that accounts for hidden steps in the switching mechanism of bacterial flagellar rotation. The bacterial flagellar motor apparatus switches between counter clockwise rotation (CCW) and clockwise rotation (CW) by a process that requires interactions between ligand-bound switch subunits of the rotor and motor units of the stator. If the ligand, CheY, binding to switch subunits shifts equilibrium between CCW and CW, i.e. simplest proposed mechanism, the intervals between switches, dwell times, should be a random variable of an exponential distribution. Because dwell times are actually gamma distributed, the switching mechanism has evidence for multiple Poisson steps, which is characteristic of a Markov process. We are proposing that the hidden steps of the switching mechanism are intermediates of the principle thermodynamic states, CCW and CW, generated by rotation. At steady-state, the intermediates factor out of the derived state function, but both the thermodynamic states and intermediates appear as statistical states of a Markov chain. The state function determines the bias and the conditional probabilities for all steps of the Markov chain except when rotation separates a switch subunit, which must have unit probability. To obtain a continuous time random walk, we applied the rotation rate to all conditional and unit probabilities of the discrete Markov chain. Published dwell time distributions were fit best by simulations that depend on bias alone regardless of the number of motor units operating on a rotor. Because the bias in our model depends on the probability that all motor units of a rotor interact with switch subunits that are ligand bound, each motor unit contributes less to the free energy change required for a given bias as motor units increase. Yet the probability of a switch remains constant.
The Iron Works of Ybycui: Paraguayan Industrial Development in the Mid-Nineteenth Century *

Paraguay, by the mid-nineteenth century, was alone among the South American nations in its policy of internal development and economic autonomy. Exemplifying this were the many independent efforts at modernizing the country and its economy, including the building of a railway, telegraph system, and perhaps most importantly, an iron foundry. Although many foreign advisers were hired for these projects, ultimate control and direction rested in the hands of the Paraguayans themselves. Elsewhere throughout the continent a new British-dominated neocolonial order had taken firm root. Britain's diplomatic ventures at this time centered on the formation of alliances with such American metropolises as Lima and Buenos Aires. These compacts were built upon mutual interests in reconstructing the splintered Viceroyalties into viable political units under basically British hegemony. “The nail is driven,” wrote Foreign Secretary Canning in 1824, “Spanish America is free, and if we do not mismanage our affairs sadly, she is English.”
Clinical analysis of 50 cases with Langerhans cell histocytosis

Objective To study the clinical features,classification,laboratory data,treatment and prognosis of Children's Langerhans cell histocytosis.Methods The clinical data of 50 cases with Langerhans cell histocytosis in our hospital from 2002 to 2010 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Results of 50 patients with Langerhans cell histocytosis,LS type was 20 cases,LSC type was 2 cases,EG type was 18 cases and middle type was 10 cases.According to Lavint Osband classification,16 cases was class I,15 cases was class II,9 cases was class III and 10 cases was class IV.31 patients were treated with operation combining with chemotherapy.10 cases in EG typed were treated with operation,and 8 cases were treated with operation and chemotherapy.Conclusion Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare proliferative disorder where pathologic Langerhans cells accumulate in a variety of organs.The clinical features were diversity and it was easy to be misdiagnosed.X-ray examination was the most important method for the diagnosis.The diagnostic evidence included skin lesion,soft tissue masses,osteolysis,enlarged lymph mode and histological examination of liver and spleen.Langerhans cell histocytosis comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases,and the individual treatment was very important.The selection of treatment was relevant to the age of patient,degree and range of lesion.There are not effective methods for the treatment of Langerhans cell histocytosis.
Epidemiological Analysis on Rabies in Weinan District from 2010 to 2012

Objective:To offer reasonable evidence for preventing and controlling rabies by analyzing the epidemic situation of rabies in Weinan District from 2010 to 2012.Methods To collect data of the reported rabies cases in Weinan District from 2010 to 2012 and to analyze the data by descriptive epidemiological method.Results 47 cases of rabies are reported in Weinan during 2 years and the majority is from rural areas.The distribution covers all 11 counties of Weinan District.The morbidity rate is relatively high in the Northwest China.The cases are reported mainly in summer and autumn(occupies 74.4 %).The peasants and students are the major group of the infected cases(occupies87.23 %)and more men than women(the sex ratio is 3.7:1).The morbidity rate of 40 years and older is relatively high(occupies 82.98 %).70.22 % rabies exposed population have no wound treatment and 85.11 % didn't have vaccination against rabies.None of exposed population has immunoglobulin or serum inoculation.Conclusions The rabies in Weinan District has great characteristics among different areas,seasons,ages,genders and jobs.Besides,the wound treatment is not so qualified after exposing.Therefore,strengthening the management of dogs,enhancing the immunization rate of dogs,strengthening the propaganda in public,strengthening the training for medical workers,normalizing the treating of dog-bite wound and enhancing the immunization rate of exposure are the keys in preventing and controlling rabies.
Crystal structure of 8-iodo-quinolinium tetra-chlorido-aurate(III).

The structure of the title salt, (C9H7IN)[AuCl4], is comprised of planar 8-iodo­quinolinium cations (r.m.s. deviation = 0.05 A) and square-planar tetra­chlorido­aurate(III) anions. The asymmetric unit contains one 8-iodo­quinolinium cation and two halfs of [AuCl4]− anions, in each case with the central AuIII atom located on an inversion center. Inter­molecular halogen–halogen contacts were found between centrosymmetric pairs of I [3.6178 (4) A] and Cl atoms [3.1484 (11), 3.3762 (13), and 3.4935 (12) A]. Inter­molecular N—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonding is also found in the structure. These inter­actions lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network. Additionally, there is an intra­molecular N—H⋯I hydrogen bond between the aromatic iminium and iodine. There are no aurophilic inter­actions or short contacts between I and Au atoms, and there are no notable π-stacking inter­actions between the aromatic cations.
Drones in the Smart City and IoT: Protocols, Resilience, Benefits, and Risks

Drones have quickly become ubiquitous for both recreational and serious use. As is frequently the case with new technology in general, their rapid adoption already far exceeds our legal, policy, and social ability to cope with such issues as privacy and interference with well-established commercial and military air space. While the FAA has issued rulings, they will almost certainly be challenged in court as disputes arise, for example, when property owners shoot drones down. It is clear that drones will provide a critical role in smart cities and be connected to, if not directly a part of the IoT (Internet of Things). Drones will provide an essential role in providing network relay connectivity and situational awareness, particularly in disaster assessment and recovery scenarios. As is typical for new network technologies, the deployment of the drone hardware far exceeds our research in protocols -- extending our previous understanding of MANETs (mobile ad hoc networks) and DTNs (disruption tolerant networks) -- and more importantly, management, control, resilience, security, and privacy concerns. This keynote address will discuss these challenges and consider future research directions.
Divine Commands as the Basis for Moral Obligations

This paper explains and defends a divine command account of moral obligations. A divine command account of moral obligations is distinguished from a general theological voluntarism which grounds all moral truth in the divine will. God’s commands ground moral duties, but truths about the good are grounded in the nature of God and God’s creation. Such an account does not see a divine command account as a rival to a natural law view of the good or as a rival to virtue ethics. The three types of account are complementary. A divine command account of moral obligation is attractive for both theological and philosophical reasons, and those strengths are made clear. In conclusion the paper considers and responds to a number of objections often raised against such an account, including the so-called Euthyphro objection—an objection that stems from Cudworth, and an objection that hinges on the way God’s commands are promulgated.
Cannabinoid Receptors CB1 and CB2 Regulate Mobilization of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells.

Abstract Endocannabinoids are lipid mediators that modulate central and peripheral neural functions as well as immune responses and bind to specific G-protein-coupled receptors:CB1 and CB2. Here, we investigated the role of CB1/CB2 and cognate cannabinoid ligands in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) mobilization. CB1 and CB2receptor expression was observed in human and murine HSPCs. Cannabinoid ligands induced the chemotaxis of the human CD34+ cells and caused mobilization of murine HSPC in vivo. Inhibition of degradation of the endocannabinoid anandamide by URB597induced mobilization of HSPC and significantly augmented mobilization of these cells when URB597 was administered with G-CSF-, AMD3100- and with the combination of G-CSF+AMD3100. Moreover, the cannabinoid- or G-CSF-induced mobilization of HSPC was significantly impaired by cannabinoid receptor inhibitors and in CB1- andCB2-knockout mice. Administration of exogenous cannabinoid agonists in mice induced mobilization of progenitors as well as stem cells in vivo with long-term repopulating ability. These results demonstrate a novel pathway by which the cannabinoid system regulates HSPC cell trafficking, and may be therapeutically applied in clinical conditions, such as bone marrow transplantation.
Abstract B05: Centrosomal profiles of pancreatic adenocarcinoma from African American and European American patients: A comparative analysis

Background: Mortality from pancreatic cancer is higher in African-Americans (AA) compared to European Americans (EA). Although recent studies have focused on identification of gene expression signatures in whole tumors with variable metastatic potential, a disparity at the organelle-level between tumors of differing aggressiveness and metastatic potential has remained unexplored. Given the long-standing association between centrosome amplification (CA) and aggressiveness, we hypothesized that AA have a higher incidence and severity of CA in pancreatic adenocarcinomas as compared to EA. To test this hypothesis, we have developed an innovative method to quantitate the degree of CA (both numeral and structural) within tumor samples and defined a measurable index called the Centrosome Amplification Score (CAS). Experimental Design: Tissue specimens from 39 EA and 29 AA pancreatic adenocarcinomas were immunostained for centrosomes (gamma-tubulin) and nuclei (Hoechst). Immunofluorescence confocal imaging was then used to stack/take optical sections of tumor tissue and capture all centrosomes and nuclei within 10 regions of interest (ROIs) per sample. Centrosomes were categorized as (i) individually-distinguishable centrosomes (iCTRs) or (ii) as mega centrosomes (mCTRs) comprised of several tightly clustered centrosomes whose precise number could not be determined. For each ROI, the number of nuclei as well as the numbers and volumes of iCTRs and mCTRs were determined. The cumulative CAS was obtained for each ROI as CAS total = CASi + CASm (CASi - CAS for iCTRs and CASm - for mCTRs). Results: AA tumors (n=22) exhibit higher mean CASi (16.75 vs 13.6) and CASTotal (26.09 vs 22.48) than grade-matched EA (n=26) suggesting racial disparity at the organellar level (p Conclusion: Our results suggest that an aggressive disease course in AA can be attributed to higher degree and severity of CA (in particular numerical amplification) as compared to EA patients and may render AA more sensitive to centrosome targeting/declustering drugs. Our data compellingly suggest the potential usefulness of CAS in enabling patient stratification to channel patients into optimal treatment regimens with an overall goal of eliminating ethnic disparities in pancreatic cancer outcomes. Citation Format: Karuna Mittal, Vaishali Pannu, Padmashree C.G. Rida, Sergy Klimov, Sanam Sahjram Dharma, Helina w. Ketema, Michelle Dian Reid, Ritu Aneja. Centrosomal profiles of pancreatic adenocarcinoma from African American and European American patients: A comparative analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B05.
P079 Electroconvulsive therapy induced hippocampal electric field strength and structural plasticity

Introduction Recent neuroimaging investigations of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with severe treatment-resistant depression suggest that ECT-induced neuroplasticity of the hippocampus is related to improved clinical response. The relationship between stimulus dose, particularly the pulse current amplitude, with structural plasticity of the hippocampus induced by ECT remains unknown. Objectives To assess the relationship between ECT induced electric field strength and volumetric changes in the hippocampus. Patients & methods The study was approved by the Human Research Protections Office at the University of New Mexico. Fifteen depressed patients (age 55–78) were referred for ECT. Ultrabrief pulse right unilateral ECT was performed using a Thymatron System IV (n = 10, pulse amplitude = 900 mA, pulse width = 0.25 ms; Somatics LLC, Lake Bluff, IL) or a MECTA Spectrum 5000Q (pulse amplitude = 700 mA (n = 2) and 500 mA (n = 3), pulse width = 0.3 ms; MECTA Corp., Tualatin, OR) both delivering stimulation at six-times seizure threshold. The patients underwent neuroimaging within 2 days of starting ECT, and >5 days after the ECT treatment course. High resolution T1-weighted structural MRI were collected on a 3T Siemens Trio scanner. Baseline MRIs were segmented into white matter, gray matter, cerebrospinal fluid, skull, scalp using SPM 12. The volumes defining the head tissues and the attached electrodes were meshed into finite elements using the Simpleware ScanIP and ScanCAD modules. Tissue electrical conductivity and permittivity values were derived from the literature. The electric field was computed using COMSOL Multiphysics. Hippocampus segmentation and volume changes were computed using FreeSurfer. Results In a generalized linear model, ECT pulse amplitude is correlated with the induced electric field strength in the right hippocampus (p Fig. 1 shows the scatterplot of volume change with mean electric field strength and unadjusted regression lines for the left and right hippocampus. Conclusion ECT elicited structural plasticity is a function of stimulus strength. Computational electric field models can be helpful in guiding stimulus dosing in ECT. Download : Download high-res image (143KB) Download : Download full-size image
Portuguese Braille by Computer

The current process for braille book production presents difficulties such as the high cost for training stereotypists, slowness of translation and frequent errors, necessity of detailed revision and the complexity of metal plates correction made manually dot by dot.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Combined with Protein Ingestion Preserves Thigh Muscle Mass But Not Muscle Function in Healthy Older Adults During 5 Days of Bed Rest.

Abstract Short-term bed rest in older adults is characterized by significant loss in leg lean mass and strength posing significant health consequences. The purpose of this study was to determine in healthy older adults if the daily combination of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and protein supplementation (NMES+PRO) would protect muscle mass and function after 5 days of bed rest. Twenty healthy older adults (∼70 years) were subjected to 5 days of continuous bed rest and were randomized into one of two groups: NMES+PRO (n = 10) or control (CON) (n = 10). The NMES+PRO group received bilateral NMES to quadriceps (40 minutes/session, 3 × /day; morning, afternoon, and evening) followed by an interventional protein supplement (17 g). The CON group received an isocaloric equivalent beverage. Before and after bed rest, vastus lateralis biopsies occurred before and after acute essential amino acid (EAA) ingestion for purposes of acutely stimulating mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTORC1) signaling, a major r...
Integrated Preventive Control for Steady-State and Dynamic Security by Sensitivity Factors

Abstract An iterative method is presented to solve integrated steady-state and dynamic security preventive control problem in power systems. In each iteration, two sub-problems namely security assessment and generation re-dispatching are solved. The iteration proceeds until a secure generation distribution is found. In case secure generation distribution can not be found after prespecified number of iterations, load-shedding is implemented by proposed heuristic. Simulation results tested on a real power system are illustrated
Analysis of repeated measures data: A quick primer

When analyzing data for dependent groups (e.g., before and after intervention), one use repeated measures statistical tests that account for the correlated observations. For normally distributed data measured on a continuous/interval scale (e.g., fasting glucose) with only two points of measurement (e.g., before and after), one would conduct a paired t-test. For more than two measurement points (e.g., baseline, 3 months, 6 months), repeated measures analysis of variance is appropriate. For skewed continuous/interval data (e.g., body mass index in the general population), or ordinal data (e.g., visual analog pain scores), one could conduct a Wilcoxon signed-rank test (for two measurement points) or a Friedman's test (for more than two measurement points). The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge.
Searching for synergy: Identifying optimal antiviral combination therapy using Hepatitis C virus (HCV) agents in a replicon system.

Abstract Direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are potent inhibitors of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) that have revolutionized the treatment landscape for this important viral disease. There are currently four classes of DAAs that inhibit HCV replication via distinct mechanisms of action: nonstructural protein (NS) 3/4a protease inhibitors, NS5A inhibitors, NS5B nucleoside polymerase inhibitors, and NS5B non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors. Combination therapy with two or more DAAs has great potential to further enhance antiviral potency. The purpose of this study was to identify optimal combinations of DAAs against genotype 1 HCV replicons that maximized the inhibition of replicon replication. All possible two-drug combinations were evaluated against genotype 1a and 1b HCV replicons using a 96-well plate luciferase-based assay in triplicate. The Greco Universal Response Surface Area mathematical model was fit to the luciferase data to identify drug-drug interactions (i.e.: synergy, additivity, and antagonism) for antiviral effect against both genotypes. This information was used to rank-order combinations of DAAs based on their ability to inhibit replicon replication against genotype 1a and 1b HCV. These preclinical findings can provide information as to which antiviral regimens should move on in the development process.
Thermoelastic State of a Half Space with Fixed Boundary Under the Conditions of Heat Generation in a Circular Domain Parallel to the Boundary

Green’s functions in some problems of thermoelasticity for a semiinfinite body are constructed with the help of the potentials of thermoelastic displacements and Boussinesq functions. The boundaries of the body are rigidly fixed either at temperature zero or under the conditions of heat insulation. We determine the temperature and stresses caused by the heat generation in a circular domain parallel to the boundary and analyze their values for some distributions of heat sources in the domain of heat generation on the boundary of the body and in its center located at a certain distance from the boundary.
Interleukin-18 Is Critical for Mucosa-Associated Invariant T Cell Gamma Interferon Responses to Francisella Species In Vitro but Not In Vivo.

ABSTRACT Mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a subset of innate T cells that express a semi-invariant Vα chain paired with limited Vβ chains. MAIT cells are activated by riboflavin metabolite derivatives presented by the nonpolymorphic major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-like molecule MR1. The precise mechanisms required to activate MAIT cells are an area of intense interest. Here we used two closely related intracellular pathogens with distinct inflammasome activation phenotypes to probe the role of innate cytokines in MAIT cell activation. Using an in vitro assay containing transgenic murine MAIT cells, we show that macrophages infected with Francisella novicida, a strong inflammasome activator, released high levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and stimulated high levels of MAIT cell gamma interferon (IFN-γ) through a partially MR1-independent pathway. In contrast, macrophages infected with Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS), a weak inflammasome activator, generated little IL-18 and stimulated low MAIT cell IFN-γ through an MR1-dependent pathway. By manipulating the quantities of IL-18 in these cultures, we show that the IL-18 concentration is sufficient to influence the magnitude of MAIT cell IFN-γ production. Correspondingly, infected IL-18-deficient macrophages failed to induce substantial MAIT cell IFN-γ. In contrast, we found that MAIT cell IFN-γ production in the lungs of IL-18-deficient mice was not significantly different from that in WT mice during F. tularensis LVS pulmonary infection. Overall, we demonstrate that while IL-18 is essential for the MAIT cell IFN-γ response in vitro, it is not essential for MAIT cell IFN-γ production during in vivo LVS pulmonary infection, suggesting that additional signals can drive MAIT cell IFN-γ production in vivo.
Carbonate-Promoted Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Multicarbon Carboxylates

CO2 hydrogenation is a potential alternative to conventional petrochemical methods for making commodity chemicals and fuels. Research in this area has focused mostly on transition-metal-based catalysts. Here we show that hydrated alkali carbonates promote CO2 hydrogenation to formate, oxalate, and other C2+ carboxylates at elevated temperature and pressure in the absence of transition-metal catalysts or solvent. The reactions proceed rapidly, reaching up to 56% yield (with respect to CO32–) within minutes. Isotope labeling experiments indicate facile H2 and C–H deprotonations in the alkali cation-rich reaction media and identify probable intermediates for the C–C bond formations leading to the various C2+ products. The carboxylate salts are in equilibrium with volatile carboxylic acids under CO2 hydrogenation conditions, which may enable catalytic carboxylic acid syntheses. Our results provide a foundation for base-promoted and base-catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation processes that could complement existing appr...
Compressed air energy storage technologies for wind energy systems

Abstract: Wind-generated electricity can be transformed economically from an intermittent resource to a fully controllable power supply using existing compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems. Electricity from a wind–CAES system can be transmitted to distant cities using high-voltage transmission lines and is fully competitive technically and economically with electricity from nuclear or fossil fuel generators. This analysis indicates how a modern industrial society could be supplied with energy almost exclusively from intermittent wind (or solar) resources, nearly eliminating fossil fuel or nuclear generation of electricity. However, crafting policies that facilitate deployment of wind/CAES/transmission systems remains a formidable challenge.
Social Perception, Social Stereotypes, and Teacher Expectations: Accuracy and the Quest for the Powerful Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of research on accuracy, error, bias, and self-fulfilling prophecies. It also reviews a research showing that teacher expectations predict student achievement—mainly because they are accurate, although they do lead to small self-fulfilling prophecies and biases. The conditions under which self-fulfilling prophecies might be considerably more powerful are embarked. The results of new research showing that teacher expectancy effects are more powerful among girls, students from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds or African–Americans are also addressed. Some evidence of bias show differences in teacher's perceptions of students from the differing groups corresponded well to actual differences among those same groups of students. The chapter also analyzes ways to distinguish among self fulfilling prophecies, perceptual biases, and accuracy, and examines processes underlying expectancy-related phenomena—discoveries have some relevance and applicability to many other relationships beyond teachers and students. Conceptual model of relationships between teacher perceptions and student achievement and some evidence regarding the role of stereotypes in naturally occurring person perception is also explained in the chapter.
Racial disparities in breast cancer treatment based on ASCO/NCCN quality guidelines.

e18654Background: ASCO/NCCN quality measures for breast cancer include 1) radiation therapy administered within 1 year of diagnosis for women under age 70 receiving breast-conserving surgery; 2) ch...
Intercomparison of biomass burning aerosol optical properties from in situ and remote-sensing instruments in ORACLES-2016

Abstract. The total effect of aerosols, both directly and on cloud properties, remains the biggest source of uncertainty in anthropogenic radiative forcing on the climate. Correct characterization of intensive aerosol optical properties, particularly in conditions where absorbing aerosol is present, is a crucial factor in quantifying these effects. The southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA), with seasonal biomass burning smoke plumes overlying and mixing with a persistent stratocumulus cloud deck, offers an excellent natural laboratory to make the observations necessary to understand the complexities of aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions. The first field deployment of the NASA ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) campaign was conducted in September of 2016 out of Walvis Bay, Namibia. Data collected during ORACLES-2016 are used to derive aerosol properties from an unprecedented number of simultaneous measurement techniques over this region. Here, we present results from six of the eight independent instruments or instrument combinations, all applied to measure or retrieve aerosol absorption and single-scattering albedo. Most but not all of the biomass burning aerosol was located in the free troposphere, in relative humidities typically ranging up to 60 %. We present the single-scattering albedo (SSA), absorbing and total aerosol optical depth (AAOD and AOD), and absorption, scattering, and extinction Angstrom exponents (AAE, SAE, and EAE, respectively) for specific case studies looking at near-coincident and near-colocated measurements from multiple instruments, and SSAs for the broader campaign average over the month-long deployment. For the case studies, we find that SSA agrees within the measurement uncertainties between multiple instruments, though, over all cases, there is no strong correlation between values reported by one instrument and another. We also find that agreement between the instruments is more robust at higher aerosol loading (AOD 400>0.4 ). The campaign-wide average and range shows differences in the values measured by each instrument. We find the ORACLES-2016 campaign-average SSA at 500 nm (SSA 500 ) to be between 0.85 and 0.88, depending on the instrument considered (4STAR, AirMSPI, or in situ measurements), with the interquartile ranges for all instruments between 0.83 and 0.89. This is consistent with previous September values reported over the region (between 0.84 and 0.90 for SSA at 550nm). The results suggest that the differences observed in the campaign-average values may be dominated by instrument-specific spatial sampling differences and the natural physical variability in aerosol conditions over the SEA, rather than fundamental methodological differences.