cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase-Locked Coherent Demodulator With Feedback and Sampling for Optically Phase-Modulated Microwave Links

A novel phase-locked coherent optical phase demodulator with feedback and sampling is presented and investigated for high-linearity microwave photonic links. The overall receiver concept is novel in terms that we use feedback loop for linear phase demodulation and optical sampling to achieve operation at high RF signal frequencies. The phase-locked demodulator is to be used for RF signal demodulation of optically phase-modulated analog links. We aim at operating the demodulator for short-range applications since the demodulator only recovers the phase. A new time-domain numerical model is developed and the calculated results are in good agreement with measurements. The effect of amplitude and timing jitter associated with the optical pulse source is also taken into account. Stochastic Euler scheme is used to solve stochastic differential equations associated with amplitude and timing jitter. Using the model, we investigate how loop gain, tracking phase-modulator nonlinearities and amplitude modulation influence the signal-to-intermodulation ratio (SIR) of the demodulated signal. Furthermore, in order to alleviate nonlinearities associated with the tracking phase modulator, we report on a novel cancellation technique. The proposed cancellation technique is input RF signal power and frequency independent leading to a significant increase in dynamic range of the coherent demodulator. This technique demonstrates that large values of the signal-to-intermodulation ratio of the demodulated signal can be obtained even though the tracking phase modulator is fairly nonlinear, and thereby relaxing the linearity requirements for the tracking phase modulator. The demodulator is capable of operating at high frequencies, by using optical sampling to downconvert the high-frequency input RF signal to the frequency range of the baseband loop. Using the model the effect of optical sampling on the signal demodulation is investigated. The simulation results show that the operation of the sampling demodulator resembles the operation of the baseband demodulator for very short optical pulses (<2 ps). We also investigate how signal-to-noise-ratio of the demodulator is affected by timing and amplitude jitter of the pulsed optical source. Finally, experimental demonstration of the sampling loop using the phase-locked demodulator is presented. We show that an improvement of 14.1 dB in spur-free-dynamic-range is obtained using the proposed phase-locked coherent demodulator compared to the open loop sampling.
Reduced complexity MIMO detectors for LDPC coded systems

We consider the performance and complexity analysis of low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with reduced complexity detectors in fast Rayleigh fading channels. We use a turbo iterative detection-and-decoding receiver which combines a soft MIMO demodulator and a message-passing LDPC decoder We examine three low complexity detectors: minimum mean-square error (MMSE) with soft interference cancellation (SIC), MMSE suppression, and MMSE with hard decision interference cancellation (MMSE-HIC). We compare the performance and complexity of these detectors with the standard soft maximum a posteriori (MAP) detector and show that they provide a lower computational complexity with only a small penalty in performance (/spl sim/0.5 dB). We also provide comparisons with the Shannon capacity limits for ergodic multiple-antenna channels and show that an LDPC coded system using a length 15,000 code and QPSK modulation with reduced-complexity detection operates 2 and 3 dB from the ergodic capacity of the Rayleigh MIMO channel.
Obtaining neural networks based state space models using time-lagged neurons

Obtaining discrete-time state space models directly from experimental input-output data is the focus of this paper. We use a neural network structure that allows direct mapping of the state space model since the hidden neurons have self-feedback plus feedback from the other neurons of the hidden layer. Simulation results from preliminary studies indicate that this tool could be developed into a very promising technique in the field of dynamic system modeling and identification. The method can be applied to both linear and nonlinear systems.
Role of an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 in oxidant-induced renal cell death

Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) hydrolyzes the sn-2 ester bond in phospholipids, releasing a fatty acid and a lysophospholipid. Recently, a novel 85-kDa membrane-bound-Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2) (iPLA(2)) was identified in insect and bacterial cells transfected with candidate PLA(2) sequences. However, few data exist demonstrating a membrane-bound-iPLA(2) in mammalian cells, its subcellular localization, or its physiological role. Herein, we demonstrate the expression of an 85-kDa endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Ca(2+)-iPLA(2) (ER-iPLA(2)) in rabbit renal proximal tubule cells (RPTC) that is plasmalogen selective and is inhibited by the specific Ca(2+)-iPLA(2) inhibitor bromoenol lactone (BEL). RPTC exposed to tert-butylhydroperoxide for 24 h exhibited 20% oncosis compared with 2% in controls. Inhibition of ER-iPLA(2) with BEL before tert-butylhydroperoxide exposure resulted in 50% oncosis. To determine whether this effect was common to oxidants, we tested the ability of BEL to potentiate oncosis induced by cumene hydroperoxide, menadione, duraquinone, cisplatin, and the nonoxidant antimycin A. All oxidants tested produced oncosis after 24 h, and prior inhibition of ER-iPLA(2) potentiated oncosis at least twofold. In contrast, inhibition of ER-iPLA(2) did not alter antimycin A-induced oncosis. Lipid peroxidation increased from 1.4- to 5.2-fold in RPTC treated with BEL before oxidant exposure, whereas no change was seen in antimycin A-treated RPTC. These results are the first to demonstrate the expression and subcellular localization of an ER-iPLA(2). These results also suggest that ER-iPLA(2) functions to protect against oxidant-induced lipid peroxidation and oncosis.
Security against memory-bounded adversaries

Information-theoretic security can based on an assumption about the adversary's memory size.
Flow cytometric immunophenotyping of bone marrow core biopsies: report of 8 patients with previously undiagnosed hematologic malignancy and failed bone marrow aspiration.

Abstract Objective.—To report a method for flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) bone marrow (BM) core biopsies in patients with hematologic malignancies of the BM who present with a failed BM aspiration (“dry tap”). Design and Setting.—Core biopsy specimens of BM were obtained from 8 patients who presented with previously undiagnosed hematologic malignancies arising in (7 cases) or secondarily involving (1 case) the BM and a dry tap. Suspensions of the BM core biopsy specimens were prepared and analyzed by FCI methods. Data Extraction and Data Synthesis.—The FCI data were analyzed in conjunction with cytomorphologic, histologic, immunohistochemical, and cytogenetic findings in all cases to determine a final diagnosis. Conclusions.—The prepared BM core suspensions were viable and allowed for a complete immunophenotype profile by FCI in all cases, resulting in a clear definition of the cell of origin of the hematologic malignancy. Because of lack of preservation of architectural features and the potentia...
FPGA-based acceleration of mutual information calculation for real-time 3D image registration

Real-time image registration is potentially an enabling technology for the effective and efficient use of many image-guided diagnostic and treatment procedures relying on multimodality image fusion or serial image comparison. Mutual information is currently the best known image similarity measure for multimodality image registration. Mutual information calculation is a memory-intensive task that does not benefit from cache-based memory architecture in standard software implementations (i.e., the calculation incurs a large number of cache misses). Previous attempts to perform image registration in real time focused on parallel supercomputer implementations, which achieved real-time performance using large, expensive supercomputers that are simply impractical for deployment in a hospital. We have developed a custom hardware architecture that, in a single-module PC-based implementation, achieves registration speeds comparable to those of a 64-processor parallel supercomputer. The single-module speedup results from using parallel memory access and parallel calculation pipelines. The total speedup can be increased by using several modules in parallel. The architecture is designed for linear, mutual information-based registration and can be extended to elastic (nonlinear) registration.
Structural Diversity of Lichen Metabolites and Their Potential Use

Lichens are symbiotic organisms composed of a fungal partner, the mycobiont, usually in association with one or more photosynthetic partners, the photobiont(s). The photobionts can be green alga, cyanobacteria or both. There are approximately 17,000 species of mycobionts whereas there are only ca. 40 species ofphotobionts. Therefore, the taxonomic name of the lichen is traditionally determined by the species of the fungal partner. The mycobiont, being the host partner for the photobiont, generally determines the morphology of the lichen species. Most lichen mycobionts are not known to exist naturally without the photobiont, whereas many of the photobionts, like the cyanobacteria Nostoc, Scytonema, and the green algae, Trentepohlia, are known to flourish alone in nature. However, because the symbiosis is so complex, lichens are normally referred to as individual organisms rather than separate organisms.
Niched evolutionary techniques for performance, energy, and temperature optimized scheduling in multi-core systems

Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) are effective techniques for solving the DVFS-enabled performance (P), energy (E), and temperature (T) optimized scheduling (PETOS) problem. There are several MOEA techniques proposed in the literature for general multi-objective optimization. For example, SPEA-II is efficient for solving the PETOS problem. Another technique is the NSGA-II algorithm that has been shown to generate very good solutions. This paper proposes a novel approach that, instead of using one particular optimization, uses a hybrid of these techniques. The goal is to come up with a scheme that will take the advantages of the strength of each baseline technique to obtain a more accurate Pareto-optimal front with higher accuracy and better quality of solutions. We design five such techniques, which include designing a niched fitness assignment strategy, combining populations from multiple MOEAs, and incorporating the problem knowledge into the conventional SPEA-II approach. By comparing these techniques using a well-known metric for MOEAs as well as a modified metric to estimate the quality of Pareto fronts, we show that the proposed approach is a better optimization technique for the PETOS problem.
360 degrees video coding using region adaptive smoothing

360 degrees video is emerging as a new way of experiencing immersive video due to the ready availability of powerful handheld devices such as smartphones. 360 degrees video enables immersive “real life”, “being there” experience for consumers by capturing the 360 degree view of the world. Users can change their viewpoint and dynamically view any part of the captured scene they desire. 360 degrees video requires higher bitrate than conventional video due to increased video resolution (4K and beyond) needed to support the wider field of view. Efficient compression of 360 degrees video is thus needed to provide high quality immersive video viewing experience to consumers. This paper provides an overview of 360 degrees video and presents a region adaptive video smoothing technique that exploits the unique characteristics of 360 degrees video to provide up to 20% bitrate savings with minimal perceptual quality degradation while requiring no modifications to the video decoder.
Keeping it in the Family Sociologist Joshua Gamson Interviews His Sociologist Parents

Sociologist Joshua Gamson interviews his parents, both sociologists, on parenting, sociology in social movements, and carrying on the family business.
A New Species of Teratothrix (Acari: Trombiculidae) from Venezuela

Teratothrix truncata , n. sp., holotype off Thomasomys laniger from Venezuela, is described and illustrated.
Simulation of a Direct Torque Control System based on the Simulink/S Function

In this paper,the basic principle of Direct Torque Control is introduced.Then the simulation model of the direct torque control system based on Simulink/S function is deduced in the static α-β reference frame,and the modules of the simulation model are introduced in detail.The result of simulation is given,and it proves that the simulation model is correct.
The Pathologist’s Guide to Fixatives

Proper tissue fixation is essential to ensure the highest level of specimen evaluation. Pathologists and laboratory staff are frequently consulted by clinical counterparts regarding what fixative should be used for different tissues or to enable a diagnosis of a specific condition. It is vital for the patient that the pathologist provides accurate information to ensure proper fixation. Frequently, once a tissue has been fixed inadequately or inappropriately, remedial changes may no longer be possible. Most often formalin is an adequate choice, if not the optimal one; however, there are certain situations when placing the tissue in formalin may limit the ability to reach a definitive diagnosis. It is imperative for pathologists to have the knowledge to communicate which fixative is optimal. Furthermore, as we move into a world of personalized medicine, where ancillary testing has both diagnostic and specific therapeutic implications, knowledge about how different fixatives affect immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics, and molecular studies becomes even more significant. This chapter provides practical information regarding common fixatives, their mechanism of action and optimal uses.
Sperm Banking for Cancer Patients

As cancer survival rates increase worldwide, sperm banking is gaining popularity as a way to preserve male fertility. Banked sperm can be used in assisted reproductive procedures to initiate a successful pregnancy, thereby increasing the likelihood of male cancer patients fathering biological children. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) advocates sperm cryopreservation as an effective method of fertility preservation in young men with cancer. However, the number of cancer patients utilizing sperm banking options remains low for a variety of reasons. In this chapter, we describe the incidence of cancer among adults and adolescents seeking fertility preservation before treatment, sperm banking techniques, and the challenges that limit the use of this technology among cancer survivors.
Cultural Competency, Culturally Tailored Care, and the Primary Care Setting: Possible Solutions to Reduce Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care

Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are less likely to receive treatment for psychiatric disorders than are White Americans. For two decades, clinicians and researchers have worked to reduce health and health care disparities, with at best minimal success. In 2001 the Surgeon General issued a seminal report that described the magnitude of the problem (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Nevertheless, the vexing problem of unequal treatment persists. This review provides preliminary evidence for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment in primary care settings by giving priority to culturally competent practices and cultural tailoring in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
Patient Management System for Scheduling, Billing, and Account Collections

We have developed a patient management system for use in private practice, clinics, and hospitals. The system is based on the concept of a lattice where many different locations may view and modify patient information. The immediate goals were oriented towards exam scheduling and billing needs, though we are currently exploring handling more complete clinical information. Previously, we had developed a medical imaging application for use with CT, MRI, and other modalities; the patient information system is being modified to accept information from the medical imaging studies (ie. image tracking, key images, and radiologic interpretations).
Golden Rule: Power Politics in the Global Village

Despite the exuberant idealism in its foundational documents, democracy in the United States has fallen short of such high-minded principles. For example, the very documents that promised to institute a government of, by, and for the people also freely endorsed odious manifestations of social inequality. Given that over 200 years hence, many of those inequalities remain in place, some critics argue that American idealism is nothing more than a smokescreen clouding the ulterior motives of a profoundly hypocritical political vision.
Global disruption of degree rank order: a hallmark of chronic pain

Chronic pain remains poorly understood; yet it is associated with the reorganization of the nervous system. Here, we demonstrate that a unitary global measure of functional connectivity, defined as the extent of degree rank order disruption, kD, identifies the chronic pain state. In contrast, local degree disruption differentiates between chronic pain conditions. We used resting-state functional MRI data to analyze the brain connectome at varying scales and densities. In three chronic pain conditions, we observe disrupted kD, in proportion to individuals' pain intensity, and associated with community membership disruption. Additionally, we observe regional degree changes, some of which were unique to each type of chronic pain. Subjects with recent onset of back pain exhibited emergence of kD only when the pain became chronic. Similarly, in neuropathic rats kD emerged weeks after injury, in proportion to pain-like behavior. Thus, we found comprehensive cross-species evidence for chronic pain being a state of global randomization of functional connectivity.
Phytosanitary irradiation of the invasive herbivorous terrestrial snail Cornu aspersum (Stylommatophora: Helicidae)

Phytosanitary measures are needed to prevent the transport of snails and slugs during trade in regulated articles. Ionizing radiation is increasing in use as a phytosanitary treatment against insect pests. Irradiation has the potential to be a treatment against snails and slugs, but little research has been done on radiosensitivity of terrestrial herbivorous gastropods. Adult Cornu aspersum (Muller) (Stylommatophora: Helicidae) were subjected to ionizing radiation at 25–100 Gy. Irradiation decreased the number of eggs laid, and those laid by adults irradiated with ≥ 75 Gy did not hatch. This research suggests that gastropod reproduction can be prevented with relatively low doses of radiation. A phytosanitary irradiation dose for C. aspersum should also serve to allow export of live snail species as food to areas that quarantine against them. Resumen Se necesitan medidas fitosanitarias para prevenir el transporte de caracoles y babosas durante el comercio en articulos reglamentados. La irradiacion ionizante es un tratamiento fitosanitario cuyo uso esta incrementando; sin embargo, se han realizado pocos estudios sobre la radio-sensibilidad en gasteropodos terrestres fitofagos. Adultos de Cornu aspersum (Muller) (Stylommatophora: Helicidae) fueron expuestos a radiacion ionizante entre 25–100 Gy. La irradiacion redujo la cantidad de postura de huevos, y los huevos puestos por adultos irradiados con ≥ 75 Gy no emergieron. Este estudio sugiere que es posible prevenir la reproduccion de gasteropodos con dosis relativamente bajas de radiacion. Una dosis de irradiacion fitosanitaria para C. aspersum tambien debe servir para permitir la exportacion de caracoles vivos como alimento a las areas que la cuarentena.
Determination of silicon carbide fiber electrical resistivity at elevated temperature

The resistance of Sylramic-iBN and Hi-Nicalon SiC fiber tows was measured at elevated temperature in air. Resistivity could not be directly measured, since the fibers passed through a furnace with varying temperature along the length. The resistivity of the isothermal section of the fiber tow was modeled by a series circuit of finite elements. Existing data for Hi-Nicalon resistivity vs temperature was used to verify the model and then extend it to Sylramic-iBN, for which there is no literature data readily available. The model matched experimental values with low overall error (<±14%). Fiber resistivity decreased by more than two orders of magnitude when heating from 25°C to 1400°C. Sylramic-iBN tow resistance was also measured during a 500 hour hold at 1315°C. The resistance increased by more than 140% during heat treatment. The resistance change correlated well with the decrease in SiC fiber diameter that resulted from oxidation.
One In Five Inpatient Emergency Department Cases May Lead To Surprise Bills

A surprise medical bill is a bill from an out-of-network provider that was not expected by the patient or that came from an out-of-network provider not chosen by the patient. In 2014, 20 percent of hospital inpatient admissions that originated in the emergency department (ED), 14 percent of outpatient visits to the ED, and 9 percent of elective inpatient admissions likely led to a surprise medical bill.
A Qualitative Multi-Attribute Model for The Multifunctional Assessment of “Streuobst Stands” in NE Slovenia

Streuobst stands, i.e., tall fruit trees on vigorous rootstock on traditional grassland, represent an important source of raw material for the processing industry and for traditional fruit processing on family-run farms. Apart from production aspects, the high-stem orchards also play a role in the conservation of the traditional landscape, and indirectly in maintenance of the viability of rural areas. In this paper, a qualitative multi-attribute model for the assessment of Streuobst stands with respect to their multifunctional characteristics is presented. The assessment is based on four groups of attributes: (1) production criteria (percentage of missing trees), (2) biodiversity (fruit species and varieties, artificial human intervention), (3) landscape diversity (visual appearance, eco-diversity and erosion protection), and (4) function of the stand (row or individual trees, countryside appearance). The assessment is based on the aggregation of input attribute values to an overall assessment through user-defined decision rules. The model was applied to 85 sample stands in NE Slovenia. The assessment shows that most of the stands (48) were rated as “very poor” or “poor”, mainly as a result of poor cultivation and lack of maintenance.
Overview of Types A and B Behavior

We shall first describe the specific psychopathological characteristics that comprise this disorder and then describe the resultant neurological, hormonal, and metabolic dysfunctions observed in this syndrome. The possible pathological effects of the disorder on the structure of coronary plaques also will be discussed.
Occupational Socialization of Sport Pedagogy Faculty: Two German Case Studies

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of occupational socialization on the perspectives and practices of two female German sport pedagogy faculty members, Heidi and Lisa, regarding physical education (PE) and PE teacher education (PETE). Method: The main data sources were six formal interviews. Supplementary data were generated through informal interviewing, field notes made while observing and interacting with the two faculty members, document analysis, and electronic journaling. Data were coded and categorized by employing analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings: Findings illustrated the cyclical nature of the two faculty members’ occupational socialization. Heidi and Lisa gained traditional sport-focused teaching orientations from their acculturation that were mainly reinforced during subsequent phases of socialization. Conclusion: Key reasons for the perpetuation of the traditional sport-focused teaching orientation was the generic nature of PETE and doctoral pr...
Escalating heat-stress mortality risk due to global warming in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Abstract Climate change will substantially exacerbate extreme temperature and heatwaves. The impacts will be more intense across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region mostly characterized by hot and arid climate, already intolerable for human beings in many parts. In this study, daily climate data from 17 fine-resolution Regional Climate Models (RCMs) are acquired to calculate wet-bulb temperature and investigate the mortality risk for people aged over 65 years caused by excessive heat stress across the MENA region. Spatially adaptive temperature thresholds are implemented for quantifying the mortality risk, and the analysis is conducted for the historical period of 1951–2005 and two future scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 during the 2006–2100 period. Results show that the mortality risk will increase in distant future to 8–20 times higher than that of the historical period if no climate change mitigation is implemented. The coastal regions of the Red sea, Persian Gulf, and Mediterranean Sea indicate substantial increase in mortality risk. Nonetheless, the risk ratio will be limited to 3–7 times if global warming is limited to 2 °C. Climate change planning and adaptation is imperative for mitigating heat-related mortality risk across the region.
Prevalence of radioactive contamination in areas of a hospital nuclear medicine department not used for radiopharmaceutical preparation

2410 Objectives Constant handling of radiopharmaceuticals provides ample opportunity for surfaces to become contaminated in nuclear medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of radiation contamination on frequently used surfaces of a nuclear medicine Department normally not expected to be contaminated. Methods Ten different surfaces were tested weekly for removable contamination over a period of three weeks. The surfaces included phones, keyboards with mouse, and counter-tops. The minimum detectable activity (dpm) was calculated for contamination detection levels of each test. Results Removable contamination was detected on four surfaces of the imaging room. Areas of contamination included a keyboard (K1), phone (P7), and counter-tops (C8) and (C9). The mean and standard deviation of all wipes was 13.44 ± 23.27 dpm. None of the tested surfaces exceeded the hospital’s action level for restricted areas. Conclusions Low levels of removable contamination exist within department work areas away from radiopharmaceutical preparation areas
Cooperative Control for Target Tracking with Onboard Sensing

We consider the cooperative control of a team of robots to estimate the position of a moving target using onboard sensing. In particular, we do not assume that the robot positions are known, but estimate their positions using relative onboard sensing. Our probabilistic localization and control method takes into account the motion and sensing capabilities of the individual robots to minimize the expected future uncertainty of the target position. It reasons about multiple possible sensing topologies and incorporates an efficient topology switching technique to generate locally optimal controls in polynomial time complexity. Simulations show the performance of our approach and prove its flexibility to find suitable sensing topologies depending on the limited sensing capabilities of the robots and the movements of the target. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of our method in various experiments with single and multiple quadrotor robots tracking a ground vehicle in an indoor environment.
Alteration of the Brain Barrier System in Pathological States

Diseases of the central nervous system that are severe enough to alter its structural organization result in localized or generalized increase in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Whether a similar change in permeability can occur in alterations that are purely functional depends upon our criteria of the brain barrier system. If we consider the membranes of glial cells and neurons as part of the system, then the alteration of its permeability with concomitant ion shifts is a constant phenomenon and part of the normal function of the nervous tissue. In this chapter, we will restrict our description to gross changes in barrier permeability associated with pathological conditions. Assuming that the blood-brain barrier, although still hypothetical in structure and mechanism, is of a considerable rate-limiting importance, any change in its integrity might result in (1) increase of the rate of exchange of molecules that penetrate the normal CNS only after a measurable delay, (2) a passage of large molecules that, although present in the organism, are normally prevented from entering the internal milieu of the brain, and (3) the entrance into the CNS of abnormal molecules, either autogenous or exogenous. For many ions and molecules, the brain barrier system is not an all-or-none phenomenon; consequently for them, the pathologically increased permeability of the barrier will represent an increased exchange between plasma and nervous tissue rather than a vast inundation of the CNS such as might be envisioned to follow the opening of an imaginary flood gate. A number of pathological factors culminating in what might be called the severity of the lesion will determine the degree of permeability in terms of rate of exchange and the types of molecules involved.
Recent advances in cerebral cavernous malformation research

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) are manifested by microvascular lesions characterized by leaky endothelial cells with minimal intervening parenchyma predominantly in the central nervous system predisposed to hemorrhagic stroke, resulting in focal neurological defects. Till date, three proteins are implicated in this condition: CCM1 (KRIT1), CCM2 (MGC4607), and CCM3 (PDCD10). These multi-domain proteins form a protein complex via CCM2 that function as a docking site for the CCM signaling complex, which modulates many signaling pathways. Defects in the formation of this signaling complex have been shown to affect a wide range of cellular processes including cell-cell contact stability, vascular angiogenesis, oxidative damage protection and multiple biogenic events. In this review we provide an update on recent advances in structure and function of these CCM proteins, especially focusing on the signaling cascades involved in CCM pathogenesis and the resultant CCM cellular phenotypes in the past decade.
600.27 Prevalence and Outcomes of Cardiac Amyloidosis in Patients with Aortic Stenosis Referred for Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Studies suggest an association between transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR CA) and calcific aortic stenosis (AS). The prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and the clinical
One-shot access to isoquinolone and (hetero)izidinone architectures using cyclic α-chloro eneformamides and cyclic anhydrides

Functionalized izidinones and isoquinolones are commonplace motifs in bioactive molecules. Here, we describe a direct and modular approach to [6,n] and [7,n]-1-azabicyclic unsaturated lactams, most of which bear at least one endocyclic heteroatom. A site-selective hexannulation reaction between cyclic α-chloro eneformamides and cyclic anhydrides is implicated. The scope of the anhydride component in a Castagnoli–Cushman reaction has been extended beyond 5-, 6-, and 7-membered rings.
On the Philosophical Foundations of Physics: An Experimentalist's Perspective

Since I first became enthralled with physics as a teenager, I've been intrigued by the philosophical aspects of the discipline. As I approached the end of my career as an experimental physicist and observational astronomer (I'm now retired), I decided to return to these philosophical matters, some of which were still perturbing me, to see if I could finally make enough sense of them to quiet my discomfort. I've more or less succeeded in this quest in large part, I believe, because of my experimentalist background and a concomitant proclivity for pragmatic explanation. My purpose in this essay is to sketch a pragmatic worldview with which one might be able to approach fundamental philosophical and interpretational problems. You might ask how I can possibly expect to say anything meaningful in the less than 50 pages of the present essay? On the other hand, it might be an advantage to avoid the depth and precision that would limit flexibility in dealing with the philosophical conundrums I seek to resolve. In any case, I here offer my thoughts on the philosophical foundations of physics.
Tempering Improves Flour Properties of Refined Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium).

Progress in breeding of intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), a perennial grain with environmental benefits, has enabled bran removal. Thus, determination of optimum milling conditions for production of refined flours is warranted. This study explored the effect of tempering conditions on intermediate wheatgrass flour properties, namely composition, color, solvent retention capacity, starch damage, and polyphenol oxidase activity. Changes in flour attributes were evaluated via a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial design, with factors targeting moisture (comparing un-tempered controls to samples of 12% and 14% target moisture), time (4, 8, and 24 h), and temperature (30 and 45 °C). All investigated parameters were significantly affected by target moisture; however, samples tempered to 12% moisture showed few differences to those tempered to 14%. Similarly, neither tempering time nor temperature exerted pronounced effects on most flour properties, indicating water uptake was fast and not dependent on temperature within the investigated range. Lactic acid retention capacity significantly correlated with ash (r = −0.739, p 0.05). In general, tempering resulted in flour with less bran contamination but only minor losses in protein.
Flashing yellow arrows for right turn applications: A driving simulator study and static evaluation analysis

Abstract Pedestrians continue to be considered among the most vulnerable road users, as they are directly exposed to the impact of vehicular crashes. Due to the variety of turning movements that can be, and are, performed at signalized intersections, the vulnerability of pedestrians becomes more apparent upon entering a crosswalk at an intersection. At signalized intersections, it is common for pedestrians to cross an intersection parallel to the vehicular traffic who are provided with a circular green, or right-of-way, indication. A consequence of this approach is the conflict that arises between turning vehicles and crossing pedestrians. As a potential countermeasure, this study analyzed the effectiveness of flashing yellow arrows for right turn applications at modifying driver behaviour (visual attention, intersection approach speed, and direct perspective) through a two-step evaluation, including a large-scale static evaluation and direct driving simulator study. Over 200 respondents completed the large-scale static evaluation and 24 participants responded to 144 simulated right turn scenarios with various pedestrian presence, half of which had a flashing yellow arrow display. This research revealed that drivers have a strong comprehension of the meaning of the flashing yellow arrow and did not behave unsafely when presented with the indication during the simulator portion of the study. This study contributes in the area of pedestrian safety through the evaluation of the applicability of flashing yellow arrows for right turn applications as a countermeasure to mitigate vehicle-pedestrian crashes at intersections with parallel pedestrian crossings.
Chapter 3 – Histograms: Looking at the Distribution of Data

In this chapter, you will learn how to make sense of a list of numbers by visually interpreting the histogram picture whose bars rise above the number line (so that tall bars easily show you where lots of data are concentrated) answering the following kinds of questions: One: What values are typical in this data set? Just look at the numbers below the tall histogram bars that indicate where there are many data values. Two: How different are the numbers from one another? Look at how spread out the histogram bars are from one another. Three: Are the data values strongly concentrated near some typical value? Look to see if the tall bars are close together. Four: What is the pattern of concentration? In particular, do data values “trail off” at the same rate at lower values as they do at higher values? Look to see if you have a symmetric bell-shaped “normal” distribution or, instead, a skewed distribution with histogram bars trailing off differently on the left and right. You will learn how to ignore ordinary randomness when making this judgment. If you find skewness—which is common with business data that have many small-to-moderate data values and fewer very large values (think sizes of companies, with lots of small-to-medium-sized companies, and then a couple of very large ones like Google, Microsoft, and Apple) then you might consider transforming these skewed data (perhaps by replacing data values with their logarithms) to make the distribution more normal-shaped (to help with validity of statistical methods we will learn in later chapters) although transformation will add complexity to the interpretation of the results. Five: Do you have two groups of data (a bimodal distribution) in your histogram? Look to see if there is a separation between two groups of histogram bars. You might choose to analyze these groups separately and explore the reason for their differences. You might even find three or more groups. Six: Are there special data values (outliers) very different from the rest that might require special treatment? Look for a short histogram bar separated from the rest of the data to represent each outlier. Because outliers can cause trouble (one outlier can greatly change a statistical summary, so that the summary no longer describes the rest of the data) you will want to identify outliers, fix them if they are simply copying errors, and (if they are not errors) perhaps delete them (but only if they are not part of what you wish to analyze) and perhaps analyze the data both with and without the outlier(s) to see the extent of their effects.
Characterization of Twin Transmission Structure of High Manganese Austenitic Steel by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy

Atomic-scale twin transmission structures were clearly characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Two different twin transmission structures are found during another variant twin "transmitting across" pre-existing twins: dislocation twin transmission structure and local crystal reorientation twin transmission structure. In addition, twin-twin interactions can induce the formation of other structures, such as double twins, stacking faults and few e-martensite, and coherent twin boundaries of two variants twins can simultaneously migrate, appearing as if a twin partly penetrates the other one.
Effects of the Invasive Little Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) on Ant Community Composition on UF Campus

Invasive species are a serious threat to Florida’s native ecosystems and can have significant economic impacts. The invasive little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) was first observed on the University of Florida’s campus in the Field and Fork Gardens in Summer 2018 and a targeted eradication of this population began in Fall 2018. This project aimed to compare ant community composition in invaded and uninvaded areas to better understand how ant invasions affect native ant communities. For comparison with Field and Fork Gardens invaded sites, four additional sites on UF’s campus were surveyed for ants through leaf litter sampling. Samples were sorted and all ants identified to the genus level; samples from invaded sites were identified to species. In samples from invaded sites, the community had lower species richness and a lower relative abundance of ant species compared to uninvaded communities. Determining how the invasion of the little fire ant affects ant communities is important as invasive ants do not fill the same ecosystem roles as native ants, such as seed dispersal and mutualist interactions. Data on community composition in uninvaded areas could be useful in efforts to restore a site after eradication has been achieved.
Influence and success of the Arabic edition of UFO Robo Grendizer: Adoption of a Japanese icon in the Arabic-speaking world

UFO Robo Grendizer, a Japanese anime character produced in 1975, was immensely popular in Arab countries. Adapted into Arabic in Lebanon as it was enduring a devastating civil war, the program was broadcasted in 1979, then during the 1980s across many Arab audiences (mainly Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf). The cartoon’s narrative of alien invasion and heroic resistance, using cutting-edge technology in the form of Grendizer the super-robot, mirrored the harsh reality of war and occupation that so many Arab populations endured during the same period. This paper aims at uncovering why Grendizer struck such a profound echo in the minds and hearts of the generation of children who found in the character a super hero figure as an escape route to their world’s problems. It will also address the impact of this Japanese cultural reference onto Arabic audiences and highlight how the cartoon came to be domesticated for an Arab context, thus leaving its original universe and encompass the mindset, reflections and expectations of many Arab generations.
Fast terrain traversability estimation with terrestrial lidar in off-road autonomous navigation

Autonomous navigation (also known as self-driving) has rapidly advanced in the last decade for on-road vehicles. In contrast, off-road vehicles still lag in autonomous navigation capability. Sensing and perception strategies used successfully in on-road driving fail in the off-road environment. This is because on-road environments can often be neatly categorized both semantically and geometrically into regions like driving lane, road shoulder, and passing lane and into objects like stop sign or vehicle. The off-road environment is neither semantically nor geometrically tidy, leading to not only difficulty in developing perception algorithms that can distinguish between drivable and non-drivable regions, but also difficulty in the determination of what constitutes "drivable" for a given vehicle. In this work, the factors affecting traversability are discussed, and an algorithm for assessing the traversability of off-road terrain in real time is developed and presented. The predicted traversability is compared to ground-truth traversability metrics in simulation. Finally, we show how this traversability metric can be automatically calculated by using physics-based simulation with the MSU Autonomous Vehicle Simulator (MAVS). A simulated off-road autonomous navigation task using a real-time implementation of the traversability metric is presented, highlighting the utility of this approach.
Targeting protein phosphatase PP2A for cancer therapy: development of allosteric pharmaceutical agents

Tumor initiation is driven by oncogenes that activate signaling networks for cell proliferation and survival involving protein phosphorylation. Protein kinases in these pathways have proven to be effective targets for pharmaceutical inhibitors that have progressed to the clinic to treat various cancers. Here, we offer a narrative about the development of small molecule modulators of the protein Ser/Thr phosphatase 2A (PP2A) to reduce the activation of cell proliferation and survival pathways. These novel drugs promote the assembly of select heterotrimeric forms of PP2A that act to limit cell proliferation. We discuss the potential for the near-term translation of this approach to the clinic for cancer and other human diseases.
A highly efficient cloth facemask design

Wearing masks and face coverings helps reduce transmission of respiratory diseases. Much prior research on mask filtration efficiency has focused on fabric type, with less consideration given to ma...
The role of Krüppel-like factors in generating induced pluripotent stem cells

Abstract Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) belong to a family of transcription factors that play fundamentally important role in various biological processes. The discovery of the Yamanaka factors in reprogramming of somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells has demonstrated that KLFs are required in various phases of reprogramming. Among these, KLF4, KLF2, or KLF5 can be exogenously expressed together with OCT4, SOX2, and MYC to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). With improved understanding of the mechanisms by which transcription factors govern cell identity, we now know that pluripotency is regulated by an autoregulated transcriptional feedback network. KLF4 is one of the key pluripotency factors that activates other pluripotency factors while its own expression is regulated by the same factors it activates. KLF4 plays a dual role in reprograming. It acts as a repressor of somatic-specific genes and as a pioneer factor to activate epigenetically suppressed pluripotency genes during early reprogramming. It also acts as an activator of pluripotency genes by binding to super-enhancers of pluripotency factors to facilitate long-range interactions among pluripotency factor binding sites. KLFs are also markers of naive pluripotency. KLF17 is the newest KLF that has been identified to be a marker for naive PSCs and has the ability to reprogram primed PSC to naive PSC. The understanding of how protein structures of KLFs relate to their function in cellular reprogramming is incomplete. Knowledge of their structure and function relationship in reprogramming should significantly contribute to the clinical applications of iPSC technology.
SU-E-T-65: A Prospective Trial of Open Face Masks for Head and Neck Radiotherapy

Purpose: Open face head and neck masks allow for active patient monitoring during treatment and may reduced claustrophobia and anxiety compared to closed masks. The ability of open masks to limit intrafraction motion and to preserve the patient shape/position from simulation over protracted treatments should be considered. Methods: Thirty-two head and neck patients were prospectively randomized to treatment in a closed mask or a novel open face mask. All patients received daily volumetric imaging. The daily images were automatically rigidly registered to the planning CT’s offline using a commercial image processing tool. The shifts needed to optimize the registration, the mutual information coefficient (MI), and the Pearson correlation (PC) coefficients were recorded to evaluate shape preservation. The open group was set-up and monitored with surface imaging at treatment. The real time surface imaging information was recorded to evaluate intrafraction motion. Results: Sixteen patients were included in each group. Evaluations were made over a total of 984 fractions. The mean MI and PC showed significantly higher shape preservation for the open group than for the closed group (p = 0). The mean rotations for the open group were smaller or 0.05). Conclusion: The open masks preserved shape as well as the closed masks, and they limited motion to < 2 mm for 95% of the treated fractions. These results are consistent over treatment courses of up to 35 fractions. The open mask is suitable for treatment with or without active monitoring. This work was partially supported by Qfix.