cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mode Selection and Mode-Dependency Modeling for Power-Aware Embedded Systems

Among the techniques for system-level power management, it is not currently possible to guarantee timing constraints and have a comprehensive system model supporting multiple components at the same time. We propose a new method for modeling and selecting the power modes for the optimal system-power management of embedded systems under timing and power constraints. First, we not only model the modes and the transitions overhead at the component level, but we also capture the application-imposed relationships among the components by introducing a mode dependency graph at the system level. Second, we propose a mode selection technique, which determines when and how to change mode in these components such that the whole system can meet all power and timing constraints. Our constraint-driven approach is a critical feature for exploring power/performance tradeoffs in power-aware embedded systems. We demonstrate the application of our techniques to a low-power sensor and an autonomous rover example.
Re: The debate over robotics in benign gynecology.

on robotics and the challenges facing minimallyinvasive surgery programs with interest. I have 2 commentsregarding a statement in his abstract: “.the best currentlyavailable science suggests that, in the hands of experts, roboticsoffers little in surgical advantage over laparoscopy, at increasedexpense..” The 3 randomized controlled trials cited in sup-port of this statement all found longer operative times, thelargest driver of cost, with robotics. Since each study comparedrobotic and laparoscopic surgeries performed by expert lapa-roscopists who had relatively little robotic experience (10-30robotic cases), all 3 authors, I believe, made the assumptionthat experienced laparoscopists can transition to robotics witha short learning curve. There is evidence that this assumptionis incorrect. For example, Payne and Dauterive
Epistasis and Its Implications for Personal Genetics

The widespread availability of high-throughput genotyping technology has opened the door to the era of personal genetics, which brings to consumers the promise of using genetic variations to predict individual susceptibility to common diseases. Despite easy access to commercial personal genetics services, our knowledge of the genetic architecture of common diseases is still very limited and has not yet fulfilled the promise of accurately predicting most people at risk. This is partly because of the complexity of the mapping relationship between genotype and phenotype that is a consequence of epistasis (gene-gene interaction) and other phenomena such as gene-environment interaction and locus heterogeneity. Unfortunately, these aspects of genetic architecture have not been addressed in most of the genetic association studies that provide the knowledge base for interpreting large-scale genetic association results. We provide here an introductory review of how epistasis can affect human health and disease and how it can be detected in population-based studies. We provide some thoughts on the implications of epistasis for personal genetics and some recommendations for improving personal genetics in light of this complexity.
Calcium sulfide process for treatment of metal‐containing wastes

Traitement en 2 etapes d'eaux usees (emulsions d'huile et cuivre dissous) par addition de polyelectrolyte (rupture de l'emulsion) et de CaS pour precipiter le sulfate de cuivre. Performance et cout du traitement
Longitudinal academic outcomes predicted by early adolescents’ subjective well-being, psychopathology, and mental health status yielded from a dual factor model

This longitudinal investigation examined the utility of subjective well-being (SWB) and psychopathology in predicting subsequent academic achievement and in-school behavior in 300 middle school students. Initial SWB predicted students’ grade point averages (GPAs) 1 year later, initial internalizing psychopathology predicted absences 1 year later, and initial externalizing psychopathology predicted grades, absences, and discipline problems 1 year later. Students’ grades and attendance across time varied as a function of mental health group yielded from a dual factor model. Specifically, students in the troubled mental health group declined at a significantly faster rate on GPAs than youth without psychopathology. In contrast, students in the symptomatic but content group were not significantly different from peers with low psychopathology. At Time 2, the best attendance, grades, and math skills were found among students who had both average/high SWB and low psychopathology 1 year earlier, supporting the lo...
Comparison of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and Coagulase Gene Restriction Profile Analysis Techniques in the Molecular Typing of Staphylococcus aureus

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and coagulase gene restriction profile (CRP) analysis techniques were used to analyze 71 Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from nine food-borne disease outbreaks. Twenty-two PFGE profiles and 11 CRPs were identified, with discrimination indices of 0.86 and 0.72, respectively. In addition, the variable regions of the coagulase genes of 39 isolates were sequenced and showed extensive identity, indicating that this is not an efficient alternative for the molecular typing of S. aureus.
The virtual analyst program: a small scale data-mining, error-analysis and reporting function

The forest inventory and analysis (FIA) program of the U.S.D.A. forest service conducts ongoing comprehensive inventories of the forest resources of the United States. Covering II states in the Upper Midwest, the North Central Region FIA (NCFIA) program has three tasks: (1) core reporting function, which produces the annual and 5-year inventory reports; (2) forest health measurements; and (3) scientific analysis of questions and themes that arise from our data. Annual reports provide updated views of the extent, composition, and change of a state's forests. These reports have a standard format divided into three broad categories of area, volume, and change. These annual reports also provide important early trend alerts and error checking functions. Data stored in the FIA database provide the "raw material" that analysts use to prepare the reports. The virtual analyst program at NCFIA is designed to serve these multiple needs. Incorporating our understanding of important trends and relationships, and "redflags" to be aware of this program seeks to automate the more repetitive functions of producing reports while highlighting any anomalies that may require an analyst's investigation. This paper discusses the underlying program logic and design of the prototype. We work backwards from the Web-based application product (.Net Technology) to information-generating vehicles that connect to the forest inventory database. Finally, we discuss the opportunity to expand this report-writing function into a customized, user-defined data query and analysis function.
A programmable digital filter IC employing multiple processors on a single chip

A programmable general-purpose digital filter IC that employs multiple processing units on a single chip is described. The processors operate in parallel and communicate through on-chip dual-access storage register blocks. The processors are arranged as a ring with the locally shared register blocks between each adjacent pair of processors. It is shown that this ring of processors is capable of realizing a rich variety of filter structures operating at the maximum possible instruction execution rate. Fast real-time processing at video rates is obtained by using a fast hardware multiplier in each processor and by employing a design that permits each processor to simultaneously execute multiplication and addition operations in a single instruction cycle. An advantage of the design is the free passing of data between adjacent processors due to each register block's dual port. A ring of five such processors can be implemented in 2- mu m CMOS technology on a single 7.9 mm*9.2 mm chip operating at data rates up to 40 MHz. >
Residual polyvinyl alcohol associated with poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles affects their physical properties and cellular uptake.

Abstract Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is the most commonly used emulsifier in the formulation of poly lactide and poly ( d , l -lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymeric nanoparticles. A fraction of PVA remains associated with the nanoparticles despite repeated washing because PVA forms an interconnected network with the polymer at the interface. The objective of this study was to determine the parameters that influence the amount of residual PVA associated with PLGA nanoparticles and its effect on the physical properties and cellular uptake of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were formulated by a multiple emulsion-solvent evaporation technique using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. The parameters that affected the amount of residual PVA include the concentration of PVA and the type of organic solvent used in the emulsion. The residual PVA, in turn, influenced different pharmaceutical properties of nanoparticles such as particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, surface hydrophobicity, protein loading and also slightly influenced the in vitro release of the encapsulated protein. Importantly, nanoparticles with higher amount of residual PVA had relatively lower cellular uptake despite their smaller particle size. It is proposed that the lower intracellular uptake of nanoparticles with higher amount of residual PVA could be related to the higher hydrophilicity of the nanoparticle surface. In conclusion, the residual PVA associated with nanoparticles is an important formulation parameter that can be used to modulate the pharmaceutical properties of PLGA nanoparticles.
Nurse Aides’ ratings of the resident safety culture in nursing homes

Purpose. First, the resident safety culture of nursing homes from a Nurse Aide’s perspective was compared with existing data from hospitals. Second, how the safety culture of nursing homes varied according to facility characteristics and market characteristics was examined. Methods. Data came from 72 nursing homes and 1579 Nurse Aides (response rate of 55%). From these nursing homes, Nurse Aides completed The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) instrument, a previously validated survey with 12 subscales used to assess safety culture. The nursing home scores from this instrument were compared with the hospital scores. Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine the association between nine nursing home facility characteristics and two market characteristics and the overall safety culture score. Results. All of the 12 HSOPSC subscale scores from the nursing home sample were considerably lower than the benchmark hospital scores, indicating a less well-developed safety culture. The significant facility and market characteristics from the regression analysis resembled many of those found when similar characteristics are used in examinations of quality. Conclusions. These results are important in clearly showing that the resident safety culture of Nurse Aides in many nursing homes may be poorly developed.
Increased Longevity of Hematopoiesis in Continuous Marrow Cultures and Radiation Resistance of Marrow Stromal and Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells from Caspase-1 Homozygous Recombinant-negative (Knockout) Mice

AIM We determined whether absence of caspase-1 altered the stress response of hematopoietic and bone marrow stromal cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS Long-term bone marrow cultures from caspase-1 -/- and control caspase-1 +/+ mice were established and the derived bone marrow stromal and interleukin-3 (Il-3)-dependent hematopoietic progenitor cell lines were evaluated for radiosensitivity. RESULTS Long-term bone marrow cultures from caspase-1 -/- mice generated hematopoietic cells for over 30 weeks in vitro, significantly longer than controls did (p=0.0018). Bone marrow stromal (mesenchymal stem cell) and Il-3-dependent hematopoietic progenitor cell lines from caspase-1-/- marrow cultures compared to caspase-1 +/+ were radioresistant (p=0.0486 and p=0.0235 respectively). Total-body irradiated caspase-1 -/- mice were not significantly radioresistant compared to controls (p=0.6542). CONCLUSION Caspase-1 deletion increases hematopoiesis and radioresistance of bone marrow cells in vitro.
El "yo" de la detective: Dolores Redondo y Carolina Solé

Las ultimas narrativas policiacas espanolas escritas por mujeres, tales como El guardian invisible (Redondo, 2013) y Ojos de hielo (Sole, 2013), se caracterizan por la fuerte presencia e incluso capital importancia de la subjetividad investigadora en la resolucion del crimen. En este articulo se plantea, de un lado, el hecho de que esta subjetividad de la detective se configura a partir de su oposicion al caracter cientificista de la realidad actual en la investigacion policiaca —basada en el cotejo de muestras de ADN y dominada por la figura de los perfiladores— y se analiza, de otro, esta oposicion como radical contradiccion que da lugar a una narrativa policiaca “otra” en la que, frente a la tradicion del genero negro clasico, se privilegia la vida sobre la muerte.
Intermediate MCAD Deficiency Associated with a Novel Mutation of the ACADM Gene: c.1052C>T

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is an autosomal recessive disorder that leads to a defect in fatty acid oxidation. ACADM is the only candidate gene causing MCAD deficiency. A single nucleotide change, c.985A>G, occurring at exon 11 of the ACADM gene, is the most prevalent mutation. In this study, we report a Caucasian family with multiple MCADD individuals. DNA sequence analysis of the ACADM gene performed in this family revealed that two family members showing mild MCADD symptoms share the same novel change in exon 11, c.1052C>T, resulting in a threonine-to-isoleucine change. The replacement is a nonconservative amino acid change that occurs in the C-terminal all-alpha domain of the MCAD protein. Here we report the finding of a novel missense mutation, c.1052C>T (p.Thr326Ile), in the ACADM gene. To our knowledge, c.1052C>T has not been previously reported in the literature or in any of the current databases we utilize. We hypothesize that this particular mutation in combination with p.Lys304Glu results in an intermediate clinical phenotype of MCADD.
The modern career of ‘the oldest profession’ and the social embeddedness of metaphors

Metaphors are elementary particles of meaningfulness, serving as cognitive resources for framing social problems or social movement narratives. This article presents a diachronic analysis of a metaphor synthesizing insights from cultural sociology and conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), an interdisciplinary neuroscientific program with robust empirical findings for how meanings change over time. I track the diffusion of ‘the most ancient’ metaphor for prostitution through publications on both sides of the Atlantic from its coinage by Rudyard Kipling in 1888. I explain the puzzle of its persistent polysemy by its embeddedness in three discursive communities: occupational professionals; social movements demanding state action against white slavery; and journalists, writers and cultured readers. These competing uses explain the paradox of how a metaphor about prostitution’s timelessness became a convention at the very movement that prostitution’s abolition seemed possible. While this single metaphor was used to express multiple opinions about prostitution’s inevitability, it shored up the ontological status of prostitution, a concept that contemporary researchers still struggle to unpack or displace. The diachronic analysis by which cultural categories are juxtaposed and reified is one of the insights of CMT for social cognition, with implications for sociological analysis of narratives, tropes and discourses.
Self-Powered Piezo-Floating-Gate Smart-Gauges Based on Quasi-Static Mechanical Energy Concentrators and Triggers

Changes in physical processes like ambient temperature or pressure variations occur at frequencies that are significantly lower than 1 Hz. This poses a challenge for designing self-powered sensors that monitor these quasi-static physical processes and at the same time scavenge operational energy for sensing, computation, and storage from the signal being monitored. In this paper, we present a novel paradigm for designing a self-powered sensor/data logger that exploits the physics of negative-stiffness mechanical energy concentrators with the physics of our previously reported piezoelectricity driven impact ionized hot-electron injection (p-IHEI)-based sensors. The operational principle is based on the sudden transitions from unstable mode branch switching during the elastic postbuckling response of slender columns, which are used to generate high-frequency deformations as an input to the p-IHEI-based sensor. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed self-powered sensor based on an integrated circuit fabricated in a 0.5-μm CMOS technology can count and record the number of quasi-static input events with frequencies spanning less than 1 Hz.
Congenital unilateral pulmonary venous atresia with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease in contralateral lung: An unusual association

A patient presenting with the rare association of congenital unilateral pulmonary venous atresia in one lung and pulmonary veno-occlusive disease in the other is described. The patient first presented at the age of 3 ½ years with anemia, hemoptysis, and pulmonary hypertension. After cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography, a diagnosis of atresia of the left pulmonary veins was made for which left pneumonectomy was done. Four years later the patient presented with right-sided congestive failure and radiologic evidence of right-sided pulmonary edema from which death resulted. At autopsy, the right lung showed changes of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, while the major veins were not involved.
On the Demand for Rural Cooperative Medical System:an Analysis Framework

The ability and willingness of rural farmers to pay contributions to Rural Cooperative Medical System is the basis for sustainable development.This thesis predicts the ability to pay with the extended linear expenditure system.It discovers that the poor cannot afford to pay.But for most of the farmers with middle or above income,willingness to pay is more important than ability to pay.The factor influencing willingness to pay includes trust for government,the ability of government,the amount of subsidy,social capital,the tradeoff between costs and benefits,risk sharing mechanism within a family and among families and some individual characteristics.
A Medication Use Evaluation of Adverse Events Associated with Colony-Stimulating Factor Therapy:

A retrospective medication use evaluation (MUE) was used to determine the comparative incidence of adverse events in patients treated with colony-stimulating factors (CSFs). CSFs are high-cost, hig...
Acyclic Subdigraphs and Linear Orderings: Polytopes, Facets, and a Cutting Plane Algorithm

We study the acyclic subdigraph problem and the linear ordering problem from a polyhedral point of view. Insights into the facet structure of polytopes associated with these problems lead to the formulation and implementation of a cutting plane algorithm for the linear ordering problem.
Another Grain in the Search for the True Rate of Myocardial Recovery

Advanced heart failure (HF) is rarely thought of as a reversible process; however, mechanical unloading using a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has been shown to promote reversal of the HF phenotype, with regression of pathologic myocardial hypertrophy and improvement in both left ventricular
The Trend of Voluntary Warnings in Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Magazine Advertisements

Some manufacturers of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) voluntarily carried health warnings in their advertisements. This study examined these voluntary warnings in magazine ads and plotted their trends between 2012 and early 2015. ENDS magazine ads were obtained through Kantar media and warnings were collected from the Chicago Public Library or the Trinkets and Trash surveillance system. The prevalence of voluntary warnings, warnings with the specific capitalized word “WARNING”, and MarkTen warnings were examined after being weighted using factors related to exposure between January 2012 and March 2015. Five brands (MarkTen, NJOY, MISTIC, and some Blu) carried warnings during the study period. The prevalence of warnings post 2012 that contained a description of nicotine did not significantly increase until the launch of MarkTen, which also happened several months before April 2014 when the U.S. food and drug administration (FDA) published its proposed deeming rule. In addition, none of these warnings met the criteria required by the FDA in the final rules. Voluntary warnings, particularly MarkTen warnings, significantly increased in ENDS magazine ads between 2014 and 2015. It is important to monitor how ENDS manufacturers will comply with the FDA regulation related to warnings and how this regulation will ultimately impact ENDS risk perceptions and use.
Alexithymia Predicts Posttraumatic Growth and Distress After Trauma

ABSTRACTThe present study sought to investigate how alexithymia (a deficit in identifying and describing emotions) may hinder the development of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and contribute to ongoing distress. Participants were 250 undergraduate college students who had experienced a highly stressful event in the past six months. Regression analyses were conducted to examine how alexithymia contributes to PTG and distress in addition to other known predictors. Analyses revealed that alexithymia was a significant negative predictor of PTG, and a significant positive predictor of distress. It was also found that Difficulty in Identifying Feelings was the alexithymia component that best predicted PTG and distress.
Effects of Computerized Cognitive Training on Working Memory in a School Setting

Academic performance and executive functioning are two factors strongly related to positive life outcomes; whereas, decreased cognitive functioning is associated with negative developmental outcomes. An important aspect of executive functioning is working memory, which is a strong predictor of academic abilities and life skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of computerized cognitive training to improve working memory in a school setting. Participants consisted of a total of 81 students, with a mean age of 12.8 years, who were recruited from a private school in Southern California that focuses on providing education to children with learning disabilities. First, participantsâ€™ working memory levels were assessed prior to the intervention. Next, an intervention consisting of 20 hours of computerized cognitive training across 10 weeks was implemented. Results from this study indicated that students with delayed working memory were able to make gains, in two distinct measures of working memory, whereas their peers with typical working memory were not. Additionally, results indicated that delayed students were able to approximate the visual working memory abilities of their typical peers by the end of the training. Results from this study support the use of computerized cognitive training as a promising intervention for children experiencing working memory deficits, particularly in the area of visual working memory. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Return to Preoperative Function After Autologous Cartilage Implantation of the Knee in Active Military Servicemembers.

Background:Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has been shown to provide adequate durability, pain relief, and improved long-term functional outcomes in the average patient, but proof of its efficacy in individuals with greater than average physical demands is scarce. Further knowledge is required to understand which patients may benefit from ACI and to identify which risk factors are associated with failure to return to the preinjury activity level.Purpose:To determine the occupational outcomes, rates of reoperation, and variables predictive of suboptimal outcomes after ACI.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:All active-duty military servicemembers in the United States who underwent ACI of the knee between 2004 and 2014 were identified. Demographic information, injury characteristics, surgical variables, and clinical and surgical outcomes were extracted from the medical record. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine significant independent predictors of clini...
Clinical application of concentrated bone marrow aspirate in orthopaedics: A systematic review.

Clinical application of concentrated bone marrow aspirate in orthopaedics: A systematic review
Properties of reactively sputtered AlxNy thin films for pyroelectric detectors

Uncooled infrared detectors are utilized in various radiometric devices and cameras because of their low cost, light weight and performance. A pyroelectric detector is a class of uncooled infrared detector whose polarization changes with change in temperature. Infrared radiation from objects falls on top of the sensing layer of the pyroelectric detector and the absorbed radiation causes the temperature of the sensing layer to change. This work describes the deposition and characterization of AlxNy thin films for using them as pyroelectric detector’s sensing material. To test the sensitivity of infrared detection or pyroelectric effect of AlxNy thin films, capacitors of various sizes were fabricated. The diameter of the electrodes for capacitor used during testing of the device was 1100 μm while the distances between these two electrodes was 1100 μm. On a 3-inch diameter cleaned silicon wafer, 100 nm thick AlxNy thin films were deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering from an Al target in Ar: N2 environment. On top of this, a 100-nm thick Au layer was deposited and lifted off by using conventional photo lithography to form the electrodes of capacitors. All the layers were deposited by RF sputtering at room temperature. The thin film samples were annealed at 700 °C in N2 environment for 10 minutes. X-ray diffraction showed the films are poly-crystalline with peaks in (100), (002) and (101) directions. When the temperature varied between 303 K to 353 K, the pyroelectric coefficient was increased from 8.60 × 10-9 C/m2K to 3.76 × 10-8C/m2K with a room temperature pyroelectric coefficient value of 8.60×10-9C/m2K. The non-annealed films were found to be transparent between the wavelengths of 600 nm to 3000 nm. The refraction coefficient was found to be varied between 2.0 and 2.2 while the extinction coefficient was found to be zero. The optical bandgap determined using Tauc’s equation was 1.65 eV.
Making the socio-historical visible: A place-conscious approach to social foundations in practice-centered teacher preparation

Abstract In this conceptual article, the authors argue that the turn toward practice in teacher preparation can be deepened and made more authentic by a “place-conscious approach to social foundations.” The authors offer three ways of seeing place that can ground social foundations coursework: 1) ways of seeing place through expansive data use; 2) ways of seeing place through experience; and 3) ways of seeing place-making. Using examples from their own foundations courses, the authors contend that such an approach can help pre-service teachers use tools of the humanities and social science to engage the socio-political contexts of teaching and learning.
No longer an orphan: evidence for appositive attachment from sentence comprehension

In this paper, we investigate the comprehension of appositive relative clauses and nominal appositives. First, we present experimental evidence that suggests that nominal appositives and appositive relative clauses behave like other adjunct phrases with respect to ambiguity resolution (Experiment 1). Second, we show that an ambiguous nominal appositive can modify a distant syntactic head as easily across an appositive relative clause as across a restrictive relative clause (Experiment 2). Last, we show that syntactic repair is as successful across an appositive relative clause or parenthetical as it is across an at-issue restrictive relative clause (Experiment 3). Taken together, our results suggest that i) appositive relative clauses and nominal appositives are syntactically sited in a fashion comparable to restrictive relative clauses and ii) appositive phrases do not substantially reduce the availability of the syntactic material that precedes the appositive phrase as might have been expected if processing an appositive involved shifting attention to a higher structure, away from local preceding constituents. These results constitute an argument from sentence comprehension for a local syntactic attachment of appositive relative clauses and nominal appositives (cf. Jackendoff 1977; Potts 2005; de Vries 2006), and against so-called orphan analyses of appositive content (e.g. Ross 1967; Haegeman 1988).
Margaret Dayhoff: Catalyst of a Quiet Revolution

Most researchers are familiar with Margaret Dayhoff’s name from the point accepted mutation series of amino acid scoring matrices. However, this contribution was only a small part of her work, which laid the foundations of the field of bioinformatics. In fact, her work was transformative, acquiring its power from a synthesis of the comparative approach of organismal biology and its application to molecular data (sequences) from a wide array of organisms. Remarkably, she was developing this groundbreaking work at a time when women scientists were rare and underappreciated. As the field of bioinformatics continues to grow in relevance, so does the power of her story to inspire new crops of female scientists.
Borel Sets and Functions

Let (X,T) be a topological space. The class of Borel sets of X is the σ-algebra generated by the open sets of X. We denote it by B(X,T) (or by B(X) or B(T), when appropriate). We call (X, B(X)) the Borel space of X. If Ɛ is a countable subbasis for X, then clearly B(X) = σ(Ɛ), so B(X) is countably generated when X is second countable. Note also that if Y is a subspace of X then (Y, B(Y)) is a subspace of (X,B(X)) (i.e., B(Y) = B(X)|Y). It is obvious that B(X) contains all open, closed, Fσ, and Gδ sets in X.
Behavior of REE in Geological and Biological Systems

The REE abundances when normalized to primordial (chondritic) abundances behave as a smooth function of the REE ionic radii in both the geological and biological systems. The REE are hardly fractionated chemically through various stages of their transformation from soil-soil extract-plant-geological systems.
Use of Immobilized Enzymes for Synthetic Purposes

Although considerable interest has been shown in the application of immobilized enzyme technology, comparatively little attention has been devoted to those enzymes or enzyme systems involved in synthesis of complex substances from simple precursors. For very valid economic reasons, the main industrial interest has been on enzymes which catalyze degradative reactions such as starch or protein hydrolysis.
Vascularization of Skin Grafts: Autografts and Allografts

The biologic fate of skin grafts has intrigued clinicians and researchers since the early experiments of Bert (1865). The summary of clinical research observations presented in this chapter is derived mainly from a review by Converse, McCarthy, Brauer, and Ballantyne (1977), incorporating pertinent information from Clemmesen (1967) and Smahel (1977).
Spectral imaging of mouse calvaria undergoing craniosynstosis

Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of the skull bones at the sutures, is the second most common human birth defect that affects the face and skull. The top most flat bones that comprise the skull, or calvaria, are most often affected. We previously showed that treatment of mouse calvaria with FGF2-soaked beads leads to craniosynostosis. In this study we treated mouse calvaria with FGF2-soaked beads and then used Raman imaging to demonstrate the spatial distribution of apatitic mineral and matrix in the sutures. There was no difference between FGF2 treated and control calvaria in the type of mineral produced (a lightly carbonated apatite), however we did observe increased mineral deposition in FGF2 treated calvaria. Raman imaging has great promise to detect the earliest mineral and matrix changes that occur in craniosynostosis.
Revealing the Biological Meaning of Alternative Optimal Solutions of an E. coli Core Model through a System Identification Based Framework

Abstract Genome-scale metabolic network models (GEMs) have been developed and applied successfully in many applications. Among different modeling approaches, flux balance analysis (FBA), a constraint-based method, has attracted significant interest due to its simplicity and effectiveness. Due to the inherent redundancies built into the metabolic network, alternative optimal solutions in general exist in the implementations of FBA. Although mathematical and geometrical meanings of the alternative optima are straightforward, their biological meaning has not been fully understood. In this work, with the E. coli core model as an example, we apply a system identification based framework that we previously developed for GEM analysis to reveal the biological meaning of the alternative optimal solutions to FBA. We show that for the E. coli core model, the alternative solutions are related to each other as different means to achieve the same redox balance, i.e., total NADPH.
Deep learning in optical microscopy and image reconstruction (Conference Presentation)

We discuss recently emerging applications of the state-of-art deep learning methods on optical microscopy and microscopic image reconstruction, which enable new transformations among different modes and modalities of microscopic imaging, driven entirely by image data. We believe that deep learning will fundamentally change both the hardware and image reconstruction methods used in optical microscopy in a holistic manner.
Gating Mechanism of β-Ketoacyl-ACP Synthases

Abstract Formation of carbon-carbon bonds via β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthases (KS), are key reactions during de novo fatty acid and polyketide biosynthesis. KSs recognize multiple ACPs and choreograph ping-pong mechanisms often in an iterative fashion. Therefore, KSs must limit non-productive protein-protein interactions (PPIs) to achieve high degrees of reaction fidelity. To better understand the stereochemical features governing substrate discrimination during ACP•KS PPIs, we determined x-ray crystal structures complemented by molecular dynamic simulations of E. coli AcpP in complex with the elongating KSs, FabF and FabB. Covalently trapped substrate analogs were used to interrogate critical catalytic events accompanying carbon-carbon bond formation revealing a previously unknown gating mechanism during the binding and delivery of acyl-AcpPs. Two active site loops undergo large conformational excursions during this dynamic gating mechanism and are likely evolutionarily conserved features generally in elongating KSs.
Effect of tart cherry on aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) in nonmetastatic hormone-positive breast cancer patients: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

525Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AI) are the standard treatment for hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. About half of patients (pts) taking AI suffer from AIA which...
Spoilery w systemach reprezentacji proporcjonalnej: Analiza ośmiu polskich wyborów parlamentarnych, 1991-2015

W artykule dokonano analizy wyborow w okregach wielomandatowych z roznymi typami spoilerow. W wyborach jednomandatowych „klasyczny” spoiler wchodzący do wyborow zamienia zwyciezce w przegrywającego i jednocześnie jednego z pokonanych w zwyciezce. Podobne sytuacje rzadko mają miejsce w wyborach wielomandatowych. W takich wyborach istnieją bardziej subtelne efekty przypominające dzialanie klasycznego spoilera. „Krolotworca” zamienia kandydata niebedącego faktycznym zwyciezcą w zwyciezce wyborow; „Krolobojca” pozbawia zwyciestwa uprzednio wygrywającego wybory; „Szkodnik” zabiera pewnemu konkurentowi wiecej mandatow, niz sam zdobywa; „Autospoilery” tracą mandaty, startując w wyborach samodzielnie raczej niz tworząc koalicje. Mozliwe są tez rozne warianty spoilerow strategicznych, takich jak fi kcyjne partie. W artykule przeprowadzono analize ośmiu wyborow parlamentarnych, ktore mialy miejsce w Polsce po roku 1989. W dwoch przypadkach konsekwencje istnienia spoilerow byly bardzo duze. W 1993 roku rozproszenie na prawicy (Autospoilery) pomoglo SLD i PSL wrocic do wladzy, spowolnilo proces dekomunizacji i stworzylo silne przeszkody instytucjonalne na drodze do dalszej demokratyzacji. W roku 2015 maly Krolotworca, partia Razem, pomogl PiS osiągnąc wiekszośc parlamentarną i umozliwil realizacje radykalnego programu zmian. W pozostalych wyborach konsekwencje byly mniejsze, lecz rowniez godne odnotowania. Wyniki sugerują, ze wybory parlamentarne przeprowadzane przy uzyciu ordynacji proporcjonalnej z listami kandydatow są bardzo wrazliwe na dzialanie spoilerow.
The Optional Qualitative Assessment in Impairment Tests

The qualitative assessment allowed after December 2011 is intended to reduce the complexity and costs of impairment tests for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles. This assessment is unique because it gives an unconditional option to companies and depends on subjective qualitative judgment. We demonstrate that firms using this option have comparatively better financial performance and face higher expected costs for conducting quantitative tests. Using a difference-in-differences research design, we show that firms using this option have a marginally higher incidence of impairments, suggesting that the qualitative assessment does not systematically allow companies to avoid write-downs. We do not find consistent evidence that this option decreases the timeliness of impairments or increases monitoring costs for auditors, regulators, and investors. Our study provides evidence about the intended and unintended consequences of a revised impairment approach and speaks to the broader issue of allowing unconditional options and qualitative judgments in financial reporting.
Neoliberalism and the Corporation: Mutually Contradictory and Corrupting

Neoliberalism and the corporate economy stand in fundamental contradiction. First, corporations are created and sustained through government intervention in the economy, contradicting neoliberal strictures. Second, the neoliberal attempt, in the face of this contradiction, to better square the corporation with free market principles, by treating it as a private partnership of stockholders as opposed to a state franchise, renders the corporation dysfunctional. Particularly damaging has been the application of a distorted version of agency theory that, as I show, is indebted to game theory, in which stockholders are modeled as the “principal” and management (and workers) as their opportunistic agent. This exaggerated “agency problem” has been addressed through a massive reallocation of firm revenues, from reinvestment and workers, to executives and stockholders. Far from supercharging capital accumulation, as widely assumed, neoliberalism has the opposite effect, decapitalizing the corporation, the state, and the worker in order to enrich the stockholder and stock-compensated executive. In contradiction to its ideals, neoliberalism applied to a corporate economy lowers investment, slows growth, heightens irresponsibility, intensifies worker coercion, and sharply raises economic inequality. And for all this, it fails to reduce the corporation’s dependence on government intervention.
Intraoperative Indocyanine Green During Cholecystectomy

The introduction of laparoscopic techniques has revolutionized the approach to cholecystectomy. Among the clear advantages of this approach are the quicker recovery time and overall decreased morbidity. However, concerns still remain on the higher likelihood of extrahepatic bile duct injuries. Among the different reasons to explain the reason for bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, misinterpretation of the visualized structures remains the most common. Several techniques to improve intraoperative identification of the biliary anatomy have been described. Intraoperative cholangiography is currently the most commonly utilized technique. However, this technique has only been shown to aid in the earlier identification of an injury and not in the prevention of it. Endoscopic ultrasound is the other common technique utilized, but this technique requires a significant learning curve and could be misinterpreted. Near-infrared fluorescent cholangiography (NIRFC) has been described as an effective technique to improve visualization of the extrahepatic biliary anatomy. This technique seems to be effective, easy to learn, cheap, and reproducible. In this chapter we describe the details of this technique and the necessary intraoperative steps to take best advantage of it, based on the current available literature and personal experience.
The Indirect Effects of Police Racial Bias on African American Families

This qualitative study investigated the personal experiences of police racial bias and brutality among 18 African-American parents, the effect these experiences have had on them, how they discuss s...
Honduras—GMOs/Synthetic Biology Rules/Regulations and Biodiversity – A Legal Perspective from Honduras

Honduras was the first country in the Mesoamerican region to regulate the introduction of GMO crops. This chapter describes how the Earth Summit of 1992, the conventions and agreements derived from it, paved the way to create the legal frame and government structures in Honduras to make possible the assessment of new biotechnological crops. How government, academia, and productive sectors propitiate the adoption of new biotechnologies in order to improve crops and yields for the benefit of small farmers and big producers alike are also described. Honduras has an up-to-date legal frame even for the newest precision biotechnologies.
The vitals of NETs

Neutrophils produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by expelling their extracellular chromatin embedded with citrullinated histone H3, myeloperoxidase, and other intracellular molecules. Since their discovery in 2004, numerous articles have demonstrated the mechanism of NET formation and their function in innate immunity and inflammation. NET components often play an antimicrobial role, but excessive NETs are deleterious and can cause inflammation and tissue damage. This review highlights recent advancements in the identification of novel pathways and mechanisms of NET formation. We also focus on the specific damaging impact of NETs in individual organs. We then discuss the progress and limitations of various NET detection assays. Collectively, these vital aspects of NETs significantly improve our understanding of the pathobiology of NETs and future diagnostics and therapeutic tools for examining and modulating NETs in inflammatory diseases.
Seeking Sustainability in the Global Cotton Supply Chain: An Experiential Learning Opportunity by the Case Method

The cotton supply chain is one of the most complex supply chains in the world, and stakeholders and consumers alike are demanding methods of measuring and reducing the environmental impact of textile products and the social responsibility of textile firms (Lindskog & Roth, 2011). Graduates entering the workplace need to know and understand the complexity of the global supply chain and how a fiber, like cotton, interact within the complex supply chain to meet consumer’s demanding needs. Today’s professionals will be tasked with ensuring consumers’ needs are met while mitigating the environmental impact of the global apparel complex and demonstrating their social responsibility efforts. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to provide students with an opportunity to explore and understand cotton sourcing and cotton supply chain transparency through a leading textile focal company. This project, funded through a competitive grant from the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated, was developed for students to 1) gain knowledge about cotton fiber; 2) understand how the quality of cotton fiber may impact the final product; 3) understand cotton industry and sustainability practices in different countries including U.S. and China; 3) select and apply the global supply chain framework to appreciate the complex interrelationships among supply chain partners; 4) explore global apparel supply chain transparency; and 5) make recommendations for appropriate future sourcing plans for the case company to achieve its sustainability goals.
Engineering income and earnings, 1929–34

In this, the fifth article1 of a series reporting a survey of employment in the engineering profession by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, income data for engineers of various professional classes and ages are presented, based on information given for the years 1929, 1932, and 1934. Comparisons may be drawn among professional classes, ages, and educational backgrounds.
Hybridizing Direct Ink Write and mask-projection Vat Photopolymerization to enable additive manufacturing of high viscosity photopolymer resins

Abstract Vat Photopolymerization (VP) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that enables the fabrication of parts with high-resolution features and sharp corners through its selective patterning of UV irradiation. Currently, VP is capable of only processing low viscosity photoresins due to the constraints imposed by the recoating process, which limits both the available materials and the mechanical properties of the final parts. Conversely, Direct Ink Write (DIW), a material extrusion process, is capable of processing high viscosity photoresins but patterns features directly via a nozzle, which limits both achievable feature resolution and shape. To enable the layered processing of high viscosity photoresins (and thus high-performance materials) while retaining high-resolution features, the authors have created a novel AM process that integrates DIW and VP printing modalities. The resulting hybrid process uses the DIW system to extrude an unpatterned layer of photoresin that is then selectively photocured into the desired layer shape by a UV DLP projector. The pressurized extrusion mechanism of DIW and shear-thinning behavior of the photoresins enable the processing of photoresins with viscosities that are multiple orders of magnitude larger than which can be currently processed via traditional VP. The DLP’s selective irradiation of the dispensed layer enable the realization of high-resolution features that are orders of magnitude smaller than that which can be currently processed via DIW. The hybrid process’s relaxation of viscosity constraints allows for the printing of new photoresins with novel chemistries, high molecular weight monomers, and/or high solids loading that ultimately result in greatly improved material properties compared to traditional photoresins. To demonstrate the capabilities of the hybrid system three materials were printed from novel, high-viscosity photoresins: (1) an all-aromatic polyimide, (2) an urethane acrylate elastomer, (3) a highly loaded alumina photopolymer suspension. The all-aromatic polyimide photoresin had a viscosity of 770 Pa s and the final parts had a degradation temperature of 534 °C. The urethane acrylate elastomer photoresin had a viscosity of 21.7 Pa s and the parts exhibited an average elongation of 599% and an average stress of 16.3 MPa at failure. A stiffer reinforced urethane acrylate photoresin with 5 wt% silica had a viscosity of 38.6 Pa s, and the parts exhibited an average elongation of 430% and an average stress of 14.8 MPa at failure. The 85 wt% alumina photopolymer suspension had a viscosity of 1350 Pa s, exhibiting a final sintered flexural strength at 25 and 400 °C of 154.9 and 156.6 MPa respectively. These three case studies demonstrate the hybrid AM process’s ability to print high-performance materials from high viscosity photoresins while retaining the high-resolution and sharp features expected of VP parts.