cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water resource systems group

The 11th meeting of the Water Resource Systems Group was held at the University of Washington (Seattle), August 7–8, 1987. These systems group meetings, which are informal gatherings of professionals who have an interest in the educational and research aspects of water resources systems analysis, have usually been held on university campuses. The 30 attendees of the 1987 meeting represented a cross section of university faculty and graduate students, government managers and researchers, and engineering consultants. The meeting opened with short discussions by Steve Burges (University of Washington), Chuck Howard (CDD Howard and Associates, Victoria, Canada), David Dawdy (consultant, San Francisco, Calif.), and Jon Liebman (University of Illinois, Urbana) outlining their views of current issues in the water resources area. Burges emphasized the limitations and inadequacies of many of the models currently used in hydrology: rainfall runoff models may not adequately capture the physical characteristics of the movement of water into channels, vadose and saturated zone pollutant transport models are incapable of reproducing many of the features observed in the field, and many streamflow forecasting models used for reservoir operations have been constructed to reproduce average conditions but break down under the extreme conditions (floods and droughts) where they are most needed.
An analysis of the forecasting function in large-scale inventory systems

Abstract This paper examines the forecasting function supporting large-scale inventory systems in leading firms. Little research has been conducted on managing the forecasting function when hundreds and, in some cases, tens of thousands of items are managed. Case studies are used to explore how companies noted for having state-of-the-art inventory systems have designed their supporting forecasting function. Inventory characteristics influencing the design of the forecasting function and general forecasting guidelines are provided.
Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial of Reciprocal Peer Support in Heart Failure

Background—Although disease management programs for patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) are effective, they are, however, often resource intensive, limiting their uptake. Peer support programs have led to improved outcomes among patients with other chronic conditions and may result in similar improvements for patients with HF. Methods and Results—In this randomized controlled trial, Reciprocal Peer Support (RPS) arm patients participated in a HF nurse practitioner–led goal setting group session, received brief training in peer communication skills, and were paired with another participant in their cohort with whom they were encouraged to talk weekly using a telephone platform. Participants were also encouraged to attend 3 nurse practitioner–facilitated peer support group sessions. Patients in the nurse care management arm attended a nurse practitioner–led session to address their HF care questions and receive HF educational materials and information on how to access care management services. The...
Laparoscopic Heller's cardiomyotomy and Roux-En-Y gastric bypass for missed achalasia diagnosed after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

s@nu Morbidly obese patients are increasingly being referred for bariatric surgery, which includes 3 common techniques: laparoscopic gastric banding (LAGB), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) ,and sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Esophageal dysmotility and disorders of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) are also well documented in morbidly obese patients, with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) being a common co-morbidity from low LES pressures [1]. Achalasia in morbidly obese patients has been reported to be 1%, and this group of patients tends to be asymptomatic or present with atypical symptoms [2]. However, achalasia arising after bariatric surgery is uncommon. To our knowledge, achalasia detected after LSG has not been previously reported.
Co-labeling using in situ PCR: a review.

SUMMARY In situ amplification permits the histological localization of low-copy DNA and RNA targets. However, in many instances it would be useful to know the specific phenotype of the target-containing cell or to ascertain the distribution of a different nucleic acid sequence in the same tissue section. This review describes a methodology that allows co-in situ localization of two nucleic acid targets or a DNA/RNA sequence and a protein in paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue. The key variable for detection of low-copy RNA targets by RT in situ PCR is optimal protease digestion to permit cDNA target-specific incorporation of the reporter nucleotide. This is achieved via inactivation of nonspecific DNA synthesis by overnight DNase digestion. The key variable for immunohistochemical localization of proteins is to determine the effect of protease digestion on the antigen-based signal intensity. Background for DNA targets by in situ hybridization or, for targets present in 1‐10 copies per cell, PCR ISH is dependent primarily on probe concentration and the stringency of the post-hybridization wash. Radioactive 3 H-labeled nucleotides permit an excellent distinction with colorimetric signals for co-localization, although two distinct chromogens can in many instances allow successful localization of two different targets.
Adding real-time noise suppression capability to the cochlear implant PDA research platform

This paper presents the real-time implementation of an environment-adaptive noise suppression algorithm on an FDA-approved PDA platform for cochlear implant studies. This added capability involves identifying the background noise environment in real-time and adapting a data-driven noise suppression approach to that noise environment on-the-fly. Various software optimization steps are taken in order to achieve a real-time throughput on the PDA platform involving both the speech decomposition and the adaptive noise suppression components. Real-time timing results and a quantitative measure of noise suppression are presented.
The ear’s versus the eye’s potential to assess characteristics of numeric data: Are we too visuocentric?

A single experiment studied how effectively information about the central tendency, variability, and shape of numeric data distributions could be conveyed to statistically knowledgeable subjects. The data were summarized by visual histograms, auditory histograms that coded numeric value as pitch on the musical scale, and five-note auditory analogues of a box-whisker display that coded the minimum, quartile, and maximum scores as musical notes. Regression and multidimensional scaling analysis of judgments of dissimilarity between distributions showed that auditory depiction provides a highly effective means of conveying information about distributional characteristies. Auditory depicition may be a useful alternative to traditional visual graphics.
ENZYMATIC REDUCTION OF METMYOGLOBIN IN FISH

An enzymatic reducing system for metmyoglobin was studied in two species of fish, bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus). In both species, the enzyme was primarily located in the midsection of the fish muscle; it had an optimum pH of 7 and an optimum temperature of 25°C. The enzymatic reducing activity of both species was enhanced by anaerobic conditions and partially inhibited by the enzyme catalase, while sodium chloride was not an effective inhibitor. Ascorbic acid as an electron donor and menadione as a mediator were found to be much less efficient than nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and methylene blue, respectively.
Adaptive independent checkpointing for reducing rollback propagation

Independent checkpointing is a simple technique for providing fault tolerance in distributed systems. However, it can suffer from the domino effect, which causes the rollback of one process to potentially propagate to others. In this paper we present an adaptive checkpointing algorithm to practically eliminate rollback propagation for independent checkpointing. Our algorithm is based on proofs of the conditions necessary and sufficient for a checkpoint to belong to some consistent global checkpoint, previously an open question. We characterize these conditions with a generalization of Lamport's happened-before relation called a zigzag path. Our algorithm tracks zigzag paths on-line and checkpoints when certain paths are detected. Experiments on an iPSC/860 hypercube show that our algorithm reduces the average rollback required to recover from any fault to less than one checkpoint interval per process, and checkpoints only 4% more often than traditional periodic checkpointing algorithms. We thus eliminate rollback propagation without the runtime overhead of coordinated checkpoints or other schemes that attempt to reduce rollback propagation. >
The use of 90yttrium-ibritumomab tiuxetan in patients on dialysis: what do we know regarding its pharmacokinetics?

90Yttrium-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals) is the first radioimmunotherapy drug approved for cancer by the Food and Drug Administration [1]. Ibritumomab is the murine monoc...
Comparison of P N or spherical harmonics approximation for scattering media with spatially varying and spatially constant refractive indices

In this paper, we derive the PN or spherical harmonics approximation to the radiative transport equation for a medium with a spatially varying refractive index. We compare the analytical solutions of the coupled system of partial differential equations corresponding to the PN approximation in a spherically symmetric geometry for spatially varying and spatially constant case. We show that the PN model with spatially varying refractive index for photon transport is substantially different than the spatially constant model.
Atmospheres and spectra of strongly magnetized neutron stars – II. The effect of vacuum polarization

We study the effect of vacuum polarization on the atmosphere structure and radiation spectra of neutron stars with surface magnetic fields B = 10 1 4 -10 1 5 G, as appropriate for magne-tars. Vacuum polarization modifies the dielectric property of the medium and gives rise to a resonance feature in the opacity; this feature is narrow and occurs at a photon energy that depends on the plasma density. Vacuum polarization can also induce resonant conversion of photon modes via a mechanism analogous to the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) mechanism for neutrino oscillation. We construct atmosphere models in radiative equilibrium with an effective temperature of a few × 10 6 K by solving the full radiative transfer equations for both polarization modes in a fully ionized hydrogen plasma. We discuss the subtleties in treating the vacuum polarization effects in the atmosphere models and present approximate solutions to the radiative transfer problem which bracket the true answer. We show from both analytic considerations and numerical calculations that vacuum polarization produces a broad depression in the X-ray flux at high energies (a few keV ≤ E ≤ a few tens of keV) as compared to models without vacuum polarization; this arises from the density dependence of the vacuum resonance feature and the large density gradient present in the atmosphere. Thus the vacuum polarization effect softens the high-energy tail of the thermal spectrum, although the atmospheric emission is still harder than the blackbody spectrum because of the non-grey opacities. We also show that the depression of continuum flux strongly suppresses the equivalent width of the ion cyclotron line and therefore makes the line more difficult to observe.
Dualism and the Problem of Individuation

H. D. Lewis once remarked he did not think ‘any case for immortality can get off the ground if we fail to make a case for dualism’. Lewis vigorously defended both mind body dualism, the theory that minds (or persons) are nonphysical, spatially unextended things in causal interaction with physical, spatially extended things, as well as the conceivability of an after life. Lewis defended the intelligibility of supposing distinct, individual persons continue existing after bodily death, possibly even after all physical objects pass out of existence. Prominent philosophers such as Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Locke, Liebniz, and Reid have subscribed to both the truth of dualism and belief in continued personal existence after bodily death. Descartes' work might even be construed as reversing the order of Lewis' dictum. For Descartes, the case for dualism ‘gets off the ground’ because of the conceivability of an afterlife. Briefly put, Descartes sought to establish that a person (or mind) is distinct from physical objects on the basis of it being metaphysically possible for a person to exist without his or her body, indeed without there being any physical objects whatever. If A can exist without B, then A is not identical with B. Thus, if it is possible for God to bring it about that I exist and there be no physical objects, I am not a physical object. The purpose of this article is not to develop a case for dualism, nor to query whether the case for immortality can get off the ground assuming nondualist theories of the self. I hope instead to assess a popular objection to dualism, and consequently to a dualist conception of the afterlife, which could be termed the problem of individuation.
An empirical examination of Lotka's Law

There were 48 sets of author productivity data tested against Lotka's Law of xnmiddot;y = c. Overwhelming conformity to the law was found. However, only seven data sets fitted the inverse square law. For future tests, representative coverage and good sampling techniques should be adhered to in data compilation. A method is suggested to compute the values of n and c from the data. © 1986 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Critical response and reply

(1986). Critical response and reply. Critical Studies in Mass Communication: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 380-383.
Emergency Management in Florida

This chapter provides an overview of the emergency management system in the State of Florida. The Florida emergency management system contains important intergovernmental relations and organizational features that will explain in detail. Many scholars highlight the effectiveness of Florida’s emergency management system. Yet, there are no comprehensive updated studies on emergency management system and practice in Florida. This chapter provides a comprehensive system, structure, policies, and perspective of emergency management in Florida. The chapter also includes federal level policies and administrative structure to the chapter as they are integral part of the emergency management system in the US. We conclude that for a community to increase their capacity for resilience, they must prioritize emergency management and hazard planning policies while also creating supportive administrative structures. Furthermore, transparency is necessary to help eliminate the numbness generated by underestimation and under-preparedness.
In Situ Mitigation of Subsurface and Peripheral Focused Ion Beam Damage via Simultaneous Pulsed Laser Heating

Focused helium and neon ion (He(+)/Ne(+)) beam processing has recently been used to push resolution limits of direct-write nanoscale synthesis. The ubiquitous insertion of focused He(+)/Ne(+) beams as the next-generation nanofabrication tool-of-choice is currently limited by deleterious subsurface and peripheral damage induced by the energetic ions in the underlying substrate. The in situ mitigation of subsurface damage induced by He(+)/Ne(+) ion exposures in silicon via a synchronized infrared pulsed laser-assisted process is demonstrated. The pulsed laser assist provides highly localized in situ photothermal energy which reduces the implantation and defect concentration by greater than 90%. The laser-assisted exposure process is also shown to reduce peripheral defects in He(+) patterned graphene, which makes this process an attractive candidate for direct-write patterning of 2D materials. These results offer a necessary solution for the applicability of high-resolution direct-write nanoscale material processing via focused ion beams.
An Integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Optimization Approach for Automotive De-manufacturing Systems

The Automotive Recycling Industry is addressing one of the biggest problems that the environment can face, the reuse and recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV). Improper disposal of wastes can create a big problem to the environment. The purpose of this paper is to use the Integrated Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Optimization Approach for Automotive De-manufacturing Systems with the aim of to finding out the most efficient and effective method that can be used to improve global ELV recycling. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) defines life cycle assessment is a tool that is used for systematic evaluation of the environmental aspects of either a product or service system in the entire stages of its lifecycle. In this research, second hand material research would be used to determine the current methods used for the disposal of the ELVs. Moreover, cost metrics will be used to determine the economic value of the network. This research will look into study background, the problem statement, hypothesis of the study, objectives of the study, literature review and methodology to outline possible research criteria to draw conclusion on the research topic. The research will be very resourceful to the scientific community because it will help to find the optimal location for the centralized processing facility that will minimize cost and avoid hazard in the environment.
Defining neoplastic diseases differently: An emerging paradigm from The Cancer Genome Atlas lower-grade gliomas project

A recently published investigation by The Cancer Genome Atlas on lower grade diffuse gliomas provides biologic justification for defining diseases based on genetic properties rather than histologic features. Unsupervised clustering of data from multiple advanced molecular platforms divided diseases robustly into 3 cohesive groups that could be captured by clinically available biomarkers more reliably than by histology.
Epitome: Maximizing the Productive Interface Between the Clinical Microbiologist and the Infectious Disease Clinician

Laboratory testing of antimicrobials is probably the single most important area for close communication between the infectious disease clinician and the clinical microbiologist. The two should work together to determine such basic issues as methods to use for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, agents to test, and format to use for reporting results in both cost-efficient and clinically useful ways. Only a limited number of antimicrobials can be selected from the many new agents. Reporting of results should be structured to promote the use of generally active and less expensive agents while restricting the use of more specialized and more expensive drugs and, at the same time, preventing the rapid emergence of resistance to them. A good working relationship will be especially helpful in determining the applications of minimum bactericidal concentrations, serum bactericidal activity, susceptibility testing of anaerobes, and in selection of methods for detecting resistant isolates of pneunococci, gonococci, and Haemophilus influenzae .
The plant retinoblastoma proteins: tumor suppressor without performing tumor suppression?

The human retinoblastoma susceptibility (RB) protein, known as the first tumor suppressor, plays a central role in the regulation of cell division and differentiation. Since the identification of the first plant homologue of RB-related (RBR) protein in mid-1990s, an increasing number of plant genes encoding RBR proteins has been isolated from various plant species. As a negative regulator of cell proliferation through RB-E2F pathway and recruiting chromatin-remodeling factors, the plant RBR proteins cease cell mitosis or endoreduplication and enter a phase of differentiation in a cell type-dependent manner. Tremendous progress has been made in deciphering their physiological function, but many important properties of the plant RBR protein still need to be elucidated.
Remote Monitoring System for Pipe Leakage Based on LabVIEW Shared Variable

Basing on LabVIEW software,acoustic emission technology and MySQL database,a remote system was developed and applied to pipe leakage detecting.By using the LabVIEW shared variable,the system can exchange data across the network and relize remote control function.This technique can not only simplify the programming,but also improve the development speed.The system offers the technical guarantee for avoiding the malignant accidents.
Carriers for the tunable release of therapeutics: etymological classification and examples

Introduction Physiological processes at the molecular level take place at precise spatiotemporal scales, which vary from tissue to tissue and from one patient to another, implying the need for carriers that enable tunable release of therapeutics. Areas covered Classification of all drug release to intrinsic and extrinsic is proposed, followed by the etymological clarification of the term 'tunable' and its distinction from the term 'tailorable'. Tunability is defined as analogous to tuning a guitar string or a radio receiver to the right frequency using a single knob. It implies changing a structural parameter along a continuous quantitative scale and correlating it numerically with the release kinetics. Examples of tunable, tailorable and environmentally responsive carriers are given, along with the parameters used to achieve these levels of control. Expert opinion Interdependence of multiple variables defining the carrier microstructure obstructs the attempts to elucidate parameters that allow for the independent tuning of release kinetics. Learning from the tunability of nanostructured materials and superstructured metamaterials can be a fruitful source of inspiration in the quest for the new generation of tunable release carriers. The greater intersection of traditional materials sciences and pharmacokinetic perspectives could foster the development of more sophisticated mechanisms for tunable release.
Auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo methods in nuclei

Auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo methods enable the calculation of thermal and ground state properties of correlated quantum many-body systems in model spaces that are many orders of magnitude larger than those that can be treated by conventional diagonalization methods. We review recent developments and applications of these methods in nuclei using the framework of the configuration-interaction shell model.
Respiratory infections in immunosuppressed patients

Abstract Immunosuppression is a common phenomenon in clinical practice. It could be related to underlying malignancies, therapeutic interventions, or other congenital and acquired conditions affecting the immune system. There have been significant advances made in the treatment of malignancies. Although the newer chemotherapeutics have fewer adverse effects, infection remains a major cause of morbidity in these patients. Respiratory infections represent a significant number of these infections. These may range from limited viral infections to life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. This chapter will provide an update on the spectrum of respiratory infections in non-HIV immunosuppressed patients, focusing on those with hematological malignancies, describing the incidence, risk factors, diagnosis, management, and outcome of these infections.
Source-ordering for improved TCP performance over load-balanced Optical burst-switched (OBS) networks

Recent advances in optical switching technology allows for the creation of networks in which data bursts are switched optically at each node, offering a greater degree of flexibility suitable for handling bursty Internet traffic. TCP-based applications account for a majority of data traffic in the Internet; thus understanding and improving the performance of TCP implementations over OBS networks is critical. Previously, several articles show that load-balanced routing improves lossperformance in OBS. In this paper, we identify the ill-effects of load-balanced OBS on TCP performance caused due to false time-outs and false fast-retransmit. We propose source-ordering mechanism that significantly improves TCP throughput. We evaluate the performance of the proposed mechanism over different TCP flavors, such as TCP Tahoe, TCP Reno, TCP SACK, and TCP Vegas over a load-balanced OBS network.
Anesthetic Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart defects constitute the most common type of birth defects and occur in approximately 8 in 1000 live births. With the exclusion of bicuspid aortic valve disease, the majority of untreated patients born with congenital heart disease (CHD) expire in childhood with approximately 15–25 % surviving into adulthood. Significant advances in prenatal diagnosis, interventional cardiology techniques, congenital heart surgery, anesthesiology, and critical care have allowed approximately 90 % of these patients to survive into adulthood. The profile of patients with congenital heart disease has evolved, and now there are estimates to suggest that in the United States, there are more adults than children living with congenital heart disease. Most of these patients will require additional interventional cardiology or cardiac surgical procedures either palliative or curative during adulthood. Although major studies evaluating this population have not been done, adults with CHD are a medically fragile group, which have an increased risk for perioperative morbidity and mortality. Formal guidelines which direct the management of these patients have not been developed; however, the American College of Cardiology recommends that adult patients with moderate to severe CHD be referred to a center specializing in the care of these patients and receive expert consultation with the appropriate care providers such as adult congenital heart cardiologists, surgeons, and anesthesiologists prior to undergoing procedures.
The Effects of Lag Value on the Operant Control of Response Variability Under Free-Operant and Discrete-Response Procedures

The effects of different reinforcement requirements on the operant control of response variability under free-operant and discrete-response procedures were investigated. Six pigeons were required to emit a sequence of four responses on two keys that differed from the previous 2, 4, or 6 sequences (lag value) to obtain reinforcement. Pigeons were exposed to each lag value under a free-operant procedure in which the key lights remained illuminated throughout each trial, and a discrete-response procedure in which a brief time-out (key lights off) followed each response. Consistent with previous findings, the discrete-response procedure produced substantially greater variability than the free-operant procedure. Additionally, as lag value increased, response variability also increased. It was concluded that both type of procedure (free-operant vs. discrete-response) and lag value contribute to the operant control of response variability.
Effects of Cannabidiol on Morphine Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

This study sought to determine whether the cannabis constituent cannabidiol attenuates the development of morphine reward in the conditioned place preference paradigm. Separate groups of mice received either saline or morphine in combination with one of four doses of cannabidiol using three sets of drug/no-drug conditioning trials. After drug-place conditioning, morphine mice displayed robust place preference that was attenuated by 10 mg/kg cannabidiol. Further, when administered alone, this dose of cannabidiol was void of rewarding and aversive properties. The finding that cannabidiol blocks opioid reward suggests that this compound may be useful in addiction treatment settings.
The physics of aerobreakup. IV. Strain-thickening liquids

We extend our previous work on aerobreakup of Newtonian and viscoelastic-liquid drops to liquids of dense nanoparticle suspensions with strain-thickening rheology. As in the previous work, the scope includes the full range of aerodynamics, from near-incompressible to supersonic flows, covering all regimes of aerobreakup and employing laser-induced-fluorescence visualizations with μs/μm resolutions. The key physics of Rayleigh-Taylor piercing (1st criticality), Shear-Induced Entrainment (SIE, 2nd criticality), and Kelvin-Helmholtz SIE (3rd criticality) are verified and quantified on the same scaling/theoretical approach as in our previous work but with modifications that account for the rheology of these liquids.
Lower Preterm Birth Rates but Persistent Racial Disparities in an Open-Access Health Care System.

Background The Military Health System (MHS) provides universal access to medical care to active duty service members, retirees, and their dependents. Observational data from small studies suggest lower preterm birth rates in the MHS compared with U.S. national averages. The objectives of this study are to determine the rate of preterm birth in the MHS from 2006 to 2012 compared with national rates and to analyze the impact of demographic factors on preterm birth in a universal access health care system. Methods A cohort of infants born in 2006-2012 was formed from the MHS M2 database. International Classification of Disease - Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes were used to define prematurity. Preterm births were linked to military parent's demographic data. Calculated MHS preterm birth rates were compared with U.S. national data using the Pearson chi-square test and comparison via standardized differences. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the impact of demographic factors on prematurity. Findings From 2006 to 2012, 564,920 infants were born in the MHS; 45,445 (8%) were born preterm. The preterm birth rate in the MHS peaked at 8.34% in 2008 and declined to 7.67% in 2012, which is significantly lower than the U.S. national average preterm birth rate over the same time period. In the 2008-2012 cohort, the odds of preterm birth were increased with Black race (adjusted odds ratio 1.30; 95% confidence interval 1.26-1.33) and with a parent of junior enlisted rank (adjusted odds ratio 1.08; 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.06), a surrogate for lower socioeconomic status. Odds of preterm birth were decreased in families with married parents and with an active duty mother. Discussion Preterm birth rates in the MHS have been consistently lower than national rates from 2006 to 2012, potentially due to universal access to health care. Black race increased odds of preterm birth despite universal access to health care. These findings support the need for further research examining racial disparities in health care outcomes related to preterm birth.
Microtubule-Actin Crosslinking Factor 1 and Plakins as Therapeutic Drug Targets

Plakins are a family of seven cytoskeletal cross-linker proteins (microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF), bullous pemphigoid antigen (BPAG1) desmoplakin, envoplakin, periplakin, plectin, epiplakin) that network the three major filaments that comprise the cytoskeleton. Plakins have been found to be involved in disorders and diseases of the skin, heart, nervous system, and cancer that are attributed to autoimmune responses and genetic alterations of these macromolecules. Despite their role and involvement across a spectrum of several diseases, there are no current drugs or pharmacological agents that specifically target the members of this protein family. On the contrary, microtubules have traditionally been targeted by microtubule inhibiting agents, used for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, in spite of the deleterious toxicities associated with their clinical utility. The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) was used here to identify therapeutic drugs targeting the plakin proteins, particularly the spectraplakins MACF1 and BPAG1, which contain microtubule-binding domains. RCSB analysis revealed that plakin proteins had 329 ligands, of which more than 50% were MACF1 and BPAG1 ligands and 10 were documented, clinically or experimentally, to have several therapeutic applications as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic agents.
Crossbrowse: A versatile genome browser for visualizing comparative experimental data

The recent beyond-exponential growth in diverse collections of deep sequencing datasets creates enormous opportunities for discovery, concomitant with new challenges for displaying and interpreting these data. Notably, the availability of scores of whole genome sequences in multiple species clades enables comparative studies of functional elements. However, current genome browsers do not permit effective visualization of multigenome experimental data. Here, we present CrossBrowse, a standalone desktop application for displaying and browsing cross-species genomic datasets. We utilize data standards and graphic representation of popular browsers, and incorporate an intuitive graphical visualization of genome synteny that facilitates and drives human interrogation of comparative data. Our platform permits users with minimal informatics capacity to select arbitrary sets of genomes for display, upload and configure multiple datasets, and interact with vertebrate-sized genomic datasets in real-time. We illustrate the utility of CrossBrowse with interrogation of comparative invertebrate and mammalian datasets that provide insights into diverse aspects of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Of note, we show examplars of both preservation and divergence of functional elements that cannot be inferred from sequence alignments alone. Moreover, we demonstrate how inspection of primary data using CrossBrowse exposes an artifact in a typical strategy for assigning species-specific functional elements, and drives the implementation of an improved computational strategy. We anticipate that CrossBrowse will greatly foster user-based discovery within multispecies genomic datasets, and inform their bioinformatic interpretation.
Controlling Mast Cell Activation and Homeostasis: Work Influenced by Bill Paul That Continues Today.

Mast cells are tissue resident, innate immune cells with heterogenous phenotypes tuned by cytokines and other microenvironmental stimuli. Playing a protective role in parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections, mast cells are also known for their role in the pathogenesis of allergy, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. Here, we review factors controlling mast cell activation, with a focus on receptor signaling and potential therapies for allergic disease. Specifically, we will discuss our work with FceRI and FγR signaling, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β1 treatment, and Stat5. We conclude with potential therapeutics for allergic disease. Much of these efforts have been influenced by the work of Bill Paul. With many mechanistic targets for mast cell activation and different classes of therapeutics being studied, there is reason to be hopeful for continued clinical progress in this area.
Reaching Mental Health Research Participants with Multiple Stigmas; A Description of Strategies Used in a Depression Intervention Study for YMSM of Color with HIV

Research indicates that stigma serves as a barrier to the recruitment of participants into mental health intervention studies. Some participants, such as those for depression intervention studies that target people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), may face multiple sources of stigma. The purpose of this brief report was to describe recruitment strategies used during the initial months of an ongoing preliminary pilot study designed to develop a web-based intervention for young African American and Latino gay and bisexual men living with HIV who reported symptoms of depression. We employed four primary recruitment strategies to identify potential participants in the Los Angeles metropolitan area for the study. These strategies included social media, referrals, direct contact, and recruitment flyers. Preliminary data indicated that recruitment efforts generated 57 responses from potential participants during the first four months of recruitment and study implementation. The monthly response rate from potential participants represented slightly more than 71% of the study’s minimum level targeted for participant enrollment. Findings from this preliminary study are discussed in terms of the role of stigma as a barrier to mental health participant research recruitment. Implications for both depression research and clinical interventions are considered.
The Patient Safety Indicator Perioperative Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis: Is there associated surveillance bias in the Veterans Health Administration?

Abstract Background Studies disagree whether surveillance bias is associated with perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) performance measures. A prior VA study used a chart-based outcome; no studies have used the fully specified administrative data-based AHRQ Patient Safety Indicator, PSI-12, as their primary outcome. If surveillance bias were present, we hypothesized that inpatient surveillance rates would be associated with higher PSI-12 rates, but with lower post-discharge VTE rates. Methods Using VA data, we examined Pearson correlations between hospital-level VTE imaging rates and risk-adjusted PSI-12 rates and post-discharge VTE rates. To determine the robustness of findings, we conducted several sensitivity analyses. Results Hospital imaging rates were positively correlated with both PSI-12 (r = 0.24, p = 0.01) and post-discharge VTE rates (r = 0.16, p = 0.09). Sensitivity analyses yielded similar findings. Conclusions Like the prior VA study, we found no evidence of PSI-12-related surveillance bias. Given the use of PSI-12 in nationwide measurement, these findings warrant replication using similar methods in the non-VA setting.
Microvalve Architectures for High-Pressure Hydraulic and Electrokinetic Fluid Control in Microchips

Microvalve architectures employing mobile polymer seating elements in glass substrates are presented. These valves can operate on chip with pressures above 3000 psi, at voltages above 1 kV, and in solvents including water, acetonitrile, and acetone. The valves open and close in milliseconds, and can be used to control, inject, and rout fluids. Closing a valve in a microchannel can cause a billion-fold reduction in the flow through that microchannel; this leak rate performance, combined with pressure and voltage compatibility, makes these valves useful for controlling and integrating practical high-pressure chromatographic or electrokinetic separations on microchips.
Hot Carrier Dynamics in the X Valley in Si and Ge measured by Pump-IR-Probe Absorption Spectroscopy

Si is the semiconductor of choice for nanoelectronic roadmap into the next century for computer and other nanodevices. With growing interest in Si, Ge, and SimGen strained superlattices, knowledge of the carrier relaxation processes in these materials and structures has become increasingly important.1 The limited time resolution for earlier studies2,3 of carrier dynamics in Ge and Si, performed using Nd:glass lasers, was not sufficient to observe the fast cooling processes.
A Study of 3-gene Regulation Networks Using NK-Boolean Network Model and Fuzzy Logic Networking

Boolean network theory, proposed by Stuart A. Kauffman about 3 decades ago, is more general than the cellular automata theory of von Neumann. This theory has many potential applications, and one especially significant application is in the modeling of genetic networking behavior. In order to understand the genomic regulations of a living cell, one must investigate the chaotic phenomena of some simple Boolean networks. We studied a very basic and simple 3-genes regulation network. Different combinations of the three basic logic elements: AND, OR and COMPLEMENT resulted in different logic functions. We studied the influence of these logic functions on steady state behavior of the attractors and limit cycles patterns of cells. In evaluating the degrees of gene expression using Boolean network theory, it is necessary to quantize the expression levels to “1” and “0”. “1” indicates that the gene is expressed and a protein is formed; “0” indicates that the gene is not expressed at all. However, gene expression occurs in many stages, and it is not uncommon for the expression of a gene to cease in one of the intermediate steps. Thus, there is a need for the development of a model to represent the varying degrees of gene expression. We used Fuzzy Logic Networking to circumvent the information loss associated with quantization. Hopefully, a complete dictionary of the classification or taxonomy, of all possible chaotic patterns can be established, as it is useful in the sense that more complex chaotic behavior resulted from gene regulation can be derived from the basic patterns in it. It is highly possible that the “reverse engineering” problem can be completely solved theoretically for the 3-gene networks.
Ultrathin-Gate Dielectric Processes for VLSI Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter describes ultrathin-gate dielectric processes for very large scale integration (VLSI) applications. It discusses the methods for growing thin oxides in the sub-200-A range and also describes the electrical characteristics of these films. The standard manufacturing process for gate oxides has been a 1000°C, dry O2 process with a small amount of HCl added. The amount of HCl added is less than 6%, and its purpose is to neutralize any mobile ionic contamination that may be introduced into the oxide, such as sodium. The oxidation is followed with a high-temperature anneal in an inert ambient, such as argon or nitrogen. High-quality oxides can also be grown with a similar process but with steam replacing the dry O2. The advantage with this technique is that large differential growth rates are obtained between single-crystal substrates and polysilicon layers. This differential is exploited in the manufacture of circuits such as dynamic random access memories.
Asymptotically Exact Distorted Wave Calculations

We report triply-differential cross sections (TDCS) for the single ionization of atomic hydrogen and helium by electron impact for intermediate energy, coplanar asymmetric geometry. The theory employs a 3-body final state wavefunction which includes dynamic correlation between the 3 final state continuum particles. This wave function satisfies the exact asymptotic boundary condition.
International testicular cancer incidence rates in children, adolescents and young adults

Abstract Background Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men in developed countries. In adults, international variation in testicular cancer incidence rates has been well-described, while previous research on pediatric and adolescent testicular cancer has been more geographically limited. Methods In this analysis, we used data from the three most recent volumes of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) and the National Cancer Institute’s SEER 18 registries to compare incidence rates for testicular cancer in children (ages 0–14) and adolescents and young adults (AYA; ages 15–39). Results We find that geographic incidence patterns in AYA are different from patterns in children under 15. In AYA, incidence is highest in Europe (137.4 per million), followed by Oceania (116.9 per million), North America (94.9 per million), South and Central America (66.5 per million), and lowest in Asia (27.1 per million). In contrast, childhood incidence is highest in Asia (4.2 per million) and South America (5.0 per million) and lowest in Europe (2.1 per million) and North America (2.5 per million). In the United States, patterns in incidence rates in racial and ethnic groups mirror international rates. Conclusion These differences in incidence rate variations in pediatric and AYA testicular cancer are intriguing and may aid in understanding the different etiologies of testicular cancer by age group.
Clinical molecular testing for ASXL1 c.1934dupG p.Gly646fs mutation in hematologic neoplasms in the NGS era

ASXL1 (additional sex combs like 1) is a gene that is mutated in a number of hematological neoplasms. The most common genetic alteration is c.1934dupG p.Gly646fs. Previous publications have shown that ASXL1 mutations have a negative prognostic impact in patients with MDS and AML, however, controversy exists regarding the molecular testing of ASXL1 c.1934dupG as polymerase splippage over the adjacent homopolymer could lead to a false-positive result. Here, we report the first study to systematically test different targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches for this mutation in patients with hematologic neoplasms. In addition, we investigated the impact of proofreading capabilities of different DNA polymerases on ASXL1 c.1934dupG somatic mutation using conventional Sanger sequencing, another common method for ASXL1 genotyping. Our results confirm that ASXL1 c.1934dupG can be detected as a technical artifact, which can be overcome by the use of appropriate enzymes and library preparation methods. A systematic study of serial samples from 30 patients show that ASXL1 c.1934dupG is a somatic mutation in haematological neoplasms including MDS, AML, MPN and MDS/MPN and often is associated with somatic mutations of TET2, EZH2, IDH2, RUNX1, NRAS and DNMT3A. The pattern of clonal evolution suggests that this ASXL1 mutation might be an early mutational event that occurs in the principal clonal population and can serve as a clonal marker for persistent/relapsing disease.
Using cluster analysis to identify subgroups of college students at increased risk for cardiovascular disease

Background and purpose ﻿ To examine the co-occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors and cluster subgroups of college students for cardiovascular risks. Methods A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted using co-occurrence patterns and hierarchical clustering analysis in 158 college students. Results The top co-occurring cardiovascular risk factors were overweight/obese and hypertension (10.8%, n = 17). Of the total 34 risk factors that co-occurred, 30 of them involved being overweight/obese. A six-cluster-solution was obtained, two clusters displayed elevated levels of lifetime and 30-year cardiovascular disease risks. Conclusions The hierarchical cluster analysis identified that single White males with a family history of heart disease, overweight/obese, hypertensive or diabetes, and occasionally (weekly) consumed red meat, take antihypertensive medication, and hyperlipidemia were considered the higher risk group compared to other subgroups.
A High-gain Large-scanning 60 GHz Via-fed Patch Phased Array Antenna

This paper presents a 7 × 7 via-fed patch phased array antenna for next-generation communication systems. The low-profile antenna array is fabricated on a printed circuited board (PCB) resulting in a low-cost approach. While the via-fed design enables testing of the antenna component in a laboratory environment, it also provides a path for direct integration on a transceiver chip. The designed finite array is well matched at 60 GHz with the bandwidth covering 57 GHz to 64 GHz. The maximum realized gain for the 7 × 7 array is 22.15 dBi with the gain reduction of ≤ 4 dB under the condition of the maximum scanning angle. Moreover, the scanning volume of the designed antenna is ±55° in H plane and ±53° in E plane without using any superstrate. As a single-layer patch array, the designed array satisfies high gain and large scanning volume in both E and H planes.
Metric and Normed Spaces

Much of real analysis centers on issues of convergence or approximation. In this preliminary chapter we briefly review metric spaces and normed spaces, which are sets on which we can define a notion of distance or length that allows us to quantify the meaning of closeness or convergence. The results in this chapter are presented in a compressed form, without the more extensive motivation and discussion that is provided in the rest of the text. Some proofs are assigned as exercises, and a few longer proofs are omitted.