cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gs alpha stimulates transcytosis and apical secretion in MDCK cells through cAMP and protein kinase A.

Recent evidence suggests a role for heterotrimeric G proteins in vesicular transport. Cholera toxin, which activates Gs alpha by ADP-ribosylation, has been reported to stimulate both apical secretion (Pimplikar, S.W., and K. Simons. 1993. Nature (Lond.). 352:456-458) and apically directed transcytosis (Bomsel, M., and K.E. Mostov. 1993. J. Biol. Chem. 268:25824-25835) in MDCK cells, via a cAMP-independent mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that apical secretion and apically directed transcytosis are significantly stimulated by agents that elevate cellular cAMP. Forskolin, which activates adenylyl cyclase directly, and 8BrcAMP augment both transport processes in MDCK cells. The increase is not limited to receptor-mediated transport (polymeric Ig receptor), since transcytosis of ricin, a galactose-binding lectin, is similarly stimulated. The effects of elevated cellular cAMP on apical secretion and transcytosis are apparently mediated via protein kinase A (PKA), as they are inhibited by H-89, a selective PKA inhibitor. Experiments employing a 17 degrees C temperature block indicate that cAMP/PKA acts at a late, possibly rate-limiting stage in the transcytotic pathway, after translocation of internalized markers into the apical cytoplasm. However, no significant stimulus of apical recycling was observed in the presence of FSK, suggesting that cAMP/PKA either affects transcytosis at a level proximal to apical early endosomes and/or specifically increases the efficiency by which transcytosing molecules are delivered to the apical plasma membrane. Finally, we overexpressed wild-type Gs alpha and a mutant, Q227L, which constitutively activates adenylyl cyclase, in MDCK cells. Although Q227L increased transcytosis more than wild-type Gs alpha, neither construct was as effective as FSK in stimulating transcytosis, arguing against a significant role of Gs alpha in transcytosis independent of cAMP and PKA.
On the sampling of moderate dimension parametric spaces for FEM model reduction

A study of various sampling strategies for extracting reduced models from moderate dimension parametric spaces of finite element (FE) models is conducted. Tensor-product, Monte Carlo method and its various quasi-Monte Carlo alternatives (Sobol, Halton) and sparse grid sampling strategies are compared for a doubly infinite antenna array example.
Autoradiographic localization of proline uptake in excitatory hippocampal pathways

An autoradiographic method was developed to localize sites of high-affinity, Na+-dependent proline uptake in the rat hippocampal formation. Hippocampal slices were incubated with [3H]proline, fixed with a glutaraldehyde/carbodiimide mixture, and cut into frozen sections. The sections were coated with photographic emulsion and autoradiograms were prepared. Autoradiographic grain densities were highest over the inner and outer thirds of the dentate molecular layer, followed by stratum lacunosum-moleculare of area CA3. Stratum oriens and stratum radiatum of area CA1 and CA3 were fairly intensely labeled. The pyramidal and granule cell body layers, stratum lucidum of area CA3, and middle third of the dentate molecular layer were lightly labeled. Effects of surgical and kainic acid lesions suggested that the lateral perforant path, associational-commissural fibers in the fascia dentata, and Schaffer collateral-commissural-ipsilateral stratum oriens fibers have considerable proline uptake capacity. In contrast, the medial perforant path and the mossy fibers appear to accumulate little or no proline. These results suggest that high-affinity, Na+-dependent uptake of proline is expressed by a subset of hippocampal glutamate pathways. The relative capacities of glutamate terminal populations to transport glutamate and proline varies widely. Proline was previously shown to possess neuroexcitatory and excitotoxic properties in the rat hippocampal formation. Taken together, these findings argue that proline plays a role in excitatory transmission. In elucidating this role, comparisons between medial and lateral divisions of the perforant path may prove especially advantageous.
Natural image statistics and neural representation

▪ Abstract It has long been assumed that sensory neurons are adapted, through both evolutionary and developmental processes, to the statistical properties of the signals to which they are exposed. Attneave (1954), Barlow (1961) proposed that information theory could provide a link between environmental statistics and neural responses through the concept of coding efficiency. Recent developments in statistical modeling, along with powerful computational tools, have enabled researchers to study more sophisticated statistical models for visual images, to validate these models empirically against large sets of data, and to begin experimentally testing the efficient coding hypothesis for both individual neurons and populations of neurons.
Mechanical Damping Spectrum for Mixed-Alkali R2 O·Al2 O3·6SiO2 Glasses

The internal friction of R2O·Al2O3·6SiO2 glasses was measured from-180° to 700°C at 0.4 Hz. Glasses containing Li2O or Na2O exhibited only the one internal friction peak characteristic of the stress-induced movement of the alkali ions. Substitution of a second alkali resulted in two significant changes in the internal friction: (1) a rapid reduction in the magnitude of the original alkali peak and (2) the appearance of a new internal friction peak whose magnitude was especially sensitive to the concentration of the second alkali. Each combination of two alkali ions resulted in a new peak, with peaks being observed for the combinations Li-Na, Na-K, and Li-K. A mechanical damping spectrum is predicted for aluminosilicate glasses containing more than two alkali ions.
The impact of pre-transplant dialysis on simultaneous pancreas–kidney versus living donor kidney transplant outcomes

Background. Pre-transplant dialysis is known to affect kidney graft survival. Here, we report the impact of pre-transplant dialysis on patient and graft survival of type 1 diabetic recipients of either a simultaneous pancreas–kidney (SPK) or living donor kidney (LDK) transplant. Methods. Using the Organ Procurement Transplant Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) database, 6822 adult type 1 diabetic recipients transplanted through 2000–2011 were identified. Patients were categorized based on pre-transplant dialysis time (DT): preemptive recipients (P-LDK, n = 498; P-SPK, n = 1529), recipients with 1 year was associated with inferior patient survival (7-year survival 76% versus 87% for P-LDK, P-value versus P-LDK = 0.009). Comparing P-LDK to all other SPK groups, there was no significant difference in 7-year patient or kidney survival. Conclusions. Preemptive transplantation is associated with the highest patient survival in both LDK and SPK. Compared with the P-LDK group, DT > 1 year is associated with lower patient survival among LDK recipients, but there is no difference in survival with dialysis up to 2 years with SPK. These results highlight the differential impact of DT on LDK and SPK transplantation.
Traffic Probe Data Processing for Full-Scale Deployment of Vehicle–Infrastructure Integration

Vehicle—infrastructure integration (VII) is expected to provide greatly improved transportation planning and operations data by enabling many—and eventually all—road vehicles to function as traffic data probes. This means that VII probe data can be processed to produce useful information about the operation of an arterial roadway based on studies using a traffic microsimulation. Simulation provides a "truth model" representation of all vehicle trajectories, which serves as the basis for comparison with probe data sampling strategies under development in the VII program. Modifications to the probe data sampling strategies are suggested to enhance the quality of the data, especially its timeliness. Applications to weather condition detection, incident detection, and realtime adaptive traffic signal control, each with significantly different data requirements, were considered, and the ability of the probe sampling system to support these applications was evaluated. The least-demanding applications, such as w...
Embryonic control of epidermal cell patterning in the root and hypocotyl of Arabidopsis

A position-dependent pattern of epidermal cell types is produced during the development of the Arabidopsis seedling root and hypocotyl. To understand the origin and regulation of this patterning mechanism, we have examined the embryonic expression of the GLABRA2 (GL2) gene, which encodes a cell-type-specific transcription factor. Using in situ RNA hybridization and a sensitive GL2::GFP reporter, we discovered that a position-dependent pattern of GL2 expression is established within protodermal cells at the heart stage and is maintained throughout the remainder of embryogenesis. In addition, we show that an exceptional GL2 expression character and epidermal cell pattern arises during development of the root-hypocotyl junction, which represents an anatomical transition zone. Furthermore, we find that two of the genes regulating seedling epidermal patterning, TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA (TTG) and WEREWOLF (WER), also control the embryonic GL2 pattern, whereas the CAPRICE (CPC) and GL2 genes are not required to establish this pattern. These results indicate that position-dependent patterning of epidermal cell types begins at an early stage of embryogenesis, before formation of the apical meristems and shortly after the cellular anatomy of the protoderm and outer ground tissue layer is established. Thus, epidermal cell specification in the Arabidopsis seedling relies on the embryonic establishment of a patterning mechanism that is perpetuated postembryonically.
Application of circular consensus sequencing and network analysis to characterize the bovine IgG repertoire

Vertebrate immune systems generate diverse repertoires of antibodies capable of mediating response to a variety of antigens. Next generation sequencing methods provide unique approaches to a number of immuno-based research areas including antibody discovery and engineering, disease surveillance, and host immune response to vaccines. In particular, single-molecule circular consensus sequencing permits the sequencing of antibody repertoires at previously unattainable depths of coverage and accuracy. We approached the bovine immunoglobulin G (IgG) repertoire with the objective of characterizing diversity of expressed IgG transcripts. Here we present single-molecule real-time sequencing data of expressed IgG heavy-chain repertoires of four individual cattle. We describe the diversity observed within antigen binding regions and visualize this diversity using a network-based approach. We generated 49,945 high quality cDNA sequences, each spanning the entire IgG variable region from four Bos taurus calves. From these sequences we identified 49,521 antigen binding regions using the automated Paratome web server. Approximately 9% of all unique complementarity determining 2 (CDR2) sequences were of variable lengths. A bimodal distribution of unique CDR3 sequence lengths was observed, with common lengths of 5–6 and 21–25 amino acids. The average number of cysteine residues in CDR3s increased with CDR3 length and we observed that cysteine residues were centrally located in CDR3s. We identified 19 extremely long CDR3 sequences (up to 62 amino acids in length) within IgG transcripts. Network analyses revealed distinct patterns among the expressed IgG antigen binding repertoires of the examined individuals. We utilized circular consensus sequencing technology to provide baseline data of the expressed bovine IgG repertoire that can be used for future studies important to livestock research. Somatic mutation resulting in base insertions and deletions in CDR2 further diversifies the bovine antibody repertoire. In contrast to previous studies, our data indicate that unusually long CDR3 sequences are not unique to IgM antibodies in cattle. Centrally located cysteine residues in bovine CDR3s provide further evidence that disulfide bond formation is likely of structural importance. We hypothesize that network or cluster-based analyses of expressed antibody repertoires from controlled challenge experiments will help identify novel natural antigen binding solutions to specific pathogens of interest.
Market Motives in the Informal Economy

This paper presents estimates of the size of the informal economy in the United States and examines the motives individuals have for dealing in the informal economy.
The Effect of Framing on Information Search and Information Evaluation in Auditors’ Fair Value Judgments

Fair values and other accounting estimates (FVOEs) are common in financial reporting (IAASB, 2009) and regulators are concerned that auditors are insufficiently skeptical in their evaluations of FVOEs (PCAOB, 2009, 2015a, b; IFIAR, 2014). Utilizing an experiment with auditors as participants, we examine the effects of different audit guidance frames (i.e., positive: “support” management’s assertions, balanced: “support and oppose” management’s assertions, and negative: “oppose” management’s assertions) on fair value estimates and examine the processes by which these effects occur. Our results indicate that providing a balanced frame (versus a positive or negative frame) influences auditors’ fair value estimates by affecting the manner in which they evaluate information such that they use relatively more evidence opposing than supporting management’s assertions. This, in turn, results in perceptions of a greater risk of material misstatement which thereby results in lower fair value estimates. Because current audit guidance provides a positive frame, our results point to the need to adopt audit guidelines that promote more balanced search strategies and, in turn, potentially could lead to more conservative (i.e., more skeptical) auditor judgments.
Cell loading with laser-generated stress waves: the role of the stress gradient.

Purpose. To determine the dependence of the permeabilzation of the plasma membrane on the characteristics of laser-generated stress waves. Methods. Laser pulses can generate stress waves by ablation. Depending on the laser wavelength, fluence, and target material, stress waves of different characteristics (rise time, peak stress) can be generated. Human red blood cells were subjected to stress waves and the permeability changes were measured by uptake of extracellular dye molecules. Results. A fast rise time (high stress gradient) of the stress wave was required for the permeabilization of the plasma membrane. While the membrane was permeable, the cells could rapidly uptake molecules from the surrounding medium by diffusion. Conclusions. Stress waves provide a potentially powerful tool for drug delivery.
Instruments for Assessing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Review of the Literature.

Background Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and often dose-limiting side effect of chemotherapy that can result in disability and poorer quality of life. However, no standardized measurement for CIPN exists. Clinicians often base decisions for dose modification or discontinuation of a chemotherapeutic agent on patient report of subjective symptoms and physical examination. Objectives This review is designed to identify valid and reliable assessment tools that measure or assess CIPN in adult patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL®, and Cochrane Library. Articles were included if their primary purpose was to evaluate the psychometric properties of scales to measure CIPN in adult patients with cancer receiving neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. Findings The search yielded 143 results, with 16 articles meeting criteria for inclusion in the review. Seven unique scales and their reduced and modified versions were examined. The majority of the questionnaires were evaluated in a single tumor type, primarily with taxanes and platinum compounds. No consensus exists on the most appropriate patient self-report scale for use in the general oncology population.
“Capping”: necessary for graduation

In this issue of Blood , Moyer and colleagues show that deficiency of tropomodulin, an actin filament capping protein in red cell membranes, leads to mild spherocytic anemia, thus identifying yet another molecular defect that can lead to inherited red cell membrane disorders.[1][1] Whereas
Flagella Staining of Anaerobic Bacilli

An improved technic for staining flagella of anaerobic bacilli is described. This involves the use of the flagella stain described by Bailey, and careful attention to several details. Those considered of most importance are listed, as follows:1. At least two rapid subcultures were made in broth containing peptone, meat infusion and glucose; the broth was centrifugalized and the cells washed in sterile distilled water before inoculation upon anaerobic agar slants.2. All distilled water used was sterilized by passing thru a sterile Mandler filter to remove precipitate; the temperature of the water ranged from 30° to 37° C, and the pH was approximately 6.8.3. The harvested cells were incubated at 37° C. one-half hour before staining to obtain better distribution.4. A small drop of suspension was placed near one end of specially prepared slides, allowed to flow slowly over the surface, and placed in the incubator, without heating, in a slanted position to dry.5. Freshly made and freshly filtered solutions wer...
Massive pulmonary embolism. Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

SUMMARY Massive PE is a devastating clinical entity often undiscovered until autopsy. Acute right ventricular failure may progress to death within minutes to hours after the embolic event and prompt diagnostic and therapeutic intervention are imperative. The diagnosis heavily relies on clinical suspicion together with ventilation-perfusion scanning. Echocardiography may have a role in select patients to aid in the recognition of PE with right ventricular failure and to guide therapy. Clinical instability may hinder the diagnostic evaluation and delay therapeutic intervention. Oxygen is administered and, when necessary, intubation and mechanical ventilation are undertaken. In the setting of hypotension supportive therapy includes vasoactive medications, such as norepinephrine. Intravenous fluids should be administered cautiously. Therapeutic options aimed directly at reducing the embolic burden include systemic thrombolytic therapy, surgical embolectomy, and the use of intrapulmonary arterial catheter techniques. In the absence of contraindications, thrombolytic therapy should be strongly considered in hypotensive patients. Surgical embolectomy for acute PE is controversial, but this modality appears to have a role in select patients. Various intrapulmonary arterial catheter techniques, with or without low-dose thrombolytic therapy, have been used successfully to reduce the embolic burden, although no particular technique appears to have clear advantages over others. Placement of an inferior vena caval filter may prevent additional, potentially fatal emboli and appears appropriate in select patients with massive emboli.
Does health habit advice affect patient satisfaction

The article will explore how patients feel about and respond to health habit counseling provided by their family physician, relying on data from the Direct Observation of Primary Care study.
uLink: user-defined deep links in mobile apps

Web deep links are instrumental to many fundamental user experiences, such as navigating from one web page to another, bookmarking a page, or sharing it with others. Such experiences are not possible with individual pages inside mobile apps, since historically mobile apps did not have links equivalent to web deep links. Mobile deep links, introduced in recent years, still lack many important properties of web deep links. Unlike web links, mobile deep links need significant developer effort to be exposed, cover a small number of predefined pages, and are defined statically to navigate to a page for a given link, but not to dynamically generate a link for a given page. We have built uLink, a novel deep linking mechanism that addresses these problems. uLink is implemented as an application library, which transparently tracks data- and UI-event-dependencies of app pages, and encodes the information in links to the pages; when a link is invoked, the information is utilized to recreate the target page quickly and accurately. uLink also employs techniques, based on static and dynamic analysis of the app, that can provide feedback to users about whether a link may break in the future due to, e.g., modifications of external resources such as a file the link depends on. We have implemented uLink on Android, and tested with 30+ apps. Compared to existing mobile deep links, uLink requires minimal developer effort, achieves significantly higher coverage, and can provide accurate user feedback on a broken link.
Abstract 42: Differentiation of Human Multipotent Vascular Stem Cells Contributes to Vascular Diseases

Vascular disease, such as neointimal hyperplasia and atherosclerosis, involves in migration and proliferation of vascular cells in blood vessel wall. It is generally accepted that the de-differenti...
A review of the global epidemiology of scrub typhus

Scrub typhus is a serious public health problem in the Asia-Pacific area. It threatens one billion people globally, and causes illness in one million people each year. Caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, scrub typhus can result in severe multiorgan failure with a case fatality rate up to 70% without appropriate treatment. The antigenic heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi precludes generic immunity and allows reinfection. As a neglected disease, there is still a large gap in our knowledge of the disease, as evidenced by the sporadic epidemiologic data and other related public health information regarding scrub typhus in its endemic areas. Our objective is to provide a systematic analysis of current epidemiology, prevention and control of scrub typhus in its long-standing endemic areas and recently recognized foci of infection.
Independence of diabetes and obesity in adults with serious mental illness: Findings from a large urban public hospital.

Abstract Objective There is limited research on metabolic abnormalities in psychotropic-naive patients with serious mental illness (SMI). Our study examined metabolic conditions in a large, ethnically diverse sample of psychotropic-naive and non-naive adults with SMI at an urban public hospital. Methods In this cross-sectional study of 923 subjects, the prevalences of hyperglycemia meeting criteria for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on fasting plasma glucose and obesity defined by BMI and abdominal girth were compared across duration of psychotropic medication exposure. Multiple logistic regression models used hyperglycemia and obesity as dependent variables and age, sex, race/ethnicity, and years on psychotropics as independent variables. Results Psychotropic-naive patients, including both schizophrenia and non-psychotic subgroups, showed an elevated prevalence of hyperglycemia meeting criteria for T2DM and a decreased prevalence of obesity compared to the general population. Obesity rates significantly increased for those on psychotropic medications more than 5 years, particularly for patients without psychosis (BMI: aOR = 5.23 CI = 1.44–19.07; abdominal girth: aOR = 6.40 CI = 1.98–20.69). Women had a significantly higher obesity rate than men (BMI: aOR = 1.63 CI = 1.17–2.28; abdominal girth: aOR = 3.86 CI = 2.75–5.44). Asians had twice the prevalence of hyperglycemia as whites (aOR = 2.29 CI = 1.43–3.67), despite having significantly less obesity (BMI: aOR = .39 CI = .20-.76; abdominal girth: aOR = .34 CI = .20-.60). Hispanics had a higher rate of obesity by BMI than whites (aOR = 1.91 CI = 1.22–2.99). Conclusions This study showed disparities between obesity and T2DM in psychotropic-naive patients with SMI, suggesting separate risk pathways for these two metabolic conditions.
Aurangzeb as seen from Gujarat: Shi‘i and Millenarian Challenges to Mughal Sovereignty

This article argues for a re-evaluation of the ‘Islamist’ policies of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb ‘Alamgir (r. 1658–1707), many of which were arguably harsher towards Shi‘i and millenarian groups than towards Hindus. By charting Aurangzeb's trials of millenarian leaders throughout his long reign, it suggests that the emperor's desire to introduce a more standardised legal system was at odds with the ‘millennial’ nature of his own kingship. The article further suggests we should look more closely at the influence of regional politics on Mughal policy-making. The fact that Sunni Gujarati clerics acquired a remarkable intimacy with Aurangzeb, both as prince and emperor, demonstrates how Gujarat's sectarian disputes and political economy could play out in the imperial court. Finally, the article calls for a realistic reappraisal of the long shadows cast by Aurangzeb's Islamist legalism.
Exploring the Role of Frameworks & Methodologies in Information Security Management & Governance - Research in Progress

IT governance and Information Security Management (ISM) are currently topics of great interest to practitioners and researchers alike. In reaction to financial fraud at major US companies, organizations are facing legal pressures and ongoing scrutiny of their overall governance processes, with efforts increasingly driven by the IT organization. ISM practice is also evolving, to help organizations strengthen security governance and develop a security culture that can address increasing internal and external threats. Organizations are showing interest in various formal methodologies as reference frameworks for their efforts, and expect the right choice to enhance both IT and security governance. The ultimate choice, however, must fit the organization context and risk profile, and ISM frameworks are only workable if organizations derive value from them.
Chapter 1 – Fundamentals of Equilibrium Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is a science of energy in which temperature—as it is related to the average of molecular motions—is an important concept. Guggenheim defines thermodynamics as that part of physics concerned with any equilibrium property’s dependence on temperature. Thermodynamics also formulates the average changes taking place among large numbers of molecules; therefore, it is a macroscopic science. Carnot, Rankine, Clausius, Kelvin, Gibbs, and many others developed formulations of thermodynamic principles for describing the conservation and conversion of energy. The theoretical formulation of classical thermodynamics is a set of natural laws governing the behavior of macroscopic systems; these laws lead to a large number of equations and axioms that are exact, based entirely on logic, and attached to well-defined constraints. As natural phenomena are far from reversible, adiabatic, isothermal, equilibrium, or ideal, the engineer must exercise a pragmatic approach in applying the principles of thermodynamics to real systems. Some new texts have attempted to present thermodynamic principles and formulations in ways applicable to students and engineers, which would allow the formulations to be applied in modeling, designing, and describing some natural and complex phenomena. Principles of thermodynamics find applications in all branches of engineering and the sciences. Besides that, thermodynamics may present methods and “generalized correlations” for the estimation of physical and chemical properties when there are no experimental data available. Such estimations are often necessary in the simulation and design of various processes. This chapter briefly covers some of the basic definitions, principles of thermodynamics, entropy production, the Gibbs equation, phase equilibria, equations of state, and thermodynamic potentials.
TREATMENT OF SCAPHOLUNATE DISSOCIATION: Rotatory Subluxation of the Scaphoid

The treatment of scapholunate dissociation remains controversial. Although good to excellent results have been reported using a variety of surgical techniques, they have often not been confirmed by other authors. Limited wrist mobility and the likelihood that degenerative changes will progress appear to be inherent in most approaches. The ideal treatment is to restore the normal anatomy and, with it, the function of the wrist. Destroying a normal joint by even a limited fusion as a means to provide stability to an abnormal joint is counter to our usual approach to disease. It is for that reason that more reliable soft-tissue reconstructive procedures are necessary. Those interested in arthroscopy are pursuing endoscopic methods of repair, but, at present, little progress is apparent. The physician who solves this problem with an uncomplicated and reliable surgical solution will have indebted us all.
Sleep Scoring with a UHF RFID Tag by Near Field Coherent Sensing

Long-term sleep scoring is very important in clinical settings to monitor patients' recovery and at homes for both children and adults. In a cost-effective manner, quality of sleep can often be assessed by the upper-body movement together with heartbeat and respiratory monitoring. Instead of the conventional polysomnogram (PSG) which is uncomfortable due to skin contact of sensors and electrodes, this paper presents radio frequency (RF) near-field coherent sensing (NCS) by a single passive RF identification (RFID) tag in the chest area without requiring skin touch, where heart rates, breath rhythm, and motion can be synchronously extracted. Motion classification is based on support vector machine (SVM) with semi-supervised learning. Sudden body jerk, tossing, and turning can be recognized correctly in 91.06% of the test cases. The heart rate detection is also improved after motion artifact correction.
Deep Learning Enabled Automatic Abnormal EEG Identification

In hospitals, physicians diagnose brain-related disorders such as epilepsy by analyzing electroencephalograms (EEG). However, manual analysis of EEG data requires highly trained clinicians or neurophysiologists and is a procedure that is known to have relatively low inter-rater agreement (IRA). Moreover, the volume of the data and rate at which new data is acquired makes interpretation a time-consuming, resource hungry, and expensive process. In contrast, automated analysis offers the potential to improve the quality of patient care by shortening the time to diagnosis, reducing manual error, and automatically detecting debilitating events. In this paper, we focus on one of the early decisions made in this process which is identifying whether an EEG session is normal or abnormal. Unlike previous approaches, we do not extract hand-engineered features but employ deep neural networks that automatically learn meaningful representations. We undertake a holistic study by exploring various pre-processing techniques and machine learning algorithms for addressing this problem and compare their performance. We have used the recently released “TUH Abnormal EEG Corpus” dataset for evaluating the performance of these algorithms. We show that modern deep gated recurrent neural networks achieve 3.47% better performance than previously reported results.
"Du bon usage des 'espaces autres'"

El ensayo se propone exponer algunas de las aplicaciones eticas (y, por ende, politicas) que se derivan de la nocion de heterotopia esbozada por Michel Foucault en su conferencia de 1967, “De los espacios otros”. Para ello, Harvey se centra en un ejemplo paradigmatico de “espacio otro” — el cementerio — y analiza el tratamiento dado a las funciones psicologicas y culturales de los cementerios en obras de Marguerite Duras, Marta Hillers (durante largo tiempo anonima) y Robert Antelme. El ensayo concluye con una reflexion sobre el significado profundo del termino “Zona Cero”.
Toward Routine Assessments of Auditory Filter Shape.

Purpose A Bayesian adaptive procedure, that is, the quick auditory filter (qAF) procedure, has been shown to improve the efficiency for estimating auditory filter shapes of listeners with normal he...
Head and Neck Reconstruction: Does Surgical Specialty Affect Complication Rates?

Background Reconstruction of head and neck defects resulting from resection of head and neck masses is performed by both plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement (NSQIP) database allows one to directly compare the outcomes for a given procedure based upon specialty. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes and resource utilization of microvascular head and neck reconstruction between plastic surgery and otolaryngology. Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained and NSQIP was queried from 2005 to 2015 with inclusion of Current Procedural Terminology codes for free tissue transfer performed for head and neck reconstruction. Outcomes were compared between cases having otolaryngology and plastic surgery as performing the free flap reconstruction. Results During 2005 to 2015, a total of 2,322 flaps were performed, 893 by plastic surgery and 1,429 by otolaryngology. Average length of stay (LOS) was 13.7 and 11.4 days for plastic surgery and otolaryngology, respectively. It was found that plastic surgery performed more osteocutaneous flaps than otolaryngology. Higher rates of superficial surgical site infection, deep surgical site infections, wound dehiscence, myocardial infarction, bleeding complications, sepsis, unplanned return to the operating room, and unplanned readmission were observed for patients treated by otolaryngology (p Conclusion This study shows plastic surgery patients have superior outcomes with regards to free tissue transfers of the head and neck when compared with otolaryngology patients. Although plastic surgery patients experienced a longer LOS, the significantly lower complication rate supports an overall more optimal resource utilization. Future studies may elucidate potential cost savings in patients treated by plastic surgery.
One-dimensional motion tailoring for the disabled: A user study

The Tailor project allows physically disabled users to provide real-time analog input to computer applications. We use a PolhemusTM tracking device and create a custom tailored mapping from each user's best range and type of motion into the analog control signal. The application is a simple video game based on Pong, where the analog input controls the position of the player's paddle. A group of able-bodied subjects was able to correctly hit the ball with the paddle 77% of the time, and a comparison group of children with cerebral palsy performed at the 50% level. More than half the disabled users were able to perform at a higher level than the worst able-bodied user.
Multi-Objective Approach to Improve Load Balance and Blockage in Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks

One of the main enabling technologies of 5G wireless networks is to use mm-Wave spectrum band. Despite its large and wide frequency bandwidth, the obtained data rate can be diminished due to link blockage in this frequency band. In this paper, we formulate a bi-objective optimization problem to optimize user association in cellular networks with mm-Wave enabled base stations. The two objectives to minimize are maximum base station utility and blockage score (to indicate the chance of a link getting blocked). We simulate three different scalarization methods to turn a bi-objective vector into a scalar. Since the combinatorial bi-objective problem is NP-Hard, we conduct Lagrangian dual analysis on all of the scalarization methods. Solving the dual problem decreases the time complexity of the solver algorithm, but the solution has a distance from the optimal point created by solving the primal. We also solve the primal optimization problem with a single objective optimization tool. Compared to the time complexity of the primal problem of scalarization methods, the time complexities of solutions to the dual problems are lower. The results show that our solution to bi-objective optimization problem has a better outcome in terms of the number of link blockage and the maximum base station utility compared to optimizing each objective alone.1
Effects of geometry constraints and fiber orientation in field assisted extrusion-based processing

Abstract Composite manufacturing processes adapted for assisted-additive manufacturing (AM) have recently been proposed. Extrusion-based AM utilizes shear-driven alignment in producing printed structures where polymers and fibers naturally align parallel to the material flow. Convergent flow geometries become the dominant processing route for thermoplastic-melts and thermoset polymer extrusions. For rotational fibers, the phenomenon known as Jeffrey orbits poses issues during extrusion through a convergent channel, resulting in a randomized fiber architecture. Methods of minimizing Jeffrey orbits include the application of an additional external force such as a magnetic field to arrest or counteract the rotation. This work explores a combination of magnetic forces in conjunction with adjusted channel geometries using theory and experimental observations. The findings suggest the ability to alter fiber orientation in flow in a 300 cP viscosity matrix by modifying the extrusion channel geometry.
Creativity and Bipolar Disorder: A Shared Genetic Vulnerability

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder characterized by extreme mood swings between mania and depression. Despite fitness costs associated with increased mortality and significant impairment, bipolar disorder has persisted in the population with a high heritability and a stable prevalence. Creativity and other positive traits have repeatedly been associated with the bipolar spectrum, particularly among unaffected first-degree relatives and those with milder expressions of bipolar traits. This suggests a model in which large doses of risk variants cause illness, but mild to moderate doses confer advantages, which serve to maintain bipolar disorder in the population. Bipolar disorder may thus be better conceptualized as a dimensional trait existing at the extreme of normal population variation in positive temperament, personality, and cognitive traits, aspects of which may reflect a shared vulnerability with creativity. Investigations of this shared vulnerability may provide insight into the genetic mechanisms underlying illness and suggest novel treatments.
Comparative efficacy of fibrinogen and platelet supplementation on the in vitro reversibility of competitive glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor-directed platelet inhibition.

Abstract Background Platelet surface glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (αIIb/β 3 ) receptor inhibition, with prevention of fibrinogen binding and platelet aggregation, concomitantly attenuates arterial thrombotic capacity and impairs protective hemostasis, 2 divergent platelet-dependent processes. Purpose Because the currently available, Food and Drug Administration-approved small molecule glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists are considered “competitive” inhibitors and there is limited information on the reversibility of platelet inhibition with fibrinogen or platelet supplementation, the following series of in vitro experiments were performed. Methods and Results Washed platelets from 24 healthy volunteers were suspended in tyrodes buffer and incubated with achievable (in vivo) concentrations of either tirofiban or eptifibatide before activation with thrombin receptor agonist peptide (15 μmol/L). Platelet aggregation was inhibited by 40% to 50%, but reversal was achieved with fibrinogen supplementation in a concentration-dependent manner. In a separate series of in vitro experiments, platelet inhibition exceeding 90% was established with tirofiban (average concentration 9.28 μg/L) and eptifibatide (average concentration 95.4 μg/L). Recovery of platelet aggregation to at least 50% was achieved after the addition of fibrinogen (0.76-0.80 g/L), platelets (2.4 × 10 11 /L), or their combination. There was an inverse relationship between plasma baseline fibrinogen and the amount of supplemental fibrinogen needed to restore platelet aggregability (r = −0.60; P Conclusion The reversibility of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-directed platelet inhibition is influenced by cell surface receptor availability and intrinsic pharmacodynamic mechanism of action. Fibrinogen supplementation with fresh frozen plasma or cryoprecipitate either alone or in combination with platelet transfusion represents an important and readily available treatment consideration for restoring hemostatic potential and managing major hemorrhagic complications associated with the administration of small-molecule, competitive glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists. (Am Heart J 2002;143:725-32.)
A Modified Off-grid SBL Channel Estimation and Transmission Strategy for RIS-Assisted Wireless Communication Systems.

In this paper, we design a compressed sensing based Uplink/Downlink (UL/DL) channel estimation (CE) scheme for RIS-aided terahertz MIMO systems and develop an integral transmission strategy. Specifically, we adopt the off-grid sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) approach to work directly on the continuous AOA/AOD domain and avoid the severe grid mismatch. Compared with most state-of-the-art algorithms, i.e., LS, MMSE and on-grid compressive sensing (CS) approaches, the proposed CE method achieves better channel estimation accuracy. The angle-domain reciprocity is exploited to obtain a much simplified overall transmission scheme with significantly reduced training and feedback overhead. A novel frame structure is developed to successfully handle the RIS-aided transmission problem. Moreover, a multi-user downlink strategy is developed where the limited scattering nature of terahertz channel is exploited and a region-separation aided user grouping algorithm is explained. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method over existing ones.
Standardized protocol for voiding cystourethrogram: Are recommendations being followed?

Summary Background Voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) images the urethra and bladder during filling and emptying, as well as ureters and kidneys when vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is present, providing detailed information about both anatomical and functional status of the urinary tract. Given the importance of information obtained, and the varying quality depending on VCUG technique and radiology reporting, the American Academy of Pediatrics Sections on Urology and Radiology published a joint standardized VCUG protocol in 2016. Objective We compared VCUG reports from multiple institutions before and after publication of the protocol to determine adherence to recommendations. Study Design VCUG reports generated during two separate time periods were assessed – before and after publication – to evaluate impact of the protocol. Adherence to the reporting template was evaluated. Studies performed on patients >18 years of age and those obtained for trauma evaluation were excluded from study. Results A total of 3121 VCUG reports were analyzed, 989 (31.7%) were generated before and 2132 (68.3%) after protocol publication. Comparing cohorts, there was no difference in gender (62.6% female versus 61.4%; p = 0.53) though children in the post-cohort were slightly older (3.34 ± 3.82 versus 3.68 ± 4.19 years; p = 0.03). A significant increase in scout image reporting (91.5%) and cyclic studies (20.5%) were observed in the post-cohort, in comparison to 79.2% and 13.1%, respectively, in the pre-protocol cohort (p Discussion The 2016 VCUG protocol recommended inclusion of various data points, however the volume at which reflux occurs remained vastly underreported. Timing of reflux has been shown to predict likelihood of spontaneous resolution and risk of breakthrough urinary tract infection; thus, its omission may limit the information used to counsel families and provide individualized care. Conclusion Despite consensus on standard VCUG protocol to best perform and record data, reports remain inconsistent. While VUR grade is routinely reported, other important anatomic and functional findings which are known to impact resolution and breakthrough urinary tract infection rates, such as volume at which reflux occurs, are consistently underreported. Download : Download high-res image (190KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Figure . A significant increase in reporting of cyclic studies (20.5%) was observed in the post-cohort, in comparison to 13.1 in the pre-protocol cohort (p
ProdMX: Rapid query and analysis of protein functional domain based on compressed sparse matrices.

Large-scale protein analysis has been used to characterize large numbers of proteins across numerous species. One of the applications is to use as a high-throughput screening method for pathogenicity of genomes. Unlike sequence homology methods, protein comparison at a functional level provides us with a unique opportunity to classify proteins, based on their functional structures without dealing with sequence complexity of distantly related species. Protein functions can be abstractly described by a set of protein functional domains, such as PfamA domains; a set of genomes can then be mapped to a matrix, with each row representing a genome, and the columns representing the presence or absence of a given functional domain. However, a powerful tool is needed to analyze the large sparse matrices generated by millions of genomes that will become available in the near future. The ProdMX is a tool with user-friendly utilities developed to facilitate high-throughput analysis of proteins with an ability to be included as an effective module in the high-throughput pipeline. The ProdMX employs a compressed sparse matrix algorithm to reduce computational resources and time used to perform the matrix manipulation during functional domain analysis. The ProdMX is a free and publicly available Python package which can be installed with popular package mangers such as PyPI and Conda, or with a standard installer from source code available on the ProdMX GitHub repository at https://github.com/visanuwan/prodmx.
Preferred orientation of calcium aluminosilicate hydrate compacts: Implications for creep and indentation

Abstract Nano/micro-indentation has been extensively used to examine elastic properties and creep of cement-based materials. However, there have been inconsistencies in the measured elastic moduli and debate on the creep mechanism of calcium (alumino) silicate hydrates (C-(A-)S-H). To bring new insights, we examined the deviatoric stress-induced preferred orientation of calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H), portlandite, and ettringite compacts, using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction. Intense preferred orientations were observed in C-A-S-H compacts, and the c-axis of unit cells is highly aligned with the compression direction; weaker c-axis related fiber-type texture formed in portlandite and ettringite. Higher humidity, greater compacting pressure, and/or increased duration of the pressure intensified the C-A-S-H preferred orientation, which is facilitated by gel-pore water lubrication. This pressure-induced time-dependent preferential re-orientation of crystallites can contribute to the creep of cement-based materials, and it may cause overrepresentation of the soft c-axis of C-(A-)S-H unit-cell in nanoindentation experiments and underestimation of Young's modulus.
Exploring Workforce Skills of Northwest Ohio High School Graduates

This study analyzes workforce competencies at the conclusion of high school graduation. Researchers sampled over 875graduating seniors from 16 high schools within six counties throughout Northwestern Ohio. Results highlight future career andeducational goals of these young people and a self-report of skills based on the SCANS competencies and basic foundation skills.When evaluating Foundation Skills of Personal Qualities, Basic Skills, and Thinking Skills, they indicated highest ratings in PersonalQualities and overall lowest ratings in Basic Skills. A series of five Workforce Competencies were also evaluated, including UsingResources, Using Information, Using Technology, Interpersonal Skills, and Working in Systems. Highest ratings for Competencies werereported in Interpersonal Skills and lowest in Using Resources.