cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling distributed product development processes in Small and Medium Enterprises

The literature on Small and Medium Enterprises often discusses the emergent nature of the product development processes, however; it often does not address the lack of planning tools within such organizations. We aim to fill the gap in tool support for the planning process, by developing a discrete event simulation model to compute lead times of product development projects. The developed model explicitly captures the various tasks, teams, and developers within a distributed product development setting. Furthermore, it captures the iterative nature of the product development process and specifies the contextual relationships among tasks and among developers. The model was validated on a historical data set, as well as with case data from an ongoing project with a small-sized software firm. The model has been encapsulated into a tool using an easy-to-use desktop and iPad application. This work contributes to the practice of product development by allowing managers to model distributed product development teams, individual developers with varying levels of skills and expertise, as well as analyze and optimize the impact of various product development architectures on completion schedule and cost.
Thermal Conductivity of Boron Carbide–Boron Nitride Composites

Because of their preferred orientation, the addition of boron nitride dispersions to hot-pressed boron carbide was found to result in a considerable degree of anisotropy in thermal conductivity of the resulting composite, indicated by an increase in the thermal conductivity perpendicular to the hot-pressing direction by as much as a factor of 3 at the highest boron nitride volume fractions of this study, and a decrease in the thermal conductivity parallel to the hot-pressing direction by as much as a factor of 2. The composite data were found to be below the values expected from composite theory, which may represent indirect evidence for the existence of an interfacial thermal barrier.
[14C]‐Assimilate translocation in the light and dark in celery (Apium graveokns) leaves of different ages

The 2 major photosynthetic products and translocated carbohydrates in celery (Apium graveolens L.) are sucrose and the sugar alcohol, mannitol. Sucrose is produced and utilized in leaves of all ages. Mannitol, however, is synthesized primarily in mature leaves, utilized in young leaves and stored in all leaves. Here we show that mannitol export was lower from young, expanding leaves than from older leaves. After a 10 min pulse of (14) CO(2) and a 2 h chase in the light or dark there was more radioactivity in sucrose than in mannitol in petiole tissues from leaves of all ages. However, after a chase of 15 h in the dark or 6 h in the light followed by 9 h in the dark, mannitol was the predominant [(14) C]-labeled carbohydrate remaining in all leaf and petiole tissues. Thus, newly synthesized sucrose was apparently exported at a faster rate than mannitol and more mannitol was partitioned into vacuolar storage pools than was sucrose. It also appears that in the light both sucrose and mannitol were exported, but in the dark, once sucrose pools were depleted, mannitol remained as the predominant substance translocated. Both mannitol and sucrose were unloaded into petiole storage parenchyma tissue, but sucrose was hydrolyzed prior to storage.
Dual Role of miR-122 in Molecular Pathogenesis of Viral Hepatitis.

The hepatic microRNA (miRNA), miR-122, is the most abundant miRNA within the liver, where it accounts for 70% of the total miRNA pool. It is known that miR-122, as an unusual host factor, increases the abundance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in HCV infection by binding directly to the 5’-UTR of the viral genome. Therefore, it has been suggested as a potential target for the treatment of hepatitis C. However, recent evidence shows that miR-122 decreases HBV replication through the inhibitory effect of p53 on HBV transcription, and consequently it acts as a tumor-suppressor through both a decrease in HBV replication and by directly targeting cyclin G1, as well as Wnt/beta-catenin, and NDRG3 pathways. This paper will brieﬂy discuss the underlying mechanisms for the dual role of miR-122 in viral hepatitis, and explains why therapeutic applications of miR-122 may differ based on the underlying disease.
Effects of Large-Scale Wildfires on Ground Foraging Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Southern California

We investigated the effect of broad-scale wildfire on ground foraging ants within southern California. In October and November of 2003, two wildfires burned large portions of the wildlands within San Diego County. Between January 2005 and September 2006, we surveyed 63 plots across four sites to measure the effect of the fires on the ant assemblages present in four vegetation types: 1) coastal sage scrub, 2) chaparral, 3) grassland, and 4) woodland riparian. Thirty-six of the 63 plots were sampled before the fires between March 2001 and June 2003. Mixed model regression analyses, accounting for the burn history of each plot and our pre- and postfire sampling efforts, revealed that fire had a negative effect on ant species diversity. Multivariate analyses showed that ant community structure varied significantly among the four vegetation types, and only the ant assemblage associated with coastal sage scrub exhibited a significant difference between burned and unburned samples. The most notable change detected at the individual species level involved Messor andrei (Mayr), which increased from <1% of prefire coastal sage scrub ant samples to 32.1% in burned plots postfire. We theorize that M. andrei responded to the increase of bare ground and postfire seed production, leading to an increase in the detection rate for this species. Collectively, our results suggest that wildfires can have short-term impacts on the diversity and community structure of ground foraging ants in coastal sage scrub. We discuss these findings in relation to management implications and directions for future research.
The cycling of particulate carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and sulfur species (iron monosulfide, greigite, pyrite, and organic sulfur) in the water columns of Framvaren Fjord and the Black Sea

Particulate organic carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur are produced in surface waters from photosynthesis and regenerated via oxic respiration. When this organic matter reaches anoxic marine environments, regeneration is largely coupled with sulfate reduction. Hydrogen sulfide from microbial sulfate reduction reacts with Fe(II) through various mechanisms to produce several iron sulfides, of which pyrite (FeS2) is the most stable in marine sediments. As such, sedimentary pyrite may serve as a long term indicator of conditions under which it was formed. In this respect it has been argued that pyrite can be formed in the anoxic water column as well as produced in the underlying sediments, thus affecting any paleoceanographic interpretations using pyrite and other tracers. Despite this important possibility, few direct observations of pyrite formation in the anoxic water column have been reported. Using analytical methods that are capable of detecting nanomolar concentrations of iron sulfides in suspended particles, depth profiles were obtained for iron monosulfide (FeS), greigite (Fe3S4), and pyrite in the anoxic water columns of Framvaren Fjord and the Black Sea; profiles of particulate C, N, and S were also acquired. In Framvaren, maximum particulate C and N were found at the oxic/anoxic interface, while the highest concentrations of particulate organic S (POS) were just above this interface. This low C/N organic matter probably lead to the high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide observed in the deeper waters of Framvaren. Pyrite and greigite showed concentration maxima just below the oxic/anoxic interface, while FeS was almost non-detectable. Throughout the anoxic water column, these iron sulfides comprised 73% of the total particulate sulfur, and filtration experiments indicate that much of the iron sulfide particles were <0.4 μm in size. In the Black Sea, particulate C, N, and S profiles were typical of oceanic waters, with maxima in surface waters and decreasing concentrations with depth into the anoxic waters immediately below. Depth coverage for the particulate iron sulfides was limited, but FeS and greigite showed maxima 70 m below the anoxic interface, while the pyrite maximum was near this interface. The sum of these iron sulfides was only 11% of the total particulate sulfur. POS had its highest concentrations in surface waters of both Framvaren and the Black Sea, suggesting production via photosynthesis and relatively rapid regeneration (surface water residence time of 117–356 days). The behavior of FeS and greigite at both sites agreed with thermodynamic predictions, while the abundance of pyrite was controlled by its production rates and mechanisms.
The Emergence and Sustainability of Abnormal Profits

In this paper, we examine the emergence and the sustainability of abnormal profits among businesses that were part of US public corporations between 1981 and 1994 and that reported financial results for at least six years. Our results reveal strong asymmetries between high and low performers. Overall, high performance is more stable than low performance. High performers show profits above the average a decade earlier In contrast, low performers show profits that are slightly above average a decade earlier Industry and corporate-parent effects influence high performance to a far greater degree than low performance. Low performance is dominated by business-specific effects.
The fine structure of the rat subthalamic nucleus: An electron microscopic study

The normal ultrastructure of the rat subthalamic nucleus (STH) was studied. The STH consisted of tightly packed neurons distributed within a neuropil filled with large numbers of blood vessels and thinly myelinated fibers. The somata of STH neurons (diameters, D, between 10 and 25 micron) contained abundant organelles but had only a small amount of both smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum. The nuclei had deeply invaginated nuclear envelopes and pale nucleoplasm with little heterochromatin. STH neurons often were tightly apposed without any intervening glial membranes. Similar appositions were also found between somata and dendrites, dendrites and dendrites, and dendrites and initial axon segments. Although puncta adhaerentia were often observed, no gap junctions were found on any of these membrane appositions. In the neuropil, the dendrites were mostly smooth and thin (D between 0.5 and 1 micron) with an occasional stubby spine or thin dendritic appendage. At least two types of axon terminals were identified. Type 1 terminals (D up to 1 micron) contained medium-sized round vesicles (D about 45 nm) and formed asymmetrical synapses. Type 2 terminals were often large (D up to 5 micron) and contained both round and slightly flattened vesicles (D up to 50 nm). The type 2 terminals frequently formed adherens junctions with their postsynaptic targets in addition to forming relatively symmetrical synaptic junctions. The remaining axon terminals included a small number of terminals with various morphological characteristics and possibly some tangentially sectioned type 1 and type 2 terminals. Therefore they have not been classified as individual types in this study. A quantitative analysis indicated that the type 1 terminals formed synapses mainly with thin dendrites whereas the type 2 terminals formed synapses mainly with somata and larger dendrites.
An improved interlevel dielectric process for submicron double-level metal products

An improved interlevel dielectric (ILD) deposition process is presented for submicron double-level metal products that use a multichamber tool capable of doing both CVD film deposition and etching. This multistep, multitool process has now been integrated into a single cassette-to-cassette operation. By using both plasma-enhanced and thermal CVD TEOS oxide films together with argon sputtering and anisotropic oxide etching, an effective low-temperature, void-free interlevel dielectric is formed in a manner that also reduces wafer handling and process queuing time. >
ERB1, the yeast homolog of mammalian Bop1, is an essential gene required for maturation of the 25S and 5.8S ribosomal RNAs

We have recently shown that the mammalian nucleolar protein Bop1 is involved in synthesis of the 28S and 5.8S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and large ribosome subunits in mouse cells. Here we have investigated the functions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog of Bop1, Erb1p, encoded by the previously uncharacterized open reading frame YMR049C. Gene disruption showed that ERB1 is essential for viability. Depletion of Erb1p resulted in a loss of 25S and 5.8S rRNAs synthesis, while causing only a moderate reduction and not a complete block in 18S rRNA formation. Processing analysis showed that Erb1p is required for synthesis of 7S pre-rRNA and mature 25S rRNA from 27SB pre-rRNA. In Erb1p-depleted cells these products of 27SB processing are largely absent and 27SB pre-rRNA is under-accumulated, apparently due to degradation. In addition, depletion of Erb1p caused delayed processing of the 35S pre-rRNA. These findings demonstrate that Erb1p, like its mammalian counterpart Bop1, is required for formation of rRNA components of the large ribosome particles. The similarities in processing defects caused by functional disruption of Erb1p and Bop1 suggest that late steps in maturation of the large ribosome subunit rRNAs employ mechanisms that are evolutionarily conserved throughout eukaryotes.
ABSENCE OF DAILY RHYTHMS OF PROLACTIN AND CORTICOSTERONE IN ADELIE PENGUINS UNDER CONTINUOUS DAYLIGHT

Abstract Plasma prolactin and corticosterone levels were measured in free-living Adelie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at Torgersen Island, Antarctica (64°S latitude), at 4-hr intervals throughout the day during early January 1997 and examined for evidence of a 24-hr rhythm. At this season and latitude, natural daylight is continuous. No significant change in the plasma level of either corticosterone or prolactin was found across the day in this population. In contrast, hormone levels in birds at lower latitudes typically fluctuate between night and day. Our data would not have revealed circadian rhythms within individuals even if they exist, because each bird was only sampled once. The lack of hormone rhythms in the population, however, suggests that changes in light intensity at this latitude in the Antarctic summer are not sufficient to entrain, or perhaps even to maintain, circadian rhythms of individuals. Ausencia de Ciclos Diarios de Prolactina y Corticosterona en Pygoscelis adeliae bajo Luz Solar Co...
The Sony Hack: Data and Decision in the Contemporary Studio

The 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment has left in its wake a comprehensive archive of contemporary studio decision-making. After laying out the phases of the hack and the studio’s response, the essay examines the interplay between decisions and data in the cases of The Interview and Aloha . The essay finds that every scale of corporate action is shaped by an overarching attempt to preserve the centrality and independence of decisions despite their reliance on dataflows.
Maximum specific force depends on myosin heavy chain content in rat diaphragm muscle fibers

In the present study, myosin heavy chain (MHC) content per half sarcomere, an estimate of the number of cross bridges available for force generation, was determined in rat diaphragm muscle (Diam) f...
Pilot study: Gut microbiota in wild type Caenorhabditis elegans: Stimulation by media containing dietary fiber from Prowashonupana barley

Resistant starches reduce intestinal fat deposition and improve healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) model organism as seen in rodents and humans. This study is to identify the intestinal anaerobic bacteria . Control group received Escherichia coli (OP50) and experimental group received additional Prowashonupana barley (PWB, 1%). One week later, the total genomic DNA (cfu/ml) of the animals was extracted and bacterial DNA (cfu/ml) was evaluated using qRT-PCR . Lactobacillus spp. was 7.16×10 8 -fold higher than Bacteroides-Prevotella group , or 2.86×10 8 –fold more than Bifidobacteriumgenus , or 6.4x10 3 -fold greater than Clostridium Cluster XIVa and XIVb . The bacteria were increased post PWB feeding: Clostridium Cluster XIVa and XIVb (633%, P=0.0353), Bacteroides-Prevotella group (472%, P=0.007), and Bifidobacteriumgenus (250%, P<0.001). These data of the anaerobic bacteria indicated the intestinal origin, and increased components of the total bacterial population with the PWB treatment, and proved the general concept, for the first time, that the C. elegans intestinal tract contained anaerobic bacteria capable of fermenting fermentable carbohydrates. Future studies using DNA sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene are warranted. The C. elegans organism is a low cost and convenient model for rapidly testing dietary substances that provide health benefits and offer a solution to treat obesity in humans.
c-erbB-2 oncoprotein overexpression in uterine cervix carcinoma with glandular differentiation. A frequent event but not an independent prognostic marker because it occurs late in the disease.

The c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene (HER-2/neu) codes for a transmembrane, tyrosine kinase, 185 kD oncoprotein (p185erbB2), which is related to the epidermal growth factor receptor. p185erbB2 overexpression occurs in carcinomas at many sites, including the uterine cervix, and predicts poor clinical outcome. The authors hypothesize that p185erbB2 immunohistochemistry will provide additional information in the evaluation of uterine cervix carcinomas with glandular differentiation (CCGD), a difficult and more frequent clinical problem. Paraffin sections from 82 CCGDs including 41 pure adenocarcinomas and 41 adenosquamous carcinomas (7 glassy cell predominant and 34 exhibiting a gland forming component) are immunostained with anti-p185erbB2 (CB11 monoclonal, Novacastra Laboratories, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK). Seventy-seven percent of CCGDs exhibit p185erbB2 immunoreactivity with distinct plasma membrane localization (M) in 50%, the remaining 27% show cytoplasmic staining only. Adjacent benign tissue is negative. The p185erbB2 staining intensity and distribution is as follows: 54.9% strong diffuse (SD, > or = 50% cells positive) with 40.2% M, 17.1% strong focal (SF, < 50% cells positive) with 9.8% M, and 4.9% weak with no M. Immunoreactivity occurs in both squamous and glandular areas of adenosquamous carcinomas. Endometrioid histology is associated with absence of p185erbB2 (P < .01); all other histopathologic features show no association. Follow-up information is available in 77 patients: 37 exhibit recurrent disease (8 pelvic, 15 distant and 14 both) at 1 to 144 months (mean 34, median 16) and 40 were disease free at 12 to 216 months (mean 75, median 64). Strong p185erbB2 immunoreactivity predicts recurrence at 24 months (P < .05) but not overall recurrence at longer follow-up periods. Recurrent disease is associated with nuclear grade (P < .00001); high clinical stage (P < .001); vascular space invasion (P < .001); large size on clinical exam or pathologic evaluation (P < .005); and pelvic lymph node involvement (P < .05). Considering only patients in good prognosis groups, p185erbB2 immunoreactivity does not predict recurrence. Strong p185erbB2 immunoreactivity is associated with stage 3,4 disease (P < .01). p185erbB2 expression is associated with CCGD carcinogenesis but occurs late in the disease, in patients who present at late stage, hindering its prognostic predictive value. p185erbB2 immunolocalization may have a diagnostic role in confirming CCGD in histologically challenging cases, predicting high stage at initial biopsy, and defining therapeutic strategies.
Effects of microhole sidewall confinement on bubble growth and bubble-generated shock waves

Abstract The evolution of bubbles in water may be a critical process in many technologies or applications, including several manufacturing processes. Despite the previous work on cavitations and bubbles, the prior investigations in the literature are not sufficient about the effect of a micro-scale structure (such as a microhole sidewall) confinement on the bubble evolution and on the bubble-generated shock waves. In this paper, this effect has been studied using a physics-based model, which has been verified by comparing its predictions with experimental measurements in the literature on bubble evolutions in water without a micro-scale structure confinement. Under the investigated conditions, it has been found that due to the reflection of the shock waves by the microhole sidewall and the interactions among the bubble and the reflected waves, the peak pressure on the hole bottom wall surface has been significantly enhanced. It is good work in the future to study the implications of the discovery on related manufacturing processes and other applications, and how to intentionally utilize the pressure enhancement effect to benefit the related applications and manufacturing processes.
Wave Attenuation-dispersion Correction Study Based on SHPB Test and Wave Propagation Coefficient Method

In order to investigate the wave propagation attenuation and dispersion in experiment,based on experimental principle of wave propagation coefficient determined by free end impact test of Hopkinson bar,selectingΦ100mm-PA66nylon bar as a typical Hopkinson pressure bar,according to two-wave method applied in SHPB experiment to obtain stress-strain curve of spesimen,the dispersion correction of reflected wave passes from loaded specimen in in-situ experiment was studied, and the reflected wave propagation coefficient of incident bar was obtained.Similarly,the transmitted wave propagation coefficient of transmitted bar was also obtained.The stress-strain curve of spesimen is obtained based on the corrected actual reflected and transmitted wave profiles.After comparing and analyzing,this method is proved to be reasonable and reliable.
An electronic systems viewpoint of the automobile environment

The susceptibility of electronic components to climatic, dynamic, and electrical environments is an important consideration in automotive applications. Environmental testing, to simulate extreme conditions encountered in actual service, is thus necessary to qualify the components. Field data are given.
Acid-base homeostasis parallels anabolism in surgically stressed rats treated with GH and IGF-I

The effect of a standard surgical stress and subsequent total parenteral nutrition (TPN) treatment on systemic acid-base balance was assessed in four groups of rats: TPN controls, TPN coinfused with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I, 800 micrograms/day), TPN with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH, 800 micrograms in two divided daily sc doses), and combined rhGH plus rhIGF-I (800 + 800 micrograms/day). After the 6-day time course, TPN controls exhibited a systemic metabolic acidosis (HCO3- = 20.4 +/- 0.4 mM) and lost 7 g body wt/6 days. Either growth factor ameliorated the acidosis (rhGH = 22.6 +/- 0.6 and IGF-I = 22.0 +/- 0.5 mM) and promoted weight gain (11 +/- 2 and 10 +/- 3 g/6 days, respectively). Combined growth factor treatment, rhGH+rhIGF-I, restored acid-base balance (HCO3- = 24.7 +/- 0.6 mM) and exhibited an additive effect on weight gain (25 +/- 3 g/6 days). Ammonium and sulfate excretion as indexes of renal acid excretion and systemic sulfuric acid production, respectively, were highest in the TPN control, Growth factors alone reduced sulfuric acid production, whereas combined growth factor treatment reduced acid production and eliminated acid excretion despite elevated renal glutaminase activity. However, renal cortical glutamate content was elevated in the combined growth factor treatment (10.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 7.3 +/- 0.5 rhGH+rhIGF-1 vs. TPN, P < 0.05), consistent with repression of the elevated glutaminase activity. These findings point to an important role for acid-base homeostasis in the anabolic response and are consonant with an additive effect of growth factors, rhGH+rhIGF-I, in correcting the metabolic acidosis associated with surgical stress.
Improvement in functional performance with high-speed power training in older adults is optimized in those with the highest training velocity

To identify whether variability in limb movement velocity during high-speed power training (HSPT) may impact physical functioning in older adults. 42 older men and women (71.3 ± 6.6 years) were randomized to lower extremity HSPT (n = 28) or control (CON; n = 14) (Analysis 1) for 12 weeks. A second analysis (Analysis 2) allocated HSPT into high-velocity (n = 14) or low-velocity (n = 14) based on a limb movement speed above or below the median average velocity during the 12-week HSPT intervention. Habitual gait speed, maximal gait speed, timed up-and-go, and the short physical performance battery were measured at baseline and 12 weeks. Change scores were compared between HSPT and CON (Analysis 1), and high-velocity, low-velocity, and CON (Analysis 2) using ANCOVA. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05. Analysis 1 There were no group differences in habitual gait speed, maximal gait speed, or timed up-and-go between HSPT and CON (all p > 0.05). Short physical performance battery was greater in HSPT (0.96 ± 0.19) compared to CON (0.10 ± 0.26; p = 0.01). Analysis 2 There were no group differences in the change in habitual GS (p = 0.33) among high-velocity, low-velocity and CON. There were significant group differences in the change in maximal GS (p = 0.007), timed up-and-go (p = 0.03), and short physical performance battery (p = 0.03). There is considerable variation in self-selected maximal limb velocity during HSPT in older adults. In the present cohort, an average limb velocity of 0.88 m/s during HSPT was necessary to ensure optimal improvement in functional performance for older adults, but this threshold will need further investigation.
Relationship of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Levels to Neurocognitive Functioning: An fMRI Study of Older Adults.

Objectives: It is well known that the carotenoids lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) improve eye health and an accumulating evidence base suggests cognitive benefits as well. The present study investigated underlying neural mechanisms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It was hypothesized that lower L and Z concentrations would be associated with neurobiological inefficiency (i.e., increased activation) during cognitive performance. Methods: Forty-three community-dwelling older adults (mean age=72 years; 58% female; 100% Caucasian) were asked to learn and recall pairs of unrelated words in an fMRI-adapted paradigm. L and Z levels were measured in retina (macular pigment optical density) and serum using validated procedures. Results: Following first-level contrasts of encoding and retrieval trials minus control trials (p<.05, family-wise error corrected, minimum voxel cluster=8), L and Z were found to significantly and negatively relate to blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in central and parietal operculum cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, planum polare, frontal and middle temporal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, occipital cortex bilaterally, and cerebellar regions. Conclusions: To the authors’ knowledge, the present study represents the first attempt to investigate neural mechanisms underlying the relation of L and Z to cognition using fMRI. The observed results suggest that L and Z promote cognitive functioning in old age by enhancing neural efficiency. (JINS, 2017, 23, 11–22)
Predictive value of gene expression signatures in premalignant lesions of the head and neck for response to chemoprevention with EGFR and COX-2 inhibitors.

e17053 Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors synergistically inhibit head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumorigenesis in preclinical studies...
Mapping of electrophysiological response to transcranial infrared laser stimulation on the human brain in vivo measured by electroencephalography (Conference Presentation)

Transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS) is a non-destructive and non-thermal photobiomodulation therapy or process on the human brain; TILS uses infrared light from lasers or LEDs and has gained increased recognition for its beneficial effects on a variety of neurological and psychological conditions. While the mechanism of TILS has been assumed to stem from cytochrome-c-oxidase (CCO), which is the last enzyme in the electron transportation chain and is the primary photoacceptor, no literature is found to report electrophysiological response to TILS. In this study, a 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) system was employed to monitor electrophysiological activities from 15 healthy human participants before, during and after TILS. A placebo experimental protocol was also applied for rigorous comparison. After recording a 3-minute baseline, we applied a 1064-nm laser with a power of 3.5W on the right forehead of each human participant for 8 minutes, followed by a 5-minute recovery period. In 64-channel EEG data analysis, we utilized several methods (root mean square, principal component analysis followed by independent component analysis, permutation conditional mutual information, and time-frequency wavelet analysis) to reveal differences in electrophysiological response to TILS between the stimulated versus placebo group. The analyzed results were further investigated using general linear model and paired t-test to reveal statistically meaningful responses induced by TILS. Moreover, this study will provide spatial mapping of human electrophysiological and possibly neural network responses to TILS for first time, indicating the potential of EEG to be an effective method for monitoring neurological improvement induced by TILS.
Cellular Mechanisms of Target Antigen Attack in Experimental Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a T cell-dependent, antibody-mediated autoimmune neuromuscular disease. Autoantibodies directed against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) activate the complement cascade after binding to AChR. This results in a functional decrease in the AChR at the neuromuscular junction, which leads to neuromuscular transmission defects and culminates in weakness and fatigue of skeletal muscles in MG patients.
The ethics of interventional procedures for patients too ill for surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Minimally invasive interventional procedures are increasingly popular options for patients who are high-risk candidates for open surgical procedures. It is unclear how to proceed in the rare circumstance of a complication during an interventional procedure, where addressing the complication would require exposing the patient to the full risk that was being avoided with the minimally invasive technique. This review provides recommendations on how to approach this paradoxical scenario. RECENT FINDINGS Risk stratification, communication frameworks, and advanced care planning can facilitate shared decision-making between physicians and patients. Risk stratification may include mortality predictive models, disability and frailty scores, and patient-centered outcome studies. In the event of procedural complication or failure, aggressive surgical treatment or limited repair should be guided by patient preferences to best ensure value concordant care. SUMMARY Interventional procedures, and emergent open surgery, should be offered as long as patients are fully informed about the benefits and risks, including the implications of potential life-sustaining treatments, and whether their respective goals of treatment are consistent with the intervention. Implementing this framework will require a cultural shift in physician attitudes to recognize that in some cases, nonintervention or less aggressive treatment may be a reasonable alternative to surgical intervention.
Domain and Speaker Adaptation for Cortana Speech Recognition

Voice assistant represents one of the most popular and important scenarios for speech recognition. In this paper, we propose two adaptation approaches to customize a multi-style well-trained acoustic model towards its subsidiary domain of Cortana assistant. First, we present anchor-based speaker adaptation by extracting the speaker information, i-vector or d-vector embeddings, from the anchor segments of ‘Hey Cortana’. The anchor embeddings are mapped to layer-wise parameters to control the transformations of both weight matrices and biases of multiple layers. Second, we directly update the existing model parameters for domain adaptation. We demonstrate that prior distribution should be updated along with the network adaptation to compensate the label bias from the development data. Updating the priors may have a significant impact when the target domain features high occurrence of anchor words. Experiments on Hey Cortana desktop test set show that both approaches improve the recognition accuracy significantly. The anchor-based adaptation using the anchor d-vector and the prior interpolation achieves 32% relative reduction in WER over the generic model. Index Terms: deep neural network, domain adaptation, speaker adaptation, anchor embedding
Malignant lymphomas, their classification and relation to leukemia.

The value of complete hematologic study, including examination of the blood and bone marrow and imprints as well as sections of lymph nodes, for the diagnosis of lymphoblastomas has been indicated. The various forms of these tumors have been described and defined, and their relationships to each other and to leukemia have been discussed and illustrated. A simple working classification has been presented.
X-Ray Emission from the Solar Wind

Recent developments have made it possible to detect cosmic X-rays with energies as low as several hundred eV. Several measurements of the diffuse X-radiation in this range have been reported (Baxter et al., 1969; Bowyer et al., 1968; Henry et al., 1968). In this note we investigate the possibility that these observers have detected X-radiation emitted by the solar wind. We conclude that they probably have not. However, we also find that bremsstrahlung may be detectable from a region of the sky near the sun. If this measurement is possible, it would represent an important method for determining some characteristics of the solar wind away from the ecliptic plane of the solar system. Even though the mean free path for electron collisions is large compared with the astronomical unit, the collision frequency, electron density, and energy released per encounter are sufficient to yield detectable soft X-radiation for lines of sight close to the sun. We have estimated the expected X-ray intensity in the vicinity of the earth on the basis of two models of the solar wind flow pattern; in the first, the flow is radial in all directions away from the sun, and in the second, the flow is confined to a disc of uniform thickness near the ecliptic. In both cases, we neglect temperature gradients for the electrons and compute the total flux received from interplanetary plasma along the line of sight. Most of the received intensity comes from the segment of the line of sight which is nearest the sun. The results are insensitive with respect to the position of the boundary of the solar cavity. Accordingly, we neglect the boundary and consider an infinitely large solar cavity.
Dynamic Embedded Optimization and Shooting Methods for Power System Performance Assessment

Power system dynamic performance enhancement can often be formulated as a dynamic embedded optimization problem. The associated cost function quantifies performance and involves dynamically evolving state variables. The dynamic model is embedded within the constraints. Power systems form an important example of hybrid systems, with interactions between continuous dynamics and discrete events playing a fundamental role in behavior. However, it is shown that for a large class of problems, the cost function is smooth even though the underlying dynamic response is non-smooth. Complementing this design-oriented optimization framework, techniques for assessing power system performance and vulnerability can often be expressed as boundary value problems, and solved using shooting methods. It is shown that performance limitations are closely related to grazing phenomena. Techniques are presented for determining parameter values that induce limit cycles and grazing.
Teens as Teachers: Positive Outcomes and Recommendations for Promoting Healthy Nutrition in Adolescents

The prevalence of overweight and obese status in adolescence points to a need to identify and broadly disseminate effective approaches promoting healthy eating. One promising approach engages teens as teachers to implement a nutrition education curriculum for younger youth. This article highlights qualitative evaluation results of a cross-age peer-teaching program on teen teachers. Results strengthen our knowledge base of cross-age peer teaching and inform policy and practice implications. Teens experienced greater internalization of curriculum content as evidenced by increased knowledge, improved behaviors, and overcoming barriers to healthy eating. These findings are grounded in social learning theory. To disseminate cross-age peer teaching within youth-serving organizations, we recommend the use of an evidence-based framework to guide program implementation and the development of policy to ensure intentional teen teaching opportunities.
Spinning Anthropocenarios: Climate Change Narratives as Geopolitics in the Late Holocene

This essay reconsiders research programs in environmental studies as they confront the Anthropocene.While scientific investigations are conducted with a commitment to clarifying the scientific record for geological sciences, the interpretation of their goals, methods, and results have also become more fluid cultural, political, and social narratives with complicated and conflicted implications in today’s economy and society.Anthropocene studies, which have assembled multi-scale projects of multidisciplinary teams, now aspire to steer geoscience analysis, in part, toward planet-wide management of today's rapid climate change events as they propound new objects of study and control.This study poses some questions about these trends.Is the turn to the Anthropocene, which can easily serve be another mystified narrative for the “rise of the West” since the fifteenth century, an attempt to sustain technocratic projects for centers of power and knowledge based in the West?As with all politics, what decisive struggles are at stake between "who, whom" in these shifting geopolitical debates that now are cloaked in the advanced study of physical and social sciences?
Most multiple myeloma patients have low testosterone.

Hypogonadism is present in approximately a quarter of men older than 70 years [1,2] but age alone does not guarantee low testosterone [3]. The diagnosis is often based on two tests of serum testost...
Macrophages as delivery vehicles of antioxidant enzyme nanoparticles payload

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, with approximately 1 in 4 deaths being attributed to a cardiovascular event. CVD often results from the development of atherosclerosis. Balloon angioplasty, a common surgical intervention to treat severe atherosclerosis often fails as a consequence of vessel renarrowing or restenosis, secondary to constrictive remodeling and neointimal hyperplasia (NIH). Reactive oxygen species are key drivers of NIH. After surgical intervention macrophages are recruited to the vasculature, providing a strategy for targeted delivery of therapeutics. Therefore, we hypothesize that macrophages can be loaded with antioxidant enzyme nanoparticles (NP) to be used as delivery vehicles of enzymatically active catalase or SOD. Methods Nanoparticle diameter was determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanotracking analysis (NTA). Bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM) were isolated from male Zucker rats. Loading and release of antioxidant enzymes, catalase or superoxide dismutase (SOD), into BMDM or RAW 264.7 macrophages was assessed using enzyme activity assays, fluorescent spectroscopy and epifluorescent imaging. Results Catalase nanoparticles obtained were monodisperse with a diameter of 125.2 ± 3.8 nm (NTA). CuZnSOD nanoparticles were polydisperse with an average diameter of 145.1 ± 20.6 nm (NTA). NP-encapsulated enzymes were stable for 7 days with no change in activity. Uptake of antioxidant nanoparticles by murine macrophages (RAW 264.7) peaked at 2 hours with 40-50% of cells engulfing fluorescein labeled nanoparticles. Release of labeled nanoparticles was continuous over five days with a large amount (50%) of polymer release during the first 24 hours. Uptake of NP-encapsulated enzymes significantly increased internal catalase or SOD activity in RAW macrophages. Conclusion Treatment of macrophages with antioxidant enzyme nanoparticles is a viable approach to load and deliver catalytically active catalase and/or SOD providing a feasible platform for a targeted delivery system to the injured vasculature.
Abstract B038: Convergent hormone therapy resistance mediated by stress/dormancy-like pathways in prostate cancer

Background: Novel agents that inhibit the androgen receptor (AR), including abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide, have significantly prolonged life in many men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, after 1-2 years of therapy acquired resistance to these drugs is nearly universal. Therefore, identifying mechanisms of resistance and innovative therapies to treat enzalutamide-resistant disease represents a major unmet clinical need. Methods: In this study, we developed four enzalutamide-resistant cell lines and analyzed each cell line by RNA-seq and phospho-proteomics to identify common pathways deregulated during disease progression to enzalutamide resistance. We manipulated p38 levels and activity in order to determine its mechanistic relationship to resistance. We measured p38 activity in metastatic biopsies from men with both hormone-sensitive and metastatic prostate cancer. Results: At the nexus of acquired enzalutamide resistance in four independently derived prostate cancer model systems, we identified a convergent mechanism of resistance through activation of the p38 stress response/dormancy pathway. Enzalutamide-resistant cells are sensitized to p38 inhibition, and enzalutamide- sensitive cells developed resistance to enzalutamide with constitutive activation of p38 signaling. Enzalutamide-resistant cells have sustained AR activity, which is blocked with genetic or small-molecule p38 inhibition, indicating that p38 promotes AR activity in the absence of ligand binding. Finally, we found common activation of p38 in lymph node, visceral, and bone metastases from men with mCRPC. Conclusions: We have identified the stress response/dormancy p38-signaling pathway as a common mechanism driving enzalutamide resistance. Most importantly, p38 is a targetable pathway activated in tumors from men with mCRPC, suggesting that novel therapeutic strategies could be applied to prolong the lives of men with metastatic, drug-resistant prostate cancer. Citation Format: Kathryn E. Ware, Santosh Gupta, Jared Eng, Wen-Chi Foo, Lorin Crawford, Garland Austin, Bhairavy Puviindran, Jennifer Freedman, Steven R. Patierno, Tian Zhang, David Corcoran, Mariaelena Pierobon, Emanuel Petricoin, Jason A. Somarelli, Andrew J. Armstong. Convergent hormone therapy resistance mediated by stress/dormancy-like pathways in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr B038.
ULTRASONIC CHARACTERIZATION OF OXYGEN CONTAMINATED TITANIUM 6211 PLATE

Dissolved oxygen contamination during GTA and GMA welding of titanium alloys can result in severe embrittlement of the weld region. In order to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasonic testing for quantitatively detecting the presence of interstitial gas contamination in weldments of Ti-6211, ultrasonic wave velocity and ultrasonic attenuation measurements were performed on a series of five specimens with nominal oxygen levels of 0.07, 0.14, 0.20, 0.24, and 0.29 percent by weight. Additional metallurgical evaluation provided further insight into the material properties responsible for the observed ultrasonic behavior.
Rapid Isolation of Loss-of-Function Mutations for Dominant Traits: A Case Study Using Photoperiod Sensitivity Trait in Pima Cotton

In its natural state, cotton (Gossypium spp.) is a perennial that flowers only under short-day conditions. Early selection efforts eliminated this photoperiod requirement, allowing cotton cultivation to shift predominantly to annual growth under long summer daylengths throughout the world. Photoperiod sensitivity persists in many wild cottons and remains a major barrier to the introgression of beneficial alleles into elite breeding material. Identification of the variation and genetic factors underlying photoperiod response in cotton is needed to fully harness the genetic diversity of wild cotton and broaden the cultivated germplasm pool. Genetic variants, especially loss-of-function mutations in dominant genes conferring photoperiod sensitivity, would be highly valuable in this regard. After mutagenizing pima cotton (G. barbadense L.) seeds heterozygous for the major photoperiod response gene Gb_Ppd1 with γ rays, we identified plants no longer sensitive to photoperiod. Genetic analysis of BC₁F₁ plants derived from backcrossing the mutants with their photoperiod-insensitive parent confirmed the loss-of-function mutations were allelic with Gb_Ppd1. Characterization of the mutants with molecular markers confirmed that all but one were deletions of Gb_Ppd1. Further, genotyping localized Gb_Ppd1 to a 12-Mb region on chromosome D10. The newly identified genomic region and loss-of-function mutants may help assist with the identification and functional validation of candidate genes for photoperiod response in cotton, facilitating the valuable introgression of genetic diversity into cotton breeding programs.
Evaluating the projected performance of Wolter-I x-ray telescope designs for SmallSats

We are developing Wolter-I X-ray optics for use in SmallSat missions. These optics are being designed for telescope focal lengths on the order of 0.5 - 1 m, much shorter than typical Astrophysics missions. The various parameters of the optics module: diameter, length, number nested shells, coatings, etc., depend partly on the spacecraft bus but the final design is driven by the science and instrument requirements of the mission (effective area, resolution, and energy band of interest). Ray trace software was developed and used to project the performance of several optics configurations, which, designed for SmallSat missions, meet the instrument requirements for the SmallSat Exosphere Explorer of hot Jupiters (SEEJ) . Results of this modeling is presented.
Dreaming of Afrofuturism, Epic Fantasy, and Utopia in N. K. Jemisin’s Dreamblood Duology

N. K. Jemisin dreams up an Afrofuturist feminist counter-history of utopia in both The Killing Moon (2012) and The Shadowed Sun (2012). Comprising the Dreamblood Duology, the novels are set in an alternate ancient Egypt in which the inhabitants live in the peaceful but rigidly hierarchal city-state of Gujaareh. This chapter analyzes the novels’ illustration of critical utopia, while also engaging Afrofuturism’s role in challenging notions of ideal pasts or futures. Like other critical utopias, the Dreamblood Duology pushes the boundaries of the utopian literature genre and questions the notion of a “perfect” society, in this case by privileging the experience of the most marginalized people to highlight disparities and offer a way forward that may make the society more just for all.