cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P059 Using NGS in solid organ transplantation to resolve anti-HLA antibodies to self antigens

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is an innovative technology that is redefining the landscape of human molecular genetic testing. NGS technology has entered the clinical lab space with validated machines and reagents to streamline the process of HLA typing. This case highlights the utility of HLA typing by NGS for a solid organ laboratory. A 45 year old African American male presented to our center for new patient evaluation. The patient had received a previous kidney transplant in June 2013 at another institution. We performed HLA typing by SSO method and screened the patient for anti-HLA antibodies by Flow PRA (FPRA) and reflexed to single antigen bead identification using One Lambda reagents. The patient was HLA typed as DRB1∗10:XX, DRB1∗14:04; DQA1∗01:MV (01/04/05), DQA1∗01:SXYS (01/04/05/12) with DQB1∗05:XX, DQB1∗05:XX by SSO. We confirmed the patient’s HLA typing with the previous transplant center. Due to previous sensitizing events, the patient’s FPRA was 99% class I and 100% class II. Examination of the class II single antigen bead profile revealed strong DR14 and DQ5 antibodies. (DRB1∗14:54, MFI:10,640; DRB1∗14:01, MFI:10299; DRB1∗14:02, MFI: 9379) (DQB1∗01:02-DQB1∗05:02, MFI: 15707) (DQB1∗01:01-DQB1∗05:01, MFI: 7141). For further resolution of the patient’s DR and DQ typings we performed NGS high resolution typing using Illumina TruSight v2 sequencing panel. The patient was typed (DRB1∗10:01:01, DRB1∗14:04:01) (DQA1∗01:04:02, DQA1∗01:05:01) with (DQB1∗05:01:01, DQB1∗05:03:01). DQA1∗01:04:02 was not common and well defined, differing from DQA1∗01:04:01 at position 5433 A→C in exon 3 leading to a synonymous base substitution. The DR and DQA-DQB pairs of the patient found through sequencing differ from the DR14 and DQ5 single antigen beads used for calling unacceptables. The patient was not generating anti-HLA antibodies to self, but rather common DR DQA-DQB allele variants. We confirmed there was no self-reactivity by auto crossmatch which was negative by Flow Cytometry and Cytotoxicity. Given that deceased donor typing is performed at lower resolution and single antigen beads are unable to cover all HLA alleles, a combination of virtual XM and real time crossmatches will need to be performed to safely get this patient re-transplanted.
Transplantation of the Intestine

The intestine was one of the last solid organs to be successfully transplanted. The reasons behind the barriers to successful intestinal transplantation (ITx) in humans are multifactorial. No doubt, the fact that the bowel is one of the largest and most active immune “organs” in the human body and the fact that bacteria and fungi reside in symbiosis within the lumen of the gut play a significant role. In fact, the immunogenicity of the intestine is so strong that successful transplantation was not possible without the advent of powerful immunosuppressive medications. This chapter outlines the development of this field, the surgical techniques used, the outcomes, as well as the major problems commonly seen after ITx.
Object-Oriented Generation of VHDL Models

To allow the rapid prototyping of application specific signal processors, an extensive VHDL library of architectural building blocks is needed. In this chapter, we present an object-oriented approach to generating a library of VHDL synthesizable models. The object-oriented analysis and implementation of the VHDL model generation system is described. By using an object-oriented development method, the model generation system has been designed to be easily extended, allowing new components to be added to the component library without changing the system code. An example of the VHDL code generated for a 4-bit ripple carry adder is included
An Essential Secondary Structure in the 3’ Untranslated Region of the Mouse Hepatitis Virus Genome

The 3’ untranslated regions (3’ UTRs) of coronaviruses contain the signals necessary for negative strand RNA synthesis and may also harbor elements essential for positive strand replication and subgenomic RNA transcription. The 3’ UTRs of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and bovine Coronavirus (BCV) are more than 30% divergent. In an effort to learn what parts of these regions might be functionally interchangeable, we attempted to replace the 3’ UTR of MHV with its BCV counterpart by targeted RNA recombination. Initially, we tried to substitute the 3’ 267 nucleotides (nt) of the 301 nt MHV 3’ UTR with the corresponding region of the BCV 3’ UTR. This exchange did not yield viable recombinant viruses, and the donor DI RNA was shown to be unable to replicate with MHV as a helper virus. Subsequent analysis revealed that the entire BCV 3’ UTR could be inserted into the MHV genome in place of the entire MHV 3’ UTR. It resulted that the failure of the initial attempted substitution was due to the inadvertent disruption of an essential conserved bulged stem-loop secondary structure in the MHV and BCV 3’ UTRs immediately downstream of the N gene stop codon.
Integrins, γδ T Cells, and Autoimmunity

T lymphocytes can be divided into two major lineages. The majority of peripheral T lymphocytes express the ∝β TCR and recognize antigen in association with MHC class I or class II molecules, while a second minor subpopulation of T lymphocytes expresses the γδ chains (1). The nature of the antigen recognized by this latter population or the nature of the restriction element utilized remain poorly characterized (2). One major subpopulation of γδ cells which express the Vγ1.1Cγ4, Vδ6Cδ TCR (hereafter referred to as Vγ1.1 Vδ6 TCR) has been isolated from newborn thymus and hybridomas which express this TCR spontaneously produce IL-2 (3). It has been postulated that spontaneous cytokine production by these hybridomas is secondary to recognition of an autoantigen, possibly an autologous heat shock protein, expressed on the surface of the thymic hybridomas themselves (4).
Historical perspective of genetic research with nonhuman primates

Genetics became firmly established as a scientific discipline early in the twentieth century, but major genetic research programs that involve nonhuman primates have been initiated only in the last two decades. Considerable activity in this area has been stimulated by the concurrent development of powerful techniques for detecting variability in chromosomes, proteins, and DNA; the establishment of pedigreed breeding colonies; and the recognition that nonhuman primates are ideally suited as models of human disease and social structure. The subdisciplines of cytogenetics, immunogenetics, and biochemical genetics have established a firm basis for biomedical and evolutionary research with nonhuman primates, and they will contribute greatly to future research initiatives. More recently, the advent of molecular genetics has enhanced the opportunities for research; and the exploration of nonhuman primates as potential models for genetically mediated diseases has been richly rewarded. We stand at the threshold of a new and exciting era in genetic research with nonhuman primates. The results of research programs already underway not only will provide more definitive answers about the origin of man, but also will play a critical role in solving the health-related problems of the present and of the future.
Bacterial Translocation Across a Histologically Intact Intestinal Mucosa

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that normal flora bacteria can translocate out of the intestinal tract and cause a significant proportion of the complicating infections seen in hospitalized immunosuppressed patients, trauma patients, and postsurgical patients (reviewed in Wells et al. 1988c). If the intestinal tract is damaged as a result of a variety of insults such as local ischemia, it is not difficult to imagine that intestinal bacteria can enter vascular or lymphatic channels and translocate to distal sites. However, there are a number of recent reports documenting that normal intestinal bacteria can initiate systemic disease by translocating through a histologically intact intestinal mucosa. Here, the route of bacterial transport is elusive, but has become an area of active investigation.
Regional differences and similarities in the brain transcriptome for mice selected for ethanol preference from HS-CC founders

The high genetic complexity found in heterogeneous stock (HS-CC) mice, together with selective breeding, can be used to detect new pathways and mechanisms associated with ethanol preference and excessive ethanol consumption. We predicted that these pathways would provide new targets for therapeutic manipulation. Previously (Colville et al., 2017), we observed that preference selection strongly affected the accumbens shell (SH) genes associated with synaptic function and in particular genes associated with synaptic tethering. Here we expand our analyses to include substantially larger sample sizes and samples from two additional components of the "addiction circuit," the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the prelimbic cortex (PL). At the level of differential expression (DE), the majority of affected genes are region-specific; only in the CeA did the DE genes show a significant enrichment in GO annotation categories, e.g., neuron part. In all three brain regions the differentially variable genes were significantly enriched in a single network module characterized by genes associated with cell-to-cell signaling. The data point to glutamate plasticity as being a key feature of selection for ethanol preference. In this context the expression of Dlg2 which encodes for PSD-93 appears to have a key role. It was also observed that the expression of the clustered protocadherins was strongly associated with preference selection.
Moving beyond forensic monitoring to understand and manage impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas development.

In PNAS, Woda et al. (1) present the results of a multidimensional investigation of the impacts of several hydraulically fractured shale gas wells on an aquifer and a hydrologically connected stream in a particular area in central Pennsylvania. The stream, Sugar Run, has been impacted by migration of methane into it. Sugar Run has inflow of groundwater from aquifers overlying the Marcellus Shale, which is relatively close to the land surface in the study area (e.g., one shale gas well of primary focus in the study is reported to intersect the Marcellus Shale at a depth of 997 m). Stream samples and groundwater samples were collected upstream and downstream from a location in Sugar Run where intermittent bubbling and groundwater seepage have been observed for at least 4 y since intensive shale gas development began in the study area in 2008. Samples were analyzed for dissolved methane; Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, SO42−, Cl−, and other inorganic solutes; carbon and strontium isotopes; and noble gases. The authors also obtained and analyzed regional groundwater-quality data and water-quality data for Sugar Run before shale gas development. Analysis of the water-quality data with consideration of regional characteristics and surface and groundwater characteristics before shale gas development led Woda et al. (1) to conclude from multiple lines of evidence that Sugar Run and the aquifer(s) that provide inflow to the stream have been contaminated by “new methane” mobilized by the shale gas development. They propose a water-quality indicator of the presence of recent methane contamination, namely, high sulfate (>6 mg/L) and iron (>0.3 mg/L) in waters with high methane concentrations. The protocol developed by the authors for use of aqueous geochemical conditions to identify impacts associated with new methane will be useful in the Marcellus region and, perhaps, in … [↵][1]1Email: dzombak{at}cmu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Live Music Therapy During Rehabilitation After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common orthopedic surgery known to be very painful. Emphasis has been placed on TKA pain management for postoperative care and during rehabilitation. Music therapy is used as a nonpharmacologic intervention for pain management and to promote rehabilitation exercise adherence. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of music therapy/physical therapy co-treatment using live music-supported exercise on pain and exercise adherence during a lower extremity pedaling exercise to facilitate range of motion (ROM). The researcher randomized 32 TKA inpatient rehabilitation participants to an intervention or control group. Following baseline measures, two study intervals occurred with the intervention group receiving live music for the first interval followed by no music during the second interval; the control group received no music during both intervals. Self-reported pain measures, observed pain measures, and observed measures of pedaling adherence were collected for each participant. A mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures showed no significant effects for self-reported pain perception. For observed pain, ANOVA results did show a significant interaction (p < .05) between group and study interval. There were no statistically significant effects for pedaling adherence. Conclusions show an important role for live music therapy intervention on observed pain while engaged in co-treatment during this lower extremity ROM exercise. Additional implications and limitations are discussed.
Complement therapeutics meets nanomedicine: overcoming human complement activation and leukocyte uptake of nanomedicines with soluble domains of CD55.

Abstract Complement activation plays an important role in pharmacokinetic and performance of intravenously administered nanomedicines. Significant efforts have been directed toward engineering of nanosurfaces with low complement activation, but due to promiscuity of complement factors and redundancy of pathways, it is still a major challenge. Cell membrane-anchored Decay Accelerating Factor (DAF, a.k.a. CD55) is an efficient membrane bound complement regulator that inhibits both classical and alternative C3 convertases by accelerating their spontaneous decay. Here we tested the effect of various short consensus repeats (SCRs, “sushi” domains) of human CD55 on nanoparticle-mediated complement activation in human sera and plasma. Structural modeling suggested that SCR-2, SCR-3 and SCR-4 are critical for binding to the alternative pathway C3bBb convertase, whereas SCR-1 is dispensable. Various domains were expressed in E.coli and purified by an affinity column. SCRs were added to lepirudin plasma or sera from different healthy subjects, to monitor nanoparticle-mediated complement activation as well as C3 opsonization. Using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoworms (SPIO NWs), we found that SCR-2-3-4 was the most effective inhibitor (IC50 ~0.24 μM for C3 opsonization in sera), followed by SCR-1-2-3-4 (IC50 ~0.6 μM), whereas shorter domains (SCR-3, SCR-2-3, SCR-3-4) were ineffective. SCR-2-3-4 also inhibited C5a generation (IC50 ~0.16 μM in sera). In addition to SPIO NWs, SCR-2-3-4 effectively inhibited C3 opsonisation and C5a production by clinically approved nanoparticles (Feraheme, LipoDox and Onivyde). SCR-2-3-4 inhibited both lectin and alternative pathway activation by nanoparticles. When added to lepirudin-anticoagulated blood from healthy donors, it significantly reduced the uptake of SPIO NWs by neutrophils and monocytes. These results suggest that soluble domains of membrane-bound complement inhibitors are potential candidates for preventing nanomedicine-mediated complement activation in human subjects.
Patient Satisfaction with Clinicians and Short-Term Mortality in a US National Sample: the Roles of Morbidity and Gender.

In a prior study, we found patient satisfaction was associated with mortality. However, that study included few deaths, yielding wide confidence intervals, was criticized for possible morbidity under-adjustment, and lacked power to explore sociodemographic moderation. To revisit the satisfaction-mortality association in a larger national sample, allowing more precise risk estimates, sequential morbidity adjustment, and exploration of sociodemographic moderation. Prospective cohort study. 2000–2015 Adult Medical Expenditures Panel Surveys (MEPS) respondents (N = 92,952), each enrolled for 2 consecutive years. We used five Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS) items to assess patients’ year 1 satisfaction with their clinicians. Death during the 2 years of MEPS participation was determined by proxy report. We modeled the satisfaction-mortality association in sequential regressions: model 1 included sociodemographics, model 2 added health status (approximating recommended CAHPS adjustment), and model 3 added smoking status, disease burden, and healthcare utilization. Satisfaction was not associated with mortality in model 1. In model 2, higher satisfaction was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratios [95% CIs] for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th (top) quartiles vs. 1st quartile: 1.28 (1.01, 1.62), P = 0.04; 1.43 (1.12, 1.82), P = 0.004; and 1.57 (1.25, 1.98), P < 0.001, respectively). The associations were not attenuated in model 3. There was a significant interaction between gender and satisfaction (F[3, 443] = 3.62, P = 0.01). The association between satisfaction and mortality was significant in women only, such that their mortality advantage over men was eliminated in the highest satisfaction quartile. The association of higher patient satisfaction with clinicians with higher short-term mortality was evident only after CAHPS-recommended adjustment, was not attenuated by further morbidity adjustment, and was evident in women but not men. The findings suggest that characteristics among women who are more satisfied with their clinicians may be associated with increased mortality risk.
Abstract 4122: The regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 level through ER-associated degradation

Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is an important immune checkpoint molecule that allows cancer cells to evade immune surveillance. Further, the PD-L1 level is relatively higher in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. Thus, the PD-L1/PD-1 axis has served as primary target for cancer immunotherapy. However, the regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 level are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) mechanism of PD-L1 through cross-talking between phosphorylation and glycosylation. We discover that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activated by metformin directly binds with PD-L1 in the ER lumen and phosphorylates Ser 195 of PD-L1. The Ser 195 phosphorylation induces abnormal mannose-rich glycan structures of PD-L1 through excessive ER trimming process. PD-L1 with abnormal glycan structures is occupied by ER quality check components in the ER and finally degraded through ERAD pathway. We provide new insights to understand cancer immune checkpoints by identifying a new regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 and these findings can be used to improve the efficacy of previous cancer immunotherapy for the PD-L / PD-1 axis. Citation Format: Jong-Ho Cha, Wen-Hao Yang, Weiya Xia, Yongkun Wei, Li-Chuan Chan, Chia-Wei Li, Heng-Huan Lee, Mien-Chie Hung. The regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 level through ER-associated degradation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4122.
Accessible and Secure: Improving Voter Confidence by Protecting the Right to Vote

In this chapter, the author lays out critical concerns about polling sites and election equipment as they pertain to a range of voter accessibility issues for voters with disabilities and the growing population of voters who present particular but relatively straightforward challenges in terms of vision, hearing, and mobility. Also discussed in detail are challenges for military and overseas voters and language minorities. The author addresses an array of practical, design, and legal issues today and in the future that will be critical to understanding the complexity of election administration.
Amifampridine for the Management of Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome: A New Take on an Old Drug:

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the literature for both 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) and amifampridine for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). Amifamprid...
Typology of Family Relationship and Elder Mistreatment in a US Chinese Population.

Objectives To examine the associations between typology of family relationship and risk of elder mistreatment (EM). Design Population-based epidemiological cross-sectional study. Setting Community-dwelling older adults in the greater Chicago area. Participants A total of 3157 US older Chinese immigrants. Measurements EM was measured by a brief screening tool. Latent class analysis was used to construct typologies of family relationship from eight indicators, evaluating the structural, associational, functional, affectual, and normative aspects of family relationship. Logistic regression models were used to test the associations between typology of family relationship and EM. Results Unobligated ambivalent type (44.77%) was the most common family type among US older Chinese immigrants. The prevalence of EM was around 15%, with 475 participants reporting experience of EM. Unobligated ambivalent (odds ratio [OR] = 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.54-2.34) and detached (OR = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.32-2.42) family types were associated with greater risk of EM; tight-knit (OR = .34; 95% CI = .27-.44) family type was associated with lower risk of EM. The relationship between commanding conflicted family type and EM was not significant. Conclusion Unobligated ambivalent family type, featured by high emotional closeness and high family conflict, was prevalent among US Chinese families and associated with EM consequences. Culturally customized social services are suggested to reduce intergenerational ambivalence and promote family harmony for immigrant families. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:S493-S498, 2019.
A Scheduler for Smart Homes with Probabilistic User Preferences

Scheduling appliances is a challenging and interesting problem aimed at reducing energy consumption at a residential level. Previous work on appliance scheduling for smart homes assumes that user preferences have no uncertainty. In this paper, we study two approaches to address this problem when user preferences are uncertain. More specifically, we assume that user preferences in turning on or off a device are represented by Normal distributions. The first approach uses sample average approximation, a mathematical model, in computing a schedule. The second one relies on the fact that a scheduling problem could be viewed as a constraint satisfaction problem and uses depth-first search to identify a solution. We also conduct an experimental evaluation of the two approaches to investigate the scalability of each approach in different problem variants. We conclude by discussing computational challenges of our approaches and some possible directions for future work.
Gangs in the El Paso-Juárez borderland: the role of history and geography in shaping criminal subcultures

This paper examines the early precursors of organized criminal subcultures using the U.S.-Mexico border city of El Paso, Texas as a case-study. El Paso is known as the birthplace of the pachuco; the Mexican Americans’ original street-oriented subculture. It formed the basis for the numerous delinquent groups that would emerge there throughout the decades, ultimately producing a binational organized crime syndicate called the Barrio Azteca. This barrio-prison-cartel hybrid is a modern group with deep roots in the street-gang subcultures of the region. The current study shows that its ties to drug gangs in Ciudad Juarez and subsequent federal prosecutions were recent catalysts in its escalation as a unique cross-border entity. The work is informed by archival material, police data, and multi-faceted fieldwork with gang members and police. It illustrates how the El Paso-Juarez metroplex has fostered particular criminological dynamics not seen in any other place in the U.S. to date.
Mass-producing wearable sensors: No sweat

Laser engraving can mass-produce cost-efficient, wearable sensors that monitor vital signs and sweat, detecting biomarkers linked to chronic diseases.
Energy Storage Materials as Emerging Nano-contaminants

New and emerging nanotechnologies are increasingly using nanomaterials that undergo significant chemical reactions upon exposure to environmental conditions. The rapid advent of lithium ion batteri...
A Fouling-Resistant Voltammetric Sensing System for Wearable Electroactive Biomarker Monitoring

Voltammetry-based sensing systems are suitable for wearable monitoring of electroactive biomarkers in epidermally-retrievable biofluids (e.g., sweat), as they can directly transduce the redox features of the targets into electrical signals, delivering a sample-to-answer solution. To render reliable voltammetric readouts, the fundamental challenge of biofluid-induced fouling (causing rapid and irreversible signal degradation) must be addressed–an issue which has been overlooked in the previously reported wearable sensor development methods, but widely reported in conventional voltammetric platforms. To this end, here, we devise a fouling-resistant voltammetric sensing interface that exploits an inert electrode surface (specifically, boron-doped diamond, facilitating weak adsorption of polar molecules) as well as a hydrophilic membrane coating (chitosan) to mitigate the interaction of fouling agents with the surface. Utilizing this engineered sensing interface, sub-micromolar level quantification of uric acid was demonstrated, where the sensor presented minimal interference from non-target electroactive species (within their physiologically relevant concentration range). By interfacing the developed sensor with a wireless circuit board–augmented with a dedicated analytical framework–seamless uric acid readout acquisition in sweat was achieved. The presented biofouling characterization/mitigation methodology provides a basis for wearable electroactive sensing system development. [2020-0199]
A case of tumor-to-tumor metastasis of cutaneous malignant melanoma.

We report a case of tumor-to-tumor metastasis of a cutaneous malignant melanoma to a synchronous thyroid Hurthle cell carcinoma. A 42-year-old male underwent a biopsy of right inguinal lymphadenopathy which demonstrated metastatic melanoma. The primary lesion was identified on his right posterior leg, and staging work up discovered a synchronous left thyroid lobe nodule concerning for a follicular neoplasm. He underwent excision of the primary melanoma, right inguinal lymphadenectomy, and total thyroidectomy. The resected thyroid contained a 6.6 cm, well encapsulated left sided nodule, red-brown in color and homogenous in consistency, with areas of focal hemorrhage and no grossly identifiable calcification. Microscopically, large tumor cells with distinct cell borders were present, with deeply eosinophilic and granular cytoplasm, large nuclei with prominent nucleoli, and loss of polarity consistent with oncocytes. A microscopic single focus of vascular invasion was identified, and a diagnosis of angioinvasive Hurthle cell carcinoma was made. Within the Hurthle cell carcinoma, multiple deposits of metastatic melanoma were seen. These findings were indicative of tumor-to-tumor metastasis of the cutaneous melanoma to the angioinvasive Hurthle cell carcinoma. Our findings demonstrate the ability of melanoma to metastasize to a preexisting neoplasm. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
TAFE: Thread Address Footprint Estimation for Capturing Data/Thread Locality in GPU Systems

In multi-GPU and multi-chiplet GPU systems exhibiting NUMA behavior, information about addresses accessed by threads is crucial for various optimizations such as data/thread co-location and cache/scratchpad memory management. To make optimal decisions and avoid runtime overhead, knowledge about dynamic, potentially data-dependent access patterns should be available before kernel execution. Existing approaches require rewriting of applications or can only capture static, data-independent patterns. In this paper, we propose TAFE, a framework for accurate dynamic thread address footprint estimation of GPU applications. TAFE combines minimal static address pattern annotations with dynamic data dependency tracking to compute threadblock-specific address footprints prior to kernel launch. We propose a low-overhead software mechanism to track dynamic data-dependencies and provide an optional lightweight hardware extension to support transparent tracking. We evaluate TAFE on different NUMA GPU system configurations. TAFE achieves 91% estimation accuracy across a wide range of access patterns while incurring less than 3% tracking and estimation overhead. We further demonstrate benefits of using TAFE for efficient data/compute co-location. A TAFE-optimized thread/page mapping, can reduce off-chip traffic by 23% (up to 62%) while requiring only minimal, architecture-oblivious annotations from programmer. Furthermore, a TAFE-optimized system achieves on average 45% and 32% (up to 2x) higher performance compared to an unoptimized baseline and 10% and 22% over existing static, data-independent schemes across multiple system configurations.
High electric fields elucidate the hydrogen-bonded structures in 1-phenyl-1-propanol

Abstract High electric fields are applied to illuminate the role of hydrogen bonding in the dielectric relaxation of 1-phenyl-1-propanol (1P1P). Unlike many other monohydroxy alcohols, 1P1P is not associated with a strong distinct Debye loss peak, which would indicate chain-like hydrogen-bonded structures. We exploit the feature that a high field induced enhancement of the dielectric constant indicates a shift of the thermodynamic equilibrium towards more polar (e.g., chain-like) structures. This so-called ‘chemical effect’ rests on a field-induced lowering of the free energy of the more polar species, thus shifting the equilibrium towards a higher dielectric constant. We demonstrate that an external electrical field of EB = 245 kV cm−1 increases the amplitude of the Debye peak, whereas that of the remaining loss profile remains constant. This indicates the coexistence of chain-like and less polar structures in supercooled 1P1P and helps to discriminate the Debye process from the signature of the primary structural relaxation.
A comparison of the GB2 and skewed generalized log-t distributions with an application in finance

Abstract Several families of statistical distributions have been used to model financial data. The four-parameter generalized beta of the second kind (GB2) and five-parameter skewed generalized t (SGT) have been fit to return and log-return data, respectively. We introduce the skewed generalized log-t (SGLT) distribution and note that the GB2 and SGLT share such distributions as the asymmetric log-Laplace (ALL), log-Laplace (LL), and log-normal (LN). We then compare the relative performance of the GB2 and SGLT in modeling the distribution of daily, weekly, and monthly stock return data. We find that the GB2 and SGLT perform similarly and that the three-parameter log-t (LT) distribution is quite robust.
Deal motivations and bargaining power: do executives show their hand in SEC filings?

Our study tests the bargaining power hypothesis by examining how the operating, marketing, and financial deal motivations cited by the merging-firm managers in company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission affect their relative bargaining power in value-increasing mergers. We find that acquiring-firm shareholders capture an average of 40.1% of the total shareholder gain. Further analysis shows that acquiring-firm managers gain bargaining power when the target-firm executives cite the acquirer’s technological expertise as a reason for the merger, whereas acquiring-firm managers lose bargaining power when the acquirers cite the target’s technological expertise. Acquirers also lose bargaining power when the target managers cite the acquirer’s manufacturing/resource capacity as a motivation. These results support the role that strategic fit and industry factors play in driving the managers’ relative bargaining position. Finally, our finding that acquiring-firm managers gain bargaining power when the targets cite access to capital or expanding the customer base as a deal motivation sheds light on why firm size is an important determinant of bargaining power. Our study contributes to the literature by providing evidence that acquiring-firm managers often have more bargaining power than previously thought based on empirical studies that analyze the cumulative abnormal returns earned by target- and acquiring-firm shareholders at the merger announcement date.
Soy isoflavones and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore: A cohort analysis

4160 A large number of in-vitro experiments and studies in animals have shown that phytoestrogens such as isoflavones from soy foods may have a chemopreventive role in breast cancer. Although the collective evidence from numerous case-control studies has suggested that a high intake of soy products may reduce breast cancer risk, evidence from population-based prospective studies is very sparse. We examined the relationship between intake of soy isoflavones and breast cancer risk in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based prospective cohort of 63,257 middle-aged and older Chinese men and women enrolled between 1993 and 1998. Detailed information on current diet, assessed via a validated food frequency questionnaire, medical history and lifestyle factors were obtained through an in-person interview at enrollment. The cohort has been continuously followed, both actively through re-interviews and passively through computer linkage to population-based death and cancer registries. Loss to follow-up has been negligible. All breast cancer cases identified from the cancer registry were subsequently verified through manual review of pathological reports and medical records. As of 31 December 2005, 629 women had developed incident breast cancer among the 34,028 women participants. We used the Cox regression methods to examine soy intake in relation to breast cancer risk with adjustment for age at and year of study enrollment, dialect group, level of education, family history of breast cancer, age when period became regular, number of livebirths, body mass index and n-3 fatty acid intake. High (above median value for all female participants) versus low dietary soy isoflavones was associated with a statistically significant, 18% reduction in breast cancer risk (relative risk [RR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-0.97). When subjects were stratified by duration of follow-up, the soy-risk association was strongest among those with the longest (>10 years) duration of follow-up (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.79). Earlier, in a case-control study, we noted that the protective effect of dietary soy in Asian American women is stronger for adolescent versus adulthood consumption (Wu et al., 2006). Thus, the present findings are consistent with our previous observation, both indicating that time of dietary soy exposure is an important codeterminant of breast cancer risk, with earlier exposure relating to a greater degree of risk reduction.
BAMCAFE: A Bayesian machine learning advanced forecast ensemble method for complex turbulent systems with partial observations

Ensemble forecast based on physics-informed models is one of the most widely used forecast algorithms for complex turbulent systems. A major difficulty in such a method is the model error that is ubiquitous in practice. Data-driven machine learning (ML) forecasts can reduce the model error, but they often suffer from partial and noisy observations. In this article, a simple but effective Bayesian machine learning advanced forecast ensemble (BAMCAFE) method is developed, which combines an available imperfect physics-informed model with data assimilation (DA) to facilitate the ML ensemble forecast. In the BAMCAFE framework, a Bayesian ensemble DA is applied to create the training data of the ML model, which reduces the intrinsic error in the imperfect physics-informed model simulations and provides the training data of the unobserved variables. Then a generalized DA is employed for the initialization of the ML ensemble forecast. In addition to forecasting the optimal point-wise value, the BAMCAFE also provides an effective approach of quantifying the forecast uncertainty utilizing a non-Gaussian probability density function that characterizes the intermittency and extreme events. It is shown using a two-layer Lorenz 96 model that the BAMCAFE method can significantly improve the forecasting skill compared to the typical reduced-order imperfect models with bare truncation or stochastic parameterization for both the observed and unobserved large-scale variables. It is also shown via a nonlinear conceptual model that the BAMCAFE leads to a comparable non-Gaussian forecast uncertainty as the perfect model while the associated imperfect physics-informed model suffers from large forecast biases.
A Path of No Return: Employer Overpayments into Employee Benefit Plans

The author notes that the courts are divided over whether an employer is entitled to sue to recover overpayments made to ERISA trust funds. Although he maintains that policy considerations favor permitting such ac tions, he concludes that employers may not bring such actions under ER ISA or under the LMRA. The author argues that employers cannot maintain a restitution action under ERISA because they lack standing and are not accorded a right of action. He also argues that recovery is unavail able under the LMRA because trustees are not parties to the collective bargaining agreement, and accordingly cannot breach the agreement for purposes of section 301 jurisdiction by refusing to return an overpayment.
Orthopaedic firearm injuries in children and adolescents: An eight-year experience at a major urban trauma center.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiology of orthopaedic injuries incurred secondary to firearms among children and adolescents at a major metropolitan trauma center and to identify risk factors for complications and long-term morbidity. Methods A retrospective review was performed of consecutive patients 17 years of age and younger who sustained a firearm injury and required orthopaedic treatment at a major trauma center from 2006 to 2013. Patient demographics, injury mechanism, fracture classification, neurovascular injury, antibiotic administration, and length of hospitalization were recorded. Radiographic studies were used to determine fracture pattern, methods of stabilization, and time to union. Primary clinical outcomes include fracture nonunion, infection, and physeal arrest. Results 46 patients with a mean age of 12.7 years were treated for firearm related orthopaedic injuries. 72% of the patients were ages 13–17, while 28% were 12 years of age and younger. There were 28 violent injuries (21 assaults, 7 innocent bystanders) and 16 non-violent injuries (15 unintentional discharges and 1 self-inflicted). There was a bimodal distribution of violent versus nonviolent mechanisms, with the majority of children 12 years of age and under sustaining non-violent injuries and adolescents more commonly injured with a violent mechanism. There were 44 fractures and 6 traumatic arthrotomies, with eight associated neurovascular injuries. Twenty-five patients had an orthopaedic procedure, with a total of 43 surgeries. Mean hospital length of stay was 6.8 days. There were five deep infections. Four patients developed non-unions and all of these patients had deep infections. The timing and duration of antibiotic therapy was not significantly different between those who did and did not develop infection. Of the non-operatively treated fractures, there were no infections or non-unions at long-term follow-up. Conclusions Morbidity and mortality related to firearms is a growing public health problem in the United States. Results of this study suggest that gunshot related fractures had higher than anticipated morbidity, including permanent neurologic deficits, infection (11%) and fracture non-union (9%). More than half of patients underwent surgery and experienced long hospital stays secondary to the complexity of the injury. This epidemiological data on firearm injuries in children and adolescents is an impetus for prospective study, with the goal to increase awareness and develop treatment strategies for firearm-related fractures.
Diagnostic Criteria and Epidemiology of PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered as the most common endocrine disorder amongst reproductive-age women. While characterized by a chronic course, and features that suggest varying combinations of reproductive functional deficits (such as ovulatory dysfunction or polycystic ovarian morphology) and androgen excess (such as acne, and hirsutism), the diagnosis of PCOS is based on well-defined criteria. Ethnicity, lifestyle, and certain underlying secondary disorders can impact on diagnostic accuracy of the disorder. There are currently three major sets of diagnostic criteria for the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with slight variations between them. The prevalence of PCOS varies depending on the diagnostic criteria utilized as well as the region and ethnicity studied. The prevalence of PCOS is high among women with resistant acne and hirsutism, so patients presenting with these findings should be screened for menstrual irregularities. A timely diagnosis of this chronic disorder allows an opportunity for early detection of a spectrum of morbidities that are commonly encountered in women with PCOS (such as metabolic syndrome, impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and depression), and will allow for timely institution of preventive strategies aimed at minimizing the overall health risk in this population.
Spatial Forecast Methods for Terrorist Events in Urban Environments

Terrorist events such as suicide bombings are rare yet extremely destructive events. Responses to such events are even rarer, because they require forecasting methods for effective prevention and early detection. While many forecasting methods are available, few are designed for conflict scenarios. This paper builds on previous work in forecasting criminal behavior using spatial choice models. Specifically we describe the fusion of two techniques for modeling the spatial choice of suicide bombers into a unified forecast that combines spatial likelihood modeling of environmental characteristics with logistic regression modeling of demographic features. In addition to describing the approach we also provide motivation for the fusion of the methods and contrast the results obtained with those from the more common kernel density estimation methods that do not account for variation in the event space. We give an example of successful use of this combined method and an evaluation of its performance. We conclude that the fusion method shows improvement over other methods and greater scalability for combining larger numbers of spatial forecasting methods than were previously available.
An Attempted Analysis on China’s Grass-Roots E-Government Construction in the Age of Big Data

The arrival of the Age of Big Data has brought new challenges to China’s grass-roots E-government construction. Based on an overview of Big Data, grass-roots E-government construction, this paper illustrates the urgent need to further deepen e-government construction at the Age of Big Data, analyzes challenges facing the grass-roots E-government construction at the Age of Big Data and then puts forward the user-oriented countermeasures from human resource development related to Big Data, the perfection and integration of database and the government information resources, and public demand prediction.
2-Keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconic aldolase. Primary structure of a 50 amino acid peptide containing the azomethine-forming lysine residue.

Abstract A peptide of 50 amino acids containing the azomethine-forming lysine residue has been isolated from crystalline 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconic aldolase. For this purpose, the lysine residue was derivatized by incubation with [ 14 C]pyruvate and cyanoborohydride. Following carboxymethylation and treatment with cyanogen bromide, the radioactive active site peptide was isolated by chromatography. The sequence was established by standard Edman degradations and carboxypeptidase digestions of a series of tryptic peptides as Gly-Tyr-Ala-Leu-Gly-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Phe-ϵ- N -(1-carboxyethyl) Lys-Leu-Phe-Pro-Ala-Glu-Ile-Ser-Gly-Gly-Val-Ala-Ala-Ile-Lys-Ala-Phe- Gly-Gly-Gly-Pro-Phe-Asn-Ile-Arg-Phe-Cys(SCm)-Pro-Thr-Gly-Asx-Val-Ala-Pro- Asn-Val-Arg-Tyr-Asn-Hsr. The -Arg-Arg-Phe-Lys- sequence found in this peptide can produce a much more basic environment than can occur in the corresponding peptide of fructose diphosphate aldolase, where there is no basic amino acid near the Schiff base-forming lysine. It is also noteworthy (although not unexpected) that there is no homology of sequence between the corresponding peptides from 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase and fructose diphosphate aldolase.
Research Strategies and Reference Sources about the Holocaust: A Case Study.

Summary This article uses the Hawaii Holocaust Project as a case study to describe the research strategies and reference sources used in conducting videotaped oral history interviews to document the World War II experiences of three groups of Hawaii residents. It includes a description of the project itself and the research undertaken before interviews were conducted, followed by a discussion a research issue unexpectedly encountered in the course of the project and efforts made to address it. It continues with a brief account of the transcript review process, followed by a description of the reference sources used in adding explanatory notes to the transcripts.
Storytelling: An Encyclopedia of Mythology and Folklore (3 vols.)

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2008 Pages: 904 Publisher: Sharpe Reference ISBN: 978-0-7656-8047-1 (hard cover). Prices: $299.00 USD(hard cover).
Dielectronic recombination of W35

Accurate data for dielectronic recombination (DR) of the ions of tungsten are of significant interest in the modelling of tungsten impurity transport and radiative power loss in current tokamaks and in ITER. However, the complexity of the atomic structure for many of these ions makes level-resolved DR calculations untenable on currently available computers, especially for open d- and f-subshell ions. The majority of DR data presently available for ITER modelling are based on an average-atom approximation. To improve upon these baseline calculations, we investigate the use of the configuration-average distorted-wave (CADW) method to calculate DR rate coefficients for complex open d-shell systems. The aim is to produce rate coefficients that are sufficiently accurate in terms of modelling, yet greatly reduced in term of computational complexity compared to level-resolved calculations. In this paper, we consider the DR of W35 +. Initially, we carry out several large-scale level-resolved calculations for the DR associated with the 4d → 4f and 4p → 4d excitations in this ion, using both the level-resolved distorted-wave and Dirac R-matrix methods. These calculations allow us to test the validity of the CADW approach on these same excitations by comparing cross sections and rate coefficients. These comparisons demonstrate that the CADW method is relatively accurate in relation to these level-resolved methods for the temperature range for which W35 + should exist in a collisionally ionized plasma. We then present results for CADW rate coefficients for both Δn = 0 and Δn = 1 excitations for this ion. This study indicates that it is now feasible to generate a much improved comprehensive set of DR data for the entire tungsten isonuclear sequence.